Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ Umm... Kae-CHAN?! ❯ Part 3 (Chapter 3) ( Chapter 3 )

Part 3:

"Kae-chan! You like that ball, don't you?" Fujima grinned as he fondly looked at the young boy wrestling with the huge (for him it is…) basketball.

The boy looked up at him with glistening eyes as he tried playing around with it like what his `elder brothers' did during a basketball game. Try as he might, he couldn't even do the simple task of dribbling the ball. It was simply too huge for him to manage on his own.

Fujima reached for him and held him close.

"Don't worry, Kae-chan, you'll have your chance when you get older… I promise… I'll teach you how to." He murmured softly, ruffling the boy's raven hair.

However, Rukawa was inconsolable.

Cerulean eyes marred with watery traces of a beginning dejection gazed back at him, too beautiful in their larger, yet still a bit… just a bit… fox-like, form. They were filled with determination and woe at the same time that proved to be the weakness of the brown-haired boy. "Onegai, Kenji-niichan? Can we do it right now?" Fujima gazed dubiously at him. Finally, he sighed.

"Alright, we'll do it. Let's go to that neglected area right there." He pointed to one of the six basketball goals in the gym.

"Yay!" The little boy cried out, disrupting the practice of the other players with his energetically loud voice. "We're gonna play!"

Fujima shook his head and grinned. /That boy sure is the opposite of his real elder self/ He thought in amazement. /I never knew he's like that when he's still young…/ He ran and joined him at the far corner of gymnasium.

Maki smiled as he saw Rukawa toting the ball in his chubby little hands. /He's too small… I wonder… if that's how he looked like when he was eight, what he did to make himself grow taller… / He shook his head and his eyes gleamed in amusement as Rukawa tripped over his shoelaces, earning a shout of alarm from Fujima, and a gasp of worry from Hanagata who was staring at the pair far across their playing court. /No… a little scratch won't harm him… but maybe, it's high time he needs someone to look after him… he's been living alone for quite some time now… Hn… he probably won't even remember this when he gets back to his original size…/

Sakuragi tried to stifle his laugh, but he couldn't. Soon, he was laughing his guts out as he pointed at the fallen boy who was trying hard not to cry. He couldn't believe it. For the first time, he wasn't the one injured… it was his foxy-faced rival! However, he felt a hard whack on his head, and it felt a lot like…

"Itai! Ayako-san! What was that for?" He yelped as he dodged another blow.

Ayako was twitching with annoyance. "Sakuragi-kun… don't laugh at him like that…"

"Eh? Why not? It's my amusement that we're talking about here, not anyone else's. Besides, he isn't hurt that much, isn't he?" Sakuragi grinned.

"Hanamichi-kun, he's just a child! Look at him! Isn't he so adorable? It's not like he's pulling his one-liners on you, you know…"

Sakuragi's malicious grin faded as he turned back on the boy. Rukawa IS just a child this time, he hasn't done anything wrong, and he IS quite adorable with his big emotional blue eyes… Without thinking, he sauntered over to where the boy was sitting on the hard wooden floors, his lips bleeding a bit from biting it hard to keep himself from crying aloud.

/Hn. Rukawa is still Rukawa… full of that manly pride… /

At the huge shadow he cast upon him, Rukawa looked up, his eyes obviously welling up with his unshed tears. A huge bruise and a gash were on one of his pale knees. He was bleeding.

Fujima looked up, a white handkerchief in hand. The pale piece of cloth was dotted liberally with blood, as he had pressed it onto the wound repeatedly. Still, the bleeding hadn't stopped.

"Oi, Kae-chan…" Sakuragi said gruffly, his face curiously blank. Fujima's eyes widened, so did his teammates', half-expecting him to kick the poor boy away and laugh onto his face.

He did the most wondrous thing though…

He smiled.

Sakuragi smiled at the young boy, as he knelt down and took the handkerchief from Fujima's numb hands. "Did it hurt?" He pressed the cloth on the injured knee gently.

Rukawa nodded, a single tear falling from his vigorous motion.

