Bloody Cactus
Yuu-chan
Kiyami: Revised.
Pairings: FujixTezuka, MomoxRyo (Only Suggestions), and one-sided FujixMizuki
Disclaimer: I do not own Tennis no Oujisama.
Yuuta stepped out onto the local tennis courts. Fortunately for him the lights were still on. He stepped into a caged area and slipped coins into the machine. Minutes later a yellow tennis ball shot out of it. Yuuta hit it hard and prepared for the next.
Yuuta practiced a lot especially during the night. Somehow Yuuta was able to balance school life, a job, a personal life, and practice hour after hour of tennis. It had become a hobby of his with his obsession with it growing after the death of his family.
At the age of six Yuuta was away at Ryoma's house for Ryoma's birthday party. It had been set on Christmas Eve, the date of Echizen's birthday. The party was a little bit before noon and lasted for only an hour and a half. No one came to pick him up.
In the late evening a woman arrived at Ryoma's house to tell Yuuta of the news. A fire had erupted when a truck with a tank full of propane collided into his home. No one was able to react in time. The truck exploded and killed his relatives in the process. Yuuta wasn't sure whether to be thankful or not that the explosion had brought a quick death.
Afterwards Yuuta lived with a foster family who treated him with pity and attention. Yuuta attended St. Rudolph and joined the tennis team. He became known as the Southpaw Killer and even faced his childhood friend, Ryoma in a match during a tournament.
High school had ended and Momo suggested them living all together so they could afford a house. The house was run down and needed renovation. That was how Yuuta ended up in this quiet town.
Yuuta slammed the ball that was sent spinning into the fence surrounding the court. Slowly it came to a stop and dropped to the ground. That was the last one unless Yuuta fed the machine more coins. Tonight he didn't have many coins.
"You're quite talented." Someone commented from outside the fence.
Yuuta gave only a short glance to the black-haired man before him.
"Would you like to have a match with me?"
"Sure." Playing against a real player was always better practice than with a machine after all.
Yuuta wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. His opponent who had introduced himself as Mizuki was quite strong. The match had ended at seven to five with Mizuki as the victor.
"You're a powerful player." Mizuki commented with a finger curling around a lock of hair.
Yuuta looked at Mizuki. "But you're the one who beat me."
"Would you like to play again some other time?"
"Sure."
"How about next Saturday at the same time?"
"All right."
Mizuki watched the left handed Yuuta leave the public tennis courts. A finger still toyed with the soft black hair. A smile formed on his pale face.
The prey had fallen into a trap.
"Ten-chan, let's go swimming. I haven't gone swimming in a long time!" Fuji suggested suddenly while he was watching TV.
"No." Tezuka replied and turned a page in the book he was reading.
"Ten-chan, just one time?"
"Didn't I tell you not to call me that?"
"What? Ten-chan?"
"Yes."
"But I like calling you Ten-chan." Fuji smiled. Tezuka glared.
"Hn." Tezuka turned his attention back to his book.
Fuji sighed audibly. "We should spend this time together doing fun things. I might have to leave soon."
"Good." It was a lie though. Tezuka had quickly grown used to Fuji being around here. Whenever he returned from work he would find himself merrily greeted by the vampire. Tezuka never admitted it, but he was almost glad that Fuji didn't have a place to go.
Fuji frowned with his face showing mock hurt. What Tezuka said didn't phase Fuji too much. Tezuka was…colder than Ten-chan, but to Fuji they were exactly alike. Although Tezuka had more control over things and had this commanding aura about him while Ten-chan was a bit of dreamer and always seemed to be distracted by one thing or another.
"Will Yuuta be coming tomorrow?"
"No, tomorrow's my day off." Tezuka glanced up from his book.
"Then let's go swimming!"
Tezuka climbed into his bed and placed his pair of glasses on the nightstand next to it. He turned off the lamp idly placed in the center of the side table and closed his eyes to sleep.
Fuji and Tezuka had switched places after Fuji confirmed that he was perfectly fine. His body gratefully sank into the more comfortable bed and soon he was fast asleep.
