Ryoma was pounced on in that morning, waking him from such a nice rest.
"Come on Echizen wake up!" exclaimed Momoshiro's voice.
The green haired boy tried to throw the covers over his head only to be poked at until he finally gave in and woke up.
"Momo get off of me, you're heavy," he said opening his golden eyes.
Was Momoshiro hanging around Eiji too much? Because he was pouncing on the boy a lot since they had met again. But Momo obeyed his kouhai's order and lay next to him making Ryoma extremely nervous. Why was Momoshiro laying next to him…no it wasn't right!
"Oi Echizen, get cleaned up and dressed. I'm taking you out for a while," he said.
Ryoma yawned sitting up on the bed. He did want to take the covers off yet, it was very warm and it'd be too cold without the soft warm covers near him.
"Take me where?" he asked sleepily.
"Out for breakfast. Maybe to a movie. Then to the arcade. Just you and me," replied Momo grinning.
"Nani!" exclaimed Ryoma shocked. This sounded way too much like a date.
Momo laughed.
"I would play tennis with you but it's snowing again," he explained.
Oh so that was why. Momoshiro had nothing else to do.
"What about everybody else?" asked Ryoma curiously.
"They have work to do, don't worry about them. Get ready. I'll be waiting downstairs," said Momo hopping out the bed and raced downstairs.
Ryoma got up from the bed shivering and went to the bathroom in the hallway to brush his teeth and mess with his hair. He heard Momo yell out from downstairs, "Echizen you're like a girl getting ready! Hurry up!"
Ryoma rolled his eyes yelling out a, "Freak." As he walked back into the bedroom.
He picked out a dark green T-shirt from his duffel bag and some jeans. And then slid on his windbreaker jacket and headed downstairs. Fuji was in the living room having coffee and some homemade doughnuts with Tezuka, both watching the news. The tensai smiled at the two younger males.
"Don't stay out too long, and have a good time on your date!" he said.
Tezuka gave him a warning glare but Fuji ignored it. Ryoma rolled his eyes wanting so badly to comment on how lovey dovey both Tezuka and Fuji had been for the past couple days, but decided not to make a remark on it, knowing Tezuka he'd give him laps weather or not he was buchou of Seigaku.
Momoshiro blushed at the comment and headed out the door Ryoma following behind him. He then regretted not bringing his coat instead when they were half way down the street. Momo just smiled and said everything was close by, that he wouldn't and shouldn't worry about it.
They were taken into a pastry shop that sold coffee, tea, and bunches of sweets that would be delicious.
"Don't worry on how much you eat, it's all on me," said Momoshiro.
That surprised Ryoma, usually the violet eyed male would make anyone but him pay for food. Not that anyone minded but it was often called the 'senpai-treatment'…which meant Eiji would usually foot the bill on food if Ryoma wasn't around. Ryoma decided to stick with some tea and some apple pie. That'd be enough for him. Momo ordered different types of sweets by the bunches and some coffee.
"Oi Echizen have you ever even tried coffee?" asked Momo.
Ryoma shook his head no.
"It's supposed to stun your growth," he pointed out.
"But you're surely done growing now. I'm still a bit taller than you," said Momo taking a huge bite out of a caramel apple pastry.
Ryoma rolled his eyes.
"Mada Mada Da ne."
They both ate in silence until Momo decided to talk.
"I tried searching for you for awhile, but your career moves you from one place to another," he said.
Ryoma's head shot up.
"Searching for me?" he asked.
Momo eyes were casted to the window when he spoke.
"Yeah, you were sort of like Tezuka. The only difference was that you told us. But after that you never even looked back once, and never kept in contact with everyone. Oishi had to hunt you and Tezuka down. I tried to. That's why I was traveling. I was trying to find you and Tezuka. And Inui-senpai too because the mamushi seemed out of it since Inui-senpai left. But Inui-senpai stayed in one place and kept in contact with everyone. But with you and Tezuka-buchou you two left and never even cared," explained Momo.
It was pure truth. Momo had money from where his grandfather passed away so the fortune was handed down to him, even though the rest of his family wasn't too fond of that. Momo decided he'd use the money to find Tezuka and Ryoma until the money ran out. He had felt sorry for everyone. Fuji wouldn't eat much and his game against Oshitari from Hyotei after Tezuka left was literally given to Oshitari. Fuji wouldn't even try. His eyes looked as empty as a glass of water would be. And Kaidoh, the mamushi. Had quit tennis. As soon as Momoshiro heard the news he stormed over to the lake where Kaidoh would sit train despite himself giving up. Momoshiro went over there and got into a huge fistfight with the mamushi. Pushed him right into the waters of the lake too. And Kaidoh fought back with just as much force.
