Eiji was entertaining their underclassmen by the gate while Fuji stood at the baseline of a court. He was supposed to be practicing his Tsubame Gaeshi. He looked at Kaidoh who was dutifully running laps. The cerulean eyed beauty smiled faintly as his gaze fell on a certain tall, glasses wearing captain. But he was not the only one enjoying the view. Ryoma was also staring avidly at their captain. I'll teach you to steal my Tezuka away, Fuji thought vengefully.

He nodded to Kawamura who faced him opposite the course, feeding him balls. He laughed lowly as he spun, arms out stretched. Then…Fuji's grip on the racket loosened and it was suddenly whirling with uncanny precision at Ryoma's capped head.

"Feeling guilty?" Tezuka's voice interrupted Fuji's thoughts.

Fuji thought about throwing the question "About what are you referring?" but he decided against it. Instead, Fuji smiled at him. "What makes you say that?"

"The fact that you're still here," Tezuka replied easily.

"Ah." Fuji swung his legs back and forth. "I suppose I may have been a little rash."

"I want to know why."

"So now you care." Tezuka was silent. Fuji sighed but Tezuka decided to make his intentions clear.

"Fuji, you told me we weren't working."

"But I never said I wanted to break up," Fuji retorted. There was a fine distinction.

"Fine, you want to be with me then?"

Yes. Fuji wanted so badly to just say it. But that would be admitting that he still liked Tezuka. And he couldn't do that. He didn't want it to seem like he was crawling back to Tezuka. He swallowed down the longing. "As if."

"Are you jealous?"

Fuji shot him a look of utmost incredulity. "Of Ryoma? You two aren't even dating," Fuji scoffed. Then a fear took hold of his gut and he added hesitantly. "Are you?"

"We aren't."

"Does he not want you?" Fuji was dying to know. His thoughts were racing. He thought Ryoma was in love with Tezuka but…

"I'm thinking of the team. Everyone on the team knows that we split."

Fuji waited for him to shed some more light on the conversation.

"Let's try it again, Fuji."

Hold the phone. Fuji blinked. "What? You love me?" He'd dreamed of Tezuka always saying this forever that it seemed almost too good to be true. He and Tezuka belonged to each other. They were destined to be together. Both outstanding tennis players, both smart and beautiful. They both knew what it was like to be admired, envied, loved.

The time he and Tezuka had been together, Fuji had been happy, drunk on love. Fuji said "I love you" at least once a day and Tezuka said it sometimes. And the shy blush creeping over his cheeks always made Fuji want to push him into the bedroom. It made Fuji smile at the memories, but he wasn't now.

Something wasn't right. He should have been elated, but he wasn't. And by the looks of it, neither was Tezuka.

"I don't want the team to be any more divided," Tezuka clarified.

"Momo and Kaidoh aren't that bad," Fuji murmured. But he understood. The team was divided. On Tezuka's side was Oishi, Inui, Kaidoh, and of course, Echizen. Fuji's side consisted of Eiji, Momoshiro and Kawamura.

"So we should be together for the good of the team?" That's what it sounded like to Fuji.

It wasn't what he wanted. Not at all.

"I'll have to decline," Fuji said smoothly. He ignored his anger, his pain. That Tezuka could even propose such an idea…It made him want to gnash his teeth together, to snarl. But he didn't. Even with Tezuka, he had to show perfect restraint.

"It's just that…" What would bother Tezuka? What would shake his perfect little world?

Fuji let his eyes open, fluttering slightly. Twin chips of ice as he announced with a smirk gracing his not too thin lips, "I've fallen for Ryoma."