A/N: this is my gift to those who demanded for a sequel. I'm glad I have you all washed up with emotions from the first one. This one is not as angsty as the first since most of you don't want to see Ryoma suffer anymore. Same…the emotion will ensure OCness. I hope you'll like this SEQUEL to How do I love thee? This one might be very familiar to you…since I'm guessing that some, if not most, cried when you saw the movie. Heck! I did. Please enjoy!!!!

I don't own POT…or the Bible. From that alone, you may now have a lot of idea. Hehehehe. There's no one I could thank for other than the GOD Himself. It's His words and He's the bomb now. The verse featured is from 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

Oh yeah I don't own POT nor the poem used in this.

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE SEQUEL WILL BE DIVIDED INTO FOUR INSTALLMENTS. I REALIZED IT'LL BE TOO LONG TO PURSUE A ONE-SHOT. PLEASE ENJOY!!!!!!!

"" for dialogs and '' for thoughts. The memories are italicizedand the poem will be underlined.

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It always protects

Fuji didn't have the strength and courage left to visit Ryoma that afternoon…and besides, Ryoga might still be there and God knows what will happen if he sees him lurking around.

Fuji sighed and looked out the window. Nanjiroh's words were still ringing inside his head.

"Dr. Yoshizawa found out that he's blindness is caused by blood deposits in both his eyes. He said that the deposits are blocking most of Ryoma's visual receptors, making his blind to all others aside from light and darkness."

"The viability of the procedure will last only for 5 months. The blood deposits will soon form clots and we can never undo the damage. If we can only convince that boy, Dr. Yoshizawa will immediately do the procedure."

Fuji looked at the man intently. "So you mean the only person who could convince him is…"

"Is you." Nanjiroh met his gaze equally. Fuji could see the tears welling up in the man's eyes. "I just want to give him another chance in life, Fuji-kun. He's got his future laid out before him and it kills me to think that he will never be able to taste it just because—"

"Because I ruined his life." Fuji finished for the man. Nanjiroh was slightly taken aback. He buried his face in his hands.

"I-I can perfectly understand you, Echizen-san." Fuji took a deep breath. "I'll see what I can do. If it's the only ay Ryoma would be able to see again, I do everything that I can."

Fuji gripped his pencil tight. 'For Ryoma.' He glanced back at his classmates who were enjoying the class. 'If I'm able to give him back his life, I will be content in standing in the sidelines, watching and loving him from afar.'

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Saturday came and Fuji went out to visit Ryoma again. What he didn't expect was a roomful of their friends. By the looks of it, his mission was destined to go down the drain. Voices of Tezuka, Oishi, Inui, Momo, Atobe and Yukimura warned him of doom.

He took a deep breath and grasped the door knob. 'Let's just hope that Eiji is not here.' Gently, he twisted the knob and pushed the door open.

The first thing which greeted him was…

"Nya you've become so pretty O'chicbi!!!"

'Damn in hell!'

The room fell deathly quiet. All eyes, blind or not, fell on him. Ryoma's face lit up a little.

"Fuyuki, is that you?" He stood up and walked towards the door…towards Fuji.

"Fuyuki?" Eiji gaped at the pale tensai. His mouth moved to utter another word but a hand quickly clamped it. Eiji looked up, only to see Tezuka glaring down at him. that glare almost took ten years off Eiji's life. The rest got his message and decided to shut up.

Ryoma got to Fuji and held out his hands. "You said you were going to visit last Monday. I waited." The plastic bag of fruits that Fuji brought bumped against his leg. "What's this?" He groped for the bag.

Fuji finally found his voice back and muttered. "I have some emergency errands to do. Sorry. " He glanced back to his friends, his eyes pleading them to go along.

Atobe scoffed. "Fuyuki-kun is it?" Fuji winced under Atobe's icy glare. "How did you two meet?"

Ryoma dragged the tensai inside. "Fuyuki was visiting the facility the same day you came here for your social services something." He flopped back on his bed, still holding the bag of fruits. He reached in and took one orange. "Hmmm…smells so good."

Atobe got off from his position near the window and sat beside Momo. "Oh really?" He kept his intimidating gaze on the tensai.

Ryoma sat up. "Do you now each other?" Then he shook his head. "Nah you don't." He then turned to Fuji. "I forgot to introduce you. Senpai-tachi, this is Iida Fuyuki. Fuyuki, these are my senpai-tachi."

Fuji bit his lip. "N-nice to meet you." Tezuka and the others grumbled back.

'Hmm…something's not right.' Ryoma could sense the tension in the air. He reached out and groped for Fuji's hands, surprised that they felt cold to his touch.

