[Fic] The Silence of Midnight (4/?) (Prince of Tennis)
Title: The Silence of Midnight (4/?)
Rating: Gen
Characters: Tezuka Kunimitsu, Fuji Shuusuke
Summary: Stability sets in, but things change quickly.
My sincerest apologies to everyone who was waiting for this; better late than never, I say. ^_^;;; Not quite beta-ed. Draft read by daredtygerz. Dedicated to everyone at pot_cia.
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3. All fics in "The Silence of Midnight" are in reverse chronological order here.
The second day of work after the accident began with a collective round of applause for Tezuka. He was now current, and could begin working on the most pressing tasks, like everyone else. His manager called him in for the second day in a row.
"Tezuka-kun, are you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard? Catching up on 2 weeks of work in one day ..."
Tezuka shook his head. "Thank you for your concern, sir. I'm fine." He ignored the resurfacing feeling of unease, resolutely pushing it into a corner of his mind.
"We aren't giving you too much pressure, are we? ... No? Ah, that's a relief." His manager had an interesting mixture of expressions on his face.
"Well, then, I won't keep you from your duties. Nice job, Tezuka-kun, and please keep up the good work."
Thus dismissed, Tezuka nodded politely to Ms Kondo on the way back to his desk, and received a slightly warmer smile this time. On his way back to his desk, Tezuka wondered if his manager was more worried about an inquiry from employee relations than about Tezuka's health. He wondered just how much his manager knew about him, though he had been working with the bank a few weeks now.
Tezuka Kunimitsu had been president of the student organisation and tennis club captain while maintaining near-perfect grades. This was nothing compared to what he had done before. Did they know him so little that they thought he was the type to buckle under the weight of too much work? He kept his own counsel, quietly getting back to his analysis.
***
The low rumble of the office air-conditioning system ended abruptly. The sudden absence of noise gave Tezuka pause. He looked up from his computer screen, blinking as the empty office swam back into focus. The air-conditioners were on a power-saving circuit, and they shut down every night at nine, whether or not there were people still around.
With a sigh, Tezuka rubbed his temples, and told himself he would leave after he finished the next economic brief. There was no point in staying until the last train, he told himself, and went back to work merely because it was silly to stop halfway when it was almost done. After the brief, there were monitors to turn off, and a last-minute check of everything (answering machine, windows, doors, alarm system), but everyone else had done their duty. There was nothing for Tezuka to do, and so he slowly packed his briefcase and stood. At least the trains would be less packed at this hour. The last train was usually the fullest.
Stepping out of the building, Tezuka checked his cellphone after he had walked fifteen paces, but it was working properly, and it was getting a good signal. Oh well ... Oishi had said that it was only for one night. And besides, that Kikumaru used too much toothpaste in one go. Tezuka wondered if he should mention Kikumaru's toothpaste dependency to Oishi someday.
His briefcase was much too heavy. He would have to learn to leave more things at home or in the office. Hefting it again, Tezuka put his cellphone back in his pocket and continued to walk, steps slow and careful. After all, he didn't have anything to hurry back to. No one would be waiting for him at home.
***
Or so he thought.
The last thing Tezuka had expected was Fuji, smiling at him as he exited the ticket gates. Or perhaps he should have expected Fuji after all. It had been both a surprise and yet not surprising to see that smiling face standing right outside the ticket gates. Fuji brightened as Tezuka met his eyes, and Tezuka knew he had no choice but to stop and greet his ex-teammate.
"Eiji told me you had extra futons," Fuji said with a smile, bending to pick up the duffle bag beside him. He hefted the bamboo food carrier in his left hand. "Taka-san sends his regards and hopes your injuries have healed, Tezuka."
"You have a perfectly good bed at home," Tezuka said, eyes on Fuji's duffel bag, trying to gauge how long Fuji might be staying.
"I had a fight with nee-san, and Yuuta wouldn't answer his cellphone," was Fuji's cheerful reply. "Besides, your apartment is close to my firm's office. I thought this might be a good chance to see if I'm ready to try living by myself, too."
