Bow and Arrow

The Secret Admirer

✩ Author's note--I wrote these first few chapters in 2012 and posted them on fanfiction.net. Since Valentine's was yesterday I figured I could pick this fic back up and finish it. ^ - ^ ✩

Oishi arrived at his shoe locker one morning to find Tezuka staring into his own shoe locker, looking confused. "Eh, Tezuka-kun," he greeted his tennis captain and longtime close friend.

Tezuka calmly flicked his eyes towards Oishi, gave a curt, "Hn," in acknowledgement and proceeded to change his shoes for the school day ahead.

Oishi smiled knowingly to himself and then forced the amusement from his face. "Is something bothering you?" he asked, keeping his voice as neutral as he could muster. He was horrible at things like this! Eiji was better suited for this kind of thing, yet Oishi let himself be dragged into this mess... by Eiji!

"Ah. I seem to have a secret admirer," Tezuka mused, his personal motto-I can't let my guard down-heavily implied in his tone. He started to open the note and then paused, self-consciously cleared his throat, and slipped it into his school bag. I'll tend to this later, he thought.

"See you at practice," Tezuka murmured in farewell and walked off in the direction of his homeroom before Oishi could comment any further. Oishi smiled to himself. He's good at hiding it, but I can tell he's flustered about this...

Eiji practically skipped around the corner of the school lockers and glomped Oishi. It was easy for Oishi to tell that his charismatic doubles partner had been trying to eavesdrop, but since he found it rather amusing he didn't call the short redhead out on it.

"Ne, Oishi," Eiji drawled his friend's name playfully. "Did he read it? Did he? Did he!? What was his reaction-do you know?" Eiji hopped eagerly over to his own shoe locker and waited for an answer.

"Ah, no, he put it in his book bag," Oishi replied.

"Mou! Tezuka-buchou is no fun!" Eiji huffed. He slumped against the wall, lips pursed in a disappointed pout. That's just like him. Taking everything so seriously-like he's already an adult! Mou, what does Fujiko see in him?

Oishi released an amused chuckle, "I figured that would happen." He shrugged as if to say, Oh well.

Eiji suddenly sprang out of his slumped posture as a thought occurred to him.

"Wait!" he announced, holding a finger in the air. "He put it in his bag, right?" Eiji looked to Oishi for confirmation before continuing. "So that means it isn't a lost cause-he might actually read it!" the red-head exclaimed, a goofy smile finding its way onto his face.

Oishi threw a thoughtful look in Eiji's direction and nodded in agreement, a small smile quirking the corner of his mouth. "We'll just have to see how this goes, then."

✩ ✩ ✩

Fuji tapped his pencil against his desk, his eyes boring a hole in the blackboard at which the teacher was gesturing during the lecture to which he wasn't listening. Butterflies churned nervously in his stomach, which wasn't a sensation he often felt. It wasn't something he was expected to feel, as it was well known he was a genius.

I wonder if the note was read... I wonder what he thought... The slender third year sighed and made sure his trademark serene smile was firmly in place to hide his thoughts.

He busied himself with repeatedly flicking his soft honey-brown hair out of his eyes. His cerulean eyes were closed, this time hiding his contempt at his own nervousness. He huffed restlessly and propped an elbow on the table, using the leverage to rest his chin on his hand while his other hand tapped his pencil quietly against a notebook.

Eiji, who shared morning-classes with Fuji and-naturally-sat next to his best friend, looked over at him with concern.

"Ne, Fujiko," Eiji whispered to his left. "How are you holding up? You seem... spaced out."

Fuji gave him a soft smile and shook his head to clear away his pensive mood, not wanting to draw attention from any other students. "Saa, who knows?" he answered in a small voice, undetected by their teacher at the front of the room teaching the class.

Eiji's brow furrowed in mild annoyance at his friend's dismissive answer. "Mou, Fuji!" he loudly exclaimed, momentarily forgetting his surroundings.

"Kikumaru," the teacher warned, glancing at the teen whose face had turned as red as his hair as he slumped in his seat.

"S-sorry," he offered timidly, and some girls giggled in response. The teacher snorted with dramatic disbelief, causing the giggling to continue, before going back to his lesson. Fuji gave Eiji an apologetic glance before moving his attention back to the black board, leaving his friend's question hanging in the air.

✩ I have five more chapters that I'll be posting that are already written before I write new ones. ✩