They arrived at Eiri's in one piece. All four of them had decided to go together. Ken and Ma-kun were rather reluctant on that part, but Hiro promised that Shuichi and Eiri would hold no grudges.

So far, they've been pretty lucky and taking the back roads so no one could see them. Ma-kun and Ken were their lookouts to make sure no one would see him. He was also the one to knock on Eiri's door when they got there. Hiro and Suguru were even more scared now that the door had been knocked on out of the whole time they were in the tunnel and escaping the jail. What if Shuichi and Eiri still despised Hiro? It could be possible. He already was before.

Suguru's eyes went wide and a small gasp got Hiro's attention.

"What is it?"

"I...yelled at Shindou...right after the trial. I told him he was heartless and to leave you alone. I didn't mean to! It just came out!"

Hiro hugged the small boy close to him, telling him it was all right.

"Shuichi may hate us, but he's all we have now."

Just then, the door opened and there stood Eiri, cigarette in hand and completing the persona. He appeared to be annoyed with the door knocking, but was shut up immediately when he saw which four characters stood outside on his doorstep. Even though he hadn't seen Ken-chan or Ma-kun since he attacked Ma-kun, they weren't the first ones he laid eyes on.

"Shuichi here?" Suguru asked.

"Where the hell have you been?" he asked Hiro in a bit of a growl. "Everyone in this damn city is looking for you. I'm not about to be charged with aiding and bedding either, so you can just take yourself and—"

"We're in trouble, Eiri-san," Suguru said.

"No shit," Eiri backfired, narrowing his eyes.

"We're not asking much, and you won't get into any trouble. Please...do it for my cousin. Do it because you loved him more than anything else in the world, even though you never admitted it. He knows Hiro's innocent. He knows the person involved with his murder wasn't Hiro. Please...just this once," Suguru begged in a low, half broken voice, tears threatening and blurring his vision.

Eiri's head was about to explode the moment Suguru mentioned loving Tohma. Just how the hell did HE know that?! Being Tohma's cousin makes it obvious. Tohma may have been dead, but his spirit lived on in his cousin and Tohma may just as well have been there in Suguru.

It took a few moments, but Eiri finally agreed with a low cuss, stepping aside. The four entered, Ma-kun and Ken going first.

"Oh hell no," Eiri said, looking at the two, who stopped in the middle of the room to look around. "Now that I won't have. Out."

"They helped Hiro escape, Eiri-san," Suguru said, not letting go of Hiro's hand.

"If anyone killed Tohma, it was these morons with Aizawa. They're his little pets. They had Shuichi raped, twice actually, and I won't stand to see their vermin around my house!"

Eiri was being truthful and Ma-kun and Ken-chan expected this sort of thing. Hanging around with Tachi got them a bad name.

"Yuki-san...we can no longer eat out of Tachi's hand. Therefore, all we can do is repent for what he's manipulated us to do. He's made us start hating Shuichi and Bad Luck, all because he was jealous. Even though Ken and I were against it, we had to go along with him, otherwise he'd turn the tables on us."

"It's like being in a gang," Ken added.

Ma-kun was about to speak again when Eiri interrupted by holding up his hand. "Touching, but I must get back to work and you two are not staying here. I made myself clear. Get out now."

Eiri left for his workroom before seeing that the two left.

"I'm sorry," Suguru said truthfully.

Ma-kun shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Ken and I...we have things to do anyway. We'll call here if we find out anything."

Suguru and Hiro said farewell to their hero's and waved as they left. Next, they were greeted by Shuichi, who came flying out of the hallway and hugging Hiro so tightly that he had nearly exploded. He cried at the top of his lungs, drenching Hiro with his tears, saying how sorry he was, and if Suguru heard correctly, Shuichi also managed to get a few "I love you's" in there.

Laughing, Hiro pulled the over drastic boy off of him and nearly had to scream over his wailing that it was okay.

"Idon'tknowwhat'swrongwithmeHiroI'msosorryI knowthatyoucouldn'thavedonethistoTohmaI shouldhaveknownthatallalongI'msosorry," he said at jet speed.

Hiro continued to laugh and place both hands on his friend's shoulders. "Shuichi...apologize once more and I'll kick you out of your own place."

Shuichi gripped onto Hiro's upper sleeves. "No amount of apologizing will ever make this okay again! You're my best friend Hiro and I doubted you! I will understand if you never want to be friends again."

Shuichi's head went to the ground. Hiro smiled. Typical Shuichi. He lifted up Shuichi's chin, not losing the grin. "If I didn't want to be your friend anymore Shuichi, I wouldn't be here. I love you. I always have, always will."

It was typical for anyone to get jealous by the scene alone, never mind the touchy feely part. Suguru felt a twinge of envy towards the situation. They have done everything but kiss.

That thought quickly raced through Shuichi's mind as he pulled his best friend into a kissing embrace. The scene quickly alerted Hiro and Suguru, only Suguru's reaction was a whole lot scarier than Hiro's.

Nothing was said right away from Suguru, he left Hiro to say something and hoped he'd do it fast. Using body language, the moss haired boy folded his arms and furrowed his eyebrows.

Hiro still loved Shuichi and would give him all the chances in the world to come back to him, but with Suguru in the room and their low vows exchanged, it was impossible. He pushed Shuichi away from him and shook his head.

"Shuichi..."

Shuichi, for the first time in his life, looked embarrassed to the point where his cheeks turned colors. There may have been other times Shuichi was embarrassed, but this topped all.

Neither of them said anything, just stared at one another, not knowing what to say.

"Well if you both are going to pretend I'm not even here, I'll make it easier on you."

Both looked to Suguru as he pulled a fit and stomped out of the room. Shuichi came back to planet earth and shook his head. "Ah Hiro, I'm sorry."

Hiro slapped his hand to his face. "Dammit I wish you never did that. I wish to god you never did that, Shuichi," Hiro said, feeling some feelings for Shuichi come back to him at rapid speed.

"Why not Hiro?" Shuichi asked, tilting his head in confusion, mimicking a Ryuichi.

Hiro yanked his hand away and narrowed his eyes. "You're playing with me! Don't kiss me unless you mean it! I've waited years for you to do it and now that I've finally found someone to love, you come waltzing right on in! Fucking typical!"

"I only did it because I was happy to see you! Christ Hiro you act like I was trying to split you both up!"

"You might as well have!" Hiro interrupted. "Now you've made Suguru angry at me! I hope you're happy!"

Shuichi wasn't really one for confrontations, so he just watched as Hiro went looking for Suguru, wondering where he had messed up this time.

Suguru and Shuichi weren't on speaking terms that night at dinner. Anything but. They made sure they sat as far away from each other as possible. Shuichi sat next to Eiri after forcing him out of his lair to join them for dinner, and Hiro wasn't allowed to sit anywhere near Shuichi. As many times as Hiro tried to make it clear to Suguru that the kiss didn't mean anything, he wouldn't listen. This was all just something else to add to the crisis that was going on.

After dinner, Eiri went back into his study, Suguru went to lock himself into a room, and Hiro helped Shuichi clean up. He felt as if he owed it to him.

"Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you," Hiro said as Shuichi was about to disappear into the kitchen. "I was just surprised."

"Forget it," Shuichi said, not looking back as he vanished around the corner. Hiro sighed as he stacked the plates up and walked into the kitchen. Shuichi was putting just putting them into the sink and washing them by hand.

"Shuichi..."

"I said forget it!" he yelled and then sniffled, followed by a short sob. "I know you can't love me. Who can? No one loves me, what's one less?"

Hiro placed the plates down on the counter and looked over at Shuichi. "Don't say that. A lot of people love you. If you remember, we were in this situation not long ago with you and me. I loved you Shuichi, but you had Yuki. Don't put me through this, please. I love—"

"Suguru, yes, I know, you love Suguru."

"Shuichi—"

"Shut up!" Shuichi shouted, spinning to him and meeting eye to eye. "Why do you think I never spoke to you and thought you killed Seguchi-san?! I ignored you because I thought Fujisaki would go away! If he believed me, maybe he would leave! I had to do it, Hiro! I had to do it and I prayed it would have those consequences, but it didn't!"

Hiro was astonished. He had no idea Shuichi was saying he was guilty, just to make Suguru move on.

Hiro shook his head with a sigh. "Oh Shuichi...why didn't you just tell me? I'm not a mind reader, I don't KNOW these things off hand!"

