DISCLAIMER: I don't own Prince of Tennis. The plot of this story however, is mine.
Yukimura made a cursory glance at the Arts and Sciences building of Teito University. He received the note from the mysterious guy via nurse yesterday, and though he didn't recognize who the person was, Yukimura decided to devise his hospital 'escape' right after he'd read Tezuka Kunimitsu's name.
Hospital security in the hospital was commendably tight, but with just the right amount of acting and charismatic talk, he didn't have much of a problem getting out. Well save for a little bit of bribery he used on one of the head nurses, who seemed to have a crush on him. Yukimura inwardly grimaced on the thought of having a date with her. Not that she wasn't attractive. It's just that, women aren't particularly his preference when men as gorgeous as Kunimitsu Tezuka still exist.
He gracefully strode along the hallway heading to the faculty room, not minding the pairs of eyes he immediately manage to capture on his grand entrance. Yukimura felt pleased. He might have been paler and thinner than his usual self before he got sick, but his beauty seemed to be unaffected with the changes judging from the 'stares' directed at him by every being he passed by.
He saw utmost admiration on their eyes; men and women, everyone's under his trance, and Yukimura, being Yukimura couldn't be pleased more. He felt a strange feeling of being divine.
He knocked three times on the faculty's room, not hoping for anyone to answer so that he could easily sneak in without anyone noticing. The idea that Tezuka shared the room with some other professors under the same department was already a nuisance. And now isn't particularly the right time for him to explain himself in front of people should there be a teacher currently staying in.
He checked his watch when no one answered the knock and smiled. 12:15. All the teachers might've been out for lunch as of the moment.
'Perfect timing.' he thought.
He pushed the door knob and was slightly amused when the door actually opened. Surely, the teachers of this department are either so trusting on everyone else, or just so careless to leave their valuables available for thieves. In any cases, Yukimura considered it as a goodwill from god.
He went on locating Tezuka's desk and was delighted when he realized that the latter was assigned in a separate room, a personal office. He leaned in the glass window of the room and reread the gold-plated label on its table.
Prof. Kunimitsu Tezuka
(Photography Department Head)
Yukimura smiled and tried the door. Unlike the main door, it didn't open. Though disappointed, he expected as much. He diverted his look on the nearest desk just outside the room and picked the flexible colored clip which he then adjusted so that it straightened.
He knew this could be a crime, but he's left with no choice. He has to get in if he doesn't want to risk being seen by teachers other than Tezuka himself. He carefully inserted the adjusted clip in the keyhole and made few tries of twisting it. It only took him less than a minute before he heard the slight click on the opposite side of the door, indicating that the knob has been unlocked.
He smiled at himself and sighed as he pushed the door open and let himself in.
Tezuka knew something was wrong the moment he entered the main door of the faculty room and noticed that the curtains to his office have been drawn down. Some of the teachers under his department have already occupied their respective desks, oblivious to anything in particular, which means, they haven't noticed something unusual from the ordinary.
He casually walked to his cubicle, half-expecting something or someone to suddenly appear or lounge at him the moment he opened the door. Senggoku, the Media Studies professor occupying the desk nearest to Tezuka's personal office, eyed him in question when he noticed the latter's hesitation as he was about to open the door.
Tezuka gave him a nod, telling the other guy to mind his own business. And though hesitant, Tezuka pushed his door open, immediately getting in and locking it behind him. Tezuka had opted to pull the drapes of the window open had he not noticed the lithe figure that was slumped on his swivel chair.
The room was almost dark, and since the lights have been turned off, he had to blink several times to adjust to the dimness. He inched closer, realizing now that it was really a person slumped down on his chair, apparently asleep judging from the steady breathing that escapes from his lips.
With a careful and silent movement, Tezuka reached for the light's switch just behind the guy and turned it on.
What he realized next literally stopped his breathing. He gazed in shock on the figure just in front of him. How could it be possible?
Recovering from the initial shock, and fighting the urge to get out that instant, Tezuka swallowed the lump on his throat, and leaned in closer, carefully taking into details the features of the person in front of him. Though impossible, he tried not to let his judgment get past through what he was seeing.
He's real. Tezuka knew he's real; he could sense his breathing; he could smell the lavender aroma that arose from this person….from Senri.
Tezuka slowly raised his right hand to touch the dark-blue strands of the other's hair. Even if he didn't understand what the hell is going on, whether his eyes are casting some kind of tricks onto him, or whether this is just all a dream, he didn't know. He needed to make sure, that's for certain.
But just as he was about to reach for his hair, Yukimura made an uncomfortable sound close to a purr before slowly opening his eyes, which directly found their way to Tezuka.
"Kunimitsu…" Yukimura muttered dreamily as he slowly shifted from his previous uncomfortable position to look at straight at his subject. He made a fake gesture of fixing his hair before giving out one of his lovely smiles which renders almost everyone speechless. He hoped the magic worked the same with Tezuka.
When the other guy just stared at him in disbelief, Yukimura chuckled and tilted his head to the side, admiring the reaction Tezuka gave him.
He allowed some silent moments to get between them, giving the spectacled guy sometime to think. He knew the other needed much of it. But when Tezuka didn't say or do anything after a minute, Yukimura finally decided to speak.
"I know I look divine, but we really need to get down to business."
With that said, Yukimura stood up from where he was seated, moved closer to Tezuka and slightly pushed him so that his back touched the office door. Yukimura felt entertained by how the famous strict and stoic professor stared at him as if he wasn't real; as if he came from a completely different dimension where such existence couldn't be possible on earth. He loved the attention.
