Title: The Pillar and The Foundation
Author/s: Woohoo! A collaboration from Aki Rei and ice krystahl! And it's our first Prince of Tennis fic too..
Warning: Aki Rei: This is Y-A-O-I.
ice krystahl: And Momo is a star!
Aki Rei: Whatever. So if this stuff don't float your boat, shoo! Go away!
ice krystahl: Yeah! And Momo- chan- sempai is a STAR!
Aki Rei: And this is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE!
ice krystahl: Which means we just playfully changed the original story, and put Momo in Hyotei!
Aki Rei: Everything else, it's the same.
Ice krystahl: Yeah, and MOMO IS A STAR!
Aki Rei: I think they got that by now.
Pairings: Aki Rei: MomoRyo, could be Golden Pair, and whatever struck our fancy.
ice krystahl: So be afraid. Be very afraid.
Chapter 1
Momoshiro never thought that he'd ever fit in with the crowd of Hyotei Gakuen. First of all, he knew that this school was known to be the school for the kids who belong in the high- society circle. Although his family was far from being labeled street bums, it is also true they were no Hiltons either. Indeed, his first week in his new school was pure hell. Every person he tried to have a conversation with either showed their nose at him or ignored him completely.
This had troubled him, because as far as memory goes, Momoshiro had no problem making friends. He was outgoing and funny. Plus, he wasn't that bad- looking too. People liked him… no. People loved him! But apparently, people in Hyotei Gakuen were a different kind of people in itself. He had never seen so many stuck up brats before. Snobby kids here, snobby brats there… They just seemed to multiply right before his astounded eyes.
He even came to the point where he was seriously considering switching to another school. Truth be told, he really didn't want to go to Hyotei in the first place. The only reason why he was here in this God- forsaken school was that his mother had forced him to do so.
Flashback:
"Takeshi, I want you to enroll at Hyotei Gakuen."
Momoshiro threw up the milk he was drinking. "Hyotei Gakuen! But-"
"Well, honey, they have a good reputation for rearing great tennis players. I just want your genius to show!" His mother practically cooed into his ear while pinching his cheek lovingly.
"But Mom! I don't think I'd like to go to Hyotei! In fact, I was thinking of getting into Se-"
"No buts, baby, Hyotei it is."
"BUT MOM!" Momoshiro exclaimed loudly, knocking over a chair in his haste to stand up.
Bad move.
His mother had mistaken it as a sign of rebellion, and faster than Momoshiro can say 'tennis'- his mother had already slapped her hand on the table and he knew at that exact moment that the conversation was over.
"Takeshi Momoshiro! If you don't enroll in Hyotei Gakuen, you will never, ever eat or even see a single dessert for your whole junior high life!"
End of Flashback.
Damn him and his bottomless pit of a stomach. If it wasn't for his damned appetite, he would've put his foot down, fought tooth and nail with his mother about going to Hyotei Gakuen. But no…! He just had to say yes the moment he heard no desserts for the rest of his junior high life. Even Momo himself had wondered why his stomach had a mind of its own. It just takes over his brain at certain times.
But it's no use crying over spilt milk now. So Momoshiro had decided to at least check out the tennis club. Just to see for himself if it really was as great as he heard it to be. He made his way to the tennis club the moment his last class was dismissed. He was surprised when he realized that at least half of his class was heading towards the tennis club too.
He didn't let his surprise show at first. He reasoned with himself that tennis at this school was popular and so the number of students wanting to be a member. Perfectly logical, even to Momo. But when he reached the tennis courts, Momoshiro's jaw dropped at what he saw. There were at least 200 hundred members of the club! How was he supposed to get promoted to be a regular with this number of competitors! What was his mother thinking!
He must've looked ultra pathetic because next thing he knew, there was a red headed guy laughing his ass off while pointing at him. Next to him was a tall guy with round glasses who was smirking confidently. Momoshiro being Momo, got irritated at this.
"What are you laughing at!" He demanded of the red headed guy, who was now currently rolling on the ground in laughter. He got ignored and Momo's irritation level upped another notch. He turned to the other guy who was still wearing that damned smirk on his face.
