Chapter Text
There are four things in this world that bring Nanjirou Echizen great pride: firstly, his sons Ryoga and Ryoma, then his lovely Rinko-chan, followed by Tennis, and lastly but not least important, his porn magazines.
At 62 years of age, Nanjirou has a smoke outside his porch. He reflects on his son Ryoma, who currently holds the record for the youngest tennis player to win a grand slam. Nanjirou exhales, and watches the smoke disappear into the sky.
Everyone had always told him Ryoma was his splitting image. Ryoma is called Samurai Jr., Ryoma and his name usually come in unison as far as the media is concerned. His Rinko-chan also says that Ryoma is so much like him. Nanjiro thinks this is the only thing he would have to disagree on with his wife. Nanjirou closes his eyes and he sees his son at the age of 1 day, his baby boy. He sees Ryoma at four trying to hit a tennis ball with a racket too big for him. He sees Ryoma winning four national titles in the U.S. before moving to Japan. His son is a changed boy since coming to Seigaku. Nanjirou sees the growth his son had made and it had brought him great pride, and continues to, that he is alive to see it and experience the growth. Nanjirou feels the growth first hand through their tennis game, he never voiced his pride- lest the words get to his son’s already big enough ego.
Nothing like Nanjirou, where he is flirty, Ryoma is cold and distant. Nanjirou, who has magazine's laying around, has never once found one missing. His pride has never even checked out a girl that was not playing tennis. Even then, he wasn't checking her out, but her tennis skills. There was a time when Nanjirou thought Ryoma would shackle up with the hag's granddaughter. Boy, was he wrong, Nanjirou takes a deep puff of smoke. Ryoma had always been honest, always would be. As Ryoma's father, he knew where to look and what to listen for. Nanjirou knew how to speak "Ryoma". Although Ryoma was most honest during a Tennis match; Nanjirou also spoke it fluently. A couple of months in at Seigaku, his son had gone out with his tennis captain and returned with a strange look on his face. Nanjirou had teasingly asked, "Were you on a date?" He was at that age after all.
"Something like that…" Ryoma had said, as he continued up the stairs. In all of Nanjirou's years of knowing his son (the whole twelve years at the time) he had never seen his son so excited? No, that wasn't the word, more like hungry. Ryoma seemed ready to destroy the world, and rebuild it. The latent hunger to take victory for himself rather than as a means to beat him seemed to evolve. It made Nanjirou beam with pride, but a more fatherly part of him mourned the loss and may have been a little jealous that someone else was able to ignite a burning passion within his son, his baby boy.
Nothing like Nanjirou, where he was friendly and open. Ryoma was unfriendly and closed.
Ryoma only had one friend come over often, that Momoshiro boy. They were always together, playing tennis, eating, playing video games, or whatever the youngsters did. But Ryoma seemed very close to the Seigaku team. It was strange when Ryoma started hanging out with the kid captain. He would walk Ryoma home. They would play matches on the weekends. Ryoma would go to his house for dinner, and sometimes for tutoring. Nanjirou didn't think his son would ever be friends with someone so responsible and proper. However nothing Ryoma did was ever predictable. He did start to notice how Ryoma would wake up earlier when that boy would pick him up. His son also made sure his hair was neat, or as neat as a boy without a comb could make it. "Oy, Ryoma, you're other boyfriend's here." Nanjirou grinned, he definitely enjoyed teasing his son.
"Buchou's here already? Damn, he's early." Ryoma rushed out with only a slice of toast. He hadn't even denied the comment, he usually had when Momoshiro was involved. What makes this boy so special? Now that he thought of it, Ryoma rarely hung out with Momoshiro anymore.
Nothing like Nanjirou, where he was carefree, Ryoma was careful. Nanjirou did as he pleased when he pleased. He gave up winning his grand slam, earning Japan the first Japanese tennis player to do so, so one of his son's could do it. No one really cares about the second person to do it. Nanjirou was okay with training Ryoma until he was ready. Nanjirou wished he had had the same opportunity with Ryoga. In many ways, he regrets not being able to see first hand his oldest son’s tennis growth or guide him.
Back then, Ryoma had always been careful and cautious, of what? Nanjirou had not figured it out quite yet. When he did find out why his son was always vigilant and alert. Nanjirou was upset, not at his son, but at himself.
