Prince of Tennis: Mada Mada
And another one. ...You know, it's funny. For all the FujiRyo I write, I'm not really a Thrill Pair fangirl. Hm.
Title: Mada Mada
Fandom: Tennis no Oujisama
Pairing: FujiRyo
Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Tennis no Oujisama.
Notes: For
numisma 's September spam post. Why do so many of my FujiRyo fics involve angst and Echizen going back to America?!
November
"Kiss me," he says, and it is desperate, determined, decisive, demanding.
Fuji just gives him one of those inscrutable smiles.
"No."
A flare -- anger, indignation, pure stubbornness: "Why not?"
The answer is teasing: "You're not old enough yet."
Ryoma clenches his fist and hides his eyes beneath the bill of his cap.
"Che."
--
April
It is graduation -- Syuusuke is a high school student now, with little time to play with junior high kids who are snarky and bratty and have nothing to offer him but tennis.
They are outside, standing face-to-face, alone. Ryoma tries again.
"Am I old enough yet?" he asks lowly, his face turned away.
The inscrutable smile: "Not yet."
Ryoma turns and walks away, his knuckles white and his face red.
--
September
They don't speak much in the months between; they are in two different schools, and Syuusuke's workload is heavier than it used to be. But when they do see each other once in a while, Ryoma never asks and Syuusuke never tells.
They go through pleasantries and politeness, Fuji's relaxed and Ryoma's strained.
"I'm the captain of the tennis team," he tells Syuusuke one day, and Fuji smiles.
"I heard."
Ryoma looks up at Syuusuke, and for the first time, Fuji notices that Echizen has gotten taller.
And as they stare each other in the eyes, he can see the question in Echizen's: Am I old enough yet?
And Fuji laughs a little.
"Not yet."
--
December
Echizen leaves Japan in the middle of his third year of junior high in order to pursue tennis as a profession.
They go with him to the airport, Fuji and the rest of Ryoma teammates, new and old. Some of them cry and some of them shout "Do your best!" and some offer advice, but Fuji just stands there and watches, smiling.
He is the last one that Ryoma says goodbye to.
"Am I -- "
"Not yet," Fuji responds, the smile still at the edges of his lips.
Ryoma looks at him for a long moment, then turns his back and boards the plane.
It hurts both of them.
--
August
Fuji picks up his phone and holds it to his ear. His eyes are still on the television and the US Open highlights.
"Hello?"
"Did you watch?"
He almost doesn't recognize the voice; it is deeper now, and a little cracked. Puberty, Syuusuke realizes for the first time.
"Yes," Fuji murmurs, the corners of his lips lifting. "You're in the finals now, Echizen. Congratulations."
"Yeah. Thanks." A little silence. "Am I old enough yet?"
Fuji closes his eyes. "Not yet."
"...You're so selfish," Ryoma says and hangs up.
--
October
He is home.
They meet once or twice at random when Echizen hangs out with Momo and Eiji and the others, but they never talk. They're never alone. They never mention the phone calls, the texts, the question that Fuji shoots down each and every time.
He doesn't ask, Am I old enough yet?
And Fuji never says, Not yet.
--
January
It is at Eiji's New Year's party when Ryoma corners him.
"I don't care," Echizen says, and leans in, presses his mouth to Fuji's, tastes like punch and alcohol, feels like real, like burning, like tennis.
Syuusuke doesn't break away, just keeps Echizen close and close and close.
He never really cared, either.
Title: Mada Mada
Fandom: Tennis no Oujisama
Pairing: FujiRyo
Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Tennis no Oujisama.
Notes: For
numisma 's September spam post. Why do so many of my FujiRyo fics involve angst and Echizen going back to America?!
November
"Kiss me," he says, and it is desperate, determined, decisive, demanding.
Fuji just gives him one of those inscrutable smiles.
"No."
A flare -- anger, indignation, pure stubbornness: "Why not?"
The answer is teasing: "You're not old enough yet."
Ryoma clenches his fist and hides his eyes beneath the bill of his cap.
"Che."
--
April
It is graduation -- Syuusuke is a high school student now, with little time to play with junior high kids who are snarky and bratty and have nothing to offer him but tennis.
They are outside, standing face-to-face, alone. Ryoma tries again.
"Am I old enough yet?" he asks lowly, his face turned away.
The inscrutable smile: "Not yet."
Ryoma turns and walks away, his knuckles white and his face red.
--
September
They don't speak much in the months between; they are in two different schools, and Syuusuke's workload is heavier than it used to be. But when they do see each other once in a while, Ryoma never asks and Syuusuke never tells.
They go through pleasantries and politeness, Fuji's relaxed and Ryoma's strained.
"I'm the captain of the tennis team," he tells Syuusuke one day, and Fuji smiles.
"I heard."
Ryoma looks up at Syuusuke, and for the first time, Fuji notices that Echizen has gotten taller.
And as they stare each other in the eyes, he can see the question in Echizen's: Am I old enough yet?
And Fuji laughs a little.
"Not yet."
--
December
Echizen leaves Japan in the middle of his third year of junior high in order to pursue tennis as a profession.
They go with him to the airport, Fuji and the rest of Ryoma teammates, new and old. Some of them cry and some of them shout "Do your best!" and some offer advice, but Fuji just stands there and watches, smiling.
He is the last one that Ryoma says goodbye to.
"Am I -- "
"Not yet," Fuji responds, the smile still at the edges of his lips.
Ryoma looks at him for a long moment, then turns his back and boards the plane.
It hurts both of them.
--
August
Fuji picks up his phone and holds it to his ear. His eyes are still on the television and the US Open highlights.
"Hello?"
"Did you watch?"
He almost doesn't recognize the voice; it is deeper now, and a little cracked. Puberty, Syuusuke realizes for the first time.
"Yes," Fuji murmurs, the corners of his lips lifting. "You're in the finals now, Echizen. Congratulations."
"Yeah. Thanks." A little silence. "Am I old enough yet?"
Fuji closes his eyes. "Not yet."
"...You're so selfish," Ryoma says and hangs up.
--
October
He is home.
They meet once or twice at random when Echizen hangs out with Momo and Eiji and the others, but they never talk. They're never alone. They never mention the phone calls, the texts, the question that Fuji shoots down each and every time.
He doesn't ask, Am I old enough yet?
And Fuji never says, Not yet.
--
January
It is at Eiji's New Year's party when Ryoma corners him.
"I don't care," Echizen says, and leans in, presses his mouth to Fuji's, tastes like punch and alcohol, feels like real, like burning, like tennis.
Syuusuke doesn't break away, just keeps Echizen close and close and close.
He never really cared, either.