Rukawa's mother entered the kitchen to find her son rummaging around the fridge and kitchen cupboards noisily. She frowned at the unusual clatter he was making.

"I thought you were going out for dinner?" she asked him. "Are you hungry, dear?"

He'd slept for most of the day after parting from Sawakita, exhausted by his hangover, and had only dragged himself out of bed when it was already six in the evening. He'd had no time to get ready to go to Sendoh's place.

"I-" he frowned, closing the door on the cupboard containing his mother's baking ingredients with a frown. He looked over at her uncertainly. Like he was debating whether or not to let her in on his secret.

She waited silently.

"Shouldn't I… take something?" he finally mumbled. "When..."

His mother strained her ears but even so could not make out the last few words.

"When what, darling?"

"...when I visit someone's house?" Rukawa revealed reluctantly, knowing exactly what his mother was probably thinking.

"Ooooh!" she schooled herself not to break out into a grin, trying to match her son's seriousness. "Well yes," she said. "It would be polite, if you're a visitor, to bring something to share."

He gave her an unhappy look which clearly asked But, what?

She frowned thoughtfully. "If you'd have told me earlier I could have baked you something, but as it is... there's really only the ingredients for dinner and not much else."

Rukawa blinked mournfully at her. Something in his expression - her only son! Trying to woo his crush! And asking her for help! - destroyed her a little bit. She put her hands on her hips and sighed. "How fast can you chop cabbage?" she asked, reaching for a mixing bowl.

Not long later, Rukawa appeared at Sendoh's door with a box of homemade dumplings, perfectly symmetrical, delicious, and ready to be cooked. Back at home, his father would be disappointed at dinnertime, but Rukawa didn't give much attention to that.

Sendoh's unit was part of the student accommodation on the campus grounds which he was sharing with some other second years. Rukawa had only briefly seen their faces and had no idea what their names were.

Sendoh opened the door before Rukawa had removed his finger from the bell. He was wearing comfortable room clothes in soft cotton, and a pair of slippers on his feet. His glasses were perched on his nose, and his hair was wilting slightly. He looked perfectly dressed for an evening in front of the TV.

"Come in, come in!" he backed up and allowed Rukawa to step inside the unit. As Rukawa had seen earlier, it comprised a living room, a fairly small kitchen, shower room and toilet, and four study-bedrooms. It was a little cramped, but mostly clean.

"I tidied up a bit," Sendoh explained, sounding a pleased with himself, waiting while Rukawa took off his shoes. He offered Rukawa a pair of slippers and eyed Rukawa's plastic bag curiously.

Rukawa lifted it. "I bought some food," he explained. "But I need to use your stove."

"Oh, really?" Sendoh looked delighted. "Great! I'm starving."

Sendoh followed him into the kitchen. Rukawa glanced around. It was a fairly small space - enough room for maybe three people - with a couple of cupboards, sink and fridge, and two hot plates under an extractor fan. Everything was a little bit oily.

After a bit of rummaging, Rukawa found an old, rather battered pan and a pair of wooden chopsticks, ready to commence cooking.

Behind him, Sendoh was chatting about the show, fiddling with the magnets on the fridge door, and generally being large and in-the-way.

"So the series has six episodes-" Sendoh was saying as Rukawa began to lever the lid off the box. "-30 minutes each. If we start soon we can watch them all and then we'll still have time to see the movie-" he stopped, looking at the box in Rukawa's hands, "-are those gyoza?"

Rukawa nodded silently, beginning to heat the oil. He was not very experienced at cooking, since his mother tended to cook the family meals. But he was pretty confident he could handle this.

Sendoh's moved closer. "I love those!"

Rukawa concentrated hard on the pan. He dropped the dumplings in and the kitchen filled with a fierce sizzling sound. He lifted the pan and slid the dumplings from side to side through the hot oil. The delicious scent of their seasoning immediately rose on the air. They were really going to be delicious. He sent secret thanks to his mother.

He was so focused on not screwing up the frying that he was taken by surprise when suddenly, out of nowhere, a large hand came down on his right shoulder and squeezed experimentally. Luckily he didn't jump at the unexpected contact, or the pan-hot dumplings might have flown all over the room.

"What-" he growled, "-are you doing?"

"Heh," the hand withdrew. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."

Rukawa turned his head to the side to see Sendoh's friendly expression nearby. He had moved unexpectedly close behind him. Rukawa tried to look severe and disapproving, but Sendoh with his dopey expression was immune to his glare.

"You seem tense," Sendoh explained. "Your shoulders… you should relax. Do you want me to…?" He lifted his hands and oddly mimed a squeezing, massaging action, blinking innocently behind his black frames. Rukawa stared at him in disbelief.

