Interlude: A Necessary Deception

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis. This is me ranting about my life in a round about way.

Notes: I know I have updated in forever, I have a block and blocks suck and usually last for a long time. This is the closest I could get to an update. There are no excuses, I'm sorry, for what it matters and I hope you can forgive me with this unhealthy angst-ridden interlude that takes place shortly after Fuji leaves. I have gotten a livejournal and that will be my 'kick-me-in-butt' place to rant at me for not updating for forever. And I'll post previews there! After I figure it out... So in you want to yell at me click the 'homepage' link, post a comment and yell at me. It works. Really. Enjoy the angst. (And SG is in the works, I'll try and finish Part 7 by Friday)

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-One Day After Fuji Has Left-

It had been one day. One horror filled, every-minute-was-like-an-eternity like day and Fuji still wasn't back. As soon as the school day had ended the regulars had congregated in the locker room and had changed in silence. It was a numb silence. A silence that signaled that Fuji's 'disappearance' hadn't sunken in yet.

Ryoma couldn't stand it.

He fidgeted, he muttered to himself, and he day dreamed. He did anything except look at Fuji's locker so he couldn't feel the pang of pain in his heart that felt like muted betrayal, anger and morning. Ryoma knew everyone was in about the same mood as himself, but it still hurt.

Eiji had been uncharacteristically silent and serious while he had been near the other regulars. He was practically clinging to Oishi, begging him with his eyes to not leave him too. Though, outside the locker room, well, that was a different story. He was the cheerful, popular acrobat that they knew so well. Though, his eyes were darkened with worry and sadness to anyone that knew him.

Oishi had begun quietly worrying and would randomly hug his partner, just to make sure that he was still there. It had shaken him to the core that someone so close to him would just..leave. He had been silent all day, keeping to himself and passing worried glances at Tezuka.

Inui and Kadioh had stayed near each other in the hallways and locker room offering each other silent support. While they weren't the closest to Fuji, he had still impacted their lives. He had been the one to 'nudge' them in the direction that they were now in. Partners. They owed so much to the man that had left them.

Kawamura had been quite, quieter than normal, and had watched his friends with silent empathy and giving out silent comfort. He, too, had not been the closest to Fuji, but he had been a dear friend. To be dismissed to suddenly was a shock, one that hurt badly. Though, he lent his strength to the others quietly.

Momo was a nervous wreck. He kept looking over his shoulder as if he expected Fuji to jump out and yell 'Ha! I got you!'. His chocolate like eyes had watched Ryoma like a hawk. He was awaiting the break down and he wanted to be there to help him. He cared about his kohanu more than he was willing to admit.

Though, the one everyone was watching was Tezuka. He and Fuji had been close. Actually more than close, they had been dating behind the scenes (so naturally, all the regulars knew). They had been so very close, and in three weeks it would have been their two year anniversary. Tezuka, though, had been as silent as usual and anyone staring at him too long would be on the end of his "Glare-of-Fury" Special 3000 Edition (TM).

Ryoma, though, could see through all of that. When buchou had said 'Don't come back', he could see Tezuka's heart breaking. He watched as Fuji walked away and buchou's heart crumbled into a smaller and smaller pieces. He was hurting in silence, yet desperately clinging to the hope that this was all a cruel prank of Fuji's.

They all left the locker room as one. Each lending their support to the other and awaiting the enviable break down. The glue that kept the team was gone, and it was taking them everything they had to keep from falling apart.

Ryoma stretched quickly and grabbed some tennis balls. He threw them up and slammed down on the ball as hard as he could. The ball hit the ground with a loud whack and immediately spun toward the fence as fast as it could go.

Dull mummers broke out around him as the non-regular club members murmured about the sudden display of anger from the young tensai of Seigaku high school. Tensai, he snorted as he hit another twist serve. That was Ani's nickname, not his. Fuji's title.

Fuji...

Ryoma pulled his arms down and stared at the ball. What had Fuji felt when he had left them? Had he been sad? Was he laughing inside? Or was he scoffing at their weakness? Damnit. Ryoma placed his palm to his face. I won't break down! I won't break down. I won't break down...

I can't break here.

