Title: Unwanted Light
Fandom: Prince of Tennis: Fudomine Chuugaku
Characters: Ibu Shinji, Inui Sadaharu
Prompt: 031 - Sunrise
Word Count: 158
Date finished: 12/18/2007
Rating: G
Summary: Inui finds Shinji.
Author's Notes: This is in response to things happening in my personal life - two people too young to die - and influenced by my friend Wiccanlilly's fic, Shades of Meaning. It also came from the CPG: "Shinji/Inui - 4:00 a.m." Originally, I was going to have Shinji just... talk. It turned out, he didn't want to.
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Konomi Takeshi, and whoever did the anime. At any rate, it's not me.

"Have you been here all night?"

Ibu Shinji looked up, surprised to see Inui Sadaharu standing over him. "I don't know," Shinji said. "What time is it?"

"4:00 a.m.," Inui said, and sat next to him. "Your friends are worried sick."

Shinji hugged his knees to his chest, curling up. "I'm okay."

The silence next to him spoke volumes. "Forgive me," Inui said finally, "but I don't believe you."

Shinji turned to look at him. "No," he said after a long moment. "You probably don't."

Again, Inui said nothing for a long time. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

When Shinji looked at him again, the rising sun glinted on his glasses, but not ominously, like he'd heard it described. It merely… glinted. "No," he said quietly. "Not yet."

He turned back to the newly filled grave, finally able to read the words on the newly engraved tombstone:

Kamio Akira
Beloved son, friend, teammate

Fudomine Table | Challenge Main

Home | Stories | Links | Contact me