This I Promise You

Sequel to: "My Heart Beats Like A Drum"

Building A Family series

Written by: Chochowilliams

Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation or the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Summary: Could it be that Shuichi really is just paranoid or is there something about the new neighbor?

Warning: M/M, Sexual Situations, Romance, Drama, Angst, Fantasy, Infidelity, OOC-ness, Language, M-Preg, Masturbation, Anal, Oral, Minor Character Death, OCs, 1st person POV (Chapter 1), Japan Natives: surname first

Pairings: Shuichi/Eiri, Hiro/Ayaka, Hiro/Suguru, OMC/OFC

Insert: recap from Chapter 3, References to "Give in To Me" chapter 1 and "Parental Revenge"

A/N: Enjoy!

oOo

Last Time

"Actually…I, um…"

"What?" Eiri prodded with a raised eyebrow.

Pulling his hand out, Shuichi laid it flat, revealing a black ring box similar to the one Eiri had kept Shuichi's wedding ring in. He avoided the man's curious and penetrating gaze.

Riku's eyes went wide. Was this the "surprise" that Shuichi said he was planning for Eiri for their anniversary?

"Shu? What…?"

"This weekend is our anniversary."

Eiri nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"It'll be ten years."

"I know," Eiri said, nodding slowly. "That's why I decided to organize this. I wanted this year to be special."

Shuichi nodded. "So did I," he whispered. He opened the ring box.

oOo

Chapter 4: Just Beware of the Thorns

The Next Morning - NG Productions

"…That's alright. What have you got for me? ... Yes, I was stuck in it." The producer and keyboardist of Nittle Grasper raised an eyebrow and leaned back in the desk chair. "And?" Tohma's eyes widened. "… Are you sure? ... Oh? ... What?!" He shot forward. "Where is he now?" he demanded. "…What? Shit. ... Who spoke to him? ... I want to speak with him. … Why not? ..." Tohma sighed heavily and pressed a finger into his throbbing temple. "… I would really appreciate it. Thank you very much. … Thank you. No, that is it. Goodbye."

Tohma replaced the receiver and leaned back in the leather chair. Lacing his fingers under his chin, he stared blankly at the wall. Why was it whenever you took one-step forward you were forced to take two back? When Eiri asked him to look into this Rinjin Yasashii guy, he had not expected it to go this far. How had he not seen this?

A knock at the office door snapped him out of his retrieve. "Yes?"

The door opened and his green-haired cousin stuck his head in. "Tohma? Are you busy?"

Tohma smiled at the younger man. "Not for you, Suguru." He waved his hand towards a chair in front of his desk. "Please."

Suguru strode into the office, shutting the door behind him. He sat down in the chair indicated by his cousin.

"I'm actually glad you're here," Tohma told the younger man. "I made some calls and discovered some things about Niwa-san." He picked up a manila folder and tossed it gently across the desk.

The manager of Bad Luck picked it up and flipped it open.

"It seems Niwa-san went to school with none other than-"

"Rinjin Yasashii," Suguru read in surprise. He stared up at his cousin in genuine shock. Then a flash of doubt crept into his eyes. Shaking his head, Suguru continued flipping through the slim folder. "Coincidence." He could not believe that it was anything other than that. If he did, the guilt that he had been trying to suppress would eat at him.

"Maybe. Maybe not. What I found interesting is that they lost contact after they graduated. Niwa than joined the military-"

"'Special ops'," Suguru read.

Tohma nodded. "After serving the required stint, he was contacted by his old friend. The following week, Niwa had a job as janitor here at NG and Rinjin moved into the apartment next to Eiri's."

Suguru tried to absorb everything being thrown at him. It was a little too much. "It doesn't prove anything except that Shuichi's paranoia is contagious."

"Possible," Tohma agreed with a nod. "But if it is, then it's an epidemic."

"Huh?"

"Eiri called me yesterday and asked me to look into his neighbor, Niwa's best friend."

Suguru was surprised that such a grounded person like Yuki-san would fall for Shuichi's antics. "I thought-"

Tohma nodded. "Apparently Shuichi's been having terrible nightmares-"

"Still?"

"'Still'?"

Suguru closed the folder and rested it on the desk. "For the past month, he's been saying how Rinjin-san creeps him out and he was always talking about these night terrors."

Tohma cocked an eyebrow. "Was?"

"Only Kei, Kai and Michael were taking him seriously. He only talks to them and because neither I nor Hiro did, he clams up when we are around."

Sitting back, Tohma steepled his fingers as he lost himself in thought. Combined with what he just learned from a valuable source at the police station, he was becoming a little antsy about this whole situation. It was beginning to seem as if Shuichi might not be his usual paranoid self. "I think-"

A knock on the office door startled the pair.

"Enter," Tohma barked.

An older male with grey hair and stained overalls entered the office, his eyes darting nervously. "Gomen, sir, for disturbing you, but-"

Tohma waved his apology aside. "It's alright, Kitagawa-san. What can I do for you?"

"Uh, I found something you should take a look at."

The cousins glanced at one another.

The men followed the senior janitor through the empty halls of the NG building, stopping outside an all too familiar studio.

Suguru blinked. "Wait a minute! This's…!"

Kitagawa-san led them to the studio that Bad Luck usually used. Suguru bumped into Niwa-san yesterday morning out of this same studio. Why had Kitagawa-san led them here?

The elderly gentlemen opened the door to the studio and escorted them inside. "I was cleaning and dropped my rag. When I bent to pick it up I saw this black box-thing." He pointed to the control panel.

Dropping to their knees, Suguru and Tohma sprawled under the control panel. Immediately, they saw the small black box. Suguru had no idea what he was looking at, but Tohma knew immediately what it was and had some inkling where it came from. All the pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place.

"That's not the only one."

Tohma scooted out and stood up, his cousin soon followed. "What?"

"I found one in there," Kitagawa said, pointing through the Plexiglas window into the recording booth. "I didn't think anything of it, until I saw this one."

Suguru was confused. "Tohma?"

"Find Niwa-san," the blond-haired producer told the janitor. "And if a man comes in with a package for me, bring him up to my office immediately."

"Yes, sir." Kitagawa bowed and left the studio.

Suguru turned towards his cousin in growing confusion. "Tohma? What's going on?"

"We shall see, Suguru."

"Huh?" He had absolutely no idea what was going on, but he had a feeling he was not going to like it.

oOo

Uesugi Residence

"Shu I'm leaving!"

Shuichi stuck his head out of the shower, his head full of suds. "Be careful! I love you!"

Eiri smiled. "Love you, too."

"Oh! Eiri!"

Eiri stuck his head back inside. "Yeah?"

"Riku leave yet?"

"He just left with Jacob."

"'Kay."

"See you later." Leaving the overly humid bathroom door open so his husband-Eiri's smile widened and a slight blush tinged his cheeks-could hear the phone if it rang, the writer dashed through the dressing room and flew down the stairs to grab his wallet and keys off the table near the front door. He had a meeting with Mizuki to talk to her about postponing a few things and then he had to talk to their lawyer and publicist. It was going to be a very busy day.

He nodded to the scrawny Japanese male standing at the front door as he left. Matoh Koji was the night guard. From eight at night until eight in the morning, he was the only thing standing in the way of a crazy stalker fan and Shuichi. When Eiri first met him, he thought it was some kind of joke. This "bodyguard" was no more than a boy. He was so young he was still breaking out. This kid did not look much stronger than Shuichi and looked like he weighted less when wet. However, the kid had proven himself. He made Jackie Chan and Jet Li look like amateurs.

"Uesugi-san! Sir," came the yell behind him. "Shindou-san-"

"Eiri," came the familiar whiney-shout.

Turning around, the writer saw his husband of eighteen hours standing in the doorway of their apartment, dripping wet, in nothing more than a bathrobe. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a blush tint the young guard's face. Growling, Eiri marched down the hall and grabbed Shuichi's arm. "Baka! Are you trying to get sick?" He dragged the man inside the apartment.

