Prince of Tennis - Waiting - Taka/Fuji
Title: Waiting
Pairing/Characters: Taka x Fuji
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Does not belong to me.
Fuji was good at waiting. He always had good instinct as to what was the right time to pounce on an opportunity. It was a talent, in a way.
This opportunity arose roughly 20 minutes after practice when Kawamura was the only one left in the club room besides himself. It was a few seconds into the kiss before Fuji realized that he was not being kissed back.
Kawamura had relaxed and taken a step forward, letting Fuji's arms snake around him and Fuji's hands hook on his shoulders. He had even bent his knees a little to resolve the height difference, but his lips remained stiff.
Adapting, Fuji waited for a very precise moment to pull away, bite his lip, and feel pride burning in the back of his throat.
He soon found out that Kawamura could also be patient as he stayed in the position and didn't look directly at Fuji until Fuji was ready to speak. He would have liked to say something brilliant, but coughed up a sort of apology instead, then went to pick up his things.
Kawamura stopped him at the door.
"What was that for?" he asked. And when Fuji turned around, he was looking directly into his eyes.
'Because I wanted to' had sounded perfectly reasonable in his head just 20 minutes before.
"I don't know, but we can pretend it didn't happen." He didn't mean for the words to sound so sharp.
"I... If that's what you want." Kawamura quickly finished packing his bag, "Do you want to walk home together?"
"It's all right. I'll go on ahead."
Fuji had a long learned method of defense for everything that came his way. He had enough information to make Inui squirm, but instead of notes and numbers everything just soaked into his mind and the answers came without much need for conscious thought. When it did require more than that he could always sink back into the mold, the answers would come eventually, and he would know when the time was right.
So why his mind was telling his feet to move and he couldn't budge was an absolute mystery. When Kawamura put a hand on his shoulder, he felt like a thin piece of fabric beginning to fray.
"It's OK." Kawamura smiled. It was gentle and unassuming and whatever shook inside of Fuji stilled for a moment.
He did walk with Kawamura even though it was unplanned, they were going the same direction and didn't talk for about half a mile. It was warm and breezy and Fuji had to keep pushing his hair back behind his ears.
"Good thing practice ended before the wind started, right?" Kawamura said.
Fuji was a few steps ahead so he slowed until they were walking side by side. He nodded and smiled and felt the loose ends pulling together again. He even went as far as considering it when he was invited for sushi. But it was probably too late in the evening. He should probably just go home.
He noted the time twice and watched the sun gradually set as they walked. It took longer than he thought it had, it was over in moments after conversations about the newest type of shoes and how Fuji was due for a restringing soon even though he'd only done it a month ago. This tournament was taking a lot out of his equipment. Kawamura laughed and agreed.
It all just felt a little too easy.
Despite the wind, the air felt still and calm. Fuji spoke right after Kawamura said goodbye and turned around to leave.
"Because I wanted to."
It still sounded better in his head.
"Because you... oh. Didn't you want to forget about it?"
"Yeah. I did." Fuji wasn't sure if he was lying or not.
"I just wasn't expecting it s'all..." Kawamura scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I thought you...you know, with Tezuka."
Fuji smiled.
"I thought so too."
He stopped there, sure there was some kind of fine line between stumbling around the point and an elaborate confession and he didn't want to commit to either one.
"I wanted to for a while." Fuji said.
"I didn't know."
Fuji had to tilt his head up to see Kawamura's eyes. He followed when Kawamura shifted from one foot to the other. This time he put the hand on Kawamura's shoulder.
"I won't do it again." He said.
Because this was a bridge that he didn't want to burn. Because Kawamura's brow was furrowed in a way that made Fuji want to shift his own feet, though they remained planted firm. Because Kawamura had unrestrained fire that Fuji didn't want to think about not seeing again. Fuji's fist was curling tighter inside of his pocket. He didn't notice he was doing it until his knuckles began to ache.
The space had closed between them and neither of them were sure who had made the move.
