A.N.: Sorry sorry sorry, for this lame excuse of a chapter and the lateness of it. It is the LAST chapter...without the reference to chap 1 it could've been a whole new fic...Aahh forgive my rambling. I had an idea of tennis practice and then a lot of SadisticbutSweetFuji...but my muse about that just...ABANDONED ME!!!!! cries Anyway, beware of major toothaching sweetness (read OOCness) ; I feel like such a dork writing sappy and mushy things like this. :P Anyway I hope you'll enjoy. Please R&R. Tell me how I can improve...gently...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Groaning a little, Echizen slowly opened his eyes and blinked, trying to get rid of the blurriness. "Why do I feel warm?" he wondered, "Warm and safe….Huh!?" Echizen gasped softly in surprise as he felt a warm presence pressed against his back and when he looked at his waist he saw two arms holding him gently and protectively. "Where am I?" and he looked around a bit. He saw a TV and a window and that was it….Suddenly Echizen was wide awake. "…….I'm in a bed with arms around my WAIST!?" Shocked, Echizen carefully turned around to look at the owner of the intrusive arms. What he first saw was a calm, peaceful face, mouth slightly open. 'Buchou?' Echizen didn't know what to say or do, so he just stared. "He looks so peaceful, not so strict as usual….He's perfect." Echizen slowly brought his hand up to Tezuka's face to softly caress the soft cheek. Tezuka groaned softly and opened hazy eyes.
As Tezuka woke to the soft caress, he opened his eyes and looked at the face in front of him hazily. He blinked a few times before realizing that is was Echizen face he was staring at. He drew one hand up to the back of Echizen head, weaving his fingers in silky hair. 'Echizen?' Tezuka said, voice low and slightly gruff from sleep, 'How are you feeling?' He saw different emotions passing through those golden, cat-like eyes. Confusion, pain, fear, sadness, but also hope and warmth. Last however was slight hurt. "Why does he feel hurt?" He wondered. 'Echizen?' Tezuka asked again. "Why doesn't he answer?" Tezuka was worried, "Did last night effect him even more than I initially thought? Or is it something I did?" He was brought out of his musing when he heard a small voice say, 'Ryoma, call me Ryoma.'
'Ryoma, call me Ryoma.' He said softly, slightly hurt, "Echizen...why call me that after last night? I thought he liked me…." As the older boy remained silent, Echizen looked him in the eyes, 'Buchou?' He felt the arm, now around his back pull him closer. 'Then you call me Kunimitsu.' He saw the corners of Tezuka's mouth curve up a bit. Echizen flushed and snuggled his face into Tezuka's chest. 'H-Hai, K-Kunimitsu.'
Tezuka watches in amusement as Echizen flushed and hid his face. Then he rather felt then heard Echizen say. 'H-Hai, K-Kunimitsu.' His smile widened as he hugged Echizen closer and kissed him softly on the head. 'So Ryoma, how are you feeling?' He heard a soft chuckle come from the younger boy.
Chuckling softly from the kiss on his head, Echizen finally answered, 'I'm okay, a lot better than yesterday.' As he answered he could feel a small sigh of relief coming from Tezuka. "He does like me……No, he loves me, he's never shown this side before to anyone." Then he added with his usual snarkiness , 'My ass still hurts though.' And he smirked at Tezuka.
'My ass still hurts though.' After hearing that remark Tezuka let out a low laugh. 'Glad to hear you're feeling better.' He looked at the smirking face with a warm smile. 'Lets get out of bed and get you home, shall we?' "I knew he was resilient and would pull through." And just as he knew that he all too well knew the response to his question. 'Uiiss.'
'Ne, Kunimitsu?'
'Hmm?'
'Arigatou.'
'Ah.'
About two hours later they were walking side by side towards Echizen's home. During the walk home they were talking a little bit, chatting, as far that's possible with those two anyway, trying to get to know each other better.
When they were one street away Tezuka said, 'You should tell them. They're probably worried because you didn't get home last night.' Echizen froze a bit and stood still until he felt a warm, reassuring hand on his shoulder. As he looked into warm eyes, he answered, 'Hai, I will. Don't know about that baka oyaji, though, he probably thinks I met some "hot chick" and got lucky.' Tezuka frowned at that, 'Then he'll be in for quite a surprise.' Echizen smirked. 'Heh, mada mada dane.'
When they reached Echizen's home, they stood at the temple's gate for a while. Tezuka gave Echizen a hug and a kiss on the top of his head. 'Ano, Kunimitsu?' Echizen looked up with uncertain eyes. 'Stay with me?'
"I don't want to face this alone….." he thought. Tezuka understood, 'Ah, I'll stay.' And he leaned down to kiss Echizen softly on the lips. Their first kiss was gentle and loving, but to Echizen mostly reassuring. "Arigatou, 'Mitsu."
'Tadaima.' Echizen called. 'Forgive my intrusion.' Tezuka murmured. Immediately there was purring coming down from their feet where Karupin was winding herself around. 'Heheh, I guess she likes you, Kunimitsu.' Echizen said while picking her up. "Thankfully." Rinko came from the kitchen, 'Okaeri, Ryoma. Where were you yesterday?' When she noticed Tezuka she was somewhat surprised, 'Oh, you brought a friend, I'm Echizen Rinko.' And she bowed. Tezuka returned the bow, 'I'm Tezuka Kunimitsu, the tennis club Buchou.'
'I see, it's nice to meet you, Tezuka-kun. So where were you, Ryoma? You never came home.' Echizen tensed, which didn't go unnoticed by Tezuka and Rinko. 'Can I answer that in the living room?'
'Of course, I'll make some tea first.'
They went into the living room. Rinko made some tea as Echizen and Tezuka settled themselves on the couch. In the meantime Nanjiroh came in and sat down on a chair. Tezuka introduced himself and Nanjiroh was about to challenge him to a match, which Tezuka would've refused, when Rinko came in with the tea and finally sat down on a chair herself. 'What happened last night, Ryoma?' Echizen took a deep breath and started talking.
He started with him forgetting the time and walking home. As he neared the alley, both in story and mind, he started trembling and tears slowly started falling from his eyes. By this time Tezuka had wrapped an arm around Echizen's shoulders. When Echizen couldn't continue when Tezuka came in the picture, Tezuka took over describing what he saw at the entrance of the alley, the fight with the men and his suggestion to go to his apartment. From there Echizen, with tears flowing freely down his face, told the remaining part.
Both Echizen and Tezuka didn't mention the way they felt about each other. But the way Echizen leaned into Tezuka for support and Tezuka holding him, it was obvious, even to Nanjiroh. Rinko stood up and hugged both boys, surprising Tezuka a bit. She then looked Tezuka in the eyes, 'Thank you, for taking care of Ryoma.'
'A-ah.' Tezuka didn't know what to say so he just nodded. Nanjiroh looked at the two with a smirk and said, 'You two just keep it down later on, hmm?' Echizen and Tezuka looked at each other with a quizzical look and when the meaning of that sentence finally sunk in, Echzien blushed scarlet red while Tezuka just cleared his throat and kept quiet.