Warning/s: Naughty things happen. Nothing too graphic, but it's enough to make your grandmother blush. You've been warned.
Disclaimer: I still don't own the characters. Everyone is over 18. I also don't own Facebook. (But I do own Shining Stars! :D ...Sort of.)
A/N: Most of the things I want to say about this are at the end of this chapter. It's a lengthy author's note and I didn't want y'all to have to scroll through all that. XD
All I can really say is that I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this up. There were lots of personal issues. Life interfered. Fun stuff: I actually had this done and ready to go on Thursday. Then hurricane Irene hit and destroyed all my plans (as well as the back of my neighborhood). My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you who were affected!
(Also, I've come to realize that "strip malls" are pretty much exclusive to Canada and USA. If you don't know what one is, it's basically a long strip of connected stores where each one only has a sidewalk entrance. If you're still confused, Google is your friend. C: )
Chapter five: Of resolutions and implications
When Tezuka woke, there was an unfamiliar form pressed to his front. Lightly colored hair smelling faintly of pears tickled his nose. An arm that he hadn't noticed until now wrapped tighter around him. A face buried into his chest. He pulled the body to him without thinking. His mind hadn't quite woken up yet; the sun was still a faint thought on the horizon.
A pleased noise brought his attention back to the form snuggled against him. "Nn…Tezuka?"
With a jolt, everything from last night came flooding into Tezuka's mind. Fuji's warmth, his noises, their combined pleasure; everything that happened after Fuji returned to their room came to the front of Tezuka's memory. Images and scenes flashed through his mind. Closing his eyes didn't help; it only made them clearer. Instead, he turned his focus to the still-dark ceiling.
"I'm awake." He could feel Fuji's chest moving with each breath. He could feel the life emanating from the body next to him, and he was in awe of it. Normally, he would have scolded himself for thinking such silly things, but this morning, Fuji simply existing seemed amazing. That they could be alive together was a thing to be awed.
"Is it morning?" Fuji's voice didn't sound as muffled now; he'd tilted his face up and away from Tezuka's chest.
"Probably, yes." Tezuka really wasn't sure what time it was, but it was dark and he'd woken on his own. There was a good chance that it was around dawn.
"I see. Do you think we should get up, then?" Fuji made no attempt to move.
Tezuka thought for a moment. "No. Not yet."
"Oh? You'd be breaking from your routine. Are you okay with that?" Fuji teased.
"Fuji, you've been determined to break me from my routine since we entered this university."
"I won't deny that."
Tezuka could hear the laughter in Fuji's voice and sighed. They really should get ready for the day; they both had classes later. Still, Fuji was quite comfortable to hold this way and something was bothering Tezuka greatly.
"You seduced me last night." It was meant as the accusation it sounded like.
"Yes," Fuji agreed easily. He didn't elaborate.
"Why?" He shifted himself so that he could see the barely-discernible form of Fuji's head. He wasn't sure why he bothered; he couldn't see Fuji's face. He supposed it was more instinct than anything. One always tried to look at the person they were talking to.
He felt more than heard Fuji's sigh. "We needed it. Both of us were stressed."
"It was stress relief, then?" Tezuka really did not want to have this discussion, but he also didn't want to read more into it than it was. He was confused about their current relationship. Fuji had admitted that he thought of Tezuka as something more than a friend and, although it had taken him a few years longer than it should have, Tezuka realized lately that he thought the same of Fuji. Tezuka would gladly let Fuji fill that role in his life, but he wasn't sure if Fuji wanted that sort of commitment.
"Yes and no. It was sex to relieve stress between two people who share a mutual attraction." Fuji paused a second before asking, "Right?"
"I am attracted to you, if that's what you're asking. We discussed this."
"Yes, you're right." A pair of warm lips pressed against his throat with a sense of finality. Tezuka couldn't help but stiffen.
"Fuji, we shouldn't…," he warned without much conviction.
"Shouldn't what?" A hand to his shoulder and a leg over his hip forced him flat on the mattress with Fuji on top. Fuji's knees straddled the area just above his hips. He could feel the other man's breath against his lips.
