Love At First Sight

by ms007

It isn’t easy to confess to someone who doesn’t believe or doesn’t have the same point of view on love with you. Will Sendoh be able to change certain someone’s point of view or will he give up? SenRu.

Love At First Sight
By eliza natsuko.

Pairings: SenRu!

Disclaimers: Both characters and songs aren't mine.

Summary : It isn't easy to confess to someone who doesn't believe or doesn't have the same point of view on love with you. Will Sendoh be able to change certain someone's point of view or will he give up?

A/N : I was bathing when this song cross my mind. As I was singing (yes, in shower.. -blush-) the images of Sendoh and Rukawa appear in my head. So, I decided to write out what's in my head and this is the result of my idea. And the italic and bold writing are for song lyrics (lyrics) whereas the italic wit strokes are flashbacks /flashback/. Hope you enjoy the fic.

"Rukawa… Ru.. kawa…"

"Mmm… Kaede…" Sendoh mutmured and rolled over in his bed.

"Come here… lemme give you a 'Good Morning' kiss" He hugged his bolster tightly and planted a kiss on it.

KRIIIIIIIIIIING!

"Dammit! Why do YOU have to ring at my most passionate moment?" Sendoh glared at his alarm clock and threw it against wall. "And you're only a day old, stupid alarm clock." He mumbled sleepily, got up from his bed and proceeded to the washroom to prepare for school.

-&-

-Yawn- -scratches head- -rubs eyes-

The process repeated over and over ever since Sendoh reached his school. 'Jisan, stop your blabbering already and let us out early.' He looked at his wrist watch, the long needle was pointing at 11 and the short needle pointing at 7. 'AH! A long way to go before school ends. Boring….'

-Yawns- -scratches head- -rubs eyes-

He looked out the window and saw a black cat walking across the garden. 'Hehehe… Reminds me of Rukawa-kun. Hmm… Wonder what he's doing now…' He began to wonder into his fantasy again. 'Maybe he's in school sleeping again. Punching anyone who wakes him up.' Sendoh chuckled at that thought. 'Or maybe he's thinking of brushing up his basketball skills to beat me. Or… He's thinking of me!' Sendoh grinned happily at that thought. He slowly drifted to sleep and continued his dream from this morning.

'Come here... Lemme give you a 'Good Morning' kiss… MUAKS There you go… Where's mine?' Rukawa planted a kiss on Sendoh's cheek and laid his head on Sendoh's chest. The older boy's hand playfully twirled Rukawa's locks.

"Kaede, you know how much I love you right?"

"Akira…" Rukawa looked at him with his gleaming-love eye.

"And you know how much you mean to me, right?"

"Akira…" Sendoh softly planted a kiss on Rukawa's forehead.

"Sendoh…" Sendoh blinked his eyes. 'Since when did his Kaede call him Sendoh?'

"Sendoh…"

"Sendoh Akira!"

"SENDOH AKIRA!"

Sendoh jolted up from his sleep. His sensei, was furious and looked at him. The chalk he was holding broke into two. 'Oh shit! He noticed I was asleep?' Sendoh put on an innocent face and asked cutely. "Yes, sensei?"

"ONE MORE TIME AND I'LL SEND YOU TO DETENTION WITH YOUR KAEDE!" With that, he headed back to the blackboard and resumed his teaching.

'I said that out loud! Oh my God… I... I… I'm doomed! My top secret is revealed! My reputation as Ryonan's basketball ace… my reputation as Ryonan's top student… Ryonan's candy eye… ALL SHATTERED! VANISHED!'

-&-

"So… how's that lover boy?" Koshino, who was walking next to Sendoh asked. They were on their way to the rooftop where they usually had their lunch.

"Lover boy?" Sendoh raised an eye brow. "Who?"

"Aww! Stop acting innocent. You know who I mean. You're asleep, talking about him in class." They settled down on a shaded place and started eating.

"Kaede?" Sendoh asked while munching on his lunch.

"Kaede? Wow! First name basis here. Since when did you guys become so close?" Koshino too, began munching on his lunch.

