Author's Note: So much for quick updates, right? Well, if you haven't heard my computer is still out of commission. Right now, I have to keep borrowing computers in order to post anything. Since I'm not sure when my computer will be fixed, updates will continue to be irregular. My profile page is the best way to keep track of the statuses of my stories. I will continue to write chapters so ideally when my computer is fixed (or a new one is bought) I will have several things to post at once. In any case, reviews and/or encouragement would be much appreciated.

Important Note: One of the upcoming prompts I will be working on is entitled 10. As a result, I have decided to accept ten prompt requests from reviewers. So please send them in so I can get to work.

Warning: This doesn't relate to any of the preceding chapters. Instead, I suppose it could be a continuation within the real series. Please note, that the timeline is most likely off since I placed Ryoma's return to Japan at the start of high school.

Summary: The apocalypse could come and Sakuno wouldn't have even noticed. Her only thought centered around one idea. She was going to be late.

Prompt: Dash

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis is not mine. If it was, Sakuno would stutter less and Ryoma would talk more.

Timing is Everything

Sakuno ran as if the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels. She ran past the vendors selling their wares, past the bicyclists stopping to chat, past the children playing on the sidewalks. Her lungs burned, her heart raced, and legs tired. But she kept running. The apocalypse could come and Sakuno wouldn't have even noticed. Her only thought centered around one premise. She was going to be late. Again. And Ryoma was going to kill her.

Ever since his return from America at the start of high school, things had been up in the air between them. It was as if they were stuck in some sort of limbo, unsure of how to move forward and yet not willing to move back. And so, they both remained motionless. And it felt painful and awkward. Everyone kept watching them to see what would happen but when Ryoma and Sakuno got anywhere near each other, everyone would begin their friendly, but embarrassing, teasing. The pressure on the pair seemed enormous and for awhile Sakuno resigned herself to believing that nothing would ever happen between them. Then two weeks ago, everything changed.

Tennis practice had just ended and Ryoma was walking her home as he did whenever her grandmother couldn't drive her. She had tried to tell him she would be fine on her own, but he ignored her protests, as he always did, and continued to walk with her. They fell into silence after that. Sakuno kept sneaking glances at him to try to judge his mood. He seemed more withdrawn than usual and it looked like he had some puzzle or problem he was trying to solve. Not wanting to intrude on his privacy, she left him to his thoughts. But then, just as they were turning the corner down her block, he finally spoke.

"We have a tournament in Kanto in two weeks."

Sakuno looked at him, wondering where the conversation was going. Ryoma never spoke without a reason, but she didn't know why he brought up the tournament. Unfortunately, his face didn't offer any clues. He kept his eyes forward and avoided looking at her. "I remember, she said finally, "obaa-chan told me."

"Are you going to go?"

Once again, she looked at him curiously. "... I don't know. Obaa-chan says that if I do go I will have to miss school and I'm already a bit behind," she finished with a blush.

But for reasons that Sakuno didn't understand, her answer seemed to upset Ryoma. His eyebrows furrored together and his hands tightened into fists. She was about to apologize despite that fact was she didn't really know what to apologize for. She hated it when people got mad at her.

"I'm sorr-"

"You should go."

"What?"

Ryoma had stopped walking by this point and Sakuno stopped as well. She was confused by his closed expression and surprised by the tightness in his jaw and fists. He seemed tense, upset by something she didn't understand. Did he want her to leave because she did something wrong? She tried to make eye contact, but he refused to even glance at her. Instead, he kept his gaze firmly over her right shoulder. She sighed and turned to leave. It would appear that he didn't want her here anymore. She tried to hold back the disappointment. She had only gotten a few steps away when he grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going?"

She winced at his accusatory tone but couldn't understand its origins. "You told me to go," she mumbled looking at the ground

His eyes widened in brief surprise and it was a moment before he spoke. "I meant to the tournament."

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. Ryoma's unusual silence, his random mentioning of the tournament, his aversion to looking at her, it all made sense. Ryoma was actually nervous about asking her to attend the tournament! She had never seen this side of him, had never even known of its existence, but somehow it eased the anxiety she had been feeling for the last few months. It would seem that even the infallible Ryoma could get nervous.

"I'll be there," she said, "I promise."

She had promised Ryoma that she would be there, but by the time she would arrive she would miss most of the tournament. Worse yet, if she didn't get there soon. She would miss Ryoma's match. She urged her legs to go faster. But the anxiety in her stomach felt like a stone weighing her down. When she finally reached the gates, she wanted to cry with relief. She had finally arrived! She started to head inside when someone stopped her.

"You have to buy a ticket."

"A ticket?" she asked. No one had told she would need a ticket.

The man sighed. "Only official members of the team can get in for free," he explained, "everyone else has to buy a ticket."

Sakuno frantically dug in her pockets for some change. She hadn't planned on buying anything at the tournament so she didn't have much money on her. She gave him what she had but he just shook his head.

"You're still short," he said.

Sakuno looked at him with watery eyes, "C-can you just make an exception? A-after the game is o-over, I-I'll come b-back with more."

He shook his head. "I can't just let every girl in who bats her eyes or gives me a sob story. Everyone pays, that's the rule."

Sakuno was about to walk away defeated when she heard a voice calling her name. Startled, she turned to find Momo-sempai waving at her.

"Momo-sempai!" she said relieved, as he headed towards her, "I have to buy a ticket and I..."

"You didn't think to bring any money with you," he summarized.

She nodded and looked at the ground. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment. She felt like a little kid; she got lost constantly, was terrible of keeping track of the time and now she looked like she couldn't be trusted with money too.

But Momo didn't criticize her. Instead, he just shook his head and smiled. "Ryoma thought that might happen. He gave me some money to bail you out."

Sakuno's cheeks went brighter. It was bad enough that she hadn't thought to bring any money with her, but it was worse that Ryoma had expected her to do so. She kept her eyes on the ground as Momo paid the man. When he finished, Momo grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

"Ryoma's already on the court," he explained as Sakuno jogged to keep up with the much taller sophomore. Another wave of disappointment hit her. By the time they reached the far court, Sakuno was once again out of breath. A crowd had formed around the court and Sakuno wondered how she would ever make it through. Fortunately, Momo had an idea. Using his taller frame he made a path through the crowd, allowing Sakuno followed him unhindered. He managed to get her a spot at the fence and immediately Sakuno looked for Ryoma.

He was the far side of the court and he looked upset. Sakuno couldn't help but think that she was the reason for it. When his opponent served, Ryoma immediately slammed the ball back at such speeds that the other player couldn't get there in time to return it. Sakuno winced. He definitely looked angry.

"That's game," the referee said, "Seigaku wins."

Startled by the announcement, Sakuno looked in disbelief at the scoreboard. All five sets were already marked off. And the kid running it had just put up the sixth one in Ryoma's favor. She had missed the entire game except for the very last serve. She had missed everything. Shocked Sakuno looked back to Ryoma's side of the court. Intense hazel eyes stared back at her unwaveringly. To Sakuno's horror and complete embarrassment, she bursted into tears and ran away from the courts.

Some minutes later, her tears had finally started to subside but the embarrassment had renewed. She couldn't believe she had just done that. She was a high school student and instead of acting like one she ran off like some child. She knew why though. All the anxiety of the few months, all the worry and hope and fear, had come rushing back in that moment when he looked at her. Then when the guilt of unintentionally missing his game combined with that anxiety, she couldn't take it anymore. She snapped under the pressure. But what would Ryoma think of her now? That thought caused the tears to come rushing back to her eyes. Was he angry at her for breaking her promise? Was he disgusted by inability to have any control over her emotions? Would he ever talk to her again?

"Here," a voice said as a grape ponta appeared in her face, "if you don't take it the drink will get warm."

She peered through her hands to see the speaker. To her surprise, Ryoma-kun stood before her. Once again it seemed he would look anywhere but at her whereas she could only stare at him in confused fascination.

He jiggled the can. "Well?" he asked.

Sniffling, she accepted the drink from his hands. With her free hand she tried to wipe away the tears with the back of her hand.

"Did you get lost?"

Sakuno ducked her head in mortification then nodded. She had spent forty-five minutes headed in the completely opposite direction before realizing her mistake.

"I thought so," he said before taking a sip of his ponta.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, vision blurring as new tears came to her eyes. Would she never stop crying?

"Oi, cut out the waterworks," he said.

But Sakuno didn't seem to hear him. She felt devastated as if she ruined whatever they had going between them before it had even begun. "I'm so sorry," she said again, the tears running faster now.

She thought she heard him mutter something in English but when she turned her head to ask a pair of warm lips met her cheek. She froze.

"Stop crying," he whispered into her ear.

In shock, the tears slowed and her sniffles ceased. Eventually Sakuno even managed to look at him. He still wouldn't look at her but his pink tinted cheeks spoke of his embarrassment. Her cheeks went a dull shade of red as the significance of what happened was made apparent. Ryoma had just kissed her.

The dull red went brighter and her nervous hands began to make the drink shake a little. She stared at the ground, afraid that a second glance would repaint her cheeks a brighter color.

"It's just a game," he said finally and it took her a moment to remember what they had been talking about.

When she remembered, she felt a small wave of disappoint go through her, but this time it didn't hurt as much as it did before. Ryoma did have a point. She had only missed one of his games. She frowned sadly. She wished there was a way to make up for it.

It would seem that Ryoma could read her mind because he spoke up again. "Just make sure you're on time for the next one," he said hiding his eyes by adjusting his cap.

Sakuno nodded shyly, cheeks still holding unto a light red hue. "I promise."