Disclaimer: Do not own anything!

~~ Mood Swings ~~

~~ 15. July, Late Midday ~~

"Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes, sirs." Seiichi thanked and dismissed the maid with a short nod, his eyes never leaving the bathroom's door from his sitting position on the couch. He didn't like this idea at all, still he had agreed to it.

The other maid finished preparing the guestroom, bowing down before hurrying outside, probably feeling the thick and tense air around them. He still didn't like this and his patience was running out with each passing minute. Seiichi had seen the fragile, unhealthily thin and pale blonde and had understood instantly that Kevin needed help.

Nevertheless, why did he have to sleep and stay here?
Why had Ryoma asked them if the guy could stay here with them for a few days?
Why not just send him to a hospital where they could treat his body and mind because the angry stares, which Kevin had given them, were a very good indicator that something wasn't right with this guy. They hadn't done anything beside giving in to Ryoma's plea and helping the blond brat, even though they didn't have to.

If the news from Ryoma were correct, then nobody was after Kevin. He had simply been thrown out of Yagyuu's penthouse and brought back to the streets without any explanation or clothes. Nobody was looking or caring for or after him. He had been left alone and found himself in the same situation as Ryoma once, alone and helpless. Maybe he should feel more sympathy for Kevin, and the guilt was already nagging on him at the back of his mind, however his stubbornness helped him to suppress it successfully.

The sound of the shower was still running, echoing loudly through the still closed bathroom's door.
What was taking them so long?
If the guy dared to insult or touch his Ryoma in any way, Seiichi wouldn't stop himself from fighting dirty. He thrummed his fingers against his arms which were crossed over his chest. Five more minutes and he would break the door open. His view wandered around the room and to his partners. Kunimitsu was currently calling Oishi, asking their private doctor to come and take a look at the blonde while Syusuke wandered grimly up and down the room and Keigo and Genichirou spoke quietly near the bathroom's door.

"Am I really the only one not liking this idea at all? I understand that we allowed Dan and Akutsu to stay here as Yagyuu is currently searching and trying to kidnap Dan to use him as another guinea pig for his experiments. But what's the reason for letting Kevin stay here if we could just help him by bringing him to the hospital?" Syusuke's voice rose with each spoken word as he gave up on walking up and down the room and took a seat beside him on the couch. "I understand that we help the guy due to his health issues, but I don't trust him and don't want him near us and especially not near Ryoma, not after the dirty show in the mall."

"Ryoma is just helping him and I don't like it either. However, he has come here asking for help and if Ryoma's words are to be believed, then it must have been very difficult for him to overcome his pride to do so." Genichirou answered from his standing position, stopping his hushed conversation with Keigo.

"You hadn't been there, Gen, when he had called us and Ryoma all kinds of names and accused him of being an emotion-deprived whore! You and Keigo had visited another shop while we had waited for you two near the exit when the spitfire had seen and cursed us because Ryoma survived and is happy without him. Because Ryoma's emotions for us are so obvious and visible if you just look closer." Syusuke's blue eyes burnt with anger. Seiichi knew he should probably agree with Genichirou and feel more sympathy for Kevin, but he couldn't. For once, he agreed with their brunette.

"Even Kunimitsu agrees with us and is calling Oishi only because Ryoma asked us to, not because he feels the desire to help him with all his heart."

The blonde hadn't apologized for all the insults and harsh words to Ryoma until now, not a single apology. Instead, he came here now that he was in trouble and unable to live alone on the streets, expecting Ryoma to help him which their partner did, of course. However, Seiichi had no doubt that if the situations were the other way around with Ryoma on the streets, nearly starved to death, and Kevin with Yagyuu that Kevin would have shoved the door in front of Ryoma's face, not willing to help him due to what Ryoma had said to him regarding the abortion. So why did Kevin expect this kind of kindness from their partner now? What right did he have?

"We help him and let him stay here because Ryoma asked us to do so. Ore-sama couldn't have told him no after he had stumbled and stuttered around the bush before finally asking us for help. Also, Kevin can maybe tell us insider information regarding Yagyuu. The guy needs to be stopped and our parents are already on the case. Mitsu's father and his police department are currently investigating all given facts and proofs while Gen's parents try to find out some more by doing some undercover work." Keigo turned to face him, frowning. "Kevin will stay here only for a few days. Ore-sama will see if he can find an apartment and a decent job for him after Oishi has taken a look at him. Until then we try to be nice for Ryoma's sake."

"What about Dan? Both had been betrayed by the same man if not even abandoned because of each other. What if Kevin has an emotional breakdown when he finds out?"

"Dan and Akutsu won't eat lunch with us today since Dan isn't feeling so good and Akutsu isn't leaving his side. They will eat something later on." Genichirou answered the question calmly, looking at Seiichi with this calm eyes.

