Author's Notes: I know it's been a long while since I last updated this but I have been really busy with school. I will finish this series within this month as I have promised my friend for this is a birthday gift for her.

Disclaimers: Tezuka and Saeki's silver chains and the plot itself belong to me. Other than that, they belong to Konomi-sensei. Borrowed only to bring my fantasies to life.

Silver Chains

Chapter Five: The Legend and Gyros

Inui Sadaharu :Data Man: says:

Hisashiburi, Tezuka. We haven't from you for so long.

Just call me Tezzie-baby says:

Hisashiburi, Inui. I've been busy. How's the team?

Inui Sadaharu :Data Man: says:

'Just call me Tezzie-baby'?

Just call me Tezzie-baby says:

Kojiroh must've changed it. How's the team?

Inui Sadaharu :Data Man: says:

Kojiroh… Rokkaku Chu fukubuchou, Saeki Kojiroh?

Just call me Tezzie-baby says:

Yes. How's the team, Inui?

Inui Sadaharu :Data Man: says:

Aa. Ii data.

Just call me Tezzie-baby says:

Inui

Inui Sadaharu :Data Man: says:

Yes?

Just call me Tezzie-baby says:

You're not answering my question.

Inui Sadaharu :Data Man: says:

What question?

Just call me Tezzie-baby says:

Never mind.

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-A month before the start of Junior High, three years ago-

"How much for that silver bracelet, Ojisan?"

"Three hundred yen for both. It's sold as a pair."

The small boy shook his head. "I'm buying only one."

"But you can't bring those two apart. They're like two woven threads, chained together."

"Saa, ojisan… They're not," he countered, pointing at the bracelets. "And I only need one."

The old man smiled apologetically at the little boy. "Gomen but I can't sell only one to you. If I do, the legend might come true."

"Legend?"

"Have you ever heard of the Legend of the Silver Chains?"

The boy shook his head.

"These silver chains were given to two star-crossed lovers to protect their forbidden love. The chains were given by the goddess who saw just how much they loved each other. She gave the chains to them to symbolize their intertwined lives; and as long as they had the chains, they would never be apart."

The little one eyed him dubiously. The older one continued nonetheless.

"If ever the chains were brought apart, extreme sadness would follow to the one only had one of them. Only destiny would tell if the chains would be brought back together. And destiny is most of the time cruel, ne?" He paused. "That's why I advise you not to let one part from the other."

"Saa… I don't believe in legends, Ojisan. Neither do I believe in destiny."

The child was stubborn, he thought. And he was – what? – eight? He was sure boys his age believed in fairytales.

"Saa, ojisan. I'm already twelve. I'm already past the state of believing such things." He opened his eyes, using them to persuade the old man. "I really would like to buy only one."

The old man could just sigh.

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-On one of Atobe's private planes, present day-

Despite what a certain St. Rudolph manager would say, Fuji had a perfect memory. He remembered everything in perfect detail, almost like having a photographic memory. It was rare that he ever forgot about anything. That was why he was surprised that he forgot about that little memory from childhood.

It explained everything, he thought. That day when he was shopping for a birthday gift for Tezuka months before, he was having a hard time deciding what to give the buchou. A book was his first option but he had quickly discarded the thought when he could not find a particular book he wanted to give Tezuka.

"Fuji-sama, what would you like to have for lunch?"

The tensai smiled. "Saa… what's on the menu, Yumi-dono?"

The plane's head chef and flight attendant gave him the menu. It consisted of different cuisines ranging from Japanese to American to French to German. Atobe's family, he thought, was really impressive when it came to luxuries.

Fuji browsed the extensive menu twice before giving Yumi his choice. The lady bowed and told him that it would be ready shortly. Don't mind taking long, he told her. She just smiled.

His thoughts immediately flew back to the day he bought the bracelet for Tezuka. He was desperate, he remembered, knowing that Saeki was flying to Germany the next day. Ten suddenly, a particular jewelry store caught his attention.

It was a quaint, warm-looking shop. It was full of jewelries of different kinds, shapes, colors and sizes. The old man who owned the shop said that the jewelries had come from different places around the world.

"Hisashiburi," the old man said. "I never thought I'd see you again."

Fuji remembered opening his eyes, blinking at what the shop owner just said. A long while? He was sure he hadn't even seen the shop before. Nor did he remember the old man.

And before he could ask what the old man meant, he just smiled and told the tensai to take his time in choosing what he wanted.

That was when it happened.

Among the countless other things, jewelries – rings… why didn't he buy rings? – only one jewelry caught his attention: the silver bracelet.

"Do you believe in destiny, young man?"

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"You did what!"

Atobe raised an eyebrow. "There's no need to shout, Echizen. And what's wrong with bringing Fuji to Germany, ahn?"

What was wrong? The monkey king was asking him what was wrong! The freshman's golden eyes glared at the person in front of him.

