A/N: *Yawn, tired, but I'll get this finished. (Just remember to keep them in character.)

Disclaimer: Erm, I had a sit down with Takeshi Konomi and Shuusuke Fuji, from Prince of Tennis… We came to an... 'understanding.' (Scary randomness!)


Chapter Fifty One

There were a ton of boys from some of the other schools. They had seen the battle between Atobe and Tezuka and were sticking around to see the trump cards that both teams had in reserve.

Kikumaru lead the way with her friend in hand. She took Fuji to the nurse's hut and encouraged her to go in and talk to him. Fuji's mind was blank. She didn't want to say anything. Ryuzaki-sensei closed the door behind her and saw the two waiting outside. She crossed her arms but didn't say anything. She saw how distant Fuji's expression was and didn't feel to ask what they were planning. She sighed patiently and warned them not to bother him for too long. The nurse was out so they could see him for a bit. This might have made Kikumaru happy but the nurse being in the room was Fuji's last change of escape. Now she really had to tell him.

"I'll wait for you. Take as long as you need." Kikumaru opened the door.

She couldn't turn back. A part of her wanted to clear the air and condemn Atobe's dedication. The other half wanted to run away and leave it in the shadows where it had been for many weeks. When Fuji didn't move, Kikumaru pushed her into the room and closed the door behind her.

Fuji stepped back onto the closed door and lowered her head. She could feel his presence and didn't want to look up. She stayed by the door for a while before realising her behaviour was silly. She was scared but it still wasn't her, how people knew her to be. But should she really display such a level of confidence in front of him now?

She peered up. The reason he didn't say anything when the door was open was because he had his back to it. He had taken off his shirt and held a bag of ice on his left shoulder. The windows were all covered with blinds but enough light bled through the gaps that the use of the lights weren't needed. The room was big enough to hold a desk and three beds. Tezuka sat on the one nearest the desk on the right side of the room. The white interior seemed to glow the same red colour as his skin. He hung his head low and held tightly onto his burning shoulder. Fuji breathed through her mouth and stepped forward. What will he say when he sees me? Truthfully there was only one way of finding out. She uttered his name and he turned to the voice.

She flinched when those eyes were on him. They felt as if they pushed her out of the room. She looked away.

"What do you want?" He said aggressively and Fuji couldn't find it in her to answer against that tone.

She wanted to say she didn't want anything, only to see him but it didn't sound or feel like he wanted to hear it.

"…Tezuka-kun… I need to-"

"I don't wish to talk right now."

"But-." She walked in front of him and held onto the corner of the bed. "You said you wanted to know. You said you'd wait for me to tell you. And each time you were patient."

That was true. He did say he would wait for her, but he didn't think 'that' was waiting for him! Fuji avoided looking at his face. It remained emotionless to the untrained eye. But Tezuka's eye definitely warned her not to further over step the mark. Fuji focused on his dark and damp hair that clung to the side of his face and forehead. His skin was fiery, and his shoulder a sickly red colour. She wanted to touch it but Tezuka was too defensive. She cupped her hands together and stayed in front of him. Tezuka was being stubborn – no – jealous!

Was he being jealous? Or was he being played with… He didn't know what to think. The picture was so strong in his mind, Atobe's voice calling her name rung in his ears, but here she was standing before him like a frail lamb. In truth, he enjoyed her feeble manner. All that he had put up with had been thrown back in his face. He wanted her to be uncomfortable. He would take that past control from her and use it against her. All those months that he put up with her teasing only to get this in return. That was too much for him to accept.

…But Fuji still chose to be here. And he still needed to hear her side of the story.

"…Why… why couldn't you tell me someone hurt you back then?" Fuji asked.

Tezuka couldn't believe the selfishness in her first question. Of all the things she could have said he certainly didn't want to hear that, as she was hiding something so belittling behind his back. He was so beside himself he didn't know what to say. He took a deep breath and turned his eyes away from her.

