Only silence met his words. All he could do was let go of the speak button and walk back to his chair. His weakness returned to him, as did his pain. He had exerted all of his strength on that speech. He hoped that it would accomplish something.

Looking up, he saw that the television was on. The reporter looked as if he had just been struck a physical blow and the crowd was limp. Suddenly, he heard clapping. Someone was clapping out there on the street. The camera zoomed in on a blonde man in a fur-collared coat. Beside him was a younger raven-haired boy who looked very similar to the man clapping. Suddenly, he came out of his stupor and began clapping as well. Both let out little whoops of joy as more of the crowd came alive.

Seemingly one by one, the massive swarm began to applaud. The camera, still focused on Suguru and Tohma caught their more than cousinly kiss and began to pan back. Hiro stared numbly. The applause was deafening and steady: like a popping rain.

It infected the very room he sat in. Yuki first. He saw it from the corner of his eye. Then Shuichi, then Tatsuha. "My boyfriend's a friggin' genius!" He said smiling and shouting because of the din of applause exploding from the TV, then bent down to deliver a brief, rough, joyful kiss.

"Ha ha ha! See Hiro! I always told you that you were the smartest of all of us," Shuichi said, a smile radiating from his voice. Hiro laughed. A good, true, careless laugh that chased away that bad. "And I always told you that that meant nothing special," he responded with a smile.

A hand clamped onto his shoulder. He looked up to see a smiling Yuki. "Good job," he said, voice overflowing with approval, "You're good enough for my little brother, but then again, that isn't saying much either." He punched Tatsuha's arm playfully then, "Come on. Let's go home Shuichi," and kissed the top of the boy's head and slid his arm around his waist.

Shuichi looked at Hiroshi. "Hey Hiro," he said and put on a serious face. He extended his arm and gave the thumbs up with a wink and classic Shu chan smile. Then, the pair walked out to wade through the dissipating throng outside.

"Hey." Hiro looked at his boyfriend. His boyfriend. The thought was a little strange in his head, but he blamed it on society. Tatsuha cupped Hiro's chin in his hand and tilted it up, then leaned down for a kiss. Each felt a thrill of ecstasy run through them, and Hiro reached his arms up behind the other boy's neck, and pulled himself to a stand.

Tatsuha broke the kiss and framed the older boy's face in his hands. Tears were glimmering in Hiro's eyes. Despite the joyful moment, he had still been disowned by his family and beat up the previous night. He had still gone through all the stress of a press attack, and the loss of a girlfriend. Giving a little sob, he looked down and was pulled into a strong embrace. Clutching his anchor to the world he cried and choked out, "You better make this relationship worth the hell we went through to get the right to have it, Tatsuha Uesugi."

"Don't worry about that," he laughed and tucked Hiro's head under his chin. Hiroshi pulled back, sniffed, and went to sit on the bed, turning the television off as he went. He dried his eyes with his sleeve and looked around his room. Everything seemed normal, unchanged. He knew that material things could only change their appearances, but not on their own. Looking upon himself, he realized that things of flesh and blood could change their appearance too, but also more than that. They could change their soul.

A knock on the door startled him out of his reverie. With a little moan he asked, "What now?" He was loath to leave his comfy bed, but the door beckoned, or at least the knock did. He stood with a grunt and latched on to Tatsuha's secure arm to regain his balance. Then he answered the door.

"Hello Nakano san," Tohma said with a mischievous grin on his face. Suguru peaked out from behind him with a grin full of a lesser degree of evil. "Hello Seguchi san, Fujisaki san. How did you get in the building?"

"Eiri and Shindou let us in as they were leaving. It was timed quite well." Hiro nodded and opened the door wider, inviting them in. They came in, hands linked. He couldn't help but stare. Even if he was being a hypocrite, he couldn't help but find it strange.

Suguru looked from their hands to Hiro's face. "I'm sorry, does this bother you?" They let go. "No, no, sorry. It's just. Aren't you married Seguchi san?" He ripped his eyes upward to their faces. "Marriage is," Tohma sighed, "a temporary state. Mika has always been very understanding with me." Hiro nodded still a little confused, but he decided to let it go.

"We came to congratulate you," Fujisaki said, filling the silence.

