Truth behind the Lies

Chapter 10: Kiss of the Death

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Hello kind people out there!!! I knooow, it was like, two months before my last update righttt? I went poof. sorry. and anyway, I wanna told you about the pool thingies. Surprisingly enough, this was the current result:

1. Kill Tohma PAINFULLY SLOW!!! 4 33%

2. Happy ending for all of them, Tohma being a nice guy again and marry Mika again 433%

(and I thought wtf? I thought you guys wanna see Tohma suffer?)

3. Kill Tohma, fast 2 16%

4. Kill ALL of them 1 8% (I wonder who voted for it...:D)

5. Other (send any ideas to chocobo, via PM or email) 1 8%

6. Kill Yuki and Shuichi, their love immortal in heaven while Tohma live a living hell 0 0%

yeah right. The ones who wanted Tohma die painfully slowly and those who forgive him are on the same level. Since I write the ending depends on the vote result (doesn't mean I'm too lazy to think, just wanna give something you guys wanted), if you agree on killing Tohma, please vote. Thanks for those who have, I'll wait the vote until the next chapter being posted. and this was a blind poll cause I wanna prevent bias, but I'll let you guys know when the next chapter posted.

Thank you for Lanie12777, my greatest bestie, beta, and co-writer! yayz you're amazing! xDD this chapter specially dedicated for youuuu!

Shuichi held in the urge to scream as the fire spread through the building that was mostly built of wood—but quite the contrary from his effort, his voice found its way to burst from his lips as soon as he realized the fire had reached the room where he was currently in. It quickly spread on the carpeted floor, and the boy couldn't help but think that Tohma had poured oil on it earlier, for it was running in high speed towards the chair where he sat with his wrists handcuffed to the bedpost beside it. He screamed when the heat radiated nearer to his skin, almost touching his legs—almost—before the door suddenly snapped open.

His eyes widened to find a bloody Yuki standing there, panting.

As strange as it sounds the first thing that flashed in his mind is not how his love could stand there, but how beautiful it will be to die in his lover's arms as both of them are swallowed by the flaming fire. Tohma had to be right, he admitted silently, while mentally picturing both his and Yuki's body vanish as reddish, colorful monster swallowed them both, turning them into a mess of ashes.

"Shuichi!!!" Yuki's voice boomed, snapping him back to reality to find there's a great amount of concern clouding in it. His jaw trembled, and he felt a painful sting in both of his eyes… he'd cried again.

But he didn't curse himself for it.

Yuki immediately rushed over his side, fighting over the maddening flames with just his wet clothes. Pink spots scattered over his clothes, and Shuichi knew better than to ask what they are, for there's enough evidence that it's a mix of blood and water since the crimson liquid still remained on the blonde's lips and neck.

And when he tasted copper on those lips, when Yuki decided to press his lips against his own, he was fully certain that it's blood.

"Yuki…" he gasped when Yuki finally pulled away but not quite yanking his face away from his, "…you're bleeding."

Eiri shot him the look that said 'stop stating the obvious' before releasing his feet that were bound together by a solid rope, but fortunately Eiri was strong enough to rip it apart. Too soon to state fortunate though—for Shuichi's wrists were bound together by much more solid, iron cuffs.

"Yuki…" Shuichi tried, but Yuki merely cast a glance at him. The blonde just concentrated on the handcuffs before him, trying to figure a way to break it.

"Yuki…"

Still, no response came.

"Eiri!"

At the mention of his true name Eiri snapped his head to meet Shuichi, impatience written all over his still youthful features. Shuichi smiled.

"I'm glad that you're here." Wincing as the fire started to burn against his bare toes, Shuichi let his smile remain when Yuki looked at him confused. "…At first I thought you wouldn't care that I'm gone. But you're not…"

"…Brat, as much as I love for being all lovey-dovey and stuff, this is not the right—"

Yuki couldn't finish his sentence because Shuichi immediately leaned in, claiming his lips in one of the most bruising and addicting kisses that he'd ever tasted. It only last for ten seconds though, for the brat then half-heartedly pulled away.

"But you have to leave me, Yuki," Shuichi said eventually. "There are only two choices: one, I die and two, both of us die. And trust me, Yuki, I dearly love the latter, but I don't think you do…"

"…no."

"You have to go. Please. It's enough that I've seen you again… for the last time…"

"…I won't."

"Yuki, please! I don't want you to die, please, if you love me, leave—"

"DON'T YOU DARE ORDER ME AROUND, YOU FUCKING BRAT!"

