AN: Artistic freedom, or how do you call that...: ) All boys of Seigaku Regulars are now in their first year University. So, they all have the same age! All nine of them! Hope you don't mind! And please, enjoy reading!
Furry namesakes
By: Kana
He misses it. All those feelings. The thrills. The excitement. The feeling of victory. The feeling of power. The rush of air. The quick thinking. The analysis of the opponents. The will to go one and become stronger. The rush of adrenaline. The feel of… freedom. But most of all, he misses them…
AaAaAa
The sun is shining when he enters the street court. Completely dressed to play. His bag slung over his shoulder.
He still feels it. The same thrill as always. The familiar feeling he loves so much. For a moment it makes him wonder why he decided to stop. Shaking his head he quickly pushes back the trail of thought. He made the decision. He won't come back to it. He won't…
But then the questions rise: What is he doing here? Why does he still come to play? Why doesn't he throw everything away? If he really has abandoned it, why does he hold his bag so firmly?
And as he stands there, watching strangers and six-month old friends battle, he can't find an answer…
AaAaAa
Both of them are enjoying the nice weather so early in the year. Sitting relaxed on a bench in the park. It is one of the rare times they see each other. Where before they would see each other everyday, every week. Now they can only meet a couple of hours in the weekends. Everything changed after they graduated from High School. Ever since they entered university. One of them still is where he has always been, doing what he has always done. Playing tennis. The other one moved away. Entering a school for photography. They didn't offer that course in his former school. So he went and left things and friends behind.
They still mail and chat and phone each other everyday, but it just isn't the same anymore…
So every weekend they meet at the same place, at the same hour. Always at their bench in the park. When it isn't raining of course. And when it is, they will meet in their favourite café.
It are times to talk and remember, or to remain silent and just present. They both know each other. Too well perhaps.
"You guys are doing well…"
Eiji next to him nods enthusiastically. And for a moment he envies the redhead who is eating his ice cream without any worries or second thought. Or so he thinks…
"Aa… We're nearly unbeatable. Nearly… If only…"
For a moment the light-brown haired boy wonders what he means. Nearly? What is it they still miss? They haven't lost a single match for the moment. And if they continue how they're doing right now, there is no way they'll lose! So, if only what?
"Nearly? There is nothing that can stop you guys!"
Brown eyes look in bright blue ones. They are sad when he speaks again.
"Aa… I know…"
For a moment Fuji is at loss for words. What has happened to his best friend? Only seconds ago he was all enthusiasm. Yet now… Where has his everlasting smile gone to? Where is his cheerful 'Hoi Hoi'? And when was the last time he has used his 'Nya'…?
AaAaAa
He stands in the shadows. Not wanting to be discovered, yet not wanting to miss a single second of what is going on before him either. If he wasn't feeling so sad, he might find it funny. Nothing has changed. Except for a couple of details. For one, they are all a year older. And secondly, he left them. Also a year ago. However the scene is familiar. All Regulars have recovered their spots. Tezuka is once again buchou. And fukubuchou Oishi still forms the Golden Pair with Eiji. Inui, the data player. Taka, burning power. Kaidoh the snake. Momo and his dunk smash. And Mada Mada Dane Echizen. All still the same. Except for him. All the same, and yet so different…
And he can't deny it anymore. He misses it. He misses them. Everything. He longs for it. He wants it back…
-
He smiles. Of course they won. Both Double Games and Singles three. They won, naturally, three games to love.
Sighing softly he turns and walks away. Unaware of the eyes resting on his disappearing back. Sad eyes.
He sighs when he's on the train back. He hates this! It makes him feel alone. Yet when he arrives, they will be waiting for him…
"Guys! I'm back home…"
His voice is soft and caring. And for the first time this day he smiles happily again when soft purrs and louder meows are his answer.
Lowering himself on one knee he pets the animals. Until all of a sudden a red cat jumps in his arms. Holding it with one arm he gently scratches it behind its ears. It was his first cat. The one he loves the most. A year old. All the others are nine months or younger.
A sad look crosses his face when once more he remembers. As if it knows his owner's feelings and thoughts, the cat in his arms climbs his way up. Using the white shirt Fuji is wearing to reach his shoulder. Gently it laps his tongue a couple of times against the tensai's cheek. A soft giggle escapes his lips.
"Aa… Arigato Eiji."
