Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis so does not belong to me.
Growing Pains
By: Hime
Ryoma is still twelve and he thinks that he knows exactly what he wants for the first time in his life because for the first time in his life, he has made the conscious decision on what he wants his future to hold. Yes, he will go pro but only because he wants to, not because his tennis career will be an extension of his father's.
In New York, everyone is so damn touchy-feely, and more people hang onto him, grab his arm, touch his shoulder and it feels strange that he notices this now only after he's been away from America for less then a year.
It's even worse in California.
His classmates, his new tennis club teammates are so eager to tell him and just about anyone else who will listen about how their prowess definitely extends off the courts and on the streets as well. And they think he doesn't understands their sly winks and inappropriate hand gestures or their obvious double entendre when all he wants to roll his eyes and say is 'I have a pervert for a father, of course I knew what a hummer is. And no it's not just a stupid-ass car.'
In the parks, on the street, at the courts, people are all around and he doesn't know how long it takes him to see couples. At first he just thought that that one guy over there was just showing his female student how to do a backhand with his tennis racket until he caught the grin on the guy's face and thought of his father. But after that, its almost like he sees them all over the place. Couples are everywhere--holding hands, walking with arms wrapped around each other's waists, not even touching but smiling at each other as if they were. It makes him feel…he wants to sneer at these strangers as he would sneer at his father, but what would be the point?
And when he realizes that some of the couples around him are both male, well then he just shrugs. It's not as if he's never seen two people of the same sex hanging all over each other. Even Kikumaru-sempai and Oishi-sempai had been pretty grabby with each other as well. And he's wondering why he's just noticing all these stupid people around him when he sees two male classmates of his kissing one another in a secluded corner of the library, backed up against the bookshelf that houses the English anthology he needs for an essay he has to write.
"Oh," he breathes out loud and stares unabashedly. "Oh."
The two boys knock over a row of books in their haste to separate.
He goes back to Japan during his winter vacation because that "what he wants for his birthday." The first thing he does after dropping off his luggage and greeting his cousin is to grab his tennis gear and head over to Buchou's house. He pauses a moment before ringing the doorbell, thinking 'Should I have called first?' but he's already here so what's the point in wondering. When Tezuka opens the door and sees him standing there, Ryoma wants to know what that little eyebrow twitch means. He doesn't wait for Tezuka to ask him 'What are you doing here' or 'What are you doing back in Japan' and instead opens his mouth to ask "Do you want to play tennis with me?"
Weirdly, what comes out instead is "I like you, Buchou."
When Ryoma comes to his senses, he's sitting in a lilac-colored room with a warm teacup in his hand and thinks, 'Ah, I'm in his room.' He looks forward and finds himself staring into Tezuka's face. Startled, he jerks back and tea spills over the rim of his cup onto his hand and the long sleeve of his shirt. He wonders when he took off his jacket. Must have happened after he went crazy and before he sat down and had some tea. When Tezuka suddenly moves forward, Ryoma starts again and more tea sloshes out before a large hand gently takes it from Ryoma's grip. Tezuka places the almost empty cup down on the tray beside him before looking at Ryoma again.
They are silent for a moment and Ryoma briefly wonders why his face isn't hot, burning with shame and anger at himself. Actually shouldn't Tezuka's face be red with embarrassment as well after being confessed to, especially by another guy? Hmm, perhaps while he had been away, maybe someone else had confessed to Buchou. He hoped it hadn't been that Monkey King guy. He would be the type to try and take something that wasn't his to begin with.
Tezuka opens his mouth before he shuts it and frowns just the tiniest bit. Then he takes a deep breath and tries again. "Echizen. What are you doing here."
"I came to play tennis," Ryoma pauses a beat before he continues, "with you."
"Really."
Ryoma can't tell by his voice or his face whether Tezuka is happy, confused, surprised, or angry with this, but it doesn't matter when Tezuka nods decisively and tells him, "Alright."
"One set," Tezuka informs him over the net as they play in the empty gym at Haruno University. "Your serve."
