Disclaimer : All charas here belong to Takeshi Konomi-sensei. Do not sue me.
Warning : A little confusing about the timeline. Anyway, it's shounen ai (Tezuka/Fuji and maybe some other pairings). Do not read if it offends you!
Author : SIB
True Friendship
Chapter 1 : Growing Affection
"...ka..."
"Tezuka..."
"Tezuka!"
"TEZUKA!!!"
Seigaku's tennis' captain startled hearing his name was shouted right before his earlobe. He frowned to his vice president, Oishi Shuichirou.
"What, Oishi? You didn't have to shout in front of my ear."
"Yeah, I will do that if I don't want you to response," Oishi answered grimly. "I've been yelling your name at least for the last five minutes!"
Tezuka chose not to reply while Oishi stroke himself down in front of the captain. He propped his chin up and looked at Tezuka intensely.
"So what is it?"
"What?"
"Come on, you've been acting strange lately."
Once more the captain shut his mouth but not diverted his gaze from his inquiring member. Oishi sighed and leaned back to the desk.
"Hhh... Everybody can see it, you know. And I have been your friend for five years!"
No one speak for a moment. When Oishi thought it was the time for him to give up, Tezuka broke the silence. "What is different about me?"
"I think, you are more quiet than usual and...well, just different."
"I AM quiet."
"Of course you are..." Oishi stopped when Tezuka sent him a death glare. "I mean, I know that. You are a very secretive taciturn person and only Kami-sama knows what will happen if you're becoming more more quiet! And you know, Tezuka, now I know because you're acting that exact same way for almost a week! Are you expecting us, especially me, your vice-captain not noticing that you are completely out of charactering!?"
Everything around them was silence when Oishi realized that he was already standing up and all of the students in their class were staring at them with curious look on their faces.
"Can we talk about this more silently?" He wondered how a voice could be so calm but also threatening in the same time.
"Sure. Gomen ne, Tezuka," The vice-president sat back when Tezuka cast a glance around. Suddenly, the noises were up again.
Oishi let a smile slipped when he saw how the captain used his charms. "Hai, back to the topic."
"You're the one to talk."
Oishi sighed in defeat. "Tezuka, I just want to know what makes you change. You seem..." A sly grin spread upon his face, "...brooding over someone."
Icy cold glances pierced him promptly, "I am not."
"Maybe not," The mischievous smile was still around and the only thing Tezuka wanted at the moment was ripping that expression out of his friend's face. "But maybe you are just not aware, captain. You know how dense you can be about this sort of thing."
The perfect guy was trying to hold his anger which astonishingly mixed with lots of anxiety. "I am not, Oishi." He knows.
"It's fine," The other guy knew victory was at his side. "But let me tell you something. Do NOT just sit down and wait. There are many others want him too!" He stood up and fled out from the room.
"OISHI!!" Tezuka yelled while a blush appeared on his usually stern face.
* * *
Oishi ran along the hall and laughing hard. Teasing Tezuka was never be easy but his friend's expression worth it.
"How is it?" His best friend, Kikumaru Eiji, stood impatiently, waiting for him.
"A little bit hard, you know him. But..." Oishi brought his mouth right in front of Kikumaru's ear and tried not to shout out of excitement, "...he blushed."
"HE WHAT!?" His partner looked at him with shock and disbelief. "He can't do that!"
"Well, as long as my eyes were normal, he really did that," The vice-president replied in a satisfied tone.
"You mean you are trying to convince me that our beloved but cool-blooded captain was actually blushing!? Does that make sense?"
"If I hadn't seen it by myself I would say that I had a fever, drunk, or anything else. But believe me, Eiji! He did that!"
"So we did it!" Kikumaru hugged his best friend instantly, "our suspicion is approved! What'll we do next?"
"I thought you had a plan!"
"That is my plan!"
"I'm the one who running it!"
"So we don't have anymore plan?"
"Umm...no."
"I have this one, so now it's your turn!"
"You are the one who started, so finish it!"
"That's unfair!"
"Nothing fair in life, my friend."
"You're a cheater!"
"Fine, fine! But you'll have to help!"
"OK, let's think! We can't abandon those two after we're involved this deep! Beside," he snickered evilly, "Tezuka will go after you because of what you had said!"