"We're not close at all. You don't know Kosh. We've known each other for almost 4 months and there's no improvement in our friendship. He's still as cold as ever, monosyllable as ever, stoic as ever." He gave out a sigh and continued. "I don't know why I fell for him, of all people."

"So… Confessed yet?" Koshino eyed his classmate.

"How am I supposed to when he's acting so cold towards me? He only sees me as a rival. Nothing more, nothing less."

"I've been wondering… Since when did you feel this way? I mean, you know, you could have any girl you wanted in our school. Girls are all on their knees just to be with you. Every morning your locker is filled with pink envelopes. Why Rukawa?" Koshino lied on the fence behind him and waited for Sendoh's answer.

"I don't know. It all started since that fateful practice game our school had against Shohoku. Since he slapped my hand away when I offered a hand shake. He haunted my mind. Everyday, every minute, every second. I mean, yeah, I don't know him well but he was always in my mind as if we have met for the longest time." Sendoh explained in exasperation. He gave out another loud sigh.

"Love at first sight, huh?" Koshino used his hand to support his head as he lied on the floor. "Well, congratulations my friend, you've finally found yourself a partner."

"Say that after we're together."

RIIIIIIIING!

"Now, let's stop thinking about your Kaede and get back to class." Koshino stood up, followed by Sendoh and together, they walked back to their class.

-&-

"SENDOH, WATCH OUT FOR-" Uozumi shouted but 'BANG!' too late. The ball hit right in the middle of Sendoh's face. "…the ball."

"Itai!" Sendoh rubbed his face. "Who threw that?"

"Blame yourself! What's wrong with you? That was the third time you got hit by a ball. You pass the ball to your opponent and you score points for your opponent. Luckily this is only a practice. What if this were a REAL match?" Uozumi looked at Sendoh with his fierce eye, demanding for an explanation.

"Sorry, captain. I'll try to concentrate." Sendoh apologized. 'AKIRA! Get yourself together. Nothing good will happen if you keep thinking about Kaede. NOW CONCENTRATE!' Sendoh shook his head and continued his training.

-&-

'Call… Don't call… Call… Don't call…'

The same words had been playing in Sendoh's mind since an hour ago. Sendoh rolled over to lie on his stomach, one hand cuddling his pillow beneath him while the other holding his cellphone. He looked at his cellphone, the number was written clearly on the screen. His thumb threatening to press on the 'Call' button but his conscience seems to be forbidding the act.

'What's wrong calling him anyway? Why am I so scared?' As his thumb was about to press on the 'Call' button, it stopped halfway. 'What am I gonna ask him if I call? Erm.. Let's ask him if we can have a one-on-one tomorrow then it'll lead to another conversation. Yeah! That's it!' Sendoh's heart beated faster and faster after each dial tone. After seven dial tones, Rukawa finally picked up the phone.

"Hello? Rukawa-kun? It's me, Akira." Sendoh said,trying to maintain his calm and collective voice.

"What is it, Sendoh?"

"Erm.. I was just wondering if, you know…" 'Yes, Akira. That's the way. Suave!'

"No I don't. What is it?" Sendoh's sweat dropped upon hearing Rukawa's reply.

"Well, how about a one-on-one tomorrow?"

"We have our one-on-ones every alternate days, in case you forgot." Rukawa shot back coolly.

Sendoh smacked his forehead. Shit! I forgot! but instead, he reply, "Yeah… O- Of course I remember. I'm just reminding you."

"…" He could imagine Rukawa's cold glare on him. Cold sweat began rolling down his cheek.

"…"

"…"

"Are you er.. free now?" Sendoh asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Why?"

"Well, maybe we could chat a little. I'm bored at home."

"… Fine." Rukawa answered after a moments thinking.

