B-Day Fic
Late as always *sweatdrops*
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to
eliza_natsuko !!! Hope you had a lot of presents and cake and all the other wonderful things that ought to go together with birthdays ^_~ And now without further ado, onto the fic:
Title: "Please bring a companion."
Characters: TezuFuji (heavy on friendship), cameos by the rest of Seigaku, Atobe and Yukimura
Genre: Humour (slightly crackish), romance.
Rating: PG.
Wordcount: ~ 4800
Warnings: Cross-dressing
Summary: Tezuka receives an invitation to a dinner held by an organization that helps young, aspiring players out of the country and into the pro circuit. The only problem is that he needs to bring a date. The rest of Seigaku helps him.
Disclaimer: Not mine. (and that's probably good so).
“Please bring a companion.”
"It would be reasonable if Oishi was to accompany me." Tezuka said, breaking the silence that stifled the air in the small office Ryuuzaki-sensei called her own. Not even a breeze came in through the opened window to relax the atmosphere.
Nine pairs of eyes instinctively wandered back to a lone paper card resting on the table. The fancy golden and black lettering seemed more like an invitation to the inner circles of hell than to a gala event held for young and aspiring tennis players. Or at least, Tezuka felt so.
"I don't think that'll work, captain." Momoshirou slowly replied, fearful of being ordered an undisclosed number of laps. "The invitation explicitly states you're expected to bring a date."
After another moment of silence he dared to add: "Unless of course, you intend to bring Oishi as your date."
Tezuka's firm denial of having such intentions was almost lost among a number of badly suppressed snickers and even the corners of Ryuuzaki-sensei's mouth twitched suspiciously. Kikumaru Eiji fortunately joined Tezuka's side by declaring he and Oishi had already made plans for Thursday night anyways - and those were far better than a stiff party with influential people from the circuit.
Before he could be questioned on what could possibly be better than a ticket straight to the pro circuit, Ryuuzaki-sensei cut in. "So, what are you going to do, Tezuka?"
Seigaku's captain drew a deep breath, tried to keep any trace of regret from his face and answered: "I'll probably not attend."
"Nonsense!" She immediately replied. "You just need to ask some girl to go with you."
"That shouldn't be a problem." Inui added, leafing through his most faithful companion - the green notebook of too much information. "According to my knowledge, about 50% of the female population of this school have at one point developed a crush on Tezuka and furthermore about 70% have been known to..."
"You could ask Kurokawa-san." Oishi suggested, before Inui's data could dive into unknown depths that better remained undiscovered. "I think she'd understand."
Kawamura turned to Fuji. "Isn't Kurokawa-san the one who is together with Makoto-kun?"
"Makoto?" Kaidou asked, not having heard the name before.
"The captain of the rugby club." Inui helpfully offered. "And I have my doubts he'd understand."
Oishi paled and muttered an apology, before descending into contemplative silence. Momoshirou meanwhile commented that there most certainly were enough girls willing to spend an evening with Tezuka. Or boys, in case he wanted to draw some attention.
Tezuka started looking as if he'd just swallowed a pitcher of Inui's vilest concoction (or probably not, since Inui's vilest was known to leave no survivors) and Ryuuzaki-sensei appeared to have convulsions - to a degree that made Kawamura edge toward the door.
"You should probably ask somebody from the tennis club." Inui reasoned, and an unholy glow lit up in Eiji's eyes.
"Or." The red-head gleefully announced, stepping into the centre of the cramped space. "You could ask Fuji."
Silence dropped like the tennis ball from Kaidou's hand.
Tezuka's facial expression would have made a stone jealous in terms of non-expressiveness while Kawamura found Fuji had joined him in the proximity of the room's only exit. Eiji basked in the disbelieving and incredulous stares for half a minute, before he cheerfully continued.
"It's only logical. No girl will be disappointed, no false hopes given and no embarrassment suffered. It's the perfect solution."
"Eiji..." Fuji muttered, somewhere between horrified and exasperated, but Echizen chimed in. "Kikumaru-senpai. It's a good idea, but unless there's something I've not been told yet, Fuji-senpai is no girl. Or are you, senpai?"
The smile Fuji gave in return showed a row of impressively sharp teeth nobody remembered Fuji possessing. Eiji however was undaunted. "That's the least problem. All we need is a dress and some make-up and nobody will be able to tell the difference."
There was a certain, undeniable truth to Eiji's words that silenced all protests. Kawamura swallowed and tried his best to ignore Fuji's reaction. "Guys, you don't ..."
Momoshirou drew himself up, spoke a short, mental prayer to all deities in existence to survive the aftermath and said. "He's ... well, he's right. I mean, no offence, senpai, but ..."
"You fulfil most of the criteria necessary for confusion." Inui stated, shielding himself from Fuji's glare with his sacred notebook. "The length of your hair, the shape of your face, your height as well as your stature. And while you might lack certain parts of the female physiology there are other ..."
"Inui." Fuji hissed, but it was too late - Ryuuzaki-sensei was already clinging to her desk in order not to collapse in a fit of hysterical giggles, Kaidou was fighting a nosebleed and Kawamura's face had turned into a wonderful shade of red, resembling a ripe tomato. He did not even want to know why Oishi had turned to face the wall. Neither had he wanted to see that kind of a leery smirk on Echizen's face.
Most thankfully Tezuka's expression had not shifted, so Fuji turned to him. "Tezuka. Tell them it's a bad idea!"
Tezuka swallowed. While he knew it was a bad idea, he ...
Luckily Ryuuzaki-sensei chose that moment to gather herself. "I can understand why you don't feel too comfortable with the idea. But please try to see that this is a very important event and not to participate would probably affect Tezuka's chances to be accepted onto one of their scholarship programs negatively."
"Actually." Inui added and the light reflected of his glasses. "Unless Tezuka attends and leaves a positive impression his chances to be accepted will be close to zero."
Kawamura contemplated whether he should step away from the door and give Fuji a chance to escape.
"Do it for buchou, senpai!" Momoshirou cheered, grinning from ear to ear. Eiji joined in. "For Tezuka, Fujiko!"
Fuji swallowed. And finally dared to look at Tezuka, praying he'd find determined refusal written all over his face. There was no way in heaven or hell or any other dimension of religious quality that Seigaku's captain would partake in such an insane charade.
