Chapter X
"Ne, Chibisuke?" the air that twirled in a slow dance around them was chilled. It gently pushed leaves about and tugged at the soft hair of the two boys. Through the jacket that clung to his body, the elder of the two suppressed a shiver.
"Yes?" the younger of the two sat on the ground, his knees to his chest, arms locked around them. He wore a light jacket and jeans, that barely fought off the cold.
"What do you think love is?" the elder asked, his hand gently plucking to blades of grass on the partially covered hill that overlooked the busy city that the boys were currently living in. They pulled from the ground with ease, snapping at the base from the cold. The boy continued to pull the short blades even though his fingers were numb and hard to operate properly. The two boys breath slid past their slightly chapped lips, forming little clouds of cool air that were visible even in the bright sunlight. The younger of the boys stared at the city that was busy even despite the cold air that spread a chill through the streets.
"Feeling philosophical, aniki?" the younger boy asked, as he shifted his focus to the visible air that pushed past his lips. He watched half-heartedly as the leaves that tumbled around, almost joyfully along the hill.
"Hmm. I suppose so." the elder of the two muttered as he leaned back onto the palms of his hands. The younger boy chuckled light and tossed his head in a distracted way to shift his bangs away from his face.
"Why is that?" he asked without glancing at the lean boy next to him.
"I think I'm in love."
"And?" the younger asked, not at all surprised at the announcement.
"I… I don't think they know it." the elder admitted shyly. The younger of the two considered this with a low hum. He glanced at this brother now, just a sideways glance at the corner of his eye.
" 'If you love somebody, let them go. If they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were.' " the younger quoted. He returned to look over the city, his head tilted back in tired manner.
"Who said that one?" the elder questioned, knowing his brother affection for quotes.
"Who? I'm not entirely sure, but it is a rather good quote." the younger replied as his golden eyes slide shut in a moment of exhaustion. There was silence between the two boys for a while as the rustle of the leave twirled about in a dance that was uniquely it's own.
"What if I don't want to let them go?" the elder whispered quietly, his voice holding a slightly miserable note to it.
"Then you are both caged birds, unaware of world that surrounds you." the younger replied in a voice that was beyond his years.
"Caged birds, huh?" the tanned boy murmured. "That doesn't sound too bad."
"You say that now," the younger murmured, "but eventually, even the most domestic bird needs to stretch it's wings." the elder looked at his younger brother, knowing just how tired the younger boy was.
"Ne, Chibisuke?" the teen asked.
"Yes?" the other responded warily.
"What if you don't have wings?"
There will always be shades of gray in a persons life, Ryoma thought. From the brilliantly colored to black of pitch, there will always be gray. The spots of your life that you'd just rather forget. Like the desperate clouds that promise rain, they hang over you and while you softly sing, "Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day", the shades of gray seem to remain. Eventually, the rain will fall, and the shades of gray will run into the color of your life.
"Ne, Chibisuke?" the once tan man sat in his new bed, the one that faced the window on the opposite side of the hospital, sunlight pouring through this new window.
"Yes?" the younger looked up from where he sat reading.
"You once said that to die would be an awfully big adventure." he kneaded softly at the blanket that cover his now useless legs. There was silence in the room, only broken by the reassuring sounds of the insistent heart monitor. It wasn't that the younger of the two boys didn't understand the question that was hidden in the statement, it was simply that the more they mentioned it, the more of a reality it became.
"I used to say a lot of things, aniki." the boy replied, purposely ignoring the unspoken question. He fiddled lightly with the edge of his book, noticing the rough edges of the pages were uneven.
"You remember though. I know you do." Ryoga muttered.
"Yeah… I remember." Ryoma said, not denying it.
"It hurts Chibisuke." Ryoga murmured. "It hurts knowing that there is nothing they can do, because they don't know what's wrong. It hurts knowing that I'm slowly dying. That I'm useless."
"You're not useless, aniki." Ryoma said as he leaned forward to gently hold the delicate hand that held the IV in it. "They will find out what's wrong. I'll make sure of it."
"You can't promise that, Chibisuke." Ryoga replied bitterly.
"You have to be okay, aniki. You have to." Ryoma said desperately.
"You had said that we were all dying. From the day we are born, we slowly begin to die." Ryoga muttered as his listless fingers curled up to his brothers hand. "Maybe I'm just dying quicker than others."
