So I've never written a Prince of Tennis fanfic before. Figured I should try it! I mean, I only watched the series a dozen and a half times over.
Pairing: Ryoma x ?
It was, oddly enough, Kaidoh who brought it up. Had it been Eiji or Momo, no one would have likely believed it. Echizen Ryoma was seeing someone. Who though, he didn't know. He had only accidentally overheard a phone conversation.
Being the brat's upperclassman, Kaidoh felt it was his responsibility to see to it that Echizen wasn't being taken advantage of. Being the baby of the team and their ace, the freshman held a very special place in all their hearts. And he was only a freshman in middle school! Needless to say, Kaidoh was a lot softer and more caring than he let on—not that the entire team didn't know already.
And so following Inui's orders, the entire team sans captain staked out various places the golden-eyed boy visited: the town's tennis shop, the burger place, Kawamura Sushi, the various tennis courts, etc... When it was proven that there were more places than there were members of the team, Inui had taken it upon himself to put up the cameras. No one questioned where or how he had gotten his hands on such high-tech equipment.
From what everyone could see, Echizen only walked home alone or with the company of school mates, played a few matches with rival teams, ate with Momo and Eiji, and leeched some more off his senpai at Kawamura Sushi's. There was no mysterious girlfriend showing up in the picture. When Kaidoh turned to the team with the question of whether they had been discovered, hence the brat had told his girl to stay clear, Inui shot down that idea with statistics and numbers that made everyone's head spin.
"Maybe it's that Sakuno girl," Eiji suggested one afternoon in the cafeteria with the other third year team members. He was getting frustrated with the lack of news.
"Doubtful," Fuji replied promptly. "He hardly notices her." The genius turned to the team captain, "What do you think Tezuka?"
For a moment, the young captain didn't look like he was going to answer. Seeing their expectant gazes, he sighed inaudibly and put in his two cents. "No comment." It wasn't any of their business who the young boy saw outside of school. As long as he was safe and sound, then all was well. He wasn't about to participate in his team's random and crazy adventures.
Oishi laughed, "That's just like you Tezuka." The vice captain's smile dimmed in seconds, "Though I'm worried. He's still so young. Is he ready to date other people? And not to say he's made of stone, but he doesn't express himself well. Will a relationship work?"
Fuji had to chuckle. "Oishi, you're going to give yourself an ulcer. Anyway, I think Echizen expresses himself just fine. We, at least, always know what he wants. His eyes are very expressive, don't you think?"
The vice captain, blinked, that thought having never crossed his mind. "You're right," he acquiesced. "But will he choose the right person? What if the girl's only after his fame or something?"
Eiji snorted when a thought hit him at scud serve speed, "Is it even a girl? What if it's a boy?"
Fuji's eyes shot open. That had never occurred to him.
Tezuka choked on the milk he was drinking. "What?"
Oishi dropped his chopsticks. "Eiji!"
Eiji looked affronted. "What! You never know. I mean, Fuji's dating Saeki-san."
…
The next time Echizen was on school grounds talking on the phone with his mysterious lover, it was Momoshiro who overheard. It was lunch break, the bell had just ringed, and Echizen had casually strolled out of the classroom with his bento box. If Momoshiro was guessing right, then the boy was heading straight for the roof. To get there first and get a good hiding spot, the junior made a mad dash through the halls and took the stairs two steps at a time.
He really wasn't expecting anything amazing to happen or anything at all even, but just as Echizen was getting ready to sit, the boy's cell phone buzzed. The freshman glanced at the display, rolled his eyes once, before flipping it open and putting it to his ear.
"Yeah?" he grunted, sounding put off.
Momoshiro carefully shifted closer trying to catch as much of the conversation as possible.
"What? No! The idiots have been following me all week."
Damn it. They've been found out. No wonder nothing interesting ever happened. He'd have to tell Inui-senpai that all his data was wrong. His plan had been completely seen through.
Echizen expelled a heavy sigh at whatever the other person was saying.
"No, don't. You're the one who said to be careful. They're probably going to keep following me at this rate." The freshman turned and strolled over to the chain link fence overseeing the school grounds.
Echizen snorted and rolled his golden eyes and looked to the heavens in exasperation. "Why, that's very sweet of you but no."
Momo could practically see the sarcasm drip from that statement. Wasn't that a bit rude? Especially to a girl?
"Ugh, just shut up alright? I'll handle it," the cat-eyed boy replied snarkily, his voice rising.
The recipient of that rude order said something loud enough that Momo could hear but couldn't decipher. He assumed they yelled right back.
"Yeah, sorry; I'm just frustrated." And the boy really did sound apologetic which was rare.
"And I miss you too."
