Disclaimer: Takuya + Kouji = me no owning Digimon...so don't even think about suing me! =P

Author's Notes: You know, sometimes reviews can be a VERY good thing? Especially when a reviewer gives you an awesome idea when you can't think of any new ones...::grins:: I won't give the reviewer away JUST YET, because if I do then it might give away the way the plot is going to run now...::and there is a one word hint within that sentence...if you can catch what it is, a Kouji plushie for you! If you can't then keep on reading cause I'll give it away at the end of this chapter!:: But I do thank that reviewer in advance...^-~ (You might notice that you've been left off here at the beginning of this chapter-and I DO apologize to you reviewers for not responding in the last chapter...sorry for that! But anyway, when you're done reading there will be another reply to the reviewer who gave me this idea at the end.) Okay, enough of my ramblings now...but oh! One more thing...for those of you who're reading Different Journey's, I AM working on the next chapter...but you guys know how it goes when you've got enough of the plot worked out for one story that you want to write on it and finish it before the plot goes away, right? Come on, all you author's out there have got to know what I'm talking about here...anyway, I hope to update Different Journey's real soon...so with that side note, let's get on with this fic, shall we?

Warning: ::authoress clears throat:: This authoress is not responsible for anyone who has gotten this far into this story without realizing that her story obviously contains male/male slash content...and not liking it. So if you're not a big fan of that kind of stuff, then I suggest you leave now...or forever hold your peace...you have been for warned (so don't say that I didn't tell you so! =P)

Story Rating: PG13

*Replies to reviewers* (Sorry if I left anyone out or misspelled something!)

Kelly Q- I so loved Fading Touch.and I'm loving your new story even more! Thankies for the sneak peak! I know you're on your trip but I also know you'll read this when you get back-and I hope you did have a good trip! Don't worry about feeling too bad for Kouji though.more Takouji fluffiness in this chapter, and they're not fighting anymore!

Kimra Dattei- Wow.one vote for a sequel! ::starts dancing around:: I had the feeling that some people would probably one a sequel to this.and the ending to this one I've decided won't be as bad as I was going to make it. And here's that update you wanted to see.(Now that you've got an ff.net account, I'm going to have to start bugging you to write a Takouji to add to the pile.^- ~)

ElvenQueenSelenity- Wicked pen name! Another LOTR fan! ::cheers:: Okay, okay, I admit it here.I love Lord of the Rings as much as I love my Takoujiness.with Legolas being my all time FAV elf.(Orlando Bloom does such an AWESOME job!-that and the fact that I'm Legolas/Orlando Bloom obsessed.*^-^*) Who.me.? Have them both die together? NO WAY! (I LOVE Takoujiness, but I'm with you on that review!) Trust me, they're not going to die.I don't think that I could do that to my two fav characters!

Redrum- Yes, it WAS a stupid fight! Lol! (Climax of the plot-blame the muses! But they make up here in this chapter-no more fighting! But now Kouji's got problems that soon make him not worry about how much time Takuya's been spending with Shinya-but trust me when I tell you that in this chapter, Takuya hardly leaves Kouji's side.enjoy the read!

Jack Scarlett- Don't hurt me! Please! Here's the next chapter for you! I'm glad that you really liked that chapter.and.um.I'd promise you that there's no more Kouji suffering, but as the fact that he's my fav character (Takuya being very close in that position as well) I can't help it! But there's some Takouji fluff in this chapter.::hands Jack a Kouji plushie::

Dragi- Ah, but the kawaiiness of Takouji.(Kawaii=cute). After you're done reading this chapter, you'll get the answer to your question...^-~

KoujiGirl- ::grins:: Yea! ::dances around room:: another reviewer wanting a sequel! Like I told Kimra, the ending won't be so bad.but yes, there will be a sequel.and it WILL be just as sweet if not sweeter then this one.

sakura blossoms4- Here's the update! Enjoy it! *^-^*

PrincessSwifty- ::wipes tears away from eyes from laughing at review:: Down girl, down! Can't kill Mr. Kanbara YET.he'll get what he deserves.TRUST ME. (I have the feeling SOMEONE figured out who my 'bad guy' is in this.even though I know he's really not a bad guy.^-~) Especially in THIS chapter! I think you'll like this chapter, because there's a lot more angst in it.at least, I think so!

Ravens Light- ::pats Raven on back:: it's okay! Moumentai! They make up in this chapter! (Gotta love the angst though.but the fluffiness makes up for it!)

morsmordres- ::blushes again:: wow.thank you.and you're right, who can't not like the cuteness of Takouji? ::glares at anyone who raises hand at the question:: but thank you so much for your review, and for putting me on your favorites.hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you did the last!

