Disclaimer : Prince of Tennis (Tenisu no Oujisama) does not belong to me.

Pairings : Tezuka x Ryoma, Ryoma x Sakuno (for a while)
Genre : Romance/Angst/Slash
Rating : R (just to be safe)
Summary : It's been three years since Tezuka left Seigaku Junior High. Three years later, he finds himself walking back to the familiar courts to face his nightmare and his most pleasant dream. (Tezuka x Ryoma, Ryoma x Sakuno (for a while))

*Note : This fic is a slash (yaoi, homosexual, m/m) fic. So if it bothers you, you can start closing this window of yours. I gave you the warning. It is up to you to decide whether you want to continue.

AGAIN

Chapter One

"Twenty laps around the court, now!" It is strange hearing something so familiar from the past and seeing the Seigaku Junior High Tennis Club running past me. How long has it been? Three years? Yes, three years. It had been that long since I last stepped into these courts.

"Eh? Tezuka?" I turned to see Ryuzaki-sensei. She still looks the same, in her pink sports attire, except perhaps looking older.

"Ryuzaki-sensei," I replied, nodding and acknowledging her. She gave her smile and stood next to me. Both of us stood abreast, staring at the courts. The members were about to begin their training.

"So how's life in Seigaku University? I heard you are in the tennis team again," she asked. I nodded my head. I was not in a mood to talk. I do not even know why I came back here today. I had been trying to avoid this place ever since I graduated from Seigaku Junior. But today, my heart just took over my mind, and I found myself wandering back into the familiar courts again.

"How's the team this year?" I finally spoke. Even without looking at Ryuzaki-sensei, I can sense her smile and pride in this year's team. "Very good. Momoshiro left us with a couple of good regulars. His training style is very different from yours, Tezuka." I glanced at her and back at the court again, trying my very best not to search for him. "Tsutomo! You are too slow! Try again!" The voice came from the other court. It was familiar, yet, uncertain. I tried to peek at the source, yet I was afraid. "Our new buchou is a mixture of your style and Momoshiro's," she continued. "Let me introduced you to him." She was smiling at me again. Silly old woman. She turned to the other court and shouted, "Ryoma! Come over for a while."

Ryoma. The mentioned of his name made my heart skip a beat. I turned to find the new captain. He was telling the regulars something, with his back facing us. It was not difficult to spot him among the regulars. He was still wearing that cap of his. "Our little Ryoma have grown up, Tezuka. He is now more opened compared to when you and the rest left us. And much more cheery and less oblivious. However he still hasn't outgrown out of his obnoxious attitude."

Yes, Ryoma definitely had grown up within these three years. He is no longer the ochibi-chan that Kikumaru used to tease. He probably shot up the last few years, no longer standing at 151cm. 166? Or perhaps more? But he is still shorter than me. He turned, arranged his cap and walked towards us. Not only hasn't his attitude, his eyes has not changed as well. It was his cat eyes that attracted me. Those eyes that told his opponent that he was going to trash them. It was those eyes that made me fall in love with him.

He walked up towards us, and he finally realized who I was. He stopped in his steps. "…… Buchou?" he asked hesitantly, as if he could not believe it was me. "Echizen." I replied curtly. We stood there, just staring at each other, wondering if this was real. "Now you two, shoo, go take a walk and catch up. It's been three years since you last saw each other." Ryuzaki-sensei broke the odd silence between us. She smiled and walked towards the courts. Ryoma sighed. It was not a bad sigh, more of an I-give-up-on-Ryuzaki-sigh. "Well," he said, tilting his head to the direction behind the school, "come on now. We've got catching up to do." He turned and walked off, with me following behind him. Indeed, he has changed.

Soon I realized we were walking towards that place. He stopped in front of the tree when it happened. "Tezuka," he called, without turning to face me, but facing the tree. "Why did you come back?" I was taken aback by his sudden question. It was a question I wanted to know the answer to as well. "I… I don't know," oddly, it was me speaking, yet it didn't sound like me. With his back still facing me, he gave a tiny chuckle, soft but audible. "It's been three years. Remember this place, Tezuka?" How could I not? I have been haunted by the memories of this place over and over again. How could I not remember? He walked towards the trees, touching its bark and looking up at the leaves and branches. The shadow of the tree engulfed him in semi-darkness. "Three years ago, I asked you to meet me here." I looked at the ground, pushing up my glasses absent-mindedly.

"Tezuka…. Suki desu ne." The voice of twelve-year-old-Ryoma spoke in my mind. "Gomen." So did the fifteen-year-old me. Memories of our past seemed to have appeared in front of us, in front of this tree.

"But… why?" Ryoma hid back his tears. He never cried, even when his racquet broke into pieces and came crashing towards his left eye during his game with Fudomine's Shinji Ibu.

"Because."

"That's not a valid answer!" His anger was taking over him.

"Because you are only twelve and too young for such things. Because you probably mixed admiration with love. Because I'm a guy and you're a guy and society will never accept it." The so-ever-mister-perfect-me was speaking while the other me, the me who was in love with Ryoma, was crying inside. My face remained stoic and cold while he stood there, quiet and sullen. The shadow of his cap covered his face, not allowing me to see his emotions. "I'm sorry." And I walked away from this tree and from him.

"I thought about it after you abandoned me here," he spoke. His voice broke my thoughts. I looked up from the ground, to see him looking at me, smiling. Not a genunine smile, but smile with a tinge of sadness behind it. "And perhaps you were right. I was young and stupid. Look at me now Tezuka. I'm all grown up." His eyes shimmered in the shadows of the leaves and his hair was fluttering with the wind. The desire to hold and smell his hair was there. The desire to touch and caress his cheeks was within me. The desire to go forward and kiss his soft gentle lips. It seems that my love for him never faded. It was just hidden inside. And seeing him again, standing in front of me, brought it out again. But despite these desires and urges, I could not show how much I wanted him. A blush went across my face and I looked down again, trying to hide it. I nodded, as a sign to continue. "And I'm with Sakuno now."

My heart sank at the news. The usually expressionless Tezuka finally showed an expression. An expression of shock and disappointment. I continued staring at the ground. I was speechless, dumbfounded and felt utterly stupid. Why did I come back? I came back to see him again, hoping he would be mine? I stood there, trying to get myself back together. I looked up at him, with the same stern expression I always had and spoke, "Congratulations." And for the second time, I walked away from the tree and from him.

Author's Notes:

My first TeniPuri fic had to be a TezuxRyo one =________=;; Not that I mind this pairing. I support it atually. but heh. Anyway I hope it is alright and not too boring? I always seem to end up with sucky endings. This is my first series fic as well. Nope this is not the end. ^^ Hope no one is going to murder me for pairing Ryoma with Sakuno. ^^ Anyway here are the translations.


Suki Desu ne - I like you.

Gomen - Sorry.

Buchou – Captain

Sensei – teacher


Before I end, I must thank MizeryFree because it was their music that kept me going. Heh