"We shouldn't…." Tezuka couldn't get much more out than that. His thoughts were already a jumble. Just the memory of last night and the anticipation of being inside Fuji again stirred things low in his body.
"Why not?" Fuji's voice was a low whisper. Something warm and wet licked along his lower lip and Tezuka was undone. He could not think of a logical reason for why this was a bad idea. In fact, this seemed like the most sensible thing in the world right now.
"I don't…," he started, but couldn't finish. "Please?" was what came out instead.
Fuji's lips closed the few centimeters that separated them.
A low noise left Tezuka's throat as his lips worked against the other man's. The pressure of Fuji's lips on his own combined with the weight of Fuji's body on his was a surprisingly comforting thing. He felt like he could stay this way forever; his lips locked with the gentle, pink ones of his…lover? He again questioned himself.
A pushy tongue swept across his lips and brought him out of his thoughts. He gladly opened his mouth to allow it entrance. His own tongue mingled with Fuji's. The bare skin of Fuji's chest created friction with his and, for the first time that morning, he was fully aware of the fact that they were both still nude.
A swollen warmth rubbed against his belly, causing Fuji to let out the most delicious sound Tezuka had heard yet. He felt his cheeks flushing, but didn't care. Fuji was on top of him, kissing him. Fuji wanted him. That was all that mattered right now.
He sucked Fuji's tongue into his mouth on impulse, and got a low sound as reward. Fuji pulled back to groan his name against his lips. "Tezuka..."
He pulled Fuji back down with a hand on those soft locks. His fingers tangled themselves in fine sandy hair while his other hand traveled down Fuji's back. He marveled at the smoothness of the other man's skin.
The hand holding Fuji's head in place soon joined the other in exploring his body. They hadn't gotten much of a chance to do this the night before. In fact, this was the first time they had kissed like this. Tezuka mused that it was slightly ridiculous considering they'd had sex.
Long fingers wrapped around the tennis-toned thighs that pinned his midsection to the mattress. Slowly, they moved upward, then around to grip Fuji's full bottom. Fuji broke their kiss, then, and rested his head on Tezuka's chest. His panting was loud to Tezuka's ears.
Soft lips kissed along his throat and up toward his jaw. His talented tongue darted out to lick a line to Tezuka's ear. "I'm seducing you again," he whispered in an utterly naughty tone.
Tezuka nodded. He didn't trust his voice at this point. Instead, a finger moved to tease Fuji's entrance.
"Are you okay with that?" he teased.
Tezuka turned his head and captured Fuji's lips in response. A light chuckle was all the evidence he got to show that Fuji understood.
"I want you again," he admitted. There was not a single ounce of embarrassment in his voice and a small part of his mind was proud of that fact. Mostly, however, he was focused on what Fuji's hand was suddenly doing between his legs.
"Then take me."
xOx
A loud sound on the door woke Tezuka. He and Fuji had promptly fallen back to sleep after they had... Tezuka's face warmed, remembering. He hadn't thought half of those things were physically possible.
He groped around on the headboard for his watch. His eyes blinked sleepily as they read the numbers. "Ah. 7:30."
The watch fell from his hand with a loud clunk. He reached for the blanket and pulled it up to his chin. His left arm reached for the warm body beside him automatically. Pale fingers wrapped around the hip of his...lover? Yes, he decided finally. Relationship or not, Fuji was his lover. Tezuka would just have to accept that.
Just as they snuggled into each other, a rapid pounding on their door reminded Tezuka why he had woken in the first place. He let out a soft sigh and gently untangled himself from both Fuji's limbs and the bedclothes. He wondered briefly if Fuji was still asleep or if he was just pretending. His bet was on the latter.
He climbed the small distance to the floor and grabbed his pants from the previous day. His nose wrinkled in disgust at the thought, but the urgent knock told him he had no time to grab a clean pair. 'Besides,' he reasoned with himself, 'what point is there in putting clean clothes on a dirty body?'
