Title: New Beginnings: Part Two Hospital Blues

Author: Kyoko Godaikun

Email: kyoko_godaikun@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I don’t own Domoto Koichi or Domoto Tsuyoshi. They own each other.

Warning: This story contains Bishonnen Ai. Do not read if you are offended by Male/male love

Warning two: This story discusses non-consensual sexual abuse and violence. Do not read if you are offended by this

Archiving: The only place that has permission to archive this story is Katrinka’s page. No one else may archive this without the express permission of the author!

Tsuyoshi sat in the waiting room. Because he wasn't related to Koichi he wasn't allowed to be with him in the exam room. Koichi had cheated on him. He kept turning the fact over and over in his mind. Koichi had insisted that he had changed. But had he really? Tsuyoshi was hurt by Koichi's admission. He thought their relationship was special.

Tsuyoshi came to a decision. He would have to break up with Koichi. Tsuyoshi needed time away from his friend to work out his feelings. He decided that he would have to wait until Koichi got out of the hospital before he would make the break. Koichi was injured, as angry as he was with Koichi, he couldn't leave him alone while he was hurt.

"Leader, would it be too hard for me to get a new roommate?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"It would be easy. I just have to find someone who would like to move in with you." Leader said. "Why do you want to change roommates?"

"I don’t want to discuss it now."

Leader who was sitting beside him leaned forwards and whispered into Tsuyoshi's ear. "What's the truth about what happened with you and Koichi?"

"You won't tell anyone else?" When Leader nodded, Tsuyoshi told him. "Koichi saw me giving Shingo a back rub. He thought I was having sex with him."

"Did you?"

"There's only Koichi. I wouldn't cheat on him." Tsuyoshi took a deep breath and let it out. "Koichi didn't trust me. He broke up with me."

"Koichi is an idiot."

"Shingo told me that Koichi's been sleeping with Mabo." Tsuyoshi paused. "Koichi confessed to me. He told me that Mabo was blackmailing him."

"Koichi said that Mabo was blackmailing him?" Leader repeated.

"I'm not sure I believe Koichi." Tsuyoshi looked down to his ring. "I'm not sure I'll stay with him. But right now he needs me. I have to put my hatred for him aside, and think of him."

"Excuse me; I need to make an important call." Leader went to a corner and took out his ketai.

Tsuyoshi realized that he shouldn't have told Leader what Koichi had said. The man had enough to worry about without hearing Tsuyoshi's problems. Tsuyoshi looked at his finger, to the ring that Koichi had given him. He took it off, and put it in his pocket.

"If you need a new roommate, I'd be willing to move in with you." Okada told him. Okada was a friend of his, but he couldn’t trust him fully.

"Not getting along with Ken?" Tsuyoshi guessed.

"Most of the time I sleep on the couch in the main room." The boy looked concerned. "When Koichi dated, did you have to sleep somewhere else?"

Tsuyoshi looked at his friend. "Can we not talk about Koichi?"

"Gomen na. I wasn't thinking."

Tsuyoshi looked at the other person in the waiting room. Shingo sat glumly. In reality Tsuyoshi's injuries had been Shingo's fault. His friend had beaten Koichi because Tsuyoshi had been hurt. Tsuyoshi hoped that the manager believed Koichi's mugging story. Shingo leaned close to him. "Your acting too concerned. Okada's bound to figure out that you’re involved with Koichi."

The doctor came into the waiting room. "Joshima-san, your friend is in a serious condition."

"What's wrong with him?" Leader turned off his ketai and went to the doctor.

"Domoto Koichi's nose is badly broken. If we operate now, he will probably have a complete recovery." The doctor told him. "He also has broken ribs and his left radius is broken. He'll have to have surgery on his ribs. One of them is almost completely crushed."

"What about scaring?" Okada asked.

"After the operation, his nose will probably appear normal within a month." The Doctor looked them over. "The problem is funding."

"There is no problem with paying for Koichi's medical care." Leader said. "He's an employee of Johnny's Entertainment."

"Does he know about the surgery?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"I thought it would be best to discuss it with you first." The doctor told him. "I wanted to make sure there was funding enough for the operation before it was brought up to him."

"I understand." Leader told him.

"Come with me." the Doctor said.

"Of course," Leader followed him out of the waiting room.

"Koichi needs an operation?" Shingo whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt him. I just wanted to teach him a lesson."

"Remind me never to get mad at you." Okada said.

His remark got a glare from Shingo. "If you tell on me, I'll make sure you're paid back!'

The youngster looked frightened. "I won't tell."

"What will happen if it can't be healed?" Tsuyoshi asked. Even though he was angry with Koichi, he wanted his friend to get better.

"Don't think that way!" Shingo said. "You have to have faith in his getting better!"

************************

Tsuyoshi waited in the surgery waiting room. His friends stayed with him to support him. He could see the nurse’s station from where he was sitting. An assistant had come from the manager with authorization letters. The woman was the prim, proper type. Tsuyoshi watched as the woman filled out the necessary paperwork. The woman then handed them to the nurse, and said something to her. She nodded and pointed to the waiting room.

The assistant came into the room. Her eyes set on Okada. "The manager would like you to come with me."

Okada suddenly looked like a trapped animal. "I want to stay here."

"You've been requested. Please come with me." She repeated.

"I won't go!" He said firmly. "I'm not going anywhere!"

"Do what she says." Leader whispered to him. "It will be worse for you if you refuse."

"You're right." the teenager got to his feet. He didn't look at his friends. He then followed her out of the waiting room.

"Why does he want to talk to Okada?" Tsuyoshi asked Shingo who was sitting on the other side of leader.

"He probably wants him to tattle some more." Shingo said.

"Okada doesn't get a choice in going." Leader told the Smap member.

"Of course he does. He doesn't have to go." he insisted. "He could always tell the manager to go to hell."

"You know what happens when you refuse the Manager." Leader reminded him.

"How do you know he's being abused?" Shingo counted. "I think he likes being the manager's pet."

The leader glanced at Tsuyoshi. "This isn't the time to discuss this. Tsuyoshi's worried about Koichi."

"Of course," Shingo nodded.

Leader turned to Tsuyoshi. "What's bothering you?"

"I'm scared." Tsuyoshi admitted. "What would happen if something went wrong?"

"For Koichi's sake, you have to stay positive."

"I'll stay here tonight." He decided. "I want to be at his side when he wakes up."

"Management won't let you." Leader reminded him. "Go to the dorm and stay there tonight. You can visit him in the morning."

"Koichi needs me." Tsuyoshi insisted. "He wants me to be here."

"I know he does." Leader looked around, and then whispered to him. "Management has spies everywhere. You can't run the risk of your relationship with Koichi being discovered."

"Okada will tell on me anyway."

"What if he doesn't?" Leader pointed out. "Look at what happened with Mori and Nakai. They thought it was safe to go out for just one day as lovers. Mori is fired, and Nakai is never allowed to be with him again. The same thing could happen to you if you're not careful!"

Tsuyoshi realized it was no use arguing with Leader. "Would you let me stay until Koichi wakes up from the surgery?"

"When we find out Koichi's awake, you'll go back to the dorms." Leader decided.

**************

Tsuyoshi waited in the surgery waiting room. Shingo had left over an hour before. Leader had stayed with the younger man. Yamaguchi and Nagase came into the waiting room. Yamaguchi looked at Nagase. "Where’d he go?"

Yamaguchi went back out into the hallway, and pushed Mabo into the room. The drummer had a black eye and his lip was swollen. Tsuyoshi rolled his eyes. Tokio was having troubles again. The group seemed to be either best friends or at each others throats. There seemed to be no middle road with them.

Tsuyoshi got up and went to the window. He looked out to the night sky. Tsuyoshi didn't want to look at Mabo. Koichi was having an affair with Mabo. Tsuyoshi wondered if Koichi had told him about going with Tsuyoshi, or was the man just as much of a victim as Tsuyoshi was?

"You where right Leader." Yamaguchi told him. "Course we had to beat the confession out of him. He just didn't want to admit what kind of a jerk he really is."

