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Believe in You	By : Pixxit Category: Prince of Tennis/Tennis no Ohjisama > General Views: 1600 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis (Tennis no Ohjisama), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Believe in You
- 1
Believe in You

The rhythmic back and forth echo of Kikumaru and Fuji�s game
held Kawamura in absolute thrall � so much so that he�d become oblivious to the
practices and conversations around him.
He sat, a rare study of motionless focus, cataloguing each and every one
of Fuji�s effortless movements
while he passed time with his friend.

Kikumaru teased Fuji
with playful banter and false challenge and Fuji
responded as he always did � with very little reaction whatsoever. They made Kawamura smile. Fuji made Kawamura smile. Despite Fuji�s admonitions regarding Kawamura�s
pessimistic outlook regarding their relationship or, at least, Fuji�s
potentially mercurial feelings regarding Kawamura, it was near impossible for
Kawamura to stare too long at Fuji without somehow thinking he was making memories
to help him through when Fuji decided to pull up stakes and move on with his
life. Not that Kawamura would ever admit
that he was, in fact, doing it. Fuji
grew somewhat impatient with him if he suspected Kawamura�s thoughts were
headed in that direction.

So absorbed in his own musings as he was, Kawamura didn�t
notice that he�d drawn some attention of his own until Oishi had already lowered
himself onto the bench. When Kawamura
realized that he was no longer alone, he glanced over quickly, flashing his
teammate a brief, self-deprecating grin, embarrassed to have been caught
staring and being unproductive.

�Oi, Oishi.�

Oishi smiled easily and rubbed at his face with a small
towel before draping it over his shoulder and turning his gaze on the scene
that had drawn Kawamura�s attention. �I�m
about to call a halt to today�s practice, actually. I just thought I�d take a little break first.�

Kawamura didn�t answer, but smiled again before sneaking
another glance at Fuji. The wind was blowing gently and it ruffled
his hair as he moved against it. Fuji
never looked so beautiful as when he was in motion �
graceful and at ease with the wind teasing the edges of his shirt, lifting it
occasionally to offer the smallest glimpse of pale, perfect skin. Kawamura swallowed. Hard.

Kikumaru laughed then, and Kawamura�s attention was drawn to
the vibrant boy that Oishi was staring at in the exact same manner that
Kawamura had been staring at Fuji
only moments before. To the best of the
team�s knowledge, Seigaku�s Golden Pair was nothing
more than the closest of friends. Sure,
their bond went deeper than that of most friendships, but that was something to
be admired, not regarded in any suspicious way.
Kawamura knew better, though. The
only proof he needed was there in Oishi�s eyes. The way he looked at the smaller boy when he
didn�t think anyone was looking spoke volumes of just how deeply their bond
ran.

Kawamura was careful not to let on that he�d noticed. He didn�t want to make Oishi uncomfortable
and their vice-captain was an intensely private, traditional sort of
person. Kawamura didn�t doubt that he
would be mortified to discover that the rest of the team was speculating on
whether or not he kissed his doubles partner goodnight each time they parted
ways. He watched Kikumaru for a moment,
trying to see him as Oishi must see him.
He considered his feelings for Fuji
and tried to draw a parallel that would help to put it in proper perspective.

Or, better still, a parallel that might validate his own feelings and make their relationship okay.

He found it wasn�t difficult to do, really. Kikumaru Eiji was easy to admire and, while
he wasn�t the sort of person Kawamura would find himself attracted to, he could
understand Oishi�s preoccupation with him. Kawamura smiled when Kikumaru bounded over
the net to fling his arms around Fuji�s
neck and swing them in a little circle.

Oishi laughed, unable to help himself, and he blushed
faintly when Kawamura smiled at him. �Ah, gomen, Taka. I�well�I suppose I��

He faltered, cheeks reddening and Kawamura patted him
awkwardly on the shoulder. �You don�t
have to explain, Oishi. Not in the
least.�

Oishi laughed softly and rubbed the back of his neck � just the
way Kawamura did when he was feeling particularly scrutinized or bashful.

�That Eiji.� He shook his head and Kawamura laughed,
too.

�He�s a handful, your Kiku-chan.�

Oishi grew silent, then and his smile faded a bit. �Taka-san. You�you know?�

Kawamura tapped his racket against the blacktop, exhaling
slowly. �Am I not sitting beside
you? Staring just the same?�

Oishi blinked, brow furrowing. And then he blinked again, face flushed for a
completely different reason. �You�you�re
watching Eiji, Taka-san?�

Kawamura sat up a little, blushing hotly at Oishi�s suggestion that his attention had been focused on
Kikumaru. �No! No, Oishi, not on Kikumaru!�

Oishi looked horrified and put out a hand to Kawamura,
though he didn�t touch him. �Gomen, Taka-san, I didn�t mean��

