7

The weekend ends before they realized it and the four receives second place. While they do not receive the winner's prize, they were happy. A bunch of inside jokes are made within their group. When they return, they were no longer a group of people who lived separate lives. While Fiat still lives his busy life switching between school and work, the in between moments are livelier. Now it was not only Ann who fills his life with noise. Now Fern tags along and they share a friendlier banter than before. Fiat's time at the library was never quiet either. Every Tuesday and Thursday he can expect Leo at the back table studying, free reading or watching a movie on his laptop. There are even times where Fiat would seek him out to help return some books that piled up or are too high up on the shelves. Fiat learns that he has more than that one class with Leo and has a new seat mate to share notes with.

The four live their lives as it was while also living a life that includes the others. Today is no different. Fiat rushes to his building with Ann and Leo holding his breakfast just outside. He collapses onto the bench beside Ann and barely catches his breath as he attempts to hydrate himself with the coffee she hands him. "Easy there, bud. That's not water. You haven't even eaten your muffin yet. Why're you rushing anyway?"

"The aunties and grandmothers at the market had more errands than usual. I over compensated with my speed to get here. If you have water, don't be shy to share. This is all I have to drink at the moment," Fiat heaves. Leo pulls out his bottle and hands it over. Fiat does not hesitate to take a large gulp from it. He wipes his lips with the back of his hand and thanks him as he returns it. "I feel like I raced a triathlon. Cycled all the way back to the apartment after going all over the market, washed up and changed, then raced all the way to find parking."

"Poor you. Did you bring the goods?" Ann asks sipping her coffee. Fiat gives her a deadpan expression while Leo holds back his chuckles. Fiat pulls out a container and the two dive in. He could only roll his eyes and angrily eat his muffin. "I told you to find an easier job. When we get further into our degree, time and sleep will be precious to all of us."

"If I stop working at the market. that means no more goods. Do you really want me to stop working there and find a new job?" Fiat raises a brow and Ann holds the container close to her chest. Leo could only shake his head, already over hearing the two of them butt heads. "That's what I thought. So if you care so much about my sanity and energy, don't breathe down my neck."

"Alright you two. Ann I think you should head to your class before you get late. I'll take care of Fiat here at our class and see to it that he does not drain his brain," Leo gently massages Fiats shoulders. Ann checks the time and nods her head. She gathers her things and pats Fiat's cheek before waving at Leo and skipping her way to the other side of their department. Fiat lays his head back against Leo's stomach and sighs as he enjoys the massage. "Only doing this because your as tense as the cords that hold up a suspension bridge. Does it feel good?"

"Amazing, Leo. Please don't stop," Fiat moans. His shoulders start to feel looser and he hums with every knot that releases and keeps his eyes shut as he enjoys the feeling of Leo's fingers digging into his muscles. "Leo, if you ever decide to be a masseur, I give you my full support. Can I ask you to do this whenever? This feels amazing!"

Fiat feels Leo shift behind him and he lifts his head only to feel that Leo had dipped down beside his head. "I'd be happy to massage you, Fiat. Just let me know."

Fiat opens his eyes and turns his head to tell him off for being weird, only to find out how close he really was. Leo's hands has since been still against his shoulders. The two hold each other's gazes before Fiat clears his throat and looks away. He shrugs off Leo's hands and stands to toss his trash. "I might hold you up on your offer when I have a stressful week. So, be warned."

Leo nods his head and chuckles and rubs his neck. The two gather their things and walk to class together as they discuss this weeks club schedules as the season's tournament comes closer. Fiat competes in the singles male category along side of Leo, but Leo also joins the male doubles. In some cases, people would assume that Leo is a better player as he participates in more categories, but Fiat only has time to practice for the singles games. Practicing with a partner takes time and matching schedules that Fiat is unable to be flexible for. As much as their coach could wish for it, it would do more harm than good if they took the chance to partner Fiat with another member randomly and trust in his skill.

"Have you ever wanted to join the doubles?" Fiat turns to the one beside him as they continue their conversation from before class. Fiat admits to have thought about it as he does have fun when they rally during club practice and the previous teams he was a part of. Fiat sometimes wishes he was on the court when his teammates are struggling. He gives his input as much as he can, but no one can deny that even if you know what is coming, reaction time is everything. "I got matched with Earth again. Coach would rather stack one team than spread out the stronger members and match them with a support. I would have thought to do the opposite in order to balance out the teams."

