Chapter 29

"Ryoga, where's your brother? I specifically told you two not to wander around." Fuji stopped pushing his groceries cart when he noticed the little boy missing.

"I thought he was behind me." Ryoga looked around him, hoping to catch sight of the little boy with white caps on.

"Well, he's not now." He crossed his arms across his chest and put on a stern face. "I'm sorry, papa."

Fuji's face softened as he heard the boy call him papa. It had been a little hard to get the boys used to addressing them that way at first, but soon they caught on and listening to them call him that way really made Fuji warm inside. "I don't blame you, he can be a handful sometimes. Come, let's go look for him." Fuji took the boy's hand and walked out of the aisle.

"Well, he's loud, we probably can hear him from miles away." Ryoga said.

"Papa! Oniichan Help me!" A small voice shrieked.

"Told ya." Ryoga shrugged.

"Ryoma... what happened?" Fuji rushed towards the source of the voice.

"A scary looking ojisan wants to kill me! Save me, papa!" Ryoma buried his face in Fuji's legs.

"What did you do?" Fuji looked around for the so-called scary looking ojisan.

"Well, I accidentally spilled my juice on his pants. But it wasn't my fault, he wasn't looking too!"

"Yes, you're both at fault here, but doesn't mean you can run away without apologizing, Ryoma."

"But but-" Ryoma put on his best puppy dog face, hoping it would waver Fuji.

"No buts Ryoma, let's apologize to the man now. And that cute face is not going to change my mind, you know." Fuji suppressed his smile and hoped that he sounded firm.

"But he's scaryyy." Ryoma made a point to enunciate and drag out the last word.

"There you are damn brat!" A gruff voice came from behind them. It made Fuji annoyed to hear someone call Ryoma that way.

"Hey watch it old man, that's my brother you're calling a brat!" Ryoga shouted back.

"Why you little..."

"Ryoga. Don't anger the man further." Fuji warned the boy and turned his head to face the voice. He froze as soon as his eyes came into contact with brown ones. They were strange and yet familiar. He blinked as emotions rushed through him, but why, he asked himself, not entirely sure of what was happening. His eyes fell on the cross shaped scar on the right side of the man's forehead and his eyes widened. He saw the man going through the same transitions of emotions as himself. When all the information finally came together and started to make sense in his head, a small gasp escaped his lips. Could it be?

"Aniki…" The man said softly. A look of anguish crossed the man's face before he tried to mask it with a smile.

Hearing that word that he has not been called for the past eleven years made Fuji's heart thump loudly and his hand flew to his mouth as he tried to contain himself. He turned around as he tried to compose himself.

"Papa?" Ryoma tugged on Fuji's hand, his eyes wide with concern as he saw the look on Fuji's face.

Fuji tried to paste a smile on his face that had gotten chalky white. "Boys, why don't you go over to the toys section? You can pick out whatever you like and I'll get them for you, okay?"

Ryoma looked up at him confusedly but his older brother who had gotten the hint that Fuji needed to deal with something pulled his brother towards the toy section.

"Aniki…" Fuji Yuuta looked at his brother who had his back facing him.

Fuji ran a shaky hand down his face as memories of his past came flooding back. He took a moment to gather his thoughts before he turned around to face his brother.

"Yuuta…" A small voice escaped his lips. He looked at his brother who now looked bigger than him and he realized at that moment how much he had missed the little boy that he used to call brother. "Ohh, Yuuta…"

Yuuta closed the distance between them and pulled Fuji into a tight hug. He held on closely to his brother, not willing to lose him ever again. "Aniki.." He said over and over again wishing time would take them back eleven years ago and he could have done something differently. "I'm so sorry, Aniki, I'm so sorry! I did not believe you back then...I was such a fool." A tear escaped his eyes.

Fuji could feel the past enveloping him as he hugged his brother. Not just the bad memories came to his mind but also the good ones he got to spend with his brother. He pulled away and looked at his brother who's eyes had gotten red. "What are you talking about, Yuuta? You did nothing wrong." He wiped the tears on Yuuta's face. "I was selfish...I ran away, and left you all alone...I'm sorry, Yuuta. I was not able to be a good older brother to you…" Fuji looked down sadly. It was a regret that had clawed through him every time he remembered his past. He had left his brother behind selfishly in search for a better life for himself.

"N-no, you did nothing wrong, Aniki." Yuuta shook his head. "What father did…" His hand balled into a fist and he gritted his teeth in anger. "I only found out the truth two years ago, when father finally told me what happened all those years back. Had he not been dying, I would have smashed his teeth in for doing that to you." Yuuta said in a low voice.

Fuji's eyes widened at the news. "Father's dead?" He does not know what to feel at that moment.

"Yes, and mother too. She passed two years after you left home, Aniki. She was heartbroken, she cried everyday and the stress of taking care of grandmother was too much for her. She suffered a heart attack…" Yuuta looked down sadly as memories of his mother came back to him.

"W-what?" Fuji's eyes welled up. "It was all because of me, wasn't it." Tears ran down his face and he clutched at his chest.

