A Chance to Love
By Shellagh22
Disclaimer: I obviously don't own the anime, I just write about it. But how I wish it were otherwise...(",) Shellagh and Zoë are my own creation.
Author's note: Thanks a lot for those people who reviewed! It's because of you guys that I continue posting a new chapter. I hope you enjoy this one. I enjoyed writing it as well since this takes another step higher in the Zoë and Rukawa duo. C",)
Chapter 7: Meeting the Family
Zoë leaned on the wall connecting to the gate of Shohoku High. She had been out of her class and been waiting for Shellagh for ten minutes but her sister didn't look like she was going to show up. She had looked in the library and to everywhere she thought Shellagh would be but she still didn't see any sign of her. She sighed. Maybe I didn't hear Shellagh right and she told me that she'll go on ahead.
"Who you talking to?"
Zoë looked up and saw Rukawa before her and staring at her as if she was crazy. She frowned. "I wasn't talking."
"Yes, you were. You said, '...told me she'll go on ahead.' What do you call that then?"
Zoë's face reddened. "So, I was talking to myself. Got a problem with that?"
"No, I just find people talking to themselves weird."
"What are you doing here? Being an ass on purpose just because I defeated you again the other day?"
Rukawa scowled. "I wasn't defeated! Our game isn't over yet."
Zoë smirked. "Could have fooled me. That was 54 to 53, wasn't it? As far as I'm concerned, that game was mine."
Rukawa looked at Zoë's smirking face. He wouldn't have known that this girl was a better basketball player than some of the guys on the team. Sometimes, even himself. Hell, he didn't believe that girls could be better than boys could but she was the proof that destroyed that belief. "It isn't over yet, Riechtmann."
"Well, duh! You're a sore loser. Can't accept defeat."
"Hey, I'm not the only one here who wanted a rematch before. Who's a sore loser now?"
"Ass."
"Witch."
Zoë glanced at him with a startled expression. "That's the first time you called me by something else. I think that's a big improvement. Keep working on your vocab, you might be able to say the big words soon."
Rukawa glared at her and Zoë glared right back. After a second, Zoë found the whole thing funny. She burst out laughing. When Rukawa kept glaring at her, she stamped on her laughter. "I'm sorry, you're so funny at times. You're too competitive."
"You're competitive, too."
"Yeah, well, that's me. I can't help but challenge guys to see if I'm better than they are because I can't play with them in their sports. It makes me feel smug if they're not as good as I thought compared to me, a girl."
"I never thought that girls would like to play a guy's sport."
Zoë smiled at him and replied, "There's a lot you don't know about girls, Rukawa."
Rukawa saw the smile and felt his heart do a flip. What the hell? "Yeah," he said abruptly.
Zoë edged closer to him, curiosity egging her on. "How come you don't? Haven't you dated before?"
"No."
"A lot of girls are interested in you, especially your cheering squad, though you're as sociable as a hermit. Why don't you ask one of them to a date?"
"No."
Zoë shook her head in exasperation. "Oh, boy. We're back to the monosyllables again. Can't you give me a straight answer? Why don't you?"
"Can't be with girls like those. They're too talkative and girly," he replied impatiently.
Zoë laughed again. "Well, they can't help it! They are girls, you know."
"You're not like them," he pointed out. "And you're a girl."
Zoë felt herself redden and she saw Rukawa's face do the same when he heard what he said. He's so cute! "Yeah, well..."
"What are you doing here, anyway?" he interrupted.
Zoë blinked at the change of subject. He is one big head case. "I'm waiting for Shellagh. She was supposed to wait for me because I had a make-up class in Lit but I've been waiting for a long time and she hasn't turned up yet."
"So, will you wait for her still?"
Zoë shrugged. "I don't know. I'm thinking of heading home since she's not here. She might have walked home without me. Why?"
"Nothing."
Zoë sighed. She shouldn't have expected him to ask her if she'd like to walk with him. This guy didn't know anything about boys and girls besides basketball. "How about you? Don't you have basketball practice?"
"I told Akagi that I had to get out early. I have something to do in my house. Why?"
Here goes nothing.
"Well, want to walk home together? I think we go the same direction."Rukawa shrugged. "It's okay."
Zoë rolled her eyes without him seeing her do it as she began to walk beside him. This guy was a lot of work but she guessed she was willing to take him on.
Zoë wanted to bang her head on the sidewalk in utter frustration. The guy is supposed to walk the girl home, not the other way around! She sighed at his ignorance, praying to the gods for strength. She knew he didn't know much what happens between girls and boys, but she didn't know that he didn't know that much!
It's my fault. I didn't know his house is in the street Shellagh and I walk through every morning. So technically, he can't be blamed. So, this can't be counted as walking
him home. Zoë was jarred out of her thoughts when she noticed Rukawa staring at her. "What?" she asked irritably.Rukawa raised an eyebrow. "What's your problem?"
