Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, no real humans were used to make this story and the characters featured in this piece of work do not belong to me. Also, I do not make any profit from this.

Warning: possible grammar and spelling mistakes, as well as missing letters and/or words.

There will also be detailed sex scenes and possible violence, as well as bad language and slang words. This is/will be an mpreg (male pregnancy) story, so if this offends you please do not read it and turn back now.

Thank you for your understanding.

Chapter Nine: Knowing When to Stop.

"So that is what happened? But knowing you it was to be expected." Kevin concluded after Ryoma had told him about what had happened until now. The blonde didn't judge and give the model stupid suggestions; he merely listened and told his personal opinion. "If it were me, I would have punched the living daylights out of the ass. But, it's your life, live it like you want to."

Ryoma didn't say anything. He merely stared blankly at the wall, deep in thought. After Kevin had taken the beer can away from him ("Moron, you're sick. What beer? Tea and get your ass to bed.") there was nothing that would help him forget.

"He still doesn't know about Atobe junior?" Kevin nonchalantly asked after a while, knowing full well about Ryoma's condition and what had led the poor man this far. "If you think that this is bad, wait until that pompous snob gets to know `bout his kid."

Ryoma threw him one of his glares, "Don't even mention something like that. As if I would let him find out about Shuya being his." He leaned back into the couch, "And don't call my son Atobe junior. You know I hate it when you call him that."

"Then what should I call him? He certainly doesn't look like a chibi version of you." Kevin let out his usual laugh and downed what was left of his beer. "And get real, he will find out sooner or later. Want it or not." There was no more humor in Kevin's voice. He was serious.

"I know. I know it, damn it." Ryoma cursed and covered his eyes with his hands, "But what the hell can I do? It's not like he can't find out himself, if he tried. And Shuya's sick again. I… don't know what to do anymore."

Kevin didn't comment; there was nothing that he could say and make things easier for his best friend. There just wasn't anything to be said. He sighed and looked at his best friend. "How's your leg? Are the phantom pains still there?"

It was a weak attempt to change the subject. They both knew it far too well.

"Sometimes in the middle of the night I wake up from pain. But it happens very rarely and only after a rough day. Nothing to worry about." Ryoma decided to go on with the change of topic. Right now, he didn't want to think about Keigo and remember that he still felt something for the man.

"Shouldn't you see a doctor?" Kevin sounded slightly worried, "The phantom pains showed up only after you found out about coming here, didn't they? Before that your leg was just fine." The blonde knew the whole story behind the scar on Ryoma's right leg and why he had to give up on tennis. And he also knew whose fault it actually was.

Ryoma finally looked at his model friend again, the corners of his mouth lifting up just for a little bit, "Don't worry, it's not as bad as you think it is. I won't die. And besides," Ryoma took on a fond expression, "even if I had to give up tennis, I got something better in return."

"You sure have been turned into one of those parents that have an obsession with their own children." Kevin laughed, but was glad that Ryoma was no longer that moody and depressed version of himself. The model looked better when smiling or laughing; even a glaring Ryoma was good.

Ryoma mock-punched Kevin on the shoulder, but there was an amused smile playing on his lips. "You are such an idiot, you know that?"

"I know and am proud of it!" Kevin shot back and jumped off the couch. He showed his tongue to the golden-eyed man and walked to the small kitchen area for another beer. "It seems that I will be working tomorrow and sadly, not with you." He informed the other as he popped open the cold can of beer.

Ryoma rolled his eyes. He sometimes wondered if Kevin accidentally wasn't one of his stalkers. "Will you be lonely without me to hold your hand? Maybe I should treat you like I treat my brat?" he had to fight hard not to laugh at the peeved expression Kevin now had on his face.

"A-hole." the blonde mumbled and threw an orange, from the fruit bowl that was placed on the narrow counter in front of him, at Ryoma, hoping that the fruit will hit that smirking face.

Ryoma was about to throw a damn pillow at the blond, beer and fruits and fragile stuff be damned, but then the ringing of his phone cut through the excited before-the-battle silence that was in the apartment. Ryoma glared in the direction of his room and got up to go and pick up his phone, it wasn't Ryoga - his brother had a different ring tone.

The Dart Vader's theme song was set for work related matters and when his boss called.

He didn't check the ID, as always, and merely asked: "Echizen. What?" he wasn't in the mood to deal with work related crap. Not after all that had happened today.

"Hello, this is Takahiro Anzu, Atobe Keigo-san's secretary. I was asked to find out if you would agree to come in place of another model tomorrow?" The woman was just as business-like as she was when Ryoma met her for the first time, if not a bit more stoic. "One of the models, Jun, will not be able to make it, due to some reasons." She finished and waited for Ryoma's answer.

The model sighed and closed his eyes. "It's not like I have much of a choice, do I?" that was all that he will say to that woman, since she was the one that had talked to him in that 'you can't say no' voice. And he could work with Kevin too, so maybe it won't be that bad.

