Just Friends

There was a small bar on the same block as their hotel. Just a hole in the wall place, with watered down beer and sake, and that's where Chitose headed now. He stepped through the door and sat down at the formica countertop, getting the bartender's attention.

"I'll have a cup, too," he said gesturing towards the man next to him.

Watanabe spared Chitose a sideways glance before speaking.

"Don't bother," he told the bartender. "He's underage."

"Sensei," Chitose said, "you're so cruel. I'll take a coke, then."

Watanabe poured some sake from a bottle into his cup, put out his cigarette to take a drink. "Is there something I can help you with, Chitose?"

Shitenhouji had made it to Nationals, and the team was in Tokyo for the tournament. Shiraishi had been pumped up about it for weeks now, convinced that this year they would actually manage to beat Rikkai, but it was another team that was the focus of Chitose's attention. "I want to go scout Fudomine's match."

Watanabe shrugged. "So go do it already."

"Sensei," Chitose teased, "can't you act even a little bit jealous?"

Watanabe turned to face him, measuring. "Why are you here, Chitose?"

The abrupt change in tone surprised him, but it really shouldn't have. Chitose had only been playing under Watanabe for a season now, but it hadn't escaped him that the man was a lot more perceptive than his looks and general personality would lead you to believe.

"I guess. . . I'm just postponing things." Chitose chuckled softly, a half-hearted sounding thing. "I haven't seen him in awhile."

There was a silence, and then a sigh. "There's nothing for it, then. Let's go together. We'll pick up Ishida on the way, I'm sure he'll want to go see his brother."

"Brother?" Chitose asked, blinking in confusion.

"Didn't you know? Ishida's ototo plays for Fudomine."

In the end they picked up both Ishida and Zaizen, the four of them heading to the court where Fudomine was playing Echigo.

"They're not so great," Zaizen said, watching them play.

"But they're winning," Ishida pointed out.

"Yeah, against a really awful team. Why are we scouting these guys again, coach?"

"Eh?" Watanabe asked, having already lost interest in the matches. "Well, we might be playing them, after all."

The match was over pretty quickly, Fudomine winning 6-0, and then all the players were shaking hands at the net.

"Can we leave now?" Zaizen asked. "Or do we have another potential opponent to scout?"

"Why'd you even come?" Watanabe asked, on his sixth cigarette in the last hour. "We never asked you."

"Huh? What kind of thing is that for a coach to say?"

"Hold on," Ishida said, hands gesturing for the rest of them to be quiet, "I want to say hello to Tetsu."

They waited until the court had emptied out a little bit more before making their way down the stands, and by the time they got there Fudomine had already put their black jackets on. Chitose could see Tachibana, more and more in focus with every step he took. His hair was still short, was now black, but he was just as good looking as Chitose remembered. Even the way he moved was the same, cool and languid, every motion imbued with his unique brand of confidence. The two Ishidas were hugging in the periphery of his vision, and then Tachibana was looking up, surprise melting into a smirk as he saw Chitose standing there.

"Chitose," he said, by way of a greeting.

"Kippei." Chitose grinned. "Don't tell me you've gotten this weak over the year we've been apart."

Tachibana's smirk grew even larger, and he was about to retort when one of his teammate's voices interrupted the moment.

"Hey! Wait just a minute, you can't say-"

"It's okay, Kamio," Tachibana said. "This is Chitose Senri. He's a friend of mine."

Once Kamio realized the situation he muttered an embarrassed apology, previous anger seemingly dissipated. It gave Chitose time to look him over. Cute, Chitose decided, bright red hair falling over his face, but too small and skinny for Chitose's taste. There was a boy of, Chitose swore, Kamio's exact build standing next to Kamio, staring at Chitose with great interest. This one had long blue hair, and Tachibana was introducing him as Ibu.

Exactly which one of these two, Chitose wondered, was sleeping with Tachibana?

"What a heartwarming reunion," came Watanabe's sing song voice, coming to sling his arm over Chitose's shoulder. "Gin and Tetsu. Chitose and Tachibana. It almost calls for a celebration."

"Do you want to go to dinner with us?" it was Kamio who asked it, but the rest of Fudomine was looking at them expectantly.

"You boys should definitely go," Watanabe said, patting Chitose's shoulder. "Catch up on old times. I'll even look the other way if you come back late to the hotel."

"I'll call Kenya and the others," Zaizen said, already getting out his phone. Chitose looked over as Watanabe gave him a wink and left, waving over his shoulder. And then Fudomine was leading them away from the courts and through Tokyo, to some soba place that Ishida's little brother seemed to be extremely excited about.

Chitose walked a little bit behind Tachibana, watching as Kamio hovered around his captain like a hummingbird. Shinji was there, too, walking on Tachibana's other side with long, calm steps. But it was obvious, now, where Tachibana's attentions laid, soft glances when he thought no one was looking, Kamio beaming up at him.

