Hey, everyone! This is MY VERY FIRST ATTEMPT AT FANFICTION, so BE NICE to me, okay? Anyways, I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review at the end. Thanks!

Oh, just a couple things to be aware of first,

Rating: PG-13 now, may raise later in story

Pairings: mainly Tezuka x Fuji, some Oishi x Eiji and hints of others; (YAOI COUPLES – means BOY x BOY love – If YOU DON'T LIKE, LEAVE NOW!)

Other notes: um, this story is AU but it closely resembles the series and doesn't stray too far from natural characters, some OOC-ness, sorry I will try to keep everyone in line.

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters, though I wish I could have my own sadistic Fuji and stoic Tezuka all to myself.

So, that's about it, I think. Enjoy the next chapter …

"blah" = spoken dialogue between characters

blah = unspoken thoughts, also used for emphasis on words or phrases

CHAPTER 1: A Transfer

"What!? We're moving?"

"Yes, Eiji-dear. Your father's business is expanding, you know, and we will be moving closer to his new offices." Eiji's mother said as she pulled out suitcases from the hall closet.

Following his mother into his room, Eiji watched as she plopped the bags on his bed and started opening drawers.

"Wai, wai! Mooommmm! Do we have to go, too?"

"Yes, dear. Don't worry, things will be alright."

"Wait, what about Fuji?" Eiji asked suddenly, thinking of his life-long best friend.

Turning away from the bags she had been packing, Eiji's mom smiled.

"You two are so close, aren't you? Well, like I said, don't worry. Fuji and his family are moving, as well."

"They are?" Eiji said, perking up.

"Of course. Fuji's father is your dad's business partner, isn't he? It only makes sense that he and his family would come, too."

"Hooray! Fuji is coming! Hooray!" Eiji shouted gleefully, jumping to hug his mother.

Smiling at her son's exuberance, Mrs. Kikumaru squeezed him back gently while ruffling his soft hair. "Now, I'd like you to finish packing your things, okay? We'll be leaving this weekend and we all need to be ready."

"Sure, mom." Eiji replied, calming down but still grinning widely.

"That's my boy. Okay, I'm going to go check on your sister's progress. You know how much stuff she has, even more than you do …"

"Mooommmm!!"

"I know, I know, I shouldn't talk considering how you both must get it from me. Hmmm…"

"Yep, we do!" Eiji said with a smug smile on his face.

"Okay, well good luck fitting all of this stuff in your bags. Call me if you need help and don't strain yourself, Eiji-dear." she said with a fondly-stern look.

"Yes, mom." he said, rolling his eyes when she turned around.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Eiji." she said as she walked to the door. Hearing his squawk of surprise behind her, she smiled slyly. "I know all and see all, hehehe…"

"Aaaarrrgghhh!!!"

"Okay, okay, I'm going." she said, still giggling. "Oh, last thing, when you're done, if you decide to go out with Fuji, be careful. I know how much you two love playing tennis, but don't strain yourselves and remember to adequately rest between sets. Okay?"

"We know, mom… We're careful. Don't worry so much." Eiji sighed.

"I know, dear. I just can't help it. It's a mother's right, too. So, make sure you take a water bottle to keep yourself hydrated, your cell phone in care of emergencies, and, most importantly, your in-"

"Yes, mom! I know! We'll be fine!! We know the drill by now." he said, exasperated.

"Okay, dear. Talk to you later. Remember to finish packing, first, though, then take care of yourself and Fuji when you two are playing. Bye, honey." she said, finally leaving Eiji's room and closing the door.

Sighing, Eiji turned to survey his room. "All this has to fit into only these bags!?" Shaking his head, Eiji wondered if it was possible.

At first frowning at the amount of work packing would entail, Eiji quickly brightened. The sooner he got it done, the sooner he could go play tennis with Fuji. With this thought set in his mind, Eiji opened his closet determinedly.

Ready… Set… Go!

.................................................

Carrying his large, black tennis bag as he walked through the park, Eiji smiled. He had finally finished packing. It had taken him four hours, but he had finally got it all into those suitcases … plus a bag or three. Well, it was done and that was what counted.

Looking around, Eiji spotted his friend sitting on a bench near the tennis courts, his own large bag at his feet. Fuji was watching a game between two other teens.

Heading over, Eiji studied his friend. A bit shorter than Eiji's own medium height, Fuji Syusuke was the smaller boy. Shaggy, light brown hair falling a couple inches above his shoulders framed a rather feminine face that complimented his slim form. His piercing blue eyes could be sharp and cold or soft and mysterious, had they been visible that is.

His grin spreading, Eiji thought of his Fuji's unique habit of keeping his eyes shut. Despite this though, he always seemed to know where he was and who was talking to him. Eiji had thought it a cool trick when they were children, but the trick had stuck and now Fuji only opened his eyes occasionally – for family; for close friends, namely Eiji himself; or if something really caught his interest.

