KYOTEN SHIT 1: One More Please!

"One more please!"

"Are you sure?"

"Mhmm!"

Tenma smiles brightly as he watches the man skewer another fruit and dip it in the golden mixture. The caramel apple machine was so fascinating that it was reflected in his bright blue eyes, mirroring the way the stick sliced a clean path through the hot swirl and resurfaced with a dripping fruit at the end. Before he gets to pay for it, another person cuts in front of him.

"I'm paying for it," he remarks coolly as he hands the money to the vendor. "Keep the change."

With that he walks away, leaving behind a smiling seller who replies with a greeting of gratitude and a stunned soccer player who is staring at his back.

"Tsurugi, wait up!"

He yells as he catches up to the other teen. Lucky for him, the pedestrian spotlight turned red just before his teammate could cross.

"Hm?"

"Um... I just want to know why you paid for the apple...it's my choice after all," the brunette questions shyly, a light pink dusting his cheeks. He wasn't at all used to someone committing a gentleman act towards him, let alone Tsurugi.

"Every time we walk to the park together, you'd find a way to stop by the caramel apple stall. Sometimes you even pay for mine. They're your favorite, aren't they?"

The straightforward reply makes sense, but Tenma doesn't say anything. He always passes by every time they're together because he knows that it's Kyosuke's favorite. Perhaps he himself has grown to love them as well?

"Eh-thank you then..." comes the spazzed out reply which is returned only by a small smile.

The spotlight turns green, and both of them cross, saying their goodbyes as usual when they get to the other side. As they part ways, Tenma going left and Tsurugi going right, the midfielder can't help but look over his shoulder at the guy he's fallen harder and harder for each passing day. It was silly, he admitted, liking a Seed who beat him into a pulp the first time they met, but Cupid was blind after all.

As the tall silhouette disappears into the sunset, he wonders for the nth time what it would be like to walk beside him into the sunset one day, going to the same house. A future with him; maybe it isn't too far away after all.

"One more please!"

He shouts to the far end, giving his head a good shake to keep himself alert. He had to practice using his Keshin if he wanted to be stronger for the upcoming match.

A heavy thud, and something comes whizzing through the air. Tenma steadies himself, focusing on the ball before summoning his Keshin and kicking it back successfully.

"Not bad, Tenma," his partner comments as he flicks some of his blue hair out of his face.

Just then, the coach signals the end of today's practice. As per usual, Tenma approaches Tsurugi to invite him to walk with him. But the other one is always one step ahead.

"Sorry, I can't go with you today. I need to meet up with someone."

"Oh... Well that's alright! Have fun then..." Tenma replies courageously with a grin, but as he turns around and walks away slowly he could hardly contain his disappointment.

Had Tsurugi lost interest in him? Did he do something bad? So many reasons crowd his mind, but he eventually clears them up, marking it off as simply "overreacting". So off he walks, all alone. He takes another route because he doesn't feel like getting a caramel apple and thinking of the other one.

"One more please..."

Tenma is at the stall again, unaccompanied. It looks strange seeing him without the taller one at a nearby tree licking his own treat, or beside him conversing with the soccer enthusiast.

"You look down today, son," the vendor comments off-handedly while dipping the apple in the mixture. There is no reply, not even from the dull eyes that were lost in nowhere.

"Here you go."

Tenma snaps out of his staring.

"Ah, thank you..."

He fishes for the wallet in his pocket to pay, but the vendor shakes his head, putting up his hand.

"This one's on me today. Think of it as a get well soon token."

Tenma smiles gratefully, bowing curtly before walking off. He takes the long route this time, traveling through the park and stopping at a bench to sit down and see...Tsurugi. With someone else. He peers closer and he sees a figure of a girl. Someone he didn't recognize.

The girl trailed behind, trying to catch up as Tsurugi walked ahead. Was he taking her somewhere? Tenma didn't know what to do because his heart felt so heavy and his brain stopped thinking. Jealousy paid him a visit. And Sadness followed afterwards.

After what seemed like an eternity of staring, Tenma finally takes a small bite of the snack. It tastes a little funny; did the man give him salted caramel flavor? Or was it just him, he thought as he wiped away the single stupid tear on his cheek.

"One more...please..."

It's so soft, softer than a whisper as the chef nods and faces his kitchen behind the bar. Tenma looks horrible, his hair doesn't look so well-kept and the windows to his soul were boarded shut, replaced by a hollow nothingness more lifeless than the zombies.

As the steaming hot bowl is placed before him, his limp hands grab the chopsticks monotonously, and he mutters the prayer before stabbing the noodles with his utensils. He tries to put some in his mouth, but he's shaking too much, shaking so damn horribly like a senior citizen who grew old alone, and when he does taste it, it's burning his tongue but it's not like he needed to talk to anyone anytime soon. Not even the comforting aroma of the broth he's loved since childhood could erase the memory of a certain gold-eyed boy face-to-face with a pretty girl, holding her hands by the lake.

-flashback-

It was dismissal time and there was no practice. Tenma passed by the park again, about to throw away the stick of his caramel apple, until he saw them in the clearing beyond. Shielded by the trees, he saw everything, heard everything as the boy said the words he himself always wanted to hear. Both Tsurugi and his companion were just speechless afterwards. But Tenma saw how his own object of affection was just looking at her with this funny stare, and it hit Tenma so hard when he remembered what people said about an odd look in the eyes when someone was in love. So he backed off, stumbling backwards until his back hit the trashcan and the brunette saw the two alarmed. The midfielder ran away before they could find out, trying hard not to let the tears out even if they were blurring his vision.

