Disclaimer: I don't own The Prince Of Tennis or it's characters.
I apologize for the late update! I'm so sorry everyone. I just got so caught up in my school work I kind of avoided writing for a while.
I know this chapter's a bit short but I promise to add more twists and turns later!
Hope you enjoy it .
Ryoma sighed before digging his hand back into the pile of lettuces and picking out the most appealing one.
Lettuce? Check.
I think I need more Ponta…
Ryoma tugged at a nearby roll of plastic bags; ripping a bag off of the roll he slipped the vegetable into it and dropped it into his basket. Sighing, the boy began walking to the refrigerated aisles, in search for his beloved soda drink. Upon finding the shelves of Ponta, Ryoma immediately started to pull the cans gracefully off the shelf and into the basket.
He's so perfect…
Ryoma paused suddenly after putting his sixth can of Ponta into his basket. Swiveling his body around to a ninety-degree angle to the left, the prodigy came face to face with a pair of purple eyes. "Ah! Momo-senpai."
Momo held a toothy grin on his face as he stared at the boy. "Oi Echizen, still in love with Ponta, eh?"
Ryoma hesitated, catching a quick glimpse of the soda in the basket before feeling slightly embarrassed.
Momo snatched a can swiftly from Ryoma and held it close to his face, examining it. "Hmm, lots of sugar, energy levels are pretty high…" he mumbled to himself.
"Oi! Give it back, Momo-senpai!" Ryoma shouted as he made an attempt to regain his soda.
The power player turned to his side, clearly not seeing Ryoma as any kind of obstacle. "Eh, you sure this stuff is alright to keep on drinking on a regular basis Echizen?" He asked in a perplexed manner as he gazed down at the smaller boy.
Ryoma ceased. He folded his arms across his chest and pouted. "You've seen me drinking this plenty of times before. Why do you give a damn now?"
Momo felt a light blush sweep across his tanned skin.
…
…
Ryoma, noticing his former teammate off guard, swiped the can out of his hands.
"Oi! No fair Echizen, no fair!"
The boy smirked as he muttered his famous catch phrase. Albeit he just could have taken another can off the shelf and let Momo have that one, he did rather enjoy rustling his friend's feathers.
Momo smiled, making Ryoma feel uneasy, as if all his work had just led up to nothing. "You haven't changed in the slightest. Even after the nationals and going on to win all the grand slams, tournaments and opens that you've participated in."
Ryoma was puzzled.
"You really are the most skilled player…"
The prodigy was at a loss for words. Of course he had been praised before, but it was strange hearing it from Momoshiro Takeshi, the one whom you'd least expect.
Momo averted looking at Ryoma directly; he feared that if he were to, he would end up looking like a complete idiot in front of him.
"I neglected to ask you why you were here in the first place." Ryoma asked softly, it just didn't seem right to him that Momo was shopping; he didn't rub off as a 'shopping' kind of guy.
Momo lifted another can of Ponta from the shelf. "Mum's sick. Dad's out of town, and my siblings, well they're with dad."
"I see…"
"You?"
"Huh?" Ryoma raised his gaze to the other boys'.
"You, why are you, here?" Momo said bluntly.
"Oh, shopping…"
"Do you want to go to the hamburger shop with me for lunch?"
Ryoma cast his eyes downward. "No, thanks."
"Aw, why not? Didn't you enjoy it last time?" Momo probed.
"We ate late into the night; I just don't want it to happen again. But I'm not saying I didn't like it, or that I'd never do it again."
"Ah, so that's what it is." Momo said knowingly.
"What?" Ryoma inquired.
"Tezuka-buchou got mad, didn't he?"
Ryoma froze, how did he-?
"I knew it. Gomen, Ryoma…" Momo said, voice trailing off.
Ryoma? He's never used my given name before…
"Oi! So I'll see you around, yeah?" Momo called to the boy as he turned to leave.
"Uh…h-hai!" Ryoma replied as he watched the power player jog off. Thank you for understanding, Takeshi-senpai…
Squish.