DISCLAIMER: Prince of Tennis isn't mine.

Author's Note:

Alright so I was like really very busy for the past weeks that I haven't visited fanfiction, and I honestly feel guilty for not updating.

Anyway, I hope this chapter do some justice with the delay. (..and yeah…this is not yet the end like what I planned..)

"Sweet." Fuji said as he looked at the tennis racket key chain on his hand. He transferred it to his other hand, enjoying the feel of its weight. "Thank you." he added, now looking at Sanada.

"Fuji…I want to clear things out between the two of us." Sanada said.

Fuji nodded, signaling Sanada to go on with whatever he wanted to say. When the taller guy just gave him that serious glare, Fuji knew it's not going to be easy. He had all the idea what Sanada wanted to say and he simply wasn't just in the mood to discuss about it.

"I don't want to sound paranoid, but I always get the feeling that you're sometimes not with me."

Fuji frowned a little but immediately hid the emotion with a smile.

"I'm….not sure I'm following you."

Sanada sighed and held Fuji's hand. "Tezuka. I know how you feel about him."

Fuji withdrew his hand and pursed his lips. "No. I…That was before. I told you nothing's going on between us."

"Not yet." Sanada corrected, immediately regretting what he said the moment Fuji gave him a sharp look.

"Where the hell is all of these coming from?." Fuji asked in slight dismay, and though he meant it half-heartedly, he sounded more hurt than what he intended to do.

"Syusuke…." Sanada closed his eyes for a second, drew a deep breath and faced the other guy. "Let's face it. You still feel something for him."

"So what if I do?!" Fuji blurted, surprising both himself and Sanada with the intensity of his outburst. It just angered him knowing that Sanada doubted his commitment in forgetting his captain. "Whether I'm still in love with Tezuka or not, it doesn't matter, because I'm taking none of it. It's over for the two of us."

"You can't force yourself to forget him." Sanada said.

"And that's why I'm doing my best to do just that!" Fuji snapped. He gave out a sharp sigh and looked away. "Fine. I still love him. Now what? I'll never entertain this feeling from now on because I know how it hurt me." Fuji added. "And I never want to go back to the crying little prick I was before just because he couldn't love me back. I'm so tired of playing that role. I just want to be happy, that's it. I deserve to be happy, and this stupid feeling's not going to bring me down again."

"…and you think I can make you happy?" Sanada asked. The way on how he said it, angered Fuji even more. It was as if he was now starting to doubt even his own feelings towards the other guy.

"I dated you because you make me happy." Fuji clarified.

Sanada swallowed the hard lump on his throat and fought the sudden wave of unexplainable emotion that was starting to build up in his chest. That was the first time Fuji had ever expressed what he really feels about him; about their relationship. And for some reasons, Sanada felt happy just knowing that.

"You're making me fall in love with you even more." Sanada admitted with all honesty.

"I intend to."

And with a genuine smile Fuji kissed him.

Tezuka drummed his pen on his study table, as if going along with a beat that he, can only hear. He scribbled few notes on the sheets of paper in front of him, and went back drumming the pen on the wooden table once again.

He was doing his assignment.

And for the first time in what felt like a century, he suddenly found History, his favorite subject, uninteresting. He once again scribbled something on the paper, erased it, and eventually crumpled the sheet and threw it on the garbage can at the side of the table.

"Stop it, Kunimitsu." he heard his mom said from behind him.

At some point during his study, his mother got inside his room to collect some of his clothes for laundry. Seeing how her son was acting, Ayana knew he needed a break.

"I'm fine mom."

"Uhuh. Well, why don't you go to this place, and meet with my client." she said, shoving a piece of paper on Tezuka's hand. "Since everything's fine, and you seemed to be so unproductive lately, then might as well do something of use. C'mon." Ayana continued, tapping Tezuka's shoulder.

Tezuka looked at the piece of paper with a written address, and frowned.

"You're meeting a client in a private restaurant." he said, trying to find confirmation from the unusual set-up of this meeting.

Ayana nodded casually.

"Not in your office." Tezuka probed, suspicious as to what's so special about this meeting to be held at somewhere casual. He knew how his mother always valued business, and as far as he was concerned, all business meetings she had has always been done behind the closed doors of her office at home or at the company building.

His mother smiled. "Go to the address, Kunimitsu."

Tezuka shrugged and went off.

Tezuka felt his spine went rigid the moment he set his eyes on the man sitting at the table reserved by his mother for the 'supposed' business meeting.

Sitting down was Yukimura Seiichi in a casual white long sleeved shirt and gray pants. Tezuka noted how the other looked paler than the last time he saw him. He was tempted to turn back but was immediately nailed on the spot he was standing when Yukimura saw him. Judging from the other's reaction, Tezuka knew he wasn't expecting his presence as well, though Tezuka still couldn't believe his mother did this. She never even met the other guy.

Before he would look so stupid, Tezuka proceeded on sitting down across Yukimura. Neither wanted to start a conversation. A waiter served him a glass of water, and left.

"I didn't-"

Yukimura held up a hand, stopping him from saying anything. "I understand."