"Yes, it seems you've won your first personal battle with the press. It only took two hours and one beating." He remembered his swollen eye and put a hand to it. "We should probably put something on that," Tatsuha said coming into the room and walking to the freezer, trying to figure out how to act around the cousins.

"Yes, you want to look nice for your concert next week," Tohma said, pulling off his gloves, "and for the press conference N-G is holding in tomorrow."

"What?"

"Yes. Don't think we didn't notice the cameras on us today in the crowd. Everyone is going to know who that was, and if we're lucky the uproar over that will hold off until tomorrow," Suguru stated sounding official. Hiro gestured for them to sit down on the couch; they accepted.

"Does Shuichi know?"

"Sakano is leaving a message at Eiri's house as we speak. If you two could be in the conference room at nine tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I think we can," Hiro said. Tatsuha gave him an ice pack and nodded, "Certainly."

"Ahh, Tatsuha, nice to see you again brother in law. It seems that we're all related in some way or another."

"Yeah, genealogy is fun," Tatsuha tried not to sound sarcastic. Tohma laughed at the failure. "Well, we should really be off to our own homes so that the press can't corner us, Suguru, you leave first. I'll follow."

Fujisaki leaned over and kissed his cousin/lover's cheek and stood. "I hope you feel better Hiro. Oh! Also here," he reached into his coat pocket, "this is for you. The synth part for that song. I hope it measures up to your standards." Hiro accepted the tape a looked at it for a bit before saying that he was sure that it would be fantastic. Fujisaki then left.

After a second Tohma asked, "I hate to be a bother, but can I have a glass of water?"

"Sure, hold on," Hiro said automatically and made to get up. Tatsuha's hand on his shoulder stopped him from hurting himself. He sat back again as the younger boy went to get the water.

Seguchi leaned forward, elbows on knees. "I just wanted to say that I think you did a fantastic job today. I know that it couldn't have possibly been easy, and I'll bet that things suck in your life right now, but you did an astounding thing and most likely have helped to spur along a revolution." His tone carried none of the usual feigned civility and was instead sincere and his voice that of someone looking up to his hero.

Hiro blushed and stumbled over his words. "Thanks I- I just went on instinct you know. I wasn't thinking and I'm sure I'm going to regret it."

"No, you won't. I wish sometimes I had blind instinct like you. I always think things through too much and am too careful. Maybe someday I'll get guts enough to be a little reckless."

"Don't go overboard with it. I wish I were more careful."

"All things will develop in time. Ahh, thank you," the blonde man stood to accept the glass of water. When he was finished he handed the glass back. "I should get going, I suspect that the media is still crawling around here like ants. I'd rather not get caught." He put a pair of chic sunglasses on and bid them fare well.

When he was well down the hall Hiro remarked, "What I need now is a hot bath and then some lunch."

"I can help with that bath," Tatsuha offered. Hiro blushed, and said nothing.

Eight o' clock, crisp and linen white, with a thin coating of snow. Various footsteps, denoting various strides, pocked the snow on the sidewalks. Very few were outside because of the cold, so very few were on the bus.

It was a serene, and disguised, trip to the stop near the studio. Hiro and Tatsuha were quiet in their seat, both seemingly in their own worlds. Hiro gazed at the world of white outside the window, and Tatsuha looked directly ahead, appearing to stare one hundred feet in a ten-foot room. Two hands were clasped on the cool pleather of the bus seat.

Hydraulics whirred as the bus slowed and stopped with a little forward pull. Letting go, the pair stood and walked to the exit, sunglasses and winter hats securely. Tohma had called that morning and instructed them to enter through the back because the press would start swarming hours before the actual conference was held.

So they went, through a lightly dusted parking lot, where the wind had swirled the snow into curving, sweeping patterns. Patterns that soon received the mass-produced boot imprint pattern stamped down in. But, such delicacies of nature always seemed to get discarded; especially when a human mind was so complex, and constantly running over its boundaries with hectic thoughts.

The heavy back door opened with the shcuck of weatherproofing and wheeze of old metal. The studio seemed deviously empty, but it was still early in the workday. They were an hour early, but Tohma wanted to prepare and go over what to say and what not to say. He would be waiting in his office.

The elevator door opened with a welcoming chirp, and they stepped in, pressed a button, and the dizziness of sudden rising washed over them. It was brief, but a hint of it lingered in their ears.

