The Slip

By hye-kyo

Disclaimer: Nope, POT isn't mine…

Author's Notes: Supposedly, this was to go with the one-shot collection that I have now. However, since I was planning on doing a companion piece to this (Ryoma side not really POV…but almost the same), I decided to do this separately from the collection instead.

Well, on with the story.

--

The Ryoma-Echizen-look-a-like was already up by the time she regained consciousness. There was a Ryoma-Echizen-smirk on his face and it made her feel fidgety.

She rubbed her temples. It seemed like someone with half-a-mind had whacked her unconscious last night. Her head felt like getting halved. She blinked her eyes to adjust them to the light.

She looked at the look-a-like. So much similarities. Just like Kikumaru-sempai's doppelganger. She tried to laugh but a dry, hoarse croak came from her mouth instead. She blushed.

"Ne," the look-a-like said. He even sounded just like Ryoma Echizen. Well, his voice sounded like how the real Ryoma Echizen's voice would sound after fifteen years.

She hadn't even asked his name. When he approached her last night she had forgotten all civilities and clung to him. She was beginning to regret ever agreeing to go club-hopping with Tomo-chan last night when she knew fairly well that all her bestfriend wanted to do was drunk her.

She had never been drunk. She drinks rarely, call it social drinking. But no, she never drinks just for the fun of it. And Tomo-chan had succeeded in her quest to make her drink too much, that ending in this morning-after situation with the Ryoma-Echizen-look-a-like.

He smiled. The look-a-like smiled.

"Anou…" she was never really good at this. Well, she had never experienced anything like this before. She is a good girl. Well, make that was. What would the real Ryoma-Echizen think of her now, sleeping with strangers? She grimaced at the thought.

"Yes?" he arched a brow, every minute looking more like the real Ryoma Echizen than he'd ever be.

Well, the real one wouldn't know about this, as if he would care to know. She swallowed hard, "I apologize for last night…" she wanted to tell him it was her friend's fault but words got stuck in her throat. Instead her gaze fell on his bare chest, down to his chiseled abdomen and still down. Blankets met her eyes, leaving her imagination wild.

He made a wordless noise, a deep grumbling in his throat that made her blush even more.

She looked at the blankets covering her frame. Now she's feeling a bit slutty about herself. The look-a-like approached her last night when she was drunk, told her some things she couldn't remember now and asked her to dance. She was surprised, thinking it was the great Ryoma Echizen but as she realized that the possibility of him coming back and approaching her was close to non-existent she immediately threw the thought away.

She was staggering when she went to the dance floor and he kept her on her feet by putting a hand on the small of her back and another one on her hip. And there were murmurs and whispers in her ear which made her giggle and soon she was getting out of the club and inside a car while making out and well the rest, to say, is history. She couldn't remember.

"Don't worry," he said in a deep voice. He extended a hand to remove the strand of hair straying on her forehead.

She quickly evaded, clutching the quilt tighter around her frame.

He chuckled.

No, the real Ryoma-Echizen wouldn't chuckle. That's one difference. Okay, so maybe she has to ask his name to do him justice. It was unfair on his part to keep referring to him as the look-a-like when he may not be even aware of it. "W-what is…what is your name? I'm sorry it might have missed me last night…I was fairly not sober and—"

"You were drunk," and he chuckled again.

So he's got a bit of an ego. Just like the real thing. She shook her head, do the guy a favor and ask his name. She cleared her throat, "So…what's your name again?"

"Ne Ryuuzaki," he murmured, looking straight at her, "You were just drunk last night, not amnesiac."

She frowned. Did she tell him her name? And why did he suddenly sound like the real Ryoma Echizen? "Excuse me?"

He laughed arrogantly, "As clumsy as ever Ryuuzaki. You ought to have changed a bit after all these years."

Now she was getting confused.

He trailed his eyes down to her form, "Well, at least something seemed to have changed." And there was a devouring look in his eyes and a low grumble in his throat.

She clenched the blankets tighter. There was something spinning in the pit of her stomach. "Excuse me mister, something may have happened last night but—"

The look-a-like who refused to tell his name held his index finger up. "Ryuuzaki, you are slow."

Her head was aching. Her chest was pounding. "Right…right. Just tell me who you are." She massaged her temples. No, her head was aching from drinking too much and her hips were throbbing from—wait, don't even go there.

"It was your first last night."

She reddened. He just had to state the obvious.

He chuckled again. "You're so funny Ryuuzaki."

She narrowed her eyes. That does it. She started standing up, tugging the blankets along with her.

"Don't leave yet."

"Stop it you…you…whoever you are," she pointed a finger at her. "And stop calling me Ryuuzaki."

"Why would I? You are Ryuuzaki Sakuno. It's not as if I don't remember your name. I am not amnesiac like you," and he chuckled arrogantly.

"Listen mister, I apologize for last night," she wanted to put an end to this, "I didn't know what I was doing. So if you don't mind just let me go and we could forget—"

"I do. Of course I do mind. I don't want to forget about it." He was serious.

That made her froze.

"Stay put. We need to talk."

Her head was really aching, a really big throbbing in her temples. Talk? What does he mean? He doesn't look like the kind of person who engages in one-night stands regularly but he must've engaged in it even once. So what's the big deal? Why talk about it? She frowned. And he was being arrogant. He should be happy he got it without any strings attached—there was the pain in her head again. And would somebody just stop banging the door? Banging the door?

"Oh, so they found out," he frowned. A frown that reminded her of Ryoma Echizen.

What? She turned towards the door and sure enough the door was banging. The first thing that came to mind was: I am naked. She tried to grab for her clothes scattered all over the room when the door gave way to four people, a girl and three men, no, make that a girl, two men and one one-eyebrowed guy to be particular. All of which who seemed really familiar to her.

"Oi! So it's true!"

"Nya!"

She knew of course that next to surprise comes humiliation. She wanted to get under the covers, to hide herself but she couldn't because the covers wouldn't probably eat her alive. Because the covers and the blankets and the pillows were not alive. Just like how she wanted to be not alive at this moment.

And then the doorway was filled with more people.

"Ne sempai-tachi," the look-a-like said, "What are you all doing here?"

"No data for this."

"Have you ever thought of all the possible things this could lead to? There's early pregnancy, which leads to unstable relationships. Your child would suffer more—"

"Saa, saa."

"Fsshhh…"

"I think maybe we should leave…" and then a racket, "Love! It's burning!"

And then some boring glares that seemed to say: You let your guard down.

She wanted to collapse then and there but that would expose her nakedness. She almost shrieked when an arm came from behind her and made her shiver. It was the look-a-like who seemed to know every sempai who was on the doorway. She glanced at him, her focus fully on him and him alone. "Anou…what's happening?"

"Ryuuzaki," he hissed in her ear, depositing her almost on his lap, "You still don't get it do you?"

The sempais were crowding in the doorway, two were arguing, one was jumping, one was jotting down notes, one was shouting while holding a racket, one was worrying, one was smiling and one was glaring at nothing/no one in particular.

But her focus is only on him.

"Ryoma-sama I'm going to call the police and tell them you abducted Sakuno-chan and raped her if you don't marry her right now," it was the lone girl from the group.

Ryoma-sama? Where's Ryoma-sama? And her eyes fell on the man holding her. Ryoma-kun?

"Fine," he hissed again.

"And don't forget to thank me," the one-eyebrowed guy with fill-in-the-blank-number-of-years of experience said.

The look-a-like stood up eventually, a blanket around his waist and went to the door.

"Ne minna," he said nonchalantly, "Do you mind leaving now? I have things to discuss with the fairly slow Ryuuzaki."

Surprise, humiliation and something unnamed coming from deep within her stomach had frozen her.

And after some shoving and shouting and shrieking and glaring the door finally closed with a loud thud. And then a click. The sound of something getting locked. Ryuuzaki Sakuno trembled. Just who is this guy?

"Do you get it now?" he was walking towards her.

She snapped out of her daze. "Don't come near me. I'll scream rape."

"Right, who would believe you?" he stopped at the edge of the bed, "Now Ryuuzaki, do you get it?"

She hated to admit but well, she did now. So she was gullible to think that someone who looks like Ryoma Echizen to the last detail could just be a look-a-like. So she was gullible. Shoot her.

He smirked. "I don't know how they got to know we're here. Maybe thanks to your blabbermouth friend and to that stupid guy with nth years of tennis experience."

She continued to stare at him, hands clenching the blankets tighter.

"I got back yesterday, heard you were in some club. I got there and saw you. And you kissed me."

Her eyes widened. She did? Why can't she remember initiating the kiss?

"So do you remember?" and he smirked again. He was kneeling on the bed in front of her, "By the way, I am not some look-a-like."

"H-huh?" she swallowed hard. Tried to look around and realized that she couldn't because he was holding her chin in place. When had he gotten this close?

"So before your blabbermouth friend call the police and tell them I abducted you and raped you let's head down to the civil registry and get married."

"What?" she blinked.

"You heard me. Or would you rather I make you remember the things we did last night so that at least you'll know you're getting something good out of our future marriage?" he breathed into her mouth.

"A-anou…"

"Okay," he said with candor, "The second option it is." And he claimed her mouth in his.

--

Ryuuzaki Sakuno looked at the dark hair pooling at her chest. He was sleeping. She let her hands bury themselves lightly on his hair when he stirred. She quickly pulled them back.

"So…" he smiled, blinked his eyes and said, "What time do you want to go to the registry?"

She blushed, "Ryoma-kun…" just saying his name was causing her stomach to toss and turn.

"Right. Now you remember," he smirked and brushed his lips against hers.

Sakuno smiled. Right. She remembered. Ryoma-kun made it a point for her to remember.

--

A/n: I'd be posting the companion piece soon. Tell me what you think about it…