To Anger Buchou

By Beletharatowen

Again. I don't own it. Just the plot. Hope you enjoy.

The day of the game

"It's raining," Eiji sighed. "I'm bored. Matches were postponed until tomorrow. Hey, Fuji, where are you going?"

"Out."

"Out where?"

"For a walk."

"But it's raining," Eiji whined.

"I brought an umbrella."

"Oh, well, I guess I'll see you later then."

"Why don't you and Taka-san visit Oishi and Tezuka? I'm sure they are just as bored as you are. Saa…see you around." Fuji walked out of his room and down the stairs. He nodded to the doorman before leaving. He opened his umbrella and started to walk. He needed time to think. Why had he told the others that he loved Tezuka? His long-kept secret was in danger of being spilled. The last thing he wanted was to lose Tezuka's respect for him. That was yesterday. Shoot. I just sent Eiji to Oishi and Tezuka. He might let something slip. Fuji sighed. There was nothing he could do now. He was just about to turn back when he heard a frightened whimper. Fuji stopped and turned to look down an alley.

"N-n-no. Please stop. I'll give you all the money I have. Just don't hit me anymore."

Fuji dropped his umbrella and raced into the alley. He saw a young boy, even more so than Echizen, being beaten by a large group of kids his age. "Hey. Knock it off!" he shouted.

They turned to face him. "Oh? And who are you to tell us what to do?" The speaker was huge.

"That is Fuji Syuusuke of Seigaku. Isn't that right?" The speaker walked out from behind the tall, built one. Fuji tensed when he saw the skull and crossbones on his leg. He grabbed the kid and threw him towards Fuji. "You can leave kid. We have someone that will give us even more fun. Brute, hold him for me would you?"

Fuji pushed the kid behind him and whispered. "Run. Keep running until you find someone. Get help. Anybody. Just go."

He heard the patter of small footsteps and then he was alone with the thugs. "Aw…how compassionate. Brute."

The monster of a kid grabbed Fuji and hauled him around to face 'Cross Bones'. He held Fuji's arms behind his back. "So, Aoyagi, what do you want to do with him?"

Aoyagi grinned and licked his lips, looking Fuji up and down slowly. The tennis prodigy's blood went cold at the lecherous look sent his way. 'Cross Bones' walked up to him ran a finger down the side of Fuji's face. Fuji turned his face away, but Aoyagi grabbed it in his hand and turned it back only to smash his lips against Fuji's own. Fuji tried to back away but was held by 'Brute'. He whimpered in fear and disgust when Aoyagi's hand traveled down his neck and chest to the zipper of his pants. "Now we will have some fun."

He grabbed a fistful of Fuji's hair and yanked his head back. Aoyagi punched him in the stomach and then sidled up close to him to grind his hips against Fuji's. "You are an awfully pretty boy."

Fuji whimpered again. "Tezuka, help me."

"Release him," a voice cold as ice on steel demanded.

Fuji's eye's widened. Tezuka?

He was released suddenly when the huge thug behind him was yanked around. A loud thud was heard and the sound of breaking brick as Fuji's previous captor was slammed against the side of the building. "I told you to release him," the voice was even harsher. "Nobody," he said, emphasizing the word with a shake of the huge guy, "nobody hurts Syuusuke."

'Brute' was tossed to the ground and footsteps came closer. Fuji watched the others back away in fear. He looked over his shoulder to see Tezuka, his eyes blazing, striding up to him. Fuji leapt up and slammed into the captain, wrapping his arms tightly around him and burying his head in his shoulder.

Tezuka put his arms gently around the prodigy before whispering in his ear. "Didn't I tell you not to go wandering by yourself while we were here?"

"Gomen, Tezuka," Fuji muffled into his shoulder.

Tezuka looked up at the boys loitering in the background and glared at them. "Come, Fuji, we're leaving."

"Not so fast." Aoyagi strode up to them. "You will not deny us our fun. We've been sexually frustrated as of late. We need appeasement. Your little friend there will help enormously."

The captain pulled Fuji closer to him and tightened his grip around him. "You will not touch him," he hissed.

