[FIC] Never Let This End (TezuFuji; PG)
Title: Never Let This End
By: nikki hiiragizawa
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Tezuka Kunimitsu x Fuji Syusuke
Rating: PG
Genre: light romance, drama
Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis (c) Konomi Takeshi-sensei.
Notes: inspired by Aiaigasa by Tegomass; ending song to Neo Angelique ~Abyss~. Read notes after the fic.
Special thanks: to yumeyana and mienai_hoshi for their input :).
It is only a little past five yet it is already dark inside the club room. I could only make out silhouettes of the benches, the shelves, and some rackets leaned against the wall. I could hear the rumble of rain outside, its large drops falling on the roof of the clubroom and making a weird echoing sound. Trying my best not to step on any stray tennis ball and making a note to scold the team for not cleaning up before hurrying home, I grab my bag and step outside.
Everyone in the team had hurried home despite the pouring rain. They probably long for the comfort of their homes in the midst of the cold weather. Everyone had made haste to open their umbrellas, walk into the rain, and try to go home before the rainy afternoon turns to a gloomy night.
Everyone except him.
I lock the clubroom and prepare to leave when I see him standing within the little sheltered space under the clubroom's roof. His back is against the wall, keeping it dry, but the ends of his sleeves are soaking wet. The tips of his shoes catch the falling drops from the roof's edge. His bag is slung over a shoulder, carefully kept close to his side. He is watching the sky, a worried look creasing his brow.
He must have noticed that I am watching him, for he gives a slight start and turns towards me. I see a moment of confusion in his eyes, as if he was deciding whether he should speak to me or not. In a split second, though, the confusion disappears and is replaced by his generic cheeriness.
"The rain is not stopping soon, Tezuka," he reports the obvious. He sighs and leans his head against the wall, watching the drops fall mercilessly to make puddles on the ground.
I wonder why he was not yet hurrying home. I wonder if he even had an umbrella with him. I plan on asking him but the words died in my throat. I inwardly sigh. It is always like this. Everytime I want to say something I couldn't find the words to use. In the end, I merely keep the thought to myself and render the words too trivial to be spoken out loud.
He merely stands there watching the rain, not pressing me to ask questions and not even expecting me to comment on anything. I stand beside him quietly, pondering on what to do next. Should I leave him be?
Eventually, I find myself opening my own black umbrella and placing it over us. He looks up in surprise. I keep my hand steady, firmly holding the umbrella between us. Smiling, he mutters a thanks. We slowly walk away from the clubroom, the rain swallowing us in its coldness.
***
"I never thought it would rain this afternoon," he tells me as we walk along a usually busy street. The street now look bare. There are only a few people walking and only the lights streaming from the shop windows greet us with warm invitations. The rain patter on the sidewalk, drumming on our umbrella and making it impossible to hear sounds around us. "I guess I need to watch the forecast more," he continues with a light laugh. I drink in the light tingle of his voice, oblivious to anything else.
How long had it been since I first found myself mesmerized by the sound of his voice? It was way back during second year, during those times he was helping me with classical history. He was reading to me the questions with his voice barely above a whisper. I realized then how I liked his voice. It was comforting, cheerful, gently coaxing me to open up to him.
As time went by, however, I realized that I like not only his voice. His fierce eyes, the way his brown hair falls lightly on his face, the little changes in his expression before he puts on that smiling mask of his: I have started liking them all. It was quite a dangerous development, for in some days I cannot resist passing by his classroom or accidentally bumping to him during recess just to see him and hear his voice. Inui once said he observed that I have an obsession. I told him to run 50 laps.
"Tezuka, are you alright?" he suddenly asks and I am taken back under the umbrella, with him walking beside me.
"Yes, I'm fine," I assure him.
He blinks at me before grinning. "That's good because you're about to step into a puddle." I hastily edge my foot away from the pool of water and he laughs his tinkly, warm laugh. I find myself smiling in spite of myself.
We continue walking. I tighten my hold on the umbrella's handle when I notice drops of water falling from the umbrella to his shoulder. Instinctively, I switch the umbrella to my other hand and hold his shoulder, pulling him closer so he will not get wet.
He looks up in surprise. "Tezuka?" I could feel his unsteady breathing because of my sudden movement. His eyes are wide and his mouth is partly open. A few moments pass and the surprised look on his face is replaced by a rather sheepish reaction. "W-what..."
