Painting Your Colors

Pair: Tezuka X Sakuno

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis

Author's Note:This is my first fic, so please enjoy…and helpful criticism is welcome…not severe bashing….Thank You

"..." speaking/conversation

'...' thoughts

Chapter 1

The autumn sunset that illuminated the canvas warm-yellow and orange lighted passion within the 16 years old girl, Ryuzaki Sakuno. It was around 4:30 in the afternoon. The solemn room, the slight chilly atmosphere, and the invigorating energy that was emitting from every brushstroke accentuated each raw moment. She was drowned in the smell of oil paint and the momentum of creating a beautiful piece of art starting from a mere hollow, blank canvas and a naked bristle. She absolutely loved this feeling; this stomach squelching that was churning from the bottom of her guts. She knew that this was her infatuation that she was arduously searching for. Since the time she picked up her first brush and coated it with a stunning color to paint two years ago, she knew that this was her outlet.

Two years ago, at the age of 14, she was devastated by the leaving of her two years crush, Echizen Ryoma. Though he never acknowledger her, she fell in love with the aura he let off and desperately wished she would only become a fraction like him. And when he left, his energy that she bathed in vanished and it left her desolated, empty and utterly lonely. She went through a process of trial and error to replace the vigor she loved, but horribly failed with each try. At the verge of giving up, she remembered her grandmother once mentioning that her mother, who passed away when she was nine, was a beautiful and talented painter. So, as her last hope, she picked up a cheap brush and paper from a stationary and poured out her heart. And from then, she just had a complete affinity with the hobby. She quit tennis and slowly, but painfully let Ryoma go.

And two years later, she was still painting. She won many competitions and approbations. She matured and became quite intelligible. She gained her own identity during the last two years. And at this moment, she was in this art room that was coveted with late autumn air, getting lost in time and space. She just continued with her strokes until she loomed over a world that wasn't reality. She savored each minute and she couldn't and didn't stop. She didn't even notice that the bright luminescence that soaked the room was now covered by opaque clouds and clear raindrops had started to gently hit the window.

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"Practice is over" announced a captivating, but a powerful, baritone voice.

"Hai!" screamed a unison of various male vocals.

Tezuka Kunimitsu, 18 years of age, is the captain of the tennis team of the Seishun Gakuen High School and the owner of the "captivating, but powerful, baritone voice." He also abhorrs the rain. Not only does it make him feel wet and uncomfortable but it impedes the training in tennis, just like today. He knew it was going to rain; Inui had said at the beginning of practice, but Tezuka, being the oh so strict and discipline Tezuka, wanted to fit as much training as possible. He was planning to practice despite the rain, but it was raining cats and dogs. He reluctantly ended practice to avoid further consequences.

So, with his simple statement, everyone ran to the locker room while Tezuka went to leave a note at the coach's desk to report the early dismissal. When he came back, he was welcomed back with a quiet locker room. It seemed that nobody was left; probably they quickly dispersed to their homes to evade further drenching. The silence was actually very convenient because though he has gotten used to cacophonous conversations and incessant screams throughout the years, he felt like he couldn't tolerate it today. Maybe it was the rain or the more than usual love letters he received, but he became aware of an imminent migraine.

Tezuka could hear thumping in his temples slowly getting louder by the second, so he took a quick, warm shower, opened his gray umbrella that was always kept handy in his locker, and deliberately walked toward home. He was hoping there wouldn't be any delay because the mix of downpour and the autumn wind was chilling him to the bones, but upon reaching the front gate of the school, he cursed under his breath when he noticed a light in the school building. He could've ignored it, but his precise character addition to him being the student council didn't allow him to overlook such thing. So he took quick but poised steps toward the light.

'Nobody should be here now, It is already near 7:00' Tezuka thought.

He wasn't aware of any teacher meetings or other extracurricular activities. Besides the tennis club, all others were cancelled due to news of the weather forecast from the announcement. With a slight annoyance etched in-between his eyebrows, he carried his long legs to the origin of the light: the Art Room. He was correct. He assumed that this was where the light was coming from since he knew the school blueprint by heart. He opened the door expecting to find an ordinary student catching up for a procrastinated project and was planning to admonish him or her for being in school in such a late hour. But when he actually opened the door, he couldn't utter a sound. For a brief moment, his migraine disappeared, his pupils dilated very slightly, and though he never was aware of it, his heart fell, making a perpetual thump in his soul.

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Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed it . I love any Sakuno pairing..but I don't know why, I really favor TezukaX Sakuno...Though they are complete opposite, they just fill each other's gap -