New Beginnings

Kisaki crossed one long leg over the other and sipped his wine, letting the dark, bitter liquid linger on his pallete before swallowing.

"He sleeps more often than he used to." he said, breaking the quiet mood hanging over the room.

Tora's eyes drifted to the young man slumped over next to him on the white leather couch. Tsukasa's legs were tucked under his torso, head leaning against the back of the couch. His eyes had closed some minutes ago, only to not open again, and the other two had lapsed into silance.

"Too much stress, I suppose," the older man continued. "I guess I can't really blame him, considering how... eventful the last few weeks have been."

Tora looked across the room at nothing in particular, his face turning thoughtful. "His newest little plan is going to come as a great letdown to him, I'm afraid." The younger man rubbed his temples. "I hate to see him get to worked up only to have to turn around and face the same facts I've known for years."

Kisaki shrugged. "Well, I suppose he needs to feel like he's doing something productive, instead of sitting back and watching you...."

"It's not that I don't appriciate his efforts; all of you guys have been trying to-"

"You may not think any good will come of this, but what if you are wrong?" Kisaki set down his wine glass and leaned forward on his knees. "My brother is a very smart man. Maybe he can somehow come up with something the doctor's you've seen might have overlooked." he sighed. "I've done all I can to impress on him the urgancey of the situation."

Tora stared at the other man a moment, then smiled.

"Arigatou."

A slight blush started to creep across Kisaki's face and he cleared his throat. "You're welcome. I'd do the same for any of my friends." He stood, yawning behind one hand. "Well, do you want me to take you home, or would you prefer to stay the night here? You are more than welcome; we certainly have plenty of room." A small line began to form between his brows. "Besides, you have to be at the hospital early in the morning anyway, and we could just leave straight from here."

"Makes sense, I guess. That is," Tora paused, suddenly feeling a bit shy, "if you don't mind...."

Kisaki shook his head. "I wouldn't have offered if I did." He stood up and walked around the coffee table. "Just help me get Tsukasa into his bed."

Tora smiled and leaned over, running a smooth, firm hand over Tsukasa's cheek. The young man took a deep breath, a small groan rumbling deep in his throat and slowly opened his eyes. Tsukasa's brow furrowed as blurry eyes strained to focus on the face peering at him.

"Tora?"

The other man smiled, wrapping his arms around Tsukasa. "Yes, it's me." With Kisaki's help he had the other man standing, sort of, at least pointing in the direction to his room. "Come on, it's late and you're going to bed."

Tsukasa seemed confused by this, but allowed himself to be led down the hall and into his bed. As Tora pulled the blanket up over Tsukasa's lithe frame, the young man suddenly sat up, eyes looking quite alert.

"You're going to get better." he said with great conviction. "I just know it."

Tora smiled and guided him back to a laying position. "Sure I will," he whispered and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "But for now, you just rest." Tsukasa nodded his head slightly and closed his eyes. Within moments, he was once again fast asleep.

Kisiaki looked down at the young man on the bed, a thoughtful frown on his face, then sighed. "Your appointment isn't until 8, but we should get their early. Sometimes they can fit people in well before their appointed time."

Tora inclined his head slightly. "Oyasumi, Kisaki-san. And.. thank you." The older man nodded and left, leaving the door ajar behind him. Tora stared after the redhead a minute, then climbed into the bed beside Tsukasa, laying one arm around the other man and closed his eyes.

---

The machine seemed to hum as if it where alive, eager to swallow him whole as the bed slowly pulled Tora into and under the CT scanner. No matter how many times he went through this, it always made him nervous. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, fingers tightening around the thin white hospital gown they had forced him to wear.

"Now, Tora-kun," came the voice over the intercom, "just try to relax and we'll get these tests over with as quickly as possible."

Tora nodded slightly and took a deep breath.

---

Tora narrowed his eyes as the nurse carefully inserted the needle into his arm and slowly withdrew the desired amount of deep, red blood. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Tsukasa wince and look away, while Kisaki, on his other side, smiled slightly at the other's apparent squeemishness. Another nurse stood nearby to wisk away the precious fluid while the first cleaned his slight wound and taped a small piece of cotton to it.

"Several tests will have to be run," the first nurse said, "but we should have all the results from the bloodwork and scans within an hour or so."

"Why did you have to take blood?" Tsukasa asked, his face slightly pale.

"Well, among other things, it will tell us if Tora-san has any blood clots forming."

---

Kiyoharu drove around the corner and into the second level of the monsterous parking garage, sharp eyes scanning the dimly lit, and apparently full, lot for a parking space.

"Looks like they're all work-a-holics," he growled. "Everyone and their mother seems to be here, and no one's leaving!"

Rose nodded then suddenly pointed out the window across Kiyoharu. "Over there!" Kiyoharu turned the car down a new row and paused as an older gentleman walked across the path to get to his car beside the only available parking spot. Kiyoharu pulled in and killed the engine.

"How do you think we're going to find Tora's parents?" the older blonde turned to the other, his hands still on the wheel. "I mean, really Rose, I know they own the building and all, but do you really think,if this is even the right headquarters, they will just let us waltz in there to see them?" He turned his head towards Rose, but the other man was looking past him, eyes narrowed at the old man, who had for some reason paused at his trunk.