I let go of his shoulder immediately. I soon feel reget as my hand feel cold once more when I let it fall to my side. I shift the umbrella back to that hand. "You were getting wet," I say matter-of-factly, even though my hand is aching to hold him again.
"Oh, thanks." He walks closer to me, his hair almost touching my shoulder. Despite the coldness, I feel warm. I seem to have walked faster than before, for he reaches out and pulls my elbow as he tries to keep up. His hand remains on my arm, a warm pulse that sends blood to my face and tingles in my nerves. "Wait, Tezuka," he breathed.
Time seemed to freeze under the umbrella. An understanding suddenly comes to me, at this time and place.
I realize how much I am in love.
How deeply I have fallen.
It is amazing, what happens when I realize what I feel. It is like a surge of reactions flood my senses and I am suddenly more aware of him. I feel too sensitive of him walking beside me, of the warm hand resting on my arm, of the slight intake of breath he does. My heart must have been pounding hard but I never notice it. I want to call out his name, to make him look at me. I want to hold his hand and to embrace him. I feel elated yet I feel sad for reasons I cannot fathom. I ball my other hand to a fist, trying to keep my feelings to myself as the memories come gushing to me. Memories of why I love this person so much.
"Ah, we're almost here," he suddenly says. I look at him. It is true. The station is just right there. He needs to board the train to go home while I need to go to the bus stop. He lets go of my arm.
But I do not want to let him go.
The stoplight turns red for us. He shifts his balance and very slightly, leans against me as we wait on the sidewalk. People are starting to crowd around us, all of them waiting for the light to change. Everyone is ready to move on to the other side.
Everyone except me.
I absently place a protective hand on his back as the people press closer. I silently wish the light won't change colors. I don't want to end this moment just yet, not when I've barely realized how much I wanted to be with this person.
"Tezuka, is something wrong?"
He is looking at me. I long to touch his face and gently sweep the hair falling to his forehead. His face looks a little flushed, probably because of the cold.
"I'm fine."
He does not seem to believe me, but he does not say so. Instead, he relaxes at my hand on his back and smiles a little. I fix my eyes on the stoplight until it turns green. We cross the street with the crowd, my hand on his back dropping back to my side.
I want to tell him.
I want to tell him now, before the moment is lost forever -- before I burst in uncontrollable emotions.
We stepped on the sidewalk on the other side. The train station is just a stone's throw away. My hands are shaking. I swallow before facing his smiling face.
"Fuji..."
"Ah, it seems that the rain has stopped!"
I stared at his bright eyes, which are looking above us. I slowly folded the umbrella. The sky is now back to its afternoon haze. For a moment, I forget what I am to say, until he asks me. "Are you about to say something, Tezuka?"
"I..." I look at Fuji's inquisitive face, his smile unnerving me. "Take care going home."
Fuji pauses for a moment before chuckling. "Oh. Well then, I guess I'll have to go." He pats my shoulder lightly. "Take care going home, too. Tezuka."
I feel like giving myself 100 laps for idiocy and inability to express how I feel.
"Bye. I'll see you tomorrow!" Fuji turns around and gives a small wave before heading towards the station.
I watch until he disappears into the crowd. Tomorrow, huh?
I look up to the clear sky. I pray that tomorrow, it will rain again.
Probably, no, definitely, it will rain. For unlike Fuji, I watch the forecast.
Maybe tomorrow, Fuji will forget his umbrella again.
Maybe. Hopefully.
Maybe he will learn to love me, too.
.end.
Notes:
• This fic is inspired by Aiaigasa by Tegomass. It's a wonderful love song and it captured my heart. [download mp3] [lyrics] [youtube]. Listening to the song will make you feel the fic more, hopefully.
• This fic has a Tagalog/Filipino alter-POV. This means Fuji's POV is in Tagalog :D. Why do I do that? It's just that it's been my wish ever since to be able to write a serious Tagalog fic (I wrote a Tagalog crack!TezuFuji fic once though...LOL). And since it's my birthday today, I decided to grant my own wish xD. So hopefully, if you're a Filipina, you will like it. Maligayang Linggo ng Wika (advanced XD).
The Tagalog sequel is here ♥
• Will I translate the Tagalog part? ...Maybe ^^. If anyone wants :).
