First posted to my LJ writing archive on February 12, 2007.

Title: Goodbye
Characters: Atobe, Tezuka, implied SanaTez
Rating: Gen / PG-13 (implied future character death)
Summary: Tezuka gives Atobe some news.
Warnings: Implied future character death.
Recommended music: Adieu (from the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack; download link available from this story in my writing archive)
Author's notes: Close to the beginning of the Adieu arc. Parallel to the Playground universe, but exists separate from the Playground arc. Dedicated to darthclaire.
"Kindly repeat that."

Tezuka gave Atobe a long-suffering look, one that asked Atobe if he had been listening to Tezuka talk on the rare occasion that Tezuka had something he actually wanted to say. "I came to say goodbye."

"Where are you going?" Atobe asked, not looking up from his papers. He signed one more. "When are you coming back? You look all too serious for this to be a trip to Germany."

"It isn't a trip to Germany." Tezuka was implacable, calm and composed. Atobe would later wonder how Tezuka managed it. "I have a year, two perhaps."

"A year for what, Tezuka?" Atobe signed another document.

"To live."

"Very funny." Atobe glared at Tezuka, pen pausing. "I will be with you in a moment, so there's no need to get my attention like that," he said, and waved vaguely in the air. "There's coffee, tea, and alcohol over there. Go pour one to occupy yourself. Anything. Just stop making bad jokes like that."

Tezuka stood, and soon the sound of a bottle being unstoppered could be heard. Over the sounds of soft pouring, and the smell of scotch, Atobe thought he could faintly hear Tezuka say, "I wish I was joking."

That gave Atobe pause.

The pen was laid down, and Atobe rang his secretary. "Take these," he said, indicating the signed pile. "I'll be going over these later. I want no interruptions, none at all, until I tell you otherwise." Efficiently, the woman gathered the documents and left. Atobe stood, stretching. Instead of joining Tezuka, he walked over to the picture window, looking out at the rest of Tokyo.

After a while, he spoke. "Explain, Tezuka."

"Advanced cancer. They found it last week."

Atobe shook his head, giving Tezuka a sharp look. "You look too healthy to have advanced cancer. This is in poor taste, Tezuka."

"If you are busy, Atobe, I will leave you to your work," Tezuka said, frostily. He put his glass down and stood. "I merely thought you would appreciate knowing sooner rather than later."

"Wait," Atobe said. Tezuka paused.

Sitting heavily, Atobe gestured to the sofa beside him. "Sit. Ore-sama wants to look at you." He had not spoken of himself as Ore-sama in years, Atobe thought as soon as he had said it. "I want to look at you," he amended.

Perhaps it was the lapse back into the old Ore-sama.

"I was not aware Insight utilised x-ray vision." Tezuka sat, nevertheless, and did not flinch as Atobe gave him a glare, which segued into a careful once-over. Up close, it was now visible--the slight furrow of Tezuka's brow, the tenseness that was more pronounced than usual.

"Does Sanada know?"

Tezuka nodded. "Aa."

"And how is our Emperor taking it?"

"Like a man." Tezuka looked vaguely proud. Atobe wanted to hit him, to slap away that look in Tezuka's eyes. Trust Tezuka to feel proud of Sanada when Tezuka had two years to live. They were thirty-two. Men like Tezuka Kunimitsu did not die at the age of thirty-two. Or thirty-three. Or thirty-four.

It was a few moments before Atobe realized he was staring, again. "I-- Tezuka. Treatment. What kind of treatment are you going to use?"

Tezuka shook his head. "It is terminal. The doctors have ... " Here, Tezuka trailed off, and he managed to look wry. "They assured me that if medical advances are made and there is a possible cure, they will tell me. In the meantime, I will be taking painkillers for the pain. It--"

For a moment, Atobe thought he saw regret in Tezuka's eyes, but then Tezuka was continuing again. "I have accepted this. My priority is to live the two years as comfortably as possible, with a minimal amount of disruption. Perhaps I will be lucky and I will have three, perhaps even five years."

"Three, perhaps even five. Tezuka, you won't live to see forty," Atobe snapped, eyes flashing as he rounded on him. "You haven't even thought of alternative avenues. Let me call some friends. I know some people in the medical research field who may be working on something like this, or know someone who is. They'll--"

"--use me as a lab rat for tests and experiments until my time runs out. Thank you, but no." To Atobe's eternal annoyance, Tezuka actually seemed not to want this.

"Tezuka, these men and women work in Europe. Some are in Germany. There are also a few in America and one in Brazil." Atobe stood, pacing now. "You know they have excellent experimental medicine there. How can you--"

"There is no need. Your efforts are appreciated, but I would prefer to live out my last days here, the way I choose, rather than chase a nebulous and uncertain cure to the end."

"You stubborn fool, can you not see there is still hope? They may have a cure, you never know, how can you give up halfway? Have you finally lost all the spine and backbone you--"

"I thank you to kindly mind my pride and my dignity before you trample on them again. I will be the judge of the sum of whatever backbone I still possess." Tezuka's face was now closed and impassive, and Atobe sighed, retreated before the stone wall. He closed his eyes.

They sat in silence, Tezuka unmoving, making no noise. He was so still Atobe actually cracked an eye open to see if Tezuka was still there. He was, but he was sitting, one arm on an armrest, and his eyes were closed as if he was gathering strength for the next step.

When Atobe finally spoke, it was bitter and accusing. "I don't know how you expect me to just sit here and watch you fade away, Tezuka."

"I appreciate the friendship we have," Tezuka said, and he stood. "I would like to keep it for the remainder of my time here. Don't give me that look, Atobe. The world will continue to turn whether or not I am around. My last days. My way."

Atobe passed a hand over his eyes. "Leave, Tezuka. We'll continue this some other time."

"You know where to find me."

And with that, Tezuka was gone.

Hearing the door click behind Tezuka, Atobe finally allowed himself to slump. The tension in his shoulders was palpable. He would have to visit his masseuse three days ahead of schedule. Then Atobe kicked himself mentally. Hang the masseuse, Tezuka was dying.

... Tezuka was dying.

"Kami-sama," Atobe said, voice cracking a little in his large and now empty office. "Why him?"

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