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[asael]

This was written for about_rey, because it is her birthday. Happy birthday. ^_^ Thank you, thank you so much for always talking to me and keeping me company and putting up with me being so very weird! You really have made me so happy recently, and even before that. You always put a smile on my face, I don't think you even need to try to anymore, it just happens!

I hope your birthday has been/will be great, and this next year too. You deserve it, and lots of other happy-making stuff! Like puppies, and chocolate, and umm... puppies made of chocolate? o.o Anyway, thank you for the rping and the conversations, the texts and the letters, and just everything else you've done that makes me so happy. I adore you, Aggy ♥♥♥

Happy birthday! Here is your present, though I'm afraid I didn't use the prompt well. ^_^;; I hope you enjoy anyway!

Prince of Tennis
Tezuka/Fuji
Prompt was Aqualung's Gentle, I used it more as inspiration then as an actual part of the story.



This restaurant's alfredo sauce wasn't the best, Fuji thought to himself, pushing his pasta around on his plate. He'd come here once before, but he'd had the fish then, so it was no wonder he hadn't known. He'd just have to remember, and not order this in the future.

He picked up a piece with his fork, carefully, looking it over.

"Fuji? You aren't even listening to me." Across the table, Eiji rolled his eyes. "Come on, you can't just ignore me like that, it's so not fair. I'm trying to help."

Fuji glanced at him, smiling. "I was listening. You said that Kei was a waste of my time, and you're surprised it took me this long to get rid of him. You said that you'd started to get afraid that I really liked him, and you'd have to put up with his whining forever."

Eiji blinked. "Oh. You were listening."

"I wouldn't ignore you. And I'm sorry I made you worry like that. But I just didn't want to leave him." Fuji took a bite of his pasta, idly. "He had such a nice apartment. Now I have to find somewhere new to stay."

"Fuji! You so did not date him just because of that apartment." Eiji looked like he wasn't sure whether to laugh or be horrified.

"No, no. I didn't even know about the apartment when we starting going out. But that was why I stayed with him so long." Fuji shrugged. "Nice apartments in Tokyo are hard to find for a decent amount of money, and he let me use his spare room as a studio."

Eiji shook his head, giving in to the laughter. "That's not a reason to stay with someone. You have the worst dating habits. Anyway, are you moved out already?"

"I never took most of my things out of storage, so yes. All I needed to do was clear out the studio and take my clothes."

"Well, you know you can come stay with Oishi and I if you need a place to stay for awhile. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." Eiji pushed his plate away, empty.

Fuji watched his friend, perpetual smile in place. Though they had both changed in the years since school, some things weren't very different. "I wouldn't want to intrude on your little love nest. Don't worry, I know where I'm going."

"Again?"

"His couch is so comfortable."

"If you like Tezuka's couch so much, why don't you date him?" Eiji put his fork down, caught between irritation and amusement again.

"Hmm..."

"Fuji!"

***

Really, any of Fuji's friends would let him stay with them. Saeki had extended the invitation multiple times, Yumiko and her husband would accept him without question, and even Yuuta would, grudgingly, let his brother live with him for awhile.

Tezuka, the only one who had never told Fuji he was welcome anytime, was the one Fuji always went to.

And he never turned Fuji away.

This time was no different. Fuji showed up with his barest necessities, a smile on his face and a bottle of wine his gestures of gratitude. Tezuka only raised an eyebrow and let him in.

They made small talk, or Fuji did, avoiding anything of real substance. Fuji was fairly certain Oishi had already called there and told Tezuka everything, and Fuji saw no reason to repeat it. They had done this before, and so Fuji settled in easily, making himself at home on Tezuka's couch.

He always enjoyed staying with Tezuka. It was a bit cramped on the couch, but his apartment was nice enough. Having known each other for so long, Tezuka gave him the space he needed, and he made certain to do the same (to a point. Fuji had always enjoyed teasing the stoic man.)

Tezuka had been Fuji's first real crush, though he'd never known. Even now that they were both years from their school days, Tezuka gave him some comfort just by being nearby, and Fuji took advantage of it when he could.