"Understood. Ask for more information to the model that will be living with you starting this evening. I was told that you are fiends. Then, good night Echizen-san." She bid her farewells and hung up. It seemed that Ryoma wasn't the only one with problems that had to be taken care of.

He threw the phone back on his bed and walked back to the living room to join Kevin for a before-the-sleep beer. "It seems that I will be in your shoot tomorrow too. Annoying." He said as he flopped down next to his blond friend on the couch.

Kevin just patted him on the back and returned to his beer. It was better to be close to Ryoma now, especially after all that crap that was just dumped on him.

Keigo sat in his big, spacey apartment, all alone in the dark and staring out of the window. His eyes were watching the small balls of lights so far down that moved and never stopped. The happy and carefree life that those pope down there had… He envied them so much sometimes.

Think about myself… Are you mocking me?

He had the urge to break and smash and destroy and cause pain to himself and just simply… Undo what he had done. To go and say such careless and hurtful things even after knowing the suffering he had caused Ryoma to feel. And now - to go and suddenly start to try and fix things…

"Am I a damned idiot? There is no way that Ryoma will just forgive and forget, he never did work that way." Keigo uttered to himself. It was a weak whisper, his earlier daring and the bit of courage now gone.

All I have been thinking about is myself and Shuya and…

That's right.

He just suddenly decided to try and get Ryoma to come back to him. If he truly wanted the man back in his life he should put more thought and work in it, try more and be more forceful, so that the model would see just how much Keigo needed him. Show him just what kind of mistake he had allowed to happen when he was young and stupid and naive.

Just... the mention of another man's name (Keigo noticed just now, after replaying the things that Ryoma had said in his head) from Ryoma… If there was someone that Ryoma had in his life, someone that loved the model and treasured him… that means that Keigo is too late to get Ryoma back?

"As if I will let some guy to take what is mine." Keigo growled now, sudden emotions of possessiveness and anger and jealousy taking over him, blinding his vision. "I will not let him walk away for a second time." He sounded determined.

Tomorrow, he will be at the photo shoot to supervise the work of models. Ryoma will be there too and maybe, just maybe he will have a chance to speak to the model and try to find out what Ryoma feels right now. What he thinks.

Keigo will not lose Ryoma for a second time. That is something he decided he will fight for.

"You two, you're doing great. Just change the pose, or at least don't look at each other like that anymore." Fuji instructed the two American models, namely Ryoma and Kevin, his voice had a tint of impatience to it.

Kevin rolled his eyes, not caring that his boss was there and that Fuji could get quite nasty when taken over the edge, but changed the way he was standing anyway. He leaned against the high chair that Ryoma was sitting in, pulling his fedora down, so that his eyes were shown just a little.

Ryoma, on the other hand, got more comfortable in the chair, crossing his right leg over the left one and placing his hand on the armrest, so that he could lean his head on two fingers of his left hand. The theme today was mafia and the two Americans managed to look just like the real deal. The looks, the slight air of mystery and the confidence…

They had it all.

A few snaps later they changed again, this time Kevin kneeled in front of Ryoma, his blue eyes glinting in mischief when Ryoma faked a cold expression and looked down on him, a smirk playing on his lips. It was the usual play that they did when working together, trying to get the best out of the roles that they were given. That was what they loved about this job.

"Ok. Enough for you two." Fuji ordered the two, the annoyance no longer there, since the two seemed to be giving their all for this. The photographer even sounded quite pleased. "Change the decorations and the next three come here and get ready. After that, Kiriko and Kevin."

Ryoma stood up and went to where Kiriko was standing, the black-haired Japanese model smiling as he came closer. Kiriko was wearing knee-length pants and a white dress shirt, his shoulder-length black hair were tied in a loose pony tail, some of the black locks hanging loosely around his face.

"Ryoma, guy I don't know yet. Your shoot was very good." Kiriko smiled once they were close enough for them to have a normal talk. "Though, I must ask, are you two an item? Because it surely seems so from the vibes you two give out." He sounded playful.

Kevin leaned on Ryoma, who didn't do anything to shrug him off. "No, we're not. Just your average best friends that like to goof off at times. Kevin, by the way." The blonde offered his hand for a shake, smiling friendly at the Japanese model.

"Kiriko. It's a pleasure." The other took his hand. It was a simple greeting, but the atmosphere between the three was already a comfortable one. Kiriko had to wander though, if Keigo had heard the best friends part, for it seemed that he was not pleased about Ryoma's and Kevin's closeness.

Or him being too close to Ryoma.

There had been something between the model on his boss, of that Kiriko was sure. But no matter whom he asked, they all refused to tell him what was wrong. It was a forbidden theme, that much Kiriko understood, but for Ryoma to ignore his boss like that… Something big had happened.

