Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis in any which way or form.

Author's note: I decided that i don't like how it's always Sakuno chasing after Ryoma desperately and so I've decided to change that. Of course. But don't get me wrong, I loooove Ryoma to death. Not sure how long this thing is going to be, but it's gonna be a decent length I hope because I need character development and all that good stuff that makes authors want to rip up their stories. Anyway, hope whoever is reading this enjoys and I am in fact starting to write another SakuRyo fic, but that will be saved for another time. Oh, and sorry if this is like a really short chapter. I need a ton of motivation to make longer ones. T-T.

p.s. PM me for any requests.

R&R.

"SAKUNOOOOO!!!!"

Much had changed since a couple of years ago. Sakuno had finally gotten over her crush on Ryoma. It wasn't so much that she didn't love him, she did. But gradually, they had lapsed into a somewhat friendship. That is, if you could call him accepting her companionship, but still teasing her in that ironic sarcastic sense of his, as friendship. Well, it came to be good enough for her, and she didn't see any sense in interrupting the fragile balance.

Besides that, she had lost her shy stuttering demeanor, and she had gained some of the confidence that her grandmother always insisted that she had been born with. Her body had become more womanly and everyone always asked her why she didn't have a boyfriend when she had such nice curves. The one thing that didn't change was her naivety. Oh, and the absolute shrilling voice of her best friend, Tomoka.

Sakuno winced at the loud, thundering voice that pierced through the morning. It was way too early for this. "Good morning, Tomoka, could you keep your voice down? People are starting to stare." Sakuno knew it was no use. They went through the same thing each day.

"Sakuno, but this is important. Really important." Tomoka persisted. "I mean, the dance is only two days away. It's the biggest thing of the year, an you don't even have a date!!"

Sakuno sighed. "That is hardly important. At all. At least not important enough to break the only peace I have all day." She replied sarcastically. Maybe Ryoma's humor was starting to rub off on her.

Besides, she knew her best friend, Tomoka. She knew what was coming next.

"You should totally ask Ryoma. He owes you that much at least. I mean, you do practically keep him alive by bringing him lunch every day."

Yup. She knew Tomoka very, very well. Maybe too well.

Sakuno gave another deep sigh and rubbed her temples. "Tomoka, we go through this every single time. I already got over Ryoma a while ago, okay? I've moved on."

Speak of the devil.

"RYOMAAAA!!! NICE MORNING ISN'T IT?!"

Sakuno tried to stifle her laugh as Ryoma didn't even try to hide his grimace. He looked extremely pained. She didn't blame him.

"Hn." Ryoma gave her a nod and she graced him with a bright, sunny smile, one that was stored up especially for him. Then, he pulled down the brim of his hat and brushed past the two girls, heading off to cram in some early morning tennis practice.

Sakuno gave the disappearing figure of Ryoma an absentminded look, contemplating. Then, she gave another sigh and tried to focus on Tomoka's endless chatter.

Ryoma unleashed his twist serve, a smirk spreading across his features as he heard the satisfying thunk of the ball slamming into the fence.

"Oi, Echizen! No need to try and kill me so early in the morning. I haven't even done anything to you today, and that ball was maybe five centimeters from my face!" Momo glared at Ryoma from across the court.

"Mada mada dane." Ryoma smirked and sent another serve spinning into the fence behind Momo's face.

"That's it!" Momo growled.

The next serve that Echizen sent his way, he sidestepped and hit it perfectly crosscourt. Ryoma swung and grinned as he felt his racket connect squarely with the ball. This was exactly what his life was about.

Momo surprised Ryoma though, turning Ryoma's low groundstroke into a higher ball by slicing up, then carrying out his famous smash.

Ryoma smirked at his best friend. "Hn. I see you're awake now."

Sakuno was idly tapping her pen against her desk. She looked up when she saw Ryoma walk into the classroom. Late.

"Echizen, you're late." Horio whispered. "You're gonna get it now."

But the teacher had his back to the class, and didn't notice. Ryoma smirked triumphantly at Horio and Horio slouched down in his seat.

Ryoma instantly pulled out his chair, sat down, pulled down the brim of his hat, and proceeded to sleep. Sakuno rolled her eyes. It was so typical of him. His arrogance prevented him from actually learning anything at Seigaku. He just always slept in class.

Sakuno turned her attention back to the front of the room and concentrated on the English lesson. Why was English so hard? Sakuno stared so hard down at her workbook so hard, the words began to blur in front of her eyes. There were just so many different characters and so many combinations. How did people learn this stuff? Her head already hurt from half and hour of English, and she still hadn't learned anything.

She glanced over at Ryoma. He never needed to pay attention in English. After all, his English was impeccable, since he had already lived in America for a lot of his life. Sakuno grappled with herself and finally came to a decision. Well, it wouldn't hurt him to tutor her would it?

Immediately after Sakuno came to this decision, Tomoka hissed at her. A piece of paper landed on her desk. She unfolded it and read what it said.

"When are you asking Ryoma to the dance?"

Sakuno frowned at her friend across the aisle and shook her head no. Tomoka responded by giving her a puppy dog pout, saying please, please, please. She mouthed, "You guys look so cute together."

She mouthed back. "It doesn't matter. He doesn't even like me that way."

"Ryusaki, Osakada. Pay attention." The teacher snapped.

Both girls flinched and gave each other guilty looks. They both turned back to the front of the room and stared attentively at the blackboard.

What was it with Tomoka and the dance? I mean, it was just the only dance they had all year and would ever have. Okay, well maybe it was sort of a big deal. But Tomoka didn't need to get that worked up over it. Sakuno supposed it would be a lot of fun at least. Tomoka was sure to drag her along to shop for a dress, which would definitely make her feel every bit the princess, knowing Tomoka. And certainly, she was the only one she knew of that didn't have a date to the damn thing. She sighed.

Maybe she could ask Ryoma for lack of anyone else.

"Rrrriiiiinnnggg!!"

The bell rang and Sakuno began gathering up her books. She looked over at Ryoma, who was waking up drowsily from his nap. She giggled when he gave a yawn, transforming his face from the usual cynical into adorably vulnerable. Ryoma looked at her questioningly and she just shook her head in amusement.

She followed Ryoma out of the classroom, intending to ask him to tutor her. "Ano, Ryoma-kun, I need some help."

"Hn." Ryoma grunted.

Sakuno took this as a sign that he was listening. "Well, I was having trouble with English and I was wondering if you could help…" she trailed off when Ryoma gave her a glare.

"Mada mada dane. Are you competent at anything, Ryusaki? I don't exactly have the time to tutor you on top of everything else I have."

She groaned. He meant tennis. He always meant tennis; it was the world to him.

"…but, I suppose I could help you a bit…" he allowed grudgingly. "You have made me lunch for the past five years after all."

Sakuno shot him a grateful smile. "Arigato, Ryoma-kun."

But he was already walking away. "You're to come to my house every day after school." He tossed back to her over his shoulder. "From 4-6. That's the only time that I can do it."

She sighed for what she thought was the millionth time this day. Well at least he agreed to tutor her. That was something.

Sakuno started the slow climb up to the top of the roof. That was where she would find Ryoma and bring him his lunch.

Even after five years, he still hadn't managed to recognize that he needed food to survive. Either that, or he just became accustomed to her making him a bento every day. Sakuno didn't know what he was going to do once he actually had to take care of himself for once. If he did finally start making his own lunch, it would be a relief. Her grandmother was starting to complain that she had to make two lunches every day.

She opened the door to the roof and stepped out where she could see Ryoma sleeping. He looked so serene when he was sleeping, so different from his usual self. She was almost loathe to wake him up. She shook him lightly by the shoulder. "Ryoma-kun, I have your bento, wake up so you can eat it."

Ryoma opened one amber eye drowsily. Upon seeing Sakuno, he opened the other and pinned her down with a stare. Sakuno could feel a light blush on her cheeks. Even after so many years him staring at her still had some effect. Then Ryoma yawned widely, and the moment was broken.

"Ryoma-kun, eat." She thrust the bento into his hands and he accepted it silently.

They ate silently for a couple of minutes. Sakuno finally decided to break the silence. "Ryoma-kun, what are you doing on Friday night?" She wondered if maybe he was going to the dance.

"Absolutely nothing important on Friday. Ne, probably going to practice my tennis."

Sakuno felt her stomach sink a little. So he wasn't going to the dance.

"Ano, Ryoma-kun, I'm going back to the lunchroom." She quickly exited.

Ryoma wondered if it was something he said.

Sakuno walked up to the door, wondering whether or not she should ring the doorbell. She looked at the door hesitantly. What if this wasn't the address? She would look like a complete fool to say the least. She squinted down at the scrap of paper again. Well, this was definitely the address he wrote down for her.