"Still speechless?" he teased.
Tezuka blinked away his confusion and tried to think straight despite the raging pool of questions flowing out of his brain. He needed answers. And he needed it NOW.
"S-Senri…" he whispered almost inaudibly. "How is this-"
But before he could finish answering the basic question that badly needs to be addressed, Yukimura had already silenced him with a deep kiss, wrapping his arms around Tezuka's neck.
Perhaps because of the shock, or maybe because of confusion, or maybe a combination of both, that Tezuka couldn't think of anything right to do than to stay still, immobile, as Yukimura continued to kiss him, encouraging him to give back the favor. And despite being the unresponsive, stiff, rock he had suddenly become, the other guy didn't seem to mind.
Satisfied with his formal introduction, Yukimura finally pulled himself away and gave one last peck on Tezuka's lips.
"Nice to see you again Kunimitsu." he started with a smile, arms still clung on Tezuka. "And it's Seiichi.."
As if being slapped point-blank, a frown creased on Tezuka's forehead, a streak of recognition, marring his hazel-eyes, as he processed the new wave of information he just received.
"Seichii.." he whispered.
"Perfect." Yukimura said, pleased, before releasing Tezuka and moving away to lean back on the other's desk. "I've expected you to recognize me earlier though."
"I..no..this doesn't make any sense." Tezuka said, almost to himself.
Of course he knew Senri has a twin; a female twin.
Yukimura rolled her eyes as he saw how Tezuka was still confusing him from his brother.
"Don't be stupid professor." he said in mock impatience. "My choice of wearing a girl's attire before doesn't make me anything close to being one. C'mon. Think."
Tezuka gaped.
"Are you telling me that Seichii Yukimura is…is a man?" he asked, feeling stupid, but more inclined to get some confirmation. He could feel a sudden rise of a familiar feeling of anger building up inside him, but decided to keep it suppressed. It's wiser that way.
Yukimura arched his brows and nodded with innocence.
Tezuka's reaction was one he didn't expect. The usual stoic professor actually snickered, gave out a chuckle as he slightly shook his head in disbelief.
"I…I don't know what to say." Tezuka admitted, massaging his temples as if relieving himself of a headache, but was more of a gesture to hide the sudden rise of heat on his cheeks.
Yukimura smiled. "I can understand. People say I look more like a girl than a man."
"Senri and you do. Your identical features are amazing."
The bluenette frowned. "Should I take that as a compliment?"
Tezuka shrugged.
"I feel stupid." Tezuka said, shaking his head.
While it's true that Senri and Seiichi are exceptionally identical, Tezuka had never doubted his ability to set aside one from the other. Few years back, when they were still in college, he hardly saw Seichii, who was studying abroad. In fact, he thought he only saw him in person once; during Senri's funeral; and he was dressed on a black dress, face veiled with a black satin cloth under wide black hat; a female Seichii.
Never did Tezuka suspect Senri's twin to be a guy. They hardly talk about Seichii, and when they occasionally did, they were all limited to shallow subjects such as the degree he was taking in college. They didn't even talk about their mutual interests as twins. And since Senri always preferred to call him Seichii, Tezuka didn't really mind finding out whether he was a 'he' or a 'she'. He saw no reason to.
"My brother sometimes says you could be unmindful of details." Yukimura said, seeing Tezuka's ebbing confusion as he recollected his thoughts. "Things of no importance." he added. It felt awkward to refer himself as someone of no importance, but Yukimura understood the situation well. That's exactly why he's here; to change perceptions.
"No that's…..never mind. You always kept your hair long before..if not in a pony tail, you let them hang loose. Senri had always kept the same hairstyle." Tezuka said. "..exactly the same with yours now." he added with a slight smile.
Yukimura frowned. "How did you know? I thought we only saw each other once."
"We did. But I know you on some childhood photos Senri had kept."
The bluenette mouthed a silent 'Oh', before smiling.
"So…." he started crossing his arms across his chest, and looking at Tezuka carefully. "You don't hate me now."
"I'm sorry?" Tezuka was aware of Senri's weird shift of thoughts before, and he had to admit he was surprised Seichii had the same kind of habit. So it really is theoretically possible for twins.
"The kiss. If my memory serves me right, you're not particularly in favor of upfront show of affection from other people. And you're straight."
Tezuka gaped, remembering for the first time the 'thing' that had transpired between them earlier. Thinking about it now, he felt awkward.
"Well…I guess we can call it an isolated case. Let's just forget it happened." he said diplomatically, unsure of himself if he'd ever forget the embarrassing incident, considering how he was currently biting the last shed of face he could ever muster in front of a 'special guest'.
Yukimura slowly nodded. "Alright. Deal."
He stood up and shook Tezuka's hand.
But feeling the need to make his intentions clear, Yukimura leaned closer and once again claimed Tezuka's lips in a deep kiss.
"On a second thought, I think it's better if you don't forget." he whispered.
Author's Note:
I actually learned a lesson on my last story (Why Not Yukimura); that if I seriously want to get a real deal with Tezuka and Yukimura, I better refrain from ever including Fuji on the story.
…and that's exactly what I'm going to do here..
Thanks for the read!
REVIEWS are highly loved!
(Whoa…just when I thought I'll finally get this over with on the 2nd chapter…I'm now thinking of the 3rd! Cool!)
See you on the next chapter!