Substitute

By Lerafea and Aindreas

Summary: Trying to forget his recent heartbreak, Ryoma finds himself distracted during training. His sempais notice and before you know it - "Ne, Echizen, did you get dumped?" Ryoma is NOT happy. Warning: YAOI! TezuRyo and a dash of ShinRyo.

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis does not belong to us.

-

Chapter 6

281204

Ryoma Echizen.

How could a 12 year old possess so much skill and talent?

Tezuka frowned inwardly as he watched the freshman completely trash another junior at a one set match. He really pitied the poor senior-to-be but as he watched the tawny-eyed freshman execute another perfect serve, the captain could not help but marvel inwardly. This was the sort of perfection even Hyotei's Keigo Atobe could not achieve.

"He has improved again, ne?" Oishi asked, coming to stand beside his stoic best friend. "Improved enough to defeat you… Tezuka?"

"Aa. Perhaps."

"He really is something else."

It was awhile before either of them spoke again and it was the fuku Buchou that broke the comfortable silence.

"Eiji told me that Fuji intends to ask Echizen for a one set match."

A short pause.

"Aa."

Oishi smiled at the typical Tezuka response and turned to walk away.

"Fuji… will lose."

The raven-haired senior turned back to regard the taller boy carefully.

"Hontou?" Oishi broke into a grin. "Sou des ne."

The kind boy knew that Tezuka seldom was wrong whether the situation was regarding tennis or otherwise. There was a high chance that they were in for a show.

-

Echizen frowned. This was supposed to be a private match and yet…

Inui-sempai, Kaidoh-sempai, Momo-sempai, Kawamura-sempai, Oishi-sempai, Kikumaru-sempai, Buchou, the 3 freshman and the 2 girls were there… Not the mention several passer-bys and a sleeping Jirou-kun.

"Che," he snorted and shrugged dismissively. He had nothing to hide and he could only blame Fuji-sempai for choosing the street tennis courts.

He was going to defeat that smiling tensai and nothing could stop him.

"Smooth or rough?"

"Rough."

Smooth

"My service then, Echizen-kun."

"Mada mada."

Fuji smiled, seemingly oblivious to the captain-to-be's petulant mood.

/Service Ace, 0-15/

Echizen didn't even flinch, slightly distracted by the waking up of Hyotei's famous sleeping beauty. Exciting matches always seemed to be able to wake up the blonde… Aside from Kabaji of course. Tennis came easily to Ryoma. The motion of his body, the swing of his arm and the usage of his muscles. It hadn't taken long for him to close that distance between him and the smiling tensai.

/40-15, Echizen leading/

It hadn't taking him long to surpass the tensai.

/Game, Echizen, 1 game to love/

Tensai no more. The golden-eyed boy smirked and served, easily taking that point…

And the game.

/Game, Echizen, 2 games to love/

"Maa maa, Echizen," the brunette groused. "You won't let up, will you?"

The green haired boy smirked arrogantly. "Mada mada da ne."

"Game, Fuji, 2 games to 1!"

It seemed Jirou had finally taken his place as referee. Fuji smiled.

The freshman caught sight of his Buchou, his arms folded and his stance arrogant. Flashes of the stayover 2 weeks ago invaded his mind.

He hadn't talked to the brunette since then.

"Echizen!" Fuji yelled, reminding the kouhai. "Remember our bet!"

"Che. Madda madda, Fuji-sempai."

"Game, Fuji, 2 games all!"

Echizen simply smiled, enjoying the rush of adreline coursing through his body.

"Game, Fuji, 2 games to 3!"

He could hear Ryuzaki Sensei's granddaughter and her annoying friend from here. Despite the fact that it usually didn't bother him, the high pitched squealing grated his nerves some times.

/Higame Otoshi/

"Game, Fuji, 2 games to 4!"

Still the freshman smiled, tugging his cap lower.

His Buchou watched silently from the sidelines, the message in his eyes to the 12-year-old perfectly clear.

