Fuji was anxious.

He never received any calls or messages from Tezuka ever since the encounter they had last week. If he knew Tezuka could endure a week without communication, he should have done something to make sure that they're still okay, though by now he knew they're not.

If things continue to go on like this, they would surely end up breaking their relationship, which is completely out of Fuji's plans.

He got his phone and swallowed his pride. He needs to talk to him.

To his disappointment, Tezuka's voicemail answered him. He sighed and closed his eyes. He never planned things to go this way. His agreement with Shiraishi was just temporary. It's not like they're going out again or something. But Fuji knew that was not how Tezuka saw the situation.

His phone rang, and he almost jumped as he opened an incoming message. It came from an unregistered number, and the thought alone that someone might have leaked his number plainly annoys him.

"Fuji?" read the message.

'Oh…so this guy knows me…' Fuji thought.

"Yes? Who are you?" he texted back.

"Yukimura Seiichi."

Fuji frowned. The name sounds familiar. He knew he heard it from somewhere.

"…sorry..but I can't remember where I heard the name.."

"Tezuka's editor."

This time, Fuji's attention was now fully focused on the sender.

"Oh…"

"I don't want to beat around the bush so I'll have to say this once and for all. If you continue hurting him, and you know what I mean….I'll make sure he's not coming back to you..for good."

That sent Fuji to the edge. He pushed the call button on his phone. Yukimura answered on the first ring.

"Don't you ever lay a hand on Tezuka." Fuji warned, disregarding the fact that his tone of voice wasn't really at least polite.

"Not yet."

Fuji gripped his phone tight. "Our problems has nothing to do with you, so stay out. Otherwise I'll be forced to do some drastic measures to keep you out of the picture."

The bluenette smiled. "And how exactly would you do that?"

"You don't need to know."

"Then do what you have to. I'm not afraid. You don't deserve him. Not a bit."

And then the line went dead.

Fuji didn't brought down his phone and stared in space, wide-eyed. He believed when Tezuka told him that he loved him. What he's afraid of now was if that same feeling remained.

He grabbed his things and hurried to Tezuka's place.

They really need to talk.

"Fuji's coming." Yukimura said.

They were at Tezuka's place, both catching up some deadlines for the day, and hoping that the day would end without unnecessary compromises with their editor-in-chief.

"What? Why?" Tezuka asked, eyes fixed on his laptop and doing his work , as if what he heard was nothing of significant importance.

"Did you hear what I said? Fuji is coming here."

"I did. And I asked you why."

Yukimura gaped.

"I told him to stop hurting you."

The statement made the novelist stop. He looked at Yukimura, not sure how he would react. As if reading his confusion, Yukimura took the opportunity to explain.

"You couldn't lie to me. I know you have problems with him. I just want you to fix it first before you go over with the next chapters of your work. I hate editing pieces of crap." he said with sigh.

Tezuka looked back at his work and slowly stood up.

"Excuse me for a while."

And then he left.

Yukimura closed his eyes and sighed. He wants to take advantage of the situation, but he knew better that he wouldn't be getting any good from it. He was never a masochist. In fact, he was as selfish as hell.

But if giving in would make Tezuka happy, then perhaps it's a reasonable trade. He went back to work and shook his head.

If Fuji will not do anything to win Tezuka back now, he'll never ever let him have the chance again.

The blue-eyed boy pushed the door bell to Tezuka's condo several times to emphasize the urgency of his concern.

'Open the door damn it!' he thought.

Few seconds passed before the door finally flew open, revealing a not-so-pleased Yukimura Seiichi who was guarding the door from his entry.

"Move." Fuji commanded.

He thought it was a good thing that Yukimura immediately obeyed. Otherwise, he would have forced himself in even if it meant shoving the other guy away. The question of the bluenette's presence inside his boyfriend's condo unit was already nauseating, yet he knew that there was more important thing he had to do before he threw the question.

He marched inside the condo and headed to Tezuka's room. He didn't notice how Yukimura had rolled his eyes when he did that.

"Tezuka?" Fuji called out in urgency. "We need to talk.." he continued.

