AN: It's 20 minutes to midnight. Let's see how fast I can write a short drabble XD –giggles- AND OMG. I WILL UPDATE THE OTHER FICS EVENTUALLY I SWEAR. -SOBS-
Disclaimer: ...Yes. I totally own PoT. -sighs- Don't I wish?
Summary: It's Tezuka's birthday, and Fuji's prepared a small surprise for him.
th
When Tezuka walked into the tennis clubhouse that morning, he knew something was wrong. He wasn't sure what, but, aside from his entire team actually being there before him, something was out of place. Something so small he shouldn't have noticed it, but he did. Keeping an ever stoic expression, he gazed over his team. Kikumaru was latched tightly to Oishi, as Inui threatened them with a new concoction that had a faint, green glow radiating from it. Kawamura was between Kaido and Momoshiro, effectively keeping the two from launching at each other. Echizen was moving about in his usual half-asleep stupor, listening to Horio, Kachiro and Katsuo only vaguely.
Then it hit him. His entire team wasn't there. Fuji was missing. He hadn't been greeted by the ever taunting smile, nor given his daily embarrassing as all Hell greeting. Trying to keep his voice level and not sound worried, he turned to Inui, "Where's Fuji?"
The data player turned, stared a moment, then went for his notebook, setting his radiating drink on a nearby bench. Kikumaru filled in, tilting his head in innocent confusion, "Fujiko said he was going to meet you…." Tezuka shook his head and the third years exchanged a worried look. Fuji rarely got side tracked, especially in matters concerning Tezuka. The underclassmen didn't seem to realize the severity of that, and Momo shrugged, "Maybe he ran into someone from another school. He always side tracks when he runs into his brother or Mizuki-sempai, right?"
"Perhaps." Inui drawled, scribbling theories in his "special" notebook he reserved for personal relationships, "Or perhaps he purposefully got sidetracked. What's today?"
"October 7th." Oishi answered in uncertainty, then blinked and the third years, sans Tezuka, let out a collective sigh of relief.
Momo and the seventh grade trio exchanged a look, "….So?" Echizen had already retreated to warm-up, having long lost interest in the conversation.
"…Baka." Kaido rolled his eyes, seeming annoyed he was the only one between himself and Momo to remember such a date, "It's buchou's birthday. Fuji-sempai wouldn't miss today unless he had a reason."
"….I knew that." The other second year muttered, quickly fleeing before Kaido could argue. Kaido made up for it by following him out, still muttering Momo's stupidity under his breath. One by one, the third years followed, ending with Kawamura, who turned, timidly, to Tezuka.
"You shouldn't worry…Fujiko knows what he's doing…."
"Aa." Was the only offered response, as Tezuka slowly sank into a bench. He had completely overlooked his own birthday…and was vaguely surprised that Fuji had remembered, though he then reminded himself it was Fuji…and Fuji was…well, Fuji. He couldn't think of a way to describe the tensai effectively at the time and was content with getting changed until he could figure it out.
Fuji never did return. Kikumaru admitted, during afternoon practice, he hadn't seen the tensai once all day. Inui kept to his theory of Fuji doing something special for Tezuka's birthday, and most everyone agreed. Except for the person in question. The captain merely kept a stone set face and gave his usual orders. It felt empty to him, without having his equal opposite. Fuji was everything he wasn't. Outgoing, always smiling…even if it was a mask, it was more than Tezuka could admit to himself. He was introverted, expressionless…almost stone. He held in a sigh, and resumed his captain-esque duties over the team, soon releasing them, as he realized he couldn't focus, nor give a decent practice without his entire regular team there.
Everyone had filed out as they usually did. Oishi had excused himself, with Kikumaru bouncing behind him, whining about wanting a treat for beating Momo and Echizen by himself in a two-on-one game, leaving Tezuka to lock up. But, he stayed a bit longer, hoping, somewhat, that Fuji would show up and say it had all been a joke. He soon realized it wasn't happening, and began walking home. The bus ride was silent, eerie almost, as he was use to having Fuji chatter away at his side. He hadn't realized just how much of his schedule revolved around the tensai until that point. He then decided he was going to check on him. Something was out of place, and his curiosity, to his subconscious surprise, won out in wanting to know what.
When he got to Fuji's house, he didn't even have to knock. Yuuta threw the door open, nearly hitting the older boy and was storming out. He stopped though, at the sight of Tezuka, gritted his teeth together and pointed towards the stairs, "Aniki's expecting you. Tell him I'm going to kill him." He continued off without even an inkling of explanation.
A familiar throb was returning to Tezuka as he scaled the stairs. He had noticed, as he was setting his bag and shoes at the front door step, that no one else was home. There had been no cars in the drive way, and the youngest Fuji had just left…which meant his had obviously planned something. He had barely reached Fuji's door when he heard the voice on the other side, taunting as always.
"You don't have to knock, you know."
Tezuka twitched, if only for a moment and pushed the door open slowly. Fuji was sitting lotus style on his bed, with a bouquet of nine roses held loosely in his arms, that rested over his lap…and from what the captain could tell, wasn't wearing anything. He fought back to urge to blush and tried to keep eye contact.
"…You skipped."
"I did."
"Why?"
Fuji laughed a bit, causing the vein in Tezuka's forehead to throb once more, and hiss, "Fuji."
"I think it's obvious. I was finding you a present."
At that, the captain stared. He couldn't be serious. He wasn't serious.
"…You're serious."
"Of course. Before you start lecturing me, I can catch up easily. We both know that. …Besides." A wicked grin had spread across the angelic features, "I wanted to see how badly you would panic. I'm sure I'll get all of the details from Eiji during class." He laughed, again, at the twitch the answer received, and held out the roses, revealing he was indeed stripped completely, "Happy Birthday."
Cautiously, Tezuka took the roses, still trying, and temporarily maintaining eye contact, "…You know I don't really care for plants."
"I know. But those are special. And you're going to take care of them, even if you give them to your mother to do so." Fuji drew his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on them lightly, and keeping his eyes on Tezuka as he explained each rose, "The yellow one…is delight. For you coming back…and saying I care. The pink and orange one, are my gratitude and pride. You've never given up once, you have no idea how proud any of us are for that… The pink one also goes with the purple one. They say purple ones stand for love at first sight…and the pink one is saying thank you for that. Red and white represent pure, eternal love. The blue and orange, together are hopes for future opportunities and desire. I think they're rather fitting."
Tezuka nodded slowly, then looked down at the bouquet and counted them quietly. "…There are nine."
"Hm?"
"There are nine roses. You didn't signify the black one. I thought it was for death."
"Aa. It is." Fuji smiled, "But it's also for resurrection. While it is saying "good bye", it's only saying so to the old you. The one that was afraid of losing tennis. You have more than that now…or I should hope so."
At that, the captain stared, wondering if the tensai was serious about the last line. Carefully, he set the roses on the desk and walked over, sitting on the bed and pulling Fuji into his lap, "You'd actually question that?"
"Mmm…no." The smile turned coy, and the tensai wrapped his arms around his captain's neck, "But I knew it would get you over here Admit it. I'm the perfect present."
Tezuka merely answered with a kiss.
Post AN: ah-hahahahahahaha. No smut for you! …I kid. I'll do smut later. It's 12:30...hahahaha. fifty minute drabble, and I have to work at noon tomorrow. Night all.
...Omg. If anyone knows other birthdays from Prince of Tennis that AREN'T in Fudomine, Seigaku or Hyoutei? PLEASE SEND THEM. I'm trying to get everyone!