WINTER HOLIDAY, WINTER TENNIS, WINTER LOVE

Disclaimer: Tennis no Oujisama belongs to Takeshi Konomi.

Notes: A mere fluffiness. BEWARE... BEWARE!

Written: 23/11/2003 – 1/12/2003

Rewritten: 22/1/2006 – 5/3/2006

Chapter 3 – A Winter Fluffiness

When Ryoma woke up the next day and found Tezuka lay beside him, peacefully sleeping, he couldn't help to rewind his mind back to the noon rest they shared the prior day.

After the sweet event happened between them last afternoon, they spent the night after supper by talking before they decided to sleep. The talk they shared was more about anything than just a few main topics. They discussed about a lot of things, from school projects, tennis practices, movies, books, music and any other stuff boys would talk about to each other. The civil conversation Ryoma never had with his rather stern captain was the main reason he had an odd feeling as he looked at Tezuka's sleeping face.

Tezuka's eyes were closed and his breaths were even, while his chest moved up and down steadily under the blanket from his shoulder to toes. His mouth was opened a bit and his cheeks were so creamy.

There was peace in Ryoma's heart. Looking at Tezuka like that brought his warmth, just like he was drowning in a tub full of warm water in the middle of a very chilly air. A calm sensation filled his body. He could feel his mind was at ease and there's nothing else in this world that could get him panic.

He only watched Tezuka silently, unmoving. There was a feeling of contentment somehow. Something he couldn't really understand nor could he admit at the very moment. But somehow, he felt complete by only Tezuka's presence here. Only by his existence could bring such a feeling.

Tezuka moved a bit, groaning softly though didn't wake up. Ryoma's mind flew to times when Tezuka was around him. He realized more this time, while having Tezuka beside him like this, that there were actually a lot of small switching feelings he felt when Tezuka was around him.

Times when he had Tezuka around him, he always had to glance all over the direction until he found the older boy's figure. He had to at least known where he was, where he exactly stood or sat, what he was actually doing or whom he was actually talking to.

Sometimes, he also felt a different tingling sensation whenever he was having a conversation with Tezuka. Moreover, when sometimes there was physical contact between them such as when Tezuka ushered him out of the court or when they fingers accidentally brushed when they handed things one another.

At first, he thought it was something ordinary. And today, he felt it was definitely something more.

"Echizen?" A soft voice calling his name brought Ryoma back from his thought.

Ryoma blinked once before realizing that a groggy-looking Tezuka was staring at him. "Oh... ohayou," said Ryoma abruptly. A tint pink flushed over his cheeks as a form of embarrassment for getting caught looking at the older boy.

"Something wrong?" Tezuka asked, sitting up.

"Betsuni." Ryoma answered and stood up from the bed. "I'm going to the bathroom." He said then left the room.

The day went by in a remarkable speed. Everything that happened after Tezuka separated with Ryoma that morning until they both rested again on their bed at night seemed like blur pictures on a sliding projector, like a mere dream as Tezuka tried to recall them again when he faced the ceiling.

The room was dark already. Ryoma had turned off the light and both of them had covered themselves with the blanket in order to get more warmth. He could hear even breath came from his side, signing that Ryoma had gone to his own dream.

The stillness felt somehow unbearable for Tezuka.

Tezuka's mind today was somehow filled with Ryoma's image, starting form the first time he saw the younger boy from the upper class's window, his first encounter with him when he made him ran laps after quarrelling with Arai, their matches, their light conversations, and the silent glances they've been sharing recently. Out of his own control, Ryoma's presence affected him somehow, coloring Tezuka's life with golden color.

And coming back to where he was, he eyed the ceiling with his back pressed on the mattress, realizing that he was having difficulty of sleeping. Ryoma's breathing filled his ears, somehow forcing him to stay awake. He had a strong urge to sit down and looking at Ryoma's sleeping face, but other urge to just lying down and listen to this calm breath fought with the first one.

After a few time of fighting with his own head, Tezuka decided something out of the two urges. He stood up from the bed and then left the bedroom for some fresh air. Hoping, that a short night walk might clear his mind and finally let him had his good night sleep. With just wearing his Seigaku Tennis jersey upon his pajama, he went out to the cold winter night.

Ryoma woke up fifteen minutes later, shuddering from the cold of losing his bed-mate's presence. After opening his eyes groggily and looked around for his captain with a result of finding no one else in that room, Ryoma stood up and left the room for the bathroom.

"It's cold," said Ryoma when his bare foot touched the floor. He started his steps to the separated bathroom about ten meters from his bedroom, "it's really cold."

Ryoma's body vanished behind the bathroom door as Tezuka appeared from the other corner of the aisle. He went back to the bedroom and opened the door slowly, not wanting to wake the boy whom he left sleeping. However, when he was half inside the room, he caught the sight of an empty bed. His first respond was furrowed eyebrows and backed out from the room, continuing his walking session, though with a different purpose than before, to look for Ryoma.

A thought about Ryoma wondering because of his absence and finally decided to go outside to look for him gave him a slight guiltiness. He walked slowly, trying to reduce the cracking sound from the contact of his feet and the wooden floor beneath.

It's strange, Tezuka thought, thinking about why actually he started looking for the younger boy. The usual him would just simply stay in the room, waiting for Ryoma to come back before interrogating him. But in fact, he was now walking in the opposite direction of his arrival in order to look for the bluish-haired boy.

And that's when the bathroom door opened, showing Ryoma's sleepy face with his eyes half closer right in front of Tezuka.

"Echizen," Tezuka called for no reason.

"Buchou, where have you been?" Ryoma asked slowly.

"Short walk." Tezuka took some steps closer to Ryoma and stopped right in front of the smaller boy.

Ryoma's half closed eyes fluttered open and close sometimes. His own vision was blurred. "Tezuka-san..." He called, using Tezuka's name instead of the 'buchou' word. Tezuka felt a bit surprised somehow. "Samui desu yo... (It's cold)" he said distantly.

Tezuka put out his hand and reached to touch Ryoma's cheek. He slightly jumped at the sudden cold he felt under the touch. Ryoma himself gave a shudder. "You're so cold. Are you okay?" A hint of concern was now fancying Tezuka's face.

Ryoma stared at Tezuka with his sleepy eyes before they fluttered close and his body lost its balance. He swung gently to the floor and in automatic response, Tezuka held out both of his hands and caught him before he reached the ground.

Once again, Ryoma shivered. Thought he didn't open his eyes again.

"Echizen! Are you okay?" Tezuka pulled Ryoma's body and carried him over his arms. Once he looked at Ryoma's face, he inhaled in relief to know that he was only sleeping.

Before even realizing it, Tezuka smiled of the innocent sleeping face sight before him. He brought Ryoma back to the room and placed him on the bed. He turned the lamp off before climbed on the bed and laid beside Ryoma.

"Samui..." a low whispering voice came from Tezuka's side. Ryoma shifted under his blanket.

Tezuka stared at the ceiling again. His mind and heart were dueling just like before. Then, he took an action before he had a chance to think. Carefully, Tezuka shifted closer to the younger boy and put his arms around Ryoma, encircling his small figure in a possessive embrace. He pulled the blanker up to cover both of their bodies and finally closed his eyes as he felt Ryoma relaxed.

To be continued