"Aniki, you are not to be blamed, you understand?" Yuuta grabbed Fuji's shoulders to support his brother who's knees had gotten wobbly from the news. "You were a child, Aniki. Mother should not have ignored what happened that way…" Yuuta looked his brother in the eyes. "Had I been in your place, I would have done the same...And mother was pushing herself too hard, taking care of grandmother and dealing with father who was drunk all the time." Yuuta sniffled as he remembered the way his mother was during the last years of her life. She would sit in the room for hours with Fuji's picture in her hand and tears would run down her face in an endless stream.

"After you left, mother lashed out at father. She hit and screamed at him. She had wanted to file a report for a missing child but father threatened her to not do so. In the end she blamed herself for everything that happened...sometimes she would not eat for days, but she still carried on with her duties." Yuuta reminisced about the past sadly. "I should have done something, I should have gone looking for you…."

"Yuuta, you were eleven, there's nothing you could have done…" Fuji cupped his brother's face. "You must have gone through so much alone after mother died...I'm so sorry…"

Yuuta looked at his brother who despite everything that had happened to him was still thinking of others. "After mother died, father stopped drinking. He never laid a hand on me, Aniki...So please, don't blame yourself…" Yuuta clasped his brother's hands. "He was diagnosed with liver cancer after that...towards the end of his life your name was always on his lips, but he never told me the whole truth until his very last moments…"

Yuuta looked at his brother with moist eyes. "That was when I decided to search for you…" He let out a small sigh. "My resources were limited, and business was slow during that time...It took me some time but I found out you were in Tokyo. That was as much as I could find. It frustrated me so much when I could not find out where in Tokyo you were." He looked at his brother before continuing. "Then, a few weeks ago Tezuka san contacted me about you…"

"What?" Fuji's eyes flew open at the news. "Tezuka contacted you?"

Yuuta nodded slowly. "He told me he wanted you to have everything in life after all you had been through. He thought bringing me back to your life would make you happy. We set a date for me to come to Tokyo and meet you. It was supposed to be next week, but I guess fate had its own way of planning things…"

Tears ran down Fuji's face as he heard everything Tezuka had done for him. Kunimitsu...He wondered what he had done in life to deserve someone like Tezuka in his life.

"Aniki…" Yuuta began as he tried to find words to convey his question. "Tezuka san told me you had been through a lot after leaving home, but he wouldn't tell me exactly what. He said it was something you should disclose yourself...What happened, Aniki?" Yuuta looked at his brother and he could feel his heart beating loudly.

Fuji's face changed and he looked away. "Yuuta...I don't think I'm ready to share that with you now...Maybe someday, okay?" He said softly. He could not bear the thought of his brother hearing the tragedy that had happened to him. He knew Yuuta blamed himself for not believing him all those years back, but never once had Fuji held him accountable for that.

"Aniki…" Yuuta looked at him with eyes full of concern.

"Let's not talk about that now, okay?" Fuji smiled at his brother. "The important thing is that you're back in my life. You have no idea how much I've missed you, Yuuta! I want to hear all about your life, okay?" Fuji smiled cheerfully at his brother before a thought crossed his mind. "What about neesan? How is she doing?"

"She...She's fine, Aniki. She has three beautiful children." He sighed a little before continuing. "Her husband left her five years ago and she has been struggling to raise her kids...I try to help what I can, sometimes."

"Oh, my…" A look of concern passed Fuji's face. "Poor neesan…"

"Neesan is a strong woman, Aniki. She might be struggling a little but I believe she is happy. I have not told her about you, she must be ecstatic to meet you!" Yuuta said with a smile.

"I can't wait to meet her too!" Fuji looked at his brother and could not believe everything that had happened today.

"Thank you so much for coming back into my life, Yuuta. Let's make up for the past, okay? I want to make new, happy memories from now on with you and neesan…" Fuji squeezed his brother's hand.

"I will never let you leave my life again, Aniki…" Yuuta pulled his brother in for another hug. The sound of Ryoma and Ryoga talking loudly caught Yuuta's attention and his eyes darted to them.

"Anyway, who are those two? They called you papa? Are you serious, Aniki?" Yuuta looked at his brother with bulging eyes.

"You have a problem with that?" Fuji chuckled a little at his brother's expression.

"No, no, it's just that you're still young… A-at what age did you have them?" Yuuta asked a little unsurely, one hand rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm just kidding Yuuta, relax. Well they're not actually mine, but on paper, yes."

"You adopted them?" His eyes bulged again.

"Now Yuuta, do you have a problem with me having kids?" Fuji feigned a serious look. He loves teasing his brother.

"No no, it's just a little too much to take… I finally met you after a long time and I found out you have two kids… what else do you have to surprise me?"

Fuji put a finger on his chin pretending to think. "Well, I have an amazing lover. Wait until you meet him. But for now, let me introduce you to my babies."

"Him?" Yuuta had a shocked look on his face which was ignored by Fuji who walked past him to the toy aisle.