Eyriess- Poor Kouji indeed! Why is it that we like to always torture our most favorite characters? *sighs* Anyway, I'm down in the downstairs basement area of our house typing this up (the basement is actually a ROOM, but to me it acts like a basement) and it's COLD.so I'm off to go upstairs and work on the next chapter to this!

Eternity

Author: Angel Spirit

Chapter V: Running out of time

When Kouji opened his eyes, he wasn't quite sure of his surroundings...the first glimpse that he got of, was a white ceiling...and he prayed that he wasn't in a hospital. He hated those places...they were just too creepy. But as Kouji looked around a little bit more, he sighed in relief...he wasn't at the hospital at all. Just his own bedroom. It was dark, night had fallen.

Kouji sat up a little, and then felt slightly dizzy and nauseated and lay back down, trying to remember exactly what had happened. As it pieced together bit by bit in his mind, Kouji bolted upright, ignoring the dizziness he felt.

Takuya...

He whimpered a bit, the name striking hard in his mind. Takuya's mother had lost the custody battle...his father had won...how long had he been out of it since he had passed out?

Slipping out of bed, ignoring the protests that his body gave him, he headed to the door, opening it slightly...it was quiet out in the hallway...too quiet. A knot formed at the bottom of Kouji's stomach, making him feel even more nauseated, but he forced it to go away. He figured he might've caught the bug that Takuya had had a couple of week sago...

Takuya.

Kouji got to the top of the staircase before he felt like he was ready to pass out again, and fell softly to his knees, tears trying to make their way down his face, but Kouji dashed them away. He had to find out what was going on...and then suddenly as it was all quiet, he heard voices...arguing voices. Familiar arguing voices jumbled altogether as Kouji tried to sort them out in his tired mind. He thought he heard Koichi...and then his own mom...and even what he thought was the voice of Takuya's grandfather...but what would Takuya's grandparents be doing here, at his place?

A sharp stab of pain at his side caused Kouji to gasp sharply, and the voices quieted down for a moment. Then the person who Kouji had wanted to see since waking emerged from the dining room area, and upon seeing him on his knees dashed up the stairs to his side, Kouji's mother following with Koichi right at her heels.

"Kouji! You're awake!" Kouji nodded, and tried to steady his breathing...why did it still hurt so much to do so? He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into his mother's gentle eyes.

"Kouji, you need to be back in bed...being sick with what Takuya had earlier and the stress added onto that is what's causing the breathing problems...trust me." Kouji nodded...he did trust his mother...she was after all a registered nurse-a very good one from what he heard from Koichi.

His twin helped Takuya get him back into bed, and then left to tell everyone what was going on as Takuya and his mother stayed with him. It was slightly easier to breathe, lying back down...and Kouji had the sneaky suspicion that his mind was more at ease with Takuya there as well, who had grabbed his hand and hadn't let it go the moment Kouji had laid his head on the pillow.

"What's going on?" Kouji whispered as his mother made him comfortable again, and she smiled sadly as Takuya looked away and tightened his grip on Kouji's hand.

"We're talking downstairs...about...the current situation at hand. Don't worry Kouji, it'll be fine." She brushed some of his fallen hair out of his eyes, and Kouji closed them at the cool touch of her hand on his warm forehead.

"How long have I been out of it?" Kouji asked, for once feeling how dry and scratchy his throat was, and wishing for some water...as if reading his mind, his twin came in a few minutes after disappearing, bringing with him a pitcher of water, and a glass...the pitcher which he sat down besides Kouji's bedside table, and the glass which he had filled halfway and gave to Kouji, who took it and drank greedily from it.

"Slow down bro..." Koichi warned, a light smile on his face. Kouji eyed his mother for the answer to his question, as he finished off the glass of water, handing it to his twin with a small grin of thanks.

"A few days now...you had me pretty worried, I was going to take you to the hospital, but Takuya told me you hated them." Kouji nodded and squeezed Takuya's hand back, causing the brunette to look back his way with a smile as he shrugged.

"I just remembered the time when you wouldn't visit Izumi in the hospital when she had her appendix taken out...you had thrown such a fit...and after Junpei and Koichi had managed to drag you in, you ran right back out." Koichi laughed.

"Yeah, I remember that now too!" His twin exclaimed, and Kouji just shook his head, smirking.

"Well, I've got my reasons-" He interrupted himself by coughing, and accepted another drink of water from Koichi.

"I've got to get back downstairs...you two keep an eye on him alright?" The twin's mother declared, and both Takuya and Koichi nodded their heads.

