Summary: A series of RyoSaku one-shots. When Ryuzaki Sakuno turns back into a kid, she gets a taste of life with the Echizens.

A/N: My last oneshot series received so much appreciation that I’m almost moved to tears. I love all my readers. I’m sorry I can’t reply to all of you, but I’m really really thankful to my readers for giving feedback, even if it’s just a sentence or two. I love you all, really!

Next, I apologize for the weirdness of this chapter. This one was written pretty long ago, but I didn’t have the guts to post it then. But, since I haven’t updated in so long, I posted this. No worries, I’m working on a much better one, but this one’s OK too. Some themes are similar to Detective Conan, which I don’t own as well. Oh, reviews are much appreciated still. Read on then!

Chapter 17: Chance

Sakuno blinked groggily. Where was she? She sat up slowly and looked around. She remembered going to the park, sitting on a bench to read a book, then…

Then…

She rubbed her eyes tiredly. What was wrong with her? She suddenly shot up in her seat. It was almost sunset! She had to get home now. Grabbing her things, she jumped down from the bench, fleetly wondering why the ground seemed so far away, and started running when something occurred to her. Her footsteps slowed. She looked at her hands and her eyes widened.

She screamed.

&

“Are you really really sure you’re my best friend?”

Sakuno nodded her head vigorously. “Tomo, please believe me!” she squeaked in a small voice. “I just… I don’t know what to do and where to go and- oh!” Her face crumpled, and she started to cry.

Tomo sighed and patted her little head. “Sakuno, come on, don’t cry. You still don’t remember anything important?” Sakuno shook her head dejectedly. “First, we have to tell your grandmother.”

Sakuno hiccupped. “She's going to a week-long seminar tomorrow. I don't want her to worry...”

“All right. I’ll tell her you’re staying with me for a while for a… school project or something. Second, we have to find you a place to stay.”

Sakuno blinked her large brown eyes. “Can’t I stay here, Tomo?”

Tomo sighed again. “I’m sorry, Sakuno, but my mom would kill me if I brought another kid to the house. You know how wild my brothers are.” She suddenly brightened. “Hey, I know a place!”

&

“Osakada, are we even friends? What are you doing?”

Tomo shrugged and beamed. “Details, details. Well, Ryoma-sama, since we’re here and all, why don’t you let us inside?”

Ryoma grudgingly let her in, muttering to himself. He blinked when he saw a little girl trailing after her. She looked kinda cute, with her big eyes and long pigtails. The kid looked at him, squeaked, then rushed inside. He raised an eyebrow. Right.

“So,” he started, glaring at her, ignoring the little girl who was stealing glances at him behind the sofa. “Why are you here? At my house. In the middle of the night.”

Tomo smiled widely. “Well, you see…” She paused dramatically and suddenly shoved the kid into his arms. “That’s all.”

Ryoma’s jaw dropped. “What?”

The girl wriggled madly in his arms, and he had to place her firmly in his lap to keep her from harming herself. Tomo grinned. “See, you’re good with kids, so I’m leaving my cousin in your hands.”

“Hell no!” He was about to give the kid back to her when Nanako entered the living room. Her eyes widened.

“Oh my god! She’s so cute!” The older woman grabbed the kid enthusiastically. Sakuno squealed in surprise. “I’ve always wanted to have a little sister!” She beamed at Tomo. “You’re Ryoma’s friend, right? I heard part of your conversation. How long can she stay here with us?”

Ryoma stood. “Hey!”

Tomo laughed. “A few days, I guess. I’m sorry for the trouble, but my house is kinda full at the moment.”

He glared at her. “Isn’t there any other place?! How about Ryuzaki?”

Tomo waved her hand dismissively. “Sakuno has a lot of things to do. I don’t want to trouble her.”

“Right. So it’s okay to bother me,” he muttered.

Nanako smiled. “All right. We’ll take good care of her. What’s her name by the way?”

Tomo gave a small smile. “Her name’s Chiaki.”

Sakuno smiled weakly.

