A/N (Read for information) I had a breakdown the other day about my writing and nearly stopped doing it all together, but here I am! Now, before you say anything, 'The Prince of Air Trek' will be resuming shortly. It is not on hiatus, like a majority of my fics ;; I have a few more paragraphs and a race to write in the next chapter, so it may take a few days…or a few hours, who knows? But I do apologize for the long wait, I know it's the holidays here, and I should be getting my ass--totally ruins the mood of this story--into gear but…frankly, I suck at writing long chapters TT Unfortunately it may be a bit rushed because I'm going back to school in a few days and I have to focus on my homework, essays and projects etc.

Okay, (yes I know, it's a very long A/N but please bear with me!) I hope you enjoy this short three-shot! I was experimenting with my writing to try and bring the best of it out, and I'm going to try and alter my style because a) I hate it b) change is good, and c) this story has to fit a certain mood. Plus, I was doing a bit of beta-ing…if anyone needs a beta, send me a PM and poof!

Thank you for bearing with me! (Provided if you did and actually got past this part )

Disclaimer: I don't own The Prince of Tennis

Rating: G-PGish

Warnings: none at the moment, but shonan-ai should appear somewhere…

Genre: I like to think of this as a modern romance. Take it as though those two words are melded into one.

Summary: As time moves, do we really have a chance to stay close to who we love?

Pairing: Mystery pair. Read on to find out!

Drifting in Time

By squishy the jellyfish

Part one: Bloom

It is said that the speed of which Japanese Cherry Blossom petals fall is five centimeters per second. This, however, is a metaphorical saying which shows how slow life is, and that in time, people/petals may start out together, but can drift apart. Time, Echizen Ryoma reflected, was never on his side…

Life hated Ryoma. One day, jolly old life decided that he would move to a different country and dump him at a school with people who had no clue who he was. And to top it off, life decided that it wanted Echizen Ryoma to be late for his first day too.

"Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap!" He shouted as he flew down the stairs, ate his breakfast of grilled fish and rice in record time, picked up his bag and sped out of the house. His cousin Nanako hardly got out the 'good' in the 'good morning' she said to him before the blur which was Ryoma was gone.

THESONGHANGINGBYAMOMENTGAVEMETHESUDDENOUTBURSTFORTHISSTORYBLAMELIFEHOUSE

"Our new topic is 'people'. How you address others as well as how you address yourself."

Many groaned at that. It wasn't the topic, just the mention of more work which would ultimately lead up to a test was the problem.

"Quiet down and stop complaining. Now," the teacher continued, picking up a piece of chalk as he walked towards the blackboard, "'I', is how you would address yourself. As in, 'I went to the store'. So really, 'I', directly translates into 'watashi', 'boku' or for some of you, 'ore'." The teacher began writing examples on the board with the white chalk, choosing to ignore the chatting in the back of the room. He smiled wickedly as he turned back at his rapidly quieting students, "Who'd like to write up an example of their own? In English," he added as an afterthought. This would shut them up for sure! However, before the teacher could follow through with his 'full proof-plan', a knock came from outside the classroom door before it opened, revealing a boy with emerald coloured hair and big golden eyes.

"Sorry, sir," the boy mumbled, drawing a few glances from the students, he closed the door behind him and approached the teacher with two slips of paper; one was his timetable/map, and the other appeared to be his registration form.

The teacher took the form and scanned through it briefly before setting it down on his desk. "Echizen Ryoma, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'll forgive your lateness today, but tomorrow, you'd better be here early," he warned, pointing to an empty seat at the very back. "Please take your seat."

Ryoma got out a 'Yes' which more than likely fell on deaf ears before walking swiftly to his seat and sitting down. Taking out his English books, he set about staring idly out the window while the teacher started talking again.

