Slam Dunk Fan Fiction ❯ Umm... Kae-CHAN?! ❯ Side story 2B ( Chapter 7 )

Author: Simply Kim

E-Mail: cheng1812@yahoo.com

Title: Umm... Kae-CHAN?!

Genre/ratings: (Yaoi / Shounen-ai) (Humor / (a bit of) Angst)

Length: Side story 2A

Disclaimers: The series I'm referring to obviously do not belong to me, only the story does.

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Umm... Kae-CHAN?! <Side story 2B>

* * * * * * * *

"Kogure-san... can you ride shot-gun with me? You know maps better than I do..."

"Sure, Sendoh-kun, just give me a moment..."

Fujima nestled closer to Hanagata, trying to get as much body heat as possible amidst the cold atmosphere inside the van. It was well into the afternoon, and it was beginning to get colder, matching the sub-zero temperature outside. One can see the slight fall of sparkling snow through the thick film that was the window.

/It would have been romantic.../ Fujima thought ruefully. /If only we aren't lost in the middle of nowhere. Who suggested this snow cabin affair anyway? Now what would happen to all of us if we would be stranded in this early fall of snow? /

Hanagata's warm, comforting arms circled around his shoulders. "Kenji." He murmured, his eyes flashing with encouraging positivism. "Everything will turn out fine. Don't worry too much."

Fujima's somewhat disturbed gaze focused on him. "I'm not worried Toru-chan... I'm terrified!" He whispered, his tone signifying the very evidence of fright. "What if we don't get to the Sendoh family's log cabin in this forest? What if -"

He was immediately silenced by a warm finger on his freezing lips.

"Everything would be fine, you'll see." Hanagata consoled him, tightening his hold on his lover's body. "Kogure-kun's a smart guy - not to mention an efficient map-reader. As I have said before... don't worry too much. Let's just trust those two." He smiled affectionately, rubbing his finger on Fujima's cold lips. Seeing the panic that was still in the other's eyes, he quickly leaned down and caught his lips in a gentle kiss.

Hanagata was so sure that everything would turn out for the best. With Kogure's guidance, they would be safe. He would not admit to anyone that he too was a bit apprehensive about the outcome of their trip. He wouldn't. Now that Fujima was becoming restless, not to mention `terrified', Hanagata did not have much choice but to be strong... otherwise, his only love would break down.

He did not want to see him cry again.

He knew of Fujima's traumatic past involving these types of places... snow, forests, log cabins... everything that would be involved in the trip. The former Shoyo captain only came because he, Hanagata Toru expressed excitement in joining the gang. He had always wanted to go up the mountains and sleep in a cabin during the time of snowfall.

He was the reason that Fujima overcame his fright.

He must repay that sacrifice.

He will be strong.

He broke the kiss as slowly as possible, tucking Fujima safely in his arms. He closed his eyes and tried to maintain his calm.

However, his blood ran cold when his ears caught the sound of Sendoh's swearing.

"Aw shit, a dead end."

Suddenly, he had difficulty breathing.

* * *

Sendoh did not know what to do. He stopped the car once they drove over a dark area whose name they did not know. Out of frustration, he banged his forehead on the steering wheel thrice. On the third collision, he let his head lean on the rubber arc, his mind going blank.

/Now what do I do? / He wondered tiredly.

At that moment, he wanted to cry... and cry he did. He cried silently, the tears coursing down his pale cheeks. It was hopeless. They were trapped in that place. They will never have the chance of getting out.

GREAT.

They were going to die there, just like what happens in horror movies. They were going to be trapped, and one of them will turn into a man-eating maniac and -

"This is all my fault."

Sendoh looked up in surprise at the forlorn features of his senior. He could not believe that such words would come out of Kogure Kiminobu's mouth. Tears also marred the boyish features. The bottomless pools of brown eyes were also void of any kind of emotion - well, maybe not all emotion... the overpowering GUILT was still visible. It seemed as if he aged in a couple of minutes.

