A/N: Part one of a very long b-day present to Yukimura. Happy birthday, Seiichi, ILU!
Title: Of Sparkles and Feathers (1/?)
Rating: PG-16
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Yukimura Seiichi x Tezuka Kunimitsu (Heavenly Pair)
Genre: Romance/Drama
Warnings: AU, Christianity, twisted roles that shouldn't be there (eg. Master Angel), religion, boy love, lots of angst, and I'll put religion here again as an extra precaution.
Summary: Seiichi does what the child of God mustn't do – he falls in love with an angel.
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. It is the property of Konomi Takeshi.
Of Sparkles and Feathers – Chapter One
It was not a secret that Seiichi, the second child of God, was not fond of, and, at times, completely intolerant of angels.
Angels, after all, were humans whom Saint Peter had deemed righteous enough to have a pleasant afterlife. And even if Saint Peter deemed them righteous, they were still humans.
Jesus, Seiichi's older brother (now dead, thanks to those ungrateful, sinful humans), had had an extremely close relationship with Seiichi. So obviously Seiichi was enraged when he got the news that his beloved older brother was gone. Just like that. He was so enraged, in fact, that he locked himself in his cloud castle for weeks, crying.
Thus began the dislike for angels.
Thus this tale is really very ironic.
Seiichi was having a huge problem with the Master of Angels. In the case you may not know, sometimes the angels got rowdy and a little too crass – in which case the Master Angel would show up and put them in their place. He was also there to make sure that the angels got along.
The problem here was that the Master Angel had received a rather...unique new angel, and was requesting Seiichi's assistance with him. Even though he was fully aware of Seiichi's dislike for the species.
"But why me?" Seiichi protested. "I've more important things to do, and you never gave another angel this unneeded, overly extravagant, and possibly unwanted - " Here he stressed his syllables, gazing meaningfully at the other - "...sort of treatment.
"If it wasn't necessary, I wouldn't ask you," the Master replied simply. "But this one...Kunimitsu Tezuka, a Japanese...he's unlike any other angel we've had before."
Seiichi raised one arched brow, mildly intrigued. "How, exactly?"
Master Angel paused to think. "He's...well, he's not the most sociable person, and doesn't really talk a lot, but he plays an amazing game of tennis, and - "
"Get to the point, please," Seiichi interrupted politely.
"Alright." The Master sighed. "I don't know how to say this without it being too much of a shock. You...Seiichi, you know how the other angels...they've sinned before, but redeemed themselves enough to earn angel status after death?" Seiichi nodded, wondering where this was headed. "This...Kunimitsu never sinned."
Seiichi's eyes went wide. "Never? But...that's..."
"I know, it's nearly impossible. 0.007 percent chance of happening. The only thing that we frown upon up here that he did do is got angry. And it was only once..." the Master flipped through pages, searching for the proper documents. "A group of boys started harassing his friend, a girl named Chitose Miyuki. Still alive. But really, I don't think...getting angry is a natural feeling for humans, and I think all of us would also do it if a loved one was in danger."
"I want to meet him," Seiichi said suddenly. The Master looked up from his records. "I want to see what he's like...Kunimitsu Tezuka..."
Master Angel chuckled. "I'm just warning you now, Seiichi, he's not exactly friendly, and probably not what you're expecting. Tezuka is downright unsociable."
"...Why Tezuka and not Kunimitsu?"
"Japanese manners," the Master clarified.
"Oh." Seiichi nodded, absorbing this. Then he raised one shoulder. "I'm doing what you want, though, Renji, you should stop discouraging me."
Renji paused before answering. "...You know, Seiichi, you're still one of the only people up here who can correct me like that. Well, let's go."
The child of God eagerly acquiesced.
"Tezuka." Seiichi watched the angel shift its weight to turn – Kunimitsu looked between his late 20's or early 30's. Much older than him or Renji by any rate.
But then he turned, precisely one hundred eighty degrees, and Seiichi had to draw in a breath, regardless of the fact that heavenly beings did not require oxygen.
Because for someone who was supposedly so old, Tezuka was beautiful. Normal angels simply looked like they had in human form, retaining their hair and eye colour, except they received a halo, wings, and the traditional white garb.
As an angel who'd never sinned – the first angel who'd never sinned – his hair, eyes and even skin were tinted a gorgeous blue-white. The large wings sprouting from the sinewy plane of his back occasionally shed a feather, unlike the smooth, solid wings of the others, and his pale, muscular chest was bare – his lower body was concealed within a garment that vaguely resembled normal angel wear.
Tezuka's head was adorned with no halo, though one wasn't necessary – he already looked amazingly glorious without one. His hair flew around his face, artfully messy and shaded with a slightly paler white where highlights must've been during his previous life.
