Hello anybody reading this! Well, I wanted to wait a week before posting this chapter, but I couldn't help myself… -Sighs- Sad, ne? Anyway, I'm gonna reply to reviews now!
Alaena Flame Dragonstar- I'm glad you like it!! Thanks for the review!
Merissala- I changed all of their names simply because I can. Still, if it makes it easier to read, I'll try to use the 'right' names. I call them those names in my mind, so that's what I type; it's not that I'm out to change all of their names, just that I know some of them by their first name best, and others by their last. Anyway, yes, I read the manga, but you should be able to tell that by the way I spell some of the names! Haha, any way, I'm glad I interested you, at least a little! Thanks for reviewing.
CelicaChick- Yeah, it's a bit confusing, but I hope to make a lot of it more clear as time goes on! Anyway, as to the reason Kunimitsu's wings are black… Ooh! I can't tell you yet! Darn! Haha, sorry, that would be a spoiler. Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying it, and thank you for the review!
Enjoy the chapter!!!
Disclaimer- I do not own Prince of Tennis
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"What is Fuji-senpai doing?" Momo frowned as they got into the van that would shuttle them all to the school.
"He's staying here, with Buchou," Ryoma was the one to answer Momo's question, causing a few heads to turn his way, "Though I'm not sure it's the best idea, Sensei." Ryoma smirked, as Ryuzaki's face grew increasingly more angry. It was scary how the youngest starter had gained an additional power, as aside to the wolf blood he'd received. Ryoma Echizen could read minds.
"That always creeps me out," Oishi shuddered, a smile on his face, then looked up to the second story window, where he knew Kunimitsu slept, and Fuji kept watch. Perhaps Ryoma was right, and this was a bad idea after all. He wouldn't be able to figure it out before driving off towards school.
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Fuji finally settled into the chair he had pulled up near Kunimitsu's bed before. 'I can be content just to watch him like this,' Fuji thought, 'Can't I?' Still, the other boy's lips seemed so soft, as he slept. His face looked innocent and blank, not stoic or stern, like normal. Fuji shook his head, forcing his usual smile back in place, even though no one was there to see it. With that smile, Fuji gained control of himself, keeping his promise by not kissing the buchou. His calm demeanor, however, didn't last as long as he had hoped, and he was already thinking of holding Kunimitsu's pale hand. Watching that hand intently, he saw it twitch, and quickly looked up to Kunimitsu's face, which, Fuji was relieved to see, hadn't changed. While watching that placid face, however, he saw it change suddenly, as if in pain, and Kunimitsu's hand moved again, and did something that surprised the already concerned Fuji; he grabbed his hand, holding on tight. Kunimitsu twisted and turned, and Fuji became a bit scared.
"Tezuka! Tezuka!" He called out to the other boy, his voice edging on frantic, and Kunimitsu stilled a bit, loosening his grip on Fuji's hand without letting go, his facerelaxing as well. Fuji sighed, and then began to blush slightly at the contact of their hands. In reaction, his own white wings appeared, the feathers ruffled. He wasn't about to delude himself, however. He had seen Kunimitsu in a moment of weakness, and the other boy had reached out to him, but it didn't mean anything. It didn't mean that Kunimitsu felt anything for him, beyond their friendship. Like a million times before, Fuji felt the pain of his one-sided love, knowing he could never risk his friendship with the captain over a confession. Still, he was happy that whatever had been hurting Kunimitsu had subsided, and holding his hand was a plus, even if Kunimitsu might have reached out to anyone, should they be there in Fuji's place. He sighed with a smile, "Kunimitsu, why does it have to be you that makes me feel this way?" The sleeping figure gave him no answer, but continues to squeeze the hand of the blue-eyed boy.
Kunimitsu woke up again, some hours later, surprised to see the tensai beside him, having fallen asleep while leaning against the bed, his breathtaking wings out for anyone at all to see. Kunimitsu blushed as he realized he had been holding Fuji's hand in a death grip. He slowly loosened his grip, but it took only the slightest change to wake Fuji.
