So first off, I want to apologize. I am well aware that I have attempted to upload this story at least twice, I believe. I just was NOT satisfied about how it turned out. But I have made adjustments and the what-not, and I wont be taking this story down any more. Well, at least not this chapter.

Second, I don't own anything. I just have wicked fantasies about the persons characters.

Third, please enjoy this newer version.

Ayase Yukiya sighed as he walked home with Homare-Kuba from his tiring day at the university. He had finally talked Kanou-San to let him walk home, saving himself the embarrassment of being picked up in an over-priced foreign vehicle. In exchange, he would have to tell him everything that happened in school today, and who knew what might happen next…Perhaps he would be able to stall enough to distract Kanou-San and make him focused on something else while he tried to get away. He thought for a while, then, suddenly, an idea struck him, his eyes widening at the thought.

"Kuba-San, a-ano, that is…Could we go to the convenience store? There is something I would like to pick up. I know Kanou-San said to come strait home, but…..I wanted to get this thing. E-eto….Can we...Please?" Asked Ayase, his blue eyes pleading. Homare looked at him and sighed. It was practically impossible to say no to those eyes, even if Shachou was the one who would get angry.

"Ok, but I am telling the Boss about this when we get back. Let's hurry." He said looking down at the Ayase, sighing. As they made their way to the store, their footfalls clapped loudly on the street , echoing off the walls of the buildings around them.

Ayase and Homare were greeted by the clerk at the register counter, and told where to get the things Ayase needed. After carrying to many things at once and almost dropping them, Kuba helped out. After what seemed like fifteen minutes, they finally bought and bagged all the items Ayase wanted. Carrying the brown paper bag in his small arms, they left the store.

On the way out, Ayase heard a shout and some grunting from the alley way on the side of the store. He glanced around, expecting someone also to hear it, but no one was around.

"K-Kuba-San….." He stuttered grabbing his sleeve. Violence scared him, and he hated it. Another shout was heard and then a scream, but it sounded like it got cut off.

The sounds were getting to him, making him remember the days filled with dread, and driving him crazy, from getting lost in a bad place in Tokyo. He had seen a person get jumped by a gang and tried to help, only to be dragged in and beat right along with the guy who was getting beat up himself. He was hurt so bad, he could hardly move, and the person he had tried to help had stolen his wallet. So even if he could of moved and gotten out of there, he would have still needed to walk home. It was also raining that day. He remembered that, somehow, he had managed to crawl himself to the side of the rode when an old lady and her husband had seen him and given him a ride to the hospital. He had to stay there and recover from the beating he took for at least a week. But he couldn't recover in the hospital properly because of the trauma of his parents deaths in the same hospital. The whole prospect of it had given him nightmares for almost two months afterward. Ayase was hyperventilating, but still trying to keep calm, his hands clenching the brown paper bag in his arms.

"…..Kuba-San…..C-can you….Can you do something? Please…" His eyes were tearing up and Homare couldn't say no to that, either. Not those pleading, crying eyes.

"The boss is going to kill me for this." He muttered. Homare walked around to where the grunts were coming from, and saw about four people. Three male and one female, who was the obvious one being attacked. She was on the ground gagged, tears running down her face. Her long blond hair was plastered to her face, covered in sweat and dirt. Ayase ran back inside of the store and asked the man an the counter to hold his groceries for him, who confusedly agreed, then ran back out to follow Kuba.

Although Kuba and Ayase were unheard while approaching, the woman had seen them and let a strangled cry out, her body shuddering in what little cloths she had left on, which were in tatters. Her skin was scraped and bruised, and randomized cuts covered her body, her legs and arms bleeding. Then out of nowhere, one of the men spoke up. He and one other man had knifes, and the other had a pistol, aimed at the woman.

"You think that we would just…Let you get away after witnessing what happened last night? Well if you did, you were dead wrong. We'll make sure you are shut up and never speak of this to anyone, and if you do, we'll just do this to you again….And worse." The man with a knife said.

"Yes, that's right, so in order to shut you up, we are going to play with you, and if you try to get away, or got to police, we will just hunt you down and KILL you, got it?" Said the man with the gun, and then they all laughed as she struggled against the binds that kept her from getting way, more tears leaking down the side of her face. She made out another strangled cry.

Ayase, pressed up against a wall, was shuffling along side Kuba, making his way to the corner of the wall when he tripped on one of the many glass beer bottles that were strewn about the street. The noise rang out and echoed off the walls, causing the attackers on the other side of the wall to jump.

