Love is Just a Word
Chapter 6:
"Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one."
~Benjamin Franklin
--
He couldn't believe his eyes. Was he imagining things? Was she really here?
Ryoma felt like the world was spinning and the only thing that remained still was her, looking right into his eyes.
He wanted to yell at her.
He wanted to embrace her and never let go.
He wanted to hurt her.
He wanted to kiss her.
He wanted so many opposing things at the moment, but all he could do was tighten his grip on the cell phone in his pocket and grit his teeth. He couldn't trust himself to speak, so he waited for his emotions to settle before he unlocked his jaw. He was currently flip-flopping between being ecstatic to see her and outraged by her presence. He watched her approach-- a dominate gesture. He decided, then, on outraged and fixed her with the most menacing look he could muster. He glared as she cautiously moved across the lawn walking up to where he stood at the top of the stairs. He positioned his body between her and the door.
She thought she could just walk in like she owned the place? Well that wouldn't happen. He wouldn't let her.
--
Sakuno had spent the rest of their flight asleep on the chair next to Momo. She had fallen into a fitful slumber and had awoken in the arms of one of those silent flight attendants. Her dream hadn't been the most pleasant thing in the world, so she shouldn't be blamed for socking the guy and screaming bloody murder.
As if all that wasn't bad enough, they had by that time pulled up to Ryoma's mansion, and she still hadn't come up with a proper way to explain to present situation.
'Hey Ryoma, long-time, no-see; how the hell are ya? So listen, I'll be staying here for a few days to check on Momo because he is emotionally scarred and needs me near. Even though you hate me as it is and you probably don't want me here. I'll be rooming with Momo and a large dog named Moose.'
Yeah, that would convince him, she had thought sarcastically.
They soon pulled up and her punch-victim from earlier graciously opened the door. Together he and another helped pull the inebriated Momo out of his seat.
As soon as she stepped out of the car all thoughts of explanation went out the door.
Her first utterly ridiculous thought was that he looked just like he did in the magazines: tan, healthy, arrogant.
It was just so hard to believe. She thought back to when they dated. She thought of the sweet, quiet, slightly cocky youth he used to be. This cold, heartbreakingly handsome man couldn't possibly be that boy.
As she slowly crept closer hoping maybe to sneak through the doors before he noticed her presence, she couldn't tear her eyes from him. It really had been a long time since she had seen Ryoma…she had missed him. Though she was loath to admit it, she had been miserable without him.
She would never tell him though. He didn't deserve to know that she had cried over him. It was his fault their relationship ended.
Though as she saw Moose pounce on Ryoma, she winced, it looked like it hurt; he'd done that to her a few times. She winced again as Momo ran up and started speaking drunken nonsense to him.
But she nearly turned tail and ran when his molten gold gaze turned to her.
She watched wearily as his expression went from shock, to horror, to disgust and full-out rage, all in a few seconds.
Each step she took felt heavy and lead filled; each feeling like one step closer to doom. She got to the staircase and looked up at him; his head high, shoulders squared, a contempt-filled sneer aimed down at her.
"I see Momo picked up some trash on the way here." He mercilessly stated.
She said nothing and kept her gaze downward. "Is Momo's wife coming?" He surprised her by asking.
She quickly looked up to meet his fierce gaze. "N-no she's-"
He turned around and cut her off. "Fine, no need for me to wait around then." He then strolled toward the doorway, just as he was about to enter, he paused and called loudly over his shoulder, seemingly talking to no one.
"Hey Al; the attack dogs aren't still out, are they?" He turned and gave her one last condescending smirk before entering the house and closing the door with a slam.
--
He knew that was childish, but it made him feel better nonetheless.
The dogs weren't really out. And besides with the way they were spoiled they would probably demand belly rubs before they'd ever attack her…
…he wouldn't really let anything hurt her.
Ryoma had felt pretty good looking down at her from the top of those stairs. It may have been sort of accidental, but it helped ease his raging emotions. It was symbolic of the way it should be. She should be looking up at him, while he looked down at her.
