Settle For Love [PG-13; Horio/Tomo]
Title: Settle For Love
Author: worblehat
Genre: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Horio/Tomo
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Konomi's.
Notes: I know that the school is probably locked on weekends but I chose to leave it open in one section of this fic.
Summary: He's just...Horio.
Word Count: 3,773
Tennis feels a little quieter in their second year, with most of their strong players off at high school. No one says anything when Tomo walks up with Sakuno to watch the tennis matches, though looks of surprise are exchanged.
No one, that is, but Horio.
"What are you doing here?" he asks, loud and challenging, a confused look on his face.
"What do you mean, what am I doing here?" Tomo shoots back at him.
"I mean Echizen isn't here so why are you still watching tennis?"
Tomo's face colours. "Echizen isn't the only tennis player!" she shouts. "And it's plain that this tennis team needs a cheering section! Isn't that right, Sakuno?"
Sakuno laughs nervously, obviously uncomfortable at being dragged into things.
"But -" Horio starts.
"Are you here to practice or are you here to flirt?" asks Ryuzaki, looking down at Horio.
"Ew!" Horio and Tomo chant at the same time. They glare at each other.
"You can ask her out later," says Ryuzaki, chuckling as she pulls Horio along by the ear, earning her a silent look of protest. "It's time to focus on tennis right now."
*
Horio doesn't play in the first tournament and Tomo enlists him to help some of what she refers to as "cheering equipment." Sakuno waits in front of the clubhouse, listening to Tomo speak.
"Tomo-chan," says Sakuno quietly when there's a break in monologue, her fingers scrunching the soft fabric of her skirt as she tries not to stammer, curiosity weighing oddly on her tongue. She knows Tomo doesn't like it when she stammers; Sakuno doesn't like it when Tomo yells, but she never says so out loud.
"What?" prompts Tomo, gathering the signs together into a pile, placing her hand on her hips when one of them falls off the edge of the table.
"Do you...like Horio?"
"Don't be stupid, Sakuno," Tomo answers immediately. "I'm just making him carry things because it's convenient."
"Oh."
When Horio finally shows up, Tomo thrusts most of the signs into his hands, telling him that if he drops any, she'll be kicking him somewhere he's sure to notice. Horio goes pale and yells at her that he can handle it.
They walk side by side and Sakuno notices how Horio is a few inches taller than Tomo now; that he walks on the outside of the sidewalk, his elbows sometimes bumping against Tomo's. When a car drives close to the curve, sliding, skidding water onto Horio's pants, Sakuno sees his body twist into a protective stance; she's pretty sure from the look on his face that he's not aware of it.
Tomo doesn't notice either, berating Horio for getting her skirt dirty. They argue the rest of the way, Sakuno walking a few steps behind.
*
The game is tied at six-six and Kaidoh's hissing is audible. Tomo cheers and Horio shakes Katsuo nervously as he asks if the game is going to turn out okay, don't Kaidoh's eyes look a little scary and is the bathroom somewhere nearby?
Tomo slaps him with one of her pink pom-poms and Horio winces, letting go of Katsuo, who is trying to not to fall over with the help of Kachirou. "Stop being so noisy!" she yells.
"I wasn't being noisy!" he shouts back.
Tomo glares. She leans in and Horio leans back, away from her, a frightened look on his face. He closes his eyes, jumping a little when the pom-pomps are thrust into his hands. "If you're going to be loud, at least be useful!" she says before turning back to the game and cheering.
*
This time the match is between Momo and Kirihara. Both are serious, the game tense. Tomo shouts, Sakuno waves the sign they brought and the three boys huddle nervously, cheering at each sign of a win.
In the last game, Tomo chews on her lower lip. Horio's eyes widen. When Kirihara serves, their fingers slip together accidentally in nervousness and both squeeze.
*
"Horio-kun," Katsuo finally says, after several nudges from Kachirou. "...why were you holding Tomo's hand during the last match?"
"Huh?" asks Horio, his brows creased in annoyance at being interrupted. He stops when Katsuo's words sink in. "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?"
"Um...well...you were...I mean..."
"Why would I be doing something gross like that?" Horio screams, face red. He grabs Katsuo's shirt, shaking him hard.
"Horio, let go!" cries Kachirou, trying to break the two apart. Katsuo is practically crying, his stomach turning at the continued movement, his face pale.
*
He doesn't really know how he ends up having to walk Tomo home everyday. One day she is dragging him along, pushing her backpack into his hand while trying to balance a few paint materials in her hands; the next she is walking along, talking at him as he carries her bags for reasons he can't understand, since her hands are completely free. Not that he has much time to think about it - Tomo's after-school schedule is busy, full of homework and tennis and sometimes, love stories on television.
