Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Konomi Takeshi does. I'm merely playing with them for the moment.

A/N: Between the 1st and 25th of December, I kept posting one fic/update a day over at my LJ, lumelle. These updates were in series of five fics sharing a theme.

The last series of five was five continuations -- either sequels or updates to old fics. This is a vague sequel to The Three Samurai (now Sons of a Samurai), though the only thing you have to know from that to enjoy this fic is that Ryoga, Ryoma, and Dan Taichi are all Nanjirou's sons. The fic is set some years after the end of the previous one, just as Ryoma has retired from professional tennis as the last one of the three brothers.

Merry Birthday

"Anyway, happy birthday, dear." Ryoma could almost hear his mother glancing at her watch. "Hope it's a good one."

"I told you I'm not celebrating it," he sighed, lazily aiming the remote at the television. There was nothing good on. "I'm too old for that shit."

"Of course, dear." She sighed, then gave him a slightly more cheerful voice. "In any case, merry Christmas at least. I love you! Bye."

"Bye." Flipping his phone shut, Ryoma rolled his eyes, letting the cell phone fall on the couch next to him. He was slightly exasperated at her call; he'd certainly made it clear enough he wanted to just ignore his birthday... and at the same time, he was absurdly upset that she was the only one who had called him nevertheless. Nobody else seemed to even remember that he existed. Well, damn them too.

After another while of channel flipping, he finally reached for the cell phone again. He didn't want any attention or anything, he was just bored sick. Dialling his younger brother's number, he held the phone to his ear.

The dial tone was his only response. Taichi wasn't picking up.

"Probably busy getting screwed by his boyfriend or something," Ryoma grumbled, glaring at the phone as he ended the call. Wasn't that always the case? Taichi just never had time for anyone else than his gangster of a boyfriend. Damn that Akutsu, too.

Well, Taichi wasn't the only one who could pull that off, now was he. Dialling another number, he smirked lazily. Oh, yes, boyfriends could be a good thing on occasion.

At least this time, he got a response to his call. "Hi, Keigo."

"Why, good afternoon, my dear Prince." He could just hear the smirk in Atobe's voice. Stupid, annoying smug prick. As always. "What makes you call? Aside from your constant yearning for ore-sama's fabulous voice, of course."

"You wish." Ryoma chuckled. "Just got bored, I guess. I mean, something must be wrong with me if I'm feeling masochistic enough to call you."

"Oi, oi." He heard Atobe laughing, as well as some traffic in the background. "I'd love to ease your boredom, really, if I wasn't out of town."

"Of course." Ryoma's voice fell flat. Well, it wasn't like he really cared, anyway. He'd just been bored, after all. "You busy with something?"

"Oh, yeah." Now, Atobe sighed. "You'd think I could have at least a little break for Christmas."

"Your fault for trying to get everything out of life at once." Ryoma snorted. "At least you're still not playing or you'd kill yourself with all that stress."

"I can take whatever tasks I choose to tackle. Brat." There was a slightly colder tone to Atobe's voice, as always when that particular subject was brought up. Ah, well. Ryoma wasn't exactly feeling like playing nice today. "Are you in town next week?"

"Maybe. We'll see." He probably would, but then he might decide not to be there after all, right? "If you don't get a heart attack first."

"I'm too young and pretty for that." Atobe laughed briefly. "Though I might – shit, I have to go." Ryoma heard someone speaking in the background but couldn't quite make out the words, nor recognize the voice. "Call me when you know your schedule for next week, okay? Love you, brat."

"...You too, idiot." This time, Ryoma looked at his phone after the call ended, until the screen went dim and dark. Then he sighed and stood up, stretching. He'd spent far too long sitting down.

Turning the TV off, he wandered out of the living room. Truth be told, he was starting to feel restless. Though this was technically his apartment, he didn't exactly feel at home there; he'd rarely spent more than a few days there at once, always on his way to a tournament or a training camp or some other such thing. Now he was feeling like a stranger there, someone who didn't belong, wandering around in the middle of things that he recognized as belonging to himself yet couldn't exactly call his own.

