Ring.
A shock of dark hair in the midst of white sheets stirred slightly.
Riiing.
A groan.
"Don't answer it, Masa..."
Riiiiiiing.
"That fuckin' piece of-"
"Don't answer it."
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiii-
With a growl of frustration Masahiro sat up and ripped the phone out of the cradle. "What?!" He paused, listened, and groaned again. "Shuji-kun! How the fuck did you get my number?!"
"Syu?" Naruse peeked out from under the blanket.
"Practice? We- I've been practicing all day! I took a day off from 3-Slam, so what?" There was a long silence and Masahiro's shoulders slumped. "How?" After another moment he took the phone from his ear and looked at it. "He wants to talk to you," he said dully.
Naruse looked at the phone. "Masa-"
"I'm sorry. He already knew."
"It's okay. I don't care if he knows. It's Syu, Masa."
Masahiro glanced up. "I thought... you wouldn't want anyone to know."
"Sometimes you're so dumb, Sawamura." Naruse kissed him again and took up the phone. "Hey, Syu-sensei. Yeah, I know. I just needed a rest. You know how it is. No need to be crude, Syu-sensei. I told you before, that's a very personal question and you will not ask me again."
Absolute, shocked silence from both on the line and from next to him. Naruse's usual smile was gone and his blue eyes were hard.
"You have always had my utmost respect, Syu-sensei. You gave me something beautiful and you changed my life. And then you gave me chances, so many chances. Because you'd been there. For that I am so grateful and I give you my respect. But there are lines you will not cross. That is one of them. I'm sorry that I missed practice today. I'll make up for it. You know I will. But for now? Good night, Syu-sensei." Naruse put the phone down and looked at Masahiro's shocked face. "What's wrong, Masa?"
Suddenly a huge smile split Masahiro's face and he hugged Naruse. "You really have grown up, Naruse. Besides, you're really sexy when you're angry."
"Am I now?"
"Definitely."
"Prove it."
"Anytime."
Sakurai hung up the phone slowly. He'd never heard Naruse talk to anyone like that, much less him, the man most people said was Naruse's hero.
Sakurai sighed. He'd been surprised when Mizuki and Kohsuke had shown up at 3-Slam without the two stars of both Johnan and Scratch. Kohsuke had joked about Masahiro and Naruse getting some alone time. Being the light-hearted if quick fisted friend that he always was, Kohsuke hadn't really minded. He'd probably ditched the guys for Mizuki a few times before.
Mizuki, however, had pouted the entire time. She was used to Naruse's love for the sport and Masahiro's love for the rush bringing them to practice even after Johnan's gravedigger afternoon practices. She was used to being the alternate in Scratch, the sometime captain only because the guys had more to prove than she did. She could handle anyone one-on-one and when she did play with any two of the guys she held her own.
But she was also used to calling for practice and having them answer, and this time Naruse and Masahiro hadn't.
Sakurai wasn't sure why he'd called them. He wanted to believe it was concern- Naruse, miss practice? Was he dead?- but he knew better. The affection and identification he'd felt for Naruse had become much more upon seeing the man he'd become. Masahiro had sensed it at 3-Slam and shown Sakurai his true feelings in self-defense. Without saying it, Masahiro's whole demeanor had told Sakurai that he, Masa, would fight for first in line.
And he'd won. Beautiful Naruse of the sky-blue eyes had chosen his teammate over his teacher.
Ring.
Sakurai frowned at the phone for a moment. "Hello?"
"Syu-kun?"
"Hey, Kuwata-kun."
"Can you meet me at 3-Slam?"
"What? Isn't it kinda late for a little one-on-one?"
"I'd like to talk to you. Face to face. I've got something I should tell you and if I don't do it now I'll lose my nerve. Please, Syu-kun?"
"Okay, okay. Just let me put some clothes on. Ten minutes."
"Okay. I'll see you there."
"Bye." Sakurai hung up. Odd. Kuwata had sounded very nervous, not the self-assured Hara anchor he'd been. What was so important? He shrugged, got up, and got dressed. If he ran he'd make it.
When he got there, Kuwata was sitting against one wall, looking like he'd just woken up and thrown on a t-shirt with his basketball shorts. His hair was an unruly black mop. He saw Sakurai and smiled. "Hey, Syu-kun. You did come."
"Against my better judgment," Sakurai joked.
Kuwata's smile grew bigger until he finally chuckled. "I bet. Who would keep their word to a crazy man in the middle of the night?"