Horio hates watching those. Sometimes she lets him get away with doing (or pretending to do) his homework; other times she makes him pay attention to the stupid plots that barely make any sense to him.
Her room is too pink and there's nowhere to sit with all the stuffed animals, signs and books that he later discovers to be steamy romance novels. It's uncomfortable and warm and Tomo gets angry at him if he stays too long, leaves too early, or doesn't pay enough attention. Sometimes he's invited to eat and the food is good, even if Tomo quizzes him on her favourite shows and punches his knee if he answers wrong.
It's a good thing he doesn't bruise easily.
*
"Where are you going?" demands Tomo when she spies Horio walking home alone. Her backpack is in his hands before her question ends and Horio sighs.
"I have to go shopping for my aunt today," he answers, sinking a little bit when she falls into step with him. "I can't walk you home," adds, his voice edgy as he tries to hand her back her things.
Instead of taking them, she leans in, waving one finger in front of his face. "You can still walk me home afterward," she says. "Besides, you have to watch Titanic with me. Sakuno's already seen it."
"Titanic? We watched that last week!" he protests.
"Well we're going to watch it again!"
"Why?"
"Because I said so!"
Horio sinks down a little more as they head to the store together, hating Leonardo DiCaprio silently in his mind.
*
"Do you have to do any chores today after school?" Tomo asks him at lunch. He is still going to her house everyday after school, but when he has errands, she goes with him. She's helped him shop for food, do loads of laundry, fix doors, replace used kitty litter and other things Horio thought she would just watch him do. He never says "thank you" and she never says "you're welcome." It's become what they do after school.
Horio tells her that he's free and she nods and walks away. He blinks in confusion.
"What did she want?" asks Kachirou.
"I don't know," answers Horio, remembering that he isn't alone and growing annoyed.
"Maybe she wants to go on a date," says Katsuo.
Horio shakes him extra hard to show him how wrong he is.
*
Tomo is at the courts, racket in hand. Horio wonders if she plans to hit him with it when she calls him over.
"Teach me tennis," she says.
He looks at her. "Teach you tennis?" he says finally.
"Yes, teach me tennis!" she repeats loudly. Tomo yanks him by the collar of his shirt. "Aren't you supposed to be the one with two years of tennis experience?"
"Three," he says a little meekly.
"Fine, three," she says dismissively, letting go of him. "Whatever, just teach me what you know."
Being next to Tomo, showing her the way he holds a racket, how to swing, how to serve - it feels weird and his face gets red and he keeps trying to pull away. Tomo doesn't seem to care where he is, concentrating too hard on lobbing the ball, perfecting her backhand and cheering every time her shots land inside the singles court.
*
Sometimes they walk by the street courts and now that Tomo is practicing daily, she seems to stop there more and more, making Horio sit with her as people create makeshift teams and play against one another. One day she stands and calls "we're next!" and Horio panics.
"What do you mean, 'we're next?'" he asks in a panicked voice, holding her bag tightly. Fudomine's Kamio and Shinji are across the courts, talking easily - Shinji talking twice as much as Kamio. "You're still a beginner!"
Tomo casts a sharp eye at him. "This will be good practice," she says in a low voice that threatens to punch him later if he tries to back out of this now. Then she smiles a little, throwing Horio off guard. "What are you worried about anyway? You have two - I mean, three years of tennis experience! And I have that new shot I want to try!"
Horio groans and takes out his racket, shuffling onto the court. He perks up a little when he sees a worried look cross Kamio's face. He glances back at Tomo, whose eyes are narrowed, lips curved into what he can only call a very scary smile. It makes Horio's heart beat faster, his hands trembling as he tries to grip his racket more firmly.
Tomo serves and Kamio lunges; Shinji tries to cover for him, a strange look on his face when the ball circles past him. When they stand, Kamio blinks at Shinji, who is methodically brushing his clothes clean. "What was that?" he whispers.
Shinji frowns at the court. Thin, barely-there lines show the path of the ball, which seemed to swirl midair before landing just behind his right leg as he reached to hit it. He opens his mouth to answer, frowning when Tomo's victorious cheer sounds across the net.
"Did you like that?" she says, laying her racket against her shoulder. Her eyes flash in the sunlight. "I call it my 'kick your butt special!'"
"You shouldn't pick a name like that," warns Horio out of the corner of his mouth.
"Why not?" she challenges him.
He colours a little. "It doesn't sound...professional."
"Are you saying I'm not professional?" Grabbing his collar, she breathes in his face, her anger melting his resolve. "I'd like to see you do a shot like that, Mr. Three Years Of Tennis Experience!"
"Nrgh," is all Horio manages to say before she's let him go, taking her position to serve again.
