The Fall of The Prince
Disclaimer: Takeshi Konomi's
Chapter 10
The cab slowed down before finally stopped in front of Echizen's residence. Najiroh who sat at the front seat turned back and smiled at Ryoma, "we're home, Ryoma." And Ryoma, even though feeling too tired, smiled back in return.
The young boy looked through the window to the figure of his house. He had to admit that he terribly missed that place. It seemed he had left it for years that he wished he could run inside at the very moment.
After paying the cab, Nanjiroh got out and opened the wooden gate of the house. Tezuka, being the one beside Ryoma at the back seat, opened the cab door and stepped out before bent down and carried Ryoma on his arms. He murmured a soft arigatou to the driver and left to the gate. Ryoma put his arms around Tezuka's neck and rested his head on his shoulder. Nanjiroh then closed the cab door for them and went inside as well.
Tezuka went directly up to the second floor where Ryoma's room was. The brunette could feel Ryoma's body relaxed more when they entered the room. After putting Ryoma down the bed and let the younger boy settled on his bed by himself, Nanjiroh showed up on the door.
"Tezuka-kun, can we speak?"
"Hai." Tezuka turned at the door and walked out, following Ryoma's father back to the first floor. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing. I'm just informing you that Nanako and I are going to leave to apply for visa at the embassy." Nanjiroh explained, still walking to a certain part of the house which Tezuka didn't know where and what. "I also had booked a flight for this evening and the agent may call for confirmation, so please handle it for a while."
"It's no problem."
Nanjiroh smiled then stopped in front of a certain door. He opened it and it showed a large room with a big bed in the middle and a large cupboard on the left. He gestured Tezuka to step inside and the brunette obliged.
"I know you stayed at hospital last night, so I figure out you haven't taken a bath." Nanjiroh said while heading to the cupboard. He opened one of the doors and took a pair of black trousers and a creamy shirt. "Here," he handed it to Tezuka. "Bathroom's that way," he pointed to a certain direction. "The third door on the left after this room."
Slightly taken a back, Tezuka nodded and bowed slightly, murmuring "arigatou".
"I only wish that everything will go smoothly. And I'm glad my son has you by his side all this time." Nanjiroh said gently. His face looked very tired, but the smile on his lips showed that he's still not losing hope. "Thank you, Tezuka-kun." And at the sight of Nanjiroh before him, Tezuka found that this man wasn't as bad as Ryoma used to say back then.
The bath felt nice. It helped Tezuka to relax a bit and to set aside the thoughts of Ryoma being ill, giving some room for himself to refresh his mind. The clothes Nanjiroh lent him fit his body that it gave him a strangely comfortable feeling in spite of uneasiness though he was in other people's house. When he went to Ryoma's bedroom, he found the younger boy was fast asleep on his bed, looking very peaceful after the long stay in hospital.
Tezuka reached his mobile phone and dialed Fuji's number, asking him to tell the other Seigaku members the update about Ryoma's condition and his sudden departure to United States. And once he was finished, he stepped inside Ryoma's bedroom and sat on the edge of Ryoma's bed, his eyes never leave the boy's face.
There's an overwhelming tightening feeling in Tezuka's heart as he saw Ryoma's face. It's a mixture of hurt to see Ryoma in such a pain and could do nothing significant to stop it, deep care towards whatever Ryoma's condition, and something else Tezuka couldn't really identify that always give him the urge to be close with the young boy, to at least touch him, to at least being there for him.
Despite his stern personality that suits people ten years older than Tezuka's real age, Tezuka himself couldn't argue that he was still a young teenager and this feeling he felt towards Ryoma was something completely new. But something deep down in his heart gave him a feeling of assurance that Ryoma was what he wanted now and probably for the next long time afterwards.
Expressing feeling was never easy for Tezuka, but just for a while, he decided to give in to his instinct and let it flow naturally. Slowly, he bent down and kissed Ryoma's forehead, down to his eyebrows, to his cheek, to his chin and finally gave a peck on Ryoma's dry lips. At the last ministration, Ryoma shifted on his bed and finally opened his eyes. When he looked at Tezuka, he didn't seem to be shock at all. On the contrary, he felt that it was the most natural thing he ever felt since he came inside his house, Tezuka being in his room.
Ryoma's first response as he opened his eyes was to smile serenely at the older brunette boy. "Did you kiss me?"
Tezuka nodded gently.
"Do it again then." Ryoma's voice was soft. But his severity didn't actually leave him though he was sick.
The brunette took one of Ryoma's hands on his and laced their fingers together. Slowly just like before, he bent down and kissed Ryoma back on his lips. This time, he felt Ryoma's own moved gently over his. With his eyes closed, Tezuka could feel exactly the texture of Ryoma's lips. It was warm, soft, but dry. And Tezuka gave in to the urge to lap his tongue to wet them.
With both of them responding to each other, the kiss was soon deepened and became more intense. Tezuka put his other free hand around Ryoma's back and pulled the smaller boy up to half sitting position as if trying to shorten the gap between them in such a way. Ryoma's other hand went automatically behind Tezuka's shoulder, holding unto it to support his new position.
After awhile, Tezuka put Ryoma's back again on the mattress and this time joined in by lying upon Ryoma's body. Their lips though, never leave the others. Tezuka's weight on Ryoma's body felt somehow comforting. It gave the younger boy warmth and secure, together with a strange sensation on his stomach. He freed his hand from Tezuka's hand and used both of them to embrace Tezuka's neck. Strangely, Ryoma didn't feel tired or lack of energy like he used to feel the entire prior days. Strangely, Ryoma felt as if he was rejuvenated.