"Go with her Koichi." Kouji said, his eyes flashing dangerously as Koichi was about to protest, and then looked at Takuya who nodded.

"Yeah, go with her...I'm going to stay here but I want to know what they're talking about..." Koichi sighed and gave up as he turned to leave.

When he had left, it was quiet for a few minutes as an uneasy silence passed between the two boys. Then Takuya looked away guiltily, loosening his grip a little on Kouji's hand...making Kouji worry that something was wrong.

"Takuya?" Takuya sighed, but still didn't look his way.

"What's wrong?" Kouji asked, determined to find out what was bothering his koi.

"This is all my fault." The brunette muttered, and Kouji raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked sharply, and Takuya sighed again, shrugging his shoulders. For a few minutes, Kouji didn't think that he'd get an actual answer. Then Takuya answered, and when he did, it wasn't the answer Kouji was expecting.

"Hitting you a few days ago...the argument...you're right you know, I have been spending a lot of time with Shinya-and do you know the three people who made me realize that? None other then my own little brother, your twin, and Tomoki." Kouji didn't say anything as Takuya paused, a look of thought on his face, and then continued.

"And what's happening now...it's my fault too. If I hadn't gotten sick, you probably wouldn't be sick now. And maybe, if we had never admitted our feelings for each other, then maybe the stress wouldn't be effecting you so much now either." Takuya looked like he was ready to cry, and that shocked Kouji even more then Takuya's answer had.

"Hey...Takuya...this isn't your fault...not all of it...you can't go blaming yourself!" Kouij protested weakly, but Takuya shook his head. Kouji wiggled up in his bed until he was resting against his pillow and was able to reach out and turn Takuya's face so that his dark brown eyes met his own dark blue gray ones.

"Takuya...listen to me. I'm partly to blame for this too...I shouldn't have gone running out in the rain like that without a coat or something-that's probably one of the reasons why I'm sick...not you. And I don't ever, ever want to hear you say what you just said about us admitting our feelings for each other. To hell with stress...I can handle this...do you have any idea how happy I've been this summer with you? Do you?"

Takuya shook his head, and Kouji allowed himself a small smile.

"Too happy...even my stepmother and my father have noticed a big difference...even my own twin told me a few weeks ago how different I've been acting lately-that he liked the difference on top of that. Listen Takuya, things might be rocky now, but I don't ever regret admitting to you that I love you."

Now he had Takuya looking at him again, his eyes shining a little as he took in a small breath of hesitation. And to confirm what he had said, Kouji leaned forward, kissing Takuya lightly...who kissed back. They were that way until Kouji groaned and clutched his stomach, Takuya pulling away as he eyed Kouji with a look of worry.

"Kouji-kun...?" Kouji grinned.

"I missed that..." he murmured, but didn't get very far as Takuya rushed to empty the rest of the water pitcher into Kouji's glass and then handed the pitcher to Kouji a second or so later as he heaved into it.

When Takuya returned from having cleaned out the water pitcher, his nose was wrinkled.

"Ew...remind me again why I put up with you?" He teased lightly, and Kouji just glared at him...it was all the effort that he could make, or else he would've smacked him. Takuya sat the cleaned out water pitcher back on the bedside table, and then sat next to Kouji, who was shivering. Takuya frowned.

"Cold?" The brunette asked, and Kouji nodded, feeling his eyes wanting to close, but not wanting to fall asleep.

"Stay here...?" He found himself murmuring, and heard Takuya chuckle a little bit.

"Of course...I'll help keep you warm too!" Before Kouji could protest or say anything else, Takuya had crawled under the blankets with him, and held him close...not like Kouji had really wanted to protest in the first place...the closeness felt good...as did the warmth that came from Takuya's body.

Kouji found his eyes drooping even more as he felt Takuya gently kissing the fading bruise on his jaw.

"I'm sorry for that too...I'll never do that again..." Takuya promised and Kouji murmured something Takuya couldn't hear as his eyes closed and he nestled himself into Takuya's warm embrace, falling fast asleep...

~***~

"TAKUYA!!! NO!!!" Kouji found himself running toward an airport terminal, nearly tripping and loosing his balance...he saw Takuya struggling against his father, not wanting to go away...

And Kouji ran faster to catch up with them.

But no matter how fast he tried to run, it didn't seem fast enough...time was slipping away...Eternity was no longer there...the look on the brunette's face was one that Kouji would never, ever forget. A look of fear, anger, frustration, and sadness all rolled into one.

And he hadn't yet been able to say goodbye yet...at least, he didn't remember being able to say goodbye ever. Takuya was leaving him...heading into the terminal that would lead him to the plane that would whisk him away.

