Work Text:
Ryouma Echizen never once in his entire life ever felt anything as trivial as love.
He had always pushed that kind of thing aside, more focused on tennis than anything else (but his adorable Himalayan cat Karupin was an exception). Though sometimes he was believed by his idiot-of-a-father and his idiot-of-a-senpai Takeshi Momoshiro to be romantically involved with Coach Ryuuzaki's grand-daughter, Sakuno Ryuuzaki, their relationship didn't go any further than friendship. She was just more tolerable than her loud friend and the freshmen trio. Sakuno was definitely endearing, but lacked something... Ryouma just didn't know what.
Until... until he met him.
The famous 'genius' of Seigaku's tennis club.
Syusuke Fuji.
At first, Ryouma felt absolutely nothing towards his older senpai. He just thought he was creepy with his 'I'm-smiling-but-am-I-really' smile... that was the case, at least, until he actually played against him in a practice match.
Fuji truly deserved the nickname 'Genius' because honestly, he had a genuinely amazing playstyle. It seemed, however, that along the way, Ryouma began to feel something foreign and odd for his senpai. The way that Fuji's light-brown hair swayed gently whenever there was a breeze, or how strangely beautiful he looked under the sun on a bright day. Even his smile began to change. Whenever Fuji graced a smile at Ryouma, a light butterfly sensation erupted in his chest.
Ryouma had no clue what it was, but it bothered him. Every time it happened it was like... like Ryouma was suffocating. It was like he couldn't breathe well again until Fuji looked away from him.
As embarrassing as it was to explain the 'butterfly' sensation to his mother, the response he got wasn't what he expected.
"Ryouma, you're in love~!"
In love?
Him?
No way!
He couldn't possibly be in love with his senpai! For one thing, he was a guy. For another, romance was just remotely disgusting! He had watched some of his mother's dumb, cliche chic-flicks and dramas whenever she put them on. The only thing Ryouma thought about love was that it took too much time and too much maintenance.
But as time passed, day by day, Ryouma couldn't stop the developing emotions.
He wanted to be near Fuji all the time. He hated seeing him with anyone else other than... well, him.
Eventually, he came to terms with his suffocating emotions. He had to face it. He was in love with Syusuke Fuji, no matter how hard he tried to deny or brush it off.
But - before he could make any moves, he discovered the same thing was starting to happen with another someone else.
His captain, Kunimitsu Tezuka, had caught his eyes.
Tezuka was a dour but strong and reserved man. His presence on the court was awe-some, and a single word out of his mouth could silence an entire auditorium.
Well, okay, maybe that wasn't true, but the point was that Tezuka was simply amazing. His tennis was on Nationals-level and he was just... cool.
That was the only word that came to Ryouma's mind when he first saw Tezuka under different light. He didn't know what it was about Tezuka that finally caught his attention, but he did know one thing... whenever he saw Tezuka, the damn butterflies started fluttering their delicate wings about.
In love? With not one, but TWO guys? Wow, Ryoma really needed help.
To make matters worse, during the Kanto tournament, after his match with Rikkai's Gen'ichirou Sanada, he'd come to realize that the butterflies came back.
At first, poor little Ryouma had thought that it was something else.
He was probably still excited over his evolved tennis. His heart was only racing because of the adrenaline from such an intense match.
That was the thought at least, until he began staring at the older tennis player. His broad back heaving up and down - his tan skin covered in a glistening sheen of sweat. He looked so... so mature. And Ryouma couldn't stop staring until the tennis player turned his head, their eyes meeting for the first time.
Under normal circumstances the boy would've been a little brat and smirk at him. You know, rub a little salt in the wound of his loss (because Ryouma was a little immature like that).
But this time the tension between them was too much. He looked away - unable to stomach the little dance starting inside him.
The butterflies.
The damn, damn butterflies.
Ryouma actually hoped that it was just a one-time thing, a little spur of the moment... but it didn't really help him much when Sanada himself clumsily asked for his number, calling him later that evening.
"Echizen, are you free tomorrow?"
Whoa, butterfly sensation again. Ryouma, of course, said yes. There was no stopping the starting feelings then. In fact, the moment he even agreed to give Sanada his number, he was trapped.
Three people.
All older than him.
All male.
All having superior tennis skills.
