-1Hello anybody reading this! Well, I wanted to wait a week before posting this chapter (Yeah, again), but I couldn't help myself… -Sighs- Sad, ne? Anyway, I'm gonna reply to reviews now!
Alaena Flame Dragonstar- Yeah… Mind reader Ryoma… That's just about the scariest thing I can think of. No… wait… A happy, caring Tezuka might be scarier… Yeah… Anyway, thanks for the review!
T.I.B.E.-sway- - Thank you! I thankthankthank you for your review!
Old Fiat- Cool! I love wing stories too! Originally everyone was going to have wings in this story, but somehow that changed… I'm not sure how. And I'll try to update pretty quickly! I'm bad at waiting any set time, and this story just seems to be flowing well! I'm excited! Thank you for your review, and I hope you enjoy this third chapter.
KiriharaAkaya- Yeah, I know, and I'm sorry it's confusing, but I'm trying to use their last names. Mostly. Still, I tend to write 'Kunimitsu' and 'Eiji' versus 'Tezuka' and 'Kikumaru'. I'm sorry if it bothers anyone, but it's easier for me to write when I can use the first name that comes to my head! I'm glad you like it, and thanks for reviewing!
CelicaChick- Okay, then, I'll update! Thanks for the review!!
Enjoy the chapter!!!
Disclaimer- I do not own Prince of Tennis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Well, Tezuka?" Fuji asked, looking out the at the darkening sky. "Shall we?" Kunimitsu nodded, releasing his wings like Fuji had taught him before. Changing was becoming easier the more he did it. Fuji followed suit, and the two got ready to take off. Taking a short run first, the two leapt up into the air, and unfurled their wings, going straight up. Fuji issued a short whistle, and then went into a short dive, Kunimitsu following. A few of the other boys, watching from the ground, held there breath, before Fuji pulled out about five feet above the ground. It seemed to Kunimitsu that the tensai was issuing a challenge.
Kunimitsu continued to dive as Fuji moved off to the left, making a small chirping noise that told Kunimitsu to pull out. Kunimitsu ignored him, and dived low enough to run his fingers over the grass before pulling up. He thought that he understood, the key to flying was quite simply to keep from panicking and to follow your instincts. Fuji smiled at him, a bit impressed, as the two veered off to the right, Fuji going into a somersault, tucking his wings against his body and falling a few feet before heading straight up again. Kunimitsu chirruped, getting Fuji's attention and then dived down into the trees. Fuji followed, a bit perturbed by Kunimitsu's actions, and then tried to follow Kunimitsu as he flitted through the trees. They went for a while, continuing to see even long after the sun was gone, moving purely by instinct and the bit of vision their light-absorbing eyes could provide. Eventually, however, they heard Ryuzaki calling, and headed back towards the house. Both landed gracefully before the tennis couch, who promptly told them to go to bed.
It was awkward for the two boys, changing, each with their back to the other. Fuji announced when he was done and climbed into his bed. Kunimitsu finished soon after, and got into his own, after turning out the lights. Kunimitsu didn't know how he'd ever get to sleep, knowing that the one who drove him so crazy the rest of the time was now only a few feet away. He took off his glasses and set them on the nightstand. He'd discovered earlier that he didn't really need them anymore, with his increased eyesight, but he didn't feel right without them. He glanced across the dark room, using the only bit of light they had from the moon, coming through the window, to make out to figure of the other boy. He lay still like that for what seemed like forever, but the clock told him it had been about an hour. He sighed, and Fuji stirred.
"Tezuka," he mumbled, clearly half asleep, "Are you still up?" Kunimitsu began taking deep breaths, trying to sound like he was asleep, and he heard Fuji mutter something more before turning over to face the wall. Kunimitsu was relieved, and somehow suddenly tired again. Before he knew it, his deep, sleep-imitating breaths were real.
The pain came to him in his sleep again, and it was like something had exploded in his head and his shoulders. He felt a groan escape his throat before he could stop it, and knew it had awaked Fuji. He fought to control his own body, and deal with the pain inwardly, but it was no use, and soon Fuji was by his side, muttering his name and asking if he should get help. It didn't take too long, however, and then the pain subsided again, and Kunimitsu was left breathless, but unharmed.
"Tezuka," Fuji said, his eyes seeming to sparkle, even in the dim light, "Are you alright? Should I get Ryuzaki-sensei?"
"I'm alright," Kunimitsu said, continuing to take deep breaths. "Don't wake Ryuzaki-sensei, I'll be fine now." Fuji was upset to the point of tears, but he held them back for the sake of his friend, and for his heart. In the confusion, Fuji's wings had appeared, and he was glad for the slits he had cut into his pajamas. Kunimitsu wasn't so lucky, and his wings had torn his shirt. Fuji looked at that pale chest, holding his breath for a moment, and then back up to Kunimitsu's face, which was stained with sweat.
"I'm going to go get a wet rag," Fuji said, and Kunimitsu was about to tell him not to bother with it when he slipped out of the door. Kunimitsu sighed and leaned back against his pillow again, wondering why Kami-sama had cursed him by making him a burden to Fuji.
Fuji came in with a hand-towel almost immediately. By the sounds of it, he had been flying around the house to get everything done faster. He placed the cloth on Kunimitsu's head, and then left to get a bowl of water as well. Sitting the bowl on the nightstand, he took the cloth and wrung it out to get fresh water before dabbing it across Kunimitsu's forehead.
"Please, Fuji… Don't, I'm alright," Kunimitsu said, but his voice was getting husky.
