Author's Note: All of you have added me to your Story Alert list, I'm very grateful. Please leave your opinions when you have a chance. "Fire and Wind" is now in the Thrill Pair Community Archive. Enjoy…

There wasn't anything to be done. The incessant rain kept its methodic, steady rhythm going all through the afternoon and Echizen Ryoma had just about given up hoping. It hadn't let up since the other day…damn it. He was supposed to play Momo-senpai in a match at seven, at the street courts where the duo had their disastrous doubles affair. But… Ryoma cast a sullen glance out the window and sighed, shutting his eyes for an instant and pulling down his trademark white cap…that didn't look like it was going to happen. He wondered if he should call Momo-senpai and tell him the game was off.

Ryoma snorted after giving the notion a bit more thought. Please. Even that grandiose bakka would probably realize that it was impossible to play when Ryoma couldn't walk outside without being submerged to his calves in filthy water.

The black haired boy cursed mentally. He had, as much as he'd never admit it, been looking forward to playing his moronic teammate. The past week had been less than relaxing and Ryoma had been more than ready to do some venting…in the form of tennis, of course.

What else? The stoic boy thought, and laughed softly to himself. The thought of him having a conversation with Momo that was beyond a grade 3 level was amusing. Sure, the two had their…Ryoma nearly choked on his Ponta… "Sentimental" moments, but they were always cryptic and in some way, related to tennis. Ryoma couldn't recall a time when he'd talked…seriously…with any of his classmates about something that did not relate to tennis.

Not that it bothered him. After all, it was mostly his fault. When Ryoma did choose to grace the world with his speech, it was usually tennis related. "Usually" jumped to "Practically Always", if the sentence was longer than seven words.

There was, however, an exception. Ryoma's golden green eyes narrowed slightly as he tossed the grape flavored beverage can into the trashcan, pushing his chair out at the same time.

He didn't want to think about that. Or rather, think about him.

Ryoma shuffled out of the kitchen, rubbing his pale elbows. Damn it. He really had been hoping for some release. He hadn't been able to play seriously at all this week, not even in practice. He hadn't been able to play with his idiot father, either.

And it was all Fuji's fault. Damn it. He'd just about had enough of this.

He had to finish what he started with Fuji, or he was going to go insane. It was the only way.

Mumbling to himself, Ryoma made his way upstairs to bathe. He had made up his mind.

Tomorrow, he would finish this.

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Kikimaru Eiji was in one of his rare serious moods. In fact, he was downright pissed off. And it was all because of his evil, manipulative, son of a bitch best friend.

Said best friend stood next to him, that genial smile still on his face, eyes crinkled in their usual half moons.

His golden brown hair framed his face. Eiji sighed. It was hard to stay mad at someone that beautiful.

A fact that Syuusuke was more than aware of, and he used it to its full advantage.

And Eiji, more than anything, wanted to knock that façade of a smile right off of Fuji's face.

"Fuji." Eiji's voice was as steely as one was ever likely to hear it. "I'm not playing. Why the FUCK did you wake me up at two a.m.?" The acrobatic cat boy could practically feel his hair bristling, and he tugged at his pajamas impatiently.

He liked sleeping. And goddamn it, he hated nothing more than being woken up. Especially by annoying bastards who could've just as easily waited until morning. For Christ's sake. They were in the same class.

Fuji blinked once, mouth turning into a gentle "oh".

"Saa…Eiji, you should lock your window if you don't want late night visitors. Or maybe…you do want someone to…intrude…"

Eiji paled in horror, a giant bead of sweat forming at the back of his head. Fuji's smile stretched into that sadistic grin.

He knew that Fuji had noticed his affection for his doubles partner. Nothing got by the tensai, after all. Hell, even dense Momo had probably noticed by now. But the two of them had never talked about it and Eiji wasn't sure if he was ready to yet.

The red head averted his eyes slightly; unable to fight the flush that graced his cheeks.