"I didn't tell you because you were too busy messing around with HIM!" he shouted so loud that his voice started breaking. "How many times did you do it? Five? Ten? Twenty?!"

Hiro felt tears brim his eyes. He didn't need another problem. He covered his face, unable to handle this.

Shuichi had figured since Tohma and Suguru were so close, any word of Hiro being in on it would separate the two instantly.

"Shuichi, you made it clear to me that we were just friends. You have Yuki, I have Suguru. I love Suguru, you love Yuki. I've tried countless times and you kept pushing me away, what else could I do?! I had to move on, okay, I moved on. You made me go."

Hiro was anything but angry. Mostly hurt. He brushed a tear away that rolled down his cheek.

"I love you Hiro," Shuichi said in a much calmer voice. "This whole situation is killing me. We've been friends for the longest time, way before Fujisaki, and if anything, I think I deserve a chance more than he does."

"You HAD your chance!" Hiro shouted, instantly making his head hurt. He had no idea why Shuichi was like this all of a sudden and didn't know how much longer he could take of it. "I love Suguru! As soon as I get out of this mess, we're leaving this god forsaken country together and moving someplace where we could be left alone, free from publicity, free from people, free from everything!"

Shuichi's face softened, but instantly tightened again as he flared right back to him. "What about Bad Luck, Hiro?! What about it?! What about our friendship?"

"There will be NO friendship between us if you can't accept my wishes! I hate yelling, Shuichi, I hate yelling and I can't BELIEVE I'm being forced to do it! I love you Shuichi, you're my best friend and I'll always love you, but not like that. NOT like that. You had your chance and you should have taken it then. I gave you two chances and you blew it. Please don't ruin my life. I'm happy. I spent too many nights crying over you and I've had enough. Just let me lead my life, whatever I have left of it before they catch me and murder me in the most brutal ways they can think of."

Shuichi's flinched as Hiro broke a dish on top of the counter in protest, and then stormed out.

"Oh god what does it matter anyway? Why am I defending anything?" Hiro murmured, walking into the bathroom and shutting the door carefully. "Shuichi or Suguru...it doesn't matter, I'm going to be dead before I get to be with either one of them."

He turned the cold-water faucet on and splashed a handful of water onto his face, rushing away any appearances of tear lines. Looking into the mirror at his broken down image, he sighed wearily.

"I'm innocent," he breathed out of nowhere. "I'm innocent and I don't deserve this. God only knows who murdered Seguchi, but it wasn't me. It wasn't me!" he cried, clenching his fist and delivering it into the wall before him, just missing the mirror. Upon contact, he immediately cried in pain as a god-awful crack was produced from the impact.

He hugged his hand close to his chest, biting his lower lip and forcing away the pain.

"Dammit!" he shouted in a pant, forcing the pain away vocally.

Where had he ever gone wrong to deserve this? His life was running up so perfectly up until a few short months ago, and then all of a sudden, Tachi and someone else feel like blaming their actions on him. Hiro knew over everyone that he was as innocent as he came. This wasn't going to work out. They were going to find him and put him away where not even the rays of sunshine would be able to touch his fair skin.

"This isn't how it's supposed to be. Goddamn it to hell, I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Hiro?"

Hiro gasped. Suguru lightly tapped on the door, awaiting entry. All forms of human life sickened Hiro at the moment, even Suguru, but nevertheless, he opened the door anyway and welcomed the boy inside, who immediately threw his arms around him. As much as Hiro felt his life coming to an end, with Suguru by his side, only strengthened him to go on. If it weren't for the young keyboardist, he would have left this world from the start.

Then it dawned on him. He was an escapee. He was endangering Suguru's life, as well as Eiri and Shuichi for keeping him here. He couldn't bring down his friend, or his lover.

After thinking long and hard while the tiny arms were wrapped firmly around him, Hiro shook his head with a short sigh. "I can't do it anymore."

Suguru took his arms back and looked deep into Hiro's eyes with confusion. "What?"

"I can't run anymore. They'll never prove my innocence, and I can't bring you all down with me." He pressed his hand to Suguru's cheek and rubbed it gently. "You've been wonderful to me, I'll never forget it."

Suguru didn't even bother questioning him, just held onto the hand that was on his cheek and began the waterworks.

