Prince of Tennis - Tezuka Kunimitsu/Oishi Shuichirou [Epsilon]
Fandom: The Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Tezuka Kunimitsu/Oishi Shuichirou
Theme set: Epsilon
Rating: PG-13 for implications, but mostly G-PG
Notes: Based on manga canon, though if you've only seen the anime, you should still be able to understand everything. Also, see more specific notes at the bottom.
01 - Motion
When Tezuka asked Ryuzaki-sensei if he could play Ryoma, Oishi did not protest, for he knew that once Tezuka started setting things in motion, there was no stopping him.
02 - Cool
Of the many things that Oishi admired about Tezuka, one of them was how cool he was, how he was calm and able to keep his emotions in check, much unlike Oishi himself.
03 - Young
Once, when Oishi and Tezuka were first years, the former asked, “Do you ever stop to remember that you're only thirteen, Tezuka-kun?”
04 - Last
“This is our last chance to make it to Nationals together,” Oishi whispered in the darkness of his room, wondering if Tezuka was thinking the same thing while trying to fall asleep that night.
05 - Wrong
As Oishi cried on the other end of the line, Tezuka said nothing, secretly afraid of saying the wrong thing to his vice-captain, knowing he was not the best at comforting others with words.
06 - Gentle
Tezuka would never forget the way Oishi touched his arm after his accident their first year, the small fingers grazing over the bruising skin, a touch so intent on contrasting the way the racket had slammed into Tezuka's arm that Tezuka was actually deeply moved by it.
07 - One
Oishi was unsure as to why Tezuka did not branch out to make more friends, but it warmed his heart to think that he could possibly be the only friend that Tezuka needed in his life.
08 - Thousand
According to Inui, the number of times that Oishi had said Tezuka's name in front of their teammates over the past two-point-something years had passed one thousand.
09 - King
Oishi never told anyone else of it, but when he was a rather innocent first year, he once said to Tezuka that if he were a king, Oishi would gladly be his most loyal subject.
10 - Learn
When Oishi made mistakes on tests or homework, he would go to Tezuka to help him, originally because it was more convenient, but eventually because he simply enjoyed spending time with his captain.
11 - Blur
The first time Tezuka kissed him, Oishi's surroundings blurred, fading away as his entire world became his captain.
12 - Wait
There were times when, in Kyuushuu, Tezuka wondered if he would ever return to his teammates, if he would ever face Oishi's smiles and looks of admiration again.
13 - Change
When confronted with the greatest hardship that they had faced yet, Tezuka observed as Oishi changed himself for the sake of their team, for the sake of becoming an interim captain that he and Tezuka could be proud of.
14 - Command
Oishi's first command as interim captain was for Tezuka to return to their team and to Oishi himself.
15 - Hold
When Oishi saw Tezuka come through the doors, silently announcing his return, Oishi's pulse raced, and it had been as though Tezuka had never loosened his hold on Oishi's heart.
16 - Need
“... I love thee to the level of every day's most quiet need, by sun and candle-light...” a student in the class read aloud, and it was then that Oishi could not avoid stealing a glance at Tezuka across the room.
17 - Vision
“I do not need to look to know that you are there,” Tezuka said and Oishi finally moved to walk over to where Tezuka sat with his work, his silent observation having been detected.
18 - Attention
When Oishi spoke, Tezuka listened; he valued his vice-captain's opinion even if it did not always seem like it.
19 - Soul
Tezuka could easily tell that with his sincere smiles, concerns, and kindness toward everyone, Oishi would dedicate his entire soul to being the best vice-captain he could be, and so he did not hesitate to ask Oishi if he would help him lead Seigaku to Nationals.
20 - Picture
When Tezuka went to Kyuushuu, he brought pictures of his teammates with him, and if someone else were to look at them, they would see that just one was slightly bent and damaged on the corners: the one of Oishi.
21 - Fool
As Oishi continued to politely decline girls' love confessions, he wondered if he was fooling anyone when he told them that he was not already interested in someone nor ready for a relationship.
