Breaking the Facade

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis. Anything that does not look PoT-ish is mine though.

Summary: "Because," he couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice, "tennis is no longer a part of my life." (AU-ish)

Notes: TezFuji, RyoMomo, EijShu (Golden Pair), InuKao, and TakaOC. All couples are yaoi except TakaOC. If you don't like, please leave.

Warnings: Yaoi in the future chapters, language, graphic violence in future chapters, and spoilers

Diamonds Don't Last for Forever

When Fuji had spotted his younger 'brother', he had frozen still and couldn't help but breath out, "Otouto." Just the sight of seeing his 'brother' was breaking apart the mask that he had placed upon himself all those years ago after the horrific break, even though it had melted slightly over time with Kohana. When his younger 'brother' had looked up and their eyes connected, he couldn't help but allow the mask to start to chip away even more. Especially when his otouto called him 'Ani' again.

When his younger 'brother', who was a brother to him in all but blood, came up to him, he stiffened even more. He felt Kohana place her hand in his, and he felt a surge of warmth spread through him. Kohana cared so much for him, even if they had only become part of each others lives three years ago.

He squeezed Kohana's hanad just as the man got right up to him. There was a faint amusement in his stance along with a lingering sadness. "Well," the younger man smiled. "It's been a while, Ani." And then...

..his otouto slapped him!

Fuji raised his hand to his cheek and turned to the younger man and began to chuckle. "I do believe that I deserved that." He rubbed his red and sore cheek. There would be a big and ugly bruise there tomorrow. A reminder of all the hurt that he had in life. Oh well, at least it was external mark. It fade later with time, but he would remember it.

He turned to his daughter and gave her a small smile. "Don't worry, he all the reason to slap me." He could still see that she was bristling with anger. She was very overprotective of him, even through they had only been father and daughter for two wonderful years.

He squeezed her hand, in order to calm her and reassure her for the moment. He didn't want her to start attacking his brother out in public. Private, though, he might just have to give up on trying to get her to act decently. The young girl had a violate temper, even though she usually kept it in reign. But there were other topics at hand that he needed to take care of, so he shook his head, mentally, and turned his attention back to his old friend.

"Well Ryoma, I must say that you still know how to make a scene." He chuckled again, but it only stood to hide his fear at the thought of Ryoma, his otouto, loathing him so much as to slap him so hard.

breakingthefacade/breakingthefacade/breakingthefacade

Ryoma just stared at the duo before him, at the man who had just up and walked out of his life, his heart, so randomly. The same man that had hurt him so much. So he did the only thing that any man would do in such a position. He slapped said man.

But it broke his heart just to do that.

When he had slapped his Ani, he could see the statled curlean blue eyes bore into him before closing again. Those blue, blue eyes held so much pain, so much saddness in them that it broke his heart, again. It was pain that no man should suffer. Especially his Ani.

It was the pain of a long broken heart that had begun to heal and then shattered again.

And then, his brother had the gall to just chuckle in that fake way that only few knew of and just say that he 'deserved that'. There was no way that he could or should. Ryoma should have known that his Ani hadn't wanted to leave. He should have known that there was some heart breaking reason before he would willingly leave the things and people that his life, hell world, revolved around.

His own heart broke for his brother, again.

It began to repair itself as he watched his Ani interact with the younger girl next to him. The younger girl was so overprotective of his brother, it was as if they were father and daughter, but that couldn't be right. Could it? He almost laughed when the little girl just glared right at him. Fuji squeezed her hand, and she cooled a bit before she watched the interaction between the duo again.

Ryoma almost opened his mouth, but was struck dumb when Fuji just laughed out, "Well Ryoma, I must say that you still know how to make a scene." Yet there was still the mask of laughter fixed firmly on his face. That broke the last ounce of control Ryoma had, and he gave into the urgings of his heart and ignored his head completely.

He flung himself at Fuji and clung onto him for dear life, as if he might just disappear from before him like he had all those years ago. And he did something he hadn't done in years. Six years to be exact. He cried in his brothers arms.

breakingthefacade/breakingthefacade/breakingthefacade

Fuji held his younger brother in his arms and moved toward a bench nearby. He knew there were stares on them, so he opened his eyes and allowed the harshness that his stare created go toward full circle that had surrounded them. All people surrounding the trio rushed off saying that they other things to attend to. A small smile lit up Kohana's features, and she held back a chuckle.

