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PoT Fic: Reciprocation (Tezuka/Oishi)
Because they are one of my very favourite things. Also, Valentine's Day.
Reciprocation by Halrloprillalar
Prince of Tennis, Tezuka/Oishi, G, 1100 words.
Chocolate and confusion.
Timeframe: second year.
[ also posted to tezukaoishi and tenipuri_yaoi ]
"You always get more chocolate than me!" Eiji grabbed Oishi's bag and rummaged through it. "I don't know why."
"Stop it, Eiji. You'll make me forget." Oishi carefully wrote down the last few names.
"These cookies look so good. Can I have them?"
"I can't give them to you now." Oishi took the bag back and zipped it up. "What if Nozomi-chan saw you eating them?"
"What else did you get?" Eiji pulled at Oishi's bag again.
"Later. I have to give something to Tezuka."
But Tezuka was nowhere to be seen and Oishi had to go to class.
*
At lunch time, Oishi looked for Tezuka in the second-year classrooms. He went down to the first-year floor just in case. A clutch of girls pressed chocolates and candy on him. He thanked them and made sure he knew all their names.
"Oishi-senpai is so nice," he heard one whisper.
At the end of the hall, Momoshiro and Kaidoh were arguing. "I'm taller, you dumb viper," Momoshiro said.
"You mean you're stupider." Kaidoh shoved Momoshiro and Momoshiro shoved back. A couple of girls were hovering on the periphery, clutching paper bags and murmuring to each other.
Oishi sighed. First Kaidoh had had a growth spurt over the summer. Then Momoshiro overtook him in the fall. Then Kaidoh shot up again. Now they measured themselves every day and squabbled over the result. "Stop it," he called.
Momoshiro pushed Kaidoh one more time. Kaidoh hissed and glared. The girls shrugged and left.
"Stand back to back." Oishi fished a ruler out of his bag. "Momo, it's from the top of your head, not the top of your hair. And Kaidoh, heels on the floor." He pressed the ruler flat onto their heads. "Kaidoh is taller."
"See?" Kaidoh muttered.
"You probably have lifts in your shoes."
"Have you seen Tezuka?" Oishi asked.
"Buchou?" They both straightened up. "He's here?"
"Never mind," Oishi said and wished that his presence were half as effective as the mention of Tezuka's name.
*
The entrance was busy, people going in and out, girls putting gifts into shoeboxes, boys taking them out.
Tezuka's shoebox was easy to find. It was the one with a neatly written sign taped up on the front: I'm very sorry, but I am unable to accept any gifts. And it was locked. The boxes weren't made to lock. Inui must have helped him fix it up.
*
Between afternoon classes, Oishi stepped out into the hallway. Tezuka was walking down to the toilets. Oishi hurried to catch him up.
A group of girls surrounded Oishi, each with a box in her hand and a hopeful expression on her face. Oishi looked at Tezuka: there were girls around him too, but at a distance, like Tezuka was in the centre of a bubble and no one could pass its surface. Oishi could never figure out how he did that.
Then Tezuka was gone and Oishi took the sweets, giving each girl a smile. He updated his list when he got back to class.
*
He finally met up with Tezuka after school and they walked to the club room together. A few girls approached them in front of the door. "I'm sorry," Tezuka said. "I can't accept anything."
Oishi unlocked the door and they went inside. "You're so cold," he said.
"No," Tezuka said. "But it's best not to raise anyone's hopes."
"Will you accept this?" Oishi held out a folded sheet of paper.
"Oishi." Tezuka reached for it and their fingers touched.
Oishi watched Tezuka unfold it. "It's the practice schedule for today," Oishi said. "I wanted to give it to you earlier, but I couldn't find you."
An odd look flickered on Tezuka's face, a flash of sadness, hardly there before it disappeared.
"Do...do you want some chocolate?" Oishi fumbled his bag open. "I have lots."
Tezuka turned away and started to undress. The air around them turned strange and Oishi pulled apart all the towels in the bin so he could straighten them until Tezuka had gone.
*
"Oishi, you got twice as much as I did!" Eiji threw his arms around Oishi just as Oishi was pulling his shirt over his head and they both got stuck for half a minute.
"That's because Oishi never forgets to reciprocate," Fuji said, lacing up his shoes.
"But a month is too long to remember." Eiji poked through the contents of Oishi's bag. "Oh, a chocolate bear!"
"Take it." Oishi felt tight, strained. Anxious but with an unfamiliar anxiety, a worry he didn't want to put a name to. "Take what you like," he said and left for the gym.
*
Oishi watched Tezuka for a long time. Tezuka was standing by the edge of the room, looking over the first-years and their drills, the second-years and their serves. Under Tezuka, the club ran smoothly, the boys worked hard.
Nearly two years now. Oishi wondered if they would really do it next year, if they would make it all the way. He suddenly wanted to see Tezuka play, to watch him control the ball, the court, the crowd.
Tezuka looked over and Oishi wondered if he were nearer if he would see that same sad flash in Tezuka's eyes.
And Oishi could feel something within himself, green and growing, like a bulb pushing through the earth in a forgotten corner of the garden. It didn't make him feel any less anxious.