"Oh great. I have no idea and now I'm hunted by one of the scariest human on earth." Suddenly, Oishi started laughing again when a picture of his blushing captain across his mind. "I should video taped that moment!"
"By the way, Eiji," Oishi looked up at his friend. "Do you think it's wise for us to meddle with their affairs like this?"
"Something's wrong with that?" Kikumaru gave him a confused look.
"I mean, this problem is up to them, right? They will decide it on their own and maybe we shouldn't play this matchmaker game."
Kikumaru sighed slowly and looked through the window, "Maybe, but all I want to do is to help them. Is it that annoying?"
His partner smiled reassuringly, "I think they will make a good couple."
"Yup, but they don't know that. Look," He pointed at two figures who were playing at the tennis court.
"You know, if we let them alone, no one will ever make the first move." Oishi was eyeing his friends down there. "You're right. We should help them."
"That is my friend!" Kikumaru shouted happily. "Come on! Let's get down there before he arrives and has any excuses to kill you!"
Oishi smiled warmly at his friend's excited behaviour. Friendship is not just making friends but also helping them, he thought with Kikumaru's arm hung over his shoulder. I should know that.
* * *
He can't be right. No way he can't be right... No, no, no, and no...
Tezuka Kunimitsu had worn the Seigaku's tennis' uniform and now was walking to the court. Lots of girls gave him adoring glances but his face remained stoic. Not a sign of his inner turmoil.
He remembered perfectly when the weird feeling started. That time when they lost to Fudoumine, Fuji and Kawamura for exact. It was a match of honor and they didn't loose in shame. But it wasn't the problem at all...
The same person he had been dealing with, the same face he had looked into for almost three years, was totally different that moment, no smile on his usually cheerful countenance. Tezuka recalled how the blue orbs widened in shock when his partner took the flat shot, how they hardened when the slender guy held Kawamura's wrist.
It was the first time he ever saw his friend so serious. He didn't know when actually the habit began, but seeing Fuji's azure eyes pleased him somehow. Still, he had no single hint how they could affect him like this now. For the feeling wasn't glad but anger at the moment, he didn't know why until today, his own vice-president threw the answer right in front of his nose.
No, maybe it was an explanation, but not the right one. It was ridiculous and no way he could feel that to the guy who had played with him all the time!
So what was it then? Surely just anxiety towards a precious team mate. The idea that it was jealousy almost drove him mad. No way.
'Let me tell you something, child, I've never like you from the first time...'
A girl's laughter filled his mind. Whatever he did, the ominous sound wouldn't go away.
'How foolish you are, my Kunimitsu-kun...'
* * *
"A great move, Taka-san!"
Fuji Shuusuke applauded his opponent after the shot landed hard right on the baseline. They were in a usual practice, regardless of the hot summer sun.
"Ne Fujiko-chan! In fact you could take it! Come on! Let's play a fair game!!"
Fuji smiled unobtrusively, "Really I can't, Taka-san. But I'll try harder now!"
"Lucky, he hasn't come!" Kikumaru appeared at the entrance. He glanced around, looking for the captain while Oishi turned up behind of him. "Hey guys! Don't mind for a double?"
"No, come in!"
Kikumaru took his place beside Kawamura and Oishi paired with Fuji. "We'll beat them all, Taka-san!"
"Don't worry, Eiji! I already can feel the fire burning!! We will get the VICTORY!!!"
"Not so easy, guys! Don't you dare to underestimate us!" Oishi responded with a high enthusiasm. "This is our match, right Fuji?"
"If you saw the shot he gave me, you would be careful, Oishi," his partner reminded him, still with the ever smiling face. "It was awesome!"
"The truth is right here! I'll serve!"
* * *
Outside the field, two other boys were quarrelling, both physically and orally.
"Momo-senpai! We still have thirty minutes before the practice begin!"
Momoshiro Takeshi glared at his kouhei. "Can you act not so arrogantly? You're a freshman and take the most little practice I've ever seen for a regular!"
"Are you bothered by the fact that I'm a freshman but have a better ability than you, Momo-senpai?"
"No way I want your ability of boasting! Listen, our enemies are getting better!"
"I can deal with them!" Echizen Ryoma glared at him.
"Despising our opponents, huh? So you can beat them all with just lying on the school roof!?"
"I am not just lying on the school roof! I practice too!"
