There Comes a Time

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Sunday morning Mieko got up, leaving him sleeping soundly. His fever had broken. He still had a slight one, but it was definitely on its way down. She left Syuusuke a note saying she had gone to the athletic center to workout, and set out the breakfast items for him, grabbed her keys and left. She tried her best not to think about the last 2 days. She knew it would do her no good. They loved each other, it was true, but she knew nothing had changed, and she wouldn’t even try to make him stay with her. Mieko might love Syuusuke, would welcome him as her own when he and Tezuka no longer existed, but she would not attempt to stop it now. She knew where he belonged right now, and more then that Mieko was a tensai herself. She was a tactician. She knew without a doubt that to try and get Syuusuke’s heart to forget about Tezuka now while it was still so wrapped up in him would never work. He would forever regret the love he had lost. The only chance she had, the only way to ever have Syuusuke’s love all for her own, was to allow him to be with Tezuka. If he and the handsome captain were meant to be, then she would not stand in their way, and would remain Syuusuke’s best friend as long as she lived. But if things did not work out between them, she would be waiting………As Mieko turned the corner to enter the Athletic center, a tall handsome man in a blue sweat suit turned the opposite corner headed in the same direction. She needed no further evidence of who the man was. Golden brown hair glistened in the early morning sunlight, the sharp hazel eyes lifted to hers, widening slightly when he realized who was before him.

Tezuka’s heart stopped beating for a brief moment. The sheer shock of running into Mieko left him momentarily speechless. She stared at him for a moment before turning to grab the door, clearly intending not to say a word to him. Tezuka found his voice before she had a chance to disappear. “Mieko-san. Please.” When she heard her name, and the very clear sadness in his words, she hesitated. Then she sighed resolutely to herself, stepping backwards -back out onto the street, and allowing the door to the center to close on her only opportunity to escape. She looked at Tezuka expectantly, refusing to give up anything until she knew where he stood, and whether or not he was going to hurt Syuusuke.

“Please tell me how he is.” Fuji’s name was unnecessary, both knowing of whom they spoke. “He is still sick, but recovering. He should be back to full health in a few days.” Her eyes gave nothing away as she awaited his next words. “Please tell me what Hanaka did to him. She wouldn’t tell me, and no one else seems to know.” Her face quickly transformed into a mask of fury, Tezuka could see the lioness showing her claws, “How the hell could you not know? She’s your girlfriend after all! She threatened you as much as him! You should keep that miserable evil bitch in line……..” she would have continued with her tirade except he raised his hands in supplication, speaking loudly enough so that she would hear, “Wait. Hanaka is NOT my girlfriend. I truly know nothing of what has gone on.” Mieko’s dumbfounded face bore witness to the truth that she had no idea how things could be so messed up. “What do you mean she is not your girlfriend?” Tezuka looked her straight in the eyes, “We broke up the night we met you at the movies. Well over 2 weeks ago now. She is not my girlfriend, nor will she ever be again.” Mieko tried very hard to process what she was hearing, shuffling back and forth from one foot to the other, with her head down shaking it slowly from side to side, the answers refused to come. “So you mean to tell me that she had no claim on you at all when she confronted Syuusuke and threatened him!? Then why did you change your cell phone number so he couldn’t reach you? ” Tezuka shook his head, eyebrows drawn together, “I did not. I changed my cell phone number so SHE couldn’t reach me. She was bombarding the cell with text messages and phone calls. When I could not stand it anymore I changed the number.” Mieko drew her eyebrows together, mouth not able to gather the words so he continued, being careful not to say anything that would give away what had truly happened between he and Fuji. Tezuka had no idea that she knew it all, “When Fuji left school to go home because he was feeling ill, I went to the cell store. I said I would call him that night to see how he was, and I did call. I left messages on his cell. I finally became worried enough to call the house number and there was no answer, but now I know he has been with you all this time. Please tell me what started all this. What did Hanaka do to him?” Mieko knew his cell was left behind at Fuji’s home. Had all of this been some horrid miscommunication? She covered her face with her hands. Right then and there Mieko knew that Tezuka was not to blame in any of this, but she certainly wasn’t going to solve it all for him. If he truly wanted Syuusuke, then he would have to do some of the work himself, to prove himself worthy. She answered, “She hurt him. She threatened him. He doesn’t know you’ve been trying to reach him, he thinks you abandoned him. That she still holds sway over you.” She watched as Tezuka digested this, his eyes turning fierce. “That s not true.” She raised her eyebrows, “Oh really? Prove it. When he comes back to school, you prove it. You stand by him against her.” She watched as Tezuka nodded, “Aah. There is no question of that.” then before she could change her mind she said, “He loves you, you know.” Tezuka’s eyes widened, and the shock on his face would have been funny if her heart weren’t breaking. She sighed, “Yes. I know about what has happened between the two of you. That you are lovers. He told me everything.” Tezuka stammered, then quickly got a hold of himself, “Mieko. I’m so sorry.” Angry green eyes drilled into his, “Sorry that you did it, or sorry that I know?” he surprised her when he said, “Neither.” Her confused face made him answer, “I am sorry that you have been hurt by it.” Huh. He is not even a bit ashamed of having done it or that I know about it…..There certainly is more to this man than just eye candy.

She shrugged, “Just beware that you do not hurt him Tezuka buchou. Or I will hunt you down, just as I did Hanaka.” It was Tezuka’s turn to look shocked. “Oh don’t worry, she got only what she deserved.” Tezuka said, “I am really not worried about her at all. I want to know what she did to cause someone of your intelligence to go after her, when it would be just as reasonable for you to hate me.” So there would be no mistake she looked into hazel eyes and bit out, “She beat him. She beat him with a tree branch when he was sick, the day he left you at the clubhouse. Then she threatened him to never come near you again.” Mieko watched as his face passed thru shock directly into anger and despair, tears gathering and glittering in his pretty eyes. Her own eyes gathered tears for an entirely different reason. He said, “She did what? May I see him?” She shook her head no. “Well then can you give him my new number so he can reach me if he wants to?” she again said no. “This is not something a phone call will solve, Tezuka. Hanaka has been punished for what she did to Syuusuke, but mark my words, she is not done yet. She has a video of you two together, and means to destroy you both with it in order to get you to stay with her.” Seigaku’s captain looked as if someone had it him very hard in the stomach. She sympathized with him, she really did. It must be a big shock for him. The implications were huge not just for right now, but for any future this boy/boy couple might have. “I realize this is something that could be very bad for your tennis career and for him, but his only concern was for you and what this might do to you. He blames himself. I won’t give you the ability to talk to him until you have had time to think over what I’ve just told you, and to decide if you can truly handle something this significant. There would be no shame in it, bigger men have been felled by less.” Tezuka blinked at her saying, “It is not his fault. It never was…..You love him, don’t you?” Tezuka’s question sounded more like an accusation, “Yes, I do. More then he knows.” She nodded, accepting his words, “I am not going to tell him I’ve seen you. Whatever decisions you come to, let him think they came to you on your own, Tezuka. He does not deserve to be hurt further. You can speak to him when he returns to classes.” She tried to pass him on her way into the building when his hand snaked out and grabbed her arm, “Mieko. He is very lucky to have you. You are truly an amazing woman, and I would understand if he didn’t want to lose you. I am sure that if I were him, I would not want to.” She looked up into his eyes, “Thank you, Tezuka. I would like for him to be happy. To do that, he belongs with you.” She paused, “For now.” She smiled at him in challenge, and to her surprise she caught a glimpse of white teeth as he smiled back.