Hey! I forgot to tell you last time, but there's a picture of the kiss scene up on my DeviantArt account! I'd love for you to check it out, just remember that it's TOTALLY hand drawn, so don't expect anything fancy.

Here We Go Again

Chapter Seventeen: Road to Recovery

Arisawa Kenji was one of the patients lucky enough to be staying in one of Tokyo's largest, most expensive hospitals. He was also lucky because although he did need to be hospitalized, it was only because of a case of pneumonia gone wrong. Kenji was perfectly fine by now, in his opinion, and so he was now wandering the halls in search of something to do. Never mind if the doctors said he wasn't totally back to normal, and never mind if his parents had told him not to leave his room again. He was bored.

Which way was the cafeteria again? Well, whatever. They have signs up everywhere in the lobby.

At the very least, he could remember where that was. Remembering the elevators and large waiting area he'd just passed, Kenji turned around and headed back to the spacious room filled with chairs and softly murmuring visitors.

Ignoring the curious glances his hospital pajamas were drawing, the redheaded boy stepped into the elevator. In the walls, which were partially covered by mirrors, he saw his own large hazel eyes blinking back at him. I'm way too pale; I've got to get back into the sun soon. Sure enough, his usually tan skin was getting pale from being out of the sun's reach for so long. Well, he'd just eat outside, then.

When the elevator dinged, Kenji stepped out briskly, content at having found a purpose. As soon as he stepped out, however, he was assaulted by a wave of sound. A large group of teenage boys, probably about five years older than him, were taking up a good portion of the lobby. Oddly, though some of them looked like full-grown adults, others were only a bit larger than him. There were also at least five different hair colors among the group, and the facial expressions ranged from dead serious to tranquilly smiling to openly laughing. It was definitely a weird grouping.

In the center of it all stood the shortest of all of them, a tiny thing nearly swallowed up in all the people. Judging by the long black hair, it was a girl, but the narrow hips and choice of clothing said otherwise. Well, I've seen stranger hair around Tokyo, (my own included) so I guess that's not much to go on. He's a boy, then.

"Uwah! Oishi! Ochibi glared at me again!" exclaimed a teen with gravity-defying red hair. He jumped onto another visitor, a man taller than him with cropped black hair, and wrapped around him like a boa constrictor.

The quick movement revealed the tiny boy's face. He had large golden eyes that barely showed any emotion, only a hint of exasperation and amusement. His features were delicate, feminine, and (oddly) pretty. The unruly green-black hair that Kenji had noted earlier was pulled into a low ponytail, but that didn't stop the long bangs from obscuring "Ochibi's" forehead.

It was definitely a remarkable face, but what made it even more remarkable was the fact that Kenji had seen it plastered all over magazine covers, billboards, and television screens for the past two years. Echizen… Ryoma?

The famous tennis star was standing right there in front of him, clear as day. He had seen the young athlete on television countless times, performing feats of all kinds with a simple ball and racquet. But… why is he here?

Echizen was one of the most famous people in the world right now, and even if the tabloids had said that he was living around Tokyo again, Kenji couldn't think of why he would be in a hospital. Maybe he's visiting someone? Or maybe he got-

"Ken-ji."

A dark threatening voice called out behind him, slowly enunciating the two syllables of his name. The redhead froze, choking slightly and looking sick. Slowly, ever so slowly, he turned around.

A statuesque blonde nurse stood behind him, hands on her hips and eyebrows ticking. "Now, I know you're not wandering around again when I specifically told you not to."

"O-of course not, Nozomi-san," the boy managed to reply through his twitching.

In one clean swipe, the woman grabbed her charge's ear and began dragging him off, completely ignoring his struggling and flailing. "Back to bed!

~X~

As the loud complaints of a young patient getting dragged back to his room echoed through the lobby, Tezuka motioned for his team to leave.

"Ah, wait." The captain turned around to see Fuji looking at Ryoma while the boy mouthed something quickly. "Ryoma said he doesn't quite want to go back yet. I think he wants to get out a little."

"It would be a good idea for Echizen to take a walk and get some fresh air. He's been in bed for the past few weeks, so he should start regaining his strength a little," commented Oishi, seeming to like the idea.

Ryoma, although he was glad that he could get out for a while, wasn't very happy with his upperclassman's reasoning. He'd spent years building up muscles and stamina, and while yes, he was out of shape, it wasn't like he'd collapse after a little running. Whatever. I'll take what I can get.

"I'll take him out to lunch, then," Fuji proclaimed happily.

The short boy's eye twitched and he gritted his teeth subtly. Take what I can get. Take what I can get. Take what I can get.

