One Year In Four
oOo
Disclaimer: me no richie therefore PoT me no ownie. Mou, I wish I could be adopted by Konomi-sensei or by the animators…
Warnings: yaoi, lemon… OOCness, presence of OCs…
Pairings: TeFu (I'm loyal and biased… they're the epitome of love)
Summary: Fuji and Tezuka had a rift. They both think they moved on. Then comes Fuji's twenty-fourth birthday (sixth, actually) and he invites the old team over. The past resurfaces, should they seize it or leave it? nya, this is a leap year gift to our favorite tensai from our favorite buchou. Enjoy:3 (third settlement based on Fallen Angel and A Fine Week.)
a/n: I was supposed to be practicing self-control since my mum's going to kill me for using the PC for like, ever (which explains why I don't update everyday anymore)… but she just traveled to the province for a week, so bye-bye self-control! Shoo! Shoo! Away! Btw, for those who feel sorry for Yanada… you'll hate him here, I think. Well, I started hating him here… and here comes Tezuka who coughlustsforcough Fuji coughalotcough. :3
lammieee – it's everyone's agony, I know… and I shall try to make this fic worth all the pains… I shouldn't tease? Why not? kidding. But –pat, pat- there's going to be a sort of fluffy scene in the fifth chappie.
Chrono Breaker – woot, Tezuka probably can't believe he left Fuji either. And, of course, Fuji's still a virgin and Tezuka is… well… darn, that just what makes the lemon difficult! But I really am a firm believer of virginity, not exactly on marriages but at least for your one true love… kyaha, yeah, I KNOW!!! Tezuka and Shigure… they're just miles apart in personality! I read that the seiyuu is a really cool adult. Btw, Fuji's seiyuu is the same as machi's seiyuu in the furuba drama cd. But I bet she could have done Akito, what with the low, cunning voice. Or maybe that's something I would really have liked it since Akito/Shigure is my most fave hetero pair and it would have a nice feel since they're the seiyuus of TeFu, my most fave BL pair. Again, that may just be me.
Miji-Chuu – woot, SHIGURE-SAMA! –kowtows- yep, love Tezuka's singing voice…-swoons- well, TeFu isn't the only thing I love, but I don't quite understand FuRyo(I'm biased to TeFu, I guess)… I like YukiSanada, InuiKai, IbuRyo, OshitariAtobe, Golden Pair and Silver Pair… oh, well.
PyroSiren – make them do things? Haha… you naughty girl… -shakes head- Evil Honda is named so because I don't like Honda Tohru either. Actually, I laugh evilly every time I write because of the Honda tie-in, especially in the part where Fuji starts to raise hell on Evil Honda. fwahahaha. Kyo could have ended up with Kagura... yes, let's give TeFu a plushie of each other, so they could do things…well, not the things that you mentioned. I mean, if they're really, really angry at each other, they could, well, torture the plushie. –remembers Chaggyung of Princess Hours (Goong1), haha… do you know that?- And if they feel like kissing they could do… oh, fine… things.
wirbelwind – nya, nya… can't tell you what rumor Inui heard of just yet… you'll just kind of sense it as the chapters move along and Tezuka will be the one to say what it is… no, can't make it easy on them, especially on Tezuka. And neither Yanada nor Honda (especially Evil Honda) will give up easily… And OF COURSE Fuji should hold back from Yanada… I shall die if I wrote something like Fuji kissing Yanada… I mean, he is Tezuka's tensai.
alchemistgrl09 – I LOVE Shigure-sama. And Akito-san, too. Adore them both… I got all teary-eyed while reading the furuba manga. Hmm… Hoi! Hoi! Syusuke is a really nice name… you know, SyusUKE. Woot, fwahaha, I'm evil. -getting serious- yes, Syusuke is an awesome name, especially if it's uttered by the deep, ringing, rather sensual (is it just me?) voice of our buchou. Btw, Ketchup for Blood called TeFu Kunisuke… that's nice, isn't it? For their child?
xoHakugei – woot, woot, kapoot. sankyuu… yes, most of us probably know how hard it is to let someone go and to act like nothing happened. –sniff- Let's have a firing squad against Evil Honda, ne?
