Phone Booth

A Prince of Tennis One-Shot

Echizen Ryoma and Ryuzaki Sakuno

Author's note: A story written a long time ago when I just started watching PoT. In all honesty, Golden Pair is my OTP for this series. However, since I don't know how to write shounen-ai, there we go.

Ryuzaki Sakuno had always enjoyed watching tennis. The adrenaline, the strategy and the skill struck her in awe. But nothing struck her with so much wonder as Echizen Ryoma, the local Prince of Tennis.

She first met him on the train; they were coincidently heading to the same tournament. She had no idea he would be transferring to her school soon after. But she watched him play and she was left speechless.

Sakuno wanted to play tennis as well.

She admired him greatly, from one master to a novice. That was as far as it went. Other girls at school, including her best friend, followed him around because he was cute. Which was true, Sakuno thought, he was, but that wasn't the reason why she watched every single game she could. Her grandmother was the Seigaku Tennis Club coach for the school. The one Ryoma started for. Watch the matches, get pointers. Purely innocent and simple… She didn't have feelings for the young tennis genius.

And if that was the case, Tezuka-buchou danced ballet as well. Who was she kidding?

"Now… where's the station?" she said out loud.

Sakuno had come to watch Seigaku's team at an away match. It was a weekday, so she left right after school. Soon after the match ended with Seigaku's win, she decided to leave ahead of her grandmother and start on her homework.

However, this was a foreign district to her and with Sakuno's lack of direction…

"Oh no…" tears welling in her eyes. "How am I gonna get home in time?" She looked up and noticed the overcast having thicker clouds. She could be wandering for hours and suddenly it might rain. That possibility wasn't very pleasant to her at all.

"Hey, what are you doing?" someone called a few feet behind her.

She turned and came face to face with the Tennis Prince. "Ry-Ryoma-kun."

"The station is that way," he said, pointing towards the direction opposite to where she was facing.

She smiled uncomfortably. "Oh. Sorry."

He said nothing, just turned and walked in said direction.

Sakuno walked about five paces behind him. He looked up occasionally at the cloudy sky, then face forward. A few moments later, the sky began to rumble angrily and caused a startled yelp to come from Sakuno's lips. Then, a drop fell on her head… then another. She looked up as water poured down from the sky. Carrying only a small purse, she held it over her head, trying to use it as a shield. It was fruitless as raindrops drenched her arms and face.

"Move faster," she heard Ryoma say in front of her.

"Hai…" she quickened her pace so she was right in toe with him.

The winds began to pick up and the rain poured harder, impairing her vision. Soon, the rain began to hurt. Sakuno winced as the beads pounded on her bare arms.

"Damn," Ryoma cursed outloud. He took Sakuno by the wrist and pulled her as he ran.

She stumbled about behind him. "Ryoma-kun!"

Darkness had fallen over the streets by then, but through nature's treachery, there was a single yellow light. Ryoma pulled them to it. At the corner of a residential intersection was a streetlight, and under it was a single phone booth. "Get in," he ordered as he pulled the door open. She did, back facing the phone, which stood opposite the door. Ryoma stepped in, facing her, bag on his back and closed the door behind him.

The space was tight. There was barely any room to move. Sakuno couldn't even cross her arms over her chest to further the space between them. Ryoma's tennis bag pressed against the hinges of the door. There was a whistle that ran through the booth; the sound was caused by the winds weaving through the small door gaps. Sakuno could barely lean forward; it could mean hitting Ryoma in the nose.

He took off his cap, briefly wiped his brow of rainfall, and then replaced it on his head. The hail tacked against the windowpanes as if trying to get through.

"H-how far is the station?" she asked.

"About ½ way there," he told her. "Let's wait until the weather relaxes a little."

She felt his breath fan her cheeks. Goodness, he was very, very close, she soon realized. Her face was tickled with shades of pink. "Maybe I should call my mom…" she thought out loud.

They were gently pressed against each other, something Sakuno thought would never happen. Ever.

He tried to back away from her as she tried to maneuver her arms to open her purse. She could not even cross one arm over her body. "I… can't reach…" she told him.

He nearly rolled his eyes, but reached out behind her. Ryoma lifted the telephone off its cradle and handed it to her. Confused, she took the handpiece from the Prince. He threw a coin in the coin slot and asked, "What's your number?"

She recited it and he reached over, dialing, his hand brushing her shoulder as he did so. "I'm sorry…" she muttered. "You're paying for my call."

"Forget it," he said casually, looking out the window to his right.

Sakuno heard a few rings before someone answered the phone. "Hi, Mom. It's me…Yes, it's hailing here, so I'm going to wait it out…I'm close to the station here… No, I'm not alone," she briefly glanced at his face, and then her eyes returned to his shirt. "Yes. We met after the match…Alright…Alright. Bye."

As her eyes turned to Ryoma, he raised his right hand and pressed the receiver button. He waited a few seconds, let go, and then inserted another coin. Ryoma dialed his number and used the same hand to hold the phone against his ear. He didn't have to wait long to get a connection on the other end. "Hey," he greeted. "It's me. Tell Mom I may be a few minutes late…. I know. I just finished… I won't leave until the storm… No, I'm not. How could I at a time like this?" he exclaimed, embarrassment momentarily crossing his face. Sakuno didn't dare create eye contact; she heard the word 'date' from the other end. "Stupid," he continued, "I'll get back when I can." And with that, he slammed the phone in its cradle.

