Wheels [G; Choutarou/Shishido]
Title: Wheels
Author: worblehat
Genre: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Choutarou/Shishido
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Konomi owns these character rights.
Notes: Done for wordplex. The prompt was "oblige." I used it very loosely here. Beta'd by regulusa. ♥
Summary: Choutarou enjoys the bus ride with Shishido home after a long match.
Word Count: 1,086
The bus on the way back was quiet. Up in front, Atobe was talking to Kabaji, who nodded every so often. Further back were Oshitari and Mukahi, who were busy playing a game that Choutarou couldn't see. The rest of the team was sleeping - including Shishido, whose head lolled slightly.
Choutarou had watched him for a few minutes in shy amusement, smiling at the half-open mouth, the soft sounds Shishido made when he tried to straighten back up so that he wasn't resting on Choutarou's shoulder. They always sat together on the bus except one time, when Choutarou had stayed outside to talked to the coach; when he'd boarded the bus, it had been to see Oshitari asking Shishido questions that Shishido seemed to have no inclination to answer. Choutarou remembered what happened that time - how angry he'd been that when they'd arrived, that Oshitari had jokingly tried to kiss him on the forehead. Shishido's face had been beet-red and he hadn't spoken to Oshitari for a week, even when Atobe, smirking, had paired them up for a practice doubles match. (They'd lost.)
He slouched down in his seat a little more, keeping his hands neatly in his lap. The view outside the window wasn't that interesting, but Choutarou looked. He didn't want Shishido thinking he was weird for staring. He didn't want to make Shishido angry.
When he heard Shishido's soft snores, he chanced a look over. As if on cue, Shishido's neck bent slightly and his head landed against Choutarou's shoulder.
Choutarou's eyes went wide. His whole body stiffened. He looked and looked at Shishido, who slept soundly. The brown hair peeking out from under the blue cap looked soft and Choutarou was tempted to slip timid fingers against his temple, just to see if -
"Look who's napping," said a cool, amused voice.
Choutarou looked up to see Oshitari staring, Mukahi snickering next to him. "I-I didn't..." stuttered Choutarou, not sure of what he meant to say. He didn't what? Didn't plan it? Didn't know Shishido was going to fall asleep like this? Didn't know what he was going to do once they arrived?
...didn't mind?
"Watch out for him when he wakes up!" said Mukahi, his laughter unrestrained. "He might not want to be your doubles partner anymore."
Choutarou flushed.
"He's only kidding," said Oshitari.
Shishido's arm shifted and he turned, head resting lower on Choutarou's chest. Choutarou thought he heard him mutter something - more like a growl than a mutter - as Shishido's arm slid further, aligning with his own. Even through his Hyotei jacket, Choutarou could feel the warmth of Shishido's body. It was comforting.
He tried to focus on what Oshitari was saying until he realised there were no more questions for him. Mukahi and Oshitari were chatting quietly again. Choutarou breathed out and leaned back against the headrest. Being this close to Shishido was as intoxicating as it was calming. Choutarou's heart raced but he liked it; slowly, he lowered his cheek to the top of Shishido's head, closing his eyes.
It was nice, being this close to Shishido. Really, really nice...
The bus ride was over all too soon. Choutarou looked down at Shishido, who was still snoring. He smiled, watching the pink lips, cheeks reddening when his thoughts starting involving his own lips and tongue and -
"Shishido-san," he said quietly. Placing his free hand on Shishido's far shoulder, he shook Shishido gently. "We're here."
Shishido blinked, then yawned. "Already?"
Choutarou lowered his hand back into his lap, his face still red. Shishido stood and reached for his bag, making his way off the bus. Choutarou followed.
They walked together silently. The sky darkened, turning from a bright, fiery orange to a subdued blue. Choutarou focused on his heartbeat. It was slower now than it had been on the bus, when Shishido had been close like that. He wondered why Shishido hadn't yelled at him like he'd done at Oshitari; he wanted to ask but -
Shishido stopped walking. Choutarou blinked, then turned around. "Didn't you hear me?" asked Shishido.
