Shusei was having a hard time getting time alone to work on his project. He had taken to telling the others that he was working on things for Takashiro so that they wouldn't bother him. He had used a fake headache 3 times in the last 2 weeks and Hotsuma was starting to catch on. He had to find a way to work on his assignment in peace so that the others, especially his partner, didn't find out about it.

After 3 weeks of dodging questions and sneaking around he finally asked the music teacher to help him so that he could continue his work.

"Usui-kun, you are more than welcome to work on your project here. I will give you a copy of the room key and you can come and go as you please until the projects are due. You just need permission to stay late by yourself."

"That won't be a problem Sensei, if it is for school I can stay." Shusei knew that he would have to skirt the issue and just state that it was for a project and that he would be late for the next few weeks.

Shusei grabbed the key and left the room. Now he just needed to casually let the others know so that he could be alone. As he was losing himself trying to decide what to say he ran head on into a hard surface. When he looked up from where he had fallen he saw he ran into Hotsuma.

"Hey I was looking for you. You need to be more careful." Hotsuma said as he helped his partner off the ground.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought."

"What were you think about? You have been MIA these past few weeks, there isn't anything wrong is there? Does it have to do with the jobs Takashiro is having you do?"

"No, I am fine, there isn't anything wrong. I just got a final project in one of my classes so I will be staying late for the next few weeks working on it."

"Well, I'll stay with you and then we can walk home together."

"NO… I mean no, I will have a group I am working with and I don't know how long we will be working each night and so I will ask Takashiro to send a car for me so that you don't have to wait so long and be bored." Shusei hoped that he recovered from his outburst well enough no to raise any flags.

"Hmmm, Ok but let me know if you need me to stay I don't mind waiting on you."

"I know, thanks, but really, I will be fine." Shusei smiled at his partner.

The next week Shusei stayed in the music room. He was almost though with the composition and needed to work on the lyrics that would accompany it. This was going to be the hard part. The emotions he felt just writing the composition were wearing him out, but the lyrics he actually had to put a voice to what he wanted to say in his heart.

As he started writing, his cell went off.

"Hey where are you?" Hotsuma's voice on the other side asked.

"At school working on my project."

"Well I am at the school. I had um… some things to do as well… I thought I would wait for you today. I looked in your class and in the library but didn't see anyone else. Where are you at and I will come there."

"No, um I will meet you out front. The others just left so I was about to pack it in." Shusei said in a hurry, quickly packing all of his belongings in his bag and locking the music room. He took the long way from the music room so that you couldn't tell that was where he came from. As he walked to the front he saw Hotsuma looking around for him.

"Jeez, where have you been? I was about to look all over the school. What kind of project is this and where were you?" Shusei knew Hotsuma was starting to become suspicious of him staying at school so long, but he really didn't want to have everyone know about his talent or know that the subject of the project he was working on was his partner.

"Oh well you know research into school affairs and things. Today we met with the principal and some of the other teachers." Shusei hid his eyes. Hotsuma would know he was lying if he looked into his eyes. He really hated lying to his best friend.

"Hmph… fine, let's go home."

Back at the mansion the two boys ate dinner and Hotsuma not wanting to let Shusei continue to hide things followed him to his room.

"I'm staying here tonight. Do you need to do any homework?" Hotsuma grabbed Shusei's bag and went to open it.

"NO, umm no. I don't have any homework. Let's uh go take a bath and then go to bed." Shusei was trying to find something that would divert his partner's attention from his school bag.

"Really? You're going to bathe with me?" Hotsuma was shocked and now really wanted to know what Shusei was hiding from him to go as far as to bathe together.

"Um, well, s-sure. Why don't you go ahead and I'll meet you there?"

"Nah that's cool. I'll wait for you so grab your things."

Shusei was beyond nervous, they had discussed his scars and Hotsuma seemed more at ease with them, but he still hadn't seen them fully and he was worried the guilt would reflect in his eyes again.

Both men stepped into the empty bathroom and divested themselves of their clothes. Hotsuma climbed in and stared at the trembling man with his back turned. Shusei quickly turned and climbed in, he shyly looked up from the water to see Hotsuma looking not at his scars, but at his eyes. As soon as he saw that there was no guilt in those golden eyes only concern tears started to roll down his cheeks.

"Hey, Shusei don't cry. If you hate it this much we don't have to bathe together." Hotsuma stated worried about his partner.

"No, I… I'm glad. I was so worried you would be upset over my scars again. I didn't want to keep hiding them from you." Shusei looked up with a watery smile. Hotsuma closed the distance and held his partner close.

"You don't have to hide anything from me. Please don't hide from me anymore." Shusei sniffed and relaxed into the blonde's embrace. For the first time since the incident he felt completely at ease.