Prince Of Tennis Fan Fiction ❯ Reflections of Myself - Rikkaidai AU - Niouyagyuu ❯ Chapter 4

Reflection of Myself

A Prince of Tennis Rikkaidai AU Fic

By Andrea Readwolf [andrea_readwolf @hotmail.com]

Chapter: 4

Rating: PG

Pairings: Niou Masaharu + Yagyuu Hiroshi, Marui Bunta/Jackal, Yukimura Seiichi/Sanada Genichirou

Genre: Drama

Warnings: AU story. Shounen-ai. Family secrets.

Spoilers: Rikkaidai arc, perhaps.

Summary: Niou transfers into Rikkai HS as a freshman with ulterior motives. But things may get more trickier than Niou had planned on.

 

Disclaimer: Tennis no Ohjisama, characters and settings are the property of Konomi Takeshi.

 

Date Started: February 2005

Word Count: 3907

 

Notes:

(1) Japanese textbooks are paperback--like workbooks.

(2) Japanese students attend club activities during the summer and spring holidays, although the schedule is modified so they are not at school every day.

(3) At the beginning of summer holidays, students are given a huge packet of homework. When they return to school in September, they have exams on the summer material.

 

 

"Reflections of Myself" Chapter 4

 

 

"That's all the announcements. Have a good and productive summer, and do try not to cause the school any embarrassment."

 

"I think Takabashi-sensei was talking to you there at the end, Niou," Marui teased, snapping his gum as the school slowly emptied itself in response to summer break beginning.

 

"As if I'd do anything to embarrass the school," Niou scoffed, leaning back onto Yagyuu's desk, and subsequently blocking the other teen's efforts to pack up his books and belongings. "Six, blessed, class-free weeks!" the Trickster sighed with glee.

 

"Not so blessed," Marui grumbled. "My mom decided last night that me and my brothers have got to go spend time with my grandparents this summer."

 

"In France?" Niou returned excitedly. "Cool!"

 

"I wish," the redhead slumped, and even his gum looked depressed. "It would be cool if it was France, but it's my mom's parents, which means six weeks of torturous hell up in hick country, and it's so *boring* there. I mean, there's absolutely *nothing* to do, and I just *know* I'm going to get roped into helping out at my aunt's store, and--Gah! Just kill me now and save me from the impending doom of boredom, please?" he cried dramatically.

 

Instead, Jackal bopped him over the head with one of their school books (1). "I'll be away this summer, too," the dark-skinned boy spoke up. "I got the job at the horse camp. And since Sanada will most likely be helping out at the dojo, and I believe Yanagi plans on visiting his grandparents in Hawaii, I guess that means you and Yagyuu will have plenty of time to 'perfect' your doubles' game, ne?"

Yagyuu adjusted his glasses. "You realize that you and Marui will never stand a chance at Doubles 1 if we improve any more."

 

Marui just snorted and leaned over Yagyuu's desk to smile into Yagyuu's face. "D2 are the mood setters, anyway," he snapped his gum and winked. "You know how I hate having to wait to play."

 

He blew an extra large bubble, which Niou did him the favor of popping. Marui looked cross-eyed at his nose, glared at Niou, and then began the joyful task of unsticking gum from his face. "You're mom finish redoing the gardens?" he asked, making a point of looking at Yagyuu and ignoring Niou when his face was mostly clear.

 

"Supposedly," Yagyuu answered, sounding indifferent, finishing packing up his bags and shouldering them to follow the others out to the locker rooms.

 

"Ne, ne, you should *see* his place," Marui chimed excitedly turning around and walking backwards so he could look at Niou. "It's gorgeous! I swear, it looks like something right out of a magazine or TV program."

 

