This was the result of a fifteen-minute word challenge that ended up going much longer than that. The challenge word is stated at the end of the ficlet.
Wistful Thinking (Prince of Tennis)
By Haruka (email: haruka at ymail dot com)
Kawamura Takashi entered the Seigaku cafeteria and looked around. His heart fluttered when he spotted Fuji Syuusuke and took a couple of steps toward his table, then hesitated. Fuji hadn't seen him yet, mostly because he was head-to-head with another boy.
Kawamura recognized the guy – he was an athlete like they were, but not on the tennis team. He was a baseball player. He thought his name was Mashido.
"Hoi, Taka-san!" he heard a familiar voice calling, and realized that Eiji was waving him over. Oishi was there, too.
"Hi guys," he said as he sat down with his teammates, casting a surreptitious glance toward Fuji once more.
"Are you having the macaroni, too?" Eiji peered at Kawamura's tray. "It's pretty good."
"Are you all right?" Oishi inquired, studying Kawamura worriedly. "You seem depressed."
"Oh – I'm fine," Kawamura answered with a reassuring smile. "I was just wondering if anyone else would be joining us."
"Inui is using his lunch break to make some horrible new juice in the lab, nya," Eiji said, making a face.
"Fuji is over there already, so I guess he's out," Oishi said, nodding toward the other table. "The Sophomores and Freshmen are eating in their classrooms, and Tezuka is in a meeting with Ryuzaki-sensei."
Eiji started talking then about something that happened in his Biology class, and Kawamura tried to pay attention, but he found himself thinking about Fuji again, wishing he was sitting beside him and not that baseball player.
He remembered the first time he saw Fuji Syuusuke. He'd been so stunned by the appearance of such incredible beauty right before his eyes that he'd dropped his books. No prelude, just CRASH, down they went. One bruised his foot, and he didn't flinch. Thankfully, he came out of his trance when Fuji hurried over to help him pick them all up. Seeing Fuji's incredible eyes up close almost made HIM crash to the floor next.
Fortunately he hadn't, and when the two of them met again at tennis practice, Kawamura wanted to believe it was fate. As much as he loved playing the game, it took a lot of self-control to keep from just stopping everything to watch Fuji in action. He was as graceful as he was beautiful, and so very talented.
To his utter delight, he and Fuji became good friends. On the court, Fuji was the first to hand him a racquet when he needed to get fired up, and the first to remove it so that he could calm down. He himself was Fuji's self-appointed protector, making sure that no one could deal permanent damage to the smaller boy if he could step in to prevent it, even on the court. When he found out how much Fuji loved wasabi sushi, he took it upon himself to learn how to make it perfectly. The genuine appreciation in Fuji's voice and expression when he tried it was a reward he would face armies for.
For all their mutual affection and respect, Kawamura was still shy by nature, and hadn't yet mustered up the nerve to ask Fuji out on a real date. Maybe he'd waited too long, he thought mournfully, looking back at the other table again.
"You seem really distracted," Eiji mentioned. "Are you sure nothing's wrong, nya?"
Kawamura sighed and smiled sadly. "I was just thinking about Fuji and …." He looked down at his plate, stirring his food. "Do you think he's going to date him?"
Eiji and Oishi both blinked in surprise and glanced toward the other table, then back at Kawamura. "You mean Mashido?" Oishi asked in confusion.
"Yeah, the baseball player." Kawamura looked mournful. "He's good-looking, a great athlete, all-around nice guy –"
"And terrible in English."
Kawamura jumped at the sound of Fuji's voice by his ear. "FUJIKO!" he gasped. "When did you get here?"
"Just now," Fuji said cheerfully. "I saw you over here and since Mashido and I were through with his tutoring session I came to join you. It's all right, isn't it?"
"T-Tutoring?" Kawamura repeated.
Fuji nodded. "Our teacher asked me to help him. It's the only subject he's having trouble in, and it's pulling his average down."
Eiji snickered mischievously. "Taka-san thought you might date him!"
"Date Taka-san?" Fuji said innocently, turning to Kawamura with a warm smile, touching his hand. "I'd love to."
Kawamura dropped his fork. On his foot. It poked him, and he didn't flinch. Some things never changed.
But blissfully, some things did.
(Word challenge – Fretful)
(2005)
Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi.
This fic is not to be re-posted.