[Fic] The Silence of Midnight (1/?) (Prince of Tennis)
Title: The Silence of Midnight (1/?)
Rating: Gen (PG-13 for violence)
Characters: Tezuka Kunimitsu. Other PoT boys may follow in later chapters, but this fic is Tezuka-centric.
Summary: Tokyo isn't absolutely safe at night. Sometimes you get unlucky.
I recently swore I would never write multi-parter fic. After waking up with this bunny, I guess this has taught me that I should never say never. Beta-ed by the lovely hime_chi and approved by romiromi. *grins* Thanks, dears.
Dedicated to hime_chi for the help and for suggesting the title. ^_~
It was a relatively moonless night. The streetlights placed by city planners eased the gloom of the streets, but the pavement underneath the trees were draped in shadow.
In contrast, the area by the station was brightly lit. Tucking his black briefcase under his arm, the only man to get off at the station stopped outside the entrance. He bent his head down to button his coat, undone earlier to create slightly more comfort in the warm trains. Unconsciously, he smoothed down the fabric of his suit, and then began walking. His leather shoes clicked on the ground, a regular rhythm of "tap, tap, tap". The rhythm slowed near the convenience store--did he want a warm dinner tonight?--but in the end, the call of his bed won over his vague, slight hunger, and the footsteps resumed their original tempo.
The man turned a corner, walking towards the narrow alley between the buildings. It wasn't far now from his apartment. The alley looked even smaller at night than it did at seven in the morning, the man thought. He had never been this late coming home, but at least the work was now done, ready for tomorrow's deadline. It was a sign of carelessness that he had allowed himself to cut so close to the deadline, and the man promised himself he would not allow it to happen again. He did not like leaving work unfinished, nor did he enjoy the guilt a missed deadline pressed upon him.
Lost in his thoughts, he ignored the two youths smoking at the entrance to the alley. Ten steps in, however, he heard footsteps. "Hey, mister," one of them, the shorter and stockier of the two, said. "It's pretty late. It's not safe to carry around things this late at night. We'll take care of your things for you so you can be safe, hmm?" The youth nudged his friend, who giggled.
The man turned, glaring at the youths. They weren't all that much younger than he was. "Thank you, but I must decline. Please excuse me, and have a good night." He turned again, ready to walk away.
The taller youth spoke now, a reedier voice. "Eh, he's walking away. We didn't ask you to leave, mister."
The man continued, ignoring them. The shorter one called out to him again and said, "It's your last chance, old man. Stop now, and leave those things." He was almost to the end of the alley, now. Three more people rounded the corner, and the man moved closer to the side to make way for them to pass beside him in the narrow alley.
They moved to the side, too, blocking his way.
Behind him, the shorter one laughed mockingly. "Old man, you should have stopped. We'll take the briefcase now, and be on our way."
The man glared, but allowed the briefcase to be removed from his hands.
"Che--it's a cheap briefcase," the youth in front of him, the one in the middle, said. "You're losing your touch, Taku-chan."
"He looks like a lawyer, doesn't he? Maybe he's just cheap," the one called Taku-chan answered testily. "Just take the money and go." The briefcase was opened and his wallet removed. The man watched as the three youths pulled out ten thousand yen and change, all the money he had. The other two stood behind him, preventing him from making an escape.
"Not much cash, Taku-chan," one of them said, riffling through the rest of the things in the wallet. "ATM card for SMBC. There's one down the street."
"You can spare a little cash for people who have so much less, ne, mister?" said another boy, grinning.
The last one, the only one who hadn't spoken yet, was still looking at the wallet, open to the plastic id pocket. "He might not be able to," this one said at last. "He's just a fresh graduate. Aren't you, Tezuka-san? And you're not a lawyer, either. You're too young to be one."
Silently, Tezuka nodded. His identity card and bank employee identification were thrown at his feet. "Ja, Tezuka-san ... we'll be accompanying you to the ATM. I'm sure you need more cash." The others snickered.
Tezuka found his voice. "No." He was gratified to hear it sounded firm and commanding.
"No?" The tall one with the reedy voice violently pushed Tezuka against the wall. "What do you mean, 'no', eh?"
"There's not much," Tezuka said, quietly. There was just enough for his living expenses until his first paycheck arrived in three weeks.
There was a moment of silence, and then Taku-chan smirked. "Are you joking?" He walked up to Tezuka, still smirking, before his face contorted in anger and Tezuka felt a sharp pain in his stomach, painful enough to gasp and lose strength in his legs. He slid down the wall a bit before he caught himself.
"Answer me, Tezuka-san. You're going to get all your savings from the ATM, and you're going to help us out, because you have money and we don't. Right, Tezuka-san?"
Silence greeted the question.
"Think you're high and mighty, Tezuka-san? You think because you're wearing a suit you're better than us, huh? Well guess what, Tezuka-san, I'm sure if we cut that suit off you're going to be just like us underneath. Hold him."
A switchblade flashed. Taku-chan began to punch and the sound of tearing fabric could be heard. Tezuka finally began to struggle, almost desperately, trying to protect his left arm.
***
"HORA! What's going on there?" The shout resounded down the alley.
"Shit, it's a cop. Run!" Footsteps resounded, five sets running away, one set chasing after them. The one set slowed down and paused as it passed by ... Oh, no. He headed back, towards his watch-station.