Tezuka meanwhile had created a complete miracle on his own. He had found a way for a stone to gain puppy eyes. In other words, the expression Fuji encountered was a quiet plea for his agreement.
And unless he wanted to attempt a dramatic exit via the window, Fuji had to admit he was beat.
+ + +
Thursday night came faster than Fuji wished.
Eiji had taken the liberty of informing Yumiko of the proceedings and much to Fuji's horror she enthusiastically helped the preparations along. Thus he spent most of the week trying to catch a cold (not the flu, preferably), break a leg or find another reason not to attend that would not result in permanent damage.
On Thursday morning in class (after Eiji had cheerfully remarked that today was the big day and, wasn't he excited? Which in turn had gotten the rumour mill going at a warp nine) he found himself counting his savings - would some 25,000yen suffice to buy a one way ticket out of country?
The world had no mercy - not that Fuji had expected it to - but the fact that Tezuka seemed completely unconcerned about their pseudo-date tonight left him rather frazzled. Not that parading several of Yumiko's dresses in the afternoon helped calm his nerves.
After a rather exhausting discussion they'd finally struck an agreement - a dress of decent length - Yumiko had seemed intent on making him wear something the size of a dish towel, and while he could dissuade her of that, he still ended up with a pink baby doll - a pair of far-too-high black high heels and unspeakable things done to his hair.
When at quarter to six the doorbell rang and Yumiko opened, Tezuka fell silent.
"Not a word." Fuji muttered, wishing he just could have worn a dark suit like Tezuka. "Not a word."
+ + +
Riding public transport made Fuji only more aware of how much his dress exposed. He'd never known just how many stares a short skirt was capable of drawing - and he'd sell his soul to never notice again. Tezuka failed to be much of a help - immersed at he was in his book on unusual rock formations.
Furthermore Tezuka failed to notice Fuji's attempt at glaring his head of. Thankfully most of the other passengers noticed and thus gave them a wide berth. What Fuji however was not aware of was the fact that Tezuka had troubles concentrating on his book. Due to a pair of pale legs beside him.
It wasn't as if he hadn't seen Fuji's legs before. The shorts of their uniform were on the short side after all. But the combination of high heels and a dress made his head spin - much to his own chagrin. He could tell this was bothering Fuji, but to be honest, he found his friend's outfit quite convincing.
For the moment he deemed it best not to comment on anything, lest his tongue slipped. Fuji would have his head that he knew for sure.
Night had fallen when they arrived at the venue and Fuji found himself unconsciously inching closer to Tezuka as they walked uphill towards a large, colonial style mansion. They caught sight of many couples, their identities shrouded by darkness.
With each step closer Fuji felt a little aware of the fact that this was not a small party with friends where his sister had dressed him in her clothes on whim. He had to put up a convincing act, otherwise things might get unpleasant.
Tezuka appeared to have come to the same conclusion. He swallowed, gathered his courage and held out his arm. "For tonight, Fuji. Please."
Fuji mustered a smile. "Okay. But from now on I'll be Kishimoto Fujiko."
+ + +
It turned out the majority of the guests were promising players from different high schools scattered all across the country. Seeing everybody dressed in dark suits made Fuji feel even younger - though luckily Yumiko had chosen well and his age aside he fit in quite well with the various girlfriends that had been brought along.
He found himself atypically relieved when he caught sight of some familiar faces in the entrance hall. There was Atobe with a blond girl Fuji thought he'd seen somewhere on TV clinging to his arm. He spied Yukimura and Sanada in the distance - but the rest were complete strangers.
Dinner lasted too long and even if the food was good, the speeches given by several more or less important people involved with getting talented junior tennis players into the circuit and out of the country simply weren't. Before too long Fuji found himself watching the other attendees.
Apparently there was some connection between playing tennis and showing odd patterns of behaviour. The boy opposite him (or young man, seeing as he certainly was into his third year of high school), kept glancing around nervously, while his companion had long since fallen asleep. The girl next to Fuji kept inching closer and closer for reasons unknown - other perhaps than the fact that her companion seemed to have completely forgotten about her. Until now Fuji had thwarted all attempts at conversation, but if she kept getting closer he'd end up sitting on Tezuka's lap.
Tezuka, too, kept glancing sideways. This was due to the fact that the high school student next to him had managed to build a card house of spectacular height. The girl he'd brought with him choose that moment to reappear from what most certainly had not been the bathroom - seeing as her purse was stuffed with more cards.
A few places farther at the back a couple had chosen to ignore the world and turn the scene into a private diner. They were feeding each other and everybody else looked away as well as they could.
Most thankfully the stage was well-lit - in a way that blinded the speaker as to what the audience was doing. For example, that two characters had started a food-fight, the one or other person had been lost permanently either under the table or en route to the bathroom and that somebody had taken the liberty to add a full bottle of rum to the coke.
Well, and there was rum in the tea. Which made Fuji wonder if Tezuka noticed, seeing as he was on his third cup by now. His contemplation was cut short when a hand landed - again - on his thigh.
When the hand failed to be removed, Fuji turned to the girl beside him.
He had not been prepared for a seductive smile and: "Would you mind accompanying me to the bathroom?"
+ + +
He had tried to stay close to Tezuka. Tezuka however had been all too eager to converse with those bigwigs in charge and had abandoned Fuji. Now, he could only hope the corner in the ballroom was dark enough to hide him for the rest of the night.
The alcohol had worked his magic and there were more people dancing than expected. Not that a lot of them performed gracefully, but they were tennis players after all.
"Hello there." A voice cut through his thoughts. "A cute girl like you shouldn't be all alone here."
The boy glancing down at Fuji wasn't really bad-looking. If he had been female he might have felt complimented. Seeing the fact he was not, well...
"Your boyfriend should really learn some manners." The boy in question went on and Fuji wondered how Tezuka would react to being called his boyfriend (and promptly realized the water must have been spiked too, for him to entertain such idiotic ideas). "But how about I keep you company for now?"
"That won't be necessary." A soft, familiar voice cut in and Fuji didn't know whether to be grateful or to pray for the ground to open up and swallow him. Yukimura merely smiled and the other - apparently in tune enough with his primal instincts - sensed the danger and left. Quickly.
