Ship: Fuji Shuusuke/Oshitari Yuushi Fandom: Prince of Tennis Major Tags: none Other Tags: supernatural elements (angels/ghosts) Word Count: 569
***
The grand music room of the university lay empty and dark most days; rumors that it was haunted kept most of the student body away. The first time Yuushi set foot inside, it was only a quick detour between classes. He wiped the dust from the top of the Steinway, adjusted the bench, and set his fingers to the keys. He had only enough time for a few simple chords and scales, but the piano had responded almost as if it were an extension of himself, every note full and perfectly-tuned despite the piano's apparent disuse. Those few minutes were all Yuushi needed to know that he would never go back to the cramped practice rooms in the basement with their perpetually out-of-tune pianos. He hadn't seen any signs of ghosts, angels, or any other supernatural guests in the space either.
He didn't have a chance to return to the practice room until late Saturday night. He didn't bother to turn on the main lights in the room, opting instead to open the drapes to the full-length windows and let the light of the full moon augment the small puddle of light cast by the lamp over the keyboard. He had no other plans for the night, and so he was in no hurry as he sat at the piano and played whatever came to mind.
The piano seemed to urge song after song from his fingers, and he was so engrossed in his playing that he didn't notice the storm clouds that gathered and blocked out the light of the moon. The first crack of lightning caught his attention, and when he looked up at the windows, he swore he saw a boy not much older than himself standing in the harsh light.
He stopped in surprise, and the image was gone before the last echo of thunder faded. Yuushi would have written it off as a trick of the light if it weren't for the single feather that drifted down to settle on the middle of the keyboard.
He picked it up with a trembling hand and set it next to his music. Then, he began again with his favorite concerto. The light around him wavered with the first few notes, then grew stronger as music swelled. When he reached the end of the first movement, the apparition was as solid as it had been before, and this time Yuushi didn't stop playing when the lightning cracked outside.
He poured more of himself into the piece than he ever had before, and as the second movement ended, the apparition drifted down from the top of the piano to stand behind him. He felt a ghostly touch along his arm, soft as swallow's wing, and as he began the third movement, a second set of hands joined his with a supernatural harmony.
Outside, the storm passed, the last rumbles of thunder drowned out by the sound of two sets of hands playing together. The duet stretched on until the end of the fourth movement, but as the piece drew to a close, Yuushi felt the ghostly presence fade alongside the last few melancholy notes as the first rays of dawn crept over the horizon.
He felt a sudden emptiness in his chest as he gathered his music and tucked the lone feather into his pocket. He already knew he would return the following week.
FILL: Team Imaizumi Shunsuke/Kinjou Shingo, G
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Major Tags: none
Other Tags: supernatural elements (angels/ghosts)
Word Count: 569
***
The grand music room of the university lay empty and dark most days; rumors that it was haunted kept most of the student body away. The first time Yuushi set foot inside, it was only a quick detour between classes. He wiped the dust from the top of the Steinway, adjusted the bench, and set his fingers to the keys. He had only enough time for a few simple chords and scales, but the piano had responded almost as if it were an extension of himself, every note full and perfectly-tuned despite the piano's apparent disuse. Those few minutes were all Yuushi needed to know that he would never go back to the cramped practice rooms in the basement with their perpetually out-of-tune pianos. He hadn't seen any signs of ghosts, angels, or any other supernatural guests in the space either.
He didn't have a chance to return to the practice room until late Saturday night. He didn't bother to turn on the main lights in the room, opting instead to open the drapes to the full-length windows and let the light of the full moon augment the small puddle of light cast by the lamp over the keyboard. He had no other plans for the night, and so he was in no hurry as he sat at the piano and played whatever came to mind.
The piano seemed to urge song after song from his fingers, and he was so engrossed in his playing that he didn't notice the storm clouds that gathered and blocked out the light of the moon. The first crack of lightning caught his attention, and when he looked up at the windows, he swore he saw a boy not much older than himself standing in the harsh light.
He stopped in surprise, and the image was gone before the last echo of thunder faded. Yuushi would have written it off as a trick of the light if it weren't for the single feather that drifted down to settle on the middle of the keyboard.
He picked it up with a trembling hand and set it next to his music. Then, he began again with his favorite concerto. The light around him wavered with the first few notes, then grew stronger as music swelled. When he reached the end of the first movement, the apparition was as solid as it had been before, and this time Yuushi didn't stop playing when the lightning cracked outside.
He poured more of himself into the piece than he ever had before, and as the second movement ended, the apparition drifted down from the top of the piano to stand behind him. He felt a ghostly touch along his arm, soft as swallow's wing, and as he began the third movement, a second set of hands joined his with a supernatural harmony.
Outside, the storm passed, the last rumbles of thunder drowned out by the sound of two sets of hands playing together. The duet stretched on until the end of the fourth movement, but as the piece drew to a close, Yuushi felt the ghostly presence fade alongside the last few melancholy notes as the first rays of dawn crept over the horizon.
He felt a sudden emptiness in his chest as he gathered his music and tucked the lone feather into his pocket. He already knew he would return the following week.