Tennis no Oujisama © Konomi Takeshi, Jump, Shueisha

Warning: This story contains both shonen-ai relationships and hetero relationships. If it's going to be a bother, please don't read ahead. And if it's not, please enjoy!


Summery: After six years more years of not hearing from his brother, Echizen Ryoga, he suddenly tells Ryoma that he's getting married. Now, Ryoma needs a date or he'll have to face the teasing from both his father and brother…

Yume wa Tomaranai
Chapter One
Best Man

- -
Love is like a piece of paper,
Easy to rip and throw away,
But can be made into a beautiful thing…
- -

Echizen Ryoga, it was a name he didn't even bother to deal with since his freshmen year in Seigaku when his team had gone off on a cruise ship. However, after six years of placing his brother into the back of his mind, he was currently sitting in the hotel room where his elder brother was staying at. His hazel eyes eyed his surroundings before sighing as he leaned back into the chair he sat in and drinking from his from a can of Ponta, which had been given to him as bribe when he was on the verge of leaving.

- -
"Yo, chibisuke, lets talk."
- -

The door to the bathroom clicked open and Ryoma eyed it, watching as his elder brother came out of it. Looking away, he continued to sip the can of Ponta leisurely, his eyes traveling out to the window that was besides him. The view from the hotel was impressive and almost breathtaking. It was midday and the sun was glaring down on Tokyo, as Ryoma had unfortunately realized only after a few hours of playing tennis outdoors. Somewhere in the room his brother was unzipping something but Ryoma gave it no thought as he stood and stared down at Tokyo.

He'd been gone for nearly a year from Japan to only succeed in Wimbledon for a forth time in his young career, and only right after taking the win he announced his retirement soon after that. To say that the tennis world was shocked was an understatement, Ryoma remembered, smirking grimly. When he had announced his retirement while apologizing for the sudden news, he had never seen so many disappointed faces in his life. Even though Ryoma had never said it to the tennis world, his reason for quitting was in Japan.

Something hit him hard on the shoulder and he lowered the can from his lips, glaring at his brother who still stood a few inches taller then him. His brother laughed a bit, before saying, "You never change, do you?" Ryoma didn't bother to answer the question as Ryoga waved the paper in front of his little brother face before Ryoma snatched it away, his older brother annoying antics getting the better of him.

"What is this?" he asked, staring at the white envelope before turning it over. His eyes widened before he looked at his brother as if looking for explanation to what was written on it but his brother merely gave a half-hearted shrug and smirked as he sat on the hotel bed. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he stared at his older brother before shaking his head. "I shouldn't be surprised, should I?"

"Oy, is that some kind of congratulations?" his brother asked, smirking at him. Ryoma shrugged, tossed the later back to his brother and sipped from his drink. His brother chuckled under his breath while picking up the letter that sat on his lap, saying, "So, I take it that you're not going."

Ryoma shrugged before sitting back down into the chair and taking off his hat. "Do I have too?" Ryoma asked as his brother stole his hat from him and put it on, backwards, onto his own head.

In answer, Ryoga laughed. "Ah," he said, grinning at Ryoma who frowned up at the other boy. "Even if you say no our old man is gonna make you anyway, right?"

"Che… stupid oyaji," Ryoma muttered which caused his brother to laugh again. "Do I have to buy you something?"

"Eh?" Ryoga asked, his hand on his heart as if that stung him, "How could you not buy something to celebrate my wedding?"

Ryoma couldn't help but smirk a bit before shrugging. Ryoga gave a smile back before taking off Ryoma's hat and tossing it back to his little brother who caught it with ease. Ryoma grinned as he placed the hat on.

"Ne, wanna play a match?"

Ryoga's eyebrow rose slightly before he burst out laughing. "You really don't change," he said, shaking his head gently, "all right, I'll play you."

Ryoma nodded before walking towards the door of the hotel room, his tennis bag sitting besides the door as if it were patiently waiting for him. However, as he stepped out of the room Ryoga called out to him and he gave a half-turn before his older brother slung an arm over his shoulders.

"Now that you're coming," Ryoga said, tugging on the bill of Ryoma's hat, "you have to be my best man."

"Why do I have to be your best man?"

Ryoga sighed, his eyes rolling. "Why do you always have to ask about everything? Just say yes."

"Heh," Ryoma answered back instead, "maybe I don't want to."

