author's notes Hi everyone! Please enjoy this corner of the room. Because of the nature of this series, a collection of one-shots (some of which are interconnected), please go through every chapter and read the summaries. You don't even have to start with chapter 1, just pick whatever interest you and read on! I haven't seen a collection of Fuji/Eiji friendship fics and decided to remedy the situation. Hope you enjoy!

title: the sky to fill up
word count: 1,442
summary: It wasn't jealousy exactly, but more like a longing. Fuji reflects on the Kikumarus, his neighbors for as long as he could remember and their happy home, casting a dark shadow over the sibling rivalry between himself and Yuuta.


the sky to fill up

Sibling rivalry ripped my world apart. I can smile and take another slice of pie, watching Oka-san and Yumiko talking about her high school, Miyakouso Gakuen, the upcoming regional tournaments and how Migaku's volleyball team is currently ranked 4th in the country. ("Now I'm really glad that I didn't play tennis. It'll be too much, ne, Oka-san?"). I smile lightly, watching Yumiko braid and unbraid her hair, the bandages around her wrist clean like snow. Oka-san will smile quietly behind her hand, asking if I wanted more tea and perhaps Mozart or Bach will be playing softly from the stereo in the living room.

And then I'll look at the chair next to me, Yuuta's place carefully set with not a glass of tea, but a tall, sweating tumbler of milk (He said he wanted to get tall, taller, tallest in the family), chopsticks quietly resting against the edge of a big bowl of udon, tiny puffs of smoke circling the air.

If they see it, they pretend not to notice, though Yumiko saves a piece of pie, wrapping it carefully in plastic wrap. Sometimes Yuuta comes home, most often with that baka, Mizuki following, and eats alone, in front of the TV or in his room, loud music slamming against the wall that separates him from me.

Oka-san said it's because of influence, but I know better. Yuuta doesn't want to see me. It gets lonely, though I smile lightly and listen for the sounds of his footsteps, the greeting he forcefully calls out, filling my world with light
--

"Eiji?"
"-Eh? What's wrong, Fuji? I'm telling you a story! A story! So Oishi and I were just walking back from his house, and I was carrying the biggest watermelon that ever grew in Japan and then we saw Momo with Ann-chan again! AGAIN!"

"Eiji –"
"-Hoi, hoi! Yeah I know! Saying he's not dating her! I bet he won't because he's scared of Tachibana-senpai, nya!"

He tapped the edge of his pencil lightly against his desk, smiling at the shadow the lamp was making against the line of cactus that stood on his windowsill. Ruffling through his math textbook, he felt the door open slightly, the sudden whiff of his mom's perfume lightly scenting the room.

He cradled the phone between the nook of his shoulder and his cheek. Eiji's voice seemed to amplify in his ear, relentless energy even this late at night.

"I'll be scared too, nya! If he can fight as good as he plays tennis, Momo's got a lot to watch out for, ne, ne, Fuji?"

Silence.

Eiji banged the phone, once, twice, three times against the corner of his chair, sending his teddy bear falling from the seat. Swinging his arms high over his head, Eiji took a deep breath and flopped backwards on his bed, crinkling the array of papers underneath, knocking his math textbook onto the floor.

"SYUSUKE FUJI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Less then a second after the scream left Eiji's mouth, a vicious knock was heard against the wall, his older brother's voice booming. "Neko-chi!!!!! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!"

"Tomo! What did I tell you about yelling at your younger brother?"
"Oka-san! I have a soccer game tomorrow!"

"TOMO! Stop being such a baby!"
"I WASN'T TAKING TO YOU, WAS I? Eh, Yuki? Was I?"
"OKA-SAN, MAKE HIM STOP!"

"TOMO!"

"Oka-san, its Neko-chi's fault! He started screaming."
"Ne, he's lying, Oka-san, nya! He's lying!"
"NEKO-TOU! I WON'T TAKE YOU TO THE CONCERT IF YOU DON'T BE QUIET!"
"YUKI-ANISAN! Did you hear how mean he is, nya?"

"Stop it, Tomo! Ji-chan's studying!"

"HE'S LYING! NEKO-TOU NEVER STUDIES!"
"TOMO! BAKA! BAKA! BAKA, NYA!"

"TOMO! BAKA-NII! WHO HAS AN ENGLISH TEST TOMORROW?"
"ANIKI! Tomo-nii's yelling at me!"
"TOGA! Go on, tell Neko-chi to be quiet!'
"BOTH OF YOU RIGHT NOW -"

"Stop picking on Eiji-chan!"
"YES! YES! TELL THEM CHI-SAN! HOI HOI!"
"He's playing a sport too, you know -"
"And he's studying hard, unlike you two!"
"YEAH! BAKA! BAKA! My oneesans are the best! NUMBER ONE, NYA!"

