iannetine: This chapter's sort of an introduction. 'True' plot comes after. Thanks for reading and please review!
Prince of Tennis, Tezuka/Fuji
Rated: M (references to suicide, rape, abuse, coarse language, violence and sorcery)
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis
"Kunimitsu…" was on Fuji's lips.
It escaped with such finesse and refinement that it expressed everything that he wanted to say.
I trust you.
Please.
Now.
Tezuka stopped momentarily; the first words of that night stirring elation in him. Fuji was calling to him. His whole heart knew, even to the depths, what Fuji wanted, what he wanted.
"Shusuke…"
Fuji lost himself, as him and his name were on Tezuka's lips.
Aishite iru.
-oOo-
Fuji blinked awake. With blissful eyes, he stole a kiss from the quiescent lips. 'Once you've brushed your teeth' was the one demand Tezuka voiced. But still, Fuji found it hard to deliver. Tezuka stirred, releasing Fuji from his hold. Slowly, Fuji went out the warmness of the covers before Tezuka secures him with his arms again. Feeling guilty at disobeying Tezuka, Fuji used his remaining favorite toothpaste.
Tezuka kissed back. Without opening his eyes, Tezuka sidled his lands on Fuji's all too familiar curves. "Strawberry." he mumbled before opening his eyes. Indeed, Fuji's luscious lips reddened in strawberry pink. A kiss to his eyelids made Tezuka want to go back to sleep.
"I'm making breakfast." Fuji tidied the sheets to cover Tezuka's almost bare form. The cold was unbearable that morning. Tezuka ran his fingers through his hair and went back to sleep.
Shortly, he woke up. Having returned from washing his face, he was surprised to see Fuji was underneath his blankets again. The television facing the foot of the bed was turned on. Fuji flipped the channels, dismissing all programs that were uninteresting. He smiled to him when he noticed that Tezuka was observing him. His lips motioned Tezuka to get back to bed where a tray was atop Tezuka's half.
Hungry to the core, Tezuka appreciated the breakfast in bed - that might as well be lunch considering it was already noon. Fuji rested his back in the headboard and stayed close to Tezuka, as they watched the tennis match.
"Oh!" Fuji exclaimed when the ball went out. He chuckled when he saw Tezuka look at him in amusement. "He shouldn't have lobbed it." He reasoned an excuse. "He would have won."
Setting the tray aside, Tezuka just gave Fuji a nod. He lowered his head on Fuji's neck and tenderly sucked, giving him a hickey. Then he began mildly nibbling Fuji's left ear.
"I'm not dessert." Fuji turned his head away. It tickled.
Tezuka retreated and just caressed his head. With warm, gentle hands, Tezuka sleepily ran his fingers through Fuji's hair.
Fuji melted on his touch. He had always adored how physical Tezuka was. Just a 'thank you' would have been sufficient.
A knock at the door. It sounded urgent.
"Don't get up." Fuji tugged on Tezuka's arm. "I'll get it." It was, after all, his room. Sensing that Tezuka's focus was back at the tennis program, he turned the knob.
"Saeki." Fuji greeted, opening the door just enough to show his face.
"Fuji. Sleeping late again?" Saeki asked with a cheerful voice when he saw Fuji rub his eyes. "Boy, have I got news for you! Listen--!" Saeki pushed the door open excitedly, making Fuji step back from the door.
"Sorry it took so long but guess what, I--" Saeki stopped abruptly, his eyes widening at the sight of Tezuka in the other room. The man was sprawled in Fuji's bed, eyes fixed on the news that interrupted his program.
"I have company." Fuji blocked Saeki's view, "Let's talk outside."
Saeki stepped inside the room further, "Fuji," he asked, believing his eyes were deceiving him, "that's Te-"
"Saa, what's the good news?" Fuji smiled, paralyzing Saeki's movements. Fuji grabbed Saeki's sleeve and politely ushered him out the room.
Tezuka didn't even turn his head when his eyes threw a sharp look on the closed door.
-oOo-
Fuji had never seen Tezuka angry before. Because it never showed. Just like with any emotion, Tezuka's pride somehow prevented him from expressing it in words. He would keep it to himself. It was his sense of self-control.
Fuji had never seen Tezuka angry before. But he felt it.
The moment he closed the door and stepped inside, he felt Tezuka's piercing gaze upon him. Tezuka never took his eyes from the tennis match, but Fuji could feel Tezuka's eyes were judging him, searching him, asking him.
Slowly he walked to the bedroom. He was careful not to make unnecessary movements or comments. Tezuka wouldn't ask, so he answered the pressing questions in Tezuka's silence. "Saeki let slip to me the identity of my opponents for my upcoming matches this week."
Tezuka finally looked at him.
"It's the older of the Hiyoshi brothers and Tachibana Kippei." Fuji said plainly. He waited for Tezuka's reaction.
Tezuka barely nodded. It was enough for Fuji to understand that Tezuka was agreeing to help him practice, that he's promising to come and watch, and that he's saying he's proud no matter what. Fuji's lover was a very jealous person, but more so protecting.
Fuji smiled warily. He could sense a frown on Tezuka's face.
They never quarreled. They fought in the realm of the intellect. Words were never exchanged. For behind the silence, there was an understanding. Theirs was a relationship that transcended words. Silent, unstated, unspoken, was their love.
Tezuka stood and lightly stroked Fuji's cheeks. Once again, Fuji melted at his touch. For this time, a 'sorry' wouldn't have been enough.
-oOo-
"Fuji-san, can you help me?"
Tezuka had just closed the door when he was greeted by Mizuki Hajime. The boy was carrying a large box, blocking his view. Tezuka felt a little worried; Mizuki was the new occupant of 3C, the room opposite Fuji's.
