Title: Preliminary
Fandom: Prince of Tennis: Fudomine Chuugaku
Characters: Tachibana An, Mizuki Hajime, Fuji Syuusuke, Tachibana Kippei
Prompt: 010 - Years
Word Count: 597
Date finished: 12/08/2007
Rating: PG
Summary: A conversation about An and her brother.
Author's Notes: A friend on ff.net asked me to write a fic. It keeps growing, and growing... but anyway, it begins with a group working together. This scene - unusable in the actual story - was so clear I wrote it down. It's part of the characterization for Mizuki.
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Konomi Takeshi, and whoever did the anime. At any rate, it's not me.

So it was somewhat amusing to watch Mizuki Hajime, former manager of St. Rudolf's Junior High tennis club and a friend of Yuuta's, walk up to her, open his mouth - and then stop as if struck.

"Yes?" An asked coldly.

"Um, I, um, I was sorry to hear of your loss," he stammered, and backed away from her.

Something nudged his mind. Go talk to him.

Fuji stiffened. 'You've got to be kidding,' he thought furiously.

The nudge happened again. Go talk to him.

That… nudge, whatever it was, had never steered him wrong before, so he reluctantly walked over to where Mizuki stood, staring after An, a stunned expression on his face.

"What was that about?" Fuji asked.

"She has a ghost following her," Mizuki said absently, "and he didn't want me to tell her that."

Fuji lifted one eyebrow. "You tell people when they have ghosts following them?" he asked, stunned.

Mizuki turned, and his eyes widened in disbelief. It didn't take him long to school his features, however, and he scowled. It took him a long time to answer. "Yes." He finally spit out between his teeth.

"Who was the ghost following her?"

Again, Fuji watched a shift of expression, this time into disbelief. "You believe me?" he asked.

"Who was it?"

Mizuki's shoulders moved uncomfortably. "I don't know. He's tall, short gold hair, with a tilek between his eyes…."

Fuji sucked in a breath. How had he missed that? "Oh," he said, interrupting. "That's her brother." When had Kippei died? His life felt suddenly emptier.

"Her brother?" Mizuki repeated. "But why…." Then he shook his head.

"How did he die?" Fuji asked quietly.

MIzuki stiffened, eyes wide. "Vampire," he said. "They killed each other. It was headed for An."

Fuji didn't think Mizuki knew her name.

"How long ago?"

"Two years."

That long? Fuji sighed. "Why didn't he want her to know?"

"Come on, Fuji. How do you think An would have reacted if she found out I was still looking after her?"

Fuji looked up sharply, staring in disbelief at the man standing next to him. It was definitely Mizuki - but the amused expression was Tachibana's. "I'd just rather she didn't try to get rid of me just yet," he said. "If you can help her, I'd appreciate it."

Fuji took a deep breath and sighed. "I'll… see what I can do," he said.

And an instant later, it was all Mizuki, and he wavered. Fuji reached out to steady him, surprised when Mizuki actually leaned thankfully into his grip. "They don't do that much," he murmured.

"No, I suspect it's as hard on them as it is on you," Fuji agreed. When the other man had regained some strength and stood on his own two feet, Fuji regarded him seriously. "I could use your talents."

Mizuki blinked. "My… talents?"

"You didn't seem surprised when he said he'd been killed by a vampire."

Mizuki looked away. "It's hard, when I saw one kill my family," he admitted.

"Then help me find them. Help me find their victims, help me fight those things that prey on us." Of all people he didn't want to work with, Mizuki is on the top of the list.

But the expression on Mizuki's face convinced him that it the invitation would be accepted.

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