On Different Terms

Summary: AU – Tezuka meets a girl named Echizen Ryoma, who asks him to be her doubles partner in a street court game. The next day she shows up joining the boy's tennis team. Pairings: TezuRyo; high school, gen. ben.,

A/N: For those of you who wanted Tezuka to be with Ryoma in my other story Switch here it is! So if you like this one great! IF YOU DON'T LIKE PLZ BE A GOOD PERSON LIKE EVERY OTHER INDIVIDUAL OUT THERE AND PRESS THE 'BACK' BUTTON ON YOUR BROWSER AND GO READ SOMETHING ELSE! Otherwise the rest of you can enjoy!

Disclaimers: I don't own the Prince of Tennis/Tennis no Ojii-sama characters! Salamat!

PS: Ryoma might be out of character for some parts… Other than some parts Ryoma is still in character

Part 1 – Teaser Chapter

Seventeen-year-old Tezuka Kunimitsu sighed and plopped down on the empty bench. He was a bit out of breath from practicing tennis by bouncing the ball back and fourth from his racket against a wall in the street courts. It was a Sunday. He could've been out with some friends, or if he considered them friends. They were a band of psychos that were depleting his sanity every time he was in their presence. Mean thing to think about…

Yes, the boy's tennis team's captain and President of the Student Council of Seishun High did have friends that existed outside the boundaries of intelligence. They did consider him his friend. But they were the most supportive bunch you'd every meet, although their personalities were something to be wary of. The regulars of the boy's tennis team were a bit wicked. Not wicked per say but weird. They had their own little quirks.

After all, the team that competed in competitions consisted of a mother hen named Oishi Shinichirou, a sadistic tensai named Fuji Syuusuke, a hyperactive acrobat named Kikumaru Eiji, a data man named Inui Sadaharu, a person with MPD when holding a racket named Kawamura Takashi, a snake-face named Kaidou Karou, and a vacuum powerhouse named Momoshirou Takeshi. Tell him that you wouldn't want to be around this group. They all have serious issues in Tezuka's opinion.

It was a really boring Sunday. Not that Sundays were really boring; it was just that there was literally nothing to do. Rallying the ball back and fourth between a wall and his racket and reading a novel, some people would find boring, proved that he had no life outside of tennis. Maybe Fuji was right…

Luck seemed to be on his side this Sunday.

It wasn't everyday, that an attractive, decent girl approached you and asked you in a calm, non-giggling, manner, to invite you to play tennis. Tezuka glanced up from his weekly read to the girl standing in his light. He thought she had the most captivating golden eyes he's ever seen.

"Ano… excuse me, I noticed that you have a tennis racket and I was wondering if you would like to play tennis as my doubles partner against those snickering idiots that call themselves my brothers," she said rather bluntly, pointing to the laughing blond and the older boy look-alike of her. She turned to scowl at them before putting on her charming persona on him. "Please? If only just to help me wipe them off the floor so I can gloat about it to them later!" she seemed to beg. Tezuka decided to take pity, yeah right, on the girl and agreed.

"Sure, but I'm not really good at doubles," Tezuka admitted. He was right. After all he preferred singles. She seemed to contemplate it for a moment before clasping her hands together as if she had an idea, which she probably did.

"Cover half of the court, guard the back, I guard the net, and that should work ne?" She stated before grasping his wrist and dragged him towards the courts. She called to the two, telling them that he'd join in. She then turned to him. "I didn't catch your name…"

"Tezuka Kunimitsu."

"Echizen Ryoma, call me Ryoma, the other two—"

"Oi, Chibi-suke! Are you done flirting so we could play?" she scowled at the interruption.

"Never mind they aren't important," she finished.

They then began to play. Tezuka was impressed by what he had seen. These siblings weren't just any players. They were good and could match up any of the regulars on the team. Tezuka wondered where they were from. They must've been new or probably didn't join any clubs. What he didn't really like about this game was the bet taken place. It was the elder Echizen sibling that suggested it. He should've known it was a bad idea to accept Ryoma's offer. The bet seemed to be only bad for his partner than he himself. After all, they wouldn't do something bad to someone they didn't know. Would they?

He did play some of his best since he didn't want to be on the receiving end of their jokes, whatever it was. Him and Ryoma were leading 5-4. If they win these next two points then they would choose the losers' punishment. A few minutes later they won 6-4. He let out a sigh of relief. He didn't really want to continue any longer. The game was pretty lengthy itself. Now at least he wouldn't find out what he would've had to do. Tezuka was surprised as the girl gave him a tight hug. He kind of liked the feeling…

Damn hormones.

She childishly stuck her tongue out at her two brothers. "See! I can play doubles!" she said tauntingly. "Mada, mada, dane." she said at their expressions. "Now we decided how to humiliate you!" she sang. Tezuka thought she had the most beautiful voice… Damn the hormones again. She looked at him. "Ne, Tezuka-san what should they do?" she asked him. Tezuka was a bit surprised but refrained from showing it.

"I don't really-"

"Tezuka-san, you should shove her off. She usually forgets to let go!" The blond, Kevin Smith as he found out, told him. It made him realize that she still had her arms around him. But his statement made her let go and scowls cutely at the blond who was now laughing with Ryoga, the older brother.

"Stop it before I make you both pole dance on a street sign!" Ryoma yelled at them angrily. She had been considering it. But then she thought of a better idea. "I'll be nice today and let you both pay for our meals now." She was kind of hungry. "Ano, Tezuka-san are you coming?" there seemed to be desperation in her voice as Tezuka could tell. She clasped her hands together as if in a prayer with her head bowed. "Please don't leave me alone with them!" she begged.

"Un…" Tezuka reluctantly agreed. Looks like he'd have to inform his parents that he'd be eating out tonight.

-X-

When Ryoga and Kevin first pointed him out, she thought, to put it bluntly, he had NO life. After all no guy would spend their Sunday by himself. She had the bad luck to lose and ask the man to play tennis with them. She needed a doubles partner since Ryoga and Kevin wanted to pair up. They won her in rock, paper, and scissors.

She had to use her 'feminine pity' charm to talk to him. She really hated doing that, unless it was for her use. When she asked him, she couldn't tell if he was attracted to her. She was expecting it since it had happened before. But with the guy she couldn't tell if he was annoyed or not! That was new. Then she thought he probably was a stick in the mud. She didn't really think that when they began playing tennis. He was not an average tennis player that's for sure. She knew it. She was thinking of playing him in a single's match. He played like an all-rounder. That was fine with her, the challenging the better.

That was why she dragged him along with them. He looked like he needed it. Plus, it was so she would get to know him better and not be alone with Ryoga and Kevin. They bugged the hell out of her. She was curious as to what made Tezuka Kunimitsu tic. It was just plain curiosity, not what Ryoga and Kevin might assume.

She was only able to find out a few things:

First, the guy was only seventeen! Seventeen! They all thought he was a teacher! A very hot one…

Moving on… Second, he is the captain of the boy's tennis club. Props to him…

Third, he goes to Seishun High.

Ryoma smirked to herself at the last thought.

She couldn't wait to see the look on his face as she attends Seishun High tomorrow.

-X-

Tezuka glanced at the tennis courts warily. It was the usual start of every year in the tennis club. Someone would start a fight and things would get to the point where he would interfere and order the guilty members to run laps. It seems that they didn't get the first ten times he'd done it. He mumbled a few curses under his breath, yes he could after being with this tennis club for five years since junior high he would've learned by now, and walked over the two that were disobeying his commands. As he thought, it was Arai picking on the freshmen again and right now was losing horribly by the freshman holding an out of strung racket.

Before he could yell out their punishment, he froze in his words as he looked fully at the freshman. He recognized some of those moves… What was she doing here!? He thought in surprise. But he quickly shoved it off to ask later before one of the other regulars, that consider him their friend, noticed, especially Fuji. He quickly knocked the oncoming ball off the turf, making the two stop and pay attention to him. As he thought, it was the girl he had met yesterday.

"All of you 10 laps!" He ordered. He made sure to sweep his threatening look to everyone so they wouldn't dare to make excuses. As expected they all hurriedly went to run their laps afraid of angering him further for he would add more. Ten was pretty lenient. The courts were almost empty. He had noticed she took a leisure pace. She walked by him, tilted her Fila cap up and gave him a wink.

"Konnichi wa Kuni-san." She greeted before running off with the others.

Tezuka had hoped that no one had seen the slight trade. It was brief and slight he doubted anyone would see. But alas luck was not on his side for this day.

Amused blue eyes saw the whole exchange.

TBC---------------

BLK Angel of Destruction: So, whatcha think? I hope it's okay as of now. This idea had just hit me like BAM! So I had to write it down! Anyways PLZ review!

Review! No Flames! C+C accepted!