Title: Intrigued: Distraction

Author: Arithion

Rating: This chapter is G-PG. The overall story is R

Genre: Drama, Angst, Yaoi, Romance

Pairing/Characters: FujixSengoku

Chapter: Third

Summary: Fuji is intrigued... very intrigued by a certain orange haired, green eyed Lucky boy.

Warnings: I don't really think there are any for this chapter. It's the day after the Yamabuki match.

Notes: Big glomp to Mal for giving a beta and hugs to zerotwofan hope you enjoy it.

Intrigued:

Distraction

It was all Sengoku could do the next day, to remember to get out different books each time the bell rang. His mind was distracted. Thoughts of Fuji swam through his head. No, not in a romantic, deeply in love way, because Sengoku wasn't like that. He liked to have fun, and milk situations for all they were worth. It was very rare that he actually got serious.

The thing was that he couldn't help wondering if he had bitten off more than he'd be able to chew. Hell, had he even bitten off anything at all, or was the prodigy just teasing him for the hell of it? It was frustrating, annoying and yet so damn exhilarating that the Yamabuki regular just couldn't help smiling.

Anticipation made him restless, wanting the day to be over so that he could go to the street courts. The fact that he wasn't actually sure what Fuji's intentions were didn't unsettle him. Quite the opposite, it aroused his curiosity even more... and perhaps something else he wasn't really willing to admit.

He hadn't expected the prodigy to ask for a tennis match, at least not after the kiss they'd shared. Sengoku wasn't even sure if he'd stand a chance against the other boy...well as long as Fuji was thinking of playing half seriously anyway. Which, really, was another thing...

Fuji Syusuke's reputation.

It was formidable. He was as gifted as they came where tennis was concerned, and almost any other sport or academic subject in existence. That lazy smile that adorned his face ninety-five percent of the time hid a lethal set of eyes that could make you wish that you hadn't been born, as much as they could make you melt into a soppy puddle of goo. Sengoku had never experienced the former look, but the second had rendered him useless the previous afternoon.

Everything about the prodigy tempted Sengoku.

He was tempted to get to know the other boy, he was tempted to indulge in the fantasies running around in his head about Fuji, and he was temped to rise to the challenge he could feel from the other boy every time their eyes met. Of course, there was also the mild temptation to run like hell and never look back, but Sengoku was successfully ignoring that one. A challenge was good, danger was better... and he could see both in any sort of relationship with Fuji Syusuke.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the day, and thereby the start of tennis practice. For once the orange haired teen didn't feel like attending, but he trudged to the courts anyway. His mind chose to focus on other things... intermingled with tennis as they were.

#*#

Fuji rarely let anything distract him, but exceptions had to be made for extraordinary circumstances. It was also very rare for Fuji to be intrigued by something for any length of time. Nearing twenty-four hours was almost a record for him.

Not that his school work suffered, nor his countenance. He simply woke up the bored part of his brain and made it think for once. Fuji liked challenges, and although Sengoku didn't seem to be a challenge for him in the true sense of the word, he was still intriguing. Despite the apparent mutual attraction the red-head felt for him, Fuji couldn't read the other boy properly.

It was something that in all his short years of life, Fuji hadn't encountered before. Hell, he could even read Tezuka's moods, and that was like trying to wring blood from a stone. Now it wasn't that he couldn't read the other boy at all, it was simply that Sengoku's moods seemed to swing in a way that was difficult for Fuji to keep in time with. There was a factor of the unpredictable around the other youth that made Fuji fairly certain that he'd be interesting for at least a little while longer.

He was happy with that. Things tended to get so boring so fast...

That feeling stole over him again, and he briefly remembered the feeling of the other boy's mouth and body against his own. His eyes narrowed to slits of turquoise, his mind contemplating the coming afternoon. It was going to prove ... interesting at the very least. He wondered just what Sengoku was thinking.

Fuji drew patterns with his finger on his desk, before turning to look out the window. He found himself curious to know just how long this distraction would last. For once he yearned for something, anything to just hold his attention for longer than usual, because sometimes... sometimes he just got lonely.

The bell sounded shrilly, and Fuji shook his head to clear it of those melancholy thoughts. It was an area he usually avoided, considering that one could get far too sunk in those feelings if one wasn't careful. Occasional indulgence wasn't too bad though... was it?

He pushed himself out of his seat, absently grabbing his bag before heading towards the tennis courts, not even hearing Eiji cry after him to wait up. It wasn't until he was in the locker room that his red headed friend caught up to him, pulling on his shoulder with exasperation. Fuji just turned, smile in place to listen to the admonishment from his best friend.

"Fuji! You didn't wait for me. You always wait for me after that class. Are you feeling okay?" Eiji's eyes were full of concern for his friend, and it made Fuji almost guilty for making him worry, but not quite. There was rarely anything that Fuji ever actually felt guilty over.

"I'm fine..." His smile worked on most people, and yet Eiji still looked at him as if not quite convinced. It made Fuji wonder when he'd stepped over that barrier and allowed someone to get close enough to question his constant sincerity. The point was that they could, not that it didn't matter that he was rarely sincere about anything. He shrugged a little and narrowed his eyes, opening them slightly. "Really, I am fine."

