Grasper's note: Ryuichi is crazily OOC from here on in. He's actually serious! ^^

"Eiri, it's been a while."

Yuki Eiri stepped to the side unwillingly to allow Tohma Seguchi into his humble abode. A tiny smile pinched at Tohma's cheeks as he looked around.

"You've been cleaning. No doubt Shindou-san left this place a mess after he left."

"What do you want?" Eiri asked harshly, effortlessly pulling out a fresh pack of cigarettes and opened them. Tohma smiled warmly as he saw this.

"You shouldn't smoke so much Eiri-san, it's bad for you."

Eiri raised an eyebrow at him with a small frown, placing the head of the stick in his mouth.

"Did you come out here to tell me what I should and shouldn't do, or do you actually have a purpose?"

Tohma didn't let Eiri's attitude bother him. He had known exactly why he still behaved this way, so no questions were asked.

"Actually, it's about Shindou-san."

Eiri scoffed, brushing past him, sticking his hands inside his pockets.

"I have no use for him. He's worthless."

Tohma followed after him slowly.

"Maybe so, but he's been missing for a few days now. I was just wondering if he hinted to where he was going."

Eiri flopped down on his couch, leaned his head back and closing his eyes.

"Who cares, at least it's not here."

"It's very important that we find him, Eiri-san."

Their eyes met. A small pause occurred between them.

"Then what are you doing here instead of looking for him?"

Tohma sighed and lowered his head.

"Oh Eiri, even after all these years, you're still withdrawn from the world. I think it's disturbing that the only way you communicate is in writing." He looked up at the relaxed Eiri. "You've rejected your fiancé and abandoned your family. Don't you want someone in your life, Eiri? Don't you ever feel the need to be wanted...loved?"

Eiri flicked the ashes of the lighted cigarette into the ashtray before him, wishing Tohma would disappear from his vision.

"Somehow I get the feeling this isn't about being loved. You have a different reason for coming here, not to rub my past faults and failures back into my face. I know I screwed up, okay? I've murdered my own teacher in cold blood and that baka made me remember it all with his energy and giddiness!" Slamming his clenched fists onto the coffee table in front of him, he sucked back an unexpected sob. "Dammit Tohma Seguchi, my life is none of your business, and as far as the brat is concerned, I don't want shit to do with him!"

Eiri rose angrily and got only inches away from Tohma's face.

"Is it because you married my sister you have the right to butt into my life and affairs?"

Tohma gripped the sides of Eiri's arm with his gentle grip.

"Calm down Eiri. I'm not here to stroke in anything or push into lives. It started out with Shindou-san, but since you already answered that question—"

"Leave," he interrupted. "I don't need anyone's pity."

He passed Tohma a cold glare before walking slowly in the opposite direction and down his hallway.

Tohma hated it when he couldn't communicate with Eiri.

"What are you so afraid of?" he asked after him. "What's so important in your life that you have to hide from us?"

Eiri stopped walking, but only for a second.

"I have nothing more to discuss with you. Go away."

Tohma bit his lower lip as Eiri descended into his room and shut the door behind him.

___________________

It was dark by the time Tohma reached the studio for a late night performance. Nittle Grasper wanted to participate in the Battle of the Bands as well. It took a long while to find Noriko after the break up. They all knew she ran her own studio, but didn't know where. Luckily though, she didn't lose her touch with her strict keyboarding skills, even after she stopped playing and had her child.

Tohma was greeted by Ryuichi harshly the second he walked into the studio on the second floor.

"Did you get it?! What did he say?!" Ryuichi pounded as Tohma threw his coat over the back of the chair, then had to suffer through a pink bunny rabbit being shoved in his face. Unfortunately, Tohma wasn't in the mood to experience Ryuichi's perkiness.

"Sakuma-san!" Tohma blurted loudly, ripping the helpless Kumagoro from his hands and throwing it to the ground.

"Tohma-san?" Noriko questioned, moving closer.

Tohma flopped down in the chair, confused and concerned. He threw his hand over his face with a large sigh.

