Hello anybody reading this! Ahaha... I realized when I got reviews that I gave a lot of you a scare the other day... I'm sorry. You see, I have stomach problems, and I was in the hospital last Monday so that they could shove a camera down my throat. For that, I had to be unconscious (Thank goodness) and so they injected a bunch of sleeping stuff through an IV to know me out. I was really groggy for hte rest of the day and even some of Tuesday. (They made me leave the Hospital in a wheelchair and my mom followed me around for most of the day (Before I went to my dad's) to make sure I didn't pass out.). Still, things are fine. Or as fine as they ever are, because they didn't find the problem. I really am fine, I've dealt with this problem to at least a small degree all my life, and even though it's been worse over the past year, I'll be fine. Please don't worry, and I'm sorry for being so cryptic about it. It's not exactly something I tell people at random, you know? Anyway, on with the story. It's almost over! XD ... XC ... -Can't decide.-
Purplerainn- Niou and Yagyuu are so cute. I could never right a whole fic about them though... So sad.
Sakimi1014- 'Should'? -Laughs.-
ShadowinRW- You're amused? Imagine me then-- I'm thinking about the sequel. (That was hint. )
DarkDemonCat- I assure you, I'm okay!
RaiPhoenix015- Hey Rai, I know that I already messaged you, but my offer still stand if you want to talk, okay? Good luck with whatever is going on. You're the kind of person who deserved to be happy, so keep your chin up, okay? -Pats on back.-
ImmortalTigeress- Don't worry, only Fuji is pregnant (am I being confusing?) the others can GET pregnant, but they're not. Others will get Preggy in the sequel though.
Wizli- Well... Platinum has pretty much finished their part in this story... There is only a few things left, actually... Meaning we are very near the end. Scary. Tezuka's past... Comes to rest here, and you will know the things you have wished to know! I hope... Anyway, I'm very glad that you like my writing. I have been writing for a very long time, so when I sit down to write... The actual story, I mean, not these notes and stuff... I feel older than I am. Does that make sense? Don't feel old!
AnuneFan412- Don't feel stupid! No worries! About Sanada and Yagyuu... Honestly, I'm just insane. No ulterior motive (though it would have been genius if I HAD planned it that way, so let's pretend I did, ne?)
Sweet Obsidian Rain- I feel so sorry for Fuji. I have to pretend I didn't write it, or I go 'Why did you write that! Bad! Bad Shia!' I like Tezuka's mom too, though. I mean, with I son like Kunimitsu, and and a father in-law like Kunikazu, she has too be like that, you know? Or like them -shiver.-
Animestar73- Okay, the people mentioned are not all pregnant, they can all get pregnant though. Look at the chart at the end, please.
Vierblith- About Sanada... In my head, they go into hiding if he gets pregnant. It's a funny picture for some reason. It normally ends up with them in a foreign country, Sanada quite a ways along and wearing maternity clothing. Pink maternity clothing. I start laughing when I think of it. My family might send me to the loony-bin soon. And yes, Ayana is awesome.
Disclaimer- I do not own Prince of Tennis
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Keigo Atobe was on a mission. He needed to talk to Kunimitsu Tezuka, and nothing was about to stop him. Jirou looked at him quizzically as he stood up from their bed, but Atobe merely gave him a kiss on the cheek and a kiss on the cheek, mentioning that he would be back soon. Jirou was still swooning from his smile and kiss, and made no protest as the buchou left.
Atobe moved towards Tezuka and Fuji's room with resolve. He saw that the light was out, as no light was coming from under the door, but he knocked softly anyway. This was too important, he didn't want to put it off.
Tezuka opened the door quietly, looking at Atobe expectantly. "Ore-sama needs to talk to you," Atobe whispered, aware that Fuji was sleeping on his side just inside the room. "Care to step outside for a bit?"
Tezuka nodded, and they headed out to the grounds, walking leisurely. Atobe sparked up a conversation. "How is Fuji doing?"
"... Fine," Tezuka answered, "He hasn't been sleeping well lately, though, so I'm glad he's resting well now, even if it is still a bit early."
Atobe nodded.
Tezuka let out a sigh and turned to the other buchou. "I know you didn't ask me out here to talk about Shusuke though."
"You're right," Atobe nodded. "Tezuka... Why are you still feeling the pains? I no longer feel them."
Tezuka was slightly surprised, and for once it showed. "You were...?"
"I was in the last Trivial Pulse, yes."
Kunimitsu pondered that. His grandfather had said no one else from the last Trivial Pulse had changed again. Atobe seemed to be following his trail of thought.