But then she had to go and look down. Why couldn't she just look him in the eyes? He hated that, even when they were going out—
He shook his head to clear it. He had to stop his train of thought; his thoughts were traveling towards dangerous territory.
When he turned toward the front room he saw Momo was currently 'sobering up' with a nice hot cup of coffee and a cold washcloth on his head, courtesy of his maids.
He started toward him, fully intending to have a talk with him, specifically about the female that currently stood by the bottom of his staircase.
He didn't get far however before he tripped over the very large and furry mass of a dog laying on his back and blocking the hallway.
He glared at the animal from his no-longer upright position on the floor. "I'm getting a bit sick of you." The Great Dane gave him a toothy grin in response.
He realized he had better things to do than get mad at a dog and was back on his feet and into the front room.
Momo sat slurping the coffee tentatively; one hand gently massaging his temples. He looked up when Ryoma entered the room, his gaze apologetic.
"Sorry man, guess I had a lil' too much t'drink." He mumbled and managed an uneasy grin. There was still a slight slur to his words, but that was the only indication that there currently was to his previously drunken state.
"Ah it's fine. I've gotten drunk on a plane before; it's no big deal." He said bracingly, trying to keep his mind off the person behind the door.
"No, you know me; I'm not normally like this. It's just ever since the wedding…" he broke off and looked around with a sudden panicked clarity. It was like he was seeing where he was for the first time and was scared.
"You okay, Momo?" Ryoma questioned worriedly. "Are you hungry? I could-"
"Where's Sakuno?" He interrupted wildly. He dropped his empty mug, where it bounced harmlessly under the coffee table. He then quickly jumped to his feet, looking around like a mad-man.
Seeing Momo in his crazed state Ryoma could do nothing but answer him truthfully.
"She-She's outside." He said bewilderedly, pointing his thumb in the hitchhiker's position toward the door.
In a second Momo was sprinting toward the entranceway and vaulted over the large dog; that, sensing the commotion, had scrambled to its feet. In another second he had reached the door and wrenched it open. Ryoma followed quickly behind him, confusion clearly etched on his face.
--
He was lying.
She just knew he was lying about the attack dogs.
…She had climbed up the tree for purely recreational purposes.
Or that was her excuse when Momo and Ryoma suddenly flew out of the house looking like bats out of hell.
Sakuno had felt undignified while she was clawing up the tree with peach-painted nails and bare-feet (she obviously wasn't going to climb in heels, besides they might distract the dogs --if they really existed that is). But when they showed up and saw her looking like a reject squirrel with her legs trembling and her arms locked around the young oak on the front lawn, she felt she had hit a new low.
She forgot her embarrassment when Momo sprinted up to the tree and practically ripped her out. She would have scolded him for it if he hadn't crushed her to his chest and let out a strangled sob.
In that instant she felt horribly guilty. She was here for Momo after all, but in all the excitement of seeing Ryoma again she had forgotten that. She was worrying about her own problems while poor Momo was still suffering emotional trauma.
She wriggled in his grasp until she could free one of her arms and she rubbed his back in soothing circles.
"Sorry, I should have warned you that I…was staying back to help the man with the bags. I wouldn't leave you Momo."
"S'okay." He mumbled in response. He then released her from his grasp until he held only her hand, which he kept a very firm grip on.
--
When he had first run out the door and seen Sakuno half-way up the oak on his front lawn, he had to resist the urge to laugh.
But that urge dissipated when Momo ran up and yanked her down like he was harvesting fruit. If that wasn't weird enough he then squashed her against him and started crying! Ryoma was extremely confused.
But when Sakuno started rubbing his back and speaking to him in that soft voice of hers, he felt an old surge of jealousy.
Then they stood up and were holding hands, he could barely control himself. He marched up and snatched Sakuno's free hand and began to yank her toward the house. He desperately tried to ignore the jolt of electricity that seemed to spark up his arm the moment he touched her.
Sakuno was surprised at how soft his grip still was even after all the years he'd been playing tennis. She tried to suppress the blush that rose to her cheeks.
"Momo will you please give Sakuno and I a minute alone?" Ryoma said before shooting him a vicious glare.