Well, it turns out Ryoma WAS interested in kissing, just not with girls. The first time Nanjirou had caught his pride and joy kissing another boy. It was after Seigaku had won the Nationals. Shocked had not begun to cover it. He was making out with the kid captain! It had ALL made so much sense like puzzle pieces falling into place. Although, Ryoma must've confused my shocked look with disgust? Disappointment? Dishonor? "Oyagi, I can explain!" Ryoma rushed to find some sort of explanation. What explanation was there to give? So Nanjirou did what any supportive dad would do.
Bully his son, "Ryoma, does this mean… I won't have a cute daughter-in-law walking around the house in a tiny skirt" Nanjirou pretended to sob. "Oyagi!!" Nanjirou laughed, "At least the boy plays tennis." Nanjirou looked over towards Tezuka, "Hey, kid captain, how about we play a match of tennis? I hear you're pretty good for your age, gotta see if you're worthy of my son." Nanjirou thought to himself, ‘He is my greatest pride after all’.
Ryoma and his little boyfriend looked relieved, "You're not upset?" His son finally asked. "Why would I be?" Nanjirou answered in earnest.
"Because, I..”, his son’s voice sounded small. He hadn't liked it one bit. “Listen kid, I don’t care. If kissing boys makes you happy, I'm happy. I mean liking sausage over pu-”
“Daaaaad!!!” Ryoma with a bright red flustered raised his voice.
“What I'm trying to say is, if you’re happy that’s all that matters.” Nanjirou ruffled his son’s hair. Nanjirou had been a little sad that his boy liked boys, but only because he had wanted a grandkid to spoil rotten and teach tennis to. ‘Well I guess they can adopt in the future.’
“Now” he turned to look at his son’s tennis captain with a mischievous and challenging grin. “You and me kid, winner takes Ryoma-sama’s heart~” The captain looked like a deer caught in headlights.
In the end, Nanjirou won 6-1. Nanjirou had truly been impressed. “Game and match, Echizen Nanjirou”, he had called out. He enjoyed the crestfallen look on the kid captain’s face and the fire in his son’s eyes. They shook hands at the net, “Good game, son. I expect a rematch before you both go pro.”
Nanjirou had just gotten himself a third son. The look in the captain’s eyes at realizing that Nanjirou had openly accepted him may have warmed Nanjirou’s heart. He recalled being very embarrassed at the time.
“Oy, Ryoma, you better train harder. I might decide to make Tezuka my favorite son. He plays better than you.” Nanjirou had teased. The youth truly was lively.
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Nanjirou opened his eyes and looked down at the Pro Tennis magazine in his lap. The headlines read, “Wimbledon Finals Echizen Ryoma vs Tezuka Kunimitsu!” He couldn't help but grin. Ryoga wasn’t able to participate in this tournament because of an injury. The finals may have been different otherwise. Ryoga is a skilled player, and a fan favorite, the Echizen charisma. His pride in his older son flared fiercely.
“Nanjirou dear, Ryota woke up from his nap.” His beautiful wife was holding a small bundle in her arms. “Take him dear, Ryoma and Kunimitsu will be coming for him in a couple hours. I need to prepare the guest room.” Nanjirou lied when he said he had four great prides. He actually has five, and this small bundle in his arms was his greatest pride of all. Well, until Ryoga has a kid and then the two grandkids would be his greatest pride. Nanjirou put out his smoke, his grandson deserved the world. Nanjirou stared at his greatest pride, the baby was looking at him with his cat-like golden eyes, “You’re so handsome thanks to your grandpa, come home with some hot female friends okay? Help your grandpa out.” He cooed to the baby. It was like holding Ryoga and Ryoma all over again, his eyes stung. Emotion welled up, his heart squeezed, his throat tightened and burned. Tears flowed freely down his face. “I love you, Ryota, so much.” He held his grandson as tightly as he could without hurting him. “Grow up strong. Be fierce. It’s okay even if you don’t play tennis, you’ll still always be my greatest pride.” Nanjirou caressed the infant’s deep sea green hair. “Is it selfish of me to want to see you grow up into an adult, so I can also hold your child?” The baby held onto his wrist, and Nanjirou knew that was the baby's way of telling him he would, one day. “It’s a man’s promise then Shrimp.”