"Coach would just rather secure one win than gamble many," Fiat shrugs. As much as it would be morally fair to split skills, his competitive spirit agrees with their coach. The duo make their way to their next class and discuss the most threatening players that they would need to watch out for. Being of the strongest players in the club, they helped strategize with the coach to pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents. Their conversation of strategies continues for days and the lack of variety in their topic has caused even Ann and Fern to walk away whenever they have the chance and fail to change the subject.

The long awaited tournament finally arrives and Fiat is rushing back to his apartment after visiting the market to grab his sports back and somehow make it to campus and catch the bus. He does not even stop or attempt to keep quiet as it was an early Saturday morning to be considerate to his roommate, who was still fast asleep. He hooks the strap of his bag onto his shoulder and runs out of his apartment. Another day of speeding down the streets and he begs to not get caught or any traffic to make him later than he already is. He takes a deep breath in order to give himself patience to at least park properly before scrambling out of the car to meet the rest of the team at the gym. He heaves the moment he reaches the waiting group and collapses to the ground.

"Fiat! Why are you late? And why are you already out of breath? I want you ready for your game later. Everybody on the bus!" The coach can barely scold the boy who looks like he is about to collapse. Leo offers a hand and Fiat clasps onto it as he gets heaved up. Leo chuckles and wraps an arm around his shoulders and helps him to the bus.

"The grandmothers and aunties must have really appreciated the work you've done today," Leo teases. Fiat cringes and wipes his cheeks in attempt to remove the lipstick stains. "How often do you get lipstick on your face, really? I got some wet wipes in my bag. We can work on removing that stuff when we get on."

"Thanks. I didn't have enough time to check. I should have taken the morning off, but one of them had specifically requested that I help her this morning," Fiat sighs. The team files into the bus and just like the last time they sat with each other, Fiat takes the window seat while Leo takes the aisle. Fiat downs one of his many water bottles that he brought and Leo pulls out his pack of wet wipes. Leo tilts Fiats face towards him when he is done drinking and clears his face of the red lipstick. "I could have done it myself."

"Shh," Leo silences him and Fiat just gives his face to the other. Once the bus starts moving, The coach gives a run down of how he expects the games today to go and pumps the team up. As the members grow anxious and excited, the bus gets filled with high energy. Fiat can only smile and laugh along as he still tries to regain his own energy. People are singing, teasing and making jokes. It made Fiat feel happy and he relaxes onto his seat. "I know we are suppose to stay in high spirits and keep the energy high, but you should probably catch up on some sleep. I'll wake you when we are twenty minutes away, so you have enough time to wake up and attempt to match everyone's high energy."

Fiat chuckles and nods his head. "Thanks. I might not need to be woken up, but I will shut my eyes for a bit. Oh, one good thing that came from this morning, I not only got the goods, but she added a bit of extra snacks when I told her that I have a tourney today. We can snack on them in between."

Fiat wiggles his brows excitedly and Leo moans in delight with the thought of having some good snacks. The organization that holds the tournament feeds the teams, but it is always the same unexciting, basic sandwiches and bag of chips. Fiat shifts to get comfortable and shuts his eyes. Their small area seems so out of place in the rowdy bus. Leo stays quiet for Fiat and quietly reacts to the events happening on the bus. Fiat never actually falls asleep, but enjoys the moment to himself to recover from the morning's rush. He hears Leo's soft chuckles and a faint smile threatens to tug at his own lips. He releases a slow exhale and lets his mind empty from thoughts at least for a moment.

The bus ride is an hour long and a soft hand settles onto his forearm to wake him when there is only twenty minutes left of it. He slowly opens his eyes to find Leo looking at him with a kind smile. Fiat reaches his arms over his head in a stretch and lets out a satisfied groan. He chuckles at himself and looks out the window to find the familiar scenery. The tournament is always held at the sports arena at the center of the city, biannually for two days and as he enters his second year, this would be the third time competing. "Seems like you had a nice rest."

"Mmm," Fiat nods and drinks some water. He glances around the bus to see that a majority has already calmed from the initial high. Some had taken the chance to do the same as him and others still continued to talk and spend the ride to enjoy with friends. "Did you get to rest?"