He didn't bother with a shirt. In an uncharacteristic moment of spitefulness, he thought that whoever had woken him could simply deal with his bare chest.
Glancing back to confirm that Fuji was still covered by the blanket and sheets, he opened the door to reveal two of the least expected people possible: Kirihara Akaya and Yukimura Seiichi.
"Good morning, Tezuka. That's an interesting choice of clothing for classes," Yukimura greeted with a smile. Yukimura Seiichi was one of those people who could openly mock others and get away with it because of his smile. It always sickened Tezuka a little.
"Good morning."
Tezuka waited for the other to state the reason for his visit. It was just a bit after sunrise. There was no good reason why they should be here this early. He had no reason to distrust either of them, really. In fact, he had every reason to trust them. It was more that it was an odd time for a friendly visit. Something about it didn't sit all that well with Tezuka, but that could have been the way he was woken. Or what he had been interrupted doing.
Yukimura didn't wait for an invitation; he walked right into their dorm room and instructed Kirihara to close it behind them. Tezuka frowned slightly at this rudeness. However, it wasn't until Yukimura's sharp eyes took in two sets of discarded clothes on the floor, Tezuka's current state of undress and Fuji's bare shoulder peeking out from under the blanket did he curse himself for not denying him entrance.
For the sake of Tezuka's sanity, it was lucky that Yukimura did nothing but raise an eyebrow. Unfortunately, Kirihara was not one to pick up on social cues and did say something.
"Wait. Did you and Fuji have sex?" The appalled tone in his voice was not unlike that of a child's when they found out Santa wasn't real. "There's even a condom in the trash! You guys did have sex! I ca—"
"Akaya." With just his name, Yukimura managed to stop the babbling boy in his tracks.
"Sorry." Tezuka always admired the control that Yukimura had over his team, but wondered what price it came at.
From the bed above, a light snicker could be heard. Tezuka pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. He knew Fuji had been awake. Of course he was going to have to deal with this alone.
"What brings you two here?" He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for an answer.
"Is Syuu-kun awake?" Yukimura asked instead of answering.
"No." Tezuka sighed. He hated lying, but really didn't have a good feeling about this.
"It's okay, Tezuka." Fuji sat up and let the covers fall to his lap. "You don't have to lie for me."
His face was full of his usual smile. "What is it, Yukimura? And, Kirihara, you've seen me in less. Please stop staring."
"We've arranged a meeting with Sakaki. We're heading down there now. We'd like you to come with, so you can tell your side of things."
"Oh. Is that so?" Fuji's blue eyes flashed before closing in his usual smile. "I'd better get dressed then. Would you two mind waiting outside?"
"Not at all," Yukimura smiled back. "Let's go, Akaya."
Kirihara's response was to open the door for his captain.
As soon as they left the room, Tezuka turned to Fuji. He didn't want Fuji to go. Something about this wasn't right. He didn't like that Yukimura showed up instead of calling first. He didn't like that Fuji's eyes flashed instead of agreeing easily. He didn't like Yukimura's smile and Kirihara's compliance. He didn't like any of it.
He opened his mouth to protest when Fuji cut him off. "You don't have to say it, Tezuka. We don't have any reason to distrust them."
He pushed the blankets off and climbed to the floor. He then walked, nude, to his wardrobe area and pulled out an outfit. He dressed with his back to Tezuka as he spoke. "I'll have my phone with me. Don't worry, okay?"
Tezuka wasn't sure of what to do when Fuji turned to face him. Surely, he should hug him or wish him well. Shouldn't he? He made no motion to move, however. Instead, he chose the latter.
"Don't be careless, Fuji." As close as he'd get, anyway.
"Of course not."
xOx
It had been exactly two hours, five minutes, and 50 seconds since Fuji left; and 16 minutes since he'd last texted Fuji. Not that Tezuka was keeping track or anything.
He rubbed at his temples. He was getting a headache from all this nonsense. Fuji still hadn't texted him back and he was getting worried.
Scrolling through his contacts, he hit the 'call' button on his phone and waited. What if something had happened to him? Between last night's phone call and today's arrival of these two, something wasn't right.