sheyryoma – I'm sorry, I think I forgot to put in what 'ohayou' means… it's almost like good morning, but not really. But I think you already know what that means… –sweatdrop- hmm, yeah vierblith yahoo... hmm, I'm in Makati, btw. Perhaps, Fuji is still in love with his buchou… -scratches chin- can't tell you! But that's kinda obvious. :3 and jealous buchou is sooo going to hate someone down to the core. I think that begins here. And I think Fuji's going to raise hell because of a certain someone as well…
maldita08 – woohoo, evil Honda!!!… kuni-chan's pov, partly, is up next… so you'll see what's on his mind, partly. Hmm, yep, I have a copy of HanaDan1 and HanaDan2… and, gya, I hate gma7 for taking meteor garden… I mean, abscbn's presentation was GREATO and gma7 just had to ruin it (much like CCS, which is a total earbleeder). To quote my bestfriend: Isang kalapastanganan –flaring eyes and nostrils-… Gma dubbing and translation just suck, especially nowadays (I mean, Starstruck idols on Bleach!!! On BLEACH!!!). Although, that's probably because my bestfriend and I are biased kapamilya. I'm not a Naruto fan though since I couldn't watch much TV when I was in high school (I used to stay in the dorm) so I never had the chance to appreciate it. Plus all I had to watch on weekends were… ur, quoting an evil friend, girly animes (I'm a CLAMP addict, btw)…
luvcloud307 – haha, I hate them both as well. But I can't put TeFu together soon enough, you know… we're still in the intro and rising action. I'm going to make things particularly harder for Kuni-chan.
okinneko - -hugs you back- of course I could only keep Fuji-sama for Tezuka only. Cringe at the thought of Fuji spending a night with anyone else apart from Tezuka. Yeps, three weeks' trip to a happily ever after. Wish them luck, ne? well, true, Evil Honda is Evil Honda… and, well, I hate Yanada less because he did take care of Fuji when Tezuka was away… but I still hate him.
Ketchup for Blood – could you make sure that your knife/knives are sharp? Or probably blunt… that's more painful, I think. Don't bother about making it fast and painless… torture them all you want. I'd like to give them ebola virus myself, but ebola is too beautiful to get close to Honda especially.
oOo
Some people believe that without history, our lives amount to nothing. At some point, we'll have to choose: do we fall back to what we know, or do we step forward to something new? It's hard not to be haunted by our past. Our history is what shapes us, what guides us. Our history resurfaces time after time. So we have to remember, sometimes the most important history is the history we're making today.
oOo
Chapter Three
"So kawaii, ne, Tezuka?"
Quite emotionless, Tezuka fixed his attention to Fuji's smiling face. Then, he quickly averted his eyes to the baby girl, Hitomi, on Fuji's arms. The wispy little thing was gaping up at Fuji, making gurgling noises as the blue-eyed man cooed down at her.
"Taka-san is so lucky to have an angel like her." Fuji looked up at Kawamura, who grinned shyly, yet proudly. "Would you like to hold her, ne, Tezuka?" asked Fuji thoughtfully, smiling brightly as Hitomi curled her pink and tiny fingers around his pinky. He lifted his gaze to Tezuka. "Would you?"
Frowning, Tezuka neither did nor said anything.
"Go on, buchou," said Kawamura encouragingly.
"I don't- "
"Fold your arms," said Fuji, as if he knew exactly what Tezuka was going to say. Fuji chuckled as Tezuka obliged, albeit awkwardly. "Relax, Tezuka," went Fuji. When Tezuka took a deep breath, Fuji handed the baby carefully, setting Hitomi cautiously on Tezuka's arms. "Support the head… o, she seems to like you," he pointed, amusement was quite evident in his voice.
Tezuka's brows twitched as he tore his eyes to the baby. Hitomi did seem comfortable enough in his hold. His eyes widened, however, when Fuji came in front of him and began playing with the baby. He held his breath, beginning to be aware of Fuji's vanilla scent. He didn't say anything though; whatever he felt at the moment in the presence of the blue-eyed man shouldn't be too apparent. But he gulped and his Adam's apple moved down as Fuji's hair nearly brushed against his nose. Being close to Fuji just felt so utterly painful, but Tezuka couldn't do anything yet. He wanted to take things slowly, but surely especially after the faults of the past.
