I know I promised this a while ago, but I got caught up and I forgot about it. Sorry about that, it wasn't my intention at all. Thank all of you who have been reviewing, I feel like I don't say it enough, but I do appreciate it. We're now going to start to get into Tomoka's problems because it's not that I dislike her or anything, but it had to be part of the plot.

Disclaimer won't change, but I'm still too broke to own anything other than my debt and my car.

Chapter 9

The rain wasn't supposed to happen until the evening according to the weather man. Unfortunately, Mother Nature hadn't listened and it rained after the second double's match. The golden pair was forced to await the announcement of whether or not the matches would be continued.

Tezuka held Akira under the awning where the team had been sitting. The stroller sat in the corner where most of the racquet bags were set. Sakuno had run off somewhere with Taichibana's sister to keep dry.

"This sucks," Momo said, talking about the rain. He was scheduled to play at Singles 3. "If it keeps raining, we'll never get to play today." Beside him, Ryoma lowered the hat over his eyes.

The rain continued to fall without fail. The more time that passed, the more they grew worried about the matches. They wanted to play and they wanted to play now.

"Do you think I should take Akira home?" Sakuno asked. The rain had let up some, but it was still pouring enough that she was getting a bit worried about keeping the baby outside.

From his seat Tezuka glanced down at the baby sleeping in his arms. "He's no problem and the rain isn't getting to him either." With the blanket over him, Tezuka knew he was warm enough.

Sakuno allowed him to make the decision. She supposed that as long as Akira stayed warm he wouldn't sick, right?

The rain finally stopped and the courts were dry enough to play about an hour later. Sakuno was glad she stuck around at that point to see the golden pair at their best against Fudomine's Ibu-Ishida pair.

Eiji's acrobatic moves had only improved over the years, to the point where the double's team had grown even more powerful and so had their friendship.

From her spot on the sidelines, Sakuno worked to keep the video camera steady with every win they took. At her side An held a wide awake Akira, making sure he got a chance to see the matches that were going on.

Akira was silent, his eyes moving across the court as if he completely understood what it was he saw. An looked down for a moment, noticing how quiet and still the baby seemed and thinking he was perhaps sleeping. What she found made her smile.

"Hey Sakuno, I think you might have the next generation of tennis players right here."

Sakuno steadied the camera so that she could look. Sure enough, there was her baby watching the matches. He gave a little wiggle in An's arms. "I think he likes the way that Eiji-senpai plays."

The match finished with Oishi and Eiji as the winners. During the short break, Sakuno took Akira for a diaper change and to get something to drink. With two wins under their belts, Sakuno felt safe enough to delay her return to the courts Seigaku played matches on.

She passed the other freshmen who were forced to video tape matches of the other teams, sending a brief wave their way.

By the time she returned to complete her own job, An had already taken over for her, allowing her to spend time taking care of her son and watching the matches. Momoshiro's match had only begun to play, so she was relatively on time.

Off to the side, she saw Tomoka flirting with Ryoma, not that he was paying much attention to her. Sakuno sighed, feeling a bit nostalgic and more than a bit jealous.

Akira shifted against her chest. She turned away from the scene, for a moment forgetting that she wasn't a free woman anymore. She was married and ergo not supposed to look at Ryoma-kun in that way anymore. She had Tezuka, for all that did for her.

Tezuka turned around in his seat, catching sight of Sakuno turning away from the direction Echizen and that girl were. When her eyes caught his, her smile was a bit strained.

He turned back around to continue watching his team play. He wasn't a fool if he didn't realize what the problem was. Sakuno was still in love with Echizen. It was okay, as he'd known of her feelings from the very beginning; it would just be a problem if other people began to notice where her feelings lay.

He crossed his legs carefully, also crossing his arms over his chest. It shouldn't have been his concern. He should be concentrating on leading his team to another victory, not worrying about what his wife was feeling.

He returned his attention to the match just in time to see Momoshiro win the match, giving Seigaku the tournament win. He heard as their supporters cheered the outcome of the match.

Fuji should have been returning soon to begin his own singles two match. Unfortunately, Ryuzaki-sensei thought it would be best if Echizen played the last match, just to give Tezuka a bit of freedom to help cater to Akira's needs.

