Disclaimer: If I owned them then Ryoma would drink Mountain Dew, Akaya would be the Prince of Tennis, and there would be a LOT more yaoi.

Warning: Silver Pair a.k.a. OhtoriShishido a.k.a. yaoi/shounen-ai/slash/BL/whatever-you-call-it.

A/N: What's up with all of the RyoSaku fics lately? It scares me. And...THERE ARE TOO MANY VALENTINE FICS!!! Just because it's February doesn't mean it revolves around Valentines Day. I got cupcakes last Friday (it was my birthday) and ALL THEY HAD were VALENTINE cupcakes! Grr. Anyways, it doesn't seem that many people remember Chouta-kun's birthday because of Valentines Day. So I am. -nodnod-

For: Choutarou (even if he's fictional...) and Katie -heart- (her b-day is the 14th, too! Happy B-day even though you'll probably never read this...)

Edited at 9:01 PM on February 14th to include Jiroh. (He somehow got forgotten...)


"Ohtori-sama, happy Valentines Day," A group of girls in the "Ohtori-sama" fan club handed him boxes of home-made chocolates and cards. Making sure to take note of all of their names so that he could give them something back for White Day (because he was polite like that) he thanked the girls and carefully placed everything in his locker. As soon as the girls were out of sighed he sighed.

Just another February 14th that would pass without anyone outside of him family remembering that he was now 14.

14. On the 14th. His Golden Birthday – he had completely forgotten. After years of nobody remembering he supposed that ones birthday seemed less important.

Valentine's Day had never bothered him in elementary school. He had been even quieter than he was now, and didn't have any close friends who he'd tell thing to like his personal life or his birthday.

However, when he had joined middle school last year, and then joined the tennis team, that got him noticed. Actually, it wasn't the team – it was the egotistical second year who, even then, seemed to rule the tennis club.

Atobe Keigo, even as a second year, was by far the best player on the team. It was a given that he would be captain next year, and he was looking for worthy players early on.

During practice one day he was scanning a group of about 20 first years and was hoping to pick out three of the better from this group. And yet, he, Ohtori Choutarou, was the only one chosen from that group.

He remembered it clearly. Being tapped on the shoulder, told that he had great potential, and that "Ore-sama shall be kind enough to grace you with his presence again tomorrow after practice."

He remembered that at the meeting there were eight other first years. They played matches against each other and the two that were left would be "graced by Ore-sama's presence every day."

He remembered it being him and the quiet boy Wakashi Hiyoshi that won. They were inducted into the world of people known as Atobe's friends (they were all second years, which surprised him, because everybody loved Atobe – first, second, and third years alike). Atobe Keigo. Oshitari Yuushi. Mukahi Gakuto (at the time he was only an inch taller than Gakuto). Akutagawa Jiroh. Haginosuke Taki (he only saw the boy a few times, but he was still there). Munehiro Kabaji (who was, strangely, a first year that he had never noticed before. And then there were three). And Shishido Ryou.

Each of them was different. Atobe – arrogant. Oshitari – observant. Mukahi – always annoyed. Akutagawa – innocent. Taki – at ease (at least what he could tell from the few times he saw him). Kabaji – strong (he may have been a first year, but to him he was always going to be a senpai). And Shishido – dramatic.

At least that's what everybody said. And it was true for a while. He seemed to exaggerate even the smallest things and had an ego that rivaled Atobe's.

And yet, when you took a good look at him, that wasn't his true self. Not at all. His true self had been exposed during the beginning of his second year, and his senpai's third.

After the Fudomine match. When Shishido had lost his regulars spot.

That was when he saw Taki most. And he began to realize just how much he missed Shishido being on the regulars. How he missed the exaggerations and those long, beautiful locks of hair. Taki may have been his doubles partner prior to the event with Shishido, so nothing should have changed. But it did. He realized that he normally hung out around Shishido.

And then it happened. Being the dramatic person he was he'd cut his hair and begged to Sakaki-sensei to be back on the regulars.

And it had happened.

Shishido made it back on.

As a doubles player.

And for some reason he, Ohtori Choutarou, being the person who would be playing with the boy, felt relieved and delighted.

Every time he played with Shishido – every time they practiced together – something would warm him from head to toe.

It was love.

He had realized a few months ago that his feelings towards his senpai were more than just friendship.

And he was scared. Wasn't this considered forbidden love? What if Shishido thought he was a freak? Or, worse, what if he stopped playing doubles with him or stopped talking to him all together?

But Oshitari, being the observant one, had figured out what he was thinking. And he had assured him that everything would be fine. That Shishido would not only accept him, but that Shishido liked him in that way, too. That he just needed to wait.

And let Shishido make the first move.

Wait he had – he still was. But he knew it would be today.

Today was the 14th of February, known as Valentines Day to many. But to him it was not – it was his birthday and he was going to get the one thing he wanted more than ever.

"Oi, Choutarou!" he was snapped out of his thoughts by the voice of the very person he wanted to see most.

"Ah, Shishido-san!" he smiled and waved.

As the older boy approached he noticed that he was fidgeting nervously with a small boxed wrapped in shiny paper.

Averting the younger boy's gaze, Shishido handed him the box. "H-happy Birthday."

He smiled at his nervous senpai, before gently pulling away the paper at the edges and sliding out a small blue box. He slowly opened it and smiled.

Inside was a piece of paper that read "Will you go out with me?"

He smiled at his senpai who was still extremely nervous and had started stuttering while trying to apologize and say that he was an idiot and looking like he was about to run away.

But before Shishido could run off he looked at him and simply said, "I'd love too."

After all, how could he say no to the one who remembered?

OWARI


Done. Started sometime last week (Friday ish right after I finished 'Opposites') and finished on 2.14.07 at 1:17 AM. Early (veeery early) in the morning I get these writing spurs or something. The words just flow. Probably lack of sleep.

If you read, please review! Reviews feed my soul! -nods- And I most definitely do not use the school computers to check during computer class. Nope. What gave you that idea? XP

P.S. If anybody's wondering the next chapter of 'Zutto Soba Ni' should be up within the next week or so.