The doors reopened with the same cheer, and they faced the hall that ran to a window at the end. It too, was abandoned. Taking a left at a smaller hall, branching off from the main, they faced the double doors to the President's office. They knocked before entering.

"Come in," said Tohma from inside. He peered out over a newspaper as they entered. "You've made quite the attack upon society, Nakano san," he said, laying the paper down and turning it.

"Singer, Hiroshi Nakano, of Bad Luck, told the world to dig deep, yesterday. "I'm human…. I don't get a say in what you do or don't do, so why should you get to say so for me?" he said to reporters from Channel 8 News via intercom," Tohma quoted. "The world was really quite shocked at your blatant opposition to the norm of the famous ones being the presses' favorite food."

Hiro took off his sunglasses and sat down; he was still tired. "Yeah, I guess I'm a little pig headed." Tatsuha stood behind him.

"Well, there was no harm done. Sales dipped, but-"

"But now they know he's the smart one," Shuichi stood in the door way with a smile. Hiro smiled back and waved, then pulled the paper closer to him to read the article. Tohma went to greet Shindou and Yuki.

The article was minced with quotes from gay rights activists, politicians, and even churches. Overall, it stated that things were beginning to move on the issue, and it was all attributed to him. Well, let it be, just so long as he could be happy and in peace. He knew that that wasn't possible- yet.

"Where's Suguru?" Shuichi asked, looking around the room, after flopping into a chair. "He'll be along shortly," Tohma said retaking his seat. Yuki stood to Shuichi's right. "I wanted you to be here early to prepare. There will be cameras, photographers, and a lot of questions. I would suggest that you not dabble in politics or religion, and take no opinion on the subjects if they are brought up. I don't want to get tied in a legal battle over an offensive statement. Remember, you're all my liabilities," the menacing blonde said, eyes narrow, hands clasped before him.

"Do you have any questions?"

"Right, so other than that we can say whatever we want?" Shuichi asked. He obviously had something to say. "I would only respond to the questions asked instead of trying to answer them all before they are asked." The boy slumped. Obviously he had something heroic worked up.

"What about censors?" Tatsuha asked. Tohma sighed, knowing the Uesugi brothers love for all that was profane. "Try to keep it PG. Both of you." Eiri raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, he knew about being on TV and being oppressed by the press.

Suguru entered. "Sorry I'm late. I got recognized." he dusted off his jacket and walked further into the room.

"That's alright, I've already told you everything," Tohma smiled and stood. Fujisaki nodded and looked at the men in the office. Each one had determination on his face. Fear was sprinkled in lightly, as was pain.

"Are there any more questions?" When no one piped up, Tohma began to walk to the door, asking for them to follow. The elevator back down was not as spacious as the ride up, but it wasn't unpleasant. Only uncomfortably silent, as if each of them was about to face final judgment. Maybe, in a way, they were. Each was admitting a very large part of himself today, and that made it official. All together, official.

"We have a make up crew ready. I suggest letting them do the basics so that you don't look blanched out," the keyboardist said as they headed down a hall on he sixth floor. He opened the door to a room, obviously meant to be a dressing room, which no one had really known existed.

Tohma had been made up already, perhaps he had even applied it himself, so he gestured the others in. Hiro resisted, "I'd rather look like I am instead of covering it up."

"You'll look dreadful," Tohma insisted.

"I feel dreadful. Why not look it?" The older man sighed and put his hands up in surrender. Hiro watched as basic powders and what not were applied to his friends. The room began to haze with the stuff, and he had to excuse himself.

He was only just outside, when Shuichi came out. He looked over tanned under the fluorescent lights, but the cameras would erase that effect. "So," he leaned against the wall, "how are you?"

"I'm fine. Sleepy and all, but it's early for me."

"Oh yeah, eight thirty early. That's because K and Sakano trust you," Shuichi laughed a little and looked at his best friend. He couldn't help his eyes from wandering to the bruise on his friend eye. It was a crushed grape color, but the swelling had gone down considerably.

A twinge of anger bubbled inside Shuichi as he looked at what those people had done. "They're just sheep, you know?" he asked, looking away.

"I don't know," Hiro said, confusion around the edges of his words.

