Xz0ner

9:00:18 PM Tuesday, August 17, 1999
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Warnings: You must read Forbidden Lover part one. And, this is shounen ai, and, no lemon! (sou… Haha, disappointed?)

Starring: Hyde, Tetsu, Yukihiro, Ken from L'Arc~en~ciel, Sakura from Zigzo, Arihito, Hayato and Saki from Blue, and Yukiya from D=sire! Tsutomu is from Fanatic Crisis. Yoshiki from X Japan. Kaoru et company belongs to me (Kaoru isn't the Kaoru from Eva! -->so cute!).

Author's notes: Two days down for Hyde in Ningenkai, 18 more days to go… @_@ (I'll skip through a few days!)

Editor: Rei :D (silly mistakes, I know....)
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"Aa, so your name's Hyde!"

"Un!" Hyde replied cheerfully, his hands behind his back. "Nice to meet you!"

"Wow, where did you get these wings?"

"Eeto… I was born--" Tetsu immediately dived to cover his mouth.

"He made it himself!" Tetsu grinned forcefully, and dragged Hyde away. "Gomen, but I think we have to go, nee, Haido?"

"Mmph…" Hyde nodded awkwardly, and they rushed out of the classroom. He gasped for breath, "Wah! Tet-chan, why did you suddenly drag me out like that?"

"Don't tell anyone you were born with those wings! Well… If they knew you weren't human, there's gonna be a real lot of trouble,  okay?"

"Un," Hyde nodded slowly, and suddenly, they turned to realize a presence in the corridor.

"Ka… Kaoru!" Tetsu exclaimed, as he turned around.

"Hn," Kaoru brushed past both of them, and went towards the classroom.

"Shit… I hope he doesn't tell anyone… Tetsu mumbled, and placed his hand on Hyde's shoulder. "Let's go back."

"He's… Kaoru?" Hyde asked. The boy was a normal looking one, with a sort of delicateness about his own self. He had brown hair, and strange blood red eyes. Hyde could not help but notice how those eyes had taken in everything, yet did not seem to care about anything at all. "He's really unusual."

"Un," Tetsu replied, not really responding. They walked slowly, and the bell rang. "I just hope you don't get seen by the discipline master! He's a really hard guy on such stuff… At least old man chrome dome isn't that bad. And the art teacher is kinda cool, I guess. My stream is mainly literature, and our literature teacher is a really nice guy, so he shouldn't be caring much about your wings! Besides… Well…"

"Thanks for lending me your uniform, Tet-chan…" Hyde grinned, pulling at the rolled up sleeves.

Tetsu smiled in reply. Hyde was with Tetsu in school because Yukiya had contacts with the school board. :.All thanks to Arihito and Yukiya, I suppose… Otherwise, I won't know what to do with Hyde when I'm in school! They were so fast doing this thing, too!.: They came to the class, and the students swarmed around Hyde again.

"You're really beautiful, Hyde-san!" Someone laughed, making Tetsu squirm in discomfort.

"What's your sign?"

"Uh…"

"What's your favorite color?" He was obviously popular with the girls, too.

"With your looks, you should be a star! Nee! Can you sing, Haido-san?"

"Eeto …" Hyde replied awkwardly. "Uh… Thanks… I like to sing, too."

"Really? Sing for us!"

Hyde opened his mouth and began to sing, a beautiful melody caressing every ear. Everyone became silent; even those not in the group. Tetsu gaped, it was a beautiful scene. How the sunlight had fallen through the windows onto Hyde's face, and how the music sounded to his ears. He suddenly stole a glance at Kaoru, and noticed that Kaoru was still writing, as if unaffected by the beauty of the voice, when everyone had turned to look at Hyde.

:::BRRIIIIIING!::: Sounded the bell suddenly, and everyone bustled back to their seats, as a teacher came hurrying in.

It was the literature teacher, a man of his forties, with a balding scalp and a unshaven face. His tan was dark; either he read while sunning or he was both a soccer captain and the chairman of the English Society in his days.

Hyde sat down along with the other students in the class. Mr Murai continued talking; Hyde found things to be quite like things would be in his home,except that some of the students were passing notes around and some were chatting. Some were even sleeping. Hyde had never came across such a scene back home before; they all listened attentively.

A note was passed towards Hyde, to his surprise. It was a note from Tsutomu. Hyde glanced at the latter. The spiky haired teen appeared to be paying attention to the teacher. 'Are you free after classes?' It read.

'Yes,' He wrote, and passed it back.

'Cool. Do you think we can go out after class?' It said, and Tsutomu winked as Hyde looked up innocently at him. Hyde nodded, smiling, and then suddenly remembered Tetsu. :.I'll make sure I know my way back home this time,.: He thought, blushing, remembering the last time. If not for Sakura, he would definitely have been lost. :.I wonder how does Sakura know where Tet-chan lives?.:

***

"Haaaaido chan!" Sakura waved, as soon as he spotted the long haired boy coming out with Tetsu. "Hyde!"

"Eh~! Sakura!" Hyde exclaimed happily, and ran towards him. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you." Sakura grinned, and put his arm onto Hyde's shoulder. "I knew you were studying here with Tetsu today!"

"How do you know that?!" Tetsu cut in suspiciously. Sakura only smirked and said nothing.

"Hyde-kun!" Tsutomu came running up, the sunlight shining bright behind him, forming an bright halo at his head. "Remember?"

"Eh?" Hyde looked at him, then glanced at Sakura, confused. "What?"

"You promised me you'd go out with me, remember?" Tsutomu grinned, with hopeful watery eyes. "Hyde-kun?"

"Uh… Yeah!" Hyde smiled, and looked back at Tetsu and Sakura again. "Eeto…"

"Wait," Tetsu said hurriedly, "We're meeting Arihito and Yukiya later. I told you, right?"

"Ano… Ano…" Hyde looked down sadly, "I promised Tsuto-chan!"

Tetsu hesitated, and finally nodded, turning away. "I'll wait for Arihito by myself later. Oh… Keep yourself free tomorrow, okay?"

"Un!" Hyde grinned happily, and waved goodbye while he skipped after Tsutomu.

"Unhappy, nee, Tet-chan?" Sakura mocked, sticking his hands in his pockets, as he watched Hyde disappear into the crowd. Tetsu's expression was unreadable; he did not turn around.

"Probably…" Tetsu sighed, and he started walking away in big, fast steps. A certain pain was in his heart, unknown to anyone, even himself. He felt as if something very important was taken away, but he could not quite put his finger on what. Sakura seemed to know this, and grinned, as he followed Tetsu down the street.

***

"Sou ka…" Arihito smiled, though disappointed. "I was hoping we could meet Hyde earlier."

"Gomen," Tetsu apologized, glancing at Ken and Yukihiro. Both of them shrugged at each other. "Perhaps I could have stopped him."

"It's not your fault, he's just prone to going out with people," Sakura cut in, and Tetsu glared at him. "You don't understand how much he likes to see things, do you?"

"What do you know about Hyde?!" Tetsu retorted, suddenly angry. Angry at not particularly Sakura, or anyone. Perhaps, though, at himself.

Sakura smirked, looking out of the window. Yukiya looked at Arihito for a moment, while Ken and Yukihiro were busy drinking the red tea. "Now? More than you could ever know."

"Sakura…" Yukiya muttered, a suspicious look in his eyes Arihito could not quite fathom.

"Un?"

"Never mind," Yukiya said hurriedly, and looked at Arihito again.

"What's wrong?" Arihito asked, placing his hand on Yukiya's. Yukiya smiled, and grasped Arihito's hand gently, feeling its warmness seep through their skin and into his heart.

"Wow. What a loving couple!" Sakura teased, while Yukihiro looked questioningly at Ken, who burst out laughing, spurting his tea all over the place. Red-faced, Yukiya hurriedly let go of Arihito. Yukihiro wiped at himself; of all the places Ken could spurt at, he had to spurt it all over him. Tetsu frowned.

"Eh, I thought, I thought," Arihito tried furiously to change the subject. "Perhaps Yukihiro would like to go to the washroom? You're drenched!"

"Un," Yukihiro nodded, glaring at Ken, annoyed. Ken grinned mischievously, shrugged, and followed Yukihiro. Now that *some* of the distraction was out of the way, Arihito managed to sober up somewhat. The redness of his face was gone, and his gentle yet sad smile returned.

"Let's meet tomorrow, again, okay? I thought…"

"Un…" Tetsu uttered, not looking at any of them. Arihito sighed unhappily, and studied Tetsu's face for awhile, before giving up. There was no possible way he would be able to see past the wall into Tetsu's heart; even though he had powers, he did not have the ability to see through one's soul. Tetsu stood up, dragging the chair in a loud screech. "I think, I'll just go. I'm really sorry for the trouble I brought you…"

"It's okay," Arihito's lips curved upwards warmly, and Tetsu returned a similar smile, his expression softening somewhat. Tetsu walked away, hands in his pockets, head lowered.

"He doesn't seem to be very happy, nee!" Sakura said cheerfully, stirring the tea again and again.

"I suppose." Arihito's lips quivered, as an image suddenly flashed into his mind, as he saw Sakura. "Aa!"

"Arihito?!" Yukiya put his hand onto Arihito's shoulder, steadying him. "Are you alright?"

"Sakura…!" Arihito gasped, still not recovering from the ordeal. He glanced up at the grinning Sakura, suddenly scared. Yet once Sakura's eyes came into his vision, his vision blurred and blackness immediately overcame him.

"Sakura?!" Yukiya held Arihito protectively, as he stared at Sakura. There was, indeed, something in his eyes, as if he was one who knew more than enough. Some sort of realization struck him, as he looked at the youth. "Omae ha…?!"

Sakura grinned playfully, still stirring his tea, and took a sip from the cup, before setting it down again. "Yes?"

"WAAAAA!" BAM!

Both Yukiya's and Sakura's heads turned to the source of the voice. It was Yukihiro, who had tripped over Ken's foot and fell down flat on his face. Ken laughed; obviously he had stuck his foot out on purpose.

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked, rushing over to help Yukihiro up.

"I'm fine, I suppose… KEN-CHAN!" Yukihiro pouted, showing his fist to Ken, who grinned tauntingly at him.

"Atsui…" Yukiya bit his lower lip, as he gazed down at Arihito's unconscious face, before looking up at Sakura again, as the latter blocked Ken from Yukihiro's thrashing.

***

"I'm glad you had a good time," Tetsu said, a forced cheerful smile on his lips, as he took the chicken out of the microwave oven.

"Thanks, Tet-chan~" Hyde grinned, not noticing Tetsu's uneasiness. He hugged the stuffed toy Doraemon tightly, and poked his face over Tetsu's side. "Wow. This looks good! What is it, Tet-chan?"

"It's chicken," Tetsu held up a stick, and Hyde took a bite off a small piece. "How do you like it?"

"Great! We're gonna have that for dinner?"

"Un," Tetsu placed it back and took the two plates in his hands.

Hyde beamed brightly, and skipped after Tetsu towards the living room. "What's in the magic box today?"

"Eeto… 'Beach Boys'…" Tetsu wrinkled his nose, and shrugged. "You wanna watch that?"

"Fine with me!" Hyde nodded, taking the stick of chicken and starting to eat. Pretty soon, his eyes were glued to the television. Tetsu looked on, uninterested. Normally, he would have been eating it quietly by himself; sometimes, he would not even eat at all. He had never really liked to watch television anyway, except for some times when there finally was something good on.

He took his own food, and started chewing. It surprised him how much he had actually missed warm food; he himself was used to the cold bendou he ate every day. He could vividly remember the warm rice his mother had prepared, how happy everyone was, until his mother left them. From then on, his father had taken more to work, work and work. He was not even sure why his mother had left them; it was all so long ago. Yet one thing was certain-- his father had a hell of a temper throughout his whole life, an unreasonable temper.

It began raining outside, Tetsu could hear the patter of the raindrops against the window panes. Hyde was practically inseparable from the television. Tetsu looked at the scene of the rain for a while; it was indeed beautiful in a certain way. How it had refreshed the trees and the grass outside, and chilled his heart on the inside, for it reminded him of his own moods. He looked back at the television, then at Hyde's innocent face, as the latter watched on happily.

He heaved a sigh, wondering what was bothering him.

***

Arihito's sleeping face was so angelic, Yukiya thought, as he fingered the cute nose of the former, a smile surfacing onto his face. The bus was less crowded at that time of the day; they had walked around town for quite awhile. Obviously Sakura lived around the area; he knew of so many great places.