Don't expect to defeat me without beating Fuji first.

"Don't get careless… ka?"

"Game, Echizen, 3 games to 4."

"GO, ECHIZEN!" Momoshiro yelled.

Apparently, the sempais had placed their bets but Echizen only had eyes for the stoic captain.

"Game, Echizen, 4 games all!"

"Maa maa, Echizen. Your opponent is me… for now. Don't get distracted."

Lips curved up in an arrogant smirk, meeting cerulean eyes dead on.

"I'm aiming higher than you, Fuji-sempai. Much higher."

"Saa ne," Fuji murmured softly. "We shall see."

"Heh."

"Game, Echizen, 5 games to 4!"

Liquid-brown eyes watched his every move, his face expressionless, but Echizen could very well guess what Tezuka was thinking.

"I will become the next pillar of support for Seigaku!"

"GAME, set, match, Echizen Ryoma, 6 games to 4!"

He tuned out the sound of cheering and approached his sempai at the net.

"Good game, Echizen."

"Mada mada da ne."

"Remember our bet, ne."

"How could I forget?" The freshman tugged on his hat as they moved to the side and was immediately swamped by the crowned of Seigaku students.

It was late, Echizen realized. He hadn't noticed the court lights being switched on. He searched the sea of faces for that familiar figure and found him almost immediately.

Tezuka nodded.

Echizen smiled.

-

They watched as another trained passed by noisily. Echizen was sitting down next to his bag while his Buchou continued to stand.

"Ii game."

"Domo."

The silence was not a comfortable one. 5 minutes… 10 minutes… 15 minutes… 30 minutes… 35 minutes… 40 minutes…

"Ne, buchou."

"Aa?"

"I've thought about it."

"It?"

"The kiss."

"Aa."

A pause.

"And?"

"And I was wondering if Buchou was free this Saturday to bring me out for lunch."

Tezuka's back tensed as he looked down at the shorter boy whose gaze seemed transfixed on the concrete floor.

"I told you, that I won't be anyone's substitute."

"Impossible. You're nothing like Shinji," Tawny eyes snapped up to stare at him in an unspoken challenge. "Are you?"

"Iiya."

"Then you're not his sub. After all… how can the number one singles player of Seigaku possibly be a sub? It's unheard of."

Tezuka didn't reply, his face as expressionless as ever. Echizen started to think that this was a really bad idea.

"I really like you," the freshman muttered.

The captain of the Seigaku tennis team stared, his eyes widening a fraction of a centimeter.

"Then this has nothing to do with the bet you made with Fuji?"

"Buchou's too smart," Echizen chuckled… or snorted. "The 'bet' was nothing. I wouldn't have lost… much… either way."

"What was it?"

Much to the younger boy's surprise, the stoic captain bent his knees to squat next to the underclassman and before sitting down on the ground.

"If I lose, I kiss you. In front of everybody."

"Aa. And if you win?"

"I still kiss you. Under my own terms and conditions."

"Aa." Tezuka pondered over this for awhile. "Are you going to do it?"

"Huh?"

Tezuka smiled and leaned over, tilting Echizen's chin up and gently kissing that pair of soft, pliable lips. When he pulled back he gave a small uncharacteristic smile and pressed his forehead against the other's.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

Echizen smirked, reached forward and gently bit the other boy's upper lip.

"I'll take that as a 'yes' then, Kunimitsu."

Tezuka simply smiled and caught the younger boy's lips with his own in a rapidly-deepening kiss.

Neither of them heard the soft 'click' of the camera shutter and a certain Fuji's quiet chuckle.

This was good blackmail material until they decided to go public.

Fuji was happy today.

owari

A/N: I don't think I like the way this turned out, but… nevermind. Review and tell me how you think. It seems a bit rushed, ne? Hmphs… RR!

Sorry for the late update. I know I finished this /last year/ but I haven't had the time to edit it. I'm really really sorry! ;;