A huge grin split Shuichi's face at the blatant jealousy and possessiveness he could hear in his husband's voice.

Eiri pulled Shuichi into the living room where he immediately pulled the wet, nude-except-for-a-bathrobe man against him.

Shuichi wrapped his arms around Eiri's neck and pulled their heads together for a short, chaste but tender and spine tingling kiss.

Moaning against the soft, lush lips, Eiri held the singer against his pulsating body. His hands roamed to cup the round globes of Shuichi's ass.

Shuichi mewled deeply from the throat. "Stay and make love to me," he demanded softly, nipping along Eiri' jaw line to his neck.

Groaning, Eiri tried with no enthusiasm or effort to disengage himself from Shuichi. "I can't," he whispered breathlessly. "I have to meet Mizuki."

"Fuck your editor," Shuichi growled as he licked Eiri's collarbone before suckling it.

Eiri was having a hard time thinking, but that was probably the whole point. Shuichi was not nor has he ever been innocent. He was a seductress through and through. "Shu-Oh! Kami-sama," he cried as his husband licked his sensitive ear.

Shuichi was determined to find a way to keep his husband home at least for another hour or two. He rubbed his growing erection against his husband's bulging pants. Both men filled the room with pleasured cries.

Eiri wanted nothing more than to stay home and fuck his little baka until he was too sore to move, but unfortunately, he had a lot of work to do. Reluctantly, he pried himself away.

Shuichi growled. Anger flashed in his eyes.

Eiri sighed heavily. "Shu, we both have very busy schedules, today. I have to see if Mizuki can juggle a few things around so that we…" He wrapped his arms around his singer. "…can go…" He pulled him against him. "...on our honeymoon."

'Honeymoon'.

That one word echoed in Shuichi's mind. A wide grin splayed across his face. "We're going on a honeymoon?"

Eiri looked at the small man with a raised eyebrow, staring at him with a look that said, "Are you always this stupid?"

Knowing that look, Shuichi slapped Eiri who gave a mock yelp of pain. Grinning like a lunatic, Shuichi wrapped his arms around the writer and hugged him happily. "Where're you taking me?"

Eiri shook his head. "You'll just have to wait and see."

Shuichi pouted. "Meanie. You're no fun."

"Oh, I can be LOTS of fun," Eiri said suggestively, wiggling their bodies together. With a quick, lighter than a feather kiss, Eiri pulled away. "But not right now." He glanced at his watch. "I have to go meet Mizuki, before she-." The sudden shrill ringing of a phone cut off the rest of what he was going to say. Eiri let go of Shuichi and searched his person for his cell. "Where-?" He looked up to see a familiar silver instrument dangling in front of his face. "My phone! Where…?"

"You left it in the office."

Snorting at his own stupidity, Eiri checked the caller ID. "Speak of the devil." Flipping his phone open, he placed it to his ear and just as he opened his mouth to speak, an angry stream of curses jetted forth. Eiri pulled the phone away from his sensitive ear and wiggled his finger in it as Mizuki continued to scream and yell.

Chuckling, Shuichi kissed his husband lightly on the cheek before sauntering back upstairs to finish getting ready. He could feel Eiri watching him. He grinned mischievously over his shoulder and put a little more swagger into his walk. Eiri was looking at him like a hungry man at a banquet.

Eiri sighed as his lithe baka vanished into their bedroom. "Are you quite done?"

"No, I am not! How dare you leave me waiting this long?"

"What the hell are you talking about? We agreed to meet at eight and that's in an hour."

Mizuki stopped in mid-yell. At the outdoor dining area at the café, she blinked. "No, we did not. I clearly remember," she said, getting out her daily planner and flipping it to the correct day, "talking to you yesterday morning and-" Her tirade stopped suddenly as her finger ran down the long list of scheduled appointments. Right there in bold red ink and circled was her meeting with Eiri at-eight am. "Oh." Now she felt like an idiot.

Eiri snorted. "I might be a little late. I have to talk to my lawyer about a few things first."

"Lawyer? What-?"

"You'll know soon enough." Before the woman could say anything else, Eiri ended the call by flipping his phone closed. "Shu! Shuichi!"

The singer walked out of the bedroom towel drying his hair and leaned against the railing. His heart skipped a beat when he felt the banister give slightly. That was right. Riku said something about that awhile back. They really had to get someone to take a look at it. Maybe his father could do it.

Eiri drank in the sight of him. Shuichi was wearing an unbuttoned pair if jeans and nothing else. Eiri admired the view of his lithe husband very much. Especially the tantalizing view of the wispy black hairs between the open flaps of Shuichi's jeans and what it meant. He gulped. Was it suddenly hot in here?

Shuichi started going to the gym several years ago. For two hours a day everyday, he worked out. He was not trying to bulk up, but instead has toned and sculpted his slender body. Shuichi has gone from cute to drop dead gorgeous. It helped that he lost all his baby fat and actually grew another several inches. But lately, he has noticed that Shuichi seemed to be putting on a few extra pounds. He wondered if he should ban the baka from his diet of junk food.

Despite that though, Eiri would give anything to carry Shuichi into the bedroom, rip off that hindering piece of cloth and see just how toned his husband had become and where. Eiri swallowed painfully. His pants had suddenly become a little too snug.

Shaking himself from his lustful wanderings, he told the man he was leaving.

"Alright," Shuichi sighed, crestfallen.

Eiri chuckled. "Just go to the studio, talk to Hiro and I'll talk to Tohma later about giving you time off so I can take you on our honeymoon."

Shuichi's face instantly brightened. "Okay! I'll see ya later! I love you!"

"Me, too." Eiri opened the apartment door and glanced at the singer one last time over his shoulder. "Remember, Shu. Talk to him. You've been friends for a long time. Don't let this misunderstanding get in the way of that."

Shuichi nodded. When the door shut behind Eiri, the smile vanished.

He knew what happened the night before was just a big misunderstanding. He really did not hate Hiro. He could never hate him. As Eiri said, they were best friends. Always have been. Always will be.

No, his big blow up yesterday and reluctance to go into work again today had nothing to do with that. It all went back to his fears and worries about not only this unexpected pregnancy, but also his new neighbor who everybody kept saying was a "really nice guy". Add to that an unwanted CD and Shuichi felt as if he was on the edge of a nervous breakdown.

For the past ten years, it has been the same thing. They work like dogs to put an album out, with him doing at least ninety percent of the work-and no that was not an over exaggeration either. They work six, sometimes seven, days a week. There are photo shoots, interviews, and television and radio appearances. When the album is finally released, they go on tour. At the end, they are rewarded with a mere month off and it starts all over again.

Shuichi just could not do this anymore. He could not. He felt tears slip down his face.

oOo

His hair was pulled back in a ponytail. A pink and white bandana was tied around his forehead. A black leather belt cinched the waist of his jeans. A T-shirt under a black vest showed off his muscular frame. His hands brushed lightly over the baby bump that was still nearly invisible.

A small smile graced his lips.

Lifting his head, Shuichi stared at his reflection in the mirror above the dresser. His violet eyes were dull and distant. His normally tan complexion was pale. His lips were slightly colorless and he had huge bags under his eyes. As he was putting on his necklace, he noticed his hands were trembling. He held them out in front of his face and watched them almost hypnotically. Clenching them into tight fists, Shuichi took a deep breath and sighed.

Well, it was now or never.

Grabbing the cowboy hat Ryuichi had bought for him during his last trip to the US, he popped it on and stampeded down the staircase. He slipped into his boots and picked up his backpack from the floor near the front door. Swinging it onto his shoulder, he exited the apartment and started towards the elevator. A quick glance at his watch told him he might actually be on time today.

He was halfway down the hallway when he realized something was wrong. Stopping, he glanced over his shoulder down the hallway-an empty hallway. His eyebrows drawn in confusion, he started back towards his apartment. "Koji? Jacob?" He knew Jacob had taken Riku to school, but he should be back by now. A shiver ran down Shuichi's spine. He did not like this. He had a very funny feeling.