-end of flashback-

But now, he doesn't even try to stop them from spilling into his dinner, forgetting about it altogether. The scene replays in his mind over and over and over again like a sick joke even if his mind was shut down. He wondered if Tsurugi ever really got the hint, if Tsurugi ever saw the silly sparkle in Tenma's eyes whenever he was simply there even if they didn't talk or look each other's way. Or even the stutters in his speech every time they talked or the way he held his stomach because of the strange butterflies in his tummy. Then he realized that the only thing that's silly or funny or simply stupid is himself. What was he expecting from someone who brought him down the very first day? What was he expecting from a stranger if he couldn't expect the same love from his own family in the first place?

It hurts. It hurts so bad that he could feel his chest constricting so painfully that he just wanted to throw up all the blood in his system because he hasn't been eating so well these past few days. It hurts so bad that he wishes that it was anesthesia or even morphine coursing through his veins instead so that he could just dream of a fantasy where he was with Kyosuke and they were just happy instead of facing reality. Yeah, he is a damn coward. For wanting to escape. And for not saying anything in the first place.

He has his food wrapped up to-go, and he slumps all the way home on those skinny legs. He still plays soccer, but he doesn't attend practice as often right now because he doesn't want to see a certain face. Coach understands. Captain does. And the rest of the team, too. He's glad that they don't ask, that they just support him quietly. At least someone's on his side.

As he greets an empty hall like always, he walks up to his room after storing the leftovers in the fridge, curling up on the bed. It's kind of pointless to lie down if his insomnia has also relapsed on him lately, so he pulls open the drawer to grab a handful of junk along with the bottle of sleeping pills he used to take before. And from the pile of junk something drops on the bed, right in front of him. He picks it up, and he realizes that it's the necklace that Tsurugi once gave him. It was just a slightly tarnished pendant with a clock inside and a picture of them together. And he remembers the words the boy told him when the boy handed it over.

"This isn't anything special, but I want to give it to you. It's not fancy or expensive or anything, but I just want to let you know that I enjoy spending my time with you."

Those were lies. All lies. Where was he now, when Tenma was too tired of holding on to hope and of falling over and over again? All the good times are nothing but memories.

And those memories are starting to die along with his soul as he cries himself to sleep.

"Ah-o-one moreee-plea-Ahh!"

Those lips tell him to say nothing more when he kisses them again tonight, mouths moving in the beat of the thrusts. Tenma moans into that mouth that smelled so strongly of caramel apples, as he grabs on the rich indigo tresses and begs for more. And Kyosuke doesn't decline the request, moving faster and faster as if it wasn't pleasurable enough already. Tears stream down the brunette's face, feeling the ecstasy in the heat of this moment, and feeling all the pent-up anger and frustration turning into passion.

-flashback-

"Hey Tenma, where are you going? I just want to talk."

"Leave me alone, Tsurugi!"

"I know you better than this. And I know that there are some things on your mind."

"Like what!? Can you guess!?"

Tenma finally screams, facing around and breaking down. He doesn't know how to take it.

"I know that you're not thrilled about the fact that I've stopped hanging with you for a while now. But I was with her because-"

"-You don't need to hurt me more than I already am!"

Tenma cuts him off so brashly but Tsurugi couldn't bear to get mad when he saw the tears gushing down that usually cheerful face.

"Hey, hey, don't get things wrong. Just listen for a second, okay?" Tsurugi lies low, approaching steadily and gently taking the wrist, to which the other responds violently by yanking it harshly.

"I don't need your excuses-"

"No. You have to listen," Tsurugi asserts himself, grabbing the other's shoulder so that they were facing each other in the same spot where Tenma saw him with the girl. Was he playing games with him?

"I was going with her," he continues, "because I was asking her opinion on how to admit my feelings to someone I really liked. And she gave me tips. She even let me practice the confessing part with her."

Tenma is quiet, staring into those soft pools of gold, wondering why he feels like falling in love again even if the thorns from his budding love for the other are still lodged in his heart.

"Matsukaze Tenma," he says as he takes the boy's small hands, "I can truly and honestly say...that I have loved you with all my heart since the day I met you. And even if you don't love me back, I just want to let you know that I'm willing to wait. I sound stupid, but someone had to make the first move," he adds at the end with a small smirk.

And there is no answer.

Tenma just wraps his arms around Tsurugi, letting all those tears out. And yes, the forward was surprised, but it was a yes. And he couldn't be any happier.

-end of flashback-

Now they're in Tenma's room, somehow they ended up on the bed, sharing in the ultimate expression of love between two human beings. Yes, they never felt this complete, this close to someone. And as they let go slowly, they end up in each other's arms again as they lay down. It seems that they are forever doomed to this attraction they had since their eyes met the first time. But they don't mind.

As Tenma plants a last kiss on the other's lips before falling asleep, Tsurugi smiles peacefully, just watching his face until he notices the bronze chain around his lover's neck. And he realizes that it's the necklace he gave him a few months back. He fingers it for a while, thinking good things before falling asleep with his other half.

All good times are memories. And there are more of them to come.