For the EmInArEvOl Looking Away Challenge.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS. Get it through your thick skulls people-who-will-take-me-away-without-a-disclaimer

Warning: Eventual Shounen-ai, Yaoi, BL Blah~

Pairing: Royal Pair (AtoRyo, AtobexRyoma)

Yukimura sighed, getting up to walk to the net. The climax was over, and he had lost. He needed to apologize to his teammates later, he knew.

They had counted on him, expected him to win. But Yukimura had had a sense of foreboding. A warning that he might not come out on top. So he had put his all into this last game, tried his hardest to get the last win they needed.

But in the end he failed. That freshmen, so small was so brilliant; too brilliant for him to win.

He was unexpectedly, not as upset as one would think. He always knew. Someday, every ruler has to hand over the throne. The name 'Prince' is very fitting after all.

He looked down to the tiny boy who beat him. He seemed to be in a state of mild shock, myriad of expressions sliding across his face.

Surprise, probably, given that he had just achieved the greatest tennis skill of all time.

Doubt, was it really that unbelievable, to defeat the child of god? Oh…

Realization, good the boy's starting to get it…

Then it was Yukimura's turn to be surprised. Across the boy's face broke the biggest, widest, most beautiful smile he's ever seen.

The younger's eyes are full of dancing Golden light, his cheeks rosy. The look is so innocent one would think it belonged to a five-year old.

Yukimura never would have thought such an expression would ever appear on the cocky, antisocial 'brat's face. He chuckled softly at the unexpected childishness. One tends to forget that Echizen Ryoma is only twelve-years old after all.

He watched in armistice as the boy's team started throwing him into the air. The laugh that started to erupt from the boy's mouth in pure naïve joy, gave him an urge of protectiveness, as if the boy were his own brother.

"Yare, yare Seiichi." He shook his head slightly with a small smile and walked back to his own team.

-A few days later-

Ryoma tried to hurry down the stairs of the third, trying to reach the courts before practice ended.

He gave a smile to himself. Tennis practice was the best time of day for him. Although the quiet library is nice and peaceful, the courts are full of excitement and adrenaline not to mention his friends.

He visibly brightened at the thought. The regulars with their smiling faces, they made him feel at home and happy. They were like a second family, his brothers.

Ever since Nationals ended he felt even closer to them than before. Everything was so cheerful and bright he never wanted the feeling to end.

He opened the door out of the staircase and ran across the field.

Panting lightly, he stopped to catch his breath in front of the clubroom door.

"Tezuka-Buchouuuu!" A whining voice.

He tilted his face up, he would know that voice anywhere.

He chuckled a little, inwardly, at seeing all the regulars in the room.

Ryoma placed a hand on the knob of the door, about to go in and greet his friends.

"Can we just stop pretending already?"

Ryoma frowned. Pretending? What?

"Yeah! That brat is so annoying, really annoying."

Ryoma's hand tensed against the door frame.

"Fshhuuu. Momoshiro's right, how much longer must we do this."

He bit his lip. He didn't like this, but he still couldn't exactly understand what they were talking about. Or who…

"Tezuka, that kid's such a brat can't we just dump him and go?"

"Kami-sama! This is so Awkward and annoying, nya!"

"Te-Tezuka, I think it really is better to just do it already…"

"Uh, Ah…"

A tremor went down Ryoma's neck. Wha…

"Minna, quiet down, he'll be here soon. And no, we have to keep doing this, at least until summer vacation starts. If we convince him to go back to America it would be even better."

"Ehh…Why not!"

"The other teams will be suspicious of us if Echizen suddenly leaves. So keep pretending to like him for a few more weeks, ne Tezuka?"

"Hn."

Ryoma's heart dropped into his stomach. His short fingernails scratched on the door pitifully.

He swallowed thickly. 'Echizen'

His captain's voice echoed around his mind. His captain, who he loves and respects, his pseudo-most-responsible-brother…no, not just him…

All of them.

The friendly warmth….it was only superficial…the people that were my first real friends…

Were they not real?

No, no, no. He knows he can't break down here he can't just stop. He has to keep going until the end, get the last word.

Because he is Echizen Ryoma, the cocky brat.

He sews a smirk drowning in lies, but he was sure they wouldn't notice.