A noise brought him out of his thoughts. It was far away, but clearly recognizable. That was Fuji's ringtone. Was he on his way to the dorm? Confused, Tezuka got to his feet and walked the short distance to their door. He peeked out of the entrance, but saw no one either way. What he did see—a meter away on the floor of their hall—was Fuji's cell phone.
He retrieved the slim silver object and slid it into his pants pocket before going back into their room. He forced himself to take deep, calming breaths. He had to think clearly. Rushing in there unprepared was foolish—not to mention the fact that he had no idea of this place's location.
Walking the few steps to his wardrobe for some upper-body clothing, his thoughts were a blur. He had to know if Fuji was okay. That was his first priority. He would worry about anything else after he established that Fuji was, indeed, safe.
He slid an undershirt over his head and grabbed a button-down top, going over what he knew in his mind. Fuji was forced to work as a model so that Yuuta wouldn't have to do it. This company was slowly making his material "sexier," as Fuji put it. They'd been trying to get him to do pornography. He wasn't the only person they'd been blackmailing into working there. Last night, he called them and flatly refused to do anything other than modeling. Today, two of his coworkers showed up and took him to have a talk with a man named Sakaki.
Tezuka froze. Sakaki? He knew that name. In his hurry, he'd forgotten, but, if memory served him right, Sakaki used to coach the Hyotei tennis team. In that case, he should have some contact information around somewhere.
Fuji's phone felt heavy in his pocket, as if reminding him that it was there. He pulled out the slim model and flipped it open; ignoring the fact that he was invading Fuji's privacy for the sake of more important matters.
Never having owned a model like Fuji's, it took Tezuka a while to find the contact list, but quickly realized that there was nothing there that would help him anyway. He then went through Fuji's inbox. There was nothing there but a few unanswered texts to his younger brother, and a brief exchange between Fuji and Eiji.
Without a second thought, he pulled his own phone out and scrolled through his contacts until he found a name he hadn't seen in a while. The phone didn't ring long until it was answered.
"To what do I owe this pleasure, Tezuka?" A smooth voice asked.
"Atobe. Do you have Sakaki's number?"
The other male sighed. "Straight to business, ah?"
"Do you still have it?" Tezuka purposefully ignored Atobe's barb.
"I do," Atobe readily admitted, "but I'd like to know why you want it."
"Fuji's been kidnapped. I think Sakaki is involved in some way." It was an exaggeration. It certainly was a possibility, but it probably wasn't true. Tezuka had just needed to say something drastic enough to get Atobe to act.
The other end was silent for all of two minutes before a string of numbers was recited off. The line went dead just after. Tezuka quickly jotted down the number and dialed it.
"Speak," was the terse greeting.
"Sakaki, this is Tezuka Kunimitsu. Do you remember me?"
There was a short pause on the other line, then, "Yes. Why are you calling?"
Tezuka sighed. He did not want to have to explain this. "Do you know a company called Shining Stars?"
"Yes." His answer was like everything else about him: precise and to-the-point.
"Are you aware that they're blackmailing young college students into working for them, and forcing them to do pornography?"
There was a long, weighted silence on the other end. It felt like hours before Sakaki finally responded. "Since it's you, I'm guessing this isn't just a wild assumption. You have proof, yes?"
Tezuka thought for a while. Did he have solid proof that this has been happening? Other than Fuji's testimonial, he didn't have any concrete evidence. He was ready to sigh and tell the other man that, no, he couldn't actually prove anything when he remembered something.
"Yes. I have evidence of the blackmailing at least."
"Bring it by. I have a hard time believing that this has gone on without my noticing."
Tezuka winced a little at the blunt words, but nodded. It was fair. "Alright." He paused a moment, then added, "Yukimura and Kirihara took Fuji to see you earlier. He's been there for about two hours."
"I only had one appointment earlier and it wasn't with any of them," he offered. "Fuji hasn't been to see me today."
