Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Ivy League ❯ Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis and all of it's characters belong to Konomi Takeshi-sensei. I'm just borrowing them for a little while, but will return them good as new... or perhaps even better.

Warnings: shounen ai (boy love of the non-graphic variety), some sappiness, a run-away metaphor, GP in college

Pairing: OoKiku (or Golden Pair, if you prefer)

A/N: My first finished Prince of Tennis piece! I know it's just a little ficlet, but the idea struck me while driving to school one day and I just had to give it life.

Dedication: For Jamie. Thank you for being awesome to someone new to the fandom!


Ivy League
By Solanum Dulcamara


Head ducked to keep his neck inside his muffler, Ooishi Syuuichiro hurried across campus in the brisk Boston autumn air. He paid no attention to the brightly colored leaves scattered along the path that achingly reminded him of hair he missed tangling his fingers in. He didn't have time for nostalgic musings, as he was already running late for his first class after sleeping through all three of his alarm clocks in favor of savoring a dream about the owner of said autumn-colored hair. Finally reaching the building in which his class was held, Ooishi was about to climb the steps when his eye was caught. He walked several paces away and stared up at the very old building, at its brick surface with ivy lining. The sturdy, reliable bricks held the building up for years, ever faithful and dependable. It was a simple, but respectable existence. Until, the bright and vivid ivy crept in and worked itself over the bricks, into every nook and cranny. It filled all the empty spaces that the bricks weren't even aware were there. The two were now inexorably intwined and made a much more beautiful picture together.

Without another thought, Ooishi reached into his satchel and pulled out his cell phone, hitting speed-dial two with practiced ease. After several rings, a slightly breathless, "Hoi! Moshi moshi," answered.

"Hey, Eiji."

"Syuuichiro! You're supposed to be in class, nya!"

"I know. I just wanted to hear your voice." Ooishi could feel Eiji soften over the thousands of miles.

When he spoke again, any chastising tone was gone from Eiji's voice, "It's really good to hear from you," he paused, "Only two more years?" Eiji always wanted reassurance of the brevity of their time apart.

"Yeah, just two, which isn't long when compared to the rest of our lives." Ooishi smiled, hearing his boyfriend's purr-like hum of contentment. Glancing at his watch he reluctantly acknowledged that he was already ten minutes late for class. "Hey, Eiji. I can't stay on, but I wanted to thank you for being my ivy.

There was a considering pause over the line before Eiji answered, "Ooishi Syuuichiro, you are so weird sometimes."

Ooishi laughed, "And you're so much better?"

"Nya, of course not," the distant clanging of dish ware interrupted Eiji's statement, "It's like Nee-chan says. We're made for each other... out of defective parts."

Ooishi laughed again. Only Eiji could take that as a compliment. "Can I call you later?"

"Of course. I'll be up late studying anyway... Syuuichiro?"

"Hm?"

"Ivy needs something to grow on, right?"

"Usually."

"Well, then... thanks for being my support."

"Always. I'll talk to you later?"

"Okay, bye."

"Bye." Ooishi returned his phone to his bag with a sigh, part wistful part content, and with a bit of surprise found that the air wasn't quite as cold as he'd originally thought, the leaves were more beautiful than painful to look at, and two years wasn't really too long.


Glossary:
Hoi: an Eiji-ism. No translation.
Moshi moshi: Japanese phone greeting.
Nya: meow. Another Eiji-ism.
Nee-chan: older sister. Used to refer to the oldest sister in a family of multiple siblings.