Kohana watched as her father murmered soothing things into Ryoma's ear as the older man cried, which was subsiding. She watched the duo for another moment before making a decision. She sat on the bench next to Ryoma and placed her hand in his. "It'll be okay, Ryoma-kun," she whispered as she leaned against the man who was really a perfect stranger to her, yet felt so familiar.

She felt the shutters subside and looked up to see curious golden eyes watching her. She immediatly straightened and was about to pull her hand out of Ryoma's when he tightened his hold on her hand. He gave her a small smile which she returned.

Fuji watched the sight and beamed at the duo. His family was getting along so well that he couldn't help but smile at the picture that they created. But he knew that they needed to leave the arena. There was much that Fuji wanted to discuss with Ryoma and even Kohana. "We need to leave," he stated softly. The duo turned their attention to him.

"We just created quite a scene." Here Ryoma blushed a very unbecoming shade of red. "And while I have resticting orders on myself and anyone near me being placed in the tabloids, I wouldn't put it past anyone to spy on us." The other two nodded. "Ryoma, I have some clothes roughly your size at home, so you can come with us. It should only take half an hour to get there considering the traffic."

Ryoma nodded in acceptence. "I'll just need to call my manager. He can get my car and send it back to my apartment and make sure all loose ends are taken care of." He glared at the trophy he had won. "That, though, might be hard to lug around in public."

"You," Fuji responded, with a hint of malicious humor tinting his voice. "Are hard to lug around in public."

A blush spread across Ryoma's face. "That..that," he stuttered in embarrasment as he picked up his things and placed them in his tennis bag. "That is not funny." They began to walk to Fuji's car when Kohana asked what had happened.

Kohana perked up and turned to her father. "What do you mean he is hard to lug around in public?" She shot the blue haired man on the phone a very curious look.

"Well," Fuji began his tale of woe for Ryoma. "Ryoma here, decided that he didn't want to go shopping for Tez- our old buchou's birthday present." Kohana nor Ryoma did not notice the stumble over name of the 'old buchou'. "I, along with Eiji and Momo who were some old friends, decided that Ryoma was going to buy our buchou a gift."

Fuji gave a wide smile to the duo, a real one mind you, as he unlocked the car and they all climbed in. The two older men in the front and Kohana, who was inwrapped in the tale, in the back. "We hauled Ryoma out of bed, made him change when he was half awake, gave him a single piece of toast for breakfast, and took him off toward the city. Ryoma's outo-san's face was quite interesting. He couldn't seem to get over the fact that he had actually hauled Ryoma out of his bed before ten on a Sunday."

"And the fact that you dumped a bucket full of ice water on me while I was still asleep," Ryoma added after a pause in his conversation with his manager.

"Ah, yes, I had forgotten that fact. I do remember that you did scream like a girl." Fuji nodded. At this Ryoma turned a deep shade of unbecoming crimson again. Kohana giggled in the back seat and Ryoma mock glared at the younger girl. She stuck her tounge out at him, in all the glory of her maturity. "Now, now," Fuji called out. "Let's act our age."

"I am!" Kohana protested. "I am nine years old thank you very much." She folded her arms across her chest and watched the two men before her as they tried not to snicker. "Now, Kohana, don't pout, it's unbecoming," Fuji, the ever preace-maker, smiled. Ryoma snickered loudly at the pout on her face. "And back to my tale," Fuji began again. At this Ryoma blanched and Kohana took her turn to snickered at him.

"We had drug the half awake Ryoma to the mall and made him go to every store and look at all the items while we bought ourselves some things and made Ryoma our bag boy. And trust me, there was a lot of stuff." Fuji added onto his story, glancing int his rearview mirror and seeing Kohana laughing. Hard. Fuji knew that Ryoma was sulking beside him, and he gave himself a small smile and a mental pat on the back. They were like a family again.

"But," he raised his voice to be heard over the highway traffic. "I'm not done yet." Ryoma groaned and pulled his customary white cap lower over his face and slumped in the seat. Kohana perked up and stopped laughing for the most part. She was just snickering every once in a while now.

