A/N: Happy Birthday to my muse, my onee! Thank you for always pushing me through the ruts of writing and making sure I release. Everyone must love the muse that hunts my other muses for me and holds the gun to my head to write! LOL

This was originally a story I almost released during my anniversary but decided against it. After looking at it for about two months now, I'm thinking why not! So here's the first chapter of something that may or may not stick around till finished.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own PoT or the lovable characters

Love Story

Rated: M

Summary: [AU] Ryoma liked his normal, boring life of anonymity with his perfectionist niece. Then a persistent person shook it up.

Chapter I: A Recluse

Tokyo

Fuji sighed as he tossed yet another script to the discard stack. He had been trying to find something new yet something that was going to make him a lot of money and get him more recognition than he already have.

He had done multiple movies where he had gained recognition in Japan and he had promoted small mangas and novels which later gained recognition even overseas but with the new challenge of doing a moderately well known author was harder than picking someone small or choosing someone big.

Fuji wasn't going to lie. It was hard work trying to bring something new to the table and not reuse the usual formula to make a winning movie. Tapping his finger in annoyance that nothing appealed to him to even have his scriptwriter write, Fuji pushed all the "potentials" to the side and opted to searching for a cigarette from his breast pocket instead.

"Uh, Fuji-san?"

Fuji turned his head slightly as his fingers deftly lit his cigarette to face his assistant who had returned from his errand. His assistant stood so straight like a soldier though his face showed nervousness and discomfort at having to speak to his superior. He blinked once… twice, breathed deeply and fidgeted slightly as he tried to work out a coherent sentence to say.

"I was wondering if I could suggest a few books and mangas…" He hesitantly said placing a few books on top of Fuji's already cluttered desk. He stepped back quickly afterwards and wrung his hands together as he kept his attention centered on the books he had placed between them.

Fuji let out a cloud of smoke along with his sigh and reached out to glance at the book covers of the books. Fuji glanced up at his assistant to show slight amusement with a ghost of a smile at the edge of his mouth and tapped the top book with his pointer finger.

"You read these kinds of books?" Fuji asked.

"Well- it's not like I like these kinds of books but my sister is an avid reader and she was ecstatic about this author and when I mentioned I was working for you she jumped at the chance-" he fumed out

"So it's not your recommendation, it's hers?" Fuji asked flipping the book to skim the summary.

"Well I read it and I kind of like it." He stuttered out in slight embarrassment. "It's just that we've captured multiple viewers from all age groups but we haven't focused directly on any romantic films for girls."

"Well the general public enjoys thrillers and action more so then chick flicks you know." Fuji explained pushing himself back onto his comfortable chair. "It's just a well known fact that women based romantic comedies or drama never hit it big outside of TV dramas."

"But that's exactly why you should do it!" His assistant countered. "You wanted to show the world that you can do any genre and still come out with something, some message, and some recognition right?"

Fuji nodded subtly and stared at the plain covered books that seemed more like a romance book a woman would settle to read at night then an Academy Award or Box office favorite.

"So…"

"I'll go through it tonight and give you an answer tomorrow," Fuji conceded. If there was one thing he didn't want to do to his workers, it was to ignore their requests without a fair chance at it. Standing up, Fuji knew there was no point in mulling over his problem for the night. He might as well go home and try to find other potential books or mangas that he might want to do.

XxX

"So my superior says they're already speculating what your next film will be and if it'll bump you to Hollywood."

"Is that so?" Fuji uttered as he rolled to his side and grabbed his robe. Rising nude from the bed, he pulled his robe on lazily and went in search of his cigarettes.

"So if you get that chance… will you leave me here and go?"

Fuji turned with a slight smile to his lover still entangled with his sheets on his bed.

"And what if I do?" Fuji questioned taking a puff of his cigarette before moving forward towards his lover.

"I'll never let you go," He promised and sat up to pull Fuji back towards him.

Fuji relented to a deep kiss from his lover and pushed one hand roughly through his lover's dark hair.

It'd be close to two hours later before Fuji made his way out of bed again and headed for his kitchen in want of light substance and a good drink. He settled for leftovers from earlier in the evening and poured himself some brandy. Taking his food with him, Fuji opted to head to his study and see if he could bore himself to sleep instead of eating in the kitchen with his thoughts.

Fuji settled onto his sofa and took a bite out of his sandwich before he started to look around for something to do while eating. His eyes rested on the stack of books he had promised to skim through and with a swing of his brandy, he pulled the first book towards him. Swallowing his alcohol and sandwich between a two chews and one swallow, Fuji chuckled at the blaring title that read "Love & Me". He couldn't believe he was actually going to read something so simply put yet so inclined towards the fairer sex… then again people always mistook him for a female because of his slender build and soft voice.

'She was beautiful, headstrong, independent, and gave the best relationship advice to all of her friends… what was the downfall to this perfect female?

She had no experience in love.'

Fuji read on, chuckling at scenes, laughing outright at others and feeling slight tugs on his heart in other scenes. He had been more than halfway through this inexperienced girl's life when an annoying beep blared insistently beside him.

