Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis. I only own the plot and the separator lines.
Raft
Chapter 1
"Kunimitsu, what do you think about rafting?"
If the target of the asking was not Tezuka Kunimitsu, 24 going on 25 years old, an absolute stoic rising professional tennis professional and the manager advisor of a grand new tennis center as well; maybe he would be bewildered by the random question.
"It's quite enjoyable," the bespectacled man's answer was short and efficient as always.
"Is it nice to go rafting this weekend?" Fuji smiled while playing with his wheat bread.
Tezuka frowned. "We got to go to a river then."
"Saa…" the unreadable smile kept plastered on the tensai's angelic feature. "I'm actually thinking about rafting on the sea."
"Why all of a sudden?"
"It has been a long time since our last vacation," Fuji pouted a little. "Moreover, I'm sure we can learn much from rafting."
Not fully comprehending, Tezuka just shrugged it off and retrieved a black leather bound agenda from his workbag. The bespectacled man opened his schedule for the week.
"It seems that my weekend is free."
Fuji's face glowed as he stood up to kiss Tezuka's cheek, "Glad to hear that. Thank you, Mitsu."
When you smile, you're my sun, brightly shine
Even miles I will run, you're in my mind
Switching the lights on, Fuji frowned when he found out that Tezuka wasn't home yet. The cerulean-eyed man eyed the big clock on the wall. 9.30 PM.
Fuji made his way to their bedroom and shoved a large white envelope he had been bringing all along into his private closet. Letting out a heavy sigh, Fuji went out of the bedroom and was heading for the kitchen when he heard a 'click' noise from the door.
"Tadaima."
"Mitsu," the slim lad immediately put on his cheerful demeanor. Approaching his beloved in light steps, Fuji took Tezuka's outer suit. "Okaeri. Have you eaten dinner?"
"Hn," there came the monosyllabic answer. "Have you?"
"Yes," Fuji answered in a singsong voice. The truth was he had not, but since he had no appetite to do so, he simply said otherwise. The other seemed too tired to notice this lie. "You seem very exhausted, Mitsu. Did Atobe give you another hard work?"
Along with his growing tennis career, Tezuka was recruited by one certain Atobe Keigo to be the manager advisor in his newly opened tennis center. The bespectacled man understood that career in sport could not go very long; therefore he needed another job to secure his and Fuji's future.
"Aah," the asked man excused himself to the study room. Fuji sighed softly once Tezuka was out of hearing range.
Always busy now, aren't you, Kunimitsu? The pair of sapphire eyes never left the way Tezuka walked just a minute ago.
Fuji understood very much that Tezuka only did what he could to give them both a comfortable life. He couldn't help but feel that along with the fame that spread its webs around them, they somehow failed to see what 'convenient life' really meant to them: not wealth, not popularity, but togetherness.
No wonder he was so eager about their upcoming little vacation. True, rafting was such a weird activity to do, regarding its romantic purpose. But he wanted both of them to learn that the bond called love which tied their feelings together was what made their once lonely souls strong enough to sail across the wavy ocean of life, in spite of any weather that threatened to drown their raft.
Because he didn't know how much time remained for them to treasure.
You're my weather
You are all I feel, all I think about
You're my wind, you're my cloud
Tezuka yawned for the fourth time in that hour. He glanced at the desk clock. 10.51 PM. God, how he'd loved to just throw himself onto the bed.
Into Shuusuke's arms, maybe, he thought amusedly despite his half-asleep mind.
As if on cue, the said fair-haired man appeared on the doorway. He opened the door and walked so quietly that Tezuka didn't realize his presence until slender arms made their way around his neck, "Can't it be enough for today?"
"I still have many things to work on, Shuusuke."
"Well then, cheer up a bit, Mitsu," Fuji smiled while resting his chin lightly on Tezuka's right shoulder. "Tomorrow is weekend already. We can go at noon if you don't feel like waking up early," he chuckled warmly. "I've bought a lot of food on the way home."
Tezuka frowned a bit, "What are you talking about?"
Fuji was taken aback by the question. He loosened his hug and stood up straight. "You… forget?"
The young manager advisor didn't immediately answer. He racked through the work-free spaces in his brain to find the forgotten appointment.
"Ah," something clicked in his mind. "The rafting thing?"
"Aah," a small uncertain smile graced Fuji's lips. "You… can manage it, right? You promised me, Mitsu."
Tezuka reached for his agenda that was lying innocently on the further corner of his desk. The bespectacled ex-captain took a deep breath and guilt started to form. "I have to meet the manager, Hiyagi-san, to discuss a problem."
The tennis pro turned around in his chair and looked up to find a shaken-by-rage Fuji.