Fuji opened the door silently and slipped into the room. He kneeled by Tezuka's bed and smiled. Gently he poked Tezuka on the shoulder until he woke up.
"What is it?"
"I can't sleep, Ten-chan. Can we share your bed?"
"No."
"But Ten-chan…Your couch is so uncomfortable to sleep on and it's cold in there."
"Live with it."
"Your bed is big…We can both fit on it without having to be bunched together."
"Go back to sleep." Tezuka sleepily looked at the vampire's face. He was smiling like he always was. Usually Tezuka might have thought the constant smiles would be annoying, but with Fuji it just wasn't.
Reluctantly Tezuka moved towards the edge of the bed. He was too tired to argue with him. Fuji crawled in next to him.
"Thank you, Ten-chan."
"Go back to sleep."
After the two had settled in Tezuka tried his best to ignore the cold presence next to him. Fuji was cold. It was as if he had no body heat. Tezuka shivered when he felt an icy hand come in contact with his arm. Fuji's hand squeezed his arm in a comforting way before slipping away as Tezuka turned his back to Fuji.
Fuji just stared at Tezuka's back while savoring the feel of warmth on his hand. He hated being cold, but the price of vampirism was the warmth of life. That was why he would never want Tezuka to become just like him, like a vampire, because he didn't want Tezuka to suffer the brutal, cold harshness he had gone through. He didn't want Tezuka to suffer even if it meant him to mourn his death for the rest of eternity.
And eternity never ended.
Mizuki dropped the lifeless body of his latest victim. The man was Akazawa who had a connection to Yuuta. Akazawa had been the captain of the tennis team Yuuta belonged to at one point. Killing him was just another method to bringing down the prey easier. Kill off those around it and it becomes scared, nervous, and vulnerable.
Calmly he stepped onto the sidewalk in the quiet town. He had expected Fuji to retreat to a louder place than this. Here it was much too dull for what Fuji preferred.
Ah Fuji Syusuke, the obsession that had driven him to such extremities. He wanted Syusuke to be only his and his only. No one else could have the one man that occupied his thoughts every moment of his existence.
Some might think him mad the way he thought. Mizuki could almost sense the fear always lingering by Fuji. Fuji was scared, scared of things such as death. Mizuki knew a way to end that fear and it was to give him immortality. Fuji wouldn't be scared anymore and Fuji would be his.
It was a perfect plan in his mind to do such a thing, but he never thought Fuji would retaliate in such a way. He never thought that Fuji would attack and try to free himself from the one person who had given Fuji what he wanted.
Of course he was the one who indirectly forced Fuji to kill the one Fuji loved. It was a price to pay. Living forever wasn't exactly cheap.
And now he had discovered Yuuta. Yuuta was related to Fuji in some way and that made Mizuki interested. Perhaps it would just all be easier to forget Fuji Syusuke and try again with Fuji Yuuta. But Mizuki wasn't the type to give up that easily.
Although every time he saw Yuuta his interest in the mortal would deepen. Something about the stubborn man was attractive through Mizuki's perspective. Even after he had killed off his living relatives all in one huge blow, he had remained tough and lived on. Mizuki had seen far too many mortals die from depression even if the ones they had lost were small compared to Yuuta.
Yuuta struggled to live on in life and overcome all obstacles. Yuuta survived in this harsh world. Yuuta was able to live and that just made Mizuki want to take it, but he wasn't so cruel to take away something Yuuta had worked hard on. That was why Mizuki decided to reward Yuuta for his efforts.
Mizuki had decided to bestow the gift of vampirism to Yuuta.
He didn't know how it had happened, but now he was driving. Driving to the beach. Driving when he should be relaxing or doing something on his day off. But somehow Fuji had gotten him to drive all of them to the beach. Them as in Fuji, Yuuta, Momo, and Ryoma.
Momo was making an effort to get everyone to start singing a song. Ryoma was asleep and Yuuta was staring out the window. Fuji tried to strike up a conversation with Yuuta.
