A/N: Hiya everyone! This is my first fanfic so if you could all just bear with me and review so I know what I need to do for next time, that would be super awesome! ^.^ Warning! Yaoi ahead! If you don't like it, don't read it! Anyways, I hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis, however much I wish I do. :P

"Game won by Echizen. 6-4. Seigaku wins the Nationals." The crowd cheered. A boy with black hair with green tints and golden eyes grinned, happiness radiating from him. He shook hands with the other boy on the court, saying, "We'll play again sometime."

Shouts of "Ryoma!" and "Echizen!" could be heard as his teammates rushed forward. They lifted him up, cheering, and Ryoma was the happiest he'd ever been.

The captain, Tezuka, spoke, "We've won the Nationals. Good job." From anyone else, this would hardly be praise, but from Tezuka, this was one of the highest praises he gave. Tezuka looked at Ryoma, pride in his eyes. "Well done Echizen."

Ryoma sat on a chair near the pool, eating sushi while he watched all of the Seigaku regulars, besides Tezuka and Inui, splashing each other and playing games in the pool. Tezuka looked on silently and Inui added more data to his never ending supply of notebooks. Kikumaru and Momoshiro had insisted that the team have a pool party to commemorate Seigaku winning the Nationals.

"Echizen! Why don't you come in?" Momoshiro shouted before he was dunked by Kikumaru. "Yeah Ochibi! Jump in!"

"No thank you."

"We won't take no for an anwer!" Kikumaru gleefully shouted. They jumped out of the pool and grabbed Ryoma by the arms.

"No! Let me go!" Ryoma shouted, struggling to escape them.

"Aww. It'll be fun Ochibi!" Kikumaru and Momoshiro dragged Ryoma to the edge of the pool.

"Hmmm... You might want to take off your shirt so it doesn't get wet."

"I said I don't want to swim! So LET GO OF ME!" Ryoma shouted again, glaring at Momoshiro and Kikumaru.

"Well if that's how you want it," Momoshiro sighed. Then he grinned. "Ok on three." He and Kikumaru started to swing Ryoma back and forth, preparing to throw him into the pool. "One... Two... Thr-"

"Stop." Kikumaru and Momoshiro froze. Fuji glared icily at them from where he was standing a few feet away, eyes wide open and hair dripping from the water. "He said he didn't want to swim. Put Echizen down." Kikumaru and Momo slowly lowered Ryoma onto the ground, eyes fearful. "Good." Fuji smiled, his eyes closing. Kikumaru and Momo sighed in relief. They were safe. Ryoma just glared and stomped back to his chair.

Tezuka called the group together before everyone went home. "We'll still have practice tomorrow."

"Aww... We don't even get one day off?" Kikumaru complained.

"But we will be ending early to let everyone get some rest," Tezuka continued, glancing at Kikumaru.

Ryoma's face fell a little. He had been happy that they would have practice, but now that they were ending early, he would have to go home earlier than usual.

"Dismissed."

Ryoma sighed and slowly headed home.

Ryoma didn't show up at school the next day. He finally appeared after school during tennis practice. Momoshiro noticed him first. "Echizen! What happened to you?" There was a bandage down the entire right side of Ryoma's face.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"But Echizen... It looks like it's pretty bad," Kawamura said, worriedly walking up, drawing the attention of the other regulars.

"Did you go to the doctor? You should if you haven't already." Oishi hurried up, worrying over Ryoma.

"I said it was nothing!" Ryoma snapped, glaring at anyone who protested. Tezuka watched from the side, and he noticed that Ryoma's eyes seemed... empty, like he was putting up a barrier against all of the people around him. The usual fire was not there. Tezuka glanced at Fuji, who looked back at Tezuka. Their eyes mirrored their worry about Ryoma.

Tezuka walked up to the group, saying, "Enough. If Echizen has something to tell us, he will. Back to practice all of you." He silenced any protests with a glare. "And Echizen, 20 laps for being late."

Ryoma met Tezuka's eyes, and Tezuka saw a flicker of the usual fire in his eyes. "Yes, Buchou."

Everyone went back to what they had been doing, and Ryoma started running. There were occasional whispers amongst the regulars, with glances toward Ryoma, but they were quickly silenced by a glare from Fuji or Tezuka.

After Ryoma was done with his laps, he challenged Momoshiro to a match, and they started playing. Fuji watched from the next court. Tezuka watched from the fence. Both of them noticed immediately how happy Ryoma seemed and how his eyes burned in anticipation for the next shot.

