WINTER HOLIDAY, WINTER TENNIS, WINTER LOVE

Disclaimer: Tennis no Oujisama belongs to Takeshi Konomi.

Notes: More fluffiness... BEWARE!

Written: 23/11/2003 – 1/12/2003

Rewritten: 12/3/2006 – 15/3/2006

Chapter 4 – A Winter Love

"Fancy for some tennis?" Momo asked reluctantly. He was sitting lazily on one of the couch in the lobby. Winter cold weather made the entire regular tennis member lost their will in almost everything. At the moment, one that seemed comforting enough to do was just to gather around the fireplace and enjoy the warmth.

"Iya," answered Eiji directly, resting his head on Oishi's shoulder. He was sharing one couch with the fuku-buchou. "It's so cold out there."

"Well, it seems we just ignore our first purpose of being here." Fuji smiled, sacked his back down to the couch as if trying to burry himself.

"It's good to have a break sometimes." Kawamura, who sat on the hand of the couch Momo sat on, said. "After all, it's holiday."

Oishi smiled as he leant on Eiji's head. "Taka-san is right. It's really good to have a break sometimes. Why don't we just sit by the fire and enjoy this day lazily?"

Ryoma couldn't help to smile at his seniors. He himself was sitting on the carpet in front of the flickering fireplace, feeling the strong heat directly in such a short distance. The four couches, placed in a half circle in front of the lobby's fireplace, were all occupied by the sempais.

The golden pair shared one together. Fuji egoistically took fully one by himself. Momo took another one and shared the hand of the couch with Kawamura. And the last couch was occupied by Kaidoh and Inui who sat side by side rather awkwardly, yet willingly.

And that was left was Tezuka.

Ryoma turned his head from the dancing flame to his side, where Tezuka sat on the carpet just like him. His eyes were locked on the fire and orange light from the fireplace seemed to be dancing on his face. He then turned to Ryoma, as if sensing the other boy looking at him.

"Doushitano?"

"Betsuni," anwered Ryoma. He turned back to the fire. "Just wanna know what you will say about this. Skipping practice."

Tezuka looked back at the fire. "I don't blame them. Unfriendly weather."

Ryoma giggled softly and that drew Tezuka to stare at him again with a questioning look. Ryoma automatically turned back at the brunette.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing. Just, it feels weird to head an excuse from such a stern person like you."

Tezuka simply stared at Ryoma for awhile before turning back to the fire. "It's not an excuse if it is fact."

Ryoma only smiled. "Yet you can be gentle sometimes." He added slowly.

The brunette almost like frowning when he heard what Ryoma said. "When?"

Ryoma, again, smiled. "Just... sometimes..." then he stood up and left the lobby, leaving the older boy on the floor by himself.

The flame was still dancing energetically like fairies while burning the lumbers. The orange color shadowed his face, making his glasses glinted. No one else spoke up and the comfortable silence somehow disturbed him.

He took a deep breath before finally standing up and left to the direction he believed Ryoma was going into.

Just as what Tezuka thought before going out to the veranda, Ryoma was standing with his chest against the railing. The sky gradually darkened above them as the sun left to the west. Some twinkling stars could be seen, coloring the plain dark blue background.

"Echizen."

Ryoma turned back calmly, as if knowing that Tezuka was really going to come here too.

The older boy walked closer to the railing and put both his hands on it. He inhaled the evening air deeply.

Evening breeze gently blew around them, making Ryoma shivered a little. "We'll be back tomorrow, right?" He asked, though knowing the answer already.

"Yes." A pause. "At morning." Tezuka added, wanting to make it clearer. Or perhaps just to make their conversation longer. Because sometimes people talk about what the have actually known only just to establish a verbal contact.

A few minutes silence occurred between them as neither than start any conversation. Evening breeze once again blew, bringing its gentle and calming voice.

"What you said before, back at the fireplace. What do you mean?" Tezuka asked slowly.

"Isn't it cold here?" Ryoma said, like ignoring Tezuka's question.

Tezuka looked at Ryoma's face and the younger boy turned aside so their eyes met.

