Prince of Tennis: Ibu Shinji, 075: Shade
Title: Real Life
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Ibu Shinji, Ishida Tetsu
Prompt: 075: Shade
Word Count: 649
Rating: G
Summary: What ‘happily ever after’ means.
Author's Notes: Shinji is 25 and a graduate student. Ishida is also 25 and working on his medical residency.
Main table can be found here and here.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Shinji closed his eyes and stretched out on his back. It was peaceful, lying underneath the trees in the park, the leaves shading him from the harsh summer sun. He didn’t often take time to be just by himself anymore, and the solitude felt…nice. Just him and the cool shade….
“Shinji!”
Well, Shinji thought wryly as he sat up. It was nice while it lasted, anyway. He waved at the approaching figure. “Tetsu…I thought you were working today?”
Ishida shook his head as he sat next to Shinji. “Rotation was changed at the last minute, so I ended up with a rare afternoon off. I’m treasuring it.” He looked over at his friend. “I’m kind of surprised that it’s just you here. Where’s the boyfriend?” He grinned. “You two are usually joined at the hip.”
“Not always.” Shinji shot a dark look at his longtime friend. “Shuichiro’s out with a couple of his Seigaku friends. I really didn’t feel like tagging along.” He lay back again and closed his eyes. “Besides, this is nice.”
“It is.” Ishida stretched out next to Shinji, looking up at the sun through the leaves. “You know something, Shin?”
“Hmmm? What’s that?”
“You make me believe in forever. In happily ever after.”
Shinji blinked and rolled onto his side, staring at Ishida. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you and Oishi.” Ishida waved a hand. “You two are so strong, so solid, so in love. It’s clear that you two are perfect. You’re happily ever after.”
To Ishida’s surprise, Shinji laughed. “Tetsu…I hate to break this to you, but we’re not perfect. Far from it.”
“You’re…not?” Ishida seemed startled by that. “But…you look so…so right!”
“Oh, I’m not saying we’re not right for each other. We wouldn’t still be together if we weren’t.” Shinji rolled onto his stomach and starred down at the grass. “But we’re not perfect, either. We fight. We have silences, screaming matches, times where we consider just walking away from it all. Nothing’s perfect, Tetsu.” Shinji sighed. “I don’t believe in happy endings,” he said, quietly.
Ishida blinked. “You…you don’t?”
Shinji shook his head. “Life’s not like that, Tetsu. Happy endings imply a complacency that life just doesn’t allow. I’m happy, don’t get me wrong, but…it’s not a fairytale, Tetsu. Nothing is. ‘Chiro and I are real people, just as real as anyone else that you know. We work for our happiness.”
“Is it worth it?” Ishida’s voice was soft.
Shinji was quiet for a minute, considering. “It is,” he replied, just as softly. “For all of the shouting, the anger, the tears…there’s also the love. The feeling of being cherished and needed. Of knowing that there’s someone always there for you, just as you are there for them. Even when I’m fighting with ‘Chiro, I know our love is strong enough that even that momentary strife won’t change how we feel.”
“Shin….” Ishida sighed and lay on his back again. “Well , there goes one of my illusions dashed.” He grinned. “But you are happy, right?”
“Very.” Shinji nodded. “Tetsu…I’ve never been happier. I do believe in forever, you know. Just not happily ever after.”
“Then that’s what’s important.” Ishida grinned at his friend. “Are we going to spend all afternoon being lazy?”
Shinji considered this for a moment. “Unless you have something better to offer.” He chuckled. “I mean, this was my plan for the afternoon right here. I’m open to other options, though.”
“Ice cream, then tennis, then maybe more ice cream.” Ishida stood and held out a hand to Shinji. “You have no classes, and I’ve been freed from residential hell for a day, so let’s pretend we’re thirteen again.” He made a face. “Only without, you know, all the teenage drama and all.”
“I think I can work with that restriction.” Shinji laughed and took the offered hand. “That sounds perfect to me.”