"Hello, Shindou-san."

Shuichi turned, expecting it to be Koji or Jacob, but instead he gasped. He took a step back as a figure stepped out of the shadowy doorway. "Ri-Rinjin."

The singer continued to back away slowly. His heart was racing. It was beating a rapid and uneven tempo against his breast. His breath came out in wheezing pants. He was dry mouthed and his palms were slick with sweat. He was shaking violently and his stomach was churning. Saliva filled his mouth like a leaky faucet. He swallowed sharply. His ran his tongue along lips gone dry.

"I heard you got married," Yasashii accused angrily as he strode towards the terrified singer.

Shuichi stared at the man in shock and surprise. "H-how did you…?" The only person other than Eiri and himself who knew was Seguchi-san. How had Rinjin found out? Pale and feeling slightly lightheaded, Shuichi glanced around him in growing desperation.

Yasashii had always given Shuichi the creeps. He made his skin crawl. It was like watching a giant black scorpion crawl unceremoniously on a wildlife expert. The man watched him like a hawk circling its prey. He had this creepy smile on his face whenever Shuichi looked at him; a cat ate the canary kind of look. It was that smug and condescending.

At he watched the older man stride towards him Shuichi felt his stomach roll. It was as if he was watching the warden walking towards his cell knowing that he was not coming to tell him the Governor had granted him a stay.

Shuichi again licked his lips. He blinked rapidly to keep the insane man in focus as his vision swam before his eyes. His breath sounded unnaturally loud and his heart felt as if Kei's drums were lodged in his chest.

"There's no one here to interfere," Rinjin whispered seductively. "It's just the two of us. Just like it should be."

Tears filled Shuichi's eyes and he gave a sob.

Eiri, his mind cried.

Images of a pale, skeletal hand creeping towards him filled his mind. He felt the cold, icy grip sucking the warm from him.

Eiri, his mind screamed.

This was not happening! God, please don't let this be happening!

"I'll teach you what real love is, Shu-han. I'll show you how sweet it can be," Yasashii whispered softly.

Shuichi shook his head. He moaned as the hall tilted and swayed. Losing his balance, violet eyes rolled into the back of his head. He mumbled, "Eiri," then collapsed into a sea of nothingness. A solitary tear rolled down his cheek.

oOo

NG Productions

"And?"

Niwa shook his head. "That's it! I swear!" He slid to the edge of the chair and pleaded with Tohma to believe him. "It was a job! I didn't think-He wasn't like this at the beginning. I realized he was losing it, but-I was in too deep and-!"

Tohma raised a hand. "You will be punished for your part, but right now you will help me stop Rinjin-san before he does something we'll both regret."

"Yes, sir," Niwa sighed heavily, hanging his head dejectedly. He had to admit that Tohma Seguchi was a much more formidable opponent than anybody else he has ever come across and he has been up against some arduous people, not to mention a hell of a lot scarier and intensely intimidating. It was no wonder he cracked under the pressure. Niwa knew if it ever came down to a one-on-one fight, he would choose to go up against the Devil than Seguchi Tohma. At least with Satan, he had a chance.

A knock on the office door interrupted the pair. Tohma looked up as his secretary stuck her head in. "Yes?"

"Sorry for bothering you, sir, but Kitagawa-san said you were waiting for a package."

"Has it arrived?" he inquired in that same nonchalant tone.

"Yes, sir." S he strode across the room and set the white envelope into her boss's hand. Stepping back, she bowed. "Will that be all, sir?"

Tohma ripped open the envelope and two pieces of paper slid out onto his hand. One was a copy of a signed confession and the other was a photo sheet with reduced images of two dozen photographs that had been found in the man's possession. He scanned the confession and then the photos with a quick, careful eye. "Get me Shuichi and call Detective Liharu. Tell him I would like a word with him as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir." She bowed and left the office, closing the door behind her.

Tohma set the documents on the desk and leaned forward, clasping his hands on top of his desk. "Tell me, Niwa. What do you know of an Isaac Smith your friend hired?"

Niwa blinked stupidly. "Who?"

"The photographer he hired."

The ex-Special Ops man's eyes widened in shock and his breathing sped. "I, uh, I don't-"

The producer lightly slapped the desk as he sat back

Niwa jumped as if he was shot. "I swear! I don't know anything about him!" He was this close to wetting himself.

Tohma just stared at him calmly.

Niwa felt as if an enemy operative was interrogating him. He has never been so scared in his entire life and Seguchi Tohma has done nothing. Yet. He has shown no emotion. He has not even raised his voice. He just sat there behind his desk with that nonchalant look. The man was eerily calm about this whole thing and it was creeping him out. "I swear I don't know anything! All I had to do was bug whatever studio Bad Luck would be using that day and keep Yasa informed in case something happened! I swear! That's it!"

"So, he appearing wherever Shuichi was was not a coincidence," Tohma said more to himself.

Niwa shook his head. "I know the photographer Yasa hired was this guy who could get some amazing shots, shots other people could only dream of. But I've never met him. Yasa rented out a postal box at the post office and they would communicate that way . Yasa would leave the money and the guy would leave the photos. I swear that's it!"

Strangely enough, Tohma believed him. He stared down at the sheet of photos with a frown.

According to Niwa's statement, Rinjin Yasashii approached Isaac Smith back in March at a local dive here in Japan shortly after he was released from duty as chief bodyguard to Shuichi. Yasashii used the fact that Isaac was fired to his advantage, knowing the British man would jump at the chance to get back at Shuichi and NG Productions for "ruining his life". Apparently, while in the Royal Marines, Isaac had been part of the news core, a photographer in particular. Somehow, Yasashii knew this and hired the man to follow and take photographs of Shuichi. It was an offer Isaac could not refuse. What Yasashii could have foreseen was that Isaac would use those photographs he took of the singer to his own advantage by blackmailing the singer. In exchange for a couple hundred-million Yen, he would keep the blatantly graphic photos in a shoebox in the back of the closet instead of releasing them to the tabloids. Of course, the photos would receive no such fate, though. They would go to Rinjin Yasashii. But the confrontation never happened. According to his police source, yesterday morning while on his way to NG Productions, Isaac Smith was involved in a serious accident. He passed away sometime during the night, but not before confessing.

Tohma remembered the incident that caused him to fire the man. His knuckles turned white as he clenched the paper tight. His memory of that night was all too vivid.

An hour before Bad Luck was scheduled to go on at Madison Square Garden back in February; Shuichi was attacked in his dressing room by a distraught father who found his daughter hanging from the curtain rod in her closet. It seems that, when the daughter discovered she was pregnant, her boyfriend broke up with her. Upset and suffering from a chronically severe bout of depression, she committed suicide. Playing full blast in her CD player on endless repeat when the father found her was a Bad Luck CD. The father blamed the group or more precisely, Shuichi, for his daughter's death. Somehow, the man managed to sneak his way backstage with a knife. Isaac Smith had been on duty that night, but he disappeared somewhere and that was when the deranged father attacked. It was learned later that the distraught father, this Scott Keene guy, bribed Smith to let him "meet" the singer. Smith was found afterwards in the bathroom as high as a kite and was subsequently fired. His excuse was, "How was I to know he would try to kill Mr. Shindou?"

"Sir," came his secretary's voice over the intercom. "I called Detective Liharu and he said he would be able to make it within the next fifteen minutes, but I could not get hold of Shindou-san."

"Did you call the apartment?" Tohma asked trying to keep his composure even though his heart had started racing. Cool and calm, he had to stay in control; otherwise, he would be of no use to anyone.

"Yes, sir, I did, but there was no answer. I called his cellphone but only got his voicemail."

Tohma pursed his lips and sat back in the chair. He folded his hands under his chin. His gaze landed on the photos but had to look away when his stomach started churning when he realized some pervert had been watching his brother's-in-law's very private moments, capturing them for some sick psycho who would do who the hell knows what with them.

