Title: Lost Memories
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Taka, Tezuka, Atobe – Tezuka/Ryoma
Word Count: 706
Warning(s): None
Summary: As the only one who was still in Tokyo, Taka tended to get a lot of old friends dropping by.
A/N: First, my theory. Ryoma was able to use the Pinnacle of Perfection because he still had amnesia or whatever and had forgotten the competitiveness of tennis and could just enjoy it. That's sort of the basis for this story. Second, I am on a roll tonight though my wrist is hurting like crazy.


Like every time the door opened, he looked up and shouted "Welcome!" and quickly looked back down to make sure he was chopping correctly. This time, though, he did a double take and stopped cutting. There were customers to serve, but they were less important than the man standing at the door.

"Kawamura." The man came to sit at the counter in front of him, face not revealing any emotion but eyes hidden behind frames showed the entire story if one knew where to look.

Taka nodded in understanding. "I'll close up in a bit. Let me take care of these last few." It was an hour before the last customer straggled out and the restaurant was shut down. Returning to the man, Taka plucked the third cup of alcohol from the man's grasp and set is aside, waiting for him to speak first.

"He's gone."

"What?" Taka asked, hoping it wasn't he thought. "Tezuka, what do you mean he's gone?"

Tezuka graded his cup and downed the rest of the drink. "He can't even remember his name anymore." He pulled his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry for bothering you." Putting his glasses back up, Tezuka stood up and made to leave. "You were just the only one who's still in Tokyo and knows about it."

"Wait, Tezuka." Taka pushed him back down. "It's ok, you can stay here. You don't have to leave.

Tezuka nodded in thanks. "Even keeping him in Tokyo didn't work. A month ago he finally forgot the last bits of Japanese."

Taka would have told him that he didn't need to keep talking except that it seemed to be doing Tezuka some good. So he let him go on as he finished cleaning up for the night and used anything leftover to make a snack,

"Then yesterday morning, he couldn't answer to his name. And I thought that would be the one thing his pride wouldn't let him forget," Tezuka laughed, having been refilling his cup while talking and loosening a bit. "I took him back to the hospital this morning. Hopefully the nurses will know he still only eats Japanese breakfasts."

Pulling the tipsy Tezuka up, Taka led him upstairs to the extra room. "Come on, you need to sleep. Then tomorrow, we can both go visit Echizen."

Tezuka fell on to the futon and was out like a light. Taka crept back down to the restaurant to grab Tezuka's jacket when the jacket started to ring. Digging through the pockets, he came up with a cell phone. The caller ID said Ryoma. Confused, he pressed Talk. "Hello?"

"Tezuka?"

"No, this is Kawamura Takashi, a friend. Who is this?" the voice was most definitely not Echizen's.

"Atobe Keigo. Where's Tezuka?"

"He's asleep. Why do you have Echizen's phone?" Taka headed back towards the guest room in case the call was important.

"What is this, twenty questions? Tezuka ignores my calls so I borrowed Echizen's – not that he even knows who I am. I need to talk to Tezuka now." Atobe's voice sounded aggravated. Taka figured he shouldn't get a billionaire mad at him, but he wanted to bother Tezuka even less.

"He's had a long day. Unless it's urgent, I can take a message."

"I'm moving Echizen to a better hospital in the States."

"Okay, hold on. I'll wake up Tezuka." Taka nudged Tezuka, hoping it wouldn't take too long to wake him up. Eventually, he resorted to flicking water droplets which finally got him up. Taka handed him the cell phone. "It's Atobe, about Echizen."

Tezuka grabbed for the phone. "What are you doing with Ryoma?"

Taka didn't bother to listen to half of a confusing conversation. When Tezuka hung up and headed for the door, Taka pushed some sushi into his arms. "A treat. For Echizen."

Tezuka bowed stiffly. "Thank you." He gave another bow. "Thank you for having me."

Taka shook his head and shoved him out the door. "Go, help him get better. I'm not going anywhere." Tezuka took off running for a bus or taxi or maybe just running all the way to the hospital. Taka didn't know. He just hoped he and Echizen would come back and have sushi together again.