"You're not crazy, Kuwata-kun. A little strange, maybe..."
Kuwata laughed. "No, I'm crazy, Sakurai-kun. Crazy about you. And I have been for a long time."
Sakurai blinked. "What?"
The dark-eyed man looked up for a moment, then stood and went over to Sakurai. "When you left I was crushed, Sakurai-kun. I thought it was because I'd lost my greatest opponent, the man who had made me give everything I had and more to a game. But Narucho was a good player and a great enemy. When we played it was almost the same. But I hurt so bad. I missed you. I'd lie there at night and kick myself for... for... I don't know. And then I figured it out. I'd fallen for you. The look in your eyes when you played had captured me. After so long, I'd convinced myself that you were gone and I'd forgotten it. And you came back. That's why I got so flustered. Landed right on top of you. That threw the idea that I was over you right out of the court. Then you forced Sawamura's hand and he did what he'd been desperate to do since the semifinal game against Hara, when you were still on the team."
"That long?"
"Love does that to you." Kuwata smiled sheepishly. "As long as there's a chance."
"Awfully protective, Sawamura."
"I get like that sometimes."
"I don't want to lose you again, Sakurai-kun."
Kuwata. Opponent, rival, and twin of heart. Of will.
Passionate Kuwata, liking a guy like Sakurai.
"Kuwata-kun, you are crazy," Sakurai smiled, shaking his head. "Of all the men on this planet, you want me. You're definitely out of your mind."
"Really."
"You have to be."
"Why, because I fell in love with you? Sakurai-kun-"
"Listen, Kuwata-kun. You fell in love with Syu, with the guy I was on the court. That's a whole other personality for me. Me, Sakurai- I'm just the nerdy kid who spends all his time studying and playing ball. But even ball isn't the same. Not as it was here. They don't seem to love the game; it's just a way for them to be famous. When I played here..."
Kuwata was staring at him. "Sakurai-kun, I've never seen you look so low in the two years I knew you."
"This is me. This is the real me."
"No. This is not the Shuji Sakurai that I saw yesterday."
"Here at 3-Slam. Playing ball. I told you, it's different here. This place... it makes me happy."
"If you're miserable there, Syu, don't go back. Stay here. Get a job and come here to 3-Slam after work. I'll join a team and you'll join a team and we'll play each other and Scratch and it'll be so much better than those college boys."
"What about you?"
"I'm happy just being near you and seeing you smile. That's when you smile, Sakurai-kun. I think you've given all the times you're happy the name Syu and let Sakurai have all the sadness."
Sakurai crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't go philosophical on me, Kuwata."
"Smile for me," Kuwata said simply. "One smile and the whole world lights up. What lights your world up? I told you I loved you because I thought maybe, just maybe, it'd matter to you. That maybe you'd stay and my world could be light because yours would be. What will you do for that light?"
Sakurai looked at him for a long moment. "I'm gonna go home," he said finally and turned away. "I gotta... sort this out."
Kuwata sighed softly, almost too softly for Sakurai to hear. "Good night, Syu."
The night was cool and breezy. Three years ago Sakurai would have been walking home from a long, long day of practice as today was Friday and he wouldn't have had to wake up so early. That boy had been so innocent... so unaware.
"NARUSE!"
Masa's voice! And in pain!
Sakurai ran in the direction the cry had come from and turned down an alley to find Naruse lying on the ground bleeding from the head and Masahiro standing between his lover and the three thugs. Masahiro's face was bruised and cut, and one arm was hanging limp by his side.
"Sawamura!" Sakurai leapt forward and blocked the swing of an iron pipe that came from the shadows. Four?! That was fine with him! No one touched his friends! "Kuwata, help!"
Kuwata was there in the next instant and striking the nearest of the three while Sakurai grappled with the pipe-holder and Masahiro kicked one of the others in the head. Sakurai managed to wrest the pipe away and slam the thug's shoulder near his neck. The man dropped with a scream, clutching his broken collarbone. "Masa! Kuwata!" Sakurai roared in warning and swung hard.
Somehow- and none of them could say exactly how it happened- Masahiro and Kuwata ducked and the remaining three offenders were brained. "Naruse!" Masahiro cried agonizingly and knelt by Naruse's unconscious body. "Naruse, Naruse please... please don't die. I love you, Naruse. Please wake up."
"Masa, you're hurt," Sakurai said. "Masa."
"Naruse, please!"
"Masa-"
Kuwata touched Sakurai's shoulder and shook his head. "We need an ambulance," he said quietly.
