Listening
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.
Ryoma Echizen still remembered the kiss as if it were yesterday. After a moment of silence in which he mulled over the kiss, he remembered that it was yesterday when they kissed.
He looked sheepish, then realized no one had seen him much less hear his thoughts and continued his way home from the park. His fingers slip easily onto the strap of his tennis bag and he tugged it closer to his body, reveling in the small comfort he carried on his back.
The kiss was… Ryoma thought, couldn't be put into words. Such actions were always hard for him to say. It was soft, gentle as if the elder boy didn't want to push him. Yet, it was rather awkward due to their position.
Him, sitting in a chair, while the elder boy stood behind him, tilted his head back and kissed…
He had never even gotten the name of the boy who kissed him. Sure, Ryoma had kissed other boys, but never did another boy get up the nerve to kiss him.
His mind seemed to move far too quickly for him to find the correct word.
As he continued walking, he wondered if he should stop by that shop once more and take a peek. It couldn't hurt, could it? Deciding that it would be find, Ryoma turned the next corner sharply and soon, found he stood in front of the shop he had walked through yesterday.
He hesitated, what if the elder boy was only teasing him and just wanted to…play?
But then, there was a sincere glimmer in the elder boy's eyes when they briefly opened yesterday, Ryoma noticed, after the kiss.
So Ryoma pushed the door open; the bell rang.
"Back again?"
Ryoma looked up, tugged his white cap further down to cover his eyes, shielding himself from the world, and took in the scene.
The elder boy stood behind the same chair, snipping cautiously at the customer's hair – an elderly woman of about 60 or so.
"Ah," Ryoma answered, slipping into a chair.
The elder boy smiled. "Come to chat? Or for a trim?" he asked, running a comb through the woman's thin, white hair.
Ryoma smirked but decided not to answer. He watched the boy fix the woman's hair.
The woman glanced briefly at him before returning to read her magazine.
The elder boy seemed to know what Ryoma was thinking for he didn't answer or pester the younger boy either. After a few minutes of silence, the elder boy ran the comb through the woman's hair a final time and declared her finished.
She thanked and paid him and left, giving Ryoma one of the strangest stares Ryoma had ever received.
But he didn't pay heed to it.
The elder boy followed the woman until the door and once the door closed again, he flipped the sign to "close".
"Closing up so soon?" Ryoma asked, raising an eyebrow.
The elder boy turned to Ryoma, smiled and said, "Ah, this usually closes around 5 on Sundays anyways." He sat next to Ryoma and continued, "so, what are you doing here?"
Ryoma looked away, feeling embarrassed. What if the elder boy knew?
"Ah! I know!" the elder boy said, clapping his hands together. Ryoma's face flushed but the elder boy continued, standing up to get something in the counter. He reached into a drawer and pulled something out. "Ah-ha! Here it is!" he said, handing Ryoma a cell phone, "you forgot this yesterday."
Ryoma stared at the red device in his hand. "T-Thanks…" he said, looking away once more. He shouldn't have come here… it was a bad idea… and when did he lose his cell phone?
They sat there, quietly listening to the silence.
"What's your name?"
The question was soft, spoken carefully as if he did not want to disturb the silence, Ryoma noted. He found another aspect of this elder male he liked…
"Ryoma," he answered, just as quietly, "Echizen Ryoma. And yours?"
The elder boy fell quiet, as if silently repeating the name over his lips, tongue before answering. "Ryoma… That's a pretty name… Fits… Ah, I'm Fuji Syuusuke."
Ryoma didn't reply but felt that Fuji Syuusuke didn't fit his name. A genius, eh? Well, the only thing this male was a genius at was handling the scissors…
…and kissing.
But Ryoma would die before admitting it.
"Are you here for me… Ryoma?"
The younger boy didn't answer at first, but allowed Fuji to scoot closer to him.
"What if I am?"
Fuji smiled. His eyes slowly opened and a hand came up, reaching to caress Ryoma's cheeks.
Ryoma didn't blink but he moved closer to the touch. He leaned closer and closer as Fuji lowered his head. He felt Fuji tangle his fingers through Ryoma's dark hair and found he liked Fuji's touch.
On the floor, laid Ryoma's cap. Outside, the sun set.
-end-
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