Title: Only Reminds Me of You

Summary: If you really love someone, why pretend otherwise? AkutagawaxOC

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Prince of Tennis. It belongs to Takeshi Konomi. If I owned POT, you wouldn't know ¾ of the characters, for I will keep them for myself! Haha.

Note: the italicized parts are flashbacks/memories/thoughts.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hinamori Umi looked out the window of her classroom. The sun was setting, bathing the room in its orange glow. Classes are long over, and all was quiet. That is, except in the tennis courts. Even though the Nationals are over, Atobe and the 3rd year regulars are still working hard, especially to prepare the next generation of Hyoutei regulars. And it was them she was watching from the window. Or one of them would be more appropriate.

I see you beside me

It's only a dream, a vision of what used to be

The laughter, the sorrow

Pictures in time, fading to memories

"Umi-chaaaaan, I'm sleepy." Akutagawa Jirou complained after his practice match with Hiyoshi. He laid his head on her lap. She giggled.

"When are you not sleepy?" She asked, but Jirou was already asleep. She smiled and stroked his hair, watching him lovingly.

"Mmm, Aishiteru Umi….zzzzz" Jirou mumbled in his sleep. Umi blushed. 'I love you too'.

She smiled sadly at the bittersweet memory. She tried to locate Jirou among the people at the courts, and she saw him sleeping peacefully. 'Do you still dream of me, Jirou?'

How could I ever let you go?

Is it too late to let you know?

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I try to run from your side

But each place I hide

It only reminds me of you

When I turn out all the lights

Even the night

It only reminds me of you

"Ah, gomen! I wasn't looking at where I'm going!" Umi watched as a boy help up a girl while apologizing. She sighed.

"Ah, gomen! I wasn't looking at where I was going!" Akutagawa Jirou helped up Hinamori Umi, who was on the floor because Jirou was running from Gakuto and crashed into her.

"That's alright, but next time look at where you're going! Hinamori Umi, by the way." She smiled at him and extended her hand to shake his.

"Akutagawa Jirou desu! Yoroshiku!" He shook hands with her vigorously. She chuckled.

She simply shook her head, wondering why everything around her reminded her of Jirou.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I needed my freedom,

That's what I thought but I was a fool to believe

My heart lied while you cried

Rivers of tears, but I was a fool to see

"I'm so sorry Jirou, but I'm breaking up with you." Hinamori Umi said softly, trying to be strong in spite of the pain she felt.

"Eh? But…why? I thought we were happy? Do you not love me anymore, Umi-chan?" Jirou held Umi's hands. She pulled away, her resolve gradually breaking because of the pain she sees in Jirou's innocent eyes.

"I'm so sorry!" And with that, she ran away, not looking back, not seeing Jirou crumble under the pain.

"Do you still love him Umi?" Sakamoto Eiri asked, seeing Umi staring at Jirou from afar. Umi didn't answer.

'Yes.'

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Everything we've been through before

Now it means so much more, yeah.

"Akutagawa-san, why aren't you eating?" Ootori Choutarou inquired, a little worried about his senpai.

"Ah, I just don't feel like it." He answered, looking down at his untouched food.

"But Akutagawa-san, you've been like that ever since…ever since…" Ootori didn't have the heart to finish his sentence. But Jirou knew very well what he was about to say.

"Ne, Umi, we are going to a karaoke bar this weekend. Are you coming?" Jirou heard a guy named Kirisaki Kyohei talking to Umi. His Umi.

"I don't know. I'll think about it, okay?" She replied with a smile, a smile that was supposed to be only his. Oh how he missed every bit of her! He continued to stare, and the regulars followed his gaze. He heard Ootori whisper to Shishido.

"Akutagawa-san is still very much in love with Hinamori-senpai, isn't he?" He saw Shishido nod. He sighed.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I try to run from your side

But each place I hide

It only reminds me of you

When I turn out all the lights

Even the night

It only reminds me of you

Jirou leaned against a tree and tried to sleep through the rest of lunch period. But he hasn't been sleeping well ever since she broke up with him. Especially since all dreams about when he sleeps is her.

"Ne, Jirou, since you sleep a lot,that means you dream a lot as well, right?" Umi suddenly asked Jirou one time they were together.

"Yep, that's true!" She giggled.

"Can you tell me one dream of yours? I'm curious to know what you dream about, since I never dream when I sleep." She said, intertwining her hands with his.

"Eh? Really? Hmm, would you like it better if I show you one of my dreams?" And without waiting for an answer, he kissed her, and he could feel her smile against his lips as she kissed back.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

How could I ever let you go?

Is it too late to let you know?

"Aah, Umi-chan, I'm sick of this!" Sakamoto Eiri suddenly exclaimed during lunch period.

"What's your problem this time, Eiri?" She asked innocently.

"You!"

"Eh? What did I do?" She replied, surprised.

"If you still love Akutagawa-san, why don't you just ask him to take you back, instead of just staring at him day after day after day? I'm tired of this, Umi. Why must you keep on being unhappy because you're afraid of what might happen? You love him, he loves you. Yes, I know that he loves you still. And that's all that matters, Umi. So please talk to him already, because if you don't, I will, and I think you would like it better if what you want to say came from you yourself, wouldn't you? Now go." Her outburst brought Umi to her senses, and she practically ran to where Jirou was.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Jirou." A soft melodious voice brought Jirou back to reality.

"U-Umi?" He asked, startled. She smiled at him, and he can't help but feel as if he's falling in love again.

"I need to talk to you. Do you mind if I sit beside you?" She asked. He nodded, not taking his eyes of her, afraid she might suddenly disappear. She sat down, and wrapped his hand in hers. He gasped.

"Jirou, what I'm going to say is long overdue, and I'm not going to beat around the bush anymore. I'm tired of running in circles." She took a deep breath and continued. "I'm sorry, Jirou. I'm so very sorry. I know I hurt you bad, I know that I broke your heart. You don't know how sorry I am. I love you so much, and that's why I broke up with you. My mother and father just got divorced that time, and I was so afraid. They loved each other so much, see. So when they divorced, I got scared that maybe one day, that would happen to us as well. I was afraid that one day, you'll fall out of love with me. I was afraid of getting hurt. But now I realized that none of those things should matter. Everyone gets hurt, and getting hurt teaches us what love really is. If I keep on shielding myself from people, in the end, I wouldn't be able to find true love. I still love you Jirou. I want you back. Can you not give me another chance?" She finished, eyes staring into his, pleading, begging. He sighed and pulled his hand away.

So come back to me, I'm down on my knees

Boy can't you see

When he pulled his hand away, she felt as if the world crashed down on her. But Jirou's hand reached out to caress her cheeks. Her eyes widened.

"I would have given anything to hear you say that. Of course, Umi, I would give you all the chances in the world if you asked me to. I love you." She smiled at him. He held her tight.

I try to run from your side

But each place I hide

It only reminds me of you

When I turn out all the lights

Even the night

It only reminds me of you

"Ne, Jirou, do you love me?" Umi playfully asked Jirou.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do. I love you very much." He wrapped one arm around her waist and whispered in her ear.

"Forever and always."

It only reminds me of you

Fin

Author's notes: The bold words are lyrics of the song "Only reminds me of you" by MYMP. Please review!