Fic: Anchor (Prince of Tennis, Inui/Shinji, challenge #13)
Anchor
By: Liz
Pairing: Inui/Shinji
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Theme: #13. excessive chain
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters herein. I do not claim to own them, and I am not making any profit off of this. This is just fun in a fandom I enjoy. If you want to sue me for all I’m worth…please do! You’re welcome to my student loans and other bills.
Rating: PG
This follows Loyalty.
Previous parts can be found here.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Shinji was lost in thought. This in and of itself was nothing new. Shinji spent a lot of time thinking, most of it in fact, so saying that Shinji was thinking was kind of like saying that water is wet. Extremely obvious and not worth mentioning.
Even Shinji’s topic of choice wasn’t all that surprising. When he had nothing else to think about-and, nine times out of ten, when he did have something else to think about-Shinji’s thoughts naturally turned towards his boyfriend. However, it was rare that Shinji sat down with the express purpose of thinking about Inui, and that was what Shinji was doing at that moment.
There had been so much going on, with projects and practices, and the city tournament, that Shinji hadn’t had a chance to process some things in his head yet, and lying on the grass soaking up some sun seemed the perfect opportunity to do that. At least, Shinji thought, there were worse places to be thinking in.
He sighed as he watched some fluffy clouds skip across the sky. I guess we’re really…official now. He’s my boyfriend, he’s called me his boyfriend, I’ve met his closest friends, hell, he’s even rooted for me against Kaidoh of all people. It really seems like he is serious about me, about us…but what does that mean?
Shinji rolled over so that he was on his stomach and started playing with the grass. Even if he really is serious about me, should I let him be? Sadaharu’s got a future ahead of him…he can reach for so many things, do almost anything, while I’m chained down here. There’s only so much I can do to break out of this mold. Maybe I should be setting Sadaharu free, before he gets too entangled in my chains.
He sighed as he thought about all of the various dreams that he’d had in his life. Some were impossible. Like the time when he was six and decided that he wanted to be a king. Though that was a bit better than when he was five and wanted to be a princess. Aside from those dreams, though, Shinji’s thoughts for his future had always been kind of…normal. Graduate college, find a stable job somewhere-maybe teaching, he thought he would like that-and be with the person he loved. Nothing different from the lives that hundreds of thousands of people were aspiring to and living.
But Sadaharu is different. He wants to do things, things beyond what is here. Researcher, sports medicine…even joining with the space agency! All those things he’s mentioned maybe doing with his life…and where does that leave a relationship from now? Maybe I shouldn’t be letting him get too serious about me. I do nothing for him but hold him down, hold him back. Maybe I should be setting him free right now…it’ll hurt, yes, but won’t it hurt less in the long run if he’s just able to put…this behind him as a youthful mistake?
Shinji sighed and put his head down onto his arms, trying to stop the direction of his thoughts. They kept going, though, getting darker and darker, until….
“Shinji? Are you all right? Are you hurt?” Inui had been expecting to find Shinji there, but not quite in this state. “Did something happen to you? Did someone do something to you?” He ran a hand through Shinji’s hair and down his back, willing Shinji to talk to him.
“Sadaharu….” Shakily, Shinji looked up at Inui. “Am I chaining you down?”
“Are you…what, now?” Inui blinked. “Shinji…what are you…?”
“Am I holding you back? Am I just being selfish, chaining you here with me when you could be doing better things, and with people better suited to you?”
“Oh, Shinji…no.” Inui pulled at Shinji until he was sitting upright and propped against Inui’s chest. “You don’t hold me back…you keep me grounded. Without you, I might lose focus of what’s real and important and lose myself, like my parents have. You’re not chaining me down; you keep me anchored.”
Inui shifted so that he could look into Shinji’s eyes. “There is no one better for me,” he said, slowly and deliberately. “How can there be, when you complete me?”
“Sadaharu…I….” Before Shinji could say anything else, Inui leaned down and kissed him gently.
“Don’t doubt us…don’t doubt yourself. If anyone is being held back, it’s you…but when you’re with me, I don’t think I care.”
“You’re the only one I want holding me, Sadaharu.” Shinji finally smiled, and pushed up to kiss Inui soundly.
