Author's Note: This is part three of my mini-ficcie, 'Game Set Match' which is the sequel to 'The Ponta Connection'. Two words that best describe this part: 'cozy' and 'fluffy'. Read on!

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis is the original work of Konomi Takashi. Ochibi the cat (okay, so the name is not original) was a figment of my imagination, obviously a carbon copy (sort of) of my fave Karupin. Oh yeah, this fan fiction is mine.

MATCH n. To resemble or harmonize with.

It was a beautiful evening that day. The moon was a shiny orb in the sky and the stars were twinkling brightly. Ryoma has been following a solitary figure some respectable distance away, far enough so that he will not be detected. He knows how hard it is to follow this particular person so he took extra care to be as quiet as possible. And if that person will ever try to look behind his shoulder, a tree or two are conveniently near for him to hide himself.

It's a good thing though that Fuji seems to be very much absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't pay any attention to his surroundings. His steps were slow, his direction was automatic, and he would stop frequently to stare off into space. Ryoma thought that the tensai would stop at his parent's home but instead, he continued to walk another block away before going inside an apartment complex. Going nearer so he wouldn't lose sight of his sempai, Ryoma saw that he stopped outside an apartment door at the second floor of the building and was just reaching out to open it with the house keys.

'So this is where you live, Syuusuke.'

Fuji was startled to hear Ryoma's voice behind him. His thoughts have been occupied a lot by this man lately and he felt the need to put himself as far away from him as possible. His resolve these past few years have almost weakened especially when he saw him at the Sushi House tonight. And now he allowed himself to be followed home by him. This does not look good.

'I take it that you want to come inside?' He said, making his tone as light as possible to hide his rising panic.

'Of course.'

Fuji's apartment looks... homey. That is the only word that comes into Ryoma's mind. It's not because the inside was splashed with bright colors. On the contrary, everything in the room is dark, from the dark-brown leather couch, the dark mahogany tables and cabinets, the black-painted ceiling and walls, and down to the shiny black-tiled floors. Initially, you would think that the place looked cold and impersonal but then, the abundance of cacti plant around and various photos plastered on the walls (a definite Fuji-touch) have made this place warm and cozy. Fuji has put up some of the most unusual photos, most of which must have been his works. The tensai have turned out to be a very good photographer, according to Eiji-sempai. The largest frame at the center is a picture of Fuji during a tennis match. Other pictures include some cacti plants, a cat doing different activities, the sakura trees in bloom and an Eiji picture drinking up a can of ponta.

Turning back his attention to Fuji, Ryoma could sense that the tensai was somewhat discomfited in having him at his place. He sat beside Ryoma, offering him some tea, but refused to look him in the eye.

'It's been a long time, hasn't it, Syuusuke?' Ryoma said.

'Why, what are you talking about Ryoma?' Fuji queried, deliberately misunderstanding the younger man's question. His composure is slowly sapping away, the longer Ryoma stayed there. Better to cut short his time and send him on his way immediately.

'You know what I'm talking about, Fuji-sempai,' Ryoma teased. 'What I meant was it has been a long time since we last saw each other. So tell me, what have you been doing these days?'

Fuji looked at him incredulously. He knows that Eiji has been seeing Ryoma a lot on the tennis circuits and that means that he was receiving most of Eiji's stories. He knew that Ryoma couldn't get away from those. Okay, Fuji thought, I guess some information about me won't hurt.

'The usual, my photos and cacti plants, some tennis, and of course, the cat.' At this time, a large cat approached the pair and is now brushing against Ryoma's leg. It was fat and has fluffy-white fur with gray shadings on its face, tail and feet. Ryoma picked it up and placed it on his lap. The cat let out a satisfied purr when he scratched it behind the ears.

'Ochibi! Look at how big you've grown,' Ryoma said, referring to the cat. 'See, Syuusuke, I knew that he would look like Karupin once he grows older.'

And look how he feels at home in my house, Fuji thought. He is so excited, acting like a little kid, and is starting to call me by my first name again. That is it, he really needs to go home now, and fast. His presence is definitely killing my own sanity, or what was left of it.

'It's getting late. Shouldn't you be heading for home now?'

'Are you kidding? I just got here. Now, why don't you just show me more around your place?' Ryoma said, at the same time holding onto Fuji's hand and tried to drag him around the apartment for a tour. 'Oh, where does this door lead to? Is this your bedroom?'

It's no use, Fuji thought; keeping Ryoma out of his bedroom is like pushing a sleeping elephant out of the way. He just wouldn't budge. But keep him out of it he must or it would mean that he is willing to admit defeat. For three long years he has managed to keep Ryoma out of his life, if not his thoughts, and it wouldn't do to stop now.

Ryoma looked around Fuji's bedroom, despite the other's pathetic attempts to push him out. His room, like the rest of the apartment, is bathed in dark colors. As he has expected, this room is neat and orderly, without much clutter in it. There is the bed at the corner in jade-green beddings and a long brown-leathered seat beside it; a tall cabinet was standing at the other corner housing a few cacti, some books and his audio system; and a wide-screen TV was mounted on the wall. Ryoma was not surprised at all to see Fuji's Seigaku jacket and tennis racket displayed on one side of the wall but what took his breath away was the large photo mounted at the head of Fuji's bed.

It was a picture of him, naked and sleeping on Fuji's bed, with a kitty Ochibi curled up beside him. It must have been taken on Fuji's seventeenth birthday because the kitten still has that pink ribbon around its neck, it being Ryoma's gift for the tensai.

'Syuusuke,' Fuji heard his name before finding himself enveloped in the other man's embrace. He closed his eyes and relaxed in the other man's arms, giving in to Ryoma's passionate kiss, thinking that both of them have suffered enough and that it is about time to end all that.

After their kiss, Ryoma has managed to ask, 'Well? What do have to say for yourself, Syuusuke?'

'Okaeri,' Fuji teased, with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

'What? That's all? Aren't you gonna admit that you were jealous of what you've heard about that wild party?' Ryoma barked.

Hell would freeze over before I would do that, Fuji thought. I better get him side-tracked immediately. He hooked his arms around the younger man's neck before saying, 'Well, do you want me to drag you to bed?'

Afterthoughts: Okay, this ficcie should have been finished by this time, but a very wekkid Ryoma-muse had played in my mind last night a little story that I found so funny that I have to (at least) share with you people. That and the inability to connect to irc this morning have driven me to finish this piece and go on to plot some more on that extra chappie for this tale. Where in the world are the Fuji-muses, you might think? Don't you worry; they are still plotting something (insert some ebil Fuji-laugh here).

Again, many thanks to those who have read and enjoyed part two of this story, especially to those who have given their hollers: Cheeseburger of Doom (many thanks to that Fuji-tale ne!), ssrxz, Rinnikka, kurokioku, Ikyutakei and firedraygon97.