Categories > Anime/Manga > Prince of Tennis > Fixation

Hormones

by Good_Question 3 reviews

Mistress Yami: I updated earlier than I usually do because I felt I needed to. Usually I update by the 5 review policy but it didn't seem like it was going to get a review anytime soon. :P ...

Category: Prince of Tennis - Rating: R - Genres: Angst, Humor, Romance - Characters: Echizen Ryoma, Fuji Shuusuke, Kikumaru Eiji - Published: 2006-09-18 - Updated: 2006-09-19 - 2728 words

3Exciting
Chapter 6: Hormones

What Eiji has discovered the previous night was indeed meeting worthy. But he wasn't going to reveal what it was until the actual meeting took place and that wouldn't be until after school after practice although many were in the opinion that if nothing was going to get done anyway why should they be practicing? It seemed like a waste of time. Eiji of course was bounding with excitement and it had bewildered even Oishi during the day.

Let's rewind...

Eiji crawled over to his large teddy bear which was seated on the floor in front of his closet. He stared deeply into the button eyes before flinging his tiny arms around him.

"I'm getting Ochibi back!" Eiji told the bear decisively and then pulled back to stare it down, as if expecting the bear to disagree with him.

Receiving no response from the bear he moved it slightly aside so that he could pull his gym clothes out of the closet. Even though they hadn't made much progress within the past few weeks with Echizen's departure Tezuka had insisted that they keep things going as normal, they couldn't crumble simply because a team player left. Then again Tezuka neglected to mention how shook up he himself was. The pillar that held Seigaku up had packed it's bags and left, leaving them to crumble to the floor.

Eiji of course wasn't thinking that far into it but rather simply noticed that his favorite target to shower affection towards was gone and he couldn't have that!

"Yush! I'm going to school now!" Eiji called out as he hopped down the stairs and kicked his shoes on hearing a vague reply from the kitchen.

Eiji could barely keep his feet on the ground as he bound his way to school, excitement bubbling up inside of him ready to burst in a spray of carbon dioxide. In fact because of Cloud Nine trip he ended up bounding all over a certain raven haired boy who didn't quite appreciate being stepped on by his team mates. Although it wasn't as if it wasn't anything new.

Kaidoh lifted himself from the ground, his temper flaring as he watched Eiji skip off, oblivious to the world around him. Kaidoh had reacted to Echizen leaving by increasing his training to the point of exhaustion. Where afterwards all he would have to do was drop onto his bed and he wouldn't be plagued by nonsense dreams.

As he watched his senpai bound off towards the school he couldn't help but think of Ryoma. After all Eiji had been clearly upset, maybe even most upset, about his departure and it didn't seem like Eiji to be happily jumping away. Then again.. maybe the Chocolates had paid him a special personal visit.


Kaidoh shook his head and readjusted his green head band before continuing on his jog.

Luckily Eiji didn't near kill anyone else on his way to school, although he came scarily close. In no time at all, or as it seemed to Eiji he had reached the school. Eiji's depression had become almost familiar with all of the people in the school so seeing Eiji skip in with a positively ecstatic face sent a shock through everyone. Milk was spit out, food was chocked upon, and precious projects were dropped as he made his way towards the locker rooms of the Tennis club.

"Hoi Hoi!"

The people already inside, the people being Oishi, Tezuka, Kawamura, and Inui, froze and raised confused expression to meet Eiji's happy one. If this had been a cartoon the entire room would've warped to a different shape and bright pink and yellow question marks would've flooded it.

"Eiji? Are you okay?" Oishi asked as he carefully stood up. He had heard over the phone that his doubles partner had been especially excited about something but he hadn't thought that it would carry on to the next day or that it would've been so extreme as to prompt this expression from him.

"Never been better!" Eiji exclaimed as he dropped his bag in the corner and began changing, well aware of the odd stares his team mates were sending him. But he couldn't have his fun ruined just yet.

"Eiji?"

"Later later!" Eiji said as he picked up his racket, having finished dressing at a record speed.

As Eiji skipped out of the room a deep silence fell over the remaining regulars.

"You think he finally snapped?" Inui asked as he adjusted his glasses.

Throughout the day Eiji had been pestered by many a person as to what the reason for his unparalleled enthusiasm was. In response Eiji would either make funny faces behind their backs or revert to a cat like state, answering everything with a meow and 'playful' pat on the head.

Inui and Oishi had made it a personal assignment to try and find out what was making Eiji so 'crack high happy'. Even Fuji had been left speechless as he noticed the sudden enthusiasm in Eiji. Tezuka, as was his nature, had left the entire matter to work itself out.

