One Year In Four
Disclaimer: I don't own Tezuka and Fuji. But they definitely own each other
Warnings: Gen at the moment, but this is good old shounen ai
Pairings: TeFu (I'm loyal and biased… they're the epitome of love)

a/n: This is the promised sequel to A Fine Week and Fallen Angel. I do hope You'd enjoy.

oOo
Some people believe that without history, our lives amount to nothing. At some point, we'll have to choose: do we fall back to what we know, or do we step forward to something new? It's hard not to be haunted by our past. Our history is what shapes us, what guides us. Our history resurfaces time after time. So we have to remember, sometimes the most important history is the history we're making today.
oOo

Prologue

Fixing the strings of his racket, Fuji Syusuke wore a smile that came oddly unnatural to his lips these last few days. He looked up, mustering a polite expression and asked, "May I help you, Honda-san?"

The girl in front of the tensai beamed and nodded so that her deep brown hair bounced in its ponytail. "I wonder if you know where Tezuka is?"

"Ahh," said Fuji, focusing his attention on his racket. "He's in the clubroom."

The girl, Honda Megumi, bowed and thanked Fuji. Soon, she set off toward the whereabouts of Seigaku High School Tennis Club's buchou.

Momentarily, Fuji stopped messing his racket and watched as Tezuka exited the door. The buchou gave the girl a smile, slightly quirked and quite polite; nonetheless, it was a smile. Tezuka Kunimitsu hardly gave anyone a smile.

"Nya, Fuji," called Eiji, giving his genius of a friend a tap on the shoulder. "What are you looking at?" he followed Fuji's gaze and found the buchou and the girl. "O… that's Honda Megumi! What's she – " he stopped upon seeing the distorted smile in the tensai's face.

Catching on, Oishi tugged at the back of Eiji's uniform. "There are some formations that we still need to work on."

Fuji frowned slightly as Honda set off and gripped his racket harder. Honda was a popular girl in Seigaku. She was beautiful at the age of seventeen, smart and nice to everyone. Guys turned her way whenever she passed along the corridor. She was a picture of an ideal girl. And like most of the girls at school, she showed extreme interest on the buchou but she seemed to be the most persistent of them all.

Heaving a sigh, Fuji couldn't help but wonder how come she was very determined. The rumor that Fuji and Tezuka were going out with each other was wide-spread at school. The two, indeed, have been together for almost three years – only, they couldn't be bothered confirming it. Perhaps, Honda knew but ignored it.

Fuji's heart tightened a little. Recently, he saw the small unguarded gestures that Tezuka offered Honda. It seemed that the girl's willfulness was getting through the great wall of Seigaku. Then, there was the buchou's increasing silence every time he and Fuji were together. The tensai couldn't help but think that something was terribly amiss. He shut his eyes as dread gripped him. There was only one thing he feared in the world…

A fresh scent of citrus wafted to Fuji's nose and the tensai looked up, hoping that his smile didn't look too quaky.

" Fuji, warm up," said Tezuka coolly as he approached the smaller boy. "We'll have a practice match."

Fuji nodded quietly.

"What's wrong?" asked Tezuka, eyeing the tensai uncertainly.

Sighing, Fuji's head shot up. He smiled inwardly, glad that Tezuka could still understand him so well, that the latter noticed the slightest change in Fuji. "Nothing… let's play a match," he said. "And… do you have time to walk home?"

Still wearing a questioning expression, Tezuka nodded.

oOo

Slinging his tennis bag on one shoulder, Tezuka headed out of the clubroom and locked up. He wasn't at all surprised to see Fuji outside, waiting. The tensai trailed along as the buchou took slow, dignified steps toward the school gates.

Smiling childishly, so that his feminine features were heightened, Fuji reached out his hand and grabbed a cottonseed that fluttered with the soft breeze. His silky brown hair billowed, looking down at the fluffy white seed, he went, "They said that if you wish on a cottonseed and blow it away, your wish will come true."

Tezuka didn't say a word. He just watched thoughtfully as Fuji clasped the cottonseed in one palm and blew it away. "What did you wish for?" asked the buchou, finally.

"You are much like a cottonseed, you know, Kunimitsu?" said Fuji, smiling warmly and purposely ignoring the question. "I make a wish on you, but then, I'll have to let you go."

Trying to shrug away his confusion, Tezuka said, "Let me go?"

The smile on Fuji's face widened. "Do you love me Kunimitsu?"

Unable to follow the tensai's train of though, Tezuka said, "Syusuke, you very well know that I do."

Looking straight ahead, Fuji smiled listlessly. "Do you like Honda-san?"

Tezuka's straight face twitched just a little. But he remained silent - walking, thinking.

The tensai released a deep breath and he bit his lips. He understood everything about his buchou. His smile turned broad, but it reflected the sadness in his now opened eyes. "I'm letting you go," he murmured.

Staring, Tezuka turned his neck. "Why?" he asked, befuddled.

"You like her. You like Honda-san," said Fuji simply. "I can feel it… that's why I'm letting go before anyone gets badly hurt."

Tezuka averted his attention to the ground. "How can you say that?"

"I see the way you act around her, Kunimitsu," said Fuji, offering a shaky smile. "I see your tiny smile, the softness in your eyes. I know more than anyone else…"

Holding out a hand, Tezuka tried to grip the tensai's shoulders but the latter moved away.

"Be happy, ne, Kunimitsu?" said Fuji, injecting cheerfulness in his tone. "But if she makes you sad, I'll take you back." He let out a small laugh. Soon, he halted right before a bus. "Take this one."

"But – "

"Go on, we have lots of homework," said Fuji, offering a kind smile. "And we have early practice tomorrow… Tezuka."

The brown-eyed buchou looked up, rather wearily. Fuji's face and voice were detached suddenly; the tensai had drawn the curtains. And Tezuka felt at a complete loss. What could he do? Then, he saw the defiance in the teal eyes and he nodded. "Hai," he said quietly and boarded the bus.

As the bus doors swished close, Fuji watched. With the bus gone, the tensai tried to take a step and found that he couldn't walk. He felt weak emotionally and physically. Leaning against a wall, Fuji took out his phone.

"Neesan…" he whispered, wondering where he got the strength to speak. "I'm at the bus stop now. Could you pick me up?"

"Syusuke?" Yumiko's surprise was evident. "Aren't you with Tezuka?"

"No…"

Yumiko didn't need to ask anymore. "Yes, I will."

Patiently, Fuji waited for his older sister. Biting his lips, he shut his eyes. Wait… that's what he would do. He thought things were already perfect between him and Tezuka, but another person entered Tezuka's life and Fuji had to give way. He couldn't tie Tezuka to him. He couldn't allow too much resentment to grow between the two of them, lest they broke completely. He just had to let Lady Fate have her way.

Wait. Perhaps he could do that.

oOo
Was there ever a time when you fell in love with a person, but had to let go? When you thought you moved on, Lady Fate toys with you and makes you meet with that one person again. Other people, other loves may have come and gone through your life and yet you never forget the way that your heart used to leap or how your body used to tremble at the presence of that one person. Then, you realize that your love for him had always been there. That person is your constant. Simply put: he is your soul-mate, your one true love.
oOo

a/n: I love reviews, send me one if you can.