Author’s Note: Sorry for the delay, but the updates going on had been interfering with posting this chapter. I will warn you this chapter was only partially edited; some sections might be later amended. Also, some people have commented that they would like to see “Just What the Doctor Ordered” turned into a regular story… I am beginning to consider the idea. Finally, I sent out reminders to the reviewers to submit a prompt. I want to get to work on them as soon as possible.

Warning: This story follows after chapter four, “Timing is Everything.” However, references to the fourth chapter are rather minor. This chapter features Ryoma and Sakuno in an established relationship.

Summary: There was no doubt that Sakuno was the quiet one. Even so, Ryoma had his ways of getting her to raise the volume.

Prompt: #17 kHz

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis is not mine. If it was, Ryoma would believe in public displays of affection.

Kiss Kiss
#17 kHz
Raise The Volume

“Go Ryoma-sama!”

“Win Ryoma-sama!”

“Give it everything you’ve got Ryoma-sama!”

Ryoma wanted to roll his eyes at the screaming of his beloved fans. He had just walked out unto the courts, hadn’t even had a serve yet and they were already screeching. Looking around he was met with deafening cheer from crowd filled with ogling teenage girls. He was then momentarily taken back when he saw two middle school girls in the corner wearing I love Ryoma shirts. When they noticed he was looking their way, they began squealing like two chubby piglets. …it was disturbing to say the least.

He scanned the crowds briefly once more before finally locating his actual target. There she stood, standing behind the fence near where his team sat. When Sakuno realized where his attention was centered, she blushed and dropped her eyes but not before he saw her small pleased smile that he was learning meant he had done something right.

He smirked. Three and a half years ago, he would never have imagined dating the shy granddaughter of his first tennis coach. She was his complete opposite. She was shy but on the friendly side; he tended to avoid any and all social interactions. She was quiet; he was blunt and not afraid to speak his mind. She constantly worried what others thought whereas most of the time he couldn’t care less.

But three years had done wonders in helping him reevaluate his first impressions of her. She was shy, but she loved meeting new people. She worried what others’ thought because she wanted to be considerate of their feelings. And although, she may seem like the quiet one, he knew that had a set of lungs on her that could rival Osakada.

And Ryoma had ways of getting Sakuno to raise the volume.

“You’re the best Ryoma-sama!”

“You can do it Ryoma-sama!”

“You’ll win for sure Ryoma-sama!”

He ducked his head down so his eyes were hidden under the cap. Unnoticed, his amber eyes rolled at the ubiquitous comments from his adoring admirers. He had long ago accepted Sakuno’s quieter nature but sometimes having a too-quiet girlfriend and too many noisy fans made for a difficult match. He could barely hear her. In the past, it was never a problem. In the past, all he had to do to concentrate was to tune out everything else. In the past, he focused everything he had on one set, one game, one tennis court. Fans, coaches, teammates, everything disappeared but his opponent and one neon green tennis ball. And most of the time, he still played just like that. But then a tougher opponent would come along and suddenly he found himself distracted. When the games got harder, he was annoyed to find his attention slipping and his eyes glancing at her place in the stands. Fortunately, the fix to his problems only took a moment. In the moment, when her eyes locked on his the narrowed world he had constructed of just him and his opponent widened to include her. And then, that overwhelming drive to win would rush through him at full force, rejuvenating his body and pushing him to succeed.

Even so, he hadn’t liked his newfound dependency on her at first. It was annoying to have to find someone so quiet out of a crowd of screaming fans just so he could concentrate. But when she unintentionally missed his game a few weeks back and his eyes wouldn’t stop darting to the stands to find her, he reluctantly conceded defeat. He realized that he was just going to have to accept the fact that his world now included her in it.

Still, he thought, if she would only be a bit louder it would be easier to find her in all the messy array of voices.

As the game progress, the noise level only seemed to increase. Each point made by him or his opponent was met with a cheer from the crowd or a groan of disappointment. Each unfair call received loud boos and each call that went in his favor was met with rounds of applause. Most players would find such support encouraging. Ryoma just wished they would all just leave.

He was trying to play tennis, not act as some entertainer. Most of the people who attended the tennis team’s matches nowadays knew little to nothing about the game being played. And that was just irritating. It was a tennis game, not some chance to scope out hotties.

When the match had reached game point, Ryoma prepared himself for his serve. As he bounced the ball once then twice, a delighted trill went up into the crowd. His jaw clenched in aggravation. He was just about to serve and they still couldn’t stop screeching. Trying to relax, he bounced the tennis ball against the court again. His head lowered for a single moment and hidden beneath the rim of his cap, his eyes closed. Quietly he focused all his attention on one small voice in the crowd.

“Fight-o Ryoma-kun,” she whispered.

His body moved into action. His arm tossed the ball upward and his body jumped up to follow it. Pulling back his arm then snapped it forward, slamming the ball to the other side of the court before his opponent had time to react. The crowd erupted in cheers and the one small voice left out the breath she had been holding in relief.

Echizen Ryoma had won.

He made his way off the court and into the thundering mass of the crowd. As his teammates shouted out their congratulations and slapped his shoulder in glee, he focused on one person. Like usual, she held herself slightly away from the team and watched their antics with a small. He quietly made his way to her. When she noticed his approach, she blushed but didn’t attempt to run away.

“Sakuno.”

She blushed more. “Ryoma,” she said quietly, still embarrassed by his attention after three months of dating. They stood in silence for a few minutes before she opened her mouth to speak again.

“It was a good match.”

He nodded. When he saw his team about to steal him away from more celebrations, he knew there was one more thing he had to do first. His body moved into action. His lips closed on hers for a quick but demanding kiss. Before she even knew what happened, he had pulled away leaving her dazed with the taste of grape ponta on her lips. And for the second time since the beginning of the match, the roar of the crowd was silenced and the world narrowed in include only the two of them. Eventually however, Sakuno got her bearings.

“R-ryoma-kun!” she shouted in surprise, gaining the attention of nearly everyone around them. The red hue of her cheeks made him kiss her again, light and fleeting, just because he could. Then, before the gears in her brain began turning once more, he headed back to his team, his lips cocked into a smirk. The smirk grew more pronounced he spotted the jaw-slack expressions of his fellow teammates who had no doubt heard her shout and noticed the second kiss.

Yes, Sakuno was definitely the quiet one, but Ryoma had ways of making her turn up the volume.