TaraYuki-uesugi here. I'm just sitting here eating anpan (japanese bean bun. very tasty!) and listening to Sade (bought it today. I love her music.)and now I've finally finished Chapter 7! I am so sorry it took so long to update. Writers block came to visit and didn't want to leave. Well just to tell you, my husband...i mean, Yuki is kinda emotional in this chapter. Sorry Yuki for making you look like a bitch this chappie but there's a reason so work with me.

Random Thoughts: YES! I have in my possesion Gravitaion 10 ! And my review ...It's awesome ! I love it ! I went and got it the day after it came out. I love it! Yuki is HILARIOUS! It's so so so cute.Though there is a scene involving someone by the name of Rage (did I tell you I HATE her?) where i was like "WHAT!" other than that.Definitly one of my favs! I also bought Saiyuki:Reload They both came out the same day. My Review? the show is great. The new voices SUCK MAJOR ASS! I hate it !I cried when i watched it in english! It was THAT bad! The casting director should be SHOT! Alot!I had to finish watching it in Japanese because i seriously couldnt take it anymore. The worst was Hakkai and Goku ! OMG,Where's Greg! They need Greg and Braden back bad. Sanzo sounds like Yuki.wtf is up with that! and out of them all Gojyo sounds the best. i still want Illich, but if Ihad to choose who was the least horrible it would be whoever is playing Gojyo. I would keep going on but, dead serious, it brings back bad memories. I've watched the Dvd once and I cant watch it again. DEAD SERIOUS I think imma send it to the Geneon office and tell them to " Take this shit back and do it over!" I would dwell more on it but it really makes me mad so...I bought Saiyuki: Requiem today. I felt obligated to. I felt so bad for buying Reload i felt i had to repent by buying Requiem. And i think the movie is hilarious. And it has the original voices. Im thinking about starting a petition to send to Geneon. If anyone is a Saiyuki fan and knows people that will sign E-mail Me ! If I find out enough people will sign I will start an online petition to send to Geneon. I'm serious! I'm a girl of my word! Well since I cant stop talking about Saiyuki...random thoughts...Complete.

Disclaimer: Do I look like Murakami-san? I dont think so .

And now...on with the show...


Eiri's eyes fluttered open. He winced at the sunlight in the room. ' Where am I ? ' He thought to himself . Then he remembered ' Oh yeah. The spital. '

He brought a hand up to his face to wipe the sleep out of his eyes and felt dried tears on his cheeks. He was laying on a blanket on the floor of the private waiting room with a sheet over him, and his shoes off. He looked to his right and saw Shuichi and Meiko laying next to him, still asleep.

" Good morning"

Yuki turned his head toward the person who spoke. " Morning " he said to his brother .

" Tohma went and got the sheets for you guys after you all fell asleep.You guys had a rough night. I told him i'd stay and watchover you.He said he had to take care of some bussiness and everyone else is in the cafeteria. "

Tatsuha stood up " Since you're awake, I'll go back to your house and get the three of you some clean clothes and stuff.And more importantly, for you, a nice big coffee from that cafe you always go to " He smiled.

By this time Yuki was on his feet . He walked over to his brother and for the first time in their adult life, gave him a hug.

Tatsuha was taken aback . His eyes went wide with shock, but he quickly caught himself and hugged his big brother back as tight as he could.

"Thanks" Yuki said softly

"Don't worry, man" Tatsuha said " Keisuke will see the error of his ways and come back . I know it . Just give him time.In the mean time, you have to stay strong. You have to stay strong for Meiko, Kaoru, and especially Shuichi. You saw the way he freaked out yesterday. He needs you. They all need you." Yuki felt silent tears roll down his cheeks." You are in no way a bad parent. And you have, in no way, failed as a father. You show your kids love and respect, more than what I can say about our dad. I am proud of you and I envy you. I hope that when I have kids one day I can be half the dad that you are . " Yuki felt himself cry harder and he squeezed his brother tighter.

" Now make sure you stay strong for those kids of yours. Keisuke needs someone to look up to when he gets back . "They pulled out of their embrace and Eiri nodded as he wiped the tears off his face.

"Thanks" he said again

"No problem, man" Tatsuha said with a small sincere smile." That's what brothers are for " He walked toward the door. " I'll be back as soon as I can" And he left .

Eiri watched Tatsuha walk out of the door . He never realized that his brother had become so mature.


"This" the lights were turned on " is my apartment"

The guy with the green eyes had seen Keisuke sleeping on the bench as he went for his morning walk. Keisuke didn't say anything more than "Hi", but the guy knew something was wrong and that, judging buy the suitcase, he had run away. So he told Keisuke to follow him back to his place. Keisuke followed in silence. For some reason he didnt feel threatened or in danger. He really felt that the guy was ginuinely a nice person.

The apatment was nice. A two bedroom, a small living room and kitchen and a small bathroom. It wasnt very big but it was very well kept and comfortable. When you first walk in the door you're in the living room. In the center of the living room was a couch, and across from it is a t.v. against the wall. Behind the couch, against the other wall was a computer. The walls were a bit bare except for a couple of pictures that, Keisuke assumed, was his family. To the right was a small hallway about ten feet long with three doors. To the left, the kitchen.

" I'm sure you're used to grander afair, but" The guy smiled " the is my place. Make yourself at home"

Keisuke nodded, took off his shoes, pulled his suitcase into the livingroom and sat on on the couch. His face free of expression. The green eyed young man frowned at him " I'll put your suitcase in the spare room " He said and walked down the small hallway pulling the suitcase behind him .

Within a few seconds he returned and sat on the couch next to Keisuke. They sat in silence for awhile.

" Uh, wouldn't you like to know anything about me " the guy finally said " My name for instance" He smiled.

"Huh" Keisuke said turning to face him . " Oh...yeah...what's your name" he lowered his head once more.

The guy chuckled revealing a beautiful smile. " Keiichi Yamada. I'm nineteen years old and I attend Tokyo University. "

At this declaration, Keisuke looked up at him. " Really! I want to go to Tokyo U. so bad. Is it as hard as everyone says it is " He said sounding somewhat enthused.