*
They lose by three games. Another pair of doubles teams take the court as Kamio talks with Tomo, asking her about her shot. She blushes a little while she explains, giggling at Kamio's compliments.
Horio gapes at her, wondering just when she'd turned into such a girl.
*
"I can't go to the movies this weekend," comes Sakuno's voice through the phone. "My grandmother has this weekend planned and I -"
"Hold on," interrupts Tomo. She leans across the bed, looking at Horio who is reading Cosmo with a disgusted look on his face. Tomo wonders if he's reading the "ten tips to please your man" article - tip #6 had made her stomach turn a little bit too. "What are you doing Saturday?" she asks, covering the mouthpiece of her phone.
"Eh? Saturday?" Horio answers. He scratches his head. "I think I was supposed to do laundry that day..."
"Great!" says Tomo before uncovering the phone. "Don't worry about it, Sakuno - have a good time with Ryuzaki-sensei!" She clicks the phone off and looks at Horio.
"Why did you want to know what I was doing Saturday?" he asks.
"I wanted to make sure you were free to go see Love Across the Ages."
Horio's face scrunches in disdain. "I don't want to see that!"
"Well it's too bad! We're going!"
"But -"
"I'll help you with the laundry before we go," says Tomo with a glint in her eye - like the one she'd had when they'd played against Shinji and Kamio. It makes Horio shudder, a warm sort of sharpness spreading down his spine. He resigns himself to the fact that there's no getting out of seeing this movie.
Horio looks back at the magazine and tries to remember to skip tip #6, silently wondering if Tomo has read this article and keeping his gaze low when he thinks about how tip #8 would feel.
*
They don't hold hands during the movie. In fact, all Horio does hold is the popcorn, the drinks and Tomo's red sweater that stretches tight across her chest in a way that forces Horio to look away when she removes it, a small, pink tank top visible underneath.
*
They are walking home when Tomo suddenly tugs at Horio's hand, pulling him in the direction of Seigaku. She's still talking about the movie which he only remembers half of, having fallen asleep partway. Tomo hadn't noticed, even when he'd begun snoring, too engrossed in the likes of George Clooney.
" - but I know George Clooney would have better taste if he came to Japan," Tomo finishes as the green gates surrounding the tennis courts come into view.
Right, thinks Horio exasperatedly. Because he'd choose you, of course. He doesn't say this out loud, choosing instead to ask why they are heading to the courts. "We didn't bring any rackets," he points out.
She gives him a funny look. "We're not going to play," she says. He waits for her to explain but she just looks ahead and continues walking. It's strange, walking with Tomo when she's quiet; Horio isn't sure he likes it.
When they get to the main gates, Tomo stops. Horio opens his mouth to say that they should go - he isn't sure if they are technically allowed to be there on a weekend. He stays quiet it when he sees the look on Tomo's face.
The same determination is in her eyes that he'd seen twice before, except now it's soft, almost thoughtful. He feels partly mesmerised by it, wondering if he's hallucinating. "Um. Tomo-chan...?"
"What do you feel when you play tennis?" she asks him, eyes still focused on the court.
"What do I feel?" he repeats blankly.
"Yes, what do you feel," Tomo says, her voice a little rougher.
"Uh..." says Horio, trying to think. He doesn't want her hitting him for saying the wrong answer. "I feel...sweaty?"
She tears her eyes away from the courts to give him a look.
He takes a step back.
Sighing, Tomo lifts her hand to the green gates, gripping them tightly. "When I play, I feel like there's nothing but tennis," she says quietly, a small smile on her face. "I like that feeling a lot." I bet Ryoma-sama did too, she adds silently.
Horio doesn't know what to say. He looks at her for a few minutes, then takes two steps closer. The back of his hand is touching hers as they watch the sun set over the green and white ground.
*
"I'm really sorry about canceling," says Sakuno on Monday, sounding miserable. "I couldn't get out of the potluck my grandmother held."
"That's okay," says Tomo cheerfully. "I went with Horio."
"...Horio?" blinks Sakuno. She wonders if she should ask; her grandmother's encouragement to speak up surfaces in her mind and she opens her mouth. "Is he your boyfriend now?"
"He's not my boyfriend," says Tomo dismissively, looking away. "He's just...Horio."
"Oh."
*
Tomo starts dragging him along to plays, ice shows, and even two concerts. He goes along, never really sure what he's doing there, though Katsuo's taunts and Kachirou's knowing looks are getting harder to ignore. These feel suspiciously like dates and Horio isn't sure how to get out of them.
He wonders if it says anything that he almost doesn't want to.
*
He doesn't realise until third year that he's never sat on Tomo's bed. He's always been designated to a chair or to the orange-coloured bean bag that is falling apart in the corner of her room. The first time he notices this is when she pulls him down onto it to look at a photo album with her.
