Disclaimer: I do not own POT…however all created characters and situations are all mine!

Professional Guest

Tezuka Kunimitsu stood anxiously in front of the airport terminal…on the outside he looked his usual stoic self, but inside anxiety was coursing through his viens. He waited patiently, behind the overly-excited fan girls and overly-zealous photographers and reporters…his eyes glued to the exit before him.

He finally dropped his gaze to the marble floor below, and stared for a long time…wondering how different things would be, how different HE would be now that they had been separated for such a long time.

The ear-busting squeals of the noisy girls caused Tezuka to snap his head up quickly…his eyes desperately searching for the figure he had been waiting here to see.

It was as if time suddenly crawled to an agonizingly slow pace, as the signature white ball cap came into view. Tezuka darted his eyes down momentarily…too anxious to catch a glimpse of his face just yet. Bright white tennis shoes glided across light gray marble. Dark denim covered long, legs…thick thighs. A black belt secured around perfectly shaped, slender hips…Tezuka's eyes traveled farther…over the tight black fabric of the V-neck t-shirt, pressing against the toned six-pack of the boy in question as he glided closer…a long loose braid of black hair draped over his small muscular shoulder, only the glimmering hints of green contrasting against the black tee as well as the thick shoulder strap of the black tennis bag resting over the same shoulder.

Finally, as the boy (now man) paused his movements, Tezuka allowed himself to get lost in the features of the face he knew so long ago. His deep golden cat-like eyes were focused uncaringly out the large bay airport windows, his strong but delicately flawless features illuminated by the incoming sunlight…frays of that silky black hair framing each feature perfectly.

This was the new Echizen Ryoma…an Echizen that Tezuka now realized he probably didn't really know. Since Tezuka himself stood at 6'3" now, he assumed that by the looks of it, his once 5'4" kohai now probably stood at 5'10". Though his frame was still much smaller than his own, it was now well built, toned and perfected by years in the professional circuit.

Tezuka let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding and took in the whole scene. There he stood…Echizen…surrounded by flashing cameras, bombarded by loud voices…as he simply stared out the window to his left, no expression, no words.

Then another familiar face presented itself walking out from behind Ryoma. Bright blonde hair, stunning, sparkling blue eyes…he too had grown…now standing at probably 5'7"…Kevin Smith made his way in front of Echizen, leaning against his taller body and flashing a brilliant smile. He reach out with his left hand and grasped Ryoma by the chin, causing his eyes to finally meet with the crowd, "He's beautiful isn't he?" Kevin said to the group in his thick California stained English, the smile never leaving his face.

"Che," Ryoma retorted pulling his chin from Kevin's grasp…but not before glancing down at the smaller man and letting a small smirk fall over his lips.

What was with them? Tezuka wondered…as he watched the closeness of the pair. "Ike (Let's go)…" Ryoma said to Kevin as he readjusted his bag's placement and began walking forward. Still ignoring the reporters, he made his way silently through the crowd.

"Gomen (sorry)…he is a little anti-social…" Kevin replied to the reporters while nodding his head politely then jogging slightly to catch up.

"Wait! Echizen-san! Do you have high hopes for the Japanese youths you will be selecting for this years under 17 camp and tournament?" A bold reporter yelled to the retreating figures, a small recorder protruding from his hand.

Ryoma stopped briefly, turning his head just a bit to look back over his shoulder…his long hair gliding with the movement, "Hnnn…" his signature phrase slipped off his tongue, "mada mada dane." He finished with a smirk, before turning back to his original path.

"You really hate journalists, don't you?" Kevin asked, looking up towards Ryoma with a smirk of his own.

"Betsuni (not particularly)," Ryoma replied with a shrug. Kevin giggled a bit beside him, and shook his head.

"Nee (say), isn't that your old Captain?" Kevin asked when he saw Tezuka leaning against a near-by pillar.

That sentence alone caused Ryoma's calm pulse to quicken. He of course didn't let it show, but this was his biggest fear in coming back to Japan. After what happened between them, he wasn't sure if he was really ready to see Tezuka yet, not that he had a choice now.

As the tennis pro pair approached the stoic prodigy and stopped before him, Ryoma grasped the bill of his cap and brought it over his eyes "Buchou (captain)…" Rymoa muttered, without looking up.

"I'm not your captain anymore Echizen," Tezuka replied in his strong expressionless voice. In actuality it warmed his heart to hear that familiar name fall from Echizens lips, even causing it to accelerate and skip a beat.

"Che," was the smaller man's curt reply.

"Ryuzaki-sensei sent me to retrieve you…were you aware of this?" Tezuka asked confidently, even though his eyes were still casing over the beauty before him.

"Hai," Ryoma confirmed, "I just didn't know she was sending someone else." Kevin noticed the small tremble of Ryoma's clenched fist. Though it hurt his heart a little, he knew this was coming. He gently placed his hand on Ryoma's shoulder in comfort.

