our separate lives [tezusae; 07, 21, 25, 28]
title: Our Separate Lives
author: yumeyana
rating: PG-13
genre: drama, angst, sap and a little humor
themes: 07, 21, 25, 28
summary: The immune system protects the body, while vitamins strengthen it. The bones have - what was the name of those pills he saw in a commercial? - Wada Calcium CD3 to bring calcium back to them. What did their relationship have?
previous chapters can be found here: Until then...
crossposted @ 30_kisses, potfics, tenipuri_yaoi and @ my fic journal, quilled_dreams where it sleeps.
Author’s Notes: This is going to be one long chapter and I hope you’ll stay with me until the end. I couldn’t cut it into two parts since that will leave you hanging too much. To make it easier, I cut it into sequences. I’ll try to update this with the next chapter in the fastest time possible. Also, I know so little French so forgive me.
Disclaimers: Tennis no Oujisama and all its characters are not mine. Only the plot is.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Until Then [Part IV]
Chapter Twelve: Our Separate Lives
01.
Saeki had never felt happier in his life.
Well perhaps he could name a few other instances that he was happier than he was now but they weren’t exactly coming to mind right now as he ran all the way home. Sure, it was really more than a few blocks from the school but the adrenaline rushing through his veins made sure that he didn’t even realize the length he just ran. Happiness did that to people, he heard.
Tezuka couldn’t wait for his boyfriend to come home.
Of all the people enrolled in his University who submitted an application for that particular company in Japan, it was him, Tezuka Kunimitsu, who they picked to work for them. It was a position highly coveted by the students and he had it.
He had it. Him. Tezuka Kunimitsu.
“MIT-CHAN!!”
Tezuka turned his head - his attention - from the television program he wasn’t really watching to his barely breathing boyfriend. He was supposed to be worried, he knew, but somehow that big grin on Saeki’s face erased them all.
“You will not believe what just happened!”
It was a day full of good news, the bespectacled one thought. “You have some good news as well?”
Saeki nodded. “’As well’? That means you have one, too?” A nod. “You go first.”
“No, you first. You’re going to explode if you don’t say it and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life trying to put you back together.”
The silver-haired laughed, encircled his arms around Tezuka and kissed him. “That was a mushy joke, you realize that don’t you?”
“Yes,” Tezuka answered, laughing as well.
“Anyway, Hikari-sensei talked to me today about the school in New York that picks one student from Japan every year and guess what?” Saeki’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “They picked me!”
“They picked you? That’s marvelous, Kojiroh!”
“Isn’t it?” He took off the other’s glasses, kissing the tip of his nose. “So, what’s yours?”
Chocolate eyes blinked. Wait, he thought. If Saeki was picked, that would mean he would go to New York. But New York was miles and miles away from Japan where Tezuka would have to stay because of his job. And staying would mean he would be away from his boyfriend for who knows how long…
They had discussed this before, the possibility that Saeki would be accepted there. If ever that would happen, the silver-haired asked, would Tezuka come with him there? And of course, the latter said that he would.
He promised he would.
But the job…
“Mit-chan?”
He shrugged, smiling softly at his boyfriend. “I decided to apply for a Masters Degree in New York. It would help me get into NYSE [1], ne?”
He watched as Saeki beamed and shower him with kisses, toppling them over the couch. Thank heavens for the couch, Tezuka thought. His bones weren’t entirely the strongest of bones.
“That means you’re coming with me?”
“Unless you don’t want me to…”
“Of course, I want you to be there, honey.”
“Practicing your English now by starting to say ‘Mitsu’ in English?” [2]
“Tezuka Kunimitsu,” Saeki said, grinning as kissed his boyfriend again. “Since when did you learn how to make people laugh?”
“Since I met you, Kojiroh.”
It’s ok, Tezuka thought. Even if he would turn down the job he had wanted for so long, he would be with Saeki in New York and he would be able to fulfill his promise. He would be able to find another job, especially since he would have a masters degree. He would become more competent, more in demand, more knowledgeable…
…and who knows? The NYSE just might be the right path to take.
02.
“Tadaimaaaa…”
Tezuka looked up from his laptop, greeting the other with a soft “okaeri nasai” as he stood from his seat and walked towards him. Saeki was drunk, he could tell just from his boyfriend’s voice. Just how he got drunk, he didn’t know.
“Where were you?” he asked, keeping his voice as soft as he could. It was not the best to ask that in a commanding voice; he would sound as if he was reprimanding Saeki. “You didn’t call to tell me you were coming home late.”
“Mr. Crawford was promoted. The fellows decided to have a party for him.” The silver-haired one was practically draped on him, unable to stand on his own. “It was so much fun! Even Mr. Crawfish…”
“Crawford.”
