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, (giggles) I'm glad you like her. Wish I could draw a chibi data pair, but sadly I can't draw to save my life.

Data Pair Lover, yeah. The headache's not over yet. Stay tuned for it. (grins)

kitten, (nods) Yup. Parenthood shouldn't be too big a problem for them though. After all, they're both data masters.

tj, (grins) poor Inui, if the poor guy isn't kicked he's strangled. Here. You can choose to use either this tie or this rope. XD

.

To the story then…

Data Tales

Bu: Gwynhafra86

Chapter 14

Inui didn't have much time to ponder over his current relationship with Renji, as both teens soon found their hands full with the addition of their new daughter. Being a newborn, she required at least one of her parents to be with her at all times, and Yanagi took it upon himself to stay with her 24/7. He was under a one month confinement period anyway, since he needed to recover from the birth experience. The Rikkai data master spent his waking moments taking care of the baby and attending his home tutoring classes, and once the baby was asleep, he too stole that precious time to catch up on sleep and allow his body to recover.

Inui insisted on staying in that house for the moment. He had a tight schedule though, having to juggle his time with school, club practice, his part-time job, and going home to Yanagi and Yuina. Tezuka hardly made the data master stay back after practice anymore, knowing his schedule. Inui hardly had time to tutor his protégé, and even if he did, he kept it short. Not that Kaidou really needed his help. The junior was getting more independent now, going through the training menus himself and pushing himself to be a better tennis player. Inui couldn't help feeling slightly proud of his protégé.

Inui's boss had noticed the change in Inui's work attitude. Before, Inui had been quite good at his work, since it was within the field of his strengths. Now, Inui put more vigor into his work, spurred by the knowledge that he was responsible for a new daughter. The boss once gave him a bonus after he had stayed overtime. Inui thanked him warmly, for the extra income was a lifesaver. The boss had chuckled over that, commenting that once Inui graduated from university, he had a high chance of getting a promotion.

Not that Inui would be working for this boss once he graduated. Atobe, had, a few days after Yuina was born, declared that he was giving the double-storey house to the two data masters as Yuina's birthday present, and that he would be acting as a temporary sponsor for her, at least until the two started working and could earn their own income to support their daughter. Right after his 'be awed by ore-sama's generosity' speech, he then pulled Inui aside and mentioned in a not quite subtle way that he wasn't doing all that for free, and was putting it on Inui's tab. Inui was to repay this debt by working in Atobe's company for a number of years after he graduated. Inui agreed to this. He was indebted to the diva after all.

When Inui went home that day, as usual silence greeted him. Once upon a time, Yanagi would have waited up for him, not touching dinner if Inui hadn't eaten yet. Now, however, he no longer had that luxury. When Inui left the house for school, Yanagi would be asleep. When he returned home, Yanagi would also be asleep. Inui couldn't blame him. It wasn't easy taking care of a baby who woke once every three hours.

Inui went to get dinner ready. He found the food still warm. Yanagi might have only just gone to bed not too long ago. After having his dinner, he headed over to Yanagi's room. The brunette was in a deep sleep, and Yuina slept next to him. As Inui walked closer to the two, he noticed dark circles around Yanagi's eyes, signs of a lack of sleep. Inui felt slightly guilty that aside from working, there wasn't much else he could do for either of them.

He sat on a chair, watching Yanagi sleep. He admired Yanagi's maturity. Both of them had to mature, actually. By having a child, both of them had no choice but to grow up beyond their years, to be the adults for the baby. Still, Yanagi would always be more mature than he was, with how he made swift decisions based on Yuina and Inui's best interests, and how he did not make even a word of complaint about it. Yanagi had to make a lot of sacrifices to adapt to the current situation, and Inui truly admired him for that.

A soft cry made Inui leap to his feet immediately. His daughter began squirming slightly, and before the volume of her cries could be raised another notch, Inui scooped her into his arms and hushed her lightly, even as he brought her out of the room. "Let your daddy sleep." He whispered to her.

She continued to whimper though, and Inui checked to see if she was hungry, or if she needed a change. That didn't seem to be the case though, as Yanagi had already changed and fed her. Inui finally deduced that she was crying because she couldn't sleep. He began speaking to her, once again telling her of all the data in his book. She couldn't understand him, of course, but for some reason she always went to sleep at the sound of his voice. It worked, as she stopped crying, her whimpers becoming silent as she dropped off to sleep. Inui continued to speak to her, while rocking her in his arms.

He stayed like that for a while, making sure she was truly asleep before he stopped. After some time, he stood up, intending to put her back on Yanagi's bed when he heard footsteps.

A disheveled Yanagi burst out of his room, and Inui could hear his frantic calls of 'Yuina!' He spotted Inui holding the baby and relaxed immediately. "Sadaharu, so she's with you." He said, relieved.

"Aa. She was having trouble sleeping so I rocked her." Inui gazed down at the baby sleeping in his hands. After some time, he looked up. "Should you be running around like that? You haven't fully recovered yet." Inui tried to keep his voice neutral, but the concern was still evident in his eyes. A pity his eyes were hidden by his glasses anyway.

Yanagi shook his head. "I'm not so delicate, Sadaharu." He walked over to the two of them before reaching out and patting Yuina on the forehead. They remained like that for a while. Yanagi's gaze seemed to be fully concentrated on the baby in Inui's arms, but Inui on the other hand found his gaze darting to the brunette instead. A few times, Yanagi's hand accidentally brushed against the Seigaku data master's, and Inui was filled with the urge to put his arms around him, had his limbs not been preoccupied by one sleeping baby.

Inui distracted himself by turning his glance towards the clock. "It's rather late. I think it's best if both you and Yuina head off to bed.

"You're treating me like a child, Sadaharu." Yanagi mock scolded him. Inui passed the baby over carefully to the brunette, who rocked her gently. Without warning, the Seigaku data master then scooped Yanagi up into his arms.

"Sa-Sadaharu! I'm not pregnant anymore. You don't have to carry me." The surprised brunette stated.

"I want to." Inui muttered quietly. He tightened his arms subconsciously around the other teen, not knowing how much he had missed the familiar weight in his arms, until now. "You're still recovering, so it's better if I carry you." He lied lamely.

Yanagi seemed amused, since the corners of his lips quirked ever so slightly. He made no comment though, as he allowed the other data master to go ahead with his antics. Inui set his friend on the bed with extra care, tucking the brunette under the covers. Yanagi placed Yuina next to him before turning to Inui, who had turned to leave. "Where are you going to, Sadaharu?"

Inui watched his friend briefly. "Homework." He said as a matter of explanation. If he stayed any longer, he might not want to leave at all. Again, he tried to leave. Yanagi's hand shot out abruptly, catching hold of the edge of his shirt and stilling his movements. "Might you…stay a while?"

"Hmm?" Inui turned back slightly, studying his friend. Yanagi's face was neutral, but if Inui's calculations were correct, there had been a twinge of hope in the brunette's voice.

Yanagi seemed to realize what he was doing and let go of Inui's shirt. "Sorry." He turned over to his side, with his back facing Inui. "Oyasumi."

Inui couldn't help feeling that Yanagi was probably embarrassed over his actions, and was trying to hide it. Wordlessly, Inui left the room, though he returned some time later with his homework in his hands. "I'll be staying here a while. The lighting is better here." Inui stated, dropping himself into a chair next to Yanagi's bed.

Yanagi turned over again, facing him. "I see." There was a short pause. "We haven't been able to have a conversation in weeks."

"Aa. Three weeks, 2 days, 5 hours and 29 minutes, to be exact." Inui calculated. Goodness. Had it been so long since their daughter was born? He gave Yanagi a weak smile. "That is quite unavoidable, considering both our schedules."

"Mm. Your schedule is pretty packed." Yanagi agreed, taking out his pocketnotebook from under the blankets and flipping through it. "You leave the house by 8 every morning, and you return around 9 or 10 in the evening. Are you sure you're able to cope?" Yanagi glanced up at him, looking concerned.

Inui chuckled. "It's nothing. You're busier than I, having to take care of Yuina. I can't really do much for either of you, so whatever I can do, I'll do it to my fullest abilities." Inui spoke quietly.

Yanagi's smile softened. "Arigatou, Sadaharu. We'll be leaving it to you then." He gave a sigh, closing his notebook. "I can't wait to go back to school though. I miss my classmates, my teachers…most of all I miss tennis." He smiled. "I've almost recovered, Sadaharu. I'll make sure I make it in time for the Kantou tournaments. We'll meet on the courts when that time comes." He held out a hand to Inui.

"Aa. I'll be looking forward to that then." He took Yanagi's hand in a handshake, secretly musing to himself that Yanagi's hand was so warm. He hadn't realized that he held on 5 percent longer than necessary until Yanagi had given his hand a squeeze. Inui hurriedly let Yanagi's hand go before holding up his notebook, pretending to browse through it very fervently when he was actually hiding a flush. He cleared his throat. "W-well. I should update you on some new data."

Yanagi smiled, sinking back against his pillows. Inui began speaking animatedly; filling Yanagi in on all the data he had collected. Inui was glad to return to their old routine, even if only for this time. He had missed talking to Yanagi.

After some time, Yanagi held up a hand. "Enough, Sadaharu."

Inui paused. Did Yanagi not like to hear of his data anymore?

The brunette pointed at the clock. "It's getting late. Instead of telling me all your data, why don't we go through your homework instead? You'll be able to finish faster this way."

Inui glanced up at the clock and realized that Yanagi was right. "Now that you mentioned it…" He really had lost track of time.

Yanagi made some space and patted his side. "Come sit here, Sadaharu." He propped some pillows behind himself and sat up straighter.

Inui hesitated a while, then sat next to Yanagi. He flipped through his homework, discussing and debating over the answers quietly with his friend. Yanagi was right. Time did seem to pass very fast when he was with him. Without realizing it, the mountain of assignments was done before he knew it. Inui gave a happy sigh as he packed away his books and made to leave. He was feeling sleepy anyway.

"You're not staying?" Yanagi asked quietly.

"I-" Whatever Inui was intending to say, the words died instantly when he saw Yanagi's expression.

It was pretty neutral, actually. Yanagi's eyes were open, and he was neither smiling nor frowning. Still, the request in his gaze was pretty obvious, and the minute Inui looked into those violet orbs, he was defeated instantly.

"I'll stay then." He muttered. He would always be fighting a losing battle when it came to Yanagi. As he settled next to the other data master, who dropped off to sleep almost instantly, Inui smiled to himself. Well, maybe losing this battle wasn't so bad an idea after all.

XXXXXXXXX

When the baby was around one month old, Yanagi had recovered enough to move about normally again, and he put himself on a strict training menu to rebuild his stamina and regain his feel for tennis.

Both data masters got a nanny (again, courtesy of one ore-sama) to look after Yuina if neither of them were around to watch over her. Yanagi was still adamant in taking care of the baby though, if he had the time, and he now had a schedule so packed, it could rival Inui's. There were times when Inui returned to find Yanagi out like a light, too exhausted to tend to the baby, and she had to be looked after by her nanny instead. That was saying something, since Yanagi usually took it upon himself to make sure she was fed and changed, no matter how tired he was.

Inui felt a twinge of worry over his friend's health. This couldn't be good for the other teen at all, this lack of sleep. His thoughts were interrupted when a soft cry filled the house, and he headed immediately to the nursery, where his daughter lay in her cot, her tiny form squirming under the blankets as she continued to cry. The nanny was making her way over to the baby, but Inui shook his head. "Allow me." He told the lady.

He stepped up to the cot and scooped the tiny infant into his arms, bouncing her lightly as he tried to coax her. She continued crying, though her wails eventually became quiet sobs. Taking a bottle from the table next to her cot, Inui began feeding her, watching as his daughter suckled hungrily. When she was done, he rubbed her back gently until she gave a soft burp. Satisfied that she wouldn't have an upset stomach, he cradled her and rocked her gently, again giving her a whole narrative of his day's data tales.