"Shall we go?" Kevin asked. Ryoma caught his bright blue gaze and watched as the blonde ran his slender fingers over the length of his messy braid. It was comforting, and he felt his frayed nerves from being so close to Tezuka calm enough to move forward.

"Aa," He answered…then raised his golden eyes to meet Tezuka's carmel ones, nodding for him to lead the way.

The three men exited the airport. They rode in silence in Tezuka's black mustang to their destination Seishun Gakuen. The entire ride Ryoma kept his eyes glued to the passing scenery, his chin resting heavily on his palm. His heart had calmed, but his mind was still reeling a mile-a-minute with unshaped emotions and unanswered questions.

Tezuka too had finally called himself…but with each passing glace at the man beside him…his heart skipped, nearly canceling out all the hard work he had put into chilling himself out.

On the Seigaku courts….

"I heard there is a professional coming to pick out potential players for the U-17 camp!"

"I wonder who it is?"

"Who do you think will get chosen…there is no way ALL the regulars are going right?"

"Is that pro even qualified to choose? I mean we don't even know who it is?"

All the babble had the current coach Inui Sadaharu's eye twitching. He wasn't sure of who was coming either, but none of his players were concentrating on anything! It was seriously irking his patience.

"The next one of my players to speculate over today's quest will be running 50 laps…finishing that off with a nice tall glass of Inui Special – Havoc #2 for refreshment," the massive man yelled across the courts with an evil grin, holding up a pitcher filled with a bubbling pink goo substance.

All the members paled immediately and returned to their training…without uttering another word.

"That was quite the threat….coach," Yamazaki Rei, Seigaku 3rd year Captain said from beside him. He was an average sized boy of 14, with brown messy hair and big, bright emerald eyes.

Inui peered down, "Ah…whatever it takes…" He answered before turning his attention back to practice.

Out of nowhere an overly-enthusiastic blur of red-hair caught the impending coach completely off guard; nearly knocking him to the ground when the agile man lept onto his back.

"Nee, was it really necessary to pull out that awful concoction Inui…they all looked like they'd die of fright, nya!" Kikumaru Eiji said from his perch on Inui's back.

Inui let out a heavy sigh and composed himself, "well none of them were focused…it can't be helped…would you like to get off my back…or would you rather be my first taste-tester Eiji?" His eyebrow raised and that same evil grin covered his strong features.

At this Eiji's eyes widened and he hurriedly removed himself from Inui's back. There was no way in hell he was letting that killer goo come anywhere near his mouth, "Mou…Oishi…Inui's being scary again…"

Oishi Shuichiro, who was now standing just behind them smiled fondly at his vibrant lover, ruffling his hair softly, "Ma ma, (now, now)…he was only trying to get you off him Eiji, there's no reason to be scared…how are things going Inui?" he asked.

"Things are ok here, it's just with all the excitement over the pro guest…my players seemed to have forgotten what's important, do you know anything about it Oishi?" Inui asked without taking his eyes away from where his regulars were now gathering on court A.

"Iie…but there has to be a reason Ryuzaki-sensei called us here," Momoshiro Takeshi answered aloud as he, Kaidoh Kaoru, and Kawamura Takashi approached.

"Saa…we can only wonder…" Fuji Shusuke added as he too joined the now almost complete group of the 'legendary' Seigaku tennis regulars.

"It seems like all of you are finally here," a strong feminine voice called out from behind them. All 7 men turned to face their old Coach.

"Aa, we're all here…well almost all of us anyway…what's with the sudden get-together Ryuzaki-sensei?" Momo asked.

"That's the reason," Ryuzaki Sumire answered, raising her hand to point in the direction of the hill facing the side of the courts. 7 pairs of eyes followed her gesture, and then 7 jaws fell slack.

Standing on the hill, quietly observing the bustling practice of his former school's tennis team…was Echizen Ryoma…joined by American Kevin Smith and ex-captain Tezuka Kunimitsu.

TBC

A/N: Hello All! So I decided to write a new story! I know I need to finish my other ones, but hey when creativity strikes…what is an author to do? The length of this fanfic will depend on the reader's responses. It is definitely set to at least be several chapters, however if I get lots of favs/follows and of course reviews, I will most assuredly keep it going for much longer than that.

So with that said. I hope you enjoy this! And please if you like it…want it to keep going…let me know through reviews and follows! I love hearing my reader's thoughts and ideas…if there is a pairing you would like to see, feel free to let me know and I will surely see what I can do! Plot ideas? – throw them out there and I'll try to work them in!

FYI – this story is yaoi….meaning BOYxBOY…so if you don't like it, then don't continue ;)

Thanks ahead of time for all your support…see you soon!