Momo kept screaming at him asking him why he gave up. Was he coward? Kaidoh had punched Momoshiro in the stomach letting him fall into the water. The mamushi raced toward land and Momoshiro stood up angrily. He told Kaidoh he wanted an answer. And Kaidoh said there was no point in playing tennis anymore. That it was pointless without anyone to guide him. And Momoshiro understood that the guide was Inui-senpai. He loosened up on Kaidoh and told him, "I'll talk to him! I have to find Tezuka and Echizen too!" Kaidoh's eyes had gone wide. Momoshiro remembered the look. Kaidoh told Momoshiro then to shove off and not to disturb Inui-senpai, that he was fulfilling his own dream and that he didn't want to stand in the way of it. Momo let Kaidoh run away but Momo had decided to go after everyone never the less. It was only right, because Tezuka, Inui, and Ryoma had no idea how much of a wreck everyone was in because of them leaving and never looking back.
"Why?" asked Ryoma.
Momo pondered on that. He had to admit to himself that he has missed him. Badly. He didn't want to admit to himself or anyone that he cried after the kid left. He didn't know weather to be happy or to hate Echizen for leaving and fulfilling his dreams. He didn't want to sound selfish. But after a month or two it started to get lonely with out the arrogant kid by his side. Everything felt empty and Momoshiro started to know how Fuji and Kaidoh felt.
Echizen didn't bother to call anyone. He didn't mail. He was on TV with his brother Ryouga both playing tennis and giving interviews. Well Ryouga did the interviews, Ryoma would just sit there and reply yes or no to a question given to him. Oishi had finally after a lot of hell and searching, had found Tezuka and Ryoma's cell phone numbers. Their new cell phone numbers. But Momoshiro had already left for Hong Kong where a tournament had just been held and searched for Echizen only to find out the boy had left hours before he arrived. Momo had to admit that the kid had drove him crazy. He also had to admit to himself that he had fallen in love. That kind where you'd search and search until you found the one you loved. Sort of like Fuji and Tezuka's relationship, but Momo considered his was a boyish one where Fuji and Tezuka's would be more for an adult finding their first love.
"I missed you," was all that Momoshiro could say.
And Ryoma looked at him for a long while.
"I told you I was leaving," he said.
Momo sighed closing his eyes.
"I know, but then you never even bothered to call anyone. Or even mail anyone dammit. I knew you were alive but I just searched until I could find you. And when Fuji said you were coming to Tokyo it was like an answered prayer," he answered.
"Why would you care so much?" snapped Ryoma.
"Because I told you, I missed you. Nothing was the same anymore. I didn't want to let you go. Everyone else had let everyone go and I wasn't about to make the same mistake," said Momo.
"Baka! You're so fucking stupid! To search for me all over the world like that!" exclaimed Ryoma looking down at the table. His hands were white and trembling.
"I'm sorry. I had to try though," said Momo.
There was a long silence and they both headed to see a movie together. They watched an action movie and got themselves some popcorn to share. Momoshiro smiled as he fed the boy some popcorn from his hand. Too bad it was dark, he wondered if Echizen was blushing or not. Momoshiro had finished all of his drink halfway through the movie so Ryoma decided to repay Momoshiro and let them both share his drink.
The movie soon was over and they headed for the arcade.
"It's surprising, why is everything opened for Christmas Eve?" asked Ryoma.
"Ah everything closes at 4:00 it'll still be early but for now everything is open except the post office and government things. It's only noon Echizen don't worry about it," explained Momo.
That was true. It has became odd that Echizen hadn't realized it until now.
"Happy birthday Echizen," he said.
Ryoma wished he had his cap. Then he could hide the smile and blush on his face.
"Thank you. For remembering," he said. The both entered the arcade and instantly Momo headed for the Dance Dance Revolution machine. Then grinned goofily.
"Oi Echizen ever played DDR before?" he asked leaning against the metal back bars.
"Once," replied Ryoma glaring at the board.
"C'mon play! I want to see if I'm still good," pleaded Momo his eyes glittering madly. He had one of these boards at home and had played for hours practicing his jumping. Ryoma gave in and set the mode for light. Both started with a fast song and started to step on the keys.
Ryoma was getting frustrated. He wasn't good at this game. This is why he hated it with the passion, and beside him Momoshiro had set the level for hard and was missing one every now and then but was really doing good. His feet would easily adjust to hitting both the left and right key to hitting just the left within half of a second. And then his foot would stay on the top arrow and then the left as the long step arrow would go down.
