Prince of Tennis: Kikumaru Eiji - 012 - Orange
Title: Visiting Daisuke
Fandom: Prince of Tennis: Kikumaru Eiji
Characters: Eiji, Yuushi, Daisuke, Keiko
Prompt: 012 - Orange
Word Count: 1794
Date finished: 12/20/2006
Rating: G
Continuity: 097/100
Summary: Eiji goes on a business trip, and visits an old friend.
Author's Notes: I felt they needed to see each other again.
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Konomi Takeshi, and whoever did the anime. At any rate, it's not me.
Eiji checked through his suitcase one more time, sticking in a second toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. He kept losing his when he traveled, and he wasn't sure why.
Then he zipped it shut and carried it down toward the front door.
"When do you leave?" Yuushi called as Eiji set his suitcase down.
"Atobe's car is picking me up at 5:00 tomorrow morning," Eiji responded, following his boyfriend's voice into the kitchen.
"How long will you be gone this time?" Yuushi asked, looking up from his cup of tea.
"Not very long, I don't think, maybe three days? I'm sorry; he wouldn't be clearer."
Yuushi chuckled. "As if I'm not used to that," he teased gently, and Eiji smiled.
"True."
"What are you going to do there, when you aren't doing Atobe's bidding?" Yuushi asked with a teasing glint in his eyes.
Eiji hesitated. "I have an old school friend I need to look up," he said quietly. "I think I told you about him. Kato Daisuke?"
Yuushi nodded. "Yes, you did. I'm glad you are, though. He needs to know you're okay."
"My thoughts exactly."
But his mind wasn't on the conversation any more; he bent down, sliding one hand down Yuushi's chest. "Come to bed?" he whispered in Yuushi's ear.
"I've been waiting for you to ask," the taller man said, turned his head, and kissed him.
4:30 came early the next morning, but Eiji managed to pull himself from Yuushi's sleeping embrace in time to shower and get dressed. Yuushi met him at the door just as the driver honked, and gave him a kiss good bye. "See you when you get back."
The sunrise was an amazing orange as they flew into it, the color spreading along the horizon until it seemed that the land in front of them was in flames. Instead of sleeping, Eiji watched it fade to a normal, blue day, and sighed softly. It would be good to see Daisuke.
It wasn't until his last night in Kyoto that he found the time to actually go to the address he'd been given; standing at the front door, he took a deep breath to steady his nerves, and knocked.
A small, trim woman opened the door, looking up at him suspiciously. "Can I help you?"
"My name is Kikumaru Eiji; I'm looking for Kato Daisuke. Is this his residence?"
Her suspicion deepened. "I'm his wife. What is your business with him?"
Eiji swallowed. "We were friends in school; I'm here on business and wanted to look him up, to see how he was doing." His wife? It was all he could do to keep from staring at her.
She hesitated, then nodded and let him in. "He should be home soon," she said, almost resentfully. "Would you care for some tea?"
"Yes, thank you."
And while she was gone, making it for him, he realized something. What she must think he was doing there....
"How well did you know Daisuke?" she asked when she'd served his tea and sat gingerly across from him, her own cup in her hand.
He hesitated, not sure how to answer that. "We were study partners," he said finally. "Sometimes we talked, but he didn't tell me he was studying to take over the family business until I started applying for graduate school."
He could feel her distrust from clear across the room. "I see," she said. "How did you meet?"
Obviously she knew something of what her husband had been like in college, although this deep suspicion seemed more of him and his motives than of Daisuke. "We were in an ethics class together." He wasn't sure how much more to say.
Her lips twisted with irony. "I see."
"I'm home!"
The shout interrupted the silence between them before it got really uncomfortable. The woman - she'd never given Eiji her name - stood, bowed, and disappeared toward the door. Eiji set his tea cup down and stood, a little nervous. He could hear the two of them speaking, but not what they said. Finally, his friend - older but still recognizable - entered the room, nearly as suspicious as his wife was. "Can I help you?"
Eiji smiled, and the recognition flared in his old friend's eyes. "Eiji! I can't believe it!"
Behind him, his wife looked utterly shocked. Daisuke turned to her. "Keiko, may I introduce to you my friend from University," he said, gesturing her forward. "This is Kikumaru Eiji, an old friend of mine. Eiji, my wife, Kato Keiko."
Eiji bowed. "I am honored," he said simply.
She looked as if she wasn't sure how to respond to him, but eventually, courtesy took over. "You are welcome in our home," she stuttered.
"I'm very sorry this is such short notice," Eiji said. "I don't want to make things difficult. Do you two... have plans for the evening?"
The two glanced at each other. "No," Keiko said.
"May I take you to dinner?" he asked. "I don't want to impose, but I am going home again in the morning...."
