The next few weeks of practice seemed to go by quickly. Momo figured out how to keep himself from fainting. Fuji seemed to be getting better. Everything was a bit happier than before.

"Too bad about your disease........it must be hard on that poor kiddo...." Fuji commented as he served the ball to Momo. This struck a nerve.

"Shut up!!" he snapped as he hit the ball as hard as he could. It hit Fuji, right in the chest. He gasped and wheezed and held his chest.

"Cheap.......shot......." he choked out. He fell to the ground.

"Shusuke!" Tezuka ran to him as Oishi called the paramedics. He wasn't breathing. The buchou trembled, ever so slightly. He was pale. Momo stood silent, then backed away.

"No.......no....it was an accident....." he ran off the court. He didn't get far before he swayed and passed out. Thankfully, the paramedics had arrived. One tended to Momo, the others to Fuji.

While Momo was taken to the ambulance, the other medics were at Fuji's side. They tore off his shirt and performed CPR. Tezuka was calmly kneeling beside him. They finally got him breathing again. He sat up quickly and was suddenly in the tight embrace of his love. He felt hot moisture in his hair and running down his face.

"Kunimitsu.....?"

"Shhh.......it's nothing......" he whispered. His body shook and trembled against Fuji's.

"Okay........ano, are you crying?" He looked up at Tezuka's tear-streaked face. The buchou smiled weakly.

"You scared me........" He kissed Fuji's forehead and helped him to his feet. Fuji went to the hospital, just to be safe.

A few hours later, Ryoma walked up to his captain. "Where is Momo-senpai?"

"He went to the hospital. He fainted."

Ryoma's eyes widened, and his heart seemed to stutter. "Again.....? Momo...chan...." His face turned pale and he crumpled to the ground. Tezuka quickly picked him up. His skin was burning hot. He gave him carefully to Eiji.

"Take him to the hospital. He has a fever. It's pretty bad." Eiji nodded and ran to the hospital.

---

When Momo was released, he went back to the courts. He found Tezuka, packing up. "Buchou....?"

"Hm? Oh. Momoshiro. We need to talk. I saw the marks on Ryoma's neck. Momo, he's too young. It's wrong."

"But........but......he goes along with it! He loves me too!"

"You can't be together. It's just wrong for a young boy. It's unhealthy for him." Tezuka did not want to say these words, but he knew that he had to.

"Do.......do you always break hearts like this?!" Momo cried as he ran to the hospital. He found Ryoma's room in the Intensive Care Unit. He silently crept to the side of the bed. Ryoma's eyes opened slightly. His breathing was labored, and he was very pale.

"Mo...mo.....chan...." he whispered. He reached weakly for Momo's hand. Momo took it gently.

"Rest..." he said, a few more tears rolling down his face.

"Why.......crying....?"

Momo looked down. "It's nothing. Just something the captain said. Don't worry about it."

"Hai...." he nodded weakly as his father walked in.

"I'll leave you two alone...." Momo said, walking out of the room.

"Hey Ryoma!" His father walked to his side. "How you feeling, buddy?"

"Fine....."

Spotting the hickeys on his son's neck, Nanjiro commented, "Well, you wouldn't be so sick if you didn't spend so much time with your girlfriend."

"I don't.....have.......a girlfriend....."

"But the bite marks on your neck......"

"Just......a friend....."

"Huh. Must be a pretty good friend."

"Hai....he is..."

"He?!" he asked, horrified.

"Hai...."

"How old is he?!" He could not believe what he was hearing.

"A......a few years.....older...."

"Older?!?! I forbid you to see him again!!!" He then turned, and left.

Ryoma started to cry. He was slowly breaking. His fever increased dangerously.

"Momo...." he moaned weakly. His heart then stopped. The machine that he was hooked up to beeped loudly. Momo ran in, just in time to see the doctors trying to revive him.

"Ryoma!" He ran to his side. The machine began to beep steadily once again and the boy's eyes slowly opened. Momo sat on the bed and held him to his chest. Ryoma silently fell asleep against his love. Soon, Momo was asleep as well.