Title: What your eyes saying
Author: a1y-puff
Genre: General/romance… maybe…
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.
Beta-ed by: Lizzie (
fantasize.dream )
A/N:: Last chapter! Yay! Now, this was the hardest chapter to write… I tried as hard as I can to keep them in character, but I apologized if there is still some OOC-ness in this fic >.<
Oh, and I know this story is a little out of season, since I think most of you have winter these days, and in Japan, it should be winter by now, but I write something about the beach. Actually, we don’t have winter in my country. We only have rainy season and dry season, and I totally forgot to calculate the timeline. Let’s say this fic took place around summer?
Anyway, I’m sorry if I shifted perspective often, but I thought I need to explain from both sides, so… yeah, that’s how it is…
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-CHAPTER 3-
“So, the unspoken agreement is including the room arrangement too, huh,” Fuji mumbled, as he dropped his bag on the floor.
Tezuka gave him a questioning look, wondering what the tensai was talking about.
“It’s nothing,” Fuji smiled. Tezuka did not ask anymore either.
Tezuka then returned to his prior task: fixing his belongings. As Tezuka neatly placed his clothes, racquets and other necessities, Fuji eyed him. Well, it wasn’t like he did it on purpose. He was thinking, yet his eyes unconsciously traced every movement of Tezuka.
Tezuka felt something warm on his back. A sign that he was being watched. He looked over his shoulder to find Fuji watching him.
No, it wasn’t the kind of observing look he would often feel from Inui. Nor it was the sadistic look Fuji would sometimes give him when he did something Fuji wouldn’t like.
This one was different, Tezuka noticed.
And he had noticed that lately, Fuji would stare at him, seemingly lost in his own thought that the tensai wouldn’t realize soon enough that Tezuka noticed him. But Tezuka never asked Fuji what those stares meant. It seemed that the tensai wasn’t ready for any explanation he’d like to hear. And he’d rather not take the risk of embarrassing or upsetting Fuji (which he would have to pay a certain price for later).
Tezuka was a second too late to divert his gaze away from Fuji, and Fuji was suddenly alerted that he had been staring at Tezuka, and worse, Tezuka noticed. Fuji immediately put on his “mask” and smiled at Tezuka, effectively hiding his emotions. The smile was telling Tezuka that it was nothing. That Tezuka MUST think that it was nothing at all, and that he shouldn’t ask anything.
Tezuka sighed and turned to put his bag on the cupboard, while Fuji started to fix his things to divert his attention from Tezuka.
After fixing their belongings, Tezuka walked out of the room, followed by Fuji. Well, this was a training camp, after all, and it was time for training now.
“Yosh, everyone, assemble!” Oishi announced as soon as he saw Tezuka coming.
Soon, the Seigaku regulars were gathered in the living room of the villa. Echizen was yawning, Kaidoh looked fresh after his nap, Inui was ready with his notebook, Kikumaru was being bouncy as ever with Kawamura smiling next to him, and Momoshiro never dared to look at Fuji in the eye.
“We’re going to the beach,” Tezuka announced, as expressionless as ever.
“Really? We’re gonna play? Yay! I can’t wait!” Kikumaru squealed.
“No, Eiji,” Fuji cut with a smile. “We’re running laps, am I right?” Fuji turned his head to face Tezuka.
“Ah.” Tezuka replied with a slight nod.
“Whaaat? That’s no fun!” Kikumaru wailed.
“Eiji, THIS is a training camp,” Oishi pat his doubles partner at the shoulder.
Kikumaru pouted a little, but soon he was being bouncy again. Running laps or whatever, they were still going to the beach, Kikumaru thought happily.
“Where is Ryuuzaki-sensei?” Tezuka asked Oishi.
“She should be here soon,” Oishi replied. And just when he finished his words, their coach stepped into the living room.
“Hora, start practicing now! This is a training camp!” the coach said.
And soon, the boys were jogging out of the villa, to the sandy beach.
-oOo-
Running on the sandy seaside, where they had water up to half of their shins was certainly heavier than running around the tennis court. But this would help the regulars strengthen, and most likely would make them run faster if they ran enough laps here. They didn’t mind much though, as they could sometimes splash water at each other.
“Horaaa! Don’t slow down! One last lap!” Ryuuzaki-sensei shouted from afar. She then took out a glass containing some blue liquid Inui gave her earlier and shouted, “The last one will have to drink this! You guys remember what this is, don’t you?”
