Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its chars. I only own my plot.

Warning: Shonen-ai fic, Mpreg

Pairings: Inui X Yanagi, Sanada X Yukimura, Tezuka X Echizen hints.

Mew, yeah. Inui is a headache. :p

Data Pair Lover, not just yet. Read on and you'll see. (grins)

To the story then…

Data Tales

By: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 12

Inui walked swiftly away from the house, his head still filled with the feelings of betrayal. He headed nowhere in particular, allowing his feet to do the thinking instead as he just continued to walk on aimlessly.

The short walk did wonders. In the house, he was unable to think clearly since he was staying in the same place with the one he liked, and the sight of Yanagi was enough to fill his head with thoughts which continued to confuse him, and to frustrate him at the same time.

He had unwittingly wandered over to the street tennis courts, his favourite haunt for checking on the data he collected, and also the place where he watched the beginners and learners play. There was no data to be collected from seeing the novices play, but their game usually brought a sense of peace to Inui, seeing their happy faces as they tried, and failed to catch the ball. Yet they continued to smile, even if the game was lost. The competitiveness and bitter rivalry had yet to set in at that age, and Inui surmised that it was these beginners who knew the true happiness tennis could bring. Watching them, he was reminded of how his passion for tennis began, and somehow, no matter how down he felt, he'd always be lightened by it.

The group playing that time was a bunch of young elementary schoolchildren. They seemed very new at tennis, for they were getting all the rules of the game wrong. Inui's lips twitched slightly as they got the swing, the grip, and even the serve all wrong.

Somehow, that reminded Inui of a suppressed memory.

"No, Sadaharu. That's not how Data Tennis should be like. You're not supposed to just focus on one target. You need to be aware of your surroundings. Include everything in your calculations, and look for possibilities to score." Yanagi chided him when Inui accidentally allowed an opening for Yanagi to score.

Inui gave a groan. "This is too difficult, Renji. Maybe I'm not cut out for Data Tennis after all."

"Nonsense. You're saying that because you're still new at this. Given time, you might even surpass me." Yanagi smiled.

Inui gave him a weak laugh. "I find that a little hard to imagine, Renji."

Inui's thoughts were cut short when a ball hit him in the head. One of those novices came over, looking apologetic. "Gomen, onii-chan. Could you toss that ball back?"

"Ah. Sure." He threw the ball back to the boy, making sure to calculate the speed properly so that he would be able to catch it.

The four continued their game. One of them managed to pick up the basics rather quickly, and the others cheered when he managed to do a proper serve without missing the ball and hitting his own head.

"You did it! You did it! Sugoi!"

"You did it, Sadaharu! That was excellent data tennis!"

Inui grinned sheepishly at Yanagi's slightly excited tone, which was rare for the usually calm boy. Yanagi was usually quite expressionless, but this time, he seemed delighted.

"It's thanks to you, Renji. I don't think I'd have made it without you. I'm so sorry for dragging you out so often for my practices." Inui told him, feeling bad for taking up so much of Yanagi's free time.

The brunette shook his head. "Not at all. I like having tennis practices with you. I'm glad though. Now I have a fellow data tennis player in the club."

He held out a hand to Inui. "Now then, let's make our doubles team the strongest amongst the schools. What do you say, Sadaharu? We'll become Rishun Elementary's Data Pair."

"Data Pair?" Inui repeated, chuckling.

Yanagi frowned slightly. "You don't like it? Ah well, then…"

"No, Renji, I do like it." Inui reassured quickly.

Yanagi beamed. He waved his extended hand before Inui slightly. "Come, let's shake hands on it. It's a promise, Sadaharu."

"Aa." Inui reached out and shook Yanagi's hand.

Another ball connected with his skull. Inui gave an inward groan. Couldn't he actually return to memory lane in peace?

"Be more careful." He told them, throwing the ball back. He got up from his seat and was about to leave when one of those elementary school students approached him again.

"Anou…onii-chan. Have you played tennis before?" He asked tentatively.

Inui turned around, staring down at the boy, who was so many heads shorter than him. "Aa, I have." He calculated a 90.7 percent chance they were going to ask him to join in.

Surely enough, the boy's eyes brightened, and Inui found himself staring down at a pair of wide, sparkly orbs. "Then can you join us, onii-chan?"

