Better late than never

Summary: Living with his adoptive family, Shishido discovers what its like to live in a fully functional family.

One shot.

Note:

Part four of the Shishido Ryou series

Only if

Prince of Tennis, the Musical Adventure

A change of heart

OC's: Sakaki Fei --,Sakaki Tarou's aka Kantoku's wife.

Shishido Katsu – Shishido Ryou's biological older brother

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"So how are you adjusting Ryou?" Choutaro asked as he and Shishido walked home from their date.

"It's not too bad…there are just….awkward times.." Shishido admitted.

"Awkward?" Choutaro asked.

Shishido sighed. "Well…there was one time that I walked in when I shouldn't have…" he explained, blushing at the memory

Choutaro chuckled. "Well…Sakaki-san did walk in on us once…."

"Choutaro….." Shishido warned

"Hai…." Choutaro said in a happy tone.

"Well…we're here, Ryou. I'll see you in three days?" Choutaro asked as he stopped in front of the Sakaki residence….mansion….whatever.

"Three days" Shishido confirmed with a nod.

They looked at each other and looked away with similar embarrassed smiles.

"Well…." Shishido said, scratching the back of his neck,

"See you…" Choutaro said, blush creeping up his cheeks.

"Yeah…" Shishido said, chuckling nervously.

"Bye…" Choutaro said as he took a step back.

"Bye…" Shishido said as he raised a hand to wave.

"See 'ya…" Choutaro said again as he took another step back, still looking at his senpai

"See 'ya…" Shishido answered.

"To hell with it!" Choutaro said as he took two steps forward and kissed Ryou on the lips.

Ryou smiled into the kiss. Choutaro pulled away moments later, catching the image of Sakaki Tarou on one of the second floor windows.

"Parental Unit is watching…" Shishido said. Choutaro chuckled. "Yeah…bye, Ryou!" he said before finally turning around and going in the other direction.

Shishido chuckled as he walked inside.

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"Should I tell him off for that?" Tarou asked Fei, his wife.

Fei smiled at him. "Tarou, he knows what he's doing. Ootori-kun is a nice boy…."

"To nice…." Tarou muttered.

Fei giggled as she stood from the couch and went over to her husband, wrapping her hands around her waist. "Leave them be, Tarou…" she said.

Tarou sighed.

Game set and match, Sakaki Fei, Seven games to love.

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After dinner the Sakaki family decided to call it a night, because the next day they had planned to go out and bond.

Around nine in the evening thunder clouds rolled in as the rain started to pour.

Tarou woke with a start.

"Tarou?" Fei inquired as she sat up and looked over at her husband. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Thunder.." Tarou said simply.

Fei smiled. "Tarou…don't tell me at your age that you're still afraid of thunder?" she teased.

Tarou glared at her, earning a chuckle, and said. "It's not that…I'm just worried about Ryou…"

"Ryou? Why is that?"

"If I recall correctly, Ryou is afraid of thunder."

Fei frowned. "Really?"

Tarou nodded. "I'm going to check on him."

He was going to stand when Fei stopped him. "Tarou…let him come to us."

"Why?"

"Believe me…it would be less embarrassing for him."

"I'm not convinced…."

Fei smiled at him. "If he doesn't come in five minutes will you go back to sleep?"

"Ten."

"All right, then. Ten"

So they waited for ten minutes…

Nothing happened.

The rain just remained to pour as insistently as ever.

Tarou sighed. "Fine… let's go back to sleep…"

Thunder boomed in the distance.

"Actually…." Fei said with a mischievous smile. "I don't feel that sleepy anymore."

Getting the hint, Sakaki grinned. "Is that so?" he asked as he wrapped his arm around his wife's waist. "Then I'd just have to do something about it, then…"

Fei giggled. "How many laps, Kantoku?" she asked.

"Oh just one….mine." Sakaki said huskily as he moved to straddle his wife.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Sakaki Tarou fell of the side of the bed in the haste to get off his wife. He got off just in time to see Ryou peek through the door.

"T-tou-san? Kaa-san?" he asked nervously. He had actually hesitated to come there and thought that he could just fall asleep amidst the loud thunder.

Sadly his fear got the better of him as he scrambled out of bed and rushed out the door. He was going to go to Katsu's room when he remembered that the other boy had asked permission to spend a night at the office the day before and promised to catch up to their family trip the next day.

He was going to go back into his room when another flash of lightning came along with another clap of thunder.

Throwing the last traces of hesitation behind him he went straight to the next room he could think of. His parents room.

Tarou sighed as ran through his hair with his hand. "Yes, Ryou?" he asked, feeling his hard on fade away.

"Er….can I….sleep here?" Shishido asked sheepishly.

Fei gave him a smile and patted the space beside her. "Come on in, dear" she said.

Ryou smiled brightly as he went beside her. Fei chuckled as he patted Ryou's head and kissed his forehead.

With another sigh Tarou got on Ryou's other side.

"Tarou?" Fei asked softly.

"Yes?"

"You were right about your intuition." Ryou looked at his mother then at his father. "Intuition?" he asked.

Tarou looked at him and shook his head. "Don't mind it…it's nothing." He said, pulling the covers up on them.

Ryou smiled as Fei hugged him.

Tarou sighed again. 'Now I know how it feels when your children barge in…..' he thought as he placed an arm around Ryou and Fei.

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The next day, Tarou woke up as early as he usually does. He blinked as he sat up, careful not to wake up the two other occupants of the bed.

The sunlight was coming in thorough the curtains of the window and anytime he would hear a knock on the door as a maid would come in and open the curtains to let the sunlight completely in.

He looked at his side and smiled.

He had never felt so content in his life as he looked at Ryou and Fei hugging each other, fast asleep.

He stood up and stretched.

"Even if it was a little late I'd rather have it like that than not having you at all…." He bent over the bed and kissed Ryou's forehead.

"Thank you for making this family complete, Ryou.." he said with a smile.

And as if he understood, Ryou smiled as well.

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"So Ryou, how are you doing now?" Choutaro asked after a few days.

"Pretty well, I guess." Shishido answered.

When they reached the gate they looked at each other, a feeling of Déjà vu went over the both of them

"Er…. So tomorrow then?" Choutaro asked.

"Yeah…" Shishido answered.

Before Choutaro could say something the gate opened.

"Ootori-kun, why don't you come inside for a while?" Sakaki Tarou asked.

The two teens blushed.

"S-sure sensei." Choutaro answered

'At least I'm sure that you wouldn't be caught doing PDA outside…I'm not a bad parent…' Sakaki thought with a smile as the two followed him inside.

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BS: Yep. My mother practically hugged me when she read that….

Anyway…hope you liked it….