"Masahiro has something to give you leader." Nagase gave the drummer a shove. Mabo handed a piece of paper to Leader. He bowed.

Leader read the paper. "Is all of this true?"

"Everything I put down is the truth." Mabo told him.

Leader went to Tsuyoshi's side. He offered him a paper. "You need to read this."

"It's got nothing to do with me." Tsuyoshi refused the paper. "I really don't want to read about Koichi cheating on me."

"I think you're opinion of Koichi will change if you read this."

Tsuyoshi took the paper away from Leader. He read it. According to the paper Mabo was blackmailing Koichi. Mabo had proof of all the sleeping around Koichi did when he was the Manager's favorite. When Mabo found out Koichi's feelings for Tsuyoshi, he began to use that as a blackmail tool. If Koichi didn't sleep with Mabo, all of the evidence would be turned over to the Manager. There was as very strong chance that Koichi would be fired if that happened.

"Mabo's been blackmailing Koichi?" Tsuyoshi asked. "How do you know Mabo isn't making it up?"

"Why would he make up something like this?" Leader countered. "Mabo's confession only damns Mabo."

Tsuyoshi turned to the drummer. "Is your confession true? Were you blackmailing Koichi?"

"Koichi enjoyed being with me." Mabo sneered. "He begged me to use him."

'Quit lying." Nagase told him. "Tell the truth."

"He was a wild man with me. Koichi's other boyfriend is still a virgin. Can you believe that?" Mabo looked at Tsuyoshi. "Koichi had to get all of his sexual tension out somehow."

Yamaguchi took Mabo's arm and twisted it behind the drummers back. "Stop being a bad boy. Tell Tsuyoshi the real truth."

"Let go of my arm, and I will!"

Yamaguchi let go of Mabo's arm. The drummer rubbed his wrist. "Koichi hated every minute of being with me." Mabo admitted. "Most of the time I had to force him to do what I wanted."

"You raped him?" Tsuyoshi gasped.

"It wasn't rape, it was forceful seduction." The drummer boasted. "The last time I took him, I found him in the kitchen. I pulled him into the pantry. He was all ready hard. If he didn't want me, why would he be so excited?"

*He was all ready hard.* Then it dawned on Tsuyoshi. He knew why Koichi had been so excited. "Have you thought perhaps Koichi had been with me before you found him?"

"It doesn't matter. I don't care what he does with you." Mabo told him. "In the end, he'll always be mine. Just remember that you won't be the only person he'll be with. He'll be with me too."

"Why would you do such a thing?" Leader asked.

"Power, it felt good to hold so much power over someone like Koichi." Mabo said. "He's a slut anyway. It's just a matter of time before he went back to his old ways."

"How many times did it happen?" Tsuyoshi tried hard to contain his anger.

"Not as much as I would have liked. He was always hanging around you. It took a lot of time to get him away from you." Mabo bragged. "I kept a record. It was at least three times a week. He cheated on you. How does that feel knowing that he let me use his body?"

"Shut up!" Tsuyoshi punched Mabo hard in the face. Mabo countered, hitting Tsuyoshi back.

Yamaguchi and Nagase grabbed Mabo, pulling him away from Tsuyoshi. Mabo tried to get away from the other two Tokio members. "Let me go!"

Tsuyoshi moved to hit Mabo again, but Leader grabbed Tsuyoshi around the chest pulling Tsuyoshi into a corner. He didn't struggle to get away. Instead he told Mabo. "I love Koichi! An idiot like you isn't going to keep him away from me!"

"That's what you think!" the drummer sneered. "It's only a matter of time until Koichi is with me all the time!"

"If I let go of you, will you stay here?" Leader asked Tsuyoshi.

"Mabo isn't worth my getting into trouble." Tsuyoshi admitted.

Leader let go of Tsuyoshi and went to Mabo. "Listen to me, Tokio takes care of its own."

Mabo stopped his struggling. "You can't do anything to me!"

"I'll leave you to Yamaguchi." Leader decided. "He'll decide what punishment you receive."

"Can I use all my bondage gear with him?" Yamaguchi said with a glint in his eye.

"You can use any whip or other disciplining device that you want." Leader told him.