He went over and stood beside Tezuka. Usually that made Oishi calmer, grounded. But now he was dizzy and reeling, sick with vertigo on the edge of a drop he hadn't seen before.
They were silent for a few minutes. "It's a good practice schedule," Tezuka said.
"Next year," Oishi said and Tezuka turned to face him. "Tezuka, next year we'll make it happen."
"Yes," Tezuka said and held out his hand.
Oishi's mouth went dry. He could see the faint sadness on Tezuka's face, in the corner of his mouth, in the shadow of his eyes. He could hear his own heart beating in his ears, feel it throbbing in his brain.
He clasped Tezuka's hand.
"Oishi," Tezuka said and they held on while the new connection formed between them, and then they held on after, fingers warm against each other, until it was too long, and Oishi let go.
*
Eiji had taken all but one bag of chocolate. "Do you like coconut?" Oishi asked.
"No," Tezuka said.
"Neither do I."
They ate it anyhow as they walked to the train.
-fin-
Tell me what you thought because I'd really like to know. :)
Reciprocation by Halrloprillalar
Prince of Tennis, Tezuka/Oishi, G, 1100 words.
Chocolate and confusion.
Timeframe: second year.
[ also posted to tezukaoishi and tenipuri_yaoi ]
"You always get more chocolate than me!" Eiji grabbed Oishi's bag and rummaged through it. "I don't know why."
"Stop it, Eiji. You'll make me forget." Oishi carefully wrote down the last few names.
"These cookies look so good. Can I have them?"
"I can't give them to you now." Oishi took the bag back and zipped it up. "What if Nozomi-chan saw you eating them?"
"What else did you get?" Eiji pulled at Oishi's bag again.
"Later. I have to give something to Tezuka."
But Tezuka was nowhere to be seen and Oishi had to go to class.
*
At lunch time, Oishi looked for Tezuka in the second-year classrooms. He went down to the first-year floor just in case. A clutch of girls pressed chocolates and candy on him. He thanked them and made sure he knew all their names.
"Oishi-senpai is so nice," he heard one whisper.
At the end of the hall, Momoshiro and Kaidoh were arguing. "I'm taller, you dumb viper," Momoshiro said.
"You mean you're stupider." Kaidoh shoved Momoshiro and Momoshiro shoved back. A couple of girls were hovering on the periphery, clutching paper bags and murmuring to each other.
Oishi sighed. First Kaidoh had had a growth spurt over the summer. Then Momoshiro overtook him in the fall. Then Kaidoh shot up again. Now they measured themselves every day and squabbled over the result. "Stop it," he called.
Momoshiro pushed Kaidoh one more time. Kaidoh hissed and glared. The girls shrugged and left.
"Stand back to back." Oishi fished a ruler out of his bag. "Momo, it's from the top of your head, not the top of your hair. And Kaidoh, heels on the floor." He pressed the ruler flat onto their heads. "Kaidoh is taller."
"See?" Kaidoh muttered.
"You probably have lifts in your shoes."
"Have you seen Tezuka?" Oishi asked.
"Buchou?" They both straightened up. "He's here?"
"Never mind," Oishi said and wished that his presence were half as effective as the mention of Tezuka's name.
*
The entrance was busy, people going in and out, girls putting gifts into shoeboxes, boys taking them out.
Tezuka's shoebox was easy to find. It was the one with a neatly written sign taped up on the front: I'm very sorry, but I am unable to accept any gifts. And it was locked. The boxes weren't made to lock. Inui must have helped him fix it up.
*
Between afternoon classes, Oishi stepped out into the hallway. Tezuka was walking down to the toilets. Oishi hurried to catch him up.
A group of girls surrounded Oishi, each with a box in her hand and a hopeful expression on her face. Oishi looked at Tezuka: there were girls around him too, but at a distance, like Tezuka was in the centre of a bubble and no one could pass its surface. Oishi could never figure out how he did that.
Then Tezuka was gone and Oishi took the sweets, giving each girl a smile. He updated his list when he got back to class.
*
He finally met up with Tezuka after school and they walked to the club room together. A few girls approached them in front of the door. "I'm sorry," Tezuka said. "I can't accept anything."
Oishi unlocked the door and they went inside. "You're so cold," he said.
"No," Tezuka said. "But it's best not to raise anyone's hopes."
"Will you accept this?" Oishi held out a folded sheet of paper.
"Oishi." Tezuka reached for it and their fingers touched.
Oishi watched Tezuka unfold it. "It's the practice schedule for today," Oishi said. "I wanted to give it to you earlier, but I couldn't find you."
An odd look flickered on Tezuka's face, a flash of sadness, hardly there before it disappeared.
"Do...do you want some chocolate?" Oishi fumbled his bag open. "I have lots."
Tezuka turned away and started to undress. The air around them turned strange and Oishi pulled apart all the towels in the bin so he could straighten them until Tezuka had gone.
*
"Oishi, you got twice as much as I did!" Eiji threw his arms around Oishi just as Oishi was pulling his shirt over his head and they both got stuck for half a minute.
"That's because Oishi never forgets to reciprocate," Fuji said, lacing up his shoes.
