Reality Distortion
Disclaimer: Don't own.
The entire reason Furuhashi attempts to befriend (well, that's not the right word but it's the one he's using so it might as well be) Imayoshi Shouichi is because Makoto hates the guy. Granted, Makoto doesn't like anyone, which may or may not have something to do with everyone hating Makoto because he's such a pretentious little shit who thumbs his nose at everyone. He's like a twelve-year-old on a message board whose trolling has been a success so he laughs at it in his next post. Granted, he's done some very smart moves and his basketball tactics are superb—but in the scheme of things he's still an arrogant bastard who gets twisted over a lot of things. But Imayoshi twists him a certain way. Whether it's because Makoto has a crush on him or Imayoshi is smarter than him or a better point guard (he doesn't have a special moniker, but Furuhashi will freely admit he's very good and he wouldn't place any bets in a match between the two and whatever teams they could assemble). Makoto will bench him and seethe at him if he befriends Imayoshi, but Makoto will be mad and gnash his teeth and snap and generally act like a little bitch, which isn't so fun to be around but it sure as hell is amusing. Plus, when he's annoyed he ends practice early.
Imayoshi seems like the kind of guy who would enjoy seeing Makoto's twisted reactions, anyway. Even if he does figure out Furuhashi's plan (which he probably will if he's as smart as he's supposed to be) Furuhashi won't admit it, and besides he'll have no proof.
The first thing that Furuhashi learns from hanging around Imayoshi is that he is absolutely as horrible as Makoto says. He's a jerk with zero qualms about pretty much anything, and Furuhashi likes him immediately. His façade gets a little annoying, but there's something almost fascinating about his shut-eyed smirk that makes Furuhashi want to break his glasses. Awesome.
He invites Imayoshi to stop by practice whenever he's got a bit of a break in studying for entrance exams, and sure enough he comes by unannounced later that week with a casual remark about how happy Makoto must be to see here, but how he's really here to see his good friend Koujirou. Furuhashi keeps his expression neutral and starts a conversation about the weather. Makoto yells at both of them and starts shredding the paper on his clipboard. Imayoshi says he should probably go if he wants to make it back to his dorm before curfew, but it was simply lovely to see everyone again.
Makoto sends everyone home, except for Furuhashi. Still, Makoto's not very intimidating when he's flustered like this, so it's not as bad as it could be and Furuhashi still gets home before practice would usually be over. He texts Imayoshi a thank-you for stopping by and he gets a very cheerful reply, complete with an emoticon. Furuhashi rolls his eyes. Seriously?
This continues for a while, and eventually Makoto stops yelling at Furuhashi, preferring instead to attempt to tease Imayoshi and then just storm off and leave the team without a coach when it doesn't work. Imayoshi offers to coach them, and Furuhashi can't be the only one imagining sadistic practice routines that Imayoshi might force them to go through. He just laughs at their discomfort, and his laugh is almost…Furuhashi won't go there.
But, still…shit. Somehow, during all of their time together, exchanging pleasantries and small talk and finding out about the other and pretending that they actually cared, Furuhashi had started finding Imayoshi kind of attractive. And this feeling hasn't stopped, and doesn't seem like it will anytime soon, so there's really only one solution. He walks Imayoshi to the train station, finds a dark alley, pulls him in and shoves his tongue down Imayoshi's throat. After all, if Imayoshi rejects him here no one will have seen it, and therefore it will have never happened.
Imayoshi doesn't pull away until Furuhashi does, and when he does he's smiling that damn smirk again. So, that's that. Still, Imayoshi strikes Furuhashi as the type of guy who goes out and gets something if he really wants it—but perhaps he figured it would be easier to wait for Furuhashi. Either way, doubt and other feelings are irrelevant, and figuring out Imayoshi will always be an utter waste of time.
Furuhashi ends up having sex with Imayoshi the next time he visits him in his dorm—something that is neither unwelcome nor surprising. Imayoshi has a really nice ass, something Furuhashi never plans to tell him because he might get a swelled head, even though that smug bastard totally knows what he's thinking, the way he winks (Furuhashi's not sure which surprises him more, Imayoshi opening one eye or the way that wink looks very sexy) and smirks extra-wide. Still, Furuhashi won't tell him. Imayoshi can't prove anything that way.
Eventually, Makoto becomes completely removed from the equation. Annoying him gets old after a while, and sex is way more rewarding. Besides, if he just skips practice and goes to Touou he can have sex with Imayoshi and he doesn't have to play basketball or deal with Makoto. It's pretty much win-win. Imayoshi never introduces Furuhashi to any of his friends, and Furuhashi doesn't ask to meet them. He doesn't want to, doesn't want to imprint himself completely in Imayoshi's life. After all, as enjoyable as this arrangement has become it will eventually bore one or both of them. Eventually, they'll just move on.
Still, and Furuhashi will never say this out loud, it's been nice. It's a good feeling to lie half-asleep in Imayoshi's bed while he studies and occasionally makes remarks at Furuhashi. It's good, and it's transient and fleeting, and years later he will wonder whether it ever happened. He won't be able to ask anyone, because they won't know, and eventually he'll convince himself it didn't. He refuses to make it real, because it's too good to be real.