Threads to Life Chapter 28: The Seventh Sin, a Prince of Tennis + Gakuen Alice Crossover fanfic

Hye! I am back with the new chapter! I hope you like it… domo… ^^

guest - Yep, this is going to be his first kiss. I know alright... well, you'll know the continuation of this demanding kiss... This is the next chapter. Domo... ^^

Chapter 28: The Seventh Sin

Chapter Summary: She wasn't expecting it. She wasn't expecting that he could do that. Now she was… shocked.

"I want you to kiss me."

That one sentence sounded like a bomb being exploded and heard to her ears. The mermaid wanted him to kiss her. She wanted Ryoma to kiss her. She was not the only one who was shocked at the mermaid's words.

Even the tennis prodigy was visibly shocked at her words.

"Lucky!" Eiji suddenly glomped at him ruffling his head in the process, "You are getting older, Ochibi!"

"Senpai," He said trying to get out from him, "let go of me!"

To make matters worse, Momo joined his senpai and started teasing him, "A kiss to a mermaid. Ah, so young, so young."

"Cut it out!" He retorted. He was actually blushing but not noticeable to anyone.

…Except for her.

As she observed him, she could see him blushing from where she was standing. He was capable of doing that. He was being teased by his senpais no wonder that he would react like that. She looked away trying not to think something.

Fuji and Hotaru saw what she just did. Both of them looked at each other as the former shrugged as if he was saying something in his mind, like something interesting was about to happen.

"Ryoma-kun…" Flameshe called his attention, "Can't you do it to your savior?" She asked acting sweetly in front of them… in front of him.

Ryoma looked at her with bewilderment.

"It's only a kiss." She continued placing a finger near to her lips.

Sakuno heard that even though she was not looking. Not really aware of it, she gripped her hands really tight. D-don't do it. Don't do it. Please… he's not going to do it. She mentally hoped as she was still looking down.

"Fine."

Her eyes widened when she heard that. He said it very low but she could hear him and bet the others were too. Momo and Eiji rejoiced and clung on him even more. Flameshe beamed in happiness as well. She wasn't looking at them but she knew that the mermaid was looking at her.

"Let's go to the cottage." Ryoma said after a few seconds of teasing and such.

"Can't we do it here?" Flameshe asked him.

Ryoma just pinned his hat down ignoring the others' tease and annoying words, "I hate PDAs."

As usual, the others began to annoy him. The mermaid agreed to his request. Mikan on the other hand, placed a hand to Sakuno's shoulder. She only gave her an assuring smile but she wasn't looking at them still.

"Carry me to the cottage, Ryoma-kun." The mermaid said stretching her arms wide to him.

Ryoma didn't say anything as he walked closer to the mermaid and swept her off her feet—err—fins, "Wait for me back to the inn." Was all he said before he walked on his way to the cottage carrying the mermaid in his arms.

Sakuno took a glance at them and she couldn't help but feel sad about it. Ryoma didn't look her way at all. She was really nothing to him and she just realized that.

"Sakuno."

She looked at Mikan who was just beside her.

"Let's go back to the inn. Ryoma-san will be back. Don't worry." She said holding her to her hand and pulled her to a walk.

She let her pull her on their way back to the inn. She must not felt it but she did feel heavy all over. In a glimpse of an eye, she felt left behind and she hated that feeling.

Later on:

The people who left behind were being told about Ryoma's whereabouts by them. Kokoroyomi kept saying their thoughts even though they didn't plan to. Even Sakuno didn't want to hear it; the mind reader blurted it out to them.

…About the kiss that he was going to give to the mermaid as a thank you gift.

"Are you okay?"

Sakuno looked at the person standing behind her. She was viewing the harbor from the window of the inn and she was sitting on a rock near the window. The view was beautiful but she couldn't appreciate the scene in front of her for she was distracted.

Ruka came into the view and she gave the boy a smile.

"I am fine."

Ruka walked near the window and looked outside. He was carrying the rabbit at that time as well, "You don't have to force yourself."

"Eh?" She stared at him just to see how serious his expression was.

"You are affected," He said narrowing his eyes as he looked far away, "about the whole situation."

"…"

"I could see it as they told us the whole story."

"Ne, Ruka-kun…"

The blonde boy faced her this time, "What is it?"

"Can I…" She started as she pointed out something, "…touch him?"

"E?" He blinked his eyes twice as he looked down.

She was pointing at his pet rabbit.

"S-sure." He nodded before he gave her his rabbit.

Sakuno placed the rabbit on her lap and started to brush its fur. She had been doing that for quite some time and she even smiled as she was doing that.

"I am…" She suddenly said, "affected but I am used to it."

"…"

"I was never given attention by him since then actually," She explained as she continued brushing the rabbit's fur, "I was a mere acquaintance to him."