On the last point, with Ryoma winning 5-1, Momoshiro threw up a high lob. Ryoma moved back, and smashed the ball into the corner of the court, winning the game.

"Ugh! How am I supposed to win against you?" Momoshiro complained. He walked up to Ryoma, grinning. "I'll beat you next time, Echizen!"

"I'll be waiting," Ryoma said, smiling.

"Ok practice is over!" Tezuka called out. Ryoma's eyes darkened.

"Hmm? What's up Echizen?" Momoshiro asked.

"Nothing," Ryoma replied, walking into the clubhouse to get changed.

Fuji waited for the rest of the members to leave the clubhouse until he went up to Tezuka.

"I'm really worried about Ryoma," he said, allowing Tezuka to fold him in his arms.

"I know. We both are."

"Yeah, but when he went in for that smash, his shirt lifted and I saw a cut on his side."

Tezuka's eyes widdened. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"What is going on?" Tezuka muttered.

"Mitsu, I love you, but I think I might love Ryoma as well," Fuji said, staring into Tezuka's eyes.

Tezuka was startled for a moment, thinking. Then his eyes softened. "You know, I might too." He smiled softly.

"Then I think we should help him."

"Ok. But we can figure out what to do tomorrow."

Tezuka leaned towards Fuji and their lips touched, becoming a passionate kiss.

Ryoma was at school the next day and the bandage was still on his face, but he was unusually distant. If a question was directed his way he would only give one word answers if he bothered to reply at all.

Tezuka and Fuji talked about Ryoma during class. Neither of them had to really pay attention because they already knew the material being covered.

Fuji spoke first, "I think we should talk to him."

"I don't know. We might want to give him some space." Tezuka was more hesitant to confront Ryoma directly, in case that made him even more distant than he already was.

"You may be right, but the more I think about him the more worried I get."

"Give him a few days. If nothing changes, then we'll talk to him."

"Fine."

A week later, Ryoma didn't have the bandage on his face. But there was a long scar where it had been, stretching from his hairline to his jaw. Whatever had made the wound had just missed Ryoma's right eye.

Fuji saw Ryoma the moment he walked through the main gate to school. He looked at the scar, horrified. He ran up to Ryoma and pulled him to the shadow of a nearby tree, ignoring Ryoma's protests.

Fuji examined the scar up close, then exclaimed, "Echizen! That scar could not have been caused by an accident! What happened to you?"

Ryoma stared at Fuji, his face unreadable. "Nothing happened, Fuji-sempai."

"Don't you dare lie to me." Fuji's eyes pierced through Ryoma, making him shiver despite his efforts to remain indifferent.

"How would you know if I was telling the truth or not anyways?" Ryoma smirked, bitterness filling his eyes. "I have to go to class." He turned, but Fuji caught his arm. "What?"

"I'll find out who did this to you."

"Don't bother," Ryoma said, masking his emotions once more. "There's nothing you can do. If you'll excuse me." Ryoma pulled himself out of Fuji's grip and walked away.

Fuji watched Ryoma walk away, frozen. "Ryoma..." he whispered. He turned, and ran off in search of Tezuka.

Fuji eventually found Tezuka in the library.

"Mitsu!"

Tezuka looked up from his book, surprised. His eyes widened upon seeing Fuji's distressed face.

"Syuu? What's wrong?"

"It's... It's Ryoma!"

Tezuka's eyes sharpened. "Come here and sit down. Tell me what happened."

Fuji sank slowly into a chair. "There's a scar all the way down his face! And it looks like it was caused by something very sharp... like a knife." Fuji whispered the last words, afraid of the conclusions he was drawing.

Tezuka gripped his chair. "Someone hurt Ryoma?"

"I think so, but Ryoma won't tell me what happened."

Tezuka was silent, staring intently at Fuji. He stood. "Maybe I should try talking to him."

Fuji grabbed his arm. "No. He'll know something's up, and he'll be even more careful of what he says. Let me try something."

"Don't hurt him Syuu, or I'll make you run laps until the sun goes down."

Fuji stood. "Trust me. I'd rather break all of the bones in my body than hurt Ryoma."

Passion burned in Fuji's eyes. He glanced around the room to check that no one was watching. He quickly leaned forward and kissed Tezuka softly. After a moment, he broke the kiss and left without a word.

So how was it? Good? Bad? Please review! I need feedback if I'm going to get any better at this.

I will attempt to put the next chapter up soon, but no promises. ^.^