Original publishing date: March 23, 2008

Something I randomly wrote a few years back. Contains shounen-ai, bickering, and unashamed fluff. The idea of D1 fluff is kind of odd, if you think about it. Written in a sort of odd style, because at the time my brain was insisting that using quotation marks would ruin the effect. I hope readers can still follow it well enough. Posted unedited from the original LJ post.

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis.

-ooo-

Snow drifts down lightly from the sky as they walk down the sidewalk, and Yagyuu rubs his hands together and wonders for the thousandth time why he didn't bring gloves. Next to him, Niou offers Yagyuu his own gloves- again- but Yagyuu shakes his head and says that no, he's fine- again. Niou shrugs and says, if you're sure, in the tone that suggests he knows Yagyuu's lying.

They keep walking for a few minutes. Yagyuu shoves his hands in his coat pockets to try and warm up his frigid fingers. They're taking a shortcut through the park, and it's pretty deserted- of course, because nobody wants to play or take a walk when it's snowing.

All of a sudden Niou's head turns toward something off to the side in the snow, something that Yagyuu can't see, but he doesn't have time to ask because Niou is already going over there and saying, wait a sec. He lingers by the edge of the sidewalk, back to Yagyuu, for long enough that Yagyuu wonders exactly what he's doing.

Huh, Niou says finally, and stands up.

What is it? Yagyuu asks.

In response, Niou whirls around and throws a snowball at his head.

Quick reflexes allow Yagyuu to duck in time, but Niou is smirking at him nonetheless. After recovering from a moment of shock, Yagyuu's eyes narrow. So that's how you want it, is it, he says. He calmly walks over to the opposite side of the sidewalk and starts making his own snowball- only to be hit square in the back of the head with another one while he's in the process. Yagyuu's head whips around and he glares up at Niou. Niou grins innocently back.

Yagyuu throws his own snowball at Niou with Laser Beam quickness. The trickster tries to dodge, but is still hit in the shoulder. Yagyuu takes off running.

He can hear Niou's shouting about how that's cheating, you asshole! but he doesn't care. He almost trips when another snowball hits him in the back, but gets on his feet again and dashes the last few feet to the tree. He knows he looks immature, running around in the snow like a little kid, but right now he's only with Niou so he doesn't really care. He kneels down behind the tree and waits for Niou to catch up.

He doesn't have to wait long. Niou's greeting comes a few seconds later in the form of a giant armful of snow dumped on top of him. Yagyuu yelps and tries to brush the snow out of his hair, off his too-thin clothes- he hates the cold. Niou just smirks above him and rubs more snow in his hair; Yagyuu takes the opportunity to grab Niou's arm and pull him down into the snow next to him.

Niou splutters and sits up next to him. You ass, he says. Yagyuu smirks and doesn't protest.

The elation doesn't go away, even though it logically should: he's sitting in the snow and he's wet and freezing and he still doesn't have gloves and his glasses are wet. He takes them off and attempts to dry them on his jacket.

That was stupid, he comments.

Yeah, Niou agrees. If you hadn't run off like that, I wouldn't have dumped snow on you, he says.

That's not what I was referring to, Yagyuu argues.

Then what were you referring to? Niou retorts, grinning.

Yagyuu refrains from commenting. What he really wanted to say was that they were both acting immature and silly, but he doesn't bother, because why should he really care anyway?

He puts his glasses back on; they're a little smeared, but they'll have to do. Niou scoots forward and grips one frame of the glasses, trying to tug them off again. Yagyuu blinks again and suddenly realizes how close Niou is.

What did you mean? Niou repeats.

I meant that we were acting immature, Yagyuu replies.

Niou smirks and pulls Yagyuu's glasses off again, resting them on his own nose. Like that really matters, he says.

Niou is right next to Yagyuu now, his arm brushing up against Yagyuu's waist, and Yagyuu knows that all of his emotions must be visible in his eyes and Niou is smirking at him and suddenly he's leaning forward and closing the distance and kissing Niou. Niou starts a bit in surprise but soon he's kissing back. His breath is warm against Yagyuu's cold lips and Yagyuu's not sure why he's doing this but he doesn't really feel like stopping.

Where did this come from, Niou murmurs against his lips.

You were the one who told me to be impulsive, Yagyuu breathes back, and kisses him again.

Yagyuu leans forward and wraps his arms around Niou, deepening the kiss, tongue snaking into Niou's mouth as Niou responds just as furiously. It's not enough. He's enjoying this but it's not enough and he doesn't think that he'll ever get enough of Niou. So he keeps going.

Eventually they break apart, lightheaded and breathing hard. Yagyuu's mind and eyesight are both foggy, but even without his glasses he can still see the same expression of dizziness and want that he's sure he has himself.

The cold air is a shock again at first, but then Niou leans in and kisses him again and they continue on.

At least, they do until there's another break and Niou shoves snow down Yagyuu's shirt.

Despite coming home freezing and wet and slightly annoyed, there's a slight air of happiness about Yagyuu for the rest of the day. His family notices at dinner; his mother asks him what exactly he's so happy about.

Isn't it obvious? his sister interjects. He's in looooove.

Yagyuu raises an eyebrow at her but says nothing.

She leans toward him. C'mon, nii-san, who's the lucky girl, she pesters.

There is no girl, Yagyuu replies. She keeps pestering him, but he refuses to comply, always insisting, there is no girl. She's bothered him about it before, so he's somewhat used to it.

The part that Yagyuu's smug about is that he's not actually lying.

Well, Hiroshi, whoever she is, his mother says to him, as long as you're happy.

Yagyuu's mouth quirks up a bit on one side, an ever-so-slight smile. Don't worry, he says.

-end-