He rubbed his crystalline, blue eyes as Kunimitsu hurriedly released his hand. Fuji smiled at his buchou, "Good morning, Tezuka-kun." He glanced at his watch and chuckled, "Or I suppose it's afternoon now." Kunimitsu's normal, stoic expression came to his face.
"I'm sorry, for grabbing your hand in my sleep," he said, and Fuji waved it away.
"It's fine," He assured him with a smile, "How are you feeling? Are you hurting anywhere?"
"I'm not as tired now, and no, I'm not hurting," Kunimitsu said, "I feel fine." 'It helps to have you with me,' Kunimitsu added, but only as a thought, there was no way he could say such a thing out loud. "Is everyone else at school? Why aren't you with them?"
"Yes, they left this morning. I stayed behind to keep an eye on you. It's a good thing too; what if you had awoken alone?" Fuji's stunning eyes opened as he said the last part, but then he dropped his serious expression for a new smile, "How awake are you?"
"Enough," Kunimitsu answered, an eyebrow rising, "Why?" Fuji's grin seemed almost genuine and Kunimitsu had to remind himself to breathe.
"Want to try flying?" The tensai asked.
'Dear Kami-sama,' Kunimitsu thought, as the wind whipped past his face, and they circled the grounds of their home for the ninth time, 'Certainly, I was made for this.' He glanced at Fuji, so like an angel with his white, blue-tinged wings, soaring blissfully over the tree tops. Flying in and of itself was a thing of pure joy for both of the boys; the indescribable feeling of being weightless and free. Fuji made a small chirping noise, and Kunimitsu found that he understood it , and moved after the light-brown haired boy to land.
"No doubt you're tired by now," Fuji smiled, his wings disappearing. "We should stop for a while. You need to rest." Kunimitsu nodded, a little reluctantly. "If you want," Fuji added, "We can go for a night-flight, later. Believe me, there's nothing like it." Kunimitsu turned back towards the house to hide his blush.
"Sure," He answered, and Fuji grinned as they headed inside.
When Ryuzaki came back with the other, a glance into the clinic told her that Fuji and Kunimitsu were asleep, both of them with their wings out, Fuji leaning against the bed where Kunimitsu slept, with his head resting in his arms. As soon as Ryuzaki stepped into the room, Kunimitsu's eyes opened.
"Sensei," He whispered, but the sound of his voice was enough to wake Fuji as well.
"Kunimitsu-kun, Shusuke-kun," Ryuzaki smiled at the two boys, though Fuji thought he saw suspicion behind it. "You didn't need to sleep in here! Your room is ready, after all."
"I didn't think of that," Fuji admitted, his heart skipping a beat as he imagined what occupying a room with his buchou might be like. Still, what were the chances Ryuzaki would leave them together, if Fuji showed any lapse in his self-control? He decided to be careful. His one sided love would be more bearable if he could still be close to Kunimitsu. "I only thought that if we stayed in here, you would probably check here first."
"Did you sleep all day?"
"No," Kunimitsu admitted, "I woke up a few hours ago and Fuji took me flying."
"You didn't have any trouble, did you?" Ryuzaki asked. When they had got there, Ryoma had caught a wondering thought about Kunimitsu having been in pain.
"No, it came to me naturally," Kunimitsu assured her, somehow seeing her worry.
"Then what happened?" It was Inui, standing outside the door, with everyone else.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kunimitsu said honestly. He glanced at Fuji, but Fuji just smiled, and shrugged.
"Ryoma said that you'd been in pain," Momo said, "He said that he heard it in one of Fuji-senpai's thoughts." Kunimitsu's eyebrow rose.
"Ryoma can read other people's thoughts now, we're not sure why," Fuji informed him. "And actually, I'm curious too, all of a sudden you just looked like you were in pain. Then you just… stopped."
"I don't know what it was," Kunimitsu said, "But it just went away." He shook his head, "It doesn't matter." Fuji watched on as a few more questions were answered, a sad expression on his face. He tried to hide it.
'It does matter, Kunimitsu, it matters to me.' He thought, but also knew that Kunimitsu would be to stubborn to admit anything was wrong. He sighed, then left quietly with Oishi, who had both been selected to cook dinner.