Author: TunaForDesert

Summary: Tezuka's got an admirer. Ryoko's flipping shit. Yukimura and Fuji's having fun. And Sanada is our usual naïve fukubuchou. Atobe won't give up on pursuing Tezuka, no matter how many years pass by.

Genre: Romance/Humor

Rating: T for swearing.

Start.

Tezuka Haruka hardly paid any attention to anything except her opponent and the ball when she was in the middle of a match. After all, one could never afford to lose focus unless they wanted to be beaten and humiliated. Well….okay, sometimes, sometimes, she would let her mind wander about but could you actually blame her? She was not self-conceited. Oh hell no. But not all of her opponent could actually grab her attention enough for her to be serious. Name a few that could. Her three best friends, Fuji, Yukimura and Sanada, and her beloved cute returnee kouhai, Echizen, although the latter was still not quite there yet she was slowly climbing to where she and the others were. Give a few years – heck, months would do, and she probably could beat them hands down.

If only she stopped making her father as her sole goal already.

Anyway, the point was, one must strong enough to grab her attention. And the opponent she currently played against was not a player to be taken lightly. It was Sanada Benihiko herself, the Empress of Rikkaidai. So why was she so distracted?

Well, one must be either blind or deaf to ignore Mr. Casanova over there, Tezuka thought wryly as she returned another particularly strong hit.

The said Casanova was smirking in delight when he saw that figure danced – metaphorically – on the court. That slender and powerful figure was what every woman in high school could die for. However, it was either the owner herself took it for granted or she just did not care. The latter was more likely. His silvery eyes took a glance at the benches on the opposite side. It was only a casual match that they usually did during weekend but these girls were probably more serious about tennis than most of his current teammates. Silver eyes met with golden ones. Atobe Keigo smirked haughtily as the owner of the golden eyes seethed like a cat during bad hair day.

Echizen Ryoko hissed particularly loudly, grabbing her teammates' and Rikkai's attention. Yukimura and Fuji giggled silently. They found it cute that the freshman was protective over one of the most powerful player in Japan's high school tennis circle. What made it more entertaining was the thought that Tezuka's maternal instinct seemed to be quite active whenever Echizen was around. They were quite famous as the mother-daughter pair, known all throughout the nation. Although that moniker would probably be more frightening had they capable of playing doubles with each other.

Like mother, like daughter, they said.

So currently, on their opposite side of benches was the infamous Atobe Keigo, a sixth grader, and currently courting Tezuka Haruka, the infamous captain of Seigaku's girls' tennis team. One would think the thought of someone with height that barely reached Tezuka's shoulder trying to court her was funny. They thought it was cute, and refreshing. It was no secret that Tezuka's fanboys were nationwide. And none had been this persistent. Usually those boys would meet Echizen's Twist Serve face first. This one however was skilled enough to escape Echizen's brutal smash. Not to mention they were both returnees, United States and United Kingdom respectively.

That sparked an unintentional hilarious rivalry that made Fuji cracked at the mention of it alone.

Atobe brushed his hair elegantly, making Tezuka twitched. Then the boy whipped out a mirror as he fixed anything that he deemed out of place. That made Tezuka twitched again.

"Tezuka, how about ore-sama take you out for dinner tonight? It would be wonderful if you could join the marvelous me for an exquisite cuisine."

Rikkai and Seigaku snickered. Echizen lost her facial expression but her murderous aura multiplied. Kaidoh winced behind her.

"No, thank you. I have an arrangement this night for a formal meeting with my families."

Atobe smirked charmingly. The only thing that prevented Echizen from leaping out of her place and throttling the younger boy was Inui's strong grip on her waist.

"Well, too bad. We'll have to see it next time then," Atobe sat up and daintily brushed any dust.

"Why don't you come here and let me shove my racket down your throat, shrimp?!" Echizen's loud shriek stopped the boy's motion. Atobe looked at her and smirked.

"Ore-sama certainly would not participate in such vulgar-"

"Oh shut your trap and be a good boy like you are to your mama!"