"TAKUYA! WAIT! DON'T GO!" Kouji heard himself scream, but something seemed wrong, time seemed to freeze himself into place as he saw Takuya slip further, and further away...

~***~

"TAKUYA! WAIT! DON'T GO!"

"Kouji! Kouji, relax, I'm right here okay? Okay! Kouji, WAKE UP!" Takuya was scared...Kouji was thrashing about in his bed, and he didn't know how to wake him up. He knew that Kouji was having another nightmare...they'd been persistent for the past few nights now, and with his fever running high, there was not much Takuya could do.

Eventually the noise brought Kouji's stepmother and Koichi into the room, who was staying for a weekend with them. Kouji's father was working late again, but Kouji's stepmother looked worried enough to call him home.

"I can't wake him!" Takuya told them, as Koichi walked to the other side of the bed and put one of his hands on Kouji's shoulders.

"Kouji...come on...wake up...you're scaring us..." He murmured. Usually this worked, but not tonight, and Takuya sent him a fearful glance of his own as his hand brushed across Kouji's forehead...he was burning up.

"Kouji...Kouji, don't do this...come on..." Takuya held the dark haired teen tightly to him after pushing Koichi away, hoping to calm his koi's thrashing body down. Eventually it worked and even Kouji's movement's ceased as he grew limp in Takuya's arms, his breathing ragged as sweat rolled down the sides of his face.

"I'm going to call mom...she'll come right away." Koichi whispered, and darted out of the room for the phone as Takuya nodded while Kouji's stepmother went to go and get a cool cloth. A part of Takuya felt bad though...they had had to call Kouji's mother the other night as well...calling her off of her shift at the local hospital...and they'd be doing it again tonight too.

While a part of him didn't want to have Koichi to call the twin's mother, another part of him desperately wished for her to be there...

The only problem was, that tonight he knew Kouji's mother might take him to the hospital...she'd threatened to do it before, the other night when they'd call them, saying that Kouji would probably do better there...but Takuya didn't want it...and he knew that Kouji wouldn't want it either.

"Kouji...Kouji, you've got to wake up, Koichi's calling your mom...please, wake up...come on..." He coaxed, as Kouji's breathing evened out a little.

When Koichi came back into the room, Kouji was slowly opening his bright fevered eyes, and both teens let out a sigh of relief as Kouji's stepmother came into the room with a bowl of cool water and a cloth which she bathed Kouji's forehead with as Kouji leaned up against Takuya.

"Mom's coming?" He asked hoarsely, not feeling well at all, and both Takuya and Koichi nodded at his answer and Kouji sighed. He knew what would happen the moment she got there...he knew she'd want to turn straight back around and go back to the hospital...and bring him with her. The thought gave him the creeps.

"Don't let her..." He whimpered and saw a shared look between Koichi and Takuya. They weren't going to let her, were they? He hated needles...hated the clean smell of the hospital...so what if his mother promised to be right by his side the whole entire time? He wasn't going.

A half an hour later though, that was out of the question as his mother took one look at him and told Takuya and Koichi to bundle him up-now that he complained of being freezing cold again. Kouji wanted to fight...but didn't have the strength too, and only leaned his head against Takuya's chest when he picked him up and carried him out to the car, declaring that he was going with him. It made Kouji smile on the inside...he knew that Takuya wouldn't let anything bad happen to him.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the hospital...and Kouji found himself being taken away from Takuya...feeling a needle being pricked into his arm as he struggled, hearing his mother tell him that it was just to help him get some 'comfortable' rest...and that was all he remembered...

When he awoke again, it was due to the gentle beeping of the monitor next to him, and Kouji groaned. Great...here he was, right in a place where he didn't want to be.

Glancing over to his right side though, he smiled a little as he saw Takuya sleeping in a chair next to his bed...Takuya had kept his promise...and that made Kouji feel a little bit better about being where he was at. Kouji sat up a little, and massaged his neck with his left hand, feeling surprised. He felt better now then he had earlier that night...and found it ironic. He hadn't wanted to come here...but he could already tell that his fever was down and the chills were gone.

He sighed...

And Takuya must've heard him, for the brunette woke a little and then smiled sleepily as he saw his koi awake.

"Hey...welcome back to the land of the living." This was followed by a yawn from Takuya and Kouji smiled a little...but his smile faded as he saw that Takuya looked serious...very serious.

"I wasn't that bad, was I?" Kouji asked softly, and Takuya hesitated...before nodding slowly.

