Me no Mae ni - Before your very eyes

Another angle of Hitomi wo Tojite - A PoT fanfiction

by Thyphy

ACT XII

"Nyah! I failed my exam!"

"Mm? Let me see it."

"Damn it nyah! Fuji, you'll have to teach me those things!"

"Ok... but I think we studied the same thing three days ago."

"But I forgot!"

"Then you didn't learn it."

Eiji pouted cutely and looked back at his test, wanting to throw it out of the window.

"Don't tell Ooishi."

"Why should I?"

"Don't make that face nyah! He won't like me if he find out I'm an idiot."

"Oh, c 'mon, Eiji. We didn't have the time to study it. And I know you'll get good grades on our next exam"

"Will you teach me?"

"Unless you don't want it."

"I DO NYAH!"

All the class looked at the redhead and Fuji chuckled.

ACT XIII

"Hoi hoi Fuji, where are you going? Have lunch with me!"

"Sure"

"Hi. Can I sit here with you?"

"Of course Ooishi nyah!"

The three of them sat under a sakura tree

"So, Eiji, how was your test?"

The redhead swallowed involuntarily

"Ooishi, why don't you study with us to our next test? Eiji would be happy. "

"Oh... I'd do it gladly."

Eiji had no words. He wanted to smack Fuji and also hug him, but all he could do was blush and nod.

Looking around, he saw Tezuka on a corner, calling him aside. Excusing himself, the tensai got up and walked towards the buchou, disappearing from Ooishi and Eiji's sight.

"Are you making progress, Fuji?"

"You mean... if I asked Eiji and Ooishi?"

"Whatever"

Fuji smiled at Tezuka's lack of patience and looked back at their friends.

"Let me show you something, Tezuka."

Fuji's gesture meant the bespectacled boy should do the same. So he did.

"They're very close. You can tell this by watching them. Every single day. Eiji likes to talk about Ooishi when he's with me." Fuji eyed the captain very slightly and then looked back "Among all the regulars, they care the most about each other. They like each other that much. Do you understand what I mean? It can't be none of 'em"

The look on Tezuka's face was bewildered. Of course, if he didn't know any of this, it must've been surely a shock. He glanced at them, suspiciously, as if looking for a sign that meant Fuji was wrong, but what he saw made him flinch.

"Fuji why were you there?"

"Because Eiji asked me to."

The captain turned on his heels immediately and Fuji walked back to his seat.

"What were you doing, nyah?"

"Oh. I thought I've seen a cat. But he's gone now."

ACT XIV

Inui looked at Fuji, that was observing Tezuka, that was watching the golden pair. Writing on his green notebook with a grin, he annunciated the pairs.

"...Kaidoh and Eiji, Ryoma and Ooishi, Tezuka and Fuji..."

Fuji glanced at Inui, a bit surprised, and then grabbed his golden racquet, walking towards the court where Tezuka waited for him.

After a half set, Fuji could definitely tell Tezuka wasn't there playing with him. It seemed Tezuka's mind was vacant this week. He read Tezuka's movements without even looking at him and thanks to that, he could save Tezuka from swallowing a Boomerang Snake.

"Nyah Fuji.. how fast"

Getting slightly annoyed, Fuji approached Tezuka.

"If you let your mind wander in another dimension again, I'll let that ball hit you, so you come back."

Tezuka wasn't playing doubles. It wasn't that he didn't know how. Of course he did. Buthe just wasn't in sync. If he didn't let go of his thoughts and concentrate on that match they would lose.

"If he don't let go of his zone and concentrate on sensing me, he won't ever find me."

ACT XV

Fuji entered the locker room and spotted Tezuka laid on a bench

"Ne, ochibi, why don't you like to play with Momo-chan nyah?"

"Mada mada dane"

"He doesn't know how to play doubles, that's why."

"Calm down, Momo. That's why we're here."

"Nyah, Ooishi's right"

Sitting by Tezuka's side, Fuji kept looking at the buchou, until he got his attention.

"Let's forget this. Ryoma, let's get burgers"

"Ii-su"

"We can go and practice doubles on a street tennis court."

"I think I like the burgers better, Momo"

Having the captain's look upon him, Fuji waited for Kawamura to pass by him

"Ne Taka-san, calm down. You've been in such a hurry these days."

