The First and The Last

An Unchangeable Ending

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Author Notes: At last! After a year delay, I finished this fic! Well, I have nothing to say  but SORRY to my waiting readers (if there's any). Anyway, please enjoy my fic, I hope this can fulfill your standards, guys! Oh, by the way, this fic is dedicated to everybody who read it. Thanks a lot!

"Wow…Inui-senpai is really harsh today. We have to run a lap in 30 seconds! What the hell he's thinkin' about?" grumbled Momoshiro after practice one day. His lover, Echizen Ryoma said nothing. They had finished their practiced with the result was regulars-are-the-winner again. The other members were fainted and laid helplessly in the middle of the court. But something was strange...

"Ne…Momo-senpai, are you hungry? Do you want to eat? I think hamburgers wouldn't be so bad…" adviced the shorter boy.

"What's the matter? You pregnant or something?" asked Momoshiro smirking. Echizen gave him the LOOK before walked away.

"All right, all right, I'm sorry! Geez, you don't know what's the meaning of jokes, do you? Now, we need someone to pay the bill for us. Let's see…Where is Eiji-senpai?" the spiky hair looked around, tried to find the acrobatic player.

"Momo-senpai, do you forget? Our dearest cat-guy hasn't attended the school for a week."

"Oh yeah…that's right. Hmm, I wonder where he went…" said Momoshiro.

"Well, Oishi-senpai came to Eiji- senpai's house three days ago. But he was not at home. And his sister said he will not come to school for a while."

"Oh, I see. I hope he'll come back soon. Look's like something is missing without him," answered Momoshiro. He didn't realize that the look in the shorter boy's eyes had changed.

"Something is missing? So, you're lonely without him, aren't you? Why don't you come to his house, ask his parents where he is, search him, and admit your love to him?" said Ryoma sarcastically. He began to walk and left his senpai alone. Momoshiro blinked. Then he chased his lover hurriedly.

"Echizen, wait! What are you talking about? You're joking, aren't you?" asked Momoshiro panicky.

"Ie," was the answer.

"Okay…now I get it. You're jealous, Echizen Ryoma. Admit it," said Momsohiro with a wide grin on his face.

"Me? Jealous? Of course not! Echizen Ryoma never and won't be jealous to anyone,"

"But I know you're jealous. It means that you love me, am I right? You know, you're cuter when you are jealous," A smirk appeared replacing his wide grin.

"Senpai, I think you have a fever. It's better for you to go home, have two dozens of medicine and aspirin, then pray to God for your last prayer and go to sleep forever. I'm getting sick by looking your ugly face,"

"Ouch! Ryoma that was harsh one! You hurt me deeply!" said Momoshiro and he tried to show his best puppy-look.

"Hn," was the reply.

"Arrggh!! Echizen, now what can I do to make you believe me? You're the only love of my life," Momoshiro tried to convince his lover. But, the only answer from the freshman was a disbelieve look. He could see it clearly from Ryoma's eyes. "Oh, c'mon Echizen…please? I'll do anything!"

"Anything? Really?" asked Ryoma with an evil grin. His senpai nodded. "Well, now I want you to accompany me to eat hamburgers. But, you have too pay for the bill," answered Ryoma at last.

"Eeeeh?!? The bill?! All of them?!" Momoshiro couldn't believe his ears. He knew Ryoma would eat as much as him, or perhaps…double. But he couldn't do anything but nodded. He sighed while his hand began to reach his wallet and counted the amount of money in it while they started to heading to their favorite hamburger shop. Unfortunately, Momoshiro didn't see the smirk on Ryoma's face. He didn't know that Ryoma loved too tempting him so much

Now who doesn't know the meaning of joke? Thought Ryoma.

"Oishi, do you think we can meet Eiji? I think it would be wise to pay him a visit. Being absent for two weeks in a row is abnormal, you know," said Fuji with another dangerous smile was carved on his face. The other regulars immediately glanced up. They all looked at Oishi. They were eager to meet Eiji too, so they wanted to come along.

"Okay, it's not bad idea, Fuji," answered the vice captain with a forced smile. It was not easy to stay out from Eiji all this time. He never thought it would be THAT hard. Part of him wished to meet the red-haired guy, while the other part was busy deny it.

Honestly, he was scared. Scared of rejection, scared he would lose control if he saw Eiji with another guy. He punched the locker door, earning another glance from the regulars. Shit! Since when I became this weak? Oishi, what kind of guy are you? You cannot even hide your feelings? ...Eiji, I miss you. A tear strolled down his cheek.

They arrived at Kikumaru's house twenty minutes later. Tezuka rang the bell. The door opened and a woman who look resembled like Eiji appeared.

"Good afternoon, we are from Seigaku Tennis Club wished to meet Eiji. Is that possible?" asked Tezuka with I-am-the-captain tone. The woman smiled before answered, "Well, yes of course. But I'm afraid you cannot be too long. He was still too fragile."

"What do you mean by fragile?" Oishi immediately asked. Although he tried not to show it, he was still worry about his friend.

"I'm sorry, I can't answer that. But you can meet him now. He was in his room. I'll take you there."

They walked to Eiji's room in silent. Somehow, the house felt so empty. There was no laugh, no TV sounds like the normal house, and the tension felt strangely high. The regulars began to wonder, is this really Eiji's house? It was oppositely different from Eiji's behavior.

The woman knocked at Eiji's door. There was a cat with glasses holding a board 'Eiji's room' in front of it. No one answered the door. The woman knocked again. Still no answer.

"Eiji? Are you awake? Your tennis friends want to meet you," she said. She tried to open the door, luckily it was not locked. They all came in and saw an Eiji figure in the corner. He was sitting on the floor, sleeping and looked very tired. The woman tried to wake him. "Eiji, your friends are here."

The acrobatic player awoke. He opened his eyes and saw his friends. They smiled at him and he gave them a small smile.

Everybody noticed something was wrong with the cat-like guy. Small smile didn't fit him, the wide did. Eiji's sister took her leave wisely, knowing her brother needed sometime with his friends. Meanwhile, nobody dared to ask Eiji what was wrong with him. Silence filled the room until Eiji's voice broke it.

"He died," whispered Eiji miserably. It was time for his friends to know the truth.

He told them everything, from the first time Atobe met him, when Atobe gave him the necklace, and how they spent the last two weeks together. The other sympathized, but also admired him.

They discovered another personality of their new friend. Behind those cheerful smiles, those always happy behaviors, he was also a tough and patient person. Not everybody could accept the death of their best friend like Eiji could.

"Eiji-senpai!! You came to school at last!"

 "Where have you been all this time?"

"We were worried about you! We thought you had an accident or something..."

Everybody in tennis court crowded around Eiji, asked him many things. But two people didn't join it. They stood in one corner, talking in low voice.

"Why didn't you tell him?" asked Tezuka to his vice captain.

"Tell him what? That I loved him while his friend –who turned to be lover- just died? It's impossible Tezuka. I can't do that," answered Oishi as his eyes focused on the acrobatic player

"Let him be. I'm fine as long as he's happy," continued the shorter guy. Tezuka eyed him disbelievingly but said nothing. The two friends stayed still, no longer talking.

Aa...as long as he's happy, I'm fine. Let him to be my 'the first and the last' fire of love that ever lit in my heart...

AN: Thanks for reading it! Well, do you like it? Hate it? Or what...? Now, please push the review button below...