Inui thought about it a while. He was still slightly resentful towards Yanagi hiding so much from him, so he didn't feel like going back so early anyway. He had time to kill, and decided that it shouldn't be a problem if he joined in.

He made sure to tone down all his shots, hitting normal returns as he focused on defense instead of offense. No point slaughtering a bunch of beginners anyway.

Seeing their happy laughter as they raced after the shots, a wistful smile found its way to Inui's face. Back then, he was this happy too, just being able to play tennis with Yanagi, when their friendship revolved just around tennis, and nothing else. At that time, feelings hadn't existed to complicate their relationship. When had it all become so complicated between them anyway?

He paused at that thought. No. Back then feelings had been involved, and if he remembered what Yanagi had kept from him, apparently the latter had liked him for quite a long time, while Inui was oblivious to his own feelings. The Seigaku data master found himself wishing he had never read Yanagi's diary. At least he was happier when he remained oblivious.

The rally with the elementary schoolchildren lasted only 10 minutes and 34 seconds, just as Inui had calculated. They wouldn't be able to play for long if they were so new to this sport.

The four seemed to instantly take him as some kind of idol, as they sat around him while they tried to catch their breath. It was always the same boy talking to him though, and Inui found that boy scooting closer again.

"You're really good, onii-chan. You must have had a lot of practice." He gushed.

"Mm…somewhat." Inui told him. 'On a near daily basis.' He added in his mind.

"Did you learn all these by yourself?" Another seemed to have finally gathered enough courage to ask him. All four moved closer at that, eager to hear what an experienced tennis player had to say.

"Aa." He thought about that for a while. "Though a friend of mine had taught me tennis too."

"Sugoi! What's your friend's name?" Good grief. Were children always this inquisitive?

"Yanagi." Inui told them.

All of them searched their heads for a moment. Inui calculated a 65 percent chance that they were trying to think of any pro tennis players by the name of 'Yanagi'. He would have done that if he had been new to the sport too.

"Yanagi? Never heard of this person before. But if Yanagi-san had taught you tennis, I'm sure you must be close."

Inui went quiet at that. Inwardly, he gave a bitter laugh. Yeah. They were close alright. So close, in fact, that his dear friend wouldn't tell him anything, preferring to keep so many secrets from him.

A small voice in Inui's head chided him immediately. He was not in a position to be angry at Yanagi. Hadn't he also kept a lot from his friend? If he recalled, Yanagi had suffered a lot from his silence too. That guy actually thought that he was with Kaidou, of all people! Inui admitted that he did think of Kaidou as a very good kouhai, and he knew that Kaidou respected him too, which was why he consulted him so often when the junior had any questions. There had been nothing more than that, but as Inui wasn't completely honest with his friend, Yanagi had completely misinterpreted.

Inui sighed. No. They were both at fault for this complete fiasco. It would be unfair of him to put the blame completely on Yanagi.

"You're both….not close?" The boy asked carefully, seemingly frightened by Inui's silence.

Inui smiled down at him. "My friend…is the most important person to me." That was perhaps one of the most honest statements he had made in a long time. He had let off some steam during the match just now, and his feelings for Yanagi were able to flow freely again.

He straightened up. "Well then, I will have to take my leave now." He told them. He needed to apologize to the Rikkai data master.

After leaving the street tennis courts, Inui glanced down at his watch. Apparently only two hours had passed, even though he felt like he had been away from the house much longer. Inui gave a soft chuckle. To think that Yanagi had that kind of effect on him.

Inui decided to get something for his friend as an apology. He dropped by a bookstore on his way back, perusing for a few books Yanagi might be interested in. After snatching a few titles (which had a summary that caught his eye), he was about to head off when another section had caught his interest.

This section had books on childcare, and Inui had a feeling that the books would come very handy in the future. He was still wondering which books to buy when he noticed a middle-aged lady staring at him.

"What is a person your age doing in this section?" she asked.

Inui could feel cold sweat trickling down the back of his head at her suspicious stare. His mind worked to come up with an excuse. "Well…my…cousin will be having a baby, and h-she asked me to look for some books on this."