"Have you guys picked your toys yet?" Fuji asked cheerily while bending his knees to Ryoma's level.

"Here, I want this cool car!" Ryoma extended his arms to Fuji to show a moderately sized racing car with a controller.

"Yup, this is definitely cool, how about you Ryoga?" Fuji rubbed the top of Ryoma's head while looking at Ryoga at the distance.

"I don't need one..." He said while dragging his feet back and forth.

"Oniichan is lying, I saw him looking at the same car as me! He wants the orange one!"

"Is it true, Ryoga?" Fuji stood on his feet and put his hands on his hips.

"Well… it is true, but like I said I don't need it." He said with a small blush on his face.

Fuji sighed, he knew Ryoga was trying as hard as he could to not cause him and Tezuka any trouble. He is a smart and mature child but Fuji was worried he might not enjoy his childhood this way.

"Listen Ryoga, you don't have to hold back on what you want, if i said you can buy something then go for it, if it is too much I'll tell you, so don't worry about money or anything. I'll always be honest with you. I hope you understand." Fuji didn't have to say much to deliver what he intended to say as he knew the boy would understand.

"Sure papa, thank you. Then I'll have this please." He said shyly and grabbed the same toy car as Ryoma. Fuji smiled and kissed the boy's cheek.

"Aaa! The scary ojisan!" Ryoma ran to Fuji's back and hid behind him when he saw Yuuta approaching them. Yuuta was trying hard to hide his grimace at the nickname by forcing a smile.

Fuji laughed a little. "This scary ojisan is my brother, Ryoma."

Ryoma and Ryoga gaped at the sudden revelation. "But you both don't look alike at all!"

"I know, it sure is a mystery." Fuji chuckled.

"Aniki! You…"

Ryoma sheepishly made his way to Yuuta with hands behind his back. "Umm uncle, I'm sorry that I hit you just now… I wasn't looking."

"Oh- Ah it's nothing kid… I'm sorry too..." Yuuta did not know how to react to the sudden politeness from Ryoma. "Let's get along well…" He suggested.

"Sure! What's your name uncle?"

"I'm Yuuta, you're Ryoma right? And your brother is Ryoga?"

"You got them right!" Ryoma grinned.

"They are cute, Aniki." Yuuta said to Fuji.

"They sure are. If you have time, let me introduce you to my lover. Are you up for lunch?"

"Lover?" Yuuta could not get over how lightly Fuji was treating this revelation. Aniki really can surprise me, he thought to himself with a smile. "Yes, sure…"

"You're gonna love dad! Let's pay for our groceries and head home." Ryoma took Yuuta's hand and ran to their trolley. "I've always wanted a cool uncle!" His eyes sparkled.

Yuuta laughed nervously. He was not so sure about the cool part.

…...

"Where are you taking me Kunimitsu?" Fuji looked at Tezuka who was driving.

"I cannot tell you, be patient Syusuke." Tezuka glanced at him sideways with a little smile on his face.

"The kids? Are you sure they are fine at home?" Fuji bit his lip worriedly.

"Don't worry, Jirou san is babysitting them. She really is fond of them."

"Jirou?" Fuji gasped, he had the look that suggested Jirou might put their house on fire.

Tezuka laughed at the look on Fuji's face. "What, you don't trust your coworker? That's not nice, Syusuke."

"You know what I mean, Mitsu." Fuji crossed his arms across his chest.

"Ryoga is capable enough to supervise the house and his little brother as well as Jirou san, so relax Syusuke."

"How about lunch? Did you prepare lunch for them before leaving?" Fuji looked at Tezuka expectantly.

"Yes Syusuke, they won't be starving if that's what you are afraid of."

"Did you make sure the stove was off?"

"Syusuke, you're asking too many questions, yes I turned off the stove and they are safe." Tezuka chuckled.

Fuji pouted. "I'm sorry for worrying too much." He replied sarcastically.

"Relax, Syusuke. You need to trust me." Tezuka reached for Fuji's hand which was resting on his thigh and gave them a squeeze.

Fuji sighed defeatedly, "Fine Kunimitsu, I trust you." He smiled and looked outside the window. After a while, he turned and looked at Tezuka who was driving. "Where are we going again?"

Tezuka sighed.

...

"Kunimitsu... this is an aquarium." Fuji gasped a little. "Is it the same one we went to that time?" He asked excitedly.

"Yes, Syusuke." Tezuka answered with a smile.

"I'm so happy! I've always wanted to see the penguins you told me about that time." Fuji squealed and jumped a little. Tezuka chuckled at Fuji's reaction and ruffled his hair softly.

"Actually, I know today is my birthday…" Fuji said shyly as his fingers played with the collar of Tezuka's shirt. "I'm thrilled to spend our alone time here together. This is an amazing surprise, thank you, Kunimitsu." Fuji circled his arms around Tezuka's neck and tiptoed to whisper in the latter's ear. "I saw a love hotel on our way here, we could head there after this."

Tezuka cleared his throat to hide his blush. He was very much tempted by the idea. "You're right Syusuke, this is a part of my plan for your birthday's surprise. But there is actually more to this."