"You're not dying!" Ryoma shouted, tears clouding his vision in a rare show of emotion. "You can't. Not without me." he whispered in despair.
Yukimura knew Ryoma hadn't been sleeping well. He could see the delicate purple circles under his eyes, the half-lidded look to his face. Ryoma seemed to move sluggish, yet still just as graceful. Oddly enough, this did nothing to his tennis game. He continued to go up against the regulars, skillfully avoiding any match with Sanada, and he continued to win. At one point Ryoma had become so tired that his eyes had slid shut, and in an amazing feat, he continued to play, continued to win.
Yukimura discovered that he was slowly become obsessed with the young boy that was unofficially declared his boyfriend. He loved to watch Ryoma. Whether it was watching him play tennis, or watching as his beautiful golden eyes would scan his surroundings. No matter what Ryoma did, Yukimura was drawn to it. He had quickly discovered Ryoma's love for grape Ponta, Himalayan cats, and soft, water proof grip tape. He knew Ryoma hated western style food, that he had a fascination with human anatomy, and that he was an adrenaline junkie. It was like a new hobby for Yukimura. Each new thing he learn about Ryoma, no matter how little, seemed to delight him. The more time they spent together, the more open Ryoma became. Yukimura quickly came to realize that, as cliché as it sounded, he believed that he was falling in love with beautiful enigma.
He was entranced, enthralled.
'Enchanted' Yukimura thought as his fingers effortlessly slid along Ryoma's. He gently brushed his hand along Ryoma's cheek. His thumb rubbed gently along the boys soft lips.
"Ryoma." Yukimura murmured against the lips that he had come to know so well. "You captivate me."
It was like breathing, Ryoma realized. Just being around Yukimura seemed essential. He was addicted. Any moment spent with the older boy was breathtaking. He loved the way Yukimura would watch him in the halls, the way he would pull Ryoma over to lean against him at lunch, the times that the two boys would lay in Ryoma's bedroom on his bed, just pressing soft kisses against each others lips. Ryoma loved how Yukimura's hand and his fit perfectly together, how Yukimura would play with his hair, or just smile at him.
The two boys would spend most their time over at Ryoma's house, or, as per Ryoma's usual, in random places. Polaroids of Yukimura seemed to line Ryoma's walls. Most times they would just lay on Ryoma's bed, or in the grass or where ever they were, just talking. Usually about nothing at all. It often seemed as though they were the only two in the world.
"Sei?" Ryoma murmured his head resting lightly on Yukimura lap. They lay outside, leaning up against blooming cheery blossom.
"Yes?" Yukimura picked up his newest hobby, playing with Ryoma's hair.
"Why do you play tennis?" It was a rather odd question, but, being used to Ryoma, Yukimura didn't seemed deterred.
"To win. That is was Rikkidai is about. It's what we are." This answer seemed so natural that Yukimura barely realized he was saying.
"Winning? Is that all that matters?"
"Of course. If you don't win, what's the point?" Yukimura trailed his fingers over Ryoma's soft neck.
"Hm… what indeed."
A month passed quickly. The sun beat down on the courts, children study for classes, and the tennis players of Rikkidia continued to win. It was almost as if there was no weakness. Hundreds of student came from all schools to see the legendary matches. To watch the Emperor, The Genius, The Child of God, and, the newest obsession, The Prince.
There was no beating Rikkidai. The was no weakness, no way to win. Rikkidai was unbeatable.
"Ne, Sei-buchou." Ryoma asked as his fingers linked with Yukimura's. He discreetly ignored the kissey noises that Marui and Niou made in the background.
"Yes, Ryo?" Yukimura asked. They were walking away from the courts, carrying another victory with them.
"Are you feeling alright?" Ryoma asked, his beautiful face tilting up to look at his buchou's.
"I feel a little off, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." Yukimura brushed the comment aside.
"Your color is off." Ryoma murmured. They had come to the crosswalk and stood waiting for the cars to pass. Ryoma looked sharply at his buchou when he felt him sway slightly.
"I'm fine." Yukimura stressed gently. Even as he said this, he swayed again, his slim body sliding one way before righting itself. At the sight Sanada moved forward to join the equally concerned Ryoma. Then, suddenly Yukimura crumpled.
As strong arms came around him and darkness closed in, the last thing Yukimura heard was Ryoma's voice, fearfully crying out his name.