Fuji stopped short of causing his friend any more horror. "Eiji…you're so cute."

Eiji only blushed more and muttered something about "seventh level of hell."

Fuji's smile was still in place when Eiji returned his eyes to the not-so- welcome visitor.

Really. Only Syuusuke Fuji would think of climbing through a window at two o' clock in the morning simply to annoy someone else. Even Eiji, who was no stranger to mischief, would have to think twice before doing something like that.

Sighing, the red head resigned himself to the fact that the tensai was here, and he didn't seem to have any plans to leave soon. He sank onto the bed and pulled his knees to his chest.

"You better have a damn good reason for this, Fuji."

The tensai's smile disappeared, mouth turning into a flat line. Eiji was instantly more alert. Fuji dropping the smile also meant that he was dropping the bullshit.

His classmate lowered himself onto the bed and pulled his legs under him. The tennis prodigy was already wearing his school uniform, albeit without the jacket.

Eiji, as usual, tried to keep the mood light.

"Okay, Fuji-kun." He tacked on the affectionate ending as gentle tease, and the lines around Fuji's mouth eased slightly.

"So, what's wrong, ne? You don't normally do this…well, at least not to me." Eiji grimaced slightly.

It was so like Fuji to push him like this. It was the tensai's game. Push push push…and count on the fact that it would never break.

Fuji turned to meet Eiji's curious, wide eyed if slightly groggy gaze. His azure eyes were open and lovely, and they had a sort of gentleness in them that Eiji rarely saw.

"Eiji…you know I love you, don't you?"

The taller boy's mouth dropped open slightly. "Eh.."

Fuji didn't give him a chance to say anything else, because he leaned forward quickly and pressed his lips to Eiji's.

Eiji's eyes widened and he sucked in, hard. Fuji! N…no! I- I can't do this…

Before Eiji had a chance to move, the kiss was over and Fuji was sitting in his previous position, eyes flat.

"Don't take that the wrong way, Eiji." He said softly. "There was nothing romantic about it."

Eiji's face was a brilliant red, and he clutched his heart, struggling to control his breathing.

"F-fuji…what the hell…is wrong with you? Are you trying to kill me?"

Fuji laughed softly. "If anything ever happened to you Eiji, I would personally destroy the person responsible."

Eiji frowned slightly at the sudden switch in mood. Jesus. Having the tensai with him was usually comforting…Fuji's calm but incredibly palpable aura kept him grounded. And on rare occasion's, when Eiji could manage to read past Fuji's cryptic smiles, he found something that made it all worthwhile.

Though he had no idea what that something was.

"Fuji…you have fifteen seconds to tell me what you wanted to tell me before I go back to sleep…"

Eiji groaned as he looked at the clock. Three o' clock. So much for beauty rest.

"I really hate you, sometimes, Fuji."

Fuji closed his eyes and smiled gently.

"Eiji…you know how I feel about Tezuka, don't you?"

The cat boy's scowl dropped from his face. A somber expression replaced it, and he chose his next words carefully. He had always known that Fuji was…obsessed…. there was no other word for it, with Tezuka. The two of them had never really discussed it outright, but just as Fuji was more than aware of Eiji's devoted and rather obvious love for Oishi, it was an implied fact that both of them knew.

"I saw the way you looked at him, Fuji. Just like nothing escapes the prodigy…nothing escapes these eyes of mine." Eiji tapped his right eye for emphasis.

"But…" Eiji hesitated.

Fuji turned those piercing eyes toward him, and Eiji swallowed. The strange gentleness was still there.

"But…" Fuji said softly, voice calm but not as steely as it usually was.

"I always thought…" the cat boy twirled a spiky strand of hair around his finger and shifted his eyes away from the tensai's. " I always thought that you didn't actually…love him…I thought that it was more of an…"

Obsession? Yeah, that would go over well.

"More of a game…."

Eiji immediately regretted his phrasing the moment the words passed his lips.

