Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my extreme sleepiness.

Warning: Yaoi fanfiction. Semi AU. Slight genderswitch. MPREG. Contains spoilers for New Prince of Tennis and Prince of Tennis Movie: The Two Samurais.

Pairings: Tezuka X Echizen, Sanada X Yukimura, Momoshiro X Ann

A/N: After a hundred thousand years...finally...an update!

Okay, maybe not really that long, but I can't apologize enough for the delay this round. Virus creators must die! It's hell to rewrite a chapter...as if writing it chapter by chapter basis is not bad enough yet. T.T . I hope I don't have to go through this again...

A big thank you to all readers and reviewers for your patience. Enjoy the next chapter~

To the story then...

Trials of Life

By: Gwynhafra

Chapter 15

When Ryoma walked into the arrival hall, the first thing he felt was…a sense of strangeness…

It wasn't quite a feeling he could put a finger on, but it lingered in the back of his head. Even though the signs were familiar, the place was familiar, and even the voice making the last call for boarding (to Sydney) was familiar, Ryoma felt as if the place was foreign to him. He headed towards the exit, passing crowds of people who called out names of families and friends. He was in this airport many times before, though for some reason, he felt like he didn't belong here.

Ryoma gave a sigh and continued walking, carrying his bag with him. He just needed to get used to this again. It has been a while since he was here after all. Not much changed for the six years he was away. At most, a few new shops outside the airport indicating change of ownerships, but otherwise, the rest were the same.

Well…not quite. Ryoma looked around. Back then, he had to be in disguise, or he'd be pulled over by fans at least once for his autograph. Now, he was walking around without a disguise (not even his female one) and no one spared him a second glace. He used to wish that people would leave him alone because they were annoying. Now he just felt that fame was such a short lived thing.

Even as he walked out to call a cab, however, a red sports car pulled to a stop right in front of him. The people around him started whispering and pointing at said vehicle, and he was just about to walk away when the door opened, and a very familiar blonde stepped out.

"Ryoma…is that really you, Ryoma?"

"Kevin." Ryoma said in greeting. This fellow didn't change either. The same flashiness. The same fashion sunglasses on his head. The same confident smile. The other man walked over from the car and threw his arms around the Japanese man.

"It really is you, Ryoma! Here I was wondering if I'd ever get to see you again! Why haven't you contacted us at all during your trip?" He squeezed Ryoma tighter.

The whispering around them increased. Ryoma had a feeling Kevin's popularity was still going strong, and onlookers must be curious as to who he, the one lucky (or in Ryoma's opinion, unlucky) enough to be on the receiving end of free hugs. Either that or it was just a sight for a grown man to be hugging another so openly.

Ryoma pried his arms off, just like before. Already, Kevin's antics made it feel as if he hadn't been away those six years after all.

"I've been here and there…holidaying in a remote part of Africa. I couldn't contact anyone here because of that." Ryoma lied smoothly.

Kevin made a face. Why would the black-green haired man head there for a holiday of all places? Ah well. It didn't matter. Ryoma was back!

"What are you doing here, by the way?" Ryoma couldn't help asking. Could it be someone recognized him and called Kevin? He sure didn't ask for a lift.

Kevin shrugged. "I just happened to be around the area, and besides, I had a feeling I would meet you today. Let's go for lunch."

'Yeah right…' If Ryoma had to guess, Kevin was here to pick up someone else. He did have a habit of going around looking for potential dates after all.

Surely enough, Ryoma had only just gotten into the car when he spotted an attractive, sexily dressed female making her way towards the very same vehicle. At the sight of her, Kevin leapt into the car and sped off. Ryoma could see the lady waving her fists and shouting angrily in their direction.

"Wait…Kevin…don't tell me your original plan to be here was to pick her up…" Ryoma spoke slowly.

The blonde grinned. "Nope. I changed my mind. Her boobs are not big enough for my tastes. Besides, I wouldn't pass on the chance to go out on a date with my long lost Ryoma."

Ah…it looked like despite the years apart, Kevin still retained the habit of flirting with him. Ryoma sighed and ignored him like he usually did. Kevin threw a side-glance at him. "So, you and that guy still together? What's new?"

"Of course we're together. As for what's new…" 'I had a baby.' "…nope. Nothing new at all." Ryoma looked out of the window.

Kevin snorted. "After going on your trip for so long, you have nothing to say about it? How cold, Ryoma." He sighed. "I'm impressed that you're still with that boring, old-fashioned bloke. Don't you ever tire of him?"

"Don't speak so insultingly towards my Kunimitsu. He's a great man and…" 'a wonderful father' "…a wonderful traveling partner." Oh, it was difficult keeping these things from Kevin, whom he considered as one of his few close friends in the tennis profession.

Kevin lifted one hand off the steering wheel in a placating gesture. "Whoa, don't get angry, Ryoma. I was only joking. Still, I envy him, to have such a faithful partner by his side. So there are such things as lasting love after all." There was a slightly wistful look on his face, though it passed very quickly as he turned to the black-green haired man. "Well, where would you like to go to first?"

XXX

Ryoma made a face as he picked up another piece of steak, holding it before him as he stared at it with distaste.

"This place is so different now. The food is greasier…and the price is higher…" He commented.

Kevin chuckled. "Wow. Since when do you actually bother about prices? I'm surprised that you didn't ask for a Japanese restaurant. You'd pretty much demand to go to one during mealtimes."

"I just thought I'd eat some local food here for once. Haven't had this in a while…now I'm already regretting it." He smiled as he pictured what his son might say if he brought him to this place. Kunifuyu could be quite picky, and would only eat what he disliked because Tezuka chided him about food wastage.

Kevin saw the smile and continued to stare almost shamelessly. Ryoma noticed this and shifted awkwardly. "What?"

"Mm…nothing. You've grown up, Ryoma." There was a little bit of delight in Kevin's tone.

"You're trying to say that I've grown older. It's perfectly understandable. I hit 30's starting from this year anyway." Ryoma muttered a little gloomily.

Kevin gave a laugh and shook his head. "That's nothing to be upset over. What are you, a girl?" He leaned a little closer. "What I am trying to say is that you've become more mature. There's an air about you which makes you seem like a real adult. You've become more attractive too." His smile dropped. "Don't tell me it was all thanks to you holidaying with that boyfriend of yours."

Ryoma responded with a neutral "hn.", neither denying nor agreeing to Kevin's question. Well, it was Tezuka's influence indeed. That, and years of Ryoma caring for his baby boy. Tezuka's way of teaching their son was simple, as he led by example. Their son inherited Ryoma's mischief, though that was toned down by Tezuka's gentle yet firm way of raising him to be a good boy. Somehow, with Ryoma hanging around so often, he inevitably began to pick up some of the good points too. He blamed Tezuka for the reduction of his bratty nature.

Kevin sighed. "No matter how many years passed, I still can't win that guy after all." He groaned exaggeratedly.

Ryoma wiped his lips and put away his handkerchief. "Hey, Kevin. I'm sorry, but I can't hang out with you too long. I want to go pro again so there are a lot of procedures to see to first. Thank you for the meal." He got to his feet.

Kevin blinked at him in surprise. The old Ryoma was never this polite. Well, the old Ryoma was cute, since the more snarky he got, the more Kevin wanted to tease him. This Ryoma was good too. Curse that Tezuka for being so hard an opponent to beat.

Kevin got to his feet too. "I understand. You have to approach a coach cum manager to take you under his or her wing, and then you need to go through training and go for official matches once the coach has determined that you are ready. Yes, there are quite a lot of things to be done." He grinned. "Why don't I be your escort then? I have a car. You don't. It's my day off. I'm free, you're free. Let's go on a date, baby."

Ryoma glared at him, for a moment resembling his old self. Kevin knew that to be a warning sign and decided to back off a little while he could. Tezuka's serious nature was rubbing off on Ryoma. Then again Ryoma hated being flirted with anyway. "Hey, I'm just joking, Ryoma. I meant it when I said I'd be your escort though. You still need time to get used to New York again anyway. Come on. Instead of going through the roundabout way of looking for a coach, how about letting a pro recommend you instead? I know just the person for you."

XXXXXX

"Coach! I brought a present for you!" Kevin yelled on the top of his voice.

Ryoma turned to him slightly, even as he stepped onto the very same path he walked on so many times years ago. "Kevin, you don't actually mean…"

"Yup." The blonde noticed how Ryoma halted, turned around and tried to escape. Before the black-green haired man could move too far, he strode over and trapped him with an arm around his shoulders. Raising his voice again, he called a second time for the coach.