"Shuusuke…"
"You wrote your appointment with your colleague in your agenda because you don't want to forget, right? Yet you forgot your appointment with me that easily. What do I mean to you?!"
Tezuka was rather shocked by the harsh reaction he got from Fuji. True, it was his fault, but why did Fuji suddenly become so emotional? Usually he would only get a pout and some afterward teases.
"Shuusuke, listen, I apologize. I will make it up to you next time…"
Fuji mused sarcastically. "When is that next time, actually?"
"Shuusuke…" Tezuka tried his best to be patient. He was very exhausted with all his works and this argument drained him more. "I'm sorry…"
But Fuji seemed merciless. "Am I that unimportant compared to your works, Tezuka?"
Unable to suppress the growing emotion inside his tired mind, Tezuka snapped, standing bolt upright before he knew it, "Just what the hell happened to you, Shuusuke?! Cool your head down! You know that now career is my top priority!"
Fuji looked like he was just slapped. Eyes wide with anger, sadness, disappointment and other mixed emotion; he spoke heartbrokenly, "Thank you for your answer, Tezuka."
With that, Fuji turned and left with a bang on the door. Soon, Tezuka found himself slumping in his chair. His works, which wasn't appealing from the beginning, now looked disgusting to him.
In the meantime, Fuji slumped at the corner of the kitchen. A tear escaped his sky-blue eyes. He felt exceptionally sentimental tonight.
Must be that damn visit to the doctor, he mused inwardly. I shouldn't be so harsh to Mitsu. He is tired too…
Fuji knew that Tezuka normally wasn't that negligent and that Tezuka had a load of works. But he had endured enough being second to Tezuka's career. He recalled Tezuka once said that he worked for the sake of them both. For the sake of Fuji. Now that he had neglected Fuji for his works, what did he work for?
Can't he see the limited time we have to spend together? Fuji asked himself.
Of course he cannot, you idiot, for you never told him… A voice in his head answered.
He stood up shakily, brushing away the last of his tears. Trying to endure the splitting headache that attacked all of a sudden, he walked snugly to the counter and started to make a cup of coffee.
Your tears are my rain
Even when it's sunny outside
Tezuka strolled back to the study after a short refreshing visit to the bathroom. There he spotted a cup of coffee sitting on the desk. He eyed the seemingly innocent cup warily. He'd spent a decade on learning about what the tensai could do when he was upset.
The dark liquid looked as nicely as usual, he concluded while stirring. No suspicious solid element, no weird smell, no floating half-dead object, no unusual colour… He immediately felt guilty for suspecting his lover; it was just Fuji's normal coffee he always favored. His eyes softened more when he spotted a small note under the cup.
/Gomen, ne…/
He reached for his agenda and wrote on the first free weekend available.
/Go rafting with Shuusuke./
He finished his works after an hour or so, took a quick bath and went to their bedroom. He smiled fondly at his sleeping lover. Real, his honey-haired lover looked so adorable and rather vulnerable.
Tezuka creased his forehead a little, realizing how Fuji seemed to have lost weight. He slapped himself mentally. How could I be so negligent concerning Shuusuke?
Bending to kiss the tensai's forehead, Tezuka was taken aback. There were trails of dried tears on his lovers' pale face. Feeling guilty all over, he kissed Fuji's eyelids instead.
"I'm sorry, Shuusuke…"
When you cry, you're my rain, storming hard
I will try, ease your pain, you're in my heart
Tezuka woke up the next morning to find the other part of the bed unoccupied. Frowning, he searched all over the house only to find breakfast, a bento box, a note and a large white envelope on the dining table.
He grabbed the note. There Fuji wrote: /Don't push yourself too hard. Don't forget to eat./
Smiling slightly, Tezuka reached for the bento box. The contents were extravagant and arranged artistically. He assumed that the excessive food was what Fuji bought for rafting.
His inside lurched at the thought. He felt the need to see his lover as soon as possible, if only to embrace and thank him for the wonderful lunch. To apologize and promise him the awaited vacation he would give his everything to bring real.
His gaze wandered to the big envelope wonderingly before realizing that it was a medical check-up result from hospital. A frown appeared. What does this mean?
He soon found the answer as he read the content. At the end, he dropped all the papers and scan result. Tezuka grabbed the edge of the dining table, for his legs had forgotten how to stand, his lungs had forgotten how to breathe and his heart had forgotten how to beat.
"Shuusuke…"
At times without you, I always wonder
How could one feel cold in spite of summer?
A/N: "Shuusuke…" …what? Haha –getting stabbed-
Meant to be one-shot, but because of my tendency to write a horribly long story, it's divided into two.
Thank you for reading and let me know what you think, 'kay? ;)