Hye! Guys! This is my new RyoSaku fic. I called it 12 Days of Christmas. Kinda song fic related but not all of it. Anyway, I hope you like this first chapter. Domo... :)

Note: Ryoma and Sakuno are both sixteen since the former's having his birthday but oh well... :3

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Prince of Tennis and never will.

Chapter 1: Twelve Drummers Drumming

Chapter Summary: Her heart was drumming non-stop and it wasn't the normal beating she was feeling everytime she was seeing him.

'On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Twelve drummers drumming...'

The evening breeze of Christmas was freezingly cold that night. Each family was celebrating the feast with their loved ones. As I could hear each voice laughing, shouting and greeting a Happy, Merry Christmas to one another. From the frozen pavement where I remained stationary, I could see them from their windows, how happy they were. Some were already opening their gifts and these people who couldn't wait until tomorrow.

A snow flake fell on to my nose and I blew it away. It made me sneeze afterwards. My beanie, muffler and coat were not comforting enough to keep me from the cold. I looked down and brushed my shoes by tapping them on the snowy ground. The weather was getting heavier and I had to do my task tonight. From my back, I pulled my hand and revealed a small gift that was wrapped in silver and ribbon. The gift wasn't much but I hoped that he would like it. The problem was I didn't know how to give it to him.

Today was the twenty-fourth, Christmas eve, and it was Ryoma-kun's birthday.

'God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day...'

The song from the other house started to play and it brought nice feelings inside me. It was rare to feel the Christmas this way. No wonder it made me sing-along with the whole family as I continued walking the path where I was heading to.

'To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy...'

I took a deep breath to calm my panicky heart. The Christmas carol was still audible but the lyrics were not. But I knew that the night had been just began. That reminded me, I had to be home within an hour so I had to hurry. My parents and Obaa-chan were waiting for me back home. They only let me go after the endless teasing that came from them and I was given sixty minutes to give my present to Ryoma-kun. It had been twenty minutes since then so I really had to hurry.

Ten minutes, I was finally in front of their house. Technically, that was seven minutes ago. It was three minutes already since I've arrived but I couldn't muster my courage the knock on the door. The house was simple just like how I remembered it. The house wasn't decorated for Christmas probably the premises was actually a temple. They wouldn't mind for they were also celebrating Christmas. It was awfully noisy from the inside. Now, I was wondering if they could hear me if I tried to knock.

Testing my point, I knocked three times. I bit my lower lip when no one answered me. Then, I tried again louder this time. Still there was no luck. I tried for the third time, with saying 'Hello!' in the process hoping they could hear me. I heard some rustle after a few seconds. My heart beat faster when the front door was opened and revealed a taller guy wearing a monk suit, he was grinning from ear to ear when he saw me;

"Why, Ryuzaki-chan! What a pleasant surprise it is!"

"K-Konvanwa! Echizen-san!" I bowed politely at the father of the person I admired, "Merrii Kurisumasu!" Then I remembered what Obaa-chan had asked me to bring, "This is from Obaa-chan. This isn't much but I hope you'd like it."

"She shouldn't have bothered," He said grabbing the present from my grandmother and looked into it, "Red wine huh, she has my gratitude and tell her my Christmas greetings... to you as well."

"Thank you Echizen-san. I'll let her know."

"Nanjiroh's fine!" Nanjiroh grinned as he leaned closer, "Are you here to see seishounen?"

My cheeks felt hot despite the cold but I was able to nod at him, "Is he... here?"

"He's here alright. Wait a second," He turned around and shouted much to my surprise, "HEY! SEISHOUNEN! YOUR LITTLE GIRLFRIEND IS HERE!"

If my cheeks were already hot I didn't know if they could have been redder. I turned a bit from him and placed both hands to my cheeks.

Why would he shout things like that?

"Urusai Oyaji!"

His voice made my heart start to pound noisily in my ribcage. His voice was already making my heart beat faster. What more if I could see him in person... like now.

And there he was. Pushing his father aside so he could get a better look of his 'girlfriend'. My face flushed red when he was finally in front of me. He just stared. Blinked once. Twice. All I did was stood still. His father was long forgotten as he made his way inside the house.

"What is it?" He asked as he moved forward closing the door behind him. His action made me walk backwards so we wouldn't come close. My heart was already making its acrobatic stunts and I didn't know if I could take more.

"Anou..." I ventured as I took a deep breath and bowed in front of him, jerking the gift to his chest, "Merry Christmas Ryoma-kun! And Happy Birthday!" I didn't look up as my eyes were already closed. I only opened them when I felt that he grabbed the gift from my hand. I stood up and saw him eyeing the wrapper.

"Thanks," He muttered before looking at me, "Can I open it now?"

His question made me think for a while. Was I ready for him to open my gift for him while I was in front of him or I'd tell him that he should open it when he went back inside? I never had the chance to answer his question when I saw him pulling the ribbon and beginning to unwrap the gift.

"A-anou..." My incoherent words weren't able to fill up my lips when he finally opened it. He held it to his eye level and let me take a nice look as well. It was the miniature version of him, clad with its own cap, a tennis ball and red racket.

"Did you make it?" He asked as he continued examining the plush Ryoma-kun in his hand.

"It wasn't much but I hope you'd appreciate it." My cheeks felt hot despite the cold once again. I unconsciously gripped my covered hands together wishing that he would acccept my gift.

"Sankyuu."

I looked up once again and saw the rare smile on his face. My heart leaped when I saw that rare expression from his face. Ryoma-kun accepted my gift. He liked it I think. If I wasn't imagining things, I would have seen him smiling just for a bit. I ended up returning the smile of my own, larger this time then I remembered the curfew my grandmother told me.