It was Fuji, and it was whimsical enough to be believable. Tezuka privately thought Fuji was much too cheerful to really have been fighting with Fuji Yumiko, but he kept quiet, and nodded, reaching for Fuji's duffel. Fuji shook his head and pulled it away from Tezuka's reach with an admonition. "You're working too hard, Tezuka. You've just recovered from some serious injuries." Fuji's face was no longer smiling. "Don't make us worry, buchou."
"I'm not your buchou anymore, Fuji." But Tezuka relented, turning towards home. Fuji could have just as easily moved into the guesthouses his company offered, but Tezuka did not voice the thought. He walked deliberately, carefully, conscious of having one more person nearby.
Fuji's silent but easy companionship was different from Oishi and Kikumaru's noisy camaraderie, but it was a calm presence. As they neared the alley, Tezuka noted with relief that there was no one around but them. Good.
His shoulders relaxed slightly. The distance back to his apartment was punctuated by two sets of footsteps on nothing more than a leisurely stroll.
***
Fuji didn't hog the toothpaste, and was careful with his green tea, even sweeping up the crumbs after they finished their tea and biscuits. Even Tezuka's glare didn't faze the other man, who seemed to be enjoying himself far too much as he pulled futons out of the cupboard ("Ne, Tezuka, this is just like those tennis camps we used to attend, only there's just the two of us now, isn't it?") and made cheerful noises preparing for bed.
Lying in bed, Tezuka wondered what Fuji was thinking, just deciding to stay over tonight on the spur of the moment. Was he just being concerned like Oishi had been? Oishi was a born worrier, but if Fuji was worried ...
He needed to be tougher, Tezuka thought. He was worrying his teammates, and that was unacceptable. What was he doing wrong? Was he so fragile that his teammates thought he would crumble if not babysat every--
"Ne, Tezuka?" Fuji's voice was soft, but not inaudible.
Train of thought interrupted, Tezuka turned, looking at Fuji. Without his glasses, he couldn't quite tell what expression Fuji had on his face, but he could see from this distance that Fuji was looking up at the ceiling. "Yes, Fuji?"
"Do you think nee-san's lonely without me? I mean, this is the first time I've had somewhere to go after our fights that wasn't Taka-san's, and I'm sure she's feeling bad right now."
"Perhaps you should call her and find out."
"Saa," Fuji said, and was quiet a few more moments, but then sat up and reached for his cellphone. Tezuka listened to him talk, apologizing, and explaining he was at Tezuka's, and that he forgave Yumiko but was having fun and would probably stay a while.
So Fuji really had been in a fight with Yumiko. And he had come to Tezuka for help. The indescribable feeling from the daytime was nowhere to be found, replaced now with a slightly warmer emotion that wrapped around his heart.
It was much quieter than it had been last night, but Fuji's voice was low and pleasant, and made for agreeable background noise. Exhausted from a day's hard work, Tezuka drifted off, listening to Fuji mend his relationship with his sister. He didn't see Fuji look over, smile, and wish his sister goodnight, then e-mail her and thank her for her part in the charade. He was sound asleep by the time Fuji lay back down on his own futon.
***
Tezuka didn't know if he wanted to get used to coming back to a smiling Fuji waiting at the ticket counter. He stubbornly refused to give Fuji a key, and Fuji never asked for one, but every day, Tezuka would arrive at his station and see Fuji standing outside the ticket gates, a duffel bag full of fresh clothes by his side, holding a bamboo carrier with some sushi from Kawamura's.
Tezuka gave up trying to convince Fuji to go home. Fuji had never done anything he didn't want to do before, and Tezuka didn't see Fuji changing that part of his personality anytime soon. Besides ... Tezuka was getting used to the company. It was pleasant to have someone else around on the walk home. Fuji sometimes told Tezuka stories about Yumiko or Yuuta, and Tezuka listened, happy for the company.
One night, Fuji said, "Ne, Tezuka ... you need to take better care of yourself. You need to rest more. We're waiting for you to come back and play tennis with us."
Tezuka was quiet for a long time. As they neared the alley, he paused for a moment. Fuji stopped beside him, seemingly content just to wait for a reply.
Tezuka looked at the alley, at the lights that now cast more brightness into it. Nothing ... no one was lurking in the shadows. "Aa."
And they continued walking.
