Well, I finally joined LJ, though I really am confused as how to use it, and whatever, I joined the 55themes comm, and wrote this up for it! First shot at the Golden Pair, but Eiji's so friggin adorable... based on themes 1 and 44- Sports and Twilight.
Setting Mood
Eiji was restless, Oishi could tell. To be truthful, he was surprised he'd lasted these two hours with relative patience. There had been some bouncing earlier, and other attempted acrobatics, and there had been a constant flow of ramblings, the insignificant type that allowed Oishi to continue studying with an agreeable nod or 'hmm, really?' inserted in between his partner's breaths, and allowed Eiji to fill his insatiable need to infuse the air with words.
Now though, the redhead lay sprawled on his partner's bed sideways and on his back, his legs dangling off one side, and his head hanging upside-down from the other. The magazine he'd been trying to read upside-down now lay on the bed, and he was staring up at the ceiling. The measured swinging of his legs told Oishi that he was bored, and the vice-captain sighed, glancing over the anatomy of the heart one more time before looking up again.
Eiji's eyes were on him immediately, as if sensing the shift in attention, and the look on his face reminded Oishi of a dog waiting expectantly for his owner to grab the least and head out to the park. He grinned, and Eiji returned those pearly whites on him as if it was reflex.
"Wanna play a match?"
The redhead bounced off the bed with a carefully placed backflip, landing squarely in front of Oishi with an eager grin, "Yeah!"
It happened often, and even if it didn't, they were so in the habit of carrying their rackets everywhere, and so they were downstairs and heading out the door in less than two minutes.
The afternoon sun was beginning burn out, like an orange being gently cupped by careful hands, and it was neither hot nor cold, but that temperature that makes the air feel weightless and nonexistent. Eiji turned cartwheels in front of Oishi as they walked, and Oishi laughed and fixed his mussed hair with fingers that combed through the crimson curls with a mix of playfulness and affection.
The courts were empty, which was strange, since they could usually find someone to play doubles against no matter when they came here, especially on a Saturday afternoon, when there was no school the next day. Oishi scratched his head and turned to his doubles partner, who was squatting on the ground, swatting a pinecone with his racket idly, awaiting Oishi's verdict.
"Well… how about we play against each other?"
Eiji blinked, and blinked again, and then sprung up, pumping his fists eagerly, and the brilliance in his eyes was enough to rival the setting sun's, whose rays dipped the courts in an orange bath, and tinted Eiji's tanned skin a deeper color.
"Don't think that just because you're my partner I'm going to go easy on you!" he crowed, but the jest was so obvious by the way his face nuzzled against Oishi's neck before they separated and stood at opposing ends of the courts.
This was something different, they rarely played each other. But of course, this wasn't a real match, it was more for fun, for Oishi to ease the tension in his shoulder and back after studying, and for Eiji to release some of the pent up energy after patiently sitting through Oishi's studies.
It was an easy serve on Oishi's part, and Eiji didn't bat an eye returning it with a perky flip, the path and strength memorized from countless matches, though it was a change watching it head towards him instead of over and from. But the returning hit was the result of one of Eiji's backhanded swipes, and Oishi could clearly imagine the subtle curve and low bounce resulting from those, and the way his wrist had flicked as he'd hit meant it would bounce just a little higher, allowing him to hit it just there—
Eiji knew that Oishi's left was just a tad more vulnerable, especially when he was on the right side of the court and had to rush over to return the lob, but if he aimed it just at his blind spot behind his left foot…
That was the first score, but once Eiji served, Oishi easily returned it with his Moon Volley, and just for kicks, added a spin to it, making it swerve the couple inches necessary to land just out of Eiji's reach. Tied.
Neither was really that interested in beating each other, and the match was played in silence, punctuated by the flat sound of the ball hitting the courts and the twang of the rackets. They weren't out of breath yet, wouldn't be for at least another half hour of simple play like this, but the darkening shades throwing elongated shadows over their faces, and the whiny whirring of the cicadas was enchanting, and the quiet, simple-minded playing lulled them into an easy rhythm.
It was nothing fancy, and they weren't really sure of the score at this point, but the wind had picked up a bit, and the streetlights had come on, but there was that mysterious twilight air wafting between them, and a continuous beat supplied by the tennis ball.
Oishi liked the way the wind picked at Eiji's hair, the way his body bent into impossible contours that at times were comical, but now seemed like graceful twirls, tinted with some ethereal spell, as if he was an ancient dancer performing just for him, and the only thing that broke that spell was the fact that he had to momentarily break eye contact to serve or return the ball.
The look in Eiji's eyes was worth the world to him at the moment, when it was trained solely on him, and with that sort of confidence that told him that there was unquestionable trust between them, and that intense brilliance that reflected the setting rays of the sun and was almost blinding. There was a gentle whirl in those eyes that spoke of the soothing calm that the atmosphere had wrought on him, and that deep affection that Oishi knew was reflected on his face, that slight grin that was gently appreciative and content, and somehow, Oishi knew, felt— This is where we belong. Together, with the cooling rays of the sun on their skin, with their eyes displaying their comfort and ease with each other, and each measured stroke of the racket against the ball telling of their infinite care and consideration for each other.
"Mama, I don't wanna go home yet!"
They both winced, and the ball plopped against the net and bounced uselessly on the ground, and they both looked at the little kid crossing the street in front of the courts, led determinedly by his mother, and the mood was broken.
And though Oishi kind of regretted it, the sky only had a fringe of orange left, and the rest had melded into purple and blue, and Eiji's forehead had the lightest sheen of sweat, meaning they had been here a good hour. He strode forward, bending down to pick up the ball at the net, and when he stood up, almost jumped to see Eiji standing in front of him, his hands resting on the net that was the sole barrier between them. And just like that, with the last gleam of radiant ray of sun shining in his eyes, Eiji leaned forward and brushed his lips against his, and the tennis ball dropped to the ground again, as Oishi's hands reached up to tug Eiji closer, and they kissed again over the net.
Maybe someday I'll even draw fanart for this-- the image of Eiji and Oishi kissing across the tennis net appeals to me. Review!