"What- you!"

And cue the insults in English. Echizen's accent seemed brash in compare to Atobe's dignified British accent.

"Well, this is more amusing every time," Fuji chirped. Yukimura giggled in agreement.

Tezuka had lost her will to win as the two embarrassed her. She picked up quite a few of the two's rapid English and would rather not knowing the whole translation after her mind registered the vulgar insults.

Sanada frowned. She never understood why that young boy always tried to grab Tezuka's attention and or why he always asked for opportunities to spend time with Tezuka. Was he….another one like Echizen? The tanned girl winced. She would rather not. One Echizen was enough for her to lose her sanity. Another one would result to her committing mass murder.

Huh, go figure.

XXX

"You mean you don't know?!" Yukimura shrieked like she had just admitted she had carried out her plan of committing mass homicide. Sanada frowned then grunted, "Yes, why?"

Yukimura looked close to have a panic attack before Tezuka bashfully calmed her down. The captain of Seigaku also looked embarrassed with that blush on her face. What?

"You-you…." Yukimura stuttered as she tried to form any sentence. Sanada was tired of this. She was tired of being the only one that always being kept in the dark.

"Sanada," Tezuka began when Yukimura paused to catch her breath, "Atobe…was trying to court me."

Sanada kept her blank face. Although on the inside she was huh? Court? Why would he try to court you? What does that sentence actually mean in the first place? Did he want to have a match with you?

"In other words…he wanted to form a relationship, as more than friends," Tezuka managed to finish as much dignity as she could. It was never easy admitting you have a kid three years younger than you, which if helpful still in primary school, wanted to have a romantic relationship with you.

Sanada's face was still blank although the haywire in her mind was not at all. All her thoughts went sporadic and all she could make out was 'what the bloody fuck?' yes, Atobe's words. After sorting out her thoughts, she took a deep breath and started slowly, "Tezuka, next time you're picking up a boy, don't pick someone who's THREE YEARS YOUNGER THAN YOU!

Tezuka looked at her breathless friend, "Sanada, we're not dating."

"Yet," Yukimura supplied helpfully with a smile. Apparently, she was over the shock and would not have another cardiac arrest.

Tezuka sighed exasperatedly at her friends. Sleepover was never this tiring. She should be thankful that Fuji and Ryoko hadn't been able to join them. She shivered at the thought of disaster that would destroy the quiet night in Yukimura's mansion.

XXX

"Buchou! Buchou!" a distress call made Tezuka, now a senior in high school, looked at the entrance of the court. She approached the poor junior that was trying to catch her breath. She patted her back and told her to calm down and asked her what was wrong.

"THERE'S A PARADE ON THE GATE! THAT GUY THAT ALWAYS HIT ON YOU WAS THERE TOO SCREAMING NONSENSE ABOUT YOU ARE GOING TO BE HIS WIFE! A HOUSEWIFE! PLEASE DON'T AGREE BUCHOU!"

Apparently, Tezuka had gained yet another 'daughter'. But this one was not as violent and less brave. Though not less cute, was Tezuka's traitorous thought. She coughed to hide her shame of such thought. Certainly she was better than that. But one look at Sawada Tsunami's distress and tear filled big brown eyes made her swooned slightly and eyes a bit dreamy. What was again that made Tsunami like this? Ah yes, a para-

Tezuka froze. Ah, yes, a parade. By Atobe bloody Keigo.

She certainly could commit a murder that moment.

Marching like a warrior ready to go for war, she exited via the entrance with a murderous look. Apparently, Tsunami's outburst was heard by the other club members and they immediately followed her as she marched to the gate. They gaped as they saw a real parade, complete with trumpet and red uniforms and everything that made it look like a formal parade.

"That guy's going to be dead meat for real this time. Look at buchou's face," someone whispered. And she was right. Tezuka's face had gone blank beyond normal. It was as if she had turned into stone and rock and anything that is inanimate. Not even Echizen or Tsunami could make her stop this time. As if called by his own doom, Atobe revealed himself in front of Tezuka, seemingly to be appeared out of nowhere. He had certainly grown taller than Tezuka over the years. But that would not make Tezuka less intimidating.