“I want Crawfish. What’s the problem with calling him that?”
“Nothing, Koji.”
“Thazz right! Nothing’s wrong…” He paused. “I need to throw up.”
Tezuka quickly carried Saeki to the bathroom before he threw up everything he drank and probably ate. He ran his hand up and down his boyfriend’s back, watching him silently. It wasn’t really the drinking that had Tezuka concerned; it was in not knowing where he was. Saeki knew he would be worried, knew he should’ve called. He could’ve fetched him wherever he was especially since the silver-haired one was too drunk to go home by himself.
“Kojiroh?”
He fell asleep…
There were a million questions he wanted to ask his boyfriend but now wasn’t the right time. He picked him up, cleaning him before carrying him to the bedroom. What was happening to them, he wanted to ask. The first few months in New York were ok. Sure, there were occasional petty arguments about who forgot to buy the groceries or who was supposed to be in charge of cooking but other than that, they were doing fine.
But lately…
Lately, we’re falling apart.
He changed Saeki’s attire and tucked him in bed. He had some things he needed to finish before going to bed as well. He had two reports he needed to hand in tomorrow.
Why does it seem there’s a fence slowly building in between us?
03.
“Hello, Matt? This is Kunimitsu Tezuka. Yes, Kojiroh’s boyfriend. Have you heard from him recently? No?” A sigh. “So you haven’t seen him in class as well? Ok. If you hear anything… yes, thank you. Goodbye.”
Tezuka sighed for the thousandth time, closing his eyes. He took off his glasses and buried his face in his hands. It has been roughly a week since Saeki had gone missing. He had called everyone they knew, including Fuji and Atobe in Japan, but there had been no sign of him still. He had already reported the disappearance to the police and even they haven’t given him anything.
Kojiroh, where are you?
He quickly grabbed his ringing phone, hoping that it would be his boyfriend’s voice he’d hear.
“Hello. Kojiroh?”
「 Sorry. This is Syusuke. 」
“Syusuke, hi. How are you?”
「 I’m fine. I take it that he isn’t home yet. 」
“No. I’ve called his classmates again but they haven’t heard from him, too.”
「 Have you called his mobile phone? 」
“Yes. It’s still off.” He leaned back on the couch. It seemed so big now that it was only him occupying it. “I don’t get it, Syusuke. Why did he just run off without telling me?”
「 Did you fight before he left? 」
“No. Not a big fight, anyway. Just something small because I forgot to pay the landlady. It couldn’t be because of that, right? God, Syusuke.”
「 Calm down, buchou. It’s not good if you panic. 」
“I’m not panicking. Not much. Just really worried.” He sighed. “And why are you still calling me ‘buchou’? You sound like Echizen and Momoshiro.”
「 Because that’s who you are, Mitsu. Our leader. And speaking of them, Momo sends his regards. We bumped into each other the other day. 」
“Send him my regards as well. I need to go, Syusuke. Kojiroh might be calling.”
「 Sure. Call me when he gets home, ok? Take care, Mitsu. 」
“Take care as well. My regards to Atobe and everyone there.”
One week, he thought as he let the phone slip from his fingers. Why would Saeki disappear without a word? Even his classmates didn’t know a thing.
Why, Kojiroh?
「 Notice me. Take my hand.
Why are we stranger’s land? 」
Just as his eyes were about to close from exhaustion, Tezuka heard a car stop in front of their house. He stood up as quickly as he could, not minding the headache he had incurred because of the sudden movement. His eyes widened as he saw Saeki emerging from the car. There was a rush of relief - Kojiroh’s finally home! - but…
He couldn’t explain it, the feeling in his heart. It was constricting, painful. How could seeing his boyfriend wink at someone he couldn’t even see bring so much pain in his heart?
Jealousy has never been a good thing. Stop it, Kunimitsu!
But it wasn’t really jealousy. He knew it wasn’t really that.
“Hey,” Saeki greeted as he saw Tezuka standing near the doorway. He passed by without anything as much as a hug. It was as if the darker haired one wasn’t his boyfriend.
Tezuka sighed softly, letting it pass. “Hey,” he said, trying his best to soften his voice. “Where have you been?”
The silver-haired shrugged, nonchalant. “Around.”
“You didn’t call me…”
Saeki sighed, obviously not in the mood for any interrogation. “I’m tired, Kunimitsu.” Tezuka slightly raised an eyebrow as he heard his first name and not the nickname his boyfriend always used. “Ask those questions tomorrow.”
Tomorrow, Tezuka wanted to ask. It was just three in the afternoon and that meant over twelve hours of sleeping. Saeki had never slept that long. He had always been a sleep-hater. Something wasn’t falling into place here.
“I was worried about you, Ko. You could at least tell me where you went.” He knew he was pressing and it probably piss his boyfriend off but dammit, he was concerned.
