Warning: If you cannot stand shonen ai/yaoi or drinking, please refrain from reading this chapter.
Happy Birthday
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.
Chapter 10 - Momoshiro Takeshi:
Momoshiro Takeshi grinned. Today would be his twenty-first birthday and the first year where the ex-regulars would all be legal! He thought excitedly of what would happen at his birthday bash as he pressed his foot down on the pedal of his new car.
His parents had gotten him the luxury of a ride. A new car.
He was on his way to Kawamura Sushi Bar. He couldn't wait to see his fellow ex-teammates once more. It had been too long. That is, if you counted a year to be too long.
Minutes later, he found himself sitting down next to Kaidou – he didn't know how – half-drunk and two of his guests hadn't even arrived.
"Momo…" Kawamura chided lightly, "don't drink too much so fast!" He tried pulling a half-filled bottle of rum from the birthday boy's hand.
Momoshiro burped and protested, "But this year we finally get to drink together!"
Kawamura sighed and turned to Kaidou, who looked very uncomfortable at the fact that Momoshiro was half-leaning on him and looking very sober.
"Kaidou, you alright with this?" he asked, whispering.
"Nya! C'mon Oishi! Let's play a game!" one hyperactive volley player declared, launching himself on his ex-doubles partner. "Play a game! A game!" He jumped, obviously a bit drunk.
Oishi looked shaken up. "E-Eiji! How much have you drank?" he asked, worried for his friend. "Here, let me help you," he muttered, and without waiting for a reply, he threw one of Kikumaru's arms around his neck and heaved him up. He dragged him towards one of the tables and let him lie on the seats.
Tezuka sighed. If only he were captain again… he would be able to make them run laps.
"We're here everyone!" a familiar, soprano voice called from the entrance. "Look who I ran into," Fuji continued, dragging the youngest regular member from him.
"Hey…" Echizen grumbled, not at all happy to be there even though it was his senpai and friend's birthday.
Kawamura smiled and walked over to the newly arrived guests. "Ah! There you two are. Both of you are late! Echizen I understand but…" he trailed off, sensing something about Fuji. "Anyways, Momo and Eiji are already drunk…"
Echizen let out a soft "che". "Figures…" he muttered, sitting down next to Tezuka and asking Kawamura's dad for a grape Ponta.
Fuji smiled and glanced at Echizen. "Eh? Don't you want a real drink, Echizen? You are of age now," Fuji challenged.
Echizen seemed to be thinking by the way his hand hovered hesitantly over the cap of the soda. "Hm… No thanks," he replied.
Fuji smiled even more. A challenge. "Ehh… and here I thought maybe Ryoma-kun would like to beat me in something at the very least…" he continued, pretending to mutter it although it was loud enough for even Momoshiro and Kikumaru to hear.
"That's a good one Fuji-senpai!" Momoshiro cheered, still not drunk enough to slur his words.
A loud "thunk!" had everyone turning their attention to the source.
Echizen had a fist down on the table. "Fine, bring it on."
Fuji's eyes opened. "Saa… Let's."
Kikumaru snored. Oishi fretted over the two shortest regulars. Kaidou let out a hiss. Momoshiro looked eager to watch the match. Kawamura watched worriedly and Tezuka kept drinking.
--
Three bottles and several shots later found Tezuka rubbing his head. He glanced at his watch. He sighed. He should be leaving but…
"More!"
Both Fuji and Echizen were still drinking and Kawamura-san(1) had already left long ago. He briefly wondered if Momoshiro even minded that they were "stealing his spotlight".
He watched as Fuji drank another shot. Echizen followed suit easily.
For a beginner, he found it quite strange that Echizen was able to keep up. Perhaps he had been drinking underage…
Before he could ask Echizen, Momoshiro got up suddenly and tried to run into the bathroom. Instead, he tripped over Kaidou – who happened to be there – and Kaidou found himself covered in stuff in which he did not want to name.
Tezuka rubbed his temples. "Oishi, help Momoshiro up. Kaidou, go clean up," he commanded. Though he could not give laps, he could still order them around.
"Hai…"
--
"Fshu… Really, Peach Butt, that was stupid," Kaidou hissed as he sat, waiting for Momoshiro to finish cleaning him up.
Momoshiro hiccupped and briefly wondered what he had done for Tezuka to order him to clean Kaidou up. It really wasn't his fault! That stupid Viper was already there and he just tripped.
"Shut it, Viper!" he growled. "And sit still! If you don't, you'll be stuck in the -hic- mess I made," he continued.
Kaidou hissed again and tried his best to sit still. Really, the slime was trailing off him. It was disgusting!
"Hey… There's some on our face, close your eyes," Momoshiro said, hiccupping.
Kaidou resisted the urge to roll his eyes but close them.
Momoshiro reached up and started wiping the gunk off. Why on earth did he have to eat so much? He asked himself. But… it was the first time he really got a close look at his rival and ex-teammate.
Even though they had been through so much and known each other for so long, they never really took a good look at each others' faces.
Well, at least he didn't, anyways.
There was something about his face. No, it wasn't the way his eyebrows curved down and created that scary exterior… It was his lips.
For the first time in his life, Momoshiro found himself fascinated by Kaidou's lips. He longed to touch it. The towel fell and Kaidou opened his eyes just in time to feel lips pressed upon his own.
Kaidou didn't have time to speak or even let out a sound. All he could do was sit there on the cold, hard floor of the bathroom and let Momoshiro kiss him. Momoshiro didn't even seem to mind that he was kissing his rival.
But…
Kaidou pushed Momoshiro off.
"O-Oi! Viper! What are you doing?" he asked, growling and looking very angry at the fact that he had just been interrupted during quite a good kiss.
"What were you doing, Peach Butt?" Kaidou demanded, getting up. "All of a sudden, you're on me and kissing me. Are you even sober?"
Momoshiro looked shocked and realized with a jolt what he had done. "I kissed Viper? I kissed Viper… Huh…" he muttered to himself, and mentally declared himself delusional. "I kissed Viper! Ha!"
Kaidou glared at Momoshiro but stopped when he found Momoshiro laughing.
"What's so funny?" he hissed, literally.
Momoshiro continued laughing and hiccupping. "I kissed you!"
Kaidou sighed. "I know that… he must be really drunk…" he muttered, walking over to the laughing boy. He grabbed Momoshiro's arm and lifted him – those years of training helped – over himself.
"Ew! I don't want to lay on this stuff!" Momoshiro protested.
"It's your own fault for throwing up on me," Kaidou shot back. That shut Momoshiro up about that subject.
"Why am I on you anyways?" Momoshiro asked, suddenly wondering why he was on Kaidou. Why indeed…
Kaidou grunted and walked out the bathroom, trying to avoid the group drinking in the restaurant. "Getting fresh air."
"BURNING! One more cup, Echizen!" Kawamura's voice was heard as they exited through the back.
--
Kaidou dropped Momoshiro on the grass and sat next to him.
"Ow… You didn't have to drop me you know, Viper!" Momoshiro complained. "At least it doesn't smell out here…"
Kaidou didn't answer. "Why did you kiss me?" he asked.
Momoshiro looked up and hesitated. "I don't know really… I like you?" he suggested. But the way he said it made it seem as if he was asking himself as well.
There was a silence and a few crickets chirped.
"Do you want to try it again?" Momoshiro asked, calmly.
Kaidou looked flustered and turned his head away. "You don't get a birthday present from me then," he retorted.
Momoshiro pouted. "What? But it's my birthday!" he yelped, getting up.
"Like I said, no birth—"
His sentence was cut off when Momoshiro placed his lips on his own once again.
This time, it lasted much longer.
From behind several bushes, Inui's glasses gleamed. "Just as I predicted. 98 percent chance that they will get together…"
"Inui-senpai is scary…" Echizen muttered, cheeks flushed from the many shots he had drunk. His body started to feel heavy and he started to lean over.
Fuji chuckled from beside him. "Ah… but they're always correct…"
Tezuka sat on Echizen's other side and glanced at the half-asleep boy – he was still the youngest. "Ah… Inui is…" he finished, leaning down and giving the boy a kiss on the forehead.
Fuji smiled. "Remember Tezuka, sharing!"
"78 percent chance they will stop for air…"
Momoshiro let Kaidou go. "Ha!" he panted. "I win!"
Kaidou got up from his lying position. "Win what?"
Momoshiro stood up and pointed at Kaidou. "You!"
"B-Bastard!"
-end of chapter 10-
Author's Note: It's quite an abrupt ending but I like it. Sorry for the short chapter but… That's it peoples. I'm finally finished with my FIRST Prince of Tennis multi-chapter story. I kind of like it. Well, I thank you people who have supported this fic thus far! I thank everyone for taking the time to read and review this story! Thank you so much for the 5000 plus hits! Thank you!
Most of all, I thank Hikari Sango for beta-ing most of this story! She is the best even with all the real life stuff going around. And Ayumi Uchiha for beta-ing chapter 9 and revising it up a bit. Her creative writings are always so amusing.
Thank you so much everyone!