Arihito stirred, his eyelids fluttering open, revealing beautiful limpid eyes. Yukiya smiled in a greeting gesture. Suddenly, Yukiya remembered something which he had wanted to ask Arihito for the whole day, yet did not have the chance to. "Arihito."

"Un?" Arihito's smiling face was so sweet.

"Sakura… He… What happened today?"

Arihito frowned, placing his hand at his forehead, as he tried to remember something. Finally, he shook his head blankly.

Yukiya sighed; there was really something wrong; he had noticed that Sakura was a magic user, much like Arihito. And it bothered him; he had a bad feeling about it. Just as he was about to lapse into deep thoughts, someone's face poked in between them.

"Ariiiiihito, when are we gonna reach home?!" It was an impatient Ken.

"Don't worry, it'll be pretty soon…"

Yukiya sighed. Perhaps he had better wait for a moment without Ken and Yukihiro again.

***

"Tetsu!" Tetsu whirled, startled, to see his father standing at the doorway. Hyde was sleeping soundly; too soundly to even hear the outburst.

"Yes?" He asked, pretending to be innocent, though deep inside he knew that it was bound to be something bad.

"What's this?!"

"It's a… Uh… A letter from the Ministry of Health… Regarding my spine problem…" Tetsu paused. It had been so long ago he'd forgotten all about it.

"Spine problem? Exactly what have you been doing recently?! I told you not to learn guitar! The posture is very bad for your spine!" His father paused, to take a deep breath, as he surveyed the room with eagle eyes. "And how many times did I tell you not to write on the computer table?! See how low it is!"

:.But it's crooked SIDEWAYS, not forward!.: He wanted to yell, to stop his father's nagging, but knew enough not to do so. Hyde had been awakened by the nagging voice, and looked at Tetsu with big frightened eyes. Tetsu sighed, nodded tolerantly, and started to put the book in his bag.

"…I even got this new chair for you just so you'd sit properly! You'd better stop playing your guitar, otherwise I'll throw it away for you! It takes money to have operations, you know!"

Those words suddenly struck Tetsu in the heart, a deep wound. :.It takes money to have operations, you know.: … The ugly voice echoed in his head, as he turned around to look at his father. The man did not notice the hurt, nor the sadness in his child's eyes, as he only, angrily, like a heartless blinded beast, stormed away. Tetsu dropped the book, as the door slammed shut. He found himself wanting to cry, yet he knew he could not. He wished to be stronger, so that no one would be able to hurt him… :.Of all people, why must I be the one to suffer?.: He choked, as he bent to pick up the book.

"…Tet-chan…?"

Tetsu could hear it, faintly, but he chose to ignore. :.All he cares about is money… And I don't see how beautiful in heart the others are too… So why the hell must they live better than I do?! I can't give up playing guitar… The bastard knew how much I enjoyed it… Without it, I'd be like a fish without water! I hate him!.:

"Tet-chan…" Hyde whispered softly again. Tetsu finally turned, those large eyes were filled with the pain, the bleeding of the heart. Hyde felt his heart cry out for Tetsu, as he climbed out of bed, clutching Doraemon close to his chest. "Are you okay?"

"Un," Tetsu nodded, "Go back to sleep…"

Hyde glanced worriedly at him again, and finally nodded. He placed a hand on Tetsu's forehead gently. "What about you?"

"I'll join you later. I've still got some homework to do…" Tetsu sighed, and finished stuffing the books into his back. He was indeed sleepy, and he had finished all his work, yet he wanted to take time off to quietly calm his hurt soul. Sakura, Hyde, and his father… These people were bothering him. He needed to think quietly again. "I'm going out for a while. I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Tet-chan," Hyde tugged gently at Tetsu's shirt as he turned away. "I'll go with you."

Tetsu closed his eyes. Like he had felt the other time, when he was with Hyde, everything did not seem as complicated, or as hurting. He nodded briefly, and a faint smile rose to his lips. "Un…"

***

The moon was a round shape right up in the sky. The wind was strong, and cold. Hyde shivered slightly; even under all the clothes he could still feel the chill. Tetsu's face appeared serene in the faded silvery light, as it shone lightly onto them, everything, sprinkling its silvery dust onto the surface, illuminating them in a solemn light.

"Tet-chan…" Hyde said again, white clouds of vapor forming as he breathed. "Your spine…?"

"It's nothing," Tetsu waved the question away, as he stared into the faraway sea. :.This was where we first met… Do you know, Haido? The moon was the same as tonight, if not crescent… The same sea, the same moonlight….:

"But, what was it that hurt you so badly?" Hyde asked, his brows furrowed, as he clutched on to the stuffed toy. It was night, and the softness of Doraemon comforted him somewhat. "Please tell me."

"…My dad." Tetsu stopped. Tears were already flooding his eyes; he was afraid that if he did say what really hurt him, he would have burst out crying. And he did not want to cry at all.

Hyde nodded, and said nothing. The silence remained for a little while, before Tetsu finally took in a deep breath, and looked into Hyde's face. Hyde was not looking at the beautiful scene, instead, he was looking at Tetsu in a way that Tetsu had never been looked at before. Not only as just another person, but as an existence which mattered. Tetsu was amazed, at the way Hyde could have cared for him in such a short time-- he had never experienced care.

Suddenly he felt like pouring it all out, to heave it all from his chest. His lower lip quivered, before he drew in another breath and started to say, "All he cares about is money. Not me…"

Silence. Hyde did not intervene, he had leaned closer to Tetsu. Tetsu paused, looking deep into those beautiful eyes, finding what he wanted to find inside.

"And… Why must it be me…?" Tetsu asked aloud, hugging himself. Those tears were going to come down anytime. "I know this might be selfish… But… I've seen the others… All they do is condemn, and stereotype… I… If I could, I would have shifted all these sufferings to those who deserve it!"

"Condemn? Why?" Hyde asked, confused and still concerned.

Tetsu smiled sadly. "I don't know… Perhaps, I shouldn't speak my mind in front of the others… Shouldn't have cared for anyone, especially strangers… They thought I was a wierdo…"

"Oh," Hyde sighed, and held Doraemon out, as if it could be a representation of himself, in an effort to cheer Tetsu up. Tetsu smiled again, and took it, carrying it in his arms. Hyde sprung forward, wrapping his arms around Tetsu's waist, tightly, with all his might. There was nothing else he could do; he had his own friends, he was never alone-- Yukihiro and Ken even came to the surface to look for him, and he appreciated that though they never did manage to meet-- and Tetsu had no one, not even a friend, until Hyde came along.

Tetsu's eyes widened in surprise, and closed his eyes, as he put on arm around Hyde, and the other remained holding Doraemon. "…Thank you…"

"Why?" Hyde asked, confused.

"For caring." :.I've never experienced this before… Hyde… Thank you… Really….:

Hyde was happy, perhaps happier than he could have ever been in the Great Dome. Suddenly, the poem about love and betrayal came back to him-- Not the part about betrayal, but the part about happiness which came along with the love. He wondered if it was love, as the poem had said? He had never felt so bonded to one person before, though he loved his parents and his friends, he had never felt so fused with one person, ever before. Both of them had suffered -- Hyde from the old man, and Tetsu from his father. One physically, the other mentally, hurt bringing both together, as pain brings about understanding, and that brings about compassion. Perhaps this brings about closeness.

"…No, I should thank you instead…"

***

"It's going to snow soon." Arihito remarked, looking up at the sky, feeling the chill of the wind.

"Snow?" Ken asked, fiddling with the zipper of his jacket.

"Un…" Arihito sighed dreamily. "I've always heard about the Earth's snow, about how white it was. Someone even got me a virtual reality projector with a program of the snow… I've always wanted to see what snow is like…"

"Hai, even the days are getting colder. It's really going to snow…" Yukiya smiled, looking up at the sky.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I suppose snow is a nice thing, nee!" Yukihiro grinned, and squatted down. There was a small cat in his path, a shivering kitten without its mother. It recoiled from him, as he reached out to touch it. Ken noticed it and began to walk towards Yukihiro. "What is this…?"

"It's a kitten," Yukiya explained, as Arihito looked at him questioningly. "I've read about it… They're getting extinct… Why is there one here?"

"Didn't they originate from Earth? I don't understand why they're so expensive outside of Earth," Arihito remarked.

"Cats are very popular in Space, but many died since the last trading, also, Earth isn't open to trading outside of their globe yet. Anyway, Earth is too far away from the main trade route, and too small. I do know that a few species have come before, but they were captured and turned to the laboratory. Earth hasn't been reputed to welcome people who look different from their race." Yukiya explained.

"Meow--" The kitten mewed, as it swiped out with its paws to touch Yukihiro's shoe briefly. Yukihiro laughed, at its curiosity and fear. It was so cute!

"Nee, Ken! Kawaii!" Yukihiro picked the kitten up despite its fear, and stroked it gently. The kitten stopped shivering, and looked up inquisitively at Yukihiro's face. Yukihiro looked back in turn, and Ken stroked it, too. Arihito laughed at the scene of Yukihiro staring at the kitten-- he seemed so much like one himself! "What is its name?"

"Let's give it a name!" Yukiya suggested, taking the kitten away from Yukihiro's arms, and stuffing it into his jacket pocket. It would be kept very cozy there. "What do you think?"

"Um…" Ken fingered his chin, as if in deep thought. "Haido-chan!"

"Haido?!" Arihito repeated, and burst out laughing. "Hyde! You're gonna name it after Hyde?!"

"Why not? Both of them are so cute!" Ken said, shrugging, as if he was not serious at all.

"That *is* a good name!" Yukihiro remarked, grinning, and they followed as Yukiya started to walk away. Once again, he seemed to be in deep thought; not about anything at the present, rather, something far away. It was Sakura again; the man kept popping into his mind, giving him the creeps.

"…kiya…. Yukiya!" Yukihiro's voice faded into his mind. "I want Haido-neko!"

"Oh!" Yukiya nodded, and took the kitten out of the pocket, handing it over to Yukihiro. "Here you go."

"Thanks!" Yukihiro stuffed it into his jacket. They continued walking; until they reached the school. Hyde (the other one) was talking to the spiked-haired kid whom he had went out with yesterday, together with Sakura. Tetsu waited quietly, and suddenly turned his head. Kaoru passed by them, as if he had never seen him.

"Kaoru," Hyde called, and waved. Kaoru turned, seeming surprised, nodded and turned away again. Tetsu could not help but sigh at the scene; all the friendliness was wasted on Kaoru.

"Tetsu."

It was Arihito and Yukiya. Yukihiro was holding a kitten in his jacket, and both him and Ken popped up beside Sakura to greet Hyde.

"Yuki-chan! Ken-chan!" Hyde exclaimed happily, and sprung to hug them tightly. "I missed you!"

"So did I! How the heck did you get caught?!"

"I'm so glad you're okay…"

"So, how did you come here?" Hyde asked, letting go of them. Yukihiro quietly told him what happened, even about how they met up with Arihito. Hyde considered it a miracle, as he looked back at Arihito again, to see he and Yukiya in a different light. Why had they chosen to help him when it was they who captured them in the first place? He wanted to ask, but was afraid to do so. Suddenly, he noticed a wriggling thing inside Yukihiro's jacket, and looked questioningly at Yukihiro. Yukihiro unzipped the jacket, to reveal a cute little kitten in his embrace.

"Kya!" Hyde immediately cried, in surprise. It was so adorable! "What is it?"

"Haaaaaaido!!" Ken laughed, pointing to the little kitten, then poked Hyde on the tip of the nose.

"Sou ka?!" Hyde exclaimed, and pouted for awhile, before bursting out into laughter. "Kawaii dayo!"

"It looks like you!" Yukihiro beamed, and Hyde wondered if it was a good thing or a bad thing. Sakura and Tsutomu looked at each other in confusion, probably wondering if what Ken and Yukihiro said could be true.

"I think… Let's go to a place to talk." Arihito said, and everyone murmured their agreement.

***

"So, Haido is gonna live with you guys?" Tetsu asked, glancing at Ken and Yukihiro uncertainly.

"Eeto…" Yukiya said awkwardly, glancing at Arihito. "If that's okay with you…"

"Un…" Tetsu nodded, the small smile pasted on his face, his heart feeling that familiar pain again, like when he had just lost something for eternity. :.What could I do…? I have no reason for Hyde to stay with me any longer… My dad won't permit too many people staying with me either… What's more, Hyde is their friend!.: "Since Ken and Yukihiro want it to be so…"

"Tet-chan…" Hyde whispered, his expression unreadable. He looked away, at the fallen flowers, at the bare branches of the trees. There were more people coming to the park, though they were still isolated. Tetsu avoided Hyde's eyes, no matter how Hyde tried to catch his attention. Arihito had noticed that, too, but no one said a word.