"Why don't you settle down yet, Tezuka?" asked Fuji, straightening up and smiling at the former buchou. "You and Honda could make a happy family, couldn't you? Six years is a long time…"
Keeping a calm visage, Tezuka tried to read Fuji's face, but he saw nothing and he felt his heart wring beneath his ribs. He ached deeply, but secretly now as he knew that Fuji was just stating an opinion, a matter of simple thought, nothing else. Tezuka didn't say anything. He agreed, however, that six years was a long time – but for an entirely different reason.
"You're probably too busy…" remarked Fuji cheerily. "Saa… too busy won't make a happy family."
"Forgive me," said Ayumi, Kawamura's wife, with an apologetic smile. "But if I didn't know better, or if I were looking from afar, I would think that you could make quite a family."
Wearing a strained smile, Fuji looked around him. A long whistle came from Momoshiro, who was seated on a settee. Inui was scribbling notes on his palmtop. Oishi, Echizen and Kaidoh were all drawn to a conversation of tennis and probably did not hear the offhand comment. The only one who had a say was the redhead, who exclaimed a "Hoi! Hoi!" in enlightenment.
Smiling affably at Ayumi, Fuji said, "Do I really look like a woman now?"
Ayumi shook her head. "It's not that," she said thoughtfully. "It's just… something that occurred to me. Gomen."
"It's all right," said Fuji reassuringly. "Oh," he said softly as he turned to Hitomi, "She fell asleep."
"Ahh," Tezuka said shortly. He held out his arms and returned the baby to her father.
"Maybe we should go now," said Fuji in a hushed voice. "We might wake her up…"
oOo
The smile on Fuji's face, Tezuka noted, was a bemused one. And Tezuka, too, felt slightly confused –and quite uncomfortable – as he tried to understand why he and Fuji were the only ones who remained at the hospital exit, standing and waiting for a taxi to come. As soon as they stepped out of the Kawamuras' hospital room, both Eiji and Oishi set off with the excuse that they received a phone call from the pet shop's caretaker, saying that one of the puppies, a husky, was extremely sick. Then, just as they set out of the elevator, Kaidoh's phone rang and he turned grumpily to Momoshiro, informing the latter that an accident just took place at the tennis club. Inui almost instantly said that he had an emergency meeting at the company. Lastly, as they went out of the hospital building, Echizen told Fuji and Tezuka that he had someone to visit considering that he hadn't been in Japan for so long.
Recovering from surprise, Fuji glanced at Tezuka. "How about you?" he asked, smiling in a friendly manner. "Aren't you going to visit your family?"
Tezuka blinked. "I suppose…" Perhaps, seeing his parents and his ojiisan was a far better idea than heading straight to Fuji's home.
"Well," Fuji said as a taxi stopped before them, "you could take this one. I'll take the next…"
"Come with me," said Tezuka curtly. But he caught himself off-guard by with the sudden offer. He pressed his lips, reprimanding himself for not thinking before speaking. This, he thought sourly, was the first time that such a thing happened in years. It began to dawn on him that Fuji's presence was truly getting through him, causing such lightheadedness. His mind knew that he was taking the wrong course, but another voice stubbornly said that he could do with a bit, even just a bit, of Fuji's company. "Okaasan mentioned that she would like to see you," he said quickly, trying not to sound too defensive.
"Ahh," said Fuji, wearing his eternal smile, "Sure."
Sitting beside Fuji at the backseat of the taxi, Tezuka drifted his eyes to the window. In the closed space, he suddenly became keenly conscious of the other man's scent, the scent which always caused such dizziness in him. He felt his stomach tighten. Fuji just smelled so sweet and pure and… he had to rub his temples in order to keep the thoughts at bay.
"What's wrong?" asked Fuji, frowning slightly as he Tezuka massaging his forehead.
"Nothing," said Tezuka flatly, dropping his hands to his lap. Even Fuji's voice sounded sweet and mellow… He leaned against the back rest and shut his eyes.
"Mn, Tezuka," started Fuji, sounding thoroughly concerned. "It must be jet lag… should we turn back?"