The pictures are old, mostly from first year. Half of them are of people he's seen in class but doesn't really know, but the bigger half are of the Seigaku tennis team. Most of them are of Ryoma, hat pulled low over his eyes. Some of them are of Sakuno and Tomo, smiling or hugging. None of them are of Horio - except one, where he is standing behind Ryoma, his face contorted into a look of surprise.
The second photo album she shows him has more recent pictures. Ryoma is only three of these; Horio is in five and he smiles smugly even if he's not sure why it matters. He looks at Tomo when she points out her favourite pictures, his chest feeling weirdly tight when she points to one of him.
"You would look better if your hair didn't have that weird angle to it," she says before flipping to the next page.
*
No one comments when he stops styling his hair to the right.
Not even Tomo.
*
Horio is pretty sure you're not supposed to lie down in girls' beds but Tomo's covers are really soft and warm and in the winter his feet are almost always cold. He burrows beneath it, face growing hot when he feels her legs so close to his own. They're watching Titanic for the thirty-second time and Horio can mouth along with the lines now, though Tomo hits him if he does, yelling at him not to ruin it for her (as if the ending is going to be some sort of surprise).
Tomo is usually the one under the covers or sitting up with a smaller blanket across her legs while Horio sits awkwardly at the edge of the bed, missing the comfort and space of the bean bag. Tomo's nicer to him now, in relative terms - she still hits him when he says something she doesn't like, but she doesn't yell as much and she's started sometimes bringing parts of her lunch to school that she knows he likes, handing them to him before she heads off to eat with Sakuno.
"That's the kind of love I want," says Tomo, her voice dreamy as she points to the screen.
"Isn't he too old for you?" asks Horio.
Tomo kicks him under the covers. "Shut up."
*
When the movie is over, Tomo clicks off the television. Horio feels suddenly awkward and he brings the covers up higher, only his eyes showing when she looks at him. Her face looks a little flushed but her eyes are scarily focused. Her hands cover his and she pulls back the covers until they rest at Horio's chin; then she leans down and Horio's eyes go wide.
Tomo's lips are soft and glossy and they feel awkward against his own. Before he had time to adjust to it she pulls back, studying him.
"I think you're my boyfriend," she states plainly.
"Wh-wh-what?" asks Horio. He doesn't remember asking her out; he can't tell if that's what she's doing now.
Tomo sighs and sits up against the headboard, drawing her knees towards her. Horio looks at her until she looks back at him, which is the moment he realises his fingers are much too fascinating to look away from; especially if it's to look up at Tomo, who is wearing a v-neck top that shows more than he knows he should be looking at when she bends over.
She doesn't say anything for some time and finally Horio looks. Her eyes look strangely glassy, like they do when she watches sappy love stories on TV or at the movies.
For some reason, it hurts to see her cry. Even if it's just a little bit.
He sits up, legs stretched out before him. Tomo's hands are wrapped around her knees; he places one hand on her elbow and she sniffs.
There are a lot of words Horio knows. His vocabulary has grown as he's paid more attention to school, even earning some of the top grades in his literature class. Yet at that moment, the only word that seems to exist in his mind, or even in the world, is "Okay."
"What?" Tomo asks him.
"Okay?" he repeats, feeling unsure.
Her brow furrows. "You mean..."
He nods. "Okay," he says emphatically.
"Stop saying 'okay,'" growls Tomo.
"Okay," says Horio.
He expects to be hit but this time Tomo kisses him. Her lips aren't as soft but the kiss is much better; still awkward but warmer when he gasps at her hand on his knee, mouth open just enough for her tongue to slide in. He's never kissed like this before and he can taste Tomo's lip gloss, like oil and fruits and it's not the best taste but he finds he still likes it, likes it a lot and tries to taste more, to lick against her tongue and lips, moaning a little when she bites down into his mouth, nibbling at his bottom lip for a few seconds before pulling back.
Horio looks at her for a little bit, his breathing uneven, his chest beating hard under Tomo's palm, which sits above it. "Can we do that again?" he asks, trying to ignore the blush that creeps through his cheeks.
Tomo giggles a little. "Okay."
*
When Tomo and Horio kiss tentatively during lunch, Sakuno waits, unable to say anything. It isn't until Horio is out of earshot that she places one hand on Tomo's wrist, stopping her. Tomo blinks in confusion.
"Are you sure Horio's not your boyfriend?" she asks, vowing this will be the last time she does so.
"Of course he is," says Tomo, giving her a weird look. "What took you so long to catch on? You're so slow sometimes, Sakuno."
Sakuno watches Tomo walk away, wondering if she's just hearing things or if Tomo is actually humming the theme to Titanic.
