Wish

Angel

Kiyami: This is the AtobexJiroh chapter. I'm satisfied with how it turned out, but mada mada dane, Kiyami. Anyway up ahead there's Jiroh angst and one-sided Jiroh x Marui. Enjoy!

Italics means Jiroh's dreams and thoughts.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Prince of Tennis.

"Jiroh! Look who's here! It's Marui-kun." A feminine voice called to him.

The normally sleepy boy raced down the stairs of the lighthouse to greet Marui.

"Marui-kun!" He shouted and ran towards the small, distant figure.

He ran and ran, but he never got closer. Jiroh leaped and stretched out his arm to somehow come in contact with the faraway Marui.

So close…

Slowly he opened his eyes. He shut them quickly when his eyes hurt from the sudden amount of sunlight. He raised a hand to shield his vulnerable eyes. The sharp pain from the sunlight woke his sleepy mind.

Jiroh tried to sit up but found himself forced back down. His body ached even worse than the time he had fallen down the stairs at the lighthouse and broken some bones. The stinging feel in his body forced tears from his eyes. Everything hurt so badly. His stomach grumbled with hunger, his mouth just as dry as the sand, and his limbs aching.

"Stay down. You'll only hurt yourself more like that." A smooth voice told him. Jiroh smiled as he listened to the person talk. His voice was pleasing to his ears unlike the screeching of the seagulls.

"…Angel…" Jiroh managed to say before losing consciousness.

A voice so sweetly sounding could only belong to an angel.

Jeez, what was up with this kid? No one fell asleep while he was talking with them.

Atobe frowned as he pulled the boy into an upright position. He wrapped his right arm around the boy's shoulders and gently opened his mouth. Slowly he poured the coconut milk into the open mouth. Atobe had discovered the coconut floating in the water. It had been knocked into the ocean when one of the noisy members of the wrecked ship accidentally lit a nearby hut on fire.

He had seen them eating the coconut. Some made faces at the taste while others gleefully shouted at the taste. Atobe didn't try it himself. Mers and humans ate differently, which was why he was giving this to the boy.

After the ship had been destroyed Atobe had found the boy. The boy was floating far from where the other men gathered. Slowly he was drifting further from the land on the chunk of wood his body rested on. Atobe thought he was rather crazy when he went closer. The boy was bleeding, the blood attracting the ocean's natural predators. They were quick and within seeing distance by the time Atobe got to the boy. Atobe was quicker though and was able to bring the boy safely to the rocky caves.

He wasn't sure why he was helping the boy. Helping humans was generally looked down upon. Humans did go off and start crazy stories of how mers seduced men into the rocks. It wasn't the mers' fault at all. Sunbathing was a favorite past time.

That was why ships always crashed when they neared this island. A long time ago a Seer had made it so. They only wanted to discourage the humans from nearing their island. Atobe was a direct descendant of that Seer. It was ironic in a way. Ironic that he would be helping someone his great, great, grandfather had tried to prevent from coming.

The sleeping boy moved in his sleep. His feet kicked out into the air and his left hand slapped Atobe. Atobe's frown grew as he rubbed the stinging area on his face. No one hit him…ever.

Angrily he placed the boy back on the rock and maneuvered himself as far as possible from the boy. It was nearly noon, perfect for sunbathing.

Marui-kun…Marui-kun…Marui-kun…Marui-kun!

His shouts gradually grew louder with each step. His right hand cupped his mouth and the other was waving in the air. The redheaded boy in front of him slowly became bigger. Features started to form on the previously blurred face. Details were brought into place like a thin cut along his cheek or his wind-chapped lips.

He slowed down as the distance between him and Marui became only a mere foot. Jiroh's heartbeat became faster. His hands became clammy and cold suddenly even on the sunny day. A pink blush started to creep onto his cheeks.

"You're here! I've missed you for so long!" Marui exclaimed with his face showing the very definition of happiness. He moved forward.

"Of cou-" Jiroh started with a large grin on his face.

"Jackal!" Marui shouted and brushed past Jiroh. With arms outstretched he embraced the dark-skinned man. "About time you came back! So, did you get me anything? Food?"

"Marui-kun…"

Atobe hit the boy on the side of his head. One hand clamped down on his open mouth. "Wake up!" He ordered.

The boy did as he was told. His hand shielded his eyes once again. His tongue licked his lips, which were still coated with coconut juice. "Wha?"

"You were screaming! You disturbed me!" Atobe emphasized this by hitting him one more time on the head. Atobe paused then sighed loudly. "What's your name by the way?" He was tired of identifying him as The Boy.

