A/N: Phew! This might just be my longest oneshot/chapter ever. And to think, it was these two. Oh well. It started of as a musing on my part, and ended up in a very long fic... Happy birthday, Kenya!

Disclaimer: Do. Not. Own.

Warnings: Un-beta'd text.

Magic

Everyone always said that your first kiss would be fantastic, like magic moment that you will remember for the rest of your life. Whenever anyone spoke of it, their eyes seemed to sparkle, their mouths curling up into subconscious smiles with a nostalgic sigh escaping occasionally.

Oshitari Kenya, however, thought it was ridiculous. Your first kiss, it was just another passing moment of your life. Like the first time you visit a place, the first time you try out a new sauce for your rice, or maybe the first class of a new school subject you had been looking forward to so long, only to discover that it really sucks.

It was not magic. Not at all. It just happened. If you were lucky, it was with someone you liked, and then it would still be the person you loved, not the actions you performed with said person. If you weren't that lucky – then you would be like Oshitari Kenya.

Kenya remembered his first kiss very well, but not because of the intense pleasure the memory gave him. More like the other participant refused to let him forget it.

He was not even sure how old he was, but around ten or eleven sounded reasonable. There was this girl in his class who, for some sort of odd reason Kenya could not fathom at the time, had a crush on him. It did not really bother him, because she never made any advances or hints that he should take action. She just simply had a crush on him, just like the fact that she had black hair.

It was not until a while later she decided to ask him to be her girlfriend. Kenya did not bother as much with it, she was attractive enough, and nice enough. He had, after all, never had a girlfriend before, and his young boyish mind did not see what implications a girlfriend might lead to.

His cousin and friends had congratulated him, of course, what with him being one of the first of them to get a girlfriend. He did not see why they did, it was not like he did anything for it.

The girl did not require much of him, just his presence and attention, mostly. At first, this did not bother Kenya that much. It was just like hanging out with his friends, which he liked. But one day, she had leaned forward and kissed him. Kenya was a bit surprised, but let it happen. He had seen older men do this on television, and thought it was kind of cool that he was like one of them now.

But something felt... Wrong. It was not anything enjoyable with the kiss. He did not feel the need to wrap his arms around the girl and deepen the kiss, like they did on TV. He did not even feel the need to kiss back. Was there something wrong with him? Why did he not love this?

The girl never noticed though. The following time, he grew more and more distant before finally breaking up with her. She had kept yapping about how wonderful they were together, while really, Kenya had not agreed. He had let her kiss him sometimes later, but still without enjoying it. It was just simply because it pleased her. But in the end, he had enough and told her off.

It was not until later that he realized the biggest flaw in their relationship; he was not in love with her.

It took some time before he realized it. He found her attractive, that was true, but he always thought the feelings of mild attractions were equal to those of love, and just scoffed at Yuuji every time he nagged about how great it was to be in love. After all, Kenya had not found his period with the girl so fantastic, so what was the big deal? Why was everyone so obsessed with that particular feeling?

Then, some day, he realized with brutal clarity why people adored that feeling of love. That was the day he first laid his eyes on Zaizen Hikaru.

Kenya had never even considered being gay before that day. What with love not being his thing, and all. It never even occurred to him that he just simply had not met the right one, let alone that said person might be a guy.

Truth to be told, that fateful moment was not the first time he had seen Zaizen. No, he had seen the second-year several times prior, during tennis practice, in the hallways, or wherever else people might see each other. He had just not noticed the younger boy before...

It was, coincidentally, the very same day that Zaizen was made a regular. Which happened to be the first day of training during the semester. Kenya was looking forward to a secure spot on the regulars, with Shiraishi being the captain and the skilled senpai's away at High School. He had seen their kouhai's, and did not really feel threatened.

Until that redheaded first year had entered and demanded a match against the best player they had. Kenya had only laughed at him. The kid had gone to this school for a complete time of one day, five hours and 37 minutes, and was already challenging the big bad. What a cocky brat.

Of course, he had not expected the skills that little kid, Kintaro, possessed, despite his age. Shiraishi had made him play one of the second years, a boy nicknamed a prodigy. A prodigy with eyes as piercing as the iron he had in his ears.