Author: worblehat
Genre: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Horio/Tomo
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Konomi's.
Notes: I know that the school is probably locked on weekends but I chose to leave it open in one section of this fic.
Summary: He's just...Horio.
Word Count: 3,773
Tennis feels a little quieter in their second year, with most of their strong players off at high school. No one says anything when Tomo walks up with Sakuno to watch the tennis matches, though looks of surprise are exchanged.
No one, that is, but Horio.
"What are you doing here?" he asks, loud and challenging, a confused look on his face.
"What do you mean, what am I doing here?" Tomo shoots back at him.
"I mean Echizen isn't here so why are you still watching tennis?"
Tomo's face colours. "Echizen isn't the only tennis player!" she shouts. "And it's plain that this tennis team needs a cheering section! Isn't that right, Sakuno?"
Sakuno laughs nervously, obviously uncomfortable at being dragged into things.
"But -" Horio starts.
"Are you here to practice or are you here to flirt?" asks Ryuzaki, looking down at Horio.
"Ew!" Horio and Tomo chant at the same time. They glare at each other.
"You can ask her out later," says Ryuzaki, chuckling as she pulls Horio along by the ear, earning her a silent look of protest. "It's time to focus on tennis right now."
*
Horio doesn't play in the first tournament and Tomo enlists him to help some of what she refers to as "cheering equipment." Sakuno waits in front of the clubhouse, listening to Tomo speak.
"Tomo-chan," says Sakuno quietly when there's a break in monologue, her fingers scrunching the soft fabric of her skirt as she tries not to stammer, curiosity weighing oddly on her tongue. She knows Tomo doesn't like it when she stammers; Sakuno doesn't like it when Tomo yells, but she never says so out loud.
"What?" prompts Tomo, gathering the signs together into a pile, placing her hand on her hips when one of them falls off the edge of the table.
"Do you...like Horio?"
"Don't be stupid, Sakuno," Tomo answers immediately. "I'm just making him carry things because it's convenient."
"Oh."
When Horio finally shows up, Tomo thrusts most of the signs into his hands, telling him that if he drops any, she'll be kicking him somewhere he's sure to notice. Horio goes pale and yells at her that he can handle it.
They walk side by side and Sakuno notices how Horio is a few inches taller than Tomo now; that he walks on the outside of the sidewalk, his elbows sometimes bumping against Tomo's. When a car drives close to the curve, sliding, skidding water onto Horio's pants, Sakuno sees his body twist into a protective stance; she's pretty sure from the look on his face that he's not aware of it.
Tomo doesn't notice either, berating Horio for getting her skirt dirty. They argue the rest of the way, Sakuno walking a few steps behind.
*
The game is tied at six-six and Kaidoh's hissing is audible. Tomo cheers and Horio shakes Katsuo nervously as he asks if the game is going to turn out okay, don't Kaidoh's eyes look a little scary and is the bathroom somewhere nearby?
Tomo slaps him with one of her pink pom-poms and Horio winces, letting go of Katsuo, who is trying to not to fall over with the help of Kachirou. "Stop being so noisy!" she yells.
"I wasn't being noisy!" he shouts back.
Tomo glares. She leans in and Horio leans back, away from her, a frightened look on his face. He closes his eyes, jumping a little when the pom-pomps are thrust into his hands. "If you're going to be loud, at least be useful!" she says before turning back to the game and cheering.
*
This time the match is between Momo and Kirihara. Both are serious, the game tense. Tomo shouts, Sakuno waves the sign they brought and the three boys huddle nervously, cheering at each sign of a win.
In the last game, Tomo chews on her lower lip. Horio's eyes widen. When Kirihara serves, their fingers slip together accidentally in nervousness and both squeeze.
*
"Horio-kun," Katsuo finally says, after several nudges from Kachirou. "...why were you holding Tomo's hand during the last match?"
"Huh?" asks Horio, his brows creased in annoyance at being interrupted. He stops when Katsuo's words sink in. "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?"
"Um...well...you were...I mean..."
"Why would I be doing something gross like that?" Horio screams, face red. He grabs Katsuo's shirt, shaking him hard.
"Horio, let go!" cries Kachirou, trying to break the two apart. Katsuo is practically crying, his stomach turning at the continued movement, his face pale.
*
He doesn't really know how he ends up having to walk Tomo home everyday. One day she is dragging him along, pushing her backpack into his hand while trying to balance a few paint materials in her hands; the next she is walking along, talking at him as he carries her bags for reasons he can't understand, since her hands are completely free. Not that he has much time to think about it - Tomo's after-school schedule is busy, full of homework and tennis and sometimes, love stories on television.