"What is so funny!" He asked yet again his voice raising an octave.
"You." The guy simply said while shrugging his shoulders. Momo saw red and blew smoke through his nose.
"Why you…"
"Hey, do you play tennis?" The red headed guy asked him in a straight face, all previous smiles and laughter gone without a trace. Momo took a step back. He recovered that fast!
"Uh, yeah." He stammered the words out. He can't believe the people in this school! All of them were eccentric!
"Want to play a game with me?" Momoshiro nodded dumbly and automatically. He was confused, really. But a game is a game - and Momoshiro is everything and competitive.
Momoshiro lost that game, but in such a small margin only. His opponent was impressed with him and so was the other guy. So the two had dragged him to their captain, who turned out to be a mega diva, and recommended him for a chance in the regulars' spot. The captain sighed demurely, before saying that if 'Oshitari' said so, then it was alright with him too.
Momoshiro later learned that the red headed guy was Mukahi Gakuto and that the guy with the round glasses was Oshitari Yuushi. They were a doubles team and highly respected regulars. They were the first friends Momo had made in Hyotei. And that had made Momo happy, because he finally had a reason to stay in the school.
Momo had participated in the competition for a regulars spot. It seems that even to participate in this competition was cutthroat. Not all 200 members were to participate. Only a handful was chosen to be given the chance. Momo realized that this was the recommendation Gakuto-senpai and Oshitari-senpai were talking about.
He won all of his games except the one with Shishido-senpai. But it was enough for Momo to land a regulars spot. Ever since then, Momo had been peers with the guys in his class and was popular enough to be greeted by other members of the club too. And being the nice guy that Momo is, he forgot that he had once been snubbed by the same people who were now clamoring to be his friend.
All of that was in the past now, and finally, he was able to feel thankful that his mom had sent him to Hyotei Gakuen. He'd made it to the regulars, enjoyed the games and competitions and especially had Gakuto-senpai to bully into buying him burgers.
"So Momo, how was the move you were working on?" Oshitari asked Momo who was woken up from his reverie. Momo scratched his head.
"Well, I'm still hitting some snags in the timing…" Gakuto was about to butt in the conversation when he was distracted.
"Atobe-buchou! What's up?" The red head asked their captain who was sauntering his way towards them with Kabaji in tow. He noticed that their captain was looking kind of different today.
In all his time with the tennis club, Gakuto had never seen their captain looking so joyful and interested in something. His eyes had this sparkly glow in them that Gakuto hadn't seen before. He was thankful that those eyes weren't trained on him. Who knows what that diva was brewing up? It was definitely no good, he decided.
"Momo? That's your name right?" The mighty captain asked Momo as he came up behind the sophomore. Momo turned around in surprise.
"Bu-buchou! Yes..! It's Momoshiro!" He stammered as if in awe of the captain of Hyotei Gakuen tennis club.
"Well.. Momishiro.."
"MomOshiro, buchou."
"Riiiiight. Listen Momosharu, ore- sama has great plans for you."
Momoshiro took another look at the sight in front of him, and shook his head slightly, as if unwilling to believe it's true. But the sight was still there. It was real.
There, in front of him, shining in all its glory and overbearing beauty, was a huge yacht. It was regal and awe- inspiring in its entirety. The paint was white and gleaming, and boasts the name, "Ore- sama" with matching imprints of red roses surrounding it. Momo knew that he should be impressed. That he should be probably be salivating and turning green with envy at the sight of the yacht. But in all honesty, he was desperately stopping himself to gag.
And then as if from a bizarre dream, Atobe Keigo himself came strolling in to view, with the sun shining directly behind him, giving him a somewhat ethereal aura. With him were three maids and a butler. One maid was holding what seems to be a glass of orange juice adorned with a slice of an orange; another was holding out an umbrella, shielding Atobe from the rays of the morning sun and the last was holding a towel in her hands. Now there's a prima donna.
