Title: Family and Friends
Author: Queen Momoko
Rating: PG-13
Written: 2/21/2005
Pairings: Fujicest Mizuki/Yuuta
Summary: How does Yuuta keep from feeling lonely in the hospital? He has family and friends to keep him company.

Disclaimer: I'm poor soul, with no money, and only these nice little yoai thoughts to keep me warm at night. They only bring joy to the world and if you sue me… I'll still think them… in fact, I'd probably just share more of them during the trial…mmm yummy. Just remember that PoT is luv!

"Really. You should go. I'll be perfectly fine for an hour without you here." Yuuta's eyes stared determinedly at the two other occupants of his room.

"Saa, but you might get lonely all by yourself and what type of siblings would we be if we let that happen?" Syuusuke's voice danced across the room causing Yuuta's glare to focus on his older brother.

"I'll be fine," Yuuta ground out. His crossed arms hid his white-knuckled fists as continued to stare down his brother. "If I get lonely, I can call a nurse."

Syuusuke's head cocked a little and his smile grew wider as heard Yuuta's growing frustration. This in turn caused a small growl of anger to emerge from Yuuta's sitting form, even further brightening Fuji's smile. With a sound of disgust, Yuuta turned his attention from his close-eyed brother to the other person in the room.

"Now Yuu-chan," Yumiko's soft voice began. Yuuta's eyes narrowed and the scowl that had been barely been there grew more pronounced. "You shouldn't disturb the nurses. After all, they have to take care of more patients than just you."

"I don't need a babysitter. What do you think I'm going to do anyway? It's not like I can go far with this in my arm."

With that Yuuta held out the arm that had the I.V. in it. Yumiko's smile turned into a small frown. She turned her head slightly and let out a breath before turning back to stare back at Yuuta. Upon seeing the hurt that lay in her eyes, Yuuta's shoulders fell and a sigh of his own came out.

"Nee-san, I'm sorry. I didn't mean… it's just that…" Yuuta stared at down at the hands that he had just placed in his lap. "…that I…"

"We come here to keep you company. If you don't want us to come see you, then you just need to say something. Its fine," Yumiko said softly. Syuusuke's own blue eyes were focused on his older sister and his hand reached out to touch her arm. "We worry about you away at school. Then you get placed in the hospital with a fever. No one knows what caused it and I can't help thinking of back when you were younger when similar things happened. But if you don't want us here, then we can leave."

Yuuta quickly looked up at his sister. Her eyes appeared glossy, but her voice had been firm. He caught sight of the slight tremor that passed through her when she exhaled and how his older brother's hand tightened just a little in response. Following the arm up to the rest of his brother, Yuuta saw blue eyes flashing between Yumiko and himself.

"It's not that," Yuuta pleaded. "I like having you here." Yuuta's eyes dashed briefly around the room. "It's that I don't want you to get sick. I know that you haven't really eaten anything since you've gotten here and I doubt that you'd eaten much before coming." With that he shot a brief semi-glare at Syuusuke. "You aren't going to leave until later tonight. And if you don't eat, you'll end up getting sick too."

With that said, Yuuta could feel his face begin to heat up. He'd only been looking for an excuse to get them to leave him alone for a little while and instead he'd started rambling. Though when he did think on it, it was of some concern.

"How about when someone else comes, then we'll go eat?" Syuusuke asked.

Yuuta's forehead creased slightly as he thought about it. It was probably the best he'd be able to get out of his siblings, since they were as stubborn as he was. There was also the possibility that he'd be able to talk whichever one of his parents came to go out for a bit.

While Yuuta was looking down thinking, Yumiko looked at Fuji with a raised eyebrow. Syuusuke's lips quirking up into a smirk for a second that answered her question. Their parents weren't coming this evening. Only she and Syuusuke were going to be visiting. She shook her head. Yuuta wouldn't be alone until he finally fell asleep.

Yuuta nodded. "Fine."

Syuusuke beamed at his younger brother. "Maa, what should we do then?" This earned a glare from the boy in the bed.

