Hello anybody reading this! Alright, I've completely given up on the week thing. Still, I can't post chapters as soon as I get them done… that would be insane… That would mean I post one almost everyday… I like having the next chapter already done when I post a new one. That way, if I hit a slump, the readers don't have to wait. If anyone has an idea of a system I can use for when to post chapters, please tell me!
Driftingwanderer- Okay, I will. Thank you for the review.
Alaena Flame Dragonstar- No, Eiji's not a dog… He's a puppy!! Yeah! It's just because I can totally see him in all his hyperness in a puppy form, and it's adorable. Yep. In that case, why isn't Tezuka a hamster? Just kidding, but not really. Still, that might be scary…
T.I.B.E.-sway- - It's okay!! Anyway, thanks for reviewing and enjoy the next chapter!
KiriharaAkaya- The Golden pair is a ton of fun to write about… So I think there will be more of them soon… Thanks for reviewing!
Sorry it took so long! The break was hectic!! Enjoy the chapter!!!
Disclaimer- I do not own Prince of Tennis
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Fuji stood outside his own bedroom door for several minutes before gaining the courage to go inside. The door had only moved a fraction of an inch when Kunimitsu looked up, obviously having been waiting for him.
"Konbanha," Fuji said quietly, "And moushinikui."
"Good evening to you, as well," Kunimitsu said, moving to the edge of his bed, "And you're not a trouble, Fuji-kun, never." Fuji sighed, and sat down on Kunimitsu's bed when invited.
"I've been thinking a lot, Tezuka-kun," he said, "And I…" He stopped, finding himself unable to say it. Kunimitsu waited for a moment, but when he saw nothing more was coming he began to speak.
"I've been thinking too," he said, "And a lot is going on right now, but one thing has been going on longer than any of the others, and so it take precedence." Fuji looked up, interested in what Kunimitsu was saying. It wasn't often that Kunimitsu talked about himself. "Today, right before I saw you, Ayame Seikaku, from the tennis club, confessed that he liked me. I turned him down, of course, but he never let me explain why. He immediately assumed it was because he was a guy that I couldn't return his feelings. I tried twice to tell him that that wasn't it, and that it was because I was in love with someone else."
"Really…?" Fuji said, not able to look Kunimitsu in the eyes. Still, he wanted to know who it was that had captured Kunimitsu's heart.
"Yes," Kunimitsu answered, "I've liked this person for a long time, about three years now, but I've always been too afraid to tell them how I feel. But today, when Ayame confessed, knowing well that I would reject him, even if he thought for the wrong reasons, I thought that I must be a coward."
"No…" Fuji said, but wasn't able to explain, because he felt just as cowardly for not being able to tell Kunimitsu.
"Yes," Kunimitsu said, "So, Fuji-kun, I've decided that I'd better tell them, or else they may be taken away by someone else." Fuji was holding his breath, wondering if Kunimitsu would go on, he didn't, but quickly leaned over and gave Fuji a peck on the lips. "I love you, Fuji-kun."
Fuji was in shock for a moment. Kunimitsu's wings were out and full, but Fuji was in such shock that his body hadn't had time to react. He felt himself starting to cry again, and then his wings finally appeared. Kunimitsu looked distraught.
"I'm sorry, Fuji-kun, I didn't mean to make you cry," he said, hesitant, not wanting to upset the Tensai any more.
"No," Fuji sobbed, already getting tired from showing so much real emotion in one day, "I'm not crying because I'm sad, Tezuka-kun…" He leaned over and kissed the other boy, much deeper than Kunimitsu had kissed him. Kunimitsu was surprised, but returned the kiss wholeheartedly. When they finally separated, Fuji was smiling through his tears, "I love you too, Tezuka-kun." Kunimitsu gave him the smallest of smiles, dazzling the slightly smaller boy, before pushing him back on the bed, kissing him again. That was how they were, Kunimitsu on top, kissing Fuji passionately, when Taka came up to get them for dinner.
"Gomenkudasai," Taka said through the door, but both Fuji and Kunimitsu were too caught up in each other to hear him or grant him entry. Kunimitsu began unbuttoning the front of Fuji's shirt, who had him wrapped in his arms. Fuji's wings where spread out in a comfortable fashion, one hanging over the side of the bed, while Kunimitsu's covered most of them like a blanket. Fuji nipped at Kunimitsu's ear, then giggled at the flustered expression on Kunimitsu's face.