Fuji cocked his head to the side and smiled suggestively. "Does it involve you in a uniform?"

Tezuka laughed. "No, I wouldn't put on the weird officer uniform you bought me Syusuke."

"Then what is it? You finally agreed to install a pole in our room? I can put on a show anytime for you Kunimitsu." Fuji bit his lower lip sexily.

"Papa! You're finally here!" Ryoma's voice could be heard from a distance and Fuji saw the boy run to him.

The perplexed Fuji released his arms from his lover's neck and looked at Tezuka questioningly. "You said they were at home?"

"I told you this is a part of my plan, come Syusuke. No questions, alright?" Tezuka took Fuji's hand and led him towards the boy.

Ryoma hugged Fuji before pulling Fuji's other hand. "You are late! Come, let's get inside! Quick!"

"Calm your horses Ryoma, we are coming." Fuji looked at Tezuka, wondering what the other man had planned.

It was dark at the entrance, but as they got in, shades of blue hues started to fill the area. Fuji was mesmerized by the wavering colors, it was exactly how he pictured the deep sea to be.

"Surprise!" Few pop sounds were heard before confetti started filling the air. Fuji was startled by the sound and instinctively grabbed hold of Tezuka's arm.

"Happy birthday!" A shout in unison was heard. Fuji looked around him to see familiar faces all smiling at him happily. Some were clapping their hands and he could hear a few whistles.

It was a little dark in the aquarium but Fuji could make out the faces around him. He saw some of his colleagues from the kindergarten. Yukimura sensei had a dark man at her side, probably the rumoured lover he heard from Jirou. Jirou herself was clinging to Atobe whom Fuji had become well acquainted with after Atobe insisted on the four of them spending more time together. Jirou had brought a few friends with her, and Fuji could tell the whistlings earlier came from one them, particularly the one with the rat tail whom Fuji knows as Niou. There was also Marui the baker and Fuji could guess that the fancy cake on the table probably came from his store. There was a grumpy looking Ryoga who was trying to pry Niou's hand off his head. He laughed at Ryoma who ran to his brother's rescue. Fuji smiled warmly at his surroundings and his eyes fell on his little brother who was waving at him. Fuji waved back and he noticed a hand landing on his brother's shoulder. Fuji had not noticed the other person in the room as the man was standing the furthest away from everyone else. The silver haired man said something to Yuuta before looking at Fuji. Kojiroh! Fuji covered his mouth to suppress his gasp. He blinked a few times to make sure he was not mistaken as he made his way towards them. He saw the man walking towards him as well and he realized it was indeed his childhood best friend.

"Happy birthday Fuji." Saeki said with a big smile on his face.

Fuji did not reply and simply hugged Saeki as tight as he could. "Kojiroh... I miss you."

"There, there Syusuke," Saeki patted Fuji's head soothingly. "I'm sorry I couldn't find you sooner."

"It's not your fault..." Fuji's voice trembled a little. He felt guilty for keeping his friend in the dark for so long.

"I know, but I just have to say it. Gosh, I miss you Syusuke. So much!" Saeki's hand moved to Fuji's lower back and he pulled him in closer.

"Me too..." Fuji did not let go of Saeki as he continued speaking. "Kojiroh, I'm so sorry...I know it was wrong of me to leave you hanging like that. There was just so much that happened and I did not know what to do…" Fuji gripped Saeki's shirt tightly.

"Hey, you can get all sappy and make it up to me for abandoning me without saying anything for the last two years later, okay. Right now I want you to be happy and enjoy this party." Saeki pushed Fuji away gently and gave him an affectionate smile. "Besides, we have plenty of time to catch up later, don't we. Don't you ever think of running away like that ever again, Syusuke. I swear I will hunt you down." Saeki chuckled at Fuji. "Come on, everyone's waiting for the birthday boy." Saeki looked at Tezuka who was standing by the cake and smiled at him apologetically.

Fuji, who had gotten a little misty eyed, nodded at his friend before making his way towards Tezuka. Tezuka extended his hand towards Fuji and led him towards the centre of the room with a smile. Fuji looked around him at the crowd and he could feel happiness seeping through him, as if he could feel all the warm smiles from the people in front of him deep within him. He glanced at Tezuka who was looking down at him fondly. He linked his fingers with Tezuka's before looking at the crowd again. "Thank you everyone, I don't know what to say... this really means a lot." Fuji said, feeling a little overwhelmed.

"You don't have to say anything! Just cut the cake!" Someone from the crowd said cheerfully.

Tezuka handed the cake knife to Fuji and Jirou lit the candles on top of the cake. "Beautiful cake for our equally beautiful Fuji." She beamed at Fuji.

"Thank you Jirou."

Fuji stared at the cake for a moment, remembering the last time he had a birthday celebration like this. This time it felt more wholesome then he had ever felt before with his friends, family, and a lover at his side. He felt content. He blew the candles and cheers boomed around him. Fuji cut the cake and fed the first slice to Tezuka. He giggled when he saw the cream on Tezuka's lips and reached up to peck him on the lips, licking the cream away. Calls of "aww, look at lovebirds" and "get a room already" were heard around them. Fuji chuckled at the crowd and ushered them to eat the cake before pulling Tezuka to a corner.