Before Yuuta's scathing comment could come, a knock sounded. All three pairs of eyes, one pair hopeful and two confused pairs, turned to the wooden door. Yumiko walked over to the door and opened it enough to see who it was that had arrived.

"Yes, may I help you?"

"Um… We're here to see Yuuta," the boy's eyes flickered over to the name as if to verify that he had come to the right room. "Um… is he here?" He adjusted his glasses as he looked at her.

"Of course he's here. Where else would he be?" Yumiko looked over at Mizuki, who was now standing impatiently behind the boy with glasses.

Yumiko smiled at the group of boys who stood outside the door. She opened it wider to let the six boys from St. Rudolph's into the room.

"I wasn't expecting any of Yuuta-kun's friends to come and visit tonight. Isn't that nice?"

Yuuta's eyes lit up upon seeing his friends making their way into his hospital room.

"We hope you don't mind us coming by. The rest of the team insisted on coming when I said that I was going to visit you," Mizuki said lazily.

"Not at all. It's good to see everyone," Yuuta said glancing at his teammates. Then he turned his eyes to his two siblings. "You guys can leave now and go and eat, since my friends are here."

Syuusuke pouted at Yuuta's words, but he complied with Yumiko's tug on his arm. Making his way to the door, he slowed down as he walked by Mizuki.

"He better not be alone when we get back," Syuusuke whispered to Mizuki. Mizuki cast a quick glance at met Syuusuke's blue eyes and gave a dip in his head as acknowledgement. While he wasn't fond of the blue-eyed boy, it was something that he would have done anyways. That was especially true since it was in regards to Yuuta.

Yumiko and Syuusuke walked in silence to the cafeteria on the ground floor. The cafeteria was relatively empty as the two of them went through and picked up food. It was only once the two of them had sat down at a table in a corner that they began to speak.

"How are you doing?" Yumiko asked as she began to eat.

"Fine," he smiled back at her.

"Skipped out on tennis practice again today?"

"Aa. Tezuka-kun excused me for the rest of the week."

"Have you told your friends?"

"No. Have you?"

"No," Yumiko gave a short laugh. "Look at the two of us. Our friends are probably worried about us."

Syuusuke chuckled. "You're probably right."

"So has anything interesting happened to you these last few days?"

"Not much has happened since Tuesday when Tezuka-kun threatened the tennis club from asking me questions." He chewed thoughtfully. "Actually yesterday during lunch Eiji was doing some acrobatics. He ended slipping somehow and ended up sprawled over Oishi. The blush on each of their cheeks, as they tried not to focus on their situation, was refreshing."

Both siblings gave a light laugh.

"They still haven't realized it yet, I take it?"

Syuusuke shook his head as he thought of his best friend. The two boys who formed the Golden Pair obviously cared for each other a great deal, yet neither was ever willing to take the first step. Syuusuke himself had been trying to get an intervention started for the two of them, but the current circumstances had forced him to abandon the plan for the time being.

"What about you, nee-san? Anything happen for you?"

"Let's see. Tomorrow I have a test in my literature class. A guy asked me out for the weekend."

"Was it the guy that you like?"

"Maybe. But what about you, found a boyfriend yet?"

"Maybe."

The two siblings looked at each other and shared the same secretive smile. They continued to eat letting the ambient noise wash over them

"What a couple of old maids we make, otouto."

"Maa, but Yuuta's excitement makes up for own lack thereof, doesn't it?"

Yumiko laughed. "I guess you're right. So how are you holding up?"

He narrowed his eyes and replied, "Fine."

"The truth, Syuusuke," Yumiko locked eyes with her brother. "Your friend Eiji called the house yesterday. He wanted to know if you were alright. You've been excused from tennis practice. You don't pay attention in class. He says that you barely eat anything at lunch and that you look like shit."

"I look like shit?" Syuusuke quirked an eyebrow as he looked at his sister.

"So I changed it a bit. But it's the truth."

"And that language coming from you?"

"Syuusuke."

He looked down at his tray. "But I hardly ever pay attention in class, you know that."

