Notes from a Muddy Writer:

It's becoming a habit, writing notes I mean even though I really have nothing to talk about except wishing you all a good day. I hope that this story manage to pull out a smile from your lips. ;)

After a time of discernment, I have decided to not insert any OCs for this story. I'm going to use possible characters that Prince of Tennis have. So, who do you like better, Tooyama Kintarou or Kirihara Akaya? Please post your answers on the last part of your reviews. (That is, if I get any. T.T)

Sakuno grew a backbone here too. I have to say that you don't always have to be shy your entire life so I changed that part of her. Also, I wouldn't change her entire personality because that's what she is. :D (I'm so confusing) –shrugs-

I'm sorry for the title is a cuss word. *bows 90-degrees but gets shots anyway* But it has a meaning! Not that it justifies so I hereby say that this chapter's title is rated T for the language.

Enjoy~

P.S. OMG! I forgot to put a disclaimer on chapter 1!

Disclaimer: I really do not own Prince of Tennis/Tennis no Ouji-sama. The plot's from my own imagination. This disclaimer applies to chapter 1 and to the upcoming chapters.


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D.A.M.N.

Disagreements, Anxieties, Meetings 'N so forth

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"Life is a box of chocolates. You never know what's inside."

-Forrest Gump

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'You may now read the tale.'

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"You want me to what?"

Annoyance and shock cannot be hidden from her voice that it comes off as something disrespectful, considering the woman she was talking to was older than she was.

"I want you to marry," said her grandmother in her gruff voice again, ever so patient.

Sakuno, a woman of twenty-two with long brown hair, which she did not keep in twin braids so often now, heard Sumire, her grandmother, quite clearly the first time. She cleared her throat to keep calm. But darn it, it was so hard to be calm.

Who knows what kind of man she was being married off to? Besides, what about her plans that she so wanted to happen? It will definitely go down the drain because of this stupid marriage!

But!

According to Tomoka: to every rule, there's always an exception. So, Sakuno might agree if the man was very handsome or perhaps really cool or maybe, cute in a sense…

"Stop!" She ordered her brain. "What's gotten in to you? Result of hanging out with Tomo-chan too much?" Sakuno shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"Don't worry."

Sakuno looked up to her dear grandma's face with a confused expression.

"The man could provide you well enough and his… status might give you a boost to be known as an interior designer. I sometimes wonder, though, why you didn't pursue a tennis career. You had it going well."

Sakuno sighed. "Yes, yes. Well, I find being a designer to be better. It just gives me a sense of peace whenever I decorate."

"They always turn out beautifully."

"Thank you, Grandma."

"I also think this man is quite a catch. Don't you think?"

She exhaled again. There was just no way out of this. However, the idea of what this marriage could mean for her was very tempting too.

But no way! Just no way!

Sakuno was one of those who still strongly believe in the power and magic of love. So, if she was to marry, she wants to do it for love.

"Accept it," her grandmother quietly said.

Sakuno looked up and gazed into the older woman's eyes; her brown eyes, which were of the same shade as Sakuno's, looked so pleading and loving. "For me… as my wish. I couldn't find a man more suitable. If you marry him, I will be sure you are in good hands," her grandmother added. "Especially now that I'm growing very old…"

"Oh, grandma. Please don't think like that," she chided.

"It's the truth Sakuno. So, will you accept if he proposes?"

Sakuno didn't quite get the "proposing" part. Well, she meant that if both parties agree to the marriage then a proposal wouldn't be needed right?

Of course, Sakuno couldn't find within her the heart to say no to the woman who cared for her for many, many years. Sumire used to be a tennis coach in a school called "Seishun Gakuen". The team was the pride and joy of the school for having won a lot of tournaments all over Japan.

Sakuno also learned to play tennis and had the future of being the captain for the girls' team but somehow, her love for designing especially rooms simply overpowered her love for the sport. She still played tennis though. It is one of her hobbies.

