Disclaimer: Slam Dunk is owned by Takehiko Inoue-sama.
Dedication: This fic is dedicated to a very good writer, Seraph-Kirin
Dusk to Dusk
by
Crescent Quetzalcoatl
Chapter 1: At a Hand's Distance
Stray light of dawn wandered into the room from the nearby window; fine beams of it were streaking the dim atmosphere and descending into the tanned and sinewy form of a certain redhead, warming the body awake. Stirring from his sleep, the redhead slowly lifted himself up and the silken sheets covering him slid down to his waist revealing a powerful tanned chest and firm abs.
He placed a hand on his forehead and tried to gather his thoughts. Last night had been quite a blur and only remembered bits of it. Sighing, he moved to get up and unknowingly made the bed squeak from his weight. Then he felt a pair of lithe arms sliding from behind, embracing his bare torso possessively.
"Hmmm… Hana-chan…" the owner of the arms purred. "…It's too early. Get back to sleep…"
"I can't, Fujima-san." Sakuragi felt those arms and tried to pry himself away. "I got exams today. Besides, I only promised you this night."
Fujima pouted. "I told you not to call me Fujima-san!" The look on the pretty face of the former Shoyo captain made Sakuragi Hanamichi chuckle.
"Nani? Why are you laughing, Hana-chan?" Fujima asked.
"Gomen nasai," Sakuragi shook his head. "You just look so adorably perplexed. But I really have to go."
As reluctant as he can be, Fujima unlinked his arms around the redhead but placed his hands on Sakuragi's arms ceasing him from moving away as he placed open-mouthed kisses on his companion's neck.
"Say… that you'll… stay…" Fujima whispered between the rain of kisses he's giving the boy, eliciting delicious moans from the redhead.
"I… can't…" Sakuragi answered breathlessly.
Fujima continued his ministrations, placing tiny kisses on the underside of his jaw, to his throat, then licking and nibbling the flesh especially the junction between the redhead's neck and shoulder blades.
"Fujima… Kenji… no… stop… s-stop…" Sakuragi groaned.
Large hands gripped the slightly pale ones from his arms, gently prying, pushing them away and finally released himself successfully from the vice-like grip and embrace.
"Stop now, Fujima-san." The redhead's voice was controlled.
"Is there someone waiting, Hana-chan?" Fujima looked into those determined brown eyes, searching for an evidence of the same want he had for the fiery lad moments ago. Yet he found none.
Sakuragi raised from the bed, wearing nothing except for black boxer shorts. Fujima frowned at this.
"No one," the redhead briefly glanced at the naked man on the bed, then gathered his things to the bathroom. "See you at practice."
===
The lock made a soft click as he turned the inserted key in its place. Silently, he opened the door of the dormitory and walked in cat-like silence.
The room was still dark, obviously his roommates haven't awaken. Gently closing the door, Sakuragi let out a relieved sigh and went to his bed that was near the entrance and placed his duffel bag on it. The bright lights came on suddenly.
"Where have you been?"
The baritone voice stuck a chord within him. Sakuragi slowly faced the man reprimanding him.
"I've been jogging," he said, face remaining passive.
"Surely… you don't bring your bag while jogging, do you, Sakuragi?" the other pressed, pointing to the duffel bag on his bed.
"What is it to you?" Sakuragi narrowed his eyes.
"I know about you and Fujima," he answered, walking towards the redhead as if daring him to deny it.
"Stay out of my business!" Sakuragi met the man's piercing blue eyes with his own angry coppers. They were inches apart, both felt each other's breath, each other's heart, that you could mistake the scene as romantic except the fact that they were trying to kill each other off with their death glares.
"Shut up, you two!"
The two men snapped their head's towards the third voice that rang throughout the room. Its owner was sitting on his bed, chin up defiantly and his own blue eyes piercing like ice.
"I can't sleep with all that ranting! Sendoh! Talk to him later. Do'aho! You'd better have an explanation for this," he said, walking up to the former Ryonan Ace and pulled him away from the angry redhead.
"Dammit, Kitsune! Not you too!" Sakuragi hissed. Ever since he had become these two aces' roommate, they have been nothing but pain and the redhead felt that they were intruding his space and trying to pester his life.
