November 18, 2008

Subzero

AU, TezukaFuji. Fuji looked at Tezuka sadly, "Smile, even if it's a sad smile, because the only thing sadder than a sad smile is the sadness of not knowing how to smile."

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. I wish I did, but alas, I do not.

Author's Note: Something new I have decided to try is a Q&A section for the chapters where I get questions about certain things. More likely than naught, I've answered back anyways, but just for the sake of everyone else, in case they asked the same question, I'll post it here.

Q: From Saya: From Chapter 2: I'm a bit confused with this chapter. Why would Fuji, the employer, needs to send his employee (Tezuka) home? Is it because in your AU, Tokyo is not a safe place?

A: For Fuji (I made him this way in Subzero... why? Because I'm the author. Fear me.), he would feel responsible for his employee's. And since Tezuka's car broke down in Ch. 2, he took it upon himself to safely get Tezuka home, even though no one would probably dare bother Tezuka.

More in the next chapter... providing you guys have questions.

-

Subzero

Four Degrees

-

As things turned out, Tezuka had not figured out what he was going to do with the information he had received during his discussion with Saeki. Instead, his time and effort were spent towards his work which had begun to pile up after the second day of being emplyed by SAA, and of meeting Fuji.

Every day, when Tezuka would arrive at work a half hour early, he would go to Fuji's office to greet the boy. And every morning Fuji was already there, waiting with a smile a list of Tezuka's agenda for the day. As always, the boy was surrounded by mountains of textbooks, papers, and pens. But even so, he found time to give Tezuka his agenda sheet. This exchange would happen every day at six in the morning. The directions on his agenda for the day were surprisingly precise in their descriptions, despite the amount of work and effort Fuji put into everything else.

As more time passed, the guilty feeling in the pit of Tezuka's stomach began to grow. There was a considerable amount of work for Tezuka to do each day, according to the planner Fuji would give him. This, to Tezuka, could only mean one thing. Fuji was probably getting up at an ungodly hour--even for Tezuka--for the sole purpose of typing up Tezuka's agenda, seeing as how it was so spot-on.

Therefore, he began to reciprocate Fuji's kind actions towards him. He did not see his actions as sucking up, or a lowering of his pride, but rather how one would give back the kind, respectful actions of another. His reciprocation included doing various odd jobs for the boy throughout the day, such as: bringing Fuji more tea, getting him more paper for the printer, or pens for his usage, and even on one occassion, a camera from a shop on the far side of town.

On the day that he brought in the camera, Tezuka asked Fuji as he watched the boy examining the piece of equipment, "Do you do photography?" He hoped that his question wouldn't be misinterpreted as a stupid one, because Tezuka was not a stupid person... he hoped.

But Fuji just smiled fondly at the camera after looking at Tezuka momentarily, "Yes. It is one of my hobbies." Tezuka had nodded in understand, and left it at that, watching the wistful expression in Fuji's face as he stared at the camera in his delicate hands, as if it were a fragile gem.

After that, all thoughts of Fuji and his past flew from Tezuka's head until he found himself three weeks into November, and facing a new trouble. This trouble involved Fuji, a ship, a slightly egotistical model, and the blue haired genius he was face-to-face with now...

"..." Tezuka looked up at the equally serious face opposing him. He then turned his gaze back to his hands, "What is this?"

"A pamphlet, Tezuka-san." The man wearing glasses and a suit said in a matter-of-factly tone.

"Yes, I realize it is a pamphlet, but what of?" Tezuka continued, ignoring the obvious fact that this person was responding to him in a very sarcastic manner. His point was only furthered as the man readjusted his glasses and stuck a finger on the label of the pamphlet, "I believe the description of what this pamphlet entails is in here, Tezuka-san."

Tezuka gave a displeased frown at the man with the blue hair and deep voice at this reply. He took a quick moment to spare a glance at the packet and a sticker in the corner, describing who this particular pamphlet had been handed out by: a man by the name of Oshitari Yuushi. "Why are you approaching me with an ad for a cruise liner?" Tezuka asked suspiciously.

