I'm sorry this chapter took so long! I've been having some plot difficulties with this one. I'm not too good at planning ahead, so if I don't have a clear idea where my story is going from the start, I get major writer's block.

I've got some ideas now, though. Enjoy! :)

"Fushimi-san?"

Silence.

"Hey, Fushimi-san?"

The blue clansman tore his head away from the window to look at his comrade. "What is it?"

The man placed a hand behind his head. "Well, you seem kinda…spacey today. More than usual, that is."

"Am I?" He turned to his computer and stared at the screen for a moment before starting it up.

"Are you feeling alright?"

Past his comrade, Fushimi saw Seri watching him intently. "I'm fine. I was just lost in though."

"Alright. Well, we'd better get back to work before the monster yells at us."

Fushimi chuckled half-heartedly. "Yeah, you're right."

The man swiveled his chair around to face his computer, leaving Saruhiko in peace. He clicked through some documents he was meant to be working on and sighed quietly. He just wanted to go home; to see Misaki and escape his work.

"Fushimi." The man sunk down in his chair. He knew that voice; it was the voice of a cold-hearted, slave driving woman; the unyielding tone of a woman who knew how to put her inferiors in their place.

Reluctantly, Saruhiko looked up from the screen to see the lieutenant staring down at him. He frowned and waited for the lecture.

"I presume that you took care of what we talked about the other day?"

"And what would that be?" he asked disinterestedly.

"You know exactly what I mean. I want to make sure that you got rid of the little pest; that's one thing I really don't desire to worry myself with."

He momentarily turned his head to roll his eyes. He caught her gaze again with the same uncaring look. "Then don't. It's none of your business anyway."

"Any threats to Scepter 4 are my business. I told you that I wouldn't give you another warning; I won't go back on that because of your childish fling."

"It's not a fling," he argued through clenched teeth. "And what makes you so sure that I didn't break things off? Maybe I followed your orders like I always do."

Seri shot him a skeptical look.

"Usually."

"I'm not sure, that's why I need to check up on you. Maybe I'll just stop by every once in awhile to make sure you're being a good boy."

The lieutenant took great delight in putting her subordinates in their place; everyone knew it. Since she was above them, and because her icy stare struck fear in all who dared to defy her, the clansmen took extra caution not to anger her. Saruhiko was no different; on this particular day and with those particular words, however, he boldly retorted back at her.

He rested his chin on his fist and smiled up with his sapphire eyes. "The high and mighty lieutenant making house calls? I guess it isn't much of a bother considering your lack of any social life."

The woman's mouth twitched, but she maintained her stern look. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, and aren't you being hypocritical? Despite your amazing talent to scare off all men, you seem to constantly hang around HOMRA's own Izumo Kusanagi. You've threatened to go to the captain about us, but I wonder what he'd think of your relations?"

"That's a completely different matter," she breathed.

"Different from me and Misaki? And how is that? Because I'm actually getting laid while you chase him around desperately hoping for your affection to be returned."

Seri slammed her hands down on Fushimi's desk, receiving a wicked grin from the boy. "Shut up!" she yelled. She was oblivious to the clansmen stopping their work to stare at the display. It was extremely rare for her to lose her composure. "I will not be bullied by an insignificant child!" A faint blue aura grew around her. "You will obey me!"

As she caught her breath, a firm hand grasped her shoulder. "That's quite enough, Miss Awashima."

The woman immediately straightened out and moved a few steps back to bow her head. "C-captain."

The blue king looked between the pair. "Why don't you two join me in my office? I think we need to work a few things out, yes?"

"Yes, Captain." She swiftly followed him.

Fushimi stood from his chair and did the same, making sure to take in the surprised faces of the men staring with wide eyes.

He walked into the office and leaned against the wall. Seri respectfully stood beside his desk, anxiously waiting for him to speak.

"Would either of you like to explain what's going on?"