"Now, where was I?" The teacher said, "Oh yes, as I recall, I needed someone to write up a few examples on the board of how to use 'I'. In English." He looked around the room almost hopefully so he could catch someone doing the wrong thing and punish them for it. His eyes fell upon the Echizen Ryoma fellow and he grinned maliciously. The kid was staring absently out the window, was he even listening?! A dark cloud appeared above the teacher's head as he chuckled aloud, scaring the students in the first two rows. "Echizen-kun, maybe you could write them up?"

No reply.

"Echizen!"

"Sorry, what?" Ryoma looked up, a dazed expression on his face which drew out many giggles.

The teacher sweat dropped. "Please write some examples up on the board of how to use 'I'."

"What one?" Ryoma asked with a bored look.

"Huh? What do you mean, what one?"

"There's two. They're homophones."

"Oh, yes, of course," brat… "The one we use to address ourselves, Echizen-kun. Please," he said, holding out the chalk.

Ryoma got up from his seat wordlessly before walking to the front of the class to collect the chalk and to the board to seemingly 'awe' the students with his mastery of the English language.

Damn brat…

Another knock resounded from the door, startling the teacher from his…thoughts. "Come in."

Ryoma turned around.

No, time was definitely not on Echizen Ryoma's side. If he wasn't in so much pain right now, he'd probably laugh at his predicament, albeit it'd be pretty sick. Wounded and bleeding he was, on the side of a road with countless numbers of cars passing by not doing a damn thing. Looking sick be damned…he thought before grinning awkwardly and clutching his stomach in pain. But then, another pain began to lurch, this time in his chest. His grin subsided. This was the familiar lurch that he got often, the pain that haunted him to no end. Tears slipped out of golden slits as Ryoma hugged himself.

"Ah, Tezuka-kun, what is it?" The teacher asked cheerfully as he looked at the diligent honor student standing tall in the doorway.

Ryoma stared. Not to glance idly and go back to his seat like he usually would, but to stare. He didn't understand how this guy had captured his attention so suddenly, but it did. Maybe it was the tousled light brown hair, the intricate hazel eyes hidden behind delicate lenses, or perhaps the fact that this boy was just…utterly gorgeous. Ryoma wasn't sure.

"Nakamura-sensei wanted me to give you this," he said, handing the English teacher a slip of paper before glancing quickly at Ryoma. (Cue soft Romantic Asian music)

Their eyes met for the briefest of moments, each filled with untold stories and mysteries, before Tezuka dropped his gaze and the teacher handed him back a stack of books—how he got them and returned so quickly, Ryoma didn't know—to take back to his own class.

"There you go, Tezuka-kun. Tell Nakamura-sensei congratulations for his marriage," the teacher said, smiling.

"Yes, sensei. Thank you," Tezuka nodded before turning around and walking out the classroom.

For a short while, that request had Ryoma thinking what Tezuka would look like on his wedding day…wait. 'Tezuka' sounded awfully familiar, awfully, awfully familiar. The sound of the recess bell broke him out of his thoughts as the first year students started to pack up and leave the classroom. Following suit, Ryoma slid his books back into his bag, swung his bag over his shoulder and left for morning tea.

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"You know, you look a lot younger without your glasses on," Fuji smiled as he sat opposite Tezuka on the table.

Ryoma looked up from his food. Directly in front of him was the back of Tezuka. He frowned, how was it that the name was familiar to him?

"…I need my glasses to see, Fuji. Otherwise I couldn't play tennis."

And then it slid into place. Ryoma had been told about the tennis team here and that Tezuka Kunimitsu was the captain by the principal. That was why the name sounded familiar! Yet, something still didn't fit in the puzzle. It was like the final piece that either didn't come with the pack, or you'd lost it somewhere.

"What about contacts?" Fuji chirped.

"…Fuji," Tezuka said dangerously.

Ryoma took another bite of his food before nearly choking on it. Tezuka Kunimitsu! The elder child whom he used to play with before left. He had taken to talking to the boy because they were neighbors, and soon were inseparable friends. But then Tezuka had to leave because he was only in America for a holiday. He'd told Ryoma that he was sorry but Ryoma had cried many times after his departure anyway. Ryoma swallowed the rest of his food and grabbed his food. He was never one to waste time, he always got to the point. 'Short and sweet' was how his mother put it. He walked over to the table where Tezuka was sitting and cleared his throat rather loudly.