Eiji took the hint and laughed as he moved away to get ready for training. "I know, Fuji. I got that the first time you said it. Though, you know, being so insistent might make me think you're trying too hard!"

Fuji looked on as the red-head laughed once more and bounded out of the changing room with that tireless energy he possessed. Well, tireless depending on the circumstances Fuji speculated.

His thoughts were scattered, he wondered just how long training was going to seem that day. For the first time in a long time, he could hardly wait for it to be over.

The practice passed in a blur for the prodigy. For all his lack of attention, he played with his usual style; that is, with the slightly distracted edge that spoke of someone not playing with their heart in it. Nothing anyone said really reached his ears, he was far more concerned with other things.

His thoughts swam around the Yamabuki senior. He remembered the fluid grace that could move the other's body when he played tennis, the changes in expression that were subtly obvious, and then only if you were looking really hard. Everything about Sengoku screamed out to Fuji, for him to get to know, to understand ... and to consume.

He maintained his smile, flashing it in the direction of any voice he heard. Practice couldn't be over soon enough for him, and he was the first one out of the locker room, waving an absent goodbye to the other regulars as he left.

If he noticed their curious stares... he gave no outward sign of caring.

#*#

Sengoku's thoughts flitted around in his head, from one thing to another, never staying in the same place for long. Not that he'd ever admit to being a little nervous, no, he was just excited about the prospect of playing a match with Fuji. That was definitely it! Though his brain had other ideas and immediately seized on the prospect of a match, throwing him visuals he didn't really need.

Well, he didn't really need them, but that didn't mean he couldn't work with them. Kiyosumi grinned, and made his way to the courts. He idly wondered why they were meeting there, it was such a public place, and there was only one court. To make matters more confusing that court usually only hosted doubles.

He didn't have to wait for long. Smile affixed to his face, and green eyes open wide, he watched Fuji approach, wondering idly if the prodigy knew how gracefully he moved. It was almost addictive to watch... but then...it appeared almost everything about the other boy was addictive.

Syusuke stopped just short of reaching Sengoku, and dropped his bag from his shoulder. "You're early." The statement was simply that, no question in it at all.

Sengoku smiled, his sunny confidence enhancing his bright eyes. "That's subjective. I'm here, as soon as I could be." He had to stop himself from cringing in hindsight at the realisation of how eager that sounded.

Fuji didn't seem to have missed it either. "As soon as you could be? Interesting..."

The red-head shrugged off the anticipatory shiver that those words sent down his spine and grinned cheekily. "So... were we planning on playing doubles?"

Fuji cocked his head to one side, opening his eyes slightly, the question obvious without the need to speak.

"You know? They play doubles here. If you win, then you keep the court, until someone beats you."

The prodigy's smile widened. "How... annoying."

Sengoku didn't let the fact that the response confused him show on his face. "You didn't know?"

Fuji shook his head. "No. I've never played street tennis before." He leaned down in one smooth movement and picked his bag back up, and for a fleeting moment Kiyosumi thought Fuji was going to leave, but the Seigaku regular simply turned around while speaking. "We'll just have to go somewhere else then." And he started to walk away, with a lazy motion of one hand, beckoning Sengoku to follow.

Having no idea where Fuji was headed didn't stop the red-head in any way, shape or form. His grin widened and he took a couple of running steps to catch up to the other boy, and fell into step beside him.

Fuji's eyes were fixed on the path in front of him, his lips curved in that secretive smile that promised so much and revealed so little. It was a smile that made Sengoku want to stun the other boy, to make him do something other than smile or stare intently. He wanted to make those lips curl up in surprise, or to make those eyes widen in shock... just so they would divulge a little more about the enigmatic prodigy.

Sengoku hadn't been entirely sure that they would be playing tennis, but apparently that was what Fuji had in mind. Although it wasn't uncomfortable, their journey was spent in silence. It surprised the red- head somewhat when they walked underneath the overpass. He hadn't known there was a tennis court there. His eyes scanned the area. The courts were obviously taken care of, just not to the standard of the street courts or the courts he was used to playing on.

There was an air of abandonment about them that made him wonder just why the courts were there. He didn't wonder for long though. Fuji began to take off his jacket, flexing muscles in the process, obviously testing them for warmth. Sengoku absently removed his own, eyes trained on Fuji's slender form. It made the Yamabuki regular question just how Fuji could play the way he did considering how delicate he appeared to be.

As if Fuji could hear the thoughts in the other boy's head, he turned to face Sengoku with that smile. "Appearances can be deceiving. Shall we play?"

Kiyosumi laughed, bouncing on the balls of his feet to rewarm his muscles again. "Oh, yes... I'd love to /play/." For a brief instant there was an almost predatory gleam to the smile on Fuji's face. Sengoku decided he liked it. "So... what does the winner get?"

Fuji laughed... the sound reverberated around the court, making the other boy shudder. "You don't need to worry about that..."

Sengoku raised an eyebrow from the other side of the court and spoke with a teasing lilt. "Oh, I don't, do I?"

"No, you don't." Fuji's serve sped past the Yamabuki regular, leaving a breeze that made his orange bangs sway. Startled soft green eyes focused on Fuji's no longer smiling face, when the prodigy's smooth voice spoke. "I always get what I want."

~~**~~