“I’m here and alive so stop worrying like my mother because you’re not her. She’s dead. I don’t need you to act as my surrogate mother because I’ve got one as well!”
He tried to keep his temper down. Fighting fire with fire wouldn’t do anyone good. But this situation was certainly getting on his nerves - probably more than it was pissing Saeki off.
“I’m not mothering you, Kojiroh.” There was a protest ready to burst out of the other but he trudged on. “I’m just concerned. I’m your boyfriend; I have a right to be.”
There was a slight flinch and something in Tezuka’s gut told him something he wanted to ignore. It wasn’t possible. It can’t be.
He waited for Saeki to answer him but the other just turned his heel. “Whatever,” he muttered. And with a shrug, he left the room.
Tezuka could not - or most probably did not¬ want to - understand but somehow, it felt like he was watching Saeki walk away from him forever.
04.
It was another late night at the University. Crawford had given him an impossible assignment but he liked it because it meant that his professor trusted him. And that trust would get him far.
He pulled in his car in the drive way, smiling as he saw his boyfriend’s car in their already. They have been drifting apart lately and it was all thanks to Tezuka’s patience and love that they were doing better nowadays. He shut off the engine as quickly as possible; he couldn’t wait to be with his boyfriend tonight. Tezuka was his inspiration and the reason why Crawford trusted him completely.
“Tadaima,” he called out.
There was no answer. Saeki assumed that Tezuka was busy and drowning in his work so much that he did not hear him. That was the case most of the time. And it was better since the silver-haired one could surprise his boyfriend.
Blue eyes widened at the scene in front of him. There was his boyfriend, hovering above some girl. They were obviously having fun - his Kunimitsu was smiling widely. This was not the scene he wanted to come home to.
Saeki charged straight to Tezuka. He did not want to speak and dammit he did not want to talk. But he would indeed give him a piece of his mind.
Tezuka’s lips curved into a smile as he saw his boyfriend approach. “Koji-” His eyes widened. Saeki wasn’t approaching. He was moving in as if he was going to attack. “Kojiroh, what the-”
“Bastard,” Saeki muttered as he punched Tezuka without a second’s hesitation. The latter saw fury in those sea-tinted orbs before he turned around and walked away.
Murmuring a small apology to his companion, Tezuka followed his boyfriend. Saeki was sure fast to head up to their room, he thought as he nursed that rather painful bruise on his right cheek. The silver-haired could pack a powerful punch indeed.
“Fuck off,” Saeki said as he opened the door.
Tezuka ignored his words, closing the door behind him. “What was that all about, Kojiroh?”
“No. You tell me what the fuck was that about,” the silver-haired shot back, pointing at the general direction of the door. “I thought we were supposed to fix this relationship, Kunimitsu. Nice way of fixing it.”
“I don’t understand…”
“You brought a damn girl in the house! You dare flirt with your woman in our house!”
Tezuka blinked, the information sinking in. He ran his hand through his hair as he slowly walked towards his boyfriend. There had been some sort of misunderstanding…
“Marie is my classmate, Koji. We’re not doing anything you and I would do.” He sat beside the other, clasping Saeki’s hand with both of his. “Plus, I don’t think I’d want to flirt with her.
“And why would that be?”
“Because she’s a girl, Koji. And in case you have forgotten, I’m gay.” Tezuka smiled, slowly running his fingers across his boyfriend’s face. “I like men.”
Saeki bit his lip, a nervous smile now forming on his lips. He had over-reacted and have overlooked that one fact. He sighed. He should have never doubted Tezuka.
“I’m sorry, Mit-chan.”
“It’s alright, Koji. It’s alright.” Tezuka pulled him close, enveloping him in a warm embrace. “I love you.”
He felt his boyfriend smile. “I love you, too.”
Tezuka buried his face in those silver locks, thinking about what happened earlier. Too much jealousy wasn’t good in a relationship and theirs had too much nowadays. He couldn’t get why it did; there wasn’t really any excuse for it to grow between them.
He remembered one those discussions in the Psychology class he took some time ago. There was a chance that Saeki was projecting his feelings because he was guilty of what he was accusing Tezuka. But there wasn’t any evidence that Saeki was fooling around with someone else. Or at least, so he knew.
He really wished that the theory did not apply to them.
He sighed inwardly. This wasn’t doing anyone good. What he needed to think about was a way for them to overcome the shakiness of their relationship. But…
The immune system protects the body, while vitamins strengthen it. The bones have - what was the name of those pills he saw in a commercial? - Wada Calcium CD3 to bring calcium back to them. What did their relationship have?
He closed his eyes. He wished their own immune system had enough anti-bodies.
