A TezuFuji fic for eliza_natsuko's b-day
Title: MOMENTS WITH YOU
Author: a1y_puff
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Tezuka, Fuji
Genre: Friendship/Humor/fluff. LOL.
Word Count: ±6600 (it’s the longest oneshot I’ve ever written so far)
Rating: PG-13 for a little part in this fic ^^;; (just to be safe though)
Summary: Fuji asked Tezuka if he could room with him. Tezuka agreed. A set of drabbles revolving on Tezuka and Fuji. Domesticity ahead ;p
Warnings: TezuFuji-centric. Possible OOC-ness for the sake of the story (but I prefer to assume they’ve changed a little as they grow up XD). This is kinda light-hearted too, though there’s a very little angst somewhere there.
Disclaimer: PoT and its characters belong to Konomi-sensei, but Tezuka and Fuji belong to each other. Though Miko is MINE XD
special thanks to thallein my wonderful beta for this fic
A/N: For eliza_natsuko, Happy B’daaaay~!
Oh and in 40.5 translation I’ve read, Fuji’s favorite book is interior/decorating magazines. So I’m toying with the idea of Fuji being an Architecture student instead of the usual art or photography student XD;; (well, basically, it’s still has art in it. Fuji is an artist, alright? XD)
~MOMENTS WITH YOU~
/ 00. Decision /
After their high school graduation ceremony, Fuji approached Tezuka with a smile, and commented on how they would miss the school, the tennis club, their teammates and everything else.
Tezuka nodded in silent agreement.
Fuji said he would miss Tezuka as well, and once again, Tezuka just simply nodded in response.
Fuji remarked on his plan to leave home in order to gain independence. Coincidentally, the university he planned to attend was close to Tezuka’s. Fuji knew of Tezuka’s plan of living alone, and inquired to the possibility of rooming together in the near future.
This time, Tezuka took a moment of ponder, before finally agreeing to Fuji’s proposition.
Surely, it wouldn’t hurt to room with someone you considered a close friend… would it?
~*~
/ 01. Housework /
Within the first few days after they moved into the apartment, Tezuka and Fuji had agreed to divide all the chores evenly. Soon after, Tezuka found out that Fuji and cleaning did NOT get along well. When Fuji tried to use a vacuum cleaner, he broke a vase with the hose, and then nearly vacuumed Miko (a six months old kitty Kikumaru had given Fuji in commemoration of Fuji moving out of his parent’s house). The poor kitty was sleeping peacefully on the carpet in the living room, and would have had his fur vacuumed, if Tezuka were even a second late in turning the machine off.
Somehow, Tezuka ended up responsible for the cleaning while Fuji did the laundry and dishes. Tezuka was in charge of budgeting for their monthly expenses, and Fuji took care of their culinary well-being (he learned that not everyone had the same taste as him, and Tezuka had to admit that Fuji was quite a good cook when he took into a normal person’s taste bud). Tezuka fed Miko, and Fuji bathed the kitty once a week.
At least, they managed to live in peace, Tezuka mused. Even though, Miko would jolt and hiss, then run for his life whenever Tezuka turned on the vacuum cleaner.
~*~
/ 02. Habits /
Tezuka liked it when everything was in order. He classified his literature books by the authors, and then arranged them in alphabetical order. He stacked his CDs by the genres of music very neatly. He also had his wardrobe arranged by the occasion of use, and by colors.
Fuji, on the other hand, didn’t care about such “trivial things”. Whenever Tezuka entered Fuji’s room, he was always welcomed by the sight of various knick-knacks sprawled on the floor; books, decorating magazines, some papers, pens, a 60 cm long ruler, a mechanical pencil, some wooden pencils range from 2B to 6B, an eraser, some more papers, drawing pens of various sizes and colors, a scissor, a cutter, and even more papers. He was no longer surprised to see Miko curled up in Fuji’s bed while Fuji sat on his desk, head rested on his folded arms, deep in slumber, with his computer on.
Once, Tezuka told Fuji to be more organized with his belongings (when for the umpteenth time Fuji had borrowed his pen because he had lost his own) and basically, with himself. However Fuji just brushed off the comment with a smile, countering Tezuka’s observation by saying that while it was true he was a little unorganized, Tezuka himself was too strict with his stuffs and with himself.
Tezuka considered himself well organized.
Fuji would better describe him as ‘Obsessive-Compulsive.’
~*~
/ 03. Morning Routines /
Once a habit has been established, it was difficult for Tezuka to change. He still woke up at 5:45 every morning, ahead of his alarm, just like his school days when he had to attend morning practice. Upon waking up, he would turn off his alarm, make his bed and finally head to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth.
Fuji, on the other hand, easily adapted to his new rule free life. He never rose early, even if he set the shrill of his alarm loud enough to wake the dead. Around this time, Tezuka would enter Fuji’s room, turn off the annoying contraption and drag Fuji out from under his covers (he has tried being indulgent once, such as calling out Fuji’s name and lightly shaking his roomate’s shoulders, but Tezuka learned quickly the uselessness of these practices). Dragging the half-asleep tensai by the hand, Tezuka entered the bathroom once more and forced Fuji to wash his face and brush his teeth.
Tezuka believed that even if none of them continued to pursue tennis, keeping their body in shape and healthy was important, hence he always dragged Fuji for a morning jog for the sake of a healthy lifestyle. At first, Fuji did not like the idea, but apparently, the captain side of Tezuka never failed to make him run laps, and soon enough, the lithe boy had gotten used to their morning routines.
After jogging, they would take turns getting a quick shower. Then, Fuji would prepare their breakfast while Tezuka fed Miko his canned cat food and milk. They would eat breakfast while watching the news on TV; sometimes accompanied by small talks about what was being reported.
Both of them have morning classes almost everyday, so at around 7.20 am, they would usually get out of the apartment together and walk side by side until the second intersection. There, Tezuka would nod to Fuji and the latter would wave his hand with a smile, before finally walking their separate ways to their respective campuses.
~*~
/ 04. Small Talks /
Tezuka sometimes wondered why Fuji majored in Architecture. When he asked that, the latter told him that he had been interested in interior design since he was in junior high, and he had always wanted to design his own house; not only from the interior, but also the exterior. And he liked the idea of designing houses and that ‘architect’ sounded kinda cool for an occupation. Tezuka gave no comment on his friend’s last motive.
“What about photography?” he asked again.
“It’s my hobby Tezuka. I don’t want to turn photography from a fun hobby into an annoying task that involved getting good grades and a bunch of other requirements,” he answered simply.
Tezuka grunted in response. Somehow, he understood a little of how Fuji’s mind works. That’s just the way Fuji was, it seemed. Then, just out of curiosity, Tezuka asked why not pursue tennis as a career since he was good at it anyway.
Fuji chuckled. “I just can’t see myself living for and from tennis,” he said frankly. Then, he opened his eyes and smiled bitterly at Tezuka’s left arm before continuing, “though if you were, I might have consider.”
And then silence took over.
~*~
/ 05. Glasses /
Arguably, the mountain of the thick law texts have contributed to Tezuka’s recent worsening eyesight. Unfortunately for Seigaku’s former tennis team captain, mid-term exams were fast approaching and his to-read-list just kept piling up. Tezuka decided it was high time a change in his glasses were needed.
Tezuka dropped by to the nearest optical store on his way home and unexpectedly ran into his infamous roommate, Fuji.
“What are you doing here?” he asked after approaching the vigorously waving boy.
“Looks like my PC have done some damage to my eyes,” Fuji replied as he took a pair of glasses and slipped it on his face, “I don’t have to always wear this though, only if I make my eyes work hard.”
“Hm,” was Tezuka’s only response.
“How do I look?” he asked with a smile.
Tezuka took a good look at his friend’s face. The sleek silver rimmed design made the prodigy look even more intelligent, yet at the same time…
“You look even more like a girl,” Tezuka stated matter-of-factly.
“Mou,” Fuji faked a pout and slapped Tezuka’s shoulder in mock offense.
As he took another look at his now-bespectacled friend, Tezuka couldn’t help but muse that maybe, he should have said Fuji looked beautiful instead.
~*~
/ 06. On a Lazy Sunday /
Tezuka was never one to enjoy going out on his day-off (though he would gladly accept any invitation for a game of tennis). During their school days, he remembered Fuji as someone who liked going out on Sundays; sometimes he would hang out with Kikumaru, other times he would accompany his sister shopping, and sporadically, he would stalk Yuuta and his teammates. And of course there were times when he showed up on Tezuka’s doorstep without previous notification.
However, since they entered university, Tezuka noticed that on Sundays, Fuji would either be accompanying him for a game of tennis, or just doing assignments at home. Sometimes, he would even sleep through the day. It looked like studying architecture brought him many assignments.