"I don't think that's the case..."

She shook her head before he could say more.

"He wouldn't if it wasn't for the stone," She smiled bitterly at that thought, "He was never interested at anything unless it's about tennis."

"…"

"I bet when everything is over he would go back to the way he is," She continued saying her thoughts to him, "A tennis freak I say." She was able to chuckle after she said that.

"Ryuzaki-san…"

She looked up and closed her eyes in the process, "I am okay. When that time comes, I'll be cheering him again… just like before."

"You are really something, don't you know that?" Ruka said after a series of silence.

"W-what do you mean?" She said opening her eyes in the process.

"No wonder they look up to you."

Sakuno blinked for a few times. She didn't quite understand what Ruka was telling her. She tried asking him for a simple explanation but Ruka kept saying the same thing.

They were in that situation when the fire alice user was standing not far from them. He could see their expressions that they were showing to each other.

…Especially his best friend.

He knew that look. If only she wasn't feeling anything to the other guy, he would have persuaded his best friend to her. But things were complicated as of now and he knew that Ruka was not that stupid to do reckless things or actions towards her.

He was still forgiving after all this.

Closing his eyes in the process, he brought down his arms from his chest and started leaving the area. Ruka was right anyway. The girl was really something… even to him.

Later on:

She didn't know how long she had been sitting on her bed after she waved goodnight to Ruka that day. It had been hours but Ryoma hadn't come back from the forest-caged place.

Did a kiss would take hours?

Not that she cared about it. Ryoma could kiss whoever he wanted. But why was she feeling… upset about it? Did he feel the same when she was forced to kiss Natsume by the pheromone alice's order? That did not happen though because Mikan saved her.

But there was no Mikan to save him this time.

She didn't like what she was feeling at that moment. He was with the mermaid. She remembered what Gilbert said to them. Mermaids were tricky creatures. What if the mermaid was just tricking him? What if she saved his life? That didn't mean mermaids weren't tricky at all.

She gripped her hands that were resting on her lap. Her thoughts were drifting her to somewhere else. Her stare was on the ground but it wasn't really there.

I really want to go home now. I miss Tomoka-chan. I miss Obaa-chan. I miss everyone who's left in Seigaku. I want my old life back. I want to be a normal student again. I want to cheer for the team from the fence. I want to…

"Ryuzaki!"

She blinked twice as she looked ahead. Ryoma was in front of her holding her to her shoulder, frowning at her, "R-Ryoma-kun?" She asked as if trying to see if he was real or not.

"Hn," He nodded as he stood up and sat beside her, "I was knocking on the door but you weren't answering me."

"G-gomen," She said as she looked down, "I… I didn't notice…"

"Why aren't you sleeping yet?" He asked not looking away from her.

"I… I couldn't sleep."

"Were you waiting for me then?"

"W-why would I wait for you?" She asked back looking away from him. She didn't see Ryoma's reaction after that. He did not say anything for a few seconds until he caught her attention.

"Do you want to know what happened in the cottage, don't you?"

Her eyes widened when he said that. Did she really want to know? What if it something that she wouldn't like? "I don't."

"I'll tell you anyway."

"Ryoma-kun, I told you—"

"I didn't do it."

"Eh?"

"The kiss," He said looking straight at her, "I didn't kiss her."

She looked at him still wide eyed. Did she hear him right? Ryoma didn't kiss her. He didn't kiss the mermaid. How?

"She kissed something." As if he read her mind, he just went along and started telling her his tale.

Flashback:

He placed her in front of the bed that he thought was her sleeping comfort. The cottage was filled with holes where the wind could enter. It was also designed with pearls and clams that shone whenever they were being reflected by the sun's light. The cottage was pretty shiny at his eyes.

"Ryoma-kun," Flameshe called smiling at him in the process, "thank you for granting my request."

"Hn," He said sitting beside her but he was not looking at her. He was looking at the four corners of the wall, "You saved my life in the first place."

"Ne, Ryoma-kun. Who is the girl again? The one with the ridiculous long braids?" Flameshe suddenly asked him.

He looked at her, "Her name's Ryuzaki," He noticed it. The way she described the girl was something off. He knew that she didn't like Ryuzaki at all, "She's my schoolmate."

"Really?" She said as if she doubted his words, "She's ordinary, she doesn't pass my taste."

"What do you mean?" He frowned at her words.

"To be a fine lady," She said as she flipped her hair to her side, "She doesn't deserve to be with you."

Somehow, he didn't like what she said about her. The mermaid kept ranting negative thoughts about her but he was not really listening to her at all.

"Let's forget about her and give me my reward," Flameshe said as she leaned closer to him. She was blushing as she stared at him, "Kiss me now, Ryoma-kun."

If he was panicking a few seconds ago, he was not feeling anything now at all. He looked around and spotted something then an idea came to his mind, "Matte." He immediately said raising his hand in front of them.