22 - Mad
It sometimes angered Oishi that Tezuka did not think about his health nor that of his teammates quite enough, but then again, Oishi was considered the mother of Seigaku.
23 - Child
It was one of Oishi's greatest desires to have a child with the one he loved, and he was enchanted with the thought of raising a kid with Tezuka, one that was intelligent, caring, strong-willed and always smiling, but he feared that it was a dream that would never be realized.
24 - Now
Tezuka most often focused on the future instead of the present, except when it came to Oishi, when sometimes, the future consequences of his actions did not matter.
25 - Shadow
Oishi had seen Tezuka practice outside at night, the lights above the court creating a shadow that stretched far behind Seigaku's captain, and as Oishi watched in awe, he believed it was a manifestation of Tezuka's determination and strength.
26 - Goodbye
Finally, he realized it, he admitted it to himself: he never wanted to let go.
27 - Hide
Together, Tezuka and Oishi hid certain things from their teammates that could hinder their going to Nationals, though Oishi sometimes debated if their relationship really fell under that category.
28 - Fortune
Growing up, Tezuka did not believe in fortune (that is, everything was determined by one's will to him) until he met Oishi and considered that a slight exception.
29 - Safe
Though he was determined to be strong, Tezuka felt the safest and most secure when he sent and received text messages with Oishi, his vice captain the main way he kept in touch with the life he had temporarily left in order to recover in Kyuushuu.
30 - Ghost
Tezuka was not a superstitious person by any means, but he swore he sometimes felt as though Oishi was right there beside him in his room in the rehabilitation center, his smiling face silently cheering him on.
31 - Book
It was not uncommon to see Tezuka and Oishi walking together or sitting together while looking over a textbook for one of their classes, discussing the material before a test; it was an excellent way for them to remain close yet avoid suspicions.
32 - Eye
“I see myself,” Oishi replied to Tezuka's question as he looked into his captain's eyes and felt his cheeks warm as he saw a certain joy expressed in them.
33 - Never
“Nya, Oishi,” Kikumaru's voice pleaded over the phone, “please, just one double date, I swear, that'll be it and you won't ever have to go out with her again and I'll finally have a girlfriend!”
34 - Sing
Though Oishi loved singing, Tezuka was quite a bit better at it, so when Seigaku's captain offered to assist Oishi, singing the next stanza, Oishi swore that he had never heard anything more beautiful in his life.
35 - Sudden
The urge to hold Oishi close and press their lips together overwhelmed Tezuka by surprise, and so, without either of them expecting it, Tezuka gave Oishi his first kiss in Oishi's room, the hum of the latter's fish tank the only sound that was heard for some time.
36 - Stop
Deep down, Tezuka wanted it to stop, wanted to stop losing control of himself and stop feeling emotions he had been determined to be unfamiliar with, but he eventually realized that he was powerless when it came to such overwhelming desires.
37 - Time
There was no greater burden on Tezuka and Oishi's relationship than time; it was their final year to get Seigaku to Nationals and fulfill their promise, possibly their final year together in school, and could their relationship survive the passing of weeks, months, or possibly even years apart?
38 - Wash
One day, when the Seigaku regulars went to the beach, Tezuka and Oishi sat themselves on the sand together a couple of feet apart, the water washing over their feet, the sun setting in a breathtaking purple sky, the two of them sharing the same thought that it was a memory neither of them would forget.
39 - Torn
Tezuka noticed once while studying with Oishi that the other's regulars jacket had a slight tear near the collar, and upon commenting on it, Oishi replied, “Yeah, it's been pretty loved,” to which Tezuka's lips gave the slightest hint of a smile.
40 - History
Both Tezuka and Oishi had practically forgotten what their lives were like before they started going to Seigaku, before they joined the tennis club and met each other.
41 - Power
Most of the time, Tezuka was the more dominant of the two of them in their relationship, but Oishi occasionally enjoyed turning the tables.