Cold, clammy fingers assumed an air of fake confidence, pushing the door of the clubroom open with a creak.

The regulars just about jumped he noticed bitterly.

"Nee, Senpai-tachi, Mada Mada Dane." He was only glad his voice didn't shake.

"Eh?"

"Echizen…hehe…how long have you been there?"

"You know if you wanted me to leave, you could have gotten off your asses and asked me." Ryoma continued trying to keep his voice indifferent.

"E-Echizen…"

"Aaahhhh, It's not as if I really…liked you guys, anyway." He tried to say it evenly through the lump in his throat.

"Echiz-!"

"You guys are really stupid, ya know. Only a puppet or a fool would be tricked by superficial warmth." But I'm both. His bangs shadowed over his eyes, hiding all the emotions he knew were there.

"Well then, I'll be excusing myself from practice, Buchou."

He hefted his bag over his shoulder, walking away as fast as he dared.

If my home was a lie, what do I do now?

Upon stepping a foot out of the school gates he ran and ran. The wind stung against teary eyes threatening to spill over.

He needed to get away, far away. Away from hurt and pain, muddled feelings, a scar, bruises, rips. Everything he felt inside his body, the turmoil that came with standing at the clubroom door.

He was so confused, what was he supposed to do now? He'd never had such a terrible feeling in him before.

Because before this, I'd never trusted.

A broken gasp ripped out of his throat, and he realized he'd been holding his breath. He panted heavily, tired of emotional impact, and all the wild running.

He slumped against a wall, not exactly recognizing where he was, but it didn't matter he was only catching his breath.

"Brat?" The voice startled him and his eyes opened. The voice…it didn't say 'brat' in a condescending way…more like…a teasing way or an affectionate nickname.

Similar to the way I would call Karupin, except different he thought absentmindedly.

In front of him was Atobe, Kabaji a few steps behind him as well as the other members of the Hyoutei Regulars.

"Atobe?"

The taller boy raised an eyebrow, his arms crossed.

"Are you ok, Brat?"

Ryoma raised his head to look at him, meeting the others gaze.

Atobe's eyes widened a little.

"Echizen, what happened...!" Atobe asked, ruffled at all the emotion in the younger's eyes.

Ryoma almost gasped but stopped himself. In seeing Atobe he had momentarily forgotten, but there it was again. That sharp pain that kept attacking his core.

"Nothing… " He slid off the wall in another feign a nonchalance. But then he didn't care anymore.

"Nothing at all." He sprinted away from the regulars.

"Oiya, Atobe, wasn't that Echizen?" Oshitari asked brow raised and still looking at the way spot Ryoma had been.

"…"

"Atobe?"

"Ano…Sempai-tachi…was he crying?" Ohtori questioned, concernedly.

Atobe frowned slightly.

That brat…He remembered the broken look in Ryoma's expressive golden orbs. The hurt, pain and confusion flitting around in wide eyes, left him slightly floored.

"Nandemonai, Ikuze."

(3 years later…)

A fifteen-year-old boy, about 5'8'', walked around the Tokyo airport. He fanned himself lightly with a white cap.

Thin, long emerald-black hair lay draped over a thin shoulder. A delicate face framed by bangs. Creamy peach colored skin and full red, red lips. Complete with soft, fluffy lashes around intense golden eyes.

The boy was definitely attracting some looks, but he did not seem to notice. Lost in his own thoughts, he stared at the sky.

He brushed a few strands of hair behind his ear, revealing two garnet stud crosses, one on each ear. Not fancy…just…simply tasteful, as the bright red stood out against the cooler colors.

He wore a white sports hoodie, and a light emerald V-neck underneath. Black boot-cut jeans adorned his legs, as well as glossy crimson and black tennis shoes.

"Oy! Ryoma! Hurry up!"

"Uisu…" He called back lazily.

I never wanted to come back….Japan…

Ok, the only reason I'm uploading this now is because I had the first chapter pretty much written in my head and since I'm eventually doing this anyway...I figure write it down now, before I forget so yeah.

Because of that it will not be updated until I finish my other (main) story, Starting Over, and even if it is it just means inspiration decided it felt like striking me down.

Sore Ja, Please Read and Review! ^^