A shock of dark hair in the midst of white sheets stirred slightly.
Riiing.
A groan.
"Don't answer it, Masa..."
Riiiiiiing.
"That fuckin' piece of-"
"Don't answer it."
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiii-
With a growl of frustration Masahiro sat up and ripped the phone out of the cradle. "What?!" He paused, listened, and groaned again. "Shuji-kun! How the fuck did you get my number?!"
"Syu?" Naruse peeked out from under the blanket.
"Practice? We- I've been practicing all day! I took a day off from 3-Slam, so what?" There was a long silence and Masahiro's shoulders slumped. "How?" After another moment he took the phone from his ear and looked at it. "He wants to talk to you," he said dully.
Naruse looked at the phone. "Masa-"
"I'm sorry. He already knew."
"It's okay. I don't care if he knows. It's Syu, Masa."
Masahiro glanced up. "I thought... you wouldn't want anyone to know."
"Sometimes you're so dumb, Sawamura." Naruse kissed him again and took up the phone. "Hey, Syu-sensei. Yeah, I know. I just needed a rest. You know how it is. No need to be crude, Syu-sensei. I told you before, that's a very personal question and you will not ask me again."
Absolute, shocked silence from both on the line and from next to him. Naruse's usual smile was gone and his blue eyes were hard.
"You have always had my utmost respect, Syu-sensei. You gave me something beautiful and you changed my life. And then you gave me chances, so many chances. Because you'd been there. For that I am so grateful and I give you my respect. But there are lines you will not cross. That is one of them. I'm sorry that I missed practice today. I'll make up for it. You know I will. But for now? Good night, Syu-sensei." Naruse put the phone down and looked at Masahiro's shocked face. "What's wrong, Masa?"
Suddenly a huge smile split Masahiro's face and he hugged Naruse. "You really have grown up, Naruse. Besides, you're really sexy when you're angry."
"Am I now?"
"Definitely."
"Prove it."
"Anytime."
Sakurai hung up the phone slowly. He'd never heard Naruse talk to anyone like that, much less him, the man most people said was Naruse's hero.
Sakurai sighed. He'd been surprised when Mizuki and Kohsuke had shown up at 3-Slam without the two stars of both Johnan and Scratch. Kohsuke had joked about Masahiro and Naruse getting some alone time. Being the light-hearted if quick fisted friend that he always was, Kohsuke hadn't really minded. He'd probably ditched the guys for Mizuki a few times before.
Mizuki, however, had pouted the entire time. She was used to Naruse's love for the sport and Masahiro's love for the rush bringing them to practice even after Johnan's gravedigger afternoon practices. She was used to being the alternate in Scratch, the sometime captain only because the guys had more to prove than she did. She could handle anyone one-on-one and when she did play with any two of the guys she held her own.
But she was also used to calling for practice and having them answer, and this time Naruse and Masahiro hadn't.
Sakurai wasn't sure why he'd called them. He wanted to believe it was concern- Naruse, miss practice? Was he dead?- but he knew better. The affection and identification he'd felt for Naruse had become much more upon seeing the man he'd become. Masahiro had sensed it at 3-Slam and shown Sakurai his true feelings in self-defense. Without saying it, Masahiro's whole demeanor had told Sakurai that he, Masa, would fight for first in line.
And he'd won. Beautiful Naruse of the sky-blue eyes had chosen his teammate over his teacher.
Ring.
Sakurai frowned at the phone for a moment. "Hello?"
"Syu-kun?"
"Hey, Kuwata-kun."
"Can you meet me at 3-Slam?"
"What? Isn't it kinda late for a little one-on-one?"
"I'd like to talk to you. Face to face. I've got something I should tell you and if I don't do it now I'll lose my nerve. Please, Syu-kun?"
"Okay, okay. Just let me put some clothes on. Ten minutes."
"Okay. I'll see you there."
"Bye." Sakurai hung up. Odd. Kuwata had sounded very nervous, not the self-assured Hara anchor he'd been. What was so important? He shrugged, got up, and got dressed. If he ran he'd make it.
When he got there, Kuwata was sitting against one wall, looking like he'd just woken up and thrown on a t-shirt with his basketball shorts. His hair was an unruly black mop. He saw Sakurai and smiled. "Hey, Syu-kun. You did come."
"Against my better judgment," Sakurai joked.
Kuwata's smile grew bigger until he finally chuckled. "I bet. Who would keep their word to a crazy man in the middle of the night?"
