Train rides

Author’s notes: Got this strange idea while struggling on a train. Yeah, I’m weird right? Incredibly ridiculous story…Read at your own risk. I think trains in Japan are quite steady, not like those in my country…But for the benefit of this fic, let’s all use our imagination :P

A TezuxEiji one shot

If there was anything that Kikumaru Eiji hated, it was standing on moving trains. Sure, he was agile and maintaining his balance while flipping ridiculously high somersaults was a piece of cake; but standing on a moving platform that just kept jerking was a different matter altogether.

When the Seigaku tennis team had to travel outside of Tokyo for their practice matches, Eiji was sulking silently. He loved to go out of town, but having to squeeze with trainloads of passengers on the way back wasn’t exactly his favourite activity. The trains were usually jam packed and he couldn’t grab hold of any of the handle bars. Being light and slender didn’t help much in keeping his two feet on the ground. Whenever the train accelerated or pulled to a stop, he found himself swaying from side to side, desperately shifting his centre of gravity to avoid making a fool of out himself.

He glanced enviously at the larger players like Inui and Kawamura, who seemed solid like a tree in the moving train. Oishi was his usual support, but today, he was standing too far away to help. He wondered why Fuji and Echizen seemed to be doing well, but then, those two geniuses were in a league of their own. Letting out a sigh, the redhead swayed again to his left, this time unfortunately hitting someone in the process. Thankfully, that person managed to steady him before he ended up like a human pin ball.

“Don’t be careless, Kikumaru.”

Eiji pouted at the reproach. Tezuka was standing perfectly still, feet slightly apart and the movements in the carriage didn’t seem to bother him at all. Perhaps the Tezuka zone worked on trains as well, though it didn’t make any sense at all.

“Sorry, I find it really hard to balance nya.” Eiji sighed once more, resigned to his fate of being ridiculed.

But Tezuka said nothing at all, except raise an eyebrow at that comment.

The next train attack came soon enough, and Eiji crashed right into Tezuka. The captain remained steady and unfazed; he skilfully caught hold of the clumsy redhead and returned him to equilibrium, without moving his own two feet at all in the entire chain of actions.

Eiji was almost gaping in wonder. How fantastic his captain was! Was this how a pillar was supposed to be like, steady and solid even in a jerky train ride?!

“Hang on to my arm if you need support,” said the dependable pillar, complete with a side wards glance that also said, “Don’t embarrass the team by flying to the other side of the carriage.”

“Thank you, nya!” Of course Eiji missed the unspoken part since he was already happily grabbing Tezuka’s arm and shifting his weight slightly onto the captain. Tezuka raised his brows a second time at the new weight, but gamely took it in his stride.

For the rest of the journey, Eiji was steady like a rock. When the train carriage got even more crowded, the redhead moved closer and soon, he was almost leaning on the bespectacled teen. Tezuka didn’t protest, so Eiji continued to latch onto his arm. As the train ride continued, Eiji slowly found himself getting drowsy. Since the lateral movements stopped, Eiji didn’t have to balance himself and only had to deal with the back and forth movements. Unfortunately, these types of movements served solely to coax Eiji into dreamland and before long, the entire carriage of passengers (including the rest of the Seigaku team regulars) were marvelling at the sight of a contentedly-asleep Eiji resting his head on Tezuka’s shoulders, complete with arms lovingly linked together.

Tezuka turned a shade of red when he noticed the eyes on him and tried to nudge Eiji as discretely as he could to wake the sleepy boy. Alas, as his vice captain would have told him from his experience of being Eiji’s pillow on buses and train rides, there was no way subtle movements would rouse the redhead from his sleep. Especially when the boy was very satisfied with the temporary resting arrangement, noted Oishi with a hint of amusement and sympathy. Tezuka wasn’t so cruel to pry Eiji forcefully away from him and risk an injury in his team, nor did he have much space to try wake the boy up by shaking him. Thus Tezuka, left with no choice, decided to endure the stares and occasional giggles from a few yaoi minded schoolgirls who boarded the carriage a few stations earlier.

The number of passengers in the train started to dwindle after some time. The regulars too, alighted as they reached their stops and stifling their laughter, bid goodbye to their captain and the still sleeping boy. Soon, only Tezuka and Eiji were left standing. Just as Tezuka was struggling between staying on the train till they reached the terminal or forcefully pulling the boy to alight when their stop approached, Eiji miraculously woke up.

“Nya, we’re reaching soon.” The redhead blinked and unlatched himself from Tezuka’s arm, oblivious of the stares around him and Tezuka’s reddening face.

“You woke up just in time,” said the captain to distract himself from the sudden missing warmth by his side.

Eiji stretched himself and yawned. “Yeah, I always wake up before I reach my stop. Maybe it’s a kind of homing instinct!”

Then he turned to Tezuka and beamed. “Thanks for letting me hold on to you! I didn’t know you were so comfortable to lean on!”

The captain coughed to hide his embarrassment. Eiji merely grinned wider and went on to rave about how warm and cosy Tezuka was.

“Nya,” Eiji paused and gazed seriously at Tezuka.

“Hm?” Tezuka looked down at the dark blue eyes that were sparkling with a suspicious twinkle in them.

“May I hold on to you like that tomorrow too?” Eiji used his most innocent catlike expression as he spoke.

Tezuka raised his brows for the third time that evening as he thought about Eiji’s request. He had his dignity as a captain to maintain. He had to be serious, and not allow himself to be distracted by unreasonable requests that came with cute pouts or sparkling eyes. He had to be a pillar to the team, to be their unwavering support at all times.

“Ah,” said the stoic captain after thirty seconds.

Eiji smile widened and shouted a “Yatta!”, which of course, attracted attention from the baffled passengers on the carriage again. Thankfully, the train stopped and Tezuka quickly stepped out with Eiji to avoid further embarrassment.

He stole a glance at the bouncing redhead who seemed to have regained all his agility on stable grounds, and reiterated his reasons for agreeing to Eiji’s request to convince himself he had no other motives. True pillars had to be there for everyone, and giving unwavering support extend to non-training hours too. For that reason and his dignity as a captain, Tezuka had to agree. Flushing faces and fluttering hearts were nothing, but just a passing phase.