Chapter 3
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Slowly, Ryoma could feel that his awareness was flowing back to his mind, waking him up from the dreamless sleep he had been into. He opened his eyes unhurriedly and faced a dark ceiling above him which felt unfamiliar somehow. Then his eyes went exploring the room he had been sleeping at and found out it is completely different to his own bedroom. Frowning, he sat up on the bed and suddenly a headache rushed to his head after the sudden change of his position. Ryoma closed his eyes once again, trying to be accustomed to the pain and has realized that his throat felt dry and painful.
Ryoma shifted himself to the edge of the bed and stood up carefully. Though he doesn't know where he is, he needs to find some water to drink. He walked slowly towards the direction of the door and have his eyes set on it, as if something from behind the door may await him. He didn't really pay attention when something soft tucked his leg and hampered his way. He even wasn't really aware when his body has lost its balance and fell toward the floor directly with a loud bang. The pain that abruptly rushed through his veins recalled his awareness completely. Along with the pain, Ryoma could see the soft thing that made him fell down has suddenly moved, followed with a light of a lamp being turned on.
"Echizen!" Tezuka's worried voice came as he saw Ryoma crumpled onto the floor. He dashed towards Ryoma abruptly and knelt beside the boy, carefully pulling Ryoma's body into his arms. "What's going on?" He asked, somehow sounding panicking.
"I want to get some water." Ryoma explained slowly, still shocked after the sudden contact with the floor and now losing it again as Tezuka held him tight in his arms.
Tezuka held a firm grip on Ryoma's back before he lifted and carried Ryoma back to the bed carefully. He laid Ryoma's small body in the same position as before and pulled the blanket over Ryoma's waist. "I'll get it for you." He said before he went to the door Ryoma was heading earlier and vanished behind it.
Ryoma used the time that Tezuka was away to examine the now lightened room. He started to look from the ceiling, then to the window and at the bed he is laying on, and finally beside the bed was an extra futon that Tezuka had slept on before, it was now in a mess on the floor. Before Ryoma could continue examining the other sections, Tezuka came back with a glass of water in one hand and a piece of cloth in his other hand.
"Where am I?" Ryoma asked as he sat up again, taking the glass off Tezuka whom handed it to him and he began to drink it.
"My house." answered Tezuka. He waited until Ryoma emptied the contents of the glass before taking it back and putting it right beside the cloth which has already been placed on the bedside desk. "You fainted at school so I decided to take you home." His hand was suddenly placed on Ryoma's forehead to check his temperature. "You still have the fever." He took the cloth from the bedside desk and placed it on Ryoma's forehead, making the smaller boy shiver from the cold.
"Doumo." Ryoma said slowly, lying back down in the bed.
Tezuka didn't replay anything, instead only continued the treatment for a while. "What about the cough?" Tezuka finally asked after the silence.
"It's just a sore throat." Ryoma answered.
"Just?" Tezuka asked again. "You should take care of yourself. Furthermore, we have important competitions soon."
"It's not that I want to have it." Ryoma said, defending himself.
Tezuka didn't say anything in return and they stayed in silence until Tezuka finished treating Ryoma and putting the wet cloth back on the bedside desk. Once again, he checked Ryoma's temperature with his own cold palm and this time, Ryoma shivered not because of the coldness but because of the contact between Tezuka's and his now seemed-to-be sensitive skin.
"Want something to eat?" Tezuka offered.
Ryoma considered for a moment. He realized he hasn't eaten anything since the afternoon practice. But his stomach doesn't feel well enough to receive any food just yet. Besides, he doesn't feel up to having any meal. "I'm not hungry." He said slowly.
"But you need to eat at least something." Tezuka insisted. "My sister left some ramen for you. I'll go get it for you." He said, not giving Ryoma any chance to refuse, once again leaving the room.
Ryoma closed his eyes for a moment and listened to his own heartbeat that had grew much steadier now. This morning he had a bad health and a dizzy head. This afternoon he had a training that felt like hell and a feeling that he might collapse any minute. But he never imagined he would end up collapsing in front of Tezuka and having the Buchou bringing to him to his house for treatment. It's something beyond his mind, even more since he realized he has a special feeling towards Tezuka.
It has been always for Ryoma to feel a mix of strange feelings when Tezuka is around him. It's not something that could disturb all his concentration, nor something that gave him a headache or even heartache. It's merely a strange urge to get Tezuka's attention toward him or a quickened heartbeat that somehow dizzied him.
Ryoma never really showed it. In fact, he tried to ignore it. Even until he himself could come into a conclusion, that he has a crush on his captain. It's not because he had given up, but more because he is not the type of person who thinks about those kind of thing for the whole day.
The door opened again, reappearing with Tezuka's figure holding a tray, which has a bowl with steam above it and another glass of water. Ryoma opened his eyes again, sat up and stared at Tezuka who walked closer and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Here." He placed the tray upon Ryoma's lap carefully. "You don't have to finish it all if you don't want to." He said while handing the chopstick to Ryoma. "But at least you have to eat some of it."
