Hanabi
Disclaimer: As much as I wish TeniPuri were mine, it's not. Ah well, maybe I'll get it for Christmas this year.
I've had this idea since last week, but I was waiting for Christmas to post it. Oh yeah, keep in mind that this is not a slash fic, but a Fuji/Eiji friendship one- with tiny (I mean tiny) bits of Fuji/Tezu and Eiji/Oishi. Anyway, I hope you'll like it.
"Always remember to forget the things that made you sad, but never forget to remember the things that made you glad."
"Kikumaru Eiji!" the teacher's voice rang. "Pay attention!"
Eiji head jerked off his desk, where he had been using his textbook as a pillow.
It was the third day of Eiji's second year at school. You might think the teacher would start off nice and easy, but no- she had even given them a history test on the first day.
And now she was given back the results, which, Eiji didn't want to see.
"You want to sleep in class, you should as least get good grades!" his teacher scolded as she put his test paper down onto his desk.
Eiji took a look. He had gotten a C. Damn.
Being nosy as usual, he took a peek at the result of the boy next to him. His jaw dropped.
The boy had gotten an A plus.
"W-Wha- how did you do that, nya?" Eiji asked, as the smiling boy turned to look at him.
"Luck?" the boy suggested.
"That is so cool, nya! You must teach me how you do that!" Eiji cried, pouncing onto the boy.
He laughed, fairly amused, but didn't say a word, so Eiji introduced himself.
"I'm Kikumaru Eiji." Eiji said, sticking out his hand.
"Fuji Syusuke." Replied the boy.
x
The days passed, and Eiji and Fuji became best friends. Fuji helped Eiji with his lessons, while Eiji pranced around talking at the top of his voice.
Together, they joined their school's tennis club and met some people they particularly liked- namely Tezuka Kunimitsu and Oishi Syuichiroh.
Eiji learned what he knew about Fuji by heart: the fact that Fuji was a sadistic tensai with absolutely no taste buds at all.
However, Eiji could tell Fuji had many secrets that he had yet to tell Eiji. And, as he gathered from his neesan's comics, this kind of friendships didn't last long.
Therefore, one day while they were eating lunch, Eiji spoke up.
"Fuji," Eiji said. "Do you know best friends never keep secrets from each other?"
"Really?" Fuji asked calmly flipping through the magazine he was reading.
"Yeah! But you won't tell me everything nya, so I- Fuji, are you listening?!" Eiji asked, swiping at the magazine.
"Eiji, one day I will tell you all my secrets, but not yet. Okay?" Fuji asked.
"As long as you tell me one day. As long as I know you in the end."
One day I will……"Of course you will."
If I get the chance……"And then I'll tell you all of mine."
"Haven't you told everyone all your secrets already?"
I'd like that, Eiji.
"Nope. There still one. You really will tell me one day, won't you?"
"Aah." Fuji smiled and turned back to reading the magazine.
I will …… don't worry …… I will.
x
One day, while Eiji was looking for Fuji after school, he caught sight of his friend sitting on the rooftop.
"Hoi, Fuji! What are you doing, nya?" Eiji called out, clambering up to join the tensai.
Fuji turned around and quickly put something into his bag. Eiji caught sight of striking blue orbs before they closed again.
"Eiji."
Eiji sat down beside his friend. There were tear-stained marks on his face.
"Nyaa, Fuji, have you been crying?" Eiji asked worriedly.
"Now what gives you that idea?" Fuji asked, the smile plastered on his face.
Eiji frowned at him.
"If something is wrong, you should tell me, you know, Fuji." Eiji said pouting.
Fuji didn't reply.
"Eiji, what do you like most?" he asked suddenly.
Eiji tilted his head. What a funny question. "Toothpaste, ice-cream, teddy-bears, bunnies, tennis, Oish-" he stopped abruptly.
"What was that you were about to say?" Fuji asked. "Oishi?"
Eiji turned a bright red.
"No!" he said. "Well, what do you like, nya, Fuji?"
"Let's see…… Inui Juice, wasabi, torturing people, matchmaking, handcuffs and fireworks."
Eiji stopped in the middle of blanching. "Fireworks? Why?"
"Well, - I guess that's because even though they're only there for a second, they leave an imprint no one will ever forget. Not like humans. They can be with you for a long time, but will always be forgotten."
"Fuji, nya! I would never forget you!" Eiji insisted, throwing himself onto his friend.
You cut me ……Fuji just smiled.
"Ne, Eiji, we'll be friends forever, won't we?" Fuji asked.