Ryoma blinked trying to keep back his tears, trying to keep everything at bay. He tried to reconstruct the dam that had keep his tears at bay since yesterday when Fuji left. A single tear slipped out. Ryoma furiously scrubbed it away and looked at the ball in his hand. He scowled and served it again. He watched as the ball gave a sharp crack and bounced over the fence due to the amount of power that he had put into that serve.

The dull murmurs continued, and Ryoma turned to face the gossips behind him. He glared at each in turn, and everyone watched as they grew very quiet very quickly. He turned and moved toward the locker room. Ryoma knew he would get punished with one hundred laps tomorrow, but right now he didn't care.

He was well aware of the stares that followed him into locker room. Ryoma quickly stripped and turned on the shower. He took some soap and began scrubbing, trying to wipe away the memories. He picked up a bottle of shampoo and glanced at the type of make sure it was his. Cherry and Vanilla scented. Ryoma stared in shock at the bottle and then hugged it to his chest.

It was Fuji's.

Ryoma began to softly sob to himself. He leaned against one of the wall, not caring about the water pounding on his body. Slowly he slid down and curled up into a ball on the concrete floor. His sobs were drowned out by the water. There was a dull click as the bottle opened, and Ryoma took in a deep breath of the scent that belonged to his Ani. There was a brief moment of silence before the sobs began again.

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Yuuta took a few steps toward the sounds of the brief yells and feet hitting the ground and ball getting hit across the courts. He stopped and wondered if this was the right thing to do. Aniki might be a tensai, but he could be real stupid at times when it came to people's emotions. He stepped around the corner confidently and watched as the regulars were huddled in a corner. One was missing though.

Ryoma...

Yuuta sighed. This was going to be hard. There was no simple way around this. But he didn't want to do this more than once. He quietly made his way to the locker room where Ryoma would probably be. The sound of running water caught him , and he made this way toward the running shower in order to turn it off.

But how surprised was he to find Ryoma curled up into a ball (a ball with swim trunks on), sobbing, and clutching a bottle of his elder brother's shampoo to his chest. Yuuta sighed quietly and slowly shut the water off. He then got down on his knees and wrapped his arms around Ryoma never minding that he was getting his clothes wet. "Ryoma, it'll be all right in the end," Yuuta murmured into the younger boys hair. Yuuta had no idea if everything would work in the end, but all he could do was pray now, and hope that kami-sama could be kind and help the situation right itself.

Yuuta was not close with his brother, but he had gotten closer recently because of some unusual situations that had taken place in his brothers life. Such as Ryoma entering their family (in Japan at least) and becoming like another younger brother, and Fuji's budding relationship with Tezuka.

That had all had come to a crashing halt when the summons to American came from their Father. They had known it was coming, but had hoped for just a bit more time, just a bit more freedom.

But that hope had failed them then.

Ryoma's cries subsided and he moved to dress. Yuuta let him leave his arms and turned away as Ryoma changed. A still silence settled between the two teens. Yuuta opened his mouth, readying himself to begin the doomed conversation when he heard the club door open.

He spun around and was met with the stunned faces of the remaining regulars of Seigaku. No one spoke for a moment until Eiji broke the awkward silence, "Was that a joke?"

No one had to wonder what that was. Yuuta understood as well. He searched their faces and finally paused on Tezuka, knowing that his next words would impact him the hardest. He watched those mirror like eyes as he spoke his next few words.

"No," he breathed. "It wasn't."

And that mirror shattered.

interlude/interlude/interlude/interlude

Yuuta quickly explained that his brother had left without a forwarding address, a necessary deception that the Fuji family had gotten so good at. And he had packed up all his tennis things and burned them, another lie.

He could already see Tezuka's mind making the connections to tennis and his and Fuji's relationship. it was another lie, but he had to make the break ot Tezuka would scour the entire Earth for his brother. Something Fuji didn't need.

No matter how much he wanted it.

"I officially quit our relationship."
"We were a fleeting passion in life that I had. I'm beyond it now."
"Our relationship was a dream, and my dream did as all dreams do. It faded."
"You are no longer a part of my life."

It was a deception that Yuuta dreaded committing, but it had to be done. He left the room shortly after finishing speaking and left Seigaku as quickly as possible.

Forgive me one day

But it was all part of a necessary deception.