42 - Bother
“Inui, I'm busy,” Tezuka mumbled into the phone as Oishi stared at him, his shirt precariously hanging off his shoulder.
43 - God
Despite what some believed, Tezuka was no deity and Oishi knew that well, though it just made him appreciate the person his captain was even more.
44 - Wall
The day Tezuka returned from Kyuushuu was the day that Oishi first kissed Tezuka, pushing him against a wall and claiming his lips, caught up in his passion and emotions and doing it all without a word.
45 - Naked
During a particular phone conversation, Oishi told Tezuka nearly everything about his worries, his fears, his joys, his feelings, just talking and talking, often thinking he was saying too much but unable to help himself as Tezuka listened, silently supporting Oishi as best he could.
46 - Drive
There was no question that Tezuka and Oishi inspired one another to be driven toward their goal: Oishi with his encouragement, support, and loyalty and Tezuka with his unending reserves of strength, determination, and dedication.
47 - Harm
Having witnessed Tezuka's injuries at the hand of their upperclassman and from the match with Atobe, as well as having accompanied Tezuka to his doctor's appointments, Oishi learned that he would possibly like to become a doctor one day, if only to be able to heal all of Tezuka's wounds himself.
48 - Precious
Tezuka considered several things very valuable to him, but there was only one that he would call “precious,” and it was not his tennis skills.
49 - Hunger
Tezuka would always remember the day when his and Oishi's class went on a field trip as first years and his stomach growled so loudly, everyone could hear it, all of them proceeding to laugh afterwards except for Oishi, who whispered into his ear that if he wanted some of his lunch, Tezuka could have it.
50 - Believe
“I will believe in our strength, Oishi,” Tezuka whispered into his vice-captain's ear, squeezing his hand reassuringly.
--
Other Notes:
1) The quote in Need is from Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem “How Do I Love Thee?”
2) In Goodbye, I left out names on purpose and “letting go” does not necessarily imply that they were hugging. I intended for this sentence to be vague, so interpret it as you will. :D
Hope you enjoyed! ♥
Pairing: Tezuka Kunimitsu/Oishi Shuichirou
Theme set: Epsilon
Rating: PG-13 for implications, but mostly G-PG
Notes: Based on manga canon, though if you've only seen the anime, you should still be able to understand everything. Also, see more specific notes at the bottom.
01 - Motion
When Tezuka asked Ryuzaki-sensei if he could play Ryoma, Oishi did not protest, for he knew that once Tezuka started setting things in motion, there was no stopping him.
02 - Cool
Of the many things that Oishi admired about Tezuka, one of them was how cool he was, how he was calm and able to keep his emotions in check, much unlike Oishi himself.
03 - Young
Once, when Oishi and Tezuka were first years, the former asked, “Do you ever stop to remember that you're only thirteen, Tezuka-kun?”
04 - Last
“This is our last chance to make it to Nationals together,” Oishi whispered in the darkness of his room, wondering if Tezuka was thinking the same thing while trying to fall asleep that night.
05 - Wrong
As Oishi cried on the other end of the line, Tezuka said nothing, secretly afraid of saying the wrong thing to his vice-captain, knowing he was not the best at comforting others with words.
06 - Gentle
Tezuka would never forget the way Oishi touched his arm after his accident their first year, the small fingers grazing over the bruising skin, a touch so intent on contrasting the way the racket had slammed into Tezuka's arm that Tezuka was actually deeply moved by it.
07 - One
Oishi was unsure as to why Tezuka did not branch out to make more friends, but it warmed his heart to think that he could possibly be the only friend that Tezuka needed in his life.
08 - Thousand
According to Inui, the number of times that Oishi had said Tezuka's name in front of their teammates over the past two-point-something years had passed one thousand.
09 - King
Oishi never told anyone else of it, but when he was a rather innocent first year, he once said to Tezuka that if he were a king, Oishi would gladly be his most loyal subject.
