Prince of Tennis: Ibu Shinji, 067: Snow
Title: Bonding
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Ibu Shinji, Hiyoshi Wakashi
Prompt: 067: Snow
Word Count: 1,043
Rating: PG
Summary: Accidents can create new friendships.
Author's Notes: Shinji and Hiyoshi are both 16 in this. This one goes out to meggiebaby81, as she indirectly inspired me to do this. Thank you, Tigger! *grins*
Main table can be found here
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Look out!”
Shinji heard the shout, but wasn’t able to move quite fast enough as the sled barreled down the hill and into him. All he really knew was that one second, Shinji was upright and the next, he was tumbling face-first into a snowbank.
“I’m sorry!” Shinji felt a pair of hands pulling him upright and dusting him off. “I hit some ice and lost control….” The voice paused. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”
Shinji rolled his eyes as he finished knocking the snow off himself. “That sounds like a really lame pickup line, you know. My youngest sister could do better, though she shouldn’t be picking anyone up because she’s much too young….”
“Now I know you. Who can forget that voice? You played tennis for Fudomine.” The other boy held out his hand. “Hiyoshi Wakashi. Hyoutei.”
Shinji took the hand almost suspiciously. “Ibu Shinji.”
Hiyoshi peered at Shinji. “That’s all? I thought you’d have more to say than that.”
Shinji brushed a little more snow off of his jeans. “I’m cold and wet,” he pointed out. “I know I talk a lot, but even I can’t talk sometimes.”
“And I am sorry about that. Can I make it up to you?” Hiyoshi looked genuinely contrite.
Shinji considered. “You have a spare pair of pants? Or, if not, you can buy me a hot drink.”
“Now who’s trying to pick who up?” Hiyoshi looked amused as he picked up his sled. “I don’t have extra clothes, but I know a place that makes a fairly decent hot chocolate if you’re interested. Least I can do.”
“Pick someone up? Me?” Shinji laughed. “Wouldn’t have the first clue how. Hot chocolate sounds good, though.” He eyed Hiyoshi. “You’re paying.”
A half hour later found them seated on a couch near a fire in a café, sipping at hot chocolates and talking like they had known each other forever. For Shinji, it was nice to meet someone who didn’t mind his conversational tangents, and for Hiyoshi, he found Shinji a relaxing change of pace from the guardedness of Hyoutei.
Their conversation wandered, from their high schools to tennis to their friends and rivals. Two more cups of chocolate later, they were trying to match make the entire Kanto region, and coming up with the oddest pairings. They were almost making it a contest to see who could come up with the weirdest combinations.
“Mizuki and Mukhai.” Shinji nodded. “No offense, but they’re both drama queens. They’d go nicely together.”
Hiyoshi considered that. “Could the world handle that much gay in one spot, though? No, I want to see Taki and that tensai from Seigaku, Fuji.”
“Too much pretty.” Shinji made a slight face. “They’d be too busy being jealous of each other’s beauty. If you want to cross Seigaku and Hyoutei, try….” Shinji thought for a moment. “How about Echizen and…ummm…Kabaji.”
Hiyoshi just stared. “Ibu…Kabaji would kill Echizen! Think of the size difference!”
“Is Kabaji really that…big?” Shinji’s face was the picture of innocence.
“Ibu!” Hiyoshi nearly choked on his drink. “Please, I beg you. Never make me contemplate a naked Kabaji again. I try to avoid looking at all.” He shuddered, then smirked. “Just for that. That doubles player from St. Rudolph…Kisarazu Atsushi. And you. And for kicks, his twin too, the one at Rokkaku…Ryou?”
Shinji just stared at him. “You have to be joking. That’s just…no. No. As hot as the two of them might be…I don’t go for guys with nicer hair than me.” He grinned. “I think the best couple would be Sanada…and you.”
Hiyoshi blinked. “I’m afraid to ask, but…why?”
Shinji settled back into the couch cushions. “Simple, really. Everyone knows that Atobe and Sanada have a secret passion for each other, and you’re mini-Atobe, so…it’s natural. You and Sanada. True, you might be second-best, but still.”
The glare on Hiyoshi’s face had scared many people, but Shinji wasn’t visibly fazed. “I am NOT a mini Atobe!”
