Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ The Road Less Taken ❯ Prologue: Euthanasia ( Chapter 1 )

The Road Less Taken

Fandom: Prince of Tennis

Theme: #13 euthanasia

Pairing: Ato/Eiji

Rating: PG- might be disturbing

 

Disclaimer: The realm of PoT belongs to Konomi.

 

Summary: He took the road less taken and found…

 

000 000 000

 

 

He never knew what made him go another way that day; perhaps he wanted a change of scenery, or perhaps he had simply wanted to delay going home for home meant a watchful sister nagging at him to study for his test the next day. Whatever it was, found himself taking the longer route home, and contentedly hummed to himself a catchy pop tune as he strolled along.

 

The sound was so soft it was nearly inaudible. The first time round he thought he had been hearing things and had in fact, continued walking a couple of steps till he heard it again.

 

And again.

 

There was no mistake of it now, that soft whimper that seemed to come from his nearby vicinity, like a child crying albeit a little different. His ears pricked up in alertness as he scanned the vicinity with sharp, almost catlike eyes.

 

Finally he detected its source to come from behind of a clump of bushes and went round to investigate, his heart already softening at the prospect of finding a lost child, perhaps even a hurt one at that.

 

What he found however, was no child.

 

It was a puppy, a scrawny little thing with a white raggedy coat that would have looked beautiful had it been washed and groomed. However, it was a mess, matted and stuck to the pup's body in knotted clumps.

 

And on its side, a jarring spot of dark red coming from under the layer of fur could be seen.

 

Blood.

 

Who could have done such a thing? Eiji's big eyes widened in abject horror for a moment, then softened when he realized the pup was staring at him, obviously frightened.

 

“ Nyah, it's ok puppy. I'm not going to hurt you.” He cooed to the puppy, as he crouched down to calm it.

 

It was very frightened despite the comforting tone Eiji was using. When the boy attempted to reach out to it, it suddenly stiffened, growled and snapped.

 

Eiji yanked back his hand just in time. “ Nyah! That was close! ” he exclaimed. “Puppy, you don't have to do that. I just want to help you.”

 

Minutes later, he had pretty munch exhausted his options of helping the puppy, even tempting it with food wouldn't make it budge. He sighed in resignation. At times like this, he wished Oishi or Fuji were here with him.

 

 

He sat on the ground with his back towards the pup, his hands in his head, just that much away from pulling his hair out. “ What am I to do nyah…” he sighed in resignation. “ I can't leave you here. I can't stay here forever either.”

 

At times like these, he wished Oishi were there. The “mother of Seigaku's tennis team” had counseled them and patched up their injuries more times than he could remember. Oishi would know how to handle a situation such as this.

 

“ I've already said I wouldn't hurt you. Why won't you cooperate?” he groaned.

 

“ Let's see… because the it's not human and therefore can't understand what you're saying?”

 

The voice had an amused yet sarcastic tone to it. Eiji started and his gaze travelled up from his position on the ground; past polished black shoes, past long legs encased in a pair of brown pants, past a fitted white school uniform blouse to a very familiar smirk that graced an even more familiar face.

 

“ A… Atobe!”

 

000 000 000

 

The Hyoutei captain barely acknowledged Eiji's stunned greeting and jumped straight to his point. “ Just to make it clear, ore-sama's time it very precious. However I happened to be passing by and could not help but observe your feeble attempts at coaxing that dog. ”

 

“ And I suppose you could do better?” Eiji blurted out, feeling insulted by Atobe's blunt statement. He then continued, “ I don't suppose Atobe Keigo has handled animals before, knowing it would dirty his fine clothes.”

 

The look Atobe gave him in reponse was scary, especially from his `lower' position. A angry furrow crossed his eyebrows and for a moment, Eiji thought he looked like Tezuka just before he was about to order a set of laps. The acrobatics player cringed inwardly knowing he had been out of line and braced himself for the worst.

 

Instead to his surprise, Atobe squatted down next to him.

 

“ Move aside Kikumaru.” He commanded, his voice unnaturally calm. Eiji found this neutral tone even scarier. He decided not to cross the buchou further and quietly obeyed.

 

As he watched Atobe approach the injured pup, Eiji could not help but what else on earth the other boy could possibly do to a puppy that was obviously not being cooperative.

 

“ Hey puppy…” the red head almost fell backwards in surprise as Atobe crooned to the pup in a soft reassuring voice. “ Hey puppy, you don't have to be scared of me. Ore-sama wants to help you not hurt you.”

 

Atobe spoke to it slowly, as if coaxing a small child to take his medicine. At the same time he was moving his hand even more slowly, from his side as he kept the puppy's gaze on his on brown eyes. Gradually, his hand found its way to stop just an inch away from the puppy's nose, resting lightly on the ground.

 

The pup tensed, as if it were about to recoil back at first, but Atobe continued speaking to it. “ It's alright little one. It's just my hand. Feel free to sniff it if you want to.”