Today, after his morning jog (he spared Fuji the jog on Sundays and gave him time to sleep through since he often stayed up late to do his assignments), Tezuka found Fuji slouching on the sofa, watching some random TV show. Upon noticing Tezuka’s presence, Fuji stood up and smiled, saying that breakfast is ready.
None of them were in the mood to go out today, so they decided to just watch TV after breakfast. There was some comedy show airing on TV and though Tezuka would never understand what was so amusing about the show, he relented not to change the channel since Fuji seemed to be enjoying the programming.
As the show went on, Tezuka busied himself by watching Miko contently bathe himself on the one-seat sofa. Suddenly, he felt a sudden weight on his right shoulder. Fuji had fallen soundly asleep.
Honestly, Tezuka felt rather uncomfortable with the proximity, but he didn’t have the heart to wake Fuji up, since he knew the prodigy probably pulled an all-nighter with his last assignment. Sitting rigidly in his seat, he let Fuji be.
The TV was now showing a music program. Miko had finished bathing himself and climbed onto Tezuka’s lap before finally falling asleep with a contented meow. The blue summer sky shimmered through the window reflecting off the clear coffee table. As the warmth of Miko’s sleeping body seeped through his skin and the rhythmic sound of Fuji’s even breathing slowly lured Tezuka to the land of dreams, Tezuka couldn’t help but reflect that at this moment, life was perfectly peaceful.
~*~
/ 07. Of Cooking /
As it was nearing final exams, Fuji became even busier than usual. It meant that Fuji spent more time, isolating himself in his room since his final project for the semester needed to be finished soon. It had been four days since Tezuka spared Fuji from their morning jog, mainly because Fuji only slept about three hours per day, and he still needed to attend classes. Usually, Fuji would still get out of his room to make dinner, but it was now already nine p.m., and Fuji still had not poked his head out of his bedroom door.
Tezuka was hungry.
He had fed Miko on time, and was now deciding to just cook for himself... and for Fuji too, while he was at it. He had little experience with the culinary arts, but he had often helped his mother when he lived at home. Surely, it was not that difficult… right?
After struggling in the kitchen, Tezuka finally cooked something that he thought was decent tasting if one disregards the overly sour taste. He walked to Fuji’s open door and peered inside. Fuji was in his bed, trying to steal some sleep, perhaps. His PC was already turned off. Tezuka shook his roommate’s lithe body lightly. When Fuji was not in deep sleep, it was easier for him to wake up. And Fuji was barely getting any deep sleep these days.
Fuji’s eyes fluttered open. Tezuka told him about dinner. Fuji blinked and promptly sat up while apologizing and promised Tezuka he would prepare dinner soon. Tezuka shook his head and let him know that he had cooked their dinner. Fuji blinked again, and grinned.
After dinner, though, when they were sitting on the couch watching news, Fuji told him that the soup was good but he had put a little too much vinegar, before finally dropping his head on Tezuka’s lap, immediately asleep once again.
As Tezuka remembered that Fuji is not good with sour things, his face got a little paler and he decided not to wake Fuji up for a while.
~*~
/ 08. Midnight Coffee /
Thanks to Fuji’s sleepless night before, he had finished the project one week before the due date. Now, it was time for Tezuka to begin his busy studying schedule since finals were within a week. He really had a lot to read and memorize. Fuji, on the other hand, looked extremely relaxed. Once, Tezuka asked if Fuji was studying at all, and the smiling youth replied cheerfully that he didn’t really need to study at home. He had absorbed most of the things in his class, so now it was time to make up for his lack of sleep that he had to endure the week before.
Tezuka thought, ruefully, that it must be nice to be a prodigy. He wondered if Fuji was capable of memorizing a thick book in one read.
Whenever Tezuka stayed past midnight to study, Fuji would knock on his door and bring two cups of coffee to his room. Tezuka would murmur his thanks and without waiting for permission, Fuji would take his “History of Art” or English book, put on his glasses, and lay on his stomach in Tezuka’s bed, reading.
They barely talk, only study. However, Fuji’s mere presence in his room somehow would make him feel better. It was nice to have a companion. He wondered if that was why Fuji always brought Miko into his room whenever the blue-eyed boy needed to stay up late.
When Tezuka felt really sleepy, he would yawn soundlessly behind his hand, and Fuji would close his book. Then, he would offer to help Fuji bring the cups to the kitchen, and while Fuji washed the dishes, Tezuka would give Miko his midnight milk (the cat would wake up whenever he heard any sound in the kitchen, knowing someone would be there to feed him).
After wishing each other a good night, they retreated to their respective rooms and tried to sleep in the remaining few hours before the sunrise.
~*~
/ 09. Heat /
Their summer break wasn’t going to last long, since both of them were taking summer classes. They were both content to remain in their cool apartment, shielded from the heat of summer.
However, today, the electricity in the whole apartment building was turned off for several hours.
Tezuka was sitting by their dining table; the window beside it wide open. He wore a white sleeveless shirt, facing his laptop. He was now summarizing one of his textbook so it would be easier to read later. A glass of cold orange juice sat in front of him.
Though it was hot, it was not the kind of heat Tezuka was unable to stand.
Not long after, Fuji joined him; he sat across from Tezuka, fanning himself while eating a Popsicle. Topless.
“Fuji, wear something,” Tezuka couldn’t help blurting out.
“I’m wearing my boxers,” the light haired youth replied nonchalantly while continuously licking his Popsicle, and letting out a satisfied moan.
Tezuka felt a sudden rise in temperature that had nothing to do with the heat outside. “Put on a shirt,” he grumbled.
Fuji made a face. “Eeh? But it’s really hot! When would they turn on the electricity again? I need my AC,” he whined.
Tezuka tried to ignore the creamy expanse of skin in front of him, and continued to summarize the chapter in his book. He was not stealing a glance at Fuji. His eyes weren’t drawn to the wet strands of hair on Fuji’s neck. And he was NOT attracted to his friend's torso.
“Oh crap,” Fuji cursed softly, and Tezuka instinctively looked up from his laptop to his friend.
The Popsicle had melted a little, and a drop was now trailing down Fuji’s chin to land on Fuji’s upper chest. As his eyes followed the liquid, he accidentally caught sight of a nipple. Its color was a deep pink, which added a nice touch for his friend’s rather pale skin. They looked really soft too.
Tezuka sweated even more.
The stoic youth mentally kicked himself for his current thoughts. He was NOT supposed to think of such things, especially not of his male friend. This was a mistake, a BIG mistake. It must be the heat. His thoughts were twisted because of the heat.
Fuji excused himself to take a quick shower, and Tezuka could only manage to grunt in reply, not wanting to look up at his friend. When Fuji was out of sight, Tezuka sighed in relief. He once again tried to concentrate on his laptop, but his mind was rather unfocused.
He cursed inwardly. If the weather wasn’t that hot, he would have gone out for a jog to clear his mind.
Not long after, Fuji was back in the dining room. Sitting across from him with a towel draped over his head. His hair was wet from the shower, and several droplets ran freely down his body. Tezuka felt heat rushing up to his face and he groaned inwardly.
Oh, how he needed to run some laps.
~*~
/ 10. Visitors/
Tezuka had no idea how exactly their old team ended up cramped in his apartment. It looked like Oishi and Eiji were on their way to visit them, when they bumped into Inui. The ex-data player then decided that he should pay a visit too. Somehow, Inui managed to arrange some kind of a sudden get together for the old team, at the captain’s apartment.
How nice.
Without expecting this many visitors, Tezuka and Fuji were surprised when they opened the door for them… well, Fuji was surprised, but Tezuka was rather shocked. Within a second, the seven visitors had cramped themselves on their sofa and carpet in the living room; Kikumaru hugged Miko, while Kaidoh secretly stealing glances at the cat, Kawamura took out a huge box of Sushi and Momo was ready to attack the food but Oishi held him back. Inui was already scribbling in his notebook, and Echizen just sat on the one-seat sofa and muttered a ‘mada mada dane’ upon seeing his senpais childish behaviors (ironically, he failed to realize that his ‘mada mada dane’-ing habit also hasn’t changed one bit since his junior high days).
Attracted by the clanking sounds coming from the kitchen, as his masters prepared drinks for the guests, Miko immediately jumped off of Kikumaru and ran to the kitchen. Miko rubbed his head on Tezuka’s leg while meowing in a spoiled manner.
Tezuka was helping Fuji prepare the cups, but Miko’s incessant meowing made him sigh, and he gave up. He walked to the fridge, took out a bottle of milk, and poured it into Miko’s usual plate. Miko gratefully rubbed his head on Tezuka’s leg once more, before contently sipping on his milk.
“Mou, Tezuka, he has had his morning milk two hours ago, and now you’re giving him more?” Fuji said with a sigh.
“He’s noisy,” Tezuka stated matter-of-factly while walking to the stove as the kettle whistled.
“So that’s why he likes you more than me, his original master. You’re spoiling him,” the tensai whined, but Tezuka did not miss the teasing tone in his friend’s voice.
“I’m silencing him,” he replied curtly while waiting for Fuji to finish adding sugar to the cups so he could pour the hot water.
“No, you just couldn’t stand it when Miko throws you that look, right?” Fuji teased again while stirring the cups of tea.
“He’s just being noisy,” Tezuka insisted, picking the tray once Fuji finished stirring.
Echizen, who saw their whole little-quarrel, just smirked and when his two ex-senpais joined the team in the living room, he could no longer resist the urge to comment.
“Buchou, you and Fuji-senpai really look married, ne.”
The whole team immediately laughed-including Fuji-save for Tezuka who just stared blankly at his ex-kouhai.
~*~
/ 11. Hair /
Tezuka noticed that Fuji’s hair has gotten long, but he never commented on it, until one day, Fuji tied his hair on the back of his head in a ponytail
“Your hair,” he blurted out when he saw Fuji in the kitchen, cooking.
“Ah yes, it’s gotten longer. I haven’t had the chance to cut it though, so I tie it. Do you think I should cut it short?”
Tezuka took a good look at Fuji’s hair. It looked really soft and silky, when it fell past his back like that. He couldn’t resist the urge to touch it. If Fuji was surprised by the sudden action, he didn’t show it and merely smiled and continued stirring the soup.
As he had suspected, Fuji’s hair was silky. Tezuka wondered if it was the result of the many hair products in their bathroom. It would be a shame to cut short such beautiful hair, he mused.
“Let it grow,” he finally said. It came out more like a command than a suggestion in Fuji’s opinion.
Not that Fuji minded that, though.
~*~
/ 12. Birthday /
Tezuka’s family did not celebrate any birthday in their family. He failed to remember any incidence of eating a birthday cake or inviting his friends over to his house to celebrate. His father and grandfather would merely wish him a happy birthday every year, and he grew to think that celebrating birthdays was not necessary.
Though he remembered his mother always sneaking into his room right at midnight and wishing him a happy birthday, along with kisses and presents each year.
This year though, his mother couldn’t sneak into his room at night, but she called right at 12 o’clock while he and Fuji was watching some midnight movie. When he ended his phone call with his mother, Fuji was the second person to wish him a happy birthday, apologizing for not being able to buy him a present since his budget this month went to his assignments’ materials. Tezuka brushed off the apology, but Fuji insisted on cooking him something special later for dinner.
Trust Fuji to surprise Tezuka in his unusual way. When he came home from campus that day, he found Fuji beaming at him before finally rushed him to his room and locked it from the outside. Despite Tezuka’s complaints, Fuji refused to let Tezuka out until dinner.
Tezuka wondered if he shouldn't have come straight home today.
When Fuji finally let him out, Tezuka wanted to scowl at him but he was more curious as to why Fuji turned off all the lamps in their apartment. Fuji just smiled at him and dragged him to their dining table. There was no special decoration, just three candles standing on the table, along with… unacha, his favorite dish, and… a chocolate cake. Oh, and let’s not forget that blinding red ribbon attached to Miko’s neck.
Tezuka wanted to comment that candlelight dinner with unacha and chocolate cake was quite… unusual (not to mention that two boys having candlelight dinner was already unusual), but Fuji just laughed and forced him to sit down and enjoy his meal. Tezuka obeyed. After all, Fuji had gone out of his way to prepare the meal for him; he should at least appreciate it.
Having candlelight dinner with his male roommate was weird, not to mention having both unacha and chocolate cake together with it. Who cared about that though, when he got to eat the most delicious unacha he has ever tasted, made by the most loyal friend he has ever had, accompanied by the most beautiful sight of Tokyo lights outside of his window.
Tezuka doubted he would ever forget his nineteenth birthday.
~*~
/ 13. Fever /
Winter came along with midterm exams for the second semester. It could be because of the cold or because he had been staying up way too late studying and writing essays, but Tezuka found himself sprawled on Fuji’s bed, running a fever.
On Fuji’s bed.
Tezuka remembered he could barely walk and almost stumbled on a sleeping Miko this morning when Fuji grabbed his arm too keep him from falling. Fuji had put his hand on his forehead and instantly noticed that Tezuka had a fever. So that was how he ended up on Fuji’s bed. Fuji insisted that he wanted to keep an eye on Tezuka, but he also needed to work on his assignment so he decided Tezuka could sleep in his room.
Very efficient, indeed.
He had drunk his medicine, and Fuji had change the wet towel for the umpteenth time. Fuji even set the heater on a higher temperature to keep Tezuka warm. Tezuka was grateful for his friend’s thoughtfulness but he didn’t think Fuji needed to go as far as bundling him with three-layer blankets. Tezuka’s eyes widened in horror when a certain smiling prodigy put Miko on top of his stomach. He had reasoned that the warmth of another living being could help Tezuka warm himself.
Genius, wasn’t he?
Annoyed, Tezuka yanked Fuji down, making the prodigy yelp and Miko jump off of Tezuka just in time before his master could fall atop of him. Fuji landed flat on top of Tezuka. He felt Fuji trying to gets off, but he held down his friend’s shoulder, and before he could help it, he murmured something about being warmer this way.
Surprise was evident on the prodigy’s face, but what was done was done, and he could only apologize, feeling really out of character. Tezuka immediately closed his eyes and was rather surprised when Fuji didn’t get off of him but stroked his head instead, and teased that he was going to be his ‘mother’ for now. Tezuka wanted to glare at him, but he felt drowsy. Feeling comfortable being enclosed in Fuji’s warmth, Tezuka decided that it was alright to just sleep. He was sure that Fuji would tease him to death about this later, but he didn’t care about that right now.
He could always blame his behavior on his fever, right?
~*~
/ 14. New Year /
The Tezuka family had a tradition of getting together for a New Year party every year. On December 31, both Fuji and Tezuka decided to return to their respective homes for three days. Fuji took Miko with him, since the cat was originally his.
At home, Tezuka didn’t need to clean up, and he didn’t need to feed Miko. He didn’t need to hear Fuji’s never-ending teases concerning a certain incident happening when he was ill. However, for unknown reasons, he missed his apartment.
He missed Miko’s incessant meowing, he missed the sound of Fuji’s annoying alarm that always failed to wake its owner up, he missed their morning routine, and even though Tezuka would never verbally admit it, he missed Fuji’s nonstop teasing.
He missed being with Fuji, in their apartment.
So that was why, right after the countdown, when a certain someone called him to exchange New Year’s greeting, he couldn’t help but smile. The call was brief, but that was enough for Tezuka.
After all, he could listen to Fuji’s voice as much as he wants in three days.
He didn’t know he had become accustomed to Fuji’s calming presence this much, to the point of missing him within the three days that they were separated.
~*~
/ 15. Chocolate /
Tezuka used to think that his nightmare of having to reject chocolates on Valentine’s Day would end once he graduated from high school. Apparently, he was wrong. This year, he still had to refuse the chocolates offered to him by his fellow female classmates. He didn’t want to give anyone hope, so he only accepted friendship chocolates, or chocolates that females gave to all of her classmates without any special meaning in it.
He came home, sick of the sight and thought of chocolates, and found Fuji and his blender in the kitchen.
“Tezuka, perfect timing!” Fuji beamed on him, and Tezuka automatically took a wary step backward. Whenever Fuji beamed at him from the kitchen like that, it only meant one thing: Fuji just completed experimenting a recipe that could rival Inui’s evil concoctions.
Tezuka tried to excuse himself, but Fuji smiled an open-eyed-smile that Tezuka had difficulty fighting against. Reluctantly, Tezuka sat down on the dining table, and waited for Fuji to serve him whatever it is that was made.
Fuji, still with a baby blue apron and his hair tied atop his head, approach Tezuka and put a glass of chocolate liquid in front of him. Tezuka looked at his roommate in question, and Fuji assured him that it was just an ordinary chocolate milkshake.
Tezuka knew better. The word ‘ordinary’ and ‘Fuji’ were never meant to be together.
He also knew better than to refuse the drink in front of him. He took a sip after a moment of steeling himself for whatever taste that was sure to wreck havoc on his taste buds. To his surprise, the milkshake tasted quite… ordinary… at least by Fuji’s standards. Well, save for the tad of bitterness in it… and well, the spiciness. He suspected that Fuji had to put wasabi in everything he consumed.
