Birthday Surprise

Tatsuha arrived at the airport and got off the crowded train. Not quite familiar with the layout of the airport, he wandered around until he saw a sign directing him toward the gate where his flight was due to take off. Noticing he still had at least an hour to wait, he groaned, so as a way to kill time he checked his backpack as carry-on luggage and sat down to wait, the pack in his lap.

‘I haven’t had a chance to play with my new phone yet,’ he realized as he pulled the phone out and put on the earphones. With Nittle Grasper once again in his ears, he played with the buttons and figured out how to access the functions of the MP3 player, email and games. Fiddling with it further, he soon figured out how to program in phone numbers. Setting up his instant message program, he decided on ‘Tatsuha4Ryuichi’ for his screen name and email address as a smile played across his face.

Looking up at the digital readout over the flight board, he realized that he had just enough time to use the bathroom before they were due to start boarding. He slid the phone back in its pouch and clipped it to his belt, then threw the backpack over his shoulder and went into the bathroom.

Going over to the line of urinals, he put the backpack on a nearby counter and did his business. As he washed his hands, the outside door opened and someone came in. Not really paying attention, he held his hands in front of the hand dryer before he picked up his backpack.

He gave himself a quick glance in the mirror to make sure his spiked hair was perfect, but just before he could leave the bathroom, a young voice said, "You're Yuki Eiri-sensei*" aren't you? Of course, you dyed your hair and have different clothes than in the interviews, but it IS you, isn't it?"

Tatsuha turned to look. A tall, skinny teenaged boy of about the age of fourteen or fifteen wearing clothes slightly too large for him and a rather shapeless, large black hat stood in front of the door. A paper bag held close to his chest as if it contained something priceless, the pale teen started at Tatsuha expectantly. The older man sighed and shrugged his shoulders before shaking his head.

"No, but he is my older brother. I get that a lot. Now if you don't mind, I have a plane to catch."

"No," the boy said.

"No?" Tatsuha replied, surprise coloring his voice.

"No," came the reply, the teen bracing himself in order to not let the much larger Tatsuha out of the bathroom.

"Fuck, come on, kid, I don't need this right now!" Tatsuha cried as he glared at the boy. Having more practice in leering than in glaring, not to mention wanting to get to his 'hunny Ryuichi', his usual glare came across more as a plea. The boy glared back at him.

"Not until you give me an autograph," the boy stated. The first call to board the flight to Tokyo came across the PA system while the pair gazed at each other.

"Look kid, that's my flight. I have to go, I have an...important place to be at in a bit," he said, not wanting to muss up his hair by running his fingers through it in frustration.

"Then I guess you'd better sign my book so you can catch your flight," the boy said as he pulled out a pristine copy of Yuki Eiri's latest book from the paper bag he had been carrying.

"I TOLD you, kid. I'm. Not. Him," Tatsuha growled. He began to get pissed as the teen was seemingly not going to let him by without either an autograph or a fight.

"I. Don't. Care," the teen said in response, determination coloring his voice. "Whether you're him, his younger brother or his dog walker, I want your autograph so that I can..." he said, as his bravado left him and he seemed to fold in around the book, hugging it with both arms as he dropped the paper bag.

"Look, I need someone to autograph this book so I can give it to...someone special. If I were to sign it, they’d be able to tell, so do me a favor and sign it so that they can get it with an autograph, okay? I promised.” The teen looked up at Tatsuha, his huge light brown eyes pleading as he hugged the book.

Tatsuha gazed at the kid for a moment, and then tilted his head in sympathy. Gesturing, he pulled out a pen from his backpack. The boy handed Tatsuha the book.

As he scrawled his older brother's autograph on the inside cover of the book (so used to signing for his aniki's credit card), he smiled. Being a diehard fan of Sakuma Ryuichi, he understood what it was like to want something, ANYTHING from your god.

The second call for the flight to Tokyo came across the PA system. Tatsuha handed the book back to the boy and smiled at him as the teen first looked shocked, then mirrored the smile.

"Now, if you don’t mind..." Tatsuha said as he gestured towards the door. The pleased look on his face, the boy stepped aside and nodded as Tatsuha left the bathroom.

Running, Tatsuha managed to make it just as the last few people made their way down the walkway leading to the DC9.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tsuzuku
(To Be Continued)

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A/N: Domo arigato to ‘my Tatsuha’ from GNG for the idea for the screen name!

Also, domo arigato for 'my Noriko', also from GNG, for writing a lemon and insisting that I read it; it threw me out of the "non-lemon slump" I was in. Not that this chapter has a lemon, but it’s comi