10 - Learn
When Oishi made mistakes on tests or homework, he would go to Tezuka to help him, originally because it was more convenient, but eventually because he simply enjoyed spending time with his captain.
11 - Blur
The first time Tezuka kissed him, Oishi's surroundings blurred, fading away as his entire world became his captain.
12 - Wait
There were times when, in Kyuushuu, Tezuka wondered if he would ever return to his teammates, if he would ever face Oishi's smiles and looks of admiration again.
13 - Change
When confronted with the greatest hardship that they had faced yet, Tezuka observed as Oishi changed himself for the sake of their team, for the sake of becoming an interim captain that he and Tezuka could be proud of.
14 - Command
Oishi's first command as interim captain was for Tezuka to return to their team and to Oishi himself.
15 - Hold
When Oishi saw Tezuka come through the doors, silently announcing his return, Oishi's pulse raced, and it had been as though Tezuka had never loosened his hold on Oishi's heart.
16 - Need
“... I love thee to the level of every day's most quiet need, by sun and candle-light...” a student in the class read aloud, and it was then that Oishi could not avoid stealing a glance at Tezuka across the room.
17 - Vision
“I do not need to look to know that you are there,” Tezuka said and Oishi finally moved to walk over to where Tezuka sat with his work, his silent observation having been detected.
18 - Attention
When Oishi spoke, Tezuka listened; he valued his vice-captain's opinion even if it did not always seem like it.
19 - Soul
Tezuka could easily tell that with his sincere smiles, concerns, and kindness toward everyone, Oishi would dedicate his entire soul to being the best vice-captain he could be, and so he did not hesitate to ask Oishi if he would help him lead Seigaku to Nationals.
20 - Picture
When Tezuka went to Kyuushuu, he brought pictures of his teammates with him, and if someone else were to look at them, they would see that just one was slightly bent and damaged on the corners: the one of Oishi.
21 - Fool
As Oishi continued to politely decline girls' love confessions, he wondered if he was fooling anyone when he told them that he was not already interested in someone nor ready for a relationship.
22 - Mad
It sometimes angered Oishi that Tezuka did not think about his health nor that of his teammates quite enough, but then again, Oishi was considered the mother of Seigaku.
23 - Child
It was one of Oishi's greatest desires to have a child with the one he loved, and he was enchanted with the thought of raising a kid with Tezuka, one that was intelligent, caring, strong-willed and always smiling, but he feared that it was a dream that would never be realized.
24 - Now
Tezuka most often focused on the future instead of the present, except when it came to Oishi, when sometimes, the future consequences of his actions did not matter.
25 - Shadow
Oishi had seen Tezuka practice outside at night, the lights above the court creating a shadow that stretched far behind Seigaku's captain, and as Oishi watched in awe, he believed it was a manifestation of Tezuka's determination and strength.
26 - Goodbye
Finally, he realized it, he admitted it to himself: he never wanted to let go.
27 - Hide
Together, Tezuka and Oishi hid certain things from their teammates that could hinder their going to Nationals, though Oishi sometimes debated if their relationship really fell under that category.
28 - Fortune
Growing up, Tezuka did not believe in fortune (that is, everything was determined by one's will to him) until he met Oishi and considered that a slight exception.
29 - Safe
Though he was determined to be strong, Tezuka felt the safest and most secure when he sent and received text messages with Oishi, his vice captain the main way he kept in touch with the life he had temporarily left in order to recover in Kyuushuu.
30 - Ghost
Tezuka was not a superstitious person by any means, but he swore he sometimes felt as though Oishi was right there beside him in his room in the rehabilitation center, his smiling face silently cheering him on.
31 - Book
It was not uncommon to see Tezuka and Oishi walking together or sitting together while looking over a textbook for one of their classes, discussing the material before a test; it was an excellent way for them to remain close yet avoid suspicions.
32 - Eye
“I see myself,” Oishi replied to Tezuka's question as he looked into his captain's eyes and felt his cheeks warm as he saw a certain joy expressed in them.
