Disclaimer: I do not own Slam Dunk by Inoue Takehiko

Author's note: Konichiwa! Christmas is coming and what better way is to have a Christmas RuHana story! He he, this is for the season, hope it's worth it. I erased the song lyrics due to a warning posted, so I made up some poetry snippets to make up for it. hope u guys enjoy it.

I Have Found Christmas In You

Falling from the sky
Light pieces of crystal
Shining in the morning sun
Glowing in the moonlight
Beautiful and fragile
Yet harbouring no emotions
Is it good to feel like a snowflake
When you don't have someone
To spend Christmas with?

Rukawa was the last to leave the basketball court of Shohoku High School as every student left for the winter holiday season. He draped his duffel bag over his shoulder and closed the doors behind him. Stepping from underneath the roof, he found a picturesque landscape of the school campus covered in glittering snow and ice against the setting sun and darkening sky. He saw several students still chatting on campus, giving no thought, the Shohoku Ace left the premises, although he was feeling a tiny vestige of loneliness attacking his heart. Looking up as he strolled outside the school gates and into town, he found the snowflakes floating down upon his pale face and the fine fringe of his hair. His eyes shone at the beautiful pieces of ice. But the small pang of loneliness he felt back on campus was soon replaced by a growing hollow feeling. The feeling that haunted the pale young man every winter.

'Christmas...' Rukawa frowned slightly further, his hand on the duffel bag strap tightening in a fist, 'Do have to taunt me every year...'

Rukawa would have looked forward to this seasonal holiday if his parents were alive. Today marked the anniversary of his parents' deaths.

'How long has it been...' Rukawa pondered with a heavy mind, stopping to rest in a ramen bar for his lunch, 'Eight years...or was it nine?'

He didn't know but he knew that ever since his parents were gone, he couldn't find the joy and season greetings to celebrate this holiday that ironically became his yearly mourning period.

As he received his order of ramen, he gazed outside into the drizzling snowy motion picture, his eyes scanned, finding laughing couples under sprigs of mistletoe hung over doorways and lamp posts and children strolling happily with their equally happy parents. He snorted softly but his Kitsune eyes were filled with a silent pain people would find alarming to find in the Ice Prince.

A family
Shares a warm glow
That a loner cannot hope to possess
The loving warmth of close contact

Rukawa sighed and tucked in, not really having an appetite for his late lunch.

He just couldn't remember when was the last time when he had a real Christmas when his parents were deceased. The only thing he could remember was that he never saw Christmas in the same light again. He couldn't take in the warm glow of seeing families together as the sight pained him inside, giving him a reminder of something he had lost. Because of it, he went into solitude and act in an indifferent demeanor when around with others.
His world changed into black and white since then. But there were times he wished he could have something that he saw in others but lacked in his soul.

Rukawa's bowl was now empty as he finished his musing. He was full but it didn't ease the growing loneliness in his heart. He stepped out of the bar after paying and sighed even more, not wanting to return to his home that was empty like his heart. He decided to go to one place where he could think in seclusion: the park.

White all around
Nature bare and tired
Ice and crystal
Snow and tuft
Can another presence bring warmth
To winter?

Rukawa propped his knees against his chest as he sat under the shade of a bare sakura tree. The park was empty as he predicted as his dark blue eyes took in the snowy winter wonderland set before him. The trees were bare but there were small tufts of snow clinging onto the thin branches. The ground was blanketed in deep snow as it glittered in the afternoon sun. The places where there were no snow were under the trees and the walking paths. The lake had frozen over, its surface shining like a mirror despite the ice skate tracks marring it.

As he started to wonder, his mind wandered to what his teammates would be doing right now. He shook his head and sighed profusely. They'd probably with their families right now...having beautifully decorated Christmas trees to gaze at and gather around...warm fireplaces...delicious Christmas dinners...caroling, storytelling and playing snowball fights...things that were done better when with a family.

