Title: Silence Means Yes
Summary: Sendoh and Rukawa: such a perfect pair. Then Mitsui asks Rukawa a question that leaves him at lost for words. Belated happy SenRu day! Two-shots.
Disclaimer: Takehiko Inoue owns Slam Dunk
Note: This has NO plot whatsoever, hence this sucks. And yeah, this is a warning. The story is based from the Yaoi novel 'Only The Ring Finger Knows: Volume 3' hahahaha! I've been flooding the category for the past few days now. I apologize for that.
...
Rukawa Kaede has been literally frying his ass waiting for Sendoh for almost an hour now. He cups his chin with both his hands and starts cursing under his breath. He hears his stomach growl; apparently it's been competing with his mouth for the most number of expletives uttered in that hour.
After what must have been ten years and counting, the former Ryonan ace and captain, now in his freshman year in college, shows up with the perpetual grin plastered on his face.
"Sorry, again."
"You should've scheduled a later meeting time; perhaps tomorrow would do."
"Hey, I'm sorry."
Rukawa sighs and looks resolutely away. He knows too well that there's no use in harping on his boyfriend's punctuality, or lack thereof. The argument would just lead to where it always rests: nowhere. They eat in silence as the moments pass swiftly, marking their brief meeting's end. Sendoh stands up and plants a kiss on his forehead before disappearing.
Sendoh's college activities have considerably restricted his free time and they occasionally do well in injuring the Shohoku ace's (and now captain) mood. He is generally not the jealous type; in fact, he exercises quite a special respect for boundaries. It is, however, only fair to feel slightly threatened by the spiky-haired boy's frequent (and flagrant, as sometimes Rukawa suspects) disregard for schedule.
The truth is, Rukawa still hasn't grasped the severity of Sendoh's situation, for he is only scarcely acquainted with college life. Far from the reaches of his thoughts or perhaps thoughtful concern, poor Sendoh is strenuously juggling school work, basketball practice, and a part-time job in his hands.
Sendoh has joined a circle from his university which is dedicated to modifying cars. In return, the members get profit from their labor by accentuating car exteriors with advertisements. Most of them, including Sendoh, have renowned passion for automobiles, apparently finding genuine joy in what they do.
The president of the club is a prominent figure among the students, famous for the confidence in his stature, his honorable aspirations, and exalted good looks. His name is Hisashi Mitsui, upon whom they look as though he descended from the heavens. Although he and Sendoh are both members of the Basketball varsity team, there is little intimacy between them. Having said that, their exchanges normally range from nothing more than casual greetings to cordial ones.
...
It is the second time that the couple will meet for the week. Sendoh arrives an hour early in the coffee shop, owing to Mitsui who has earlier requested for a meeting to discuss certain matters regarding the mod shop. The discussion is soon nearing its end when Rukawa arrives.
"Yosh. I'm early today." Sendoh announces merrily upon Rukawa's entrance.
"Hello, Rukawa." Mitsui greets, flashing a handsome smile.
"Nice to see you, sempai."
Mitsui nods in acknowledgement before turning back to Sendoh, "I'll leave you two now. Thanks for the time, Sendoh-kun, and I'm glad to see you again, Rukawa." He says, emptying the seat for his former teammate and makes for the salad bar.
The couple eats in an especially good mood, seemingly unaware of the two blue eyes constantly darting in their direction. The ex-MVP appears to be notably interested in every action the two are making.
...
Weeks pass rather smoothly, and Sendoh starts to bring Rukawa along in his part-time job.
"Now you know how things get around here." Mitsui is telling Rukawa. He continues, "I'm sorry that this is taking some time off Sendoh-kun, but the efforts he puts in are worth it. Here, the technology we apply makes a car more than just a car." He finishes, pointing at the overly flashy red Subaru parked at the four-slot garage.
Rukawa gives a nod in understanding. Time and again, Mitsui will cast him a look that goes through him like an electric shock.
"I notice you and Mitsui-san are getting along pretty well." Sendoh remarks on their way to his apartment.
"He was my teammate."
"Of course he was."
"Don't start, Akira."
And silence stretches on until they reach Sendoh's apartment.
"Listen, people have been throwing as 'the look', and I'm completely fine with that. But when someone does it all the time and throws in some suggestive comments to cap it all, that's when it starts to get to me." Sendoh speaks with much seriousness.
