Burden

Flipping though the pages of an old, yellowed photo album, a chuckle escaped from the lips of a purpled hair teenager. Yukimura was surprised by his own chuckle. Not that it was unusual for him to do so, but it was just that he had not been doing that in the past few months.

Ever since he had contracted a serious illness, Yukimura had hardly laughed or smiled. Who would be able to, when one day you were going to lose everything that was important to you in just a blink of an eye? Who could smile when you might not be able to play your favorite sport ever again? How do you smile when you had to force yourself not to love someone because you won't know if you would be able to bring her happiness?

Yukimura gently caressed the picture of a girl and he felt a rush of sourness tighten around his chest. The girl in the picture was , his childhood friend, his best friend, his love.

When they were younger, their friends used to call "the protector". This was because when Yukimura was younger, he was rather frail and tiny, thus the bigger sized kids would always pick on him. But would always be there to protect him. And she did so even though she was even smaller than him. Those times had been amusing, and certainly unforgettable.

"Seiichi,­ it's good to see you smile, you should smile more you know. It makes you more handsome." Upon hearing the familiar giggle, Yukimura looked up to find leaning against the door of his ward room.

"? No piano classes for today?" Yukimura asked as plopped on the bed and sat next to him. looked at Yukimura with a frown as she removed the rubber band that held her dark ebony hair into a neat and long pony tail. She never really understood why Yukimura always called her by her last name instead of her first.

"Nope, class's canceled. And Seiichi, we've known each other since we were kids, so I don't see why you have to call me by my last name." sighed. Yukimura smiled wearily, and for a moment thought she saw a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Not now,­ , not now. At least not with my current self,­ not with this weak and helpless body of mine."

"I guess I'm used to calling you by your first name. It's kind of hard to change and call you by your first." Yukimura lied.

"Oh well, I guess that's true, anyway, tell me what are you smiling about?" grinned as she gently combed her long hair. Yukimura looked at his best friend and was almost tempted for a moment, to reach out and touch her long hair. He only refrained himself from doing so when he remembered that his hands, which was hidden under the blanket, were scarred with numerous needle marks. And every she saw them, would get very upset.

"Hmm, I was thinking... about us, when we were younger." Yukimura said softly as picked up the old photo album from his lap. The tennis captain had always cherished it as it held many pictures of their childhood, together. The ebony haired girl wiggled her nose as she flipped through the pages excitedly.

"Hey I didn't know you still kept these photos. Oh man, I really missed those days. Remember how that fat pig, er what's his name again? Anyway, that fat pig would always pick on you. I could still remember the look on his face when I threw a stone at him and called him the fattest pig on earth." laughed, leaning in towards Yukimura's back.

There was a long silence as they remained in that position for the next few minutes. Yukimura knew that every time did this, it would mean that she was upset.

", is there something that's bothering you?" Yukimura tilted his head to look at his best friend and was surprised when turned towards him and hugged him tightly.

"Why didn't you tell me that your operation was tomorrow? I wouldn't have known it had Bunta-kun not slipped it out by accident! You know I really hate seeing you like this, without being able to protect you from the pain,­ I hate it Seiichi,­ I hate it..." sobbed, her left hand clenched tightly into a fist while hitting Yukimura's chest gently with the other.

Yukimura heaved in a deep breath and mustering all his courage, wrapped his scarred arms around the crying girl. He had not meant to keep the date of his operation, which was going to be a major one, from . It was just that he didn't want her to be worried about it as he knew it would affect her piano exam, which just so happened to be on the morning of his operation.

"­I'm sorry,­ I just don't want to be a burden to you. Your exam is on the morning of my operation and I definitely do not wish you to get all worried and distracted just for me." The purpled haired boy rested his chin on 's head as he continued hugging her tightly.

"Baka,­ you will always be my burden till my very last breath. Even though you are way taller than me now, it doesn't mean you can look after yourself. So don't you even dare think about not wanting to be a burden to me. Oh, and don't worry about my exam, I will definitely have good results for it." sniffed as she wiped away her tears with the sleeve of Yukimura's hospital pajamas.

"That's,­ kind of,­ gross you know" The tennis captain threw his childhood friend a disgusted look, and she stuck out her tongue playfully at him.

"Hey, this time round, you would have to protect yourself,­ I can't fight off this bully for you like I could when we were younger, promise me you will win this okay?" Standing up, leaned down and planted a soft kiss on Yukimura's lips. The tennis club captain drew a hand to his lips, a tint of pinkness spread across his face as he looked at the blushing girl before him in shock.