"She told me to meet with a client, I didn't know it was you." Tezuka said, sounding more confident now. He had to remind himself that this was business. He shouldn't take it personally as what his father has been constantly telling him.

"Your mother called me and said you want to talk about something. I thought it was offensive to refuse her right there and then."

Tezuka almost gaped. So his mother really did set this up. But the thought eventually vanished and was now replaced with an air of uncertainty. He was right there, sitting across his now ex-boyfriend, who has been reluctant in talking to him ever since they broke up. If he knew a call from his mother would make Yukimura talk to him, he should've asked her ages ago.

"Trust my mom to bother somebody with no reservations and still appear on the good side." Tezuka said.

The waiter who served him a glass of water went back on their table, now carrying with him their main course. Tezuka looked amused. Bavarian steak and lobster, both are his favorites. He looked at Yukimura, expecting him to confirm what he was thinking. The bluenette smiled briefly.

"It's Ayana. She seemed to be a patron in here. This guy knows something more than you think." Yukimura said, giving the waiter a wink.

The waiter in a white inner shirt and black suit and pants smiled meaningfully at Yukimura. The bluenette lowered down his gaze on the guy's nameplate. He flashed an appreciative look at him and smiled.

"Thanks Saeki…." he said, lingering his look on the waiter's face longer than necessary.

Saeki bowed down and left.

"Well…that was so friendly of you." Tezuka commented, refusing to look at Yukimura as he set aside the slight feeling of annoyance he felt on Yukimura and Saeki's all-too-suggestive friendly exchange. He busied himself by serving himself their dinner. Yukimura dug in after.

"Alright. So what do you want to talk about." Yukimura started as he chewed a mouthful of the steak, making few of its juice escape from his mouth, and slowly dripping off his chin. He grabbed his table napkin, but before he can even wipe the juice off, Tezuka had already reached out and wiped away the juice with his thumb.

Yukimura stiffened.

"I know it's really delicious." Tezuka said, smiling at Yukimura's blushing face. It was apparent that the other guy wasn't used to being caught at such compromising slash embarrassing situation; especially if it's in front of someone who knows some of the reputation of the so-called child of god.

Yukimura grabbed his glass of water and finished it off in one gulp. The confidence he had when he decided to take this invitation immediately vanished like thin air. Right now, the only thing he's aware of was Tezuka's gaze solely directed at him. Hard.

"I'm sorry…"

Tezuka shook his head, amused. "That was way better than what happened to me the first time mom brought me here." he said, slicing a small piece of his steak. "Disaster, if I may say."

Yukimura barely heard what Tezuka had said, and was now more intent on looking at his face and how his eyes glowed every time he talks something about who-knows-what; the tentative smiles he had; the graceful way by which he skillfully sliced the piece of meat on his plate with those sharp knife….Yukimura felt….lost.

"Seiichi.."

The sound of his name from that all-too-familiar voice broke Yukimura from his trance. He blinked several times before he grabbed his glass of water, feeling embarrassed when he drank it and found out that he had emptied the glass on his first drink just a moment ago. Tezuka cleared his throat. Yukimura frowned.

"Are you laughing at me?" he asked, not a bit pleased with Tezuka's reaction. No one laughs at Seiichi Yukimura after all.

Tezuka shook his head and went on eating. Yukimura suddenly lost his appetite and decided that he's done. Tezuka didn't mind.

"Actually…every time I think about our break-up, I always have this urge to knock our heads off." Yukimura said, startling Tezuka, who slowly brought down his spoon and fork to favor the conversation.

"…I know I'm possessive and demanding, maybe even rude. But if there's someone who's capable of handling my sick attitude, that would be you." he continued.

Tezuka didn't say anything, but thought of Sanada. If Yukimura only knew how Sanada understood him better than anyone else.

"…and I couldn't think about a reason..a solid one for you to hate me."

"I never said I hate you, Seiichi." Tezuka corrected, disliking the idea that his statements were misunderstood.

"Then why?"

Tezuka looked at the other guy and nodded. "Because I think our personalities are both too much for each other. If I do what I like, the tendency is you'll not approve any of it. And vice-versa. I like you so much. You know that. But I cannot afford yet to handle personal things that my jeopardize my responsibility for my team." Tezuka explained.

Yukimura frowned. Although he knew what Tezuka was talking about, he actually didn't believe that he'll say any of those.

"I'm still not convinced, but I'm glad it wasn't because of Fuji." Yukimura admitted.

"Fuji?"

Yukimura smiled in pain. "Don't dare to lie. You're affected as much as I am with how things are going on between Sanada and him. To be honest, I don't agree."

Tezuka raised a brow. "..and that's because?"

"Because Fuji's taking Sanada away from me!" Yukimura blurted, shocking himself with what he said.

He stared wide-eyed at Tezuka, who was equally stunned by what he said.

"I..I'm sorry…"

Then they both settled down in silence. Outside, rain has started to fall.

Author's Note:

There you go!

Like I said, I've been dying to see the end of this journey! Let's hope for the best guys!