Prince of Tennis: Ibu Shinji, 031: Sunrise
Title: Light of Some Kind
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Ibu Shinji, Oishi Shuichiro, Ishida Tetsu, Kamio Akira
Prompt: 031: Sunrise
Word Count: 1,070
Rating: PG
Summary: Someone has to tell Oishi what happened to his boyfriend….
Author's Notes: This follows Catching.
Main table can be found here and here.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Oishi was a worrier by nature. He knew that and had long come to terms with it. At times, he was even able to put his worrying aside…but not now. Not when Shinji had said that he’d only be gone a day, that he had to talk to his parents…and it had now been three days.
Three days with no call or word of any sort. Oishi was beyond frantic. It wasn’t just that Shinji wasn’t answering his phone; it was that none of Shinji’s friends were answering theirs, either; or if they did, they had no clue where Shinji was.
Oishi knew that, whatever had happened, it was bad. And he wasn’t being told a single thing. I don’t like this…something feels wrong. Maybe I should just go to Tokyo myself?
Just as Oishi was making up his mind to find his boyfriend himself, a knock sounded on the door. “Shinji?” he asked, as he ran to open it. “Where have you…been? Ishida?” He blinked in surprise. He had met Shinji’s friend before, but Ishida had never turned up on his door step before, either. “Are you looking for Shinji? He’s not here….”
“I know.”
Something about Ishida’s voice made Oishi look at him again. Ishida looked…worn, drawn and hollowed. “What happened to Shinji?” Oishi whispered.
Ishida didn’t question how Oishi knew. “I…it’s a long story. Sit down. You’re going to need it.”
Oishi swallowed, shaking a little as he led Ishida into the small apartment and sat on the couch. “Please…he’s not…is he?” Oishi couldn’t bring himself to say what he most feared.
“Nothing like that…luckily.” Ishida couldn’t look at Oishi, instead studying the floor. “Shinji wanted to be honest with his parents. They’ve always had a good relationship, and Shinji didn’t want to hide from then anymore, especially when he cares about you.” Ishida sighed. “They…didn’t take it well, at all.”
Oishi blinked. Not well…so Shinji’s upset? And he went to his friends for support? “They…where is Shinji? Why didn’t he come home? I’d have helped him-”
“They took it badly,” Ishida reiterated, stressing the word. “Shinji…couldn’t come back here. His father….” Ishida’s hands clenched into fists. “He…Shinji…he nearly died, Oishi.”
Oishi froze.
He could see and hear Ishida, but it was as if it was coming from a distance. Oishi felt as if he was wrapped in a column of ice, and he liked it that way at the moment. Feeling was too much. “I…Shinji…why….” He couldn’t wrap his mouth around his thoughts.
Ishida sat next to Oishi. “We’ve all been with him. Shinji…he managed to contact Kippei. He was closest…and it was probably instinct on his part. Then there was the surgery, and worrying….” Ishida shook his head. “We’re used to handling problems with just us. Akira was the first one to think of telling you, after, when Shinji stabilized. Not everyone wanted to… but Akira and I knew you had to know. You…you’re with him, now. But we couldn’t just call you.”
Oishi was barely listening to Ishida’s words. “I want to go to him. I want to see Shinji. Now.”
Ishida nodded, as if he’d expected nothing else. “I’ll take you to him, then.”
*~*~*~*~*
Oishi existed in a state of withdrawn silence. He hadn’t said a word as the train raced through the night, much too slow for Oishi’s liking. He hadn’t said a word as Tachibana had offered reassurance, as Kamio had offered support. His mind was fixed on a closed door and the person behind it. Shinji….
Finally, finally Oishi was allowed into the room. He hesitated, his hand on the doorknob, steeling himself, then slowly entered to be with Shinji.
With the rising sun casting Shinji in a glow of light, it was easy for Oishi to pretend at first that Shinji was simply sleeping, that he had become dehydrated at a match or something and had been admitted for precautionary reasons. But as he drew closer to the bed, Oishi was forced to notice the lines of the I.V., to see the bruises down Shinji’s face and neck. “Shinji….”
Shinji’s eyes fluttered open, and he looked at Oishi hazily for a moment. “‘Chiro?” he asked, his voice slurred.”
