Secret Understanding.
By Ran Mouri.
"Say…" Eiji commented one day as Seigaku finished showering after a hard day of practice. "Fujiko is awfully close to Shishido-kun." Ryuusaki-sensei had invited Hyotei Gakuen for some training matches and of course Atobe, seeing the possibility to play against Tezuka, had dragged is team all over the city.
"Huh?" Momoshiro peeked over the window of their clubhouse to see that, indeed, Fuji Syuusuke was sitting by the courts, chatting happily with Shishido Ryou who gesticulated madly, his face flushed, as he tried to make a point. Fuji smiled, giggling as he nodded in agreement. "You are right, Eiji-sempai. I didn't know they were friends." He mussed smiling mischievously.
Defeated by curiosity, Ryoma peeked too.
"They are… touching…" He mumbled, blinking. Fuji-sempai, he always observed, what not the type to touch when talking. He always kept his distance. "Odd."
Tezuka twitched.
"Stop that and get dressed." He snapped. "You three will run 20 more laps if you delay the rest of the team." Momo and Eiji gulped and hurried to reach their jackets. Ryoma, on the other hand, kept his eyes focused on his Captain. His expressionless, emotionless Buchou… who had his hands clenched and his eyes narrowed. The same amber eyes that kept turning to the window, to Fuji-sempai. The pencil on the Captain's hand snapped.
Interesting.
"Any comments, Echizen?"
"Ooh?" Buchou was annoyed, more than usual anyway. "None, Captain."
"Good. Now go and fetch Fuji, he needs to shower before we bid Hyotei goodbye."
"Uis." He nodded, walking purposefully towards the still laughing couple.
"You still have to talk to him, Shishido-kun." Ryoma heard Fuji giggle, as he patted his partner on the knee. "I know what it is when your lover is so insistent, but he should be able to calm down once in a while."
Shishido nodded.
"That's what I tell him!" he growled snapping his knuckles. "But Chotarou won't listen, he wants to cuddle, he wants to snuggle, he wants to make out, and he wants it all at once!"
"Of course, of course." Answered the Tensai. "And his hands are always creeping all over your clothes!"
"And underneath!" The Hyotei player laughed. "And its always the same thing!" both tennis players looked at eachother's eyes and smirked.
"Please… just this once!" Both said in unison, with mocking whinny voices before bursting into laughter.
Ryoma's eyes widened.
Fuji-sempai had a boyfriend…
Fuji-sempai had a whinny, overly touchy-feely boyfriend…
A touchy-feely boyfriend that asked too much out of him…
And Tezuka-buchou liked Fuji-sempai.
Once he found out he would be crushed…
And when Tezuka was crushed - not that he had ever seen him so - the team would suffer.
His head swam wit visions of a heart-broken Captain forcing his team into merciless practice sessions, gallon after gallon of Inui juice and more than 5.000.000 laps just to make his team mates suffer as much as he was suffering.
He had to stop it!
"Fuji-sempai!" He called, making his presence know at last.
Both seniors turned to him and blinked.
"Echizen?" Fuji asked, blinking his clear blue eyes. "Are you ok?"
"I couldn't help but listen." He began, sweating profusely. "Is… ano… is your boyfriend, that demanding?" Shishido raised an eyebrow, confused.
"Fuji-kun's boyfriend?" He repeated, shocked.
"Of course he is." Answered the tensai with a smile. "But he's sweet in his own way, so I guess it's ok." The freshman shook his head nervously, his imaginary 5.000.000 laps had increased into ten million already.
"That." He swallowed. "That shouldn't be sweet!" He protested, sitting besides them. "You can't let him push you around like that! It's not healthy! What about your practices! You deserve better!"
It was confusing to say the least, Echizen Ryoma, Seigaku's new promise. Was defending Fuji Syuusuke's honor?
"Better?" Shishido laughed. "Better like what?" He asked, mocking amusement clear in his eyes. Ryoma felt the challenge and was ready to face it. It wasn't about his own torture anymore, it was about his captain and his honor.
"Someone more mature, maybe even stoic!" He answered firmly. "Someone that knows when to stop and respect, someone intelligent and talented. Someone who knows what it means to go to practice every morning in pain, but still complies! Someone who would never force Fuji-sempai into something that would bring him pain later on!"