His musing soon became too depressing for the icy Shohoku ace as he stared at the shiny surface of the frozen lake water. But then he found out that he was not the only one at the park. For another man was at the lake, sitting on the snowy banks and tying the laces to his ice skates, leaving his sneakers nearby. Rukawa mentally jumped as he recognised the person. Blazing red hair sprinkled with fallen snowflakes, tanned skin glowing in a warm aura, shiny brown eyes and a grin to boot. Sakuragi Hanamichi. The simple-minded but enthusiastic do'aho of the basketball team.

'What is he doing here?' Rukawa cocked his head in curiosity and stood up.

It seemed that Sakuragi was going to skate on the frozen water. The idea of watching him turned interesting as he walked away from the bare tree and made his way towards the lake before he stopped at a watchable distance.

Sakuragi hummed cheerfully as he tied the second knot to his other ice skate. Gazing at the expanse of ice laid before his eyes, he grinned. Many people didn't know that he loved to skate. Standing up straight, he slowly slid across the ice with smooth leg movements, pleased that he made a scrawly figure eight in the process. However, he couldn't help feeling that someone was nearby as he felt a chill slithering down his spine. But he dismissed it as he began to glide on the ice.

Rukawa couldn't help but be mesmerized at the redhead's ice-skating routines. He may had been making drastic improvements in basketball especially after his back injury against Sannoh, but he looked...exquisite and graceful on the ice. Rukawa noted each swing of the redhead's arms and legs and the way his hair, that had grown slightly longer, floated like fine silk as he performed each slide and triple axle jump. And the way he was so concentrated by the hardcore fiery glow in his coffee brown eyes...the brunette's eyes were filled with sincere admiration that would probably throw Sakuragi off guard if he saw it. But there was another twinkle in the dark sapphire eyes. A twinkle that was present yet the redhead couldn't see even if it was a close-up. A twinkle that the pale man reserved for the other for several years. A twinkle that was close to what can be closely deciphered as...adoration...or more.

The soft look in the so-called Kitsune's eyes disappeared when he witnessed Sakuragi in an unfortunate forthcoming accident. As the redhead laid another triple axle jump, his leg that was supposed to propel him in midair accidentally got tangled with his other foot, making him lose his footing. With silent horror written over the pale and now-not-so-stoic face of the Shohoku ace, he watched as Sakuragi fell flat onto the ice, hearing the sickening thud of the ice starting to crack. When the sound faded, the redhead was motionless and Rukawa could see a small puddle of blood forming on the ice near Sakuragi's forehead. Without even thinking of what the redhead would do if he were to venture near, Rukawa bounded from his watching position to the edge of the lake. Luckily the redhead was near the edge, allowing Rukawa to grab his lifeless hand and pull him onto the snowy banks. Rukawa grimaced at the sight. There was a profusing bleeding cut on Sakuragi's forehead and it was on the very same spot where the injury occurred when they were playing against the Ryonan team when they were competing for the Inter-High competition. He checked the other man's feet where the little accident started and sighed with relief when he found no injuries.

A soft painful moan caught the blue-eyed man's attention. Sakuragi was half-conscious as he tried to blink his eyes to clear his vision. But he only succeeded into getting blood into his eyes, making him hiss and grunt with more pain.

"Don't move, do'aho," Rukawa quietly said, placing his hand on the centre of Sakuragi's clothed chest to stop him from moving so much, "You'll make your injury worse if you move."

Sakuragi would had sat upright when he recognised the voice if he hadn't conked in his head so hard on the ice. Instead, his breath stilled and his body went rigid and tense.

"Kitsune..." Sakuragi's voice wasn't fiery as the pale man expected. In fact, it was no louder than a harsh whisper strangely not filled with loathing but with strange inquiry and a tinge of irritated anger, "What're you doing here?"

"Been watching you," Rukawa curtly replied, reaching into his duffel bag to pull out some medicine and bandages, "And saw you fall."

"Teme! I hate being spied on, Kitsune! You'll pay-" Sakuragi growled but was cut off when he felt the sharp sting on his head as the medicine was being applied, "Ite! Teme!"

"Urusei, do'aho!" Rukawa chastised as he wrapped the bandages around the fiery head securely, "Fine, it's done."