05.
ore_sama: Hey, cousin. How are you and Sae doing?
k_tezuka: We’re doing ok, Atobe.
ore_sama: ‘Ok’? ‘Ok’ doesn’t sound good, Tezuka.
k_tezuka: You’ve been watching too many Sex and the City reruns.
k_tezuka: We’re doing just fine. Kojiroh just graduated and Paris is calling him.
ore_sama: I am not!
ore_sama: I hope we’re not talking about Paris Hilton here, ahn?
k_tezuka: Are you sure you’re Atobe and not Oshitari? Or Amane perhaps?
ore_sama: (¬ ¬) You dare doubt ore-sama?
k_tezuka: Just checking.
ore_sama: I will forget that comment, Tezuka. And only because you’re my cousin.
ore_sama: Are you going to him to Paris?
k_tezuka: No. NYSE did not permit me.
k_tezuka: I’ll be visiting him though. I’ve accumulated at least two months worth of vacation leave. And there are phones.
ore_sama: Are you sure you’re ok?
k_tezuka: Yes. How’s Syusuke?
06.
It had been three months, eleven days and seventeen minutes since he last saw Saeki. Excitement was flowing in his veins as he stepped out of the car. He could not wait to see his boyfriend.
Tezuka had demanded that he be given the vacation leave he had petitioned for. It was the leave or he was quitting NYSE. He would not miss his boyfriend’s debut in the fashion world.
They gave him the leave.
“I am sorry, monsieur but this part is off limits to the public,” the guard said in French.
Fortunately, he had learned French while back in New York. He knew it would come in handy when he visited Saeki. He gave the visitor’s pass their friend Matt had mailed him. Only Matt knew that he was coming.
“Monsieur Kunimitsu Tezuka?”
“Yes.” Wow, he almost said. His Kojiroh’s fashion show had a security guard. He did not expect the superstar treatment on the show.
The guard checked the pass one last time, making sure that it wasn’t fake. “You may come in.”
“Merci beacoup.” Tezuka gave the guard a curt nod before proceeding inside. His insides were churning, his heart was racing. It was as if he was courting Saeki or asking his hand in marriage.
He glanced at the bouquet of roses in his hand. Perhaps he should’ve thought of proposing.
It wasn’t as if he was speeding things up; he was sure Saeki would not feel pressured or chained. They had been together for years now and they had talked about marriage some time ago. It wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if he proposed now.
“Excuse me, mademoiselle. Do you know where Monsieur Kojiroh Saeki is?”
The girl batted her eyelashes. Tezuka would’ve groaned if it weren’t for his manners.
“Oui. Turn right on the next corner. He is doing the final retouches on the models.”
“Merci.”
But he had no ring, Tezuka thought as he walked towards the corner the girl pointed at. If he was proposing, he needed a ring. No one proposed without a ring.
He stopped his tracks before turning. Come to think about it, he didn’t need a stupid ring. The ring was just a symbol but it did not mean he could not propose marriage to the man he loved. He could buy the ring later.
Tezuka breathed in deep. God. He was not prepared for this.
But he was damn well going through with it.
Clasping the stems of the roses tightly, he trudged on. He was just supposed to surprise Saeki only with presence. The marriage proposal just might surprise him too much.
He couldn’t wait to see the smile on the silver-haired’s face.
Kojiroh, I know this is all so sudden but I love you. I didn’t really think this through but I don’t really think I do. Will you-
Tea-tinted eyes widened, feet seemingly glued to the floor. He could not move, he could not even think. He did not even want to look at the scene in front of him. He didn’t want to believe it was happening.
But it was. His boyfriend, the person he was thinking about proposing to just a while ago was there just a few meters away from him - lips locked with someone else’s.
“Kunimitsu…”
There was complete shock in those ocean orbs. Saeki had clearly not expected him to be there and he definitely did not want him to witness the kiss. And he knew that there was no way he could say that it was just how people greet each other in Paris. The kiss had been too intimate and Tezuka wasn’t stupid.
Tezuka closed his eyes, biting the inside of his lower lip to keep his tears at bay. Surprisingly, he found that his feet could still move. He tried to offer Saeki a small smile but he couldn’t.
He handed the roses to the silver haired. He reached out, gingerly running his fingers on Saeki’s face. He wanted to be angry and perhaps he should be but he couldn’t find it in his heart to be so. Perhaps it hadn’t really sunken in.
“Congratulations, Kojiroh.” There was a lump in his throat and it made his voice seem like it wasn’t his. He just gazed at those eyes for another second, drowning in them. He placed a small kiss on Saeki’s cheek.
“Goodbye.”
.tsuzuku
.3426 words.
.Okiayu Ryotarou’s birthday.
.07:47p.