"Don't worry, it'll heal soon, ne?" Sakuragi's eyes softened as he gazed at him reassuringly. "You'll be fine… we're here for you, alright?"

Suddenly, the boy launched himself onto him, his face now wet with tears.

"Hana-niichan…" He sobbed. "Arigatou…"

Sakuragi just closed his eyes and smiled, burying his lips on the child's unkempt hair.

Jin grinned as he exchanged amused glances with Koshino who had just arrived from the hospital last night due to his injured ankle.

"This is the first time that I saw those two that way." Jin said thoughtfully, his eyes dancing with glee. "It's good… I think…"

"Amen to that…" Koshino smiled wryly, looking at Sendoh who had now grown quiet, trying hard to restrain himself to bound over to the two and snatch the boy away from the redhead's arms. Koshino knew about Sendoh's liking to Rukawa… and since the boy IS STILL Rukawa… he knew Sendoh would have this tendency to be protective of him. /Sort of like putting a barrier around his territory/, He shook his head with a small smile. /Baka Porcupine…/

* * *

Sendoh wanted to kill Sakuragi.

Sendoh wanted to kill Hanagata.

Sendoh wanted to kill Fujima.

Hate. Hate. Hate.

Baka. Baka. Baka.

He tried to calm down as he watched with slitted eyes while Sakuragi pressed an already bloody handkerchief onto Rukawa's wound. Hell, he even wanted to strangle him when Rukawa threw himself onto him with grateful tears in his eyes.

He knew he shouldn't be thinking such vicious things, but he couldn't help it.

/Damn this jealousy! /

Letting out a huge sigh, he bounded over to the duo fussing over Rukawa and squatted between them to gain access to the little boy. Hanagata had followed Sakuragi a while ago carrying the first aid kit, and Fujima was already taking off the cap of one of the transparent containers in the metal box.

He tweaked the crying boy's nose as Fujima directly POURED alcohol, which was what the container held, over the gaping wound, intending to make the boy forget the pain he was feeling.

He was gratified however, as Rukawa started to smile through the thick film of his tears. Soon, his little hands wrapped around his, trying to stop him from tweaking his nose, the pain all but forgotten as he focused on Sendoh's fingers.

"S-stop… A-Akira ni-I-chan!" He panted, his eyes showing just a hint of pain as Fujima dabbed tissues to dry the area surrounding the still-slightly-bleeding wound.

"Give him to me, I'll take care of him for a while before we end practice." Sendoh smiled his usual carefree smile that effectively hid his slight emotional breakdown at the feeling of pleasure when he had made Rukawa smile at him even through the boy's painful ordeal.

"No… the Tensai must take care of him!" Sakuragi glared at him, his chocolate eyes flashing suspiciously. "Hentai Smiley!"

A vein popped on Sendoh's forehead. He knew that it was a joke between him and redhead, but he was not in the mood for Sakuragi's famous "Tensai" liners that aggravate everyone they were aimed at. He wanted to strangle him, but decided against it, smiling quite placidly instead as a familiar word escaped his stretched lips.

"Do'ahou."

The gym went dead silent - that is, until…

"Bwahahahaha!" Mitsui guffawed as he pointed at the two who stood, looking strangely at each other. "That… t-that was p-priceless! Se-Sendoh… c-call-ing… S-Sakuragi a-a… Bwahahahaha!"

Koshino couldn't stop his laughter. "A-Akira… that was… p-pure genius!"

Ayako was holding her stomach, trying to stop her flow of laughter. Her paper fan forgotten as it flopped limply on the ground. "That was -"

Soon, the gym was filled with maniacal laughter resonating from the people inside. All faces were contorted extensively, except for the two who stood facing each other like boxers on the ring. Sendoh still wearing his perpetual smile, and Sakuragi turning as red as his hair while struggling to contain himself from hitting the porcupine on the head.

Unfortunately, willpower lost and the redhead found himself launching towards the spiky-haired boy.

"Teme…" He growled angrily, his fist clenched so hard that the knuckles turned white. "What did you say, Baka Smiley?" He would have punched Sendoh on the nose if he hadn't heard the little boy the latter was holding cry out gleefully.