But all the weirdness aside, it tasted pretty good. It was not too sweet yet not too bitter, and the bit of spiciness added a perfect harmony to the taste. Overall, it was not that bad, although it was still miles away from ‘ordinary’.
Suddenly, he remembered that it was Valentine’s Day today, and Fuji just gave him ‘chocolate’, albeit in the form of a liquid. He wondered if it was just a coincidence…or not.
~*~
/ 16. The Non-existent Day /
February 29 didn’t exist this year, but Fuji was still getting older nonetheless. Tezuka wanted to repay Fuji for what he did on his birthday last year, and so he was wondering what gift he should prepare for the resident genius. Tezuka was not good with cooking and he doubted he could make anything that Fuji liked. Thus, He settled on buying Fuji something…but what?
Tezuka toyed with the idea of buying Fuji a new alarm since his current one never succeeded in waking him up, but he didn’t think Fuji would be too happy with that gift. Besides, he could wake Fuji up better than any alarm anyway. Then, Tezuka noticed that Fuji was really fond of wearing accessories. Maybe that would do.
On February 28, Fuji came home late. He said he was caught up in a surprise party that his classmates threw him, so he just got home fifteen minutes before midnight. Tezuka waited until it was exactly 12 o’clock before he approached Fuji who was cuddling Miko on the couch and slang his present on Fuji’s neck from behind. Fuji gasped a little before turning his gaze to the silver chain necklace with his initials that hung on his neck
“Happy birthday,” Tezuka stated in his toneless voice and stoic façade. Though after seeing Fuji’s wide, genuine smile afterwards, Tezuka couldn’t help but smile back at him.
It was surprisingly satisfying to return the happiness that his friend had brought to him on his birthday.
~*~
/ 17. Without You /
As it was nearing the end of the semester, Fuji became a lot busier than he has ever been before. Some of his subjects required essays and final projects as the form of their final exams. Fuji spent a lot of time in front of his computer, working on essays or projects. That, Tezuka could still tolerate.
Sometimes, Fuji wouldn’t be home for a couple of days to work on his group assignment at one of his friend’s house. This usually happened once every two weeks, but as it was nearing the due date, the sleepovers for assignment becomes more frequent. Often, Tezuka found a boy dropping by their apartment to pick Fuji up and takes him away in his car.
Tezuka didn’t like that
One day, Fuji told him that he wouldn’t be home for a week, since the due date was really drawing near. His group had agreed to spend their very last week before the due date working on this last assignment.
Tezuka wanted to disapprove but he had no reason to voice his dissatisfaction. Beside, Fuji wasn’t asking for his permission; he was merely informing him. Tezuka wondered why he hated to know that Fuji wouldn’t be home for only a week. He mentally kicked himself for being such a… he didn’t even know what the term for his current condition is.
When the boy came to pick Fuji up, he merely opened the door for him and said nothing while Fuji was preparing his bag. He didn’t ask the boy to sit down either; he merely opened the door, and walked inside the apartment. When Fuji finished packing and waved him goodbye, Tezuka still said nothing.
~*~
/ 18. Empty /
Days passed by in a blur the following week. He still woke up fifteen minutes before six, still had his morning jog and fed Miko after a quick shower. For days now, he only ate cereal for breakfast since Fuji was not there to make him breakfast.
For lunch, he would eat outside, but when dinner rolled along, he would just eat some bento he bought at the convenient store. Tezuka contemplated learning cooking soon.
When he needed to study until late at night, he would take Miko to his room, but Miko couldn’t make his midnight coffee. On the third day after Fuji left the apartment, he received an email from the aforementioned boy, asking if he ate well and how Miko was doing. Tezuka hated the fact that he felt a little too happy receiving the email, and so he only replied with a short ‘we’re both fine’ answer. He hated it more at how disappointed he was when no more replies came from Fuji.
He walked out of his room to get more coffee. His apartment was dark since he always turned off the lamp at night. He stood in the kitchen, trailing the dark apartment with his eyes. There was almost no sound, and the only light came from his open room.
He never knew the apartment could feel so empty without Fuji around.
~*~
/ 19. Twist /
He was about to enter his apartment building when he saw a familiar figure in front of the entrance. It was Fuji. Fuji with his tied hair, and that boy, who often came to take Fuji away from him. He noticed that they were chatting in a really friendly manner. He saw the boy patting Fuji’s shoulder in a rather intimate way. He really, really disliked that.
He hastened his pace so that Fuji would spot him. He finally caught Fuji’s eyes, and the fair-haired boy waved at him with his usual smile. Fuji barely managed a proper goodbye to his friend before Tezuka grabbed his hand and literally dragged him into their apartment. Tezuka put on his best captain mask to avoid questions from Fuji along the way.
When they were inside their apartment room, Tezuka finally let go of Fuji’s hand. Fuji asked him what was wrong. Rather than answering, Tezuka just stared at his roommate. Hell, Tezuka himself didn’t know what was wrong. He didn’t know why he was so angry seeing Fuji with someone else. He had no idea why he felt so lost without Fuji for only a week. He blamed Fuji for not contacting him after his last email four days ago, but then he blamed himself for being so irrational. He wanted to know so badly just what the hell was wrong with him.
Tezuka voiced none of his thoughts, though. He could see Fuji’s confusion as the smaller boy gently brushed Tezuka’s bangs away and probed, “Tezuka, tell me what is wrong?”
That was all it took for him to finally lose control. He dropped his bag and pinned Fuji to the wall, dropping Fuji’s backpack in the process. Before he knew it, his lips met Fuji’s. He could feel Fuji’s surprised gasp, and he took the chance to invade his partner’s mouth with his tongue. Tezuka had never kissed anyone before, but he was grateful that instinct worked better in this kind of situation. He was not aware if he was being rough, but he wanted to convey all of his feelings to Fuji through the kiss. He wanted Fuji to know of his loneliness when he was absent. He wanted Fuji to understand his anger at seeing him with someone else. He tried to convey his needs for the blue-eyed boy.
Yet confusion started to overwhelm him as he regained his self-control. What had he done? He dropped his head on Fuji’s shoulder, stammering his apology, his uncertainties and confusions. He hated his current self and he dared not lift his head to look at his friend’s face.
Then, Tezuka felt a finger on his chin, bringing his face up. Fuji’s eyes were wide open, his expression was unfathomable. His blue orbs were searching into his hazel ones, and Tezuka tried his best to ignore the urge to look away. He returned Fuji’s gaze, trying to convey whatever it was that he was feeling.
Suddenly, Fuji smiled. He reached out a hand and pulled Tezuka closer. Once again, their lips met. This time, Fuji kissed him, a lot gentler. It was forgiving, understanding, yet at the same time, needing and loving. Tezuka felt relieve wash over him as he kissed Fuji back.
He knew what they were doing now was wrong. As to why it felt so right, he didn’t know. He had no idea what might happen after this; would anything change, would their relationship be different? He could care less about that now. Though maybe, he should think of a response if ever Fuji decided to tease him to death about this kiss.
He could no longer blame this bout of behavior on fever now, could he?
~*~
/ 20. Another Day /
Tezuka found himself on the sofa, with Fuji’s head on his lap and Miko sleeping on Fuji’s stomach. Seeing the two sleeping figures, he somehow felt content, relaxed, and just happy. Tezuka knew they were more than friends by now, but he didn’t know if he could call them lovers. All that he knew was, he was happy; that they were happy with the way they were now. He enjoyed each moment they spent together; studying until late at night, quarrelling over whom would clean up Miko’s toilet for the day, being Fuji’s guinea pig for his more-than-evil schemes. He wouldn’t trade what they had now for anything in the world.
No confessions were made after their first kiss, but he knew they were together and own each other’s heart, and that was all that mattered. They didn’t know what the future might bring, but for now, he just wanted to enjoy everything he has. He looked forward to everyday he would spend with Fuji, in their little apartment.
This was not the end of everything, Tezuka knew.
After all, this was just the beginning of another day of his and Fuji’s life together.
~NeverEnding~
A/N: Some of those were a bit too long for a drabble it seems :/
I hope I didn’t overdo this fic >.<
Once, Eliza said that she just loves the idea of Tezuka and Fuji staying together during university life, so I decided to write with that theme, and suddenly the plot bunnies were jumping at me like mad o.O
So yeah, this was a long read. I hope you didn’t get bored in the middle ^^;
Neeway, Eliza, do you like it? I sure hope you do :D
p.s: My bro is studying architecture. I was kinda reflecting on my brother’s sleeping pattern in writing this XD;;
oh, JUST FOR FUN:
THAT is the real Miko... it was taken 2 years ago when he was still cute and playful! now he's getting bigger and older and lazier XD;;
Author: a1y_puff
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Tezuka, Fuji
Genre: Friendship/Humor/fluff. LOL.
