Three months later, and it became December. Yukimura and Sanada were scheduled to visit Fuji and Tezuka for New Years. Then, mid January, the three professional tennis players had to play in a tournament held in Japan.
Yukimura and Sanada arrived four days after Christmas, admiring Fuji and Tezuka's rather large estate. They expected the two former Seigaku players to be living in a nice ranch house outside of the city, not in a mansion. Fuji had given them the last room down the main hallway on the second floor. It wasn't as big as his and Tezuka's room, but it was good enough.
It had a king size bed, mirrored dressers, it's own bathroom, two double windows, and a small balcony. Of course, Fuji would've given them a room closer to theirs, but he knew Yukimura and Sanada weren't going to be completely innocent during nighttime. Especially after receiving letters from Yukimura two years back about the couple's vacation.
Fuji woke up earlier than the other three. Whenever Tezuka didn't have training, he was the one to make breakfast since the tennis player almost always made the first meal of the day during their regular routine. Fuji scrambled eggs, toasted bread, heated tea, and cut fruit to eat and make shakes. They had Japanese style breakfast the other morning; now it was time for a "western" breakfast.
Yukimura woke up to the smell of fried eggs. With the hunger plaguing his stomach, he dressed himself and headed towards the kitchen. Fuji and Tezuka's house was so big Yukimura still hadn't memorized the layout of the property. He walked into the kitchen and found Fuji setting down forks and knives next to the plates.
"Good morning, Yukimura. Sleep well?" The man greeted, smiling ever so brightly.
Yukimura seated himself down on one of the four chairs, watching Fuji add last minute ingredients to the food. "Just fine, thank you."
"You and Sanada were rather loud last night. Kunimitsu had trouble abstaining."
A small embarrassed laugh fell from the former Rikkai player. "Sorry. Genichirou couldn't wait another day. I hope we didn't keep you up late."
Fuji set out the large serving of scrambled eggs on the middle of the table along with the plate of toast. "Not at all. It's only been less than a week and we're already used to the noises."
Yukimura blushed deeply. Hey, if Fuji and Tezuka said it was okay for them to make love in their house, then what was stopping Sanada from making love to his dear and lovely buchou? And yes, the Emperor still saw Yukimura as the leader even though the Child of God was bottom at night.
In no time, Tezuka and Sanada joined their other halves in the kitchen, both looking unusually tired.
"What's wrong Sanada? Did having sex with Yukimura all night long tire you out?" Fuji smiled teasingly.
Sanada quickly shot a glare to the youngest man. Tezuka just grunted, placing his hand on his head. "I thought it wouldn't stop. You were too loud last night."
A heavy blush appeared on Sanada's face. Their room was a hallway away from Fuji and Tezuka's and they can still hear them? How loud was Yukimura at night? Not responding to any of the comments, Sanada commenced eating.
The other three served themselves as well. Yukimura complimented Fuji on his cooking; as usual, the food tasted extraordinary. After breakfast, Tezuka wanted to go to the sports shop to get his racquets restrung and buy some more grip tape. Sanada wanted to join him for the same reasons. Fuji, on the other hand, needed to stop by the photography store to buy a new lens for his camera. After hearing that, Tezuka froze, his eyes darkening.
"No, I'll go with you." His voice sounded angry or rather annoyed.
"But Kunimitsu, you don't have-"
"No." He repeated, sounding angrier. "I'm going."
Fuji just sighed and continued eating. "If you say so."
It was decided that they were to go to the photography shop first then the sports store. Yukimura and Sanada were curious as to why Tezuka didn't want Fuji to go alone.
The moment they stepped through the sliding glass doors, Sanada knew. The man who greeted them looked too unreal. He had a pale complexion, bright, shimmering blue eyes, pink tinted lips, light blond hair neatly combed back and well trimmed, and a lean tall body.
Yukimura bit his lip at the sight of the man. He looked like a living Adonis.
"Good morning, Syusuke." He greeted Fuji, a heart-melting smile on his face. Yukimura wanted to pass out after hearing his voice.
Now they knew why. Tezuka couldn't help but glare at the European man. He was named Janos and everytime his Syusuke visited the store, the man always flirted with the photographer. And Fuji didn't even push him away because he already confessed to Tezuka that he had a celebrity crush on the employee. That irritated Tezuka big time.
