Authors' Note :
Heeeelllllooooo, our darling readers! We apologize for such a long hiatus. We have a lot of ideas, sure, but our motivation is lacking.
Anyway, this one is ShiRika (to show we haven't forgotten Starian NightZz and the shippers). Sorry for those who were awaiting other pairings! For now, we'd like to write *dramatic pause* freestyle.
Disclaimer : We own nothing.
Enjoy!
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The sun was out, gentle breezes blew by every now and then, birds chirped from their perches atop tree branches; perfect weather for outdoor activities. Of course, as a tennis player, Shinderui Shiki wouldn't pass up a chance like this – not that he didn't go to the tennis courts everyday anyway.
A couple of idiots, probably high school students, were gloating about their so-called 'supreme skills' in front of a small crowd while showing off. They thought he was an easy pick, small fry, and decided to use him as a medium for a 'sample of their skills', or so they said. Needless to say, they got their rears whipped by Shiki's abilities – he didn't break a sweat at all. He aced the entire game, no points given to the other team, under three minutes.
The memory of such an occurrence brought a smirk to his lips as he strolled through the peaceful park, with only a few citizens roaming around. He was in a rather secluded part of the area, shaded by the trees' leaves. Now, what was he doing there, you ask? Well, apparently, the other high schoolers chickened out at his display of real skills – no one else dared to challenge him. He knew that his rival frequented places like the park during her freetime, and he wanted to have a go at a challenge.
Much to his surprise, as he turned at a tree, his foot was caught in something, thus causing him to lose his footing and trip.
"Ow!"
Thankfully, his reflexes acted up, and he caught himself just before his face came in contact with the ground. He groaned as he pulled himself up into a sitting position, crossing his legs and looking back to glance at what caused him to trip – he assumed it was probably a stray tree root protruding from the ground, and prepared for the following embarrassment of tripping over something so trivial. For a player known for his sharp senses, he'd be ashamed.
As his bright blue optics met flowing raven locks, he blinked.
Let's rephrase that, shall we? He looked back to glance at who caused him to trip.
Leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree was the subject of his thoughts - none other than Echizen Rika, with her eyes shut in serene slumber and head tilted slightly to the side from the lack of a headrest. After staring at the sight before him in disbelief for a few more moments, he shook his head with a sigh. Shiki lifted his hand, about to shake her shoulder in order to rouse her from sleep, but as he took notice of something, his actions paused.
His eyes zeroed in on her features – she looked so peaceful and gentle, lacking the usual active expressions. Like an angel, he thought. The silverette opted to instead lean a bit closer and take hold of her chin to bring her head to a more comfortable position. After all, neck cricks were never very enjoyable. His hand trailed along, now resting on her cheek.
Click.
Rika stirred a bit from the contact. Her eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly as she subconsciously mouthed something barely audible – though it suspiciously sounded like something along the lines of, "Go away, nii-san… Five more minutes…"
He had to chuckle at that, a fond smile making its way to his lips.
Click.
He was back in a daze, a few moments later, eyes locked on her soft features.
It was nice to see her in such a peaceful state – usually; she had a fierce, determined expression spread across her face, especially during tennis matches against respected opponents. It always triggered something – the adrenaline that would always start pumping through his veins was like the embodiment of what made him love tennis in the first place, the epitome of the very thrill of the sport.
With another sigh, he shook his head a bit as he scanned his optics over his surroundings. A flash of yellow caught his attention from the corner of his eye.
A yellow blossom was growing at the base of the tree's roots – despite the lack of sunlight in the area due to the shade that the trees provided, it seemed to be growing just fine, healthy and blooming. It sported a bright, golden-like hue
Bright gold, he mused. Just like Rika's eyes.
Her eyes always held a certain shine in them, and just seemed to harbor a roaring flame of passion within them whenever she anticipated something greatly, especially a match. During those times that they played in matches, be it together or against each other, the burning shine of her determination was always present in those orbs. She was never one to turn down a good challenge, and neither was he. It felt so thrilling to go against such a force. This certain flower reminded him so much of the ravenette's optics – it deserved to meet its match.
He carefully plucked the flower from it's place, twirling it in his hand for a few seconds as he admired it petals. It belonged, he decided, to the person whose eyes resembled its hue. With slow, deliberate movements, as not to wake her up; he gently brushed away stray strands of raven from the girl's face with his free hand and tucked it behind her ear, along with the blossom that seemed to settle perfectly in her hair.
She looked absolutely angelic.
Click.
Because of the depth of his thoughts, he failed to notice how he started inching closer and closer to her face, until they were a mere few centimeters apart. Without full account of his actions, he softly pressed his lips against the small of her forehead. It was light, gentle - like a butterfly's touch. A flower has not been recognized as beautiful until a butterfly alights upon it; until nature itself embraces its existence.
The receiving end of the action, blissfully unaware, remained still and serene; in the embrace of slumber and the land of dreams.
Click.
His lips lingered for a few seconds until his mind finally registered the situation, and his eyes shot open as he abruptly pulled away from the still-asleep ravenette. His cheeks flared a bright pink, mortified and shocked by his display of affection. Shiki could only thank the heavens that Rika was quite the heavy sleeper – he would've die out of embarrassment if she witnessed him doing such a thing! In embarrassment, he hid his burning face in his hands, inwardly willing the ground to simply swallow him up and save him from the hodgepodge of emotions he was feeling.
"Mm…"
His head snapped towards the sound of a feminine groan, catching the sight as Rika stirred and slowly sat up straight, rousing from her slumber, as if sensing the great disturbance in his usually calm demeanor and line of emotions. He was surprised by her sudden awakening, and bolted straight up, then dashed away from the scene before she fully opened her eyes and added more abashment to his current situation.
Rika yawned and stretched out her arms to get rid of all of the kinks. All she heard was the fading sound of hurried footsteps before she opened her eyes to her surroundings; void of any companion that she previously thought was present.
"Huh…" she hummed as she raised a hand to her forehead, feeling the spot that once held a warm sensation against it. "I could have sworn…" As she slid her hand into her hair, her fingers caught a foreign object within the strands – the foreign object, she discovered, was a bright yellow blossom.
"A mystery person, hm?"
From somewhere behind the bushes, just beyond Rika's location, a barely restrained exclaim of victory escaped a certain redhead as soon as the girl left the area and the coast was clear. He grinned at his seaweed-haired companion, who also wore a similar grin.
"This," Marui motioned to his cellphone, "is going to be sent to the entire gang."
Needless to say, the following morning, the two 'lovebirds' were teased endlessly during their joint practice, which was conveniently schedule the day after the incident. Both Seigaku and Rikkaidai received the photos of Shinderui Shiki's tender side - they found amusement in watching the unnofficial couple's flustered faces, seeing as they usually sported somewhat serious expressions. Never mind that they had to endure a "special" type of training that time - it was definitely worth all the muscle pains that they experienced after the session.
On the other hand, the blossom that once rested within the strands of Rika's locks could be found preserved in a small picture frame, standing on her bedside table.
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