Prince of Tennis

One-shot

Theme: Afternoon

Written by: Lady Abbess

Pairing: Sanada-Sakuno

Message: Read, enjoy and review!

Standard Disclaimer Applied

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"Do you mind if I sit here…?"

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As the fuku-buchou of the famed Rikai Dai's boys' tennis team, he was known as a man of few words and for his killer slaps whenever he got furious with his teammates' actions. It was things that could never be changed for Sanada Genichirou and he had no problem with that. He was happy the way he is, not that it shows. He heard earlier that day that Niou said that "he should patent the way his face looks – it's so sour that you can taste it!" Tugging on his black cap, he mentally added to his to-do list to make the Trickster run laps until his legs give out.

Staring at nothing, he let his gaze drift higher until it settled at the clouds, wondering how his buchou Yukimura found them wonderful to look at. He often thought of cloud-watching as a boring pastime and knew there was no benefit from it. But being alone by the riverbank did give him one thing he cherished the most – the quiet.

If he were to be asked, he would say that it was the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Too preoccupied with the churning of his mind, he was somewhat startled when a soft, all too familiar voice broke him from his reverie. "Do you mind if I sit here…?"

Turning to the voice's source, his eyes softened and gave a curt nod. "I see no problem in it, Ryuuzaki-san. Please, have a seat." He motioned to a spot beside, wondering if it conveys any unreasonable message.

She nodded a small smile on her lips and propped down on the grass beside him, keeping in mind to keep some small distance from the unsmiling man in case he might think she was being forward, which she was not.

Wanting to make conversation, she started with a, "I really like this place, Sanada-san, how about you? It's really lovely and solitary, and the river's such a nice sight, and… oh!!! I'm so sorry!!!" She gasped and took a look at him, "I didn't mean to be rambling… I… I…"

"I don't mind, Ryuuzaki-san, please continue but I am afraid I am not someone who you could talk to normally…"

"… Ah, you're n-not boring… Well, if you mean that…"

He felt very awkward now, not knowing the right words to say. "I am sure I am but if Ryuuzaki-san says so, then I'm not boring to talk to. Just a bad conversationalist."

She giggled and looked up. "Have you ever wondered how clouds feel like, Sanada-san?"

The young man blinked and was not certain what to make of her question. For someone who shuns away from trivial things only to find himself talking about them, he knew he'd make unintelligible answers. But he was a Sanada and it was something he should avoid. It'd hurt his pride.

"To be honest, Ryuuzaki-san, I never thought about it before. Do you wonder about clouds often?"

Blushing a bit, "I find myself thinking about them every now and then. But, seriously, how do you think they would feel?"

"They'd feel like nothing, I suppose. After all, clouds are just water vapor."

She nodded but was hoping for something more interesting, not that she would tell him that, "Sou ka, but you know, I've often wished they'd be soft, fluffy things since they look that way. Cotton candy-like, Tomo-chan's brothers told me they knew clouds are sweet!"

"Children could be so innocent."

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"Let me buy you some ice cream."

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Sakuno nodded and pointed at something, "Could you see that rabbit up there?"

His right eye involuntarily twitched but it went unnoticed. A rabbit? Up where? "I'm sorry, Ryuuzaki-san but I didn't seem to hear you correctly…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I mean, clouds do form different shapes and sizes, Sanada-san, that's why you'd find pretty interesting blobs up there. Like that rabbit, can you see it?" She smiled and pointed up again; Sanada Genichirou proved to be someone so interesting but didn't appear to notice it himself. It was rather comforting to spend the afternoon with him because it would've been one, lonely afternoon.

"I just cannot spot it, Ryuuzaki-san. How can you find a rabbit up there?"

"You've got to be pretty imaginative, Sanada-san, you can do it!"

He blinked and uncertainly looked up again, trying to find something he was aware he'd never find. "They're just blobs… I cannot find a rabbit and any other cloudy figure." It was hard to admit that but it was true, and it was something he'd never bother to do again anyway.

She sighed. "Would you get angry, Sanada-san, if I call you hopeless?" She asked carefully, assessing the expression on his face, lest he suddenly becomes angry with her. Instead, Sanada's eyes danced with something like mirth and his lips quirked upwards. Turning away to hide her blushing face, she had thought that Sanada was handsome but he looked better when he smiled.

When she had looked back, her companion had already stood up and was brushing off the bits of grass that clung to his pants. "Ryuuzaki-san," He started and held out his hand, "Let me buy you some ice cream."

"Ah!! I-I… Demo, I would y-you bothering you so much, t-then!!! I c-couldn't possibly…!!!"

But he shook his head and took hold of her hand gently, "I insist, please. Let me buy you some ice cream."

"Ah, arigatou, Sanada-san. You're very kind."

"It isn't much, Ryuuzaki-san, we do rarely meet."

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"Look at fuku-buchou, Yagyuu.

He isn't so grumpy and sour anymore, I wonder what happened yesterday."

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"I saw him with Ryuuzaki-san in the ice cream parlor, Niou."

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"Eh? Nani? Fuku-buchou on a date cannot be!!! Impossible!!!"

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"It's true, Marui. I was with Yagyuu yesterday.

I got really good data. I'm sure Sadaharu would beg me for it."

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"What are you talking about?"

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"Eh?! Yukimura-buchou!!!

Sanada-san was on a date with Ryuuzaki-san yesterday!!!"

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"It is about time he got a love life, neh, buchou?"

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"I think so too, Jackal. He's so stern and cruel, he's like he's got a stick up he's ass, right buchou?"

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"Niou… Careful…"

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"Yagyuu! Jackal! Yanagi! Marui! Niou! 50 laps now!!!"

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"Neh, fuku-buchou's scary when he's in love…"

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"Akaya!!! You too!!!"

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End.

A/N: Ahahahaha, I like the idea of Sanada being in love. But he's really touchy. XD