Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ To Sedate ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

So it's been really long since I was able to write a chaptered story. I don't particularly like this, but it will do.

 

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Prince of Tennis, okay? Anything other than the plot isn't mine. The will to write this and the plot are mine. The characters, for the most part, are not mine. Is Mr. Stranger really a character? Your choice.

 

 

 

To Sedate—Chapter 2

 

That night, Fuji came home soaking wet, shivering slightly and dripping when he came in. It wasn't too late, but later than his mother usually expected, and enough to make her worry greatly. There was no set curfew for him, though he knew that he'd probably come home to anger; he'd missed dinner. Yuuta had already finished his homework for the day and was enjoying a tennis magazine in the living room. Although he didn't want to show it, Yuuta was at least slightly concerned for being late. Sure, Yuuta detested the fact that even after he'd left Seishun Gakuen, it still seemed that he was living just shy of his brother's shadow. They were brothers, though, and family bonds came in at some place, even with Yuuta's anger firmly in place. That wasn't anything as compared to his mother's reaction, somebody who cared first and foremost about her son rather than about stepping outside of his shadow.

 

“Do you know how much you worried me?” It was a question, but in form of exclamation. The kind voice of the women was touched unusually with anger. No, she wasn't furious. More so, she was relieved to see him. Who, though, wouldn't have expected her to be angry? Her son, a prodigy, a genius, and someone who always did the right thing in her eyes, had stayed out very late without explanation or excuse. That wasn't like her son to do. Now that anger and disbelief showed. Slightly concerned, Yumiko stood off to the side. She said nothing because it wasn't her business to butt in on. Even through that, Fuji could tell she was equally as worried, though she was displaying that worry in a different manner, with a little less panic.

 

“I'm sorry, Mother… “ His voice trailed off. “I was distracted at tennis practice so I decided to stay afterwards and practice a little more. I was so caught up that I lost track of time.” This was actually true. In all respect, Fuji didn't like having to lie to his family. More and more often, he'd been zoning off. His mother wanted to know why. Whenever she approached him she always got the same response. It's fine; nothing's wrong. Now she began to wonder if he wonderful prodigy was getting involved with the wrong crowd. That was very wrong, and she knew it. No matter what went wrong in Fuji's life, he couldn't get involved in something in such a short span of time. At least, that was what she though. She'd seen, over the course of three months, him go from his normal self to somebody who daydreamed often and seemed very sad about something. Fuji didn't seem to notice the change he had underwent, really.

 

“But it was pouring rain outside! Why exactly did you do that? Just because it's springtime doesn't mean you should be standing out in the freezing cold rain in shorts and a t-shirt because you weren't able to focus at your tennis practice! Give yourself a break, Shuusuke. Everyone's distracted sometimes. Don't drive yourself to the brink of hypothermia because you were drifting off. It's unlike you! You know very well spring isn't always warm, especially at this time of year.” This was a rant that his parent was entitled to. Fuji jus bit his lip and sighed. He'd have to take it. He understood the real message.

 

You're not the Shuusuke I know. What happened? How can I get my Shuusuke back?

 

“I wasn't thinking.” He replied emptily. Even she knew it was a lie. No matter what, Shuusuke always thought about things. This was, however, a sign that he was serious. He wanted to fight his own battles, not currently have his family trying to interfere. This wasn't a simple tennis game where Fuji could just smile and have fun, playing with the results of the game. This was a battle even more challenging than his one with Tezuka. This one, he was intent on not losing. “I promise, it'll never happen again.”

 

She looks as if she's going to explode, but something strikes her about her son's appearance. He's dripping wet with tired shadows under his eyes. He's tired and he hasn't been getting good sleep. That, and he's dripping wet. He'll have a cold in the morning if he doesn't change out of the wet, sopping clothes he'd be ill with a cough in the morning. Sighing, she decides the lecture can wait. After all, it isn't every day that Fuji does something wrong. “Very well.” She goes quickly to retrieve a towel for him, and hands it him without looking him in the eyes. “Shuusuke, I want you to leave your jacket and pants here so you won't drip on the floor. Leave your t-shirt and underwear if they're dripping. We'll discuss this more in the morning. It's late, and I want you in bed as soon as possible.”

