Living in a Shadow

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Summary: Ryoma and Yuuta find out that they have more in common then they would ever have imagined. [Ryoma and Yuuta friendship


Chapter two:

Part four. Reasons

The two boys sat on a park bench, in silence. The only sign of movement between them was a street lamp, flickering uncertainly above them.

The sky, Yuuta noticed, was dotted with hundreds of beautiful stars. Strangely enough, from his room he could only see the moon.

It was a perfect night sky from here. The bright, radiant, full moon was sitting in the middle of a peaceful blue-black sky and the stars were in all the exact right places.

'As if,' Yuuta pondered over the subject for a few seconds. 'They were planned to be like that'

The air was silent, yet comforting. Not a single sound dared to interrupt the pleasant atmosphere, which they both were enjoying.

But it was much colder outside then he had thought. A sudden breeze brushed gently passed them and he shivered.

The breeze was delicate and gentle, and if he could see it, he was sure that it would be beautiful, but it was also very, very cold. He could almost feel the cold cut into his skin.

'Exactly like your relationship with Shusuke' somewhere inside his head, a cruel sly voice taunted him.

He clenched his fist so hard that he felt his own nails digging into his palm.

Why wouldn't the feeling leave him alone? The feeling of uncontrollable rage and fury that enveloped him every time he heard anything about his brother.

Why was it always about Shusuke? Why was it never about him?

He loved tennis. It was his life. He trained for long hours, every single day; He even had a stupid schedule! He woke up 4am every morning just to practice swinging his racquet! That was almost twice as must as training time than his aniki. He probably had much more will power than him. He probably had much more learning potential then him. He probably even loved tennis more than him!

So why couldn't he surpass Shusuke?

But he knew, deep, down inside of him that he had already found the answer to the question that he had constantly been asking himself.

Fuji Shusuke was a true genius. He was a prodigy. And Fuji Yuuta was not. He was just a mere shadow compared to him. He was just a reflection. He was nothing.

"It's not fair…" he muttered miserably.

"Did you say something?" the smaller boy asked.

"No"

Ryoma took a sip of his warm can drink. Yuuta glanced at it longingly.

He noticed this and leaned away from him. Yuuta 'Hn' ed and crossed his arms.

"Buy your own!"

"I didn't bring money"

Ryoma took this time to carefully study him. Yuuta was looking directly at him, with a typical scowling expression on his face, but a flash of…Hurt? Anger? Reflected in his eyes.

"Hey" Ryoma said flatly.

"What?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that"

"Well I asked first!"

A vein popped in Yuuta's forehead. 'Cocky brat…'

"I couldn't sleep" he replied.

"Me neither"

"…You're Ryoma Echizen right?" Yuuta asked lamely.

"And you're Fuji's little brother"

"SHUT UP!" Yuuta barked in outrage.


Part five. Realizing

Ryoma blinked.

Then a pang of guilt slapped him. He was doing the exact same thing. He was doing the exact same thing that everyone else had done to him.

He realized, that all this time, Yuuta must have been going through the same thing that he was.

Feeling the same hurt that he was.

Feeling the same bitter, cold that he was.

Living the same life as he was.

A dark, lonely, hopeless life, in a cruel world.

Like himself, Fuji Yuuta was living his life in a shadow.

Ryoma cleared his throat nervously. His heart started to beat unusually fast.

He wasn't alone. He wasn't the only person that had the same rage, or hurt, He wasn't the only one who was kept awake every night with his throbbing emotions.

He suddenly wished that he wasn't alone. Because he knew that this feeling could easily tear someone apart.

"I'm sorry… Yuuta-senpai"

Yuuta looked at him in surprise. "What did you call me?"

"Yuuta-senpai" Ryoma repeated. "I'm sorry"

"Oh…Well me too" His voice softened and he managed a weak smile. "I just…You know, don't like it when people call me that. Because…well, it's complicated. You probably won't understand my…situation"

"You're wrong senpai" Ryoma said quietly. "I do understand"

"I wonder" Yuuta relaxed against the bench and looked up at the sky.

Ryoma bit his lip. This was his chance, to tell someone about his feelings. To finally let them out. But how could he talk to Yuuta? He barely even knows him! But then again, he was probably someone who would understand him. The only someone who could truly understand his feelings.

"What are you staring at?" Yuuta asked.

"…Nothing" Ryoma choked out.

He glanced concerned at his kouhai. For a moment he thought he saw a different person than the usual cocky, arrogant, prodigy that could piss almost everyone off. For a moment he looked almost…weak.

'Just like me' he thought bitterly.


Part 6. Hopeless Conversation

He searched his mind for something suitable to say. He recalled that his brother had said something about Ryoma's family…

"Uh…So do you have any siblings?" he tried.

Ryoma thought for a moment. "Yes, and No"

Yuuta raised his eyebrows. 'Damn he's hard to understand.'

"…How about your parents?"

"Do my parents have siblings?"

"No, I mean, what sort of people are they?"

Ryoma looked at him suspiciously. "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm just trying to make conversation"

"…Fine. My mom doesn't work. She normally stays at home with my cousin…My dad's…"

"What?"

"Are you sure you want me to tell you the truth?"

"Well, YEAH. Why would I want to hear a lie?"

"Ok then" Ryoma took a deep breath. "My dad's an Old perverted idiotic uncaring stubborn annoying asshole JERK. Did I say he was a pervert?"

Yuuta blinked. "Oh. Kay…"

"Next subject." He announced.

"Huh?"

"I don't want to talk about me"

"Well I don't want to talk about me either"

Another silence fell on them. Yuuta fiddled nervously with the strap on his bag.

"…Why don't we just play wall tennis or something?" Yuuta suggested helplessly. "…This conversation isnt getting anywhere"

"Look at my racquet" Ryoma dumped his bag on his Senpai's lap.

He raised an eyebrow and he proceeded to unzip the bag, then he pulled out the racquet.

"What did you do to it?"

"…" he didn't get a very good response.

"Whatever…" Yuuta mumbled. He was about to close the bag but he spotted something unusual stuffed inside. "What's this?"

He took out a crumpled newspaper and began to smooth it out.


End of Chapter two. Will update soon. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

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