Purring softly the cat jumps down and starts circling Fuji's legs. Just like the others are doing.
"Alright, you'll get your dinner and the attention you're all asking for."
AaAaAa
Absently stroking Eiji's fur he looks through the pictures he has developed last night. Three days ago he watched them play. He smiles when he remembers the different situations matching the photographs. The acrobat is the most present on the paper. The seven others are equally divided amongst each other. Playing or on the bench.
The bell on his front door rings and the red cat jumps off his legs. Wondering who it might be he walks down the stairs. A white cat running with him. Each time walking between his legs or before his feet. Causing the tensai to nearly trip over him a couple of times. When he steps of the last stair, the cat suddenly stops still, and Fuji falls forwards. Due to all the tennis trainings he keeps his balance and so results in not falling flat on his face.
"TAKA!"
The cat quickly jumps out of his way and runs back upstairs.
"How did you know it is me?"
The surprised voice comes from before him, behind the still closed door. Eyes wide open, and for the first time in quite some years, Fuji has a shocked expression on his face.
Quickly he opens the door to see the power player grin at him.
"Taka…"
His voice is soft when he looks at one of his former team mates. Shaking his head he recovers from the shock and invites his friend inside.
"Gomen ne Taka-san. I was yelling to one of my cats. It was running before my feet, causing me to nearly end up on the ground. Its name is also Taka…"
A soft chuckle is his response.
Once in the living room Fuji smiles at his friend's face. The cats are all running towards them. Immediately greeting the guest when he has set one foot inside.
"You don't mind cats, do you Taka?"
His voice is still soft. It even sounds a bit afraid. Not really for the answer, but for the knowledge that he'll have to explain.
Instead of speaking, Taka kneels down and starts stroking the little pets of Fuji.
"So, witch one bears my name?"
The tensai bends down and takes a white little cat out of the group, handing it over to the careful hands of the power player.
Pointing to the red one at his own feet, he starts to call them all by name. Better to get it over with as soon as possible…
"This one is Eiji."
He smiles at the soft whispered 'I can see the resemblance.'
Taking it in his own arms he continues.
"He's here since the first week I moved over here. The black one over there is Tezuka. The brown one there is Echizen. The black one with the white tail is Kaidoh. The black one with the white spots on his face is Inui. Really, the rectangular spots around his eyes look like glasses. Then the white with brown one at the table is Momo. As you can see, he loves the high places."
Just as if he knows they're talking about him, Momo jumps down the table, lands on the ground and immediately jumps up a couch.
"And the white one with one black spot on its side is… Where is he?"
Turning around he points to one of his cactus.
"Gomen Taka, Oishi is a bit shy around strangers."
The tennis player smiles when he sees a white face look back at him, before it quickly disappears behind the plant again.
Looking back up his eyes meet sad blue ones.
"Why did you…?"
Almost ashamed Fuji turns his head away. His friend did not need to finish his question. It was obvious what he meant.
"I missed it. I missed you guys. I still do. I've … often thought about returning. Demo… I would love to make photography my work…"
He had not noticed Taka standing up until a strong hand gently squeezes his shoulder.
"I've seen your tennis bag. You up for a match? There is a street court near by. I passed it on my way over here…"
Fuji nods.
"Aa…. I would love that…"
His voice sounds fragile and unseen by him the power player smiles knowingly.
-
Tired Taka sets himself down on the ground. Exhausted. Sweat pouring down. Looking up he can see Fuji is also tired. Yet what he notices the most is the honest happy smile on his face. Softly the tennis player sighs. He had been right. They had been. Tennis had always formed a very big part of Fuji's life. If not the biggest. He loved, no, loves it so much.
"I… lost…"
His opponent walks over to him, offering his hand to help him back on his feet.
"Six games to love. You're still the tensai I've always known."
A sad look crosses the ex-tennis player's face. And before he can say anything, a voice behind him speaks up.
"You are still indeed. Secretly been practising?"
Silently followed by a "Mada Mada Dane Fuji-sempai."
Shocked, eyes wide open, said tensai turns around. The whole team of Seigaku University is standing there. His team, he thinks for a moment, before quickly banishing the thought.
"Nice show you gave us just now Fujiko! Nya!"
Eiji. It is the first time in the past year that he has seen him smile so cheerful again. A year since he has last heard his 'Nya'. And it was when he left that the redhead last used that nickname.
