Valentine's Day

Part II

Tezuka set off for the tennis courts, keeping a somewhat wary lookout for girls in general. He wished, very briefly, that the school would ban Valentine's Day completely for being completely disruptive to the education process, but recognised it as a lost cause. For one thing, the principal and not a few teachers of Seishun Gakuen actually enjoyed receiving chocolates from their female students. Tezuka twitched slightly.

It happened every year. There would be the many 'anonymous' packages littering his locker, and his desk. There would be the blushing girls who would come up to him and hand him some frilly package, all the while staring at the floor, so that the only thing he could see of them was the top of their heads. Or those who would thrust gifts into his hands and run away before he has had a chance to react. There were those who would turn into a shrieking bundle of over-excited nerves when he thanked them for the present. And every year, there was at least one or two who would cry.

And he didn't even like chocolate.

This year, he had taken to hiding in the securely locked tennis club room in self defense. He'd still gotten caught by some of the female students, but thankfully, it was nothing like last year, when he was mobbed enroute to tennis practice. Even his best 'buchou' command voice hadn't worked then – the girls had only squealed louder. In the end, he had to suffer being rescued by Ryuzaki sensei, and Inui.

Tezuka was determined that that would not happen again this year. This year, he had chosen to wait an hour after classes had ended before emerging from his safe-house. By this time, the majority of the students should have either gone back home, or are busy with their own extra-curricular activities. Or so Tezuka hoped.

It worked to a certain extent. There were only two determined girls still waiting outside with presents – chocolates again. Always chocolates. Tezuka accepted the gifts and thanked them with only slightly gritted teeth, and escaped as quickly as he could.

Still holding the two pink packages, Tezuka hurried towards the tennis courts. It was beneath his dignity to peer around corners to watch for his fellow students, but Tezuka did take a deeper than usual breath being turning into the second to last corner to his destination.

The coast was clear.

Tezuka felt that tiny curled knot of tension between his shoulders ease, and he continued walking.
About halfway there, he suddenly spotted a very familiar figure seated on the isolated bench behind their locker room.

"Atobe?"

The figure looked up. Dark blue eyes met brown eyes. "Tezu…ka?"

Tezuka felt as if he was suddenly thrown back to the day of their first meeting after he returned from Germany. Atobe had looked exactly like that. Vulnerable. Open.

Tezuka took two instinctive steps closer to the Hyoutei boy and stopped.

Atobe's eyes had dropped to the pink packages that he was holding, and suddenly a mask fell over the other boy's features. A mask of brittle pride and a hint of bitterness that Tezuka could not understand. Atobe raised his chin in an unmistakable show of bravado, and threw something at him.

Tezuka caught it automatically with his right hand, well trained tennis reflexes coming to the fore. He looked down at what he'd caught – a white package tied with pale gold ribbons – and looked back at Atobe with a slightly raised eye brow.

"For you, obviously," explained Atobe in a light voice that had a edge to it which Tezuka disliked. "I had too much time of my hands today, and I thought it would be amusing to give you something. You can dump it together with the rest of the presents you've already received. I don't care," he ended with a light mocking tone.

Tezuka looked at the package again with a slight frown, turning it over in his hands. Atobe was giving him a Valentine's Day present? But… A barely noticable flush rose from his neck. He looked up to say something to Atobe, but the boy was already slinging his bag over his shoulder and turning away from him.

"Atobe, wait!" Tezuka called out. Atobe turned slowly and looked at him.

The mask that Tezuka disliked was still there. He found himself wanting to step up to the other boy and do something to wipe that expression off his face.

He had told Ryuzaki sensei once before, that most top-ranking players had that certain quality that attracted others to them. A certain charisma. He was talking about Echizen then, but the same statement could be applied to Atobe Keigo in spades.

They have met before, him and Atobe, at earlier matches and tournaments. They may not have played each other until the Regionals tournament this year, but Tezuka had always been acutely aware of the comet-like ascent of one Atobe Keigo. He had always known that they would have to advance beyond this person in order to assure Seigaku's entry to the Nationals.

He hadn't been prepared to be amused by him though… Or attracted.

He waited by the net, watching Atobe come onto the courts, orchestrating his fan's responses. Watched him gesture with his racket, the brightest figure in the court, drawing out accolades from the 200-strong Hyoutei crowd, and reflecting the glory back a hundred-fold to them.

He would, Tezuka knew, soak up all the cheers and screaming, and in return, provide an almost terrifyingly competent, well thought out, strategic game of tennis. Tezuka had to admit to a sense of private amusement at the consumate showmanship exhibited by Atobe, even as his heartbeat accelerated in anticipation of a true test, a match of strength to like strength.