Ryoma didn't dislike his coach. Still, for him to return years later, after he left in the first place without a decent excuse…

"Oh. It's you." The coach sounded less than impressed when he entered the room to see what the "gift" Kevin mentioned was. Ryoma expected that and tried to make his escape again, though Kevin only tightened his grip and pointed at Ryoma with his free hand.

"This guy missed us and decided to come back. Won't you take him under your wings again, Coach James?" He grinned in a way which sounded more like a sure statement than a request.

"I refuse. I will not take anyone who left without a good reason back." The coach spoke adamantly. Ryoma was successful in shaking Kevin's arm off, and he strode towards the door after pulling his cap lower over his face.

"I'll look for a different coach." He mumbled. The him of the past would have walked off without feeling anything, but after being with Tezuka for so long, Ryoma gained some unnecessary conscience.

Kevin caught him again and dragged him back to the coach, forcing his head down in an apologetic bow (Something Nanjirou taught Kevin a long, long time ago when the blonde asked him about Japanese culture). "Would you not accept this request for my sake then? Coach James? A favour for this star player of yours?"

"He's no longer my star player now. You are, Kevin." The coach spoke sternly. Ryoma knew that his absence from the tennis pro world for so long might bring about some changes. Hearing it being rubbed in his face was not something he liked though, and he bristled involuntarily.

Seeing his expression of discontent, the coach looked thoughtful, then broke out into a smile. "Hmm…if you can make that kind of face when I mentioned that you're not the best anymore, I guess there is still hope for you then." His smile faded as a stern expression came across his face. "However, this will be your last chance. I will not spare you the next time you run off on your own like that again. Is that clear, Mr Echizen?"

"Yes sir." Ryoma said, feeling embarrassed. He reddened further when Kevin started treating him like a child by hugging him as one would do to a teddy bear on Christmas Day. Indeed, the holidays came early for the blonde now that Ryoma was back in the world of tennis.

"I knew he'd accept you. He's a softie even if he tries not to act like it." Kevin grinned.

The coach cleared his throat. "I just can't picture any other coach handling him. They'd get heart attacks. At least I'm used to his antics already."

XXX

Coach James was not one to make empty promises, and true to his words, he started drilling Ryoma with practices the very next day, and gave his word for more sessions to come.

Ryoma had never had much trouble with practice before, having done so from childhood, to school life, to his professional career. There was something different now though, as he felt like he wasn't quite used to this intense training anymore.

Kevin noticed it, and the coach certainly noticed it too, since he was the one timing Ryoma. He watched with a slight frown as he stopped the watch once Ryoma passed the line. The black-green haired man bowed over, trying to catch his breath a little.

"This is bad. What on earth were you doing these past few years? Your stamina dropped! Take a look at this time! With this speed, you'd be swallowed alive by the other pros! Were you really serious when you said you wanted to go professional?" Coach James scolded him.

Ryoma wiped his brow, panting a little after just half of his old training menu. He knew he had a lot of catching up to do once he returned to pro tennis. His baka oyaji made it seem easy, especially since he remained fairly godlike even after retirement for years. Ryoma was only away for a few years. Why was the difference so great then?

"Sorry. Please let me try this again." He told the coach, trying to keep his embarrassment from his expressions.

The coach opened his mouth, looked a little stumped at Ryoma's politeness, and closed it again. He made a gesture to the starting line. "We'll try again. Put everything you have into it."

Ryoma tilted his cap a little. "Uisu."

Kevin was practicing some shots from one of the tennis ball machines, and he spared a glance to see how his long lost friend cum crush was doing. The coach didn't give Ryoma much of a break, and while he did not harp over Ryoma's sudden loss of skills, he continued to train the poor green-haired young man, Spartan-style. Ryoma was doing pretty well to keep up on his own.

The machine ejected yet another shot, which Kevin batted away casually while still keeping his eyes on Ryoma.

Well, Kevin observed him enough to come up with his own conclusion. For a pro (to be), Ryoma's running drills were average. His shots and accuracy were above average (honed from years of playing tennis), and his reaction time was also above average. Overall, Ryoma wasn't bad. He was just not…the best. Where was that godlike prince of tennis and who was this commoner?

"Hey, hey. At this rate, are you ever going to regain your title of Tennis Prince?" Kevin wondered aloud, though he was careful not to let Ryoma hear him. The green-haired man had a lot of pride, and Kevin was pretty sure he was already under a lot of pressure as it was. He didn't want to stab Ryoma's wounded ego.

Well, he'd go talk to Ryoma then, just to see if the latter would like to head off for some extra training together. They were pretty much partners, since they trained under the same coach, so it wouldn't hurt to look out for the other man, as he had already done for so many years now.

It was easier said than done though. Trying to get a hold of Ryoma was just as difficult a task as getting a hold of the peak of Mount Everest. Ryoma spent most of the week training, and training…and even more training. His spare time was spent reading up on the latest tennis news, or replenishing tennis supplies, or anything else tennis related. Kevin didn't know how he did it, but he managed to get Ryoma's complete schedule from the coach. (He probably treated the coach to a month's worth of lunch or something, he couldn't remember anymore). Every time he tried looking for Ryoma when the guy's schedule was free though, he could almost never find him. It was strange, since Ryoma was not the type to run off to bars, or casinos, or anywhere else non-tennis related, and back then, whenever Kevin wanted to find him, all he had to do was head over to Ryoma's apartment.

"Just where are you running off to, Ryoma?" Kevin made a soft sound of frustration as he left Ryoma's empty apartment. Again.

XXXXXXXXX

Tezuka's life was best described with one word. Routine.

Simply put, he was living a rather monotonous life right now. That, and he pretty much had no life outside work and home.

Well, that was to be expected. Once he became a fully-qualified surgeon, his responsibilities increased, and that word was also synonymous to working hours, so that too rose exponentially.

Ryoma was gone. It was like they had returned to their pre-marriage days, and Tezuka had grown so used to having Ryoma in the house that he found himself actually struggling to adept to his lonely days again.

Well, not really lonely, actually. At least he had Kunifuyu now, and he made a promise to bring up their son in Ryoma's place, and to put Ryoma's mind at ease so that his spouse could concentrate on tennis.

When Kunifuyu was younger, he was like a mini Ryoma in every way despite having Tezuka's looks, and he demanded to have his wishes fulfilled like a brat. Once Ryoma left, however, the poor child initially pined for him, but after seeing that his mother was not returning for a prolonged period of time, Kunifuyu probably figured that he had to be independent, and many a times Tezuka returned home to see that his son had either entertained himself with a book, or had gone over to Momoshiro's place on his own.

Tezuka tried to spend as much time (as his working schedule would allow it) as he could with his child. When he was home, he helped Kunifuyu with homework, and talked to him. Right before he left for work, he made sure his son's needs were tended to first. Tezuka didn't have to send his son to school, since Momoshiro helped him to do that. He owed the Momoshiro's a lot now.

Tezuka looked forward to weekends. Ryoma, still very attached to his son, made it a habit to come home at least every alternate weekend. It was during these times Kunifuyu would really brighten up, as he was glad to see mommy home again. For about a day or two, their family life was complete, but it would return to routine once again whenever Ryoma had to return to New York.

When Ryoma initially returned home, they'd head out for a delicious meal and catch up on time lost. Ryoma would make use of his hours there to be a mother to Kunifuyu, and that made the child happy. He'd ask of Kunimitsu and Kunifuyu's wellbeing, they'd do the same, and that made the family closer.

Tezuka guessed that things probably weren't going so well with tennis. Ryoma didn't seem inclined to talk of work. When Tezuka finally managed to get them both alone, Ryoma confessed his fears that he probably wouldn't reach his old level of tennis again.

"Everything's changed. Tennis, was never this challenging before. It's almost unreachable. Also, I can't seem to use any of the three doors anymore." Ryoma looked down at his hands.

Tezuka poured them a drink, brought the cups over to Ryoma and sat next to him. "In other words, you return after your long absence to find everyone already ahead of you." He passed Ryoma's cup to him. "Also, your stamina and power…and maybe even your speed isn't as good as before."

"You didn't need to point my weaknesses out to me so bluntly, Kunimitsu." Ryoma grumbled.

Tezuka smiled very faintly. "My apologies, Ryoma." He wrapped one arm around his spouse. "You're just feeling lost right now. I've gotten you so accustomed to domestic life that you're not used to the pressures of the tennis world anymore."

"I just…can't seem to find my pace." Ryoma admitted.

