Disclaimer: I only own this fic. I don't own any of the characters in it, damnit!

Rating: PG, or something?

Warnings: Shounen-ai, Sanada torture :o

Summary: Sanada loses a bet, and has to pay the consequence. Sixth in the Rikkai drabblethings series.

Author's notes: Happy birthday, Linc! And Atobe too, but I'll probably do a separate fic for him at the weekend. :)

If you don't like it, Linc, I'm sorry! Let me know and I'll let you request a fic for Atobe's birthday as a late birthday present xDD

Times of Stress

Passing the Time

How to ask out Marui Bunta

Four Days Later

October Ice

Because I Love You

I'd advise you to read the ones that come before this first, but it's not necessary. It just might make things a bit clearer/better/or something. And, oh my god, I know that I'm crap at titling fics. -.-; I need someone to name them for me… xD –Looks at Linc-

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The entire tennis club had turned up.

Of course, most of them were hiding. The only tennis club members actually in sight were the Regulars. They were hiding because they knew that if they were caught, there'd be some serious repercussions. Quite possibly life-threatening. So they had hidden as well as they could on the RikkaiDai tennis courts.

There was no way in hell they were going to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

After all, they may never get another chance to see Sanada Genichiroh, the esteemed vice-captain, proud and proper as anyone they knew, reduced to mere humanity.

The Regular members were all gathered around in a vague circle with varying expressions on their faces. Predictably, Yukimura was looking amused, Marui was wearing an expression of absolute glee, and Yagyuu was looking as indifferent as ever. Akaya was practically hugging himself in delight, clinging onto Marui's hand and fidgeting madly. Yanagi had his notebook ready, and was already scribbling away in that incomprehensible shorthand that Akaya always swore Yanagi had invented, and Jackal was trying his hardest to look sensible, but deeply buried mischief was starting to come to the surface.

As for Niou… Well, he just looked evil.

As Sanada looked around at his teammates, he felt a wave of hopeless despair wash over him. This was exactly the reason he wasn't a betting man! And to have made a bet with the Trickster, of all people…

"Can't I just…" he began, sounding unusually meek.

"No!" Marui said immediately, grinning. "You lost the bet, fukubuchou. Honour dictates that you go through with this."

Sanada turned pleading eyes to Yukimura, but the only person who might have sided with him just happened to be in a mood to be entertained today. All Sanada got from him was a raised eyebrow, and a, "You did lose the bet, Genichiroh."

"What's going on?" one of the hiding club members whispered from behind a bush.

His friend turned to him in surprise. "You don't know?"

"No. I was ill yesterday, remember? What's all this about fukubuchou losing a bet?"

The boy grinned. "Ah, well, you're lucky you're not ill today. Basically, at tennis practice yesterday, Niou-senpai was ten minutes late for practice because… well, he said that he'd decided to 'take the scenic route', which probably means he'd stayed behind after class to torment one of the teachers. So of course he was assigned laps. He complained because fukubuchou had already made him run extra laps that morning for dropping the ball basket, and they argued for like, twenty minutes. It was pretty spectacular. Then Niou-senpai said that he'd make a bet with fukubuchou. If he lost the bet, then he'd run the laps, but if fukubuchou lost then he'd have to do some sort of forfeit that Niou-senpai said he'd think up later."

"What kind of bet was it?" the second year asked, fascinated.

"That Niou-senpai could beat Yukimura-buchou in a game of tennis, playing with his right hand."

"That's impossible! Even if Niou-senpai was using his left hand, he'd still have a lot of trouble beating buchou."

"Well, yeah, that's what fukubuchou said. And Niou-senpai went, 'So take the bet, then. Or don't you have faith in 'Mura's abilities?'"

"Ouch."

"Yeah. You should have seen the way fukubuchou bristled. So of course he agrees, and they go off to find Yukimura-buchou."

"Then? What happened?"

He was shushed as everyone around them strained to hear what the Regulars were saying.

Marui was cackling, and Akaya was on the floor in a ball, tears of laughter in his eyes.

"What just happened?" one of the third-years asked.

"I dunno, I couldn't hear… Niou-senpai must've named the forfeit."

"What was it?"

"I don't know. Shut up, maybe we'll hear!"

Sanada was looking absolutely horrified. It was obvious that he was wishing the ground would open up and swallow him. Although, since Yukimura was standing right next to him, maybe not, since it would mean that he'd get swallowed up too.

"So come on, then," Niou was saying.

"What song is this?" Yanagi asked, looking puzzled.

Marui tried to answer for Niou, but he couldn't form a coherent sentence through his hysterical laughter.

"Ah, well, you'll see," was all the Trickster said when the rest of the team turned inquiring eyes to him. Only he, Marui, Akaya and the mortified Sanada seemed to know what was going on.

"What happened? What does he have to do?" was the general theme of the whispers going along the watching members. It reached someone who'd actually heard, and the message was swiftly passed down.

"Niou said, 'You have to sing the song Marui found the other day'," was the message.

"What if I refuse?" Sanada asked. He literally looked frightened to them. It was such a unique sight that some of the members wondered if he wasn't just experiencing indigestion.

"You can't refuse. That's what you have to do for losing the bet," Yagyuu pointed out. Sanada didn't even muster up the energy to glare at him.

