Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ Miss Match ❯ Empty House ( Chapter 11 )

Wanna thank everyone who had reviewed… before the story… and thanks very much to Rokawa, for your constants support!!! ^_^ really appreciate them a lot… and also pointing out my mistakes :P I know I had them often for I'm always so lazy when it comes to reading again for mistakes… :P

Chapter 11

Yawning widely, Yuna sat up her bed and stretched. It was early Sunday morning and she could hear a commotion downstairs. Everyone was busy getting ready to go out. Yuna smiled getting off her bed and hop to the window. She flung the curtains opened and looked outside the bright, blue morning sky. Besides that, there were some sea gulls flying in the distance.

"Wah!" She said happily. "What a beautiful morning!"

"Breakfast is ready!" Yuna heard Kasumi's shout downstairs.

"Hai!" Yuna replied cheerfully as she reached for her clutches and went downstairs to brush her teeth changed out of her pajamas and entered the kitchen.

"Ohayo!" Sota said already eating.

"Ohayo gozaimasu!" Yuna replied optimistically and took a seat. She poured herself some juice.

"I wonder what time Rukawa-kun would arrive." Kasumi said.

Yuna choked on her drink she had totally forgotten to tell Kasumi.

"I hope he will come before I leave." Kasumi said looking at her watch.

"Er… I didn't ask him." Yuna said softly.

"Yuna!" Kasumi exclaimed. "Why didn't you?"

"His busy!" Yuna said quickly. "He has practice at school today! Besides I will be fine. I don't need him!"

"But your leg…" Kasumi said worriedly.

"I'm fine!" Yuna said slightly annoyed at the fuss. "Go ahead neechan don't worry about me. I can take care of myself and this house!"

"Well, if you say so…" Kasumi said softly still unconvinced.

"I'm finished!" Sota said getting up clearing up his dishes. "Well, I'll be going now. See ya! JA!!!!"

Yuna watched Sota running out the kitchen. Kasumi was preparing lunch for Yuna before she left.

"I had left some money for your dinner." Kasumi said still slightly worried as Yuna pushed her out. "I didn't have time to prepare that. So now…"

"OK!" Yuna said exasperatedly. "You are going to be late if you don't hurry."

"Take care now."

"Bye bye!" Yuna said happily waving at Kasumi as she walked out the front gate.

Yuna turned away the door and locked everything up. Then she tried to make herself busy with school work. She had missed nearly a week of work and she was left behind in her homework. She stopped to have lunch for a moment before she continued studying again. Soon she fell asleep on the desk after hours went by. She was exhausted from nearly the whole day of studying.

When she woke up again her whole room was in darkness. She looked up quickly and looked around, the light alarm clock on her desk showed her that it was nearly eight. She yawned, she couldn't believe she slept through the whole evening. However, some noise downstairs nearly make her jumped out of her skin.

Burglars? She thought half frightened. She knew she couldn't fight with her leg in this condition. She got up hurriedly getting hold of her clutches. Worst come to worst, she would have to hit them with her clutches.

Swallowing hard, Yuna left her room slowly and headed for the stairs. She walked down the stairs cautiously looking around the dark corridor. When she saw a silhouette walking down the corridor she nearly screamed. As she got ready to strike the person if he comes closer, the lights at the corridor switched on. The sudden brightness of the light blinded Yuna; missing a footing she slipped. She gasped when she felt herself falling. She shut her eyes tightly waiting for the moment to fall hard down the stairs but it never came. In fact, she never even fell. She felt like her face landed onto something instead. She opened her eyes blinking it was more like someone she had landed on. She looked up slowly and found herself staring into a pair of cold blue eyes. She had landed on Rukawa's chest!

Rukawa was glad he was fast enough to catch Yuna before she fell. He still had his arms around her as he looked down at her astonished expression. Not long later, Rukawa saw Yuna blushed slightly. It was something, he had never seen before and he found her looking rather cute. As quickly as the thought came into his head, he let go of her.

"Rukawa?" Yuna said softly and in astonishment. "What are you doing here, weren't you suppose to have practice?"