After a while, Tezuka pulled away and left an inch of gap between them. He looked intently at Ryoma's eyes and then asked, panting, "are you okay?"
"Why should I be not okay?" Ryoma said, pulling Tezuka's head down and crushed their lips together again. Maybe, this was also his form of desperation. The painful fact about his illness had taken away all his happiness, all his chance to enjoy being alive. And as he felt there was still a chance to spend with Tezuka, Ryoma just want to have it the fullest.
"Careful," muffled Tezuka between the kiss. "Don't want to hurt you."
"Don't care of being hurt anymore," answered Ryoma with his eyes still closed, enjoying Tezuka's ministration.
Tezuka broke the kiss only to go down and kissed Ryoma's jaw line to his neck. Ryoma, half closing his eyes, tilted his head aside to give Tezuka more room to explore. The skin felt warmer for Tezuka's lips, and the sensation was so delicious that Tezuka felt an overwhelming urge to taste it with his tongue. And so, he did it.
Ryoma moaned a bit as he felt Tezuka's wet tongue lapped his neck skin. Automatically, he tightened his embrace around Tezuka's shoulders. Gently, he heard himself calling Tezuka's name.
It was something normal to be wanting to suck those plain skin after tasting it with your tongue and experienced how delicate yet delicious it was. But as Tezuka about to do that, he remembered about leaving a red mark and about how Ryoma wasn't allowed to bear any kind of injury. In a sudden, he slowed down and pulled up, staring deeply at Ryoma's rather questioning eyes. He moved up and kissed Ryoma's forehead gently. "I do care about you." Tezuka said slowly.
Ryoma shifted aside, leaving a space for Tezuka to lie down beside him. His bed fit perfectly for both of them as Ryoma felt Tezuka put an arm around his waist and pulled him closer to the taller boy. "I love it when you hold me like this." Ryoma said in a barely heard whisper. He nuzzled closer to Tezuka's chest.
They stayed in silence for a while, enjoying each other's presence and the secure feeling that spread inside their hearts only by having the other around.
"Actually, I don't want to leave." Ryoma started slowly, delicately. "What if... What if I won't be able to come back? What if I won't be able to see this house again? I still want to see Nanako and Karupin.
I still want to go to school, to practice tennis along with the other members. If I can't go practicing, at least I still want to meet Momo-sempai, Fuji-sempai, Eiji-sempai, Kawamura-sempai, Oishi-sempai, even Inui-sempai and Kaidoh-sempai. I still want to see Ryuzaki-sensei, I miss her shouting.
The other team members. Fudomine no Ibu Shinji. Hyotei no Atobe. Rikkaidai no Sanada and Kirihara. Everyone... I wonder how they are doing now.
I still want to see Kachiro, Katsuo and even Horio. I even want to see Tomoki and Sakuno.
I..." Ryoma's voice was shaken, along with his body. And Tezuka, bearing the pain for not being able to do anything to help, could only tighten his embrace around the younger boy.
"I..." Ryoma's voice croaked. "I'm so afraid of not being able to see you again. I don't want to die without the last chance to see you."
Tezuka pulled Ryoma's body even closer to his chest and buried his face on Ryoma's neck, wanting Ryoma not to continue any further. "Don't say that. You're not going to die."
Not listening to what Tezuka said, Ryoma kept continuing. "If I'm going to die, I prefer to die here, in my bed room, being held by you."
"Listen," Tezuka said, pushing Ryoma gently so he could see those golden eyes clearly. "I'm going to wait for you. I will wait for your arrival here even if it takes years. Because I believe in you. I believe, just like the prior games we've been through together, you're not going to lose."
Ryoma's sight of Tezuka's face was somehow blurred with appearing tears on his eyes.
"I love you, Ryoma." And Ryoma buried his face down on Tezuka's chest once again.
Tezuka, Fuji, Inui, Kaidoh, Oishi, Eiji, Momo, and Kawamura stood side by side. Each of them was staring at the direction where Ryoma's figure along with his father's was missing behind the departure gate before. The digital clock hung on the flight board right at the top of the departure gate showed the time was 7:57 pm. It was 8 minutes to Ryoma's flight's departure. Everyone was inhaling and exhaling rhythmically, expecting someone to start speaking or leaving the place. But, no one did. Even the lively Eiji didn't seem to be having the mood to say anything.
After a while, surprisingly, Kawamura was the one who broke the silence. "I will prepare a big and wonderful welcome party when Echizen get back."
The other members stared at him and Kawamura's hopeful smile encouraged them not to lose hope either.
"I'll help then!" Eiji said quickly.
"Of course we are all going to help, Eiji." Oishi assured his double partner. "No matter how long he's going to stay there, we will definitely wait until he comes back."
Fuji exhaled softly and turned to Tezuka who stood beside him. "He's not going to lose. After all, he's the one you believe in."
And Tezuka only nodded.
To be continued
A/N: Finally, 10th chapter! Thank God it finished already!
I hope this one is better than the last...
Sorry I didn't make the usual review answers, but still I want to tell you all how much I appreciate your concern even by simply saying anything at the review window. You all keep me doing my job as an author. Thank you very much!
And then, review is always expected. Arigatou!