"Hyde, I suppose you'll like to stay with Tetsu longer?" Arihito finally asked, breaking the silence. Hyde did not say anything, he glanced up at Tetsu. Tetsu still did not look at him in the eye.

"……" Hyde did not do anything.

"Hyde!" Ken grinned, throwing his arm around Hyde's shoulders. "We'll stay together until the towns police comes to fetch us, okay? This way, we'll be together no matter what!"

"……" Hyde still did not say anything; he looked at Tetsu. Tetsu looked away.

"Do you want to stay with us, Hyde?" Asked Yukihiro worriedly.

"Eeto… Tet-chan…" Hyde whispered. :.I… I really don't wanna leave you… But… perhaps, I've really been too much of a burden….: "Should I…?"

"… Go ahead, Hyde…" Tetsu forced a smile. Yet he still did not look at Hyde in the eye. "Since you're finally safe, and together…!"

"Sou ka…" Hyde sighed, and glanced at Arihito with a grin which looked sad. "I hope I won't bring you too much trouble, Arihito-san! Soshite… Tet-chan… I… I'm really sorry for the trouble I brought you…"

"It's okay…"

"Tet-chan…" :.You're so kind….: Hyde felt a tear come into his right eye, but he blinked it away hurriedly.

Arihito felt a big block building up in his chest, unable to be heaved off. He knew Hyde wanted to stay with Tetsu, and he knew Tetsu needed Hyde. Yet there was nothing he did, or said for them to stay together. If he did so… He would be going against logic. Yukihiro and Ken had came to fetch Hyde back to the sea, and Hyde was supposed to return to the sea from that old man. Yet… It was all so wrong… It seemed more as if Hyde would be better off if he stayed with Tetsu, yet… Quickly, he fished a pen and a piece of paper from his pocket, wrote his hotel telephone number on it, and shoved it to Tetsu. "Here's my number! Remember to call us!"

"Thanks," Tetsu smiled gratefully, his pupils glimmering with a sheen of melancholy, as he took it from Arihito. He still did not look at Hyde directly; he was worried that if he did so, he would burst out crying. :.I'll miss you, Haido… I'll miss you….:

"So it's settled, I guess…" Arihito grinned cheerfully, and stood up. "Hope to see you around, Tetsu."

"Bye, Tetsu…" Hyde whispered. No one but Tetsu, Yukiya and Arihito heard it, and it left a deep cleft in their minds, even after a long time. Perhaps, it all had been a mistake. Perhaps, Hyde no longer belonged back home.

Tetsu watched as they disappeared from sight, into the crowds, and tears started flowing down; he could not stop himself. Parting was such bitterness.

:…….Bye, Haido-chan….:

***

Tetsu did not call Arihito's hotel apartment. He could not seem to pick up the courage to, he was worried that if he did, he would start crying all over again. Those few days without Hyde were so empty. People in school had kept asked him where Hyde was, especially Tsutomu, and Sakura had visited him once, to comfort him. Yet there was nothing he could tell them.

If the solitude before Hyde had brought magic into his life was horrible, this was hell. It was like taking heroine-- before taking it, you long for it, once you were with it, you were high, then, without it, you can't live. Tetsu felt the same way with Hyde-- He missed the magic which Hyde had brought him.

"…Haido-chan…" He whispered, hugging the Doraemon stuffed toy which Hyde had left behind, its softness comforting him, and closed his eyes, for every time he closed his eyes, Hyde's face would float into his vision, and his presence would be there again. That moments of sweetness… Yet, when he opened his eyes again, that emptiness, that pain of reality would engulf him. Even his father's anger did not matter anymore; it only served to diminish his existence as a real breathing human being.

***

"Hi, is Hyde in?"

"Tet-chan--" Hyde started, but stopped. It was Sakura whom he saw at the door. "Oh, hi… Sakura."

"What's wrong? Miss Tetsu?" Sakura grinned, taking Hyde into his arms. Hyde did not attempt to brush him away, yet he could not seem to gather up any energy to meet with Sakura's happiness.

"Un…"

"Sakura-san!" Arihito exclaimed, surprised, as he went from Hayato's room back to his own.

"How's your brother's book?" Sakura asked.

"He's doing quite well recently," Arihito replied, somewhat happily.

"Mind if I bring Hyde out for a walk?" Sakura grinned, glad that he had remembered to ask Arihito for his address (though addresses to him were useless), otherwise he would have to make another surprise visit, which he did not fancy.

"Of course not," Arihito smiled at Hyde meaningfully; the butterfly should be out more often, after being home moping around for so long. He himself felt bad for Hyde, though; if not for him and his family, Hyde would never have been in any of the emotional turmoil.

Sakura waved him goodbye, and dragged Hyde away cheerfully. They came to that nearby park soon afterwards, where it was decided that Hyde was going to stay with Arihito.

"Why are you so unhappy… Haido?" Sakura sighed, his high spirits brought down by Hyde's melancholy. "Tetsu…?"

"Ee… I…"

"Well, Hyde… The thing is, first, to be true to yourself."

Hyde looked up at Sakura, surprised.

"Then, you must pick up your courage, and tell him what you want, because humans aren't telepathic. Because you're two entirely individual beings, he doesn't know what is in your mind. So, go ahead and tell him what you want. Remember, that's what languages are for, Hyde!" Sakura smiled encouragingly, though he still felt pain for himself; Hyde's heart was already full, for Tetsu. He only wished that he had been there when they had made the decision, but after all, he did not seem to be a part of it at all.

It struck Hyde as a truth, as he nodded, and grinned gratefully. "Thank you. Sakura…"

"…Welcome."

*** (Author's notes: I doubt Tet-chan had parents like this, but… I'm sorry for making such stories………. not. :p)

"What's this?"

"It's a music enrichment program…" Tetsu said, looking down at the paper worriedly, wondering what his father was going to say. "I was wondering if I could join…"

"Go ahead," His father waved Tetsu away.

"Anou, which course should I join?" Tetsu asked, expecting his father to say something, anything kinder. He had been down recently. And he always made all the decisions by himself… He wanted, for once, someone to care and take up a bit of the responsibility for him. "There's the flute, the keyboard…"

"It's none of my business!" His father retorted. Tetsu suddenly felt something shatter within him.

:.Why do I even try…?.: His heart cried out, yet his face remained expressionless. "If you don't want to care, well then…" He said, and walked away into his room, shutting the door a bit loudly, not on intention. Suddenly the vast solitude seemed wider. If only Hyde was there to comfort him…

Tetsu sat down, and stared at the ceiling for a while, lying on the bed, hugging the Doraemon. He could hardly believe that the room contained any warmth before; it all seemed so cold.

Hyde floated into his mind again, a laughing image of Hyde, and it wasn't soon before he drifted off to sleep. A shallow dreamy sleep, though much happier than reality.

"Tetsu! You baka! Have you prepared your uniform for tomorrow?! How many times must I keep telling you…! Girls won't like an unruly boy like you!"

Tetsu nodded, trying to shut him out of his mind. Rudely awakened to reality again. The pain stabbed at his heart, the wound was so deep he doubted it would ever heal.

:.What the fuck… Self-contrasting idiot! You keep telling me that you don't want me to have a relationship, yet now you tell me you want girls to look at me?! You don't even care about my music enrichment program, yet you care more about my uniform just for girls to see and people to praise you for your neat son?! Bastard! I hate you!.: A fire of anger burnt in his heart, yet the sorrow was so deep, mixed with that anger…

:.If only… Hyde is… here….:

*** (Like I said, you do have to suffer to write… ^^;)

"Why aren't you joining the music enrichment anymore?" His teacher asked, concernedly.

"I… I just didn't fancy going back to school during the holidays," He replied cheerfully, hoping that his teacher would not notice his uneasiness.

"This is silly…" His teacher proceeded to ramble on about how idleness got people nowhere. Tetsu did not listen; he was tired and wished that everyone would leave him alone.

Finally, having gotten out of the enrichment courses, Tetsu walked back to his seat.

"What's the matter… Tetsu? …Haido?" A quiet voice spoke. Tetsu was surprised. He whirled; to discover that it was Kaoru. That guy hardly spoke in class at all. He was looking up at Tetsu with a strange look, a look which Tetsu had never seen on Kaoru before, and had no time to decide what it was.

"Kao…ru…?"

Kaoru blinked, looking somewhat sleepy with his small red eyes. He looked away, and cupped his chin, leaning on his elbow. Tetsu saw that Kaoru did not want to speak to him anymore.

He waited, and it was some time later that the bell finally rang. Kaoru had packed his bag, and turned to leave the classroom. Tetsu hurriedly stepped out to the doorway, and gripped Kaoru's shoulder tightly. "Kaoru!"

"Yes?" It was all he had said. Tetsu could not believe that Kaoru had spoken to him just now, with those red eyes so undisturbed.

Tetsu paused. He let go, expecting Kaoru to turn and walk away, but Kaoru did not. Even when Tetsu started to walk away, towards the stairway. Instead, he waited and followed, till Tetsu found something to say. "What did you ask me just now…?"

Kaoru looked away from Tetsu's piercing eyes, at the collar. "…You're hurt."

Tetsu laughed softly, it seemed ridiculous. Kaoru couldn't have known! Of course.. "I don't know what you're saying."

"I know you do. I know you're hurt." Kaoru replied slowly, seeming to choose the words with care. He lifted a hand, and pointed to Tetsu's chest. "It's bleeding. Don't let it die…"

Tetsu grinned, yet the grin seemed heavier than usual. Kaoru had seen through what he had refused to see himself-- yet he knew that it was surely bound to die someday; it was hurting so much, it had to. It would be much better off. "Well, I suppose. Is it any of your business?"

"I…" Kaoru did not say anything else, and turned away. "I know everything. Don't lie to yourself any longer. Do what you want, if it doesn't turn out right, it's okay, at least you have tried."

"Kaoru…" Tetsu whispered, suddenly seeing the youth in a different light. Those red eyes were as cold, as distant as ever, yet he did not expect so much difference in them. "Why are you telling me this?"

Kaoru seemed to smile, gently, though coldly. "I know everything," He repeated.

"……" Without looking back, Tetsu turned and ran away, leaving Kaoru alone at the stairway. Kaoru smiled to himself, a small smile, but a smile nonetheless, and stuck his hands into his pocket. He walked away slowly, in a pace of his own.

***

Tetsu did not stop running until he had reached his destination. It was that park again. It still had not snowed; he thought, though the winds were strong and cold. :.I wonder, what kind of Christmas will it be soon…?.:

Out of breath, he sat down, and rested on the stone seat. He gazed up at the sky, through the barren branches, the sunlight shone, hurting his eyes. He needed to calm his mind, calm his heart… Why had Kaoru said that…? Why? He asked himself again and again, and still finding no answer. He remembered Kaoru the way he was, and wondered if anything had happened to Kaoru before. Kaoru still seemed so far apart, no matter how he tried to think of him as close, as near.

He sighed, and slowly began to fall asleep.

*** (a few days down, and 9 more days to go…)

That night, he called Arihito's hotel. The phone rang twice, before a tired voice sounded; it was Yukiya. "Moshi-moshi?"

"……" Tetsu did not speak. Yukiya waited, and Tetsu finally said, "Yukiya-san."

"Te… Tetsu?" Yukiya seemed surprised. "Who are you looking for?"

"…Is Hyde there?"

"Un, chotto!" Tetsu could hear a brief rustling, then, Yukiya calling for Hyde, before a loud bang was heard, complete with frenzied fusses. Tetsu smiled to himself; Hyde must have tripped. He liked to think that Hyde had tripped in a haste to get to the phone, but knew that he was just being silly.

"Tet-chan…!!" Hyde's voice sounded over the phone, muffled, as if he was crying.

"Hyde…" Tetsu smiled, happy to hear the voice which he had so longed for at last. "…How are you doing…?"

"Um… I'm very fine…"

"Sou ka…" Tetsu wondered what he was going to say, and found nothing in his mind. Those words could not possibly express the happiness and longing which he felt right then. "Well, then…"

"Wait!" Hyde exclaimed, and so Tetsu held on to the phone. "I… I have to tell you something… I… Eeto, can we meet tomorrow…?"

"Okay…" Tetsu smiled, even though he knew no one saw it. "Where?"

