A/N: The second in my little series of Ryoma x Sakuno fluff stories. I didn't know it would become a thing so that's why it's separate. This is the 'sequel' to I Need You Probably.
xxx
Sakuno shivered as another cold breeze swept through the courts.
It had begun snowing and Ryoma, who was playing his opponent with a roof overhead, seemed unaffected by this.
He was keeping warm by playing tennis anyway.
Sakuno was huddled under a flimsy little shelter looking into Ryoma's court.
Why am I even here?
With chagrin, the memory came back to her.
"Sakuno-chan," Tomoka had said the day before. "I have to babysit again, so I can't go to Ryoma-sama's game!" She slumped down onto her desk. "It sucks so much!"
Eiji had leaned over and laughed. "Fear not, Tomoka-chan! You'll get the next one."
"Sakuno-chan will still be there to support him." Oishi nodded.
Ryoma had glanced up, but only momentarily. When Sakuno looked across at him, he moved his gaze away.
"Sure, I'll go." She said slowly, remembering the bleak weather forecast.
Ryoma was expressionless. "You don't have to."
"I want to be there to support you!" Sakuno said.
Ryoma shrugged. "Whatever."
"Ochibi-chan!" Eiji had shaken him. "That's not what you say when a girl says something like that!"
"Yeah!" Momo joined in the conversation. "You say something with more passion!"
"Oh yeah?" Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
Momo looked thrown. "Like…er…like…"
"Like the kind of things you say to Ann Tachibana?" Ryoma offered.
"Yes! I mean- NO! No, not like that!" Momo went red.
Eiji laughed. "He's got you there!"
Tomoka gripped Sakuno's hand. "Oh please say you'll be there to support him!"
"Okay, okay, I will!" Sakuno had reassured her.
And now…
Sakuno groaned.
She used to be pretty popular and go out with friends after school.
When there was bad weather she did what normal people did and stayed at home.
How is this my life?
Plus, she was starting to feel a little dizzy. She had woken up with a headache already and had downed some paracetamol and forced herself out of the door.
The court swam in front of her eyes and for a moment she couldn't tell which player Ryoma actually was.
It was in fact minutes, but seemed like hours later, when the game ended and Ryoma exited the court.
Sakuno stumbled to her feet, conscious of her red nose and blue cheeks.
"Did you win?" She asked.
Ryoma gave her a look. "Were you even paying any attention?"
"Um, sorry," Sakuno swayed on her feet. "I'm just…a bit cold-"
"Of course I won." Ryoma made his way over to the benches and hoisted his bag onto his shoulder.
Sakuno stifled a cough. "Well, to be honest I knew you would. Congratulations! I'm happy for you! We should go somewhere and celebrate-!"
"I'm fine, thanks," Ryoma said. "Honestly, if you're not even going to keep track of the game then don't bother coming to the matches."
Sakuno could do nothing except shiver as Ryoma walked off.
And that was her Wednesday afternoon.
xxx
"I heard the game went really well, Ochibi-chan!" Eiji gave Ryoma the 'peace' sign. "Good for you!"
"Tch." Ryoma said.
He was still irritated with Sakuno.
He had played extra-hard because he knew she was watching and then she doesn't even pay attention to the outcome of the game?
Well, forget it. Ryoma sat at his desk. I don't have time to waste thinking about that idiot girl.
"By the way, sempai," He glanced at Eiji. "Why are you in my homeroom class?"
"Oishi's got an appointment this morning!" Eiji whined. "I'm lonely with no one to annoy!"
"And I'm the substitute, am I?"
"Pretty much."
"Ryoma-sama!" Tomoka and Momo burst into the classroom together.
"What's up?" Eiji looked round.
"It's terrible!" Tomoka cried. "Sakuno was taken to hospital yesterday! She's really ill!"
Momo nodded. "It's really bad apparently- we heard it from the Coach."
"What!" Eiji wailed. "Not the little cutie!"
Ryoma's expression was hidden with his black bangs. "Where is she now?"
"Home," Tomoka said. "The doctor said she should get as much rest as she could."
"You know who else is ill?" Eiji swung on his chair. "That guy from Class 2-C. It's weird- his sister and him have these terrible immune systems-"
"Who cares?!" Ryoma snapped and everyone looked at him in shock.
It took him a second or two to calm down, but when he finally did he looked dead at Tomoka.
"Do they know why she's ill?" He asked slowly.
"W-well," Tomoka stuttered. "Apparently she was out in the cold a lot yesterday and caught a fever…"
"I'm just…a bit cold-"
Ryoma got to his feet just as the teacher walked in.
"Where are you going, Echizen?" He demanded. "Why do you need your bag?"
Ryoma didn't reply, he simply walked out of the classroom.
Tomoka, Momo and Eiji followed him to the hallway.
"Where're you going, Ochibi-chan?" Eiji yelled.
Ryoma lifted a hand in goodbye before disappearing round the corner.
Momo grinned. "Oh please. We all know exactly where he's going."
"Huh? Wha?" Tomoka looked at both of them.
Eiji was grinning too. "That dog!" He laughed.
xxx
When Sakuno opened her eyes, she could barely believe what she was seeing.
