DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS NOR ANY OF ITS CHARCTERS.
He slept the whole afternoon, effectively missing his afternoon class. His eyes shifted from the ceiling to his alarm clock, if he left now he still had time to spare before their afternoon practice starts. He yawned and tried to get up but a heavy weight on his left shoulder forbade him to do so. With a creased forehead he turned and had the shock of his life.
What was Ryuzaki doing in his room, sleeping in his bed, and pillowing his arm?
He pinched the bridge of his nose while he recalled how he dragged Ryuzaki to his home.
He cursed. Ryuzaki-sensei will be extremely pissed when she found out that he was the reason why her granddaughter was absent from their afternoon class.
It was not as if I had a choice he internally defended himself.
His body moved on its own accord. His senses went on complete overdrive once it recognized her scent. The only thing that registered in his mind was Ryuzaki was sleep. He felt like a thirsty traveler in the desert finally finding an oasis. A lost man finally finding a reason to live. A scientist finally solving one of the world's greatest mysteries. In short he was desperate and Ryuzaki was his only solution.
His brows furrowed as he tried to understand why the useless body butter did not work last night. Was it only made for a woman's skin? Did he apply it incorrectly? He could smell the same identical scent from Ryuzaki and the body butter, so what did he do wrong?
Che.
He had to find out if he wanted to sleep tonight and the succeeding nights ahead for that matter.
He looked at Ryuzaki. He could ask her. He shook his head. No. Better to ask his sempais. He just has to find a way without letting them know of his current dilemma and at the moment his only solution.
His eyes instantly landed on the sleeping girl lying on his arm. He slowly lifted her head up and froze when her eyes slowly opened but not wanting to look embarrassed he schooled his expression and coolly removed his numb arm while he still supported her head.
Still disoriented from sleep Sakuno only looked at Ryoma dazedly and her eyes grew once her mind's gear righted. She instantly sat up and tried to look at every other direction except his.
Ryoma stood from the bed and turned his back on her to hide his slightly red face. He moved his stiff arm in circular motion to relax the muscle.
'I'm sorry. I wasn't able to help myself from sleeping. Will your arm be alright? Why did you bring me here with you? Did you need help with something? You do know we've missed our afternoon class.' She could not stop her mouth from moving as her mind started speeding.
'Hn.' She changed. Now she talks too much.
His mouth stretched a little, preferring this Sakuno who knows how to speak her mind and share her thoughts than the old one who stuttered her words.
Ryoma, accustomed to never explaining himself, lazily walked farther from his bed with no backward glance as he easily spotted his tennis cap.
He could feel her steady gaze on his back but he still refused to look back. He in turn heard her long sigh.
If she was the old Sakuno she would have let this go. She knew how stubborn Ryoma was once he had decided on doing something or on not doing anything. But she changed, she also found a stubborn streak of her own. She needed answers. Heck, she would demand them. They just slept on one bed for Pete's sake. On his room. With just the two of them.
She opened her mouth to push him to answering when her eyes landed on his alarm clock. Her eyes grew large. She will be late.
We'll talk another time Ryoma-kun.
She hurriedly leapt out of bed.
Leaving the door slightly open, he moved out of his room fully expecting Ryuzaki to follow but a minute passed and there was no Ryuzaki in sight. He reentered his room but like a spinning coin he quickly exited his room again. He closed his eyes, completely red faced. An image of Ryuzaki clad only in her white uniform blouse which was just long enough to cover her panties teasingly reappeared from his thoughts. She was leaning down to reach her skirt at the bottom of her feet. She was probably fixing her uniform which was crumpled from sleep.
His heartbeat sped, not from the usual excitement he gets from playing tennis or from beating a great opponent. It was entirely different but he decided to dismiss it as he saw the time.
Careful not to come in unannounced, in his room of all places, he knocked.
'Let's go.' Ryuzaki hurriedly ran past him.
With only tennis occupying his mind, he followed without a word.
All of them were panting after their afternoon practice.
'My legs feel like sleeping but nothing a burger can't fix.' Momo's mouth watered as he imagined biting a big chunk of his favorite burger.
'No wonder you're too slow. All that burger deposit is weighing you down.' Kaidoh hissed. He was partnered with Momo and they lost to Fuji and Ryoma in a doubles match.