***
Little by little, his working hours shortened. A week later, Tezuka turned off the air-conditioning himself before leaving the office. He privately admitted to himself that he felt guilty making Fuji wait for hours at his station. Not guilty enough to give Fuji a key, but guilty enough to at least try and leave the office earlier.
The pattern was now established. Tezuka would get on a crowded train, be jostled by other commuters getting on and off, and arrive at his station sometime before eight. Outside the ticket gates, Fuji would smile, put the magazine he was reading back into his duffel bag, and then fall into step beside Tezuka.
Life seemed back to normal. The incident from weeks ago faded from the forefront of his mind, except when his shoulder twinged from slight overuse or the weekly physical therapy sessions. Tennis was important ... but somehow, Tezuka was sure it would come back. He wasn't worried about it anymore, merely waiting patiently for the day he could pick up his racket and engage Fuji on the tennis courts again.
***
Then one day he received a call from the police.
"Tezuka-san?"
"Speaking."
"Ah, this is Tanaka from the police department. We think we finally have the boys who assaulted you. Could you kindly come to the station as soon as possible?"
"..."
"Tezuka-san?"
"... excuse me. Yes, I will."
"Ah, that's good to hear. We look forward to seeing you soon, Tezuka-san." A click, and Tezuka sat there for a moment listening to the dialtone, before closing his cellphone.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. It was broad daylight, and it was a police station. Everything would be fine. They wouldn't dare do it again. His shoulder twinged, but Tezuka ignored it, and opened his eyes again.
This delay was weakness. The longer he postponed it, the more he was running away from something he should not be running from. He had to face this squarely like the man he was. He took a deep breath and stood, pleased that his panic had not translated to his knees or anything else.
Bending, he tidied his desk, but caught himself after two seconds. His lips thinned with displeasure. Again, the postponement. Let's not get careless. The familiar mantra, said in his head, brought enough of his strength and confidence back. He was Tezuka Kunimitsu. He would go to the station now.
Walking, careful that his steps were steady and straight, he turned and headed for his manager's office to ask for permission to leave the office during working hours.
Chapter 5
As always, comments/critique VERY welcome!
Rating: Gen
Characters: Tezuka Kunimitsu, Fuji Shuusuke
Summary: Stability sets in, but things change quickly.
My sincerest apologies to everyone who was waiting for this; better late than never, I say. ^_^;;; Not quite beta-ed. Draft read by daredtygerz. Dedicated to everyone at pot_cia.
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3. All fics in "The Silence of Midnight" are in reverse chronological order here.
The second day of work after the accident began with a collective round of applause for Tezuka. He was now current, and could begin working on the most pressing tasks, like everyone else. His manager called him in for the second day in a row.
"Tezuka-kun, are you sure you're not pushing yourself too hard? Catching up on 2 weeks of work in one day ..."
Tezuka shook his head. "Thank you for your concern, sir. I'm fine." He ignored the resurfacing feeling of unease, resolutely pushing it into a corner of his mind.
"We aren't giving you too much pressure, are we? ... No? Ah, that's a relief." His manager had an interesting mixture of expressions on his face.
"Well, then, I won't keep you from your duties. Nice job, Tezuka-kun, and please keep up the good work."
Thus dismissed, Tezuka nodded politely to Ms Kondo on the way back to his desk, and received a slightly warmer smile this time. On his way back to his desk, Tezuka wondered if his manager was more worried about an inquiry from employee relations than about Tezuka's health. He wondered just how much his manager knew about him, though he had been working with the bank a few weeks now.
Tezuka Kunimitsu had been president of the student organisation and tennis club captain while maintaining near-perfect grades. This was nothing compared to what he had done before. Did they know him so little that they thought he was the type to buckle under the weight of too much work? He kept his own counsel, quietly getting back to his analysis.
***
The low rumble of the office air-conditioning system ended abruptly. The sudden absence of noise gave Tezuka pause. He looked up from his computer screen, blinking as the empty office swam back into focus. The air-conditioners were on a power-saving circuit, and they shut down every night at nine, whether or not there were people still around.