"Oy, Oshitari," Shiraishi had called after him as he went for the locker rooms. "I think you should stay and watch."

"Why?" Kenya had retorted with disinterest. "It's only two kids playing. Like I haven't seen that before."

Shiraishi chuckled. "Well, I have a feeling that these two might prove to be interesting material," he replied with a smile. "That little freshman, I remember his name. He has won three out of three championships he participated in last year, even if they were above his age. But I still don't know what to expect from him..." he added as an afterthought, putting a finger to his chin in deep thought.

"The second year, however," he continued with a slight smile. "Is a serious candidate for a regular spot. Myself, you, Ishida, Koishikawa and the idiot pair are certain on the team, and hopefully I'll be able to talk that Chitose into joining as well. But there are still two open spots on the team, though we really only need one more." He paused for a second, checking that he still had Kenya's attention. Kenya nodded slightly, frowning. He was beginning to get an idea of where Shiraishi was going with this, but...

"Last year's captain notified me about that boy's prodigious skills before he left the team in my care," Shiraishi proceeded, starting to walk towards the court. Kenya followed silently.

"He told me I better use that talent well, that it was no use wasted," Shiraishi continued.

"Of course, I started watching him a bit more intently after that." He chuckled again. "Though that was very late last year, I only had a couple of practices to observe him on. But he is, in fact, very talented." He turned to Kenya, watching him seriously.

"Do you realize why I'm doing this now, Kenya?"

Kenya nodded hesitantly and frowned again. "You want to see their skills, obviously," he said quietly. "And put them up against each other to see who deserves the regular's spot the most. But I still don't see why I'm here, you'll make the decision by yourself anyway."

Shiraishi chuckled again. "I want your opinion in this, Oshitari. Mostly because one of them might just become your new doubles partner."

Kenya momentarily froze in his tracks and stared at Shirashi. The blonde noticed his companion stopping, and turned around, lifting an eyebrow.

"You're putting me in doubles?" Kenya asked with a frown. "Come on, Kura, you know I'm better off playing singles."

"We all are," Shiraishi replied casually, smiling slightly. "Except the idiots, that is. Keep in mind that the team is still not formed, I'm merely trying out things. Maybe these two would work best together, I don't know yet. Maybe one of them can work with Ishida, it's still unclear to me. But I'm sorry to say this, Oshitari, you have the speed and endurance, there's no doubt about it. In the Kansai championship, you can wipe the court with one hand at your back in singles. However, what you lack in power and technique might come back to get you in the Nationals."

Kenya sighed. Shiraishi spoke as if they were already qualified. In reality, they were far from it. It was only Shiraishi's blind determination that kept him from seeing that, too.

"If we get to the Nationals," Kenya said slowly, making sure to emphasize the 'if'. "There are lots of different combinations that would prove more useful, right?"

"As I said," Shiraishi smiled. "I'm merely checking things out right now. I will have to console with Watanabe, anyhow."

"As if that old man knows anything," Kenya grumbled quietly, but followed Shiraishi as he proceeded towards the courts.

Kenya had never been as grateful to anything besides whatever god made him follow Shiraishi that day. The moment he laid eyes on Zaizen, he knew that the punk was something special. He did not know why he first noticed him now. Maybe it was because of his tennis skills, maybe it was because of how enhanced his beauty had become after weeks of sunny days. Or, most likely, it was because of the shining determination in his eyes. Kenya had never seen such an expression. It was so strong, so full of life, Kenya knew immediately that this boy was out of the ordinary.

"Shiraishi... Who is that boy?"

"Hm? The redhead? That's Tooyama Kintaro."

"No, the other one. The black haired guy."

"Oh, that's Zaizen Hikaru."

Zaizen Hikaru... Now that the thought about it, Kenya could recall having heard that name before. It was the boy who had been accused of cheating during his math exam, due to the paper he handed in lacking any formulas or calculations. Just the solutions. Turns out, he just simply was that brilliant. Kenya remembered another incident as well, regarding a fight within the tennis club. He could not recall the exact event, but he knew that Zaizen was involved. Come think of it, he had probably heard the name Zaizen Hikaru being spoken with both admiration and disgust from his kouhai's. Had he paid more attention to how the younger students in the club fared, he probably would have noticed Zaizen much earlier.