 

He bows politely. “Yes, mother.” His voice sounds full of regret, but it's hard to tell if it's just one of those masks of his. In all actuality, he's going to study instead. It doesn't matter to him. He'll follow his mother's instructions. He did, however, promise himself he'd study more when he got home to make up for the time he'd spent messing around at school. The memory of the stranger lingered, and as soon as Yumiko and his mother had left the room, he let a hand absently drift up to his lips. They still tingled slightly.

 

Yumiko gave him a shock by appearing in his room in the middle of this study session.

 

“I thought you told Mother you'd be in bed as soon as possible.” She was an older sister, with much more experience in life than Fuji had. She knew how to keep his secrets, but she also knew when it became important that she tell their mother about it in concern of Fuji's well being.

 

“I did promise that. My studies are a very necessary thing. Mother would be disappointed if I were to fall behind.”

 

“She'll be more disappointed if you make yourself ill in the attempt. You aren't a superhuman, even if they call yourself a prodigy. Mother's right. You need to give yourself a little of a break. Nobody's perfect.”

 

Fuji wasn't asking to be perfect, though, was he?

 

“It was my fault I was late. I should at least study a little.”

 

“No, brother. Sleep, or I'll tell mother. Your studying can wait until tomorrow afternoon. If I may recall, you don't have practice after school right?” She insisted.

 

“Well, we have a practice before school. That and Tezuka and I were planning to-“

 

“Whatever you're planning to do, I'm sure that you'll have time to study tomorrow. There's no use running yourself down to the point where you're going to fall asleep in school. Sleep now. I'm serious about telling mother about this. Spare her the worry, Shuusuke. She doesn't like to see you like this, and neither do I. She only wants what's best for you.” Her voice cut through his, though the interruption was oddly polite.

 

Sighing, Fuji closed his workbook. Right now, he wanted to continue, but if it was Yumiko's request for him to stop for the night, then he would.

 

“Very well.” He straightened in his seat, and Yumiko, seeming satisfied with what she had just done, headed in the direction of the door.

 

“Sis?” His question stopped Yumiko in her tracks, making her look back at him as he put his notes away into his schoolbag. “Thanks… for everything. This sort of thankfulness was foreign to him, but he felt that it would be proper. Smiling, she winked at him as she headed in the direction of her room without much else to say. Fuji sighed and closed his eyes.

 

“Hey, I'll give you a ride to school tomorrow, if you want me to.” That was her last offer before she disappeared behind her own door. Fuji smiled slightly, closing his textbook. For at least that one moment, his thoughts were off Tezuka. Now, it was up in the air as to weather or not his dreams would be peaceful and Tezuka-free. With a shiver, he hoped secretly to himself that he wouldn't dream of the mysterious stranger that he'd met that night. The man was so creepy that he didn't want to see him again.

 

There's a gnome on the tennis courts. At least, that was how Eiji seemed to like to refer to the strange occurrence of the missing tennis balls.

 

None of the Seigaku regulars knew what exactly to say about it. What was it about gnomes on the tennis court? Weren't gnomes those cute little elves with pointy hats that women fancied to put on their lawns? Obviously, that must not have been the case. Somehow, a gnome had escaped from whatever lawn on which it had been placed and now was causing a lot of chaos for the Seigaku tennis club. Tezuka, the captain, didn't believe in the silly theory. He was too calm to worry about such nonsense. Within his mind, a couple of first years thought that it was entertaining to steal tennis balls and blame it on a lawn (or garden) gnome. Eiji didn't help it; he only encouraged it. The third year had always acted quite like a child at times.

