Fic for aethrin! I hope you like it.

Title: Comfortable Trust
Fandom - Prince of Tennis
Pairing/characters - Tezuka x Inui
Rating - G
Situation - Fluff, unadulterated fluff. Oh, and no seme-uke relationship. Equal.

The only sound that could be heard in the room was the soft scratching on pens on paper. Two hunched over bodies sat on the bed that occupied the room with heads bent over separate papers. The quiet was disturbed every once in a while, when one pen would stop writing to point out a mistake on the other boy's paper. But even still, this was done in silence. This comfortable peace continued on uninterrupted long after both boys had finished doing their work.

Yet when they were both done with their work, Tezuka leaned slightly on Inui. The weight was just enough to be noticeable to the other boy, but still slight enough that if anyone happened to come into the room it would appear as if an accident. But both boys were comfortable with their formation. They had been doing their homework for a while now and both had found that it was during these times that they could feel most relaxed. There was no pressure to adhere to the perfection that both were known for. There was no need to be in control of the situation either. This was their quiet time with each other.

So when Inui took Tezuka's hand into his own, Tezuka said nothing. There was nothing to say anyway to the other boy that he probably wouldn't already know. So they let the quiet drift over them in their daily ritual. It was only after a few minutes that Inui spoke.

"I've developed a new version of juice. Would you like to try it?" Inui asked, already knowing the answer.

Tezuka looked at him out of the corner of his eyes. He also knew the answer that he would give without ever saying a word. His silent yes was always a given. He trusted Inui. But no matter how much he trusted him, drinking his creations was not something that Tezuka greatly enjoyed doing. But it was a necessary evil. He needed to know that it would be safe for the team's consumption without harming them. Plus there was also the extra benefit of being prepared in case he had to drink (or accidentally drank) the other boy's concoction.

So Tezuka let go of Inui's hand and waited for the other boy's drink. When he received it, he looked at it. It was definitely bubbly and a frightening shade of hot pink. But it was clear, which was a slight thing in its benefit, and it didn't smell at all. His hazel eyes locked onto Inui's face as he drank the small dose of juice. Inui sat watching the other boy with notebook in hand.

"There's a small burning sensation as it's going down my throat," Tezuka said. He continued to list the symptoms he was feeling, all the while keeping his gaze on Inui's face. Perfect trust. Everything that was said would be written down for later modifications, but nowhere would his name appear as the trial user of this drink. That was how they did it and no one would be the wiser for it.

When Tezuka had described everything he could and Inui had written it all down, the two boys moved back to being next to each other. Both boys leaned on each other, with each being the support of the other. If one were move, both would fall. That was how it was. It was something that both boys knew, though they would never speak of it.

It was reflected in the way that Inui never wrote down about these visits in his notebooks. He never collected any extra data on Tezuka than what others would think he would have collected. Just enough to throw off a snooping tensai, but never anything to tell about these moments the two of them shared. That was how it had been and how it would stay. It was just perfectly comfortable.

Comments and Criticism always welcome. I hope you enjoyed this.