Disclaimer: same as always.

Rating: PG-13.

Setting: Seigaku days.

Summary: Echizen always sensed something strange between those two.

Word Count: 491

Tezuka and Fuji's relationship, as seen by Echizen.

Echizen knew something was going on between Buchou and Fuji-senpai long before anyone else caught on.

Of course, he didn't know exactly what their relationship was, but he found their behavior together extremely fishy.

Like the time he and Momo-senpai went out for hamburgers and found Buchou tucked away in a corner of the restaurant with Fuji-senpai. Momo-senpai hadn't noticed them, but he certainly did, and it just didn't seem right.

Buchou never ate burgers.

Kikumaru-senpai had invited Buchou countless times to join them for a bite after practice, probably to get out of paying the bill, but each time, they would be delayed for ten minutes by Tezuka-buchou's brief but stern admonishment, followed by Inui's lectures on health and nutrition.

But here Buchou was, chewing on a double cheeseburger while Fuji-senpai sipped smilingly on what looked like a green tea milkshake. Echizen didn't think they sold wasabi milkshakes here.

From their table in the back, Buchou and Fuji-senpai could easily see everyone, yet they failed to spot Momo-senpai and him. Which was odd, considering that Buchou had excellent observation skills. He was probably too immersed in Fuji-senpai's meaningless chatter.

That greatly unsettled Echizen. Buchou wasn't supposed to be playing favorites, even outside of the tennis courts. It wasn't fair. Hadn't Buchou chosen him to be Seigaku's next pillar of support?

After that day, Echizen began paying more attention to the two. It was amazing what one could discover by mere watching.

Fuji-senpai always stood next to Buchou while overseeing matches, their shirt sleeves touching and hands just centimeters apart.

And Buchou always sat to the right of Fuji-senpai during lunch. Occasionally, Buchou would take a bite out of Fuji-senpai's bento, when he thought no one else was looking. He probably didn't want anyone to think that he shared the same exotic tastes as the tensai.

Fuji-senpai also liked waiting for Buchou after practice and handing him his towel as he stepped out of the showers. Echizen wanted to be the one to do that; then maybe, Tezuka-buchou would help him practice his serves and smashes.

And in the middle of afternoon practice, Buchou often called Fuji-senpai in to discuss the others' progress. Or at least, that's what Echizen thought they were talking about. There really couldn't be anything else to talk about that would take over forty minutes at a time.

Echizen figured that Fuji-senpai had gotten too lonely without Yuuta, and Buchou was serving as a substitute. And Tezuka-buchou? Well, Echizen's jealousy wouldn't let him admit that maybe Buchou preferred Fuji-senpai over all the other players, even him.

It wasn't until one day, when Echizen walked into the locker rooms to get his grip tape and found a shirtless Fuji-senpai pressed against the wall with his legs wrapped around their captain's waist, and Buchou desperately grinding his hips against Fuji-senpai's while practically sucking the tensai's face off, that he finally realized the true nature of Buchou and Fuji-senpai's relationship.

---owari---