Disclaimer: I do NOT own PoT

Pairing: Atobe Keigo X Echizen Ryoma

Note: Another AToRyo story. I'm still busy working with The King's Brat but I just couldn't resist posting this one. 'I want...' is a story that is a lot different from my other Royal fanfic. This one's a lot more intense as oppose to the others' fluffy nature. Also, I'll be changing the rating to M 'cause I'm planning some lemon scenes - serious, definitely mature, but I'll do my best to make 'em sweet. But until then, this is still rated T. So, yeah. Read on. . .

Chapter 1: Losing Bets

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Echizen Ryoma woke up that morning with a very strange feeling. He was excited, nervous, and a very strong sense of anticipation hummed in his very bones. He frowned. He have never felt this way before. Like he's expecting something. Like he's been waiting for it his whole life.

Ryoma's small and calloused hand went slowly to press against his chest. Something big is going to happen today. He didn't know what, if it's something good or bad. But whatever it is, he can feel with every fiber of his being that it will drastically change his life.

….

"What's wrong, Ochibi~?" Kikumaru asked Ryoma as they were walking out of the campus. "You've been strangely quiet the whole day, nya~! Are you feeling sick, Ochibi~?"

Ryoma remained silent. He was frowning down on his shoes, his mind preoccupied. He had been anxious ever since he came down for breakfast that morning, expecting for something to happen. Like, maybe his mother would tell him that she's pregnant and he's going to have a younger brother or a sister soon. Or that they're going back to America. Or that his father have ditched his dirty magazines and miraculously decided to apply for a job. Or . . or . . . something. He didn't know what. So he waited. He sat on the table and silently watched as his mother served him breakfast. It was Japanese, his favorite. But he ignored it. Instead he had looked at his mother expectantly.

"What's wrong, Ryoma?" his mother had asked.

Ryoma didn't say anything. He continued to watch his mother, still waiting for her to say something. When his mother remained silent and continued to look at him, expression slowly turning to worry, Ryoma bowed his head. "Betsuni," he said quietly and started to eat.

Ryoma watched everyone as he was finishing his breakfast. His baka oyaji sat on his usual place, reading magazine while picking his nose. His cousin was helping his mother with chores like she does every morning. Karupin was running around, poking at everything. The same as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, he continued to feel nervous. Ryoma frowned. Maybe at school something will happen.

But nothing has. Morning practice was as tedious and loud as usual. Classes were as boring. They had a surprise quiz on Math, but that was all. During the afternoon practice, except for Inui adding another drill on their training menu, everything went the same way as they always have.

Ryoma kicked a small rock on the sidewalk with the tip of his shoe. He's starting to get frustrated. He had been waiting anxiously the entire day for something remarkable, or even remotely interesting thing to happen. But each hour had passed with nothing but the same old, boring routine. The disappointments are starting to get on his nerves.

"Ochibi~!" Kikumaru called to his scowling kohai. "Are you listening to me, nya~?"

Ryoma blinked. He turned to see Kikumaru, Momo, and Oishi looking at him in concern. "Did you say something?" he asked.

"Ah~! I knew it! He wasn't listening, nya~!" Kikumaru said, pointing a finger accusingly at Ryoma.

"Are you alright, Echizen?" Oishi asked with obvious concern. "You've been quiet the entire day."

Ryoma turned to look ahead. "I'm fine."

"Oi. Are you sure, Echizen?" said Momo. "If you have any problems, you know you can tell us, right?"

"I'm fine." Ryoma repeated, not looking at Momo.

"Ochibi~"

His senpai-tachi looked at each other. They're definitely starting to get worried. They're used to Ryoma being antisocial but his silence today doesn't feel like the usual.

Suddenly, Ryoma stopped walking. The sense of anticipation had just gotten stronger all of a sudden, slamming hard into his chest. Without accord, his eyes flew towards the direction of the street tennis courts.

"What is it, Echizen?" Momo asked.

Ryoma ignored him. His feet started walking, bringing him towards the courts. His senpai-tachi frowned, but followed him quietly behind.

As soon as Ryoma stepped inside the courts, his eyes immediately scanned the premises, looking for something, or someone. He saw the two guys that he and Momo had played doubles with before. It's not them. He saw Fuji's ototou, Yuuta from St. Rudolph, having a match with his hair-twirling captain. It's not them, either. Ryoma turned to look to his right. He saw a guy wearing a red shirt. He made an impressive and powerful shot, but again, Ryoma's eyes continued past him. He saw many other guys, familiar and unfamiliar, but none of them were it. Ryoma started to scowl. Where the hell is it?

