Hitomi wo Tojite - Close Your Eyes

by Thyphy

ACT IX

Running as fast as he could, he found a rather amused Fuji looking at his ride from inside the courts.

"Mou, is there something wrong, Tezuka?"

"Fuji, answer me,"

"What?"

Tezuka closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, he felt a bit unease. Fuji's amazed look did not vanish and his smile was brighter than ever.

"Are... are you the one.. who's writing" Tezuka blushed slightly "um... messages for me?"

"Messages? What kind of messages?" he asked rather amusedly.

Tezuka's face resembled a tomato. How was he going to tell Fuji they were love messages? It was ok if it really was Fuji, but what if it wasn't?

"Um... just... messages and... placing them inside my bag and locker."

"I think you would know it was me if you recognized the handwriting, right?"

"... I think so."

"May I see them?"

Tezuka wasn't one to hesitate, but it was that Fuji and the messages' content could be a dangerous mix.

"I can help you." the shorter boy added.

Deciding Fuji's help could be useful, he handed the tensai the four messages.

"Can you swear you're not the author?"

"Tezuka, I never swear or make promises. I think it's only fair, because it may happen that I have to break one sometime."

Smiling at a very desperate Tezuka, Fuji started to read the messages, one by one, each word. When he finished, his smile wasn't as playful as before, but it was a smile nonetheless.

"Tezuka... you thought it was me... because I 'vanished ' from the locker room?"

"... yes." Tezuka felt silly for being so literal.

"Well... it means you're finally letting this person guide you. Tezuka, do you have any suspects?"

"All the regulars."

"Oh. It may be difficult. But I'll lead you to that boy if you want."

"I want you to."

ACT X

Tezuka was lucky he was the captain. He could watch all the players without having to give any explanation.

Fuji was his main suspect, because he didn't really denied any of his questions and didn't do the swearing. And to tell the truth, Tezuka didn't know Fuji's handwriting, because he wasn't his classmate.

At the lunch time, he wandered on the courtyard, looking for Fuji. He found him having lunch with Eiji and Ooishi. Making a sign that only Fuji noticed, Tezuka waited for the tensai to leave his friends and see what he wanted.

"Are you making progress, Fuji?"

"You mean... if I asked Eiji and Ooishi?"

"Whatever"

"Let me show you something, Tezuka."

Moving to the side a little, so that Tezuka could see the golden pair over the tensai's shoulder, Fuji started.

"They're very close" Tezuka just nodded "You can tell this by watching them. Every single day. Eiji likes to talk about Ooishi when he's with me." Fuji glanced at a very stoic captain and continued "Among all the regulars, they care the most about each other. They like each other that much. Do you understand what I mean? It can't be none of 'em"

Tezuka looked at Fuji as if he didn't believe a single word, but looking back at their friends, he noticed their closeness and the way the acrobatic player put a sashimi in Ooishi's mouth, as if thinking no-one could see that. Tezuka also could see the happiness in Ooishi's eyes.

"Fuji why were you there?"

"Because Eiji asked me to."

Running a sweaty hand through his hair, Tezuka left, not wanting to look back.

ACT XI

He was the captain. He always watched, yet, he never noticed the golden pair affair. But Fuji did. Sometimes, Tezuka thought Fuji had a third eye, because he saw things where nobody else could.

Tezuka thought about his personality and his own secrets. He did his best not to let everyone know things about him, but he found out that Fuji had the ability to notice things very easily. He was almost a hundred percent sure it was Fuji who wrote everything. But he had to wait for the tensai to use his abilities on all the remaining players, so that Tezuka would have the time to think about what he was to do if it was Fuji.

Sitting on the bench to wait Inui pair the players up, Tezuka looked one more time at the golden pair and then at Fuji, who was observing him.

"... Kaidoh and Eiji, Ryoma and Ooishi, Tezuka and Fuji..."

Could that be Fuji was playing with him? Or it was because everything pointed at Fuji?

ACT XII

It was driving him crazy. He couldn't control Fuji. How was his zone supposed to work?

He often looked at the boy, at his opened eyes. Sometimes it could be hypnotic, sometimes his swings were hypnotic. Suddenly, wanting to punch himself for thinking those things about Fuji, Tezuka stopped in the middle of his move and realized a Boomerang Snake would hit his face... if Fuji hadn't moved from the left to hit the ball and save buchou's beautiful skin.

A bit shocked with what happened, Kikumaru didn't pay attention on the ball and missed it.

"Nyah Fuji... how fast"

Approaching Tezuka, so only him would hear, Fuji said: "If you let your mind wander into another dimension again, I'll let that ball hit you, so you come back."

Flinching, the buchou murmured an apology and concentrated on serving.

Fuji was on the net, he didn't look at Tezuka as much asTezuka looked at him. It's like he sensed his moves. When the captain was to get the ball, when he wouldn't get the ball. Maybe, Tezuka thought, if he tried to sense him and not watch him, it would work.