Ryoma took the chopsticks from Tezuka's hand reluctantly and then faced the warm ramen on his lap. Tezuka moved the glass from the tray to the bedside to give Ryoma a better position. Under Tezuka's stare, Ryoma lazily ate the ramen little by little till he finished a quarter of it. "I'm full." He said finally, putting the chopsticks back on the tray.
Tezuka eyed him with an unpleasant look before Ryoma defended himself again. "You said I don't need to finish it all."
"Okay." Tezuka uttered slowly as he took the tray from Ryoma's lap and handed him the water. "You should rest again."
Ryoma didn't empty the glass; he put it back on the bedside desk and lay back down on the bed. After putting the tray on the floor, Tezuka went back to Ryoma and pulled the blanket over his shoulder. "We won't go to school tomorrow, so don't bother waking up early." Tezuka said and from the close proximity, Ryoma had just realized that Tezuka looked quite cute without his glasses.
Ryoma watched silently as Tezuka cleaned up the stuff he had brought before, he then brings it out of the room, then walked back in again without bringing anything. And suddenly, the strange urge he always had before rushed in his mind again. And this time he had no chance to hold it back. "I like you, buchou." Those words slide out from his tongue easily.
Tezuka was stunned in his position for a moment before turning back to Ryoma with complete disbelief. His emotionless mask released, revealing his sincere mimic of response. He came into a staring section with Ryoma for a moment before his mind spoke silently 'he is just raving because of the fever.'
He walked closer to the bed and sat on the edge again. "You are just raving." He assured slowly.
"No." Ryoma said suddenly, totally losing control of his usual behavior. "I'm not being delirious or anything. It's true. I've wanted to tell you this, but I could just never find the best time." He explained, giving Tezuka another shock.
"Buchou… do you mind if I ask you to be my boyfriend?" Ryoma asked slowly yet shockingly. He didn't really know what made him speak this openly. Perhaps Tezuka was right. The fever made him delirious somehow.
Tezuka eyed Ryoma for a moment as if he was thinking. "Are
you really sure?"
Ryoma nodded slightly. There was quite a long silence occurring between them. For a moment, Ryoma thought Tezuka might change the subject, ignore him completely or simply reject him. And for a second thought, Ryoma felt embarrassed for asking such a question.
"If you are sure, I agree." Tezuka said after a long silence, thus making Ryoma become the shock one. Then he gave his very scarce smile to his new lover and shifted the already neat blanket on Ryoma's body. "Now you have to take a good rest." He said gently.
Ryoma smiled softly. "Thank you." He said then closed his eyes, drifting back to sleep once again.
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"Did he wake up last night?" Haru's voice came as Tezuka walked out from the bathroom in the next morning.
"Yes." Tezuka answered, "In the middle of the night." He added, rebounded then walked back to his room.
"Toasted breads for breakfast," Haru said while watching the morning program on TV. "And the morning air will be good for Echizen-kun's health." She added, grinning at Tezuka who quickly went back to his own room.
As Tezuka stepped back on his own room, Ryoma had sat up on the edge of the bed with his legs hung to the floor. He yawned as Tezuka came closer to him and checked his degree with his palm. "You still have a small fever." Tezuka said slowly. "I've prepared the warm water for you to take a bath. It must be uncomfortable after sweating from yesterday's practice."
Ryoma smiled as Tezuka walked to his wardrobe and took some clothes for Ryoma to change. He also took a new towel then handed it all to Ryoma who received it with a faint 'doumo'. Both of them barely talked since they woke up early together that morning and that made Tezuka started to think that Ryoma has forgotten what he asked in the night before.
Tezuka beckoned Ryoma to follow him outside the room and showed him where the bathroom is. "If you don't feel dizzy you can eat your breakfast in the dining room after the bath." He said before letting Ryoma entered the bathroom. "And I'll accompany you for a short walk for air after that. Morning air is good for health." He mimicked what Haru said and he heard a chuckle from the living room where Haru is.
When Tezuka rebounded and started to leave Ryoma in the bathroom, the smaller boy said gently yet solemnly. "Sankyu… koibito."
The words forced Tezuka to turned back again and saw Ryoma smiling at him before the bathroom door closed after him. And surprisingly, Tezuka couldn't help himself to smile. Who would've ever thought that one night could change their relationship so suddenly? Yesterday, they were just a captain and a freshman, and now they are officially lovers. Tezuka himself still doubt if it is not a dream. But, he felt somehow happy, so he didn't think about it too much.
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TBC
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A/N: So… finally they are lovers. Hurray!!! Ehehehe… I think I'm addicted to SasukeNaruto lately. They are just adorable!!! drools ;P
Next chapter… Tezuka decided to go to German!!! How will Ryoma react for this?? Just in the next chapter!!!
Anyway, don't forget to submit your review, kay! Sankyu!!! Hontou ni!!!