"What's gotten into him?" Oishi wondered as he peeked around the corner of a wall towards Eiji who was currently pulling faces behind a second years back.

"Either way we'll find out later... we're wasting time," Inui said as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"You're right," the two turned around and began to walk down the stairs.

'But I want to know now!' each thought as they slowly began to walk backwards to the spot they had been occupying before.


And thus the team ended up staying after school in the locker room, each sending a curious and somehow deadly sharp look at Eiji's back as he whistled away while changing. He may be happy go lucky but stupid he was not. He had noticed the various attempts by his team mates to try and trick the information out of him. It brought him immense joy to know that for once he was the one manipulating the rest of them. Cruel you say? Well so was taking his Ochibi away!

"Uhm... Eiji," Momo began as he buttoned up his shirt slowly, trying not to seem suspicious.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing."

Eiji shrugged and finished dressing and grabbed his bag from the bench.

"Well see ya!"

"WAIT A MOMENT EIJI!"

Eiji lost his balance and the sheer volume of the entire Tennis club saying the same thing at the same time. Even if he had hurt his hand the expressions on their faces was well worth the fall. Then again if his little tricks would end up being the reason that he couldn't get his Ryoma back he would be most upset.

"What about the meeting?"

Ah... one more trick couldn't hurt.

"What meeting?"

A silence drifted over the Seigaku tennis club as the members slowly began to loose what little patience they had left.

"Eiji," Oishi said actually sounding threatening.

Eiji swallowed the words he had been about to spit out and scrambled them around.

"Oh yeah! That!"

A sigh escaped from the people still inside of the locker room as Eiji stuck out his tongue and rubbed the back of his head. He re-entered the locker room and went to seat himself on the far bench. He could feel the others eyes on his as he sat.

'One more thing won't kill anyone' then again it just might.

"Eiji... what is it?"

Eiji lowered his head, his mood darkening considerably. He waited until even the reluctant Tezuka had leaned closer in on him to hear what he had to say.

"The truth is..."

"THE TRUTH IS?"

"I...."

"You?"

"Dead...."

"Dead?

"Jelly...."

"Jelly?"

"Cornulfrankeshusen..."

"EH!"

Eiji lifted his head up and grinned at them. "I know how we can Ochibi back!"

"What are you talking about now Eiji? There's no way you can have Jello with getting Ochibi back," Momo said unaware of what he had just said.

A silence entered the room once more as what the grinning Eiji had just told them. It was like the calm before a storm as dusty lights began to blink on inside of each of their heads. Or in Kaidoh's case a scared to death mouse was starting to run like crazy.

"EH!"

The entire locker room shook at the sound and Eiji had to lift his hands to his ears to block out the loud sound.

"No need to yell!"

Momo grabbed Eiji by the collar and lifted him off of his seat and pulled him towards himself.

"No joke!"

"No joke!"

Momo's hands became limp as he dropped to the floor unable to completely process the information he had been told.

Tezuka coughed to regain everyone's attention. Had he not been ecstatically caught off guard he would've done so sooner.

"Do elaborate."

"Right!" Eiji pulled out a print out from his pocket and held it up for everyone to see.

Inui's face lit up in a creepy sort of smile as he read the text.

"I see..."

"Transfer..."

"Student..."

"Program for Tennis," Eiji finished off.

As the idea slowly dawned onto them the excitement that Eiji had once been solitary owner of began to spread through them.

While the others were busy staring in awe at each other or congratulating Eiji, Fuji had taken the flier into his own hands and was examining it. Not that he was about to let it show but he was most excited about this chance to see Ryoma once more. But he was realistic, there had to be a catch.

He touched Tezuka's shoulder gently and gave him the flier, pointing out to the one problem that they would have.

"I see... you're right..." Tezuka agreed.

The transfer student program was offered to only certain schools and they had no idea where Echizen had gone. Sure it could be found out but the transfer student program wasn't free. The flight and the living arrangements were but it costs a good bundle of yen to be able to apply for it and even that didn't guarantee that you were picked. Although Tezuka was sure that everyone on his team met the requirements it wouldn't help them much if they ended up on the other side of the country from him.

"Are you going to tell them?" Fuji asked as he watched Tezuka's face for a reaction.

"No... at least not yet."

The next ten minutes were spent on planning some vague details, such as how much it was going to cost each of them and the dates for their departure and arrival and how to get the board and their coach to agree.