"Yeah...you were...doctor said that you had a bad case of the pneumonia...you've been unconscious and sleeping for almost a week now." Kouji groaned...a week? He'd been out of it for a whole week? He let out a soft curse, and Takuya raised an eyebrow as Kouji shook his head.

"Nothing...it's just that...a week? Takuya, you're not trying to pull one on me, are you?" He muttered, wanting to glare at him as the brunette shook his head-and in walked his mother, right on time, chuckling as she had overheard his question.

"No, he's not pulling one over on you Kouji...and I must say you do look a lot better then you did earlier this week when we brought you in...even though I do have to admit you put up quite the fight." She grinned as Kouji found himself grinning back at her.

"And Takuya's barely left your side...I don't think he's showered all week, and he's starting to smell..." She wrinkled her nose, and Takuya laughed.

"Hey, a promise is a promise...I promised him I would be right there with him...and I was, wasn't I?" Kouji saw his mother nod, and he felt...glad. Glad that Takuya cared enough to stay there the whole entire time...but then he wrinkled his nose as well, and pinched it lightly.

"Gah...Takuya, she's right...you do smell." He got a light punch in the shoulder for that as Takuya scowled at him, and Kouji's mother laughed even harder.

"You two are too much...Kouji, the doctor's going to check you over now that you're awake, to determine when you might be able to come home...it might even be tonight...your fever's gone way down, and you're breathing much better again and aren't coughing anymore. But he might want to keep you one more night for observation." Kouji groaned.

"Can't you tell him you'll observe me at home?" He murmured to the ceiling, and saw his mother smile through the corner of his eyes.

"I might be able to arrange that...Takuya...you've actually got a visitor outside..." Kouji heard his mother murmur that in a low voice- obviously it wasn't meant for him to hear. But Kouji heard it anyway and sent a fleeting look to Takuya, who returned a worried one as their eyes met. Takuya nervously licked his lips as he stood, letting go of Kouji's hand.

"Who is it Ms. Kinmura?" She shook her head at him and gave Kouji a look of apology.

"I'm afraid you've got to go out there and see for yourself...please Takuya?" Takuya sighed and nodded, but Kouji had the feeling that he already knew who Takuya's 'visitor' was.

"Kouji, you've got a couple of visitor's yourself...want to see them?" Kouji knew his mother was trying to change the subject, so he just shrugged.

"Sure...why not?" He watched remorsefully as Takuya left his side and his mother left as well...but his friends entered shortly thereafter, Izumi smiling with relief, and Koichi grinning as Junpei gave him a thumbs up.

"Dude, glad to see you're better!" Junpei cheered, and his twin and Izumi both nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, so am I...though it sucks to be here." Kouji declared, and he heard Izumi giggle a little and knew she was remembering the time of her stay in the hospital when Kouji wouldn't go in and visit her no matter how hard Junpei and Koichi had tried to get him too. Kouji knew he'd never hear the end of that one now.

"You look a lot better Kouji...I'm glad." She murmured softly, as she and Koichi produced a small stuffed animal, that Kouji grinned at-only because it was a wolf.

"Thanks." He said, and Koichi shrugged.

"Yeah, well...Izumi saw it and immediately thought of you...I've got to say that I did too. But I'm also glad you're better. I know you didn't want to come here, but-" Koichi was cut off then as shouts rose from the hallway, and the four teenagers looked at one another, Kouji's expression the most worried of them all.

"What's going on?" He whispered, as the shouting grew louder. He knew one of the voices was Takuya's...and the other...Kouji bit his lower lip.

he thought as he realized the other shouting voice

His dark blue gray orbs met up with those of his twin's and Koichi nodded, a telepathic message somehow sent through their minds as the slightly older twin headed out to see what was going on. Izumi looked worried as she stood by Kouji's beside and reached a hand out to lightly squeeze his shoulder. A few seconds later, Kouji heard his own twin's voice join in the yelling match, and then someone else's-a doctor's maybe...

Then the shouting resided...and when it did, Koichi came dashing back into the room, looking a bit shocked and startled.

"Kouji...Takuya's dad...it's...he's..." Kouji looked at his twin wide eyed as he started to get out of bed, but Izumi stopped him with a shake of her head as she pushed him back into it.

"No Kouji...you still need to take it easy and relax...let Junpei and myself go with Koichi...we'll bring Takuya back, I promise." Kouji hesitated before nodding as his two friends and his twin dashed out of the room, with looks of determination. And then he closed his eyes tightly and did something he very rarely did...he prayed.