Tezuka patted his hand. "What you're feeling is natural. You have been practicing, but not as intensively as when you were actually in that profession. Of course, your skills wouldn't quite be the same as before, but it's all a matter of picking everything up again, isn't it?" He squeezed Ryoma's hand. "Give yourself time. You won't be able to see results immediately, but you will eventually. Your body needs time to adapt to tennis again."

"It's unfair how oyaji can just kick everyone's arse so shortly after he reentered the tennis world back then and I can't even do that." Ryoma grumbled.

Tezuka decided to refrain from reminding Ryoma that Echizen Nanjirou was, well, ultimately a genius and a legend. He looked into his spouse's eyes. "Well, if it's you I'm not too worried. You were never one to back down from your opponents either. The stronger the players you faced, the higher you soared. You continued to evolve, and I believe even now you will too. You probably still have a lot of worries on your mind. Like I've said before, I'll take care of everything else. For now, you just need to give tennis your best, since it's something you've decided on. Don't let your guard down."

"I guess…" Ryoma sighed and relaxed against him.

Tezuka tucked him into bed. "You'd better sleep. You have to catch an early flight tomorrow. I'll check on Kunifuyu, so don't worry."

"Mm…" Ryoma yawned. He watched his husband walk towards the door. "Thank you, Kunimitsu. I somehow have to rely on you all the time."

"Wasn't that why you married me?" Tezuka teased. He had to avoid a well-aimed pillow sent flying at him.

"Mada mada dane." Ryoma turned his back to Tezuka brattily and curled up under the blankets.

XXXXXXXXX

Kevin's worries didn't last long. Ryoma trained hard. Very, very hard, for that matter, and Kevin wondered where did this black-green haired man get his sudden boost of determination from. It didn't take long before Ryoma returned to a semblance of his old self, sans the three doors, as Kevin was sent running all over the courts chasing after Ryoma's shots.

"Now that's more like the Ryoma I know." He grinned.

Ryoma wiped his forehead. "Hurry up and serve the next shot." He got into position again. The thrill of tennis…how long has it been since he felt this way?

It was about half a year since Tezuka encouraged him to move on without hesitation. Tezuka was taking care of things in Japan to give him a peace of mind, and now, he could put everything he had into tennis. He wasn't content with being just one of the good players. He wanted to rise to the top, to be the best again.

He finally went to his first Tournament after rejoining the tennis world, and was surprised to find himself in the top ten. Tezuka was right about time, though it was faster than he thought.

Kevin wasn't too surprised to see Ryoma's ranking, actually. He had high regards for Ryoma, seeing him as one of his few true rivals (and love too). Ryoma was slowly starting to regain that proud nature of his, but for him to actually doubt his own abilities…where did this sense of humility come from? Was it that old-fashioned old man of a boyfriend of his?

Well, it wouldn't be long now. Ryoma had a tendency to surprise people with his growth, and Kevin knew better than to underestimate him. At first try he was in the top ten. If he so much as blinked, the man would be the champion again before he knew it.

The coach, seeing the amount of effort Ryoma put into practice and his plays, forgave him and started arranging for more matches. Ryoma was the type who improved with every opponent he faced anyway. He too wanted to see how far, and how fast his other star could rise.

Ryoma's old popularity was starting to return too. Some of the newcomers who bumped into him shook his hand and told him that they were inspired to join the tennis profession because of Ryoma. Others said that he was old news, and didn't even spare him another glance. Ryoma put those cocky new seeded players in their place by beating them mercilessly. He didn't get the top ten for nothing. It was just like returning to his old schooldays. People either loved him or hated him. Well, most of them, just like during his schooldays, couldn't stand his cocky attitude, and how they couldn't do anything about it since he'd only beat them flat anyway.

He was improving, but it would take time before he could reach the top. As the ranking stood currently, 3rd, 4th and 5th were new names to Ryoma, all of whom were probably some seeded players who gained popularity after Ryoma and Nanjirou, the two biggest monsters, left the tennis scene. Kevin was 2nd, and Kirihara Akira, older brother of Kirihara Akaya and Tezuka's former opponent, stood at an unchallenged number 1.

"He's a monster, that guy. It's unfair that he's beating the 3rd, 4th and 5th place with his left hand. As for me, he only had to switch to his right hand and I didn't stand a chance."

Ryoma knew that Kirihara Akira had an ability similar to Kawamura's, where he'd undergo a personality change if he switched his racquet to his dominant hand. Along with increased speed, power and accuracy, he'd also become quite a violent player just like his little brother was, which was why the man rarely used his right hand, and only did so if he faced really tough players.

Well, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, the one he wanted to beat most was Kevin. He could do that sometimes in practice matches, though he had a feeling Kevin was going easy on him so that he could treat Ryoma to lunches when he lost. Ryoma lost to him during the tournament, and that only served to make the desire to beat him stronger.

Kevin sipped his drink. "Speaking of monsters, I wonder if that guy is going to join the Australian Open this round."

"That guy?" Ryoma repeated.

Kevin frowned. "Mm…he's something like a wandering tennis player of sorts. He has skills. Very good skills, for that matter. He made his name in lesser tournaments before this, preferring not to show himself in the major ones, but just about five years ago…shortly after you went on that vacation of yours, he appeared in one of the Opens and played all the way up to the top ten. He didn't turn up for his next match though, and defaulted the Grand Slam. Had he continued, I suppose he might have been about…maybe the top 6?" Kevin furrowed his brows. "Can't remember his name. It's been a while since he turned up at a tournament anyway, and I never had the chance to play against him. Still, it will be quite interesting if he plays. I hear he's scarily good."

"Heh. Sounds like someone I'd like to beat." Ryoma smirked. Well, he couldn't wait for the next tournament.

XXXXXXXXX

"Hey, hey. Did you hear? Fuji has a girlfriend!"

Tezuka and Inui were in the cafeteria having lunch when Kikumaru sat himself at their table and burst out with the news.

Inui immediately reached for his notebook, which he kept in his coat at all times. Tezuka wondered why he still continued taking data. It wasn't like he needed that to monitor potential opponents anymore. Still, he was pretty convinced that Inui was secretly a stalker at heart, and old habits did die hard after all.

"Do give me the details." His glasses glinted.

Kikumaru happily chattered away, talking about seeing Fuji with a girl in some café somewhere looking cosy. Tezuka massaged his head.

"Kikumaru, what are you doing here?" Tezuka asked. He was getting too old for gossips.

The red-haired man turned to him, grinning. "One of my valued customers is here for a checkup. I gave him a lift, and I'm supposed to drive him back to the fitness centre later. Since I'm around, I might as well pay my two good friends a visit."

He sighed. "Really though, time sure is moving fast. We're getting so old now. Kawamura, Tezuka, Ochibi-chan, Momo-chan and Kaidou are already married. The rest of us are already in relationships…ah…I'm sorry, Inui. I didn't mean any offense." Kikumaru meeped at a warning look from Tezuka.

Inui's glasses glinted. "None taken." There was something off in his tone, almost like he was trying to hide his actual feelings to Kikumaru's words. Kikumaru could probably start writing his will now.

Kikumaru tried to lighten the mood. "If you'd like, I could help hook you up with someone. We have these really cute girls coming in to the fitness centre. If you'd like, I could introduce someone to you."

"Kikumaru!" Tezuka warned again.

Inui gave a smile. For some reason it looked scarier than usual. "I'm sorry, Kikumaru, but I'm not interested in dating anyone. Thank you for your concern but I'm fine as I am now. Please excuse me." He left the table.

Tezuka sighed and rubbed his temples. Kikumaru blinked innocently. "Did I offend him or something?"

'Please, Kikumaru. Just keep it to yourself that he's the only one out of the former Seigaku regulars who is still single…' Tezuka thought. Poor, overly honest Kikumaru.

XXXXXX

As fate would have it, shortly after Kikumaru mentioned the latest juicy gossip about their friend, Tezuka bumped into the smiling devil himself.

"Oh? Tezuka. It's such a coincidence to meet you here. How have you been?" Fuji inquired politely.

Tezuka nodded in greeting. "I'm fine. You're still working on your dissertation now, aren't you?"

"Yes I am. I'm just about to wrap things up. I suppose you're pretty busy? Otherwise we could go for a drink." Fuji smiled.

Tezuka looked at his purchase. "Well…I was on my way home, but I could go for a short drink, I suppose."

Fuji smiled. "I'm glad. I hope you don't mind me taking someone along with us."

"Hn." Tezuka recalled Kikumaru's words. He'd probably get to see who Fuji's girlfriend was.

They heard Fuji's name called, and when Tezuka looked up, a chill ran through him. The threads of fate sure were scary.

"Fuji-senpai! I'm so sorry for being late. Professor Sorato requested for my report." The lady apologized in a rush.

Fuji chuckled. "You're caught by that slave driver, so it can't be helped, Hinari-chan."

Birds of a feather flocked together pretty well. It was like staring at two Fuji. So the one spoken of was Hinari…his would have been fiancée from the omiai.

She blinked, then recognized him immediately. Fuji gestured to Tezuka. "Hinari-chan, this is Tezuka Kunimitsu, an old friend of mine from schooldays. Tezuka, this is Hinari-chan. We're seeing each other now."

Well, Kikumaru's latest gossip was accurate. Before Tezuka could speak up, Hinari smiled and nodded.

"It's good to see you again, Tezuka-kun. Have you settled your heart's desires?" She asked.

Fuji seemed surprised. "You two know each other?"

Hinari chuckled. "Sure we do! We were omi-"

"She's oh my childhood friend. Our grandparents are friends." Tezuka cut in quickly. The fewer people knew that he had been to an omiai before (even if it wasn't consensual), the better. It was information he was trying to keep away from Ryoma.

Fuji blinked, his eyes opening briefly. Tezuka expression remained neutral, and when the tensai closed his eyes again, his smile widened.

"I see. Well then, I suppose we should catch up with each other."

XXX

Around that same time, Ryoma developed an odd, repeated urge to sneeze. He sniffled and held it in, even as he scowled. Someone must be talking about him, probably back in Japan. He only hoped that it was his Kunimitsu.

Ryoma was on a short break at that moment, as it was Kevin's turn to use the courts. Even as he sat there, he noticed someone particularly familiar interviewing some of the other players. He did not recall the person's name, nor the names of all the others, for that matter. If he recalled, they were tennis players, and that was about it.

The interviewer made a beeline to him, and he was just about to head off when the man spoke up. "Ryoma Echizen! Do you still remember who I am?"

Ryoma stared at him for a while, opened his mouth, closed it again and blinked. "Who are you?" He finally said.

The man seemed a little disappointed. "I thought not. I'm Fred Storker, the one who interviewed you quite often years ago." Seeing that it did not ring a bell, he held up a Ponta can, and only then did Ryoma's eyes light up in recognition. This guy was the one who helped to get him free Ponta throughout the year.

"It's a shame you stopped being ambassador." The man said. Ryoma nodded. He was right. It was a darn shame. No more free Ponta.

The man opened his book and flipped to a fresh page before turning back to the black-green haired man. "Now then, I suppose you were asked enough questions of why you left the tennis scene so I'll skip that."

Ryoma was glad. He lost count of the number of times he had to feed the same bull to these guys. An improvised version of his story was that his father considered retiring for real, and dragged him all around the globe on trips to celebrate it. He was surprised they actually bought it without question.

Fred glanced over at the others and glanced back at him. "So, what are you going to do now that you're back? To date, your ranking is…hmm…9th. It will take a while for you to get back to the top."

"It won't take long. I will beat anyone of a higher ranking than mine." 9th. Kevin really must have gone easy on him.

Fred chuckled. He gestured to the other players around. "See anyone you'd like to beat first?"

"Kevin." Ryoma responded automatically, even as he eyed his friend and rival. He thought of it a while. "The angel Kirihara too, while I'm at it." The champ was not around at that moment. To his knowledge, the older Kirihara returned to Japan for a brief visit, and probably to smother his younger brother, the devil Kirihara with his permanent brother complex.

Fred raised an eyebrow. "What about them?" He gestured to three others.

Ryoma looked at them briefly. It was the same few Fred interviewed. "Who are they?"

Fred had to stop himself from falling over. He smacked his forehead lightly. "Ah, this can't be good. For you to not know them of all people. They're in the top five. That guy there, Rai Shiki, especially, is strong, and standing at 3rd at the moment, but he will rise to the top soon. He's ambitious, kind of like the old you, and incredibly strong. I daresay we haven't actually seen his real ability yet."

Ryoma studied the one named Rai for a while. He didn't look that impressive, and he hardly seemed ambitious, as he looked calm instead. If there was anything he won Ryoma by, it was probably in the looks department. Slightly long, silver hair and typical good looks, Ryoma thought that his fans might be enchanted by his outer beauty more than his skills. Well, he would be the judge of that.

Fred then gestured to the other two. "Ken Nathan and Murrow Green, 4th and 5th respectively. They…you're not listening, are you?" He noticed that Ryoma had turned his gaze back to Kevin's practice and was ignoring him a little.

"I'm not interested in any other player than the top three. The rest are just made mada dane."

They probably did not understand Ryoma's usual phrase, which was spoken in Japanese. However, his tone told them that he thought little of them. Ken and Murrow rounded on him, pinning him with twin glares.

"Don't get cocky, rookie. You may have been one of the tennis world's biggest names, but that was a long time ago. You're a legend. You should have just lain still and remained history. If you'd like, we could settle this here and now."

Fred placed one hand on Ryoma's shoulder. "Don't! They're right about one thing, and that you're still on your way to the top. You don't want to risk bad publicity and ruin your chances."

Ryoma turned and was about to head off, but Murrow stepped in his path and blocked him. "What's wrong? Too afraid to risk your reputation? Eh, Mr Tennis Prince?"

Ryoma's eyes flashed in irritation. He made up his mind in an instant as he headed over to where his tennis racquet was, picking it up. "Ryoma Echizen!" Fred called out to him, but Ryoma brushed him aside.

"One game. I'll beat you in one game." Ryoma pointed his red racquet at them.

The two smirked. "That's some attitude. If you're so confident, I suppose you could take on the two of us at once then." It didn't seem like they were giving him an option to disagree.

The game did not last very long. Individually, Ryoma might have stood a chance against them, but together, it was one-sided massacred. Ryoma was reduced to defending his side of the courts even as the two gradually wore him down. So far, the game was prolonged only due to his Echizen Zone, but otherwise, they had the upper hand in every way. It was difficult looking for chances to score. He made it easily into the top 10, but after that, competition was very strong among the players.

They scored again, somehow catching him when his thoughts wandered off a little. He gritted his teeth. 4 games to 0. He had to catch up somehow.

"Stop this! What do you think you're doing to Ryoma?" Kevin's practice seemed to have ended, and he probably heard of what was going on at Court D and came to intervene.

On the other side of the courts, Rai hadn't said a word so far, neither to support nor oppose his fellow tennis players' actions. He finally unfolded his arms as he walked over. "Ken Nathan. Murrow Green. That should be enough. No point in continuing this pointless, time consuming match. It's your win." With that, he turned and left.

Murrow caught the ball and stopped the match. "You have a point. Ah, that was certainly unfulfilling. A prince's fall from grace is certainly unsightly. Come, let's grab something to eat." With that, they both left the courts, with their snickers ringing in Ryoma's ears.

Kevin jogged over to him, as did Fred. "Ryoma! Are you all right?" The blonde reached out to support Ryoma. Ryoma slapped his hand away, even as he narrowed his eyes in the direction of where the three exited.

"I'll defeat them. I'll definitely defeat those two."

Kevin didn't know how to lighten Ryoma's dark mood after that. He took Ryoma for dinner, but the golden hazel-eyed man merely death glared his fish and chips the whole time, making it difficult for Kevin to even swallow his own food.

"Enough, Ryoma. I only have this to say. It's your own fault for challenging those two. They were trying to provoke you because they feel threatened by you. If you want to defeat them, it should be done on the courts of an official tournament." He sighed. This was a very bad time for them to attack Ryoma's pride. He might not recover from it in time for the upcoming tournament.

'Honestly…what would that bespectacled old man have done in a situation like this?' Kevin thought a little irritably. This was perhaps one time he wished his rival in love were around. He could handle Ryoma a lot better than he could, as loathe as he was to admit it.

He could only hope that things couldn't get any worse than that.

Well, hopes were meant to be dashed anyway.

Days later, it happened to be the release of an issue of the tennis monthly, and Ryoma's match was highlighted on the cover page. Kevin crumpled the magazine in rage as he read the heading, and an elaborate article which followed it – one which mentioned how poorly the former champ played, further giving rise to speculations that the Prince's era was indeed over.