Ryouma was truly starting to believe that he might really be a homosexual with a "tennis fetish", as his dad put it. He didn't even know what a fetish was!
But as his his relationship with all three teens only began to develop, and possibly evolve into where he wanted it, he found the opportunity to go to America. He couldn't possibly pass off that chance!
Who knew, he might also get some to himself. The butterfly sensations wouldn't be able to tangle him up here in America.
Until the dreams and daydreams began. When he had time to himself - or was trying to sleep on late summer nights - he dreamed of Fuji. Then, he dreamed of Tezuka every now a few times during his midday naps. He'd even thought of Sanada whenever he looked at or fixed his cap.
Really, soon, he just started seeing all three everywhere he went.
His return to Japan and unintended role in playing singles at Nationals helped nothing at all. If anything, it made everything worse.
Ryouma already had enough trouble being in love with three overbearing 3rd-years, but with the addition of a certain egotistical and diva-like Keigo Atobe, Ryouma started to honestly believe he was being a whore.
Yes, his stay in America allowed him to learn a lot of new things and their wonderful meanings. He even knew what a fetish was now. Honestly, Kevin Smith may have not been the best person to hang around with in the States.
But what really mattered was that he had developed butterfly sensations for Atobe (Ryouma really couldn't help it, the older boy had this powerful aura that just pulled Ryouma like a Tezuka-zone), and as with the other three, there was no turning back from what he couldn't control. It was after their match at Nationals that Ryouma dreamed of Atobe as well, and the next day, he found that he couldn't make eye contact when the two ran into each other ("Oh crap, not you too!").
Ryouma was in a pickle, honestly.
All four teenagers were charming in their own ways, but he couldn't just pick one, now could he? No, he had to like four people at the same time. Fuji, with his gentle and mysterious character. Tezuka, with his reserved and quiet nature. Sanada, with his strong and determined spirit. Atobe, with his alluring and controlling aura.
Well damn, Ryouma just couldn't choose.
And before he could even think the choices over, there was one more person who gave him the cursed butterfly sensations.
Seiichi Yukimura. The Child of God. The near-perfect, beautiful, angelic Seiichi Yukimura.
Yes, Yukimura had a fucking terrifying ability that took away his opponent's five senses and it was a damn miracle that Ryouma was able to attain The Pinnacle of Perfection. But as with Fuji, Sanada, and Atobe, something stirred within Ryouma as he played against Yukimura.
As they played, Ryouma couldn't help but be awed by Yukimura's beautiful form whenever he swung or served. He tried to shake the feelings off once the match was over, telling himself it was just physical attraction (or the adrenaline from such a good match), but he just couldn't shake the feelings off.
Yukimura, like Sanada and Atobe, had this certain... aura, to him. He was strong, proud, dignified. He was gentle, yes, but something about him told Ryouma that despite his frail appearance, he could probably break the toughest man into a puddle of tears. And that excited Ryouma.
It also seemed that Ryoma may have not been the only one to feel some kind of attraction.
Later that night, Ryouma had gotten a text from Yukimura. At first the 1st-year was confused as to how Yukimura had gotten hold of his number. But after a moment of thought he recalled giving his number to Sanada ("Freaking creeper asked that old man for my number?"). Yukimura, like Sanada had the first day Ryouma started falling for him, asked him out on a date. Ryouma, as he did before, said yes.
Five teenagers.
FIVE.
All five attractive, charming in their own way, older than him, and possessing amazing tennis skills.
Yes, Ryouma was positive he had gained a "tennis fetish".
But it wasn't like he just fell for whoever could play on par with him in tennis. Take Kintarou Tooyama, for example. The boy was able to play on equal terms with him and reach a tie for God's sake, but Ryouma never fell for him. Perhaps it was his loud and childish character that was the turn-off.
It was just something about the five teenagers that really... well, pulled Ryoma. He couldn't control his desires, and when he felt those butterfly sensations, he knew that he couldn't possibly stop the strange feelings from starting. The worst part was that Ryouma just couldn't choose who it was that he wanted to really be with.
Syusuke Fuji, who had the most amazing smile in the world?
Kunimitsu Tezuka, who was always leading him?
Gen'ichirou Sanada, who's strong will always charmed Ryouma?
