TITLE: Muted Fascination
PART: One-Shot
GENRE: Implied Shounen-ai
PAIRING: Saeki Kojirou Kikumaru Eiji
DISCLAIMERS: The series I'm referring to does not belong to me… only this weird story does.
MUTED FASCINATION
He had been observing him for quite some time now, and needless to say, even after all this time, he was still as fascinated as he was the first. Maybe it was the impression he left after that tennis game... or maybe the fact that he acted so maturely was gnawing on his brain. But whatever the reason, all he knew was that...
He was weirdly fascinating.
Like right now, he was playing along with his teammate, eyes shining as he listened to Dabide crack another of his seemingly endless jokes. Watching with muted fascination as the perpetual joker's doubles partner whacked him with another of his famous high kicks.
Yes... Saeki Kojirou was extremely fascinating.
Kikumaru Eiji had had his share of disturbingly matured acquaintances, and frankly, only a few of them measured up to him.
Take his partner Oishi as a good example. He was supposed to be the mature one but upon Kikumaru's making fun of a lot of things – which he couldn't help but do almost all of the time, and yes, the fact that he wore his shirt inside out was funny – he smacked him hard. Okay, so all the stuff he said about Momoshiro's plight then was not exactly nice, but did that merit a whap across the face? He didn't think so. And he had a feeling that between the two of them... neither was exactly mature enough.
Oh yes, and then there was Inui. He was supposed to be the mature one but Kikumaru knew the glee he was feeling everytime his new improved grass-tasting beverages choked everyone to death. He practically saw it in the way those awful square horn-rimmed eyeglasses flashed under the light of the afternoon sun.
And then there was that Yanagi guy from Rikkai-dai Fuzoku. He was as bad as Inui was. Maybe because they hung out too much in their childhood years. And it was scary now that he thought about it. Thank God Yanagi Renji did not go to Seishun Gakuen, or every person in the club would die the day they turned a year older.
So why was Saeki Kojirou different then?
Kikumaru couldn't quite put a finger on it...
"Eiji... close your mouth or you're going to catch flies."
He instantly snapped out of his reverie and stared dumbfounded at his forgotten companion. "Fuji! Ah... gomen nya..." He apologised, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I was just –"
"Staring."
"Eh?"
Fuji smiled in amusement. "You were staring."
"No I wasn't!"
"You were. You were staring at Saeki."
Kikumaru's cheeks reddened. Busted. "I wasn't..." He stammered, and was about to say more when an arm draped heavily around his shoulder. He stiffened in surprise.
"Hey! What brought you here in our playground?"
It was him.
Kikumaru didn't exactly know what to do. However, he did know that if he moved one bit, there was a hundred percent probability he would make an ass of himself. Great. He was sounding like Inui. Inwardly, he grimaced.
Fuji grinned even more, his eyes visible as he stared at the picture the two of them made. It was obvious that he liked what he saw. "How could I not? It's your birthday!"
"Nya? It is?" Kikumaru echoed intelligently. Foot in mouth. "I mean, yeah! It is! Happy –"
"Ow..."
Kikumaru, in his haste to save face, turned quickly around, and bumped his forehead against Saeki's nose. The grin on his face before he moved now gone as he stared in horror at the taller boy clutching the offended appendage.
"Gomen! Gomen!" He cried out frantically. "I didn't mean to do it! I didn't! Honest! Nya!"
"No problem! It was my fault anyway... I was standing so close, so I didn't move out of the way fast enough. Sorry about that." Came Saeki's muffled response.
He was floored. Why was this guy apologising for something that was entirely NOT his fault? He shook his head, preparing to argue when Saeki suddenly raised a hand to stop him from explaining further. There was a comforting sort of smile in his voice... and his eyes. He wasn't mad at him. He didn't strike back. What was this guy thinking?
"But – " Saeki continued on. "It would help if you lend me your hankie for a while... of you have any that is."
Still panicked, Kikumaru took out his handkerchief and thrust it at him. With a nod of thanks, he took it, his other hand letting go of his offended nose. It was red. The type of red that told you it hurts. He winced. Way to go, nya... He scolded himself. If that nose remained that way forever, I'm going to go deform my nose as well... not that his nose is deformed, it just looks like it hurts... wait, what am I saying? Kikumaru was feeling very much lightheaded.
Then, there was a sudden blowing sound... and then laughter. It took a few moments for them to register in his worried mind.
Saeki used his handkerchief to blow his nose.
Fuji was laughing.
Saeki was laughing.
They were laughing at him.
"Hey... What gives?" He crowed indignantly. One hand on his hip, another with a finger pointed at the supposedly 'wounded' boy. "I thought your nose hurt?"
"It does."
"Then why are you laughing?" Kikumaru asked dubiously. Then, he turned to Fuji. "And why are you laughing with him?"
Fuji didn't answer; he just shook his head and started backing away. "Guys, I'm going to see if It-chan is available for a game... see you!"
"Fuji! Get back here, nya!" Kikumaru was about to follow him when a hand reached out and closed around his arm. Surprised, he turned, seeing Saeki's mirthful gaze trained on him. Self-consciously, he fidgeted. "I..." He started, only to be cut off.
"Come with me." He said. His tone was soft but there was a ring of command in it.
"Where?"
"Those two..." He grinned, pointing at Kurobane's irritated form and Dabide's body doubled up in laughter – from his own joke no doubt. "Let's play with them."
"Tennis?"
Saeki nodded.
Kikumaru debated inwardly. His mind was saying 'No', but his body was leaning towards 'Yes'. And Saeki's hand that was still clamped on his arm was swaying his decision further. Taking a deep breath, he looked up to his eyes and grinned back.
"Yes." He agreed clearly.
And, sharing comfortable silence, they started to walk off, until Kikumaru halted mid-step, remembering something important. "Ah, Saeki... umm... Happy birthday nya..." He fidgeted.
"Thank you." Saeki smiled softly down at him.
"Eto..."
"Hmm?"
"Eto... what do you want as, you know, a gift?"
Saeki shook his head and smiled some more, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them once again, deep eyes boring into his with such an intensity that left him almost breathless. It was then that he knew why Saeki was so different. "I don't want anything."
"But..." Kikumaru protested.
Saeki gave his arm a gentle squeeze before finally letting go.
"Believe me, what I have wanted for quite a while now... I have just gotten."
And he slipped Kikumaru's handkerchief in his pocket unseen.
OWARI
A/N: OMEDETOU TANJOUBI SAEKI-KUN!