Fallen Angel
oOo
Disclaimer: me no richie; therefore, PoT me no ownie. (Konomi-sensei, please adopt me!!!)
Excuse me if the happenings aren't consistent with the ones in the anime, well, this IS a fanfic…
Pairing: Tezuka – Fuji. Gyaaaaaaah, beautiful people. I'll keep this as mild as possible. And chaste, if I can.
Warning: OOCness… and spoilers. Cliché.
a/n: last chappie!!!
Ookami Fuu – I'm actually a molecular biology major, so, yeah, I love DNA (but I love viruses more, I adore Ebola)… oxytocin gene? My prof gave us a question on our first ever exam and it was plain torture. It affects the peripheral nervous system? Now, I should've looked that syndrome up… even so, they didn't really seem to cut up any of Yukimura's skin or something, the doctors were just loittering around… Sanada will so go ballistic! Don't worry, me no like deathfics, and I love Tezuka and Fuji, wouldn't do anything to separate them. Thanks for reviewing:3
icy sweet candy –mou, don't worry, I do that a lot as well, I just read and read without reviewing, then when I reach a cliffy and want to read more, I'll review… I'm so evil. They are sweet? Of course they are. They represent the word love. And yeah I'll update soon because I can't help myself.
The Crafty-Sadistic-Sleepy – here, I'll try and make you sniff, ne? mind you, I sniffed a lot while typing this chappie (the first portion, actually). Nope, I haven't tried AtoFuji… I'm actually narrow-minded about this TeFu thing, so I refuse to write either Tezuka or Fuji with anyone else. Sorry. X But I just love them together. –pout- And, well, this is my first fanfic. If I tried AtoFuji, I might ruin the whole thing and end up with TeFu instead and that's sad. Sorry. It was difficult writing about vomit, yeah. And much thanks for reading and reviewing!
maldita08 – more fluff here! Yeah, you may and can expect a sequel (I'm halfway through it), but I can't promise it soon. I have to make sure that I finish it before publishing. Thanks. I really can't suggest a school for you, but good luck. You can do it! Fighting! (I'm an Asian drama addict as well)
Ai-Kusabana – yes, he'll have a lot of friends visit him (thus making buchou go twitch,twitch) well, Fuji would appreciate cacti more than flowers, right? The name wasn't so hard, and it wasn't creative at all, so Tezuka wouldn't have taken a long time.
Chrono Breaker – yeah, he's serious and uncreative (I read this fic and Tezuka named his cat Neko, haha, I was laughing at how unimaginative our buchou is…). More fluff on the way. :3
Lady Hikari-Yami – that's all right. I ramble a lot too, haha… me too, I wanna read a family TezuRyoFuji, that'd be so kawaii!!! Oh, yeah, maybe parent YukiSanada are cute too, children are Marui and Kirihara? Wait. That'd be too much headache.
Alaena Flame Dragonstar- Much really prefer the family dynamics rather than the romance because I remember that Tezuka hit stubborn Ryoma and I thought that it was much like a father disciplining a child. I had a similar incident. It was ever so painful to touch anything especially when I forgot that there were still spines on my fingers.
alchemistgrl09 – I was asking whether Tezuka being cute is a good thing… well, you know, he's not generally described as kawaii, haha. I usually describe him as nosebleedingly handsome –toink-
Blader Fairy Everlasting – you think it's moving, aww… –touched- Sankyuuuu!!! nya, here it is…
Yoshikochan – I agree… you have to really love someone… he doesn't realize it yet, ne?
Gasanechi – hmm, I think it was after the Kite vs. Tezuka match (?) can't really remember, but yeah, probably since that was where Tezuka was having Self Actualization (the one before beach volley ep – mentally scarring picture of Inui there, btw). After the match, Tezuka was with Fuji, who was tying his shoes on a bench, Fuji: Tezuka… he was pointing at Echizen (who was kinda ruining the moment). Echizen: I'll take Seigaku's pillar from you. Tezuka smirked and smiled and led the walk. Fuji: Let's go, Echizen… and they were walking together, although not on one level Tezuka was leading, then Fuji, then Echizen. –sweatdrop, I only watched the ova once- then, there were all those times when TeFu would discuss how the pillar was coming along… so there.
oOo
Chapter Eleven
Leaning his head against the back rest of the chair, Tezuka felt a pang of pain shoot through his spine. Oddly, the silence of the night made him feel wary.