She breathed out for the umpteenth time today as she thought of the whole thing again. At first, it sounded a bit ridiculous to her yet after this talk with her grandma, she wasn't sure of what to think. Part of her wants to agree, albeit reluctantly, and a part of her doesn't want to yield. Sakuno could feel Sumire's eyes watching her every move as if trying to evaluate her answer.

"By the way," her voice sounded new in the silence that enveloped them for minutes, "why are you like that?"

That caught Sakuno by surprise. "H-ha?" Glancing up, she saw her grandmother eyeing her dress. Dirt had stubbornly clung to it.

"Oh!"

Sakuno hastily wiped away the said dirt yet it only clung deeper, if that made any sense. "An idiot of a man almost got me killed with his car."

She didn't notice Sumire's eyes widen in worry for she was too busy cleaning up her dress. "He was answering some call that he did not notice me crossing."

"Are you alright then?"

"Yes, Grandma. I'm sure I'm alright."

"So…?"

"So? Oh. Right. Fine, I'll accept it. For you," Sakuno then hugged the older woman affectionately. Sumire returned the hug just as warmly and whispered in her granddaughter's ear a 'thank you'.

When they had parted, Sumire said "You'll meet your soon-to-be husband at lunch tomorrow."

"That soon?" Sakuno asked in a small voice.

"We can't have too many delays when it comes to love now, can we?"

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Ryoma lay down on his bed very still, thinking about the day's unusual turn of events. In the midst of the silence that he enjoyed, his phone beeped. He slid the lock unenthusiastically. He breathed out a sigh of relief when it was his mom but still, not quite relieved.

Rinko sent him a text message telling him to come to the temple tomorrow morning. For what particular reason? He doesn't want to know but he replied an 'okay' anyway. Anything just to make this whole maddening thing stop.

"Is marriage that bad?" He asked himself. "Maybe it isn't. Maybe I could make this one work." Then he bobbed his head up and down. "What am I thinking?" Ryoma whispered to himself.

"Hey. Maybe if the girl would be pretty like that Sakuno girl then it wouldn't be so bad…"

"Stop," Ryoma told himself. How could he be thinking like that? And since when did Sakuno started to invade his mind?

His phone beeped again for an incoming call. He pressed the answer button and held up the thing next to his ear.

"RYOMA!"

"Wah!"

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Sakuno could not stop herself from fidgeting as she waited with Sumire for the groom's family. A thousand questions rushed to her mind all at once that almost made her crazy.

"What if I'm not presentable enough?"

"What if I'm not likable enough?"

"What if I don't make a good impression?"

"What if things won't work?"

"What if I really was the 1000000th visitor on that site yesterday? Wait… stupid internet… messing up with my mind."

Then they heard car tires screech to a stop outside the house that a few more million questions surged through her.

"What if… what if…WHAT IF?"

"That's enough," commanded Sumire. "Relax." With that, Sakuno tried breathing deeply.

Ding! Dong!

"That's them. Come. Let's greet them."

If it weren't for the 'command' of Sumire, Sakuno would have stayed seated the whole day. However, she mustered her strength to walk very slowly to the door and greet whoever's coming.

"Why am I like this?" She asked herself every step of the way. "You're just meeting him," she muttered to herself.

Ahead of her, Sakuno could make out greetings being exchanged.

"Welcome, welcome. Come on in Rinko. Nanjirou, you still haven't changed after all these years I haven't seen you."

"Neither did you," the man that Sakuno thought was Nanjirou replied.

"Oh. Where is she? My future daughter-in-law?" The woman, which she thought was Rinko, asked.

Sakuno closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them. When she did open them, Sakuno saw a youthful face of a smiling woman. Next to the woman was a lightly tanned man with slight stubble around his chin. But what stood out of his features was his cat-eye shaped eyes which Sakuno thought were cool and pretty.