To his annoyance Momo completely ignored him and instead looked at Sakuno with that panicked look that he had on earlier. She nodded her head in response and started reassuring Momo that she would indeed be back in a few minutes—he could even watch them. She promised that she and he wouldn't go anywhere without consulting Momo first.
Momo relented nervously and finally released his vice grip on Sakuno's hand. Ryoma then continued to yank her angrily toward the door until they were out of Momo's hearing range.
"What the hell is going on here?" He snarled in a stage whisper, not wanting Momo to hear them talking despite their distance. "What's wrong with Momo?"
She looked pensive for a minute. "Momo is a bit…unstable right now. He really needs his best friend." She threw him what she hoped was a winning smile but he continued his angry glare down at her.
Honestly he didn't know what else to do. His emotions were going haywire as it was, with her showing up and sending his head into overdrive. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact she was here at his house, standing right next to him. It seemed like a dream…
…But it wasn't for him obviously, it was for Momo.
He grimaced at the bitter taste he suddenly had in his mouth.
"What happened?" He grumbled.
She hesitated for a second before she gave him a very careful reply. "He…he was left at the alter by …you know…" She trailed off, feeling unable to break the taboo they had placed over her name in the past few weeks.
Ryoma faced twisted into pure shock. "What? ...How did that happen? ...I mean they were all over each other when I last saw them…" he didn't even notice when he grabbed Sakuno's other hand and pulled her closer.
She blushed and looked down, not wanting to meet his eyes. "She said that she just couldn't marry him. Momo was devastated. I comforted him after she first left and he kind of…" She hesitated again. "…Attached him self to me. That's why Eiji and everyone suggested that we come here so Momo could get away from things and see you, his best friend."
His eyes darkened as he listened to her explanation, by the time she was finished his lips twisted into a bitter smile. "She…left him?" He questioned, with a morbid expression. "That must have been horrible." He pulled away from her quickly and sauntered toward Momo. "I imagine he's been in pain."
Sakuno continued to stare down at the ground and withdrew into herself.
--
Ryoma immediately took Momo under his wing; he dragged his best friend everywhere he went. His was driven by nothing more than the desire to ease his best friend's mind away from the sorrow of loss.
Unfortunately in doing this Ryoma had to spend time with the woman who left him.
He didn't appreciate this horrid twist of fate and dealt with it accordingly; he ignored her totally. That was the way things were unfolding when his manager walked into the fancy five star restaurant at which they were dining. Sakuno was hiding in a corner, trying to be inconspicuous, while Momo was making that very difficult with the way he kept throwing her nervous looks from a table away where he and Ryoma sat. Ryoma was ignoring them both and hiding behind a pair of very large sunglasses to keep people from recognizing him. The glasses were tipped to the edge of his nose while he looked over the menu with a critical eye. When he heard his name being called he quickly flipped the glasses up and looked around angrily.
Bobby gave him a curious look. "Why are you incognito? You doing something shady? I warned you to consult me before you pulled some publicity stunt again."
Ryoma gave him an angry glare before yanking his manager down into the empty chair next to him. "Shut up, I don't want anybody bothering my guest." He then gestured toward Momo who gave the man nervous sort of wave and glanced backward for the millionth time that day.
Ryoma was ready to smack him. He considered himself a patient man but he had been pushed well past his limits today—and it was only their first day here!
He was exhausted from forcibly dragging the reluctant Momo everywhere he went and he was emotionally spent from having to deal with Sakuno's reappearance.
"Hey Momo, how was the wedd-" Bobby started with a friendly tone.
Ryoma, despite his exhaustion whipped around and smacked his hand over Bobby's mouth and repeated himself. "I said I don't want anybody bothering my guest." He gave him the chilling look that he usually reserved for the paparazzi.
Bobby, who had an increasingly red handprint blooming across his jaw, glared at Ryoma and answered tersely.
"Fine, when you're ready to talk business, I'll be over there." He raised himself from his seat and stalked darkly over to a table in the corner.
When he saw who was sitting at the table however, his blood ran cold. He carefully approached Sakuno with impending dread. She happened to look up as he was approaching and her gaze twisted into one of irritation.