" Yeah, you've got your work cut out for you. But my real goal is to go to Harvard in America"

" That's my second choice.My parents took me ..." Keisuke trailed off as he mentioned his parents. He wouldn't admit it to himself, but he wanted to see them. To make sure that they were ok.Especially after he saw the look on Shuichi's face as he yelled at him. But those thoughts were quickly pushed aside when he thought about his brother. The blood puddle on the ground, his daddy crying, his dad tossing him the cell phone, Meiko screaming and crying near the car, Tohma saying Kaoru wasn't breathing, what the doctor said...

Keisuke buried his face into his hands and shook his head violently, as though that would rid his mind of the terrible thoughts.

"Keisuke, Keisuke" Keiichi yelled grabbing his shoulders.

Keisuke stoped moving and looked up at Keiichi. Silent tears rolled down his cheeks. Keiichi frowned. Keisuke wiped the tear away and looked down at the Rolex his uncle had given him the night before. The time:7:35 am. He looked at his name engraved on the silver strap. He took the watch off and looked at the back ' Love UncleTohma, Aunt Mika and Kanai ' He gave a weak smile.

"Nice watch" Keiichi said trying to lighten the mood. " Who gave it to you"

" My Uncle Tohma " Keisuke answered absent mindedly as he read the back of the watch .

"Uncle Tohma? Tohma Seguchi? Tohma Seguchi is your uncle" Keiichi asked surprised. Keisuke nodded still staring at the names on the back .

" Soon you'll tell me Suguru Fujisaki is your third dad " Keiichi said laughing at his bad joke.

" No, actually he's my cousin" Keisuke said replacing his watch on his wrist. Keiichi's mouth hung open and he stoped laughing. He was only joking. He didn't actually think the kid was related to him .

" Well...not exactly...by marriage or something like that...whatever...look, can we not talk about this right now" Keisuke said turning to look at Keiichi.

Keiichi blushed and lowered his head " Sorry " he said softly

" No need to be sorry . I'm just a little tired " Keisuke said with a weak smile.

Keiichi smiled back. " Why don't you go to bed. Your room's already set up for you."

"My room "

" Well, yeah . You are staying right? Unless you have somewhere else to go"

"No, no. I dont. Thanks"

" Ok. Well I've got to go to work . Feel free to take a bath, eat, whatever. Make yourself at home" Keiichi smiled.

"Thanks"

Keiichi walked to the front door and slipped into his shoes. " I'm not working late today, so I'll be back by four-thirty or five..See you later" He waved back at Keisuke, smiled and left.

Keisuke got up and went to the spare room, now his room.There was a twin sized bed, a dresser and a mirror. The walls were white, the floor and furniture hard wood and the bed sheets were baby blue. Keisuke fell onto the bed face first like he always does.

' Keiichi is nice' he thought ' Maybe here I can have a normal life' With that last thought, he fell asleep.


Yuki sat up thinking about the previous night. Shuichi and Meiko were still sleeping and the rest of the family hadn't returned from breakfast yet.The doctor stoped by but said that they still couldn't see Kaoru yet. It hasn't been twenty-four hours.Yuki wasn't hungry, he wasn't sad anymore, he was actually free of all feeling. He didn't know what he was supposed to feel. He was lost.

The door to the private waiting room opened and in walked Mika and Kanai. Kanai smiled at her uncle then walked over to where Shuichi and Meiko were sleeping and layed down next to her cousin.

" Everyone is still eating" Mika said walking over to her brother and taking a seat next to him . Eiri nodded. " How are you holding up ? Tohma told me about what happened with Keisuke " Eiri's chest tightened. He nodded again. Mika rubbed his back and he let her. " Don't worry everything will wrok out fine."

" The doctor said we can't go see him yet " Eiri said trying to change the topic from the incident last night. " Nothing bad has happened but his condition hasn't gotten better either " Mika looked down. Silence fell between them . Mika ran her fingers through her little brothers blonde hair " I'm so sorry " her voice cracking " I'm so sorry. This should not have happened." She threw her arms around her brother's neck. Eiri didn't respond. He just sat there looking completely blank. " I wish this didn't happen . I'm so sorry " She began to silently weep. Suddenly she stood up . " I'm going to go call Tohma and see what he's up to " she wiped the tears off her face." He said he has some bussiness to attened to . I can only imagine what that can be.Kanai are you coming" Kanai shook her head no. " Ok. I'll be right back."

Yuki knew that his sister just didn't want to cry infont of him and make him more upset. He internally thanked her. Yuki turned to his left as he saw his husband stir. Shuichi sat up ,and like Yuki, winced at the sunlight in the room. " Morning " Yuki said to his love. Shuichi nodded as he wiped sleep out of his eyes. He turned to his left and saw Meiko, still asleep, and Kanai. " Hey sweetie" he said to his niece. " Morning Uncle Shu" she replied softly.

Shuichi stood up and walked over to his husband. He sat next to him and layed his head on Eiri's shoulder. " How is he "

" Nothing's changed "

" Can we see him yet"

" No "

Shuichi sighed. " When are we going back to the house to get our stuff? Are we going in shifts"

" Tatsuha went by the house to get our stuff for us."

" Ok"

They sat in silence. " Where do you think Keisuke is ? I hope he's alright " Shu sighed again " I'm sure he's fine " Yuki reassured. The waiting room door opened and in walked the rest of the family. " Hey guys" Maiko said walking over to her brother and brother-in-law. " Are you alright" Shuichi nodded . Everyone took a seat in the room silently. They sat like that for about an hour until ..." Kanai" Meiko had woken up. She hugged her cousin and began to talk to her non-stop about cartoons they were missing because they were in the hospital.

Tatsuha returned thirty minutes later with some clothes, their tooth brushes, Yuki's coffee and some toys for Meiko. Yuki and Shuichi went off to the bathroom to freshen up . Maiko escorted Meiko to the womens bathroom to help her. When they returned they were somewhat clean . Meiko decided to go play with her toys in the corner . She asked Kanai and Ryuichi to join her. Ryu smiled and went full blown back into child mode. Everyone else was still quiet, watching the children (including Ryuichi) play.

" She looks happier today " Maiko said with a smile to Shuichi . She sat down next to him. " She's not happy " Shu answered with a frown, never taking his eyes off his daughter. " She's just trying to let me and Yuki know that we dont have to worry about her. She's always like this when something bad happens. It's just an act to make everyone else feel comfortable. She always thinks of others before she thinks about herself." Maiko frowned and looked at her niece playing and smiling. " That's not good for her . She shouldn't do that " " I know " Shuichi answered " But once she can't fake it anymore, she'll show her real emotions. It's ok, this is just her way of coping " Shuichi gave his sister a weak smile. " Ok" she answered

After awhile Meiko's stomach growled. It was a little after 12. " Daddy, I'm hungry " Meiko blushed as her stomach growled again. Shuichi smiled " I can see that. Let's go to the cafeteria." Shuichi stood up, grabbed Meiko's hand and began walking towards the door. She stoped him . " Dad are you coming " Yuki shook his head no. Meiko untangled her hand from Shuichi's and walked up to Yuki. She took his face into her small hands and made him look at her.

" I want you to eat something. I know you're hungry and you can't live off of coffee alone.Now come on " Yuki gave a small smile to his daughter.He knew there was no point in arguing. Not when she had the eyes of the one that could talk him into anything. " Fine " he said standing and walking to join Shuichi at the door. " We'll be back soon" Shuichi said to the waiting family " Come get us if anything changes" With that he closed the door behind them

They began walking to the elevators. Meiko smiling and waving to the receptionists as they passed. Once they were in the elevator, Meiko pressed the first floor button. They were on the twelfth. They stood in silence as the elevator decended. The silence was broken by the sound of little sobs near the key pad. Meiko had her head down, but Yuki and Shuichi could see the tears falling from her face and onto the floor. Shuichi gave Yuki a pained look and turned away. Yuki steped forward and picked Meiko up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder. No one said anything as the elevator came to a stop on the first floor.

Once they were in the cafeteria, Meiko had calmed down . He set her down to walk and she went to go pick her breakfast. Yuki looked at Shuichi and , judging by how red his eyes were , figured Meiko wasn't the only one crying in the elevator. " Lets go " he grabbed Shu's hand and led him to where Meiko picked out her big breakfast.

The mood seemed alot lighter after everyone's stomach was filled. Shuichi and Meiko were making jokes about how Kaoru would complain about the hospital food once he woke up. And how, and what they would sneak in for him to eat. Yuki couldn't help but smile . He was glad that his little girl and husband were smiling again. It killed him so much to see them cry. " Yeah, when we bring Kaoru strawberry cake, we have to make sure dad doesn't try to eat it " Meiko laughed " Then you'd better keep it away from me " Yuki smiled.

" Eiri, Shuichi" Tatsuha had just run into the cafeteria . He was out of breath and his face was flushed. " It's about Kaoru"


Keisuke's eyes snapped open. He layed still as he took in his surroundings and remembered that he was at Keiichi's house. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up . He looked at his watch: 1:30. Keiichi would be home in an hour and a half. He walked over to his suitcase and began to unpack everything . Putting it away in the closets and the drawers of the dresser. Once he finished, he grabbed a clean outfit and headed to the bathrrom. After a quick fifteen minute shower, Keisuke dressed, put his dirty clothes back into his suitcase and made his way to the kitchen. He checked the fridge. Vegetables, miso, shoyu, tofu, tempura, chicken,miso...' There's more than enough here to make dinner . It's the least I can do after Keiichi has shown me such hospitality ' . He checked the cabinets to make sure there was rice, which there was, and set to work on making dinner.

Lucky for Keisuke, he hadn't inhereted Shuichi's cooking skills. As a matter of fact, he was quite a good cook.He just didn't do it often.

Soon Keiichi came back." Wow, something smells great " he said as he walked into the kitchen. Keisuke smiled at him as he added the rice to the rice cooker." I thought i'd make dinner for the both of us. It's the least I could do after you've been so nice to me " " Wow, thanks" Keiichi smiled. " Imma go take a shower " with that the man walked out of the kitchen and down the hall to the third door at the end.

By the time Keiichi finished his forty-five minute shower, dinner was ready. Keisuke had found some plates, bowls and cups in the cabinets, and chopsticks and spoons in the drawers. He set the table as Keiichi entered the kitchen. " Whoa. I haven't had dinner like this since I've been back home." he sat down and helped himself to the the pot of food on the portable stove in the middle of the table, as Keisuke served he and himself some rice. " I hope it doesn't taste bad " Keisuke said . He hadn't cooked in awhile. " Nah it's great" Keiichi exclaimed. " I never eat like this anymore.I never have the time. I buy all those vegetable and stuff but they always go bad before I can use them . Usually it's just instant ramen for me " he chuckled. " And I must say you are a better cook than me " Keisuke smiled

" So, if you don't mind me asking, why do you live alone"

" After my dad died, my mom moved to Osaka. I don't think she could take living in Tokyo anymore. Too many memories. I didn't want to leave. My school was here, my friends. I just couldn't up and leave. She bought me this apartment with the money from my dad's death and I've been living on my own since. I visit her sometimes. Usually when I'm on break . "

" You don't have any brothers or sisters"

" Nope. I'm an only child.I wish I did though then maybe my childhood wouldn't have been so lonely. You're lucky . You've got siblings. It must be fun. "

" Yeah they're cool. We're complete opposites though. They are really hyper and they're constantly running around and they suck at school . Even though my brother and I are twins, you would never guess it. Our personalities are different and we look nothing alike. About the only thing we do have in common is our birthday" Keisuke chuckled

" I bet there's never a dull moment in your house"

" Nope not at all. There's always noise and usually there is always company. It drives my dad crazy . He's a real quiet person and he likes silence when he's writing . Pop, Kaoru and Meiko are loud. They're always singing or blasting music or something ."

" Sounds like your house is really fun." Keisuke nodded " So, dad is Eiri Yuki and pop is Shuichi Shindou" Keisuke nodded again. " Wow. I thought it would be hard to live with two dads. Is it weird "

Keisuke shrugged " I don't know. We've lived with it our whole lives. We don't know what it's like to have a mom and a dad. When we're home everything is normal. We fight, we have fun, everything a normal family does. But out in public it's like we're an abomination. Like our family is wrong and we're not capable of being loved properly because we have two dads. We're looked at as abnormal" Keisuke layed his chopsticks on his hashi rest and lowered his head.

" Is that what you think of your parents? An abomination"

" I don't know. Them being gay certainly doesn't help us. The media follows us everywhere wanting to know what it's like living with two dads. It's annoying . Everyone treats us like shit because our family isn't respectable. It's my parents fault. They should have never had us . They knew this would happen. They should've never had children." The last few lines were said more to himself and Keiichi assumed that he wasn't supposed to hear them.