Despite the pain from his wriggling toes that slowly crept to his legs, Shuichi's eyes managed to widen as their owner froze in shock. He watched in horror while a little amount of crimson liquid poured from Yuki's bruised lips, as if from the impact of his own earlier outburst.

"Fuck it, Shuichi! Do you even know how much I suffered after you left me two years ago? How much it hurt when I thought you'd really left me for someone else?" Yuki demanded, "I'm not gonna let you go again! Not without a fight! You see, I'm not usually this corny and disgusting but I do this for you—I just want you to know that I don't want you to leave my side, ever again! And if the worst happens, I'd rather die with you!"

"Yuki!"

"Because without you, I will die eventually. I can't live without you, dammit, you're the fucking air that I breathe, the reason why I still tried to live! Can't you understand it Shuichi?"

"…I…"

Yuki didn't waste any more time before he flew out of the room to find something that could be used to release his love and life—running like a maniac and nearly tripping over fallen wood on his journey towards the kitchen. He thanked whatever god had existed for letting him watch Titanic before (and how he loathed the movie, only because it made him cry) and copying Rose's act to release her lover, Jack, he grabbed an axe from under the sink.

And then mentally cursed himself for having no idea how to use the damn thing.

Neglecting the thought and momentarily brushing the worry aside, he immediately sprinted to the room again, this time tripping on a broken table that he accidentally ran into. He cursed under his breath as he realized the table pinned his right leg to the floor, making him momentarily immobilized.

A little bead of sweat began to form on his forehead from the impact of the room's temperature and his own nervousness. He realized his breath was coming in shallow again—both from the lack of oxygen and his reopened wounds—but decided to ignore it. He just tried to wriggle his legs to get the hell out from the goddamn table instead, Shuichi's piercing scream making his movements increase tenfold.

"Hold on, Shuichi!" he yelled in the hope his voice could be a soothing breeze to Shuichi's ears. Which is far from reality really, because the panic that surged through Shuichi isn't lessening, but thankfully not arousing either after hearing his voice. The boy glanced at the open door, half-wishing that Yuki had arrived there to rescue him, yet half-wishing that the blonde decided to abandon him and leave. He's torn between the urge to leap into Yuki's comforting embrace and the urge to see Yuki gone and be fine…

Speaking of the blonde who currently tried to get his stuck leg out, Yuki finally decided the hell with it and swung the axe toward the wood that had pinned his leg. His yellow orbs wincing, lips pursed into a thin line of anticipation for expecting the worst—or in other words, just in case the axe swung into his leg instead of the wood. A brief minute passed in silence before Yuki realized there's no pulsating pain on his leg or the warm sensation of blood pouring from it, and he hesitantly opened his eyes. Grinning after realizing that he'd successfully broken the wood in two, making it easier for him to escape, he quickly leaped to his feet again that had turned into jelly due to his critical condition.

"Hold on, hold on…" he chanted repeatedly, but instead of convincing Shuichi it seems like he was trying to convincing himself. Because, even though he hated to admit it, he felt his confidence drop to the point where he's certain that they both won't make it to escape the hell that Tohma had created with his filthy, bloody hands.

Finally reaching his destination Yuki immediately rushed over to Shuichi's side again, all the while oblivious—or rather, trying to ignore the look that was being sent in his direction.

"Listen, Shuichi," he started after making sure that Shuichi's attention was focused on him fully. "I'm going to break the handcuffs with this axe. You trust me, right?"

A flash of hesitance and distrust appeared in Shuichi's lavender orbs before the boy nodded his head eventually. Yuki nodded back, walking towards the nightstand to test the axe first.

His first swing successfully made a big hole on the poor table, but his second swing isn't as good as the earlier one. Yuki sighed.

"It's okay, Yuki," Shuichi said, wishing that he could wipe his lover's hesitance. "I believe you'll do it right."

Strangely enough that was the only encouragement that Yuki needed before he walked wordlessly toward Shuichi again. This time he cast a quick glance at Shuichi's eyes that had closed in anticipation, before averting them to the wrists that begged to be released.

"I'm going to do it now, Shuichi."

The boy in question nodded his head shakily, muscles tensing as he prayed silently. He heard a loud clank as the axe made contact with the handcuffs, followed by Yuki's unnaturally cheerful voice.

"My god! We made it!" the blonde screamed in joy, taking Shuichi in a suffocating hug that made the boy momentarily freeze. Then he leaned in to the vise-grip, yet warm embrace, inhaling Yuki's scent that hadn't yet vanished, even though the blonde had been sweating and not to mention bleeding. This is the smell and the feeling that he'd longed for…

A sudden choke startled them both, and Shuichi immediately pulled away to investigate his lover—who undoubtedly was the source of the voice. He almost shrieks in horror as he saw blood pour freely from Yuki's lips again.