At that, the lady relaxed a little. "I see. You're such a nice person, to help your cousin out. Here, I'm sure these will help her." The lady started pulling books and magazines at a pace which made Inui's vision blur. Inui left it to her, having a feeling that this lady was probably experienced in matters like these. She soon presented a small stack of baby books to him.

Inui gave her a bow, while carefully balancing the books in his arms. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. Ah, one more thing. Has your cousin thought of a name for her baby yet?" She asked.

At her words, Inui realized that he had forgotten something very important. He did not think of a name for his child. He was such a horrible parent!

"No." He admitted sheepishly.

The lady turned her attention back to the shelves and pulled out another book. "Here. This is a guide for baby names. Your cousin might want to read through this to see if she can find a name she'd like."

Inui gave her a grateful glance. "Thank you so much." He said, giving her another bow.

Once he left the store with his newly purchased books, Inui threw another glance at his watch. That was another half an hour gone. He headed home, trying to come up with a proper apology to his friend.

Yanagi would probably not want to speak to him, considering he had left on such a sour note. Inui braced himself for the cold war his friend might wage against him, even as he opened the door and stepped into the house.

He was, however, not prepared for the fist which greeted his sight…

XXX

"TARUNDORU!" Sanada roared, backhanding Inui the minute he stepped through the door. The force of the blow had sent Inui sprawling to the floor.

Inui was too stunned to react, even as Sanada seized him by the collar and lifted him off the ground. "Just where the hell have you been? Haven't we specifically mentioned that at least one person has to be around Yanagi at all times?" The Rikkai vice-captain snarled, so livid that he looked like he was in danger of popping a vein.

"Wha-?" Inui gaped at him in confusion, not understanding what was going on. He looked around and noticed the other three around him, all wearing somber expressions. All of them were here…except one…

"Where is Renji?" He asked.

Sanada had drawn back his fist, and was about to hit him again when Yukimura suddenly caught his hand. "Enough, Genichirou. He doesn't know."

The Rikkai captain turned to him, his face unsmiling. "Renji…is in labour. The surgeon is tending to him now."

"Surgeon?" Inui repeated stupidly, his mind still too unfocused from both the blow to his head and the confusion.

Atobe gave a snort. "Tezuka. Your team's data master really needs to attend health class more often. Do you think there is any other exit for the baby?" He directed the last sentence at Inui.

It was only then did the severity of the situation strike him. Inui swallowed, his senses finally returning to him. "For…how long…?"

Sanada made a lunge for him, one which failed because Yukimura maintained his hold. "We do not know. He was already in labour when Tezuka found him."

Inui felt his blood turn cold. Yanagi might have gone into labour right after he left.

Tezuka gave him a solemn stare. "It was a good thing I had dropped by to give you the homework you left behind at school..."

"Inui, It's me." Tezuka called out when no one answered the door. He waited a few more moments, but when no one came to open the door, he gave a sigh and pulled out his set of keys. Atobe had given each of the five a copy anyway.

He swung open the door. "Inui? Yanagi?" He frowned to himself. Was Inui taking a shower or something? He walked a few more steps, heading towards either of their rooms, when he froze.

For Yanagi was sprawled on the floor, unconscious.

Tezuka reacted instantly. "Yanagi!" He scooped up the unconscious boy, putting him on the couch. Very quickly, he snatched his phone out of his pocket and dialed Atobe's number, followed on by Sanada's and Yukimura's. After explaining the situation, he went looking for Inui again.

"He's...not here..." A weak voice spoke up. Yanagi seemed to have regained consciousness.

Tezuka made his way the couch. "Where is he?"

Yanagi shook his head. He gave a sudden cry of pain, clutching his stomach.

Tezuka wasn't too sure if these were false contractions, or was it the real thing this time. "How long has this been going on?" He asked.

"Quite...a while..." Yanagi looked like he was going to pass out again. Tezuka had a sinking feeling it wasn't those Braxton Hicks contractions. Yanagi was going to have the baby.

He scooped the ailing teen into his arms, deciding that the bed was a better place than the couch for him now. "You'll be alright. I've already called Atobe. He'll be sending his doctors over." Tezuka whispered, trying to encourage him.

