Interactions

Phobias—Chapter 3

When enemies clash, war will ensue.

Fuji Syuusuke and Echizen Ryoma were enemies. On the courts, threats were exchanged, glares were sent, hatred's fired spewed. It was just the two in their own world, unknowing of anything going on around that did not involve the game. On the courts, they hated each other. Their only goal was to defeat the other.

Off the court and from public's manipulating eyes, however, was a completely different story. Without all the pressure of tennis between them, they were just comrades on the same team. They were just friends. They were just lovers. When the tremendous change occurred within their relationship from camaraderie to deep affection laced with scarlet lust, neither was sure. It happened over time. What started out as innocent brushes of skin against skin, light, accidental caresses on the courts, gentle pats on the back, changed into something more. Something… deeper. Something more intimate. The brushes turned into strokes, nips, licks, lips ghosting across each other's, tongue's dueling, love being made. And that was what their relationship had morphed to, for better or for worse. Love wasn't really created between the two… it was already there, just misinterpreted into rivalry.

"Hey, you awake?"

A slim figure approached the genius cautiously, prodding the poor dude, a massive smile played on his features.

A moan was his only reply. He just shrugged and left with the orange juice and toast in his hand to consume it himself. A few more hours couldn't hurt. His mind reasoned.

And so he left to leave Ryoma in peace for a little longer.

Awhile ago, if asked, Ryoma would have replied that he would rather spend a lifetime in hell than a day with Fuji. But lately, although the façade has still been kept up for the public's satisfaction, Ryoma has been more than willing, it would seem, to spend time with Fuji.

"Do you love me?"

"No, you idiot."

His soft lips slightly inclined downwards to form a small frown that would have gone unnoticed by most.

"Oh. Well…" he straightened, his sapphire eyes hardening a bit at the last comment that his lover made. "I guess…" he hesitated, wanting to choose his words carefully before finally deciding on a simple reply. "I'll leave then."

Ryoma's gaze challenged him further, prodding him and trying to call his words a bluff. Fuji grabbed his coat and started walking towards the door leading out of the locker room. Upon reaching the door, hand poised over the knob ready to turn, he heard a slight inhalation of breath. Turning his head, he saw Ryoma rooting through his bag for something. He waited for a reply, but no words followed, and so he took his heavy steps out of the damp, dimly lighted room, his heart breaking and stomach dropping in the process. He had wished Ryoma came after him, but he didn't.

For days, he had been without sleep and became very light and sickly. He didn't ditch school or practice, just trying to avoid Ryoma with growing desperation. His smile was still plastered onto his paler face, slightly faltering whenever Ryoma was by. A cough came from deep within his throat, resonating loudly in the peaceful autumn weather. Smile still in place, he looked emotionally normal. His physical abilities faltered though. Not as much force or resistance was put where Fuji was concerned. When questioned, he replied with a terse, "No, it's alright. Just a temporary thing really." He wondered what Ryoma was thinking for a long while before eventually giving up. There was no hope for their relationship.

When Fuji left the locker room, the quiet seemed to settle within its confines that truly chilled Ryoma to the bones. He raised his head, pulling out a dried flower that had been given to him by his sempai when he felt depressed awhile back. When the door shut, the sound seemed to echo through the area as memories of their times together flashed through Ryoma's mind. A lone tear trailed down his cheek but was quickly swiped away with his hand as the flower was trashed.

Fuji found the flower and recognized it quite quickly. It wasn't as if it were a rare flower, it was familiar because Fuji had grown it himself and carved his initials into the stem. He stared in reminiscence before dropping it onto the floor. It was their sign of hope… and Ryoma had thrown the precious symbol away.

Fuji had never thought of why Ryoma had even kept such a flower for so long despite its obviously dead qualities.

The next day, well after practice was over, Ryoma searched blindly through the trash bins for the blue flower, but to no avail. It's gone… he thought. Whilst walking out, his eye had caught sight of the trampled, cherished blossom and placed it gently into his jacket pocket, swiping away a stray tear of relief.