"This is so unfair!" he said.

"I'm leaving. I'm leaving before something worse happens to you or Shuichi, or even Eiri."

Suguru gripped onto him tight, promising a million times that he would never let go.

"Then I'm going with you."

This is exactly what Hiro feared. He knew for a fact that Suguru wouldn't do as told.

"Please...just stay here until things get sorted out."

The both of them met eye to eye. "You know it's not going to!" Suguru cried. "Not here anyway. Let's leave this country now. Let's leave and go to the states where no one will know us."

Hiro would have thought that was the best idea anyone ever had, but shook his head instead. That would be the plan if he was let go, but since he wasn't going to be let go so easily, he would have to toughen it out first.

"We're known there, as well as everywhere else. No doubt they know about me and would notify the authorities. Plus, we don't even speak a word of English."

"I know enough to get us by!" Suguru insisted. "Please Hiro! We can't be here any longer! We're not wanted!"

Hiro sighed and looked up to the bathroom ceiling. "Dear Tohma Seguchi, whatever I did to you to deserve this, I'm sorry. All I want is a HINT! A damn HINT on who was with Tachi. There were no hints! Ken-chan, Ma-kun, Noriko, Ryuichi, Eiri, Mika, K, ANYONE! STAND UP AND CONFESS!"

Suguru grabbed onto Hiro's hand, afraid for him. "Please Hiro. Don't do anything stupid or falsely accuse anyone. Ken-chan and Ma-kun were already eliminated, you know that. Noriko and Ryuichi wouldn't either, and Mika loved him—"

"What about Eiri?" Hiro asked. "We never had gotten around to asking him about it. He's murdered someone in cold blood once before, and we all know how he took to Tohma. He couldn't stand him! He seems so awfully calm about the situation too."

"I'm only calm so I don't become like you both," Eiri said, becoming visible in the doorway and lighting a cigarette, looking totally unaffected by their accusations. "You both will blame anyone to make yourselves feel better, won't you? I'll have you know that the night of his murder, I was here, writing in my novel when hothead here comes riding up in that motorcycle of his, accusing me of Shuichi's rape, and then I left shortly after that to see him. Now tell me please...how could I have gotten from here to there in five seconds?"

Hiro and Suguru were silent. They've heard Eiri's side of the story. The one who would have likely been a suspect has passed the test, and Hiro was the witness to that one, for it was him that rudely walked up to the door and nearly beat him into a pulp.

"Eiri-san, we don't mean to blame you, we're just having a hard time right now. It's so hard, but I'm trying. Please tell me if you know of anyone who would have a grudge against my cousin. Please."

Eiri didn't even have to think twice about this one. He puffed out smoke with a sigh. "That baka had plenty of enemies. Co-workers, employees, managers, you name it. He was a difficult man."

"Difficult, but he was still a human being, and if I have to, I will speak to everyone individually about it. I'm going to be doing what the court system should have done themselves. Everyone at NG will be phoned and spoken to, along with Nittle Grasper and Ken-chan and Ma-kun. I want to know exactly where these people were and how long they were there."

Suguru brushed right past Eiri and collected a notebook and something to write with, preparing to be up all night, choking the truth out of those who would be least expected to commit murder.
The whole night passed and not a single lead. Suguru got many stories from the employees and staff at NG, and most of them were sleeping that night, like normal people would have. Noriko was at home with her husband and daughter, and Ryuichi was at the studio, brooding about the lyrics that he had begged Tohma to get, and K stayed at the studio late as well, awaiting Tohma's return so he could discuss the Battle of the Bands schedule. He left when Tohma never came back.

Suguru slammed the cordless phone down on the table after a night of nothing and a book full of ink. Nothing made any sense! There had to have been a connection here somewhere, there just HAD to have been!

"Why can't something just come out and bite me in the ass?"

"Suguru..."

Suguru gasped when a pair of hands came down and massaged his shoulders from behind. Before Suguru could turn around, red hair fell down the side of his face. Not even bothering to look around, he relaxed into the massage with a sigh, closing his eyes.

"You don't have to do this," Hiro whispered into his ear, then lightly kissed his cheek. "Come to bed. It's getting late."

"How can I sleep when the murderer is parading around town, laughing his ass off?" Suguru said, rubbing his eyes.