'Yeah well the feeling's mutual, bitch.' He thought, plastering a smirk on his face.
He strolled up and sat down at the table like he owned the restaurant. "What are you doing here? I thought Ryoma dumped your ass out on the curb." He said in perfect Japanese, while signaling to a waitress and ordering a drink.
"Well, what are you doing here? I thought Ryoma fired you and got some other 'no-talent hack' for a manager." She answered back in a vicious whisper, trying to keep their conversation private.
He answered with a harsh laugh. "Ha! Who told you that? Ryoma's daddy?" After he said this, her eyes widened. Then Sakuno's whole body seemed to stiffen with rage.
"I don't have to listen to this." She stated in a low voice, more to herself than anyone. She then made to leave as the waitress came with his steaming cup of tea.
He grabbed her wrist before she could escape. "Don't leave darling, I didn't mean it." He murmured coolly as the waitress set the cup on the table. Sakuno gave him a fake smile as the waitress fixed them with an apprehensive stare.
When the worker left she tried to yank her arm free of his. "Let go of me now before I…I-" She started unsurely.
"You'll listen to me." He said with a hostile look. She stopped struggling and he gave an inward cheer at her submissive nature. "Now, I don't know what the hell happened and I really don't care, but if you don't want any trouble… you better go back where you came from."
Her eyes widened and she smacked his hand away. "You can't tell me what to do…I'll leave when Momo wants me to."
Bobby watched as she walked up to Momo and Ryoma's table and whispered something in Momo's ear. The prince ignored her and diverted his attention toward his drink. Momo nodded his head slowly in response to whatever she had said and stared after her as she headed toward the ladies' restroom.
Though the tennis superstar continued his silent treatment well after she disappeared, Bob couldn't help but notice the way Ryoma ran a hand roughly through his hair.
--
When Sakuno returned and entertained Momo briefly, Ryoma snuck over to Bobby's table. He started by apologizing and explaining the whole situation to him. When he was finished, he gathered up Sakuno and Momo into his limo and they traveled elsewhere. To whatever destination would help take Momo's mind off of the disaster that was his love-life.
It made Bob feel physically ill at the thought. He had worked years to get where he was now. He plotted and schemed his way to the top and he'd be damned if he was going to give it up just because some low-life, wimp-friend of Ryoma couldn't hold a woman on his own.
Bob didn't like this. He had come too far, worked to hard, to be stopped now. He would not loose his control of Ryoma, not because of some little bitch from Japan. Ryoma simply needed to be reminded of the reason why he now hated Sakuno. That's all.
He knew how he could do just that.
--
As soon as he walked through the door to his house he was very nearly trounced by the large dog that was currently residing in his home. Ryoma was able to dodge at the last moment only to find the he wasn't the dog's target.
The canine skidded to a halt right in front of Sakuno and barked happily as she bent down and enveloped the large animal in a hug.
"Wait…that monster is yours?" He questioned, momentarily forgetting that he was in the middle of shunning her.
"Yep!" She chirped happily. "This is my little Moose." She then looked down at the Great Dane with a stern air. "Moose," the dog gave her his full attention. "Sit." Sure enough he plopped down on his rear end and watched her for further orders. She fell to her knees and kissed him on the head. "Good boy." She cooed happily.
"That thing is anything but little." he chuckled despite himself. That lummox was bigger than her; he didn't see how she could control him.
She laughed with him, "I guess, but I remember when he was just a puppy—he was the runt of the litter," She turned back to him and gave him a fond scratch behind the ears. "And now he's the biggest."
"How long have you had him?" Ryoma reached out and patted Moose on the head. He was kind of cute when he wasn't sitting on top of you or tripping you.
"Uhm…" She hesitated. Should she tell him? "Momo got him for me…around three years ago." She chickened out.
"Yeah? How come? Birthday present?" He couldn't help but ask. Why was Momo getting her gifts? Jealousy burned hot in his chest.
"Because..." Here was a chance to redeem herself. "…just because." She said with a smile.