It made Chitose want to throw up.

When they got to the small restaurant they had to separate into several tables, no one table big enough to fit all of them. As soon as Kamio sat down Chitose was beside him, smiling as Kamio blinked up with mild surprise. Tachibana and Kenya also sat at their table, Tachibana asking Kenya if he was related to the Oshitari from Hyoutei. The conversation turned the way of tennis and rival teams, and while Chitose contributed his attention was focused on Kamio. Chitose had been sitting much too close to the other boy, could tell Kamio noticed by the faint flush to his cheeks.

"I didn't know," Chitose said, leaning towards him, "that Kippei had such cute kohei."

Kamio looked like a deer caught in the headlights, but then Tachibana was addressing them.

"Chitose. Please refrain from molesting my teammates." Teasing, but it had an edge to it that Chitose recognized. He leaned back in his chair, deflated, and barely touched his noodles.

Later on the the restaurant had cleared and they pushed several tables together, not really fitting but close enough. As the two teams joked Chitose got up, making his way outside.

He just needed some time alone, some fresh air, and he stretched his legs as he leaned against a bike stand, looking up at the night sky.

"You can't see the stars in Tokyo."

Chitose looked over at the sound of Tachibana's voice, saw his face in profile beside him. Relaxed and calm, eyes glowing the way they did when he was content.

"It's something I miss from Kyuushuu," Tachibana continued.

"What about me?" Chitose asked, careful to make his voice sound teasing and cheerful. "Do you miss me?"

"Idiot," Tachibana muttered, but then, "of course I do. You were my best friend."

The statement made him sad for so many different reasons, but outside he was still smiling.

"Is it true you've attained the next stage of Muga no Kyouchi?"

Chitose nodded, not particularly wanting to speak at the moment.

"I heard from Miyuki that you were researching it at some university."

"Yeah, but don't tell any one. My reputation would be ruined if my teammates found out I was actually studying something."

Tachibana chuckled at that. "But you were always like that, when you found something that interested you. Like shogi. . . you always had your nose in a book reading about it."

"Kippei-"

He had been watching Tachibana as Tachibana watched the stars, but now Tachibana was turning, facing him. His eyes met Tachibana's, and Chitose hoped that his emotions weren't written too clearly on their surface.

"Chitose," Tachibana said, "Let's play each other. We'll both win our next matches, and then we'll meet each other on the courts. One more time, I'd like to play you with my full strength."

Chitose's heart was palpitating in his chest, and he was nodding. "Yeah. . . I'd like that."

And, for a moment, it was just like old times. The two of them, laying on the tennis court at night and stargazing, talking about everything and nothing.

"I want to play tennis," Tachibana had said, once, and Chitose had followed him. And it was always the two of them, side by side, close enough to touch only Chitose had always been too scared.

They were side by side again now, and Chitose wanted to reach out. What would Kippei do, he thought, if he kissed him right now? And that same fear flared up in his heart, fear of rejection and change and nothing good. Kippei, his best friend, and the boy he had been in love with for so long.

And then Kamio was walking out of the restaurant, teammates stumbling behind him, breaking the moment.

"Tachibana-san," he said, "we're heading back now."

"Yeah." And the Tachibana was standing up, smiling at Chitose one more time. "See you later, then."

Chitose nodded. "Bye, Kippei."

He watched as the team walked off, not missing it when Tachibana slung his arm over Kamio's shoulder and pulled him closer.

Chitose left before his teammates came out of the restaurant. He took a long way back to the hotel, ambling through streets both quiet and loud, through parks softly lit in the night. He walked for awhile before he found himself in front of that same bar from that morning, and he walked in to take a seat at the counter.

Different bartender, he thought, and he gestured to the man seated next to him, "I'l have a cup as well."

But Watanabe just looked at him, regarding him intently.

"You're not going to stop me?" Chitose asked, and Watanabe was already shrugging.

"I suppose it's okay, this one time."

The bartender placed a cup in front of Chitose, and Watanabe filled it to overflowing.

"What's with," Watanabe asked, "that love sick expression on your face?"

"Am I that obvious?" Chitose asked. He chuckled, but it was a dull, limp sound. He could feel Watanabe's hand come to pat the top of his head.

"It's okay. You're young, and this was your first love. You'll have another."

"Is sensei offering?" Chitose asked. He had meant it as a joke, but his voice was completely flat as the words came out. Watanabe just smiled and poured him another cup of sake.

He stumbled into his room an hour later, relieved to find that Kenya was already asleep. As he fell asleep he thought about Tachibana and how everything had changed between them, even when he had always tried so hard to keep things the same. One ill-fated practice match one year ago and they were spiraling apart, planets with opposite orbits.

One more match, just like old times, but then he would be done. Tennis, Chitose decided, just didn't hold any interest for him anymore.