"Sounds good! We haven't gone to that burger joint in forever!" At Momo's exclamation, Ryoma realized that the trickster meant the entire team.

"No way!" he mouthed emphatically. It really was a pity that he couldn't shout anymore.

Even if his teammates hadn't been learning to read lips, there was no way they could have misinterpreted him.

Ryoga laughed loudly. "That hurts, Chibisuke. We get to see you out of a hospital bed for the first time in ages and you don't want to see us."

"That's because you're too loud," the boy responded, his face completely blank.

"Eh… Did Ochibi just call us loud again? I couldn't tell…" Kikumaru whispered loudly to Oishi.

"That he did," Ryoga confirmed, still chuckling slightly.

"Well, it's settled." Spinning on his heel, Fuji grabbed Ryoma's elbow and began frog-marching him out of the hospital. The young teen began mouthing angrily, and Kevin was roughly able to discern, "How is it settled?"

~X~

Ryoma lifted his face to the sun, enjoying the fresh breeze brushing against his skin. He didn't appreciate getting dragged off like a disobedient child, but he liked being out and about. The farther he walked, the more kinks he was able to get out of his muscles. The more kinks he was able to get out of his muscles, the freer he felt. It almost made everything seem normal.

Then again, maybe "normal" isn't the right word, he thought, feeling the fingers entwined with his. For your own safety, he says. No one will notice or care, he says.

Fuji had insisted on holding hands on the way to the café where they could have an outdoor lunch, stating that he didn't want to lose track of Ryoma in the crowds. Even if that is his reason, I'm sick of the giggles and "cute couple" comments.

The two walked in (somewhat) comfortable silence for a few blocks before Fuji stopped them in front of a small Italian restaurant with sidewalk seating. "We're here."

Quickly appraising the building, Ryoma nodded and walked in with his upperclassman. Inside, the restaurant was designed in a Tuscan theme, with earthy colors and a cozy atmosphere.

Before they had taken more than five steps inside, the hostess perked up and walked over to them. "Fuji-san! I haven't seen you around in ages; how've you been?" embracing him in a sisterly hug, she turned to her clipboard. "Do you want your table outside again?"

"Yes, Hana-san. For two," replied the brunet, indicating his companion.

"Ah! Isn't that-"

"Yes, it is," Fuji said, cutting the woman off. "We'd appreciate it if you didn't make a fuss." He smiled sweetly at her, tilting his head.

"Oh, I understand," she said, getting over her surprise and nodding. "We have a corner table on the patio that's open. How's that sound?"

"Perfect, thank you."

She led them out to the patio, where fences covered in delicate vines of ivory closed off the space from the bustling street. In a corner facing the street, Hana indicated for the two teens to sit down.

"Call me over whenever you're ready to order, 'kay?"

Ryoma nodded distractedly, already focusing on the menu. "What's good here?"

"The eggplant parmesan and the spaghetti bolognese, if memory serves," Fuji replied complacently, looking over his own. "This qualifies as a date, did you know?"

Ryoma, who had been taking a sip of water, quickly found out that it was possible to choke on a drink and do a spit-take with it at the same exact time. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well, when a man and another much smaller man love each other very much-"

"You've got to be kidding."

Fuji laughed, waving one hand dismissively. "I am, I am. But you have to admit, this is quite a bit like a-"

"Don't even say it. Don't even think about saying it."

This was too weird. He was totally used to weird, but this was just… wrong. His upperclassman, a person he'd known for years as a really creepy friend, was saying that they were on a date. No. No, no, no.

"I'm thinking of quite a few things right now, Ryo-chan." At the brunet's reply and its implications, Ryoma shivered. This was apparently very funny, as Fuji immediately began laughing again. "Okay, sorry. I'm done."

"Tch. Doubtful."

"Ah, is someone still grumpy from being in the hospital too long?" Fuji was still laughing slightly, obviously enjoying the banter. He had missed teasing Ryoma without interference of other people.

"Damn straight I am."

Before Fuji could taunt him again, Hana arrived with her notepad in hand, asking if they were ready to order. After she had left and Ryoma had calmed down sufficiently, the dark haired boy placed his chin on the heel of his hand and gazed out at the street, in a state of pensive thought.

Fuji followed suit, happy to sit peacefully. After several minutes just sitting and enjoying each other's presence, Ryoma suddenly turned his head. "So," he began, waiting for the brunet to turn his head and lip read properly, "What comes next?"

Tilting his head to the side and opening his eyes halfway, the genius stirred his drink slowly. "Who knows? What do you want to happen next?"

