AN: Thank you for the wonderful reviews. This one had really inspired me and reading fics about Tezuka being Ryoma's older brother made my imagination come up with this. I really like Hyoutei and especially Atobe Keigo and wondered what if Ryoma was Keigo's brother instead? They're both arrogant and good in tennis, and didn't like losing either. I will try to update as quickly but I won't promise anything.
I won't be focusing on romance though - just the humor, family, and friendship.
OooOoOooO
Chapter Two
Keigo stared at the six year old boy who looked at Oshitari confusedly.
He refrained from sighing out loud at the familiar gesture. As bright as his brother was at a very young age, he tended to have a selective memory and promptly forgot things or people that annoyed or disinterested him. Much like himself, really, though Keigo always kept in mind the people who irritated him. Oshitari had fallen at the category of people who had annoyed his little brother before and the boy had then promptly disregarded ever meeting Hyoutei's tensai.
"Anou," Ryoma frowned as he squinted at Oshitari before facing Keigo. "Nii-san, why does he know me?" He questioned rather bluntly with a touch of seriousness.
If it wasn't for the absurdity of the question itself, Keigo might have found it hilarious. But he did find Oshitari's pensive expression to be amusing.
So instead, Keigo merely patted his brother's head indulgently. As much fun as it was to make his brother stew on the mystery of how his teammate knew him, Keigo knew that Oshitari wouldn't appreciate it. Not that he cared, but if he was going to rope in his fellow regulars into looking after this brat, then small mercies could be granted.
"You met him before, brat," Keigo informed the six year old who stared back at him blankly. "His name is Oshitari Yuushi and he was the one who replaced your ponta with chocolate milk during the New Year's Eve Ball," He barely stopped himself from smirking outright as he recalled the incident during the party that his parents had hosted with the other families during New Year.
Ryoma continued to stare at him blankly as he sipped his drink from a straw.
Then, his nose wrinkled in a mix of annoyance, disgust, and a little horror.
"Four eyes," Ryoma breathed out as he stared at Oshitari apprehensively – as if the tensai had threatened his cat – and shifted closer to Keigo, his grip on his can of grape ponta noticeably tightening.
Oshitari ceased whatever comment he was about to say and merely stared at the boy piercingly for the nickname.
Unsurprisingly on Keigo's part, his brother returned the look boldly and recklessly like any other children.
"At least, have the decency to greet a guest, brat," Keigo reminded a little sternly and lightly pinched Ryoma's cheek in warning, really, why couldn't his brother at least bother to remember his manners? It would make things much easier.
"Yada," Ryoma instantly responded with a scowl – which looked more of a pout – as he stubbornly shook his head.
"Oi, look here, you brat–" He tightened his pinching over his brother's cheek but Ryoma just pulled away with surprising strength as he ran around Keigo's crouched form.
"Yada!" The six year old boy yelled as he ran and hid behind Kabaji's legs.
"Bring him here, Kabaji!" Keigo ordered haughtily at the taller boy.
Ryoma cautiously poked his head out as one of his hands gripped on Kabaji's trousers.
"Don't listen to monkey king, Kabaji-san," Ryoma stated quietly as he tightened his hold and at the sudden meekness of his voice, most would have believed he was intimidated if it wasn't for the mischievous glint of his wide hazel eyes.
And for the first time – unlike in Ryoma, Keigo, and Kabaji's part – the taller boy shook his head and refused Keigo. Kabaji just patted Ryoma's head gently.
The situation wasn't helped with the six year old triumphantly smirking at an annoyed Keigo.
"D-Did he just do what I think he just did?" Shishido quietly questioned Oshitari with disbelief who was eyeing the scene in front of him with wry exasperation as if he should've known.
"He did," Oshitari calmly answered as if there was nothing peculiar about it.