Fuji was silent for a long time. The minutes ticked by and Eiji's nervousness grew. He chewed his lip nervously, growing genuinely concerned. There were not many things that could make his best friend speechless. Though Fuji didn't say much, there was always something going on behind those eyes. But now, Fuji's eyes were…empty.

Eiji immediately resorted to Plan B…make a joke of it and hope that it would blow over.

But before Eiji could crack some incredibly witty remark, the tensai spoke.

"Saa…Eiji. You really do have the best eyes, don't you?"

Kikimaru could only gape, fatigue all but forgotten. What?

His classmate shut his eyes and let the constant smile drift back onto his face.

"I'm obsessed with him." He stated this as if he were talking about the weather. "I always have been. Ever since I can remember. Everything has always been about Tezuka. My tennis has always been about Tezuka. About getting him to see it. Not just to acknowledge my skills, but to chase after me. I've always wanted him to chase me like I've been chasing him for the least three years."

The tensai paused, and Eiji was hard pressed not to pull his friend into his arms.

"But he won't. I know that know. In fact, I knew it then but that didn't stop me. I'm too much like him. I'm too calm, too predictable, and too coolly apathetic. I'm not nearly enough to interest him."

"N-no!" Eiji couldn't help it; he blurted it out before he could stop himself. "Fuji, you're anything but predictable! And the last thing you are is boring! Fuji, out of everyone you're the one who no one can figure out! You're the one who no one gets! You're the mystery who everyone wants to solve!" The cat boy's face was red by now, and he was all but standing on the bed.

Fuji's smile didn't falter. "Saa…. everyone. Except Tezuka."

And to that, Kikimaru Eiji had nothing to say.

"Gomen, Eiji. I didn't come here to complain. I came to ask you a question." Fuji could've been ordering sushi. There it was. The reason people were drawn to him.

That infuriating coolness, the way that everything got to him and at the same time, nothing did. The way he was so very simple and yet there was not a soul in the world who really understood him.

Eiji could only sink back to the bed, eyes wide and mouth open.

"I wanted to know if you would do me a favor."

The younger boy groaned, twitching his nose and scrunching his mouth.

"Fuji!" he whined, stretching out the word. "I already asked him seventeen times. Ochibi isn't coming to your party. As in, the party you asked me to have."

Fuji contemplated this for a moment, before cocking his head to the side. "Maybe we shouldn't have told him it was third year party…I just thought that'd make it sound more exciting."

"Nya…I'm tired, Fuji…"

"Gomen, Eiji. I'll go."

Eiji felt the wait shift on the bed and he knew the tensai had risen. "Fuji…I'm sorry…"

"No, I'm sorry Eiji, for asking you to arrange this for me. I'll ask him myself. You have enough to worry about right now."

The cat boy sprung to attention, sitting up and staring at his best friend. A chill ran down his spine. Did he know about Oishi? About what he'd done? About what they'd done?

"What are you talking about?" He tried desperately to sound casual, but it felt as if his heart had leapt into his mouth.

Fuji had already opened the window and his legs dangled outside. He half turned back to Eiji, and his piercing blue eyes were soft.

"You may have the best eyes, Eiji, but mine aren't bad either."

And with that, the prodigy dropped out of site, just as silently as he'd come.

Eiji tried not to think. He tried to block everything out and drift back into the world of dreams. But it didn't work.

He couldn't get Oishi out of his head. Tears pricked at the back of his eyes, but he held them back, snuggling deeper under the covers.

Damn it, Oishi…why won't you look at me anymore?

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Author's Note: A bit longer than the others, ne? Thank you to all who read and subscribe. It really means a lot. Keep reading…there are many issues that need to be resolved. Fuji's feelings for Tezuka, Ryoma's feelings for Fuji, Eiji's mysterious fight with Oishi? What happened between them? And what does this party have to do with anything? You'll see…hah hah hah…