Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Hey guys! Sorry, if it took months for the next chapter of the story to follow. I've been busy with my studies lately but now I'm finished and on vacation, I have the time to finish it and make new stories with different pairings.

Read and enjoy!

Chapter 11: Taking Chances

"Disastrous."

If there's one word Ryoma could use to describe the aftermath of the Halloween Costume Party, it would be the aforementioned word.

Almost everyone have a wound or bruise on their body even Tezuka who tried to stop the chaos; the living room and the adjoining dining room were in total mess and there were puddles of vomitus hidden in corners. Worse, he, Sakuno and Tomoka became the center of attention after the not-so-nice scene of him who was on top of the loud-mouthed Osakada. Up to now, he was confused on what went wrong with his plan. He was holding Sakuno in one moment then all of a sudden; he was on top of Osakada. He still cannot help but feel embarrassed and angry about the said thing and he was sure that his teammates would use it to taunt him whenever they want to make fun of him.

What made him felt awful than ever was the reaction on Sakuno's face as she saw him and Osakada in that position. It became clear to him that she has still feelings for him judging by the hurt on her face and at the same time, the hatred painted on her features.

Now, his fifty-fifty chances of getting her back dropped to zero.

"Echizen," Momo called him out of his musings.

"Hn," was Ryoma's reply. They were inside a coffee shop, sipping black espresso as they watched people passed by through the shop's glass windows. It has been 20 minutes since they ordered their coffee and sat in companionable silence.

"Er…I'm sorry for what happened." Momo grinned sheepishly and scratched his head. "Maybe I took the 'scaring them' joke pretty overboard."

Ryoma grunted. "Baka."

"Hey!" Momo scowled at his kouhai. "Who are you calling stupid, you little-"

"You don't have to apologize," cut Ryoma remaining steady on his seat. "Maybe it's really supposed to happen."

Momoshiro slowly went back to his seat and having nothing to say, he shut up and once again, they sank into a moment of silence.

After a few minutes, Momo popped a question. "What are you going to do now?"

"Go home and sleep," was Ryoma's reply.

Momo sighed, "You know what I mean."

For a moment, Ryoma stopped sipping his coffee and stared straight into the streets in front of them. "Nothing."

"You mean it's really over now?"

"Yeah, I guess so," replied Ryoma with a shrug.

Once more, the two lapsed into silence and watched as people walked by. Knowing Ryoma, Momoshiro was sure that the boy still has feelings for their Coach's granddaughter. The problem was that the boy is so egotistical that he can't admit it to himself or even initiate a move to get her back. He was like a battery-operated robot toy, which has to be prodded and controlled so he would do things for her. In the past year, when he and Sakuno were still like going out, it would always be him or their fellow teammates who would tell him what to do.

Sure, he was a good tennis player, having inherited his genes from his father, Nanjirou Echizen, good looks and brains that rival their captain, Kunimitsu Tezuka and the tennis prodigy, Syuusuke Fuji not just at school but in others as well; yet, he was somewhat dense when it comes to things like emotions and relationships. Furthermore, he was to some extent, insensitive that he doesn't know that he gets to hurt other people's feelings. There were times when his girlfriend, Ann, would tell him that Sakuno often looks on the verge of tears and she knew that the probable reason for it was Echizen despite Sakuno's denial.

Despite these, Momoshiro knew that the boy has developed feelings for their Coach's granddaughter. He could feel it with the way he looks at her. The boy just needs a hard punch on the head to realize all of this.

The silence was broken when Momo finished his coffee and stood up. "I'm so disappointed with you, Echizen."

"What?" Ryoma was taken aback with what Momo suddenly uttered and paused on his act of sipping coffee.

"The Ryoma Echizen I knew is a one who never gives up until he gets what he wants." With these words, he left the coffee shop leaving Ryoma alone on the table.

"Momo-senpai," was all Ryoma could say. His parting words felt like a blow to his ego and a flicker of hope at the same time. It dawned upon him what Momo wants him to do and with a sudden burst of energy, he got to his feet and without more ado, left the coffee shop.

Ryoma estimated the height of the walls before him. Damn, this would be the second time he would be trespassing their house again, he thought smugly. There's no way Coach Ryuuzaki would let him inside after what happened. The first time he trespassed her house was when he was with Momo and it turned out rather embarrassing on his part after being caught by Fuji. Speaking of Fuji, he was still baffled how Sakuno ended up being with him when he was just holding her a while ago. Could he really perform magic like the character he was portraying? He shook his head disbelievingly. That is stupid.

He looked at her window situated at the right side of the house. The lights were already turned off. She could be sleeping already but he has this gut feeling that like him she was still awake. He threw a brief glance on his watch, it was half past one in the morning. Sleeping or not, he's going to talk to her. Trusting his intuition, he felt that if he postponed his plan until morning, it would be really over.