With a sigh, Tezuka rubbed his temples, and told himself he would leave after he finished the next economic brief. There was no point in staying until the last train, he told himself, and went back to work merely because it was silly to stop halfway when it was almost done. After the brief, there were monitors to turn off, and a last-minute check of everything (answering machine, windows, doors, alarm system), but everyone else had done their duty. There was nothing for Tezuka to do, and so he slowly packed his briefcase and stood. At least the trains would be less packed at this hour. The last train was usually the fullest.
Stepping out of the building, Tezuka checked his cellphone after he had walked fifteen paces, but it was working properly, and it was getting a good signal. Oh well ... Oishi had said that it was only for one night. And besides, that Kikumaru used too much toothpaste in one go. Tezuka wondered if he should mention Kikumaru's toothpaste dependency to Oishi someday.
His briefcase was much too heavy. He would have to learn to leave more things at home or in the office. Hefting it again, Tezuka put his cellphone back in his pocket and continued to walk, steps slow and careful. After all, he didn't have anything to hurry back to. No one would be waiting for him at home.
***
Or so he thought.
The last thing Tezuka had expected was Fuji, smiling at him as he exited the ticket gates. Or perhaps he should have expected Fuji after all. It had been both a surprise and yet not surprising to see that smiling face standing right outside the ticket gates. Fuji brightened as Tezuka met his eyes, and Tezuka knew he had no choice but to stop and greet his ex-teammate.
"Eiji told me you had extra futons," Fuji said with a smile, bending to pick up the duffle bag beside him. He hefted the bamboo food carrier in his left hand. "Taka-san sends his regards and hopes your injuries have healed, Tezuka."
"You have a perfectly good bed at home," Tezuka said, eyes on Fuji's duffel bag, trying to gauge how long Fuji might be staying.
"I had a fight with nee-san, and Yuuta wouldn't answer his cellphone," was Fuji's cheerful reply. "Besides, your apartment is close to my firm's office. I thought this might be a good chance to see if I'm ready to try living by myself, too."
It was Fuji, and it was whimsical enough to be believable. Tezuka privately thought Fuji was much too cheerful to really have been fighting with Fuji Yumiko, but he kept quiet, and nodded, reaching for Fuji's duffel. Fuji shook his head and pulled it away from Tezuka's reach with an admonition. "You're working too hard, Tezuka. You've just recovered from some serious injuries." Fuji's face was no longer smiling. "Don't make us worry, buchou."
"I'm not your buchou anymore, Fuji." But Tezuka relented, turning towards home. Fuji could have just as easily moved into the guesthouses his company offered, but Tezuka did not voice the thought. He walked deliberately, carefully, conscious of having one more person nearby.
Fuji's silent but easy companionship was different from Oishi and Kikumaru's noisy camaraderie, but it was a calm presence. As they neared the alley, Tezuka noted with relief that there was no one around but them. Good.
His shoulders relaxed slightly. The distance back to his apartment was punctuated by two sets of footsteps on nothing more than a leisurely stroll.
***
Fuji didn't hog the toothpaste, and was careful with his green tea, even sweeping up the crumbs after they finished their tea and biscuits. Even Tezuka's glare didn't faze the other man, who seemed to be enjoying himself far too much as he pulled futons out of the cupboard ("Ne, Tezuka, this is just like those tennis camps we used to attend, only there's just the two of us now, isn't it?") and made cheerful noises preparing for bed.
Lying in bed, Tezuka wondered what Fuji was thinking, just deciding to stay over tonight on the spur of the moment. Was he just being concerned like Oishi had been? Oishi was a born worrier, but if Fuji was worried ...
He needed to be tougher, Tezuka thought. He was worrying his teammates, and that was unacceptable. What was he doing wrong? Was he so fragile that his teammates thought he would crumble if not babysat every--
"Ne, Tezuka?" Fuji's voice was soft, but not inaudible.
Train of thought interrupted, Tezuka turned, looking at Fuji. Without his glasses, he couldn't quite tell what expression Fuji had on his face, but he could see from this distance that Fuji was looking up at the ceiling. "Yes, Fuji?"
"Do you think nee-san's lonely without me? I mean, this is the first time I've had somewhere to go after our fights that wasn't Taka-san's, and I'm sure she's feeling bad right now."