"Momo and Eiji got it into their heads that they wanted to see what 'their ochibi' would look like in female clothes." Kohana was laughing so hard that she was crying. "We brought the still half-asleep Ryoma to the nearest female-like store. I watched over Ryoma and kept him busy while Eiji and Momo looked for what they wanted. Soon they had come back and had given a prom dress to Ryoma along with some high heels. The poor boy was so out of it that he just put them on and walked out of the dressing room."

Kohana was laughing so hard that she was crying and couldn't breathe. Ryoma just kept his hat in front of his face, not looking at anything. "Though," Fuji wondered aloud. "We were never told about how you could walk so well in high heels." He turned to Ryoma who was peeking out from behind his cap. His head was soon hid in a moment.

"A good tennis player," Ryoma's voice was muffled, but clearly heard, "is able to do anything in any type of situation. He glanced at the other two persons in the car and saw they didn't believe him. He sighed, "Okay, when I was younger my cousin played dress up with me. High heels were a normal part of the torture."

Fuji had to chuckle at that and Ryoma just glared at him. He had given up on trying to get Kohana to be quiet. "Anyways, Ryoma, being the unsuspecting party, just walked out, without falling or tripping, and shocked us all. He looked so lovely that I couldn't just leave him alone, so I took a picture." Ryoma snickered here. Fuji just stared out at the road.

"What happened!" Kohana cried. She wanted to know what happened, this was so interesting! Ryoma-kun was quite a funny person, as Yuu-kun had said.

"Well," Ryoma began this time. "I woke up. My first thought was, 'Why are they laughing at me?' Then I looked down. I saw what I was in and then calmly went into the changing room and changed my clothes. I came back out and walked out with all of them to Fuji's car and then began chasing them like a madman." He gave Fuji a triumphant look. "I did catch Momo and Eiji, but you disappeared off somewhere."

Fuji smirked. "Well, I was hiding in the bushes and took a few pictures." At Ryoma's horrorfied look, he added, "I guess I never gave them to you. I was going to give them to you as an April Fool's pr-" He stopped, why he hadn't been able to give the present to Ryoma played through his head along with the reasons why he hadn't mailed it to the younger boy ran through his head.

Kohana knew what was happening. It had always happened when her father was thinking like this. "Shu-kun." He didn't respond. "Shu-kun!" There was still no response. "PAPA!" That Fuji out of whatever pit he had fallen into.

He had just parked in the driveway and he turned to his daughter. "What did you call me?" His eyes were wide open with some emotion that Kohana didn't know what to call and his voice was tenged with the same emotion.

She could see Ryoma watching curiously at the interactions once again. She blushed and looked down. "Papa," she whispered, not wanting to see his probably angered face. "I know you don't want to take my orginial father's place, but he was Dad. You are Papa. Two different people and I know Dad would agree with what I'm saying."

It was silent and Kohana feared for the worst, so she just kept looking down. A soft hand took a firm hold on her chin and made her look up. In her papa's eyes here was that emotion and this time she could identify it. Love. "I could never be angry with you," Fuji murmered and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "You just startled me and scared the life out of me, my little flower."

They all got out of teh car and walked up to the house. Fuji was holding Kohana to his side and she had her arms entangled around his right arm. Ryoma walked to right of them and watched the picture with a soft smile playing on his lips.

They entered the house, no mansion, that the small Fuji family called home. Ryoma placed his tennis bag near the door and took off his shoes and used some slippers that he had been given to borrow. Fuji disappeared into one of the rooms and came back shortly thereafter with some clothes. "You might want to take a shower, you did just play one of the 'toughest' matches in your entire career." Fuji mockingly added the last part.

Ryoma snorted at that. "Matches against buchou are the only real hard ones." He immediatly regreted his words. Fuji began withdrawing in himself, but Kohana took care of it. She entertwined her hand with his and stated for the whole world to hear, "Ryo-kun, you need to take a shower. You stink!"

That brought a chuckle from the duo, but Fuji. Ryo-kun? he mouthed to him over Kohana's head.

She's over affectionate. At least she likes you enough to call you something like that. Fuji mouthed back.

