Title: Forever
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Pairing/Characters: Tezuka/Fuji, mentions of others
Rating: PG
Summary: Tezuka/Fuji-We follow them through the stages- Fuji knew that he would never, be able to have all of Tezuka, and he knew that, what little he had, could not be kept forever. There were very few things Fuji was definite about, this was one of them.
Fuji knew that he would never, be able to have all of Tezuka, and he knew that, what little he had, could not be kept forever. There were very few things Fuji was definite about, this was one of them.
He had braced himself to lose him against tennis, other lover or even death. He never thought that he would lose to himself.
The day of the accident Tezuka had been playing tennis with Echizen. His cellphone was off, so he missed the call. It wasn't until he got home, four hours later, saw no traces of Fuji
in the apartment and checked the messages in his phone that he learned the news. He drove to the hospital, the fastest he had ever driven.
"He might never walk again". The doctor said, "That is if he wakes up".
Tezuka nodded, blank expression in place, and walked into the room. Ignoring the anxious looks of his friends and Kikumaru's sobs.
Fuji lied there, looking every bit as peaceful and beautiful as he always did when he was asleep. Tezuka would never admit it, but he loved to watch him sleep.
Tezuka waited for twenty minutes. He knew Fuji would wake up at any moment; it was just another one of his twisted games. Then Tezuka would be mad at him, but not for long, he could never stay mad at Fuji for long.
But the twenty minutes passed, two hours, his friends left, leaving encouraging and hopeful words, which he hadn't heard. It was in the middle of the night that Tezuka processed the situation, and broke into sobs.
A month passed. Tezuka told himself that he should be more persistent. That after all, he loved to watch Fuji sleep. He took in the oxygen and the machines that kept Fuji alive, Fuji's blank face. 'Not this way though'. It was killing him to watch him like that. He left the room, and Fuji.
He moved from their apartment because he couldn't bear living in a place that screamed "Fuji!" from every crook and nook. The happy memories contained in that space nothing but bitterness.
Tennis was no longer fun. No matter whom the opponent was. He would always think Fuji was better. The fact was, he could not remember life without Fuji. He had tried so hard to not give everything of himself, to Fuji to avoid getting hurt. It seemed he had ended up giving up more than the whole.
The day Fuji woke up, four months later; Tezuka had been completely wasted, having drowned himself in alcohol the night before. Not that it would have helped if he had been sober since he had changed his cellphone number and had not contacted any of his teammates.
Kikumaru threw himself at Fuji crying, while all of his other friends looked close to tears also. When Fuji asked about Tezuka, all he got were worried glances, and Oishi telling him they had lost track of him, the second month he had been in the coma. Fuji smiled.
In order to cure the ache in his heart Fuji worked painstakingly, in his rehabilitation. With everyone's encouragement, and Echizen asking for a match as soon as possible.
He smiled throughout everything, trying his best to forget Tezuka, even when Echizen kissed him sweetly upon him giving his first step in months.
The day Fuji walked, two years later, Tezuka was visiting his family and getting a lecture on alcoholism.
Tezuka knew he had a problem, but he refused to look for help, he did not want to be cured. It was his only escape to reality. A reality without Fuji. He also thought it was his punishment for abandoning Fuji.
The day he saw Fuji, four years later, Tezuka had been on his way to the tennis courts. He hadn't played in years. He saw Fuji playing against Echizen, smiling with Echizen, and hugging Echizen.
He followed him, and found where he lived, with Echizen.
When Tezuka met Fuji, he drove to his apartment (he couldn't quite yet process Echizen living with him). Fuji opened the door. Tezuka immediately attacked Fuji's mouth, as if it were the only source of water in the desert.
Fuji punched him; Tezuka smiled, and hugged him. Fuji knew this would happen and relaxed.
Fuji knew he had given his all to Tezuka, and that probably Tezuka didn't deserve him. But when Tezuka said, "I love you," and "I have been so lost." With tears in his eyes, he felt his heart melt. He knew he was doomed, or maybe he was just masochistic when it came to Tezuka.
Tezuka knew he didn't deserve Fuji, nor he harbored any hope of ever holding him again. He was prepared to keep on drinking and being miserable, without Fuji. But he had to tell him the reason he had left.
He loved him. With everything.
Tezuka and Fuji knew their love could not last forever but as long as Fuji owned Tezuka, and Tezuka found his way, with Fuji alongside him, forever was short compared to now.
AN: Can be treated as inter-related drabbles. First Story I ever wrote for these two. It shows. Haha. What did you guys think? Also sorry for the weird layout...