Cipher
(AU, OT3 Tezuka/Fuji/Atobe, Bus Gamer Tribute) A dangerous game entwines the fates of a stoic insomniac, a helplessly bewitching boy, and an egotistical brat. "So...what kind of flowers do you want on your grave?"
A/N: Remember when I said updates are going to be sparse? Well, they are. I just got lucky on this one. Thanks a bunch to all my lovely reviewers, I seriously think that AtobeTezukaFuji has so much potential, why doesn't anyone (hardly) ever write them?? I guess I'll give myself points for being brave. This chapter is set up...again. But I promise in the third chapter the adventure/action genre will kick in. Please enjoy!
Bunny Poll: New plot bunnies alert! Please visit my profile and vote, I'd love to know what people think about my dear bunnies.
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02
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It wasn't the first time that Atobe laid eyes on a billion dollars in cash all in one setting, but it had been a while and the fact the cash was just sitting there, nestled between the linings of red velvet, made his eyes gleam. He even forgot about his craving for a smoke.
A glance to his left, told him that the prude was definitely paying attention. A glance to the right, so was the kid, with eyes now as big as blue saucers.
Pathetic.
And just as suddenly, the briefcases were shut. The two pricks in suits looked very pleased with themselves and Atobe got the undeniable urge to sock both of them hard in the gut, that urge outweighed wanting to punch the prude in the face just to see some other form of facial expression, or lack thereof.
"I think, before we proceed any further, introductions are in order. I'm Yanagida, your sponsor, and this here, is my associate Sakaki." Yanagida was the man with the glasses. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances, Atobe Keigo, Tezuka Kunimitsu, Fuji Syusuke. Am I correct?"
Tezuka was surprised, and then not so much. He risked a quick look around, Fuji Syusuke was the boy, Atobe Keigo was the excessive smoker.
Yanagida continued after he was satisfied with everyone's responses, or the lack thereof. "In the briefcases as you have just witnessed, is a billion dollars. That money can very easily be yours, with a few conditions. You just have to play our game, and with each win; your prize money is generously compounded."
"What kind of game?" The boy, Fuji, wanted to know. Because he was just a boy, it seemed to Tezuka fitting that he would be so bold.
Yanagida smiled at him, "It's a simple game, really, Fuji-kun." From the folds of his suit, his one hand emerged holding a disk. "The three of you will be protecting this. It holds vital information about my company, as a team, of course. Your objective changes with every game, if you're the 'away' team, you steal the other team's disk, and if you're the 'home' team, it is your responsibility to protect the disk. It's really a simple game without any rules. The only one that is strictly enforced really is that you show up to where the games are taking place."
Yes, Atobe had to agree that one billion dollars for a petty little street fighting game was alluring. In fact, it was too good to be true. But the fact that he had to team up with two strangers, a boy and a robot respectively, it wasn't so appealing.
He stood and slammed a hand down on the table.
"Look, a billion dollars is fine and all, but asking any of us to form a team together when we don't even know each other, complete strangers that will only slow me down. Ore-sama refuses."
Tezuka looked at him, a man with such an unpredictable temperament, honestly, he could say the same for Atobe. And the high and mighty attitude that the he was exhibiting did nothing for Tezuka's opinion of him.
"The same could be said for you, you know."
"Excuse you?" And who gave Tezuka the permission to speak like that, Atobe had no idea, it certainly wasn't him.
"I think oniisan is in a bad mood because he can't smoke in a nonsmoking suite." Fuji said offhandedly.
Those two, were they conspiring against him?
Yanagida and Sakaki looked perfectly content to let this cat and mouse game continue. After all, they were the ones with all the cards, the billion dollars. Fuji still couldn't believe that in those suitcases, was a billion dollars.
A billion dollars. The men made it seem so easy.
Tezuka too, stood up. "In all seriousness, your obnoxiousness aside, I happen to agree with you. It's impossible. And besides..." He glanced over towards Fuji, even if he assumed that Atobe could somewhat defend himself--
"You have a kid on your side." Fuji finished for him, smiling. "Which must be very inconvenient for Tezuka-san. I apologize."
Atobe was feeling slightly put out, just slightly. Why was he just 'oniisan' while Tezuka got the respect that Atobe deserved? "Are you mocking me?"
Tezuka looked at him, "No. Nor am I implying anything. I'm just saying that it's impossible for us to cooperate like this. Since the idea was yours in the first place, I'm hoping you agree with me."
"You get a kick out of sounding like some damn professor, don't you?"
Tezuka could have told him that Atobe seemed to enjoy sounding like an arrogant prick himself. But try as he might, it wasn't in him to voice that thought. Tezuka bit his tongue hard and stayed silent.