Sakuragi was surprised in the least and his brain inside his hard head was filled with questions. His rival had bothered to fix his head injury that could've knocked him unconscious and cause more blood loss. The redhead sat up slowly, feeling a dizzying pain that was making his vision blur slightly. Rukawa wrapped an arm around the other man's shoulder for support and pulled him into a sitting position. Sakuragi trailed his gloved fingers over the bandage covering his forehead and winced slightly before turning to face the other man who was looking expectantly at him. Sakuragi sighed and reached for his sneakers.

"Look, Kitsune...what you did just now..." Sakuragi began before shrugging and looked away to resume to put on his trainers, "Thanks..."

"You're welcome...I guess..." Rukawa said softly before standing up, "I'd better get going."

"Ano...I hope you have a good Christmas with your family, Kitsune..."

At this, Rukawa stilled, his body tensed. Sakuragi cocked his head to one side at the way his rival was acting, his brown eyes now filled with curiosity and...new concern.

'What Christmas...I never had a real one since they died...'

"Kitsune?" Rukawa jumped at Sakuragi's voice and found the other man standing next to him with his skates in tow, "Ano...daijou ka? You've spaced out...that is so not like you..."

"Whatever..." Rukawa shrugged, "I just...don't celebrate it."

"You don't! How could you!" Sakuragi cried out, "It's the best holiday around!"

"Not when you are alone in winter and having to mourn your family's death every year!"

At this, Sakuragi gasped softly, his eyes wide at the other man's outburst. Sure the Kitsune was in silent anger but in this manner? He didn't think so.

"That's it!" Sakuragi said incredulously, "Is that why you hate Christmas!"

He noted the shocked look on the pale face. When Rukawa turned away, Sakuragi's face was riddled with mixed emotions before it settled to a soft, sympathetic look that would put the Shohoku in a stupor of wonderment.

"Kuso!" Rukawa slapped his hand on his forehead. He didn't want to act like that in front of the redhead who had unbelievably over the years became his object of affections. He then felt a hand on his shoulder and found Sakuragi with a strange concerned look on his face with a small grin to match, "Sakuragi?"

"Now we're onto last names, Rukawa? I like that," Sakuragi joked before breaking into laughter that made Rukawa sweatdrop. But as he calmed down, his brown eyes bore a generous look, "Come back with me then. It's...to repay you for helping me just now."

One of Rukawa's elegant eyebrows was raised, "Nani?"

"You heard me, Rukawa," Sakuragi said, "Come with me. Just for two days to celebrate Christmas."

"I told you I don't celebrate it. Are you forcing me?"

"No, I'm just saying that no one should be lonely on Christmas Eve. Not even you. Please?"

At the last words, a light shower of powdered snow floated down the now darkening sky. Rukawa was stupefied at his rival's words. The fiery redhead would've left him to brood in his loneliness and instead he wasn't going to let him go away that easily.

'First I surprise him by helping him and then he surprises by bringing me to his house for two nights for Christmas...'

"Well, Rukawa?" Sakuragi tugged on his sleeve, "It is getting late."

With a resigned sigh, Rukawa nodded with a soft and unusually shy twinkle in his blue eyes that didn't look so icy after all.

What is Christmas?
Is it the silver baubles
Or the tinsel in colourful sprigs of sparkles?
Or the beautiful tree in the corner
With shiny packages with strings and ribbons?
Is it the food banquet or the champagne?
All would say 'all of the above'
But I would say 'Neither'
'Because nobody cherishes the warmth
Of sharing and friendship'

"It's not much..." Sakuragi dumped the keys into a nearby wicker container that was on the table near the main door. Rukawa followed close behind, "But it's home. I'll be in the kitchen for a while. Look around."