33 - Never
“Nya, Oishi,” Kikumaru's voice pleaded over the phone, “please, just one double date, I swear, that'll be it and you won't ever have to go out with her again and I'll finally have a girlfriend!”
34 - Sing
Though Oishi loved singing, Tezuka was quite a bit better at it, so when Seigaku's captain offered to assist Oishi, singing the next stanza, Oishi swore that he had never heard anything more beautiful in his life.
35 - Sudden
The urge to hold Oishi close and press their lips together overwhelmed Tezuka by surprise, and so, without either of them expecting it, Tezuka gave Oishi his first kiss in Oishi's room, the hum of the latter's fish tank the only sound that was heard for some time.
36 - Stop
Deep down, Tezuka wanted it to stop, wanted to stop losing control of himself and stop feeling emotions he had been determined to be unfamiliar with, but he eventually realized that he was powerless when it came to such overwhelming desires.
37 - Time
There was no greater burden on Tezuka and Oishi's relationship than time; it was their final year to get Seigaku to Nationals and fulfill their promise, possibly their final year together in school, and could their relationship survive the passing of weeks, months, or possibly even years apart?
38 - Wash
One day, when the Seigaku regulars went to the beach, Tezuka and Oishi sat themselves on the sand together a couple of feet apart, the water washing over their feet, the sun setting in a breathtaking purple sky, the two of them sharing the same thought that it was a memory neither of them would forget.
39 - Torn
Tezuka noticed once while studying with Oishi that the other's regulars jacket had a slight tear near the collar, and upon commenting on it, Oishi replied, “Yeah, it's been pretty loved,” to which Tezuka's lips gave the slightest hint of a smile.
40 - History
Both Tezuka and Oishi had practically forgotten what their lives were like before they started going to Seigaku, before they joined the tennis club and met each other.
41 - Power
Most of the time, Tezuka was the more dominant of the two of them in their relationship, but Oishi occasionally enjoyed turning the tables.
42 - Bother
“Inui, I'm busy,” Tezuka mumbled into the phone as Oishi stared at him, his shirt precariously hanging off his shoulder.
43 - God
Despite what some believed, Tezuka was no deity and Oishi knew that well, though it just made him appreciate the person his captain was even more.
44 - Wall
The day Tezuka returned from Kyuushuu was the day that Oishi first kissed Tezuka, pushing him against a wall and claiming his lips, caught up in his passion and emotions and doing it all without a word.
45 - Naked
During a particular phone conversation, Oishi told Tezuka nearly everything about his worries, his fears, his joys, his feelings, just talking and talking, often thinking he was saying too much but unable to help himself as Tezuka listened, silently supporting Oishi as best he could.
46 - Drive
There was no question that Tezuka and Oishi inspired one another to be driven toward their goal: Oishi with his encouragement, support, and loyalty and Tezuka with his unending reserves of strength, determination, and dedication.
47 - Harm
Having witnessed Tezuka's injuries at the hand of their upperclassman and from the match with Atobe, as well as having accompanied Tezuka to his doctor's appointments, Oishi learned that he would possibly like to become a doctor one day, if only to be able to heal all of Tezuka's wounds himself.
48 - Precious
Tezuka considered several things very valuable to him, but there was only one that he would call “precious,” and it was not his tennis skills.
49 - Hunger
Tezuka would always remember the day when his and Oishi's class went on a field trip as first years and his stomach growled so loudly, everyone could hear it, all of them proceeding to laugh afterwards except for Oishi, who whispered into his ear that if he wanted some of his lunch, Tezuka could have it.
50 - Believe
“I will believe in our strength, Oishi,” Tezuka whispered into his vice-captain's ear, squeezing his hand reassuringly.
--
Other Notes:
1) The quote in Need is from Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem “How Do I Love Thee?”
2) In Goodbye, I left out names on purpose and “letting go” does not necessarily imply that they were hugging. I intended for this sentence to be vague, so interpret it as you will. :D
Hope you enjoyed! ♥