"Yuuta?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I call you, Yuu-chan?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because…anyway we're not even close."
"But Momo lets me call him Momo-chan."
"That's because he asks people to."
"Enough. If I have to drive all of us to the beach I rather have it silent."
"Ten-chan, don't be so harsh."
"Ten-chan?" Momo and Yuuta echoed in unison.
"Don't ask." Tezuka bluntly replied.
"Let go of me." Tezuka demanded while he tugged away his arm from the smiling Fuji.
"But you just can't sit there and read on such a lovely day. The water's fine." Fuji grabbed Tezuka's arm again.
Tezuka winced at the unintentional roughness of the grab. His arm still hadn't completely healed from the stab from that night. Fuji opened his eyes in surprise.
"Is there something wrong?"
"No. Just go." Tezuka bent over to pick up his book by his chair.
"No, no wait. How'd you get this? Did you get it saving me?" Fuji lifted the long sleeve up to reveal the bandaged part of the arm. He looked at Tezuka with concern. "Why didn't you tell me you got hurt?"
"Because I knew you'd do what you're doing right now." Tezuka rubbed the wounded area gently.
"I'm sorry…I didn't mean for you to get hurt."
"What's done is done. Get over it."
"I'll make it up to you…I promise." Fuji whispered.
"Oi! Fuji! Are you going to sit there all day or are you coming?" Momo called from the salty waters.
"I'll be there in a minute!" Fuji shouted in reply. He gave one last concerned look at Tezuka before running towards the water.
"Hello."
"Hn."
"My name's Mizuki."
Tezuka glanced at the shorter man next to him. He wiped water from his face and put on his glasses. They were both alone in the bathroom.
"And I assume you're Tezuka."
"I am."
"Ah…" Black hair curled around a finger.
"I guess you're the one Fuji talked of."
"Oh, I'm flattered that Fuji-kun talks about me. So what did he say about me?"
"Nonsense."
Tezuka headed for the door. He didn't want to be stuck alone in the same place as another crazed man who believed he to be of some fictional race.
But before Tezuka could get out Mizuki blocked the door. Mizuki's previous playful, teasing mood had now turned vicious and serious.
"Just a warning, Tezuka-san, Fuji-kun's mine. Fuji-kunbelongs to me. If you take him away from me I'll make sure both of you suffer for the rest of eternity."
"He's not your property…Get out of my way." Tezuka glared at Mizuki who gave one in return.
"I'm not finished yet."
"Well I am." Tezuka snapped and pushed Mizuki out of the doorway.
"You'll suffer. I'll make sure of that!" Mizuki yelled after him.
"Damn! We're all out of marshmallows!" Momo searched through the bags to see if there were anymore.
"So?" Ryoma sipped his Ponta.
"How are we supposed to make s'mores?" Momo asked.
"I'll go and get some more. Yuu-chan? Will you come with me?" Fuji smiled at Yuuta who just frowned.
"Ch…fine." Yuuta got up and started walking towards the convenience store that was not too far away.
"That's just disgusting. Wasabi chips?" Yuuta stared at the green bag of wasabi flavored potato chips.
"I'm sure you'll like them." Fuji had bought them for the rest of the group to eat, not him. He would probably enjoy the reaction caused by the spicy green sauce.
"Let's hurry up. We've been gone for too long." Yuuta walked ahead of Fuji. Fuji trailed behind to stare at the sky.
"Can we stop for a moment? Look at those stars! They're beautiful." Fuji pointed at the twinkling sky.
"I don't see what's so great about them."
"Just look."
Both of them went silent to observe the night sky. Fuji looked back towards Yuuta to see his reaction only to find a dropped bag of the food they had bought.
"Yuuta? Where'd you go?" Fuji looked around to see where his relative had gone.
"How are you, Fuji-kun? Good, I hope." Mizuki walked towards him.
"Mizuki." Fuji snarled in anger. Blue eyes blazed with absolute hatred.
