A/N: So yeah. I feel like it's been a really long time since I've posted, even though I know that I update a lot quicker than other authors. Lol. I've been super busy this past week. I got job, I'm in the process of moving into an apartment, and school is about to start back up. So I'm sorry if it takes me longer to updated than it used to. I will, I promise! You just might have to bear with me a little longer than normal.
Also, this chapter was extremely hard to write for some bizarre reason. I had all these ideas buzzing around my head, but I couldn't quite get them to fit together like I wanted them to. This kinda leads me to my next point.
I will be looking for a beta reader. I need someone to read over my story and correct any spelling/grammatical errors that they can find. I'm great at finding other people's mistakes, however my own, not so much. I tend to read the story how it sounds in my head, not what is actually on the page. I would also like the beta reader to be someone I can bounce ideas off of, so that I can make this story something that the readers will enjoy. I write for my readers. So if you know anyone who would want to beta for my, tell me their penname and I'll look into them. Or if you want to beta for me PM me and tell me what you think you could contribute to the story, and where you think it should go. :)
Also I want to apologize. I edited my chapters and when I went to repost them I accidentally posted chapter 1 where chapter 3 was supposed to be. So I had two chapter ones. Am I a doofus or what? I also made a minor change in the first chapter. Now instead of going to go to college with Kevin, they were both going to try to go pro.
Now then I shall respond to reviews yes?
MintLeafeon - I really wish I could get rid of Kevin right now, unfortunately I still need him for part of the story. However I promise I will find a way to make him pay for what he did. *devious smile*
Fanfic Lover - Thank you so much for your review! I really am trying to make the love realistic. Also, don't worry about me getting annoyed. I write for my readers, and I adore all the people that review. :D
o0violetpheonix0o - I'm so glad that you liked the last chapter so much! I tried really hard to follow your advice! I hope you like this chapter just as much. :)
ILoveCashia - You're reviews made me laugh. I'm happy that you find this story interesting, and I hope that you continue to review! :)
Rychan6- I am so sorry and thank you so much for telling me! I accidentally posted the first chapter instead of the third. Xp
NenePasciele- There is absolutely nothing better that two devious sadists. Lol. And I'm glad you like the story and I hope you continue to read! I am going to try and keep my readers on their toes!
Anyways, I don't own Prince of Tennis. It's Takeshi Konomi's. However I do own what I do with his characters. Bless my imagination, nya?
Ryoma woke up in a cold sweat with a very concerned Karupin looking down at him. Grabbing the Himalayan gently, he placed her on his chest and cuddled her close. Trying to calm down from the unsatisfying sleep, he glared at the ever fascinating white ceiling of the hotel room.
When had his life become so messed up? Until just a few days ago he was a normal guy about to graduate high school. He had had friends who he could count on, a father, who was slightly perverted granted, but was still a pretty good dad that was there for him consistently, teachers who enjoyed having him in class because he took his studies seriously, and admirers who had followed him around like baby ducklings do their mother.
So what had he done to make the gods hate him so much? Was this their idea of some sick joke? If so, he wasn't laughing.
Ryoma went through all that had happened to him in the past two days, or was it three days? He couldn't even remember anymore. It seemed like too much had happened in too little time, and it was finally starting to catch up with him.
He had been raped by his supposed supportive best friend, disowned by his perverted dad, the teachers and students had abandoned him, and even the admirers that his bratty behavior and tennis playing skills had earned him, had started looking at him like he was disgusting. And then, as if that wasn't enough, some weird she-male stalker had to show up along with some creepy always smiling dude that had then proceeded to ever so sweetly sexually harass him. Really, he would say things couldn't possibly get any worse, but he was scared that he would end up jinxing himself. And he already had enough bad luck lately as it is.
Tired of counting the bumps on the ceiling, Ryoma opted to look at the digital clock only to be greeted by bright red numbers telling him that it was 4:23 in the morning. Groaning he moved Karupin off of his chest, and placed her on the bed beside him. She yowled at him, clearly unhappy about being moved, but settled down quickly enough when she found a comfy place on the bed next to her master. Turning to his side Ryoma cuddled the cat close again, attempting to fall back asleep. However, it wasn't working. Every time he closed his eyes, images of the past couple of days would flash through his mind. It was like a slideshow that was on a loop, and he couldn't for the life of himself find a way to turn it off.
An hour later, Ryoma cursed lightly and decided to give up on trying to make himself go back to sleep and resignedly crawled out of bed. He needed to get an early start to his day anyways because he needed to start looking for a job. The cash that he had saved up from winning local tennis tournaments was starting to dwindle, and if he didn't find a job soon then him and Karupin may very well end up homeless. Something about that prospect just didn't bode well with Ryoma.