Keigo frowned as something furry brushed against his ankle and looked down to see his brother's white Himalayan cat with brown spots for face and paws brushing itself against his leg. Gingerly picking up the cat, he stood up and turned to face his brother. The insufferable brat had the nerve to look at him smugly and Keigo quelled the urge of wanting to throttle his brother. It wouldn't be a well-received image after all if he were to strangle a six year old over something as petty as this.
"Okay, brat," He started haughtily as he straightened. "New rules – mother said that Ore-sama would be looking after you. And his teammates would be helping him so be a good boy and be polite. The one with Oshitari is called Shishido Ryou but call him whatever you prefer. And get used to the faces that you will get to see this upcoming week–"
"Hey! What the hell?" Shishido interjected indignantly as he glared at Keigo. "I never agreed to this! And why would I even agree in the first place?"
"Because Ore-sama said so," Keigo sniffed huffily as he returned the glare darkly. "I'm your captain so you'll have to do as I say." He declared decisively and with a brilliant touch of arrogance that made Oshitari cringe.
"Why you–"
"Yare, yare, quite the temper there, Shishido-san." A drawling voice commented, still thick with sleep, as Akutagawa Jirou came slouching into the room. It was quite obvious that he had just been back from his impromptu nap just as Mukahi Gakuto, Ootori Choutarou, and Hiyoshi Wakashi came trotting behind him.
"Mou, who's the brat, Atobe?" Gakuto questioned as he raised an eyebrow at the curious Ryoma who was now openly staring beside Kabaji.
"What seems to be the problem here, senpai?" Ootori asked as he looked at the strained faces of Shishido and Oshitari.
Instead of answering, Keigo turned to face his little brother with beckoning eyes.
"Brat, come here," He ordered tightly as he waved the boy over. "And meet Ore-sama's teammates,"
Ryoma looked to be on the verge of refusing but there must have been something in Keigo's eyes to make the little boy change his mind. So, Ryoma reluctantly trudged to his brother's side and eyed the other Hyoutei regulars warily. Then his eyes shifted from the seething Shishido to the interested Gakuto.
"Are girls allowed on the boys' team?" Ryoma queried with befuddlement as his round hazel eyes lingered on the redhead's form.
Fortunately for the six year old, Hiyoshi and Ootori were quick to hold a raging Gakuto back from simply strangling the boy right then and there. Jirou burst out laughing while Oshitari's lips were twitching treacherously. Shishido's frown faded but he still looked annoyed and Atobe smirked rather amusedly.
"You infuriating little brat! Who the hell are you? When I get my hands on you–"
"Mukahi-senpai, calm down–" Ootori hissed out urgently as he held back the seething and thrashing redhead with difficulty.
"He's my brother," Keigo finally revealed with a great semblance of amusement.
Gakuto stopped his struggling in shock.
"Atobe-san's otouto?" Ootori questioned with interest as he eyed the little boy beside his captain.
"You have a brother?" Hiyoshi repeated Shishido's question earlier, but instead of disbelief, there was fascination in his voice.
Jirou blinked sleepily but his eyes steadily widened as the words sunk in.
Shishido looked satisfied as if his earlier reaction was justified while Oshitari sighed and shook his head in exasperation.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Keigo's eyebrow twitched at the skeptism of his teammates. Petting the Himalayan cat in his arms, Keigo tilted his head towards Ryoma. "Meet Ore-sama's little brother, Atobe Ryoma,"
"Yo," The six year old boy merely deadpanned as he nonchalantly sipped his ponta from a straw.
Gakuto stared at Ryoma, then at Keigo, then at Ryoma again for a few moments before bursting out into raucous laughter.
O.o.O
There was a time when Atobe Keigo had been extremely shocked for the first time in his life that had nothing to do with tennis. Well, mostly.
He was thirteen and his little brother had been four years old. No matter how much their mother had tried, Ryoma had been inseparable with his Ponta the moment it had been introduced to him at three years old by a clueless Nanjirou. And their father was too indulgent to even think of refusing his youngest when it came to purchasing several boxes of the drinks. Keigo even remembered that the man had bought a new refrigerator just for the brat's new obsession.