It made Sakuno wince, the sound of hard plastic slamming against another. "Y-your father?" she guessed, being able to hear the voice on the other side when Ryoma spoke on the phone.

"Yeah," he said, still looking off, this time to his left window.

Sakuno looked at the opposite direction, to his right and they remained quiet for another couple of minutes.

Until Ryoma spoke. "Hey," he said.

"Yes--?" Sakuno paused as Ryoma leaned forward. She almost shrieked, startled as Ryoma planted a hand against the wall opposite him, the one Sakuno had her back to. His arm stretched around, parallel to her shoulder, enclosing her in an even smaller space. "Get my Ponta can, would you? It's in the side pocket of my bag."

"Y-you wan-want me to…?" Sakuno stuttered, realizing his advances were quite innocent.

"My drink," he said to her.

Sakuno weaved her hand around him and unzipped the side pocket. She pulled out the drink can, tugged to re-zip the pouch and handed it to him.

Ryoma put his outstretched hand down, took the can in hand and asked her to open it. She did with a snap, and immediately he took a long sip. He looked at her, noticing she was watching him. "You want some?"

"You're not afraid of…?"

"You're sick?"

"No."

"Then no."

"Oh."

"I'm offering," he stated matter-of-factly.

She had never shared a drink with a male, other than her father. Furthermore, it was a can, with one opening and since Ryoma drank previously… She took a tiny, slow sip. As silly as it was, it was almost like a kiss. Sakuno failed to hide her blush as she returned the can. He drank and the kiss simile came back to her mind. He offered her the last bit and she obliged with a tint of pink on the apples of her cheeks.

The hail attack began to slow down until it eventually became soft rain.

"Maybe we should get going," he suggested. "It stopped hailing."

"Yeah…" Sakuno sighed. But she was not looking forward to re-entering the streets to become sopping wet again.

"I got an idea," Ryoma shifted his arm so that it was folded underneath the bag strap. "Hold my bag up."

"How?"

"Up near the top," he suggested.

Sakuno obliged, holding his equipment bag by the strap, where the bag and strap joined. The weight of his tennis bag caused her to move forward, and she flexed her arms, pulling her closer against his body. She was near the verge of panicking, almost letting go of his bag. Ryoma asked her for a simple task; she would endure… regardless of the fact that she was gently pressing against him and her lips dangerously wavered over his chin. Her breath caught in her throat when his knuckles brushed down her front to unzip his jacket. He shook his way out of the garment and draped it over the phone behind her. Ryoma pulled his bag strap back on and then Sakuno let go.

Ryoma reached out to the jacket and grasped it. "We'll use this to shield us from the rain."

"H-hai…" Sakuno gulped, trying to forget his lips wavering over her own.

He flipped the jacket over his head and reached to open the door. Once done, he backed up, stepping onto the sidewalk. He outstretched the right side of his jacket to her. "Grab hold," he instructed.

Sakuno crouched under his jacket, grasping her end. Then, she nearly yelped as she felt him wrap an arm around her waist, maximizing the jacket's protection. She had no time to say anything as Ryoma set the pace to a brisk walk to the station.

Once they got to the station, they bought tickets and boarded the same train. When they arrived at their stop, the rain had already seized, much to Sakuno's delight. Being so close, having Ryoma pull her against him was more than she could handle. It made her heart skip, her palms sweat and her throat lurch; all feelings she'd never experienced before.

And yet, being in close quarters with the Prince of the Courts had made her anxious, more nervous than usual, and above all else, exhilarated. Pressed up against him, she realized how toned his muscles really were and how soft his face features were. She also got a chance to see his different side. On the courts, Echizen Ryoma was a merciless, confident tiger. But the vibe he was giving off when they remained in the telephone booth was not like that at all. Sakuno couldn't put her finger on it. Perhaps she was too absorbed with the fact that they were too close together, bordering indecency. So cool and yet so mysterious… there was no wonder why Ryoma intrigued Sakuno.

As they exited the train, Sakuno thanked him. She bowed and said, "Thank you for spending your time with me."

Ryoma, jacket on once again, said nothing. He shrugged. "Sure," and turned away.

"Ryoma-kun?" he heard.

He turned to her as she asked which way the east exit was. This time, he did roll his eyes and he ended up walking her to her house.

They both stopped in front of her gate.

"I've been thinking…" Sakuno started after their silent trek.

Her statement made him stay. "What?"

"Why did you do all this for me?" she asked. "I mean, I am really grateful, truly. But… we don't talk a lot at school and… well…" Sakuno trailed off.

Ryoma looked down to her shoes, the bill of his cap covering his face. "It's getting late," he told her, finally looking up. "I'll see you at school."

Before Sakuno could ask again, he turned on his heels and walked off. She realized then that she still had the empty Ponta can in her hand. She gently held the can's rim up to her lips and walked inside.

Perhaps today's kindness was a one-time thing, Sakuno told herself.

The next day, after school during practice, Ryoma approached Sakuno. She froze at mid-swing when she realized he was walking up to her, decked in full Seigaku Tennis uniform.

"Hey," he greeted.

She smiled at him. "Hi."

He walked past her after that, pulling his cap lower. It was just a simple greeting. But it was a start.

…fin.