I sit straight up in my bed, my eyes wide open. A rare occurrence for me. My breathing was heavy, and I thanked everything holy that my cat had woken me up, and not my dad.

I shuddered. If Oyaji had any idea I was having dreams like that I'd never live it down. And although I liked them, even though I'd never admit it to anyone else, it made it hard to face her in the hall when I'd dreamt, not two hours ago, of her barely clothed and underneath me.

I place a hand against my burning cheek and throw the covers off of me. It seemed like a cold shower was in order.

"Do your best, Ryoma-kun!"

I pull the brim of my hat down. It's not that I couldn't play, if she wasn't there, I just liked it better when she was.

The game ended and I turned, glancing at the crowd as I walked back to the bench. She was still there, clinging to the fence and cheering for my win, twin braids bouncing like she was still twelve.

We were done for the day, and we all headed for the showers. I didn't bother, and simply changed into my school uniform. I hadn't broken a sweat. Mada mada dane...

It was when I stepped out that I saw it, for the first time. There was a boy, obviously older than her, probably about nineteen, and he was flirting with her. They were laughing and talking, she was grinning in a way that lit up her entire face. He held out his arm and bowed. She laughed, curtsied, and took it. And they headed out the front gate.

I had stood there in shock. Who on earth was he? Why was she leaving with him? I refused to believe she was dating him.

And then I saw him every day. He was there every afternoon, to walk her home, and had been for the last two weeks. I was leaning against the wall, glaring at them as they walked away arm in arm, and then that stupid flirt Momo-senpai saw me. He was there to drag me to lunch with him.

"You like her, don't you?" The bastard was grinning.

"Shut up."

"You like her, and now she has a boyfriend, and you don't know what to do with yourself, right?"

"Shut up."

"Is she ignoring you now? I bet she is."

She wasn't, actually. She still came to my games. And she cheered for me. But, now that I thought of it, she hadn't done anything else in years. And cheering for your favorite tennis player was different than cheering for your crush. I realized I had no idea how she felt about me.

I kept quiet, and he took that as an invitation to scold me. Going on and on about my lack of girlfriend, or initiative. By the time we'd gotten to the restaurant I'd effectively blocked him out.

"You should steal her away from him."

Until he said that.

I had to admit, the idea was severely tempting. All kinds of scenarios, better fit for a romance novel or a soap opera ran through my head. But in the end I knew that was stupid. The most realistic one I'd thought up had her laughing and saying "You're only interested because you're jealous." Before she decided it didn't matter. It was true, of course. Not that that was why I was interested, but why I'd even try. I had grown secure in the illusion that she had a crush on me, never thinking that she could grow out of it in four years.

I bite the inside of my cheek and block him out again. It didn't matter what he thought.

­

"Sakuno-chan?"

"Hai?"

"Who's that guy at your school, he one with the hat? He keeps glaring at me."

Sakuno looked up from her book. "You don't mean Ryoma-kun?"

"I think that's him. Is her your boyfriend, or something?"

Sakuno blushed. "No, He plays tennis for the school team. He's really good. He's never exactly shown interest in me. Not that he would, you know, he has his own fan club?"

Her cousin grinned. "Are you in it?"

Sakuno blushed harder. "Dame!"

"But you do have a crush on him, ne?"

"Oh, shut up, Yuushi-chan."

"Well, I think he has a crush on you. You should see the way he glares at me. It's scary. If you could ask him to stop, I'd be very thankful. I feel like any second he's gonna whip out a hunting knife and go nuts, chasing me down the street and skinning me to make coats for little orphans or something."

Sakuno shook her head. Yuushi was just beeing melodramatic. It probably wasn't even Ryoma-kun he was talking about.

She was standing by the gate.

And she was alone.

I knew she was probably just waiting for him. I knew it. I knew I'd probably just make a fool of myself. But I walked toward her anyway. She was looking out, to the street. He hair was still up in those braids, but she looked really, really good.

I was standing in front of her now. She didn't seem to notice me, and I fought to find words to say before I looked stupid.

"Ohayo." I mutter, that being the only thing that had come to mind. Her head snapped up and she looked at me with a blank expression for a moment, melting into surprise when she registered who I was. At least, I think that's why.

"O-ohayo, Ryoma-kun." She was blushing a light pink, and I found it hard to keep myself out of the mindset that she still had a crush on me. I also found it hard to keep from grinning. She looked adorable.

"Are you busy?" It had been the first series of words I'd thought of.

"Oh, uh...actually, I'm kind of...waiting for someone..."

I nod slowly, and turn away. I'd known that. I shouldn't let the stupid things Momo-senpai says affect me.

"Anou, Ryoma-kun...?" My eyes fly open and I realize they had been closed.

"If you're not busy tomorrow..."

I turn back around. "Aa?"

"Maybe...we could have lunch....or something...?"

I pull the brim of my hat down. "Aa." I turned away before she could see my grin.

So maybe his ideas weren't always that stupid...

"Aaaah, so you have a date, huh?"

Yuushi was sitting on his cousin's bed, watching her destroy her closet looking for something to wear.

"It's not that. We're just having lunch." She gasped, and popped her head out of her closet. "Do you think he meant it like a date? I mean, I'm the one who asked him, but do you think he thinks it's one?"

Yuushi laughed. "This is most definatly a date." He paused. "Even if he doesn't think it is." He paused again. "Hey, since it is a date, lemme ask you. Are you going to let him kiss you?"

