Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.
Summary: A simple, and yet, complicated story about a 15-year old girl who can only show her love, but unable to speak it, to a guy who never acknowledges it. And how she never notices another guy's gaze at her. Horio x Sakuno x Ryoma
Author's Note: First of all I wanted to apologize for the big delay. I'm finished with this chapter 2 weeks ago, but it appears to be more dark and depressing end. If you, people, want to look, check my LJ.
As you have noticed, I changed the summary to include Horio, and removed the detail about Sakuno being shy and young, it's because I was not doing a good job. I apologize for this sudden development as well.
- X -
I looked at the face of my opponent. I could not see it, because of the glow that surrounded his body. The glow was not painful to the eyes. It was like a shroud, a veil that covered the person in front of me.
Ryuuzaki...
I heard his voice, and I knew exactly what was going to happen. I planted my feet on the rubbery floor. I felt the friction in my small shoes. I looked in front of me, ready to propel myself forward, anticipating the move of my opponent.
Ryuuzaki...
I gripped my tennis racket. I gritted my teeth. It was a natural response for me.
My eyes, which are constricted, followed his form closely in slow motion. Each detail on him is being processed by my brain. Doing calculations, doing scenarios, and preparing my body on what was to come.
Ryuuzaki...
I can feel it. I can hear it. Adrenaline pulsated in my veins, making my heartbeat fast and louder. For no reason, I am happy, and giddy, and I let myself be swallowed by the adrenaline, by this madness.
"Ryuuzaki, here I come."
And there it was. The ball was smashed towards me. I kicked my feet backwards, and I quickly projected forward. I swung my tennis racket forward, letting the momentum be the compensation for my lack of strength.
The closer my racket got to the ball, the blurry my vision gets, but the veil that covered my opponent is slowly dissipating.
Echizen Ryoma.
- X -
I opened my eyes, slowly. It was neither heavy nor painful as I first thought. -It was like I woke up from a satisfying sleep, and I feel fulfilled. I panted. The remaining effects of adrenaline left my body, and soon my body is drenched sweat. So much that I could feel it falling down from my face.
I realize that I was on the Nurse's Office when I could smell the disinfectant that permeates the room, also, the comforting surroundings. It struck me suddenly on why was I in this room, and I remembered what happened earlier. My dream, long forgotten, as I quickly sat up searching for him.
Something fell down from my face. I looked down at my lap, and saw that is was a cloth, a cold one at that. I held it with my trembling hand...
"S-Sak... Ryuuzaki-chan?" A male voiced asked.
I quickly snapped my head at the one who called me. It was Horio, and he looked surprised, he was holding a bucket and a cloth at the other hand. 'Aa, he must be the one who put the cloth on my face.' I politely smiled at him. "H-Horio-kun." I cringed inward. -My voice was raspy and shaky.
Water. I badly needed it. -The perspiration, plus the Kami-knows-how-many hours I've been here had consumed my body liquids.
As I opened my mouth to request it, he was already at my side. His hand suddenly went to my forehead, and then he slides his hand to my cheeks. That movement sent jolt into my spine, and I could feel blood rushes to my cheeks. My gaze automatically went down to my lap. –A automatic response of my body when experiencing embarrassment.
"Ryuuzaki-chan?" His pre-pubertal voice was also raspy, "Are you okay?" his other hand joined in, and was soon cupping my face, and he ducked and tried to look at my eyes, my face, who I determinately trying to evade. But with a pull of his arm, I was looking at Horio's intense dull black eyes.
I was lost at his eyes, an eyes that neither shone nor neither dark, it was different than Ryoma's piercing amber eyes. My gaze went deeper, and without even knowing it, my little hands, which are lying at my lap and fiddling, went to touch Horio's larger hands.
I was in a trance. The dull black eyes I saw, is somehow, now amber. Like Ryoma's.
I traced my hands in his, like I am blind and feeling things… trying to find something…
His hands are now larger than me. Just like Ryoma's… and I wonder if he's taller than me too…
I pulled his hands much closer to me, and my hands went to cup his face. I closed my eyes, imagining what Ryoma's face felt like, I traced his lips, wondering what Ryoma's lips felt like.
I was idly aware of the breath that was blowing in my face, idly aware of the breath so close to me. My hands snaked behind his neck, ruffling his hair, and then I froze. I've touched Ryoma's hair before, and his hair is definitely much softer and longer than this.
It was wrong. I retraced my hands back to his face and found it that it was more angular than Ryoma, it isn't Ryoma's. My hands went back to feel his hands, these hands aren't my Ryoma, these hands are much softer… Ryoma's hands are more calloused from holding his Tennis Racket too much…
I felt at if I was breathing in a different place now, the disinfectant that permeates the room was replaced by a musky odor. I also felt as if my breath was being sucked.
I felt something touch my nose, and it's eerily felt like another nose.
I opened my eyes and I stiffened, and unconsciously sucked breath. Horio's face is a few centimeters from mine, and by the way we are exchanging breaths and our nose touching, our lips is must be less than an inch each from each other.
I quickly looked away, disengaging my nose from his, and extended my arms to push him away. I've caught him off guard as soon as I saw his expression of surprised and his hand went to my side to balance himself. "H-Horio-kun, t-this… uhm… t-this is w-wrong." I stuttered badly, but I don't care, my mind is in whirl, my heart is pounding fast, and I wanted to clutch it so bad.
How can I mistook Horio as Ryoma? Their hands are different, their face is different, their eyes, their hair… all of them are different. How? I must be sick, and is delusional.
It's my fault. I lured Horio into almost kissing me. It was wrong, very wrong of me. He must think I… l-love him somehow. As my pounding heart went to normal, I also found my throat dry.
I looked back at Horio, to ask water again, but he's already gone. 'I wonder where he went.' I questioned myself. I entertained that idea that he must be breathing fresh air, because of the bad air I've given him. I giggled and put a hand on my mouth, I stopped as soon as I realized…
Now, who'll give me water?
I looked down at what Horio brought for me when he came out from the sink. With renewed hope, I looked into the bucket, which is filled with water and has a noticeable block of ice floating from it, making it super, God-sent, unbelievable, oh so… very very cold! With an oddly giggly feeling, I asked myself: "Is this water clean?"
- X -
(November 16, 2008)
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EDIT: Thank you Seru-chan for correcting me and criticizing my work. =D –I had to say, you've noticed my blunders pretty well.