It was the one day where he wanted to lie in bed all day and not have to think about anything, or do anything. However his body disagreed with him and when he blinked his eyes open that morning, the digital alarm clock next to him flashed a solid red 10:34 at him; if Smith was in they would be already on the tennis court playing a game. He already tried turning around and going back off to sleep; gaining only an hour extra sleep. The bunk above him wasn't rustling with the noises of Eiji turning over holding the teddy bear he had been given by Ushio (who he had named Mr Teddy Bear for some random reason Fuji didn't know), meaning that the red head was already up and probably going around the kitchen or reading a school book. Smith didn't care much for books and so there were very few scattered around, all of which were in English and difficult to understand using words that they had never even heard of. So school books became the other source of extra-circular activities apart from tennis, photography for Fuji and cooking for Eiji.
Fuji turned over once again, wanting to try and get some more sleep. It was Christmas Day and Coach Smith had decided he was going to go out the night before; announcing he would not be around until Boxing Day, leaving the house to the two boys. Coach Smith had probably gone down to the pub again for Christmas, and Fuji was glad he wouldn't be coming back in a drunken state. He was still supporting the bruises and bearing the memory of being locked in that cupboard from the last time. A drunken Coach Smith was never a pleasant one, always finding a fault in their tennis play, or a fault in their personalities (Fuji remembered once that he found a fault in Eiji for being too acrobatic) or a fault in not being able to get the best grades in their school work. When he was drunk, and even sometimes when he was sober, he would just hit them for the pleasure of it. Coach Smith was careful though to make sure he hit them where the marks could be covered and very hard to see. Occasionally when in his worse drunken states, marks did show up clearly and in obvious places meaning that whilst at school both Eiji and himself had to make up excuses.
After losing the battle to try and get more sleep in what still felt like an unfamiliar bed for another 20 minutes, Fuji decided that it was time to get up. Rolling up the blind in the window next to the bed, Fuji peered out. 'No snow, there wasn't any snow last year in Japan either.' Thinking of Japan Fuji slumped back on the wall which the end of the bed rested on. The double bunk bed only just fit in the room with little space either side of the bed; only 1 or 2 cm at most. 'Yuuta should be home from St Rudolph's for Christmas, or did he decide to stay on over the holidays?' Fuji wondered to himself. He wished he knew but there was no way to get in contact with his family. All phones were behind locked doors, they never had any money given to them so letters were not an option, and Coach Smith had somehow managed to get the school to block any emails that they would send claiming 'I would like to read them first, to make sure that they don't trouble anyone back in Japan with their things about their family.' Just remembering that statement made Fuji mad; they never had any time to do any trouble making of any sort because they worked all the way through their frees, played tennis during the lunch hour and had to complete all home work at school if possible because if it need the internet Coach Smith wasn't going to let them touch his computer which was 'safely' locked away in the study.
Fuji changed into some comfortable clothes from his chest of drawers before leaving the room. His thoughts were still on Yuuta and his family, wondering how they were coping with dealing with his kidnapping. There was nothing he or Eiji could do though, as Coach Smith constantly reminded them, Momo was at the cabin and his life was in danger if they fought back or rebelled. There was no way they could sneak back to Japan with the fake passports because once again it came down to money and Coach Smith kept every piece of false document which he created on them and this elaborate story locked away in his study. Well there was two good things about today; no Coach Smith and Fuji and Eiji could speak in their own mother tongue. It was always English around the elder man, a beating for every time he heard a word of Japanese which made the talks between Eiji and Fuji at night interesting and quiet because it was one of the only times that they could speak in what was regarded by Coach Smith as the forbidden language.
As he thought he would Fuji found Eiji in the kitchen, leaning on the island counter in the middle of what was a fairly big open plan kitchen dinning space. It was modern built and clearly up to date with everything. Black glittery marble top surfaces lined the top of the counters which ran around half the room, and the island in the middle of the kitchen. White gloss painted counters ran underneath the marble surface, which according Eiji was a pain to keep clean. Floor level lighting ran along the ground with spotlights under all the counters. There was a built in oven (the fridge and freezer were also built into the cupboards) but also there was an agar in what would have been the main kitchen fireplace of the old which had been built around the late 19th century. A butler sink was situated besides the long window staring out into the back garden with the path that lead to the tennis court. The walls and floors were tilted in a sandy coloured marble stone. It was a very expensive fitted kitchen from anyone's view. If the school saw this they would know instantly that Coach Smith earned more than he said, but schools in England weren't allowed to pay home visits without forewarning the guardian or parent and only in the rarest of events. It almost always done on the school grounds for government reasoning. The dining part of the open planned living was just as expensive with a glass toped table and tall long back white leather chairs. Paintings by American artists lined the walls. Fuji was always surprised by the fact that Coach Smith had broken the glass table by now.
