Katsumi gripped Tezuka's hand as the couple neared her house. She glanced up at her boyfriend trying to read his face.
"Tezuka?" She tugged at his sleeve. Her soft voice earned a gentle look from Tezuka's usual stoic expression. "Tezuka can we go out this weekend as well?"
He slightly tilted his head studying Katsumi's face. Her deep green eyes pleaded for an immediate answer, but Tezuka remained silent.
"Tezuka, don't tease me," she pouted tugging more at his long sleeved jacket. The brown haired male adjusted the bridge of his glasses onto his nose.
"Seigaku is playing Hyoutei in less than a month," he announced, crossing his arms. Although staring at the young girl in front of him, his gaze and words seemed detached. "As captain, I need to spend most of my time facilitating practice."
"So no?"
Katsumi earned a slight nod from Tezuka, causing her to sulk. She peered down at her shoes, fiddling with her fingers. It was quite rare for Tezuka to turn down a date. Tezuka's slender hands glided to Katsumi's face caressing her soft skin. These affectionate ministrations filled Katsumi's heart with pure excitement. He leaned in, planting a chaste kiss on her forehead. Katsumi drew back, covering her blushing cheeks. From the months of courting Seigaku's tennis captain, this was the second kiss they shared - both innocent pecks on the brow. Tezuka's lips descended to the red head's ear.
His following words fleeing his mouth in a whisper, "Katsumi, discontinuing these dates will benefit us both." The harsh words escaping Tezuka's lips delivered her conscious back to reality.
"Huh?"
Discontinuing the dates? Katsumi's mouth contorted into a frown. Is he breaking up with me?
The warmth on Katsumi's heart and cheeks vanished as Tezuka withdrew his hands. The male's stoic stare returned Katsumi's puzzled look.
"When pressured, people tend to choose the decision that is best fitted to the situation," Tezuka paused, his gaze never leaving the young girl. He shifted one hand into his pocket before continuing, "But they usually realize later on, that it was a mistake. Good night Katsumi."
His parting words sent Katsumi blinking back tears.
"Good…night?" Katsumi gurgled back. She watched Tezuka's body fade into the crisp night as her vision blurred with forming tears. She rubbed her eyes, her vision and thoughts becoming less soggy. He did break up with her. Katsumi's slender fingers trailed to her forehead, feeling the last warmth Tezuka left behind. Warm, salty tears spilled from Katsumi's green orbs as the words mimicked in her head.
Am I a mistake?
Her left hand clutched the hems of her cotton skirt as she buried her face into her right sleeve. She rubbed her eyes vigorously. What did his words mean?
Was "us" a mistake?
"Katsumi?" Eiji's head peaked out the door. "I heard talking so I figured you were home." He smiled as he was ready to dazzle his youngest sibling with a little surprise, "Fuji's staying the night since we have practice in the morning. How was your-"
The red head paused as he noticed his sister's tear stained eyes, "Katsumi?" The excitement in his eyes quickly dwindled away as his face flushed with concern, "Are you alright?"
Katsumi's lower lip quavered at such a question. Do I look alright? She shook her head as she dashed into the house, darting to her room.
"K-Katsumi!" Fuij and Eiji both chimed out. Though their words were far from reaching her. A loud slam sent shivers down their spine. The two males stared at one another.
"So unlucky!" Eiji whined closing the door. His body felt heavy as he slumped onto the couch. He raked his hands through his red wisps. He was hoping to surprise his little sister with Fuji being over but unforeseen events had sent her wailing into her bedroom.
Eiji's shoulders drooped as he sighed, "I guess I'll go check on her." Fuji repositioned himself in the heap of covers on the couch.
"Should I check on her?" Fuji offered. His gentle smile eased Eiji's mood.
"No, no," Eiji rejected, shaking his hands, "Katsumi has this really ugly cry." He lightly chuckled to himself but his frown quickly returned. He hated seeing his sister in such a state. Her cheery smile was always the highlight of his day.
"Well then, make some tea, and then go see her," Fuji advised, "If you leave her alone she'll cry all night." Eiji nodded and headed towards the kitchen. Fuji frowned as he removed himself from the covers. Katsumi's face was so poignant. Just what did Tezuka do? Fuij moved quickly and quietly to the stairs, glancing back to ensure Eiji hadn't noticed his absence.
After a few glides up the stairs, Fuji found himself standing outside Katsumi's bedroom. He stared at the entrance before gripping the doorknob. Turning the handle, he slowly opened the door. The male froze as Katsumi's sobs became audible to the outside world. Was he right to involve himself with Katsumi's and Tezuka's relationship?
