Eiri paused briefly and seized his typing on his laptop, staring at the
screen. Hiro's words wouldn't leave his head. No wonder it's been so quiet
around here the past few days.
Standing, he walked over to fetch his mug and fill it with a freshly made cup of coffee. This morning it felt so great to be able to sleep until two in the afternoon without that pink-headed nuisance barging into his room and pouncing on top of him, pulling the blankets off the bed. But after Eiri shouted at him t hat he wasn't getting up yet, Shuichi laid beside him and would be just inches away from his face, staring at his closed eyes with a smile. Of course, Eiri would sense eyes watching him and jerked them open immediately.
"What?" he asked coldly.
"I made lunch," Shuichi said sweetly.
Eiri turned over and faced the opposite direction, putting his pillow over his head.
"Go away," his voice muffled.
It felt so great knowing he wasn't there, but now Eiri wasn't so sure. From what Hiro had said, he was in the hospital, but why?
Eh...who cares? I've got more important things to do, he thought and broke out of his daydream, sitting back at his laptop.
_____________________
"Nakano-san...he's requested to see you."
Hiro's eyes went wide. "What?!"
"But before you go in there, there's his conditions I wish to speak to you about."
Hiro nodded briefly. The nurse sat in the chair beside him.
"I already know what happened to him," Hiro whispered, looking away.
"Do you?" she asked in an equally toned voice.
"He was raped...three nights ago."
Hiro closed his eyes, trying to rid the images of his best friend giving in to something he didn't want, all because he was a jerk-off that didn't listen to he had to say when he needed him most.
"Yes...that's true...but I'm afraid you don't know the rest of it."
Hiro looked to her with wide eyes. "There's more?"
She heaved a heavy sigh. "Nakano-san, do you know how many men were involved in this?"
Hiro was most alert. "Two. Was there more?" he asked with extreme curiosity.
She shook her head. "There wasn't, but one of the two, I don't know what one, maybe both, but they were infected."
If there was any relief flowing over in Hiro's direction, it was gone now. He reverted back to his sickly feeling and dizziness.
"Oh god," he groaned. "I think I'm going to be sick again."
The nurse rubbed his back softly, trying to wash away his nausea.
Hiro threw his hands over his face.
"Why?" he whispered helplessly. "Why Shuichi?!"
"Nakano-san, please listen to what I have to say—"
Hiro stood up quickly, mouth growing salty. The sensation in his stomach still lingered, but the wanting to see Shuichi overpowered feeling ill.
"What does he have?" he asked.
"We don't know yet. We've noticed the beginning of a rapid change in the bloodstream. By the way the cells are so quickly changing...it's no doubt HIV or possibly AIDS."
Hiro lost all feeling in his body and fell into the wall, not blinking and oblivious to all around him.
"Nakano-san!"
Hiro didn't bother to look up as the nurse had been trying to gain his attention for the past minute.
"I just want to see him. I don't care about anything else, I just want to see my friend," he said, voice breaking. "Just take me to him."
The nurse paused, then nodded. "But you mustn't say anything about the infection, Nakano-san, he'll find out on his own accord when he's strong enough to handle it."
Hiro nodded quickly, anything to see his Shuichi again.
He followed her eagerly. Nothing else filled his head except the thought of embracing Shuichi into an everlasting hug. Music, Yuki, and even Aizawa were far away from his thoughts.
Getting to the very last room on the right hand side, the nurse allowed Hiro to go in alone. He swallowed hard and walked in slowly, hands dug into his pockets nervously.
He hated hospitals, especially if it was him that was visiting.
When he stepped into Shuichi's view, the young boy smiled. His large violet orbs beamed with excitement. Hiro didn't know whether to squeeze the life out of his friend with a single hug, or wait until he did it.
"Hiro...you're crying," Shuichi said, stating the obvious with a wide grin.
He was just so full of life again...it was hard to even think there was something wrong with him.
Then, it was decided. Hiro gave one final sob as he enveloped his friend into his arms, grasping him hard. He cried on his shoulder and whispered he was sorry over and over again. He even managed at some point to sob out that it was his fault.
"It's not your fault Hiro, I chose to go home that way."
Hiro held Shuichi's hand in his as he sat in the chair beside the bed.
"But...why? Oh Shuichi if you could only have seen me these past few days! All of us! Even your parents are worried!"
Shuichi chuckled. "No way."
Hiro nodded quickly and couldn't control his harsh breathing patterns. He was relieved, but still deeply saddened at the same time. Of course, the infection was still very mild, but what would happen in a month or two? Maybe even a few weeks from now something could happen.