"I just enjoyed the ride. I didn't have to rest this time," Leo grins. His answer makes Fiat nod and they start talking about random things until the bus finally pulls into the parking. Bodies file out of the bus in a herd and are quickly guided into the arena. The team settles into their little corner with their school's name labeled on it. Everyone warms up with stretches until the coach returns with the timetable of all of their matches. They had signed up for their categories prior to the day for the organization to set up the games. Fiat hears his singles game is not until after lunch and he sighs as he stops stretching his legs and settles onto one of the benches. Doubles will take up the courts in the morning half and Fiat grumbles about how long he would have to wait for his. He checks his phone and sighs. Ann and Fern said they would try to make it to watch. He sends Ann a message to let her know when he was playing and ends up more annoyed when he sees she did not seem to care when he was playing, rather when Leo was playing. He sends a copy of the timetable to her and she lets her know she would come early with Fern and some other friends. "Why do you seem so annoyed? You have more time to just chill."

"I'd rather play early. My hands are itching to play already. To add to finding that my games don't start until the afternoon, Ann messaged me. She said she was coming with Fern and some others," Fiat waves his hand. Leo chuckles and asks why that would make him annoyed. "She's coming for your games, Leo. I shouldn't even be surprised that when she asked for the game times, she meant yours."

"Does Ann really like me?" Leo asks settling onto the seat beside Fiat. Fiat raises his brows and gives a firm nod. A blush rises on Leo's neck and Fiat bumps his shoulder with his and chuckles as he asks if it bothers him. Leo shifts forward to lean his elbows on his knees and fiddles with his fingers. "A little bit at first. I just don't get use to having admirers let alone ones as open about it as Ann. Then I got to know her and it was kind of cute, but I don't know if I see her more than a friend, you know? I know you are her best friend and trying to help her out, but I can tell you this guy-to-guy right?"

"Sure, of course," Fiat agrees. He did not want to force the situation or make Leo feel obliged, but he did feel for Ann as well. "Would you ever consider going out with her though? She's a little much at times, but she's a great person."

"You really think I'm worth of being with her? Do you really want me to accept her advances?" Leo returns the question back to Fiat who's mind goes blank for a moment before finding his response.

"I use to think your a flirt and an arrogant person, but your just a naturally charismatic, person. I think you would be a great partner for Ann. Speaking as Ann's friend and supporter, I hope you would, but I would never want you to feel obliged or trapped. My job here is just try to highlight the great qualities Ann has. The rest is up to you guys," Fiat answers and grins. Leo just stares at him and he just pats Leo's arm before standing to say he was going to the restroom. Fiat was glad to get that off his chest as everything had been unaddressed for weeks. While relieved, Fiat felt a bit weird. He washes his face with some water and binds his hair up to avoid any distractions when he plays.

When he returns, the double teams were on the courts designated for practicing and warming up before games. Fiat finds a spot at the stands and scans the courts to observe the conditions of his members and the competition. He spots Leo practicing with Earth, Tew and Poy off to the left. The four match in game sense, but there is no denying that Leo and Earth have a faster reaction time. Tew and Poy can make as many crazy plays as they wanted to, but regardless of who took short, Leo and Earth can easily send it back with their own cheeky play. Fiat runs his anxious hands against his shorts and looks to the other side to find their school's biggest competitors. Max and Mike were dominators of the courts they stand on. The two of them compete in both the doubles and singles categories. Those who get matched with them early on are unlucky as they usually get bumped off from the tournament right away from losing. They are everyone's main competitor and the most feared.

An announcement is made over the arena speakers and the courts soon clear out one by one as the first set of games begin. Fiat takes his chance to gain some practice time and asks Lee, a singles player, to join him to replace Tew and Poy who had left for their game. Leo and Earth easily showed a better synergy as the moved across the court. Fiat and Lee were use to being alone and often overlapped the other. "Can we mix it up for one practice game? Just for fun? I'm with N'Fiat and were both struggling to match each other."

"Don't be a sore loser, P'Lee. Just admit that you aren't cut out for doubles," Earth playfully banters with the elder. The four switch it up and Leo wiggles his brows as Fiat enters his side of the court. "Fiat, can you stay long? I don't think I will be able to handle if you smash it right into our faces with a short position. Mind you, we just played with Tew and Poy."