Momo looked at Kaidoh pissed, 'All that running made you too light to even return a serve.'
In an instant both of them were at arms length.
They both turned to see their captain's gleaming eyes, 'Still have enough strength.'
Both of them immediately walked to the locker room with either of their arms stiffly resting on each other's shoulders.
'I'll deal with you another time viper.'
'Shut up Mamushi. Buchou will hear you.' he hissed.
Once inside the locker room they quickly separated as if burned.
'You're different today Echizen.' Fuji observed.
Inui nodded in agreement, demonically smiling as he scribbled in his notebook.
'Your serves are faster. Your reaction time quicker.' He continued.
The rest of the team furrowed their brows, 'Eh sempai, I did not see any difference. He's the same ruthless Ochibi in the court.'
Momo absentmindedly touched the still tender bruise on his stomach which he got when Ryoma returned his dunk smash with one of the latter's strongest returns.
'Baka! That's because you're not a genius Mamushi!.'
Momo let that snide remark pass, more curious about Echizen. His quick eyes saw Ryoma's jaw set. Interesting. He teasingly looked at him.
'What is it Ochibi?' Eiji excitedly came toward Ryoma.
'Che.'
'Don't be mean Ochibi!.' Eiji cutely pouted.
Ryoma suddenly felt cornered. This was not the scenario he had in mind. With no means of escape plus escaping would mean admittance. And admittance would mean defeat. Proud that he was, he decided to play it cool and remained completely unaffected. He looked at his teammates blankly.
'Dark circles around the eyes. Short little naps during classes. Lack of concentration. Tired body. Reduced agility. Slow muscle reaction. All pertain to 100% lack of sleep.' ever reliable data man proudly adjusted his eyeglasses into place after he read through his notes aloud.
Ryoma kept his reaction in check but deep inside he was cursing his data sempai.
'Eh, then Ochibi needs to drink milk at night.' Eiji offered kindly while his arms rested at the back of his head.
Tried that, his mind begrudgingly admitted.
'That's for kids Eiji-sempai.' Momo said as a matter of factly.
Ryoma's eyes narrowed on Momo, secretly insulted.
Che. I had no other choice.
Momo, oblivious to Ryoma's growing annoyance, continued, 'Eat a lot of burgers… that helps me sleep peacefully at night.'
Baka.
'Yeah if you want him dead the next day. Stupid.'
Momo's eyes sparked lasers to which Kaidoh ignored. 'Run laps on your way home. Exhaustion will help you sleep.'
Momo grew irritated seeing the sense in Kaidoh's statement.
'WIMPS! DRINK BEER LIKE A MAN BEFORE YOU KNOW IT IT'S ALREADY MORNING!' Kawamura holding his racket growled.
Oishi slowly removed the racked from his hand, 'Not a good idea. Echizen-san is just a minor.' He looked at Ryoma to add more gravity to his statement.
Ryoma adjusted his cap as a sign of his acknowledgement.
Oishi relaxed.
'Then why don't you count sheep or something.' Momo, not wanting to lose to Kaidoh, advised.
'Try my new Inui juice. It will put you to sleep in no time.' Inui was holding a bottle of slimy green liquid.
If I don't die first.
'I'd give it a try.' Fuji enthusiastically took the bottle from Inui which made the latter look pleased while the rest of them tried not to vomit as they imagined the taste and the after taste of that wretched new formula.
'Echizen already knows what will help him sleep as he looked refreshed during afternoon practice. Problem solved. And no there's no secret way to apply it and it goes for all skin types. May it be male or female. Perhaps it's not actually the smell but the person itself.' Fuji smiled suggestively.
Every one looked at Fuji questioningly, not understanding what he was talking about, but he just smiled his normal smile and left with Inui in tow.
'Eh Ochibi?' Momo and Eiji looked at him expectantly while the rest moved out of the locker room.
'Che.' Ryoma took his bag.
What the heck was Fuji-sempai talking about… The person itself? And how did he know about that?
He slid the door open. The annoying face of his father welcomed him in.
'Finally my son has grown up!' his father gleefully fanned himself with his magazine.
