Title: Fallout

Author: Queen Momoko

Chapter: 6

Series: Prince of Tennis

Pairings: Fujicest, Mizuki/Yuuta

Rating: PG

Summary: The morning after.

Disclaimer: I don't own PoT. If I did the entire series would probably not be able to be shown on television.

When Yuuta looked into the kitchen the next morning, he found everyone in the house sitting at the table eating breakfast. Everyone, except one person. A second quick glance around the kitchen still showed his brother missing.

"Where's aniki?" Yuuta asked, trying not to sound nervous.

"Oh, he went out early this morning," His mother answered. "He said he had to practice today, since he was absent from tennis all last week."

"He also said for you to take better care of yourself," Yumiko lightly scolded. "If you don't he said that he's going to transfer over there to take personal care of you."

"I'm sure that there wouldn't be any need for Fuji-san to transfer. I'm going to be keeping a close eye on our Yuuta-kun from now on," Mizuki commented.

Yuuta stared at his sister. While Syuusuke's threat was something that he wished to avoid, he just couldn't help but to feel that the presentation given by his sister couldn't live up to Syuusuke's version. But he nodded in reply anyway and sat to eat his breakfast. Yuuta barely paid attention to the rest of talking going on around him.

Soon enough, it was time for him and Mizuki to return to their school. The two boys bid their farewell to the Fuji family and began the train ride back. Yuuta, for his part, ignored Mizuki's stare and thought about his older brother's mysterious disappearance. It wasn't like his brother to pass up a chance to spend more time with him. In fact, it hadn't happened as far back as he could remember. If anything, he'd always had to fight for time away from his brother.

Plus there was the obvious lie about Syuusuke going off for the purpose of practicing. While he knew that his brother enjoyed playing tennis, he had always made excuses to spend time with Yuuta. Also since when had Seigaku had practice on Sunday? His brother had lied and there was really only one solution to the lie. That answer was that Syuusuke simply wished to avoid him. But why would he start now?

He worried the inside of his lip as he thought about the possibility of his brother having heard him. The anxiety in his stomach grew. It was ironic that he went away to school to get away from his brother, but he knew the only thing that would make him feel better would be to find his brother waiting at St Rudolph's to harass him.

"Yuuta-kun," Mizuki huffed, arms crossed over his chest. "Listen to me when I'm talking to you."

"Aa. Sorry, Mizuki-san," Yuuta focused on Mizuki, face red in embarrassment. "What were you saying?" Yuuta could feel Mizuki's eyes narrow suspiciously.

"I was saying that we're going to have to completely re-do your training regime and your diet," Mizuki's eyes tracked Yuuta's every twitch. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

Yuuta's eyes flashed up to Mizuki's face. Did he know? "T-tell you?" His face colored and he shook his head vigorously. "No. Nothing."

"…" Mizuki kept his stare fixed on Yuuta. "Fine," he finally relented. "I was thinking that…"

Mizuki's voice filled Yuuta's ears and he heard none of it. Did Mizuki know? And if Mizuki knew, did his brother?

Fuji walked. He had taken the first train. He wasn't exactly sure where he was, but it was enough that he could walk around the unfamiliar streets. When he had first arrived, there had only been a few people out walking or heading somewhere. But now, the streets had picked up. Traffic appeared to be stop and go and business men walked along, theoretically heading to their office to put in a few more hours on their day off.

While the bustle of city streets usually relaxed him, this time it wasn't doing anything for him. His mind was just as confused and jumbled as it had been when he had first set out. It wasn't like he had wanted to go and see his brother pleasuring himself, but he had, and he had heard it too.

When his brother had been learning to speak, Syuusuke had been to difficult a name for Yuuta to say. So instead, he had called him 'Suke. The various attempts his parents had made to get Yuuta to call him aniki, had only been marginally successful. Yuuta would only call him aniki in public, but staunchly continued to call him 'Suke at home. It was only when his brother had gotten into junior high that had he stopped using that old nickname, claiming it to be childish.

But he had heard it. Breathless and whispered, but he had still heard his brother say it. Why though? Why would his brother say it? Yuuta was still upset at him. He had to be.

Fuji just didn't understand, so he just kept walking.

"Mou! When is Fujiko coming back?" Kikumaru asked, for what seemed like the hundredth time, scanning the courts.

