The Night Before the Morning After [Prince of Tennis, Tezuka/Fuji]
A continuation of this ficlet inspired by an image from picfor1000. This time it's the night before the morning after, but NO it's not even that part. 1152 words.
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They trail into Tezuka's room one after the other when the sight-seeing is over, even though it gets cramped beyond belief; Eiji drags Fuji to sit on Tezuka's bed, which Tezuka is also sitting on, while Inui, Kawamura and the younger Regulars each find a spot on the floor. Oishi sits in Tezuka's desk chair and looks in awe at his collection of books gathered in such a short time.
"Take a look," Tezuka offers feebly, not realising what he giving to some of them; Kawamura, between school, practice, and helping his father at the restaurant, has never had the chance to read a tennis magazine in free time. Kaidoh is too embarassed to walk into a library, completely convinced Inui lives there and will pounce on him with another training menu even more intense than they are now. He has nightmares about it sometimes, collapsing on the floor and letting the whole team down.
Eiji jumps up and hovers over Oishi's shoulder, exclaiming and pointing at the page every so often. Momo does vaguely the same thing, but it is he with a magazine in his hands pointing things out to Echizen by shoving said magazine into the boy's face. Another difference is that while Oishi is browsing stories about famous tennis players, Momo seems intent on reading what Tezuka has been writing for the magazine.
"Tezuka," Inui says, holding up a video, "You have the tape of the Rikkaidai matches I sent you. We never did discuss it fully."
"No." Tezuka agrees. Inui takes this as an invitation to put the video on. When he presses play, everyone pauses what they are doing to watch. Inui is the main narrator of the matches when he needs to be, turning every now and then to gauge Tezuka's agreement, or to corroborate a fact or opinion with Fuji. When his own match comes on, Inui displays a look somewhere between pain and pride. He lets the others talk about what they felt watching that one.
When Singles Two comes on, Fuji screws up his face.
"I don't like to watch myself play." He says softly enough that not many people hear. Tezuka pushes a thick white folder into his hands, reaching for it from the windowsill just beside his headboard. It reads 'Training Menu and Schedule' on the front. Fuji dares not meet Tezuka's eyes at this point; in a room full of their teammates with a look that would say far too much. The revelation of his weakness; a part of himself in trade for a match in which Fuji was serious to some extent.
Fuji lays belly-down on the bed, facing away from the television, and from the audience on the floor. His fingers trace the diagrams on the pages, learns far too much in too short a time in the way of technical names for what exactly Tezuka has done to himself. For the first time since landing in Germany he finally feels he has delved into a foreign land with it's own language he can't quite follow. Fuji dips his head lower and vows to read through the entire folder until he understands. He misses his own match completely, and Echizen's too.
"It's getting late," Kawamura stammers when the video switches off and they all start to think to do things like check their watches and stretch their legs. "I'd better call my family; I promised."
"You are aware of the time difference?" Tezuka asks politely. Kawamura nods.
"It's the morning; my family are awake by now." He reassures. "My dad has to be up early to buy the fish, and my mother never lets us sleep in while dad is awake and working."
"Ah, I should phone home too." Oishi nods. "My mother said it didn't matter what time I called, she will be up. Can't say I won't wake the rest of the family, though. But I think that's kind of what she wants." His mouth is twisted in reluctance to accept his mother's wickedness. Eiji solves his issue by insisting he will go along with Oishi and phone his family after he is done.
"There are phones just at the end of the hall." Tezuka says. They nod their thanks and leave the room.
"I need to take a run." Kaidoh murmurs, blushing a little as though he is afraid he will be seen as lax for leaving it so late to complete his exercise for the day. He does not stop to think everyone will understand; have put off their own routines for the sake of getting to see Tezuka. And Momo, the only person who would have bothered to ridicule him, is too busy staring out of the window where he can just make out tennis courts.
"There are people playing even at this time of night?" He asks. "Yo, Echizen! Let's go watch!"
He grabs Echizen by the collar and they head out of the room on the heels of Kaidoh, though he does not notice it. The remaining three are given no chance to make a reply.
They are down to Inui, Tezuka and Fuji, and Inui is painfully aware that Tezuka is too polite to push them out of his room in order to get some sleep. He suspects Tezuka's day begins early here, just as at home.
"I'd better head back to our room." He says pointedly, standing up. The team has been divided into two rooms of four; Momo, Kaidoh, Echizen and Eiji in one, Oishi, Inui, Fuji and Kawamura in the other.
"See you later, Inui," Fuji says with a smile, closing the folder he had finished reading a while ago. His tone suggests he won't see Inui later at all.
Inui just nods bland acceptance and heads out of the door, pretending that he doesn't see Fuji roll over onto his back, that he doesn't see Tezuka sliding further up the bed to sit beside him. He shuts the door firmly behind him, doesn't see anything.
Fuji looks at Tezuka, looking at him. The first time all day they have had to be alone together, and Fuji can't think of the right words for the situation. I missed you seems too obvious, I love you? Too cliche, and not something he wants coming out of his mouth anytime soon. If Tezuka doesn't know it from his actions, then it's too late for it to be believed anyway.
"I think we should have sex." Is what he says instead, and is too surprised even to blink at his own words. He watches as Tezuka's mouth curves into a smile, and you would think for a expression that does not happen often it would be a rusty, awkward movement, but Tezuka's smiles always look like they belong.