If this person was as well-informed about things as he seemed, he would know that Tezuka greatly disliked events of that kind.

The man named Oshitari readjusted his glasses--for what seemed like the fourth time since they had met five minutes ago--and cleared his throat, "Atobe wishes that you pass this along to someone in your company."

The mention of the name 'Atobe' struck a chord with Tezuka. He quickly recalled that Atobe was the head of the modeling company he ran, called Ore-sama. Frankly, the name of the company was enough to repel Tezuka.

"The reason why Atobe-san decided not to give the pamphlet directly to Fuji-san is because Fuji-san has forbade it." Oshitari explained.

"Fuji?" Tezuka's eyebrows knitted together. He had not expected Fuji to be brought so abruptly into the conversation.

Oshitari nodded and leafed through a pocketbook he had fished out, "Yes. I have specific directions from Atobe to pass it along to Fuji-san's second-in-command. If my information is correct, his second-in-command would be you, am I correct?"

"Yes." Tezuka mumbled, slipping the pamphlet into a pocket on his briefcase.

"Then, I'll leave you to your work, Tezuka-san." Oshitari said, bowing. He turned and made his way towards the revolving door. But before he was swallowed by the smooth glass, he turned back once and said, "Tell Fuji-san that Atobe will do whatever he can to make Fuji-san's vacation enjoyable and...safe."

Tezuka glared at Oshitari's back as the man went through the door and was gone. Apparently the trouble Fuji had with the board members wasn't contained within the company. He frowned. That would prove to be troublesome.

Nevertheless, he turned on his heel and headed towards the elevators to reach his destination--Fuji's office.

He stood in the spacious elevator, staring at the glowing button he had pressed. He wondered to himself if it was safe that people outside of the company were aware of the danger Fuji was in, and the danger the boy constantly put himself in, just for the line of duty.

Despite all appearances--or lack of thereof--this person Atobe Keigo of Ore-sama seemed powerful enough.

As Tezuka stepped out of the elevator, he ignored another worker entering the elevator and made sure to remind himself to research Ore-sama and Atobe Keigo as soon as he could. It was then that he realized he had gotten off at the wrong floor.

He felt the faint prickling sensation in his chest that was irritation, but brushed it away with practiced ease.

Tezuka merely turned around and pressed the elevator button again while checking the watch attached to his wrist. He always arrived at Fuji's office at exactly 6:43 a.m. every morning. The only time when this wasn't the case was when there was a meeting scheduled at around that time, in which case, Tezuka would head straight for the meeting room. As he knew, however, there was no meeting today, which would make him late to arriving at Fuji's office. This made him frown and glare at the hands on his watch.

Finally, the elevator button rang, and the doors slid open.

"Ah!" There was a surprised exclamation in the direction of the elevator. Tezuka looked up from his watch and nearly made the same sound, except he refrained quickly.

Fuji stood there, startled for a moment, and smiling the next. He exited the elevator and reached up to give Tezuka's shoulder a pat; something he thought was a bit unneccessary, but slightly amusing to watch, as Fuji almost needed to reach on his tip-toes.

"So this is where you were, Tezuka. I was getting worried when you didn't come to my office at 6:43 exactly." Fuji said, amusement coloring his voice.

Tezuka bowed his head, "I'm sorry, Fuji. I got off at the wrong floor."

Fuji just laughed and waved his hand dismissively, "No, it is all right. I just need you to head to your office. I've already dropped off your agenda, and there is something I need to do on this floor, anyways."

It wasn't hard for Tezuka to miss the fact that there was something slightly off about Fuji. He wasn't sure what. Fuji had his same tall, proud posture; his laugh was as merry and guarded as ever, and he had given off no hints of anything being mortally wrong. But something about Fuji, the air he was giving off was wrong. He seemed almost as though he were bracing himself against something, a feat which made him seem even more guarded than usual.

"I'll stay with you, then." Tezuka offered.

Then there was a flicker in Fuji's expression--a slight waver that instantly alerted Tezuka that something was wrong. He recovered quickly and smiled again, "No need, Tezuka. I'll be back up soon, so you can get a head start."

