*

Chapter 13
*

**

Echizen
**

For the past week or so, life had remained the same for everyone, or so it seems.  Everyone attended school, came to tennis practise, and had a good time.  Everyone but Echizen Ryoma.  He kept a close eye on the captain at all times, but that guy didn't give so much as a hint that anything extraordinary was happening in his life.  But he was having a fine time, he knew because he saw them!

Four days ago, he had come out after training with Momoshiro and had walked 20m down the road from school, when he unmistakably heard Sakuno's voice.

"Arigato Tezuka."

He turned around to see her standing in front of Tezuka who had just picked up her school bag. She reached to take her bag but he just motioned with his head to go.  She had looked a little astounded but then began walking with Tezuka who was holding both of their bags.

He saw her chatting to him, and strangely enough she kept on talking, even when he didn't say anything!  But what was ever stranger was that buchou was saying a few words every now and then.

"Naiya, Buchou is talking.  It's about time he made some sound." Momo had said with laughter in his eyes.

Echizen turned away and proceeded home.  He was brooding.  He couldn't deny the jealousy he felt that Sakuno was closer to buchou than him.  Secretly, he had always liked it how she fussed over him, but now not anymore.

"Echizen, matte!" Momo ran after him.

Today Echizen sat on the ground at tennis training staring at Tezuka under his cap. 

'I don't understand what's happening with them, but I'm going to find out, and I'll see to it that Sakuno will understand that she's precious to me.' 

**

Tezuka

**

It was getting dark, and she hadn't come out yet.  He stood with hands in pockets and stared up at the night sky.  He began making small steps up and down the front of the gates, all the while thinking.

'Only two weeks left until her grandmother comes home.  After that it will return to how it used to be.'

"Te-Tezuka!  What are you still doing here?" Sakuno's surprised voice made him lift his head from the foot path.

"Waiting."

"But..but I said that I would be late today, because of my art work.  You didn't have to wait.  You waited for…(a quick check on her watch) almost 3 hours!  Gomenasai!"

"It's alright.  I thought you would be out late, so I stayed.  It's dangerous going home alone this late." He answered.  She stared at him.

"That's the most you've ever said to me…" she said trying to hide her smile.

'Believe me there's a lot more I want to say.' He thought.  But instead he said "Let's go."

They walked chatting quietly.  Asking how each other's day went and such.  It was such a nice atmosphere, until they made their way near the park.  Tezuka had purposely decided not to take the shortcut so that she wouldn't feel any fear, but as they were almost out of the park's range, he spotted three guys standing around. 

Sakuno's foot steps halted and he turned to look at her.  He saw the fear in her eyes, because they were the same guys as last time, with another friend who looked even more dangerous the others.

She took a few steps back, backing away with eyes wide staring at the three guys in the distance. 

"Sakuno." Tezuka reached out and held gently at her upper right arm.  Before he could make any suggestion, he heard footsteps approaching them.  He turned around and stood protectively in front of Sakuno, with one arm outstretched, as to keep them from getting closer to her.

"Oi…Yarou!" the new guy with the cigarette dangling from his lips said.  "I heard you beat my brother's up the other day. They were just having some fun.  Who do you think you are huh?"

Tezuka smirked at him not intimidated at all, then reached for Sakuno's hand. 

"Iko." He said to her and made his way through the three guys.   He just made it pass them when he heard Sakuno cry out.  He turned around with speed and saw that one, held her by the hair, another by the wrist and another by the waist.  She gripped tightly onto Tezuka's hand and tears were streaming fast down her cheeks.  The fire in his eyes was enough to make them drop their hands.  As soon as they did he pulled her quickly but not rougly towards him and wrapped his arms around her stroking her hair.  She was crying hard by now, and that enraged him.  He turned and gave the three guys a menacing glare.

"Stay here for a moment." He whispered in her ear.  He let go of her and advanced on the three guys, and they began backing away.  Up close, Tezuka stood a whole head taller than all three guys, and they were young, but looked so dirty they appeared to be older. 

He grabbed the collar of the smoking guy and dragged the small guy towards him.

"If you EVER touch her again, or I see you around here again, I'll bury you alive with my own hands!!" he growled at them.  The guy whimpered and knocked Tezuka's hand away and they ran off. 

As he glared after them, he tried to control his anger by slowing down his deep breathing.  He remembered Sakuno and returned to her, who was squatting and hugging herself tightly.

He knelt down in front of her and placed both hands on her shoulders gently. 

"Sakuno…Sakuno.  They're gone." He eased her to stand up.  "Can you walk?" he asked aware that she was still trembling and might not be able to walk.  She nodded numbly.  As he picked up his bag that he unconsciously threw on the ground before she stood there and wiped her face from the tears.  He walked behind her and retrieved her bag as well.

"Iko."  He was about to take her hand but she had already slipped her hand into his.

***

When they reached her house, she fumbled with her house keys, and dropped them twice until he took it from her hand and opened the door himself.

"Arigato…Tezuka." She spoke for the first time in the last 20 minutes.  He looked behind her and saw only darkness in the house.

"Can…can you stay a little Tezuka?" she asked quietly.  "Iya..it's alright. You don't have to." She said before he could answer.

"I'll stay." He placed their bags down and closed the door behind them.  She made her way numbly into the darkness and turned on the lights. 

He felt more at ease for her when the lights were on.  He knew she hated darkness, from all the conversations they had in the last few weeks.

'She must feel really scared everytime she comes home.' He thought.  He stayed until she fell asleep on her bed.  He had sat on the ground beside her bed while she lay there quietly.  He felt uneasy sitting in a girl's house, let alone a girl's room but he didn't want to leave her.  When he realised she had dropped off, he pulled the blanket up around her and left her desk lamp on.  He was about to leave but he kneeled by her bed once more.  He touched the side of her face softly.

'I'll tell you soon Sakuno.  I don't know how much longer I can keep it to myself.'

Sorry this chap was a little long n_n.