"Um… I'll come over to that playground near your house… Okay…?" Hyde suggested, remembering the time when he had returned. He would never forget, those times…

"Un…."

"Sou, I'll see you there at noon!" Tetsu could almost hear Hyde bursting out into all laughter and smiles over the phone, and a beaming Hyde came into his mind.

"Jya nee…"

"Un… See you…" They lingered for awhile, and Tetsu finally set the phone down. That was all he needed to hear. He looked at the stuffed toy, and fingered its big face for a moment. So cute… Just like Hyde… Tetsu fell asleep again, this time, it was peaceful; there was no beautiful dream, nor was there a nightmare.

*** (8 more days…)

That day was clear, clear enough for the sunlight to warm up the metal bars, as Tetsu lay his hand onto one. Slowly, he withdrew his hand; the air was dry, and relatively cold compared to other days. :.Would snow really come?.:

There had been a season of snow he had encountered --two actually, had he not been too young to remember the first. The other winter was much closer, at the year when he was twelve. It had been a really cold season, colder than what people would normally expect, for the balance of heat was already upset by Man. Yet the snow was beautiful, even though some parts of the season contained acid. Tetsu remembered romping about in the whiteness, and even tasted the snow-- Slightly sour. He had thought that the snow would be sweet, or crystal clear. Then, they came in beautiful shapes-- He had looked closely, and put a handful in his pocket, hoping to be able to present it to his father; only to find that it was melted by the time he went home, so his jacket got wet and he received a slap from his father.

Tetsu smiled at the silliness of innocence; yet knowledge was not everything. In such a world of knowledge, innocence was hard to come by… Ignorance still existed, but it was another matter, hardly close to the beauty of innocence he had seen in Hyde. Even he himself had lost it, in that world… His smile was sad. The sun got really high, right above his head so nothing could cast a shadow.

"Stop waiting here, Tetsu!" A familiar voice said, and Tetsu looked down, to see Sakura.

"Sakura! What are you doing here?!" He demanded.

"Listen to me, Tetsu. Hyde has been found by that old man while he was on his way!" From Sakura's expression, he could not have been lying.

"Nani?!" Tetsu exclaimed. He sprung up with a sudden impact, holding his backpack, and hurriedly jumped down from the top of the slide. He ran towards Sakura, and clutched at his arms tightly, shaking the latter about. "Where is he?! What happened?!"

"Calm down, Tetsu!" Sakura said, yet the concern and anxiety was in his own eyes as well; Tetsu could see it. "I know where he is! I don't exactly know what happened though, I was sleeping. But let's not bother about that!"

"What about Ken and Yukihiro?!" Tetsu asked, suddenly remembering the two other 'butterflies' as well.

"They're still safe, don't worry." Sakura replied, his brows furrowed thoughtfully. "I did tell Arihito and Yukiya about it, so they should be joining us soon. I'll bring you to that place, but it is very dangerous. They use guns, and--"

"Shut up already! Bring me!" Tetsu said the words hurriedly, and Sakura shrugged helplessly. "Where is it?"

Sakura ignored him, and started running, pulling Tetsu along. Tetsu was surprised, at the rate Sakura was running, he could have easily won the Olympics. Yet he himself would not be able to keep up, he realized, as he felt his legs give way, running at such a speed his body was not capable of. :.Who is Sakura?!.: He thought, stumbling, yet determinedly refusing to fall.

"Ganbare, Tetsu!" Sakura uttered, running faster and faster. Tetsu did fall this time, but Sakura somehow pulled him up with the strap of his backpack before he even so much as tilt to one side. He did not seem breathless at all; Tetsu could not help but wonder if Sakura was human. "We need to get there before the fucker comes back."

"Who?" Tetsu breathed, stumbling again, and got hoisted up again. "Hyde did speak about an 'evil man', but…"

"A rich trillionaire. Lawfully, he owns Hyde, but no one knows about it, so the law is as useful as nothing. …Are you okay, Tetsu?"

"Fine," Tetsu bit his lower lip, stumbling again. His legs was tired, his stomach hurt, and he felt like puking. Fine, right. "As long as we get to Hyde…"

"Let's take a train ride," Sakura grinned, "Even though I haven't meant it to be. I suppose you can't run any longer."

"Eh? But the station is in the opposite direction!"

"Silly. The train is coming this way now. Let's hop abroad, it'll bring us nearer to the building," Sakura said. Tetsu's jaw was clamped tight as he tried to keep up, thinking that Sakura was nuts. To his surprise, Sakura suddenly grabbed hold of him in the waist, lifting him up, and leapt as the train came roaring by.

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" Tetsu screamed, clutching tightly at Sakura in turn, wondering if he was dreaming. They landed onto the top of the train safely, and Tetsu sat there, dazed, the wind blowing hard against his skin, occasionally ripping a cut in it. Tetsu gritted his teeth in pain, clutching on tightly to the Sakura, who somehow stayed on the top of the train without falling. "Sakura! How do you do that?!"

"Let's just say I have abilities," Sakura grinned cheerfully, pulling Tetsu down with him. "Here, this will decrease the wind cuts."

"You… You…" Tetsu gasped, and decided to shut his mouth. He sounded like an idiot from all the amazement he had taken in one day. Thoughtfully he clutched on; occasionally a sharp bend would scare him to death; he was not used to riding *outside* of the train carriages.

After a while, without warning, Sakura grabbed hold of him again, and jumped off the train, landing on the ground with a loud thud. "…Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I guess," Tetsu replied, though he was sure that if he were to be portrayed in manga he would have had swirly eyes. Sakura did not put Tetsu down this time, as he ran on, carrying Tetsu. People around gasped in shock; it was a residential area where the security was tight, and Sakura had hopped from roof to roof, sounding quite a few alarms in the process.

"This ringing is getting to my ears," Sakura complained.

Tetsu was too shocked to say a word by then.

***

Hyde could not believe his horrible luck. He had finally managed to bring things into a brighter realm, and yet those things were ruined just before he could put them in the right place. He was frightened, but the period of peace had brought about some anger in him as he was caught, and he had somehow wounded a few people in the process, only to find himself being hit more than he should have been.

Gingerly he rubbed a wound, closing his eyes, and glanced at the bodyguards who held him with guns.

"Heh, heh, I can't wait for the reward when boss sees that I've brought his favorite toy!" The one at his left smirked evilly, clicking the safety pin of the gun again and again, impatiently.

"What do you mean, 'you'? All of us did!"

Hyde could not bother to say a word much as he wanted to tell them how they were just dreaming; he was shaking with pain and anxiety. He had wanted to meet Tetsu so much, to tell him how much he needed to stay by his side… Hyde pouted angrily, wishing that he was stronger, wishing that his leg was moveable so that he could try running away. A right ankle had been shot, and the lower leg, too. It had been so painful he'd burst out in tears, but after some time he learnt to grit his teeth in determination so as not to satisfy the sadistic blackguards. He had picked up a gun from a corpse who sacrificed when he had fallen from the high building, and shot all six bullets, killing two people and wounding three more, making them fall out of the car and run over by a truck. Immediately he regretted it; even though they were evil, he was sure that they perhaps had a reason to do it and family to feed. Perhaps he had been watching too much of those anime on television.

:.If not for me, they won't have died….: Hyde thought, glumly, having seen the redness of their blood, as it mingled with his own-- he could not understand why they had wanted to hurt him so much, though he could still remember the old man's words: 'If you so much as try to escape, Celeste, I'll hunt you down and it'll be the end of you.'

Hyde shivered, hugging himself; his tears would not come much as he wanted to cry out. The suspense was killing him, suspense of what would happen when the old man came back, it hurt so much more than his leg. If he had been stronger, he would have been able to hide his wings like Ken and Yukihiro, and they would never have found him, and even if they could find him, they would never have been able to get him so easily.

Suddenly, a gun shot rang out loudly, followed by four swift ones. Hyde looked up in shock, to see red blood all around the room; the one standing beside him had shot the rest of the people in the room. One of them fell near his hurt foot; a hideous face with a hole blown through its forehead, brain tissues and blood splattered everywhere, dirtying the neatly pressed tuxedo.

"Heh, didn't I say 'I'? It is the only correct word to use. Now I'll get all the money!" Hyde looked at the man, feeling as if he had just been stabbed-- by a knife of truth. :.Selfish… Greedy… And totally heartless….: Hyde shook in anger, as his face, dirtied by the mixture of blue and red blood, turned to the man. "What the fuck are you looking at?! If you try anything, you'll end up like them, you hear?"

Hyde did not turn his head; neither could he stop glaring at him with hatred. :.Why must so many people be killed because of me?!.: His heart screamed, tears brimming his eyes again. The man stopped immediately, startled by Hyde's hateful glare, but quickly, in disgust, reacted to the guiltiness in his heart, by shooting at Hyde, missing his ear by half an inch.

"What's that expression for?! Huh!"

Hyde's eyes did not change, it burnt with the same intensity of hatred, if not more. "I hate you."

"Hah!" The man looked away uneasily, putting more bullets into the small gun. "I can sure live with that! As long as I get the money…"

The door opened silently, and two tall strong men came in, followed by a familiar revolting face, and two more in tuxedoes.

"Ah! My Celeste, I missed you so much!" He said in that mocking voice of his; making Hyde curl up in a sudden icy fear. Of all the things he feared most, it was the old man. "Aren't you happy at seeing me, huh?"

The tears came rushing out. Hyde kept his mouth closed; he had no strength to say anything; he felt weak all over in the presence of the man, as if his energy had been drained out.

"Oh, poor Celeste is crying…"

"Hey, Boss! What say I brought the butterfly back to you?" The man suddenly spoke up, holding his hand out in a gesture as if he was asking for something. "Surely, there must be a reward?"

The old man glanced at him with a malicious glimmer in his eyes. "Reward? You get to live. You forget about the cameras in the rooms everywhere in this building, Samson."

"It…!" The man protested angrily, his fists tightly clutched, but he did not dare to say another word.

Yet another gunshot rang again. Hyde turned; it was one of the bodyguards of the old man. The young strong man was shivering with an incomprehensible emotion, his hands shaking. Hyde could catch a certain glimmer in his eyes, of a mad sadness.

"Jyaku!"

Jack took aim at Hyde next.

Hyde closed his eyes in fear, awaiting the bullet which would pass through his body and kill him… Tetsu came into his mind again, as he cringed in fear. Suddenly he regretted how he had never told Tetsu that he'd love to stay by his side forever; he needed the happiness and the strength. He wondered why he wanted to let Tetsu know, but a shot sounded, interrupting his thoughts.

Yet the fateful bullet never came. Hyde opened his eyes again, to see Jack falling to the ground, the gun slipping from his hand. "John… I'll be joining you…"

"Aaaaa!" Hyde screamed, feeling as if his heart had dropped to the floor, and shattered with a loud thud. Yet another person was killed that day.

"It's all your fault, you butterfly…" The fading breath accused, and Hyde could sense the hatred, and the blame. Also the ring of truth in his ears. "You killed everyone… My brother…"

"Shut up," The old man laughed, kicking his unmoving body aside. "His life is worth more than yours."

Hyde fell off the chair, crying harder than ever before, wishing that everything would stop-- Surely, those dead people once had felt as strongly, lived as strongly as he did.

***

"How much longer do we have to run?!" Tetsu demanded, breathless, as he continued to cling onto Sakura.

"Shit, those police are following us…" Sakura mumbled, as he skipped over yet another roof, and they fell into a pond, splashing up water droplets in the process, and killing two koi. With inhuman speed, Sakura jumped up again, as Tetsu felt his heart almost jump out of his chest.

"Are you trying to kill me?" He muttered, not really wanting to distract Sakura, yet he was more than annoyed. A mixed feeling of confusion swept over him, as he felt fear, anger, anxiety, impatient and more shocked than anything else. Sakura had to be superhuman, he thought feverishly, clutching on for his life.

Sakura did not reply. He had hopped off the roofs, and finally stopped. They were at a large building; Tetsu could see blue stains at the entrance. He stifled a gasp. :.HYDE!!!!!.: On impulse, he sprang away from Sakura, but the latter immediately caught up with him before he so much as touched the entrance.

"Wait! If you go past it, there'll be another entrance, where you show your password, then, there's another one where metal detectors for visitors exist. We'll have to go in as authorized personnel. Also, we need something for bullets. I think they do care about killing people, though they could always blame it on the others…. Even the police try to avoid them as much as possible…"

"How do we do that?" Tetsu asked.