Flashing him a rather wicked smile, his buchou swept one arm around him and said, "Welcome to Ore-sama. Bask in its beauty that is very much similar to whom it was named after!"
Really. He said that as if he expected Momoshiro to drop on all fours and worship him and his yacht for the rest of time. But Momo being Momo, decided to humor him.
"Woooow… Buchou! What a nice yacht!" Momo said in his most awe struck voice while trying to put stars in his eyes. Atobe-buchou didn't look to happy at what Momo said.
"Nice? That's all you can say about Ore-sama?"
"Uh… Actually, I meant… What a very nice yacht!" Momo said in his super happy voice. Atobe-buchou painstakingly looked at him from head to toe before deciding that 'very nice' was an okay adjective for his Ore-sama.
"Very well, let's get in. Ore-sama has a proposition to tell you."
"A proposition? And which Ore- sama are we talking about?" Momo asked curiously as he comes up behind his buchou, who was currently making his way inside the yacht.
"Well, duh. The original ore- sama, of course. Which is to say it is I, Ore- sama who wants to discuss your future with you."
"Oh! Ah.. Erhm.. But why?" Momo asked more to himself than to his captain. This really perplexed him. Atobe-buchou didn't meddle with his teammates' lives. He was just there to guide them and instruct them in tennis. Why the sudden interest in his future?
"Hmm. I see that you had the potential to be the next ore-sama, that's why." Atobe-buchou answered Momo as they reached the deck. Momoshiro took a step back. He was shocked beyond belief! He had the potential to be the next ore-sama? Surely he did not show signs of obsession with roses! And he did not feel the need or wanted a Kabaji!
"Now, now, Momo. Why are you looking so pale?" Atobe-buchou asked him in a slightly confused tone as he sat down at the prepared table in the deck. He snapped his finger once and Maid number 1 offered a drink to him. He demurely took a sip of his orange juice as he appraised the white as chalk Momoshiro. The said sophomore opened and closed his mouth as if forcing himself to spit out words. Ore-sama took pity on the poor boy.
"Why don't you sit down and I'll tell what I have in mind?" He asked as nicely as he could. He clicked his fingers together to get maid number 3's attention. He cocked his head to the still stricken Momo and the girl understood.
The maid made her way towards Momoshiro, grabbed his arm and gently led him to a chair. Atobe patted Momo's hand to get his attention. The sophomore's head shot up.
"But… But… Buchou! I don't like roses!" He blurted out so suddenly. Ore-sama's brows rose.
"What are you talking about?"
"I don't think I can be like you buchou! I mean, I don't like having Kabaji as a shadow!" And then as if on cue, Kabaji turned up and made his way behind Atobe's chair. Ore-sama narrowed his eyes.
"That's good to hear Momo, as I don't like sharing Kabaji with anyone."
"And… and I don't think I can refer to myself as ore-sama, buchou!" Momo protested again as his eyes took on a desperate plea for help. Atobe's possessiveness of Kabaji didn't even register in his panicked mind. All Momo could think of was that he can't possibly be turning into an… an.. an Ore-sama!
"Well, it is not imperative so, I think that's fine." Atobe said clearly clueless as what to Momo was thinking ploughed on ahead. He clicked his fingers once again, and this time maid number 2 came beside him and waited patiently for his order.
"Bring in the food for our guest." The maid nodded and went. Momo, he noticed was mumbling to himself. Ore-sama sighed.
"Momo, I want you to be Hyotei's Foundation."
"Huh?" Momoshiro asked confused.
"Be the Foundation of Hyotei."
"What?" Momo can't be hearing right. Foundation of Hyotei? What the hell is that!
"Be Hyotei's strength and inspiration, Momo. Be a shining beacon of light for your comrades. Lead them to the nationals. Be the next ore-sama!" Oh. Oh. Oooohhh… Buchou was talking about being the next captain! He wasn't talking about being literally the next him! So silly of Momo!