“But you have no problems being with Sanada?”
“Yes, I do, actually. But it’s more important that you understand that I am not Atobe.” Hiyoshi slammed his cup down for emphasis.
“I know that.” Shinji finished his drink calmly. “Atobe wouldn’t be sitting here with a commoner drinking third-rate hot chocolate out of a cardboard cup and pairing up random people.”
“No…you’re right.” Hiyoshi chuckled. “Atobe is many things. And one of them happens to be a condescending asshole.”
“At least you’re aware of his flaws. I dare you to try and tell anyone from Rikkai that their precious Yukimura has flaws. You’ll be killed. I think they really think he’s some sort of god, and not human like the rest of us. It’s disgusting and annoying.” Shinji’s face darkened a little. “It may be mean of me, but I hope they discover that their “god” has clay feet one day, and that it hurts.”
Hiyoshi moved a little closer to Shinji and lowered his voice. “You…really don’t like them much, do you?”
“I don’t. They’re more arrogant than even Hyoutei, and they breed demons. They don’t care that their play destroys people. They don’t care that their players are violent and cruel, on and off the court. They encourage it. Their captain encourages it. It’s not right.” Shinji closed his mouth and looked out the window. “It’s snowing again.”
Hiyoshi looked like he was going to pursue the subject, but decided to let Shinji change it. “It is. It’s been a snowy winter.”
“I should go, before the roads get too messy.” Shinji stood, and Hiyoshi followed him.
“Hey, Ibu…want to do this again sometime? I liked talking to you. You’re different, and that’s a good thing.” Hiyoshi grinned. “And don’t think I’m picking you up, either.”
Shinji smiled and nodded. “I’d like that. Same time next week, right here?”
“You’re on.” Hiyoshi followed Shinji out of the café, where they had to go separate directions. “Oh, and Ibu?”
Shinji paused. “Yeah, Hiyoshi?”
“I have the perfect couple.” Hiyoshi grinned. “St. Rudolph’s Yanagizawa and Rokkaku’s Itsuki. Dane and nande. A match made in heaven.” He grinned and headed down the sidewalk.
All Shinji could do was laugh at the rightness of it as he headed home.
--The End--
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Ibu Shinji, Hiyoshi Wakashi
Prompt: 067: Snow
Word Count: 1,043
Rating: PG
Summary: Accidents can create new friendships.
Author's Notes: Shinji and Hiyoshi are both 16 in this. This one goes out to meggiebaby81, as she indirectly inspired me to do this. Thank you, Tigger! *grins*
Main table can be found here
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Look out!”
Shinji heard the shout, but wasn’t able to move quite fast enough as the sled barreled down the hill and into him. All he really knew was that one second, Shinji was upright and the next, he was tumbling face-first into a snowbank.
“I’m sorry!” Shinji felt a pair of hands pulling him upright and dusting him off. “I hit some ice and lost control….” The voice paused. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”
Shinji rolled his eyes as he finished knocking the snow off himself. “That sounds like a really lame pickup line, you know. My youngest sister could do better, though she shouldn’t be picking anyone up because she’s much too young….”
“Now I know you. Who can forget that voice? You played tennis for Fudomine.” The other boy held out his hand. “Hiyoshi Wakashi. Hyoutei.”
Shinji took the hand almost suspiciously. “Ibu Shinji.”
Hiyoshi peered at Shinji. “That’s all? I thought you’d have more to say than that.”
Shinji brushed a little more snow off of his jeans. “I’m cold and wet,” he pointed out. “I know I talk a lot, but even I can’t talk sometimes.”
“And I am sorry about that. Can I make it up to you?” Hiyoshi looked genuinely contrite.
Shinji considered. “You have a spare pair of pants? Or, if not, you can buy me a hot drink.”
“Now who’s trying to pick who up?” Hiyoshi looked amused as he picked up his sled. “I don’t have extra clothes, but I know a place that makes a fairly decent hot chocolate if you’re interested. Least I can do.”
“Pick someone up? Me?” Shinji laughed. “Wouldn’t have the first clue how. Hot chocolate sounds good, though.” He eyed Hiyoshi. “You’re paying.”