Notes:
[1] New York Stock Exchange
[2] In the dictionary I have with me, Mitsu could also be translated as ‘honey’.
author: yumeyana
rating: PG-13
genre: drama, angst, sap and a little humor
themes: 07, 21, 25, 28
summary: The immune system protects the body, while vitamins strengthen it. The bones have - what was the name of those pills he saw in a commercial? - Wada Calcium CD3 to bring calcium back to them. What did their relationship have?
previous chapters can be found here: Until then...
crossposted @ 30_kisses, potfics, tenipuri_yaoi and @ my fic journal, quilled_dreams where it sleeps.
Author’s Notes: This is going to be one long chapter and I hope you’ll stay with me until the end. I couldn’t cut it into two parts since that will leave you hanging too much. To make it easier, I cut it into sequences. I’ll try to update this with the next chapter in the fastest time possible. Also, I know so little French so forgive me.
Disclaimers: Tennis no Oujisama and all its characters are not mine. Only the plot is.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Until Then [Part IV]
Chapter Twelve: Our Separate Lives
01.
Saeki had never felt happier in his life.
Well perhaps he could name a few other instances that he was happier than he was now but they weren’t exactly coming to mind right now as he ran all the way home. Sure, it was really more than a few blocks from the school but the adrenaline rushing through his veins made sure that he didn’t even realize the length he just ran. Happiness did that to people, he heard.
Tezuka couldn’t wait for his boyfriend to come home.
Of all the people enrolled in his University who submitted an application for that particular company in Japan, it was him, Tezuka Kunimitsu, who they picked to work for them. It was a position highly coveted by the students and he had it.
He had it. Him. Tezuka Kunimitsu.
“MIT-CHAN!!”
Tezuka turned his head - his attention - from the television program he wasn’t really watching to his barely breathing boyfriend. He was supposed to be worried, he knew, but somehow that big grin on Saeki’s face erased them all.
“You will not believe what just happened!”
It was a day full of good news, the bespectacled one thought. “You have some good news as well?”
Saeki nodded. “’As well’? That means you have one, too?” A nod. “You go first.”
“No, you first. You’re going to explode if you don’t say it and I don’t want to spend the rest of my life trying to put you back together.”
The silver-haired laughed, encircled his arms around Tezuka and kissed him. “That was a mushy joke, you realize that don’t you?”
“Yes,” Tezuka answered, laughing as well.
“Anyway, Hikari-sensei talked to me today about the school in New York that picks one student from Japan every year and guess what?” Saeki’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “They picked me!”
“They picked you? That’s marvelous, Kojiroh!”
“Isn’t it?” He took off the other’s glasses, kissing the tip of his nose. “So, what’s yours?”
Chocolate eyes blinked. Wait, he thought. If Saeki was picked, that would mean he would go to New York. But New York was miles and miles away from Japan where Tezuka would have to stay because of his job. And staying would mean he would be away from his boyfriend for who knows how long…
They had discussed this before, the possibility that Saeki would be accepted there. If ever that would happen, the silver-haired asked, would Tezuka come with him there? And of course, the latter said that he would.
He promised he would.
But the job…
“Mit-chan?”
He shrugged, smiling softly at his boyfriend. “I decided to apply for a Masters Degree in New York. It would help me get into NYSE [1], ne?”
He watched as Saeki beamed and shower him with kisses, toppling them over the couch. Thank heavens for the couch, Tezuka thought. His bones weren’t entirely the strongest of bones.
“That means you’re coming with me?”
“Unless you don’t want me to…”
“Of course, I want you to be there, honey.”
“Practicing your English now by starting to say ‘Mitsu’ in English?” [2]
“Tezuka Kunimitsu,” Saeki said, grinning as kissed his boyfriend again. “Since when did you learn how to make people laugh?”
“Since I met you, Kojiroh.”
It’s ok, Tezuka thought. Even if he would turn down the job he had wanted for so long, he would be with Saeki in New York and he would be able to fulfill his promise. He would be able to find another job, especially since he would have a masters degree. He would become more competent, more in demand, more knowledgeable…
…and who knows? The NYSE just might be the right path to take.
02.
“Tadaimaaaa…”
Tezuka looked up from his laptop, greeting the other with a soft “okaeri nasai” as he stood from his seat and walked towards him. Saeki was drunk, he could tell just from his boyfriend’s voice. Just how he got drunk, he didn’t know.
“Where were you?” he asked, keeping his voice as soft as he could. It was not the best to ask that in a commanding voice; he would sound as if he was reprimanding Saeki. “You didn’t call to tell me you were coming home late.”
“Mr. Crawford was promoted. The fellows decided to have a party for him.” The silver-haired one was practically draped on him, unable to stand on his own. “It was so much fun! Even Mr. Crawfish…”
“Crawford.”
“I want Crawfish. What’s the problem with calling him that?”