"It's not your fault." Sendoh whispered. "It's mine."

Kogure turned to him miserably. "I was the one who was supposed to get us out - I just dug us deeper into the forest instead. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry." Sendoh sighed, shaking his head in defeat. "I came up with this idea to go to my family's log cabin. I was the one who initially read the map wrong. I was the one who got us lost in the first place." He shrugged. "I'm simply at fault."

"Don't say that Smiley, it's our fault too... we did not bother to look at the map."

Both Kogure and Sendoh turned and focused on the redhead behind them.

Sakuragi smiled encouragingly. "We'll get out of here, you'll see." He raised a thumb in a sign of support and laughed in his own peculiar way. "NYAHAHAHAHA!"

Both of them sweatdropped.

"Yeah, he's right, you know." Koshino said quietly, cradling the head of his sleeping girlfriend. "Though why I'm agreeing with him escapes me."

Sakuragi gave him a heated glare.

"We should get help - back-up."

"Captain!"

"Old man, you're alive!"

Sakuragi's quip earned him a blow on the head.

"Itai! Will you stop hitting me already! Why do you always do that anyway?"

"Lack of Kiyota to box." Jin interjected sleepily, obviously roused from deep sleep. "You have the same attitude."

"Teme, Jin-jin..."

WHAP!

"Itai! Will you STOP that?" He glared at Maki's imposing form.

"We must think rationally." Maki said in a businesslike manner. "We have enough belongings here to keep us warm for a week - provided that the snowfall doesn't get too violent. We have flashlights in here and a portable stove. We have everything we need."

"Don't forget the extra gasoline." Miyagi said cheerfully. "Stacked them up myself for future emergencies. We have lots of them underneath all the baggage. Good thing my intuition's still working."

"I brought extra batteries." Koshino said helpfully. They're for emergencies too.

"Great." Maki smiled, a bit satisfied. "We'll have enough spares for a few days."

"We have the stove... but what about the food?" Fujima asked sleepily.

Everybody was silent. They brought snacks - lots of junk food, but no nourishing ones...

"Oh, yeah, food... umm..."

"Trail mix. I've got that."

"Chips in my pack"

"A couple of huge boxes of oatmeal cookies from Coach Itsuki."

"Soda - lots of it."

Silence.

"So now, what do we do?" Mitsui asked quietly, toying with the loose end of his sweater.

"I don't know." Sendoh whispered, training his gaze at the darkened hedge before them. "I don't know."

* * *

It took a half-hour drive for them to get out of the dark area and take on another route towards the cabin. Sendoh thought that they would have to stay in the glades for the night. It was scary - but what choice do they have? Luckily though, they chanced upon a wide clearing minutes before the sky darkened completely. The snow had stopped a long while ago, they learned, and the evening sun was made known by the time they saw through the thick canopy of conifers lining the woods.

Sendoh quickly maneuvered and parked directly in the middle of the clearing, careful not to run over thorny bushes and the occasional snow rabbits hopping about. Placing the car keys in his pocket, he opened one of the compartments of the dashboard and handed a couple of spare sets of keys to Maki and Kogure for future purposes - like when his mind decided to play with him again and he forgets the keys on the keyhole of the starter.

He got out of the car, careful to lock the driver side door and stretched.

CRUNCH.

Ow. The bone that crunched ached like hell, and he moved it, trying to re-adjust its former state. Fortunately, after a few minutes, it cracked back to place. He sighed in obvious relief, turning towards the place where the others decided to huddle in.

Rukawa, he saw, was not with them.

"Where's Kae-chan?" He asked, plopping down on the waterproof mat beside Maki.

Kogure smiled at him. "He's still sleeping. I decided to place him inside."

"Inside?"

He arranged his glasses and smiled almost wistfully. "He's sleeping in Fujima's arms - and quite happy about it too."

