Chapter 22

And Again

A/N: Last chapter! Snuck up on ya didn't it? Don't worry; it snuck up on me too! I hope you enjoyed this, I know I did.

"I can do this right? Right! Shit, somebody bring me a drink!"

"Ray-kun! You don't need liquor." Kikumaru giggled next to her as Yuki zipped her up from behind.

"Oh yes I do!"

Yuki shook her head, "You can do this. You'll be fine, and you look beautiful."

"I know all of this, but I would still like a drink." Rayah rubbed her temples and walked to the mirror after Yuki patted at nonexistent wrinkles in her dress. She saw herself in high school at first… a bad girl in a too short skirt with a smirk that hid everything pretty well. The teenager looked her from head to toe, then nodded in approval. She smiled back.

"Rayah are you ready?"

"I guess. I would still like a drink."

Yuki rolled her eyes, "No."

Kikumaru held her hand all the way down the stairs and through the foyer to the door that led to the garden where the ceremony would be held. Rayah's eyes scanned the small crowd, "He's not here."

Yuki watched Atobe talk with Oshitari at the altar, "Rayah, he's right there."

"Not Kei, Tezuka."

Yuki pulled the woman away from the doors, "Why Ray? This might just be too hard for him to see."

Rayah smirked, "Would it be weird to say I need him here?"

Yuki shook her head, "This is serious Ray."

Rayah reached down and gathered up her dress, "I am being serious."

Kikumaru put his hands on his cheeks and pouted, "Nya Ray-kun! Where are you going?"

The woman was just a flutter of white satin and lace with a shout, "I'm sure I know where he is!"

Tezuka looked over to the low brick wall and sighed. It was like her faint apparition was walking the wall next to him, in her Seishun uniform like so many years ago. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Threatening with an obscene amount of laps around the tennis court was no longer a real threat now. Not when they were adults with real world problems. He frowned; she had real world problems in high school too… But he wanted to talk to her.

He heard a car pulling up behind him but didn't bother to look over his shoulder. The car screeched t a stop and he hear his name being called.

Rayah hopped onto the low wall, her dress bundled in her arms, no shoes, "My wedding is in the opposite direction."

"I know."

"Then where the hell are you going!"

"…" He looked at her without a whole lot to say. He had actually arrived at the house, and then realized he couldn't do it and walked away. His tie was hanging loose around his neck.

"Fuck it." Rayah grabbed his wrist and held it tight, "You have to be there!"

Tezuka wanted to ask why, but instead he just looked at her. She rolled her eyes, "I can't do it if you're not there. I don't know why, but I can't."

She looked beautiful in that dress, her hair pinned in a low bun at the back of her head. Her gold eyes jumped at him, pleading. "I haven't done anything to deserve to be present."

"Yes you have." She sighed, "You made me this." She said, motioning to herself. "You made me this woman. It was all you. You were indifferent to me when we first met, you yelled at me when others would give in. You came to my rescue when it really wasn't your place to, and you walked away from me when I thought you didn't have the balls."

Tezuka looked away from her but she gripped his wrist tighter, "You showed me that some things just have to happen."

"Why are you giving me so much credit?"

Rayah laughed, "Because lately you haven't been giving yourself any. My Oto-san was an arrogant asshole. I'm starting not to know this person."

He nodded. She was right. The high school tennis champ Tezuka Kunimitsu wouldn't be moping and sulking about. He would take things as they come and learn from the lesson. "I'm sorry."

"Damn right you're sorry. Now get in the car, we have a wedding to get to."

"Shoes now!"

Kikumaru rushed to the bride with her white pumps in his hands and Yuki grabbed Tezuka gently by the arm, "Glad you could make it."

"Thank you Yuki."

"Yeah yeah. Just get in there."

Atobe watched the other man walk down the aisle to his seat. They made eye contact and the groom nodded to the other man. A nod of approval that made Tezuka finally relax into his seat a little.

Fuji lent over to him, "Welcome back Kunimitsu."

On the other side of the doors, Nanjiro securely wrapped Rayah's arm in his own, "My brother would be so proud of you right now."

"I would hope so."

Walking out into the garden was like walking into a new life. The people she knew looked somehow different, even Atobe standing at the altar with his pride wafting off of him. Fuji beamed from his seat and Kikumaru was bouncing on the balls of his feet. Oishi was at his seat trying not to cry, as well as Yuki who was trying to make the redhead next to her stand still. Her mother's seat was empty, no surprise there, but Rinko sat on the other side, grinning anyway. She swore this would be the last time she saw Ryoma smiling so brightly, he would deny it later. Ryoga was teasing him about it at the moment. Oshitari nodded as she took Atobe's hand and stepped onto the altar.

It was like all she could hear was rushing water, the preacher talking was nonexistent. Just Atobe's smiling face was enough for her. His vows washed over her as he said them. And in reality when he was done she had forgotten them that fast, but she didn't forget how they made her feel. All the normal sounds rushed back as she opened her mouth.

"I remember first meeting you and thinking that it was impossible for anyone else in the world to be so much like me, yet so different. I had issues and anger and way too much pride but all you saw was me. I've always been your princess, no matter what and that made me feel safe. You never gave up on me, you followed me wherever and whenever you could. Your mind has been made up on me since day one. I've treated you nicely, I've been a bitch, I've lied, I've put you out there alone…and you were able to forgive me for it all." She stopped to sniff back some tears, "I love you Keigo. And I will never step on that love again. I promise."

"We've been here before haven't we?" Atobe smiled at her as they slow danced.

Rayah smirked and put her head on his chest, "Senior prom I believe."

Atobe spotted Tezuka leaning against the wall and sighed, "Not a whole lot has changed."

She saw him too and sighed also. "I guess not."

"Then I guess I should repeat myself, he still loves you. And he's still an idiot."

Rayah laughed, "I know."

Atobe decided that maybe its ok to be the good guy at the end of the story again. He couldn't let Tezuka have all the glory. Rayah yelped in surprise as Atobe grabbed her hand and pulled her across the floor. Tezuka watched them with mild surprise on his face.

The young heir grabbed the other man's hand and placed his fiancé's hand in it. Atobe gave Kunimitsu a playful glare, "I'll be watching you."

Rayah laughed as he glided away to instead dance with his mother. Tezuka gave the man's back a small, very small, smile. "So he trusts me now?"

"I would say he knows you."

Tezuka looked down at Rayah, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you."

He sighed, "You really have changed."

"All of us have Kunimitsu. Look around you. This isn't high school anymore." She chuckled, "A tennis match isn't going to make all our problems go away."

"You're right."

The song slowed to a stop and the woman smirked, "Damn right I'm right!" She laughed and hugged him, "You did amazing by me Kunimitsu. I'll never forget that."

Tezuka shoved his hands in his pockets as he watched her run back to her husband. But he didn't sulk until the party was over; he chatted and talked, and danced and laughed.

They all did. There was excited shouting and loud music well into the night. Pictures were snapped and promises were made to share them. Hard times were forgotten, if only for a little while. All of it was about growing up, the pains of aging and learning. It was like graduating all over again and they had faith in what was ahead.

Besides…only Champions are allowed in the Winners Circle anyway.