Disclaimer: Do not own anything!

~~ Hunger ~~

~~ 16. June, Late Morning ~~

The garden was large, at least thrice the width of a football field. The view alone let him pause in his movement, stunned by its beauty. It had been so long since he had seen such an amazing view. The last time must have been before he had left his family behind. They had a plantation of orange trees behind their house and Ryoma remembered clearly how his brother and he had fetched some oranges each day, eating them right away. The taste of those oranges was long forgotten and sadness dared to crawl up in his mind.

He shook his head, heading down the stairs, all the while holding the pants tightly with his hands up, so the damn cloth wouldn't slip down. Who of those five had such a waist? Certainly not Fuji or Yukimura. He hadn't looked at them too closely but he doubted there was much fat on their rips and hips, especially if the racquet belonged to one of those two. But this couldn't be as the pants didn't fit and both seemed to have a slim waist, so that left only Atobe, Tezuka or Sanada.

While musing about it, he walked slowly along a path which led into a labyrinth of colorful flowers, bushes and very expensive looking wells. It was beautiful and the smell of different flowers floated in the air pleasantly. Ryoma didn't dare to touch them though, too afraid to break one of them and having to replace it….

Would one of those five even notice it?
Thinking more deeply about it, their private gardener probably would notice and report it. Better not risk it. He wanted to enjoy his stay and not worsen his situation because a deal was a deal. He would keep his promise and still enjoy his current adventure to its fullest!

He continued his walk through the field, looking everywhere. The scent and sight were breathtaking. The feeling of ease fell unconsciously over him. Ryoma close his eyes for a moment, slowed his steps and inhaled deeply.

A scent of flower, freshly cut grass, herbs…. and… oranges….

He snapped his eyes open, searching. Had his memory played a trick on him?
No, he could still smell it. The scent was faint but still there.

He followed his instincts, searched for the source of scent, for the tree filled with oranges. He continued to follow the path between the flowers, approaching a wall made out of a hedge. Behind it rested a field of different trees which were all in full bloom. Ryoma couldn't believe it. Just how rich were those bastards? They had their own damn plantation of fruits in their damn garden! Cherries, peaches, limes, grapes and also oranges.

Ryoma approached the orange trees carefully and with awe. He had missed the scent, the taste, the feeling of home. A home which he didn't have anymore, but would always be his one true home in his heart nonetheless. He put the racquet softly on the ground, still holding the pants up with his other hand. His fingertips slid like feathers over the tree bark, feeling the roughness. His fingertips wandered up to the top of a twig, plugging one of the deliciously hanging fruits. He held it under his nose, smelling and inhaling the scent of long lost memories. Home. Family.

'I will get my revenge. I will make you proud of me, somehow.'

His stomach growled loudly and a thought let him snap out of these nostalgic feelings. Something appeared strange.

Shouldn't he be starving by now?
He hadn't eaten anything in the last couple of days as far as he could remember or had those five done more than just wash him and afterwards rub some oil on his skin?
A shudder overcame him. They must have been as he wasn't feeling sick anymore, or at least not so much. Remembering his last state of health, he was actually feeling better.
However, he wasn't certain if he should be thankful or afraid.

What else would they dare to do to him while he was sleeping or unconscious?

Ryoma leaned against the tree to help keeping up the pants while staring at the orange. He was hungry but something kept him from biting into the fruity flesh.

"Yo have gotten stronger, Chibisuke."

"You will be a champion with me at your side as your favorite rival!"

"Don't worry, Chibisuke. I will be studying abroad for one year but don't cry. When I return, we will have a real tennis match. Show me how strong you have gotten till then."

"Whenever you're lonely, buy an orange and think about our time eating them together. I will do the same too."

His stomach growled once more, louder.

The tennis match had never happened. It had been only four month after his older brother's departure to America when he had made his biggest and most regretful mistake.
If only he had listened to others, had swallowed down his pride and accepted the offers and words.

His life had been so energetic and… easy and kind and warm.

"Do you really have to be with him all the time, Ryoma? He is too old for you!"

"Did they scold you again, Chibisuke?"

"He is dangerous."

"Mom, Dad, don't make Chibisuke angry again. He isn't a child anymore."

"I know they keep nagging you about your current boyfriend... I don't want to interfere... just... please be careful, Chibisuke."

"He will always be my son and therefore I take the responsibility."

His family had done everything for him to make him happy and he had stomped at their kindness, destroyed and disappointed everything and everyone. Ryoma smiled sadly by the painful memories, his eyes began to burn from hidden tears. The scent of grape strengthened and the sound of feet softly rustling over grass caught his attention, letting him snap his golden eyes open.

"I don't think our oranges are so bad to make you smile so sadly." A soft voice spoke, the tone showed no hint of sarcasm but carried a nuance of sympathy instead. Yukimura held the racquet, which he had put down, in his hands, watching him with so very gentle eyes. It gave him a chill. He had let his guard down, shit! How much had the bluenette seen on his face? The wind felt chilly all of a sudden. "I see you have found one of our tennis bags and helped yourself. It seems to be a bit too big for you. We can change that later and give you something more fitting to your height. How do you feel?"

"Alright." Ryoma forced his face to remain calm and composed, not wanting to give any more hints about what had been on his mind which shouldn't have been remembered in the first place. He still needed to be careful, in control of the situation. They had managed to overwhelm him already too often for his liking. It would be better to keep the number of those moments at a limit.

"Would you like to join us for breakfast? You must be hungry." Yukimura nodded to the left where a beautiful white and large pavilion stood in the center of the plantation, surrounded by grass. The other four were already sitting at a table, watching them from afar. Had they seen him too and his carelessness? "You can eat the orange too if you want. They are really tasty and have many vitamins." The bluenette smiled as he headed slowly to his partners, stopping only halfway when Ryoma didn't follow immediately.

Ryoma hesitated, only following suit after taking one more look at the orange tree and throwing the orange at the bluenette. Time to return to reality and let the past go. "I don't like oranges."

Yukimura caught the orange with ease, frowning for half a minute but not saying anything about his behavior. Ryoma was almost thankful for that. They reached the pavilion and were greeted warmly by all four. Nevertheless, his attention was immediately drawn to the table in front of him. The table was filled with tons of different kinds of meals and fruits. The sight and smell alone caused him to pause and swallow hard.

Food.

He would get something to eat, even something warm and fresh. A real meal.
When was the last time he had eaten something good, something fresh and home-made?
There was no clear memory of a time without hunger, without the feeling of having a hole in his stomach since his runaway. Ryoma swallowed again, inhaling deeply and needing a moment to take in all the delicious things.

"Seems like we need to have a better security system for our house." Atobe mumbled and huffed over his cup of what seemed to be tea. "Seiichi was on his way to wake and fetch you when we saw you over there."

"Come sit down and have something to eat, Ryoma." Fuji smiled with eyes in the form of half-moons. Their sudden niceness scared him, made them suspicious.

Ryoma walked to the nearest chair at the end of the table and far away from the others. However, Yukimura pulled a chair out from under the table and gesture with a smile for him to sit down. The chair was beside the bluenette's who sat beside Sanada and opposite Fuji who sat between Tezuka and Atobe. Atobe sat opposite Sanada. It was something that struck him as odd because Ryoma would have bet the richest man of Japan would sit at the head as master, not in an equal position and beside as well as opposite his partners.

Someone cleared his throat, urging him to sit down which he did with caution. He hadn't forgotten their intrigue from the last night. Was this another attempt to grope him? His skin did feel better and smelt good… but that was no excuse for their behavior yesterday!

"Maybe we should put you in a locked and windowless room and see if you can still get out of it, ne?" Fuji said, taking a sip out of his steaming cup of tea. A maid served them as soon as Yukimura sat down as well. Little portions of everything were presented at him in different bowls and plates. A traditional Japanese breakfast. It had been his favorite back then at home, whenever his mother had cooked. They thanked for the meal and Ryoma heard himself just barely, his voice not able to surpass the huge knot which was stuck in his throat.

His hands were shaking, making it hard to keep the chopsticks in his hands.

Food.

Real food!

He grabbed a piece of something that looked like cabbage or lettuce, put it carefully, so he wouldn't spill anything, into his mouth. The taste was pure heaven, forcing him to close his eyes, savoring every bit before swallowing it. Tears of disbelief dared to roll down his cheeks but he blinked them away hurriedly. One quick glance to the right told him that nobody of the others had noticed his emotional drama as they talked with each other. He took one bite after another, tried out everything that was on his plate and bowls. It was heaven, absolutely delicious.