When he finally reached the bathroom, he groggily began to undress. He really did wish that he could go back to sleep, his body felt like a bag of bricks however his mind was working on overtime.
Stepping into the shower he sighed. The quote 'Life sucks, and then you die' had never fit his life so perfectly as it did now. Honestly, his life reminded him of one of those corny soap operas that no one ever really wanted to watch yet at the same time couldn't stay away from.
He took his time in the shower. As much as he knew that he needed a job, he didn't really want a job. He had never actually worked a day in his life, and the thought of starting now was not necessarily one that he enjoyed. However, with his circumstances the way they were, he didn't really have much say in the matter. He had to do what he had to do. End of story.
Thirty minutes later Ryoma stepped out of the shower feeling clean and refreshed. Grabbing a towel he quickly dried off and got dressed. Not wanting to look like a slob, yet not wanting to look stuffy and stuck up, he changed into a pair of his nicer jeans and a t-shirt. He decided against wearing his favorite cap, figuring that it wouldn't be very professional.
At 7:15 Ryoma was finally dressed and leaving the hotel room to make his way through the craziness called Tokyo in search for a job.
"I'm sorry sir, but we're currently not hiring." The manager of Starbucks bogusly smiled at him. The manager looked like he would rather be doing anything other than talking to the boy standing in front of him. Like, for instance, chewing out the obviously just hired employee that was currently spilling a white chocolate mocha down the front of a customers blouse.
Ryoma could see the wrinkle forming between the managers eyebrows. He bit back a smirk. "Thank you for your time. Please let me know if any openings come up." Leaving the manager with his phone number, he spared a last amused glance at the fumbling employee. 'Please let me be a better employee than that guy.' He thought as he left the building.
He had been at this for almost four hours, and at every place he went to it was more of the same. Either they weren't hiring or they told him that they would call him and let him know if he got the job. He was getting tired, and he wasn't entirely sure how much longer he could keeping smiling without his face becoming permanently fixed that way. Rubbing his sore cheek muscles he made his way to his next potential work place.
Ryoma mentally cringed when he saw the name of said place was, 'Fated'. Something about that name just made him want to turn and walk away. However, the sign in the window that said "Now Hiring", and his wallet that was getting lighter by the day made him force himself to enter the building.
He didn't really take a good look around the place when he entered. He noticed that it was dim, that there were couches lining the walls, and that the walls were light brown. It was made to be comfortable and cozy while still managing to be stylish. Something that Ryoma really had no interest in whatsoever. Ignoring the fact that they didn't officially open for another 30 minutes, he made his way to the bar where he saw somebody polishing glasses.
Reaching the bar he noticed that the man standing in front of him tall, dark, and...stoic. And while Ryoma wasn't really sure if the preoccupied person in front of him usually wore this expression or if maybe he was just tired, it still made for a pretty intimidating first impression. This guy was easily 6 inches taller than he was and looked to weigh probably twice as much as him. And from the looks of it that weight was not from fat, it was more than likely muscle. Ryoma made a mental note that if he did manage to get a job there, that he should make a point of not making this guy angry.
Plastering a smile on his face, he cleared his throat. "Hi, my name is Echizen Ryoma. I was wondering if I could fill out an application."
Hearing somebody clearing their throat, Sanada looked up from what he was doing to glance at the boy in front of him. He took in the golden eyes, blackish green hair, and short stature and knew instantly that this was the boy that both Fuji and Yukimura had their eyes on.
"Hi, my name is Echizen Ryoma. I was wondering if I could fill out an application." Ryoma said.
Sanada grinned inwardly. This poor kid just couldn't catch a break. He couldn't wait to let his lovers know had come in to apply for a job today. To make things even better Sanada was just the co-owner of the place. Yukimura was the one that actually owned it. Unfortunately, he was out at a meeting with some of their suppliers and wouldn't be back until later tonight. Yukimura wouldn't like that he had missed this.
"Sure thing." Sanada said, pulling an application out from behind the bar. "Just fill this out and bring it back. The owner's out at a meeting right now, but he should be back tonight. I'll have him take a look at it then."
Ryoma took the application from him and nodded, indicating that he understood. Turning away from the bar, the boy made his way over to one of the couches and sat down so that he could get started on filling out the application.
Sanada, meanwhile, took out his phone and sent a message to Fuji and Yukimura, telling them about the unexpected visitor that had just asked for a job. He then turned off his phone, knowing that if he kept it on that he would be receiving several messages from the two sadists, and since he was about to go talk to the staff to make sure they knew what their goals were for today, he really didn't have time to talk to them. Besides, sometimes it's fun to torture those two for a change. Even if he knew that he would pay dearly for it later.
