AN:
A big thank you to everyone who reviewed.
Disclaimer: I do not own the PoT characters.
WARNINGS AU, slash, many, many Ocs (original characters)
Chapter 7"What are we doing for the blasted play?" Daisuke demanded, dropping down on the bench beside Haru.
"Don't swear."
The vice captain tapped a stack of novels before him. "As for the play, everyone's been giving ideas. If you're not playing right now, please lend a hand in helping me sort these out."
The jester opened his mouth to make an excuse then thought better of it, taking pity on his harassed looking teammate. Sorting through the pile, he riffled through pages of script.
"I never did like that story," he muttered, tossing a book over his shoulder. "Let's take a look at this one."
Daisuke looked up when the feverish activity beside him paused. Following Haru's gaze, he raised an eyebrow at the duo standing on the side of the nearest court where Sanga and Sango were playing. Neither appeared to be actually watching the match
"Do you think we should—ah—help him?" Haru flushed and averted his eyes.
Daisuke, obviously feeling no such compunctions, stared in open fascination, hiding a wide smirk behind a hand that was not quite able to conceal it. "Oh, I think he's—ah—got it under—heheh—control."
'Under control' was most definitely not how Echizen Ryoma would have chosen to describe his current predicament.
"Fuji, stop it."
"Saa…stop what?"
"…Don't hang all over me like that."
"Mmm."
Muscles tensed at the feel of cool, slender fingers creeping up his bare back.
"…I mean it."
"Saa…But I don't want to."
"This one looks interesting," Haru said hastily. "I've never heard of it before, but it has the right number of main characters. Eight—and there will be eight of us after the ranking matches."
Daisuke wrenched his attention down to the book Haru had stuffed into his hands. Across the top, written in an elegant, curving script, was the title, which he read aloud.
"White & Crimson Roses."
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Ryoma smirked. It was time for the ranking matches and his first game of the game was against none other than Ytashi. Bouncing the tennis ball, he stared darkly across the net at his opponent. Ytashi had never yet won one game from him and Ryoma was not about to let him start now. On the courts alone, skilled as he may be, Ytashi was no match for him.
"Hmm m m'mm?"
Sango looked up as is twin came to stand beside him. Interpreting the series of noises correctly as 'how's it going?' he smiled.
"Buchou is pretty much wiping the floor with him."
"Mmm." Sanga nodded, a knowing look on his face.
"Not surprised?"
"Mm mm."
"Neither am I. They never did get along, ever since Echizen turned up with that cocky smile of his and flattened him."
…………………………….
Minou examined the scoreboard as he entered Daisuke's last match at six to two. It came as no surprise that Ryoma had made it through all his marches so far without losing a single round. That left him in the finals for the first division. The question was, who would he be playing?
Blinking, he peered more closely at the board. It was Fuji and Ytashi in the round before the semifinals.
…………………..
Ytashi smirked as he watched the teen with the light brown hair step onto the court. This was his chance to get revenge for the broken nose the transfer student had given him.
On the side of the court, Ryoma smirked, leaning back against the fence to watch. The expression on Ytashi's face when the ball spun across the ground past him without bouncing up again was priceless. It came as absolutely no surprise to him when Fuji slaughtered the other player six to zero.
Now that was a game Ryoma was never going to forget.
Golden eyes gleamed and he straightened. That most probably left Fuji and himself facing off in the last match of the day.
……………………………..
"So it's the captain against the new student?" Haru asked anxiously.
Sanga sat down beside his twin, grinning. "This I've got to see."
As the two shook hands over the net, Ryoma fixed Fuji with a serious glare. "Don't toy with me. I want a serious game."
Sapphire eyes glinted over the almost mocking, faultless smile. "If I play you seriously, you're going to owe me one."
"Whatever you want."
Fuji smirked. "You said so yourself."
The younger boy paused uneasily at the look on the prodigy's face, but the appeal of a serious game with the tensai was too great.
People gathered to watch in fascinated wonder as the two began to play with a familiarity that spoke of long acquaintance. Murmurs of amazement at their skill rippled all around them and Minou adjusted his glasses for a better look. Now this was a match he never thought he would see at this school and he wanted to miss nothing.
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Ryoma cursed the rain as he followed Fuji reluctantly inside. The score stood five to four in the tensai's favor, but he was sure he could beat him if only the rain had not come on so suddenly. Judging from the loud patter of raindrops on the locker room ceiling, the flash flood would not be letting up anytime soon.
Still, it had been a good game.
Haru handed him the final results of the matches and Ryoma scanned the chart, unsurprised.
Incidentally, th owners of the respective names would also be the cast for their end-of-year performance.
The final line-up for the regulars was posted on the locker room door before they left:
Aimiri Minou
Echizen Ryoma
Fuji Syusuke
Kirai Sanga
Kirai Sango
Minaraiya Daisuke
Samara Haru
Samara Shikara
TBC
AN: Thanks for reading and please review.