"Well, that was interesting." Yukimura laughed. "But honestly, quite a scandal that Tezuka abandoned you like this, isn't it, Fuji-kun?"
Fuji froze.
"I didn't expect him to act so irresponsible, but then again, he probably isn't completely capable of judging the situation neutrally." Yukimura carried on. When he caught Fuji's horrified stare, he giggled. "Don't worry; your secret is safe with me."
He nodded to the dancing couples and continued: "We were wondering whom Tezuka would bring along - and well, this turned out really interesting."
"Whom did you bring along?" Fuji asked in a desperate attempt to lead the conversation away from his get-up.
"That was quite difficult to decide, ne? In the end Sanada and I decided to take the captain and the vice-captain of the girl's club. They might be able to get some contacts for themselves, but, humour me, whose idea was this?"
"Eiji's." Fuji mumbled, wondering if getting horribly drunk was a bad idea. Oblivion must be a nice thing, forgetting about the entire evening an added bonus.
"The red-head?" Yukimura asked and received a nod. "Well, you can tell him he has good ideas. And you look nice, in case Tezuka didn't tell you yet."
Fuji audible ground his teeth together and Yukimura almost dropped his glass when desperately trying not to laugh out loud.
"Actually, why don't you go and rescue your vice-captain?" Fuji politely suggested. "Before he gets eaten alive."
Yukimura glanced over to the other side of the ballroom, where Sanada was surrounded by three girls who either were enthralled by the fact that he was younger than them; his feebly attempt to remain stoic in face of a triple dose pheromones or simply bored with their original company.
"I guess I shall." Yukimura replied, stepped forward and turned around. "Good luck on protecting your virtue tonight!"
Had Fuji been drunk he might have gotten away with throwing his glass after Yukimura. Which meant, now was the time to really try to get wasted.
In the end he never made it to the bar. He'd only taken a couple of steps when he a red rose was pushed into his face, somebody grabbed hold of his hand and kissed it. When all the petals had been removed from his face, Fuji caught sight of Atobe.
Bowing.
"Sweet lady, pardon my intrusion, but would you save my mind from the claws of maddening mystification?"
Just how much had Atobe been drinking? Or, wait. Atobe probably wasn't drunk. He was trying to be charming. And Fuji felt like a deer in the headlights.
"Would you tell me your name?"
Fuji swallowed and after ascertaining that yes, the world had not stopped turning and probably it wasn't going to spontaneously combust within the next ten seconds, so he would have to answer Atobe's question. If only to get that hand off his own hand.
"Kishimoto Fujiko."
"A lovely name." Atobe answered with a gallant smile. "Now, Kishimoto-san, would you be so kind as to grant me the next dance?"
"Actually, Atobe-san, I fear my skill in dancing is rather non-existent." Fuji replied as smoothly as he could. And cursed himself for using Atobe's name.
Atobe waved the argument away. "You merely need to trust my lead."
And with that he dragged Fuji into the middle of the room, proceeded to wrap and arm around his waist and pull him simply too close. Fuji was left with the options to look at Atobe's shoulder, Atobe's face or Atobe's feet.
Where the hell had Tezuka disappeared to?
The music started anew and to his horror Fuji realized the piece was a slow one. Obviously the deities had conspired to make his life hell, but for now Fuji decided to distract himself by inventing 101 ways to make Tezuka Kunimitsu's life hell in the following weeks.
Or tried to, since Atobe's voice was quite distracting.
"You appear to know my name. Might I ask where from?"
Fuji pointedly kept staring at his shoulder. "Tezuka told me about you."
"Oh, indeed. I almost forgot you came here with Tezuka." Atobe replied. "It makes me curious however, how he managed to find such a gem as you. Say, if you don't mind the question, are the two of you actually in a relationship?"
"You seem anxious to find out." Fuji airily commented.
"Pardon my curiosity then." Atobe smiled, pulling Fuji a little closer still and their chests were almost touching. "It is just that I know of many who brought along friends, not dates as you might know by observing the general behaviour."
"Furthermore." He breathed into Fuji's ear and it took all of Fuji's self-control not to run. "I never heard about Tezuka having a girlfriend."
"The world is full of mysteries."
+ + +
Tezuka meanwhile held a relatively interesting conversation with one of the people in charge of deciding who got accepted into their scholarship program. He had found the elderly man not exactly a pleasant conversationalist (especially not when compared to Fuji), but tried his best to appear enraptured.
By now he'd been told he was rather young to be considered about ten times, while he had been complimented on his extraordinary skills about fifteen. One had actually known Seigaku and remarked there were certainly a couple of talented players there - which was the moment Tezuka had glanced to his side and found Fuji missing.
To his chagrin he had little clue of what had happened to his companion after dinner had been concluded. He'd noticed Fuji inching closer to him meanwhile - and even though he'd not commented he also had seen the hand incident with the other girl.
Obviously Fuji's guise was working a little too well and right now Tezuka was trying his very best not to think about it. He told himself that if worst came to worst he'd be aware. A tumult in the ballroom should be audible in the side chambers, too.
....
Fuji was going to kill him.
Tezuka swallowed and turned his attention back to the conversation. He might as well attempt to do something with the last minutes of his life.
A movement of the door caught his attention and he watched Yukimura slide into the room, followed by a slightly frazzled looking Sanada. Tezuka almost frowned - usually Sanada hovered behind Yukimura like a guardian spirit, today he seemed more like an upset toddler afraid of loosing his mommy.
"Ah, Yukimura-kun, good to see you!" The older man exclaimed. "Are you enjoying the party?"
"It's truly splendid." Yukimura replied. "And everybody seems to be having a brilliant time, isn't it so, Sanada?"
While Sanada was busy trying to formulate an answer Yukimura turned to Tezuka with his sweetest smile. Tezuka straightened up.
"Tezuka-kun. It might perhaps interest you that Atobe, among others, is currently attempting to woe your girlfriend."
....
Fuji was absolutely going to kill him.
+ + +
"Thank you very much for the dance." Atobe whispered but made no move to let go of Fuji.
It could have been worse, Fuji admitted. At least Atobe had not stepped on his foot and regardless of several attempts, Fuji had not managed to step on one of his either. All would be well if Atobe left him alone, now. Then he could go, get drunk and banish this evening from his memory.
