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Tezuka looked at the key in his hand, debating whether to keep it in his hand or put it in his pocket. If he held on to it, he might drop it. If he pocketed it, he might not be able to find it at the right time. This was, after all, a big occasion.
Only a month before, Tezuka had taken his final exams for his first year of college. He had won two tennis tournaments in that year, but one just barely. The man who had beaten him had won seven tournaments, and was now walking toward him, a baseball cap obscuring his face. "Echizen."
The man lifted his head and smiled. "Buchou. You called?"
Tezuka nodded and cleched his fist around the key he'd decided to keep in hand. "Yes. I have something to ask you."
"Oh?" Ryoma's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "And here I thought you were going to take me to dinner again."
Smiling vaguely at the memory, Tezuka took a step toward the younger man. "This will be your senior year of high school."
"Yeah. What? Did you want me to join the tennis team again or something? You know I can't when I'm a pro."
"No. It isn't that." Tezuka shook his head. "No. I... I want to give you this." He held out his outstretched hand and stood still until Ryoma carefully picked up the key.
Ryoma looked at it closely. "What... what is this for? Did you... buy me a car or something?"
"No. It's the key to my apartment."
"Why are you giving me a key to your apartment?"
"So you can still move your things in when I'm at school, and then so you can get into *our* apartment."
Ryoma smiled. "Shouldn't you help me pack, then?"
Tezuka relaxed visably. "I was almost certain you were going to say no."
Looking up at Tezuka quizzically, Ryoma laughed. "Buchou... I've been in love with you for almost six years now. I was beginning to wonder if you even remembered the number of times last year when we made out under the stands between matches."
Tezuka smiled broadly at the memory. "And the time we went out drinking."
Ryoma closed his eyes and brought a hand up to cover his mouth as he laughed. "When you got up on the bar and started dancing, I was so glad that I had borrowed Fuji's camera. Otherwise, you might never have remembered confessing to me."
Clearing his throat, Tezuka shoved his hands back in his pockets, feeling suddenly awkward. "Are you busy now?"
"No," Ryoma said, shaking his head. "I cleared the rest of the night for you. I just have to make sure I finish up the calculations on my physics lab before tomorrow."
"Would you like me to come over and help you pack your things? I'd love to have you move in this weekend."
"Buchou," Ryoma whispered into the wind. "You're so silly. You should know just about everything is already packed up. When you got your apartment when you entered college, you made sure to get two keys, so I started packing. I'm just about finished. I just need to let my parents know and cart everything over."
Tezuka reached a hand up and ran his fingers through Ryoma's hair. "You're such a mystery. How do you do this?"
"I just... I just do, buchou. But it's only for you."
"You're sure about this, aren't you?"
Ryoma nodded firmly. "I decided to move out when I was still in high school. When it became apparent that you were going to let me move in, I just delayed it a little while. That's all."
Grabbing Ryoma in a tight hug, Tezuka held him and pressed kisses to all the places that passersby wouldn't notice. "We'll be together."
"We will be." Ryoma looked happier than Tezuka could ever recall seeing him. "Just one thing... you do have a tennis court nearby, right?"
"Right in the front yard, Echizen. Of course."
Ryoma snuggled back against Tezuka's chest. "I figured, but I had to make sure."