He looked at his lover's face with a sincere smile on his face. "Kunimitsu, I don't know what to say, thank you, thank you so much."

"Syusuke, I already promised you that I would make you happy for the rest of my life, no?" Tezuka brushed a finger along Fuji's cheek tenderly.

"And I shall do the same for you…" Fuji wrapped his arms around Tezuka's neck and Tezuka's hands moved to his waist as he gazed at Fuji lovingly.

A naughty look came across Fuji's face and he moved his lips close to Tezuka's before whispering. "Tonight, by any means necessary, let's drop by the love hotel we saw just now, I'm going to make you the happiest man alive, Kunimitsu." He leaned closer to nibble on Tezuka's lower lip briefly before pulling away with a coy smile on his face.

Tezuka's pupil dilated at the suggestion and his lips started to move towards Fuji, when he heard a voice behind him.

"Aniki... " Yuuta cleared his throat with face as red as a tomato.

"Oh Yuuta... I'm sorry. I hope you didn't hear much." Fuji disentangled from Tezuka.

"I just got here, so don't worry I did not hear anything about your night activities."

Fuji let out a soft laugh at his brother's sarcasm. "Thank you for coming, Yuuta."

"It's no trouble, thanks to Tezuka san for inviting me." He nodded at the taller man.

"It's no problem. I will leave you two to talk, call me if you need anything." Tezuka planted a kiss at Fuji's temple before walking away.

"Y-your boyfriend, I mean your lover is a good guy." Yuuta blushed, it was hard for him to mutter those words.

"I'm aware of that Yuuta. I'm lucky to have found him." Fuji said with a smile, to which Yuuta nodded vigorously.

"Anyway, nee san regretted that she couldn't come today. She sent you her regards though. I hope you're not mad at her."

"Nee san has her own life now, I do too, so I don't blame her. I just hope she's living a happy life. How about you Yuuta?"

"I'm doing fine. As usual the business has its ups and downs. But I got it under control." Yuuta paused a while before continuing. "I've got a gift for you Aniki, here." Yuuta handed a piece of envelope to Fuji. "I'm sure mom would want you to have it. She really treasured it."

Fuji's eyes widened at the mention of his mother. He hesitantly took the envelope from Yuuta's hand. Slowly he pulled out a piece of photo from the envelope. Tears strung at the corner of his eyes when he saw a picture of him on his mother's lap when he was a toddler.

"Mom looked at it a lot after you left, especially during your twelfth birthday…"

Fuji traced his finger along his mother's face and he could feel the emotions overtaking him. He could see how the edges of the photo looked a little blurry and worned out as if it had been touched many times, and he knew how frequently his mother must have held that picture in her hands. He closed his eyes and brought the picture close to his heart and he could almost feel his mother embracing him, telling him she loves him. He opened his eyes and looked at Yuuta who had a faraway look in his eyes. "She was a great mother wasn't she, Yuuta…" He wiped at the corner of his. "It's a shame things turned out that way…"

Yuuta reached for his brother's hand and held it gently. "I wish everyday that I could turn back time and change it all…" He sighed heavily.

He looked up at his brother with a smile on his face, hoping he could lighten the mood and get his brother's mood back on for the party. "All that's important is that you're happy now, Aniki. I can see how happy Tezuka san makes you and you must love the boys a lot. I'm glad that you're happy, Aniki." Yuuta smiled warmly at his brother and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "The two of us should go to Hokkaido someday and we could have a family gathering with neesan."

"That's a great idea, Yuuta! Ohh, I miss her so much, and I can't wait to meet my nephews and nieces." Fuji said brightly although the tears in his eyes have not dried yet.

"Well, well, did this mean looking guy just made you cry Fuji chan? I knew that the scar wasn't just for show, right Marui?" Niou walked towards Fuji.

"What-No! I didn't-" Yuuta was flustered at the accusation towards him. "Aniki stop crying."

Fuji laughed slightly as he wiped off his tears. "These are happy tears, Niou. Please don't bully my brother."

"Damn Fuji chan, you look even prettier crying... if I was your boyfriend I would make you cry everyday." Niou winked flirtily at Fuji. "You know, that kind of cry."

"Oi, do you have a death wish? You want his man to throttle you to death? He even got a yankee looking brother with him!" Marui nudged his friend.

"I-I dont look like a yankee!" Yuuta blushed.

"Guys, I told you not to bully my brother. Only I can bully him." Fuji put his arm around his brother playfully.

"Nobody is allowed to bully me! Not even you Aniki."

"Where did I see this ball of anger before? I swear I've just seen something like you before." Niou held his chin with his index finger before thumping his fist on his hand. "Aha! That Ryoga boy! You look exactly like him, man. I think you both can get along well. Plus, he's practically your nephew now."