Once again, life did disagree.
"I must admit, your beauty is captivating." Atobe continued and Fuji rolled his eyes. Which Atobe completely missed, seeing as Fuji had yet failed to glance up at him. "And I am extremely envious of Tezuka."
Dimly Fuji wondered whether he should feel flattered.
"Let me give you one good argument to reconsider."
Fuji instinctively glanced up when one hand of Atobe let go of his hand. Only to find it settle on the back his head. And the last thing he saw was Atobe's face closing in.
+ + +
Tezuka had expected many things after Yukimura warned him. He had also expected to have to fight his way through a crowd of rowdy, drunken tennis players, but fate was kind enough to grant him full view of Fuji the moment he entered the ballroom.
He had not expected to see Fuji in Atobe's arms.
For a moment he wondered whether stepping over the threshold had actually brought him into a parallel universe. The theory seemed highly plausible, especially considering the lip-lock Atobe and Fuji were in.
Even if this was a parallel dimension, Tezuka couldn't help feeling rather put out by the sight.
In the very next second Tezuka found himself in the middle of the room, putting a hand on Atobe's shoulder and pulling him away. Hard.
Atobe went down in a flurry of silk and screeches, Fuji tumbled into Tezuka's arms and Tezuka absentmindedly caught him, never taking his eyes of Atobe. Deep inside his mind he was surprised at his own actions. Just what did cause such a violent reaction?
But seeing Atobe dazedly sit up made all contemplations flee his consciousness. Tezuka pressed his lips into a firm line, reminded himself that beating Atobe up probably was a bad idea and wouldn't save him from Fuji's wrath and turned away.
His first instinct was to drag Fuji to an empty side room - not paying much mind to the fact that Fuji stumbled along rather than walked, but the moment he closed the door he knew he had just dug his own grave.
Well, he could still run while Fuji was trying to catch his breath. Not that if would do him much good, seeing as he would have to face Fuji at school tomorrow.
He resolved to better get things clarified now. “Fuji, I …. Are you okay?”
The glare made him flinch.
“Are you blind?” Fuji asked, but his voice lacked bite. “Atobe just … just don’t remind me.”
He slumped down and Tezuka felt guilty. Fuji had come here for his sake - played along in this charade and not even once asked him to go home. Even now Fuji was straightening out his dress and visibly composing himself.
“I’m sorry.” Tezuka muttered, instinctively reaching out to rest a hand on Fuji’s shoulder. “I know this is … awkward. And I’m sorry for having left you there like this. I hadn’t expected … well, I hadn’t expected Atobe to react like that.”
Fuji chuckled lightly, feeling the anger dissolve. “I hadn’t either.”
He had wanted to yell at Tezuka. To accuse him of being at fault for the entire disaster. Now however that Tezuka stood in front of him and looked chagrined, Fuji found he couldn’t summon any spitefulness.
“Did I actually say thank you?” Tezuka asked, for the first time in the evening taking time to admire the work that had been put into Fuji’s outfit. When he had picked Fuji up he’d been surprised - at the dress, at the high heels, at how convincing the disguise was.
Right now he could only agree with what Kikumaru must have known - Fuji simply looked stunning. If he was honest to himself, he hadn’t seen anybody as beautiful before. Not here, tonight, neither any of the girls at school. Not even the over-styled television starlets.
“Tezuka, you…” Fuji started, sounding faintly embarrassed, but was cut off when the door opened and Yukimura poked his head in.
“It’s the last dance and they’re expecting every couple on the floor. You’d better go if you want to leave a favourable impression.” Yukimura winked and disappeared before either of them could say a word.
“We don’t have to.” Tezuka offered. He was certain Fuji had enough of acting for the night - it was his turn to offer a small sacrifice, even if he probably would spend the rest of his life owing Fuji. “We can leave - those shoes must be uncomfortable.”
Fuji recognised his gesture for what it was and smiled warmly. “Thanks, but … one more dance won’t kill me.”
“Please don’t feel obliged. After everything that happened…” Tezuka protested.
“Actually.” Fuji pointedly cut in. “I’d be rather put out if all this comes to nothing. Since we’ve already joined the charade, we can as well complete it.”
Tezuka swallowed. While it was selfish to take up Fuji’s offer - this was his ticket to the pro circuit. “If you don’t mind.”
“Tezuka.” Fuji replied. “If this is what is needed to get your dream fulfilled I’d dance with you a thousand times.”
A pang and warmth blossomed in Tezuka’s chest. He recognized an undecipherable emotion sparkling in Fuji’s eyes and opened his lips to say something, but Fuji smiled. “Let’s go.”
And he followed Fuji out into a ball room and soon the world was spinning around them. Velvet curtains, darkness outside, oil paintings on the wall, sparkling chandeliers overhead and music all around them. The notes carried them from one end of the room to the other and the rest of the world was forgotten.
Fuji’s smaller hand fit so well in his and never before had Tezuka felt so comfortable dancing. No fumbling steps, no partner trying to draw him closer than he wanted - no clouds of perfume making him dizzy, no aggressive smell of overly-fruity hair shampoo. Fuji was everything and more he had ever wished for in a partner.
If only…
“Thank you.” Tezuka whispered softly into Fuji’s hair as the music grew slower. “Thank you.”
“It’s…” Fuji swallowed. “You don’t need to thank me. As I said, if this is what helps you, than I’ll gladly help you.”
“Still, this means very much to me.” Tezuka replied. “And if you ever need a favour from me…”
Fuji patted his shoulder. “I’ll be sure to remind you of tonight. You know me, Tezuka. I’ll also get Atobe somehow - just let me think of something.”
“I’m certain you will.” Tezuka answered. “And I will help you along.”
“That does sound like an attractive offer.” Fuji’s smile widened. “I’m sure you will make a good partner in crime.”
The music came to a stop and while the officials gathered to give fare wells, Tezuka gathered all his courage, said: “You make a good partner, too.”
And dropped a light kiss on Fuji’s cheek.
+ + +
Roughly two weeks later, Atobe had issued an invitation to a ball he hosted for young, aspiring tennis players. Officials as well as senior players were expected and he seemed absolutely intent on outdoing every other party held this year.
Tezuka Kunimitsu however found himself facing moral quandary - his invitation firmly demanded him to bring his girlfriend.
