A/N: Really short chapter since I couldn't think of much to write about. I'll apologize beforehand for making Tezuka so OOC. No TezuRyo in this chapter, but probably some in the next.

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis does not belong to me because I am unable to even draw stick figures properly. The teddy bear in this chapter, though, does belong to me.

Warnings in this chapter: Slight abuse of stuffed animals and a speck of Tezuka torture.

It was Friday afternoon and Seigaku tennis practice had just ended.

Tezuka, being the captain, stayed after to supervise the first years picking up balls and offered to lock up the clubhouse afterwards (Oishi had an urgent student council meeting and left before practice ended). Tezuka did not mind being the last one to change and go home but today a cold shiver of dread crept through his spine like tiny snakes, as he exited the clubhouse and locked the door with the key.

He couldn't place the feeling of dread and why it had decided to visit him now, just when he was going home. Had something horrible happened to his father or mother? Or even his grandfather? The very thought of something happening to his family made Tezuka want to sprint all the way home until he thought about it rationally and remembered that if anything had happened to his family while he had been gone, Ryuzaki-sensei or the school would have told him beforehand.

So why was it then, that he could not shake off the mounting dread in the pit of his stomach as his gut instinct continued to scream at him to run away, run far away in the opposite direction of his house.

Unfortunately, since Tezuka was too prideful to run away and too determined to back away from a challenge, he entered the house believing he was prepared for whatever it was that lay before him.

'Yudan sezu ni ikou,'(1)he repeated to himself, the familiar words that he would always say to his team before matches and tournaments strengthening his own determination.

The moment he opened the door though—

SMACK!

A purple teddy bear was there to greet him, hitting him directly in the face. The bear stayed like that for a second, in a semi-hug against Tezuka's head before it slid down his face, his chest and landing on the floor with a soft 'plop.'

"You're late Kuni," came the irritated female voice of—Tezuka assumed—the one who had thrown the bear.

Tezuka suddenly realized then, that's the person had called him 'Kuni.' Yet no one had ever called him that, not since--

"Ashiora?"

At the mention of her name, the said girl grinned, her crabby mood gone to be replaced by sadistic amusement at the slightly shocked tone in Tezuka's voice. "Didn't really see that one coming, did you Kuni?"

Tezuka blinked and realized now, why he had been dreading the return home.

'I forgot about Ashiora.'

Although his expression did not change on the outside, inwardly, he was already cringing at the headache-inducing chaos that was to come.

Ashiora's grin widened. "I'm home, Kuni."

Tezuka mentally sighed and picked up the fallen bear at his feet, it's black button eyes gazing back at him in what Tezuka would have liked to believe as sympathy.

"Welcome home, Ashiora."

A/N: Again, I apologize for Tezuka being so OOC. It really is hard to write him considering he acts like a statue half the time and has about the same amount of facial expressions as a caveman forzen in an ice cube (Haha, that's probably why he and Byakuya are voiced by the same Seiyuu xD).

I also apologize if I made Ashiora seem overly evil/sadistic/mean in this chapter. (Bad Ashiora, bad! You're not supposed to abuse stuffed animals like that!) Hopefully, the next chapter will be longer, just as long as I can get my muse to cooperate with me, that is.

Until next time, and don't forget to drop a review!

(1) It's Tezuka's trademark saying, sort of. He always says this to the team before tournaments and such. For anyone who does not know what this mean, when translated into English, it roughly means "Don't let your guard down".