But still! The next captain? Momo hadn't given any thought about leading any team. Much less a club consisting of 200 members! And besides… He heard of this somewhere… This speech was somewhat familiar… And Foundation of Hyotei rings a bell…
"So Momo, what do you think? Will you be the next ore-sama?" Atobe-buchou asked him in a slightly hopeful voice. Momo laid back on his chair as he brought a hand to his chin for effect.
"I'll think about it, buchou."
"I want an answer now, Momo."
"But, I don't think I can answer right now…" Momo replied haltingly. Ore-sama was getting impatient. He had a hard time thinking of the next ore-sama and this Momo had the guts to make him wait for a decision! Can't he see that this offer was a once in a lifetime thing! It's not as if ore-sama goes around picking random people to be the next him!
"You know, Momo, a lot of people will give their arms to be the next Foundation of Hyotei! I am a bit insulted that you are not happy with this!" Ore- sama exclaimed loudly, with Kabaji nodding behind him.
At this point onwards, Momo had started to sweat terribly. When had been the air conditioner turned off? Or was it only him! Maybe Ore- sama had put something in his drink? No. He wouldn't do that. He wants Momo to become the next foundation of Hyotei after all…
"Buchou, I really didn't mean to offend you…"
But Ore- sama was not keen on making this discussion long. He knew what he wanted, and ore-sama gets what he wants. All the time. This Momo will not hinder him from one- upping Tezuka Kunimitsu, his rival since they were little and in ore- sama's case, precious! So maybe it was time he played dirty with him.
"But you did offend me, Momo."
"I really didn't mean it, buchou… I'm really…"
"…Are you really and truly sorry?"
"Wha? Of course! I meant every single word!"
"Okay.. then that's settled. Why Momo, would you care for some hamburgers?"
"Thanks, bu--- A WHAT?"
"A hamburger. I believe I imported hamburgers from America. I hear it's very.. tasty. And delicious… Imagine it hot. Fresh from the oven with lots of ketchup and lettuce and tomato…"
Ore- sama went on and on, describing a hamburger and everything good Momo can only imagine. By the time ore- sama had finished his speech, Momo was practically drooling and salivating.
"So.. would you like one?"
"HELL YEAH!"
Ore- sama snapped his fingers twice and maid number 3 left the room. A few moments later, she emerged from the pantry carrying a silver platter. Momo watched every single move with a hawk's eye, as if watching an important tennis match. His eyes followed Maid number 3 as she walked between him and ore- sama and placed the silver platter there and even gasping with celebration as she lifted the lid.
There it was. Momoshiro's pride and joy (aside from tennis, of course. And his bike, as well.), all 6 inches high and as wide as a plate, the hamburger Ore- sama had been describing.
Momoshiro reverently held out a shaking hand to get that burger and place it in his waiting mouth when..
SMACK!
"Oww!" Momoshiro groaned loudly, and hugged his aching hand to his chest. Kabaji just slapped his hand away, and Momo wasn't sure if he purposely smacked him hard, or it was just a normal smack for Kabaji. Uhm… well, judging by Kabaji's hand, looks like the answer could be either or both two.
"Before you eat that, Momo, lets wrap up our conversation now shall we?" Ore- sama asked with a strange glint in his eye.
Momo stalled. Oh no! The diva had tempted me! He looked around helplessly, wishing hard that there was somebody who could help him. But there was none, and if things were bad enough, that darned perfect hamburger was just there, waiting to be eaten by him!
"Well, Momoshiro? Would you be the Foundation of Hyotei?"
A second passed, then ten. A little more, and the silence had stretched to a full minute. The clock ticked loudly in Momo's ears and he sees noting but the hamburger in front of him.
I have to be strong. Strong. That is JUST a hamburger.
"Oh well. Looks like you don't want the hamburger. Kabaji? Throw the thing away." Momoshiro's eyes widened in shock. Atobe-buchou wouldn't do that to a harmless hamburger now, would he?
"But… Buchou!"
"Hmmm…?" Ore-sama asked Momo in his barely suppressed victorious voice.