"What are you saying?"
"Mitsui-san. He might as good as sneer at us; always watching us with that bemused smile, almost mockingly. Not to mention his repetitive apology earlier, which seemed to imply that my work is keeping me away from you."
"You're paranoid. Sempai's not like that."
"I'd like to believe that."
"Sempai's not a homophobe."
Sendoh sighs and shakes his head. "You wanna come in?" he offers, finally dropping the subject.
"Only for a while; I need to study for the exams."
...
Basketball season has started, which means they now have to take advantage of what little time their schedules allow. Tension has started to build up between Mitsui and Sendoh. Although only a sophomore in his college years, the ex-gangster ex-MVP has taken an authoritative personage among his teammates. Furthermore, his energy on court proves to be of great influence over them. It comes to no surprise that he uses what charms and power he has over them more frequently than required. Sendoh is the first and will perhaps be the last to challenge his position of authority.
"You should've waited for back-up; that was a reckless shot." Mitsui reprimands Sendoh, who has just fired a fast-break in lightning speed.
"There was no need; that was a sure ball." He replies with equal amount of disagreement.
Episodes of this sort find their way to infiltrate their exchanges in the mod shop that Sendoh often arrives home totally flustered.
While the two develop a mild case of animosity against each other, Mitsui remains warm toward Rukawa, which somehow wins Sendoh's respect. With this, the former Ryonan player now kindles a strong desire to prove himself, perhaps inspired by his senior's display of disapproval of his performance in the game. From here he starts to pour fanatic precision in everything he does which leaves him less time and enthusiasm for all things else.
"What's with you and sempai?" Rukawa asks one day.
"Nothing."
"You're avoiding him."
"Listen, Kaede, no offense but I don't like your sempai."
"He's now your sempai too."
"He's so full of himself. It makes me sick. On the bright side, I have yet to hate him."
"Sempai's not a homophobe."
"Perhaps. Nevertheless, there's something about him I can't quite put my finger on."
"You're the only one I know who dislikes him." Rukawa answers flatly.
"I'm the only one you know." Sendoh teases and continues, "Kidding. In any case, I'm not asking you to stay away from him since you two seem to be really getting along."
"He was my teammate."
...
Now Rukawa is sitting right next to the window, watching the sky which was fissured with thick clouds. He's not waiting for anyone, though. He has grown accustomed to dining alone ever since his boyfriend started to feed his obsession with his job.
Mitsui walks in the restaurant, eventually spotting Rukawa.
"Sendo-kun's still working on this '95 Gallant, a pretty complicated work." Mitsui explains, almost apologetically.
"I'm not meeting him today."
"Oh…may I take a seat then?"
"Sure."
They eat in silence. Rukawa doesn't bother to ask why his former teammate has got more time in his hands than Sendoh, who participates in the very same activities.
"Can I ask you something? Kinda personal…" Mitsui starts.
"…"
"Haha, don't worry; I won't press you."
"Ok."
"Ok. Here goes—How long have you two been together?"
"About a year now."
"I see." Mitsui says and sighs, seeming enormously relieved.
They continue to eat without suggestion of haste despite the sporadic interjection of awkward silence.
Mitsui resumes talking, "You remind me of someone. Someone dear to me, used to be, rather." He says all these in a reverent manner.
"…"
The younger boy stares at him in a daze of incomprehension. The ex-MVP, noticing Rukawa's disability to search for a reply, begins to explain, "I mean, not in a sense that you two share the same qualities; it's the way you look at Sendoh-kun—very much the same she gave me."
"Sorry, I don't follow."
Mitsui sighs somberly, almost pedantically, and says, "You two are very much in love; I can see that. Pretty much the same kind that destroyed my past relationship."
A hostile sigh expels from Rukawa, while at the same time his legs are urging him to stalk off.
"You can't say that just by looking at us."
"Perhaps. But I don't mean that the fire will die. It can continue to burn long after it consumes you."
"I have to go, sempai." Rukawa announces. He resents the senior's straightforwardness, and staying any longer will only bode an unpleasant occurrence. He is, after all, not invulnerable to subtleties, though the other has exercised quite a scarce amount of it.
TBC