"Sure," Fiat shrugs as he twirls the racket in his hand. Earth and Lee make guides to help their teamwork on switching positions depending on their previous move. Fiat and Leo were stuck to their positions with Leo staying closer to the net while Fiat lingers around the back line. With their set up, Fiat will hardly need to step up unless there is a quick return to the back as Leo is tall and can reach ones that would usually soar far above the average person's reach. While they play to practice with seriousness, they also play holding back in order to prevent injuries.

As the game plays out, Fiat notices the slight decline on Leo's movements in order to reserve energy and calls out to him to only take the easier returns and to rush only for the quick shorts. Leo nods and they continue the rally with Fiat moving a lot more than when they began. The important factor when playing doubles is knowing your partners limits. Leo has a game coming up and Fiat needs to help him reserve his energy while still allowing him to warm up. When the game ends they all fall onto the closest bleacher and wipe down their sweat as they discuss the different plays. They are so deep into their conversation that they all get startled when a girl steps up to them. She is from another school and they recognize her from previous tournaments. She shyly smiles and turns back to her friends who are on the other side, urging her to do something. She looks back at the four before looking right at Fiat. "Your P'Fiat, right? You play on the singles category? I've seen a lot of your games and saw the practice game you guys just did. You're really good. I was wondering if you could help me and my friends with some of our swings?"

Earth and Lee are quick to make teasing sounds, causing the girl to blush and cover her face while she waits for a response. Fiat glances to the side and catches Leo's waiting eyes before looking back at the girl. Fiat rubs his neck, unsure. "I don't know if that would be appropriate right now since we are in a tournament. You'll be playing some of our members later. When we have the practice scrimmages in a few months, I can help you, but I have to decline for now. You should ask some of your other members or your coach for tips. P'Mai from your school is really good. You should ask her."

The girl becomes even more embarrassed and mumbles an apology before rushing back to her friends. Unaware by the fact that he just completely crushed a girl's heart, Fiat takes a gulp of water. He glances over at the three beside him and pause as he sees the gazes they are giving him. Lee and Earth shake their heads while Leo just stares at him. "Jeez, N'Fiat. Way to reject a girl. She obviously didn't actually need help with her swing. She was just trying to get your attention."

"She was?" Fiat asks glancing over at the girl who is now being comforted by her friends. He winces at the realization and scratches his head. "My bad. She could have just held a regular conversation."

"Are you really that dense? Not everyone can just walk up to a crush and hold a normal conversation. Props to her for even being able to do what she did! I wish girls would approach me like that," Earth sighs and Lee makes a remark that it can only happen when pigs fly. The two of them end up arguing, causing Leo and Fiat to just shake their heads at them. They are brothers who are a year apart and will argue any chance they got. At this point no one even bothers with trying to get them to stop.

"We're in a tournament right now. It really isn't the time to flirt and meet people. I really don't get it," Fiat shakes his head.

"Why do you not like people trying to make an opportunity in a situation? You were like this at the department retreat too," Leo asks with a sharp tone that shocks Fiat. Fiat could only open and close his mouth like a fish out of water as he does not know what to say. Leo sighs and messes with his hair before adding, "Forget it. Sometimes people just have to go for it because they don't know if they will get another chance. I wouldn't want to give up if I had the chance. Sometimes you just have to realize that rejection is okay, but remember that you are never alone."

Leo stands and walks off, confusing the ones left behind. His tall frame has an unfitting slouch to it. Earth and Lee ask what happened, but all Fiat can do was shrug as he watches Leo's back until it disappears into the hallway that leads to the outer part of the arena. Fiat scratches his temple in confusion. He does not understand what happened or what Leo meant when he said that. To him, Leo's words were out of context and seemed to refer to more than his own comment about people being opportunists at the wrong time. Fiat sighs and grabs his things before walking out to enter the other side of the sports arena to watch the ongoing games. Now is not the times to linger on thoughts other than badminton. It is probably all caused by the nervousness of the tournament that is making everyone a little more on edge. Fiat finds a seat by his team and watches the rest of Tew and Poy's game as he waits for Ann and his own game to come up.

*******

ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

thoughts??

What? A chapter in less than a week? Surprise~

A closer look on how Leo and Fiat have become since the retreat, but what was that at the end? Is Fiat in the wrong? And what was that with Leo? Not only was there a bit of hostility in Leo's words, but he hinted at something before he left. Will the two of them make amends before the tournament ends? Will Leo consider Ann's advances because of what Fiat said? Let's wait and see where the next chapter will take us.

Hopefully I'll have it ready soon~