"Mhm. Love you too, bye." With a flick of his wrist, the phone snapped shut.
Momo could do nothing but gape. Who would have thought? The viper was actually right; the brat was seeing someone. Holy cow, their freshman was dating someone!
"Momo-senpai, get down from there."
…Shit. He had been found. Reluctantly and very guiltily, he slid down from the second level.
The smash dunk player raised both hands in a placating manner when the freshman turned his scowling face to him. "Uh, I can explain!"
Ryoma rolled his eyes in obvious annoyance. "Save your excuses, Momo-senpai. I already know everyone's been snooping around trying to guess who I'm seeing. Can't you people just ask like normal people?"
Momoshiro perked up, a grin slowly stretching across his face. "So if I ask, you'll tell me?"
"Heh, no. I never said I'd answer."
"Aw, c'mon! Tell me!"
"Go away. You're too loud."
"Aw, c'mon Echizen! Let your best friend know! Aren't I your best friend? Why haven't you told me?"
The freshman sighed, "Because you would have turned around and told everyone else!"
"I would not! I can keep a secret. Who am I—Eiji-senpai?"
The boy eyed the junior suspiciously. "Really."
"Yeah, really!" Though it would be tempting to tell, if Echizen asked him not to, then he wouldn't!
"Fine, but if you tell, I'll let everyone know who you've been seeing for the past month and a half."
The smash dunk player spluttered, blushed and spluttered some more for a minute before nodding hastily, red-faced from embarrassment.
"So you'll tell me now?" he asked after he had calmed down.
Echizen had the gall to smirk cockily at him. "No."
"What! But you just—"
"I never said I'll tell you now."
"Then when?" he whined. He really wanted to know.
"Huh, good question." He glanced at the phone still grasped within his hands before flipping it open and pressing a number on speed dial. Before Momoshiro could sneak a peek at the name on the display, Ryoma already had the phone at his ear.
"No, nothing's wrong you dork. I want to let Momo-senpai know."
From where he was standing, he still couldn't hear the mystery person's voice, only very faint sounds.
"Yeah, he did. Meet me after practice. I'll be waiting with Momo-senpai at the gates, 'kay?"
The junior perked up at that. He was going to meet this mystery person in person! He did a little dance on the spot.
Needless to say, the second half of the school day crawled by at an agonizingly slow speed. Outwardly, Momoshiro was already having enough difficulties hiding his excitement. All this waiting was only chipping away at his act. When the final bell rung, he forced himself to remain calm and made his way through practice with minimal distraction. When at last practice was let out, he and Echizen made sure to be the last ones to leave by taking extra long showers and bickering about every little thing. He had texted the others to tell them that he was walking the freshman home, so there would be no need for extra surveillance.
When finally they made their way out of the clubroom, only Ryuzaki-sensei and their captain were left and both were discussing something about the recent practice matches and training schedules. Not wishing to interrupt them, they quietly made their way out.
And so the pair waited. Echizen was content to rest against the brick wall, close his eyes, and doze off. Momoshiro, on the other hand, was looking at every direction like a twitchy squirrel trying to find someone that looked like a match for their team's socially retarded freshman. Every person around their age that passed by was subject to his intense and searching eyes. When none paid any attention to the dozing boy, the junior began wondering if this mystery person would ever show up. It had to have been at least thirty minutes already. He glanced at his watch. Okay, so it had only been twenty-seven minutes.
Footsteps from the school grounds alerted him to another presence. Glancing behind him, he smiled and greeted their captain who had probably just finished his meeting with the coach. "Hey buchou!"
The captain addressed him by name in greeting.
Wait a minute, wouldn't this be weird? The captain would definitely question why they were loitering at the school gates for apparently no reason.
Even the freshman had straightened.
Momoshiro sent a desperate look to his friend, hoping for some help. What were they going to say?
Wait, why was Echizen getting up and walking off? They were supposed to wait for the girl, right? The power player jogged to catch up with the boy and whispered low enough so that their captain who was walking beside the freshman wouldn't overhear, "Aren't we gonna continue waiting?"
The boy looked up at him, puzzled. "We did," he said slowly, his expression blank.
"…We did?"
The boy rolled his eyes. "Are you really this dense, Momo-senpai?"
"It's only buchou, you and me here right—"
He paused and looked between his two team mates, eyebrows drawn together. They were standing closer than they usually would. If one so much as moved even an inch closer, their shoulders would brush.
"Buchou…?" he said faintly, unable to comprehend the information his brain fed him.
And then all went black.
The End (most likely)
Alright. The end? I'm up for continuing it, but I didn't feel like dragging it on unless people were interested. So if people weren't too interested or cared to know what this would lead to, this seemed like a good place to end it for good.