"Then let's go! I don't want our school to loose just because your lack of practice!" Momoshiro began to drag him again to the court.
"I won't loose!"
The only response he got were indecipherable grumbles involving 'sick' and 'vanity'.
* * *
When Tezuka eventually arrived, the game had been played for a while with score 3 - 2 for Fuji-Oishi pair. He sent some deathly stares to the vice-president who seemed to realize this.
"Oishi! You could get that! It was easy!" Kikumaru yelled at the crestfallen Oishi.
"Sorry, I was slightly caught off!"
"Don't do that when we played against Taikei Gakuen!"
"You're opposing a high school?" Fuji looked at Oishi with wonder, "I've never heard about it."
Oishi shook his head. "Not officially, merely a game. They want to feel what it's like fighting the Seigaku's golden pair," he winked at Fuji.
His partner smiled slightly, "Sure it will be fun. When? I want to watch it."
"Saturday, next week. We have to wait them finishing the High School tournament. The final is on the end of this week."
"Ne, are you two playing or not?" Kikumaru asked, a little annoyed, hands on his hip.
"Hai, hai! Relax, Eiji!" Fuji responded before took another serve.
Tezuka watched these scenes amusedly. It was pleasing him to see the object of his affection was so cheerful, loosely play with entrusted friends. Unexpectedly, Fuji's gaze held his and he threw a slight smile to his captain. But Tezuka promptly diverted his gaze to the smiling-wickedly Kikumaru and could only muttering the word 'baka' unstintingly in his mind.
Suddenly a loud noise distracted him from desire to kill Kikumaru and his smug face. He quickly spotted a neglected racket which lay by his feet and looked up to see its owner.
Kawamura was standing dumbly at the middle of the court, his expression was vacant for a moment while he was trying to register what was just happened. Absent-mindedly his other hand touched the injured wrist then he turned to Kikumaru who was staring at him with palpable worry.
"Eiji, gomen, I..."
He stopped promptly when realized another pair of eyes were glaring at him.
"Fuji..."
"Did I not tell you to be careful in forcing your wrist?"
The cold tone startled everybody, including Kawamura himself who only could look helplessly into the hypnotizing aqua pools. No sound regardless the wind for few seconds before at last Fuji took his injured friend's hand and led him to the bench. Then he knelt before Kawamura, examining the wrist.
"It wasn't swollen, yet at least," then he looked up to his partner, "Oishi, do you mind to play single or..."
"It's OK, Fuji. Beside Eiji still needs some training for his baseline strokes. He's doing too much net play," the vice-president glanced over the net playfully.
"I heard that!"
"Arigatou," Fuji gave a little smile. He turned and started massaging the wrist with cool liquid.
"How is it?"
"Better, but it wasn't a big problem anyway..."
The eyes stopped his words once more. But this time, Kawamura could see thousands emotions they bore. Concern, anguish, fury, but the most of all was guilty. He could see how his act of protecting the prodigy was breaking him.
"Not a big problem, Taka-san?"
"It wasn't that bad. I merely lost my grip so the racket..."
He was surprised to sense a warm skin was pressed upon his wrist where Fuji laid his forehead. The taller guy could only stare through strands of hair that were played by the tickling wind. His words were promptly eliminated.
"Gomen ne," he heard the bending figure whispered, "I shouldn't intend to take it. The point was nothing comparing to your hand. I...gomen..." his voice lowered, then silence embraced them.
Unexpectedly, Kawamura put his hand on the seemed-frail shoulder. "Fuji, nothing to forgive or to feel guilty about. I did that to protect you. You might end with far more serious wound than me. I was the one who wanted to do it, you didn't ask, right?"
He felt his friend's nod and continue, "Then don't blame yourself. I'm fine."
"Arigatou, Taka-san. But please don't do that again in the future."
He smiled gently. "Only if you promise the same. I can't loose you too, Fujiko-chan."
On the field, Oishi and Kikumaru smiled understandingly at each other. In the other hand, Tezuka suddenly felt a great weight was put upon his heart.
TBC......
Chapter 2 : Something's grow in their friendship (Tezuka and Fuji of course). But don't worry, I won't make them together so easily! By the way, I begin to like Eiji more and more here! Any idea who's suitable for him too?
R&R please!! No flame's accepted!
