Disclaimer: I don't own The Prince of Tennis.

Okay I'm sooo sorry for the late update so please forgive me!!!

Listen to 'Never Too Late' by Three Days Grace.

"I'm home," Ryoma grunted out as he came through the front door clutching a few shopping bags.

Footsteps clacked down the hallway as a nearing figure revealed himself as the butler.

"Hello sir. Short trip as always I see."

"Miyuki-san," Ryoma acknowledged briefly before skimming out of his shoes and leaving them in front of the door carelessly.

Miyuki smiled. He picked up the shoes and stacked them neatly against the wall where all the others were. "Tezuka-san is in the dining room sir." Miyuki called after the tennis star as he watched the boy carry the bags into the kitchen.

Ryoma dropped the bags on the bench and made his way down the hall and into the dining room. When he opened the door Tezuka was sitting at one end of the table reading the newspaper.

Tezuka put down his newspaper. "Hey. You're back early."

The boy yawned, making Tezuka furrow a brow. "Aren't I always?"

"Hn…" Tezuka picked up his newspaper again. "You should have some breakfast, you know…"

"Yeah, yeah," Ryoma shook off, sitting himself at the opposite end of the table.

Tezuka exhaled. What would Ryoma do without him?

Suddenly, as if appearing out of nowhere, Miyuki was standing next to the tennis star. "What is it that you would like this morning, sir?"

Ryoma scooted forward in his seat until he was slouching at a considerable angle. "Hn…whatever he had." Ryoma ordered, pointing at the bespectacled man.

Tezuka once again, looked up from the newspaper. "Echizen…people have names as well as genders."

"It's Ryoma," he corrected.

"Ryoma then…" Tezuka trailed off as he buried his nose back into the articles.

Ryoma glanced at the plate that Tezuka had in front of him. It had left over bits of toast. Really…what did his lover eat? No wonder he was so thin, muscular…handsome…and so…hot…

Mentally slapping himself, Ryoma blinked a few times to rid himself of any on coming fantasies.

Ryoma really loved Tezuka. In junior high he respected him immensely and would ultimately come to love him. And if some certain sadistic Fuji was going to try to take him away, he had another thing coming. Albeit it hadn't happened yet, the tennis star knew very well that it would eventually, for, he knew that Fuji was infatuated/obsessed with him.

And then there was Keigo Atobe-the ruler of the Monkey Kingdom. He'd be a very large obstacle, what with his power and manipulative ways. Ryoma sighed, when the time came for them to meet again, he knew he'd have to take full control of Tezuka, and that meant that he'd have to somehow create a liaison of commitment and guilt. The act would have Tezuka securely locked at his side forever. God this would be painful…

"Sir, your breakfast," Miyuki said, laying out a plate in front of the boy.

Ryoma's eyes widened comically. "What the, hell?" On his plate was a halved piece of toast, smidgen with butter.

Tezuka remained stoic.

"Tezuka," Ryoma parted his mouth open in disbelief.

"Mmm?" Tezuka didn't part ways with his newspaper.

"Is this what you had for breakfast?" Ryoma continued staring at the pathetic looking morsel of food.

Tezuka finally put down his paper. "Yes, it is."

Ryoma scrunched his nose up cutely. "Che, you gotta be kidding me…"

Tezuka shook his head. "What's the problem?"

Ryoma glared at his slender lover. What's the problem he says, ha! "This is hardly a meal."

Tezuka looked at Ryoma's plate. "Just eat it. If you didn't want it you should've asked for something else."

Ryoma frowned before stuffing the whole thing in his mouth and swallowing it.

T h e P r i n c e O f T e n n i s

Nothing, nothing, nothing…

Ryoma sighed as he kept flicking onto different channels.

"Ryoma, please pick a single show and watch it…" Tezuka mumbled. He was reading a small paperback novel and lying on the couch with Ryoma perched upon his chest.

Ryoma grunted.

Nothing, nothing…and nothing. Who'd have guessed?

The young tennis star finally made his mind up by turning the damned thing off. Sighing, he fell to his right side.

Tezuka made a small 'oomph' sound as the boy dropped onto his upper torso.

Now laying on his right side, Ryoma turned to face the former captain, nestling into his neck perfectly.

"You know…you don't eat so great."

Tezuka made no response.

"Do you ever eat anything remotely associated with carbs?"

"Hn…"

"I mean, you never seem to eat jack-"

"Ryoma. I want to ask you something," Tezuka butted in, laying his book down on the floor.

"What?" Ryoma asked, clearly not intrigued as he gazed absently at his lover's face and stroked his amber hair.

"The previous night…you mentioned something about Fuji and Atobe?"

Ryoma gasped softly, so as not to be noticed by Tezuka. "Did I?"

Tezuka nodded. "Don't you remember?"

"Nope," Ryoma answered quickly before returning his attentions back onto the former captain's hair.

Tezuka stared into the younger boy's eyes seriously.

…

…

Ryoma finally snapped, "What? I already told you that I don't remember, now stop staring at me like that!"

"If you say so then…" Tezuka said worryingly as he brushed some stray hairs away from the boy's face. Wrapping his arms around the tennis star, he pulled him close so that both males could feel each other's pulses.

"Good," Ryoma said before pushing his lips hastily against Tezuka's.

T h e P r i n c e O f T e n n i s

How on Earth could Tezuka face up to Echizen now? The boy had kissed him for god's sake.

Tezuka didn't think himself gay, at least not until now.

Now, the captain was just so unsure. First Fuji said he loved him, second Atobe kissed him, and then third, Ryoma kissed him. Tezuka had to admit though, he didn't really feel any spark between Fuji or Atobe, but Echizen…perhaps he had felt something, but Tezuka couldn't really be sure.

"Buchou?" Ryoma stared innocently up at his captain, wanting some sort of response.

"E-Echizen…why did you, do that?" Tezuka managed to stutter out.

Ryoma smirked, "To show you something."

"Huh?"

Ryoma's smirk widened, "To let you know that you are indeed gay." He said cockily, pulling Tezuka into another kiss.

Tezuka didn't put up a fight at all. Arrogant brat…

T h e P r i n c e O f T e n n i s

Tezuka was lying on his right side (so he didn't bring pain to his left)on the bed he shared the magnificent beauty set upon him. Ryoma's face was flushed, with his mouth open slightly. The elder man smiled, pulling up the sheets over them both.

Ryoma stirred, opening his giant golden orbs. "M-Mitsu?"

Tezuka caressed the young boy's face gently. He loved it when Ryoma called him that. The funny thing was, Ryoma only ever called him that when he was in a vulnerable position. The former Seigaku captain kissed the tennis star on his forehead softly. "Be still," he commanded, all the while staring deeply into the younger male's eyes.

Ryoma immediately closed his eyes.

Tezuka kissed him one more time before letting himself wrap around Ryoma and fall asleep.

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