Ryoma nodded to Fuji and turned to Kohana. "Well chibi, if I stink so much, you'll just have to show me where the showers are in this mansion you call a small home."

Kohana grinned and just led the way to the nearest bathroom. Fuji watched them with a smile on his face as he moved to the only locked room in the entire house. The room that hid all his old tennis effects.

It was time to face the past that he had hidden away from so long.

His hand was shaking when he pulled the key out of his pocket. He always carried that key with him. He always carried his guilt, happiness, sadness, joy, anger in that back pocket on a keychain with the Fuji family logo on it. It reminded him that his life would always be on that chain. A chain that had torn him away from his friends, his lover, his everything.

Tears welled up in his eyes as that same shaking hand turned the key in the doornob. There was a soft click and Fuji leaned against the door, feeling the tear at his very soul. His whole body was at war. His heart wanted to enter, but his mind wouldn't allow him. Fuji took in a deep breath and opened the door and stumbled into the room.

There was a layer of dust that covered everything. Nothing was untouched by the dust, so when Fuji allowed his hand to pass lightly over the bookshelf to his right, the dust covered his fingers. Fuji wiped his hand on his pants and moved to the desk. He opened the second drawer on the right and pulled out a wooden box. He hesitated for a moment before opening the box. Inside the box were letters. They were sorted into nine piles, each with a rubber band around them. A pile for each memeber of the Seigaku Team and one more for himself.

Each pile held letters that had been given to Yuuta and Yumiko before they were fowarded to Fuji himself. Those letters had stayed in their envelopes, never opened. The pile that contained his letters were slightly different. While each were enclosed in an envelope, they had never been closed or sent. The farthest place they had gone was into the box and then the box had gone into the room and finally, the room had been locked and closed to never to be opened as he started his new life with Kohana.

Another promise broken.

Fuji's badly shaking hand had picked up a pile at random, and he pulled the first letter out of the rubber banded pile. His eyes skimed over the handwriting that stated his name. If possible, his hand began to shake even more. He broke the seal that closed the letter and began to read. His eyes widened with every line, and the tears that he had held back since that day before he had left Japan began to fight against his barrier. And with the last phrase on the letter, it happened.

The facade crumbled. His eyes opened to show the grief filled blue eyes. The smile slowly turned downwards. His face fell into his palms. A sob tore through his throat.

The facade was broken.

The letter floated to the ground as Fuji sobbed. It lay open for the world to see. The pristene white paper had faded slightly with age, but the writing was still the same and it hurt. Oh so much. One letter. One page was all it took.

Dear Ani,

It has been one week since you left. Seven days since you resigned from the team. Six days of quiet, almost mourningful, practices. Five days since there has been a smile between the Seigaku regulars. Four days since Tezuka made the team run three hundred laps. Three days since Eiji broke down on Oishi sobbing for his best friend. Two days since Yuuta came and told us that this wasn't a joke and you would never come back, and he wouldn't tell us where you were or what we - I - had done wrong. One days since I realised how much you meant to me brother.

Please come back. I am so sorry for whatever I've done.

Love,

Echizen Ryoma

Owari (chapter)

Storyline Notes -

Ryoma's hair - Erm, yeah. It's supposed to be blue-green but more toward the green side. I was looking at Volume 7 and Ryoma's hair looked blue at that moment. :shrugs: Oh well. It'll be 'blue' and maybe 'blue-green' from here on. Call it creative licensing. ;)

Kohana - As it was pointed out, (thank you Risa-Chan!) I said Kohana was 8. She is, indeed, 9 years old. She and Fuji have been a family for two years. Also, Kohana will be an instrumental characters for Fuji's 'recovery of the past'. She is the person who will be able to pull everyone together and comfort Fuji. I would also like to say that I do not in any way shape or form want Kohana to seem like a Mary-Sue. She has her own issues of the past, which shall come out later. Remember, her parents were murdered right in front of her. That just begs for mental issues.

