Thanks for your reviews and the alerts. To be honest, I'm just surprised that people are actually reading this. I don't think I even deserve most of what you say in your reviews. Thanks again, I really am very grateful. I'll really try to keep the story moving so it won't be too draggy for you.

Enjoy!

The Scarlet Stain

(quatro)

Ryoma looked up from his sitting position when he head a car's engine from below. He stood up and walked towards the railings to check, and saw someone else come out, instead. It was Tezuka.

Feeling suddenly nervous, Ryoma walked back and leaned against the wall near Fuji's door. He got the fleeting desire to escape what he foresaw as something awkward, but his feet seemed glued to the floor. Taking a deep breath, he took his half-finished Ponta on the floor to take a sip and calm himself down.

The elevator button lighted up. He braced himself and faced it with a ready smirk.

"Buchou. Sempai."

Fuji stopped and quickly released Tezuka's hand from his hold. His eyes jumped from Ryoma to Tezuka, whose face reverted to its expressionless state. To his surprise, Tezuka reached out and took his hand. Ryoma saw this, and raised an eyebrow.

"Echizen."

Ryoma bowed slightly, and Fuji thought he caught a questioning look on the boy's face. "I forgot something from Fuji-sempai's apartment from last time."

Tezuka's grip on his hand tightened and Fuji looked up, and saw that Tezuka's face demanded an explanation. "We drank together yesterday since he wasn't able to catch the last train," he found himself explaining. He looked back at Ryoma quickly. "Anyway, what did you leave? I'm sure you cleaned up quite well..."

"My passport."

"Your... passport."

Ryoma nodded, as he completely ignored Fuji's look of disbelief. He gestured towards Fuji's door. "So. How long will we be standing here?"

Ryoma patted himself on the back for leaving his passport on purpose. It had been risky, he knew. And impulsive. He didn't even know why he suddenly felt like leaving it behind. At least now, he understood it a bit better. But not well enough.

Another thing he didn't understand was why he was so annoyed at the fact that Tezuka wasn't letting go of Fuji's hand. Didn't Fuji tell him that Tezuka insisted that he was straight?

"Mitsu," Fuji suddenly said, "I need to look for his passport." He shook the hand being held. Tezuka said nothing and let it go. He walked over to the couch quietly and sat down. Ryoma, feeling adventurous, walked over and sat next to him.

"So you're over here a lot, ne, buchou?"

"Relatively, yes."

"Ehh, such an enduring friendship, then."

"You can say that."

"Echizen," Fuji coughed out loudly, cutting the strange, tense atmosphere. "Where did you remember leaving it?"

Ryoma glanced at Fuji and smiled. "I think it's near the toaster, sempai. Somewhere in the kitchen. Would you like me to check, for myself?"

Fuji rubbed his temples. "No. Just... stay there." He glanced back at them. "Will you two stop glaring at each other? It's making me uncomfortable."

"But I'm not glaring," Ryoma countered. "And buchou just normally looks like that."

Tezuka stood up and brushed his pants straight. "I can help you, Syuusuke."

Looking from Ryoma's mischievous expression and Tezuka's frustrated one, he sighed. "Yes. I think I'll need that, Mitsu."

"I don't know why he's being so difficult." Fuji was looking in the cabinet under his toaster. "The last time he was here, he was pretty agreeable. Was Echizen always like this? How could he... leave such an important thing in the first place? And God, where did he leave that damned passport?" He looked behind him and saw that Tezuka was looking inside the refrigerator. He giggled despite himself. "Found anything, Mitsu?"

Tezuka replied by raising a black booklet. He looked back and gave Fuji one of his rare smiles.

"Found it."

Fuji burst out laughing before walking over him and hugging him by the waist. He raised his head early enough to catch Ryoma turning on his back and walking back to the living room.

The boy wasn't looking too happy.

"Take care on your way home," Fuji reminded, as he and Tezuka stood in the door. Ryoma looked up at them both sullenly before nodding.

"Thanks for finding my passport, buchou."

Tezuka nodded and held out his hand for a shake. Ryoma took it and they shook hands.

"See you, buchou. See you, sempai."

"See you, Echizen."

As Fuji watched Ryoma walk into the hallway, he felt that somehow, that handshake meant something else entirely. Looking up at Tezuka and seeing the look on his face, he forgot about it altogether.

Ryoma was annoyed. Didn't Fuji tell him about Tezuka's mild homophobia? So why was he getting all over Fuji all of a sudden?

He threw himself on the hotel bed, deciding to sleep on it.

He found himself awake until morning.

Fuji found himself not sleeping, and staying up all night until morning, watching Tezuka sleep. They had planned to have him go home, but he was too tired, and he texted Asami that they went out drinking.

Fuji sighed. He liked Asami. Yet he also was overflowing with happiness at the fact that Tezuka chose him.

