DISCLAIMER: Tennis no Ouji-sama IS NOT mine! (*sobs*)
His back ached.
His leg ached.
His whole body ached.
Fuji groaned as a shot of pain hit him the moment he attempted to get up from his bed. He glanced at his digital clock on the bedside table and cursed when he realized how late he was for work.
9: 05 a.m.
He obviously would get a handful of reprimanding for breakfast from Leanne.
He forced himself up, and ignored the pain on his back. He momentarily glanced at Tezuka's sleeping figure beside him and sighed. There are times when he regretted teasing the other guy too much. Tezuka just happened to be a very dangerous predator when overly provoked, and last night luckily happened to be one of those full blown game of provocation.
Fuji shook his head with a smile and went inside the bathroom. Right now, there's one more important thing he needs to focus other than his body pains.
He once again sighed.
"Let me explain myself." Fuji immediately said as he entered Leanne's office, briefcase still in hand, and breathing slightly uneven due to the untimely run he had to make using the stairs; credits to the elevators which were suddenly under repairs.
Leanne was seated on her swivel chair, eyes focused on several papers at hand, one ear occupied by a phone, and another hand busy scribbling down notes.
'Oh crap.' Fuji thought.
Today's really lucky.
He remained standing near the door, and waited for his editor to finish her phone call. When Leanne finally brought down the phone, Fuji moved forward and opted to say something when Leanne raised her right hand, signaling him to stop.
He looked at her in question.
"I'd like you to go to a press conference in Nagoya. The call just came in. The company needs to send somebody." Leanne said, eyes tightly closed, and fists clinched.
"What is it?" Fuji asked referring to the sudden air of indifference from her editor instead of the details about the press con.
Leanne shook her head.
Fuji looked at his wrist watch. 10: 15 a.m.
"What time will it start?"
"11:00 sharp." Leanne said, still closing her eyes, and leaning her head on the chairs lean board.
Fuji nodded and went off.
The moment he left, Leanne slammed his clinched fist on the table. Why does Fuji have to be late…now of all times?
Fuji made his way inside the conference hall, and noticed that the area was almost full. He took note of some familiar faces; Takahisa Kajimoto, the famous male anchor of Asahi TV, whose looks, Fuji thought was more fitted for a model. He grimaced at the thought. Why would a beauty like him choose to settle on a stressful job as this?
At the far end corner near the exit, he saw Sadaharu Inui, a freelance writer in his company, and researcher for Tokyo University. He moved nearer towards the stage, and settled to a seat at the front row.
He once again let his eyes examine the area, and saw more faces like the celebrity businessman, Atobe Keigo, the internationally acclaimed violinist Oshitari Yuushi, the world's hottest pro tennis player, Echizen Ryoma, and more..
Fuji frowned.
'What the hell is this all about?' he thought.
His thoughts were distracted when the back door opened, obviously to welcome the whoever famous guest they might have. Cameras began to flicker, and Fuji struggled to look over who it was who just came in. People were blocking his view, and realizing that he couldn't really take a good look until the crowd settle down, he decided to sit down and wait.
He learned through experience that patience is a virtue, though he really doesn't enjoy waiting.
Soon, the room began to look normal and at ease as their guest of honor took his seat at the VIP chairs on stage.
Fuji need not to ask who among the 5 people in front was the one who made this conference a huge fuss.
Seated at the second seat from the left was a man with shiny gray hair, lean figure, confident looking façade matched with that deviously captivating smile.
Fuji stared.
He looked back.
Blue eyes locked with 'his' deep black orbs, and Fuji could swear his heart skipped a beat on that.
He immediately withdrew his gaze and clutched his recorder tightly.
What was that just now?
A speaker had begun saying something in front, but Fuji couldn't make out anything about what he was talking about. He can hear words, but he can't make coherent and sensible ideas out of them.
And then he heard laughters.
Did the speaker just made a joke?
Fuji felt himself began to sweat as mild dizziness slowly crept on his head. He swallowed hard before deciding to excuse himself from the crowd.
Whatever was going on, he didn't know. All he wanted to do at the moment was to step out of the room, which suddenly felt suffocating, and head back to his office.
He walked past the security at the main door, pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed Leanne's number.
"Damn it, Leanne!" he exclaimed when his editor answered on the third ring.