"He looks so different from the others," Seiichi said, staring even though all the manners he'd been taught screamed at him not to. "Like...almost like another kind of being, past angel."
"...Thank you," Tezuka said politely.
"This is Seiichi," Renji began to introduce. "He is the son of - "
Seiichi interrupted. "I'd rather you didn't, Renji. I have a mouth, I can talk." The Master furrowed his brow for a second before nodding, stepping out of the way.
He would never admit it aloud, but Seiichi far outranked him.
"As Renji there said, I am Seiichi," Seiichi calmly explained. "The child of God." If Tezuka was surprised, he didn't show it. This slightly miffed Seiichi, who was used to angels widening their eyes and hastily bowing down, gushing words of respect like a waterfall gushed out water. "If you know anything about Christianity – which you probably do, considering you're up here – you would've heard about my older brother, Jesus. Those books say nothing about me, though that is to be expected, considering I was born after Father's existence was revealed to humans." Tezuka nodded slowly and in understanding. "You are Kunimitsu Tezuka, right?" This time, Tezuka had somewhat...more of a reaction; he bristled. "...What, am I not correct?"
"In this language, you are," Tezuka seemed to consider something. "In Japanese, my native language, the surname precedes the given name, so I'm used to 'Tezuka Kunimitsu'...it's none of your fault, only my own habits."
"Ah." Seiichi laughed lightly. "Okay then...I was worried that the information that Renji had given me was incorrect. Because then I'd want to get my information from somebody else next time, and Renji's really the best when it comes to these things." The Master beamed at the recognition he was receiving.
Seiichi brushed a dark lock of hair back from his face. "So then, Kunimitsu, I'll need some - "
"I...this is probably rather impolite, so I apologize, but...Tezuka. Could you call me Tezuka?"
Renji made a face that vaguely resembled somebody rolling their eyes, though nobody here would know, because the Master's eyes weren't open. "Japanese manners, Seiichi."
"Right, I'm sorry, Tezuka." Seiichi shot an apologetic smile at the angel. "As I was saying, Renji and I will be watching over you for a while – I personally don't think we should subject you to the other angels, you seem very nice - "
"Seiichi, please. They're not that bad," Renji's tone was flat, despite his words; he sounded as if he had to say this line five times a day.
Seiichi waved dismissively. "You know how I feel about them. There's really no persuading me, Renji. Now, Tezuka, as your new guardian, I'll need to know the basic things about you...how old you are, for example. Renji probably already has it all in that book of his, but I want to be sure."
"I'm sixteen." If he were holding something, Seiichi would've dropped it. Or if he were drinking something, Seiichi would've spit it out. His eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped.
"I know, he looks so much older and mature," Renji complimented. "Very unexpected, isn't it, Seiichi – he's around the same age as we are - "
Seiichi's answer was actually nothing along those lines. "How did you die at the age of sixteen?!"
Tezuka glanced away sheepishly, as if he were ashamed. "Food poisoning..."
"Inui Juice," Renji added solemnly, but considering Seiichi had no idea what the potent drink was, it really didn't have the desired effect. He continued to impersonate a fish, trying hard to think up something to say.
"Speaking of...I have a question," Tezuka started hesitantly. "I had a friend who drank it too that day...Fuji Syuusuke, what happened to him?"
"Sinned too many times, went to Hell," Renji said darkly. "I personally didn't expect someone with as much virtue as you to be friends with the likes of him, but well. Surprises come with all of you angels."
Tezuka frowned. "Fuji was nice."
"That's what you think," Renji smiled.
"Sixteen. Died of food poisoning. Severely accustomed to a Japanese lifestyle. Anything else I need to know?" Seiichi finally asked, figuring that trying to continue the previous conversation was useless.
Tezuka paused, considering something. "...Obsessed with tennis."
Seiichi chuckled wryly. "I happen to be very good at that human sport...I'll play a few games now and then to satisfy you, then. Is that all?"
"Yes," Tezuka said enigmatically.
"...Seiichi, could I speak to you in private for a few minutes - " Renji started quietly, and Tezuka immediately started walking away, saying he'd be back when they called. Seiichi's lips twitched into a reluctant smile; so Tezuka, as an advanced angel, had the same insanely accurate senses as the heavenly beings that were above angel status.
"Yes, Renji," Seiichi sighed delicately, "I suppose you could."
Renji laughed half-heartedly at the little joke, sobering almost instantly and dropping his voice to a hushed whisper. "I've never heard him talk that much."
Seiichi winked. "Well, I'm more of a likable person. It's natural, Renji."
If not for the ranking order, Renji would've bopped him over the head.
End Chapter One