Entry tags:

fanfic series: engagement, fanfic: tenipuri

Engagement: Chapter 05 – The Date
Title: Engagement

Chapter: 05 – The Date

Series: WIP

Rating: Mostly G, with some curse words in Japanese, but not enough to really warrant a more severe rating.

Pairings: None! Absolutely none! Not a romance story!

Summary: So, Tezuka and Atobe go on a chaparoned date. Things get interesting. Just what exactly was in the brilliant plan anyway?

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine. Even the story idea isn't mine.

Author's Notes: Okay, I realize that I probably should refer to Tezuka's grandfather as Tezuka-jii-san or something, but it sounded just way too weird, so we'll bear with my irreverent and irresponsible reference of an elder by their given name. So sue me. Also, almost finished. Maybe I won't have to dump this into the discard pile after all. >_<

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Chapter 05 – The Date

It wasn’t until Tezuka had arrived at the carnival with Atobe in tow and his grandfather in chaperon that it occurred to him that his lack of resistance to his grandfather tagging on a supposedly private date would come off as suspicious. However, since he had already consented, it was probably best that he simply rode out the waves to the end.

That was, however, before Tezuka realized the mistake of not reviewing the dating plans with Atobe present, thereby allowing the Hyotei buchou the chance to modify the pre-written scenarios.

For one, Atobe had a penchant for the dramatic and it was showing up as Tezuka slowly realized in what form Atobe’s first choice of distraction came in.

“Help! Thief! Nya!”

The call came from a few stalls ahead, where Tezuka could make out a shocking red flash of hair and flailing limbs. Heading in his direction was a black-clad figure with a white facemask, spiky hair, and, to Tezuka’s horror, distinct square glasses gleaming against the sun.

“Thief? Ho, stop! Police!” Tezuka Kunikazu’s career instincts kicked in as he immediately responded to the distress call and pelted after the black figure who zoomed past the staring trio. Throwing a quick “Kunimitsu, stay here!” to his grandson, Kunikazu gave chase.

“Atobe, was that Inui?” Tezuka asked carefully, enunciating each syllable.

Atobe frowned. “Curses. Ore-sama told that bookworm to find a disguise and what does he do? Wear his trademark glasses. To think he’s supposed to be the top student at Seigaku. Ore-sama despair for you, Tezuka. Really, I do.”

“Why is Inui role-playing a purse-snatcher?” Tezuka demanded of the other boy.

“Because, Tezuka, the very idea of having Inui accidentally showing up at the carnival and striking a conversation with your grandfather thereby distracting him was utterly preposterous,” Atobe answered with great distain. “Honestly, Inui is one of yours. Did you really think he was capable of striking up a conversation with a retired policeman? We might as well have had a turtle talk to the old man for all of Inui’s superb conversation skills.”

“They might have bonded over security systems,” Tezuka muttered his defense under his breath, just loud enough for Atobe’s sensitive ears to pick up.

“Security? Security is your idea of scintillating conversation?” Atobe’s voice rose steadily as he completely forgot his role as the demure girlfriend.

“Hush,” Tezuka reminded him, “people will hear you. Keep your voice down and don’t look up. Grandfather’s returning and thank Kami-sama he isn’t dragging anyone behind him.”

True enough, Kunikazu returned alone. As he approached the “couple”, Kunikazu reassured the children, “It seems the division here is quite competent. They had the purse-snatcher handcuffed by the time I caught up. Rest assured that justice is served. Kunimitsu, are you all right? You look pale.”

Atobe did a double take to look at Tezuka’s unchanged features before gasping out, “HOW CAN YOU TELL?”

~*~

After the near disaster involving Atobe’s outburst and his distinct lack of femininity, which Tezuka and Atobe had hurriedly explained, with much tripping over of each other’s words, was due to shock and definitely not a usual occurrence, Atobe had suggested taking a seat at a café stand where they can rest out of the sun.

Tezuka resisted the urge to turn around and walk away when he realized that Fuji and Oishi were running the stand.

“Ah, Fuji-kun, Oishi-kun. Konnichiwa (1),” Kunikazu greeted the two boys.

“Konnichiwa, Tezuka-jii-san,” Oishi greeted. Fuji echoed the greeting then quickly slipped out of sight.

Patiently, Tezuka and Atobe waited for Kunikazu to decide on his coffee, before giving Oishi their order. As Atobe opened his mouth to order a café macchiato with triple ristretto con panna, Tezuka once again tugged at Atobe’s dress, reminding him to wait. Atobe snapped his mouth shut and glared as Tezuka gave his order for a simple latte.

Finding a small booth, Atobe and Tezuka slipped into one side as Kunikazu settled himself on the opposite side. With a smile, the elder Tezuka asked, “Now, tell me a little of what your impression is of my grandson, Kei-chan.”

Before Atobe could launch himself into an involved oration, a crash opposite the booth attracted their attention.

“That was so a bull’s eye, ahou (2)!”

“Fsssh, what do you know, baka (3)!”