Choosing to only respond to the tennis related meaning and nothing else, Ryoma looked up from his own drink, eyes burning. "I want to go win the US Open."

Fuji's eyes shot open all the way, homing in on the boy. "No."

Ryoma narrowed his eyes, accepting the challenge to a staring contest. "I wasn't asking for permission."

"And I don't care. You're not going."

"Why the hell not? You're not the boss of me and I need to win."

"That may be true, but I care about you and don't want you going to New York City when you're still recovering." The two began to feel the stress of the past few weeks building up, heating their tempers. Even Fuji, so calm and collected, was struggling to keep his composure.

"I'm not crippled, whatever you think. I promised I'd get the damn trophy again and I will," replied Ryoma, glaring. He wasn't made of glass, for god's sake.

"I know you're not, but the fact remains that if you strain yourself, the stitches on your chest might break, not all of your bruises are gone, and you can't speak."

As Ryoma's eyes widened with something akin to hurt, Fuji instantly found himself regretting his words. "I'm sorry."

"Doesn't matter." The freshman's face belied his words, though, as it had become sullen and closed off. Knowing full well that the boy was in no mood to talk, Fuji stayed silent. When Hana returned with their lunches some minutes later, it came as a huge relief.

The two began eating, (though in Ryoma's case, it was better described as devouring) still not breaking the silence.

Luckily, eating copious amounts of something other than hospital food had relaxed the younger of the two, and the tension had eased between them before the meal was finished. Once both had finished their meals, Fuji called Hana over, asking for the check. It was brought right away and, despite Ryoma's silent objections, paid for by the brunet.

"Are you ready to go?" inquired Fuji as he stood gracefully, offering his hand. Reluctantly, since he was apparently still upset, Ryoma accepted it. "Do you want to go back now, or do you want to stay out a little longer?"

"Stay out. I don't really care where we go."

The brunet nodded, a destination already in mind. They were still not back to their normal level of comfort together, and he wanted to make amends. Leading the boy by the hand again, Fuji brought them to a park, peaceful, vibrant, and beautiful. Cobbled pathways wound lazily through the green expanse, and trees and plants stood in small clusters. A little ways off, some children were playing soccer under their parents' supervision, and an empty swing set rested in a nearby grove of young trees. The faint sounds of a woman chatting with an ice cream vendor could be heard from somewhere beyond the bend in the pathway.

Ryoma's lips had parted slightly at the picturesque scene, but he now turned to Fuji. "Where is this?"

"It's a park my parents would sometimes take us to when Yuuta, Yumiko and I were children. What do you think?" The brunet wore a gentle smile as he explained, remembering days gone by.

"…It's nice."

"I'm glad you think so." Fuji led them over to the swing set, letting the small boy settle down. Smiling mischievously, he then began to walk off. "I'll be right back."

Ryoma started and began to get up, but fell back as his chaperone pointed between his blinking gold eyes. "Sit. Stay."

"Tch."

To his delight, the boy had recently found that saying "tch" did not require the use of vocal chords. All he had to do was move his tongue correctly and send air through. He crossed his arms and looked off to the side, completing the image of an upset toddler.

Dear me. He's pouting, isn't he? thought Fuji as he walked away from the swings. Now where was that ice cream man?

~X~

"I hope you like vanilla."

Ryoma looked up to see his upperclassman holding two cones of ice cream, both a perfect creamy white. "Yeah. Thanks."

He accepted the cone and began licking slowly, looking at the ground with unfocused eyes. Noticing his glum mood, (and the enticing way his tongue swept over the ice cream) Fuji decided that it was time to speak up. "I really am sorry about what I said. It was insensitive."

"Not really. It's true." As he spoke, Ryoma's face seemed to become even more downcast.

"Hey," said Fuji, gently grabbing the boy's chin and bringing them eye-to-eye. "It'll be fine. That time, I meant what I said."

The boy thought back to his first night in the hospital, the confession, the promise, the kiss. It seemed that the brunet looking into his eyes was doing the same, too. In the blink of an eye, he had pulled them together and kissed the boy sweetly. It was much more chaste than their first kiss, but was still just as passionate.

Recovering from his shock, Ryoma pulled back. "Oi, we're in public!"

Smiling mischievously again, Fuji leaned in until their lips were almost brushing. "So give them a show. They'll all think you're a girl anyways." At this, Ryoma glared, but in his somewhat unstable state, it came out looking like a pout. "You're really not helping your case with that face, cutie."

To smother the protests that he knew would come, Fuji sealed them in a heated kiss, working his tongue into Ryoma's mouth and using it to explore. To his credit, the small high schooler was able to resist somewhat, briefly battling for dominance. Eventually, though, he melted, and became content with leaving the older teen in charge. The brunet's kisses were incredible, full of passion and love, but still gentle and caring.