"Brat," a voice suddenly said from behind him. Ryoma felt his heartbeats quicken. Finally. Slowly, he turned.

"Ore-sama have been waiting for you," Atobe said, his eyes intense as he look at Ryoma.

...

"A bet," Atobe declared as he and Ryoma stood in front of each other on either side of the net. "Loser has to do whatever the winner wants." Then he leaned down to Ryoma's ear. "For a week." He whispered, his breath strangely hot against Ryoma's suddenly sensitive skin. "What do you say, brat?"

Ryoma felt his face heats up. His heart's still beating very fast, his chest tightening, his palms sweating. The moment he met Atobe's eyes, he knew that this was it. All that anticipation, nervousness, excitement, anxiousness, all of those emotions were all for this moment. Something in his interaction with the Monkey King today will change his life. Ryoma clenched his fists. "Deal," he said, voice steady and strong despite the unfamiliar anxiety in his chest.

Atobe smiled. He let his lips grazed against Ryoma's skin before he straightened up. "Deal." He looked Ryoma straight in the eye, his own showing a certain promise that made Ryoma suppressed a shiver. He offered his hand for Ryoma to shake and sealed the deal.

Then the game began.

….

Ryoma served first, and, immediately, he used his twist serve. Atobe easily returned it. Ryoma hit back with a strong cross shot to the left. Again, Atobe returned it. That first ball was rallied across the net for more than ten minutes, each player not letting the other score a point.

"Oi, oi. They're really serious, aren't they?" Momo asked, astounded as he watch Ryoma and Atobe play against each other like their lives depended on it.

"Ne, Oishi? They aren't fighting or something, right~?" Kikumaru asked. "They're acting scary, nya~!"

Oishi wanted to reply but he couldn't get his eyes away from the game. This is the first time that he's seen Ryoma play so seriously. He's obviously giving it his all, and right off the bat, too. And Atobe. Oishi had seen Atobe played with Tezuka before, and it had been an epic match. It was something that Oishi will always relive as it was one of the best tennis match he has ever witnessed in his entire life. But the emotions then are so much different than the emotions now. Today's seems so . . . desperate. Serious and intense.

Oishi, awed, watched as the Hyoutei's captain returned Ryoma's drive B. The shot was powerful and fast. Ryoma tried to follow the ball but he missed it by a couple of inch.

"Love-fifteen," Atobe called with a smirk.

Ryoma scowled at him. He took a ball from his pocket and started to bounce it. He's going to serve with another twist serve. Then he's going to rush to the net, and hit the ball back to the Monkey King's feet. "Yosh," Ryoma served the ball.

Atobe returned Ryoma's serve but he didn't saw the brat's movements. When he realized that Ryoma was on the net, it had been too late. He already hit the ball.

Ryoma quickly returned the ball with a passing shot on Atobe's feet. "Fifteen all," he called smugly.

The game continued. Fifteen all becomes fifteen-thirty. Fifteen-thirty becomes thirty-all. Then it became forty-thirty. After another very long rally, Ryoma finally held his service match.

It was Atobe's turn to serve. He quickly got a point after he served with a very fast ball. Another point went to him when again, Ryoma couldn't return his serve. Then another. On his third serve, Ryoma finally got the timing down. He hit back Atobe's serve but he didn't anticipate the weight of the ball. It flew against the net before falling on his side of the court.

"One game all," Atobe said, looking very pleased with himself.

Ryoma glared, before going to position. It was his service game again. Like hell he's going to lose it. He served, and yet again, another long rally followed.

As the game continued, more and more people started gathering outside their court, drawn by their powerful, precise, and skillful shots. The audience were amazed by how well they play. It was so obvious that they're both national level tennis players. The fact that they're playing with complete passion and total abandon made the game all the more exciting and awe-inspiring.

"Echizen-kun," was the only thing that Yuuta can say as he watch the Seigaku first year return each and every difficult shots that Atobe gave him.

"Oya, oya." Mizuki said. "If it isn't the Seigaku brat and the Hyoutei's narcissistic captain."

"Shh!" several people immediately silenced him. Mizuki glared but said nothing. He turned to watch the match, and after just a few minutes, he himself couldn't take his eyes off it.

"Six games all."

Finally, they're on match point. It's already starting to get dark and even the street lights have been switched on. Both players were panting hard. Both starting to feel their muscles cramp. But even so, they have smiles on their faces.