Taka heard the small laugh, and wondered if they just hadn't heard him. Surely they wouldn't mind if he merely walked in. He had asked for permission, after all, they just couldn't hear him. He opened the door, and immediately wished he had just called again as a rampant blush spread across his face. "G-Gomennasai!" he exclaimed, and the two noticed him there, frozen to the spot. Kunimitsu moved off of Fuji, who began buttoning his shirt with a smile.
"Hello, Taka," he said, "I don't suppose you could forget you saw that, could you?"
"I doubt I could," Taka admitted, a bit calmer, but still blushing, now that the two boys weren't in such an intimate position. "But I could keep my mouth shut, if you don't want anyone to find out about this…"
"As long as Ryuzaki-sensei doesn't find out, everything will be fine," Fuji said, "I suppose she'd be angry that I ended up doing something after all the times she told me not to."
"It was mutual," Kunimitsu argued, then turned to Taka, "We'll be right down." Taka nodded, the last of his blush leaving him, as he exited the room, closing the door behind him.
"It didn't take us long to get caught," Fuji laughed, and Kunimitsu was happy to see him closer to being his normal self.
"We got careless," Kunimitsu agreed, but that small smile had come back to his face.
"I like it when you smile," Fuji cooed softly, "It's cute."
"Then I will smile only for you," Kunimitsu vowed.
"That shouldn't be hard!" Fuji exclaimed, and kissed his boyfriend once more, keeping it short.
"We should head down," Kunimitsu said, but kissed Fuji again, not really wanting to do anything but this.
"The only thing I'm hungry for is you," Fuji said when they broke, but Kunimitsu shook his head firmly.
"We need to go down if we don't want Ryuzaki-sensei asking questions," he said, "And you've seen how strict she is with Shuichiro and Kikumaru."
"I think that's because their parents don't know. If we told both of our parents about our relationship, and they consented, then Ryuzaki-sensei couldn't do anything," Fuji said, and Kunimitsu saw the sense in his thoughts. He also doubted his parents would object. His mother, especially, adored Fuji.
"It's a good idea, Fuji-kun," Kunimitsu said.
"Shusuke," Fuji corrected, and Kunimitsu offered that little smile a third time.
"Shusuke," he agreed.
"Well, Kunimitsu-kun," Fuji said, standing up and taking Kunimitsu's hand. Kunimitsu felt his heart skip a beat, and knew it would be useless to put his wings away. Fuji continued, "Since you're so resolute about this, we'd better get down stairs." Kunimitsu nodded, and let Fuji lead him out, his smile disappearing the moment they were out of their room.
At the top of the stairs, Kunimitsu froze. Fuji quickly stepped behind him, hiding their still-grasped hands from the people standing in the foyer; Kunikazu Tezuka, standing right next to Ryuzaki.
"Kunimitsu-kun," Ryuzaki said, as the two boys started down the stairs again. "You didn't go home today?"
"I did, but everyone seemed busy with a conversation, so I left, meaning to come back later, but got distracted," Kunimitsu answered, honest as ever.
"Ah, so you heard some of that," Kunikazu said, his face straight, "Good, that will make it easier."
"Make what easier?" Kunimitsu asked, though he had a feeling he knew.
"Your mother doesn't want you to know, but you're not a child anymore, so I disagree," Kunikazu said, "Can I speak with you, then?"
"Of course, but could it be over dinner?" Kunimitsu asked politely, "We were about to eat, and if you're about to tell me what I think you might, then everyone here should probably know."
"You have grown up," Kunikazu remarked, and nodded, "Of course." They headed into the dinning room, where everyone else was already waiting. Ryuzaki pulled up another chair and let Kunikazu sit at the head of the table, while Kunimitsu and Fuji settled into seats Taka had saved for them, right next to each other. They continued to hold hands under the table.
"This is Kunikazu Tezuka," Ryuzaki said, "He is Kunimitsu's grandfather, and will be joining us for dinner." A few eyebrows went up, but no one asked. Kunikazu held whatever message he had until after everyone had dished up.