Ryoma and Fuji's realtionship - While I do understand the interworkings of the Fuji/Ryoma or Ryoma/Fuji coupling and do support it, it just won't be happening. (Spoiler alert) When Tezuka leaves for Germany (for his elbow injury recovery), he leaves Fuji to train Ryoma to be 'the pillar of Seigaku'. I am toying with that and making it as 'bonding' sessions for the duo. Fuji misses Yuuta's old relationship with him (which was not miraculously returned) and turns those emotions toward Ryoma who beomes like a brother to him, and Ryoma belives such in return. Since Ryoma is younger he calls Fuji Ani. Ani is short for aniki which means brother. Ani is the more mature use of older brother, so I used that instead of Onii-san/chan ('Nii-san/chan). Otouto means younger brother. If there is a more mature form, too late, I'm attached.

Tezuka and Ryoma's relationship - They are more than captain and teammate. Their bond is has more substance than that. They were both captains (buchou's) at some point in time. They are also very strong tennis players. They have a drive that few do. It was a drive that Fuji had and maybe still does. They also have a complicated history after Fuji left. They were both hurting after Fuji left because Fuji was close to both of them. Very close. What happened from that bond is yet to be known. But you'll find out soon.

Tezuka - Where is Mr. Run-Fifty-Laps-For-Whispering? He is 'working'. What is he doing? Where is he? You'll find out. When will he come in? About three chapters. Roughly. I know how I want him and Fuji to meet. I actually have the scene written, and I like it, which is something odd. The kinks will be worked out soon. But Tezuka will come in soon and play a large part in the life of Fuji.

Yuuta and Yumiko - While the duo has been mentioned there hasn't been much interaction. They'll come back into Fuji's immediate life in 2-3 chapters.

Fuji's father and mother - (names?) Fuji's father will come back in 2 chapters and play a major part in Fuji's and Kohana's life. This shall cause a huge change in the life of the duo. But, again, you have yet to find out.

Ryoma - A large turning point in Fuji's life just like Kohana. He'll become the loving yet sarcastic younger brother. :) He was quite emotional this chapter, but he was put off balance by Fuji's and Kohana's appreance. Think, it's been five years since you last saw your brother (in all but blood and name) and WHAM! He's right there in front of you. I would be emotional. But then, that's just me.

The other regulars - Turning points, as I have already said. Expect them in 2-4 chapters. They are a bit on the 'I-like-you-but-where-shall-I-put-you' area. They are in the grey area right now, but Oishi and Eiji will be major players.

If I missed anything, tell me and I'll address it next time. Just remind me, please.

Well, who's depressed now:shrugs: I'm sitting here hoping to Kami-sama that I don't start crying. THAT would be hard to explain. Erm, yeah. I really don't know what to say. I hope this chapter meets your expectations. It orginialy ended where Fuji was going toward the room, but I decided that you guys would want more substance. I think I'm going to change the title next chapter. Beyond the Facade is, in my mind, a better and more suiting title. Whatcha think?

THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH TO: yoshikochan, tezuka eiri (THANK KAMI-SAMA! I was SO worried that I would lose people because of the coupling - which is one I adore -, but I am supported! So happy. ), Alaena F. D. (Ah, Tezuka. I wondered when someone would ask. He is currently working. As what and where, you'll see soon. I think in the next chapter or two. I think.), sodu (I'm glad you liked the twist. :), Risa-Chan (Oi, I'll have to go and change that! Another person falls for it, but to tel lthe truth, when I reread it I was like, 'OMG! How could I make her so old!' -this was a few days after the inital writing of the chaper- and then I was like 'Oh, yeah...' Fell for my own trick. '), rabbit (I always comment on 'interesting :) Reviews. I just don't know japanese except for a few words, which are because of fan fictions. :shrugs: Sorry about the jump, I was going to transition it, but I wanted to get more to the 'meaty' part of the story. Maybe I should have added more 'lettuce' to my 'hamburger'. I hope this meets your standards, Hikari Mizu (I've been fav-ed:glomps: Arigato!), foreverbreatheless (mwhaha! I got you with Kohana. I'm SO proud of that part right there. Ah, the hair issue. Ish explained), yamatoforever (Stop reading my mind! Are you channeling me or something!), cheerful-pinkster

Ho hum. A lot of people fell for Kohana's characterization. I love her character. She is a balance like I said before. It helps me not feel so guilty for torturing Fuji-kun. Get ready for the next chapter within the next 2 weeks. :)