Warming up against the chilly night air, Ryoma did some brief joggings and stretching exercises as he prepared himself to climb the walls. Now or never, he thought. After mentally counting one to three, he jumped and held on to the top of the wall. He pushed himself upwards until his upper body was over the walls and then, he dangled his leg over the other side of the wall to gain equilibrium. Carefully, he stood up and balanced himself against the narrow ledge as he walked towards the nearest roof. Like a cat, he leaped into the roof gracefully.

Unfortunately, just as his other foot settled on the roof, it slid and he saw himself sliding down.

Ryoma inwardly cursed at the pain on his palms. He had just made it in time to hang on to the roof's gutter and he clenched his teeth as he felt the metal gutter sliced into his palms. If he wasn't wearing his leather shoes for his stupid vampire costume, his feet could have had a better grip upon the roof.

He was about to hurl himself upwards when he heard the windows a few feet above him slid open. He knew it was her and he prayed fervently that she would not look down or else she would see him dangling and he was sure that it would lead to an embarrassing chain of events. Patiently, he waited and hoped with all his might that she would get back to her bed.

Finding nothing unusual, she closed her window and went back inside her room. Heaving a relieved sigh, Ryoma waited a few more minutes just to make sure that he would not be seen. Subsequently, he hurled himself upwards slowly to avoid making unnecessary sounds. He walked towards her window and was surprised to find it half closed.

He frowned at it.

Sure, it would make things easier for him to enter but what if there were real burglars? Her half-closed window provides every opportunity for thieves and other kinds to enter her room. He shook his head against the horrible thoughts and proceeded to enter her room. Upon landing inside her room, he walked stealthily towards her bed. It was a good thing that her room was carpeted that made his steps muffled.

Her back was turned to him and he could count her rhythmic breathings as she sleeps. He just needed to reach her bed then he would gently wake her up.

He was just one foot away from her bed when she moved and turned the other way around this time facing his approaching form.

Ryoma froze in mid-step as her eyes squinted then turned big as she saw him. She suddenly bolted upright and screamed at the top of her lungs. Immediately jumping to her bed, Ryoma was able to cover her mouth and stifle her screams. Using his remaining hand, he grabbed her two hands and pinned it behind her back. She fought with all her strength, twisting and kicking him.

"It's me," he said.

Upon recognizing his voice, she stopped resisting and her eyes grew large in comprehension. Then, her brows knitted in confusion and she began resisting again, this time harder as she tried to escape against his hold.

"Listen to me first."

She glared daggers at him and continued resisting him.

"Just for a moment, please?" He said these words in a persuasive tone. "I promise to leave immediately after it."

Her eyes still suspicious, she stopped resisting but continued to glower against him. Ryoma first let go of her mouth to see if she would scream and continued to grip her hands behind her back. He was alarmed after he saw blood on her mouth and instantly let go of her hands. Did he cover her mouth so hard that he caused injury to it? "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." He immediately pulled out a hanky and gave it to her. " Your mouth is bleeding."

She didn't take his offered hanky and instead wiped it with her mouth. Up close, he was surprised to find her still wearing her Halloween costume and make-up. Maybe she was so angry at him that she didn't bother to change into her pajamas and wash her face. He could see traces of tears against her face and the smudges of make-up on it.

"You're the one bleeding," she said thrusting his previously offered hanky back to his hands.

Ryoma was quite relieved to find that the he did not physically injure her at all. The blood on her mouth was from his bleeding palms. "Yeah, I forgot." He had forgotten about his wounded palms in his determination to talk to her.

"I have a bandage inside the bathroom." Sakuno said these words without looking at him, made her way through her bathroom, and started rummaging inside her medicine cabinet.

Ryoma followed suit when he heard a loud knock on her bedroom door.

"Sakuno-chan?" Ryoma felt his stomach lurch and froze as he recognized the voice.

Sakuno immediately ran to answer the door, opening it a little. "Obaa-chan! Why are you awake?"

"I heard you scream a while ago," she said peeking inside her room through the narrow opening of her door.

"Oh, I just had a bad dream, that's all," said Sakuno as she tried to maintain her voice casual.

Sumire observed her to be a little fidgety and her eyes kept darting back and forth. "Are you hiding something from me?"

"What? No! I mean I'm not hiding anything!" Sakuno immediately said.

Not believing her, Sumire pushed the door open and flicked the lights open. She scanned the room, the window and her bathroom.

She even checked the windows and under the bed, clearly suspicious that there's something going on.

"Obaa-chan?"

Sumire grunted as finding nothing, she left her bathroom. "Fine," she said. "Do you need anything else?" She asked before leaving her room.