"Like I said before, Kunimitsu, your mother doesn't want you to know any of this, but you've grown up, and I think you should be in charge of your own destiny," he said, everyone else going silent to listen in, Kunikazu continued, noting the people listening, "The fact that you believe the others should know too, without knowing what my message is, proves that. Because of what you heard earlier, I'm sure you know that this has happened at least once before, this 'Trivial Pulse', as you call it. In fact, it has happened twice before, once sixty-two years ago, when I was sixteen, and then again ten years ago, when a lot of you were five, some younger.
"I was in the first wave, and, yes, Ryoma Echizen, I was a mind reader, like you, but not a wolf," he said, "I had the avian blood of a Epthianura tricolor, or a Crimson Chat, as they are more commonly known. I suggest to all of you that you try to find the exact species of your blood, it makes it easier to deal when animal instincts kick in. You, Fuji-kun, for example; your eyes, recently, have been turning red when you are angry. Don't worry about that, it's just like when your wings appear when your emotions are strong. Putting that fact with the given fact that your wings are white, with a blue tinge, we can most certainly assume that you have the blood of a Letter-winged Kite." He stopped for a moment to have a few bites of his dinner, and the boys watched him with a mixed awe.
"That's creepy," Ryoma muttered.
"Now you know how people feel when you read their minds," Momo told him, but Ryoma wasn't listening.
"Tezuka-san," Ryoma said, "Can you not get into Tezuka-buchou's mind either then?"
"I can't," He admitted after swallowing. "It has confused me ever since he was young, so if you want an explanation, I can't give it to you." He turned back to Kunimitsu, "I seem to have wandered, however. I came to talk to you about the last time it happened. There must have been some kind of genetic glitch, because almost every one of the children effected started having pains when ever they slept. As time went on it began getting worse, but there was nothing anyone could do. Finally, someone sealed one of the children, one with feline blood-" Kaido gasped, glancing at Inui, "- and made it so that he could no longer change, and that stopped the pain as well. Kunimitsu, you were one of those children, we even erased your memory to protect you. I don't know why you've been effected again, none of the other sealed children have shown the slightest signs of changing, but I want to leave the decision up to you. I won't seal your wings unless you want me to."
Kunimitsu kept silent. If he lost his wings, he would have no reason to stay in this wonderful house, with Fuji. Still, if he did… Fuji wouldn't have to worry about him anymore. Then he remembered what flying had been like, and how everything had seemed even better upstairs not long ago, when both boys were equal, the same, because of those wings.
"I realize how much that is asking of you," Kunikazu said, "Flying in and of itself is an amazing thing, and to ask you to give that up, as well as a million other things, is a lot. That's why I want you to decide for yourself. None of us want you to suffer, Kunimitsu, but there isn't much choice either way. Kunimitsu glanced at Fuji, who looked back at him with a desperate expression.
"There's nothing else we can do?" Fuji finally asked, and squeezed Kunimitsu's hand tighter under the table.
"Not that we know of," Kunikazu confirmed.
"Can't we find something?" Fuji asked desperately, "Do we have to make such a rash decision before trying to find something better?" Kunimitsu squeezed his hand, whistling under his breath, saying 'it will be alright'.
"Do I need to make a decision now?" Kunimitsu asked calmly.
"Of course not," Kunikazu said, "Fuji-kun is right about this being rash. If I did seal you, you wouldn't be able to just change your mind, Kunimitsu."
"Then I would like some time," Kunimitsu said, "and I will be dropping by tomorrow after school, to make up for today."
"A good plan, Kunimitsu," Kunikazu said, finishing his dinner, "Especially if you plan to keep holding---" Fuji realized it was his thoughts the elderly man was reading and quickly separated his hand from Kunimitsu's. Kunimitsu thought he could see the traces of a smirk on his grandfather's face. He turned to Ryuzaki, getting the point from Fuji that it wouldn't be good to let everyone know yet, "I'm sorry to eat and run, but I must be getting back home."
"It's fine," Ryuzaki assured him, "And thank you, for the information and the advice." She lead him out as Kunimitsu settled back into his silence. Fuji grabbed his hand again as soon as Kunikazu was gone, but Kunimitsu was unresponsive.
"Let's go flying," Fuji said quietly, and Kunimitsu seemed to snap out of something. He stood up, without a word, and led Fuji out by the hand, not caring who saw anymore.