Hello anybody reading this! This chapter is a bit longer than normal, and COMPLETELY FUJITEZU-CENTRIC! Sorry, again, for all of those wanting to see other parts of the plot get wrapped up. I also have a question, how do you guys feel about MPreg? I don't necessarily mean this story, but I need to know. I'm a very curious individual. And yes, I know that that will be my death one day, so please don't preach to me about that!
Sakimi1014- Okay. Update time!
Shemeno- Thank you very much!
Vierblith- No, I do not believe that I got it. As for Ayame, his 'fate' will be declared next chapter, but for now you can just get a good look at his craziness, and continue to sharpen your knives. Perhaps when I'm done with him, I'll kill him in an 'extra' mini-chapter. That might be fun, you think?
DarkDemonCat- I do have a hard time focusing on so many characters, but it certainly keeps it interesting! This way, if I ever get writer's block, then I can get over it by writing a fluff scene before getting back into the real plot lines! It is very handy!
ShadowinRW- An anvil sounds like a nice option as well... I'm really starting to like the idea of killing him a bonus chapter, after the Ayame Arc is over... As for fixing, please just read on.
RaiPheonix015- Hahaha, thank you! Also, don't worry about reviewing if it is a bother to you! I'm not the kind of author that demand that people review, so please just read and enjoy the story at your leisure! No worries!
Purplerainn- Ooh... Twirling. Scary!
Yoshikochan- Thank you very much! I'm very glad that you like the development so far, and a lot of the FujiTezu is wrapped up in this chapter, so... Enjoy!
Lucky.Syuusuke.Yukimura- So far, it's just the list for before, Kevin, and the Griffeys. Also, it's not going to happen, EVER, so I might as well tell you, the adults will never change. I'm thinking of explaining that in a bonus chapter, but I'm too lazy to type it right now. The reason people change has becomes an inside joke for me, that I've had in my mind since the beginning. Perhaps I will add it... As for Fuji's plan, be patient! Soon, soon! He's been very distracted you know! He'll go through with it soon.
Darknesswithinthebush- For all of those currently not with their lovers, that will all be decided once and for all, very soon. It all really depends on Fuji's plan. The twins, on the other hand... Nufufufufufu... I'll tell you this, one will have to suffer unrequited love a little bit longer, and the other may end up with more than he can handle!
Shimizu Miki- First of all, you got the emotion behind Akaya's comment completely right! He is more or less just waving that suggestion off! Good work! Second, oh my goodness! You're MY age, aren't you? A freshman? As for the Tech Sauce, it came from something I said to my now best friend (Who's from Texas) when we were in forth grade. I asked her if Tech Sauce was yummy, she hit me, and I decided that I wanted to be her friend (To me, she had looked like she was shy before that, and I just felt this undeniable need to tease her... So when she surprised me, I decided she was awesome. Yeah, I was a real brat -End life story-). Why did you die at the RyoMomo scene? Also, I'm SO jealous about your kitty cat! I want one! Ah, but I can't have a kitty, because my dad decided to be allergic to my favorite animal. -Sighs.-
ImmortalTigress- Glad you liked it! Hmm... I didn't add any more of the American team, because other than Billy, I don't really like the others that much. Bobby Max cracks me up, but I have no idea how I would have fit him in here... I already think that I might have bitten off more than I can chew, but we'll see.
Disclaimer- I do not own Prince of Tennis
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'Fuji-senpai!' The thought in his mind made him turn to face a barefoot, wide eyed Ryoma, standing at the foot of the stairs, and wearing pajamas. 'Is it true?'
'Yes, Ryoma,' Fuji thought back, 'Kunimitsu is in trouble. I'm going to go help him.'
'I'm coming with you,' Ryoma insisted, and Fuji shook his head.
'No, Ryoma, not this time,' Fuji made no sound, but Ryoma looked at him, looking concerned, '... How far can your telepathy reach?'
'Depending on how well I know the person, up to seven miles, as far as I've tested,' Ryoma seemed to understand where he was getting with this, 'For you, about five or six.' (A/N: Terribly sorry about the Western style units. I don't feel like using kilometers.)