Zoë shook her head and replied, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"This is my house," he answered.
Zoë glanced at the small house with pretty blue windows. "Nice house. Kind of reminds me of mine."
"This is my house," he repeated.
Zoë looked at him strangely. "I know, you just said that and I said it's a nice house."
"This –"
Zoë was about to throttle him until he told her what exactly he isn't saying when a thought entered her mind. He doesn't know what to do again. Sigh, I guess I have to teach him something. "What did you have to do in your house that you skipped practice today?"
He mumbled under his breath. Zoë strained her ears. "What did you say?"
Rukawa muttered again but Zoë could only hear bits of it. "You need to clean your house? Speak louder, Rukawa. My ears can't stretch any further."
"My mom told me to clean the house today."
"There, a lot better. But I've got to tell you, your communication skills need a lot of work. If you need help, I'm just here."
"Witch."
Zoë gasped. "See, you need me already."
Rukawa almost smiled at her attempts to make him laugh. He never saw her taunts as anything else but to make him smile or laugh out loud. If anything, Zoë is challenged to make him be 'normal' in her words.
"...You need help?"
"In what?"
Zoë looked at him as if he wasn't listening. "In your house, stupid! I'm offering to help you. You probably need me, too, because guys don't know how to clean. What do you say?"
"You want to help me?"
"Yeah, but I also want to see the inside of your house."
Rukawa gave her a long look. "I don't know what to say."
"Obviously. You're looking at me as if I have two heads. You can just say no, you know. But I really do want to see your house."
"Why?"
Zoë gave him a feline smile. "To see if the rest of your family left some traces of the same abnormality that you have in your house."
"I don't need your help." He turned around and opened the gate.
Zoë called out, "Temper, temper. I didn't know I could do that. Well, outside basketball, that is." When he continued to walk into the house, she added, "Come on, I was only kidding anyway."
Rukawa glanced at her, disbelief written all over his face. Zoë raised both of her hands as if to surrender. "It was just a joke. Promise! You won't even hear me say anything that might offend you once inside."
He still gave her an assessing look. "Not one word."
Zoë nodded happily. I wonder if he'll let me inside his room. She laughed silently and then followed him inside.
"Well, nothing seems to be out of place, Rukawa." Zoë surveyed the room again and glanced at his impassive face. "It looks clean to me. You're not just trying to get me in here, are you?"
Rukawa ignored her remark, his attention at the small piece of paper laid on the coffee table. He read it and then turned to Zoë. "I don't need you anymore. My mom cleaned the house for me."
Zoë glanced at him suspiciously. "What are you not telling me?"
"Do I have to hide something from you? In my own house?"
"Well, yeah."
Rukawa shook his head and muttered something under his breath.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing."
"You said something! Come on, say it to my face!"
"It's nothing!"
"Why are you angry then?"
Rukawa sighed, surprising Zoë. He answered truthfully, "I'm not angry, irritated, yes. You're worse than that asshole Sakuragi."
"Now, I am insulted." Zoë folded her arms in front of her chest and replied, "Sakuragi is your mortal enemy."
"That just goes to show how irritating you are."
Zoë had a gleam in her eye when she started towards him. She stopped and stood in front of him so close that Rukawa actually gulped at her proximity. She raised up on her toes and whispered to his ear. "You just think that because I haven't tried being charming yet. You'll probably die of fright." She kissed him on the cheek because she couldn't resist and stepped away. She picked up the piece of paper that fluttered to the floor and read it.
"Ha! You do need me, liar. I don't think you can cook." Zoë glanced up to his face and saw him looking at her with dazed eyes. "What's with you?"
Rukawa shook his head, as if clearing his mind. "I can cook."
Zoë's eyes widened in surprise. "Yeah. Right."
"I don't need you to believe me. Just leave."
"No way," said Zoë, shaking her head for emphasis. "Not after you told me you can cook. I want to see."
"You'll be in the way. You're already in my way."
"No, I'm not. You're just saying that because you think I'm irritating. Sorry, buster, I'm staying."
Rukawa took hold of his temper but he wasn't really sure if he was angry with Zoë or with himself. He turned away and headed towards the kitchen.
Zoë followed him, a satisfied smile on her face. "So what's cooking?"
"Not one word, Zoë."
"Okay, okay. I can't say anything in the presence of the master chef."
After a few more moments in silence, Zoë was surprised at Rukawa's efficiency in the kitchen. He looked competent in front of the stove and she had to admit, he looked so cute, stirring and mixing ingredients. By the wonderful smells coming out of the pots and pans heating, she never dreamed that he'd turn out to be a talented cook. She stood beside Rukawa and asked, "I know you don't want me to talk but what are you cooking? Everything smells great!"
