Disclaimer: POT and HXH don't and will never belong to me.

Chapter 13: Showdown

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Hysoka smiled, his lips curled ever so slightly at the sides. He was amused, no, more than amused. He kissed the boy simply because he wanted to see his reaction. And he was shocked that he had managed to resist him for a little while, but somehow, he had the feeling that Tezuka wasn't kissing him, it was as if he was kissing someone else. That baffled him no end.

He shrugged and forgot about the incident totally. Picking his phone up, he dialed the Dan Chou's number, he needed to inform him about his first "training" with Tezuka.

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The pain in his chest was hard to ignore, but all this years, all this lonely years should have taught him how to control his emotions and pain. He thought he was over Tezuka, and this trip back to Japan to see him was a kind of evidence and a kind of test to himself, a proof that he was officially over Tezuka Kunimitsu. But as usual, he was made the fool.

Tezuka apparently had no problem getting over him.

When the door opened to show the entwined figures (it's just Fuji's imagination, Tezuka and Hysoka are just kissing…) the wall he built around his heart crumbled, painfully and totally. The pain and the bitterness flooded his heart and he wanted to gasp for air.

He wanted to scream at Tezuka, for…for…it was then he realized that he no longer had any right to ask anything of him.

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Tezuka slumped into his chair after chasing Hysoka from his room. His heart throbbed. For so long, his heart had laid in a deep sleep, the pain was constantly in his heart, but somehow, it never surfaced, until today.

When he saw the shattered look in Fuji's eyes, he wanted to cry, he wanted to kill the person who had caused that look, realizing belatedly that the person was none other than him.

Perhaps it was the emotion that still shone in Fuji's eyes, perhaps it was the feeling again, he felt as if he hadn't lost him yet. It was as if…as if Fuji had forgiven him and knew that Tezuka had forgiven him as well…but he could be wrong…as usual.

He didn't know what had possessed him when he didn't push Hysoka away, perhaps he wanted to feel…close…to someone…he needed to feel needed again…he needed to feel human again.

Somehow, Fuji Syuusuke had always managed to find him at the worst time and in the most damaging situation. He wanted to erase the hurt he thought he saw in Fuji's eyes. But it was too late after all.

It was time to get over Fuji Syuusuke, once and for all.

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By the time Fuji reached his home, he was calm again. All his pain and torment was well-hidden beneath his smiling façade.

He smiled at his father, chatted happily with the servants and cried bitterly in his room.

Tezuka…Kuni-chan…I…I can't give up…I love you so…even after so long, my love hadn't faded…it was buried in my determination to get over you…even in my self-denial period, I had known, I could never forget you…gomen…gomen nasai…

After long hours of thinking and… planning, Fuji emerged from his room. His eyes were sore from crying but his heart was quivering from excitement. I will win you back…Tezuka Kunimitsu!

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While our…devious Fuji was plotting on Tezuka's "demise", the latter was still peacefully unaware that someone was going to knock some sense into him and make him see the LIGHT…so as to speak.

Returning home, Tezuka was tired and worn out by the day's events. He wanted some peace and quiet, but apparently with his bad luck, his wish wasn't granted. The moment he entered the apartment, the telltale smell of his mother's perfume overwhelmed him and he sighed.

The double shock was the other man standing at his window looking rather bored while his mother was trying to wear a hole into his new carpet.

When he turned, Tezuka's heart trembled and started to pound. The man seemed so similar to him…his nose, his chin even his eyes (sorry that's not true…it is just for the sake of the story…gomen nasai). Who the hell is he?

"Konnichiwa Okasama." He said blandly, his shock and uncertainty was well-hidden.

"Ah…Kunimitsu, come, let me introduce you to your…your Dan Chou, the president of the company you are working for, Mr. Kuroro Lucifer." Although the hesitancy was mild, Tezuka caught it nonetheless.

"Pleased to meet you …Dan Chou"

"Me too, your name had preceded you, Kunimitsu…Tezuka"

Again, the hesitancy caught Tezuka by surprise.

He stood there; looking at the man he had worked for five long years and had never seen until today.

It is like looking into a mirror.

That thought had sent shockwaves through his body, mirror, yes; the man looked so darned like him. Unconsciously he clenched his fists tightly; the movement did not go unnoticed by Kuroro.

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It was a surprise to look at a person you known were your son for the first time in so long. And the surprise was reflected clearly in Kunimitsu's eyes. But he held the advantage of knowing the truth.

He had avoided seeing his son for fear of such things happening. With Kunimitsu's intelligence and his apparent similarities in features and build to him, it would be very easy to put two together and see how things really were.

He was finally ready for this showdown after all this years. He wanted to have his son back and it took him awhile to convince Neon.

He was pleased with the report Hysoka had given him this evening, but the boy Fuji had troubled him. He knew about the twisted love affair between Kunimitsu and that boy. He wanted to question Hysoka more about the matter, about the boy who had pushed Kunimitsu into a working frenzy for five long years. Yet he knew that if he had shown too much interest, both his son and that boy might become Hysoka's next preys.

Deciding that he could obtain more answers from his son, he managed to persuade Neon to bring him here and see Kunimitsu's reaction. So far, he was still satisfied with the reaction. Kunimitsu wasn't questioning him directly about his connection to him and his mother, this shown that he was still hesitant about bursting the bubble.

In order to checkmate the situation first, he shot the first question.

"How did the meeting with Hysoka went today?"

A series of emotions darkened Kunimitsu's eyes, surprise, embarrassment and pain. The moment Kunimitsu lowered his eyes; Kuroro knew that he was thinking about Fuji Syuusuke.

"Anoo…Hysoka…it went well"

"Saa…fine then, you will continue your training with Hysoka then, I intend to have you as my new executive president for the Japan branch."

Kunimitsu looked up in surprise.

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He finally admitted that this man was his biological father when he ran out of excuses for their similarities.

Judging by the tension within the room, he decided that it would be wise not to pierce through the lies and fabrications first. Wanting to turn the table on the Dan…his father, he planned his first question.

Again, he was slower than him; the question caught him unaware, he thought, no, he knew that Hysoka had reported the meeting to him.

Then he was further surprised when he said that he wanted to promote him to an executive president. No one gets promoted from an executive manager to an executive president without the stamp of approval from the entire board of major shareholders.

So he asked the most logical question, "Why?"

He almost sputtered when he had his answer.

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"Because one day you will take over the company as my heir"

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"WHAT!"