Title: Thanks to the U.S. Open

Author: Enhael

Pairings: Thrill Pair

Disclaimer: I still don't own Prince of Tennis

Warnings: OOC, Shonen-Ai

Summary: Fuji has become a professional photographer. When he's hired to cover the U.S. Open, he runs into a few familiar faces... Thrill Pair

A/N: ...You all officially have permission to shoot me. I apologize profusely for taking this long to update... And when I finally do, it's not even long.

To bribe you to forgive me, I'll put up two chapters today. I don't know exactly when the second one will be up but I promise it will be before midnight (U.S. Central time) tonight!

KEY

"Talking"

Thoughts

Flashbacks (when centered)

Thanks to the U.S. Open:

We Were Competitive

Enhael

When Fuji arrived at the hotel's tennis courts, he was greeted with the wonderful sight of Kathy flirting shamelessly with a scowling Echizen. Fuji suddenly found it highly difficult to keep up his smile. And what is she doing here? he grumbled. Inwardly, of course.

"Hello, Echizen," was Fuji's cheerful greeting. "And Kathy," he added, giving Echizen an inquiring look. Judging from the slight raise of Echizen's shoulder and the barely detectable twitch of an eyebrow, the other man also had no idea what Fuji's boss was doing there.

"That's Ms. Freeweather to you, Fuji." The sickeningly sweet tone she had been using earlier with Echizen mutated to one full of irritation when she noticed Fuji. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

Fuji held out the racquet he hadn't the heart to throw away. "Playing tennis." Unfortunately.

"With who?" Kathy made a big show of looking about the nearby tennis courts. Almost all were empty.

"Me."

Fuji would have laughed at the look of complete disbelief on Kathy's face if he didn't feel somewhat insulted.

"Fuji. Play tennis. Right," she scoffed and waved a hand in the air as if shooing away the very thought. "He hates tennis."

"Oh?" Echizen's golden gaze flickered to Fuji who merely smiled back.

He's mad. Suddenly a smirk crossed Echizen's face. Don't tell me...

"Fuji-senpai used to lovetennis."

This should lead to a fun conversation.

Luckily for Fuji, a dapper old man approached the three before Kathy could ask any questions.

"Mr. Echizen, I have a question for you." Noticing Fuji and Kathy, he gave them a winning smile. Fuji offered him one in return. Kathy didn't bother to try and do the same. Fuji knew from experience that she hated to be interrupted. Undeterred, the man introduced himself as the hotel manager.

"What is it?" Echizen was scowling again and shifting from foot to foot, eyes locked on Fuji's racquet. He was obviously anxious to start the match.

"Could you do me a huge favor and allow for an audience? There appears to be a very interested crowd forming already and it's rather difficult to keep them away." He hesitated before rushing through his last words. "It also would be good for business."

"Whatever you want." Echizen then ignored the hotel manager's (at least Fuji assumed that was his position from his earlier words) immediate show of gratefulness in favor of turning to Fuji. "So...you hate tennis now?"

Fuji opened his mouth. But to say what, exactly? It's not like he could tell the truth. "I don't exactly hate it. I just avoid it like the plague so that I wont have to think of you more than necessary." Now wouldn't that go over wonderfully?

Once again he was saved from answering an unwelcome question, this time by Kathy.

"Oh, Ryoma! You talk to Fuji as if you've known him for years!" his boss fake-giggled, mood immediately changing once more. She had never been a fan of being ignored.

"He has." As much as Fuji wished to avoid this conversation, he was not about tolet Echizen get his answers from Kathy and vice versa. Sadly, this meant he had to partake in said conversation. That didn't mean he couldn't attempt to leave Kathy out of it, however. "Echizen, can we talk about this later?"

"No way." Echizen lifted his chin stubbornly.

It was worth a try.

"So, you know Fuji." Both young men turned their eyes back to the irritated-looking Kathy. Fuji guessed that her irritation stemmed from her lack of information. "How?"

"He was my senpai on the tennis team."

"'Senpai' this, 'senpai' that. What does that even mean?" Kathy snapped, crossing her arms, not even bothering to keep up her "sweet" act.

…Definitely from lack of information.

Wishing to evade Kathy's wrath so he could just get the dreaded conversation over with, Fuji immediately offered what he hoped was an easily understandable explanation.

"'Senpai' is basically a term for an upperclassman. In this case, 'senpai' would basically mean that I was on the tennis team before he was."

Kathy nodded slowly. "I see." She obviously didn't. "Well, whatever. Just because you were there first doesn't mean you were any good.