Fuji smiled tenderly, finally understanding Ryoma's point. Carefully, he put a hand on his team mate's head and stroked his hair.
"Echizen, I'm touched you worry so much about me." He said softly. "But I love my boyfriend, he's everything that I need, he completes me in ways that I only dreamed about when I was young." A sweet blush covered Fuji's cheeks.
"I know he is very… ah, horny, I guess. But I like him that way, he shows me how much he cares when he touches me, it's nice." Echizen's fists clenched, he was losing, and he knew it.
He would apologize to Tezuka-buchou someday.
"But…" He tried lamely, knowing his defeat was unstoppable as Fuji put a hand on his lips to silence him.
"No buts, Echizen. Maybe some day, I don't know what the future may bring." Suddenly he stood, dusting his pants. "I guess I'd better go to shower, Atobe is looking at us and he seems pissed, maybe Tezuka gave up and bid your team goodbye without us, Shishido-kun."
"It seems so." The Hyotei player smirked, standing also. "It was nice chatting with you, Fuji-kun. I'll try to follow your advice then."
"You try, maybe the four of us can have a double date someday." Syuusuke mussed with a playful smile.
"Not likely." Shishido laughed. "Echizen, walk me to the bus?" He asked suddenly. "Seeing that your team has to make sure we are all gone?"
The first year frowned, but agreed anyway, he had failed his Captain and staring at Fuji-sempai now reminded him of his defeat.
"Ok, see you tomorrow, Fuji-sempai." He sighed, taking Shishido's sleeve and dragging him to Hyotei's bus.
Fuji smiled and went to the clubhouse to shower, Echizen's words still echoing in his head.
"I deserve better, huh?" He whispered to himself as he took off his jersey and t-shirt.
His pale hands stilled as he felt someone's strong, callused hands caressing his hips.
"You do…" A husky voice whispered, warm breath hitting his neck. "What kept you so long with Shishido? Should I get jealous?" A small smile adorned Fuji's face.
"Echizen." The brown haired boy answered with a small shrug. "He was confessing his crush on me, it seems. Poor kid, his first teenage crush." The hands on his hips tightened possessively.
"He has good taste." The voice commented, the hands slipped into his shorts and started to tug them off. "But a terrible timing. He should know you are mine."
"He does. I tried to let him down gently, but he started attacking you and well, you know how determined he is. I had to make him understand."
"Understand?" The shorts fell off, pooling at his ankles.
"Yes, he said I deserve better…" He turned, facing his lover and wrapping his arms around his neck. "And I made him understand I already have the best."
"Oh?" Fingers danced on his back, making his muscles relax, his skin tingle.
"I did. But you mister." The smaller player gave a few steps back, only to be pulled roughly against his lover's hard chest. "You have to understand that I have to shower quickly and go home, so not today, ok?"
"Please." The whisper made a shiver run down his spine. "Just this once."
Fuji kept silent for a few moments.
"Syuusuke…" His lover warned.
"I'm sorry, you look so handsome, pleading like that." Pale hands wrapped around the sweaty neck once again and pink lips whispered on an ear. "Sometimes I wonder how do you keep that straight face of yours during practice, and become such a needy boyfriend when we are alone."
"It's all your fault." Was that a pout? Yes it was. "Parading around in those shorts of yours, they are really short, shorter than the rest of the team's, maybe Oishi will censure them one day…"
"He should…" He smiled. "Then you wouldn't jump me the moment we are alone on the clubhouse, my mother is starting to wonder why I always get home so late."
"He wouldn't dare. I would force them on you once again." A smirk.
"Abusing your power, Captain?" A raised eyebrow. "What would Yamato-buchou say if he knew his pillar of Seigaku did that?"
"He recommended it." The smirk widened.
"Oooh." A coy smile. "Then I guess I just have to obey my captain, right?"
"You have to, Fuji-kun."
"Tezuka…" A kiss…
And no more words were needed. Fuji knew he would be late today too, and maybe even sore for practice the following day, but it was so worth it.
The End.
A/N: scratches head I'm not sure I like this one as much as I did when I started. Oh well, what do you guys think?