"Indeed? Gentlemen?" He waved an arm forward and they all leapt into action.

Pushing Fuji behind him, Tezuka waited patiently for them to reach him. Once they had, he moved in a flurry of actions. The next few minutes went by in a blur and the only ones left standing were Aoyagi, Tezuka, and Fuji. Tezuka straightened and sent a look to Aoyagi that would kill if it were able.

'Cross Bones' stepped back before he spat, "You may have won this time Tezuka Kunimitsu, but not the next. I'll crush you in tomorrow's game." He turned around and walked away.

Slowly Tezuka lost the tension throughout his body and faced Fuji. "T-Tezuka? How did you…I mean…I didn't know you knew martial arts."

"Are you alright?"

Fuji blinked. "Y-yes. I think so."

"You think so? That doesn't sound very certain. You haven't injured your wrist more, have you?" Tezuka reached out and grabbed his right hand to inspect the cast.

"I'm fine. Really." Fuji looked away and then back. "Tezuka? You're hurt!"

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch."

"Two scratches. One here," Fuji said, fingering the one on Tezuka's upper right arm. "And here," he said, lifting his left hand to gently trace one on his left cheek.

Fuji realized what he just did and flushed. "Gomen," he said, snatching his fingers away as if he were burned. The rush of adrenalin from danger disappeared when the young men had left and he slumped in exhaustion. He could suddenly feel the cold rain dripping from his clothes and hair. Shivering, he sneezed.

Tezuka frowned before grabbing Fuji's left hand and yanking him back onto the main sidewalk. He picked up Fuji's umbrella with his free hand and continued to tow the prodigy back to the hotel. He dragged him through the double doors and up the stairs to the third floor.

As they passed a door, Fuji spoke up. "Ne, Tezuka, we passed my room."

"Hn." Tezuka continued to pull Fuji behind him. He stopped two doors down from the room the prodigy shared with Eiji and Kawamura. He opened the door and pushed Fuji inside. Eiji was sitting cross-legged on the floor at the foot of Oishi's bed where Taka-san sat. Oishi was sitting on the small fold out couch. He stood up when he saw a drenched Fuji being shoved inside. Tezuka entered next, dripping from the rain, and slammed the door. "Sit," he told Fuji, pointing at his bed.

"But I'm all wet. You'll be sleeping in water tonight."

"Fuji, sit." Fuji sat. Tezuka was still angry at Aoyagi and it showed. He walked into the bathroom and grabbed two towels, tossing one to Fuji. "Dry off."

"Tezuka, what's going on?" Oishi asked. "Why do you have a cut on your cheek?"

The captain ignored the question and turned to Eiji and Kawamura. "Go bring Fuji's things here."

"Everything?" Eiji asked incredulously.

"Hai. Everything."

"But….why?"

"I'm going to keep an eye on Fuji."

"H-hai. We'll just go then," Taka-san stuttered.

"Oishi, join them, please," Tezuka said. The doubles team looked at each other in surprise. Tezuka turned back to a still unmoving Fuji after the others had left and the door had closed. "Fuji, dry off."

"T-Tezuka?" He looked at his friend in confusion at his actions.

The tennis player sighed and walked over to the prodigy, taking the towel from his limp grasp. He sat on the edge of the bed beside Fuji and toweled his hair from wet to damp. "Dry off," he repeated softly.

Fuji's eyes were wide when they looked at Tezuka, a gentler Tezuka than normal. "Tezuka?" Fuji whispered.

Something in his voice made Tezuka look at him. His eyes widened when he saw a tear fall from one of Fuji's azure eyes. He blinked and lifted a hand to wipe it away. Fuji's eyes widened further before he buried his face into Tezuka's chest, wrapping his arms around him in a death grip. "F-Fuji?"

The tensai shook as he cried into his friend's shoulder. "Gomen," he wrenched out. "Gomen. Gomen. Gomen, Tezuka."