"Stop avoiding the subject. I know that you haven't been sleeping a lot recently. I figure that you probably stay here until Yuuta falls asleep," Syuusuke gave a nod. "By the time you get home it's after midnight. Then you have to be up early for school the next day and you come right back here as soon as it lets out. And during that whole schedule, when do you eat? You haven't been eating anything in the morning recently and I know you don't eat here. Then I find out that you're not eating at school. Syuusuke, talk."

"I'm fine," he replied looking into his sister's face mirroring his younger brother's earlier speech. "It's only a few days. And-"

"We're all worried about him, but you need to take care of yourself, too."

Syuusuke continued as if Yumiko hadn't said anything. "-I'll be able to get plenty of sleep when Yuuta comes home tomorrow. So-"

"You know Syuusuke-"

"-there's nothing-"

"-It's not your fault-"

"-to worry-

"-that Yuuta is-"

"-about."

"-here."

Syuusuke looked up at Yumiko's face, piercing her with his blue eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Why would I blame myself? I didn't cause Yuuta to get himself sick."

Yumiko watched her brother for a minute before giving her head a shake and pointing down at Syuusuke's barely eaten tray of food. "Eat."

Only once he had begun to eat, did she continue eating her own dinner. The rest of their meal continued in a calm silence. The soft murmur of other people's conversations further softened any tension that might have remained. It was only once they had cleaned up and were heading out of the cafeteria that Yumiko put her hand on Syuusuke's head and ruffled his hair.

"My brothers are both just so adorable."

The soft click of the door shutting made Yuuta's smile light up.

"You're that excited to see us?" Akazawa asked.

"But he probably won't be so excited when he sees the work we brought for him, da ne."

Yuuta continued to smile. "I'm glad to see you, even if you do come with school work."

His teammates gave him skeptical looks. Yanagisawa, who was closest to Yuuta, placed the back of his hand on Yuuta's forehead. Yuuta swatted at the offending hand and glared at him.

"I don't have a fever."

"But you're happy to see school work. No one is happy seeing schoolwork," Atsushi said before glancing at Nomura. "Besides him." Nomura had the grace to blush at Atsushi's comment.

"The fever must have affected him more than the doctors thought," Kaneda interjected.

Mizuki stood near the back of the group to watch the interaction between everyone. The past couple of day's practices had been lackluster. He figured it was because of everyone's worry over their missing player. It almost puzzled him when he thought about the fact that everyone knew that Yuuta was fine. But the fact that he himself had found himself lost wondering about the sick boy when he had more knowledge of said boy's condition, let him know that it was a strictly emotional reaction.

The comments and jibes at each other continued for a few more minutes. Once it began to slow down, Yuuta realized that there was one person who hadn't spoken during the verbal sparring. Searching through his friend's faces, he found Mizuki leaning against the wall watching them with an amused expression. Yuuta flashed Mizuki a smile.

Mizuki held himself in check and gave Yuuta a smirk back in acknowledgement.

"So, da ne… when are you getting out of here?" Yanagisawa asked.

"I'm being released tomorrow," Yuuta smiled. "So, I'll be back to the school on Sunday. It'll be nice to go back."

"You really are that excited to get back to school?" Akazawa inquired.

Yuuta shook his head. "I'm really just glad to get away from my family." The skeptical looks he was receiving made him continue, "It's not that I don't love them. They're just so… here. This is the first time since I've gotten here that I have not had a family member with me. I just want to be left alone for a little bit from them."

Atsushi cracked a smile. "Yeah, but once you get back to school, you know you'll miss them."

Yuuta sighed and nodded. He knew that it was true. Atsushi was the person who best understood his feelings toward his family. Mizuki could understand the feeling, but he was not as close to his sisters as Yuuta and Atsushi were to their siblings.

"You know, because you left there's a rumor going around school," Kaneda said.

The group of boys continued to talk for a while. Eventually a nurse knocked on the door. Her hair was braided down her back and her chocolate eyes sparkled as she smiled at them.

"I'm sorry, but visiting hours are ending. If you would be so kind as to come back another day, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you," she gave a little bow as she exited the room.