Some of the pictures were innocent, just Shuichi doing everyday things like walking down the street or shopping. Others were of Eiri and Shuichi in their apartment yelling at each other. Tohma knew the couple fought. Everybody knew that, but he had no idea that when they fought, they literally fought. The couple was practically at each other throats. It amused Tohma to some degree for it was only Shuichi who could get such a rise out of the stoic writer. Still other photographs captured the singer and his boyfriend cuddling on the couch. They were "awe" moments. There was one of them kissing innocently as they were making dinner. The look in their eyes and the expression on their faces was worth a thousand words. Others showed the singer walking about the apartment in various stages of dress or undress as the case may be. Others captured the couple in various positions he would rather have not known about. It was like walking in on your parents and realizing that they were people as well.

"Sir?"

"Get Eiri on the line for me and have Sakano check the studio. Shuichi may have come in and be in the middle of recording." Shuichi may be have been against this project from the very beginning, but the last thing he would do was let the rest of them done, especially after promising he would be part of it, albeit reluctantly.

"Yes, Sir."

Tohma glanced at the man sitting in front of him until the guy squirmed. "Now, let's start from the beginning, shall we?"

Niwa Kakei slid down in the seat with a groan.

oOo

Rinjin Residence

The man sits in a chair in the corner of the dark bedroom staring at the sleeping figure on the bed. He waits patiently for his love to wake, waits to show him just what love really is between two people. He would make him understand just how wrong his relationship to that perverted womanizing writer is. He was the only one for Shindou-san. He was the only one able to bestow him with the miracle of love. With soft kisses and a gentle caress of hands, candlelight dinners, romantic moonlit walks, sweet lovemaking that none other could satisfy, walking hand in hand down the street, feeding each other ice cream, cuddling on a cold winter's night. He would show him. He wanted to be the one Shindou-san woke up next to each morning and went to bed with each night. At the end of each day, Shindou-san would walk through these doors to a husband that slaved away all day to prepare the perfect dinner, a man who smiled, laughed, and wanted to know all about his day. Yes, Rinjin Yasashii was the ideal man to spend eternity with not that damn writer who only pretended to give a damn. And when Shuichi finally woke up, he would convince him in whatever means necessary.

oOo

NG Productions

It was the same. Today was like a repeat of yesterday. Suguru sat at the console staring blankly through the window at Kei, Kai and Michael as they played an old Bad Luck tune to pass the time. The three were laughing and joking with not a care in the world. On the other hand, Hiro sat on the couch with his head in his hands, looking dejected.

"It's all my fault," Hiro mumbled.

"Yes, it is," Suguru agreed.

Hiro's head shot up. He glared at his secret lover with a mixed look. Part of him hated the younger man for agreeing and the other was sad because it was true.

"But," Suguru continued, "Shindou-san'll be here. If for nothing more than to talk things out with you. Yuki-san will see to that."

The red-haired guitarist sighed. He was not so sure. It was already nine and if Shuichi were going to come into work today, he would have an hour and a half ago. When they were younger, Shuichi made a habit of skipping work for days at a time and sometimes for no particular reason. But Shuichi had grown out of that habit a long time ago. No, after making an ass out of himself yesterday, he could not blame Shuichi if he skipped work for the next several days or never spoke with him again.

Suddenly the door to the studio burst open and Sakano-san glanced around nervously. He was sweating and ringing his hands nervously.

"Sakano-san? What's wrong?" Hiro asked the prematurely grey-haired man.

"Uh, where's Shindou-san?" Sakano's eyes darted around the large, plush studio.

Suguru shook his head. " Unfortunately, Hiro and he got into it yesterday and he might not be in for a couple of days."

The producer's eyes widened. "N-not h-here?" He looked ready to faint.

"Yeah. If Tohma wants to speak with him, I'm sure that-"

"What's going on?" Kai asked as he stepped out of the recording booth.

"Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear. This isn't good," Sakano muttered.

"Sakano, what's wrong?" Suguru glanced at the others. Sakano-san had always been a nervous wreck, no matter what was going on, but this time, it seemed different. None of them could explain it. Maybe it had to do with the underlining fears they have all had this past month whenever Shuichi would try to tell them about his creepy neighbor of his.

Hiro stood up and walked over to the producer. "Sakano-san, calm down. Look, I'm sure Seguchi-san will understand if we just-"

"No! No! No! You don't understand! We can't find Shindou-san! That's why the boss sent me down here!"

The announcement shocked the room into stunned silence. Shuichi was missing?

"Shit," Kai whispered. He glanced at his twin and their half-American friend with a knowing glance. They were afraid of something like this.

oOo

"Sir, I have your brother-in-law on the phone," came the secretary's voice over the intercom interrupting Niwa's self-incrimination.

Niwa sighed in relief. Now he knew what clothes felt like in the washer.

Tohma picked up the phone. "Eiri, where are you right now?"

"On my home, why?"

"Is Shuichi with you?"

"Shuichi? No," Eiri said in a tone that clearly said, "why the hell would he be?"

"Are you sure?"

"He was getting ready for work when I left. He should be at the studio. Why?"

Tohma sighed. He hated to be the bearer of bad news.

Eiri slowed to a stop at a red light. He suddenly had a bad feeling. "Tohma? What's going on?"

"Have you heard from him since you left?"

"Why would I? Tohma, what's going on?"

Before Tohma could answer, there came a knock on his office door. He called out for whomever it was to enter. The members of Bad Luck with a hyperventilating Sakano behind them entered. He held up a hand to hold all questions and motioned them over. "Do you remember that accident yesterday? The one that held up traffic for hours?"

"Yeah."

"And do you remember an Isaac Smith?"

The new occupants blinked at the question.

The blond writer was just as confused, but he remembered the guy. How could he not? Isaac Smith was that asshole British guy who was assigned to be Shuichi's bodyguard whose actions nearly got Shuichi killed. "I do. Why? What's-?"

"Well, it seems as if he was the one who caused it."

"Okay. And?" The light changed and Eiri sped through the intersection.

"Well, some very graphic photos were found in his car and when confronted with them by the police, he confessed he was hired to take them."

Eiri felt a huge weight of dread settle over him. "What do you mean by 'graphic'? And who are they of?" Something told him he did not want to know.

"Let's just say, that I had no idea you or Shindou-kun could move or bend like that."

Eiri cursed and swerved as he found a semi suddenly in his path and almost ended up head first in a car that suddenly braked in front of him, illegally double-parking. He swore again and laid on his horn. Making sure the coast was clear, the writer pulled into the opposite lane, rounding the dumb shit who thought the street was a parking lot and floored it. "He took photos of us?"

"Unfortunately."

"Fuck! Where the hell is that bastard? I want his head!"

"He passed away a few hours ago due to injuries received because of the accident."

"Hope the bastard fries in hell!"

"Eiri-"

"Who hired him?" the writer demanded.

"Eiri, let the police handle this," Tohma suggested calmly.

Eiri snorted. "This coming from you, Tohma?" He clucked his tongue. "Are we getting soft?"

"Please, Eiri. This time let the police handle this. Rinj-"

"Bloody hell," Eiri cursed, speeding up. He ignored all traffic laws as all the pieces suddenly fell into place. That psychotic bastard had his Shuichi, his Shu-chan! He was the reason his baka had those nightmares almost every night. He was the cause of everything. "I'm going to kill that bastard," he muttered, seething.

"Eiri, I know how you feel, but-Eiri? Eiri? S hit," Tohma cursed. He slammed the phone down.

Just then, the door opened and in walked Detective Liharu. He was an average looking Japanese man in a non-discreet suit that seemed a little bit rumpled.

"I need you to get some men to my brother's-in-law's apartment building. Now," Tohma told the man standing up.

"May I ask why?"

"I'll tell you on the way there," he said striding out of the office and dragging Niwa with him.

The detective exchanged a confused glance with the pop band before following him out.