"But a month is too long to remember." Eiji poked through the contents of Oishi's bag. "Oh, a chocolate bear!"
"Take it." Oishi felt tight, strained. Anxious but with an unfamiliar anxiety, a worry he didn't want to put a name to. "Take what you like," he said and left for the gym.
*
Oishi watched Tezuka for a long time. Tezuka was standing by the edge of the room, looking over the first-years and their drills, the second-years and their serves. Under Tezuka, the club ran smoothly, the boys worked hard.
Nearly two years now. Oishi wondered if they would really do it next year, if they would make it all the way. He suddenly wanted to see Tezuka play, to watch him control the ball, the court, the crowd.
Tezuka looked over and Oishi wondered if he were nearer if he would see that same sad flash in Tezuka's eyes.
And Oishi could feel something within himself, green and growing, like a bulb pushing through the earth in a forgotten corner of the garden. It didn't make him feel any less anxious.
He went over and stood beside Tezuka. Usually that made Oishi calmer, grounded. But now he was dizzy and reeling, sick with vertigo on the edge of a drop he hadn't seen before.
They were silent for a few minutes. "It's a good practice schedule," Tezuka said.
"Next year," Oishi said and Tezuka turned to face him. "Tezuka, next year we'll make it happen."
"Yes," Tezuka said and held out his hand.
Oishi's mouth went dry. He could see the faint sadness on Tezuka's face, in the corner of his mouth, in the shadow of his eyes. He could hear his own heart beating in his ears, feel it throbbing in his brain.
He clasped Tezuka's hand.
"Oishi," Tezuka said and they held on while the new connection formed between them, and then they held on after, fingers warm against each other, until it was too long, and Oishi let go.
*
Eiji had taken all but one bag of chocolate. "Do you like coconut?" Oishi asked.
"No," Tezuka said.
"Neither do I."
They ate it anyhow as they walked to the train.
-fin-
Tell me what you thought because I'd really like to know. :)
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And Oishi could feel something within himself, green and growing, like a bulb pushing through the earth in a forgotten corner of the garden. It didn't make him feel any less anxious.
is one of the lovelier turns of phrase I've seen in a while.
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If you want to check out PoT, let me know and I can point you to episodes.
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If you can't use BT, let me know and I can burn some eps to DVD-R for you.
Watch about ten eps before you make up your mind. The first ep isn't very good -- once they get into all the team members it gets better.
And if you have any questions, ask away. :)
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~ Sarith McGregor
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And Tezuka is a 15-year-old like I am an olympic speed skater named Apolo.
Your Eiji is also quality, insinuating himself in Oishi's spaces, and your Kaidoh and Momoshiro forced me to put my head down for a second with the hilarity. Omfg, LIFTS. Oishi is so long-suffering. And even Fuji's one-liner is perfect, like he knows just a little too much about everything all the time.
so in conclusion, I love you. yay!
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I'm glad you liked Eiji! Of course I couldn't leave him out. And a little MK to add body. *g*
And Tezuka is a 15-year-old like I am an olympic speed skater named Apolo.
I agree! Because he's 14.
*loves back*
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And I couldn't resist the Momo-Kaidoh business.
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And since you specifically asked, some other thoughts:
My only prob (and this is probably me and most Tezuka fic) is that Tezuka is a bit of a cipher here. Oishi is drawn nicely with a few choice details, but somehow Tezuka's details didn't add up to something for me. (I'm having trouble imagining the flash of sadness, and the arrogance and unusualness of the sign and locked door don't quite ring true for me..otoh the bubble of space around Tezuka and Oishi's thoughts about it felt right on)
Overall feeling from fic: smiley happiness. :D
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I remembered Mitsuru in KwG recording the numerous Valentine's gifts he got (including one or two from guys) and I thought Oishi would likely do the same. He's going to go broke on White Day, though. *g*
Ah, Tezuka! Always a problem, isn't he? That's a good point about arrogance. I was thinking more of him just not wanting to engage.
I've been thinking about him a lot, as usual, but he still seem so impenetrable to me.
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Good luck with that! Maybe you can explain him to me when you figure it out. *g*
I've always thought that Tezuka was the "most Japanese" of the PoT boys... but Tezuka/Oishi seems to me that it'd probably be the most "Japanese" relationship (except for the BL-fantasy-cliche Japanese-social-hierarchy one of Atobe/Kabaji), thus making it rilly rilly hard to write about.
I wonder if Oishi is there to be the "sensible one," it means that Tezuka can indulge his more passionate/undutiful/selfish side.
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>>Eiji had taken all but one bag of chocolate.
I love how you maintained his closeness with Eiji while managing the proverbial red thread with tezuka and oishi. brilliant. XD
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Of course, the part with Momo and Kaidoh was awesome. ;)
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My favorite bit was the Momo and Kaidoh bit because it's Momo and Kaidoh. But I also really enjoyed the line, "'Never mind,' Oishi said and wished that his presence were half as effective as the mention of Tezuka's name." Because while Oishi is a great Vice-Captain, he's a bit too earnest to make a great Captain.
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so incredibly adorable. *huggles them*
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