Word Count: ±6600 (it’s the longest oneshot I’ve ever written so far)
Rating: PG-13 for a little part in this fic ^^;; (just to be safe though)
Summary: Fuji asked Tezuka if he could room with him. Tezuka agreed. A set of drabbles revolving on Tezuka and Fuji. Domesticity ahead ;p
Warnings: TezuFuji-centric. Possible OOC-ness for the sake of the story (but I prefer to assume they’ve changed a little as they grow up XD). This is kinda light-hearted too, though there’s a very little angst somewhere there.
Disclaimer: PoT and its characters belong to Konomi-sensei, but Tezuka and Fuji belong to each other. Though Miko is MINE XD
special thanks to thallein my wonderful beta for this fic
A/N: For eliza_natsuko, Happy B’daaaay~!
Oh and in 40.5 translation I’ve read, Fuji’s favorite book is interior/decorating magazines. So I’m toying with the idea of Fuji being an Architecture student instead of the usual art or photography student XD;; (well, basically, it’s still has art in it. Fuji is an artist, alright? XD)
~MOMENTS WITH YOU~
/ 00. Decision /
After their high school graduation ceremony, Fuji approached Tezuka with a smile, and commented on how they would miss the school, the tennis club, their teammates and everything else.
Tezuka nodded in silent agreement.
Fuji said he would miss Tezuka as well, and once again, Tezuka just simply nodded in response.
Fuji remarked on his plan to leave home in order to gain independence. Coincidentally, the university he planned to attend was close to Tezuka’s. Fuji knew of Tezuka’s plan of living alone, and inquired to the possibility of rooming together in the near future.
This time, Tezuka took a moment of ponder, before finally agreeing to Fuji’s proposition.
Surely, it wouldn’t hurt to room with someone you considered a close friend… would it?
~*~
/ 01. Housework /
Within the first few days after they moved into the apartment, Tezuka and Fuji had agreed to divide all the chores evenly. Soon after, Tezuka found out that Fuji and cleaning did NOT get along well. When Fuji tried to use a vacuum cleaner, he broke a vase with the hose, and then nearly vacuumed Miko (a six months old kitty Kikumaru had given Fuji in commemoration of Fuji moving out of his parent’s house). The poor kitty was sleeping peacefully on the carpet in the living room, and would have had his fur vacuumed, if Tezuka were even a second late in turning the machine off.
Somehow, Tezuka ended up responsible for the cleaning while Fuji did the laundry and dishes. Tezuka was in charge of budgeting for their monthly expenses, and Fuji took care of their culinary well-being (he learned that not everyone had the same taste as him, and Tezuka had to admit that Fuji was quite a good cook when he took into a normal person’s taste bud). Tezuka fed Miko, and Fuji bathed the kitty once a week.
At least, they managed to live in peace, Tezuka mused. Even though, Miko would jolt and hiss, then run for his life whenever Tezuka turned on the vacuum cleaner.
~*~
/ 02. Habits /
Tezuka liked it when everything was in order. He classified his literature books by the authors, and then arranged them in alphabetical order. He stacked his CDs by the genres of music very neatly. He also had his wardrobe arranged by the occasion of use, and by colors.
Fuji, on the other hand, didn’t care about such “trivial things”. Whenever Tezuka entered Fuji’s room, he was always welcomed by the sight of various knick-knacks sprawled on the floor; books, decorating magazines, some papers, pens, a 60 cm long ruler, a mechanical pencil, some wooden pencils range from 2B to 6B, an eraser, some more papers, drawing pens of various sizes and colors, a scissor, a cutter, and even more papers. He was no longer surprised to see Miko curled up in Fuji’s bed while Fuji sat on his desk, head rested on his folded arms, deep in slumber, with his computer on.
Once, Tezuka told Fuji to be more organized with his belongings (when for the umpteenth time Fuji had borrowed his pen because he had lost his own) and basically, with himself. However Fuji just brushed off the comment with a smile, countering Tezuka’s observation by saying that while it was true he was a little unorganized, Tezuka himself was too strict with his stuffs and with himself.
Tezuka considered himself well organized.
Fuji would better describe him as ‘Obsessive-Compulsive.’
~*~
/ 03. Morning Routines /
Once a habit has been established, it was difficult for Tezuka to change. He still woke up at 5:45 every morning, ahead of his alarm, just like his school days when he had to attend morning practice. Upon waking up, he would turn off his alarm, make his bed and finally head to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth.
Fuji, on the other hand, easily adapted to his new rule free life. He never rose early, even if he set the shrill of his alarm loud enough to wake the dead. Around this time, Tezuka would enter Fuji’s room, turn off the annoying contraption and drag Fuji out from under his covers (he has tried being indulgent once, such as calling out Fuji’s name and lightly shaking his roomate’s shoulders, but Tezuka learned quickly the uselessness of these practices). Dragging the half-asleep tensai by the hand, Tezuka entered the bathroom once more and forced Fuji to wash his face and brush his teeth.
Tezuka believed that even if none of them continued to pursue tennis, keeping their body in shape and healthy was important, hence he always dragged Fuji for a morning jog for the sake of a healthy lifestyle. At first, Fuji did not like the idea, but apparently, the captain side of Tezuka never failed to make him run laps, and soon enough, the lithe boy had gotten used to their morning routines.
After jogging, they would take turns getting a quick shower. Then, Fuji would prepare their breakfast while Tezuka fed Miko his canned cat food and milk. They would eat breakfast while watching the news on TV; sometimes accompanied by small talks about what was being reported.
Both of them have morning classes almost everyday, so at around 7.20 am, they would usually get out of the apartment together and walk side by side until the second intersection. There, Tezuka would nod to Fuji and the latter would wave his hand with a smile, before finally walking their separate ways to their respective campuses.
~*~
/ 04. Small Talks /
Tezuka sometimes wondered why Fuji majored in Architecture. When he asked that, the latter told him that he had been interested in interior design since he was in junior high, and he had always wanted to design his own house; not only from the interior, but also the exterior. And he liked the idea of designing houses and that ‘architect’ sounded kinda cool for an occupation. Tezuka gave no comment on his friend’s last motive.
“What about photography?” he asked again.
“It’s my hobby Tezuka. I don’t want to turn photography from a fun hobby into an annoying task that involved getting good grades and a bunch of other requirements,” he answered simply.
Tezuka grunted in response. Somehow, he understood a little of how Fuji’s mind works. That’s just the way Fuji was, it seemed. Then, just out of curiosity, Tezuka asked why not pursue tennis as a career since he was good at it anyway.
Fuji chuckled. “I just can’t see myself living for and from tennis,” he said frankly. Then, he opened his eyes and smiled bitterly at Tezuka’s left arm before continuing, “though if you were, I might have consider.”
And then silence took over.
~*~
/ 05. Glasses /
Arguably, the mountain of the thick law texts have contributed to Tezuka’s recent worsening eyesight. Unfortunately for Seigaku’s former tennis team captain, mid-term exams were fast approaching and his to-read-list just kept piling up. Tezuka decided it was high time a change in his glasses were needed.
Tezuka dropped by to the nearest optical store on his way home and unexpectedly ran into his infamous roommate, Fuji.
“What are you doing here?” he asked after approaching the vigorously waving boy.
“Looks like my PC have done some damage to my eyes,” Fuji replied as he took a pair of glasses and slipped it on his face, “I don’t have to always wear this though, only if I make my eyes work hard.”
“Hm,” was Tezuka’s only response.
“How do I look?” he asked with a smile.
Tezuka took a good look at his friend’s face. The sleek silver rimmed design made the prodigy look even more intelligent, yet at the same time…
“You look even more like a girl,” Tezuka stated matter-of-factly.
“Mou,” Fuji faked a pout and slapped Tezuka’s shoulder in mock offense.
As he took another look at his now-bespectacled friend, Tezuka couldn’t help but muse that maybe, he should have said Fuji looked beautiful instead.
~*~
/ 06. On a Lazy Sunday /
Tezuka was never one to enjoy going out on his day-off (though he would gladly accept any invitation for a game of tennis). During their school days, he remembered Fuji as someone who liked going out on Sundays; sometimes he would hang out with Kikumaru, other times he would accompany his sister shopping, and sporadically, he would stalk Yuuta and his teammates. And of course there were times when he showed up on Tezuka’s doorstep without previous notification.
However, since they entered university, Tezuka noticed that on Sundays, Fuji would either be accompanying him for a game of tennis, or just doing assignments at home. Sometimes, he would even sleep through the day. It looked like studying architecture brought him many assignments.