It only happened for a several seconds though, because suddenly, yet unhurriedly Tezuka closed the gap between them and touched his lips with Ryoma's.

And after he pulled back, he met a genuine perplexed expression from the younger boy. For a moment, he seemed even unable to perform any word.

Tezuka stared at Ryoma's face before moving forward and pulled Ryoma to his embrace gently. As he encircled his arms around Ryoma's small figure, he said, "don't ask. I don't know how to explain this either."

Touching Tezuka's warmth, Ryoma felt his body relaxed and questioned himself when he tensed up. As he felt Tezuka's chest upon his cheek, Ryoma felt he entrusted himself almost completely to Tezuka.

"You smelled nice." Ryoma said slowly.

"Still cold?"

"No." And as he closed his eyes, devouring the very moment he experienced, he said unhurriedly, "it's at sometimes like this."

And he felt Tezuka's arms tightened around his body.

When you replayed the entire scene that happened to you that day at night, it would feel like a mere dream. But for Ryoma, what he did at the very moment was even more unbelievable.

Ryoma had his head on Tezuka's lap while the older boy leant against the top of the bed, playing his fingers with Ryoma's silky hair. Just like the night before, they had talked about lots of things. But tonight, they reached a main topic rather than just talking about nothing.

"Echizen..." called Tezuka, hesitated for a moment, "do you know that I'll go to America next January?"

Ryoma shifted his head so he could stare at Tezuka's eyes from where he laid. "America?" He looked surprised.

"Yes. I was offered for a scholarship for Tennis."

A pause. "Oh so." Ryoma's mind was rather blank at the moment. "Well, that's great."

Ryoma had expected for a separation after Tezuka's graduation. But he never really thought about Tezuka being in a different country than Japan. He knew he didn't have the right to feel sad or anything, but he could help to have a great lost when he heard Tezuka's statement.

"January then. That's quite soon." Ryoma said, feeling more emptiness appeared in his heart as he realized Tezuka will be leaving six months earlier than he expected.

Tezuka let out an uncertain sigh. "I'll be waiting for you there."

Ryoma sat up and stared directly to the brunette's eyes. His bluish hair was messed up. "What if I choose not to go there?"

Tezuka looked deeply to Ryoma's eyes. "Then let's just wait until we meet again. What belongs to you will always come back to you, no matter how long the journey is."

"Mate won't go anywhere." Ryoma said, strangely calm, trying hard to put his trust on those words. "Let's wait until that time then." He smiled.

Tezuka felt his doubts were easing away as he put his hands of Ryoma's cheeks and drew their faces closer. When their lips finally met, Tezuka felt all his worry was gone. Slowly he moved his lips gently upon Ryoma's. The younger boy hesitantly response, letting Tezuka took the major dominance yet didn't let himself stunned.

Their movements weren't hurried not lazy. Their kiss deepened as each one began more comfortable with this new activity. Ryoma felt Tezuka's hand slid under his pajamas and went caressing his back skin and Ryoma had to held on Tezuka's shoulder as he felt he was about to melt into the kiss.

As the need for air became too noticeable to be ignored, both of them pulled themselves unhurriedly. They rested their forehead against the others and nuzzled their arms to wrap each other.

I'm going to miss you, buchou.

Ryoma heard those words echoed through his mind as he felt Tezuka moved forward to kiss him again.

And I'm going to long for your existence.

Ryoma felt his body shivered as Tezuka moved to his neck.

And I don't know if I can wait for you for the rest of my life.

The cold night air touched the skin on his chest as Tezuka unbuttoned his pajamas and Ryoma heard himself whimpered slightly as Tezuka's hand now traveled down his chest and stomach.

But I know I won't forget this.

Ryoma rested his head on Tezuka's shoulder as he began to pull over Tezuka's night shirt. He felt Tezuka too shivered from the cold.

Just like I will never forget you.

And they crushed their lips once again as Tezuka pushed Ryoma down to the bed.

You can call this an ending

But if you want an epilogue, you may read again

Notes:

Uhmm... rather different with the last version in the last scene.