"Captain, I g-greatly apologize. I didn't—"

"We were in disagreement of the extent of work my current assignment calls for," he replied smoothly. He saw the woman staring at him, assumedly wondering how he could lie so flawlessly to his king.

"Seri, is this true?"

She looked to Fushimi, who subtly nodded. "Oh, um, yes. I felt that he wasn't fulfilling his duties, but he insisted that he was done."

"And what job would this be?"

"I'm still analyzing the video of the supposed colorless king."

The woman nodded; it was the truth.

"Alright. Miss Awashima, would you mind giving Fushimi and me a moment alone?"

"Of course, Captain." She bowed and hastily left.

Reisi stood and walked to the middle of his office. "Don't you think you're being a bit too unprofessional?"

"Sorry," the boy mumbled. He removed himself from the wall and took a few steps forward.

"You're an excellent liar, Fushimi."

The clansman raised an eyebrow. "What have I lied about?"

Reisi began to slowly circle the boy. "Miss Awashima is a very level-headed woman; it takes a great deal to make her that upset."

"Maybe she was just a bit on edge today?"

He stopped behind Fushimi and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll let this slide for now." The younger male shuddered from the hot breath on his neck. "Try to be obedient, ok?" He pressed his hand on the small of his back and gave a gentle push towards the door.

"I'll…do my best."

"C'mon, Yata, just tell us."

The redhead finished his drink and stared at the bottom of the glass. "I already told you; there's nothing going on. It was just a onetime thing; I don't need any chick holding me back."

"Well," the bartender interjected, "I don't know if Yata is really the relationship type anyway."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

Izumo leaned against his bar and stared amusedly at the boy. "If you aren't in a relationship, why should it bother you?"

Misaki bent his head to hide his flushed face. "Just leave it alone.

"We just want to make sure that this guy is treating you right. Let us meet him," Rikio pushed.

"No. And quit assuming that I'm with a guy!"

"So you are with someone."

"Leave me alone," Misaki fumed.

"What are you screaming about? I was trying to sleep." The red king appeared, rubbing his eyes. He looked at Yata, revealing that his question was directed at the boy.

"M-Mr. Mikoto, I—"

"We were trying to get him to tell us who he's sneaking around with."

"Sneaking around with?" Mikoto turned his gaze to the blonde.

"Yeah. He's dating someone, but he won't introduce us to him, or even tell us his name."

Something flashed across the man's eyes that Misaki couldn't decipher. "You have a boyfriend?"

Blood rose to his face. "It-it's not like that?"

"So, you're single, then?"

The redhead hesitated. If he said no, they would only continue to pester him; if he denied his relationship, they might leave him alone. Saruhiko wasn't there to get irritated by his denial; he saw no consequences with the second option.

"I'm…yes, I'm single. They're just being idiots."

Mikoto nodded. "Alright. C'mon, Yata, let's go for a walk."

"A…walk?"

"Yeah. I haven't talked to you in awhile. Besides, I'm sick of sitting around. Will you join me?"

"Um, sure…Mikoto-san."

"You look thin. Have you been eating well?"

Misaki frowned; Saruhiko constantly pestered him about his weight. "I'm fine."

"Totsuka's death really impacted you," he stated nonchalantly.

"W-what? Oh, um…I guess so."

The pair walked down the street in the bright afternoon sun. Many people whispered and moved out of their when they recognized the HOMRA captain and king. The older male steered them down a less crowded street.

"We'll catch him, Yata. No matter how long it takes, we will find him. Don't get so stressed out over it. You're worrying everyone."

"Ok. Sorry."

He took one hand out of his pocket and placed in on Misaki's shoulder. "You don't need to apologize. I just want to make sure that you're doing fine."

"Thanks, Mikoto-san."

The red king shoved his hands back into his pockets. "Why were those guys debating your relationship status?"

The redhead blushed a light pink. "I…um. I'm not sure."

"We've never seen you with someone, so they must've had some reason to think that."