"Yuki! Toga! Chihiro! Tomo! I HAVE WORK TOMORROW!"

"Gomen, Otou-san."

His laughter streamed quietly from the phone, continuing to fill Eiji's room with peals of melodic laughter as Eiji slumped against the door of his room. With one hand, Eiji rubbed at the corner of his left eye, opening his mouth to yawn widely.

"Fuji! Thought you hung up on me, nya."
"No. I was wishing my Oka-san good-night."

"Stop laughing already."
"Neko-chi, eh?"

"I SAID STOP –"

"EIJI-CHAN!" With just a bit more anger, his father's voice rang through the quiet house, making Eiji's shoulders flinch. He jumped up from the floor, picking up his teddy bear with his free hand.

"So, Neko-chi, what did you get for problem 45?"
"EH!?! We had to go up to number 45!?!"
--

My house in the morning light gleams, the light blue roof the same color as the sky. It's tranquil, serene. Oka-san likes to take morning walks, usually walking Yumiko to school, holding a paper umbrella high over their heads so the sun won't burden Oka-san's already weak eyes. I watch them, two heads bowed under that bright red umbrella, for as long as I can, holding onto the strap of my tennis bag with one hand, my bento box with the other.

I tap my shoes once against the threshold of the house, a custom my otou-san said will warn off bad luck before putting them on my feet and close the gate quietly behind me. I hum a song, or think about the English passage I have to recite today while I wait.

Every day it's the same. Tomojiro on his bike, waving his arms and screaming about something relating to soccer or his girlfriend, Hikari, Togashi following, riding the bike with one hand, the other holding up a bento box. And Eiji would be running, running and laughing and pulling at the wrist of Chihiro, telling her to hurry up. It's a mess of laughter, of big voices booming in the air. At the corner, Tomo and Toga wave, shouting good luck and thank you ("Thank you for watching over my otouto."), Chihiro will ask me about Yumiko ("Has Yumi-chan left? NO! I'll be late for practice, again!") and with one last ruffle of his hair, they'll leave, separating to different streets, headed for their separate high schools.

And Eiji will stand there, grinning, holding onto the bento box Toga threw at him and already eating the candy Tomo tossed in passing, and my heart yearns.

I want a family filled with energy and joy. Too much tranquility and too much silence breaks my heart. If I tried to ruffle Yuuta's hair, he'll snap his head back, barking at me to back off. I want so badly what Eiji takes for granted.

He'll never know though, eagerly complaining about homework and how practice will never end, how Tomo's a big idiot and everyone was plotting to eat up all his snacks for being too loud. With a smile, he'll hold up his open palm, revealing the second piece of candy Tomo threw to him, the one he gives to me every morning as we walk to school, sometimes just the two of us, sometimes meeting Kaidoh and Oishi along the way.

Each morning, the candy's so sweet, I think they're stars, falling from the sky to fill up the Kikumaru home with even more light. I try hard not to look too closely at the jewel-colored wrapper just in case I'm wrong.
--

"Ne, Fuji. Three packets of Pocky, two cans of Pocari Sweat, a bag of shrimp chips and a chocolate bread!! How's that, nya? Who's generous? Me, I know! Hoi, hoi!"
"Absolutely not."

"FUJI!!!!!!!!"
"You can't look at my homework –"

"But, Fuji --!!"

"Kikumaru-kun."
"Yes, Sensei?"

"Please come up to the board. Problem 45."
"Yes…."

"Good luck, Neko-chi!"
--

He falls asleep on my shoulder on the way back from practice. We're usually so tired, we take the bus back home. I watch him sleep, remembering the days Yuuta slept so carelessly against me, forgetting for the moment that everyone calls me a genius, a prodigy. I am just Syusuke, his older brother.

Eiji wakes up the second time I push against his shoulder.

"Ne, Toga-nii?"

He blushes furiously, bowing his head again and again. He doesn't have to apologize. I should thank him. And I do, the best way I know how.

"Eiji, come inside for a moment, will you? Yumiko made a pie last night that we couldn't finish –"
"And it's all for me, ne, ne, Fuji?"

"Of course."
--

author's notes 2: So my brother joined his high school's tennis team last spring and was instantly put as a starter on the varisty squad. Which basically means he has more athletic ability then I have (It took me three years to become a part of the varisty team!) he introduced me to prince of tennis and boom..brand new obsession born. I always liked the fact that Eiji and Fuji were often stated as being very good friends and thought I'll create a series of one-shots to expand on that friendship. I guess you can read it as implied shouen-ai, that doesn't bother me. But for the record, I don't really support Eiji/Fuji pairing, or have an intention on making this series into a balant shouen-ai. Please continue reading though. It was fun, thinking up the possible interactions Eiji can have with his older siblings.

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