Another year, another place to corral stray ficlets and fragments. Some of them may make it to AO3 eventually, some of them may not. Series, pairing, rating, and any relevant warnings will be in the subject of each comment.
"Commander." The harsh whisper sounded from outside of the tent, and Tezuka had his hand on his sword ready to raise the alarm before he recognized the voice.
"What is it, Fuji?" he asked. Outside of battle, in the dead of night with no one else in sight except the sentries, Tezuka let the strict military hierarchies drop. There was no need for them here.
"There's a problem brewing," Fuji whispered.
Tezuka was immediately alert, adrenaline burning away the fatigue that had been clawing at the edges of his mind. "Report."
"The enemy's on the move. Reinforcements arrived at some point in the last day or so; they somehow slipped our notice entirely. They're surrounding the camp; in another few hours, we'll be trapped."
Are you sure? Tezuka started to ask, but he held his tongue. It was Fuji's report, and thus it was true. The position of spymaster was Fuji's in far more than name.
"Where are they now?"
"Moving in from the east. They've already secured the road out of the valley, and they've split into two branches to surround us. The main force will probably attack at dawn when the rising sun will be against us."
"What about the game trails?"
"They don't seem to have discovered them yet. I left scouts to hold them against any enemy scouting parties, but they won't be able to hold the positions against the main force."
"We'll retreat along that route until we're in the mountains and set up an ambush of our own just before the caves. By the time the enemy realizes the camp is empty, we'll be waiting. You're in charge of passing on the orders. Leave anything that can be spared."
"Commander?"
"If I start moving around camp at this hour, anyone watching will know something is happening. You can move around unnoticed. I'll leave at first light."
"Tezuka...," Fuji said, pressing his fingers to the thick canvas of the tent.
"Go," Tezuka ordered. "I'll meet you at the caves."
Fuji lingered for a second longer, as if waiting would somehow let his fingers cross through the fabric to touch the source of the voice on the other side. Then, he turned and melted back into the shadows.
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Prince of Tennis, Tezuka/Fuji, G, military AU
"What is it, Fuji?" he asked. Outside of battle, in the dead of night with no one else in sight except the sentries, Tezuka let the strict military hierarchies drop. There was no need for them here.
"There's a problem brewing," Fuji whispered.
Tezuka was immediately alert, adrenaline burning away the fatigue that had been clawing at the edges of his mind. "Report."
"The enemy's on the move. Reinforcements arrived at some point in the last day or so; they somehow slipped our notice entirely. They're surrounding the camp; in another few hours, we'll be trapped."
Are you sure? Tezuka started to ask, but he held his tongue. It was Fuji's report, and thus it was true. The position of spymaster was Fuji's in far more than name.
"Where are they now?"
"Moving in from the east. They've already secured the road out of the valley, and they've split into two branches to surround us. The main force will probably attack at dawn when the rising sun will be against us."
"What about the game trails?"
"They don't seem to have discovered them yet. I left scouts to hold them against any enemy scouting parties, but they won't be able to hold the positions against the main force."
"We'll retreat along that route until we're in the mountains and set up an ambush of our own just before the caves. By the time the enemy realizes the camp is empty, we'll be waiting. You're in charge of passing on the orders. Leave anything that can be spared."
"Commander?"
"If I start moving around camp at this hour, anyone watching will know something is happening. You can move around unnoticed. I'll leave at first light."
"Tezuka...," Fuji said, pressing his fingers to the thick canvas of the tent.
"Go," Tezuka ordered. "I'll meet you at the caves."
Fuji lingered for a second longer, as if waiting would somehow let his fingers cross through the fabric to touch the source of the voice on the other side. Then, he turned and melted back into the shadows.