'I'm a coward.' She thought bitterly.
"So where are we sleeping tonight?" Momo questioned cheerfully, making them both jump.
Ryoma grumbled. He had forgotten Momo was even there. "You know where your usual room is Momo; your bags are probably up there already. And Sakuno-" he found he had to repress a shudder as he said her name for the first time in years. He had to forget how much he loved the way her name tasted on his lips. "-you're probably in one of the female guest bedrooms; I'll ask Al."
He completely missed the way both Sakuno's and Momo's eyes widened and how Momo suddenly froze on the spot in fear.
"Ryoma." She said a little frantically. "Wait, can I talk to you a second?"
He didn't miss her tone and looked at her in question. "Sure, what is it?" He mentally smacked himself afterward for how concerned he sounded.
She leaned in closer, giving him a look that begged him for patience and understanding. "You see Momo and me…uh…he's needed me for emotional support…at …his house."
He didn't like where this was going. "So…?" He questioned with gritted teeth.
"So…we've sort of slept…in the same bed." She finished with a pleading look.
--
He still remembered it like it was yesterday.
Things were a little slow for Bob. He hadn't been able to find a real client with some sort of spark—someone who could really draw a crowd. He had been walking through the park. What else was he supposed to do on a Saturday with no work?
He was passing by the tennis courts. This was a new route for him, he usually hated being near any sort of sport. He was still bitter toward the jocks that had pelted kick balls at his groin during a rousing game of dodge ball in middle school.
But that day, as he would later tell reporters, fate seemed to draw him toward the courts. That was when he first laid eyes on Ryoma Echizen.
He saw the good looks and well proportioned body, this was the thing that drew him in—hey, it was his job to find beautiful, talented people. So he walked over to a park bench just outside the court to watch this kid waste his friends, most of who looked to be twice his size and strength. He saw the cocky smirk and heard the snide remarks he put forth when challenging an opponent.
This kid was gold.
He was half drooling when a tennis ball bounced out of bounds and rolled toward his feet.
"A little help?" The boy had called to him. He even had a voice like an angel; he could do nothing but stare, amazed at this fantastic find.
He walked up to Bob and picked up the ball himself with a disgruntled look on his face. "Thanks for nothing." He said with a glare and started to walk away.
"Wait, kid, could I talk to you for a minute?" he had hurriedly called to him.
"Sorry, I only speak Japanese." He said in perfectly clear English. Bob jumped to his feet and started to follow him despite himself.
"Ha ha! You're a funny guy. And I noticed you're also pretty good at tennis…how would you like to be famous?"
The boy turned to him curiously. "Famous, huh? And here I thought you'd lure me into a van with candy."
He gave a loud laugh, trying to be friendly. "I like your style kid. You got a name?"
"Ryoma Echizen." The foreign-ness of his name threw Bob off at first. Then he thought about the promise this boy showed. He could reach out to a global market. He could have this kid's face on billboards everywhere.
"Nice, classy. Japanese you said? I like it. You have a manager?" He asked with a broad grin on his face, excited for the potential of the situation. With Ryoma at his side, the possibilities were endless.
"Nope, and I don't want one." His blatant refusal spun Bob's head the other way for a second.
"Excuse me?" He begged, while trying to keep the incredulity out of his voice.
"I don't want a manager, and I don't want to be famous." With that he strolled easily back to the courts. Not even bothered by the fact that he had carelessly stomped all over a man's dreams.
Well one doesn't simply say 'no' to Robert Smith and go on their merry way. And Bob wasn't going to give up on this kid.
So he began the stalking of Ryoma. He didn't regret it—it was all part of the job. If you didn't follow around your clients…how would you know how to blackmail them into service?
One day in the park, while he was watching Ryoma once again effectively pound his college buddies into the ground at tennis, he amused himself with adjusting the blond wig atop his head and playing with the track suit he had stuffed himself in.
That was when he first heard something miraculous—a music ringtone echoing from Ryoma's gym bag. He watched as Ryoma whirled on the spot from his position on the court, immediately excusing himself, and sprinted over to the gym bag. He saw as the future star dug through the bag for a few frantic seconds until he found his small silver phone and flipped it open to answer it.