"Perhaps you should call her and find out."
"Saa," Fuji said, and was quiet a few more moments, but then sat up and reached for his cellphone. Tezuka listened to him talk, apologizing, and explaining he was at Tezuka's, and that he forgave Yumiko but was having fun and would probably stay a while.
So Fuji really had been in a fight with Yumiko. And he had come to Tezuka for help. The indescribable feeling from the daytime was nowhere to be found, replaced now with a slightly warmer emotion that wrapped around his heart.
It was much quieter than it had been last night, but Fuji's voice was low and pleasant, and made for agreeable background noise. Exhausted from a day's hard work, Tezuka drifted off, listening to Fuji mend his relationship with his sister. He didn't see Fuji look over, smile, and wish his sister goodnight, then e-mail her and thank her for her part in the charade. He was sound asleep by the time Fuji lay back down on his own futon.
***
Tezuka didn't know if he wanted to get used to coming back to a smiling Fuji waiting at the ticket counter. He stubbornly refused to give Fuji a key, and Fuji never asked for one, but every day, Tezuka would arrive at his station and see Fuji standing outside the ticket gates, a duffel bag full of fresh clothes by his side, holding a bamboo carrier with some sushi from Kawamura's.
Tezuka gave up trying to convince Fuji to go home. Fuji had never done anything he didn't want to do before, and Tezuka didn't see Fuji changing that part of his personality anytime soon. Besides ... Tezuka was getting used to the company. It was pleasant to have someone else around on the walk home. Fuji sometimes told Tezuka stories about Yumiko or Yuuta, and Tezuka listened, happy for the company.
One night, Fuji said, "Ne, Tezuka ... you need to take better care of yourself. You need to rest more. We're waiting for you to come back and play tennis with us."
Tezuka was quiet for a long time. As they neared the alley, he paused for a moment. Fuji stopped beside him, seemingly content just to wait for a reply.
Tezuka looked at the alley, at the lights that now cast more brightness into it. Nothing ... no one was lurking in the shadows. "Aa."
And they continued walking.
***
Little by little, his working hours shortened. A week later, Tezuka turned off the air-conditioning himself before leaving the office. He privately admitted to himself that he felt guilty making Fuji wait for hours at his station. Not guilty enough to give Fuji a key, but guilty enough to at least try and leave the office earlier.
The pattern was now established. Tezuka would get on a crowded train, be jostled by other commuters getting on and off, and arrive at his station sometime before eight. Outside the ticket gates, Fuji would smile, put the magazine he was reading back into his duffel bag, and then fall into step beside Tezuka.
Life seemed back to normal. The incident from weeks ago faded from the forefront of his mind, except when his shoulder twinged from slight overuse or the weekly physical therapy sessions. Tennis was important ... but somehow, Tezuka was sure it would come back. He wasn't worried about it anymore, merely waiting patiently for the day he could pick up his racket and engage Fuji on the tennis courts again.
***
Then one day he received a call from the police.
"Tezuka-san?"
"Speaking."
"Ah, this is Tanaka from the police department. We think we finally have the boys who assaulted you. Could you kindly come to the station as soon as possible?"
"..."
"Tezuka-san?"
"... excuse me. Yes, I will."
"Ah, that's good to hear. We look forward to seeing you soon, Tezuka-san." A click, and Tezuka sat there for a moment listening to the dialtone, before closing his cellphone.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. It was broad daylight, and it was a police station. Everything would be fine. They wouldn't dare do it again. His shoulder twinged, but Tezuka ignored it, and opened his eyes again.
This delay was weakness. The longer he postponed it, the more he was running away from something he should not be running from. He had to face this squarely like the man he was. He took a deep breath and stood, pleased that his panic had not translated to his knees or anything else.
Bending, he tidied his desk, but caught himself after two seconds. His lips thinned with displeasure. Again, the postponement. Let's not get careless. The familiar mantra, said in his head, brought enough of his strength and confidence back. He was Tezuka Kunimitsu. He would go to the station now.
Walking, careful that his steps were steady and straight, he turned and headed for his manager's office to ask for permission to leave the office during working hours.
Chapter 5
As always, comments/critique VERY welcome!