Dislcaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Lady Monozuki: I have not heard anything from my beta, so I decided to go ahead and publish this. Everyone's waited long enough. I mentioned this before, but I'll mention it again. This is the second arc. This will put Fuji/Ryoma back together. There is a third arc, but unless you want to see the OT5 back together, I suggest you stop reading after the end of this arc. No new plot developments (other than them fixing their relationship) will happen in the third arc. Meaning, you will miss nothing. With all of that said, please enjoy this chapter. Please review!

Recap:

Why would his parents tell you, out of everyone?" Syuusuke asked.

"Because I could see it from all sides. They let Keigo spend his time with us, but it was too much to cover up. This wasn't going to be any easier with Ryoma aiming to be a professional tennis player. When we got together, we let hormones dictate us and we didn't consider the long-term effects our decision would have, especially for Keigo's family."

"How much are they paying you to say this crap?"

"What?"

"How much are they paying you?" He raised his voice. "It's the only logical explanation for your behavior. You're saying that it was okay because we were the problem! If Atobe wanted us out of his life, he could have told us, but he didn't! He abused us because he did not have the guts to tell us to leave. And you think it's acceptable for him to get away with that? That it's fine if we ignore everything that he has done? We're no saints, but we deserve better than that."

- One year ago, America-

Ryoma added to history. He had been behind five games, on the verge of losing the sixth, when he pulled back from behind. It maintained his perfect score, but he knew that this was his limit. Fortunately, he had a few hours before his next match. He walked back to the car, not speaking to anyone about his match. Once inside, he fell asleep, not because he wanted to. If only he had known what was in store for him later.

"Why is it always about Ryoma?" he asked. "You entered into a relationship with other

people, but you always think about Ryoma. I didn't agree to be second to someone else."

"Tezuka," Syuusuke whispered. "I am sorry that you put in all of this effort, it wasn't fair to any of you."

"I don't want to hear your excuses!" he shouted.

"I have no place to go."

"You should have thought about that beforehand. You have to deal with the consequences of your actions. You may see yourself out."

With that, Atobe returned to the second library and closed the door behind him.

I have to deal with the consequences of my actions too.

-Chapter One: Determination-

The trembling person resting against him brought a flurry of emotions. Ryoma didn't know what all to do in this situation. He had always longed to have the comfort of others, supporting him through his ordeal, but he had no idea how to be the person that he had wanted. The fear of reaching out and saying the wrong thing lingered in his mind. It taunted him, laughing at his weakness. His mouth remained shut, afraid to speak foolishly, even if he knew what he had wanted to hear back then.

This isn't what he needs right now. He needs words.

But he couldn't bring himself to do it. The antagonizing voice rang in his head, telling him that what he said wouldn't make a difference. They were two different people, who went through two different experiences, and endured very different attackers. He shuddered. The memories of his own attack flashed in his head. It ripped at the healing wounds. The very same claws that now shredded the thin veil of tranquility in their lives. Ryoma stroked Syuusuke's hair, trying to calm the other through simple, gentle touches.

Even if he couldn't bring himself to speak, he could do his best to reassure Syuusuke that he wasn't going anywhere. That was perhaps the most important thing to establish right now. No matter what, he would stand by Fuji. He wouldn't leave. He wouldn't let Syuusuke go through the abandonment that he had.

"You'll never be alone," he whispered.

Even if they were no longer together, he refused to leave Syuusuke on his own. The pieces of their lives would forever be entwined. Even if they tried to pick up the pieces individually, they would always run into each other. Their pain. Their anger. Their hurt. It was all connected. Even in this case. He stopped his movement for a brief moment. Fury unleashed its wrath. How could Tezuka do this?

They were starting to make progress, but now…now everything was closer to the verge of collapsing. Ryoma resumed playing with Syuusuke's hair. He needed to calm down. It wasn't his burden to bear alone. But he would help carry anyone who needed him, even if he had not picked up the pieces in his own life. He couldn't abandon those who needed him most.

"Ryoma." Gen's voice cut through the silence, breaking him out of his thoughts. "We're here."

He nodded. They were home.

-Stand-

Gen watched as Ryoma helped Fuji. It was heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. To see the person who had been through a far worse assault, not comfort someone who had almost gone through a similar ordeal broke his heart and gave him hope. Maybe this would help Ryoma. He felt so useless standing there, and observing the scene before him. He didn't want to do anything that would only make the situation worse.

He followed silently behind, ready to spring into action if needed. They entered the cold apartment. Ryoma instantly began to direct Syuusuke toward the room. He remained behind, deciding to prepare tea instead. Leaving before he knew if Ryoma could handle this situation would be wrong. There wasn't just one person who needed him. There were two now. He was going to stand by them, even if he was no longer their lover. He would do whatever it took to make sure that they were all right.

Especially after seeing Ryoma…

The image of blood trickling down Ryoma's arm resurfaced. The hurt and helpless look in those golden eyes haunted every moment. The whistling of the kettle brought him out of his thoughts. He pulled it off the stove before realizing that he didn't know where the teacups were. This wasn't his home. This wasn't the mansion that he had spent the last 8 years in. Nothing about this place was familiar.

He fought back the tears. He had made a vow to never show any signs of weakness. Crying was considered a weakness. Gen had always been the strong one, even in his Junior High days. Even when Seiichi had to be hospitalized in their third year of Junior High, he had never broken down. He fought on. Now, it seemed that he was stuck, drifting between who he was, and he was now forced to be.

"The cups are in the cabinet to your left," he heard from behind him. He jumped a little. "I'm sorry for making you prepare the tea. I'm a terrible host."

He glanced to his left. Ryoma was already there, reaching for the glasses. He caught sight of white bandages on Ryoma's wrist. His heart ached.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "You had other things on your mind. How is Syuusuke?"

Light clattering of the items Ryoma was gathering echoed in the otherwise quiet apartment.

"He fell asleep. He's in shock about the whole situation."

"Everyone is."

A loud clang met his words. He looked over at Ryoma. Anger displayed itself briefly on Echizen's features before disappearing into passivity.

"Let's go sit in the living room, it's more comfortable there," Ryoma said.

He headed out of the kitchen. He sat in the chair opposite of the couch. Ryoma placed the tray on the coffee table before pouring tea in the cups. Gen took the cup offered to him, muttering a quite "thank you" before settling in for an uncomfortable silence. He wasn't sure how to talk about anything that had happened at Keigo's mansion, nor how to offer his help and support.

"You're not usually the one to be silent when it comes to the big issues, Gen."

He stared into the golden eyes. It amazed him how Ryoma still knew what he was thinking, even though he hadn't said anything. The connection that they had always shared had not broken. It was comforting.

"Are you going to be able to handle Syuusuke?"

Ryoma frowned. "I don't know. I'm not too sure about anything at this point. I know what I wanted when I…"

He saw the slight tremor in Ryoma's hands. Gen put his cup down and stood. He wasn't going to let them go through this alone.

I can't.

He sat on the couch next to Ryoma and hugged him. It wasn't out of sympathy. It was solely to reassure his former lover that he would be there through all of the storms that came their way. They may never get back together, but he was still going to look out for Ryoma.

"I'm always here for you. No matter what," he whispered.

Ryoma returned the hug. "I know."

He didn't want to break the hug. Every time he spent time with Ryoma, he wanted it to last just a little bit longer. Though he had no right to ask for any time at all with his ex, his heart still yearned for it. Ryoma pulled away, looking away from him.

"If you had been there for me a year ago," Ryoma whispered. "None of this would have happened."