Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ April 1st - The GIFT ❯ All for love ( Chapter 10 )

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PART 10: ALL FOR LOVE

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{Upstairs - Inside the bedroom}

Taken aback by Rukawa's sudden assault, all that Fujima could do at the moment was to try and evade the blows that were coming in almost all directions, holding up his arms and hands to try and shield his face.

"Kenji!" Hanagata shouted and went to help his friend, only to have Rukawa punch him directly on his face.

Seeing an opening, Fujima recovered and was able to deflect Rukawa's next blows. Soon enough, what started to be as a one sided Rukawa rampage had suddenly turned into a full-blown fight between Rukawa and Fujima.

Cursing after being hit once again by Rukawa's punch, Hanagata adjusted his glasses and rubbed his jaw before turning to Sendoh and yelling, "Damn it! Don't just stand there, help me stop them!"

Unlike Hanagata, Mito was rather enjoying himself though he had to admit that he was slightly surprised to see that the former Shoyo captain could hold his own against someone who could trade blows with Hanamichi anytime. All of a sudden, another loud moan brought his attention back towards his bestfriend. Thinking that Sakuragi might be close to waking, he gently shook the latter's shoulders while repeatedly calling his name.

Back to the ongoing raucous… Sendoh and Hanagata each looked for an opportunity to break the two apart. Finally seeing one, the spectacled brunette immediately ducked to avoid a flying fist then tackled his friend, sending them both falling down the floor.

On the other hand, Sendoh had a hard time in holding the raging raven head and it was only when he had clamped an arm tight around Rukawa's waist did the struggles stopped. That and after murmuring, "Stop it, Rukawa. Much as I enjoyed watching you punch the living daylights out of Fujima, I think enough is enough. You've gotten your point across. Besides, Hana wouldn't want to see you all bruised and bloodied, especially since you still have a date for tonight." Seeing the questioning glare after the raven head twisted his face to look at him, he chuckled and said, "Yeah, we know. So, if you don't behave and stay out of trouble… I might just be inclined to accompany Hana to that date of yours while you stay in bed and recuperate." He could not help goading and though he had expected retaliation, the painful blow on his ribs still took him by surprise.

Sprawled on the floor, Fujima, who despite receiving the worst end of the fight, hastily got up and was about to make a lunge at Rukawa again if Hanagata had not hold on to his hand. "Let me go, Toru!" He glowered, unconsciously wiping the blood oozing from his left eye.

Standing up, Hanagata placed his hands on Fujima's shoulders, careful not to place too much pressure and said, "Stop this, Kenji. You're just fighting a loosing battle and you're already hurt as it is. Why don't you just let it go and forget about it?"

"What?" Fujima choked. Slapping Hanagata's hands away, "Let it go? You think that I asked for this? Asked to be in love with him?" He half-shouted, pointing to the redhead on the bed.

"Kenji, I..."

Lifting his hand, "Shut up, Toru!" Fujima snapped, his eyes shimmering as he slowly backed away from his usually supportive friend. "You have no idea what I went through so you have no right to say things like that to me." Feeling alone all of a sudden, he ranted, "I have tried.... Tried so hard to fight my feelings for him but... But it was no use!" Backing up against the wall, "As time passed by, I found myself wanting to see him, hear him, and be near him almost everytime and you can't know the guilt that I felt at that time," he said and his heart contracted upon the remembrance. Taking a deep breath, he clenched his hands and his eyes suddenly acquired a faraway look as he continued his rant, "It was hard during those times, and yet I still fooled myself in believing that it was nothing, that it was just mere infatuation or a crush... But I was wrong."

The last words dropped to almost like a whisper that it would be hard to catch it if there was anybody else talking, but since there was no one else, the ache in Fujima's voice was hard to miss.

"Stop torturing yourself, Kenji," Hanagata beseeched, feeling like a heel in thinking that he had somehow let his friend down for not knowing.

Looking at his bestfriend, "Too late for that, Toru," Fujima stated, his voice lowered, and then after a while, chuckled. "Did you know that Sakuragi's the reason why I kept coming back here?

Nodding his head, "I just realized it lately," Hanagata replied, vaguely hearing Rukawa's disgusted snort.

Lips twitching in a poor attempt of a smile, Fujima turned away and looked at the figure on the bed, his expression softening as he tenderly said, "He became my blanket. A favorite blanket that I used to cover me up from the coldness of being alone whenever Shinichi's not by my side, and I never knew how much he meant to me, until yesterday." Shaking his head, he then returned his attention back to the only person who, without knowing, had caused him the pain he had felt since yesterday. "Because of you, I was finally able to come into terms with what I really feel for Hana-chan and whether I or you like it or not, it's there. I do love him and knowing about your relationship with him led me into doing this," he sadly stated, pain replacing anger and jealousy in his eyes as he steadily gazed into Rukawa's pupils.

"That's not an excuse for what you did," Rukawa icily said in response.

Fujima would have loved to retort something to that remark but his disclosure of his feelings had somehow drained him emotionally, mentally, and physically. Leaning against the wall for support, the urge to curl up somewhere to be alone made him want to just leave the room and forget everything, but he couldn't, not yet anyway. Not until he say everything that he needed to say. Sneaking a peek at the closed cabinet, he smiled wistfully and thought; [I hope you could find it in your heart to understand me someday, Hana-chan. That is, after you heard all of this.]

Hence, without considering the pain that it would further cause him, Fujima set about to reveal everything. Not to the people gathered around him but to the one whose forgiveness and understanding he sought to beseech, Sakuragi.

"For almost two years, I was just a guy who was content to long for someone from afar and I never really intended to act on that feeling. It was okay for me to see him once in a while and to know that he's just there, free and… waiting." Wrapping his arms around himself, he rubbed his sore arms and absently said, "Until yesterday." Meeting Rukawa's now impassive blue eyes, "You changed all that. You, being his boyfriend, had changed all that and with it, you took away my fantasy and my dream of being the first man in Hana-chan's life."

[What?] It took Rukawa about a second or two to digest that last bit of information before his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, jealousy marring his features as he said, "You wouldn't have gotten the chance even if you tried."

"Why, because you wouldn't have let me?" Seeing a nod, Fujima gave out a stilted laugh and said, "God, you're so sure of yourself aren't you?" He derided but somehow his voice lacked the spite he intended to go along with it. Taking deep breaths to calm his nerves, he forced himself to continue albeit the lump that got stuck in his throat. "That's why I hated you. Hated you so much that it blinded me and it made me want to take Hana-chan away from you. To make you feel the same pain that you gave me when you took him away."

"But why? Hana was not even yours to begin with and besides, you already have Maki. So why blame Rukawa?" Sendoh queried, disturbed by Fujima's revelation and yet he could relate, in a way.

Shifting his gaze to Sendoh, Fujima shook his head and a small smile tug at his lips as he said, "That's where you're wrong because, I did feel that he was mine. Mine to see freely when I want to and mine to have if I decide to."

Sendoh gaped at the arrogance in those words and tightened his hold around Rukawa's waist upon sensing the latter's returning anger. "What makes you think that Hana would even like you?" He queried.

Fujima noticed the scornful look on Rukawa's face but he shrugged it off as he returned his gaze to Sendoh. "What makes you think that he wouldn't?" He countered then shook his head again. "Let's stop this. Bottom line is that, before, by knowing that he was free and still an innocent made me think that I was at least first in his life; the first guy to love him, the first guy to yearn for him, the first guy that could possibly make him open up to the wonders of gay relationship."

Raking his fingers though his brown tresses, Fujima turned his face away from the others and only his bestfriend saw the change in his expression as he said, "But with Rukawa's presence in his life… The possibility of those happening faded into nothingness as I was again faced with the reality of having someone that I love taken away from me."

"Kenji…" Hanagata's voice trailed with a note of sadness as he looked at how the admission had affected his bestfriend. Never had he thought that the redhead meant that much to Fujima for only a few had been able to make the latter show his vulnerable side.

After approaching and placing a comforting hand on Fujima's shoulder, Hanagata then decided to tell the others about his friend's past. It was not an easy decision to make since Fujima would definitely be mad at him afterwards but, after basing his decision on his desire to make the others understand his friend's behavior, he ignored the warning bells and proceeded anyway.

Only a few people knew that Fujima was a product of a broken family and since his parents had remarried and were living separate lives, he had settled into living alone instead of being transferred to and from his mother and father. Then came basketball, a sport that Fujima had poured his best into since he was good at it. However, basketball had not been kind to him either for even though he had been known as one of the ace in the said sport in High School, his wish for Shoyo to be Kanagawa's champ had always eluded his grasp. Come college, there had been many speculations as to why Fujima had decided to have a low profile as a basketball player, and even he, Hanagata, had once questioned his friend about it, but the only reason that Fujima could give was of his wish to be constantly by Maki's side. However, as fate would have it, after being the apple of Maki's eyes during their first year as a couple, which was also their last year in High School, Fujima again tasted the bitterness of being cast aside or taken for granted after basketball became the center of Maki's life.

"Thus, in consequence, Fujima may have leaned towards his uncertain feelings for Sakuragi that time and in return, those feelings grew into something which made him act the way he acted today," Hanagata ended. Then, after turning to give Fujima an apologetic look, he returned his attention towards the others and asked, "Now you tell me. Would you still crucify him for doing what he did after knowing that all he did was to fight for someone that he loves?"

"But Hana was never his to fight for. He's mine and I'll fight anyone who dares to take him away from me. No matter how sad or sick the reason may be," Rukawa retorted, though his voice lost its icy edge.

Before anyone could react on Rukawa's comment, a figure emerged from the doorway and surprised everyone by saying, "No more fighting, Rukawa. I won't let you lay a finger on him again."

Upon hearing that voice, Fujima's entire body went rigid and his heart stopped beating for a second. Slowly, he turned his head towards the direction of the voice and when his gaze met a pair of deep-set brown eyes framed by the all too familiar handsome face of his tanned boyfriend… All emotions known to man rose up to his throat, choking him to utter only one word, "Shin-chan," before he slid down to the floor with tears streaming down his face.

Seeing his lover, Maki immediately went to gather Fujima in his arms, careful to avoid the latter's visible bruises, as he held him tight. "Kenji… I can't say sorry enough for everything that I have done and not done for you. All I can say is that I was stupid, blindly stupid. Please stop crying, I love you so much and I promise to make it up to you, just… Just give me a chance. Give us a chance," he pleaded and the only answer he got was of Fujima burrowing deeper within his embrace. Tightening his arms around his blue-eyed angel, he whispered, "I'll never let you go again, ever."

A shroud of silence befell the room as the bystanders watched the reunited couple for a while. No one spoke and no one moved.

Hanagata had never felt happier for his friend than he was at that moment. Granted that he had indirectly blamed Maki earlier for Fujima's actions but still… The former Kainan ace might just be the only person who could help Fujima to recover from the slumps that had plagued him his entire life. [Good luck, Kenji, and be happy.]

Meanwhile, not far from the couple, two brunettes stood side by side still, though only one watched the couple with slight interest because the other could care less of Fujima's would be future with the former Kainan player.

For Rukawa, nothing could be more suitable than to make Fujima live a life of eternal solitude as punishment for the selfish attempt of tearing him and Hanamichi apart. Thus, after a minute or two of watching with indifference, he turned away from the couple to return to his own love only to realize that Sendoh still had an arm around his waist. Without saying a word or looking at the spikey haired guy, he detached the arm and went over to where Mito was holding the redhead's hand, much to his annoyance. Tapping Mito by the shoulder, he non-verbally told him to move aside and without saying anything still, he placed his hands under his beloved redhead then scooped the latter into his arms.

"What are you doing?" Mito queried, puzzled.

"I'm taking him home," Rukawa clipped then winced when Sakuragi's weight made the wound on his arm and the bruises on his body throbbed in pain.

"Like hell you will," Sendoh piped. "There is no way that I am letting you endanger Hana by carrying him down that flight of steps and out of this house with that wound on your arm. Besides, he weighs more than you do," he remarked. Stepping forward, he stretched his arms forward and said, "Give him to me."

Cold blue eyes glinted anew as they stared at the serious expression on the slightly taller and broader guy. "Over my dead body," Rukawa gritted and in spite of the growing pain on his arm, he possessively held his bundle closer to his chest as he sidestepped Sendoh. However, before he could even reach the door, Sendoh grabbed his wounded arm in a painful grip that made him yelp and almost drop Sakuragi in the process.

Ignoring the murderous look directed his way, "See. I told you that you can't carry him," Sendoh gibed. "Now, hand him over," he reiterated, blocking Rukawa's path by stepping in front of him, his face still dead serious.

Unyielding, Rukawa stood his ground and eyed Sendoh with open animosity, heedless of the blood that started to ooze from his arm. [There is no way that I would hand him to you,] he thought but only voiced out, "No."

"Then better lie him down again and wait till he wakes up because you will never leave this room with you carrying him," Sendoh retorted, equally unyielding.

As sparks flew between Sendoh and Rukawa, Mito, who was still standing by the bed, slapped his forehead and groaned, "Will you two stop it? Hanamichi is not a thing to be fought between the two of you." Walking towards the two, he stopped beside Rukawa and said, "Sendoh is right. You can't carry him with that wound." He pointed then took a step back when a pair of ice-cold blue eyes froze him on the spot. [Geeshh... Talk about dejavu.] Keeping his face placid, he stared back and said, "I'm serious, Rukawa. Either you give Hanamichi to Sendoh or I would not let you leave this room either."

Stifling the urge to chuckle at the ongoing spectacle, Hanagata cleared his throat and shocked everyone by saying, "I can carry him." All eyes turned to stare at him and it made him fidget uncomfortably from where he was standing. "What?"

"Why?" Rukawa asked with a raise brow.

Shrugging, "Why not? I'm taller than the both of you," pointing at Rukawa and Sendoh, "and I know that I can carry his weight." Sensing that the raven head was still not convinced, Hanagata walked around the couple still on the floor then stopped to stand sideways between Sendoh and Rukawa, facing Mito. "Look, instead of carrying Sakuragi like that till God knows what time, and since you don't want to let Sendoh carry him for you, why not let me? I'm straight and that is reason enough for you to trust me, isn't it?" He queried and looked Rukawa straight in the eye. His intentions were clear and evident for the other to read and it was a huge relief when the Shohoku ace nodded his head then carefully transferred Sakuragi to him. At first, he almost lost his balance, as the full weight of the unconscious redhead took him by a surprise. Thankfully, Rukawa was quick on his feet to stop him from lurching forward, however, the near mishap earned him the coldest glare he had received in his entire life.

"Sorry," Hanagata mumbled and settled the redhead more comfortably in his arms, still with Rukawa's help. After making sure that he could carry Sakuragi without the slightest hitch, he gave the raven head a reassuring nod and said, "Lead the way."

Without a word, Rukawa walked ahead, passing Sendoh who followed suit. Glancing at his friend, "I'll just be a while, Kenji," Hanagata said and made a move to follow the two slightly shorter brunettes when suddenly...

"No, wait!"

Fujima's cry made Hanagata stop in his tracks and leaned back from the threshold to watch with horrified eyes as his friend scrambled away from the tanned player, got up to his feet, and hurriedly went beside him. "Kenji?" He hesitantly questioned.

"Kenji!" Maki cried as he too scrambled to his feet with the intent to pursue only to be stopped short upon seeing the scene by the door.

Aware only of the heavy feeling in his heart, "Please don't take him away just yet, Toru. I... I still need to say some things to him." Fujima implored in a small voice, his tears still trickled down his face as he caressed the sleeping face of the redhead in Hanagata's arms. "Hana-chan? Hana-chan?" He called, as if willing for the other to wake up.

Mito, who was supposed to follow Hanagata out the door, exasperatedly cried, "God, you just don't give up!" Then a thunderous looking Rukawa marched right back in and unceremoniously dragged the protesting former Shoyo captain away from Sakuragi and towards the shocked looking former Kainan captain.

"Make your boyfriend stay away from mine or he's dead the next time he comes near Hanamichi," Rukawa told Maki in a tone that was not a threat but more of a promise. Without even waiting for a response, he strolled to where an apprehensive looking Hanagata was standing and icily said, "Let's go." Taking no more chances, he gestured for the spectacled guy to go first and, without a backward glance, shut the bedroom door hard after he exited.

Expelling a very huge breath, "Well, that's Rukawa for you," Mito remarked with a chuckle and then, eyeing the slightly taken aback couple, he said, "Good luck." However, before he could even reach for the door handle, he heard Fujima say, "Please wait," and he saw him wriggle out from the other's embrace. [Now what? I am definitely not Hanamichi. So why is he stopping me now?]

Taking something from inside the cabinet near the bedroom door, Fujima placed it inside its casing and walked towards Mito. Wiping the tears from his face, he looked pensive for a moment before he handed the package to the confused Mito and said, "Could you give this to Hana-chan?"

Eyeing the object suspiciously, "What's this?" Mito asked.

In a low voice, "My confession," Fujima said. Seeing the uncertainty in the dark haired guy's expression, "It's my last resort to let Hana know everything," he explained.

"A tape?" Mito asked incredulously and then... realization. Eyes widening in horror, "You taped everything that happened in this room?"

Without even batting an eye, "Yes, I did," the former Shoyo ace admitted.

"That's sick!" Mito exclaimed and threw the tape back towards Fujima, good thing that the guy was quick to catch it. "There is no way that I am going to subject Hanamichi to that," and after saying that, he stomped towards the door with disgust written all over his face.

"No! It's not…" Fujima started but Mito had already shut the door behind him.

Silence enveloped the couple left in the room and Fujima was contemplating on how to send the tape over to Sakuragi when Maki took a step forward and grimly said, "I want to watch that tape, Kenji."Upon hearing that, Fujima snapped his attention back to that room and his azure eyes widened in horror as knowing of what's to come almost made him want to run out of the room. His entire being was shouting for him to say no but the determined expression on the other made him slump his shoulders in defeat. Thus, with a sigh, he nodded his head and went to prepare the VCR as one thought entered his mind, [It's time for him to know everything.

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To be continued..........................

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