"Eh?" asked Choutarou. He lowered his head, embarrassed. "Sorry, Shishido-san."
Shishido walked towards him, and that odd flip-flop type of heartbeat started again in Choutarou's chest. Shishido's brown eyes were dark in the twilight, almost mean. "What's so important that you can't pay attention when someone is talking?" he asked, voice rough.
"Shishido-san." Choutarou tried to find the words - tried to think of how to ask, how to make sure, how to know. "Thank you for not...I mean...how come you didn't yell at me?"
Shishido stared blankly. "Yell at you?" he echoed. "Why would I yell at you?"
"Y-You yelled at Oshitari," said Choutarou somewhat defensively. He didn't want Shishido thinking he was uncool, but it wasn't like there wasn't a reason. "When he -"
Shishido's eyes went wide. "That was - different," he said. Choutarou wasn't sure, but it seemed as if Shishido's cheeks got a little darker. "I don't feel comfortable with Oshitari."
Choutarou's stomach flooded with a prickled warmth that spread through his entire body. It wasn't often Shishido handed out compliments; Choutarou remembered each one.
He followed Shishido and they began walking again. He trained his eyes on the floor, only glancing up occasionally to look at Shishido's shoes, or the back of his legs. When the time came to part, he looked up once more.
"See you tomorrow," said Shishido gruffly.
"Shishido-san?"
"What?"
Choutarou took a breath and let it out. It didn't help. "I feel comfortable with you."
Shishido looked at him. "You don't have to say things like that," he mumbled.
"I know," said Choutarou. "I wanted to say it."
Shishido stuffed his hands deep into his pockets. Choutarou's fingers tightened, nails beginning to bite into the skin of his palm. Should he just walk away? Say something more? Tell Shishido he would see him tomorrow? Pretend he hadn't said anything at all?
"Choutarou," said Shishido, standing straighter, looking him in the eye. "I already know."
"You do?"
"Yeah." Shishido's look softened. "You should too."
Choutarou smiled the rest of the way home.
Author: worblehat
Genre: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Choutarou/Shishido
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Konomi owns these character rights.
Notes: Done for wordplex. The prompt was "oblige." I used it very loosely here. Beta'd by regulusa. ♥
Summary: Choutarou enjoys the bus ride with Shishido home after a long match.
Word Count: 1,086
The bus on the way back was quiet. Up in front, Atobe was talking to Kabaji, who nodded every so often. Further back were Oshitari and Mukahi, who were busy playing a game that Choutarou couldn't see. The rest of the team was sleeping - including Shishido, whose head lolled slightly.
Choutarou had watched him for a few minutes in shy amusement, smiling at the half-open mouth, the soft sounds Shishido made when he tried to straighten back up so that he wasn't resting on Choutarou's shoulder. They always sat together on the bus except one time, when Choutarou had stayed outside to talked to the coach; when he'd boarded the bus, it had been to see Oshitari asking Shishido questions that Shishido seemed to have no inclination to answer. Choutarou remembered what happened that time - how angry he'd been that when they'd arrived, that Oshitari had jokingly tried to kiss him on the forehead. Shishido's face had been beet-red and he hadn't spoken to Oshitari for a week, even when Atobe, smirking, had paired them up for a practice doubles match. (They'd lost.)
He slouched down in his seat a little more, keeping his hands neatly in his lap. The view outside the window wasn't that interesting, but Choutarou looked. He didn't want Shishido thinking he was weird for staring. He didn't want to make Shishido angry.
When he heard Shishido's soft snores, he chanced a look over. As if on cue, Shishido's neck bent slightly and his head landed against Choutarou's shoulder.
Choutarou's eyes went wide. His whole body stiffened. He looked and looked at Shishido, who slept soundly. The brown hair peeking out from under the blue cap looked soft and Choutarou was tempted to slip timid fingers against his temple, just to see if -
"Look who's napping," said a cool, amused voice.
