Author's Note: Ok, so there were lots of people who said they wanted a reunion between the other players as well. Well, I agree. –blushes- I, um, forgot the other reunions. Bad author. Oh, wait, that's me. So now I have this side story before the main event… Ryoma's chapter. Here we go.
Ryoma's Plan
Side Story- Chapter 7.5
Eiji wasn't the most patient of people. He knew that. He also knew that today wasn't like most days. They'd arrived at Ochibi's mansion a few hours ago and spent most of that time talking. At the very beginning, he'd stolen Oishi away so he could have a private 'talk' with him. He was glad too because there was absolutely no alone time for them after that.
Now, though, Momo was off getting Ochibi from the airport and there was time for everyone to be alone. Eiji just couldn't figure Momo out. He'd mentioned to Momo that he'd be glad to go with him to the airport but he was turned down rather rudely. Something about Ryo and evil plans…
"What are you doing?" a voice asked from behind him, startling him out of his thoughts.
He whirled around and put his hands over the persons' mouth. It turned out to be Oishi. He gave his lover a grin and slowly took his hand away.
"Look, nya." He whispered, pointing around the corner.
Both of them looked around the door. The door lead into the library where two people were having a serious discussion. Those people happened to be Tezuka-buchou and Fuji. They had their arms wrapped around each other in a tight hug. Then Tezuka pulled back and grabbed Fuji's right hand.
"Is it healed?" his strong voice asked.
The smile never left Fuji's face. "Saa, you'll just have to challenge me to a match to see."
Tezuka ran his hand softly down Fuji's face. "I was so worried." He said calmly.
Something in his voice must have seemed not right because Fuji opened his eyes and gazed calmly into Tezuka's eyes.
"I know. I've been worried about you, too."
"What for?"
"Tezuka, my love, you were lost for so many years because of me. I knew that and, yet, I did nothing about it."
Eiji hadn't noticed it until now but Tezuka had something in his left hand. He clutched it which brought it to Eiji's attention. It looked like a piece of paper.
"Is that Echizen's note?" Fuji asked.
"Yes." One word seemed to sum it all up for Tezuka.
"What did it say?"
Tezuka looked about to not answer but, in the end, he did. "He told me that my pillar hasn't crumbled yet."
Fuji's face softened. "Is that why you were so lost?" He asked his lover. Something on Tezuka's face must have answered Fuji because he said, "No, I could have told you that. Your pillar never has crumbled. It's just wavered. It's why I stayed sane for so long."
Tezuka's eyes snapped to Fuji's. "It didn't look that way to me. You looked like you were going insane faster then I could handle."
Fuji's eyes hardened and there was something unreadable in them. "No, you would never have stayed sane if I had gone insane in any sort of manner. No one wants to see me like that." He stated it so calmly that Eiji believed him.
They wrapped their arms around each other then and kissed. It lasted a long time but it had a sweet aura around it that Eiji knew he couldn't interrupt.
He moved slowly out of the hallway, dragging Oishi with him. When they were sure they wouldn't interrupt the two lovers in the library, they stopped.
"I'm glad that went so well." Oishi murmured.
"Nya, I'm curious. What happened with Fuji?" An over rambunctious Eiji wanted to know.
Oishi smiled secretively. "I can't tell you yet. Maybe later."
"Moi, you're so mean!" he yelled, lightly hitting Oishi on the shoulder.
Oishi laughed then froze. Eiji was in the process of turning around when Oishi grabbed him and threw him on the ground.
"What'd you do that for?" Eiji pouted.
Oishi put a finger to his mouth and pointed up. Eiji hadn't noticed it until now but the window was open. Voices were lightly coming through the window.
"Are you sure this is vacant?" Eiji noticed Kaidoh's voice.
"Aa, I checked here earlier." Inui's calm voice said.
"What'd you want to talk to me for?" Kaidoh sounded impatient.
"We haven't seen each other in over a year and you want to leave me so badly?"
Eiji could feel the tension in the air. "Whatever."
"I wanted to tell you that I was sorry. I've seen, thanks to Eiji, that I wasn't looking out for your best interest when I went to get my medical degree. I profusely apologize."
There were tears in Kaidoh's voice. "You don't know what it was like." He whispered, his voice rough. "The only person I ever loved walked out on me. I was left to the torturous surgeries on my own. There wasn't a single face that I recognized. It was terrible."
"I'm sorry. I know that now. I know what I did was wrong and I'm sorry." There were actual tears in Inui's voice.
"Do you?" There was hopefulness in Kaidoh's. Eiji had never heard Kaidoh like this before.
"Yes. I promise, swear, never to leave you again. You are my world. You know that."
"You idiot, you know you're mine." His voice was rough and teasing.
Eiji felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked at Oishi. He was pointed for them to leave and Eiji agreed. Time for them to go. They'd gotten about ten feet away when they heard a door slam.
"Tezuka-buchou, Fuji! Oishi, Eiji! Inui, Idiot!" that last one was yelled vehemently. "Taka! Come down here please." Momo yelled from the front door.
Eiji heard several curses in several different languages from the other two couples. Mentally Eiji laughed. That was funny. He was too curious to see what Momo was yelling about so he grabbed Oishi and booked it through the house.
The other two couples came more slowly and gifted Momo with glares. Taka was smiling as always and didn't seem to be interrupted at all.
Momo was standing in the door way with a disgruntled, harassed looking Ochibi. Eiji had a moment to reflect that this short man didn't look like one of the most powerful men on the planet. He thought maybe Momo had something to do with this outlook but that's about as far as he got on his thinking before a paper was shoved under his nose.
He took the paper unconsciously and looked at it. He nearly had a fit. His body was trying to decide whether to laugh or to break down. To keep from doing either, he looked around the room at everyone else.
Shock was the dominate feeling he got from everyone. Fuji wore a look of total satisfaction on his face while Inui was madly scribbling in his notebook. The rest were too shocked to do anything at all.
Fuji opened both eyes and looked at Ochibi with full admiration. "Saa, they call me the evil one." He said serenely.
"You did this." Tezuka said. Not a question but a statement.
Ochibi got this evil look on his face. "Yes."
That one statement made everyone back away from the evil little person a few steps.
"Remind me not to get you mad, nya." Eiji stated. Several people nodded their heads in agreement.
"You realize that he's going to be coming after you for this." Oishi's motherly voice said.
Momo laughed. "Let him come."
He ruffled Ochibi's hair which made him glare at his lover. Eiji was strongly reminded of a hissing and spitting cat. Eiji was sure the two would look exactly alike. This also explained Ochibi's harassed look. Then Eiji got an idea.
"Who wants to bet the time he'll come after him?" he asked eagerly.
"I don't think…" Oishi started to say.
"Two months." Kaidoh said.
"A year." Tezuka said coolly.
Inui wrote something down in his notebook. "My guess is two years." More writing.
"Well I say four months." Eiji remarked. He nudged Taka. "How about you? What do you think?"
"Um, well, I think a year and a half." Was the timid reply.
"Fine. I'll make a guess." Oishi said. "Three years."
Ochibi glared at all of them making them all wear smug looks. Eiji couldn't help it. It was fun to teach Ochibi. He picked up the newspaper again and laughed. This was going to be fun to see who was right. He wondered what the revenge would turn out to be.