"Nothing," replied Sakuno. "I just need some sleep, that's all. Thank you for the concern, Obaa-chan."

Sumire gave her a brief hug, patted her head and left the room.

Sakuno closed the door and was amazed to find Ryoma hiding behind the door and flat against the wall. "I thought you already left."

"That was close." Ryoma slumped the floor and relaxed. While Coach Ryuuzaki was still talking to Sakuno outside the door, he considered hiding under her bed. Nevertheless, when Coach Ryuuzaki immediately entered the room, he had no time and choice but to hide behind the door while the old bat scanned her room. It was a good decision though because she inspected the bed. While she was searching, he tried to flatten himself against the wall and stood on tiptoe for several minutes, holding his breath for the fear of being discovered. "Anyway, thanks for not telling off your grandma that I'm here."

"I just don't want any commotion," she replied. She went inside her bathroom and took out her medicine kit. "I'll fix your wound."

Ryoma sat on her bed three feet away from her with his palms outstretched for her to clean. He winced as she dabbed some hydrogen peroxide-soaked cotton balls, which instantly formed little bubbles on his wounds.

"I'm going to listen to whatever you have to say then you can leave afterwards," said Sakuno as she started wrapping his right palms in gauze bandage.

Ryoma watched as Sakuno wrapped his right palms in gauze not knowing how to start.

Sakuno threw him an impatient questioning look .

"Okay." Where should I start? How should I start? He thought for nice and appropriate words to say but he couldn't find any. His mind seemed blank as of the moment. He was never really good at these things.

"What?" She was already finished with her right palm and was starting with his left palm.

Better start backwards, he thought.

"Well, to start off, what happened at the party a while ago. During the game," he began. He saw her body went rigid as he spoke of the recent event. "It was an accident. It was Momo-senpai who turned off the lights and made the wolfish howl."

"So you knew it was Momo-senpai all along?" She scowled at him. "Have you been planning on this from the start?"

"Yes and no," answered Ryoma. "Yes, I instantly knew it was Momo-senpai behind it but we didn't plan for it. I didn't tell him to do it. He did it on his own accord." He continued. "It was me who saw the opportunity to grab you in the midst of darkness. I think Momo-senpai turned off the lights so I could get to talk to you."

"What?" Sakuno was dumbfounded.

"You're always avoiding me. I found it the perfect chance to get to talk to you in private. However, everything was really in chaos. The next thing I knew it was your friend I was holding in my arms."

Her eyes seemed to soften a little but she was still looking away from him, which just means that she has not totally forgiven him. "Yeah, I knew it was you."

Ryoma took it as a good sign and continued. "Remember the last time you saw me at school dismissal? That girl was just a group mate and she was just grateful for my help."

"I don't care about whom you date," she said but it was obvious from her body movements that she looked relieved.

"Can I ask something?" Ryoma didn't know if he has the right to ask her this question.

"Go on," said Sakuno.

"I'm curious about you and" Ryoma paused but decided to broach the question. "Fuji-sempai." He kept his face impassive as ever.

"Huh?" Sakuno's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What about us?"

"Never mind," said Ryoma. Judging from her facial reaction, it seemed like there's nothing going on between them.

Deciding to put the subject matter aside, he continued with one of the main reason she broke up with him.

"As for the reason why we broke up, it really slipped off my mind."

This time her face darkened. "But you never forget tennis matches, players' names and worldwide tennis rankings, don't you?" Her anger was starting to surface. "But one important day, you forget?"

"Yeah, I know." He really didn't know how he forgot that day. Well, better admit his fault, it's the truth after all.

"That just means you don't consider it important. For you it's like we're just going out and even though we're together, you're physically present but mentally absent. Between us, I was the only one serious and committed about the relationship, isn't it?" Her voice was now shaking as she controlled her emotions.

"It's not that I'm not serious," Ryoma gestured. Its just that he doesn't know what it's like to be in a relationship

She clenched her hands and spoke. "I felt like it's a one-sided relationship but I waited patiently for you to see the things I've been doing for you. You've always taken me and the things I did for you for granted." She let out a distressing sigh. "You just never cared."

"I thought that you would always be there on my side," said Ryoma. He is not the showy type of person but he really cared for her one way or another, he's just that not expressive.

"Too late for you to realize," said Sakuno as she looked away from him. "It's just tiring when you give all your efforts to someone who doesn't appreciate it."

Ryoma did not know what to reply anymore. Her words are like arrows that struck the truth. She was tired and for him, it's a signal to an end.

He gave it his best shot but it seems that she had gone weary of his shortcomings. At least he tried, he consoled himself.

Maybe, it's really over for them.

"I'm sorry." He felt something inside which he couldn't quite name. It's like he have this deep, gaping hole within his being. "I just hope to clear things between us so that even though we ," he swallowed and continued. "-parted ways completely, I've given you my side and I hope we can at least be friends like before or if you don't like, at least, let's be in speaking terms."