"Yuki! We have to get away from here!" Shuichi said worriedly. "Where's the key? I'll drive!"

Yuki was just about to argue when he realized that he is, indeed, not in the best condition to drive for both of them. If he does he will probably make them both end up hospitalized—and so he begrudgingly pulled the key from his pants pocket. They will run from the still burning place and leave as fast as possible, if the goddamn key still remains in his pocket.

"What's wrong, Yuki?" Shuichi asked when he realized Yuki started sweat-dropping.

"…it's not here."

"Wha—"

"It's not here! The key is missing!"

Shuichi stared with his mouth left agape and eyes as wide as the size of plates when Yuki frantically dug through every pocket existing on his outfit. They were both startled and nearly jumped in surprise as a sickeningly sweet, mocking voice called lingeringly through the air,

"Searching for this, love?"

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Mika brushed a few strands of bangs that dared to cover half of her eyes in annoyance. It's been more than five hours since they left Yuki. Knowing his condition, Mika was pretty sure that nothing bad will happen to the ex-novelist—especially because Hiro claimed him to be momentarily immobilized—but it didn't stop the concern that surged through her. Stomping her five-inch high heels onto the floor, she restrained herself from glaring at the reporters that were still asking her pointless after pointless question.

"What's happened with Yuki-san?"

"Is Taki Aizawa-san the one who committed the incident at Bad Luck's concert?"

"How's Shindou-san doing?"

"Where are they?"

Well, not all pointless, but she believed so. When in truth almost all of what they said was true—and that means the mess had leaked into the media. It's just a matter of time for Tohma's career to fall into pieces—it's not like she cared anyway—but that was the case if they could solve it. Tohma is a very powerful man, and an obsessive one, thus he could do anything in order to achieve everything he wanted to have. So this is a bet that could threaten both Tohma's and Yuki's career, and even Shuichi's.

He cast a meaningful glance at the equally troubled-looking Hiro, who just let out a frustrated sigh before saying, "We don't have the right to tell you guys, let's just wait until Yuki-san and Shuichi deliver it themselves for us."

It's not a good move, really, because quite the opposite of his effort, the reporters didn't seem the least desired to obey. Instead they kept asking them those same questions.

"Wait? Where are they, Nakano-san?"

"Is it true that Shindou-kun had been abducted?"

"Please tell us, Nakano-san."

Both Mika and Hiro are on the verge of cutting the crap off by kicking the reporters' asses—no matter what consequences will face them as the aftermath. But fortunately that was the moment when K came into view, with three other familiar faces walking along with him. One is a certain Suguru Fujishaki, while the rest Hiro recognized as Matt and Zack—the other personals of Vladester. Not that he cared anyway—because he doesn't see any benefit now that they were here—but he is just grateful K finally arrived. The manager certainly had faced this kind of situation before, and hopefully this one is nothing for him to handle.

…judging from the murderous look on the blonde's face, it clearly is nothing.

"With all our respects, Ladies and Gentlemen," the American started with his rather odd mixture of Japanese and American accent, "but we hope that you guys will kindly exit the hospital, because this is not a proper place to hold a press conference, and you are disturbing the general peacefulness." Raising his hand that holds his usual machine gun, the manager went on. "So, would you, kindly, get the hell out of here now? Thank you very much."

At first no one even dared to move from their spots as they lay their eyes on K's massive gun, but when the long-haired lunatic lightly pulled the trigger they immediately scrambled all over the place to exit the corridor. Seemingly satisfied with his job, the Winchester whipped his head around to meet his companions' stunned stares.

"That was… cool," Hiro managed finally. K smiled, but then his smile turned into a troubled one.

"You could save up your compliments for me later, Hiro… there's a much more important thing that you need to know," K said with such a serious tone that it made everyone in the room focus their attention on the blonde in question.

"And that is?"

"Yuki is gone. I'd come to give him a visit earlier but he's nowhere to be found; apparently he took one of your cars."

"WHAT?"

Mika practically screamed from the top of her lungs, as Hiro just stared blankly. While the lady was too busy to blame herself for this case—like it's not bad enough—a disturbed-looking Ryuichi came into view, bringing equally bad news.

"Tatsuha is gone…"

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Yuki didn't know if it was a curse, or both of them (at least him) were fated to be doomed from the start.