The baby eventually began to slumber quietly in his arms. Inui stared down at her, studying her features. She was getting prettier each day, Inui noted with a twinge of fatherly pride. He stroked her head, running his hand through the tuff of soft downy hair. Brown, just like Renji's. He hoped Yuina would take after Yanagi's features. He just couldn't imagine his face on a girl's.

He placed her back in her cot and went to retrieve his homework. As he worked through the math equations, he jotted down notes regarding his daughter's development. She wasn't as tiny as she was when she had been a newborn. Still, she remained so small and so fragile. Inui would do everything within his powers as a data master to protect her.

When he had finished his homework, he took off his glasses and sank into his seat, closing his eyes briefly as he reflected on how much his life had changed over the past few months. He thought he had his life well planned, with how he wanted his future to be. So far, he only saw school, home, tennis and data collecting. Nowhere within his calculations had he ever thought of landing himself in the role of a teenage parent. Apparently his data was proven wrong, not for the first time. Now he gained an extra individual to treasure.

Inui paused at that thought. No, not just one individual. There were two people entwined in his life now, and he could not see a future without either of them. Especially Yanagi. Inui had long gone past the stage where he could still convince himself that he was doing everything for Yanagi because he was his one true friend. He still valued their friendship, of course, but the past few months had changed his thoughts and feelings completely, and he cherished Yanagi because he was…more than a friend. To him, at least.

He hadn't told Yanagi about his feelings though, having a strange sense of reluctance to do so. It was either the timing was wrong, or Inui hadn't gathered enough of his courage to confess yet. Inui wanted to confess…but he just was not able to.

He sighed, coming out of his thoughts long enough to stand up and head back to his room. At this rate…there wouldn't be a future together with Renji.

XXXXXXXXX

After Yuina reached two months old, Yanagi returned to Rikkai Dai. The training paid off, and none of his teammates knew that he had ever been pregnant (not that anyone in their right mind would think of that possibility). Inui had decided to walk the brunette to school that day. He waited by the door as he watched Yanagi enter the gates. The brunette turned back briefly to give him a smile. "I'll see you later then, Sadaharu."

"Aa." Even as Yanagi walked into the school, a lot of the brunette's friends walked over to him and clapped him on the back, all asking the Rikkai data master of his experience in America. Inui noted that his tennis club friends were amongst the first to make a beeline to him, with Niou asking him questions (and Yagyuu making sure he behaved). The others were fairly quiet, except for the sophomore regular Kirihara, who was the most enthusiastic one there with his questions. Inui chuckled to himself as he walked away, while the brunette fabricated his non-existent adventure to pacify their curiosity.

Inui had to return to his house, where he too was greeted by his mother, who was most eager to hear of his 'study camp' experience, and Inui found himself making up a story too. As he sat at his study table, he found himself wishing he could turn back time. He missed living under the same roof as the brunette, and he missed his daughter. He gave a snort. He had only just left the house and he was already missing it. Incredible…

The longing became worse as the days went by though. Back then, he could hardly see them during waking moments as he had a very tight schedule, but at least he could be in their presence as he returned to the same house every night. Now, he could not see them at all. Inui didn't want to risk calling Yanagi up (for fear that he might unintentionally call when either of them was sleeping), so he text messaged instead.

Yanagi always replied his messages, giving him a brief report on their daughter. The Rikkai data master might have returned to school and the tennis club, but he remained staying in the house instead of the Rikkai dorms. Inui wished he stayed in a dorm too. At least he could stay with them again.

There were times when Inui missed the brunette so much that he snuck off to Rikkai to collect data. Yanagi's performance was improving steadily. He found his eyes glued to the brunette for a few moments before he reminded himself that he was here to scout, not to stalk...although both were rather synonymous in Inui's dictionary. He adjusted his glasses and flipped to a clean page as he watched Marui and Jackal's match. This team would most likely be Seigaku's opponents again in the Kantou tournaments, and he'd need all his data collecting skills to calculate Seigaku's chances of winning.