"My!" Rinko exclaimed. "Look how much you've grown Sakuno-chan."

"Sa-Sakuno-chan?"

At that moment, Rinko hugged her tightly and fondly. "You are sooo pretty! I'm now quite certain my future grandchildren would all look so handsome and pretty!"

Even Nanijirou gave her a somewhat awkward hug, complete with a pat on the back. Sakuno figured he wasn't the kind of person who gives out hugs much.

However, the somewhat annoyed look on the face of the boy just coming inside the house slapped her out of her million 'what ifs'. For the man who almost killed her last night was the same man before her. He was removing invisible dirt on the arms of his white jacket that he didn't notice her yet.

"You?" Sakuno asked with a displeased tone that she herself did not quite like. That was when he looked up to her.

Sakuno would be a liar if she won't admit that at that moment he caught her breath. The sunlight formed a soft halo around him that made him look real good but the moment he opened his mouth, things greatly changed.

"Oh, great." Sakuno caught him mutter sarcastically. "So, you're supposed to be my wife now?" That shocked her.

'How impeccably rude!' She thought.

"Ryoma!" Rinko reprimanded him.

"Let's just get over with this whole damn thing so I could go home," he snapped at them.

No matter how much she wanted to retort, Sakuno found she couldn't. She could only squeak out her answers. "O-oh."

Ryoma kind of deflated her hopes of him being a good husband. It reminded her of the conversation she had with her grandma. However, an unknown side awoken within her that made her answer back.

"But why would you want to go? You still owe me from yesterday's accident," she fired back with equal annoyance and cockiness.

"Accident? What accident?" Rinko's voice was laced with worry.

Nanjirou whistled with obvious pleasure from the scene before him. "So you two have met beforehand. That's what we call M.F.E.O!"

"M.F.E.O.?" Ryoma and Sakuno questioned at the same time. Realizing what had happened both looked away.

"Made For Each Other!" Rinko and Nanjirou equipped them with the meaning, grinning widely. All the while, Sumire watched in the background and merely sighed.

"Let's just go to the dining room to discuss more about the wedding and other matters," Sumire urged everyone and in turn, nodded their agreement although Ryoma and Sakuno were still eyeing each other as if deciding the best way to get rid of each other, but after a few moments, he gave her his trademark smirk. Sakuno's heart almost stopped. However, it greatly puzzled her. In reply to his smirk, she raised an eyebrow. Yet, it only made his smirk bigger.

'Why would he do that?' She pondered.

Without waiting to see if she followed or not, Ryoma walked up straight into the dining room. Sakuno frowned at her soon-to-be husband. He did not even walk beside her.

'And why on earth would I want that?' She shook her head. 'I can't afford to be thinking like that! Ryoma's obviously a jerk. Grandma… why did you agree to this marriage?!'

"Remember, you also agreed," a voice in her mind replied.

In the midst of her thoughts, Sakuno did not notice Ryoma leaning against the door frame, not until he breathed onto her neck. They were temporarily concealed from the others because of a big cabinet full of china. Sakuno jumped at his actions and shivered. She knitted her brows together in anger and walked away.

However, like greased lightning, he grabbed her wrist and covered her mouth. "Wha—" Ryoma leaned in and whispered into her ears. As he did, Sakuno could feel his warm breath tickling her. She almost laughed if not for the words he whispered.

"Oi Seishounen! What's taking you long?" Nanjirou yelled from the dining room.

"Nanjirou! Be quiet! Sa-chan, come now, dear," beckoned Rinko.

"You should check on them, old hag. They may be having too much fun," he then snickered after.

Thwack!

"Ouch," exclaimed Nanjirou.

"Shut up!"

"I'm sure they are just getting to know each other," Rinko said.

"Heh heh… I know more suitable ways to do that."

Thwack!

When he was done, Ryoma twitched a smirk before walking away to join the others. Yet, Sakuno's face paled. She now knew her marriage was doomed.


