"The Difference"
by: Setsuna-X

Summary: Realizing something is not necessarily what the truth really is. Fluff!!!drabble
Pairing: Tezuka x Ryoma (Pillar Pair)
'Warning': Contains BL, slash, yaoi, male x male, etc.
Notes: OneShot written during my boring Econ class. And possibly corny and unnecessary. Meh.

Tezuka stared at the top of a white cap outside the third floor window, watching the boy wearing the cap be hugged and surrounded by happy faces.

Tezuka could feel something cold churn within him.

He deserves warm and happy faces…

"Welcome home, Kunimitsu," said a voice.

"Hello, Ryoma," he responded, kissing the shorter teen. "What are you doing here?" Tezuka asked, glad his family is out running errands today.

"You looked like something was bothering you today during afternoon practice. I decided you had something on your mind. Care to share?" impishly said Ryoma as he and Tezuka walked into the living room and sat on the couch.

"Nothing is on my mind," lied Tezuka. Ryoma just stared at him with unbelieving, golden eyes. Noticing that Ryoma was going to be stubborn (nothing new there), Tezuka released a heavy sigh, silently acquiescing.

"It's just," he began, noticing Ryoma's eyes softening, "that I realized how much you deserve to be happy."

Ryoma's eyebrows shot up high on his face in surprise. He had to admit that wasn't at all what he had been expecting. He thought it was more tennis-oriented… something he could handle.

"And I came to the conclusion," continued on Tezuka, completely overlooking Ryoma's stunned face, "that I cant possibly make you happy," Tezuka managed to say with a straight face, though inside he was begging Ryoma to say otherwise.

"What makes you think that?!" shouted Ryoma, not liking where the conversation was headed, as he gripped onto Tezuka's larger hand in a tight hold.

"Because," began Tezuka once again, looking away from Ryoma's scared and confused face. "You just deserve someone who can make you smile and laugh all the time."

"And you don't think you do that for me?" questioned Ryoma in a dull tone.

"I'm not calculating like Inui, nor clingy like Kikumaru, or worry a lot about you like Oishi, or like any of the others."

"And that's why I do like you, and why you make me happy. You're nothing like them, and that's why I love you," confessed Ryoma, blushing slightly at the sappiness of it all.

Tezuka was at a loss for words. He knew..knew.. that Ryoma deserved someone that wore more emotions on their face, that was able to express themselves well, not a closed book like he was, but he couldn't help his heart swell with hope that he wouldn't lose Ryoma over this.

"Kuni, why are you so insecure?" questioned the younger teen, serious all of a sudden, the flush of pink gone from his cheeks.

"I'm not--," Tezuka was about to protest, but conceded at Ryoma's glare. "I don't feel like I am," he said truthfully. He really didn't think he was insecure, he just believed that Ryoma deserved someone who would make him laugh and make a smile light up his face. His Ryoma was always more beautiful smiling.

"Then what's the problem? Where did these thoughts come from all of a sudden?"

"During morning practice," said Tezuka, but inwardly he knew that he had been thinking about it for a while. He didn't think that would have even mentioned this to Ryoma if the younger boy hadn't pushed him to reveal his thoughts. He had to admit that it felt better having his thoughts and concerns brought out in the open.

"But you do make me smile and laugh…" said Ryoma in a small whisper, confused as to where these thoughts really originated from.

"What?"

"I said that you do make me smile, Kunimitsu. Well, you make me smile more truthfully than all the others. With them it's more like I'm humoring them or in a way tolerating them." Tezuka gave him an incredulous look. "It's not that they're not my friends or anything," quickly amended Ryoma, "it's just that I would always prefer to be with you than them. You make me really happy, alright?"

Tezuka just stared at Ryoma, unable to bear hearing those sweet and kind words; words that he had longed to hear. Ryoma really did want to be with him… and he made him happy. Insecure thoughts and conclusions floated around his head, fading one by one.

"Thank you," said Tezuka before hugging Ryoma to his chest tightly, relief resonating in his voice.

"Kuni, you can be such an idiot sometimes," laughed Ryoma quietly, masking his own relief that things had turned out fine.

Tezuka just hugged him tighter.

End.

A/N: This wasn't described in the story well, so let me explain. Tezuka gave Ryoma a copy of his house key b/c sometimes they would meet up there. Ryoma got there first because Tezuka still had to talk to Ryuuzaki-sensei after club ended. Ryoma decided to 'surprise' Tezuka (more like 'ambush' him and make sure they ended up talking over Tezuka's weird behavior during afternoon practice). I'm pretty sure I could have written this all out in story format, but I wanted this to be more dialogue heavy than descriptive. (and I only managed to write half of this story in class)