'I'll call out to you if I need your help,' Fuji promised, and Ryoma nodded. Fuji smiled, his face softening. 'Go slip into bed with Momo-chan. He's still awake, and we both know it.' Ryoma nodded again, and Fuji, already clothed, slipped his shoes onto his feet and headed outside into the cold evening air.
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Ayame waited patiently for Fuji to get there. Because, no doubt, he would soon be there. "I'm betting on ten minutes, Tezuka-buchou, what about you?" He smiled at the blank looking buchou sitting propped up against a tree.
Ayame laughed as if the other had answered, and said, "You think five? We'll see." Ayame smiled as he pressed his lips softly to the buchou's cheek, the other's blank eyes never changing. "It will be alright, Tezuka-Buchou, you'll see. I'm sorry that I've had to do this to you, but it will all work out in the end, you will see. That demon Shusuke Fuji will not be able to hurt you anymore."
Kunimitsu made no sound or movement, but Ayame nodded as if he had.
"Yes, I realize that I'm hurting you right now," he said softly, "Please do not be angry. When this is all over, I'll prove it to you that I am a much better lover than that person.
"I only have to hurt you now to provoke him," Ayame explained to the seemingly lifeless body, "Once provoked, he will act stupidly, just like before, and I will be able to make my move. I will be able to save you, Buchou. What a wonderful birthday present for you, don't you think? Aren't you happy?"
Silence.
"I knew you would be."
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Fuji was breathing heavily when he finally reached the designated park that Ayame had spoke of on the phone. Folding his wings up against him, trying to fight off the cold, Fuji continued into the deserted park by foot. He was relieved to see Kunimitsu leaning back against a tree, although it was strange that he was sitting on the ground. Fuji's pulse quickened as he saw Ayame next to him, and he quickened his pace, nearly running the last twenty yards to them.
For a moment, looking into those empty eyes, Fuji's heart clenched, and his breathing came to a stop. He looked like he was dead. Oh, Kami-sama... Fuji went to get onto his knees, still holding his breath, but Ayame's voice stopped him.
"Don't," Ayame's voice warned. "If you do, I'll use this stun gun on him. Neither of us want me to do that, do we?"
"Please..." Fuji said, breathless, "Please just let me see that he is okay."
"He'll be fine," Ayame said, "He's breathing." Fuji continued to hold his breath as he watched, until he finally saw Kunimitsu's chest rise and fall in a breath. Fuji breathed a sigh of relief, but still worried.
"What's..."
"Diazinon," Ayame said, and Fuji looked at him with a mix of fear and confusion. "I used diazinon. It's fumes are poisonous to birds."
'Poisonous!' Fuji was mentally freaking out, and wanted nothing more than to drop down to Kunimitsu's side and hold his head in his arms, take the pain from him even, if he could, but he tried to keep calm. He couldn't go loosing it now...
"But Tezuka-buchou is just half bird, and doesn't even have his wings out," Ayame explained, smirking at Fuji's distress. "Also, it was only a small dosage. It has him knocked out, that all." Ayame chuckled, "Actually, he can still hear us, even, he's just stunned. Momentarily paralyzed and unable to respond. He should be fine later." Ayame twirled a bottle in his fingers. "It's nothing compared to the dosage you will be taking, Fuji."
What? Ayame wanted him to inhale those fumes? Fuji realized then that Ayame meant to kill him. Meant to 'protect' Kunimitsu by taking Fuji out of the picture. Permanently.
'Ryoma!' Fuji reached out desperately with his mind. This was much worse than he had thought it was going to be, and he knew that he would need help. 'Please tell me you can hear me!'
'Fuji-senpai, I hear you. We're coming.' Ryoma's voice had never been so comforting. 'Please, just keep him talking.'
The tensai didn't even bother asking who 'they' implied. Fuji took a deep breath, and looked Ayame in the eyes, and did his best to give him a sadistic smile. "Why would I do that? I have no reason to breathe that stuff."
"And they call you a tensai?" Ayame smiled right back, as if they were discussing something pleasant, like a TV show they had both watched when they were kids. "You'll do it because if you don't, then I'll make sure he does."
"Oh, but I thought you loved him?" Fuji was able to keep smiling only from years of practice at faking smiles at everyone else.
"I do," Ayame glared at Fuji suddenly, "But he's much better off dead than with a demon like you."
