Disclaimer: not mine
Warning: short chapter, unbeta-ed version
Chapter 7
Momoshiro noticed how the strange tension that had hovered around the captain and Fuji had disappeared. Tezuka looked like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Fuji looked less murderous and more worried.
The dark haired dunk smash player wasn't sure if a worried Fuji-senpai was safer than an openly murderous one. If he wasn't as worried about Echizen as he was, he would rather keep his distance from the unpredictable tensai.
Still, when practice ended Momoshiro walked hurriedly up to the smaller player and asked: "Did you see Echizen? He was absent today."
"Echizen has a light fever and was told to stay in bed today by my mother." Fuji replied lightly, his eyes closed in their usual happy crinkles.
"He's ill? In that case I should ask his teacher for Echizen's homework."
"That's a good idea, Momo. I'll wait for you at the gate."
In his haste to do something that would help his young taciturn friend, Fuji's words didn't really register in the eager second year's mind. It was only when he returned to the gate that he remembered to ask Fuji: "Fuji-senpai, why is Echizen staying with you?"
"Tadaima." Fuji said as he entered his home.
"Welcome home, Syusuke. Your little friend is still sleeping, but I think his fever is going down." His mother answered from the kitchen. "Oh, I didn't know you had a guest. Welcome."
The violet eyed second year bowed and replied: "Thanks for having me, Fuji-san."
"This is Momoshiro, one of my kohai in the tennis club." Fuji introduced the younger boy. "He's a friend of Echizen and wanted to visit him."
"As long as you promise not to wake the poor dear up, I don't mind."
Fuji chuckled when Momoshiro showed the same signs of anxiety and unwillingness to enter his room. It was proof of the deep friendship Momoshiro felt for the freshman that he was willing to go home with Fuji. Perhaps such a reminder of the bonds Echizen shared with his team members would help him recover.
"Hey! What's Echizen doing lying in your bed and all?" Momoshiro exclaimed at the sight of the curled up form of Echizen on the only bed in the room.
Fuji was just as baffled at the sight as his guest but tried not to show it. "Saa."
"Don't tell me he's slept in your bed last night, too!" the younger boy grew excited, gesturing violently with his arms.
"Perhaps my mother thought it would be warmer for Echizen to sleep on the bed instead of on a futon on the floor."
The head of tousled green hair that looked out beneath the blankets just invited Fuji to run his hands through them. He wasn't sure how Momoshiro would take the display of affection though. The younger boy tended to be loud when he was excited or surprised and his mother had warned them not to wake the "poor little dear".
It was never a good idea to be the target of his mother's wrath. She tended to get a little vicious when her protective streak was involved.
"You can leave his homework on the desk. It doesn't look like he is going to wake up before dinner." He told Momoshiro.
Momoshiro did as he was told, then looked with serious violet eyes at his senpai and asked: "What's really going on, Fuji-senpai? What happened to Echizen?"
Fuji opened his eyes halfway, blue meeting violet. "I'm not really sure myself. He's going to stay here for the next two weeks, so I'll be able to try and help him. He seems to trust me; perhaps you should trust me for the time being, too."
He could see that the younger boy didn't like the answer. Still, what Echizen told him was confidential. If he wanted Momo to know he would tell him himself. Fuji would never do anything to endanger the trust Echizen put in him.
"I'm not going to break Echizen's trust by telling you his secrets, Momo." Fuji's voice held a clear warning and Momoshiro finally bowed his head in acquiesce.
"I'm just worried. He doesn't look good, Fuji-senpai."
"Come back tomorrow, Momo. I'm sure he would enjoy seeing you now and again."
Momoshiro's absence saw Fuji sitting next to the bed, combing with his fingers through fine, green hair.
He liked the look of serene contentment the action magicked onto Echizen's face.
"Get better soon, little one. Your friends miss you."
The depth of his feelings for the slender boy lying in his bed was frightening. Fuji felt the same possessiveness and protective instincts that bothered Yuuta so much. His heart clearly saw Echizen as another little brother, someone that Fuji would do anything to keep happy and content.
He watched amusedly as heavy eyelids fluttered in waking till open, hazy golden orbs stared at him.
"Good evening, little one." Fuji greeted his new room mate.
Those big eyes blinked once, twice and then closed again. "'M tired, go away."
Ryoma didn't want to leave that comforting warmth he had felt while sleeping. The pain and cold had stopped and he didn't want to feel them again.
"You're worse then Yuuta was as a toddler." Fuji said chuckling, the low timbre of his voice tempting Ryoma to go back to sleep.
"I'm not a toddler." Glaring indignantly up at his tormentor, Ryoma finally left his nest of blankets.
"Momoshiro was here, he left your homework on the desk." Fuji informed the other boy cheerfully.
"Momo-senpai was here? Why? I'm no longer a member of the tennis club."
Seeing that the younger boy was openly confused, Fuji remarked lightly: "Friendship doesn't care about occupation, little one. Momoshiro is very worried about you."
"I don't understand, Fuji-senpai. Why should he concern himself with me when I'm no longer of any use to him?"
Keeping the murderous feelings Ryoma's apparent confusion awakened in him from his eyes, Fuji manhandled the smaller boy till he was safely enclosed in his arms.
"I thought I told you to call me Syusuke? Momoshiro cherishes you as a person not as a tennis player. That's why he's so worried about you."
Tightening his hug, Fuji let Ryoma go again and informed him: "Dinner's going to be ready soon. Let's go downstairs and help my mother by setting the table."
TBC
