SUMMARY: Ryoma and Sakuno are the best of friends. But why is that such a bad thing?

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis is not mine. (sighs)

----

Chapter 1: Deeply, Madly, Completely

"Please, Sakuno! Just hand it to him or something!"

Sakuno looked up from reading her notes, momentarily relieved she was distracted from English. That is, until she saw three looming faces looking eagerly at her. Oh. She gave them a small smile. "Yuki-san, Kuma-san, Keichi-san... what is it?"

Three letters were promptly shoved to her face.

Three pink letters.

Three pink LOVE letters.

She almost sighed. Lovely. Ryoma-kun will be so pissed. He never did like receiving letters. She smiled again, taking the three letters. "Don't worry minna-san. I'll give these to Ryoma-kun," she replied, the words tasting used in her lips.

A lot of hugs, kisses, and an hour later, Sakuno found herself trudging up the stairs leading to the rooftop, her bag spilling with love letters. As usual, she found the tennis captain sprawled on the ground, his ever-present cap covering his face from the sunlight. She sighed again. How she hated waking Ryoma-kun when he was on his well-deserved sleep.

She was saved the horror, however, when the tennis prince awoke, his cap falling to the ground as he sat up, a hand reaching up to rub his sleepy eyes. She almost laughed at how adorable he looked. "Hello, Ryoma-kun."

A ghost of a smile graced his features, his eyes blinking slowly at her. "Un... Ryuzaki."

"Did you eat already?"

He shook his head. "Never thought to before." A thought struck him quickly. "Didn't you cook for me?"

She grinned at his phrasing. "Saa, Ryoma-kun, I'm not your wife." At the almost sheepish look on his face, she showed him the bento carefully hidden behind her back. "But... haven't I always?"

He nodded thoughtfully. "You've been doing this for- how many years? Three?"

She raised an eyebrow at his teasing note. "Actually, I wouldn't be doing this right now if you haven't practically BEGGED me to during second year."

Ryoma looked a little miffed. "I didn't BEG you."

She smiled. "Of course you didn't, Ryoma-kun," she said indulgently, sitting down beside him and preparing his bento.

"Che. You don't have to do that."

"Well, it gives me time to think."

He blinked. "For what?"

"I'm not telling you yet. Why don't you eat first?" she offered, knowing reading love letters always made him lose a part of his appetite.

He shrugged and began to eat. Minutes after he started, he noticed Sakuno looking at him intently. He swallowed quickly. "Do I have something on my face?"

She blinked, and then shook her head in reassurance. "I was just wondering..." She took a deep breath. "Why don't you have a girlfriend?"

His answer was quick and too broad for her taste. "Don't have time for them."

She frowned. "But you have time for me, right?"

He blinked, as if the thought never occurred to him before. "I... well..." He struggled for the proper words. How come he never thought of that before? "You're the only human being of the opposite sex who does not intend to kill me."

She giggled. "They don't intend to kill you, Ryoma-kun. They're madly in love with you."

"Doesn't make any difference."

"It does." He looked at her in mild confusion, but she was too intent on fixing his finished bento.

"What does?"

"You not having a girlfriend."

"Why?" He stopped, looking at her in alarm. "Did they hurt you again?" he asked urgently, remembering an incident during second year where some girls ganged up on her.

She looked absolutely appalled at the idea. "Of course they didn't, Ryoma-kun! Not after..."

Not after making sure anyone who even touched a hair on her head will meet his or her death. Slowly.

She sighed, afraid he was going to get any more ideas. Slowly, she took dozens of letters from her bag and placed them in front of him. "There."

"Damn. This is much more than the last time."

"Well, it did get a little heavier than yesterday..." she said wryly.

"Don't they ever get tired?"

"Apparently not."

He scoffed. "Girls are so irritating."

A smile tugged her lips. "Does that include me on the list?"

"Well, technically, you are... but it's not everyday I get to have a female best friend, right?"

"When did you ever get so mushy, Ryoma-kun?"

"I resent that."

She merely smiled in reply, much to his annoyance.

"What?" he asked gruffly. He grabbed a letter from the pile and glanced away. Stupid Ryuzaki...

The letter read: 'Ryoma-sama, I am your number one fan. I hope you ask me- ' He took another one. 'I love you! You are so great, Ryoma-sama-' He growled. Were this girls stupid or what? He chucked the letter away and was about to read another one when he noticed a white envelope among all the pinks and reds.

'Sometimes, I wonder what made you different. Aside from the amazing tennis skills and the exotic features, there's nothing extraordinary about you. That is, until I noticed small things... little things about you that I doubt even your most loyal supporters noticed.'

