[UshiTen: Just another rainy day in Paris]

Part 12

***

It was indeed the middle of the night, when Ushijima Wakatoshi's phone beeped. He didn't ever bother to put it in silent mode: nobody called him, nobody texted. He preferred it that way; he had worked hard to make it so.

But, after leaving Japan behind, once again, he had to admit that his heart raced just little bit faster very time he heard somebody else's phone vibrate, or ring. He had hoped for at least some minor reaction. In fact, he had been expecting a text, or maybe a call, to inform him that Tendō was not going to be there when he returned.

But the phone was all silent anyway, and his heart despaired. Of course it would be silent. Satori would never reach out to him again, after the things he had done. That kiss had most certainly been wrong. And his love confession... It seemed he hadn't learnt his lesson the previous time, and was now making the same mistakes... Why?

Because this was what love was like. One just could not help himself. Love dictated the rules, and the rules had nothing to do with logic, routine, and training yourself to be cold and detached.

Love just happened.

In a bad mood, and gloomy and stern all the time now, he chose the safe path again, and focused solely on his game, and on most days, he – quite on purpose – just left his phone at the bottom of his travel bag. None of his team-mates discussed this, because it was nothing extraordinary. By now, everyone knew to respect the privacy Ushijima-san so treasured.

So now, as his phone beeped, and he recognized his own ringtone with some delay, it surprised him, and immediately made him worry. His mind went to a dark place, and he assumed that maybe something bad had happened to his mother.

Casting a quick look to the other bed, he was pleased to see that his room-mate had not woken up. This made things easier. He fumbled inside his bag for a while, in the dark room, and his hands were shaking a little when he unlocked the phone, finally. But as soon as he saw the sender ID, his face fell. What the hell did he want now?!

There was an unmistakable scowl on Wakatoshi's face when he opened the message, but it quickly turned into a gawking expression when he read it. he read it a couple more times, but the message stayed the same, inevitably, and he slowly returned to bed, taking the phone with him, which was inexcusable in normal circumstances, of course, but tonight the circumstances were surreal.

== Captain! He misses you too!!! He loves you too! I promise I am not joking!!! Ushijima-san, I just talked to him! I swear! Call him! ==

Wakatoshi read it over again, his eyes sliding up from the message to see Semi Eita's quite conclusive name at the Sender ID space.

What did this mean?! What was he talking about??? And more importantly – why was he talking about it???

Wakatoshi had questions, just like always. There was no one to answer, as per usual.

So... he had to decipher this himself. Who was "he"? Well, it wasn't Semi-kun himself, the pronouns were wrong. And who would Semi "talk to"? And why would he bother to text him about it? Who would be so important? It was – quite obviously – a spontaneous decision to type this.

He frowned at the excessive punctuation. This was too much. They were grown men, after all.

And, really, there was just one... just one person... He and Semi Eita had only discussed one person. One man. Somebody who...

The blood rushed to Wakatoshi's head at the realization, and he blushed. Now he read the message again, only this time it meant so much more.

But the questions multiplied.