"Hai. Hai. I'm back," Fuji's smiling voice came up from behind the red-head. "Since you've missed me so much, maybe I-"

"Fujiko!" Eiji interrupted, glomping the other boy. "Waa! I thought maybe you had been forced to quite tennis or something! That would be horrible! Wai! I'm so glad that you're back!"

"Sorry. Sorry," Fuji chuckled and patted his friend's back. "I had to take care of Yuuta for a little while."

"Is he alright?" Oishi asked. "Was it anything serious?"

"Mm. He's fine now. Thanks for the concern."

"Fuji. You have laps to do," Tezuka cut-in.

"Hai," Fuji smiled and started on his laps. He had missed practice all the previous week and he had expected this punishment.

"Mou, its not like Fujiko was skipping practice because he wanted to," Eiji whispered to Oishi.

"Eiji," Oishi hissed at his double's partner.

"But…" Kikumaru started, before catching sight of Tezuka's hard stare. "Come on, Oishi, let's go practice." Eiji said in a rush, dragging his partner off to the far court.

Tezuka watched the rest of the club scatter from their groups and start their morning practice. He had heard from Ryuuzaki the reason for Fuji's absence, but that still didn't excuse him from not coming to practice. He had to treat all members of the club equally. But he was glad that Fuji was finally back and that his brother was doing well.

"Fuji's pace is 5 faster than usual. At this pace, he'll be exhausted by the end of morning practice and will be in danger of pulling a muscle in the afternoon practice if he continues this pace then."

Tezuka glanced at Inui and turned his attention back to Fuji. The tensai's usual smile was replaced with an almost frown as he ran.

"The week off of practice should not have impacted his rhythm like this," Inui said as he flipped through his notebook, marking down notes in intervals. "Unless something happened to him during the week off, but it doesn't look like anything is physically wrong with him."

Fuji smiled up at Tezuka as he jogged past.

Tezuka would have to talk to Fuji today. It was his job as the captain of the team to try to find out what was going on with Fuji. He knew that it was going to be a long frustrating conversation, probably with no actual resolution or answer from Fuji, but he had to try. Tezuka could already feel the headache starting and rubbed the bridge of his nose accordingly. It would be best to get it over with.

"Fuji." Tezuka's call brought Fuji's jogging to a stop.

"Yes?" Fuji cocked his head with a smile. "Is there something you want, Tezuka-buchou?"

"Come with me," Tezuka grunted and led Fuji to the clubroom.

"What's going on?" Tezuka asked after a minute of silence.

"What's going on with what, Tezuka?" Fuji asked back.

"You're acting odd," Tezuka returned flatly.

"Odd? Saa, but I'm always odd, ne?" Fuji teased back, his smile stiffening a little at the edges.

"How are things at your house?"

"Fine," Fuji replied.

"And with Yuuta?"

Fuji paused for a second. "Everything is fine, Buchou."

Tezuka stared at Fuji, who stared back.

"Fine," Tezuka conceded, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "However, if your tennis or concentration suffers during practice, I will take you off the team. Understand, Syuusuke?"

Fuji nodded.

"I'm your captain. If you need to talk, come to me." Tezuka waited for Fuji to nod. "Get back to practice. You'll spend the rest of the picking up balls with the first years."

"Yes, Buchou," Fuji answered before heading out to the courts again.

Tezuka sighed. Some days he wondered if it was really worth being the captain.

"Fuji, what did Tezuka-buchou want to talk with you about today during practice?" Eiji asked as they walked to their class. "Was he yelling at you for missing all those practices? Though he shouldn't have, 'cause you had an excuse for not coming to school."

Fuji laughed. "It was nothing, Eiji. He just had a few questions for me about how I was doing."

Kikumaru eyed Fuji carefully. "Are you hiding something from me?"

"No," Fuji smiled.

"We'll see about that! Kikumaru Tickle Attack!" the red-head called out, chasing Fuji into their classroom. Fuji laughed and tickled Kikumaru back.

Once class started, Fuji wrote down the notes that his instructors put on the front board, attempting to pay attention. Still, his attention wandered to the window beside his desk and the sky outside. What had happened with his brother? And how was he supposed to behave around him now? It wasn't like he was going to see his younger brother for a bit probably, but eventually he'd have to do something. What that something was, Syuusuke didn't know. That frightened him more than he actually wanted to admit.

Comments and Criticism Welcome. Sorry for the long wait, but classes sapped my creativity for a while, and I'm finally feeling able to write again.