“Shin…I’m here….” Oishi’s hand covered Shinji’s tenderly, avoiding the I.V. line. “I…Shinji….”
“Not as bad as it looks….” Shinji tried to smile. “You…came?”
“Of course I did.” Oishi’s free hand cupped Shinji’s uninjured cheek gently. “When Ishida came to tell me…I couldn’t stay away. I love you, Shinji.”
“Love you, too.” Shinji’s eyes closed. “I didn’t think they’d hate me,” he said softly.
“What they did was so wrong….” Oishi ran his fingers through Shinji’s hair. “I wish you didn’t have to go through this…I wish you had let me go with you.”
Shinji shook his head, wincing some at the motion. “Glad you weren’t…he could’ve hurt you….” His eyes opened again. “Love you too much for that….” Shinji let out a pained sigh. “Was it so wrong…to love you? To be happy? I can’t believe that, ‘Chiro.”
“Because it’s not wrong.” Oishi wanted to cry at how broken and lost Shinji looked and sounded. “Love isn’t wrong, Shinji. Your…your parents were wrong, to do this to you.”
“I just want them to love me…to love you because I do….” Shinji squeezed Oishi’s hand briefly, then relaxed. “I want to go home, Shuichiro. Back to where we are…Aki’s going to let me live with him for awhile….”
“Shhh….” Oishi’s thumb rubbed over Shinji’s lips softly. “We can talk about it later. Right now, you need to recover and get strong.”
“I’m tired….”
“Then go to sleep. You need it.” Oishi kissed Shinji’s forehead, letting the touch linger. “I promise I won’t go far.”
He sat silently by Shinji’s bed, watching his boyfriend sleep as the sun finished rising outside the room’s window. All of Oishi’s thoughts were on his boyfriend, and he wouldn’t have left at all if the doctor on his rounds hadn’t made Oishi leave.
When Oishi entered the waiting room again, his normally gentle green eyes were hard and filled with resolve. “I want to talk to them,” he said, his tone making it clear that he would take no arguments.
“Good.” From the other side of the room, Kamio unfolded himself from his seat between Sakurai and Uchimura. “I’ll take you there. I want to have a few words with them, myself.”
--The End--
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Ibu Shinji, Oishi Shuichiro, Ishida Tetsu, Kamio Akira
Prompt: 031: Sunrise
Word Count: 1,070
Rating: PG
Summary: Someone has to tell Oishi what happened to his boyfriend….
Author's Notes: This follows Catching.
Main table can be found here and here.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Oishi was a worrier by nature. He knew that and had long come to terms with it. At times, he was even able to put his worrying aside…but not now. Not when Shinji had said that he’d only be gone a day, that he had to talk to his parents…and it had now been three days.
Three days with no call or word of any sort. Oishi was beyond frantic. It wasn’t just that Shinji wasn’t answering his phone; it was that none of Shinji’s friends were answering theirs, either; or if they did, they had no clue where Shinji was.
Oishi knew that, whatever had happened, it was bad. And he wasn’t being told a single thing. I don’t like this…something feels wrong. Maybe I should just go to Tokyo myself?
Just as Oishi was making up his mind to find his boyfriend himself, a knock sounded on the door. “Shinji?” he asked, as he ran to open it. “Where have you…been? Ishida?” He blinked in surprise. He had met Shinji’s friend before, but Ishida had never turned up on his door step before, either. “Are you looking for Shinji? He’s not here….”
“I know.”
Something about Ishida’s voice made Oishi look at him again. Ishida looked…worn, drawn and hollowed. “What happened to Shinji?” Oishi whispered.
Ishida didn’t question how Oishi knew. “I…it’s a long story. Sit down. You’re going to need it.”
Oishi swallowed, shaking a little as he led Ishida into the small apartment and sat on the couch. “Please…he’s not…is he?” Oishi couldn’t bring himself to say what he most feared.
“Nothing like that…luckily.” Ishida couldn’t look at Oishi, instead studying the floor. “Shinji wanted to be honest with his parents. They’ve always had a good relationship, and Shinji didn’t want to hide from then anymore, especially when he cares about you.” Ishida sighed. “They…didn’t take it well, at all.”