"What kind of nonsense is this devil writing? Ryoma most certainly didn't play that badly." Kevin scowled, even as his eyes scanned for the damn jounalist's name. All he got was a "D.R.". The guy had, apparently, chosen a rather embarrassing photo of Ryoma too, one which had him sprawling to the ground while trying to retrieve a shot. Ryoma had chosen a very bad time to allow those two to provoke him, as the practice that day was covered by many magazines' reporters since it was nearing the Grand Slam tournaments.

Fred dropped by shortly with a copy of the same magazine. "That's why I didn't want him to play." The man sighed, even as he passed the magazine to Kevin. The blonde shook his head and held up his own copy. Fred understood and kept the magazine before throwing a glance at Ryoma, who was practicing against the wall.

"Has he heard about it yet? What's his reaction to this?" The reporter asked.

Kevin sighed and folded his arms. "I don't think he's read it yet. Knowing him, he'd probably try to mask it all behind his apathetic mask and act cool."

Fred chuckled. "I guess he would. He's that kind of person to not show his actual emotions easily."

Kevin frowned, trying not to let his worry show on his face as Ryoma continued his practice. The black-green haired man took on a tougher menu than the other players of his level. He was probably shaken by his loss in front of so many journalists that day, and wanted to redeem himself in some way.

He could only hope Ryoma wouldn't end up working himself to the point of exhaustion. Did Ryoma's darling know what was going on? What would that man do in this situation?

Kevin continued crossing his fingers as the days ticked on, leading on to the tournament. Everything had to go on smoothly. Ryoma could not afford anymore distractions. This tournament was the best chance to prove himself…or more like to redeem his pride first.

Of course, life wasn't going to be life without the few surprises thrown in.

Kevin collected that month's magazine and was about to take Ryoma's copy to him when one of the articles on the front page caught his attention, and he swallowed his sandwich too fast, causing him to cough and choke for a while.

Ryoma and the coach happened to be coming from the opposite direction, as they were heading out for breakfast. Kevin managed to recover enough to speak, as he pointed at Ryoma.

"You have a son?"

Ryoma's expression was blank at the question. The black-green haired man paled rapidly after a while once the words sank in. Kevin thought he looked like he was caught doing something naughty. "Where…where did you hear something as ridiculous as that?" Knowing Ryoma for that long, he could tell if the other man was trying to hide something.

Kevin waved the magazine. "It's on the front page."

Ryoma paled even further, strode forward and took the magazine from Kevin's hand, scanning through it quickly. Kevin expected him to look even more nervous next, but the black-green haired man seemed to relax and calmed down.

"No…this is not my son." He snorted. "Not every kid who looks like me is labeled immediately as my son. Who wrote this crap anyway?" His eyes narrowed at the name. "This guy again…"

"Would someone just tell me what is going on?" The coach demanded, sounding a little annoyed that his two best players were having their own discussion.

Kevin passed him his copy of the magazine. "Front page. You won't miss it."

The coach's eyes landed immediately upon the bold headlines.

"Former Tennis Prince's Secret Spawn?"

The coach studied the picture of the black-green haired child on the front page, looked up at Ryoma, then back down again. He made a quick mental comparison before he pointed at Ryoma. "You have a son?"

Ryoma scowled. "Didn't you hear me? That's not my son!" He tossed his magazine to Kevin. "What's with this? Photoshopped?"

"I don't think they're allowed to do that. Imagine the amount of lawsuits they'd get. Well if you say this isn't your son, then I'll believe you. That, and we know very well your real sexual orientation. If you have a son, it'll mean you knocked up Tezuka." Kevin grinned at his own joke.

The coach choked, while Ryoma squirmed with discomfort, probably at the mental imagery Kevin's words conjured.

The coach continued reading. "Hmm…it says that some tennis fans spotted this kid running around near one of the schools, noticed the uncanny resemblance he bears to the tennis prince, and asked him for his name. The kid introduced himself as 'Echizen', but did not mention who his father is, addressing him only as papa." He skimmed a little more before continuing. "When asked if his father is the Tennis Prince, the kid replied that his father is really good at tennis."

"I see. You can't blame the magazine for taking up this scoop then. Being so apathetic and asexual, your love life is pretty much a mystery to your fans. At the slightest bit of hints that the Tennis Prince is human too, they'd definitely get all excited over it."

"Don't make me sound as if I'm a robot with no emotions." Ryoma scowled.

Kevin cocked his head a little. "Still, if this brat, who looks so much like you, is not yours, my guess is that…he's probably your little half brother…"

There was a moment of silence. "Eh?" Both Coach James and Ryoma uttered at the same time.

Kevin grinned. "I mean…you people went off on that long trip of yours, and now this little brat appears. Who knows, while you and your Tezuka are having some alone time, your dad could be having some alone time of his own too. He's a pretty frivolous guy."

Well, Ryoma knew that there was no actual trip, so that idea was out. That, and his dad was busy doting on his first grandson. Who would have thought that Kunifuyu's existence could help to stamp out some of his baka oyaji's skirt-chasing tendencies? Still, it was not something he could tell these two.

"That will be impossible. If I had a little brother I'm pretty sure I'd know it before the papers do. That, and okaa-san will put oyaji in the obituary section first before this even makes headlines." Ryoma said nonchalantly.

Kevin nodded. "That makes sense too. Your mom is scary whenever she finds out he's flirting around."

Ryoma gave a sigh and rubbed the back of his head a little. "Now how should I clear up this mess? Maybe I should call up that journalist guy who's always with us-"

"Fred Storker. Shouldn't you remember his name by now?" Kevin scolded lightly.

"Yeah, that guy. I'll give him a personal interview and have him clear things up in the magazine. One of the last things I'd need is to have this blown out of proportion, or worse still, end up in mainstream newspapers instead. I don't think Kunimitsu is going to be too happy…" Ryoma's phone rang at that moment, and when he picked it up, he paled.

"Speak of the devil? Good luck with your darling, Ryoma." Kevin waved. Ryoma scowled at him and left to have some privacy for the call.

When he accepted the call, Tezuka, for once, didn't sound too cheery indeed. Normally, Tezuka always started off by calling his name, or greeting him. This round, he started off with…

"Kunifuyu is most curious about the younger brother he has not been introduced to." Tezuka said dryly.

Ryoma swallowed. Was this how it felt when one had to explain oneself out of a major mess to one's spouse? He certainly hadn't felt this kind of pressure when they were still dating. "Kunimitsu. That's not mine."

"Hn." Tezuka's reply came in a single, neutral syllable.

Ryoma frowned. "Fuyu's the only son we have. You know that! Haven't I been living with you these past few years? I don't think I can hide it if I ever got pregnant again! How could you suspect me of –"

"Calm down, Ryoma. I'm not suspecting you of anything. On the contrary, I'm amused by the article." Tezuka's tone was light. "I was just seeing if you thought of a way to handle this yet. By the sounds of it, I take that as a no."

"I'm glad you found that entertaining." Ryoma scowled darkly. He thought of something else. "Which damned blabbermouth told you about this news anyway?" Tezuka didn't say anything to that, but Ryoma had a feeling he knew who it was. "Kikumaru-senpai…"

Tezuka gave a soft chuckle. Ryoma found himself missing the man already. Had he been around, he would probably put his arms around him, or ruffle his hair just to get his mood to lighten up. "This is probably giving you quite some pressure, so I went to ask otou-san about it. Okaa-san was still in the process of forcing information out of him when I reached the house." Ryoma had the mental image of his mother cornering his baka oyaji with a frying pan and sniggered lightly. "He mentioned that the child is of no relation to him."

"Not mine and not baka oyaji's. That brat looks a damn lot like me though…" Was this merely a coincidence, someone who happened to live in New York, had the name Echizen too, and had a child who just happened to look like Ryoma? The idea was laughable.

It seemed a little noisy at the other end of the line. Ryoma could faintly hear his baka oyaji's voice.

"Who's cornered by who? I'm merely being a gentleman by not going against a lady! Give me that phone, Kunimitsu-kun." A short moment later, it seemed that the phone was now in possession of the old man as he spoke up. "Yo, seinen. Quite a pinch you're in there, I see."

"And whose fault is that?" Ryoma retorted.

He was pretty sure the older man had a look of innocence on his face at that point. "Brat's not mine. I have enough brats on my hands to take care of, with yours being the latest addition."

"I didn't hear you complain about that before." Ryoma pointed out.

Nanjirou was definitely grinning on the other end. "Well, if this article's out, I'm sure it means that he is around your area."

"Who's he?" Ryoma asked flatly.

Nanjirou seemed a little exasperated by that. "Him, of course! Him! He is him! Who else would look so much like you enough to father a brat with your looks? Good grief, seinen! You still haven't figured out who that child is related to yet?"