"Well, I don't know," he said loudly. "I mean, Tora really needs us to find his parents in time before he's gone forever..."

The old man slowly turned around, eyeing the two men in the car cautiously.

"What do you know about Boss-sama's son?"

The two blonde's climbed out of the car; Rose staying on his side, leaning on the open door, Kiyoharu taking a few steps towards the older man.

"We know that he is very ill andin serious trouble." Kiyoharu said. "He's in a hospital right now, almost two hours away. We know he's started to patch things up with his parents, but now that he's getting worse, we have to help him."

The other man crossed his arms over his chest. "Tora was irresponsible and ran away from the people who love him and were trying to make him better. No one heard from for days and now he expects them to help him out?" he frowned. "What does he want, money? Why should they care about him if he's just going to do whatever he wants regardless of what his superiors say?"

"Because he's their son!" Kiyoharu exclaimed, exasperated face growing slightly red. "He knows he's dying and all he wanted to do before leaving this earth was see the person he's loved all these years." His hands tightened into fists at his side. "If he doesn't get the help he needs he's going to-" Rose put a hand on the shorter man's shoulder and stepped around him. Kiyoharu took a deep breath and watched as the tall blonde walked slowly towards the old man, hips swaying beneath his long leather skirt. Rose kept his head down submissivly as he came to a stop just a foot away from the other man.

"Tora is a very good friend of ours," he murmered, looking up through thick black lashes, "especially mine. I can't... I can't loose him again."

The older man's grey brows furrowed. "You're the one Tora went back to find?" he frowned again. "I thought his lover was a guy named Tsukasa. Didn't that other guy just call you Rose?"

"Uh, well, he did, but," Rose flashed his most winning smile, "Rose is just my nickname," he took a small step closer, one hand coming up to finger a button on the old man's suit. "one Tora himself gave me a long time ago." He let his face fall into a sad frown. "Please, sir, if you know of any way we can contact Tora's parents, I would be most... grateful..." he bit the side of one thick, pouty lip, eyes wide and not too innocent.

The other man's eyes widdened slightly and his weathered face flushed. "He really means that much to you?" he asked quietly, his face softening. "He's really... dying?"

Rose nodded slowly, dark eyes shimmering slightly. "Please, I beg you," he laid one hand on the old man's arm, "help me. I don't want to loose.. I can't let him..." he shook his head, his other hand coming up to cover his mouth.

"Oh there now, don't cry." The other man pulled out a hankerchief and dabbed Rose's eyes, then fished out a metal case from inside his coat. He retrieved a business card, scribbled a number on it and placed it into the younger man's hand.

"That will take you directly into Tora's father's office. I'm sure if you tell him..." he cleared his throat and shifted his weight slightly. "Good luck." With a slight bow of his head he quickly climbed into his shiney black sedan. Rose bowed and waved several times as he carefully backed out and drove away.

The parking garage was silent for only a few seconds before Rose suddenly lept into the air, hollering and punching out his fists.

"We got it, we got it, we got it!" He hopped up and down several times, loose skirt dancing over his sandles, then lept into Kiyoharu's arms. "I can't believe we finally got it!"

"And all thanks to you!" the other man said, kissing Rose hard on the lips. "I never knew you were such a good actor!"

Rose grinned and kissed his again, deepening the kiss by pushing his tongue past Kiyoharu's white teeth. He hugged the shorter man close, hands roaming over his lean bpdy. Kiyoharu chuckled and pushed him up against his car, one hand fumbling for the back door. Once it was open, he spun the giggling young man around and pushed him inside.

"That performance," Kiyoharu growled as his hands flew over his belt and zipper, "when you sauntered up to him like a cat in heat, that look you gave him," he pulled his pants down to his knees then pushed Rose's shirt up and over his head, attacking his bare back with a flurry of kisses. "That bullshit you spouted about being Tora's boyfriend..." he groaned, "you made me so... HOT."

Rose grinned evily and pulled his skirt up, bunching it around his narrow hips as Kiyoharu fished something out of his pocket and spread it's clear contents over several fingers. "He seemed like the kind of guy who'd respond to a little harmless flirting." Rose whispered, his voice heavy with anticipation, and sat up, leaning back to kiss the older man over his shoulder. "I believe I deserve a reward for getting us the information we need." he nibbled on one warm earlobe. "Don't you think?"

Kiyoharu grunted and kissed the other man's long, slender neck, then pushed him down harshly, almost immediatly plunging first one finger, then two deep inside Rose. The other blonde gasped and shifted, pushing against the other man and Kiyoharu inserted a third, scissoring them back and forth a minute before pulling all the way out and bracing himself against the younger man's entrance.

"Tell me something," he said, leaning over the man, one hand snaking around to tease Rose's own growing erection. "Do you try to make me jealous on purpose?"

Rose sucked in his breath, then graced his lover with a sly smile. "Does it matter?"

Kiyoharu grinned, grabbed Rose's narrow hips and thrust forward.