Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis, New Prince of Tennis, or any characters mentioned.
AN: This one is another Rikkai family fic! :D Please read and review!
Rikkai- Reassurance
"Buchou?" Yukimura turned and met Marui's eyes with a smile.
"What is it Marui?" The red head scratched the back of his neck, glancing behind him before facing his captain again.
"I normally wouldn't think much of it but…Akaya wandered off almost fifteen minutes ago and hasn't come back. I think he went behind the clubhouse and I don't know what could be keeping him." Yukimura cocked his head, arms crossed, as his smile softened. He knew all too well how the members teased their baby but when it came down to it, they all worried over him like mother hens.
"Did anybody say anything to him that may have set him off?" Marui's red hair swished gently against his collar as he shook his head.
"That's the thing. All of us were busy when he wandered off. Yagyuu and Niou were playing against Sanada fuku-buchou and Yanagi, you were here, and Jackal and I had just finished a match against each other. I just…I don't think he'd get himself hurt here but it's been awhile…" Yukimura placed a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder.
"I'll go find out what's wrong. Thank you for telling me Marui." Marui nodded, appearing less tense as he gave his captain a shy smile before trotting off to rejoin Jackal, now talking with Sanada and Yanagi. Yukimura smiled, adjusting his jersey on his shoulders, before making his way behind the Rikkai club house. Around the corner, he heard a soft sniffling and frowned, coming around said corner and finding Akaya. The baby of Rikkai sat on the cold cement, back against the fence, with his face buried in his knees. The small body shook silently as Yukimura approached and Akaya jerked his head up as his captain's hand came to rest on his shoulder. The little demon of Rikkai stood abruptly, scrubbing at his red eyes.
"B-Buchou! Wha-what are you doing back here?" Yukimura raised a brow, standing slowly to face his junior.
"I could be asking you that Akaya. Not only are you worrying your friends but you're skipping practice as well. That's not like you." Akaya lifted his head, sniffing.
"Friends?" Yukimura nodded.
"Bunta. He said you wandered off almost fifteen minutes ago. He was getting worried." Akaya lowered his head again, shame painting his cheeks red. Yukimura watched as the boy's left hand reached out, pulling back slightly and clenching into a fist. With his sapphire eyes trained on the boy, Yukimura gently pried the hand open and laid his own in its palm.
"Akaya?" The bluenette's soft voice had tears slipping over the boy's cheeks. Yukimura wiped them away gently, gripping Akaya's hand tightly.
"What's wrong Akaya?" The boy shook as he spoke his fears.
"You…you're all graduating this year and I'll…I'll be left alone and in charge of making a team to be as good as us and I…I can't! You and them...You, Marui-senpai, Niou-senpai, Yanagi-senpai, Jackal-senpai, Yagyuu-senpai…even Sanada fuku-buchou...all of you…are my family and I can't think of anything but losing you all! How the hell can I be a good captain when I'm so afraid?!" Yukimura blinked, never even thinking that his strong, pig-headed junior could feel such self-consciousness. He then realized how much Akaya still relied on them as his seniors. Sighing, he bent down to come eye to eye with bright green. Teary pools stared back at him desperately.
"Akaya. No matter what we have done, be it as a team or individually, that you feel you have to live up to, you need to forget it." The junior stared at him wide-eyed. "We did everything to help prepare you. You are your own person. I do hope that you'll take some things from your time with us. Like Yanagi's cool calculation, Yagyuu's composure, Sanada's undying loyalty, my strength of will…but you need to be yourself as well. You need not compare your future team to ours. You need to bring up your own team. Raise them yourself and become strong in your own ways. No matter what you do or how you do it, we will all be proud of you and waiting for you in high school. So stop worrying okay? You'll be a great captain." Akaya dissolved into tears again, throwing himself against his captain and sobbing into the yellow jersey. Yukimura smiled, stroking the boy's seaweed-like hair, and he caught Marui peeking around the corner. Yukimura smiled and gave him the signal that all was well. With a nod, the red head retreated back to the courts. Five minutes later, he sat beside his doubles partner and watched their junior battle it out with their captain, determination shining in his eyes.