Shuichi ran his fingers through Hiro's hair smoothly. "I'm glad you didn't mean what you said earlier."
Hiro closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his touch once again. It made him miss the old times even more.
"I couldn't. Shuichi, if something happened to you, I wouldn't hesitate to give up my life in exchange for yours. After this happened, I was almost forced to call it quits."
Hiro had said this so seriously that it wiped the grin straight of Shuichi's face. He punched his shoulder.
"Don't say that! Besides, I knew this was going to happen again anyway. Aizawa's too jealous for his own good."
Hiro's eyes went wide. "You...knew?"
Duh!
"Well...yeah, of course."
Hiro frowned. "Then if you knew...why did you go that way?"
Shuichi let out a brief chuckle. "Oh what does it matter?"
Hiro stood up in fury. Shuichi's eyes followed him. "You could be dead right now, that's what matters! Have you forgotten the people that care about you?!"
Their eyes left one another.
"What people? I'm not loved by anyone."
Hiro let the words sink in like a ten-ton weight pulling him down to the darkest depth of the ocean.
"Speaking of...does Yuki know about this?"
Hiro sighed. He knew that question was on the tip of his tongue forever now.
He moistened his lips and grabbed Shuichi's warm hands.
"I want you to forget about him. I'm saying this as your friend. Please Shuichi, you'll only get yourself hurt again. I know you love him, but he'll never return it. If you need a place to go, come with me."
"Hiro..."
"Just don't make the same mistake again. I hate seeing you hurt."
Shuichi thought about Hiro's words for a moment, but then shook his head.
"I can't. I love him. I know I can change him." "You can't change what he is!" Hiro shouted suddenly. "Please Shuichi. Even ask Suguru or Seguchi-san how I was acting the past few days! I hurried home everyday to see if you'd be there. If Aizawa hadn't told me where you were...I would have never..."
Suddenly, putting everything behind him in, he grabbed onto Shuichi's chin with his thumb and forefinger and brought his lips to his, relishing the beautiful kiss.
Shuichi caught on and yanked his head back.
"Hiro?!"
He stared blankly for a couple seconds, and then covered his face miserably once he had realized what he'd done.
"Oh Shuichi, I'm sorry. I've just missed you so much and I've been looking high and low for you, that—"
Shuichi sat up, throwing his legs over the side.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause such a gap in your life," he said, voice going from joyful to a penetrating growl that brought Hiro's eyes back to his.
Hiro didn't know whether to take that as an insult or not. When he locked eyes with Shuichi once more, the young singer was displaying half an angry scrunched up face.
"What does that mean?"
Shuichi hopped off the bed like he had been fine for days.
"Don't be such a drama queen. You're overdoing it." Hiro felt hurt. He watched Shuichi collect his clothes that were hanging up in the closet by the bed.
"Shuichi...I worried about you...a lot."
He scoffed. "Don't bother. It'll only kill you sooner. I'm going back to Yuki."
Hiro felt himself burn up inside. Flames flew out from the sides of his ears as his face grew a deep crimson color. Marching straight up to Shuichi, he swung the shorter boy around to face him. Was he wrong to do so? All this worrying and Shuichi brushed him aside all of a sudden now that he remembered Eiri.
"I'm still number two in your life, aren't I?" Hiro yelled. "I saved your life, the least I could do was get a thank you!"
Shuichi scrunched up his face. "Well no one asked you to."
He snaked by Hiro and went into the bathroom, shutting the door. Hiro felt the great deep urge to take off, but he didn't. No matter what, he was going to see that Shuichi turned back into the best friend that he once remembered and loved.
"So...I guess you'll be staying at Yuki's from now on, huh?" Hiro asked, trying not to sound wounded. He ignored the pain that shot up through his stomach and lingered in his heart.
"That's right," Shuichi said through the door. "And you can't stop me."
Hiro sighed and leaned up against the wall.
"I don't want to stop you, Shuichi. I just want to let you know that I'm here for you...what is so wrong about that?"
Silence.
"Look, I'm sorry I kissed you. I shouldn't have, I know. I was just so worried—"
"Hiroshi! Stop giving me your pity, I don't want to hear it."
Hiro's face loosened up. Since when did he call him Hiroshi?
Shuichi left the bathroom and tossed a quick angry look at Hiro, then left. Hiro sighed with defeat.
"Great, here we go again..."
