Prince of Tennis: Ibu Shinji, 027: Parents
Title: Secret
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Ibu Shinji, Tachibana Kippei
Prompt: 027: Parents
Word Count: 1,019
Rating: PG-15
Summary: Shinji tells his parents his biggest secret….
Author's Notes: This is not happy. Very much not happy. Shinji is 19 in this, and Kippei is 20.
Main table can be found here
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It hadn’t gone the way Shinji had expected, hadn’t gone the way he had hoped.
All of Shinji’s life, he had been content in the knowledge that he was blessed when it came to family. His parents cherished each other and their children with an almost astonishing steadfastness, and Shinji truly loves his sisters, and them him, even if they did want to kill each other sometimes. If anyone had asked Shinji even an hour ago, he would’ve said with absolute certainty that nothing could tear his family apart.
Shinji had been wrong, though. Dead wrong.
He had anticipated some disappointment, really. Learning that your only son was gay…Shinji wasn’t a fool, and he knew that there would be some hesitation, some concern and confusion. Shinji had kept his secret for just that reason. But after Oishi, and with his feelings for Ryoma still present, Shinji knew he had to tell. But Shinji had honestly thought that they would be able to work through it together, that in time, it would be like nothing had happened.
So he had waited until his sisters were out with friends, and sat down with his parents and some tea, and proceeded to tell them the biggest secret that he had ever kept.
There had been silence. Then Shinji was dodging to avoid the cup that his father hurled at him.
He had listened to his father screaming, his mother crying as she pleaded with Shinji, begging him to just tell them that this was some horrible joke, that he wasn’t gay…and for a moment, Shinji almost did. He opened his mouth to say the words, to try and pretend…but all he could say was, “I’m sorry.”
His mother ran from the room at that point, unable to look at her son. Shinji was alone with his father, and the look in the man’s eyes…he had never been more scared in his life. All Shinji could see was his father coming closer, and Shinji’s back pressed against the wall, eyes closing, trying to block out what he knew was coming….
When Shinji opened his eyes again, much later, he was alone. He could feel the stillness of the house beyond his physical pain. And the pain…was overwhelming. Shinji choked back bile as he tried to rise and failed, tried again. He couldn’t…he needed help…. His hands scrambled, found his cell-was it really still in his pocket? How could that be, when everything else in Shinji’s life had fallen out of place?-and dialed the number of the first person he could think of that could rescue him. “I need help…please…Kippei.”
Shinji wondered if he had lost consciousness, because even with Kippei home on break, he didn’t think it was possible for his friend to get there that fast. His eyes opened-when had they closed again?-to see Kippei’s face, his eyes clouded with shock, anger, and fear. “Shinji! What happened? Are you-who did this?”
All Shinji could do was smile. “Knew you’d save me…always knew….” He could hear Kippei talking, shouting, but it was dim and distant. The darkness was safer. The darkness didn’t hurt.
The next time Shinji’s eyes opened, it was to the soft sound of beeping, and to a smell that he placed after a moment of thinking. Hospital? Why? His head twisted, looking around as if he could find some answers.
“Shhh.”
It was a familiar voice, one that Shinji knew he’d always obey without question, even if it wasn’t obvious. “Kippei? What--?”
Shinji felt a strong hand cover his own. “You passed out, Shinji, back at your house. You weren’t responding at all. I had to call an ambulance.” Shinji could hear the catch in Kippei’s voice, as if he was fighting for control. “You have a nasty concussion, three broken ribs…they had to operate…you were bleeding internally…you could have….” Shinji could hear Kippei’s choked sob, but didn’t say anything. “Shinji…what happened?”
Shinji’s eyes closed again. “I told my parents a secret,” he whispered. “I don’t think they liked it.”
“Your parents?!” Kippei had to fight to control his outrage. “They did this to you?”
“Don’t tell, Kippei. It’s another secret. Bad things happen when you tell secrets.” Shinji was feeling tired, weak, but he clung to Kippei’s hand like a lifeline.
Kippei’s hand tightened around Shinji’s. “Questions are going to be asked, you know. People don’t beat themselves up this badly.”
“Don’t care.” Shinji licked his lips. “Please…don’t tell. Not worth it. Was only…my father. My fault. Shouldn’t have told my secret.”
“Shinji?” Kippei took a deep breath. “What was your secret.?”
“Promise you won’t hurt me?”
Kippei almost laughed at that; to hurt Shinji-or any of his old team-would be to hurt himself. “I could never hurt you, Shin.”
Shinji removed his hand from Kippei’s, reached up slowly and painfully to touch Kippei’s cheek. “I like guys.”
Kippei forced out a chuckle as his hand covered Shinji’s on his face. “That’s not a big secret. A lot of people like guys.”
Shinji opened his eyes, tried to focus on Kippei. “Should’ve kept it…made my mother cry…made my father hurt me….”
“Shinji….” Kippei had to blink back tears. “You didn’t make them do anything. You did nothing wrong.”
“Then why did he do this?”
Kippei had no answer to give.
There was a knock on the door, and a nurse stuck her head in. “Sir? Visiting hours are over in five minutes.”
Kippei nodded and turned his attention back to Shinji. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Akira and Tetsu are both coming home.” He lowered Shinji’s hand back to the bed and squeezed it. “We’ll talk more, then. We’ll work this out, and we’re going to get you better.” He stood and carefully kissed Shinji’s forehead. “You friends are here for you, Shinji.”
Shinji closed his eyes, unable to respond. He waited until he heard Kippei leave the room before he let his own tears fall from his eyes.
Shinji didn’t want his friends. He wanted his parents. And somehow, Shinji thought that he would never have them again.
