Title: Meeting Halfway
Fandom: Prince of Tennis: Fudomine Chuugaku
Characters: Tachibana Kippei, Oishi Syuichiro
Prompt: 073 - Light
Word Count: 752
Date finished: 08/14/2007
Rating: PG
Summary: Tachibana and Oishi meet again in college.
Author's Notes: This is an addendum to Shattered, and a fic that my friend Natalie asked me to write for Valentine's day this year (wow, it seems so long ago!). This is how Kippei and Oishi started dating. My first few attempts just didn't work, and this one did. So here it is.
The title comes from a quote from an unknown author that llamachan in the tenipuriu rp gave me; she plays Yukimura (and plays him as creepy as he is). The full quote is thus: "The best way to find your perfect match is to meet love halfway."
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Konomi Takeshi, and whoever did the anime. At any rate, it's not me.

"You sound relieved," a man said next to him, and Kippei turned to face him.

The first thing he noticed was the dark green eyes, the second was the smile. His brow furrowed at the familiarity of that smile. "I am," he said absently, wondering if it were déjà vu or something else.

"Why?"

Even the voice was… faintly familiar. "Bad experiences," he said. "Tachibana Kippei, I just transferred in."

The other man's smile widened and grew warmer. "No wonder you look familiar - and relieved. Oishi Syuichiro."

It clicked then, the image of this man and his red-headed partner, outplaying Tatsunori and Kyosuke the year he'd lead Fudomine to Nationals. "Half of the Golden Pair," he said.

It wasn't exactly the wrong thing to say, but sadness flashed through the green eyes. "Yes," Oishi said. "Are you here just for practice, or are you going to join the team?"

"The team," Kippei said. "It looks like a good school."

"It is," Oishi assured him. "I'm glad you're here," he added with a smile. "It's good to see a friendly face."

Kippei nodded. "Yes," he said, "it is."

Syuichiro ordered another beer and scowled at the bottle of the one he'd just finished, resigned to the fact that he'd been stood up. Again. What was it about him that people thought it was okay to do that to him?

Turning from the bar, he surveyed the rest of the place. He knew most of the men there, after two years of coming here to meet people, and there just wasn't anyone he was interested in - or who was interested in him. The semester had just started, and the first Friday was not the time to be looking for new faces. Maybe it was time to go home.

"I don't know if I should be surprised to see you here or not," a familiar voice said in his ear, and he turned to look at Tachibana, only a little surprised to see the other man there as well.

"Why's that?"

"There were rumors of you and Eiji," he said easily. "I didn't know whether I should believe them or not."

"Not," Syuichiro said, accepting the drink as the bar tender returned and gave it to him. "He… wasn't interested." But that was a long story, and not one to go into here. If at all.

Tachibana ordered something, and then leaned against the bar next to him. "You here with someone?"

"No. I was supposed to be, but he stood me up, so I was just considering going home. I know most of the people here, and the men I haven't dated, there's no interest on either side."

"Really." There was… interest in the other man's voice. "Well, you've never dated me, and I'd be interested."

Syuichiro straightened, turning to face him. "You… would?"

Tachibana laughed. "You look like you've been hit by a train."

"I feel like it." Syuichiro watched him for a moment, thinking about the offer he'd just been given, and then smiled. "You're right, I haven't, and I'd like to."

The smile on Tachibana's face might literally melt him. "Good." He checked his watch. "Have you eaten?"

Syuichiro shook his head. "No. It was a dinner date."

Tachibana smiled. "Good. Let me settle up here, and we'll go. My treat."

The evening was definitely looking up, Syuichiro thought as he paid his tab as well, and the two of them left the bar.

The place Tachibana took him to was not a place Syuichiro had ever been, but it was perfect. Lighting dim but not so it was hard to see, tables set in alcoves or booths with high backs, it was the kind of place for dates - or illicit drug buys. Syuichiro chuckled at the thought.

"What?" Tachibana asked, and laughed as well when he told his date his thoughts.

The evening was as close to perfect as Syuichiro had ever experienced, and ended back at his front door. "Thanks," he said to Kippei. "It was fun." He hesitated, playing with an idea, and then grinned. "Next time, my treat?"

Kippei smiled. "I'd like that," he said, leaned close, and kissed him.

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