"Ore-sama did not associate with the other positives then, my parents kept me practically locked up in the mansion for the beginning," Atobe said. "Ore-sama was never sealed, as he knows the rest of you were, but my pains left around the time the others began changing this time." He fixed Tezuka with a piercing gaze. "There is no reason that you should still be feeling them."
Kunimitsu kept silent after that comment. He didn't want to put forth his own theory, the one in the far back of his mind. Unfortunately, Atobe seemed to be on the same track.
"Unless you're doing it subconsciously, causing yourself pain," Atobe said, "Or dreaming about something you'd rather forget, something that causes you pain, because of the rebound of your power." (A/N: If you forgot, Kunimitsu feels pain physically when others are in emotional pain, remember what happened with Ryoma?). Kunimitsu twitched at that, and Atobe didn't miss it, "That's it, isn't it?"
Silence.
Atobe sighed. "Regardless, you'll need to get over it soon, Tezuka. Otherwise, it'll never stop. Try, for Fuji's sake, if not your own. You need to remember what you're blocking out." Atobe walked away, leaving a still-silent Kunimitsu in his wake.
Kunimitsu knew the truth in his words. He also knew that he was beginning to remember.
He just didn't know if he wanted to.
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Yuta sighed happily, his hand in Mizuki's, as the pair took a leisurely evening stroll near the lake on the property. Mizuki grinned and squeezed his love's hand, feeling a squeeze in return. He lived for things like this, when they had no worried and could just enjoy each other's company.
Mizuki wasn't sure how he felt about the fact that neither of them being able to ever have kids, but he was sure that they could adopt someday, if they decided they wanted to. Yuta had teased that they could borrow his aniki's baby, but Mizuki wasn't sure he wanted a mini-Shusuke-Fuji (or even a Mini-Tezuka, yikes!) running around the place. Still, he was content just to be with Yuta. Thoughts of kids could wait until they were older. Much older.
Something flashed in the moonlight and caught the pair's attention. Mizuki, not terribly curious about it, was about to walk on, when Yuta held him there. The cow-Positive led Mizuki (much like the sheep that he was) down closer to the water and picked up what he found to be a photograph. It was a little bit damp, but not damaged much at all. Even in the dim light, he recognized it instantly.
It was his aniki's photo, the one of their entire family, his mother holding a baby version of him in her arms, his father with his arm over her shoulders, Yumiko and aniki in front of them, Shusuke standing a bit farther away, and smiling a fake smile. Yuta's hands trembled in silent rage as he thought of how terribly his parents had treated his older brother, even way back then.
He felt guilty for being loved by them, when he knew that they loathed his brother, his perfect brother. Nearly perfect, anyway. Poor Aniki had treated him so well, despite the fact that Yuta had usurped even the little bit of love they might have had for Shusuke, simply by being born. Shusuke had never acted like he was jealous of him, or treated him badly, even when Yuta distanced himself, when he envied Shusuke for his talent. It had been a short-lived rebellion, as he knew that his brother needed him. He would help Shusuke in any way possibly, just like his aniki was always there for him.
"Is that a little-Fuji?" Mizuki asked, chuckling, "Yes, that's definitely his smile," he kissed Yuta's cheek and the younger boy could feel the smile on Mizuki's lips, "that means that the little baby is you. You were cute." He licked Yuta's ear. "You're still cute."
Yuta stifled a giggle and said, "I should return this to Aniki, it's one of his most precious pictures."
"Oh? Is this the kind of thing the tensai treasures? Family photos? Wouldn't have guessed."
"It's not really about the family," Yuta confided, "I think that Aniki likes pictures with love in them." He looked at his parent's expressions, looking at each other, him and Yumiko with such love and caring. That must be what Shusuke like about this picture. He couldn't like being reminded that he was hated. "His other favorite photo is one of Tezuka-san, a snap-shot of him playing tennis in their second year."
Mizuki just squeezed Yuta's hand again. "We should take this to him then."
"Oh? Being nice to Aniki now?" Yuta teased, "You must be sucking up so that he'll let you borrow his kid."
"Hardly," Mizuki answered, "But I do owe him one."
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Kunimitsu was alerted by a knock at the door. Shusuke was already asleep on his side, so the buchou moved towards the door quickly and quietly, so as not to wake his resting love. He opened the door to see Yuta and Mizuki. "Shusuke is sleeping," he whispered to them quietly.
Yuta nodded, "We don't want to wake him then, we just wanted to return something." he handed the photograph to Kunimitsu, who took it gingerly in his hand and froze. Shaking himself mentally, he gave the two a tight 'thank you', and bade them good night.
After they had left, he sat and looked at the picture in the moonlight. He hadn't been mistaken. That face. He knew that face.
Fuji's father.
His kidnapper.
His rapist.
