The thing about love...
Disclaimer: I will rob Konomi sensei of the rights one of these days.
Warning : Tezuka loves Fuji, Fuji loves Tezuka, PERIOD.
author's note: I fully allow you to whack me up for taking so damned long to update and for how the update turned out. However, I swear to make this worth your while, so stay with me babyy! Burning lovee always! As usual, enjoy, and replies to reviews at end of chapter 12. HEARTS, HUGS AND KISSES!
Chapter 12
Four months.
Exactly four months and five days, if he were to be absolutely accurate, and not a single word of correspondence had arrived from Fuji.
Tezuka didn't know what to make of this lack of communication from Fuji, but Oishi wouldn't say anything over the phone. Every time he brought up Fuji, Oishi would hurriedly change the subject, and he knew his vice captain all too well. Something had happened to the prodigy, but he didn't know what and had no way of finding out.
It worried him to no extent. He couldn't concentrate on his training when his mind was filled with horrendous pictures fresh from his nightmares about the tensai.
Which was why he was sitting on the plane headed for Japan, clutching the photo album Fuji had compiled for him as a farewell gift as the air stewardess handed him a cup of water.
Shutting his eyes as he allowed the cool water to travel down the back of his throat, his thoughts wandered. Why hadn't Oishi told him anything about Fuji? Had Fuji forbidden the vice captain to say anything? If so, why? Wasn't Fuji one of his very few close friends?
It disappointed him to think that Fuji did not want to confide in him. Fuji would definitely be on the top of his list of confidants because he was one of those rare few who understood the buchou.
Of course, if Tezuka was willing to admit, Fuji was more than just a close friend. Fuji was… something more.
Except Tezuka couldn't find the appropriate word to describe the androgynous boy, and left his thoughts hanging as he stood up and went to the restroom.
/thethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutloveis\
"Konnichiwa, Fujiko!" Eiji called as he strolled into Fuji's ward at the hospital, holding a small bouquet of daisies and his lunch, Oishi following close behind him.
Drawing open the curtains, Oishi looked at his friend, lying pale and motionless on the bed as usual, and sighed.
He'd avoided Tezuka's queries on the phone last night again, but he could tell the ex-buchou was getting suspicious and impatient. He couldn't keep this masquerade on much longer.
Eiji was holding Fuji's hand in his own and was animatedly telling his comatose friend about his day at school, not seeming to notice his doubles partner's growing anxiety.
Finally, Eiji released Fuji's hand and walked to pour himself and Oishi water from the water jug that stood on the side table.
Oishi sighed heavily again as he accepted the glass from the redhead.
"Doshita no, Oishi? You've been sighing quite a lot lately…" Eiji settled himself next to Fuji and patted his friend's head gently.
"Eiji… I think Tezuka knows we're hiding something about Fuji from him… He sounded unusually suspicious on the phone last night. I think we can't lie any longer… We should tell him the truth."
"What? But we promised Fujiko… We promised him not to tell Tezuka. We can't break our promise Oishi… We can't let Fujiko down…" Eiji shook his head fervently as he stared at his friend.
"Demo… I feel so guilty lying to Tezuka like that. He has the right to know."
They stayed silent after this, each contemplating the consequences of their actions should they tell Tezuka the truth; each wallowing in their suppressed guilt and sadness.
"I don't know Oishi… I'm so confused. I know they love each other and I can't bear to see them suffering like this, but we promised Fujiko. We promised him… We promised Fujiko not to tell Tezuka…"
"Not to tell me what?"
Two heads turned simultaneously in shock towards the door.
Standing at the doorway, his back as rigid as a strip of metal, staring at them with the deadliest glare they had ever seen, was Tezuka Kunimitsu, his fingers and knuckles deathly white from gripping his bag too hard.
/thethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutloveis\
2 hours before
Immediately after touching down and clearing immigration, Tezuka whipped out his cell phone and dialled Fuji's house number.
When he asked for his friend, he received the rudest shock of his life as Yumiko revealed everything to him over the phone in an emotion flooded voice, unaware that Tezuka had long stopped listening to her, having dropped his phone after hearing the words "hospitalised ever since his coma".
It was with a frozen state of mind that Tezuka travelled to the hospital, pausing to ask the nurse at the counter where Fuji's ward was.
