I don't own Prince of Tennis.
Atobe sighed the day had been extremely busy especially with the café. Apparently someone heard about Atobe being at the café and decided to tell others. Needless to say all the fangirls and envious boys along with couples decided to visit the new café. His tennis team decided to visit so that they could see the great Atobe working. At the end Atobe decided he might just have to force reservations for those who just wanted to come and stay and talk with their friends or stare and scream his name. This reminded him he needed to get a piano for the café it would help to make it even classier than the average café.
Eiji snuck up on Atobe and glomped him. They both fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs and Atobe was livid. Of course he didn't say anything but glared at Eiji. Eiji took one look and said, "I'll walk home today I have a few places to pass by," and ran off. He was definitely shocked usually Atobe wouldn't be so mad at such things though it annoyed him. He guessed the day had been stressful enough already.
A few weeks earlier….
Eiji walked around and ended up at a small bookstore one he definitely enjoyed coming to every now and then. The owner was extremely nice and would let him hide here when he knew Oishi and Fuji were looking for him and he didn't have to go to the café.
He had gotten a decent sized book called White Ninja and was looking for a nice place to sit preferably where nobody could walk in and see him when he tripped over someone's feet and went crashing to the floor.
The person got up and helped him up asking, "Are you okay?"
Eiji was confused and couldn't place the voice but replied, "Give me a minute."
The person got Eiji to sit down and picked up the book, "White Ninja. Have you read the other two books?"
Eiji had recovered his wits and froze; he knew that voice, "Yeah, nya, they're really interesting."
Eiji finally got the guts to look at Tezuka, "Ne, and Tezuka how long have you been coming here?"
He got a flat stare back, "Nevermind." Eiji then promptly ran out of the store yelling a quick goodbye to the owner and that he would get the book tomorrow. Tezuka was left feeling rather confused after all was it that odd to run into him in a bookstore.
Eiji burst into the café and rushed to the seat he would usually take when he was done. Atobe came and sat as usual this time he was slightly irritated, "what is so shocking that you felt the need to interrupt Ore-sama's work?"
"I just saw Tezuka in a bookstore," Eiji replied.
"And this is important how," Atobe asked.
Eiji stared at him, "this is Tezuka the perfect student, captain and student body President. The ice block who's so busy nobody would think he had a hobby, especially time to read Nya!"
Atobe raised an eyebrow at that, "Eiji isn't Tezuka in the same position as you?"
Eiji was confused now, "huh? Nya, how?"
Atobe smiled and said, "I have to get back to work now," and walked off.
Eiji was thoroughly confused now, how could Tezuka be in the same position as him. It troubled him even as he went to bed that night.
The next day Eiji made sure to avoid all the regulars until practice and even then he was extremely hard working. After practice he rushed to the bookstore and returned the book to look for a new one.
"You should try the Moscow Vector," a voice suggested.
Eiji picked it up, " Thanks," he turned and saw Tezuka again but before he could run like the devils himself was at his heels, Tezuka got a firm hold on his arm.
"Why do you run every time you see me out of school and practice," he asked.
"Because it's buchou nya," Eiji replied.
"Hmm, so why aren't you running now," Tezuka asked.
"Cause you're holding me back nya," he replied indignantly. Than looked down to see Tezuka had released him already.
Tezuka gave him another flat stare, Eiji had a good idea, "Nya come we'll go to the café," and proceeded to drag Tezuka to the café.
Eiji took Tezuka to a seat where no one would notice them and asked, "What kind of tea do you drink?"
"Black Tea no sugar," Tezuka replied.
Eiji then ran off changed into his waiter attire ordered black tea and told Atobe he had a customer. Atobe had raised an eyebrow at that and asked who. Eiji had replied Tezuka grabbed the tea and walked out to the café.
When he arrived Tezuka was calmly reading a book, he put it down when Eiji arrived.
Eiji set down the tea took a seat and asked, "How long have you been visiting the bookstore I never see you there?"
Tezuka replied, "three months."
Eiji frowned slightly at the answer, "Ne buchou, what's your favorite color?"
"Blue," Tezuka had picked up his book and began reading it.
Eiji sighed, "Do you ever answer with anything but one or two word answers nya?"
Tezuka looked up at that, "Yes if you're asking unnecessary questions."
Eiji asked, "How are they unnecessary questions nya?"
Tezuka didn't look up this time or offer an answer; Eiji decided that if Tezuka didn't want to talk he wouldn't. While Tezuka read Eiji called Atobe and asked him to help with homework. Atobe did his best and whatever he couldn't get Eiji to understand he looked to Tezuka who eventually had to explain it since Atobe had to go deal with the customers. Tezuka explained it in relatively simple terms and Eiji finally got it. Tezuka went back to reading the book. Eiji contented himself by pulling out the book Tezuka had recommended and began reading it.