The regulars looked at the glass their coach was holding. The liquid was blue… it was…
“The Aozu!!” Kikumaru shouted. Everyone shocked, even Fuji slightly shivered. Well, the last time he drank it, even he passed out.
Then, everybody quickened their pace. No one wanted to be the last. Fuji sped up and soon, he was running beside Tezuka, who was in the lead. Tezuka gave Fuji a glance when the tensai caught up to him.
For a while, they were running in silence, as how they should be. But soon, Tezuka could feel that he was being watched. He glanced at Fuji only to find the tensai was staring at him, again. And this was the stare that was uncannily similar to that one he gave Fuji every now and then. Now that he thought about it, this wasn’t the first time Fuji had given him the stare. He barely remembered who started it first, but Tezuka did realize that the two of them had been throwing each other the stare that he was sure was having the same meaning, for some time now.
Fuji soon realized that he had been watching Tezuka again. Upon that sudden revelation, his foot slipped and was about to fall down when Tezuka grabbed his arm.
Fuji looked up to Tezuka and smiled apologetically, while Tezuka looked at him, brows furrowed.
‘Be careful!’
As soon as Tezuka let go of Fuji’s arm, they started to sprint because the others were catching up. While sprinting with all his might, Fuji grumbled to himself inwardly.
‘I really am letting my guard down too much…’
-oOo-
That night, they finally had their free time. Most of them were gathered in front of the TV. Kikumaru and Oishi went to walk around just to see if there was any interesting place they could all go together tomorrow or the day after. Kaidoh was still trying to convince Inui not to make any dangerous concoction again since he (to his utter embarrassment) was the victim of today’s Aozu. Inui seemed to be considering Kaidoh’s opinion and promised that next time, he would make a milder concoction. However, the evil glint of his spectacles seemed to say otherwise. Kawamura was laughing together with Ryuuzaki-sensei, watching the stupid TV program. Echizen would sometimes steal a look at Fuji while whispering with Momoshiro. Fuji took it that Momoshiro had told Echizen that he knew their little secret and smiled at them, just to tease. And Tezuka… he was just sitting in the corner, silently reading a book.
Not long after intimidating his kouhais with a knowing smile, Fuji found himself bored. And tired. And sleepy. And… hell, he was staring at Tezuka again before he knew it. Lucky, this time he realized it soon enough before Tezuka noticed. He then felt like he needed something. Anything he could focus his attention on so he wouldn’t look at Tezuka again.
“Taka-san,” Fuji called as he walked closer to his friend. “What’s on TV? Is it funny?” he asked, as he settled himself beside Kawamura.
“Yes. It’s a comedy show. It’s a good laugh, you know,” Kawamura answered and smiled widely.
“Hmm…”
Soon, Fuji found himself laughing with Kawamura. Well, he didn’t really find the show funny, but at least he wouldn’t look at Tezuka now. Besides, even if he couldn’t laugh at the show, he could always laugh about Kawamura’s remarks in every scene.
Tezuka closed his book. He had finished reading it, finally. It had been a week since he bought the book, and he had been reading it every day. Tezuka was about to decide whether he would take another book from his room or just stay there quietly when he caught a glimpse of Fuji laughing with Kawamura.
Tezuka knew Fuji was always smiling, but laughing was a different thing. It may be just a little laugh, but that’s still a laugh. Tezuka wondered if the show was really funny, or if Fuji was laughing because of Kawamura. Tezuka preferred the former, somehow. And while he was wondering, he had his eyes fixed on Fuji. He knew that the tensai might realize that he was staring soon, but he didn’t care. He knew he had been caught while staring at the tensai numerous times now, but Fuji never said anything anyway.
Fuji suddenly felt something warm at his back. He was being watched. He turned his head to the right and found Inui was busy with Kaidoh, so it wasn’t him. He then turned his head to the left, and looked over his shoulder to find Tezuka staring at him. Their eyes met, and Fuji could feel the warmth again. And instead of diverting his eyes elsewhere upon being noticed by Fuji, Tezuka just keep staring at the tensai, right at the eyes now and made Fuji a little nervous.
