Chapter Six: Catch Me When I Fall

"That's it for the deadline everyone. Thank you for your work!" One of the shounen editors called into the workroom.

Smack.

And immediately following those blessed words, Yanase Yuu's forehead collided with the table as he slumped with exhaustion.

The other three assistants (all of whom were girls with fast acting mothering instincts) quickly gathered around him, and found to their shock, that the brunette male had passed out.

Some time later, Yuu awoke, and found himself laying on a couch in one of the break rooms. He blinked his tired eyes a few times, slowly propping himself up onto his elbows as he tried to remember where we was and what he'd been doing.

"Hell of a hell week huh?" A warm voice rumbled. Yuu looked over to his side, and his eyebrow lifted in surprise as he saw the editor of Japun sitting dutifully in a chair.

Kirishima Zen gave him a slight smile as Yuu blinked in confusion.

"Kirishima-san?"

The editor chuckled.

"Nope, it's God."

Yuu blinked again and Kirishima smiled wider.

"And God has a message for you. He says you're committing the sin of not getting adequate sleep and then fainting at work. However, because said fainting came after the deadline, he is willing to pardon you."

Even with his groggy head, Yuu managed an amused snort.

"Are you sure you're God? Because you sound an awful lot like Ijuuin."

The golden-haired editor barked a laugh.

"Quick even when you're half-dead Yanase. As always."

Yuu slowly swung his legs over the side of the couch and pulled himself up, the vertigo making him a little shaky. He leaned against the back of the couch, taking a few gulps of air.

Kirishima watched soberly.

"Let's cut to the cheese Yanase. What happened in there?"

Yuu's reddish eyes drifted down to his lap, and his face remained impassive.

"I just haven't taken that great of care of myself this past week. It won't happen again."

Kirishima didn't respond to the assistant's words.

"Is that all?" The editor mused, his eyes drifting over to a window at the far corner of the room. Yuu was about to respond again when Kirishima cut in first.

"How is Araki-kun doing?"

The brunette immediately bit back his words, swallowing them down like a lump of iron.

"He's…recovering…but, very slowly."

"I see. Pneumonia was it?"

Yuu nodded.

"Yeah…"

"I take it you see him a lot then?" Kirishima asked, his eyes not leaving the window.

The brunette cleared his throat.

"Umm yeah…we're—we're good friends."

The golden-haired editor's passive eyes slid back over and caught Yuu's, the playful glint replaced by seriousness.

"Yes. I've noticed."

Ever reading between the lines, the manga assistant caught the duel meaning of his superior's words. And he was too tired to even think about covering up his shock. Yuu sat there, his mouth partially open and his eyes wide and stunned.

But even though he was sober, there was no malice in the editor's words.

"And Yanase," He continued. "Friends are a wonderful gift given from heaven. They are precious, and when one has friends who are struggling, it is their duty to take responsibility and see that friend through. But a part of that…is also seeing himself through, and making sure he is well enough to carry his friend when he falls. Because your friends are your family."

The taller man's eyes fell, and he smiled almost sadly.

"Believe me…I know that more than anyone."

Yuu's mouth fell lower at the sincerity of editor's words.

"Kirishima-san…" He mumbled, a reply failing him.

But the golden man just smiled and stood, offering a hand and smiling with radiance. Yuu took it gratefully, and the taller man hauled him up onto his own feet. The editor-in-chief gave him one last smile, turning to leave.

"And Yanase, if you three need anything, you let me know or I'll fire your ass. Got it?"

For the first time in weeks, Yuu's mouth spread in a grin and he laughed, a spark of joy kindling inside his weary mind.

After making sure he had his bearings, Yuu left Marukawa and took the subway home, his mind replaying Kirishima's words like a looping song. He had to admit, he was stunned by the implications the head editor had just addressed, not just about the two assistants, but about himself as well. And Yuu's insightful eyes detected that there was a whole other story behind that man's wily eyes.

