Title: Take One
Part: 1/3
Rating: PG
Pairing: some mixture of Tezuka, Fuji and Echizen
Word Count: 1542
Summary: Freshmen know-it-alls… such brats.
----
When he signed up for the Seigaku Tennis Club, he expected to play tennis. He didn't particularly expect to be playing games with the other members of his team rallying something less tangible, more painful than a tennis ball back and forth across a net.
Sadly, few events turn out exactly as expected.
He made the regulars team on his first try, which was unusual, but apparently not unprecedented. At some point, he'd overheard it mentioned that the current captain had also made the regulars when he was a freshman. Maybe that was what started his interest in the captain. Then came the time when the captain challenged him to a game. That day, losing to the other boy at the courts by the rail, was probably when he first realized how much he still needed to improve. It changed his perspective on both himself and on Tezuka.
Maybe that was why, the next day, he waited until everyone else had left and the captain was locking up the clubroom to corner him.
"Will you go out with me?"
"What?"
"I admire senpai."
There was a long, awkward pause as he defiantly stared upwards at the much taller Tezuka. A warm heat spread up the nape of his neck and forward across his cheekbones, yet still he refused to look away.
"Do you realize what you're saying?"
Of all the responses he could've been given, that was not one he had even considered. It was one that indicated a presence of hope, and an increase in suspense. It wasn't "no, get out of my face", and it wasn't "yes." He wasn't prepared for that, and hence wasn't ready with a response. "Yes..." he stuttered. "I'm saying I like you, and I want you to go out with me."
"It's not that easy," Tezuka responded. Something in the back of his mind registered the fact that this was the most he'd heard from Tezuka's mouth in one day since they first met. "When I start dating, I will be serious about it."
"Are you saying I'm not?" he retorted, starting to get angry.
He had always been told his eyes flashed when he was angered. He was told he looked cute when he was embarrassed. He'd been told many things about how he looked in various situations, but the other boy would never tell him what it was about that particular situation that made Tezuka drag him inside the clubroom, slam the door closed and him up against said door, and press his mouth almost brutally, yet oddly gently, against his. He did, however, know why he responded. It was Tezuka - wasn't that enough of an explanation? Tezuka pulled back almost immediately - before he could even close his eyes and enjoy the kiss.
"No," Tezuka calmly finished his answer. "I just wanted you to know that I take everything seriously.
"Yes, captain," he smirked.
The next few days were great for him. They didn't do any of the so-called "normal" couple activities, but just having Tezuka give him a private, warm smile every now and then at practice was good enough. The weekend arrived, and they played St. Rudolph. Love was a great thing in the trust it entailed. Unlike the other members of his team, Echizen didn't care at all about the Golden Pair loss. He knew he wouldn't lose, in which case even if Fuji lost, the match would depend on Tezuka - and he knew Tezuka wouldn't lose either. In fact, he almost wished Fuji-senpai would lose, so he could watch Tezuka in action. They won without that, though, and he had to put off his desire to see Tezuka's smooth muscles flow in action for another day.
That night, they went on their first ever date. Tezuka picked him up after dinner - his cousin had wondered about the "stern-looking young man here for Ryoma-san," but he ignored her as usual and left without a word.
"Tezuka-senpai." The words tasted funny on his tongue - not at all like the sweet, molten honey taste of Tezuka's mouth he'd once been invited to.
"You could call me Kunimitsu, you know."
"It sounds funny." He dismissed it with a tug on his cap. The American culture he'd been born into had risen and completely overlooked Tezuka's hurt at the oblivious rejection. "Where are we going?" he continued.
"I thought we could take in a movie and then go for a walk or something." They did just that. The movie was OK, but he would never remember past the first twenty minutes or so - which was more than could be said for Tezuka. The beginning - although somewhat trite - had been directed well and caught his attention. Then a strong, warm arm found its way around his shoulders in the privacy of the darkened theatre. Surprised and unwilling to show it, he forced his body to not stiffen or even jerk, leaning in to Tezuka's side instead. He snuck a glance up at Tezuka's face as he did so, and realized Tezuka's gaze was focused completely on him. Making himself comfortable against the hard frame better known as his much sought-after captain, he proceeded to fall asleep.
"Ryoma, Ryoma wake up." He opened his eyes at the awkward prodding of his pillow. "Why don't I take you home?"
"No," he mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "You said we'd go for a walk."
"That was before you fell asleep. The match probably tired you."
"I'm always up for a nap if I've a comfy pillow." By this time, they'd left the dim theatre and he could clearly see Tezuka's hesitation, trying to come up with a reply. "Now where did you have in mind?"
The park turned out to be a nice, quiet area. It was hidden behind the business district of Tokyo, and was fairly empty at night when the salarymen weren't holding meetings and whatnot. As they followed the paths sheltered from unwelcome eyes by plenty of trees in full summer bloom, neither spoke. Just having Tezuka's presence was enough for him - until Tezuka stopped at a bench and turned off the path, that is.