Choutarou looked up to see Oshitari staring, Mukahi snickering next to him. "I-I didn't..." stuttered Choutarou, not sure of what he meant to say. He didn't what? Didn't plan it? Didn't know Shishido was going to fall asleep like this? Didn't know what he was going to do once they arrived?
...didn't mind?
"Watch out for him when he wakes up!" said Mukahi, his laughter unrestrained. "He might not want to be your doubles partner anymore."
Choutarou flushed.
"He's only kidding," said Oshitari.
Shishido's arm shifted and he turned, head resting lower on Choutarou's chest. Choutarou thought he heard him mutter something - more like a growl than a mutter - as Shishido's arm slid further, aligning with his own. Even through his Hyotei jacket, Choutarou could feel the warmth of Shishido's body. It was comforting.
He tried to focus on what Oshitari was saying until he realised there were no more questions for him. Mukahi and Oshitari were chatting quietly again. Choutarou breathed out and leaned back against the headrest. Being this close to Shishido was as intoxicating as it was calming. Choutarou's heart raced but he liked it; slowly, he lowered his cheek to the top of Shishido's head, closing his eyes.
It was nice, being this close to Shishido. Really, really nice...
The bus ride was over all too soon. Choutarou looked down at Shishido, who was still snoring. He smiled, watching the pink lips, cheeks reddening when his thoughts starting involving his own lips and tongue and -
"Shishido-san," he said quietly. Placing his free hand on Shishido's far shoulder, he shook Shishido gently. "We're here."
Shishido blinked, then yawned. "Already?"
Choutarou lowered his hand back into his lap, his face still red. Shishido stood and reached for his bag, making his way off the bus. Choutarou followed.
They walked together silently. The sky darkened, turning from a bright, fiery orange to a subdued blue. Choutarou focused on his heartbeat. It was slower now than it had been on the bus, when Shishido had been close like that. He wondered why Shishido hadn't yelled at him like he'd done at Oshitari; he wanted to ask but -
Shishido stopped walking. Choutarou blinked, then turned around. "Didn't you hear me?" asked Shishido.
"Eh?" asked Choutarou. He lowered his head, embarrassed. "Sorry, Shishido-san."
Shishido walked towards him, and that odd flip-flop type of heartbeat started again in Choutarou's chest. Shishido's brown eyes were dark in the twilight, almost mean. "What's so important that you can't pay attention when someone is talking?" he asked, voice rough.
"Shishido-san." Choutarou tried to find the words - tried to think of how to ask, how to make sure, how to know. "Thank you for not...I mean...how come you didn't yell at me?"
Shishido stared blankly. "Yell at you?" he echoed. "Why would I yell at you?"
"Y-You yelled at Oshitari," said Choutarou somewhat defensively. He didn't want Shishido thinking he was uncool, but it wasn't like there wasn't a reason. "When he -"
Shishido's eyes went wide. "That was - different," he said. Choutarou wasn't sure, but it seemed as if Shishido's cheeks got a little darker. "I don't feel comfortable with Oshitari."
Choutarou's stomach flooded with a prickled warmth that spread through his entire body. It wasn't often Shishido handed out compliments; Choutarou remembered each one.
He followed Shishido and they began walking again. He trained his eyes on the floor, only glancing up occasionally to look at Shishido's shoes, or the back of his legs. When the time came to part, he looked up once more.
"See you tomorrow," said Shishido gruffly.
"Shishido-san?"
"What?"
Choutarou took a breath and let it out. It didn't help. "I feel comfortable with you."
Shishido looked at him. "You don't have to say things like that," he mumbled.
"I know," said Choutarou. "I wanted to say it."
Shishido stuffed his hands deep into his pockets. Choutarou's fingers tightened, nails beginning to bite into the skin of his palm. Should he just walk away? Say something more? Tell Shishido he would see him tomorrow? Pretend he hadn't said anything at all?
"Choutarou," said Shishido, standing straighter, looking him in the eye. "I already know."
"You do?"
"Yeah." Shishido's look softened. "You should too."
Choutarou smiled the rest of the way home.