Waiting, always will be

by akiyume kye

Disclaimer: I own pot… in my dreams. Bottom line- not mine.

Pairings: TezuFuji

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Chapter 1: Whirlpool

Everything had happened so fast.

Fuji's mind was a whirl before he felt an excruciating pain running through his whole body. As he drifted off into the never-ending darkness, he could faintly hear a voice of such familiarity calling out to him. Fuji reached out his hand to grasp in the direction of that lovely voice, but he could not summon the energy to do so. He tried to scream but nothing come out of his mouth. The last image to flash through Fuji's mind was that of his lover, and then, darkness enveloped him.

"Syuusuke!" Tezuka screamed frantically. His normally stoic face was replaced by one of panic and pain. As he held on helplessly onto the limp body in his arms, the captain of Seigaku gave in to tears despite the stares of passer-bys.

Rain fell from the sky, as if mourning for the tensai.

But no one could imagine the immense pain that Tezuka felt in his heart.

The rain continued to pour.

Tezuka could only hope.

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"Eiji, wake up! We've got to go for practice today." Oishi called out to a peacefully sleeping red head. Smiling, the fuku buchou reached out to his doubles partner. The Golden pair, they were called. Nudging his partner gently, Oishi watched as sleepy eyes blinked and stared up at him.

"Are? Oishi?" Eiji rubbed his eyes and looked up at Oishi. "Let me sleep a while longer nya. I was too upset to sleep last night because my sister used up my favorite toothpaste!" whined Eiji.

Amused, Oishi simply whispered into his ears, "You don't want Tezuka to make you run laps do you?" That was enough to fully awaken the cute red head. Jumping up and glomping his good friend, Eiji said, "Nya, hurry Oishi! I definitely don't want to run those laps!" He gave Oishi a pout before dashing off, leaving his partner smiling and shaking his head lightly.

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There were voices all around him, but he couldn't see anyone. He tried to stand up to reach out towards those voices but to no avail. What is going on? His mind screamed out into the darkness. Where was everyone? Where was… Kunimitsu?

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The wait was too much for Tezuka to bear. Shirt soaked in sweat and hands shivering, he waited in fear and anxiety.
Syuusuke, please hold on. I need you. Unable to control himself any longer, Tezuka collapsed into another round of tears.

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"Are? We're late, Oishi! Nya! I don't want to run those laps!" Eiji wailed. He could image Tezuka shouting from the courts for them to run 20 laps. Or would it be 30? 40? 100? Eiji cringed, waiting for Tezuka's voice to ring across the courts.

Strange, thought Oishi. Where was Tezuka? Oh, and Fuji too? Frowning, he stepped into the tennis club room. All the regulars except the buchou and tensai were already there. Glancing at his watch, Echizen smirked at the pair. "You're late." Oishi gave him a small, strained smile as Eiji jumped forward to glomp the younger boy.

He couldn't stop the uneasy feeling that was welling up inside him. Oishi just couldn't. That feeling kept growing stronger and stronger. Something was wrong.

Kawamura shyly stood up among the regulars and asked Oishi where Tezuka and Fuji were, but he had no answer. A wave of flustered thoughts ran through the whole room.

"There is a 99.9 percent chance that the both of them are together and.." Before Inui could finish, Eiji interrupted. "Nya! I feel that something isn't right! Oishi! Where are they?"

That ominous feeling gripped his heart and twisted it with its unseen claws. Oishi could only dread the worst as he waited on the ringing tone. Come on, pick it up Tezuka! Where in the world are you?

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His flushed face was expectant and hopeful as he rushed up to the sensai to ask about Fuji's condition. The doctor looked up at him, eyes full of defeat and remorse. "The patient… He…I'm so sorry. He is in a coma now. We can do no more."

As the news sunk in, Tezuka's face was devoid of any emotion. And then his eyes flashed with anger as he grabbed hold of the doctor and shook him with all of his might. Letting out an anguish scream, he fell limp onto the ground, cupping his hands over his face, wishing that it was all a dream.

