Title: At the age of Fourteen
Disclaimer: You've probably read this too many times already but yeah. POT. NOT MINE.
Characters: Mukahi Gakuto, Oshitari Yuushi, Wakato Hiyoshi, Atobe Keigo
At the age of fourteen, Gakuto never paid attention to girls, not that he was really planning to. Sure, there's the time for Valentine's Day where he'd receive heaps of chocolates (may it be obligatory or not) from the opposite sex. And sure there were those rare times when girls, mostly freshmen, confessed to him. But frankly speaking, Gakuto was never the one to express gratitude…not that he actually wanted to.
There were a lot of things to occupy his time—tennis, his doubles partner, school, his doubles partner, acrobats, and his doubles partner.
Did he mention doubles partner?
Yes, his doubles partner practically took a lot of space in his mind, his time and his whole-being. That guy was a very dependable person. Standing even taller than their own captain (sadly, falling short by Kabaji's height standards), his doubles partner was really one to look up to. He was smart, handsome, appealing…everything. Gakuto never knew too many fancy words to describe him but he could pretty sum it up.
His doubles partner was great.
Unfortunately, his doubles partner, unlike him, was greatly interested on the opposite sex and would often update Gakuto of the recent girls he had dated with for the entire week and once, even dared to tell Gakuto when he has gone all the way. Yeah, the way of no return, the way that made Gakuto's eyes bulged out, the way Gakuto couldn't even picture out quite clearly at his delicate age of fourteen.
But Oshitari Yuushi did, and he'd been there. Far too many times.
And Gakuto would only listen to him, to heck with understanding it! He'd nod occasionally and smile in a rueful way. It never really bothered Gakuto—at least that's what he thought so. After all, Gakuto was just fourteen; he was too young to know the absurdities and complexities of the human heart. Heck, he didn't even know what condom was before Oshitari pulled it out of his pocket!
'Weren't we about the same age?' He had often mused to himself as to why Oshitari seemed to know a lot of things apart from what normal teens should know.
Though there's a big difference in their personalities, Gakuto and Oshitari were awfully close. It might have something to do with them being together in court, with all the practice and playing together. There's really no problem to it at all until Oshitari started talking lewdly one practice—or so he heard. The Casanova boy would just leer at him in a way it made him conscious. But after blinking the sweat off his face, squinting to see Oshitari's face, what he sees is the same calculating look of Oshitari looking so fixated on winning.
Was Gakuto really losing his wits? Was he suddenly desperate for Oshitari to look at him that way?
Gakuto panted as he ran sideways and crashed into the ground after failing to get Ootori's serve. Remaining face down on the ground with dust blowing off his face, he knew that Oshitari would get him and offer his hand. So he waited.
"Ya ok' n' all?" Oshitari's accent was rich and thick. Gakuto swallowed hard and nodded. He was ok, just a little itchy on his cheeks and all.
Actually he was not.
He was not ok when Oshitari brushed his thumb on Gakuto's face, pulled back some of his clingy, sweaty hair out of his vision and turned around.
Gakuto Mukahi, at the age of fourteen, still young and innocent, was suddenly dragged in a whirlpool of unknown universe that involves—emotions.
It's absurd. Downright ridiculous.
It's just a thumb!
Maybe to Oshitari, casual brushing of thumb over someone's face is nothing to note of. He'd done a lot more than that, Gakuto was sure of. But for poor, young Gakuto, the kind of thing is nothing but unsettling. And what's actually bothering was that he had wanted more.
Yes, more.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Gakuto-senpai, you're spacing out," a polite voice shook Gakuto from his reverie. He was Wakato Hiyoshi, a junior student just like Ootori. He wasn't in regulars but his tennis play was commendable according to Sakaki-sensei so maybe, he'll have a chance one day—or not. He was known to have discreet arguments with Atobe about being the next captain and all. He was arrogant too and a bit irritating for Gakuto's opinion. And to think that Wakato's taller…it's simply unforgivable.
"Shut up," Gakuto admonished. Still so hung up as to why he suddenly wanted to jump on Oshitari's back every time he sees him and as to why, why, why Oshitari lets him do it. The junior only remained silent as he picked the ball.
"Senpai is so hot-headed," Hiyoshi mumbled as he served.
"What did you say?" Gakuto yelled and strike the ball while doing a somersault, a portion of his belly showed up, pale skin very much visible to Wakato Hiyoshi's eyes. And if the kouhai squinted amidst the sunlight, he's sure that's Gakuto's nipples were showing too. Perhaps it was because of this that he didn't notice the ball. Ahhh? What ball? The ball was smashed outside the court. And Hiyoshi looked at Gakuto pointedly, as if he let the ball get past him.