FIN
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to
eliza_natsuko !!! Hope you had a lot of presents and cake and all the other wonderful things that ought to go together with birthdays ^_~ And now without further ado, onto the fic:
Title: "Please bring a companion."
Characters: TezuFuji (heavy on friendship), cameos by the rest of Seigaku, Atobe and Yukimura
Genre: Humour (slightly crackish), romance.
Rating: PG.
Wordcount: ~ 4800
Warnings: Cross-dressing
Summary: Tezuka receives an invitation to a dinner held by an organization that helps young, aspiring players out of the country and into the pro circuit. The only problem is that he needs to bring a date. The rest of Seigaku helps him.
Disclaimer: Not mine. (and that's probably good so).
“Please bring a companion.”
"It would be reasonable if Oishi was to accompany me." Tezuka said, breaking the silence that stifled the air in the small office Ryuuzaki-sensei called her own. Not even a breeze came in through the opened window to relax the atmosphere.
Nine pairs of eyes instinctively wandered back to a lone paper card resting on the table. The fancy golden and black lettering seemed more like an invitation to the inner circles of hell than to a gala event held for young and aspiring tennis players. Or at least, Tezuka felt so.
"I don't think that'll work, captain." Momoshirou slowly replied, fearful of being ordered an undisclosed number of laps. "The invitation explicitly states you're expected to bring a date."
After another moment of silence he dared to add: "Unless of course, you intend to bring Oishi as your date."
Tezuka's firm denial of having such intentions was almost lost among a number of badly suppressed snickers and even the corners of Ryuuzaki-sensei's mouth twitched suspiciously. Kikumaru Eiji fortunately joined Tezuka's side by declaring he and Oishi had already made plans for Thursday night anyways - and those were far better than a stiff party with influential people from the circuit.
Before he could be questioned on what could possibly be better than a ticket straight to the pro circuit, Ryuuzaki-sensei cut in. "So, what are you going to do, Tezuka?"
Seigaku's captain drew a deep breath, tried to keep any trace of regret from his face and answered: "I'll probably not attend."
"Nonsense!" She immediately replied. "You just need to ask some girl to go with you."
"That shouldn't be a problem." Inui added, leafing through his most faithful companion - the green notebook of too much information. "According to my knowledge, about 50% of the female population of this school have at one point developed a crush on Tezuka and furthermore about 70% have been known to..."
"You could ask Kurokawa-san." Oishi suggested, before Inui's data could dive into unknown depths that better remained undiscovered. "I think she'd understand."
Kawamura turned to Fuji. "Isn't Kurokawa-san the one who is together with Makoto-kun?"
"Makoto?" Kaidou asked, not having heard the name before.
"The captain of the rugby club." Inui helpfully offered. "And I have my doubts he'd understand."
Oishi paled and muttered an apology, before descending into contemplative silence. Momoshirou meanwhile commented that there most certainly were enough girls willing to spend an evening with Tezuka. Or boys, in case he wanted to draw some attention.
Tezuka started looking as if he'd just swallowed a pitcher of Inui's vilest concoction (or probably not, since Inui's vilest was known to leave no survivors) and Ryuuzaki-sensei appeared to have convulsions - to a degree that made Kawamura edge toward the door.
"You should probably ask somebody from the tennis club." Inui reasoned, and an unholy glow lit up in Eiji's eyes.
"Or." The red-head gleefully announced, stepping into the centre of the cramped space. "You could ask Fuji."
Silence dropped like the tennis ball from Kaidou's hand.
Tezuka's facial expression would have made a stone jealous in terms of non-expressiveness while Kawamura found Fuji had joined him in the proximity of the room's only exit. Eiji basked in the disbelieving and incredulous stares for half a minute, before he cheerfully continued.
"It's only logical. No girl will be disappointed, no false hopes given and no embarrassment suffered. It's the perfect solution."
"Eiji..." Fuji muttered, somewhere between horrified and exasperated, but Echizen chimed in. "Kikumaru-senpai. It's a good idea, but unless there's something I've not been told yet, Fuji-senpai is no girl. Or are you, senpai?"
The smile Fuji gave in return showed a row of impressively sharp teeth nobody remembered Fuji possessing. Eiji however was undaunted. "That's the least problem. All we need is a dress and some make-up and nobody will be able to tell the difference."
There was a certain, undeniable truth to Eiji's words that silenced all protests. Kawamura swallowed and tried his best to ignore Fuji's reaction. "Guys, you don't ..."
Momoshirou drew himself up, spoke a short, mental prayer to all deities in existence to survive the aftermath and said. "He's ... well, he's right. I mean, no offence, senpai, but ..."
"You fulfil most of the criteria necessary for confusion." Inui stated, shielding himself from Fuji's glare with his sacred notebook. "The length of your hair, the shape of your face, your height as well as your stature. And while you might lack certain parts of the female physiology there are other ..."
"Inui." Fuji hissed, but it was too late - Ryuuzaki-sensei was already clinging to her desk in order not to collapse in a fit of hysterical giggles, Kaidou was fighting a nosebleed and Kawamura's face had turned into a wonderful shade of red, resembling a ripe tomato. He did not even want to know why Oishi had turned to face the wall. Neither had he wanted to see that kind of a leery smirk on Echizen's face.
Most thankfully Tezuka's expression had not shifted, so Fuji turned to him. "Tezuka. Tell them it's a bad idea!"
Tezuka swallowed. While he knew it was a bad idea, he ...
Luckily Ryuuzaki-sensei chose that moment to gather herself. "I can understand why you don't feel too comfortable with the idea. But please try to see that this is a very important event and not to participate would probably affect Tezuka's chances to be accepted onto one of their scholarship programs negatively."
"Actually." Inui added and the light reflected of his glasses. "Unless Tezuka attends and leaves a positive impression his chances to be accepted will be close to zero."
Kawamura contemplated whether he should step away from the door and give Fuji a chance to escape.
"Do it for buchou, senpai!" Momoshirou cheered, grinning from ear to ear. Eiji joined in. "For Tezuka, Fujiko!"
Fuji swallowed. And finally dared to look at Tezuka, praying he'd find determined refusal written all over his face. There was no way in heaven or hell or any other dimension of religious quality that Seigaku's captain would partake in such an insane charade.