"Where are you going?" Tezuka didn't respond, and he wasn't one to push things. Instead, he shrugged, tugged on his cap again, and quietly followed Tezuka through a denser wood than that they'd just past, until they reached a small clearing overlooking the district, completely disconnected from everything but each other. Here, Tezuka sat down, arms resting on his bent knees. Echizen invited himself to sit between Tezuka's legs, leaning until he felt Tezuka's heated chest against his back. They stayed like that for a silent hour, gaze alternating between the stars and the city lights.
Echizen never once felt drowsy.
The next day, everything changed. He was assigned to play Fuji. Compared to the one game he played against Tezuka, this game was much more equal in terms of skill. Unlike Tezuka, Fuji didn't pressure him to evolve - Fuji was much more subtle, more insinuous. Tezuka filled his thoughts after their match because aside from his father, it had been his first loss ever. Fuji got under his skin. The intrigued glint in Fuji's blue eyes as the rain poured down on the court chased Ryoma's mind during his date with Tezuka that night. The fluid movements of Fuji's muscles as he slid along the wet court shadowed his dreams. His every thought was infused with Fuji's inviting blue eyes, silent knowing smirk, messy wet locks... Fuji.
"Ryoma?" Tezuka smiled gently at him the next day when he'd ventured to the third year hallway and asked for Tezuka during lunch break. They were outside now, standing a little away from the door, out of hearing from everyone else. That smile, reserved for him only, had once filled him with warmth whenever he saw it. Now, it only filled him with dread. "What did you need?"
He bowed deeply. "I'm sorry," he whispered. There was no response, and at first he thought Tezuka maybe hadn't heard him. He wasn't sure exactly what he expected - a harsh word? a physical hit? Neither of those were characteristic of Tezuka. He risked a glance up. Tezuka's hazel eyes flashed angrily down at him, mouth thinned into a tight, white line. He winced inwardly as he snapped his head back into his bow.
Tezuka grabbed his shoulder, pulled him around the corner of the building, out of sight of his classmates, and slammed both of his shoulders into the wall, forcing Echizen to look up. "I told you I would be serious, didn't I?" The strained whisper was louder than his father's drunken-sounding laughter. "I said I'd expect the same from you, didn't I?" He nodded, turning away. Tezuka freed one shoulder to grab him on the chin instead. Those fingers, strong enough to grip a racket as the even more powerful arm sent an unmatchable force through a tennis ball, were now used against him, keeping his gaze in place.
Suddenly, the pressure was gone as Tezuka released him. "Go," he said in his normal voice. "I don't want to see your face outside of practice again."
He ran.
----
Boo. I'm back to writing my shoujo-ish, far too emotional/feminine sap. Weee! More to come. Got another Oshitari x David and a Saeki x Yuuta in the works too.
Part: 1/3
Rating: PG
Pairing: some mixture of Tezuka, Fuji and Echizen
Word Count: 1542
Summary: Freshmen know-it-alls… such brats.
----
When he signed up for the Seigaku Tennis Club, he expected to play tennis. He didn't particularly expect to be playing games with the other members of his team rallying something less tangible, more painful than a tennis ball back and forth across a net.
Sadly, few events turn out exactly as expected.
He made the regulars team on his first try, which was unusual, but apparently not unprecedented. At some point, he'd overheard it mentioned that the current captain had also made the regulars when he was a freshman. Maybe that was what started his interest in the captain. Then came the time when the captain challenged him to a game. That day, losing to the other boy at the courts by the rail, was probably when he first realized how much he still needed to improve. It changed his perspective on both himself and on Tezuka.
Maybe that was why, the next day, he waited until everyone else had left and the captain was locking up the clubroom to corner him.
"Will you go out with me?"
"What?"
"I admire senpai."
There was a long, awkward pause as he defiantly stared upwards at the much taller Tezuka. A warm heat spread up the nape of his neck and forward across his cheekbones, yet still he refused to look away.
"Do you realize what you're saying?"
Of all the responses he could've been given, that was not one he had even considered. It was one that indicated a presence of hope, and an increase in suspense. It wasn't "no, get out of my face", and it wasn't "yes." He wasn't prepared for that, and hence wasn't ready with a response. "Yes..." he stuttered. "I'm saying I like you, and I want you to go out with me."
"It's not that easy," Tezuka responded. Something in the back of his mind registered the fact that this was the most he'd heard from Tezuka's mouth in one day since they first met. "When I start dating, I will be serious about it."
"Are you saying I'm not?" he retorted, starting to get angry.
He had always been told his eyes flashed when he was angered. He was told he looked cute when he was embarrassed. He'd been told many things about how he looked in various situations, but the other boy would never tell him what it was about that particular situation that made Tezuka drag him inside the clubroom, slam the door closed and him up against said door, and press his mouth almost brutally, yet oddly gently, against his. He did, however, know why he responded. It was Tezuka - wasn't that enough of an explanation? Tezuka pulled back almost immediately - before he could even close his eyes and enjoy the kiss.
"No," Tezuka calmly finished his answer. "I just wanted you to know that I take everything seriously.
"Yes, captain," he smirked.
