Disclaimer: I own very little.

Spin the Bottle

"When is this rain going to let up?" Eiji whined. "We can't go out and there's nothing to do in here!"

"It'll still be another half an hour," Inui replied. "We'd better just wait."

"Oh, great." Eiji flopped himself down on the floor like most of the other regulars had already done, leaning against Oishi. "So we're stuck here with nothing to do, eh? What's the fun in visiting Ochibi if we can't even abuse his private tennis court?"

"You could have not visited me at all," Echizen mumbled, only to be completely ignored. Of course he wanted his team mates to visit him when he was sick. And of course his team mates wanted to visit him, too, especially as the only other option was to be bugged by Eiji until they agreed. As the only one who could bear extended Eiji-bugging was Oishi, who was also the one most worried about their youngest member, everybody was present.

"Well," Fuji suggested with a smirk, "we could always play Spin the Bottle."

"Isn't that a girls' game?" Momo protested. "I won't play anything like that, I won't!"

"Why would it be a girls' game?" Fuji asked, appearing confused. "Eiji and I have played it countless times. You just sit in a circle, spin the bottle, and whoever it points at has to either answer a question or complete a dare the others assign to them. I don't see what's so girly about that."

"Oh, nooo!" Eiji protested. "Fuji always comes up with weird dares like 'kiss the one sitting on your right side' and such! Momo-chan is on my right side and I don't want to kiss him!"

"Well, the possibilities of a dare are quite limited in our current situation," Oishi tried to calm them. "How about we simply play Truth? If the bottle lands on you, you have to answer whichever question the others choose to ask from you?"

"No way," Echizen sighed. "I can only imagine the kind of questions senpai-tachi would come up with."

"Well, how about just yes-and-no? If the question is something you can't answer with 'Yes' or 'No', you don't have to answer at all if you don't want to."

After a moment the others all agreed to this idea. Just as they had found an empty water bottle in Fuji's bag, however, Inui chose to draw his own water bottle as well.

"I made this last night," he said ominously. "Inui's Super Truth Juice. Anybody who does not answer a yes-or-no question or is caught lying will have to drink this."

"Well," Fuji said, the others apparently too terrified – or, in some cases, too indifferent – to speak, "it seems this will be a game of absolute truth, then..."

After settling a few more details, they finally got to start, all sitting in a circle around the bottle which Fuji set spinning. Everybody watched more or less intently as the spinning bottle slowed down bit by bit, finally stopping to point at one of them.

"It's Kaidoh!" Eiji sang cheerfully. "So, do you like somebody, Kaoru-chan? Come on, tell us!" he pleaded, bouncing.

As was to be expected, the only response they got was an annoyed hiss. However, the blush that spread over his cheeks spoke volumes about the answer.

Inui's glasses glinted. "There is a 83 chance Kaidoh indeed likes somebody," he announced while rapidly writing in his notebook. "The other 17 chance is that he is simply embarrassed by the question, but his expression is a tad too closed to give that any higher chance."

"I guess Inui would know, wouldn't he?" Fuji asked, smiling. "Too bad we can't simply ask who it is."

"Too bad indeed." Inui adjusted his glasses. "We shall just try to guess, I suppose." His expression was quite a bit more interested than it had been before.

"Shut up, senpai," Kaidoh hissed. "Spin the damn bottle!"

"My, my, Kaidoh. Such language," Fuji chuckled. He reached out to spin the bottle only to have his hand swatted away by Eiji before he could touch it.

"No, no, no, we can't have that," Eiji said with a grin. "Someone like Fuji could easily spin the bottle whichever way he wanted, with his spin control!"

"That's a good point, Eiji-senpai, a very good point indeed," Momo said, grinning as well. "But you can't spin it either. You could stop it too fast for us to see, and you cna't do that. You just can't."

"Unfair!" Eiji exclaimed. "I'm not that fast, Momo!"

"Now, now, let's stop," Oishi hastened to calm them. "I'll spin the bottle, okay? Do you trust me to do it?"

Nobody saw anything wrong with Oishi spinning. Actually, as Fuji pointed out, he and Taka-san were probably the only ones who absolutely wouldn't cheat in any way. Several protests were voiced at this, everybody proclaiming their trustworthiness. Nevertheless, Oishi was the one who spun the bottle in the end.

As the bottle slowed down and finally stopped, they all stared at it. Then they turned to look at the unfortunate one whom the Bottle of Doom had chosen to point at.

Kaidoh's eyes were very wide. Now his hiss was more one of agitation than annoyanec as he awaited the question.

"So. Does the one you like play tennis?" Fuji enquired. Others nodded in agreement, Inui most eagerly.