The novelist's room was silent that Fuji had mentally cursed himself. He went out and headed down. Yukimura remained on his same position near the door.

"Where's he?" Fuji asked.

Yukimura shrugged, and Fuji had to restrain himself from lounging forward and wrapping his fingers along Yukimura's pale neck.

'It would sure feel great to break your bones.' he thought.

Instead of succumbing to anger, he proceeded to the narrow hallway leading to Tezuka's home office.

Even if he was expecting the other to be there, it still stole his breath when he opened the door and was welcomed by Tezuka's penetrating gaze. He was almost tempted to close the door again and hide from it for a couple of seconds.

Yet he knew that if he'll do that, his efforts of coming over will all be wasted. He couldn't take the risks anymore; especially that a certain someone has proven himself to be a redoubtable rival to his lover's attention.

"I'm working.." he heard Tezuka said.

"I know.." Fuji replied, tone coated in desperation as he let himself in and locked the door behind him. "But we need to talk…I can't wait."

They held each other's gaze for a couple of seconds before Fuji gave out a sigh and closed the remaining distance they had. By the time he stood in front of his lover, he had by then all of Tezuka's attention. Somehow, Fuji felt relieved.

He kissed Tezuka softly on the lips. "I'm sorry. It was all my fault. I knew I shouldn't have agreed to it. I was desperate, and I needed help. I should've-"

"Syusuke….enough.."

Fuji frowned.

"I want you to know that nothing's going on with Shiraishi and I! It was all a misunderstanding Tezuka….please…." he pleaded while caressing Tezuka's arm in assurance.

"Then why just now?"

"Just now, what?"

"Why did you suddenly decide to tell me about it just now?"

Fuji shook his head. "I don't know. Your editor called me. He threatened me that I'll never have you back if I continue to hurt you. And I swear Tezuka…I don't mean such thing..You don't know how much I love you."

"Yuki was not…no, nothing."

Fuji carefully examined the confused look on Tezuka's face. He hated to admit it, but he was afraid that Tezuka had already been brainwashed by his editor into believing that he left for good. As to his agreement to Shiraishi, he had to deal that later. Right now, Tezuka's the most important issue.

"You know it, don't you?" Fuji said in slight horror as a thought suddenly registered on his mind.

Tezuka refused to look at his way.

"You know that he's in love with you, and you're not staying away." Fuji continued, now sure of his initial thought, judging from Tezuka's bombarded expression.

The spectacled guy swallowed hard and turned his back to the blue-eyed boy.

"Let's set another time for this argument, Fuji. I need to work."

"No!" Fuji yelled. He maneuvered himself so he was once again in front of Tezuka. He gripped his arms tightly as he felt the slow suffocation that was slowly eating him inside. "Please…"

Just when he thought Tezuka would finally give in, he felt the gently touch of his lover's hand on his wrist as he freed himself away. A tear fell on Fuji's eyes the moment Tezuka took a step back and turned his back at him.

"Let it go Fuji….at least for now."

Without words, Fuji ran out of the condo, swearing not to step foot again for some time.

Yukimura bumped his head on the desk for the third time. He didn't know what to say about what he feels. He wants to offer consolation for Tezuka, yet at the same time dreaded the idea knowing that he was not in the right position to do it.

While he favored the idea that Fuji left, he didn't wish for Tezuka to become so gloomy that even his works turned dead. In the absence of any idea, he dialed a familiar number whom he knew could probably do something on this.

"Leanne…" he started.

"Seiichi? What is it? Is there something-"

"I want to know how to make a man happy."

He took the silence from the other line as a time for his friend to think. Never did he knew how Leanne got it all on a different side.

"Hey…"

"Very well Seiichi. I know exactly what you'll do."

"Say it."

"Sex."

Yukimura stared on space in shock. Did Leanne just said…

"You couldn't mean…"

"Oh dear…you know what I mean. Whoever that lucky guy is, take him now to bed and ta-da! Let the party begin!"

Without saying another word, Yukimura ended the call.

Damn Leanne.

Author's Note:

I have to be mean sometimes.