Fuji turned his head to his alarm clock and turned off the alarm. He rubbed his eyes as he realized he had just read till morning and still, he wanted to know more on this girl.

'Shit…' Fuji thought as he stared at the book in his hand. This was possibly the ONE!

XxX

Studio

Fuji rushed in as his eyes searched the room ignoring the greetings he got from his team. He knew he was about two hours late but that's how long it had taken to finish the rest of the book and circled in on his victim sitting by the opposite side of the room and rushed over to place the book in front of the smoking male.

The man looked up at Fuji with a raised brow at what was placed in front of him.

"Higarashi, read and create a script for that," Fuji commanded with a smile.

"You mean-"A girl interrupted from behind him.

"YES!" Fuji said turning to face his crew. "We are in business! I have chosen my next film to make!"

A cheer rose through the crowd but Fuji only smiled and looked back at his scriptwriter who looked at the cover in mild curiosity only.

"My book?" his assistant asked coming over to see what was placed in front of the scriptwriter.

"Yes," Fuji acknowledged. "I need to get in touch with this author and get the works up."

"Umm.. Fuji-san?"

"What?" Fuji asked turning back to his assistant.

"Did you read the accompanying manga for this novel?" his assistant asked.

"There is a manga?" Fuji asked incredulously.

"Volume one is in the stack I gave you." His assistant said with a nod. "It started releasing not too long ago and I think it takes pressure off the author to finish volume three to the series."

"There's three volumes in all?" Fuji asked.

"Yes… but the most important part is that the author, as mentioned by the mangaka, is a recluse."

"Once they hear that I'll be at the helm I'm sure it'll be easier so make that call." Fuji commanded anyways and moved away to order other things to be in place. He turned his head and saw Toshi, his acclaimed actor walk in.

"Toshi! I've got one coming so make time for it." Fuji said with a smile as he walked towards the guy.

"We'll see since I'm finishing up a dorama fight now." Toshi said sliding his shades off to reveal his gray eyes. He smiled and greeted the team before following Fuji into his office.

"I haven't decided on the girl yet but you must make time for this film." Fuji said with a smile. "I want to show another side to you then the nice guy act you always play."

"Did this go through the higher ups in the company yet?" Toshi asked dropping his smiling façade as he leaned into the sofa. "My schedule's been packed ever since I starred in your first film."
"Isn't it good?" Fuji asked with a smile.

"Sometimes…" Toshi said with a sigh. "Other times it's annoying to always have to put up a face. So the girl… there's so many actresses we have here."

"I know but I couldn't picture them as your partner in this." Fuji admitted. "Ayase-chan would be too cute and she likes you too much."

"Nana?" Toshi asked

"Are you dating her as the gossip columns and paparazzi are saying?" Fuji asked looking at his old friend.

"Maybe…"Toshi said with a sigh. "I haven't decided if she's serious or not yet."

"In other words you are serious but she's not?" Fuji asked with a smile.

Toshi merely sighed and flipped Fuji off.

XxX

Fuji sighed as he walked towards the grand Roppongi condo he had been directed too. He had thought everything would be smooth but it was far from that even though he spoke to the company about making their author a huge star here in Japan if not a worldwide star. They had declined saying that the author hated too much publicity and they usually talk through the assistant who is the mangaka for the novels. Still he persisted and they finally agreed to give up the author's place of residence under the condition that he would have to convince the author on his own.

Fuji and his assistant rode to the VIP section after having a long conversation with security before they allowed them up here. Now they were in front of the right door and his job was about to be halfway complete. He slid his aviator sunglasses off and was about ring on the intercom when a voice behind him stopped him.

"Who are you guys?"

Fuji and his assistant turned around to face a girl who was frowning at them. Her dark eyes looked suspiciously at them, yet the tilt of her head and how her lips slowly moved to a frowning pout gave Fuji a sudden thought that this was the author and she had wrote about herself because she was a perfect match to the main character.

"Hi, I'm Fuji Syuusuke from-"

"I'm not interested, go away." She said quickly and walked past them to get her keycard out to enter. She adjusted her bag which seemed full of papers and proceeded to get into her room.

"Please… think about the benefits of sales this could have for you- did you know this exposure could-"

"Who is that Sumi?" an annoyed voice asked from the other side of the door. Fuji turned to see a man who looked like he just woke up standing by the door staring at them. It was evident he wasn't liking them from how his golden eyes narrowed to his irritated expression.

"I'm trying to convince Sumi-san that her book 'Love& Me' would do well as a film. I direct and-"

"Go away," He said clearly annoyed by the tone his voice took.

"Just think about the money and exposure she could get from-"

"I decline," Ryoma said immediately giving Sumi a look for which she returned a shrug.

"Why would you decline it though? This chance-"Fuji started only to get cut off suddenly.

"Because I wrote it," Ryoma said easily and shuts the door in his face.

Only one word echoed in Fuji's head after that door shut.

REALLY?

A/N: Thrill may have started on the wrong foot but with persistence, it'll come to fruit.