Sakuragi headed into the kitchen while Rukawa dumped his duffel bag into a safe corner and took the time to explore his surroundings. Sakuragi's one storey home was not exactly large as his own house but there was enough room for one to three people. The first smells he took in were the familiar scent of incense and cooked turkey coming from the kitchen. The plain apartment was lavishly decorated for the season. The tan walls looked like they were freshly painted and tresses of tinsel and small crystal baubles decorated in wave patterns. A small but richly decorated Christmas tree stood near the fireplace where there were good-sized flames blazing with scarlet warmth, bringing a warm and homey atmosphere. A cuckoo clock hung elegantly over the fireplace. And on another decorated table near the fireplace, the wooden top was littered with several photographs: some were old and some were new. Rukawa became curious as to what the photos contained. Reaching to his destination, he peered at the black and white and the coloured photos.

There were new photos of him and his Gundan, the Shohoku basketball team and some pictures contained the redhead in places he had probably visited. The old black and white photos consisted of the redhead in his childhood and his family. He noticed that the do'aho resembled much like his mother who, from the looks in the old photo, was a beautiful red-haired woman because the father had a darker shade in his hair. There were also separate portraits of the redhead's parents hanging on the wall above and the frames were decorated with fine tresses of tinsel.

'That's how he inherited the red hair...' Rukawa silently deduced, 'And I thought he dyed it.'

"Kitsune? Rukawa?"

When Rukawa turned around, he found Sakuragi already sitting in front of the fireplace. The fiery head gestured a sign of friendly invitation and Rukawa saw the mark where the cut was. Sakuragi had some time taken off the bandages. The pale man could smell a strong fragrance of roasted turkey mixed with the sweet scent of champagne. His nose told him right as he noticed on the small coffee table was a two individual trays of turkey teriyaki and rice along with twin filled wine glasses with a half-filled, middle-sized bottle of champagne nearby.

"It's not the usual Christmas dinner you would find, Rukawa," Sakuragi shrugged as he uncorked the bottle and poured the sparkling fluid into the glasses while Rukawa sat beside him, "Living alone has its downsides but I have to make the best of it and...here it is..."

It was nothing like the Christmas dinner he had envisioned. But for a meager meal, it looked appetizing and how did the redhead manage to afford champagne...

"You did all this?" Rukawa inquired, pointing at the trays.

At this, Sakuragi blushed slightly and there was pure modesty in his eyes, a sight which made the sentimental side of Rukawa smile. Sakuragi looked warmer than before in the glow of the fireplace, further highlighting his equally fiery mane. The coffee brown eyes looked softer like amber in light.

"Yeah..." Sakuragi nervously cleared his throat.

He was starting to see his rival in a new light. The glow from the fireplace made the pale skin shine with new warmth he had not seen before and his blue eyes didn't look like ice at all but more like sapphires. It made the other man look utterly...beautiful. Sakuragi shook his head mentally and gaped at his internal confession. But it made him blush more, knowing that his heart couldn't hide his desire and reason for being of Rukawa Kaede he kept inside.

"Rukawa?"

"Un..."

"I didn't poison the food. We should eat and I'm getting hungry," a stomach growl emitted from the redhead's belly to punctuate his sentence, making Rukawa shake his head but smirk slightly, "Rukawa."

"Sakuragi."

Both men held out their wine glasses.

"A toast for the holiday..." Sakuragi smiled, "And to us..."

At the sound of the redhead's words, Rukawa felt an unfamiliar rush of warmth circulating in his body. But it felt comforting and made his skin less pale.

'I haven't felt like this for a long time...' Rukawa's wine glass was reaching towards Sakuragi's own, 'Is this the feeling I missed...'

Rukawa placed the thought aside for the moment as both of the wine glasses clinked softly in contact.

Another element
Of Christmas
In the season of giving and sharing
Love is the most powerful present to give
Because it is easy to share
"Arigatou," Rukawa smiled slightly when Sakuragi returned with some blankets, two cups of cocoa with floating marshmallows and some pudding. He grabbed one and wrapped it around his shoulders, "I admit...it was great..."

"I told you," Sakuragi shrugged and wrapped the other blanket around himself before getting his mug of cocoa.

"I just..." Rukawa began before sighing, "I used to like Christmas until that day...if I don't think about it, maybe the pain would disappear for the rest of the year before returning to haunt me again."