"Aa sorry. It's because I have to help my family with the Sushi this week. We have two parties to attend. Thank you for caring."

"Betsuni"

Fuji smiled to himself and spotted Inui writing his data

"Inui, you look so happy."

The bespectacled boy smiled slightly, recognizing the statement he'd made about Fuji earlier.

"It's because I've collected very good data today. Specially from Tezuka and Kaidoh"

Fuji just smiled knowing Inui wanted to thank him.

"Hss"

"Ah really. Let's go, Kaidoh, we still have to practice some moves"

"Hai, sempai"

"And we're leaving to get ours burgers! Ja minna san!"

"Zannen munen mata raishuu! But I'm leaving too nyah!"

"I'll walk you home, Eiji"

"Nyah, Thank you, Ooishi"

"Ja Tezuka! Fuji!"

"Mata ne"

Finally alone, thought Fuji. He didn't even have to look at Tezuka to know he was looking at him with inquisitive eyes.

"What were you doing, Fuji?"

"I was making five of your suspects vanish."

"Five?"

"Yes."

"Momoshiro... Ryoma... Ooishi-"

"No. Not Ooishi and Eiji"

"Kawamura, Kaidoh and Inui."

"I''l get you a prize"

"You tried to show me Kawamura was too busy to do something like that."

Well, at least Tezuka wasn't just looking at him, he was paying attention on what he was doing, thought the tensai again.

"And tried to show me that Momoshiro and Ryoma were worried with nothing like this. And Inui and Kaidoh have their own business."

"And..."

"And it makes you the one was looking for."

"I told you I'd lead you to him, didn't I?"

"Why did you do that?"

"Because you didn't say I had to answer your questions using 'yes' or 'no'. And you also don't know my handwriting."

"Was that your handwriting?"

Knowing he couldn't do anything else to keep playing, he chose ending the game

"Yes."

He watched Tezuka closing his eyes. He was waiting Tezuka bark him laps or something, but the captain took that deep breath and talked calmly.

"Congratulations."

This one Fuji didn't understand.

"You made me clueless, you made my tactics useless. You let me in the dark."

Ah... that was it.

"I gave you two options"

"I don't remember"

"One: You would close your eyes. Two: I would close your eyes."

"I don't understand."

"On the moment you accepted my help, I closed you eyes. You made me your guide. When It was you to close them, there was no-one to guide you. And you were lost."

"You're insane"

"I like you."

Fuji wasn't sure if he wanted to lift his gaze from the floor and look at Tezuka to see his beautiful eyes full of disgust.

"Can you see through the floor too?"

He frowned when heard the word 'too', but then smiled weakly.

"Yeah... sometimes I think... If I stare at it long enough, it will swallow me..."

The captain looked at him, wanting him to continue

"And as long as I live on the other side of the floor, I'll be able to look at you every time you look down. I may guide your feet if you close your eyes. And may open a big hole and swallow all your enemies."

It was only convenient if Tezuka didn't want to look at Fuji. The captain always looked ahead. Never down. So Fuji could look at him all the time from an angle nobody else could or would. And Tezuka wouldn't have to see him.

"I've been thinking about... what would I do if it really was you."

"I think you would do nothing but keep distance from me."

"I don't feel like it."

Furrowing the brow, Fuji eyed Tezuka curiously as the captain stood from the bench, looking directly on his eyes.

"Do you like it when you close your eyes?"

Not really knowing what he should answer, he smiled.

"I think I've seen this question somewhere"

"Answer"

The tensai folded his fingers and faced Tezuka.

"Only if when I close my eyes I see something better than when they're opened"

"Then close your eyes."

"Why? Seeing you is better."

Fuji didn't know if it was his imagination, but Tezuka's gaze softened and that beautiful eyes and face were getting closer and closer to him, until they shared the same breath.

"But when you close your eyes, you can feel me."

Opening his eyes fully before closing them, the tensai saw the truth on the line theyshared since the beginning. And the truth was a sight much better than the one he had when his eyes were opened.

OWARI

finished yee! Minna-san, thank you for your lovely reviews (if it wasn't for you, I'd be depressed :p ).
Um... a Hitomi wo Tojite reviewer said that it was likely to happen something more on this ending (mmm...;p ), but I can't think of anything, sorry ;) . If I ever have an idea, I may write a continuation...

Thank you for reading:3 -huggles-

Thyphy