This guy… is really a dork!

But Sendoh was not self-conscious. He seemed entirely comfortable in his own skin. His good nature was totally disarming. He was not smooth, like Sawakita. There was no ulterior motive in his words. He was just… nice. Entirely genuine. Unfairly likeable.

Rukawa suddenly felt like it was impossible to deny this guy anything.

His cheeks heated a little. He quickly looked back at the frying pan. "If you want…" he mumbled. "I guess you can..."

Before he even finished his sentence, two hands dropped onto his shoulders and began to rub and squeeze both at the same time. Thumbs feeling out the tension and knots, kneading his muscles with a presumptuous confidence that made Rukawa freeze in place.

"I did a course," Sendoh explained proudly.

"A course?" Rukawa echoed weakly.

"Yes. About massage." Sendoh paused. "Well, it was just online though."

"How can you learn massage online?" Rukawa wondered aloud.

Sendoh didn't answer, but flexed his hands. Those hands. The same ones Rukawa had enjoyed imagining. Large and strong and soft. Fingers that ought to mesh together with his own. They worked powerfully upon his shoulders, two soothing weights.

"Relax," Sendoh mumbled into his ear.

Rukawa nearly choked. How am I supposed to relax?

Rukawa was tall, but Sendoh was taller, and a little broader as well. It was rare for Rukawa to have the sensation of feeling small. But with Sendoh standing behind him, he felt exactly that.

"How does it feel?" Sendoh enquired, working his hands. Rukawa bit down on his own lip. Sendoh's body heat was curled like a shell around his back, surprisingly hot and pleasant, like the relaxing heat of a spa. His hands worked Rukawa's shoulders, and then moved up to the trapezius, close to his neck. Rukawa was so distracted he nearly burnt himself on the pan.

And yet Sendoh's touch was… safe. It did not demand. Was not overly sensual. Was comforting. Was giving. Rukawa leaned back, just a little, feeling his body slowly relaxing into the sensation. Tension he hadn't even noticed seemed to loosen. Not just from his shoulders. From his chest. From his temples.

It was a warmth that spread like a gentle wave through his entire body. Every muscle tenderly uncoiling at the persistent touch.

Oh... he realised in surprise, ...this is... this is...

His eyes fluttered closed, his long lashes delicate on pale cheeks as Sendoh's firm fingers ran broad circles around the base of his neck. Oh... it's good.

His jaw relaxed, all the tension draining out of his face. The chopsticks were moving only dreamily around the pan now. And all the while, Sendoh's warmth supported him, lulling him into this strangely pleasant sensation, pulling out of his own body, all his concerns and troubles receding. A blissful static, erasing all thoughts. Leaving him perfectly blank in his unexpected state of bliss.

"Kaede-" Sendoh's low voice lapped gently against his consciousness, the melody of his smile deep in the timbre of his words. "I think they're burning?"

Rukawa's eyes snapped open so fast he really did burn his thumb.

"Shit!" he exclaimed, pulling the pan away from the fire in dismay. He stuck his injured finger into his mouth and sucked on it soothingly. "This is your fault!"

"Heh," Sendoh grinned in amusement. His eyes were bright with good humour. "I'm just happy you were enjoying it so much."

Rukawa's face tensed up, fixing his companion with a glare, but he wondered for a moment - only a brief moment - if Sendoh would like it if Rukawa massaged him back.

"Get the hell off me," he hissed instead.

Sendoh obediently stepped away with an amused chuckle.

Rukawa surveyed the damage to the previously perfect gyoza. One side was rather blackened. He pouted in disappointment.

"Don't worry!" Sendoh's voice interjected his thoughts. "I haven't eaten one thing that wasn't burnt since I moved in here. At least the fire alarm isn't going. Last time I cooked, they had to evacuate the whole building. Here," He set down the biggest bottle of sriracha sauce that Rukawa had ever seen onto the counter top. "This stuff solves everything."

Rukawa grimaced. "Chilli sauce?"

"Yup! You can't tell that it's burnt when your whole mouth is on fire!" Sendoh explained happily. Then he collected plates from the kitchen cupboard, and headed out into the living room.

-tbc

ANs: It's fun to remember campus-life and people's cooking setting off fire alarms and eating terrible food ON A BUDGET and having to go home to be rescued by your mother, do your laundry and actually have edible food XD

Very happy you guys enjoyed the kiss ;) It wasn't in my original draft but after reading all your comments I was more than happy to add it in.

Thanks so much for your kindness, RokudaimeLove, KazeLei, Kaede4ever, Caro, AddictedtoSD, and Noble Ood (sorry your name got hidden by ffnet last time T.T)