Thank you for reading! ♥
By: nikki hiiragizawa
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Tezuka Kunimitsu x Fuji Syusuke
Rating: PG
Genre: light romance, drama
Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis (c) Konomi Takeshi-sensei.
Notes: inspired by Aiaigasa by Tegomass; ending song to Neo Angelique ~Abyss~. Read notes after the fic.
Special thanks: to yumeyana and mienai_hoshi for their input :).
It is only a little past five yet it is already dark inside the club room. I could only make out silhouettes of the benches, the shelves, and some rackets leaned against the wall. I could hear the rumble of rain outside, its large drops falling on the roof of the clubroom and making a weird echoing sound. Trying my best not to step on any stray tennis ball and making a note to scold the team for not cleaning up before hurrying home, I grab my bag and step outside.
Everyone in the team had hurried home despite the pouring rain. They probably long for the comfort of their homes in the midst of the cold weather. Everyone had made haste to open their umbrellas, walk into the rain, and try to go home before the rainy afternoon turns to a gloomy night.
Everyone except him.
I lock the clubroom and prepare to leave when I see him standing within the little sheltered space under the clubroom's roof. His back is against the wall, keeping it dry, but the ends of his sleeves are soaking wet. The tips of his shoes catch the falling drops from the roof's edge. His bag is slung over a shoulder, carefully kept close to his side. He is watching the sky, a worried look creasing his brow.
He must have noticed that I am watching him, for he gives a slight start and turns towards me. I see a moment of confusion in his eyes, as if he was deciding whether he should speak to me or not. In a split second, though, the confusion disappears and is replaced by his generic cheeriness.
"The rain is not stopping soon, Tezuka," he reports the obvious. He sighs and leans his head against the wall, watching the drops fall mercilessly to make puddles on the ground.
I wonder why he was not yet hurrying home. I wonder if he even had an umbrella with him. I plan on asking him but the words died in my throat. I inwardly sigh. It is always like this. Everytime I want to say something I couldn't find the words to use. In the end, I merely keep the thought to myself and render the words too trivial to be spoken out loud.
He merely stands there watching the rain, not pressing me to ask questions and not even expecting me to comment on anything. I stand beside him quietly, pondering on what to do next. Should I leave him be?
Eventually, I find myself opening my own black umbrella and placing it over us. He looks up in surprise. I keep my hand steady, firmly holding the umbrella between us. Smiling, he mutters a thanks. We slowly walk away from the clubroom, the rain swallowing us in its coldness.
***
"I never thought it would rain this afternoon," he tells me as we walk along a usually busy street. The street now look bare. There are only a few people walking and only the lights streaming from the shop windows greet us with warm invitations. The rain patter on the sidewalk, drumming on our umbrella and making it impossible to hear sounds around us. "I guess I need to watch the forecast more," he continues with a light laugh. I drink in the light tingle of his voice, oblivious to anything else.
How long had it been since I first found myself mesmerized by the sound of his voice? It was way back during second year, during those times he was helping me with classical history. He was reading to me the questions with his voice barely above a whisper. I realized then how I liked his voice. It was comforting, cheerful, gently coaxing me to open up to him.
As time went by, however, I realized that I like not only his voice. His fierce eyes, the way his brown hair falls lightly on his face, the little changes in his expression before he puts on that smiling mask of his: I have started liking them all. It was quite a dangerous development, for in some days I cannot resist passing by his classroom or accidentally bumping to him during recess just to see him and hear his voice. Inui once said he observed that I have an obsession. I told him to run 50 laps.
"Tezuka, are you alright?" he suddenly asks and I am taken back under the umbrella, with him walking beside me.
"Yes, I'm fine," I assure him.
He blinks at me before grinning. "That's good because you're about to step into a puddle." I hastily edge my foot away from the pool of water and he laughs his tinkly, warm laugh. I find myself smiling in spite of myself.
We continue walking. I tighten my hold on the umbrella's handle when I notice drops of water falling from the umbrella to his shoulder. Instinctively, I switch the umbrella to my other hand and hold his shoulder, pulling him closer so he will not get wet.
He looks up in surprise. "Tezuka?" I could feel his unsteady breathing because of my sudden movement. His eyes are wide and his mouth is partly open. A few moments pass and the surprised look on his face is replaced by a rather sheepish reaction. "W-what..."