“Who are you calling baka?”

“Urusai (4)! You cheater!”

“Usotsuki (5)!”

Kunikazu stood up, pushing back his chair loudly as he did so. “Children these days…” he muttered to himself, his face growing dark as the expletives fell from the kid’s mouth. Without giving his grandson an order to stay put, knowing Tezuka was smart enough to know better, Kunikazu stalked off, clearly ready to beat some discipline into the wayward child.

Tezuka looked on with slight concern and turned to his companion to ask, “Is Shishido going to be all right? And why is Kaidoh involved?” Tezuka gave a small word of thanks that Kaidoh at least hadn’t been wearing his trademark bandana.

“Don’t worry Tezuka, I’ve got back up,” Atobe smirked proudly as he nodded to the distance. Tezuka’s gaze drifted toward the indicated direction and noticed a gleam of silvery hair bobbing towards the commotion at a rapid pace.

“Shishido-san! Yamette kudasai (6)!”

“Choutarou, stay out of this…”

“But Shishido-san, he could beat you up. You’re much smaller than he is and…” The rest of Ohtori’s words faded as Ohtori bodily pulled a still struggling Shishido out of hearing range.

Kunikazu returned to the table. Shaking his head, he said, “To think such a polite child would associate with a delinquent like that. So sad, really.”

Tezuka nearly choked on his tongue at the description of Ohtori Choutarou as he clearly remembered the time when said “polite” boy all but demanded his coach for an explanation during the Senbatsu practice. Ohtori had been anything but polite.

Thankfully, Kunikazu had been distracted by the shadow that fell on their table and did not wonder about his grandson’s odd expression.

“Ah, waiter, is that our order?” Kunikazu asked.

“Usu. (7)”

“Did Fuji-kun make it? I saw him go into the back,” Kunikazu continued as the cups were set on the table.

“Usu.”

“How delightful. Well, thank you.”

“Usu.”

As the hulking form walked off, Kunikazu tasted his coffee and beamed, “Delicious.”

Tezuka nodded and whispered out of the corner of his mouth so that only Atobe would hear, “I wouldn’t drink that if I were you.”

~*~

The awkward silence between grandfather and grandson that had settled as the trio took to stirring their coffee was thankfully disrupted as a distressed yell came from a few booths behind.

“Eeeeek! Hentai (8)!”

“How tasteless. Doing it so blatantly in daylight.”

“Hey, Yuushi, stop commenting and give me a hand here. I’m stuck.”

“Gakuto, have you considered lubrication?”

“And you call me tasteless?”

Kunikazu once again dashed out of the booth, driven by his sense of duty to resolve the commotion. As Kunikazu disappeared, Tezuka hanged his head marginally, feeling quite ambivalent regarding this new distraction.

“Ore-sama do not even want to know what Oshitari had been thinking,” Atobe declared, looking furious. “Ore-sama said to create a diversion, not public humiliation. You would think Hyotei’s tensai (9) would come up with something effective.”

“Well, it did distract Grandfather,” Tezuka offered.

“Yes, and Hyotei’s reputation is in tatters too. How is ore-sama supposed to show his face now? I suppose I’ll just have to transfer. Oh, Oshitari is going to get what’s coming to him,” Atobe fumed, steamrolling over Tezuka’s words.

“I think arrest for public indecency is punishment enough,” Tezuka appeased, still not sure if he want to look up to search for his grandfather’s whereabouts in case he had the misfortune to witness just exactly what Oshitari had planned.

“Ore-sama is going to have him skinned,” Atobe continued viciously. “Ore-sama is going to revoke his gym privileges. Ore-sama is going to take him off the regulars. O…Ojii-san, how was it, was everything worked out?”

Tezuka jerked his head up in time to see his grandfather sit down with a scowl.

“This day has been quite interesting,” Kunikazu observed.

“Aa,” Tezuka agreed, feeling distinctly exposed.

“Many mishaps. All in one day. Odd, wouldn’t you say, Kunimitsu?”

“Aa.”

“So many, that one would even say that it seems quite planned, na?” Kunikazu’s voice flat as a sheet as he delivered this last question.

“Usu,” uttered Kabaji, who was now standing behind Atobe.

Tezuka wished the earth would open up and swallow him. A sidelong glance told him that Atobe had not planned for this particular scenario, including Kabaji disobeying orders to stay away from the table.

Kunikazu narrowed his eyes, resembling his grandson during one of Seigaku’s less-than-productive practice sessions, and asked, “Now, why don’t you tell me what’s going on, Kunimitsu?”

~*tsuduku*~

1 – “Hello.”
2 – “Moron.”
3 – “Idiot.”
4 – “Shut up!”
5 – “Liar!” Fairly impolite usage.
6 – “Please stop!” Polite usage.
7 – “Yes.” The only word that Kabaji possibly ever utters if one does not take into account Atobe kara no Okurimono mini movie.
8 – “Pervert!”
9 – “Genius” or “prodigy”.