Tezuka stiffened at those words. Fuji hadn't been to see Sakaki? A gnawing feeling began deep in his gut. He really didn't believe that Yukimura would do something to him; not only was it not exactly in his character to do something distasteful, but he had no motivation to hurt Fuji. He wouldn't gain anything.
A name popped into Tezuka's head as he pondered this. "Do you have a man named Yuujirou there? He was the one who…'recruited' Fuji."
"He's not working today," he said immediately. Then, after a short pause, said, "He's the one?" He sighed. "Bring by the proof. I'll call security. Come within the hour. I won't wait for you."
The line went dead.
Tezuka immediately grabbed Fuji's phone and ran through his contact list until he happened upon Yuuta's name. He hit 'call' as he finished dressing himself and booted up his printer. It didn't take him long to retrieve the messages he'd exchanged with Yukimura over Facebook.
By some miracle, Yuuta picked up his "brother's" call.
"Yuuta, this is Tezuka." He rubbed at his forehead. Honestly. For things like these to happen in modern-day Japan…. "Do you still have the notes and picture the men from the modeling company used to blackmail you?"
He waited for confirmation and ignored the inquisitive remark that followed. "Bring them by. Your brother's in trouble and we need that evidence."
xOx
Fuji didn't cry for help. He didn't struggle. He didn't protest when his phone fell to the ground. He didn't curse Yukimura and Kirihara for betraying him. He did none of these things.
Fuji knew there had to be a good reason. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that as long as he co-operated, he wouldn't get hurt and they wouldn't be forced to hurt him.
He walked silently between the two to the car that waited for them. Yukimura had an arm around Fuji, rested on his opposite hip. Kirihara had his arm linked through one of Fuji's. A man opened the backseat and Kirihara slid in first. Yukimura gently pushed Fuji in next, and then quickly followed him. Fuji was sandwiched.
Yukimura leaned in close enough for Fuji to smell his aftershave and feel a ghosting of breath along his cheek. "I'm sorry, Syuu-kun. They promised us freedom. You understand, right?"
Fuji did, in fact, understand. If given a choice between quickly getting his brother out of this situation by putting someone he'd only worked with for a few months in harm's way, or staying in this situation for an uncountable amount of time before they could all be free, he would most certainly choose the first option. Still, it soured his stomach a bit.
"We left your cell phone on purpose, Syuu-kun. We don't want you to get hurt. I wouldn't want that on my conscience." His voice held a smile that his words shouldn't have.
Fuji nodded. "What a kind person you are, Yukimura!" His words and face held an expression that never quite reached his eyes.
If Yukimura noticed the jibe (and he probably did), he ignored it.
"We're going to see Yuujirou, but you probably guessed that, right?"
Fuji had figured as much, but he didn't answer. He saw Yukimura frown and sit up straight. He wondered what they had in store for him here. He wondered if he could talk his way out of it.
It wasn't long before they pulled up to the brick building with a deceptively cheerful sign. It may have been Fuji's mood, but he felt like the colorful thing was mocking him at that moment.
"We're here," Yukimura informed redundantly.
xOx
Yuuta had insisted on coming. Fuji was going to be angry, but Tezuka was in no place to argue; they'd wasted enough time as it was. He sat in the passenger's seat of Tezuka's car and tapped his foot impatiently. He was trying not to show how worried he was, probably. Mizuki stared blankly out of the window behind Yuuta. Yuuta's coming, Tezuka could understand. He was still trying to figure out why Mizuki was here.
He hit the button to roll down the window a little and hoped the fresh air would calm his nerves. He wasn't sure what to expect when they arrived. On the outside, he was calm and sure; but on the inside, he was a bundle of nerves with a ticking time bomb in the center.
He'd handed Yuuta a sheet of directions he'd printed off before they left and named him navigator for the trip. Together, they worked to reach the small strip mall where the studio was. He parked in the suspiciously empty lot near Shining Stars, and shuffled through the papers in his hands to make sure they had all their evidence before exiting and locking the car.