Two minutes later, ambulance sirens broke through the midnight silence.
to Chapter 2
Comments/critique VERY welcome!
Rating: Gen (PG-13 for violence)
Characters: Tezuka Kunimitsu. Other PoT boys may follow in later chapters, but this fic is Tezuka-centric.
Summary: Tokyo isn't absolutely safe at night. Sometimes you get unlucky.
I recently swore I would never write multi-parter fic. After waking up with this bunny, I guess this has taught me that I should never say never. Beta-ed by the lovely hime_chi and approved by romiromi. *grins* Thanks, dears.
Dedicated to hime_chi for the help and for suggesting the title. ^_~
It was a relatively moonless night. The streetlights placed by city planners eased the gloom of the streets, but the pavement underneath the trees were draped in shadow.
In contrast, the area by the station was brightly lit. Tucking his black briefcase under his arm, the only man to get off at the station stopped outside the entrance. He bent his head down to button his coat, undone earlier to create slightly more comfort in the warm trains. Unconsciously, he smoothed down the fabric of his suit, and then began walking. His leather shoes clicked on the ground, a regular rhythm of "tap, tap, tap". The rhythm slowed near the convenience store--did he want a warm dinner tonight?--but in the end, the call of his bed won over his vague, slight hunger, and the footsteps resumed their original tempo.
The man turned a corner, walking towards the narrow alley between the buildings. It wasn't far now from his apartment. The alley looked even smaller at night than it did at seven in the morning, the man thought. He had never been this late coming home, but at least the work was now done, ready for tomorrow's deadline. It was a sign of carelessness that he had allowed himself to cut so close to the deadline, and the man promised himself he would not allow it to happen again. He did not like leaving work unfinished, nor did he enjoy the guilt a missed deadline pressed upon him.
Lost in his thoughts, he ignored the two youths smoking at the entrance to the alley. Ten steps in, however, he heard footsteps. "Hey, mister," one of them, the shorter and stockier of the two, said. "It's pretty late. It's not safe to carry around things this late at night. We'll take care of your things for you so you can be safe, hmm?" The youth nudged his friend, who giggled.
The man turned, glaring at the youths. They weren't all that much younger than he was. "Thank you, but I must decline. Please excuse me, and have a good night." He turned again, ready to walk away.
The taller youth spoke now, a reedier voice. "Eh, he's walking away. We didn't ask you to leave, mister."
The man continued, ignoring them. The shorter one called out to him again and said, "It's your last chance, old man. Stop now, and leave those things." He was almost to the end of the alley, now. Three more people rounded the corner, and the man moved closer to the side to make way for them to pass beside him in the narrow alley.
They moved to the side, too, blocking his way.
Behind him, the shorter one laughed mockingly. "Old man, you should have stopped. We'll take the briefcase now, and be on our way."
The man glared, but allowed the briefcase to be removed from his hands.
"Che--it's a cheap briefcase," the youth in front of him, the one in the middle, said. "You're losing your touch, Taku-chan."
"He looks like a lawyer, doesn't he? Maybe he's just cheap," the one called Taku-chan answered testily. "Just take the money and go." The briefcase was opened and his wallet removed. The man watched as the three youths pulled out ten thousand yen and change, all the money he had. The other two stood behind him, preventing him from making an escape.
"Not much cash, Taku-chan," one of them said, riffling through the rest of the things in the wallet. "ATM card for SMBC. There's one down the street."
"You can spare a little cash for people who have so much less, ne, mister?" said another boy, grinning.
The last one, the only one who hadn't spoken yet, was still looking at the wallet, open to the plastic id pocket. "He might not be able to," this one said at last. "He's just a fresh graduate. Aren't you, Tezuka-san? And you're not a lawyer, either. You're too young to be one."
Silently, Tezuka nodded. His identity card and bank employee identification were thrown at his feet. "Ja, Tezuka-san ... we'll be accompanying you to the ATM. I'm sure you need more cash." The others snickered.
Tezuka found his voice. "No." He was gratified to hear it sounded firm and commanding.
"No?" The tall one with the reedy voice violently pushed Tezuka against the wall. "What do you mean, 'no', eh?"
"There's not much," Tezuka said, quietly. There was just enough for his living expenses until his first paycheck arrived in three weeks.
There was a moment of silence, and then Taku-chan smirked. "Are you joking?" He walked up to Tezuka, still smirking, before his face contorted in anger and Tezuka felt a sharp pain in his stomach, painful enough to gasp and lose strength in his legs. He slid down the wall a bit before he caught himself.
"Answer me, Tezuka-san. You're going to get all your savings from the ATM, and you're going to help us out, because you have money and we don't. Right, Tezuka-san?"
Silence greeted the question.
"Think you're high and mighty, Tezuka-san? You think because you're wearing a suit you're better than us, huh? Well guess what, Tezuka-san, I'm sure if we cut that suit off you're going to be just like us underneath. Hold him."
A switchblade flashed. Taku-chan began to punch and the sound of tearing fabric could be heard. Tezuka finally began to struggle, almost desperately, trying to protect his left arm.
***
"HORA! What's going on there?" The shout resounded down the alley.
"Shit, it's a cop. Run!" Footsteps resounded, five sets running away, one set chasing after them. The one set slowed down and paused as it passed by ... Oh, no. He headed back, towards his watch-station.
Two minutes later, ambulance sirens broke through the midnight silence.
to Chapter 2
Comments/critique VERY welcome!