Chapter 1

Tezuka Kunimitsu never thought much about anything except school or tennis. So when his mother and father told him that his grandfather has passed away while he was in Germany, he ignored the fact until the end of nationals. He had stood by his decision but when he walked home that night after celebrating the Seigaku victory he fell to his knees in a park and started crying.

No one on the team knew about his grandfather and none of them witnessed his breakdown. Atleast that is what Tezuka thought.

Inui Sadaharu had been sitting on a park bench after he left Kawamura's Sushi when he heard a thud and heart wrenching sobs. Caught off guard he turned around and saw a sight that no one should ever see. The sight of your captain shattering into pieces. Inui couldn't fit the phenomenon in his data and sat frozen in place. He knew he couldn't just leave his broken captain and wait for him to pull himself together so he stood up and walked over to where he was kneeling.

It was a cold evening and he could see Tezuka wasn't shaking from tears alone, he unzipped his regulars jacket and crouched down placing the jacket around his captain. Tezuka struggled to stop the tears from flowing but failed everytime when a new wave came forward, his throat was feeling raw and he was freezing. He felt something warm being placed on his shoulders and looked up at the person, silent but with tears still flowing hotly down his cheeks. His eyes grew wide when he recognised the boy as one of his team members. Inui's chest became tight when he saw Tezuka's face upclose, he wondered what could have happened to the captain. He couldn't think of anything as he stared into his brown eyes and gave up on analysing it at the moment.

He was about to stand up and ask Tezuka if he should walk him home when the other grabbed his arm. Inui sighed and turned around, still crouching he told Tezuka to climb on his back. The other was in no state to walk and Inui concluded he wouldn't want anyone else to see him like this either. Tezuka saw Inui shift to stand up and grabbed his arm, the other side and instead turned around making the other even more confused. "Tezuka, you are almost frozen solid. Hurry up and get on so I can get you somewhere warm".

Hearing this Tezuka understood the gesture and moved forward slowly so he could do as Inui instructed. His sobs had stopped but his eyes were still letting out tears and his body shook in tremors. Inui stood up and felt Tezuka grip his shirt as if it was a life line. He stopped to retrieve their tennis bags and started to walk, leaving the park behind. He realised Tezuka lived farther away from the park and turned in the direction of his own house. His mother and father were surgeons so they mainly worked in the afternoons and evenings, leaving food and money for him. The lights were off signifying that they had an emergency call.

He unlocked the front door and carried Tezuka inside, taking the captain to his bedroom. He had just gotten to the top of the stairs when he heard soft snores. Tezuka must've fallen asleep when his crying stopped. He continued to his room and pulled the covers down before untangling Tezuka from his back and laying him down. Pushing up his glasses he pulled off the captain's shoes and folded his glasses neatly on the bedside table. He then covered the captain and headed downstairs to inform his parents that Tezuka fell asleep at the celebration and that he had taken him to his house.

Inui climbed back up the stairs and got dressed in his sleeping clothes. He then got into bed next to Tezuka after taking of his own glasses and turned the light of, still thinking of a cause for his captains heartbreak.

Tezuka woke up the next morning feeling comfortably warm, his nose was stuffy and his throat itched. He was about to roll off his bed when he bump into Inui and sent them both tumbling to the ground. Inui was awoken by an elbow hitting him in his chest end his head hitting the floor. He opened a bleary eye and saw Tezuka's outline above him. He didn't really need glasses but wore them in any case to improve his vision. Tezuka meanwhile discovered he wasn't in his room and had remembered the previous night, he moved off of Inui and held his hand out to pull him up. "I am very sorry Inui, for just now and the trouble I gave you last night." Tezuka apologised and bowed a bit to show his thanks.

Inui who was not a morning person frowned at Tezuka's behaviour, "Tezuka-san, you don't have to apologise or thank me. You would have done the same for someone else."

Tezuka felt his ears go hot and looked away, he was embarrassed about the previous night and the way he broke down. He still felt his chest ache when he thought about his grandfather and swallowed thickly. Inui observed his captain for a few seconds then padded over to his closet where he pulled out clothes that Tezuka could borrow. He turned back to him and handed him the bundle of clothes, "If you want, you can use the shower while I make breakfast? It's the third door down the hall on the right."

Glad that he could escape he accepted the clothes gratefully and left Inui's room. Inside the bathroom he peeled of his tennis uniform and got in under the shower spray. It wasn't long until he was leaning against the wall with tears leaking out his sore eyes once again. He had relived memories from when he was little of his grandfather and the floodgates came loose. He couldn't believe how he was acting, he felt weak and vulnerable. After a while he turned of the water and dressed in the clothes he was given after drying off. He hadn't even noticed tjat his glasses wasn't with him and tried to find the way back to Inui's room. Grasping the doorknob he wondered how he made it to the bathroom in the first place. Shaking his head he started off in the direction he hoped was the right one, he counted the silhouette of the doors he passed and entered the last one.

He must've guessed right and walked over to where he saw a bedside table. Once his glasses was on he went out again in search of Inui. It took him a while to figure out which door led to the kitchen when he was downstairs but soon found it. Inside Inui was dishing up. He looked up when he heard Tezuka walk in, " Take a seat, do you want some tea?"

"Ah, please."

Inui nodded and poored water into two mugs, "I let your parents know that you fell asleep at Kawamura's and that I let you stay over at my place."

Tezuka acknowledged the information silently and took a sip of the tea he was given.

His mind must have wandered because Inui had to touch his shoulder to get his attention. "Tezuka-san, what happened. You are not acting like yourself."

Inui saw guilt flash in his eyes, "It's nothing Inui, I will be fine in a few days."

"Tezuka," Inui urged, "You know I notice everything and you aren't being honest with me or yourself." Tezuka looked thrown of and actually thought about yelling at Inui, he was surprised at his own thoughts and looked down at his hands that was around his mug. He stayed like that when a pair of hands covered his own. "Hoi, Tezuka! Pull yourself together or at least let me help you shoulder the burden you are carrying. I've known you for years and I have never seen you like this. Not even when there was a chance that you couldn't play tennis anymore."

Tezuka looked up at Inui, his heart rate had picked up and he was breathing shakily.

"I- It's my g-grandfather..."

Inui looked at Tezuka carefully and waited for him to finish.

"He.. he uhm passed away a week before nationals.." Tezuka said quietly.

Inui could see him start to retract into his mind again and gave the hands he was still holding a squeeze. Tezuka looked up surprised at him, "I'm sorry for acting like thi-"

"Tezuka, don't think of saying that. You mean to tell me you have been blocking your emotions like this for almost a month."

Tezuka averted his eyes at the others words and tried to pull his hands away.

"Tezuka," Inui prodded but didn't receive a reaction, he sighed knowing that the captain had a stubborn streak and stood up to serve breakfast. He decided to keep at it with Tezuka, he would try to help the other heal. From the resistance he got a few moments ago he calculated that breaking through to the captain would take time and effort.

Tezuka felt Inui's hands disappear and pulled his own into his lap. He didn't want his teammate to pity him, he was strong and stay that way. His team needed him strong.

The two ate in silence, both avoiding conversation at the moment and stayed like that until Tezuka announced that he was going home and thanked Inui once more for his trouble. Inui leaned against the door frame and watched the now 'normal' looking captain. If only Tezuka wasn't so full of pride Inui would have an easier time. He sighed inwardly and closed his front door.

Tezuka felt Inui's gaze on him but willed his legs to keep moving towards his home. He would deal with this on his own.