It began their last year of high school, late one night as they wandered the familiar streets home from school after sneaking in a few extra hours of tennis practice together on the street courts when team practice hadn't seemed to be enough for either of them. They were tired, sweaty and more than a bit hungry when they reached Oishi's house, which happened to be the closest. Giving quiet thanks that his parents and sister were traveling to visit relatives this week and that he'd been unable to go along, what with their upcoming tournament on Saturday, he led Eiji in and they set to work raiding the kitchen for all they were worth.
They talked a bit, random gossip, nonsense about the team and their chances of winning, odd bits about the new formations they were planning to show off over the weekend, all while shoveling food into their mouths in the manner of all teenage boys. Sitting so close their elbows brushed as they ate, heads leaning in to meet each other's eyes as they talked, Oishi really felt it. He'd known all along they had a special connection, but it was so much a part of their everyday lives by now that he'd forgotten how incredible it actually was. When Eiji met his eyes and they shared a silent amused glance that spoke volumes, Oishi felt it deep inside, that strong cord that seemed to connect him to his best friend.
He knew Eiji felt it too, at that moment, because he knew Eiji's expressions so well. If he'd asked, he was sure that the redhead would have told him that his own green eyes, much like Eiji's deep blue, had darkened and grown somewhat somber. That was probably why, a moment later, Oishi found himself being tickled to the point that he nearly choked on his juice before he had a chance to defend himself. It was always easier for Eiji when things were less serious, but still special. Still, the fact remained that something changed that night between them, when they both acknowledged that connection at the same time.
From that point forward, things began to slowly change, although neither of them would ever have noticed much. Others noticed, however. Tezuka noticed that Oishi stopped talking about dating at all and that his relationships with the girls in their year slowly faded to the most casual of friendships. Fuji noticed that Eiji began to seem more focused, off the court as well as on, and that his focus was usually aimed in one particular direction. Kaidoh noticed that trying to get a singles match with either of the two was becoming more difficult as the weeks went by. When they weren't playing doubles, they were playing each other. Inui noticed that the distance between the two when they shared a bench had decreased by a significant percentage, and commented on it to both Tezuka and Fuji.
It was Momoshiro who put words to what everyone was sensing, towards the end of the school year as the seniors prepared to leave the school. He'd been watching the Golden Pair in one of their last matches as high school students and admiring the synchronicity the two had, an impeccable sense of each other, and an absolute trust in each other that had them dominating the other teams they encountered. Watching them, he'd suddenly grinned.
"It's like they're two parts of the same person," he commented cheerfully, nudging Kaidoh with his elbow. "You can't tell where one begins and the other ends, anymore."
He was right, in a way. As time passed, the two began to grow even closer, becoming practically inseparable, somewhat to their parents' dismay as they found themselves feeding both boys on any given night or weekend, rather than just their own. Still, they were happy, Eiji's grades were improving with all the additional study time Oishi pushed on him, and so their parents let them be. When both did exceedingly well on their entrance exams, Eiji especially surpassing his parents' expectations, both families celebrated together with a dinner out.
When the time came to choose colleges, the boys spent hours huddled over brochures and pamphlets, pausing only to look at various sites on the internet to find additional information. They'd been offered a number of sports scholarships if they came as a team, which was one of the reasons Eiji had worked so hard academically. He wanted to be with Oishi, but not hold him back either, and Oishi, while swatting him firmly in the back of the head for even thinking such a thing, had still dedicated endless hours of tutoring and study time to the cause. They ended up picking a school close enough to visit their families on long weekends and holidays by train if they wanted, but far enough away to require using some of their scholarship money to fund an apartment.
It was at their graduation that things really came to fruition. There had been a party, of course, and they'd celebrated enthusiastically and cheerfully. Making their way back to Eiji's house that night, it had happened again as they'd paused, laughing madly, to lean against a bus stop shelter and catch their breath. Their eyes had met in the darkness and they'd both felt it.
This time, however, Eiji didn't hurry to break the moment. Instead, he smiled softly at the friend he'd dubbed his 'Most Important Person' over the past six years and leaned forward, pressing his soft, warm lips to the mouth he'd been watching so carefully for months now. Oishi, never slow, responded enthusiastically, teasing at Eiji's mouth with cheerful abandon. It wasn't as if they both hadn't known this was coming, after all. They'd been expecting it for months.
When Oishi's hands reached out to tangle in Eiji's waistband, tugging him closer, Eiji went without complaint, his arms sliding up to wrap around Oishi's waist, hands slipping under the back of his shirt and tracing over skin he'd been watching and wanting to touch for what seemed like years. It was nice, he thought, to find out it was as soft as he'd thought it would be. The faint shiver Oishi couldn't suppress just convinced Eiji to explore a bit further, his fingertips dancing up to spread along Oishi's spine.
Finally, after what seemed to be hours, they broke the kiss and their eyes met again. Smiling at each other, they straightened their clothing and turned, continuing on their way home. There was no need to discuss what had happened, after all. They both understood it fully, and were more interested in celebrating it than thinking about it.