I'm afraid to say that he seems to be getting worse. I'd say we move on to a bone marrow transplant. Those were the doctor's words.
Tezuka rubbed the bridge of his nose. He never felt so exhausted in his life until then. Even the difficult tennis games he played demand so much from him. His current state required a lot of work physically, emotionally and mentally.
Of course, he had confidence in Japanese medical treatment. But he couldn't stop himself from feeling that deep sense of foreboding at the thought of losing someone as dear as Fuji. His bitterness was intensified by the fact that he was a witness to the tensai's torment during the lengthy medication process. The dizziness, lack of appetite, the vomiting – these things now all seemed so pointless.
"Ungr…"
Tezuka's neck almost clicked as he turned his attention to the tensai. He held his breath and felt agony sweep through his body. He gaped.
Fuji curled up in bed. The tensai was trembling from head to toe, his teeth were chattering. He seemed to be having tremors.
Tezuka's immediate thought was that the tensai might hurt himself in the process. Moving nimbly, Tezuka took a spare quilt from the closet and wrapped it around the tensai. It was no good, though, for the smaller boy just went on, shaking terribly.
Feeling himself tremble, Tezuka reached out a hand to warm the tensai's arms. Still, Fuji shuddered.
The agonized look in the tensai's face led Tezuka to a complete loss. What else could he do?
Deciding beyond reason, Tezuka sat on the edge of the bed. As gently as he could, he took the tensai's body and enclosed the latter within his arms, protecting, hoping. He rubbed a caressing palm along the sick boy's back, and allowed Fuji's breathing to even out. He stroked the tensai some more, providing warmth and comfort at the same time. Slowly, the shivering died.
Tezuka expelled a lot of air, and realized that he barely breathed himself. He felt tears well up in his eyes. He would've brushed them off but couldn't. He didn't want to let go of the tensai, lest the chills started again. Burying his head on the silky brown hair, Tezuka Kunimitsu let the tears roll down his face and cried.
oOo
The news of the transplant seemed to reach the entire student body of Seigaku as students –mostly Fuji's friends, classmates and admirers- rushed to the hospital to extend their well wishes. Regulars of Seigaku tennis club remained in the afternoon and stayed long, bringing plenty of food and ideas for games.
"Do you have a jack, ne, Fujiko-chan?" asked Eiji, slumped on the floor along with the rest of the Seigaku regulars save Tezuka, who merely watched the proceedings of the game, seated on the edge of Fuji's bed.
The blue orbs of Fuji's eyes twinkled as the tensai beamed mischievously. "No, Eiji," he said in a low, cackling voice. "Go fish."
"Mou, Fujiko-chan is mean," complained Eiji, sniffing as he took a card out of the deck.
"It's my turn," announced Fuji, flicking his sole card at hand.
Momoshiro turned to Oishi. "Fuji-senpai can't possibly win, can he?"
"That's right," Inui started. "With only one card, the chances that - "
"Kaidoh," said Fuji whose eyes were gleaming deviously, "do you have a seven?"
Whatever Inui had to say was rebuffed when Kaidoh shifted uncomfortably and hissed "fushuu…" The junior handed out two cards to the smiling tensai.
Fuji's eyes roved around and landed on Kawamura. "Ne, Taka-san, do you have a seven?"
Kawamura rubbed the back of his head and held out his card.
Gleaming, Fuji set his cards on the floor. "I win," he declared.
Bam.
"Fuji!"
Tezuka's brows twitched as the door slammed and Saeki came into view, hounding an extremely pleased Fuji, followed by Fuji Yuuta and the St. Rudolph buchou, Mizuki.
Rokkaku's fukubuchou smiled at Seigaku's tensai. "It's happened again… but you'll get through this, ne?"
Fuji beamed. "Of course." The tensai looked up at his younger brother. "How are you, Yuuta."
"Fine," was the curt reply, but Fuji noted the warm color of his brother's eyes.
"How is my destined rival?" Mizuki asked, twirling a lock of his bangs.
Before Fuji could even answer if he did even want to, the door opened again. "Fuji," called Tachibana Kippei as Tachibana Ann followed, holding a bouquet of flowers. Right behind them were Ibu and Kamio, who were smiling at Seigaku's tensai.
Tezuka rose to close the door as the visitors settled themselves when rose petals came showering his way. He held his lips shut when Hyoutei's regulars came in, led by non other than their boisterous buchou.
"Be healed by my beauty," said Atobe grandly, posing in front of Fuji for effect.