There was a chorus of good-byes from the boys as they left the room. Akazawa paused before leaving to look back into the room at the two occupants left.

"There are a few things that I needed to discuss with Yuuta-kun. I'll head back to school later."

"Just don't stay too late. We don't want any trouble for the team." With that Akazawa gave a nod to Mizuki as he left.

Yuuta looked at the black-haired youth that had made his way over and sat down in the chair next to the bed. He hadn't really participated much in the earlier conversation and that fact made Yuuta uneasy. Mizuki had always made it a point to take part in Yuuta's conversations. The fact that he was so silent was a little unnerving.

"What did you want to talk about, Mizuki-sempai?" Yuuta asked nervously.

"Why were you outside that night?"

Yuuta felt his mouth run dry. He didn't remember much from when he'd had his fever, but the things before it were perfectly clear. Yet those were things that he would never, could never, share with someone, especially Mizuki. Yuuta knew how Mizuki felt towards his brother, so he had always made a point to evade any and all conversations that were related to him.

Yuuta looked away from Mizuki as a light blush stained his cheeks. "It was- I- I don't remember why I was outside. I must have been sleepwalking." Yuuta chanced a glance at Mizuki.

Mizuki could tell that Yuuta was lying to him by the way he was acting. He had been watching the boy for long enough to know what he did when he was lying or evading a subject.

"Do you know why I was there?" Yuuta asked turning his worried gaze fully to Mizuki.

Mizuki twisted some hair in his fingers as he thought about how to respond. He could tell Yuuta the truth about what he had seen or he could lie and say that he knew nothing. The fear that was hiding in Yuuta's eyes decided his answer for him as he continued to twist his hair.

"I don't know either. I thought I had heard some noise and so I came out to investigate. That's when I found you on the cold ground with tennis racquet in hand. You know, practicing in the early morning half-naked is not going to improve your tennis."

Mizuki was pleased with his half-truth. It had been true that he had come down because he'd heard a noise. It was also true that he had 'found' the boy on the ground. Yuuta didn't have to know that he had been hypnotized by his movements or heard anything that Yuuta had said.

"That's good," Yuuta whispered to himself.

"What was that?"

"N-nothing."

The blush that Yuuta had barely gained control of earlier, now once more stained his cheeks. Seeing Yuuta's obvious discomfort at being heard, caused Mizuki to smirk at the bed-ridden boy.

It was to this scene that Syuusuke and Yumiko returned to. This earned a mischievous grin from Yuuta's older sister and a pointed glare at Mizuki from Yuuta's older brother. Mizuki's smirk turned into a glare directed back at Syuusuke.

"I should be going," Mizuki turned back to Yuuta with an apologetic smile. "I need to get in before curfew. I'll see you when you come back to school. Bye."

"Bye. Thanks for coming," Yuuta called out as Mizuki left the room with Syuusuke's eyes following him.

"I should be going to. I have a paper I need to write," Yumiko quickly said as she came to the bedside and gave Yuuta a kiss on his forehead. "I'll see you when you get home tomorrow Yuuta. Bye!"

Yuuta had barely opened his mouth before she was out the door, leaving him alone with Syuusuke. Yuuta's face turned into a scowl.

"Don't you have somewhere you have to be? Don't you have homework you have to do?"

Syuusuke smiled as he sat in the seat that Mizuki had just vacated. "No. I'm going to keep my adorable little brother company."

Yuuta shot one last glare at his smiling older brother before turning on the television and proceeding to ignore his presence.

It was only hours later when Yuuta had fallen to sleep that Syuusuke gathered his school bag and silently left the room. He waved a tired goodbye to the nurses as he made his way back to his house for a few hours rest. He would have to get up early the next day if he was going to be back by the time Yuuta woke up. While he would be missing another day of school, he was the one that would get to take Yuuta home from the hospital.

Notes: Thank you for reading this chapter. C C are always welcome. As always, I don't proof-read this, so if you notice any spelling or grammar mistakes, please let me know. Thanks!