There was something wrong, dammit. Tezuka was in Germany. That along was one reason why it was wrong for Fuji to come to Germany.

"Don't you trust him? Don't you trust his love for you?"

He gritted his teeth, frustration seeping through his veins at a very fast rate. Atobe, though he would never admit it, asked the most appropriate question to ask that time.

"I trust Syusuke, monkey king," he answered, turning his back at Atobe. Looking at the Hyotei buchou only heightened his frustration and anger at the situation. The situation he knew he could not avoid. The situation he could not control.

"Then what are you so frustrated about? If you trust Fuji, what's your problem?"

Echizen closed his eyes, trying hard to control his temper.

"I trust Syusuke and his love for me. I can't love him if I don't trust him." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "But buchou…"

The freshman didn't have to expound his last remark. Atobe understood.

No one knew what would happen once Fuji and Tezuka met again.

And it was in not knowing that frustrated Echizen the most.

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"Mr. Tezuka, you have a visitor. He's in your room."

Tezuka raised an eyebrow. He had just come in from an early night jog and a brief game with Atobe. Now, he had a visitor? Perhaps it was Echizen. He hadn't seen the freshman all day.

"Thank you," he said, bowing a little.

Truth was, he had been expecting it already. He had been expecting Echizen to talk to him privately. After all, the young pillar of support needed answers and he had to provide them one way or another.

Yet somehow, something was telling him that this was de ja vu.

He opened the door, eyes widening at the sight that welcomed him. He expected to see Echizen, with that white cap of his hung low enough to hide his eyes. He certainly did not expect…

"Hisashiburi, Tezuka."

No. He did not expect Fuji to be standing near the window, moonlight seeping through the glass – bathing the tensai in an n ethereal glow.

It was de ja vu. Only then, it had been Saeki standing there.

"Tezuka? Daijoubu ka?"

It was the same question the Rokkaku boy asked when he had spaced out. Yet contrary to what he expected, Fuji did not approach him. The tensai remained where he was, worry shown in his eyes.

Wait…

Fuji's eyes are… open!

"Tezuka?"

The Seigaku buchou blinked. "Aa. Gomen. Have a seat, Fuji."

Cerulean eyes disappeared, an easy smile finding its way to erase the worry that had previously occupied those features. In slow steps, he approached Tezuka who seemed to be glued to where he was standing. Did he still have this much effect on him? Or was this just caused by the surprise?

"Actually, I was planning to eat out. Mind taking me out for dinner?"

The situation was strange. There was no other word for it in Tezuka's opinion. Fuji was asking him to take him out for dinner. Did the tensai fly all the way to Germany just for that? Sure, Fuji was sometimes a bit eccentric, but to fly all those miles just for dinner?

What was Fuji doing? Why was Fuji here?

"Tezuka? You seem so unlike yourself this evening. Perhaps it's better if..."

He shook his head. "Iie. We'll be eating out."

Enough thinking and speculating, he thought. If Fuji was planning anything, not even God could prevent him from executing it. If Fuji was keeping a secret, only he would reveal it in time. Tezuka would just have to play along and wait.

Patience is a virtue…

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The night was just perfect – the stars were all out, the moon full. They ate in one of those fine dining restaurants with Fuji telling Tezuka how the team was doing. Each insisted to pay for the entire mean and in the end, the tensai paid for Tezuka's and vice versa.

They went around the city, enjoying each other's silent company. It was the same city that Fuji remembered from the last time that team visited the buchou. He glanced at his companion. He knew that Tezuka had an inkling that something was up. Even when he had "broken up" with him, he had not flown to Germany – something he knew he should've done. Yet here he was now, in Germany, with no obvious reasons for being so.

Earth eyes were observing him the way they had always done before. Tezuka was waiting but he needed a nice view to go with the conversation. He needed the perfect atmosphere.

He glanced to his right, scrutinizing the edifice. Hmmm…

"Fuji?"

The tensai just smiled.

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The tower of St. Peter's Church was, fortunately, still open for visitors. Fuji leaned on the railing, watching the people on Marienplatz. Downtown Munich's main square was full of people even at that time of night.

"It's more beautiful here at night, isn't it?"

Tezuka wasn't watching the scene around him – he had seen it a couple of times before. It was the tensai that had his attention, the way he had always had. Never tearing his gaze from his teammate, he let out a small smile.

"Aa…" Yet he knew they were most likely pertaining to two different sceneries.

Fragments of his memory of the last time he had been here with Fuji flashed in his mind. He remembered watching the tensai from behind as Kikumaru stood beside Fuji. The honey-haired one had taken out his camera and had started taking pictures. He remembered how much he had wanted to hold Fuji in his arms. But he knew Fuji wasn't his anymore.

No. Fuji was never his to begin with.