"Let me get you two acquaintanced, ne?" It wasn't a question as Niou had already pulled Yuuta towards the boy.

Fuji let out a louder laugh at the scene before him. He saw Ryoma and Ryoga eating the cake happily on the table and in a quick second, Ryoga's expression turned sour when he saw the duo approaching him.

"Geez that guy, well happy birthday Fuji, I didn't get to see you a lot after- uh the incident? I'm glad you're finally okay now." Marui smiled at Fuji fondly.

"Thank you Marui, and for the cake too. It was delicious." Fuji nodded at the man cheerfully.

"Don't sweat it, just drop by my bakery more often will ya?"

"Of course, you know much I love your desserts!"

"I need to keep the rat tail in check. Nice talking to you, Fuji." Marui smiled at Fuji before going after his friend who was in between the very uncomfortable looking Ryoga and the blushing Yuuta.

"Fuji, happy birthday. You look really fine, I'm so jealous of you." Yukimura hugged Fuji before inspecting him.

"You look amazing as well Yukimura sensei." Fuji returned the compliment as his eyes fell on the man next to Yukimura, "This guy looks exactly like your type. Congrats, I'm sure you guys are very happy together."

"Oh, Genichirou is perfect for me, he may look like this but he's actually a softie. So attentive to me. I love him." She squeezed Sanada's arms who had started to get a little red on the face.

"Well, don't bully him too much, I know you have sadistic tendencies, I don't think you'll find a guy this fine nowadays."

"I wouldn't have the heart to do that, sometimes he looks like a kicked puppy." She pouted at Sanada before turning towards Fuji again with a chuckle.

They carried on conversing as if Sanada was not there until the black haired man cleared his throat to gain their attention.

"Genichirou I'm sorry, this is Fuji Syusuke, one of my teachers and also a good friend."

"Nice to meet you Fuji san." He extended his hand towards Fuji. "Sanada Genichirou."

Fuji shooked Sanada's hand. "Likewise, did you guys already eat?"

"We had lunch before coming here." Sanada replied in a business like tone.

"Well, at least have some cake, I don't want you guys to go home without having anything here."

"Sure Fuji, I'll see you around. And you too Saeki." Yukimura patted Saeki's shoulder and left with her boyfriend towards the buffet section.

Fuji looked at Saeki who was walking towards him. He had not even noticed him coming up to him.

"That woman, I swear she still gives me the creeps." Saeki looked at Yukimura walking away.

"Kojiroh!" Fuji jumped into Saeki's arms again. Saeki quickly put his hands around Fuji's middle.

"Hey seriously, do you actually want to make your boyfriend jealous? How many times do you want to hug me, Syusuke?" He chuckled amusedly.

"As much as I want." Fuji said defiantly.

"Geez, I don't want to make him mad at me. He already has this 'ready to kill' look, don't make me his first victim."

Fuji chuckled at his best friend. "Well, he does love me very much."

"I'm glad your boyfriend contacted me, Syusuke. God knows how long it would have taken for you to initiate it." Saeki sighed. "I almost went crazy when I found out you had suddenly disappeared. I went to your apartment and there was some weird couple that has everything matched from top to toe and that principal of yours won't tell me anything. I thought it was my fault...that I was a bad friend."

"No Kojiroh, it was all my fault. I didn't want to burden anyone including you. I know you would leave everything just to help me. That's how good a friend you are." Fuji looked Saeki straight in the eyes.

"Syusuke, if-if it wasn't for me, if I wasn't so insistent on Otsubo sending you home that night, or if I was a good friend myself and had excused myself for a bit just to send you home, you wouldn't have suffered the last two years." Saeki hung his head down. "I'm so sorry..."

"Kojiroh what are you saying? It was not your fault! Who would've known what would happen. So don't blame yourself." Fuji looked down for a moment before facing his friend again. "Maybe it was a blessing in disguise...without all of that, I might not have found Kunimitsu. In a way, I'm truly grateful."

"Syusuke..."

"Let it go Kojiroh, I'm happy now. That's all that matters, right?" Fuji smiled at his friend.

"Geez Syusuke, what was I thinking when I played matchmaker for you! Look at that, you managed to score yourself a jackpot! I'm ashamed of myself." Saeki laughed.

"Don't flatter me too much Kojiroh."

"No seriously, look at that, he is good looking, has a great body, he is kind and caring, good with kids and more importantly he is madly in love with you! Did you wish for him upon a shooting star Syusuke? He is what everyone wishes for, the whole package."

"Stop it, you sound gay Kojiroh." Fuji laughed.

"No homo man, but I think he is a great guy and I'm happy for you."

"Thank you..." Fuji smiled softly.

"By the way, an investigation was opened for Otsubo. Turns out he has prior history of harassing his coworkers and had engaged in one date rape activity. He is behind the bars now. I thought you should know this."

"Wow, that's great! People like him deserve to be brought to justice before he ruins anyone else's life." Fuji could somehow feel a little bit of closure as he heard the news.