"I take it things didn't go well," Ryuichi said, not reclaiming his Kumagoro. "Didn't you EXPLAIN to him that we need it?"

Tohma glared his way.

"Ryuichi, I was a little TOO busy asking about Shuichi to bombard him with a favor to write lyrics!"

Ryuichi stomped his foot, then kicked a chair closest to him.

"We're going to lose this competition! We have nothing to sing!"

Tohma was heated.

"Why do you care about Shuichi anyway? You're main objective was to go there and ask him if he could write a song, not to check up on our opponent!"

Tohma glowered in on him.

"If you're so concerned, go ask him yourself! I didn't come back here to be mauled, I came back notify you!"

To Ryuichi, these lyrics were his everything. It was the only thing that kept them in the contest at this point. Neither of them were very good at making songs. If they did make one, it would take a long while and a long while wasn't an option right at this instant. They needed it NOW. Ryuichi clenched his fists. As much as he liked Shuichi, he wanted to beat him and claim their world victory back from them.

"Well forget it because without those lyrics, we have nothing to practice! I guess that's it then, we're done here. I'll go back to Los Angeles."

"Did you expect him to whip out something then and there?!" Tohma's voice raised back, looking dead into his band member's eyes. "It would take time!"

Noriko flinched at their arguing. The last time they argued was about three years ago before the break up and that wasn't even near this bad. She had never seen either of them so heated before.

"Okay, guys...it's really alright."

Fortunately for her, they didn't hear a word she said. Ryuichi was too busy yelling incoherently anything he could cook up, but mostly screaming and totally not acting himself. No one knew just how important this competition meant to him until now. Tohma just yelled at him to stop, helpless to do anything else.

Everyone's favorite Ryu-chan's turned into a monster right before their very eyes.

"Nittle Grasper's reputation is finished! Seguchi Tohma, as of this moment, I never want to see you again! You were never an important member of Grasper and we can do just fine without you!"

Noriko's mouth dropped before Tohma even had an idea of what was just shot out of his friend's mouth.

"Ryu—"

"I stand by my decision!"

With that, he snatched his Kumagoro and slammed the door on the way out. All Tohma could do was cringe at the slamming of the door. His shoulders slumped where he stood.

"I've failed again, haven't I?"

Noriko stood beside him and rubbed his back comfortingly.

"Don't say that. He's just angry. Don't worry. It's in his nature to be loud and obnoxious. It's just a phase."

Tohma chuckled dejectedly.

"What does it matter? We don't have what it takes to perform in this competition anyway. See how hard it was to get us together in the first place for this? It was pointless."

He grabbed his jacket and threw it on slowly over his shoulders, not losing his weak smile.

"Sorry Noriko-chan. I didn't mean to tear you away from your family so fast, only to find this was all a mistake. I can't make anyone happy. I can't even make Mika-chan happy."

Noriko looked up quickly.

"What are you talking about? Tohma, everyone loves you! You can't please one and all, the world doesn't work that way, but you are a wonderful person. Don't let Ryuichi get to you."

Tohma walked out of there in a slump, not saying anything more.

"But he has gotten to me," he whispered. "I never knew what a complete failure I was until now. I've treated everyone almost as bad as K, except I didn't point a gun in their faces, I just ruled with an iron fist. Eiri can't stand the sight of me. The only one who I think still admired me was Shuichi. The first time he met me I could see the gleam in his eye...but where is he now? Even if I could talk to him one last time, he probably can't stand me either." He sighed. "I must have more enemies out there than I do friends..."

_______________________

"That was cold Ryuichi!" Noriko scolded as she found her friend sitting in a corner of a room with his knees brought up to his chest and his bunny sitting on top, hiding his face. "Seguchi-san tries his hardest! You're awfully good at writing lyrics, you've done it plenty of times before, so why make it seem like he's the one to blame for all of it?"

Noriko got no response. She twisted her face with disgust.

"What the hell's gotten into you lately anyway, Ryuichi? Ever since our band's gotten back together, you've been so moody! It's not because of the lyrics, you've been bitchy all week!"