 

After a moment in which Eiji found himself holding his breath in case the same reaction might happen again, the pup extended it's head forward, closing the distance and sniffed the slender hand. When it grew bolder and stuck its tiny nose into Atobe's palm and gave it a tentative lick, the brown haired buchou gently tickled its chin with his fingers.

 

Eiji stared dumbstruck. Atobe had succeeded in less than five minutes what he had been trying to do for thrice the time. He couldn't help but comment “ How did you do that nyah?”

 

“ Shhh…” Atobe hushed, “ too much noise might scare him.”

 

“ Noise!” Eiji started indignantly, “ But I was just…”

 

“ Calm down. I'm not saying you're noisy. But in the state he's in I wouldn't be surprised if he's been shouted at before. It's common in abuse cases. If you want to talk it must me calm and controlled, just above a whisper. Don't forget dogs have very sensitive hearing.”

 

Atobe continued. “ And as to why it's responding to me is because of the way I touch him. When you handle an abused or injured animal your movements must be slow. You must observe its every reaction. Any moment descending from a higher level will be to it like a hand moving to strike a blow. You must make your way from under eye level and then slowly go up.”

 

And he said all this; his hand had gradually ascended from cupping the puppy's chin to its cheek, till he managed to get the animal's trust to let him pat it on the head. The pup tried to follow the comforting hand with it's nose, little pink tongue dancing in and out of it's mouth as it continued to lick Atobe's hand.

 

Eiji watched the scene with rapt wonder. Who was this guy? Who is this guy? Clearly Atobe was not as cool and aloof as he seemed to be the other times the red head had seem him. Could he be seeing the Atobe Keigo as he really was?

 

“ So what were you planning to do with this little one?” Eiji was pulled out of his thoughts by the soothing tenor.

 

He realized that while he had been distracted, Atobe had bundled the pup into his arms and was cradling it against him. Eiji's eye widened when he realized the cloth the puppy was swathed in was a white- gray tennis jacket; Atobe's own jacket.

 

“ Hey, are you there? Ore-sama doesn't like it when people don't respond.”

 

“ What… Oh! Gomen!” Eiji started embarrassed, then in a meeker tone “ Could you say that again?”

 

“ Sigh… never mind. Anyway, I'm taking this fellow to the vet. It's up to you whether you want to follow ore-sama or not because frankly, ore-sama doesn't care whether you do…”

 

“ Nyah! I'm going!”

 

“ Very well.” Atobe smirked at Eiji's outburst. It was clear the redhead was a little jumpy being around him. Come, we shouldn't linger around here then. The sooner we get help the better.”

 

000 000 000

 

They went to a nearby animal hospital. It wasn't very crowded fortunately, but the new environment made the pup scared and it shivered in Atobe's arms. The buchou tried his best to calm it.

 

“ Ne Kikumaru?”

 

Eiji, who had been looking at a row of cats and dogs in a row of cages, looked at Atobe quizzically. He knew that these animals were all sick but it still pained him to see them locked up, and some even with drips hanging next to them. The scene was depressing and made him shudder.

 

He shuddered and rubbed his arms. “ Nyah?”

 

“ I was asking if you wanted to touch him.” Eiji looked skeptically at the pup. While it had been completely fine with Atobe, he still remembered its initial reaction towards himself.

 

Atobe laughed, and Eiji found it sounded strangely pleasant. The Hyoutei captain was more and more surprising by the minute. “ I promise he won't bite your hand out. He can hardly move.”

 

Indeed, the pup was panting heavily now, whimpering as the panting only caused the part with the injury to expand and contract.

 

“ Ehm…you know… It's all right. I don't want to disturb…” Before Eiji could react, Atobe had reached out and grabbed the Seigaku player's hand in his. “ A…Atobe…”

 

“ See, he's not biting you now is he?”

 

“Huh… oh…” Eiji realized his hand had been placed on the pup's head and that Atobe moved his fingers in a slow stroking motion. “ Wow. He's so soft and tiny nyah. His head's smaller than my hand!”

 

Atobe chuckled at Eiji's amazed expression. The redhead was just like a child. “ I think he's warming up to you.” He observed, as the puppy starting licking the latter's hand.

 

“ Ticklish nyah!” Eiji giggled in amusement. He was starting to enjoy himself for the first time that day although he was slightly embarrassed at Atobe's hand still resting on his.

 

They fussed over the pup for a while till a vet came over. The vet then asked a couple of questions and then disappeared with it to the back. Atobe and Eiji waited silently as they tests and xrays were taken.

 

“ So what's next?” This turn it was Atobe who started at Eiji's sudden question and he arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”

“ The puppy. When it comes out, do you want to keep it?”

 

Atobe stared at Eiji for a good moment, not knowing what to say. Personally, he doubted the dog would be lucky to even survive the week, judging by its appearance. Either the boy next to him was too innocent and hopeful or he was just masking the truth with optimism

 

So he simply said, “ Let's just wait and see ok?” Eiji simply nodded.