***

A few days later after Fuji came to stay, Tezuka came home to see his old friend fiddling with his stereo, wineglass in one hand. A pizza box was open on Tezuka's coffee table, the pizza already half-eaten. The bottle of wine Fuji had brought him was sitting next to it, uncorked and partially gone as well.

"Wine and pizza." Tezuka hung his coat up and watched Fuji, as unreadable as ever. Fuji glanced over at him and slipped a CD into the player, setting down his glass as he did so.

"I'm very classy. Dance with me, Tezuka." Fuji walked over and took his hands as the music began playing, not waiting for a response. After all, Tezuka would say no, and what fun would that be? But he only gave Fuji a stern look, not pulling away.

They danced, slowly.

"Fuji. How long are you planning to stay?" The question Tezuka hadn't bothered asking before. Fuji ignored it for a brief moment, enjoying the slight haze of alcohol, before he answered.

"Oh, I don't know. Until I find somewhere else to stay, I suppose. Or until you kick me out into the cold, to wander the streets all alone..."

"You should get your own apartment. Then you'd have somewhere to go all the time. Or go home, live with your parents. I know they would be pleased to have you." Tezuka's voice was quiet, and Fuji wasn't terribly surprised to note that he was a decent dancer.

"But shacking up with random men has been working so well for me. Then when I get sick of them, I come here and sleep on your couch and eat all your food. You'd be so bored if I had my own apartment to go to. Your old teammates have to look out for their captain, after all, and you live here all alone. You should at least brighten up the place, make it into a real bachelor pad."

Tezuka simply ignored Fuji's conversational sidetracks, as he usually did. "I only want you to be happy. All of your friends only want you to be happy."

"I am happy," Fuji said. And for that one moment, it was perfect truth.

***

It was almost a week afterwards, in the evening, that Tezuka decided they needed to talk. He'd been gone all day at work, and Fuji had been doing his own work, a photo shoot for an ad campaign - nothing he enjoyed much, but even geniuses need to pay the bills.

Fuji had gotten home a bit earlier, and taken the opportunity to make a reasonably decent dinner. He even went to the extra effort of making sure it was palatable to both Tezuka and himself. There was no point in not being a good roommate.

When they were finished, Tezuka looked across the table with that serious look he had, and said, "Fuji." The tone and the look told Fuji that this was going to be an Important Talk and he had no way to avoid it, short of jumping out the window. But Tezuka's apartment was on the sixth floor, so that really wasn't feasible.

"Tezuka." Fuji put down his chopsticks and smiled across the table.

"You know that you can't keep doing this." Short, and to the point. Tezuka had never really learned to be a good conversationalist, and it would be so easy for Fuji to just act as if he didn't know what Tezuka was talking about. But he did, and for some reason those games didn't appeal to him.

"I know that. But really, what would you have me do? Live alone, or stay with someone I don't really care for?"

"If you don't care for them, you shouldn't date them. Make the effort to find someone you do care for. It's not impossible, Fuji." Tezuka watched him steadily, and Fuji felt almost cornered. He picked up his chopsticks again, toying with them just to have something else to look at.

"I've never liked putting forward effort, without some good reason, some inspiration. Relationships always fail anyway, it seems. Why should I let my heart get broken, for someone who doesn't inspire me?"

"Perhaps you ought to find someone who does. If you think it will fail anyway, make it worth the pain. Broken hearts can heal."

"You're asking me to do something that you haven't even tried." Fuji gestured around Tezuka's apartment, always empty. He hadn't had anyone living with him in all the time Fuji had known him, though Fuji knew he had dated. "It's really not fair at all, aren't you afraid of the same thing? And there's such a short list of people who inspire me... would you like me to let you break my heart, Tezuka?"

Tezuka was silent. Fuji realized that perhaps he had gone just a bit too far. Oh well, he thought ruefully, if he kicks me out I'll go crying to Eiji.

"I wouldn't break your heart," Tezuka said finally, and smiled just a bit. "Have more faith in me than that."

He stood and walked around the table to stand next to Fuji, holding out his hand. "You don't have to find another place to stay."

Fuji took his hand and stood, unable to keep from smiling. "You take your time, Tezuka."

"It's best not to be careless. Did you forget?" Tezuka pulled Fuji close and kissed him, stopping his laughter before it started.

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Thanks for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed. ^_^