"Now, now, Fuji-kin, don't get so angry."
"What did you do to Yuuta?" Fuji shouted.
"Nothing, nothing…yet." Mizuki acted calmly as if he was innocent of everything.
"Bring him back!"
"Why should I?"
Fuji leaped forward and tackled Mizuki. Mizuki grunted and tried to pry away the fingers wrapped around his throat.
"Tell me!" Fuji demanded.
Mizuki slowly slipped a knife out of a pocket. He stabbed Fuji in the back and slid the knife towards his stomach. Like the dart it was covered in the violet poison. Fuji's grip around Mizuki's throat strengthened then rapidly weakened.
Mizuki pushed Fuji off of him and set distance between each other.
"So this is how you greet an old friend."
Fuji didn't reply. He was doubled over with his arms covering his stomach. He gasped and choked as if he could no longer breath.
"D-damn…you." Fuji managed to say before a wave of pain sent him gasping.
"Fuji-kun, Fuji-kun, I'm quite disappointed. I thought you were taught not to say such foul language. Now hurry and get up. We're leaving. Nfu."
"Yuu-chan…"
"Did you hear that?" Momo asked at the sound of someone screaming something.
"Fuji!" Tezuka shouted and got up. He began running towards where Fuji and Yuuta had headed off too.
"Wait up, Tezuka!" Momo and Ryoma both nodded to each other and dashed off after Tezuka.
"Don't worry, I'll come back for you later." Mizuki whispered into Fuji's ear before kissing him on the lips. He had heard the shouts of Fuji's human companions.
Fuji had blood covering him. The wound that Mizuki had made was large and blood was flowing effortlessly out of it. Tezuka skidded to a stop and went to Fuji's side with Ryoma and Momo not far behind.
"Fuji!" The two younger companions shouted.
"Hurry! Momoshiro, go get the car and Echizen go look for Yuuta!" Tezuka ordered.
Fuji was still alive, but unconscious. His body was colder than ever and with the help of the moon Tezuka could make out a long gash in his side.
"I'm…I'm sorry…Ten-chan…Yuu-chan." Fuji mumbled as red tears streamed down his face. Tezuka brushed them away with the back of his hand.
Fuji was so cold even on this warm night.
Momo stopped where Tezuka and Fuji were. He got out of the car and opened the door to the back seats.
"Did you see Yuuta or Echizen?"
"I saw Ryoma and he said he couldn't find Yuuta. What do you want me to do?"
"Just drive the car. We'll go around to look for them once, but we have to get back home as soon as possible."
"What about a hospital?"
"No, a hospital won't help him." Tezuka muttered.
For the first time since he met Fuji, he truly did believe him to be a vampire. Perhaps it was the fangs or the bloody tears falling from his eyes. The impossibly cold body or maybe the sudden flash of memory that went through his mind the moment he discovered Fuji's bloody body.
The fragment of memory where he had seen Fuji plunge his fangs into his neck.
Ten-chan's memory.
"Where am I?" Yuuta asked.
"Let's call it Home." Mizuki replied.
"Wait…I-I know you…" Yuuta just couldn't remember where he had heard that voice.
"Mizuki, remember?"
"What do you want from me?" He demanded. Yuuta was angry at being taken so abruptly and by being betrayed of the trust he thought he could place in his acquaintance.
"Companionship…what about you? I know about you. Don't you want companionship too? Don't you just hate being alone during the holidays when your friends are away? Don't you just hate the empty feeling of being alone?"
"Shut up, you don't know anything." Yuuta growled.
"I don't know anything? I've been alone all my life. My parents abandoned me. The man I love left me… Wouldn't it be perfect if you weren't lonely anymore?"
"…Yeah…" Yuuta never realized it, but he hated being alone.
"Then I'll bring the solution to this entire problem." Mizuki softly said into Yuuta's ear.
"He's gone, he's gone." Fuji mumbled. "They're all dead now…all dead."
"What's he talking about?" Ryoma asked from his spot on a chair.