The next few days were great for him. They didn't do any of the so-called "normal" couple activities, but just having Tezuka give him a private, warm smile every now and then at practice was good enough. The weekend arrived, and they played St. Rudolph. Love was a great thing in the trust it entailed. Unlike the other members of his team, Echizen didn't care at all about the Golden Pair loss. He knew he wouldn't lose, in which case even if Fuji lost, the match would depend on Tezuka - and he knew Tezuka wouldn't lose either. In fact, he almost wished Fuji-senpai would lose, so he could watch Tezuka in action. They won without that, though, and he had to put off his desire to see Tezuka's smooth muscles flow in action for another day.
That night, they went on their first ever date. Tezuka picked him up after dinner - his cousin had wondered about the "stern-looking young man here for Ryoma-san," but he ignored her as usual and left without a word.
"Tezuka-senpai." The words tasted funny on his tongue - not at all like the sweet, molten honey taste of Tezuka's mouth he'd once been invited to.
"You could call me Kunimitsu, you know."
"It sounds funny." He dismissed it with a tug on his cap. The American culture he'd been born into had risen and completely overlooked Tezuka's hurt at the oblivious rejection. "Where are we going?" he continued.
"I thought we could take in a movie and then go for a walk or something." They did just that. The movie was OK, but he would never remember past the first twenty minutes or so - which was more than could be said for Tezuka. The beginning - although somewhat trite - had been directed well and caught his attention. Then a strong, warm arm found its way around his shoulders in the privacy of the darkened theatre. Surprised and unwilling to show it, he forced his body to not stiffen or even jerk, leaning in to Tezuka's side instead. He snuck a glance up at Tezuka's face as he did so, and realized Tezuka's gaze was focused completely on him. Making himself comfortable against the hard frame better known as his much sought-after captain, he proceeded to fall asleep.
"Ryoma, Ryoma wake up." He opened his eyes at the awkward prodding of his pillow. "Why don't I take you home?"
"No," he mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "You said we'd go for a walk."
"That was before you fell asleep. The match probably tired you."
"I'm always up for a nap if I've a comfy pillow." By this time, they'd left the dim theatre and he could clearly see Tezuka's hesitation, trying to come up with a reply. "Now where did you have in mind?"
The park turned out to be a nice, quiet area. It was hidden behind the business district of Tokyo, and was fairly empty at night when the salarymen weren't holding meetings and whatnot. As they followed the paths sheltered from unwelcome eyes by plenty of trees in full summer bloom, neither spoke. Just having Tezuka's presence was enough for him - until Tezuka stopped at a bench and turned off the path, that is.
"Where are you going?" Tezuka didn't respond, and he wasn't one to push things. Instead, he shrugged, tugged on his cap again, and quietly followed Tezuka through a denser wood than that they'd just past, until they reached a small clearing overlooking the district, completely disconnected from everything but each other. Here, Tezuka sat down, arms resting on his bent knees. Echizen invited himself to sit between Tezuka's legs, leaning until he felt Tezuka's heated chest against his back. They stayed like that for a silent hour, gaze alternating between the stars and the city lights.
Echizen never once felt drowsy.
The next day, everything changed. He was assigned to play Fuji. Compared to the one game he played against Tezuka, this game was much more equal in terms of skill. Unlike Tezuka, Fuji didn't pressure him to evolve - Fuji was much more subtle, more insinuous. Tezuka filled his thoughts after their match because aside from his father, it had been his first loss ever. Fuji got under his skin. The intrigued glint in Fuji's blue eyes as the rain poured down on the court chased Ryoma's mind during his date with Tezuka that night. The fluid movements of Fuji's muscles as he slid along the wet court shadowed his dreams. His every thought was infused with Fuji's inviting blue eyes, silent knowing smirk, messy wet locks... Fuji.
"Ryoma?" Tezuka smiled gently at him the next day when he'd ventured to the third year hallway and asked for Tezuka during lunch break. They were outside now, standing a little away from the door, out of hearing from everyone else. That smile, reserved for him only, had once filled him with warmth whenever he saw it. Now, it only filled him with dread. "What did you need?"
He bowed deeply. "I'm sorry," he whispered. There was no response, and at first he thought Tezuka maybe hadn't heard him. He wasn't sure exactly what he expected - a harsh word? a physical hit? Neither of those were characteristic of Tezuka. He risked a glance up. Tezuka's hazel eyes flashed angrily down at him, mouth thinned into a tight, white line. He winced inwardly as he snapped his head back into his bow.
Tezuka grabbed his shoulder, pulled him around the corner of the building, out of sight of his classmates, and slammed both of his shoulders into the wall, forcing Echizen to look up. "I told you I would be serious, didn't I?" The strained whisper was louder than his father's drunken-sounding laughter. "I said I'd expect the same from you, didn't I?" He nodded, turning away. Tezuka freed one shoulder to grab him on the chin instead. Those fingers, strong enough to grip a racket as the even more powerful arm sent an unmatchable force through a tennis ball, were now used against him, keeping his gaze in place.
Suddenly, the pressure was gone as Tezuka released him. "Go," he said in his normal voice. "I don't want to see your face outside of practice again."
He ran.
----
Boo. I'm back to writing my shoujo-ish, far too emotional/feminine sap. Weee! More to come. Got another Oshitari x David and a Saeki x Yuuta in the works too.