The Rumour
(Author's note: Minor changes made in Chapter 5. Oshitari has been included at the last minute in the visit to Seigaku.)
Chapter Six: Conversations and Nosebleeds
Having received advanced warning of the Hyotei players' arrival, Oishi finagled Tezuka into leaving the tennis courts early, thus avoiding the showdown between the three Hyotei players and the Seigaku regulars.
Atobe stared at the Seigaku players ranged before him. "You mean it's true?" He asked incredulously, a strange light growing in his eyes. "You'll all be playing for Tezuka this Saturday?"
"Well, truth is such an ephemeral concept, don't you think?" Fuji smiled serenely.
"Screw truth," said Oshitari sarcastically. "It's a two for one thing, is it? Beat Tezuka in a match and you'll get to fuc—," Before the Hyotei doubles player could go on, a tennis ball hit his nose dead on, courtesy of Kaido, while Momoshiro clapped his hands over Ryoma's ears.
"OW!" Oshitari got up from the floor, cradling his bleeding nose. "What the hell was that for?" He shouted, digging frantically in his pockets for a handkerchief to stem the flow of blood.
"Keep your mouth clean. We've got young players here," muttered Kaido, throwing a quick look at a twisting and squirming Ryoma who's trying his best to peel Momoshiro's hands away from his ears. Hoping that Ochibi hasn't heard anything too detrimental to his emotional wellbeing, Kaido and Momoshiro exchanged a rare look of understanding above the twelve year old's head.
"Ah… Quite," said Atobe, fixing a hard glare at Oshitari for good measure. "Let's take this conversation somewhere more private, shall we?"
"Yes, let's," smiled Fuji scarily.
"Kabaji, Oshitari, you two stay here. – And Oshitari? Go get your head looked at."
Ryoma picked this unfortunate moment to snicker.
It took the combined efforts of Kabaji, Kawamura and Momoshiro to hold Oshitari back from killing Ryoma.
After Oshitari was subdued, Atobe and Fuji moved to the marginally more private changing room. The Hyotei captain cast a disparaging look around the rather dank room. "Humph, doesn't Seigaku have any better facilities than this?"
Fuji smiled. "No." He wasn't about to show Atobe to the normal meeting room they had for guests, chiefly because Tezuka and Oishi are already there. Making sure that Tezuka and Atobe do not meet up today was fast becoming the key priority in Fuji's list of things to do. Fuji continued smiling.
"Fine, fine. In any case, I'm not here to enjoy the amenities offered by Seigaku." Atobe waved off his own complaint and seated himself gingerly on the wooden bench. He took a deep breath. "I want in on the match with Tezuka," he said flatly. "I'll do anything necessary."
Fuji simply smiled.
"I'm not interested in the date with Tezuka, of course. A person of my personal perfection requires a companion of like perfection, or at least close perfection. Tezuka – while, ah, pretty, in his own way, can hardly be thought of as a candidate for such a position," Atobe stole a look at Fuji to guage his reaction.
Smile. Smile.
Atobe would have fidgeted, except he was only too conscious of the fact that perfect people do not fidget. He rushed on. "I just want to have another fair match with Tezuka. One where his arm has fully recovered and he can play to the best of his capabilities. After all, only Tezuka in prime condition is worthy of meeting me in a match."
Smile. Smile.
Atobe got up and started pacing up and down the small confines of the room. "It's ridiculous! Really, this thing about a date… I can't imagine what got into Tezuka, offering an entire night with himself as the prize. Very unlike him. Ah, not that I know him that well, of course, but you think you'd get to know a person after playing a match like the one we had. I mean, a date? With the possibility of sex afterwards?" Atobe flushed alarmingly at his own thoughts.
Smile Smile.
"I thought he'd be too cold to even consider dating. But then again, he did show a lot of… passion… when we were playing each other. That look on his face…" Atobe swallowed deeply. "He couldn't… I couldn't… I mean…" He looked back at Fuji. "For God's sake, stop smiling! Don't you have anything to say?!" the Hyotei captain snapped.
Fuji smiled. And said, "Tezuka was standing naked at the same exact spot you're standing right now."
