A/N: Repost as I accidentally updated the un-edited version!

Their relationship grew steadily. Because of this it was hard to see where one facet of their relationship ended and the other began.

One day Ryoma entered the Seigaku Tennis Club. He was cocky, he was unbeatable, and he was ready to see what Japan had to offer.

Tezuka came on the same tennis courts and saw a brat whose skills grew too fast, but also someone who had startling potential that was hidden by a large shadow.

Tezuka looked onto the courts and saw a storm. It was rising and engulfing the whole club. His dream of Nationals seemed within reach and all he had to do was put down Echizen's name on the inter-high roster.

Ryoma beat the current regulars. Momoshiro with his dunk smash, Kaidoh with his snake, and even Inui and his data tennis. He was a rising star and readily took the spot Tezuka had carved out for him.

After participating in his first match Ryoma kept looking higher and higher. He was no longer able to see his opponents but was rather fighting someone else in their place.

He looked to Tezuka and just saw another stepping stone.

Tezuka could see the shadow lingering in Echizen's play-style. He could see the rookie's eyes clouded with higher aspirations. However, there was no more room for growth if he continued on that way.

Tezuka challenged Echizen to a match.

Tezuka beat him.

Echizen, in shock of his loss, looked confused and lost.

In order to give his teammate a goal Tezuka asked Echizen to become Seigaku's pillar of support.

Echizen dusted off his knees, shook his captain's hand, and had a fire lit in his eyes.

Ryoma's play style grew and changed with each opponent. No longer was his tennis overshadowed by Samurai Nanjiroh. His tennis was growing constantly and soon it became something new and beautiful. Ryoma had developed his own style and he could proudly say that he won matches with his own power.

Tezuka, proud of the star rookie, decided to show him even greater heights. Not only was it worthwhile to fight for yourself, but it was even better to fight for your team.

The match with Atobe shined a light on just how far Tezuka was willing to go for Seigaku.

The result of losing his shoulder ignited something fierce in Echizen. Echizen would now play for Seigaku while Tezuka was away in Germany. His tennis would be for his team and no longer just a way to beat his father.

It was no secret that Ryoma looked up to Tezuka. However, it was a secret that they would both stare at each other; watching their ever-changing play styles. They would stare and visualize themselves as the opponent over the net.

Ryoma would seek a rematch constantly with Tezuka.

Tezuka was afraid that he would lose. He didn't want those eyes to stop following him.

It was Tezuka's words that finally pushed Echizen to go to America. The words spoken at the Haruno University courts had sat heavy in Ryoma's heart for a long time. The opportunity to participate in a tournament in the U.S. was too great to pass up.

Tezuka had to coax Ryoma into participating. Asking him to continue to be the pillar was chaining the prodigy down. He cut down the chains when he told Echizen to "FLY".

America was hard to get used to again. Noise levels were jarring and there were people everywhere he turned. He missed Japan and his cat and the team. Most of all he missed Tezuka.

The unfinished business of their match hung over his head and invaded his dreams. There was no way for him to move forward if all he kept doing was looking back.

He flew straight back to Japan and asked for a match.

Tezuka did not deny him this time.

After winning the match against Tezuka, Ryoma could feel his eyes welling with tears. As he looked up from his place on the ground he could see Tezuka's outstretched hand and a smile on his captains' face. If one looked closely they could also see tears on the normally stoic face.

Heart pounding, Ryoma reached and took the larger hand in his, allowing the other boys strength to lift him up. The tennis net was between them but that's all that was.

He could hear the rest of his team cheering in the background but he only had eyes for the teen in front of him.

"Let's play again soon," said Echizen, a grin on his face.

Tezuka's heart swelled at those words.

"Aa, I look forward to it."

Nationals came and went and so did their victory. After a grueling match against Rikkai's Yukimura, Echizen was able to open the last door and get a win for Seigaku. Genuine happiness filled the teen as he found his true love for tennis outweighed everything in the world.

He spared a look at Tezuka.

Almost everything.

Tezuka was smiling – an expression soon wiped out after Fuji and Inui's comments. Tezuka's feelings remained however. He was proud, he was happy, he was in love.

After nationals Tezuka graduated from Seigaku and attended high school. Echizen said good-bye to his team and Tezuka and made his worldwide debut by entering the U.S. Open. He took the tennis world by storm as he was herald a prodigy.

Tezuka would look at Echizen's matches fondly – religiously recording each one.

Emails between them were few and far in between. Echizen was wrapped up in his tennis career. Advertisements, sponsorship, and fans took up a lot of his time. Training to stay on the top was also the most important.

Tezuka's shoulder healed as he studied diligently in school, playing tennis on the high school team didn't seem all that rewarding now that his old Seigaku teammates were in all different schools.

His team lost in the Kantou tournament so the only training he got was the hours he put by himself.

His father and grandfather told him he was wasting his time and should focus on becoming a doctor.

Duty and want clashed as Tezuka reviewed Echizen's matches night after night.

Some years passed and Echizen had won four grand slams and was the number one seeded player at the Australian Open.

In order to concentrate on his own matches he would ignore the line-up and focus on his own game.

As he stepped onto the court on the fourth day of the tournament and heard the name of his opponent his heart stopped.

Sure enough there was Tezuka. Tall, chestnut hair, and glasses. He looked the same as he remembered him, except for the small smile adorning his face.

After the match Ryoma confessed that he had never expected to see him. Their emailing had stuttered to a stop but his thoughts hadn't.

Tezuka confessed that he had always planned on becoming pro. There was someone he had to meet again and regardless of his family's wishes he decided to follow his heart.

Once back in the locker rooms Tezuka took Echizen into his arms and hugged him fiercely. Ryoma clung to the taller man and was relieved that he could finally settle something that had been on his mind for a long time.

"You beat me, buchou," whispered Ryoma into Tezuka's shirt.

"Aa, but I won a greater prize than just this tournament," he whispered back as he tilted Ryoma's face and placed a kiss on his lips.

Their relationship grew and evolved over time from that of rivals, mentor/student, friends, to finally partners.

THE END

A/N:Couldn't help but type this up after watching ladafisa chan's video "TezuRyo (AMV)" on youtube.

[youtube]com/watch?v=i0_6agpyTrA

I had too much fun choosing the title for the fic