Today, after his morning jog (he spared Fuji the jog on Sundays and gave him time to sleep through since he often stayed up late to do his assignments), Tezuka found Fuji slouching on the sofa, watching some random TV show. Upon noticing Tezuka’s presence, Fuji stood up and smiled, saying that breakfast is ready.
None of them were in the mood to go out today, so they decided to just watch TV after breakfast. There was some comedy show airing on TV and though Tezuka would never understand what was so amusing about the show, he relented not to change the channel since Fuji seemed to be enjoying the programming.
As the show went on, Tezuka busied himself by watching Miko contently bathe himself on the one-seat sofa. Suddenly, he felt a sudden weight on his right shoulder. Fuji had fallen soundly asleep.
Honestly, Tezuka felt rather uncomfortable with the proximity, but he didn’t have the heart to wake Fuji up, since he knew the prodigy probably pulled an all-nighter with his last assignment. Sitting rigidly in his seat, he let Fuji be.
The TV was now showing a music program. Miko had finished bathing himself and climbed onto Tezuka’s lap before finally falling asleep with a contented meow. The blue summer sky shimmered through the window reflecting off the clear coffee table. As the warmth of Miko’s sleeping body seeped through his skin and the rhythmic sound of Fuji’s even breathing slowly lured Tezuka to the land of dreams, Tezuka couldn’t help but reflect that at this moment, life was perfectly peaceful.
~*~
/ 07. Of Cooking /
As it was nearing final exams, Fuji became even busier than usual. It meant that Fuji spent more time, isolating himself in his room since his final project for the semester needed to be finished soon. It had been four days since Tezuka spared Fuji from their morning jog, mainly because Fuji only slept about three hours per day, and he still needed to attend classes. Usually, Fuji would still get out of his room to make dinner, but it was now already nine p.m., and Fuji still had not poked his head out of his bedroom door.
Tezuka was hungry.
He had fed Miko on time, and was now deciding to just cook for himself... and for Fuji too, while he was at it. He had little experience with the culinary arts, but he had often helped his mother when he lived at home. Surely, it was not that difficult… right?
After struggling in the kitchen, Tezuka finally cooked something that he thought was decent tasting if one disregards the overly sour taste. He walked to Fuji’s open door and peered inside. Fuji was in his bed, trying to steal some sleep, perhaps. His PC was already turned off. Tezuka shook his roommate’s lithe body lightly. When Fuji was not in deep sleep, it was easier for him to wake up. And Fuji was barely getting any deep sleep these days.
Fuji’s eyes fluttered open. Tezuka told him about dinner. Fuji blinked and promptly sat up while apologizing and promised Tezuka he would prepare dinner soon. Tezuka shook his head and let him know that he had cooked their dinner. Fuji blinked again, and grinned.
After dinner, though, when they were sitting on the couch watching news, Fuji told him that the soup was good but he had put a little too much vinegar, before finally dropping his head on Tezuka’s lap, immediately asleep once again.
As Tezuka remembered that Fuji is not good with sour things, his face got a little paler and he decided not to wake Fuji up for a while.
~*~
/ 08. Midnight Coffee /
Thanks to Fuji’s sleepless night before, he had finished the project one week before the due date. Now, it was time for Tezuka to begin his busy studying schedule since finals were within a week. He really had a lot to read and memorize. Fuji, on the other hand, looked extremely relaxed. Once, Tezuka asked if Fuji was studying at all, and the smiling youth replied cheerfully that he didn’t really need to study at home. He had absorbed most of the things in his class, so now it was time to make up for his lack of sleep that he had to endure the week before.
Tezuka thought, ruefully, that it must be nice to be a prodigy. He wondered if Fuji was capable of memorizing a thick book in one read.
Whenever Tezuka stayed past midnight to study, Fuji would knock on his door and bring two cups of coffee to his room. Tezuka would murmur his thanks and without waiting for permission, Fuji would take his “History of Art” or English book, put on his glasses, and lay on his stomach in Tezuka’s bed, reading.
They barely talk, only study. However, Fuji’s mere presence in his room somehow would make him feel better. It was nice to have a companion. He wondered if that was why Fuji always brought Miko into his room whenever the blue-eyed boy needed to stay up late.
When Tezuka felt really sleepy, he would yawn soundlessly behind his hand, and Fuji would close his book. Then, he would offer to help Fuji bring the cups to the kitchen, and while Fuji washed the dishes, Tezuka would give Miko his midnight milk (the cat would wake up whenever he heard any sound in the kitchen, knowing someone would be there to feed him).
After wishing each other a good night, they retreated to their respective rooms and tried to sleep in the remaining few hours before the sunrise.
~*~
/ 09. Heat /
Their summer break wasn’t going to last long, since both of them were taking summer classes. They were both content to remain in their cool apartment, shielded from the heat of summer.
However, today, the electricity in the whole apartment building was turned off for several hours.
Tezuka was sitting by their dining table; the window beside it wide open. He wore a white sleeveless shirt, facing his laptop. He was now summarizing one of his textbook so it would be easier to read later. A glass of cold orange juice sat in front of him.
Though it was hot, it was not the kind of heat Tezuka was unable to stand.
Not long after, Fuji joined him; he sat across from Tezuka, fanning himself while eating a Popsicle. Topless.
“Fuji, wear something,” Tezuka couldn’t help blurting out.
“I’m wearing my boxers,” the light haired youth replied nonchalantly while continuously licking his Popsicle, and letting out a satisfied moan.
Tezuka felt a sudden rise in temperature that had nothing to do with the heat outside. “Put on a shirt,” he grumbled.
Fuji made a face. “Eeh? But it’s really hot! When would they turn on the electricity again? I need my AC,” he whined.
Tezuka tried to ignore the creamy expanse of skin in front of him, and continued to summarize the chapter in his book. He was not stealing a glance at Fuji. His eyes weren’t drawn to the wet strands of hair on Fuji’s neck. And he was NOT attracted to his friend's torso.
“Oh crap,” Fuji cursed softly, and Tezuka instinctively looked up from his laptop to his friend.
The Popsicle had melted a little, and a drop was now trailing down Fuji’s chin to land on Fuji’s upper chest. As his eyes followed the liquid, he accidentally caught sight of a nipple. Its color was a deep pink, which added a nice touch for his friend’s rather pale skin. They looked really soft too.
Tezuka sweated even more.
The stoic youth mentally kicked himself for his current thoughts. He was NOT supposed to think of such things, especially not of his male friend. This was a mistake, a BIG mistake. It must be the heat. His thoughts were twisted because of the heat.
Fuji excused himself to take a quick shower, and Tezuka could only manage to grunt in reply, not wanting to look up at his friend. When Fuji was out of sight, Tezuka sighed in relief. He once again tried to concentrate on his laptop, but his mind was rather unfocused.
He cursed inwardly. If the weather wasn’t that hot, he would have gone out for a jog to clear his mind.
Not long after, Fuji was back in the dining room. Sitting across from him with a towel draped over his head. His hair was wet from the shower, and several droplets ran freely down his body. Tezuka felt heat rushing up to his face and he groaned inwardly.
Oh, how he needed to run some laps.
~*~
/ 10. Visitors/
Tezuka had no idea how exactly their old team ended up cramped in his apartment. It looked like Oishi and Eiji were on their way to visit them, when they bumped into Inui. The ex-data player then decided that he should pay a visit too. Somehow, Inui managed to arrange some kind of a sudden get together for the old team, at the captain’s apartment.
How nice.
Without expecting this many visitors, Tezuka and Fuji were surprised when they opened the door for them… well, Fuji was surprised, but Tezuka was rather shocked. Within a second, the seven visitors had cramped themselves on their sofa and carpet in the living room; Kikumaru hugged Miko, while Kaidoh secretly stealing glances at the cat, Kawamura took out a huge box of Sushi and Momo was ready to attack the food but Oishi held him back. Inui was already scribbling in his notebook, and Echizen just sat on the one-seat sofa and muttered a ‘mada mada dane’ upon seeing his senpais childish behaviors (ironically, he failed to realize that his ‘mada mada dane’-ing habit also hasn’t changed one bit since his junior high days).
Attracted by the clanking sounds coming from the kitchen, as his masters prepared drinks for the guests, Miko immediately jumped off of Kikumaru and ran to the kitchen. Miko rubbed his head on Tezuka’s leg while meowing in a spoiled manner.
Tezuka was helping Fuji prepare the cups, but Miko’s incessant meowing made him sigh, and he gave up. He walked to the fridge, took out a bottle of milk, and poured it into Miko’s usual plate. Miko gratefully rubbed his head on Tezuka’s leg once more, before contently sipping on his milk.