Fuji continued to weaken, eyes hauntingly empty on a face that held the constant pained smile. Ryoma sent worried gazes whenever Fuji wasn't watching, concern constantly laced with his breaking voice. His features continually crinkled whenever Fuji was mentioned, brow creasing as his anxiety increased. Fuji kept coughing, seeming to go into fits at times, hand covering his mouth. Is he getting enough sleep? He continued to send his friends and teammates to check up on Fuji to see what was wrong, but they came back with apologetic shrugs and creased brows themselves. Ryoma even made some warm soup that he asked his friend to give to Fuji, making sure his name was not mentioned if Fuji asked where it came from.

Ryoma saw Fuji, but Fuji did not see Ryoma. Ryoma wanted it that way.

Ryoma's grades were dropping, but surprisingly, nothing mattered much anymore. His mind was set on Fuji, constantly trying to figure out what was physically ailing his beloved. He sent flowers on Valentine's day, anonymously of course, sent gifts on the appropriate holidays, again without names, and medicine as often as possible through the hands of a friend. Fuji was gradually reviving, but his eyes remained cold and numb, smile aggrieved.

Eventually, Fuji did regain all his health; however his smiles, though less pained, were completely artificial. No one seemed to notice besides him though, most just happy they had their happy companion back again. Ryoma saw though. He could see past the smiles, the cheerful front that Fuji put up. He held the flower tighter in his fist, it holding some strange calming power over him. Nervousness struck at what he was about to do, after a whole year of waiting in the dark, discovering himself, he knew what he HAD to do to solve the mess that he created.

He had to come clean… had to tell Fuji the one thing that he's been waiting a whole year to tell but just recently gained the balls to do.

He had to tell him he loved him.

And that's what he did. Not so much in words, but he got the point across, much to Fuji's embarrassment.

Right in the middle of a tennis match that Fuji had with another one of the regulars, Ryoma called him over.

Ryoma called, surprising Fuji and causing him to miss the hit. His eyes closed, smile in place, when Ryoma did something that caused both embarrassment and lust to heat his body. Buried emotions resurfaced when Ryoma, when Fuji was near enough with that empty grin, caught Fuji off guard by pressing his lips quickly once to Fuji's. His head spun as he gripped his tennis racket tighter before deftly letting it drop to the court floor with a soft thud that went unnoticed by the two. The kiss broke, gazes being held by the other as if nothing else in the world existed.

On the other side of the court, Kikumaru Eiji could be scene just jumping up and down frantically in glee for the new couple, making random catcalls that weren't heard.

Ryoma, after a few tense moments of anticipation, frowned and looked away, ready to bolt off the courts as if his life depended on it, a faint rouge tainting his cheeks. He pulled his cap lower over his head to hide his eyes. However, before the task could be completed, Fuji pulled the cap off from the boy's head and threw it onto his forgotten tennis racket, pulling Ryoma closer to him for another kiss, deeper than the first. Ryoma raised his arms onto Fuji's shoulders, Fuji settling his hands onto Ryoma's head and back, attempting to deepen the kiss.

Five minutes later, the catcalls ceased, and all that was left was the cuddling couple and an uncomfortable Eiji, just rubbing his neck and looking away.

Breathy whispers ghosted across the other's cheeks as the sun began to set, casting an ethereal, pink-golden hue over the large expanse of sky.

"I knew it was you…"

A/N: READ THIS PEOPLE. okay... look. was this chapter confusing? i need to know for future reference. Also... if it was majorly confusing, I'll insert line separators to tell you when there's a shift in time. I think you pretty much can catch the 3rd person limited perspective shifts... rite? hope so. Any questions, IM me, 'cause i'm always happy (on fridays and weekends when my away message isn't on) to answer questions or just chat. I know this is terribly confusing to some, but if you understand it, you'd get why i made the format this way. I'm trying out a new writing style... heh. My style continually changes as you may have noticed. How many people actually read my ANs?

Thanks to my reviewers. Yay. I cannot believe i actually have fans. >.

:squee: REVIEW cuz i'm a major review whore.

AND... for any suggestions or betas. cuz i might need one for future things 'cause i may be making my friends pissed with me constantly asking them to give me their opinions on my crazy writings that they don't like cuz they are freaked by yaoi. lmao. IM: fluffyinuears

Yes. and i realize the corninity (cornyness?) of this chapter. I was listening to a Chinese love song CD, so sue me peoples. It's like when you listen to a certain song while you write, you get that mood portrayed in your writing.

Again, thank you. Hopefully i'll finally become good enough to be part of the FujiRyo C2 listy...

:crosses fingers:

:SQUEE: