Summary: A series of RyoSaku one-shots

Summary: A series of RyoSaku one-shots. Ryoma was furious. "Did you just tell me that Ryuzaki thinks I'm gay?!" Slight GP, TezuFuji

To all my wonderful supportive and amazing reviewers, Rebel of my Destiny, SnowCharms, Little Minamino, Silver Wind Neko, Aerophyi, Mrs Hatake Itachi, Shenhui, ChristinaAngel, princess-oro, WalkingDisasters, frienz4ever, Otakugal, CrazyGirlofManyNames, PeachxxBlossom, Hikari the Keyblade of Hope, Seresid, animeandmangaaddict, Elizabeth Eclair Rose, PrincessChii, younggem, midnight blue08, FujixSaku0709, Bunny Sailor Moon, and of course, TearsandSorrow! Your helpful comments are much appreciated!

Chapter 13: Help

Eiji blinked.

And blinked.

And blinked.

"Senpai, please stop blinking."

The redhead blinked (for one last time) and looked at his teammates gathered around. "Weeeell… what's the meeting for, ochibi? I mean, even Tezuka's here."

The said captain glared at all of them, his eyes glinting dangerously.

"Uhh… can you translate that, Fuji?"

The tensai laughed, ignoring Tezuka's murderous glare. "Tezuka can speak, you know. Hmm… he said, 'This better be good'."

Eiji clapped gleefully. "Fuji's so great, nya!"

Ryoma resisted the urge to growl because they were still his seniors, after all. "You see, Eiji-senpai, I have this really big problem."

"Uh-huh, and what does that- what?!"

"Are you sick?"

"Are you hurt?"

"Do you need data?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Is it tennis?"

"Fsshh…"

"Are you harboring this really big crush on a girl, and when you finally decided to confess to her, you suddenly found out she doesn't like you anymore?"

Everyone, even Tezuka, stared at Fuji.

"Weeeell… that was specific."

"You know what," Ryoma gritted out. "You're actually almost right."

Momo gasped. "You were rejected?!"

Ryoma wanted to punch him. "NO! Will everyone shut up for just one minute?!" He glared darkly at Momo.

"Eh?! You want a fight, Echizen?!"

Oishi sighed helplessly. "Guys, let's just listen to Echizen, all right? I think it's serious enough if he wanted to talk to us about it."

Tezuka raised an eyebrow. "This better be serious if he decided to interrupt our morning practice."

Momo flopped back down onto his seat. "I guess I could give you a minute. Then I'm going to punch you."

"Senpai said stop, you moron."

"You're picking a fight too, Mamushi?"

Ryoma decided to ignore the bickering pair and turned to his other teammates. His face was serious. "Fuji-senpai was right. It's about a girl."

"My data say ninety-seven percent it's Ryuzaki-sensei's granddaughter, 2.2 it's her friend, and the remaining 0.8 it's Tachibana's little sister."

Eiji grinned widely. "Of course it's Ryuzaki-chan!"

"Yes," Ryoma growled. "It's Ryuzaki."

"And she likes you, ochibi! There's absolutely no problem!" Even Tezuka had to agree.

Fuji smiled. "But there is one, right? So, what is it, Echizen?"

The youngest member took a deep breath and looked at each of them straight in the eye. "She thinks I'm gay."

&

Ryoma was looking at the sky when the door to the rooftop opened. He wasn't surprised to see Osakada Tomoka standing at the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. He raised an eyebrow when she said nothing.

She rolled her eyes. "Can't you be more civil? I'm doing you a favor here," she huffed. She started walking towards him. "Well, nothing really new. She still likes you a lot, blushes whenever your name is mentioned, and can't even think whenever you're three feet away from her."

Ryoma nodded. "Does she notice?"

Tomo sighed exasperatedly. "Of course she doesn't notice! I mean, it took you three years to notice she likes you. No offense, but you honestly don't believe she'll notice you're in love with her or something in just a month. Can't believe I put up with you guys."

He frowned. "But I gave her a gift on her birthday and the stupid flowers you said on Valentines, and I walk her home everyday, and I greet her every morning because you said that'll work. Are you giving me stupid advice?"