"Do'ahou-niichan!" He grinned, pointing at Sakuragi.

The laughter and the recent gasps of surprise faded.

Silence…

A vein popped on Sakuragi's forehead.

"What did he say?" Jin asked, dumbfounded.

"Do…" Maki whispered in disbelief.

"…Ahou…" Kogure mumbled, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Ni…" Hanagata's eyeglasses slipped down his nose.

"…I…" Hikoichi dropped his pen.

"… chan…?" Fujima sweatdropped.

Silence.

Then…

"Bwahahahaha!" Mitsui started laughing again, pointing to the murderous form of Sakuragi.

Soon enough, boisterous laughter that equaled the one that they had let out earlier resonated throughout the entire area. The students passing the huge gymnasium peeked as to what was happening, only to find themselves facing the barred doors.

"I'm gonna kill you… KITSUNE!"

* * *

"Take care of him for me Fujima-kun."

Fujima turned to the taller boy standing by his doorway.

He smiled knowingly as a flash of something almost unidentifiable intruded the other's usually clear eyes. Almost unidentifiable… until the smaller boy remembered someone else's look that was the same as the one he had seen in Sendoh's eyes. /He likes him… I knew it…/

"Hai, Sendoh." He grinned, shifting his hold on Rukawa's sleeping form on his other arm. "I know you want to keep him in tonight…"

"Yeah." Sendoh gave him a defeated smile. "The whacked Chem. Professor gave me extra work to compensate for the failed experiment… it would take me more or less three nights to finish that one…" He sighed dejectedly, giving the sleeping boy an affectionate glance.

"That sucks." Fujima nodded sympathetically. "Well, I should be going… I still have to cook, you know…"

"Uh, yeah… happy anniversary to both of you." Sendoh grinned. "I'm sorry for the kid's presence though… if only I hadn't goofed up…"

"Nah…" Fujima waved the apology away. "It'll be much fun!" He winked. "Anyway, thanks for giving me some of his stuff. You'll see Kae-chan in the University tomorrow at approximately lunchtime. Ja!"

With a last excited wave, Fujima went off, leaving Sendoh staring at the little boy with acute longing in his eyes.

* * *

"Have you sorted them out yet, Kae-chan?"

Fujima called out from the kitchen.

"Hai, Kenji-niichan!" Rukawa called out as he hopped down the dining table carrying a bowl of assorted bite-sized sandwiches.

"You did great Kae-chan!" Fujima gave him a sincere hundred-megawatt grin and ruffled his raven locks. "I'm so proud of you!"

Rukawa's grin turned up another notch as he raised the bowl up in the air for Fujima to take, which he did before turning back to whatever he was mixing up on the kitchen counter.

"I'm here!" A deep voice cried out from the living room.

Rukawa hopped up and down. "He's here! Toru-niichan is here!" He screamed joyfully, looking as if he had just been given a ticket to Disneyland, that Fujima smiled affectionately at him before turning towards the huge doorway with a kitchen towel in hand. He was about to push the door that separated the living room from the dining area when it suddenly swung open, making him step back in alarm. He closed his eyes, expecting someone to bump him and tackle him down the cold marble floors, however, instead of a pushing sensation, he felt someone PULLING him.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around him, enclosing him in a tidal wave of emotional warmth. His body was trapped into another's, warming him and at the same time tenderly making him feel his worth.

Fujima opened his blue eyes, and rubbed his cheek on the soft fabric of Hanagata's sweater, his hands wrapping around the much taller man's waist. He felt safe in those arms… so loved…

"Okaeri…" He whispered as both of them stepped back from their embrace. "You're here…"

"Of course I am!" Hanagata smiled softly, his eyes boring deeply into Fujima's watery blue orbs. "You think I would forget…"

The smaller boy's eyes filled with tears. He shook his head. "Iie… I'm just happy that you're here… I cant believe we survived everything… and stayed… together… this long…" He whispered as the tears finally trickled down his cheeks.