But even through his initial shock, a warm, comforting feeling had descended on Yuu's mind and heavy chest.

In spite of what he'd told Kirishima, things were not getting better. They were only worsening and in countless ways. But over the past couple weeks, and especially today, Yuu had had an epiphany.

He couldn't do this.

Not by himself.

Like any driven man, Yuu had gone the route of pushing and straining his hardest against the leaning tower of their lives, holding on by the skin of his skin till the last drop of blood. And as a result of that, he'd fainted at work today in front of everyone. But slowly, Yuu had begun to realize that it would take more than one person to hold up that falling tower. And he had to concede his illusion of control, both for himself, and for Hisashi.

And today, someone had come forward and offered a helpful push.

The brunette walked down the hallway to Hisashi's apartment, where the couple would be meeting that day. But although he still felt tired (DEAD tired), he also felt something that had not been able to surface in a long time.

Hope.

And yet another time that day, Yuu's lips curled into a smile of gratitude and he eagerly put his key in the door, walking into his boyfriend's apartment.

"Sashi." He called, slipping off his shoes and lining them neatly in front of the door. "I'm back from work."

When no reply came, Yuu cocked his head, padding into the living room.

"Sashi?" He spoke much more quietly, thinking the blonde was asleep. He turned down the hall and glanced into the bedroom, but no people shaped lumps graced the mattress.

Yuu's brow started to furrow in confusion. And his ears and eyes lifted as he made out a faint rasping come from the other direction. He pivoted back around and headed to the other side of the living room, where the kitchen was.

"Hisashi?" He called once more. He finally entered the tiled room and his eyes caught the blonde sitting on the floor, his back towards the brunette.

"There you are." Yuu smiled. "You had me worried for a…sec…" The brunette's voice trailed off as the blonde didn't turn around or respond. Yuu peered closer and could faintly make out a trembling in the small frame, and the labored breathing that was practically being choked out. Yuu stepped forward, slowly placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"Hisashi are you ok—OH MY GOD!"

Yuu's scream of horror sliced through the silence of the apartment as his red eyes saw an equally crimson liquid dripping and pooling on the white tiled floor. The brunette grabbed the blonde's shoulder and jerked him around, and his face grew even more horrified.

Hisashi's thin, hollow face had drained down to the color of chalk, and his features combined into a mask of terror. His blue eyes were wide and dripping with tears, and yet their gaze was clouded, as if the blonde saw nothing at all. His ghastly white hands lay on his lap, his fingers stretched up and stained with blood that ran down and soaked into his jeans.

And just next to his knees, in the midst of red…lay a knife.

Yuu snatched Hisashi's wrists, jerking the blonde harshly towards him.

"HISASHI! WHAT DID YOU DO?" Yuu screamed, his eyes wide with terror. Hisashi's teeth gritted and more tears quickly filled his eyes.

"Yuu…I can't do this…"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? OH MY GOD—" Yuu nearly retched as his fingers slipped on the blonde's left wrist and more blood dripped onto the floor. The brunette eyes darted over to the white arm and he cried out as he saw a wide, deep slash between the hand and the wrist.

"HISASHI!" Yuu shrieked, his own hands beginning to shake.

The blonde sobbed out, his tears splattering into the puddle of blood.

"I can't…I can't do this…I—I CAN'T—I CAN'T DO THIS!" The blonde screamed at the top of his lungs before tumbling backwards. Yuu's arms franticly caught the small blonde and clutched him to his chest. Hisashi's head began to sway and his eyelids shut as he went limp and fell unconscious.

"HISASHI! HOLD ON! PLEASE HOLD ON!"

The brunette snatched a nearby dishtowel with his bloody hands, wrapping it around the blonde's cut wrist and pressing down on it. His other hand dove in his pocket for his phone and he all but screamed when the emergency operator answered.

"I NEED AN AMBULANCE! PLEASE GET ME AN AMBULANCE! HISASHI HOLD ON! HOLD OOOOONNNNNNNNN!"