"Uhm… Fine! Don't throw the burger away…"
"And so? Will you be the Foundation of Hyotei?" Momo's sweat trickled down his nose, gulped the invisible thing blocking his throat and looked at the burger in front of him. Seconds ticked by…
Cool it Momo, it's just a burger. Just. A. Burger.
Ore- sama picked up the platter and waved it in front of Momo's pale face. The aroma quickly wafted through his nose.
"Momo... I'm waiting for your answer…" Ore- sama said in a sing-song voice.
Must think of molds! Must think of mold- infested burger! Must think of… Gakuto in his pink polka-dotted underwear!
"Oh well. This is taking too much of my precious time! I should be out working on my tan… sigh. Kabaji, you know what to do."
"Usu!" Kabaji grunted, and reached for the hamburger. He picked it up and aimed for the trashcan.
Mc Donalds have those. I can replace it with fifteen quarter pounders… Momo thought desperately, but when Kabaji had finally reached the trash can, he screamed.
"WAIT! Fine, fine! I'll do it! I'll be the Foundation of Hyotei!"
Ore-sama's eyes lit up with Momo's decision. He nodded to Maid number 2 who bowed down and went to fetch something. Even Kabaji was also looking quite happy with the results of ore-sama's painstaking labor.
Needless to say, Ore-sama and Kabaji were in cloud nine at the moment. Ore-sama because he could practically taste his victory over his eternal rival Tezuka Kunimitsu and Kabaji… well, let's just say that he's happy too for his buchou. As they were basking in the glory of the moment, they almost did not see Momo making a grab for the burger… But with ore-sama's quick eye and reflexes…
SMACK!
"OWW! What the hell is that about buchou!" Momo asked as his eyes watered in pain. That's the second time today! Momo didn't think he can endure another parting with the hamburger.
"Momosharu! You're destroying the moment! Wait till we have our toast!"
"But I already said I'll be the Foundation of Hyotei! That means I can eat my hamburger right?"
"No. we have to toast first! This will be the best ending of my appointment to you." Momo's patience was really stretched to its limit. Really. Good thing that maid number 3 had finally made its appearance with two champagne flutes and said bottle.
"Let's make the toast." Ore-sama said in his most regal voice as he raised his glass. Momo raised his glass as well while trying not to look too sulky.
"For the next Foundation of Hyotei." They clicked glasses and the pact was made. Momo looked at his buchou cagily.
"May I eat the burger now buchou?" Ore-sama smiled at him that made his skin crawl.
"Yes, you may, Momo." This time Momo finally bit into the burger and his eyes watered again. Not in pain but in happiness. It was really as delicious as Atobe-buchou said it to be! He was so preoccupied with eating his precious burger that he almost missed ore-sama's declaration to Kabaji.
"He better wipe that Pillar of Seigaku down or else I'm never going to face Tezuka again…"
Something's not right with that statement… Pillar of Seigaku. He was sure he heard that from someone. Actually, his best friend had just told him about it…
SMACK!
"Eh? Momosharu? Is there any problem?" Ore- sama inquired, looking oddly at him. Well, who wouldn't be? He just smacked his forehead with a resounding force.
"None buchou. None at all." Momo replied rather shakily. How could he have been so stupid! He knew there was something vaguely sinister about the whole Foundation of Hyotei kind of thing, but it didn't register to him that his buchou was actually building him up as a rival towards Seigaku's new genius…
Echizen Ryoma.
His best friend.
t.b.c
A/N:
Aki Rei: Well, that's that!
ice krystahl- Yeah, I really hope you like it! Now… lets get back to my previous question.. Is Momo- chan a star? And the answer is (drumroll) … YES!
Next question, is Ore- sama precious? Now, now, we all know the answer to that!
Aki Rei- Ooookay! That's enough! Well, we like to thank these precious people:
katariun- Atobe is precious, ne!
akari-hayashi- YAY! YOU LOVE MOMO! YAY! ICE LOVES YOU TOO!
Kloudy Reignfall- Well, we also think that the POT readership doesn't seem keen on giving reviews. But hey, we did found some really good ones that had plenty of reviews. Thanks for liking it! We really hope you like this one, too!