"Gone"

Originally written for the "Horror" challenge in LJ's comm "tenipuri500".
I don't own the boys. Go thank Konomi-sensei for making them gay.

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It was simply too horrible to be true.

Of course, it had been weird when he didn't find the object of his affection where it was supposed to be, yet he decided not to give it that much importance, since things like this happened all the time.

Echizen had started to be more nervous once he heard his classmates say terrible stuff on the matter.

They were only rumors, he didn't have to believe them.

"You know what's that called Echizen? Denial"
Even Momoshiro was positive on the information... but, how could he?
He didn't know a thing.
Besides, it was not denial... it was... common sense.

Sadly, all of Ryoma's common sense was promptly reduced to nothing when Inui commented on the happening during practice.
"You already knew, right?" the taller boy fixed his glasses on his nose.
The first-year nodded and then shook his head in disagreement. "It can't be possible, it doesn't make any sense"
"Are you questioning my data, Echizen?"
"He's still in denial" Momoshiro said, casually, while walking near.
Kikumaru ruffled Echizen's hair and squeezed him tightly from behind. "You'll find a way to survive ochibi, we know it"

Echizen Ryoma couldn't stand it anymore. Burning red with anger and frustration, he ran away from his teammates and started searching the surroundings of Seishun Gakuen. Looking in every single place that seemed logical to him.

"No"

"Sorry kid, not here"

"Nope, sorry"

It was then, that Ryoma started to panic seriously. It had been with him for all of his life, since he was only a kid... after every tournament he had won in America...
And now it was gone.

"Didn't you heard? They've stopped producing it because of the addictive substances it contained"

Gone.

He wouldn't be able to taste its sweet flavor again.
He wouldn't feel the wet cold metal slipping through his fingers anymore.

Not ever again.

No.

"NOOOOOO!!"

"Oi, seishounen. Get up, you're already late for school"
Ryoma's eyes focused on the figure of his father, who was lazily picking his left ear.
"Ponta!!" squeaked the boy while latching on to the monk.
"What?"
"Ponta! Where is it?!"
Nanjiroh frowned and unlatched himself from his son's desperate grip. "In the refrigerator, as always... hey! Where are you going brat?!"

Words were not enough to describe the happiness that filled Echizen Ryoma's self when he opened the refrigerator and found ten shiny cans of grape-flavored Ponta inside, waiting for him.