::I DO NOT OWN THE PRINCE OF TENNIS, IT'S CHARACTERS OR STORY::

Ryoga opened the door with one hand, while the other held close to Ryoma's sleeping form.

"Ryoga?"

He froze.

Nanjiroh came running over to the front door, Rinko in tow. "Where the hell have you two been? Ryoma! Are you okay?!"

Ryoga closed the door silently.

Rinko yawned, reaching her hand out to stroke her youngest son on the head she frowned. "Ryoga, what happened?"

"Chibisuke went out for a walk," Ryoga explained calmly, feeling Ryoma shift slightly. "I followed him."

"But that still doesn't explain why Ryoma is in this state." Nanjiroh stated.

"He was extremely tired when I came out of hiding, so I had to carry him home." Ryoga began advancing towards the stairs.

Nanjiroh sighed, "Okay, off to bed…"

Rinko eyed her sons carefully, watching them as Ryoga continued to carry Ryoma to his room.

Ryoga gently put Ryoma on his bed and lifted the quilt up to his neck; he then decided that his little brother looked like a kitten almost, with his constant purring and twitching. "Chibisuke…" Ryoga whispered, "You're so, cute."

Ryoma had seemed to have heard this, because he smiled briefly before returning to purring softly.

Ryoga smiled lightly as he went back out into the hall-way.

Ryoga store off blankly into the distance, thoughts of the previous night filled his head.

"So why are you leaving early today Echizen?" Oishi asked as he returned the ball back to the said boy.

"It's nothing." Ryoma said bluntly as he received the ball and hit it back to Oishi's side of the court.

"Course not…" Momo said sarcastically from the court beside Ryoma. "Now really Echizen, you even passed on my offer to go and get a hamburger with me! What's going on?"

Ryoma grunted, returning the ball with more force. "None of your business…"

"Jeez Ryoma, you're so secretive," Momo said.

"He can choose not to say anything Momo." Oishi exclaimed.

"Yeah, but he should at least tell me."

The ball bounced out of the court and into the net.

"Hey, Echizen! Where are you going?" Momo called to the boy who had clearly given up.

"Away, from you…" Ryoma said as he walked off the court towards his brother who was sitting on a nearby bench.

Ryoga looked up from his trance "Ready to go Chibisuke?"

"Ah." He replied, packing up his equipment.

"The test results came back yesterday; mum and dad didn't want you to know until the court case today."

"What? Why didn't they tell me then?" Ryoma said angrily as he picked up his sport bag.

"They just thought that it would be of no use to you, since they came back negative." Ryoga got up and store blankly into the distance, again.

Ryoma grunted and grabbed his brother's arm, pulling him towards the footpath impatiently. "Where were they picking us up?"

Ryoga shrugged, "Dad just said to meet them out the front of the school."

Ryoma didn't reply.

"Ryoma, are you okay? You know, about the court case?" Ryoga asked suddenly, as if sensing his brother's unease.

"I, uh, I'm fine. Don't worry." Ryoma answered quickly.

Ryoga sighed. "Ryoma, tell me if you feel any distress, please?"

"Che, whatever…"

Something snapped in Ryoga instantly, as he heard his brother's words. He grabbed onto Ryoma's shirt collar harshly and heaved him up to meet his eye level. "Don't you dare say shit like that! Don't disregard your life, ever!"

Ryoma, now at least a foot off ground glared at his brother. "My life is my own business!" He latched his hands onto Ryoga's arms, attempting to free himself, "Let me go!"

"Not until I pound into that thick head of yours that you're worth so much more than you give yourself credit for!"

Ryoma stopped resisting, "W-what, did you say?"

"Ryoma, I, I value your life over mine…"

Okay, all done.

I apologize for the late update but this chapter was hard to write.

Squish.