Kawamura laughed then, despite his embarrassment. �Don�t apologize, Oishi.� He shrugged a little, meeting his friend�s
eyes hesitantly. �Fuji. I was watching Fuji.�

Oishi�s eyes widened, despite his
obvious desire to keep his expression neutral.
Oishi would never make it as a card sharp. His every emotion, no matter how fleeting,
was clearly displayed on his face for all to see. �So�you and Fuji?�

Kawamura nodded, glancing back to watch Fuji shoo Kikumaru
back to his side of the court, that serene smile there to soften the edge of
his admonishment. Kawamura felt a little
warm. �Hai. We�� Here he paused, shrugging again. How to explain it? Was it necessary? Was it possible? Was it fair to Fuji? Would Fuji
be angry at him for discussing it with Oishi?

Oishi made a soft, affirming sound. �Eiji said that Fuji
had been seeing someone, but I never imagined that it was you, Taka-san.�

Kawamura watched Fuji
deliver a particularly vicious backhand return and he didn�t miss that Fuji
was smiling when he did it. �I know it
seems strange. To imagine someone like Fuji
with someone like me. I haven�t told
anyone.�

Oishi squeezed Kawamura�s shoulder quickly, not lingering
overlong lest he risk embarrassing Kawamura.
�Not strange, Taka. Just unexpected.� He was silent a moment as he glanced around
covertly and he lowered his voice to speak his next words. �Is it serious with you and Fuji?�

Kawamura tore his gaze away from Fuji
and met Oishi�s eyes squarely. �Yes.�

Oishi smiled at that, a true, sincere smile. �That�s good, Taka-san.� Oishi nodded.
�Yes, that�s really good. Eiji
thinks very highly of Fuji.�

�Do you love Eiji, Oishi?
Do you love him so much that it hurts to think about it?� Kawamura reddened even as he spoke the words,
but he couldn�t pass up this chance to discuss his feelings with someone he
could trust and who might possibly understand.

Oishi�s expression softened. �I love him.
But it doesn�t hurt.� He shook
his head, quick to qualify his words. �Not anymore, anyway. See, Taka � I never have to explain myself to
Eiji. It�s like I�m understood, without
ever having to say a word. That can be a
bad thing sometimes, though. Like when
he�s being obtuse and selfish and I know
he�s aware that it�s affecting me. But
then, Eiji is just�Eiji. And I remember
that I love him as he is.� He
blushed. �Gomen,
Taka. You probably don�t want to hear
all this.�

Kawamura shook his head, eyes wide. �No.
No, Oishi � on the contrary. I
spent so long thinking what I felt was wrong that now I can barely see my way
through to the fact that Fuji feels
the same way I do. I�m so, so afraid of
messing that up, somehow.�

Eiji spotted Oishi in that moment and saluted him crisply
before springing backward to return Fuji�s
serve. �Hoi, Oishi. Watch me teach Fuji
a lesson!�

Kawamura smiled at Fuji�s
soft, indulgent laughter and he realized that he felt lighter somehow for
having shared his secret with Oishi. �It
was unexpected, you know? That he would return my feelings.�

Oishi nodded. �I felt
the same way as you, once. For a while I
tried to ignore it � I mean, it�s not exactly normal for a guy to fall for his
best friend, right? It was Eiji who put
it in perspective for me.�

Kawamura tilted his head.
�What did he say?�

�He grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me and he said �Oishi
Shuichirou, you love me just the way I love you. Stop being so stupid about
it.�

Kawamura blinked. �And
what did you do?�

Oishi laughed. �I
kissed him.� Oishi looked at Kawamura,
expression understanding and serious. �And
I�ve never been this happy in my whole life, Taka-san. Don�t let your own self-doubt get in the way
of something good.�

Kawamura was silent for a long moment and then, finally, he
nodded. �You�re right. But then, Fuji�s
been telling me that all along.�

Oishi stood slowly, clapping Kawamura on the shoulder in
easy camaraderie. �You should listen to
him, then. If they weren�t so clever, we
wouldn�t love them so much, right?�

Kawamura ducked his head, embarrassed still, but so very
grateful for Oishi�s kind advice. �Arigatou, Oishi.�

Oishi only nodded and tossed his towel to Kawamura before
heading over to join Kikumaru, who bounded up to him happily, obviously not
concerned with what anyone might read into his attentions.

It was then that Kawamura turned his gaze back to Fuji. He blushed, surprised, when he locked eyes
with the object of his affections and he wondered how long Fuji
had been watching him.

But then Fuji lay his left hand over his heart and canted his head. His wicked, knowing smile was completely at
odds with the soft look in his eyes.

Kawamura smiled in response and rested his right hand over
his heart. It was in that precise moment that he let go of all his fear and hesitation.

He was going to believe himself. He was going to believe in Fuji. Truthfully, for Kawamura, there was nothing
as important as that.
- 1
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Believe in You