“Mou, Tezuka, he has had his morning milk two hours ago, and now you’re giving him more?” Fuji said with a sigh.
“He’s noisy,” Tezuka stated matter-of-factly while walking to the stove as the kettle whistled.
“So that’s why he likes you more than me, his original master. You’re spoiling him,” the tensai whined, but Tezuka did not miss the teasing tone in his friend’s voice.
“I’m silencing him,” he replied curtly while waiting for Fuji to finish adding sugar to the cups so he could pour the hot water.
“No, you just couldn’t stand it when Miko throws you that look, right?” Fuji teased again while stirring the cups of tea.
“He’s just being noisy,” Tezuka insisted, picking the tray once Fuji finished stirring.
Echizen, who saw their whole little-quarrel, just smirked and when his two ex-senpais joined the team in the living room, he could no longer resist the urge to comment.
“Buchou, you and Fuji-senpai really look married, ne.”
The whole team immediately laughed-including Fuji-save for Tezuka who just stared blankly at his ex-kouhai.
~*~
/ 11. Hair /
Tezuka noticed that Fuji’s hair has gotten long, but he never commented on it, until one day, Fuji tied his hair on the back of his head in a ponytail
“Your hair,” he blurted out when he saw Fuji in the kitchen, cooking.
“Ah yes, it’s gotten longer. I haven’t had the chance to cut it though, so I tie it. Do you think I should cut it short?”
Tezuka took a good look at Fuji’s hair. It looked really soft and silky, when it fell past his back like that. He couldn’t resist the urge to touch it. If Fuji was surprised by the sudden action, he didn’t show it and merely smiled and continued stirring the soup.
As he had suspected, Fuji’s hair was silky. Tezuka wondered if it was the result of the many hair products in their bathroom. It would be a shame to cut short such beautiful hair, he mused.
“Let it grow,” he finally said. It came out more like a command than a suggestion in Fuji’s opinion.
Not that Fuji minded that, though.
~*~
/ 12. Birthday /
Tezuka’s family did not celebrate any birthday in their family. He failed to remember any incidence of eating a birthday cake or inviting his friends over to his house to celebrate. His father and grandfather would merely wish him a happy birthday every year, and he grew to think that celebrating birthdays was not necessary.
Though he remembered his mother always sneaking into his room right at midnight and wishing him a happy birthday, along with kisses and presents each year.
This year though, his mother couldn’t sneak into his room at night, but she called right at 12 o’clock while he and Fuji was watching some midnight movie. When he ended his phone call with his mother, Fuji was the second person to wish him a happy birthday, apologizing for not being able to buy him a present since his budget this month went to his assignments’ materials. Tezuka brushed off the apology, but Fuji insisted on cooking him something special later for dinner.
Trust Fuji to surprise Tezuka in his unusual way. When he came home from campus that day, he found Fuji beaming at him before finally rushed him to his room and locked it from the outside. Despite Tezuka’s complaints, Fuji refused to let Tezuka out until dinner.
Tezuka wondered if he shouldn't have come straight home today.
When Fuji finally let him out, Tezuka wanted to scowl at him but he was more curious as to why Fuji turned off all the lamps in their apartment. Fuji just smiled at him and dragged him to their dining table. There was no special decoration, just three candles standing on the table, along with… unacha, his favorite dish, and… a chocolate cake. Oh, and let’s not forget that blinding red ribbon attached to Miko’s neck.
Tezuka wanted to comment that candlelight dinner with unacha and chocolate cake was quite… unusual (not to mention that two boys having candlelight dinner was already unusual), but Fuji just laughed and forced him to sit down and enjoy his meal. Tezuka obeyed. After all, Fuji had gone out of his way to prepare the meal for him; he should at least appreciate it.
Having candlelight dinner with his male roommate was weird, not to mention having both unacha and chocolate cake together with it. Who cared about that though, when he got to eat the most delicious unacha he has ever tasted, made by the most loyal friend he has ever had, accompanied by the most beautiful sight of Tokyo lights outside of his window.
Tezuka doubted he would ever forget his nineteenth birthday.
~*~
/ 13. Fever /
Winter came along with midterm exams for the second semester. It could be because of the cold or because he had been staying up way too late studying and writing essays, but Tezuka found himself sprawled on Fuji’s bed, running a fever.
On Fuji’s bed.
Tezuka remembered he could barely walk and almost stumbled on a sleeping Miko this morning when Fuji grabbed his arm too keep him from falling. Fuji had put his hand on his forehead and instantly noticed that Tezuka had a fever. So that was how he ended up on Fuji’s bed. Fuji insisted that he wanted to keep an eye on Tezuka, but he also needed to work on his assignment so he decided Tezuka could sleep in his room.
Very efficient, indeed.
He had drunk his medicine, and Fuji had change the wet towel for the umpteenth time. Fuji even set the heater on a higher temperature to keep Tezuka warm. Tezuka was grateful for his friend’s thoughtfulness but he didn’t think Fuji needed to go as far as bundling him with three-layer blankets. Tezuka’s eyes widened in horror when a certain smiling prodigy put Miko on top of his stomach. He had reasoned that the warmth of another living being could help Tezuka warm himself.
Genius, wasn’t he?
Annoyed, Tezuka yanked Fuji down, making the prodigy yelp and Miko jump off of Tezuka just in time before his master could fall atop of him. Fuji landed flat on top of Tezuka. He felt Fuji trying to gets off, but he held down his friend’s shoulder, and before he could help it, he murmured something about being warmer this way.
Surprise was evident on the prodigy’s face, but what was done was done, and he could only apologize, feeling really out of character. Tezuka immediately closed his eyes and was rather surprised when Fuji didn’t get off of him but stroked his head instead, and teased that he was going to be his ‘mother’ for now. Tezuka wanted to glare at him, but he felt drowsy. Feeling comfortable being enclosed in Fuji’s warmth, Tezuka decided that it was alright to just sleep. He was sure that Fuji would tease him to death about this later, but he didn’t care about that right now.
He could always blame his behavior on his fever, right?
~*~
/ 14. New Year /
The Tezuka family had a tradition of getting together for a New Year party every year. On December 31, both Fuji and Tezuka decided to return to their respective homes for three days. Fuji took Miko with him, since the cat was originally his.
At home, Tezuka didn’t need to clean up, and he didn’t need to feed Miko. He didn’t need to hear Fuji’s never-ending teases concerning a certain incident happening when he was ill. However, for unknown reasons, he missed his apartment.
He missed Miko’s incessant meowing, he missed the sound of Fuji’s annoying alarm that always failed to wake its owner up, he missed their morning routine, and even though Tezuka would never verbally admit it, he missed Fuji’s nonstop teasing.
He missed being with Fuji, in their apartment.
So that was why, right after the countdown, when a certain someone called him to exchange New Year’s greeting, he couldn’t help but smile. The call was brief, but that was enough for Tezuka.
After all, he could listen to Fuji’s voice as much as he wants in three days.
He didn’t know he had become accustomed to Fuji’s calming presence this much, to the point of missing him within the three days that they were separated.
~*~
/ 15. Chocolate /
Tezuka used to think that his nightmare of having to reject chocolates on Valentine’s Day would end once he graduated from high school. Apparently, he was wrong. This year, he still had to refuse the chocolates offered to him by his fellow female classmates. He didn’t want to give anyone hope, so he only accepted friendship chocolates, or chocolates that females gave to all of her classmates without any special meaning in it.
He came home, sick of the sight and thought of chocolates, and found Fuji and his blender in the kitchen.
“Tezuka, perfect timing!” Fuji beamed on him, and Tezuka automatically took a wary step backward. Whenever Fuji beamed at him from the kitchen like that, it only meant one thing: Fuji just completed experimenting a recipe that could rival Inui’s evil concoctions.
Tezuka tried to excuse himself, but Fuji smiled an open-eyed-smile that Tezuka had difficulty fighting against. Reluctantly, Tezuka sat down on the dining table, and waited for Fuji to serve him whatever it is that was made.
Fuji, still with a baby blue apron and his hair tied atop his head, approach Tezuka and put a glass of chocolate liquid in front of him. Tezuka looked at his roommate in question, and Fuji assured him that it was just an ordinary chocolate milkshake.
Tezuka knew better. The word ‘ordinary’ and ‘Fuji’ were never meant to be together.
He also knew better than to refuse the drink in front of him. He took a sip after a moment of steeling himself for whatever taste that was sure to wreck havoc on his taste buds. To his surprise, the milkshake tasted quite… ordinary… at least by Fuji’s standards. Well, save for the tad of bitterness in it… and well, the spiciness. He suspected that Fuji had to put wasabi in everything he consumed.