Still, this match more than made up for all the lost moments. Both Kintaro and Zaizen gave it their all, with a play that might as well have been in found in the Nationals, and not just an inter-school match. Both players were good, exceptionally good, and unpredictable in their own way. Kintaro was the type of player one never expected what would do, while Zaizen was the kind you never expected what could do. The 46 other members of the Shitenhouji tennis club gathered around to watch as the match turned out to be more exciting than anyone would ever expect. Even third years muttered in envy at the younger players' skills.

"He's good," Kenya said with a slight smile as he watched the game.

"They both are," Shiraishi replied, grinning as much as Shiraishi could. "They could both be valuable assets to our team, yes?"

"Yeah," Kenya nodded. "Though that little brat certainly has an unorthodox playing style."

"You prefer the raw power of Zaizen's techniques?" Shiraishi questioned curiously, though why, Kenya could not tell.

"It's safer," Kenya replied with a shrug. "You won't ever know how Kintaro – was that his name? - will do against new opponents. You can predict it much better with Zaizen, even if you can't measure his skill."

"But still," Shiraishi countered with a slight poke. "Zaizen is losing."

"Only barely."

"That is enough to lose a match."

"So is inexperience."

"Touché," Shiraishi laughed. "But I think I want them both. I take it you wouldn't mind playing doubles with the punk, then?"

Kenya blinked. He had not really said that, had he..?

"Uhm," he started hesitantly. "I'm still a singles player, Shiraishi. But if you must pair me up with someone, then better him than the kid."

"Agreed," Shirashi nodded. "A combination with Kintaro would be difficult. For now, he will be our singles 3 player."

Since that day, Kenya paid a lot of attention to the black-haired prodigy. He would watch intently as the younger played matches, if only for that gorgeous shine to appear in those vibrant chocolate eyes. He learned that Zaizen did not get along well with his classmates, and that he rather preferred the company of his iPod or a good book.

As they started training together as doubles partners, Kenya learned a lot of other things about the boy. First of all, he was arrogant and disrespectful. Second, he really wasn't. Koharu was fond of calling him a bitch, something Yuuji apparently found hysterical. But, as Kenya found out, he really was not all that bad once you got to know him. Most of the things he said, he did not mean, or at least he did not mean for them to be hurtful to the person in question. Then again, Zaizen had this 'You bother me, I bitch you' attitude which served as his own personally inflicted karma.

As Kenya and Zaizen's friendship (and Kenya's crush) grew, though, Kenya got to experience how kind the other boy could be. Seeing as Kenya enjoyed Zaizen's company, and Zaizen did not have many other friends (not that he would admit that) they often hang out together even outside the courts. It did not take long for them to figure out that they lived pretty close, and so they accompanied each other to school every day. Kenya found that he could have both enlightening and funny conversations with Zaizen, as opposed to what the majority of the school believed. But when he said that Zaizen could be really nice, most people laughed of him.

"That punk?" They would say. "He don't care about anybody but himself."

But yes, he did. One of the first things Kenya picked up on by talking to the younger boy, was how much he cared about his nephew. He had only seen the toddler once, but he had been amazed at the love Zaizen had for the small boy.

However, it did not take long before he experienced that kindness up close. He had woken up one morning with a nasty cold and an order of staying in bed for the rest of the day. At first, he had not been very satisfied. Who would, being locked up in their room for the whole day with nothing to do besides trying to hit the trash can with snotty tissues.

Kenya had briefly wondered about Zaizen, but dismissed the thought after a while. Zaizen could fend for himself for one day.

It was then that Kenya heard a faint knocking on his door. He frowned. None of his parents ever knocked, neither did his brother.

"Come in," he called, wincing at the slight ache in the back of his throat. The door opened to reveal a slightly nervous Zaizen Hikaru. Kenya blinked in surprise.

"Zaizen?" he said questioningly. "What are you doing here?"