"I am not letting you go to the board member's room by yourself." Tezuka said adamantly. The tone he had used was one he practiced quite often in the past. It was the kind of tone that left no room for argument or hesitation. He was also glad he remembered the Board Member's office was also on this floor.

Fuji looked surprised at Tezuka's knoweledge, judging by the cerulean irises of his eyes gleaming in the artificial light of the chandelier above them.

"And I do not want you hurt, Tezuka." Fuji replied in a quiet tone that was very similar to Tezuka's. Tezuka had to admit he was impressed. Fuji's expression was now a complete, obvious mask--guarded and careful.

"Then I won't be." Tezuka said, holding Fuji's eyes.

There was a moment of silence between the two--a tense silence that was a battle of how long the other could afford to spend--until... Fuji finally sighed. "Very well. You can come along, but I don't want you seen by them. Stand outside the room. Don't made a sound, and don't enter the room, no matter what happens."

The words themselves were suspicious enough to make Tezuka worry, but he nodded and gave his word. Fuji was obviously angry, based off of his clipped sentences and tone. But he had the sense to hide it as he did everything else.

Tezuka followed Fuji as the boy brushed past him and down the hall.

He watched Fuji's back tensely as his shoulders rolled with his quick steps. Then, Fuji stopped abruptly. "Remember. Do not enter, do not speak, and don't let them see you." He said quietly.

Tezuka nodded, "Ah."

With what he took to be a satisfied nod, Fuji turned and rapped his knuckles against one of the doors. There were a couple moments of pause before there was a response, "Who is it?"

Tezuka recognized the voice of the head board member. Scratchy and unpleasant.

Fuji answered with a calm, clear voice, "It is Fuji."

There were some grumbles from inside. "Enter." The head board member ordered.

Fuji turned the knob of the door, gave Tezuka one final look, opened the door, and closed it behind him.

"Good morning." Tezuka heard Fuji begin.

"Hmph... and what do we owe the pleasure of seeing the head of the company, Fuji Syusuke-sama this early in the morning?" Tezuka heard a different member of the board hiss sarcastically.

Fuji's tone was even and calm, and gave off no hints of the anger he had displayed towards Tezuka just moments before. "I have a request to make." Fuji said.

At this point, Tezuka assumed the board members were looking suspiciously at each other.

"I have another engagement that I must tend to a week from now." Fuji explained, and then was silent. Tezuka frowned from his post outside the door. A week from the present day, there was a meeting scheduled regarding connections with other companies, and a possible joint event that was being planned.

Then there was the explosion Tezuka had no doubt Fuji was anticipating.

"What?! You know that there is the joint meeting with Atobe-san and Sanada-san. We cannot possibly afford for you to be absent on that day. You are--"

"Vital to the presentation? Not quite." Fuji interrupted with a smile that Tezuka knew was undoubtedly on the boy's face. "You see, I have already contacted both Atobe and Sanada-san. They are aware of my absence on that date. In my place, Saeki will be handling minor details and negotiations. I have instructed him to forward any further questions to myself."

"Saeki-san? Why not use your new assistant? Erm... Tezuka Kunimitsu."

Tezuka found he had to agree with the board member. Without meaning to sound arrogant, he agreed, seeing as he was the vice-head of the company.

"Saeki will be handling things there because Tezuka-san will be accompanying me that day." Fuji said, his tone light and breezy.

There were gasps of shock throughout the room, muffled by the walls. Tezuka hastily lowered his hand from the gold doorknob, reminding himself that Fuji had forbade him to enter. Nevertheless, it did not do anything to help his own shock. He racked his mind, wondering if this had been decided previously. He soon came to the conclusion that it had not.

"B-but we have received no word from him saying that he would be absent that day." One of the board members stuttered.

The image of Fuji's sly smile entered Tezuka's mind as the boy answered back, lying through his teeth as though it were as easy as blinking. "Oh, that is because I ran into Tezuka-san early this morning. I told him that he would not have to, since I was planning on coming here anyways."

Even so, Tezuka couldn't help but think, That smile of his probably never left his face... The words seemed to flow out of Fuji's mouth like he had been doing it his entire life.

