Disclaimer: I no own, so you no sue.

"Does being the manager make you a princess?"

Wakana looked at her classmate in confusion, trying to understand the logic in the girl's unusual question.

"What do you mean, exactly?" the said manager asked, getting her books and supplies ready.

"Well, you're the manager of 'the White Knights', I would think you'd be considered their princess!" The random girl squealed in delight, cheeks rosy with her fantasy. "Ahh! Wouldn't you just love to have a knight try and receive your approval?"

Wakana almost laughed in disbelief. Really? Those boys couldn't see past their own sport to notice her as more than their gopher.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. It was more along the lines that she was just another part of the team to the lot of them, so they viewed her as more of a sister or maybe as 'one of the guys'. Which was actually nice, you know, being treated the same as the rest of them. Besides, the random team member starting to strip in front of her because he didn't acknowledge her as a girl, she really didn't mind.

But still…

"I don't think anyone thinks of me that way." Wakana stated plainly before taking her things and heading for the football clubroom.

Honestly, she didn't understand why the idea was bothering her.

The abrupt 'HUT' shook her out of her daze as the team began their practice scrimmage.

Wakana looked out at the game field, noting down things about the young men's performance that caught her attention, but otherwise letting her thoughts wander.

'It's not a big deal…' she kept repeating mentally. Even though she had a feeling it wasn't really working.

So none of the guys she hung out with seemed to like her in that way. It wasn't like she had really put much thought into any of them either. She was so used to them all, it was difficult to get nervous around them besides her usual timid nature.

She hardly reacted as one of the players was tackled unceremoniously in front of her, Shogun yelling out commands as they continued.

She barely talked to any of them outside of practices for crying out loud! She was scribbling so fiercely, she had to stop in fear of ripping a hole in the stats sheet.

Although…

Wakana wouldn't openly admit it, but she was a little girl at heart. She always got a thrill out of romantic tales of knights and princesses and courtly love. She liked to think about how the knights would try and help a damsel in distress and be given a token of affection in return. She had a little bit of a wish that it would happen to her someday, but knew it was farfetched at best and completely unattainable at the worse.

She never really expected it to happen with any of these guys. They were too focused on football to pay her any mind. There was one or two of her male classmates that had vied for her attention, but she never felt they were right for her or completely missed their attempts in the first place.

Wakana eyed several of the players. For the first time really sizing them up to her standards.

"Nice catch, Sakuraba!"

The call drew her attention to the receiver.

Ever since she became team manager, she has had more girls coming to her for the dirt on Sakuraba then she ever cared to count. Several times she's had to listen to the whining of why she was sooooo lucky to be able to see him every day. Wakana knew that she probably would have fawned over him herself if she hadn't decided to become the manager. He was attractive, but she had seen him in such a different light as all his fans that she couldn't really picture him as her type.

Besides, from what she understood, he had to give up a relationship when he became a model and she rather not have to be put through that fiasco.

"Takami, heads up!"

Wakana drew her focus to the quarterback now.

Takami is someone she could see herself being interested in, but not in the same adoring manner as Sakuraba. He definitely would be a choice to make her parents proud, with his planning to become a doctor and all. He was surely going places. But, he seriously didn't seem interested in her that way. Always extremely polite and respectably distant from her, gave her that impression.

"Ikari, knock it off!" the sudden shout from Shogun made her swing her gaze around to the former(?) delinquent in a fisticuffs with one of the other players, causing her to sigh resignedly.

Ikari was someone her parents would definitely not want her to have anything to do with. And she felt the same. He was too high-strung and didn't seem level headed enough to try and calm his nature for her.

"OTAWARA PUT YOUR PANTS BACK ON!"

Otawara…

No. He was an absolute no.

That only really left…

"WAKANA! LOOK OUT!"

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that the call came too late, the apparently tangled players coming right at her in a tackled, tripping mess over the out of bounds line.

She felt something collide with her and then the rough impact with the grass under her.

Wakana needed a moment to blink away the sudden vertigo to her vision.

She noticed the hand cradling her head and the strong body heat around her before anything else.

Suddenly the noises rushed in, many sprinting footfalls, cries of her names, and her own pounding heart. The heavy breaths of the person holding her, so close to her ear, almost drowned everything else out.

Wakana ogled at the sky, trying to comprehend what exactly was happening. She could see some of the players rushing to her out of the corner of her eye, and then her view was blocked by someone leaning into her sight.

"Are you alright?" Shin asked in his steady voice, expression sincere and serious as always.

All Wakana could do was gawk stupefied, only some squeaks coming out of her mouth as she felt her face begin to heat up as everything clicked into place.

Shin had just tackled her out of the way and was now still lying on top of her. Which was both ironic and embarrassingly unfair in her mind.

From the way he was continuing to gaze at her in almost worried confusion, he didn't seem to realize the implications of their current position.

"Wakana?" He tried again to discern her condition, the hand not supporting her head, coming up to touch her face. "Are you alright?"

"I-you…" the words didn't want to come out, so she just nodded frantically, sure her whole head was scorched red by now.

It seemed that was enough for him, as Shin nodded in return and began to pull away from her, taking his suffocating presence with him. Even though the whole situation was mortifying, Wakana was grateful, however, that he hadn't tackled her at full strength. She was sure she would have been in worse shape than if the other players had hit her.

Kneeling next to her, Shin grabbed her hand without warning; hauling her petite form up one handed and completely catching her off guard. She began to stumble forward, but his firm hold on her arm and wrist kept her standing.

"Wakana!" Sakuraba was looking at her in concern. "Are you hurt?"

She was able to find her voice this time around, stating she was fine, just surprised. She tried to ignore the way her heart seemed like it was trying to leap out of her chest.

After several apologies from the players and a lecture about vigilance from Shogun, practice was back in full swing. Shin and a few other teammates were resting on the bench, Wakana standing off to the side, trying to keep busy and listen in on the discussion of what just happened at the same time.

"But that was amazing, Shin!" one player expressed excitedly. "You were there in an instant!"

"Yeah," another agreed just as enthusiastic. "You just swooped in and saved Wakana like it was nothing."

Wakana couldn't help peeking over in curiosity at the group, thinking it could be considered rude that they were talking about her as if she wasn't there.

Shin was doing stretches, not appearing the least bit bothered by their praise.

"It was nothing" he said, words smooth and calm. No nervous hitch or boasting present.

"Nothing? You reacted so fast, it was incredible!" the first player stated fiercely. "Almost like you were prepared for it!"

Wakana was watching them intently now. That phrase was odd...had he really been that attentive?

"Yeah, exactly! I'm pretty sure you were one of the people still out in the field."

He was? She hadn't seen where he was. It was strange, but he could either stand out or blend in at a moment's notice sometimes.

Shin paused in his stretching, bent at the waist, fingers pointed to his toes.

"I just reacted, is all…"He said, standing back up straight. For a second his eyes landed on her, before he started walking back out to do his Trident Tackle drills. "We, as a team, need to make sure she doesn't get hurt on our account."

Even as the seated players and Wakana watched him stride away without another word, Wakana couldn't help the huge smile taking over her face.

She decided she would thank Shin properly once practice was over. She became giddy as a silly thought entered her mind and stayed with her for the rest of the day.

'A knight just won my favor.'

This is such a cute crack pairing, cuz you got itty bitty woman with man who wouldn't know what to do with her and I think it's hilarious. I've been wanting to write something for these two, but I was stuck on how to go about it. Then I thought about how in the Middle Ages, courtly love came into play. I'm looking at the more innocent perception of it. Hope everyone enjoyed! Reviews and critic is appreciated. :)