"Let's just hope to Kami-sama that Shuichi just has his phone off," Tohma told himself. If anything happened to the lithe singer, none of them would ever forgive themselves, especially Eiri and Tohma did not want to see his best friend hurt again, not after the man had finally been able to move on with his life.

oOo

Rinjin Residence

The blackness gradually faded. The fog slowly began to lift.

Shuichi groaned as he became aware of a dull pounding that reverberated through his head. He curled up on his side and clutched his head. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel the room spinning and swaying. He felt sick. A jolt of pain zipped through his head. Groaning, he hugged an arm around his churning stomach as the intense pain in his head began to cause his nausea to swell. Shuichi coiled into as tight a ball as she could get.

Taking deep breathes; he tried to calm himself through the rising pain and nausea. Gradually, it all faded as he fell back into a dreamless stupor.

The figure hidden in the shadows slowly got to its feet. He walked to the side of the bed and studied the younger man with a worried expression. What was wrong with his Shu-han? Had that bastard lover of his done something to him? His clenched his hands tightly, gritting his teeth in anger. He was going to take care of the womanizing writer if it was the last thing he ever did.

oOo

Darkness. Silence. Utterly and complete. They surrounded him, encompassed and engulfed him. A sea of nothingness entrenched Shuichi. He was alone in a great, black void. The silence was just as thick, just as heavy, just as suffocating. There were no birds chirping, no locust buzzing, no creaking boards or settling foundations. He could hear none of the traffic that should be on the other side of the wall nor could he hear conversations floating up from the street as people went by. The only sound was the buzzing in his ears silence causes.

The hair on the back of his neck and on his arms stood on end. He was no longer alone.

His heart started racing, pounding painfully in his chest, making it difficult to catch his breath. The silence was drowned by the sudden wheezing that sounded louder than it really was in the unnatural silence. Shuichi placed his hand over his rapidly rising and falling chest as he tried to catch his breath.

Shuichi licked his lips and swallowed audibly. His mouth had gone inexplicably dry.

From out of the darkness came two ghostly hands. His eyes widened in fright. Swallowing a scream that was clawing up his throat, Shuichi scrambled backwards as the floating hands slowly traveled toward him. He could not allow those things to touch him. He did not want them anywhere near him.

Someone! Please God! Keep them away from me! Eiri! Please help me!

Suddenly, the soft mattress underneath him vanished. With a startled yelp, he fell with a hard thud to the floor. Ignoring the pain hissing through his backside, Shuichi froze as a soft creak broke the silence of the darkness. His heart still beating a rapid tattoo against his ribcage, he scrambled backwards frantically. All of a sudden, Shuichi felt something solid and smooth whack against his back. He gasped in disbelief as he felt behind him blindly. A wall.

No! This was not happening!

Whimpering, Shuichi inched his way along the barrier, pressing himself into it as if it would somehow swallow him whole and spit him out to safety somewhere where those bodiless hands would never find him.

"Stay away," he sobbed. His voice shook, betraying how terrified he was.

Why was this happening? Why? His whole body was trembling. This was just like the nightmare that has haunted his sleep for the past month and unfortunately, he knew how it ended. However, he refused to let it. He just got married. He was pregnant with his husband's child. And Hiro! He still had to make things right between them. He still had to apologize for yelling at him. He was only twenty-seven years old. Why could he not live a normal life like everybody else? Was that too much to ask?

He soft sobs became loud cries that echoed in the black nothingness. He howled when he found himself suddenly trapped in a corner, literally.

Shuichi could hear the soft creaks as whatever was trapped in the darkness with him crept towards him ever so slowly. He knew he had to get away. There was no telling what this psycho would do to him, but he could not move. His fear trapped him there.

"Eiri," he hiccup-sobbed. "Please."

"I'm sorry, Shu-han," whispered a voice in his ear. "But your 'lover' is not here. It's just you and me."

With a terrified yelp, Shuichi scrambled blindly away from the voice.

"Shu-han," chuckled the voice. "I won't hurt you, you know that! I'm here to help you! I want to save you!"

Shuichi hissed in pain as he smacked into something hard. Agonizing pain laced his head. Tears prickled his eyes. Rubbing his throbbing head, he spit, "I don't need your help! I don't need you to save me! I don't want anything from you, Yasashii!" He reached out blindly and felt the slick, smooth surface of another wall. Cursing, tears of pain and fear racing down his face, Shuichi sat with his back pressed against the wall and tried to search the darkness for his captor.

"That's because that damn perverted womanizer has poisoned your mind! Why can't you see that?" he pleaded.

"Fuck you! That 'perverted womanizer' is my husband! I love him and he loves me!"

"What about me, Shu-han?" Yasashii asked in a gentle voice. "Don't my feelings count for anything?"

Shuichi ignored the question and tumbled to his feet, but made sure he kept his hands against the wall. Slowly, he began sliding himself along the wall, hoping to find a door or something. He had to get out of here! He had to find Eiri!

"I know everything about you, Shu-han! Shindou Shuichi. Standing at 165 centimeters. Born April 16. Aries. Your blood type is A. You love strawberry pocky. Sakuma Ryuichi is your idol. Nagano Hiro is your best friend. When you were eighteen, you got signed to NG."

"Shut up! That doesn't mean anything! Anybody with a few yen could find all that out! What makes you so special?"

"I love you, that's why!"

Shuichi barked out a laugh. "Kidnapping me and holding me against my will is love?"

"I'm trying to help you! Yuki-san has poisoned your mind against our love!"

"You're crazy!"

"Only about you, My Love."

Shuichi screamed out in frustration. Trying to talk reason to this guy was trying to talk to a brick wall. He was even more determined to get out. There was no telling what this guy had planned. But first, he had to know one thing. "What did you do to my guards?"

"Don't worry. I took care of them."

"'Took care of them'?" A resurgence of fear raced through him. "What did you do? You better not have harmed them!"

"Shu-han, they were keeping us apart! It was all a big conspiracy, don't you see? We belong together!"

Shuichi laughed through his tears. "Abducting me and killing my guards will certainly make me fall for you," he said sarcastically. "How did you do it? They're trained not to leave their posts no matter what."

Yasashii shrugged, not having moved from his spot on the other side of the room. "I have my ways."

"Tell me!"

"I have a man inside, NG. Did you know that?"

"What?" Shuichi could not believe what he was hearing.

"Yup. You see, I had my friend grab a cellphone belonging to none other than Seguchi-san."

Shuichi gasped. So, that's what happened to it? It seemed a little strange for Tohma to lose his cellphone. That man could find a needle in a typhoon.

"Then I sent them a message telling them I, excuse me, that Seguchi needed to speak with them. When they were distracted, I snuck up behind them and put them out of our misery."

"I don't believe you," Shuichi whispered.

"Believe what you want, Shu-han. For you are mine."

"Never!"

"Oh, you will be, My Love," he promised. "You will be."

oOo

En Route

A traffic jam! Eiri swore someone out there was laughing at him, mocking him.

"Kuso," he spit, slamming a hand against the steering wheel. "Goddamn mother fucking son of a..."

Why was Fate playing with him? Did it not know that he had to get home and save his baka from a lunatic? Gritting his teeth in fury, he looked for an alternative route out of this mess. A sudden ringing caused Eiri to jump out of his skin in surprise.

"Shit," he hissed.

He glanced at his cellphone on the seat besides him as it continued to ring. Eiri glanced out the windshield as the sea of cars parted. Ignoring the phone, he jumped out of line and raced through the opening. A squeal of brakes and an insistent blaring of horns echoed after him. Eiri ignored it all and blasted through the intersection, flooring it.

"I'm coming, Shu-chan," he whispered. "Hold on!"

oOo

En Route

Tohma flipped the phone closed with a silent curse.

"Traffic jam up ahead, sir," said the driver.

"Go around! Get us to Shindou-san yesterday!"

"Yes, Sir," the driver replied calmly.

With Tohma in the car were the members of Bad Luck and Niwa-san. Each one had the same thought. Let us get there in time!

oOo

En Route

A shiver raced down Shuichi's spine. "You wish."

