DISCLAIMER: I don't own Prince of Tennis or anything associated to it (but I really do hope I do T^T)
Ryoma stared at nothing in particular. He was sitting beside the window of his room and staring blankly at the surrounding outside it.
Apparently, there was a heavy snow fall and a blizzard the previous night, soaking the whole Kantou with white crystal-like water form, or rather, snow.
The snow had stopped falling sometime after dawn and the whole environment seemed quiet, no one had the nerve to go outside due to the freezing coldness caused by the snowfall and the Post Christmas season.
He let out a sigh as he sipped his hot coffee. He's bored and there's nothing to do in that house of his. Fortunately or unfortunately to him, the other people in the house had a trip to the hot springs few days ago and will be back next week, leaving the house to himself.
He sighed once again and stared at his coffee. He inhaled the aroma of his caffeine of addiction. It didn't help though, being his team's buchou. It gave him a lot of stress. He's fourteen now, and has almost perfected Tezuka-buchou's image as a captain and a pillar.
He mentally shook his head. That's not the time to have a mental monologue. He has to come up with a way to solve his current problem: boredom. He looked around his room. Karupin seems to enjoy the Christmas season as she snuggled on the comforter, purring in bliss. He had long finished his video games- and a couple of times too- so he is sick of playing them again. He, once again, look around his room to find something- anything- that might catch his interest.
He sighed, already knowing that he has nothing to do, unless he will go out and compete against the freezing coldness. His eyes landed on the grey-colored cellphone that was sitting quietly on his bedside table. He stared at it for a moment before an idea struck him.
xXx
She's currently reading her newly made sports article while sipping her hot chocolate. Her full attention is currently on the sheet of paper in her hand, reading it over and over again, and at the same time, copy reading the article. So imagine her surprise and fright as their house phone suddenly rang, making her jump three feet high out of startle. She stared at the phone with her wide chocolate-brown orbs widening, as she clutched her chest in effort to calm her ragged breathing. As she found her aim successful- meaning, her heart beat returned back to its normal pace- she slowly walked her way towards the black phone, at the same time, wondering who decided to call her, for her grandmother is an impossible option for she maybe is enjoying herself at the hot springs. She also wondered if her grandmother is experiencing O.P-ness for she said that she's having a trip with a family friend who is going to travel with whole family, meaning, her grandmother is the only Ryuuzaki there. She peeked at the caller ID and slightly gasped on the number written.
Ryoma-kun's cell phone number.
Of course, she had long memorized that. She's just wondering why of all sudden Ryoma-kun will decide to call her, for between the two of them, they know that she's always the one who will make a call first, for she's the one who always have problems.
'Maybe Ryoma-kun has a problem...'
She's delighted at the thought. Her best friend is finally opening up. She once thought that he doesn't have and will not have a problem, because he said so, and she just believed him.
She was awoken out of her reverie as the phone rang again, echoing inside the whole house. She picked it up and cheerfully, she greeted, "Ohayou, Ryoma-kun! Is there anything you need?"
The person on the other line scoffed, "Y'know? You're like one of those over-pathetic nurses in anime shows"
Sakuno blushed, is she that cheerful? "I...uh...ahm... Go-gomen... S-so... I-is there anything you need?"
Ryoma unconsciously scratched his cheek with an index finger. "Well... Yeah... I'm bored"
"Is that so? Do you want me to come over your house?" she asked as she heading towards their door, completely forgetting the fact that it's cold outside and she's not wearing a thick garment.
"No need..." as soon as he said that, the door in front of him burst open and a weight collided with him, making them fall on the cold ground.
"Ryoma-kun!" Sakuno exclaimed disbelievingly on top of Ryoma. Being him the first to call is a surprising thing to happen, but appearing in their doorstep and she being on top of him is the most.
Ryoma rolled his eyes and hung up his phone. "I told you, it's not needed"
That's when they noticed their position. Sakuno had her eyes widened but Ryoma remained still indifferent. Sakuno hurried to stand up, but the slippery ground made her fall again to her original position, but this time, her lips ended on the corner of Ryoma's lips. Her eyes widened even more. Good thing that Ryoma had his eyes closed at the sudden pain. She stood up once again, but more carefully this time, and tried to hide her blushing face. Ryoma followed suit.
"C-come in, R-ryoma-kun," she ushered him to enter, hiding her red face. He obeyed, slightly wondering why her face is all red. She went inside the kitchen, fully knowing that Ryoma knows his way through the living room. She made a cup of hot coffee and a new cup of hot chocolate for herself. She entered the living room only to find Ryoma lying on the couch and watching TV. Ryoma really knows what 'Feel at Home' means.
She set the tray on the living room table and invited him for a cup. She stared at him as he sipped from the cup, creating an inner thought that her lips are the replacement of the cup. She blushed at her thought and mentally shook her head.
Silence reigned over the two best friends, which Sakuno decided to break, "Neh, Ryoma-kun..."
