As Mika stalked through the door of her home, she saw Tohma in the hallway and confronted him. "Did you know Shindou and Eiri are engaged?" she asked, not beating around the bush, death in her eyes.

Tohma stared at his wife for a moment before it clicked, he'd forgotten to tell her with all of the commotion. He mentally slapped himself. "Y-yes..." He held his hands up. "But I seriously didn't mean to keep it from you!"

Mika walked into the kitchen, grabbed a beer out of the fridge, and sat heavily on the couch. "I never thought it'd happen," she said, searching her pockets for her cigarettes. Tohma gave relieved sighed when he saw that he wouldn't be attacked. "True, but I can't see anyone who fits Eiri better."

"I know, I think that's what pisses me off more than anything else," she said, lighting one of the evasive cigarettes.

Tohma sighed and went to the bedroom to change his clothes. "You should be happy for them."

"I know I should," she said to herself after Tohma had climbed the stairs. "But I don't know how I can be when I think Eiri's going to be disowned from our family?" She buried her face in her hands, an obvious sign of distress--which was a rare sight.

Tohma, meanwhile, threw his shirt on the floor and flopped back on the bed making a mental list of possible outfits he could change into and how to deal with Mika's over-the-top emotions.

Ryuichi knocked on Hiroshi Nakano's door. Hopefully it wasn't too early, and hopefully Hiro was there and not at the hospital. Hiro rubbed at his eyes as he trudged to the door. He'd been awake for five minutes and someone already wanted to see him; that was something only Shuichi did. He pulled the door opened and stared at Ryu for a minute. "Yes?"

"Hi, Hiro," he said cheerfully, yet nervously. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, you didn't." Hiro moved to the side. "Would you like to come in?"

"Thanks," he said, stepping gratefully over the threshold.

Hiro shut and locked the door. "So, what brings you here?"

"I was lonely," he said, as truthful as ever. "And I'm worried about Shu-chan." He gazed at Hiro. "Is he all right? And what about Yuki-san?"

"Shuichi's fine but unfortunately Eiri-"

"Oh no! Yuki-san's dead, isn't he?!" asked Ryuichi, showing his and Shuichi's shared trait of assuming the worst.

Hiro sighed. "No, actually, Eiri's much better then he was. I was just going to say that unfortunately he won't be released anytime soon due to a run in with death he had the other day."

"But...if he's alive, how can he be dead? I mean...Argh," he said, rubbing his head. "This is confusing."

"I mean he almost died, his heart stopped for a few minutes, scared the hell outta Shuichi, so they're keeping him longer than expected just in case."

"Oh." Ryuichi looked down. "Is he gonna make it, Hiro-san?" he asked, with a heart-melting look in his eyes.

"Of course he is. He'll be better in no time."

Ryuichi hugged Kumagoro and sighed in relief, then looked up at Hiro once more and smiled. "Thanks, Nakano-kun. I feel better."

"Glad I could help." Hiro smiled and shifted his weight to his other foot. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Uhh, sure, anything's good," he said.

Hiro turned and walked to the kitched for his morning coffee and tea for Ryuichi.

Later that day Ryuichi clung to Hiro's jacket as they drove up the driveway to the hospital on Hiro's brother's motorcycle. "I hope Shuichi likes his present," babbled the singer as he hopped off the bike, forgetting to remove his helmet.

Hiro placed his helmet on the back of the bike and stopped Ryuichi before he could get to far

"Hmm? Oh! The helmet! Kumagoro, why didn't you remind me? Sorry, Nakano-kun!" he said. He removed the helmet and set it on the back of the bike.

"That's quite alright." Hiro walked to the doors after Ryuichi removed the helmet.

Ryuichi dashed past Hiro and greeted the woman at the front desk with a huge smile. "Hi! We're here to see Shuichi Shindou!" he said cheerfully.

The woman was taken aback stightly at the man's hyperness and pointed down a hallway to the left. "Fifth door on the right. You can't miss it; he decorated it with rainbow construction paper."

"Okay! Thank you!" he cried, halfway down the hall already. He knocked on the door loudly and barged right in.

Shuichi was startled by Ryuichi's sudden entrance, then he recognized him. "Ryu-chan! Hi!"

"Hi, Shu-chan! Nakano-kun's here too!"

Shortly after the introduction Hrio marched through the door. "You could've waited for me." He held up a hand in greeting. "Hey Shu."

Ryuichi rubbed the back of his head. "Heh, sorry Hiro-kun," he said awkwardly. "I was just excited."

"Hiro!" Shuichi said with a grin.

