Author's Quick Note: Because it seems like Prince of Tennis defies time and the weather seems like summer all the time, I actually no idea of when the matches ever started. So let's just say the setting currently is after Shishidou cut his hair but before the match between Hyoutei and Seigaku.

Hyoutei

9

Choutarou sprinted up the steps to where Shishidou was on the roof. He wondered why he was needed so badly. Either way, it didn't matter. He wasn't doing anything important, just working on a violin composition for a recital the evening after the match with Seigaku. Shishidou-san sounded distracted too, so maybe it was a favor he needed.

Just as the silver-haired second-year passed through the door, there was a sharp bang! The boy blinked when he saw the entirety of the tennis team standing around a table and Matt-san too. Well, Jirou-san was asleep, not a part of the table; Oshitari-san paid more attention to the novel in his hand rather than the game in front of him; Atobe-san wasn't even playing but he kept snapping his fingers and told Kabaji to 'go'; Tenka-san simply watched. It seemed like they were playing some card game, but it looked dangerous and tense with everyone so serious.

"Dammit, Gakuto, I got to it first!"

"Are you blind, Shishidou? Most of my hand is covering the cards, so I get the pile!"

"Sh-Shishidou-san…?" said Choutarou, uneasily.

"Oh, Choutarou, you're here." His senpai turned away from the game for a moment and scooted over, roughly nudging Hiyoshi. "Come on over and play with us."

"Okay…" He obeyed and stood next to him, staring blankly at the table. "…what are we playing?"

"Egyptian war," said Matt. He extended his hand out. "Since Choutarou just got here, we should start over."

Gakuto snapped, "No way! I was totally winning!"

"Afraid you're going to lose this round?" The dash specialist challenged him with a smug smirk.

"Hell no!" He dropped the cards into Matt's waiting hand, never taking his eyes off of Shishidou.

Choutarou was afraid to get between his senpai, although it usually was him that held Shishidou back whenever he attempted to tackle the acrobatic down. The best method was to get him distracted. Also… he wondered where the table came from.

"Um… where'd the table come from?"

Practically everyone gave him a funny look, including Shishidou. The weight of the stares made the boy keep his eyes on the table. He wanted to shrink after asking such a stupid question like that.

"I am the king here," Atobe said with a flick of his hair, "and I can deem a table to be brought here as I wish."

Matt rolled his eyes, while shuffling the deck. "Basically, Kabaji brought it up." He shrugged off the look he got from Atobe and chomped down on some Pocky.

All the boy could do was nod his head and not look more like an idiot than he already was. But he didn't know how to play, so he would look like an idiot anyway.

Shishidou declared out of the blue, "Let's go over the rules since Gakuto keeps slapping in at the wrong moment."

"Shut up! It's your fault for feinting all the time."

"That's the point, idiot."

The two glared at each other again as Matt dealt out cards. He took the liberty of explaining the rules for Choutarou's sake.

Hiyoshi nonchalantly said, "Gekokujo…"

"What was that?!" Gakuto's attention went on the second-year.

Matt appeared to be unbothered by their bickering and continued explaining the rules.

By the end of it, Choutarou was left more confused than before. The concept was simple: slap the pile at the right moment and win by getting all of the cards. But he didn't like the combinations and the rule with royal cards. There were too many opportunities to slap in, so the fastest person would win. And since Kabaji was substituting for Atobe, those slaps were going to hurt.

"You'll learn as you play." Shishidou said encouragingly and smiled.

"H-Hai…" Choutarou avoided his eyes, nervous and afraid to make a fool out of himself again. He'd most likely be the first one out.

Because Matt was the dealer, he put down the first card. And then it went around the table starting on his left. Soon enough, the game picked up its pace as doubles and sandwiches came into light. Slap-ins happened quite often. Most of the time, Shishidou and Gakuto would slap the pile at the same time and start bickering. But slowly, Choutarou understood what to do and was starting to have fun. But he kept apologizing whenever he slapped too hard on someone's hand.

There were those rare moments where Choutarou's hand would fall upon Shishidou's, causing the passive boy to instantly draw his hand back. He'd apologize fervently, unable to ignore the sparks that warranted from the touch.

"You don't have to apologize. It's just a game," Shishidou said after receiving another apology. He flexed his fingers and furrowed his eyebrows together.

"I know… but I don't want to hurt anyone…"

"Well, you won't be hurting anyone anymore. You lost all your cards, and so did you, Shishidou. Matt got the pile…" Gakuto said, pissed. He was the first to lose his cards.

Tenka pointed out, wearing his signature smirk, "Now it's between Kabaji and Matt. I doubt any of us could slap back in now."

The redhead had a good point too. Choutarou glanced between the two remaining players. It had been amazing watching Matt get the pile. His hand would be there before anyone noticed. Kabaji wasn't bad either since Atobe was the one dictating his moves. And buchou's reflexes were as swift as Matt's.

"Why don't you actually play, Atobe?"

Matt had asked with a slight frown. He seemed unhappy with how the game turned out, although no one could figure out why. It was normal among the Hyoutei regulars to see Kabaji used as Atobe's replacement.