Ryoma bounced the ball while he pants for breath. He looked to where the Monkey King was waiting for his serve. Like the entire time that they were playing, Ryoma felt his breath catch as he caught the older boy's eyes. He didn't know what it was, but there's an emotion on the Monkey King's eyes that makes his heartbeats pound in his chest. He glanced down at the ball and watch its shadow grew big and small on the pavement. The loser must do whatever the winner wants. For one whole week. Ryoma frowned. He wondered what the Monkey King wants. For whatever it was, it's obviously something that Atobe will fight for with every last bit of strength he has.

"What are you waiting for, brat?" Atobe asked. "Ready to admit defeat to Ore-sama?"

Ryoma gave him a smirk. "Keep dreaming, Monkey King." Then he served.

If Atobe was tenacious earlier, he was definitely unyielding now. He refused to give up even one point to Ryoma. He attacked relentlessly, giving his all in his every shot. He has to win no matter what. His very sanity depended on it.

Ryoma gave a very good fight. He was the first one to get a point. But Atobe immediately took his point back. And another. And another. Until the Hyoutei's captain needed only one point to win.

Ryoma fought hard to get a point. He did all his special techniques, one after the other. But Atobe returned them all, his shots determined, almost bordering desperate. And after feeling that, something inside Ryoma told him to stop fighting anymore. It was time to give in. Ryoma wasn't the type to just surrender. That's why he was surprised when the thought crossed his mind. But the feeling was right. Like it was the right thing to do. Like it's meant to be that way.

The match was like a conversation to them. The exchange wasn't clear. It was pure emotional. The first shot was Ryoma asking Atobe what all this is about. Atobe's return was like him saying that he won't tell unless Ryoma win. It was a clear challenge to Ryoma. And he took that challenged when he returned the ball right back to the Monkey King. But now that they're on match point, it felt more like Atobe was asking him to just relent, and give in to the older boy. It felt like Atobe was almost begging him to give the older boy a chance. Ryoma could feel it in Atobe's every shot. And after a twenty-five-minutes rally, Atobe finally convinced him.

Atobe hit the ball back to Ryoma's court, aiming right at the corner. He was fully expecting Ryoma to return it, just like the brat did on his every shot. However, he was quite surprise when Ryoma didn't even tried to follow the ball.

"Seven games to six," Oishi announced quietly on the sideline. "Atobe win."

Their audiences erupted into loud cheers. Atobe ignored them. He slowly straightened up. His eyes watching as his opponent slowly walked up to the net.

Ryoma waited patiently for Atobe to walk towards him. When the older boy was finally in front of him, he stretched his right hand forward.

Atobe looked at the brat's outstretched hand for a moment, his mind still processing the fact that he have won. And it's all because Ryoma, surprisingly, gave in to him. He frowned. He wasn't sure if he was glad or insulted. When they started the match, Atobe has decided that he's going to win with everything he's got. Even if it meant having a handicap. It's fine by him. That's how important this match is for him. He wanted to convince Ryoma. He wanted to prove to him that he can win him. But now . . .

"You gave it up," Atobe remarked, his voice quiet.

"You wanted to win," Ryoma said simply.

Atobe felt a small spark of anger. He clenched his jaw. "Didn't you?" he asked.

"'Course I do." Ryoma answered with a scowl. Then he shrugged. "But it felt right that you should win," he added quietly, his eyes averted.

Atobe didn't say anything. Did Ryoma, perhaps, sensed his feelings during the match? It's possible. He wasn't exactly gentle. He had returned each and every ball with the hope of expressing all of those almost desperate emotions he felt towards the younger boy.

When Atobe didn't say anything, Ryoma glanced up. He found the older boy looking at him with such intensity again that his heart skipped a beat. He blushed a little. To cover up, he immediately took on a challenging stance. "If you don't want to accept your win, Monkey King, just say so," he said with a glare. "I don't mind having another match right now."

Atobe continued to stare. Then slowly, he began to smile. "Iie." He stretched his hand to Ryoma. "Ore-sama has won." He watched as the younger boy looked at his hand suspiciously before glancing up at him, obviously not trusting his smile. He raised his brow innocently.

Ryoma continued to eye Atobe with distrust. That smile. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure that he really wanted to let the Monkey King win, after all. Maybe he should demand a rematch.

"What's the matter, Echizen?" Atobe asked with a definite smirk. "Ore-sama thought you wanted him to win."

Ryoma frowned. "That's not what I said," he muttered. Then, grudgingly, he accepted the handshake. He was about to pull back his hand when Atobe suddenly leaned down. Ryoma promptly froze.

"Now then," Atobe whispered to Ryoma's ear. "Ore-sama believes you owe him seven days of compliance."

Tell me what you think. Even very short reviews will be appreciated. Thanks in advance and see you next time. Ja ne!