"Those punks that beat you up. They're sheep. They fallow all the cool trends, and two nights ago, it was cool to hate the famous gay guy and beat the shit out of him. They don't have minds of their own. All those people, after you made that speech, didn't you hear them clapping? Sheep. Following the trends and trying to fit in. They just hate us because we're different. Well I hate them 'cause they're all the same."

"Isn't that a t-shirt?"

"So what. It's true!" Hiro laughed. It was true, sadly. So sadly that it was funny, but only bitterly. Yuki came out followed by his brother. Both, especially Yuki, had the same tan look. Hiro was aware of just how sickly he was going to look. Oh well, he just wouldn't watch the news for the next few days.

Suguru appeared. "What do we do now?" he asked. Tohma materialized in front of them all and supplied the answer. "Now, we go the back of the conference room and wait. There's food and drinks. We can have a little party." He was starting to sound fatalistic. He would face the ultimate judgment.

Hiro wondered what he would do with the fact that he was dating his cousin. It wasn't looked down upon- entirely- but it would manage to throw a wrench in the works, or a bone to the dogs. Whichever.

The scent of fresh coffee hung in the back room. A small table was laid out with a variety of sweet looking, glazed pastries. No one seemed hungry. The gnawing anxiety in everyone's stomach was almost audible. The clock called out each second with an ominous, hollow, call.

Tohma poured himself a mug of coffee and sat and nursed it. Fujisaki sat next to him, reading off of various newspapers. Hiro and Shuichi sat in a corner and their boyfriends were on the other side of the room talking about something that was probably morose.

"Hey, I got some lyrics written for that song. Yuki says they suck, but he didn't say it with as much hatred this time, so they have to be decent. Here." Shu handed Hiro an over folded piece of paper. "This was actually the easiest song I ever had to write."

Hiro scanned the lyrics. "This is really different from your other stuff." The pink haired boy nodded, "I know. That's why I like it. I'd sing it for you, but I think that it would ruin the atmosphere of doom." They laughed a little, but it was a lost noise.

"What's it called?" Hiro asked and handed the paper back. Shuichi tucked it into a pocket, "It's called Our-" Someone knocked on the door.

"Seguchi san?" Sakano poked his head in, "K can't hold them off anymore. Everything is set up, so were going to let them it. They're rabid!" He dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief and left muttering something about stress.

"Well," Tohma said after another deliberate sip of coffee, "Here we go." A surge of sound assailed them from behind the doors. It was going to be a long morning. Everyone began to move towards the door, sorting out into their pairs.

They took the stage to the flashes of cameras and the shouting of eager journalists. Their names were tossed around, lost and mingled. Tape recorders were held up as they all sat. When the six were settled and the shouting became screaming, Tohma said quietly and civilly into his microphone, "Welcome. Can we have the first question?"

The wave began anew and inflected tones filled the room. K went to the person Tohma pointed out and the day took its first, long, leap.

"Well, we avoided major disaster. Very well done. I'm sure that tickets to Bad Luck's upcoming concert are already sold out. That new song idea was very well planned." None of the members bothered to tell Tohma that the song was merely a coincidence and not even put together. It was going to be hell week for Bad Luck.

To Silverone: Yes it probably was out of character for Ayaka, but I uh, achooharborasecrethatredtowardsherachoo (move to end.)

To XTsukimiOgangoX, you didn't offend me, and your reviews were helpful, I just take things too seriously and think them over way too much when it concerns my writing (I also have lovely guilt complexes!). Oh, and I'm really glad you like the speech. That's the thing I'm proudest of. And, welcome to the Ayaka is Evil Club (no official membership offered).

Sorry to those that like Ayaka!

To CassiToTheSky, thank you for your opinion. I know that I am a bit wordy, because I don't revise (because I hate it! Who said that?) before I post. Nevertheless, I am really happythat you don't really think so and what you said about using owrds to impress is true. I don't do it, I just write what sounds pretty in my head.

Wow. My longest A/N ever. Anyway, I thought that this was going to be the last, but I don't think I can do it. I think I'm going one more chapter. Thanks to clari chan. You were the one that told me to continue. Well, I'm writing and I can't shut up. Thankies to Miss Nanoda, to whom this is dedicated, and to K-san for telling me that I can do this. Ya, one more. Prolly pretty short. Soon, I promise. I just have to write a song. Oi.