As the words slowly percolated in the Hyotei captain's brain, a steady stream of blood began to flow down his nose. "I, I," Atobe started to say, swaying on his feet for a moment longer before fainting dead away.
Hearing the loud thump, Eiji stuck his head around the door from where he'd been standing all along. He contemplated at the unconscious body on the changing room floor for a moment. "Nyah, Syusuke. You're evil," said Eiji seriously in his cute chibi way.
Still smiling, Fuji cocked his head to a side. "Really?" The tensai's smile deepened. "Want to help me dispose his body?"
While Atobe was busy fainting, Oshitari was getting his nose looked at by Kaido.
"Ow! Hey, a little more care here, please. It's my nose, not a bloody peg for you to twist."
"Hsss…"
"You guys aren't serious about this thing with Tezuka, are you? I mean, he's your buchou and everything…"
"Hsss…"
"I give up," muttered Oshitari. "I just want to go home now please."
"Hsss…"
In the meantime, another short but meaningful conversation between two bad conversationalists was taking place.
"Kabaji-san, how's your hand?" Kawamura asked shyly. "Did you see the therapist the doctor recommended?"
"Kawamura-san," replied the immense third year student from Hyotei in a soft monotone. "Yes, I've been seeing the therapist for a couple of weeks now, and my hand's fully recovered."
"Oh, that's good." Kawamura studied his shoes for a moment while casting his mind for another topic to talk about. He really needed to improve his skills at making social conversation, thought Kawamura glumly. "So… what brings you to Seigaku today?"
"Atobe has been acting like he's got a stick up his ass ever since he heard that rumour about Tezuka from our first-year players. So the coach told me to bring him here to get laid and get Tezuka out of his system," Kabaji reported mechanically, without any particular change in expression.
Kawamura fell over.
Kabaji's thick brow furrowed slightly and he leaned slightly forward. "Kawamura-san? Your nose is bleeding," he pointed out helpfully.
"…"
"You want me to ask Atobe if it's okay for me to get you some help?"
"… it's… okay… Just hand me that racket, will you…?"
Oishi was staring out the window overlooking the tennis courts in anxiety. The huge form of Kabaji was unmistakable. And that made the two other figures, Atobe and Oshitari. Maybe he should go back down to check up on them. But he couldn't just leave Tezuka alone, especially if the Hyotei guys are wandering around. God, if Kaido was right, and they're here to check out on the rumour about the match... The vice-captain blanched at the thought of Atobe Keigo accidentally telling Tezuka that he's here to win a date with him via tennis. Please, God, I'll do anything if we all just survive this day.
"Oishi?"
"Ah," Oishi looked back with a start. "Yes, Tezuka?" He asked guiltily.
"Here are my proposed groupings for the tournament. Do you have anything you want to change?" Tezuka repeated patiently without any visible expression on his face.
"Oh, uh, sure," said Oishi. "Just let me take a look…" He looked down at the listings, but the names just swam on the paper. He glanced over to Tezuka, only to find the tall, stoic captain steadily looking at him too. Oishi blushed without thinking.
"Oishi? Are you all right?" Tezuka's deep voice sounded softly in the room.
"Er.." Oishi dragged his eyes away from Tezuka's face, his strong, beautiful face, his traitorous brain added, and swallowed. "I, I'm all right, I guess."
To his dismay, Tezuka got up and seated himself directly opposite Oishi. Oishi gulped mentally at the sudden proximity and felt his internal temperature rise a notch at the closeness between them. At this distance, Oishi could only see his best friend's clear grey eyes looking right back at him. When Tezuka shifted his gaze to the piece of paper between them, Oishi couldn't help feeling relieved, but at the same time, a little disappointed.
They have been best friends for what seemed like forever, the quiet, seriously cute chibi Tezuka and Oishi. Tezuka may be less vocal than all the other little kids around, but Oishi didn't see what the big deal was. And anyway, when it came to the things Tezuka was passionate about – like tennis – he had no problems whatsoever making his opinions known. For everything else, as long as you paid attention, it was actually rather easy to understand what Tezuka wanted to communicate.