" If you don't mind me asking, why did you run away from home"

Keisuke looked up at Keiichi and then lowered his head once more his eyes filling with tears. " Something bad happened " He said in a barely audible whisper . Keiichi frowned and decided to drop the subject.


Yuki grabbed Meiko and followed Shuichi and Tatsuha to the elevators. Once inside, Tatsuha jabbed the number 12 button and explained to Yuki and Shuichi what was happening. " The doctor said he stopped breathing again. They don't exactly why" Shuichi gasped as tears filled his eyes. Meiko buried her face into Yuki's neck and began to weep. Yuki just stroked her hair , expressionless.

The elevator stoped on the twelfth floor and they ran to the private waiting room. Everyone in the room was silent and looking extremely grave. Kanai was in Hiro's arms crying. Mika hadn't been back since the morning. Shuichi had stoped crying but fell against the wall and slid down to the floor. Ryuichi walked up to Yuki and took a bawling Meiko out of his arms. He nodded toward Shuichi and Yuki nodded back . Ryuichi whispered words of comfort in Meiko's ear as he carried her to a seat and sat her on his lap.

Yuki picked Shuichi up off the floor and also carried him to a seat where he situated him on his lap. Shuichi buried his face into Yuki's neck and whisper repeatedly " Please don't let him die. Gods, please don't let him die"

After a few hours of hearing nothing but Kanai and Meiko's sobs, the door to the waiting room opened and in walked the doctor.

" Mr. and Mr. Shindou-Uesugi " he turned to Yuki ans Shuichi. " I have to tell you" Shuichi held his breath. " your son has a very strong will " the doctor smiled. " It seems he stoped breathing because he was trying to breath on his own but his lungs werent quite ready to at that moment. But we've taken him off the breathing machine and he is now breathing on his own.We still have a tube leading to his lungs though, to keep them clear. He's semi-unconcious and does respond when someone speaks to him with small movements of his fingers. He is recovering at a rapid pace that even us doctors are shocked by. We're still keeping him under close observation, but you should be able to visit him in about an hour . I'll send a nurse in to let you know when. " the doctor left.

The waiting room was silent and every face was in complete shock. Meiko and Kanai had stoped crying and were smiling at each other. Shuichi turned to face his husband . He smiled at the sight before him. Yuki had silent tears rolling down his cheeks, tears of joy that his little boy was ok. Shuichi threw his arms around his love and whispered " He's ok. I'm so glad he's ok "

Mika barged into the private waiting room after being gone for several hours. " Turn on the TV " she commanded. Grandpa Uesugi humbly obliged.


Dinner was finished. " I'll clean up since you cooked. " Keiichi said standing. But Keisuke wouldn't have it " No, no I insist. You've given me a place to stay. I insist on earning my keep."

" Well you don't have to earn your keep" Keiichi smiled . He grabbed some disehes off the table and began making his way to the sink . Keisuke took the dishes out of his hands before he could make it to his destination. " I insist" he said again with a smile.

Keiichi heaved a sigh." Alright if you say so " He walked into the living room, ploped onto the couch and turned on the TV. After about ten minutes, Keisuke had finished the dishes. He never really washed dishes before, but he had seen Megumi and his dad do it several times so he knew what to do . He began to wipe off the kitchen counter.

" Hey, Keisuke! Come quick. Your uncle is holding a press conference." Keiichi's voice rang from the living room. Keisuke dropped what he was doing, and rushed over to the TV. He sat next to Keiichi and watched intently. He noticed his uncle didn't have his usual smile on. Angry would't even explain the look on his face. Furious would be a better description.Maybe even livid. Tohma Seguchi's voice rang through the speakers.

" I am holding a conference today on an issue that I think needs serious attention." There were magazines and newspapes littering the table at which he sat. He picked up one of the magazines and showed it to the camera." This" There was a big picture on the cover, of Shuichi holding Kaoru's lifeless body and crying as Yuki applied pressure to his head. The headline read ' Shindou-Uesugi family involved in fatal accident' . " And this... " He held up another magazine of Meiko crouching near the car crying. " and this... " He held up another . This one had a picture of Yuki when he first came to while he was still in the car.

"...is completely unacceptable. My nephew, at this very moment, is laying in the hospital fighting for his life. All because some paparazzi chased down their car . It was his birthday and it had to end with him in the hospital. I believe my family has been harassed, stalked and have suffered enough because of your inconsideration. My brother-in-law's knew what they were getting into with their chosen careers, but their children have not asked for any of this. I will not allow these antics to carry out any longer. If anyone stalks, follows or even attempts to take a picture or ask for an interview, other than at a social event in which they were invited, of the Shindou-Uesugi family, severe consequences will be met. No questions asked. There are undercover officers surrounding the hospital in which my nephew is staying. I suggest no one even attempts to take pictures or sneak in if they don't want to be greeted with an army of officers with guns. I have spoken personally to each of the owners of these magazines and they have agreed to discontinue their latest issue. I expect the shelves to be free of these( he held up one of the magazines) by tomorrow morning, or fines will be handed out. I have had enough . Now, if you'll excuse me , I must join my family at the hospital. Thank You. " With that Tohma stood and made his way out of the N-G press conference room, ignoring the yells at him to answer questions. Keiichi turned off the TV.

" Whoa. Man, your uncle is scary when he's angry. Who would have thought that Tohma Seguchi could look so mean. Do you think they'll listen to him ? The paparazzi I mean "

" They'll be fools if they don't " Keisuke answered his eyes still on the TV .

" I mean, is there much he can do ? Does he really have that much power to make threats like that on national television, and not get in trouble with the authorities"

Keisuke looked at Keiichi with a you-have-no-idea look. " I'm sure they'll be some idiots that wont take him seriously, but they'll just be examples to everyone else. If their bodies are ever found." The last sentence was muttered quite low. Keiichi only caught the words ' bodies' and ' found' and drew his own conclusion. He shuddered. " Your unlce wont come after me for leting you stayhere will he" Keiichi asked kind of nervous.

Keisuke turned to him and smiled " No . You've taken care of me . Don't worry " He turned back to face the TV. They sat in silence until Keiichi broke it .

