DISCLAIMER: Prince of Tennis isn't mine.
His eyes felt heavy that he was almost tempted to shut them back to rid of the sudden pain that shot his head when he opened them.
The sun's at its peak, and the sound of the morning street outside echoed on his ears like a wild banging of the disco music. He shifted on his side on the bed and covered his head with the pillow. The strange scent woke him up and made him stood up on bed.
'What the hell..' Yukimura thought when he forced his eyes open and took time to examine the place he was in.
It was a huge room. From his position at an equally huge bed draped in lavender bed covers, he could clearly see how comfortable, if not overly luxurious, the place was. On his right stood a glass bedside table with a silver-plated digital alarm clock, a dome-shaped lamp shade, he guessed would have been one of the owner's collectibles, and a weird wooden box with carved oriental designs, Yukimura knew he shouldn't lay a finger to.
The room's flooring was entirely covered in soft gray carpet. Curtains were pulled down, but not enough to prevent the sun's light from getting in. There was a thick glass door leading to another room, he guessed as the restroom, and a huge wooden cabinet just adjacent to where it was.
Yukimura took his time savoring the welcoming atmosphere of the room. The only thing he remembered last night after the eventful encounter he had at Tezuka's condo was with Leanne, and how he told her everything.
Everything.
Yukimura sighed, checked the clock beside him, which read 9:45, and jumped out of bed. He had no plans of working today. But he sure has plans of spending lunch with Leanne. He went inside the bathroom hoping that his head will be clearer the moment he step out.
Leanne tapped his fingers on her desk with impatience. He glared on her phone on her right, waiting for an important call, she was supposed to take hours before. She sighed and grabbed the landline phone on her desk.
"Renji, I'd like to know if Fuji's around." she demanded.
"I never saw him since yesterday, is something wrong?"
"No. Look. If someone comes here looking for me, tell them I'm out and doing something important. I'll attend to them later." she said and put down the phone.
Leanne shut her eyes and sighed.
His eyes were glued on the television set, yet he didn't know what the show was all about. He could hear laughters and shouts on screen, yet couldn't understand why he could hardly feel something worth laughing at.
The warm feeling that suddenly crept on his cheeks as the second wave of tears overwhelmed him zapped Fuji back to reality. He wiped them away with the back of his hands and reached for the remote to turn off the T.V. He knew nothing of what he'll do to make him forget how Tezuka hurt him the other night.
In as much as he would like to call him, something between the lines of his pride and ego was telling him that he shouldn't be the one who was initiating the first move. He was the one who was hurt. Asking for reconciliation therefore was hardly his responsibility.
Yet why does he feel guilty?
The doorbell to his apartment rang. Fuji frowned. He had been ignoring Leanne's calls after what happened last night and today was definitely not among those days where he could entertain her rants and complaints about how he was slacking off at work. He dragged himself up from his place on the couch and headed for the door.
Fuji blinked several times, revealing his clear blue eyes in slight disbelief and confusion.
"Nee-san…" he muttered after a second or two of staring at his sister's face after opening the door.
Yumiko remained still. She stared at her brother's disheveled figure, and Fuji had to blink away the tears that were starting to fall from his eyes.
"C-come in…I didn't know…." he couldn't finish what he wanted to say and took a step back instead to give way to his sister.
Yumiko accepted the invitation and stepped in. She grimaced right after taking a sniff of Fuji's place and darted an accusing stare at her brother.
"You're drinking? At this time of the day?" she said.
Fuji remained silent and directed his look on the floor.
"I came to inform you that I requested for a transfer in my company. I'll be working in Barcelona starting next week, so you don't have to worry if you can't reach me through my mobile number. I wouldn't be using it anymore."
She examined Fuji's place and frowned.
"I guess that's all." she concluded, looking at her brother and eventually going out of the house.
Yumiko's car roared to life. Fuji looked at his sister who was already inside her car. Even if he wanted to, he doesn't feel like there's something he can do about the two of them for now. Too many things have happened; too many complications they can't solve at once.
Fuji lazily went back inside his house and sighed. He knew he couldn't go on like this.
It just hurts too much.
Tezuka glared at the person sitting at Yukimura's desk in his office. He didn't receive any notice that another person has been employed in the same department as they do , and the fact that 'that' same person was sitting right on his editor's desk was plain disturbing. Not to mention the fact that he has already been disturbed for the entire night yesterday.
"And you are?..." he asked, irritation marring his voice.
"Atobe Keigo. Your new editor. It's nice to finally meet the famous Tezuka Kunimitsu in person." the gray-haired guy greeted as he stood up and offered his hand to Tezuka.
Tezuka refused to take his hand and looked at him in question. "You are what?"
"Your new editor."
"Impossible."
"You can ask the administration if you want to verify my identity."
Tezuka looked the other guy in disbelief. He averted his gaze at Yukimura's table and noticed how his editor's table where already removed off his things.
"I suggest you take some time off because I'll only have Seiichi as my editor."
Atobe raised a brow, and that, seriously made Tezuka , really, really….pissed off.
"Well unfortunately Kunimitsu, you're practically in no position to fire me. You're just an employee of this company, and I guess you know where your talent is meant to be used for. Which by the way, has nothing to do with deciding who to fire." Atobe said in confidence, boring his transparent gray eyes directly on Tezuka's hazel-brow ones.
They stood staring at each other for a couple of seconds before Tezuka decided to withdraw.
"You can kiss your work goodbye then." he said and walked out of the office.
Atobe smirked.
Tezuka massaged his temples as he settled at their company cafeteria. He ordered a cup of brewed coffee and forced himself to relax.
His day before was all but chaos, and now he would learn that his editor left him. He knew he had to make a formal apology to Yukimura, but he never thought the latter would act so fast to terminate his contract with the company. Tezuka frowned. He didn't like the idea of how everything turned out.
'If only Fuji didn't…' he thought but immediately condemned himself for even thinking.
He clinched his fists tight and brought one to his head.
"Tezuka…."
The novelist frowned and turned towards the owner of the voice whom he very well knew.
"What are you doing here?"
"To knock some sense on that slowly deteriorating mentality of yours..." Leanne sarcastically said. "Did your brain suddenly left you?" she added, intentionally mocking Tezuka.
"You brought Fuji at home yesterday, didn't you?"
Leanne gaped in disbelief. She bit her lower lip and glared at Tezuka.
"Do I look like a gatecrasher to you, huh, Kunimitsu Tezuka?"
Tezuka shook his head and took a sip from his cup of coffee. He grimaced, when he couldn't quite taste it well. There's no point in talking to Leanne right now. Both of them were too angry to talk some sense. As to why she appeared so angry, he wasn't even sure.
"Apologize to Yukimura right now. After that, fix whatever you can with your boyfriend." she demanded.
Tezuka glared at her. She didn't flinch.
"You don't have to tell me what I need to do."
"I wouldn't be if you're doing something."
"Back off Leanne. This is none of your business."
Leanne heaved a sigh.
"Fine. Just make sure you'll deliver your apology to Yuki within the day. I wouldn't say more."
This time, Tezuka stood up and faced his ex-girlfriend.
"Why are you doing this? Getting in to people's personal lives?...That's hardly one of your characters."
Leanne tilted her head and smiled in confidence.
"You don't know the real me Tezuka….Three months isn't enough to know who I am."
With a gentle, meaningful smile, Leanne left him.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Alright.
We're getting closer there guys! Hang on!
Good luck!