Like now, when Tezuka is alternatively looking at Oishi with that particular soft bent to his mouth, then looking away again. That was Tezuka's unspoken language for, 'I'm worried about you, want to tell me what's wrong so I can help in whatever way I can? But I won't ask you directly in case you don't want to talk about it yet, because it's okay, I can always wait. I'll be here for you any time you want'. This was a lot to convey in a single look, but that's Tezuka for you.
Oishi ached to tell Tezuka everything. To unload to his best friend all the stress and worry that he's been carrying around for the past week ever since he found out about the stupid rumour Fuji spread, and the subsequent decision to play for real. But he didn't know how Tezuka will react. The best case scenario was that Tezuka would have them running laps until they all graduate, but what if he didn't? What if this ridiculous mess somehow spoiled their friendship for good? Oishi bit his lip in confusion.
He looked up, an excuse to dodge Tezuka's unspoken question already on his lips, when he saw Tezuka's eyes soften in understanding, and a tiny smile quirk up at the corner of his mouth. It was Tezuka-speech for 'It's okay. I understand you don't want to talk right now. I can wait.' He understood. Oishi thought in relief, a small answering smile rising on his face. For the first time in the entire week, Oishi felt himself relax. Thank you, Tezuka.
Suddenly, the fragile calm in the tennis meeting room was broken by the distant but clear sound of Kawamura's shouting. "ATOBE! YOU SPAWN OF EVIL! STAY AWAY FROM OUR BUCHOU'S VIRGIN ASS!"
What the shit?! Oishi suddenly sat up, heart pounding. This can't be happening now. I didn't just hear that. I didn't. The vice captain's blood pounded and his stomach clenched with pain in response.
"Was that Kawamura?" Tezuka hesitated, his face a rare study of bewilderment. "Oishi, did Kawamura just shouted what I think he shouted…?" His voice trailed off then suddenly sharpened. "Oishi! What's wrong?!" Tezuka got up from his seat and laid a concerned hand on Oishi's shoulder.
"Sorry. I don't… feel very well," gasped Oishi, face pale and sweating. "Stomach… hurts…"
Tezuka's face set with purpose, and he bent and picked Oishi right off his chair. "Hold on, Oishi," he commanded, muscles shifting effortlessly to accommodate Oishi's sudden weight. "I'll get you to the school infirmary." Tezuka strode over and kicked the door open, with Oishi securely wrapped within his arms.
Oishi hung his arms around Tezuka's neck. "Okay," he mumbled weakly into Tezuka's broad, strong shoulder. I'm so dead. The scent of Tezuka, of soap and sunshine and clean cotton, drifted into his nose.
I'm in heaven, thought his heart.
Tezuka had taken him to the school infirmary, had stood like the very image of responsibility as he recounted to the school nurse what happened. Tezuka had stood at the foot of the infirmary bed as the school nurse scurried about taking Oishi's pulse and temperature, measuring his blood pressure. Oishi saw Tezuka's shoulders relax minutely as the nurse diagnosed stress and low blood sugar, and stiffen again with resolve as the nurse prescribed food and rest for him. Saw him vanish through the infirmary doors, only to return minutes later with a sugar bun and some milk.
"Eat," Tezuka's low voice urged. "And rest. I'll take care of the club practice."
Saw Tezuka wait patiently while he slowly ate the food he'd brought, and nod in approval when he finished.
"Stay here and rest," was Tezuka's final instructions before returning to his duties as captain.
"Yes, buchou," Oishi replied obediently. I've done all that I can, he thought to his fellow Seigaku regulars. The rest is up to you.
~~~
Hello! Thanks to everyone for all the kind reviews! This really feeds my ego, which in turn prods my muse into writing action. :-) There's been a sudden spate of votes for Oishi X Tezuka recently, and I must confess, I'm starting to get really conflicted about who should win. So, until the decision is made, I'm going to leave myself space to work – ie, a lot of innuendo for everyone in relation to Tezuka. This chapter is very Oishi friendly, while some of the earlier chapters have hinted at a Momoshiro X Tezuka pairing. Other regular-friendly bits are on its way. May the best regular win… grins