~***~

For Takuya, this had to be the most unfair move his father had ever made as a father. Trying to take him away now...plane tickets in his hands. The brunette would have none of it, and struggled most of the way as he was led to the elevator, his father's hand tightly clasped on his shoulder as he practically shoved Takuya into the empty elevator. However as soon as the elevator got moving, it was another shouting match.

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" Takuya hollered, throwing his hands in the air as his father sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Takuya...I've been working on this day for most of the month now...I started working for it once I got custody of you...I told your mother to tell you...didn't she?" One look at his son's angry face, told Mr. Kanbara that his wife had done no such thing.

"Takuya...she was supposed to tell you..." Takuya snarled at him, looking like an angry wolf ready to jump.

"I DON'T CARE! Don't you see what's going on right in front of you DAD?" The way Takuya said it, made Mr. Kanbara glance away uneasily. He knew he was being unfair...but his wife had been unfair as well...he had told her as soon as the hearing had been over to tell Takuya about his plans...and it looked like she hadn't.

"Dad, my boyfriend is in the hospital! Getting over the pneumonia and you're taking me away now?!?" Takuya ended his shouting in a whisper, causing his father to look at him, a startled look in his eyes...and Takuya closed his own brown eyes and put a hand to his forehead...oh god...his father didn't know...no one told him...he gulped nervously and stared down at the floor, arms crossed over his chest as he waited for his father's bellow about his sexuality.

But it never came.

Instead, Takuya risked glancing up at his father, and bit his lower lip...the man still had surprise written all over his face. And didn't look like he knew what to say as he leaned against the elevator wall for support.

"God Takuya...why didn't you tell me?" He whispered, and Takuya sighed, suddenly feeling like he was ready to cry.



He bit back a sob and only shook his head as his father sighed.

"Takuya...why didn't you?" Again he shook his head, feeling like he was ready to cry...how unfair was all of this?

"I don't know." He finally managed to whisper out, surprised at himself. Here he was...a Digi Destined...he had managed to concur Lucemon with his other friends and had survived that...gotten through it all...and now here he was, afraid and embarrassed for having admitted to his father the truth...

But why should he be embarrassed and afraid about it? He didn't need to be...he honestly didn't care about what his father thought...he loved Kouji...he loved him. And that was all that mattered-if his father couldn't handle it, then that was just too damned bad.

"Takuya...I wish I'd known...and I'm sorry about what it is I'm going to do now, but I've got the plane tickets all set to go...the apartment in New York is ready...and I can't waste anymore time...we've got to be there by tomorrow or else the really good job opportunity I've got is going to be lost." Takuya closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing down, as he made his decision.

"Then...go...without me." He knew he stunned his father into even more shock, but he didn't really care...his mind was made up. As soon as the elevator doors opened when it finally stopped, he'd take advantage of his father's stupor and make a run for it. There was no way in hell he was going with the old man when Kouji was still here in the hospital, getting over the pneumonia he'd had. He had promised his koi he'd be there for him...and he was going to keep it.

"Takuya...we...need to talk about this. See, technically you have to come with me..."

Takuya's mind had started to slowly count down the elevator's floor numbers, wishing that someone would stop it and get on, so he could make his get away...



"I don't want to leave you here...Takuya, you mean a lot to me as a son, and I don't think I can leave both you and Shinya here when I take that job...I'd be a lonely man if I did that."

Takuya thought silently, feeling rebellious as it counted down toward one...and then Takuya realized that it wasn't stopping at one...oh god it wasn't...

His eyes opened wide...it was going down to the parking garage! And if it got all the way down there, Takuya knew he'd be out of luck...the only way back up was the elevator.

"I told you...I'm not going!!!" He hollered, taking action as he reached over and halted the elevator right as it hit the first floor. It lurched as it did so, sending Takuya's father tumbling, but Takuya had been expecting it and steadied himself quickly as the doors opened and he dashed out hitting the close button behind him. He heard his father curse lightly as the doors closed too quickly and the elevator started to descend down again. Takuya breathed out for a moment, but knew he didn't have much time to get back up to Kouji's room and tell him what was going on...

"TAKUYA!" He looked up as someone hollered his name, surprised to see Koichi running up toward him with Izumi and Junpei following close behind him. He grinned wryly as he saw Junpei holding his side, panting heavily. When the trio reached Takuya, Junpei bent over and put his hands on his knees, groaning as he tried to catch his breath.

"What happened?" Koichi asked, a look of concern and worry on his face. Takuya's eyes darkened as he explained.

"...and now he tells me that my mother was supposed to tell me that he wanted to take me away today...and he doesn't even seem to care that Kouji's here in the hospital!" Takuya hadn't told Izumi, Junpei, and Koichi that he had told his father about their relationship...and he sighed.

