Disclaimer: I do not own Price of Tennis.

Ice

Chapter 3


"What are you doing here, Fuji-senpai?"

Without saying a word, Fuji took off his scarf and wrapped it around Ryoma lovingly. The scarf was soft and warm because of the senpai's body heat. Ignoring the boy's wide-eyed stare, he covered the boy's freezing hands with his own. Breathing warm air on his hands, Fuji reprimanded him,

"You shouldn't stay here so long." However the effect was ruined by the tensai's sweet smile and affectionate tone. Echizen's face was flushed with a pink tinge at the intimate way Fuji was treating him. Reaching next to him, he revealed the lunchbox he had brought.

"It's Japanese food. I remembered that you liked it," explained Fuji to Ryoma's questioning glance.

The smell of the pork buns and fried noodles made Echizen feel a little dizzy. After what had happened, his appetite disappeared and meals were skipped regularly. After days of the same, his body had grown accustomed to it. Looking at food now repulsed him.

"Yadda," spat Ryoma hard and clear.

Fuji opened his eyes in surprise. Covering up his slight disappointment with a merry smile, he leaned on his hand, deep in thought. A sudden light illuminated his face as his head shot up.

"Ne Ryoma, if you take just one bite, I'll show you my unsurpassed tennis move," persuaded the tensai in a sugary tone. Knowing he had captured the younger boy's attention, he continued evenly,

"The third counter." He held out his hand to finalize the deal and opened his eyes in bewilderment when the freshman didn't do the same.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Ryoma in a perplexed tone. His eyes betrayed the distrustfulness that he felt.

"Because I don't want you to collapse out of exhaustion," replied Fuji nonchalantly. A deeper voice whispered,' Because I care.'

"Deal." The younger boy's smaller hand connected with Fuji's hand with an almost undetectable uncertainty.

Picking up the lunchbox, Echizen taught himself how to eat again. Each bite was painful as the foreign flavors came into contact with his taste-buds. Forcing the food down his throat, he ate on with a disagreeable pout. Fuji watched the flurry of expressions that flitted across the boy's face with an odd feeling of contentment. Unable to contain this emotion, he turned towards Ryoma and placed a light, feathery kiss on his nose.

"You're too cute, Echizen." The boy struggled to fight the blush that was spreading to his cheeks which added more evidence to the statement. Fuji let out an amused laugh while Ryoma sat on with a frown on his face. However, if you looked closely you'd notice the darting glances that the boy gave the tensai and the frown that twitched at the corners.


Walking to class the next day, Fuji couldn't bring himself to pay attention to anything but the boy that kept invading his thoughts. The said boy's name halted him in his tracks.

"What's with Echizen lately? First he skips lunch and ignores everyone. Now this," said a familiar voice.

"What are you talking about?" Fuji shook a startled Horio by the shoulders.

"It's Echizen. He didn't come to school today and there wasn't even an excuse from his parents," Horio managed to stutter out.

"Wait Fuji-senpai, where are you going?" Fuji already sprinted out the school doors.


Black, shadowy flames rose up from and consumed Echizen. He thrashed about violently trying to run away from this terrifying power but an undetectable oppression held him down. He opened his mouth to scream but his voice was swallowed up by the murky sky.

Shooting up suddenly, Ryoma felt a sharp pain split his head. His body was covered with sweat and his hand reached up to feel tears on his face. Used to the daily nightmares by now, he looked at the alarm clock beside him realize that it was half past noon. Springing off his bed, he crumpled against his bedroom wall as a ripping pain tore through his entire body. Darkness erupted around him.


A/N: I think this is one of the worst chapters I've written so far due to my lack of ability at writing fluff.