...Hi! I haven't written anything for a really long time, so this might not be all that great. The fact that my beta reader has randomly decided to go MIA doesn't help either. This is also my first time attempting a multi-chapter story (Ahhh!), and I would appreciate any advice! As always, it's a Tezuka/Fuji story! ^_^
Fuji sighed into the silence. He hated coming back to an empty apartment. In the last few weeks, Tezuka had suddenly become incredibly busy. He was out the door every morning even before Fuji could mumble his goodbye. Tezuka had taken on a second job to "pay for the expenses", and refused to believe that Fuji could live quite happily on wasabi flavored noodles indefinitely. Fuji had offered to work longer hours, but Tezuka had flatly refused, saying that it wouldn't be right to shirk his responsibility.
So, Tezuka came home late every day. Fuji ate alone, and had started watching the only three successive shows that their television received just to drive the silence away. Every night, he fell asleep in front of the flickering screen only to wake up in the bed alone. Technically, he and Tezuka lived together, but they were rarely in the same room, even if they were both at home. The space that was slowly growing between them would soon be too big for their apartment. Fuji found it remarkable how he could feel so alone even if Tezuka was close enough to touch. Heaving another sigh, Fuji dragged himself into the kitchen to prepare a meal that would inadvertently taste of sadness.
Tezuka sighed, his fingers resting lightly on the handle of the door. He knew what he was doing to Fuji, but somehow, he couldn't stop. A couple months ago, Tezuka lived to see Fuji's smile. Now, he was doing everything humanly possible to avoid it. Whenever he looked at Fuji, he no longer felt a sense of happiness. Instead, he saw all his broken dreams and all their shattered promises. All their hopes from the time they finalized their relationship were methodically shot down, until there was nothing left except memories of times that would never come back. Fuji's smiles were broken or fake nowadays, and the fast the Fuji thought that he didn't know vaguely annoyed Tezuka. After seven years together, Fuji still honestly believed that Tezuka couldn't see past his smiling mask.
Opening the door softly, Tezuka peered inside their apartment. A shaft of light curved around his body to illuminate Fuji sprawled on the couch. The rush of affection he usually felt when he saw Fuji sleeping in his failed vigil for Tezuka's return was absent. Instead, anger and frustration crawled over his entire body. Didn't Fuji realize that he didn't want people hovering over him all the time?
Closing his eyes against the unexpected pain, Tezuka passed the couch and went to bed alone.
Fuji opened his eyes and gazed sadly at Tezuka's retreating back. Today, and only today, he had feigned sleep just to feel Tezuka carry him. Apparently, he was to be denied this small pleasure as well. Fuji remembered how silly they were when they first made their relationship official. Tezuka would smile whenever their eyes met, although he always made sure that nobody they knew was around. Fuji would walk around, humming stanzas of songs that flitted in and out of his head just because of the joy that Tezuka's love gave him. When had just being together ceased to make them happy? Why was there only sorrow around them now?
A solitary tear slipped down Fuji's cheek. As if it had been a trigger, all the hurt, sadness, and frustration that he had compressed inside him burst out, racking his body in silent sobs. When Fuji woke up the next morning, his pillow would still be damp.