"Wha-?" asked Shuichi groggily as he came round. He forced his eyes open and saw darkness again. Oh crap, not the bag again. Then a pale shape, the moon maybe, came into view. No, it wasn't the moon, but he was outside; he could feel a cold breeze on his skin. The pale shape became a face. A pale face with blond hair and a worried expression. "Yuki," he breathed.

"Shuichi, you're awake," he said with a slight sigh of relief.

Shuichi realized why he was looking up at the sky. Yuki was holding him like a child. He was in Yuki's arms, pressed to the older man's chest, one strong arm under his knees, the other supporting his shoulders.

"What happened?" Shuichi whispered.

"It's all over; it's all Okay."

"Hiro and K?"

"Fine, they went off home together," said Yuki.

"Toge-?" asked Shuichi, his wooziness slurring away the end of the word.

"Don't worry about it. We're going home now; we're almost to my car." His voice was soothing and Shuichi felt his eyes drifting shut again. "Shuichi!" The voice was sharp and almost fearful now.

"Eh?" he mumbled.

"Nothing," muttered Yuki.

Shuichi felt himself being placed in the back of a car and heard the door being closed. Another door opened and closed. A seat belt clicked and the engine revved. The car moved off.

Shuichi felt himself drifting in and out of consciousness on the drive and then they were in Yuki's parking garage. He was lifted back out of the back of the car. He saw the flickering of the florescent lights and cringed.

"What is it?" asked Yuki.

It took Shuichi a moment to realize why the place was upsetting him.

"ASK," he breathed when he remembered.

"Ah," said Yuki in a low voice.

They rode up in the elevator to Yuki's apartment in silence and when Yuki carried Shuichi into the dark room the silence felt somehow safe. Yuki laid him down on the sofa and left him, but returned in moments with a blanket.

"Just sleep it off, Okay?" he said quietly.

"Hiro?" Shuichi asked blurrily.

"Tomorrow," said Yuki sternly. "I'll tell you everything when you wake you and we can deal with anything that needs to be dealt with then."

"'Kay."

"I'm going to call Hiro and tell him you're alright. Get some sleep."

Like I can do anything else, Shuichi thought before loosing consciousness again.

If he had been more with it, Shuichi would have thought how considerate and un-Yuki-like calling Hiro was. It would have pleased him, but he was not with it enough to process everything Yuki said.

The next morning, Shuichi felt sort of like he had a hangover only most of his headache was in one part of his head.

"How do you feel?" asked Yuki, startling Shuichi.

"Eh? Not so bad," he said smiling slightly.

Yuki was getting up from where he'd been sitting on the floor with his back against the sofa that Shuichi had been sleeping on.

"My head hurts here," Shuichi said, raising his hand to the place and feeling clotted blood. "Ah, that would be why."

"Yeah, you might want to get that look at. Anything else?"

"You're so concerned," noted Shuichi.

"Would you rather I wasn't?" asked Yuki coolly.

"No," said Shuichi dreamily.

"Well then, what else is wrong with you?"

"Well," said Shuichi sitting up slowly and taking a quick inventory of his body. "I'm exhausted, I'm dizzy, I feel pretty weak, but I couldn't be happier." He gazed blissfully at Yuki for a long moment. "Should I call Hiro?" he asked randomly.

"That would probably make him happy."

Shuichi fumbled for his phone, but he was still in the outfit Hiro had put him in and, as far as he knew, Hiro had his other pants and therefore his phone.

"Here," said Yuki, smirking and handing Shuichi his phone.

"Thanks," Shuichi muttered, blushing slightly as he dialed Hiro's number.

"Yuki-san?" asked Hiro after only the first ring. There was fear in his voice. Clearly he thought Yuki was calling to tell him that Shuichi had taken a turn for the worse.

"Hiro, it's me," said Shuichi.

"Shuichi!"

"Hey, how are you?"

"I'm fine. Ow! What about you?"

"You don't sound fine," said Shuichi as sternly as he could.

"I just, uh, sat on something." Shuichi could hear low laughter in the background.

"Who's there? Where are you?" he asked.

"You still haven't answered my question," said Hiro quickly. Shuichi heard scratching sounds as if Hiro were covering the mouthpiece to say something to whomever he was with.

"I'm alright, a little dizzy, really tried, but I'll be fine. I mean, my hair's still full of blood, but that'll come out." He shrugged.

"Oh Shuichi, ever the optimist."

"What? You don't think it'll come out?" asked Shuichi confused.

"Shut up," Hiro snapped in annoyance.

"What did I-?" began Shuichi in a hurt voice.

"Not you, Shuichi, sorry. Listen, I've gotta run, but I'm glad you're feeling better. Take care of yourself, Okay?"

"Okay, I'll see you later then?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll swing by and see you if I can."

"Cool and bring me my pants, would you?" asked Shuichi as he remembered why he didn't have his phone.

"Do you know how dirty that-?"

"Hiro! You and your sick mind! My phone is my pants' pocket, Okay? Just bring my me stuff from last night or whenever that was."

"Sure, sure, I'll see you, Shuichi."

"Alright, bye."

"Bye."

Shuichi handed Yuki back his phone.

"He says he might come by with my stuff later," said Shuichi. "I wonder who he was with."

Yuki cocked an eyebrow as if to say "don't you know?" but said nothing.

"So what happened last night after I passed out?" asked Shuichi.

"Well, I picked you up and told Yūko I was taking you home and that if she or anyone remotely connected to her ever got near you again I would personally see to it that they would regret it." Shuichi saw the flash of death in Yuki's eyes and had to suppress a shudder. "I started to go and, of course, she tried to stop me, I told her that if she knew what was good for her, she'd find some docile, willess worm and marry him because I intended never to see her again. Then I gave her back her stupid ring, which she had given to me to give to her, confusing, yes I know," he said at the look on Shuichi's face, "and then I got you out of there."

"What about Hiro and K and Suguru?" asked Shuichi.

"Hiro and K went off together, I guess the kid just slipped out," said Yuki with a shrug.

"Hiro and K?" asked Shuichi, not sure what Yuki was implying or if he even wanted to know.

Yuki shrugged.

"That would explain who he was with..."

Shuichi knew there was still one lose end and it was driving him mad. What was it? Then it hit him.

"What about Tohma?" he said with more venom in his voice then Yuki had ever heard there before.

"What about him?" asked Yuki, sounding ever so slightly uncomfortable.

"This is all his fault," pressed Shuichi, remembering Yuki's words from the night before. "Are you just gunna let him off the hook?"

"Well, I thought not screwing up your record deal might be a nice welcome home present."

"You know the only reason he hasn't ditched us is you!"

"Are you complaining?" asked Yuki sharply.

"No," mumbled Shuichi.

"Look, I'll, uh, talk to him, alright?" said Yuki.

"Okay."

"You should probably eat something and then we can get your head looked at."

"Okay," said Shuichi again, basking in Yuki's sudden affection. Maybe I should get kidnapped and hurt more often, it seems to have a good effect on him, mussed Shuichi. But then again, he never used to care when I got hurt. And I'm always getting hurt. Stupid walls!

--

This is very OOC for Yuki, but something good needed to happen to poor Shu-kun.