Morning Walks With A Side Of Questions
Tezuka didn't really remember when exactly it started but it did start somewhere in their freshman year of their junior high. They never agreed on it, nor did they ever actually say it out loud but every day without fail they would meet at the corner of the street before walking together to school.
It was just the corner right before the street they needed to get home divided in two so that they can go their separate ways and to their individual homes.
It was in the corner where a modern sized and rather pale red house was at.
Every day since junior high up until now in their last year of high school that's how it's been and yet every day when Tezuka is a few feet away from the left turn he had to make in order to see the other side of the corner he would find himself wondering if he would be there.
It was just like this clear morning day. Would he be there today?
It was routine by now but still Tezuka often doubted his presence. Maybe it was because they had never agreed to meet that Tezuka believed that one day he would just stop waiting, after all they never made any promises to meet at the corner or at any place.
But just like all the other yesterdays he was there, leaning against the wall at the corner of the street.
Tezuka turned left and immediately he saw the figure that always waited for him, without fail.
"Good morning, Tezuka." He greeted. It always was accompanied with a smile, a smile that Tezuka had unknowingly come to love seeing every morning.
Tezuka never one to really smile gave a nod of acknowledgement, "Good morning Fuji."
Every day they talked idly about how each of their mornings has been, what they plan to do for the day, what kind of activities they'll be doing at tennis practice and often times Fuji would think of a random topic as they walked.
Fuji sometimes just talks about his cactuses, a recent movie, or something he's mused about but most of the time he would ask questions. Sometimes the questions we're quite philosophical and were things that needed quite a bit of thought, sometimes it would be about the future, sometimes it would be current topics in the news, sometimes it would something embarrassing but more often than not it was topics that never really had a point, or at least had a point that Tezuka didn't understand.
Like that time when Fuji asked him:
"If you had a Genie that could grant you any wish what would you wish for?"
Tezuka had of course given a practical answer, "They don't exist."
"But what if they did?"
"But they do not."
"I said if."
"But they –"
Fuji immediately interrupted knowing what Tezuka would no doubt retort, "Tezuka humor me why don't you?"
Tezuka sighed "I do not want anything."
"You are but one tiny person compared to the world, there has to be something that you want."
Tezuka stayed quiet thinking of something he wanted, "…I'd ask for Darjeeling."
The moment Tezuka gave his answer Fuji stopped walking and gave Tezuka the weirdest and most skeptical look he'd ever had the pleasure of expressing. (O.o)
"A what?"
And this time Tezuka too stopped walking, he smiled a little, he certainly never thought he'd catch a look like that on Fuji's face, had he caught the tensai off guard?
"Darjeeling."
"…"
"Darjeeling tea is considered to one of the best teas in the world or so many critics say. It is grown in India and it is a flavor I would like to try. Unfortunately I do not know where it is available for purchase."
O.O
"You would ask a Genie, who could grant you fame, fortune, all the riches in the world and perhaps the even the whole world for tea?" It was around this time that Fuji looked ridiculously shocked and scandalized while a certain captain could hardly contain his amusement as well as the smile that slowly became something he couldn't hide.
Tezuka nodded with a quirk to his lips that could only be deemed as a smile answered, "Fame and fortune can be obtained through the career I have chosen. I would much rather gain those than have them be handed to me otherwise it would mean nothing. All the riches in the world should not belong to one person, it should be shared. As for the world, why would I want that?"
Fuji shook his head, that's Tezuka for you. "Nevermind, I'll accept your answer, Darjeeling tea huh?"
There were also other questions like: if you are an inanimate object what would you be? What animal? What do you like more hardwood floors, carpeted or tiled? Do you think if you searched hard enough you could find the start and the end of a rainbow? What style of house would you live in? If possible what would you rather have the moon or the sun? If I was a girl would you date me? (Yes Fuji asked that too) Is there really a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow? Where would you prefer to live? If you could fly where would you go? What's the most majestic animal?
