The Fall of The Prince

Status: Not beta-ed yet

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Chapter 6

"Ryoma-san… wake up"

A pair of tired eyes was looking at Ryoma as he opened his eyes. Nanako had just woken him up from his afternoon sleep. Ryoma looked at his cousin questioningly while yawning. "Nanako-san," he called. His voice was hoarse.

Nanako gave a soft smile. She would never dare to wake Ryoma up if there were nothing she consider important. "You have a guest." She said gently.

"Visitor? Dare? (Who?)" Ryoma gave a frown. He tried to sit up while thinking who it might be. He never got visitors since his father forced him to stop entering the school. Some of his friends called once, but none of them ever paid a visit.

"Just come down." Nanako said. It seemed she was quite happy.

Ryoma rarely left his bedroom except for bathroom or hospital. Even his food was always brought to his room three times a day. Meeting someone else than her sister, his father, his mother and the doctor with his nurses was out of his list. "Okay." He said after a while. Slowly je got up from bed and went downstairs followed by Nanako.

He was expecting for Horio or Sakuno when he stepped inside the living room and found his Tennis club buchou was sitting on one of he couches there. For a second, he was so surprised that he stunned on the threshold. "Buchou?" He called in response after the second.

Tezuka who was looking at another direction automatically looked at where Ryoma stood. He suddenly stood up in response. He wore the regular jacket and his tennis bag was on the floor right beside the couch he sat on. "Echizen." He said, greeting the smaller boy in pajama.

"Go on talking. I'll get you some tea and snacks." Nanako said with a gentle smile before leaving the boys alone in the living room for the kitchen.

Ryoma was still standing while Tezuka himself didn't move either. He didn't want to be rude by sitting down before Ryoma tell him to. And Ryoma himself was still too surprised to move.

"How are you doing?" Tezuka then asked.

Tezuka's voice made Ryoma realized that his buchou was still standing. "Ano… please sit down," said Ryoma. He walked closer and sat on other couch across Tezuka's.

Tezuka sat down silently. His eyes were staring at Ryoma's small figure. He realized how thin Ryoma was compared with the last time they met. "How are you doing?" Tezuka repeated the question.

"Fine." Ryoma answered reluctantly. "Bored." Then he added. "Staying at home for two weeks and doing nothing but sleeping is a complete boredome." He commented.

Tezuka didn't know whether Ryoma tried to make some joke or that was what he really felt. So, he decided to ask another question. "Have you gone to the hospital?"

Ryoma looked at Tezuka for a while. He didn't know how exactly he supposed to answer the question. "Once for check up." He finally said.

"Don't you think you should stay there? There are doctors and nurses that will take care of you there." Tezuka asked. In fact, he was concerned about Ryoma's health.

Ryoma shrugged then shook his head. He didn't seem to like the conversation they shared.

Tezuka gave a frown. Did Ryoma refuse to get treatment? "What do you mean?" He asked. Ryoma is indeed a hard person. But refusing for hospital treatment while having a cancer was beyond limit.

Ryoma darted his eyes away. Tezuka's sharp sight on his gave uneasy feeling. "Don't think it will have any effect." He answered airily. This subject had been the main topic he argued with his father recently. And he definitely didn't want to discuss this with the guy who was now sitting in front of him.

"No effect?" Tezuka frowned deep. His eyebrows were less than a centimeter apart above his nose.

"Just don't feel like going there." Ryoma said again, changing Tezuka's mind from the word effect. He could feel Tezuka's eyes were still staring at him, examining his whole figure.

"Why?" Tezuka asked again. His voice was deep.

Ryoma waited. He didn't want to answer it. He really didn't want to talk about this. He hoped Tezuka would ask something else if he said nothing. But the older boy waited and after quite a long silence, Ryoma finally spoke subconsciously. "Okaasan fainted again a week ago."

Tezuka waited. He knew there were still a lot more Ryoma wanted to speak about.

"My father brought her to hospital just like usual. But this time is different. They put her in ICU and told us she was in critical condition. They said there's nothing they can do and we literally can only wait for miracle." He said slowly. His voice sounded like choking him. His eyes were still avoiding Tezuka's.

"She's going to die." He then continued faintly. "After all the long treatment she got since I was a baby, she's still going to die." This time, Ryoma's voice was shaken.

In a moment, Tezuka could somehow understand how depressed Ryoma was. All the things happened were too hard to handle by himself. And in this kind of time, Tezuka could feel a pain occupied his heart.

"Who can make sure I won't end up like that?" Ryoma said again. A sinister smile appeared on his dry lips.

Tezuka is the type who always knows when to talk and when to stay silent. And when he feels need to speak up, he'll know exactly what he should say. But this time, facing such a beautiful broken angel, his mind was surprisingly blank. He wanted to speak. He wanted to say at least something to comfort the boy. But nothing could come out from his brilliant mind.

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Long silence occurred. Ryoma was too deep in his own mind while Tezuka could only stare at him. He really wished he could shatter the painful stillness between them, but found he had no idea what to do.

At that kind of time, Tezuka who sat facing the threshold where Ryoma stood before saw Nanako appeared there. Her face was so pale that for a second Tezuka thought she was about to collapse. As she stood there, looking at Tezuka with such a worried face, Tezuka realized there was also fear on those eyes.

"Ryoma-san." Nanako called. Her voice was so low that Ryoma didn't hear it. The fact that he was till drawn into his own mind also degraded his hearing.