Keigo Atobe, who's flamboyant character irked Ryoma in all the right ways?
Or, Seiichi Yukimura, who's ability to rule the court awed Ryouma in no other way?
Ryouma didn't know. And Ryouma couldn't choose. And he really started to think about was how on earth love was the most romanticized emotion because so far all love was doing was making him want to tear himself apart.
Who was it that he really liked? Who was it that he really wanted to focus on?
Ryouma wasn't even sure if any of his love interests truly liked him back. The only ones who showed any sort of signs was the Rikkai pair, Sanada and Yukimura. But even then, Ryoma wasn't sure if they were just trying to be friendly or genuinely romantic.
He didn't know and he tried not to care.
But he did. He did care, because the idea of any of the five not liking him broke his heart.
And Ryouma really wanted to settle his stirring heart before his return to America after Nationals.
So after thinking it over for hours, Ryouma finally reached a solution. He called each of the teenagers. He invited them out to the public tennis courts and they were to come around 10:30 PM. After they all agreed, he got dressed into casual wear, and made his way to the courts. Once there, he was pleasantly surprised to see Fuji, Tezuka, and Atobe all came much earlier than planned.
"Oi, brat, what's this about? Why is Seigaku's genius and Tezuka here?" Atobe crudely demanded, flipping his sandy-blonde hair that should've been short.
But - Ryouma didn't reply to the older boy. He only kept silent, and looked at his watch. All he needed to do now was wait for Sanada and Yukimura to finally arrive. He made sure to call them earlier, since they were all the way in Kanagawa.
While Atobe stopped attempting to pester Ryouma and instead started to bother Tezuka, Fuji made his way to Ryouma's side. He gave him a small smile before asking, "Ryouma-kun, are you okay? Is there something bothering you?"
"Kind of, yeah... but it's okay. I'm fixing it as of now." Ryouma replied, looking at him with sincere eyes. Fuji smiled happily, pleased with Ryoma's subtle but satisfying answer. "Good. I wouldn't want my adorable little kouhai to to be feeling uncomfortable under any circumstances."
Ryoma couldn't help but grin. That was another thing about Fuji Ryouma liked, his natural kindness.
It wasn't until some time later that Yukimura and Sanada arrived. Yukimura arrived in casual wear while Sanada in tennis wear, also carrying a racquet bag. He had probably believed they were going to play tennis, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. When Sanada realized this, he looked to Ryoma for answers, and Ryoma could only respond with an apathetic shrug. In his defense, he never told Sanada they would be playing tennis. He only told him to come.
"What did you need, Echizen-kun? This is quite the interesting crowd we've got here." Yukimura mused, smiling.
Ryouma cleared his throat, making sure to stand in the center, where he could see all of them and they could all see only him. Then, once ready, he spoke.
"Senpai-tachi... I believe I've fallen for all of you."
Silence.
Then a second later, soft laughter. It was Fuji's laughter. A frown etched itself into Ryouma's features, as he was a little annoyed that Fuji may have just taken the confession as a joke. But to Ryouma's surprise, he didn't say anything about it being a joke. Nor was he disgusted, or anything similar. Instead, he smiled up at Ryouma, saying, "It's about time. I was beginning to think that you'd never admit it."
Tezuka made a subtle nod, adjusting his glasses. "You kept all of us waiting, Echizen."
Atobe smirked and put his hands on his hips. "Ore-sama is not surprised you like him. Everyone just isn't able to resist his fabulous charms, you know."
Sanada said nothing, but instead looked at Yukimura, who smiled gently at the boy. "Echizen-kun... I'm glad that you've finally come to terms with your feelings. It would've been a shame if you left to America again without admitting anything."
Ryouma frowned. "Wait... so you all knew? And said nothing about it?"
"Of course we knew, Ryouma-kun. We just wanted you to sort it out on your own first." Fuji nodded. He walked over to him and set his hands on his shoulders. "You can't possibly hide these things from your senpai."
Ryouma nodded - however the pout still firm on his face. "... I don't know who is more important."
"We know that, fufu. So here's our response." Fuji leaned down to the 1st-year's height and pecked Ryoma's lips softly. As soon as he'd kissed him he pulled away and turned around, gently pushing Ryouma into Tezuka's arms. Ryouma, still shocked from what Fuji had done, couldn't react fast enough when Tezuka hesitantly leaned down too, sharing a gentle kiss.