It was then that Kuba decided to act, after cursing darkly underneath his breath. Coming out from behind the corner, he grabbed the arm one of the guys with a knife and threw him into the wall of the alley, causing the man's head to crack up against it, the knife falling from the grunts hand. His eyes were glazed and distant giving the explanation that he was knocked out cold.

He then went after the other man with the gun.

Ayase hurried over to the woman and untied the gag that was restraining her. She looked around like a frightened little girl.

"D-don't worry, Kuba-San and I will make sure you are saved." He said gently and calmly, though truthfully he was very frightened to the point of vomiting. He was quickly untying her hands and feet, when the other man with a knife came after them. The intent in his eyes was as clear as day...Get rid of all witnesses.

He was coming toward them the knife in his hand outstretched before him, raising his arm higher, getting ready, to stab. He swung. Ayase had found himself moving to coveer the woman from the knife with his small, trembling body. The knife was moving closer to them.

'This isn't happening in slow motion.' Ayase thought. 'This is all happening really fast, I don't understand...You know that moment where, right before your brain register the pain vibes sent from your body, you can feel the texture of the object that you get hurt with? It's disgusting.' Ayase thought as he asked himself the question.

But he didn't have to ask himself. As soon as he had though the question, the feeling of the cold rigid edged knife that sliced itself across his back, making a clean cut from his shoulder blade to the left side of his waist, and stuck into the right far side of the woman's abdomen. He heard a gunshot...

Meanwhile, Homare had the guy with the gun pinned up against the wall when the gangster got the gun hand free of his own, and shot the spot under his right half of his collar bone and right shoulder.

He gasped and clenched his teeth, trying not to cry out because it would scare Ayase. He finally faded back into the fight through the pain, and brought his left fist to the side of his ear before letting it snap forward in the form of a fist. It hit the target square in the jaw, snapping the gangsters head to the side and making him sag to the ground.

The victory was short lived when he heard Ayase and the woman cry out. The third guy with a knife was running off, but not without succeeding in stabbing the woman.

Ayase looked to be fine he just sat there, freaked out. He was hyperventilating again and the woman was bleeding. He walked over to Ayase and the woman flipping out his cell phone, being sure to not move his right upper arm because it hurt like hell. He dialed Misao-Kuba, his younger twin bother's, number. He talked quickly on the phone, telling him to come pick him Ayase and the woman up, and giving the directions of there location.

"Ayase-Kun, are you alright?" The boss would have his head if Ayase was hurt.

"Y-yes, I…I a-a-m f-f-f-fine…S-sorry." He stuttered while gasping on every other word. But he wasn't gasping because he was freaked out, not to say that he wasn't, but he was in pain. He was very afraid and really wished he could get out of the alley way and go home to-he stopped in mid-though and gasped and stood up, which really hurt. Homare turned to him with eyes alert in time to see the pained expression on his face.

"What is it?" He questioned.

"K-K-K...Kanou-San...He can't...I can't let him...I-I need to tell him this was a misunderstanding...W-what if he...He wouldn't..." Ayase beginning to go into hysterics, stuttering, gasping, and shaking wildly. Homare covered his mouth with his hand.

"It's fine, sit down. This will all be taken care of. Okay?" He told him. "Is the woman okay?" The front of his shirt was almost completely covered in blood. It looked painful.

"Ye-s. She i-is barely conscience though...Does it...Does it hurt, Kuba-San?" He said, sinking to the ground, but not leaning on the wall because of his wound. Kuba only turned away.

"Just a little." Homare answered, moving his right arm ever so slightly. Ayase smiled, but to Homare it probably looked like he was glowering at him.

There was a stab of pain in his back, causing his breath to catch. He felt sticky all over, but mostly on his back. Surely he was bleeding a lot. It hurt...It hurt so much that it was hard to think, and he didn't know why he didn't tell Kuba about it. Kuba was already hurt and he had to take care of the woman too. He didn't want to be any more of burden than he already was… He closed his eyes, thinking he would just rest for a little bit, while his panting from the loss of blood was obvious. He must have slipped into subconsciousness because before he knew it, Homare was shaking him awake and Misao stood with the woman, who had fainted, in his arms, heading toward the car. Kuba, Homare started to lift Ayase up, but he flinched and whimpered.