"You know, this morning I was in school and there was a black cat……." Sendoh began to tell his secret crush about his day in school and whatever that crossed his mind since he's such a talker. Sendoh knew Rukawa wasn't much of a talker so he didn't expect the latter to answer his every sentence. Maybe Rukawa would reply a sentence after Sendoh's ONE paragraph. That's enough for Sendoh, though. Knowing Rukawa was the type who kept a distance with other people but was willing to listen to Sendoh's blabbering, that itself made Sendoh feel as if he was the luckiest person alive. Rukawa Kaede, the walking ice cube, is willing to spend his time hanging on the phone with HIM! It's no small deal! Is this the proof of their existing friendship? Is this the development of their 4 months of being friends?

-&-

Thud Thud Thud Swooosh

"That's a great one, Rukawa-kun." Sendoh approached Rukawa while clapping his hands in amazement.

"You're late." Rukawa picked up the ball and began bouncing it again.

"Gomen. Gomen. Taoka Sensei decided to punish me since I was so dreamy in court…" He smiled sheepishly and added to himself, 'again.'

"Typical of you. Now let's start. First to reach 20."

The one-on-one session ended with the score 20-16, in Sendoh's favour. They sat on the bench and had their water breaks before having another one-on-one match.

"You've improved, Rukawa-kun." Sendoh wiped the sweat off his face. "I had a hard time defending you."

"Hn." Their conversation died. Both of them sat down quietly next to each other enjoying the summer breeze. The wind gently ruffled their hair and cooling their sweaty body.

"Ne, Rukawa-kun…" Sendoh called out. He gazed at the sky above him. His eyes half closed in dreamy mood.

"Hn?" Rukawa turned towards the direction of the sound.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Sendoh continued to stare at the clear blue sky. The sun shining brightly, puffy clouds forming various shapes.

"Why?" Rukawa asked silently.

"Well, I seem to have fallen for someone… since the first time I laid my eyes on him."

"Him?" Rukawa raised an eye brow. Unable to believe Sendoh has different sexual preferences.

"Yea.. him. You're not homophobic, are you?" Sendoh shifted his gaze at Rukawa.

"No. It's just weird knowing you're 'that' type."

Sendoh chuckled softly. "So, do you believe in love at first sight?" Sendoh gently pushed Rukawa for an answer. It took several minutes until Rukawa replied.

"No. I don't." The younger boy confessed.

"Why not?" Sendoh concentrated on the figure sitting next to him. Captivated by the beauty heaven blessed him with. The sun illuminating his slender form made him look as beautiful as ever.

"I don't believe in things I've never experience before."

"I did. That's why I'm telling you love at first sight exist. It's difficult to deal with, you know? I mean, most of us don't believe in such love and that makes it a lot harder to confess your love to someone." Sendoh's voice softened. He returned his gaze to the sky, afraid that if he continued to look at the beauty next to him a second longer, he would lose control and pounce on him.

"What's so difficult? Just be honest and tell him so." Rukawa is giving me advice? Am I suppose to take that advice for real and just tell him that the person I was referring to is actually him?

"Just be honest?" Rukawa nodded. "Sou ka? Then would you believe me if I say the person I was referring to all along was you?" Sendoh silently prayed that Rukawa would just smile and hug him saying that he loved him for the longest time.

Rukawa's eye widen. He quickly turned away from Sendoh. "I don't believe you."

"It's true Rukawa-kun." Sendoh grabbed Rukawa's hand making the latter look at him. "I love you. Please believe me."

Rukawa yanked Sendoh's hand away. "You don't even know me that well. How could you possibly love me? It's just infatuation."

"Rukawa-kun, I told you. It's love at first sight."

"And I told you I don't believe in love at first sight." With those harsh words that caused Sendoh's heart to shatter in millions of pieces, Rukawa walked away, leaving the court, leaving Sendoh and leaving his uncertain love.

-&-

Sendoh went home that day and went straight to his room. Totally forgetting about his dinner, homework and everything else. He threw himself on his bed. Events that happened earlier kept replaying in his mind. Tears uncontrollably streamed down his cheek. 'Owari da! It's over. It's all over. 4 months of friendship. 4 months of concealed feelings. 4 months of one-on-one's. 4 months of togetherness. It's over! OVER!' Sobs and sniffs could be heard. 'How unmanly of me to cry like this. Rejection! And I thought he would hug me and confess as well. You put your hopes too high you baka!'