"No, I know." Yasashii slowly started making his way across the room. This was his territory and unlike his soon to be lover, he knew his way around his bedroom. He knew where everything was, even in the dark.

Shuichi had fanatic fans before, people who could not tell reality from fantasy, but they were nothing like this guy. Yasashii took the cake. "You're crazy."

"I'm doing all this for us, Shu-han, for our future!" Yasashii pleaded.

"We don't have a future!" Shuichi froze as the texture of the wall changed. His heart beating in excitement, he frisked the wall and found a perfectly straight crack between the wall and the raised, smoother textured surface. He realized he found the door. His pulse sped. Blindly, he searched for the door handle. When his abdomen rammed into a round object sticking out of the door, he knew he found it. Tears of joy ran down his face. "We could have been friends, Yasashii," he told the man truthfully. "Everyone thought you were a nice guy and would not hurt a fly!"

"I am and I wouldn't!"

"Ha!" Sniffing, Shuichi turned the doorknob and to his relief, it opened.

Yasashii froze, terror overcoming him. "What're you doing, Shu-han?"

"Leaving," Shuichi cried as he flung open the door and ran blindly out of the room.

oOo

En Route

Panic as he never felt before raced through Eiri. He ran every light and stop sign, went over the posted speed limit and weaved in and out of traffic as if he was playing one of Shuichi's racing games. He stopped for no one, not old ladies, not mother's with baby carriages and emergency vehicles had to give him the right of way. Nothing was going to stop him from getting to Shuichi in time, nothing.

Eiri jerked the wheel hard to the left and flew into the parking lot surrounding his apartment complex. Dirt and gravel pinged the car. He drove right up to the front door and jumped out of the car, leaving the engine running and the car door wide open. Nothing was more important at this moment than his baka, not even his precious Mercedes.

Too impatient to wait for the elevator, the blond romance writer flew like a cheetah up the seemingly never-ending staircase. He burst through the steel door clutching his side and panting heavily. His heart was thundering in his chest. He promised himself that if they got out of this alive, he would join Shuichi in the gym.

Pausing to catch his breath, Eiri sped down the hall and skidded around the corner. His stride slowed as he saw something in the middle of the hallway. He squinted in the dim lighting trying to make out what the objects were. A sudden thought froze the blood in his veins.

Cursing, panic and fear surging anew through him, Eiri raced down the hall with a renewed bout of energy. As he drew closer, an outpouring of relief flooded through him. Eiri collapsed to his knees and said a silent prayer of thanks.

Reaching out, he picked up the cowboy hat. He knew without any doubt that it was Shuichi's. The baka made such a fuss over the stupid thing when Ryuichi bought it for him. He had worn it consecutively for the next two weeks, until Eiri threatened to banish him to the couch if he did not take it off. Setting the hat down, he reached for the black bag. It also belonged to Shuichi. He glanced up and down the hallway but saw no sign of a fight or disturbance of any kind. Neither did he see Jacob or Koji.

A door down the hall opened and a shaft of light fell into the hall. Eiri watched as an elderly woman with a shock of white hair and a face with more wrinkles than a bulldog stepped out into the hall. He recognized her at once as Morisaki Uiko. She was the one who called the police whenever she heard the tiniest noise and since Shuichi moved in, that meant she called several times a day. It had gotten to the point where the police did not even bother to show up anymore. They have more important things to worry about than the fact that an old woman could hear every little whisper through the walls.

"Uesugi-san," she scolded. "I would ask you to tell your roommate to-"

Eiri raised an eyebrow at the "roommate" bit. At nearly one hundred, Morisaki-sama could not seem to fathom the idea of two men sharing the kind of happiness and love her and her husband of eighty years had. It was beyond her comprehension.

"-please keep it down. He's been screaming and making such a racket!"

Screaming? Oh, God, that did not sound good at all. What was that asshole doing to his husband? The writer dropped the black bag and jumped to his feet, his heart beating rapidly. "Where are they?" he demanded angrily.

Morisaki-sama blinked at the younger man's tone. "Why, in Rinjin-san-"

Eiri did not wait for her to finish her sentence. He spun around and raced to Rinjin's apartment. He rattled the doorknob, but unfortunately found it locked. He slammed his body into the door, putting all his body weight and might into it. "Shuichi!" he cried.

Morisaki Uiko's eyes widened in fright. She gasped and covering her mouth with her hand, fled into the apartment, shutting and locking the door behind her.

"Eiri!" came muffled replay.

The writer growled and slammed himself into the door. He had to get in there. He had to save his baka. He had to get back what was his. "Shuichi! Shu-chan!"

oOo

Shuichi hissed and turned his head away, shielding his sensitive eyes from the harsh burst of light.

"Shu! Shu-han, please!" Yasashii pleaded. "Just give me a chance!"

The man not worthy of an answer, Shuichi raced out of the room and down the hall towards the staircase. His gaze swept over the railing that separated the occupants from a two-story plummet and caught sight of the two prone figures lying sprawled out in the middle of the living room. Shuichi gasped and slowed to a halt at the head of the staircase. His chest tightened and his eyes filled with tears. He hoped they were all right. If Yasashii had indeed killed them, he would never be able to forgive himself.

A noise behind him drew his attention from the bodyguards. Through his tear-blurred vision, he watched Yasashii walk confidently into the hall with a smug smile on his face. "Bastard," Shuichi hissed with tears streaming down his face.

The smile vanished and his face contorted in an ugly mask of anger and hate. "How can you be so ungrateful," he snapped with vehemence. "All this is for us," he whispered softly, walking slowly towards him. "Our love! Our future!"

"I told you there is no us!" Shuichi screamed.

"And I said there will be," Yasashii reminded the singer in a calm voice.

"Fuck you!"

Sudden pounding from below drew his attention. "Shuichi," came the familiar voice, muffled though the door.

Shuichi's heart surged in joy and relief, but before he could even open his mouth, he saw a blur of color out of the corner of his eye and the next thing he knew he was on the floor with Yasashii straddling him, his hands trapped in a viselike grip above his head. It all happened so fast, he just could not comprehend what happened. His vivid purple eyes clouded over in confusion; Shuichi stared up into the eyes of a deranged madman. The look in Yasashii's eyes was nothing like what Shuichi was used to. What he saw in that second, made his heart stop. This guy had seriously lost it. This was more than just a simple over-infatuation. This man had completely lost all sense of reality. People like him scared Shuichi. "E-Eiri," he breathed. Fright stilled his heart and stole his words, freezing him to the floor. His terror caused him to start shaking.

"Shuichi," came the shout as a loud crash echoed through the apartment. "Shu-chan!"

Shuichi's head snapped towards the sound. "Eiri," he shouted back. He was here! Eiri was here! Just knowing that his husband was here gave Shuichi much needed courage. He felt his fear recede. He struggled against his captor's tight hold on him as the loud banging and crashing continued, but Yasashii was stronger than his geeky, wimpy build gave him credit for. Trying to get away from this guy was like trying to push a building off its foundation with your bare hands. Shuichi screamed and kicked his legs out of frustration.

A loud splintering sound echoed through the apartment. The front door started to buckle and crack under the constant beating it was receiving.

"It's no use, Shu-han," Yasashii whispered in his ear, ignoring the threat from below. "I told you, I'd make you mine no matter what."

Panic raced through the singer. "Eiri! Eiri! Please," he sobbed.

"Shuichi!"

"Eiri!" Shuichi screamed. Even he could tell how hysterical he was becoming.

Yasashii found himself getting hard by his love's attempts to escape. Licking his lips in anticipation, he bent over, his face hovering centimeters from Shuichi's. "Our first kiss, Shu," he whispered.

"Don't do this," Shuichi begged with tears coursing down his cheeks. He tried turning his head from the inevitable, but long, skeletal-like claws clamped around his chin, holding him firmly in place.

"I love you, Shu-han," Yasashii whispered right before their lips touched.

Shuichi froze, unable to form one coherent thought. He stared at the man above him with wide, shock filled eyes. His thoughts chased one another like a dog chasing its tail.