He heard his son's voice draw closer. He turned slightly, finding his wife right behind him. He said nothing, waiting for her to say something first.

Sakuno nibbled at her bottom lip, not sure if there were something she should say. She knew, she'd probably gotten caught looking at Ryoma-kun. Would he be angry at her, for forgetting that she was married? Did he think she would be unfaithful?

For the rest of the game she stood behind her husband and after the finish where they received their awards, she went to the restaurant where the whole team shared a celebration dinner.

After the dinner came the part she dreaded, going home. The silence was beginning to really bother her. How could they discuss the problems when there was no talking?

"I'm sorry," she finally said later when they were alone in the bedroom. Her grandmother was good enough to spend some time with Akira before it was his bed time, so she knew she had some time to spare.

Tezuka continued changing into another set of clothing for a session of training. Sakuno sighed, her head bowing in sadness. She messed up badly and she knew it.

Finally, when he was completely dressed he turned toward her. "There is nothing to apologize about. I knew your feelings for Echizen." He was so nonchalant about it that she found her felt even worse for having looked at another.

She wanted to say something, something that could perhaps help this awkwardness between them, but she had nothing that she could voice. It wasn't very fair to him as her husband to play second place.

Without thinking about it, she stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. She felt his body stiffen, but found she didn't care all that much. Just this once, she wanted to be able to be a little bold. "I mean it," she whispered, almost too low for him to hear. "It's not fair to you that I look upon any other. It makes me a horrible wife."

He sighed, finally wrapping his arms around her as well. "You don't have to be the perfect wife. This marriage isn't based on true emotion. You shouldn't feel bad at all."

Sakuno shook her head to deny his words. Yes, they hadn't married for love, but that didn't mean that she should behave with anything other than respect for her husband. She took his face between her hands, forcing him to lean down toward her.

The slight narrowing of his eyes should have been a warning to her to stop what she was about to do, but she couldn't. She didn't want to have to stop this.

Slowly, she lifted her face to his where she hesitantly pressed her lips to his. They were just as firm as she remembered, almost unyielding beneath the gentle press of her lips. She remained steadfast in her desire to make up her error to her husband.

Ever so slowly, his muscles began to relax. His lips softened, moving slightly to take over. Sakuno allowed herself to relax as well, leaning further against his body. It had been so long since they had kissed. He tasted sweet, so sweet and oh so manly.

Then he turned his face away, causing her lips to brush against his cheek. "We shouldn't," he said. She continued to lay kisses along his jaw line. She didn't care about what they shouldn't do.

He moved his hand to grasp her chin. "We aren't there yet," he said. He then left her there to complete his own workout for the night. For a moment Sakuno felt too shocked to move.

But then, a slight smile touched her face when she thought about what he had said and his actions. He'd kissed her back when he'd never really participated in a kiss before. So maybe, there was still hope for her.

Sakuno watched the television in the living room with Akira while she waited for Tezuka to return from his workout. Her grandmother had gone back to her room to have a private conversation with one of the coaches from a rival team.

She glanced down at her son, who was busy on the floor playing in his activity gym her grandmother had bought. The hanging toys kept him occupied as he tried to reach for them.

She smiled. Babies had so much joy without the worry of anything except when they would receive their next meal. She on the other hand, had to deal with a frustrating husband and feelings for a guy who was not said husband. What she was supposed to do to fix her life she had no idea. She just wanted to fix it as soon as possible.

The front door opened, admitting the man she'd just been thinking about. She turned around in her seat, hoping that he would see her and would come and join her. They could have family time.

Hearing the sound of the television, Tezuka did enter the room. For a long moment, he watched his son become further fascinated by the toys above his head.

Sakuno tried not to look at him. She was nervous about his silence. She didn't look at him when he suddenly left the room. She sighed, feeling that she was never going to get closer to her husband.

She had just about given up when to her surprise Tezuka sat next to her on the couch. Slowly, she leaned back, allowing each muscle to relax slowly until she was fully rested against the back of the sofa.

She couldn't say what was on the television, but she knew for a fact that at this moment, now that Tezuka was literally putting in some effort for her, she didn't care. "Thank you," she whispered.