His thoughts flickered back to early spring. It was a fairly warm day at the train station as he and Tezuka accompanied Katsumi shopping. A sweet morning that quickly turned sour. Although a distant memory, it felt like yesterday when Fuji had his heart torn into two. He froze, recalling the screeching train brakes and Tezuka's confession. It never made much sense to Fuji. He considered him and Tezuka to have a close relationship. Or something close enough to be aware of unspoken truths. He was certain that Tezuka was aware of his feelings for Katsumi. However, it was never clear if Tezuka harbored those same feelings.
Opening the door, Fuji pushed away the flashback. There were many details he didn't understand but one fact remained - he was in love with Katsumi and he never wanted to see her in pain.
"Katsumi?"
She was lying under a heap of covers, her face confined to a pillow. Walking further, the boy tried again.
"Katsumi?"
Fuji hesitated then gently rubbed her back. Her sobs burst out into louder cries as she shrank deeper into the covers. He frowned. There was no way he could reach her at this state. Fuji propped himself close to the cocooned Katsumi. He sat, looking up at the ceiling, searching for words to calm his weeping schoolmate.
"G-go, go away," Katsumi instructed. Though her voice carried no firmness at all. She gripped tighter to her pillow. The only image replaying in her mind was Tezuka. Tezuka Kunimitsu – his mysterious deep gray eyes, his gentle touch and those stolen sweet moments. She felt special that only she was able to see the captain and his rare smiles.
Katsumi cringed at just the thought. I don't know what I did wrong! What mistake did I make? She buried deeper into the heap of covers. Though Fuji would not give up. Determined, he tried again. The brown haired male reached out touching Katsumi's small hand.
"Katsumi?"
His gentle touch caused the young red head to peer up. Her green orbs pleaded in pure pain. Fuij wiped a single tear with his index finger.
"If you cry so much, your face will be all puffy," Fuji exaggerated puffing up his cheeks. A faint smile curled at Katsumi's lips. She blinked, spilling more tears, only for them to be whisked away by Fuji's delicate fingers.
"F-Fuji." She sucked back a hefty number of sobs before uttering more words. "Tez-Tezuka, he," Katsumi's voice choked on her tears.
With his usual warm smile, Fuji welcomed Katsumi into his arms, "Sssh. No need to explain," Fuji assured; though a part of him was pained by Katsumi's use of honorifics. He hoped she would call him by his first name as she freely did with Tezuka.
"F-Fuji, I'm sorry," she wailed clinging tightly to the young male's shirt. He stroked her back to sooth her cries.
"It's alright," he hummed. Katsumi buried her face into Fuji's shirt, quieting her sobs. A piece of her was happy that this person comforting her was Fuji. A shiver slid down Katsumi's spine as she let out a sigh.
I hear his heart beat.
She scrunched her brow, concentrating on the beat set forth by Fuji's heart.
It's so soothing.
Ba-dum ~ Ba-dum
Ba-dum ~ Ba-dum
It was like a spell, a bewitching reverberation that captured Katsumi immediately. Her breathing slowed to its more natural pace. A smile adorned Fuji's lips as he stroked her red hair. His fingers intertwined with her scarlet curls, her fragrance luring his heart closer. Pressing her ear closer to his chest, Katsumi clung tighter to Fuji, her arms enveloping his waist. The sound rocked Katsumi between consciousness and sleep.
Ba-dum ~ Ba
There was a slight pause and then,
Dum...
Did his heart... his heart…
Fuji cheeks flushed a deep crimson as he rubbed the lower tip of nose, feeling quite embarrassed. He stroked her hair once again then clung tightly to her. A fresh scent of sakura filled his nose. He was quite grateful she had fallen asleep. He closed his eyes, embracing Katsumi's sleeping figure. Fuji chuckled to himself. On and off the court, this tennis prodigy's smiling façade always concealed his true feelings. It would be his own heart to betray him.
If Katsumi had been awake, she would have noticed.
Fuji blushed harder. When would he have the heart to tell her how he felt?
"Katsumi," Eiji noticed her crying had subdued and approached the door with a tea tray. "F-Fuji!?" he jolted back in surprise. The brown haired male returned Eiji's gaze with a smile.
"I said if you left her alone, she'd just cry."
"Yea, yea. And you also told me to make her tea," Eiji exclaimed, entering the room. He glanced at his sleeping sister then at Fuji. "Now I made all this for nothing."
"Not necessarily." Fuji tucked Katsumi into her covers. "I'll take that off your hands."
Eiji's head tilted in question, "Weren't you just holding my sister?"
Airi's few words:
"When pressured, people tend to choose the decision that is best fitted to the situation, but they usually realize later on, that it was a mistake." – Tezuka Kunimitsu
I got a thesaurus for Christmas. Can't you tell?
Revised: 30 January 2015
**Fixed grammatical errors**
**Attempted to make characters less OOC**