"Echizen." Tezuka called for her and beckoned his eyes to where Nanako stood as Ryoma turned his eyes to look at Tezuka's.

"Nanako-san?" Ryoma said with a small frown as he looked at his cousin.

She stepped closer and Tezuka realized that she was holding something. Something that wasn't anything like tea or snacks she promised earlier. As she handed the small black thing to Ryoma, Tezuka realized it was a wireless phone.

And suddenly, he had a really bad feeling.

Ryoma took the phone without saying anything then put it on his left ear. After a couple of seconds in silence, he spoke lowly. "Moshi-moshi."

Both Tezuka and Nanako waited for a few minutes that felt like ages as Ryoma received the phone. The small boy said nothing. He didn't seem to try to make any sound of response. All Tezuka could see was just paleness on Ryoma's face.

Ryoma put off the phone from his ear and pushed the off button. Tezuka strongly felt that it was Ryoma who hung the line first and not the caller. But he didn't have time to think about that as he saw Ryoma handed the phone back to Nanako.

There was something Tezuka didn't know that somehow pinched his stomach by seeing Ryoma.

"What happened?" Nanako asked. Her face was all worried. She waited.

They waited.

Ryoma's eyes were blank and lifeless.

"Ryoma-san… what happened?" Nanako repeated.

"Okaasan…" Ryoma finally started weakly. And Tezuka suddenly knew what will follow that word. "Passed away."

Nanako was extremely astonished. Her eyes widened as the phone she took from Ryoma left her clutching hand and fell towards the ground. Automatically Tezukastood up and took it from where it landed.

Ryoma didn't seem to pay any attention towards his circumstances. The news had drawn him far away from the reality. He stood up and walked to the inner house. He looked so wobbly as if he would fall down anytime.

"Where are you going?" Tezuka asked before he could even think.

Ryoma didn't hear it. He only continued walking inside, forgetting that he still had a guest.

Tezuka handed the phone to Nanako who took it carefully. She had barely recovered from the shock.

"Arigatou." She nearly whispered. Her fingers were shaking slightly. "I… gomen… I'll go check Ryoma-san." Tezuka nodded. "Please wait for a moment."

"Maybe I should leave"

"No. Please stay." Nanako cut abruptly. "Just in case… something happen." And she left the living room, following the path Ryoma took before.

Silence occurred once again as Tezuka sighed deeply. He was shocked, but moreover he felt pain inside his heart to see Ryoma in such a down. He took a seat on the couch he left before and lent his back against the cushion.

His mind recalled the picture of Ryoma's face as he handed back the phone to Nanako. He was so lifeless, fragile, and saddened. He was losing a lot from his illness, and still he had to lose his mother as well. The Ryoma he knew from the first time he entered the Seigaku tennis court was now gone. Even life could change such a person.

"RYOMA-SAN!" Nanako's scream jerked Tezuka from his own thoughts. Following his instinct, Tezuka abruptly stood and dashed inside. On the kitchen, he found Ryoma crumpled on the floor in front of the refrigerator and Nanako kneeled beside him.

"Echizen!" Tezuka shouted as he ran as fast as he could towards the kitchen. "What happened!?" He abruptly kneeled on Ryoma's other side. Carefully he pulled the small body to face him. "Echizen, are you hurt?"

Ryoma shook his head faintly. His eyes were no longer blank. There was sorrow shone on it. There was pain, hatred, and disappointment. Somehow, Tezuka knew, deep inside he cried. But there were no shape of tears. Ryoma stared at Tezuka for a moment before he felt his body was lifted up by Tezuka's strong arms. Tezuka was carrying him now.

"Echizen…" Tezuka called again. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Ryoma only shook his head again. His face was paler than the time he received the news.

"We're going to the hospital, kay?" Tezuka asked. Ryoma felt too light upon his arms. "Echizen." He called again, waiting for his response.

Finally, Ryoma nodded weakly. He felt so powerless that he let his head rested on Tezuka's shoulder. Tezuka's warmth gave him a comfortable feeling that he finally closed his eyes and let his awareness faded away.

And while holding Ryoma's body upon his chest on their way to the hospital, a realization overcame Tezuka. Silently, he made a promise to himself.

No matter what will happen at the future and no matter how hard things will turn out, he won't let Ryoma give up. He won't let Ryoma face his problem alone ever again.

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TBC

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A/N: LACK OF UPDATE! I'm SO SORRY!!!

My opinion… I dunno. This chapter is a bit… flat. The way I wrote this chapter is somehow… well… tasteless? Dunno what kind of word to describe it. ARGH!! Okay… I'm so sorry for that! Promise won't do it again!

Thanks to:

babymar-mar
Kawaii Chibi Yami
RuByMoOn17 - I haven't decided it yet. But I'm sure I've put a lot of tezuryo HINTS here! ;P
Kaisuke
XxMaster-ExX
Craze
liveandletlive
Isarandel
may neuma
babs
HI

Once again I'd like to say sorry for the lack of update! I really don't want it to happen again! I hope I can write this fic constantly from now on!

Oh yeah… a question! Which is better for you? To make this story a real Tezuryo (which mean they will be officially together) or just full of Tezuryo hints?

Review please! Give me all your opinion. Tell me all things you like and you dislike from this story please! SANKYU MINNA! All your response means A LOT for me!