The entire strip mall was composed of brick with a dark green overhang. A white sign announcing the studio's name in bright pink, green, and blue hung over the entrance. A small waiting area with hard plastic chairs and a counter just beyond greeted them when they walked in. He approached the smiling woman behind the glass.
"My name is Tezuka Kunimitsu," he told her. "Sakaki is expecting me."
"Us," Yuuta corrected behind him.
He did not feel like arguing with Fuji's brother at that moment; he nodded tersely and accepted the words. "He's expecting us."
She looked surprised at these words and held up a finger in a "one moment, please" gesture. Tezuka turned to Yuuta while she made a call on the desk phone to confirm their "appointment."
"I can't convince you to stay here," he stated rather than asked.
Yuuta shook his head. "No, you can't. If aniki is back there somewhere, I need to do what I can to help."
"Even if you're in the way?"
Yuuta grit his teeth and clenched his fists in what seemed to be barely contained anger. "I won't be in the way." The words were spoken slowly, carefully, as if he were afraid he'd shout them otherwise.
Tezuka nodded. "Fine."
He'd really rather that Yuuta stayed in the waiting area with Mizuki, but there was nothing he could do to force him. His first-person testimony of what he went through would probably be useful, anyway. He just didn't want Fuji's younger sibling to get hurt in some way. He'd never forgive himself, nor would Fuji.
"Aniki did this so that I wouldn't have to. That could have been me back there. If I can help him…." He trailed off in his explanation and toed one of the chairs. He seemed to be occupying himself so that he didn't have to meet Tezuka's gaze.
Tezuka nodded, accepting this. He thought that it must be hard for Yuuta to deal with. He probably blamed himself.
A tall blond man with broad shoulders entered the room flanked by two security guards. He motioned for Tezuka to follow.
"Yuuta." Tezuka heard Mizuki get the other man's attention as he turned, evidence in hand.
The hallway they walked down was too white. The shiny paint reflected the too-bright lighting like snow reflects the sun in the winter. The dark green carpeting did something to dull the effect a bit, at least. Tezuka couldn't help but wonder what this place was before it was a modeling agency.
He also wondered what Sakaki was doing working in such a tacky place.
"This is my office." They'd stopped in front of a doorless room towards the end of the long hallway. Further down, the hallway opened up into a large space.
Sakaki led the three men in and motioned to a pair of chairs on the side of the desk (one of only six pieces of furniture in the room, the chairs being three of those) closest to them, and took the large office chair on the other. Tezuka declined the offer with a slight motion of a hand. Instead, he glanced to Mizuki and Yuuta, noting that the security guards had followed them back as he did so.
"I assume you have the requested evidence?" Sakaki asked immediately after the other men were seated; Tezuka appreciated his 'to-the-point' approach toward life.
He nodded in lieu of a verbal answer and passed the printed conversation over. Yuuta placed his pages on the desk shortly after. Tezuka did not miss the blush that darkened his ears and back of his neck as the picture of himself and Mizuki fell from where it was hidden.
The room was quiet as the older man looked through all they had provided. Yuuta fidgeted endlessly while they waited for a response. It took Mizuki's steady hand on his shoulder to stop the aimless movements. A glance was shared between the two men and Tezuka had to look away from the scene. The intimacy in those simple things was too much for Tezuka. It reminded him of Fuji.
"I went to his office." Sakaki finally spoke after what seemed like hours of a tension-filled silence. It took Tezuka a moment to remember who he was talking about.
"Yuujirou's?" A nod spurred Tezuka to ask, "Was Fuji there?"
"He was," Sakaki confirmed. "Fuji claimed he was there of his own will-"
"He wasn't," Tezuka interjected before he could stop himself. He hated that his body did this when it came to Fuji. It was like he has absolutely no control over his actions when it came to Fuji. It annoyed him.
"Yes, Tezuka, I could figure that much for myself." His tone was sour and Tezuka flinched slightly at the reprimand.
"I apologize."
Sakaki waved off the words. "I appreciate that you brought all of this in." To the guards behind the three university students, he simply said, "Go retrieve Fuji."