"I wanna hear you calling me after you wake up tomorrow okay, unless you don't feel,­ the same way as I do,­ ja I'll see you tomorrow after the operation." gathered her belongings and hurriedly ran out of the ward. Yukimura laughed as he touched his lips, understanding that at the moment their lips touched, had become his reason to win the battle that awaited him in less than twenty-four hours.

(The next day)

glanced at her watch as she ran along the bustling street. In fifteen minutes time, Yukimura's operation would be over and she hoped that she would be the first person that the purpled hair teen would see the moment he opened his eyes. By the time she reached the hospital, Yukimura's teammates from the tennis club were already waiting outside the lobby.

" san, the operation was a success. Hurry up and go in. Buchou is still under anesthesia but he should wake up soon. Don't worry, you are still going to be the first person he sees when he opens his eyes." Marui Bunta said cheekily as he pushed the blushing girl into Yukimura's ward.

shook her head, a sigh escaping from her lips. As she walked towards the sleeping Yukimura, the ebony haired could feel her heart beating very fast. It was partially due to the running, but it was mainly because of the sleeping form on the bed. Would he call her by her first name? Or would he not because he did not feel the same way as she does for him?

"Hey,­ wake up sleepy head." cooed, running her slender hands through the sleeping captain's hair. Looking down, she was awe by how Yukimura could look so handsome even when he is "sleeping".

"I really don't like you to see me in such a unhandsome state,­ this is really so not cool." A weak voice said and found Yukimura smiling at her.

"Not really, somehow in a way you seem, rather attractive." There was a tone of amusement in 's voice.

"You know,­ that kiss was such a bother, ." Yukimura purposely called 's last name and hid a smirk when he saw the dejected look on the girl's face.

"­I see,­ I'm sorry that it was a trouble for you. Yukimura san." felt a tinge in her heart as the last two words left her lips.

"Anyway I'm glad that you won the fight,­ seems like I don't need to protect you anymore ne. I will go and call your teammates. They are waiting at the lobby." stood up and was about to walk away when Yukimura suddenly clenched his chest, breathing heavily.

"I, can't breathe." Yukimura gasped.

"Sei, Seiichi, hey you all right? Hang on there I'll call the nurse." panicked as she tried to press at the buzzer with her trembling hands. Then a hand firmly grabbed her arm and tugged her downwards.

When opened her eyes again, she found herself on top of Yukimura, their lips sealed together as the latter kissed her passionately. She pulled away hurriedly, a mixture of surprise and confusion filled her eyes.

"I was just teasing you a bit just now over the name. And since you decided to walk away, I had to make sure you were near me so that I could let you finish listening to what I had to say." Yukimura chuckled.

"­But I thought you said I was a burden?" lips formed a small pout.

"What I meant was, you became my burden and reason to win this battle. This also explains why I always keep the photo album of our younger days with me wherever I go. I have always wanted you to be my burden,­ I have,­ always loved you ,­ and the reason why I hesitated before was because I was afraid that should anything happen to me, I would be taking away your happiness. And I can't be so selfish as to do that." Lifting a hand, Yukimura pulled towards him and stole another kiss from her.

"Oh my, are we interrupting something? Wow even after an operation, Buchou still has his energy and strength." Niou Masaharu whistled.

"Ah, that was a rather nice picture. Too bad we don't have a camera at the moment." Marui Bunta added on.

"So that makes a hundred percent that the two of them are an item from this very moment." Yanagi Renji scribbled furiously on his new note book which was a gift from his childhood friend, Inui Sadaharu. The vice captain, Sanada Genichirou, pulled down his cap to hide his face. Opening the door in preparation to run for his life, he knew that Yukimura's wreath would be unleashed any moment from now.

"Need I remind you guys that all of you just lost to Seigaku tennis club? Don't think that I have forgotten it just because you guys told me before my operation. I would appreciate if all of you would go back to school and have a proper training session this very moment instead of being such busybodies." Yukimura wondered if his teammates would be the one to kill him even thou his operation were a success.

"Seiichi,­ I didn't know you could be that fierce." looked on with amusement as the tennis club regulars scrambled out of Yukimura's room.

"Don't worry I would never be fierce to you. But if you were to call me "Yukimura San" again then I'm not quite sure how angry I might get, ." Yukimura smiled when he saw the pinkness spreading across the pianist's face.

"Then, this would have to be your burden after you recover. You have to make sure not to let me call you that again. Now go and have a good rest."

Yukimura closed his eyes. Yes, he would definitely let know that she would be his burden not just after his recovery, but for the rest of their lives. And he would not even stand to hear a "no" coming from her even if she were to ever regret it.

Love is a burden from the start. It is only those who really know its true weight, will treasure it no matter how it gets in their way.

~ Owari ~ 18.3.2006 babysyusuke