" So is that...why you left? Because of your brother"

Keisuke lowered his head and nodded. " The doctors said that they werent sure if he'd make it through the night. He didn't deserve that to happen to him. He never really cared about the media attention. He wants to be a famous rockstar one day and he said ' it came with the territory' . I, on the other hand, can't take it. I can't help but blame my parents for putting us in the situation that we're in . If they had just chosen different lifestyles, none of this would have happened. " Keisuke was crying .

" Why don't you go home"

Keisuke shook his head. " There's no way i'm going back there.I hate them. They were supposed to protect us and they didn't . " He sounded angry now. He pulled his knees up to his chest and began to rock back and forth. " I hate them . It's all their fault . I'll never forgive them " Keiichi moved closer to his guest and rubbed his back. " It's alright. You can stay here as long as you want " he said softly.


" Whoa. Tohma is pissed " Tatsuha said . The family had just finished watching the press conference. " Now that I think about it, where's K ?" Everyone looked around. K wasn't in sight. Tatsuha chuckled. " With K and his army running around here, no one will be able to get in here even if they tried." He put both his hands on the back of his head and leaned on them . " Aww man I'm glad Kaoru is ok. That little brat is gonna get it when he wakes up for worrying me like that" Everyone laughed softly.

" Kaoru's ok?" Mika asked .

" Yeah. The doctor's said that he's breathing on his own and that he should make a full recover. We should be able to see him soon." Maiko explained.

" Oh, I'm so glad " Mika's eye brimmed with tears. " Tohma will be happy to hear "

" Hear what ?" Tohma had just walked into the waiting room.

"Kaoru's ok, daddy " Kanai said with a smile. She was still sitting on Hiro's lap.

" Im glad to hear that " Tohma flashed one of his signature smiles.

" Nice threats " Tatsuha smirked .

" I take necessary precautions" He answered his brother-in-law with that smile still plastered on his face.

Shuichi had removed himself off of Yuki's lap and now sat in a chair of his own. " I can't wait to see him " he said aloud . Then his face fell . " I wish Keisuke were here. He'd be so happy"

Tatsuha got up and walked over to Shuichi. " Don't worry Shu, just give him time. He'll come back . He was just angry"

" But what if he doesn't come back? What if something happens to him? What if he gets hurt ? I dont think i could take..." he trailed off.

" Shuichi, if we find that he's gone for longer than we'd like, then we will search for him " Tohma answered.Shuichi rubbed his eyes, ridding them of the tears that threatened to fall and nodded.

The door of the of the waiting room opened and in walked a nurse. She smiled " Kaoru may have visitors now"


Keisuke and Keiichi sat on the couch next to each other in silence. Neither knew what to say and it seemed as though a cloud were hanging over them." Hey, do you want to read some of my stories " Keiichi suggested trying to lighten the mood. It seemed to work. Keisuke looked up his eyes wide " Yeah, that'd be cool " Keiichi walked around the couch to the computer . Keisuke followed. Keiichi turned on the computer and pulled up some of his stories.

It felt as though they werethere for hours. " Wow your writing is fantastic" Keisuke gushed about Keiichi's work . " You really think so " Keiichi was blushing. " Yeah. Your detailing is great. I love it " " Thanks" They sat in silence again staring at the computer screen. Neither knew what to say.

" Hey " Keiichi broke the silence " your birthday was yesterday,right " Keisuke nodded. " I'm sorry it ended the way it did but maybe we can do a little celebrating of our own. My friends and I have been needing an excuse to hang out.So are you up to it ?"

Keisuke thought it over. "Why not " He smiled.

" Ok I'll go call them. I'll tell them to bring snacks and stuff." Keiichi walked off to find the phone .Keisuke went to his room to go change into something a little more presentable other than sweats. He was so glad his suitcase was big. He had brought along a good assortment of clothing. He rushed to the mirror pulled out his gel and did his hair .When he was finished he walked back into the living room.

Keiichi had changed and freshend up too. "They're on their way " he said with a smile " They should be here in about a half an hour." " So what c.d.'s do you have ?" Keisuke asked walking over to the c.d. tower near the computer. "Hmmm,your collection isnt that bad " " That bad ?" Keiichi smirked. " Yeah . You have some pretty shitty european bands here but other than that, the rest are good." " And since when did you become so well informed about music?" Keiichi smirked as he walked over to join him." I thought you were a writer" Keisuke laughed " My dad is Shuichi Shindou. If I didnt know something about music I'd look like an ass" He pulled out a European c.d. and held it up to Keiichi. " And you don't have to havea famous rockstar as a dad to know that ' Rotted Nails' sucks" Keiichi snatched the c.d. out of Keisuke's hand and replaced it blushing. " They're a guilty pleasure " Keisuke laughed " You should burn it " " No way" They laughed and joked over Keiichi's c.d. collection until the doorbell rang.

Keiichi ran to open the door as Keisuke put an american rock band in the stereo. " Kei !" " Ichi!" . In walked one of Keiichi's friend. Keisuke smiled. He reminded him of Kaoru. Totally punked out with green hair. Keisuke made his way to the couch and sat down. Ichi hadnt noticed because he was facing the door watching the rest of his friends enter.

" I've got the drinks "

" Naoya " Keiichi said shaking his head. Naoya was tall and very attractive. He had black hair that fell beautifully over his dark eyes.

" I told him not to bring any, Kei "

" Soshi just doesnt know how to have fun " the one named Naoya said. Soshi had a very kind face and a soft voice. Keisuke could tell he was the voice of reason amongst all of his friends.

" Dude, I'm starved. I hope you got some food in your fridge."

"Hello to you too, Shin"Shin was tall and had brown hair and dark eyes.He was kind of scary because he had alot of muscle. All of the boys, Keisuke noticed, looked about Keiichi's age.

" What the hell is this crap your playing, Kei. Put on some good music like..." Ichi said reaching into his coat pocket " Bad Luck " everyone said in unison before the c.d. had left his pocket. " Well if you know already, put it on " Ichi walked over to the stereo and put in Bad Luck's latest album. He searched until he found the song he was looking for :Only you. Keisuke chuckled to himself. Apparently Keiichi hadnt told his friend who he was and at the moment, he was grateful.

