Something that came to mind on the bus? :3 I don't like it, it makes me sad. But I'll write it out anyway, 'cause I'm sure you guys will like it.

I don't own Prince of Tennis

The first time Yagyuu laid eyes on Niou, he already knew exactly what he was going to do. In Yagyuu's opinion, Niou was nothing but a toy. Something for Yagyuu to manipulate and play with and then break. Yagyuu had done this several times over with different people, and always seemed to be more satisfied then the last time. This one was different, though. Because Niou was stubborn as hell. The boy didn't trust a single person. Not his family, not his captain, no one. And holy hell, the boy had some issues. Family, mostly. Emi, Niou's mother, had attempted to con his father out of all his money. His father found out, got Emi pregnant, and took off. But little miss Niou Emi wasn't the type of girl to get an abortion. But she hated her son. She hated him so, so much. He ruined her life. Even though she had two other kids, only Niou seemed to be the one to ruin her life. So she made his life a living hell. Which was fine with him. Because he returned it by making her life miserable.

Finally, though, after three years, Yagyuu had broken down every single one of Niou's defenses. He had gotten in. He made it so Niou depended on him. Niou could hardly finish a sentence without him now. Niou couldn't wake up in the morning without Yagyuu. Oh, God, how perfect it was. Yagyuu captured Niou's heart and made him fall in love with him. And, with just a simple twist and a squeeze, he could easily shatter that heart. And that was exactly what he planned to do. Soon. He had to wait for the perfect time. While the rest of the team was around. Because Yagyuu knew Niou would end up snapping. He'd end up collapsing into a pitiful little pile of sobs. Right in front of the whole team. Oh how perfect that'd be!

It was one day after practice. Fall was starting to get into winter and it made Niou jittery. He absolutely loved winter. It was his favorite season.

Practice was winding down and at this point, everyone was in a loose sort of group, talking amongst themselves. Niou was leaning against the fence, pouring water over his face and letting it soak his hair and body. Yagyuu thought he looked pretty. Yagyuu also thought that Niou was a charming bastard that could make the straightest of men think he was irresistibly sexy.

"Masaharu." Yagyuu leaned against the fence beside his partner so he was facing him.

Niou lowered the bottle slowly and blinked at Yagyuu. He was only ever called Masaharu when they were alone. "Yeah?"

"Have you ever questioned that I love you?" Yagyuu asked curiously.

Niou frowned a little. "What're you talkin' about?"

"Have you ever thought about it?" Yagyuu continued. "About me loving you? Even after you said it was impossible and that you couldn't be loved?"

Niou stared at him silently. Of course he did. Yagyuu knew this.

"Niou... What would you do if I told you I didn't love you?"

Niou stayed silent. But on the inside, he was scared. Yagyuu knew this, too.

"Niou Masaharu, I don't love you. Hell, I never did."

At this point, the rest of the team was listening. Different emotions crossed their faces. Shock, anger, confusion.

"I hate you, Niou." Yagyuu continued, looking up at the sky. "I've always hated you. Since we met."

Niou swallowed slightly and refrained frown shaking.

"It took me a long time, Niou. Because, Jesus Christ, you're a fuckin' stubborn bastard. It took me forever to get through to you. To get you to trust me. But I finally did it. And when I did, you couldn't stop trusting me. I manipulated you, Niou. I made it so you depended on me for everything." He chuckled quietly. "You're just a toy to me, Masaharu." His voice was suddenly sharp. "That's all you've ever been to me. I played with you. I made you do what I wanted you to. And now I'm going to break you."

Niou still didn't say anything, but Yagyuu could tell he was starting to loose it. They way his eyes sparkled with unshed tears, the way his fingers drummed against his thigh lightly. The slight trembling in his shoulders that almost wasn't even there. Oh, God, it was so amusing.

"And the fact that you come from a broken family makes it all better." Yagyuu sneered a little

Niou simply stiffened.

"You hate your Mom, your mom hates you. Your siblings don't much care for you either, do they? You've never been loved. Not even by me. Yet, you trusted me. You played so easily into my hands and I just used you." Yagyuu shook his head and laughed. "You were always such an easy fuck. The way you'd beg me to touch you. Then you'd moan like the little whore you are. pleading me to go faster, harder, deeper."

Niou's breathing picked up.

"But now, Niou, I'm through with you. You've gotten to bore me. I'll just move onto someone else." He spared Niou once fleeting glance before saying, "I never loved you, Niou. No one ever will." He walked off the courts and behind the locker rooms where he stopped and watched secretly. This was his favorite part. Watching them snap. It'd be so much more fun with Niou.

Niou stood there, staring at the ground. He didn't blink, he didn't move, he didn't say anything. Eventually, Akaya broke the silence.

"Niou-Senpai..."

Niou snapped. He broke. He fell apart and his knees hit the tennis court under him. The tears flowed so easily from his eyes. He shook and let out pitiful little sobs and gasps. Because, Jesus Christ, his chest ached. Yagyuu had quite literally shattered his heart. And he just sobbed.

Yukimura bent down next to him and tried his best to comfort him. Niou was broken. Like a toy. And even though you could try and fix it and put it back together, it wouldn't always be able to function correctly again. It'd still be a little damaged. And Niou would always be a little damaged. He was a little damaged to begin with. Yagyuu just crushed him all over again.

