Hello everyone! Here is another one of my old one-shots that has never been published before. I hope it will entertain you all and make you smile. :) Please R&R! Love, Piper

Touma's Confession

Seguchi came over quite often nowadays. Too often, in Yuki's opinion, and he knew Shuichi was not happy about it at all. He had all too fresh in memory the president's many threats to "take care of" Shindou in case he did not leave the novelist alone. And furthermore, he also remembered how Yuki had once chosen Seguchi over him... But that had only been to protect Shuichi. Seguchi, on the other hand, had taken his "choice" seriously and walked on clouds for a while...

This was not exactly like that time, but nearly so. Seguchi was not walking on clouds, thank God, but he was visiting almost as often. He seemed to think that they were closer than they were, and Yuki did not like it.

"Why do you always have to cook for me when I'm on a deadline?" he complained poutily as Seguchi added the noodles to the steaming casserole.

The blond president fired a beaming smile at him, but Yuki was not sure if he was actually happy. His eyes looked tired and bloodshot. Sad, almost. "Oh, I enjoy cooking for you, Eiri-san," he smoothed. "Keeps me busy."

Yuki watched him thoughtfully. "Keeps you busy from what? You ditching your band lately?"

"My band? No. Ryuichi is on a... indulgence spree."

"Is that so? Shouldn't you be with your family, then? Your wife?"

"Perhaps. But I thought I'd stop by and make sure you eat first. I know how you get when you immerse yourself in your work, Eiri-san." He stirred in silence. Added some spices.

Yuki scratched the back of his head. "How is my sister nowadays?" he asked in a low voice.

The question surprised Seguchi so much he actually looked up from the lunch to meet Yuki's stare. "She's fine. Just fine," he mumbled somewhat embarrassedly.

"I thought you had decided to change your priorities, Seguchi. I thought you were going to be there for her rather than running around my legs like some lovesick kid. What happened to that promise? Aren't you supposed to act a father now?"

The president kept stirring in the pot for a few seconds before answering the novelist. "I did," he finally said, and his voice was thick with emotion. That surprised Yuki. He had not thought that Seguchi would ever develop any sorts of feelings for his sister. Other than friendly feelings, perhaps. "But she said there was time for you both. Space for us both in her heart... and she said it was okay for me to keep a place in my heart for you both, too."

Yuki flinched involuntarily. "Mika said that?"

Suddenly Seguchi's features became dark and distorted by a quiet anger. "I don't like the way he orders you around, Eiri-san," he confessed.

"Don't change the subject, Seguchi."

"He treats you with no respect at all, Eiri-san. You deserve a lot of respect from the people around you."

"Are we talking about Shu-chan now?"

Seguchi jerked. His enigmatic, dark turqoise-green eyes seemed to bore through him. "You... you have a nickname for him?" he whispered in a defeated tone, as if that was proof that all was lost.

"Yeah. You have a problem with that?"

"No."

"Go back home to Mika. She needs you. Your baby needs you."

"It hasn't been born yet," the president pointed out.

"Exactly my point. Go home. I can finish this." He stepped up to the stove and prised the ladle out of Seguchi's hand. "I can't even believe you actually managed to father a child. But I guess somehow you did. I always thought you weren't interested in women that way..."

"I'm not," Seguchi replied without thinking, but then he put his hand over his mouth as he realized what he had just admitted. Maybe he had not ever admitted it even to himself before. Now he looked at Yuki with glittering eyes. He looked as if he was ready to cry. Yuki hoped not. "I'm sorry, Eiri-san. I shouldn't have said that. I know that my marriage to Mika was arranged, but I should still honor her and take care of her, shouldn't I? Oh fuck, I'm a lousy husband, aren't I?" Defeated, he sank down on the floor by the stove and covered his face with his pale hands.

Some things were too obvious about Touma Seguchi. Like the way he dressed. At first glance, many people who did not know him thought he was a woman because of his fondness for fur and lace details. And those gloves he so often wore... not to mention the hat... Even his posture and his way of carrying himself was too obvious. Combined with his slyness and his mystification, that made a poor image of a man of power.

Yuki felt strangely sad for him, and that was an entirely new feeling for him. Seguchi had done so much for him, but he had never thanked him for any of it. Nor had he ever acknowledge it. "Touma..." The president started at Yuki's use of his first name. "I am not judging you. I know that you've always been... fond of me." The words were extremely hard to force out, but it had to be said. It had to be put in the open. "I know that my father was impressed by you when you first came to the temple and offered to help me get away from... from everything. I know he saw something in you that few people have even noticed, and I know he found you fit to marry his daughter. The fact that he never knew the truth about your interest in me makes no difference... he saw you fit to marry Mika. That counts for something, Touma. Remember that and try to be a little brighter, will ya?"

Seguchi was baffled by his long speech, because they both knew that Yuki seldom spoke his heart. The only one who could brag about having heard Eiri Yuki spill his guts was Shuichi Shindou. And now Eiri Yuki had decided to confide in Touma Seguchi as well. That made him honored. "Thank you, Eiri-san. You have no idea how much that meant to me."

"No. It is I who should say 'Thank you'. I never did, but you know I wanted to."

The president nodded. "Yes, I know you meant to. And I understand why you never could. It makes me glad to see that you have finally come to accept your past and moved on."

Yuki smiled somewhat absentmindedly. "Well, we have Shuichi to thank for that."

After the blond president of NG Productions had left, Yuki pondered their conversation and came to the conclusion that he had indeed accepted his past now. And he had accepted Seguchi's role in it. Now he looked forward to the future that awaited him.

And it started with the slamming of the front door and a certain 19-year-old singer's shrill cry of announcement. "Yuki, I'm hooome!"