"I will be pleased to discipline Mabo." Yamaguchi grinned. "Trust me; I'll give Mabo a punishment He'll never forget."

"How many days should Mabo be punished?" Nagase asked.

"Mabo's punishments will last three days." Leader decided.

"You can't do that! It's inhuman." Mabo cried.

"Nagase help Yamaguchi get him back to the dorms." Leader told his friend.

"Hai." Nagase said.

The two men pulled Mabo out of the waiting room.

As soon as they where gone, Tsuyoshi asked Leader. "Yamaguchi has whips and bondage devices?"

"Yamaguchi has a certain refined taste." Leader told him. "Most of it involves various devices."

"Is he a masochist?"

"Yamaguchi is a sadist. Don't worry. He only beats those who consent to be beaten." Leader smiled. "Unless he has to punish someone for me."

Tsuyoshi didn't know what to say after that, so he sat thinking about Koichi. He was still angry at Mabo. He realized his friend had been a victim in all of this. He could still remember the times that Koichi had held him and told him he loved him. His finger touched Koichi's ring. He still loved Koichi. He took the ring out of his pocket and put it back on.

"I underestimated Koichi." Tsuyoshi finally said.

"It's hard for a person like Koichi to change." Leader told him. "But I think he has changed. He does love you."

Tsuyoshi decided to ask the question that had been bothering him. "Do you think he would cheat on me if he wasn't blackmailed?"

"No, I don't think he would."

"I don't think he would have either." Tsuyoshi realized. "The next time I see him. I want to tell him I forgive him. Perhaps we can still have a future together."

*************

Koichi woke up. He tried to move, something hard on his left arm prevented him from being able to move. He couldn't breathe through his nose. He felt confused. He could remember riding in an ambulance, but not how he received his cast. His confusion was a lot like being drunk, but it was even more then being drunk. It was more like a nightmare.

"How did I get here?" Koichi tried to get up, but he was too weak.

The nurse on duty ignored him as she worked on her paperwork. It was hard for Koichi to see. He had trouble opening his eyes. His face felt like it was very swollen. He was able to raise his right hand. It was in a splint with an IV tube. Was it the reason he felt so disjointed? He brought his hand to his nose. There was a bandage on it. He no longer felt pain, just uncertainty. He knew if Tsuyoshi was with him, he would be able to explain what happened.

"Tsuyoshi." Koichi called. "Tsuyoshi." there was no answer, so he called his friend's name louder and louder.

That got the nurses attention, she went to his side. "Please be quiet. You'll wake the other patients."

"I want Tsu-chan."

"You need to go back to sleep."

"I'm not sleeping until I talk to Tsu-chan!" Koichi said stubbornly.

"What's his name?"

"I told you, Tsuyoshi!" Koichi couldn't understand why the woman didn't know who is best friend was.

"His family name." The nurse seemed to be loosing her patience.

"Domoto, His name is Domoto Tsuyoshi." Koichi told her. "I want Tsu-chan!"

"I'll be right back." the woman left.

"Tsu-chan, I want Tsu-chan." Koichi kept repeating in his uncertainty. It seemed as if a long time passed as Koichi laid there. His bewilderment didn't leave him, instead he seemed more baffled.

Suddenly a very familiar hand touched his. "It's okay Ko-chan. I'm here."

Someone stood beside him, he had dark hair. The swelling in his face prevented him from seeing much else. "Tsu-chan, is that you?"

He could feel Tsuyoshi kiss his fingers. "Yes, it's me. You're not dreaming."

"My face, it feels like it's puffed up like a marshmallow." Koichi told him. "I'm having trouble seeing."

"Your face is badly swollen." Tsuyoshi brought Koichi's hand to his face. "Feel me, can you tell that I'm Tsuyoshi?"

Koichi felt the familiar face. "My Tsu-chan."

"My ko-chan." Tsuyoshi put Koichi's hand back down on the bed.

Koichi realized that he owed his best friend an apology. In his confusion he knew that he had hurt his friend badly. "I'm sorry Tsu, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Tsuyoshi soothed. "I forgive you."