"What am I supposed to figure out? I certainly do not know anyone else who might be the potential culprit aside from you and I and…" His eyes went wide as he remembered something. "Ah…I've completely forgotten about his existence."

"There you go. I guess you can handle things on your own now. See ya." His baka oyaji ended the call without giving the turn back to Tezuka.

Ryoma left the room, and when he headed to the common room, both his coach and Kevin gave him questioning glances.

"Let's invite that journalist to breakfast with us. I need him to go on a manhunt." Ryoma said.

Kevin sighed. "The journalist is Fred. At least remember his name already. Also, who are you looking for?"

Ryoma's expression became one of extreme dislike. "My baka aniki."

XXXXXX

It didn't take Fred very long to track down that man's whereabouts, despite the lack of limelight on the wandering tennis player. Really, a journalist's network could be so scary sometimes.

He turned up at a posh, beachside villa the very next day, and after ringing on the doorbell, he took a step back and waited.

It was moments before he heard footsteps and giggles, though it didn't sound anything like his brother and more like a lady in a semi-drunken stupor instead. A beautiful blonde bombshell opened the door with a high-pitched "Who is it?" before she stood in front of Ryoma, staring at him. "Oh…you are…"

"Good afternoon." Ryoma reminded himself to be polite, having been nagged enough by Kunimitsu during his stay in Japan. He felt a little awkward that despite being that man's brother…well…sort of brother for a while…he barely knew anything about the man, and did not know who this woman before him was. She could be his girlfriend, or his wife…or maybe his mother-in-law. It would certainly be embarrassing if Ryoma called her by the wrong title.

The lady gave a squeal and threw her arms around him, squeezing him against her…urm…very prominent front. "I don't believe it! It's Ryoma Echizen in the flesh! I'm a huge fan of yours! Could you sign this for me?" Ryoma pretended that he did not see where she produced that not too small notepad from.

"Catherine, I'm hurt to hear you say that. Didn't you just say you were my biggest fan yesterday?" Ryoma recognized the male voice immediately, and he narrowed his eyes at the sight of the older black-green haired man, who had two other women hanging off him, one on each arm.

"Ryoga…" Ryoma turned away as the girls ogled him, probably either recognizing him from tennis magazines, or noting how similar he looked to that man. He was not good at dealing with the noisy types, not even back when he was in junior high.

"Chibisuke, you've at least grown to a slightly more decent height now. Still a chibi though for an adult." Ryoga grinned. He spotted Fred standing next to Ryoma. "Oh? Who's this?"

"He's one of the reporters for Tennis Monthly. He's here at my request." Ryoma spoke curtly.

Ryoga smirked. "Oh? I haven't seen you in a while, and just when I thought my cute little brother is finally paying me a visit, you've come to talk business instead. Very well though." He turned to the girls. "Ladies, could you just wait for me a while upstairs? I'll join you shortly." He winked seductively.

They pouted and made sounds of protests, but otherwise did as instructed. The two Echizens were left to themselves, and Ryoga led the way to his living room. Ryoma studied the couch suspiciously before sitting down. He noticed that Fred seemed to have done the same, and knew that his eyes hadn't been wrong in picking up suspicious watermarks.

"I have a hunch over what you're here for, but I'm going to let you state your business here all the same." Ryoga started as he rested his head on a hand.

Ryoma took out the latest magazine and placed it on the table before the older man, who did not bother to pick it up since he could very well see the prominent headlines on the front page, with that huge picture to complement it too. "I thought so…"

"Didn't know you're married." Ryoma began.

Ryoga shrugged. "I don't think you know much about me, and neither do I know much about you, my little brother. I left your family when I was still very young after all." He propped his legs on the table. "How's the old man doing?"

"He's still alive and kicking, and don't change the subject." Ryoma scowled. He had pretty rough days ever since that article came out, as he was teased left, right, centre by other tennis players about his secret son, and he just wanted to end this.

"You're as uncute and bratty as ever, chibisuke." He took his legs off the table and sat up straight. "I'm not married. The little critter is just from one of my affairs. I didn't know about him until that article came out. The lady probably thought it was good publicity to use the Echizen name, though you're currently the most famous of the Echizen currently so of course you get the limelight instead."

"That guy's your son! Put a leash on him or something! Don't drag me into this!" Ryoma snapped.

Ryoga shrugged. "Like I said, I didn't know anything about him. It's not like I can tell these girls to keep or get rid of the byproducts. He's none of my business."

Ryoma really wasn't good at dealing with his brother after all. "Yarou…"

Ryoga wagged a finger in his face. "Nah. I prefer the term free spirit. I don't need a brat like you to give me a lecture on morals. So what are you here for? Surely not to listen to my conquests and I don't know enough of this son of mine to tell you about him."

Right. To business it was then. Ryoma gestured to Fred. "I will be giving an exclusive interview to this journalist here. I will reveal everything about that child's true parentage. I'm informing you beforehand as a form of courtesy."

Ryoga raised an eyebrow at that. "So you want me to agree to reveal to anybody who asks that that child is mine and not yours?" Ryoma did not answer, but his golden gaze told him everything he needed to know. Ryoga shrugged. "Very well, in return I would like to use that same interview as publicity, for me entering the tournament this year."

Ryoma blinked. "You're going pro?"

"I join in when I feel like it. Like I said, I'm a free spirit." His words reminded Ryoma of something Kevin mentioned a while back, about a wandering tennis player whose skills were incredible. So he meant this guy.

Ryoga cooperated when Fred took his statement about the boy being his, and even cooperated when the journalist took his pictures too. When it was over, and Ryoma made to leave, Ryoga stopped him. "It's been such a long time, chibisuke. Do you have to act so cold? We're family, after all, and we haven't met since…since…damn, it has been a long while."

"The cruise ship's tournaments…" Ryoma finished for him. He'd never forget how the guy had sunk low enough to be hired by a phony millionaire and even consented to playing a fixed match.

Ryoga waved a hand. "Yes. That. You're still as crazy over tennis as ever. Seriously, you need to get a girl. Have you finally improved your love life yet? Maybe had a kid or two worthy enough to grace the front cover of the magazines for real? You were such a star back then, I wouldn't be surprised if you're popular with the ladies."

Ryoma scowled. "Sorry, but I'm not a free spirit."

Ryoga sighed. "I haven't seen you in a while and you've become so conservative. You sound even older than our old man. You kind of remind me of…ah yes, that tennis captain of yours back from your club. Whatever his name was again. Don't tell me you've ended up hooking up with him."

"I do not appreciate you speculating about my life." Ryoma cast a nervous glance at the reporter, who was taking notes with shorthand to keep up to whatever they were saying. "Could you not record that, Mr Journalist? It's off record."

"It's Fred." The man reminded with a sigh. "My apologies. It is merely a habit from being in this profession." He did as told and erased parts of his notes.

Ryoma turned back to Ryoga. "Since I'm here, I will tell you one more thing. I will beat you during the tournament."

"I will hold you to your word, chibisuke." Ryoga smirked. "It's not fun otherwise."

XXXXXXXXX

Surely enough, Ryoga's interview did clear up that troublesome article for Ryoma, but it brought about a new surge of excitement among the fans, as they were all hyped up to watch the match between the Tennis Prince and his unknown brother.

Ryoma gritted his teeth. Ryoga just had a way to worm into his life, even from the start.

He didn't exactly hate Ryoga. He just disliked him. It has always been that way since the beginning, and probably always will.

Nanjirou expected to have a little girl. The stork brought him a little boy. Well, a little boy with some girly bits, but still not his preferred gender.

He treated his little Ryoko…Ryoma as a little princess, but soon enough it became too evident that Ryoma was just too boyish, and Nanjirou did the next best thing…by teaching him tennis.

Ryoma had little talent at the start. Nanjirou was not exactly known for patience, and many a time he complained that despite Ryoma looking like a boy, he played like a girl. (A comment which earned him a good ear pull from Rinko). His first real disappointment was when Ryoma was born a male, and Ryoma's weak tennis skills were his second disappointment.

Then came the day he received mail all the way from Japan, or more appropriately his brother's lawyer. Apparently his brother and wife died in a car accident, and they named him to be their son's guardian. Darn his brother for being so thorough in preparing for any unforeseen events in the future.

Nanjirou frowned. Well, he'd see how things go. He looked over at his nephew, who was studying Ryoma. What was his name again? Nanjirou studied the piece of paper again, kept it and introduced the boy. "Ryoma, from today onwards, he's your brother, Echizen Ryoga. Get along well with him."