Yanagi's match ended, and the brunette walked off the courts. Inui's gaze followed him, watching as he sat on a bench and took a bottle of water. Moments later, Kirihara joined him, and the two started a conversation about who knew what. Kirihara was very animated, speaking excitedly about something, and Yanagi was smiling slightly, commenting once in a while. The brunette even reached out a hand to pat the junior on the head. He didn't even protest when Kirihara took a drink out of his water bottle, as the junior seemed to have run out of water in his own.

Inui could feel something curling in the pit of his stomach. He didn't like what he saw at all, even though there really wasn't anything wrong with the picture. He still didn't like it.

Inui returned several days later, and each time, he found himself seeing the same scene. Why was that Kirihara practically glued to Yanagi's side? As Yanagi gave him another pat on the head, Inui let out an involuntary growl of dislike.

XXX

"Yanagi-senpai."

"Hmm?" Yanagi indicated that he was listening, even as he patted Kirihara on the head. Perhaps it was because of him 'mothering' Yuina, but he felt more affectionate towards the ones he saw as 'little kids' now, and Kirihara's childish character fell under this category. He was the baby of the group after all.

"Did you hear something?" Kirihara asked.

Yanagi frowned. He thought he heard something, but he dismissed it as a stray animal fighting with another. "No." He replied shortly.

Kirihara thought of it a while, then shrugged. "Heh. If you say so. Now where was I…oh yes! After I beat that ichinen until he went crying for his mommy…"

XXX

Inui breathed a sigh of relief. His hiding spot wasn't revealed since those two had gone back to their conversation. At least, he thought his hiding spot wasn't revealed. The next moment he found himself staring face to face with a certain cap-wearing, stern-looking Rikkai vice-captain.

"Yukimura wasn't joking when he said your hiding places are pretty easy to find." Sanada spoke up. He gave Inui a what-are-you-doing-here glare. Inui met his glare calmly, and Sanada eventually relented, as he cast a glance in Yanagi's direction, somewhat guessing the reason for Inui being here.

"Don't disrupt practice." Sanada told him before turning around to join his teammates. Before he could go too far, Inui called him.

"Sanada…I have a question." Inui was very certain he was losing his mind. First he went to Tezuka for personal talks, and now Sanada too? "How did you and Yukimura…er…hook up?"

Sanada frowned at that. Inui doubted he'd be too pleased with answering a question like that, but Inui did want to know. Yukimura was a Rikkaian, and Yanagi was a Rikkaian too. Surely he must have some kind of tactic which appealed to Rikkaians specially.

"…It was something like this…"

"Genichirou. You're really good at tennis. Let's go out."

"…Aa…"

Inui stared. He wished he hadn't asked. He really couldn't picture himself in that scenario at all. Or at least, he calculated the scenario would be something like this between them.

"Renji. I like your data. Let's…"

"Go out, was what you were trying to say right? It would seem I'm right."

Nope…It wouldn't work at all.

Sanada gave him a stern stare. "Is that all you want to ask?"

"Aa. Thank you for your help." Inui muttered, even though it wasn't really much help.

As Sanada walked away, Inui decided to leave too. It was time for his part time job after all.

XXXXXXXXX

Inui did try to visit Yanagi and Yuina when he could, taking advantage of the break between practice and his part-time job to do so. If he was lucky, he'd at least be able to stay for two hours. If he wasn't, then he'd have to leave under an hour.

Inui tried to come up with sleepover excuses in order for him to stay the night with them. His parents didn't mind that much, as long as it didn't affect his studies. When Inui spent the night with his other family, he always placed Yuina next to him, wanting to spend what little time he could with her. Yanagi would join them, and the three will be sleeping in the same bed.

That morning, Yanagi was the one to wake first, and the Rikkai data master changed swiftly into his uniform. He bustled about getting ready for school, while Inui hardly budged, giving a sleepy groan and drawing Yuina closer to his side. Inui didn't have to wake that early that day, since his school had a holiday.

"You're staying here for the rest of the day, aren't you, Sadaharu? I have to leave now. Kirihara's waiting for me at the tennis courts."

At the name of his most disliked nemesis, Inui was instantly awake. He frowned. "Meet him at the tennis courts?" He asked, keeping his voice neutral.