&

“Are you sure, Nanako-neesan?” Sakuno asked nervously. “Ryoma-niisan doesn’t like me…”

“You must always remember to call them politely, all right?” Tomo reminded her.

Nanako smiled warmly, pulling Sakuno's long auburn hair into two pigtails. “I’m sure he does, Aki-chan. You could sleep in my room, but I’m a really restless sleeper. Unlike me, Ryoma sleeps like a log. Don’t worry, ok?” She frowned a little, then suddenly searched her dresser and took a shiny pink clip designed as a flower. She grinned and put it on Sakuno's hair.

Sakuno nodded. “Ok.” She bit her lip unsurely. The clip was cute, but it was so childish. "Anou... does Ryoma-nii hate girls?"

"And while you're at it, why don't you know all you can about Ryoma-sama as well?" Tomo grinned mischievously. "You can discover lots of things about him there!"

Nanako laughed. "Of course not! He may act that way all that time, but Ryoma actually has a soft spot for them." At this, her expression was thoughtful. "Or maybe a particular one."

Sakuno blinked. Tomo was right. There was a girl. She ignored the painful little pang somewhere in her heart and smiled. "Eh? Can you tell me who she is?"

"And if there was a girl other than you or me, make sure to tell me as soon as possible, ok?" Tomo gave a smile that was positively evil. "I'll make sure he never sees her again."

The older girl winked. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

Sakuno sighed inwardly. She really hoped she was going to get back to her old self soon.

&

“Why do I always get stuck with a girl?” Ryoma grumbled to himself. He glanced at her. “Look, kid, I value my privacy, so don’t cross this line,” he reminded sternly, indicating the pillow that separated the bed into two.

Sakuno nodded and pulled the cover up to her chin. “Can I ask you something, Ryoma-nii?"

"No, so go back to sleep," he muttered. He rolled his eyes and turned off the light.

&

She was reading a book. She remembered going to the park because it was too silent at home without her obaasan. She was sitting peacefully on the bench, minding her own business, when a kid suddenly came running to her. He was grinning, she noticed, and he shoved a jar at her. She accepted it a bit hesitatingly and watched as the boy skipped away.

And then... then...

She woke up. She looked frantically around her then groaned. Why couldn’t she remember anything important? Surely, there must be a reason how and why she turned back into a kid. She took a pillow and pressed it tightly to her face, resisting the urge to burst into tears. She tensed when a hand touched her wrist.

“Hey. Are you all right?” Ryoma mumbled sleepily.

Sakuno lowered the pillow and nodded her head. “I’m f-fine, Ryoma-nii. Please go back to sleep…”

“Che. Kids should be more willful…” She squeaked when he pulled her down into his arms, her small back colliding into his chest. “Go back to sleep.”

She didn’t dare move. She wondered what she should do. Ryoma was hugging her! Should she take advantage of the situation and hug him back? Or should she play the role of ignorant kid? Against her will, her eyes closed tiredly, and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

Ryoma sighed and leaned his forehead against the back of her head. “Why do you remind me of her so much?”

&

“I can’t bring her to school!”

“Ryoma, you know I can’t bring her to my job!”

The said tennis prince growled in frustration. “Look, I already slept with her! Isn’t that enough?”

From the sides, Nanjiroh whistled. “Can’t believe you had it in you, brat.” Sakuno blushed crimson and stuttered in denial.

“You’re the one who wanted her to stay!” Ryoma argued.

“As if you didn’t,” Nanako countered. “She looks so much like that girl it’s impossible for you to not like her!”

Sakuno blinked. Are they talking about the girl Ryoma-kun likes? she wondered.

“Why can’t she stay with the old man?” Ryoma was desperate, a tint of pink on his cheeks.

Nanako put her hands on her hips. “I won’t answer that question.”

Nanjiroh frowned indignantly. “Hey! I’m not a pedophile.”

Ryoma glared at her. “Fine! But you owe me a Japanese breakfast for a week!”

She smiled. “Deal.”

Sakuno blinked as Ryoma grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the house. That was all? Right. She waved at the rest of the Echizen household. “We’ll be going now!”

&

“E-eh? Ochibi brought a girl to practice?”