"But he is fine otherwise?" Seiichi couldn't help but ask, his worry for the kind and gentle young man rushing to the surface in an instant. At least Dan was always nice and grateful for all the help.

"Yes, just a stomachache."

The door of the bathroom opened, stopping their conversation. Ryoma came out with an exhausted looking Kevin, who wore some of Ryoma's casual clothes and was definitely standing too close to their partner. Ryoma didn't seem to mind or notice, only looking at them with a shy smile. Man, he was so adorable. A thing which wasn't adorable was Kevin's still present glare at them. On the other side, it appeared to have intensified during his stay in the bathroom. What had caused this? What had happened in there?

"Thanks, Oishi. We will await your arrival then. Thank you." Kunimitsu ended the call and faced them. "Oishi and Inui will be here as soon as they can, but it will take them at least thirty minutes to end their work and collect their things."

"Good. Thank you." Ryoma smiled shyly but gratefully, though the intoxicating sparkle from earlier was long gone. Instead, there was another emotion swirling in his golden eyes.

Doubt?
Fear?
Insecurity?

What had the little spitfire said to him?!

Seiichi stood up and stepped forward, wanted to let his anger have free reign; nonetheless, a movement from the corner of his eyes let him pause. Kunimitsu walked over to Ryoma, cupped his cheeks and kissed him tenderly on the lips. Ryoma melted visibly, his tense shoulders loosened and his eyes closed while his hands moved unconsciously, grabbing the hem of Kunimitsu's shirt. His cheeks began to redden in a light flush as he kissed back, not breaking the contact nor letting go. The innocent yet tempting glimmer in Ryoma's golden eyes and his expression of bliss and trust were mesmerizing, just like Kunimitsu's expression. The brunette sighed lightly into the kiss, his eyes half-lidded and sparkling behind his glasses. It was breathtaking.

It was such a beautiful sight. Serene and stunning to see such devotion from both of them at the same time. Seiichi's fingers itched to bring such brilliant memory onto his canvas, to keep it alive forever... and maybe tease his partners with it on a later date. Kevin cleared his throat loudly and the beautiful moment burst like a bubble. Ryoma jumped and ended the kiss abruptly. Though, Kunimitsu didn't let him go so quickly, giving him one last peck on the lips, smiling at him and stroking Ryoma's cheek one more time before finally letting go.

"You're very welcome."

"We should go to the dining room. Dinner should be ready by now." Genichirou announced and was already standing by the guestroom's door, holding it open for them and trying to prevent a loud argument since Syusuke glared murderously at Kevin and was ready to tell him where to shove his scratchy throat.

"Good idea. Ore-sama is really hungry and needs his daily ration of energy to be able to win the next game against Ryoma." Their diva headed to the door after flipping his hair back dramatically.

"You will lose against me no matter how much energy you eat or drink." Ryoma teased and smirked cheekily for a brief moment before he glanced at Kevin and the smile got replaced with a frown. Seiichi couldn't help but risk a glance at the blonde as well, not understanding their partner's frown at first, only did so afterwards. Kevin wore an expression that Seiichi absolutely didn't like. His eyes were narrowed, his lips tightly pressed together and his arms clutched his stomach not in a sign of pain but more the typical body language of feeling uncomfortable. He rarely saw such pure dislike on a person's face. Though, he obviously saw it right there.

What was wrong with this guy?
He could understand if Kevin was scared, sad and anxious but why were the visible emotions more likely dislike, anger and jealousy?
As far as Seiichi knew, Kevin hadn't even thanked them for their help. Not even Ryoma had received any words of gratitude for his immediate offer. At first, Seiichi thought it was due to the shock and drama, but would someone who possibly feared the life of his unborn baby be able to feel so much hate instead of worry? Or was it all just a mask?

"Ore-sama will win the next game. You will see." Keigo headed towards the door, leaving the room entirely. Syusuke stood up and grabbed Seiichi's hands, dragging him along and out of the room hurriedly, getting away from Kevin as fast as possible. Behind them followed the rest of their group with grimly and grumpy Kevin in two.

"Dream on. You lost the last two games and it will stay this way."

"Ore-sama-"

"-will lose, I just told you." Ryoma grinned and entered the bright dining room where everything was already served. They took their seats, still teasing each other though they did it quieter than before. Kevin sat down quickly on the empty seat next to Ryoma, still looking grim and watching them through his blond bangs. However, his gaze lost a bit of intensity when he noticed the plates filled with delicious food.

