Author's Note: I'm not really a big fan of author's notes, I think they are annoying. But this is important. Thank you for those who have reviewed! Okay, that's it. Enjoy the story. Also, if anyone needs a beta…I'm here.

Ryoma could hardly form his lips to say "sorry" before he was running around the courts, arms and legs pumping, chest heaving, and scowl etched onto his face.

He glared at the redheaded senpai who ran a little in front of him. The sun beat down on his small frame, and his thick bangs stuck to his forehead in tufts.

Kikimaru-senpai, this is all your fault. Why the hell is it so hard to take no for an answer? How hard is it to see that the last thing I need right now is to be locked in a house with-

Ryoma promptly shut off his train of thought. No. No. That was specifically against the rules. His mind protested, and his subconscious offered up a memory. A memory Ryoma spent every waking moment trying to forget. But it came anyway, because he couldn't control it. It seemed he couldn't control much of anything these days.

The way he looked that day…the fire in his eyes that still managed to chill like ice…the sound of his silent laughter as he danced across the court like a creature far to beautiful to be human...

"Echizen, that's twenty five. That will do." Tezuka's calm, yet firm voice floated to him as if on a cloud.

Ryoma blinked twice, trying to clear his head of the fog that had suddenly taken him over. He turned his eyes to his captain, irritation mounting. Tezuka wasn't even looking at him. The young prodigy followed his captain's gaze, and a bitter taste filed his mouth.

Of course.

Tezuka was looking at Fuji. The brown haired tensai was practically taking a stroll in the park across the court, returning Arai's shots with practiced ease. The smile was still on his face. And it made Ryoma sick.

The match could've been over by now if only Fuji would play. Really play, like Ryoma knew he could. But no. That was reserved. For someone other than him. For someone who was so similar to Ryoma that it was almost painful. For Tezuka. Ryoma burned for Tezuka, burned until it almost ripped him limb from limb. And Tezuka was the same for him.

So what was the problem? Why was it still so complicated? Fuji shouldn't matter. It wasn't Fuji Ryoma long to surpass. But it was Fuji who filled his dreams, Fuji who crept into his mind whenever he wasn't completely intent on blocking it out- and even then. It was Fuji's whose smile made something within him sicken.

Ryoma had no idea why. He didn't know why he hated the tensai and thought him miraculously beautiful at the same time. Was that even possible? To love and hate with every fiber of your being?

No. It's not love. It has nothing to do with that. It's just his tennis. I can't stop thinking about that match- that's all.

"Oy! Echizen! Are you going to stand there staring all day or are you actually planning on playing some tennis?"

Momoshiro bounded up to the other side of the fence, directly opposite of where Ryoma stood, staring.

"Echizen! What's up with you today?"

Ryoma tugged his hat down over his eyes to cover his eyes and focused very hard on the ground in front of him.

"Stop being so loud, Momo-senpai."

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The rest of practice was a hazy blur for Ryoma. He had narrowly avoided having his face dislocated by Momo's dunk smash because he was too disoriented to focus. Though out of it as he was, even he hadn't been able to miss the palpable tension between the Golden Pair.

Honestly, the two had played like they'd never even see each other before. 6-0 to Inui and Kaidoh. 6-0. Ryoma couldn't even remember a time when he'd seen them play so badly.

The most disturbing part was that neither of them had seemed to care. Oishi hadn't tried to give Eiji a pep talk, and Eiji hadn't jumped once. He barely even ran. It was as if they were falling apart and didn't have a problem with it.

Thank god it was raining. No one wanted to deal with another practice right now. The thick drops slid down the window and the sky was darkening. The teacher finally stopped his rambling long enough to realize that no one was listening anymore.

The man sighed and pushed his glasses back. "Very well, class. Due to the weather, I'm going to let you all out so you can get home before it gets any worse. Don't forget the homework."

The young tennis star was usually one of the last people out of the classroom, but today he was the first one out the door. No dallying today, no practice, no nothing. He was going home.

The last thing Echizen Ryoma wanted to do was think about the rain.

Author's Note: Please tell me if I'm overdoing the symbolism. I really wanted to get this chapter out, but if it sucks, I'd like to know so the next one doesn't suck. The next chapter will tie up some lose ends, like the party Eiji asked about in Chapter 1. Chapters will get much longer very soon and we're about to hear what Fuji thinks of all of this. You'll see…stay tuned!