But all the weirdness aside, it tasted pretty good. It was not too sweet yet not too bitter, and the bit of spiciness added a perfect harmony to the taste. Overall, it was not that bad, although it was still miles away from ‘ordinary’.
Suddenly, he remembered that it was Valentine’s Day today, and Fuji just gave him ‘chocolate’, albeit in the form of a liquid. He wondered if it was just a coincidence…or not.
~*~
/ 16. The Non-existent Day /
February 29 didn’t exist this year, but Fuji was still getting older nonetheless. Tezuka wanted to repay Fuji for what he did on his birthday last year, and so he was wondering what gift he should prepare for the resident genius. Tezuka was not good with cooking and he doubted he could make anything that Fuji liked. Thus, He settled on buying Fuji something…but what?
Tezuka toyed with the idea of buying Fuji a new alarm since his current one never succeeded in waking him up, but he didn’t think Fuji would be too happy with that gift. Besides, he could wake Fuji up better than any alarm anyway. Then, Tezuka noticed that Fuji was really fond of wearing accessories. Maybe that would do.
On February 28, Fuji came home late. He said he was caught up in a surprise party that his classmates threw him, so he just got home fifteen minutes before midnight. Tezuka waited until it was exactly 12 o’clock before he approached Fuji who was cuddling Miko on the couch and slang his present on Fuji’s neck from behind. Fuji gasped a little before turning his gaze to the silver chain necklace with his initials that hung on his neck
“Happy birthday,” Tezuka stated in his toneless voice and stoic façade. Though after seeing Fuji’s wide, genuine smile afterwards, Tezuka couldn’t help but smile back at him.
It was surprisingly satisfying to return the happiness that his friend had brought to him on his birthday.
~*~
/ 17. Without You /
As it was nearing the end of the semester, Fuji became a lot busier than he has ever been before. Some of his subjects required essays and final projects as the form of their final exams. Fuji spent a lot of time in front of his computer, working on essays or projects. That, Tezuka could still tolerate.
Sometimes, Fuji wouldn’t be home for a couple of days to work on his group assignment at one of his friend’s house. This usually happened once every two weeks, but as it was nearing the due date, the sleepovers for assignment becomes more frequent. Often, Tezuka found a boy dropping by their apartment to pick Fuji up and takes him away in his car.
Tezuka didn’t like that
One day, Fuji told him that he wouldn’t be home for a week, since the due date was really drawing near. His group had agreed to spend their very last week before the due date working on this last assignment.
Tezuka wanted to disapprove but he had no reason to voice his dissatisfaction. Beside, Fuji wasn’t asking for his permission; he was merely informing him. Tezuka wondered why he hated to know that Fuji wouldn’t be home for only a week. He mentally kicked himself for being such a… he didn’t even know what the term for his current condition is.
When the boy came to pick Fuji up, he merely opened the door for him and said nothing while Fuji was preparing his bag. He didn’t ask the boy to sit down either; he merely opened the door, and walked inside the apartment. When Fuji finished packing and waved him goodbye, Tezuka still said nothing.
~*~
/ 18. Empty /
Days passed by in a blur the following week. He still woke up fifteen minutes before six, still had his morning jog and fed Miko after a quick shower. For days now, he only ate cereal for breakfast since Fuji was not there to make him breakfast.
For lunch, he would eat outside, but when dinner rolled along, he would just eat some bento he bought at the convenient store. Tezuka contemplated learning cooking soon.
When he needed to study until late at night, he would take Miko to his room, but Miko couldn’t make his midnight coffee. On the third day after Fuji left the apartment, he received an email from the aforementioned boy, asking if he ate well and how Miko was doing. Tezuka hated the fact that he felt a little too happy receiving the email, and so he only replied with a short ‘we’re both fine’ answer. He hated it more at how disappointed he was when no more replies came from Fuji.
He walked out of his room to get more coffee. His apartment was dark since he always turned off the lamp at night. He stood in the kitchen, trailing the dark apartment with his eyes. There was almost no sound, and the only light came from his open room.
He never knew the apartment could feel so empty without Fuji around.
~*~
/ 19. Twist /
He was about to enter his apartment building when he saw a familiar figure in front of the entrance. It was Fuji. Fuji with his tied hair, and that boy, who often came to take Fuji away from him. He noticed that they were chatting in a really friendly manner. He saw the boy patting Fuji’s shoulder in a rather intimate way. He really, really disliked that.
He hastened his pace so that Fuji would spot him. He finally caught Fuji’s eyes, and the fair-haired boy waved at him with his usual smile. Fuji barely managed a proper goodbye to his friend before Tezuka grabbed his hand and literally dragged him into their apartment. Tezuka put on his best captain mask to avoid questions from Fuji along the way.
When they were inside their apartment room, Tezuka finally let go of Fuji’s hand. Fuji asked him what was wrong. Rather than answering, Tezuka just stared at his roommate. Hell, Tezuka himself didn’t know what was wrong. He didn’t know why he was so angry seeing Fuji with someone else. He had no idea why he felt so lost without Fuji for only a week. He blamed Fuji for not contacting him after his last email four days ago, but then he blamed himself for being so irrational. He wanted to know so badly just what the hell was wrong with him.
Tezuka voiced none of his thoughts, though. He could see Fuji’s confusion as the smaller boy gently brushed Tezuka’s bangs away and probed, “Tezuka, tell me what is wrong?”
That was all it took for him to finally lose control. He dropped his bag and pinned Fuji to the wall, dropping Fuji’s backpack in the process. Before he knew it, his lips met Fuji’s. He could feel Fuji’s surprised gasp, and he took the chance to invade his partner’s mouth with his tongue. Tezuka had never kissed anyone before, but he was grateful that instinct worked better in this kind of situation. He was not aware if he was being rough, but he wanted to convey all of his feelings to Fuji through the kiss. He wanted Fuji to know of his loneliness when he was absent. He wanted Fuji to understand his anger at seeing him with someone else. He tried to convey his needs for the blue-eyed boy.
Yet confusion started to overwhelm him as he regained his self-control. What had he done? He dropped his head on Fuji’s shoulder, stammering his apology, his uncertainties and confusions. He hated his current self and he dared not lift his head to look at his friend’s face.
Then, Tezuka felt a finger on his chin, bringing his face up. Fuji’s eyes were wide open, his expression was unfathomable. His blue orbs were searching into his hazel ones, and Tezuka tried his best to ignore the urge to look away. He returned Fuji’s gaze, trying to convey whatever it was that he was feeling.
Suddenly, Fuji smiled. He reached out a hand and pulled Tezuka closer. Once again, their lips met. This time, Fuji kissed him, a lot gentler. It was forgiving, understanding, yet at the same time, needing and loving. Tezuka felt relieve wash over him as he kissed Fuji back.
He knew what they were doing now was wrong. As to why it felt so right, he didn’t know. He had no idea what might happen after this; would anything change, would their relationship be different? He could care less about that now. Though maybe, he should think of a response if ever Fuji decided to tease him to death about this kiss.
He could no longer blame this bout of behavior on fever now, could he?
~*~
/ 20. Another Day /
Tezuka found himself on the sofa, with Fuji’s head on his lap and Miko sleeping on Fuji’s stomach. Seeing the two sleeping figures, he somehow felt content, relaxed, and just happy. Tezuka knew they were more than friends by now, but he didn’t know if he could call them lovers. All that he knew was, he was happy; that they were happy with the way they were now. He enjoyed each moment they spent together; studying until late at night, quarrelling over whom would clean up Miko’s toilet for the day, being Fuji’s guinea pig for his more-than-evil schemes. He wouldn’t trade what they had now for anything in the world.
No confessions were made after their first kiss, but he knew they were together and own each other’s heart, and that was all that mattered. They didn’t know what the future might bring, but for now, he just wanted to enjoy everything he has. He looked forward to everyday he would spend with Fuji, in their little apartment.
This was not the end of everything, Tezuka knew.
After all, this was just the beginning of another day of his and Fuji’s life together.
~NeverEnding~
A/N: Some of those were a bit too long for a drabble it seems :/
I hope I didn’t overdo this fic >.<
Once, Eliza said that she just loves the idea of Tezuka and Fuji staying together during university life, so I decided to write with that theme, and suddenly the plot bunnies were jumping at me like mad o.O
So yeah, this was a long read. I hope you didn’t get bored in the middle ^^;
Neeway, Eliza, do you like it? I sure hope you do :D
p.s: My bro is studying architecture. I was kinda reflecting on my brother’s sleeping pattern in writing this XD;;
oh, JUST FOR FUN:
THAT is the real Miko... it was taken 2 years ago when he was still cute and playful! now he's getting bigger and older and lazier XD;;