"Your mother said you were sick," he said hesitantly. "She said I should just go, so I wouldn't be late. But I told her I didn't have classes today, that I was just following you to school and might as well visit the patient." He grinned a little at the end. Kenya, however, frowned.

"But that's not true," he said. "You do have classes today. In fact, if I recall correctly, you have a history test."

"Who cares," Zaizen brushed him off. "I'll just skip today, it's not like it's a big deal." Kenya opened his mouth to reply, but shut it when he could not make out any words. It was true, it did not matter that much to Zaizen to skip a school day, considering the genius he was. However, he did not like the skipping out of principles, and thought he had gotten the younger to stop doing so.

"You really shouldn't skip school."

"I'm doing this for you, sourpuss. Be happy. Your mother is leaving in half-an hour, she said so herself."

"I don't want you to skip school for me."

"Yeah? Well, I do."

Kenya had gone silent after that, mentally resigning the stubborn will that was Zaizen Hikaru. While he might play tough, the day taught him how caring Zaizen could be. Even the slightest cough sent Zaizen into a fit, asking if he wanted anything, tissue, tea, blanket? But Kenya had only laughed. After all, it was just a little cold.

When Kenya thought back on those happy days, he could not tell when he crossed the line of a deep crush on the younger boy to actually being in love with him. All he knew was that by the time that happened, Zaizen had not only become his crush, but also best friend. It was also then he realized why it was so great being in love, and why his temporarily relationship with the girl in his pre-teens had failed. Compared to what he felt for Zaizen, his relationship with the girl could only be described as friendship.

He had more than once caught himself staring at the boy, the mischievous face he loved so much, the defined muscles shining with sweat after workout, the firm ass...

Yet it was those deep brown eyes he always let his gaze wander back to. Those eyes, filled with such intensity that Kenya believed would win over gravity in a death match. No matter how much he stared, he could never grow tired of looking at them. Even when his eyes were the only things Kenya looked at, they served as a perfect reminder of how fantastic Zaizen was in his eyes.

Kenya began to yearn for more. Simply being Zaizen's friend was not sufficient anymore. Despite his initial lack of interest in intimate actions, he wanted nothing more than to grab a hold of Zaizen and... Do things to him. He was not even sure what he wanted to himself. There was only one thing he knew he wanted; after years of believing it to be a joke, he knew he wanted to kiss Zaizen.

There were two major problems with that desire, though. Number one, he did not know whether or not Zaizen actually was gay. He had never shown any interest in girls, but not boys either, for that matter. Kenya remembered a time he had punched a guy for shoving a porn magazine up his face, exclaiming how utterly 'sexy those damn chicks looked in those bikinis!' Granted, he might have punched him for annoying him in general, more so than bugging him with sexy girls.

However, problem number two was an even bigger source of insecurity to Kenya. He always walked around with this tiny little hope that maybe, maybe, Zaizen loved him back. But the rational part of his mind constantly tried to repress that hope. Zaizen was a good-looking, smart boy, skilled at the tennis court and with that badass attitude girls loved. Even if Zaizen liked boys, there was no way he could see Kenya as more than a friend, a best friend, even.

Kenya knew he was Zaizen best friend, even if Zaizen never said so out loud himself. Why would Zaizen risk his best, and maybe only friendship, for a crush? No, Kenya could not make out any reason why Zaizen would love him back.

But how he wished he did! Kenya eventually developed a habit of imagining Zaizen doing things, saying this, even if he was sure it was inappropriate for their age. He quickly realized that he had to limit this sort of thinking to when he was alone, preferably at home. Preferably at night.

As the days went by, Kenya's infatuation with Zaizen never ceased. Not when he beat up a boy for stealing his iPod, not when he got as grumpy as a girl on her period, and not during the match against Seigaku, when he not only tried to interfere with Chitose and Tezuka's match (though, technically, he was a part of that match as well), but also acted disrespectful to Seigaku in general. No, while things like that might seem offensive to some, it was how Zaizen was, and they would have to live with that. Kenya now realized what they meant by loving someone despite their flaws.