For all that he wasn't the tidiest person ever, his apartment was feeling unusually, well, not lived in. Aside from some tennis magazines scattered around and a few dishes in the kitchen there were few signs that someone actually made the place their home. It might have been kind of depressing if he'd allowed himself to get down over such silly things. As it was, he just decided to make some more such signs by making himself a cup of coffee.

He'd only gotten halfway through his cup as there was an annoyingly cheerful chime of the door summer. Grumbling a curse under his breath, he made his way to the door phone. The screen showed Ryoga's face grinning directly at him. Ryoma scowled, lifting the phone to his ear. "...Go away."

"Awww, Chibisuke," Ryoga whined. "Come on, let me in!"

Knowing his dear big brother, the idiot would have probably tried to scale the side of the building if he hadn't agreed. Thus Ryoma just sighed and pressed the button. "It's open," he grumbled and set the phone down.

A moment later there was another chime, this time from the actual door. Ryoma made his way to the door, not exactly in a hurry. Opening the door, he looked flatly at his big brother. "What do you want?"

"For you to cheer up a it, first, you grouch." Ryoga smirked in that default way of his, marching right in. "Don't tell me you're sitting here all by yourself?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Ryoma rolled his eyes. "Atobe's out of town, and if I ever learnt something from the old man it's that cheating is rarely a good idea."

"You ever hear of friends?" Ryoga tsked in a particularly annoying manner, glancing around the apartment. "Gah, looks all dark and boring here! You're not even trying to make this place look nice, are you?" He shook his head. "All alone in such a boring place, and on this day of all days..."

Ryoma frowned. Just a few steps inside, and already Ryoga was talking about that. "I told you I'm not –"

"Yeah, yeah. You feel like such an old fart for retiring, so you're not celebrating your birthday. Right, right. But you could at least remember it's Christmas Eve, you dork." Ryoga tilted his head to the side, looking at Ryoma in a particularly scrutinizing manner. "...Ah, well. I guess you'll have to do."

"What?" Ryoma frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean we're going out." Ryoga grinned, obviously pleased with his plan. He also very obviously expected Ryoma to simply go through with it. "And before you can protest, it's nothing to do with your birthday. I'm just bored and want some company and surely you won't refuse your dear brother, right?"

Ryoma refused very clearly and profoundly, yet he soon found himself in Ryoga's car, with a new shirt and combed hair no less. If there was one thing Ryoga had learnt from their father, it was certainly the manners of getting his own way no matter how idiotic his plans were or what anyone else said. No matter what Ryoma said, at the very least. "Where are we going?" he finally sighed, resigned to his fate.

"It'll be a surprise~" Ryoga chimed. Great. Ryoga's surprises were rarely good.

Ryoma leant back in the seat, folding his arms across is chest. First nobody remembered him, now he couldn't get a moment's peace...

He had no idea of their destination, but he did note they were making their way to another residential area. Finally they came to a stop in front of a rather posh apartment building. Ryoma raised his eyebrows as Ryoga parked his car and they finally got out. "You've moved?"

"I wish." Ryoga laughed, marching right to the outdoor and directly in. There was a guard sitting behind a desk, a stern-looking elderly man who eyed them suspiciously. Ryoga merely gave the man his most charming grin. "Echizen Ryoga and Ryoma," he said. "We're being expected in 157."

The guard looked at them suspiciously, then picked up a phone and talked briefly with someone at the other end of the line. Finally he set the phone down and nodded. "That way to the elevator."

Ryoma was tempted to ask but resisted the urge. He'd find out soon enough; he didn't want to give Ryoga the satisfaction of showing his curiosity by asking for the sake of mere minutes. Soon enough the elevator climbed up to somewhere very high up in the building. Ryoma didn't make a note of the floor number in the elevator, but as they stepped out, the large windows at the end of the hallway rather clearly showed they were near the top of the building, if not at the very top. There were only two doors in sight, one on either side of the hallway. Ryoga immediately walked up to one, pressing the doorbell.

Soon enough they heard steps from the other side. Then there was the sound of the door being unlocked before it opened. "Oh, it's about the time you got here!"

Ryoma blinked. Well, that was certainly one person he hadn't expected to see here. "Mother?" he asked, baffled. "You – why are you here? I thought you were off in Kyoto to meet your friend!"

"Ah, yes a little white lie, if you'll forgive me." She chuckled. "Come in, now! I must check on my cookies before they burn." Then she was away, again, disappearing deeper into the apartment before Ryoam could ask anything.

A bit warily, Ryoma took off his shoes and then made his way into the apartment. The hall alone was enormous, the sparse furniture all matching and light in colour, shades of white and grey and silver and cream. He walked further inside, looking around. Everything seemed brand new, from the bookshelf he glimpsed in another room to the thick rug on the floor that his feet were sinking in. Even so, it somehow felt more lived-in than his own apartment which he'd owned for years. It might have been the smell of food filling the air, or the Christmas music he heard coming from somewhere further inside, or just the little things like a pen casually left on a small shelf in the hall. "What is this place?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Ryoga laughed at his disgruntled expression. "Come on, let's say hi. I bet we're the last ones here."

A bit puzzled, Ryoma followed him to the direction of the music. He soon realized he heard some voices drifting closer, too – very familiar voices at that. "A bit to the left, left – no, a bit to the right – now up a bit, honestly Jin, can't you listen to what I say?"

"If it's that damn precise, put it up yourself." As they got into what was apparently a living room, judging by the large cream-shaded couches and even what seemed like a functional fireplace, Ryoma just saw Akutsu practically tossing a star down to the floor. Apparently he'd given up on his task of getting it up on top of the tree.

"Oh, I'd love to, but I can't exactly reach that high on my own desu." Just then, Taichi seemed to notice their arrival, his expression brightening as he turned towards them. "Ryoma! Ryoga! You finally got here!"

"Taichi and Akutsu," Ryoma said, and frowned. "Why's everyone here?"

"Oh, we just decided to celebrate Christmas, the entire family together," Taichi chuckled, skipping close and hugging him without asking any form of permission. Then, such rights kind of came with being the youngest in the family. After hugging Ryoga as well, he grinned and continued, "Since you're not celebrating your birthday this year and everything, though, we figured you wouldn't want to join us if we just asked you."

"So you had aniki kidnap me. A brilliant plan." Ryoma rolled his eyes. "And how're you going to make me stay?"

"Guilt you, of course." Taichi gave Ryoma his most brilliant smile. "You wouldn't want all of your mother's cooking to go to waste, would you? Especially since she lives so far nowadays..."

"Shut up." Ryoma sighed. "Not like I can get anywhere since we came in aniki's car." Of course, he could always call a taxi, but then Taichi'd probably just get his brute of a boyfriend to force him to stay or something. Not that he'd ever done that before, but he might. Yes, that was the very reason.

"Exactly." Taichi laughed, then picked up the star Akutsu had dropped. "Jin? Think you could help me?"

Akutsu, though he muttered a few curses, did crouch down so Taichi could get on his shoulders. Straightening his back, he then walked back to the tree so Taichi could reach the top of the tree. Ryoma might have laughed at how whipped he was if he hadn't known that was the best way to make Akutsu violent.

"What is this place?" he asked again, dropping down on the couch as he watched his little brother's search for treetop perfection. "You two wouldn't have left your dear home when you've finally settled down, aniki already said he didn't, and this place's way too big and expensive for mum. Never mind too Western." Though she had lived quite a while in America, his mother still liked some Japanese touches to her home. "Don't tell me you've kidnapped some poor bastard and taken over his home."

"Oh, no. I assure you this takeover has been anything but hostile." The smooth voice from the doorway immediately drew his eyes, which widened as he saw the familiar figure there. Atobe smirked at his surprised expression. "Though I might start to reconsider giving my permission if you're still going to be such a grouch. That face doesn't go with my furniture."