Great. Was her first thought. Now he's in my hallucinations.
"Yo." The 'imaginary' Ryoma said.
"Ryoma-kun?" Sakuno hoisted herself upright. "How did you-?"
"You left the door unlocked, idiot," He said. "How careless are you?"
Another bolt of pain seemed to ricochet around Sakuno's head.
She slumped back down. "Could you leave, please? I'm not really feeling very well."
"That's evident." Sakuno saw that Ryoma had already slung his school bag and blazer in a corner. He put his hands in his pockets. "So," He said. "What do you need?"
"Huh?" She looked at him.
There was a pause and Sakuno finally realized, glancing at the clock.
"Wait, it's still morning. Did you leave school to-?"
"Juice." Ryoma said flatly and walked off. "I'll go get you some juice."
Sakuno watched him go and ran a hand through her tangled her.
And they say girls are complicated.
xxx
Ryoma wasn't very used to (or good at) dealing with sick people.
In fact, he was a bit of a novice in the whole 'caring for others' area.
But seeing Sakuno lying there so small and vulnerable. It brought out something strangely protective in him.
"Your fever's gone up." He felt her forehead. "Tch."
"I'm fine." Sakuno croaked.
"You're obviously not, idiot. We need to get you to the doctor."
"No!" Sakuno gripped his sleeve. "Please don't make a fuss."
He had already bought her an armful of drinks, a bowl of (slightly charred) porridge and had been vigilant with cold compresses to her forehead.
He's probably thinking about what a pain I am…
"Anyway," Sakuno rasped. "It's almost time for after school tennis practice. If you don't go now, you won't make it in time."
Ryoma was silent.
"Ryoma, don't miss practice because of me."
Ryoma still didn't reply.
"Ryoma-!"
"I don't get you," He said quietly. "How can you tell me to go play tennis when me playing tennis is the reason you're lying here with a 90 degree fever?"
Sakuno coughed. I made him angry again.
"I-I'm just…thinking of you…"
"Yeah," Ryoma stood. "Well don't. Today, you're thinking about yourself. I can miss one day's practice. It's not the end of the world." He turned. "I'm going to get another cold compress."
xxx
But still, there was nothing Ryoma could do to prevent the fever from rising.
When it reached 101, he ignored Sakuno's pleas and called the doctor.
She barely knew what was going on around her anyway.
"Ugh…" She groaned and something inside Ryoma twisted.
"Hey," He knelt beside her bed. "Can you hear me?"
"What a pretty kitty!" Sakuno sang under her breath, blissfully delirious.
Ryoma sighed. "Guess not." Well, that's probably just as well.
He leaned close to her ear. "About yesterday," He said with obvious difficulty. "I…I shouldn't have said those things to you."
"La, la, la!" Sakuno hummed.
"And…I'm always really happy when I see you cheering for me. I'm sorry," He reached out and took her hand as it lay on the bed. "I've been selfish."
Sakuno turned her head and smiled at him obliviously.
"I'll protect you more from now on." Ryoma said quietly.
"Ryoma-kun is an i-di-ot!" Sakuno sang.
"Yeah, yeah." Ryoma muttered. "Whatever."
Sakuno grinned at him and lifted her finger up to his face. Her fingernail gently brushed his lips and instinctively he took her hand in his.
"Ryoma-kun," Sakuno said. Then: "Ryoma."
Ryoma leant forward until his bangs brushed her forehead and he kissed her very lightly on her slightly parted lips.
He drew away and looked at her warily.
Sakuno didn't react apart from her constant drone of: "Ryoma, Ryoma, Ryoma…"
xxx
"Sakuno-chan!" Tomoka leapt towards her the second she entered the courts. "You're all better!"
"Yeah," Sakuno smiled. "Well, I'm still on some pills, but I'll be completely healed next week."
"That's great news!"
"Hey, there she is!"
The Seigaku regulars had spotted her and walked over to join them.
"Are you feeling alright, Sakuno-san?" Asked Fuji.
"Yep, I'm all better."
Sakuno saw Ryoma looked at her with more intensity than usual from the back of the group.
What's his problem?
"I bet Ochibi-chan's presence helped a lot!" Eiji winked.
Sakuno frowned. "Ryoma-kun's?"
"Yeah, you know," Momo said. "He went over to see if you were okay."
"Did he?" Sakuno was surprised. "Oh…well, sorry but I barely remember anything since I caught the fever. Everything is just a big blur."
"You don't…" Ryoma stared at her. "Remember? Anything?"
Sakuno couldn't understand why he looked so pissed off. "Um, no."
"Nothing? Nothing at all?"
"No. Why? Did something happen?"
Ryoma opened his mouth as if to reply and then, abruptly, turned on his heel and stalked off, snatching his racquet up from on top of his bag.
There was a very definite 'Don't Follow Me' aura around him.
"He seems upset." Fuji murmured.
"He must have really done a lot for you." Momo said.
Sakuno shook her head and sighed.
Him? Yeah right. She watched him go. That guy couldn't care about me if he tried.
xxx
Ryoma slammed the ball so hard against the wall, it almost broke.
"That idiot." He muttered under his breath.