She never made a move or sound as she continued to look away.

The silence hung between them like a thick wave of awkwardness. Neither one was speaking or making a move. They remained in that position for what Ryoma felt like was hours but he was sure it's only seconds as he kept hearing the ticking of the wall clock on her room.

Unable to take the awkwardness anymore, Ryoma stood up from her bed. "Well, thank you for listening and the bandages. Good night," he paused.

"Good night, Sakuno." He said her name on what he thought would be the last time. Tomorrow, he might have to call her Sakuno-chan or worse, by her last name as if they were strangers.

He walked away and when he was near her window, she spoke in a soft voice.

"Do you think I'm stupid and clumsy?"

Ryoma turned to look at her, quite bewildered with her sudden question. "What?"

"Do you think I'm stupid and clumsy?" This time Sakuno was looking straight into his eyes.

"…" Ryoma paused to think on how to answer her question without being a liar or hurting her feelings too much.

"Just answer me, yes or no."

"Yes," answered Ryoma. He saw her wince at his answer but he would be a liar if he said otherwise. "You often get lost on familiar places, you're physically uncoordinated and you cry over your English test paper."

To his surprise, instead of crying, she laughed between choked sobs. "Yeah, I'm a real klutz and I'm pretty stupid on English and tennis." She smiled at him. "You haven't changed at all, you're the same Ryoma I met before." This time she stood up from her bed and faced him. "Frank and brutally honest Ryoma Echizen."

"I know." Ryoma replied with a shrug and a small smirk.

"Up to now, I haven't grown out of it," she said as she made small steps towards his direction. "I'm still a klutz and stupid girl because after all," She stopped three feet away from him.

"I still love you."

Ryoma can't believe his ears and somehow, he felt a slow, warm sensation seeping inside his chest. He smiled at her and closed the distance between them. "Yeah, you're really are stupid one." He pulled her to a warm embrace and rested his chin on her forehead.

"I want to say sorry too," said Sakuno. "I guess I was pretty idealistic and have become a hopeless romantic from all those romance novels Tomoka keep giving me. I guess you're right that we should take things one a time and enjoy it."

"Hn," was Ryoma's reply.

"Hey," said Ryoma almost forgetting what he wanted to say.

"Yes?"

Ryoma turned to look at her. "Next time, don't put make-up." He traces the smudges of unwashed make-up on her face, which, he was sure, was her friend's work. "You're better on without it."

"Okay," she beamed at him.

For a fleeting moment, they held each other gazes, neither of them speaking or moving.

Feeling magnified by her brown eyes, Ryoma felt himself drawn to her. The last thing he knew, they were almost nose to nose, breathing into each other's faces feeling both scared and thrilled on what they know would happen next.

He felt her lower lips trembled as he kissed her. It was a simple kiss, their first kiss in fact. He felt his bandaged left hand moved into its own, it held her jaws while his right bandaged hand encircled her petite waist.

Everything just seemed so perfect and still.

They were so into each other that they didn't hear two soft knocks.

Suddenly, they heard the door opened and the lights flicked open.

"ECHIZEN!" A booming voice resonated around the room like thunder. "What are you doing to my granddaughter?"

Like magnets with the same poles, the two teenagers instantly repelled from one another with shock painted all over their faces.

"ECHIZEN!" Coach Ryuuzaki bellowed angrily at him.

"Coach, I can explain," said Ryoma nervously. He had never seen her this angry before.

"You pervert!" Sumire grabbed a pink tennis racquet hanging on the walls and swung it against him. "How dare you!"

"Obaa-chan, no!"

Ryoma ducked just in time to avoid the hit . "Wait, you don't understand! I can explain."

"Obaa-chan, please listen to me first!" Sakuno pleaded as she spread her arms in front of Ryoma.

"Get out of my way, Ryuuzaki Sakuno," Sumire said in a voice full of command. "I'll deal with you later."

Sakuno winced at her voice but firmly remained on her position. "Please listen to us."

"Out of my way," Sumire found another way without involving her granddaughter and leapt towards Ryoma.

Unfortunately, Ryoma was too fast for her and escaped through the door leading outside. Sumire followed with Sakuno tagging behind, still trying to pacify her grandmother.

Ryoma was already descending the stairs two steps at a time and Sumire kept chasing him with the racquet.

"Obaa-chan, please!" Sakuno was now frantic to pacify her grandmother.

All of a sudden, she heard a crash like a boulder that has fallen. Hurriedly, she raced downstairs and –

"OH NO! RYOMA!"

Author's Note:

Hope you like this chapter!

What do you think happened to Ryoma?

Watch out for the last chapter.

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