Ryota Echizen

America-Reveal

A/N: I was intending to publish this chapter on Friday, but since tomorrow is my birthday (Or today if you're in a time zone) I figured this would be my gift to you all. Enjoy!

Ryoma's POV

"I really miss you" Akashi whispers over the phone.

Smiling softly, I whisper back. "I miss you a lot."

It is currently 11:23 at night, Akashi had given me his daily call so we could catch up with one another. It's only been one month since we left Japan, but it felt like eternity to be away from Akashi.

Chuckling, my boyfriend sighs on the other line. "How long are you going to be there again? I miss having my boyfriend with me."

Sighing myself, I shift a bit to relax more in bed. "Only two more months and then we'll be on a flight back to Japan."

"....Ryoma, if I found something out about Ryota and Atobe, would you want me to tell you?"

Furrowing my eyebrows together, I sit up a bit. "What? Of course, what happened?"

I hear him bed sheets moving around over the phone, probably Akashi sitting up as well. "Well...It was the day that you guys left for America. I was instructed by my professor to dorp some paper work off at the tennis room and Atobe was there. I then overheard a conversation between him and Ryota." He pauses, as if contemplating what to say next. "Ryoma...I've never seen him that depressed before. I mean, I know we don't get along that well, but to see him break and cry like that really shocked me..."

Feeling my throat constrict at his words, I stare up at the ceiling, unsure of what to do next with this information. 'How can this be.... He broke my brother's heart and he has the audacity to cry over what occurred between the two of them....Is that why Ryota came back to us with red eyes at the airport?' Not sure how to react to the given news, I just nod and whisper, "Continue", through the phone.

"He then explained to me what had happened. He had a conversation with some guy named Yukimura," 'God damnit.' "about how Ryota was being held back by his relationship with Atobe. Apparently, he didn't want to be the one to ruin Ryota's dreams...so he made up all that stuff at the restaurant...." Akashi concludes. "Ryoma...I honestly believe him."

Glaring at the wall on the other side of the room, a mixture of emotions wash over me. Understanding. Remorse. Anger. Guilt. Anger once more. And then nothing.....just nothing. After all this time, Atobe was trying to help Ryota...by breaking his heart? That jerk! That caring jerk! Ryota had cried over him the night that he came back from Akashi's house. He refused to talk about what Atobe had said specifically, but he did tell us that he didn't want us to make things worse. After all this time, we thought that Ryota was the only one with a broken heart, but Atobe was the one that had to suffer the most.

I don't know how long I had been thinking, but when I finally snap out of it it's to Akashi calling my name. "Ryoma....Ryoma?"

Shutting my eyes, I pinch the bridge of my nose. "I can't believe this is actually happening.....This whole time, Atobe was trying to protect Ryota in his own messed up way?....What the hell am I supposed to do?"

Chuckling quietly, my man whispers over the phone. "What you're going to do is get a good night's rest. In the morning you act like nothing happened and once today's tournament ends then you tell him. You don't want him to worry about both this and the match, that'll just make him a nervous wreck."

"Alright," I nod my head and take a deep breath, "What if he doesn't want to believe it?"

"Trust me, he'll believe you. You're his brother after all."

Laying there in silence, I nod my head. "Alright," glancing at the clock (11:23), I turn back to the phone "I should go, I have to wake up early tomorrow."

"Alright, love you." Akashi whispers lovingly.

Smiling gently, I whisper back. "Love you, too."

----NEXT MORNING----

Ryota's POV

Peeking my eyes open a bit, I squeeze them shut once more when the blinding sun shines down harshly on my eyes. Sighing, I reach up and rub my eyes soothingly while stretching.

So far America had been fun. Ryoga, Ryoma and I all went to different parks, tennis courts, and malls to experience every little bit of it, despite us having lived here for quite some time before. The matches had been easy so far, although these were top contendors all over the world, they weren't able to motivate Ryoma and I like our teammates back in Japan. Ex-teammates for one us.

Getting up, I get dressed in my usual blue tennis clothes. Checking myself in the mirror to make sure everything was on right, I then make my way into the hotel living room. The three of us would have stayed in our old home, but that was pretty far from the arena, so Oyaji decided to pay for a hotel near the arena. Gotta love our pops. Walking into the attached kitchen, I see Ryoga and Ryoma making breakfast, pancakes with fruit.

"Good morning!" I chirp, grabbing a glass from the cabinets and pouring orange juice into it.

"Morning, Ryota! Did you sleep well?" Ryoga asks, giving me a playful grin. "You have a big day ahead of you."

Nodding, I push his shoulder playfully. "Yup! I'm all pumped up." Turning to Ryoma, I give him a smile. "How about you, Ryoma? I know you're not playing today, but are you excited?"

Instead of his usual playful attitude before our matches, he just nods and walks out of the kitchen to the dining room. Glancing at Ryoga, I gesture to Ryoma with a questioning look. Taking notice of this, he shrugs. "He's just grumpy because he doesn't get to play today."

Unsure if that was true or not, I just nod my head.

'Maybe that's it...'

--TIME SKIP--

"RYOTA!!"

SCREEEEEEECH!!!!!

.....