Daisuke nodded. "That would be wonderful," he said, and Keiko smiled, still a little suspicious. Daisuke turned to her. "Would you like to freshen up?" he asked.
She nodded, cast one last look at Eiji, and then bowed and excused herself.
Daisuke gestured for Eiji to sit back down, and sank down across from him. "So," he said in a soft voice. "You look a lot better."
Eiji smiled. "It's been a long road, but I am better," he said. "You look good. I was... surprised to find you had a wife."
Daisuke grinned. "I'm sure," he said. "I knew her in high school. She knew all of my short-comings, and... it just worked out better."
"She was not certain how to take me," Eiji said.
"No. Some of my... dates from University have shown up. She has a file on them," he chuckled, "so she knows who to turn away if they come back again. I think she'll like you."
"Because I won't try to take you away?" Eiji guessed.
"Exactly. You look happy."
"I am. Very."
To Daisuke's obvious surprise, his wife appeared then. "Would you like to take your turn?" she asked him. He nodded, and vanished into the back part of the house. Then she turned to Eiji and sat down, much more composed. "You said you were here on business; where do you live?"
"Tokyo," Eiji said. "I grew up there. It's good to be back, too."
"I'm sure."
"Daisuke said you were from Kyoto?"
She nodded. "I love it here. I left to go to school, but couldn't wait to get back, I got so homesick!"
"I understand," he told her. "I have felt that, too."
It wasn't until dessert that she looked at both of them with serious eyes. "I'd like to know how you two met," she said in a soft voice.
Daisuke smiled. "I asked him out on a date."
Eiji shook his head. "It was a disaster," he said at her curious look. "I... fell apart. My last relationship had been...." He paused, searching for the word.
"Abusive," Daisuke said flatly, and Eiji flushed.
"Yes. I wasn't ready for another one."
Keiko tilted her head. "I see," was all she said, though. "And you two never dated again?"
Eiji shook his head. "No. But your husband was... instrumental in helping me keep from becoming a complete introvert. I didn't make any close friends in Sapporo," he added, looking at Daisuke.
His friend shook his head. "So stupid," he muttered. "And now?"
"I'm in a healthy relationship," Eiji said quietly, and could feel a soft smile come over his face. "He is... very good to me."
"What's his name?" Daisuke asked.
"Oshitari Yuushi," Eiji said.
Keiko set her cup down a little hard. "Oshitari... the doubles player?"
Eiji smiled. "Yes. You know of him?"
She nearly swooned. "Oh, yes. I was so sad when he had to retire," she said a little breathlessly. Daisuke laughed.
"She was. It was the most depressing thing that happened that year."
Eiji nodded. "They both took it hard."
Keiko picked up her tea again. "How did you meet him?"
"Yuushi? Oh... we were opponents in Junior High. His partner and I were sometime rivals," he added at her dubious look. "Mukahi didn't like the way I played."
"You were better than he was?"
"No, just different, but he really didn't like my style." He shrugged. "It wasn't as flashy as his. We did beat them in the district preliminaries, though," he added, "so at least then I was something of a better player."
"Now?"
Eiji shook his head. "I didn't play for fifteen years, and he no longer can, so who knows? I've never been a match for Yuushi, though," he added with a smile. "I was just a relatively good player. He was called tensai."
He could nearly see the hearts in her eyes and had to fight to keep from smiling wider. "Really?"
"He was the only one we ever went up against who could actually counter a smash. I had a teammate who could, too." He managed to say it without flinching.
There was a curious look in Daisuke's eyes, but the topic moved on. Keiko seemed to be much more relaxed around Eiji, and fixed him with sharp dark eyes when her husband excused himself for a moment. "You really came just to see how he was," she said.
Eiji smiled. "And to let him know that I am all right, as well," he said. "I didn't know you'd feel threatened, or I would have gone about this a different way. I am sorry."
"I'm glad you are not here to try to revive an old... relationship," she admitted. "I know what Daisuke was like at University, and I trust him to be faithful to me, now. But it gets hard, to see these people come and try...." She colored slightly.
"I understand," he said softly. "You are an amazing woman. I'm glad he found you."
She blushed, lowering her head demurely. "Thank you."
The rest of the evening was comfortable. After dinner, they invited him back to their home for tea, and it was very late when Eiji returned to the hotel, with an invitation to let them know when he was in Kyoto again.
"How was your trip?" Yuushi asked softly. Eiji hadn't gotten more than three steps in the doorway when Yuushi had met him, and they hadn't yet moved from that spot.
"It was good. They're fans of yours; you'll have to come with me next time."
"I'd like that," Yuushi said.