He continued to sob alone, trying to ease the sting in his chest. 'No. I can't give up. He said he doesn't believe in love at first sight. He DID NOT say he didn't believe in love. He said that he didn't believe that I loved him because of love at first sight. He DID NOT say he didn't believe that I loved him.' Hopes began to shower him. 'All I need to do now is to prove that love at first sight DOES exist and that I love him!' He wiped his tears away. 'BRIGHTEN UP! There are still chances that he'll return your love.'

-&-

It had been a week since Sendoh confessed his feelings to Rukawa. During that period, there was neither one-on-one's or midnight talks. Rukawa cut every communication medium between them. He was avoiding Sendoh. Sendoh tried everyway he could to reach Rukawa. He tried calling but Rukawa would hang up on him or reject his calls. He tried visiting but he wasn't welcomed. He tried messaging but his messages weren't replied. He waited at their usual spot for their one-on-one but Rukawa did not turn up. He waited at the Shohoku main gate, Rukawa exited using the back gate. He skipped his practice to meet Rukawa at the Shohoku basketball court, Rukawa locked himself in the locker room.

'Why is he ignoring me? What did I do wrong? All I wanted to do was to explain. Rukawa-kun… Please…' As he was thinking of more ways to reach Rukawa, he heard…

"Pease feel free to give us a call if you have any songs you would like to dedicate to someone special to you. The number to call is 711834117. 711 FM is proud to play the song you desire."

Something clicked in Sendoh's head. He quickly picked up his phone and dialed the aforementioned number.

-&-

A young lad had just returned from his basketball training and just finished bathing. He sat on his bed and turned on the radio located on the table, adjacent to his bed. He took out some magazines and began reading it. His mind wasn't on the magazine though. One could easily see that he was in his own world just by looking at his unfocused eyes. Something playing on the radio caught his attention.

"Hello. This is 711 FM. Who's on the line please?" the operator asked.

"This is Sendoh Akira." 'AKIRA!'

"Good evening, Sendoh-san. What song can I play for you?" the operator asked again.

"Well, Love At First Sight by Kylie Minogue, please."

"Ok! No problem. Any dedications?"

"This is specially dedicated to my…" there was a pause before Sendoh continue. "… close friend, Rukawa Kaede." 'Close friend? I'm his close friend? Just a close friend?' Questions were pilling up in Rukawa's head. 'What did I expect anyway? My lover? My rejected love? BAKA!'

"Rukawa-san, this song is specially for you by Sendoh-san. Hope you're listening. Enjoy!" The song started playing just as the operator ended his sentence.

I thought that I was going crazy
Just having one of those days, yeah

/Rukawa press on the 'Read' button onthis cellphone after the message beep. It was from Sendoh. He thought of deleting the message. He didn't want to deal with anything that had something to do with him right now. His mind was in chaos. However, he read it. It says:

Rukawa-kun, I know I was wrong. I know it was my fault for the sudden confession. I'm sorry if I scared you or disgusted you. I don't even know if you're the type that would accept my sexual preference. But I can't help it. Everyday we have our one-on-ones, our outings, I was in the range of getting crazy. How I wanted to hold you in my arms and never let go. How I wanted to tell you how much you mean to me even by just listening to my blabbering at night.

Rukawa didn't finish reading the message. He deleted the message and stuffed his cellphone into the drawer.

I was tired of running out of luck

/Rukawa slammed the door right in front of Sendoh's face. Sendoh keep pressing on his door bell. Rukawa ignored it. The taller youth then pounded on the door repeatedly. "Rukawa-kun, please let me in. Listen to me please." Still, Rukawa ignored him. "Open up! Rukawa-kun, please I beg of you." Sendoh pleaded. That went on for several hours and then, it stopped.

