Haruka's Fanfiction

This was the result of a timed, sentence prompt challenge for my RPG. The prompt is stated at the end of the fic. Yaoi warning.

*Note* This was written within the context of my Changechildren fic AU.

Fire at Hyotei (Prince of Tennis)

By Haruka (haruka@ymail.com)

--

There I was today, on my way back to class after lunch, when the fire alarm went off. Normally, this wouldn't panic anybody, since fire drills are always happening -- you know what it's like. This one was different, though. First, it was during lunch (drills are always done when kids are in class so the teachers can organize them better), and secondly, I caught a whiff of smoke right after the alarm started!

All that orderly, line-up stuff that the teachers train you in? Went out the window. It was mayhem, a mad dash for the exits. Me, I went the other way, fighting against the traffic.

Yuushi wasn't with me, and I needed to make sure wherever he was, the fire WASN'T. I had last seen him on his way to the music room, and that's where I was going.

I'm short, but when I'm determined, people had better look out. I plowed through my schoolmates mercilessly, wishing I had Choutarou's phasing power, when suddenly, Choutarou was in front of me. He looked frightened, but relieved to see me.

"Gakuto-senpai!" he exclaimed. "I'm so glad you're okay -- it's a real fire!"

"I know, I know," I told him, sounding surprisingly calm for me, but Choutarou had this deer-in-the-headlights look that made me want to look after him. "Look, keep following everyone and get out of here -- phase through them if you have to!"

"I can't!" he cried. "Shishido-senpai --!"

"He'll be okay," I insisted. "He's got his good luck to protect him, right? Just GO!"

"But --!"

"Kabaji, Hiyoshi!" I waved down my other two Sophomore classmates. "Take Choutarou out with you, hurry!"

"No," Kabaji said firmly. "Atobe."

I was worried about Atobe, Jiroh, Shishido as well as Yuushi, but I knew that as the only senior Regular there at the moment, I had to get those thirteen-year-old asses MOVING. "Don't backtalk me, Kabaji!" I yelled. "Take these two and get the hell out of here! That's a senpai's ORDER!"

"Atobe," Kabaji repeated. Damn, that kid had a one-track mind!

"I'LL find him, I promise!" I said, pushing on his back like I could actually move this boy-mountain. "Get going! NOW!"

"Come on," Hiyoshi said to the other two and began herding them along, giving me a quick nod. I granted him mental credit then -- maybe he'll be an okay captain for the team next year after all.

Off I went toward the classrooms at as fast a pace as I could manage through the surging crowd of kids.

"CHOUTAROU! CHOUTAROU, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

There was only one person THAT could be. I followed the bellowing and nearly ran head-long into Shishido. "Back there!" I pointed. "He and Hiyoshi and Kabaji; I sent them out."

He looked disbelieving, then grateful and relieved all at once. "Thank God."

"The others, have you seen them?" I asked anxiously, while thinking, Yuushi, please be okay.

"Jiroh's all right, I saw one of the teachers herding him out with a group of students," Shishido answered. "I haven't seen Atobe or Yuushi." My face must have fallen because he instantly looked apologetic. "I'm sure they're okay." He gave my shoulder a squeeze.

I was going to say something, but a teacher stopped beside us. "Shishido-kun, Mukahi-kun, why are you just standing here?! Get out, come on!" He started pushing on us and we both resisted.

"Yuushi's back there somewhere!" I cried.

"Our friends are still here!" Shishido protested.

The fire alarm stopped then, and our Principal's voice came over the intercom. "Attention students and faculty. The fire in the lab has been extinguished, but we request that you continue outside until the smoke clears."

We looked at each other, feeling some relief, but I knew it wouldn't be enough for me until I saw Yuushi.

"Gakuto!"

That voice -- that sultry, warm, Kansai-accented voice! "YUUSHI!" I waved wildly as I spotted his blue hair down the hallway. I went back to pushing my way through people until I could embrace him and feel his arms around me.

"Thank goodness you're all right," he murmured into my hair.

"I was so worried about you." I looked up at him and saw that he had smudges of soot on his face. "Were you in the lab?" I asked fearfully. “I thought you were going to the music room!”

"I was in the hall with Atobe when the fire started," he said. "We weren't far from the lab and smelled the smoke quickly. He said he could use his ice powers to neutralize it before it got too bad and he was right, but it still filled up the place with smoke." He gave me a one-armed squeeze. "I see Shishido over there -- let's find the others and reassure them."

Classes were eventually cancelled for the rest of the day so the smoke damage could be dealt with. We Regulars all went to Atobe's for the afternoon, and even though we had to listen to him preen about having 'saved' the school with his powers, there's nothing else I would rather have been doing.

Well, okay, maybe ONE thing, but that would have to wait until Yuushi and I could get some alone time. Until then, hanging with my friends, all of us safe and unhurt, was good enough.

--

Sentence prompt: He could smell something burning ….

(2006)

Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi.

This fic is not to be re-posted.