She raised her hand, about to knock.

"Oi, you must be his little girlfriend!" The door swung open suddenly, just as she was about to knock and poor Sakuno almost fell backward as a man pushed himself into her face enthusiastically. "Ah, I just knew he had a girlfriend hiding somewhere, keeping you all to himself, ne?"

He looked at her carefully. "You're quite the pretty little thing, aren't you?"

He wolf whistled and she blushed. "G-gomen, but who are you?"

"Oi, almost forgot myself there. I'm Nanjiro, Ryoma's dad, and also where he got his amazing tennis skills from. What exactly is your name? I know it's Ryusaki, but…" Nanjiro questioned.

"I'm Sakuno Ryusaki, Ryoma's friend." She replied, still blushing.

"Oh, so just friend, is it?" he raised one eyebrow.

Sakuno nodded her head quickly.

"Nanjiro!" A pretty girl came up from within the depths of the house. "She's a guest! You're supposed to welcome her." She scolded.

The girl turned to Sakuno and gave her a kind smile. "Konichiwa, I'm Nanako, Ryoma's cousin and you must be Sakuno Ryusaki. He said you'd be coming over today."

Nanjiro whined. "How come I'm always the last one to know of anything around here?"

Nanako smiled at Sakuno again. "Don't mind Nanjiro, he's just a bitter old man."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD?!"

Sakuno stepped into the Echizen household, taken aback by the frenzied argument going on in front of her, and unsure of where she was heading exactly. She looked helplessly at Nanako.

"Oh just go on up to his room. That's where he'll be." Then Nanako went back to arguing with Nanjiro about how he really shouldn't store any of his mags where Ryoma could find them.

She ascended the stairs and instantly spotted the Ryoma's bedroom at the end of the hall. Luckily, it had a sign saying "Ryoma's room" on the door. She pushing open the door and burst into the room. "Ano, Ryoma, it's time for you to…"

A very surprised Ryoma looked at her. He had just gotten out of tennis practice and was changing out of his sweaty clothes. And Sakuno had caught him with his shirt half off.

"Eep!" she squealed and quickly backed out of the room, closing the door.

After a few minutes, she tentatively knocked on the door, something she realized that she should have done in the first place. "Come in,"

She walked straight into Ryoma.

Sakuno instantly took a hop back in surprise.

"Did you like what you saw?" Ryoma teased her, smirking.

"A-ano, that's not a very polite thing to ask," Sakuno stammered back.

Ryoma was pleased. A small part of him, one that he would never acknowledge, liked her constant attention. And he needn't have asked if she thought he was gorgeous. He knew she did. Her answer was written all over her face, and he loved that he could reduce her to stuttering again just by teasing her, when she had finally gotten rid of the habit.

But Sakuno didn't need to know that, especially when Ryoma didn't quite understand it himself.

"Let's get started." Ryoma plopped the intimidating English workbook on the desk. "Shall we?"

Five hours later, Sakuno felt like her brain had been shot out of her head, fell out of a window seventy stories up, and then had been run over by a tank, all while a huge group of mocking English majors stood cheering at the act.

Ryoma ran his hand through his hair, clearly frustrated with the girl. How hard was it to understand English? It really shouldn't be taking this long. "So, if the subject is they, would the verb be was or were?"

Sakuno replied hesitantly. "Is it were?"

"No, that's not right, let's do the next-" Ryoma stopped mid-sentence in shock. "Wait, that's right, that's it!!"

The boy screamed in happiness. "Finally!"

Nanako poked her head into the room. "Did you say something? Did you want dinner soon or something?"

"Errr…no, Nanako, never mind." Ryoma looked abashedly at his cousin.

"Okay, then. There's food on the counter if you want it, though." She closed the door firmly.

Sakuno smiled at Ryoma happily. "I got one."

He grinned back for once without any irony in his expression at all. "Hn."

She changed the subject abruptly, deciding to give the dance subject another try. "So, you do know about the dance right? Two days away? Are you going?"

Ryoma's face shuttered off some. "Ne, I don't go to dances. Too many giggling girls there."

Sakuno's stomach churned uncomfortably. "A-ano, would you consider going to the dance? With me? As my friend? I don't really have a date…"

Ryoma cut her off before she could say anything else. "No."

Well, that could have gone better.