The captain wrapped his arms around Fuji and pulled him closer, placing his cheek against Fuji's hair to whisper in his ear. "Shh. It's okay, Syuusuke. Everything is going to be fine. I won't let them hurt you. Not now. Not ever. Shh." He stroked his hair with one hand and rubbed soothing circle on Fuji's back with the other.

"Tezuka?" Fuji murmured. "I'm so tired."

"Stay right there," Tezuka whispered and released him. He stood up and rummaged through his bag. He pulled out a large T-shirt. "Here. Put this on until they get back with your clothes."

"Arigato, Tezuka." He lifted his shirt over his head and reached for the one in Tezuka's hand, but paused at his gasp. "What's wrong?"

Tezuka knelt beside him and reached out to touch the spreading and darkening bruise on Fuji's abdomen. He ran his fingers gently over it.

Fuji bit his lip. "Ne, Tezuka, that tickles."

Tezuka raised an eyebrow. "Tickles?" His eyes glinted suddenly in his stoic mask before he pounced on Fuji and started to tickle him mercilessly.

Fuji's eyes widened in surprise at this very un-Tezuka-like behavior before he lost control and started to giggle from Tezuka's ministrations. Soon, however, he was laughing uproariously. "Ne…Tezuka," he gasped between laughter. "That…tickles."

Tezuka stopped, placing his hands on either side of Fuji. He brushed a strand of hair out of Fuji's face. "Now get changed," he said amusedly.

"Yes, master," Fuji teased. He grabbed the shirt and slipped it over his head. It fell to mid-thigh and he shucked off his shoes and pants. He crawled back into the bed and wrapped himself in the blankets. "Ne, your turn, Tezuka. You're still drenched."

Tezuka looked down at himself in surprise. He reached down into his bag again and pulled out a clean shirt and pants. He pulled off the wet shirt and went to pull on the dry one but was stopped by Fuji's hand. He raised an eyebrow at the prodigy. What is it?

"You're still bleeding." He hopped out of the bed and pushed Tezuka down to sit on it. He grabbed Oishi's first aid kit on the lamp table beside his bed and rummaged through it for antiseptic and band-aids. He swabbed on some of the ointment gently. "Thank you, Tezuka."

"Hn."

Fuji placed a bandage on the cut on his arm and then put antiseptic and a band-aid on his cheek. He leaned briefly down and kissed Tezuka's cheek, half on the bandage and half on his cheek. "A kiss to make it heal faster without scarring." He repeated the action for the cut on his arm. He moved to stand up straight, but was pulled back down by Tezuka. He fell into his lap and was trapped as two strong, bare arms wrapped around his stomach. "Tezuka?" he asked, turning in his arms to face him.

Whatever he was going to say was cut off abruptly as Tezuka's warm lips descended onto Fuji's own. He gasped before leaning into the embrace. The kiss was soft and gentle. When they pulled away, both were slightly flushed. Tezuka pushed Fuji's hair away from his eyes, his fingers lingering on his cheek. He was staring at Fuji the way he had been for the past few days. Fuji finally understood that the look he could not define was love. He smiled and kissed Tezuka again.

I love you, Syuusuke. Tezuka's words were not spoken aloud, but the prodigy understood them nonetheless.

I love you, too, Kunimitsu. The captain heard the unsaid words as he tightened his grip on the tennis player he had fallen hard for. He smiled gently at the tensai when they pulled from the kiss again. They both heard a knock on the door. Tezuka and Fuji sighed simultaneously and separated. They both weren't ready to share their newfound relationship with anybody yet. Fuji crawled back into the blankets and Tezuka stood up to answer the door.

He opened it up to see Momoshiro leaning against the doorframe, panting for breath. "E-E-Echizen is sick. He has a high fever. Coach called a doctor and they say he can't play tomorrow."

"What's this? Ochibi is sick, nya?" Eiji exclaimed as Oishi, Kawamura, and he walked up, arms full of Fuji's things.

Suddenly Inui ran up to exclaim, "Kaidoh has just passed out. He has a high temperature. I told him not to stay too long out in the rain today. He won't be able to play tomorrow."

"Nya? Kaidoh-kun too? That puts us down one player."

