Disclaimer: Tennis no Ojisama doesn't belong to me. 

Warning: my first shounen-ai fic.  Apologies; it's a little cheesy. 

Pairing: Tezuka/Fuji

Rating: PG for shounen-ai themes

Risks

--miss doe

"Did you hear about—"

"—Aihara-san and Kita-san today at lunch?"

"Oooh!  Do you think it's true?" 

"It's scandalous, that's what it is!"

"Ch, who do they think they are, flouting school laws like that?  Do they want to be expelled?" 

"I heard their parents were called."

"No!  Really?  Well, if you ask me, they were asking for it." 

"Hmph!  I think it's terribly romantic.  Just like in the shoujo mangas!"

"Mou!  It's just like you to say something like that…"

Tezuka let the ebb and flow of classroom chatter wash over him without actually listening to a single word.  They were in the middle of the eight-minute break before the last class of the day.  He suppressed the usual spurt of impatience, telling himself that tennis practice was just a short hour away.  He took out his Japanese homework.  It would be good to get a jumpstart on it.  Maehata-sensei enjoyed giving difficult assignments, and Tezuka had always loved a good challenge.  Just as he finished with the first exercise, the classroom door opened and Kyubei-sensei stalked in, the sour expression on her sharp face even more pronounced than usual.  Tezuka put away his homework and waited with the rest of the now silent class. 

"Rise!  Bow!"

Tezuka completed the greeting in sync with the rest of his classmates and sat down after a brusque wave of Kyubei-sensei's crabbed hand.  He sat, straight and still, and prepared himself to wait out the next fifty minutes.  Of all his classes, this one, Moral Education, was the one he had most difficulty concentrating in.  Frankly, the material did not appeal to him.  It did not challenge his intelligence, wit, or physical ability.  Most of the subject matter was painfully commonsensical and repetitive in nature.  It did not help that Kyubei-sensei had a voice that struck the nerves the same way nails on a chalkboard did and a face that small children should not be exposed to. 

Tezuka blinked and viciously repressed a smirk.  He really should do something about this emerging sense of humor.  It was getting harder and harder to remain stoic and objective, especially during times like these, when his mind was so prone to wander for lack of anything else to think about.  He could spend the entire time thinking of tennis, but he strictly believed and adhered to that adage, there is a time and place for everything. 

The classroom during class hours is definitely not the proper place or time to think of extracurricular activities.  Even tennis.

Pity.

Kyubei-sensei began to talk and Tezuka forced himself to pay attention.  She cleared her throat and submitted the class with her habitual beady-eyed glare.  "I know that by now, most of you—if not all of you—are aware of the incident that occurred during lunch break today," she began, her voice sharp and grating.  More so than usual. 

There was a collective frisson in the air from the class and Tezuka wondered at it.  He did not hear about any specific incident that occurred during lunch.  Then again, he did not typically concern himself with things that did not have a direct impact either on his studies or his team.  But for Kyubei-sensei to bring up this incident during class… it must be something of significance. 

"This incident involves two students, whose identities I will not divulge," she continued.  Here she paused and raked the class with a censorious gaze that made many—those who did know the identities of the two students involved, Tezuka supposed—shift uncomfortably in their seats.  "Needless to say, it has been proven beyond a doubt that these two students—who each have had an excellent school record—have in fact… been dating, and have been doing so for the past several months."  A wave of gasps and furious whispers erupted from those seated.  Tezuka frowned, a movement so slight as to go unnoticed.  Kyubei-sensei cleared her throat again.  The class quieted and she continued, "I hope I do not need to remind you that in this school—as is in all middle schools in Japan—dating is strictly forbidden and punishable by suspension, and in some cases, expulsion.  There is absolutely no excuse for these two students and the school has taken action to address the problem.  Such scandalous behavior does not only damage the reputation of those involved and their families, but the entire school as well." 

A student raised his hand.  He stood up after he was acknowledged.  "Ano, Kyubei-sensei… what will the school do to them?  Are they going to be expelled?" 

"That has not been decided yet.  But they are suspended beginning tomorrow and until the school board has made its decision regarding the matter."  That was Kyubei-sensei's last word on the incident before launching into a thorough repetition of the many reasons behind the 'no dating' policy that Japanese middle schools adhered to. 