"I've checked," Sakura said, closing his eyes and reopening them. "The old man will take Hyde back home, and in his case home means a huge private hotel. We'll be able to stop them on the way. There'll be security, but less computer stuff to deal with, Tetsu, have you learnt any martial arts?"

Tetsu shrugged helplessly; he was not good at anything, and he knew he would have to save his questions for another day. Not a second was to be missed, judging by the amount of blood. Anxiously he glanced at Sakura.

"Hyde's alright," Sakura reassured him. Tetsu knew that Sakura had to be right; Sakura knew everything. What's more, that superhuman strength and ability… Tetsu suspected Sakura to be more than what he and Hyde had taken him to be, yet he was not sure what. He suspected Sakura; yet he had no choice but to trust him.

They waited.

***

 "Ah, be careful with him. He's fragile, you know, unlike you," The old man laughed. Hyde sagged against both their arms as they dragged him into the elevators, and there was a physically sinking feeling-- They were going down. "We have to go to my room. I said I'd show you my room… And ah, your room too. Let me tell you about it. It's made of titanium, and there's cameras encased in bullet proof glass cases. You'll never be able to break them. And of course, meal will be provided, I promise you it'll be nicer than the dorayaki you've had. Oh. No more television for bad kids. You can do what you want, but nothing will be provided. I've gotten a whole shelf of Doraemon just for you, since you like them so much…"

:.Shut up! Shut up!.: Hyde screamed inwardly, the pain of his legs sharp, dulling his senses. :.I don't care what you have for me; I don't wanna go! Let me go!.:

"Let's see… The key. Keep your guns to his head," He shouted sharply, and placed his hand onto a machine, and it opened immediately, leading to a garage with a large limousine. "Hmm. I wish you'll show more signs of resistance, but I suppose you've lost all hope already, nee! Haha! You're so cute!"

:.Tetsu…: He thought, calling him with all his might, :.Tetsu!! Tetsu!.: It was useless, he knew, yet he hoped that if he called enough, Tetsu would be able to hear his pleas and appear magically and set him free. Fat hope. The car door opened, and Hyde was shoved into the middle seat at the back, the metal prodding his head at all times. A driver started the engine, while the old man sat in front.

They dashed out of the garage, the bright sunlight piercing to Hyde's eyes. Hyde felt dismayed though the sun was shining; the sun had always spoke of life and radiance, now it only served to remind him of an endless desert as he had been taught in Tetsu’s school. They came to a good distance away; soon they had reached a suburban part of the country. Hyde had never seen such forests like that before; yet under those circumstances he was very much unhappy with the trees. He sat glumly, his fists tightly clenched, relaxing only to clench harder again.

:.Tet-chan… Tet-chan….: He called endlessly. As if when he saw that face again, he would be free.

Suddenly, a loud thud was heard on the top of the car. He heard a familiar voice. It sounded muffled, but suddenly a name came to Hyde. "Ow!"

:.Sakura~!.: Hyde screamed inwardly, as the old man and his guard withdrew their guns in a frenzy.

Silence, but only for a brief moment. Sakura's familiar face came hanging upside down in front of the driver, causing him to drive the car off the road. Exclamations were heard from the old man and his men, "Yaaaaaaaaaah!"

Crash! Hyde felt himself flung against the glass window beside him. A dull pain registered in his mind, and his vision blurred. He could hear voices of faint yelling, shouting something about 'grab him'. Hyde's mind suddenly became clear. Sakura had come to save him!

Sakura grinned, and leapt away from the car. The bodyguard went shooting at Sakura, while the old man pointed the gun to the side of Hyde's head. "Don't you dare move just because someone is rescuing you, Celeste! I want you to see how all these attempts are useless! Kill him!"

"No!" Hyde screamed, throwing a punch at the old man, knocking him over immediately. The driver had long been unconscious. With tears in his eyes, Hyde hurriedly threw the door open and started to sprint towards Sakura, despite the pain and the immobility of his leg. Sakura was with a bodyguard. Suddenly, someone dragged him into the bushes. He thrashed about, "Let go of me, creep!"

"Hsssssssssh!" The boy hissed, and Hyde recovered from his shock. :.Tetsu..: The name registered softly yet strongly into his mind. The one whom he had been calling for. Tears immediately flooded his eyes once again, soon resolving to flowing freely, as he hugged Tetsu tightly. Tetsu returned the gesture for only a brief moment, "Ow… We have to run, Hyde… Oh, my god! What the heck happened to you?"

"What about Sakura?" Hyde shook his head indicating that he was fine, and asked worriedly, peering through the bushes. Sakura had knocked the guard unconscious and was pointing the gun to the old man who was just getting out of the car. Hyde nodded, chewing nervously on his lower lip, disengaging his arms from Tetsu's waist. Tetsu grabbed his hand, hurled him onto his back, and ran away from the bushes, trying to make as little noise as possible.

"Where are we going?" Hyde asked. :.Gomen, Tet-chan…. I am such a trouble….:

"The main road. Sakura will meet us there, with Arihito, and his jeep," Tetsu explained breathlessly; he was only a human. It was quite some distance; Tetsu was tired from the hectic day, and his body was giving out. Yet adrenaline kept his legs going as he raced against time, with Hyde. Yes, he had Hyde with him, that was why he had kept running. That was what he had been running for.

It was a few minutes later that they finally came to the main dirt road. Tetsu set Hyde down onto a rock, and sat down on the larger rocks, panting. Suddenly, Tetsu noticed Hyde looking at him.

"Yes, Hyde?" He breathed, fanning himself.

"Tet-chan," Hyde managed a small grin, "I knew you'd come."

"Sou ka…" Tetsu looked down at his hands, fidgeting uncomfortably. "Sakura told me everything. He knew beforehand…"

"What?" Hyde exclaimed; he knew Sakura was weird, but perhaps… Not that weird. He seemed to know everything. "How…"

"I don't know. I have a good mind to ask him myself," Tetsu replied, his expression now unreadable. Hyde shuddered, the day was colder now, and he could feel his own body heat radiate away into the air. He looked away, then up at Tetsu again, remembering what he had previously asked Tetsu out for. He just had to say it, while both of them were alone, and make it clear… He opened his mouth hesitantly.

"Tet-chan." Tetsu looked up, surprised to hear his voice coming out so solemn. "Thanks for carrying me.... I…"

"Un?" Tetsu waited patiently.

Suddenly it was all getting too hard for him to speak. Everything disappeared into the back of his mind; the pain, the wounds, and even the ulterior motive. He just was not used to speaking his mind; he realized that there had been no need to make anything clear until now. He sat dumbly, as Tetsu studied his face, and looked down. "I…  Uh.... Will Sakura be okay?" He crossed his fingers, trying to change the subject.

"What do you think?" Tetsu grinned bitterly, heaving a breath. "That guy… He can run faster than a train and jump higher than buildings. He knows everything. … What do you think?"

Hyde shrugged, staring at his own hands. They sat in silence, Hyde wondering why Tetsu was so bitter, wondering why he had found it so hard to say what he wanted. :.Baka baka bakabakabakabaka….: He scolded himself silently, frustrated. He glanced up at Tetsu, before resuming to study his own hands. :.Why is it so different? Why?.:

"…Hyde."

Hyde glanced up again, questioningly.

"…I brought Doraemon," Tetsu held out the blue stuffed toy towards Hyde. Hyde was surprised, before he silently reached for it, and took it over. He did not even look down at the toy once, to Tetsu's surprise. Tetsu smiled uncertainly to himself. He had expected to see Hyde grin in joy, but now… His face showed a puzzled expression. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you bad?"

Hyde shook his head vigorously, holding Doraemon loosely, and looked at Tetsu, his eyes going over every feature of the face; it seemed so beautiful. It hurt. When he wanted to try to convey it, it hurt more. Frustrated, Hyde sighed, exhaling a white cloud of vapor, and stood up, stumbled, and fell down again. He had torn a muscle with his sprinting to Sakura earlier and the bullets in his leg.

"Careful!" Tetsu scolded, diving to help Hyde up.

Seeing Tetsu's worried face, he forced a smile, "Nee, Tet-chan, I'm freezing. I gotta move!"

"Sou ka…" Tetsu's smile faded, as a rumble heard somewhere else. Arihito had come, in his jeep, with Yukiya driving.

"Hyde! Tetsu!" Yukiya called, while Arihito threw the jeep door open. "Hop in."

"Are we gonna wait for Sakura?" Hyde asked again, getting worried. Sakura was taking longer than he had imagined.

"He said he would be here when we come," Arihito muttered, puzzled. "Let's wait."

Yukiya nodded, and Hyde climbed in, plopping down beside Arihito. Inside the jeep, it was warmer; Hyde had been shivering from the coldness. Tetsu sat down beside him, and closed the door. They sat in silence, until Sakura came limping slowly towards the jeep awhile later.

"Baka me, I actually forgot that old fatso has a gun," Sakura grinned a lopsided grin, and Yukiya hurriedly opened the door for him, beckoning him into the front seat.

"Did… Did you kill him?" Hyde suddenly asked, as memories of the fresh blood came flooding over his mind.

"No," Sakura replied flippantly, out of breath. Yukiya started the engine, and started driving away. "But I did give him a warning. Hyde—I understand how you feel; that was why I spared him. He should have thanked you that I spared his life."

"Sakura," Tetsu spoke, firmly, suddenly. Sakura nodded, looking at him through the rearview mirror. "Are you okay?"

"That's not what you want to ask me, but anyway, yeah I'm fine. Don't worry, my blood is red." He seemed irritated. Instead, he turned to Hyde, "Hyde, come closer. Let me heal you."

"…" Tetsu bit his lower lip, looking away from the mirror, to the window. No one spoke a word, and Hyde finally fell asleep onto Tetsu's shoulder after awhile.

***

He was sinking in the blood; it was drowning him. He struggled to reach for the surface, yet he just sank deeper. Something was pushing him down… He thrashed about violently… His eyes opened for a brief moment, and he saw Tetsu's face. But those eyes fluttered close and he thrashed about more and more with all his might, to get to the surface, to Tetsu…

"Hyde! Hyde!" Tetsu shouted, pinning him down. He finally woke, the reality of consciousness telling him that it was just a dream.

"Tet-chan…?" Hyde whispered, frightened. He hugged Tetsu tightly, as if Tetsu was the only person who could save him from those nightmares.

"It's all over…" Tetsu whispered soothingly, stroking Hyde's hair in a comforting manner. "It's just a dream, Hyde, don't worry too much about it… It's all over, you'll be fine…"

Hyde nodded, not opening his eyes, his face still buried in Tetsu's warm chest. Suddenly Tetsu remembered that Arihito was there, and started blushing furiously. Arihito smiled, as if to say that it was all right, and turned away. Sakura had gotten off earlier, though Yukiya had wanted to take him to the hospital. Hyde had not noticed his absence.

"Tet-chan…" Hyde looked up, gratefully, into those kind warm eyes…Those eyes always comforted him, always provided him shelter. :.I need you, Tet-chan… Why can't I say it out…?.: He thought, frustrated. He opened his mouth again, but shut it when the words got stuck in his throat. It was too much to be voiced.

"Hyde…" Tetsu grinned reassuringly, as if to say that he was not going anywhere. Hyde silently smiled back; there was no need to say anything after all, surely… Hyde almost believed that their minds were merged; this feeling which he felt so deeply… :.Surely, he already knew....:

Silence.

"I'm glad you're fine…" Tetsu's smile suddenly seemed less radiant this time. "I… Isn't it time for you to go back…? Promise me you won't go out until the village police comes and fetches you, okay…? I don't want you to get caught again…"

Hyde's smile disappeared. He looked up at Tetsu, disappointedly. He knew that Tetsu was thinking for him, but… It was all so frustrating! Hyde glanced at Arihito, who nodded, and said, "Iya, Tetsu… I think he'll be safer staying with you."

"Why…?" Tetsu muttered, his brows furrowed. "I can't do anything to protect Hyde… I.. If not for Sakura, I would not even have known Hyde was in danger…"

"I trust you," was Arihito's reply; yet Tetsu was not sure if Arihito's trust could be trusted.

***

Sakura did not visit him in the time when he was staying at Tetsu's house. Hyde had wondered why, but it was only for brief moments which were quickly forgotten. He still wanted to thank Sakura though; Sakura had been the reason that he had been able to escape from the old man.