"I thought he really broke you." She had to fight to hold those tears back. Atobe really scared her.

Tezuka couldn't believe what she was saying. Tell her? He could have easily said why didn't you tell me… but now wasn't the time. He really had to think about this. Twenty four hours had not passed since he saw the picture. If he said anything now he would do something stupid, like what he did in his match. Stupid. He was stupid enough to allow Atobe to reopen his injury. And why did Tezuka do that? Because he told himself that it was Fuji's wish, as Atobe dedicated the match to her, he would give her want she wanted. If he was in his right mind he would never have done such a thing… but for Fuji he would do anything. He couldn't believe he would be so childish… He guessed that was the fifteen-year old boy in him. Not much he could do about it now. It was as much her fault as it was his.

Fuji reached out her hand slowly to touch his bare skin but he grabbed her wrist and held her there. She didn't snatch her hand back. She let him hold her tightly, at least he was giving her that much.

"Why would you think he broke me?"

She opened her month to say it but it sounded horrible in her head. She couldn't image telling him that Atobe approached her three times saying he wanted to break her foundations only for this to happen… it sounded sick!

Tezuka forced himself to soften his words. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't be so unforgiving just yet. He sighed the anger from his breath and pulled her closer. Only for today he would. After this he would think about it with a clear head. Fuji could feel his heat radiate from him.

"Why do you sound so scared Fuji-san? Why did you come in here to talk, when I can see you're not ready?"

She heard the sudden change in his voice and wanted to cry. She wouldn't cry, though. She wouldn't. He changed for her and she knew she didn't deserve this level of consideration. She couldn't find her composed character when faced with this angry Tezuka. Instead of him holding her hand like he caught her doing something bad, he held her hand properly. She cupped her other hand over his and brought his hand up to her right cheek. He noticed this calmed her a bit. Amazingly, it calmed him down too.

"You're not ready to talk are you, Fuji-san?"

"I am." She lowered her head so he couldn't see her face through her bangs.

"Even if you are, I'm not. It's not something I want to talk about now. I'm going to need you to wait for me to think about it."

The thought of him talking to her scared her even more. She didn't want to leave this spot at all. She didn't want to give him time to think about it. He would surely distort it somehow.

"Go back and watch the match." He ordered her.

She gritted her teeth and let go of his hand. She walked swiftly to leave the room. Before she opened the door Tezuka called her, leaving her one last message.

"When I'm ready to hear what you have to say Fuji-san, I don't want you to run away from me... because if you don't tell me, I won't forgive you."

She held onto the handle. She heard him but she didn't understand what he meant. Would Atobe dedicating the match to her make him that angry? It must have. She opened the door and left the room without looking back.

If not for Kikumaru waiting outside and having grabbed her hand, Fuji wouldn't have stopped.

"How did it go?" She asked softly.

She couldn't help smiling. "It was horrible."

"Did you tell him?"

"He said I wasn't ready to tell him… and that even if I was, he wasn't ready to listen…"

Kikumaru lowered her shoulders. "Hmm, maybe you're right. The match was a bit too heated for this kind of talk. Was I being impatient again? I'm sorry Fuji-chan."

She apologised because she felt Fuji's hand shaking and her eyes were very avoidance after having come out of the room. She figured Tezuka must have set her straight. Kikumaru decided it was a good thing. Fuji had been doing what she wanted up until now. The passed weeks may have appeared harmless to Fuji but, having dated Oishi for some time Kikumaru knew that any hint of interference would make Oishi suspicious despite always telling her he trusted her. They were human. Tezuka was merely going through the motions with Fuji.

Instead of going back to the fury of the match, Kikumaru took Fuji away to a quiet spot so she could breathe and come to terms with what had happened.


...tbc...

A/N2: Ah, why is love so complicated? Because people love to interfere!!! Remember that!

Chapter 52: Erm... I'm hoping Tezuka is ready to listen. PS he's still not happy!!!