 

~~~****~~~

 

Niou eyed the house nervously, shifting from foot to foot as Yagyuu unlocked the gate. "Is it really okay for me to be here," he asked for the umpteenth time.

 

"Not that my family are mass-murders or anything, but, *yes*," Yagyuu sighed, readjusting his glasses. "I'm sure. My father is out of the country, and my mother is at a charity function. You didn't have to come over if you didn't want to," he added almost moodily, and Niou grinned.

 

"I thought we'd agreed to get our homework done early so we can focus on our game," he replied with an air of teasing nonchalance as he followed Yagyuu into the immaculate garden and up to the house. "Damn, Yagyuu. You've got a pimping place going here."

 

Yagyuu's lips twitched. "So glad you approve," he replied, ushering the other teen into the house. "My big sister is away for the week as well, and my little sister is probably at one of her friends'..."

 

Inside, they could hear the stereo blaring from upstairs, and Yagyuu grimaced. "It seems my little sister is home," he sighed resignedly. "Come on. If we're lucky, we can hide out in my room without her noticing us," he added, leading Niou into the kitchen for drinks and snacks before heading up to Yagyuu's room.

 

Niou had been impressed with Yagyuu's house from the outside, but the inside was even more impressive. Marui hadn't been kidding when he'd talked about Yagyuu's house. Niou never imagined that real people ever lived in houses that looked like the models you'd find in some fancy housekeeping magazine.

 

Up in his bedroom, Yagyuu pulled several books from their shelves and laid them out on the floor between Niou and himself.

 

"I feel like I'm a little freshman against, going through 'doubles for beginners'," Niou commented lightly as he started flipping through the pages of a random book.

 

"You are a freshman again," Yagyuu pointed out pragmatically. "And just think of this as a refresher course for our future careers."

 

Niou grinned. "Tearing through all the competition, ne?"

 

"Ah."

 

They spent a good portion of the afternoon reviewing popular play styles and strategies they'd encountered or seen.

 

Then Yagyuu's little sister knocked loudly before walking in and plopping down on her brother's bed. "Ne, Hiroshi, I'm bored," she huffed, staring dejectedly up at the ceiling.

 

"Why don't you go over to one of your friends?" he suggested reasonably.

 

"Don't wanna," the girl replied sullenly, rolling over to stare Niou instead. "Who's this? A new friend?"

 

"A classmate," Yagyuu answered. "And if you don't mind, we're studying."

 

Momoko's face wrinkled in what Niou thought was a very cute frowning pout. "It's only the first week of summer vacation," the younger girl protested.

 

"All the more reason to get the school work started and finished quickly, no?" Niou answered before Yagyuu could say anything. "Niou Masaharu. Nice to meet you."

 

 

~~~****~~~

 

It was on his third visit to Yagyuu's house (and subsequently, Momoko's third time crashing their 'study session'), and Yagyuu's little sister announced, "You're a lot like my brother."

 

Niou paused in the process of reaching for an eraser to look at her. "Really? You think so?"

 

Momoko nodded seriously.

 

"We're not," he continued, harshly rubbing out a mistake he'd made in his math homework.

 

"There are some differences, sure," the younger teen went on confidently, "but, really, you two are awfully lot alike. I mean, you act a lot alike, and you even look a little alike. I bet you guys could easily pass for brothers or cousins or something."

 

"You've only known me for a couple of days," Niou protested, not looking at her. "I hardly think that--"

 

"Come here," she cut him off, sitting up on the bed and reaching over to mess with his hair and clothes and posture--at which time Yagyuu happened to return from his trip to the toilet.

 

"What are you doing?" he demanded calmly, staring at his little sister and tennis partner with amused and slightly horrified confusion.

 

Momoko clambered off the bed. "Come here, I wanna see something," she ordered, dragging Niou by the wrist and trusting her brother would follow.

 

Standing in the bathroom, side-by-side, staring in front of the wide mirror, Niou and Yagyuu stare at their reflections.

 

“Freaky,” Momoko proclaimed, staring wide-eyed at her brother and his friend. “I mean, if it wasn't for the hair color…. You two could be.... twins…”

 

Niou's straightened posture stiffened even more. And then he turned on Yagyuu, reaching up to mess up the other boy's hair and flinch the glasses, turning back to the mirror to observe the difference.

 

Masaharu grinned. It looked unnervingly maniacal on Yagyuu's face.

 

“What are you thinking, Niou?”

 

Hiroshi started, blinking away from his reflection to look over at his partner—hearing his calm, cultured voice coming from Niou's lips…

 

“You even *sound* like ni-san!” Momoko shouted. “Hold on! Let me go get a camera!”

 

Hiroshi looked back at their mirrored reflections. Seeing Niou standing so straight, with perfected posture just didn't suit, and Hiroshi forcibly made himself relax. He could feel the grin tugging at his lips even as Niou's face smirked back at him.

 

“You know what this means, don't you?”

 

“Twice as much fun?”

 

“Do you think we could pull it off in school?”

