untitled, Prince of Tennis (drabble, finished 02/05/06)
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Rikkai Team
Challenge: (During the remainder challenge) - Challenge Eight; Starting line/ending line for fic: In any other place, at any other time, it might have been considered the right decision.
Notes: What could have been. About 340 words.
---
In any other place, at any other time, it might have been considered the right decision. But this was now, and this was his team, and they were all looking at him with expressions that were equal parts shock and hurt. Even Renji, whom he had counted on to at least remain unemotional, was looking at him with wide eyes, betrayal lurking beneath the shock and hurt.
Yukimura didn't dare look Sanada in the eye.
"I'm quitting tennis," he said, his voice low, but carrying over the teenagers gathered in the locker room. "The surgery -"
His words were cut off by a sob, by a door being yanked opened and allowed to slam shut, and Yukimura didn't even attempt to continue.
"Kirihara needs someone to walk him home," Niou said, picking up his bag, and Kirihara's, and walking out of the locker room without waiting for a comment, taking a position that was normally Jackal's. But right now, he needed to be away from the tableau playing out in front of his eyes, and Kirihara needed someone.
"Good-bye, Yukimura," Yagyuu said, nodding politely to the teenage boy who had once ruled their lives with his charming smile and who they could no longer claim as theirs. He followed Niou out of the locker room, although he did not attempt to follow his doubles partner. He'd let Kirihara cry on Niou's shoulder before finding them.
Marui and Jackal were the next to leave, shock still in their eyes, Marui's shimmering brightly with hurt, polite good-byes said and pain pushed beneath the iron resolve that marked each of the Rikkaidai's tennis club team members.
The trio was left. And Yukimura thought, once again, that in any other time, in any other place, it might have been the right decision: but when faced with the betrayal that burned brightly in both Yanagi and Sanada's eyes, it was hard to think that this was right. There was no turning back, however, not for Yukimura Seiichi.
He made no apologies.
---
Characters: Rikkai Team
Challenge: (During the remainder challenge) - Challenge Eight; Starting line/ending line for fic: In any other place, at any other time, it might have been considered the right decision.
Notes: What could have been. About 340 words.
---
In any other place, at any other time, it might have been considered the right decision. But this was now, and this was his team, and they were all looking at him with expressions that were equal parts shock and hurt. Even Renji, whom he had counted on to at least remain unemotional, was looking at him with wide eyes, betrayal lurking beneath the shock and hurt.
Yukimura didn't dare look Sanada in the eye.
"I'm quitting tennis," he said, his voice low, but carrying over the teenagers gathered in the locker room. "The surgery -"
His words were cut off by a sob, by a door being yanked opened and allowed to slam shut, and Yukimura didn't even attempt to continue.
"Kirihara needs someone to walk him home," Niou said, picking up his bag, and Kirihara's, and walking out of the locker room without waiting for a comment, taking a position that was normally Jackal's. But right now, he needed to be away from the tableau playing out in front of his eyes, and Kirihara needed someone.
"Good-bye, Yukimura," Yagyuu said, nodding politely to the teenage boy who had once ruled their lives with his charming smile and who they could no longer claim as theirs. He followed Niou out of the locker room, although he did not attempt to follow his doubles partner. He'd let Kirihara cry on Niou's shoulder before finding them.
Marui and Jackal were the next to leave, shock still in their eyes, Marui's shimmering brightly with hurt, polite good-byes said and pain pushed beneath the iron resolve that marked each of the Rikkaidai's tennis club team members.
The trio was left. And Yukimura thought, once again, that in any other time, in any other place, it might have been the right decision: but when faced with the betrayal that burned brightly in both Yanagi and Sanada's eyes, it was hard to think that this was right. There was no turning back, however, not for Yukimura Seiichi.
He made no apologies.
---