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He was dreaming. He knew he was dreaming, but he couldn't wake up. Where was he. Oh, that was him. A younger, somewhere between nine and eleven, he'd bet, version of him walking down a residential street. What was he doing? He didn't remember this, but he was sure it was real, or, at least, had once been real. He didn't remember this though. He inspected the smaller him again and a thought struck him: the last Trivial Pulse. Yes, that would make sense.
It struck him then: he was remembering. He shivered at the thought. Hopefully this wasn't going to be as terrible as his last 'Memory-dream'.
The mini-Kunimitsu suddenly stopped, as if his sensitive hearing had picked up on something. Kunimitsu listened as well, and heard what had made his younger-self stop.
"Demon... Should die... Deserve... Die..." A thud.
The little-Kunimitsu was running, listening to the sounds, images flashing through his mind. Kunimitsu could see them too, images...
"I have son about your age."
"He's not as good as you are though. No, not a good boy at all."
"Never become like that demon child of mine, okay?"
His feet were moving, and he was running just behind the boy-version of himself. He needed get to the person making those noises, those comments. He had a feeling that if he didn't make it in time, his entire life would be ruined.
"Demons... Shouldn't... Need to... Go away..."
He picked up his pace, and suddenly he and his younger version were one. He didn't even glance at his now-small hands. It didn't matter. He didn't care. He had to make it... Had to.
He opened a door, which was, surprisingly, (or perhaps not, maybe the person wanted to be found, deep down), unlocked. He navigated by ear through the house, finding a bathroom. He entered, and crystalline blue eyes met his, taking his breath away sufficiently. The boy was clutching a bloody wrist, a bloody razor on the ground near his feet. But the boy smiled.
"Are you a shinagami?" He asked, his eyes closing as he smiled. "I've been waiting for you. I didn't expect you to be so beautiful though." Kunimitsu said nothing, but carefully touched the boy's cheek. The other leaned into his touch. "I don't deserve your kindness," he said, his voice seemed to carry a false humor in it. "Please, just take me to Hell." And then he passed out from the blood-loss.
Kunimitsu, now seeing how bad the wrist really was, as the hand fell away, ripped his sleeve, making a quick bandage on the wrist, and let his wings explode out the back of his shirt. His wings were smaller than he was used to, but then, so was his whole body, and he had little trouble taking the petite boy (obviously undernourished) into his arms and taking off.
He took him to the hospital, but wasn't able to stay. The staff was asking too many questions. How did his shirt get ripped? How did he find the other boy? What had happened? He bolted before they could catch him. He went home. His family was worried. He had been gone for too long, they said, they had worried that something had happened to him. His mother coddled him. And he wasn't allowed to leave the house for the next few days. He left anyway.
He went to check on his blue-eyed boy. He would fly up to the window of his room (on the third floor), perch on the window and watch the boy sleep. It seemed he would be alright. Kunimitsu was overjoyed.
A week passed, and one day when he went up to the windowsill to see someone else in the blue-eyed boy's bed. He must have been discharged. He began going to the blue-eyed boys house, but he never seemed to be around, only late at night. So he began slipping out at night. It didn't matter to him that he lost a little sleep. Sleep hurt anyway. Sometimes he would watch his blue-eyed sleep, other times he would watch him shiver, as if in pain, tears pouring down his cheeks, sometimes he saw bruises. He often wanted to enter the room through the window from where he watched and take the other into his arms, to tell him it would be alright. He never did. He was too frightened that he would scare the other boy with his presence, and he would never get to see him again. He would have that. He thought he might be in love with this boy.
He was young. No thoughts of it being wrong to like a boy, or that it was strange to watch someone through their window ever entered his mind. He was watching over the person he cared about most, someone who's name he didn't even know. Still, he felt that if he wasn't there to watch, something bad would happen. That if he didn't watch, his blue-eyed boy would try to kill himself again, and no one would be there to help. It hurt him to much to even think of that.
That was why, on the night that his grandfather came to him, asking him to speak with him for a while, Kunimitsu tried to refuse. "I'm tired" he had said, "I want to sleep." Nothing passed. He was desperate. He let his wings out and tried to fly up towards his bedroom. His window was open; he could fly out and be to his blue-eyed boy's house before they could figure out where he went. His grandfather, however, had much more experience with his own wings, and cut him off.
"We need to talk, Kunimitsu." He was drabbed into his Grandfather's study. He heard the elderly man whisper "I'm sorry", before a hand covered his eyes, and he saw no more.
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Kunimitsu awoke that morning, and blinked. He had felt no pain the night before. It was a strange feeling, nearly unfamiliar to wake well-rested for once. He looked at Fuji beside him, awake and looking worried.