Fuji froze as those words hit home. Thousands upon thousands of memories of his parents and his childhood flooded through his mind, and he fell to his knees, clutching at his heart. He was a demon. A demon. Kami-sama, he really didn't disserve to be with some one, any one really, but especially not with someone as wonderful as Kunimitsu. He didn't disserve it. He didn't disserve him...
"I see you understand," Ayame practically purred in contentment. "Don't worry, Fuji, I'll make it quick for you. Demon or not, I am not cruel enough to make you suffer before you die, even if you disserve it. All you have to is breathe in."
Even from that distance, a span of about three feet, the scent of the oils on the cloth Ayame held was making him feel lightheaded. Ayame stepped in between Fuji and Kunimitsu, and kneeled down by Fuji, holding the cloth out.
Fuji thought for a moment that perhaps it was for the best anyway. If he died here, there was no doubt in his mind that his parents would be happy. Their demon child would be gone, and only their good, nice, normal children would remain for them to dote on. Fuji wondered how Yuta would react. He might grieve for a while, but then he would realize, they would all realize, after time, that they were batter off without him. Ranking matches would certainly go smoother now, and none of the regulars would have to worry too bad about loosing their spots. Even Kunimitsu... Kunimitsu would be better off without him.
He would also mourn for a while, how long, Fuji didn't know, but one of his steadfast admirers would soon step up, and Kunimitsu would use them to forget about Fuji. Kunimitsu would grow up, live a normal life, perhaps have a few children with a woman that he loved. Fuji wanted to smile when he thought about little Kunimitsu's running around, hanging from their father's neck, asking him to teach them to play tennis, or to practice with them.
Fuji had never thought before that Kunimitsu really couldn't have a family with him. What if the buchou had wanted children, and was giving them up for Fuji's sake? Kunimitsu really would make a great father, Fuji thought, imagining it again. What right did Fuji have to keep him from that?
"It doesn't work unless you breathe," Ayame's voice cut into his thoughts.
'Breathe?' Fuji suddenly wasn't sure that he remembered how.
"Don't... Touch him." The familiar voice shot through Fuji like lightning, and suddenly several things were happening at once. Ayame was on the ground, curled up into a fetal position, and clutching at his eyes, screaming that he couldn't see. Kunimitsu was standing before Fuji, and the tensai realized that he was crying. Again. He seemed to have cried a lot since the Trivial Pulse, but equated it to actually opening his heart up to someone. Still, those thoughts would not come to him until later, as now Ryoma, Momo, Eiji, Oishi, and, surprisingly, Yuushi and Gakuto, were there, staring from Kunimitsu to Fuji, and then settling on the screaming mass that was Ayame.
Then Kunimitsu was down by his side, holding him close and whispering in his ear. "Shh, it's alright Love, don't care. It's fine now. He can't hurt you, he can't hurt me. He won't be able to hurt anyone, ever again. It's fine. I love you. Please don't forget. Don't forget, Love. Shusuke."
"What... What did you do?" Fuji finally asked, and the others looked curious as well.
"I turned them off," Kunimitsu said, holding Fuji closer, seeming relieved that Fuji was talking. Fuji assumed that it was because he had expected him to 'slip away', like he told him he had before. "His senses. I turned them all off. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch. All of them. He can't feel anything. He has no control of his own body any more."
The others watching seemed terrified, and Fuji remembered this part of Kunimitsu's power. It was frightening, and the buchou had said that he never wanted to use it, but here they were, with him having used it to it's full extent.
"Come on," Yuushi was the first to regain his composure after Kunimitsu's statement, and picked up Ayame's limp, still-screaming form, and began to walk away. The others slowly began to follow.
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The goal had been to get back and wake the adults up without causing chaos, but somehow that had proved impossible, as in no time everyone in the house, including the Griffeys and Kevin, who would be staying with them for the remainder of their time in Japan, were gathered together in the dining room, and whispers had created a dull roar. They were all curious as to who Ayame was, or in the case of those who knew him, why he was there. Tarou sighed, and raised his voice for silence.
"What is going on, boys?" he snapped, surprising everyone in the room. Tarou was quite annoyed that he had had to be woken up in the middle of the night, and this situation was looking more and more like the boys had been out on a party run.