Ryoga looked shocked as he leaned a bit more onto his little brother, shaking his head. "Oy, oy," he began, placing a hand onto his head, "How can you say that to your own brother?"

"What about the people on the cruise boat?" Ryoma asked, eyeing his brother who sighed with a small shake of his head.

"After Sakurafubuki got caught and I went off, the rest of us lost contact," Ryoga said with a careless shrug. "Besides, I might not have been doing as well as you in tennis, chibisuke, but I've been pretty busy with it…"

Ryoma ignored the last part; however, it wasn't on purpose. He frowned a bit, tugging on his hat as he gazed at his brother who had trailed off an odd longing look appearing on the older man's face.

Ryoma sighed and started walking off while he said, "fine, I don't care. I'll be the best man."

"Really?" Ryoga's shock response came before he caught up to Ryoma. "That's more like it, chibisuke."

"Che," was Ryoma's reply.

"Are you going to bring a date?" Ryoga asked suddenly before smirking at his little brother, "If you don't, you'll probably get matched up with my future wife's friends."

"I'll bring one," he said after a pause while looking his brother in the eye.

Personally, he'd much rather bring someone he knew then end up with someone he would dislike through the whole wedding. His brother grinned at him before continuing to talk about the wedding and, after a while, Ryoma turned him off. Now, he realized soon after, he'd gotten himself into trouble. If he didn't bring a date like his brother had said then he'd probably be forced with someone as well as getting mocked by his father and brother.

That was something Ryoma was set on avoiding.

- - -

After having dinner with his family, Ryoma had walked home. He made sure his hat was firmly on and the collar to his jacket was up with hopes that no one would recognize him like this, especially the media. It was a pitiful disguise but it seemed to work as he walked around lazily, not feeling up to returning home just yet. He let his feet take him any where they wanted and after a while, he had paused before his old middle school.

Perhaps he had subconsciously wanted to go elsewhere but he found, as he stared ahead, someone was in his way. A lone woman stood by the gates as she stared at the school with a small smile on her lips. Her long brown hair fluttered in the wind and she was forced to snap out her daze and tuck a stubborn lock of hair behind her ear. She turned towards him and he cursed inwardly as her eyes began to squint at him, trying to figure out who he was.

"Ryoma-kun…" she whispered slowly, walking a bit closer to him.

His eyes met hers and he froze, only one person called him that. However, it had been so long since he had last heard it that he nearly forgot who had called him that. His mind raced as she smiled at him, probably realizing she was right.

"You don't remember me, do you?" she asked, almost sadly. Her eyes turned back to the school and he followed her gaze.

The coach's daughter. Bad at directions. Bad at tennis…

"Ryuzaki-san," he answered, feeling a bit smug that he remembered. He smiled at her and a familiar light pink blush touched her cheeks before she smiled back. He turned, facing the school before asking, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh," she said. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and realized she was carrying a few bags of groceries. "I was picking up some things for obaa-chan. I haven't been in Tokyo for a while and when I passed by here... Well, something just made me stop."

She wore a soft smile on her lips now as she stared out onto the building before them, his lips twitched upwards a bit and his eyes return to the building as well. It was true though, the building held a bit of a nostalgic presence. Just like Ryuzaki had been before, Ryoma fell into a small daze of memories. He smiled softly, remembering when he had entered Seigaku for the first time and when he had held no desire to compete in pro circuits.

- -
"Echizen, become Seigaku's pillar of support!"
- -

Now, here he was, Echizen Ryoma the four time winner of Wimbledon. At that thought, he's heat felt heavy as a feeling of emptiness over came him.

"Um…" her voice brought him back, breaking his small trance. He looked over at her, eyeing her. "I have to go, Ryoma-kun. Obaa-chan's probably waiting for me at home."

There was a pause where she fidgeted a bit, almost cutely. Then, Ryoma grinned and walked towards her a bit. "Let me help you bring the bags home," he said, placing his hand out and motioning to the bag in her left hand.

She began to shake her head but then he added, "I was hoping to visit Ryuzaki-sensei anyway."

"Ah, all right," she finally managed, handing him the grocery bag.

End
Chapter One

Author's Notes:
The title means The dream will not stop. It sort of reminds me of when Nanjiroh told both his sons to reach for a great dream. Anyway, new story. New plot. Worked hard on writer a long chapter and ended up with this. I hope Ryoga's not OoC because I saw a few more clips of him to help with the story but you don't really know him as well as all the other characters. So, sorry if he is.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and THANK YOU for reading!