Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

A/N: I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe and ArticFox-14.

Like I promised, there will be a double update today. So, wait up for the other chapter!

Warning: There will be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. This is another short chapter.

Please enjoy the tenth chapter!

Chapter 10: Whatever happens happens.

Yukimura's and Kirihara's interests peeked at her confession, but Ryoma's expression did not change, as if he knew it all along. The two teens, which had been ignored by the other two in the room, were being ignored still, as if Izumi and Ryoma were in a world of their own.

"I know. I love you too." Izumi's expression did not change with his reply. This made the two other teens curious on where their conversation was heading to.

"You are like the brother I never had, the younger sibling I always wanted, the family I dreamed to have and cherish, but when I saw what happened to you that day, I felt as if you drifted away from me so suddenly. It felt like I had failed to protect the only family I kind of had." Izumi's gaze fell down, but once again, Ryoma made her look at him.

"I apologize for making you experience that. Though I never meant that to happen, my thoughtless actions still let it happen." Ryoma replied in a low voice. "I am truly sorry." He said in his normal voice, but the tone he used was the caring one Izumi knew. With that, she wiped away her tears and smiled.

"I'm glad to have you back, otouto." She said before enveloping the younger teen in a tight hug, as if she was afraid that he'll fly away and disappear once more, but then, he'll be out of her reach. 'I won't let it happen again. I won't go careless with Izumi-sem- I mean Izumi-nee-san again.' Ryoma seriously thought as he returned her hug.

"We're glad that the two of you are finally able to reconcile."

They pulled away and faced the two teens they had previously ignored. "So, how about you two explain what just happened, in reconciliation for ignoring us for the past hour?" Yukimura kindly suggested. Izumi chuckled nervously while Ryoma simply composed himself. He positioned himself across his roommate and companion, Kirihara.

"Will it be enough if I just tell you two what happened on that day?" Ryoma asked Izumi and Yukimura nonchalantly. The two teens looked at each other for a moment before giving a nod at him. "Listen closely because I will not repeat this again." He told them with the previous seriousness they saw earlier come back for a moment.

"Echizen Nanjirou is not my actual father." He told them in a straight voice. Looks of shock appeared on Izumi's and Yukimura's faces, but the latter was able to recover immediately. "What does this fact have to do with Akaya, Echizen-kun?" Yukimura asked him. "Kirihara-sempai, for some reason I do not know, was able to notice that, and had asked me about it." Ryoma gave a look at Kirihara, which the older teen understood.

"Echizen and I had been hanging out a lot during the rest of his middle school years. When I asked him about that during his graduation, he had explained to me the details about his family. His unusual behavior was because of the possibility that other people might've noticed it as well." Kirihara explained which brought shock to both Izumi and Yukimura.

"So, you two are telling me that this whole thing started because you were worried about the possibility the others might've noticed it as well." Izumi said with disbelief evident in her current expression. "Hai." Ryoma simply replied. Izumi took a deep sigh before erupting into a fit of chuckles. "I never knew you were this troublesome, otouto!" She said in between chuckles.

Ryoma gave Kirihara a look which the older simply nodded in reply. This silent exchange did not go unnoticed to the blue-haired teen. A look of relief appeared on the younger teen's face before a yawn escaped from his lips. "We better get some rest." Yukimura said which the three other teens nodded in reply to. He and Izumi left the room first.

"Arigatou, Akaya." Ryoma suddenly said when the two teens had left. Kirihara smiled before placing an arm around the younger's shoulders. "We should get some sleep as well. It would be a busy day tomorrow. Am I right, Ryoma?" Kirihara asked in his usual mischievous tone. "Hai." Ryoma replied, but instead of standing up, he cuddled into Kirihara's one-armed embrace.

"Ryoma, don't fall asleep here." Kirihara's smile grew wider when the dark-haired teen simply wrapped his arms around his waist. "Too sleepy..." Ryoma managed to mutter in the sudden wave of sleepiness he felt. "You're a brat, you know that." Kirihara whispered into the younger teen's ear with a smirk.

Needless to say, the dark-haired male instantly woke up from his sleepy daze and sat up straight. He glared at the dark-haired teen next to him. When a familiar smirk appeared on his face, Kirihara grew curious but retained the smirk on his face. Ryoma stood up and stretched for a bit. When Kirihara was about to do the same, he was suddenly blocked by the smaller male's frame.

He was sandwiched between the couch and Ryoma, which he did not mind the least. When Ryoma had leveled his gaze with him, he wondered what the younger teen was planning. Then suddenly, in a second, he felt pressure on his lips which was gone as fast as it came, leaving him in a state of shock as the younger teen simply walked away.

"Mada mada dane, Akaya."

A/N: OMG! Ryoma? O.O

So, I didn't want too spoil it, so yeah... Hope no one minds too much. It's really part of the story. I promise! :D

I hope I didn't make the characters too OOC. I might have been a little excited when I typed this so... Please tell me any typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

Constructive criticism is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.