Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis.

Author's Note: Here's the revised/edited chapter 3. Thanks for the continued patronage!

A Love Game: Chapter 3 – Love 2, Ryoma 1

One week later…

"Oi Ryoma! Hurry up! Your sempai's outside waiting for you!" Nanjiroh Echizen belted out.

"I'm coming already!" Ryoma yelled back as he ran down the stairs. "I'm skipping breakfast today!" He slid his shoes on, grabbed his tennis bag, and was out of the house a second later.

"Yo Echizen! Hurry up or I'll be late for my exam!" Momoshiro called.

"Okay, okay!" Ryoma climbed up behind his senior on his bike and they were soon off towards school.

"Good thing there's no club practice this morning," Momoshiro commented as he pedaled. "I slept late studying for my exams."

"Hnn," said Ryoma, "you mean trying to study, right?"

"Do you want to talk to school the rest of the way?" the junior shot back. "I can drop you off at the corner if you like."

Ryoma smirked. "Good luck on your test, Momo-sempai."

"Hey, Echizen," said Momoshiro after several minutes of silence. "Do you think the others on the team know about Tezuka-buchou and Fuji-sempai?"

Ryoma's eyes narrowed slightly and he unconsciously gripped Momoshiro's shoulders tighter. "Eh…Don't know. Who cares, right? It…it shouldn't be a surprise. Those two…"

"Oh? You might be right about that," said Momoshiro. "Now that I think about it, it might be kind of expected."

"It is? Why do you think so?" Ryoma asked before he could stop himself.

Momoshiro pressed on the brakes slightly as they neared an intersection. He looked both ways before crossing the busy street. "Maybe it's…well I'm not really sure. Maybe because Fuji-sempai can get under Tezuka-buchou's skin?"

Ryoma quirked his lips at the response. "I think Fuji-sempai does that to everyone."

"You're right about that," Momoshiro laughed. "To tell you the truth, he scares me more than Inui-sempai. I'd much rather drink a gallon of that special juice than become victimized by Fuji-sempai."

The freshman snickered. "I…I might take my chances on Fuji-sempai rather than on Inui-sempai's juice. At least I'll know I'll still be alive."

"True, but you'll be scarred for life."

"Yeah, maybe," Ryoma said in suddenly serious tone. The pair stopped at another intersection. "Momo-sempai, have you ever had a serious match with Fuji-sempai?"

The junior thought for a moment and then shook his head. "I've probably had a more serious match with Tezuka-buchou. What's it like against Fuji-sempai when he's serious?"

Ryoma had a thought look on his face. "It…it was exhilarating and annoying at the same time."

"Annoying, huh?" said Momoshiro. "That's just like you."

"Heh," Ryoma made a sound. "I can definitely tell you that he's right up there with buchou."

"You're probably right about that," Momoshiro commented as he steered his bicycle inside school grounds. "I think you can pull off a win from him though. Everybody jumped on Fuji-sempai's bandwagon when you both first played. But you held your ground well. Who knows how that would have ended if you continued?"

"Who knows." Ryoma stepped down from the bicycle and headed off towards the school building. "Thanks for the ride, sempai."

"Hey Echizen!" Momoshiro exclaimed at the freshman's retreating form. "Prove it to the others this afternoon during practice!"

Ryoma adjusted his tennis bag on his shoulder. "We'll see."

Several feet away, leaning against a tree, Fuji Syusuke watched the exchange between Ryoma and Momoshiro, and just smiled.

"Echizen."

Ryoma didn't have to look up from his table to know who stood in front of him. He poked his Jell-O again and fought hard to suppress a blush that threatened to overcome his face. "Hm?"

"Is this seat taken?"

"Nope."

"May I?"

"Whatever you like."

Fuji set his tray down and sat directly in front of Ryoma. He smirked as he watched the freshman poke at his gelatin dessert as if it was the most interesting activity at the moment. "Hey, why are you having lunch by yourself?"

