There Comes a Time

Fuji’s sister had begged him, and he finally said yes. She bought tickets to a movie for her and her friend Mieko to go to for Saturday night, but the guy she had been seeing and liked very much had tickets to a play and she really wanted to go, so would he mind going with her friend Mieko to the movies? He looked so sad anyway, she reasoned, it would do him good to get out of the house. Fuji knew Mieko for a long time, they got along well, and she was a very nice girl. Her mind functioned very much like his own did, (when his was working properly) and she was quite pretty. It obviously wasn’t a date, as Mieko already had a boyfriend, but if it had been one of his sister’s other friends that he didn’t get along with so well, Fuji would have flatly said no. So he got dressed in worn blue jeans that skimmed his hips, and a deep blue button down shirt, which brought out his eyes leaving the top few buttons open. It looked casually elegant, yet just clingy enough to be sexy. Fuji grabbed the tickets and headed out to meet Mieko hoping that the evening would rid him of his despair temporarily. At least Mieko’s quick wit would keep him occupied. He picked her up at her apartment, and they walked the few blocks to the theater. “Thank you so much for coming out with me tonight Syuusuke.” He smiled at her, “It is my pleasure, you look lovely as usual Mieko.” And she did. Her long black hair had a sparkling sheen, the light green eyes glittered mischievously. She affectionately called herself a mutt. She had some Japanese lineage thrown in there somewhere, but also American and Indonesian, which mixed together accounted for her exotic looks. She was a dancer and martial arts instructor, so her body was tight, yet curvy. Mieko wore a simple pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, yet still managed to look sexy as hell. Fuji smiled, he would have been happy to date her if she would have him, his sister had tried to set them up more then once, but Mieko was always already involved with someone else. Mieko’s sharp eyes studied his profile, “What’s wrong Syuusuke? You seem so sad.” He glanced at her, “Oh it is nothing, please excuse me. We will have a good time tonight, I’m sorry.” He grabbed her hand and smiled his most winning smile at her making her chuckle as they came up to the theater entrance. Her chuckle was a deep throaty sound, soft, and full of feminine sensuality. It drew the glances of several of the surrounding men waiting in line at the theater for the doors to open for the next showing. Those glances quickly turned to admiring looks when they saw the girl the purring sound came from. As chance would have it, one of those men had the sharp hazel eyes of Tezuka, Kunimitsu. He heard the sensual chuckle, so unlike a normal Japanese girl’s shrill giggle that he turned to see the equally startling girl it came from. If her good looks were not surprise enough, the hand she was attached to was. It was owned by Fuji, Syuusuke. Who obviously had said something amusing enough to be rewarded with that chuckle. Tezuka’s girlfriend Hanaka yanked his hand roughly thinking correctly that he was eyeing the pretty Mieko, “Kunimitsuuuuuu.” She pouted. His eyes turned back to her thinking for the 10th time in the last few weeks of how possessive she had recently become, and that it was definitely time they stopped seeing each other. Frowning slightly, he thought he might do that tonight after the showing. He could see her gearing herself up, but he didn’t want to deal with it right now. To silence her before she drew Fuji’s attention, Tezuka lightly grasped her small pointed chin, and brought his lips down over hers. Hanaka was pacified, and quickly melted into the kiss as expected. Tezuka wasn’t into public displays, but he couldn’t bear another second of her whining.