Her face glowed bright red and she slunk back into her closet. "What makes you think he'll try to kiss me?"

"I'm just saying, you have to remember your honor. Remember, you have to wait three dates before he can kiss you."

She popped her head back out of the closet. "I thought that was how long you waited to let him sleep with you."

Yuushi choked. Sakuno laughed.

We'd been sitting there for nearly fifteen minutes. That might not seem like a long time, but when the silence is thick enough to cut, its nerve wracking.

She was staring at her plate. I was staring at her, unless I thought she'd look up and notice. I had no idea what to talk about. But if something wasn't said soon, I was gonna hit something.

I sit up straight and search my brain for a topic. My movement draws her attention and she looks up at me, at her face looks so flustered and cute, I just lost my grip.

"What's your favorite color?" I say, like it was completely normal.

Her eyebrows shot up.

"Nani?"

I shrug, looking away. "Can you think of something better to talk about?"

I hear her giggle and I look back up. "No, actually, I can't. It's Pink. You?"

I smile, slightly. "Silver." I pause again, trying to think of anything else to say. My mind came up blank again. "Favorite food?"

She was grinning. "Strawberries."

"Sushi."

"Favorite drink?" That was her.

"Ponta."

She grinned. "Ponta."

I smile and look down. "Um...Best subject?"

"Science."

"English."

She laughed. "Yeah...My turn...uh...cats or dogs?"

"Cats."

She laughed again. It sounded nice. "Me too. Sorry, that's the first thing I thought of..."

"It's ok. It's a strange conversation to begin with. Um...if you were a superhero..." She started laughing, "What power would you have?"

"Um...Realistically, or the one I'd want?"

I shrug. "Both."

"Well, realistically, It would probably be invisibility. I'd want to be able to fly, though."

I shake my head. "You're far from invisible, Sakuno-chan."

She looked at me, and she seemed shocked. I look away, and I knew I was blushing. "What's the most you know about guys?"

"They cut their hair shorter than girls."

I smile at her. "So, why do you keep your hair so long?"

She smiled back. "Because people keep telling me to cut it. Why don't you date any of your fans?"

"Because I'm gay."

"Nani??"

I laughed. "I'm kidding. Do I look gay?"

She grinned at me. "No." She paused. "You're...not, right?"

I cover my face with my hand. "No, I'm not gay."

Her head tilted. "So, why don't you date any of your fans?"

I shrug. "I already have someone I like."

"Who?"

It was a simple question, with a simple answer. If I had any backbone for this kind of thing, I'd have told her. See who she liked better, that other guy, or me, and let that be the end of it. But we hadn't even been talking for more than a minute. I felt pathetic, like a shy little boy with a crush. I was having fun and I didn't want to ruin it because she had a boyfriend and felt weird being with someone else who liked her.

"I'll tell you my crush if you tell me yours." My head was cocked, and my expression was amused. She blushed and looked away.

I learned more about her that day than I had in the last four years. She probably knew more about me than anyone else in our school. I even walked her home. I walked up to the door with her. It was close to the end of the day. Everything was lit up with a deep orange glow, and she looked beautiful. She turned to me. She was blushing again.

"I had a lot of fun today."

"So did I." I'd shocked her again. Her blush deepened. I looked down.

"So...I'll see you tomorrow?"

I nod. She turned to open her door and I turn to walk down the path back to the street.

"Ryoma-kun?"

I turn back around. She hadn't opened her door, and she looked extremely flustered.

"Um...Ryoma-kun..."

"Hai?"

She looked up at me. "You...you're my crush...Ryoma-kun..."

My heart leapt in my chest. She still liked me. And she was just standing there, looking so cute and flustered, waiting for my answer. In retrospect, my answer was a little stupid.

"What about that guy who always picks you up?"

If I'd had any sense, I'd have walked back up to her, told her "And you're mine" and then kissed her. But I have a habit of speaking without thinking, and seemed to like making myself look like a moron.

She looked at me with raised eyebrows. "That's my cousin. He's visiting from across town. Why?"

I shrug, looking away. "Just wondering."

"So who's your crush?" I jumped at the closeness of her voice. She was standing right in front of me. "You told me you'd tell me."

I knew I was blushing ,but I refused to look away. She'd looked me in the eye when she'd told me, didn't she?

"You." My voice was hardly more than a whisper. She was so close, though, she heard. I think she'd already known. She certainly didn't look surprised, when she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me. My arms went around her back and I pressed her against me, and I felt like I was going to faint.

I was lightheaded, and my entire body felt hot. But I couldn't let go. Partially because it felt so good I'd lost all mobility, and partially because she was kissing me back almost as hard as I was kissing her, and I wasn't about to let her be a better kisser than me.

Unfortunately it had to end. Not because of air, of course, I could have gone at least another minute without it, but because her cousin had seen us out the kitchen window and pretty much picked Sakuno up, threw her over is shoulder, and ran into the house with her, scolding her about 'Her honor'.

I grin and turn away again. Let's see how well he could protect her honor while she's at school.

End.

a/n: Howdy! I edited it, yay! I'm glad so many people liked it, even thought its not my favorite. I'd like to mention something that people have asked me about, why Sakuno's cousin called her "sakuno-ni-chan" (Before I edited it) That was a goof on my part, entirely. I wanted him to call her a name that meant cousin, but I didn't know what that could be. But I'd watched an episode of Naruto, and Hinata called her cousin, Neji, "Neji-ni-san", so that's where that came from. In retrospect, it was a bit silly. Thanks for the reviews! Ja!