--The End--
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Ibu Shinji, Tachibana Kippei
Prompt: 027: Parents
Word Count: 1,019
Rating: PG-15
Summary: Shinji tells his parents his biggest secret….
Author's Notes: This is not happy. Very much not happy. Shinji is 19 in this, and Kippei is 20.
Main table can be found here
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It hadn’t gone the way Shinji had expected, hadn’t gone the way he had hoped.
All of Shinji’s life, he had been content in the knowledge that he was blessed when it came to family. His parents cherished each other and their children with an almost astonishing steadfastness, and Shinji truly loves his sisters, and them him, even if they did want to kill each other sometimes. If anyone had asked Shinji even an hour ago, he would’ve said with absolute certainty that nothing could tear his family apart.
Shinji had been wrong, though. Dead wrong.
He had anticipated some disappointment, really. Learning that your only son was gay…Shinji wasn’t a fool, and he knew that there would be some hesitation, some concern and confusion. Shinji had kept his secret for just that reason. But after Oishi, and with his feelings for Ryoma still present, Shinji knew he had to tell. But Shinji had honestly thought that they would be able to work through it together, that in time, it would be like nothing had happened.
So he had waited until his sisters were out with friends, and sat down with his parents and some tea, and proceeded to tell them the biggest secret that he had ever kept.
There had been silence. Then Shinji was dodging to avoid the cup that his father hurled at him.
He had listened to his father screaming, his mother crying as she pleaded with Shinji, begging him to just tell them that this was some horrible joke, that he wasn’t gay…and for a moment, Shinji almost did. He opened his mouth to say the words, to try and pretend…but all he could say was, “I’m sorry.”
His mother ran from the room at that point, unable to look at her son. Shinji was alone with his father, and the look in the man’s eyes…he had never been more scared in his life. All Shinji could see was his father coming closer, and Shinji’s back pressed against the wall, eyes closing, trying to block out what he knew was coming….
When Shinji opened his eyes again, much later, he was alone. He could feel the stillness of the house beyond his physical pain. And the pain…was overwhelming. Shinji choked back bile as he tried to rise and failed, tried again. He couldn’t…he needed help…. His hands scrambled, found his cell-was it really still in his pocket? How could that be, when everything else in Shinji’s life had fallen out of place?-and dialed the number of the first person he could think of that could rescue him. “I need help…please…Kippei.”
Shinji wondered if he had lost consciousness, because even with Kippei home on break, he didn’t think it was possible for his friend to get there that fast. His eyes opened-when had they closed again?-to see Kippei’s face, his eyes clouded with shock, anger, and fear. “Shinji! What happened? Are you-who did this?”
All Shinji could do was smile. “Knew you’d save me…always knew….” He could hear Kippei talking, shouting, but it was dim and distant. The darkness was safer. The darkness didn’t hurt.
The next time Shinji’s eyes opened, it was to the soft sound of beeping, and to a smell that he placed after a moment of thinking. Hospital? Why? His head twisted, looking around as if he could find some answers.
“Shhh.”
It was a familiar voice, one that Shinji knew he’d always obey without question, even if it wasn’t obvious. “Kippei? What--?”
Shinji felt a strong hand cover his own. “You passed out, Shinji, back at your house. You weren’t responding at all. I had to call an ambulance.” Shinji could hear the catch in Kippei’s voice, as if he was fighting for control. “You have a nasty concussion, three broken ribs…they had to operate…you were bleeding internally…you could have….” Shinji could hear Kippei’s choked sob, but didn’t say anything. “Shinji…what happened?”
Shinji’s eyes closed again. “I told my parents a secret,” he whispered. “I don’t think they liked it.”
“Your parents?!” Kippei had to fight to control his outrage. “They did this to you?”
“Don’t tell, Kippei. It’s another secret. Bad things happen when you tell secrets.” Shinji was feeling tired, weak, but he clung to Kippei’s hand like a lifeline.
Kippei’s hand tightened around Shinji’s. “Questions are going to be asked, you know. People don’t beat themselves up this badly.”
“Don’t care.” Shinji licked his lips. “Please…don’t tell. Not worth it. Was only…my father. My fault. Shouldn’t have told my secret.”
“Shinji?” Kippei took a deep breath. “What was your secret.?”
“Promise you won’t hurt me?”
Kippei almost laughed at that; to hurt Shinji-or any of his old team-would be to hurt himself. “I could never hurt you, Shin.”
Shinji removed his hand from Kippei’s, reached up slowly and painfully to touch Kippei’s cheek. “I like guys.”
Kippei forced out a chuckle as his hand covered Shinji’s on his face. “That’s not a big secret. A lot of people like guys.”
Shinji opened his eyes, tried to focus on Kippei. “Should’ve kept it…made my mother cry…made my father hurt me….”
“Shinji….” Kippei had to blink back tears. “You didn’t make them do anything. You did nothing wrong.”
“Then why did he do this?”
Kippei had no answer to give.
There was a knock on the door, and a nurse stuck her head in. “Sir? Visiting hours are over in five minutes.”
Kippei nodded and turned his attention back to Shinji. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Akira and Tetsu are both coming home.” He lowered Shinji’s hand back to the bed and squeezed it. “We’ll talk more, then. We’ll work this out, and we’re going to get you better.” He stood and carefully kissed Shinji’s forehead. “You friends are here for you, Shinji.”
Shinji closed his eyes, unable to respond. He waited until he heard Kippei leave the room before he let his own tears fall from his eyes.
Shinji didn’t want his friends. He wanted his parents. And somehow, Shinji thought that he would never have them again.
--The End--