Grasper's note: okay, the good stuff doesn't end here, trust me! In the next chapter, they found out about what happened to Tohma back in chapter 7 and oh believe me, the fun stuff doesn't end. Tearjerker really. In my opinion, the second half of the story is much better than the first. Shuichi being infected is just the beginning. R&R please! And thanks to all of you who reviewed me in the past, I really appreciate it ^^
Standing, he walked over to fetch his mug and fill it with a freshly made cup of coffee. This morning it felt so great to be able to sleep until two in the afternoon without that pink-headed nuisance barging into his room and pouncing on top of him, pulling the blankets off the bed. But after Eiri shouted at him t hat he wasn't getting up yet, Shuichi laid beside him and would be just inches away from his face, staring at his closed eyes with a smile. Of course, Eiri would sense eyes watching him and jerked them open immediately.
"What?" he asked coldly.
"I made lunch," Shuichi said sweetly.
Eiri turned over and faced the opposite direction, putting his pillow over his head.
"Go away," his voice muffled.
It felt so great knowing he wasn't there, but now Eiri wasn't so sure. From what Hiro had said, he was in the hospital, but why?
Eh...who cares? I've got more important things to do, he thought and broke out of his daydream, sitting back at his laptop.
_____________________
"Nakano-san...he's requested to see you."
Hiro's eyes went wide. "What?!"
"But before you go in there, there's his conditions I wish to speak to you about."
Hiro nodded briefly. The nurse sat in the chair beside him.
"I already know what happened to him," Hiro whispered, looking away.
"Do you?" she asked in an equally toned voice.
"He was raped...three nights ago."
Hiro closed his eyes, trying to rid the images of his best friend giving in to something he didn't want, all because he was a jerk-off that didn't listen to he had to say when he needed him most.
"Yes...that's true...but I'm afraid you don't know the rest of it."
Hiro looked to her with wide eyes. "There's more?"
She heaved a heavy sigh. "Nakano-san, do you know how many men were involved in this?"
Hiro was most alert. "Two. Was there more?" he asked with extreme curiosity.
She shook her head. "There wasn't, but one of the two, I don't know what one, maybe both, but they were infected."
If there was any relief flowing over in Hiro's direction, it was gone now. He reverted back to his sickly feeling and dizziness.
"Oh god," he groaned. "I think I'm going to be sick again."
The nurse rubbed his back softly, trying to wash away his nausea.
Hiro threw his hands over his face.
"Why?" he whispered helplessly. "Why Shuichi?!"
"Nakano-san, please listen to what I have to say—"
Hiro stood up quickly, mouth growing salty. The sensation in his stomach still lingered, but the wanting to see Shuichi overpowered feeling ill.
"What does he have?" he asked.
"We don't know yet. We've noticed the beginning of a rapid change in the bloodstream. By the way the cells are so quickly changing...it's no doubt HIV or possibly AIDS."
Hiro lost all feeling in his body and fell into the wall, not blinking and oblivious to all around him.
"Nakano-san!"
Hiro didn't bother to look up as the nurse had been trying to gain his attention for the past minute.
"I just want to see him. I don't care about anything else, I just want to see my friend," he said, voice breaking. "Just take me to him."
The nurse paused, then nodded. "But you mustn't say anything about the infection, Nakano-san, he'll find out on his own accord when he's strong enough to handle it."
Hiro nodded quickly, anything to see his Shuichi again.
He followed her eagerly. Nothing else filled his head except the thought of embracing Shuichi into an everlasting hug. Music, Yuki, and even Aizawa were far away from his thoughts.
Getting to the very last room on the right hand side, the nurse allowed Hiro to go in alone. He swallowed hard and walked in slowly, hands dug into his pockets nervously.
He hated hospitals, especially if it was him that was visiting.
When he stepped into Shuichi's view, the young boy smiled. His large violet orbs beamed with excitement. Hiro didn't know whether to squeeze the life out of his friend with a single hug, or wait until he did it.
"Hiro...you're crying," Shuichi said, stating the obvious with a wide grin.
He was just so full of life again...it was hard to even think there was something wrong with him.
Then, it was decided. Hiro gave one final sob as he enveloped his friend into his arms, grasping him hard. He cried on his shoulder and whispered he was sorry over and over again. He even managed at some point to sob out that it was his fault.
"It's not your fault Hiro, I chose to go home that way."
Hiro held Shuichi's hand in his as he sat in the chair beside the bed.
"But...why? Oh Shuichi if you could only have seen me these past few days! All of us! Even your parents are worried!"
Shuichi chuckled. "No way."
Hiro nodded quickly and couldn't control his harsh breathing patterns. He was relieved, but still deeply saddened at the same time. Of course, the infection was still very mild, but what would happen in a month or two? Maybe even a few weeks from now something could happen.
Shuichi ran his fingers through Hiro's hair smoothly. "I'm glad you didn't mean what you said earlier."