"So would I," Eiji said, but he barely got that out before Yuushi kissed him.
My Table
Fandom: Prince of Tennis: Kikumaru Eiji
Characters: Eiji, Yuushi, Daisuke, Keiko
Prompt: 012 - Orange
Word Count: 1794
Date finished: 12/20/2006
Rating: G
Continuity: 097/100
Summary: Eiji goes on a business trip, and visits an old friend.
Author's Notes: I felt they needed to see each other again.
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Konomi Takeshi, and whoever did the anime. At any rate, it's not me.
Eiji checked through his suitcase one more time, sticking in a second toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. He kept losing his when he traveled, and he wasn't sure why.
Then he zipped it shut and carried it down toward the front door.
"When do you leave?" Yuushi called as Eiji set his suitcase down.
"Atobe's car is picking me up at 5:00 tomorrow morning," Eiji responded, following his boyfriend's voice into the kitchen.
"How long will you be gone this time?" Yuushi asked, looking up from his cup of tea.
"Not very long, I don't think, maybe three days? I'm sorry; he wouldn't be clearer."
Yuushi chuckled. "As if I'm not used to that," he teased gently, and Eiji smiled.
"True."
"What are you going to do there, when you aren't doing Atobe's bidding?" Yuushi asked with a teasing glint in his eyes.
Eiji hesitated. "I have an old school friend I need to look up," he said quietly. "I think I told you about him. Kato Daisuke?"
Yuushi nodded. "Yes, you did. I'm glad you are, though. He needs to know you're okay."
"My thoughts exactly."
But his mind wasn't on the conversation any more; he bent down, sliding one hand down Yuushi's chest. "Come to bed?" he whispered in Yuushi's ear.
"I've been waiting for you to ask," the taller man said, turned his head, and kissed him.
4:30 came early the next morning, but Eiji managed to pull himself from Yuushi's sleeping embrace in time to shower and get dressed. Yuushi met him at the door just as the driver honked, and gave him a kiss good bye. "See you when you get back."
The sunrise was an amazing orange as they flew into it, the color spreading along the horizon until it seemed that the land in front of them was in flames. Instead of sleeping, Eiji watched it fade to a normal, blue day, and sighed softly. It would be good to see Daisuke.
It wasn't until his last night in Kyoto that he found the time to actually go to the address he'd been given; standing at the front door, he took a deep breath to steady his nerves, and knocked.
A small, trim woman opened the door, looking up at him suspiciously. "Can I help you?"
"My name is Kikumaru Eiji; I'm looking for Kato Daisuke. Is this his residence?"
Her suspicion deepened. "I'm his wife. What is your business with him?"
Eiji swallowed. "We were friends in school; I'm here on business and wanted to look him up, to see how he was doing." His wife? It was all he could do to keep from staring at her.
She hesitated, then nodded and let him in. "He should be home soon," she said, almost resentfully. "Would you care for some tea?"
"Yes, thank you."
And while she was gone, making it for him, he realized something. What she must think he was doing there....
"How well did you know Daisuke?" she asked when she'd served his tea and sat gingerly across from him, her own cup in her hand.
He hesitated, not sure how to answer that. "We were study partners," he said finally. "Sometimes we talked, but he didn't tell me he was studying to take over the family business until I started applying for graduate school."
He could feel her distrust from clear across the room. "I see," she said. "How did you meet?"
Obviously she knew something of what her husband had been like in college, although this deep suspicion seemed more of him and his motives than of Daisuke. "We were in an ethics class together." He wasn't sure how much more to say.
Her lips twisted with irony. "I see."
"I'm home!"
The shout interrupted the silence between them before it got really uncomfortable. The woman - she'd never given Eiji her name - stood, bowed, and disappeared toward the door. Eiji set his tea cup down and stood, a little nervous. He could hear the two of them speaking, but not what they said. Finally, his friend - older but still recognizable - entered the room, nearly as suspicious as his wife was. "Can I help you?"
Eiji smiled, and the recognition flared in his old friend's eyes. "Eiji! I can't believe it!"
Behind him, his wife looked utterly shocked. Daisuke turned to her. "Keiko, may I introduce to you my friend from University," he said, gesturing her forward. "This is Kikumaru Eiji, an old friend of mine. Eiji, my wife, Kato Keiko."
Eiji bowed. "I am honored," he said simply.
She looked as if she wasn't sure how to respond to him, but eventually, courtesy took over. "You are welcome in our home," she stuttered.
"I'm very sorry this is such short notice," Eiji said. "I don't want to make things difficult. Do you two... have plans for the evening?"
The two glanced at each other. "No," Keiko said.
"May I take you to dinner?" he asked. "I don't want to impose, but I am going home again in the morning...."