"To make matters worse, I actually told him about Kouji and me...and...I don't think he took it too well...he was too shocked to accept it...and he is still determined to take me away. I had to hit the stop button on the elevator for this floor...he was going to go all the way down to the parking garage..." He bit his lower lip as he glanced fearfully at the elevator. Sure enough, it was coming back up-and Takuya knew who was on it too.

"Let's get to the stairs!" Koichi ordered, and Izumi nodded as she dragged a grumbling Junpei along with her.

"That's how we got down here so fast...poor Junpei took a tumble though!" Koichi shouted at Takuya as they crashed through the door to the staircase and started to head up the stairs to floor 7, where Kouji's room was on.

"Kouij's okay?" Takuya asked, feeling a bit breathless by the time the reached the fourth floor...only a few more floors to go. They'd lost Junpei along the way, who had said he needed a break...the staircases were long and winding...he saw Koichi nod.

"Yeah...he's upset though, I know that much-I can feel it. He doesn't want this to happen as much as you do." He told him, and Takuya nodded and bit his lower lip. Suddenly he had an idea and asked Koichi if he could borrow his cell phone. Kouji's twin nodded as he tossed it backward to him, and he caught it with one easy grip.

When they got to the seventh floor, Takuya told Izumi and Koichi to go on back to Kouji, that he'd be there in a minute.

"I want to hide out here for a few minutes...I need to make a phone call, and I'm going to avoid my father for awhile...tell Kouji that I'm not leaving, not if I can help it...okay?" Koichi nodded as he and Izumi headed out of the stairwell, and Takuya made his phone call, crossing his fingers that who he was calling would be there...they were.

"Grandma? Can you and Grandpa do me a favor? I need you here at the hospital...no, no, I'm okay, it's not me...Kouji's here because he had a small case of the pneumonia, and we brought him here earlier this week, but I've got a problem...mom never told me that dad wanted me to leave today...and I'm not leaving Kouji just when he's getting better...I need you and Grandpa here, you're the only ones who can talk some sense into him...he's already tried to take me away once and I'm not letting it happen again...can you please come?" Takuya knew he was begging his grandmother, but he knew that she'd come. His grandfather had managed to talk some sense into her, and once she had gotten to know Kouji a little bit better, she gradually approved of their relationship. She even liked the fact that he played the guitar...mainly because she had once played it too. That had been the barrier breaker.

When she told him they were leaving then and to stay hidden, Takuya sighed. He knew that once his grandparents got here, that there would be no way in hell that they'd let his dad take him away so quickly.

Takuya thought as he sat in the stairwell, listening for any sound of his father...if he figured out that he was in the stairway...

Deciding to hide out on the next couple of floors down until his grandparents arrived, he wandered about down there, feeling relatively safe. He knew his dad would probably have the hospital security looking for him, but as long a he was careful...

And careful he was, until the cell phone he had borrowed from Koichi rang, and he grinned as his grandmother told him that they were going up to Kouji's room.

Dashing back toward the stairs, he leapt up them, taking them two, three at a time till' he got to floor 7, and when he opened the door, he cursed softly...standing right in front of the door, was the man he'd been trying to avoid the whole entire time he'd been waiting for his grandparents to arrive...his father.

~***~

"Takuya, we need to talk." Takuya shook his head at his father's persistence, the only thing that was separating him from his father now was the open door...if Takuya shut it and ran, he'd be a step ahead of his father.

"There's nothing to talk about...I told you I'm not going...and I stand by what I said. You can't take me away yet." Takuya snarled, his hand on the doorknob...but his father must've predicted what he was going to do, because before he knew it, he flinched as his father put a tight hand around his wrist and dragged him inside.

"We're going to talk..." His father snarled back, and tightened his grip a little more around Takuya's wrist, causing him to grimace as he let out a small whimper of pain. It didn't seem to phase his father at all.

"And I'm not going to let you go until we do. You're acting like a three year old all over again Takuya Kanbara." All he got was a glare from him though. Takuya really didn't give a damn how his father thought he was acting.

"You're going to let him go alright son, and you're going to let him go now." Takuya found himself incredibly glad to hear his grandfather's strong voice cutting through the static of the angry atmosphere that had grown between father and son within the last few seconds.

"Dad...what are you doing here?" Takuya heard his father ask his own father, and the older Kanbara nodded at Takuya as he raised his cell phone a little so that Takuya's father could see it clearly.

"Takuya called me and told both me and your mother what was going on...and I think as your parents we need to have one of those...talks." Takuya rarely heard his grandfather sound mad...and winced at the angry tone of his voice. But at the moment, he was glad that the older man was mad. Maybe he and his grandmother would show his father how stupid he was being.