Sakuragi looked up from his cup of cocoa at the other man. He couldn't envision the Kitsune as his rival anymore. Instead he saw a man lost in his secret sadness.

"I know how you feel, Rukawa. About having no parents...or family to celebrate this holiday or any other before and after that."

Rukawa gazed at the redhead, whose eyes now filled with pain and sadness that probably had haunted him.

"I remembered how my oka-chan died when I about to go to junior high. She saved me from a car accident and it was displayed right in front of me. She died immediately and I never got the chance to say goodbye to her. And shortly after that..."

Rukawa noticed that Sakuragi was shivering slightly.

"And my oyagi..." Sakuragi's voice dropped to a bitter whisper, "If I hadn't gotten into a fight and send him to a hospital in time...he would've been alive today..."

Rukawa felt an empathic pang tugging his heart. So the redhead did go through the same pain as he did. He watched as Sakuragi regained his composure and noting a few tears clinging to his eyelids.

"But it can't be helped...that's in the past," Sakuragi looked over to his family portraits, "Each Christmas, I would do this arrangement and with this kind of warmth, it's as if they're with me...even if the bittersweet pain returns."

"Why would you still do it even if it hurts you?"

"Because I love Christmas."

Rukawa looked on intently. Sakuragi placed the mug back onto the table, no longer interested to drink.

"I do...I love this holiday. I found out after my parents' deaths that it's not just about getting together, being with friends and family, having a large feast or giving, receiving and exchanging presents. It's also the time when we find the warmth that was lost and forgotten in our memories and to reflect back. And in that way...I do not want to lose the love my parents built up for and gave me as well as the love and compassion I feel for others, hidden and open alike. Even you, Rukawa. As this is a time of giving, share that love and compassion to everybody."

Rukawa's eyes were wide open as Sakuragi uttered the last words. Sakuragi sighed softly but gave a small smile.

"I believe that the spirit of Christmas can help me survive in anything. And I think you should try, Rukawa."

Rukawa breathed softly at the closeness and warmth of the redhead.

"You are one mystery I can't decipher, Rukawa," Sakuragi stated simply, "I kept on wondering whether you are capable of human emotion."

Rukawa turned his face away. The innocent stare from the do'aho was too much and the redhead was being so sincere towards him. Not only that, he was getting warmer and warmer, slowly melting the icy barrier he kept himself in. His mind was urging him to keep away from the redhead, but his heart said otherwise and the warmth continued its wondrous work on soothing the Shohoku's ace's heart. He was startled when he felt Sakuragi's hand gripping his arm gently. When he turned back, Sakuragi's face was several inches from him. The redhead had shifted closer without him knowing. Rukawa held back all restraints to hug the redhead, worried that he would confuse him with his actions.

"Don't see Christmas as a sad time. Sure the pain will come back but if you still remember them, next year's pain won't be so hard to bear. What would your parents say if they saw you now? I know mine would be disappointed. If you keep on being like this as you are now and when I first met you..." Sakuragi shook his head and turned away slightly, not noticing Rukawa's disappointed look at the redhead's distance, "Uh...forget I said that...I don't want to offend you."

In his heart, he knew what the redhead wanted to say but couldn't bring himself to. Rukawa shortly pondered over the other man's words. He felt ashamed. Sakuragi was acting positively as he could to remember the love his parents had for him while he neglected it and went into icy solitude. The pure sincerity and honesty coming from the redhead had broken part of his icy demeanor and he found himself wistfully smiling as he came to a silent conclusion of why he was starting to enjoy this festivity.

The warmth of contact
Is comparable to the fireplace
Filled with scarlet embers and fiery logs
But the one thing the fireplace does not have
Is the love that emits from that contact

Rukawa surprised Sakuragi when he shifted close to him and tentatively touched his arm. Sakuragi stilled at the soft touch and found the other man looking at him. Sakuragi's breaths turned into long sighs and his eyes softened at the sight of beautifully illuminated blue eyes and glowing porcelain skin on Rukawa's handsome face. The pale man mentally admired the redhead's masculine beauty of sun-tanned skin and dark brown sparkling eyes.