"Take whatever you like, Kevin." Genichirou offered, thanked for the meal and started when everybody had followed suit. The blonde nodded, still not saying anything, and grabbed some food, stuffing it into his mouth hurriedly. It was always the same mistake with people who hadn't eaten regularly for a long time. Their first reflex was to stuff themselves until they were full. Sadly, they always noticed too late that it had been too much for their stomach which ended with them throwing up.

"Take it slow. Let your stomach get used to the food otherwise you will feel sick afterwards." Yukimura advised gently, couldn't hold back his inner health advisor. Kevin paused and stared at him through his bangs for a second before he continued eating without saying anything. At least he did eat slower.

"So how are your studies coming along? I corrected your sheet earlier and it was almost perfect. Only one question was wrong." Kunimitsu directed his question at Ryoma, who sat beside him, while eating his grilled fish with rice and vegetables.

"Oh, thank you. I think I will manage the test somehow. I wanted to do some more exercises today and have them checked by you. Would that be alright?" Ryoma glanced almost fearfully to the right and at the blonde. Was he afraid Kevin would say something against him studying while the guy was here? Seiichi hoped not or he would need to have a serious talk with their young partner. There was no shame in studying even when Kevin was here and not feeling well. The doctors would check him out and give their best to help him. Ryoma couldn't do anything else than wait, so why not used the time for his studies which would help him in the future?

"Sure, just give it to me after you finished it. I need to correct some tests from the senior class anyway."

"I thought we spoke about you working on weekends." Syusuke scolded their partner and gave him a dangerous look with his open blue eyes which sparkled dangerously.

"It's only this Saturday. I will take tomorrow off, so don't worry and stop complaining." Kunimitsu didn't dare to look at Syusuke and simply continued to eat. A brave and smart decision. Syusuke seemed to be somewhat satisfied, turning his attention towards their youngest partner.

"Saa, I can help you with your studies too if you want, Ryoma. I was just as good as Kunimitsu back then and I'm sure I still am."

"Thanks, but all I need to study now are Kanjis. Not sure how you could help me with that." Ryoma looked so beautifully flustered and overwhelmed that Seiichi had to chuckle.

"I'm sure we can find a pleasant way to learn together." Syusuke grinned like a Cheshire cat with his blue eyes sparkling in mischief. He could only imagine what the brunette had in mind and none of it would really help Ryoma with his studies in reading and writing Kanjis.

"..Er.." Ryoma paused eating, holding the chopsticks mid-air. A light flush covered his cheeks, growing in intensity with each passing moment. He probably had a good idea of what their partner had in mind too. Seiichi and their other partners couldn't stop the laughs. "Thanks, but I think I will study alone."

Ryoma smiled shyly, suddenly very interested in continuing eating his meal and ignoring them. Their small conversation went on, changing to different topics like tennis, work, parties and tests. All throughout their conversation, Seiichi noticed something really interesting. Kevin ate much slower than before while the frown in his face deepened in a sign of utter confusion and anger.

Well, it probably was a big surprise for him to see his friend so happy and at ease with himself and his surroundings, working hard to achieve his goals or to actually have goals which didn't include Kevin at all. None of the topics were related to deadlines to pay rent, money to buy food or drinks, enough clothes to not freeze or anything that was related to Ryoma's or Kevin's past. It were just normal and simple conversations between partners. It must have been unreal for him that such a thing existed for Ryoma if he really thought that their relationship was nothing more than a cheap deal.

Seiichi finished his meal, waited until his partners finished as well, when a maid appeared. "Sirs, the doctors have arrived and would like to see you."

"Thank you. Bring them to the newly prepared guestroom. We will meet them there." Keigo ordered and dismissed the maid with a nod while he stood up. Seiichi followed suit, standing up with the others. Kevin, however, was the first to reach the door without looking at them, not even at Ryoma.

~~ 15. July, Early Afternoon ~~

Ryoma nibbled on his lips, deeply in thoughts while he waited for Oishi and Inui to open the door and tell him what was wrong with Kevin and his unborn baby. His cheerful mood had disappeared as soon as the two doctors closed the door from inside. His lovers were waiting with him, standing and leaning against the wall and whispering quietly as if they were in a hospital and not at home. The meal had been good and quiet. Nevertheless, he had noticed Kevin's dismissive and angry glances towards him and his lovers.

He directed his view back to the closed door. The thoughts about his earlier conversation with Kevin in the bathroom returned and invaded his mind.

"He told me he would take care of me and the child, promised me to give me whatever I want."

"He had always been distant, but never hurtful or angry... just distant."

"They are all liars. You should grab as much as you can, let them pamper you and then leave without looking back. Maybe those snobby asses will learn that we can throw them away as easily as they can buy us."

"When my baby is born, we can sue him! Sue them all! We will manage somehow, Ryoma."

"We will find a home, start anew. We know how to do it right now. Just the three of us."