What was he supposed to do? He did not know! Oh, God, Eiri, help me, he thought.

Then a thought started to form.

Forcing himself to relax, he opened his mouth willingly, allowing the man's tongue to slip in and sweep the dark, dank cavern. The singer suppressed a shudder at how disgusting it felt to have this guy inside of him. He had to fight the urge to vomit, but it worked.

Thinking he finally won Shuichi over, Yasashii's hold loosened. Shuichi silently rejoiced. He yanked his hands out of his captor's grip and slammed them into the sides of Yasashii's head. The man screamed out in pain and sat up clutching his head. Fisting his hands, Shuichi punched the unsuspecting man in the face, hearing a sickening crunch of bone. The first one sent Yasashii's head back with a snap and a gasp. Spittle flew from the man's mouth and specks of blood arched from his nose. The second fist slammed into Yasashii's jaw, sending him keeling over backwards. Shuichi staggered to his feet, shaking and stood over his would-be rapist as he moaned and writhed on the floor, gripping his head.

oOo

Eiri rubbed his sore shoulder. He knew this could be done. He had seen an episode of the American show "Myth Busters" where the bigger guy-what was his name, Jaime? -had beaten down a door with just his body weight. So Eiri knew it could be done. Since he was not as big as the man on the show was, it would take him twice as long to break through the door, but it could be done. He started towards the door once again. Just one or two more times and the door would be history, but the sudden screaming from inside stopped Eiri's blood cold. He stumbled to a halt. His heart was racing. Eiri cursed and backed up. Taking a deep breath, the writer charged the door with a primitive cry. He bounced off the door as he heard it crack and shatter open.

Finally.

He pushed the door aside and stumbled inside the apartment, tripping over something that was lying right inside the door. Regaining his balance, he stared over his shoulder at the limp bodies and cursed.

"E-Eiri," came the cry from above him.

The writer glanced up, saw his baka alive and well at the head of the staircase. At his feet was their neighbor, clutching his face and crying. "Shu, what did you do to him?"

Shuichi smiled proudly. "Decked him."

Eiri snorted, but felt a surge of pride. "I can see that baka."

"Well," the singer said, fisting his hands on his hips, "that's what he gets for trying to take what I reserve for you alone."

"What?" Eiri did not like that one little bit. He started towards the staircase. "Shuichi, what-?" He cut himself off when he noticed the bastard who took his Shuichi stagger to his feet. With his wide eyes, he watched as this man, who had blood covering the lower half of his face and an insane gleam in his eyes, glared at the back of Shuichi's head.

Shuichi heart beat in reaction to the sudden panicked look in his husband in confusion. "Eiri?" he called out cautiously. "What's-?"

"Duck," Eiri shouted in panic.

Without bothering to question the older man, Shuichi did what he was told and dropped. His eyes widened as he felt the swoosh of air passing right above his head. He staggered backwards and stood back up as Yasashii lurched past him, trying to regain his balance. The man growled, spun around and charged Shuichi. The singer stood his ground. Bending over, he rammed his head into Yasashii's gut and grabbed hold of his belt. He heard the man grunt as his breath was forced out of him. With a cry, Shuichi pushed them down the hall, unaware of where they were heading.

Eiri stood at the foot of the stairs, feeling more proud of his Shu-chan than he ever has before. Shuichi may look like a weakling, but he could kick some major ass in a one-on-one fight. His eyes widened in sudden realization. "Fuck," he whispered in panic. "Shuichi! Stop!" Eiri raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He had to get to him!

Hearing the panic in his husband's voice, Shuichi tried to slow down, but was unable to. He felt the jarring impact as Yasashii crashed into the railing. The collision sent shockwaves through Shuichi's body. Seconds later, the horrifying sound of splintering wood echoed through the apartment and this time, Shuichi knew it was not the sound of the door being busted open. He stared at the man he was strapped around with wide, terrified eyes.

Eiri reached the landing just as the railing gave. For a few precious seconds, the two men teetered at the edge. "Shuichi!" he cried, rushing forward. Time seemed to slow down at that moment. It seemed like Eiri had all the time in the world to get to his husband's side, but knew in reality that he had no time at all. "Shuichi!" He reached out for him, as he rushed forward.

Shuichi glanced over his shoulder at him, his eyes wide in fright, and a look of foreboding on his face. His eyes widened as gravity reached out with mighty claws and snatched them. With a blood-curling scream, his husband vanished from view as everything around him rushed passed him towards the ceiling. He closed his eyes tight against the sight quickening up to him at the speed of light.

"Shuichi!" Eiri cried hysterically as he ran to the edge of the landing. "Shuichi!"

oOo

They were greeted by a heart-stopping scream when the elevator doors opened. Glancing at one another, the group raced down the hall passed the Uesugi residence towards the apartment next door.

The first thing they noticed was the door that was hanging crookedly by one hinge. A large hunk of the doorframe was missing where the doorknob should have been. The cheap chain lock had a chunk of the doorframe swinging from it. The second thing they saw were the two unmoving figures. Even with their faces hidden from view, the group knew immediately that the still figures were those of Shuichi's bodyguards. Whether they were alive or dead and what happened was unknown and placed on the back burner as they heard a stampede of feet and a muttering of incoherent ramblings. In unison, the group watched as a tall, blond haired man raced down the staircase and towards the back of the apartment, where two more prone figures lay.

"Shuichi," the Shiro twins Kei and Kai whispered.

"Oh my God," Michael cried, covering his mouth with his hand as tears sprang into his eyes.

Hiro stood dumbfounded as he watched Uesugi "Yuki" Eiri cradle the unmoving, limp body of Shindou Shuichi in his arms and crying uncontrollably. He had never seen this coldhearted, emotionless man anything other than angry or cool. Though Shuichi told them that Eiri could be sweet and nice and kind, Hiro had never seen it for himself before.

Sakano cried out and swooned.

Niwa stood behind them, shaking. This was all his fault. If had come forward sooner, none of this would have happened!

Tohma strode towards his brother-in-law, his outward appearance the epitome of calm, but inside he was anything but. "Eiri," he called softly.

"Help him, Tohma," Eiri cried. "Help him!"

"We will," Tohma told the younger man softy as he knelt behind the writer. "They're on their way. We called them on the way here." He hugged his old friend from behind, laying his head against his blond locks.

"Everything'll be all right."

Eiri hugged his baka tightly to him, crying chaotically into his black locks. His hand ran down Shuichi's back to his buttocks, so he could hold the tiny man closer, but felt something slimy and squishy at the crotch of the lithe singer's jeans. Pulling back, he glanced down and gasped, his eyes widening in shock. There was a large, widening stain bleeding out onto Shuichi's jeans. His heart jumped sharply.

"Oh my God," Eiri breathed. With tears falling freely down his face, the blond writer moaned and sobbed as he rocked his husband. "Oh God. Hold on, Shuichi. Please. Oh, God. Oh, God."

In the distance, the sound of approaching sirens grew louder.

Tohma had never felt so helpless before in his entire life.

oOo

It wasn't until twenty minutes later when the EMTs-Emergency Medical Technicians-were loading the sheet covered gurney carrying an unresponsive Shindou Shuichi into one of the waiting ambulances that Eiri's devastation and heartache was pushed aside long enough for him to remember his son.

"Oh, God," he moaned as he stared blankly at the ambulance with its revolving lights. "What am I going to tell Riku?"

The thirteen year old was a Mama's Boy through and through. Riku already lost his biological parents-his father before he was even born and his mother five years later. Other than Yoshiki, Shuichi was the only other mother-figure the teenager have ever known. Losing Shuichi would completely crush the thirteen year old.

Hell, it would crush Eiri as well to lose the love of his life.

Stepping forward, Tohma laid a comforting hand on the shoulder of his wife's brother. His own emotional pain was concealed behind a stoic mask. "You go with Shuichi to the hospital, I'll go get Riku, okay?"

Choking back tears, Eiri nodded before climbing into the back of the ambulance.