 

Tezuka gave everyone a cool look. “Somebody has been stealing tennis balls lately.” Tezuka was so serious, that it might have even been funny. The rest of the tennis club looked upon their captain with their backs stiff, their shoulders back, and their gazes even. Only the first years really had the bravery to fidget just a little. “If the person who has been doing so would please step forward…” There was nothing but silence. Students glanced around nervously, but nobody made the movement to come forward. Ryuuzaki-sensei looked annoyed, and Tezuka shook his head.

 

“Thirty laps, everyone!” There was a universal grown for regulars and non-regulars alike. The message Tezuka had been meaning to get across was conveyed. Whoever is doing this who thinks it is funny is just dragging the tennis club down with them. People who knew Tezuka better decided that they needed to start running before Tezuka decides to add on more laps to this order. However, that knowledge didn't stop a fresh wave of complaints.

 

Tezuka watched as they ran the first fifteen laps, but joined Fuji and Oishi for the last half, accompanying them wordlessly. It was more than his usual orders, but the first years had been making such a commotion about the disappearance of all the tennis balls that Tezuka had to take action. He had to show everyone that they needed to keep in line. Tezuka knew that Oishi, at least, shouldn't have been running the laps, but Tezuka couldn't exclude anyone because he trusted them. Showing favor like that wouldn't have been a good idea. Seeming to have taken slight mercy, he ran the last lap as well. Everyone was out of breath, but the culprit hadn't come forward.

 

Eiji, for a fraction of a second, looked as if he was going to comment on the gnomes again, but was too tired from the previous laps to be ordered to run any more. Now, the boy would just rather go back to practice. For once, Eiji restrained himself from saying a joke and bit his tongue. “Ne, Fujiko! Waving over to Fuji, he beckoned the boy over. “Do you want to practice together if it's okay with Tezuka-buchou?” Fuji might have faltered for a minute, but finally, he nodded.

 

Sometimes it was hard to look Tezuka in the eye, yet sometimes, it was hard to not stare straight at Tezuka. Naturally, his eyes seemed to be drawn to the captain. He seemed to do it so much that he was surprised that nobody had discovered him doing it yet. From over in the shadows, his eyes caught something, a person. It was a little odd since everyone had to avoid stepping in puddles from last night's storm, even at practice. The courts had yet to dry. There was a man watching him, with his eyes fixated on him as he practiced. Unwillingly, his eyes flickered back to him. The stare made him uneasy. If Tezuka were to ever catch Fuji staring, maybe that was how he would feel. He was throwing a tennis ball in the air. For a brief moment, Fuji wondered about where he got it. Rather than hitting the tennis ball, he plucked it from the air. A look of confusion came onto Eiji's face.

 

“Wait a minute, Eiji” Fuji set down the tennis ball and exited the courts to go see the man who had been bothering him last night on the risk of being ordered to do laps for not staying focused.

 

“What are you doing?” He questioned, staring at the stranger. He was tossing the ball up and down, and Fuji wondered where exactly that he had found the tennis ball. Tilting his head to the side slightly, and odd sort of silence passed before he gave a slightly disjointed answer, pensive in tone and nature.

 

“I was watching you practice.” He answered, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. “Are you going to tell me what's wrong now, or are you going to keep being stubborn about it?” Up. Down. Up. Down. Fuji wonders where exactly Tenshi got the tennis ball. He seemed to read Fuji's mind at the moment. “Do you want this back?” he said in a casual tone, motioning towards the yellow ball. “You left it here last night. I thought that it would've been a shame to just leave it here.” He continued to throw the ball up in the air. But… but he was the one to vanish first. Unless he took it with him, there had been no possible way that he could've known that Fuji left it. Shaking his head, Fuji gave a negative response. Pausing for a moment, he smiled a large, almost cat-like smile. “That's great! I can keep it, then?” Fuji nods slightly. The man's eyes lightened a shade, to a bright green, only for a moment. Fuji wondered how it was possible, and then why nobody else had come over to see the stranger that he was talking to. Maybe they were too caught up within their practice to notice the man speaking, though he was speaking quite loudly and with a very odd accent.