Momo nodded wildly. “This is the first time in three years, Eiji-senpai! You really have to see it to believe it!”

“Look, guys, I’m sure it’s not what you think,” Oishi started to explain.

“Exactly,” said a bored voice. “Nothing monumental has happened, Momo-senpai, so please get out of the way.”

Eiji froze and looked over Momo’s shoulder. He saw-

A little girl.

Oishi had to cover his partner’s mouth to stifle the scream. Eiji was horrified. “Y-you’re… you’re…”

Sakuno smiled nervously. “Umm… hello.”

The redhead wailed. “You’re a cradle-robber, ochibi!”

“A- what? Eiji-senpai, will you calm down?” Ryoma muttered as one-half of the Golden Pair started to run around the club room, screaming. He sighed to himself and shot a glowering look at the innocently smiling kid.

He would definitely make Osakada pay for this.

&

By the time classes ended, two-thirds of the school knew of the rumor that Echizen Ryoma was dating a girl eight years his junior (Sakuno was seven). Even Tezuka heard of it, and the practice turned out to be horrible. Ryoma was so tired of explaining himself to his senpais that he almost didn’t care when the tennis captain looked at his ‘girlfriend’ appraisingly and smirked.

Almost. In reality, Ryoma wanted to kill himself. The only good thing that happened was his early dismissal from practice because according to Fuji-senpai, “Chiaki-chan looks so tired. She’s waiting for Echizen, right? Shouldn’t he bring her home already?” And because nobody would dare resist the tensai, everybody agreed to let him off early.

He glanced at her and frowned. She does look a bit tired, he thought to himself. She wasn’t even skipping. “Hey. You okay?”

Sakuno started and looked at him in surprise. “E-eh? I’m all right, Ryoma-nii,” she lied, smiling. His frown deepened but he didn’t ask any further. Sakuno sighed inwardly. Her first day in school as a kid was hell. She couldn’t believe everybody thought she was Ryoma's girlfriend. If they only knew he liked someone else... Once again, she ignored that pang in her heart. Ryoma wasn't hers, she reminded herself. And she wasn't supposed to take advantage of the situation. When Ryoma wasn't looking, she sneaked off to find Tomo and they talked for a while before she had to go. During Ryoma's classes, she went to the park and was dismayed to find the jar missing. Her memory about that time was unclear, so the jar was the only thing she had left. She sighed dejectedly.

"You like ice cream?"

She nodded absentmindedly and kicked a pebble on the road. She wanted to be back to her old self soon. She was surprised when an ice cream cone was placed into her hand. "E-eh?" She looked up at Ryoma.

He shrugged. "You looked like you needed it." At her startled expression, he sighed. "Look, you're just a kid. I told you kids should be more willful, right?"

Sakuno almost cried. She didn't know he was so nice! "T-thanks, Ryoma-nii," she whispered. Her eyes lowered and she uncertainly licked the strawberry delight almost dripping from her hand.

"Kids shouldn't be coy either," he muttered to himself, tearing his eyes away from her.

She blinked. "You were saying something, Ryoma-nii?"

He cleared his throat. "You like strawberry?"

She beamed. "Strawberry's my favorite!"

At her reply, he almost smiled. "Yeah. I had a feeling it is." Sakuno looked at him curiously, but he just shrugged. "Let's go home. They're probably waiting for us."

&

The first five days chibi-Sakuno spent with the Echizens was, to say the least, awkward. For the most part of their time at home, Ryoma had this tendency to forget about her. He almost walked in on her on the shower once! On a good note, though, it was enlightening. She found out that Nanjiroh teased Ryoma on a daily basis, and the younger man was far from happy about it. Ryoma hated American food, too, and he would sulk all through out breakfast if his mother cooked it. He wasn't as restful a sleeper as Nanako thought because one morning Sakuno found herself cocooned in his arms when she was definitely sure she was on the other side of the bed the night before.

The fifth day was an entirely different day altogether. Sakuno followed Ryoma as he quietly went into "their" room and sat on the bed. She was faintly alarmed. Ryoma always flopped down on the bed and went to sleep until dinner time. "Ryoma-nii?" she asked tentatively.