Ryoma looked toward the side and motioned with his head. "I'm not. Momo-sempai and Kikumaru-sempai are trying to wrestle some curry and melon bread from over there."

"Ah, I see."

Ryoma picked off a piece of the dessert and lazily put it in his mouth. "What are you doing here, Fuji-sempai?"

Fuji snapped his chopsticks apart and opened his lunch box, showing off several sushi rolls, a pork cutlet, and some seaweed salad. "I'm having lunch, of course."

"Where is Tezuka-buchou?"

"I don't know. Do you need to see him about something?" asked Fuji.

Ryoma's grip on the spoon tightened slightly. "Ah, no. I was just wondering."

Fuji eyed him curiously. "Want some wasabi sushi?"

Ryoma eyed the sushi rolls and shook his head. "Ah, no thanks. I'm all done with lunch anyway." He moved to stand up but was surprised to find out that Fuji-sempai raised a leg to secure the chair. Ryoma realized that he couldn't swivel sideways to get up. "Er, Fuji-sempai…"

"Stay." Fuji smiled at him. "Lunch period is far from over and I would like the company."

"Eh, but Momo-sempai and Kikumaru-sempai will be back soon," Ryoma mumbled out.

The prodigy looked to the side. "I very much doubt that they will be come back anytime soon."

Ryoma followed the sempai's gaze and frowned. His sempais were now caught up in an all-out battle for the last curry-friend bread. "No way…"

"Saa. So stay," remarked Fuji. "Keep me company."

"But I…."

Fuji smiled.

Ryoma shivered.

"Stay."

Resigned, Ryoma leaned back towards the table and found himself a bit unnerved by that smile directed at him. "Fine, whatever."

Silence.

"So, Echizen…" Fuji spoke up, "how do you feel about continuing our match?"

"…"

"Hm?"

"…I don't want to," Ryoma managed. "I mean…at least not anytime soon."

Fuji paused from putting another sushi roll in his mouth. "Why not?"

"No reason in particular," said Ryoma in response.

"Not even if I play you seriously?" Fuji offered.

Ryoma looked up and met his sempai's look. "You rarely do."

"Hm, is that a fact?" Fuji saw the younger tennis player clench his jaw but kept his gaze.

"If you're serious, I'll look forward to a game then," edged Ryoma.

"I'm quite serious about you, Ryoma," replied Fuji in a serious tone.

Ryoma was a bit taken back with the sincerity of the response and blushed at the connation that his heart suggested. He wasn't sure how to respond to it and was quite relieved that his two earlier absent sempais finally made it back to the lunch table with their bread.

"Fuji! Nya! Nice of you to join us for lunch!" Kikumaru bounced back to his seat next to Ryoma. "Want some bread?"

Fuji smiled but maintained his stare on Echizen. "No thanks. I've got enough here."

"What about you, ochibi?" asked Kikumaru.

"No thanks. I'm almost done anyway," said Ryoma looking down intensely at the Jell-O. He refused to meet the prodigy's intense eyes on him.

"Ah well, more for me then."

"So, Fuji-sempai," said Momoshiro, "Ryoma and I were talking this morning about your unfinished match."

"Oh?"

"Momo-sempai, you don' hav—"

"So when do you think you and Echizen will finish that match?"

"Saa. It's up to Echizen." Fuji put another wasabi sushi roll in his mouth. "Soon, maybe?"

"Eh…" Ryoma started, "whenever you want to, Fuji-sempai." Seeing as he had no way out of this without looking like he was running away or backing down, he relented. "…Just be serious."

Fuji's eyes opened and bored into Ryoma's. "I've never been more serious in my life."

Kikumaru blinked at Fuji's expression. He furrowed his eyes in thought as he realized that Fuji was indeed sincere about playing Echizen in a serious match. He wondered what the freshman has done to get Fuji in this manner. Even he's never faced a serious Fuji on the tennis court before. At least not by choice.