Inui tightened his grip around Shinji. “And I’m never letting go.”
--The End--
By: Liz
Pairing: Inui/Shinji
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Theme: #13. excessive chain
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters herein. I do not claim to own them, and I am not making any profit off of this. This is just fun in a fandom I enjoy. If you want to sue me for all I’m worth…please do! You’re welcome to my student loans and other bills.
Rating: PG
This follows Loyalty.
Previous parts can be found here.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Shinji was lost in thought. This in and of itself was nothing new. Shinji spent a lot of time thinking, most of it in fact, so saying that Shinji was thinking was kind of like saying that water is wet. Extremely obvious and not worth mentioning.
Even Shinji’s topic of choice wasn’t all that surprising. When he had nothing else to think about-and, nine times out of ten, when he did have something else to think about-Shinji’s thoughts naturally turned towards his boyfriend. However, it was rare that Shinji sat down with the express purpose of thinking about Inui, and that was what Shinji was doing at that moment.
There had been so much going on, with projects and practices, and the city tournament, that Shinji hadn’t had a chance to process some things in his head yet, and lying on the grass soaking up some sun seemed the perfect opportunity to do that. At least, Shinji thought, there were worse places to be thinking in.
He sighed as he watched some fluffy clouds skip across the sky. I guess we’re really…official now. He’s my boyfriend, he’s called me his boyfriend, I’ve met his closest friends, hell, he’s even rooted for me against Kaidoh of all people. It really seems like he is serious about me, about us…but what does that mean?
Shinji rolled over so that he was on his stomach and started playing with the grass. Even if he really is serious about me, should I let him be? Sadaharu’s got a future ahead of him…he can reach for so many things, do almost anything, while I’m chained down here. There’s only so much I can do to break out of this mold. Maybe I should be setting Sadaharu free, before he gets too entangled in my chains.
He sighed as he thought about all of the various dreams that he’d had in his life. Some were impossible. Like the time when he was six and decided that he wanted to be a king. Though that was a bit better than when he was five and wanted to be a princess. Aside from those dreams, though, Shinji’s thoughts for his future had always been kind of…normal. Graduate college, find a stable job somewhere-maybe teaching, he thought he would like that-and be with the person he loved. Nothing different from the lives that hundreds of thousands of people were aspiring to and living.
But Sadaharu is different. He wants to do things, things beyond what is here. Researcher, sports medicine…even joining with the space agency! All those things he’s mentioned maybe doing with his life…and where does that leave a relationship from now? Maybe I shouldn’t be letting him get too serious about me. I do nothing for him but hold him down, hold him back. Maybe I should be setting him free right now…it’ll hurt, yes, but won’t it hurt less in the long run if he’s just able to put…this behind him as a youthful mistake?
Shinji sighed and put his head down onto his arms, trying to stop the direction of his thoughts. They kept going, though, getting darker and darker, until….
“Shinji? Are you all right? Are you hurt?” Inui had been expecting to find Shinji there, but not quite in this state. “Did something happen to you? Did someone do something to you?” He ran a hand through Shinji’s hair and down his back, willing Shinji to talk to him.
“Sadaharu….” Shakily, Shinji looked up at Inui. “Am I chaining you down?”
“Are you…what, now?” Inui blinked. “Shinji…what are you…?”
“Am I holding you back? Am I just being selfish, chaining you here with me when you could be doing better things, and with people better suited to you?”
“Oh, Shinji…no.” Inui pulled at Shinji until he was sitting upright and propped against Inui’s chest. “You don’t hold me back…you keep me grounded. Without you, I might lose focus of what’s real and important and lose myself, like my parents have. You’re not chaining me down; you keep me anchored.”
Inui shifted so that he could look into Shinji’s eyes. “There is no one better for me,” he said, slowly and deliberately. “How can there be, when you complete me?”
“Sadaharu…I….” Before Shinji could say anything else, Inui leaned down and kissed him gently.
“Don’t doubt us…don’t doubt yourself. If anyone is being held back, it’s you…but when you’re with me, I don’t think I care.”
“You’re the only one I want holding me, Sadaharu.” Shinji finally smiled, and pushed up to kiss Inui soundly.
Inui tightened his grip around Shinji. “And I’m never letting go.”
--The End--