"Akutagawa Jiroh…At your service." He whispered. His eyes widened once his eyes traveled far enough to see the tail. "Woah! Is that a fish tail? Is it real?" He asked with his voice as loud as it could get, which wasn't that loud.

"This?" Atobe elegantly pointed at his tail. "Of course it is."

"How'd you get it? Wow…I want one!" Jiroh attempted to at least touch it. Atobe slapped Jiroh's hand away.

"Well you can't and do you have to be so loud? Your shouting is hurting my delicate ears. It's giving me a headache too." Atobe rubbed his forehead.

"Can I touch it? Please? Ple-" Before he could complete the word he fell into a coughing fit. Jiroh covered his mouth with his hand as he coughed.

"What's the matter?" He impatiently demanded.

Jiroh's face quickly turned red. He continued to cough. He gasped for breath every time the coughing seemed to subside, but then it would come back just as powerful as the one before.

Atobe then remembered the ugly gash on Jiroh's leg. Could this be the cause for his sudden coughing? He knew from swimming alongside ships that coughing was never a good thing. The wound…could the wound be the cause? He had washed it and wrapped it in some of the cloth he had torn from Jiroh's shirt. With his powerful arms, Atobe brought himself to a comfortable distance to Jiroh's legs. Carefully he unwrapped the cloth minding the way Jiroh's legs kicked with each fit.

He had to look away when he finally finished removing the makeshift bandages. It was that gruesome. Blood had dried around the cut. The cut was long spanning four inches on Jiroh's lower leg. Yellow pus oozed out of the gash in his leg. Overall it did not look healthy. There was nothing Atobe could do about it either. He knew nothing of human medicine.

"Che." Atobe dropped the dirty cloth and turned back to Jiroh. Humans were such fragile beings. It was a wonder how they ever thrived on this planet.

Jiroh's coughing fit had ended while Atobe was looking at the wound. His face was still red and he was breathing heavily. He sprawled out on the warm rock with his messy hair falling over his eyes. It was hard to tell whether he was sleeping or not.

"Get up." Atobe wanted him out of his way as soon as possible. Jiroh moaned.

"Hurtssss…" He mumbled, the pain reawakened by the movement the coughing had caused and the wound's exposure to the open air.

"You shouldn't have moved and screamed like that." Atobe muttered as he brought his body closer to Jiroh's. He was starting to feel pain too. The rough rock was beginning to have its effects on his tail. With each movement either his skin or his tail was rubbed raw. "Now shut up and sleep." His suggestion was irrelevant since Akutagawa had already fallen asleep.

Atobe returned to the spot where he kept Jiroh. During the night he placed him inside of a cave that had a sharp boundary between land and water. It elevated suddenly halfway in and would keep the human dry and protected from the wind. He wasn't quite sure if it would be fine during a storm, but the skies were cloud free for now.

At night Atobe had other matters to attend to. There were parties he often went to and formal dinners. He was expected to come to them and didn't want to miss them. Missing them would alert his family. They would get suspicious with the lengthy amount of time he was starting spend away from everyone else. Anyway Atobe would surely be punished for caring for a human.

Quickly he swam into the cave. He pulled himself out onto the cold stone. Roughly he shook Jiroh's leg. "Wake up." Atobe said.

When no response came he shook his leg harder.

There was still no response.

Atobe pulled on Jiroh's leg and dragged him closer. Jiroh was sleeping, but he seemed worse than before. Dark circles formed around his closed eyes and even in the dim light his skin was strangely pale. His body felt too cold for normality and his body shook, barely but noticeable.

Atobe lifted the small human and brought him closer to the edge. Atobe lowered himself down in the water then grabbed Jiroh. He slung the boy over one shoulder and made his way outside where it was warm and sunny.

"Ma…ru…i…kun…" Jiroh feebly whispered.

Atobe purposely allowed Jiroh's head to go under for a moment. He didn't know the reason why, but there was this feeling like the time someone did something better than he did. Jiroh coughed because at that moment he was inhaling.

"Sorry, are you awake yet?" Atobe asked while shaking the sleeping boy.

"Hurtsssss…" He sleepily mumbled.

Atobe shook his head. Carefully he lifted Jiroh onto the rock. After the boy was securely lying on the rock Atobe got himself on the familiar rock. He moved Jiroh until he was what seemed to be a comfortable position.

"Wake up." Atobe said while shaking Jiroh.

"No…" Jiroh weakly refused.

