Ah, a little late, but here's the next part of the fic. There's probably more that I want to add to this thing, but for now, I'll just wrap up the main question from the last chapter. Thanks for everyone who reviewed! I re-posted the first chapter to fix a few mistakes that I wasn't happy with the first time around, but I really didn't add anything new.
Disclaimer: If I owned this anime, do you think I would be worried about how to pay for college right now?
Warning: Light RyomaxMomoshiro. That's right people. I'm putting the chibi in charge.
"…" regular speech
/…/ thoughts
A bit more than just curious, Echizen, when the time came to meet up with his 'secret admirer,' decided to play the waiting game. His plan was to spy on the meeting spot until he saw someone approach and then confront them about the letter. Not the best of things that he could come up with, but it was certainly the simplest and the only thing he could come up with in such a short amount of time. Which is why he was currently sitting up in the tree's braches, just hidden by the leaves, and peering down at the ground, waiting for the person who had sent him that note.
/Just how long were they planning on making me wait, anyway?/ Echizen though, annoyed when the 5 minute mark had passed and still no sign of anyone who could have written the note. He was just about to give up and just leave, deciding to put the whole matter out of his mind, when Echizen's ears caught the sound of someone whistling one of those sappy love songs that the radio always played around this time of year. The whistler was getting closer since the sound of the whistling was getting louder. Echizen decided that he could wait just a little bit longer where he was. It wasn't like he was in any real rush to get back to class anyway.
The whistler came and stopped just shy of being under Echizen's branch, giving the freshman a good look at the identity of the other person. One eyebrow rose while a satisfied smirk pasted itself on Echizen face when he recognized who it was. He had been right after all; it was Momo-senpai. Now the only question was, had Momo-senpai called him out here as a Valentines' Day prank or did he really want to talk to Echizen about something? Though, not wanting to miss such a perfect opportunity for a little fun… Echizen decided that his questions could be answered later. He'd want to do something else to his senpai first.
~Starts out with Momo's P.O.V., then switches to the usual way I've been doing this.~
/I wonder if Echizen will really come. He wasn't in his classroom, so I know he got the note, but he's not here either. Did he go to the tennis courts instead? Honestly, doesn't that kid ever think about anything else? It's just tennis, tennis, and tennis with him. Though I guess that what makes him as good as he is… ITAI! What the heck?!/
Momo clutched his head as he felt something bean him for the third time in the span of one minute. Quickly looking up into the tree, Momo tried to spot the person that thought it was fun to turn his head into a target.
"Echizen?!"
"You're late, Momo-senpai," the other boy replied calmly, smirk clearly visible on his face. He was tossing a handful of acorns in his hand, marking him as the culprit. (Okay, I know acorns aren't found often at a Japanese school, but they're the only things that would be really fun to toss at a person's head. Gomen!) "So, what did you want to see me about?"
"Ehh? Who said I wanted to see you?" Momo asked, feigning ignorance. The older youth received another mini-barrage of acorns to the head, as an answer and he had to cover his head with one of his arms to protect himself, not that it really did much good against Echizen's aim. The other was staying behind Momo's back, hiding something from Echizen's view, though the first-year was too preoccupied with flicking mini-missiles at Momo to notice.
"You shouldn't lie, Momo-senpai," Echizen stated, flicking another acorn, this time aimed at Momo's nose. "You're setting a bad example for your kouhai when you do."
"Gaki," Momo muttered, but it was in an affectionate tone. Louder he said; "So that means that you did get my note. Aww, I bet you were really excited and thought it was a pretty girl with a crush on you so you rushed here right away, ne Echizen? Sorry to tell you this, but I was the one who sent you the note."
"Baka. I already knew it was from you." Echizen's eyes lightened with glee when he saw the surprised and disappointed look on Momo's face to his statement.
"H How could you tell?!" Momo stuttered.
"I recognized your handwriting." The flat tone he used sunk in the very obvious little fact that Momo had overlooked when he was writing the note. Momo laughed, laughter tinged with just a bit of strain, hoping that Echizen wouldn't pick up just how nervous he really was.
"So? What was it that you wanted to see me about Momo-senpai? Or was this all just a prank?"
"Well, I had hoped to play a small prank on you, but seeing as how you already knew it was me, I guess it's kind of pointless now," he replied, looking up at Echizen with a sheepish, but not apologetic look on his face. "Itai!"
Echizen flicked another acorn with a slight frown on his face. He was oddly disappointed, though he didn't know why. Oh well, at least Momo was honest with him. His senpai's inability to lie to him and straightforward nature, while tiring at times, was a feature that Echizen rather liked. Though he would never let Momoshiro know that.
Slipping down from the tree branch he was sitting on, Echizen turned from where the older youth was rubbing his head and began walking back to the classroom.
"If that's all, then I'll see you at practice Momo-senpai."
"Matte Echizen!" Momo exclaimed, reaching out and grabbing onto the smaller boy's wrist, stopping him in his tracks. "Geez, you never let me finish. I wanted to prank you, but I also wanted to give you something."
