AUTHOR'S NOTES: I hope this is not too late for a first Prince of Tennis fic. It's been sitting in my file for the longest time, untyped, unbeta-ed, un-anythinged. I just decided it's about time it sees some screen space before it's too old to be posted and read. Pairing is sort of RyoMomo, probably the most blatant pair in the series, so you realize why I needed to post this.
Interesting note: I found the quote I used for the summary MONTHS after I wrote this fic. Sums it up quite nicely, don't you think?
x.x.x.
A Game of Tennis
By Kumagoro Meowzaki
x.x.x.
It came so suddenly. When Echizen asked a question, it usually demanded a quick and simple answer. Blunt, straight to the point, but it got you thinking hard.
"Do you like the Tachibana girl?"
Momoshiro dropped the french fry he was about to put into his mouth. He wondered how Echizen could say that with such a straight face and no hint of malice whatsoever. It was worse than a kick in the gut. He decided to play it safe and just return the volley. "I don't know," he said, relieved that his voice did not come out too high to be nervous. "She's OK, I guess." He bit off half the fry, hoping he looked nonchalant enough.
Echizen nodded, like he didn't really hear the answer. Like he didn't really WANT to hear an answer, because he didn't really mean to ask that particular question. "What about me?"
"What about you?" Quick return. That's right.
"Do you like me?"
It sounded so casual. In your face. It was no ordinary shot. It was a damn twist right from the start. Save the ball to save your face. Momoshiro took great care not to choke on his drink, or to spit it out. Matching Echizen's seeming casualness, he asked, "What do you mean?"
"Are you an idiot? Just yes or no."
Very easy answers, but nevertheless, Momoshiro didn't know which one to pull out. They're there, but IT isn't. It could go either way, like Echizen's twist. Into his face or his racket.
"You're sick, Echizen." That was not an answer, and he knew it.
"Yes or no."
Momoshiro looked at Echizen in the eye. Curse that twist, he thought. The ball was still in midair. Would he let it hit his face or counter it? He was avoiding it at the moment, but it was still there. One or the other, there had to be a proper score. He couldn't just let it hit the ground. He had to choose, and there were only two options.
Face or racket.
"If I said yes, would you buy me a burger?"
Racket.
"Just yes or no?" The return didn't work and Echizen was not letting up. He was aiming for the face, and he's not stopping until he hits it. Momoshiro was losing.
"Fine. No." Bam. It hit his face alright. It would've been a dunk smash, but it came far too late.
Echizen smiled. That was not the real answer. The real answer was in the shift in Momoshiro's seat as he shoved the rest of his burger into his mouth and the very brief moment he avoided Echizen's eye. It was a net ball, an unsuccessful return because he hesitated. He had the score. "Got you."
Momoshiro snorted. He sipped his cola, just so that he wouldn't have to look at Echizen.
Game and match to Echizen, Momoshiro thought.
x.x.x.