Merry X-mas to everyone. ^^

So finally after a long wait here is the next chapter, see it as a Christmas present.

I found it myself to be a bit too long so I wanted to upload it today.

I will be updating this story somewhere around New Year to make up for this long wait. Most likely that chapter will be uncorrected. I will be changing it to the corrected one from the moment my beta sends it to me.

I didn't fail my exams. ^^ I passed all of them with English and economics as my best course and math as my worst. :p I hope all of you (who already did your exams) passed as well. ^^

I whish everybody a happy Christmas eve and day. Will you get lots of presents and a lot of yummy food. ^^

Until New Year. ^^ xxxx

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

7 Undeserved punishment

TEZUKA'S POV

I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw Fuji cowered away against the back of the wall. His body was constantly trembling and he was curled up, his arms were around his legs which were as close as they could get to his body. I noticed that he wasn't wearing a thing and that his body was even more covered in bruises and wounds than before. I saw something draped around Fuji's leg that was blood-red, his hands were bound behind his back in what must have been a very uncomfortable manner.

My anger increased as my eyes were glued to Fuji's body, I already thought that I had an idea for what reason Fuji was naked. And I didn't like that thought, not one bit. Especially not when I recalled the four guys in the police car and dreaded that there was actually a chance that those four criminals had…raped Fuji.

Tearing my eyes away from his body, I looked up at his face and my anger faded into the background. Seeing his sapphire eyes open wide and with tears in them made me immediately want to take him into my arms and comfort him. There were more bruises on his face and cuts on his lips. His nose had apparently been bleeding from what were probably more than one hit to his nose or cheek.

But those eyes, they looked desperate, terrified and confused. He looked like a fallen angel who had lost his wings, desperate for release from this cruel world, the trust in mankind gone, no spark of hope left.

"Who are these people? What are they doing here?" some police asked to a college who had come in behind us. My parents were looking, eyes wide open, at Fuji as their expressions were full with shock and compassion.

"I don't know, but we caught the father. He started fighting with this young man here although the reason is unclear."

"Bring all the criminals to the police office and I'll interrogate them there. I'll try to make this boy go with the nurses, good work," he said before turning to me and my parents; "And you three, what are you doing here? This is a police scene; no one is allowed to enter this house if you are not from the police."

My father was about to answer, but before he could, I stepped forward and walked to Fuji. He kept following me with his eyes. The agent did the same and looked suspiciously at me, he didn't know what my intentions were.

"Young man, what are you doing? Step away from the boy."

I didn't listen to him and he didn't try to stop me so I crouched in front of Fuji and looked him in the eyes. I slowly reached out to him, but he shivered and backed away from my touch. It was clear that he still thought that someone might do something to him and my heart cringed at that. I moved my hands again in his direction.

"Don't touch him; you'll only make him even more scared. He might even hit you or do something else that will endanger you." The officer said who was crouched next to me.

But as the crouching man said the last sentence my fingers lightly grazed his arm and I softly whispered to Fuji to try and calm him down: "Fuji, it's okay now. I'm here again, your father is gone, and so are the others. We are here to help you. I'm here to help you, I won't let you leave again."

He kept staring at me, but with every word I said, his fear and confusion faded away from his eyes. Hope started to come back even if it was just a tiny sparkle in his now dark eyes. My hand was softly rubbing up and down his arm by then. Before I slowly moved both my hands behind his back and loosened the belt that was constricting his movements. Tears were still flowing from his eyes like crystals. His eyelids were drooping from exhaustion.

He placed his hands in front of him and grabbed my hand in silence. I was surprised at first but let him be. He looked at my hand as his tears were lessening. It seemed like a lifeline for him that pulled him away from darkness. I momentarily pulled my hand away from him and took off my coat. I then hung it over his shoulders. I moved myself to a better position and grabbed his hand again.

I could feel that somehow holding my hand was comforting for Fuji and he was visibly starting to relax. His fingers traced my palm to my fingers and he then entwined our hands, his fingers softly sliding in between mine. He moved a bit and grunted as he leaned towards me and let his body rest against mine. I put my unoccupied arm around his body and kept on whispering comforting words, calming his scared heart down. He fell asleep almost immediately as he finally thought that he was safe again.

Everybody was looking a bit flabbergasted at this scene, surprised by the change in Fuji's behaviour. My mother had a small smile on her face even though she kept looking at Fuji with worry apparent in her expression.

Nobody would have wanted this to happen to him, every one of his friends had wanted him to be happy and safe from his father. It was really bad that it had come to this before his father had been caught.

We all knew that there would be consequences for Fuji, physical and emotional. But I promised to myself that I would do everything that was in my power to help him get trough it and offer him as much comfort as he needs.

FUJI'S POV

"Tezuka," his name tried to come over my lips, but no sound came out. I was surprised to say the least when I saw him enter the room.

Everyone had their eyes on him and his family. I only paid attention to Tezuka as he looked at me. His eyebrows were frowned and his fists were clenched. His eyes were full of hurt and anger before he looked at my face and straight into my eyes. I didn't hear what the others were talking about and I didn't want to hear. The only thing I saw was Tezuka.

He walked towards me with a gentle expression and crouched in front of me. His hands came in my direction and the first thing my instinct told me was to get away from it, so I did. But hearing his comforting words in his familiar beautiful voice, seeing his brown eyes full with emotion and noticing the hands of my previous saviour coming towards me, made me change my behaviour.