Tezuka's heart sped up a bit. He was so relieved at the idea of seeing Fuji safe and sound that he almost forgot to ask about the ones that brought Fuji in. "Were Yukimura and Kirihara with Fuji?"
"They have work to do today. Did you want charges pressed against those involved in this incident?"
"That's for Fuji to decide," Tezuka replied. Though if it were up to him, he probably would.
"What's for me to decide?" A quiet voice asked from behind him.
Tezuka turned to see his friend-turned-lover. Wave after wave of relief crashed over him. Fuji was safe. He didn't even look shaken up.
"Fuji." The name wasn't much more than a whisper. He surprised himself with the amount of raw emotion he heard in his own voice. He didn't realize how worried he'd been; he'd never had anyone to worry over like this before.
Fuji answered him with his usual brilliant smile—was it just Tezuka, or did it seem brighter than usual? "Tezuka."
Hazel eyes took note of Yuuta looking back and forth between Tezuka and Fuji with a frown, but Tezuka didn't bother explaining. Their relationship at this point was far too complicated to put into words.
"Aniki!" Yuuta jumped up from his seat before coughing into his hand and casually leaning against the chair he'd risen from. He seemed to be extremely embarrassed. "I uh…. It's good that you're safe." His words were slow and careful, as if he'd taken a long time in choosing them.
Fuji smiled at his younger brother. "Yes. I'm fine."
"I hate to interrupt this…reunion," Sakaki said, drawing everyone's attention, "but we need an answer. Do you wish to press charges against your blackmailer and would-be captors?"
Surprising exactly three people in the room, Fuji answered, "No."
Tezuka simply nodded before eyeing Yuuta's agape mouth, Mizuki's raised brow, and Sakaki's poised lips. It's what he expected of Fuji. He wasn't the sort to want revenge this way and usually not at all if the victim were himself.
"Are you sure?" Sakaki asked with a very slight tone of uncertainty in his voice.
"Yes. All that I ask is that you monitor his activities more closely."
"Aniki," Yuuta finally spoke. "You don't even want him fired?"
"If he's here, Sakaki can keep an eye on him. The staff will probably be made aware of his crimes," he explained. "If he's elsewhere, no one will be available to supervise him. He'll be free to do as he wishes."
Yuuta nodded. "I…I see. That makes sense."
"In that case," Sakaki started, "you're all free to leave. I will confront Yuujirou on the matter and see if anyone else has been forced to work here against their will."
"Yes, thank you," Fuji responded from where he still stood in the doorway of the small office.
"These," Sakaki held up the evidence that Tezuka, Yuuta, and Mizuki had brought in, "will be kept by me, on record."
Tezuka nodded in response. Yuuta looked uneasy about the matter, but eventually nodded as well. Mizuki was the only one to respond verbally with a, "Yes, of course."
He slowly stood and glanced at Tezuka. "Shall we go, then?"
Tezuka nodded. To Sakaki, he said, "If anything comes up…."
"I'll call," he replied dismissively.
Tezuka nodded and thanked the other man, then turned to leave. From behind him, he heard the dark-haired man say, "Yuuta-kun. Let's get going."
It was followed closely by a, "Right. Yeah."
He did not miss the way Fuji's smile faded slightly around the edges after this exchange. The other man quickly turned from the room and made a left, heading down the hall toward the entrance. Tezuka followed him soon after.
An awkward silence stretched between them as they walked, Tezuka's long legs quickly catching up to walk by Fuji's side. Tezuka wasn't sure of what to say. He could only imagine what was going through Fuji's mind right now.
"Did they hurt you?" he finally settled on.
"No." Fuji's response was quiet.
In that moment, Tezuka wanted nothing more than to hold him. It felt like it had been days since he'd last seen him. Some small part of him expected Fuji to be starved thin, worn around the edges. He was grateful that it had only been a couple of hours.
"I was worried."
"About?" a soft voice asked as they walked.
Hazel eyes stole a glance toward the other man, but closed ones were directed towards the floor. He averted his own gaze to watch his feet advance toward the entrance of the place. "You."