There were many more of course; after all it has been years. Sometimes in would be a dozen or of so question for one morning and sometimes it would be just one topic that carried on till they got to the school gates. Some seem meaningless and asked on a whim, some had a reason whether it was for Fuji's own benefit or sadistic pleasure or surprisingly for Tezuka, sometimes the questions were for his benefit.
But whatever it may be or for whatever reason Fuji might have of asking a certain question Tezuka had gotten used to it. Admittedly, not that Tezuka would ever say it out loud; he had come to look forward to it. It was a time of day where he was alone with Fuji and a time where he could forget being a student, a buchou or any of the responsibilities he may have. In all actuality it was a time for silliness accompanied with a friend.
So Tezuka waited for Fuji to speak because as soon as they start to walk Tezuka knew that Fuji would not fail in letting him forget everything but just walking with a friend. Tezuka wouldn't have to think about parting with said friend either because it was very likely that these morning walks to school would not last as long he would have liked. After all there was a high chance that he and Fuji would part ways to go to their chosen universities.
"Tezuka?"
The teen in question inwardly smiled, he didn't say a word but instead he turned his head toward the brown-haired teen beside him.
"I want to play a game, Tezuka."
Well that's certainly new thought Tezuka.
"What game?"
"It's a game I just thought of, I've conveniently named it 'If I could be, who would you be?'"
"How is it played?"
"Well let's see I'll start it. If could be a moss, what would you be?"
"…"
"Continue it Tezuka. If I was a moss what would you be?"
Tezuka then had the sudden realization, ah so that's what he meant, if Fuji was a moss what would he be, "A rock."
Fuji smiled wider, "Alright so you get it? Let's start! You start it of this time we'll take turns."
So Tezuka started, "If I could be a tennis racket what would you be?"
Fuji smiled, "The grip. If I could be a cactus what would you be?"
"The grip? How does that even work?"
"Well I would want to get hold of the racket but I don't want to be a hand so I'll be the grip that holds on. Now come on answer."
Tezuka shook his head, how can someone be a grip, it's a movement but honestly if Tezuka had given the time to think about it how could he be a racket in the first place? But hey this IS just for fun and so Tezuka continued as prompted.
"A pot. If I could be a star what would you be?"
"The twinkle. If I could be an ocean what would you be?"
"The twinkle?" Tezuka asked holding his turn again in favor of questioning his companion.
"Yes the twinkle of the stars. Now answer the question, if I could be an ocean what would you be?"
"The shore. If I could be the letter A what would you be?"
"The alphabet. If I could be a flower what would you be?
"A gardener. If I could be a hero what would you be?"
"The villain. If I could be a stuffed toy what would you be?"
"The villain?"
"Yes. I don't want to be the sidekick, they never have any fun, a villain however always schemes. Now don't interrupt so much geeze. If I could be a stuffed toy what would you be?"
"A bow. If I could be a door what would you be?"
Fuji smiled, "A bow?"
"Fuji, didn't you say not to interrupt?"
"Fine, the doorknob with a key hole" Tezuka raised an eyebrow but Fuji continued, "If I could move away to go to X University who would you be?"
Tezuka stopped, "You're moving? You were accepted?"
"Tezuka I told you not to interrupt so much, just continue."
Tezuka turned to the still smiling face and without much hesitation answered, "If you could move to go to X University, I would be your roommate. If I could be your roommate who would you be?"
Fuji grinned, "I would be one happy Fuji Syuusuke."
Few months later.
Tezuka never did understand most of the topics Fuji brought up during their walks but there was some things he finally got an answer too.
Obviously the reason for the game was to let him know that Fuji would be moving as well as that Fuji was not adverse to the idea of having him as roommate. But as Tezuka saw the location as well as the other attributes their little home had Tezuka understood a few more.
