Dealing with Stubbornness

Summary: A continuation to 'Giving: Part 2'; what happens when Tezuka and Fuji meet that day. [TezukaxFuji]

Disclaimer: (long forgotten. Gomen.) Prince of Tennis is not mine. We should all know that by now.

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Tezuka pulled out his phone, confirming his meeting with Fuji via text. After a moment of considering the tensai's situation, sent a second message insisting that Fuji wait in Seigaku instead while the stoic youth took the extra effort to enter the university.

When they were dismissed early from their Math class, Tezuka briskly headed out ahead of his blockmates, dropped his bag off at their usual venue while awaiting their 1pm class and headed off to a particular area that he had visited the day before.

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Wednesday morning, Tezuka had come down from his classroom during Literature class – that was a free cut – to examine a stall that an org had set up, selling all kinds of merchandise for Valentine's Day. The stoic youth found himself obliged to get something from it and bought a heart-shaped butter cookie that he would give to Fuji when they met up later that day. Tezuka also felt obliged to purchase a rose, and ordered one that he would pick-up the following day and give to Fuji as well.

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Tezuka gripped on the slip of paper that he had examined earlier; it was a receipt to pick-up the rose he had ordered. The stoic youth chose that day to wear his Seigaku Tennis Club jacket, where he conveniently stashed the rose away underneath it as he began making his way to Seigaku.

Tezuka entered the school and eventually spotted the tensai with Kaidoh. The underclassman excused himself and left the two alone, to which the former buchou was grateful. After a few minutes of idle chatter, Tezuka revealed the rose and offered it to tensai.

Everything that had happened afterwards was just random chatter between the two, practically taking up most of the hour that Tezuka had before he had to rush back to class.

One topic in particular, however, got the stoic youth worried about the tensai. Apparently Fuji had spent all of his allowance by midday commuting to school and paying for school-related things that he had zero money left for lunch. Tezuka, who was budgeting his own allowance, suggested that he give the tensai some money for food, to which Fuji declined. Tezuka had even threatened not to go to his class if Fuji didn't accept it.

After a while, Tezuka decided to switch tactics when Fuji had still declined.

"I'm doing this because I'm worried about you, you know…"

Fuji kept silent before turning to the bespectacled youth. "And how are you sure that I'll spend it?"

Tezuka managed a small smile. "I trust that you will."

When Fuji had still declined – though Tezuka was sure the tensai was considering it now - Tezuka needed one last push, which meant that he had to count on how well he knew Fuji. "Even if it's just this once, Syusuke; pay me back if you want to… Just so long as you eat something…"

Tezuka held out the bill of money when the tensai finally succumbed to accepting it.

"As long as I pay you back," Fuji insisted.

"Hai, hai," Tezuka said almost impatiently.

They parted with a brief kiss before Tezuka sprinted off back to his university for his last class; one that he was just 5 minutes late for.

'Looks like I'm not the only stubborn one among the two of us…' the stoic youth thought to himself.

TBC