Thinking about it again, his life had started with an awful scene. He'd murdered the one he loved (even though he knew he just defended himself, it still hurt to think that his hands had become bloody), then he finally met someone else that could heal his broken heart (even though he hated to admit it, but deep inside that's what he felt towards Shuichi), but in the end it seems like God hated him so much (he gave him a broken heart, then mended it just to shatter it over again).

But the worst thing is God let Tohma love him.

Or rather yet, God let Tohma feel that way (whatever Tohma felt, he couldn't put his finger on it) for him.

His furious orbs turned from the shocked Shuichi to the smirking Tohma before them, his spidery fingers delicately hold a key between his thumb and forefinger. Mocking.

(As if it was the time when he finally could declare his victory)

Eiri stared back into those cruel, devilish eyes—hoping that the hatred that reflected in his own orbs could deliver his message. And it was becoming crystal clear to Tohma, for then the smaller man slump his shoulder as if in disappointment.

"Don't stare at me like that, Eiri-kun. It breaks my heart knowing that you hate me so much. Why would you? I'm the one who helped you come to where you belong, anyway," the man said in an almost mocking, saddened tone. Yuki let out a snort. He felt disgusted. The once gratefulness he felt when he saw Shuichi now turned into a cold, unadulterated rage. He felt the annoyance. But above all, he felt the anger, the loath, the hatred and the fury. Everything were packaged in one delicate pack and sent it to Tohma, the said package in a form of piercing golden eyes.

"Why wouldn't I? You just took me from the place where I belong, then forced me to call your arms a home! I don't belong to you, Seguchi."

Yuki's voice is hard as stone and frigid as the coldest ice on the earth, making Tohma's once-confident eyes waver with hesitation briefly. However, it didn't take long for the man to gain his confidence back and retort sickeningly sweetly, "You're just in denial, Eiri-kun. I know, it was the first stage of freedom."

(Oh how he wanted to rip that smile from that usually poker face, so that there's no word that could be uttered from those lips, so that nothing could be heard from him!)

Yuki shook his head, sighing. "You are the one who's in denial, Seguchi. I don't love you. Isn't it clear?"

"Don't say that!" Tohma hissed, impatience and anger reflected clearly from his features. His eyes are burning with rage, his lips formed into a thin line in effort of restraining himself from bursting out—his fist formed into a small ball as he held himself from swaying it to Shuichi's face.

"But it's true. I can say it just how much I want to. I don't love you, I don't love you, I don't love you!" it was childish, but Yuki continued on anyway. Somewhere in the back on his mind, he just really wanted to make Tohma see his anger. He wanted this evil to see what he had done to him, wanted to blame him for everything…because damn right, he was the source of these messes. "I don't love you! I don't fucking love you! I don't love you and I never will—"

"Stop."

"No! I don't love you, you hear that? I will never do, I will never ever fucking love you even for the slightest moment of my life! I don't—"

"SHUT UP!"

Both men are panting, Tohma from the fury and rage that was bubbling in his chest and Yuki from the effort to scream due to his still unwell condition. But both men cared to the fact, for Yuki then screamed again, "Open your fucking eyes, Seguchi! You have a beautiful lady, who once loved you." (Once, because not anymore) "And yet you still want me! I don't know if you're that fucking greedy or you're just—plain evil!"

Seguchi smirked. He then took several steps near Yuki, keeping the smile remaining on his face because he knew, he dearly knew that Yuki hated it.

"If what you mean is Mikarin, I must say that I didn't even love her from the start," the man said, unblinking. "How could I? I just used her to get near to you. I just used her so I could be with you."

"You filthy—"

"I just used her because I could. She knew all of this, and yet she still decided to be with me. It's not my fault that she's such a fool. It's not my fault that she loves me."

'Loved', Yuki corrected mentally, hissing, "Don't you dare say any bad words towards my sister."

At this, Seguchi let out a humorless (and to Yuki's ears, sorrowful) laugh. He then stopped his laughter when he noticed that Yuki is not laughing along with him.

(He's supposed to)

"I never thought you cared even one damn thing about her. Or about Shuichi. Or about anyone else, for that matter. What made you change, I wonder?" the bleach blonde asked mockingly, tapping his finger on his chin to emphasize his faked wonderment. Before Yuki had a chance to retort back, Tohma snapped his finger together as if he only just got an idea.

"I know! It must be Shuichi, isn't it? How cute!"