"Yeah, serves him right. How could I not know this? He acts like a perfectly normal co-worker at the office. Damn it, how could I not notice he was lusting over you all the time? I should have gotten the hint when he started asking about you in the office."

"Kojiroh, you're talking about this again." Fuji sighed at Saeki.

"Fine, fine, I'm sorry. I just couldn't get over it." Saeki sighed and Fuji could sense frustration building around him.

"Let's talk about Hong Kong, you haven't told me about your life there. Remember how you said the chinese ladies will be all over you? So is it a myth or a fact?"

"I was too busy to indulge myself with ladies, but yeah you can say everyone was head over heels for me." Saeki smirked. "Poor them because I couldn't give them proper attention."

"You're so self centered sometimes, I regret asking that." Fuji chuckled. "Don't you want to settle down already? You got eyes on anyone?"

Saeki stared at Fuji for a moment. "No Syusuke, I want to focus on my job first. When everything has smoothed down, I will probably start thinking about building a family."

"I hope you'll find someone like how I found Kunimitsu. I want you to be happy."

"Eww no thanks man, I couldn't imagine myself in a guy's arms!"

"It doesn't have to be a guy, it could be anyone Kojiroh! Why are you so dense?" Fuji elbowed his friend.

"I'm just kidding Syusuke. Of course people like me are destined with good partners. I'm way too hot." Saeki snickered.

Fuji rolled his eyes. "I've had enough talking to you, where's my man? I need a dose of him now." Fuji started to look around for Tezuka.

Saeki cringed when Fuji said that. "God, you lovebirds really do nauseate me sometimes." Saeki chuckled. "I'm gonna go grab a bite. Feel free to head over to the bathroom if you need a make out session with your lover." Saeki winked at Fuji before walking away.

Fuji looked around for the tall bespectacled man and spotted him at a corner talking with Atobe.

"Tezuka, this little party you organized is cute. I have never been to a mediocre party like this before. Thank you for inviting me, bestie." Atobe flung his arm around Tezuka's shoulder.

"You're my friend Atobe, I would want you to attend my other half's party. Besides, I want to congratulate you for your engagement."

"Well, thank you." Atobe replied.

"Are you sure about this? That you want to spend the rest of your life with her?" Tezuka looked at his friend with a serious look on his face.

"Huh? I didn't even question you when you decided to swing for the other team, and you're asking me if I'm sure? Of course I know what I'm doing!" Atobe widened his eyes at the question.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that I know your fooling around tendencies and I was a little surprised when I heard your decision to get engaged. To be honest, I like the idea of you settling down and Jirou san can make a good wife for you."

"Well, fair point. I'm tired of living that way I suppose. Besides, she's special. I've never met someone that cute and oblivious at the same time. She made my heart full and warm." Atobe replied honestly.

Tezuka watched Atobe's expression soften as he talked about the girl. "I'm happy for you Atobe." He said genuinely.

"So sappy Tezuka. Well, tell me, is sex with your koibito any good? He doesn't look like the shy type. You guys must be adventurous in the bedroom, am I right?"

"Well, well, that's Atobe and his peculiar way of conversing for you." Oshitari approached the two with a redhead alongside him. "Yo Atobe." He raised his head at Atobe before looking at Tezuka. "Nice party you got here, Tezuka. I've never been to an aquarium my whole life."

"Who invited this megane?" Atobe clicked his tongue, annoyed.

"I invited him, he is our friend, isn't he?"

"And now your 'gay club' member, Tezuka." Atobe said crassly.

"What a filthy mouth you've got there. I ought to shove your head in a toilet every time you open that mouth of yours...but I guess not now. I wouldn't want to cause a scene at this party." Oshitari joked.

Tezuka simply ignored Atobe's remark, he was all too well aware of his friend's antics by now. "Thank you for coming, Oshitari."

"I've always wanted to see the person who finally can break the iceberg in you, so no biggie." Oshitari smiled before motioning to the redhead by his side. "Meet the love of my life, Gakuto."

"Mukahi Gakuto, nice to meet you." The redhead nodded at Tezuka.

"Likewise." Tezuka looked around for Fuji and spotted him talking to Jirou who was telling him something excitedly. "I will introduce you to Syusuke later, he seems to be engaged right now."

Oshitari laughed while patting Tezuka's shoulder. "My man, Tezuka, sorry for saying this, Atobe looks gayer than you in a lot of sense. I'm truly shocked that it's you who ended up with a guy not him. But even he managed to get himself a girl that could stay longer than a few weeks, it seems."

Atobe slung his arm around Oshitari's shoulder. "Well Oshitari, you cannot judge a book by its cover. This guy might have been simping for me the whole time for all I know. They say the quiet ones are the most dangerous of all."

"It's true, so you better shut your mouth, Atobe. One of these days it might be Tezuka who will shove your head in the toilet not me."

"Tezuka wouldn't do that to me, he loves me too much. Right, Tezuka?"

"Ah…" Tezuka looked away and smiled when he saw Fuji making his way towards them. He extended his hand to Fuji who took it and joined them as he smiled warmly at the group.