"Thank you for understanding. I will be taking my leave now. Goodbye."

The board members had no time to protest as Fuji was quick to leave the room and close the door behind him. Beckoning to Tezuka, Fuji passed him and headed to the elevators. He sent a sly smile back to the stoic man, "We should go now, before they come after us."

"...why?" Tezuka asked suspiciously.

Fuji held the door open for Tezuka as he followed him into the elevator. "Because. The two of us will also be taking a day off today as well...but they don't know that. Although the board members should be getting a memo right about..." He paused. Then, there were shouts of indignation and anger from the room.

Fuji withdrew his arm, releasing the 'open' button on the elevator panel. "Now." A pleased, little smile danced about his face.

Just as the doors were sliding shut, the door of the board member's room was thrust open. "W-wait, Fuji-sa--!" The door shut in the board member's face.

From out of the corner of his eye, Tezuka gave Fuji a look, "No wonder you are always at odds with them."

Fuji's eyes were amused, yet serious, "I suppose." He replied calmly, leaning against the wall of the elevator.

Tezuka regarded the boy with quiet eyes; his thoughts were silent as well.

-

Saeki's head buzzed with a migrane. He blamed it on an old friend of his from their junior high years, Itsuki. Despite his mild appearance, the young man was surprisingly good at holding his liquor, which became Saeki's downfall this morning.

He sat in the cafeteria, staring solemnly at a mug of coffee--steaming hot and black.

The silver-black haired young man silently groaned and lifted the cup to his lips, swallowing another gulp of the bitter, dark brown liquid. That was when he saw two familiar figures crossing through the cafeteria, pausing quickly to order something at the take-out counter.

"Fuji! Tezuka-san!" He called.

The two heads turned around, and Fuji smiled and waved while Tezuka acknoweledged his presence with a respectful nod. Saeki went over to them, thankful he didn't stumble across the way.

Even in his alchohol-induced state, Saeki couldn't help but recognize the stark contrast in which Fuji and Tezuka brought about when standing next to one another.

Fuji was small, slight, and petite with a mysteriously cheery smile that--today--seemed wary and pleased. He gave off the air of someone who was popular and approachable, while at the same time seeming as though there was an impenetrable barrier that kept his separate from most people.

Then, there was Tezuka Kunimitsu. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and stiff. His face was a constant line, as though he were wearing a non-smiling geisha mask. As opposed to Fuji, he was much less approachable than Fuji, but at the same time had an overbearingly confident air about him, but not to the point of arrogance. For Tezuka, never arrogance.

...Then again, it could just be him, Saeki thought with a shrug. With his mind hazy from his hang-over, he wasn't very sure of anything.

"Are you all right, Saeki?" Fuji asked, looking as though he would leap to catch him in case Saeki randomly collapsed.

"Yes, I'm fine," Saeki said with a laugh, "Is there somewhere the two of you are going?"

Tezuka looked at Fuji for the answer. Fuji smiled. It was the kind of smile that even Saeki couldn't comprehend--one of those smiles. "Yes, we are. We're headed over to the Academy." He said.

It took a few moments for Saeki to process, but then a look of understanding came over the young man's features, "Oh, I see. Well in that case, have fun. And be careful." There was an incredible danger lurking around campus.

Fuji just smiled as he always did, and lifted a bag of two different kinds of rice balls. "I will, but you know I can handle whatever is over there," Fuji grinned almost evilly, "Thank you for your concern though, Saeki. I'll see you tomorrow."

Tezuka bowed to Saeki and followed behind Fuji when the boy set off towards the revolving doors.

Saeki watched the two of them go, but he frowned as soon as they were out of sight. It may have just been the alchohol kicking in again... but when Tezuka had bowed and left, was that a look of nervousness in his eyes?

Saeki shook his head, dismissing the assumption to be completely ridiculous. What reason would Tezuka have to be nervous? What reason at all?

-

Tezuka turned to Fuji as the boy pressed the brake pedal lightly and came to a coasting stop at a red light. "Where are we going, exactly?" he asked.

