Hey readers! YAYY SUMMER!
GOING TO HIGHSCHOOL NEXT YEAR! Can't wait...just hope they don't really dunk freshmen's heads in toilets... o.O
YOUR REVIEWS ARE BETTER THAN ICE-CREAM AND CHOCOLATE AND CANDY COMBINED! (Not really...)
Really, really, really sorry for such a long wait... GAHHH! Didn't mean to disappoint you guys...again. :(
Disclaimer: I don't own PoT...I'd love to...but no.
Enjoy!
- - - - - -
"Ok," he started, looking at any where but her, "I don't know when this started, and I don't know how, but I just...it's..." for the first time in his life, the prince was at a loss for words.
"Ah, screw this." He said as he shoved the delicate red rose in the hands of a dumbstruck girl in front of him.
"Eh?" her face was red as a tomato, "M-M-M-ME?"
He looked way, trying to hide his blush, and shrugged
"Wow." That word could not describe half the shock Sakuno was feeling at the moment, it seemed like a dream.
It took a moment for the craziness of all this to sink in, but when it finally did, the girl felt happier than she ever had her whole life.
- - - - - -
"UWAAAA!" Kikumaru yelled at the top of his lungs as soon as he walked into the tennis court, "OCHIBI HAS A DATE FOR THE DANCE! AND IT'S SAKU-CHAN!"
"Oh great, they know." The boy muttered, wondering if spying on him had become his sempais' full-time job. Ah well, they'd know sooner or later...Ryoma just wished it was later.
Upon hearing the news, everyone around stared, openly stared, stared like the shameless idiots they were. The silence was getting creepy as a tumbleweed rolled across the court, when a hand slapped Ryoma across the back.
"Ahaha! You have a date? Finally! I was beginning to think you were gay."
"Kill me, kill me now." The tennis genius grumbled to no one in particular as he turned, with annoyance, to face a idiotic, grinning monkey.
"Surprisingly, I don't even have a date," Horio rambled on, "I thought girls would be all over me because frankly, I'm much more charming and attractive than you are."
"Riight." The others said in unison.
"Soo...Echizen, how did you ask? Did you–"
"Why aren't you practising? 25 laps, now!" Tezuka's harsh voice cut off Oishi, and stopped probably the other millions of questions heading his way.
"BUT CAPTAIN!" Kikumaru wailed, "OUR WITTLE BABY BOY HAS FINALLY GROWN UP! HE'S GOT A DATE FOR THE DANCE!"
"Date?" the captain repeated, disbelief in his voice.
"Mm-hmm." everyone nodded.
"Discuss it while you run your 25 laps then." he walked away after that.
Grumbling and whining, the team obeyed nonetheless, while Ryoma prepared to face what was going to be the most annoying morning in history.
- - - - - -
She noticed, when he walked in, that he looked annoyed instead of nonchalant like usual. Sakuno wondered what was bothering him as the dreaded English period began.
The man droned on once again, about things she barely understood. Really, she was pitifully bad at English. Maybe she would ask Ryoma-kun for help later. She then blushed, suddenly remembering what had happened last Friday, though she really didn't know what to make of his feelings for her anymore. Does he really like her?
- - - - - -
"Ryoma-kun?"
"Hm?"
"Was there something...bothering you this morning?" she wasn't sure if it was her business to ask.
"Eh," he shrugged, "Kikumaru-sempai and Momo-sempai...and pretty much everyone else were being bigger idiots than usual, that's all."
What he didn't tell her about was all the crying, the whining, and the nasty words about Sakuno he'd heard from fangirls while walking in the hallway.
"I...I see." And everything fell silent again.
Ryoma thought about how confused and frustrated she looked during first period. Obviously, being raised America, he had absolutely no trouble with English class–hell, he could teach it if he wanted to. Maybe he should help? He'd seen the score on her pop quiz...and it was not pretty. So...
"You know," he began, "you suck in English."
"Eh?" She looked so surprised.
he wondered, but turned to her when he heard a nervous giggle."Yeah...I'm not very good with that." she paused then, biting her lower lip as she tried make a decision about something, "Could you...um...h-help me?"
He didn't answer, so she panicked, "I-I mean...you don't have to...It's probably too–"
"Sure."
"R-Really?" she looked up at him, he'd grown so tall.
He shrugged and looked away, hiding his blush again.