“Nothing, Koji.”
“Thazz right! Nothing’s wrong…” He paused. “I need to throw up.”
Tezuka quickly carried Saeki to the bathroom before he threw up everything he drank and probably ate. He ran his hand up and down his boyfriend’s back, watching him silently. It wasn’t really the drinking that had Tezuka concerned; it was in not knowing where he was. Saeki knew he would be worried, knew he should’ve called. He could’ve fetched him wherever he was especially since the silver-haired one was too drunk to go home by himself.
“Kojiroh?”
He fell asleep…
There were a million questions he wanted to ask his boyfriend but now wasn’t the right time. He picked him up, cleaning him before carrying him to the bedroom. What was happening to them, he wanted to ask. The first few months in New York were ok. Sure, there were occasional petty arguments about who forgot to buy the groceries or who was supposed to be in charge of cooking but other than that, they were doing fine.
But lately…
Lately, we’re falling apart.
He changed Saeki’s attire and tucked him in bed. He had some things he needed to finish before going to bed as well. He had two reports he needed to hand in tomorrow.
Why does it seem there’s a fence slowly building in between us?
03.
“Hello, Matt? This is Kunimitsu Tezuka. Yes, Kojiroh’s boyfriend. Have you heard from him recently? No?” A sigh. “So you haven’t seen him in class as well? Ok. If you hear anything… yes, thank you. Goodbye.”
Tezuka sighed for the thousandth time, closing his eyes. He took off his glasses and buried his face in his hands. It has been roughly a week since Saeki had gone missing. He had called everyone they knew, including Fuji and Atobe in Japan, but there had been no sign of him still. He had already reported the disappearance to the police and even they haven’t given him anything.
Kojiroh, where are you?
He quickly grabbed his ringing phone, hoping that it would be his boyfriend’s voice he’d hear.
“Hello. Kojiroh?”
「 Sorry. This is Syusuke. 」
“Syusuke, hi. How are you?”
「 I’m fine. I take it that he isn’t home yet. 」
“No. I’ve called his classmates again but they haven’t heard from him, too.”
「 Have you called his mobile phone? 」
“Yes. It’s still off.” He leaned back on the couch. It seemed so big now that it was only him occupying it. “I don’t get it, Syusuke. Why did he just run off without telling me?”
「 Did you fight before he left? 」
“No. Not a big fight, anyway. Just something small because I forgot to pay the landlady. It couldn’t be because of that, right? God, Syusuke.”
「 Calm down, buchou. It’s not good if you panic. 」
“I’m not panicking. Not much. Just really worried.” He sighed. “And why are you still calling me ‘buchou’? You sound like Echizen and Momoshiro.”
「 Because that’s who you are, Mitsu. Our leader. And speaking of them, Momo sends his regards. We bumped into each other the other day. 」
“Send him my regards as well. I need to go, Syusuke. Kojiroh might be calling.”
「 Sure. Call me when he gets home, ok? Take care, Mitsu. 」
“Take care as well. My regards to Atobe and everyone there.”
One week, he thought as he let the phone slip from his fingers. Why would Saeki disappear without a word? Even his classmates didn’t know a thing.
Why, Kojiroh?
「 Notice me. Take my hand.
Why are we stranger’s land? 」
Just as his eyes were about to close from exhaustion, Tezuka heard a car stop in front of their house. He stood up as quickly as he could, not minding the headache he had incurred because of the sudden movement. His eyes widened as he saw Saeki emerging from the car. There was a rush of relief - Kojiroh’s finally home! - but…
He couldn’t explain it, the feeling in his heart. It was constricting, painful. How could seeing his boyfriend wink at someone he couldn’t even see bring so much pain in his heart?
Jealousy has never been a good thing. Stop it, Kunimitsu!
But it wasn’t really jealousy. He knew it wasn’t really that.
“Hey,” Saeki greeted as he saw Tezuka standing near the doorway. He passed by without anything as much as a hug. It was as if the darker haired one wasn’t his boyfriend.
Tezuka sighed softly, letting it pass. “Hey,” he said, trying his best to soften his voice. “Where have you been?”
The silver-haired shrugged, nonchalant. “Around.”
“You didn’t call me…”
Saeki sighed, obviously not in the mood for any interrogation. “I’m tired, Kunimitsu.” Tezuka slightly raised an eyebrow as he heard his first name and not the nickname his boyfriend always used. “Ask those questions tomorrow.”
Tomorrow, Tezuka wanted to ask. It was just three in the afternoon and that meant over twelve hours of sleeping. Saeki had never slept that long. He had always been a sleep-hater. Something wasn’t falling into place here.
“I was worried about you, Ko. You could at least tell me where you went.” He knew he was pressing and it probably piss his boyfriend off but dammit, he was concerned.