Although the close proximity nearly killed him, Fuji leaned over to Echizen and – in a whisper just loud enough for Kathy to hear – said "I'll bet you twenty dollars that she can't go half an hour without insulting me." He returned to his former position just in time to see Echizen smirk and stuff his hands into his pockets.

"That's insubordination, Fuji!" Kathy snarled.

Fuji's only response was a light laugh. This was good. If he kept Kathy angry, she would eventually drag him away to do made-up work or somehow "force" him to leave so she could make her move on an obviously uninterested Echizen. His hope met an untimely demise when Kathy's twisted expression changed to a deceptively serene smile.

She was mad. Fuji could even go so far as to say she was royally pissed off. She obviously wasn't very pleased with Fuji's "new" attitude and his little act of "insubordination" had just been the cherry on the cake.

"Fuji, dearest." Her voice was like poisoned honey, the sweetness masking the threat of death. "Why don't you just prove me wrong, then?"

Fuji inwardly cursed his idiocy. So much for getting out of the match. At least I don't have to answer too many questions this way.

This was also going to prove to be an extremely painful defeat. Sure he had

Just a few moments, a couple of words, and one glare (courtesy of Echizen) later, the two of them were standing within a comfortable talking distance on opposite sides of the net, ignoring the many pairs of eyes watching their every move. Well it was a comfortable talking distance until Echizen decided to lean in quite a bit closer. Fuji did his best to keep his face neutral.

"Fuji-senpai."

"Yes?"

"Let's have a bet."

"A bet?" Fuji blinked. Where is he going with this?

"If I win – which I will – I get a favor from you. If you win – which you wont – you get the same." Ryoma's smirk nearly screamed danger.

"Sounds interesting." And it did. Although Fuji was pretty sure he couldn't win in his current state, a favor from Echizen was wonderful incentive to try. "Shall we begin?"

Ryoma smirked as he leaned away.

"If you're ready to lose."

Fuji merely smiled and lightly placed the tip of the head of his racquet on the ground. "Rough or smooth?"

"Smooth."

Fuji nodded and spun the racquet. It was smooth. I wonder if he'll use the twist serve right off the bat? "You serve, then, I suppose." He said it more for the benefit of the slowly growing crowd (and maybe Kathy) than anything else.

Echizen merely tipped his hat and trotted off to his service line. Fuji hesitated for a split second (Do I really want to do this?) before making his way to his own position.

And with a twist serve, the match began.

The final score was 7-5. Ryoma had just barely won with some new serve that Fuji had never seen before. But Fuji honestly didn't care. All that mattered was that he had just had the most satisfying tennis match of his life and it had been with Ryoma. He felt giddy.

So went Fuji's thoughts as he finally allowed himself to collapse in an ungraceful heap. The last ball slowly rolled past his hand as he propped himself up on his elbows. He noticed that Ryoma appeared to be in a similar state to his own.

"You owe me a favor," Ryoma said between pants, smirk still in place.

"That I do." Fuji had forgotten about their little bet. "What would you like me to do?"

"I want you to-"

"Ryoma!" Kathy interrupted, practically throwing herself on Echizen. "That was amazing!"

Ryoma scowled. Fuji attempted a weak laugh. With Kathy around he probably wouldn't be able to get his answer.

"If you want answers, you should just ask me." Not that they'llbe truthful.

"Like you'll give me any," Echizen scoffed.

"Saa."

Strangely enough it had been Echizen that had initiated their nightly phone chat as Fuji had forgotten to call him. Fuji blamed exhaustion for for this; today had been a bit much, both emotionally and physically. That tennis match had done a number on him and then following Kathy and Echizen as the latter was given a tour of New York City, wondering what the favor would be...

Fuji blinked. Echizen had never told him, had he?

"Echizen, you never told me what your favor was."

Silence. Fuji was just thinking that he had been hung up on when Echizen spoke.

"I'll tell you later."

You're kidding me.

"E~chi~zen~" Fuji drew out his name in a sing-song tone. "I don't think that's fair." Fuji knew that Echizen would pick up on the hint of a threat.

"...Good night, Fuji-senpai." -click-

Fuji stared incredulously at his cell phone.

Did he just hang up on me?

Enhael says:

Okay, so I have everything for this story planned out...except for how the two actually get together. I do have a few ideas but they all seem too cliché. If any of you have ideas I would love to hear them. If you don't, I can probably manage ^.^

Thanks in advance~

- Enhael.