"Ne Fuyuki, are you ok?" Ryoma asked worriedly, seeking out Fuji's shadow. "You feel cold."

Yukimura held his breath as Fuji struggled to reply. 'He must've had some big reasons behind this play.' His tawny eyes blinked in determination.

"Ne Echizen-kun, your friend must be tired from traveling." He said. Fuji gaped at him and he returned it with a wink, much to Atobe's silent protest. "Saa do you guys want to play some tennis?" He scanned their faces and noticed their crest-fallen looks.

"Yukimura, you know very well that Echizen can't—" Ryoma's hand darted up to interrupt Tezuka.

"It's ok buchou." Ryoma said. "I'm trying to play tennis again. I'll be very grateful if you could help me train."

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Fuji found himself releasing a long-held breath as they walked towards the tennis courts. He remained by Ryoma's side while the rest walked ahead.

"Fuyuki."

Fuji glanced at the prodigy. "Yes Ryoma?"

The boy gave him a small smile. "At first I thought I wouldn't be able to face them, especially Tezuka. After a year of shunning myself out of their lives, I didn't know how to relate to them. But the moment that they started speaking, I realized just how much I miss their voices."

Fuji couldn't help but smile as well. "I'm glad you're starting to rebuild ties again."

Ryoma sighed. "I was surprised when Tezuka-buchou told me that Sanada is his new lover. I couldn't help but wonder what happened to Fu—"

"Hurry up brat!!!" Atobe's voice shattered into their conversation.

"Hold your horses, Monkey king!" Ryoma yelled back. "Oh well, let's go."

"You go ahead. I'm just right behind you." Fuji tried to calm the rapid beating of his heart. From the first time since they started spending time together, Ryoma had asked, tried to ask, about him.

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Ryoma stood before an automatic ball shooter. The three former buchou's: Yukimura, Tezuka and Atobe were the ones guiding the prodigy inside the courts. Fuji and the others were standing and watching by the sidelines.

"It's amazing how he's able to return the shots right?" Oishi asked out.

Inui's glasses flashed. "His reflexes are still good and he's not completely blind. He also uses his hearing to compensate for his lost eyesight."

Fuji felt a tug on his sleeves.

"Fuji."

Fuji glanced to his side, gazing at the redhead. "Yes Eiji?" He whispered back.

"Why are you pretending to be someone else?" The redhead asked, worry etched on his face.

Fuji gave him a sad smile. "I can't exactly explain why."

The redhead pouted and clung to Oishi. He leaned in and whispered to his partner. "Oishi, Fuji's being too manipulative."

The mother hen gave Fuji a knowing glance before meeting Eiji's confused gaze. "It's ok Eiji. Fuji knows what he is doing."

"Ok Echizen, we have loaded 10 balls and it will be shot at 10 km per second." Yukimura said before stepping away from the boy.

"Easy now Echizen." Atobe placed a hand on his shoulders. "We don't want you to rush into things."

Ryoma shrugged his hand off. "I'm fine Monkey king. No need to fuss."

Fuji's eyes narrowed at the scene before him. 'I know Atobe's mad at me, but I think he's taking things to a higher level.' He averted his gaze, knowing that he's not in the position to do anything about it.

"Ok Echizen. Let's start." Tezuka and Atobe backed away to give Ryoma the space he needed.

Ryoma gripped his racket firmly. He closed his eyes and tried to listen to his surrounding. 'You can do this Ryoma. You can.' His lips pursed when he heard the machine clicked to lock on.

"I'm ready." He stated jest before the first ball was fired.

They watched in amazement as Ryoma returned ball after ball.

"Wow." They marveled at the prodigy just as he returned the ninth ball. Then everything stopped.

Ryoma wiped away the sweat from his face and smirk. "Che! Still mada mada."

"Good job O'chibi!" Momo and Eiji cried. All of them, aside from Fuji, were rejoicing with the prodigy.

Fuji's attention shifted to the ball shooter. 'Yukimura said ten. I only counted nine balls.' He walked towards it to check but he saw the last ball got jammed and was slowly moving through the snout of the gun. He gazed back at Ryoma who was at the center of the court, being congratulated by his senpai-tachi.

Right on target.

"N-no." He stammered. He ran towards the machine to shut it off but he's a second too late.

"Hey Fuyuki! Where the hell—"

The brunette didn't think twice and stepped in front of the ball's path.

Fuji bit his lip hard when the ball bounced against his back in a dull thud. It hurt a lot more than it should since he met the ball after it gained the needed acceleration.

"Fuyuki!"

Fuji smiled wistfully as the pain intensified. 'I would give up everything now, hearing that voice over and over again.'

