Love and Tennis mix

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. However, I do own the plot of the story and my OCs

Author's Note: This chapter is from Ayumi Nazu's POV (point of view). Please note that the POV varies, so be sure to read the Authors Note before reading each chapter. Thank you.

Chapter 12

Boyfriend or a Boy Friend

We had just finished packing our stuff and were heading home after a long day of fun. We were walking along the path of white feathery snow. The cool winter breeze slipped into my jacket, sending icy shivers up my spine and goose bumps covered my arms.

"Did you have fun?" Mrs. Echizen asked me, turning her head back to smile sweetly, a few strands of her brown hair messily stuck to the sides of her face, her cheeks rosy pink.

I nodded; "Hai!" then smiled the brightest smile possible, the euphoric joy remained in my chest.

"We should go again! …How about we do it again tomorrow?" Mr. Echizen asked me with big sparkly eyes, his dark hair dampened wet from the snow ball fight.

"Tomorrow?" I asked confused, my head tilted to the right puzzled.

"He's just kidding," Ryoma-kun said as if he were hoping for it to be a joke.

"No, I'm not! We should get to know each other more!!" Mr. Echizen said excitedly, turning completely around and grinned; his grin was brighter than the summer sun.

Ryoma-kun lowered his white cap, "You're such a nuisance…" he mumbled underneath his breath.

"Nani?" Mr. Echizen asked, leering at his son.

"Nandemonai," Ryoma-kun said.

Ryoma-kun put both his hands behind his head, leaning his head back a bit, looking at the full-size blue sky. I wonder what he was thinking about; I just hoped it had nothing to do with me! Like how stupid I looked when I fell on the hard slippery ice; or when we all went crazy throwing snowballs at each other.

I couldn't help, but giggle a tiny bit. I thought it was pretty funny seeing Ryoma-kun with weird expressions on his face though, especially when he was looking into 'space'.

"What?" he asked me, he looked at me with a wondering glance.

"It's nothing…" I said then giggled some more, I quickly covered my mouth with my mittens to hide my laughter.

"Hmmm," he looked at me suspiciously from the corner of his eyes, turning back to look forward.

He had cool eyes, a dark hazel color and it was fun trying to guess what he was thinking about when you looked at him, or maybe just when I look at them.

Mr. and Ms Echizen were walking in front, while Ryoma-kun and I were following behind them. I spied Mr. Echizen peeking at us once in a while. It was hilarious.

We parted ways as soon as we arrived at Ryoma-kun's house. Mr. Echizen kept on saying that we should have tea together and everything, but I just had to decline. I felt bad when I said, "Sorry, I must get home early today…" against Mr. Echizen's pouting lips and puppy dog eyes. He looked a whole lot happier after I promised that I would have tea with him another time though.

I smiled and waved good bye. And surprisingly, Ryoma-kun, for the first time, waved back with a smile on his face. My face flushed pink when I saw that. My heart skipped a beat, thumping out of my chest loudly. It was so loud that I was able to hear it ringing in my ears! There was a strange giddy feeling in my stomach, like butterflies fluttering madly. I shook my head, trying to forget these feelings. I watched them enter their nice and cozy home, thinking that I should return home as well.

I opened the front door and called out, "Tadaima!" I put my white skates back in its box, shoving the box into the far corner of the closet. I removed my boots; leaving them on the shoe rack. I slipped off my headband, scarf and mittens, stuffing them inside the inner sleeves of my coat, hanging the heavy jacket inside the closet as well.

I walked straight out of the coat room; my hair felt damp and flattened outlandishly because of the wind outside.

Onii-chan and Auntie seemed to be waiting for me in the living room…

"Onii-chan, don't you have school today?" I asked surprised, seeing that he's comfortably sitting on the couch, sipping a nice mug of hot chocolate held in his right hand.

"Kira-kun is taking a break from his courses today!" my aunt replied.

Onii-chan got up from the couch. He puts his left hand on my shoulder, looking seriously at my face and says…

"So… YOU never told ME, YOU had a BOYFRIEND!!" he shouted.

