Title: A Meeting at an Aquarium
Fandom: Prince of Tennis: Fudomine Chuugaku
Characters: Ishida Tetsu, Akutagawa Jirou, Sakurai, Kabaji, Atobe, Shishido
Prompt: 020 - Colorless
Word Count: 717
Date finished: 04/30/2007
Rating: G
Summary: Ishida looks for peace at the aquarium - and gives some, as well.
Author's Notes: Another of the Crack Generator pairings. And yes, Jirou does tend to fall asleep at the drop of a hat. "Akutagawa Jirou / Ishida Tetsu - Jellyfish". I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Konomi Takeshi, and whoever did the anime. At any rate, it's not me.

Sakurai was supposed to join him later, but for now he liked the peace of the tank he sat in front of. The colorless forms of the floating jellyfish were trance-inducing, one of the reasons he enjoyed this place. Gin had always said that a sense of peace was best for the hadokyuu, and he used his memories to help center himself on the courts.

"I know you."

Tetsu turned, brow furrowed, to look at the boy standing behind him. He was about Tetsu's age, maybe a little older, with curly, strawberry blonde hair. He also looked like he was about to fall asleep, struggling to keep his eyes open. "I'm pretty sure, anyway."

"Do you?" Tetsu asked, wracking his own brain for some clue as to who this kid could be. "I don't think I know you."

"Oh, we can fix that," the boy said cheerfully, although he did still look like he was going to fall asleep. "Akutagawa Jirou, Hyotei tennis club."

Tetsu perked up. "Ishida Tetsu, Fudomine," he said. "But I don't remember you at our game."

Akutagawa had also perked up, and his eyes opened fully. "Oh," he said. "You made Atobe really angry. I wasn't there," he added after a second. "Most of the regulars weren't."

"You're a regular?"

"Yep." He pressed a hand to his mouth as he yawned. "You guys are really good. Shishido only admits that when no one else can hear him."

Tetsu blinked. "Then how did you hear him?"

Akutagawa winked at him. "Because he always assumes I'm sleeping."

That was interesting. "Do you sleep a lot?"

"They think so." He yawned again. "Oh, sorry." He sat down next to Tetsu. "It's really peaceful here, but it's not going to be for very long. Oshitari brought Mukahi, and he's loud. And he doesn't like it here."

"Why not?" Tetsu asked, and looked down at the boy, who was leaning on his shoulder.

"Feels like he's the one in a cage. Doesn't like the zoo, either," Akutagawa said, but his words were a touch slurred. "I think it's because he feels sorry for the animals, especially the birds and the water ones. Gakuto likes to fly - and it's hard for him to see animals that can't any more…." The last words drifted off into a snore, and Tetsu knew he was stuck until someone came along to wake the other boy up.

Not that he minded; it wasn't the first time he was used as a pillow. Everyone on his team had fallen asleep on him at one time or another - but it was a first to have a stranger fall asleep on him. Still, the boy didn't really disrupt him, and he turned back to watching the jellyfish, letting the peace of the place surround him until Sakurai - or someone from Hyotei - came along and broke it.

As it happened, they all arrived together. Tetsu certainly recognized the arrogant captain of Hyotei's tennis team, but no one else who was with him. None of them had been at the game he'd played against them. Although one boy, a blue cap on backwards, narrowed his eyes at Tetsu like he knew him, too.

"Hey - what's this?" Sakurai asked, motioning to where Akutagawa had fallen asleep.

"Someone else who thinks I make a good pillow," Tetsu said calmly.

"Kabaji, retrieve Jirou. It's time we went home."

"Usu." Tetsu looked up at a hulking boy, who easily picked up the slumbering student and set him carefully over his shoulder. Vaguely curious, he stood up to find the other boy was just barely taller than he was. It was a little strange. The other boy merely looked at him, then turned and walked after Atobe, who gestured imperiously at the rest of his companions, and they all left.

"Odd people," Sakurai said when they'd all left.

"But Akutagawa was nice," Tetsu said by way of agreement.

"I guess," Sakurai said with a laugh, and they headed out of the aquarium themselves.

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