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Always trusts

"You really are an idiot, Fuyuki."

Fuji stirred at the sound of Ryoma's clipped tone. 'How come everything feel so soft?' He turned to his side and gently opened his eyes. As soon as his sight cleared up, Ryoma's worried face came upon him.

"Ryoma?"

Ryoma sighed and gently hit him on the head. "Idiot! What were you thinking, blocking the ball like that? Your spine could've been injured."

Fuji gently sat up, wincing when pain attacked him again. "What happened?"

Ryoma huffed. "You blacked out from pain after you blocked the shot for me. Seriously, you made me worry." He crossed his arms on his chest.

Fuji couldn't help but feel giddy at the obvious concern. "Really?" He looked around and realized that the room seemed a little deserted. "Where are your friends?"

"Oh I threw them outside for a while." Ryoma reached out for an orange and started peeling in earnest. "Kikumaru-senpai's being too noisy and the rest grew restless as well."

"I see." Fuji turned to the prodigy once more. "I'm sorry for worrying you so much."

Ryoma shook his head and threw the peeled orange to him. "It was nothing. Now that we're on it, I seemed to have sensed something might go wrong earlier."

Fuji's brow cocked up. "Then why didn't you say something?"

Ryoma shrugged. "I don't know. A part of me said that everything will be ok."

Fuji shook his head. "And why would that be? If I hadn't blocked the ball, it could've hit you."

Ryoma stood up and went for the door. "It's not that." He took a deep breath. "Part of me said that I should not worry because I know you will be there to keep me safe."

Fuji stared dumbfounded at the door. He was sure he caught what Ryoma said but he's having a hard time believing it.

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Ryoma couldn't understand how he feels. Being close to Fuyuki, spending time with him reminded him immensely of Fuji. Despite the utter difference between their personalities, he could help but have Fuji's image wrap with his representation of Fuyuki.

"Echizen."

Ryoma halted. "Buchou…"

Tezuka caught up with the boy. "Where are you going?"

Ryoma pocketed his hands and sighed. "Just out. I need some serious thinking to do."

Tezuka gently ruffled the boy's hair. "You need some company?"

Ryoma looked up and sought out the older boy's shadow. "S-sure."

The walked towards "his" bench was long and excruciatingly silent. At first Ryoma felt awkward, envisioning that a talk with his ex-boyfriend's ex boyfriend will be very weird but the longer they walked in silence, he soon found ease at the other's presence.

"Is something bothering you Echizen?" Tezuka asked the moment that they sat down. He waited for a few seconds for the prodigy to reply. "Is it about Iida-kun?"

Ryoma sighed. "DO you know I'm secretly hoping that Fuyuki is Syusuke? From the very first time I met him, his voice, his scent reminded me achingly of Syusuke."

Tezuka was slightly taken aback. "Oh really?" That was the only response he could think of right now.

"Shocking isn't it?" Ryoma smirked, misinterpreting Tezuka's lack of verbal comeback. "You must think I'm very much delusional and desperate for thinking of such."

Tezuka immediately recovered from his blunder. "It's not that. I can see light in your situation Echizen."

Ryoma covered his eyes with his hands. He tried to even out his breathing, which he didn't even realize he's been holding back.

Tezuka gave the boy a sympathetic look. "Tell me how you really feel about Iida-kun."

Ryoma sighed. "It felt like I've known him for a long time and I can't help but feel at ease with his presence." He brought his knees up and hugged them to his chest. "And I have noticed, as the days go by, that I'm starting to entrust myself to him."

"Is that such a bad thing, Echizen?" Tezuka asked again.

"Yes it is!" Ryoma cried in frustration. "I can't fall in love with him! I have buried my heart long ago so that it'll only belong to Syusuke." He buried his face in his arms, a bit surprised when tears finally came. "I-I can't let myself be drawn to another just because I imagined him to be the one I truly love."

Tezuka felt his heart tightened at the sight of the distressed boy. He couldn't help but reach out and tug the prodigy to lean against him.

"It's ok Echizen. You will be able to sort out your feelings soon. You might be just overwhelmed by the affinity you and Fuyuki had created at the time when you needed someone to be with you."

He looked away and frowned. 'I just hope the idiot back in your room will be able to snap out of it and come out of hiding soon.'

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Atobe sighed as he listened to the muffled sobs of the prodigy.

'This is so unexpected.' He told himself. He cast one last look at the pair before leaving. 'Syusuke's such an idiot when it comes to who his heart really calls for.'

"I always knew both will end up hurting." A bittersweet smile crept up his lips. "Love is such a fickle thing."

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Always hopes

Fuji frowned at the slightly animosity Ryoma has towards him when the boy returned a few hours later.

"Ryoma, about what happened earlier—"

"It's ok Fuyuki." Ryoma almost snapped at him. "Forgive me for saying such things. I didn't mean to."

"Oh…ok." Disappointment coursed through his veins.

"Oh yeah, my brother will be here any moment. He might—" Ryoma went straight to his closet and started rummaging his clothes.

Fuji gave himself a sad shake before standing up and gathering his things. "I understand. I better go now."

Ryoma ceased from destroying his closet. "Oh ok." He bit his lip. " Thanks again."

Fuji silently went for the door. "Your welcome." He was about to leave when, "Can I see you tomorrow?"

"No." Ryoma bit back his tongue at the not-so-kind reply. "I mean, my family will be visiting tomorrow."

Fuji fought back the tears that welled up his eyes. Whatever happened to him when he was out, it's making his chest hurt like hell. "Oh ok. So I guess I'll just try coming in sometime next week."

The sound of the door gently closing told Ryoma that Fuji already left. What he couldn't understand was where the hell did these tears come from and why was he sprawled out on the floor, sobbing his heart out on his neatly-piled clothes.

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Fuji ran across the hall, fighting down the emotions that threatened to burst out of his chest. People were gaping at him as he passed by, his frantic footsteps echoing behind him.

Once he got out, he slumped next to an empty bench and started sobbing his heart out. What occurred earlier gave him a tiny bit of idea how Ryoma must've felt when he walked into Tezuka and him that fateful night.

'It's hurts. It hurts so much!' He muffled his cries by hugging his knees to his chest and burying his head face in it.

It's been like minutes but his tears didn't seem to run out of stock. He felt someone sat beside and an arm which tugged him to lean against something solid. Without even looking up, he wound up arms around that person's waist and sobbed into his chest.

"K-Keigo." Fuji choked out. "It's so damn hard! I-it hurts a lot being close to him and yet not being able to hold him."

Atobe let out a deep sigh before gently hitting his head. "Who told you to pretend into someone you're not anyway?" He felt the anger inside his heart gently uncoiling and slowly fading. "Look what you've gotten yourself into."

Fuji cried even harder. "I don't know. I don't know what to do anymore…"

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Another week passed by and it left two hearts empty with longing. One was out looking for forgiveness and another chance while the other was yearning for a past love.

Another beautiful Saturday came and Fuji's outside the facility once more, feeling more nervous than he had been the first day he decided to visit the golden-eyed boy on his own.

"Ok Syusuke…you can do this. Just march up to him, apologize, tell him it's you all along and convince him to accept the surgery." He took a deep breath. "Yes, that is your game plan today."

He went in and started looking for the boy.

The sun gave the place a wonderful glow and yet Fuji willed himself to ignore it. He shouldn't be distracted in his mission.

He got arrived at Ryoma's bench, applauding his judgment, since Ryoma was indeed there sitting and contemplating once more.

He tried to take a step closer and his knees started to shake. "Oh god I can't do this." He groaned.

"Fuyuki?" The golden-eyed boy looked up to search for his shadow.

Fuji winced. Now he can't turn back and escape. "Hi there." He timidly walked towards the boy, buying him some time.

Ryoma felt his pulse raced. He scooted to the side to give the other boy some room. Fuji hesitantly took his seat and let silence lapse into seconds, to minutes.

"I'm sorry." They both muttered in unison.

Ryoma sighed. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you last time. I wasn't thinking right."

Fuji did the same thing. "I'm sorry too. I've been plaguing you for two weeks now. I didn't mean to intrude in your life—"

"You didn't intrude." Ryoma quickly cut him off. Fuji gaped at the boy. "Your arrival actually gave me a wake up call. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't realize that there are a lot of people who cares for me."

"And they do Ryoma—"

"Let me finish first." Fuji clamped his mouth shut. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to but it happened. I'm sorry if I used you."

Blue eyes blinked in shock. "Used me?"

Ryoma sighed again. "I told you before that you were like someone I knew and only my heart could tell who it is, right?" The pregnant silence urged him to go on. "That someone is no other than Fuji Syusuke of Seigaku. Throughout the year, I secretly wish and hope that one day he'll show up and I will be able to get out of this darkness. When we first met, I thought you were him and I realized my feelings for him resurfaced when we're together."

"You mean…" Fuji gaped at him.

"I imagined Syusuke in your stead. That is why I was able to become at ease with you. I find myself slowly falling into the illusion I made and I cannot do that, not to you, to myself and most of all to Syusuke."

Fuji's eyes were brimming with tears. "Are you telling the truth Ryoma?" He tried to control the shaking of his voice. The boy nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry."

"If-if…" He tried to find some logic in his thoughts. "If I pretend to be Syusuke, will you agree to the surgery?"

It was Ryoma's turned to gape at him. "What?! How did you—"

"Your father approached me. He said that you refused to undergo surgery because of Fuji." The brunette hastily wiped his tears away.

Ryoma shook his head. "I can't believe this." He was silent for a few seconds. "I'm sorry Fuyuki but I can't. I can't let you do that to yourself."

"But why?" Fuji asked out in frustration. "With this procedure you can see again. You can get back to the life you had before—" He paused.

"Not without Syusuke!" Ryoma snapped at him.

"I can bring him here. You two can talk things out—"

"And especially if he's just forced to do things he doesn't want to for my sake. I know you're concerned but I have made my choice." Ryoma clenched his fists tight until his knuckles turned white. "I cannot go back to my life before without my heart Fuyuki. Seeing colors and details again seem meaningless without him."

Fuji gritted his teeth. "Why are you like this?! Why are you so dedicated to the man who drove you to hell?!"

Ryoma took a couple of deep breaths before he replied, "Because that's how I love Fuyuki."

Time lapsed into a silent hum with the wind. Seconds…minutes passed and the air is so fragile that one faint sound will be able to break it.

"Ne Ryoma, is there any landmark you used on the spot where you buried your heart?" Fuji asked.

"A-ano…I can't remember." Ryoma was suddenly taken out of his reverie.

"Tell me, is there anything that you used to mark the place?" Fuji asked again.

"I-I remembered holding something shaped like a cross, a rock I think." Ryoma muttered. "Wait, why are you asking me this?"

Fuji couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and started for the violet fields.

"Fuyuki!" Ryoma stood up as well, sensing the boy's abrupt departure. "Where are you going?! Fuyuki!"

"Saa…I'm going to find your heart and return it to you Ryo-chan." With this, Fuji started to run towards the purple field.

Ryoma was frozen on the spot. 'That voice…that term of endearment…OH GOD!' And that's what it took to make the boy tumble behind the brunette.

"S-Syusuke!!!"

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Always perseveres

Fuji ran all the way to the vast field carpeted with violets. He dropped to his knees and started groping on the earth for anything cross-shaped. He frantically crawled across the field, not caring if rocks cut his skin.

"Where is it?! Damn it where is it!?" He mumbled through the tears as he continued grasping the soil.

Minutes passed by and it seemed that his efforts were futile. 'I have to find it!' He mentally cried. He hastily brushed his tears away with his arm and continued his search. He came to the middle of the field and felt something long and hard under his palms. He furiously pulled at the plants and weeds until he came upon a white, cross-shaped stone embedded on the soil.

"Aha!"

Ryoma came stumbling into the fields a few seconds late with tears in his eyes. Fuji didn't hear him calling out his name for he was busy digging up.

"Syusuke please! Where are you?!" Ryoma cried and scanned the black and white scenery before him, desperately trying to locate Fuji's shadow.

"Syusuke!!!!" Pain gripped Ryoma's heart. He's been there all along and yet he failed to recognize.

"Syusuke please stop it!"

Fuji became deaf to Ryoma's cries. He was busy digging up the soil for Ryoma's memories. He grabbed a pointed stone and continued attacking the harmless soil until he heard a distinct sound of metal.

"I've found it!" Fuji announced. He unearthed a black box. "Ryoma I found it!"

Ryoma caught sight of a shadow standing in the middle of the fields. "Syusuke stop it!!! That's useless! My heart's right here! Please Syusuke, it's dangerous out there! Grass snakes are everywhere please!!!" He felt his way towards the boy.

Fuji smiled triumphantly as he gently opened the box, not expecting the pair of black beaded snake eyes that stared back at him.

"Syusuke!!!!!"

Fuji's heart jumped at the voice. He turned around, only to see Ryoma blindly treading the edge of the purple field.

It was the last thing that he saw before his vision started to swirl…swirl into a pool of darkness.

"Ryoma…I f-found your heart." He was able to call out before he fell on the violet carpet, motionless with a bright green coil slowly slithering away from him.

Ryoma stopped dead on his tracks when he saw Fuji's shadow slowly falling on the ground. A vice-like grip latched on his heart as he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"SYUSUKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

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A/N: WAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Such a trauma doing this story!!! I'm mentally and emotional scarred for thinking up a good flow for this. Huhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu…

So sad…I'm so sad for them.

PLEASE MAKE ME HAPPY AND REVIEW!!!!!!