"Don't touch me!" He said harshly, wincing when his head started spinning and hurting. Homare looked startled but backed off none the less. Ayase stumbled then turned back to him.

"Ayase?" Homare asked.

"I-I'm sorry...b-but I can't...I don't feel right." He said, his eyes stinging from the pain and from making Kuba-San put up with his attitude. Homare merely nodded, hiding the hurt in his eyes and walked the short distance to the car, waiting for Ayase.

Somehow, Ayase made it to the car without either of the brothers finding out he had been injured. He didn't know how bad the wound was, he would just clean it at home. It felt deep, and the loss of blood made him feel like he was spinning out of control. He was so dizzy he could have fallen over. The ache never went away, and as he trudged to the car, he contemplated on how he would get past them. Kuba, Misao held the door for him. The car was already filled with the girl and Kuba-San.

As he bent down to get into the car, the wound strained, feeling like he was being stabbed with knives all over his body and it throbbed with an even greater pain then before. Ayase cried out as he almost fell over. He could feel stickiness all over him, and when he moved some of it stuck to him, indicating that the blood had soaked into his pants. The blood went all the way down to his calves.

"Ayase!...Is that blood?" Misao-San froze, his mind locking, and almost hanging his head in defeat when he thought of something.

"I-it's the w-womans' blood.." He lied again gasping, and climbed into the car. Misao closed the door and the vibration led through Ayases' body to his cut. It seemed like every vibration, every small movement, every time he even blinked it hurt. He was having trouble breathing, and when the car started moving he became so dizzy that he felt sick. Before he knew it, he was sitting in a puddle of his own blood when they arrived at the hospital. Misao helped Homare and the woman (who was still in a knocked out state) get through the hospital doors. Misao left the window open for Ayase to get some fresh air, but it was cold.

But Ayase still sat where he was, bleeding to death in the back seat of Misaos' car. He suddenly felt the nausea come over him, greater than before, and he covered his mouth with his hand as he vomited. The convulsions hurt inside and out. He felt the contents leaking through his fingers and down his chin, but only realized that it was blood he threw up when he pulled his hand away. He was spinning on the edge of vertigo. It felt cold, but his body was burning hot. He didn't realize he had slumped back into the seat until his body registered the pain again, and he quickly sat up causing even more pain. Ayase cries out.

Just then his cell phone rang. It didn't surprise him but he dreaded it because there were only three people who knew his cell phone number, but two of those people were inside of a hospital and he was supposed to be home hours ago. But he wasn't. He slipped his hand inside of his pants pocket, only to realize that it was slick with blood and yet the shrill ringing didn't stop until he answered it.

"H-hello?" He whispered, panting.

"Ayase, where are you?" The voice on the other side of the line was dark and angry.

"Kanou...S-san...sorry." Ayase said.

"Ayas-" He was cut short as Ayase pressed the end button on the phone and let it slip out of his hand onto the floor. He rested his forehead on the headrest of the seat in front of him, breathing hard. He was at the end of his rope. His eyes fogged over with tears. his eyes held them for a moment before releasing them and letting them run freely about his face.

Ayase wanted him. He needed his help. He reached up, even though it was painful and clenched his chest.

"Kanou...San...Kanou- San...Gomenasai!" He cried painfully, his blond hair sticking to his face, feeling the emptiness running throughout his frail body. At least the physical pain did something to cover up the emotional. Shivers racked his body as he cried. Every violent sob brought him more physical pain. He didn't know how he was even able to cry. Besides, everything was unfocused by now, and it felt like a horrid nightmare. Until he saw Misao coming out of the hospital doors. He silently wiped his tears and put on the strongest face he could manage, which probably made him look like he was crazy.

"Ayase-Kun, are you okay? You don't look good." He said. Ayase forced a weak, choked laugh.

"I am just a bit shaken up, Kuba-San." He answered. In truth he was scared, really scared, but his wound made him the way he was right now.

Misao just nodded then got into the car. It was dark by now, so no one could have seen Ayases' blood stained body. Misao started the car, causing a pain to wrack his Ayases' body. The blood was soaked into the front of his shirt as well where the top of the cut had gone the deepest. He whimpered as he heard an audible drop of blood splash into the pool on the seat.

"What was that?" Kuba asked, turning slightly to look back at Ayase.

"Please take me home, Kuba-San." He said quietly in an unsteady voice.