His nephew turned adopted son wasted no time in proving how much more of a male he was than his Ryoma, by stealing the child's cap and ruffling his hair. Well, things looked like they were going to get interesting in the house with this guy.

Surely enough, Nanjirou was immediately taken by the child's natural talent in tennis. It was ironic that a tennis legend like himself could only produce a child with mediocre talents, and his bookish brother had a son whose tennis skills were like an unpolished diamond waiting to be discovered.

He continued to see Ryoma as the daughter he was supposed to have, and he treated Ryoga as his actual son and successor to his tennis throne. He played with the older child frequently, and coached him personally to improve his skills.

XXX

Ryoma was but a child. He never knew he had an uncle, aunt and cousin. They were in Japan, and Ryoma's family was in America. His oyaji had not taken him to Japan yet. He walked out of the house one day to get his oyaji to help find his tennis racquet, and the next thing he knew, his oyaji told him that he had an older brother, one who was a big bully too.

Ryoma tried to accommodate…for the first few hours or so. It was difficult though. He was an only child, and he loved the attention being only to himself. The addition of this…Echizen Ryoga made it so that he had to share his oyaji's attention, at a ratio of about 70:30, with Ryoga getting 70. He was good at tennis. His oyaji was a tennis freak. It wasn't a wonder that they clicked better than Ryoma did with his dad.

Being a young child, Ryoma was not adept at dealing with change. Ryoma threw tantrums over it. He didn't like Ryoga. He didn't consider Ryoga to be a brother, or even a family in the first place. He was an outsider who randomly butted his way into Ryoma's life. He didn't like how his father always criticized his tennis, but actually went out of his way to coach Ryoga personally, so much so that Ryoga actually learnt Nanjirou's real twist serve while Ryoma had to learn all his tennis moves by observing and copying his father's skills. His parents were much nicer to Ryoga than to him, almost as if Ryoga were their child instead. Since then, he treated Ryoga with dislike, hoping to chase him out of the house that was supposed to be Ryoma's.

Ryoma will learn much later that the reason his parents paid so much attention to Ryoga was because Ryoma was doing everything he could to make Ryoga feel like an outsider and eventually drive him away. His parents were put to the responsibility of being Ryoga's guardians in his late parents' place, and they were trying their best to make sure he was treated as family, a feat made difficult because of Ryoma's stubbornness. Ryoma had to admit that he was young and immature. Still, it didn't change the fact that Ryoga got most of the attention.

It was probably…partially…to a very small extent Ryoma's fault that Ryoga left the house, giving Ryoma back his home. His wandering about probably fossilized this character he had too.

Ryoma squashed down any feelings of guilt he might have. He set down the magazine, throwing Ryoga's pic another golden stare.

He wouldn't be surprised if Ryoga held as much of a grudge against him as he did to the older Echizen sibling. He'd settle this grudge against his brother in the coming match. He'd win, no matter what.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will be arriving at Tokyo airport shortly. Please remain in your seats with your seatbelts on…"

For now, he'd go to the only place which could calm him and give him a peace of mind first. He'd think of how to deal with Ryoga later.

XXXXXX

"Otou-san, let's eat."

Tezuka set down the papers, looking over to see that his young son had already set the table, and was waiting for him to join for dinner. He got up and headed over, nodding at his son to show his approval of his actions. He had raised him well.

Well, child-raising was one of the best pleasures he had in life, since it could break him from his routine. He had to do so in Ryoma's place too, and he had to say that he wasn't doing too bad a job.

His young son, now almost six, could at least prepare some simple dishes. Tezuka did most of the cooking, though Kunifuyu would chip in by adding an egg or two as a side dish.

"Is kaa-san going to be joining us this weekend?" Kunifuyu asked. Tezuka could hear the hope in his voice.

"I believe so. He did say that he wouldn't be able to do so for a while once the intensive training begins, so he wishes to at least join us for dinner before that happens." Tezuka ate another mouthful of rice and chewed leisurely.

"I'm glad." Kunifuyu chirped. When it came to Ryoma, his son looked forward to his return every time. While Ryoma was away, and Tezuka had to go to work too, he was initially worried that Kunifuyu would end up home alone. Kunifuyu was a good kid though, knowing how to entertain himself without causing too much trouble. For the most part, he went to Momoshiro's place, but if Ryoma was returning, he'd quickly clean the house and prepare a simple meal for him. His son was mimicking his actions, as Tezuka used to do that whenever he heard that his spouse was returning. After seeing daddy bustle about to welcome mommy, it wasn't a wonder that he picked up the same habit too.

"Why was I never told that I have an uncle?" Tezuka looked over to his son at the question.

"Well…your uncle…Ryoga is travelling a lot, and difficult to get a hold of. We were going to tell you if he ever dropped by to visit." Tezuka replied. He couldn't possible tell his son that they had completely forgotten his existence until now, could they?

"I see. Well, uncle and kaa-san are going to have a match. Of course, kaa-san will win!" Kunifuyu spoke with confidence.

Tezuka smiled a little. "Aa. Let's cheer your kaa-san on." He turned back to his food.

Well, despite Kunifuyu's confident words, Tezuka knew that it was not going to be an easy match for Ryoma. Ryoma was to face his older brother, again. Honestly speaking, while Ryoga did not undergo as much formal training as Ryoma did, Tezuka knew, just from watching the match Ryoga played against Ryoma back then, that the former had a lot of talent for tennis.

Personally, Tezuka did not really know his brother-in-law. None of the tennis club members knew that Ryoma had a sibling, as they were all under the impression that Ryoma was an only child. (Come to think of it, that in itself was a miracle, considering what kind of a skirt-chaser his father-in-law still is). It was when they were on the luxurious cruise ship that they all found out.

The other Seigaku regulars met Ryoga earlier than Tezuka did, as both he and Oishi were speaking to Sakurafubuki, the person who invited them to the cruise at that time. He heard of Ryoga from his teammates shortly after, and like them, was surprised to hear that the guy was related to their first-year ace. Of course, that surprise did not show on his face.

His first meeting with Ryoga only happened at the dining room, where they all sat down for dinner. He had tried to listen as Sakurafubuki gave his speech, but was slightly distracted by how Ryoga was flirting with women and paying no heed to the millionaire's words. Their club's Ryoma could be seen as quite rude sometimes because of his introverted and slightly bratty nature, but Ryoga was openly rude, and it made Tezuka a little uncomfortable, being the rule-abiding and honour student he was back then.

He introduced himself politely all the same. They were to be opponents, and in good sportsmanship, he had to leave a friendly first impression.

Ryoma's older brother did not seem to share his sentiments, and his impression of the older, black-green haired man went downhill from there, especially after dinner, when both he and Oishi were called to meet Sakurafubuki.

Being Ryoma's brother, Tezuka initially thought that he'd have the same kind of spirit towards tennis, the kind striving to be the top and hating to lose. Who would have thought that the guy could be bought so easily through money, and would even play a rigged match shamelessly?

Apparently Ryoma was not unaffected by his brother's behaviour either. After Oishi filled the rest of the team in on Sakurafubuki's conditions to the match, the youngest in the team had a hard glint in his eyes, even if the rest of his facial expression seemed nonchalant. Without excusing himself, he simply just walked off.

"Where are you going, Echizen?" Tezuka asked. It was his duty as team captain to know his teammates' whereabouts.

"Practice." Was the brief reply before the black-green haired boy walked off.

Tezuka, at that point, had no romantic feelings towards his prodigy junior, or even if he did, he was probably still at a stage of denial. He had strong interest in Ryoma's talents, and wanted to mold him to become Seigaku's pillar of strength. Ryoma had potential to be strong, much stronger than even him, perhaps.

They were still in enemy territory, and Tezuka couldn't help thinking that it wasn't wise to have the team's youngest walking off on his own like that. Who knew what other methods Sakurafubuki might resort to to make sure they lost the matches. With the intentions of doing his duties as captain, and protecting the team's youngest prodigy, he followed the boy at a distance. He had no intentions to intervene unless Ryoma was attacked for real, and kept himself hidden while watching as Ryoma starting hitting a tennis ball into the air repeatedly. It was a simple practice, but Tezuka was very much attuned to sensing feelings of other players through their tennis, and he sensed the turmoil Ryoma had in him. Surely enough, the ball landed at the rim and fell into the water.