And the worst thing had been when his brother refused to share even a single can. Ryoma would throw a fit if he discovered that his older brother even picked up a single can from his stash. And the boy had the uncanny ability of knowing when Keigo did.
It had been when he had arrived home with a victorious aura around him – after all, he had managed to declare himself as the King of Hyoutei's tennis club – when the shocking event had happened. Keigo had smugly pranced around the mansion and even ordered the cooks to create a feast to celebrate his win. Of course, he had annoyed his brother while he was at it by irritating his pet cat, Karupin, just to relish the triumphant feeling. And annoying his brother always did make him feel pleasant.
Their parents, as usual, had been out of the country again for a business trip which left Keigo with his little brother at dinner to gloat his victory.
"You should've seen Ore-sama defeat those plebeians who call themselves tennis players–" He prattled on and on as the glorious feeling had yet to go away, not caring in the least that the little brat refused to even bat an eye in his direction as always.
But he had been speechless as Ryoma handed him a can of ponta at the end of dinner.
"Wha–? You're giving Ore-sama–" He stuttered out in shock.
When he had said that his brother never shared his ponta, Keigo absolutely meant it. And to think that the four year old was handing him a can – albeit reluctantly – as a congratulatory gift really surprised him. Was this the how older brothers usually felt when their brothers started to finally look up to them? His friends from England had said so, if you ignored the little bit about how they were the most annoying creatures to older brothers.
"Urusai!" Ryoma cut in petulantly. "And… congrats," He mumbled quietly.
He would never admit it but Keigo had been rather touched at the gesture as he gently received his 'gift'.
Of course, after the initial shock, Keigo should have known that his brother was always up to no good. Especially after he had annoyed said brat's cat. Sometimes, he rather thought that Ryoma liked Karupin more than he liked his older brother. And it aggravated Keigo very much more than he cared to admit.
Keigo should have really watched his little brother's expression as he slowly opened the can. Ryoma's smirk had been too gleeful and his round hazel eyes were too anticipating.
So he had squawked in surprise when grape soda unsuspectingly came spraying out of the can uncontrollably, soaking his face and even his favorite lavender silk shirt in the process. The diabolical little brat must have shaken the can so hard that it had built pressure!
With the area below his eye twitching, Keigo turned to face the smug demon with murder in his dark eyes.
"Congrats," The boy repeated with innocence. "I hope you like the surprise, nii-san. Mada mada," Ryoma taunted arrogantly, words almost similar to the ones their uncle used when taunting the brothers.
"You conniving, little demon–"
"Here's my gift," Ryoma cut in instead as he climbed down his seat, crawling under the table and pulling out a familiarly shaped present wrapped in purple wrappings. "Dad helped me to get this custom made for you," He handed the gift to a speechless and soaked Atobe Keigo.
And as Keigo removed the wrappings and saw the purple-tinted rimmed tennis racket made in extremely light and durable materials – he was extremely shocked.
He and his brother always argued, still close as siblings could be, but never too open about their sentiments on the matter (Ryoma learned to cope).
It didn't matter if his favorite shirt was soaked and that his brother had just pranked him. Keigo just couldn't let his eyes stray away from the name engraved by the handle – Atobe Keigo – and gripped the racket with awed reverence. That his brother bothered to get their father to have this created at all was already astounding by itself.
But he was Atobe Keigo, and brothers or not, he would still not admit it.
"Better than the other ones," He merely commented and ignored the sullen look his brother gave him. But judging from the curious and bright hazel eyes, no offense was taken.
O.o.O
"They're really nii-san's teammates? No wonder he's a monkey king," Ryoma commented as he stood beside Kabaji with wide hazel eyes, watching the ruckus that the other Hyoutei regulars were currently causing with his brother in the lead.
"Usu," Kabaji merely responded as he patted the six year old's head once again.
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