Eternal.Angel
November 23, 2007 to November 23, 2007

Disclaimers: I do not own any part whatsoever of Prince of Tennis.
Summary: Even I admit it myself that it's hard to love again if your first love was just as painful and difficult to deal with. And it's no joke, my dear readers. Enjoy! And don't forget to review please!

-------------------------------------------
Do You Believe in Love After Love?
-------------------------------------------

"Ano…Ryoma-kun! I like you! I really do!"

It took her…how long? Even she herself did not know. She practiced and recited it to herself, the same lines of confessing her love to him over and over to herself before she had done the real confession, right now. She had a long time crush on him, but really didn't know why. Perhaps it was the day that she was saved by him from a rowdy group of high school scholars who were ready to hit her smack with their tennis rackets swinging wildly? Or perhaps, could it be, that she adored the way his golden feline eyes would always bore at another person's pairs of eyes when staring, and that traditional smirk which had his face look so miraculously…beautiful? Or was it possibly that…she was just lusting after him? Impossible! She always had a reason for her actions, but she just couldn't say them. Nope, she was simply too shy to speak her mind at times.

"Ryuzaki…"

Her heart thumped wildly as her chocolate eyes stared into his. His serious expression…it scared her now. She couldn't read it all – was it an expression of elation and joy, or was it an expression of anger and frustration? His face could mean anything, and she could not tell what he was feeling. Her legs were trembling now, and her body was shaking all over. She bit down her bottom lip in waiting of his answer, and was extremely nervous. So nervous that she could have a breakdown right there on the spot where she was currently standing, facing him directly.

"I'm just not ready…for this kind of stuff yet…"

His statement, what seemed to be a rejection, she inferred, tore her world into pieces as if it shattered into a mirror. It broke and scattered, just like her mind, just like her thoughts, just like her heart. The pain was too much, and she felt everything coming to an end for her. It was the end of her life, and she had not regretted one bit of it. She was glad that she had confessed to him earlier before death really had come to take her life away. She was happy that he was able to hear out her feelings, despite the fact that she had been rejected. She felt…so happy that she could die. Her legs now possessed her mind, and she ran as far as she could, away from him, away from it all, away from the pain, away from the truth of reality. She continued on running until she felt something warm collide into her own body, and she stumbled backwards, ready to fall. However, a pair of warm arms captured her just in the knick of time before she had made contact with the cold pavement of the ground. Cracking her eyelids open, she took a peek and scanned the face that was now inches away from her own, his breath tickling her as he breathed on her.

"Ryuzaki-chan, are you ok? You have tears running down your face."

She quickly slipped out of his arms so that she was standing on her own again. She wiped away her own tears and nodded her head as an answer to his spontaneous question. She turned around quickly, hoping to get home quickly and cry into her pillow all night, and possibly not even attending school the next day. Why did love hurt so much? She thought it was as simple as those romantic movies that she saw glimpses of when she was younger. So why, just why, was it this painful? Was love truly that hard to obtain and cherish forever? Had it already gone for her already, that she had missed her chance to love the one she truly wished to be with for the rest of her life? But the male caught her by the wrist, and grasped it tightly so that she could not take any more steps than where she stood, frozen, now. His voice, so alluring, soothed her mind and her heart, but what if, just if, he was playing with her? Only comforting her, but not be there to support her? She was truly scared of his response towards her actions…

"Why are you running away from everything when you can start over?"

She paused for a moment to repeat the words that he had said to her in her mind. She could start over, right? As long as she didn't screw up, right? But what if she did, would life give her another chance to start over? There were so many chances to everything, after all. She was scared to love again, and after a small and simple rejection, it hurt her so much. So maybe…if she had given him another chance, or found another one to be with forever, everything would work alright then? Would everything work out the way she would fantasize her dream to come out? She dearly hoped it would be, because she now had a new affirmative, a new goal to achieve: she wanted to start over, and be able to love again. She wanted to believe that she could make things work this time, so that the feeling of love would come to her again. She would not let this opportunity slip by, no, she wouldn't. she would make it work, no matter the consequences. Even if it meant hurting herself again.

"Fuji-senpai…may I start over with you after I can truly believe in loving again?"

"…I would be glad to, Sakuno-chan."

For now, at the least, she would allow time to heal her painful, emotional wounds.

--------
Owari
--------

A/N: You're wondering who is who, so try guessing yourself using the context… XD This is just dedicated to pontaalover since she reviews all my stories with a Guy x Sakuno. I love her reviews so much, so thank you! And I'm going to keep on writing more this weekend along with my homework and NaNo writing (which will be published as well since it's in the POT fandom). I will also be so very random to send you a message on what pairing you might want in a one-shot, and possibly a prompt. So cookies for everyone! XD Please review and give me any feedback! I am very happy to be criticized because there is always room for improvement. Arigatou!

Ja ne, and I do not own any part of Prince of Tennis!

Eternal.Angel