Bob couldn't really hear the conversation that followed, but he didn't need to. He had found the thing he needed to 'convince' Ryoma join him. He could tell he did the moment Ryoma answered the phone with a cheerful 'hello, my love'.
So he waited for the perfect moment, which came one day when Ryoma went with his friends to the gym and left his bag open in the locker room. He immediately took the opportunity and slipped the phone out and into his own pocket and sneaking just outside the gym.
He saw that he was correct about Ryoma having a cute little girlfriend as soon as he opened the phone. There pasted on the background was a picture of a petite, auburn haired woman kissing Ryoma on the cheek as he apparently took the picture.
Then he became aware of the fact that it contained no English writing whatsoever. He was more than slightly dismayed (that day he vowed he would learn to speak Japanese). So instead he pathetically clicked around on the many buttons, hoping they would magically lead him to the woman that had apparently captured Ryoma's heart. As luck would have it, the phone did indeed ring and he hurriedly answered, praying that his wish would come true.
"Echizen?" Came the soft, but very distinctly male voice.
"Hi may I ask who is calling?" He questioned, deciding to take advantage of the situation.
"Fuji Shusuke. I sorry, do I have…wrong numbuh?" The young man asked politely in broken English.
"No, uh, I'm a friend of …Ryoma…Bobby Smith is my name." He lied easily— they weren't friends... yet.
"I understand." He said. That was easy…too easy.
"I'm just holding his phone for him." He elaborated.
"Okay." He answered once again; his unassuming tone was really getting to Robert.
"He's playing tennis, you see, and he asked me to hold it for him." He insisted. This guy probably didn't even understand him; he didn't see why he was saying all of this to him.
"He like tennis." The boy responded soothingly.
"Are you and Ryoma close friends?" He questioned, wanting to change the subject.
"Close…? No, he have…friend girl." Fuji seemed to struggle over the phone.
"Friend girl…oh, you mean girl friend? What's her name?" He questioned excitedly. This was better than he could ever hope for; Ryoma's friend was inadvertently leading him to his long sought-after prize.
"Sakuno Ryuzaki."
--
Fuji was in the process of visiting America on…business. He had called Ryoma and invited him to hang out. Ryoma said he would be at the gym in the morning, but would be readily available after lunch. Fuji decided to surprise him by coming to visit the gym.
As soon as he got there he saw something suspicious. Funny, how trouble always seemed to follow Ryoma. He watched as a blonde man, clearly disguised in a fake mustache, rifled through Ryoma's gym bag and took out his small silver phone. He then snuck out of the gym locker room, opened it, and started clicking buttons.
Fuji decided to mess with him.
He called Ryoma's cell number with his own phone and pretended to speak bad English. The man seemed a bit jumpy, so he waited until he let something slip. He did and Fuji was shocked to find that he was the manager Robert 'Bobby' Smith.
Just the man who Fuji had been looking for.
Ryoma had told him about his earlier encounter with the man 'who wanted to make him famous' and Fuji had been startled. He had worked with Robert Smith in the past—he was suspicious of his intentions. Sure enough, here the man was sneaking around to get info on Ryoma. The guy seemed overly excited when he mentioned Ryoma having a girl friend. He had thrown Sakuno's name out carelessly, thinking that she was safe as she was currently thousands of miles away on the other side of the planet.
He would come to regret his carelessness in the years that followed.
--
Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis/Tennis no Oujisama. I don't Own Devil's Dance Floor by Flogging Molly (I love this song!)
--
A/n: Well, what do you think? The plot unfurls! What did Bobby do? What about Fuji? Where will Sakuno sleep? Will Moose ever catch his tail? Tune in next time to- Okay, okay I'll stop.
But yeah…are things becoming clearer? I hope you're excited for more!
Bobby is a jerk, sorry to those who liked him…he's not a nice person. And Fuji…well he's a bit suspicious… but he always was. You all raving for more? Tell me what you think!! I want Reviews! I want critique!! Wahh! Give me criticism! I beg of you!