By the time he had come back from talking with the workers Ryoma was waiting for him, application in hand and a very forced smile gracing his face. The boy looked tired.
"Thank you very much for your time. I hope you consider hiring me." Ryoma handed the application to him, and bowed.
"It's no problem. I'm sure the owner will be very interested to know that you came by."Sanada bit back a chuckle when he saw the confused look on Ryoma's face. "I'll be sure to talk to him later. You should know by the end of the week if your hired. We will be sure to call and let you know." Sanada gave the him a hint of smile. He was highly entertained by the way things were working out. Yukimura really had picked out the perfect name for this place.
Sanada watched as the boy nodded and turned to make his way back out into the busy streets of Tokyo. Looking down at the application in his hand he smiled a true smile. "Echizen Ryoma, huh." He shook his head. Yukimura and Fuji were going to have a field day when they got their hands on this piece of paper. After all, it contained all of Ryoma's personal information.
Yukimura looked down at the message that he had just received from Sanada in disbelief. The boy that he hadn't been able to get off his mind for the past couple of days had just waltzed into the place he owned asking for a job, and he hadn't even been there. Instead he was busy dealing with his idiot suppliers who have been sending him the wrong orders for the past couple weeks. Life really was unfair.
Looking at his watch, he tried to guess how much longer he would be in meetings. He supposed that if everything went smoothly he could probably be back in a couple of hours. However, if things didn't go smoothly, and boy did he hope they did because he really wanted to talk to Sanada, then he could be here for a whole lot longer.
Sighing he turned back to his suppliers, who had for some unknown reason started bickering with one another. "Can we please get this mess sorted out. I have some other things I need to take care of today, so if we could get this resolved quickly I would be really grateful." He said pinching the bridge of his nose, he could feel a headache forming already.
Yukimura watched as one of his suppliers rolled his eyes at what he said, while the other scoffed. Honestly he was dealing with children. "Is there something the matter? You do realize that I don't have to get the food for my business from you companies right? If you would rather me take my business elsewhere that can be arranged." He smiled at them sweetly, while his eyes issued a challenge. One that the other two smartly did not accept.
"No, no that's quite alright. Let's get back to work shall we?" Said the one that had rolled his eyes, trying his best to look at least somewhat apologetic. Even though he was sure that Yukimura could tell that he wasn't.
"Lets." Said Yukimura smile growing bigger.
Ryoma finally made his way back to the apartment around 6:30. He was exhausted, and all he wanted was a nice hot shower, his bed and Karupin. However as he rounded the corner to go to his room he realized that they likelihood of that happening had just been shot straight to hell. Because standing right outside his hotel room door was his blue haired stalker, waiting ever so patiently for his return.
Letting out a heavy sigh he made his way to his door where he stopped and glared into the violet eyes of the most unwelcome visitor. "What the hell are you doing here? I really will file a restraining order." He really wasn't in the mood. But then again when was he ever?
Yukimura grinned. "But Ryoma, if you did that we would never see each other."
"Oh and what a shame that would be. Really." Ryoma snipped. "Where's your friend. I thought for sure it was buy one freak get one free. Funny thing is I don't remember buying you. And since I didn't buy you, that means you aren't mine. And since you aren't mine, you have no right to be on my property. Which leads me back to my first question. What the hell are you doing here?"
Yukimura pulled out Ryoma's application that Sanada had given him earlier and started to read off it. "Echizen Ryoma. Age:18. Birthday: December 24. Address: Sakura Hotel Room 324. Last known employer: Never worked before. Emergency contact: None."
"Where the hell did you get that?" Ryoma asked, tone deadly, as he reached to yank it out of Yukimura's hands. He did not like the fact that this man knew where he lived. Not at all.
Yukimura lifted the application above his head as Ryoma made a reach for it. He laughed when Ryoma missed and almost lost his balance, making him take a step closer to him. He smiled down at the boy. "You happened to apply to a place that I actually own, Fated." He chuckled again as Ryoma's eyes flashed in recognition. "I came to tell you that you got the job."
Ryoma thought back to when he had visited Fated earlier that day. He remembered that the stoic person at the bar had indeed said that the actual owner was away at a meeting, and that he would let the owner know that he had applied. It also made sense now why the person behind the bar had also stressed that the owner would be very interested in him. He guessed that Yukimura had been talking about him. "You tricked me!"
"I did no such thing." Yukimura smirked and crossed his arms across his chest. " How was I supposed to know that you would walk into my place asking for a job?"
