Pairing: TezuTori
Present-day fic in the LJ RP world that the pair came out of -- incidentally, same one that produced OshiKam. Lucky us, ne? Sort of a prequel to the rest of the arc.
Disclaimer: If they were mine, I'd be richer than hell right now. My bank account says they're not.
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whack
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The sound of a tennis ball hitting a concrete wall punctuated the otherwise still evening air. It wasn't an altogether unusual sound, not at a school whose primary prestige was built on its tennis team. Rather, what made it impressive was that there was but one mark on the wall where the ball was hitting. Every single time, it impacted the exact same spot.
There was an additional element that would have made it impressive to anyone who knew the teenager behind the racket. It was common knowledge that Tezuka Kunimitsu was left-handed, but this particular night he was working exclusively with his right hand. Right-handed, he was more than good enough to decimate the majority of his age bracket. Left-handed, he was just short of professional quality. His left arm was still not altogether recuperated, not to the point he'd prefer it to be, so he had been concentrating on his right of late.
He continued with his strokes, varying them between forehands and backhands, always making sure the ball hit the wall in the same spot. It was a process requiring almost clinical precision and careful logic, both of which were high on his list of strong suits. He continued with the process until he caught a glint of silver out of the corner of his eye. He lowered the racket, catching the ball neatly with his left hand as he looked up.
Not too far away, Ohtori Choutarou was leaning against a tree, watching the slightly shorter teenager practice. He hadn't been there long, all told; Tezuka would have known if he'd been watching for any appreciable length of time. The expression on the silver-haired doubles player's face was many things, all rolled into one; impressed, appreciative, affectionate, neatly packaged behind a gentle smile. It brought a slight quirk to Tezuka's lips. The stoic buchou never smiled, at least in public.
"Sorry to interrupt you." Ohtori pushed away from the tree and wandered over, hands in his pockets. "That's pretty impressive. How'd you learn that sort of control?" He walked over to the mark on the wall, leaning over to peer at it and judge its size.
"Practice. A great deal of practice." Tezuka raked a hand through his hair, disordering and re-ordering the sunstreaked brown locks. "I thought you were with Shishido-san."
"I was. Then he had to do homework." Ohtori straightened up and gifted the bespectacled player with a warm smile. "Besides, he's a pretty bad distraction."
"Heh." Tezuka shook his head, and walked over to slip his tennis racket back in his bag. "It depends on what you wish to be distracted from." He draped a towel over his neck and shouldered the bag. "Are you done with your homework?"
"Mmm-hmm." As Tezuka started back for the dorms, Ohtori fell into easy step beside him. "Though I'm having issues with the drawings for Biology. I don't do well with what's inside things. Outside is easier."
"I can't really draw, so I'll leave you to that." Tezuka's eternally stern expression never lightened, not beyond his eyes. Those displayed a certain warmth and good humor that he'd found himself showing a great deal more often of late.
"No problem." They moved through the doors and started ascending the stairs to the second floor. They paused outside room A-258, long enough for Tezuka to fish the key out of his pocket and open the door. He entered, putting his things down in the corner as Ohtori closed the door behind them. No sooner had the latch clicked shut than the silver-haired teenager had bridged the distance between them. "I missed you."
"I missed you as well." The stern, implacable expression softened somewhat as grey eyes met chocolate-brown. He was always amazed at what he found in those eyes; a total understanding and acceptance of who and what he was, a forgiving of all his many foibles, a love that eclipsed many definitions of the word. He reached up, gently pulling the other teenager's head down for a softly affectionate kiss.
Ohtori returned the gesture before straightening up. He snagged one of Tezuka's hands, pulling the bespectacled boy over to the bed with him and sitting down. As soon as he was settled, Tezuka slipped an arm around Ohtori's waist, pulling him close for another kiss, this one a touch more intense, though not too.
He couldn't make much sense of the attachment. He doubted he'd ever be able to. It wasn't important. What was important was that Ohtori belonged to him, and he to Ohtori. It was at moments like these that he was most aware of the depth of their bond. He wasn't complaining. Gifts like these came along once in a lifetime, if that, and overanalyzing it was bound to take something away from it.
Besides, thinking took too much time away from Ohtori, and he wasn't willing to give that..or him...up.