Painless

Summary: Fuji is 'Pain' and Atobe is 'Agony'. Their target is Tezuka Kunimitsu. But will their love for him get in the way? Or is it love for each other?

Warnings: Shounen-ai

Pairings: Atobe/Fuji, Tezuka/Fuji, slight Yuki/Fuji, super slight Fuji/Ryoma

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis is not mine.

I'm so glad to get so many reviews on the first day, that I'm going to update now! I'm so excited to share this story, anyway, and I really liked the idea when I thought of it! Keep reviewing! And keep enjoying, of course.

I re-posted this chapter with a better version. I hope you like it!

Chapter 1: Sleepless

Fuji was happy to finally be on Earth again. It would be a long journey to find 'Tezuka Kunimitsu', but it would be worth it. It thrilled him to be on such an intense search. He and Atobe had agreed to separate in hopes of finding him quicker. Atobe decided to be 'born' in Tokyo, and Fuji wanted Chiba, where he always started out on his missions in Japan. He was also always born to the same family, who also magically retained every memory of him every time they were reborn. That was probably why Yuuta always got unnecessarily annoyed at Fuji.

Atobe, on the other hand, loved risks. He chose a different city every time, and to be born to a different family every time, and no one ever remembered him. Tokyo was a great city, though, fortunately for him, and this time, he got extremely lucky. That is, if you would consider being born to one of the richest families in the region lucky.

They parted at the edge of the bridge, barely saying anything to each other. They hardly expected to see each other again, both thinking that one of them would find Tezuka, and the other would continue searching for years, to come to no avail.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Fuji grew up as a normal boy in Chiba, his hometown. There, he met a new friend, Saeki Kojiroh. They spent time together like normal people and normal friends. Saeki taught him many things that he wasn't used to about this world. He was patient and kind, and he didn't seem to mind that Fuji was confused about a lot of things and cultural references about Japan. He never asked questions about things that Fuji didn't want to talk about.

Fuji's last project in Japan took place a long time ago, in Japan's feudal era. That project in itself was a long time ago, and Fuji almost couldn't remember a single thing. He probably didn't even remember the name of his target anymore.

To Fuji, and to most angels, time, instead of a line, was more like a flat plane. Traveling through time was just like traveling to different spots on that plane. That was why angels were able to have projects that were so far back in time, but other angels could have projects that were recent, or even in the future at the same relative time. When he tried to explain it to Yuuta, though, he just shook his head and looked confused. But sometimes, Fuji would try again just to see that cute face.

He led such a normal life, though, that he nearly forgot about his project. Time passed quickly when you were being…normal, and Fuji didn't realize that he was already twelve years old, and he didn't even know where his project lived. It wasn't until dinner one day that his sister reminded him.

"Ne, Syusuke, is Saeki your new 'project'?" she asked. Fuji opened his eyes, remembering his quest, and wondered if Atobe had found Tezuka yet. He wondered even more, though, when he would see Atobe again. He abruptly put down his chopsticks and ran upstairs. Yumiko shrugged. "I'll take that as a no."

Fuji remembered that Tezuka had a passion for tennis and quickly looked him up on the JTA (Japanese Tennis Association). Hopefully, he was good enough to be in tournaments. Fuji gasped when he saw indeed how good he was. He was good enough to be in tournaments all right. Maybe even some of a different age group. He was ranked #3 on the JTA, under only two people, Yukimura Seiichi and Chitose Senri. He represented Tokyo, and was currently attending Seishun Academy as a 7th grader.

Fuji remembered that Tokyo was where Atobe lived, and Fuji was sure that by now, Atobe had definitely found Tezuka. They lived in the same city, and might even attend the same school.

Fuji decided to do a little more research. He wondered if Atobe had picked up tennis, but instead of finding him under the JTA, he found him as the heir to the famous Atobe Company. Fuji laughed wryly. He was probably a rich, spoiled brat, and completely forgot about Fuji.

Fuji nearly fell down the stairs with anxiety, but managed to regain his step at the bottom. He ran up to his sister, who was still sitting at the table. She was head of the house, because the gods thought it was too much of a hassle to create parents for Fuji that would retain every memory of him, also. Fuji announced, "We're moving to Tokyo."

Understanding, Yumiko gathered her things, and an eleven-year old Yuuta, and they fled to the capital city the next day.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

There, Fuji enrolled at Seishun Gakuen upon request, though everyone was surprised, predicting that he would join Hyotei. Fuji simply smiled at everyone who asked, not knowing that he very narrowly missed seeing a very familiar face. He didn't know that Hyotei was the most prestigious school in the district, nor did he know that everyone there was rich, like Atobe.

The first night after moving to Tokyo, Fuji couldn't sleep. A thought of someone watching him kept his mind on its toes. Every time there was even the quietest noise, Fuji would be jerked awake from the slightest sleep. He would look around, and sometimes, he would even get up and walk around for a while. Fuji kept flipping his pillow over and over. He finally fell into a welcomed slumber, though it was restless. In his dream Fuji was in ninth grade, a 3rd year at Seishun Gakuen. He was talking and laughing with friends, and enjoying himself to the fullest extent. Fuji thought it was strange, because he normally never let himself feel emotion (he normally faked it), but in this dream, he could tell that he was truly smiling. Fuji couldn't see their faces, though, which was disappointing. He thought he saw a boy in a Hyotei uniform that looked strikingly like Atobe, but dismissed it.

Fuji picked up tennis very quickly, with every step coming closer to his target. Everyone treated Fuji with respect, especially after he showed them his natural talent. He quickly became popular among his peers, and was admired by many. He spent most of his time on the tennis courts, though, developing a passion for tennis rivaling that of some of his friends.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

One day, on the courts, he met his project for the first time. Fuji had been playing against his best friend, Kikumaru Eiji, when he heard the captain, Yamato, call Tezuka's name. He whipped his head around at the commotion, and missed the point. Kikumaru looked at him oddly, only to find him staring at the future captain. He snickered, and Fuji immediately turned his attention back to his friend. He could not hide the blush spreading across his face.

He had to admit, even and twelve years of age, Tezuka was stunning. His stylishly messy hair made him look only more handsome. Fuji figured he was popular, and decided to stay in the shadows for the next two weeks.

But two weeks quickly turned into two months, which quickly turned into two years. Fuji finally concluded that it wasn't his sense holding him back, he was just nervous, or embarrassed to approach him. It was almost like, Fuji thought with horror, that he had a crush on the guy! He reminded himself that he wasn't allowed to love, but the more he tried to resist it, the more he felt attracted to Tezuka. He wasn't surprised to find himself happy when Tezuka himself selected him to join the regulars. He felt himself blush whenever Tezuka touched him, or even when they got close to each other.

Before long, they were playing in their first tournament together, against Gyokurin, then Fudomine, then St. Rudolph, where Fuji's brother went. That was probably one of the most thrilling matches yet, thoroughly crushing the guy who hurt Yuuta. After the match, Fuji just smiled and shrugged. "He deserved it," he would always say.

Afterwards, Fuji was lined up to play the new kid, Ryoma Echizen, in the intra-school ranking matches, but the match was cut short due to the rain. Seigaku then played against Yamabuki, and finally against their toughest match yet, the prestigious Hyotei Gakuen. That was where Fuji would meet Atobe for the second time.

How did you like this chapter? Please review!

Next Chapter: Fuji meets Atobe again! And Jiroh! How will things go this time? Read to find out!