"It's nice to see you too." Hiro sat down on the end of the bed, since he didn't want to be rude and take the only chair, that and the couch seemed too far away; he'd feel left out. Ryuichi, however, didn't seem to have any intention of sitting down. He was bouncing around the room, babbling about what had happened at work, and few people could have understood him--but few people were as hyper as Shuichi and Ryuichi. Hiro watched with mild interest, he didn't really need to listen since he'd been there, but it was amusing to see Ryuichi act it out.

Ryuichi finally ran out of things to say and sat down on the chair. "So how have things been here?"

"Boring as hell," he said promptly. "I'm glad you guys came to see me; I was so bored I decided to decorate the place."

Hiro looked around the now brightly colored room with the badly drawn pictures hanging on the walls. "I can see that." He looked to Ryuichi. "Didn't you get him a present or something?"

"Oh, right!" Ryuichi said brightly. He reached into his bag and pulled out a box with a bow on it. "Here you go! I figured you'd need company!"

Shuichi opened the box and saw a stuffed rabbit--it looked exactly like Kumagoro, only it was blue. He laughed with joy and pulled it out. "Look, Hiro!" he said excitedly.

Hiro stared at the plush friend for a minute. "It's cute Shuichi, why don't you name it if Ryuichi hasn't already?"

"I'll call him Koijini," said Shuichi happily. "Thanks, Ryu-chan!" Hiro shook his head and cracked the knuckles of his left hand, it was a bad habbit that he new would come back to bite him in the butt one day. "So...the doctors say anything more on Yuki's condition?"

"Yeah! There's a 98 chance he'll make it now!"

"That's great! I bet you're happy." Hiro looked to the door to Yuki's room only now noticing the noise of doctors in the other room.

"Yeah, I am! Those doctors have been there in a while," he added, noticing Hiro's glance at the door. "I bet they're almost done, if you...want to see him..." He said it before he remembered their slight bitterness toward one another.

"That's alright. He'll probably be too doped up on medication to really talk much anyway." Hiro crack the knuckes of his other hand. 'I really need to stop doing that.'

Ryuichi, however, had other plans. "Yeah, let's see how he's doing!" he said loudly. At the same time the door to Yuki's room could be heard opening and closing--the doctors were gone. Shuchi grinned. "Let's go! But I need help getting up."

Hiro pick himself up of the bed and offered his hand to Shuichi.

Taking it gratefully, Shuichi hoisted himself up, wincing, and smiled. "Thanks."

Ryuichi opened the door and was very quiet, quieter than was necassary if truth be told, but he didn't want to cause Yuki any harm in any way. In fact, he was very much like a child in a dying person's hospital room (Though, in spirit, that's really what he was).

Hiro sighed as he entered the room, the scent of alcohol and medicine filling his nostrils. "How does he stay in here?"

"I don't know; I've actually been wondering the same thing," said Shuichi matter-of-factly as he sat in his usual seat next to Yuki's bed. "Yuki," he whispered. "You awake? Ryuichi and Hiro are here."

Ryuichi looked at Yuki with a wide-eyed, concerned gaze. "How come you have to tell him you're here?"

"'Cause he can't see. It's brain damage or something," the pink-haired singer explained.

Hiro walked over to Ryuichi's side. "It's nothing to be concerned about, it's only temporary." Yuki snorted and rolled onto his side, he didn't really feel like talking at the moment, at least not to Hiro.

"Yuki," scolded Shuichi with a poke to Yuki's side. "Be nice."

"I am being nice." Now it was Hiro's turn to snort.

Shuichi sighed and looked at Hiro. "You too."

"Sorry." Hiro hid slightly behind Ryuichi. Yuki simply rolled into his back with a sigh.

Ryuichi sat on a different chair next to Shuichi. "Hi, Eiri-san, how are you feeling?" he asked, still bubbly.

"Drunk." Which in all honesty, he was. Hiro laughed a little at that.

Ryuichi cocked his head like a dog. "How are you drunk? They don't let you drink here, do they?"

Yuki shook his head. "No, but that's how taking medicine 24/7 makes you feel."

"Oh."

Shuichi looked at Yuki. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just tired."

"Oh...okay." Shuichi took Yuki's hand--the one that didn't have an IV in it.

Yuki smiled and closed his eyes. "Love you, angel." 'Angel' had gradually become Shuichi's pet name after the proposal. Hiro was shocked that Yuki was showing affection, whereas Ryuichi giggled madly and Shuichi blushed. "Love you too," he said, having not come up with a pet name...as of yet.

Hiro walked over to the door. "I'm going to go get some coffee from the cafeteria, do you want me to get you anything?"

Ryuichi shook his head. "Tohma says I'm not allowed to have coffee," he said.

"I'm not allowed either," Shuichi said glumly. "Not yet, anyway. You had to offer me some the day before they're gonna let me have it..."

What about food? I know you can't be deprived of that."

"The food here sucks," he said bluntly. "But I'll have a bagel or something."

