Disclaimer… I do not own Prince of Tennis or the characters. I wish I did, but I don't see that one coming true any time soon. LOL.
A/N: I finally got around to putting my new PoT story down on paper! I had actually planned to have this up sooner, but every time I started, I ran into a wall. So I had asked for pairing suggestions from my readers on Choices Made Together and I got a lot of feedback. Thank you for that. I have plans for the other pairings, but decided to start with an alpha pair and perfect pair fan fic since that is what came to mind first and what the majority wanted to see. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1 – How It All Began
It had been so easy: easy to pretend, easy to fall, easy to say "I am happy with you" even when it wasn't the truth. It had become the mantra of four students well into their first year of high school.
After graduating from middle school, all of the third years throughout Japan, tested and got accepted into various high schools. Some got into their first choice, but others had to go to their fall back school. Some stayed with their friends, while others left their middle school days far behind and moved on with the next chapter in their lives.
Tezuka had the opportunity to go to Germany, but after a couple months there he had decided to come back to Japan and go to Seishun Academy's high school division. There he had been reunited with most of his friends from middle school, and that included one Fuji Syusuke. Fuji was the friend that haunted his dreams and was one of the reasons he had come back. So many things had been said and left unfinished between them, he had to come back and sort it out before he could move on with anything else. However, nothing goes as planned all of the time and Murphy's Law comes to bite everyone at some point, and that is exactly what happened. Tezuka had returned for Fuji only to find out his friend was dating Sanada Genichiro of Rikkai Dai.
When Tezuka Kunimitsu had said goodbye and left for Germany, Fuji had been down and seriously thought about walking away from tennis. He felt he had lost his chance at… well he wasn't sure what, but he knew there was some sort of connection between him and the stoic captain of his middle school team. Tezuka left and Fuji felt alone and sad and he didn't know what to do about it. Then after camp had ended, he had gone to the tennis club to practice with the ball machines and found Sanada. The tall stoic fukubuchou of the Rikkai Dai middle school team reminded Fuji of the friend he so dearly missed. When they started to play tennis together, it was nothing but two rivals from different teams playing some friendly games, however, something changed and the next thing Fuji knew he kissed Sanada and was kissed back. Now they were in the middle of a relationship and he didn't know how they got there, and he sure wasn't planning on seeing Tezuka again so soon. He wondered what his old buchou would think of his relationship with the other man… probably nothing because Tezuka doesn't think like that and that was one of the reasons Fuji was with Sanada to begin with. He had tried to confess to his friend, but as Tezuka pointed out, he was going to Germany and there was no point in continuing the conversation… no point at all. So if that was the case, what was Tezuka Kunimitsu doing back in Japan?
Sanada wasn't sure what he was doing with Fuji. They started to play tennis and the other man had kissed him. Something clicked in his mind and he realized that he was kissing the Seigaku tensai back, and then they were going on dates and there were more kisses, and Sanada didn't know where or when it all would end. Fuji had been depressed after Tezuka left, and he wasn't sure why he stepped up to the challenge of helping the tensai, but he was there for the other man and now they were dating. How did this even happen? That's right, it was because Yukimura had told Sanada that he didn't to date anyone when the fukubuchou confessed, and two days later Sanada caught him out on a date with someone else. He and Fuji were both nursing broken hearts and they supported each other, which is how it all began.
Smiling always came easily for Yukimura Seiichi. He was able to fight his way through a debilitating disease and find the light at the end of the tunnel with a racket still in his hand. The day Sanada confessed to him, he had not been expecting it. The last person he ever thought would admit to having feelings for him was Sanada Genichiro, but he had been wrong and in an awkward halting way, the fukubuchou had laid his heart before the buchou. Yukimura's heart sped up and when he opened his mouth, he denied his friend and his own feelings, pushing both away. With a forced smile that looked genuine to most people, he said, "I'm sorry Genichiro, but I don't want to be with anyone right now. High school will be a new chapter and I would prefer not to be tied down, plus I don't want to ruin our friendship." He had though when to make sure to seal his coffin, he went out with someone else knowing that Sanada would find them. Why did he do that? Fear, he was afraid and nothing had been the same since.
Now a week has passed since Tezuka had come back and he wondered if he should have even bothered. He was beating himself up daily for saying what he had to Fuji and for not telling his friend that he wasn't alone in his feelings. Now Fuji was with Sanada, and Tezuka wouldn't come between a happy couple.
"Ne Tezuka, I am meeting Genichiro after practice on Saturday to play a couple of games, would you like to come with me?" Fuji walked up to his friend. He wasn't sure why he was asking; maybe he thought he could make the stoic man jealous, he just knew he wanted Tezuka to come.
Blinking, Tezuka gazed at Fuji. Did he really want to see the couple interact with each other? It was bad enough hearing about it, but did he want to punish himself further and actually see it? Opening his mouth to reply, he said, "Ah, I'll go." That was not what he intended to say, but seeing the smile on the tensai's face increase, he couldn't take back his answer… he didn't want to. That smile was sending jolts through his body and he knew he would do what he could to keep the true smile on Fuji's face.
Saturday after morning practice, Fuji and Tezuka made their way to the street courts where Sanada was already playing against Yukimura. Fuji had called and told his boyfriend that Tezuka would be joining them, and although he tried a couple other people, the only person Sanada had managed to find able to come with him was Yukimura. Now that he was with Fuji, Sanada was trying his best to get over Yukimura; and part of him was happy, but part of him thought it was pure torture to have his former crush coming with him to meet his boyfriend.
"Saa, they beat us to the fun, ne Tezuka?" Fuji remarked as they set their bags down on the bench to the side of the court Sanada and Yukimura were on.
Tezuka was watching the two skilled players on the court and nodded, "Hm."
"Let's warm up and then we can play a match," Fuji suggested and watched as his friend dug in his bag and pulled out his racket in response.
The four of them played tennis for a couple of hours before they stopped. It was weird for Tezuka and Yukimura to see the couple together side by side. Hearing about it was never quite as bad as actually witnessing it, and it made their chests tighten.
Before the four split ways, Tezuka was cornered by Yukimura, "Here is my number. Call me later."
"Why?" The stoic former captain asked.
"Because I have something I want to talk to you about and I think you will be very interested to hear what I have to say," the bluenette replied and turned around to see Sanada watching him, so taking the opportunity, kissed the bespectacled teen on the cheek before turning around and walking towards his friend, "Let's go Genichiro. Nice to see you again Fuji."
When Sanada and Yukimura had left, Fuji questioned the other man, "What was that about Tezuka?"
"I don't know."
"Are you sure about that?" Fuji knew he sounded jealous, but he couldn't help it.
Tezuka paused and gazed at his friend with a hard stare, "Does it matter what it is or isn't? You are with Sanada now." He left Fuji standing there blue eyes wide open, and he didn't turn around to wait for him or look back. He couldn't. That night, alone in his bedroom, Tezuka pulled out the small piece of paper Yukimura had given him and dialed the number. When he heard someone pick up the other line, he said, "It's Tezuka, you asked me to call you."
"Ah Tezuka! I did, didn't I?" Yukimura chuckled melodically, "I have a proposition for you. I want you to date me."