I relaxed just a tiny bit, and tried to see what he would do once he was able to touch me. My mind and body were telling me that what I was doing was dangerous, that he might hurt me. My heart on the other hand had full confidence in the one I loved. Hope started to form again like a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.

As his fingers touched my arm, I suppressed an urge to crawl away or yell at him. I kept looking at him with wide pools of blue and raw emotions. I could feel his hands start caressing my arms and my body remembered the nights that I had slept in those arms, the nights that those exact same hands had taken a soft hold of my shoulders, trying in a way to keep me close to him where it was safe.

He then moved his hands to my back and that scared me a little, and my instincts almost took over again. But watching him, seeing his eyes that held no ill intention, but that only promised me comfort, calmed down my fears again.

He untied the belt around my arms and I moved them to my front in what seemed like slow-motion. My body was so tired and despite the tears still coming out of my eyes, my eyelids were about to close. Instead I focused myself on Tezuka's soft hands; I grabbed one hand and pulled it towards me. He pulled his hand away for a moment and took of his coat to hang it over my naked body, trying to cover me up.

When I held his hand back in mine, I started to trace my fingers lightly over his hand, remembering how it had calmed me down with caressing my back, my arms, remembering how those hands had taken care of my gash wounds and how his arms had carried me away from my house to a safer place, keeping him close to his warm body.

I calmed down gradually, the tension in my body starting to seep away, making me slump down a little. I then entwined our hands and he tightened his grip on my hand softly. I felt safer and wasn't paying any attention to the rest of the people around us. I adjusted my position a bit as far as my strength and the pain in my body allowed me. Tezuka's body was close to mine and I leaned against him. The warmth of his body relaxed me even more.

His beautiful voice kept saying comforting words and listening to the melodious sound made me even sleepier. His other arm encircled me and I eventually was able to let go of my fears, even if it was just for a while, and my eyes closed as my breathing became regular and I fell asleep in the arms of my own personal guardian angel.

TEZUKA'S POV

The agents looked at me in a questioning way and then my father explained that I was one of the boy's best friends and that he had been staying with us the past week.

The nurses came closer to me and I told them that he was asleep. They asked me to carry him down and then lay him on the stretcher. I did as I was told while my parents were talking to the police officer who had been crouched next to me. It seemed that he was the one that had found Eiji in front of the police station, so I was grateful to him and silently thanked him. I was thankful to all the agents here, they had saved Fuji although it was still too late in a way. Fuji had been hurt in unspeakable ways and would suffer even more.

My parents allowed me to stay by Fuji's side in the ambulance as we headed towards the hospital, my parents following behind me in their car. I held Fuji's hand the entire way as the female nurse was checking some of his wounds on his face. A blanket was covering up his body and the rest of his wounds. The cut in his leg had also been treated quickly once they had removed the fabric.

We arrived in the hospital and he was taken away. I had to wait for the nurses to come again and point me towards Fuji's room once he was treated. As I waited I saw someone who looked a bit familiar. I noticed that it was Eiji's mother and I went to her.

"Kikumaru-san?" I asked her.

"Ah? Tezuka-kun, what are you doing here?" she asked surprised.

But before I could answer her question, she had already made the link and said: "Fuji-kun? Is he here? Is he okay?"

"He is here, they are currently treating him."

"Oh! That's good news, I'll let my son know. Come on, I'll bring you to him." I followed her obediently, wanting to see my other team mate.

We walked a bit further and I saw a man sitting outside. I noticed he looked a bit gloomy and tired as well; after all it was really late, or early. The man looked up and said to Kikumaru's mother that her son had wanted to be alone. She said to her husband that Fuji was in the hospital and he immediately stood up.

They said that I could go in and talk to Eiji, he was probably really worried about his best friend and wouldn't mind me disturbing him. I opened the door and saw him in his bed. His eyes were red and he had probably been crying, when he noticed me at the door, his eyes shot wide open.

"Fujiko? Is he here?" his voice worried, sad and desperate. He must feel horrible for leaving Fuji alone so he could escape and notify the police. But I was thankful that he had had the guts to leave him alone. Otherwise who knows what would have happened to the two of them.

"Yes, he is here. They are treating him for the moment. How are you?" I asked.

I was worried about Eiji. He looked like he had also got some beating and he looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes were visible. It had definitely taken a toll on the usual energetic and always smiling boy.

"I'm okay. What happened to him? How is he?"

I had walked into the room and sat on the chair beside Eiji's bed and started telling him what I knew. Eiji was visibly relieved that Fuji's father had been arrested. He was surprised when he heard about the four other criminals and told me that he hadn't seen them before he had run away.

We talked a lot more, telling each of our own stories, after a while Eiji became a bit unsure of what to say. He seemed to want to say something to me of importance but didn't dare to. I asked him about it and told me that he knew why it had all happened. He just wasn't sure if he was allowed to tell me.

"It has to do with you and why he seems to be feeling safer and happier when he is with you. And that he is extremely scared of everybody's reaction to it, especially since all that has happened. That's all I can say."

I wanted to ask him more about it, trying to know what he had meant with that, but a nurse came in with Eiji's and my parents behind her.

"He's in his room, you can go and visit him."

I hope you liked this part and I will definitely upload the next chapter (who is a bit longer) somewhere around New Year corrected or uncorrected.

Please review ^^

xxx