DISCLAIMER: I don't own Prince of Tennis

So why can't anyone mess against the Rikkaidai captain?

This has been a question everyone in the whole of the Rikkaidai Fuzoku tennis club know very well enough.

When Yukimura's not in the mood for practice, everyone should be. When Yukimura's not around to facilitate afternoon trainings, everyone should be present. When Yukimura's stabbing everyone with glares enough to inflict mental paralysis at the moment of contact, everyone should immediately look away.

Today was among those lucky days.

Yukimura entered the main court with all his glory; lips pursed in a silent rage, eyes jaded with anger, nobody knows why, and frown marring his angelic face, visible enough for everyone to understand the doom they are about to face for the day.

All eyes stared at their captain, expectant of any punishment that they always consider as a routine without any justification, yet no one dared to question.

A second passed, then another one. Yukimura eyed his team in full attention, analyzing each fidget, flinch, confusion, fear, and guilt that showed on each faces.

"Practice cancelled." he said in command, and Yukimura could swear he heard quite well his team gasping in unison.

The blue-haired captain glanced at the opposite side of the court, where his vice-captain stood immobile with a cold and hard stare rivaling his own. He mentally smirked and turned on his heels to leave.

The members of the team exchanged glances.

'Weird.' Kirihara thought as he glanced at Sanada's direction, who then pulled his cap lower to cover his eyes that might betray him of any unnecessary emotion.

Sanada rang the doorbell twice. He knew he shouldn't be here now of all times. But everything seemed to be gotten out of control. Yukimura was no longer listening to him, and the fact that he was not talking to anyone even to Renji was more than just disturbing.

Tezuka opened the gate to their house after a minute. He looked at Sanada, half-expecting his visit, but nevertheless surprised with the choice of time the other guy chose to drop by. It was almost nine in the evening, which means, he's scheduled to go on bed any time soon. Except that, he seemed to need a couple of minutes to delay his usual sleeping schedule.

"Sanada…what can I do for you?" he asked, pulling the gate wider, but not inviting the other guy inside.

While courtesy calls for invitation to ones humble abode, Tezuka was currently not in any shape to be courteous; at least not until he knew what the other guy had to do with him at this time of the night.

"Yukimura's acting strange. I just like to know if you have something to do with this." Sanada said.

Tezuka frowned. "I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to drive at."

"Of course you do. You're going out for all I care."

"Well even if that was the case, it didn't give me any right to intervene with any of his affairs." Tezuka said in a monotone. The way Sanada frowned told him that whatever he just said sparked something.

"Was." the black-haired guy say in a matter of fact tone.

Tezuka didn't respond, and allowed Sanada to process his thoughts. He knew he need not to go over with the details. The other guy should know by now what was going on.

"Did you…." Sanada didn't finish what he was about to say and stared instead at Tezuka as if he was seeing a different him.

"It's a temporary breather for the both us. We need time to think." Tezuka said, refusing to look back at the other man.

"And you really had the audacity to do that to Seiichi Yukimura?" Sanada asked, not expecting for any confirmation. He knew exactly what Tezuka meant. Even before, Sanada was already doubting if any serious relationship with their captain will last long. Yukimura was not just hard to deal with. He's an utterly dense and manipulative person who doesn't want anybody defying the rules and standards he set for everything.

The truth of the matter is, Sanada was expecting Tezuka to change that attitude of their captain. Even when he was head over heels on the blue-haired guy, Sanada knew Yukimura wouldn't just see him as a perfect match. Otherwise, he would have felt it's intensity. He was a sensitive person after all.

When Yukimura told him that he was his favorite, Sanada believed him. Not only because he wanted to, but more like because he doesn't have any other choice. Besides, it's not easy to set aside such flattery coming from the person whom you admired for years. Any man, how sane they might be, always has the tendency to succumb to ones inner muse when given the right opportunity.

And not long ago, Yukimura was definitely the object of his full attention.

Seeing how it turned out the same with Tezuka now, Sanada couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. Both for the two captains.

They were so idealistic about how relationships should be, forgetting the most important thing; respect. Not that the two didn't pay much respect on each other's businesses. In fact it's the otherwise. What he was more worried about was the personal differences each of them has. Yukimura was just too possessive for Tezuka's own good. And though the Seigaku captain might have realized that earlier, Tezuka surely, isn't ready to indulge himself into something that would sooner or later rob him off of the things he value most.

"I'd actually rather have this discussion on a different time, Sanada. If you don't mind of course." Tezuka offered, his diplomatic side getting the best out of him.

Sanada nodded, though he doubted if there would ever come such time.

"Let me ask you one last question Tezuka."

"What is it?"

"Do you really love him?"

Tezuka looked at straight at the other guy for the first time. His eyes betrayed the usual stoic façade he shows at people, and for a second or two, Sanada debated as to whether or not he had offended the other for such a direct, personal question.

Tezuka's answer however, wiped away the doubt.

"I don't know." Tezuka muttered, realizing that he himself was lost in the emotional strain he had for the entire week.

'I…..don't know…' he mentally repeated.

That night, Yukimura laid motionless on his bed; eyes fixed at the ceiling and looking nothing in particular.

His mind was somewhere far off from where he was.

It's barely two months since he and Tezuka decided together to take their relationship a step farther, and he couldn't fathom what he did wrong for the other guy to suddenly think about giving themselves some space.

Yukimura sighed and swallowed hard. For some reasons, the uneasiness he feels is slowly turning into fear of the unknown. He was afraid that anytime from now, Tezuka would call and really break up with him. This was the reason why he wasn't taking the first move as well to contact the other guy even if he was already dreading to hear his voice.

For years, Yukimura was feeling uncertain of himself for the first time.

Everything worked perfectly at the beginning, but now, things were suddenly out of his control, and he was slowly going crazy even by just thinking about what could have went wrong with their relationship.

He rolled to his side and closed his eyes.

Wrong move.

Fuji's piercing blue eyes suddenly popped out his mind, making Yukimura snap open his eyes back. He frowned and slowly sat up on bed. He brushed his unruly blue hair and bit his lower lip.

Fuji Syusuke.

Indeed. If there was someone who's ruining the beauty of his relationship with Tezuka, it would be 'that' tennis genius who seemed to be on a mission of ruining his beautiful moments. So far, Fuji was doing just fine.

The question now, is on what Yukimura should do to get rid of the nuisance. Whatever it takes, he would never ever give in to Fuji's provocation.

Yet the next morning that followed, Yukimura just knew he couldn't just stand back and let himself be dragged off by the flow of things as well.

He had to do something.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Alright….so….does this chapter give you an idea about why this story is entitled as it is?

I hope so….

Stay tuned!

Good luck!