In Too Deep

In the grand scheme of things that is Rikkai's team dynamics, Marui is a bit of a wild card. He probably feels closest to Jackal, but Jackal feels closest to Akaya. Akaya feels closest to Renji, who feels closest to Sanada. Sanada feels closest to Yukimura, and Yukimura is just Yukimura, with his smiles and brilliance and soul-owning.

Slightly off to the side are Niou and Yagyuu, an overlapping pair, even though Niou can't be anyone but Niou (except for when he is Yagyuu).

And so Marui finds himself not quite having an exact place to belong, instead drifting from person to person—talking to Jackal, teasing Akaya, needling Niou. Niou is a lot like Yanagi when it comes to watching and analyzing, but Yanagi likes to watch from the thick of things while Niou often detaches himself to better observe.

So Marui is not the only floater sometimes, but Niou can always return to his spot by Yagyuu, while Marui cannot. He did not choose his role, but he is not unwilling, either.

Beneath his smiling, sparkling exterior, Marui has an analyst's mind and an unnervingly clear view of reality. Despite his quips and proclamations, he knows he is not a genius, has not been for a long time. His tennis is very close to reaching its peak, but Akaya has barely begun his ascent to brilliance, and Yukimura is constantly defying all limits people set to his potential.

Sometimes he wonders how long it will last, this tennis thing. He joined the club because he had skill and because it was fun, never imaging the staggering amounts of time and energy and effort he would dedicate to it. Before he even knew it, he had gotten so caught up in Rikkai and Yukimura and win win win that he lost sight of why he was even playing.

He cannot imagine quitting, however, because what would he do? His time hasn't been free in so long that he has no idea what he would do without practices and matches and meetings.

So he practices and he plays and he wins, again and again and again—for their third Nationals title, for the team, for Yukimura.

He tries to remember a time when he did it for himself.

Meh. Just some experimentation with Marui's POV.

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.