"My baby will be born, or not, Ryoma?"

"It isn't fair! Why did he get angry at me?! Why did he asked me so many questions about you! What the hell did he want?! I don't understand it!"

Kevin had spoken in riddles, sometime in anger, sometimes in fear, but no matter how he looked at it, Ryoma couldn't shake the feeling that Kevin had been quite delusional about certain things. He had wanted to correct him, tell him that his relationship was real and not based on a contract as a whore or something similar, but whenever he opened his mouth, Kevin had already another mood swing, talking about a different topic and complaining or whining or crying.

"Ryoma." A sing-song voice startled him and made him jump a bit, looking for the source of the sound. Atobe stood beside him and frowned. "What are you thinking about?"

Should he tell them or keep it to himself until he had cleared the situation with Kevin? He had noticed their glances at the blonde and had seen their pretty strong dislike for him. He couldn't hold it against them as his old companion hadn't been really forthcoming either with his silent and passive aggressive treatment. How would his lovers react when he told them their earlier conversation?

Would they dare to stop helping him?
No, they wouldn't.

Or would they?

They had helped him because they had found him attractive and he had caught their interest from the very beginning, but could he be certain about them helping a stranger who showed his dislike all too clearly? Well, they always helped their friends… whom they liked and supported and who supported them in return.

"Ryoma, please talk to us." Atobe stepped in front of him, lifting his chin with his hands. "No more lies, no more subdue roundabout ways. Syu and Sei are doing a good enough job on this, so the part is already fully covered."

Ryoma couldn't suppress the grin. The words were just too true. He swallowed and lost himself in Atobe's deep eyes for a second as his legs turned to jelly. His mouth opened, ready to speak before his mind could react or start to think. However, the guestroom's door opened and let him quickly shut his mouth again. Was today the day of interruptions? God damn it!

Atobe stepped back, giving Ryoma some space and therefore a clear view at Inui and Oishi. Neither looked happy which was a very, very bad sign. The rest of the cheerful mood left and nausea filled him. Something was wrong with Kevin or the baby or both.

"What's wrong?"

Oishi avoided his eyes and failed to clear his throat, ended up coughing instead. Inui, who looked as uncomfortable as Oishi, took finally the lead and gave them the answer. "Kevin has a miscarried fetus inside him. We can't tell for how long but we need to operate him as quickly as possible to get the fetus out of his body."

There was silence. Disturbing and anguishing silence. Ryoma heard his own breathing and his heart. Nobody moved or said anything for what felt like two minutes. His mind was blank. Black. Empty. He couldn't think.

Tezuka's quiet voice was therefore all the more startling and loud. "Is it wise to do it when his body is still so weak?"

Oishi fumbled with his fingers and glances from one person to the other, not daring to look at them for too long. "Not really, no, but if we don't act quickly, then the miscarried fetus will cause even more damage than it already has."

"Damage… what damage?"

"The fetus has moved inside Kevin's body, but not like it should have. It is currently pressing the organs upwards which are squeezing against his lungs and heart. His breathing was already unsteady and rather flat. We can't distinguish if it is due to nervousness and shock or if it is a sign for a permanent damage."

Kevin was...
Ryoma hadn't noticed the change of breathing...

"When are you able to do the surgery?"

"Tomorrow. We will prepare everything today so that we can operate him tomorrow morning."

Operate Kevin?
Did Kevin agree to this?
Why weren't any sounds coming from the room? Kevin was probably devastated and should be screaming and crying like he used to do whenever he was upset about something. Like he did in the bathroom earlier. Why was it so quiet?

"How high is the chance of success without any problems occurring?"

Inui and Oishi looked at each other as if calculating the chance in their minds. Well, Inui actually could just do that right then. "Usually there is a 64.3% rate of success. Nonetheless, it is hard to tell. His body is weak and his mind is unstable if we may say that. We had to give him a light sedative to keep him calm and stop hurting himself. It's very light, so he should wake up in a few hours. Furthermore, the fetus could have done some serious damage and endanger the situation. I would say the rate of success lays around 52.1%."

His legs gave in and he would have fallen if different hands wouldn't have steadied him. They gave him comfort by rubbing his neck and spine and holding him close to their bodies.

Kevin could die because of…
His old companion could…

Ryoma felt numb and twitchy at the same time. Still, he couldn't really think. If Kevin died, Ryoma would make certain that the bastard paid for it. No more deaths. No, even if Kevin's surgery was a success without problems, Ryoma would ruin this asshole! He wouldn't let him get away with it any longer!

"Thanks to you two. We will take care of the bill and everything you need for the surgery."

"I understand." Oishi and Inui nodded in goodbye and walked slowly out of their home. Ryoma felt sick and the stomachache returned.