Title: Toothpaste
Pairing: Oishi/Eiji – the Golden Pair (and a bit of ZukaFuji… I can't help it! XD )
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Disclaimer: The Prince of Tennis isn't mine. The Golden Pair belong together as shown by 370. ooh. So slashable!
Warning: crack (but not really because something like this happened in real life, I swear by TezukaFuji-sama.)

A/N: I got the idea from a friend. XDDD

oOo

"Good morning, nya."

Oishi closed his locker door and turned to his right. He raised his brows and frowned fretfully at Eiji. The redhead looked particularly fail and puffy-eyed. "Is something wrong, Eiji?"

"Achoo!" Eiji wiped his nose and said, "I'm sick, nya."

"Must be because of the weather," said Oishi fussily. "You should wear thicker clothes... Always have a hot-pack in your pockets – I'll go buy them with you if you don't have any... Take your vitamins regularly… Get enough sleep – "

"It's not because of that, Oishi," Eiji said, slamming his locker and sniffing loudly. "It's neesan – "

"You caught her cold?" Oishi asked. "Then maybe you should change your brand of vitamins. You should get something that has more ascorbic acid – "

Eiji hastily shook his head. "Oishi, let me finish!" he said impatiently.

Blinking, Oishi nodded.

"Neesan used up my strawberry-flavored toothpaste," said Eiji tragically. He sniffed in and looked up at Oishi with round, teary eyes as if he were asking for Oishi's sympathy.

Oishi only stood, crossing his arms, and waited for more.

Eiji let out a small sneeze and went, "I had to use a different toothpaste – the pistachio-flavored one - and now I'm sick." He sniffed again. "I think it's the toothpaste's fault." He nodded to himself, contemplating.

Oishi blinked and stared at Eiji. He smiled faintly, partly amused and partly disbelieving. But he adopted a polite voice so as not to offend Eiji. "Er…" Oishi started. "Eiji, I'm sure you've caught the virus from one of your siblings or from one of your classmates."

Eiji pouted his lips. "Oishi doesn't believe me!" he complained, turning to Fuji for support.

Smiling leniently, Fuji glanced at Oishi and chuckled. "Well," he said thoughtfully, "Eiji might really have been affected by the change in toothpaste flavor."

"That's illogical," Inui interrupted, "Unless Eiji has unknown allergies for pistachio."

Eiji shook his head. "But I really don't like it when it's in toothpaste."

Lines formed in Oishi's forehead as he said, "Eiji, you better go to the clinic… You might need a prescription."

oOo

"Good morning, nya!" said Eiji throatily.

"Still sick?" Oishi asked, eyeing Eiji with concern.

Eiji was sniffing badly, his eyes were red and watery as he nodded. "Told you it was the toothpaste!" He covered his mouth to sneeze and said, "Neesan promised to replace it, but she forgot and – Achoo! – I had to use the pistachio-flavored toothpaste again."

Oishi wrinkled his nose in thought. Maybe Eiji had to get out of this thinking and realize that his sickness had a more scientific and factual basis. "Well, if you really think that way, we could get you strawberry-flavored toothpaste after practice."

"Really?" Eiji's face lit up as he sniffed. He sprang on his feet and jumped around, clinging on Oishi's arms.

oOo

"Good morning, nya!" said Eiji cheerily the next day.

Oishi turned to Eiji, surprised. Eiji was the usual bouncing redhead, grinning and flighty. "I'm glad you're well now," Oishi said truthfully.

"Yes!!!" said Eiji enthusiastically. "It's because I got to use the toothpaste again."

"Achoo!"

Oishi turned to the bench across the locker room and eyed Fuji wearily.

" Fuji," started Tezuka in a deep, commanding tone, "go to the clinic."

"Fujiko! Did you change toothpaste, too?" called Eiji as Fuji began to rise from the bench.

Fuji smiled and chuckled. "I don't know."

Tezuka frowned at Oishi in inquiry. Oishi only gave a feeble smile. "He must have caught it from Eiji."

oOo

Eiji,

I hope you like this present and I hope it will keep you in good health.
Have a merry Christmas.

Your friend,
Oishi

Eiji excitedly ripped off the wrappings. His eyes shone when he saw about a dozen of long, shiny red boxes. He opened one and grinned. All the boxes read: Strawberry Flavor (with whitening granules).

-End-