"I have a boyfriend? Me? Ara?"

"You sneaky little girl. You of all people, my own little sister going off out on a date and leaving her poor older brother all alone in the house with nothing to do, huh?!"

"Chotto mate…" I spoke in a terrified voice.

He put down his mug of hot chocolate and wrapped his arms around my entire neck, in a tight embrace. I COULDN'T BREATH!!

"Hanashite!!" I shouted, struggling to break free.

"I think I should leave you two, brother and sister duo to talk to yourselves… I'll be in the kitchen, tell me when you're done ok?" said my aunt with a chucking smile. She headed for the kitchen, waving slightly at us both.

"Hey, come back! Auntie, help me!!"

MAN! I AM GOING TO SUFFOCATE IF HE DOESN'T LET GO SOON! He loosens his grip a tad bit and used one of his hands to ruffle up my hair, while still holding a grip on me with the other.

Oh great, now I look messed up; my eyes spirally, my face going pale and my long curvy braids tangled together as well. How nice! My onii-chan loves to tease me.

"So how's your boyfriend huh??" a suspicious glare hit me.

"I don't have a boyfriend!!" I finally managed to push his arm away.

Gasping for air, he made me answer another question…

"So what do you call this? HUH?!" he held out a picture of Ryoma-kun and I playing in the snow.

"He's… a friend. That's all!" I answered blushing.

"He's just a 'friend', huh… Are you sure he isn't your BOYFRIEND?? Hmmm?" He asked, giving me a suspicious glare.

"He's a friend that's a boy."

"So he's your boyfriend."

"No, he's a boy and he's a friend… It's different from what a boyfriend is…"

"You're blushing…"

"I am not!!" I objected, feeling my face flushed hot pink.

"Aw, and to think my dear imoto-san would have a boyfriend before I could even get my hands on a girlfriend…" he sighed, "So… Who exactly is this friend of your heh?"

I fell backwards onto the couch, I felt dizzy from the suffocating 'hug' my onii-chan gave me, the weariness of coming back from skating and the irritating subject about getting a BOYFRIEND!! Seriously, a boy friend is a friend and that's all there is to it!

Still, I MUST GET THAT PICTURE BACK!! I snapped out of exhaustion and jumped towards my brother's hands to grasp the picture. I had a bigger chance of reaching it, since I jumped at him from the couch and not the floor.

But his reflects were way too good, after leaping at him for what felt like a whole hour, I couldn't take it anymore. I practically passed out on the couch. Why was I so short…?

My ignorant onii-chan waved the picture above my drowsy face.

"Chibi Nazu-chan, you have really low stamina… I shall help you train! Now start chasing after me like you were before, that was fun!" he laughed.

I can't believe how childish my brother can be sometimes. From time to time I feel like I'm far more mature then him. I mean even Ryoma-kun seems more grown up then onii-chan every so often. I sighed; too tired to do anything. My eyes drooped, and I yawned softly.

Onii-chan put the picture down on the tea table and carried me upstairs, what he didn't know was that I took the picture and hid it in my pocket when he brought me to my room. He 'dropped' me on my bouncy bed and put some soft covers over my shoulder.

"Have a nice sleep, Kawaii no Baka Chibi imoto-san…" I heard him mumble in a low voice as he left my room and closed the room door while at it.

I had a faint smile on my face. I got up from my bed and went up to my table to make a bright shinny yellow star.

I fell into a deep sleep right after putting the star in the star jar… Thinking of all the fun things that happened today. Snow…it will all be carved into memory, with these sparkling stars.

And now, I have 3 of them…

Author's Note: Done! Well, i didn't mean that the story was done... But i finally finished writing this chapter!! Many thanx to readers and reviewers and my beta-reader Kiwi! Arigato gozaimasu!

Here's a dictionary of the Japanese words I used:

Nandemonai (forget it)

Ara? (what?)

Chotto mate (wait)

Hanashite (let go of me)

Kawaii no baka imoto-san (a cute, stupid little sister)