"Why would you forgive me?" Koichi asked. "I don't deserve it."

"I have to forgive you. I can't live my life without you." Tsuyoshi put a ring on Koichi's finger. "I'll be at your side forever."

"What happened to me? Why am I like this?"

"Do you remember coming to the hospital?"

"Yes, but I don't know how I got a cast."

"You've had an operation on your nose, and another on your ribs." Tsuyoshi tried to explain. "They also put a cast on your broken arm." Tsuyoshi took his wallet out of his pocket. He then placed something on Koichi's dresser.

"What's this?" Koichi asked.

"I thought I'd give you a photo of us. If you're feeling lonely, you can look at it." Tsuyoshi kissed his friend's fingers. Then he moved so that he was close to Koichi's face. He ignored the bandages, and kissed Koichi's lips. "You need to go to sleep."

"I can't sleep. Need you here with me."

Koichi was surprised when Tsuyoshi climbed into the bed with him. It was a very narrow fit, but somehow Tsuyoshi was able to keep his balance. Tsuyoshi stretched out beside him. Then he put his head on Koichi's pillow. "I'll stay with you until you fall asleep."

Koichi moved his head so that it was touching Tsuyoshi's. It felt strange, but he needed to cuddle with his friend. As best as he could he tried to snuggle against Tsuyoshi. Koichi could feel Tsuyoshi stroke his hair. He felt warm and safe with his friend beside him. He couldn't help it. He fell asleep.

********************

Tsuyoshi couldn't sleep. He was worried about Koichi. So he used studying as an excuse, and sat in the lounge area. He tried looking at his books. Tsuyoshi couldn't keep his mind on what he was doing. All he could think of was his partner. He kept turning over in his mind about what would happen if Koichi's nose couldn't be corrected. Would he be fired? Tsuyoshi was afraid he would never see him again if that happened.

He thought it was strange when Nagase Tomoya announced that he needed to work on lines for his latest drama. Nagase's drama didn't start filming for another month. There was no need for him to practice lines. Nagase being there made Tsuyoshi feel better.

"Would you like some coffee?" Nagase offered.

"That sounds good." Tsuyoshi picked up a pen and began to doodle on a spare piece of paper.

Nagase poured him some coffee from the flask. He handed it to him. "He'll be back soon."

"Who will be?" he pretended innocence.

"Koichi,” he paused. "I wanted to ask you something. Why on earth would you fall for a slut?"

"Koichi isn't a slut!" Tsuyoshi said firmly.

"Name one person in this dorm he hasn't slept with."

"Domoto Tsuyoshi."

"You've never slept with him?" Nagase sounded as if he didn't believe him. "Koichi'll drop his pants for anyone. Why not you?"

"I don't have to tell you that."

"Has he told you why he sleeps around?"

"He was the manager's favorite." Tsuyoshi tried to explain. "At least three times a week Koichi would be called to the mansion, He was beaten and raped. He told me that sleeping around makes the pain in his heart go away."

"Leader told me the same thing." Nagase told him. "He told me that I should stop judging Koichi."

"Stop calling him a slut." Tsuyoshi told him. "Koichi's no longer like that. He's changed." Tsuyoshi closed his eyes. He really didn't want to talk about Koichi's infidelity. He opened his eyes and asked. "What's the new drama about?"

The door to the lounge opened, and Okada slipped in. One of his eyes had been bruised, and his lip was swollen. His t-shirt had been torn. Tears where pouring down his cheeks. He sat on the floor, his back against the closed door. Then his eyes set on the two men in the room. "Why are you up?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Nagase said.

"I just got in."

"You're only fifteen; you shouldn't be out so late." Tsuyoshi told him.

"What would our manager say if he found out you where out this late?" Nagase added. "Perhaps we should tell on you."

"Please don't," The boy said softly.

"I don't see why we shouldn't. You tell on us often enough!" Nagase said. "I think management might be interested to know that you were up to four in the morning."

"I was supposed to come in without anyone knowing."

"You got caught, and I am going to tell on you." Nagase seemed to be taking pleasure in tormenting the teen.