"Stop saying that," Fuji ordered, his eyes shut, but his face serious. "You're not fine, Kunimitsu, this shouldn't be happening."
"But it is," Kunimitsu said, "And I don't hurt right now, so--"
"Would you please just shut up and let someone take care of you for once?!" Fuji snapped, tears threatening to over come his. He turned away to gain control of himself, "Gomen… I lashed out…"
"Sumimasen," Kunimitsu said, and Fuji looked back to him, wondering why he was saying sorry. "You're right. It was self-absorbed of me to not think you might be concerned."
"Of course I'm concerned!" Fuji exclaimed, then caught himself, "We're friends after all."
"Of course," Kunimitsu answered, though his heart had skipped a beat. They remained in silence for a while, Fuji tending to Kunimitsu, now dabbing the rest of his face with the cloth, and then, hesitantly, moving on to his chest. Kunimitsu uttered no complaint of resistant, so Fuji continued to get the sweat of his shoulders and upper chest. When he had finished, he was blushing insanely, and was happy for the dim light so that Kunimitsu couldn't see it. He moved over to Kunimitsu's dresser and pulled a new night shirt out, using the scissors off of his own dresser to cut two slits in the back for his wings. He handed the shirt to Kunimitsu, who changed quickly.
"Don't bother putting your wings away," Fuji advised, "Perhaps you'll sleep better with them out." So, Fuji had known he was awake all along… It figured, but Kunimitsu was never-the-less amazed.
"Alright," Kunimitsu said, but the side effects of the pain were taking over, and he was asleep before he knew it. Fuji looked on at the other boy, not knowing how long he could deal with this helpless feeling. 'This love of mine is becoming serious, but I can't trouble Kunimitsu with my feelings, especially not now,' He thought, looking at the buchou's sleeping face, 'Kunimitsu can't deal with my deep love, not on top of this.' With a heavy mind, and a heavier heart, Fuji slid back into his own bed for a sleepless night.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next day was Sunday, and all of the boys were supposed to go visit there families. It should have been a simple thing, especially for Kunimitsu, who'd only been away for a few days, but it wasn't.
Fuji went home to find no one but his older sister, Yumiko. Not that this was strange, however, he was used to seeing her more than his parents or Yuta, especially Yuta, anyway, but the way she greeted him struck him as odd. She didn't even say hello; it was as if she'd been waiting for him, and the first thing out of her mouth was, "So, I here Tezuka-san is a 'Trivial Pulse' kid too, ne?"
"Yes," Fuji said, smiling, but his eyes were open to examine his sister. He decided Ryuzaki must have informed her. "And we're rooming together."
"Has anything happened, Shusuke? How are you dealing?" She asked, as the two settled onto the couch in their front room.
"I'm alright, but it's difficult," Fuji admitted, talking as he only did to his sister. She had figured out his feelings early on, about three years ago, now. Thinking about it that now, Fuji wondered how he had lasted so long already. He continued, "I just about jumped into bed with him last night. I don't know how much you know, but Kunimitsu isn't taking the changes like the rest of us, when he sleeps he gets these pains, and there's nothing anyone can do until they stop. He got one of those pains last night, and I just about confessed when I was telling him to except help for once."
"So… Maybe you should ask Ryuzaki-sensei for a room change," Yumiko suggested, "She's already willing to do it, but she doesn't want to force you."
"That's the problem… I don't want to be any farther away from him." Fuji sighed, leaning his head back and putting a hand over his eyes.
"Well… Maybe you should just tell him how you feel, then, even if he rejects you, you'll be able to deal by switching rooms any way, helping both you and him."
"I can't tell him now, not when he's going through so much," Fuji sighed. A troubled look came across Yumiko's face.
"Perhaps what he needs most right now is for someone to just show that they care about him," Yumiko said, and Fuji realized that his sister might be right.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kunimitsu, on the other hand, had just gotten into his house, with his spare key. With a quick glance around, he saw that both of his parents and his grandfather were all home. He began to go through the house, looking for them, when he heard his mother's voice coming through the door to the den. He was about to open the door to enter when he heard the words being spoken.
"It's happening again!" His mother said, her voice strained, "Why is it happening again, Kuniharu?"
"I don't know, Ayana," Kunimitsu's father answered, "But at least the new children are not experiencing the pains, like Kunimitsu."
"But Kunimitsu still is!" Ayana whined, "And who knows if any of the other children from all those years ago are changing again and feeling those terrible pains? Dear Kami-sama! I can still remember his poor little face at night, twisting with pain. I thought we'd solved this problem!"
"So did the rest of us," Kuniharu said, trying to calm his wife down, "We even erased his memories of those days, but there's nothing we can do at the moment, Dear, we must stay calm, for Kunimitsu's sake."
"I know, I know, but…" Kunimitsu thought he heard his mother sob, and could almost see his father put his arm around her in a comforting gesture.
"Kuniharu is right, about us not being able to do anything, but perhaps we should let Kunimitsu know about this," Kunimitsu's grandfather said, in his growling voice.
"No," Ayana said, "Please, let's keep it from him for now, letting him know won't get anything done. Please don't do that to my child."
"We don't even know if he'll want to lose his wings," the elderly Kunikazu mumbled, "Kunimitsu isn't a child anymore, even if we don't want him to hurt, we can't do anything about it if he opts to keep his wings over ridding himself of the pain." Kunimitsu had heard enough. He walked back to the entry way and put on his shoes. He had come to visit his family, but they would be too ashamed to talk to him now, and he would be ashamed of his eaves-dropping. He headed out to the city, to get away from it all for a bit. He would come back later.