He lost. Went away to heal his arm, then came back to play again. Seigaku went on to the Nationals. Life went on. Until one day, Tezuka walked into the tennis club room to find a slightly different Atobe waiting for him.
He had that same bright confidence, the same arrogant tilt to the head, the same proud manner of speech. But his eyes were open, honest in a way that Tezuka had never seen before.

He thought it was because he wanted to continue to see those eyes that he had agreed to meet with him again. And again. He had continued to be amused by the sheer amount of confidence generated by the dark haired boy, the occasional grandstanding, how he instinctively knew to put himself in the perfect position that best showcase his physical perfection and attract attention whether he was in a crowd of hundreds or alone with Tezuka.

He liked watching Atobe walk around, lighting up people, places where ever he went, drawing out responses from the people around him. He liked listening to him talk, because his remarks on the people and events around them were always pithy, to the point and occasionally able to draw blood.

He found his attraction for him deepening the day he discovered that the boy didn't need crowds or sycophants around him, that he could quite happily spend a quiet day without them.

He wanted that Atobe back. Not this stranger, standing before him, staring at him with carefully blank eyes and a mask of remote pride. He wanted that new/old Atobe back very much.

Tezuka realised that they had been standing like that for a few minutes now.

He dropped the other gifts he was holding, and began to methodically remove the wrapping on Atobe's gift. The pale ribbon went into his pocket, the paper was folded into neat squares and tucked away as well. Tezuka opened the box and pushed the soft tissue and found… chocolate.

"Nn… Did you make this yourself?" He asked, looking back up at Atobe calmly.

Atobe's gaze shifted away from him. A minuscular shrug, and Atobe said somewhat loftily, "I was bored. I thought it would be fun."

"Nn."

Tezuka looked down at the chocolate again. He could predict impending culinary disaster when he see it. He was the captain of the Seigaku tennis club, after all.

But *Atobe* made this.

Tezuka broke off a good-sized piece and put it into his mouth expressionlessly, all the while looking at Atobe. He chewed slowly. Swallowed. Ran his tongue against the back of his teeth. Swallowed again. Atobe was watching him with eagle sharp eyes, fingers drumming lightly on the strap of his bag. Tezuka made sure that his expression did not change one whit throughout the entire process of ingestion.

He swallowed one final time, trying to get the last of the flavours out of his mouth. Atobe was still looking at him. Tezuka's expression was still unchanged.

A glimmer of hurt flashed across Atobe's face. He was the first to look away. He shifted on his feet, about to turn and just leave, but all of a sudden Tezuka was there, taking the two steps necessary to close the distance between them, Tezuka's arms were coming around him, one hand gently pushing his face up to meet his eyes, and then Atobe knew nothing but Tezuka's lips, gently pressed on his own.

They stayed that way for a moment. Lips pressed lightly together, a hand cupping Atobe's face, the other hand draped around his shoulder.

Tezuka broke off the kiss, shifting just a half pace back. There was a strange look on Atobe's face, half stunned and more than slightly dreamy. Tezuka smiled and gently brushed Atobe's soft lips with his thumb, then let go, dropping his hands back to his sides.

Atobe blinked and refocused on Tezuka's face. Awareness crept back, and a slow unformed happiness.
They stood like that for a while, bodies close but not touching. After a minute had passed, Atobe realised that Tezuka was not going to move. He blinked and smiled. Swayed closer to Tezuka, their lips just two breaths apart. "It tasted terrible, didn't it?" He said, with a hint of laughter in his voice.

Tezuka did not react. "Nn," He thought for a moment. "Mildly horrible."

Atobe pouted lightly, moving even closer towards him. "I spent hours making that thing. You'd think I'd get a little more appreciation for it."

"Ah." Tezuka looked down into Atobe's bright eyes. He took the hint. And showed Atobe exactly how much he appreciated his gift.

- fin -

Author's Notes: Just realised from the various LJs I've been stalking that the anime has Hyoutei playing practice matches with the Regulars -- apparently because Tezuka asked Atobe for this favour. So, this fic takes place in the manga-verse, where Oishi asked Fudoumine for practice matches instead. But there *are* definite references to stuff that only happened in the manga… And Tezuka *did* go to Germany to fix his shoulder as per the anime… Err, the timing doesn't work out either, it's impossible for them to remain 3-years unless all the matches and Tezuka's return happened before Feb… Or unless they're all high-school freshmen now… But I need my Horio-tachi… *sweatdrops* Call it a confused AU then. Where the matches, Tezuka's injury and subsequent recovery all took place, and they are all into a new year but are still 3-years and buchous of their respective teams. Thank you. Now, please hit the comment button and review.