Those words were once again followed by that empty laughter that held nothing but sorrow, and Yuki began to doubt the other man's sanity. It's not the Seguchi he used to know. Sure, there was a time when Tohma seemed rather possessive when it came to him, but nothing so extreme like this. What had he done to him that made Seguchi break?

(There's nothing wrong with him, it's just his own love that has consumed him slowly)

From the edge of his eye, Yuki noticed that Shuichi was lightly shivering, while hiding behind his back. What should he do now? Shuichi had went through all of this, who knew what Tohma had done to him during his abduction? The boy seems so scared at him, seems paranoid, seems too fragile…

Tohma had that sickly grin on his face again, as if able to read what's on his mind.

"So. I notice that your little pet is scared, Eiri," the smaller blonde said as he took several steps backward, his back facing his two 'companions'. "So I'm just gonna offer you a deal." Turning in one swift movement, he faced Eiri with a smirk remaining on his face.

"What's that?" Eiri asked, impatient. Tohma chuckled as he shook his head mockingly.

"Be patient…" he eventually said, but quickly added before Eiri had the chance to saying back, "I will let Shuichi go, harmless—I could even guarantee that nothing bad will ever happen to him or anyone again, if only you want to be with me."

Shuichi's eyes immediately widened as he stared at Yuki, searching for any hesitance. But there's nothing on that frigid face, only hate and rage—it seems like his tall lover had thought about the worst scenario. And even though it's true… it's still hard to decide. Yuki just stared blankly at the man before him; he can't believe—can't fucking believe that he's going to do it.

There's no way to escape this. He had to choose Tohma for the sake of everyone's happiness—and most importantly, Shuichi's. The boy had had enough—it seems like he's a magnet of sorrow, and everyone who happens to be on his way will also get the effect. That's what happened to Shuichi. The boy suffered because of him. And moreover, he had kissed Shuichi, right? At least that was enough to be the last memory for him. Then Shuichi could move on with his life…hell, he even could be with Ryuichi and live happily ever after… yes, that's way better than being with him…right?

Right.

He cast a quick, yet meaningful stare at Shuichi—certain that it's the last time he would ever see those beautiful eyes again. With an apologetic smile he whispered, "I'm sorry, Shuichi."

Shuichi's eyes immediately widened and, grasping Yuki's hand weakly, he tried to restrain himself from crying. But no, hell no, he can't because it happened all of a sudden—the last thing he knew was Yuki kissing him, and now Yuki starting to walk out of his life. Shocking. Unbelievable. Painful, oh so very painful fact.

So he cried.

"No! Why Yuki? Please don't—" his voice was caught up in his throat as a stream of tears fall from his eyes, and Yuki uses the chance to slip out from his lover's weak grasp.

"NO! Yuki! Please don't leave me—we'll figure a way to solve this… EIRI!" Shuichi screamed, clutching at his chest because damn his heart is throbbing, begging for Eiri to smother it again. But the said man never even once looked back; with only a soft 'sorry' whispered, he walked away from him, probably forever…

Stumbling bonelessly on the floor, the raven-haired boy couldn't even see when his vision blurred with tears, and he buried his head in his hands; he couldn't bring himself to witness his lover walk away from him, slowly but steadily exiting his life.

Tohma smiled in victorious joy as he saw Yuki approach closer to him. "Ready to change your mind?" the smaller blonde asked in mockery. "Kiss me."

Yuki tried with all his might to stop his eyes from flinching at the sound of Tohma's sweet tone, and instead of retorting his words, he took more steps closer until Tohma's back was flat to the wall. Lightly leaning in after placing both of his hands on either side of Tohma's smaller form, Yuki leaned in to press their lips together.

"I do. But please keep in mind that it doesn't mean I love you, you sick bastard."

Soft lips closed gently over Tohma's. Golden eyes stared deep into his own blue orbs, then slowly slid shut as the kiss intensified. Shuichi, sitting a few feet away and presently ignored, felt his jaw drop at the sight. Yuki was kissing Tohma, making those passionate noises that he only emitted when they were in bed together. The singer felt tears well up in his eyes as he witnessed the intimate moment, seeing how Yuki wrapped his arms around the smaller blonde's body, pulling him closer to his strong frame. He doesn't have to do this… why did he have to kiss him? Why in front of him? Finally, after years of dreaming and scheming, Yuki had chosen him. Him!

Feeling Yuki's arms embrace him, Tohma moaned, trying to get even closer. Yuki let him deepen the kiss and couldn't help but hear the voice, somewhere in the back of his mind, whisper…

That so far, his dreams had become true.

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As usual, reviews fueled a chocobo to write faster.