Fuji leaned his chin on his knuckles while propping his elbow on the window sill, waiting for the light to change. "A high school called Seishun Gakuen--also known as Seishun Academy or Seigaku." He explained. "My sister works there as a professor."

Tezuka blinked, remembering his conversation with Saeki. "Yumiko?" he blurted out.

The light turned green, and Fuji went, but he craned his head to the left and stared at Tezuka, "How did you know her name?"

Quickly, Tezuka made a show of clearing his throat. He was aware that his excuse was one of the worst he had ever heard in his life, but it was the first and only thing that came to his imnd, "Lucky guess."

If it had been anyone else, they might have believed him. But not Fuji. The boy just gave him a long, hard stare before turning his view back to the road. Miraculously, no harm had befallen them, and Fuji had managed to make several 90 degree turns in the time span he was staring at Tezuka.

"I see." Fuji murmured quietly and carefully.

They rode in silence for several more minutes until Tezuka decided it was time to change the topic and break the silence--a trait that was very unlike them. But then again, he was never quite himself around this strange boy. "Why are we going to visit your sister?"

Fuji seemed to adapt to this change quite easily. "We are going to be going out to shop after she is done teaching."

This puzzled Tezuka, and Tezuka was not puzzled often nor easily. "Why would you need me to come with you?"

Fuji was silent. Instantly, Tezuka felt that it was a matter that was both difficult and very private to the boy, but for some reason Fuji still wanted Tezuka present. After a while, the petite boy answered, "Tomorrow is the day my mother died."

Tezuka tried to look surprised, but in fact wasn't, as Saeki had told him this as well in their conversation.

"We are going to buy some things that my mother would like to have. Jewelry, incense, and..." There was a sad, far away look in Fuji's eyes as he continued, "Flowers. She loved a certain kind of Forget-me-not. I forget what their name was, exactly, but the flowers were the color of my eyes... and she loved them so much." Wistfulness and pain entered Fuji's voice, and Tezuka thought his eyes seemed wetter than usual.

"...ah..." Tezuka mumbled softly. There was no proper response for that. So he gave none. All he could give was, 'ah'.

"But..."

Tezuka was startled when Fuji began to speak again. He might have been mistaken, but Tezuka thought he saw a tear glimmer at the corner of Fuji's eye.

"I...I would like my mother to meet you, Tezuka."

Tezuka blinked. "Why?"

Fuji began slowing down as they neared the gate of a school--presumably Seishun Gakuen.

"Because. When she died, I never really had any proper friends. Even Saeki, whom I had known since we were very little, I didn't consider him a true friend. But now I think..." Fuji turned, smiling sadly to Tezuka, "I've found a true friend. In you. And I want to show her."

It was then, Tezuka knew. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't touched, because he was. He felt humbled that Fuji had confided this to him on his own. He nodded, "Ah." He couldn't think of very many words to convey the fact that he felt the same way to Fuji. He really had found a true friend in this strange boy who smiled when he was in danger, when he was sad, yet he was terrifying when someone else was involved.

Tezuka also knew one more thing.

Fuji was a precious friend to him, and maybe, just maybe...something else.

-

(A/N:) I had originally intended to put more into this chapter, but I decided to cut it off where it was. The rest, what with Tezuka, Fuji, and Yumiko going shopping, visiting Fuji's mother's grave, and the event that is happening in a week (in the storyline, of course)--is more important and better used in a new chapter. Therefore, I hope this chapter was all right. I rushed a bit when Fuji was confronting the board members. I didn't feel like adding in all the drama between him and his mortal enemies. By the way, there will hopefully be some Yuuta in the next chapter. You guys get to see what he is like after his gang experience... buahahaha. =D

Also, with the last bit in there, I thought I'd try a change from a lot of other TezukaFuji stories. Hey, why not have Tezuka realize, "Oh crap... I'm in love with Fuji... I think." I mean, how interesting would that be? Naturally it would have to be portrayed correctly through writing, but I decided to give it a whirl. Please let me know what you think.

REVIEW!

Sincerely,

-PurificationArrow