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

Chapter 14: Call my name three times…

Clenching his fists tighter, he stared at the impossible man. Tezuka thought that he would at least try to be more considerate and not simply blurt out their relation. He had resigned to never knowing about his biological father, and coming face to face with the latter without any preparation was a double shock to him.

For him to acknowledge him like that was a triple shock.

"What…what are you talking about…" no, he wasn't ready to accept the new identity…not so soon, not when his heart was still raw…

"You are my son…Lucifer Kunimitsu."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Fuji was staring at his cactus again. Staring at his cactus used to give him peace, but now, all he could focus on was how to get back Kunimitsu. Such a big gap yawned between them, some created by him, and some by Kunimitsu, yet now, he must bridge this gap by himself, with love and trust.

But the point was how to go about doing that, how to bring two shattered souls back into one, how to bring back happiness once forgotten, how to trust love again…

Kuni-chan, what must I do to bring you back…tell me please…Kuni-chan

The door to his room swung open, Fuji twisted in his seat to see who came in, his face gentled and his smile was gracing his face again.

"Ah... Kurapica, anything I can help?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kurapica stared at the face which resembled his much, the gentle smile and the finely-scrupled features. Both of them had taken after their very beautiful mothers, who were twins, and that was why others had said that they could be passed off as twins themselves, if not for the difference in their hair color.

"Iie, I was just going down for a glass of milk and happen to see your light. What are you thinking, you looked…" at Fuji's raised brow, "perplexed."

"Betsuni, watashi wa …watashi…" I was just missing Kuni-chan again. Kurapica didn't have to hear his cousin say the words to hear them. He had seen that look briefly when Fuji thought no one was looking. But every time, Kurapica saw that lost and shattered look, he wanted to kill someone, namely Tezuka Kunimitsu.

When he was visiting Fuji five years ago, just before Fuji had broke up with Tezuka, he saw something he had not seen for a long time. A truly happy Fuji, his smiles were true and his laughter carefree. For a while he thought that Tezuka Kunimitsu could give him the happiness Kurapica himself couldn't. But he was wrong.

He wanted to see that Fuji again, he was sick of the sad and moody Fuji he saw after the break up. Whenever Fuji turned from his offer of comfort, he heart broke a little, whenever Fuji stared at a person who resembled Tezuka in a slightest way, his soul cried a little.

Kurapica knew that Fuji had tried to forget about Tezuka, he was determined to forget all about the person who had broke his heart, but tucked within some space in Fuji's heart, the memories of Tezuka was held alive.

Staring at the face he had wanted to hold and touch for as long as he could remember, he had to remind himself that Fuji was never his to cherish and that had been made clear by Fuji. He wasn't good enough for Fuji, not by a long shot. But it doesn't mean that Tezuka Kunimitsu is…he made Fuji cried, he made Fuji sad…he is bad…

Shaking his head to clear that snide voice, he moved closer to his cousin. Stopping at a distance where he couldn't simply reach out and brush away his bangs, he studied Fuji's face.

When he looked into his eyes, he was taken aback.

Determination and a strong will to fight on burned with such intensity in his eyes, he wanted something and Kurapica could just begin to guess who. He didn't understand, not at all, how anyone can forgive so easily, how Fuji can shrug off the pain and the betrayal he had felt and moved on, ready to give Tezuka a chance again. Yet in his heart, the answer was simple, Fuji wanted to love again, for that, he was willing to move past his hurt and accept the risk of loving again, of loving Tezuka Kunimitsu, again.

"No, nothing really, I just want to see what are you doing up so late…can't sleep..." again?

"…hai…I was…I was thinking about what happened…and what I should…no, what I must do…"

"You have already decided, haven't you…" when Fuji's head jerked up in surprise, he laughed, "It was that obvious…"

"Hmmm…I must have let my guard down…" a small smile flickered across Fuji's face and Kurapica knew why, it was Tezuka's favorite phrase.

"So…what would you do now…what would you do to get back Tezuka Kunimitsu…"

"I will beg and cheat and fight for him…and I will never let go, again…"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ohaiyoo gozaimasu, Tezuka-sama" Tezuka's secretary greeted him with her usual smile. Barely sparing a nod for his loyal subordinate, he moved into his office and sat heavily in his chair. Last night was a torture…last night…

He managed to survive last night, but barely, after the admission from his biological father, he ran off. It was a coward's way out, but there is really nothing he could do then. For a moment then, he had thought he would be suffocated by the tension in the room. He had to run, had to leave that hellish place.

Somehow, he had gone to Fuji's house, his old house. The house he had spent so many years in, the house that held so much memories, now it were just another building to him, another painful past to him. Not wanting anyone to see him standing like a lost puppy outside the house, like a stranger barred from all that were familiar to him, he left quickly.

After three hours, he decided that even his mother would be tired of waiting for him; he went back to his apartment. When he saw that his…his father had also left without so much as a note, he was a little disappointed. The moment he realized that, he shook himself hard. It was hard enough with Fuji back; he couldn't afford to have his father piled on him too.

Closing his eyes for a moment trying to shut out the world, he tried to tell himself that all this wouldn't matter in the end. He had said that he would give Fuji up, hadn't he? And he thought he had, until he saw him again. He hadn't.

Fuji, Fuji Syuusuke…why must you haunt me, why must you haunt me so…I want to be free of you and heartache…

But he was once your love wasn't he? Another voice argued within his already tormented mind. Once you were willing to sacrifice all for him, weren't you? You loved him and you still love him!

Shaking his head in denial he pushed up from his seat. He couldn't see what was wrong, to love or not to love?

Life was full of irony, once he was willing to forget, but his heart told him otherwise, now he wasn't ready to forget, his heart wanted him to free himself of all the pain and memories.

Fuji, why now? When I was about to let go when I could live again…for my own sake, and not in your shadow…

Call my name three times and I will be there…

A promise that he had forgotten till now…

Fuji…Fuji…Fuji…

"Tezuka-sama, there's someone here to see you…"