"I order you to get up!" Atobe shouted and shook Jiroh harder this time.

"No…Sleep."

"When I tell you to do something you do it! Now, wake up!" He grabbed Jiroh's shirt and shook back and forth.

"No more," Jiroh mumbled once the shaking stopped. "Hurts."

Atobe growled with frustration. No one had ever disobeyed him before. Everyone followed what he said and that was how it was supposed to be.

Slowly he let go of Jiroh's shirt. It was better that he didn't harm the boy too much. He'd have to find a way to get Jiroh back with the other humans without getting caught. Jiroh was suffering with the lack of freshwater and real food.

So this was what responsibility was.

Jackal and Marui walked off together. Marui bounced around in front of Jackal while eagerly leading the way to a restaurant.

Jiroh bit his lip feeling the jealousy beginning to rise.

"Marui-kun." He said softly.

Why?

Why was he always invisible to Marui when Jackal was around?

Marui never noticed him no matter what he did. He was like an insignificant tree, flower, bird, or insect. Something that was always there, but never noticed. Jiroh was just another face in a crowd of people Marui knew.

He wasn't special…

At least not to Marui.

Atobe bit his lip as he tried to think of something to do for Jiroh. He was sick, possibly dying.

Atobe knew what sickness was when he saw it. His grandmother had been a Seer and spent most of her time treating the ill.

He shuddered while recalling the memory of this one experience. He remembered a young girl getting ill one day. She looked pale and wheezed constantly. She complained of being unable to breathe easily. He could remember her lack of appetite and excessive amount of sleep. Everyone was worried for her.

Atobe could vividly remember the expression on her face when she started to cough up blood. The horrified look as her own body betrayed her. That expression he hated it. He hated remembering it, but he never could get it out of his head.

Even after she died.

Her death had been slow with her strength slowly seeping out of her body. The girl suffered until the very end.

Atobe didn't want that for Jiroh. As much as the human was a nuisance, Atobe found himself caring for the boy. It gave Atobe a sense of accomplishment. He was actually doing something for someone besides himself. He was enjoying it too.

He allowed a smile on his face being unable to hide it. Gently he ran his fingers through the salt crusted hair.

He wouldn't let Jiroh die like that girl. Jiroh was going to live no matter what.

Suddenly Atobe felt Jiroh's hair slip away from his fingers. He looked down to see why as his dreamlike state vanished. Jiroh was falling. His body scraped against the rough rock as he went lower and lower towards the ocean.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Atobe shouted while grabbing Jiroh's hand.

"So it really is you. I thought you were better than this, Atobe. Hanging out with a pathetic human, it's disgusting."

"What did you say?" Atobe asked through clenched teeth. He shook with rage.

"Look at him! Disgusting, that's what he is. I never knew Atobe Keigo was a type of person to be around such trash." Another voice snickered.

Atobe pushed himself off the rock and dived into the water. He knew those voices. They could have only belonged to his so-called friends. Unfortunately that action caused Jiroh to fall into the water. The two other mers laughed.

"I say we should cut him up and feed him to the sharks." One of them said.

"That's a good idea. We should save the head though. Throw it at those stupid humans. Wouldn't it be hilarious?" They laughed.

"Hey, hey look!" The mer pulled Jiroh under. Jiroh weakly struggled to get back above the surface. His mouth was wide open, searching for some source of water. They laughed.

Atobe continued to shake with anger. His hands tightened into a fist. "Don't…you…dare harm…him!" Atobe shrieked when his patience for them snapped. Angrily he punched the closest one, his name being Taki. Atobe grunted when he felt the aching pain forming in his bones. He wanted to stop, but he couldn't.

He lifted his indigo tail and slapped the other on the back. His tail stung with pain, but he tried his best to ignore it.

They were disgusting. They were atrocious to be able to think such thoughts. They deserved to be fed to the sharks in bite sized pieces.

They were disgusting.

"Fuck off, Atobe!" Taki yelled. He grabbed Jiroh and took off. The other mer followed.

"Get back here!" Atobe ordered and swam after them.

This was bad. They were taking him deeper into the water. At this rate Jiroh would drown and it would be his fault.

Jiroh was going to live no matter what.

I can't breathe, Marui-kun. Will you notice me now? Will you come help me now? Will you?

Will you ignore me? Will you forget I'm there? Will you?

You'd save Jackal instead of me. I thought you were my best friend, my childhood friend.

You'd always pick him over me.

It's not fair.

I still can't breathe. There's only water.

Will you see me if I shave my head like him? Would you if I gave you all the sweets in the world?

It burns now, Marui-kun. It's like fire. It hurts, Marui-kun. Not just being unable to breathe, but what you do to me. Did you know that it hurt? What did I ever do? I never hurt you.

Why won't you notice me, Marui-kun?

Atobe chased the two cruel friends. Luckily he was fast even if his speed was no match for Shishido and Kamio. At least he was faster than Taki and his friend.

He caught up with them in no time since Jiroh weighed them down. Easily he defeated the two of them. It only took several slaps with his tail to frighten them away. Quickly he grabbed Jiroh and made his way towards the surface.

Hold on, Jiroh, just wait a little longer.

Is that you, Marui-kun? Are those your arms? They're nice.

Did you finally acknowledge my existence? Have you noticed me?

Is Jackal drowning? Are you saving me instead? I feel bad, but I think I'd be happy if he was drowning.

Did you know how happy I feel when you see me?

Please, Marui-kun, stay with me. I like it when you're here with me.

I feel like crying. You're saving me. It doesn't burn as much as it used to. It actually feels better.

I was going to give up, but now that I know you're saving me, I think I'll try harder.

I won't die as long as you're with me, Marui-kun.

I promise.

"Breathe, damn it, breathe!" Atobe shouted at the unmoving Jiroh. He shook Jiroh thinking it would help in some way. "Breathe!" He yelled one more time.

Jiroh wasn't moving. Not even a finger twitched.

"Damn it!" Atobe screamed in anguish. He had gone through so much, even risking his reputation, just to save one life. Couldn't even save just one measly life. One! "Damn it all!" Atobe yelled one more time while pounding Jiroh on the chest.

He blinked as he felt a warm wet blob hit his eyes. Was it raining now? That wasn't possible. The skies had barely been filled with clouds last time he checked.

Jiroh suddenly started to hoarsely cough. He gasped for breath and inhaled as much as he could. Jiroh spat out more salty water. He started to groan.

"Hurts." Jiroh mumbled, a word he was using frequently lately.

"You're alive." Atobe whispered in disbelief.

He was alive. Not dead, but alive!

Atobe, he had saved someone's life.

A sense of pride swelled inside of him.

"Thank you," Jiroh smiled charmingly. "…Marui-kun."

Atobe's pride shattered.

I'm still living now, Marui-kun. Thank you.

Did you color your hair or something? It's a new color now. You look different too, but you're still Marui-kun, right? Only you would do something like that for me.

Thank you, Marui-kun.

Jiroh rested quietly on the rock he had been on for the past two days. His stomach hurt a lot now and he was really thirsty. There was no more coconut. Atobe watched Jiroh sleep while occasionally touching his stomach. He was starved and dehydrated. He was dying a long death. He was suffering. He needed the other humans, not him.

Without wasting another second Atobe dived into the water. He had to settle this now.

He moved quickly through the water until he reached the area where everyone stayed. Houses were made with the coral creations on the bottom. The mers bustled with life. A group of children played a game where they had to maneuver through holes and shapes formed by coral. The older mers merely talked or swam about leisurely.

"Keigo!" An all too familiar voice shouted.

"Yes?" He replied to the angry merman not too far away.

"Explain yourself!" His father demanded with Taki and his friend by his side. They looked smug.

"With what?" Keigo tried to play it innocently, but knew it would be only a matter of moments before everyone knew of his disgrace.

"The boy, the human boy, Keigo! I know you're not stupid!" His father swam closer until on a foot separated them.

"He was wounded! What do you expect me to do? Let him die? Aan?" Keigo replied.

His father slapped Keigo. A red mark appeared on his left cheek. It stung, but Keigo didn't feel it. His mind was on something else.

"You've brought shame to this family! Don't you know of those disgusting humans? They'll kill us!" He shouted.

"Disgusting? Hasn't the Seer taught us that every being deserves to live? You disgust me, Father! You pick your pride over someone's life." Keigo answered just as loud.

"Don't you dare raise your voice to me! Come on, we're going now!" His father grabbed his wrist and tugged.

"I'm not going! I'm going back with you. I'm not staying here especially with you around! I'm going back to him!" Keigo defiance remained strong.

"Stupid boy! Impossible! You'll die!" Keigo's father laughed harshly.

Keigo pulled away. Rashly he went down and grabbed the sharp stone a mermaid was using for her necklace. He returned to where his father was and pressed it against the palm of his hand.

"Crazy boy, don't you know what happened to Fuji who did that? He can't see a damn thing all because of that human. Don't be foolish like him." His father knew what Keigo was attempting.

"Don't tell me what to do! I've had enough of it. I'm going to land whether you like it or not!" Atobe shouted in return.

The sharp stone dug into his palm until it broke the skin. Clouds of red drifted around his hand. The sharks would come now, but Atobe didn't care. Everyone could take care of themselves.

"I wish—"

"Don't do it!"

"I wish that I could walk on land as a human. I want to be one of them, Great Ocean, I wish I was a human." Keigo smirked smugly at his father. He just wished he had more time to say goodbye to the people he actually liked. He wanted to thank his grandmother, the former Seer, too who had told him this secret.

"Wait for me, Jiroh, aan?" Keigo chuckled softly and dropped the stone.

Soon…Soon…

"Unya! No way! Jiroh! Jiroh! Nya, guys come here!" Kikumaru shouted eagerly from the top of the coconut tree.

The surviving members of the ship came out from their makeshift huts to see what the hyper look out was talking about. A cry of excitement overwhelmed them when they could make out the familiar face.

It was Jiroh and he seemed fine. There was someone else, but no one thought too much of him.

"Jiroh!" Eiji was the first to greet him. They were partners, after all. The Awesome Lookout Duo as they had once called themselves.

"Get him in a hut. Food and water, hurry!" Tezuka was the only one thinking clearly with the appearance of their missing lookout.

Some of the crew followed as ordered. They grabbed Jiroh and rushed him inside. He looked like he was in really bad shape.

"Tezuka," Fuji tugged on his sleeve.

"What is it?"

"Who's Jiroh?" Fuji asked curiously.

"One of our lookouts. He went missing, but he's back now. Looks sick though." Tezuka reported.

"He's not the only one back." Fuji said softly.

"What?"

"There's someone else." Fuji smiled slyly. "Saa, how about we go for a swim now?"

"Wait, Fuji, who? Where? How do you know?" Tezuka couldn't see anyone.

"Let's just call it a sixth sense." Fuji pulled on Tezuka's arm to urge him to go to the water. "I really miss the ocean."

Tezuka stared at the small group of men. For a moment he almost thought he saw someone new, but Fuji was getting impatient. Maybe there was someone, but he was having a hard time finding that person.

Inui treated the cut in the leg. He had to stitch it. He used a needle made from fishbone and thread from a dress he ripped up. The wound had caused an infection that gave Jiroh a fever. The boy would be fine though with good rest, water, and some of the citrus fruits they had discovered.

"Will he be alright?" Someone asked him.

"I calculate a low chance of death if we take good care of him." Inui looked up to see whom he was talking to since the voice sounded unfamiliar.

That was strange. He could see a person standing there, but couldn't make out his features. He was like a blur, but this didn't strike Inui as unusual. "I'll be leaving now." Inui said to whoever was in the room.

Atobe stared at Jiroh. He felt strange in clothes that had been thrown at him. He felt very strange. He had come as a stranger to this group, but no one even asked who he was. It was probably because of the wish he had made. It was a wish that brought along a curse.

Atobe would be cursed in the way that effected him the most. Never again would he be noticed. He would become like a shadow to these men. A voice in the wind, a faceless person, but he was glad. He was glad that Jiroh was well.

"Marui-kun?" Jiroh asked. His voice sounded a lot better after drinking the rest of the freshwater supply.

"No, idiot, not Marui. It's Atobe. Atobe!" Atobe felt frustrated with Jiroh. All this time he was being acknowledged as Marui.

"Atobe…That's a strange name." Jiroh murmured sleepily.

Atobe chose to ignore that statement. He sighed softly and laid down next to Jiroh. "Who is this Marui-kun anyway?"

"He's a great man. He's so cool!" Jiroh exclaimed.

"Hmph." Even after doing all this Jiroh didn't even bother to properly thank him. Had he really made the right choice?

"But!"

"But?" Atobe looked over to Jiroh.

"But, Atobe's the greatest man. He's the best." Jiroh wrapped his arms around Atobe's. "Sleep now."

Atobe smiled, he did make the right choice.

"My angel." Jiroh snuggled closer. He didn't care as much for Marui now. He had something more precious than that. He had the sole attention of the most important man in his life.

His angel. His savior.

Kiyami: Yes! Done! This is probably one of the longer chapter. Atobe can be seen and heard, but no one will pay attention to him to clarify things. I thought I made it rather vague…

Next! SanaYuki because the idea in my head kept on distracting me throughout this chapter. I think the order will be SanaYuki, ToriShishi then Golden Pair!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review?