There was no response. Instead, he lifted a hand and patted the space beside him.

Sakuno quickly went to sit by his side. When he didn't move after that, she asked again, "Ryoma-nii?"

She was surprised when a frown formed on his lips. "She didn't come today."

"O-oh." Sakuno was curious. "Who didn't?"

He glanced at her, and she squawked in surprise when he placed her on his lap, smoothing her hair away from her face. "You know... you really look familiar."

She swallowed nervously. "E-eh?"

He shook his head and flopped down on the bed. Sakuno had to brace herself to keep from falling on top of him. "She didn't come today," he repeated to himself.

"O-oh." Sakuno was really curious now. "Who didn't?"

Ryoma looked at her, apparently wondering if he should tell her or not. "We had a game earlier."

She lit up. "Oh! You were really really cool, Ryoma-kun! You totally beat that guy!"

His mouth twitched, and his eyes cleared a little. "Yeah, she was supposed to watch my game." He sighed. "She didn't come."

Sakuno was confused. Who was this person he was talking about? Whoever she was, she was making Ryoma act all lovesick. Sakuno decided she wouldn't ever like this person. "Who is she?"

Ryoma took a moment to respond, but when he did, Sakuno wished she never listened. "My girlfriend."

&

That night, when Ryoma unconsciously wrapped her in an embrace in his sleep, Sakuno buried her face in his chest. She really wished she was back to her normal body. She was afraid she couldn't keep her pain from showing anymore.

&

It was on the seventh day when it happened. When she woke up, she was suddenly painfully aware that she was back to being a 15-year old girl. She was about to stand up when she realized something was chaining her to the bed.

Ryoma had an arm wrapped around her waist.

She almost swooned, until she realized three things: one, Ryoma cuddled with Chiaki, not with Sakuno; two, she didn't have a good explanation on why she was in bed with him; and three, Ryoma had a girlfriend. The sudden realization made her deflate, but there was no time to mourn over her lost love because Ryoma suddenly moved in his sleep. She gently disentangled herself from his arms and left before anyone could see her.

It really was better this way.

&

Tomo squealed happily when she saw Sakuno enter their first class that morning. "Sakuno! You're back!" she exclaimed, hugging her best friend enthusiastically.

Sakuno smiled and hugged her back. "I'm so glad I'm back!"

Tomo grinned. "Same here! So, what did you find out about Ryoma-sama?"

Sakuno's smile almost fell, but she quickly put it back in place. "Anou... you wouldn't believe it, but-" The door to their room slammed open.

"Osakada!"

The whole class watched as the tennis prince stormed angrily towards Tomo. One could practically see a thunder cloud above his head.

Tomo was stunned. She glanced at Sakuno. "Ryoma-sama! Uh... what is it?"

Ryoma was furious. "Your cousin! Where is she?"

"I... um... she went back to the States."

He raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. "So quickly? She didn't even tell Nanako. So, tell me where-" His eyes glanced to the side and widened. "Ryuzaki."

Her smile was frozen on her face. "Ryoma-kun."

Tomo glanced at her curiously.

At once, the thunder cloud seemed to disappear. To everyone's surprise, his features cleared and he smirked, placing something on Sakuno's hand. "You forgot this."

Sakuno looked at her hand and her eyes widened when she saw the hairclip that she took to wearing ever since her stay at the Echizens. "T-then-"

He shrugged and turned to walk away. "I'll be having another match later. I want to see my girl friend cheering for me," he called out over his shoulder.

Something clicked inside her head. She could only gape at him in shock. When he was gone and everyone turned to look at her, red slowly suffused her cheeks.

"Ryoma-kun!"

&

There. That was a little weird, I think, but I wanted to finish it quickly. I purposely didn't include the reason why Sakuno turned back into a kid because I can't think of anything realistic. This honestly started out as light and funny, but it just turned sappy and dramatic in the end because I can't help it when Sakuno's involved. Hope everyone still liked it! Thanks for reading!

Queen Mist