"Fsshhh." Kaidoh closed his eyes as though to escape their intent gazes. Everybody glanced at Inui, who nodded, confirming that the answer was most likely yes.

"Yay! Then we can all approve of Kaidoh's love, right?" Eiji rejoiced. "Spin it again, Oishi! I want to know more!"

Oishi obediently spun the bottle, apparently not minding the fact Eiji was currently hanging all over him like some kind of a deformed ivy. Everyone's eyes turned from Kaidoh to the bottle, waiting.

Kaidoh's hiss was most definitely one of relief this time as the bottle did not point at him again. Eiji, however, seemed slightly confused as though he couldn't comprehend the fact he had got chosen.

"Oh, Eiji-senpai!" Momo cackled. "We must think of something good to ask you, we simply must!"

"Actually, I have a question for Eiji, although it's not a yes-or-no one." Everyone turned to look at Inui. "Despite my best efforts I have not managed to gain satisfactory data on this particular subject. Could you tell me, Eiji, exactly how long have you and Oishi been dating?"

"Whaat?" Momo was not the only one who seemed shocked at the question. Even Echizen's eyes widened before he tugged his cap down to conceal his expression.

Eiji, on the other hand, didn't seem as much shocked as he was thoughtful. "Well... I think it was some time after last year's Nationals that we started going out together. Right, Oishi?" He turned to his doubles partner for further confirmation, trusting him as always.

"Some time then, yes," Oishi admitted. "So it's been almost a year, huh? Time does fly." He chuckled a bit. "I guess it'll be our first anniversary soon, then."

"Nyaa, that's right!" Eiji exclaimed, clinging even tighter to his Oishi. "Anniversary coming up; we have to do something extra nice then!"

It wasn't until now that the happy couple noticed the others' shock. Oishi blinked. "Hey guys, why those faces?" he asked, getting a bit nervous. "Don't tell me – don't tell me you didn't know?"

"How could we have known?" Echizen asked dryly. "It's not like you've told us or anything."

"Nya, Momo looks mean," Eiji whined, staring at the spikyhaired second year. "Kaidoh, too. Are you mad at us or something, Momo-chan, Kaoru-chan?" He seemed actually terrified at the prospect of being hated by the two.

"Mad? Damn right we're mad!" Momo exclaimed. "We've been betting since Christmas just when you will get together! You could have saved us from at least a dozen fights if you'd been a bit more open! That's not nice to your kouhais, that's not nice at all!"

"Fshh," said Kaidoh, apparently agreeing with his rival for once. "What the Hell is your problem anyway?"

"Well, it seems you are accepted at least, Eiji, Oishi," Fuji said calmly. "Although I'm a bit disappointed you didn't tell even me, Eiji. Am I not your best friend?" His eyes opened threateningly.

"But Fujiko, I thought you knew!" Eiji protested. "You always know everything anyway!"

"Well, you are forgiven." The eyes were closed again, and Fuji's smile became the usual pleasant one instead of threatening. "Do spin the bottle, then, Oishi!"

A few seconds later, a hiss broke the silence.

"...That bottle has a grudge against me," Kaidoh growled in obvious annoyance.

"Maybe it's haunted!" Momo laughed. "Watch out, Mamushi, or the bottle's ghost will get you!"

"Don't call me that!" Kaidoh growled, his anger making most of the others miss the wary look he gave the bottle when Momo's eyes were elsewhere.

"Now, now, it's question time again," Fuji tried to calm them. "The one you like, Kaidoh, do they have black hair?"

"Not that kind of question, Fuji!" Eiji protested. "Why don't you just ask who it is? I want to know! Inui's question wasn't yes-or-no, either!"

"You didn't necessarily have to answer," Inui reminded him while furiously scribbling something in his notebook. "If, however, we were to ask Kaidoh a direct question, there is a 97,8 chance he wouldn't answer." He looked at the bandana-clad boy. "Well, Kaidoh?"

Kaidoh was careful not to look at anyone. "Yes," he muttered."

"Yay!" Eiji exclaimed. "Now, who do we know who have black hair and play tennis? Does Tachibana count anymore?"

"I think not," Taka-san said hesitantly. "But there's Kirihara-san, right? And Aoi-san, too..."

"That's right, that's right!" Momo said excitedly. "And Sanada-san and Kabaji, too!" Suddenly he looked horrified. "Please, tell me it's not Kabaji you like..."

"Don't be an idiot," Kaidoh spat. "You probably like him yourself, to be so concerned!" There was a very obvious blush spread over his face.

"Mizuki-san comes to mind," Fuji mused. "Actually I can think of quite a few black-haired tennis players, but very few of them seem worthwhile enough to catch Kaidoh's interest. Of course, there's also Momo and Inui –"

"And Oishi!" Eiji interrupted. "It's not Oishi, is it? You can't, Kaidoh! Oishi is mine and mine only!" He clung to the rather embarrassed Oishi even tighter.