Tezuka's head tilted slightly so that she would know he heard her. He said nothing, but that was okay. She didn't really expect him to have so much to say to her. It was just nice to have him by her side.

Around bedtime, they took Akira upstairs to his nursery, deciding together that since he was a little older, it wasn't such a bad idea to allow him to get used to his room. With the baby monitor, she knew they'd be able to awaken when needed.

Tezuka readied himself for bed while he waited for Sakuno to finish changing the baby before she went to put him in his bed.

When fifteen minutes had passed and Sakuno hadn't returned, he returned down the stairs to clean up the few toys that Sakuno had used with Akira. It wasn't much more than the gym and his favorite rattle, but he felt bad leaving a mess behind.

By the time he'd returned to his bedroom, Sakuno had returned and had slipped under the covers of the bed. Tezuka didn't pause as he too moved to his place. He set his glasses in their accustomed place before sliding under the covers.

He turned off the lamp by his bedside before rolling to his side, for once facing Sakuno. He closed his eyes. Sakuno watched him sleep for a while, tracing his features with her eyes.

He was good looking in his own way, especially when he was sleepy. There was, of course, still that slight frown he never seemed to get rid of, but it had its own appeal.

She scooted closer to him, just as she did on most nights lately. Reaching to where she was just able to barely touch him, she closed her eyes. This was even nicer than when she just curled against his back.

Ryoma watched Sakuno leave with the tennis captain. He still couldn't understand what had happened. Sakuno was in love with him, he knew this as he knew that there was no room for anything in his life other than tennis.

Just watching her stand next to Tezuka-senpai sent him to frowning. It just seemed so wrong somehow. She didn't belong with the older captain. He was just wrong for her, just so totally wrong.

"Ryoma," the annoying voice of Tomoka entered his thinking. He felt her plastering herself against his body, rubbing in a way she thought would distract his attention.

"What do you want?" he said.

She smiled brightly. "Come to my house a little later? I thought we could perhaps watch a movie." Of course, Ryoma knew they never just watched a movie together. She always wanted more and this time he wasn't willing to go through it.

"I can't. I have something to do later," like figure out a way to get Sakuno back on his side. There was no way that she could be happy being with their captain.

"You know, Sakuno's never going to be with you," she said spitefully. "Tezuka's not going to let his little whore go."

He said nothing as he kept walking. He didn't have time to deal with her jealousy. And he certain couldn't be bothered to her lies. Sakuno was his once and she would be his again. He'd make sure of it.

Tomoka wasn't a fool. She'd seen the way that Ryoma had looked at that whore Sakuno and she didn't like it.

It wasn't like Tomoka was exactly surprised by Ryoma's attention to Sakuno. In a way even she had always thought they'd end up together. But she didn't want to think of that or she'd feel guilty for going after Ryoma in the first place.

Really, it wasn't until she saw Tezuka starting to hang around Sakuno a little more that she'd had a change of heart. How could anyone believe that Sakuno had only slept with Tezuka when she hadn't even paid him the slightest bit of attention in the first place? She was sure that Sakuno had been sleeping with Ryoma too and was just lying about it.

Now, people treated Sakuno as if nothing were out of place, as if she were supposed to be young with a child, just because she married one of the best tennis players ever produced in Japan.

She hated Sakuno for the attention she received. Every time Ryoma was with her she knew he thought about Sakuno. She could just feel it in her blood. Now there was Tezuka who had married the girl because he believed she gave birth to his child.

Tomoka felt tears begin to sting her eyes as she walked home alone. She did miss her friend and could admit that she might have behaved a little strongly, but Sakuno was the one who pushed her away first, who threw their friendship back in her face. Could she really be blamed for everything that she'd said? No, it was all Sakuno's fault.

Sakuno had been the one to keep secrets first. She'd been the one acting all weird. Tomoka tried to hold on to her anger, thinking herself justified. But the more she thought about things, the more she came to realize, that maybe, she wasn't being a good friend.

Tomoka stopped in her tracks, the thought a scary one. Perhaps it was time that she tried talking to Sakuno, maybe make up and be friends again like they were supposed to, if they even could at this point.