Tezuka meanwhile had created a complete miracle on his own. He had found a way for a stone to gain puppy eyes. In other words, the expression Fuji encountered was a quiet plea for his agreement.
And unless he wanted to attempt a dramatic exit via the window, Fuji had to admit he was beat.
+ + +
Thursday night came faster than Fuji wished.
Eiji had taken the liberty of informing Yumiko of the proceedings and much to Fuji's horror she enthusiastically helped the preparations along. Thus he spent most of the week trying to catch a cold (not the flu, preferably), break a leg or find another reason not to attend that would not result in permanent damage.
On Thursday morning in class (after Eiji had cheerfully remarked that today was the big day and, wasn't he excited? Which in turn had gotten the rumour mill going at a warp nine) he found himself counting his savings - would some 25,000yen suffice to buy a one way ticket out of country?
The world had no mercy - not that Fuji had expected it to - but the fact that Tezuka seemed completely unconcerned about their pseudo-date tonight left him rather frazzled. Not that parading several of Yumiko's dresses in the afternoon helped calm his nerves.
After a rather exhausting discussion they'd finally struck an agreement - a dress of decent length - Yumiko had seemed intent on making him wear something the size of a dish towel, and while he could dissuade her of that, he still ended up with a pink baby doll - a pair of far-too-high black high heels and unspeakable things done to his hair.
When at quarter to six the doorbell rang and Yumiko opened, Tezuka fell silent.
"Not a word." Fuji muttered, wishing he just could have worn a dark suit like Tezuka. "Not a word."
+ + +
Riding public transport made Fuji only more aware of how much his dress exposed. He'd never known just how many stares a short skirt was capable of drawing - and he'd sell his soul to never notice again. Tezuka failed to be much of a help - immersed at he was in his book on unusual rock formations.
Furthermore Tezuka failed to notice Fuji's attempt at glaring his head of. Thankfully most of the other passengers noticed and thus gave them a wide berth. What Fuji however was not aware of was the fact that Tezuka had troubles concentrating on his book. Due to a pair of pale legs beside him.
It wasn't as if he hadn't seen Fuji's legs before. The shorts of their uniform were on the short side after all. But the combination of high heels and a dress made his head spin - much to his own chagrin. He could tell this was bothering Fuji, but to be honest, he found his friend's outfit quite convincing.
For the moment he deemed it best not to comment on anything, lest his tongue slipped. Fuji would have his head that he knew for sure.
Night had fallen when they arrived at the venue and Fuji found himself unconsciously inching closer to Tezuka as they walked uphill towards a large, colonial style mansion. They caught sight of many couples, their identities shrouded by darkness.
With each step closer Fuji felt a little aware of the fact that this was not a small party with friends where his sister had dressed him in her clothes on whim. He had to put up a convincing act, otherwise things might get unpleasant.
Tezuka appeared to have come to the same conclusion. He swallowed, gathered his courage and held out his arm. "For tonight, Fuji. Please."
Fuji mustered a smile. "Okay. But from now on I'll be Kishimoto Fujiko."
+ + +
It turned out the majority of the guests were promising players from different high schools scattered all across the country. Seeing everybody dressed in dark suits made Fuji feel even younger - though luckily Yumiko had chosen well and his age aside he fit in quite well with the various girlfriends that had been brought along.
He found himself atypically relieved when he caught sight of some familiar faces in the entrance hall. There was Atobe with a blond girl Fuji thought he'd seen somewhere on TV clinging to his arm. He spied Yukimura and Sanada in the distance - but the rest were complete strangers.
Dinner lasted too long and even if the food was good, the speeches given by several more or less important people involved with getting talented junior tennis players into the circuit and out of the country simply weren't. Before too long Fuji found himself watching the other attendees.
Apparently there was some connection between playing tennis and showing odd patterns of behaviour. The boy opposite him (or young man, seeing as he certainly was into his third year of high school), kept glancing around nervously, while his companion had long since fallen asleep. The girl next to Fuji kept inching closer and closer for reasons unknown - other perhaps than the fact that her companion seemed to have completely forgotten about her. Until now Fuji had thwarted all attempts at conversation, but if she kept getting closer he'd end up sitting on Tezuka's lap.
Tezuka, too, kept glancing sideways. This was due to the fact that the high school student next to him had managed to build a card house of spectacular height. The girl he'd brought with him choose that moment to reappear from what most certainly had not been the bathroom - seeing as her purse was stuffed with more cards.
A few places farther at the back a couple had chosen to ignore the world and turn the scene into a private diner. They were feeding each other and everybody else looked away as well as they could.
Most thankfully the stage was well-lit - in a way that blinded the speaker as to what the audience was doing. For example, that two characters had started a food-fight, the one or other person had been lost permanently either under the table or en route to the bathroom and that somebody had taken the liberty to add a full bottle of rum to the coke.
Well, and there was rum in the tea. Which made Fuji wonder if Tezuka noticed, seeing as he was on his third cup by now. His contemplation was cut short when a hand landed - again - on his thigh.
When the hand failed to be removed, Fuji turned to the girl beside him.
He had not been prepared for a seductive smile and: "Would you mind accompanying me to the bathroom?"
+ + +
He had tried to stay close to Tezuka. Tezuka however had been all too eager to converse with those bigwigs in charge and had abandoned Fuji. Now, he could only hope the corner in the ballroom was dark enough to hide him for the rest of the night.
The alcohol had worked his magic and there were more people dancing than expected. Not that a lot of them performed gracefully, but they were tennis players after all.
"Hello there." A voice cut through his thoughts. "A cute girl like you shouldn't be all alone here."
The boy glancing down at Fuji wasn't really bad-looking. If he had been female he might have felt complimented. Seeing the fact he was not, well...
"Your boyfriend should really learn some manners." The boy in question went on and Fuji wondered how Tezuka would react to being called his boyfriend (and promptly realized the water must have been spiked too, for him to entertain such idiotic ideas). "But how about I keep you company for now?"
"That won't be necessary." A soft, familiar voice cut in and Fuji didn't know whether to be grateful or to pray for the ground to open up and swallow him. Yukimura merely smiled and the other - apparently in tune enough with his primal instincts - sensed the danger and left. Quickly.