Hiro closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his touch once again. It made him miss the old times even more.
"I couldn't. Shuichi, if something happened to you, I wouldn't hesitate to give up my life in exchange for yours. After this happened, I was almost forced to call it quits."
Hiro had said this so seriously that it wiped the grin straight of Shuichi's face. He punched his shoulder.
"Don't say that! Besides, I knew this was going to happen again anyway. Aizawa's too jealous for his own good."
Hiro's eyes went wide. "You...knew?"
Duh!
"Well...yeah, of course."
Hiro frowned. "Then if you knew...why did you go that way?"
Shuichi let out a brief chuckle. "Oh what does it matter?"
Hiro stood up in fury. Shuichi's eyes followed him. "You could be dead right now, that's what matters! Have you forgotten the people that care about you?!"
Their eyes left one another.
"What people? I'm not loved by anyone."
Hiro let the words sink in like a ten-ton weight pulling him down to the darkest depth of the ocean.
"Speaking of...does Yuki know about this?"
Hiro sighed. He knew that question was on the tip of his tongue forever now.
He moistened his lips and grabbed Shuichi's warm hands.
"I want you to forget about him. I'm saying this as your friend. Please Shuichi, you'll only get yourself hurt again. I know you love him, but he'll never return it. If you need a place to go, come with me."
"Hiro..."
"Just don't make the same mistake again. I hate seeing you hurt."
Shuichi thought about Hiro's words for a moment, but then shook his head.
"I can't. I love him. I know I can change him." "You can't change what he is!" Hiro shouted suddenly. "Please Shuichi. Even ask Suguru or Seguchi-san how I was acting the past few days! I hurried home everyday to see if you'd be there. If Aizawa hadn't told me where you were...I would have never..."
Suddenly, putting everything behind him in, he grabbed onto Shuichi's chin with his thumb and forefinger and brought his lips to his, relishing the beautiful kiss.
Shuichi caught on and yanked his head back.
"Hiro?!"
He stared blankly for a couple seconds, and then covered his face miserably once he had realized what he'd done.
"Oh Shuichi, I'm sorry. I've just missed you so much and I've been looking high and low for you, that—"
Shuichi sat up, throwing his legs over the side.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause such a gap in your life," he said, voice going from joyful to a penetrating growl that brought Hiro's eyes back to his.
Hiro didn't know whether to take that as an insult or not. When he locked eyes with Shuichi once more, the young singer was displaying half an angry scrunched up face.
"What does that mean?"
Shuichi hopped off the bed like he had been fine for days.
"Don't be such a drama queen. You're overdoing it." Hiro felt hurt. He watched Shuichi collect his clothes that were hanging up in the closet by the bed.
"Shuichi...I worried about you...a lot."
He scoffed. "Don't bother. It'll only kill you sooner. I'm going back to Yuki."
Hiro felt himself burn up inside. Flames flew out from the sides of his ears as his face grew a deep crimson color. Marching straight up to Shuichi, he swung the shorter boy around to face him. Was he wrong to do so? All this worrying and Shuichi brushed him aside all of a sudden now that he remembered Eiri.
"I'm still number two in your life, aren't I?" Hiro yelled. "I saved your life, the least I could do was get a thank you!"
Shuichi scrunched up his face. "Well no one asked you to."
He snaked by Hiro and went into the bathroom, shutting the door. Hiro felt the great deep urge to take off, but he didn't. No matter what, he was going to see that Shuichi turned back into the best friend that he once remembered and loved.
"So...I guess you'll be staying at Yuki's from now on, huh?" Hiro asked, trying not to sound wounded. He ignored the pain that shot up through his stomach and lingered in his heart.
"That's right," Shuichi said through the door. "And you can't stop me."
Hiro sighed and leaned up against the wall.
"I don't want to stop you, Shuichi. I just want to let you know that I'm here for you...what is so wrong about that?"
Silence.
"Look, I'm sorry I kissed you. I shouldn't have, I know. I was just so worried—"
"Hiroshi! Stop giving me your pity, I don't want to hear it."
Hiro's face loosened up. Since when did he call him Hiroshi?
Shuichi left the bathroom and tossed a quick angry look at Hiro, then left. Hiro sighed with defeat.
"Great, here we go again..."
Grasper's note: okay, the good stuff doesn't end here, trust me! In the next chapter, they found out about what happened to Tohma back in chapter 7 and oh believe me, the fun stuff doesn't end. Tearjerker really. In my opinion, the second half of the story is much better than the first. Shuichi being infected is just the beginning. R&R please! And thanks to all of you who reviewed me in the past, I really appreciate it ^^