"Me?" the said kitsune pointed his chest mockingly. "One wrong move and Ayako-san will have our heads. You'd better behave yourself."
Sakuragi gritted his teeth. "I never wanted any of this."
"Well, there's nothing more you can do," came Rukawa's heated reply.
===
The afternoon practice was harsh on them. Since only select basketball players from all over the prefecture was invited to the sports clinic sponsored by Japan Youth Team for the Kanagawa University, it was rather becoming that everyone participated in the activities, particularly the upcoming friendly match among the players whom will be divided into three teams.
Weariness was taking a toll in all of them, their coach decided to dismiss them early but not before a certain brown-haired lad got hold of another unique-haired individual.
"Sakuragi-kun!"
The redhead looked at his way, cocking his head in a question. "Hai?"
Fujima smiled at him, and entwined one of his hands with the redhead's. "You'll come by the house tonight?" he asked, missed the slight flinch in Sakuragi's eyes.
"I don't think so, Fujima-san," Sakuragi answered and casually removed his hand from the team captain. "I have to be at the dormitory tonight, lest I got another sermon coming from the Lady Gori herself."
WHACK!
"And who do you think you're calling 'Lady Gori', huh, Sakuragi Hanamichi?!"
The redhead winced at the slight pain on his head and turned to the mad manageress herself. Ayako got the same position since high school and doing a very good job at it. Especially, her favorite paper fan.
"So… Sakuragi-kun, I assume you did well on your exams today?" Ayako raised an eyebrow on the shocked redhead but managed a small smile on her lips.
"O-Of course, Ayako-san!" Sakuragi scratched his head. "You know you can count on me."
Ayako nodded satisfactorily. Then she noticed Fujima by the redhead's side. "Fujima-sempai, staying for late practice?"
"Iie. I was planning on taking Sakuragi-kun out," Fujima said. The redhead's eyes widened at his captain's blatant words and stepped in the conversation to try and object. But Ayako did it for him.
"I don't think that's possible, Fujima-sempai," Ayako expressed clearly, enfolding her hands in the paper fan.
"And why not?" he asked, slight distaste for the lovely manageress was seeping in his cool voice.
"Because Sakuragi-kun needed time for himself. Alone." she answered. Her hostility towards Fujima was not because she didn't like the pretty-faced player before her, only she knew something about him that may concern her redhead friend. She needed Sakuragi away from him as long as possible.
"I think it's going to be Hana-kun's decision now."
Ayako and Fujima waited for the redhead's reply as if his answer was the solution to an old age problem.
"I—" Sakuragi both looked at them with uncertainty. The reason, he doesn't know. "—I think—I'm going to shower first." Then fled into the confines of the locker room.
===
He closed his eyes in utmost weary. Confrontation was not his piece of pie. Well, not anymore. It has been a lot different from high school and the explanation waned through time.
Cold tiles send chills down his spine, seared through his thoughts, weaved through his mind. I just want to be alone. Sighing, Sakuragi opened his eyes and stuck a hand to twist the metal knob of the shower somewhere in front of him.
Icy water pricking on his back like fine spray of needles wasn't enough to shake him to stop contemplating about a certain brown-haired, blue-eyed teammate and his manageress friend.
It's enough to have two meddlesome blue-eyed brunettes in you life; another meddling pair is too much.
-tsuzuku-
For Seraph-Kirin:
Gomen nasai, Seraph-Kirin… I know this is but long overdue. I couldn't find the time to continue my fics because of my exams and I haven't got the courage to post this up. Well, I'm not sure if you'll like this but I'm willing to make amends. It'll be a SenHana as I promised though with lots of twists in the original plan. Hope to hear from you soon. Ja!
For the Readers:
Everyone, here is my second SenHana fic but I'm still loyal to my fave pairing RuHana, I'm making an exception this time even as I promised my self to write RuHana first but this is a promise for a friend. I hope you'll like it as you have with my other fics. Always, thank you so much for reading them. I'm really grateful! Questions are always welcome, constructive criticisms are helpful, but I do not tolerate flames… it just breaks my heart. ^__^V