Ryoma grunted in response. She sighed, "Why do you like... well... coffee?"
She already knows that he's addicted to that bitter caffeine, she's just wondering why. Ryoma raised an eyebrow, cup still in front of his face, wondering why all of the sudden she will ask a stupidity. "Why?"
Sakuno hastily shook her head, "Mou, Ryoma-kun... I-it's nothing... Y-you don't have t-to answer, y-you know"
Ryoma just sighed. After their coffee break, Sakuno couldn't take her curiosity anymore, "Ryoma-kun... I thought you're bored... What would you like to do?"
Ryoma looked at her as he brushed the hair from his face, "Stroll"
"E-eh? Are you serious? It's cold outside"
Ryoma sighed, he knew it. He knew that Ryuuzaki will decline to stroll outside. He stood up. "Dewa (well then/ bye)"
"Fine... Wait for me here," she said as she stood up and stopped him. He nodded. She walked towards her room to grab a coat and winter garment. As soon as she was out of sight, Ryoma smirked triumphantly. The bratty act is indeed effective.
xXx
They haven't walked for at least fifteen minutes when he noticed that she's shivering. He mentally sighed. Then, he noticed a vending machine nearby. He walked towards it, momentarily forgetting his girl companion.
Sakuno stared as he quickened his pace and noticed that he's heading towards the vending machine. She smiled. Then an idea struck her.
xXx
Ryoma was utterly shocked when a cold something hit him at the back of his head. He turned around and glared daggers and laser beams at the culprit- which is the stupidly grinning Sakuno. He unconsciously rubbed the spot where the cold something hit him. He bent down and picked a handful of snow, shaping it and aiming at the grinning idiot who was shot at the face.
Then chaos started.
xXx
The two sat at the bench beside the vending machines, both panting heavily. The cold completely forgotten, for they're sweating heavily due to intensive chase of each other. The two desperately sipped at their respective icy-cold drinks, finishing it within a minute or two.
Sakuno made a small snowball, rolling it around her palm. Ryoma eyed it suspiciously. "Don't you dare"
Sakuno dropped the ball on the ground. Then she rolled it along the snowy-white ground, making it bigger and bigger. After a while, she had made a two-layered snow man, towering slightly above her shoulder. She smiled in satisfaction. She looked back at the bench to check out what her companion is doing, only to find it empty. She frowned. 'Maybe Ryoma-kun left me'
She turned her gaze on the snow man, only to meet some snow being splashed in her face. She blinked; then noticed her snow man got taller than her, and became three-layered.
"Mada mada da ne"
She turned her head to the right, meeting in sight a smirking Ryoma. She pouted. Ryoma ignored her and continued to move, placing two auburn ropes in the back of the topmost layer of the snow man, then a butterfly-shaped snow at the top left side. Then he sprinkled some of Sakuno's leftover cherry Ponta at the 'cheeks' of the snow man, making it pinkish. Then he laughed out loud, startling Sakuno.
Sakuno stared at the laughing Ryoma, then at the snow man. She blinked. Then she blushed in embarrassment. Ryoma laughed even more, saying "Your twin" in between laughs. She picked a snow ball and threw it at Ryoma, silently wishing to any Gods to stop him from embarrassing her. He stopped laughing and dodged the snow ball, by the time Sakuno had thrown another and shot him at the chest. Then, the snow balls became many, running after him. He couldn't find a chance to counter and fight back, so he tried to tackle her, for he is slightly becoming wet. (Un) Fortunately, as he tackled her on the ground, he unconsciously tugged and pulled one of the ropes...
xXx
Sakuno winced at the pain atop of her. She tried to squirm, but only resulted as bits of snow hitting her face. The weight lifted itself away from her, so she cracked her chocolate-brown orbs open.
--
Ryoma lifted his body up as Sakuno winced. He made sure that his two hands were planted on both sides of Sakuno's head so that he will not fall again. He closed his eyes and bit back a moan as he felt the freezing water wetting his back. He slowly opened his eyes.
xXx
Golden-hazel orbs stared into chocolate-brown ones. Sakuno's mouth made a perfect 'o' shape as she stared at the dripping wet Ryoma on top of her. The first ray of sunshine after the blizzard set on his face, making his golden eyes seem like a bright yellow. His damp hair combined with the sunlight gave off a magnificent eerie glow, making it somehow unreal.
Ryoma stared at her angelic form; her damp body lightened with the orange sunlight creates an illusion of a fallen angel. He continued to stare at her, more precisely at her pink, cherry blossom colored lips. He leaned closer and closed his eyes.
Sakuno's mind can't think coherently. She only managed to register Ryoma leaning closer. She couldn't do anything. She doesn't want to do anything. She slowly closed her eyes until she felt warm lips on hers.
Time seemingly stopped as their lips touched, one thought synchronizingly running in their minds: 'I think I just fell in love...'
OWARI=
r&r