Author's Notes: My first attempt at HTML.... hmm. Anyways, next chapter, Thankyou for the reviews!!! ^_^
Redemption.....Part 3
Ryuichi sat within studio 3 absently playing with the mixer. He glared as he thought of Tohma and the man's promise to come back for him. Already it had been a week and the blonde man had yet to contact the brunnette. With a growl he abandoned the buttons and pushed back, intent on going to see K, explain everything, Tohma had had enough time.
"Ryuichi," that familiar voice spoke and the man froze, half way out of his chair. "Tohma?" he asked, a little breathlessly, and turned, amazed to see the man, leaning back against the door, his arms crossed. "I'm sorry, I meant to come sooner, but I've been a little...busy."
"What are you doing?" Tohma sighed at the question, pushing off the door and walking forward to his once closest friend. "I'm doing what I have to do. I can't tell you everything...."
"You can't or you won't? This is New York all over again isn't it? You couldn't tell me what happened, you couldn't trust anyone, You wouldn't trust me. For gods sake Tohma, we were friends! You could have told me anything, anything and I would have been there. Please, tell me. I can handle it."
"Ryuichi, please, it's not that i don't trust you. But things have happened, both back then and now, and i can't tell you, not everything. It's too dangerous." Ryuichi growled low in his throat and levelled a glare at the elder man. "You will tell me what I want to know, or I'll tell everyone you are still alive." Silence reigned a few moments before the blonde spoke, his voice ice, " They won't believe you. There is nothing to support your assumption, and they'll think you were hallucinating." Ryuchi raised his chin, face set, "Whoever this Siamese is will believe me. And if he comes back, and he will, it'll be your fault." Tohma chuckled a small laugh and raised his own chin to meet Ryuichi's, "Siamese will not be back. He is not the enemy."
"Then who is? Who are we supposed to be wary of Tohma? You?" Tohma opened his mouth to reply, and stopped, his eyes dropping to the floor. "Maybe so Ryu-chan. Maybe so. Look this was a bad idea, I'm going to go, please, just listen to me. I am in too deep, and if you continue on this path, so will you be."
Hours later and still Ryuichi sat in front of the mixing board, idly twisting controls and pushing buttons. He sighed and stood, stretching his muscles, never once noticing the little blinking light that signified recording was in progress.
"Okay, this isn't that damaging. Most of its out of date anyway, so It doesn't matter if they have the information or not." Bombay's fingers flew over the keys as he read through Tohma's retrieved files as the blonde watched from the corner. "Why are you brooding about it? It's not important."
"I'm not brooding" came the sharp reply and bombay rolled his eyes, "Right, I see that. So, what's the problem then?" Tohma glared and walked towards the steps leading to the top level, "There is no problem, Bombay. And I am not brooding."
"I am not brooding Noriko." Ryuichi stuck his bottom lip out and crossed his arms, Kumagoro held tightly under one arm. Noriko raised an eyebrow and crossed her own arms. "Really Ryuichi, you haven't been like this since you and Tohma.." she trailed off, the smile dropping from her face. "Nori" Ryuichi breathed and dropped the pout, reaching out to hug the woman, whilst cursing both himself and Tohma for doing this to her.
Studio three was empty. Shuichi sighed in relief and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Leaving the lights as low as possible he slumped into the chair by the mixer and buried his face in his hands. Something was wrong with him, he knew it. And it had something to do with his kidnapping and Tohma's death. He frowned as once again, tears began their trail down his face. He turned towards the desk, noticing the recording light on for the first time and frowned, the tears stopping abruptly. Reaching out he pressed rewind and waited for the recording to start.