Rukawa glanced at her to see if she wasn't joking. She was sniffing at the food and clearly had a look of pure enjoyment on her face. "It's just miso soup and beef teriyaki," he replied curtly.
"Wow! Can I taste? Come on, you're not still angry with me are you?"
"Rukawa, dear, I'm home!"
Zoë tugged at his arm. "Hey, your mom's here."
Rukawa froze at the sound of his mother's voice. How was he going to explain Zoë to her? He called out to his mother hesitantly and waited in suspense for her to see him with Zoë in the kitchen, unable to do anything about it.
A short, pretty woman came in, a big smile on her face. "Hello, dear. I see you made dinner." She gave him a quick hug and then turned to Zoë. "And I also see you brought someone home with you."
Zoë gave her best smile and stretched out a hand. "Hello, I'm Zoë Riechtmann."
Mrs. Rukawa shook her hand enthusiastically and replied, "I'm glad to meet you, Zoë. I've never seen Kaede bring home a girl that I've wondered if there was something wrong in his life."
Zoë glanced at the stony expression on his face and stifled the urge to laugh. "As far as I can tell, there's nothing wrong in his life, ma'am. I bet he's just feeling great."
Mrs. Rukawa turned to look at his son, looking very excited. "Aww, dear, is there something you want to tell me?"
Rukawa shook his head. "No, I have nothing to say."
"But aren't you and Zoë..."
Zoë tapped her on the shoulder and pointed towards the living room area. "Ma'am, I think someone's calling you from there."
"Oh, thank you, dear. Kaede, come out and greet your aunt and uncle from the US."
After Mrs. Rukawa left, Zoë couldn't help but giggle. "Well, come on, dear. It's time to meet your relatives." When Rukawa gave her a menacing stare, Zoë raised her hands in comical surrender. "I'm leaving, I'm leaving. But I have to say goodbye to your mom."
They followed Mrs. Rukawa out to the living room where she introduced them to the visitors. "This is my son, Kaede. Dear, this is Uncle Ricky and Aunt Luz."
Rukawa both shook their offered hand and stood back. "This is Zoë, my classmate," he said tersely.
Uncle Ricky smiled at Zoë. "You have a beautiful girlfriend, son."
Rukawa almost choked. "No, uhrm..."
Zoë giggled. "What he means to say is, I'm just a friend." She turned to Mrs. Rukawa and added, "Well, I need to go home now. I'm glad to meet all of you."
Mrs. Rukawa placed a hand to Zoë's arm. "Why don't you stay for dinner, Zoë? My son is a very good cook."
"I can tell. I've been watching him cook this afternoon." Zoë glanced at Rukawa's emotionless face, revealing nothing. "But as much as I want to stay, I can't. I have to do some stuff at home for my mom, too."
"Maybe next time, before we leave for the States," replied Aunt Luz.
"That would be great." Zoë picked up her school bag on the floor beside the coffee table and said goodbye again. Rukawa walked her to the door.
Zoë opened the gate but before she stepped out to the street, she looked at Rukawa and said, "Hey, thanks for letting me in your house. I know you didn't really want to."
"Yeah."
"Is that all you have to say?"
"What do you want me to say?"
Zoë blushed slightly and thought, That you enjoyed my company even if you think I'm annoying. "Nothing that would force you to say it." She stepped onto the sidewalk and turned to leave. "See you in school, Rukawa. And I can't wait for our rematch. I can't wait to win again."
"You know that'll never happen."
Zoë waved away his answer and called over shoulder, "That's what you think. I know better."
Rukawa stared at her back as she started down the street. "Hey Zoë! Wait a minute."
Zoë heard him call her and she turned around to look at him, "What?"
Rukawa jogged to her and stood in front of her. "Um, I just want to say, though you're the most irritating girl I've met besides Sakuragi, sometimes I..."
Zoë, curious, moved closer to him. "You what?"
"Enjoy your company," he answered in a rush. "You're the only one who makes me want to laugh."
"Wow, I thought you were a lost cause, always unsmiling and moody. There's hope for you yet, buster."
A corner of Rukawa's lips lifted. "Whatever you say, witch."
Zoë laughed and pointed at his mouth. "You almost smiled! It's there, I can see it. With a little work, I'll make you smile at me."
Rukawa caught her hand. "Is that a challenge?"
"Uh-oh. No way, I'm not going into that again. I don't want any more challenges from you. Basketball is enough. Consider making you smile a...a gift."
"A gift, huh?"
"Yeah, a gift to all those people you drill holes into with your eyes. I'll probably be the first one to make you smile in a million years."
"Suit yourself."
Zoë smiled brightly at him, then she punched his arm lightly and said, "Well, I really need to go. I'll see you around."
"Bye."
***
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