Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis characters belong to Takeshi Konomi. (durr)
Warning: Pubescent Teen alert and my bad sense of humor, lol.

Growing up is such an awkward time and (in my mind) the Prince of Tennis is really no exception. Tons of fanfics illustrate Ryoma miraculously morphing into the embodiment of beautifulness. But he had to get there with bumps in the road, right? Well, this is my take. Hope you enjoy the read!

Prologue: The Before and After

If anyone had asked him back then if he wanted to grow up, he would have-as enthusiastically as possible without being checked for clinical insanity-nodded his head and affirmed his desire with an "Hn."

Now, Ryoma Echizen just really wanted to get back to the time he was 12. He just really, really wanted to.

But back then, he was naive, and wanted to leave sweet childhood behind.

He had been sick of being pounced on and getting his hair ruffled.

He had been sick of being teased.

He had been sick of being lumped with the other freshman, even when he was clearly superior in tennis, if not in having an expansive vocabulary (as seen in his overuse of hn's and che's. And betsuni. He couldn't live without that one).

He had been sick of being called "kawaii" by those ludicrous fangirls. (He was not "kawaii, teehee!" He was hot, he was a stud, he was an ike-men, he was a bishounen, but he was not friggin' kawaii.)

He had been sick of his Oyaji (that perverted old fart of a man), especially when he called him "Seshounen." (He gave Ryoma his name…why couldn't he use it?)

He had been sick of Ryoga using that disgustingly cute endearment, "Chibisuke." (He was waiting for his growth spurt, dammit!)

He had been sick of Eiji-senpai nonsensical chants of "Ochibi." (Why did he have so many nicknames? And why'd they all have to do with his small stature? It's like adding salt to the wound!)

He had been sick of (and creeped out) when Fuji would smile at him, like he knew something (though that would probably never stop, even if he got older).

He had been sick of Momo-chan-senpai's periodic long glances into blank space and those reminiscent sighs and of "Ah, youth." (Wasn't Momo-chan-senpai only like a year older than him anyways?)

And then there was that time when people doubted he got into the 16-year-old division of Gakino Gizaka Junior Tennis Tournament when he first arrived in America just because he was a kid. People thought it was a registration mistake because he was a kid. People always underestimated him and played lightly against him because he was a kid. They never saw him as a threat because he was a kid. Though, he did enjoyed whipping their butts afterwards and making them suffer the disgrace of losing ten fold since he was a kid.

So back then, getting older could not be seen in a bad light; you would become more independent, you would get taller, and everyone around you would mature. People would actually listen to what you had to say (if you ever decided to formulate a full sentence and break out of monosyllabic hn's and che's).

You would be treated equally as an adult, on par with those other sophisticated persons around you, and everything would be operated in a serious manner. No more goofing off. Life would be strictly business. And you would get respect.

Respect was acknowledgement, proper acceptance, and courtesy. It was suppose to be a given.

But respect was something Ryoma could never attain. He was hated by some, yes, but…respect? It really seemed like it was something of the tennis courts, and nothing more than that. Off the green clay, he was just another guy who was a bit vertically challenged and under-aged, making him susceptible to much poking and prodding. Only the tennis record that preceded him allowed him to feel that self-satisfying, ego-boosting, head-lifting respect.

But he didn't want that. He wanted instantaneous respect. It should only take a single glance, a time frame of about 3.4 seconds. If people treated him as they should right off the bat, life would run much smoother. And as adult, he should get that, he would get that.

Look at Tezuka –he embodied the epitome of the ideal adult (not technically, but let's overlook the fact that he's a middle schooler right now). He was strong and filled with so much intellect and knowledge. He had the wisdom, the experience, and the air of an aged 70-year old, despite the fact that he was a fifth of that age.

And because he conducted himself so patiently and composed, everyone overlooked the fact that he was a stick in the mud, that he had not an ounce of social life, that he spent a little too much time with boys, and that he seriously was a robotic product of God who only could function in matters related to tennis and school.

Kunimitsu Tezuka. He got respect. Fo' sho', bro. Peace out yo. Hey, ho, woah. Imma rapper but I ain't a good snapper. Break it down, dawg. Respect.

Anyways, yeah. Kunimitsu Tezuka. Captain of the famed Seishun Gakuen Tennis Team. Kunimistu Tezuka. Former pillar of support. Kunimitsu Tezuka. One of those bespectacled guys. Kunimitsu Tezuka. He has a zone. Tez to the kun. Master of Mitsu jujitsu. Coochy-coochy Kunimitsu. Te-ba-zuka. That was Ryoma's idyllic figure.

And he knew one day (hopefully when he turned 14), he would be able to reach such a high esteemed stature –no, not even—he would be able to surmount that. And he couldn't wait for that day to come.

But then again, back then, he had forgotten there were other parts to growing up.

And now, he really, really wished to return back to that youth that Momo-chan-senpai always spoke of.

TBC.

A/N: Was feeling a bit crazy, so sorry if you couldn't follow my weirdness, LOL. And Sakuno will find her way into this, don't worry. Because RyoSaku prevails. Please review!

Edit: Just went in and fixed some wording. And I may or may not still do RyoSaku. As of now, going for a more friendshippy fic. :)

Started 09-19-2009. Finished 11-25-2009. Uploaded 11-26-2009. Edited 06-28-2012