"Sakuragi..." Rukawa whispered, bringing a hesitant band up to the redhead's smooth cheek. He took it as a good sign that the redhead was not rejecting his movements, "I don't think I will immediately love Christmas after one night..."

Sakuragi nodded understandably. He blushed when Rukawa moved even closer, his fingers tenderly caressing the skin.

"But...I do know that it's worth spending it with you after what you've shown me tonight," Rukawa said with raw honesty shining in his eyes, "I...thank you."

"Rukawa..." Sakuragi unconsciously leaned into the other man's touch, his cheeks reddening with warmth, "You're welcome...you know...I didn't think that you're this warm. Maybe you aren't really a cold-hearted kitsune after all."

Rukawa smiled at the joke and moved to hug the other man. Sakuragi was taken back by the smile on the man's face and the hug as Rukawa wrapped his arms around his broad shoulders. But he smiled in return and embraced back, sharing body heat and listening to each other's heartbeats.

Then the pale man did what his heart coaxed him to do. Rukawa gently tilted the fiery head and kissed him softly on the lips. He pulled back and waited for the redhead's reaction, his eyes filled with anticipation. Sakuragi's cheeks were now sporting a beautiful shade of crimson as he touched his recently kissed lips with attentive and shaky fingers before gazing back at him.

"That was my very first kiss..." Sakuragi murmured, still touching his lips.

Rukawa felt downcast, "Gomen...I didn't mean it."

"Daijoubu..."

Rukawa perked up and found Sakuragi smiling at him.

"It wasn't...bad..." Sakuragi admitted, "I just need time to get used it, ne?"

Sakuragi would've grossed out when he found out he was kissed by a guy, his rival. But he found that he didn't care after seeing the other man in a new light. Sakuragi moved closer and returned the kiss, right on the thin pale lips. Rukawa was seeing stars when the chaste kiss ended. Although it was clumsy and badly aimed, it made him feel tingly all over and brought another smile on his face. It was at this time, Rukawa found Sakuragi's company rather comforting and enjoyable. He pulled the redhead in another warm embrace. Then the redhead shifted and made Rukawa sit in between in his legs since he was bigger, their bodies wrapped in fluffy blankets. Rukawa basked in the warmth of the redhead's chest and arms while Sakuragi enjoyed the unusually warm bundle in his arms.

"I...don't mind if you can spend it with me in the future holidays...if you want?" Sakuragi inquired.

Rukawa smiled, "It sounds promising. I'd like that. And every other day before and after."

Sakuragi chuckled, "I wonder how the team will take this...we're supposed to be rivals...you know...enemies..."

"We'll just break it to them that we've become friends. They don't have to know about our...level of our new relationship."

"You are sneaky like a kitsune. We still have to quarrel on the court."

"And you're still a do'aho."

At this, both men laughed softly before succumbing to a quiet and companionable silence with the exception of the crackling fire.

Being lonely can be a threat
But it can be healed
With a simple, loving touch
Of human warmth

After a quiet cherished moment of their new bond, the cuckoo in the clock started to make cuckoo sounds. Both men looked up to see that it was already midnight. Christmas Day had arrived. Rukawa shifted so that he was sitting on the other man's lap and facing him.

"Merry Christmas, Kaede," Sakuragi said softly.

His name sounded good from the redhead's lips, Rukawa decided with a nod. The pale man gently kissed the cut on the redhead's forehead before looking deeply into his eyes.

"Merry Christmas, Hanamichi."

Rukawa laid his head on the redhead's shoulder, contemplating what had happened earlier that day. By now, he would've been in his drafty home in his bed, crying himself to sleep instead of being with the fiery redhead in his arms. He smiled yet once again, feeling truly happy for the very first time.

'Thank you, Hanamichi,' Rukawa looked upon the redhead softly grinning at him, 'I have found Christmas in you.'

OWARI

Author's note: WHO HOO! Done! Christmas greetings to one and all! Be generous! Please? Onegai? smile