"What the hell are you looking at?" Gakuto yelled in an annoyed voice. Hiyoshi merely shrugged and served another ball. Truth to be told, even though Gakuto's a senior, his voice hadn't change much at all. So why bother flinching over a shrilly voice? It might have been better if he used it in bed or—Hiyoshi slapped his face and gritted his teeth.
"Hey, is the sun getting you already?" Gakuto looked smug for his own good as he twirled his racket on one hand, looking so poised while standing.
"You mean the heat, senpai."
"Yeah, yeah whatever," Gakuto frowned. Sun, heat, what's the big difference anyway? Oshitari would've answered a very scientific retort at that but he was no Oshitari.
"Senpai doesn't look cute when he's frowning," Hiyoshi replied as he served a fast ball that could be relatively compared with Ootori's. The ball just zoomed past Gakuto before he even realized it. It really was commendable, he has got to admit but before that—
"H-how dare you call me…call me…!"
"Senpai, are you blushing?" Hiyoshi cocked his head sideways, allowing a smirk to form in his lips.
"No, I'm not you idiot!" Gakuto threw his racket at Hiyoshi's direction out of indignation and irritation. The latter was not compelled to evade it though and he was hit right on his face. Losing his balance and landing on his butt, Hiyoshi stayed still for a dramatic effect. He really wasn't prepared when Gakuto rushed to his side and clamped his face, hands sweaty and unbelievably cold it burned Hiyoshi's cheeks for some reasons he's slightly aware of.
"Are you alright?" Gakuto asked worriedly and Hiyoshi could only give a blank stare.
"Hiyoshi?" Gakuto asked softly and Wakato Hiyoshi felt like fainting when he heard his name on his voice. Or maybe it's from the bleeding nose. He wasn't really sure of.
*~*~*~*
At the age of fourteen, actually thirteen, (he was turning fourteen this year anyway) Wakato Hiyoshi never paid attention to anyone and anything except his captain and that fixation of his to get the captainship by next year. He had so many plans for the future right after the damn diva gets his ass out of Hyoutei Gakuen middle school's tennis court. He couldn't wait to see it coming, was anticipating it to come. And perhaps because of this he was deemed an annoyance to Atobe Keigo.
He wasn't the one who'd challenge the captain in a brawl fight, much less in a tennis game. He knew he'd never win any of that. Oh, yes, Hiyoshi knew how to play it in a way he'd win. He played it his own style and flair.
Mocking Atobe and his silly hair, silly look, silly car and even going as far as ridiculing Atobe's silly mole really got the captain annoyed the hell out of him. Sure Atobe made sure of beating the crap out of Hiyoshi in practice games. The score always ended up in love so much its dulling Hiyoshi. But who cares anyway? It's all part of his grand plan.
Yes, the Gekokujo. And he wasn't the one to give up. No, not until he has secured the position.
It has been the routine of Wakato Hiyoshi's life until he met Mukahi Gakuto. That time, Gakuto's usual partner was having a match with Atobe and so he was paired up with Gakuto. It only happened rarely because Wakato isn't even on the regular's line-up but having a chance to play with the regulars isn't that bad at all. He could give Gakuto the crap he deserves.
Yes, maybe he'll start with defeating Gakuto to prove that he could also take the regular spot. Or so he thought again.
And the game ended in 5-2.
With Hiyoshi eating up the dirt on the ground. What the hell. Hiyoshi thought angrily in his mind, standing up and brushing off the dirt on his uniform. What the hell.
"It was a nice game," he remembered Gakuto offering a small smile. But it only looked to him as though it was a sarcastic remark. Glaring down at his senpai, he was suddenly glad he was centimeters taller than him. He intended to look menacing but it only bounced off Gakuto's head as he walked away to get his towel. How a girly face, low-stamina, circus boy can beat him? True he can deal with Atobe beating him on a daily basis and Oshitari beating him once, maybe twice or thrice or hell he couldn't count but this, this shit won't do good! And the freaking guy doesn't even know he still existed after the game.
*~*
Usually, Wakato Hiyoshi was invisible to everyone. He wasn't like Taki who demands attention every now and then only to be ignored rather pathetically. He was like the wind with a little whoosh~ whoosh~ sound effect to add. He's fairly normal in looks and height. He does have a good-looking face and narrow eyes that made him look unapproachable and unfriendly. But he's just weird in his own little way with his gekokujo and all. He never bothered about love and girls. He was obsessed with his grand plan.
