WARNING: Yaoi (M)

Ryoma/Fuji/Tezuka

All disclaimers apply.

THE SCARLET STAIN

Beautiful Taboo

(prologue)

We all knew that it was bound to happen sooner or later. After all, it was something normal, something that was supposed to be there, something they, themselves expected.

Fuji Syuusuke, in particular, was shocked the first time it came to him. One day, after waking up from a strange dream, he sat up in his bed panting and damp from sweat and he called in sick for school. As soon as he put down the phone, he ran to his bathroom and sat on the toilet, his head resting on the cold marble wall. It took some time before the throbbing in his groin could fully manifest itself in his consciousness. Without doing anything further, he pulled his legs up to his chest and, trying to ignore his painful erection, held himself in a quiet reverie, wondering how and why it happened.

And that was when he realized it: he grew up.

Of course, waking up with an erection was something considered normal. In fact, the worse it could do was have the witness turn around in embarrassment and leave the room for the person caught in the act to relieve himself. But for Fuji, it was an entirely different matter.

He had dreamt of Tezuka in that way.

He had gotten an erection with Tezuka in mind.

Doing those things.

Tezuka.

A guy.

He was shaken shitless, that was for sure. He was so scared that he shook on top of the toilet, biting his lip, trying hard not to cry. He tried to console himself with the fact that maybe, other guys dreamt of other guys and got erections. Yes – that was possible, wasn't it? He closed his eyes tightly and tried to think of pictures of sexy, attractive girls from magazines, their silky, white skin and their shapely breasts, and he tried to imagine his seatmate, Karin-chan, coming down onto him in the most seductive manner possible, and he held himself. But the pictures were brittle and were soon replaced by the most mundane images of the captain – his back while walking home, his stoic face while eating lunch, his side profile while answering a Math question – and they began to play in his mind like a movie reel.

The name "Tezuka" escaped his lips in a moment of concession, and he came.

Although he didn't say it out loud then, Fuji Syuusuke understood.

He was sixteen then, in his first year of high school.

He grew up.

He was in love with another boy.

Perhaps he had known all along.

Only, he never really pegged it as anything other than friendship. After all, who was he to come up with such a conclusion? He always had his share of confessions, and, at one time, went out with a girl on a date (with his sister's insistent persuasion, but a date nonetheless). There hadn't been anything very thrilling about being with Tezuka, as well, and it wasn't like he got aroused just when they were together. Tezuka can be very boring sometimes, anyway.

But, looking into the situation clearly, as Fuji always did with everything, he saw the little things that he had missed. How he persistently waited for Tezuka to go home with him during busy afternoons. How he felt warm and content when they shared the same umbrella. How almost obsessive he got about playing a match with him. How holding his hand at that one time felt so right…

He blushed as he remembered those things, covering his face with his hands in secret embarrassment.

Surely, if Tezuka knew, he'd be disgusted. What's worse was that he'd probably avoid Fuji like plague after. Now that he realized that he was, after all, in love with Tezuka, that would prove to be more painful!

"Syuusuke-"

Fuji looked up at the sound of his sister's voice from downstairs, and was about to ask why when he realized that it was too late. His eyes widened at the sight of the object of all his problems right in his doorway, looking down at him with eyes full of curiousity.

"She told me to come in," Tezuka said in that deadpanned voice of his, closing the door behind him. In his glasses, Fuji could reflect his own bewildered look, and he quickly composed his expression. "You look pale."

"Y-You think so?" Fuji stood up quickly and brushed down his shirt. Damn the stuttering! All of a sudden, he felt so conscious. He was wearing nothing but his long shirt and shorts and it would be obvious if he had gotten—OH FOR GOD'S SAKE. "Wait—I'll put on a pair of pants."

Tezuka nodded briefly, and he turned around as an act of courtesy. He began quietly poking through Fuji's classics CD collection as Fuji shuffled in his closet for a pair of pants.

"There. Done." Fuji put on his regular smile and popped down on his bed. "I see you've brought my notes. How considerate of you."

"Kazano-san took them down for you. She told you to get well soon."

"Karin-chan," Fuji said, nodding and silently apologizing for using her image in such a disgusting manner earlier. "I'll make sure to thank her. I think this isn't anything serious – I'll be able to go back to school tomorrow."

He saw Tezuka pause at his Mozart CD, fiddling with it. He knew that at that moment, Tezuka was thinking of the next thing he'd say, and Fuji almost laughed at how calmly he took all these. He was scared that he'd get another boner just with talking with Tezuka, but he was glad to find out that his hormones weren't in such a riot.

"You should go out with Kazano-san," Tezuka finally said.

Fuji laughed. Tezuka turned around and Fuji clammed up when he saw that the captain was serious. He looked away and fiddled with his toes before Tezuka stood in front of him.

"Fuji," he began, and Fuji looked up. Their eyes met. "I'm in love with Yamazaki-san."

Fuji pictured the quiet, bespectacled girl in their class. He smiled at the picture of her and Tezuka together. They looked like they'd get along – him going with her to the library, and her wishing him luck before going out onto one of his matches.

"I'm happy for you."

Tezuka nodded, and patted Fuji firmly on the shoulder. "See you tomorrow."

"Yes."

Fuji couldn't quite remember how Tezuka left then. He found it funny how his problem began and ended in one day. Years later, he would remember this day exactly as how it'd happen.

How his first love began. And how it would end only a few years later.

TO BE CONTINUED

This'll probably just be a few chapters… - BT