"Keigo!" Ryoma sat up, staring at his boyfriend. "But – you said you were out of town!"

"I lied," Atobe replied calmly. "Taichi, when you get the star up, I have some silver tinsel garland prepared if you don't mind putting it up."

"Of actual silver, I assume." Taichi chuckled a bit, adjusting the star one last bit.. "Worry not~ I happen to enjoy this desu."

"Don't see why it means I have to be stuck on the fucking job, too," Akutsu grumbled. Ryoma new him well enough by now, though, to know that he'd really be quite glad to help Taichi. For all that he was an aggressive, violent bastard, Akutsu was quite neatly wrapped around Taichi's little finger.

"Because it gets you Taichi sitting on top of you half of the evening," Ryoga quipped. For all that he usually enjoyed watching this kind of arguments evolve, though, Ryoma didn't even pay attention to Akutsu's response. He was too busy staring at his boyfriend, who was currently walking closer before draping himself quite elegantly over another couch right next to the one Ryoma was lying on. Leaning over the armrests, Atobe started quite casually playing with his hair. Annoying bastard.

"I hate you all," Ryoma grumbled. "I'd have much rather just stayed home without any damn distractions."

"Now, now." Atobe didn't seem too bothered by his protest. "It would be quite unthinkable of you to be all alone on –"

"I told you all I'm not celebrating my birthday this year." Ryoma glared at him. Atobe merely smirked in amusement.

"I was going to say 'Christmas Eve,' but since it seems clear which one you're thinking about more..." Atobe chuckled. "To answer your earlier question, though, this place is mine. I decided I could finally get a more or less permanent home for myself."

"Trust you to get half a floor all to yourself," Ryoma snorted. Honestly, Atobe always went overboard. "I've only seen a bit of the place and I can still tell it's way too big for just one man."

"You might be correct on that," Atobe replied without any sign of surprise in his voice. "How about for two, though?"

Now, Ryoma just stared at him. So did everyone else, heads turning in the middle of the non-serious argument. "...You don't mean..." Ryoma blinked.

"Take that however you wish." Atobe smirked at their baffled expressions, getting up from the couch again. "I'm going to go to see if your mother needs any help."

"Not if we want something edible out of it," Ryoga pointed out, always quick to recover from surprises.

"Nothing I can burn in a pile of plates," Atobe replied lightly. "Besides, since I don't trust you to tell a knife apart from a fork..."

It was rather strange, really, the rest of the night, with his family and Akutsu and Atobe all somehow getting along even with all the snarking and arguments. It was quite different from what Ryoma had been planning, but as he heard his mother laughing as Atobe and Ryoga called on Taichi's data to settle a dispute about their tennis career achievements he couldn't entirely feel it was all a failure.

The apartment indeed was large, he discovered, with plenty of guest rooms to spare, yet at the end of the night he still ended up in Atobe's bedroom. The bed was big and soft and the sheets were smooth under his sweaty back but he didn't even bother to comment on Atobe's pampered tastes as he was quite thoroughly distracted by his lover.

Perhaps the decoration was all perfectly colour coordinated, he thought lazily afterwards, perhaps it practically smelled of money despite the perfectly silent air conditioning, perhaps the place was far too large and honestly he wanted a map of the damn place so he could make his way to the bathroom at least, but the view was nice and the couches were comfortable and right now there was a Christmas tree in the living room that had a few crooked candles on it since Ryoga and Akutsu had started an argument about where they should be placed.

"I'll stay," he murmured into Atobe's ear, not bothering to clarify what he meant, and he could practically hear the smirk on Atobe's lips, the idiot had been so sure of his agreement hadn't he.

Nevertheless, it was warm in Atobe's bed, and Karupin Junior would really love the wide window sills, and if Atobe still dared to murmur something about happy birthday in his ears he could just decide he was already dreaming.