"Honestly, Ryoma-sama, you are really really clueless in this department. First of all, everybody, even those guys from other teams, gave her a gift on her birthday." She scowled. "I really think that Kirihara likes her. God, how I hate him." She took a deep breath and glared at him. "It's your fault if Sakuno ends up with that guy. Second, in case you didn't notice, Sakuno received tons of flowers on Valentines. I mean, she even got one from Kaidoh-senpai and Momo-senpai and Fuji-senpai and Inui-senpai, and even Tezuka-buchou gave her a flower. Basically, she thought Ryuzaki-sensei told all of you to give her those. Or maybe you did because you were shy?"

Ryoma growled. "I am not shy. And if Kirihara touches her, I'll sic Fuji-senpai on him."

Tomo rolled her eyes again. "Third, the reason why you walk her home is because she asked you. It's not exactly a voluntary effort from you, you know. And no matter how much I tell her you like walking her home, I bet she's thinking she's being a bother. And lastly, Ryoma-sama, you don't greet her every morning, you grunt, and I swear you really need to improve your social skills."

"Thanks for the morale boost, Osakada. I think I could go confess to her now," he muttered sarcastically.

"Oh god, I really wonder what we saw in you those days…"

"Is that all?"

"Can't you be nicer?"

He frowned deeper. "If there's nothing else, leave me alone."

Tomo resisted the urge to strangle him. "Ugh. You better make her happy, you ungrateful jerk. Well, I don't want to surprise you or anything, but you can choose which one to hear first: bad news or more bad news."

"Not funny, Osakada. Just get on with it."

She shrugged. "Bad news: the guys who like her got fed up waiting for you to make a move, so they're going in for the kill."

He smirked. "Let me see them try."

She shook her head at his arrogance. "More bad news: Sakuno thinks you're gay." There was a very awkward silence after that. When he didn't start protesting or anything, she continued. "Well, I'm not really surprised, what with your team and all. I mean, what is wrong with all the tennis teams? It must be a lack of female influence. But I can't blame you or anything. I think it's kind of cute. There are some really pretty boys out there, like Eiji-senpai and Fuji-senpai." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "The Golden Pair is going strong, right? And I heard there was something going in with Kaidoh-senpai and Inui-senpai, what with all those training sessions they have together. But who did Fuji-senpai end up with? Last thing I heard Tezuka-buchou's got competition. It must be that Saeki guy because Taka-senpai wouldn't go up against Tezuka-buchou, right?"

He took a deep breath then growled. Ryoma was furious. "Did you just tell me that Ryuzaki thinks I'm gay?!"

"No. I was saying Tezuka-buchou and Fuji-senpai were meant for each other."

He ran a hand through his hair, and Tomo got the impression that he was like a bird with its feathers ruffled the wrong way. "Who," he cleared his throat. "Who does she think I'm i-involved with?"

She smirked. "It's actually a really long list. There's Momo-senpai and Kaidoh-senpai and Fuji-senpai and Tezuka-buchou. Of course there's Atobe-san from Hyotei and Sanada-san from Rikkai and Ibu-san from Fudomine and that Akutsu guy from Yamabuki. The latest rumor was you were having an affair with Fuji Yuuta-kun from St. Rudolph behind his brother's back."

For once, Ryoma was actually stunned. "That many? And the monkey king? Are they crazy?"

Tomo sighed. "And it's really no wonder that Sakuno would think like that because you were so 'involved' with a lot of guys that I still can't figure out what kind of polygon your relationships are." She glanced at him. "Well, she still really likes you, but you better make a really good move soon." She turned around and started walking away. "I think she just might start rooting for you and Momo-senpai."

The door closed.

He was in really big trouble.

&

"Oh my god, ochibi. Akutsu? That's just…" Eiji trailed off, shuddering. From the sides, Kaidoh was hissing and sputtering in embarrassment.

"I'm sure none of that was true, Eiji," Fuji said softly. "Especially that one with Yuuta, right, Echizen?" The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.

"Hell no!" Ryoma was indignant. And scandalized. And furious. "I'm straight, all right? It's all your fault!" Everybody wondered if Ryoma was going to have a tantrum at that moment.

He didn't.

He flopped back down in his seat and growled in frustration. "Can't you do something?" He glared at Momo. "And you! Why aren't you still with that girl from Fudomine? You like her, right?!"