Oishi blinked. Not well…so Shinji’s upset? And he went to his friends for support? “They…where is Shinji? Why didn’t he come home? I’d have helped him-”
“They took it badly,” Ishida reiterated, stressing the word. “Shinji…couldn’t come back here. His father….” Ishida’s hands clenched into fists. “He…Shinji…he nearly died, Oishi.”
Oishi froze.
He could see and hear Ishida, but it was as if it was coming from a distance. Oishi felt as if he was wrapped in a column of ice, and he liked it that way at the moment. Feeling was too much. “I…Shinji…why….” He couldn’t wrap his mouth around his thoughts.
Ishida sat next to Oishi. “We’ve all been with him. Shinji…he managed to contact Kippei. He was closest…and it was probably instinct on his part. Then there was the surgery, and worrying….” Ishida shook his head. “We’re used to handling problems with just us. Akira was the first one to think of telling you, after, when Shinji stabilized. Not everyone wanted to… but Akira and I knew you had to know. You…you’re with him, now. But we couldn’t just call you.”
Oishi was barely listening to Ishida’s words. “I want to go to him. I want to see Shinji. Now.”
Ishida nodded, as if he’d expected nothing else. “I’ll take you to him, then.”
*~*~*~*~*
Oishi existed in a state of withdrawn silence. He hadn’t said a word as the train raced through the night, much too slow for Oishi’s liking. He hadn’t said a word as Tachibana had offered reassurance, as Kamio had offered support. His mind was fixed on a closed door and the person behind it. Shinji….
Finally, finally Oishi was allowed into the room. He hesitated, his hand on the doorknob, steeling himself, then slowly entered to be with Shinji.
With the rising sun casting Shinji in a glow of light, it was easy for Oishi to pretend at first that Shinji was simply sleeping, that he had become dehydrated at a match or something and had been admitted for precautionary reasons. But as he drew closer to the bed, Oishi was forced to notice the lines of the I.V., to see the bruises down Shinji’s face and neck. “Shinji….”
Shinji’s eyes fluttered open, and he looked at Oishi hazily for a moment. “‘Chiro?” he asked, his voice slurred.”
“Shin…I’m here….” Oishi’s hand covered Shinji’s tenderly, avoiding the I.V. line. “I…Shinji….”
“Not as bad as it looks….” Shinji tried to smile. “You…came?”
“Of course I did.” Oishi’s free hand cupped Shinji’s uninjured cheek gently. “When Ishida came to tell me…I couldn’t stay away. I love you, Shinji.”
“Love you, too.” Shinji’s eyes closed. “I didn’t think they’d hate me,” he said softly.
“What they did was so wrong….” Oishi ran his fingers through Shinji’s hair. “I wish you didn’t have to go through this…I wish you had let me go with you.”
Shinji shook his head, wincing some at the motion. “Glad you weren’t…he could’ve hurt you….” His eyes opened again. “Love you too much for that….” Shinji let out a pained sigh. “Was it so wrong…to love you? To be happy? I can’t believe that, ‘Chiro.”
“Because it’s not wrong.” Oishi wanted to cry at how broken and lost Shinji looked and sounded. “Love isn’t wrong, Shinji. Your…your parents were wrong, to do this to you.”
“I just want them to love me…to love you because I do….” Shinji squeezed Oishi’s hand briefly, then relaxed. “I want to go home, Shuichiro. Back to where we are…Aki’s going to let me live with him for awhile….”
“Shhh….” Oishi’s thumb rubbed over Shinji’s lips softly. “We can talk about it later. Right now, you need to recover and get strong.”
“I’m tired….”
“Then go to sleep. You need it.” Oishi kissed Shinji’s forehead, letting the touch linger. “I promise I won’t go far.”
He sat silently by Shinji’s bed, watching his boyfriend sleep as the sun finished rising outside the room’s window. All of Oishi’s thoughts were on his boyfriend, and he wouldn’t have left at all if the doctor on his rounds hadn’t made Oishi leave.
When Oishi entered the waiting room again, his normally gentle green eyes were hard and filled with resolve. “I want to talk to them,” he said, his tone making it clear that he would take no arguments.
“Good.” From the other side of the room, Kamio unfolded himself from his seat between Sakurai and Uchimura. “I’ll take you there. I want to have a few words with them, myself.”
--The End--