It was with utter disbelief that he stood at the doorway staring at Fuji lying on the bed, Oishi and Eiji sitting beside him, and it was with his emotions tightly reined in that he announced his arrival to his team mates by asking the first question that came into his mind.
"Not to tell me what?"
"Te-Tezuka!"
"Tezuka! Nan de? Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be in Germany?" Oishi managed to blurt out as Eiji continued to gape at Tezuka beside him.
Dropping his bags as suddenly as he had arrived, Tezuka pushed past the two of them and looked down at Fuji.
He stared and stared, taking in every detail of Fuji's pale features before closing his eyes and stepping back to compose himself. Plopping himself onto the chair next to Fuji's bed ungraciously, he took a deep breath, then opened his eyes and looked straight at Oishi and Eiji.
"I need an explanation. Now."
"Tezuka… Fuji made us promise not to say anything to you. I wanted to tell you, but…"
"Tell me everything from the start, please." Tezuka was rubbing his temples as he awaited their response.
After a short moment of silence, Eiji finally plucked up enough courage to look Tezuka in the eye and stammer out.
"Fujiko… He got knocked down by a car while shopping for your farewell present, but he refused to stay for observation because he wanted to plan the perfect farewell party for you… After you left that day, he just collapsed…" Eiji paused to sniffle, and Oishi continued on his behalf.
"We sent him here, and the doctor told us that he had a blood clot in one of the vessels in his brain… He fell into a coma after he made us promise to keep this from you. I'm sorry Tezuka…" Oishi finished off guiltily.
Tezuka frowned, his heart clenching as he thought about the suffering his friend had gone through, all for his sake.
"Why? Why was Fuji so foolish?" He asked aloud.
"Why? Tezuka! You can be so dense sometimes you know!" Eiji jumped to his feet at that, unable to contain himself any longer.
"Because Fujiko likes you, that's why! No, that's not right. Fujiko… Fujiko loves you! He wanted to give you the best farewell party because to him, you're the best, and you deserve the best!"
Tezuka stared at the redhead disbelievingly.
"He likes me?"
"Yes! He does… You really didn't know, did you?" Eiji's expression softened as he noticed the confusion on his buchou's face.
"How could I have known, if he didn't tell me? Why didn't he say something?"
"Because… Well, because he didn't want his feelings for you to become your burden. He was content just loving you from a distance, and he didn't want to be a hindrance to you and your plans to become pro…" Eiji continued wistfully.
"Fuji could never be a burden." Tezuka said quietly as he looked toward the tensai again.
"I think we should go now Eiji…" Oishi pulled the redhead out of the room, leaving Tezuka seated next to Fuji.
Grasping Fuji's hand gently in his own, Tezuka couldn't help the tiny sprinkle of tears that spilled from behind his glasses and landed with uncanny precision on their joined palms.
"Fuji… Gomen. This is my fault. If only I hadn't left. If only…"
It was with hardened resolve that Tezuka made a vow to himself in his heart as he clutched Fuji's hand a little tighter, determined to make amends to the tensai no matter what.
/thethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutloveis\
The weeks passed in rapid succession as the Seigaku team learned of Tezuka's arrival and Tezuka's family abruptly received him back at home.
It seemed to them that Tezuka had no intention of leaving for Germany again any time soon, and it prompted Momo to ask him so when they found Tezuka reading a book in Fuji's ward the day they made a team visit.
"I'm staying here until Fuji wakes up." That was Tezuka's simple reply as his eyes swept across Fuji's face before returning to his novel.
No one dared argue with the fierce glint of determination that had lit up in Tezuka's eyes behind his oval glasses.
/thethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutloveis\
Since he didn't have school, Tezuka spent every single day just sitting next to Fuji in the hospital, taking comfort in the presence of the tensai despite his comatose state.
Occasionally, he would talk, but they were short little sentences, like "I hope you wake up soon Fuji. I miss walking home with you" and "Remember that match we had in out third year in Seigaku Junior High? I want to have another one… Soon I hope." Then he would smile and return his attention to some book he'd brought to read.
Tezuka believed that Fuji would snap out of the coma, he believed it with all his heart, and that was the reason why he decided to save the important words for when Fuji woke up and he could look the tensai in the eyes and say those words aloud.
/thethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutloveis\
A month passed in this routine, and gradually, it became common knowledge to everyone that Tezuka was not going to leave unless Fuji woke up.
No amount of weary advice from the doctor, his family and Fuji's family could deter him. He was completely determined to stay put until the tensai awoke, and he was prepared to give up his tennis career for that miracle.