Hanagata laughed softly and wiped the tears with his strong fingers. "You don't have to cry, you know…" He pulled Fujima closer and tilted his chin. "I'll always be here… that's my promise… forever and ever…"

"Happy anniversary, Toru-chan…" Fujima laughed, snaking his arms around the other's neck. "Our third year together… I hope this would be forever… I love you…"

"And I love you…" Hanagata smiled softly before his mouth came crashing passionately down on his lover's soft and pliant lips.

* * *

Rukawa watched them kiss.

He wondered at both of them. He had heard Kenji-niichan saying that they had been together for three years… How long was that? He couldn't even remember what had happened to him three years before… and yet they do know what had happened to them three years ago?

Hn. He couldn't understand them… probably something about the adult world he had heard so much about ever since he had learned how to understand simple worlds. How he wished to be a grown up soon!

He felt something in them… was it what they had called "LOVE"?

He felt as if he was warm inside just by looking at them… Somehow, he felt that what they had is wrong… well, he had never seen two men kiss each other before… all he had seen were men and /women/ doing what they're doing right now. Does that make everything wrong?

Yet, somehow, he sensed it right… after all… it seems as if LOVE… whatever it is… is VERY POWERFUL… so… they're just expressing it… right?

Just then, the face of his Akira-niichan flashed through his mind. He missed him. He had been so nice to him last night…

/I wonder what he's doing right now…/

He sighed.

Krrr…

Rukawa's eyes drooped as he first felt, rather than heard, his stomach growling again. He suddenly had the urge to cry as his mind was suddenly filled with the mini-sandwiches he had sorted out earlier, replacing the vision of Sendoh's smiling face… his mouth was by then watering as the insistent growling of his stomach went louder.

KRRR…

* * *

"What was that?"

Hanagata and Fujima parted as they had heard the unusual sound. They looked at each other in surprise.

KRRR…

The sound was definitely louder… and it came from…

Both looked down… and they instantly reddened.

Rukawa was looking pitifully up at them, his hand rubbing against his stomach.

"Ne… Kenji-niichan… Toru-niichan… I'm hungry…"

*Sweatdrop*

* * *

"Have you had a nice time, Kae-chan?"

"Hai, Toru-niichan!" Rukawa nodded vigorously. "I've fixed the sandwiches good… ne, Toru-niichan?"

"Hai… and it tasted great too!" Hanagata grinned at the young boy sitting beside him on the couch.

"That's because Kenji-niichan told me how to make them! He's the best!"

Hanagata glanced over at Fujima who blushed as he heard the praise Rukawa dealt him. "Iie, Kae-chan, you're the one who's the best… you were the one who made them, right?"

The boy shook his head and grinned back. "You are the best!" He said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Hanagata laughed softly, making both boys turn to him, watching him with weird expressions on their faces.

"Why are you laughing, Toru-kun?" Fujima asked, confused.

"Toru-niichan?" Rukawa asked, his big blue eyes widening even more.

"Nothing…" Hanagata said as his laughter subsided. "You just sounded like mother and son…"

Fujima reddened as Rukawa grinned.

"We do?"

"Yatta!"

Fujima seemed thoughtful as he turned his gaze on the little boy who was playing with Hanagata's glasses for the umpteenth time.

/Mother and son… but that can't be… Kae-chan would soon be Rukawa Kaede when Kogure, Mitsui and Toru-kun finds the key to reverting everything that happened to Rukawa back… then I'll miss him so much…/

Hanagata, without his glasses, glanced at Fujima's thoughtful features. He knew exactly what he was thinking - and feeling. Both of them had done the unforgivable. They had become too attached to Rukawa Kaede who was now known as Kae-chan. As much as he hated to do it, there would be a time that the boy would turn back to the monosyllabic speaker… that was his usual self…

Fujima would surely be crushed… and as much as he hated to admit it…

So would he…

* * *

Sendoh couldn't concentrate.

He had been staring at his Chemistry books for so long that he almost had a hernia from staying in the same position for almost half an hour, and still, nothing entered his malfunctioning mind.

He sighed.

/I wonder if Kae-chan's doing fine… /

* * * * * * * *

TBC

* * * * * * * *