"Tezuka and Fuji's victory. Good data. Eiji and Kaidoh. Juice."

"Hsss"

"Nyah! You'll kill us!"

Tezuka's tactic worked, but to tell the truth, that thing of sensing - or better, feeling - someone, was that letter's thing. However, Tezuka didn't care since it helped. And about Tezuka's zone, it had to be turned into TezuFuji Zone. And it worked overly well.

ACT XIII

Tiredness swallowing his body, Tezuka lied on the locker room's bench and watched his teammates changing.

"Ne, ochibi, why don't you like playing with Momo-chan nyah?"

"Mada mada dane"

"He doesn't know how to play doubles, that's why."

"Calm down, Momo. That's why we're here."

"Nyah, Ooishi's right"

Fuji sat next to Tezuka's feet on the bench and glanced at him

"Let's forget this. Ryoma, let's get burgers"

"Ii-su"

"We can go and practice doubles on a street tennis court."

"I think I like the burgers better, Momo"

Tezuka glanced back at Fuji and then looked at the same direction as the tensai. Momoshiro and Ryoma. Noticing he had the captain's attention, Fuji said to Kawamura as he passed: "Ne Taka-san, calm down. You've been in such a hurry these days."

"Aa sorry. It's because I have to help my family with the Sushi this week. We have two parties to attend. Thank you for caring."

"Betsuni"

The buchou shot Fuji a puzzled look that was answered with a smile, but it didn't stop his talking.

"Inui, you look so happy."

"It's because I've collected very good data today. Specially from Tezuka and Kaidoh"

"Hss"

"Ah really. Let's go, Kaidoh, we still have to practice some moves"

"Hai, sempai"

"And we're leaving to get our burgers! Ja minna san!"

"Zannen munen, mata raishuu! I'm leaving too nyah!"

"I'll walk you home, Eiji"

"Nyah, Thank you, Ooishi"

"Bye Tezuka! Fuji!"

"Mata ne" Fuji replied

Tezuka just waved at them. Now he and Fuji were the only players left in the locker room.

"What were you doing, Fuji?"

"I was making five of your suspects vanish."

"Five?"

"Yes."

"Momoshiro... Ryoma... Ooishi-"

"No. Not Ooishi and Eiji"

"Kawamura, Kaidoh and Inui."

"I'll get you a prize" Fuji joked

"You tried to show me Kawamura was too busy to do something like that."

His answer was a smile

"And tried to show me that Momoshiro and Ryoma were worried with nothing like this. And Inui and Kaidoh have their own business."

"And..."

"And it makes you the one was looking for."

"I told you I'd lead you to him, didn't I?"

"Why did you do that?"

"Because you didn't say I had to answer your questions using 'yes' or 'no'. And you also don't know my handwriting."

"Was that your handwriting?"

"Yes."

Tezuka closed his eyes. He couldn't believe Fuji played him like this, but he was too tired to stand up and slap him, yet, he had another option.

"Congratulations."

The tensai frowned.

"You made me clueless, you made my tactics useless. You let me in the dark."

"I gave you two options"

"I don't remember"

"One: You would close your eyes. Two: I would close your eyes."

"I don't understand."

"On the moment you accepted my help, I closed you eyes. You made me your guide. When It was you to close them, there was no-one to guide you. And you were lost."

"You're insane"

"I like you."

The buchou opened his eyes and glanced at Fuji. His head was low. A fake smile of his was plastered on his face, and his gaze directed to the ground.

"Can you see through the floor too?"

Fuji looked at Tezuka and gave him a weak smile

"Yeah... sometimes I think... If I stare at it long enough, it will swallow me..."

Tezuka just took off his glasses and nodded.

"And as long as I live on the other side of the floor, I'll be able to look at you every time you look down. I may guide your feet if you close your eyes. And may open a big hole and swallow all your enemies."

The bespectacled boy supressed a laugh, because Fuji was kind of serious.

"I've been thinking about... what would I do if it really was you."

"I think you would do nothing but keep distance from me."

"I don't feel like it."

The tensai frowned and watched Tezuka sit up from the bench

"Do you like it when you close your eyes?" he asked.

"I think I've seen this question somewhere"

"Answer"

"Only if when I close my eyes I see something better than when they're opened"

"Then close your eyes."

"Why? Seeing you is better."

Suddenly, Tezuka bent down and made it so there were only a few inches from his face to Fuji's. From his lips to Fuji's.

"But when you close your eyes, you can feel me"

OWARI

Weee finished!

Thank you for your reviews!
I hope you minna-san didn't think this ending was confusing (do I have to say they kissed?), but I couldn't finish it using other words. Sorry for that.
But anyway,thank you for reading!

bai bai

Thyphy