"Sa, Eiji, what are you doing?" He asked; there was no smile on his face today. He didn't feel like putting up a facade around someone who could see straight through it unlike at school. The acrobatic player was startled from his position of where he had been leaning on the counter; he had been clearly somewhere else. Fuji could have a good guess of where it had been. Home would be a tender topic today and probably would be discussed much later between the two of them when they felt like it.
"Nya. Don't make me jump like that Fujiko." Eiji always referred to Fuji with his nickname when speaking in Japanese, either that or normal Fuji. The tensai supposed it was Eiji's way of holding on tightly to a slowly disappearing link with their past. "Anyway, Coach Smith didn't go out shopping like I asked him to so we don't have much to eat today and it won't be a Christmas lunch" Eiji said, the apology clear in the tone as the red head was rummaging through the fridge now. Fuji didn't make a word, knowing that Eiji would carry on. "So, because you slept much later. I'm thinking a cheese and bacon omelette with baked beans for a meal in between breakfast and lunch. Oh what do the English call it …" Eiji asked, tapping his lips with his right index finger.
"A brunch?" Fuji said, he had heard the phrase before but it was a difficult word to pronounce. It had taken him quite a few tries to get it going, the pronunciation still wasn't right.
"Hoi, one of those and then later I'll make us some spaghetti bolognaise with the left over mince that wasn't used last weekend." Eiji looked up at Fuji. "It's not going to be a very Christmas lunch feel" he said sadly and Fuji knelt down besides the boy, placing his hand on Eiji's shoulder.
"Happy Christmas Eiji" he said a sad smile appearing on his face, as a way of saying it was okay that it wouldn't be.
"Merry Christmas Fuji" Eiji said before grabbing the cheese and leftover bacon from the fridge and standing upright. Fuji also stood up, thinking to himself before turning to leave the room.
"I'm going to get my camera Eiji" he said before completely leaving the room. His project in photography was on people and seeing as his only model really back at this house was Eiji it often focused around him cooking. There were a few tennis shots, mainly taken at the school. Fuji hated to admit it but his and Eiji's skills had got much better in leaps and bounds since this deathly training had started but he would never say that out loud. Never. As Fuji reached for his camera which was on his desk, there was a loud clatter from the kitchen. Fuji stopped mid-reach. Hurrying back out to the top of the stairs, Fuji called out Eiji's name as he raced towards the kitchen, the camera forgotten about.
Reaching the kitchen doorway Fuji tried looking for Eiji, and found him on the floor, holding his head, eyes closed tightly; two pans were some distance in one direction. 'That must have been the noise I heard' Fuji thought as he knelt down besides the red head, lifting him up to sloped sitting position with Eiji's head resting on his right arm, the left arm was snaked around Eiji. It was shaking violently.
"Eiji, look at me. Open your eyes please" Eiji only gave a moan in response. "Eiji, please open your eyes for me" Fuji begged. Two deep blue eyes slowly flickered open, the pupils were dilating and expanding like mad, like Eiji couldn't focus.
"Nya, Fujiko." Came a weak whisper, "my head hurts" Fuji nodded as Eiji's hands collapsed from their position of holding his head to hanging limply like it was too much energy to keep them there any longer, slowly those blue eyes started to close again
"No Eiji, keep them open for me please. Keep them open." No matter how hard he begged, Eiji wouldn't respond in way, shape or form, not even with a moan. Fuji was panicking for probably one of the few times of his life, holding Eiji close, encouraging him to respond. He didn't know to do …
Yeah, dramatic cliff hanger! And your going to have to wait to find out what happens. Eiji has something deadly serious ...
Also someone very important has to pop up in this story before it starts conculding ... I wonder if you can guess who it is ...
demoncat13: That means you won't be able to dig your claws in Saotome (that was not meant as a pun on your username by the way, it just came out like that). I noticed you didn't say anything Saotome loosing his memories ...
eijikikumarufan01: Yeah, closing of the case, no new lead for months, they will have to use their resources somewhere else. I'm glad I got a emotional response to the last chapter. Like I said, someone important has to pop up first before anything can start conculding, if Eiji survives that is ... its very serious what Eiji has and he does need to get to a hospital as soon as possible. As for popping up, you will be back in the story sometime, not big parts but you will be there.
Reviews please ... you may not like me for the ending of this chapter but you can say that in the review (just no flaming ... grrr)