"What?" She asked a little irritated.

"Would it be better if you close your eyes first?" He said.

She frowned this time, "Why would I do that?"

He shrugged as he tried to say something, "Mostly, people close their eyes for the sake of kissing."

"I am not a person, I am mermaid." Flameshe said crossing her arms to her chest.

He raised his eyebrow and looked at her, "I am a person and I am the one who's going to kiss you."

The mermaid thought of it before she rolled her eyes, "Fine. I'll do it." She closed her eyes and leaned closer once again, "Do it longer okay."

Ryoma smirked when she did that, "Ten seconds maybe," He looked to his side and then grabbed it, "Here goes nothing." He placed the thing to her lips and she made contact to that with her lips. The mermaid blushed as he did that and he couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.

Hearing him chuckling, Flameshe opened her eyes. Her pupils stared at the thing that she was kissing. She paled when she recognized what it was.

It was an octopus, smaller size than the squid. She shrieked as she pushed it away from her.

"W-what do you think you were doing?" She said brushing her lips roughly.

Ryoma pulled the octopus away from them and placed it back to the rock, "Kissing, of course."

"That was disgusting!" She said glaring at him, "How rude of you!"

Ryoma stood up as he walked a few steps away from her, "If I remember it correctly, I was not the one who was rude here first."

"What?!"

"You saved me and I am thankful of that," He said looking at her sideways, "but I couldn't let you mock Ryuzaki like that."

Flasmeshe's eyes widened as she was starting to rage due to frustration, "This was all for her? I can't believe you!"

"You said that she didn't pass to be a fine lady to you," He said walking away from her, "She's more than one that you are."

"What did you say?!" The mermaid was really furious as she was shouting at him.

Ryoma waved his hand as he didn't look back at her, "Ja, Flamseshe-san. Thank you again." The mermaid was still shouting at him but he ignored her. There was no way he would give his first kiss to a mermaid especially to a high and mighty mermaid.

"That was what happened." Ryoma said telling her the whole story.

She nodded when she heard the story. Now that she heard everything from him, she felt like a needle was being pulled out inside her. She felt rather… relieved.

"So there's nothing to be jealous about."

She nodded once again only to realize what he just said, "E-eh?"

Ryoma smirked this time, "That you are jealous of her."

Red paint suddenly appeared to her face, "I… I am not! W-why would I be jealous?"

"…Because I am going to kiss her."

She held her breath when he said that. He never failed to make her feel embarrassed in front of him, "I-it's not my business to begin with," She looked down where her hands were still resting on her lap, "R-Ryoma-kun can kiss anyone he likes. It has got nothing to do with me."

"It does."

She closed her eyes, "It doesn't." Seriously, why were they talking about that kind of stuff anyway?

"It does," he repeated raising a hand and reached for her chin making her blush even more in the process, "I will kiss the only one that I like."

Her eyes widened as she looked at him. His amber eyes were seriously looking straight at her. If her eyes could make them even bigger, she would have done it. Ryoma was slowly leaning closer to her face…

He was closed enough to—

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Echizen, Ryuzaki-san, are you two there still awake?"

Both of them flinched when they heard someone knocking and speaking behind the door. Ryoma, out of reflexes, extended his hand and used his second alice to open the door abruptly.

"K-Kokoroyomi-san!" She looked at the door with a surprised expression. Half of her was relieved that Kokoroyomi interrupted them and half of her was a little disappointed that it didn't happen.

"Oh, oh!" Kokoroyomi said staring at them, "I am sorry! I interrupted something that I shouldn't have interrupted."

"I-it's not what you think!" She said trying to reason out to him, "W-we were just… we were just…"

Ryoma, without saying another word, stood up and walked near the mind reading alice user. Sakuno was lost of words when he started to move.

"I am going. My message can wait tomorrow—"

"Leave." He shortly said before he slammed the door shut in his face.

"R-Ryoma-kun!" She stood up when he did that, "T-that was awfully rude!"

"Ne…"

"w-what is it?"

"He's been thinking about it," He said still facing the closed door, "I want to do it."

"E-eh?"

"I want to kiss you."

Her eyes widened as she blushed once again, "E-eeeh!" She started to panic when Ryoma turned around and was seriously facing her.

"Let's kiss."

Her heart started to pound irregularly. She flailed her hands beside her as she couldn't look at him, "W-what are you saying, R-Ryoma-kun? S-stop teasing me! I… I…"

He walked closer to her making her panic even more. "I am not teasing you. I mean it."

She held her breath when he said it to her. She blinked her eyes for several times, "W-we are still young, y-you know," She whispered as low as possible, "I… I am only twelve."

"So what, I am also twelve," He said standing in front of her, "We're close at thirteen."