"Oishi, call a meeting. Bring everybody here and call for the coach," Tezuka said. He reentered the room and pulled on the dry, neglected shirt that had fallen to the floor.

"Oi, Fujiko-kun, here is your stuff."

"Arigato, Eiji, but I'm too comfortable to get up. Besides, I like Tezuka's shirt better."

"Fuji," Tezuka said.

"Hai, hai. I'm getting up."The others looked at each other, surprised at the tensai's easy compliance. Fuji hopped out of the bed and rummaged around in his bag. He pulled out a pair of jeans and put them on before digging in his bag again. He slipped off Tezuka's T-shirt and grabbed a light blue beater.

"F-Fuji?" Eiji gasped.

"Hai?"

"What happened to your stomach?"

He looked down. "This?" he asked, pointing at the bruise. He shrugged.

"Don't shrug it off so lightly, Fuji," Tezuka growled.

"Saa, Tezuka, I'll be fine."

"That's not the point," he said, eyes closed, body shaking in anger.

"Ne, Eiji, look what you've done. You've gone and made 'Mitsu-kun angry again. He was just starting to calm down, too."

"Ah, gomen, Tezuka-buchou. I didn't mean to make you angry." The acrobat bowed numerously in profuse apology.

"Two percent chance that it is your fault. Fourteen percent chance that it is because of the bruise and Fuji's casualness of it. Eighty-four percent chance that it is because of whoever gave Fuji the bruise." Inui pushed up his glasses.

"Ne, Tezuka, it's alright. I'm going to be fine," he said softly and slipped the beater over his head. Fuji cocked his head and grinned at him. "Saa…you'll beat him tomorrow, right?"

"Aoyagi?" Inui asked surprised.

"Hn." He walked up to Fuji and grabbed his arm, pulling him closer. "I still want no more wandering by yourself. I told you as much when we learned they were our next opponents and he broke your wrist."

"H-hai, Tezuka. No more wandering by myself."

"Especially after what happened today."

Scenes flashed through Fuji's head and he flinched. He looked up at Tezuka, fear in his eyes. "No, definitely not," he whispered.

"Fujiko-kun?" Eiji walked over and touched his shoulder. Fuji flinched away and drew closer to Tezuka. Eiji backed away. He stared in horror. "What happened?"

The prodigy looked up at Eiji. "He…Aoyagi…'Cross Bones'…he…he…" Fuji broke down and tears flowed down his cheeks again. The regulars stared at him in shock. Fuji was strong and unshakable, sadistic, yet cheerful. He never cried. They didn't understand, though, that this was the first time Fuji tried to put what happened into words. He buried his face against Tezuka's chest again, wrapping his arms around him tightly. Tezuka rubbed gentle circles over his back and murmured soothing words into his ear. "Tezuka, you…you t-tell them," Fuji muffled through the fabric of the captain's shirt.

Tezuka pulled Fuji closer as he tried to find the correct words to say. "He……he touched Fuji."

"Touched?" Oishi muttered to himself in confusion.

"If I hadn't gotten there when I did, he and his friends would have…they would have…" He broke off and tightly held on to Fuji, burying his face in the tensai's soft hair. A single tear ran down his cheek and Momoshiro gasped. Tezuka looked back up, slightly calmer. "Th-th-they would have r-r-raped him."

"W-W-What?" The team collectively gasped.

"Ne, Tezuka, you'll always be there, right?" Fuji murmured.

Tezuka placed his cheek against Fuji's hair. "Hai." Another tear rolled down his cheek. "Always."

They stayed that way for another minute before Fuji pulled away, wiping his eyes. "I'm alright now. Arigato Tezuka."

"Hn." Tezuka looked at the team. "If you sure you'll be alright, we need to discuss tomorrow."

"Hai. Of course. We are now down a player."

They heard a knock on the door. "Come in," Oishi called.

Coach Ryuuzaki walked in. "You called an emergency meeting, Tezuka?"

"Hai. Both Echizen and Kaidoh are unable to play in tomorrow's matches. We no longer have enough members to complete. We may have to forfeit."

"WHAT?!" The collective gasp was echoed around the room.

"Tezuka…we can't forfeit," Momo exclaimed. "We just can't. Seigaku doesn't forfeit."

"If we don't register with eight people, we will be unable to play."

"Well, Taka-san can play since he is our back-up. But we still need two more players, one to actually play and another as a replacement, if need be," Oishi contemplated.

"Well, Kaidoh or Echizen can be back-up. I mean, they don't have to play, nya. They just have to be on the list. If it comes to that, we can forfeit that match instead of the entire competition," Eiji said.

"Yes, but that still leaves one player. We cannot force one of them to play. They're sick," Kawamura whispered.

"We will be unable to play," Tezuka said. "It's as simple as that."

The rest of the team went into an uproar.

"We can't do that!"

"What other choice do we have?"

"Seigaku never quits!"

"We can't give up without even trying."

"ENOUGH!" Fuji shouted. His eyes snapped open to glare at everybody. "I'm surprised you haven't thought of it yet."

"Thought of what, Fujiko-kun?" Eiji asked.

"I will play."

"Fuji," Tezuka said.

"Saa…hear me out. I'm still on the tennis team. Ne? I'll play with my left hand. At least then we still have a chance to play."

The coach sighed. "I see no other choice. Tezuka, Oishi, change the line-ups and groupings. Find where everybody will be most suited at. We'll meet again in the morning with your ideas. Goodnight."

With that said, she left the team to ponder over her decision. Tezuka rubbed his temples. "Everybody out. Oishi and I need to discuss this."

"Hai."

"Good luck."

"See you later."

"Good night, Tezuka," Fuji said before putting a foot out the door.

"Fuji," Tezuka warned.

"Saa…you said for everybody to get out."

"Everybody accept you. You are staying here tonight."

"Hai, 'Mitsu-kun," Fuji teased. He stepped back inside and gently closed the door. "I'll just be quiet so that you can figure this out." He climbed into Tezuka's bed and covered himself with blankets. "I think I'll just take a nap. Wake me when it's time to get up."

Tezuka looked at him softly before turning to Oishi who was staring pointedly someplace else. "Your ideas," he asked the vice captain.

"For doubles, I suggest Fuji and Taka-san in Doubles Two. That will put less strain on Fuji's wrist and Taka-san can watch out for him. As for Doubles One, the Golden Pair."

"Hn."

"I would put Momo in Singles Three, Inui in Two, and you in One."

"Who would you put as replacement?"

"Probably Echizen."

"I agree with the doubles pairings. However, I would switch Inui and Momoshiro, placing Kaidoh as the replacement player. Inui has been practicing doubles lately, so should be third in singles. Kaidoh does not have the doctor's excuse of absence."

"Hai, that's true. So it will be Fuji and Kawamura in Doubles Two, me and Eiji in Doubles One, Inui in Singles Three, Momoshiro in Singles Two, and you in Singles One with Kaidoh as replacement."

"Hn."

"Alright. We'll tell the coach that tomorrow. Perhaps we should all get some rest. It's been an eventful day. If you'd like, I can bunk with Eiji and Taka-san," Oishi whispered, looking towards Fuji's still form.

"That won't be necessary. I'll sleep on the fold-out couch."

"Ne, Tezuka," Fuji murmured sleepily, "You're letting me stay here when it was originally your room. I'll take the couch. Besides, we haven't had dinner yet. I'm just going to take a nap." He sat up and yawned, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He pushed the blankets away and stood up, promptly falling over.

Tezuka sighed and pushed his glasses up before walking over and lifting Fuji up bridal style. "Take the bed. You can't even stand right now. Take your nap. I'll watch over you." He laid him back in the bed and tucked the blankets around him. "Now stay put and sleep. I'll wake you when it's time to go down to dinner."

"Hmm…Thank you…'Mitsu." He snuggled deeper into the bed and covers before falling into a deep sleep.

Oishi watched Tezuka's expression soften as he watched Fuji sleep. Smiling to himself, he turned away and wondered what new and surprising events would happen next.

Thanks for reading. Please review. There will probably be only one more chapter after this.