Title: Laughter and Bubbles
Fandom: Prince of Tennis: Fudomine Chuugaku
Characters: Kikumaru Eiji, Tachibana Kippei
Prompt: 028 - Children
Word Count: 538
Date finished: 04/30/2007
Rating: G
Summary: Kippei needs a chance to work off some tension - and finds the courts occupied
Author's Notes: Another of the Crack Generator. It was just too much fun! This one is "Tachibana Kippei/Eiji Kikumaru - Bubbles". Have fun!
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Konomi Takeshi, and whoever did the anime. At any rate, it's not me.

The street courts were where he went to practice, and he had felt he needed it that Saturday - specifically to work out his nerves and frustrations from the week before. Except instead of people to play against, he found a circle of children surrounding a familiar-looking redhead, all of them laughing and blowing bubbles.

"Tachi!" Kikumaru Eiji looked like he wanted to jump up and run over, only there was a very small child in his lap, so he couldn't. "Come and join us!"

Kippei hesitated; he was more in the mood for something violent, but this did look like fun, and it had been some time since he'd blown bubbles.

The children moved to let him join the circle across from Kikumaru, and the redhead tossed him a bottle of bubbles from a bag next to him. Kippei laughed. "How many of those do you have?" he asked.

"Enough," Kikumaru said with a broad wink, and went back to blowing bubbles for the child in his lap.

Before he'd managed to get more than a couple of bubbles blown himself, Kippei found himself also with a lap full of child, although this one was significantly bigger than the one with Kikumaru, but he didn't care. It became all important to make that little girl laugh, and within minutes she was giggling.

"Ah, thank you, Eiji-kun!" a voice intruded into the small world of bubbles and giggling children, and Kippei looked up in surprise. The woman looked harried, but she was smiling, and behind her on the street he could see a large van.

"You're welcome!" Kikumaru chirped, and got easily to his feet, still holding the child. The rest of them got up, too, reluctantly and with groans of disappointment. The little girl Kippei held giggled one last time and then fell silent, nestling her head on his shoulder. But eventually, the whole group was settled into the van, and the two older boys watched it drive off.

"Thanks for joining us," Kikumaru said, turning to him with a smile that looked a little tired. "Yumi needed some attention, and I can't leave Katsu or he'll try to go down the stairs." He gestured to where Kippei had come up to the courts.

"You're welcome. Who were they?"

"They're from an orphanage," Kikumaru explained. "My sister helps out there, and so when there's an emergency, she meets me here. I don't mind helping out with the children, and they like to get out sometimes."

"I can believe that." He glanced at his tennis racquets, and found he no longer wanted to kill a ball - or even play. "Thanks for inviting me."

Kikumaru grinned at him. "I usually go for ice cream after this - want to come? The kids put me in the mood - not that I usually need their help," he added sheepishly.

Kippei smiled. "I think that sounds great. And next time," he added, picking up his racquet bag and following the redhead down the steps to the street below, "give me a call. I wouldn't mind doing that again."

"I will," Kikumaru said, and Kippei was certain he would.

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