"Fuji.."
"What are you trying to do, huh? Do you know who that person is? Are you nuts?!"
"If you were not late, you couldn't have-"
"Oh shut up! I can't believe you made me do this."
There was silence before Leanne sighed from the other line.
"I know you'd be affected, but you're over reacting."
"I'm- what?!"
Another sigh.
"Shiraishi regretted what he did Fuji…at least…..set aside your hate…for now…"
Fuji tightened his grip on his phone and hang up. What was Leanne trying to say? He hailed a cab and gave the driver the address to his apartment. He hoped Tezuka had gone home. The last thing he would want now is to talk to anybody.
Fuji tightly closed his eyes. How could he ever forget that?
Shiraishi Kuranosuke, his first love, his first kiss….his first…sin.
He was in Junior high school when he first met Shiraishi, and Fuji knew the very first time he met him, that they would be great friends. And they did. In fact they share a lot in common.
They love tennis. They love spicy foods. They fancy cactus…but more importantly, they both love Yumiko.
It was then inevitable that Shiraishi would start dating Fuji's sister. After all, he was really a vocal type of person, and Yumiko somehow got this thing for him as well. The moment he realized he likes Yumiko, he immediately made up his mind to tell her.
Fuji Syusuke, being the talented and lovely tennis genius of Seigaku at that time didn't mind. As long as his sister and his friend is happy, he couldn't ask for more.
At first.
But soon, his real feelings got the best out of him.
Man by nature is insatiable, and Fuji believed that. That was exactly the reason why he dared to tell Shiraishi the growing feelings he has for the other guy, apparently expecting for a bittersweet rejection.
He hoped to be rejected so he'd somehow learn a lesson. He wanted to get hurt, to always remember that falling in love with another man is wrong and unacceptable. He just wanted to set himself free from the anxieties he felt every time he'd enter their house and find his sister and Shiraishi enjoying themselves together.
That was just what he wanted to happen; to get rejected and feel hurt.
But Shiraishi was a selfish, dense, demon who took advantage of the opportunity and gave Fuji the answer he dared not to expect but kept on dreaming about.
A kiss. A simple kiss which ignited all untouched feelings and desires Fuji had for the other man. Worse, what he thought was a kiss that would end everything about them soon led to more sinful trysts which to Fuji was plain betrayal to his own sister. They were literally backstabbing her for Pete's sake! The worst? He really didn't care. What he cared for at that moment was Shiraishi's touches and kisses that felt really good, he cared more of Shiraishi's tongue tracing his collarbone, the mild sucking on his earlobe, those warm hands caressing his body and making him moan in pleasure.
Every time Shiraishi did that to him, he couldn't think of anything more; just the pleasure, just the warmth.
Just the warmth.
Fuji slowly opened his eyes as he felt the warm liquid flowing down his cheeks. He harshly wiped it away with his arm. Gone were the days when he'd spent the entire night crying over his first love. Gone were those days, when he had to comfort his sister just because the stupid Shiraishi Kuranosuke left without a word…and gone were those days when Shiraishi was his world.
Or so he thought.
He felt the car moved into a halt upon reaching his apartment. Fuji paid the driver and headed inside his room.
He was thankful Tezuka had left, at least he can enjoy some moments of silence. But now that he's finally alone, he couldn't understand why he felt like there's a gaping hole inside his chest.
Why now of all times?
Why does Shiraishi needs to show up again when everything felt perfect?
Why?
So many unanswered questions that Fuji want to be answered. He's tired of guessing and assuming. He wants answers.
He propped himself up on bed and reached for the box below his bed. It was a plain wooden box with a metal lock Fuji had asked Inui to make. He opened the top drawer on the bedside table and took a bronze key from a pouch. He opened the box and held out one old yet familiar photo.
Fuji thought it was the most beautiful photo he had seen on his entire life, with Shiraishi's arm around his shoulder, and him equally wrapping his arm around the other's waist, they looked quite perfect….together.
He placed the photo on his wallet and sighed.
What a sinner he was.
Author's Note:
*snorts*
...and...Shiraishi comes in to bring havoc!...
Seriously...I'd love to put some heavy conflicts in here...Tezuka and Fuji's story looks like very comfortable..hmm
Anyway, how was it?
Comments? Suggestion?