"Well, that was interesting." Yukimura laughed. "But honestly, quite a scandal that Tezuka abandoned you like this, isn't it, Fuji-kun?"
Fuji froze.
"I didn't expect him to act so irresponsible, but then again, he probably isn't completely capable of judging the situation neutrally." Yukimura carried on. When he caught Fuji's horrified stare, he giggled. "Don't worry; your secret is safe with me."
He nodded to the dancing couples and continued: "We were wondering whom Tezuka would bring along - and well, this turned out really interesting."
"Whom did you bring along?" Fuji asked in a desperate attempt to lead the conversation away from his get-up.
"That was quite difficult to decide, ne? In the end Sanada and I decided to take the captain and the vice-captain of the girl's club. They might be able to get some contacts for themselves, but, humour me, whose idea was this?"
"Eiji's." Fuji mumbled, wondering if getting horribly drunk was a bad idea. Oblivion must be a nice thing, forgetting about the entire evening an added bonus.
"The red-head?" Yukimura asked and received a nod. "Well, you can tell him he has good ideas. And you look nice, in case Tezuka didn't tell you yet."
Fuji audible ground his teeth together and Yukimura almost dropped his glass when desperately trying not to laugh out loud.
"Actually, why don't you go and rescue your vice-captain?" Fuji politely suggested. "Before he gets eaten alive."
Yukimura glanced over to the other side of the ballroom, where Sanada was surrounded by three girls who either were enthralled by the fact that he was younger than them; his feebly attempt to remain stoic in face of a triple dose pheromones or simply bored with their original company.
"I guess I shall." Yukimura replied, stepped forward and turned around. "Good luck on protecting your virtue tonight!"
Had Fuji been drunk he might have gotten away with throwing his glass after Yukimura. Which meant, now was the time to really try to get wasted.
In the end he never made it to the bar. He'd only taken a couple of steps when he a red rose was pushed into his face, somebody grabbed hold of his hand and kissed it. When all the petals had been removed from his face, Fuji caught sight of Atobe.
Bowing.
"Sweet lady, pardon my intrusion, but would you save my mind from the claws of maddening mystification?"
Just how much had Atobe been drinking? Or, wait. Atobe probably wasn't drunk. He was trying to be charming. And Fuji felt like a deer in the headlights.
"Would you tell me your name?"
Fuji swallowed and after ascertaining that yes, the world had not stopped turning and probably it wasn't going to spontaneously combust within the next ten seconds, so he would have to answer Atobe's question. If only to get that hand off his own hand.
"Kishimoto Fujiko."
"A lovely name." Atobe answered with a gallant smile. "Now, Kishimoto-san, would you be so kind as to grant me the next dance?"
"Actually, Atobe-san, I fear my skill in dancing is rather non-existent." Fuji replied as smoothly as he could. And cursed himself for using Atobe's name.
Atobe waved the argument away. "You merely need to trust my lead."
And with that he dragged Fuji into the middle of the room, proceeded to wrap and arm around his waist and pull him simply too close. Fuji was left with the options to look at Atobe's shoulder, Atobe's face or Atobe's feet.
Where the hell had Tezuka disappeared to?
The music started anew and to his horror Fuji realized the piece was a slow one. Obviously the deities had conspired to make his life hell, but for now Fuji decided to distract himself by inventing 101 ways to make Tezuka Kunimitsu's life hell in the following weeks.
Or tried to, since Atobe's voice was quite distracting.
"You appear to know my name. Might I ask where from?"
Fuji pointedly kept staring at his shoulder. "Tezuka told me about you."
"Oh, indeed. I almost forgot you came here with Tezuka." Atobe replied. "It makes me curious however, how he managed to find such a gem as you. Say, if you don't mind the question, are the two of you actually in a relationship?"
"You seem anxious to find out." Fuji airily commented.
"Pardon my curiosity then." Atobe smiled, pulling Fuji a little closer still and their chests were almost touching. "It is just that I know of many who brought along friends, not dates as you might know by observing the general behaviour."
"Furthermore." He breathed into Fuji's ear and it took all of Fuji's self-control not to run. "I never heard about Tezuka having a girlfriend."
"The world is full of mysteries."
+ + +
Tezuka meanwhile held a relatively interesting conversation with one of the people in charge of deciding who got accepted into their scholarship program. He had found the elderly man not exactly a pleasant conversationalist (especially not when compared to Fuji), but tried his best to appear enraptured.
By now he'd been told he was rather young to be considered about ten times, while he had been complimented on his extraordinary skills about fifteen. One had actually known Seigaku and remarked there were certainly a couple of talented players there - which was the moment Tezuka had glanced to his side and found Fuji missing.
To his chagrin he had little clue of what had happened to his companion after dinner had been concluded. He'd noticed Fuji inching closer to him meanwhile - and even though he'd not commented he also had seen the hand incident with the other girl.
Obviously Fuji's guise was working a little too well and right now Tezuka was trying his very best not to think about it. He told himself that if worst came to worst he'd be aware. A tumult in the ballroom should be audible in the side chambers, too.
....
Fuji was going to kill him.
Tezuka swallowed and turned his attention back to the conversation. He might as well attempt to do something with the last minutes of his life.
A movement of the door caught his attention and he watched Yukimura slide into the room, followed by a slightly frazzled looking Sanada. Tezuka almost frowned - usually Sanada hovered behind Yukimura like a guardian spirit, today he seemed more like an upset toddler afraid of loosing his mommy.
"Ah, Yukimura-kun, good to see you!" The older man exclaimed. "Are you enjoying the party?"
"It's truly splendid." Yukimura replied. "And everybody seems to be having a brilliant time, isn't it so, Sanada?"
While Sanada was busy trying to formulate an answer Yukimura turned to Tezuka with his sweetest smile. Tezuka straightened up.
"Tezuka-kun. It might perhaps interest you that Atobe, among others, is currently attempting to woe your girlfriend."
....
Fuji was absolutely going to kill him.
+ + +
"Thank you very much for the dance." Atobe whispered but made no move to let go of Fuji.
It could have been worse, Fuji admitted. At least Atobe had not stepped on his foot and regardless of several attempts, Fuji had not managed to step on one of his either. All would be well if Atobe left him alone, now. Then he could go, get drunk and banish this evening from his memory.
Once again, life did disagree.