"Aa. I promised to help him with one of his skills. I'll be back by evening." Yanagi mentioned.

Inui got out of bed and walked over to Yanagi's water bottle, struck by a sudden idea. He refilled the bottle with his latest Inui's Special Iguana Juice. After observing some of their interactions, he calculated an 89 percent chance that Kirihara might have a chance of 'enjoying' the drink too.

"Here. Don't forget your bottle." He held it out when Yanagi reentered the room.

Yanagi gave him a smile. "Thanks, Sadaharu. I'll be going now."

"Have a safe journey." Inui waved. He was in a much better mood now.

XXX

When Yanagi returned, Inui could see from his face that his plans were successful, and he had to stop himself from smirking.

"That was very mean of you, Sadaharu. I did not calculate the possibility of you refilling my bottle, and poor Kirihara-kun drank it. He had to be carted out of the tennis courts, which disrupted practice and made Genichirou angry."

"I had only wanted you to try my new drink. Why was he drinking from your bottle anyway?" Inui asked innocently.

Yanagi shook his head, knowing that Inui wasn't being truthful. "Why would you do that, Sadaharu."

Inui now understood what Yanagi went through went he thought Inui was with Kaidou. Now he was feeling the same way. He didn't want to let the green-eyed monster show, but that was difficult.

"No reason in particular." Inui muttered stiffly before leaving the room. He felt like burying himself behind his data for the rest of the day. It was much better than sulking while facing a wall.

For the rest of the day, he gave Yanagi the silent treatment, still holding a grudge against Yanagi for being so close to Kirihara. He was being a jerk again, he knew, but he couldn't help it.

He sighed. When would he ever be able to confess if his mind went all childish on him like this? He stared down at his daughter, who was slightly over three months old now. "How do I tell your other daddy that I like him, and that I don't want him to be close to other brats?"

Yuina stared at him quietly from behind half-closed lids, not making a sound. Inui sighed again and rocked his daughter. "I guess that's impossible huh…"

"What's impossible?" Yanagi asked abruptly as he walked into the room.

Inui was so startled he nearly dropped Yuina. He managed to keep his hold on the baby and replied curtly. "Nothing."

Yanagi noted that he still wasn't in the mood to talk, and shrugged before heading out of the room again.

Inui continued rocking the baby. "I'm being childish, am I not?"

His daughter continued to stare at him. After a moment, her lips twitched ever so slightly. Inui blinked. His eyes must be playing tricks with him.

The baby's lips continued to move slightly. Finally, for a brief moment, a smile formed on her face. A very small smile which lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to put a smitten look on Inui's face.

"Renji! Yuina smiled!" Inui dashed out of the room, the grudge he had forgotten instantly.

Yanagi's gaze was neutral. "Oh. So you're speaking to me again?" There was no malice in his voice though.

Inui passed the baby over to him. "She smiled…she finally smiled…"

"Aa. It's about time she smiled." Yanagi's gaze softened when the baby did smile at him before giving a yawn and going right off to sleep.

Inui stared at Yanagi, who was smiling at the baby. They were both beautiful. Somehow, that dispelled his envy towards Kirihara. At that very moment, it felt like the bond between them had grown stronger. He didn't have to think about what Yanagi had to do with Kirihara. For now.

XXXXXXXXX

"Inui…what's with that look on your face?" Tezuka demanded, his arms folded before him.

A permanently dreamy look was plastered on the Seigaku data master's face, making look slightly insane. Inui continued smiling stupidly to himself. "She smiled."

"What?" Tezuka asked, not understanding.

Inui turned to him, his smile getting wider. "She smiled. She actually smiled for the first time. She is so beautiful! You should have seen her, Tezuka. She's definitely going to look like Renji." He continued to gush over his daughter throughout practice.

Tezuka stared at him, gave him up as a lost cause, and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Now then, minna. Let's aim for the Kantou Tournaments."

The rest of Seigaku agreed full heartedly, as they put more spirit into practice. Only one data master was left ignored and grinning to himself.

"She smiled…"

To be continued…

Please Read and Review. No Flames Please.

-Gwyn86