Momoshiro noticed the hard time Ryoma was having. He was determined to beat the game but was stumbling. Even on light mode the arrows would move fast and he'd get to where his feet and eyes wouldn't listen to him and he'd be a second too slow. So of course Momoshiro won.
"You're finally not good at something! I finally beat you!" exclaimed Momo happily.
"Hn."
"It's just like you two to be here. Akira had a feeling you'd be together still. There's been a lot of rumors going on but I've never really followed them. Because I heard that Echizen was in America playing and that Momoshiro was still in Japan," said a mumbling voice. Ibu Shinji and Akira Kamio leaned against the DDR machine watching the two Seigaku players play their game of DDR.
"Oi! It's you!" said Momoshiro.
Akira stood up to greet them both.
"Yo. I've been wondering what happened to you two," he said.
"Same goes for you," replied Momo.
"Echizen's not so good at DDR," teased Akira smirking.
"Don't rub it in," snapped Ryoma looking away.
"He'd beat you in tennis any day though Akira. I mean he beat me and I can do a twist serve. I heard that Echizen has so scarier tricks though. But I bet if we'd play tennis it'd be a big thing. I've gotten better too and so have the rest of the former players of Fudomine. They've all gotten-" began Shinji going on his ranting rage again.
"Give it a rest Ibu. Momoshiro are you in for a game of DDR?" challenged Akira.
Momo smiled.
"Yeah, let's play," he said.
Both stepped onto the board setting up the levels. Both were on the hardest level possible and picked the fastest song in the selection. Ryoma and Shinji watched beside them away from the board. Ryoma was in awe at how fast they were moving. Akira was moving as if this was nothing and Momo was doing just as well. Both had their own style and Momoshiro used the back handle bar for support so he wouldn't fall from stepping on the keys so fast. There was left and then a right and another right, then a long left, and then up and down together. Looking at the arrows gave Ryoma a headache so he didn't even bother to watch arrows and decided to watch the two players until Shinji tapped him on the shoulder.
Ryoma glanced at him.
"Let's play Initial D. I'll pay for it," said Shinji.
Ryoma glanced back at Momo and Akira played then nodded and both of them moved away from the DDR Machine unnoticed. Ryoma wasn't one to play videogames. Maybe a tennis videogame but that's all he could really manage. When he figured out Initial D was a racing game he knew he was going to lose badly. That is if Shinji was good. The buttons glowed from the machine thanks to the black lights in the place giving a really nice look as Ryoma pressed the start button.
"Kamio and you hang out here often?" asked Ryoma.
"Yeah we hang out here a lot. Akira works here part time and he was on break when he decided to play against Momoshiro. I just hang out here because there's nothing else to do," explained Shinji as he gripped the steering wheel.
Both slammed on the gas pedal and Ryoma freaked out when he realized how many hairpins and turns there were in this game. Shinji was able to get past all of the curves even drifting a little with the dark blue car he selected in the game. Ryoma was annoyed that he couldn't be good at one videogame.
Momoshiro and Akira decided to watch Ryoma and Shinji's race after they were done with their game of DDR. Ryoma would flinch at every turn and slam the break and gas at the same time making the silver car swerve as it turned. Shinji looked as calm as ever and was actually quiet while playing. In the end Shinji won clearly because he was better.
"You're trying to win too hard and you're turning too sharp, you barely have to move the wheel and it'll turn on it it's own. It's a common mistake made," said Shinji as both stood up.
"Who won?" asked Ryoma.
"Speed-freak over there. I dunno what he did but he beat me by three numbers," replied Momo.
"Because I was in the rhythm," said Akira smirking.
Momo rolled his eyes dragging Ryoma over to play digital tennis. That was something that Ryoma was good at. He won easily because he actually played tennis. And finally they decided to leave bidding goodbye to both Kamio and Shinji.
"Now we get to go home," said Momo at they walked down the less crowded sidewalk.
Ryoma couldn't help but smile softly.
"Thank you," he said.
"You're welcome! I just wanted to think of you on your birthday! I mean it was only right," said Momo grinning goofily.
They both headed home both happy that they went out this morning. Ryoma had felt like nothing had changed between them. It was like they were still back in Seigaku and everyone was as goofy and as serious as ever. Ryoma knew it was going to be hard to leave when winter ended.
(A/N: Shinji and Kamio just forced their way into this. Wasn't planned at all. > You'll see some random characters appear later I bet...I have a feeling I will..And Also Ryoma's birthday isn't over yet. –pokes- Part two is coming soon people so stay tuned for that. It's 4:25 AMso I'm going to call it a night.)
Author's Note done back in June the A/N for Sept: This was all for you Momo and Ryoma fans. I hope you enjoyed it.