Fic Type: Ficlet, Future, Drama, Fluff
Pairing: Perfect Pair, Tezuka Kunimitsu X Fuji Syuusuke
Warning: Fluff, BL/Shounen-Ai, Slash
Rating: T


Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Oujisama (Prince of Tennis/TeniPuri/LOVE). Konomi-sensei does (bless his soul!). I do not earn anything from this aside from pure, unadulterated pleasure.


Summary: Seniors are graduating high school from Seishun Academy. People become nostalgic, especially the pillar of Seishun tennis club, Tezuka Kunimitsu. One certain blue-eyed genius also seems to be finding it hard to accept that things were about to change.


CLOUDS

"Oi, Tezuka!" Kikumaru Eiji cheerfully greeted the newcomer. "We're assigned to clean the clubroom. Do you need to get anything inside before we start?"

Tezuka shook his head lightly, still not knowing how to ask Kikumaru without raising suspicion. Well, more suspicion, that is. Once or twice he'd accidentally overheard people wondering about the closeness he and Fuji shared, a closeness that seemed too intimate, one said. True, no one had anything more concrete than speculations but the fact that some actually noticed enough to become curious meant that somehow Tezuka or Fuji or both had let their guards down. Maybe their charade slipped like a glance too long or a touch too lingering.

It wasn't that Tezuka was ashamed of the depth of their friendship - far from it. Although at most times Fuji could be too much for even him to handle, when his friend was feeling kind and generous, he could be the sweetest angel. Tezuka was sure that his friends would be as understanding and supportive like they were with Kikumaru and Ooishi so he wasn't worried about that. He was just afraid of disappointing his family. His heart would break if his mother became sad about his… preference but she's a mother after all - surely she'll accept the person Tezuka chose to be with. Above all, however, he didn't want to let his father and grandfather down by killing the Tezuka bloodline.

Tezuka knew that Fuji, on the other hand, was all for telling the world that they were together but because of Tezuka's worries of not being accepted by his family, Fuji never once asked Tezuka about it. Yumiko, Fuji's older sister, knew about them. Fuji said that she'll eventually find out one way or another, anyway, what with her psychic- and Fuji-reading abilities so Tezuka didn't object when Fuji set up a dinner for the three of them so he could 'officially introduce Tezuka as his boyfriend.' Tezuka mentally winced at the word as he did that time. He didn't like labels but it was the closest, least cheesy way of describing what they were to each other so he didn't comment on it before. He was just thankful that Fuji didn't call him something like 'better half,' 'my destiny,' or 'my soul mate.' Also, there had been knives on their table and he didn't want Fuji to ruin his beautiful shirt by murdering an insensitive and tactless Tezuka.

It has been almost two years since that dinner and until now, all Fuji could do was wait. Tezuka was afraid that sooner or later Fuji would grow tired of keeping things between them a secret and the bespectacled captain didn't know what he would do come that day. Maybe he had a few more years, or their entire lifetime or another day or two, until he was forced to choose between Fuji and his family (and pride), but for his sanity's sake, Tezuka hoped it wasn't in the foreseeable future.

"That was a good parting speech, Tezuka." Ooishi offered, peering tentatively at him. "Momo and some others were so touched they couldn't help but cry."

"Oh? Just Momo and some others?" Kikumaru poked Ooishi's cheek. "I'm sure I saw your eyes swimming in tears, too, Ooishi!"

His vice-captain scratched the back of his egg-shaped head and muttered something Tezuka didn't catch.

"Ha! Don't even try denying!"

"Ah, Kikumaru," Tezuka spoke before Kikumaru could continue teasing the already flushed Ooishi. "Haven't you seen Fuji before practice?"

"Eh?" The question immediately distracted his cheerful teammate. He was Fuji's best friend after all. Surely he'd noticed and worried that the blue eyed genius was missing. "No... We had English together after lunch but I haven't seen him after that."

Tezuka turned to the other half of their Golden Pair who answered the captain's questioning look with a frown. "I don't share any class with him so I saw him last during lunch."

"You think something's up?"

"I hope not." Tezuka adjusted his glasses to hide his discomfort at Kikumaru's question. Since the beginning of afternoon practice, he's been pushing the idea that something bad had happened as far away from his mind as possible. But having been brought up now, Tezuka couldn't ignore the feeling in his gut as effectively as before. "He told me he was meeting someone from the photography club. Maybe they developed pictures and lost track of time."