 

“In class, maybe. But it would be difficult at practice.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Can you play like me?”

 

“Can you?”

 

“It might be useful…”

 

“Honestly. Want to try it?”

 

“It *would* be… interesting.”

 

“We might not be able to fool anyone.”

 

“You mean, we might get in trouble.”

 

“That too.”

 

Twin grins flashed in the mirror's reflection.

 

“Since when have you become so concerned with getting into trouble?”

 

Masaharu adjusted the slipping frames on his nose. “I have a respectable image to uphold—as a member of the student council, of course.”

 

Hiroshi stared at their reflected images a little more closely. It was a little disconcerting, yes, but he could still tell the tiny differences between them. Niou was actually a little taller than Yagyuu when the boy decided to stand up straight, and Yagyuu's eyes were actually a little smaller in shape than Niou's. But, still… It was surreal.

 

And, of course, their hair color….

 

Hiroshi reached up and started resettling his hair. “We won't be able to do it right away, but…”

 

“But?” Masaharu who was Yagyuu prompted.

 

Hiroshi reached out to retrieve his glasses, and Masaharu let him, Niou's mischievous smile perched on both their lips.

 

“But, it should be an interesting experiment.”

 

And they had all summer long to perfect it.

 

 

~~~****~~~

 

 

The biggest problem to their switch was their separate personalities. Some might have thought it was their hair, or maybe the glasses, but these things were merely outer facades of the individual and easy to alter. At first Yagyuu balked at having to be fitted for contacts, and he wasn't thrilled about dying his hair lighter to match Niou's color, but, one day color rinses existed for a reason. Niou also lamented having to go through the hassle of purchasing a new pair of frames and having to darken his hair, but once the deed was done, he mellowed.

 

No, it was their personalities which had had sixteen years to develop. Hiroshi had always been a visually reserved and composed person. But that composure hid a sharp-cut mind and a dangerous young man. Meanwhile, Niou had always openly deceived people, seeming so extraverted while remaining staunchly secretive. Everyday, after practice, away from school, they would practice being each other until, one day they slipped into the other's role without purposeful intention, naturally, as though it was their second nature.

 

When school resumed in September, both boys felt confident enough being the other that they decided it was time they take their switch to school. They decided to choose a day when there was no morning tennis practice scheduled so that they'd have extra time to prepare that morning.

 

It felt good to be getting back into the school routine Masaharu thought as they greeted school mates they hadn't seen too much of during summer vacation. In a twisted sort of way, Masaharu had always enjoyed returning to school after the summer holidays. This year was no different in that regard, although there was another reason entirely for the freshman to be grateful for September first's arrival.

 

It was with a guilty sense of relief that he toed into his school shoes, school satchel slung casually over his shoulder as he made for the stairs. A relief that bloomed from the knowledge that with vacation over, any free time he might have had to spend with Yagyuu was effectively cut down to practically nil. It was a guilty relief because Masaharu honestly liked his friend and tennis partner. He'd enjoyed hanging with the other boy and meeting his sisters. He'd enjoyed it. He'd enjoyed it too much. And that was the problem.

 

When Masaharu had schemed and plotted his transfer into Rikkaidai over a year ago, Yagyuu Hiroshi had been his main motivation. To meet the other tennis player, to play with him. Masaharu had been fully prepared to hate the guy's guts if he was a snotty asshole, but Yagyuu wasn't, so he didn't have to, and Masaharu was relived. Yagyuu was a pretty cool guy to be around once he loosened up a bit, so Masaharu could like him without resentment.

 

After all, it wasn't like any of the problems in Masaharu's life were because of his tennis partner. And he really did like Yagyuu's little sister.

 

Tomoko had a bit of a sadistical nature and could be bossy to a fault, but she was a good kid and possessed a huge heart full of passionate affections for her brother, her family, and her friends. One of which she apparently accepted Masaharu to be part of. Masaharu thought she might actually be the first girl he'd ever lost his heart for, aside from his mom, and was a little unnerved to realize he'd probably do just about anything to make the younger girl happy.

 

Of course, Masaharu could have done without Yagyuu's older sister, but then, with the exception of Tomoko, who seemed to have grown an attachment to him, Yagyuu had been true to his word about his family. Despite the many hours and days Masaharu spent at the Yagyuu house that summer, he had not once caught sight of Yagyuu's mother or father, and Yagyuu's older sister rarely ever bothered them.

 

After seeing the fancy place Yagyuu lived, it had taken Masaharu quite a bit of pride swallowing and nervousness to allow his partner to see where he lived. It wasn't that he thought Yagyuu would make fun of him or even that he was embarrassed by the less than grand apartment he and his mom lived it. It was... just... something he couldn't explain, even to himself. He'd been careful to only stop by when he was sure his mom was away, and that added to his guilty feelings surrounding Yagyuu.

 

His mom had asked about his tennis partner: what was his name? When would she get to meet him? What was he like? What was his family like? But after a couple of months of Masaharu's evasive answers, she'd finally let off. He felt bad about essentially lying to her, but...

 

"Is this your mom?" Yagyuu had asked, staring at several of the picture frames displayed on the walls.

 

Masaharu popped his head out from the kitchen. Not that he'd needed to. Almost all the pictures in their apartment were of his mom and him. "Yeah. I'm afraid I can't offer much in the way to drink," he added. "Is water okay?"

 

"That's fine. She's pretty."

 

He handed Yagyuu one of the glasses, ice clinking, and studied the picture more closely. It was taken from his junior high graduation. She was dressed in the old kimono she took such extensive care for and had only worn three times that he could remember--during his junior high school entrance and graduation ceremonies and his seventh birthday celebration. It was the most expensive thing she owned, and she'd told him she only wore it for him because he was most important in her life.

 

"She is," he finally answered, turning away from the bank of pictures.

 

"You're lucky," Yagyuu replied softly, moving to follow him and Masaharu started. "It's very easy to see that she cares about you and loves you very much."

 

Masaharu didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say to that. Looking around him, he couldn't believe Yagyuu. Compared to Yagyuu's house, this three room apartment was a closet. His father was off lavishing money and affection on his other family, or so he'd always thought, while his mom struggled, working two sometimes three jobs at a time just to make ends meet. And Yagyuu thought he was lucky?

 

"Hiroshi was always very lonely," Yukimura said one steaming August afternoon.

 

It had rained all morning and the three previous days, but for that moment, the sun had broken free from the bank of clouds and was making a hearty attempt to boil away the lingering moisture. Yagyuu was, for once, off on his own business, and feeling rather at loose ends, Masaharu had decided to drop in on Yukimura to see was the former tennis captain was up to.

 

Yukimura had taken advantage of the temporary sunshine to get out in his garden and do a bit of weeding. He was up to his armpits in the pesky garden invaders, covered in smudges and clumps of dirt and green, and humming away happily when Masaharu poked his head in over half an hour ago. Even now, mostly cleaned up, there were smudges of dirt still discoloring his face in a way Masaharu found entirely too distracting in that 'I-want-to-drag-him-into-a-shower-and-take-a-very-long-time-to-wash-him-car efully- all-over' sort of way.

 

"He was lonely before Akiyama came," the lightly golden skinned boy continued, "and he's been despondent since he left, but... not with you," Yukimura mused, studying Masaharu over the tall glass of lemonade his grandmother had brought out to them. "Not now. It's very refreshing to see."

 

He smiled, leaning back in the yard chair. "Did you know, Niou-kun? Hiroshi and I have known each other since preschool. But he's a very private person. He guards his secrets and passions very closely. I thought, after he and Akiyama became friends, that I was finally getting to see the real Yagyuu Hiroshi, but that boy was merely a pale glimmer of the person he is with you."

 

"You liked him," Masaharu whispered, tinged with sickened fascination.

 

Yukimura's lips twitched and his eyes sparkled. "I like all my friends, Niou-kun."

 

Masaharu's eyes widened with that revelation. Surely Yukimura wasn't implying what he thought he was-- "But what about Sanada?"

 

Yukimura laughed. "Yes, I like Genichirou very much, too, but don't worry. I won't try to impose on yours and Hiroshi's relationship."

 

"We're not like that," Masaharu stumbled over his own tongue, feeling like an idiot, and he wondered if Yukimura would contribute his darkening skin to anything other than the hot sun.

 

"Really?" Yukimura asked, sounding amused again, and Masaharu suddenly felt very pissed off.

 

"Really," he snapped. "Not everyone is knocking for a sex buddy, you know. Yagyuu and I are just friends and, for a time anyway, tennis partners. That's it."

 

Yukimura tipped his head back, in pretense of watching the sky overhead, but really looking at Masaharu from under the brim of his sun hat. "Is that a fact," he murmured, sounding only mildly interested, but he had that sharp calculating look in his blue eyes, the one Masaharu recognized from standing across the net with this person, the one that taunted, 'I know more than you think I do, and I can and will use your weaknesses to crush and destroy you if you give me a reason.'

 

"Niou?"

 

Startled away from his memories of the summer, Masaharu looked up to realize everyone else had left the classroom. Classes were over for the day, and he was alone, with Yagyuu, in their classroom.

 

Yagyuu was standing in front of him, waiting for him to answer some unheard question. Looking up from this proximity, Masaharu could see the flecks of blue and gold that accented his hazel green eyes. From this distance, he could see the fiery passion of spirit that hid so skillfully beneath a calm collected surface. He'd been so delighted to see that blaze of spirit at the beginning of the school year.

 

But there had been an unforeseen drawback.

 

Yagyuu tilted his head closer, just bare inches away from Masaharu's. The temptation was heavy, like a gravitational force drawing them closer. He could feel the heat of the other's breath against his face, his lips, and it felt like he'd sucked it up inside of himself and it was now pooling in his stomach like lava.

 

Masaharu turned away before their lips could touch. "We probably shouldn't," he whispered, swallowing hard.

 

Yagyuu stared at him a moment, and then pulled away, reaching for his glasses. "I don't understand you, Niou. One minute you're fire, the next you're ice." He seemed to struggle with himself for a moment.

 

"I know you're attracted to me," Yagyuu said finally, turning and frowning intently at him. The other teen reached out, his fingers hesitating before touching Masaharu's cheek. "I can see it in your eyes, in your body. And yet your lips," he added, brushing his fingers against Masaharu's lips, "They tell me 'no'. Why?"

 

Masaharu stepped away and licked his lips, imagining he could taste Yagyuu's scent. "It would be a bad idea if we ever went there, so let's just not, okay?" he answered a bit hoarsely, grabbing up his book satchel and not waiting for Yagyuu to leave.

 

Ranking matches were scheduled for all this week after exams, he thought walking away quickly. If they were lucky, all the tension that had been pulling tight between him and Yagyuu could be focused on their opponents. They would score their spots as junior Regulars easily he thought with a thrill of vicious satisfaction as he rounded a corner, intent on taking the longer way to the tennis courts.

 

Masaharu stopped short and did a double take, blinking to make sure his eyes were clear and not deceiving him. And yes, he was really seeing what he thought he was seeing.

 

He was going to have to be more careful about turning corners at this school, it seemed.

 

But... still!

 

Okay, so Yukimura and Sanada he could sort of understand, even though the stone monster practically screamed 'seme', Masaharu had seen enough in the first semester of school, let alone the first week, to realize that everyone and anyone was 'uke' to Yukimura. The entire school just about bowed to the freshman with just one smile for incentive. Masaharu would have laughed at them, but he wasn't fool enough not to realize he was just as bad as them. Yukimura might seem slight of build and maybe he even had a hint of feminine about him, but there was no denying the sheer power that said Yukimura was a god in his own little world.

 

But... still!

 

Bunta---Marui he'd been pretty certain about. The redheaded tease was a schemer, true, and had a tooth for sweet things, undeniably, but Masaharu had been positive he'd pegged him correctly as the uke in his doubles pair.

 

Finding the dark-skinned Jackal with his back against the wall, school shirt hanging off his shoulders, pants opened, head thrown back, throat bobbing around silent sounds of pleasure, and hands buried in a messy mop of strawberry hair was....

 

Nothing short of erotic as hell for his poor, stressed, teenaged hormones. Especially after coming from a near encounter with his own doubles partner.

 

Bunta's lips were fastened over one dusky nipple, licking and laving the nub before fixing his teeth around the darkened flesh and tugging. His hand was shoved down the front of Jackal's opened pants, and there was no need to guess what was happening in that particular arena.

 

Masaharu continued to watch, transfixed by the sight. In his mind, he wondered what Yagyuu would look like, pressed up against the wall like that. And then his imaginings switched their positions and it was Masaharu leaning heavily against the school wall as Yagyuu touched and kissed him and--

 

He shook himself free violently and stalked away from the.... titillating sight, mumbling, "Doesn't anyone do anything other than *screw* around at this school."

 

 

~*~

 

 

TBC.