Title: Not Right
Author: A. A. Incognito
Pairing: InuKai
Warnings: shounen ai, OOC?
Rating: PG
Note: I just wanted to finish something. Kaidoh is probably horrifically OOC. Barely proofread.
Summary: There was a 1.5 percent chance of acceptance, 3.5 percent chance of rejection, and a 95 percent chance of being ignored completely. They were the best odds Inui had ever had.

Not Right

"I like you," Inui said calmly. "And now you're going to convince yourself you heard me say something else."

Kaidoh stared up at him.

"Are you done? You still need to practice your serve."

Blink.

"And starting tomorrow I think adding another kilometer to your evening run would be all right, if you want to."

Kaidoh was still staring at him. That wasn't right.

"Kaidoh? Is there something wrong?"

There was a long pause, much longer than Inui had anticipated. Then, finally, a single word: "Yes."

"You don't want to add another kilometer? That's unlike you."

"No, that's not it. Why did you say-" an almost imperceptible pause, "-what you said... if you didn't want me to hear it?"

Inui blinked, then sat down on the bench, facing his kouhai. "I did not say I didn't want you to hear it. The data I have merely indicates that you would prefer not to hear such a thing, at least with me as the source. Are you having trouble thinking of an alternative to substitute for my actual words? Perhaps I shouldn't have said it so bluntly." He began running through a list of possible options in his head. Eye? Lie? Bike? Hike? Yew? Ewe? He really should have said it more indirectly...

"I don't want to think of a substitute."

"Oh. I'll leave, then." This was not right at all. There had only been a 3.5 percent chance Kaidoh would choose to outright reject him instead of ignoring the declaration, but it looked like improbability had won out, in the end.

"Why?"

Kaidoh was certainly asking a lot of questions for someone who was normally respectful to his elders. Inui was really beginning to regret his decision to confess. But, factoring in the particular circumstances of the day, there had been a 1.5 percent probability of Kaidoh accepting, which was 1.25 percent higher than usual. And Inui had wanted to say something to his kouhai for the past two months, twenty-six days, fourteen hours, and thirty-one minutes.

Something about Kaidoh's stance wasn't right, either. Rejection would typically involve a defensive posture, or perhaps an aggressive one, in preparation to lash out. But Kaidoh merely stood there in front of him, arms at his sides, not crossed over his chest. His hand - the one not holding his racket - was relaxed, not clenched into a fist.

Was this... acceptance?

He peered closely at Kaidoh and adjusted his glasses. "Maybe I won't leave, just yet." Distinctly aware of Kaidoh's eyes on him, he walked in a slow circle around the other boy, effortlessly cataloging apparent muscle tension, exact posture, the angle of his arms and head...

He circled back around until he was in front of his kouhai again. "Your wrist, please." There was no hesitation in Kaidoh's movements as he obeyed. Pulse rate was normal, perhaps a little above average, but nothing significant to indicate a high stress level.

Inui released his wrist and stared at Kaidoh. Kaidoh held his gaze calmly, confidently. He decided on one final test.

"What are you doing after practice Saturday?"

"Nothing." Inui had known that already, of course, but the question had given Kaidoh an opportunity to fabricate an excuse.

"If I were to ask you to go to a movie with me, would you accept?"

One corner of Kaidoh's mouth tilted upward by 2.3 degrees. "Yes."

Preliminary data collected, success 96 percent guaranteed.

"Kaidoh, would you go to a movie with me Saturday?"

"Yes."

Inui nodded once, satisfied. The other corner of Kaidoh's mouth twitched into a brief smile before he turned to pick up a ball.

"Now, if you loosen your grip and rotate your wrist three degrees to the left, you'll be able to free up the opposite side of the court..."

end.