"Let him go Jonathan Kanbara, and let your son go now...let him go to his koi...before I give you a walloping that you haven't gotten in years." Takuya found himself grinning at his grandmother's words, who nodded back at him, a small twinkle in her eyes as she faced her son, who had slowly been loosening his grip on Takuya's wrist...and eventually let go of it with a childlike whimper. Apparently Takuya's father hadn't had his parents mad at him in quite some time.

Rubbing his left wrist with his right hand as he grimaced while the circulation was being pulled back into it, Takuya silently nodded thanks to his grandparents as they led his father away...hopefully by the time they came back, his father would be...

What did he expect his father to be? Considerate? Understanding about the situation?

Takuya thought, as he headed back to Kouji's room, allowing himself to breathe a little calmer before he entered.

When he did, he found someone hurtling themselves at him, embracing him hard...and Takuya embraced back as he calmed a sobbing Kouji down.

"Let's get you back into bed, okay?" He murmured once Kouji was calm enough, and his koi nodded, but wouldn't let go of Takuya, who held him close as he placed him on the bed and allowed the dark haired teen to cuddle close to him when he sat down with him.

"You had him really scared I guess Takuya..." Koichi whispered, and he nodded at the twin who nodded to Izumi as he motioned for them to leave the room.

"Takuya...god...don't do that again..." Kouji breathed out, his heart calming down as it had started racing when Koichi and Izumi had come back upstairs to tell him what was going on. He had seriously thought...

But he shook his head. It didn't matter now because Takuya was back with him...where he belonged.

"How did you get back here?" Kouji murmured, as he enjoyed the comfort Takuya was giving him, who told him what had happened. Kouji shivered a little, out of fear more then cold.

"Takuya...what're we going to do...? I don't think I could stand it if your dad took you away...especially that far...I mean, you said yourself he might not be okay with...well, with us..." Takuya bit his lower lip, wondering if he should tell Kouji what he was thinking.

Kouji saw his hesitation and sat up a little, pulling out of the embrace so that he could look directly into Takuya's eyes...which suddenly held a determination he had never seen before. And then Kouji realized what Takuya was thinking...somehow he figured it out, as though he could read Takuya's mind without actually doing it.

"You're thinking of running..." Kouji whispered, and Takuya nodded back at him. Kouji bit his lower lip as well, wondering just how well that was going to go through.

"Yeah...I am...only...only if he tries to take me again. Kouji...I can't live without you either, and if it comes to running...would you? I mean, could you? You've got family here...and so do I...I can do it, but you and Koichi have just finally become true brother's to one another..." Without thinking, knowing that he didn't need to Kouji nodded.

"I can...and I know that Koichi would understand completely...I could do it, and I will do it." Takuya nodded back at him as they got themselves comfortable again.

"But what if he tries to take you away while I'm still stuck here?" Kouji whispered, and Takuya shook his head as he held Kouji close.

"I won't let that happen...my grandparents won't let that happen. They know how much I love you...so that's the plan...we're running?" He whispered, and he felt Kouji's head nod sleepily against his shoulder in confirmation.

"If we have too...I'll run wherever you want too Takuya-kun...what if he follows us though?" Takuya knew that Kouji was talking about his father, and had thought of that same question, but he hadn't been able to think of any answers to that question.

"I don't know...we'll figure out something...why don't you rest now though? You're going to scare your mom once she finds out you've been up and moving..." Kouji nodded at Takuya's suggestion as he snuggled deeper into his embrace.

So they were going to run...if it came to it in the end. Kouji felt a shiver of anticipation run down his spine as he felt his eyes slowly closing. He just hoped that Takuya would still be there when he woke up.

TBC

End of chapter Rambling:

CutieCherry- Thank you soooooo much! I wasn't exactly sure where I was going with this until I read your review, and then the light just clicked on and I got all excited! I'm really glad that you gave me that idea! ::ears perk up as music from Pirates of the Caribbean movie floats from upstairs to downstairs.ohhh.Orlando Bloom movie.*watches as little hearts dance around Angel Spirits head*:: Um.I think I'm gonna go now.and watch movie.and then work on the next chapter of Eternity.hope you don't mind me using your idea, and thanks again! *^-~*

Mwahahahahahaha....::lightning strikes the background and a scary sound filters through the background:: I know I am sooooooooo evil! You don't have to tell me twice! And I'm not saying anything...not a word about what's gonna happen next...no hints at all...you guys are gonna have to keep on reading to see what I've got planned up my sleeves for these two love birds...^-~