A half hour later found them seated on a couch near a fire in a café, sipping at hot chocolates and talking like they had known each other forever. For Shinji, it was nice to meet someone who didn’t mind his conversational tangents, and for Hiyoshi, he found Shinji a relaxing change of pace from the guardedness of Hyoutei.
Their conversation wandered, from their high schools to tennis to their friends and rivals. Two more cups of chocolate later, they were trying to match make the entire Kanto region, and coming up with the oddest pairings. They were almost making it a contest to see who could come up with the weirdest combinations.
“Mizuki and Mukhai.” Shinji nodded. “No offense, but they’re both drama queens. They’d go nicely together.”
Hiyoshi considered that. “Could the world handle that much gay in one spot, though? No, I want to see Taki and that tensai from Seigaku, Fuji.”
“Too much pretty.” Shinji made a slight face. “They’d be too busy being jealous of each other’s beauty. If you want to cross Seigaku and Hyoutei, try….” Shinji thought for a moment. “How about Echizen and…ummm…Kabaji.”
Hiyoshi just stared. “Ibu…Kabaji would kill Echizen! Think of the size difference!”
“Is Kabaji really that…big?” Shinji’s face was the picture of innocence.
“Ibu!” Hiyoshi nearly choked on his drink. “Please, I beg you. Never make me contemplate a naked Kabaji again. I try to avoid looking at all.” He shuddered, then smirked. “Just for that. That doubles player from St. Rudolph…Kisarazu Atsushi. And you. And for kicks, his twin too, the one at Rokkaku…Ryou?”
Shinji just stared at him. “You have to be joking. That’s just…no. No. As hot as the two of them might be…I don’t go for guys with nicer hair than me.” He grinned. “I think the best couple would be Sanada…and you.”
Hiyoshi blinked. “I’m afraid to ask, but…why?”
Shinji settled back into the couch cushions. “Simple, really. Everyone knows that Atobe and Sanada have a secret passion for each other, and you’re mini-Atobe, so…it’s natural. You and Sanada. True, you might be second-best, but still.”
The glare on Hiyoshi’s face had scared many people, but Shinji wasn’t visibly fazed. “I am NOT a mini Atobe!”
“But you have no problems being with Sanada?”
“Yes, I do, actually. But it’s more important that you understand that I am not Atobe.” Hiyoshi slammed his cup down for emphasis.
“I know that.” Shinji finished his drink calmly. “Atobe wouldn’t be sitting here with a commoner drinking third-rate hot chocolate out of a cardboard cup and pairing up random people.”
“No…you’re right.” Hiyoshi chuckled. “Atobe is many things. And one of them happens to be a condescending asshole.”
“At least you’re aware of his flaws. I dare you to try and tell anyone from Rikkai that their precious Yukimura has flaws. You’ll be killed. I think they really think he’s some sort of god, and not human like the rest of us. It’s disgusting and annoying.” Shinji’s face darkened a little. “It may be mean of me, but I hope they discover that their “god” has clay feet one day, and that it hurts.”
Hiyoshi moved a little closer to Shinji and lowered his voice. “You…really don’t like them much, do you?”
“I don’t. They’re more arrogant than even Hyoutei, and they breed demons. They don’t care that their play destroys people. They don’t care that their players are violent and cruel, on and off the court. They encourage it. Their captain encourages it. It’s not right.” Shinji closed his mouth and looked out the window. “It’s snowing again.”
Hiyoshi looked like he was going to pursue the subject, but decided to let Shinji change it. “It is. It’s been a snowy winter.”
“I should go, before the roads get too messy.” Shinji stood, and Hiyoshi followed him.
“Hey, Ibu…want to do this again sometime? I liked talking to you. You’re different, and that’s a good thing.” Hiyoshi grinned. “And don’t think I’m picking you up, either.”
Shinji smiled and nodded. “I’d like that. Same time next week, right here?”
“You’re on.” Hiyoshi followed Shinji out of the café, where they had to go separate directions. “Oh, and Ibu?”
Shinji paused. “Yeah, Hiyoshi?”
“I have the perfect couple.” Hiyoshi grinned. “St. Rudolph’s Yanagizawa and Rokkaku’s Itsuki. Dane and nande. A match made in heaven.” He grinned and headed down the sidewalk.
All Shinji could do was laugh at the rightness of it as he headed home.
--The End--