A/N: Wow, I've reached the last chapter of JoA. I feel kind of sad, and kind of happy. It's a weird feeling to describe. I want to thank all of you readers who stuck with this story, all of you who reviewed (you guys are the best!!), and those who kept checking back. I really enjoyed writing this fic, and you all made it even more worthwhile. So please enjoy this chapter! P.S. The OC shall go unnamed 'cause he's EVIL!

Chapter 14 - Readily Interwined

Confusion was the epitome of what Sakuno was feeling. What was just an explanation soon turned into something she hadn't expected. She'd kissed Ryoma! And not just a simple peck either; it felt smooth but explosive, all at the same time. If Sakuno had ever imagined kissing Ryoma (once when she was 12, but that's confidential) she would've never imagined it being on her front porch. It was so embarrassing! Her Oba-san lectured her for a half-hour on "the one thing boys want" and "abstinence is key!"

Of course, Sakuno agreed on the latter, for she did have very high moral standards, but she doubted that all Ryoma wanted was…well, that.They'd been best friends for months now. Surely he would've said or done something before if that's what he wanted. But she knew he didn't; she knew now that she meant more to him than she'd ever imagined, and was grateful and pleased to discover he thought so much of her. However, there was the matter of her own feelings. Again, she would have to take a step back and look at what Ryoma meant to her and why. Well first, he was her best friend, them having drawn close to one another over the course of the year. They'd shared memories together, many of them being pleasant. Sakuno had to admit that he was attractive, very much so in fact, but also kind, compassionate, and open towards her. He brought a happy glow to Sakuno; one of refreshment and promises of positive experiences.

Compared to now, she felt that she hadn't know Ryoma three years ago; she'd only harbored a deep admiration for him, his skills, and his remarkable determination. She had never dreamed of being this close to him, so close that he would eventually come to see her as more than a friend. Neither had she intended that kiss to occur. But by mulling over her thoughts and emotions carefully, Sakuno came to the conclusion that she did have feelings for Ryoma. In fact, she was surprised to discover that not only did she enjoy kissing him, she wanted to. Now that she'd sorted out her feelings, there were still two problems to solve: how did he feel, and what would she do about it?

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Ryoma was exasperated. One, because that baka Oba-san just had to interrupt that wonderful kiss with Sakuno. Two, because now he had no clue as to what to do about it. All he cared to remember was Sakuno's lips on his, the feel of her hip under his hand, her long, soft hair. Man, was she hot. And he'd never really realized until then. Neither had he realized how long he'd wanted to do that. Once he started, he felt like he never wanted to stop; Sakuno just kept pulling him in…With a sigh, he flopped back on his bed. Did this mean he liked her? He knew he liked being around her, he liked her personality, and he liked how she looked. And Kami-sama, did he like how she felt!

'Somewhere along the way, that perverted oyaji has rubbed off on me,' he reasoned, running a hand through his hair. Well, that pretty much sealed the deal. He liked Sakuno. Now, to the second problem: what would he do about it? He could just walk up and tell her, or get her to say how she felt first. Or he could just kiss her until she got the pint. He liked the third option. A lot. It was settled then. Ryoma knew he was never this forward, but this was different. Now, he would just tell her how he felt through his new favorite activity: kissing Ryuzaki Sakuno.

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That Monday, Sakuno was planning to confront Ryoma. However, every time she even thought of that kiss, her nerves failed her and she took measures to avoid him at all costs. She left his bento in his locker (she knew his combo), took the longer routes to class, and hid in the library during lunch. Not being with him at all during the school day was quite distressful; she never knew she counted on his company so much.

It was the end of the day now. Her COE meeting has been today instead of Tuesday because the vice-president couldn't make it on their usual day. The sun was slowly beginning to set, and she could still make out the "Pok! Pok!" of the tennis balls. She walked a few more steps before she felt a few drops of rain pelt her head.

"Great," Sakuno said out loud and proceeded to quicken her steps. Just then, an older boy reached out and grabbed her arm. He swiftly deposited her behind the nearest school building and took in her quivering form. By now, the rain was coming steadily and she knew her uniform was going to get drenched. However, her greatest concern was this strange teen in front of her. He wore a satisfied smirk and stood before her, his eyes raking over her body.

"Ano…can I help you?" Sakuno tried being nice at first; maybe this boy didn't mean her any harm.

"In fact, you can help me. You're pretty cute, ya know," the boy answered, bending down to her level. He reached out to touch her, but Sakuno shrank back. She had a bad feeling about him, and she wanted nothing more than to get out of this rain and away from here.