“I’m here and alive so stop worrying like my mother because you’re not her. She’s dead. I don’t need you to act as my surrogate mother because I’ve got one as well!”
He tried to keep his temper down. Fighting fire with fire wouldn’t do anyone good. But this situation was certainly getting on his nerves - probably more than it was pissing Saeki off.
“I’m not mothering you, Kojiroh.” There was a protest ready to burst out of the other but he trudged on. “I’m just concerned. I’m your boyfriend; I have a right to be.”
There was a slight flinch and something in Tezuka’s gut told him something he wanted to ignore. It wasn’t possible. It can’t be.
He waited for Saeki to answer him but the other just turned his heel. “Whatever,” he muttered. And with a shrug, he left the room.
Tezuka could not - or most probably did not¬ want to - understand but somehow, it felt like he was watching Saeki walk away from him forever.
04.
It was another late night at the University. Crawford had given him an impossible assignment but he liked it because it meant that his professor trusted him. And that trust would get him far.
He pulled in his car in the drive way, smiling as he saw his boyfriend’s car in their already. They have been drifting apart lately and it was all thanks to Tezuka’s patience and love that they were doing better nowadays. He shut off the engine as quickly as possible; he couldn’t wait to be with his boyfriend tonight. Tezuka was his inspiration and the reason why Crawford trusted him completely.
“Tadaima,” he called out.
There was no answer. Saeki assumed that Tezuka was busy and drowning in his work so much that he did not hear him. That was the case most of the time. And it was better since the silver-haired one could surprise his boyfriend.
Blue eyes widened at the scene in front of him. There was his boyfriend, hovering above some girl. They were obviously having fun - his Kunimitsu was smiling widely. This was not the scene he wanted to come home to.
Saeki charged straight to Tezuka. He did not want to speak and dammit he did not want to talk. But he would indeed give him a piece of his mind.
Tezuka’s lips curved into a smile as he saw his boyfriend approach. “Koji-” His eyes widened. Saeki wasn’t approaching. He was moving in as if he was going to attack. “Kojiroh, what the-”
“Bastard,” Saeki muttered as he punched Tezuka without a second’s hesitation. The latter saw fury in those sea-tinted orbs before he turned around and walked away.
Murmuring a small apology to his companion, Tezuka followed his boyfriend. Saeki was sure fast to head up to their room, he thought as he nursed that rather painful bruise on his right cheek. The silver-haired could pack a powerful punch indeed.
“Fuck off,” Saeki said as he opened the door.
Tezuka ignored his words, closing the door behind him. “What was that all about, Kojiroh?”
“No. You tell me what the fuck was that about,” the silver-haired shot back, pointing at the general direction of the door. “I thought we were supposed to fix this relationship, Kunimitsu. Nice way of fixing it.”
“I don’t understand…”
“You brought a damn girl in the house! You dare flirt with your woman in our house!”
Tezuka blinked, the information sinking in. He ran his hand through his hair as he slowly walked towards his boyfriend. There had been some sort of misunderstanding…
“Marie is my classmate, Koji. We’re not doing anything you and I would do.” He sat beside the other, clasping Saeki’s hand with both of his. “Plus, I don’t think I’d want to flirt with her.
“And why would that be?”
“Because she’s a girl, Koji. And in case you have forgotten, I’m gay.” Tezuka smiled, slowly running his fingers across his boyfriend’s face. “I like men.”
Saeki bit his lip, a nervous smile now forming on his lips. He had over-reacted and have overlooked that one fact. He sighed. He should have never doubted Tezuka.
“I’m sorry, Mit-chan.”
“It’s alright, Koji. It’s alright.” Tezuka pulled him close, enveloping him in a warm embrace. “I love you.”
He felt his boyfriend smile. “I love you, too.”
Tezuka buried his face in those silver locks, thinking about what happened earlier. Too much jealousy wasn’t good in a relationship and theirs had too much nowadays. He couldn’t get why it did; there wasn’t really any excuse for it to grow between them.
He remembered one those discussions in the Psychology class he took some time ago. There was a chance that Saeki was projecting his feelings because he was guilty of what he was accusing Tezuka. But there wasn’t any evidence that Saeki was fooling around with someone else. Or at least, so he knew.
He really wished that the theory did not apply to them.
He sighed inwardly. This wasn’t doing anyone good. What he needed to think about was a way for them to overcome the shakiness of their relationship. But…
The immune system protects the body, while vitamins strengthen it. The bones have - what was the name of those pills he saw in a commercial? - Wada Calcium CD3 to bring calcium back to them. What did their relationship have?
He closed his eyes. He wished their own immune system had enough anti-bodies.
