Tomoki relaxed into his seat as the plane continued to rumble before take off. He could still feel his heart hammering in his chest from all the excitement. Beijing was going to be so exciting! He heard Yoichi sigh from the occupied seat beside him and he couldn't help but lightly chuckle at how tense the other seemed to be. Then again, Yoichi normally seemed tense. Tomoki wanted to change that. Not entirely, but just enough to make his idolised friend lighten up a little bit. Sure, this trip to Beijing was important to them and the fate of the MDC, but they were still allowed to have some fun, right?

"What's so funny all of a sudden?" Yoichi's low, soothing voice cut into Tomoki's thoughts.

"Oh, just you being as tense as usual," Tomoki smiled slyly with a playful sparkle in his blue eyes. "It's almost as if you're scared of flying".

"Scared? Me? No way". Yoichi closed his eyes momentarily before the airline announcements were made.

Tomoki watched out the window as the plane began to roll away from it's spot and rumble along the runway before slowly lifting upward into the air. And just when he thought his pounding heart had calmed itself down enough, the excitement built up again and he could near enough hear it in his ears. A rampaging ka-thud ka-thud ka-thud.

"This is going to be amazing..." he whispered to himself, watching the ground get further and further away as they continued to ascend into the clouds. Japan was going to look tiny from all the way up here. If only the clouds weren't getting in the way - but the view he had was close enough.

"I'm beginning to think going by boat would've been quicker" Tomoki mumbled, eyes still fixed on the window for the most part.

Yoichi was reading a book beside him but smiled at his comment. "It's only been an hour and a half out of the three hours we have on this flight. Why don't you take a nap and I'll wake you before we land".

"But I don't want to miss anything!" Tomoki pouted slightly as he looked at his friend.

"What, like more clouds?"

Tomoki laughed a little at that. "No silly, I meant, like, I want to experience the entire journey without missing a single moment by going to sleep. The others look half dead by sleeping anyway".

"Either way, the only thing you're going to see is more clouds". He paused and then folded the corner of the page he was currently on in his book to close it and place it on his lap. "Is your breakup still bothering you? I know it's a hard thing to go through, but try not to think about it, okay?"

"She has Hiro now, so she'll be fine. I'm probably going to miss Chikawu more than anything. I'm sure he'll be alright without me, but I'm not really too used to not having him around. Usually I find him at my side unless I have to keep him outside or it's raining so I can't go out with him".

"Dogs are intelligent animals. He'll be just as happy to see you as you are to see him once we get home".

"Yeah...He's probably the real reason I even started diving in the first place y'know". He smiled at the memory. "If he hadn't run off and stopped at that fence, then I probably wouldn't've met you and taken up the sport. To be honest, when I saw you dive for the first time, I saw the boards as concreate dragons, and you were a hero that conquered them". He then blushed and turned away when Yoichi gave him a bit of a questioning - yet amused - look. "I-I was only a kid! Kids think of stupid stuff!"

"Haha, you still are a kid Tomo, you've been in your teens for only two years now". He placed his hand on the other's head gently, giving his hair a slight playful ruffle. "Just remember everything I've taught you".

"Like how to be as tense as a deer caught in the headlights?" Tomoki earned a small shove for that and he chuckled in response. His plan was beginning to work.

"WOW~! This room is probably twice the size of mine back home!" Tomoki's eyes shone in awe and he grinned at the thought of sharing the magnificent room with Yoichi. "Err, which bed do you want?"

"Honestly, I don't mind. You're more of a sightseer than I am so why don't you take the one closest to the window?"

"Sure!" The younger of the two then flopped on the bed with a dramatic contented sigh which made Yoichi shake his head. "This is going to be an awesome trip!"

"We're here for the Japan-China meet remember, not a vacation".

Tomoki sat up and smirked slightly at the other as he watched him unpack. "Well we're allowed some fun I'm sure. Or are they really going to just bore us to death while we're here?" He surely hoped not. He wanted Yoichi to loosen up a bit and figured this was an easy way to do so.

"Well, perhaps we could have a break now and then, perhaps tour the city or something for half hour. I just hope you're ready to prove to the people here that the MDC has what it takes to get to the Olympics".

"You bet I am!"