As he watched the ambulance speed off with a cloud of dust and gravel, its siren sounding, Tohma silently prayed for Shuichi.

oOo

Shinogu Central High School

Riku peered up from the textbook he was supposed to be reading when a light rapping sounded on the classroom door. "Supposed to be" being the keywords, but in reality he had not been able to get passed the title of the chapter. History was not his forte. In fact, school was not his forte. He found it be a pointless and useless art. His favorite class was the creative writing and modern literature classes he was taking.

"Come in," Motoko-san, his world history teacher, announced.

A student- a first year by the looks of her, but then again looks could be deceiving-strode into the room and handed a note to Motoko-san before exiting.

"Kitazawa-san," Motoko-san said after reading over the note. "It seems you're wanted in the office," she informed him. "Grab your things."

Confused and curious, Riku shut his textbook and shoved it into his book bag. Pushing his chair back, he stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder. His classmates were watching him in open curiosity as he made his way up the aisle to the front of the classroom. A light murmuring pulsated around him as he took the hall pass and made his way out of the classroom and through the deserted halls to the main office.

"Riku."

His head snapped around at the familiar voice. "Uncle Tohma," he cried out in surprise. "Wha-what's going on? What're you…?"

Standing up from the bench he'd been sitting on, Tohma walked towards his young nephew. "It's Shuichi."

Dread and rising panic filled the teen, both of which he tried to push aside. "Mama? But-what?"

"Riku…I'm afraid there's been an accident."

Riku felt as if he'd been socked in the stomach.

oOo

Several Hours Later - Keio University Hospital

Two dark suited men stood guard in front of an isolated room in the ICU ward where the comatose lead singer of Bad Luck lay, an IV drip secured in his hand and a breathing tube hooked to his nose. A heart monitor's rhythmic beeping was the only sound in the eerily silent room. Nearly his entire body was encased in white bandages, making him look eerily like a mummy.

oOo

Eiri sat in the farthest corner of the waiting room, a miserable mess. A vat of guilt hung over him like a dark cloud.

How had this happened? Why had it happened? Why had they been cursed to constantly meet such dire fates? NG Productions' number one band was aptly named for it seemed bad luck followed Shuichi around like a faithful puppy, but why? Why was this happening? It made no sense! Shuichi had done nothing to deserve this. Nothing. Was it punishment for deeds done in a past life? That had to be it. What else was there? But again, why? Why strike down the saint for crimes committed by the devil? It made absolutely no sense, none whatsoever. No amount of reasoning would make him think otherwise.

He looked up when he heard the sharp click-clack of heels and watched Mika stride confidently into the waiting room. Her hair was pulled back neatly and her crisp business suit hugged her curves nicely. She sat down besides him and crossed her legs. She turned towards him and started talking, but Eiri heard none of it. It was all a jumbled mass of words.

Back in the hallway, just out of earshot, Tohma who was speaking with two plainclothes detectives. Eiri knew they would want to talk to him, but he was not in any mood to rehash what happened. All he wanted to do was forget those horrific events and focus on Shuichi.

Tears pricked his eyes. He pursed his lips together to keep a threatening sob from getting loose. Leaning his head back against the wall, he took deep, even breaths in through his nose and exhaled out through his mouth, trying to loosen the tight restrictiveness in his chest and the constrictiveness of his throat. He opened his eyes wide and stared at the white drop down ceiling, blinking rapidly to keep the tears from escaping their prison cell and he prayed. Eiri was not sure when the last time he prayed was, but he asked, demanded, pleaded, and offered to make a deal with whoever was listening as long as Shuichi made it out of this alive. He was willing to do anything to have his husband back safe and sound.

He tightened his hold on his son-who had cried himself to sleep once he heard what happened to his "mama"-and absently stroked the boy's hair with his other hand.

"Tatsuha's on his way along with Ryuichi," Mika was saying to him. "Apparently they left as soon as Tohma called."

Eiri nodded. Both Tatsuha and Ryuichi were very close to Shuichi, especially Ryuichi. The two of them were like brothers. The idiotic singer was not going to take the news very well, but then again none of them were taking it very well.

"Father's staying at the temple. He has a wedding to perform tonight and then a funeral tomorrow, but he said he'd pray for Shindou."

Eiri let his head lull to the side, where he stared blankly at the wall above the television that stared back at him with equally blank eyes. He'd had a feeling his father would not come. The man was not exactly in favor of his relationship with Shuichi, though he has come to accept it only because he had no other choice, but knowing that his father would be praying for Shuichi, somehow made Eiri feel a little better.

He turned and looked at Shuichi's parents sitting on the far side of the waiting room. It was obvious by the strained look on his face that Shuichi's father was trying to curtail his own grief in favor of comforting his wife, who was wailing hysterically into his shoulder. It was not hard to tell she and Shuichi were related. Their daughter, Maiko, and her husband were flying into Narita tonight from Hokkaido with their one-year-old daughter.

He wondered what these people would think if he were to tell them about the commitment ceremony Shuichi and he held in their living room yesterday. It may not be a legal marriage in the eyes of the law, but for the two of them they were as married as two people could be.

Eiri's eyes slid to the various members of Bad Luck who were huddled together. They looked almost like a pile of puppies.

Sakano was so distraught he had been sedated and was now resting on a bed in the recovery/observation area in the emergency room.

Hiro appeared to be the most upset. He and Shuichi have been friends since they were in middle school after all. The guitarist had his face buried in his hands, his shoulders shaking softly.

Sitting and looking equally distraught besides him was Suguru. The former keyboardist and current manager maneuvered Hiro's head into his lap as the older man continued to cry silent tears. Suguru started stroking Hiro's long reddish-brown.

Hiro's wife, Ayaka, was nine months pregnant and due any day now, so Hiro thought it best if she stayed home, though it might have been better if she had come to the hospital because it would be convenient if she were to go into labor; she would already be at the hospital. On the other hand it was better that she was not here to witness her husband being comforted like this.

Shuichi had confided in him not that long ago that he was suspicious about how close the two had become recently. Eiri had always though his baka lover was reading too much into the relationship of a couple of friends, but now, he was beginning to agree with Shuichi's assessment.

The only ones not here, other than Shuichi's sister and her family, was Noriko. Unfortunately, Noriko and her family left just this morning for Hong Kong for a family vacation and had left no contact number, so, Tohma had been forced to leave a message on their answering machine.

"Niwa-san was taken into custody," Mika was saying to him.

Eiri blinked. He had forgotten she was speaking to him.

"No surprise he squealed like a pig. Apparently, he was the one who stole Tohma's cellphone."

Eiri scowled. That was something Eiri would never forgive his brother-in-law for. When Tohma lost his cellphone, he should have had it disconnected, or had the service terminated or something, then maybe the guards would have been there to protect their charge instead of being lured away.

As hard as he tried, Eiri just could not stop the tears that tickled down his cheeks. He brushed them away impatiently before anyone noticed them.

Please, he silently prayed. Let him be all right.

A picture of Shuichi flashed through his mind, his lithe body mangled, his limbs splayed at odd, unnatural angles. Eiri shook those images away violently. He had to keep his mind busy.

"Did you find out anything about Shuichi's guards?" he asked his sister, cutting her off mid-sentence.

Mika blinked, momentarily confused. "I asked the two police officers and they said they spoke to the coroner and from his preliminary reports, it appears as if they hadn't been dead for long by the time the emergency personnel arrived. The cause of death for now is a single gunshot to the heart, but we'll have to wait until he does the autopsy."

Eiri made a noncommittal noise.

"Also," Mika continued, "Rinjin-san appears to have snapped his neck in the fall. They said he died instantly."

A low growl escaped Eiri.

Mika glanced at her brother in sympathy.

That bastard, after everything he did, had the nerve to die. That asshole, who was the cause of this whole fiasco, had the nerve to escape justice. Bullshit. Eiri hoped that he suffered in the next life for his crimes.

…To Be Continued…

Preview: "Reunion"