Horio hates watching those. Sometimes she lets him get away with doing (or pretending to do) his homework; other times she makes him pay attention to the stupid plots that barely make any sense to him.
Her room is too pink and there's nowhere to sit with all the stuffed animals, signs and books that he later discovers to be steamy romance novels. It's uncomfortable and warm and Tomo gets angry at him if he stays too long, leaves too early, or doesn't pay enough attention. Sometimes he's invited to eat and the food is good, even if Tomo quizzes him on her favourite shows and punches his knee if he answers wrong.
It's a good thing he doesn't bruise easily.
*
"Where are you going?" demands Tomo when she spies Horio walking home alone. Her backpack is in his hands before her question ends and Horio sighs.
"I have to go shopping for my aunt today," he answers, sinking a little bit when she falls into step with him. "I can't walk you home," adds, his voice edgy as he tries to hand her back her things.
Instead of taking them, she leans in, waving one finger in front of his face. "You can still walk me home afterward," she says. "Besides, you have to watch Titanic with me. Sakuno's already seen it."
"Titanic? We watched that last week!" he protests.
"Well we're going to watch it again!"
"Why?"
"Because I said so!"
Horio sinks down a little more as they head to the store together, hating Leonardo DiCaprio silently in his mind.
*
"Do you have to do any chores today after school?" Tomo asks him at lunch. He is still going to her house everyday after school, but when he has errands, she goes with him. She's helped him shop for food, do loads of laundry, fix doors, replace used kitty litter and other things Horio thought she would just watch him do. He never says "thank you" and she never says "you're welcome." It's become what they do after school.
Horio tells her that he's free and she nods and walks away. He blinks in confusion.
"What did she want?" asks Kachirou.
"I don't know," answers Horio, remembering that he isn't alone and growing annoyed.
"Maybe she wants to go on a date," says Katsuo.
Horio shakes him extra hard to show him how wrong he is.
*
Tomo is at the courts, racket in hand. Horio wonders if she plans to hit him with it when she calls him over.
"Teach me tennis," she says.
He looks at her. "Teach you tennis?" he says finally.
"Yes, teach me tennis!" she repeats loudly. Tomo yanks him by the collar of his shirt. "Aren't you supposed to be the one with two years of tennis experience?"
"Three," he says a little meekly.
"Fine, three," she says dismissively, letting go of him. "Whatever, just teach me what you know."
Being next to Tomo, showing her the way he holds a racket, how to swing, how to serve - it feels weird and his face gets red and he keeps trying to pull away. Tomo doesn't seem to care where he is, concentrating too hard on lobbing the ball, perfecting her backhand and cheering every time her shots land inside the singles court.
*
Sometimes they walk by the street courts and now that Tomo is practicing daily, she seems to stop there more and more, making Horio sit with her as people create makeshift teams and play against one another. One day she stands and calls "we're next!" and Horio panics.
"What do you mean, 'we're next?'" he asks in a panicked voice, holding her bag tightly. Fudomine's Kamio and Shinji are across the courts, talking easily - Shinji talking twice as much as Kamio. "You're still a beginner!"
Tomo casts a sharp eye at him. "This will be good practice," she says in a low voice that threatens to punch him later if he tries to back out of this now. Then she smiles a little, throwing Horio off guard. "What are you worried about anyway? You have two - I mean, three years of tennis experience! And I have that new shot I want to try!"
Horio groans and takes out his racket, shuffling onto the court. He perks up a little when he sees a worried look cross Kamio's face. He glances back at Tomo, whose eyes are narrowed, lips curved into what he can only call a very scary smile. It makes Horio's heart beat faster, his hands trembling as he tries to grip his racket more firmly.
Tomo serves and Kamio lunges; Shinji tries to cover for him, a strange look on his face when the ball circles past him. When they stand, Kamio blinks at Shinji, who is methodically brushing his clothes clean. "What was that?" he whispers.
Shinji frowns at the court. Thin, barely-there lines show the path of the ball, which seemed to swirl midair before landing just behind his right leg as he reached to hit it. He opens his mouth to answer, frowning when Tomo's victorious cheer sounds across the net.
"Did you like that?" she says, laying her racket against her shoulder. Her eyes flash in the sunlight. "I call it my 'kick your butt special!'"
"You shouldn't pick a name like that," warns Horio out of the corner of his mouth.
"Why not?" she challenges him.
He colours a little. "It doesn't sound...professional."
"Are you saying I'm not professional?" Grabbing his collar, she breathes in his face, her anger melting his resolve. "I'd like to see you do a shot like that, Mr. Three Years Of Tennis Experience!"
"Nrgh," is all Horio manages to say before she's let him go, taking her position to serve again.