Everyone was gathered in Tezuka's bedroom watching the vampire mumble things in the midst of his slumber. The wound had finally closed, but Fuji was too weak to stay conscious for more than thirty minutes.
"Come on, Ryoma. We're going to go look for Yuuta again." Momo got up and grabbed his jacket.
"Sure." Ryoma stretched before heading out the door.
"Be careful."
"Don't worry about us. Just take care of Fuji, okay?"
"All right." Tezuka watched them leave before turning his attention to Fuji.
"Gone…gone…dead…" He continued to mumble while red droplets formed by his eyes.
Tezuka wiped them away with the end of his sleeve. His clothes were already bloody from carrying Fuji and doing most of the bandaging. Fuji had lost a lot of blood.
"Dead!" Fuji suddenly jerked upwards with his eyes wide with pain and alarm. The sudden movement caused Fuji to collapse back down onto to the bed from the pain.
"Don't move so much."
"Yuu-chan…Yuuta…Where?" Fuji's voice bordered hysteria.
"Momoshiro and Echizen are out looking for him."
Tezuka sighed as the fresh bandages turned red. The wound had reopened.
"It's not healing. I thought you said you could heal faster." Tezuka looked through the bag of medical supplies for more bandages.
"I can't…I'm too weak." Fuji closed his eyes. "I need blood…bad."
His hand curled around a clump of the bed sheets. The hand squeezed tightly until his knuckles were white before letting go. Fuji had to make up for the blood loss with new blood, but he was too weak to go out hunting on his own. A dilemma.
Tezuka stared at Fuji for what seemed like forever before reaching down into the bag again. This time he took out a knife. In one swift motion he slit his wrist. Blood dripped out of the cut. He pressed his wrist by Fuji's lips.
"Ten-chan…I can't."
"Hurry up." Tezuka said impatiently and controlled himself so pain wouldn't register on his face.
"But what if I go out of control?"
"Do you want me to waste all this blood on nothing. Just drink."
Fuji hesitated before pressing his lips against Tezuka's wrist. Sweet, metallic, bold tasting blood flooded his mouth. Reluctantly he swallowed and urged the blood into his mouth by sucking on the wrist. He repeated this until he thought it was enough.
With one hand Fuji pushed away Tezuka's wrist. Some color had formed in his face. Blood made his lips look crimson in color with speckles of red by his mouth.
"Thank you…it helped a lot." Fuji smiled.
Tezuka started to bind his own cut until Fuji stopped him.
"Silly, don't you know how to properly bandage yourself? You're doing it too tightly."
Fuji took Tezuka's hand into his and used the other hand to wrap the bandage tightly, but loose enough for circulation, around his wrist.
"There. It's much better now."
"Fuji, I think we need to talk."
"About what?"
"About your past and mine."
"Oh…" Fuji looked out the window so he wouldn't have to look Tezuka in the eye. "Look, I'm sorry about the trouble I've caused. It's my entire fault that Yuuta's been taken. I'm going to leave tomorrow. Maybe if I compromise with Mizuki he'll let Yuuta go."
"Stop saying you're sorry. I've already enough about you being sorry about this or that. Don't change the subject either. Tell me about our past."
"I've already told you everything you need to know."
"I feel like something's missing. A missing part of me."
Fuji turned to look at Tezuka. He leaned forward and hugged the larger man. Fuji buried his face in Tezuka shoulder.
"I loved him…you. I'm in love with you, Ten-chan. I've wanted to tell you for years and finally I got the chance. But…But now I have to go. So…Ten-chan, please do me another favor and live on. Live on and be happy. Remember me and that I loved you." Fuji blurted out. He said every word that he had wanted to express to him since the day they met centuries ago.
Tezuka seemed surprised by this sudden confession. Slowly he returned the hug to the vampire. Tezuka then did something unexpected. Soft lips came in contact with Fuji's even though blood still coated the lips. After what seemed like forever they finally pulled away.
"I love you too."
Kiyami: Ahaha the angst!
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