Momo raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm sorry, Your Highness. Why don't you talk to An-chan about it? And believe me when I say I do not appreciate getting paired up with you. " He looked around. "I think the most important question is, are Fuji-senpai and Tezuka-buchou going out?" He clamped a hand around Ryoma's mouth to keep him from interrupting.

"Mmmph mmm mmhmmmph ngh nghmmph!" (Translation: "That's not important, you bastards!")

Inui adjusted his glasses. "I was wondering about that too. There was nothing in my data that said Tezuka was harboring a crush on Fuji, or anyone at all."

Taka fiddled with his fingers nervously. "And don't worry, Tezuka. I don't have a crush on Fuji-kun or anything so…"

"Well?" Eiji prompted.

Fuji managed a strained smile. "Of course we're not going out, Eiji. Tezuka didn't really say he liked me or anything…"

"I kissed you, didn't I?" Tezuka snapped.

The room fell silent.

Fuji's smile grew even more forced. "That didn't count, Tezuka. It was on the cheek, and you were drunk, and I think you might have mistaken me for your mother."

"Man, that must have hurt," Momo stage-whispered. The force of Tezuka's glare made him cower in his seat.

"Fine," Tezuka said.

Eiji blinked. "Fine what? Can you translate that Fuji?"

The tensai blinked. "I must have gotten it wrong, Eiji, because I think that just meant he's going to kiss me right now, but that's just impossible, right?"

Tezuka growled and wrapped a strong arm around Fuji's waist, and Ryoma had to close his eyes to spare himself the embarrassment of seeing the two top players of his team making out.

Very awkward silence.

When the two showed no signs of stopping whatever they were doing, Oishi finally decided to speak up because they were going to be late for their morning classes and Ryoma still has a very big problem. "Well," he started, blushing. "That was very unfortunate, Echizen. If there are any suggestions to help him…"

Eiji was staring openly at the newfound(?) couple when he suddenly got an idea. "Hey, ochibi, I have a plan…"

&

Sakuno was walking cheerfully to the tennis courts and humming to herself. It really was no surprise that she's happy because one, she'll be seeing Ryoma-kun, and two- well, seeing Ryoma-kun was enough to make her happy. Even though there were a lot of girls who were there to see him, she would do her best to cheer for him because- well, she didn't really need to have a reason for everything, right? She was almost there when she was suddenly grabbed from behind and dragged into the cover of the trees.

"Ryoma-kun!" she gasped as she saw the face of her 'attacker'.

"Look, I," he cleared his throat. "I know you don't know I like you, but I really do and-" He discreetly looked at the note his senpais gave him. It said, You mean the world to me, and I would like my children to look like you, so please marry- what the hell?! He groaned inwardly. He was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the small smile that graced Sakuno's features. He started when he felt a hand on his arm.

"I'm not that dense, Ryoma-kun," she said softly.

"What?"

Her smile widened although there was a tint of pink on her cheeks. "I noticed when you started to…" Her blush deepened. "It is rather obvious when coming from you."

His jaw dropped. "B-but-"

"I-I really like you too," she murmured before pulling his head down for a kiss. Ryoma's head was spinning, but he did manage to kiss her back.

Much later, he would decide whether to kill Osakada or thank her… just a little bit.

&

"You're evil," Momo commented.

Tomo rolled her eyes. "Well, I had to do something."

"You wouldn't believe the inner turmoil ochibi went through after your talk…"

She laughed and glanced at the new couple affectionately. When she saw her best friend smile warmly at the (slightly) blushing tennis prince, her smile softened. "He really is dense if he believed all that…"

&

Oh my god. I finally finished. This fic was on the verge of becoming a tezufuji fic because aren't they just so cute? Anyway, I hoped you liked the ending. I really enjoyed doing this one, especially the flashback. Tomo-chan rocks! Thanks for reading this one. I'm sorry if anybody didn't like the homo themes, but I really love the Golden Pair and tezufuji. There's inukai too, if you squint, so there. Hope everybody enjoyed this!

Thanks much for reading!

Queen Mist

P.S. I'm sorry if the update took too long. I didn't have much time and resources to actually post so soon. Thanks for those who waited!