 

“ Atobe?” he began quietly after a moment.

 

“Yes?”

 

“ I'm sorry if I angered you earlier.”

 

“ Ahn?”

 

“ The comment about you not being an animal person. I guess I was wrong.”

 

“ Whatever, it's forgotten. Anyway, there're more important things now.” Atobe dismissed the topic with a wave and settled back into his chair.

Eiji looked at him with astonishment, then smiled. “ Thanks.”

 

000 000 000

 

Finally the vet came back out and Eiji immediately bounded towards him. Atobe who tagged along behind, more nervous than he looked noticed the vet had a somber look to his face. While he might have held the merest sliver of hope before, Atobe was suddenly overcome with a sinking feeling.

 

“ Nyah doctor! Where is puppy! Why didn't you take him out with you?” Eiji barraged the vet with questions.

 

The said animal doctor was calm and professional. However, the graveness of his tone was unmistakable.

 

“ I'm afraid his conditioned has worsened. All this is simply stressing him out, not to mention the dog's wound is also bleeding internally and we discovered he had a fractured leg as well. He has been severely abused and is also very malnourished.”

 

Eiji was vehement. “ What do you mean? Can't you fix it? He can wear a caste or something! I've seen dogs with those before! And if he's lacking in diet we can feed him slowly nyah! Till he gets his strength back. You can fix it can't you?”

 

“ Eiji.” Atobe placed a hand on his companion's shoulder. His voice firm. “ Listen to the doctor.”

 

“ Right” the vet continued, calm and professional throughout the double player's tirade. “ Now I know this is a really hard time. We could try out best to help him. We don't like putting such young ones away either. But he's in great pain and suffering. Keeping him awake will just stress him out more.”

 

“ Nyah, but I don't understand, he needs sleep to rest right?”

 

Atobe sighed and his eyes met the doctor's before turning to Eiji. “ Eiji, what the doctor means is that they'll let him sleep… for good.”

 

“ For good… you mean… no! I won't let it happen! He's too young! I could take care of him!”

 

“ It's not so simple Eiji. Use your common sense. In the state he's in he'll have to stay here and you don't want him to stay caged like those other animals here hanging to a machine for life do you. How would you feel if you were in that situation?”

 

“ But but…” Eiji's voice was started to tremble. He looked at the floor for a moment and gave a sniff “ I hate this but I guess you're right. I wouldn't want to be like that nyah.”

 

“ Good boy.” Atobe locked eyes with the vet. “ There, you have the go.”

 

“ Thank you. Believe me it's for the best. Do you want to go to the back?”

 

“No.” Atobe said. “ We trust you to make it a fast, painless one.” He didn't want to leave the redhead alone. The other boy probably wouldn't be able to take it if he saw the life ebb out of those soulful brown eyes. And neither would he.

 

“ Very well then. I'm sorry for your loss.” With those standard condolences, the vet turned and left.

 

Atobe then managed to steer a silent Kikumaru away from the hospital. The sooner they got out of there the better. He wasn't sure where he was going to head to next. Someone, he knew that he would feel a little guilty if he left the other boy to himself. There was no telling what he would do. Atobe was half expecting the latter to charge back into the hospital and basically wreck havoc.

 

A few minutes later, Atobe realized Eiji was no longer walking with him and turned to find the redhead had stopped in the middle of the path, standing there stiffly and head downcast.

 

Atobe walked over to him in a few strides. “ Kikumaru. Pull yourself together. It was for the best.” He said, echoing the vet's words although he felt rather empty repeating them. It sounded as if he was trying to convince himself as well.

 

“ Atobe…”

 

“ Ahn?” The Hyoutei buchou suddenly found himself staring into a pair of dark brown eyes, soulful dark chocolate orbs, brimming with tears threatening to spill. They somehow disturbingly reminded him of the pup's eyes. He had no idea the normally hyper and loud Kikumaru could ever look so vulnerable.

 

Eiji's lip quivered. “ I just wanted him to be happy that's all!” And with that, he couldn't hold back anyone and burst out crying. Atobe was completely perplexed at first, then took a deep breath and took the shorter boy into his arms.

 

The latter's sobs faded after a while. “ So embarrassing nyah,” he muttered. “ For me to cry in front of Seigaku's rival. You must think I'm so pathetic. ”

 

“ Then ore-sama must be equally pathetic.”

 

That unexpected statement made Eiji look up in confusion. “ What do you mean by… oh…”

 

Atobe's eyes were starting to tear as well, although he was controlling it a lot better than Eiji was. The buchou managed a cracked smile. “ Ne, but just keep that between us alright? Ore-sama clearly said that when he wasn't himself. Obviously ore-sama is far from pathetic…”

 

Whatever he wanted to say next was cut off by Eiji's laughter.