"Good morning Janos. How are you today?" The two beautiful men walked deeper in the store towards the lenses, deep in conversation.
If Tezuka had the power to turn his glare into laser beams to pierce through the body, he'd activate that power everytime he saw his fiancé being taken away by Janos. He felt Sanada stand beside him and watched Yukimura catch up to the other two.
"I've never seen Seiichi like that before." Sanada's voice held the same emotion as Tezuka's glare.
"The same goes for Syusuke until we found this store. Since then, I've always been here with him just in case."
"You have no trust in your fiancé?"
"I have no trust in him."
After thirty minutes of browsing and decisions, Fuji finally settled on the one lens he liked and needed. The moment Fuji's fingers wrapped around the ribbon of the bag, Tezuka dragged him out of the store without letting the employer say his good-byes and sweet words to the angel.
Fuji sighed helplessly. He wrapped his arms around Tezuka's neck and pulled down the man closer to him. When their lips touched, Tezuka smirked. He wasn't fond of public displays of affection, but in front of Janos, he couldn't have cared less if they kissed there all day.
"Just a reminder that I love you and only you." Fuji smiled, linking hands with his lover.
Yukimura also gave Sanada an apology kiss for being swayed by a complete stranger. And of course, Sanada couldn't stay mad at his Seiichi.
The four of them then made their way to the sports store, being bombarded by the scent of synthetic leather and new tennis shoes. Yukimura and Fuji looked around while Tezuka and Sanada registered their racquets for restringing. Until then, the four had two hours to do whatever they pleased until the service was complete.
Along the way to their next destination, Tezuka answered a phone call. It sounded strange, hearing the tennis star speak German. Even if Sanada and Yukimura visited in the past before, they could never get used to Tezuka being so fluent in another language. By the tone of his voice, Fuji knew he was talking to his manager. Tezuka never held a good relationship with the man. They disagreed on several things. The only reason Tezuka hadn't fired him was because the man knew how to make the tennis star successful.
After a long conversation, Tezuka wanted nothing to do with business. They strolled around town and ate street food before going back to the sport's shop and picking up the two racquets and buying the needed grip tape. The four men then decided to play some recreational tennis before heading out for lunch.
It had been a while since Fuji held a racquet, but the moment his hand wrapped around the grip of Tezuka's spare racquet, it felt like he'd been playing for years and years. Sanada and Tezuka wanted revenge for that match eleven years ago. The taste of Aozu surfaced at the thought of the memory.
To the three professional tennis players' surprise, Fuji was slowly dominating. He'd gotten faster and stronger and Tezuka wondered how since he rarely saw the blue-eyed boy in a court.
"What do you think I do when you're not home, Kunimitsu?" Fuji asked, returning Sanada's serve.
A small smile crept on Tezuka's lips. His fiancé sure knew how to surprise him. The game ended in a tie, 6-6. Fuji was surprised he could still easily perform his counters. Yukimura knew if Fuji had more of a will to win, he'd make a great pro tennis player.
Paparazzi followed the men around for lunch, snapping several pictures. Most likely surfacing the next day with some sort of gossip like cheating scandals or perhaps a four-way relationship. And maybe even how Sanada might not love Yukimura because of the stern and irritating face he always makes when the two players appeared out in the public. Tezuka surprisingly adjusted to all the attention within a few years of living in Germany. The four of them ate without getting too distracted by secret cameras capturing so many stolen pictures.
On the way out, they took more photographs with their fans as a small gesture of thanks. They toured the city for two more hours before taking a train to France to explore Fuji's favorite place, Provence. They stayed there admiring the lavender fields even if no flowers grew, taking several pictures and eating crepes at nearly every single stand. Yukimura couldn't get enough of Europe. But he knew Japan was home and that's where he and Sanada were most comfortable.
By nightfall, they reach Tezuka and Fuji's residence, too full to eat. Yukimura and Sanada turned in early, exhausted from the trips. In the mean time, Fuji downloaded the pictures he took during the day while Tezuka dressed for bed.