"I am Tezuka Kunimitsu." Tezuka corrected and helped Mizuki with his keys.
"Tezuka-san?" Mizuki had managed to fit the box at the door. "I didn't know you were on the same floor." He said, curling his hair with his fingers. He was sure that it was Fuji Shusuke's room Tezuka came out of.
"Sixth floor. A." Tezuka told him his room. He helped Mizuki bring in his luggage. "Shusuke's resting." Tezuka added, hoping Mizuki wouldn't disturb Fuji.
"'That so?" Mizuki smiled mischievously. "I better tell Yuuta-kun that his dear brother is living just opposite me."
It wasn't what he meant, but Tezuka looked at Mizuki with foreboding eyes. "I'll go then."
"Thank you Tezuka-san" was Mizuki's polite reply, "See you." Tezuka heard a nervous snicker when Mizuki shut the door.
Tezuka walked three flights of stairs to the top floor. Before he could reach the landing however, he bumped into another person.
"Tezuka!" Saeki blurted out in surprise. "Sorry, man." Saeki said after a while. He walked a few steps down before staring at Tezuka's back.
Saeki was the one living opposite Tezuka.
-oOo-
Tezuka knocked at Fuji's door. Fuji won't let him have a key.
After a while, "'Mitsu…" Fuji said sleepily, opening the door. Tezuka was his perfect wake up call.
Tezuka blinked at Fuji's yellow night clothes. "You have morning classes." He pointed out. Fuji was taking up Fine Arts in their university. Tezuka's however, was Environmental Engineering and his classes start by noon. Unfortunately, Tezuka was the early riser and Fuji was the one who liked to sleep late.
"You' running laps?" Fuji blinked at Tezuka's outfit.
"Ah." He answered the obvious. "Dinner?"
"'Love to, but nee-san's visiting." Fuji said in cautious rejection. "Whole family's having dinner at home."
Tezuka nodded in understanding. "Be careful." he said and started to walk away.
"I would kiss you," Fuji teased, not letting him get away that easily, "but I haven't brushed my teeth yet."
Tezuka turned his head on the side and looked down the floor.
Fuji's lips drew to a curve before planting a kiss Tezuka's his cheek, and saying "Dessert's on me."
-oOo-
Grabbing his tennis racket, Tezuka walked over the courts to practice by himself. He did so often when Fuji couldn't join him. There were also times when someone challenged him, but it rarely happens nowadays as his challengers learned that Tezuka crushes his opponents to dust.
Tezuka was resting on a bench when someone came running to the adjacent court. He was in a hurry. It seemed like an emergency. Tezuka took a slight interest because the boy's face was fear-stricken.
"Didn't you hear?!" He said, almost in fearful tears, "Hiyoshi- hanged himself in his room…"
Everyone who had overheard gasped. The boy's friends were trying to calm him down, as the boy had started to get frantic.
"But I heard his mother came just in time to save him..."
"How could he have done such a thing?!" the boy shouted the open question, ignoring his friend's consoling statement.
Tragic- Tezuka thought, feeling rather depressed with the unexpected news. For the month alone, there had been two suicide attempts among them students.
Fuji too would be upset. He just won to Hiyoshi by default.
"DAMN those maniacs!" the boy cried, "Animals!" All the courts fell silent as his friends tried to calm the hysterical boy.
Tezuka picked up his racket. He left; a grim still within him.
-oOo-
Fuji hesitated before entering the house. He could hear Yuuta shouting inside. "What's taking him so long?"
"Tadaima."
Fuji went straight to the dinner table. "Shusuke, you're just in time." Her mother placed a plate in front of him as he sat. "How's my Shusuke?" her sister asked when she appeared from the kitchen. "I missed you." she added.
Fuji remained silent as he ate his dinner. Her sister Yumiko had just come home from her around-the-world adventure. She narrated her search for mystical artifacts over dinner.
"May I have a look?" Fuji asked. Yumiko agreed. After dinner, she excitedly took out a box. Each artifact was carefully wrapped around a cloth. Believing the relics contained powerful magic, she instructed Fuji to not touch them.
"These are beautiful." Fuji told her sister, eyeing an aged mirror. As he put the mirror down, his hand accidentally touched a stone. It was the only artifact in the box that wasn't wrapped in cloth.
"What's this nee-chan?" he asked, holding up the black, pearly, almost-heart-shaped stone. "What country did this one come from?"
Yumiko's eyes widened for a second, but then relaxed when she saw what he was holding. "It's funny you should ask." She answered. "I found that one right here in Japan. It's supposed to be a precious stone."
"That?" Yuuta interrupted.
"Of course. Stone like that are said to grant the holder a wish." Yumiko continued. "I think a wish was already made with that stone. It used to be round and white."
Yuuta smirked. "Impossible!"
"It is said that that stone used to contain dark magic. Once it's black, it only brings bad luck." She frowned.
"But it's an ordinary stone now- my friends and I checked." She smiled again. "I just took it because of its shape."
"Can I keep it?"
Yuuta cringed. He doesn't believe in magic, but he still felt queasy with regards to stones with bad luck.
"If you really want to." Yumiko was surprised that Fuji took it. Unlike his brother, Fuji wasn't faint-hearted.
"I'll think of it as a take-home present." Fuji smiled to her.
Shortly after, he said his goodbyes with a promise to come home next week for his sister's birthday. "I'm fine." Fuji rejected Yumiko's offer for a ride back. "I have this for good luck." Fuji pocketed the small black stone.
Getting out of the train, Fuji started to walk back to their building. He didn't notice, but shadows were lurking about.