*
They lose by three games. Another pair of doubles teams take the court as Kamio talks with Tomo, asking her about her shot. She blushes a little while she explains, giggling at Kamio's compliments.
Horio gapes at her, wondering just when she'd turned into such a girl.
*
"I can't go to the movies this weekend," comes Sakuno's voice through the phone. "My grandmother has this weekend planned and I -"
"Hold on," interrupts Tomo. She leans across the bed, looking at Horio who is reading Cosmo with a disgusted look on his face. Tomo wonders if he's reading the "ten tips to please your man" article - tip #6 had made her stomach turn a little bit too. "What are you doing Saturday?" she asks, covering the mouthpiece of her phone.
"Eh? Saturday?" Horio answers. He scratches his head. "I think I was supposed to do laundry that day..."
"Great!" says Tomo before uncovering the phone. "Don't worry about it, Sakuno - have a good time with Ryuzaki-sensei!" She clicks the phone off and looks at Horio.
"Why did you want to know what I was doing Saturday?" he asks.
"I wanted to make sure you were free to go see Love Across the Ages."
Horio's face scrunches in disdain. "I don't want to see that!"
"Well it's too bad! We're going!"
"But -"
"I'll help you with the laundry before we go," says Tomo with a glint in her eye - like the one she'd had when they'd played against Shinji and Kamio. It makes Horio shudder, a warm sort of sharpness spreading down his spine. He resigns himself to the fact that there's no getting out of seeing this movie.
Horio looks back at the magazine and tries to remember to skip tip #6, silently wondering if Tomo has read this article and keeping his gaze low when he thinks about how tip #8 would feel.
*
They don't hold hands during the movie. In fact, all Horio does hold is the popcorn, the drinks and Tomo's red sweater that stretches tight across her chest in a way that forces Horio to look away when she removes it, a small, pink tank top visible underneath.
*
They are walking home when Tomo suddenly tugs at Horio's hand, pulling him in the direction of Seigaku. She's still talking about the movie which he only remembers half of, having fallen asleep partway. Tomo hadn't noticed, even when he'd begun snoring, too engrossed in the likes of George Clooney.
" - but I know George Clooney would have better taste if he came to Japan," Tomo finishes as the green gates surrounding the tennis courts come into view.
Right, thinks Horio exasperatedly. Because he'd choose you, of course. He doesn't say this out loud, choosing instead to ask why they are heading to the courts. "We didn't bring any rackets," he points out.
She gives him a funny look. "We're not going to play," she says. He waits for her to explain but she just looks ahead and continues walking. It's strange, walking with Tomo when she's quiet; Horio isn't sure he likes it.
When they get to the main gates, Tomo stops. Horio opens his mouth to say that they should go - he isn't sure if they are technically allowed to be there on a weekend. He stays quiet it when he sees the look on Tomo's face.
The same determination is in her eyes that he'd seen twice before, except now it's soft, almost thoughtful. He feels partly mesmerised by it, wondering if he's hallucinating. "Um. Tomo-chan...?"
"What do you feel when you play tennis?" she asks him, eyes still focused on the court.
"What do I feel?" he repeats blankly.
"Yes, what do you feel," Tomo says, her voice a little rougher.
"Uh..." says Horio, trying to think. He doesn't want her hitting him for saying the wrong answer. "I feel...sweaty?"
She tears her eyes away from the courts to give him a look.
He takes a step back.
Sighing, Tomo lifts her hand to the green gates, gripping them tightly. "When I play, I feel like there's nothing but tennis," she says quietly, a small smile on her face. "I like that feeling a lot." I bet Ryoma-sama did too, she adds silently.
Horio doesn't know what to say. He looks at her for a few minutes, then takes two steps closer. The back of his hand is touching hers as they watch the sun set over the green and white ground.
*
"I'm really sorry about canceling," says Sakuno on Monday, sounding miserable. "I couldn't get out of the potluck my grandmother held."
"That's okay," says Tomo cheerfully. "I went with Horio."
"...Horio?" blinks Sakuno. She wonders if she should ask; her grandmother's encouragement to speak up surfaces in her mind and she opens her mouth. "Is he your boyfriend now?"
"He's not my boyfriend," says Tomo dismissively, looking away. "He's just...Horio."
"Oh."
*
Tomo starts dragging him along to plays, ice shows, and even two concerts. He goes along, never really sure what he's doing there, though Katsuo's taunts and Kachirou's knowing looks are getting harder to ignore. These feel suspiciously like dates and Horio isn't sure how to get out of them.
He wonders if it says anything that he almost doesn't want to.
*
He doesn't realise until third year that he's never sat on Tomo's bed. He's always been designated to a chair or to the orange-coloured bean bag that is falling apart in the corner of her room. The first time he notices this is when she pulls him down onto it to look at a photo album with her.