Looking a bit closer he notices that all of them are holding their rackets.
Taka is once more standing next to him, holding his racket high before him in the air. The seven other players immediately imitate the gesture. All of them remain silent, until finally the acrobat speaks up.
"Nya Fujiko… What are you waiting for?"
Everybody is looking at him intently, somehow all knowing what is going through their ex-team mate's head.
Smiling broadly and with tears blinking in his eyes he holds up his arm, touching the other rackets with his own.
Saa… He has missed this…
"Fuji, your apartment is big enough. Can we stay over this weekend? That way we can hold a little tournament amongst all of us. What do you say?"
Tezuka's voice is cold and distant. As usual. Yet Fuji can discover the deep emotions underneath. The same feelings that are reflected in all their eyes.
Swallowing a couple of times, he tries to steady his voice.
"Aa…" If you don't mind eight cats, each bearing your names.
Yet he can't voice that one yet. He'll have to explain it later.
AaAaAa
The train is moving way to slow for his liking. He wished he was there already. Final exams made it impossible to meet up with Eiji every weekend those past four weeks. However now they are finished and all of them have two months off. The end on this school year! He can't deny he hasn't looked forward to it.
Smiling he recalls the little tournament they played a month ago. It had been the best weekend of his life. All of them. Playing like they did before. It felt really good.
And none of them had any objection against the eight cats running through his apartment. They didn't even bother about the names he has given them. They merely smiled when he told them.
Aha! Finally the station appears. His heart jumps a little when he sees the red colour of Eiji's hair flash by his window. Finally back home. Vaguely he wonders why he thinks of coming home while seeing the acrobat. However he quickly ignores the thought. It's his best friend. Isn't that normal?
"Fujiko!"
He turns around and barely manages to keep his balance when his best friend jumps around his neck.
Releasing him just as sudden as he hugged him, the tennis player takes his hand and drags him out of the station.
Chuckling softly the tensai allows the hyper youth to guide him to wherever they're going. It doesn't really matter where it is.
"Okaa-san and all the others (brothers and sisters) are dying to see you again. She made a delicious apple cake, and…"
Grinning he only half listens to his friend's rambling.
It will be great seeing them all again. After all, they are as much family to him as his own parents, brother and sister. And he knows that goes likewise for Eiji.
"Beside, I want you to meet a new friend of mine."
The sentence immediately gets Fuji's attention. A flash of surprise crosses his face, and he can't help but feel a bit jealous. Is it someone to replace him, now that he has left this school and the tennis club?
"He's really cute and sweet. And you'll love him, I'm sure!"
Vaguely he wondered if the acrobat thought of him that way too. Thinking about it, he certainly thought of Eiji that way.
How long would he know the guy already? It's not that he doesn't want Eiji to have other friends than him. Yet he can't explain the feeling of jealousy inside.
Is that where they were going to? To that new friend? Fuji wasn't sure he would want that. He most definitely would not like it.
His thoughts were put at ease when he recognised the redhead's street.
"The others aren't home yet, so…"
Surprised the ex-Seigaku Regular notices his friend's hand tremble when he opens the front door.
Immediately both of them are greeted by a loud meow. And a second later, a cream coloured cat jumps right in Eiji's waiting arms. Its bright blue eyes observing the guest.
"Fujiko, meet my 'new friend'"
Biting back a laugh the tensai gently strokes the animal.
What foolish things has he been thinking?
His eyes are questioning his friend, wondering why he is blushing.
"His name is Fuji… And he is as long with me as your Eiji is with you…"
Understanding slowly comes down to Fuji. So, they both had been thinking the same. Both had missed the other too much.
"How do you know? I've never mentioned to you how long I have each of my cats…"
Grinning sheepishly the acrobatic tennis player puts down the cat.
"Taka told me…"
His voice is so matter of factly as he shrugs apologetically.
"Ah… Souka…(1)"
Their eyes meet, and both are surprised that the other one is not shielding his feelings. Eiji is looking serious, though a bit afraid. While Fuji is not smiling and has his eyes open.
"Do you…"
"Do you…"
After the first surprised look at each other, both boys start to laugh at the same time.
"I thought…"
Fuji nods before his friend can even think of finishing the sentence.
"Me too…"
Soft whispered words while he steps closer to the redhead, flinging his arms around Eiji's neck and pulling the acrobat against his body.
The end
(1) Souka: I see