"Sensei," Kunimitsu said, his voice commanding attention, just as much as Tarou's had. "I promise to explain to you exactly what happened, but, please, let me take Shusuke up to bed first. He'd tired, and this has been a long night for him."
"Kunimitsu," Fuji whispered softly, "You're more tired than I am. Don't worry, I can tell the story."
"It's fine, Love," Kunimitsu promised him, his voice dropping to the same level of quiet. "There are parts of this story that you cannot tell, because you were not there. I was there the entire time you were, and before then, so I have more to say about it then you do. Please, Shusuke, just go to bed. Even if you don't sleep, go to bed and wait for me. I'll be with you soon. I love you."
Kunimitsu looked back to the adults, waiting for his query to be answered. Hanamura was the one who finally nodded, and Kunimitsu bowed to them with a thank you, and slowly led a no longer resisting Fuji out of the room, and up the stairs to their bedroom. Kunimitsu smiled slightly as Fuji got dressed for bed, and left only after he had kissed the tensai's forehead, when he was snuggled up under their covers, and he was sure that he would not try to come back down stairs.
"Kunimitsu?" The tensai's voice made him look back just as he was about to close the door behind him.
"Yes?"
"Please... Be careful," Shusuke said, and Kunimitsu wondered what he could mean. "Your power... If you use it too much, the pains could be worse, couldn't they?"
"Perhaps," Kunimitsu said, "Don't worry about it, Love." He smiled. "I'll be here with you soon. This shouldn't take too long, but go ahead and try and get some sleep."
"I'll wait," Fuji said, but he looked like he was going to fall asleep any moment. Kunimitsu just chuckled.
"Good night, Shusuke."
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Kunimitsu tried and failed to think of a way that he could explain what had happened and remain detached. Certainly all of these people would be curious about Ayame's current presence with them, not to mention the state he was in, but Kunimitsu could think of no way to explain without things becoming personal. Because this was, frankly, a very personal experience for him, and he honestly thought that it wasn none of their business.
"Everyone," Ryuzaki's voice commanded attention, and heads turned to look at her, "This clearly isn't something that Tezuka-kun wants to talk about in front of everyone. Don't be so nosy!" Several people grumbled, but the more mature TPPs, Yukimura, Sanada, Atobe (Surprised?), and Oishi help to usher them out, until only the adults and those who had been there at the end remained. Kunimitsu was fine with that. They deserved to know, at least, because they had helped him at the end, when he was more worried about Fuji being alright, and the other things would have been ignored without them. Like Ayame, for instance. Until, of course, Kunimitsu hunted him down the next day and--
That was the biggest reason, other than the fact that the tensai was obviously exhausted, that he had Fuji go to bed. He knew that chances were that he would lose his temper, and he really didn't want Fuji to ever have to see that. His wick, to put it metaphorically, was very long, and Kunimitsu knew that he could go through a lot before losing it, but attached to the end of that wick was a very large bomb. He had only 'exploded' once in his life, and that time had been... Bad, to say the least. Of course, he planned to tell Fuji about his temper, and soon, but he really didn't want the tensai to ever have to see it.
Kunimitsu calmly explained to them what had been happening between Fuji, Ayame and himself, leading up to the phone call that he had received from Ayame earlier that afternoon. He rushed through the part about getting drugged, but made sure to mention the name of it, just in case it would end up being important. He told them what had happened, up until the others had gotten there, and then began to talk about Ayame himself.
"Sensei... He's not sane," he said to Ryuzaki in particular, because she knew him. "He..." Kunimitsu's fists clenched. "He spoke to me the entire time I was... Out... I could hear him... He told me how the fumes might not kill Shusuke, because we are only half bird, really. He..." Kunimitsu was shaking slightly, but continued, shooting Ayame a glare, "Told me how, if that happened, he would have to kill him a different way... He said that he would cut him..." Kunimitsu didn't even feel his own nails cutting into the skin of his palms as his fists continued to clench, his voice lowered as he continued, "And promised to try and keep the blood off of me... When Shusuke bled to death."
It was silent for a moment, until Hanamura finally spoke up. "Tezuka-kun, you'll have to drop your power on him, so that we can talk to him."