In school, Hyde had been popular, but he had especially been friendly with Tsutomu. He was somehow fascinated by Kaoru; even though everyone else thought he was strange and antisocial. Tetsu appeared to think the same way as as hyde did about Kaoru, yet so far not much was known. It did get somewhat frustrating, however…. Hyde realized that he did not have much time left on earth before the towns police came to fetch him. Hyde had thought about it before, but refused to think any longer—He did not know what he was supposed to feel about it. All the time he had been on Earth was spent just so that he could go home safely when the time came… But now, something had brought about a new perspective he had never quite seen before.

He wanted to be with Tetsu.

It was an idea which he would never accept, staying in" this place which had hurt him so badly just for the sake of another person. Why? He asked himself, (period) and The thought which came to his mind was quotes from the poetry. He should have forgotten it (them) by then, "it had been" such a hectic week. Yet it made him wonder if he had not questioned about it in the first place, would he have been captured at all? Life had turned out to be a strange thing once he peeked outside the Dome, where its power lost touch.

He still had not gotten round to telling Tetsu his true feelings. :.Sakura, you wasted your breath on me,.: He thought, yet if not for Sakura, perhaps he would never have picked up the determination to meet with him again. It was difficult, really too difficult…. There had to be a way about it.

Whenever he wanted to tell Tetsu, his heartbeats just grew faster, then, blood rose up to his cheeks, making him want to turn away but he could not. Then, Tetsu's name got stuck in his throat, before he could say anything, Tetsu would turn around and ask, "Yes?" Then, Hyde could not so much as even speak, he just shook his head, still blushing furiously. Those three words meant a lot to him; it was all he needed to express himself; and he, who was used to expressing himself, felt the depth of those three words.

:.I love you..:

Then he would walk away by himself and wonder why did he ever want to in the first place? Somehow, deep in his heart, he still believed that Tetsu knew, and felt the same way as he did. Perhaps, partly because he felt indebted to Sakura somehow and wanted to listen to Sakura's advice. And partly because he wanted to.

He wondered what it would be like when the time for parting came, but he was not too sure. Surely, he would be glad to return home, to his parents, to stay with Ken and Yukihiro. Surely, it had to be so…

***

Two more days, and then the towns police would come. He had just talked with Ken and Yukihiro,; they seemed to be really excited about it. Instead of feeling the excitement the two had felt, Hyde only felt sad. It was not surprising, but he was still confused about the way his emotions worked against logic.

What made him feel sadder was the fact that *Tetsu* seemed to be looking forward to the towns police's arrival.

Hyde set the telephone down, looking depressed. If he was strong enough, and had said those three words—Perhaps Tetsu would understand, yet it was so hard to even say that he wanted to stay. Perhaps he was afraid that Tetsu would ask why. Then it would lead to those three words again.

:.Perhaps I shouldn't have loved Tetsu at all,.: He thought, dejectedly. :.Perhaps I should just return to that peaceful life which I once lived and try to continue about it. I would surely be able to forget him if I tried..:

Tetsu came strolling out of the bathroom, "Hyde? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Hyde managed a small smile, and walked towards Tetsu. He tried to bring a cheerful appearance, and hoped that it did not seem as tired to Tetsu as it did to him. "Tet-chan, I'm hungry!"

Tetsu grinned at that, and they walked into the kitchen. He found some instant noodles and gave it to Hyde.

"Press the water into it," He pointed at the water heater, "I need to change."

"Un," Hyde replied, not looking up. The yearning in his heart was screaming out. He did it as he had seen Tetsu do it before, and sat down to finish it by himself. Tetsu came out while he was half done, dressed in shorts and a loose shirt. He sat down in front of Hyde, and watched him. Hyde began to feel pretty uncomfortable for some reasons, and set the chopsticks down. "You want some, Tet-chan?"

"No, you finish what you're eating, pig," Tetsu replied good-naturedly. Hyde stuck his tongue out at him playfully and picked the chopsticks up again.

"If you don't want it, I'll finish it all!" Hyde grinned, and started eating again.

"…Pig," Tetsu muttered, smiling, gazing at Hyde. Hyde smiled happily, as he looked into Tetsu's eyes. He could never deny how those eyes were beautiful, and that small curve of his lips always seemed so serene. He reached out, by pure impulse, and traced the curvatures of Tetsu's lips with his fingers. Tetsu sat up, startled.

Hyde withdrew his hand immediately. "What's wrong, Tet-chan…?"

Tetsu forced a smile on his face, and shook his head. "Nothing."

"Sou ka…" Hyde looked back down to his instant noodles again, somewhat sadly. Tetsu seemed to be very disturbed by that gesture. He tried to change the subject, "Nee, Sakura hasn't been appearing lately."

Tetsu's face changed, to thoughtfulness. He did not reply, and watched Hyde as he ate for a moment. :.Pig,.: He thought, smiling unconsciously. "Why aren't you watching television lately?"

"It's addictive," Hyde grinned. :.Liar,.: He thought. :.I'm such a liar..: "I'm afraid that if I watched it I'd want to watch it when I get home."

Tetsu laughed softly, and continued to sit there, looking at Hyde's face. He himself wanted Hyde to stay. The butterfly had brought about such strange feelings in him he could not possibly have found by himself. The happiness, the longing, and the strength. Only… That little bit of sadness too.

Hyde continued eating, continued looking into Tetsu's eyes, :.I'm such a liar. I don't want to watch television because I haven't got much time left to watch you, Tet-chan… I don't want to waste the time….:

***

It was the last day he had with Tetsu. Hyde crossed his fingers, wishing that Tetsu would do something, or say something. But so far, Tetsu had said nothing, done nothing. It was frustrating.

It was late again, the whole class had to stay back to clean the entire school because some idiot was caught vandalizing the toilets. The school board believed in punishing the good with the bad. Hyde could not understand why he had to suffer when it was another's fault. As Tetsu had said earlier in the day, 'it was unfair'.

They did not speak a word, when the first snow had began to drop. The temperature had fallen drastically since the beginning of the day, and both Tetsu and Hyde were shivering with the cold. Hyde wanted to say something, but he was somewhat afraid that his lungs would freeze if he ever opened his mouth. The snow got ankle-deep after sometime, and the snow which fell onto their flimsy uniform melted, instantly wetting their skin.

"Of all times the busses have to stop," Tetsu mumbled quietly, breaking the silence. Hyde did not reply, his jaw was so busy chattering, he wondered if it would drop off. "Haido, are you you're very cold?"

Hyde nodded briefly, keeping his gaze in front of him.

"I think we'd better hurry up, nee." Tetsu continued, just for the sake of saying something. They continued walking, when someone suddenly flung a thick heavy coat over Hyde, almost making him topple over. Tetsu turned in surprise, to catch a familiar glimpse of Sakura's face, before another coat landed on him.

"Sa… Sakura!" Hyde was almost speechless, grateful for the warmth which the coat lent him. He almost bounced forward to hug the man had he not been shivering too much; it almost felt as if his engines were dying out.

"What are you doing here?" For once, Tetsu seemed rather relieved to see the other guy. Sakura grinned, and pointed to his car, parked some distance down the road.

"Geez, didn't you see the weather report yesterday?" Sakura mocked, that grin still hanging on his face. Tetsu flushed a shade of pink, and followed Sakura as he dragged Hyde over to the car. "You should be glad your nose didn't drop off, it's gonna get worse, you know."

"Saku-chan," Hyde chirped, cuddling up in a ball in the back seat, as Tetsu stumbled into the car beside him. Sakura nodded, closed the door, checked the heater, and started the engine. "Really, thank you very much!"

Sakura said nothing, as the engine coughed some life and started off. They drove at a comfortable speed, and Hyde dozed off. Tetsu glanced at Hyde once, then at the rearview mirror. Sakura seemed to have noticed that, and smiled as an indication to keep silent. Tetsu flashed an 'okay' sign, glanced at Hyde fondly, and looked out of the window. Suddenly the snow seemed so beautiful outside.

They came to a halt. Tetsu opened his eyes slowly, as his vision blurred in an attempt to register the small light in the car into his mind. He had fallen asleep. Hyde was still sleeping. Sakura had gotten out of the car, and Tetsu reached out to wake Hyde.

"Iie!" Sakura hissed, gently carrying Hyde out of the car. The butterfly was still sleeping soundly. Some sort of unhappiness came over Tetsu's once serene mood, and he frowned at that. :.Am I jealous?.: He asked himself, and slammed the car door. :…….What for?.:

"Hey, you're gonna break the handle off," Sakura warned, walking away in short brisk steps towards the entrance of the building. Tetsu did not reply, and his attention was diverted to the estate which Sakura was living in… It was a high security building, where some celebrities stayed. Tetsu was immediately impressed, and suspicious.

As they approached the door, Sakura planted his hand onto the little screen in the corner to make it open, and got to the elevator. There was yet another checkpoint. Sakura held on to the sleeping butterfly tightly in the other hand. Hyde murmured something in his sleep, and Tetsu could not help but notice how cute he looked. Sakura burst out laughing.

"Nani?" Tetsu wondered.

"He said, 'Nee, Tet-chan, I'm hungry!'" Sakura imitated, and Tetsu grinned.

"Pig," Tetsu muttered, covering his grin with his hand, and they got into Sakura's apartment, after turning round a corridor.

Sakura inserted a card, and some a beep was heard before the door itself opened, and Tetsu followed him in. Sakura set Hyde down onto the sofa, and pulled the jacket from the little body.

"Baka. He's all soaked," Sakura dumped the jacket into a little compartment which probably led to the laundry services, and gestured towards Tetsu, "Hey, throw that away. Go and take a bath before you catch flu or something."

Tetsu nodded, slowly taking the jacket off, and walked towards what he thought was the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" Sakura seemed amused.

"To… To the bathroom," Tetsu replied, confused. He opened the door, and to his surprise, it was the storeroom. "Okay, so where is it?"

Sakura smirked, and pointed towards the room on the left. "There are towels inside, feel free to use one. They're all clean."

Tetsu nodded unceremoniously, and slammed the door shut, hoping that Hyde would be fine, and suddenly wondered what made Hyde say that in his sleep. He smiled to himself, and suddenly tripped over a ledge which he had not seen. Water came gushing out, soaking everything. Immediately he forgot about Hyde, and muttered some curses, got up from the flooding tub and threw the wet clothes aside.

***

Tetsu came out of the bathroom, hearing voices coming from what he assumed to be the kitchen. He stepped inside, wrapped in a towel, holding his drenched clothes.

"You can borrow my clothes," Sakura informed him, and gestured to a mug on the table. "Drink your milk before it gets a skin on top."

"I like warm milk," Hyde smiled, looking up from his cup, and licked his lips. Tetsu could not help but grin: Hyde seemed so much like a cat! Tetsu went back into Sakura's room for the clothes. He could hear Sakura and Hyde talking, and laughing. He sighed, with some envy, and hurriedly got dressed in some slacks and sweater which he found in Sakura's closet.

Without needing an invitation, he sat down beside Hyde, and picked the mug of milk up. It had already developed a layer of disgusting white stuff skin. He wrinkled his nose, but drank it anyway. Hyde was gobbling down some toast, and Sakura was watching Hyde fondly.

Suddenly, it occurred to Tetsu that Hyde was leaving tomorrow. It saddened him; he had tried not to think about it the whole day. He had always thought that it would have been better if Hyde had went back with Yukihiro and Ken, where they would be absolutely safe from all harm, despite the pain it would cost him.

"Tet-chan," Hyde's whisper came into his mind, and he looked up from his milk to see Hyde's concerned face. "Are you okay?"

Tetsu forced a smile, and nodded. He wished that there was a way to hide the sadness in his eyes, but he knew it would be useless. The scars was just too deep.

"Hyde, go and bathe now, since Tetsu is out." Sakura cut in, with a gentle smile. Hyde nodded, and went away.

Silence. Tetsu continued sipping his milk absentmindedly. Sakura said nothing, and did nothing, but glanced over at Tetsu again and again, as if trying to find something from his empty reactions. He came up with nothing substantial.

Finally, Hyde came out. He was wearing Sakura's shirt, Tetsu noted. Once again, nobody spoke a word, and they finished their supper in silence.

***

"Yatta! Yatta!" Ken danced about the room, with the frightened Hyde-neko clinging onto his shoulder. "We're going back tomorrow!"

"Ken-chan, stop that, you're making me dizzy!" Yukihiro complained. Ken stuck his tongue out at him, and continued dancing. "Ken, watch out--!"

CRASH. Ken had not knocked into the polished wooden chair and fell down in an pile entangled with the chair and the table legs. Yukihiro could not help but smile at that, until he saw Hyde-neko. "Oh my god! Haido-neko, are you okay?"

