(Author Notes: I was trying out P.O.V.-style writing, so that might have skewed the readabilty a bit. I hope it didn't, but there is the chance. In regards to the drabble content: the anime ending does not exist. ...Which was terrible, by the way.)
Feeling the Sky
by Cody Saoyrn
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When the winter ended and high school began, he had vowed that nothing would get in the way of keeping in touch with his kouhai or any of his old teammates. Not schoolwork, not clubs, not even life in general. If his grades died and his family disowned him, then so be it.
Then late one afternoon, chilled by the setting sun, he arrived late at the hamburger shop. It had been the bus, he said. Traffic had been terrible, just terrible. He offered to pay for both their meals, choosing to ignore the tray littered with empty wrappers. Eventually they both laughed it off, deciding to go to the street courts instead.
The courts were empty by this time, so they played against each other, instead of pairing up in doubles as they had planned.
The match ended when he tossed his racquet at his friend, complaining that this was too easy, you're letting me win, what's wrong with you these days?
And Echizen put his hand on the brim of his hat, mouth quirking as though he was trying to smirk. There's nothing wrong with me, Momo-sempai, he said, twitching his hat down over his eyes.
That night, Echizen sent him an e-mail. Momoshiro would have clicked on it instantly and read it over and over at least ten times in a row, no matter how short it was. He would have, if he hadn't been talking on the phone to a classmate about the notes from their history class.
He checked his inbox during a lull in the conversation, saw Echizen's e-mail address, and deleted the new letter. He didn't have the time for that right now, after all.
I loved you, the subject line had said.
It was the last e-mail either of them sent to each other.