Unique

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The faint light broke through the window, highlighting a few things in the room.

Fuji looked up at it with his blue eyes. It was about six in the morning and he was wide awake. He glanced at his lover resting in his arms. Ryoma was still sleeping, and probably would be for a long time. He learned Ryoma slept in as often as possible, which explained why he was always late for early morning tennis practice. (I swear! I was helping a woman in labor get to the hospital!)

Fuji smiled his signature smile as he watched Ryoma's sleeping face. He actually looked like a child, for once. When he played tennis, you would have never guessed he was only twelve. He never acted it. He was so mature it shocked him sometimes.

The light should have made Ryoma's skin darker, from being out in the sun so much, but it only seemed to get paler. His pale skin seemed to make his lips and eyelashes darker, while his hair remained jet black with its own unique green tinge. His large, beautiful golden eyes were hidden behind heavily closed lids, and Fuji wanted it to stay that way until Ryoma felt the need to awake.

A rare smile graced Ryoma's lips, which caused Fuji to wonder what it was his boyfriend was dreaming about. Ponta(Fanta), Karupin, tennis? Few things could get Ryoma to smile.

Fuji was proud to say he was one of them. He could even get Ryoma to blush, something that only happened when he was seriously embarrassed, tired, or overwhelmed. He could get Ryoma to smile at the end of a seriously painful practice which will leave people unable to even quirk their mouths up. So, he would smile and whisper soothing words in the younger boy's ear until they were, as Oishi put it 'the only couple that could smile after living through hell.'

He was also proud to say that Ryoma was his and his only. He shares things with anybody, especially Ryoma, but when it came to his lover, he hates sharing.

With his lover, he got overprotective. When Ryoma, Eiji, and Momo would go out to eat (Eiji's treat of course!), he would smile and tell Eiji and Momo, when Ryoma was distracted, to watch out for the child. Trouble always found him, even Ryoma couldn't deny that.

Eiji would laugh it off and say, "Don't worry, Fuji-sempai. Ochibi is perfectly safe with us." while Momoshiro would remark, "I'll watch after him, though I can't guarantee I won't strangle him if he makes fun of my hair again."

He wasn't sure whether he would admit it out loud or not, but he was constantly thinking about or worrying about Ryoma. He was scared as hell when he had cut his eyelid from his broken racquet when he had played a match against Mizuki. Everybody was. Tezuka was as well, of course. But only Fuji himself knew him well enough to understand it.

The truth was, Ryoma had not only become Seigaku's Pillar of Support, he had also become the heart of the team. The baby of the team, if you looked at it another way. He was the smallest, and that made him constantly at risk of getting hurt more than everybody else.

And if anybody else had seen Ryoma when he slept, Fuji mused, it would just be more of a reason to adore him.

Ryoma's face suddenly contorted into a mask of pain.

Fuji's eyes widened and he pulled Ryoma close to his chest, resting his chin on the boy's head.

"No, no, no." Ryoma mumbled. He began to shiver.

Fuji put one hand on the back of Ryoma's head and wrapped the other around his petite waist.

"Shhh. It's okay, it's okay. I'm here Ryoma." He murmured soothingly into the boy's hair.

"I can't…I can't. Please, I can't…"

Fuji didn't know what he was dreaming about, but it was obvious the good dream had ended and he was having a nightmare.

"Yes, you can." he wanted Ryoma would have a happy dream again.

"I can't…it's too hard…"

"What's too hard?"

"I'm trying, please…" He should have known he wouldn't get an answer. He was still sleeping.

"Shhh. Its okay." he began to rock him back and forth, in hope of calming his lover down.

"I can't beat him…the Nationals are too hard, I can't…" He was dreaming about losing the Nationals? Why would he-

Oh.

He was pressured. By everyone. Now that Fuji thought about it, people looked up to Ryoma as a way for Seigaku to win. That was too much pressure for him to handle. He was only twelve years old for gods sake.

"Don't worry, love. You don't have to do anything alone." Fuji whispered to the now peaceful Ryoma.

And he wouldn't. Fuji would be there for him through thick and thin. He would stand beside him and protect him from behind.

Ryoma smiled again.

So did Fuji.