Notes: The idea for this fic came to me when I was doodling over an Inui/Kaidou drawing.

This fic contains shounen ai(male/male love), and quite possibly yaoi(male/male relationships), a fair amount of violence scattered here and there. Proceed at your own risk. Also, I'd like to point out that the characters might be OOC, given that I haven't read much of the manga; I've only seen the anime.

This fic is specially dedicated to my new friend, SIB.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the series.

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Live to the End

Act 1:  First Step (Much to Kaidou's dismay...)

Spring had just begun. The cherry blossoms were blooming in their finest on the trees all around Seigaku's training center. It was truly a sight for sore eyes. At least for Eiji Kikumaru. He breathed a contented sigh at the pure bliss of the cool refreshing wind, his back against the soft grass, resting comfortably under a tree.

This is pure heaven..., he thought inwardly, just before a tennis ball landed right on his face and onto the ground. "Itee!" Kikumaru abruptly opened his eyes and sat up, rubbing his nose, which was turning slightly red at where the ball had hit him. "Who the heck did that?!"

A piercing chortle followed, and Syuichiro Oishi emerged from behind the tree. "Got'cha there, huh?"

"Oishi! You!" Kikumaru stood up, waving his fist, which was clenched tight, in a threatening way.

The black-haired young man raised his hands in surrender, although a smile was still playing along his lips. "Hey, hey, Eiji. Cool down, will ya? It was just a joke."

Kikumaru snorted and folded his arms across his chest. "Don't you have anything better to do other than trying to flatten my face with a tennis ball?"

"The thought amuses me." laughed Oishi as he bent down to pick the ball up.

Letting his gaze wander around, Kikumaru inquired curiously, "Where are the rest?"

"Back in the hall. It's our break-time now, so I assume they're in the cafeteria or something." Oishi turned towards the hall. "You coming?"

Kikumaru shot him a mock frown, walking up beside his friend. "I would've been better off napping under the tree if you hadn't come and assaulted me."

"Assaulted you?" Oishi exclaimed, a tad hurt. "That's a harsh way to put it. You aren't in severe pain or anything, are you?"

"No, but I might as well be."

Oishi halted in his tracks and turned to face Kikumaru, who looked up at him questioningly. Leaning in to invade a bit of Kikumaru's private space, his gaze holding the other boy's, Oishi muttered, "You intrigue me. Especially when you've got that hots upon your shoulders."

Haaa? Kikumaru could only blink with unfeigned bewilderment at Oishi's odd statement. What on earth does he mean by that?

But before Kikumaru could comprehend what Oishi had just said, the other boy pulled back and added, "I'm gonna gobble up all the red bean buns there are in the cafeteria if you don't hurry!" before running off gleefully, knowing pretty well that Eiji loves red bean buns.

"Ah! Hey! Don't eat them all, you greedy thing!" Kikumaru shouted, dashing after him.

~ ~ ~

"More coffee?" a bright voice chirped.

Kunimitsu Tezuka averted his attention from the scenery of cherry blossom trees through the window to the voice. "Aa. Thanks."

Syusuke Fuji flashed one of his blindingly bright smiles and poured more of the bitter liquid into Tezuka's cup from a jug.

"But you know," Ryoma Echizen began, crossing his arms over the back of his head and leaning his full weight on the seat beside Momoshiro and Kawamura. "I'd never would've thought that Fuji would take a part-time job as a waiter in the cafeteria."

"Neither did I. Innnterrressstiiing, though~!" Takashi Kawamura grinned, scooping up some yogurt. "Well, with a smile like his, which cafeteria owner could decline his offer?"

"Hmm, true. Even that apron-like outfit kinda suits him." Takeshi Momoshiro agreed, watching Fuji proceed to refill the coffee jug. Tezuka merely sipped his coffee and said nothing.

All of a sudden, the door burst open and Oishi ran in with Kikumaru behind him, screaming incoherently. Oishi slowed down halfway to the counter, where the red bean buns were piled up in a tray, and let Kikumaru overtake him. Echizen, Momoshiro and Kawamura blinked wordlessly at the scene, wondering what the commotion was all about. Their eyes widened imperceptibly when Kikumaru started stuffing the buns into his mouth as if the last time he'd eaten was three days ago.

"What's up with you two?" Momoshiro asked when the 'Golden Pair' approached them; both breathing heavily from running so much.

"It was all Oishi's fault!" was all Kikumaru could manage out between pants as he gestured towards his partner.

"And he blames me," Oishi said. "Same old, same old."

"Kikumaru," Tezuka broke in, silencing both of them. "Our practise session is less than an hour away. Be prepared."

Kikumaru nodded obediently and sauntered off.

"Oishi," Tezuka said, sternly. "You're the vice-captain of the team. Behave."

"I'm sorry, Tezuka." apologized Oishi, before going off after Kikumaru.

"By the way," Momoshiro spoke up. "Where are Inui and Kaidou?"

Kawamura wiped his yogurt-stained mouth with a napkin before replying, "Ohhh~ I heard Kaidou's gone to his favourite place under the bridge to practise, and Inui's off to see him or somethin' like that."

"To give Kaidou his weird-tasting juice again?" Echizen guessed.

"I'm not sure," Kawamura admitted. "But it sure sounded important when I spoke to Inui just now."

~ ~ ~

The rays of orange light reflected from the sun in the darkened evening sky above illuminated the slightly-tanned skin of Kaidou's visage as he practised his "boomerang snake move" near the bridge. After a while, he stopped, his chest heaving, and settled down beside the river. His sharp ears caught the sound of footfalls approaching him, and involuntarily whirled his head around to see who it was.

There, standing less than a mile away, was Inui. "Hey," he greeted Kaidou with a casual wave of his hand. Kaidou stared evenly at him without a word for a brief moment. Then he got to his feet and faced the other man, muttering, "What do you want?" It was the second time Inui had met him near the bridge - and that fact disturbed him for a strange reason.

Inui stepped forward. "I came to tell ya somethin'." He thought he saw Kaidou's expression soften ever so slightly at that, but he could be wrong.

"What is it?"

"I know you'd be furious at me after I tell you what I'm goin' to now..." Inui began, slowly closing the distance between them.

"Why is that so?" Kaidou stood his ground, unflinching, as Inui came to a painfully close stop in front of him.

"Because... Because all this while, I'd been keeping this to myself and not telling anyone about it. And I have to get it off my chest."

Kaidou's eyes met his, and Inui held the gaze. It was hard to tell what Inui was thinking, for he had the sunglasses on.

"That doesn't answer the question, Inui. What is it?" Kaidou repeated, a bit slower this time, his tone calm and measured.

" . . . I . . . have a thing . . . for you . . . Kaidou."

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Notes: Arrgh. I've made Inui-senpai OOC. Feedbacks are highly appreciated, despite that. *runs off to hide*