"Of course we will!" assured Eiji confidently.
You let me bleed ……"Saa, I guess you're right." Fuji said.
"Let's promise." Eiji held out his little finger.
You let me cry ……Fuji caught it with his own. Behind them, the sky turned a fiery red as the sun disappeared from view.
You let me fade away ……x
On Christmas Eve that year, Eiji invited the Seigaku regulars to his house for a sleepover party.
"Eiji, I told you, I can stay until eleven, but after that I've got to go." Fuji said patiently.
"Why? It won't be half as fun if you're not here, nya!" Eiji asked, disappointed.
"All you're doing is sleeping. You won't miss me unless -you're planning to do something?" Fuji teased.
Eiji glared at him.
"Gomen, Eiji. I have to go somewhere. But you'll always have Oishi." Fuji said gesturing to where their vice-captain was trying to break up a fighting Momo and Kaidoh.
Eiji wasn't to be sidetracked.
"Where are you going, nya?" he asked.
Fuji put a finger on his lips. "Himitsu, Eiji. Maybe I'll tell you next year, okay?" he turned around to leave.
"Fuji! Matte!"
Suddenly, someone grabbed him from behind.
It was Momoshiro.
"Eiji-senpai, where's all the food?" he asked.
Eiji pointed to the kitchen before turning back to talk to Fuji. But the tensai was no longer there.
Eiji ran to the door. "Fuji!" he called.
The streets were empty.
Eiji felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and came face to face with Oishi.
"Let him go, Eiji."
Eiji nodded, and after casting a final look out onto the streets, he followed Oishi into the room.
Meanwhile, a certain blue eyed someone was sitting on the roof of a building, unaware of the snow that had gathered in his brown hair, a small smile on his face.
Gomenasai, Eiji.
You wouldn't understand yet. But I'll tell you one day, like I promised.
That night, fireworks shot into the sky, ringing in the air, leaving an imprint never forgotten.
And from his window, Eiji watched quietly.
x
Their third year at Seigaku had begun. Romance began to flourish between Eiji and Oishi, Tezuka and Fuji.
Despite this, the tensai and Eiji remained best friends and in the same class. They always spent their breaks together, along with the rest of the Seigaku regulars.
It was the day they had their match with Hyotei.
The day tragedy struck.
Tezuka's match with Atobe Keigo had the worst results.
x
"Fuji……"
Fuji kneeled down beside the bed. "I'm going to kill Atobe. Don't you worry."
Tezuka snorted. "That is what I'm worried about."
Fuji smiled.
"Are you going?" he asked.
"To Germany? I 'm not sure. I will miss you." Tezuka said, eyeing the tensai.
"So will I, Kuni-chan."
Tezuka's eyes narrowed. "Maybe you could come along . And find a cure." He said, as Fuji tilted his head.
"Iie…… What would happen if the two strongest players in Seigaku's tennis club ran off to Germany?" he asked. "Besides, Eiji would be heartbroken."
Tezuka sighed.
"I'm betting you still haven't told Eiji about it yet."
Fuji shook his head. "Actually, I didn't want anybody to know about it. But you and Oishi……"
"It's turned out alright, hasn't it?" Tezuka asked.
"But, Eiji is a different type of person. I don't know what to expect." Fuji replied. "I will tell him, one day, when we're both ready……"
"In person or in ink?"
"Saa."
Eiji turned away from the slightly opened door, his heart pounding. Fuji had a secret that Tezuka knew about and Eiji didn't?
He placed the flowers he had brought by the door and walked of quietly.
A few minutes later, he was knocking on Oishi's door.
Time for a little interrogation. When Eiji wanted answers, he would get them.
Just then, Fuji opened the door to see the flowers Eiji had brought.
"What is it?" Tezuka asked.
Fuji smiled. "I think Eiji has just heard our conversation."
x
"Oishi. You will tell me what is happening to Fuji. Now."
Oishi had just enough time to look confused before Eiji explained.
"I was in the hospital, nya, and I saw Fuji and Tezuka talking. So I didn't go in and they were talking about a secret and they mentioned you knew it so now I want you to tell me what it is." Eiji said, in one breath.
Oishi sat still, trying to comprehend what Eiji was talking about. Then suddenly it dawned onto him.
"Oh. That."
"Yes. That. Now will you tell me what it's about?" Eiji begged. "Why did Fuji tell you a secret he didn't tell me?"
"Fuji didn't tell us. It was Yuuta. One day we met him on the streets, and he 'accidentally' let something slip." Oishi explained.
