Author's Notes: I'm sorry for taking so long. I had to catch up with a lot of things. I will try to update as often as I can. Thank you for your support.

Disclaimers: Still belongs to the wonderful Konomi-sama. The plot is mine.

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Silver Chains

Chapter Three: The Game They Needed to Play

He stood there outside of the metal fences, staring at the practice going on among those courts. He stood there silently, not wanting to bother anyone before the practice was over. He stood there and watched the one person he came for. He stood there and tried to understand why he was doing this.

"Why are you going to Hyotei, Syusuke?"

It was the same question that had been plaguing his mind ever since that talk with Yuuta and Inui. The same question that Echizen asked. The same question he was still asking until now.

Why was he in Hyotei? Why, of all people, did he have to talk to Atobe Keigo?

A soft sigh escaped those pursed lips.

"I need to talk to Atobe."

"Why do you need to talk to the monkey king?"

"Saa, Ryoma… aren't you the inquisitive one today?"

"Che. You're not answering my question."

"Saa…"

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The sky was blue, the sun was up high. The clouds were big and most probably fluffy. The birds were not chirping, yet it wasn't really the sound he was looking for. It was the bounce of those tennis balls, the sound of the impact it made when it hit the racket. That was the melody his ears loved.

Melody that lulled him to sleep.

Yes. Oh perfect dreamland…

Wait. He sniffed again. He knew that scent.

A grin spread across his face. Dreamland could wait.

Brown eyes darkened, becoming almost sunset ones, as it opened and saw his target. He had been right, he triumphantly screamed in his mind. Only he had that scent after all.

He tiptoed out of the courts, wanting to startle his – he chuckled – prey. Oh how lovely the day really was!

"FUJI!" he cried out as he glomped the tensai from behind.

Cerulean eyes opened, surprised how unguarded he was. Well, that and the fact that a certain Hyotei regular was attached to him – arms around his neck, legs around his waist.

"Jiroh, hello," he greeted, a smile on his face.

The usually narcoleptic boy hugged the tensai tighter. "Uwah! It's so nice to see you here! I haven't seen you since I watched your game with Kirihara! Wai! Wai!"

"How did you know I was here?" Fuji was sure he was – had been – as invisible as possible.

Jiroh was beaming as he triumphantly exclaimed, "I got your scent!"

The tensai chuckled sheepishly. He never knew that the volley-specialist had dog-like skills.

He looked around him and saw the other club members were turning their attention to them. This was not good, he thought. He was disrupting the practice.

So much going unnoticed.

Then among the crowd, their eyes locked. Mirth and astonishment faded from Fuji's eyes, challenge sparking in them. Jiroh must've noticed since he was all of a sudden detached from the tensai's back.

He clutched his tennis bag tighter. Atobe…

Teal eyes narrowed, lips pressing together. The Hyotei buchou gestured to one of the members to clear out a court. They exchanged no words and yet they knew what the other wanted to say.

There was only one way they could ever settle this.

By the time the court was cleared, Fuji and Atobe were facing each other. It was something they knew they should have done a long time ago.

"Which?" Atobe asked.

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"You're having five burgers, two large fries and a large cola? Is there anything wrong, Echizen?"

Said freshman swatted Momoshiro's hand away. He wasn't sick, for goodness sake! So what if he was eating more than what he usually ate? He glared at his sempai.

"Can't I eat more without you worrying? Mada mada da ne. I thought I was eating with Momo-sempai and not Oishi-sempai."

The taller of the two just shrugged, trying his best not to upset Echizen even more. He knew that upsetting the brat was like writing and signing you own death letter.

Besides, if he waited, he might – just might – get the little one to talk.

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"Game won by Fuji," Jiroh called out. "Fuji leads three games to two."

The Seigaku tensai breathed in deep, sea eyes darker than usual. He bounced the ball three times. The crowd within the grounds of Hyotei was beginning to form and they weren't happy to hear that score, that he knew. He set the ball for an overhead serve, not wanting to use the disappearing serve for the moment, as he opened another game.

"Do you know how much pain you've caused?" Fuji asked as Atobe returned his serve with a powerful forehand.

The Hyotei buchou's eyes narrowed as Fuji used a backhand. Not Hakugei, he noticed. He returned it to the left corner of the service area.

"Do you know how much pain you've caused?"

"Love-Fifteen!"

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"Echizen, your phone's ringing."

He munched his third burger. "Must be yours, Momo-sempai. I didn't bring mine."

Momoshiro shook his head, showing his phone to the freshman. "It's not ringing."

"I didn't bring mine."

"But there's a phone ringing in your bag!"

He slurped his soda. "Not mine."

The second year's eyebrows twitched, amethyst eyes glaring at his kohai. This was one stubborn brat, that he knew from months of experience. But this was becoming too much.

He gritted his teeth. God knew he loved his brat to the bone but being patient was another thing altogether.

"ECHIZEN!"

The freshman rolled his eyes and put his drink down. " Mada mada da ne," he said before fishing out the phone from his bag.

He was right. The phone wasn't his.

Baka Syusuke. Forgetting his phone…

"Hello?" came the voice from the other line, the moment he pressed the key to receive the call.

Golden eyes shot up, recognizing who the voice belonged to.

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This was not an ordinary revenge-type of battle. It was a mental battle. He shook his head. No. This was an emotional battle. One none of them will ever back out from.