Fuji was considered a prodigy, extremely smart, someone who excelled in everything he did. Eiji's best friend since they were tiny tots, Fuji was kind, yet playful and had an almost sadistic sense of humor at times. You had to be careful around him.

Eiji, by contrast, was a maelstrom of emotions, shifting from happy to depressed to teasing to angry in seconds. Physically, Eiji was a couple inches taller than Fuji while both were slim, yet muscular. Eiji's hair was a dark maroon that tended to curl up at the sides. His bright sapphire eyes are always sparkling, reflecting his emotion of the moment.

Mostly energetic and loud, Eiji was the opposite of his often shy and silent friend. They were quite a pair and had been inseparable for years. Since their families are so close, they do everything together from holiday vacations to attending the same schools. To top it off, they both love tennis, both watching and playing it.

Shaking off his moment of reflection, Eiji realized he had reached the bench and Fuji was watching him.

"Oh, ha ha. Heya, Fuji! How are you doing?" Eiji asked as he set his bag down and sat next to Fuji.

"I'm feeling well, thank you. How are you, Eiji? Have you finished packing yet?"

"Wah, don't remind me! Yes, I just did. It took me four hours, Fuji, four!" Eiji exclaimed, waving four fingers in front of Fuji's face to prove his point.

Fuji chuckled.

"Hey, don't laugh at me!"

"You have way too much junk, Eiji. I bet some of what you thought you couldn't live without could actually be left behind."

"Nuh-uh!" Eiji said, shaking his head vehemently.

"Right… Anyways, how is your sister coping with the sudden move?" Fuji asked, neatly changing the subject.

"Oh, sis . . well, she's complaining that she needs more room for her clothes. She has twice what I do. Sheesh! Girls. Way too much stuff . . ." he said, shaking his head sadly.

Fuji chuckled again.

"What?" Eiji asked, an adorably confused look on his face.

"You shouldn't be talking, Eiji, if it took you four hours to pack." Fuji replied, still smirking.

"Hey! Be quiet, you." Eiji said, smiling.

They sat in comfortable silence watching the match before them. Seeing that both teens were skilled, it was quickly apparent the taller boy had the advantage as he capitalized on his greater height and lobbed the ball over his opponent's head. The match soon ended, 6-3, the taller boy winning as expected.

As the two boys prepared to leave the court, Fuji and Eiji got up and began stretching.

"So, what do you think this new school we'll be going to will be like? What's it called, again . . . Sei-something or other?" Eiji asked, bending to touch his toes.

"It's Seigaku and I don't know what it's like. I haven't heard of it, but that's not surprising as it is in another district." Fuji replied, reaching his arms behind his back.

"Well, I hope it has a tennis team or something."

"Yes, that would be nice. It would be fun to watch their matches and see if they had any worthy players." Fuji said, smiling lightly, shifting to his leg stretches.

"Hmmm . . . "

Fuji paused at that and looked over at Eiji. "Eiji" What's the matter?"

"Fuji . . . don't you ever get tired of just watching from the sidelines?"

"What are you talking about, Eiji? We play together nearly everyday." he said, deliberately misinterpreting.

"Fuuuujjiiiiii, you know what I mean! Not just playing a few games or vollying for a bit, but an actual full length match, 6 games, against an unfamiliar opponent." Eiji replied, looking up from his position on the ground, an exasperated look on his face.

Fuji sighed. Finishing his own stretches, he knelt down and unzipped his bag. Pulling out his water bottle and setting it on the bench, he finally turned to Eiji.

"Eiji, you know as well as I do that playing a complete match of tennis is out of the question for both of us. We'd collapse before we ever got to the final game in the set."

"But . . ."

"Eiji." Fuji opened his eyes and looked fondly at his best friend. "You are my best friend. We have been together since we were children, always there for each other through thick and thin, right?"

"Yeah . . ."

"We both fell in love with tennis and have pursued it over the years despite our parents' constant warnings and remarks for caution. So far, we have done alright and can play each other a bit every day; but, that time only lasts so long. There is a limit to the joy we feel on the tennis court, chasing balls with our racquets, and we are both aware of it. We play tennis because we love it and we play it together because we know each other's limits and when the other needs to stop for a break. Can't you be satisfied with the small amount of happiness we can gain from playing even a few games of tennis every day? What if we couldn't play at all?"

Eiji was quiet as he mulled over what Fuji had just said, finishing his own stretches. Pulling his water bottle from his bag and taking a sip before setting it down on the bench next to Fuji's.

Turning toward his friend with a smile firmly in place, Eiji said, "You're right, Fuji. Sorry to complain like that. I don't know where either of us would be without tennis in our lives in one form or another."

Fuji smiled and clasped the hand held out. "Okay, let's go play."

Clipping their cell phones to their waist bands and pulling down their shirts over them, both Fuji and Eiji grabbed their racquets and headed toward the court. They were leaving soon and wanted to get in a few games before the moving vans came to take them away to a new life.

.................................................