He remembered the chain on the tensai's neck and knew that it wasn't the one he had given. Fuji was wearing it again tonight – perhaps, a gift from Echizen? – and it glittered against the deep purple long sleeved turtleneck he was wearing.

"I'm sorry, Tezuka."

Fuji's voice and statement had broken him out of his reverie. He turned to his companion, questioning eyes searching for an answer.

"It wasn't proper to break up with you the way I did. I should've at least called and talked to you about it." He sighed, eyes staring at the scenery below. "But at that time…"

"It's alright, Fuji," Tezuka said, squeezing the tensai's hand. "I understand. You don't need to explain anything."

Perhaps it was one of the reasons why he had felt so strongly about Tezuka. With the buchou, he didn't need words… they didn't need it for them to understand each other. And even after everything that had happened, the connection they had hadn't waned.

He squeezed Tezuka's hand back. For that, he was really thankful.

He sighed, a bit relieved. Now that that part was settled…

"You and Kojiroh had gotten close, ne? Even being first name basis…"

A small smile escaped his lips as the memory of that happened flashed before him. Saeki had been very persistent and with Jiroh's help, it was virtually useless to argue with him. He had therefore conceded. It was only a name.

"I feel at ease with Kojiroh," was his answer. "He's easy to get along with."

"Aa. That he is." He remembered when they were children and they had a group. He had forgotten what nicknames the twins, Kurobane and Itsuki had but he remembered that while Amane was Davide and Yuuta had named himself "Super Y", he was the tensai and Saeki was the "cool one."

He glanced at Tezuka. And Saeki still was.

"You like him."

With Fuji, Tezuka had learned before, there were no questions even if they looked like one. There were only statements.

Plus, what was not to like about Saeki? There were even times that it was more than liking him.

The tensai turned around, back now leaning on the railing, his gaze still on the buchou. It was obvious with the way Tezuka was smiling. Even if he still had some effect on the taller one, it wasn't as strong as before. The gravitation had weakened.

"Why don't you tell him how you feel?"

Tezuka sighed. "I don't want him thinking that I'm using him to forget you."

"Are you?"

Russet eyes watched the cars below, the people walking – probably chatting about how their day had gone by. Was he really using Saeki to forget Fuji? Or was he already over the tensai and his heart was now beating for someone else?

He remembered Saeki's grins, those vibrant cerulean orbs. He remembered their museum tours, the walks around Munich, the plays they watched with Atobe and Jiroh. He remembered the phone calls, the emails, their chats. In a short time that they had spent together and had gotten to know each other, Saeki had become a crucial part of his world.

And sometimes, even his world.

"No, Fuji. He's not."

"What's stopping you then?"

Tezuka shook his head, looking at his companion. "Fuji… it's not the right time. It's not the most opportune time."

Sea eyes opened, meeting his buchou's chocolate ones. Opportune time? He traveled all those miles just to hear Tezuka talk about opportune time?

"But when will that time come? When you've already recovered from your injury? When you come back to Japan, only to find out that there's no Kojiroh waiting for you because he's already in Egypt?"

Intensity burned in those eyes. He wanted him to understand. He needed to understand. "Tell me, Tezuka."

Yes, it was what he had planned. He would finish his therapy then come back and tell Saeki about his feelings. There would be no need to go back to Germany, only occasional visits to a doctor in Kyushu that his doctor here had recommended. Other than that, he would be Saeki. Visiting him in Chiba was nothing. Chiba wasn't that far—

Wait. Fuji had said something about Egypt…

"Egypt? What do you mean—"

"That silver chain you have," Fuji said, eyeing the bracelet on Tezuka's left wrist, ignoring his teammate's prior question. "Kojiroh has one, too, did you know?"

Tezuka was sure he didn't but he wasn't concerned about that now.

"Fuji, you were saying something about Egypt—"

"I bought them both, separately, at different times and with different purposes." He paused to check if Tezuka was already listening to him. "Queer thing is that there's a legend involving them saying that they shouldn't be separated from each other. And even if they were destiny would find a way…

"Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence, Tezuka? That destiny did bring them back together?"

Earth eyes narrowed. "I don't believe in destiny – in such illogical things, Fuji."

The tensai's sapphire orbs bored into his for a moment – unwavering and determined – before closing. He knew he shouldn't have said anything about Saeki's flight to Egypt but…

He also knew it was impossible to convince Tezuka like this – it was best to leave him alone to think for now. He straightened his clothes and squeezed the buchou's hand again.

"Then at least, believe in what you feel, Tezuka."

He watched Fuji leave him alone in the tower. He wasn't worried that the tensai might get lost; he knew Fuji would wait for him downstairs.

Tezuka gazed at the celestial bodies above him, mind wandering back to their conversation moments ago. Raising his left hand to look at the silver chains, he thought about Fuji's last statement.

Kojiroh…

.tsu.zu.ku.