"Hmph. Such baby kisses." Atobe commented haughtily, grabbing Ryoma's wrist and pulling him towards him. He kissed Ryouma on the lips a little more roughly and passionately than Fuji and Tezuka had, but it was filled with just as much love as theirs.
Atobe's kiss seemed to last forever and when he finally pulled away there was a satisfied smirk on his face. "Well, wasn't I amazing?" he gave Ryouma no time to reply, however, and quickly pushed him into Sanada (who slightly panicked).
It wasn't his first time kissing someone, because honestly, it was no secret that he and Yukimura had something going on. But Ryouma was so small and child-like, he was afraid of breaking him.
So, Sanada leaned down, and gave him the quickest peck on the lips before pulling away.
"Oh come on Sanada, that was so lame." Atobe called out, and Sanada glared fiercely at him. "Well - "
"Sanada. Don't you like Echizen-kun?" Yukimura cooed, and Sanada immediately shut up. There was a red-pink tint on his cheeks as he leaned down once more, giving Ryouma a second kiss.
It was longer... and sweeter... and filled Ryouma with a strange warmth. When Sanada finally pulled away, he gave Yukimura a short nod. The Child of God smiled back at Sanada in response before pulling Ryouma towards him. He held Ryouma lovingly in his arms and smiled down on him like an angel. "Ryouma... I love you too."
With that said, he bent forward slowly, giving him the final kiss. It was sweet and lasted for what could've been an eternity. When he pulled away, Ryouma stumbled several steps back.
He had been kissed by all five.
All five loved him equally.
All.
FIVE.
Ryouma stared at the older boys incredulously, flabbergasted by their kisses and shocked by the unbelievable situation. This all had to be some torturous dream. It couldn't possibly be happening... could it? Ryouma thought about pinching himself, but then that would've been just stupid.
"Look, he's so red, he's like a tomato! I wish I brought my camera, he's so adorable...!" Fuji sighed, making Ryouma turn even more scarlet. He shook his head, trying to reel himself back into... into this strange, strange reality.
"I... I... but..."
"Ore-sama has to admit, a six-some sounds odd, but if it's with you lot, then he doesn't mind." Atobe said, smirking to himself. "Take this compliment graciously, my compliments don't come often."
"So then... we're all dating each other. How fun!" Yukimura murmured to himself, smiling brightly. Then, he turned to Ryouma. "Ryouma, don't stay in America for too long. We'll get lonely, even if we all have each other. There's no fun if our little baby isn't here."
"Oh, I've got a pet name!" Fuji spoke up. "Let's call Ryoma-kun 'Ryo-baby'!"
Ryoma gave Fuji a glare, but couldn't keep it. He inevitably smiled. "I... I can't say that I'd mind. For now, at least..."
"I am not calling Echizen 'Ryo-baby'." Tezuka, however, stated flatly (Sanada nodding in agreement).
The dour ones would stay dour (and there was no helping that).
Ryoma could've cared less, though. All that really mattered was that he was going to be able to be with all five at once. He smiled ecstatically and covered his face with his cap. "... Mada mada dane, Fuji-senpai."
Fuji pouted. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means what it means." He replied, turning his head. But then, Yukimura stepped up to the boy, placing his soft hands on his shoulders. "Ryo-baby~ Before we go back home, you should kiss us all good night!"
Ryoma stared at the bluenet incredulously. "N-No way! You guys already kissed me, isn't that enough?!"
Yukimura frowned and pinched Ryouma's baby cheeks. "That's not fair. We kissed you, so now it's your turn. That's the least you can do after calling us all out here so late."
"No way."
"But Ryo-baby...~"
"No!"
"Please?"
"... Fine." He huffed like a pouty child, turning around and glaring at Yukimura. The bluenet chuckled and leaned down, letting Ryoma peck his cheek. Ryoma then stalked off to Sanada, whom did the same. Eventually Ryoma had kissed all their cheeks, and when he was done, he sighed. "Are you all happy now?"
"Of course!" Fuji smiled.
Ryouma stared at the five of them, his gaze lingering on each beautiful face. And as he continued wondering how this miracle even happened, he could feel those damn butterflies come fluttering back.