Kaidoh didn't answer. Instead, he hid his face in his knees with a rather desperate-sounding groan.

"Now, let's just spin the bottle again," Taka-san suggested. "You'll trust me to do it, won't you?"

"You've been awfully quiet, Tezuka," Fuji pointed out as they watched the spinning bottle. "Any particular reason? Are our games too childish for the captain?"

"It's not that," Tezuka replied. "There is simply no need for me to say anything, given how much you talk."

Kaidoh was getting rather pale now, glaring warily at the bottle. Inui smirked. "Interesting. The chance that the bottle would land on Kaidoh four times out of five is merely 0.54. Maybe it is indeed possessed?"

"Maybe it just wants to make me happy, nyaa!" Eiji giggled. "Is it a third-year, Kaidoh?"

Momo's sigh of relief almost drowned Kaidoh's grumbled affirmation. The two then glared at each other.

Inui examined his notebook. "According to his data and what I know of Kaidoh's tastes, there is a 43 chance it is Sanada," he told the others. "Too bad there is a 99 chance he is too much in love with his captain to notice anybody else. There is a 6 chance altogether for various other people, a zero for Oishi so do not worry, Eiji, and..." He trailed off, staring at his notebook as though not believing his own calculations.

"What is it, Inui?" Fuji leant closer to take a look. A smile spread over his face. "Oooh, a 51 chance for –"

"Nothing," Inui interrupted, closing the notebook with a snap. "There is no chance for anything, Fuji."

"But if we assume Mamushi's not stupid enough to like Mrs. Yukimura," Momo said, "and ignore any random black-haired third year tennis players, those even Mamushi wouldn't like, and Oishi-senpai... There is still one quite good choice left, isn't there?"

"Nya, yes there is!" Eiji realized. "So that's why Inui won't show his data to us! It's him Kaidoh likes, nya!"

"Well, Mamushi? Is it Inui-senpai?" Momo asked. "Come on, tell us. It's not like we will laugh at you."

"Actually," Inui said with a voice that was far from his usual calmness, "there is a 78 chance Momoshiro and Kikumaru –"

"Yes, yes," Fuji interrupted. "Now, the rest of us will leave the room while you talk. When we come back, you'd better have figured out who likes whom, okay?" With that, he herded the rest of the team out of the room.

Inui looked at Kaidoh. Kaidoh didn't look at Inui. For a long while, there was a very awkward silence.

Finally, Inui cleared his throat. "So, Kaidoh," he said hesitantly, "is it Sanada, me, or somebody else you like?"

"Don't be an idiot, senpai," Kaidoh mumbled. His words were a bit unclear due to the fact he had again hid his face in his knees, his arms wrapped around his legs. "There isn't anybody nowadays in the junior high tennis world who doesn't know Sanada and Yukimura are as good as married."

"That only partly answers my question."

Again, there was silence. As Kaidoh didn't seem about to answer, Inui finally set aside his notebook, shuffling closer to the younger boy. A hand set on Kaidoh's shoulder brought the expected response; the bandana-clad boy looked up. His mind made up, Inui left himself no chance for cowardice, setting a hand under Kaidoh's chin to keep him from lowering his face again. Leaning forward, he placed a light kiss on his doubles partner's lips.

As the kiss ended, Kaidoh stared at the data player, stunned. After watching his expression for a moment, Inui turned his face away.

"I'm sorry, Kaidoh," he muttered. "Even with my data, I shouldn't have asumed... I just thought..." Now it was his turn to lower his head. "I just thought you liked me as well," he said barely audibly.

Another silence took over. Then, suddenly, it was broken by a soft voice. "The chances of senpai being an idiot," Kaidoh said, "are 100." Just as Inui was about to speak, "If you didn't always trust your data, you wouldn't be the Inui-senpai I like."

"You mean..." Inui looked up, not daring to hope.

"Fshuuu." There was still a blush on Kaidoh's face. "I like you, idiot senpai. Is that clear enough data for you?"

"It's... adequate." Inui smiled brilliantly. Then, he adjusted his glasses. "You are aware, aren't you, that there is a 96 chance the others – with the exception of Tezuka, 87 chance, and Echizen, 53 chance – are currently listening behind the door?"

"Not about the exact figures, but yeah, I knew." A smile touched Kaidoh's lips. "What's the chance of Eiji-senpai currently bouncing up and down?"

Inui smirked. "What do you think?"

Kaidoh thought for a second. "If I kiss you now... 100."

"I like the way you handle data, Kaidoh."