"I guess you're right." Kikumaru said though he didn't look convinced. He glanced at his partner who nodded at the silent request. Seigaku's acrobat then turned to Tezuka.

Before Tezuka could utter his agreement, he heard a faint beep-beep from somewhere nearby. He knew that sound. Not a second later, it was followed by a less faint scuffle of cloth and scraping of something solid on metal.

Tezuka knew he only had a few moments to spare. He had to 'get rid' of the Golden Pair if he wanted to catch the person deliberately or unintentionally (he couldn't always tell) spying on them.

"You go on ahead. I'll take over for you."

Ooishi might have expected Tezuka to take their place but it didn't mean he was any less embarrassed. "Are you sure, Tezuka? I mean, we could just ask other people from our block."

"It's fine." Tezuka faced the redhead. "Just inform me when you've found him." He said with a ring of finality.

"Thanks, Tezuka." Kikumaru said as he pulled Ooishi's arm, probably fearing Tezuka would assign them laps if they didn't leave sooner.

Inspiration struck him. Before he could deliberate further on the possible effects of his idea, he called after his teammates' backs. "Tell him there are fifty laps that have his name on them."

Kikumaru visibly cringed at what he said. The partners wheeled around to say 'yes' then hurriedly walked away.

Tezuka locked the clubroom again and pocketed the key. He pulled his cellphone out and typed a quick message. A few seconds after hitting the send button, he heard another beep-beep.

He smiled to himself and circled to the back of the clubroom where an old step ladder had never been removed. He used to find Echizen dozing off on the roof of their clubroom when they were still in middle school when the roof deck of the school building was locked. This was the last place Tezuka would have thought Fuji would be and his the tensai probably knew that. Good thing, luck was on his side.

"I found you."


Stay there.

Tezuka's text messages, like his spoken words, were characteristically short and direct. Annoying, too. This one also had that commanding 'tone' that Fuji didn't dare disobey. He had ample time to sneak off while Tezuka, Kikumaru and Ooishi were talking even when he slipped and made such a racket. He was just an arm's reach away from the ladder when his damned phone alerted him of a message that was unwelcome even if it didn't expose his not-hiding place.

Syuusuke, father says it's final.

His sister's text was, like Tezuka's, short and annoying though totally out of character. Fuji Yumiko liked to elaborate even it meant that her messages would be fragmented into, usually, three or four texts. It was indirect, too, but Fuji knew what his sister was talking about and it didn't improve his mood. Hopefully, seeing Tezuka could make him feel better and forget about his father's decision.

"Fuji," Tezuka said the moment his head popped up and cleared the roof, greeting and reprimand at the same time.

"Tezuka." Fuji enunciated every syllable matched with a daring smirk. Really, they were alone. Couldn't Tezuka at least call him properly? Keeping their relationship a secret was starting to get old. He understood Tezuka's reasoning but that doesn't mean he's a hundred percent okay with it.

Tezuka adjusted his glasses like he always does when he's uncomfortable and touched Fuji's arm as he lowered himself into a sitting position. "You're it."

Taken aback, Fuji snickered. Tezuka rarely ever made jokes that when he does, Fuji is filled with triumphant pride that his captain only does when with him. His secret Tezuka. Fuji tilted his head to one side and cocked an eyebrow. "I didn't know I was hiding."

"Weren't you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Fuji muttered to himself. Leaning forward, he propped his head on intertwined fingers and smiled in a teasing way that made Tezuka catch his breath. "Do I really need to run fifty laps for hiding?"

"Only if you were." Tezuka's eyes slid from Fuji's face to the cellphone lying on the roof. "But I don't think so. You're anything but careless. If you'd really wanted to not be found, you would have made sure everything was in order... like putting your phone in silent mode. But you didn't; you were waiting for that message."

Fuji bit his lip. It was one thing for Tezuka to ask questions to keep Fuji talking but quite another when he really would like an answer. Fuji might redirect, change subjects but he never said an outright lie to Tezuka. He couldn't and wouldn't. That was one of the countless signs that told him that Tezuka to him wasn't like anybody else. Although there wasn't any question in his last statement, Tezuka's unspoken curiosity was slowly stirring into a tension between them. But Fuji didn't know how to tell him...

Fuji put on a carefree smile. He was about to tell Tezuka not to worry about it but the tennis club captain sighed and spoke first. "You know you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Fuji's smile melted into a pout. He stared at his hands instead of Tezuka's eyes. "It's not that."

