Title: Conversation after the Tokyo District Preliminaries
Fandom: Prince of Tennis: Fudomine Chuugaku
Characters: Ishida Tetsu, Tachibana Kippei, Sakurai Masaya, Uchimura Kyosuke
Prompt: 055 - Spirit
Word Count: 610
Date finished: 06/25/2007
Rating: G
Summary: Tachibana talks to Ishida about the Hadokyuu he used in the match against Seigaku.
Author's Notes: Ah, the Crack Generator gave me the pairing and prompt, and the Eiji from the rp comm tenipuriu gave me the challenge to actually write it. "Tachibana Kippei/ Ishida Tetsu - Fuji Syusuke". This is what I came up with.
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Konomi Takeshi, and whoever did the anime. At any rate, it's not me.

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"You aimed that Hadokyuu at Fuji."

"No, not… at him," Ishida Tetsu said, blinking in some surprise up at Tachibana Kippei, who stood over him. "I did aim it toward him, though."

"Why?"

It was strange, to look up at someone; even sitting down, he was taller than most people - well, unless they were standing, which Tachibana-san was. And, it seemed, for the first time pulling some rank on him.

"Because I knew he wouldn't be able to return it." The frustration from the match returned and he ducked his head, focusing on making sure his shoes were tied.

"You didn't mean to hurt him?"

"I don't think it would have. It wouldn't have hurt Kawamura, if he hadn't actually returned it." A tone of respect entered his voice. "I knew Fuji-senpai wouldn't have been able to."

"That's true," Tachibana said, musingly. "As long as you weren't aiming to hurt him…."

"I wouldn't do that!" Tetsu protested, looking back up. "That would ruin the spirit of the game, and… I won't do that to anyone." They both knew what he meant - he didn't have to define it, and he was glad.

"I didn't think you would, I but I could see how frustrated you and Masaya were getting, once Fuji took the flow of the game from you."

"Yeah - but Tachibana-san, I've been more frustrated than that before. And I didn't think it would hurt anyone." He didn't add that his brother sometimes did - but out of loyalty, he preferred to believe that Gin never meant to.

Tachibana was quiet, and after a moment Tetsu looked up at him. He was smiling, an unfamiliar look in his eyes. "Did you hurt yourself?"

It was such a change of topic that Tetsu stared at him. "Huh? Oh. No. Although…." He did not want to admit this! "If my racquet hadn't broken, I might have."

"I told you to hit it only once," Tachibana said softly - which was as much of a lecture as Tetsu was likely to get, this time. "We can't afford to lose any player. It doesn't matter who; we don't have a chance if we lose any of us." He paused, blinking, and then laughed. "I'm not sure that made sense."

"I understand," Tetsu said. He'd just have to try harder, somehow, work on the Hadokyuu and his own strengths, to make them better.

Tachibana clapped him on the shoulder. "I know you do. Be careful of that arm. And get home. I'm sure your family is wondering how the match went."

Tetsu wasn't so sure - but he wasn't going to argue the point. "I'm going," he said, and stood up.

"It was a good game," Tachibana added as they left the Fudomine clubroom together. "In fact, going against Seigaku was a learning experience for us all."

Tetsu laughed. "Shinji was furious."

"He'll get over it, and he'll improve. Echizen will have a harder time beating him next time."

"I can't wait to see that," Tetsu said with a grin.

"No, neither can I," Tachibana agreed.

"There you are!" Sakurai Masaya shouted from the front gates of the school. "I called your mom; she said it was okay if you went out with us to celebrate. Let's go already, before Kyo starts in on one of us," he added as they all started down the street. "He's starving."

"Ew," Uchimura Kyosuke opined with a grimace. "Just…. Where do you get those ideas, Masaya?"

Tetsu listened to his doubles partner argue cheerfully with their teammate, and smiled. It had been a good day, even if they'd lost. They were still going to Kanto.

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