Yagyuu frowned. This wasn't amusing him as much as it should've. As a matter of fact, he felt a little bad. Guilty, even. And he couldn't figure out why. No. No, he knew why. It was because of the bond they had. Being doubles partners for four years could do that. They had a bit of a bond going on there. And the switching. They had spent a whole year getting to know each other enough to the point where they could switch. Now, Yagyuu didn't have to think, What would Niou say to that? What would he do?. He just reacted as Niou would. Like a second personality. Yagyuu had spent four years learning how to practically read Niou's mind. He felt like Niou, saw what Niou saw. He was Niou.

Oh, God.

Yagyuu clutched his chest and winced. Felt like Niou did... Damn, they were like fucking twins. His eyes widened in understanding. No... It wasn't like they were twins. It was because...

"Oh Jesus Christ..." Yagyuu whispered. His heart hurt. That wasn't him feeling Niou's pain. That was his heart breaking. Because he was watching Niou hurt. He was watching Niou's heart shatter and watching him sob and it was his fault. Holy hell... He had actually fallen in love with Niou.

Niou started to hyperventilate. His body jerked and he struggled to take a breath. He couldn't breath! He was jerking and shaking and shuddering. And he just couldn't seem to take a breath.

"Niou!" Yukimura's voice was now panicked. But at least he knew what to do. He laid Niou's body out so it was level and even. Sanada handed him a water bottle, which Yukimura squirted onto Niou's face.

"Deep breaths, Niou." Yukimura urged quietly. "Come on, baby. Deep breaths. Shh... Calm down. Take a deep breath."

With a loud gasp, Niou inhaled and sat up. His head was aching from struggling to breathe. Tears still made tracks down his cheeks.

When he noticed Niou had started struggling, Yagyuu had ran from around the locker rooms and towards the team.

"Yagyuu." Yukimura said harshly, standing up and moving in front of Niou. "Leave. Now. Please."

Yagyuu shook his head quickly and wiped the back of his hand across his eyes. Damn. He was crying. "Wait. Please, let me explain."

Yukimura stared at him. "I think you've-"

"Please, Buchou!" There was a desperate note to his voice. "I need to."

Yukimura gave him a fleeting look before stepping aside.

Yagyuu knelt down in front of Niou, but Niou just scrambled backwards. "No..." He whispered.

"Masa, please-"

Niou cut Yagyuu off. He stood up quickly. "No! Don't call me that! You don't have the right to call me that!"

Yagyuu stood up also, his voice pleading. "Niou, please, give me the chance to explain."

Niou didn't say anything. He just tore his hands through his hair. Eventually, he whispered, "You have a fucking minute. If you're not done 'explaining' by then, I'm through with you." His voice was thick with tears.

"I never meant to hurt you." Yagyuu paused. "Okay, I did. I did mean to hurt you. I wanted to watch you break down and snap. I wanted to watch your heart shatter."

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Yukimura snapped.

"But I didn't expect it to work this way." Yagyuu continued, ignoring his Buchou's question. "It's what I do, Niou. I take people, I play with them, make them fall in love with me, and then I rip their heart and stomp on it. It amuses me. I love watching them shatter. Because by the time I'm done with them, they aren't even able to complete a sentence without me."

Yukimura moved to backhand him, but Sanada held him back. Yukimura shouted angrily. "No! No, Genichirou, let me the fuck go! Let me kill him! Let me rip him the fuck apart! He won't be anything when I'm done with him!"

Yagyuu continued. "I did the same thing to you. It took longer. Because you didn't trust people." He laughed humorlessly. "I guess you shouldn't of trusted me. But... I never thought that I would've fallen in love with you."

Niou didn't say anything, he just stared at him.

Yagyuu took a deep breath. "Niou Masaharu... I simply befriended you so I could tear you apart. I regret that now. Because, Jesus Christ, I'm in love with you. And right now, it's hurting me to know that I hurt you so badly."

Niou wiped his eyes and glared at him. "You said you loved me last time too, you damn bastard. Look where I ended up."

"Masa-"

"Don't! Don't call me that."

"...Niou... I know you might never be able to trust me again."

Niou snorted on the word might.

"But I want you to know one thing..."

Niou raised his eyebrows.

"I love you. I guess I always have. And every whisper... Every sweet thing I've said to you... I've meant." Yagyuu swallowed and took a deep shuddering breath. "Just think about it." He turned and walked away, finally starting to break down. Finally starting to fully cry.

"You fucking bastard!" Yukimura shouted from Sanada's hold. "I'm going to tear you the fuck apart! You just wait!" Sanada promptly slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Niou-Senpai..." Akaya said hesitantly. "Are-"

"Don't." Niou whispered. He shot Akaya a watery smile. "I'm sorry. Please excuse me." He turned and walked off, in the opposite direction Yagyuu had.

-

Niou didn't come to school the next day. Yagyuu did. The whole team sort of gave him the cold shoulder. Yukimura tried to make him run laps the whole time, but Sanada wouldn't really let him. Something about what happened yesterday being a personal matter, not a team one.

Niou didn't come to school the next day, either. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. He didn't come to school for three weeks.

No one had heard from him. Not Yukimura. Not Yagyuu. Not even his family. Though no one had expected for him to contact his family.

It seemed as if Niou Masaharu disappeared off the face of the Earth.

Shoot me for cliff hanger? :3 XD There will be another chapter. ...If I get some reviews. Constructive Criticism welcomed! :D