Atobe raised an elegant brow. "I find it unnecessary to risk damaging my hand in something as barbaric as slapping for mere cards."

"Hm…" The silver-haired boy glanced to the side, his finger twirling around the end of his Pocky. "…are you afraid of losing at a commoner's hand?"

Choutarou stared at Matt with an open jaw. He couldn't believe how bold he was. It was rare to see anyone speak to Atobe like that. Well, Shishidou would, but over time, he learned to respect him as a captain.

Atobe looked somewhat annoyed, but his expression returned to normal and he flicked his wrist back for Kabaji to move. "A king doesn't take insults like that lightly."

At that moment, Jirou suddenly popped up between Shishidou and Hiyoshi. "This is interesting. Who do you think will win?"

Hiyoshi shrugged, somewhat irritated that he got shoved aside again.

And so the game continued. Tenka had been right about being unable to slap in. Choutarou found no opening, more concentrated on seeing who would win rather than getting back in the game. It amazed him how fast they were. The entire time, he couldn't figure out who would win. But he could tell from their faces that they were serious.

When a doubles appeared, Matt's hand reached out, but was caught by Atobe's. The captain slammed it down on the table. His focus wasn't on the game anymore. It was on the boy's wrist.

Everyone frowned or raised an eyebrow at their captain. What had gotten into him? There were rules against preventing another from slapping. And they all knew Atobe believed cheating was improper.

"Atobe, what are you doing?" Gakuto was the first to speak, frowning.

He didn't pay any heed to his question. His other hand unbuttoned the sleeve and pushed it up. "I don't like it when my opponent goes easy on me."

Choutarou peered closer and saw the custom-made wrist weights on the boy. But he was just as confused as everyone else. No one seemed to have noticed that he was wearing them. And Tenka had an odd expression on his face. It wasn't his typical smirk, but a wide grin.

Matt, on the other hand, showed no emotion. His silver eyes looked directly to Atobe. "Believe me; I have a problem with them too. But I can't take them off." He pointed at the minuscule lock. "I don't have the key either."

"So who has it?" Jirou asked in his same happy tone. As always, he didn't seem disturbed by the odd turn of events.

"That would be me," said Tenka, twirling a key ring on his index finger. A bunch of silver keys fell upon each other as he threw up the ring and caught it. His grin never faltered despite the annoyed look he got from both Matt and Atobe. "Sorry, but this isn't the right situation to take them off."

"That's pretty lame, Tenka." Shishidou commented with folded arms.

The redhead shrugged. He continued twirling, tossing up, and catching the ring, deep in thought.

"I should point out that the game hasn't ended." Oshitari's presence was made known and his hand was on the untouched pile of cards.

"What the hell, Yuushi?!" His partner exclaimed. He glared at him and looked away, only receiving the trickster's smug smile. "I can't believe I didn't think of that…"

Tenka's grin had lessened. "You look like you want something. You had no interest in the game until now."

"I simply want a tennis match against Matt, of course, after he recovers," was his response.

Tenka chuckled, his repetitive motions still going on and his grin widening again. He said something in a foreign language, most likely speaking to Matt. The boy responded back in the same tongue.

As they conversed, Choutarou couldn't help but be impressed. He didn't care about what they were saying; it was how they sounded was impressive. From what he could determine, they were conversing in French. Matt seemed to be comfortable speaking. His voice had taken a particular softness that was much nicer to hear rather than his cold tone.

"They sound… eloquent, don't they, Shishidou-san?" He smiled at him, though it lessened at his senpai's less than happy expression.

Shishidou grunted and didn't speak. He hardly looked at his kouhai either.

Although it was normal for Shishidou to scowl at practically everything, Choutarou learned from the two years of being his close friend that each scowl was different. This one was for when he was annoyed at someone, given the narrowed eyes and the frown that was meant to be seen. The only problem was figuring out who he was annoyed at. It wasn't Atobe for their captain was oddly silent and it was the same with the acrobatic. He followed his senpai's gaze and frowned, learning that he was scowling at Matt and Tenka. What was wrong with them?

"Shishidou-san…" He said softly.

"What?" His head turned to the side, away from Choutarou. Was he sulking?

"Are you all right?" Hesitantly, he reached out and touched his arm lightly. As embarrassing as it was, sometimes, Shishidou-san looked like someone who needed a hug.

He snapped, "I'm fine."

"A-All right…" And he dropped it, but he couldn't help stealing glances at him.

A heavy thud caught the Scud Server's attention. He turned his head and found Matt's weights off.

"How much does this weigh…?" Hiyoshi picked it up and frowned by its weight. Inside, there was the weight, which he read aloud, "two kilograms."

"Are you kidding me? How much do you actually weigh, Matt?!"

Matt reddened slightly at Gakuto's question. He grumbled out, "That's a little personal."

"That's what a girl would say."

"Without the weights, I'm about forty-five kilograms."

"…were you supposed to be born a girl or something?"