"Thank you so much!" she was so happy. He made her happy. Thinking that, Ryoma started to feel light-headed, his palms began to sweat again. 'Damn.'
Well, he couldn't help it, he loved her
- - - - - -
To the highschool student body of Seigaku, the next few days seemed so slow as the dance neared and their excitement heightened.
To Sakuno, Friday night had come too fast. Once again, she studied herself in the mirror, still the nervous wreck she'd been for the last 3 hours. She really wondered if she'd chosen the right dress as she fiddled with the black ribbon tied around her waist. It wasn't that fancy really, a simple knee-length, pink halter dress with black polkadots.
Her hair had grown since that encounter with...what was her name again? Mitsuki, right. She just scrunched it, not willing to look too different.
"Sakuno, you look fine. Geez, stop being so nervous." Obaa-chan reassured.
"But–"
"Trust me, he's going to like it. Even though he would rather die before admitting such a thing."
She sighed,
-
"Oh, Seishounen!" his father's sing-song entered his room.
"So...Ryuzaki's grand-daughter, huh?" the middle-aged man elbowed the prince suggestively, and wiggled his eyebrows.
"Drop dead, oyaji." Ryoma snapped, trying to pull loose from the evil clutch of the black tie Nanako insisted on.
"Aww." the man cooed, and then shouted to his wife downstairs, "Did you hear that, Rinko? MY SON LOVES ME!"
"Oh, Kami." the boy muttered, trying to control his temper. After all, he did not want to go see the girl he loved with his father's blood in his hands.
"Oh, son," Nanjiroh began, clearly enjoying aggravating him, "I know you love me, but there's no need to call me Kami."
"Uncle!" the young woman stood in the doorway, "Leave Ryoma-san alone."
"But it's fun..." the comment received a smack in the head from his son.
"Ow. Ok, ok. I'll stop." The childish man walked out of the room, followed by Nanako, grumbling something about "party poopers".
Ryoma sighed as he glanced at the clock. 'Time to go.' He thought as he walked downstairs.
"I'm going." he said to the adults, now in the living room.
"Have fun." her mother said.
After his son walked out of the house and onto the street Nanjiroh poked his head out the front door.
"HOPE YOU SCORE, SON!" he shouted down the street, the exclamation was rewarded with a rock that smacked him in the face. "Ow."
Ryoma sighed, some people never learn.
- - - - - -
Sakuno nearly jumped a foot in the air when the doorbell rang, earning a chuckle of amusement from her grandmother. She ran to the door, opened it, and saw the prince in all his glory. His black hair untamed as ever, and his feline eyes shined, the black tie around his neck was loosened and a button on his dress-shirt was undone, he wore black slacks with the usual Fila sneakers. The girl blushed furiously as she saw him look at her with an unreadable expression.
"Hello, Ryoma-kun."
"Hn," the usual reply came, "let's go."
"Ok."
The girl looked different today, more beautiful. Her hair was curlier, she wore a halter dress, and...she seems taller, that's when he noticed the peep-toe shoes she wore with one-inch heels.
"Have fun, kids." Ryuzaki-sensei called from within the house.
"Bye, Obaa-chan." she said as she walked out the door and closed it behind her.
She smiled nervously as she fell into step beside him, quiet like usual.
- - - - - -
They walked into the gym that was booming with music. It was dark, only illuminated by coloured lights that spun and flashed occasionally.
"OCHIBII!" Great, they had not take 5 steps, and Kikumaru-sempai already glomped him.
Seigaku's tennis regulars, excluding Tezuka, followed. Momo had a date too, that Ann something from that Fudomine...or something. He didn't remember such useless things.
"UWAAA!" Kikumaru's voice invaded his eardrums once again, "SAKU-CHAN LOOKS SO KAWAII! DOESN'T SHE, OCHIBI?"
He looked at the red-faced girl, of course she did, he just wouldn't say it aloud...at least not in front of these people, so he simply shrugged.
He wears his heart safety-pinned to his backpack
His backpack is all that he knows...
'The Used?' Ryoma questioned in his mind, wondering what kind of a twisted DJ was hired (Me :D).Then the first slow song played. The girl had a hopeful and apprehensive look about her, and he found it strange. Did she want to dance? He wondered as the male singer sang on.
Even in the dark, he never failed to noticed the looks his date received; glares of jealousy from girls, and looks of appreciation from some guys. He did not like either.
"Ryoma-kun?" she was startled when he grabbed her hand protectively.