The location was where he said he would like to live near, a place with a view but was near to the university as well as grocery stores. The apartment was the style he had wanted, the furnishings were homely. The floor was carpeted but his room was hardwood as he had mentioned and so on.
At least now Tezuka understood that some of the questions involved in him helping choose what their apartment would be like. But then Tezuka thought, Fuji had known he would agree in being roommates and was already planning everything before he had even agreed.
The tensai was either really a tensai and knew him too well or was just risky. Tezuka bet it was the latter.
They settled in to their new apartment and had finished unpacking most of the necessary items before they took a break.
"Saa Tezuka?"
"Hm?"
"Would you prepare us some tea? I'll buy some snacks across the street."
Tezuka nodded as he headed to the cabinet Fuji mentioned where the tea and other mix drinks would be. Tezuka opened the cabinet and looked for some tea, moving a few items here and there before he saw a part of a small package that had small packets of tea.
Tezuka pulled it out and looked for what type of tea it was, it seemed rather unfamiliar. He turned the pack and read the name.
Darjeeling Tea
Imported from India.
Tezuka smiled as he looked for cups as well as the pot. I guess Fuji had his reasons for everything and honestly Tezuka couldn't wait to figure out what they all meant and maybe through those morning walk that they were sure to continue, now that live together and go to the same school, he could find something that he could do to thank Fuji but until then he'll have to thank him through words.
"Tezuka were you able to find it." Fuji asked as he took a seat with a few snacks in hand.
Tezuka nodded and walked to the table, "Neh Fuji?"
"Yeah Tezuka?"
"In a world where you are Fuji Syuusuke, I'm happy to be Tezuka Kunimitsu."
Fuji just smiled he understood.
In a world where they could be anything, Fuji and Tezuka would always be together.
OMAKE:
"Neh Tezuka! I want to know the reasons for the answers you gave during the game!"
"For which ones?"
"Well Let's see why would you be a rock if I was a moss?"
"We'd always stick close."
"Why would you be a pot if I was a cactus?"
"You'd have a place to live."
"Why would you be the shore if I was the ocean?"
"Those two always meet."
"Why would you be a gardener If I was a flower?"
"I could keep you alive."
"Why would you be a bow if I was a stuffed animal? I really didn't get that."
"Most of the stuffed toys I've seen always has a bow around their necks, I would be a constant thing hanging around you."
Fuji smiled and thinks: Tezuka can be so sweet.
"Fuji what about you what were your reasons?"
"Hm well let's see I'd be a twinkle if you were a star because I would be the one that makes you shine. I would be the alphabet if you were the letter A because you would be what completes me, after all what kind of alphabet doesn't have the First letter?"
Fuji paused as if he was done.
"Wait, why would you be a villain if I was a hero is it really just so you can scheme?"
"Saa… yes but a relationship that's too calm can get boring. Every now and then you need to spice things up and what better way to do that than be a villain."
"…"
"Tezuka?"
"Continue, there's one more wasn't there?"
"And I would be a doorknob with a key hole because not only would I be a part of you, no one would ever be able to open you so long as I'm there!"
Tezuka looked at Fuji, "What if they have a key?"
"A doorknob can be stubborn haven't you ever had trouble opening a door cause the key would get stuck or the knob just won't budge?"
"True but what do you mean by open me?"
"Well you know a metaphor and all, someone you would open up to so to speak in a way that they'd be part of your life or open you as in 'open' your clothes and ravish you or open up your facial expression and emotions so you won't be known as a wall."
Tezuka blushed. "Is something wrong Tezuka?"
"… I must have heard wrong."
Fuji just grinned.
A/N: My first Prince of Tennis fic! :D I thought it was cute when I thought of it so yeah I thought I'd post it, can't let it just collect dust and cob webs after all :D
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did when I was writing it! :D
I wish you all a Happy New Year!
Let's Welcome 2012 with a
Kiss, a Smile, and Merriment
Drink but know your limit people!
Cheers! And Enjoy! :D