Ken grunted, as Yukihiro picked up the frightened kitten from Ken's chest. The door opened almost immediately, revealing the worried faces of Arihito's and Yukiya's. Arihito's eyes settled on the kitten in Yukihiro's hands, and he hurriedly stepped in, his long blue hair floating as he darted towards Hyde-neko. "Look, he's hurt his paw! Everything's gonna be all right, Hyde…"

"Hey, what about me?" Ken griped as he untangled himself from the chair and the table legs. "Ouch!"

"Oh, I'm really sorry, I didn't notice you," Arihito blushed a shade of red, as he held Hyde-neko close to his chest. Yukiya laughed softly, as he glanced at Arihito fondly. "What happened anyway?"

"Ken was dancing about— Ow!" Yukihiro started, when Ken kicked him in the leg. He held his foot painfully and looked at Ken, annoyed. "What did you do that for, Ken!"

"Shut up," Ken hissed dangerously. Yukihiro gulped, and said nothing.

"Oh, we could hear you from the other room. You seemed to be really happy to go home, nee," Arihito told them cheerfully. Suddenly, his face darkened as he lowered his eyelids, and sighed unhappily. :.Hyde… Would he be happy to go back?.: He felt Yukiya's fingers slipping against his own to grasp his hand gently, and he cheered up again.

"Have you two talked to Hyde?" Yukiya asked, looking at the two butterflies, who looked at each other and shook their heads.

"I tried to call Tetsu's house since the afternoon, but no one picked the phone up," Ken said softly. Yukihiro simply nodded again.

"Sou ka," Arihito closed his eyes. Perhaps Tetsu had decided to bring Hyde out since it was the last night they had together. His eyes opened swiftly, letting his imagination stray, as he wondered where the two could have went. "Go to bed then, I'll call them later."

Yukihiro and Ken nodded grudgingly; both of them were pretty much awake. Arihito went back to his room with Yukiya.

"Thanks, Yuki-chan…" Arihito whispered, now that they were alone in the room. The quietness seemed so endearing.

Yukiya smiled his gentle smile, and sat down beside Arihito on the bed, taking the kitten away from Arihito, and set it down onto the floor. He kissed Arihito on the lips, gently, and Arihito returned it slowly. They sat there for a moment, the kiss long and sweet.

Suddenly, they heard a scream a yelp and a crash coming from the next room.

"What the—" Arihito broke away from Yukiya's embrace, and got up, ready to get back to the other two's room. But Yukiya's hand held his tight, and Arihito looked back into Yukiya's eyes. He smiled happily, and sat down beside him, to kiss him again.

:.Thank you…. And……I love you, Yukiya…. I really love you…..:

***

The phone rang once, and then it rang again, before Yukihiro picked it up. He was breathless after the little pillow fight which he and Ken had a moment ago. Ken stopped hitting Yukihiro immediately. Both of them were hoping that it was Hyde who was calling. "Moshi moshi?"

"Yuki-chan," It was indeed Hyde. Yukihiro grinned to indicate that was the person, and Ken grinned back in anticipation. "Tomorrow… Where are we meeting?"

"Eeto…." Yukihiro glanced at Ken, and repeated Hyde's question. Ken shrugged. "Let's meet at this room tomorrow, okay? Do you know how to come here?"

"I think so. I…. I'm at Sakura's house now, and I've went both ways before. Also, Sakura said that he'd bring me," Hyde's voice lacked energy and happiness, Yukihiro observed.

"Well, that's good. See you tomorrow," Yukihiro muttered, and set the phone down without waiting for a 'goodbye'. Hyde was probably tired and needed to sleep earlier, and Yukihiro was too tired to think properly. Besides, Ken had started slapping him with the pillow a moment ago, and Yukihiro grabbed his own pillow, to wrestle with Ken again.

***

"…See you," Hyde muttered, and set the phone down. Sakura lifted an eyebrow questioningly, but Hyde smiled reassuringly. Tetsu did not seem to notice the melancholy mood in him, as he glanced away and tried to occupy himself with the television, which normally he seldom watched.

"Tet-chan," Hyde whispered, as he sat down beside Tetsu, trying to get Tetsu to face him, but Tetsu only nodded, his eyes still glued to the television.

"Nee, it's late," Tetsu murmured, and finally turned towards Hyde with that beautiful smile on his face. "You should get some sleep. You're going home tomorrow."

"Tet-chan," Hyde repeated, "I'm not sleepy."

"You should sleep," Tetsu forced a small smile. "I'll go to bed now. I'm tired."

"Tet-chan…." Hyde muttered unhappily, and nodded resignedly. "Oyasumi."

Tetsu smiled, and patted him on his small back. Sakura took Hyde by his arm, and led him towards the extra room which he had. After a while, he came back out. Tetsu noticed that something was wrong with the figure who stood towering over him, arms akimbo, in front of the television.

"Sakura…?" Tetsu whispered, leaning further into his seat.

Sakura looked down at him, his figure suddenly seemingly large. He sighed, grabbed the remote control and switched off the television.

"Nani?" Tetsu was surprised. "What did you do that for?"

"Tetsu," Sakura tossed the bar onto the table, and sat down beside him, his dark unpredictable eyes suddenly scary to Tetsu. "Who do you love?"

"What?" Tetsu was surprised that Sakura would ask such a question, and shrugged, ignoring the pain in his heart. "No one."

"Do you love Haido?" Sakura persisted. Tetsu realized that Sakura was really serious. "Tell me."

"Why should I tell you?" Tetsu retorted defensively.

"Because I want to know, and that is reason enough. Tell me. Do you love Haido?"

Tetsu lowered his head, refusing to reply. They remained in silence for a minute or two. In a sudden flash, Sakura slapped Tetsu once, hard in the face. Tetsu looked up at him, shocked that the other man would do such an act. He had totally not expected it. He felt a burning sensation in his cheek, and a hand reached up to cover it. "What did you do that for?"

"Kuso!" Sakura cursed, and turned around to go into the room. He stopped before opening the door. "You may have the couch."

The door slammed with a hard unfeeling sound, as Tetsu sat there, confused and dazed.

***

The day had come. Hyde woke up in cold sweat from some nightmare which he had forgotten since the moment of consciousness. The two pillows had fallen off the bed. :.I've been thrashing about again,.: He realized, as he got down and bent to pick it up. He had tossed and turned in bed for hours trying to fall asleep, but had failed miserably. When he finally got to sleep, he had a nightmare, and woke up twice before morning. :.Baka,.: He thought to himself, not sure if he was scolding himself or the events which had happened.

Yes, it was that day already.

His heart felt so heavy in his chest, as he thought of Tetsu's smiling face. He would be leaving that beautiful boy behind. He remembered Tetsu's father, and prayed silently that Tetsu would be fine. :.I'm so stupid,.: He thought, tears looming in his eyes as his thoughts filled itself with Tetsu. :.Why didn't I tell him? God, I really want to stay… But….:

:.Would I stay if he had not been so happy about my departure?.: He started blaming Tetsu too.

Sighing, knowing that it was no use, he got out of bed and headed towards the leaving room. There he smelt the nice aroma of breakfast. It reminded him that he was hungry, so he immediately went to the kitchen, to see Sakura making coffee.

"Ohayo," Sakura greeted, smiling cheerfully. Hyde returned the smile, somewhat tiredly, and went beside Sakura.

"Need any help?"

"No thanks. You go and sit down," Sakura replied, handing Hyde a cup of coffee.

"Un," Hyde nodded gratefully, and headed for the table. "Tetsu…. He hasn't woken up yet?"

"He's awake," Sakura replied, putting more bread in the toaster. "He went out early this morning. He'll be coming back soon."

"……" Hyde looked at his coffee sadly. A dull throb echoed in his heart, as a desire came to surface. :.I want to be with Tetsu..: "…Sou ka…"

Sakura did not turn to face Hyde, instead, he looked at the toaster, and watched the toast as it began to brown. Hyde did not notice Sakura's uneasiness, or his sadness. He was too engrossed in his own thoughts to be really emphatic. "We'll go in the afternoon."

Hyde smiled, hoping to put on a happy front, hoping to cheer himself up. A thought, however, formed in his mind. :.Why did Tetsu leave me just when I don't have any more time for him?.:

***

The sleep was deep, and troubled. There was a certain dream which haunted his mind once again, but he could no longer comprehend what it was. He struggled, trying to stay himself in the midst of darkness, of the evilness, but it was getting so hard, the feeling of destruction was suffocating him. He thrashed about harder.

"Ow!" A muffled voice sounded, as someone tried to pin him down, but Hyde kicked with all his might, trying to be free. "Hyde! Hyde! Wake up, baka!"

The voice was extremely familiar. It was Sakura's voice, he realized, and calmed down rapidly, his mind drifting closer to consciousness, yet not near enough. Sakura held a protective quality about him, and he knew that he was safe as long as Sakura was around.

"Wake up." Sakura nudged him gently, and Hyde stirred, not sure if it was reality or just a dream. Slowly, he opened his eyes, letting light drift into that dark world. It was reality, he realized, and he slowly sat upright.

"Is Tetsu back yet?" He asked slowly.

"No," Sakura replied, sounding angry. Hyde shuddered, shocked, but did not say anything, as he lowered his eyes. His thoughts were unfocused. "But we're going now."

"Why…?" Hyde asked, now fully awake. He wanted to wait for Tetsu, to see his face again. Somewhere deep in his heart he trusted that Tetsu knew how he felt, and would ask him to stay. He just knew it, though without proof,  he did not want to debate it out with logic. "Shouldn't we wait?"

"It's afternoon already, Hyde. Arihito said that the towns police is already there." Sakura told him matter-of-factly. "Whether Tetsu is around will not affect you."

"But--" Hyde protested stubbornly, but lowered his voice as he realized that he had no actual reason. "Shouldn't we stay at least? We can go later, right?"

"And why?" Sakura demanded, suddenly bursting out. Hyde cringed in surprise, as Sakura held him by the shoulder.

"He's going to come back soon. Don't… Don't ask why, okay? I just know…"

"Why do you trust him so much?"

Hyde could not answer to that. He looked up at Sakura in fear; he had never met with a Sakura who was that angry. Also, he did not know what to answer. He would lose out in logic and reason. He summoned his strength, and replied, in a small voice, "Because I just know…"

"Fine," Sakura let go of him, and sat down. "I don't care about him. I know all about you, Hyde, and I don't want you to suffer. Living here would harm you further…. It is truly fascinating, but only for a short while, Hyde. I know."

Hyde's eyes widened in surprise, as he looked down at Sakura's face. It suddenly seemed so frail and delicate, despite being strong. A truth struck at his heart-- He had indeed seen the hearts of humans. The ugly side of them, potrayed in the form of the old man and his guards. Though, he believed in the good side of them; he always chose to, so that he could live on. These few days which he had been outside of the dome taught him so much.

"…I want you to stay, but you can't," Sakura whispered. :.I had never seen such a pure soul as yours before, Hyde.. And I don't want to see it be shattered..: "……Let's go."

Hyde, struck by the sword of truth, only nodded, as he closed his eyes.

:.But, Tetsu….:

He refused to think further.

***

The snow was white; it was so beautiful. But Tetsu did not pay attention to it, as he hurried along the streets, holding a stuffed toy in his arms, huddling it close. His legs were hurting from all the walking, but he could not complain. He would not let himself complain.

He usually did not walk along the streets, yet now that he was finally looking for something, everything bore a new meaning to him. Thoughtfully and hurriedly, he walked around, trying to find something which would be suitable.

:.Hyde, I'm very sorry…. I'm sorry for being so stupid….:

Tetsu continued looking. Suddenly, despite his rush, he saw a familiar someone pass by in the streets. It was Kaoru. He was wrapped up in coats and hats, but the face was still visible. Those eyes-- those strikingly blood red eyes-- they seemed to shine with their own light, as usual, nothing connected to this world.

He did not call out. Kaoru glanced at him, and walked away as if he had not seen him. Tetsu halted, then he suddenly felt an urge to go into the shop which Kaoru had went into. It was a gift shop.

The moment he went inside, something caught his eyes. It was a delicate blue crystal heart-shaped pendant. It was very beautiful, something which he knew Hyde would be fascinated by, something which he knew Hyde would definitely hold close to his heart.

:.That's it!.: His heart cried out, as he walked up, in a daze, to the counter.

"Yes?" The sales assistant asked politely, with a bow of her head. "May I help you?"

"That pendant…." He pointed at it. "May I have a look at it?"