"Hai." He replied. As Kuba drove, Ayase thought that the lights were all blending together as they passed. For some reason or another, the quiet hum of the engine seemed really loud, causing the slamming headache he had to throb. He closed his eyes and tried to breath evenly, but was not succeeding. He still hadn't cleaned the wound or stopped the bleeding, and it wouldn't clot. The blood just kept coming out. It felt as though he had lost at least half of the blood in his didn't realize it before, but there was an overpowering smell of blood in the car, and he hoped Misao wouldn't notice it.

Kuba slowed down and pulled into the parking lot underneath the high class apartments and parked. He got out and then opened the door for Ayase.

Ayase stepped out carefully making sure to keep his back away from Kuba, and at once a huge wave of dizziness swept over him. Along with it came the pain. He held the top of the car door in a death grip and let the dizziness and pain pass.

"Would you like me to walk you up to your room?" Kuba asked.

"No..I want to be alone for a bit. I need to calm down." He lied.

"Okay then." With that Kuba shut the back car door, and got back into the font seat. He drove away as Ayase was waving.

As soon as the car was out of sight he slumped over and looked at his hand. His whole left side was covered in blood from his arm to his leg, and the other side was almost pure red as well. It was disgusting.

He gently pulled himself upright and walked over to the elevator, trying to ignore the raging pain as much as possible, and climbed in. He pressed the button and sank to the floor. As the elevator rose, the altitude did something to him and made him vomit blood in his hand again. The elevator door opened and he crawled out. Thankfully there was nobody around to see him in his state. His hands lifted him to stand against the wall as he felt his was along it. It seemed as though his body no longer belonged to him, like it just moved on its' own accord.

When he finally reached the door, he leaned on it. The pain wracked his body once again and his headache blew out of proportion. He began to try and open the door, but his hand wouldn't close around it.

The nausea came back and the blood he vomited this time was a darker red. the pain once again brought tears to his eyes and the very use of his right arm hurt. there were black blotches in his vision and he started to hyperventilate, only using his nose to breath because of the blood he held back. He looked back at the elevator and saw a long red stain on the wall coming from the door of the elevator to where he was leaning against his apartment door. The floor also had a trail of blood leading from one door to the next. He closed his eyes and started to tremble when the door to the apartment opened and he almost fell in. Kanou stepped out and glared at him. Ayase knew he was in trouble, but didn't have enough energy to run away, or even explain what happened. Kanou saw the blood trickling through his fingers and down Ayases' chin. His eyes narrowed. Kanous' eyes were locked with Ayases'.

The elevator doors bell echoed through the hall as someone stepped out of the door. It just happened to be Kanou-sans' 'brother', Gion Toranosuke. He saw the two recognizable figures and waved.

"Kanou-Nii-San, I was just going to contact you because...What?" It had taken him a moment to figure out that the red stains he saw in the elevator were also up here on the wall and floor, but they led to...

"Oh my God Ayase, what happened? You are soaked in blood!" He exclaimed, running over to him.

"What?" Kanou shouted, his eyes breaking away from the others' as he grabbed Ayases' Right arm and looked behind him. He saw the trails of blood left by Ayase. Instantly the pain shot through him as he cringed and whimpered through the firm grip. It was hurting much more than normal now.

"Kanou-San...It hurts!" The shouted, even though it hurt. It had taken every last ounce of his energy and he fell forward, only to be caught by Kanou. Ayases' knees gave away and he vomited again, but made sure to cover it with both hands this time. It trickled through his fingers once again. Before he knew what was happening, Kanou dragged him into the apartment and closed the door.

"Ayase what happened?" Asked Kanou. Ayase had tried to answer, but he couldn't make any sound come out. The dizziness came over him again, and he didn't realize that he had given into passing out.

Ehehehe...So, maybe I like cliffhangers a little bit.

*Ayase* "That...That is cruel, Reiketsu. It must be so painful for the others to go through something like that!"

*Kanou* "You idiot! What about your injuries! Can you really not see you are about to die!"

*Reiketsu* Now, now. No need for fighting, little main characters. If you are that mad at Ayase, why don't you just drag him to your bedroom and-"

*Ayase* "Reiketsu-San!"

*Kanou* Now that you mention it...I have been a bit deprived lately..."

*Ayase* "EEP!"

*Reiketsu* "Sorry...I am kind of an addict..." *^_^'*

Well, R&R please, people.