Tezuka fought to keep his mind from wandering.  The incident was not as important as he had thought it would be, however scandalous it actually was.  In his own opinion, students who chose to break the rules should be prepared to suffer the consequences of their actions.  He agreed with Kyubei-sensei; there was no excuse for such behavior and he found a hard time grasping the logic behind it.  Why would two intelligent Seigaku students risk all for a romance?  Because of their indiscretion, their academic and social reputations have been ruined.  Not to mention the embarrassment their families will have to face and the damage to Seigaku's reputation that will have to be smoothed over.  Could anything be worth such trouble?  It didn't make any sense. 

"Everybody, twenty laps!  Now!"  Tezuka mentally scowled as he eyed his members—all of them—grimly.  He couldn't believe it.  A little scandal and his normally smooth-running tennis club falls to pieces.  He didn't show it, but he was pissed as hell to arrive at the courts to find nobody practicing.  Instead, everyone was huddled together in small groups gossiping like—like schoolgirls!  It was mortifying, to say the least.  He gave his regular members an icy glare.  They were no better, either.  One would think that being the select players the rest look up to, they would see to it that everybody would do what they were supposed to.  In fact, they were the ones who were gossiping the loudest!  He caught sight of Echizen.  Well, except for him.  He was taking a nap.  On second thought… "Regular members, thirty laps!" 

He took grim satisfaction at the groans that resulted.  That should teach them. 

"Hmm… maybe you're being a little too harsh on them, Tezuka." 

Tezuka didn't bother turning to the speaker.  "No, I'm not.  You're late, Fuji." 

A chuckle.  "Aa.  Gomen, gomen.  Sunada-sensei wanted to speak with me after class.  How many laps should I run, Tezuka-buchou?" 

Tezuka watched the last of the tennis members jog out of sight and turned to the affably smiling youth beside him.  "None." 

The smile widened slightly.  "Aa." 

Tezuka felt a warning twinge of discomfort somewhere around the vicinity of his gut and turned away.  Damn.  Not again.  There were times when looking at that damned smile of Fuji's made him hurt inside, in a way that was indescribable yet real.  These times were utterly random and Tezuka had never figured out exactly what triggered them.  It was, needless to say, annoying. 

The first time was right after the match Fuji forfeited in lieu of Taka's injury.  The shorter boy walked up to him and said "gomen" in his soft, self-effacing voice.  They both knew he wasn't apologizing for forfeiting the match.  Tezuka had been livid behind the cool expression on his face when he saw that Fuji was going to attempt to return the ball that injured Taka.  Still angry as hell, Tezuka could do no more but nod brusquely, acknowledging the apology.  Who knew what would happen if he opened his mouth? 

Then it happened. 

Fuji had smiled, his eyes shutting, and that smile hit Tezuka right in between the eyes.  If he ever fell off a sheer cliff, Tezuka thought that it would feel something like how he felt right at that moment.  His stomach flipped over again and again and his head swam.  For a second, Tezuka thought he'd be sick for sure.  Then the feeling was gone as fast as it came and Fuji was still smiling in front of him, eyes shut. 

Two hours later, he was still shook up, though no one had guessed, everyone having their own thoughts about the district prelims to think about.  He was very grateful to Echizen for winning his match; Tezuka didn't think he could've possibly played to the level he was used to when he couldn't even steady his own hands without concious effort. 

He'd brushed it off as a reaction to the scare of having a valued friend and team member possibly seriously injured.  After all, if it was Fuji and not Taka who took that ball… the doctor would have had to treat something much worse than a sprained wrist. 

That explained the first time.  It didn't, however, explain the rest.  The next time Tezuka had that same reaction to Fuji's smile, it was while they were eating lunch together as they would sometimes do.  He had said something that had somehow made the smaller boy laugh and tilt his head to one side.  The laugh melted into a smile, and Tezuka fell off the cliff, again.

The third time happened a few days later, when Tezuka bumped into Fuji by accident in the hall before the first class.  The fourth happened the very next day, during a similarly ordinary chance meeting.  He'd lost count of how many times he'd fallen off that damned cliff, but he learned quickly to recognize the signs.  He was sure he was going to fall again today—and soon, if the twinges in his gut were anything to go by.