 

Fuji turns to leave, when Tezuka's voice rings out to him. “Fuji, what are you doing?” The stranger suddenly vanishes. There's only thin air behind him, and Tezuka gives him a suspicious look.

 

“Didn't you see him?” His voice trails off slightly, the sound decaying within the wind. The manner in which he speaks is that of an indignant child, who was trying desperately to prove to his parents that something had happened. Tezuka stiffened at it. Obviously, Tezuka had never seen the man that Fuji claimed to have seen and talked to. With his eyes narrowed slightly, his concern grows, though only very subtly evident within his next question. The tone changes only a little. After all, it would be bad of him, as captain if he didn't notice that one of the regulars had been acting strangely for the past few days. That, and it worried him how distracted Fuji had been when Kikumaru scored against him yesterday.

 

“Fuji, are you sick. If you aren't going to pay attention during practice, then you should go home and get some rest.” Tezuka's voice was stern, ordering him to go home. Fuji didn't really want to, though, and he wasn't about ready to let Tezuka know that he really wasn't feeling well, even though it was kind of Tezuka to show some sort of worry.

 

I'm not sick… I just want you so badly, Tezuka. If I were to reach out and touch you, would you allow it?

 

Tezuka was oblivious to all of his thoughts, and Fuji couldn't blame him, because he wouldn't have expected that Tezuka be really so skilled that he was a mind reader. All he could witness were Fuji's natural gestures, his aura, his normal smile, and his words. When it came to analyzing a person, it could've been a lot, yet the information was precious little, so much that he couldn't tell anything of importance. However, his odd behavior wasn't helping in the slightest. It made Tezuka raise an eyebrow slightly, when nobody was looking, of course. Adjusting his glasses ever so slightly, Tezuka had to wait for an answer. The tension between them was building, and Fuji felt that Tezuka would order laps if he didn't get the answer he wanted. Really, Tezuka is only doing his duties as captain by making sure that he acts in the best interest of the tennis club. Tezuka isn't at all inhuman or uncaring, but he isn't skilled like some other people are at showing his emotions on the scale that Fuji is able to. Because of that, people always misunderstood it. Perhaps because Fuji was able to mask his emotions as well, he saw past that side of Tezuka. That was how he fell so deeply for the ever-mysterious boy.

 

“No, I'm fine. Really, Tezuka, you've been so odd, lately. I should be asking you if you're alright.” The answer was simple enough, but Tezuka gave a stern frown and didn't seem at all satisfied with his answer. Still, he failed to mention that it had bothered him, and continued on as if nothing had happened.

 

“Very well, then.” He replied. Tezuka's eyes shifted casually back towards the tennis courts. “Kikumaru would like to keep practicing with you.” Fuji could only nod, smile, and then follow at Tezuka's heels as they went back to the tennis courts. Maybe Eiji was right about the gnomes, for once. Maybe that strange man was a gnome, not just the ones that had the stereotypical form of an elf. At least the man hadn't kissed him this time, Fuji was thankful for that. That, or maybe Tezuka was right; maybe he really was falling ill and beginning to hallucinate things. Fuji told himself that people didn't disappear into thin air. They couldn't. Yet, somehow, it was obvious that man had really been there, even though Tezuka hadn't been able to see him. Perhaps it was just some trick that the regulars were pulling on him. For the sake of his sanity, Fuji hoped that was true, and soon enough, the trick would be unmasked. In a few days, they would be laughing about this whole ordeal. At least… that's what Fuji wanted to think.

 

It was getting to be time for class, and Fuji didn't want to be late. Smiling over towards Tezuka and the other regulars, he turns to leave, bidding his farewell as Tezuka stays back to watch all the members of the tennis club as they go off in each of their respective directions. “Have a nice day, Tezuka!” The cheerful voice drifts across the air on a strong note, but Fuji's ears seem to only catch it as some sort of pathetic whimper. It seemed only to be as if by coincidence that their hands just happened to brush together, though only for a fraction of a second. Tezuka remained causal, pulling his hand away from Fuji's quickly. With his gaze lowered slightly, an odd smile growing on his face, and his heart drumming weakly against his chest, he lifts his gaze in an almost proud sort of matter, even though he was feeling so weak. Fuji had long since gotten used to the light-headed feeling that went through his head on a daily basis now. In a way, it felt surreal, though it bothered him on so many levels. When he felt that way, he never felt as if he was quite alive anymore. Everything would go numb, and his vision would fade into black and white as if it were only a distant memory.

 

“Things aren't going well with you and Tezuka, are they?” The voice shocked Fuji, and he spun around to face the strange man. He didn't think much before he was ready to fire back with a defensive statement. This man was invading upon both his personal space and privacy; he shouldn't have been there. Despite the fact that Fuji is glaring daggers at someone who speaks very obviously as a foreigner would, the stranger never seemed to notice. Briefly, he wondered why nobody seemed to turn their head once to stare at the strange-talking, odd-looking foreigner. Maybe he was some sort creepy hallucination.

 

“I'm going to class,” Fuji stated simply, giving a cool glare back in the man's direction. “You know, unless you want the teachers suspecting things, it isn't good for somebody like you to be around the school grounds, at least during school hours.” His smile at that moment was oddly sickening. Surely, the man would know the consequences of his actions. “That is,” he paused. “That is, unless you have business here.” At that, he raised an eyebrow as if to indicate some sort of underlying question. The man didn't answer. Maybe that was good; that meant that if this person was indeed a hallucination, then he wasn't going crazy by having the hallucination answer back. Lips brush lightly past his ear, and at the answer the man gives, Fuji is almost sure that this strange man, this creepy stalker, is telepathic at least to some extent.

 

“Don't think that I'm a hallucination, Shuusuke, because I'm not.” Fuji shivered at the use of his name, and thought about how much he really disliked the strange man for the fact that he used that given name so casually. Yet, it was so eerie how the man seemed to be able to read his mind, he couldn't help but get annoyed by it. Fuji didn't like the things that he wasn't able to understand. “It's better that you come to accept it,” the man stated calmly, in a soft voice. Fuji turned his head in question, wondering what exactly the man meant by this. “There are some things in life that will always be too difficult for you to comprehend, at least for the time being. Don't get knowledge mixed up with intelligence.” Within a second or two after saying that, the stranger had vanished again into thin air, much like a mirage. Fuji growled under his breath as a result. Surely, he must be getting sick, because Fuji knew that he was going crazy.

 

On the fringes of his vision, the world was growing dark. What was it that he felt so dizzy? Fuji didn't know the exact answer, but he soon resolved that being a dedicated student, it wouldn't hurt to fall asleep on his desk just once. Maybe he would get detention after school, and have to out in the hall to await a long lecture, but he really needed some sleep. There was a problem, however. Fuji could detect that simple fact, because usually, he would never in his right mind think of getting in trouble during school so deliberately.

 

Really, though, he was so extremely tired, in truth.

 

Maybe he should've slept more last night. Obviously, Yumiko had been right in the fact that the late night studying would soon take a toll on his health. Vaguely, he was aware of the feeling of collapsing to his knees, feeling dizzy and slightly feverish. A few people around him, walking peacefully in the hallway, turned in surprise at the sudden sound of Fuji collapsing to his knees, weakly. Fuji wasn't aware of anything else, except impending darkness. Soon after he'd fallen from his knees, and was completely on the ground, his eyes closed the minute after he hit the ground.

 

Even though it was a sunny spring day outside, Fuji was almost absolutely sure that he could hear the constant pounding of the rain, echoing through his ears and making him wince. His breathing was choppy, and the darkness was frightening. The one thing that remained constant was the patter of water on the ground, and his breathing, though quite shaky.

 

Tezuka…

 

Darkness.