Author/Artist: Anthy (LJ: murasakiplum)
Pairing: Inui Sadaharu/Fuji Syuusuke
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Theme: #28 Wada Calcium CD3
Disclaimer: The characters from Prince of Tennis belong to Konomi Takeshi and not mine. Quote by Wada Tohkaku also do not belong to me.
Nothing brought elation faster to Fuji Syuusuke than the manipulation of another's fighting spirit. As he walked across the court to shake the hand of his opponent, he could feel the restrained anger directed across the net at him. His Cheshire cat smile remained even as he took the irate boys hand and gave a friendly shake. "Until we play again, Arai-kun." He turned before the other youth could reply and set his racket beside Kawamura. That was all the practice he intended to exert for the day. Finding the other Seigaku regulars deep into their training, he scanned around to find the teammate who seemed not to work out with them at all.
As expected Inui was far removed from the group, sitting beneath a large tree a distance from the tennis courts. Scattered around him were textbooks, many thick and most likely unrelated to any course work at their level. A few of the books were left spread open, the pages flapping in the light wind. As Fuji approached, Inui continued to write in the notebook balanced on his leg, barely acknowledging his scant sunlight blocked by a human-sized shadow.
"You let him win." Inui muttered as he turned the page.
"Purely for motivational purposes. His confidence was unfounded." Fuji shrugged as he sat down in the grass next to him, peering over at the notebook that rested on Inui's knee.
Inui moved the notebook to his other leg. "Granted, only it was an obvious win."
"Deflating the ego motivates far stronger than elevating it." Taking the open space as an offer, Fuji stretched out on the grass, using the other boy's leg as a pillow.
"More enjoyable?" Inui asked with a grin.
"Always." Fuji replied in a blithe tone. "I was more curious as to what you were doing."
"Practicing."
"That's practice?"
"Are you here to challenge me to a match?"
"No."
"Then yes."
"And today you are practicing on-"
Inui picked up the nearest textbook and set it on Fuji's stomach. "Kampo."
"Maa, the last I checked Seishun Gakuen tennis club was not trained under kohha." Fuji picked up the book and thumbed through the pages idly, pausing at one of the earmarks and started to read from a highlighted paragraphs. "'Those who hope to make the seriously diseased patient live by their own hands love themselves. Those who hope to make the patient die in their own hands love the patient.'"
"'Those who love themselves cannot devote themselves to the patient, but those who love the patient devote themselves purely to him.'" Inui finished, plucking the book from Fuji's hands.
"So, what herbs will you serve for us this week, Wada-sensei?"
"Calcium." Inui reached behind him and retrieved a brown medicine bottle. He turned it sideways and held it over Fuji's head. "CD3 calcium. It will boost your immune system by creating cytokines, which in turn will aid in expediting the flu that you have contracted."
Fuji opened his eyes completely at this, reading the bottle before taking it from Inui's hands. "What makes you certain I have the flu, Professor?" he asked with short laugh. Sure, he had felt tired for a couple days and at times he felt extremely cold and yet would step in rooms set at abnormally high temperatures and his arms felt sore after practice for no apparent cause but that hardly meant that-
"I said you let -him- win, I mentioned nothing of the match prior or your performance yesterday." Inui said as he placed his hand on the other boy's forehead. "My guess is your respiratory symptoms will develop in full within the next day."
Okay, so maybe it did. Fuji closed his eyes as he twisted the bottle open. "So this is self-preservation." he said with a faint irritation, more at being caught being sick than fully aware of it.
"You did kiss me yesterday." Inui retorted with a faint shake of his head.
"You weren't paying attention." Fuji slapped Inui's hand away. After taking one of the calcium pills, he sat up and glanced over at Inui. "Since this is practice, I take it this is a team prescription?"
"My guess is about two-thirds of the regulars have caught the virus already, I'll add this to their regimen tomorrow. Should we make a full case study?"
Fuji leaned in close, it did not need much distance to catch the fact that his friend was feverish but he bumped heads with him anyway. "We're the control group."
"Mmhmm." Inui nodded, tilting his head so their lips touched.
"Who will get the placebo?" Fuji smirked as he pulled away, patting Inui's shoulder before standing.
Inui leaned back against the tree and returned to his writing. "The ones who opt only for water, as always. Would you mind..."
"I'd never pass on an opportunity, though you will still owe me dinner."
Waving at Inui over his shoulder, Fuji made his way back to the tennis courts. Sitting next to Echizen, he stretched out his legs. "Inui should learn to spike the water cooler and be done with it." he noted with an exasperated sigh that would make any Thespian proud.
Seeing the first year turn his head out of his peripheral vision, Fuji confirmed that Echizen would spend the next practice session debating whether to suffer whatever drink Inui planned to bring in for the beleaguered masses or to risk poisoning himself. He would most likely not tell his best friend, for Momoshiro will find a way out of drinking the juice and would make for an unwitting taste-tester. The sadistic side of the boy would be quick to gloat on this 'knowledge' after the fact. Momo's overdramatic freak out should alert Eiji, and the placebo group would be well in place. Which is all well and good for Echizen to be subjected to the calcium supplement, being the younger boy had challenged Fuji for matches all week.
Almost too easy. Fuji gave Echizen his most winning smile before rising to his feet. If he planned on baring witness to practice the next day he would be needing his rest, but not without conning the team's data expert out of a bowl of soup first.