Disclaimer: No, I don't own Prince of Tennis

"Ne, Tezuka. If you had to choose between me and tennis which would you choose?"

Tezuka turned to look at the boy next to him, but Fuji wasn't looking at him. "Why do you ask? Do you want me to choose?"

"No. I was just wondering." The smile Fuji kept on his face masked any emotion he might have been feeling.

Silence settled between them.

-0-

Fuji did not need an answer to that question. The answer had been given a long time ago. Tezuka would sacrifice anything for tennis, for the team. That was made clear when the team captain played Atobe in the Kanto Tournament. He didn't mind. It was, after all, Tezuka's love for tennis that first captured the Tensai's heart. Fuji silently wondered to himself, would he love Tezuka if Tezuka did not play tennis?

-0-

Tezuka considered the question posed by the boy next to him. Would he choose tennis over the Tensai?

"You'd probably choose tennis wouldn't you?" The smile didn't leave the boy.

"Why do you say that?" Tezuka revealed nothing on his face.

"Because, Tezuka, you love tennis." As if that explained everything. As if that meant he didn't hold the other boy dear.

-0-

Yes, Fuji decided. He would still love Tezuka. No matter what. And just as much.

-0-

"Are you saying I don't love you?"

Those words came out before he could stop it. A light blush colored both their faces. Fuji averted his eyes. He hadn't exactly expected such an answer.

"Well, are you saying you do love me?" Fuji chanced a glance at Tezuka. Tezuka had, at that moment, also turned to look at Fuji. Their eyes met…and held.

-0-

"Fuji…" Tezuka couldn't look away from the Tensai. The expectant look in his eyes made it even harder to look away, and harder still to answer. "…Must I answer?"

-0-

Fuji looked away. Maybe it had been too much to hope. "No, but an answer would be nice," Fuji said, still smiling.

An uncomfortable silence engulfed the pair. As much as Fuji wanted to fill it, he couldn't bring himself to. The silence was suffocating.

Maybe it was time for him to leave. Turning to look at Tezuka, Fuji righted himself.

"Well, guess I'll see you tomorrow then, Tezuka."

-0-

"Wait." Tezuka reached out and grabbed the retreating boy's arm. "Yes."

"Yes? What do you mean?"

Tezuka couldn't tell if Fuji was trying to coax the confession out of him or not. He didn't want Fuji to leave just like that.

"Yes, I'm saying I…I l-love…"

-0-

Call him a sadist, but Fuji couldn't help but find Tezuka's stuttering amusing.

"…I love you."

Even so…

"…You're lying." Fuji couldn't help but catch his breath.

"Why would I lie about something like this?"

"Because you know it's what I want to hear."

Tezuka stared straight into Fuji's eyes. Had Fuji been breathing at the time, he surely would have caught his breath again.

Tezuka's hands found Fuji's and held on tight.

-0-

"I love you, Fuji Shuusuke." Before Fuji could react, Tezuka leaned down and kissed him. It was slow and slightly awkward, but filled with emotions all the same. Fuji hadn't expected a kiss.

It didn't matter if Tezuka did choose tennis over him. That was the first time they'd kiss and that was more than enough. It was also the first time Tezuka had said "I love you."

It was more than enough.

Tezuka pulled away from the Tensai. Fuji was beaming. Although he was always smiling, Tezuka knew that it didn't always show Fuji's genuine emotions. Fuji's smile hid from the world everything the boy was thinking. Despite all that he knew, he had a feeling that this one smile was completely genuine.

"Ne, Tezuka, I love you, too."

A/N: Confession...I actually started this one way back when, even before I finished the last fic...I just never got around to finishing it...

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