Ryoma silently grips the firm, yellow ball tightly before he tosses it into the air and swings his racket with his left hand to hit his favorite opening shot.
When Tezuka returns it with a smooth backhand, something like joy bubbles up within Ryoma and he realizes he did say the truth. He really did come to play tennis with Tezuka.
They meet in front of the net, hands outstretched to one another in a show of good sportsmanship. After a firm handshake, Tezuka lets go to realize that Ryoma hasn't. He's too polite to pull away but he does say, "Echizen," in that low, calm tone.
Ryoma looks up, smirks and refuses to let go.
"Buchou, do you like me?" He gives him the look that Karupin uses on him during meals (the one Ryoma thinks is irresistible), and when the older boy stays silent, decides that it means 'Yes.'
When he pulls Tezuka toward him for a kiss, Tezuka holds his racket in between the two of them.
Ryoma stares at Tezuka through the network of cords and frowns.
"Che."
"Happy Birthday, Ochibi-chan!"
More calls ring out celebrating Ryoma's birthday. He lets out a huff, half in irritation, and half in embarrassment. "I didn't want a party." He mumbles under his breath.
"But of course we would celebrate your birthday. You came back to Japan to celebrate with all of us, didn't you?"
Ryoma glances at Fuji-sempai from the corner of his eye but doesn't say anything. Instead he takes a large sip of grape-flavored ponta.
"How did you guys know I was here anyway?"
"We have our means." Momoshirou wiggles his eyebrows and slings an arm around the younger boy. That probably means that either Inui-sempai or Fuji-sempai have somehow bugged his home in case he ever did come back and they let everyone else know and Momo-sempai is still an idiot.
It's at this point that Kikumaru jumps onto Ryoma's back, knocking Momoshirou away as he winds his arms around the younger boy's neck. "Hoi! Stop looking so unpleasant. It's your birthday! We even got you a cake" he sings out loud.
"You're choking me, sempai." Ryoma pulls away from Kikumaru's suffocating hug and tries to not glare at everyone in the room. It's not their fault that…oh hell, it is their fault. Ryoma wonders how much longer he has to stay before he can gather up his gifts and go home. It's when he's wondering if it would seem obvious if he said he was going to the restroom with all his loot when the door to Kawamura Sushi slides open.
"Ah, Tezuka-san. I thought you said you wouldn't be able to make it tonight."
"I managed to finish my other obligations early."
Sitting up straight, Ryoma glances over his shoulder and sees Tezuka standing near the entrance with Inui-sempai, holding a small wrapped gift. Just as quickly, Ryoma faces forward, casually sipping his soda in peace when he feels a presence by his side.
"Happy Birthday, Echizen."
With just a hint of a smirk on his face, Ryoma turns on his stool and says, "Would you like some cake, Buchou?"
They are walking down the streets together, holding hands
("We can't kiss yet?"
"…No, not yet."
"How about holding hands?"
Ryoma takes his silence for a 'yes' and grabs onto the other boy's hand)
when an amused and familiar voice calls out to them.
"Ah, you two look very cute together. Like a good older brother walking his younger brother home." Fuji reaches out to pat Ryoma on the head, and the younger boy jerks his head out of the way and replies in a bored tone, "You're just jealous that Yuuta won't let you walk him home like this." As soon as the word leaves his mouth, he knows he went too far. By the pressure of Tezuka's hand on his, he knows Buchou feels the same. They both watch with almost concealed horror as Fuji's eyelids open halfway before he drops them again and gives them a small, controlled smile instead.
"Perhaps." He says, and a shiver runs down Ryoma's spine. "Enjoy your date."
Fuji walks away and Ryoma is only now aware that somehow in those few seconds when he thought he might die, he had let go of Tezuka's hand and had been grasping at the older boy's clothing instead. He looks up at Tezuka, his eyes open and still slightly fearful.
"That was…" Ryoma wants to finish with 'lucky,' but that would be the wrong word to use. Apparently he got out with his life, but that didn't mean he would leave Japan unharmed.
