Title: Kitty
author: me!

Disclaimers: all of them!

It was a nice day. Sendoh was too restless to stay indoors. He walked to the park slowly welcoming the fresh breeze cooling his face. He arrived at the park and stretched.

'There's nothing to do.' he yawned.

He stretched again. The park was empty as far as he could see but he saw a familiar figure sitting on one of the benches. He crept up to the back of the bench.

'So the lone wolf Rukawa actually knows how to relax.' he whispered jokingly in the figure's ear.

Rukawa shrugged. 'I was bored.'

Sendoh smiled and sat down beside him. He saw that he was holding something but he couldn't see what it was. He noticed that for the first time in his life Rukawa was smiling. 'Whoa! So you ARE capable of smiling.'

He shrugged again and said. 'I just keep my smiles secret. I give them to special people or things.'

'Things?'

'Yeah. Look.' He held up his hands and showed Sendoh what was in them. It was a kitten. The kitten was small and black. He had been stroking it and it was asleep. He placed it gently in Sendoh's hands. 'Here. I've been rubbing it for about an hour now.'

The kitten purred and stretched. It jumped out of Sendoh's hands and onto his lap. He laughed and scratched the kitten's tummy. It purred contentedly then jumped onto Rukawa's shoulder. It started cuddling his face. To Sendoh's surprise, he started laughing. The kitten fell off but he caught it. The kitten meowed angrily and leaped into Sendoh's arms. He started laughing too and for a few minutes they were just both laughing. When the laughing subsided they were both gazing off into the sky. They were silent for a few minutes.

Rukawa sighed. 'By the way YOU haven't told me why you're here.'

'Same reason. I was bored. Actually I was more like restless.'

'Why don't you go fishing? Isn't that what you always do?'

'Fishing's great but I wanted something different, I guess. What about you? I would have thought you were practicing or something.'

'Basketball's great but I wanted to just get away from it all.'

'It all?'
'You know the pressure and the expectations.' he sighed.

Sendoh's eyes narrowed. 'You know, I've never seen you like this.'

'Nobody has.'

'I'm honored, then.'

'You should be.'

They fell silent again. The kitten started rubbing itself on Sendoh's stomach. He absentmindedly scratched its ears. He didn't notice that Rukawa was watching him. When he did he was startled. 'Why are you watching me?'

'Nothing really.' He looked away, slightly embarrassed at being caught.

Sendoh shrugged. 'What do you call this kitten anyway?' he said, holding up the cat.

'Kitty. I don't know. My name vocabulary isn't that wide. Why don't you name her?'

'How about Ruki? She looks like you a little. You're both cute too.'

A pink tinge appeared in Rukawa's cheeks and he looked away but Sendoh, however, looked unashamed. Sendoh leaned over and whispered in his ear.

'Haven't I ever told you that?'

'No.' said Rukawa, breathlessly. He turned and faced Sendoh, looking into his soft gentle eyes.

'Then let me.'

He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against the other's. His hands found their way to Rukawa's face, caressing the soft delicate skin. He pulled and opened his eyes. Rukawa's were already open. Ruki meowed softly, leapt off the bench and started trotting off.

'Ruki's gone.' whispered Sendoh.

'Why did you do that?'

'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be.'

'Huh? Pardon me.'
'Don't be sorry that you kissed me. I was just surprised.'

'Why were you surprised? Isn't it obvious that I'm in love with you?'

'No but maybe I just didn't want to get my hopes up.'

'Hopes up about what?' he said, knowing the answer.

'I didn't want to get my hopes up that you felt the same way I did about you.'

'You love me too?'

Rukawa smiled, stood up and stretched. He held out his hand and winked.

'Let me show you.'