Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

Author's Note: Hi! This is the last chapter and I hope you'll like it.

Read and enjoy!

Epilogue

"It should have been you up there," Sakuno, pointed out. They were watching the Seishun Gakuen's annual Halloween stage play. This year's story is the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty.

"The audience wouldn't want a prince on crutches," said Ryoma, raising his casted right leg and pointed to the pair of steel crutches resting beside him. He was the original choice to play the prince but since he was injured two weeks ago, the management have no choice but to replace him. He could not have been thankful than ever. "Besides, it's not really my thing – acting." He remembered his first day of rehearsal and the shouting match between him and their Drama Professor. He was glad that he was out of it.

"Speaking of your crutches, it has been three weeks. How long are you going to use that?"

"I don't know. Maybe for quite some time."

Sakuno bit her lip at this information and looked at Ryoma's plastered right leg. She can't help but feel guilty for what happened to him. If she had just locked the door on that night, her grandmother could not have barged in suddenly and things would turn out differently. What if the injury is irreparable? Ryoma have a very bright future on his tennis career and she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if he becomes incapacitated for life.

"Why the long face?" Ryoma teased. "The doctor said that it would be removed anytime now."

"Really?" Sakuno's face brightened up. "That's good."

"It's not a fracture just a first-degree sprain." He said casually. "Why, are you embarrassed to walk down the streets with a guy in crutches?" He teased her.

"No," answered Sakuno vehemently. She was never ashamed to walk with him even though he was in crutches whether at school or outside. In fact, for the first time, she felt that he needed her. Not physically like going upstairs, he refused to be help on such things. He needed her comfort and support. He had somewhat changed, not drastically, but he was changing gradually. "I was just scared that you might not play tennis again like you want to. And I would forever be guilty about it." She loved him not just, because he was the popular Ryoma Echizen, she loved him for who he was inside and outside the tennis courts.

"You're blushing," teased Ryoma further.

"What? N-no, I'm not!" She slapped herself inwardly for stuttering. She could feel her face started getting flushed again like those times when they were freshmen and she would be face to face with him, not knowing what to say.

"Really? Then why-"Ryoma was about to tease her further when the people beside them laughed merrily. When they turned to look what they were laughing at, they found to their amusement Horio facing a red dragon mascot sword less. It seemed like that the new prince was very enthusiastic on his role and took things a little too far.

The audience laughed even more as Horio scrambled to get his sword back. Meanwhile, the red dragon mascot just kept roaring as if waiting for Horio to get back his sword. After getting his sword again, Horio got to his feet and brandished the sword bravely with as much dignity as he could show. After a few more sword fightings, he finally delivered the "fatal blow" to the dragon. The spectators cheered as the dragon fell to the stage.

Next, the lights dimmed and curtains closed, the sound of scraping furnitures and props were heard as the backstage crew prepared for the most-awaited final scene.

Slowly, the thick drapes opened and the lights returned revealing a beautiful princess sleeping on a bed. Horio entered the scene and after seeing the lovely princess, he shoved back his sword to its sheath and dropped beside her bed as he marvelled at her beauty.

"Oh, fair princess!" Horio gestured and went on with his monologue, stealing a glance now and then at the back of the auditorium where the backstage members were holding a large manila paper with his lines written largely for him to see.

Sakuno smiled to herself as she observed the princess lying on the bed gulped and tensed. Surely, the girl thought it would be Ryoma giving her the kiss, not in her wildest dreams would she imagine that it would be Horio.

After finishing his monologue, Horio descended his head to kiss the princess. The crowd gasped as he finally kissed her and slowly, the princess opened her eyes to see the prince who awaken her from her deep slumber.

Although it's not the right thing to think about, Sakuno can't help but feel that Ryoma's injury is a blessing in disguise on her part, because if it have not happened, Ryoma would still be the prince and have to bear seeing him kiss another girl albeit that it was just a stage kiss. He has so many fan girls and admirers both at school and outside and she can't help but feel threatened now and then. Yet, she trusted him enough because she believed that he wouldn't make up with her if he didn't want to.

"I'm going to melt with the way you're staring at me." A cool voice jolted her out of thoughts.

"I'm not staring at you!" Sakuno strongly denied. She could feel the heat creeping on her face as he smirked at her. "There was something on your face," she lied hoping that she would get out of it.

"There is?" Ryoma sounded amused. Then, he inched his face closer to hers and whispered. "Can you please remove it then?"

At the sight of his, face so close to hers, she felt her breath was caught inside. There was nothing on his face at all. In fact, he looked every inch perfect. Nevertheless, she would not tell that to him. She would just pretend to remove something then.

She was about to touch his face when the people around them cheered and gave a standing ovation. The cast members were already dancing on stage with the prince and princess in front, as the closing song played. Sakuno joined and clapped her hands enthusiastically. She felt happy for her fellow tennis club member Horio and her friend Osakada who was the over-all in-charge backstage.

"Let's leave." Ryoma grabbed her hand and started edging his away among the people. Sakuno felt the stares they were receiving, Ryoma was oblivious to it but she still can't help but feel uneasy at the curious glances they were receiving.

"Shouldn't we congratulate Horio?"

"I doubt it that he would miss our presence," replied Ryoma as they finally got to the aisle and started heading for the exit. Even though walking with crutches, Sakuno was amazed with how fast Ryoma walked and squeezed themselves amongst the throngs of people.