Let them talk all they wanted, food was so much more important!
He suppressed the need to moan and sigh every now and then, but he did savor each bite.

Far too quickly were all the small portioned meals gone with his stomach being filled enough to actually give him a feeling of satiety. Something he hadn't felt for so long. Nevertheless, there was something in his mind telling him to eat more, to eat as much as he could because there was the possibility of not getting anything to eat at all in the next few days. Old habits die hard.

Ryoma knew they wouldn't do that, keeping him away from food. Yukimura had said so himself. He wanted him to get better, to fatten up a bit and if they dared to starve him then they wouldn't get back this stupid ring. He couldn't understand it. Those five were most likely the richest people he had met so far but they cared only for this stupid ring. What was so important to not just buy another and identical ring?

It had been strange to begin with, the ring being simple and without any diamonds or gems. All his other victims had always worn such expensive and bragging jewelry but those five... They all wore just this one golden ring, except Yukimura.

A tasty peach was put on a new plate in front of him while the old and dirty plates were cleared. Well, his tableware was more than empty and clean as he had eaten really everything in and on it. His view landed on Yukimura who smiled at him, being the one to offer him the peach. "I just thought maybe you wanted to have some sort of dessert. I would have given you the orange but you just said you don't like it, so I'll take it."

Ryoma watched the bluenette warily, taking the peach into his hands and taking a bite as the habit grew too strong to leave food go to waste. His gaze drifted to the orange at the bluenette's plate nonetheless.

"I will be there for you, whenever you need someone to talk or lean on. I'm your big brother after all."

"How about a match, Chibisuke?"

"Here, eat an orange and the world will look better."

The fruit tasted sweet, fresh and fruity. He suppressed the moan of deliciousness and forced his eyes away from the orange. The stare by amethyst colored orbs was only noticed when the last bite of peach entered his mouth and Ryoma paused his chewing, staring back. He waited for Yukimura to say something, anything as he swallowed and frowned. Why was the guy staring at him while he ate? What was wrong with the guy?!

"I like having a fruit after my breakfast. It's kind of refreshing, don't you think, Ryoma?" Yukimura smiled charmingly at him, before turning his attention back to the others, chattering happily. Alright, this was just plain weird! Had Yukimura really tried to have a conversation with him?

What the hell?!

The clangor of laugher, the foreign sound startled him. Ryoma cleaned his sticky hands from the peach's juice with a tissue while observing the five. They chuckled, joked, interacted and also flirted openly with each other in the middle of the day and for everybody to see. They looked happy and carefree. Like boyfriends or lovers or family. The picture-perfect family where he would never belong to or be a part of. It had been the one thing he had once longed for but had cost him everything. Now it was the last thing he needed and wanted. It wasn't a wish or desire any longer but a curse without any cure available.

More than anything did he feel out of place right then. Really out of place. It had been too long for him to be a part of a family. The thing between him and Kevin had been more a community out of necessity instead of a family. He hadn't had any conversations with Kevin beside the topics work, food, rent and money. Yukimura's try to include him into one of their conversations about unimportant and funny things was overexerting him. Talking was a waste of time.

Fuji kissed Tezuka on his lips. A light and innocent kiss with their eyes meeting with sparkles. He could see it, nearly grasp it. The love - the thing he had once felt too for another person. Something clenched in his chest when the sight started to burn itself into his mind. The laugher from the five began to irritate him. He needed to leave before a disaster happened.

He thanked once more very quietly for the food, stood up and left the pavilion silently with his hand still keeping the pants up. The chatter lapsed into silence immediately.

"Ryoma?" He clenched his fists, didn't want to speak to any of them but stopped in his movement nonetheless. It would be useless to ignore them in their own mansion. Yukimura appeared shortly after in his field of vision. "I would like you to come with me and see our private doctor, just to be certain about your health."

No!
NO! A doctor was the last person he wanted to see, having only bad memories with those types of humans. "Thanks, but it won't be necessary."

"Yes, it is. We would feel better if we know that you're healthy. For one, I can take better care of you when I know what to include in my health-plans for you."