The next morning Rukawa opeedn the door and he was shocked to see Sendoh leaning on the wall, asleep. 'He was here the whole night? What the hell is he thinking?' Rukawa fought the urge to hug Sendoh and headed to school./

Was thinking about giving up

/Rukawa sat on the couch, deep in his thoughts. He seemed to be thinking about something or rather SOMEONE important. Tears streaked down his cheek every once in a while.

RING RING

Rukawa knew exactly who it was. He ignored it. The phone continued to ring.

"You've reached Rukawa Kaede. I'm currently unable to answer your call. Please leave your message after the beep."

BEEP

"Rukawa-kun, this is Sendoh. Please pick up the phone. I know you're there." After a moment of silence, Sendoh continued. "Rukawa-kun, I just want to say I'm sorry for everything. I know it was my fault for being in your school just to see you. I'm sorry for disturbing your practice. I'm sorry if you wasted your precious 2 hours in the locker room just to stay away from me." Sendoh's voice cracked. "Rukawa-kun, please can we return to the old days when we can have our one-on-ones, our outings, our midnight talks? Please… If you could just forget about the confession. I'm willing to ignore the feelings inside me. I promise I will never mention anything about that day ever again. If we could just return to those days…"

There was a click. Rukawa pulled out the cord of the phone. He didn't want to hear anymore. He hugged his pillow tightly and buried his face in it. Soft sobs could be heard./

I didn't know what to do
Then there was you

/Rukawa was on his way to the nearby basketball court. Yes, the court he used to have his one-on-one sessions with Sendoh. As he was near the court, he saw the same figure under the tree. The same figure that used to wait for him whenever he was late for their one-on-ones. The same figure at that very same place and the very same pose. 'Akira…' Rukawa's feet were rooted to the ground. He wanted to run away but he couldn't. He couldn't move. 'Shit! He saw me!' The figure was running towards Rukawa. Rukawa tried to run away but the figure held his arm tightly.

"Rukawa-kun, you came." Sendoh gave him his usual smile. "I waited for you."

"No one asked you to." Rukawa replied coldly. A gleam of sadness could be seen in Sendoh's eyes. Rukawa almost regretted what he said. "Let go of my hand." Rukawa yanked Sendoh's hand away and walked away from Sendoh.

'Kaede… I won't give up! I'll show you that my words are true. I'll show you that my love for you is true.'/

And everything went from wrong to right
And the stars came up filled up the sky

/"Rukawa Kaede!" Koshino called out.

"What?" Rukawa turned lazily and face Koshino. He was slightly annoyed as he was interrupted while practicing alone.

"Here. Take this." Koshino handed him a piece of folded paper. "I found this in Sendoh's locker." Rukawa eyed suspiciously at Koshino. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not helping him to send you this letter. I thought you have the right to read it since it's addressed to you."

Rukawa took the paper. "I didn't read it. I don't know what happened between you two but I do hope everything is alright. Sendoh is not in the best form for basketball. We're having a friendly match soon against another school soon and Sendoh is always in his own world. Coach Taoka almost kicked Sendoh out of the starting five." Koshino explained. After Koshino left, Rukawa read what was written in the paper.

Kaede,

I don't know if this letter will ever reach you. I don't even know if you'll read it if I pass it to you. I doubt it, though. However, I'm just pouring out everything in my head so that I could at least have proper sleep tonight. Kaede, I have no siblings and I have only one cousin. My parents divorced when I was 7. I lived alone with my mom until I received a scholarship from Ryonan High School. I rented an apartment and recently I heard from my cousin that my mom had passed away due to an accident in her working place. Now, I live on my scholarship and every month, my cousin sends me some money for my rental and food.

Kaede, when I first met you I knew you were my light. I thought I found the replacement for my mom's love. Whenever I was with you, everything became right. No matter how wrong or how tough the situation was, your presence made it all right. You're like my stars… I am the night sky. Empty, dull, lifeless. But you came one day and filled me with light. Your presence makes me feel alive again until that day during our usual one-on-one. I blurted out what I was suppose to keep as a secret. You said I should just be honest and I did. I never thought it would turn out this way. I'm sorry.

Akira.