Sakuno threw him a questioning look but Ryoma only inclined his head for her to follow him. They made their way to the exit just as the crowd behind began to leave their seats. She became more bewildered with his actions when they continued walking towards the school gates.

"Let's go home?" Sakuno suggested tentatively as they paused just outside Seigaku's school gates, waiting for a cab to pass by. She stole a worried glance on Ryoma's plastered leg but instantly regretted doing so when Ryoma caught her eyes. She bit her lower lip and started to fidget with her feet as Ryoma looked at her with that expressionless face.

Ryoma Echizen is a man of pride that is for sure. He does not need anyone to assist him or worse, pity him. He will do things on his own without asking for anybody's help, seeing it only as a last resort. She remembered the first time he got hurt in a tennis tournament; she butted inside the courts and offered to help him. However, he only got angry at her interference and brushed her away. Even when he had this sprain injury and have to walk on crutches for some time, she felt helpless because he won't allow her to assist him physically and she still felt guilty for what happened to him.

"Not yet." Then, in an unexpected act, which made her gasp out loud, Ryoma unsheathed a pocket knife and began to remove the cast on his leg like he was removing a hard, constricted sock on his legs.

"Ryoma, no!" Sakuno was horrified as she tried to prevent him from destroying the cast.

Upon completely removing the cast on his leg, Ryoma adjusted his pants and retied his shoelaces to fit his foot comfortably.

Sakuno stood beside him, shocked at what he did.

"Better." Ryoma flexed his leg and wiggled his foot.

"What have you done to your cast?" Sakuno gasped at him. "Your leg is not fully healed yet! You-" She was not able to finish her litany when Ryoma shoved a small piece of paper in front of her face. "What's this?" She took it and read quickly and at once, her facial expression changed.

Ryoma smirked at her astonished expression after reading his medical abstract. "Yeah, the cast was already removed two days ago but I asked to keep the cast as a souvenir." At first, he did not know what to do with the removed cast bandages, whether to keep it inside a box or give it to Karupin to play with.

Then another idea had struck his mind. Who knew that his temporary disability has its advantages too? He would always be given priority to have a good seat inside the bus; people would let him go first even though the queue is long. Their section adviser even exempted him from homeroom cleaning until he was fully healed and best of all; his Drama Professor had to find an immediate replacement for his role on the Halloween Stage Play.

"You mean," Sakuno reread the medical abstract to make sure she understood right. "Your ankle is fully healed?" There was still a hint of doubt on her voice.

"Yeah, good as before." Ryoma smirked at her dumbstruck expression as he flexed his foot back and forth. "I even had a one-set match against oyaji yesterday."

From horrified to dumbstruck, her expression changed once again into something Ryoma usually see on her mother.

"Hey," called out Ryoma. She seemed to be in deep thought with her brows almost knitted together and she was biting her lower lip as if she wanted to say something to him.

"I'm just worried about you, that's all." Sakuno smiled back at him and when she opened her mouth again to speak, she decided otherwise and, to Ryoma's surprise, she jumped to embrace him.

This effect was unanticipated. Ryoma expected her to get angry for his prank but he never imagined that she would feel guilty and worried about his welfare. He pulled her face to face him directly and saw the concern reflected on her eyes.

Her breath caught at the proximity of their faces and saw his gaze focused on her lips and swiftly, he bent his head towards her. She just closed her eyes at what's coming.

"Thank you."

She opened her eyes again and felt embarrassed thinking that he was going to kiss her. The memory of their first kiss was still firmly implanted inside her head and she still can't help but feel butterflies inside her stomach whenever she remember it.

She smiled in response to him and extricated herself, feeling more embarrassed as seconds passed by.

She was blushing madly, Ryoma thought amusedly. She thought that he was going to kiss her and yet he said thank you.

Nevertheless, he really wanted to a while ago.

He just remembered his promise to Coach Ryuuzaki.

Two days after he was discharged from the hospital, Coach Ryuuzaki showed up on their house.

Alone.

They had a one-on-one talk and she made him promise that he wouldn't do anything that would ruin her chastity and image. She said that they were too young and that they should be focusing on their studies. To Ryoma's insult, Coach Ryuuzaki added that as much as possible he should control his self and nothing should happen between them until they finished their education.

Ryoma cannot help but feel affronted by these lectures on him. What does Coach Ryuuzaki think of him, pervert like his father? He had never watched or read porn materials before! Maybe she deduced that aside from tennis skills, he inherited this particular nasty trait from his father. However, he must respect her decision and from them on, certain rules were given.

First, she must be home on or before midnight.

Second, no exaggerated public displays of affection (he was not a big fan of it either).

The list went on and Ryoma made sure that she wrote it on a piece of paper with their affixed signatures so that there are no loopholes in which he would be inadvertently blamed.

"Movies?" Ryoma asked.

Her embarrassment forgotten, she replied, "Sure."

Ryoma threw his cast and crutches on a nearby trash can. He pulled her hand and walked.

Sakuno smiled at this new development and slipped her fingers between his, making their fingers intertwined with each other.

Ryoma did not say anything at what she did but she felt his warm hands tighten the hold as they walked together side by side.

END

I hope you like the ending!

Since I already have Not Bad for a Start (Tezuka and Sakuno) and this story, my next Prince of Tennis fanfic would be Fuji and Sakuno pairing. I still don't have any story in my mind. Suggestions are welcome!

Please review!