"All right! So if we split up the money like this," Oishi said as he squiggled something on a piece of paper, "we'll each pay an equal share."

Depending on the size of a group a Tennis team could pay a group fee which was considerably cheaper compared to each of them paying their own way and even if their parents wished for them to excel in Tennis each doubted that their parents would be willing to pay such a sum just for a transfer.

"Donations... Donations... Donations for the Seigaku Tennis Club."

"Put some more energy into it!"

Horio sighed as he stepped down from the platform and moved behind it, gathering what was left of his dignity and placing it into a small tuna fish can.

The freshman eager to help had volunteered to help them raise money and in exchange they were allowed to come with them if their parents allowed so. But because of this enthusiastic volunteering Horio had ended up in a ballerina outfit in the middle of a shopping mall, dancing to the amusement of children, well, those he didn't scare of.

"Momo-chan senpai... can I stop now?" he asked turning his head towards the older student who was graciously accepting donations from amused parents.

"Whaat? Don't you want to see Ryoma?" Momo asked turning his head towards the smaller freshman.

"O-of course I do but this?" he asked pointing to the pink frillyness that was him.

"Be a man!" Momo laughed as he 'patted' Horio on the back, sending him face first back onto the platform.

"Be a man? How can I be a man when wearing THIS?" he muttered to himself.

Meanwhile Fuji had found himself a rather interesting way of earning money. Lucky for him he had 'stumbled upon' some artifacts that Ryoma had 'accidentally left behind.' Fuji couldn't help but allow himself a dark chuckle as he watched Ryoma's fan club gather in the gym, each staring at him as if he were God himself.

Thus the week passed and at the end of it after counting their profits they had found that they had money left over even after the expenses for the applications.

"Now all that's let is getting Ryuzaki sensei to agree!" Eiji said as he hugged the envelope of money to his chest.

"Get me to agree to what?"

The team turned around to find their coach at the locker room door.

"Uhm... That is -"

"I hear you guys have been up to something," she said as she glanced at the envelope Eiji was holding to his chest.

"Coach..."

"So? Out with it."

"Ryuzaki-sensei. We have gathered up all the money we could by ourselves for this," Oishi said as he handed her the flier.

The group watched with nervous eyes she read over the sheet.

"So... Uhm... are we... ?" Eiji began worried that this break through was indeed for not.

Ryuzaki laughed a bit and shook her head. 'You guys are desperate aren't you....'

"It took you long enough to gather the money. A few days longer and you wouldn't have made the deadline."

"EH!" The Tennis team, even Tezuka, stared at the old woman in a state of confusion.

"You left this in here one day," she said pulling out one of the copies of the fliers that Eiji had printed out.

"So?"

"That means?"

"I've already okayed it with the board," she said with a nod.

A moment of serenity passed before a loud cheer erupted from the locker room, causing people all over the school to stop what they were doing and duck and cover, fearing it was an earthquake.

"THANK YOU SENSEI!"

Ryuzaki laughed as Eiji gave her an almost bone crushing hug. Luckily he let go before she was sent to the hospital again.

Although Fuji's expression showed happiness like the rest of them he couldn't help but feel suspicious. Things were happening way too easily and happily... surely there was a catch.

"Don't over think it," Tezuka said coming up from behind Fuji and bopping him on the head.

"Hm.... I guess you're right..." Fuji said as he watched the captain leave the locker room.

Still he couldn't shake off the feeling that something just wasn't going to be right.

That night Fuji dreamt. And oh how he dream of the sweetest thing. No he didn't dream of sweets and sugar or wasabi sushi. He dreamt of Ryoma. He dreamt of the taste of his skin of his mouth of his lips of his -

Fuji's eyes opened sharply and he lifted himself straight up in his bed. Perspiration had collected all over his body and he had to lean his head into his hands to stop the room from spinning. 'What was that?' he wondered to himself as he felt an odd pressure on his body.

His confusion changed to mild shock to surprise as he realized what the pressure was. Luckily for him he had the house to himself tonight, and no one would mind if he took himself a nice long shower.

As he stripped he thought about what he had dreamt, or at least what he could remember of it. He was sure that Ryoma had been in it and maybe someone else. The details were hazy now that he was awake.

'It's hormones,' he concluded as he sighed to himself.

Mistress Yami:

I tried to make this as realistic as possible. I think I failed. I did try!

This chapter was probably crack induced. Don't sue me for the brain damage it might cause.

Remember!

Reviews are healthy for the mind, body, and soul! Plus they make my day. :heart:
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