"Me too." He says quietly, leaning down to press a kiss to Fuji's lips, and as always, Fuji knows he's been understood.
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They trail into Tezuka's room one after the other when the sight-seeing is over, even though it gets cramped beyond belief; Eiji drags Fuji to sit on Tezuka's bed, which Tezuka is also sitting on, while Inui, Kawamura and the younger Regulars each find a spot on the floor. Oishi sits in Tezuka's desk chair and looks in awe at his collection of books gathered in such a short time.
"Take a look," Tezuka offers feebly, not realising what he giving to some of them; Kawamura, between school, practice, and helping his father at the restaurant, has never had the chance to read a tennis magazine in free time. Kaidoh is too embarassed to walk into a library, completely convinced Inui lives there and will pounce on him with another training menu even more intense than they are now. He has nightmares about it sometimes, collapsing on the floor and letting the whole team down.
Eiji jumps up and hovers over Oishi's shoulder, exclaiming and pointing at the page every so often. Momo does vaguely the same thing, but it is he with a magazine in his hands pointing things out to Echizen by shoving said magazine into the boy's face. Another difference is that while Oishi is browsing stories about famous tennis players, Momo seems intent on reading what Tezuka has been writing for the magazine.
"Tezuka," Inui says, holding up a video, "You have the tape of the Rikkaidai matches I sent you. We never did discuss it fully."
"No." Tezuka agrees. Inui takes this as an invitation to put the video on. When he presses play, everyone pauses what they are doing to watch. Inui is the main narrator of the matches when he needs to be, turning every now and then to gauge Tezuka's agreement, or to corroborate a fact or opinion with Fuji. When his own match comes on, Inui displays a look somewhere between pain and pride. He lets the others talk about what they felt watching that one.
When Singles Two comes on, Fuji screws up his face.
"I don't like to watch myself play." He says softly enough that not many people hear. Tezuka pushes a thick white folder into his hands, reaching for it from the windowsill just beside his headboard. It reads 'Training Menu and Schedule' on the front. Fuji dares not meet Tezuka's eyes at this point; in a room full of their teammates with a look that would say far too much. The revelation of his weakness; a part of himself in trade for a match in which Fuji was serious to some extent.
Fuji lays belly-down on the bed, facing away from the television, and from the audience on the floor. His fingers trace the diagrams on the pages, learns far too much in too short a time in the way of technical names for what exactly Tezuka has done to himself. For the first time since landing in Germany he finally feels he has delved into a foreign land with it's own language he can't quite follow. Fuji dips his head lower and vows to read through the entire folder until he understands. He misses his own match completely, and Echizen's too.
"It's getting late," Kawamura stammers when the video switches off and they all start to think to do things like check their watches and stretch their legs. "I'd better call my family; I promised."
"You are aware of the time difference?" Tezuka asks politely. Kawamura nods.
"It's the morning; my family are awake by now." He reassures. "My dad has to be up early to buy the fish, and my mother never lets us sleep in while dad is awake and working."
"Ah, I should phone home too." Oishi nods. "My mother said it didn't matter what time I called, she will be up. Can't say I won't wake the rest of the family, though. But I think that's kind of what she wants." His mouth is twisted in reluctance to accept his mother's wickedness. Eiji solves his issue by insisting he will go along with Oishi and phone his family after he is done.
"There are phones just at the end of the hall." Tezuka says. They nod their thanks and leave the room.
"I need to take a run." Kaidoh murmurs, blushing a little as though he is afraid he will be seen as lax for leaving it so late to complete his exercise for the day. He does not stop to think everyone will understand; have put off their own routines for the sake of getting to see Tezuka. And Momo, the only person who would have bothered to ridicule him, is too busy staring out of the window where he can just make out tennis courts.
"There are people playing even at this time of night?" He asks. "Yo, Echizen! Let's go watch!"
He grabs Echizen by the collar and they head out of the room on the heels of Kaidoh, though he does not notice it. The remaining three are given no chance to make a reply.
They are down to Inui, Tezuka and Fuji, and Inui is painfully aware that Tezuka is too polite to push them out of his room in order to get some sleep. He suspects Tezuka's day begins early here, just as at home.
"I'd better head back to our room." He says pointedly, standing up. The team has been divided into two rooms of four; Momo, Kaidoh, Echizen and Eiji in one, Oishi, Inui, Fuji and Kawamura in the other.
"See you later, Inui," Fuji says with a smile, closing the folder he had finished reading a while ago. His tone suggests he won't see Inui later at all.
Inui just nods bland acceptance and heads out of the door, pretending that he doesn't see Fuji roll over onto his back, that he doesn't see Tezuka sliding further up the bed to sit beside him. He shuts the door firmly behind him, doesn't see anything.
Fuji looks at Tezuka, looking at him. The first time all day they have had to be alone together, and Fuji can't think of the right words for the situation. I missed you seems too obvious, I love you? Too cliche, and not something he wants coming out of his mouth anytime soon. If Tezuka doesn't know it from his actions, then it's too late for it to be believed anyway.
"I think we should have sex." Is what he says instead, and is too surprised even to blink at his own words. He watches as Tezuka's mouth curves into a smile, and you would think for a expression that does not happen often it would be a rusty, awkward movement, but Tezuka's smiles always look like they belong.
"Me too." He says quietly, leaning down to press a kiss to Fuji's lips, and as always, Fuji knows he's been understood.
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