" Hello, you must be Keiichi's new room mate. I'm Soshi Hashimura. What's your name " Soshi smiled " Keisuke" " Do you have a last name ? If you dont mind me asking of course ." Keisuke blushed and hesitated. " Hey do you know that novelist Eiri Yuki wrote this for Bad Luck " " We know Ichi. You tell us everytime you put it on " Naoya said taking a seat next to Keisuke. " The names Naoya Manahiro. Nice to meet you Keisuke " Keisuke smiled

" Hey Kei, who the hell cooked for you ? You never have food like this " Shin said pulling out the leftovers from earlier. " Keisuke cooked it earlier today." Keiichi explained. "Seriously? Shit, you're gonna have to come to my house . This is good " Shin said with his mouth full.

"I'm Shinosuke Orito. But Shin is fine" " Keisuke " Keisuke said again. " What, no last name ?" Keisuke glanced at Keiichi with plea in his eyes. Keiichi shrugged. " Uesugi. Keisuke Uesugi. " Keisuke decided to use his dad's last name since not many people knew it . " So you do have a last name " Shin said retreating to the fridge once again " Nice to meet you Uesugi "

" Uesugi? I know that name " Ichi began making his way to the couch. 'Shit' Keisuke thought ' There just had to be a Bad Luck fan . Of course he probably knows dad's last name ' . Ichi sat down next to Nayoa. " Oh Shit you look just like Shuichi Shindou" ' Damnit!'

"Wait a minute. Uesugi. That's Eiri Yuki's real last name right?" Keisuke lowered his head. " Yeah I remember reading about it when Shindou-san got married. They said he took the name Uesugi. Wait. Are you Shuichi Shindou's son? Arent there two of you ? Arent you a twin?"

" Dude, some would call you a stalker beacuse you know so much about Shindou-sans life " Naoya smirked. Ichi ignored him.

" I'm right , right?" Keisuke lowered his head. He was always bad at lying. " Dude, this is sweet" Ichi said turning ti Keiichi. " You've got a Shindou-Uesugi living with you. Why didnt you tell me ?" " It's not that big of a deal " Kei said . Keisuke smiled . " Yo, Keisuke what the hell are you doing here?" Ichi turned his focus back to Keisuke. " Isnt your twin brother hurt or something? What the hell are you doing here?"

" Ichi !" Keiichi called out his name dangerously. Keisuke lowered his head. Ichi turned to face Kei. Keiichi shook his head no , as to drop the subject. Ichi nodded.

" Sorry dude. So your birthday was yesterday huh? How old are you"

" Fifteen " Keisuke's head was still lowered.

" Alright, fifteen . Thats five years from twenty, so lets have fun!" Ichi said standing

" What the hell does that have to do with anything ?" Shin said returning from the kitchen. He burped outloud.

" Who cares, man . It's an excuse to party " Ichi walked back to the stereo and turned up the volume. " You don't mind do you Keisuke?" Ichi asked looking serious. It seems he really did care. Keisuke smiled. " Nah, it's kool. That's actually one of my favoite songs by my dad "

" Alright ! Bad Luck all the way! " he turned up the volume more

" Ichi! " Kei yelled " You're going to get me evicted !"

" Stop bitchin' and dance. Keisuke, you should see Kei dance . It's scary as hell " Naoya said.

" Shut up !"

Keisuke laughed as all of Keiichi's friends tried to get him to dance. ' Looks like tonight is gonna be fun after all '


" You guys go first" Tatsuha said to Yuki and Shuichi. They nodded and walked to the door. " Meiko?" Shuichi held out his hand for Meiko to follow. Meiko hesitated. " It's ok, Princess. Just go . Everything will be fine " Meiko jumped at the serious tone Ryuichi spoke in. She knew it was rare to hear him speak like that. She turned to him, nodded, kissed him on the cheek and rushed off to grab Shuichi's hand.

As they followed the nurse, they were silent. Yuki was scared out of his mind. He had no idea how he would react. He wasnt sure if he could take seeing one of his children in such a state. Shuichi was completely pale and looked as though he was lost in thought. He could feel his eyes burning, as they walked, with threatening tears. Meiko wasnt sure if she wanted to see her brother or not. She didnt know if this would be the last time he would be alive and she didnt want to remember him hooked up to different machines and lying in the hospital if it was.She heard what the doctor had said and was glad to hear it but she didnt trust it intirely. She just knew something could happen at any moment.

" Here you go " The nurse opened the door labeled ' Shindou-Uesugi, Keisuke' and walked away. Yuki was ahead of Meiko and Shuichi . He griped the door nob and froze. His legs couldnt move. ' Do I really want to see what's inside?' he thought to himself. He felt a hand grip the back of his shirt tightly. He looked back to see Shuichi looking back at him with glassy eyes. Shu nodded and thats all Eiri needed to make him move. He grabbed Shuichi's Meiko free hand and guided them into the room. Once they entered, Shuichi gasped.

Kaoru looked horrible. There were so many machines and he was hooked up to each one. His blonde hair had auburn patches of dried blood. Under the bandages on his forehead, you could see two black eyes and a swollen nose. His busted lips were parted and there was a tube in his mouth. There were bruises all over his neck and although he had his blankets pulled up, you could see that the bruises traveled to his chest and his left arm was in a cast.

Meiko, Eiri and Shuichi were all frozen in their spot looking at him. They could not believe that was him . Yuki heard a small whimper escape Meiko's lips and wanted to pick her up and comfort her but he couldnt. His body was in too much shock and wouldnt allow him to move. Eiri felt Shuichi's hand drop from his own and watched as he walked up to their son. Meiko decided not to follow.

Shuichi walked up to Kaoru and ran his fingers lightly through his blood stained hair . Shuichi smiled " He's going to be so upset about his hair " he chuckled. He turned to look at Yuki. Eiri saw, behind that smile, silent tears leaveShuichi's eyes. Still he couldnt move. Shuichi turned his head back to his son, still running his fingers through his hair. " Come here, Meiko" he said still looking at Kaoru. Meiko noticed that her dad was being very serious.He didnt sound like the usual Shuichi, but like a ...father. Meiko looked at her daddy, and then walked up to him. She stood next to Shuichi and took a good look at her older brother. She began to silently weep. Hard. " Meiko, stop crying " Shuichi ordered his face stern . She shook her head no. Shuichi grabbed Meiko's hand and placed it in Kaoru's . Careful of the i.v. . Meiko immediately stoped crying and looked down at her hand in her brother's.She felt how warm it was. It wasnt cold. All this time she had expected him to be cold. Why? She didn't know. Was it because the person in the bed looked so unlike the Kaoru she grew up with ? She didn't know . What she did know was that he wasn't cold. He wasn't...dead.