"I—I told you that w-we are still young."

"It's only a kiss."

She was running out of alibis. Why was it easy for him to say those things to her? Ryoma was the one asking so she couldn't help but panic about it, "B-but—" She took one step backward but Ryoma grabbed her wrist and pulled her back near him.

"I told you before that I'll be the one to take it," He said tipping her chin like what he did a while ago, "and I am taking it now."

She didn't know what to do. Would she say something? Anything? But what could she do? He was standing in front of her. His hand was on her chin tilting her head up. His other hand was still holding her wrist. His eyes were just staring straight at hers. She knew she couldn't breathe and she was aware that her lips were slightly opened. Then he leaned closer and pressed his lips to hers.

Gasp was slightly audible as her eyes widened. Even she knew that he was going to kiss her, the impact was still too much on her. Was this what everyone called the butterflies in the stomach? She felt something new that she was feeling at that moment. He was just pressing his lips to hers and was not moving at all but he was taking too long to do it… not until he broke it himself.

"How was that?" He said gently placing a hand to her cheek.

Her heart was still pounding and she didn't know what to say but then she remembered something. Before she could even stop herself, her words beat her to it;

"Tasted like… ponta."

Ryoma stared at her for a few seconds before he left out a chuckle. Sakuno blinked twice despite the blush and panicky behavior. He then dropped his hand and went to the bed.

"I drank a can of ponta before I went here," He sat as he looked at her, "I already told them what I told you a while ago."

"Y-you did." She was able to say that.

He nodded and he yawned afterwards, "I am sleepy," He said lying down in the process, "Ne, Ryuzaki, let's sleep now."

"W-what?" She eyed him positioning himself to 'his' side of the bed and tapped the side which was for her.

"Come on, sleep beside me, as If we never shared a bed before."

She bit her lower lip. Ryoma was getting used at sleeping with her in any bed. Breathing deeply, she walked closer to the bed and crawled to her side. She lied down next to him but she wasn't positioning herself properly yet when he pulled her closer to him.

"R-Ryoma-kun!" Blush was visibly to her face as her face was leaning to his chest.

"Relax, I am not going to do anything." He said tightening his hug on her.

Her eyes widened when he said that. He was not doing anything? What was he doing right now? Ryoma had a different definition to that. Even so, a smile was brought to her face despite the blush and gripped his shirt.

"Arigatou…" She whispered before she closed her eyes. She was not able to see Ryoma's reaction after that.

The Next Day:

Sakuno woke up alone on the bed. Rubbing her eyes, she slowly stood up and looked around. Then a memory was immediately returned to her brain. She felt hot all over when she remembered everything.

Ryoma kissed her… for the first time.

It was her first kiss and he was the one to do it.

Her noisy heart was still disturbing her inside her chest. The butterflies were still there as well. She unconsciously touched her lips thinking that it would calm her down but she couldn't.

"Mou!" She said as she buried her face to the blanket. She didn't know how to face Ryoma when she met him outside.

xxx

She decided to leave the room and went downstairs. They were all sitting in front of the table. It seemed that they were talking something important. She spotted Ryoma sitting next to Natsume. When their eyes met, she immediately looked away and blushed at the same time.

"Ah, Ryuzaki-chan!" Momo called out to her, waving his hand in the process, "Come here, come here!"

Sakuno shyly walked to the table and looked at them. Despite the blush, she took the courage to sit to Ryoma's other side, "W-what are you talking about, senpai?"

The rest looked at each other before Momo grinned at her and said;

"Echizen here found the seventh sin."

"E-eh?" Due to shock she was able to look at him. Ryoma was just silently sitting on the chair with his eyes closed.

"We are so close of completing all the stones, Sakuno," Mikan said looking at her, "You can finally be saved."

Sakuno felt a new hope building inside her. She knew that they were close to finishing their journey. Once they finished their journey, she would be spared from danger and it was all thanks to her friends from both worlds.

"But we still have one more problem." Fuji said getting serious all of the sudden.

"What do you mean, Fujiko-chan?"

Fuji looked at Eiji and explained something to him, "Ryuzaki-chan, if ever she gets the last sin. She only has six."

"Ah, right," Momo reacted as he remembered, "That Reo guy got one magical stone."

"That's why we should make a plan after that," Tsubasa looking at each of them, "We will be facing the voice pheromone whether we like it or not."

The rest of them decided to remain silent, probably thinking the same thing. Sakuno was the most nervous one but she knew that they would solve it.

They would think of something without facing more dangers in the future.

And they would start the final mission after they got the seventh sin.

Done! How was this chapter? Tee hee hee… Finally! They did it! Well, they are pretty close at finding the last sin, find that out soon… domo…

Reviews please! I need to know your thoughts. Onegaishimasu!

Next Chapter: Trust and Betrayal