Trying to maintain a polite smile, Fuji nodded. "I didn't expect you to come, Atobe."
"But Ore-sama knows that you'll need to see my beauty before your surgery," said Atobe. "Ne, Kabaji?"
"Usu…"
"Is anyone else coming?" asked Tezuka, trying hard not to scowl as the noise in the room was growing louder.
"Tezuka," called a gentle voice that made Seigaku's buchou turn.
"Yukimura," said Tezuka at the sight of Rikkaidai's buchou along with Sanada, Kirihara and Renji. Seigaku's team captain shoved to one side to allow entry.
Glowering, Tezuka shut the door and glared at the crowd that gathered. "We don't have a party," he said disapprovingly. It seemed to him that the news of Fuji's transplant had reached entire Tokyo.
Fuji smiled up at his buchou. "It's okay, Tezuka," he said reassuringly.
At the look of genuine joy in Fuji's face, Tezuka sighed. "All right," he said in resignation. "Just don't make some noise."
"Mn, there's so many of us," exclaimed Eiji. "I have two more decks… what should we play?" He turned around to inquire.
Oishi waved at Tezuka. "Buchou, join us this time."
"I don't – "
"Why Tezuka?" asked Atobe. A smirk was on his face. "Are you afraid of defeat?"
In the background, Echizen coughed in amusement.
"Join us, Tezuka," called Fuji. He was wearing a bright friendly smile.
Unable to say no to the tensai's request, Tezuka nodded and joined the big circle, settling himself beside Fuji. He felt his heart race when Fuji beamed at him.
"How about Bluff?" asked Momoshiro, looking around for approval.
"Hai, hai," said Eiji happily, taking out his deck of cards. The rest nodded in agreement.
"Mn, unfair," said Echizen grudgingly as Eiji dealt the cards.
"Why?" asked Tachibana Ann.
Echizen jerked his head to the other direction where the tensai was smiling calmly and where Tezuka sat as emotionless as ever.
oOo
All to Tezuka's relief, Fuji's overly enthusiastic visitors left. For the first time in his life, he felt grateful to the heavy pouring outside as everyone used the rain as an excuse to go.
After cleaning up, Tezuka dropped down to the armchair, watching silently as Fuji's eyes danced upon watching the drops outside. The slender boy looked so fragile, standing right before the window. Tezuka clenched his fist as he felt his body grow numb as he thought of the past night. He had cried for Fuji and now he understood why.
He cringed at the thought of Fuji's loss. He felt his heart tear every time Fuji winced in pain. He felt like the tensai's sadness was his own. He knew that the tensai was strong despite the delicate face, but Tezuka was overwhelmed by the desire to cherish and protect.
Looking back to the past three years, Tezuka's head swiveled with memories. He had always been touched by Fuji's obvious show of concern. Somehow, he felt that Fuji was the one who talked to their friends to help the buchou whenever Tezuka was bullied by their senpais. Fuji would always come up, helping without caring about the consequences. Let's get scolded together, Fuji had said with an eternally smiling face.
The fact that Fuji got mad at him when he showed up injured for a match showed the tensai cared deeply. The countless times when the tensai asked about his injured arm was embedded in his brain.
Why didn't he ask himself before why he understood the tensai so easily? Why didn't he wonder why Fuji's beautiful smile and silent understanding comforted him? Why didn't he realize that he was showing a part of himself to Fuji – a part that none ever saw? Why was it all right that he voiced his musings to the tensai? Why didn't he feel repugnant when Fuji confessed about love whereas he knew that love between males was frowned upon? Why was his guard always broken whenever he was with the tensai?
In other times, he wouldn't have had anything to answer these questions with. That was because he didn't have a word to describe his emotions. But he had it now and it was more powerful than just a word.
"Tezuka," called Fuji.
The buchou jolted back to his senses only to find the smiling tensai hovering above him. "Why?" asked Tezuka, unable to hide his concern. "Is there anything you need?"
"It's not that," said Fuji, looking at him. Childishly, the tensai took his hand and dragged him to the window. Squatting, Fuji tapped the glass. A shivering swallow was twitching on the sill. "Could you get it, ne, Tezuka?"
"Ahh," said Tezuka without hesitation. He told Fuji to get to the bed and he opened the window. Through the smallest possible gap so as to avoid the rain from entering, Tezuka groped for the hooting creature. Carefully, he cupped it in his hands and quickly shut the window. "Here," he said, handing the tiny thing to the tensai.
