Chapter 11: Sleeping Beauty

Shuichi was still in the hospital washroom. He was knelt on his knees with his right hand pressed against the door and his left and rested on the floor. His clothes were strewn across the floor as an attempt to quickly scrub away the dirtiness he felt. He was shaking, yet it wasn't because he had water running down his body and was cold and hadn't occurred to him to actually dry himself. He had additional bruises and red marks from the intensity of his scrubbing. His eyes were closed as he ran the moment that happened with Kitazawa through his mind for the hundredth time. He wasn't shaking because he was afraid. He was shaking because he felt weak and because a new feeling toward Kitazawa ransacked his emotions and he couldn't figure out what this new found feeling was.

Shuichi winced as he had reached the moment where their eyes had locked onto each other in a fierce glare. The moment before Kitazawa had begun removing Shuichi's clothes. Suddenly Shuichi's eyes shot open.

What was that? There was soemthing...

What is this feeling? I don't...

Old tears stung the back of his eyes. Tears that he refused to cry then, and tears he refused to cry now.

Shuichi pounded the door with his right hand in frusteration.

Yuki, why didn't you wake up?

I just...wanted to protect you.

Now I must be clean and pure for you.

Would you stop loving me?

Would you be so disgusted by me, that you would coldly push me away.

Would you cry for me, or would you cry because you would find me at fault?

Would you cry at all?

Replaying the same part in his mind where their eyes had met, Shuichi vaguely remembered seeing something within them.

Within his mysterious eyes...

What was that?

Shuichi backtracked to that particular moment again.

There...

There it is again...

Suddenly, Shuichi's eyes sprang open. He put the finger of his right hand that was just resting on the door to his bottom lip in thought. A look of compassion washed over his face. It was like a new light had dawned on him. He had risen above many ordeals before, such as his photo shoot with Aizawa. The man who had hired 3 men to corner him and rape him, only to ruin Yuki's career as a romance novelist. (Poor Yuki, poor Shuichi).

He could certainly rise above this, and if Yuki really loved him, he wouldn't end up hating him for what had happened or the way Shuichi was feeling about Kitazawa right now. Shuichi smiled and stood up. It had been a while since he had actually smiled so it felt odd to him. He was sure that if he wasn't careful, his face would literally crack. Shuichi quickly grabbed his clothing from off the floor and threw them on, then proceeded to leave the bathroom.

Yuki's Room

Touma's cell phone rang.

Hiro watched as Touma crossed to the far side of the room to answer the phone.

As if going all the way over there is going to keep me from hearing his conversation.

"Hello..."

"Is that so?"

"No, don't shoot..."

"No, I know you want to, but we aren't trying to kill him remember."

"If you do recall, you only brought them for self defense."

"What, he's running?"

"Why would he..."

All of a sudden three gunshots rang out in the air and the phone went dead. Because of the shots being so loud, and the accoustics of the room, Hiro heard everything.

"K!" Touma shouted into the phone that had already returned to the steady murmur of the dial tone.

"I'm gone!" Said Hiro suddenly.

Knowing where Hiro was headed, Touma took up the rear in pursuit of the gunshots that had sounded on the other end of the line.

They practically burst out of the room together, so there was a moment where they had bumped together in the doorway. Neither of the two paid any attention and continued to run. Innocent bystanders watched curiously as they scrambled through the hallway, all the time ignoring those who told them not to run in the hospital. When Yuki, was involved, it was easy for Touma to lose his self composure and become distraught.

Touma ran into the nearest elevator, as they were headed down two floors.

"I'm taking the stairs!" Yelled Hiro.

Touma gave a slight wave as the elevator doors closed and resumed it's descent.

Hiro continued running toward the staircase. He was running down the stairs so fast that, it felt like his feet had barely touched more than 3 stairs. He came out at the bottom skidding to a halt and gasping for breath. Just then the elevator opened.

Touma stood there with his hands clasped behind his back and a serious look on his face. He looked very professional, considering the moment at hand. They both gave each other a sexy, serious nod and ran for the main doors.

"No running in the hospital!" Cried the receptionist.

It was too late anyways. They had already reached their destination point.

They stood outside now, not surprised by the lack of vehicles and people. The gunshots probably made them panic and scatter, even if it was New York.

They could both see the shadow descending upon them from above. Both of them hesitated before looking up. Good thing they did, or they both would have had gun wielding K on their asses. They both quickly took a step to the side as K landed in front of them.

K held a semi automatic over his right shoulder, while his right hand rested on his hip. He wore dark shades that K is so famously known for wearing. He had a small smile plastered on his face.

"K, your alright," said Touma.