"It's all right." Fuji looked up and saw that Tezuka meant it. That, and a tiny smile. "You're entitled to some secrets."

"You say that but you're really curious, aren't you?"

The faint yet palpable shift in Tezuka's features took Fuji's breath away. Tezuka's brown eyes were staring into Fuji's azure ones with such intensity that color burned in the genius's cheeks and made him feel warm all over like marshmallows melting in an open fire. He had to remind himself that he needed air if he wanted to continue drowning in the depths of Tezuka's eyes. He also had to consciously make his eyes blink but those few split-seconds didn't cut the trance Tezuka put on him.

"Naturally." Tezuka said after the extended pause.

Huh? Fuji snapped back into reality with a painful thud. Trust Tezuka and his stupid one-liners to ruin the moment.

Naturally what?

It took Fuji a few moments and a dozen mental shakes to remember what they've been talking about before Tezuka stared the wits out of him. Oh. Naturally, he was curious dammit. Fuji was irritated that Tezuka didn't even give any reason why he was 'naturally' curious.

It's not that Fuji wanted Tezuka to be like Kikumaru and declare his feelings every few minutes. That wouldn't have been his Tezuka the world might suddenly end due to that 'wrongness.' But would it have killed Tezuka to tell him that he was someone important? All Fuji wanted was some affirmation, even once, that their relationship wasn't just because of familiarity and convenience.

Fuji cursed at his own train of thought. This would make telling Tezuka all the more difficult. Of course he had to doubt Tezuka's feelings now because the looming separation wasn't hard enough to deal with.

"You look like you're about to punch someone."

Fuji laughed at the wary expression on his friend's face. Hearing Tezuka say that and seeing him worried about getting punched, by Fuji no less, eased some of the irritation Fuji felt. "Do I really?"

If not for the fact that Fuji treasured Tezuka's blushes as much as his rare smiles and even rarer jokes, he would have thought that the pink tinges on Tezuka's face were just a trick of the light. He took the chance to quickly grab his camera when Tezuka looked away. Right after he captured Tezuka's flushed face, his camera whirred as the film rewound. Lucky. I got one. Indignant Tezuka kept his eyes locked with Fuji's after glaring at the camera. "I've long since memorized your habits and tells."

"Oh?" Fuji took the film out and replaced his camera in its case. He can't wait to see how Tezuka's picture comes out. "That seems like a lot of work."

"Stop it, Syuusuke."

"I can't take a picture of my own boyfriend?" Fuji chose to ignore how Tezuka's shoulders tensed at the mention of the word 'boyfriend.' More than that, he purposely disregarded the butterflies in this stomach when Tezuka said his first name despite it sounding more like a scolding. "Besides, the film's all used up. See?"

Tezuka reached out and his fingers closed around Fuji's hand that held the film. "How many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to do that?"

Fuji was thoroughly confused now that he didn't even bother to think of a quip. "Do what?"

Tezuka sighed and gripped Fuji's hand tighter. "You don't have to put your defenses up. When you're with me, you don't have to hide or pretend."

I know, Fuji thought. Like when everybody thought he was doing fine after Yuuta transferred to St. Rudolph... Or every time his father left to go abroad for his work... Or when Tezuka said goodbye to have his arm fixed in Germany... There were numerous times, a whole drawer of memories, of Tezuka knowing how Fuji felt even though he 'd tried to conceal it. It was both touching and scary for Fuji but he treasured that connection deeply.

"I see through your masks anyway."

You say that but you deny me of the one thing I've longed for you to tell me.

It was surprising, even for Fuji, how his desire of strangling Tezuka and making out with him were of equal measure this moment. He had no idea as of yet which one he'll end up doing later but right now he was extremely annoyed. The scales tipped in favor of strangling his captain.

"Do you really?" Fuji couldn't completely disguise the irritation with his smile.

Tezuka's forehead furrowed then he let go of Fuji's hand. "Am I that annoying?"

Fuji's heart thudded in his chest at Tezuka's sudden absent touch. He's giving up already? "Hmm... I guess you really can read me."

At Fuji's words, Tezuka's lips thinned into a straight line. This usually amuses Fuji but this time it felt ominous. "This is going nowhere." Tezuka gave a small nod, straightened his back and looked right into Fuji's eyes but Tezuka's lost their usual glow. "I think I'd better leave you."

Fuji's heart stopped beating.


A/N

O_O