Why does everybody care so much? I don't want to talk about this; especially not with Mikoto-san. I can't lie to him. "It's kinda complicated…"

"You can tell me, Yata. I'm not really the type to gossip, you know?"

"Yeah. So there's…Mikoto-san?"

Misaki looked behind him to see the older male standing a few steps behind him, scanning the park across the street, looking for something.

"What do you see?"

"Nothing. Let's head back; it's getting kinda late."

The boy glanced at the park, wondering what the man could've seen. He shrugged and caught up to Mikoto, deciding not to question him.

"Saru, are you here?"

The blue clansman walked out of his bedroom and leaned against the wall. "Yeah. What do you want?" he spat.

Misaki took a step back out of surprise. Saruhiko never used that kind of tone with him. "Is something wrong?"

The man crossed his arms. "Nope. I just asked what you want. Why are you here?"

The older boy wrinkled his nose and walked forward. "Well, we're dating…"

Saruhiko abruptly pushed himself off the wall and turned his back to Misaki. "I want you to leave HOMRA."

"W-what? Why?"

"Because it's no good for you."

The red clansman grabbed the boy's arm and twisted him around. He looked into the man's eyes and saw…nothing. There wasn't anger, fear, or sadness; he was unreadable.

"What do you mean?"

Saruhiko shrugged the hand off of his arm. "I mean exactly what I said. It's no good for you there."

Misaki grew angry. He knew that his boyfriend disliked that he was still in the group, but he had no right trying to force him out of it. "Tell me why you hate the red clan."

Grief flashed through his eyes. "It's not the clan; it's your king that I despise."

"How could you hate him?" Misaki exclaimed. "He was good to us!"

"It was so painful, Misaki." He slammed his fist into the wall. "I saw the way he looked at you. But he's your hero. I couldn't ruin that picture for you, but I also couldn't stand you constantly praising the bastard. If you...returned his feelings I...I don't know what I would've done. And just today, I saw you two talking a leisurely stroll; I wanted to kill him. I can't let him take you away from me. That's why I left! I can't go through this again…" He lowered his head, unable to meet the boy's eyes.

His heart sank. He'd never known the true reason for his betrayal. All this time, he hated the man for leaving when he should've been supporting him; reassuring him that he was still his best friend.

"Saruhiko."

The blue clansman raised his head. The older male ran his fingers through the distraught man's silky hair. Wordlessly, he leaned in and kissed the man he'd loved for years. He moved his tongue into the other's mouth, savoring how he tasted.

"You idiot." He playfully hit the older male on his head. "Mikoto is the king I serve. He's nothing more than that. You're the only one I've ever wanted, monkey."

Fushimi smiled faintly and pulled him into a hug. "I'm glad to hear that.. However, that doesn't change the fact that he's after you."

"After me? Mikoto-san doesn't like me that way."

The taller boy sighed. "You're such an innocent little virgin, aren't you? You're a fool, Misaki."

The redhead pushed away in protest. "Would you stop calling me that? It's embarrassing."

"But you're my virgin."

"That doesn't make sense."

"It doesn't have to." He put his hands on the boy's shoulders and bent over to meet his eyes. "I want you to leave HOMRA, ok?"

"I just told you that I don't like him. Do you not believe me?"

"Your feelings don't make a difference. He's going to try something eventually; I know he will."

"But, Saru…it's not just Mikoto-san; my friends are in HOMRA. They're my family."

Fushimi kissed his forehead. "Aren't I enough for you?"

"That's not fair…you know that I only want you in…that way, but I still care about them."

Bright blue eyes stared at him intensely. "You can make new friends. If you want to, you could join Scepter 4. We could work together; be partners again. Remember how we were? Together, we were unstoppable. If I talk to the Captain, I'm sure that he'd let you in."

"Saru, stop. I can't leave them. You can't expect me to do this. You're acting like a selfish child, only thinking about yourself; I have feelings too!"