"That's good," Yoichi smiled at him and Tomoki thought he caught a glimmer of fondness in those hazel eyes. "We should rest up so we're well prepared for tomorrow's meet".

Tomoki nodded in agreement and set to unpacking his own things, keeping his pyjamas on the bed so he could change into them once he was done.

Tomoki could hardly sleep that night even though he really tried. He could still feel his heart beating at a faster pace than usual since he was still so excited about being in Beijing, but he also was beginning to miss home. He certainly did miss Chikawu the most. He wondered how many times Hiroya and Miyu had spent time together since his departure. And even though it hurt, he knew that he was the one in the wrong. He should've treated her like how you're supposed to treat your boyfriend or girlfriend. Instead he just focused on and talked about his diving. Hiroya could treat her better - he always said so.

As he lay in the bed in the hotel room, he felt a single tear slip itself free from the corner of his eye and slowly trail down his cheek. He couldn't help the small sniffle that followed as he brushed it away with the back of his hand. He bit his lip to stifle the next sound attempting to come out of his mouth when he felt the bed dip behind him, and a hand was rested on his shoulder.

"Are you alright, Tomo?"

Tomoki looked up at Yoichi and blinked. He paused for a moment, contemplating on whether he should lie or not to the older diver. In the end, he simply shook his head and looked away. He didn't understand why it hurt so much. Did it hurt because he really did want Miyu, or did it hurt because he felt like he'd deserved to have his younger brother take her away? He shivered lightly and sat up to rub at his eyes. Everything felt like it was such a mess right now.

Yoichi had never had a girlfriend, so he didn't really understand how Tomoki was feeling on a grander scale, but from what he knew, he could somewhat understand. He sighed silently to himself and settled on the bed more so the two were lounging side by side. While Tomoki was still rubbing his eyes to rid of any tears, he slipped an arm up and around his shoulders to pull him closer against his side.

"It hurts, right? So, just tell me what I can do to make that hurt disappear. Even if it returns when we get back to Japan, I just want to see you happy". He felt the other properly rest his head on his shoulder. "I hate to see you unhappy..."

"I don't kn-know what it is I want..." Tomoki's voice was softer than usual, with the lack of his usual enthusiasm. "I didn't love her at first you know. We kind of only got together because her friends got mad when I rejected her before. I tried...but it didn't feel right. A-And then there was this time recently where we went to a park on some kind of date a-and all I did was talk about myself. But then the other couples around us started kissing and I didn't know what to do... I-I didn't know if I should've kissed her too or-"

"If you didn't love her then I don't blame you for not kissing her. You shouldn't have to do things you don't want to in a relationship. Especially one you didn't even want in the first place. And since it seems she was stupid enough to cheat on you with your own brother, well, then she's clearly not worth your time. A friend she could be, perhaps, but if I were you I probably wouldn't give her the time of day". That was when Yoichi felt Tomoki's arms wind themselves around his waist. "Huh?" He looked down at the other and saw that he was growing sleepy. He smiled and rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.

"Thank you...Yoichi..." Tomoki mumbled just before he slipped off to sleep.

"No problem, Tomo". He tried to slip away back to his own bed but Tomo's grip on him wouldn't allow him to move. Yoichi just sighed with a soft smile and gently rested his head on Tomoki's, closing his eyes and then falling back to sleep himself.

It was soon their final day in Beijing and after the Japan-China meet had not failed to test them to their limits and more so, they were given the day free to themselves to roam the city if they wished. Their only other option was to continue training, and for once Tomoki and Yoichi silently agreed that one more training session here in Beijing would most likely be the death of them both.

Their day together wasn't all bad. They got lost a few times and almost got themselves killed despite not training, but they always got a good laugh out of their situations. Yoichi did seem to loosen up more and the two spent a lot of their time getting to know one another on a more personal level outside of diving. And Tomoki was indeed very thankful for this trip existing.

Though there would be one incident that would stick in his mind for the rest of his life.

When they got back to the hotel room that evening and had decided that ordering room service would benefit them more than the hotel's restaurant or a restaurant somewhere in the city, the two had been near enough exhausted from their day's adventures. They flopped down on Yoichi's bed with a joyous laugh before settling down and trying to catch their breath.

"Are...Are you trying to get us both killed or what?" Yoichi chuckled as he sat up. "Damn, I haven't had that much fun in a long while".