"Then tell. Perhaps he'll fire me. Then I can go back to Osaka." Okada said. Then I won't have to worry about all of this."

"I wonder if he's up now." Nagase took out his ketai.

"Please don't call. I don't want to be hurt again!" Okada covered his face with his bruised arms. Tsuyoshi noticed the boy had bruises on his legs.

"Stop it Tomoya!" Tsuyoshi snapped. "Okada's been beaten up."

"Perhaps he got on his boyfriend's nerves." Nagase snapped.

"Our manager isn't my boyfriend!" Okada insisted. "I hate him."

"Then why are you seeing him?" He put his ketai up.

"I don't get a choice." he pulled his legs up to his chest, and wrapped his arms around them. "Do you really think I *want* him to touch me? I die a little each time he makes me sleep with him!"

"I wonder what management would say if it was found out you where sleeping around?"

"I don't sleep around!"

"Then it will be okay if I tell the Manager about Sakamoto." Nagase threatened. "I think he would be interested in knowing his favorite has a boyfriend."

"Please don't tell him about Sakamoto." Okada began to sob. "He'll beat me worse the next time."

Tsuyoshi realized that Nagase had gone too far. He put his books down. "Leave him alone."

"Why? Don't you think he needs a taste of his own medicine?"

Tsuyoshi went to Okada's side and knelt down beside him. "Our manager knows where you where, doesn't he?"

"I'm not supposed to tell." Okada said.

"He's just like Koichi." Tsuyoshi realized.

"Okada's nothing like Koichi!"

"You don't see, do you?" Tsuyoshi asked. "Management picked a new favorite. One that he tortures, and abuses. One that has to tell on his friends, so that the pain will stop."

"Our Manager's torturing you?" Nagase turned to the boy. "Is that true? You don't like going to him?"

"I hate going to him! I die a little bit every time he touches me!" Okada insisted. "I would quit but my mother won't let me return home."

"Leader was right, you are a victim." Nagase told him. "I'm sorry I threatened you."

"You two know my secret." he wiped away a tear. "Soon the whole dorm will. I'll be hated even worse then I am now."

"No one will find out." Nagase promised.

"You want revenge. I understand that. I don't deserve any less." Okada wiped his face again. "There are lots of people here who would like to beat me up."

"Why don't you go to bed? We can talk about this in the morning." Tsuyoshi suggested.

"I can't, I'll wake up Ken. He's probably got Morita sharing his bed. I'm not allowed in the room when they're together." He nodded at the couch. "I'll sleep in here."

"You can stay in my room. You can sleep in Ko-chan's bed." Tsuyoshi offered.

"Are you sure you want a spy sleeping in your room?" Okada asked.

"You're not a spy!" Tsuyoshi helped him up.

"It's all right, go to bed." Nagase agreed.

"But my secret." Okada reminded him.

"It needs to stay a secret." Nagase told him. "I'll pretend that I didn't see you tonight."

***********************

Tsuyoshi had slept through morning visiting hours, so he would have to go in the afternoon. There wasn't anything to do, besides worry. Leader had taped a note to his door saying that Koichi was doing well. He was asking for Tsuyoshi. After reading the note, Tsuyoshi tried to call Koichi, but his partner wasn't receiving calls.

Tsuyoshi needed to talk to Shingo. He knocked on his friend's door. Kusanagi answered it. It looked Tsuyoshi over. "Oh it's you. Come on in."

Tsuyoshi came into Shingo's room. Kusanagi shut the door. Tsuyoshi couldn't help but notice the boxes that were on Shingo's bed. Tsuyoshi decided to ask. "What's going on?"

"Shingo's been thrown out of the dorm." the older man went back to packing. "He went to the Manager this morning and made a full confession."

"So you're packing for him." Tsuyoshi guessed.

"He's not allowed to step foot in the dorms. So I have to do it." Kusanagi opened a drawer, took something out of it and slammed it shut. Then he threw the item into the box. Tsuyoshi's friend was very angry.

"Is he still in Smap?"

The older man gave Tsuyoshi a withering look. "Of course he's still in Smap. He'll be staying with Nakai until he finds his own apartment."