"So, why didn't Jun come today?" Ryoma asked, even though there was zero want to actually know Jun's reasons, "Anzu just suddenly called me yesterday evening and said that I have to be here." He was slightly annoyed by that, but as long as he could keep the softness of Keigo's lips out of his head…

But since the man was right in front of him, watching his every move and not letting him out of sight. It was hard, so hard he had to try extra hard to seem normal. His body called, craved, for the touch of the other, for the touch that he hadn't felt for so long. Only Kevin probably saw how uncomfortable and aware of Keigo Ryoma felt.

Kiriko blinked a few times, genuinely surprised. "She did and he did? As far as I know, he was ready to go and show those, I quote, American pros that think that they are all that, what he was made of." Kiriko sighed, as if the simple thought of Jun brought him a headache.

Before any could say something else Ryoma suddenly jumped, shaking Kevin off of his shoulder in the same time. The other two looked at him in concern; Ryoma was not a person that would suddenly jump for no apparent reason.

"Phantom pains?" Kevin asked, the worry so clear in his voice. He had seen the moments when the phantom pains hit Ryoma and this seemed like one of those moments. "If it is, do you have pills with you? Or is the fewer coming up again?"

Ryoma waved him away from his face. "It's not. It's my phone, it just surprised me, that's all." He started to dig in the pockets of his black pants, searching for the small device. "I know that I shouldn't have taken it with me but what if something was to happen to Shuya… I couldn't calm down."

Once the phone was in his hands and Ryoma saw the one that was calling him, those golden eyes widened and both Kiriko and Kevin could see the way that his fingers started to shake a bit. Ryoma swallowed and then mumbled a quick excuse, before running out of the studio.

Kiriko was about to ask what that was about, but someone else interrupted him. Keigo had come closer to them, wanting to remind the two American models to get go and change before their turn is up again, especially Kevin. He was still standing around in the clothes that they had used already.

But in reality, he was just annoyed that they had been so close and clingy to Ryoma. It drove him mad to see his loved one so close to another man that seemed to be more than just a person he knows.

"I thought I had told you that private talks are forbidden during work." He lazily drawled out, not in the least interested in the talk that Ryoma was having. Because, it might as well be the mysterious Shuya that Ryoma had mentioned yesterday. "When Echizen comes back please inform him that I am forced to reduce his pay for today. His free time is meant for contacting lovers and such."

The next action surprised Kiriko and the ones that were standing around them. Kevin had made this horrible and pissed-off expression before grabbing Keigo by the front of his shirt. The blond model that glared the best he could at his boss, the fact that he might be fired because of this was the last of his worries at the moment.

The mere thought of Keigo making fun of Ryoma like this, while not knowing what the man had to go through because of him, and still has to… The fact that he didn't have enough brain cells to figure out that Ryoma reacted like that only when his family was involved. It made him see red in front of his eyes.

"Listen here you fucking ass," Kevin snarled in English, getting the attention of those that knew English well, "Ryoma has a seriously sick brat back in America and right now he might be hearing that the brat is dying or something. So why won't you shut that goddamn mouth of yours the fuck up, since you have no idea what is going on, before I shut it for you, huh?" the very end was whispered out, the last worlds meant only for Keigo to hear.

He then released his hold on Keigo, fighting back the urge to do something to the man that had dared to talk like he knows all. Keigo, on the other hand, was too shocked to speak. The information about Ryoma having a child was running around in his head, repeating itself over and over again, as if it was mocking him.

Keigo swallowed, "Well sorry, but I was not informed about the condition of his family members." It was hard to act like the usual Keigo, the one that didn't care about the small matters and the way that other people reacted to his actions. "He should have informed me beforehand about this and then I would not have acted like I did just now. But he didn't, so it is not my fault."

It was exactly then that Ryoma shoved up again. He didn't pause or look around and went straight to Keigo, stopping right in front of the man. "Excuse me, but I am forced to leave this job because of problems in my family. A replacement will be sent here in two days time." With that he turned around and grabbed his stuff, ready to leave.

Right now Ryoma couldn't care less about what Keigo had to say. Shuya's condition had worsened suddenly and the only thing he wanted to do no, was to be besides his kid. It was all that he cared about right now.

Ryoma left a confused and startled silence behind himself. No one dared to speak.

A/N: Who also thinks that I ended the whole thing in such a stupid and moronic way? I bet most of you. :D

I won't go too into details, since I bet no one reads my rants anyway, and just go ahead and ask the most stupid question ever - should he or should he not? Yes, I do realize that it's a weird question whose meaning you don't get. It's for me and it will help me in the making of the next chapter. So just answer with a 'should' or 'should not'.

That is all. (And this phrase is stupid as hell.)

P.S. You English speaking people have some strange names for hats. I had to search for good five minutes to find what I need, and I am not sure I found the right one. :(