K laughed hysterically, while Hiro stared, completely bewildered and confused.

"Of course I'm ok. He made a run for it."

K pointed toward the alley next to the hospital.

"You shot the gun?" Touma asked, a hint of amusement playing at his voice but also a hint of "I told you not to," playing in his voice.

K laughed again, this time not as hysterically.

"Yeah, I felt like scaring the pants off him. I really wanted to shoot my guns. You know how I am."

K lowered his shades for a moment and winked and then replaced them on the bridge of his nose again.

"Heeeey!" Came a long drawn out yell from above.

They looked up to see a small silhouette of a figure waving from the top of a tall building. The onlooker was obviously Suguru.

"How did you..."

Hiro looked from the building and then to K and then back to the building. It was then that he noticed the long wire travelling from the top of the building and attached to a telephone pole below.

"Nevermind." He stated.

Touma sighed.

"I am going to have to make a phone call and make sure the authorities don't get involved with this little incident. They are probably on their way as we speak. Normally, they would have been here by now but, they probably hit a major roadblock from the people you forced all the way to other side of New York."

He glanced at K.

"Force nuthin. They could have stuck around."

Hiro cleared his throat, eyeing the gun that was held over K's right shoulder.

"Oh that? I wasn't gonna kill no one."

"They don't know that," Hiro stated.

All of a sudden a little bundle of fear came sliding down the wire. He was actually attached to the bottom of the wire, his legs and arms were crossed over the top and the expression on his face was priceless. Touma knew well, that Suguru had a hard time dealing with heights. Suguru came to a slow stop just before reaching the telephone pole. Suguru still clung to the wire, almost as if, for protection.

They all walked up to him, all trying to contain their laughter. K not doing so well let a small sound escape. It was a sound crossing between a loud snore and a burp.

Touma bent forward to look at Suguru. Fear was plastered to his face like a bloodsucking leach. His teeth were clenched and his eyes were still wide, as if he were still flying down the wire.

"You know, you can let go now," Touma said, a huge smirk crossing his face ear to ear.

Suguru got off the wire. No, more like just plopped onto the ground on his back.

"Why in hell did you leave me up there!" Suguru yelled jumping up as quickly as he had fallen off. He glared at K.

"Aw, relax, I was going to come back up there to get you," he said scratching the back of his head stifling his laughter.

Touma watched as he saw a glimmer of fascination and it almost looked like compassion had crossed his cousins face as well. But it was quickly covered up with a look of anger again.

"Fine, whatever."

Suguru suddenly turned and headed into the hospital.

Yuki's room

Shuichi was at Yuki's side again.

It had felt like ages since he had been in Yuki's room, since the incident. Shuichi didn't want to think about that though, he just wanted to continue to hold his beloved Yuki's hand.

"Yuki, please wake up. I just want you to wake up and hold me like you used to."

Shuichi held a small tight smile on his face. Watching Yuki sleep was always a treat because he didn't sleep often, not with all his deadlines.

I wonder what his editor is thinking right now... about him not meeting his deadlines and all...and not to mention his various meetings and book signings.

How long will it take for my sleeping beauty to awake?

Suddenly Yuki's eyes twitched. Shuichi watched in anticipation.

Is he finally...waking up?

Yuki's eyes slowly opened. He could feel the sting of sunlight on his eyes and the feel of someone else's hand in his. He turned his head toward the person holding his hand.

"Y...Yuki," Shuichi breathed in relief.

"What are you doing here? I told you not to come."

Yuki's face still held the just waking up expression.

He really is a sleeping beauty. His beauty is so captivating when he first wakes up.

"I...you...you knew perfectly well that I wouldn't listen because I'm like that."

A small smile found it's way to Yuki's radiant face.

Yuki sat up and quickly pulled Shuichi into his lap.

"Yuki, you should really just res..."

Whatever he was going to say was quickly erased from his mind when Yuki's lips met his. It had felt so long before they had actually kissed with such passion. Their tongues hungrily explored the inner walls of their mouths, picking up every taste, and every texture. The sensation truly brought them to life.

Yuki began to tug Shuichi's shirt up.

A high pitched wince escaped Shuichi's throat as he had already jumped to the end of the bed.

Shuichi didn't feel like being touched...not now and he definitely didn't want Yuki to see his bruises.

Yuki just sat there, his arm held out to Shuichi with a shocked expression on his face.

Shuichi kept his gaze locked on the sheets of the bed that were clenched in his fist.

I'm so sorry Yuki. I wanted to, I really did but... I... I'm afraid, I understand so much more about him now, so until...I can't. I'm truly sorry.