The pictures are old, mostly from first year. Half of them are of people he's seen in class but doesn't really know, but the bigger half are of the Seigaku tennis team. Most of them are of Ryoma, hat pulled low over his eyes. Some of them are of Sakuno and Tomo, smiling or hugging. None of them are of Horio - except one, where he is standing behind Ryoma, his face contorted into a look of surprise.
The second photo album she shows him has more recent pictures. Ryoma is only three of these; Horio is in five and he smiles smugly even if he's not sure why it matters. He looks at Tomo when she points out her favourite pictures, his chest feeling weirdly tight when she points to one of him.
"You would look better if your hair didn't have that weird angle to it," she says before flipping to the next page.
*
No one comments when he stops styling his hair to the right.
Not even Tomo.
*
Horio is pretty sure you're not supposed to lie down in girls' beds but Tomo's covers are really soft and warm and in the winter his feet are almost always cold. He burrows beneath it, face growing hot when he feels her legs so close to his own. They're watching Titanic for the thirty-second time and Horio can mouth along with the lines now, though Tomo hits him if he does, yelling at him not to ruin it for her (as if the ending is going to be some sort of surprise).
Tomo is usually the one under the covers or sitting up with a smaller blanket across her legs while Horio sits awkwardly at the edge of the bed, missing the comfort and space of the bean bag. Tomo's nicer to him now, in relative terms - she still hits him when he says something she doesn't like, but she doesn't yell as much and she's started sometimes bringing parts of her lunch to school that she knows he likes, handing them to him before she heads off to eat with Sakuno.
"That's the kind of love I want," says Tomo, her voice dreamy as she points to the screen.
"Isn't he too old for you?" asks Horio.
Tomo kicks him under the covers. "Shut up."
*
When the movie is over, Tomo clicks off the television. Horio feels suddenly awkward and he brings the covers up higher, only his eyes showing when she looks at him. Her face looks a little flushed but her eyes are scarily focused. Her hands cover his and she pulls back the covers until they rest at Horio's chin; then she leans down and Horio's eyes go wide.
Tomo's lips are soft and glossy and they feel awkward against his own. Before he had time to adjust to it she pulls back, studying him.
"I think you're my boyfriend," she states plainly.
"Wh-wh-what?" asks Horio. He doesn't remember asking her out; he can't tell if that's what she's doing now.
Tomo sighs and sits up against the headboard, drawing her knees towards her. Horio looks at her until she looks back at him, which is the moment he realises his fingers are much too fascinating to look away from; especially if it's to look up at Tomo, who is wearing a v-neck top that shows more than he knows he should be looking at when she bends over.
She doesn't say anything for some time and finally Horio looks. Her eyes look strangely glassy, like they do when she watches sappy love stories on TV or at the movies.
For some reason, it hurts to see her cry. Even if it's just a little bit.
He sits up, legs stretched out before him. Tomo's hands are wrapped around her knees; he places one hand on her elbow and she sniffs.
There are a lot of words Horio knows. His vocabulary has grown as he's paid more attention to school, even earning some of the top grades in his literature class. Yet at that moment, the only word that seems to exist in his mind, or even in the world, is "Okay."
"What?" Tomo asks him.
"Okay?" he repeats, feeling unsure.
Her brow furrows. "You mean..."
He nods. "Okay," he says emphatically.
"Stop saying 'okay,'" growls Tomo.
"Okay," says Horio.
He expects to be hit but this time Tomo kisses him. Her lips aren't as soft but the kiss is much better; still awkward but warmer when he gasps at her hand on his knee, mouth open just enough for her tongue to slide in. He's never kissed like this before and he can taste Tomo's lip gloss, like oil and fruits and it's not the best taste but he finds he still likes it, likes it a lot and tries to taste more, to lick against her tongue and lips, moaning a little when she bites down into his mouth, nibbling at his bottom lip for a few seconds before pulling back.
Horio looks at her for a little bit, his breathing uneven, his chest beating hard under Tomo's palm, which sits above it. "Can we do that again?" he asks, trying to ignore the blush that creeps through his cheeks.
Tomo giggles a little. "Okay."
*
When Tomo and Horio kiss tentatively during lunch, Sakuno waits, unable to say anything. It isn't until Horio is out of earshot that she places one hand on Tomo's wrist, stopping her. Tomo blinks in confusion.
"Are you sure Horio's not your boyfriend?" she asks, vowing this will be the last time she does so.
"Of course he is," says Tomo, giving her a weird look. "What took you so long to catch on? You're so slow sometimes, Sakuno."
Sakuno watches Tomo walk away, wondering if she's just hearing things or if Tomo is actually humming the theme to Titanic.