The weekend came and soon both families were busy loading the vehicles and on their way to their new homes. The parents, close friends of many years, had managed to find two suitable homes right next to each other that would accommodate both of their families.

Sitting in the car, both Fuji and Eiji looked wide-eyed out the window at their new neighborhood. Most of the homes were of good size to accommodate large families, but there were a couple small ones interspersed and even an apartment complex nearby.

"Hey, look, there's a park over there. Aniki, do you think it has any tennis courts?" asked Yuuta, Fuji's beloved younger brother. Yuuta had the same light brown hair as his older brother, but his eyes were steel grey, always open, and three years younger than Fuji. He also had a cross-shaped scar on his forehead from an accident as a child. But, he shared Fuji and Eiji's love of tennis, though he could play several complete games in a row without a worry, unlike his two 'brothers.'

"Wow! Fuji, look!! A park!" Eiji exclaimed.

"Well, Yuuta, we'll have to check it out later or ask mom and dad. They might know." Fuji responded, smiling fondly at his younger brother.

Yuuta nodded, returning to looking out the window around Eiji's head which was bouncing about, looking every which way it could.

"Eiji-niisan, stop moving about so much. I can't see!" cried Yuuta.

"Ochibi, hey. . . stop it … mou! Fuji! He pushed me!"

"Did not! Besides, he started it. . . " they said, bickering.

"Both of you, be quiet! I don't want to have to pull over and come back there!" Eiji and Yuuta froze at the sound of Eiji's older sister's voice. She could be quite scary when you got on her nerves, so both of them immediately sat back in their seats and faced forward, hands in their lap.

"Thank you. That's better." she said, returning her attention to the road.

Fuji just chuckled.

.................................................

It was Sunday night and both families had gathered in the backyard for a bar-b-que. It had taken two days for them to all move everything into the two houses, but finally things were done and everyone settled in. Now, as they all relaxed in the yard and patio, the group spoke of the upcoming week.

"Tomorrow is Monday, so you kids will be starting school." Fuji's mother said.

"Wah, wah! No, not school! I hate studying!" Eiji cried.

"Do we hafta, mom?" Yuuta complained.

"Yes, you do, all three of you boys do; that includes you too, Fuji."

"Of course, mother." Fuji calmly replied.

"Aaahhh, but Fuji you actually like school! Can't you just go for me instead?" Eiji whined.

"No, he can't." his mother said. "Eiji-dear, think of it as an adventure. You get to meet new people and have a fresh start at this school, Seigaku."

"Yes, dear." Fuji's mother agreed. "Oh, I almost forgot. When I was in the market today, I heard a couple of boys talking about Seigaku."

"Really, mother? What were they saying?" Fuji asked, curiously.

"Supposedly, Seigaku has a tennis club." All three boys looked up at that. "Yes, and the team is rather good too. The captain, Te- Tez- something, I forget, he is supposedly undefeatable." she said, smiling.

"Yes! Hooray!!" Eiji cried, jumping up and down while Fuji smiled brightly and his open eyes gleamed.

Obviously overcome with his joy, Eiji grabbed Fuji's hands and pulled him around the yard, both of them laughing the whole way. However, as they continued to dance about their laughter started to die out, replaced by a faint wheezing.

Yuuta who was standing nearby dropped his tennis racquet and hurried to his brothers, crying,

"Aniki! Eiji-niisan!"

Hearing Yuuta's frantic cry, everyone looked toward the two boys who had bent over by now, clutching their chests. Rushing over, both mothers grabbed their sons and tried to calm them down: "Fuji-honey," "Eiji-dear," "Are you two alright?" "Here, sit down and just breathe . . breathe . . ." "breathe. . . that's it . . yes . . . good boys . . ."

Holding onto each other's hand the entire time in a show of support, Fuji and Eiji each reassure themselves of the other's presence. Finally calming down, the boys sighed and smiled lightly to each other.

"They have . . ." Eiji began.

". . . a tennis team." Fuji finished.

"Mou, you two had us worried for a second there. Try to keep it down, okay?"

"Yes, mom." they both replied.

Once their mothers had retreated inside, the boys turned to face each other.

Both grinning madly now, they began to talk of the next day, their first day of school at Seigaku, the school which had a tennis team. Soon, their mothers called them inside and the two families separated, wishing each other a good night. Fuji and Eiji shared one last smile before promising to meet in the morning and walk to school together.

Seigaku, huh? It seems moving would turn out to be not as bad as they had first believed. Both boys could barely sleep that night as they thought of what Seigaku might have in store for them tomorrow.

To Be Continued

Coming Up Soon: Chapter 2 – Mysterious New Students: Eiji and Fuji's first day of school where they check out the tennis club, meet the two handsome captains, and answer some questions.

So, what did you think? Please submit a review and tell me what you think of the story so far. I plan on continuing it, so don't worry about scaring me away with harsh comments. I welcome compliments and criticism. So, click the button below and see you next chapter. Jaa ne!