"Hiro-kun, I'll come with you!" said Ryuichi happily, following him.

"Okay then." Hiro left the room and made his way to the elevator that would take them to the fifth floor, where the cafeteria was located.

Shuichi watched them leave then sighed. "Yuki, why are you and Hiro so...bitter toward each other?"

Yuki rolled over onto his side again so that he could face Shuichi, his eyes still closed. "Because we used to be rivals."

The singer quirked an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Yuki sighed and curled up under the blankets. "He loved you, I loved you, we used to compete for your attention."

"He WHAT?!"

"I do recall him telling you that at one point, so don't act surprised."

Shuichi blinked once...twice. "He never did."

Yuki sighed again. "Never mind, now you know, but seriously, don't act any different around him, it's probably gone and passed by now."

"Okay..."

Ryuichi bounced around the cafeteria as he waited for Hiro to get back with the food. Hiro paid for it and took a sip of his coffee, then tucked the bag that carried shuichi's bagel and a box of pocky each for Shuichi and Ryuichi under his arm and walked over to the hyperactive singer who almost tripped and old woman.

"Oh! Sorry!" called Ryuichi over his shoulder as he zoomed over to Hiro. "Hiya, Nakano-kun!"

Hiro put his coffee down and pulled a box of strawberry pocky out of the bag and handed it to Ryuichi. "Here."

Ryuichi took it. "Thanks," he said with a grin.

"Come on, let's go back!" exclaimed the singer, and with that he snatched Hiro's hand and pulled him toward the elevator.

Hiro snatched his coffee and let the singer drag him back to the elevator. "Where do you get all that energy from?"

"I don't know," said Ryuichi with another trademark smile. "Uhh, where do most people get energy?"

Hiro sighed. "Most people don't have the energy you have so I can only assume that you have a massive sugar supply."

"That makes sense," the hyperactive man replied with a serious nod.

They slowed their pace as they reached the elevator. Hiro pressed the down button and tapped his foot on the floor as he waited for the machine to kick up.

He looked to Ryuichi. "Why so serious?"

Ryuichi put his hands behind his head. "Well...Your band's not gonna suffer from this, is it? I mean, if I were in the hospital Tohma would be on my back every day telling me to get over it and come back to work, because he wouldn't want it to hurt the band. You guys aren't gonna go out of business...are you?"

Hiro shook his head. "No, we aren't. Shuichi should be out of here soon anyways; I wouldn't worry if I were you. Besides, it takes away some of the competition."

"Okay, good. I know you guys love music as much as me, Tohma, and Noriko-chan do."

Hiro smiled and looked away when the doors to the elevator opened. "So, how have you guys been doing? I don't get to see you that much when you're recording," he said as he walked into the elevator.

"We're doing great! As good as we were three years ago; better even!" Ryuichi said excitedly. "And, Tohma tells me that your sales are doing really good too! Congratulations! But..." he grinned. "Nittle Grasper isn't gonna let you off easy!"

"I should hope not; I'd be disappointed if you did." Hiro laughed slightly.

All the way back to the room Ryuichi babbled about music; he was like Shuichi in the aspect that he never ran out of things to say on this subject.

Hiro walked into Yuki's room where he Shuichi still was. He was right. His friend was still seated at the man's side right where he'd left him. "Here, Shu." Hiro tossed the bag containing the food to his friend.

"Thanks," said Shuichi, opening the bag. "Pocky! Hiro!" He glomped his friend. "Thanks, man!"

"Anytime." Hiro glanced at the clock above Yuki's bed and noticed how late it was getting. "It's getting late Shuichi, I'll see ya tomorow, okay?"

"Okay," said the pink-haired singer, a bit disappointed. "Bye, Hiro...Bye, Ryu-chan."

"Bye, Shuichi!" waved Ryuichi happily.

Hiro tossed his friend a smile. "See ya later." With that he walked out the door and down the hall. Ryuichi followed, not nearly as gracefully as Hiro had--reminding Shuichi forcibly of himself and Yuki.

"Hiro, I got Soul Calibur III for my Playstation 2; do you wanna come over and play it with me?" asked Ryuichi as they walked out of the hospital.

The Hessian: "Sure, why not?" 'There wont be much to do tomorrow at wrok anyway, since Shuichi wont be there.'

"Yay!" cheered the idol. He grabbed Hiro by the hand once more, dragging them down the hall at a faster pace.

Hiro nearly tripped through the exit as he was dragged out side. "Slow down you're gonna make us fall."

"Oh--sorry," said Ryuichi sheepishly. He slowed down.

"Thank you." Hiro slipped his helmet on when they got back to the motorcycle, got on and waited for Ryuichi to do the same. Said pop star hopped on, and, he clutched Hiro tightly by the waist. "Ready," he said.