--The End--
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Characters: Ibu Shinji, Ishida Tetsu
Prompt: 075: Shade
Word Count: 649
Rating: G
Summary: What ‘happily ever after’ means.
Author's Notes: Shinji is 25 and a graduate student. Ishida is also 25 and working on his medical residency.
Main table can be found here and here.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Shinji closed his eyes and stretched out on his back. It was peaceful, lying underneath the trees in the park, the leaves shading him from the harsh summer sun. He didn’t often take time to be just by himself anymore, and the solitude felt…nice. Just him and the cool shade….
“Shinji!”
Well, Shinji thought wryly as he sat up. It was nice while it lasted, anyway. He waved at the approaching figure. “Tetsu…I thought you were working today?”
Ishida shook his head as he sat next to Shinji. “Rotation was changed at the last minute, so I ended up with a rare afternoon off. I’m treasuring it.” He looked over at his friend. “I’m kind of surprised that it’s just you here. Where’s the boyfriend?” He grinned. “You two are usually joined at the hip.”
“Not always.” Shinji shot a dark look at his longtime friend. “Shuichiro’s out with a couple of his Seigaku friends. I really didn’t feel like tagging along.” He lay back again and closed his eyes. “Besides, this is nice.”
“It is.” Ishida stretched out next to Shinji, looking up at the sun through the leaves. “You know something, Shin?”
“Hmmm? What’s that?”
“You make me believe in forever. In happily ever after.”
Shinji blinked and rolled onto his side, staring at Ishida. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you and Oishi.” Ishida waved a hand. “You two are so strong, so solid, so in love. It’s clear that you two are perfect. You’re happily ever after.”
To Ishida’s surprise, Shinji laughed. “Tetsu…I hate to break this to you, but we’re not perfect. Far from it.”
“You’re…not?” Ishida seemed startled by that. “But…you look so…so right!”
“Oh, I’m not saying we’re not right for each other. We wouldn’t still be together if we weren’t.” Shinji rolled onto his stomach and starred down at the grass. “But we’re not perfect, either. We fight. We have silences, screaming matches, times where we consider just walking away from it all. Nothing’s perfect, Tetsu.” Shinji sighed. “I don’t believe in happy endings,” he said, quietly.
Ishida blinked. “You…you don’t?”
Shinji shook his head. “Life’s not like that, Tetsu. Happy endings imply a complacency that life just doesn’t allow. I’m happy, don’t get me wrong, but…it’s not a fairytale, Tetsu. Nothing is. ‘Chiro and I are real people, just as real as anyone else that you know. We work for our happiness.”
“Is it worth it?” Ishida’s voice was soft.
Shinji was quiet for a minute, considering. “It is,” he replied, just as softly. “For all of the shouting, the anger, the tears…there’s also the love. The feeling of being cherished and needed. Of knowing that there’s someone always there for you, just as you are there for them. Even when I’m fighting with ‘Chiro, I know our love is strong enough that even that momentary strife won’t change how we feel.”
“Shin….” Ishida sighed and lay on his back again. “Well , there goes one of my illusions dashed.” He grinned. “But you are happy, right?”
“Very.” Shinji nodded. “Tetsu…I’ve never been happier. I do believe in forever, you know. Just not happily ever after.”
“Then that’s what’s important.” Ishida grinned at his friend. “Are we going to spend all afternoon being lazy?”
Shinji considered this for a moment. “Unless you have something better to offer.” He chuckled. “I mean, this was my plan for the afternoon right here. I’m open to other options, though.”
“Ice cream, then tennis, then maybe more ice cream.” Ishida stood and held out a hand to Shinji. “You have no classes, and I’ve been freed from residential hell for a day, so let’s pretend we’re thirteen again.” He made a face. “Only without, you know, all the teenage drama and all.”
“I think I can work with that restriction.” Shinji laughed and took the offered hand. “That sounds perfect to me.”
--The End--