The fic has taken a turn... No more speeches for the boy, its all about TezuFuji now. Many thanx to my reviewers... I'm working hard like mad now rushing the lasts of this fic, so i need more encouragement! -hint hint- Sankyuu!

Disclaimer: does not belong to me.

(words in /.../ are thoughts of the character.)

The Promise

It had been a wonderful week for Fuji. Tezuka was by his side almost 24 hours a day, taking care of all his physical and emotional needs. But all things came to an end, Fuji knew that. Tomorrow would be the last day of Tezuka's one-week break. The blue-eyed man wasn't particularly disappointed; he was already content with what he had for the past week. But somehow, he just felt a little... out of himself.

"Kunimitsu?"

Brown eyes looked up from behind a tennis magazine.

"Yes? Is there something you need?"

"Saa... can we play? Tennis, I mean."

The bespectacled man put down the magazine and walked over to the bed, taking Fuji's hand in his own.

"Syusuke, are you serious?"

"Of course I am! It's been a long long time since I last played... I know they have a court here, on the roof level."

"But – "

"I'm feeling great today. Didn't you hear Oishi just now? My blood pressure has returned to normal, and my fever has subsided."

Tezuka looked at the pleading blue eyes, his heart softened, once again.

"Are you sure you can manage?"

"Yes! Can we play? Please..."

"Only if you promise to stop once you feel tired."

"Promise! Let's go now."

There indeed was a tennis court on the roof. It looked like it had been deserted for a long time, but it still was a court. Tezuka retrieved his tennis equipment from the trunk of his car, and they were all ready to play, except that they didn't have the proper attire for it. They wore coats, which pretty much got in the way of their actions. That didn't really matter though. But the thing was, it was quite cold with winter just round the corner.

"Don't you think it's a bit too cold for tennis now?"

Fuji hugged the tennis racket and looked longingly at Tezuka, almost pouting.

"Just a while... Please, Kunimitsu?"

Tezuka sighed. It had been three decades and he still hadn't learnt how to refuse Fuji's requests.

"We'll go back before you sweat. Your fever will come back if you sweat out here in the cold."

Fuji beamed with delight and stepped on to the court...

10 minutes later.

The wind blew.

/Perfect. /

The ball bolted off Fuji's racket, flew up in front of the net, spun around near the baseline of Tezuka's court and finally flew back on to his own court, slipping perfectly into his open hand.

"That was... Hakugei."

"Yes it was. The wind was perfect."

"Game Fuji Syusuke. All right, time to go back."

The taller man walked over to the other's court and put his arm around the slender body. He rubbed Fuji's arms a bit. Fuji was panting slightly.

"Cold?"

"A little... you didn't play hard enough, Kunimitsu. I'm sure you could have done better, even though you used your right hand."

"Hard enough. I didn't want to work you too much. You've had your share of the deal already. Now let's go back."

Back in the ward.

Tezuka sat the smaller man on the bed.

"You thirsty? I'll get you a glass of water."

Just as the taller man was about to turn and walk away, Fuji grabbed his hand and hugged him around his waist, leaning his face on his abs.

"Mitsu... I'm sorry."

Tezuka stroked the silky brown locks.

"What for?"

"I've been so selfish all along..."

"Why do you say so, Syusuke?"

"I completely forgot about your feelings. I only knew how hurt I was when you left me, but it never occurred to me that you were going through more pain than I was. Not until the first time I initiated a breakup with someone. Then I realized that it felt more terrible to know that you're breaking someone's heart. You broke my heart; it hurt a lot for me. But you were the one who initiated it, you must have hurt even more – "

"Syusuke why are you saying all these things – "

"Listen to me, please. I've been wanting to tell you all this for a long time... I was devastated when you got married, and my heart shattered completely when I heard that your wife was pregnant, so I started to hide from you, I didn't want to stay too close to you. It was really painful for me to watch all those events. But I never thought of how you felt. You were the one who had to marry someone you didn't love, you were the one who were forced to make a baby, you were the one who watched as I drifted away from you. You were going through so much, Kunimitsu, and all I did was drift away from you when you were forced to go through so much pain.

I could drown my feelings with alcohol so that it didn't hurt that much. I could abandon the world outside and hide in my room and cry all day. I thought I was pitiful. But again, I neglected you. You couldn't do all the things I did to escape from reality, because you had a family, a responsibility to fulfill. I thought I was strong, to keep going for so many years despite the ache in my heart, but I realized you were stronger. You didn't get yourself drunk; you didn't hide from the world. In the end, you even had to come to my rescue when I broke down. I only made you worry, time and time again.

I'm so sorry, Kunimitsu. I've let you go through everything alone. I'm so selfish."

He buried his face in Tezuka's shirt as his eyes started to get teary. He hugged Tezuka closer to him, savoring the warmth radiating from his well-toned body. Tezuka closed his arms around Fuji's shoulders and gently stroked the soft tresses along Fuji's nape.

"You done talking? Now it's my turn, Syusuke...

You're right, it did hurt a lot when I broke up with you, and it was painful for me to marry someone apart from you, and it did feel terrible when I had to get intimate with her to fulfill my father's request for a grandchild. But I don't regret doing all these. If I didn't marry a woman, I don't know what my father would have done to you. I would be even more guilty and hurt if he harmed you because of my persistence to be with you.

What hurts me most is not breaking up with you, not marrying someone I didn't love, neither was it having a son, nor it you avoiding me. What hurts me most is to see you harm your own body, and watch helplessly as you fade away day by day, like a wilting flower. I don't find myself strong at all, Syusuke. Although it pained me to know you harmed yourself with drinking, I'm glad you still kept yourself alive, because that is what kept me alive. You. I don't mind if you worry me with your health, or your crying and things like that. It only goes to show that you still need me, like I need you. Listen, I forbid you to say such silly things again, Syusuke. Understood?"

Fuji nodded as he sobbed into Tezuka's embrace.

"I promise I won't. I need you, and I want you by my side, Kunimitsu... I love you."

Tezuka unwrapped Fuji's hands from his waist and gently tilted his head so that he could once again admire those sparkling pacifics. He claimed the tender lips with his own.

"I love you too, Syusuke. I'll be there for you, whenever you need me. Now that Kunisuke has accepted you, will you be with me again?"

The fair-haired man looked up and smiled with genuine happiness and gentleness in his eyes.

"Tezuka Kunimitsu, boku no koi-bito."

Tezuka captured the pale lips once again, with a passionate kiss, which spoke of all the longing emotions he had been keeping in his heart. Their once-shattered hearts were now finally, completely pieced back.

Mmm... How's this chap? If its keeping you, then all the more you must read the next chapter, First Snow. Trust me, you don't wanna miss it. Ja!