Unsure why, he walked a little closer to the other man. His shoulder was just centimeters from Fuji's. Long, pale fingers gently brushed over a soft palm. It didn't take long for another set of fingers to interlace with his. This made the corners of his mouth gently quirk up in a smile.
He was always amazed at the reactions Fuji got out of him. Try as he might to hide his feelings, try as he might to deny them, try as he might to be a traditional Japanese man, Fuji did his very best to knock down every wall Tezuka worked hard to build up.
And he succeeded admirably.
Epilogue
As it turned out, Yuujirou had coerced a good number of men to work for Shining Stars. When given the decision to stay under better conditions or leaving, they all took the latter. The company had been reduced to a very small pool.
Sakaki, being the good businessman that he was, refocused the type of material he offered to appeal to a different demographic with immensely successful results. Young, fit, male athletes modeling would cause an interest in sports in young women, he reasoned. He was correct.
Fuji, Yukimura, and Kirihara all decided to stay with the improved company. Yuujirou had mysteriously disappeared a few days after he'd been found out.
xOx
After the resolution, there were no words exchanged between them. They drove back to the dorms without incident. Yuuta and Mizuki bid them good-bye, and the younger of the two promised to call his older brother sometime. Fuji made a passing comment about a social obligation after they left and didn't return until Tezuka was already asleep. When Tezuka woke the next morning, Fuji was already gone.
It was two weeks before he really saw Fuji again. He could feel mid-terms creeping up and was spending the majority of his free time in the library huddled over his textbooks, or in study groups. His schedule was entirely too busy. By the time he had the chance to talk to the other man, it seemed too awkward to do so. The time and moments had passed, it seemed.
It was an enormous surprise to him when, while returning a book to an aisle in the musty old library, he spotted a familiar form leaning against the shelves.
Eyes opened to reveal the icy blue gaze that always managed to take his breath away. "And here, we meet again."
It was just over two weeks ago that Fuji had sat down just over there and confided in him. It was just over two weeks ago that they had kissed, cuddled and…done more intimate things. It seemed like years and yet, it also seemed like just this morning. It seemed like it was too long ago and not long enough at the same time.
He nodded his agreement, a light pink color darkening his skin when he remembered all the things that had transpired between the two of them. "Yeah."
He took a step towards his friend-turned-lover-turned-friend-again. "Fuji, I—"
Fuji closed the short distance between them and silenced his words with a kiss. "I know, Tezuka." He laid his forehead on Tezuka's chest. He was short enough that the taller of the two could rest his chin on Fuji's head if he wanted. "But, Tezuka?"
"Hm?"
"I don't tolerate straying." He lifted his head to meet Tezuka's gaze. "I won't forgive you if I catch you with another."
He could have laughed at this. He would have. But he was Tezuka Kunimitsu. Laughter was not in his nature.
Instead, he answered Fuji's unasked question (or demand, really) with a brushing of his lips over the other's. "Of course not."
A/N: And that's it! Phew! So ends the first multi-chaptered fic I actually bothered to complete. Let's hope this is the start of a new trend! :D
I couldn't have done it alone, however. Here be the dedications:
A HUGE hug and some delicious cookies to: XTheTricksterX, WhimsicalShmoo, AnmokunoShounin, ChitoseSenri, and MoonLuna2009 for being amazing, reviewing when they can, and listening to my lengthy rambles about characters. Thank y'all for being good friends. :)
A scoop of ice cream for all my other wonderful readers who didn't yell at me for not updating (and who actually stuck it out until the end).
And a gigantic chocolate cake for my muse, Noah. I…really don't know where I'd be without you, darling. I'd be short on ideas, I would. You may not have an account here (ya lazy bastard), but I'll thank you anyway. This story was Noah's request, so thank the crazy person who has the gall to talk to me on a daily basis. Love you, boo! :D
I could not have finished this story without all of the support. I'm sad that it's over, but I've met some amazing people along the way. I LOVE YOU ALL!
Hugs and smooches,
Sockheadx
P.S. There's a poll on my page about which pairing I should write next. Take it for me? :)