"I must admit, your beauty is captivating." Atobe continued and Fuji rolled his eyes. Which Atobe completely missed, seeing as Fuji had yet failed to glance up at him. "And I am extremely envious of Tezuka."
Dimly Fuji wondered whether he should feel flattered.
"Let me give you one good argument to reconsider."
Fuji instinctively glanced up when one hand of Atobe let go of his hand. Only to find it settle on the back his head. And the last thing he saw was Atobe's face closing in.
+ + +
Tezuka had expected many things after Yukimura warned him. He had also expected to have to fight his way through a crowd of rowdy, drunken tennis players, but fate was kind enough to grant him full view of Fuji the moment he entered the ballroom.
He had not expected to see Fuji in Atobe's arms.
For a moment he wondered whether stepping over the threshold had actually brought him into a parallel universe. The theory seemed highly plausible, especially considering the lip-lock Atobe and Fuji were in.
Even if this was a parallel dimension, Tezuka couldn't help feeling rather put out by the sight.
In the very next second Tezuka found himself in the middle of the room, putting a hand on Atobe's shoulder and pulling him away. Hard.
Atobe went down in a flurry of silk and screeches, Fuji tumbled into Tezuka's arms and Tezuka absentmindedly caught him, never taking his eyes of Atobe. Deep inside his mind he was surprised at his own actions. Just what did cause such a violent reaction?
But seeing Atobe dazedly sit up made all contemplations flee his consciousness. Tezuka pressed his lips into a firm line, reminded himself that beating Atobe up probably was a bad idea and wouldn't save him from Fuji's wrath and turned away.
His first instinct was to drag Fuji to an empty side room - not paying much mind to the fact that Fuji stumbled along rather than walked, but the moment he closed the door he knew he had just dug his own grave.
Well, he could still run while Fuji was trying to catch his breath. Not that if would do him much good, seeing as he would have to face Fuji at school tomorrow.
He resolved to better get things clarified now. “Fuji, I …. Are you okay?”
The glare made him flinch.
“Are you blind?” Fuji asked, but his voice lacked bite. “Atobe just … just don’t remind me.”
He slumped down and Tezuka felt guilty. Fuji had come here for his sake - played along in this charade and not even once asked him to go home. Even now Fuji was straightening out his dress and visibly composing himself.
“I’m sorry.” Tezuka muttered, instinctively reaching out to rest a hand on Fuji’s shoulder. “I know this is … awkward. And I’m sorry for having left you there like this. I hadn’t expected … well, I hadn’t expected Atobe to react like that.”
Fuji chuckled lightly, feeling the anger dissolve. “I hadn’t either.”
He had wanted to yell at Tezuka. To accuse him of being at fault for the entire disaster. Now however that Tezuka stood in front of him and looked chagrined, Fuji found he couldn’t summon any spitefulness.
“Did I actually say thank you?” Tezuka asked, for the first time in the evening taking time to admire the work that had been put into Fuji’s outfit. When he had picked Fuji up he’d been surprised - at the dress, at the high heels, at how convincing the disguise was.
Right now he could only agree with what Kikumaru must have known - Fuji simply looked stunning. If he was honest to himself, he hadn’t seen anybody as beautiful before. Not here, tonight, neither any of the girls at school. Not even the over-styled television starlets.
“Tezuka, you…” Fuji started, sounding faintly embarrassed, but was cut off when the door opened and Yukimura poked his head in.
“It’s the last dance and they’re expecting every couple on the floor. You’d better go if you want to leave a favourable impression.” Yukimura winked and disappeared before either of them could say a word.
“We don’t have to.” Tezuka offered. He was certain Fuji had enough of acting for the night - it was his turn to offer a small sacrifice, even if he probably would spend the rest of his life owing Fuji. “We can leave - those shoes must be uncomfortable.”
Fuji recognised his gesture for what it was and smiled warmly. “Thanks, but … one more dance won’t kill me.”
“Please don’t feel obliged. After everything that happened…” Tezuka protested.
“Actually.” Fuji pointedly cut in. “I’d be rather put out if all this comes to nothing. Since we’ve already joined the charade, we can as well complete it.”
Tezuka swallowed. While it was selfish to take up Fuji’s offer - this was his ticket to the pro circuit. “If you don’t mind.”
“Tezuka.” Fuji replied. “If this is what is needed to get your dream fulfilled I’d dance with you a thousand times.”
A pang and warmth blossomed in Tezuka’s chest. He recognized an undecipherable emotion sparkling in Fuji’s eyes and opened his lips to say something, but Fuji smiled. “Let’s go.”
And he followed Fuji out into a ball room and soon the world was spinning around them. Velvet curtains, darkness outside, oil paintings on the wall, sparkling chandeliers overhead and music all around them. The notes carried them from one end of the room to the other and the rest of the world was forgotten.
Fuji’s smaller hand fit so well in his and never before had Tezuka felt so comfortable dancing. No fumbling steps, no partner trying to draw him closer than he wanted - no clouds of perfume making him dizzy, no aggressive smell of overly-fruity hair shampoo. Fuji was everything and more he had ever wished for in a partner.
If only…
“Thank you.” Tezuka whispered softly into Fuji’s hair as the music grew slower. “Thank you.”
“It’s…” Fuji swallowed. “You don’t need to thank me. As I said, if this is what helps you, than I’ll gladly help you.”
“Still, this means very much to me.” Tezuka replied. “And if you ever need a favour from me…”
Fuji patted his shoulder. “I’ll be sure to remind you of tonight. You know me, Tezuka. I’ll also get Atobe somehow - just let me think of something.”
“I’m certain you will.” Tezuka answered. “And I will help you along.”
“That does sound like an attractive offer.” Fuji’s smile widened. “I’m sure you will make a good partner in crime.”
The music came to a stop and while the officials gathered to give fare wells, Tezuka gathered all his courage, said: “You make a good partner, too.”
And dropped a light kiss on Fuji’s cheek.
+ + +
Roughly two weeks later, Atobe had issued an invitation to a ball he hosted for young, aspiring tennis players. Officials as well as senior players were expected and he seemed absolutely intent on outdoing every other party held this year.
Tezuka Kunimitsu however found himself facing moral quandary - his invitation firmly demanded him to bring his girlfriend.
FIN