'Okaa-san..hmppppp' the rest of his words were muffled by his father who covered his mouth with his hand.
'Don't tell your mother! She'll ask me to throw this one again.'
Ryoma took his father's hand off his mouth.
'So who was that girl? Your girlfriend? Or is she just your friend with benefits?'
He snatched the magazine from his father and smacked it to his face.
'Oh come on son. I don't need all the details… but have you done it with her already?'
'What are you talking about!' he shouted.
'Don't act coy now. I caught sight of you as I drove your mom to the grocery. You were dragging her to our house… Come to think of it wasn't that the old woman's granddaughter?'
An image of Sakuno clad only in her white uniform blouse reappeared on his mind.
Crap.
His father's grin then widened. 'Ah my son is already growing up.'
At the final strand of his temper he called his mom, 'Okaa-san! Oyaji has another one of those magazines!'
'Nanjirou!'
'Yes dear I'll stop reading this.' His father looked for a hiding place where his mom won't find the magazine.
'Nanjirou!
'Yes dear I'm throwing this one to the garbage now.' I just bought a few stacks while you were at the grocery.
'Ryoma, go wash up now. Dinner will be ready soon.'
His dad was whispering incoherently while he went out of the house to throw his magazine.
Damn it.
It was already close to midnight and he was still wide awake.
The person itself…
What does Fuji sempai mean by that?
He took his jersey jacket. His mind already made up.
Sakuno rubbed her eyes after she finished drying her hair. It was already past midnight but she did not mind as tomorrow was Saturday. She could not put down the book she was reading and finished it first before she decided to take a bath.
She was combing her hair when she heard someone tapping her balcony door.
Eh?
Her heart started pounding. Should she wake up her Obachan?
She took her cellphone and decided to call the police just in case. Then she heard a faint voice, 'Ryuzaki.'
She would recognize that voice anywhere.
Slowly she tiptoed to her balcony and adjusted the curtains. She came face to face with Ryoma.
She stared at him in disbelief, her mouth slightly opened.
'Open the door.' He commanded.
As if in trance, she did what she was told.
Once he was inside he gently closed the balcony door again and locked it. The light clicking of the lock awakened Sakuno from her stupor.
'What are you doing here Ryoma-kun?'
'I need to sleep.'
'So?' she asked testily.
Seeing that he needs to explain before he can rest, 'Since I went back here I haven't been sleeping all that good. The longest time I slept was three hours until yesterday when I slept the whole afternoon.' He explained in resignation.
'Go on.' She urged him to continue.
He adjusted his cap before he continued, 'I tried every trick possible to sleep but I couldn't until lately I was able to sleep peacefully during classes.'
'I'm not sure I'm following… how were you able to sleep at school when it's noisy and not at home where it's silent… Ah! Is it because there's a certain thing that calms you at school? Something that helps lull you to sleep even though it's noisy?'
He gruffly nodded, the corner of his eyes looking at her queen-sized bed.
'So how does this…' her eyes grew wide as realization dawned on her, 'it's me?'
Instead of answering, he removed his cap, jacket, and his socks. He left his shoes on her balcony. His eyes zeroed in on her bed.
They could fit.
He took her hand and guided her to her bed.
Sakuno's heart beat fast. 'Ryoma-kun stop.'
She let go of his hand to which Ryoma silently protested and held her hand tighter.
'Let me lock the door first.'
Instead of letting go, he locked the door himself without separating their joined hands. He dropped her hand when he proceeded to the other side of her bed. He did not even blink when he removed her fluffy pink comforter and slipped inside.
He closed his eyes.
Sakuno stared at the hand he just held then looked at Ryoma, her heart softening when she saw how tired he looked. Her hands shook a little as she slipped inside her comforter and held her breath. She did not know where to look and tried to look everywhere except to her right.
If this goes on, I'll have a terrible stiffneck tomorrow.
She decided to look at Ryoma's sleeping face but gasped when her brown eyes connected with his feline ones.
'Made made dane Ryuzaki.'
She blushed but her eyes courageously met his. Her shaky hand gingerly stroked his hair, 'Night Ryoma-kun.'
On another person, he might have removed that hand stroking his hair and gave the person one of his deadliest glares but this was Ryuzaki and his eyes slowly closed.