"All right!" Momoshiro exclaimed, missing Fuji's expression altogether. "It's just like what we talked about this morning, Echizen. My money's on you so you better give Fuji-sempai a game he'll never forget."

Fuji flashed another smile. "Oh, I'm sure it will be interesting."

Ryoma, unnerved, tried once again to get up from his seat, only to find that he was still held captive by the blue-eyed prodigy. Warily, he eyed the recent object of his affection (he's still astounded by that) and tried his best to give him a challenging stare. "I'll be looking forward to it then."

Fuji suddenly relaxed and released his hold on Ryoma's seat. "Saa. See you on the court then after school, freshman."

"See you then." Ryoma gathered up his tray and his garbage, stood up, and left without looking back.

"Hey! Fuji! Wait!" Kikumaru bounded over to his classmate and close friend. When he finally caught up to the prodigy, he gave him an inquiring look. "What's up with the serious tone earlier? I rarely see that from you. I know that Echizen's an interesting player but…he didn't do anything to…you know…get on your bad side, right?"

The brown-haired senior chuckled. "No, no. He didn't do anything. I just…I'm just serious about him…about the game."

"Well, if you say so," Kikumaru said but he wasn't convinced. "Anyway, I was talking to Momo earlier and he told me about you…and Tezuka."

Fuji blinked. "Oh? What about me and Tezuka?"

"Eh…that he overheard you and him talking the other night…about…something about you and then Tezuka being jealous because of someone else that you…were seeing?" Kikumaru rumbled out.

The prodigy broke out in a smile. "That's very interesting, Eiji."

"So…what is it then?" Kikumaru started again. "You and Tezuka…are you…both….like what?"

Fuji collected himself and patted Kikumaru's shoulder. "Saa…Who knows, right?"

"Fuji! Gah! Tell me! We've been friends for a long time now!"

"Hm? And spoil my fun?"

"Bah! I'll assume it's true then," Kikumaru made a pout-like face.

Fuji just shrugged and started walking ahead of his red-headed friend. Quietly, he wondered who else might be thinking that there was something going on between him and Tezuka. It wasn't a boring notion—Fuji and Tezuka together—but Fuji Syusuke was after someone else more interesting than Seigaku's captain.

Echizen Ryoma sneezed for the third time in class as he finishing up his Math exam. Annoyed, he rubbed his nose and completed the final problem on the test.

'Hn, I wonder who could be talking about me right now.'

Ryoma got up from his seat and grabbed his bag. He ignored the jealous stares several of his classmates gave him at having finished the exam first in the class. He went straight to the Tennis Club locker room and changed to get ready for practice and the scheduled match between him and Fuji-sempai. He wondered if the prodigy was still serious about it as he declared at lunch time earlier.

"Echizen."

Ryoma flinched. "Ah, yeah sempai?" He didn't dare turn around because he felt that stupid blush creeping up on his face again.

Fuji smiled as he realized he surprised the freshman. "Ready for our match?"

"Yeah." Ryoma felt stupid because he couldn't think of anything else to tell the prodigy who has occupied his mind quite a bit as of late.

Fuji walked just behind Ryoma and leaned down by his ear. "I'm looking forward to it."

Ryoma shuddered and felt himself turning redder by the second. He quickly finished changing and grabbed his tennis bag, almost running to exit the locker room. "I…I'll see you outside on the courts then, sempai."

Fuji suppressed the laughter that threatened to escape from him. "Ja." After the freshman left, he couldn't help but be amused at the reactions that the younger one tried to hide from him. Maybe going after Echizen wouldn't be so hard after all, he thought to himself. Besides, he rather liked seeing Echizen blush especially when he knew he caused it.

Fuji finally finished changing, picked up his tennis equipment, and headed off to the tennis court without wasting another second. He had an interesting date to attend to after all.

To be continued