Author's Note: This is the first fanfic I ever wrote and it's actually dated March 2005. So sue me. I figured that if I was going to start learning how to upload stories I might as well start with my first. So despite me knowing that it's probably one of my worst efforts, I'll torture all you readers out there with it. Yup, I'm evil.
Disclaimer: Rather obviously, I do not own Tenjho Tenge. For one thing, I would have been fired from the team if I took this in as my maiden piece. Therefore the is not even a millionth of a chance that I actually have some say in what happens in the actual manga/anime.
Just Another Lovely Day
White, cotton-ball wisps of clouds roll slowly by on the blue, blue springtime sky, and budding leaves of clear, jewel-like green wave lightly in the expansive forest of trees around a little cluster of buildings.
A tall wooden ladder of white oak is propped against one of the buildings, and a slim, fair-haired figure skims up it at a lightning speed, her figure a mere blur as she darts from one rung to a niche 5 rungs above it and continues on in that fashion.
The fair head peeps over the top of the pale ladder, and worried light-sapphire eyes that roam the red-tiled rooftop brighten up with relief as they finally find their target.
"Souichiro-sama!"
Aya scrambles swiftly up the remaining steps of her ladder and sprints agilely towards the man she has her sights set on, the hem of her short-thigh-length checkered skirt flying up and accompanying the bouncing of her fine hair with every sharp step she takes.
Her booted feet skid to a stop as she reaches the student with the spiky yellow hair, and her hair settles down to brush against the white-sock-clad back of her knees.
"What are you doing up here? Get down and start practicing!" She places her hands on her hips as she scolds him, faint irritation evident in the slight edge in her usually sweet voice.
"……………………………"
"?"
Aya frowns in puzzlement, the confusion she feels swirling in the depths of her pretty blue orbs as she tilts her head while looking down at him.
No response. No retorts that he will practice at his own sweet speed and that what he chose to do wasn't of her concern.
…Unusual.
Souichiro isn't the type of guy who'd let anyone talk to him like that….
Unless…
"Oh come on… you're not feeling beat just because you lost to senpai again, are you?" She reaches a hand out and raps his head hard with her knuckles, easily forcing his head down past his chest with one firm finger.
"Ow!…" He tilts his head away slightly while rubbing the spot where angry-looking bumps seem set to begin rising sharply, yet not turning his head back to yell at her with his usual energy.
Aya arches a brow at this. "You've really weakened down, haven't you? How are you going to be my husband if you can't even fight back to that?" She folds her sleeved arms before her chest as she waits for his response, rather anticipating the argument that is sure to ensue.
"……………"
Souichiro doesn't act on her provocation. Rather, he ignores it and her.
"?..."
No response, either? ... No protesting that he isn't my husband (and doesn't want to be)?
"……………………."
"Souichiro-sama!" Out of temper, she starts shaking his coated shoulders violently, tempering an urge to just kick him off the roof and be done with it. "Get! Down! And! Start! Practicing!"
"Hey hey hey…. Quit it will ya?" He throws back a scowl and narrowed eyes, trying to intimidate her into leaving while flinging away her hands with a shake of his shoulders.
"Finally decided to stop playing dead?" Not amused, she smiles at him, arms returning to her side, the smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Get down and get practicing."
"Why should I?" His voice is a rebellious mutter as he looks away and turns his eyes downward sullenly. "It's not like I can beat him with practice or anything. It didn't work last time, or the time before last time, or the time before that and before-before that…."
She glares down at him for a moment then smiles deviously. A sultry look comes over her eyes, and she lets her voice go a few tones deeper than usual before speaking.
"Right then…" She pauses and adjusts the tone further before continuing, "Let's stop with the practice this time…. How about we go to my room instead, Souichiro-sama"
She kneels down behind him and purrs into his left ear, right hand sliding past his waist to travel downwards, the meaning of her unspoken words as evident as her tone had been.
He would have to be a fool and a rock twice over not to understand her meaning. And Souichiro has never been called a fool. Others call him an idiot, yes; but not a fool.
His senses go into auto-drive, and he moves his jaw wordlessly in sudden foreboding, swallowing hard as an unnamed pressure builds up within him and spreads upwards.
Hearing his gulp, her smile deepens, and she drapes her other arm around his left shoulder and draws little circles on his chest, feeling the male body in her embrace stiffening and hearing his breath catch.
The trap is set; now for the finishing touches—the teasing.
"Mmm-hmmm?" She blows lightly against his ear and presses lightly against him from the back, arms tightening around his body and drawing irritating little circles against the cloth that clothes him.
"I… I need to go for practice!" Standing up abruptly and fighting off her hands, Souichiro takes a blind step forward, losing his footing and falling off the roof, recovering and twisting his body to land on both feet on the grassy ground before running towards the dojo just below.
Aya just smiles as she occupies Souichiro's previous seat, feeling the tiles beneath her still hot from his body heat.
He is so obviously unsettled…. That trick always works, she thinks to herself. Now… to try and actually get him to my room… or his.
Her smile deepens slyly.
It seems that she will have to persuade senpai to make Souichiro face a more crushing defeat next time… and hopefully this time she'd find him out in the woods or in some more private place….
A soothing wind blows up, bringing with it the steady rhythm of fists connecting with a rubber dummy.
There is only one dummy still intact in the dojo, and senpai is out with Maya onee-chan. Which means…. Souichiro-sama has started practicing.
Up on the roof, Aya smirks as she listens to the sounds and finds their weaknesses. All small weaknesses, those—the mere catch in timing, the tiny inconsistency in power; all inconsequential weaknesses to the average fighter.
But to combatants in their club, such weaknesses are not tolerated…. Compared to the old-timers, Souichiro is still not up to standard… all the more better for her plans.
The sun slants a golden ray down at her, bathing her hair in honey and warmth. Aya tilts her head to a side and enjoys the sensation for a few seconds, eyes gazing at the whispering trees in the near distance.
"Mmmhmmm…. What a lovely day…." She throws her head back and smiles at the beautiful, blue sky with its white cloudy friends.
"Ne?"