"It's over." He replied shortly and lifted her up into his arm. Then he carried her down the stairs and put her down gently at the foot of the stairs.

"How did you get in?" Yuna asked. "Why are you here anyway?"

Rukawa walked up the stairs to retrieve Yuna's clutches silently and the walked down again to give it to her. She took it still looking puzzled.

"Kasumi neechan came to look for me in school." Rukawa finally said. "She gave me an extra key to the house."

Yuna who was still stunned stood on the spot where Rukawa had left her. Rukawa looked at her unemotionally.

"Are you alright?" Rukawa asked.

Yuna nodded slowly.

"Are you going to keep standing there?" Rukawa said impatiently when Yuna didn't move.

Yuna snapped out from her trance then and frowned slightly. She turned away from him then and headed for the kitchen. Rukawa followed suit.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Rukawa asked as they both walked into the kitchen.

"Say what?" Yuna asked without reaction.

"About today."

"You were having practice." Yuna said with a shrug. "I didn't want to bother you. Besides I can take care of myself."

"Really?" Rukawa said skeptically.

"What is that suppose to mean!" Yuna turned to him sharply being defensive. To Yuna's surprised Rukawa was looking at her with slight amusement in his eyes. She blushed again then. She knew Rukawa was thinking of the time she slipped from the stairs. "It wasn't funny. You took me by surprised."

Still so stubborn, Rukawa thought.

Yuna sighed. "I'll see what I can cook for our dinner."

"I'll cook."

Yuna turned to Rukawa surprised. "You can cook?"

"Why not?" Rukawa challenged.

Yuna watched Rukawa with her eyebrows raised so high it totally disappeared in her hair line.

"I think we should just call for a take out." Yuna finally said after a minute of silence. "It'll be my treat."

So Yuna made the call for Japanese Mee Soba delivery. While waiting for their food to come, Yuna and Rukawa sat at the dining hall watching T.V. They watched television quietly and when half an hour passed, Yuna turned slightly to look at Rukawa and realized he was half dozing on his place. She blinked and looked back the television again.

"Anyone home?" They heard someone called at the front door.

"Hai!" Yuna said getting up slowly.

"I'll go take it." Rukawa said getting up, all of a sudden wide awake.

Yuna stopped mid way from getting up, looked at him her eyes wide with disbelieve. He was like so tired a minute ago. She settled down again and switched the television off then. Rukawa returned to the dining hall with their dinner and they ate in silence.

"Arigatou." Rukawa said after dinner.

"What for?" Yuna asked bewildered.

"Dinner." He replied shortly and helped her clear the table.

After dinner, Yuna continued watching television when Rukawa had gone out to the back to practice basketball. Yuna yawned feeling restless, and tired and the same time as she switched channels with the remote trying to find a nice movie. There was nothing nice on television that day to her surprise. All movies were romance movies and then she remembered that it was Valentine's Day. She sighed and switched off the television knowing that she will never find any movies she liked.

She rested her head on her arm, looking at her cast leg. Only a few more days and she can remove it. She can't wait for the day to come. Her thoughts were interrupted when the phone rang. She got up carefully then, to get to the phone.

"Moshi, moshi!" Yuna said after picking up the receiver. "Tendoshi Residents, Yuna speaking here."

"Yuna, its Kasumi neechan here."

"eh?" Yuna said. "Neechan? Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine!" Kasumi replied. "Did Rukawa-kun come?"

"Hai, he's here."

"Ah, that's good." Kasumi said. "I won't be able to come home tonight. So if Rukawa-kun doesn't mind I hope he can stay over tonight."

"Huh?"

"I've got to go, take care ya!"

"Hai."

Yuna hang up then, and turned to the kitchen. She walked in slowly with her clutches and went out through the kitchen door to the basketball court. Rukawa was already sweating from head to foot practicing. He did a dunk and then turned to Yuna when she walked out.

