[UshiTen: Just another rainy day in Paris]

Part 11

Tendō promised himself that he was not going to start crying. His chest felt too tight, though, and he tried to sit up better, to let more air in.

- Satori, please, take good care of yourself. Allow yourself to be happy! This is all we ask of you. All of us. The ones who care for you!

He blinked quickly. He had to say something.

Once he managed to get up on his feet, he stretched out his hand and shook Semi's hand firmly.

- Thank you for everything, Semi-Semi. I will remember it. – he mumbled dejectedly.

- Don't you call me that! – Semi exploded again.

- Yea... Sue me. – Tendō grumbled at him, and just turned his back on him, walking away, just leaving him there, to wonder.

***

Tendō had been walking for a while, before he realized he was actually walking in the opposite direction from where Wakatoshi's flat was.

- I am... pathetic. Dammit. – he mumbled under his nose, plopping down on a new bench, leaning back, and now just staring up at the green-blue-sun patches of sky above his head.

His head was buzzing. He needed to think this over.

Was Wakatoshi-kun really gonna win the Olympics for him??? Just because he had told him so?! It sounded ridiculous! Of course it did! But then...

He knew well. He knew that tremendous energy, locked inside that body and that mind. He knew precisely how strong-willed Wakatoshi-kun was. How stubborn! How strong...

Tendō looked at his hands again. His hands were still trembling. His fingers looked too long, like a spider's, too pale, crooked somehow. They had stayed so after years of playing volleyball, yes. There is always a price we pay for pleasure. If there was anyone who knew this well – it was him.

Was Semi-kun right? About everything?

Had this been... an intervention in his life? By some higher power? Or was the silver-head just goddamn annoying!

Was he the one who was pushing people away? Hmmm. Not letting himself be loved? Be... happy?

He couldn't see it. Actually...

He lazily got up, and slowly strolled to the nearest vending machine; it was lunch time and he was hungry, but it was too far to walk all the way home. He was planning on getting a snack here, before going home.

He had to clear his mind.

He stood, staring foolishly at the vending machine's options, hesitating between sugar stuff and healthy stuff. But then... Wakatoshi-kun.

He got himself a bun, and a bottle of mineral water. It had to do.

His long legs took him back to that same bench, where he relaxed and just munched on his lunch slowly, in silence.

Quite self-importantly, a random pigeon waddled its way up to Satori's feet, staring at him cheekily, in the hope of crumbs.

- I wish I had your self-confidence, mate. - he mumbled and tossed a small bit of his bun to the bird. – Why the hell ain't you scared???

The pigeon ate it up greedily, his mindless gaze fixed yet again on the strange pale, red-feathered creature that held food.

The sound of the crumbs that followed suit, falling to the ground, soon attracted more of the same species. For a time, Tendō was quite amused to watch them swallow chunks of bread without bothering to chew.