"Atobe will win this one."

Oshitari shook his head. "That's something we don't know for sure, Gakuto."

The redhead raised an eyebrow. "It's rare that you're not cheering for Atobe to win. Do you think that Fuji would defeat him?"

"Only the one whose heart is willing to open will win this match, Mukahi-sempai."

The acrobat player glanced at his kohai, curious at what he said. But Ohtori did not say anything and just stared at the game in front of them. He turned to his doubles partner but Oshitari did not offer anything as well.

"Kieru serve…" Shishido whispered, eyes widening. "Fuji's serious."

There was something he was missing, that Mukahi knew. He watched as Atobe ran, eyes focused on the ball speeding towards him. Atobe would get it, he thought. Even if he and the Hyotei buchou didn't get along much, Atobe was his teammate. Didn't Oshitari always say something about believing in each other?

Plus what was Ohtori and Oshitari saying about this not being an ordinary game? Everyone knew that the time would come that Fuji would challenge Atobe to a match. What was so special about this?

Kuso, kuso. Even Shishido seems to understand what his Ohtori and Yuushi are saying!

"Atobe-buchou's going to hit it!" one of the non-regulars cried out.

It hit the net.

"Fifteen all!"

Fuji put his racket down, grip tightening. "I know, Atobe."

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"Buchou?"

Momoshiro's eyes widened.

"Hello, Fuji? The line's not good. I can't hear you very well."

Echizen was trying hard not to lose his temper. Why was Tezuka calling his Syusuke? Was Fuji having a relationship with the buchou behind his back?

"Buchou, this Echizen."

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Slice.

Top spin.

Top spin.

Backhand.

Forehand.

The yellow ball bounced back and forth across the court, Fuji and Atobe not giving in a point. It was obvious that they were tired – they were exerting more than what was usual – but neither was going to risk a glitch in his play.

Atobe hit a Jack Knife. "So? What are you going to do then?"

Fuji hit it back with all his might. "I plan to make up for it."

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"Ah, Echizen." He did not expect this. He didn't really want to talk to this person right now. "Is Fuji with you?"

"No."

"Aa."

"Why?" Echizen asked before Tezuka even had the chance to end the call. He needed to know. Dammit, he wanted to shout. Fuji was his already!

Dammit. Everything was going well…

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Jiroh checked his watch. It had been thirty minutes since the rally started and there were no signs that it would be ending soon. He glanced at his boyfriend. He knew that even though Atobe rarely showed it, he cared deeply about his friends. No one had any right to hurt them – only he had. And those who did or would…

…well, let's just leave that to your imagination.

"Why, Fuji? Conscience getting to you?"

Fuji did not reply but just continued to concentrate on the game. The tensai, Jiroh observed, looked different from the way he looked when they had last had a match. The Fuji at that moment was not the usual sadistic and manipulative one. This Fuji was serious.

"How do you plan to make for it, ahn?"

Sunset eyes widened as he saw the position Fuji was in. Tsubame Gaeshi!

"By helping him with Kojiroh."

"Thirty-fifteen!"

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Why, he thought. Why did that everyone have to ask that question? Why was Echizen holding Fuji's phone? Sure, he was the tensai's boyfriend but why now when needed to talk to Fuji and not to the freshman. Why did he have to go through this now? He only wanted to know if Fuji knew where Saeki was!

"Do you still love him?"

Tezuka took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was official.

He hated questions.

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The ball rolled out of the court. Everyone there stood at awe at what just happened. Everyone but the two standing on the court, facing each other. Not one moved. Not one made a sound.

"What do you think gives you right to even talk to Tezuka, Fuji?" Teal eyes were boring on the tensai, emotion flowing from them. "More so fix his love life for him?"

The tensai tightened his grip on the ball in his hand.

"I know I don't Atobe. But even so, I want to make up for all the pain I've caused him."

"By helping him with Saeki?"

"Yes."

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Momoshiro watched the freshman from afar. Some part of him wanted to listen to what Echizen and the buchou were talking about. Yet some part of him didn't; it didn't seem right.

The latter had won.

"Love doesn't easily fade away, Echizen."

He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. Why did the buchou have to be so difficult? Why didn't he just answer the stupid question?!

"You didn't answer my question, buchou. Do you still love Syusuke?"

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Atobe smirked. "That's quite presumptuous and arrogant of you, Fuji. How sure are you that Saeki's the man for the job?"

"Saa…" And for the first time since their eyes locked into each other, the tensai closed his eyes and smiled. "Do you believe in destiny, Atobe?"

The Hyotei buchou raised an eyebrow. "Ahn?"

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He didn't remember being this frustrated in months.

Closing his eyes, he gritted his teeth, hands almost crushing his boyfriend's phone. Why did Tezuka have to call Fuji when the tensai forgot his phone with him? Was it coincidence? No. He didn't believe in such… nonsensical things.

But WHY?! Someone tell him WHY?!I

"More burgers, Echizen?"

The freshman looked up and saw those amethyst eyes shining at him. He was expecting his senior to be prodding but Momoshiro wasn't. Instead, his sempai just smiled at him, offering him more burgers.

Echizen smiled. "Thank you, Momo-sempai."

-Tsuzuku-

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Author's Notes: There were some references to 'More than Burgers' so if you want to understand it better, I recommend that you read it as well. Thank you for reading. I'll try and write the next installment soon, okay?