"What did he let slip?" Eiji asked.
"T-" his cell phone beeped, and Oishi checked the message. It was from Fuji, and held only two letters.
No.
Oishi sighed.
"Sorry, Eiji. One day Fuji will tell you himself."
Eiji banged his head on the table. "So I came here for nothing?"
Oishi's face brightened considerably.
"Well, since you ARE already here, why don't we do something interesting?" he asked slyly.
Eiji swallowed. Hard.
x
Tezuka left for Germany a few days later, and Fuji spent most of his time with Eiji and Oishi.
They entered the finals in the Kanto tournament, defeated Rikkai and then it was time for graduation.
And it was a day Eiji never forgotten.
"I'm not going to the same school as you next year, Eiji. Okasan wants me to go to a boarding school in another state." Fuji whispered as they posed for their graduation photo.
"Nya! How can that be?" Eiji whispered back.
"I'm sorry! But that's not my decision." Fuji said. "Okasan decided it."
Eiji sniffled.
If you love something, you will let it go……
"So, is this goodbye?" he asked.
Fuji smiled. "Nope. It's just until we meet again."
"I'm going to miss you, nya!" Eiji wailed, flinging himself onto Fuji, causing him to trip, and making the whole line of students fall like dominoes.
That year, the graduation photo went down in school history.
x
On Christmas Eve, along with the Christmas party and Echizen's birthday, there was a farewell party for Fuji.
Momoshiro, half drunk, was singing 'Jingle Bells', 'Happy Birthday to You' and 'Auld lang Syne' at the top of his voice, while Echizen was trying to shut him up.
Inui was filling up the drinks with something that didn't look too healthy.
Nearing eleven thirty, Fuji leaned forward to talk to Eiji.
"Eiji, last year I said I would bring you somewhere at this time on this day, didn't I ?" Fuji asked. "Want to come?"
Eiji perked up.
"Of course, nya! But…… being absent from your own farewell party is kinda….." he looked around for the word.
"It's just like St. Nicholas not being at a Christmas party and Echizen not being present at his own party, right?" Fuji asked, pointing to where Ryoma was trying to sneak out the door.
Eiji quickly ran forward to grab him.
"Ochibi! What do you think you're doing, nya ?"he asked. "Senpais must always go first, ne, Fuji?" Eiji said running out the door.
Fuji laughed and followed the redhead, who was bouncing away.
"Jaa, Echizen." He called out, before chasing after Eiji.
x
"Where are we going, Fuji?" Eiji asked, as he bounded along the dark streets.
"Come." Said Fuji.
Eiji followed as he turned around the bend, and suddenly, they were standing outside Seigaku's back door.
"Nya! What are we doing?" he asked.
Fuji opened the gate and went in. "Come on, Eiji. You are slow. We are going to the roof."
Eiji was indignant. "Slow?! Let's see about that, nya! Last one onto the roof is a slowpoke, nya!" he cried, running towards the building.
In a few minutes, they had reached their destination, with Eiji as the winner, as Fuji didn't bother to run.
"What are we doing up here?" Eiji asked.
"Close your eyes." Fuji ordered, and Eiji did so. He heard a metal plate scraping and was about to ask what the tensai was doing when he heard a bang.
Eiji immediately opened his eyes.
Fireworks spread across the sky, of the colors pink, green, red, orange and blue. Eiji was awestruck.
Fuji sat watching him, a candle in his hand.
"Cool, nya! I wanna try!" he called, rushing forward.
He sent a dragon into the sky, which zoomed about. Fuji's fireworks were so cool!
"Eiji, now one of my secrets is revealed." Fuji said smiling. "I kept my promise, didn't I? One day I'll tell you the rest."
"Every year, at Christmas, I come here alone to play with these. Maybe now its time I shared it with someone else, ne?"
Eiji laughed and hugged his friend.
As Eiji watched the fireworks, indeed, he felt, that maybe the fireworks deserved a place on his favorites list as well.
x
Eiji barely saw Fuji anymore now that school had started. He was sad, but at least the rest of the regulars were in the same school as him.
Besides, they kept in touch through emails and phone calls.
And every year, as the clock struck twelve, the two of them would meet on Seigaku's rooftop, and fireworks would light the sky.
Somehow, Eiji guessed that people like Oishi, Tezuka or Echizen somehow guessed where the two of them went every Christmas.
But if they did, they never said anything. And Eiji was grateful.
Tezuka returned to Japan on their second year, and entered the same school as Eiji.
"Where's Fuji?" he asked, on his first day of school.
"Dunno. Somewhere in Japan, nya." Eiji said. "He's gone to a boarding school somewhere in Japan. Didn't he tell you?"
"No." he replied. Then he turned to Oishi and lowered his voice.
"Is he alright?"
"He seems okay every time I see him." Oishi replied, careful not to let Eiji hear.
"I take it he still hasn't told Eiji?"
Oishi shrugged.
"What are you talking about, nya? Why are you lowering your voice?" Eiji asked, hanging onto Oishi like a rag doll.
"Nothing." Oishi said. "See you later, Tezuka. Come on, Eiji, let's get to class." He said, dragging the redhead away.
Tezuka sighed.
x
The years passed quickly. Fuji and Eiji were now both seventeen, and still best friends. The promise they made was kept.
It was the month of July.
Eiji woke up to receive a message on his phone from Fuji Yumiko. It read:
Syusuke is taking too long. Please meet me tonight at seven by the beach. Yumiko.
Eiji didn't understand the first half of the message, but decided to go anyway. It must've been important.
So, at eight minutes past seven, Eiji was standing by the beach, engrossed in a serious talk with Yumiko.
"What do you wanna talk about, nya?" Eiji asked.
"It's about Syusuke. You know about the secret he's never ever told you about, right?" she asked.
"Yeah, but Fuji won't tell me, nya." He answered.
"Well …… he's caught an illness that the doctors haven't heard of before. They can't find a cure, because, as far as we're concerned, Syusuke is the only one with it." She said softly.
"What…… are the effects?" Eiji asked.
"According to the doctor, the patient will feel dizzy and faint. We don't know when or why. It can be treated, of course. But…… everyday Syusuke has to spend five hours in the hospital. I'm starting to think he's tired of all the needles and injections, and he might just……" Yumiko had tears in her eyes.
Eiji was shocked. Did Fuji manage to go through all of this for so many years without telling anyone?
"When did this start?" he asked.
"When he was in the second year at Seigaku." Yumiko said.
Eiji closed his eyes. That was the year he met Fuji. That was the year they made their promises.
"Damn, Fuji……" he muttered, he felt tears falling down his face.
"You know, you two look like a couple from up there." A voice said casually.
Eiji spun around. It was Fuji.
"Fuji, nya!" he yelled. Eiji flung himself on the tensai and burst into tears.
x
It was the last day of October.
Fuji was standing by the cliff, watching the sunset, wind blowing at his hair.
I'll be your strength, I'll give you hope, Keeping your faith when it's gone. The one you should call, was standing here all along..
"Fuji?" Eiji ran up to his friend.
"I hate this, Eiji. I'm tired of all this." Fuji said. His face was streaked with tears, but held a genuine smile on his face.
"I want to go, Eiji. I hate it here." He said.
And I will take you in my arms ,and hold you right where you belong. Till the day my life is through. This I promise you…….
Eiji grabbed Fuji's arm. "No…… Fuji……please don't."
"Eiji, please."
Eiji understood. Fuji lived for him, suffered for him…… by giving his permission, only would Fuji leave.
I give you my word, I give you my heart. This is a battle we've won, and with this vow, forever has now begun……
"No……" Eiji hugged onto his friend.
"Onegai……"
Eiji looked up, his vision blurred by his tears. And nodded.
I've loved you forever, in lifetimes before And I promise you never...Will you hurt anymore……
Eiji sat up. God, it was just a dream.
But the feeling the feeling of dread didn't leave him. As the sunlight poured through the window, his cell phone beeped.
It was a message from Fuji. Eiji read it and dropped the phone on the ground, then rushed frantically down the stairs.
The phone lay abandoned on the floor. On the screen, two words were flashing.
Sayonara, Eiji.
x
A few days after the funeral, Oishi tried coming to visit Eiji. Eiji turned him away.
The second day, he came again. Eiji turned him away.
The third day, Oishi broke through the door and sat down beside Eiji. "Eiji, Yumiko asked me to give this to you."
He lay an envelope down beside Eiji.
"And your mother asked me to give you this."
He placed a tray of food down beside Eiji, then stood up and turned to leave.
All this time, Eiji's head was bowed. Suddenly he called out.
"Oishi? Thank you."
Oishi nodded his head slightly, and closed the door behind him.
Eiji reached out to take the envelope. Inside held a piece of paper and a tape.
On the paper, in Yumiko's writing, it read:
Fuji asked me to give this to you if anything happened.
Eiji took the tape and put it into his player.
"Eiji, " Fuji's voice came. "If you're listening to this, I guess that I'm already dead. Well, actually, all I want is to tell you all the thing I've thought about lately."
"I wish I could make sure you always had the best, I wish I could make it possible for you to do everything you're ever dreamed of. I wish I could keep you from being hurt or sad. I wish I could make all your problems disappear."
"Eiji, not everything is smooth sailing. I hope you will be able to put the past behind you, and look forward to the future. Maybe you and Oishi will get married." There was a laugh.
"Well, I just hope you will understand that I've kept my promise, and done what is within my limit to. And I hope you will always understand how special you are to me."
Just then Eiji heard his own voice come.
"Hoi, Fuji! what are you doing, nya?" There was a click and the rest was static.
Eiji laughed through his tears. He remembered it. That the day they made the promise to be best friends.
"Thanks, Fuji."
x
The calendar read November 28th.
"Fuji! I thought you were dead, nya!" Eiji said, hugging his friend playfully.
"I am." The tensai replied smiling.
"Then what are you doing here?"
"You don't like me to pay you visits?" Fuji faked a sad face.
"I do! But……."
Fuji laughed. "You never change, Eiji."
Eiji pouted. "What did you come down here for?"
"Oops. I forgot."
"What?!"
"I forgot. That means I have to go back." Fuji got up.
"Will I ever see you again?" Eiji asked.
"Saa, who knows?"
"Fuji!"
"Remember what I said, Eiji. This is not goodbye." Fuji said.
"-this is until we meet again." Quoted Eiji.
Fuji faded slightly, before saying: "Aa. I just remembered."
"What?"
"Happy birthday, Eiji."
x
It was Christmas Eve.
Eiji checked his watch. There was half an hour until midnight.
As he waited by the traffic light to go straight, suddenly something appealed him to turn left. So he did.
And found himself standing outside Seigaku's back door once more.
He got out of his car and peered about.
Well, there wasn't anyone looking……
He entered the school grounds and headed towards the place he had grown so familiar with over the past few years.
The rooftop.
Eiji sat down, allowing his legs to dangle over the side of the roof.
"I sure miss you, nya, Fuji." He said, looking up into the sky.
"You do? That's really nice of you."
Eiji looked at the source of the voice. It was Fuji.
"Are you real?" he asked, leaning closer.
"I don't know. Am I?" Fuji smiled. "Besides, what are you doing here alone?"
Eiji peeled off one of the roof tiles, and removed a firework from the pile. He lit it and shot it into the sky.
It burst into the shape of a planet, then fell down again.
"Playing fireworks."
"Why don't you play with them?" Fuji asked pointing downwards where the ladder was.
Eiji got up to see who it was.
"Hey, Eiji-senpai! Merry Christmas!" Momoshiro called out.
"Merry Chritmas, Eiji!" Taka said.
In no time at all, the regulars all stood on the rooftop.
"Where did you get the fireworks from, Eiji-senpai?"
"Go on. Show them." Eiji felt Fuji push him slightly. He bent down and showed them the loose tile.
"Cool! Come on, Echizen! Let's set this on off!" Momo said, grabbing the biggest one from the pile.
"Mada mada da ne." Ryoma still had the same annoying line.
Takashi was opening his bag- he had brought enough food for a party on the roof.
"What were you doing here all alone, Eiji?" Oishi asked, coming closer to the redhead.
"I wasn't alone." He said. "Fu-" he turned around. No one was there.
Just then, there was an announcement from Inui.
"We will be having a contest. The one who sets out the biggest firework wins. And the one with the smallest fireworks-" he held out a bottle of something that looked like swamp water. "-will have to drink this."
There was an immediate scramble for the biggest fireworks.
"Aah, I think we'd better start grabbing some, Eiji." Oishi said bending down to take some.
Eiji turned to Tezuka.
"Did you see him?"
Tezuka nodded. Eiji smiled and turned to the pile. "Race you!" he cried happily. They both dug into the pile for the biggest one.
Watching quietly, the blue-eyed tensai smiled.
-Owari-
That took so long to write! If I have any mistakes, please tell me. I don't know which state Seigaku is in, (you wouldn't know either if you have only watched ten episodes of the series) so I didn't know which state Fuji's boarding school should be.
Any information about PoT that you are willing to share is welcome, as I have only watched ten eps. and most of the info I have is gathered from fanfics. By the way, can anyone tell me the length of time from Germany to Japan?
Please review! Oh yeah, Merry Christmas, everyone, and Happy Birthday, Ryoma!