Fuji stood up. It looked like he had to clear things out before he got more and more nervous and uncomfortable around Tezuka, especially since they would be sharing a room for one week. Well, he had some prediction of what Tezuka’s stare meant, but he had to make sure.
“Well, I think I’m going to sleep now,” Fuji smiled at Kawamura and nodded to Ryuuzaki-sensei.
“You sleep early?” Inui was suddenly ready to write on his notebook again. Well, the night was still young, and that Fuji was going to sleep already?
“I told you I was up until 3 in the morning today, ne? And that running was quite tiring, so I think I have to rest now. Otherwise, I would be drinking your Aozu or Inui juice, or Penal-tea tomorrow,” Fuji smiled.
“I thought you don’t hate my concoctions?” Inui asked, a bit disappointed.
“I don’t hate your concoctions-except the Aozu. I just happened to love it more to see others suffer from your concoctions.” Fuji smiled, eyes still closed.
“I… see,” Inui replied with a sweatdrop. He could feel a chilling aura around Fuji.
Before Fuji walked out of the living room, he passed Tezuka, and he smiled at the buchou, eyes slightly open. Tezuka noticed that Fuji wanted him to follow. Tezuka stood from his chair and follow Fuji, oblivious (or rather, decided not to give a damn care) to Inui who was writing something again upon seeing the captain following Fuji to their room.
-oOo-
“What do you want to talk about?” Tezuka asked bluntly, as soon as he locked their room. Well, it’s not that he was planning to do something that he wouldn’t like anyone to see. It was just the force of habit, really.
“Well, how should I put this…” Fuji smiled to hide his nervousness.
Tezuka sat down on his bed, arms crossed. He was waiting for Fuji to speak.
“You see, I want to ask you something…” Fuji started to speak.
“Ask me what?” Tezuka asked as he looked at Fuji in the eye.
Fuji took a deep breath, and continued, “Look, I know we’ve been able to interpret each other’s eyes for quite some time now, but… I need a confirmation on this one look you’ve been giving me lately, because it would be fatal if I misinterpreted it…”
Tezuka said nothing. He only kept staring at Fuji with the soft eyes he wouldn’t just give to anyone.
“That look you’re giving me right now,” Fuji continued. Eyes opened as a sign that he was being serious.
“What does it mean?” he finally managed to ask.
Tezuka looked at Fuji for a moment, before he sighed and stood up. “I’m a little surprised that you still have to ask, while you’ve been giving me the look yourself,” he said, as he closed the distance between them.
Fuji stiffened at the remark. Well, he did, been giving Tezuka a certain look that had a special meaning in it, but he was not sure that Tezuka’s stare had the same meaning.
“Though I’m relieved you finally asked instead of pretending that nothing’s happened whenever you caught me staring at you and giving me the ‘its-nothing-at-all’ kind of looks whenever I caught you staring at me.”
Fuji was silent for a moment, looking into the hazel eyes as if he was looking for something. And when he was sure he found it, he smiled and said, “Well,” Fuji fixed his eyes to Tezuka’s. “My stare says ‘I love you’.”
Tezuka moved even closer to Fuji, eyes still fixed on the cerulean orbs waiting for an answer. He then leaned down to plant a chaste kiss on Fuji’s lips. Fuji was surprised at first, but he responded, closing his eyes.
“So,” Fuji smiled as they broke the kiss. “May I take it that you love me too, then?” he asked, as he intertwined his fingers with Tezuka’s.
Tezuka stroked Fuji’s cheek with his free right hand. “Yes,” he answered before leaned down again for another kiss.
Now, Tezuka was glad he had locked the room.
-ooTHE ENDoo-
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A/N: Well, I was confused of how to end this story… so, yeah, like that… anyway, I made Tezuka said “Yes” rather than his usual “Aah” because “yes” sounds more affirmative XD
As for what will happen after that last scene, I’ll leave it to your imaginations XD
But personally, I don’t think they will do anything more than a kiss. I doubt they’ll even sleep in the same bed. I tried to keep in mind that they’re still middle-schooler and I want to keep them innocent *huggles Tezuka and Fuji* XD
I’m sorry if this wasn’t satisfying enough, but I still hope you can enjoy this story *smile*
Thank you so much for reading. And I’m so happy this story got most reviews I ever get, both in LJ and in ff.net. *hearts and bows to all the readers and reviewers*. And please review this chapter as well.
See you again in my other fics!