" He's going to be fine. Why don't you have faith in him? If he was going to die, we wouldn't be standing here looking at him right now." Meiko wiped away the tears that fell on her cheeks. She walked past Shuichi and rubbed her fingers lightly down Kaoru's cheek. She smiled. A big smile. " Oh, he is so gonna love telling this story when he's famous. Living through this will just make him more cocky than he already is " Meiko looked at Shuichi and smiled." He'll think he's invincible now." She turned back to her brother. " Kaoru, I promise I won't let them feed you this crappy hospital food. When you wake up, just tell me what you want and i'm gonna sneak it in for you, k?" Kaoru took one heavy, loud breath, and Meiko knew he had heard her. Her face automatically lit up and she threw herself into Shuichi's arms. Shuichi picked her up and began walking to the door. Before he walked to the door he stoped in front of Eiri and looked into his eyes.. " Take your time " he said and walked out of the room " Daddy, can we bring Kaoru's c.d.walkman and hisfavorite albums tomorrow just incase he wakes up ?" Shuichi laughed " Of course " The door closed.

Yuki was alone but he still couldnt move. He just stood there. Five, ten, fifteen minutes. He wasnt sure. Soon his legs began to move toward the bed. It felt as though he wasen't controling them. Within seconds, he was by his son's side. He looked over Kaoru. The tubes, needles and bruises. He fell to his knees rested his forehead on the edge of the bed and...cried...for a long time. He had cried more in the last twenty-four hours than he had in his entire life. He didn't know how long he cried but when he finished he looked up at Kaoru and took his hand into his own.

" I'm sorry" he muttered. " I'm so, so sorry. Keisuke is right, it is all my fault.I should have protected you and I didn't. "He lowered his head onto Kaoru's thigh. " I promise I'll make it up to you. And I beg of you to forgive me " he closed his eyes. He felt a small squeeze of his hands and re-opened them. He smiled which caused more tears to leak out. He stood up and walked over to Kaoru's head. He rubbbed his fingers through his hair like Shuichi did." Your hair is fucked up " He said smiling . Kaoru heaved another heavy breath and Yuki chuckled. He caressed his cheek gently." You know, you really are going to hate the food here. I remember whenI was in the hospital for coughing up blood before you guys were born. And I had to have Shuichi sneak food in for me cuz what they serve here is horrible." Kaoru sighed heavy again which made Yuki laugh out loud.He took his son's hand in his own once more " I'm going to get the others now, ok? Beware of Tatsuha's wrath, he's ready to kick your ass for scaring us like that. I love you. " He kissed Kaoru's cheek and left the room.

Eiri walked back to the waiting room with a big smile on his face.He wasn't completely convinced that this wasn't his fault, but he felt a little better,He was so glad Shuichi knew him so well. He entered the waiting room " You can go now" he said . He glanced over to Shuichi who had Meiko in his arms chatting away. Shuichi smiled at him , Yuki just nodded.


"Ha, all triple straights"

" Aw man"

" Damn Keisuke, for someone who's never played mahjong, you're damn good."

Keisuke smiled. " I guess I'm just lucky." Naoya snorted " Yeah well lose the luck. I'm a sore loser." Keisuke chuckled.

" Pass me a beer, Kei" Ichi said as he chugged down the rest of his second can of beer .

" Do you really think you should drink this much" Keiichi said handing him his third can of the evening.

Soshi snorted. " The boy's a lush. He can drink for hours on end and he wont get drunk. Unlike you might I remind " He smirked.

" Keisuke you have got to see Kei drunk. It's hilarious."

"Yeah." Shin agreed. " After like two drinks the dude starts hitting on everyone he sees. "

" Excuse me, I only hit on people that I like thank you very much." Keiichi said blushing.

" I'm flattered, Kei. I didnt know that you liked me in that way " Soshi said with a smirk

" Hitting on you was an accident. You just so happened to get in my way of a cute chick. Don't let it get to your head. "

" Whatever you say, man" " Shut up"

Hey, I'm done with mahjong. Let's do something else." Naoya suggested pushing his tiles to the center of the table. " And what do you suggest genius" " I dunno. Anything. And will you turn that shit off, Ichi! No offence Keisuke. " Naoya said turning to Keisuke. "None taken. I'm kinda sick of it myself. I mean I do hear it all the time at home."

"C'mon man, I dont wanna turn it off. It's Bad Luck" Ichi whined. " If you don't turn it off I'll break it " Shin said leaning back into his chair.Ichi rushed off to turn off the stereo that had been on full blast since they entered. " Ok,ok" he knew Shin was a man of his word.

Without Bad Luck blasting in the background, It was quite silent. " Sooooo..." Soshi said looking around at his friends. "I dunno . We're celebrating Keisuke's birthday, right? So then why don't we find out a lttle more about him. " " Yeah" Ichi agreed. " About him, Ichi, not Shindou-san. " Ichi's face fell.

" So, Keisuke" Soshi began. " What do you like to do, or whatever? Where do you go to school?" Keisuke smiled. " I like to write and stuff and I go to Shinsen High school."

" That's the best private school in Tokyo." Keiichi said

Keisuke nodded. " My dad insisted that we went to that school.Though I think he's regretting that now since he's met my principal and realized how much of a moron he is " Keisuke chuckled.

" I bet you're really popular" Naoya said with a smirk

Keisuke shook his head. "Not really. I mean, I guess I am to an extent but everyone's just phony. Just trying to get closer to my dad's. Guys, girls teachers. Then they talk shit behind my back about my family and then act as though they never said it. Then you get the bold ones that just dont like me, for whatever reason and they'll talk shit to my face. My brother is way more popular than I am. People dont dare say anything to him because he'll kick their ass in a heart-beat. "

" Damn, that sucks ass " Ichi said taking another drink of his beer.

" So supposedly you have a twin, right? Are you guys identical" Keisuke shoock his head again. " Nuh-uh. We're faternal. He looks like my dad. I look like pop. " " Huh?" All the guys at the table asked looking confused. " Dad is Yuki-san and pop is Shindou-san. " Keiichi said clearing the air. " Oh" they all said in unison.