"Did I sleep through it?" He asked timidly. Kunimitsu gave him a questioning look. "The Pain. I don't remember waking to tend to you." Fuji was clearly rather concerned about this, and Kunimitsu found it adorable. He kissed the other's forehead, a smile on his lips.
"You didn't miss it," Kunimitsu said softly, "They never came." Fuji looked endearingly confused, and then it seemed to sink in. He flung his arms around Kunimitsu's neck, knocking him back onto the bed.
"Shusuke, baby!" Fuji blushed as he considered the warning and moved up from on top of his lover and settled on his hips instead. A now very clearly pregnant Fuji grinned wolfishly and rubbed his hips against the other boy's.
"Ah... Shuu, no," he took the other's hips carefully, but firmly in his hands, halting the other's movements. Fuji groaned at the interference.
"Mitsu... I waannnaaa," he whined, and it took all of Kunimitsu's strength not to give the tensai exactly what he wanted. No, he couldn't. Dr. Hatchett had warned him that Fuji would start acting like this at one part during the pregnancy.
"No, Fuji," Kunimitsu said, and using his last name seemed to cause the other boy to get the point, as he moved away and off of the bed, looking dejected. Kunimitsu sighed. "Look, Love, it's not as if I don't want to, but we really shouldn't, not until after the baby is born. We can't take any chances, remember?"
Fuji nodded, still looking depressed and rejected. Kunimitsu came up behind him to wrap his arms around the other, placing a few kisses on the back of his lover's neck. Kunimitsu slowly reached a hand down into the other's sleep pants. If Fuji was feeling turned on, he could at least do that much. Even if it meant he had to take a cold shower before he went to school, and would probably miss breakfast because of it. Because he was sure it was going to take a long, long cold shower to fix his current 'problem'.
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Shusuke hated being alone. Actually, he had never minded being by himself really, not until recently when he had started to learn (from Kunimitsu) how pleasant the presence of another human being could be. Of course, he could just call Dr. Hatchett up to sit with him, and though the man was decent company (when he wasn't inadvertently scaring the wits out of him with medical mumbo-jumbo), he did not feel that he wanted to spend all day with the doctor. He stored the thought away for later and tried to find something else to keep him occupied. He debated sleep, but found it doubtful that he'd manage. Sleeping was difficult these days. He wondered if that meant the time was close. He didn't think so quite yet, but it was hard to tell. After all, if he were a bird, he would have had the egg by now, he was sure.
So it would take longer then. That was fine, he could wait.
And so, time passed.
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More time passed than they had thought would, and everyone on the property could feel the tension in the air, caused by the sheer stress of waiting. Fuji was huge, and very emotional. Everyone one acted like they were walking on eggshells around him (though if they would ever use that expression around him, he'd probably start bawling).
On the fifteenth of October, Yuushi Oshitari's birthday rolled around, though Yuushi insisted that there be no celebration, on account that Fuji wouldn't be allowed to attend, and would thus feel left out. When Fuji found out about this, he objected wholeheartedly, saying that Yuushi should still celebrate, but he was still slightly happy that the other tensai would think of him. In the end, Gakuto was the only one who couldn't be stopped, and made Yuushi skip school to spend the day at an amusement park (which Gakuto enjoyed more than Yuushi, but Yuushi certainly wasn't complaining).
Yagyuu, on the other hand, spent his birthday (Oct. 19th) in Fuji's room, confiding in the tensai that if he left, for he claimed Fuji's room was the safest in the house, Niou would attack him with confetti. Fuji got the feeling that the other boy spoke from a previous experience concerning Niou and birthdays, and found it highly amusing. And so, the Gentleman and the Sadistic Tensai became friends.
On October twenty-ninth, Kunimitsu sat in class, feeling anxious. Fuji said it would be soon, said that he could tell. Dr. Hatchett agreed that it was sure to be very soon. It could be any day now, and Kunimitsu was nervous. He didn't want Shusuke to have to go through it on his own. He had Dr. Hatchett, of course, but he wanted to be there to help his lover in what was sure to be a very painful process.
They had a plan, of course. Fuji would keep his mind open to Ryoma, who would in turn relay the message through mental connection to Dr. Hatchett, and then come directly to Kunimitsu to tell him what was going on through a code, he would say--
At that very moment, a slightly-shaken-but-you-wouldn't-know-it-if-you-didn't-know-him Ryoma came into the Classroom, speaking in a fairly calm voice, "Ryuzaki wants you." he paused, for effect that then said, "Don't be a baby."
That was all Kunimitsu need and he was out the classroom door without a word to his sensei, and running off of the school grounds. He was hardly even off campus before his wings erupted from his back and he was flying full-speed back to the property.
It was time.
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