Yanagida and Sakaki exchanged glances. As amusing as this was, time was pressing; though it probably seemed otherwise to the three of them. They joined Tezuka and Atobe in standing and the pair's focus turned toward them. Yanagida smiled. "I'm glad that all three of you are getting acquainted. But as much as Sakaki and I would like to stay to hear a final answer, we do have an upcoming engagement. So I'll leave cards and this envelope, and I'd like an answer in three days. Let us know via email."
They picked up their suitcases, and all three of them watched in reverent silence. Even Fuji uncurled a little in his armchair out of respect.
Sakaki said, before closing the door, "...I do hope you'll make the correct decision, gentlemen. It'd be a shame otherwise."
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Somehow, the three of them found themselves in a sushi bar near Fuji's school. It was Fuji's suggestion, since he held a part-time job here. They had ridden there in Atobe's car, and Atobe had grumbled about this and then some the whole way. For someone who seemed to be so well off, he wasn't gracious.
But then again, Fuji thought as Kawamura Sushi came into view, one who seemed to be so well off didn't need a billion dollars.
Atobe parked, "My car better still be in one piece when we're done."
"Don't worry, this is a very safe neighborhood, oniisan." Fuji smiled, "And with luck, Taka-san will be there and we don't have to pay at all. Come on."
-
Tezuka had to admit, it was a nice clean sushi shop, but couldn't help but wonder if he would make it back to the bar in time. If he didn't, there was hell to pay. Even people like Tezuka could only take so much hell at once.
"Ah, Fujiko-chan, are you with your friends today?"
The man who spoke seemed to be in his late twenties, with a nice smile, one not tinged by anything. He wore a white apron, and seemed to be washing dishes. Tezuka's first thought of him was that he was naive behind that smile.
"I think it's better if I don't call them friends, Taka-san." Fuji answered easily, "I don't know what they'll do to me."
The smile slipped, just a little. "Fujiko-chan, they're not...giving you trouble, are they?"
"They're not, so don't worry." Fuji took a seat at a table and Tezuka followed. Only Atobe seemed reluctant, and even after a minute, the man joined them. But as Atobe reached for his pack of cigarettes and lighter, Fuji cleared his throat.
"I'm almost positive that Taka-san runs a nonsmoking shop, oniisan."
Atobe sighed a very irritated sigh, "If you give me that oniisan crap one more time, ore-sama will bash your head in." He lit his cigarette anyway and took a long, long drag from it. Hell if Tezuka was giving him the look, and Fuji was smiling.
"Well, would you rather be ojiisan, then? You almost look like one."
"You really want to die, don't you, kid?" Atobe raised a fist and was greeted with an even cheekier grin.
"Oniisan, if you hurt me, I don't think Taka-san will be very happy about that. I'm sure you two are already starting off on the wrong foot since you refuse to put out your cigarette. Smoking is bad for you, don't you know?"
Atobe despised lectures, especially lectures given by a damn kid. But he put his fist down and took a long drag from his joint and offered a thin wisp of smoke to the ceiling. "Ore-sama doesn't need you to tell me that."
"Stop bickering, the two of you." Tezuka spoke at last, his tone flat. "This is doing nothing to help our cause."
Fuji said, "And what is our cause, Tezuka-san?"
This made Tezuka pause. What was their cause? They were just strangers bound together by strange circumstances and...lots of money. Two suitcases full.
One billion dollars, in fact.
To Tezuka, that was plenty of money, and even then, he was a hard man to be bribed.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Taka sat down a tea tray in front of them.
Tezuka took a sip of his tea and found that he liked it. It was distinctly bitter. "...A billion dollars." He said blandly, "That's our cause."
-
One billion dollars.
Once upon a time, Atobe Keigo had viewed such a sum as child's play. And in many respects, it still was. But right now, that paltry sum...sounded a lot like paradise. He hated himself for it. He took a break from smoking to taste his tea.
Commoner's tea, not even one bit of subtle sweetness. He went back to his cigarette.
Since Tezuka was looking at him like he wanted an answer of some sort, Atobe gave him one. "Sorry to break to you, Tezuka, but isn't it rather naïve to ride your hopes on a billion dollars? There are worse bribes."
"But you're here too."
"What?" Atobe blinked.
Tezuka sipped more tea, "The fact that you're here...you harbor the same hopes that I do. However foolish and nonsensical the hope may be, you are here."
"So oniisan is just as stupid." Fuji grinned. "Just like us."
Atobe growled, "Can you even hold your own in a fist fight? A skinny brat like you is just going to hold me back."
The boy just grinned some more, "Oniisan should just worry about oniisan, I think I'll be okay."
"You two are bickering again." Tezuka pointed out.
Atobe sighed. Fuji smiled.
Tezuka too, sighed, although his sigh was not an irritated one, rather, it was resigned. "I think we've cleared a couple of things. One, we don't trust each other."
Which was perfectly normal.