05.
ore_sama: Hey, cousin. How are you and Sae doing?
k_tezuka: We’re doing ok, Atobe.
ore_sama: ‘Ok’? ‘Ok’ doesn’t sound good, Tezuka.
k_tezuka: You’ve been watching too many Sex and the City reruns.
k_tezuka: We’re doing just fine. Kojiroh just graduated and Paris is calling him.
ore_sama: I am not!
ore_sama: I hope we’re not talking about Paris Hilton here, ahn?
k_tezuka: Are you sure you’re Atobe and not Oshitari? Or Amane perhaps?
ore_sama: (¬ ¬) You dare doubt ore-sama?
k_tezuka: Just checking.
ore_sama: I will forget that comment, Tezuka. And only because you’re my cousin.
ore_sama: Are you going to him to Paris?
k_tezuka: No. NYSE did not permit me.
k_tezuka: I’ll be visiting him though. I’ve accumulated at least two months worth of vacation leave. And there are phones.
ore_sama: Are you sure you’re ok?
k_tezuka: Yes. How’s Syusuke?
06.
It had been three months, eleven days and seventeen minutes since he last saw Saeki. Excitement was flowing in his veins as he stepped out of the car. He could not wait to see his boyfriend.
Tezuka had demanded that he be given the vacation leave he had petitioned for. It was the leave or he was quitting NYSE. He would not miss his boyfriend’s debut in the fashion world.
They gave him the leave.
“I am sorry, monsieur but this part is off limits to the public,” the guard said in French.
Fortunately, he had learned French while back in New York. He knew it would come in handy when he visited Saeki. He gave the visitor’s pass their friend Matt had mailed him. Only Matt knew that he was coming.
“Monsieur Kunimitsu Tezuka?”
“Yes.” Wow, he almost said. His Kojiroh’s fashion show had a security guard. He did not expect the superstar treatment on the show.
The guard checked the pass one last time, making sure that it wasn’t fake. “You may come in.”
“Merci beacoup.” Tezuka gave the guard a curt nod before proceeding inside. His insides were churning, his heart was racing. It was as if he was courting Saeki or asking his hand in marriage.
He glanced at the bouquet of roses in his hand. Perhaps he should’ve thought of proposing.
It wasn’t as if he was speeding things up; he was sure Saeki would not feel pressured or chained. They had been together for years now and they had talked about marriage some time ago. It wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if he proposed now.
“Excuse me, mademoiselle. Do you know where Monsieur Kojiroh Saeki is?”
The girl batted her eyelashes. Tezuka would’ve groaned if it weren’t for his manners.
“Oui. Turn right on the next corner. He is doing the final retouches on the models.”
“Merci.”
But he had no ring, Tezuka thought as he walked towards the corner the girl pointed at. If he was proposing, he needed a ring. No one proposed without a ring.
He stopped his tracks before turning. Come to think about it, he didn’t need a stupid ring. The ring was just a symbol but it did not mean he could not propose marriage to the man he loved. He could buy the ring later.
Tezuka breathed in deep. God. He was not prepared for this.
But he was damn well going through with it.
Clasping the stems of the roses tightly, he trudged on. He was just supposed to surprise Saeki only with presence. The marriage proposal just might surprise him too much.
He couldn’t wait to see the smile on the silver-haired’s face.
Kojiroh, I know this is all so sudden but I love you. I didn’t really think this through but I don’t really think I do. Will you-
Tea-tinted eyes widened, feet seemingly glued to the floor. He could not move, he could not even think. He did not even want to look at the scene in front of him. He didn’t want to believe it was happening.
But it was. His boyfriend, the person he was thinking about proposing to just a while ago was there just a few meters away from him - lips locked with someone else’s.
“Kunimitsu…”
There was complete shock in those ocean orbs. Saeki had clearly not expected him to be there and he definitely did not want him to witness the kiss. And he knew that there was no way he could say that it was just how people greet each other in Paris. The kiss had been too intimate and Tezuka wasn’t stupid.
Tezuka closed his eyes, biting the inside of his lower lip to keep his tears at bay. Surprisingly, he found that his feet could still move. He tried to offer Saeki a small smile but he couldn’t.
He handed the roses to the silver haired. He reached out, gingerly running his fingers on Saeki’s face. He wanted to be angry and perhaps he should be but he couldn’t find it in his heart to be so. Perhaps it hadn’t really sunken in.
“Congratulations, Kojiroh.” There was a lump in his throat and it made his voice seem like it wasn’t his. He just gazed at those eyes for another second, drowning in them. He placed a small kiss on Saeki’s cheek.
“Goodbye.”
.tsuzuku
.3426 words.
.Okiayu Ryotarou’s birthday.
.07:47p.
Notes:
[1] New York Stock Exchange
[2] In the dictionary I have with me, Mitsu could also be translated as ‘honey’.