"You scared girl? Too bad 'cause you're trapped now. And look at that. You're already wet," he said in a disgustingly perverted tone. He stood up, and once again looked her over, his eyes settling on her legs.

"I'd sure like to…" Sakuno didn't give him a chance to continue. In a swift motion, she kicked the boy in the chest, and bolted. She got as far as the walkway before he grabbed her by the arm and hauled her back to the previous spot.

"Stop! Let me go! Ryoma! Ryoma!" Sakuno yelled at the top of her lungs, fighting the whole way.

"Feisty, aren't ya girl? No matter, I still like you," the boy murmured suggestively into her ear.

"No! Ryoma!" she yelled again.

"Why are you calling that wimp tennis player? Soon you'll be saying my name," he said as he held her against the wall of the building. Right as she was about to scream again, he clapped his hand over her mouth and whispered, "No one to save you."

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Ryoma was in the middle of a practice match with one of the second years when he felt a few drops on his head. The Coach noticed as well and motioned for everyone to stop, pack up, and get dressed. Playing in rain wasn't safe nor smart. Everyone stalked to the changing rooms, some thrilled practice was cut short, others disappointed. ("I was killing your ass!" yelled Momo to Kaidoh, who only hissed dangerously in response)

Soon, the rain really started coming down. Ryoma quickly dressed and exited the small locker room, all the while ignoring Momo and Eiji's invitation to their favorite burger place. He was annoyed for one reason and one only: Sakuno was avoiding him again. He didn't know why, though he supposed it could be because of that kiss yesterday. Smirking, he thought, 'We'll just have to fix that then,' and started the walk to Sakuno's house.

All of a sudden, he heard a distinctly familiar voice yell, "No! Ryoma!" It sounded like his best friend, and needless to say, this worried him. He hurried to where he thought he heard her voice coming from but was met with nothing. Then, despite all the rain soaking him and filling his ears, he picking up on a low murmuring coming from behind the nearest school building. He immediately dashed around the corner and what he saw really got his blood boiling. Sakuno's back was pressed against the wall, and an upperclassman had her pinned, his lips bent to her ear. Ryoma jumped forward and pushed the boy away, then punched him in the jaw.

"Ryoma-kun!" Sakuno exclaimed. When she called for him, she didn't really expect for him to come to her rescue, but she was ever so grateful that he had.

"What the hell? Oh, it's you-" Ryoma landed another one square in the boy's eye, which sent him staggering backward. Sakuno could only stare, wide-eyed, as he repeatedly punched and kicked the other boy.

"You dirty bastard! If Sakuno's hurt, I swear I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life! You filthy son of a bitch!" Ryoma's face was contorted, intense rage mirrored through his actions. When he didn't stop beating on the other boy, Sakuno decided to step in. She wasn't sure if Ryoma could kill him, but she believed the boy was seriously injured.

"Ryoma-kun," she spoke softly. She didn't realize how much his expression startled her until now. She'd never seen him this mad, and it frightened her. Nonetheless, she had to stop him before this beating worsened.

"Ryoma-kun," she said a little louder. With no response, she stepped up and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Ryoma-kun," was all she said as she stared into his enraged hazel eyes.

"What Sakuno? Do you want me to let this bastard go? Huh? He could've…he could've…" He trailed off then and said nothing else until he asked, "Did you hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine Ryoma-kun, I just want…"

"How can you be fine?! He almost…Sakuno, you can't shrug this off. You're not-"

"You're right. I'm shaken up right now, but if it wasn't for you, I don't know what I would've done. Can we please, please just get out of here?" Sakuno's voice had diminished to a plead by now and hot tears were pouring down her face.

"Please, ple-" Ryoma swiftly cut her off by gathering her into his arms and putting his mouth over hers in a kiss.

"Sakuno, Sakuno…" he whispered, kissing her cheeks, nose, and forehead before going down to her lips again. He felt her tense up even more than before under his hands but she soon relaxed. Her body shuddered in the cold, pouring ran, although her lips were warm.

"Ryoma," Sakuno whispered against his lips. She wanted to remain by his side, but not here.

"Let's go home," he replied, as he knew what she wanted. And so, the two headed home through the steady rain, sticking close to each other for warmth and comfort.

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As soon as Sakuno emerged from the bath wearing some of Nanako's old clothes, Ryoma could only think of one word: beautiful. She'd dried her hair and it hung down her back, just he way he liked it. She also wore an oversized tee and shorts that were just a bit big on her petite frame. He himself had changed into a tee shirt and sweats and stood admiring Sakuno while dragging his fingers through his lengthy hair.