"So it worked then?" Tomoki continued to lay on the bed, shifting himself slightly and a blush adorning his cheeks as he did so.

"What worked?"

"Getting you to loosen up! You're always so tense, I thought I could help change that a bit".

Yoichi shook his head with a smile. "Do you remember what you said to me on the plane before we first arrived here? You told me that when you first saw me dive, you thought I was a hero conquering a concreate dragon" He chuckled slightly. "Listen Tomo, there's something I probably need to tell you".

"You're not quitting diving, are you?! You're not leaving, right?!" Tomoki started to panic, lifting himself so he could sit up slightly. Yoichi pressed his hand against the other's heart and gently set him back down. "Y-You wouldn't leave...me...would you?"

"It's nothing like that. Not at all. I...I probably shouldn't be telling you this so soon after your breakup but I don't think I can keep it a secret anymore. Truth is..." He sighed and hung his head enough so that his fringe covered his eyes from view. "I like you. I really like you. And today was...today was perfect - despite the near-death experiences. I don't know exactly when I started feeling so different toward you but it happened somehow and I can't get it to stop. I...don't want it to stop, either".

"Yoichi..." Tomo looked at his friend with wide eyes. The blush from earlier reddening effectively. He sat up fully this time and wrapped his arms around the other's waist, clasping his hands together securely on his stomach and hiding his face in the back of Yoichi's shoulder. "I...I like you too..." He mumbled against the shirt.

Yoichi lifted his head and looked back at Tomoki. He placed a hand on top of Tomoki's, curling his fingers until they came to get a solid grip. Tomoki looked up slightly and then turned his gaze away. Yoichi then twisted a bit enough to face him and removed Tomoki's arms from his waist before lifting his chin and cupping the side of his face. Hazel locked with bright blue for a silent moment before the gap closed between them and their lips met in the first kiss.

The kiss was soft, sweet and all around perfect. It was just a simple slightly open-mouthed kiss to which only their lips connected and no tongue was used. A peaceful silence hung in the air around them and as time went on, Tomoki's arms wound around Yoichi's neck and this time it was Yoichi's arms circling Tomoki's waist, pulling him closer and tilting his head a tiny bit to deepen their connected lips.

When it came for the break to catch air and drag it back into their lungs, their foreheads bumped against each other and both grinned breathlessly. Soon enough, Tomoki was pulled onto Yoichi's lap while the older boy began to press soft kisses to the side of his neck and only teasing the collarbone. Tomoki stroked his fingers through Yoichi's hair and stifled a soft moan.

Then a knock on the door came that made Yoichi reluctantly abandon his current task. "That's probably room service. We can continue this later if you want". Tomoki nodded and slid off Yoichi's lap so he could go and answer the door of their room.

Did that really just happen? Tomoki thought to himself as he felt his heart pounding against his chest once more. Or did I fall asleep when we got back to the room and I'm just dreaming all this in very high detail. Perhaps these diamond eyes of mine don't just work while I'm diving.

Yoichi shut the door and placed their goods on the coffee table that sat at the wall just before the beds. He then sat back next to Tomoki and laid down, effectively tugging at the other to lay down on top of him. The two shared another quick kiss and Yoichi pressed a loving peck to Tomoki's head once the other decided to bury himself into his shirt. He smiled to himself and rubbed the younger boy's back soothingly.

"So...does this mean that...?" Tomoki's question trailed off but Yoichi understood what he meant.

"That we're boyfriends? If that's what you want". He chuckled. "But, let's just keep this a secret between you and me for now, okay? We can sort things out properly once we get home. Hey, speaking of which, why don't we visit Okitsu and see how he's doing?"

Tomoki lifted his head and smiled with an affirmative nod. He shyly kissed Yoichi on the cheek with a deep blush dusting his cheeks. "Okay with me. So long as I get to stay with you, that's the main thing".

"Don't worry, Tomo. I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon".

On the flight home, Tomoki decided it'd be better to sleep this time. So he closed his eyes and rested his head on Yoichi's shoulder as he let his subconscious drown him. Yoichi smiled and discreetly slipped his arm around Tomo's back as he read his book, pretending to be more interested in whatever contents it's pages held within.

"So long as I get to stay with you, that's the main thing".