The music you were playing really blew my mind
It was love at first sight

/They are sitting on the sandy beach, enjoying the sea breeze and each other's company. Actually they decided to have a walk along the beach after their shopping for basketball equipment but it turned out to be something different from their plan. Sendoh was looking at the pattern of the wave while Rukawa simply listened to his discman. Unconsciously, he sang the song he was listening to, attracting Sendoh's attention. His voice was like music to Sendoh's ear. Dulcet, melodious and soothing. After a while, Sendoh felt something dropped on his shoulder. He turned and saw Rukawa's head was resting on his shoulder. The younger boy was asleep. "Heh… You have a wonderful voice you know that?" He whispered to the sleeping youth and softly tucked his long bangs behind his ear./

'Cause baby, when I heard you for the first time
I knew we were meant to be as one

/The gym door slid open to reveal a tall youth with spiky hair and a friendly smile. He lifted his hands to his shoulder level as a sign of 'Hello'. The coach sitting at the opponent's seat seems to be very pissed.

"Sendoh! Why are you late!" He yelled at the spiky hair lad.

He came up with a lame excuse. "Sorry coach. I overslept." He smiled apologetically. He turned and saw a raven haired boy. 'He's taller then me. Maybe an inch taller. Tanned skin, gravity defying hair, midnight blue eyes, care-free smile.' They looked at each other. For the first time, blue met blue. Later, he found out that the boy's name was Sendoh Akira.

And everything went from wrong to right
And the stars came up filled up the sky
The music you were playing really blew my mind
It was love at first sight
Love at first sight
Love at first sight
Love at first sight
Oh it was love, it was love at first sight
'Cause baby, when I heard you for the first time
I knew we were meant to be as one
It was love, it was love, it was love, it was love

The music trailed off and soon it became silent. The song ended. Rukawa stared at the radio. All kinds of feelings gushed through him. He didn't know what he was feeling. Why are there flashbacks about them? What is he feeling? He wanted to cry but at the same time he wanted to laugh. He was touched but at the same time he was agitated. What is this feeling? He was confused. This mixed emotion is driving him nuts. He turned the radio off, slammed the magazine close and jumped onto his bed. He covered himself with the blanket and used a pillow to cover his head.

'It was just a song. Maybe Akira's favourite song. Why did it bring back so much memories? Why did it bring back memories I didn't want to recall? Why did I suddenly felt a pang of guilt towards Akira? Why are there feelings as if my chest has been stabbed repeatedly? Why am I feeling so vulnerable? WHY!'

-&-

Rukawa walked across the road and saw the figure he dreamt of last night, bouncing a ball. He kept bouncing it but never once did he attempt to shoot. Rukawa felt nostalgic. Sendoh was always there waiting for him. The same old Sendoh Akira he knew 4 months ago. He approached the lone figure.

"The ball might burst if you continue to bounce it." He voiced out and stopped in front of Sendoh. Sendoh looked up and met Rukawa's eyes. He stopped bouncing the ball and held it in between his hands.

"Rukawa-kun, I-" He was silenced by Rukawa's index finger on his pouty lips.

"Shhh…" Sendoh looked at Rukawa with a perplexed look. "When I met you for the first time, I knew, we were meant to be.." He replaced his finger with his lips. He gave Sendoh a full kiss on his lips. Sendoh was shocked at first but it took him no more than 7 seconds to regain his composure and return the kiss. After feeling the need of air, they broke the kiss.

"As one." Sendoh finish the hanging sentence. He hugged the younger boy tightly as if Rukawa would evaporize if he let go. They stayed in that position, ignoring the passerbys glancing towads them, ignoring the basketball rolling away to the corner of the court, ignoring Rukawa's duffel bag that had dropped on the floor. 'Kami-sama, if this is a dream please don't wake me up. Let me stay here forever.'

"Kaede… this is not a dream, right?" Sendoh continued to embrace Rukawa tightly.

"No Akira…" He looked straight into Sendoh's eyes and a microscopic smile sketched on this lips. "This is reality. Aishiteru."

Reviews are always welcomed. Thanks for reading!