Tezuka turned his head to the boy and raised his brow slightly; an indication for Ryoma to explain why he was there.

Ryoma suppressed a twitch. Did Tezuka turn mute after all these years? Really…a simple 'hi' would've sufficed just fine. The smiling guy—Fuji—looked at Ryoma with an amused expression as he gripped his drink bottle between his hands. Ryoma frowned, "You…you're Tezuka Kunimitsu, aren't you?"

"…What is it?" Tezuka asked bluntly.

Ryoma bit his lip. He couldn't think of anything to say, what should he say at a time like this? Did Tezuka even recognize him?

Fuji grinned. "Saa, Tezuka. It seems to me that you have an admirer."

Tezuka frowned, but softened it once he looked back at the freshman he recalled from earlier that morning. "May I help you?"

"You never wanted glasses," Ryoma said finally, gathering his wits about him.

Tezuka blinked. "What do you mean?"

Ryoma's expression saddened. "You don't remember me, do you?"

Tezuka blinked. Again. "I'm afraid not."

Ryoma looked up and stared at him straight into the eyes. "The boy, the little boy from America!"

Tezuka gazed into the big golden eyes open before him and tried to search his memory banks for a memory of the boy. "What's your name?"

"Echizen Ryoma."

Then it clicked, and all the memories of the boy flooded back. "Echizen, you're, you're here?"

"You remember me?" Ryoma asked incredulously.

Fuji's grin became that much wider.

Tezuka nodded. "You know, your parents had contacted my own after we left and told them that you cried when I departed."

Ryoma had to fight not to blush. "N-no, I didn't. You must be mistaken."

Seeing the colour creep onto the freshman's cheeks amused Tezuka greatly, and also altered his demeanor completely. It was cute, even. He smiled, "Judging by your reaction…"

"N-N-No! I didn't!" Ryoma flailed, before turning his back to the tennis captain and pouting adorably.

"…I would have thought otherwise," Tezuka said in a playful tone.

Fuji looked incredibly surprised. How was it that Tezuka could be this…happy with this 'Echizen Ryoma' when they only knew each other briefly, and yet, be so…serious and unhappy with people he'd known for years? Wow…this Echizen guy must be pretty good. Even Fuji couldn't coax out that emotion in three-years, let alone in the time span of five-minutes.

"Listen Tezuka," Fuji said as he looked at the captain. "I've got to run an errand, so I'll leave you two," he smiled, swinging his bag on his shoulder and getting up. "See you later!" and he left.

Tezuka nodded in acknowledgement.

"So…he seemed nice?" Ryoma said sarcastically, not knowing what else to say.

A faint smiled appeared on Tezuka's lips as he gestured to the seat opposite his own. "He's an old friend. A bit mischievous and sly, but he means well."

Ryoma followed Tezuka's silent instruction and sat down. He suddenly felt comfortable in the welcoming presence which was Tezuka. "So, how are you?" It was a plausible question, Ryoma thought to himself, well, it'd be enough to break the ice, right?

"When are you the type of person to ask something as formal as that?" Tezuka asked, his elbows touching the back of his chair in a relaxed pose.

Ryoma twitched. "When did you become as stony as a rock?"

Tezuka chuckled, well, as close to a chuckle as humanly possible for Tezuka. "That retort was weak, what have you become?"

Ryoma's expression suddenly softened. "…You're so different when you're with your friends."

"You're not a friend?"

"Idiot. We haven't seen each other for four years!" Ryoma stated.

Tezuka grinned something chronic. "You've been counting," he accused good-humoredly.

"If I wasn't on the other side of the table, I'd have punched you…" Ryoma snorted.

Tezuka smiled fondly at the boy.

Next chapter: Part two: Flourish

A/N Any type of review/comment would be great! 'The Prince of Air Trek' chapter will be up soon!

Squishy.