Sendoh felt a stab of jealousy strike through him. Fujima again. Honestly, Rukawa was warming up to that guy more than he's warming up with him! He thought of Hanagata's words before. /Maybe he was just making me feel guilty for neglecting Kaede for so long. / He was somehow doubting if the kid really missed him. Maybe he missed the junk food he stuffed himself with whenever they're together... maybe he just wanted to get back at him for being so ignorant of his presence for the whole week they did not meet up.

He sighed, letting his frustrations out in a burst of cloudy puffs. He got up, deciding to check on how the boy was doing, all the time cursing the presence of the lovers currently cuddled inside - with HIS Kae-chan. He opened the sliding door of the van and immediately gasped in awe at the sight presented before him.

Fujima was resting in Hanagata's warm arms, their heads close to each other that their lips were practically touching. One of Hanagata's hands was resting on his lover's arm, and the other was clasped protectively on Rukawa's leg. Rukawa was on cuddling in Fujima's warm embrace, the elder's arms wound around the tiny waist, a hand resting on Hanagata's firm hold on the child.

They painted such an ethereal picture that he felt his heart melt. Rukawa's features were very much at peace then - such as the other two's expressions. It was beautiful.

God, it was beautiful.

Sendoh quietly closed the door. He hadn't the heart to wake them.

He could not.

He was not that selfish to take Rukawa away from his source of internal peace. He had not given him any reason to look like what he looked when he saw him. As far as he knew, he never gave him any kind of tranquility... even when he was still the stoic Rukawa Kaede... and somehow, it hurt.

However, as he had known before, he was not selfish.

He loved Rukawa too much to encase him in his chaotic world.

Slowly, he made his way to his other friends who were trying to pull a bickering duo apart. In every step he took, he could help thinking that maybe he shouldn't feel any sort of love for the boy except a brotherly one... It would be better for him - and all the less painful if ever there would be no more cure for what had befallen Rukawa three weeks ago. It would be better that way if ever he would not turn back to his normal self.

He felt a crystallized tear slip down a rosy cheek.

Maybe he was not worthy of Rukawa Kaede at all.

* * *

The bonfire had died, and faint traces of smoke could still be seen coming from what was a huge roast session the night before.

Rukawa, now lying comfortably on the front seat, woke up to the light of the early morning sun. He stretched out quietly, looking around to see where he was. His gaze landed on Hanagata and Fujima's sleeping forms on the third row of the van and smiled wistfully. Then, his eyes made their way to every person inside the warm vehicle, not stopping until they landed on Sendoh.

His Akira-niichan was shivering even with the two blankets covering him, and it did not escape Rukawa's observant gaze. He quickly took off the two blankets protecting him from the cold and placed them on Sendoh's chattering body. Almost at once, the disturbing motion stopped.

Satisfied, Rukawa nodded to himself; smiling happily at the small service, he gave his favorite oniichan. Quietly, he pulled open the catch that locked his side of the door and hopped out enthusiastically, stretching against the inviting rays of the morning sun.

Suddenly, he saw a slight movement beside him. Without warning, a fluffy snow bunny hopped out, hurried scampering towards the bushes located at Rukawa's blind side. With enough gusto to rival a million kids, he jumped up in excitement and followed the rabbit, not noticing that the animal was leading him farther and farther from where the car was stationed.

"Come here, kawaii usagi-chan!" He whispered, trying to locate the whereabouts of the fluffy creature in the semi-dark. "Come bunny rabbit! Where are you?"

* * *

"Where is he?"

"I don't know!"

Sendoh's eyes were wet with the tears pooling in them.

/This cant be happening. / He thought miserably, his eyes scanning the clearing. /Kae-chan.../

"Kae-chan... Where are you?"

* * *

A/N: Hi guys! I told ya I'll update didn't I? ^_~ Well, here it is! ^_^ Hope you like it! Reviews everyone! ^_^