Fuji’s eyes widened when he heard her shrill pout. “That name….” Fuji spun around in time to see Tezuka’s eyes slide closed as his lips gave his girlfriend a brief, commanding kiss. Mieko had seen the panicked look that crossed Syuusuke’s face, her sharp eyes followed his glance, seeing the kissing couple, and recognizing Tezuka from many of Fuji’s photos and tales of his long time friend. Meanwhile, Fuji’s grip on her hand had increased to almost painful levels. By the time Syuusuke had quickly turned back around to face her again, what she saw angered her very much. Fuji’s face was deathly pale, his eyes large and glittering dangerously with unshed tears. She’d never seen him look this hurt and afraid in all the years she’d been friends with his sister, even on days when he had come home with Yuuta both of them cut up and bruised from fights with bullies. Mieko’s quick mind made the leap, “Syuusuke, look at me. Look at me! Don’t let them see you like this.” She hissed. When his eyes focused on hers in bewilderment, ‘How could she know?’ he thought. She continued, “That’s horrible. Your own best friend stealing your love from you. He should be ashamed of himself.” Fuji blinked, “No… you don’t…” Mieko gave him a stern look that dared him to contradict her, and really how could he? What could he say? That no it was Tezuka he was in love with?? She whispered to him, “Get rid of those tears. He’s awful, to hurt your heart and destroy your friendship all at once. Don’t you give him or that bitch the satisfaction, you hear?” Fuji was surprised at how unbelievably close to the truth she really was. Tezuka had taken his heart and the friendship and crushed it, however it wasn’t over the girl as she believed. He smiled at her, she really was a good friend. “Wow. Brains and Beauty. You sure you don’t want to marry me?” he joked. She gave that throaty chuckle again, “If I knew you weren’t already in love with someone else, I might take you up on that offer!” She quickly brushed the hair from his forehead, and seeing from the corner of her eye Tezuka and his girlfriend glance in their direction, she quickly leaned in and kissed Syuusuke. The surprised look on his face was priceless, and she was glad his back was towards the treacherous couple, or her trick would have been for nothing. She smiled at him and said so softly he could barely hear her, “Trust me, they are looking, and now that bitch is dragging him this way. Be brave.” She touched his cheek as if she was for all the world completely in love with him.
“Fuji-kun!” The shrill voice made his arms get goose bumps. Fuji plastered a small smile on his face his blue eyes open as if he was watching Mieko lustfully, and gave the approaching couple a disinterested glance, doing a double take as if he had no clue they had been there. He noticed Tezuka was being pulled along, it obviously was not his idea to come and say hello. Hanaka however had other plans. She wanted to be sure that this green eyed girl with the throaty laugh knew Kunimitsu belonged to her. In Hanaka’s mind, everyone wanted what was hers, Fuji knew her well enough by now to know what was coming, but he also knew Mieko was way smarter then Hanaka, and could easily take care of herself. “Hello Tezuka, Hanaka-san. I didn’t expect to see you here this evening.” He said in his smoothest most sensual voice. “Fuji.” Tezuka nodded his head, “I was too tired from Friday’s late tennis practice to take her to the movies, so we came tonight instead.” Fuji’s eyes flickered briefly acknowledging the reference Tezuka made to their shower ritual that only the 2 of them would know about. “Mn.” Fuji responded non-commitally when Hanaka started in with her nonsense. “Fuji-kun! Do introduce us to your new friend here. I am Hanaka, and this is my boyfriend, we are Fuji-kuns friends.” Tezuka’s eyes closed tightly but that was his only reaction. Mieko took that gesture as embarrassment, and rightly so, but her perception was only slightly skewed. Fuji answered, “Ah. I apologize. May I introduce Mieko, however she is not what could be considered a new edition.” Purposefully not elaborating further on their relationship. Mieko stuck out her hand to Hanaka to shake, squeezing it harshly as the other girl’s eyes glared at her. “A pleasure to meet you. Syuusuke and I could definitely not be called new.” she glanced at him, and he hoped she knew what she was doing. As he played along, Fuji leaned into her casually wrapping an arm about her waist. Tezuka became irrationally angry at the action and the statement, he and Fuji had been the best of friends until recently, or so he thought, why wouldn’t Fuji have told him of his girlfriend, especially one of this caliber? “Well I am sure Fuji never mentioned you to us, we’ve been friends a long time, I would have thought he’d share that with me. However, it’s certainly a pleasure.” She smiled at Tezuka noting his eyes had gotten harder, “Friendships clearly don’t trump love relationships, do they? And we are very private, but I know all about you two.” Fuji winced at the direct hit she had scored on Tezuka, again, not in the way she believed. Her expressive eyes left no doubt she wasn’t at all impressed with either of the pair before her, “You are Kunimitsu, team captain of Seigaku, and you are his current girlfriend Hanaka, isn’t that true?” Fuji almost laughed out loud at the smack that word ‘current’ was to Hanaka. He was ever so glad that Mieko was on his side. “His current girlfriend!?? What do you mean!? What a rude thing to say! The same could be said for you!” Mieko instantly looked contrite “Oh so sorry. I meant no disrespect. But I have been with Syuusuke for years, his family and sister love me.” If Tezuka’s eyebrows could get any closer together they would be one unit. Mieko continued unperturbed, “It was so nice to finally meet you guys though. And to think we almost didn’t come to the movies tonight, Syuusuke! But the tickets were already bought.” Hanaka thought she saw an opportunity to score a blow, “What? He didn’t want to take you out in public?” Her eyes narrowed expecting a direct hit, but Mieko chuckled, “No, actually it was me who didn’t want us to leave my apartment. I wanted us to stay home and make love again, but Syuusuke said…” “Later Love.” Fuji finished for her. She smiled at him, “Really Mieko, you shouldn’t say such things in public. And we’ve got all night, don’t we? Later kitten.” His blue eyes smoldered and seemed to eat her up. Tezuka’s eyes took a brief stock of the incredible light green eyes, and fit body, becoming a tad more put out. How had he no clue who this girl was? Not only had this girl just ripped the rug out from under his entire evening as he was sure Hanaka would be miserable to deal with for the rest of the night, but she had also demolished his plans for trying to break up with Hanaka after calling her his ‘current’ fling. Tezuka was sure he could feel a headache coming on.
“Ah! They are opening the doors now. Enjoy the rest of your evening, I’ll see you on Monday captain.” Fuji said, not even bothering to wait for an answer or to use Tezuka’s name, he pulled Mieko along with him, to sit in the balcony portion of the theater, exactly where he knew Tezuka never liked to sit with Hanaka. Hanaka always used any available excuse to be all over Tezuka, and he knew Tezuka preferred to save intimate things for places more private. Securely in their seats, Fuji took several deep breaths with his eyes closed, calming himself, before turning his eyes to Mieko who sat mutely watching him gain control of himself. He worried her greatly. Syuusuke was always poised, never rattled this badly. Those two must have hurt him terribly for this type of reaction. “Hey. Thank you so much for what you did back there Mieko. If it weren’t for you, I would have been a mess.” She smiled at him, “I enjoyed it. I like knocking assholes down a peg.” Fuji chuckled. “Yes well you sure surprised me, I can only wonder at how Hanaka is blistering Tezuka’s ears right now, and what must be going thru his head on how I’ve supposedly hidden you all this time.” She huffed, “Well obviously his friendship with you didn’t mean that much to him to do what he did. And frankly Syuusuke, the girl is pretty enough, but I don’t really see what you both see in her. She is not worth him, and neither of those 2 are worth you, Syuusuke.” Seeing his doubtful look she added, “I mean it. Now where does that air head witch live, since I’m sure he will be walking her home after the show is over, yes?” Fuji responded, “Mn. He usually will walk her home, sometimes, spend the night at her house. She lives not far from you, along the same avenue, the route is almost the same except the last few blocks.” She nodded, “Okay, then leave it to me, let’s watch the movie.” He could only wonder about what she meant as the previews ended and the movie began. But he felt safe with her here somehow. He couldn’t even care less about it, he was so happy she had been there with him. Tezuka may be hurting him, and have him rendered powerless, but it felt good that Tezuka thought (even mistakenly) that Fuji still functioned and had a life.
The movie turned out to be pretty good. It was Alien vs. Predator 2. She said this one wasn't nearly as good as the 1st one, but it was ok. He found that although sci-fi wasn’t his thing, and not having seen the first one, the predator in this movie turned out to be a pretty cool character. Who would have thought to make an alien species look like huge Rasta dudes with dread locks? Pretty imaginative. It also gave him a small piece of insight to Mieko’s character when he found out that the predator of the movie, turned her on. Not the large fictitious fanged character, per se. But the predator was a watcher or guardian in the movie. The aliens had escaped, and when the alarm rang he went by himself to earth, knowing the danger to exterminate them himself. How he looked, ugly as hell, complete with fangs and guttural purrings didn’t make much difference to her. His honor and fighting spirit is what did it for her. As he thought about it, he realized it fit her very well. Mieko grabbed his hand as they left the theater, Syuusuke feeling oddly comforted by it. She pulled him forward at a steady pace, leaving him wondering what the rush was, until he felt the hairs prickle on the back of his neck. That feeling. He always got that feeling when Tezuka came onto the tennis courts, Tezuka exuded a presence. Fuji had that feeling now. He was about to turn around to scan the street behind him, but Mieko squeezed his hand and jerked it a bit forestalling him, “Don’t. They are behind us, about 150 feet. Just trust me.” She made sure they walked very closely together as if they had been doing it for years, and she started up a conversation meant to make him relax. She made ridiculous comments on Hanaka’s wardrobe, and her shrilly voice, then some more on the darkening expression on Tezuka’s face during their conversation. Soon Fuji was laughing along with her, especially when Mieko pointed out the horrified look that crossed Tezuka’s face when the girl said this is MY boyfriend. They both laughed some more, the heightened tension and pain that Fuji was going thru made the comments seem even more ridiculously funny. Perhaps no one else would even think they were amusing at all, but at that moment they were very much so to him. Saying with a comically horrified expression, “Can you imagine them in bed together?” She finally did almost perfect imitations of both Hanaka and Tezuka, Hanaka screaming shrilly during sex, Tezuka looking all stiff and angry through the whole thing. It was so funny that Fuji laughed so hard his sides hurt. Mieko had been keeping a close eye on the 2 behind them, each time she turned in her animated speech to Fuji, she would check out of the corner of her eye to make sure they were still there and that they got an eyeful of how happy Fuji seemed to be. Tezuka, she noticed, watched them like a hawk. She thought, ‘Screw them.’ As they approached her apartment, her anger got the better of her, and before Fuji knew what was happening, she put her hands on his chest, and gently pushed him up against a tree. When his eyes registered confusion, and he opened his mouth to ask what was going on, she took advantage of the fact, placing full lips over his in an open mouthed kiss. She pulled back momentarily, and did it again. Syuusuke was shocked at the first kiss, but when her lips returned to his, he closed his eyes returning it heatedly, her soft tongue slid gently inside, greeting him, and his head swam a bit as he caressed hers back. It had been so long since he had been kissed by anyone. Kissed like this. By the time she allowed him to come up for air, she was pulling his hand toward her building in a fairly quick jog up the path. That was when he realized Tezuka and Hanaka had just passed them and were making their way home to Hanaka’s house, Fuji saw Tezuka give a brief backwards glance at them as they ran into her building.
Tezuka had been watching them along the whole walk home. The girl talking animatedly. Fuji laughing and joking with her, not nearly the same Fuji he had left crying on Friday afternoon. Somehow Tezuka felt oddly left out. As he watched him now in the blue shirt and worn jeans, he realized again what a tight body Fuji had and how really attractive he was. It was no surprise that a girl like Mieko found him so handsome, and Tezuka knew what lay beneath the clothes. Fuji looked just as good with them off as he did with them on. The girl was smart too. Tezuka went over her thinly veiled, biting words in his mind. She was smart just like Fuji was. He wondered if Fuji had told her even some of what was going on between him and Tezuka for her to be so hostile. He doubted it. Suddenly the girl pushed Fuji against a tree, and she was kissing him, Tezuka saw the unbelievably sexy kiss, he actually saw a flash of pink tongues in the open space between their lips before the couple seemed to melt into each other, the girls knees seeming to get weak. He guessed Fuji must be a good kisser. Tezuka supposed he had always known that, but he had never thought on it much. He shut his eyes not able to watch for one second longer. Kissing Hanaka was never that all- consuming. In fact he couldn’t remember when kissing anyone had been all consuming. Good yes, hot yes, but not all consuming the way that kiss looked. Tezuka’s belly clenched up as he and Hanaka passed them. Fuji didn’t even know they were there he was so absorbed, then he saw the couple run up to what he assumed was Mieko’s apartment and now they were probably making love. For the ‘rest of the night’ Fuji had said to her. Images of Fuji in the shower over-laid imaginings of what the tensai would look like while actually with a partner. Dominant? Submissive? Both? Tezuka shook his head, realizing his musings had taken him on the walk all the way to Hanaka’s house. He was currently allowing her to undress him, unbuttoning his shirt, sliding it off his shoulders. Her fingers digging into his golden brown hair, when a swift wave of anger washed over Tezuka because he couldn’t get the kiss out of his mind. He didn’t even bother to allow Hanaka to draw him into the bedroom, but dragged her down onto the couch. When he finally pushed himself into her body with a small grunt, the body he imagined beneath him was not that of his girlfriend’s.
They were standing in the hallway to her building. He was flabbergasted, but she simply waited. Fuji stammered, “What was that? Wow. That was very, very nice, Ne?…..” he answered his own question…. “You did that because they were watching….. Thank you so much Mieko……” He continued to stumble, his progress halting and becoming more emotional, “You really didn’t have to….. I could never have asked you to…….” Her green eyes calm, looking much like Fuji’s eyes would have looked if their situations were reversed, she stood calmly waiting for the inevitable, “It’s just that…. ..That was really nice….. and it’s been so long since anyone has kissed………and Tezuka he…….. at tennis…………” that was when the tears came. Mieko hugged him and let him cry a little, knowing it had been pent up all night long, now also getting the idea that whatever was hurting Syuusuke so much was more then a simple love triangle, there was more to it then that, and Tezuka was a big part of it, that she was sure of. The tears stopped very quickly, Fuji getting a hold of himself, but she still felt tremors, and wouldn’t let him out of the hug although he tried at least once. She ventured, “Tell me. It’s more then just a love triangle, isn’t it?” a slight tremor raced through his muscular frame before he answered, “I can’t tell you. Please Mieko. I’m grateful for your help, but I can’t talk to you about that. I just can’t.” She allowed him to pull away, “Well, I’m here if you need to talk. Grab my number from your sister’s phone if you want to, ok?” He nodded and smiled, then quickly leaned in and kissed her cheek, “You’re an awesome kisser you know?” He said finally smiling again. She grinned, “So are you. We’ll go on a real date when you’re over whatever this is. Okay?” she smiled at him, then stepped into the elevator and was gone.
During lunch hour on Monday Tezuka didn’t stop to eat, he went home to check if the package he ordered came in, and low and behold, it had. Wrapped discreetly in plain brown paper, Tezuka took his treasures up to his room, inspected the contents, and brought one of the items back to school with him while hiding the other two. The weekend had gone from bad to worse for Tezuka. After a very unfulfilling night at Hanaka’s house he didn’t even sleep over, but went home to a cold bed, wondering what Fuji was doing with Mieko. Voyeurism had never been his thing, but he found he wanted very much to see what was going on between them. That it might be jealousy never occurred to him. He had no real interest in the girl, but she would make a beautiful counterpoint to Fuji in bed. They are a very handsome couple he admitted to himself. A deep ache had settled in Tezuka’s belly, and a sleepless night followed. Sunday was no better as he kept imagining the kiss, the peek of pink tongues, & Fuji’s eyes closed in lust. ‘He had that girl all this time and I knew nothing of it, and he says my name while I watch him jerk off to taunt me. Is she what Fuji was thinking of when he was under the shower on Friday? When he looked so turned on? It must be.’ Tezuka knew no rest from that point forward. A thin simmer of anger followed him from Sunday until right now, afternoon tennis practice was only moments away. “I’ll bring him down a peg.” Tezuka thought as he headed to the locker rooms to change.