"Listen, I didn't do anything with Shingo." Tsuyoshi began.

"I know that." Kusanagi interrupted. "Shingo's got a bad temper. He's got to learn to control it." Kusanagi took a few deep breaths, which calmed him down.

"I wonder why his temper's so bad." Tsuyoshi started to help Kusanagi pack.

"He was only eleven when Smap was first formed. The older guys picked on him a lot." Kusanagi told him. "He gets angry when he sees someone picked on. Shingo'll hit first and ask questions later."

"I noticed."

Kusanagi pulled a drawer out of the dresser, and dumped the contents on the bed. "Are you and Koichi really serious?"

"We're going together." Tsuyoshi shrugged. "I'm not sure what I am to Koichi."

"I bet everyone's tried to dissuade you from going with him." Kusanagi started going through the things on the bed. "Am I right?"

"Yes, they have. I'm sick of everyone telling me that Koichi can't stay true to me."

"Do you believe he can?"

"I trust him." Tsuyoshi said. "I don't care what everyone else thinks about him. I know Koichi better then anyone."

"I feel the same way about Shingo-chan." he picked up a pile of stuff and threw it in the box. "Before we started going together, my Shingo slept with just about anything. It didn't matter to him what the sex of his partner was."

"How long have you been with Shingo?"

"Two years. He promised me he would change, and he did." Kusanagi looked at Tsuyoshi. "He needed my complete trust. When I gave it to him, he changed completely."

"So I need to trust him." Tsuyoshi guessed. "I gave him my ring."

"Good start, but next time you see him. Tell him you trust him." Kusanagi suggested.

"I will." Tsuyoshi promised.

Kusanagi looked around the room. "I think I'm finished. Thanks for helping."

*********************************

After his talk with Kusanagi, Tsuyoshi decided to go to the gym. Perhaps if he worked out, he could forget for a while. Tsuyoshi found Nagase all ready there. He was wearing warm up pants and a t-shirt. His long hair was pulled back in a tail. It took several seconds for Tsuyoshi to realize that his friend was mopping Koichi's blood off the floor. There seemed to be so much of it. Tsuyoshi didn't remember so much blood.

"Do you want some help?" Tsuyoshi offered.

"I can handle this." Nagase told him.

"Are you going to turn me in?" Tsuyoshi sat down on a bench close to where Nagase was working.

"What for?"

"I'm breaking the rules with Koichi." He reminded his friend. "We aren't supposed to become involved."

"I can't turn you in. If I did, I would have to turn myself in." Nagase rinsed the mop, and squeezed it out. "I've been with someone for over a year."

Tsuyoshi fought down the urge to ask Nagase who is lover was. "This isn't fair. Why can't we be with who we want?"

"I don't know." Nagase began to mop again. "I love Shingeru, you love Koichi. I don't see a problem with that."

"*Leader*? You and Leader?" Tsuyoshi gasped. "You can have any man in this dorm, and you picked Leader?"

Nagase couldn't suppress his grin. "There's something about men from Nara, isn't there?"

"Leader?" Tsuyoshi couldn't believe his ears. "You never told me you like Leader."

"I know he's a lot older then me, but when we’re together, it seems like we're the same age. The Shingeru I see is different then the Leader everyone else knows."

"Now you know why I love Koichi." Tsuyoshi said. "What I see is a good, honorable man. I want to stay at his side forever."

"I don't think he loves you." Nagase said. "He probably thinks your some kind of conquest."

"Then it's my mistake to make." Tsuyoshi told him.

Leader came into the gym. He glanced at the blood on the floor, and then he looked at Tsuyoshi. "Our Manager has sent a car for you Tsuyoshi."

"Oh god, no." Nagase swore. "Why? Why does he have to go?"

"Okada's told the manager that he saw the two of you go into the pantry together." Leader told him.

"I'm going to be fired." Tsuyoshi groaned.

"Good luck." The leader said sincerely. "Hopefully you won't be gone too long."

Nagase looked at Tsuyoshi. "Please don't tell on us."

"I won't." Tsuyoshi promised. He took a deep breath. He got up and went to the parking lot.

***********