"How do you know he is? He could be just as scared as we are."

Suguru reached his arm up around so that his hand traveled lightly down Hiro's arm.

"I'm scared," he whispered. "I'm afraid for us. None of this is making any sense!"

Hiro nodded. "I know. I know it's not. I'm sorry you're being dragged into this too. Really I am. It wasn't meant to go this far. Please don't get any further into this. Save yourself why you still can. I can't see you go down with me."

Hiro's voice was full of sincerity and authenticity as he awaited Suguru's look of shock. Suguru did just that. He turned his head around so they met eye to eye.

"I've already told you Hiro, I'm not going anywhere. Stop trying to push me away."

"Is that what you think I'm doing?" Hiro asked, heartbroken. "I'm trying to save your life! I can't stand to see you go down with me if you're as innocent as they come. Please Suguru. Please."

Suguru said nothing. He couldn't. Hiro took his hands.

"I want you to leave now."

"And go where?" Suguru asked in a low voice, not breaking the stare into his eyes. "Home? I don't have a home anymore. I don't have any place to go, and even if I did, you could never get rid of me."

Hiro's eyes nearly watered as the sixteen year old spoke to him in the most serious and honest voice. Hiro cupped his cheeks.

"I'm not trying to get rid of you, I just love you too much to see you throw your life away," he said, half mouthed and half whispered.

Suguru stiffened. "I'm not throwing my life away as long as I'm with you."

They paused momentarily before enveloping in a long, heated kiss. Suguru poured all the love into the kiss that he could, just so he could show Hiro how much he loved and needed him.

As they parted and the sweet kiss still lingering on their lips, they knew that they would both be in this together for as long as it went on, without even any words spoken.
"I want them gone by morning," Eiri said as Shuichi paced back and forth in their bedroom. "I'm not getting busted for your friend."

"Hiro's innocent!" Shuichi cried, balling his fists. "I don't care if he's innocent or guilty, the point is that the cops are looking for him and they are eventually going to look here and once they find him here, I'm the one who gets fucked."

Shuichi froze at the harshness in his voice.

"But Yuki..."

"No 'buts'."

"Hiro's my friend!"

"I don't give a damn if he was your blood related brother, he's not staying in my house while this is going on."

Shuichi's mouth hung open as Eiri lay down and covered himself up with blankets.

"You coming or what?" he asked, looking over his shoulder when Shuichi wasn't joining him in bed.

Shuichi wanted badly to talk back to him, but didn't. Instead, he kept his mouth shut and joined his lover in bed.
"What if they come looking here next?" Suguru asked as he and Hiro shared a bed in the guestroom together. He placed his hand over Hiro's bare, hairless chest, rubbing his fingertips around the area slowly.

"Would Shuichi and Eiri-san get in trouble?"

As much as Hiro forced himself to shake his head, he nodded. "They would. Aiding and Bedding I believe it's called."

"But you're not a criminal!"

Hiro just sighed, looking up at the ceiling and closing his eyes. "Tell that to the authorities. We're criminals on the go, Suguru, and there's nothing we can say or do about it. I guess the only thing we can do is disguise ourselves and go where no one knows who we are."

"Think we're popular in America or Canada?"

"Without a doubt. With America being the second largest continent in the world, I guarantee it. We're better off dead in a gutter somewhere."

When Suguru didn't speak right away, Hiro cracked open an eyelid and glanced over at him. The young boy just stared blankly at him.

"Hiro...don't say those things!"

"I have never been more serious in my life," he said, propping himself up with his elbow. "We can be just like Romeo and Juliet."

Suguru shook his head quickly. "I don't want to die, Hiro, I want to grow old with you!" he said, taking his hand and begged with his eyes.

"We may have had everything we could ever want, Suguru, but now we've lost it all. Tachi took everything from me."

Suguru took his hand. "Not everything. I'll never be gone. He can never take me away."

They sealed that promise with a kiss.
Phew, finally almost getting there. The next chapter is what everyone's been waiting for: Suguru finally finds out who really did it. Actually it sort of just unfolds right in front of his very eyes but I'm positive everyone will be shocked on who it is. The next chapter also includes a Hiro x Suguru lime in which was more than thrilling to write. The more reviews I get, the faster the second from last chapter will come up!