The second kiss was considerably better than the first.
Pairing/Characters: Taka x Fuji
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Does not belong to me.
Fuji was good at waiting. He always had good instinct as to what was the right time to pounce on an opportunity. It was a talent, in a way.
This opportunity arose roughly 20 minutes after practice when Kawamura was the only one left in the club room besides himself. It was a few seconds into the kiss before Fuji realized that he was not being kissed back.
Kawamura had relaxed and taken a step forward, letting Fuji's arms snake around him and Fuji's hands hook on his shoulders. He had even bent his knees a little to resolve the height difference, but his lips remained stiff.
Adapting, Fuji waited for a very precise moment to pull away, bite his lip, and feel pride burning in the back of his throat.
He soon found out that Kawamura could also be patient as he stayed in the position and didn't look directly at Fuji until Fuji was ready to speak. He would have liked to say something brilliant, but coughed up a sort of apology instead, then went to pick up his things.
Kawamura stopped him at the door.
"What was that for?" he asked. And when Fuji turned around, he was looking directly into his eyes.
'Because I wanted to' had sounded perfectly reasonable in his head just 20 minutes before.
"I don't know, but we can pretend it didn't happen." He didn't mean for the words to sound so sharp.
"I... If that's what you want." Kawamura quickly finished packing his bag, "Do you want to walk home together?"
"It's all right. I'll go on ahead."
Fuji had a long learned method of defense for everything that came his way. He had enough information to make Inui squirm, but instead of notes and numbers everything just soaked into his mind and the answers came without much need for conscious thought. When it did require more than that he could always sink back into the mold, the answers would come eventually, and he would know when the time was right.
So why his mind was telling his feet to move and he couldn't budge was an absolute mystery. When Kawamura put a hand on his shoulder, he felt like a thin piece of fabric beginning to fray.
"It's OK." Kawamura smiled. It was gentle and unassuming and whatever shook inside of Fuji stilled for a moment.
He did walk with Kawamura even though it was unplanned, they were going the same direction and didn't talk for about half a mile. It was warm and breezy and Fuji had to keep pushing his hair back behind his ears.
"Good thing practice ended before the wind started, right?" Kawamura said.
Fuji was a few steps ahead so he slowed until they were walking side by side. He nodded and smiled and felt the loose ends pulling together again. He even went as far as considering it when he was invited for sushi. But it was probably too late in the evening. He should probably just go home.
He noted the time twice and watched the sun gradually set as they walked. It took longer than he thought it had, it was over in moments after conversations about the newest type of shoes and how Fuji was due for a restringing soon even though he'd only done it a month ago. This tournament was taking a lot out of his equipment. Kawamura laughed and agreed.
It all just felt a little too easy.
Despite the wind, the air felt still and calm. Fuji spoke right after Kawamura said goodbye and turned around to leave.
"Because I wanted to."
It still sounded better in his head.
"Because you... oh. Didn't you want to forget about it?"
"Yeah. I did." Fuji wasn't sure if he was lying or not.
"I just wasn't expecting it s'all..." Kawamura scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I thought you...you know, with Tezuka."
Fuji smiled.
"I thought so too."
He stopped there, sure there was some kind of fine line between stumbling around the point and an elaborate confession and he didn't want to commit to either one.
"I wanted to for a while." Fuji said.
"I didn't know."
Fuji had to tilt his head up to see Kawamura's eyes. He followed when Kawamura shifted from one foot to the other. This time he put the hand on Kawamura's shoulder.
"I won't do it again." He said.
Because this was a bridge that he didn't want to burn. Because Kawamura's brow was furrowed in a way that made Fuji want to shift his own feet, though they remained planted firm. Because Kawamura had unrestrained fire that Fuji didn't want to think about not seeing again. Fuji's fist was curling tighter inside of his pocket. He didn't notice he was doing it until his knuckles began to ache.
The space had closed between them and neither of them were sure who had made the move.
The second kiss was considerably better than the first.