Ryuichi let out an angry yell and delivered his fist into the wall.

"Okay! You want to know the reason?!" he shouted, standing up and marching straight over to Noriko in a flash. "I miss Shuichi, okay?! He's gone missing and I can't help but think he's hurt or even dead. Forgive me if I'm a little compassionate, unlike everyone else."

Noriko's face loosened up.

"But...I thought you wanted him gone."

Ryuichi growled.

"Not GONE, just out of the competition. I was growing fond of him, even started to like him," he said in a small voice, turning around. "I didn't mean to yell at Tohma-san. With Shuichi's absence going on, I can't even write a simple lyric, never mind something good for the competition. Even if I could, Tohma's gone. He's not coming back. I saw it in his eyes. What's done is done."

Noriko hugged him from behind.

"It's okay Ryuichi. Tohma will forgive you. We're friends to the end, remember? No matter what happens."

"Whatever," he murmured, clenching Kumagoro. "I'm outta here."

_______________________

"Friends to the end," Tohma whispered out into the night air as he stood at the side of the bridge in the park, remembering how they always used to say that. "I always used to wonder it. I try to be calm, I try to be understanding, I try to be caring, but it just doesn't work," he whispered helplessly.

Tears brimmed his eyes.

"I can't even keep my own wife pleased with me! I may have had a great past, but I've just about had it trying to cope with the present. My stress level's too high and my emotions are breaking me up. Even my smile these days is a fake. Everyone relies on me, only to have their dreams and hopes broken. Shuichi's gone, Eiri's hopeless to try and change..." He looked over the side of the bridge and noted the long way down with the tears burning in his eyes.

"Knowing I could end it all in just a matter of seconds...is a wonderful sensation..."

"Isn't it?"

Tohma gasped and spun around. No more than just a few feet a gun was being held to him. A mix of emotions flew though his mind and body.

"T-Tachi...!"

Tachi smirked and chuckled venomously.

"I never did forgive you for pushing me in front of that car. You got me distracted with fear. Luckily though I found a better way to get back at you. Note the silencer on the gun so I could just shoot you here and now and get away with it."

"You wouldn't," Tohma gasped.

"Oh wouldn't I? You tried to kill me, isn't it only fair I return the favor? Perhaps though, you were a little too careless when you tried to rid the world of my face. You should have done it a little later, and then the car would have hit me. Because you didn't, you just have to suffer what fate I would have had. Isn't it the reasonable thing to do?"

Losing all feeling in his legs, Tohma backed up towards the rail and had to grip it to keep himself from falling over. He could feel himself drawing backwards and let out a tiny whimper associated with a plea. Another couple inches or so and he would be hanging off the edge.

His heart beat productively in his chest as he could no longer prevent his panting.

Tachi crept closer, victory in his grasp.

"Tohma, Tohma, Tohma, what would your wife think of you now? Strong and powerful Tohma Seguchi savagely murdered and he did nothing to defend himself."

"Bastard..." Tohma breathed, struggling to regain feeling.

Tachi tensed up as he slapped Tohma viciously across the face with the side of the gun, extracting a loud yelp from Tohma. He never bothered to cover up the already forming bruise.

"Don't you ever talk back to me! I'm not the bastard here!" he yelled, pressing the gun tip to Tohma's chin, lifting his head back to get better exposure.

"Just do it already," Tohma whispered vulnerably. "Do what you please. I've lost all of importance to me anyway. If you don't kill me, I'll do it myself."

Tachi let out a growl. He hated Tohma and everything about him. He wouldn't kill anyone if he could avoid it, but overpowering rage lingered in his heart for him especially.

"Your wish is my command...Tohma Seguchi..."

"Will you just hurry up and do it already?" an extra, familiar voice said, walking out of the shadows and onto the scene.

"Don't rush me!" Tachi growled.

"Just let me do it then if you're so nervous. I supplied the gun for Christ sake."

Tohma recognized the face and the alcoholic slurred voice of the accomplice all too well and let out a shocked cry of betrayal. Before he could say anything, or even utter a few short words, he pummeled to the gravel below.