"It's soaked," said Fuji, stroking the swallow's plumage.
Tezuka walked over to the closet and searched for a box; he was sure there was at least one – it probably contained some present from one of Fuji's countless admirers. When he found a brown rectangular box, he took it along with a clean, dry towel.
He took the bird from Fuji's hand and wrapped in with towel. He placed it inside the box and it hooted gratefully. "I think it's all right now," he said, sitting down on the edge of Fuji's bed.
Fuji didn't say a word. He was watching the buchou up close. He took a deep breath and said, "Forgive me." He wrapped thin pale arms around Tezuka's waist, his head rested on the right of the buchou's chest, where he could hear the faint lub-dup of his beloved's heart.
Surprised, Tezuka gripped Fuji's arms.
"Please," muttered Fuji, holding on tighter. "Don't push me away. I just want to hold you…" he added a hollow laugh. "When I get better, I won't have any excuse for doing this."
Tezuka's hold on the tensai didn't loosen either. He looked away, toward the sleeping bird. "Do you think I would push you away?" he asked tonelessly.
"You don't like nonsense," said Fuji, murmuring against the buchou's shirt. "This is nonsense."
"You must think that I'm difficult," said Tezuka, eyes intent on the swallow.
Fuji shook his head so that Tezuka gulped at the slight brushing against his chest. "Not really, you're just being the perfect Tezuka Kunimitsu," said the tensai gently. There was a thoughtful pause. "Do you know what I'm afraid of, Tezuka?"
Finally looking down at the tensai, Tezuka said, "the surgery?"
"No," said Fuji, smiling faintly. "Yumiko-neesan told me that you must be my angel, that's why you're taking care of me… I'm afraid that you might drift away once I'm well. That's so selfish, I know. But I'm holding on while I still can, then you can go…"
Smelling the scent of vanilla from Fuji's hair, Tezuka smiled. "Angels never leave their charges," he said matter-of-factly. Tezuka's words hung in the air as the buchou submerged into thought. "And…" he continued in slow, gripping words, "you're not being selfish. You're in love." He looped his arm around the tensai's back, shifting the latter closer. "Just like I am."
Blinking in confusion, Fuji stared blankly at Tezuka.
The buchou lifted the tensai's chin with his fingers, tracing the edges of the latter's soft lips with his thumb. He bent his head down and pressed his lips against the tensai. Shutting his eyes, he deepened the kiss, fondling, coaxing and searching.
The tensai's head spun at the feeling of pure joy that filled his soul. He responded with Tezuka's kisses with the same want and need. He parted his lips slightly to allow the buchou's tongue to explore.
"I love you, Syusuke," moaned Tezuka against his tensai's throat.
"I – " blushing Fuji pulled away and coughed. He covered his mouth and coughed again. "I'm sorry, I think I've caught cold," he said embarrassedly.
Chuckling in a low and husky voice, Tezuka kissed his lover's forehead. "Should I get a doctor?" he asked thoughtfully.
"No need," said Fuji, burying his head on Tezuka's chest once more. "You know, I used to think that you had such a small hypothalamus."
"You thought I was incapable of human emotions?" asked Tezuka whose brows were raised slightly.
Fuji let out a mellow laugh that Tezuka enjoyed. "No… I thought you might be incapable of perceiving human emotions." The tensai raised his head so that his cerulean eyes met with Tezuka's brown ones. "I love you, though, Kunimitsu." He stopped and said the name again. "Kunimitsu…" He smiled, looking amused. "You know, I always wanted to say that, ne, Kunimitsu?"
Wearing a slight frown, Tezuka soon smiled. "I can see that."
oOo
a/n: should I say owari? No, not yet… this is technically the last chappie but there's an epilogue. omg… I couldn't believe it… My eyes were tearing up and I was sniffing while I was typing the first part of this chappie. –wail- Sorry I couldn't add everyone into the second portion because that would've been ridiculous since they were in the hospital, ne? And Tezuka would have loved to kill them (third, fourth, fifth and a lot of wheels) since he just had his Stage Four of Self Actualization: Pinnacle of True Love.
For those who looked up about leukemia, well, Fuji's transplant is done by stem cell treatment, no donors needed.
Please don't say that you want MORE because I'm still writing the new and improved sequel. And I don't know when I'll be able to publish (need to finish it first). Wah, please don't kill me.
For those interested, my fictionpress account: