TITLE: Can You See Me?

BY: Simply Kim

GENRE: Implied Shounen-ai (Angst)

DISCLAIMERS: The series I'm referring to does not belong to me… ^_^ only this weird story does.

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CAN YOU SEE ME?

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"Would you please stop doing that?"

"Doing what? I'm not doing anything..."

"Yes you are you dolt!"

"Okay... so what did I do now 'Oh Swift One'?"

A pair of darkened eyes gazed, waiting for the warring pair to cease their antagonism towards each other and do what they should do in such a place that they were in. The argument was muttered... not many could hear it, but he had this penchant for hearing things beyond human... well, hearing.

"You are making advances to her again!"

"I am NOT!"

"You are too!"

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

He couldn't understand why they had to fight. After all, it was very much obvious that they were lying to themselves.

It was plain to see for anyone with eyes to know that the Seigaku blockhead was making a move on the girl who was currently talking to some dumb journalist in one of the distant sideline benches. What's her name again? He asked himself, trying to remember such an important detail. Why he considered it as something important, he couldn't quite comprehend... but he knew he had to know. And since it was important, it was quite funny that he of all people forgot what her name was... she looked real familiar though... he had seen her countless of times before he stepped in this out-of-sorts tennis court. He heard it almost everyday too - or at least, he thought he did... until recently, that is.

Let's see... Ryuuzaki? No, I think she's the 'Hag of Seigaku'... Shiba? Ah, wrong again... that's the name of that journalist over there - the proverbial hentai whom I've heard jerking off when I passed by the women's restroom... she was moaning Echizen-kun's name over an over... Jeeze! She's not only a hentai, but one fond of shotakon too. Ch', women these days... His eyes strayed to his own doubles partner. I don't know why she does though... he seems just like a normal kid to me.

"You're making a move on Ann!"

Ah... Now I remember... Bouchou's imouto... There was that feeling again. It was coursing through him like it did countless times before. It was quite unfamiliar... and yet familiar at the same time. Tachibana Ann. He mused. Momoshiro-kun had fallen for Tachibana Ann. He turned his head to the warring pair, focusing more on the red-haired idiot that was his best friend.

WAS being the keyword.

No, they hadn't actually stopped being friends... they had just... grown apart ever since Fudomine had its first match against Seishun Gakuen. It was partly his fault too though... he had fretted over being the reason for their team's loss for too long. Eventually, after they had their shopping (which he hated because he didn't get the item he wanted), his best friend moved on to having other people as company. It took quite along time before he had been invited, almost accidentally (he had bothered to ask where was supposed to go one afternoon), for a game on the street tennis courts.

Fate seemed against their friendship too, what with all the effort it gave to put them in opposition with one another in every game, leaving him with Echizen, and the other with Momoshiro.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

With a heavy sigh, he moved off his position and started to where he placed his bag. The game was going nowhere. He should just go home and stay in his room, listening to the silence that would undoubtedly give him the perfect environment to do his thinking.

"Oi, you guys! Stop that!"

"Ann-chan!"

"Tachibana-imouto!"

"Let's go cool down and get some ice cream! You too Echizen-kun!"

There was the feeling of complete disappointment. It did not sear through him when he was forgotten to be asked out for his favorite junk food... it came when after a few moments, he heard the enthusiastic chorus of agreement... and then the footsteps leading away from their game place.

He was left alone - again.

The very first time was when things heated up... just like it did today, and maybe more so. The girl asked them to stop their bickering and then go out together for ice cream. They had all turned away from him as if he was a disease... forgotten. His best friend and Momoshiro continued with their bickering, undoubtedly oblivious to everyone but each other... Ann leading the way... and then Echizen shrugging and following where his sempai was going.

He was simply forgotten.

The pain was making itself known again.

It had always made itself known whenever he thought about that day... and the succeeding days after that.

It made him cringe as to why he had continuously fallen for the pleading look in those glassy eyes that begged for him to be company to where he was now.

It made him wince to know that when those eyes were happy, joy also filled his heart.

It made him feel dead as he closed the door to his room the moment he got home... every single time in the past... and broke down.

He had always broken down... and he knew he would continue to do so until he understood the root of all these pent-up emotions coursing liberally throughout his body... twisting in his gut, slashing through his heart like some old samurai sword.

He couldn't understand it... and maybe he didn't want to understand it.

With agonizing slowness, he picked up his bag... a spark of hope in his heart... a hope that he was pretty sure would blow up into something else the minute he heard his name being called out by the voice he knew and loved so well ever since he moved into the prefecture.

He could feel Echizen's eyes on him... and he knew just what he was thinking. He didn't even need to bother asking why he was staring.

Nothing mattered.

Nothing mattered but this ache in him... that was probably something borne out of resentment... and Kamio... his best friend seemed to have much part in it.

It's bizarre. Kamio likes Ann; Ann likes Seishun Gakuen's captain Tezuka... I saw it in her eyes when we watched their game with Hyoutei through one of the surrounding chicken wire fences. And Kamio... well, he had a boyfriend before... he told me about it when we were still freshmen in Fudomine...

Wearily, he shook his head as if to clear it, then slowly, he trudged away, waiting for the achingly familiar voice to call for him to stay... or join their outing. He was straining to hear it even, as he got closer to the concrete stairway leading towards the main road.

But the war continued.

Kamio hissed at Momoshiro. Momoshiro hissed back.

They only had eyes for each other.

The urge to turn back and shamelessly beg to take him with them was very strong... and so was the urge to get away as quickly as possible... as well as the urge to take a hold of Kamio and drag him kicking and screaming, until they were very, very far away.

His body chose to obey the second urge.

The distance between him and the source of his agony was widening rapidly with every tired step... and he was still straining to hear him cry out for him to stay.

But the war still raged on.

No one saw him.

Kamio never saw him.

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OWARI

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A/N: Hi guys! This is my first Prince of tennis fic! Hope you liked it! Tell me what you think! ^___^ Reviews, reviews! ^___^