Nanjiro felt all the blood drain from his face. He fell back, slumped into his chair. He wanted to scream, to hurl something across the room. How could this happen to his son? His baby boy? His golden eyes boy, the boy that looked so determined, so happy.

It made his chest ache and made him feel more drained then any tennis game that he had ever played. Nanjiro could clearly remember when he had heard the news of his baby boy, the news he was going to be a farther. (He later found out that he had already been a father, but he hadn't found out till much later.) He could call with clarity how scared and excited he had been at the prospect. He could remember calling the old hag, he could recall the cold furry he felt when she had asked "are you sure you're ready for this Nanjiro? You're not the type to be tied down." He could remember slamming the phone down, almost foaming at the mouth. Yeah, he had never really pictured himself with kids but the idea had formed the moment his beloved wife Rinko came in with the test in hand. A little Echizen. Someone he could teach to love tennis as much as he did. He had giggled rather unmanly at the thought.

Then… then he had held his son.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~this is flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He had been called back into the hospital room. He had missed most of his son's birth because he had been in the middle of a tennis match when they had called to inform him his wife was in labor. He had run out of the stadium when he had gotten the message- not even accepting his trophy. He had raced his way towards the hospital daringly dodging cars and pedestrians.

"Echizen- Rinko Echizen- she- she's my wife. Can you tell me where she is?"

The nurse had given him an amused look, her eyes moving down to stare at his chest. She typed quickly, looking at her screen briefly. Nanjiro choked when her face changed, she looked up at him with a disgruntled look, and her face set in stone.

"Your wife is in the maternity ward, floor three."

Nanjiro had turned his back on the nurse and sprinted down the hall and up two flights of stairs. He went to the nurse there and repeated himself.

"My wife- Rinko Echizen?"

"Room 127"

He stood in front of the door. Out of breath. His heart pounding unforgivingly against his rib cage. He couldn't move.

His old coach's words ringing in his head. The nurses face when she saw his wife was in the maternity ward. They didn't think he could do it. They didn't think he was capable of having a kid.

His hand shook. He could feel the sweat on his body. And suddenly he was acutely aware of the breeze on his naked chest.

The door opened, making him take a step back. A nurse hurried out of the room and as the door began to close, Nanjiro heard a small cry. Not a normal cry, a mewed cry… a baby's cry. He realized.

He never recalled slipping into the room. All he ever could remember was the sight that had laid before him.

His beloved Rinko lay in the bed, her face pale but satisfied. In her arms was a small bundle of blankets. The mewing sound came from it.

"Nanjiro-kio. Come, meet our son."

He had never pictured himself as good father material. But then again, he never pictured himself married as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~END OF FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He wasn't the best father. But he had always loved his sons. He mused. By passing the Kikumaru siblings to re-enter his son's hospital room.

Ryoma had always looked little to him-and really he knew he had looked little to his friends as well- he was innocent in a way most kids were now a day. When he saw him asleep, all Nanjiro saw was his baby, his baby that had always reached out to him. His son that had made his wife worry so when he never spoke. His son.

Nanjiro moved forward, carefully brushing Ryoma's hair away from his face.

He had watched his son accomplish a lot. He had held him when he was being bullied in America. He had cuddled him when he was sick. He had shown his beloved son the game that had always en-thrilled him so much. His son was strong. He had always been strong. But even Nanjiro wasn't sure how far he could go now.

"I'm here Ryo, I'm here." He mumbled.

His eyes began to tear.

"Daddy's not going to leave you."