"You're not crazy, Kuwata-kun. A little strange, maybe..."
Kuwata laughed. "No, I'm crazy, Sakurai-kun. Crazy about you. And I have been for a long time."
Sakurai blinked. "What?"
The dark-eyed man looked up for a moment, then stood and went over to Sakurai. "When you left I was crushed, Sakurai-kun. I thought it was because I'd lost my greatest opponent, the man who had made me give everything I had and more to a game. But Narucho was a good player and a great enemy. When we played it was almost the same. But I hurt so bad. I missed you. I'd lie there at night and kick myself for... for... I don't know. And then I figured it out. I'd fallen for you. The look in your eyes when you played had captured me. After so long, I'd convinced myself that you were gone and I'd forgotten it. And you came back. That's why I got so flustered. Landed right on top of you. That threw the idea that I was over you right out of the court. Then you forced Sawamura's hand and he did what he'd been desperate to do since the semifinal game against Hara, when you were still on the team."
"That long?"
"Love does that to you." Kuwata smiled sheepishly. "As long as there's a chance."
"Awfully protective, Sawamura."
"I get like that sometimes."
"I don't want to lose you again, Sakurai-kun."
Kuwata. Opponent, rival, and twin of heart. Of will.
Passionate Kuwata, liking a guy like Sakurai.
"Kuwata-kun, you are crazy," Sakurai smiled, shaking his head. "Of all the men on this planet, you want me. You're definitely out of your mind."
"Really."
"You have to be."
"Why, because I fell in love with you? Sakurai-kun-"
"Listen, Kuwata-kun. You fell in love with Syu, with the guy I was on the court. That's a whole other personality for me. Me, Sakurai- I'm just the nerdy kid who spends all his time studying and playing ball. But even ball isn't the same. Not as it was here. They don't seem to love the game; it's just a way for them to be famous. When I played here..."
Kuwata was staring at him. "Sakurai-kun, I've never seen you look so low in the two years I knew you."
"This is me. This is the real me."
"No. This is not the Shuji Sakurai that I saw yesterday."
"Here at 3-Slam. Playing ball. I told you, it's different here. This place... it makes me happy."
"If you're miserable there, Syu, don't go back. Stay here. Get a job and come here to 3-Slam after work. I'll join a team and you'll join a team and we'll play each other and Scratch and it'll be so much better than those college boys."
"What about you?"
"I'm happy just being near you and seeing you smile. That's when you smile, Sakurai-kun. I think you've given all the times you're happy the name Syu and let Sakurai have all the sadness."
Sakurai crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't go philosophical on me, Kuwata."
"Smile for me," Kuwata said simply. "One smile and the whole world lights up. What lights your world up? I told you I loved you because I thought maybe, just maybe, it'd matter to you. That maybe you'd stay and my world could be light because yours would be. What will you do for that light?"
Sakurai looked at him for a long moment. "I'm gonna go home," he said finally and turned away. "I gotta... sort this out."
Kuwata sighed softly, almost too softly for Sakurai to hear. "Good night, Syu."
The night was cool and breezy. Three years ago Sakurai would have been walking home from a long, long day of practice as today was Friday and he wouldn't have had to wake up so early. That boy had been so innocent... so unaware.
"NARUSE!"
Masa's voice! And in pain!
Sakurai ran in the direction the cry had come from and turned down an alley to find Naruse lying on the ground bleeding from the head and Masahiro standing between his lover and the three thugs. Masahiro's face was bruised and cut, and one arm was hanging limp by his side.
"Sawamura!" Sakurai leapt forward and blocked the swing of an iron pipe that came from the shadows. Four?! That was fine with him! No one touched his friends! "Kuwata, help!"
Kuwata was there in the next instant and striking the nearest of the three while Sakurai grappled with the pipe-holder and Masahiro kicked one of the others in the head. Sakurai managed to wrest the pipe away and slam the thug's shoulder near his neck. The man dropped with a scream, clutching his broken collarbone. "Masa! Kuwata!" Sakurai roared in warning and swung hard.
Somehow- and none of them could say exactly how it happened- Masahiro and Kuwata ducked and the remaining three offenders were brained. "Naruse!" Masahiro cried agonizingly and knelt by Naruse's unconscious body. "Naruse, Naruse please... please don't die. I love you, Naruse. Please wake up."
"Masa, you're hurt," Sakurai said. "Masa."
"Naruse, please!"
"Masa-"
Kuwata touched Sakurai's shoulder and shook his head. "We need an ambulance," he said quietly.