After stepping out of the shower and in his pajamas, Fuji still loomed over his laptop, beginning to edit a few photos. Tezuka wrapped his arms around the small and delicate body, burying his face in the sweet smelling strands of brown hair.
"I love you." He whispered lovingly.
Fuji ran his fingers up Tezuka's arm, smiling gently. "I love you, too." He turned around and touched his lips to his fiancés. His soft fingertips, traced the refined features. "What did he need from you?"
Tezuka sighed, walking towards the bed. "Apparently the tournament in Japan turns out to be a whole Asia tournament ."
"What's wrong with that?"
The taller man didn't turn around as he answered his question. "It'll take almost an entire year."
"What?"
"It turns out the matches are going to be longer than what he predicted. And since I already signed to it, I have to do it or my contract's over."
This time, Fuji sighed. They had been away from each other several times, but not longer than six months. A whole year without Tezuka? He'd be spending next year's Christmas and New Years alone then. Fuji joined Tezuka on the bed, resting his head on the other man's chest. He snuggled in closer, feeling the strong arms around his waist.
"It'll be okay, Kunimitsu. It's just one year. We can always talk to eachother on the phone and video chat from time to time." Fuji needed to be supportive at times of distress. He couldn't be selfish.
"Of course." Silence lingered for a short amount of time before Tezuka continued, "When I get back, we're getting married."
Fuji's eyes widened, quickly glancing up at Tezuka. "What?"
"When I get back from the tournament, I'm making you officially mine. I don't want to wait anymore."
"But-"
"No, you don't get a say. I've already made you wait five years. Besides, I want everyone to know that you're mine and only mine." He brushed his thumb across the soft cheek. "I promise. When I come back, we're getting married. So promise me you'll wait until then."
Fuji nodded slowly, beaming in pure happiness. "I promise."
By mid January, Tezuka, Yukimura, and Sanada packed their bags to start their play-offs in Asia starting in Japan. They'd meet other top players around the world and play recreational and competitive matches. Fuji would've gone with them if his job permitted. But a new project commenced and leaving his team behind without a leader is like the company stabbing a knife in their wallet.
The night before the men's flight, Fuji and Tezuka lay in bed, Fuji's head on Tezuka's shoulder. As much as he hated Tezuka being gone for nearly a year, Fuji could manage. They already figured out times when they would talk and greet the other good-morning or goodnight. That wasn't enough to satisfy Fuji.
"Kunimitsu?" He received a single syllable response. "Since you're going to be gone for a while, that means we won't be able to do anything at night for a year. Doesn't that make you upset?" There was something about the tone of Fuji's voice that made the tennis player blush in embarrassment.
"What do you want to do about it?"
Fuji shifted, leaning on his forearm and teasingly unbuttoning the first two buttons of Tezuka's pajama top. "I think you know."
His self-control rarely broke. It only happened a couple of time in the past eleven years that they've been together. Tezuka wrapped his arms around Fuji smaller body, kissing him deeply. How can he possibly survive a year without his angel there kissing him and making love to him? He'd find out soon. Fuji moaned as Tezuka's tongue touched his and feeling rough but soft hands undoing the buttons of his top. Tezuka's hand caressed his chest softly, another moan slipping from his mouth.
In the midst of kissing eachother, the two men's clothing had been stripped off and lay on the ground. Tezuka placed the smaller, paler form underneath him, admiring Fuji's body.
"Syusuke." He moaned before kissing his fiancé roughly.
Fuji moaned and writhed wildly beneath Tezuka's touch. He was positive Yukimura and Sanada could hear them. "Ah!" Fuji gasped, feeling warm liquid spilling inside of him.
Tezuka rested his head on Fuji's shoulder, their breaths rapid and irregular.
"I love you, Kunimitsu."
A small satisfied smile showed on Tezuka's face. "I love you too, Syusuke." They shared one more kiss before the night carried them off in a happy dreamless sleep.
The four men woke up around six in the morning to prepare and drive to the airport to catch their 11 o clock flight. The airport wasn't a long drive from Fuji and Tezuka's residence. They loaded their suitcases in Fuji's SUV, taking dry foods and other forms of entertainment for the road and for the wait in the airport. It was going to be a long flight with no stop over's.