That said Hiro pulled out of the parking lot and drove off. "Mind giving me directions to your house?"

"Yeah--turn here." he said promptly.

Hiro pulled into the driveway and pur his foot on the ground to steady the motocycle as Ryuichi got off.

As he did so, the singer remembered to remove his helmet this time and continued with mindless chatter about things that are not particularly important enough to mention.

Hiro sighed and took of his own helmet and removing himself from the bike. He looked up at the middle class house, in all honesty he'd expected Ryuichi to own an upperclass home with little fuzzy animals running around the place, not a house, in a realatively normal neighborhood, with a very nutral, very white paint job.

Ryuichi ran up the front walk, stopping every now and then for Hiro to catch up. Though it was not a very fancy house, the front walk was pretty long and the front yard was big. Immediately upon his entry a kitten scrambled its way up the pop star's body until it rested, purring, on his head. He laughed. "Hiya, Kuro!" he cooed, reaching up to scratch the animal behind its ear.

Hiro walked in shortly after Ryu, closed the door and stared at the cat with a slight glare. "You have a cat?"

"Yeah! Wanna hold her?"

Hiro took a step back, he already felt his lungs getting that heavy feeling. He shook his head frantically. "N-no thanks." It wasn't that he didn't like cats, he loved cats and they loved him, but he had a serious, if not embarassing, allergy problem when it came to felines.

"You're not scared, are ya? She's just a li'l kitten."

Hiro held his breath for a moment to prevent himself from coughing on both the innocent kitten and its owner. "It's not that, it's just...well..." 'I cough and wheeze, and hack, and can turn a rather odd shade of red when I'm around cats.'

"Well...?"

"I'm allergic." Hiro blushed. He really, really, really loved cats, and he'd begged his mom to get him one as a child, but she'd told him that it was either the cat or his health. He'd quit asking after that.

"Oh." Ryuichi put the cat down, then when she started trying to claw her way back up his leg he lifted her back onto his head. "So am I...but Noriko-chan gave me medicine for it."

Hiro nodded. "I have medicine for it as well, but I haven't known anyone who owned a cat for so long that I haven't had the need to take it."

"You want some of mine?"

Hiro looked at the kitten that was nested in Ryuichi's hair. "Sure..."

"Okay!" At light speed the man zoomed up the stairs, snatched a bottle of the medicine from the cabinet, and darted back down, in about ten seconds.

The amazing thing was, the cat was still on his head.

"Here ya go."

Hiro blinked once, twice. "How do you do that?" He took the offered medicine and nodded his head in thanks.

"Do what?" asked Ryuichi as he ran equally fast into the kitchen for water.

Hiro shook his head "Nothing...So...do you live by yourself, or with your lover?"

"Lover? I don't have a lover," Ryuichi replied. "Lots of people have asked that, though."

"Oh." Hiro bit his lip. "Sorry. I just assumed..."

The singer shrugged. "It's okay. But anyway, didn't we come here to play Soul Calibur? Let's go!" Hiro's poor, defenseless hand was once more grabbed and dragged, this time in the direction of Ryuichi's room. "Here we are!" he shouted excitedly, and opened the door to reveal a purple room with posters of Nittle Grasper everywhere, and actually a few Bad Luck posters between them.

"Wow." Hiro wasn't expecting that at all. Yes, he was expecting the Nittle Grasper posters, but Bad Luck?

"Yeah, I know, there're enough posters in here to make wallpaper," giggled Ryuichi.

Hiro nodded his consent and sat on the end of the bed. "We gonna play or what?"

"Yeah," said Ryuichi. He began scanning the large pile of PlayStation 2 games for the elusive video game. "Here it is!" he said joyfully, popping it into the console and turning it on.

Hiro picked the controller for the second player up off the floor and waited for the game to load. He looked at Ryuichi who was bouncing in place like he had to go to the bathroom...then again, he always did that.

After a few rounds of the game, Ryuichi paused it. "I'm thirsty," he announced. "Want some tea while I'm up?"

"Please." Hiro flopped back on the bed and rubbed his eyes which were sore from staring at the screen.

The singer cheerfully hopped off the bed and, grabbing Kumagoro, skipped (Yes, he skipped) down the hall, down the steps and to the kitchen where he busied himself making tea. The moment he heard the kettle boil he snatched it and set it on a tray alongside two cups. Once the tea leaves were in the cups he grabbed two spoons and a bowl of sugar, just in case, and finally headed upstairs.

Ryuichi walked into the room holding the tray of tea grandly--before tripping over the PlayStation cord and falling--directly on top of Hiro. And...

Their lips were touching.

A/N: I know, I'm a horrible, evil, cliffhanger-leaving person! sob I'm sorry, but this chapter was already WAY too long and that was the best way to end it! Gomen nasai! bow