Misaki inhaled sharply at the smile Saruhiko wore. "Don't call me selfish when you're the one who abandoned me as soon as you found new friends."

"Huh? What are you ta—"

"You have no idea what I went through! I had to watch my best friend slowly forget me. You pushed me aside and selfishly assumed that I was as happy as you were. You are the only person I have ever cared for! Don't you get it, Misaki? You betrayed me!"

"Saru, I didn't know you felt like that…I'm so sorry."

The taller man straightened out and crossed his arms. "It's either me or them. I can't deal with that pain again; the fear of losing you; the hatred towards your king. I might actually end up killing him if he does anything…"

Misaki widened his eyes; tears formed in the corners. Saruhiko nearly took back what he said seeing the overwhelming sadness in those beautiful chestnut eyes. He didn't, though; he knew that he had to go through with this.

"I…I can't choose between you and HOMRA."

"Who is more important to you? The best friend you've known since middle school; the one that's always been there for you; who knows everything there is to know about you. Or those thugs you've only just gotten to know? No one could ever love you as much as I do, Misaki. You're the most important thing in my life; you always have been. Are you going to tell me that you care about them more than me?"

Tears rolled down the boy's cheeks. He loved Saruhiko, he truly did, but how could he leave those who took him in? There were so many happy memories with the red clan; they were important to him as well. "Saru, I can't do this. Don't make me choose."

"If you won't make a decision, I'll take it as you picking them and betraying me a second time."

Misaki fell silent. He couldn't possibly select one over the other. Why can't I have both? This is so hard.

After a few more moments of silence, Saruhiko turned away. "Leave."

"W-what?"

"Leave. If you're going to stay in HOMRA, you aren't welcome here anymore." He headed to his room.

Misaki caught his arm. The younger male turned around to see, once again, big, miseable eyes staring at him. "Saru, I lost you before; I can't lose you again. I…I love you. If I have to choose, it's you. I can't live without you."

Fushimi gave him a quirky smile. "Come here, you." He grabbed the boy and enveloped him with his comforting arms. "I'm sorry that it's hard for you, but it's better this way. We can be happy together without those distractions; you'll forget about them soon."

Distractions… Misaki thought. He's talking about my friends. How can I do this to them? How can I do this to myself? But, in a way, don't I owe him this? Everything he said about me forgetting about him…I can't even imagine how he must've felt.

"I can't just…forget them. I really want to stay in HOMRA. I chose you because you're the one I can't be without, but that doesn't mean I don't want anyone else in my life."

Saruhiko kissed the crown of his head. "Yes, I understand that, Misaki. Don't worry, everything will turn out perfectly."

"Saru?"

"Hm?"

"You called HOMRA a distraction; you said that you want it to only be me and you. If that's what you want, aren't you going to leave Scepter 4?"

The younger male hesitated. "Well…I'm employed there; it's my source of income. If I quit my job, I'll have no money to support me—to support us."

"What am I supposed to do every day then? HOMRA is my job…"

"Firstly, you can move in with me. After that, I want you to join Scepter 4. That way, we can work and live together like we used to."

"So…I'm just supposed to leave everything behind and start over?"

Saruhiko sighed and grabbed the boy's shoulders. "Misaki, I know that you don't entirely understand this right now; I know that you feel scared. You just have to trust me, ok? We're just going back to the way we were after middle school. The only difference is that we'll be working for a much more powerful organization." He smiled mischievously. "And our relationship has a few more…benefits."

Misaki still felt uncomfortable with the situation, but Saruhiko was actually making a lot of sense. After middle school, they moved in together and joined HOMRA. By recreating that picture, maybe they could be happy again. No more lies and secrets; no more barriers keeping them apart; no more false pretenses and hiding their feelings.

He looked up to catch Saruhiko's gorgeous azure eyes and smiled.

Maybe, in time, they could be truly happy again.