"Oi, did you just ignore me, Tezuka?" Atobe fumed.

"Apparently his love for you is not as much as he loves his other half, Atobe." Oshitari snickered at Atobe and shifted his attention to Fuji. "The rumoured blue eyed angel, how are you? The name is Oshitari Yuushi."

"Angel?" Fuji faked a gasp. "Isn't that too much?"

"Well, not in Tezuka's eyes. You have no idea how in love he is with you." Oshitari smirked. "Trust me, I'm really good at reading people.

"I think I'm very much aware of that." Fuji smiled up at Tezuka.

"Anyway, happy birthday Fuji san. Gakuto, give him the present."

"Happy birthday Fuji." Gakuto handed him an envelope. "It's nothing much, just free admission tickets from my family's onsen."

"Onsen?" Fuji's eyes sparkled at the mention of it. "We do love onsen a lot, don't we Kunimitsu?"

"Ah yes." Tezuka adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose to hide the blush that was starting to form on his face.

"Lame… have you seen my gift?" Atobe said proudly while brushing his hair back.

"Not everyone is rich like you Atobe." Oshitari laughed

"I don't like your boss Yuushi. It's only been a few minutes but I want to strangle him already." Gakuto leaned up to whisper in his boyfriend's ear.

"You have no idea how I endure him in the office, love. That's why you need to be good to me whenever I'm at home." Oshitari whispered back.

"Get a room you two and don't think I didn't hear that!" Atobe shouted.

"Let's get some food, shall we?" Tezuka took Fuji's hand and walked towards the spread of food. He fed some finger food to Fuji who gladly accepted them.

"I feel really happy today, Mitsu." Fuji smiled at his lover. "I truly feel like I'm the luckiest person in the world for having you by my side." He brushed his hand softly against Tezuka's.

"I'm glad, love. That's all I want, for you to be happy, everyday in life." Tezuka kissed Fuji's forehead gently.

…...

"Finally, it's home sweet home." Fuji said as he reached for the keys. Tezuka had both Ryoma and Ryoga sleeping in his arms after the tiresome day at the aquarium earlier.

Fuji gave Tezuka a sultry look before speaking. "Don't forget our hot date at the love hotel tonight, Kunimitsu. I've arranged with the girl next door to babysit the kids so that we can have a little adult time…" Fuji licked his lips seductively as he eyed Tezuka.

Tezuka's eyes widened a fraction as he thought Fuji would be too tired from the party. This sure is a nice surprise he thought to himself. "How can I forget…" Tezuka replied, his eyes already trailing Fuji's body.

Fuji chuckled lightly as he opened the door wide enough for Tezuka to enter with the sleeping kids in his arms. "Let me take Ryoma." Fuji offered.

"I'm fine, just close the door while I put them in bed." Tezuka balanced both boys in his arms as he took them to their room. He laid the boys down on their respectives beds, before taking their shoes off and tucking them in. He wondered what took Fuji so long to lock the door. He exited the room only to notice the door still open and Fuji thanking the mailman, with a basket of beautifully arranged red peonies.

"You've got a delivery?" Tezuka asked after Fuji closed the door.

Fuji looked at the flowers curiously before replying. "It's a present." He reached for the card along with the flowers and a smile formed on his lips.

"From whom?" Tezuka asked, sounding a tad bit jealous.

Fuji looked up at Tezuka with a wide smile and excitement in his eyes. "You will not believe this, Mitsu!"

"Who is it?" Tezuka asked, feeling even more jealous at Fuji's reaction towards the present.

"It's Kunikazu san…" Fuji handed the card to Tezuka.

"Grandfather?" Tezuka's eyes widened as he scanned the card which had a simple message of a birthday wish and at the bottom signed Tezuka Kunikazu. He read the name over and over again, not sure of how it was possible.

"But why…" The question was stuck in his throat as he looked at Fuji for answers.

"I may have been contacting him behind your back secretly… " Fuji said sheepishly. "Don't be mad, Kunimitsu, I was just trying to build a good relationship with him. But it wasn't easy, he has been rejecting my calls more than I could count but I didn't expect him to send me this." Fuji looked at Tezuka. "I did not tell you because I didn't want to get your hopes up...I was planning on telling you after he has shown signs that he wants to reconcile."

"Wow…" Tezuka's voice was a little heavy. He looked at Fuji with hopeful eyes. "Of course I'm not mad, you're amazing Syusuke…I know how stubborn grandfather can be sometimes. How did you get him to talk?"

Fuji laughed. "For starters, he didn't talk much. But I could tell he wanted to hear about you, your wellbeing and your progress. It was a one way conversation mostly." Fuji chuckled. "He may not show it, but I know he still loves you Kunimitsu, and he never stopped caring about you."

Tezuka nodded and swallowed thickly. Fuji could see how emotional he was and he walked up to him, wrapping his arms around Tezuka. "I think it's almost time we pay your father and grandfather a visit, don't you think?" Fuji said softly.

"Yes, it's about time…" Tezuka whispered against Fuji's hair. "Thank you Syusuke…"