"Iie," said Tezuka hastily. "I can rest at our house." Anywhere, he thought, anywhere but in Fuji's home, in Fuji's bed, in Fuji's presence. He didn't know what he would do if he were left alone with Fuji. He shifted slightly, wishing he hadn't as he saw Fuji's lips, curving up at him. True, six years was too long a time…
When the taxi pulled up, Tezuka paid and slipped out as quickly as possible, eager to inhale some fresh air. Only, he pursed his lips as Fuji came up beside him, causing that sweet smell that Tezuka's nose never forgot and Tezuka's nerves always wanted to react to. Trying to maintain a poker face, Tezuka pushed the door open.
"Kuniha – " Ayana stopped and looked quizzically at her son. "Kunimitsu!" Wearing a big smile, she pulled her son to tight embrace. She released a stoic Tezuka and beamed at the sight of the other man. "Syusuke, I'm delighted to see you!" She pulled Fuji into an embrace as well.
Smiling genially, Fuji bowed to Ayana, glad that he was received with such warmth. Syusuke, Ayana had called him and he couldn't help but be comforted by the familiarity that Tezuka's mother had proffered. Ayana always insisted on addressing Fuji by the given name even after Fuji and Tezuka's break-up; she repeatedly said that Fuji would be a son to her, whatever happened.
Ushering the two men to the living room, Ayana said, "Will you stay here? I'll just call Otousan and prepare some tea."
"Let me help," volunteered Fuji as Ayana turned for the stairs to call Kunikazu.
Smiling in a motherly way, Ayana nodded. "Yes, please."
Fuji excused himself from Tezuka and strolled to the familiar kitchen. He had been there many times before as Ayana showed him how to make the tea that Tezuka often drank. She had pressed that Tezuka was particular about her tea and that Fuji should learn how to brew it. Fuji had submitted easily, enjoying the fact that he would be doing something that Tezuka would like.
Searching for the tea jar in the cupboard, Fuji wondered if Tezuka still liked his tea strong and dark. Furrowing his brows, he shrugged off the thought. Whatever tea Tezuka was keen on wasn't his business anymore. All the same, he prepared the tea just as he used to.
Boiling the water, Fuji heard a shuffle of footsteps. He spun around and found Ayana behind him.
"I'm really glad that you are here," said Ayana fondly. "I thought that you would resent Kunimitsu."
Mildly, Fuji smiled. "I never resented him," he said truthfully.
"Well, then, I'm really happy that you remain friends," said Ayana softly as she watched the young man before her.
Silently, almost uncertainly, Fuji nodded. "He said that you wanted to see me…"
Ayana smiled feebly. "Yes, I did. I was wondering if I could ask you a favor…"
Fuji continued to smile, waiting for Ayana's next words.
"I've noticed," started Ayana pensively, "that there's something different between Kunimitsu and Honda-san."
Slightly raising his brows, Fuji tried to retain a politely curious expression. In truth, however, he was surprised that Ayana opened such a touchy subject with him. And he was also mildly astonished that Ayana addressed Honda in a detached way.
"I haven't met her in a long time," said Ayana, wrinkling her nose slightly. "Recently, I would go abroad to see my son and she wouldn't be there – much unlike before… But she always appears with him in public. I wonder why?"
Fuji didn't utter a word, retaining his contented smile.
"Have you seen her?" inquired Ayana.
"Iie," replied Fuji with a faint smile. He hadn't met Honda in person for six years and he was half-joyful and half-proud of that fact.
Ayana heaved a sigh. "Syusuke, I was hoping that you could talk with Kunimitsu and ask about… the state of things."
Perplexity was shown by Fuji's azure eyes as they flew open. He tried to smile gently, but he failed. To talk to Tezuka about Honda… Fuji bit his lower lip and turned at Ayana. "Gomen nasai. But I don't think I have the right to do that. I am not in the position to intrude, I'm sorry." He bowed his head in apology.
"I know that," said Ayana in a contemplating tone. "But you're the only person who could understand my son very well…"
Lines of worry wrought Fuji's forehead. He studied the woman's face. He could only see sheer anxiety and pure concern. Then, he began pondering what the matter was, to make Ayana look utterly agitated. He put on a weak smile. "If he talks to me, I'll be more than willing to listen… and help, if need be."