"I need to go Ryoma-kun! Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday again!" I said as I walked backwards. He acted like he had something to say but I brushed it off. I had to leave if I wanted to reach home in time, "I'll see you tomorrow!"

I made my way back to my home with my heart kept drumming really loud inside my chest.

xxx

Christmas dinner was amazing. Mom cooked great food and stunningly delicious too. Just like how I witnessed outside from the other windows earlier, mom insisted that we should open our gifts now.

Who was I to resist? I was a teenager who was still craving for parents' attention. If opening gifts would make them stay longer, I'd do just that. Yes, my parents didn't come home for long. They were overseas workers and it was really rare for them to go home. Seeing that they came home this Christmas I doubt that they would be on my birthday. They already gave me my birthday gift along with the Christmas gift.

It was fine though. They never forgot their only daughter to visit and spent time with her. That was enough for me.

I just finished doing the dishes when Obaa-chan peeked from the living room;

"Sakuno dear, can you come here for a minute?"

I wiped my hands with the hand towel that was hanging at the handle of the fridge before answering her, "hai!" I walked out from the kitchen and saw my grandmother checking on some photo albums, "What is it, Obaa-chan?"

"Oh, I just want you to help me pack these things. I need to check our front porch just to make sure the snow isn't piling up" She said placing the albums ranging from largest to smallest on the table in front of her. They had been checking some old photos from years back then and I had grown tired of some embarrassing moments that had taken of me. I let them had their moments while I was doing the dishes. Now the albums were ready in front of her. Though that wasn't the thing I had in mind at the moment so I voiced it out.

"It's almost midnight. Why don't you do that tomorrow instead?" I asked her but she just brushed me off.

"It's easier to do it tonight. Besides, your parents will leave the next thing in the morning. We don't need to delay them on their flight." She stood up and walked to the door, "Now go and take them away."

"Hai," I agreed knowing that I wouldn't be able to stop her. The weight of the albums was enough for me to carry so I didn't have to come back to get the rest. It was in one go. I went to my grandmother's room and placed the albums to one of her cabinets. Once I closed the lid, I walked out from the room and back to the living room just as I saw Obaa-chan coming from the outside. Her eyes looked for my presense for some reason and when she spotted me, she gestured me to come down.

"Dear, someone's waiting for you outside." Obaa-chan said and she was actually smirking and I frowned.

"Who is it?"

"Just see for yourself. You don't want him to wait." She said as her smirk grew larger.

I made my way to the front door when my grandmother left it. My heart started to beat once again when I recognized who it was.

Just how I saw him earlier, Echizen Ryoma appeared to our front porch, like how I was in theirs a while ago.

"R-Ryoma-kun? What are you doing here?" I stepped out and felt the cold breeze of midnight but his presence made me forget the temperature of cold winter.

"It's Christmas." He said matter of factly.

He was right. It was the twenty-fifth already but I still couldn't understand why he was here. I abashedly asked him my thoughts, "B-but, it's kind of late."

He didn't say anything instead, he took a few steps towards me taking me by surprise. In an instant, something was blocking my view. I blinked at the item in front of me and my eyes widened at the sight of it.

It was a present... and it was clumsily wrapped with a red ribbon.

"Merry Christmas...'

I looked from the gift to his amber eyes. They weren't betraying anything. And I thought that he was joking. Ryoma-kun had a present for me. My heart was pounding really loud that even my ears could hear them.

I slowly grabbed the small gift from his hand and stared at it.

"You can open it if you want."

My eyes went to his own orbs and blushed a little, "Can I really?"

"Aa," He nodded, "It's yours."

With my slow movement, I carefully unwrapped the gift. I even tried to calm myself while doing so for I'd feel jittery at the moment. I never expected that Ryoma would give me a present let alone at midnight

On Christmas day.

My eyes widened when I saw what was inside. It was a silver bracelet. The chain was attached with an infinity sign serving as its own design. I was totally speechless when I realized his gift to me.

"Found it from a jewelry store. A common thing." He explained telling me that the accessory wasn't expensive. The bracelet was indeed simple. How did he know that it would fit me? That this would suit me?

Ryoma-kun gave me a present and my heart was also speechless.

"Take care of it."

I heard Ryoma-kun said. He shifted his weight from his other foot to another. Recovering from the shock, I was able to smile at him genuinely;

"Hai! Arigatou Ryoma-kun!" I clasped the bracelet to my hands and brought them in front of my chest. Ryoma-kun tipped his hat down before he turned around.

"Ja mata na." He muttered before he walked away.

"Hai! Ja mata!" I replied. He waved not looking back. I only watched him walk away from our front porch and into the snowy pavement. When he was out of sight, I gave myself a contented sigh. Ryoma-kun surprised me today. Maybe because I surprised him first. But he never expected that I would give him a present. The look on his face gave away my suspicion.

We both surprised ourselves.

And my heart couldn't stop pounding wildly, like some drummers were drumming the base of it hoping to be heard by others... particularly him.

Done! First chapter is done. So each chapter may have different total word counts. It depends on each situation. And as you can guess, the title of this fic is Twelve days of Christmas. This fic has only twelve chapters and I'll be updating everyday.

Yep, you heard me right. I'll update everyday. Let me hear your thoughts for the next twelve days. Reviews please! Domo!?

For the image of the bracelet, you can check it on my wattpad page. It was my mom's birthday present. And I thought it suits for Ryoma's present to Sakuno.

I do not own the songs featured here.

See you tomorrow.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, MINNA-SAN!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ECHIZEN RYOMA!

~ MitsukiJunko ~