"Take it off? You must be joking," Kunimitsu's voice was cold. "He tried to kill Shusuke, and would have killed me otherwise. I'm sorry, but I have no intent of dropping my power's hold over him. Ever."
"Tezuka-kun," Tarou's voice cut in, "Be reasonable. You can't hold it forever."
"I don't need to hold it forever, just until the day either he or I are dead," Kunimitsu said. Ryoma was frightened, seeing his buchou act this way. They had all always known him to be reliably calm, constantly composed. The buchou he knew would never act like this, glaring at teachers, speaking so coldly... So hatefully.
"Tezuka, please," Ryuzaki said, "We just need to talk to him."
"...Give me a moment," Tezuka said, seeming to be a little more in control of himself. His voice seemed more like the buchou they knew, calm, composed, completely unrattled. "I just want to speak to him for a while, and then I'll drop everything so that you can talk to him." Ryuzaki and Hanamura both looked like they were going to shoot down his request, but Tarou stood up.
"Of course," he said, and moved out, the younger boys following him, and finally the other two adults left after them. Kunimitsu turned to Ayame, and let the power over the younger boy's hearing slip.
"Buchou?" Ayame's voice came out timidly, as if he was getting used to being able to hear again, and his voice was hoarse from all of the screaming he had done earlier.
"Is it frightening?" Kunimitsu asked in a breath, speaking only loud enough that he could be sure that Ayame heard.
"W-what?"
"I asked if it was frightening," Kunimitsu asked, knowing that he had been heard, but not understood, "to not be able to do anything but listen."
"Yes, it is Buchou," Ayame sobbed, tears flowing from his sightless eyes.
"You're lucky," Kunimitsu told him, "You can cry. With what you did to me, I didn't even have that right."
"Am I crying?" Ayame asked, "I can't even feel it."
"I know."
"You wouldn't have cried though, Buchou. You never cry."
"I have cried, once, in the past eight years," Kunimitsu told him softly, "And that was over Shusuke. Because he was in pain."
"I don't understand," Ayame said. "Fuji is evil. A demon. He's the one doing this to me, and yet."
"Wrong," Kunimitsu corrected, "I am the one doing this to you."
"You wouldn't do this, Buchou," Ayame argued, "You're too perfect."
"No one is perfect," Kunimitsu stated firmly.
"No!" Ayame suddenly yelled, using hands that could not feel, he somehow managed to cover his ears. "These are Fuji's lies! He's brainwashed you, Buchou!"
"You brainwashed yourself. I really do love Shusuke. That's the way it is."
"NO!" Ayame shrieked, "No! That's not true! I know what I have to do now! I'll kill Fuji, I'll kill you, and then I'll kill myself!! If all three of us are dead, then this will be over! You and I will go to heaven, and Fuji will go to hell, where demons belong!"
"Don't ever call Shusuke a demon," Kunimitsu felt something snap inside of himself, and he drew back his hand, fist still clenched. Somewhere in the very back of his mind, where things were still somewhat rational, he knew that this was a very bad thing. If things continued like this, Ayame might even end up dead. He wanted him dead. For what he had done to Shusuke, but he also knew what the tensai would say...
"Mitsu! Stop!" Yes, Kunimitsu realized, that was exactly what he would say. "Kunimitsu, please!" And then the buchou felt arms slip around him, holding him back. "Please, Mitsu, this isn't you! My Mitsu would never do this!"
With Shusuke's arms around him, his warmth pressed tightly against him, it was impossible to stay angry. "Please, Mitsu... I don't want you to become a killer over me."
"There's..." Kunimitsu said softly, cooling off at a rapid pace, "... So much you don't know about me yet."
"I've got my whole life to learn, if you'll let me," Fuji spoke softly now, face pressed into Kunimitsu's back.
"Tezuka, Fuji," Ryuzaki's voice sounded concerned. "Just go to sleep. We heard everything anyway. We'll take care of this."
Kunimitsu didn't move from where he stood, but Fuji spoke softly, "Just let go Mitsu. It's time to let go." Slowly, Kunimitsu's tight muscles unclenched, and he let Fuji lead him out of the room and up the stairs. He knew that the tensai was right.
It was time to let go. Of his hatred. Of his pain. Of his past.
'Just let go.'