Why the fuck did Tezuka even get married in the first place? He was sleeping with Fuji. And even after he got married, he didn't stop. Fuji should've told him that getting married was a bad idea. Especially the fact that Tezuka married Fuji's college buddy. If Asami found out what they were doing, all hell would break lose. Fuji would lose his friend; Tezuka would lose his good name. He knew Asami. She wasn't the type to go out and badmouth them, but there would definitely be a divorce. Asami wasn't the type to lie, nor Tezuka. And people would know.

He sighed again, a heavier one this time.

How about his baby?

He knew that Tezuka loved Asami. And he knew that he loved their baby.

So... where did Fuji fit in all that?

"Good morning."

Fuji looked up from his arms and smiled at Tezuka, betraying no trace of his thoughts.

"Time to get up and smell the coffee," he told the still half-asleep Tezuka.

He put on his glasses and reached out to touch Fuji's cheek. "You made some?"

Fuji stood up slowly, avoiding his touch. "I'm about to."

Ryoma never would have imagined it.

He somehow managed to fell asleep at sometime during morning, and woke up at late evening with the sound of his phone ringing. It was some person from the hotel, telling him he had a visitor. Fuji Syuusuke. Immediately, he asked them to let him up and he stood waiting near the door after a few minutes of frantic dressing up.

His door bell rang, and he answered it promptly. Almost breathlessly. Not that he'd make Fuji see it.

"Sempai."

"Echizen. Good evening." Fuji smiled. He took a step inside. "I see that you've been resting the whole day?" He reached up and flattened Ryoma's bed hair down. "There you go." He smiled, and went over the couch.

"Wait- sempai. Why are you here?"

Fuji looked at him, a serious look on his face. "I need your advice." Ryoma almost smirked at this, but Fuji smiled and turned around. "I had no other choice. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not really." He shrugged. "Want anything to drink?"

"Anything you have is fine." Ryoma walked over his refrigerator and looked at Fuji sheepishly, showing racks of Ponta. Fuji chuckled. "Ponta it is, then."

Minutes later, they were sitting face-to-face and Fuji somehow managed to let out his Tezuka-dilemma. Ryoma found himself actually listening, despite his natural aversion to such drama. He couldn't even imagine himself in such a situation.

"So it's all buchou's fault."

"Um... we can't really say that." He played with his can. "I mean, I did most of the... inviting."

"But he went back, remember? Even if he had this Asami person."

"I made him like it."

Ryoma scowled at this. "Okay, point taken."

"Sorry, sorry," Fuji said with a laugh. "I keep forgetting that you must be uncomfotable with all this. I went ahead of myself." He put down his can. "Anyway, the point is, I know that we should put an end to it. It's the right thing to do."

"So why do you need my advice for?"

"Because I don't want to do what's right."

Ryoma scratched his head. "You're confusing."

"I knew that it was wrong. But I've come this far, and I've been holding on to every tiny chance I get. Now he's offering me his hand. It's hard for me to ignore it just that easily." Fuji clasped his hands together on top of his thighs, and he looked at Ryoma. "I just want you to tell me what to do, Echizen."

Ryoma stared at Fuji's expectant face. Finally, after what seemed like a full minute of silence, Ryoma leaned closer, his face serious.

"How about you try me, sempai?"

To Ryoma's surprise, Fuji covered his mouth to stop what appeared to be a sudden burst of laughter. A cross look came up his face. "I wasn't joking."

Fuji reached out and patted Ryoma on the shoulder amiably. "Oh, Echizen. I'm sorry. I must've gotten you really curious about this, haven't I? This is all too much for you. I'm sorry, I really am. In the first place, why am I even asking you of all people?"

It was a while before his laughter died down. Finally, he stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder and Ryoma sat there, his mouth open in surprise. "Saa, I should really get going."

"I'm not curious, sempai, I-"

"Try reading some manga first. After you know what really happens, you'll pretty much get the gist of it." He ruffled Ryoma's hair. "Now don't you try going after guys now, okay?"

"I was serious!"

"No, you are not." Fuji stood in the doorway with a smile, and gave Ryoma a little wave. "Well then, don't you push this further, Echizen. I'm having a lot on my mind as it is. If you could do me a favor and forget about everything, that would be very helpful." He nodded eagerly. "See you!"

As soon as Fuji reached the comforts of the elevator, he immediately dropped his smile.

He closed his eyes and tried to even his breathing.

No, he decided. Ryoma was fortunate enough to be normal.

Fuji didn't want to have him stained, as well.

To be continued.

Okay, that's the end of the fourth chapter and FINALLY I got the last line in, which is what I've been wanting to insert ever since Ryoma appeared. This update was shorter than usual because I found myself finishing what I wanted to say too early. I'm sorry, I didn't have anything to make up for the delay. Hopefully, the next chapter would come more easily (and would have more Tezuka in it, since I really want to steer this properly towards the climax).

Also, I realized that me wondering about who's seme and who's uke is pointless since in the first place, I'm not even sure if they're going to have a chance to go at it. /sighs

As usual, feedback is not required but would be loved.

BT