Ha ha. You know, I had this and the last chapter all worked out and written loooong ago! But then I put off editing them, and now...Between studying and working out Beatrice & Solomon (on my ficblog. Go read it!) I...FORGOT! Augh. Sorry, sorry. Hope no one really minds. Go ahead, read and review the result of months of (not all) back-breaking hard work.

"Tetsuya, help me with my homework."

Kasanoda Ritsu had just swept open the door into Tetsuya's bedroom. His sudden appearance startled the other boy, who, dressed in nothing but a fresh towel, had just come back from a hot shower. He hurridly shut the door again, accidentally shutting himself in the room with him.

"Waka!" he was too startled to think of anything else to say. Ritsu turned pink.

"Erm, maybe you should put on some clothes first or something." He politely turned around. In place of silence, Ritsu heard the frantic rustling of cloth as his friend struggled to get something on before either of them could become too embarassed.

"Yeah, I'm done now," finally Ritsu heard. He turned back again and saw Tetsuya dressed in the usual way, baggy pants and shirt. "You just startled me, that's all," he said.

Ritsu coughed. "So, can you help me with my homework?" he asked him.

"What?... Math?"

"History."

"What? But you're good at that!" Tetsuya exclaimed loudly, a bit surprised. Ritsu scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Can you still help me?"

Tetsuya thought for a bit. "Can't help you," he said. "History's not my thing. Can't memorize anything."

"Just test me, then."

Tetsuya reluctantly complied, taking the textbook from out of Ritsu's hands. Ritsu then sat down on the bed, legs folded, in a sort of meditative pose. Tetsuya opened the book at random and scanned over one page. He then sat beside Ritsu, facing him so that he couldn't see what he was being tested on.

"1820. What happened?"

"What?"

"Exactly."

Ritsu grabbed the book back as Tetsuya laughed. "Bastard. Never become a teacher," he glowered.

"Why're you trying so hard, anyways? Want to become top student all of a sudden, waka?"

Ritsu stared at him with icy, fiery eyes that somehow had no terrorizing effect on his friend at all. But then he felt his face going red and couldn't hold his gaze. The reaction startled Tetsuya, who had never seen him blush in front of him before. He thought of something and found that he couldn't stop smiling.

"It's Fujioka Haruhi," Ritsu said, quietly. "I need to prove I'm good enough for Fujioka Haruhi."

"Haruhi again?" Tetsuya sighed. "It's worrying all of us, you know, you being interested in that guy."

"Fujioka Haruhi's not--" he began, but he remembered that promise he had permanently markered on his arm and decided not to say any more. It hadn't all come off yet, not that he wanted it to. Besides, Tetsuya hadn't finished lecturing him yet.

"Then what about all that time you spend after school in that girl's club? Why don't you study instead?"

Ritsu remained silent, afraid of speaking.

"Oh I know," Tetsuya smiled sneakily, "you can't bear to be away from that special guy of yours? I know..."

Ritsu appeared very uncomfortable on the bed for a second, before he leaned over towards Tetsuya's grinning face and stared intensly. Tetsuya didn't lean back and, instead, matched his gaze with an impish look on his face. Ritsu decided to tell him,...maybe.

"Oi, it's a secret. Can you keep a secret?" he whispered, a pained, fearful look on his face. Tetsuya, sensing the seriousness in his voice, nodded yes. Ritsu leaned closer forwards to be heard.

"There are things I don't know," he began, very quietly, and very slowly, "but, for some reason, Fujioka Haruhi is being held hostage and is forced to work in the Host Club. The entire Host Club has threatened to kill me if I let out, so...just between the two of us. That Ootori demon,..." he shivered. "All I know is that Fujioka Haruhi is a girl forced to do a man's job, and it's for a reason that the Host Club," he shivered again, "--is willing to keep silent. Those Hitachiin freaks,..."

Tetsuya thought for a moment. It was a strange story, but he didn't think Ritsu was creative enough to make it up. So, he decided to believe him, maybe. He shrugged unconvincingly. There have been stranger stories in the world, he thought. At least, then, Ritsu woudn't be gay. He let out a sigh. What a scandal that would have caused.

Seeing Ritsu still mumbling to himself, something about ninjas and swordmasters now, Tetsuya decided to try and say something to cheer him up, something he probably shouldn't have mentioned at all.

"Then, there shouldn't be any problem," he smiled as he spoke. "Why don't you try asking her out?"

Ritsu's face turned white and exhibited a type of fear that Tetsuya had never seen in him before. He studied it carefully. "You don't know," Ritsu whispered hoarsely, "the Host Club is run by a man more terrifying than me."

"Oh, I get the point," he laughed nervously at him, thinking of some way to try and change the topic. "Yeah, so Haruhi's a girl."

Ritsu nodded nervously, some color beginning to return to his cheeks. "I was relieved," he said. "Weird when I didn't know, and I discovered I liked her. So I was relieved to see her...um," and he turned crimson again.

Their faces were very close to each other. Tetsuya barely leaned over to have a better look this blushing face. It turned even brighter red under his gaze. "So you go every day after school to be with her?" He was beginning to understand.

"Ah..." Ritsu seemed to have fully recovered and spoke emphatically all of a sudden. "She turned me down once, maybe because of the Host Club, or maybe because she...likes...someone else. But," his knee jittered rhythmically in emphasis, "I go to see her whenever I can. I feel happy as long as I can be by her side. Nothing else matters as long as I'm with her." Shocked to realize what he was saying, he looked down at his shaking knee, then quickly at Tetsuya embarassed again.

He found Tetsuya leaning back, smiling warmly at the ceiling and dreaming about those words. Happy as long as I can be... "That's great."

"You don't have to try and make me feel better about it--"

"No, I really mean it. I would love to find someone to love like that."

"I'm sure," Ritsu responded honestly, "you'll definitely find the perfect girl. Any girl would want you. Heck, if I were a girl,..."

Tetsuya's eyes widened, as if in anticipation. Ritsu noticed, and immediately blushed.

"Don't be gross. I was just illustrating a point. Like I said, any girl would want to have you."

"How so?"

"Well, you can cook."

Tetsuya laughed again, tossing his long, damp hair behind his shoulders as he laughed. "Just because I can cook, huh?" He contemplated the idea, and decided it was a pretty good one. "I hope, then, that we will both be able to find the perfect girl someday," he finally said.

Ritsu was back to normal again. "Bah, I'll definitely beat you to it," he said.

"Yeah, and I'm sure you will," Tetsuya responded sarcastically. "With what? You're striking good looks?"

"Shut up and die, Tetsuya!"

"Yes, waka."

Ritsu mumbled bitterly. Tetsuya continued to laugh. He knew he would never think of finding a girl before his master. And, when the day came that his master brought home the girl he loved, he knew he would graciously step aside, for Her.