Damn.

A slight movement from outside the courts caught Tezuka's attention.  A girl and a boy, wearing Seigaku uniforms and pale faces, were walking on the path that led to the school gates.  He felt Fuji stir beside him and turned to his team mate.  Fuji had lost his smile and Tezuka could clearly see the bright blue of his eyes.  Tezuka took a closer look at the couple.  They looked familiar, but that was it. 

The girl was slim, with long dark hair she'd put up in a ponytail.  The boy she was with was only slightly taller, with neatly combed brown hair.  Tezuka couldn't place a name to either of them.  They weren't talking to each other, and were walking a foot apart, yet something about the way they held themselves told Tezuka that these two were bonded together.  He blinked.  Could they be—?

Fuji started toward the couple.  "Aihara-san!"

Tezuka hid a frown and followed.  He reached Fuji's side just as the girl and boy stopped to greet the soft-spoken tennis player.  The girl smiled at Fuji, though it was a little strained at the corners.  "Fuji-san.  How are you?" 

Fuji's smile was back in full force.  "I'm very well, Aihara-san.  Just waiting for the other members to finish running laps."  He turned to the boy.  "And you must be Kita-san."

The boy visibly stiffened but held Fuji's gaze steadily.  "Yes, I am."

The expression on the Tensai's face didn't change one bit.  "Well, I'm glad to meet you, Kita-san."  This time Fuji turned to Tezuka.  "This is Tezuka-san.  Captain of the Seigaku tennis club." 

As if they didn't know.  But Tezuka followed his friend's lead and exchanged polite greetings, aware that behaving as normally as possible was the best way to deal with this situation.  And indeed, after a few more innocuous pleasantries, about the district preliminaries, upcoming competitions, and even the weather, Tezuka noticed a gradual relaxing in the facial muscles of the couple.  Their faces were less pale, and their words less stilted.  Aihara-san even laughed. 

"Well, good luck to the two of you.  Be strong," Fuji said, smiling sincerely.  There was a wealth of meaning in the simple farewell.  Both smiled back and Tezuka said his goodbyes as well. 

Tezuka and Fuji watched the couple walk away.  After a few feet, Aihara-san and Kita-san looked at each other, smiled and continued on their way, this time, hand-in-hand.  Tezuka stared after them, considering. 

"It's worth it, you know." 

Tezuka lowered his eyes to Fuji's blue ones.  They were surprisingly somber.  "What is?"

"Love," Fuji answered simply.  "It's worth risking everything."

"You're being melodramatic.  And foolish." 

Fuji shook his head.  "No.  It is worth it.  I know."  Then, he smiled. 

It didn't help that Tezuka knew it was coming.  He fell just the same.  It hurt, yes, like it always did.  As if he was falling off a sheer cliff… Tezuka froze.  It wasn't like falling, this time.  His stomach was flipping around and he felt almost sick, but he didn't feel like he was falling.  Tezuka looked hard at Fuji's gently smiling face. 

This time, it was more like flying. 

Tezuka waited for the feeling to subside and closed his eyes.  When he opened them Fuji was smiling, and his eyes were very blue.  Tezuka stepped back.  "Maybe." 

Fuji watched as Tezuka walked away, his gait a little bit stiffer than his normally smooth stride.  Well, it wasn't quite a declaration.  But… it was definitely something. 

A shout from behind him announced the arrival of the others.  He turned to greet them, slight smile in place, and tried not to grin like an idiot.  

End

miss doe: in Japan, there is such a class as "Moral Education" and it is forbidden for middle schoolers to go on dates.  I'm not sure if I'm exaggerating the sanctions for breaking the 'no dating' policy, though.  If anyone wants to know more about this, here's the website:  http://www.motthall.org/cq/dating.html  This is my first PoT and shounen-ai fic, so I would like to get comments and constructive criticism on it.  Was Tezuka terribly OOC?  I was a little apprehensive about writing from his POV; I've only watched the first 20 episodes of the anime.  I haven't even actually seen him play tennis yet.  And on a different note: does anyone else find it difficult to believe that Tezuka is only fourteen?  In fact, with the possible exceptions of Ryoma, Fuji, and Eiji, none of the regular members look their age at all.  Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest.