Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Changing of Seasons - GP ❯ Chapter 1

 

Title: Changing of Seasons

A Prince of Tennis Fanfiction
By Andrea Readwolf [andrea_readwolf @hotmail.com]
Chapter: 1/1
Rating: Fluff w/ exam anxiety
Characters: Seigaku, GP
Warnings: drabble
Spoilers: none
Summary: Eiji and Oishi are working on their homework when both would rather be out on the tennis courts with the rest of the underyears.

Disclaimer: Tennis no Ohjisama, characters and settings are the property of Konomi Takeshi. Story idea is property of Andrea Readwolf.

Date Started: February 2005
Status: as-is
Word Count: 953

 

Complication Challenge: The Changing of Seasons

 

 

The sounds of people shouting and calling and laughing and cheering wafted through the open window, along with January's cold breeze, which did its best to counteract the old heater attempting to turn the classroom into an oven.

 

A hand came into focus a second before fingers flicked at Eiji's nose and he looked cross-eyed at the offender.

 

"Eiji," Oishi said in a sing-song voice of exasperation. "Did you finish you practice sheets yet?

 

The redhead blushed quietly and sulkingly flopped across his desk, flipping his pen dejectedly. "Not yet," he admitted, picking absently under a finger nail with one corner of the worksheet. "I still have one more sheet to do."

 

"Then stop daydreaming," his partner told him resolutely, checking the answers to his own pile of homework.

 

"Ma~ Oishi~," the redhead whined, worming around in his seat. "I wanna go outside, just to the tennis courts, for, you know, a couple of minutes? Just to check up on everyone?" he pleaded pathetically, and Oishi sighed and sounded dejected, too.

 

It wasn't that he didn't understand how his partner felt--it was that he understood only too well, because that was how he was feeling, too. It was harder than even he thought it would be to closet himself away inside classrooms and hallways, trying to ignore the world outside where the first and second years were practicing hard for next year's games.

 

Before winter break, they had gotten away with sneaking out into practices a couple of days a week, but, with January, high school entrance exam season was approaching fast, and their teachers had begun pile practice worksheet upon practice worksheet on the third year students. It was so horrible that they often didn't even finish most of the practice sheets in the two hours between their last class and when they would leave school--the two hours that had previously been devoted to club activities.

 

Even though most of the third years would be graduating into the senior high school division, they still had to take and pass Seigaku High School's entrance exam. In addition, a lot of students were attempting other high school exams as well. Next week would be the first test, but before they could get to next week's test, they had to finish this week's pile of homework and study sheets.

 

"Finish up that last sheet, and then we can take a break and check in on the others," Oishi compromised. "Here, let me see your other work; I'll check them for you, and then we can go over them again later tonight."

 

Eiji brightened almost immediately, complacently handing over the pile of work he'd already finished and turning to attack his final worksheet with renewed vigor.

 

Oishi didn't mind checking Eiji's homework--the redhead was better in a lot of their subjects than Oishi himself, the difference was, it was more difficult to get Eiji to stay focused on one subject long enough for him to finish what he'd started. His partner was happier when he could move around and physically *do* something rather than be tied down to a desk, forced to work out boring problem after boring problem.

 

The seniors had had several long months to come to terms with the fact that they were no longer club members of any sort, having retired after their teams had won all their games, but that didn't make it any easier a fact to bare when the sounds of other students still playing, still practicing hard for next year teased and tantalized them from all around outside their classrooms. Most of the seniors tended to stick around for a few months anyway, helping the second years adjust to their new position as leaders in the club.

 

Oishi had had to help Momoshiro and Kaidoh adjust to the amount of paperwork they would have to do now as the tennis club's captain and vice captain. There were training books and ledgers to pass on. Data records and projections. And...

 

Smiling, Oishi wondered if he had Tezuka had looked so overwhelmed when they had taken over the tennis club last year. He wondered what his sempai had been thinking when they had passed the leadership of the club over to them. Had they worried about them? If they would be okay on their own? Had they--

 

"Finished!" Eiji announced loudly, interrupting Oishi's melancholy thoughts as he slammed his pen down. "Hurry up; Let's go! Maybe we can even get a game in before it's time to go," the redhead chattered excitedly, jumping up from his desk and stretching languidly.

 

Oishi grinned and stood, realizing just how tense and stressed he'd been working himself into. "That sounds really good."

 

He looked back down at the papers strewn over their desks. They didn't have Math or English tomorrow, so that homework could wait, he decided, already rearranging his schedule for the night.

 

It felt good, he decided as he followed Eiji out of the classroom and towards the tennis courts. Someone might say they were running away from their responsibilities, neglecting their studies, but... It would be okay, for a few hours, right?

 

And when they approached the tennis courts he could easily pick out the forms of Inui and Fuji and Tezuka out on the courts in the middle of practicing with the first and second years and Oishi felt... lighter.

 

"Hey! Ochibi!" Eiji shouted, launching himself onto their younger teammate, much to the other boy's consternation.

 

Oishi caught Fuji's eyes and returned the other senior's smile.

 

In another month they would really have to move on, into high school, but until that day came, a few hours together, with everyone, it was very all right.

 

 

~owarimasu~