Title: A Call for Celebration
Written by: Enki-sama
Fandom: Tennis no Oujisama
Pairing: Tezuka Fuji
Rating: PG
Disclaimers: Tennis no Oujisama and all its characters belong to Konomi Takeshi and other people. I am merely borrowing them for some entertainment...
Summary: Even in darkness, I will always be there to light up your way...
A/N: This is AU with some (some!?!) OOC-ness... A reply fic to Haru No Uta's 'A Birthday Fic'... I really can't thank her enough...

Tezuka returned to darkness that night.

"Syusuke? Are you home?" He called out to the seemingly empty apartment as he fumbled for the light switch.

"Syusuke?" He tried again as his fingers brought light back to eyes.

Tezuka looked around the tastefully furbished living room, and frowned. His lover seemed no where in sight. That's strange. As far as he knows, the next deadline that will drive the Tezuka-Fuji household crazy is a few weeks away, and even if Fuji is rushing his latest publications, it would make no sense to shroud the house in darkness.

Moreover, today is a very special day...

Tezuka dumped his briefcase and coat on the couch casually and walked to the bedroom.

"Syusuke? Love? Are you in here?"

A muffled sob from the corner caught his attention.

Tezuka made his way over swiftly. There he found his lover on the floor in a sitting position, head placed between his knees.

"Love? What's wrong?" He asked, seating himself next to him.

"Nothing." Came the muffled answer.

Tezuka sighed.

"How can it be nothing? Today's your birthday, and here you are, hiding in one corner, crying your beautiful eyes out."

Silence.

"Why don't you tell me what's wrong and then we can go out for dinner to celebrate," Tezuka tried again.

Silence again.

Just as Tezuka is about to say more, the birthday boy spoke up.

"I do not want to celebrate."

"Pardon?"

"I said I do not want to celebrate my birthday!"

Tezuka's brow narrowed slightly in confusion.

"Would you like to tell me why, love?" He said softly as his hand started fingering through the fine hazel hair.

Fuji stiffened, then lifted his head up and said cryptically.

"The day we are born, is also the day we are destined to die."

Tezuka frowned.

"And what makes you say that?" He asked.

Fuji looked at him in the eye.

"Life is like a journey. When there is a start, there is an end. To start is to live, and to end is to die. Do you understand, Kunimitsu?"

Tezuka pulled the smaller boy into an embrace.

"I understand, love, I understand. So, are you afraid of death?"

Fuji moved closer to Tezuka's heart.

"Yes, that and leaving you." He said as his hand reached for Tezuka's left hand, and then traced the golden band on the fourth finger lovingly with one finger. His eyes lingered thoughtfully over the two identical rings on both his and Tezuka's fingers.

Tezuka held the boy closer.

"Syusuke, there is nothing to be afraid of. Death does not equals an end. Even after this life, there is still the next."

Fuji nodded.

"And we've made a vow. We will be together forever. This life, next life, the next one even. Forever."

Tezuka pulled Fuji up so that he can looked into his face, beautiful even when tear-stained.

"So, are you still afraid?"

Fuji shook his head.

Tezuka stood up and held out a hand for Fuji to hold on to.

"Now let's go out for dinner to celebrate your birthday."

"But Kunimitsu, I still do not want to celebrate!" Fuji protested as he took the hand Tezuka offered and got to his feet.

"Ok, you don't have to celebrate. I'll do the celebrating. I want to celebrate the day my love was brought into this world," Tezuka proclaimed with a twinkle in his eyes.

Fuji blushed and gave the other man a light push.

"You and your honeyed tongue..."

Tezuka laughed heartily.

"Happy birthday, love..."

End

This is dedicated to all those who made birthdays worth celebrating.

Completed: 9th December 2004