Fuji found himself thinking along the same lines as he tilted his head to the other side, gasping quietly for breath. The way Ryoma went about kissing, from what he could gather, was still a little hesitant and inexperienced, though he knew first hand that the boy learned quickly. All the same, once he relented and began to kiss back, Ryoma's taste, his tongue, his smell, his everything was addictive. I can't get enough of it.

Eventually, the two parted, both slightly flushed. "Am I forgiven?" asked Fuji, quickly regaining his composure.

The boy flashed an impish grin with his eyes back to their usual gleam. "I guess I can think about it."

"Is that so?" The older of the two felt his body relax as they began to banter again. Suddenly, though, the tension returned as Ryoma reached for his ice cream and dragged his finger around it in one quick swipe. In the same motion, his brought the digit to his lips and licked the sweet cream slowly.

"It was dripping," he observed, keeping his face deliberately blank. He watched with amusement as his companion's eyes shot open and his cheeks flushed. So the great "tensai" can be phased, huh?

After a brief pause, Fuji relaxed and smiled again. "Keep pulling stuff like that and you'll get in trouble one day. Quite possibly with me."

"Gotcha."

At the blasé answer, the brunet stood again, offering his hand. Ryoma took it and they began to walk slowly, still licking away at their cones. "Are you ready to go home?"

The teen's green hair danced lazily as he looked around. "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks, I guess."

For once, Fuji gave an honest, warm smile. "Not at all. Now, the school's this way."

After ten minutes of walking through the lively streets of Tokyo, the soaring buildings gradually gave way to a more residential, peaceful area. When they were almost back to Seishun Kokou, however, Ryoma suddenly halted in his tracks. Following the boy's gaze, Fuji saw a large, simple building contained by walls. Seishun Gakuen.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" he commented, thinking about the fun times and unforgettable days spent inside those walls. Those had been an incredible three years, the last of them especially.

Even Ryoma was smiling a tiny bit, eyes roaming over the familiar setting. "Yeah."

"Who'd have thought back then that-"

"That all this weird shit would happen?" interjected Ryoma, smirking.

"Pretty much," replied the brunet, pulling the freshman in for a brief kiss. "So… Are we officially boyfriends now?"

He smiled as Ryoma gagged and looked at him incredulously. "Where did that come from?"

"Who knows…"

To make things better, the boy actually face palmed, shaking his head. "Just… Whatever. Sure."

At the irritated agreement, Fuji hummed in joy. That was oddly nerve-wracking. But he said yes, so it's fine. In an attempt to show how glad he was, the third year leaned down and kissed his newly declared boyfriend again. "I'm glad," he said when they parted. "Now, everyone's probably waiting."

Ryoma nodded, and the two continued to their school. Once inside the grounds, it took another few minutes to reach their dorm. Looking up at the large building for the first time in weeks, the shorter of them was surprised to find that he'd missed the place. Who'd have thought.

"As beautiful as the dorm is, I think Momo will come and drag us in if we stay to long."

The boy started at Fuji's joking statement, having been in his own world. "Aa."

Like a gentleman, his upperclassman opened the door and gestured for his tiny lover to enter. The first thing he noticed was the unnatural silence. Either everyone was out wreaking havoc elsewhere or something was up.

"Welcome home!"

Nope. Definitely the second one. Ryoma's lips parted and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw the packed, festive interior of his dorm. Streamers, and balloons brightened up the room and confetti from a cannon rained down on him. A large banner saying, "Welcome back, Ryoma!" was pinned to the banister in between the slide and the staircase. Taking up all of the floor space were countless old faces. Acquaintances from his freshman year of middle school, dangerous rivals, family, and friends could all be spotted amidst the sea of faces. He could see most, if not all, of the regulars from Rikkai Dai, Rokkaku, and Hyotei, the freshman trio, and his family looking at him with various sized grins.

His mother and father approached first and each gave him a large hug. "Welcome back, sweetheart," his mother whispered in his ear.

"Yo, seishounen. You feeling better?" asked his father playfully, ruffling his hair.

Slowly, his look of surprise morphed into a smile. Fuji, who had stood by his side through it all, squeezed his hand. "Welcome home, Ryoma."

Isn't that sweet? Now, I won't be talking about the party next chapter, but if someone can give me a good prompt for it, I might post it as an omake or one-shot.

What did you think of Kenji? I had just used him to open the chapter up a little differently and wasn't planning on bringing him back, but I can if you want me to.