This was the routine they followed, and slowly Eiji began to tell Tezuka's emotions and states of mind by his body actions and the slight nuances in his voice. Of course when they went between the bookstore and café Eiji would get distracted and blabber on about everything and nothing. Tezuka learned to tell when Eiji was thinking, upset, and needed to be left alone for a while. Simply put Tezuka learned to read Eiji's less obvious emotions and Eiji learnt to read Tezuka.
So when Eiji came with a cup of black tea and sat down Tezuka was curious.
Eiji started, "Can we play tennis?"
Tezuka asked, "Why?"
"Cause I want to improve my game play and stamina nya," Eiji said.
Tezuka never turned anyone down who needed help with tennis, "when?"
"After work at the café, and after practice when I don't need to work," Eiji replied.
Tezuka nodded and Eiji left to finish up with work.
When they finally got to the street courts, they found that they were empty; it was too late for the afternoon stragglers and too early for the late players. They started with a light rally to get themselves warmed up. Tezuka then begun aiming balls on different ends of the baseline and Eiji was barely getting to them. Then he noticed that Tezuka had activated his zone. Eiji was stuck he didn't know how to counter the Tezuka zone. He kept looking for a way when an idea struck him. At the next shot Eiji hit a drop shot, Tezuka was forced to move. He had broken the zone he just had to keep playing till the end.
On the ninth game Eiji could tell he was at his limits. The tenth game and he had absolutely no energy left. The eleventh game he was just reacting to the shots. At the beginning of the twelfth game Eiji collapsed, he was exhausted. Tezuka had no choice but to carry him to the nearest place which was the café. He found Atobe ready to close the café.
"Does Ore-sama want to know why you have an unconscious Eiji Tezuka," he asked.
"He's exhausted we played a set, he pushed himself too far," Tezuka replied.
Atobe sighed, "Get in we'll drop him off at home."
Tezuka got in the limo and they drove off. When they got there Eiji had stirred and mumbled a little but not loudly enough for them to catch what he was saying. They knocked on the door and his mother answered.
"Sorry to disturb Kikumaru-san, but Eiji and I were playing a game when he collapsed and we figured we would bring him home," Tezuka said.
Kikumaru-san replied, "Oh dear, its fine please come in you can put him down on the couch. Is there anything you would like?"
"No thank you Kikumaru-san," Tezuka and Atobe replied and entered the house taking their shoes off and entering.
"Please call me Aichi-san, Kikumaru-san is my husbands name," she asked.
Once they entered the house they realized, Aichi-san was the quietest of them. They found everyone else arguing, complaining, and playing games. The dog bounded up to them and jumped giving them a few licks each and the parakeet made some noises adding to the ruckus. Through all of this noise Eiji slept soundly. Tezuka and Atobe couldn't imagine sleeping here they would have killed someone, and then again Eiji grew up with this so it was normal.
An hour later after being held back by the siblings and the obligation of getting thanks and eating them finally left.
Atobe voiced what they both were thinking, "Next time we don't enter the house ahn?"
Tezuka nodded and went off towards his home which was around the corner and down four blocks.
The following day Eiji didn't show up until lunchtime and the only people who new why were Tezuka, Eiji, and Atobe. Atobe couldn't be reached and no one had the courage to asked Tezuka that left Eiji. Eiji had successfully dodged every question directed at him with a joke or pretending to be n a conversation with someone. Eiji was relieved when practice came since no one dared interrupt practice for fear of Tezuka's wrath. Tezuka himself was in a bad mood from all the questions and whispers and the fact that most of the members of the team regulars included were not practicing except Eiji and Echizen. When they had completely stopped Tezuka's patience was worn thin.
"Everyone a hundred laps around the courts now," his voice echoed around the courts.
Everyone got moving and scrambled to get started, except Eiji and Echizen who had been doing their warm-up exercises for a practice match. They all seemed to finally understand that Tezuka was in no mood to humor their laziness today. It wasn't that he had yelled around the courts for them to run. It was the opposite his voice was a whisper and deathly calm.
When they were done with the laps, Tezuka gave them their orders, "Since you want to be careless you can repeat the basics. Starting with two hundred swings."
Everyone was shocked Tezuka usually had a leniency with them but even the regulars were back to the freshman basics.
After practice that day most of the members were exhausted, and disgruntled that Tezuka had taken part of his frustration out on them. They also understood that they were at fault for not practicing so their punishment was somewhat fair.
Tezuka had calmed down by the end of practice and was in a more amicable mood. Eiji thought he should apologize when Tezuka said, "Don't worry about it."
Eiji was confused, nya! Worry about what."
"The trouble today, it's fine."
Eiji was happy and they continued to the store, when they walked in it was flooded, Eiji ran to the backroom leaving Tezuka to find a seat for himself. When Eiji dropped off the tea, he didn't stay he had to run off and find room for two girls, and serve the next two tables.
At around Five Atobe came up to him, "Ore-sama usually doesn't do this but, Ore-sama is asking for help serving all these people. It will be impossible for the people Ore-sama has and Ore-sama will have to close late."
Tezuka nodded.
I'm not sure whether Tezuka is in character I did my best to do so. Please Review.
