Chapter: 3/3
Genre: Angst, Romance (?)
Beta: pinksnow1986
Pairing: It's actually rather complicated... Please read to find out
Disclaimers: PoT not mine. Still on my wish list...
Summary: If you were privy to Oishi's phone messages, what would you learn about this prince of tennis?
Communication Ch.3: Oishi's Phone Messages
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"Hello, this is Oishi. Sorry I can't get to the phone right now. Hopefully, I'm out trying to get a life. But you know the drill: leave a message after the beep and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can."
::beep::
"Shuuichiro, Tezuka here. I'm coming home. I'll see you soon."
::beep… repeating message::
"Shuuichiro…"
::beep… repeating message::
"Shuuichiro…"
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You close your eyes and revel in the gradual loosening in the tightness in your chest.
"Shuuichiro", he'd said in the message.
He began calling you that when you started formally going out together right after your high school graduation. How long has it been since he last called you by your name?
About two years ago, he left. He went chasing after his dream with the promise to return to you. A part of you wanted to be selfish; you wanted to stamp your feet like a two-year old and demand that he stay with you… But that was never your style, was it? So you looked him straight in the eye, gave him your most encouraging smile, and the only concession you would give to your selfishness was to ask that he write you and call you as often as he can.
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The first year apart had been… bearable. He kept his side of the bargain and somehow, you were content.
But something changed somewhere along the start of the second year. The calls had been brief and infrequent. The letters had been all but impersonal. You felt lost and insecure. You wondered what has happened. Did you do something wrong? Has he grown tired of the quasi-relationship you had going on? You needed a gauge. You needed something that would indicate where you now stood with him as he seemed unwilling to talk about it. If only you can hear him say your name…
But for some strange reason, he managed to avoid giving any clues away - every time he called, he somehow got away with not calling you anything at all… least of all, your name.
::beep… repeating message::
But now, you give a tired, relieved smile.
"Shuuichiro, Tezuka here…"
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1 Text Message Received
Read Message
Date: Jan 23, 2008
From: Fuji (+819038812448)
Haven't seen you and Tezuka since he got
back to Japan, Oishi. Is everything okay
with you guys? We'll have a get-together this
coming Friday at Taka-san's. 6pm. Be there.
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He had that thoughtful look on his face again, you can tell even though you are presented only with his side profile. He was sitting on the windowsill, back supported by one of the window frames, one leg stretched out before him, the other bent at the knee, supporting his arm. You noticed that the hand at the end of that arm was holding a letter.
You recognize it as the last letter you ever sent him before he came home.
You knew the second he noticed your presence by the doorway of the living room when his back stiffened ever so slightly, and then he turned to you.
"What happened, Tezuka?"
He didn't ask for a clarification as to what you were asking about. He knew perfectly well what you were asking. But instead of answering, he held his other arm out to you and you willingly walked up to him.
You felt his strong arms encircle your waist as he buried his face into your chest. Tenderly, your arms went around him, lovingly cradling his head.
"I am so sorry," he feelingly whispered, as the letter he held in his hand fluttered down to the floor, unheeded.
For the briefest of moments, your arms tightened around him before he slightly pulled away from you.
He looked up at you, eyes bright with the tears that will never know what the feel of the skin on his cheeks are like.
You leaned down to kiss him then.
And the tightness in your chest eased just a bit more.
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"You have reached the voice mailbox for Oishi Shuuichiro (+9038818913). Please leave your voice message after the tone."
::beep::
"Nya, Oishi! I always seem to be getting your voice mailbox these days! Mou, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were hiding from me!
Nante ne!
At any rate, it was great hanging out with you and Tezuka again. I'm happy that things seem to be going great for you, nya. With how you were before Tezuka came home, I was afraid I'd be doing a lot of "comforting Oishi" to do. Glad that isn't the case, nya!
Sore ja!"
::beep::
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In the end, you never did learn from him what happened. Whatever it was that almost took him away from you seemed to be something he was all too ready to forget. The few times you attempted to broach the subject, he would always get that remorseful, shuttered look in his eyes. It was painful to see.
And so you would smile at him. And then kiss him.
And oh, how he kissed back! His kisses during those moments had a touch of desperation to them, so sharp that you could almost taste it. He clung to you as though reassuring himself that he hadn't lost you. And he made sweet love to you as though pleasuring you was his only reason for existence.
Yes, sometimes it was too painful to see. And at the very end, you stopped asking altogether.
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It is a usual Sunday morning. Quiet. Relaxing.
You are content to sit across from him in the breakfast table as he read the morning paper. You are rudely jolted from the vague, whimsical thoughts you were absently entertaining, however, when the chiming of your cell phone informs you that someone has sent you a text message.
You flip your phone open to see who it was from…
Read Message
Date: Feb 03, 2008
From: Echizen (+819038965680)
So in the end he chose you, after all.
You did tell me it would end like this.
I should have listened to you. Take care
of him, Oishi-senpai.
"Who was that?" he asks you curiously from across the table.
You look up at him and for the briefest of moments you are tempted to tell him the truth. You want to see what kind of face he'd make if he hears his name again. You give him a smile instead.
"No one. Just one of those info-messages the service provider sometimes sends," you answer pleasantly.
You may disapprove of his methods, you may prefer to hear the truth from him, but you can certainly appreciate his intentions.
Indeed, you are hurting.
But he's trying so hard to spare you the pain he doesn't know you already feel. His relief and his elation at thinking that he is accomplishing this goal is almost a palpable thing. You cannot seem to make yourself take that away from him.
You are mentally kicking yourself already. And calling yourself 10 kinds of fool. A part of you is vehemently insisting that you're no martyr.
Delete message?
He smiles at you. One of those rare, beautiful smiles that light up his entire face.
OK
You smile back.
Message Deleted
… After all, the concept of self-sacrifice is not entirely new to you.
Owari
La Fuego 4/2007