"What are you doing?" her voice was barely below screaming, as if suppressing her desire to go wild of pouncing on the silver haired teen and just let him die. Atobe smirked. He had certainly become better looking as well, but Tezuka was so pissed she could push a child off a cliff at the moment so all she wanted to do was scratch that smirk off Atobe's face. She preferred it literally.

"Can't you see? Ore-sama is celebrating the day we're to be united. Your graduation is in a few days, no? We'll be getting married soon. Aren't you happy-"

A few days later, a cackle was heard from a lone villa in Washington owned by world's champion in woman's tennis, Echizen Ryoko. Ryoga looked at her uneasily, as if not knowing which better choice between bolting out of the living room to save his sanity and watching his sister doing silly dances for blackmail later.

XXX

"Aren't you tired of this already? It's been what, seven years?" Tezuka took a sip of her tea, an incredibly attractive silver haired man in front of her doing the same. To outsiders, they looked like the perfect match of the century, unless the gaping passersby indicated something else. Tezuka, now a fully grown woman, a professional tennis player and famous all over the world, was still being courted by her long lasting admirer. Atobe had grown even more attractive than he had last year that Tezuka wondered when this man would stop being so bloody handsome every time she sees him. Not that she was attracted.

"Until you agree to be Mrs. Atobe, no. I've been waiting for so long. It'd be such a waste to stop now," at least he had grown somehow modest. But his arrogance was still present sometime but it had mellowed down a bit so Tezuka did not feel like strangling him every time. He had matured and currently owned his family's business, certainly a man that every woman would die for, but not Tezuka. No.

"Now, how about joining my family and me for dinner tonight? Mother had been wondering about you for a long time," the familiar smirk bloomed on his face. Tezuka frowned slightly, weighing her choice. Well, it was not like she had anything to lose if she actually went. And certainly she was doing this to make Atobe stop bothering her.

Haha, fat chance.

XXX

"You're marrying the monkey king," even in her twenties, Ryoko still held resentment towards the businessman, and although the name-calling was getting stupider, Ryoko still did it, Tezuka mused sadly. And her betrayed tone made the older woman wince.

"Yes, he proposed last night. I'd like to ask for your opinion," she would have called Tsunami but the other woman was in Italy and she had no way to contact her.

"Are you happy?" Ryoko asked. Tezuka stared at her. Ryoko sighed, and lay down on her bed, "I'm asking if you're happy. This may sound stupidly sappy but I'm happy if you are. I'm not that brash kid that demanded your attention all the time anymore, you know."

Tezuka clutched the hem of her skirt. Well, after that dinner with Atobe's family a few weeks ago, she had given Atobe more chances. They went for dates and Tezuka felt so happy and ditzy every time she thought of the man. Perhaps she had been in denial for years?

"Yes, yes I am."

~OMAKE~

"By the way," Fuji leaned closer to Tezuka's ear. The bride shifted, not liking the sly smile on her friend's face.

"Ryo-chan's dating her brother. Apparently the guy's adopted. And Tsu-chan's pregnant with her old tutor's child. They're getting married next month."

The wedding was held back for two hours. The bride fainted and the groom almost flew outside of the country in rage fit, but could not decide between Italy and US. Someone said Tezuka's daughters had fallen into scandals.

End.

TFD's note: Ah….haha…IDK. I had a major author block for this.

Kudos to whoever that recognize Tsunami and her tutor. And I'm sorry for the incestuous innuendo. *kicked* I just had to put it there and Ryoga's not Ryoma's brother, right? He's adopted! Or at least that's what I'm sure of. And IDK if this is true but Tezuka's father's name is Kuniharu. Is it right? So I thought of something similar and Haruka popped up. And I think Benihiko's a traditional name. Besides, it has the same vowels as Genichirou.