"Just a moment," She replied, and took it up for him to see. "Here you are."

Tetsu took it without a word or a nod of thanks, and studied it carefully. He had never seen such a pure crystal before; though it was not very bright , it seemed to hold its own depth. "I'll take it."

"That would be four thousand five hundred and thirty two yen, please," She said cheerfully, and took the box containing the crystal back. Tetsu fumbled in his pockets for a moment, hoping that he had put things in the correct place. The sales assistant had taken a short golden necklace and put it together with the crystal pendant.

"Kuso!" Tetsu muttered, as soon as he realized that he had left his wallet back at home while fetching Doraemon. Hurriedly, he turned to the girl, in a desperate and demanding manner, "Please, will you keep this for me until I get back? Please!"

"Nani?" The sales assistant's question was not answered. That young man had hurried off in a rush, carrying the stuffed toy in such a haste. She sighed, "Weird guy!"

Slowly, she began to put the pendant into the drawer, and smiled to herself. "Spring is here even in the midst of cold winter! I hope he is safe and won't get killed in the traffic or something, and returns to his lover safely."

*** Damn, the music Yukiya write is so beautiful…

Hyde had never seen the towns police before, and he wondered briefly how he looked like, but soon got lost in his thoughts of Tetsu again. Hyde kept wondering about what Sakura said, and he wondered why he had allowed himself to see the truth so easily. :.I want to be with Tetsu, and not the rest of the world, what difference will it make to me?.: He thought stubbornly, though he knew.

:.Baka, where's Tetsu anyway?.: He scolded silently. :.I'm going away and you're wasting the last moments I have on this place…..:

He sobered up, as Sakura's car pulled to a stop, and they bundled out of the car. Hyde's wings felt as if they were going to drop off any second, it was so much colder than the day before. Sakura said nothing, as he helped him out of the car solemnly. Arihito and Yukiya were standing at the pavement opposite the road. Yukiya was holding Arihito in his arms, both of them shivering in the cold. Yukihiro and Ken were chasing each other about in the snow, and Yukihiro tripped as soon as he saw Hyde. He fell, and Hyde-neko dropped out from his pocket. It yelped, and Ken picked it up lovingly. Yukihiro dusted the snow off his coat as he stood up, glaring at Ken and snatched Hyde-neko away.

Hyde could not help but smile at that. The two of them were such kiddies! Ken came running towards Hyde, and made a face at Yukihiro, who pouted angrily.

"Hi, Hyde-chan!" Ken beamed, and Yukihiro smiled happily. Hyde returned a small half-hearted grin.

"Is the towns police here yet?" His voice came out sounding worried.

"No," Ken shook his head. "I want to make snow man before I go back!"

"You're here," Arihito smiled warmly, and greeted Sakura with a nod. Hyde felt something tug at his heartstrings; there was something in Arihito's smile. It was a certain care, and a reluctance which he would not voice out. Hyde returned the smile from deep within his heart. "Ano… Is Tetsu here?"

"He's went out this morning," Sakura replied, glancing at Hyde as if nothing had happened.

"I see," Arihito looked down, his brows furrowed for a moment.

"Where are we going to meet the towns police?" Asked Hyde, trying to change the subject.

Ken shrugged, and Yukihiro explained, "We don't know. Perhaps the man himself would search for us…"

"You mean you don't know?!" Hyde asked, feeling silly. "This is ridiculous…."

"Well, it's not our fault," Yukihiro protested weakly. "We did come here to see that you're safe, didn't we? Well, at least you are," He added after a moment of thought. They had not exactly been around when Hyde was recaptured. He could still remember how worried Arihito had been that made them stay back at home. He and Ken had felt such a immense anger and anxiety that Hyde should come to any harm, but Arihito, with his persistence and warmth, kept them from going to the danger of rescue. Arihito was so kind, he thought.

"Let's go back to the apartment, now that you are here," Yukiya suggested, draping an arm around the shivering Arihito. No one had anything to say to it, so they followed Yukiya back to the hotel. They decided to settle down watching television and having lunch. No one really said a lot, not even the usually noisy Ken. Hyde's mind lapsed into troubled thoughts again.

***

"Thanks a lot!" Tetsu said gratefully with a truthful smile which brought itself about on his lips, as he took the wrapped box over from the girl with one hand, clutching Doraemon tightly in the other.

"Welcome," She replied, and held out the change, but Tetsu had already dashed out of the store, into the falling snow. He was lucky that Sakura's house was only a few miles away from the store. He reached the apartment building, when he realized that he had to call on Sakura before he could get anywhere in the building at all. He waited, but no one answered.

Suddenly, it occurred to him that both Hyde and Sakura could have left without waiting for him. Tetsu fell down onto the stairs of the entrance, not from exhaustion, but from something else. Perhaps, from a despair, which was so deep from the chasm and so engulfing. He sat limply for a moment, and then held Doraemon up, his finger caressing its red nose. It was hopeless now, he did not know what to do or where to go.

Suddenly, Tetsu looked up to see a familiar figure. He saw the same red eyes again, still as cold as ever. He opened his mouth for a weak greeting, but could not bring himself to say anything. Kaoru beckoned for him to stand up, and Tetsu got up slowly. He met him in the eyes again.

"Follow me," Kaoru said quietly. Tetsu raised an eyebrow, but did so without a question. Somehow, he just followed, for no particular reason, and, after some time, they came to another part of town after some distance. "Hurry, get to that hotel. Room two thousand three hundred."

"What?" Tetsu whispered, confused. Kaoru did not answer, but turned around and walked away, like a guide whose job was only to help the RPG player to cross the river, and nothing more. Tetsu did not pursue further. "Room…. Two thousand three hundred."

He darted towards the building, towards the hotel lobby, and sprinted past the check desk despite protests, and despite claims of him being a madman. He sprinted on. The security guards chased after him, but he was running out of time, and he knew it. He was not even aware of the commotion he had created, he just wanted to settle the turmoil within himself with Hyde.

"Two thousand… three hundred." He banged furiously on the door. "Hyde! Hyde!"

No answer as yet.

"HYDE!" He yelled, desperately, tears flooding his eyes at the thought of losing Hyde forever. Suddenly, the door opened, by an unfamiliar figure.

"Who are you?" The person asked, it was a youth with blond hair and a cute face. He was dressed in leather, but Tetsu could not care that much about his appearance, as he felt his heart sink. It was wrong, all wrong. :.Kaoru… Hyde….:

"Saki." It was Arihito's voice. The youth moved aside, as Arihito moved into view at he back of the room. "Tetsu…?"

"Hyde! Where's Hyde?" Tetsu asked, forlornly. Those darned tears were flooding his vision, blurring the image of the blue haired figure. "He's gone, is he?"

Arihito smiled gently, as he beckoned for Tetsu to come in. Tetsu made his way in, and Arihito opened a door towards another room. Tetsu held his breath, and those tears came down in a flood of relief, as he found himself facing his beloved. "Hyde!"

"Stop that madman!" The security guards came thundering in.

"Tetsu…" Hyde whispered, closing his eyes in a painful embrace. Tetsu hugged him tightly, both of them oblivious to the surroundings. "Don't cry, Tetsu… Please don't cry…"

Tetsu nodded vigorously, and slowly began to let go of Hyde. "I thought you were gone."

Those words surprised Hyde, as he looked down happily. "Sou ka…" :.Please, tell me to stay….:

"I brought Doraemon," Tetsu whispered slowly, and brought the stuffed toy up towards Hyde's vision.

"…Thanks," Hyde took it and held it tightly in his arms, his own eyes brimming with a beautiful warm feeling which came surging up his entire being.

"You're welcome," Tetsu muttered, and Hyde looked away. He held the box out slowly, and Hyde looked up at him inquiringly. "Here, take this."

"What is it…?" Hyde asked, and opened it slowly. It was the beautiful blue heart-shaped crystal. "Tet-chan…?"

"For you," Tetsu replied, his eyes glimmering with a sadness and a happiness which Hyde thought he knew.

"Thank you… It's beautiful."

The security guards went away shaken. Arihito grinned awkwardly at Saki, who patted him warmly on the head.

"Hyde," Yukihiro called out, seeming surprised. "Are you his lover?"

Hyde blushed furiously, and turned away from Tetsu. "Wha… What made you say that?"

"Hahaha!" Ken grinned cheerfully, and threw his arm in a brotherly manner around Hyde's shoulder. "See, you're blushing! Now I know what's been with you all along!"

"Huh…?" Hyde stammered, confused. Everyone laughed at the silliness of that, even Tetsu and Hyde himself. The only person who was not laughing was Sakura, who remained expressionless. They were interrupted by a rapping on the window, and all of them peered out, to see a brilliant butterfly hovering outside. Hyde gasped. Yukihiro and Ken seemed slightly surprised, and Hyde-neko mewed. Yukihiro opened the window slowly.

"Are you the towns police?" He asked cautiously, studying the man. His wings were so much larger than theirs, and they were glowing with a strange and beautiful light. His hair was in long, shiny, golden curls, his eyes small yet all seeing. His nose and lips were delicate features which made the entire face what one would call beautiful. "Who are you?"

"Yes, I am the towns police. I'm Yoshiki." The man flew in. His voice was deep and mesmerizing. Hyde felt a chill up his back; it was what he had been dreading. The moment of yoshiki's arrival meant parting with his beloved. "You kids must be Hyde, Yukihiro and Ken, right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Ken beamed.

Yoshiki smiled politely. "Do you want to go with me now?"

"All three of us at the same time?" Yukihiro asked, finding it somewhat unbelievable that one could be so powerful. "How?"

"Are you coming, or not?"

"Of course," Yukihiro replied hurriedly, and glanced at Ken. "Do you wanna bring Hyde-neko?"

"Why not?" Ken replied cheerfully, and scooped the kitten up.

"Wait," Someone spoke up.

"Sakura," Hyde whispered slowly, surprised.

Tetsu looked at him, but said nothing. His heart began thundering again, as he thought of what he had to say. He blushed further, as Hyde looked up at him pleadingly, but Tetsu could not utter a single word. Suddenly, Sakura bolted up, and slapped Tetsu as he had did earlier. The meaning was clear in his eyes, that Sakura had done so not really because of anger.

"Sakura—"

Tetsu felt his heart jerk, as he realized something which was so important not only to him. It was to Sakura as well, and more importantly, Hyde. He slapped Sakura back as a response, making the other man lose his balance, and turned swiftly towards Yoshiki.

"Hyde will stay, and I don't mean the cat."

"But…" Yukihiro inquired, wide-eyed.

Yoshiki raised his eyebrows, and glanced at Hyde, indicating silence for all but the small butterfly.

Hyde glanced at the majestic figure uncertainly, but he remembered Tetsu again. :.What was Sakura thinking? I thought….: Tears brimmed his eyes. Finally, he knew what he wanted to say all along, and finally he had found the courage to put it into words. :.Tetsu….: He clutched the pendant tightly in his fist, and looked up. "I want to stay, too…"

Yoshiki nodded, and held out his hands to Yukihiro and Ken, who glanced at Hyde uncertainly. Hyde smiled confidently, though sadly, now that he realized what he was staying for the sake of love. It was so close to the poem which he had first had a glimpse of out of the dome. They returned his smile warmly, and took Yoshiki's hands, before disappearing in a sparkle of light, and then nothing else remained.

Hyde closed his eyes for a moment, and then glanced at Tetsu again, hoping he did the right thing. He knew he did, as he looked into those endless depths of his beloved.

Lines of the poem came into his mind again, yet he did not regret having tasted what love was.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

~Forbidden Lover Part 3 Coming Soon~

Sunday, September 26, 1999 2:56:38 AM

Author's notes: I'll write this tomorrow, I'm damn tired now…

Yaaaaaaaatta! ^^ I've done it! *sweatdrop* There's still Forbidden Lover 3 to be written, and I haven't started on it ^^; And there's exams… ^^;; Arrgh…. Just wish me luck, ne… Didn't wish for Yoshiki to appear, but he did anyway. ^_^; I haven't really thought I wrote this well… I hope I can write it better in the last episode… *sigh* I didn't expect for Kaoru to appear like that again, but I wanted to make Tetsu worried (^^;), yet I can't think of any way that Tetsu knows about Arihito's hotel since he hasn't been there before, so… ^^;; *sigh* Anyhow…. Please give me your comments here :
http://xz0ne.cjb.net
voidmatsumoto@yahoo.co.uk
Please, I'll need the assurance to continue ^^;; m(_ _)m