In gratitude, Ayana smiled. "Thank you," she said sincerely.
Smiling genially, Fuji nodded, silently hoping that he didn't make a mistake by promising. He, however, didn't have the time to mull things over as the water boiled.
As Fuji helped Ayana set the tea, he glanced surreptitiously to see Tezuka's countenance. His eyes widened at what he saw – a vague, dark swirl of emotion and confusion. There was no trace of the usual confidence that Tezuka usually exuded. Sipping his tea, Fuji's mind wandered. He felt guilty of not trying to see Tezuka closer, of fearing to see through the deep brown eyes. He wanted to know why Tezuka's mind was in such a haze. Perhaps, he could if only to fulfill his word to Ayana, if only to assuage the curiosity in his heart.
oOo
Folding his arms across his chest, Tezuka peered through the taxi's window as they rode back to Fuji's dwelling. An ache was building up in his head and in his gut again, knowing full well that Fuji was just an arm's length away. Fuji's mere presence was drilling a hole right through him. He was being drawn back to Fuji, he was sure of his feelings, but he wasn't sure of himself anymore.
Then, a tormenting picture played in his head… The picture of Yanada holding Fuji, so closely, so intimately…
"Ne, Tezuka," called Fuji casually, causing Tezuka's mind to go reeling.
Putting on his emotionless mask, Tezuka eyed Fuji inquiringly.
"Don't you plan to visit Honda-san?" asked Fuji inquisitively.
Concealing any form of thought, Tezuka pulled his face to a usual staid countenance. "No."
"Ahh," said Fuji thoughtfully. "Souka."
Tearing his eyes away, Tezuka watched his reflection on the tinted window. Why would Fuji ask about Honda now? Could Fuji still care? He shook his head. He couldn't possibly know.
Squinting through the window, Tezuka raised himself slightly from his seat. Then, he furrowed his brows. By the sidewalk, an ordinary-looking couple just passed by. The man and woman were both ambling happily, holding hands. Tezuka was suddenly struck with the guy's familiarity. Tezuka craned his neck to a closer look, but the couple had gone and entered a coffee shop.
With brooding brown eyes, Tezuka threw a side glance at Fuji. He felt the muscles around his jaws twitched, but he didn't say anything. Feeling something hostile grip his body, he clenched his fists. Could he, perhaps, be mistaken?
oOo
Was there ever a time when you fell in love with a person, but had to let go? When you thought you moved on, Lady Fate toys with you and makes you meet with that one person again. Other people, other loves may have come and gone through your life and yet you never forget the way that your heart used to leap or how your body used to tremble at the presence of that one person. Then, you realize that your love for him had always been there. That person is your constant. Simply put: he is your soul-mate, your one true love.
oOo
a/n: I could be the leader of a firing squad against Evil Honda… what say you?
Didn't you enjoy the little baby scene? Well, babies are angels… they could always ease up the tension that builds in the air. Cheers for Ayumi and Hitomi!!! Oh, and cheers to the old team!!! Hurrah! Hurrah! Haha, Tezuka's going crazy, isn't he? This is just sooo fun… Cheers, too, to Ayana, who obviously favors Fuji over Evil Honda… -sweatdrop- I almost delayed typing this chappie because I was soooo awed by my screensaver: a full folder of TeFu pictures that I forgot that I was typing this chappie… -sweatdrop-
I'm kinda feeling lightheaded as I'm rewriting the lemon for the nth time… it really makes me feel kinda dizzy, the lemon I mean. Most exhausting part I've ever written for this fic so far. –duh- And then there's the fact that I've never had a boyfriend… so… there… what I'm really trying to say is… Have mercy when you get to the lemon part!!! MERCY!!! It's still far away, but I'd like to warn you now. My only redemption would be the fact that I've read lemon since I was ten (spent a full summer reading lemon at that age) –grips hair- aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!!!!!!!!!!! Any suggestions for the lemon? Things that you might not want to see? Things that make your eyes roll? -sweatdrop- please answer those questions… SOON!!! -.-"
Gomen nasai – sorry
Souka – I see