Shortly after, Ryoma had a conversation with his brother. Ryoma was affected by how Ryoga was playing a fixed match after all. He could tell that Ryoma wished to play a match against Ryoga, but was unable to do so because of the prearranged order for the players. Thinking it through, Tezuka too was curious to see how much the first-year could evolve when facing Ryoga. With that, he personally met up with Ryoga to request for a change of opponents, so that Ryoma was facing him instead.

"This sure is surprising. Eavesdropping does not suit your image as an honour student." Ryoga had told him at realizing that he was listening on to the brothers' conversation all along.

"You wish to play a real match against your little brother, don't you?" Tezuka asked.

Ryoga evaded the question, even as he told Tezuka to mind his own business, of course in rephrased terms. As he was walking away, Tezuka raised his voice. "Echizen Ryoma, your brother. He's not the player you once knew he was. He has grown a lot stronger throughout this year."

Ryoga halted. "You're seriously not going to let this slide, are you?"

"I wish to see how much stronger Echizen could become in a match against you. You've not played against him ever since you left the Echizen house. You cannot continue to have the same impression of him now."

"So you heard even that part too. How troublesome…" Ryoga gave a frustrated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "Fine. I'll agree to the swapping of Singles 2 and Singles 1 arrangement if it could get you to stop nagging. I have no interest in playing against an old man like you anyway." He let his hand fall to his side. "I will play against the chibisuke. I should warn you though, that Ryoma has never won a match against me, even from before. Well, it will make the old man happy though, since he's gambling on Seigaku losing. I'll beat Ryoma, if you insist."

"I wonder about that." Tezuka spoke quietly.

Ryoga gave a soft huff. "You have an awful lot of confidence in that boy's ability, buchou-san."

"He will be Seigaku's Pillar of Strength. I believe that he will continue growing stronger even from now onwards." With that, Tezuka turned his back to Ryoga and walked away, ending their negotiations.

Tezuka thought Ryoma was already impressive enough, with his level of growth ever since playing against so many opponents, and especially after the US-Japan match. The younger Echizen sibling practically threw everything he had at Ryoga, who met the challenge calmly.

It was an intense match, for both the players and audience alike. Ryoga actually beat Ryoma up to three games before Ryoma could even make a counterattack. Ryoma went into the state of self-actualisation, which Ryoga probably didn't expect him to be capable of. It was from then on the match became less one-sided as Ryoma continued on with the attacks.

None of the Seigaku regulars saw the outcome of the match, since they were evacuated when explosions rocked the cruise ship. Tezuka and Oishi checked to make sure all the regulars were in the lifeboat, and Tezuka was the first to notice something.

"Echizen…"

"Oh no! Echizen's not here! Don't tell me he's still continuing on that match with his brother!" Oishi panicked.

Tezuka stared at the ship, which had smoke emitting from it. Well, he did say that Echizen was Seigaku's Pillar, but this stubbornness was not going to do him any good right then. He should try to get the attention of one of the coast guards. Ryoma needed to be rescued.

Before he could do anything, the sounds of a water scooter could be heard. The match must have ended, and Ryoga brought Ryoma back to them. There was an obvious exclamation of relief from the Seigaku regulars, and Tezuka himself had to fight to keep the smile off his face. He probably wasn't doing a very good job of it.

His initial dislike towards Ryoga's attitude lessened a little thanks to his act of saving Ryoma, their very important team member (and the person Tezuka would fall for shortly after). Tezuka's impression of him being strong didn't change though, and as Ryoga rode off, Tezuka knew that if Ryoma and him were to play against each other in a match again, he'd definitely have grown stronger.

XXX

Ryoma won back then because of the state of self-actualisation. He wouldn't have his best skills in the coming match against Ryoga. It was going to be a tough road for Ryoma, and the poor guy was under enough pressure as it was.

"Ryoma…"

He looked up at the sound of the door opening, and watched as Kunifuyu practically flew to the door. "Kaa-san! Welcome home!"

Ryoma mentioned that he was coming back during the weekends. He must have come back earlier to surprise them. Tezuka got up and walked over, smiling slightly at the sight of his spouse.

"Welcome back, Ryoma."

His spouse was a rising star, just like back in the old days, but there was one privilege Tezuka had which none of Ryoma's fans did. No one else could bring that gleam out in Ryoma's eyes as his gaze landed on his husband. Tezuka could see Ryoma's worries slipping away, even as the black-green haired man wrapped his arms around the brunette.

"I'm back, Kunimitsu."

Chapter Extra

Domestic Bliss

It started out an ordinary day in the Tezuka household. The brunette was, for once, having a day off, and he spent it relaxing at home, catching up on much needed rest. Occasionally, he'd glance up from the papers he was reading to watch Ryoma, who was in the next room, ironing clothes.

Their son was at Momoshiro's house, and Tezuka was pretty sure that he wasn't going to be home that soon. He was surprised to see him pop into the house only a couple of hours after he left it.

"Otou-san, otou-san. I have a question for you!" Kunifuyu blurted out abruptly.

Tezuka set his papers down, giving his son his full attention. "What is it, Kunifuyu?"

His son hopped onto the couch, settling next to him. "Ne, ne. Where do babies come from?"

Tezuka's expression didn't change, though inwardly he gave a yell of horror. Where on earth did his innocent little son learn to ask questions like that? "Who told you to ask this?" He inquired.

Kunifuyu beamed, thinking that it was a pretty sagely question, and he was smart enough to come up with it. "Taka-nii, of course."

That little Momoshiro brat… Tezuka's head began to pound, even as he thought of how best to tell his son without actually corrupting him. The answer came to him immediately.

"Go ask your mother."

"Hai!" With that chirp, Kunifuyu leapt off the couch and headed off to the next room. Tezuka could only hope that Ryoma would spare him from too many details.

XXX

Ryoma was down to the final shirt to iron when Kunifuyu walked in. He tugged on Ryoma's pants. "Ne, ne, kaa-san. Where do babies come from?"

Ryoma had to set the iron down before he dropped it. He looked down. "That shouldn't be a question for you to ask now. Why are you asking me this?"

"Because otou-san said so." Was Kunifuyu's innocent reply.

Ryoma death-glared the direction of the living room, though Tezuka was unaffected since he was busy trying to look like he was busying himself with the papers.

"Is that so? Papa can answer it for you then. Go ask him." He smirked.

"Hai!" With that, his son took off towards the living room again. "Mada mada dane, Kunimitsu." Ryoma went back to ironing, only to notice a huge hole burnt into Tezuka's shirt. "Ah damn. I have to shop for clothes again. I only hope he'd spare me today."

XXX

Kunifuyu was sent back and forth between his parents for a while, with neither side giving him the answer he desired. Tezuka escaped to the bedroom, quoting him resting as a reason, and Kunifuyu was left with only Ryoma to ask.

Ryoma popped a vein as Kunifuyu asked him again. He picked up a racquet. Heaven knew why he kept a racquet right next to the ironing board. "Seishonen…if you want me to answer that, beat me at tennis first!"

Needless to say, Kunifuyu was not going to find out the answer to his question until much, much later…

End

Author's Note

It's been a while. Was able to finish this on a weekend when I somehow managed to clear off assignments, mid-term tests and finals papers all around the same time. Ah…I miss having a clear mind and a healthy muse to write.

About Kirihara Akira, to explain to those who have only read TOL, he's an OC of mine from EOB and LAS. The Angel Kirihara nickname doesn't quite have the same feel anymore, since Konomi-sensei did the same thing in New POT. Ah well.

Echizen Ryoga is a character from Prince of Tennis movie – The Two Samurais.

Ryoma: I have a brother?

Kikumaru: Well, he appeared in the movie.

Ryoma: What movie?

Momoshiro: Oh. The one where buchou killed the dinosaurs.

Inui: And where both you and your brother were having a match underwater.

Fuji: (smiles) Let's not forget that striptease.

Ryoma: Striptease? I most certainly didn't… (senses looming aura)

Tezuka: Ryoma…I will not permit such behaviour from you in front of anyone else. 20 laps now!

I had to rewatch some parts of the movie just to make sure I didn't write anything too far out of the plot. Got carried away and watched Atobe's Gift too. Ah, the mild TezuRyo hints during the kibasen match. That, and TezuAto (or is it AtoTezu) hints towards the end too. XD

I wanted to write another pairing in the current chapter, but after some thought, I decided to throw it into the next chapter instead. This chapter is becoming a monster as it is.

p.s. Did anyone notice that one of the new original characters in this chapter had a name which is a combination of two of Nitrol Chiral's BL games' chars? XDXDXD

Please read and review. No Flames Please.

-Gwyn