Another month passed and Fuji grew thinner under the watchful eye of Tezuka, who felt a stinging pain in his heart as he held onto Fuji's slim fingers and absently stroked them.
The doctor's earlier words rang in his head as he dozed off in the chair next to Fuji's bed.
"He's been in the coma for a little over six months now. The chances of Fuji-san waking up are very slim. Do you still want to wait?" Fuji's family looked over to him.
Tezuka gave a curt nod as he spoke. "Yes, I'm going to continue waiting. Please allow me to do so." He directed the plea to Fuji's mother, who smiled warmly and nodded her consent.
He could hear the steady beep of Fuji's heartbeat emitting from the machine as he nodded off.
All of a sudden, the beeping became chaotic. The frequency waves fluctuated wildly before the beeping coursed into a long high-pitched whine.
Tezuka panicked for a second before he jerked awake and realised it had been a horrible dream. Fuji was alive, Fuji couldn't die. Not before he had a chance to tell the tensai those important words he had stored in his heart.
He looked toward the bed to calm himself, to reassure himself that Fuji was there and alive.
He blinked. His eyes were deceiving him, weren't they?
The bed was empty; the only evidence of it being recently occupied was that of an imprint of a Fuji-shaped depression in the middle of the mattress.
Tezuka's heart thumped wildly as he leapt up and ran out of the ward, calling for a doctor at the top of his voice, panic overtaking his senses.
He paused at the sitting area, breathing heavily as his mind churned out unsavoury thoughts about the current situation. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do. He felt completely helpless and scared.
Hearing footsteps behind him, he whirled around quickly.
His heart nearly stopped as his eyes took in the sight ahead of him, rendering him immobile as time seemed to freeze around him.
"Fuji…"
Fuji stood outside his ward, leaning against the wall, looking fragile and pale.
Tezuka pinched himself, hard.
No, this wasn't a dream; Fuji was truly standing in front of him. Fuji was awake.
He felt an urgent need to fall to his knees and thank Kami-sama, but instead, he wobbled unsteadily to Fuji's side.
Fuji stared at him with glassy, emotionless eyes as he made his way to the tensai.
"Fuji?"
Tezuka reached out a shaking hand to touch the tensai's face, feeling his heart stop cold when he caught the whispered words from Fuji's mouth.
"Who are you?"
/thethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutlovethethingaboutloveis\
hitsugayasugardeservessmacking - Ano, minna-san, gomen ne! I apologize for the long wait for this chap and for the chap itself, demo, I hope you will follow me to the end, because burning love must always get a fairytale conclusion right? So stick with me and I'll conclude that love for you -winks- Hit me with your reviews, and hold on for the next chapter! TezukaFuji forever wheee! LOVE YA ALL BABYYS!
Animestar73 - Yea! I don't know how I risked that, but I did, and I really adore you and your reviews. I suppose you want to kill me even more now right! -cowers in corner- BUT! I assure you, this is just a catalyst to create the perfect ending... -sighs- I am giving away wayyy to much here. -sends you flying kisses- :D
Rebecca-sanFujiEijiLVR - goodness you tweaked your pen name again didn't you! hahah yes I know! I'm sorry for making you sadd! -hugs you- But I promise to make you happy soon yea:)
SkySurf - Yea I know! It breaks my heart to see them apart too! They make the hottest, sweetest couple -sighs dreamily- Hold your horses for the good parts:D
vierblith - 'For criven's sake, Tezuka.' Yes for criven's sake Tezuka. Ah well, no worries there, since they are obviously DESTINED for each other. love ya and your reviews, they make me happy like sunshine, just like TeFu Love. Update soon yourself dearie! BIG HEARTS :D
Tensa Zangetsu .15 - Forgive me for making you sad! Another cliff hanger here, I fully allow you to bash me on the head! But stay with me on this won't you? -sends you Tezuka and Fuji plushies to appease you- :)
okinneko - gomen gomen! cheer up ne? though this chap kinda doesnt allow that.. -huggles you- I guarantee you a smile for the ending ne:D
Jingy5 - Aww sorry for making you sad nya! But I hope you like the story! Thanks for reviewing yea:D
secret25 - Arigatou ne! For the review. It cheers me up and helps me write better! Here's that update ne! Hope to update soon! -Huggles- TeFu Lovee always!