But all that changed because of his senpai. It never occurred to him as to why he was deeply fascinated with his senpai after he lost his game to him. Usually, he wasn't keen to little details but everything about Mukahi Gakuto he noticed immediately. It was like he was programmed to observe Gakuto on the sidelines and observe him some more at the corridor, or at the library or at the cafeteria or when ever's possible. Truth to be told, he's just a normal guy with a normal hobby.
Really.
But of course, Wakato Hiyoshi was just a boy in a delicate age of thir—fourteen. So there's a tendency of being pliable to little changes such as this. He never really bothered much about it until one fated day.
*~*~*~*
"Are you sure you're alright?" Gakuto asked for the fourth time. He fussed greatly when Hiyoshi fell on the ground. Hiyoshi, on the other hand, looked relatively calm as he sported a bruised hand.
"It's just scraped, nothing to worry about senpai," Hiyoshi replied, trying very hard not to smile. There's a fluttering feeling inside Hiyoshi's chest he's unfamiliar of and he kind of like the feeling. Gakuto slightly narrowed his eyes at Hiyoshi.
"I wasn't worried about you!" he retorted. Soon after the doctor left for an important meeting, the two of them chose to leave too.
"Are you going to practice some more senpai?" Hiyoshi asked, now sporting a bandaged hand. Gakuto nodded and smiled to himself.
"I'm waiting for Yuushi actually," he confessed and there's a faint blush on Gakuto's face but Hiyoshi refused to acknowledge it. As to why he refused to, is still unclear to him.
"You know, Yuushi's really good at tennis. I am starting to think that I'm weighing him down. I see him frowning a lot on court too," Gakuto said softly, a note of disappointment in his voice.
"I think Gakuto-senpai is good at tennis too," Hiyoshi replied quietly. Gakuto looked at him a little too quickly and smiled. Hiyoshi was momentarily stunned by how pretty Gakuto suddenly looked.
"I-uh forgot my racket in the clinic," Hiyoshi suddenly blurted out and turned around.
"Hey, wait!" Gakuto called out and followed Hiyoshi.
*~*~*~*~*~*
At the age of fourteen, a person's emotion is very unstable. They're very much susceptible to possible insanity and such. People at this age were likely to destroy or build their life. It's a make or break stage of life actually. So such was the shock of Mukahi Gakuto and Wakato Hiyoshi when they saw Oshitari Yuushi, Hyoutei's resident loverboy, kissing Atobe Keigo, Hyoutei's one and only diva in the clinic. It seemed that Oshitari Yuushi has sustained a bruise on his left elbow and Atobe dragged him to get himself patched up. As to how kissing and groping came to picture, they never really bothered knowing.
It never came as a foreboding occurrence for both of them because as much as the two knew of them Oshitari was much of a player and was too involved with girls while Atobe was much as a prince who paid no regards to anyone beneath him. And while Gakuto respected Oshitari very much and Hiyoshi obsessed himself with Atobe's position as a captain, the scene before their very eyes weakened them and left them in a state of emptiness.
It was Wakato Hiyoshi who recovered first as he stood up, afraid that his legs would go numb from too much squatting. Mukahi Gakuto, however, remained in his position.
"Senpai, we should leave before they see us. I'm afraid it wouldn't look very good for us when they see us…observing."
Gakuto meekly nodded and followed Hiyoshi with his head low on the ground and it was only much, much later when the kouhai noticed Gakuto silently crying. At this point in time, Hiyoshi wasn't fully equipped with knowledge on how to deal with girls who cries in front of him much less guys crying. He kind of, sort of understood why Gakuto was bawling. He figured that the red-headed senpai of his was kind of, more or less, infatuated with his bespectacled, genius senpai.
What he did not understood was that his chest felt heavy seeing Gakuto's face full of sadness. And as if his instinct dictated him, he put his arms around Gakuto loosely and patted his back awkwardly. Gakuto, as if dictated by instinct too, leaned on Hiyoshi's chest and wiped his nose clean on Hiyoshi's shirt.
At the age of fourteen, people knew that things do change and remain they way they are. They experience new things each day that pass and this kind of thing with all the hugging and blowing of nose are one of those inevitable things in life that'll forever remain in their memory. And who knows, Hiyoshi silently wondered to himself, after five or ten years, he'll be holding the same person only that time, he'll be holding Gakuto with a whole new different level and his senpai isn't crying but is smiling and whispering sweet nothings to him.
"I am so gonna flirt with Yuushi tomorrow," Gakuto croaked, still wiping his nose on Hiyoshi's shirt.
Yep, so much for wishful thinking.
END