He said nothing, just shrugged again as he took her to a table to sit down. Sakuno wondered what he was thinking, and started to question the reason he took her here. Was it just to fend off fangirls? Then, whensecond slow song had ended, her doubt and confusion grew. He had never asked her to dance. Should she ask him then? What if he says no? That would be pretty awkward. Besides, Ryoma wasn't a dancing kind of person, she thought with a light smile. She'd be alright.
After a while, the third slow song played.
Then, the fourth.
Then, the fifth.
Sakuno stayed put, she was just happy to be here, with him; she no longer questioned his motive, it wasn't like she expected him to loved her back or anything. And no longer hoped for him to dance with her. That hope had died down along with the ending notes of that last romantic song.
Ryoma absently watched Kikumaru bounce around everywhere hopped up on sugar, while Oishi ran after him. Time had passed, he wasn't sure if Sakuno was really enjoying herself, his only reassurance being her light smiles once in a while.
"Echizen," Fuji sat on the other side of him, "ask her to dance."
"Eh? But she–"
"If you don't," the prodigy opened his sapphire eyes then, they had a sadistic glint in them, "I will."
Ryoma gulped then, he didn't particularly want to find out whether he had two left feet or not. However, when he looked at the girl sometimes, she looked almost...sad. He suddenly realized then that she only smiled during the slow songs, while she watched other couples dance. Wistful smiles. She had wanted to dance.
"Well?" his teammate questioned.
The DJ announced the final slow song then, so it was now or never. Again. Making up his mind, he stood up without a word.
I'm mapping out my ending
It's never gonna happen now
Sakuno smiled at the couples again, they looked so happy, she thought. That was when she saw a hand extended towards her. She looked up to see its owner–
"Ryoma-kun?"
...These things are condescending
With everybody backing down
He didn't say a thing, just waited. Almost jumping up, the girl slipped her tiny hand into his happily as he pulled her onto the dance floor.
His strong arms snaked around her petite waist as hers timidly wrapped around his neck. They swayed slowly to the music. While both tried not to step on each other's toes.
You prayed to the stars that can help you get by
And all at once you forget to try
The awkwardness gradually went away as they continued to dance, replaced by comfort and content. Slowly, he leaned down so that his perfect lips were right beside her right ear. He didn't say anything, but shivers ran down her spine each time he breathed out, his hot breath tickling her ear. He couldn't have seen it, but her face was getting redder and redder.
...My life is always empty
And in and out of doubt
He didn't know what the hell he was doing. His mind had shut down, slowly intoxicated by the faint and sweet smell of vanilla that fluttered off her hair.
...And I get back to you
As these days run by
But I still lose
He straightened up once again, and Sakuno felt strangely cold as he did. She did not even know how much her heartbeat had quickened before. It was blurry, he made it a total blur.
Angels say they can make you suffer
They give and take like a vicious lover
...Awake but still I'm dreaming
And never waking up
He looked at her with half-liddedeyes. He wasn't himself that night, he knew it, but he was with her. His usually sharp eyes were oblivious to the others that surrounded him, he just saw her. The prince half-smiled then, he never realized the magnitude of love until now.
...Alone, we're not alone
She looked up at him, and then, she did something that was so un-like her. She stood up on her tip-toes, and kissed him. In the mouth. It wasn't just a peck, as her sweet lips lingered on his.
Alone, we're not alone
She had meant to pull away, but that was no desire of the mischievous boy, as he held her tighter and deepened the kiss. Of course he didn't want to let her go, and any trace of rational thought had gone away when she returned his actions, one of her soft hands running through his hair.
Unfortunately though, breathing was essential to staying alive, they reluctantly pulled away from the kiss. He lowered his head, his forehead pressed against hers. This was his night, he thought as he held her. Nothing could ruin it.
Alone, we're not alone
Alone...Alone...
Not even the thought of his idiotic teammates watching, and the ridiculous comments he was sure to receive next Monday.
-
The End.
-
Note: "..." in the lyrics mean that I skipped a few lines before it.
So...really hope you think it was worth the wait.
Was Ryoma too OOC by the end? I'm really not sure. I mean, he's like, 16. Could've matured at least a little, right?
Anyways, I can't wait to start my next project! It's Sasuke/Sakura. I know, I know, typical. But still... And I'm already half done the first chapter!
And as always...tell me what you think!
Best wishes.