"Two, it seems we all need money."
This time, he was greeted with silence. Tezuka was relieved. Taka-san took the opportunity to scurry up to the table and place three identical plates of sushi in front of them.
Fuji sampled one, it was nothing like Yumiko's cooking, but Taka-san was certainly getting there.
"So we'll have no choice but to accept the game." Atobe said, "Is that what you're saying?"
Tezuka nodded.
"And we just win."
Fuji looked up from the piece of sushi he was examining, "I have a request." He spoke quietly, lacing his fingers together.
"What, want to back out?" Atobe smirked.
"No, I just want this partnership to stay the way it is. No prying about personal lives. It makes it easier for me." Fuji said and then added, almost as an afterthought, "You should try this sushi, Taka-san is a really great chef."
"Sure, I don't want to know why a kid needs a billion bucks anyway." But he did as he was told, and Atobe had to admit, it was good sushi, for a no name sushi restaurant like this. "How old are you, anyway, twelve?"
"Sixteen."
Sixteen, it seemed a long time ago, seven years, four years. Atobe looked to Tezuka and found that quiet gaze looking back at him.
Sixteen.
"Is there a problem, oniisan, Tezuka-san?"
"No." Tezuka found his voice first, "Not at all." But then he looked at his watch and saw that he was very, very much late for work. On top of all that, he was practically on the other side of town. He stood, food untouched, tea cup empty. "I have to go, I'm late for work."
"Where do you work?" Atobe asked.
Tezuka paused, Fuji took pity on him. "We said, didn't we, oniisan? No prying."
"We have to get together at some point." Atobe snapped, "I'm sure as hell not giving you two my number."
Tezuka sighed, "...Club Fioni. It's near the hotel, just two blocks over. I work nights." Out of habit, he got out his wallet and got out a wrinkled bill before walking towards the door.
-
Fuji and Atobe ate. Fuji was tired of goading Atobe; and it seemed that Atobe was just as tired. There was no conversation, until Taka-san came to take their clean plates away.
The yellow envelope that Yanagida gave them still sat untouched in the middle of the table. Fuji said, "I think oniisan should take the envelope."
"Why? You'll lose it?"
"No, I'm a kid. You shouldn't trust me with it." Then Fuji too, stood up.
Atobe said, "I suppose you need a ride back?"
Fuji looked surprised, but only for a moment, "A ride would be nice. But I think I'll be fine on my own. Thank you, oniisan."
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Contestant 1: Atobe Keigo
Contestant 2: Tezuka Kunimitsu
Contestant 3: Fuji Syusuke.
Team Name: AAA
...Please wait, your message is being sent.
-
Why did he have to do everything again?
Atobe turned off the blinking screen just as a pair of arms snaked over his chest. Breathing in deeply, he smelled alcohol.
"What are you doing?"
Atobe turned easily and kissed him, a boy with the most intoxicating golden eyes, tasted more sharp wine on the other's teasing tongue, and did not answer. Tonight, was a night for forgetting.
-
"Aniki. Will everything be all right now?" The question echoed plaintively in a room that was otherwise silent.
Yuuta was twelve. And by all means, Fuji thought his little brother was old enough to sleep in his own bedroom, but a lot of things happened and it seemed that the two of them sharing a bedroom and a bed had become a permanent arrangement once more.
Fuji did not mind though, his bed was too big and it seemed more fitting when two people slept in it. He turned his focus from the ceiling to the boy beside him.
"Everything is always okay." He smiled, "As long as you trust aniki and do what I say. Now go to sleep."
"But--"
"Sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up." And when his little brother's breathing deepened, Fuji turned back towards the ceiling.
-
Because Inui Sadaharu had grown up with test tubes and microscopes for friends, he was rather devoid of a social life. But even without the necessary influences, he had learned, just like Tezuka to run on very little sleep. Though when Tezuka sneaked in at 3 am sharp, his friend was there with crossed arms and a disapproving frown.
"I wish you wouldn't stay out so late, Tezuka, it's not safe at night, even if...you are who you are. Maybe especially so."
They had an unspoken pact not to talk about it. And when they did (which was very rarely) they never referred to it by name. Tezuka shrugged, "I was late and kept late."
"Why were you late?" As far as Inui knew, lateness was a sin in Tezuka's book; if anything, he managed to be an hour early for everything.
"I was taking care of some things." Tezuka replied belatedly. "You didn't tamper with the water system again, did you? I'm going to shower." Inui always enjoyed tinkering household appliances in the name of science. Just a week ago, Tezuka had turned on the shower head only to be sprayed by green acid (only it wasn't green acid). Inui's excuse was that he was trying to make a home-friendly chemical shower. His research deemed that he was in desperate need of one.
Inui shook his head, "No, the shower's fine. But I wouldn't touch the kitchen sink if I were you."