"You can leave now."

Complete silence fell between them.

Atobe stared at Tezuka in disbelief. There was no expression on Tezuka's face. He looked more like a statue than a real human being. Deprived of any feelings or expressions.

An irrational rage flared up in Atobe. //You can leave now.// What was that supposed to mean? Not a statement denying what Atobe said was true, nor a statement confirming if that indeed happened, but a statement clearly indicating anything that happened to him, Tezuka, had nothing to do with Atobe.

"Are you asking me to just go away? Leave you alone? Is that all you have to say?" Fueled by anger, Atobe pushed himself off the wall and walked towards Tezuka.

Tezuka merely looked at him in disinterest and turned to leave.

Atobe reached out to grab him.

There was a brief struggle before both of them fell onto the floor, with Atobe on top of Tezuka. Although both men were on the same level when it came to physical endurance in playing tennis, Tezuka had a more slender built than Atobe, which gave him the disadvantage when one man was trying to hold the other down. Using his weight as leverage, Atobe effectively had Tezuka pinned underneath him.

Capturing Tezuka's both wrists over his head in one hand, Atobe used the other hand to tore open Tezuka's shirt.

//Don't even think that you can turn me away as some busy body. If you won't tell me, I will just have to find out myself.//

Atobe gasped at what was revealed to his eyes.

There were more bruises on Tezuka's pale torso. //They used more than their fists to hit him.// Atobe's fingers tightened around Tezuka's wrists unconsciously. There were also more bite marks. Not the type left by lovers in passion; these were placed to bring pain and humiliation to the receiver.

A bang of pain hit Atobe. //I can't believe they did this to you, Tezuka.//

In his shock and anguish, Atobe didn't notice the body below him had gone completely motionless.

**

It was a nightmare. Just woke up and everything would be ok.

Tezuka had repeatedly told himself.

What should have been a normal Sunday afternoon, just like any other afternoons, turned out to be the beginning of an unending nightmare.

He didn't even know any of them. A group of how many? Five? Six? Or was it more?

He had tried to block out the images of what happened. Tried to stay behind his mask of calmness, hoping he would wake up soon and found it all to be a dream. He almost believed it. After all, Atobe wouldn't come to visit him in reality now, would he?

But then Atobe said something that was too close to the truth he was trying to avoid. And now being pinned down underneath another man, memories rushed back like waves hitting shores.

Pairs of hands on him, forcing him down, holding him in place. Images of men, attacking him. He couldn't fight back. There were pain everywhere and no escape. He only wanted to be left alone, but the gods must have been taking a nap in the lazy afternoon for his wish was not granted and the torture continued. Evil laughter rang around his ears.

White hot pain exploded and Tezuka felt his last grasp on reality was lost.

**

Atobe finally realized something was wrong.

The body beneath him was too still. The chest that he had been staring at had not been moving up and down. Tezuka's eyes were still opened but he was not seeing anything. He was not in the same world with Atobe but reliving in the world of nightmare. Worst of all, He. Was. Not. Breathing.

"TEZUKA!" Atobe screamed.

//Panic attack// Those two words flashed through Atobe's mind.

"Tezuka, BREATH!" Atobe shook the limp body in his arms.

There was no response, and Tezuka's expressionless face was turning purple.

"Stay with me!" Atobe bent down and their lips touched. He had dreamed about this moment, but never had he imagined that their first kiss would be he delivering CPR to a Tezuka that's not breathing.

"You ~ Huff ~ Start ~ Huff~ Breathing ~ Huff ~ This ~ Huff ~ Minute~" Atobe said in between delivering oxygen.

There was no response from Tezuka.

//His lips are so soft.// Even while frantically trying to save the other's life, he could still hear a strange inner voice of his commenting. //Too bad you are going to lost him. Enjoy the kiss while you can. Savor it.//

"I'm not going to lost you." Atobe began pumping Tezuka's chest.

"You still need to beat me in tennis! You still need to bring Seigaku to the National Championship!" Atobe could feel his blood going cold. There's only so long a person could be alive without breathing.

"Please~" It came out as a choked whisper. "Come back."

His pleading might have reached Tezuka, because the next thing he heard was coughing and the chest started moving again.

TBC