Oishi woke from a deep, restful sleep, to pleasantly find that Eiji was still wrapped, warm in his arms. Before he even opened his eyes, Oishi stretched a little and gave Eiji a tiny little hug so as not to wake him. Eiji squirmed a little bit though and when Oishi opened his eyes, he found him wide awake and looking at him. "Hi," Oishi said smiling," what are you doing?" Eiji shrugged smiling back at him. "You're watching me sleep?" Eiji nodded. "Why didn't you get up? Did we beat the alarm?" Eiji looked at the clock and nodded. "What's wrong? Why didn't you get up? Why aren't you talking?"

Eiji smiled wider laughing a little, "Nya. I'm stuck." He said softly. Oishi looked down their bodies making Eiji laugh a little. "Nya! Not like that again. My leg, fell asleep, couldn't get up, watched you sleep." He shrugged.

"Were you watching long? You should have woke me up. I'm sorry." Eiji just shook his head no at Oishi. Oishi asked him, "Do you want to come to practice today and then see my uncle? Do you think you're up to it?"

Eiji nodded. "Hoi. Do you want to go shower?" Eiji laughed at Oishi's expression. "Separate bathrooms Oishi!" Eiji's family was so large having more than once was a necessity, not a luxury. Oishi was laughing now too, although a shower together sometime might be.....nice. Oishi shook off the thought. They had to see their friends and team mates for the first time since he and Eiji and last night and...oh god last night what Oishi did oh god and he and they oh god and...no.

No, Oishi decided, he was going to be okay with this. With any and all of it. He told Eiji he would stay and he would. So he gave Eiji a quick kiss on his lips as they got up and said, "Although a shower with you sometime might be....nice. Very nice."

Eiji gave a little laugh sounding surprised. He then gave Oishi his wicked smile.

Oishi helped him up and out of his ace bandage. Eiji cocked his head as if in thought as Oishi helped him. "Hmm. This is better." Eiji said smiling still.

"What is?"

"When you stay Oishi, its better."

Oishi smiled.

Oishi showered and he knew, knew, that he took less time than Eiji getting ready. He knew he did, especially when Eiji started on his hair which always took him a while, especially also as he was injured. There was no way Eiji would or could be ready before him. Yet, when Oishi went back to Eiji's room his clothes for Oishi to wear were out but all the rest of their stuff was gone. The bed was made. He considered that Eiji must hit little pockets of time here and there or have a hidden ability to work some kind of magic. He went downstairs and Eiji again on one leg was cooking up a storm. He was completely dressed and ready, and had the ball of the foot of his hurt leg resting on the floor and was using the other to pivot and hop doing eight things at once. Time pockets, it had to be.

Oishi told him his theory and Eiji laughed. "Eiji can I help? You didn't have to do all this, really."

"Nya! Like to." He said with a shrug. Oishi helped where he could but was really out of his league in the kitchen.

They ate a great breakfast, cleaned up together, that at least Oishi did most of the work with Eiji helping direct him, and then they went to get Eiji's bike. Oishi thought he would have to ride Eiji on the back or handlebars but Eiji had other ideas. He wanted to ride while Oishi walked but needed help getting on, off, and stopping. It was slow going at first, but they found if Oishi jogged slowly along side, it was easier. There were few cars and fewer people out that early and it was going to be a beautiful day.

Oishi was enjoying the day and wondering where he would be in the ranking groups either a, b, c, or d, thinking about what Eiji had said about the groups. Oishi realized, that if that was true that they put three good people together sometimes knowing that one or another would lose, then they had a lot more control over who was and was not a regular than Oishi thought. It was power that could be abused in the wrong hands although he knew that their Captain and Vice-Captain would not abuse it, but it was a poor system. A better system, one that was more fair, would be one that....

"Oishi, hoi, Oishi?" Oishi was startled out of his thoughts by Eiji looking concerned at him. "Stop?" He asked Oishi to help stop him which Oishi did and then helped him hold the bike up. It was too hard for him to balance the bike and stand with his hurt leg. "Nya, Oishi, don't worry, we will just be like we always are at school and at tennis. Hoi?"

Oishi smiled and said, "Its not always about you, you know." He laughed as Eiji stuck out his tongue at him. He told Eiji he was thinking about the rankings only and a more fair way to do the system based, he pointed out, on what Eiji mentioned that Oishi and many others, nearly everyone, never noticed.

They continued on their way with Eiji saying, "Nya Oishi! Don't tell Captain or Vice-Captain Tezuka I said anything! Nya! Just keep it to yourself!" Oishi laughed which made Eiji make a face of terror and imitate Tezuka in voice and tone perfectly. He mimicked him forcing Eiji to run a hundred, no, five hundred, no a thousand laps because Eiji had figured out the system was a bit unfair after all.

At the next light while they waited to cross, when Oishi had caught his breath a little from running, but mostly from laughing so hard he said, "But you know, Eiji, that is a really good idea. To just be like we always are. Our usual."

"Hoi." Eiji seemed pleased that Oishi recognized what he said as sound. He held up his palm for Oishi to high five. They high fived and held it for a little longer than two guys usually would smiling at each other until the light turned green.

When they got to school they were later than Eiji's usual first one there time. A lot of people were there already. Everyone gave Eiji lots of attention and others helped Eiji off his bike. Oishi went to put his stuff away smiling. He got a bit of attention too as the one who now was bringing Eiji back. So much for the rumors.

When he came out of the locker room to go warm up properly he saw among the crowd around Eiji, right next to him, was Fuji. Oishi felt a pang of jealousy, irrational as it was, and then remembered all Eiji told him about his brother. He also remembered that Fuji said nice things about him to Eiji and they might not even be friends if he hadn't. Oishi still felt jealous but he made up his mind to be a better friend to the tensai if he could.

Tezuka was there and asked Oishi to warm up with him. Oishi had not seen or spent much time with his friend and gladly agreed. Tezuka was not talkative as always though he did say in his matter of fact way, "Fuji said you beat him."

Oishi replied, "Fuji-senpai is very kind."

Tezuka looked right at Oishi with that penetrating gaze that made so many wither, but not usually Oishi, his friend, "You think Fuji lost on purpose." A statement, not a question, not really.

"Tezuka, it was very important to me that I win, so I did." Oishi replied knowing Tezuka would fill in all blanks and draw his own conclusions anyway. Oishi made no excuses for his win or the tensai's loss.

A little while later Tezuka said "Fuji said something about going dancing."

"Oh, Eiji and I were supposed to go with some girls too but he's hurt so he and I canceled. We're going to watch a movie at my house later." Tezuka seemed to be expecting more so Oishi said, "I guess Fuji-senpai is going still but you're welcome to join us, if you want?" Oishi really, really wanted to be alone with Eiji. At his house, with no parents, and no one else there. That was what he wanted, but Tezuka this morning seemed, well, a bit odd. So Oishi invited him because it seemed to be the right thing to do even though he was thinking as he asked, please say no.

"Where is this dancing place where Fuji and that girl are going?" That girl? Tezuka saying that girl is like him making a declaration of war. Why?

"I...I don't know. Its a place Fuji-senpai knows."

Tezuka dipped his head a millimeter in acknowledgment and they went back to warming up.

Then practice started.

On to Chapter 11!!