" So what's your brother like?" Soshi asked

" Loud, obnoxious and stupid. But he's real nice, way nicer than I am, and fun." " So how many siblings do you have?"Shin asked " Two. I also have a sister."

"Oh yeah, a sister" Naoya said with a glint in his eyes.

Keisuke laughed." Calm down, she's only eleven. " Naoya stoped smiling " Oh" . Everyone laughed. " So what was it like growing up with to famous gay parents" ' Why does everyone ask this question? ' Keisuke shrugged. " We're normal. Except for the fact that when we go out we have crazy people with cameras follow us around. Both of our parents are completely different . My dad doesnt let us get way with anything, while pop lets us get away with everything. Pop is more of the caring, motherly type while dad is more of the strict one.I guess that's the closest thing to a mother and father we have. Most familys are like that, it's just both my parents happen to be dudes." Keisuke shrugged again.

"What do you want to be when you leave high school? Do you want to be famous like you dads?" Ichi asked

" Hell no..I hate fame . It's annoying. But unfortunetly, if I go through with the career that I want, it will be unavoidable.Especially since I'm the child of Eiri Yuki and Shuichi Shindou. "

" Well what do you want to do?" Naoya asked

"I hope to be a novelist like my dad. "

" What! What about the music!" Ichi said sounding

" Nah thats ok. To me being a rockstar is too much fame. Before my parents married,my dad was really famous but he wasnt that recognizable unless you've read one of his books. But because pop is a rockstar, everything is based on being seen. So he's way more recognizable. You constantly see him on t.v. and in videos, it's hard not to know who he is. I dont want that. I'd go crazy. I'll leave that profession to my brother and sister. They want to be the rockstars. "

" So have you written a novel yet?"

" Nah I havn't written anything long enough yet" Keisuke said shaking his head. the room fell silent once again.

" Hey, I don't want to bring it up but, your brother is in the hospital right?" Shin asked. Keisuke's head fell. He nodded." Look since we havnt given you anything, why dont we take you to go see him" Keisuke shook his head. " I'm not so sure that's a good idea. My parents are probably really pissed at me for running away."

" LookI dunno why you left and i'm not gonna ask you why. But I'm sure you want to see him, right? I mean he is your twin. Am I right?" Keisuke couldn't deny the fact that he wanted to see his brother more than anything. To make sure he was ok. He nodded. " Alright then. As a present from all of us, we're all going to help you sneak into the hospital to see your brother. " Keisuke's heart skipped a beat . ' Are they serious? ' " Yeah" Soshi agreed " This will be our present to you." He smiled. Keisuke couldnt help but smile back . He was going to get to see his brother. " Ok "

" Well, what the hell are we waiting for!" Ichi said suddenly standing. " Let's go"

" Well, it's " Keiichi looked at his watch " 10:37 "

" Alright,let's go. This should be extra points on my Karma." Naoya said" I should warn you all." Keisuke said " Most likely my uncle sent pop's manager to secure the entrances. It will be very VERY hard to get it " " It's alright " Shin reassured " If they bother us i'll take them out " he flexed his muscles. " Uh...I don't think..." " Calm down Keisuke " Keiichi said cutting him off and putting his arm around Keisuke's shoulders and guiding him to the door. " We'll be fine." Keisuke sighed " Ok, butI warned you "

"Alright boys!" Ichi yelled pulling out his car keys " Operation ' Let Keisuke See His Brother as a Brithday Present From Us' is under way "

Soshi snatched the keys out of Ichci's hand "I think I'll drive " he said " We're going to visit someone in the hospital. We don't want to end up as patients" he opened the door and left. Ichi shrugged and followed suit. " This is gonna be fun " Naoya said smirking and following Ichi and Soshi. Keiichi followed suit and then noticed Keisuke wasnt walking. " Are you ready?" he asked sounding concered. Keisuke looked up from the ground and smiled " Yeah, I'm ready"

End of Chapter 7


Ok thats the end of Chapter 7. Did you like? Did I make you think Kaoru was dead? HAHAHA Like I'd kill my little Kaoru. He's my fav character.I know this chapter isnt as action filled or anything but it is finished lol I didn't want it to suck too much that's why I took my time. But I might have failed at that lol. Sorry Yuki for making you cry so much. I like seeing this side of Yuki though. It shows he's human. Please review and tell me what youthought of this chapter. They help me to go on and inspire me so WRITE! lol

Kenshin's soul : Yes I have seen Kenshin before. I like it but I much prefer Samurai X. Fantastic show! No I didn't get the names from Kenshin either. Megumi came from...i don't remember lol , My sister calls my lil bro Kenji for some odd reason and I really like that name, and Kaoru is a unisex name, atleast from what I've seen.In Ai Yuri Aoshi the lead boy's name is Kaoru and in Pretear Himeno's dad is named Kaoru. That's where I got the name from. Himeno's step-mom always says " Hey Kaoru" to her husband and it sounds cute lol. The name Kanai i got from Saiyuki.Hakkai's Girlfriend/sister was named Kanan but I thought that sounded too grown-up so i changed it a bit to Kanai. I think Kanan is a beautiful name. The name Soshi I got from episode 1 he was the guy playing cards with Gojyoand then changed into a demon lol . Naoya came fromSelfish Love,a yaoi comic I just bought ( which is great by the way lol).And the name Keiichi came from another Yaoi comic I bought this week called 'Golden Cain' (another great book lol)And think thats it lol I dont exactly know why I told you where the names come from , but i did lol Thanks for the review.

Well the next chapter the boys try to sneak into the hospital. Kaoru wakes up and Keisuke and Keiichi build a friendship. I dont exactly know when this chappie will be up. This is an unexpected chapter because I finished this chapter with this ending on a whim lol so all the other chapters have been pused back to make room for this new unexpected one. I dont know when it wil be up cuz Im going away next weekend to record. But dont fret, I will be writting Chapter 8 (along with songs. gods my eyes are gonna kill me lol) while i'm away. Thanks for reading.

There are also two one shotsI wrote this weekto go with this fic." Tour Torture" and " Double Trouble Terrible 2's" Read 'em and tell me whatcha think. I like writing those lol

Until next time...