Ryoma blinked. Well, this one was way different. He continued to read.

'How you like Eiji-senpai and Momo-senpai even after they call and tease you... how you always smirk when Tezuka-senpai gets flustered by Fuji-senpai's antics... how you love washing your face after a hard practice... how you hate it when girls call you Ryoma-sama... and then I realized...'

"Ne, Ryoma..." He didn't notice how Sakuno's eyes had widened, her face paling, when she saw him reading THAT letter. Quickly, she lunged towards it. Unfortunately, Echizen Ryoma was also famed for his quick reflexes, and at that exact moment, he turned to face her, the letter hidden behind him.

WHAAM!

"Ow..." Ryoma groaned, feeling his back slam to the ground harshly. "Kami-sama, you're strong..."

Sakuno was moaning in pain, clutching her forehead gingerly from where it collided with his shoulder. She didn't even notice she was practically sprawled all over the tennis captain. "Mou, Ryoma-kun... you shouldn't have turned..."

As soon as the dull pounding sensation stopped, he sat up, taking her with him. "Che..." She muttered about stupid boys in general, eliciting a small chuckle from him. He grasped her shoulders gently. "Hey, Ryuzaki, let me see it."

She shook her head.

He scoffed and removed her entwined fingers from her forehead. As soon as he saw the bump, he winced. There was a slight swelling, the bump shining red. "I forgot you bruise easily..."

"Does it look bad?" she asked in a small voice.

Ryoma was about to say yes, just to tease her, until he saw her eyes. Quite suddenly, he remembered how she was always touchy about her looks- and how she valued his opinion above others. He knew... because she told him. So instead, he placed a hand on her forehead, grinning. "No, it doesn't... but you have to promise me it'll heal really quickly. I don't want coach hunting for my blood."

A smile tugged at her lips. "Saa, you're right... but..." She blinked. "Haven't I told you obaa-san is out of town?"

He blinked. "Oh. You're right. I think she told me that too."

At that moment, Sakuno realized with sudden shocking clarity their very compromising position. Her cheeks burned, causing him to peer worriedly at her face's sudden rise in temperature. "Um... Ryoma-kun, can you... um, let go now?" she squeaked.

He blinked again, then shrugged, his hand falling casually to his side. She didn't waste the opportunity to jump off him, making sure there was a respectable distance between them. That was, until she remembered why she lunged at him in the first place.

The letter!

"Ryoma-kun, um... anou... may I see the letter you're reading?"

Unfortunately, that made him remember about the letter too. "Right." He grabbed the letter which was lying innocently beside him (Sakuno cursed herself for not seeing the letter there in the first place). "Where was I?"

Kami-sama, no. "WAIT!" She scooted back to him, the color rushing once again to her cheeks. She was almost hyperventilating. "Please don't re..." Her mouth suddenly ran dry.

Echizen Ryoma just laid his head on her lap.

Dear Kami-sama.

"R-ryoma-kun!"

A hand fiddled with his cap while the other raised the letter to block out the sun. Sakuno was too shocked to even think of taking the letter practically waving at her face. A corner of his mouth quirked slightly upwards. "I always knew you were comfy..."

Comfy.

Echizen Ryoma thought she was comfy.

Tomoka will have a field day.

Her vocal chords seemed to desert her, so she gently placed a hand on his head, with the intent to push him away. Until he suddenly became incredibly sweet and leaned towards her touch. She almost drew back her hand as if scalded. Instead, her fingers, albeit shaking, gently stroked the side of his face.

His eyes closed, his hand lowering to touch her wrist briefly in reassurance, the letter forgotten.

Her heart pounding in her chest, Sakuno hesitantly ran her fingers through his dark hair... something she always wanted to do. When he didn't make any objections, she indulged herself and fingered the soft strands. Moments later, his shoulders relaxed, and she knew he had fallen asleep. She continued caressing his face until she remembered herself. And who she was and who she was with. Her whole body stiffened, and she gently disentangled herself from him, hoping, hoping her Ryoma-kun wouldn't wake up.

He didn't.

Grabbing the letter and the bento, she bolted for the door, only one thought running through her confused mind.

What the hell had just happened?

'...how you hate it when girls call you Ryoma-sama... and then I realized... that I am deeply, madly, completely in love with you, Ryoma-kun.'

----

a/n: is it bad? too much fluff? too sappy? um, entirely too horrible to describe in words?

kami, I hope not. (grins) please review, and thank you to all the people who have read this fic.

merry Christmas!