Ethereal
He knows that he has won the argument. Ryoma reclines his head on his hands and looks positively unimpressed. Except that his thoughts are in the open. Tezuka eyes him skeptically from behind his lenses. His expression betraying nothing to the stranger. Though there is a shadow of a smirk that persists despite him.
'I'll drive.' He states now without wariness.
'Che. Whatever.' Ryoma sulkily says, opening the passenger's seat and sinking into his seat.
Tezuka follows suit and puts on his seat-belt. He gives a warning look to the younger man that reflects in the glass.
'What?' comes the grunted reply.
'Seat-belt.' Tezuka reminds him sternly.
In less than five minutes silence settles over the car. Ryoma falls into his usual car-nap. Tezuka will never allow Echizen to ever come close to the wheel again, not after he challenged every driver he thought worth of his time. Ryoma loves speed, and will not deter from pointing out that Tezuka drives like a snail. Naturally, Tezuka is one of those who possess the adequate knowledge to be driving. He respects the rules without a blink. He glances to his left, Ryoma is leaning his forehead on the window pane, his face hidden underneath the brim of his cap.
Now, as he had done so many times, he rests the back of his hand on the younger's jaw tracing that particular line up to his cheek, to his temple brushing his fingers through the soft green-black locks. Ryoma murmurs something, which can be either Tezuka's name or simply nothing at all. His lips quirk upwards. He lets his knuckles linger lightly on the skin, down from the shoulder, to the forearm, the wrist, the palm, the fingertips.
He pauses. He is too easily distracted. Conveniently the road is not crowded, the weather passable. Without thinking he didn't take his hand away and is intertwining his fingers with Ryoma's. He almost startles when he feels a weak squeeze in return. But not quite. Not even when his companion stirs and turns, leaning his entire weight on him.
While driving he prefers to assess his surroundings, and not see them pass by like the rewind of a video tape. That's why he enjoys walking. He won't admit it out loud, but walking alongside Ryoma is the best feeling. That's why he never travels alone.
Being in New York for two weeks already, and winning the US Open against Ryoma, he believed it was time that he shared something else beside tennis with Ryoma. He wants to see the ocean. And he hopes Ryoma will be less reticent when they do.