Tezuka doesn't say anything, only makes Ryoma let go of the death grip he has on his clothing and wraps his hand around Ryoma's once more as they begin walking down the street again.
They go to Ryoma's house, even if his father is there, because there's a temple in his backyard. Surely that means some sort of protection from the Gods.
"When do you fly home." Though it is phrased as if it were a question, it's not really a question, but rather a statement. Tezuka has little use for questions in conversations. A majority of the time, Tezuka has little use for conversations at all.
"On the third." Ryoma doesn't look at the older boy when he asks, "Will you write to me?"
"…No."
"Good, since I don't plan on writing to you either."
In California there is no snow on the ground and the air doesn't burn your lungs to breathe it in, though the smog will irritate one's throat and eyes. Ryoma doesn't have to go out of his way to find an indoor court just to play a game or two of tennis. He just doesn't have anyone he wants to play with.
'Hm,' Ryoma thinks, 'I never said I wouldn't call him though.'
"So Buchou, what're you wearing?"
A long pause before, "Who gave you my cell number."
Ryoma smirks because he can hear the frown in Tezuka's voice. "Buchou, that's not very romantic."
Another long pause, before Tezuka mutters "…Inui," under his breath.
He comes back to Japan again the next year and like the year before, goes to Tezuka's house before he even has a chance to settle in.
When Tezuka comes to the door, Ryoma immediately tells him, "I like you, Buchou."
This year when he says it, it's not a mistake.
"I'll be fourteen in a few days-"
"Ten."
"-so obviously I'm older now-"
"Not yet."
"Che."
"Hey Buchou, I want to play tennis with you again."
"Hey, are you listening?"
"Do you know what time it is in Japan right now."
Even if it is impossible, one could actually hear Ryoma's shrug over the line.
"…It was Fuji wasn't it."
"You want to what!" His father screams at him for the third time that conversation and just like before, Ryoma ignores him in favor of his mother who is sitting across the able from him.
"If this is what you truly want." She smiles at him and he knows that she actually happy with his decision.
"Rinko! You're going to let him-!" Nanjiroh levels his finger at his wife, aghast at her traitorous act.
"Yes, this is what I want." Ryoma's only speaking directly to his mother and his father sputters in anger besides them both.
"Okay then, we'll make the necessary arrangements."
Ryoma smiles then and in an impulsive moment, sweeps past his father to engulf his mother in a hug, something he has not done since he won his first junior championship all those years ago.
"Thank you." He mutters against her neck, and he feels her tremble just a little before she hugs him back tightly. When he pulls back, she lets him go, slowly, as if savoring this close contact. Ryoma realizes that perhaps he should hug his mother a bit more.
Her hands are now on his waist and then she sorts of pushes him away from her, away from the table. "Go," she says, "Your father and I have things to discuss."
He doesn't need to be told twice and leaves the room quickly as his father starts to gasp and sputter his indignation. As he takes the stairs two by two, a loud crack sounds through the air, an open palm hitting the surface of the dining room table. His father is quiet now. Ryoma smirks. He knows who will win the argument, not that he had any doubts before. He closes his door, taking care not to shut it on Karupin's tail. He wonders if he'll miss this place, miss California, but then remembers that there was only one place he has ever really missed.
Ryoma smiles and presses the number one on his speed dial.
Ryoma is now fifteen and he thinks he now knows what he wants because he now knows that just because you wanted something when you were twelve, doesn't mean you can't change your mind and want something different when you're older. Yes, he will quit playing pro tennis for now, and go back later, when he decides he's ready for it again. He hasn't been back to Japan since his last birthday, though he has been calling and has sent the occasional email. But that's okay. April is arriving quickly enough.
.
.:fin:.
.
…mada mada dane…
Author's Notes: Just in case you didn't know, the Japanese school year starts in April. Also, I wrote this fic with the idea in mind that California, or at least the school that Ryoma goes to has year-round schooling like the schools in Hawaii have. That said, the schools here have 3 weeks of vaction in winter, so it's feasible that Ryoma can fly to Japan and back for his holiday.