"It can't be that bad," said Yukimura reasonably. "You're a good singer."

"How d'you know that?" Jackal asked.

"Oh, he sang my little sister to sleep a few weeks ago."

Sanada looked pained. The watching members sniggered, but shut up quickly when Niou glanced behind him, looking a little puzzled. He must have decided that it was just the wind or something, because he turned back again a few seconds later.

"See? Mura says you're a good singer," he said. "So come on. Do you need the words?"

Sanada shook his head minutely. He was flushed bright red.

"Ah, got it memorised, have you?" Niou smirked.

"Come on, Genichiroh," Yanagi said. "The sooner you start, the sooner it's over with. I've never heard you sing before."

Niou's smirk deepened another few shades of evil. "If you don't start within the next five seconds - well, actually, I'll make it ten because I'm in a good mood right now – then I'll tell everyone why exactly you wrote the song in the first place."

Sanada opened his mouth to protest, but no sound came out. He continued to open and shut his mouth for a few seconds like a goldfish out of water.

"Oh, you wrote it yourself?" Yagyuu said innocently. A tiny strangled noise issued from Sanada's throat.

At the sight of their fukubuchou so helplessly at the mercy of the sadistic Trickster, Akaya was starting to turn blue from lack of air. Several of the hidden members fumbled with mobile phones and the like, desperate to catch such a historic moment.

"Four, three, two…" Niou drawled. "Aaand… Go!"

Sanada almost didn't start in time. But his vocal chords finally seemed to decide to work and, starting almost inaudibly but getting gradually clearer, he started singing in a smooth baritone that, amazingly, wasn't half bad. Those watching held their breath.

"… The river will always flow to the sea

Forever and for eternity

The leaves renewed with spring green

And still the waters go on…

The river will always keep running

Crystal blue and sailing

The leaves changing red with autumn

And still the waters go on…

One lifetime is eternity

For people like you and me

You are Ice's ruler

And the river might stop for you.

I've seen your eyes like moonlight

And I've seen them filled with tears

I see them in my dreams…

Love is like a river

And still the waters go on…"

There was absolute silence for several seconds.

Then Marui completely broke the mood by falling back into hysterical laughter.

Thwap. Marui yelped with pain and stared in shock at Yukimura, who'd hit him sharply across the side of his head. The captain was frowning severely at him.

"Don't laugh, Bunta. It was a lovely song."

"I wasn't laughing at the song!" Marui protested, holding his head dramatically. "I was laughing at fukubuchou singing!"

He got another cuff on the head from Yukimura, and flopped down to sulk on the ground, burying his head moodily into Akaya's neck.

"You have… an interesting little talent there for song writing," Jackal commented. "I'd never have expected you to write a love song."

"Who's it for?" Yagyuu asked.

Niou gave his doubles partner an incredulous look. "Can't you tell from the song?" he asked. "It's pretty obvious, Hiroshi."

"I'm afraid I'm not quite as good as some at deciphering hints in lyrics," Yagyuu answered dryly.

"The song's called October Ice," Akaya piped up helpfully.

"Ice… Wait a minute…" Enlightenment dawned on Yagyuu's face, as well as that of a couple of the other Regulars. "Surely not, Sanada."

The poor boy had lost the use of his voice box again. He looked like he was seconds away from abandoning the last shreds of his dignity and fleeing. Luckily (or not), Niou answered for him.

"Well done, Hiroshi." A sly smirk. "It's his birthday present, ne fukubuchou? One of them, anyway." He added a lecherous wink. "Honestly, I have no idea why you didn't tell us about this interesting development in your love life sooner. Mura knew, didn't you?" he asked, turning to the smiling captain, who nodded.

"Genichiroh asked me to keep it a secret," he said.

"Wait a minute, I'm lost," Jackal confessed. "Is the song for Atobe?"

"Atobe?"

The voice didn't belong to any of the Regulars. Looking as though Christmas had come early, Niou tilted his head to the side and said, "Oh, I thought I heard some people whispering. Come out, everyone, it's not nice to spy on people without them knowing."

That was it. Dignity be damned; the non-regulars had heard and it'd be all over the school by tomorrow. Spinning on his heel Sanada made a break for it, and didn't reappear in school until two days later. It came as no surprise when the first thing he did upon his return was to issue Niou, Marui and Kirihara with two hundred laps each.

And he issued an unofficial rule which meant that every time he heard someone singing the tune to 'October Ice' or saying the title, he would give the entire club a hundred laps.

Of course, he still heard it several times a week. It was well worth running a hundred laps to see the bright red flush sprint across his face.

In fact, Sanada didn't get rid of the whole thing until Yukimura actually threatened to kick people out of the club altogether. That worked until a certain Trickster managed to acquire some very interesting photographs.

But that's another story, ne?

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Sandy: -falls over- Phew, I thought I wasn't gonna get it finished in time. :)

The song is actually one that a very sweet friend of mine wrote for his own boyfriend. I changed it a little bit to suit the fic, but that's where it's from originally.

Again, Happy Birthday, Linc! You special girl you –hugs-

If anyone has a birthday coming up, feel free to drop me a line and request a birthday fic. I can't guarantee that I'll be able to do it, but if I have the time and the energy then I'll try my best. :D

Please review and make my day. –cheesy smile-

Until next time!