"As my 'secret admirer'?" Echizen teased, giving Momo a faintly amused smirk. His grin only got wider when he saw the slight tint on Momo's cheeks. /The peach is turning pink./ Echizen thought idly, as he continued to look at Momo with that teasing smile.
"Actually, I…that is, Echizen…anou…"
"Momo-senpai?"
"Here!" At the same time that Momo let go of Echizen's wrist, the hand that had been behind his back came forward to reveal that Momo had one of those little boxes that the girls had put their chocolates in, only this one was oddly, and a bit badly, decorated, with bright green things that Echizen assumed were tennis balls and pink things that vaguely resembled peaches.
"Momo-senpai?" This time, Echizen was truly confused. His heart had skipped a beat or two and he couldn't help but look at the other boy in confusion.
/He is just too cute for his own good,/ Momo thought with a slight mental flush. Echizen's eyes were wide open in confusion and his head was tilted slightly to the side, making some of his dark green hair fall on his face. Momo resisted the urge to brush that hair back and find out if it was just as soft as it looked. Instead he just kept his arm out in front of him and waited. Taking the box from Momo's hands, Echizen opened the box and peered inside.
"Momo-senpai, is this homemade chocolate?" Echizen asked, raising an eyebrow at the other boy. Hearing the question, Momo started to babble and his face took and even redder tint. He really was the color of a peach now.
"Yeah, I know it's stupid and all, but I wanted to get you something in going with tradition, but I wanted to get you something that also would show you that, well, you meant more to me than just some store bought chocolate would have meant. But I couldn't think of anything so I just kinda decided that I would make you something from scratch and see how that went, like the girls do. Did you know it's actually a lot harder to make chocolate than you would first think? My mom practically had a heart attack after she saw what I did to the kitchen after my first attempt. And I didn't meant that I think of you like a girl or anything, though you do look cute enough to be one, not that I think I'm a girl either, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time… and you hate it, don't you?"
"…" Silently, Echizen closed the box and his lips pressed together as he thought for a moment. One thing was for sure, he didn't hate the gift. In fact, he felt rather warm at the thought of receiving something special from Momo-senpai…
But Momoshiro didn't know this and regarded the other boy's silence warily. If Echizen hated his gift, the freshman would have just said so without thinking. But he hadn't said that he liked it either. So what was left? Was Echizen just too young to understand what was going on and he was trying to understand the situation? He knew he shouldn't have done anything so soon. It was probably too much for Echizen at his age to understand. He had probably just rushed the boy into a stage he wasn't ready for. Momoshiro felt like kicking himself. It wasn't that he had a whole lot more experience that Echizen, but at least he knew what it was that he was feeling and rushing into…somewhat.
"Momo-senpai likes me?" Echizen questioned after a minute, head down and a very faint smirk on his lips. He had worked it out in his head and had come to a conclusion. He HAD lived in America for most of his life. Echizen Ryoma wasn't as innocent as the other regulars thought he was.
Momo winced at Echizen's blunt question and found himself nodding, turning his head away to hide the blush and so that he wouldn't have to see the look on Echizen's face. "Aa…" Echizen's next statement shocked Momo out of his little stupor, however.
"Then why didn't he just tell me?" Momo's head snapped around to face the younger boy with a stunned look on his face. Smirking like the cat that had gotten the canary, Echizen stepped closer and reached up to pull Momo's face closer to his. Momo could feel the slight puffs of breath coming from the other boy on his face and his heart felt like it was about to jump out of his chest.
"E Echizen?"
"Momo-senpai no baka." Smirking, Echizen stood on his toes and expertly kissed his stunned senpai, eyes closing at the contact of lips on lips.
/HOLY…!!!/ was Momo's only thought before he was released from Echizen's kiss and the younger boy took a quick step back. Momo felt his knees go weak and collapse on him. He looked at Echizen with a surprise and shock on his face.
"Echizen?"
"Mada mada dane," Echizen stated smugly. "I'll see you a practice Momo-senpai. I think I have something to give to you as well."
"Then, then what was that?" Momo didn't think his eyes could go any wider, but it seemed as if they could when he heard Echizen's reply.
"A thank you for the chocolate."
Ah, you gotta love growing up in America. Unless you're living in a bubble, every kid at least knows about kissing and gays by the time they enter junior high. At least, that's how it is where I live. While I love the fics where Echizen is a cute little dumb freshman, I wanted this to be just a little different from those. So, ta da!
There are a few things that I suppose I could add onto this fic, but I don't really know if anyone wants to read any more of my babble. I really just wanted to portray each of the relationships and dabble in a little RyomaxMomo. I know! Maybe if I get enough reviews I'll write something for White Day! Or that picture that someone promised me…Ga! I would love to see a fanart of anything I write! THAT'S enough motivation for me to write another chapter or something.
Review please while I think and watch Full Moon wa Sageshite. Arigato!