"Kasumi neechan just called." Yuna said when Rukawa turned to look at her. "She told me she won't be coming home tonight. Er.. if you…"

Yuna's voice trailed off, she never like to ask anyone for help least of all Rukawa. She looked away from his stare then. Rukawa turned away retrieved the ball and turned back to the court. Yuna moved her eyes slightly, and watched him aimed a three pointer that went in swiftly.

"It makes no difference." Rukawa finally said in his uncaring manner, his back on her. "I was planning to stay here tonight."

Yuna turned her head back to his direction, surprised at what Rukawa had just told her. She inclined her head slightly watching him.

"I'll get some clean clothes for you." Yuna finally said and turned back towards the house.

"Yuna…"

She turned her head slightly around to look at him. "Yes?"

"Those clothes…"

Yuna turned away from him then. "It belonged once to my father." She said as she walked back into the kitchen.

"…" Rukawa watched her leave before he continued with his practicing.

Rukawa practice till it was near mid night again, until he was satisfied and re -enter the house again. He found that Yuna had made supper for him again. It looked like a plate of Chinese fried rice. He inclined his head, she seemed really good in making Chinese food, maybe it was because of spending almost three years there. He went out the kitchen and looked around the corridor and the dining area but Yuna wasn't around. He then went back to the kitchen to finish his supper. After supper he prepared a hot bath for himself. Yuna had left clean clothes on the same place she had left before. Once, he had his hot bath and changed into the clothes Yuna borrowed him, he went upstairs. He still remembered Yuna told him the guest room he was supposed to used when he stay over.

When he reached the top landing he realized that there were lights shining out the bottom of Yuna's door. She was still awake? Instead of going into the guest room he, went up to her door and knocked. There was no answer, he waited for a moment before he opened the door softly and looked in.

Yuna's room was decorated in pink. Yuna had fallen asleep on her desk. She was wearing a cotton blue coloured night gown. Rukawa walked into her room quietly and looked down at her slumbering figure. Something caught his attention then. A photo album was opened on the table beneath her head. Carefully he slipped the album out.

He looked down at the photos in the book, and found himself staring at a much younger, happier looking Yuna. She was standing next to a boy very much taller than her. Both of them had a slight resemblance and Rukawa immediately identify that that boy was Yuki. They both looked very happy and carefree playing in the basketball court behind their house. Rukawa then looked down at Yuna who was sleeping so soundly she had no knowledge Rukawa was in the room.

"Yuna…" Rukawa whispered softly.

He placed the photo album down and lifted Yuna up into his arms. He then carried her to her bed and put her down gently. Yuna was still fast asleep though she moved slightly. Rukawa knelt down looking at her, her hair had fallen all over her face. He pushed them away gently. The first time he saw Yuna, he knew Yuna wasn't really a happy girl. She was stubborn, strong headed and really hated to lose. After he saw the photos of the younger and very much different Yuna, he understood that Yuna was missing someone very badly. Her twin brother, Yuki. She was so much happier when he was around. Rukawa want to see her smile that way again. He stood up and turned away just as Yuna muttered softly. He turned back to her again surprised.

"Oniisan…" she mumbled in her sleep, frowning slightly. Rukawa realized she had started to sweat. "I'm scared… please… hurry…come home…!"

Rukawa stared at Yuna his eyes widened with surprised. Scared? He wondered. What was scaring her? He was confused when he left her room.

The next morning, Yuna woke up slightly perturbed by the dream she had last night. She dreamed that she lost a match and Yuki wasn't coming home. She shook her head clearing the bad dream away.

I will never lose, she thought angrily. Then she looked around and realized she was on her bed. She didn't remember going to her bed last night. She blinked then looking slightly confused.

Then her mind clicked. "Rukawa…" She whispered.

She never knew Rukawa cared about her. Even more confused than she was before, she got up and slowly got ready for school. Not knowing why, she felt like she was falling for him.

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Heys, Rukawa and Yuna are showing more emotions now… ^_^ yes it is not like Rukawa, but heys, he's human, I'm sure he could show emotions… :D hope this chappie is alright!!!! Will post the next chapter up soon…

*Yawning*… very tired now… had updating five different stories in four different sites…

Please review!