For once, the silver-haired boy snapped back, "You shouldn't be talking. We're practically the same in stature and weight."

Before Gakuto could retort, Atobe snapped his fingers and received their attention. "Ore-sama doesn't like to be kept waiting. We do have a game to continue, in which the winner will be me. And just so you know, neko-chan, once I win, I expect you to refer to me as 'king' from now on as will Oshitari."

"Sorry, Atobe, I'm afraid you'll lose against me." There wasn't a trace of arrogance in Matt's voice, but he looked certain. He twisted his wrist a few times. "You'll find out what I want afterwards. As will you, Oshitari."

Once again, the game commenced, but at a different pace than before. Everything turned into Matt's favor after removal of the wrist weights. His speed increased dramatically. The cards were pulled towards him before either Atobe or Oshitari could reach the pile. No one doubted now that Matt would lose.

Egyptian war ended with Matt having all fifty-two playing cards in his hands. He stretched his arms while letting out a long yawn. Atobe upheld a cool look as though he was taking the loss like the self-proclaimed king he was. Oshitari merely nodded his acknowledgement and pushed up his glasses.

"Oshitari has to spend a day at Tenka's place, and Atobe has to give me rides whenever I want them until I recover." That was all Matt said in regards to the bet, packing up the cards and getting back on his crutches. "I'll see you after your tennis practice, Atobe." He left and made awkward movements to get past the door and down the stairs.

Tenka chuckled. "The bell's about to ring, so we should get this table back too."

Atobe snapped his fingers for Kabaji to take care of it. "I need to talk to you, Tenka."

The redhead nodded and departed with him, Kabaji following behind with the table. Hiyoshi muttered his farewell and walked away with Gakuto ranting along. Oshitari went along as well after reminding Jirou that they should go, who followed.

All who were left were Choutarou with Shishidou. Somehow, it was awkward being left alone with him despite their close friendship. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence either to be left alone with him. They always walked him after school, so why was the silver-haired second-year so nervous this time? Was it because Shishidou-san had something against Matt and Tenka?

"We should go too, Shishi-…" His voice trailed off when his senpai walked towards the railing of the roof.

"Just go on ahead of me, Choutarou. I'll see you at practice." He leaned over the railing, shoulders in a slump.

Again, the pose Shishidou was in gave the second-year an urge to hug him. What was it about the smaller male that made him want to? Shishidou loathed hugs because he believed they were lame and worthless to perform in public. They were gestures that couples made, and only couples. Choutarou had a different opinion on them, but never made it known; instead, he had nodded for his senpai's sake.

They were alone, so a hug could be used. But knowing that would only increase his irritation, Choutarou decided to stand with him. His hands held the cool railing, and he turned his head to him. A sheepish smile appeared on his lips when he didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry, Shishidou-san…"

"What the hell are you apologizing for, you idiot?"

"Because I don't know how to make you feel better… you're annoyed."

He sighed, shaking his head. "It's about our next tennis match. I almost got kicked out of regulars again. I refuse to lose from now on."

Hearing that he was annoyed about tennis and not about Matt or Tenka or anyone else brightened up Choutarou. This was a topic he could handle.

"You earned your spot back, Shishidou-san. Even Atobe acknowledges your hard work, since we're still partners. And we worked hard, so there's no way we could lose."

It seemed to do the trick for his senpai couldn't help but smile at him. "Yeah, you're right, Choutarou. We'll get a sure victory against Seigaku."

At that moment, the bell sounded that lunch had ended. They could see from the roof people rushing inside or else be caught late.

"I'll see you at practice, Shishidou-san. We can train afterwards." He wanted to stay and walk down with him, but decided against it. Sometimes, he wondered if he was overly-attached to him that it was annoying.

Once Choutarou was off the roof, Shishidou let out a heavy sigh, bowing his head in his hands. The upcoming tennis match was the least of his worries. He had Choutarou on his side and together, they made a powerful team. He as sure as hell was not going to end up kicked off the team and unable to play with his partner.

But his real worries still concerned Choutarou. He didn't like how attentive he was on the new kid, Matt. The boy seemed to be everything that Choutarou liked from playing piano to playing tennis. He even heard that Matt had a cat. It was getting ridiculous. They had the same kind of pet! And he didn't want to get started on the fact that they both had silver hair. Why did it bug him how alike they were? They both seemed to like each other too.

"I'm so lame…" He said to himself.

Author's Note: I'm getting a kick out of the Hyoutei tennis players right now. Just imagining them doing something other than tennis makes me smile. I don't know why. And I realize that Atobe only knows English and German… but I made it seem as though he understood French in Chapter 7, soooooo… now he magically knows French. Actually, 'rondo' is a French term, so… yeah, I don't know the extent of his 'prowess'.

Writing in more of Choutarou's perspective was more difficult than I expected. It's not easy just writing how Matt and Tenka are when they're easier to understand through their point of view. I wanted to write a moment between him and Shishidou though. This probably wasn't my best chapter, so I apologize if it seems weird.

I hope this chapter was enjoyed! Happy reading!