"That might be but I still don't want it. I'm fi-"
A hand connected with his cheeks out of nowhere, slapping him lightly but forcefully. He would have kissed the ground if Yukimura hadn't grabbed and pulled him against his own body.

"Kunimitsu!"

Ryoma's head was ringing and swirling from the impact, his body an unsteady and shaking mess. What the hell was wrong with them?!
When the swirling in his head stopped, Ryoma rose his gaze, meeting those of a very angry brunette. Tezuka was glaring so coldly at him, it froze every muscle in his body.
What the?!

"You will see the doctor, just like Seiichi has told you. We have a deal, remember that." Tezuka walked back without another word. What was wrong with him?! Ryoma had never been hit for not going to a doctor… well, maybe because he couldn't have afforded one before but still….
Why had he been hit?

What the hell was the reminder of the deal for? What had this to do with going to a doctor?
If he wouldn't need their shitty help so much, he would have cursed at the brunette and turned his back on him, never returning to this damn place!
He should have eaten until he was sated to the extent of feeling sick!

"Ryoma, I'm sorry. I don't know what just happened. Kunimitsu behaves usually much calmer and nicer." The bluenette stammered, seemingly not understanding the brunette's act either. How calming. "Please, come with me. I will bring you to the doctor. I just want to make sure, you're okay." Yukimura guided him slowly away and back inside the large mansion.

Kunimitsu returned to the pavilion with a hammering heart and a fuzzy head. He had lost control. He hadn't meant to slap him, to hurt or harm him in any way. He had never physically harmed any of his boyfriends, nor any other person. Just then, it had been some sudden reflex when he had heard Ryoma denying the offer to see a doctor.

His body had reacted completely on its own.
His instinct hadn't been in control.
His mind hadn't been in control.
He hadn't been in control.

He had lost all control!
The damn book was useless!

His lovers were quiet, watching him standing at the fence of the pavilion, staring at nothing. Kunimitsu kneaded his hands, tried to rub the pain and guilt away. He needed to apologize. His behavior had been unacceptable. Ryoma's expression after the hit had been one of fear and disbelief. Kunimitsu couldn't imagine what kind of impression he had left in Ryoma's mind.

"Mitsu? Do you want to talk?" Syusuke approached and leaned his body against Kunimitsu's shoulder to offer silent comfort. Kunimitsu couldn't react nor reply. He had no clue what had caused this foreign behavior. It had never... Why now?

"Mitsu?" Keigo and Genichirou appeared at his other shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"It was...the sight from before and his reaction just then, wasn't it?" Genichirou said, looking in the direction where the two had wandered off. "The whole time he was eating everything with so much caution and delight... The expression in his eyes…The feeling of helplessness around him..."

Kunimitsu nodded in understanding. It was exactly the kind of feeling he had gotten through dinner. The desire to protect the poor beauty had grown steadily. The question was just why he had felt it for Ryoma whom he barely knew. He had only felt protective over his boyfriends but not for a stranger.

"You were scared to have him around at first because of his... kleptomaniac tendencies but now your protective instincts have kicked in, haven't they, Mitsu?" Syusuke chuckled, leaning his head against Kunimitsu's shoulder. "You want to help him too, right? See what kind of beauty he can grow into?" Kunimitsu as well as Genichirou nodded in agreement. "I want to take some pictures of him when he is a little bit healthier. Maybe I can pursue him to be my model, too?"

"You think Seiichi will be bored of him soon?" Keigo laughed. "Ore-sama is certain to say that nobody of us had ever seen such a beauty, even in each other. He is kind of unique, ah."

"Hmm..." Syusuke hummed, causing Kunimitsu goosebumps. This tone was never good! "How about we apologize first and then start getting to know our little thief a bit better, ne? I have held back all through breakfast as I promised you. Now is time to chase the kitty."

"A good idea. I have some questions, too."

"Gen?"

"You said he had a little confrontation with Yagyuu Hiroshi, correct? I would like to hear more about this for once and... some other things."

"You just want to see him naked once more while Oishi gives him a check-up." Atobe laughed. "But maybe we should really join those two. Ore-sama forgot to tell Seiichi that Yuushi is still here."