"Ano…" she stood in front of the entrance to the bath, unsure of what to do next. Ryoma simply beckoned her to his room. She complied but paused on the threshold.

"Is it okay for me to be in here?" Sakuno asked.

"Yeah. You've been in here before," Ryoma replied, not understanding her hesitance. After catching her in the act of blushing, her real question registered, was it okay for them to be alone now that things were…different?

"C'mon," he assured her and she finally set foot into the familiar bedroom. Karupin immediately came to her and she picked him up, eliciting a purr out of the feline.

"May I?" Sakuno asked, gesturing to the bed where Ryoma was currently sitting towel-drying his hair. He patted the mattress in response and Sakuno sat, feeling a little uncomfortable. After a few minutes, he spoke.

"Sakuno, I-"

"I'm sorry Ryoma-kun," she abruptly cut him off. "I'm sorry you had to come save me. I should've been more careful, I should've ran faster. I-" She stopped there and a single tear slid down her cheek before it trickled down her neck and disappeared.

"Will you be okay?" he asked again, scooting closer to her. With a nod, she swiped at her eyes but kept them trained on the cat on her lap.

"I'm just so sorry-"

"Stop apologizing! It's unnecessary; that bastard harassed you and he got what was coming to him," Ryoma replied, firm in his resolution.

"Oh, Ryoma-kun," Sakuno sighed quietly.

"What is it?" he asked and they turned to face each other. She silently took in his hair soft and tussled. His eyes, which seemed to smolder more these days. His lips, inviting, tantalizing, all those adjectives that denoted one thing: desire. Before shyness could seize her, she leaned forward and gave him a swift kiss on the lips.

"For saving me," she explained. Even so, his eyes were slightly wider than usual. It was daring, and totally unlike her, but Ryoma had always had a knack for evoking surprising actions from her. Karupin took that moment to leap to the floor and ran out the open door.

The two teens sat for a few seconds before Sakuno tentatively asked, "How do you feel…about me?" Ryoma could only blink. How did he feel? There was so much… She mistook his silence and immediately tried to retract her statement.

"I mean, it's okay if you don't like me that way and I just misinterpreted…" As Sakuno prattled on, she couldn't help but feel that if Ryoma didn't have feelings for her, then all he was doing was toying with her emotions.

"Baka," he muttered softly.

"Eh?"

Ryoma suddenly leaned forward and took her lips in his, making Sakuno jump in surprise. She soon relaxed and moved forward, making herself comfortable. The kiss ended all too soon for her but as soon as they moved only a few inches apart, he asked, "Does that tell you how I feel?"

Sakuno could only grin and roll her eyes. Her hands came up to her cheeks before she replied, "Sure."

This time, Ryoma's arms came around her waist and the kiss lasted much longer. When they broke apart once more, Ryoma said with a devilish grin, "Guess we know how you feel."

"Mou, Ryoma-kun!" she replied with a pink pout. "You're too cute," he whispered lowly and resumed his favorite activity.

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"What?! What do you mean date my granddaughter?!" The two had gone to Coach Ryuzaki about two weeks since confirming their feelings.

"Look, I like Sakuno-chan. She likes me. I just wanted to get the okay from you first," Ryoma explained with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Well, I guess that's alright…Sakuno?" Coach R. turned to her granddaughter.

"It's okay, Oba-san. I like Ryoma-kun," was all Sakuno said, albeit with a blush.

"Alright then, Ryoma-kun. Make my granddaughter happy! And if you don't, you know what'll happen!" Coach R. loomed over Ryoma's figure to which he barely retained his classic stoic expression.

"Will do," and he and Sakuno made their way to the door before he remembered something else.

"Oh, that night at the dance? I'm the one who made Sakuno late," he calmly said. Little did he know, Coach R. had looks that could kill. He quickly grabbed Sakuno by the hand and the two exited the house.

After a few seconds of walking, Sakuno mused over the past year. First she'd separated herself almost entirely from Ryoma. Then, they'd struck that deal. After that, they'd become friends, all the while growing closer and closer. And finally, the two were together, thought they hadn't had to change much at all. They walked to and from school and ate lunch together as always. They'd gotten the kissing part down pat, which was the best part to Ryoma. Among other things. Yes, their relationship was a very satisfying one to Sakuno.

A relationship that had proven to be a journey full of anticipations.

The above exchange was the "request" mentioned in Chapter 12. I'm debating whether or not to put an epilouge, so tell me what you want in your reviews. Epilouge or no epilouge? Hope you enjoyed this last chapter!