Replies:

Okay! Let's get on with my replies to my lovely reviewers~ :D

Guest- Thank you for reviewing! And hopefully I'll keep it up.

Yukina-chan15- Waaaaaaah! I'm glad that you find this fic interesting! :D Hoping that you'll find this interesting still on the upcoming chappies.

TheBearsDoodle- Thank you very much for finding this one 'Soooo good!'~ And yup! Ryoma and Sakuno here are not connected in any way whatsoever. ;) Or is it really? Hahaha! We'll see what'll transpire. Although it isn't in the current picture. But who knows?

Ulquihime7980- Hehehehe. Yeah, Sa-chan grew a backbone. Is that bad of a change?

Jaz-147- Yahooooooo! Thank goodness someone finds this funny even though it isn't really a humor fic. ^3^

Ryosaku12- Naaaaaaah! You're the one who's awesome enough to review! Thank you very much for loving the character I had for Sa-chan here. *hugs*

Enma20- Thanks for reviewing! I seriously should work harder to make things a lot more interesting. I hope I don't disappoint you in the end. T.T

Lyfa- Aaaaawwwwwwww! Gawd, I'm smiling stupidly over your review! Sure thing! I want to make your world sweeter! I wish to never get your hopes down on this fic.

And to everyone who placed Legally Married on their Favorite List: Renting, yukina-chan15, ulquihime7980, hehehe808, Oliviaaaox101, Jaz-147, Ryosaku12 and Enma20!

And to everyone who placed Legally Married on Story Alert, and me on Favorite Authors List and on Author Alert List. –I'm in heaven-

Really, you guys are awesome for inspiring me. –bows-

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Notes from a Muddy Writer:

And chapter 2's done! Yay! It was supposed to be longer but when I checked it again, I found it was too long so I cut it up. Please watch out for the next chapter~

One more thing, I thank you, Ate Christelle for the last part. It was her who gave me the idea. *hugs hugs*

A caution though, I might be really, really late on releasing the next chapter since my dearest beta-reader haven't send it back to me yet. So sorry if you guys will have to wait. Wait for meeeeeee!

As a way to appease you all, I have here a snippet.

Preview for Chapter 3 (it's a random snippet :D):

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One's Happiness is Another's Sadness

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"It is sometimes essential for a husband and a wife to quarrel - they get to know each other better."

-Goethe

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"So, what will you wear anyway my dear?" Rinko asked Sakuno in a sweet tone.

"H-ha? Oh, um… maybe just a simple white dress?" Sakuno answered the question with another question of hers.

"What?" He suddenly butted in that everyone looked at him, confused. "Just a simple white dress?"

"What do you want me to wear anyway?" She asked him innocently with just a hint of annoyance. Ryoma was caught off guard.

"Why did her tone change? A little while ago, she was ready to kill me with her pointed looks now she's as innocent as possible?"

He cleared his throat. "I mean, being married to me is no simple matter."

"Obviously," Sakuno muttered under her breath although Ryoma heard her clearly. She looked away from Ryoma with an unreadable expression on her face. Something like apprehension probably.

'Oh yeah.' Ryoma remembered what he said to her. He wondered if that was still stuck in her mind. That thought made a smirk creep up to his face.

"So, I was hoping if you would wear something a bit more…"

"A bit more…?" She met his strong gaze.

'Dammit! What's the word?'

"Flashy?"

Sakuno gasped. "A-as in showy? You pervert!"

She grabbed the nearest thing, which unfortunately was a coffee mug, and threw it at him. Ryoma ducked in time to avoid the on-coming mug speeding towards him at one thousand miles per hour. The poor mug broke into many pieces behind him.

Sakuno wanted to grab another thing but Nanjirou stopped her, visibly amused. "I could see the magazines are starting to rub on you, Ryoma." He then went on to laugh hysterically. Ryoma's cheeks where tinted pink. He coughed awkwardly.