I let go of his shoulder immediately. I soon feel reget as my hand feel cold once more when I let it fall to my side. I shift the umbrella back to that hand. "You were getting wet," I say matter-of-factly, even though my hand is aching to hold him again.
"Oh, thanks." He walks closer to me, his hair almost touching my shoulder. Despite the coldness, I feel warm. I seem to have walked faster than before, for he reaches out and pulls my elbow as he tries to keep up. His hand remains on my arm, a warm pulse that sends blood to my face and tingles in my nerves. "Wait, Tezuka," he breathed.
Time seemed to freeze under the umbrella. An understanding suddenly comes to me, at this time and place.
I realize how much I am in love.
How deeply I have fallen.
It is amazing, what happens when I realize what I feel. It is like a surge of reactions flood my senses and I am suddenly more aware of him. I feel too sensitive of him walking beside me, of the warm hand resting on my arm, of the slight intake of breath he does. My heart must have been pounding hard but I never notice it. I want to call out his name, to make him look at me. I want to hold his hand and to embrace him. I feel elated yet I feel sad for reasons I cannot fathom. I ball my other hand to a fist, trying to keep my feelings to myself as the memories come gushing to me. Memories of why I love this person so much.
"Ah, we're almost here," he suddenly says. I look at him. It is true. The station is just right there. He needs to board the train to go home while I need to go to the bus stop. He lets go of my arm.
But I do not want to let him go.
The stoplight turns red for us. He shifts his balance and very slightly, leans against me as we wait on the sidewalk. People are starting to crowd around us, all of them waiting for the light to change. Everyone is ready to move on to the other side.
Everyone except me.
I absently place a protective hand on his back as the people press closer. I silently wish the light won't change colors. I don't want to end this moment just yet, not when I've barely realized how much I wanted to be with this person.
"Tezuka, is something wrong?"
He is looking at me. I long to touch his face and gently sweep the hair falling to his forehead. His face looks a little flushed, probably because of the cold.
"I'm fine."
He does not seem to believe me, but he does not say so. Instead, he relaxes at my hand on his back and smiles a little. I fix my eyes on the stoplight until it turns green. We cross the street with the crowd, my hand on his back dropping back to my side.
I want to tell him.
I want to tell him now, before the moment is lost forever -- before I burst in uncontrollable emotions.
We stepped on the sidewalk on the other side. The train station is just a stone's throw away. My hands are shaking. I swallow before facing his smiling face.
"Fuji..."
"Ah, it seems that the rain has stopped!"
I stared at his bright eyes, which are looking above us. I slowly folded the umbrella. The sky is now back to its afternoon haze. For a moment, I forget what I am to say, until he asks me. "Are you about to say something, Tezuka?"
"I..." I look at Fuji's inquisitive face, his smile unnerving me. "Take care going home."
Fuji pauses for a moment before chuckling. "Oh. Well then, I guess I'll have to go." He pats my shoulder lightly. "Take care going home, too. Tezuka."
I feel like giving myself 100 laps for idiocy and inability to express how I feel.
"Bye. I'll see you tomorrow!" Fuji turns around and gives a small wave before heading towards the station.
I watch until he disappears into the crowd. Tomorrow, huh?
I look up to the clear sky. I pray that tomorrow, it will rain again.
Probably, no, definitely, it will rain. For unlike Fuji, I watch the forecast.
Maybe tomorrow, Fuji will forget his umbrella again.
Maybe. Hopefully.
Maybe he will learn to love me, too.
.end.
Notes:
• This fic is inspired by Aiaigasa by Tegomass. It's a wonderful love song and it captured my heart. [download mp3] [lyrics] [youtube]. Listening to the song will make you feel the fic more, hopefully.
• This fic has a Tagalog/Filipino alter-POV. This means Fuji's POV is in Tagalog :D. Why do I do that? It's just that it's been my wish ever since to be able to write a serious Tagalog fic (I wrote a Tagalog crack!TezuFuji fic once though...LOL). And since it's my birthday today, I decided to grant my own wish xD. So hopefully, if you're a Filipina, you will like it. Maligayang Linggo ng Wika (advanced XD).
The Tagalog sequel is here ♥
• Will I translate the Tagalog part? ...Maybe ^^. If anyone wants :).
Thank you for reading! ♥