Don't Hide

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He folded his practice uniform and packed his belongings up to go home when suddenly all the skin along his spine tingled, and the small hairs on the back of Tezuka’s neck stood on end. He heard Echizen’s voice behind him, in his and Oishi’s private portion of the locker room. “I need to speak with Captain Tezuka privately. It’s important, if you don’t mind. Thank you Oishi Senpai.” This, as Oishi politely left the room. It had been 2 more days, He had steadfastly avoided speaking to Ryoma, and come home each night to the same shower ritual. However, Echizen had just managed to outflank him, and he was deftly out maneuvered. He should have known that being a natural strategist, Echizen would eventually push his opponent into a corner, and there he was right now. Slowly straightening up, Tezuka turned hazel eyes to his left to find Echizen sitting on the bench between himself and the only available exit to his and Oishi’s portion of the locker room. He knew someday Echizen himself would hold the position of captain that he now held, and this special locker would undoubtedly be his. That was not his immediate problem. His immediate problem had wide eyes that seemed to glow and lips that bore a slight uptilt, as if to say, ‘I’ve caught you now.’ Echizen had not even finished getting dressed into his spring school uniform so that he would be quick enough to stop his captain before he got the chance to leave. The pure white short sleeve shirt was unbuttoned casually over the black trousers, one elbow resting softly on the bent up knee, feet bare. While Tezuka could not see any skin, the unbuttoned shirt provided enough of a hint at what lay beneath, that the poor hazel eyed man knew he was in for a rough time, and 2 words had not yet even been said.
Ryoma could not help but smile to himself. He had managed to catch Tezuka before he left like a wraith again. He would at least have some answers now. His sharp eyes took in the stiff posture and the goose bumps raised on his captain’s arms. So, he wasn’t all as cold as he pretended to be, was he? Perhaps Ryoma should view this as a match. Mental agility was always necessary against a good opponent, he knew Tezuka was the best. None of the regulars had ever beaten him on the court, rarely in school. But Ryoma knew he could shake Tezuka’s placid facade. He’d done it before. Echizen’s grin spread as the thought bloomed in his head while watching the flitting emotions on Tezuka’s face. Wouldn’t it be slammin if I could be the only one to get behind that mask? To break his calm reserve? To make Tezuka shiver the way he made me?
Tezuka’s eyes widened slightly as he and Echizen gazed at each other. He could almost see a feral light come into the boy’s eyes and he suddenly felt as if he were a hapless mouse with a very large cat blocking his way. His body was also having a decided response to this sudden entrapment, but he pushed it aside and sat nonchalantly on the bench to put his socks on, “You wanted to speak to me?” a pause… “You know what it’s about.” Tezuka glanced up, purposefully misunderstanding, “They will trouble you no longer. It’s over so you can concentrate on the tournament.” Echizen chuckled a low and menacing sound, “Nice try. But you won’t be able to run away so easily anymore. You know that’s not what I wanted to talk about, but since you brought it up, we can start there. What did you say to Kazuma when you had him pinned to the wall like a cheap painting?” Tezuka looked Echizen in the eyes, “I told him that using chloroform on a student was not only a violation of club rules, but also of school rules, as well as an arrestable offense. To drug anyone unwillingly constitutes assault, as well as kidnapping charges. His help in procuring the drug from school facilities would mean his arrest, and school expulsion, so if he wanted us to NOT turn him over to police and school officials, he would kick the offending members out of his club.” Tezuka’s eyes never wavered from Echizen’s. Echizen couldn’t stop staring at him, he was so happy to just be able to talk to Tezuka again, it was like a weight lifted. He really couldn’t care less about the science brats. He blinked, “Except you forgot to mention one thing.” Tezuka’s eyebrows creased, “What’s that?” “You forgot the part where you threatened bodily harm if any of them hurt me again.” Surprise swept the captain’s face, “Momo…” Echizen held up a hand, “That was the only part he heard clearly. It’s the part I personally liked the best. That, and the whole putting him on the wall thing. That was amazing.” Tezuka blinked several times, “That was rather unlike me, wasn’t it?” the statement dissolved them both into some mutual giggling, “Very unlike you.” Tezuka smiled slightly, and Echizen’s heart did a flip flop. He had never seen him smile before, and it was really something to see. The 2 stared at each other, then unease stole over Tezuka and he started to get up from the bench, “Well there’s the answer to your question. Get plenty of rest this weekend before the tournament on Monday.” He felt his arm in a powerful grip, stopping him from standing. Glancing to the arm on his wrist, he merely arched his eyebrows at the restraining hand. Echizen said, “I am not done with you yet.” “I am still your captain.” Ryoma’s eyes narrowed, “Not right now you’re not. Right now you are the man who kissed me and made my world spin out of control. Right now you are not my captain, but the person I can’t stop thinking about, and I want to know why you have shut me out. Did you think I was the kind of person who would just take it so lightly? That I would take you just turning it all off without a fight?” Tezuka’s breathing increased. What should he do? He couldn’t talk about this, not now. He sat back down hard, his mind raced. The images that had plagued him for days swept thru his mind at an alarming rate. Faced with the object of his desire, and the knowledge that it wasn’t just a fluke of circumstance, he didn’t know what to do. Seigaku’s captain was lost under the pressure of Echizen’s attack. Echizen chuckled. He could have an effect on Tezuka if he tried. Just like any weak spot, he would exploit this. “Let’s take this one step at a time Tezuka.” Tezuka watched the golden eyes warily, “Just answer me.” “I can’t. I was wrong to do what I did to you.” Echizen stood up quickly about as angry as Tezuka had ever seen him, “Oh please. Get over it. I don’t like how I ended up in that shed either. But there is nothing wrong with what you did. I asked for it, I needed it.” At those words, Tezuka’s breath hitched, he spun to face away as Echizen continued, “You can’t expect me to just forget it, I won’t. Don’t you dare tell me you didn’t enjoy being with me, I remember that much very clearly. If you really just regret having kissed me then say it to my face and I’ll never bring it up again.” Tezuka couldn’t say it. He knew he didn’t regret it. He wouldn’t lie just to make the situation go away, he was way too honorable for that. His body shivered, but Ryoma’s radar caught it, like a shark scents blood. Even with his back to him, Ryoma could almost feel Tezuka’s shiver. “You can’t say it, can you?” Tezuka glanced back over his shoulder into those delicious golden eyes, “The team. It must come first.” Echizen screwed his face up, “What has the team to do with us?” “I don’t want what happened between you and I to effect the team, to have a bad effect on you. You are a wonderful player, I am still your captain. It could effect us all.” Echizen inched closer so that his breath fanned over the back of Tezuka’s neck, “You ignoring me has had a bad effect on me. You will still be my captain. Yet you still have not said that you don’t think about me, or about what happened.” Tezuka shivered some more and Ryoma could seen a fine sheen of sweat on the lovely face even as he turned further away from the persistent tensai. It’s working, Echizen smiled to himself. “I’ll make this easy for you. Just nod. Do you really care enough about me to threaten harm to that student if he ever touches me again, or was that all for show?” a series of small nods followed his question. “Did I feel as good to you as you felt to me the other day? Because Tezuka, I can’t stop thinking of it.” More shivers from the muscular frame, with his face averted Tezuka finally nodded once. Ryoma’s heart lurched. He felt like crying as the pressure was released in his chest. He really had thought he was coming in here to fight a losing battle, and now he at least knew he wasn’t alone in his misery. Tezuka felt Echizen stand up behind him, strong hands clasped his shoulders, and he jerked in reaction, “Don’t hide. Isn’t that what you said to me? Never hide from me.” then one hand slid from Tezuka’s right shoulder up to grasp his jaw and pull it around as warm lips descended upon his from behind. The initial shock pulsed thru Tezuka’s entire body. MMmmmmm! Lips caressed each other heatedly, one of Echizen’s hands held the back of his head, gently holding him in place, the other cupped Tezuka’s jaw pulling down gently while the tip of his tongue licked at the captain’s lips begging entrance. With a great shudder, lovely hazel eyes slid closed and their tongues met. It was electric. He could feel Echizen’s chest heave against his back as they kissed. The position was most unexpected and erotic, how did he ever think he could ignore what was growing between them for long? Hot and sweet, the kiss continued, until the sound of underclassmen finishing the clean up of the courts reached their ears, and Echizen reluctantly broke the kiss. Both breathing heavily, he turned to leave, but he would not want to go thru this last week again. It hurt too much. “Captain?” When Tezuka turned around to look into his eyes, Ryoma stated very quietly so none would hear, “We’ll take this up where we left off after the Metros on Monday.” At Tezuka’s slight hesitation he added for good measure, “Don’t ever try to hide from me again either. Or I might have to have a talk with Coach Ryuzaki about Sakuno and Tomo. Don’t you think?” The evil grin Ryoma shot at his captain left no doubt that he had figured out not only who the girls were, but why Tezuka had tried to keep it low key. For the sake of the team. Echizen had scored yet another point, and was not shy to use it in order to get what he wanted. A large wet towel chased the little tennis prodigy out the door of the locker while he chuckled to himself. “After the metros captain Tezuka, you are mine.” Memories of the older boy’s sweet surrender followed Ryoma the whole way home. He’d sweep the metros for sure now.