"I don't know. You probably brain washed me or something." Turning his head away so that he was no longer looking Yukimura in the eyes. "Anyways I'm not interested in working for you. Just throw that application away and forget that I ever filled it out. Please just leave me alone. I'm tired and I want to go to bed."
"What a coincidence. I feel like going to bed too." Yukimura placed his hand on Ryoma's chin and turned Ryoma's head so that he was looking him in the eyes again. He leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Why don't you let me in and we can go to bed together?"
Ryoma shivered from the feeling of the blunette's hot breath against his ear. Regaining his sense's quickly though he swatted the hand away and made a move to back away. He didn't get far however, because Yukimura had him quickly shoved against the door to his hotel room. He hissed in pain at the sudden contact that the door knob had made with one of his bruise's that he still had from the beatings he had taken just days prior. His eyes teared up slightly from the pain.
"Only in your dreams, you nutcase." Ryoma struggled to get loose.
Yukimura looked at Ryoma thoughtfully, slightly concerned about the sudden appearance of tears in Ryoma's eyes. He may be a sadist, but he didn't want to cause pain without pleasure, at least not to those that he was interested in. He didn't think that he had pushed Ryoma that hard, at least not hard enough to warrant that kind of response. Curious, and worried he decided to test his theory.
Pulling both of Ryoma's hands above his head, Yukimura secured them there with one hand. His free hand he drug slowly from Ryoma's chest to his stomach, while looking in Ryoma's eyes for any signs of pain. He applied enough pressure to the hand to find out what he wanted to know, but not enough to actually hurt the boy. He stopped when he heard Ryoma gasp. Looking the boy in the eyes he moved his hand slowly to the hem of his t-shirt.
Ryoma had given up on struggling once he realized it was futile. However, when Yukimura's hand went to the pull up his shirt he tried to get away once more. He did not want the questions that he was sure would follow when Yukimura saw the bruises littering his body. Some were still a nasty dark bluish purple while others were turning a sickly greenish yellow. He also just didn't want Yukimura to see him without a shirt. The guy was a class A pervert, and he did not want to find himself the star of Yukimura's fantasies.
Yukimura struggled to calm the boy. He really had no intention of doing anything to him right now. He was too concerned about what he would find if he lifted that shirt, especially if Ryoma was fighting him this much. Gripping Ryoma's wrist tightly, he held them to the door.
"Ryoma. Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to check something." Yukimura soothed. Taking his free hand he placed it at the base of his captive's neck, coaxing the boy to look at him.
Ryoma was getting hysterical."I don't care. Just let me the fuck go and leave me alone! I want nothing to do with you!"
Yukimura reacted without really thinking. He bent down to kiss Ryoma. The kiss started out gently but quickly turned passionate. At least Yukimura tried to turn it into something passionate. Ryoma was in too much shock to really participate.
When Yukimura was sure that Ryoma was distracted he moved the hand that wasn't holding Ryoma's wrists down to the hem of his shirt. Then, ever so slowly, he started to pull the shirt upward to reveal Ryoma's chest and torso. Pulling back from the kiss Yukimura looked at the boy. He gasped in shock at what he saw.
Decorating his newest infatuations body were bruises. Lots of bruises. He had at least 15 on his front, ranging in color anywhere from an angry almost black color to a sickly greenish yellow. He was appalled. He didn't want to know what Ryoma's back looked like.
"Ryoma." Yukimura spoke softly. "What happened?"
"It's none of your business. Just leave me alone. I don't want this. I don't want this. I don't want this!" Ryoma was progressively getting louder until he was almost yelling. Shoving Yukimura hard enough to make him take a few step back he quickly swiped his key card so that he could get into his room and shut the door in Yukimura's face.
On the other side of the door, Yukimura knocked "Ryoma. Come out here. We still need to talk about your job. I won't do anything else, I promise."
"I don't want the job. Go away." Ryoma called back.
Heading to the bathroom, he turned on the shower. Undressing quickly he collapsed on the shower floor and curled himself into a ball. There he cried for a very long time.
Outside of Ryoma's hotel room, Yukimura was still in the hallway, hoping that Ryoma would open up. However, after 10 minutes had passed he gave up hope and pulled out his cell phone to make a call.
"Syuu-chan, it looks like we have our work cut out for us. Our boyo seems to have been through a lot."
A/N: Poor Ryoma. I always put him in the most compromising situations. ;)
Review please! It makes me so happy to receive them, and then I walk around my house grinning like an idiot until my mom asks me what i'm so happy about. So yeah. Review! Compliments and criticisms are welcome, however flames will be ignored.
Peace. Love. Tacos. Yaoi.
TheSnarkyAuthor. 3