Yanagi shook his head. "Too...late...tell Sadaharu...I'm sorry...tell him I'm sorry...for hiding everything...from him." Tezuka could feel the Rikkai data master shudder as another contraction passed. When he opened his eyes again, he looked like he had given up completely. "If I don't make it... don't let Sadaharu...blame himself... it's not his fault..." Yanagi became silent as he passed out again.

Tezuka had only just finished recalling what had happened when the sounds of crying rang through the house. The five teens froze, instantly alert as they recognized the sounds. The crying went on for a good few minutes, and Inui felt relief surge through him.

Abruptly, however, the crying ceased, and the relief fled too, replaced instantly by fear. It felt like an eternity to Inui, just waiting there, not knowing what was going on in the room. After a long while, the surgeon exited the room, heading towards the five teens. All five weren't looking at the surgeon though, as their eyes were fixed on the tiny white bundle in his arms. The surgeon's face was solemn as he stopped before Inui, holding out the bundle.

"It's a girl."

Inui's gaze was fixed on the tiny face. A daughter...he had a daughter... The words repeated itself in his head, even as he studied her sleeping features closely. If she had been the one making the racket just now, she certainly didn't look like the culprit now, with her expression so peaceful.

Very tentatively, Inui reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against the baby's cheeks. She was warm...and her skin was so soft...too soft! He withdrew his hand quickly, almost afraid that he might injure her.

Someone placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Inui. You can hold her." The voice was gentle...most likely Yukimura's.

Inui swallowed, the uncertainty still present in the green eyes hidden behind his glasses. He glanced up, searching the doctor's face for permission. All he saw there was impatience, as the doctor continued to hold the baby out to Inui.

At long last, Inui held out his hands, allowing the doctor to place the baby in his arms. She was much lighter than Inui had thought, and her tiny, towel-covered form was nowhere near the length of his arm. This was the first time Inui had seen a human being this small. He cradled her carefully, hoping beyond anything that he wouldn't have any miscalculations. She was very fragile, so much so that Inui couldn't help feeling slightly afraid of her.

The newborn was completely oblivious to her father's distress, as she slumbered on quietly, making herself perfectly at home in the arms of her human cradle. Inui watched the sleeping face for a while longer. It was only after the feeling of wonder at his daughter's birth had worn off before Inui looked up at the doctor again, remembering one other important individual.

"H-how is he?" Inui asked.

The doctor's serious face had, if possible, turned more severe, as his frown turned down. "He's not conscious. He had lost a lot of blood during the birth, and he had some internal injury from the contractions..."

The doctor's lips continued to move, but Inui could no longer hear him. He knew, even if the doctor didn't tell him, that Yanagi's condition wasn't good at all. His hands started shaking badly, even as an odd fog filled his mind. Vaguely, he could hear voices around him, but he couldn't make out what the voices were saying.

With the last bit of his rationality, Inui deposited his daughter into the arms of the nearest individual around him (Atobe's), not trusting himself to be able to hold her any longer. Once he had done that, he made a mad dash towards Yanagi's room, not heeding the yells of his name.

When he opened the door, he staggered slightly, his eyes instantly taking in the blood-stained sheets, the crimson a strong contrast to the pale person now lying unmoving on the bed. Numbly, Inui approached the bed, not believing his eyes as his brain struggled to give him commands, but his mind was too numb to process any of it. This couldn't be the same person he had seen this morning. This couldn't be him at all! Yanagi was ghostly pale, and Inui shuddered as he took in the sight of all that lifeblood staining the sheets.

He didn't know when had he fallen to his knees before his friend's bedside, and he didn't know when had he taken his friend's hand. Inui grasped Yanagi's hand tightly, as if the gesture could somehow make the scene before him unreal.

"Renji..." He called out his friend's name. Needless to say, he received no response.

Inui continued to stare at him numbly, not releasing his grip even as he felt someone put a hand on his shoulder.

"Enough, Inui." He heard Tezuka's voice.

He stared up at them, studying their faces. Tezuka's solemn expression met him, as did Sanada's serious face. The doctor too remained unsmiling.

"Let him go, Inui." Sanada told him.

A foreign sound, a choked sob met his ears, and it took Inui's subconscious mind a while to realize that he had made it. Another sob escaped him as his defenses broke down, and the sorrow broke through his self-control.

He had killed his friend...the person he loved most...

To be continued...

A/N: (Evil laughter)

Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.

-Gwyn86