Syuusuke. My Syuusuke. You said you'd be by my side forever. For eternity. But where are you now, my Syuusuke?

Where are you?

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Even Ryusaki- sensai had no clue as to where Tezuka and Fuji were. The regulars were tensed. Even Eiji wished Tezuka were here to give him those laps. Uncomfortable silence screamed in the courts. No one could hit a ball. No one could concentrate. It was just too disturbing.

Tezuka hadn't answered any of Oishi's calls, and neither had Fuji.

Hours passed by and practice was nearly over, yet neither of them had appeared. Their parents did not know where they were. No one knew.

Anxiety flooded the mother of Seigaku. Pacing to and fro, he muttered to himself continuously, reassuring himself that nothing was wrong, that they would be fine.

"Ringgggg! Ringgggg!" Oishi jumped at the sudden ringing of his phone. Tezuka!

"Tezuka! Where are you? I've been trying to…"

"Oishi… Fuji… He… There was an accident…" Tezuka's throat felt constricted. Nothing else could come out from his mouth. His heart was cracking. It was too painful.

The fuku buchou dropped the phone. The door of the club room was left opened as Oishi ran off to inform his team mates about… the tragedy that had befallen the always smiling tensai.

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Unsteady hands brushed through smooth, brown hair. Tezuka's eyes misted as he looked over Fuji.

His eyes and head had been bandaged. The wound on his back continued to bleed, soaking into the bed sheet beneath him. Countless tubes ran through Fuji's frail body. The monitors beeped occasionally.

Beep. Beep.
The room was spacious. Too spacious.

Beep. Beep.
The place was clean. Too clean.

Beep. Beep.
The air was fresh. But it smelt like death to Tezuka.

He may never see again. He may never walk again. He may never… wake up.

Syuusuke. Why? Why did you?

It should have been me.

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Seven mortified faces peered into the ward.

Oishi paced about.

Eiji was getting hysterical.

Inui dropped his notebook.

Momo stared in stunned silence.

Kawamura gapped in horror.

Kaidoh couldn't even make his trademark "fshhhh".

Ryoma's face was emotionless.
However, as he turned away from the window, there were tears welling up inside his eyes.
Fuji-sempai…

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The door creaked open and Tezuka froze his actions. Steeling his emotions, he looked up only to see seven worried faces of the Seigaku team. Despite trying his best to hide his sorrow, the tears that streaked his face were obvious enough to the rest.

Placing a hand on Tezuka's shoulder, Oishi broke the ice in stutters. "I… I… Err we…Oh Tezuka… I'm so sorry…"

Something in the captain snapped at that instant. He looked at Oishi blankly. Then he gave the fuku buchou a kiddish grin and started going from one member to the next, greeting them with smiles.

No. Tezuka, no!

Oishi panicked. Everyone panicked. They had never seen their beloved captain in this state before. He's snapped! Oishi thought sadly. He's really snapped.

After greeting everyone, Tezuka came over to Fuji's side and started shaking him.

"Wake up, little boy! Don't sleep so much! Hee. Come on! I want to play!"

Everyone was lost for words.

"Wake up, boy! I SAID WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" Tezuka started screaming. He wasn't thinking rationally anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. It was over. Fuji would never come back. He couldn't control himself anymore. No. He couldn't.

Everything he had had just disappeared the very moment he saw a pool of blood forming under Fuji on the road.

Everything he knew was flushed away the moment he heard about Fuji's condition.

Nothing mattered.

Not anymore.

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He felt awake, but still, he saw nothing. Everything in sight was black. Had somebody turned off the lights? Who was that that he heard telling him to wake up? He felt strangely detached from everything. He felt like he was floating.

His mind drew a blank. What had happened? He didn't know.

The only word that remained in his heart buried itself from view, refusing to reach his mind, creating a wall around it, so thick that it seemed impossible to penetrate through.

Kunimitsu…

To be continued...

Please R&R. Thanks.