They arrived at the airport in less than an hour, checking in their luggage and lining up at security. Fuji received permission from the airline to accompany Tezuka until he boarded the plane. Even if it was early in the morning, masses of people filled the airport and the security line stretched for what seemed like miles to a late traveler.
After making sure they weren't carrying anything illegal, the four men found their respective gates and seated themselves in empty seats. Sooner or later, fans approached them asking for pictures. Sanada wanted to decline, but Yukimura forced him to. Some girls just even wanted a picture with just Yukimura and Fuji. And some guys wanted a picture with just Sanada and Tezuka. They liked the cool and quiet and mysterious type.
Once the commotion died down, the four sat in silence, Yukimura sleeping on Sanada's shoulder while the otherr reviewed the players he was matched against first. Tezuka let Fuji catch some sleep since he needed to drive home and work later. Tezuka and Sanada shared a conversation about their upcoming opponents and how maybe Ryoma might be there.
Three hours later, the intercom announced that the plane heading for Tokyo, Japan was ready for boarding. Yukimura and Sanada always flew economy, but since this was a sponsored event, they had to fly coach along with Tezuka. Fuji bid the other two tennis players farewell, giving Yukimura an extra hug since they've grown especially close over the years.
Fuji then embraced Tezuka, not wanting to let go. They hugged while the people in the third section boarded the plane. When the woman announced Tezuka's name in the intercom, he kissed Fuji one last time.
"I have to go." Tezuka softly said.
Fuji nodded, releasing his grip. Then, he took the tennis player's left hand and slid on the thin tungsten ring on Tezuka's ring finger. "So you can have something of me during your match."
Tezuka smiled lovingly and kissed him one last time. Sharp blue eyes watched as Tezuka's body disappeared in the tunnel to board a plane. It'd be a long year without his fiancé.
A month passed and Tezuka was miserable. Not only was he alone without Fuji, but he spent most days with Yukimura and Sanada, making him feel like a third wheel. He visited Fuji's family and gave them the small gifts his fiancé asked him to deliver. The two would talk in the morning before one slept and at the night before the other slept. There were a few days when Fuji couldn't answer his phone, which made Tezuka invalidly upset.
That night, Tezuka didn't have to train or play the next day, so he talked with Fuji while the photographer headed home.
"Yes, Kunimitsu, I have something to eat at home. And no, I'm not going out to drink… It was one time! You're being irrational… I love you, too. I'll talk to you later. Alright… Miss you, too. Bye." Fuji ended the call, a grin on his face.
Snow covered most of the ground with heavy patches of ice. Some people already slipped and cars slid from time to time. Glancing around, no one was really out and about.
When the light turned green, Fuji began to cross the road, carefully watching where he stepped. A woman's shriek pulsed through the cold air as a small child ran a few feet passed Fuji and slipped.
"Are you okay?" Fuji asked, helping the small boy sit up, quickly scanning the boy's body for any sign of damage. From a distance, Fuji could hear someone yelling, but he couldn't make out what.
That's when he realized a car jetting towards him and the boy. The headlights seemed to grow unconditionally bright, Fuji's deep sapphire eyes adjusting to the beams' intense glow.
But it was too late.
Fuji lay watching snow gently fall. He couldn't feel his legs nor know how he was still breathing. Other people's faces came into view, worry consuming their eyes. He couldn't respond to any of their comments. Something more important clicked in his mind.
Kunimitsu... A single tear spilled down his face to the ground. It seems like I can't keep my promise.
Go on ahead and attack me with torches and pitchforks. I deserve it! SO sorry for the late update and horrid update. I'm sorry this one has so much summary and not enough dialogue, but the next one will... I hope. And who knows if Fuji will survive so don't kill me yet! I also don't know when I'll post the last ch. b/c between school, theatre, and marching band, I barely have time to breathe during weekends and even weekdays. To be honest, I wrote most of this during class :P. Anyway! Thanks so much for reading guys and I hope you can tolerate the sad attempt of an update. Sorry if there are a few mistakes here and there. I am heavily sleep deprived at the moment even though it's only early in the evening where I live. Well, I hope you liked it! Love and all, AIR