Title: Crossroads
Part: Chapter 1 – How Things Went Wrong

Author: Kazelei
Disclaimer: Do Not Own Any of the Characters
Pairing: SenRu
Genre: Angst

A/N: Okay, sorry for the long, long delay. Got busy with school work. So, here's chapter one…

Chapter 1 – How Things Went Wrong

He was shocked. He followed him with his gaze. He wanted to talk to him but he never looked back to his direction again.

'If you only knew' his mind said. He stood by the door, watching him march gracefully at the aisle of the church.

Flashback

He was so drained of strength that time. He over played at the court. He was so bored waiting for Akira so he played basketball alone. But he stressed out himself and so he couldn't stand nor walk himself. Good thing, someone came and assisted him. From afar, the two men looked like lovers spending a pleasant walk in the arms of each other.

Walking at the sidewalk near the court, a car speed up past the two men which nearly hit Kaede's companion if not for his companion's fast response to move aside.

Kaede stayed rooted on the ground. He couldn't move now.

"Hey! What's the matter?" his companion asked noticing Kaede's features turning paler.

"A..ki..ra. He saw us, he's mad."

"Hey, don't worry, everything will be alright. We'll just have to talk to him. Tell him everything…Explain. He'll understand. I believe Akira's kind of thinking is not that narrow, right?"

'I hope so,' Kaede said in my mind.

The next day…

Kaede was on his way out of the grocery when suddenly two men arrested him. His grocery bags were thrown at the entrance of the grocery as the two men dragged him into the black car. Inside, he was blindfolded.

"Who are you? What do you want? Let me go!" as he tried to get out of the hold of his arrestors but to no avail his strength wasn't enough to fight them. He felt the car go up a slope and turn in a sharp curve then suddenly came to an abrupt stop.

He was dragged out of the car and his blindfold was also removed. He adjusted his eyes to the brightness of the light…He looked around him. They were in a deserted warehouse and he's not familiar with the place.

"Who are you?" he demanded from the man standing in front of him.

'This is probably their master…' he thought.

The man opened a brief case in front of him. In it is a big amount of money. "Take the money and leave my son!" The man ordered.

He was shocked. He knew that his boyfriend's father is against their relationship but he didn't expect things to go this worse. "I'm sorry? I don't get it…" he said hoping that this isn't happening.

"I said take the money and go! Don't ever meet up with my son again!" the man repeated.

Kaede couldn't really believe on what's happening.

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't think I can do what you're asking me to do…you can never buy love…you can never exchange money with love" he calmly stated.

"Ha! Why? Do you think my son is really taking you seriously? Think bastard! You're just one of his toys…Know what? You should thank me, I'm offering you more than the amount of money that you need to live a luxurious life and you are refusing it. What kind of brain do you have? You are nothing to him! Guys…" as he called out to his bodyguards, "teach him a lesson, will ya?"

Right away, four bunch of guys neared to him and took their chance to punch and kick him. One guy gave him an uppercut, another gave him a blow in the abdomen. Still another punched his chest which caused him a difficulty in his breathing. He was already kneeling on the ground then another guy stepped on his neck…He is wasted, he is already passing out but he still tried to stand up and gain consciousness.

Swaying as he stood up, he faced Akira's father, blood dripping on his face, his eyes full of hatred, "Do whatever you want to do but I will never leave Akira" he said with conviction.

"Really? Let's see. Guys, bring him out!" Akira's father ordered his men.

"I'm warning you boy, one wrong move and bang!" Akira's father continued and he acted as if he was shooting Kaede's head.

Kaede slightly frowned. 'He couldn't have used his own son as a black mail, right?' he asked himself.

Even if his eyes were in a blur, he tried to look at the person that one guy was taking out from the inside of the warehouse.

Just then, another car came along. Kaede directed his gaze towards it. 'Akira!' he thankfully breathed.

"Father! What is this!" he demanded, anger in his tone is detected.

"Oh, Akira, good thing you are here. You are here to witness the betrayal of your boyfriend." As his father smiled a devious one.

Akira was about to go to Kaede's side when his father's men prevented him.

"No son! Stay where you are!" his father commanded.

"Let Kaede go dad! I'm warning you! Why do you have to do these things?" Akira protested.

"Shut up Akira! Just wait and see. Do you think your boyfriend will fight for you if his real boyfriend is here and in my hands?"

Just then, one of the men of Akira's father brought out someone from the warehouse.

"Oniisan!" Kaede whispered to himself. His onii-san was there. Battered and full of blood. He wanted to go and hug his oniisan but then he couldn't. He was held by two strong muscled men. He looked at Akira. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were pleading, asking for help from Akira.

"Now Kaede Rukawa! Choose!" Akira's father commanded him.

"My son or your boyfriend?" as one guy was pointing a gun to his oniisan's head.

Kaede just looked at Akira's father. His eyes full of hatred. The fire of anger can be seen in his blue eyes. 'Son or boyfriend? Don't you know? You are referring to only one person!'

"Kaede?" Akira asked him.

Kaede just stood there eyes directed nowhere. Tears were blurring his vision. He was already crying and he can feel his heart constricting but he tried to calm himself.

He then slowly turned his direction to Akira.

"Akira, I…" he swallowed the lump in his throat. Akira's father had his gaze directed to Kaede. Sending the message…'one wrong move and…'

All the while Kaede thought, he would be the one to be killed. It never crossed his mind that Akira's father would involve his one and only kin.

He was really mad at Akira's father.

Kaede looked directly into Akira's eyes. He was pleading for help and understanding.

"Decide now Kaede Rukawa! I'm running out of patience!" Akira's father shouted.

He even shot a gun whose bullet almost hit Kaede's oniisan.

"On my count, one, two, three!"

"No!" Kaede shouted.

"Don't!" and he ran towards his oniisan.

"Kaede?" Akira asked not believing with what Kaede had just did.

'So its true. I've seen both of you yesterday! Happy, contented. I've never known that you could betray me! Dammit Kaede! I thought you love me!' Akira said in his mind.

"Does that mean you are choosing your boyfriend over my son?"

Kaede couldn't do anything. He loves Akira but he couldn't bear to lose the only kin that he has.

"He slowly looked at Akira, tears running down his face. I'm sorry Akira but I don't love you. Your father is right, you deserve someone better than me" he said.

Upon hearing those words, Akira felt his world shatter into pieces. Not able to control his disappointment, he went back to his car and drove away from the dreaded place.

While, Akira's father was left laughing together with his men.

"Tsk…tsk…I told you boy, I can manipulate whoever I want to Akira's father laughed as he ordered his men to depart.

Kaede was left in the warehouse together with his oniisan.

He hugged his oniisan as he was kneeling at the ground crying on what fate has done to him.

"Kaede, why'd you do that? Now, Akira's really mad at you."

Kaede sobbed and in between sobs…"I couldn't bear to lose you oniisan. I Love You. You're the only family I have" then he passed out.

A week after the incident, Kaede decided to talk to Akira. He has been reaching for Akira through his cellphone but Akira's not answering his call. Either Akira would cancel his call or switch off his cellphone.

He then concluded that Akira was mad at him and he was banned in Akira's life. He still tried reaching out but to no avail, Akira ignored him. And exactly after seven days of trying to reach out to Akira, he heard the news, Akira's getting married with the only child of the owner of one of the multinational companies in Japan.

He was shocked at the news. He never expected this. According to the news, the bride and the groom met and were acquainted sometime last month, they fell in love and decided to get on to the family life. Kaede couldn't believe what he's reading. Crying, he threw the news paper into the trash can.

End of Flashback

t.b.c