Gradually, Kenya's birthday approached. Shiraishi and Chitose kept bugging him about a celebration, something he thought might be a bit over the top. He settled with discussing previous birthdays and future hopes with Zaizen instead, which, needless to say, proved to be an interesting discussion, like most others they had.

Finally, it came. Or rather, it came. Kenya thought he lived a pretty good life, and did not have many big expectations regarding his birthday. It would be fun, but it was not the event of the year anymore, like it had been when he was younger. 17th of March had always been one of those dates he remembered, along with Christmas and Halloween. Common factor: they all provided something fun for a child.

Today, 17th of March was merely a symbol of the day he was born.

He was woken up by his younger brother, who lead him down to the kitchen where his parents had arranged for a grand breakfast, along with a few gifts, most notably an iPod, due to Zaizen's influence.

He had barely gotten dressed when the familiar sound of the doorbell chimed, alerting him of his love's arrival.

"Honey! It's your friend!" his mother called without answering the door.

"I know!" Kenya replied as he gathered his backpack and darted for the door.

"Have a nice day at school, Kenya! And happy birthday!"

"Thanks mom! Bye!" with that, he hastily opened the door to reveal Zaizen, as gorgeous as ever, standing on his porch.

"Good morning, birthday boy," the younger of the two smiled. Kenya guessed that was as much of a 'happy birthday' he would get from him. But again, that was Zaizen.

"Morning," Kenya smiled back and fell into pace next to Zaizen.

"Gotten any nice presents yet?"

"Yeah, an iPod," Kenya said, chuckling. "Must be your influence. I've never wanted one before."

"I didn't either, before I decided that I wanted one," Zaizen replied jokingly. "Then I got one."

"Smartass," Kenya laughed, shoving Zaizen playfully.

"Sounds like you're satisfied, then," the black-haired boy concluded quietly.

Kenya frowned slightly. "Yeah, I guess," he said with a small smile. "It was a nice gift."

"Then, maybe I should give you mine?" Zaizen said, with a tint of hesitation that did not go unnoticed by Kenya.

"Zaizen, that's - " he started before cutting himself of. "You didn't have to, you know. I mean, I didn't expect you too – it better not be too expensive - "

"Don't worry, " Zaizen assured him, though he sounded as if he tried to convince himself more than Kenya. "I didn't pay anything for this."

Kenya momentarily pondered if Zaizen, the Zaizen, had actually made something himself, when he felt his neck being grabbed and tilted down, before the sensation of his lips being captured by something soft and wonderful. It took a moment before he realized that Zaizen was actually kissing him.

Compared to the clumsy, overeager kiss the girl back in his childhood days had given him, Zaizen's kiss was heaven. It was so gentle, as if afraid that Kenya would break or pull away, soft, yet firm as those beautifully pink lips Kenya had imagined so many times did exactly what he had dreamed of since he realized he was in love. The girl had done it just to do it, while Zaizen's kiss was so much more; it was that same burning desire that Kenya had admired from the first moment he stared at the boy, only now it was directed at the desire to kiss his love senseless.

As soon as Kenya regained his senses, he grabbed the face of the smaller boy and felt the lips stop for a while, afraid of being pushed away. But the fear was quickly being pushed away as Kenya deepened the kiss, burning with lust as the pure sensation of love flowed through him. He could not think, could not fathom the fact that here he was, doing what he had dreamed of for so long. The only thing on his mind was Zaizen. Zaizen, and those wonderful, soft, vanilla-lips that he started to admire almost as much as his love's eyes. It was then he realized what magic a first kiss was, because this was his first kiss, and not the girl's.

He did not know how long they stood there, engrossed in the kiss, but he felt himself pulling away after a while, still holding Zaizen's beautiful face. That beautiful face that was looking up at him, wearing an expression of fragility, yet happiness, that he never believed he would see on Zaizen's face.

Kenya gently brought their foreheads together, panting slightly after the intense kissing.

"Thank you," he whispered with a smile. "I take it back. Now I'm satisfied with my birthday."

The 17th of March was not just the date Kenya took his first breath anymore. It was also the day he first experienced magic.

Thanks for reading! Please review, I spent a lot of time on this... x)