Daisuke nodded. "That would be wonderful," he said, and Keiko smiled, still a little suspicious. Daisuke turned to her. "Would you like to freshen up?" he asked.
She nodded, cast one last look at Eiji, and then bowed and excused herself.
Daisuke gestured for Eiji to sit back down, and sank down across from him. "So," he said in a soft voice. "You look a lot better."
Eiji smiled. "It's been a long road, but I am better," he said. "You look good. I was... surprised to find you had a wife."
Daisuke grinned. "I'm sure," he said. "I knew her in high school. She knew all of my short-comings, and... it just worked out better."
"She was not certain how to take me," Eiji said.
"No. Some of my... dates from University have shown up. She has a file on them," he chuckled, "so she knows who to turn away if they come back again. I think she'll like you."
"Because I won't try to take you away?" Eiji guessed.
"Exactly. You look happy."
"I am. Very."
To Daisuke's obvious surprise, his wife appeared then. "Would you like to take your turn?" she asked him. He nodded, and vanished into the back part of the house. Then she turned to Eiji and sat down, much more composed. "You said you were here on business; where do you live?"
"Tokyo," Eiji said. "I grew up there. It's good to be back, too."
"I'm sure."
"Daisuke said you were from Kyoto?"
She nodded. "I love it here. I left to go to school, but couldn't wait to get back, I got so homesick!"
"I understand," he told her. "I have felt that, too."
It wasn't until dessert that she looked at both of them with serious eyes. "I'd like to know how you two met," she said in a soft voice.
Daisuke smiled. "I asked him out on a date."
Eiji shook his head. "It was a disaster," he said at her curious look. "I... fell apart. My last relationship had been...." He paused, searching for the word.
"Abusive," Daisuke said flatly, and Eiji flushed.
"Yes. I wasn't ready for another one."
Keiko tilted her head. "I see," was all she said, though. "And you two never dated again?"
Eiji shook his head. "No. But your husband was... instrumental in helping me keep from becoming a complete introvert. I didn't make any close friends in Sapporo," he added, looking at Daisuke.
His friend shook his head. "So stupid," he muttered. "And now?"
"I'm in a healthy relationship," Eiji said quietly, and could feel a soft smile come over his face. "He is... very good to me."
"What's his name?" Daisuke asked.
"Oshitari Yuushi," Eiji said.
Keiko set her cup down a little hard. "Oshitari... the doubles player?"
Eiji smiled. "Yes. You know of him?"
She nearly swooned. "Oh, yes. I was so sad when he had to retire," she said a little breathlessly. Daisuke laughed.
"She was. It was the most depressing thing that happened that year."
Eiji nodded. "They both took it hard."
Keiko picked up her tea again. "How did you meet him?"
"Yuushi? Oh... we were opponents in Junior High. His partner and I were sometime rivals," he added at her dubious look. "Mukahi didn't like the way I played."
"You were better than he was?"
"No, just different, but he really didn't like my style." He shrugged. "It wasn't as flashy as his. We did beat them in the district preliminaries, though," he added, "so at least then I was something of a better player."
"Now?"
Eiji shook his head. "I didn't play for fifteen years, and he no longer can, so who knows? I've never been a match for Yuushi, though," he added with a smile. "I was just a relatively good player. He was called tensai."
He could nearly see the hearts in her eyes and had to fight to keep from smiling wider. "Really?"
"He was the only one we ever went up against who could actually counter a smash. I had a teammate who could, too." He managed to say it without flinching.
There was a curious look in Daisuke's eyes, but the topic moved on. Keiko seemed to be much more relaxed around Eiji, and fixed him with sharp dark eyes when her husband excused himself for a moment. "You really came just to see how he was," she said.
Eiji smiled. "And to let him know that I am all right, as well," he said. "I didn't know you'd feel threatened, or I would have gone about this a different way. I am sorry."
"I'm glad you are not here to try to revive an old... relationship," she admitted. "I know what Daisuke was like at University, and I trust him to be faithful to me, now. But it gets hard, to see these people come and try...." She colored slightly.
"I understand," he said softly. "You are an amazing woman. I'm glad he found you."
She blushed, lowering her head demurely. "Thank you."
The rest of the evening was comfortable. After dinner, they invited him back to their home for tea, and it was very late when Eiji returned to the hotel, with an invitation to let them know when he was in Kyoto again.
"How was your trip?" Yuushi asked softly. Eiji hadn't gotten more than three steps in the doorway when Yuushi had met him, and they hadn't yet moved from that spot.
"It was good. They're fans of yours; you'll have to come with me next time."
"I'd like that," Yuushi said.
"So would I," Eiji said, but he barely got that out before Yuushi kissed him.
My Table