Comforting Warmth: A Slam Dunk fanfic

By: nikki hiiragizawa

Rating: R

Genre: angst/drama/romance

Pairings: RuHana/HanaRu, RuKo/KoRu, MitKo/KoMit

Disclaimer: Slam Dunk is not mine. If it is mine, then Kogure is the main character. ^.^

Nikki: Finally! I got to finish this thing!

Mitsui: About time! I've been battered here long enough!

Rukawa: …..

Nikki: *cloud sigh* Saa…please go on!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

EPILOGUE:

Rukawa stood by a familiar place…too familiar place to him. He laid flowers by the epitaph and pressed his hands together to pray. "Tell me, Hana," he murmured. "Am I being a bad guy?"

The wind whispered a message only he could understand. Slowly, Rukawa kneeled by Sakuragi's grave.

"I thought I will be alright that time you left, Hana. I thought Min-kun will fill in the space you left." He gripped the blades of grass below his palm. "But…I guess, I was too harsh on him…that's what Akagi-sempai told me too, and Sendoh…and Mitsui-sempai."

The wind quieted, and calmness enveloped the surroundings.

Rukawa massaged his temple. "I was sad, Hana. So sad! You don't give a damn about what I felt when you went away, did you? All you care about was your own peace…but what about me?"

"Shouldn't you be asking yourself that question?" Rukawa turned his head and saw Mitsui advancing towards him, sapphire eyes unbelievably ablaze. "Tell me, Rukawa. Why Kogure?"

The small forward stood up and met Mitsui's eyes, although now, it was not of a glare but rather a confused look. "I…he was very comforting. He tried every possible way to make me happy. I took it for a sign that he was the person I should love."

"But you didn't."

"Ore wa…"

Mitsui kicked a pebbled. "You didn't really love him." He then walked quickly and gripped Rukawa by the collar. "You used him! You utilized him for your sake! Now, I should ask you the question you were asking moments ago. Did you give a damn about what he felt? Did you? Answer!"

Rukawa tried to escape Mitsui's grip, but his sempai was strong. "I…I thought I could…"

"You thought you could!" Mitsui dropped him to the ground. "Fuck you! You are giving me that answer!"

The small forward brushed the dirt off his clothes and stood up once more. "He was not complaining at all! I thought everything was Ok…"

"Kami, you don't know what you are doing, asshole!" Mitsui clenched his fists but held his reins. "You don't know how much it hurts him when you remember Sakuragi, when you don't show him how you love him, when you reject him! And Kami knows how I feel! I can't eat, can't sleep, can't get rid of the thought that I want to kill you because of what you are doing! How can you enter in a relationship that you aren't sure of, user?!"

Silence.

"Answer me, Rukawa!"

More silence ensued, Rukawa looked back at Sakuragi's grave and sighed.

"I can't forget about him…Hanamichi." He passed Mitsui and started to walk away. "Gomen nasai, for causing you trouble."

"Nani?" Mitsui turned around, his urge to kill Rukawa even more encouraged. "That's all you have to say in defense for your acts?"

The shooting guard was surprised when Rukawa tuned around. "Please, sempai," he said. "Take care of my Min-kun for me." He left.

+++

Kogure entered his bedroom to find out that it had been tidied up and cleaned. Wondering on who did it, he looked around.

He saw a piece of blue paper on his desk. He opened it, and recognized the handwriting at once. Tears fell as he read the seven words written on the paper.

I'm sorry.

I'll not bother you again.

"Kaede…" he whispered. "You don't need forgiveness, because you already have mine."

+++

"I was not good enough for him." Kogure kept muttering as he and Mitsui stayed in the locker room long after the others left.

"It's not true. He just realized how bad he was to you," Mitsui replied.

"Aa…"

Mitsui frowned. Kogure had been like this since morning. He knew Rukawa bade the vice-captain goodbye and Kogure was expected to be in shock however much he expected, but the ordeal of seeing Kogure like this as killing him.

"Kogure, snap out of it," he finally said. "You found out you weren't really made for each other right?"

"Yes but…" Kogure clutched his shirt as he spoke.

Mitsui moved his chair nearer to the vice-captain's. "Just think about this. You gave Rukawa a big favor. See, he will have to get over Sakuragi's death by himself without using anybody, and soon, he will be his own self again."

The vice-captain smiled at the statement. "Thank you so much."

"What for?"

"For…for just being there. I don't know what to do anymore at that time…"

Mitsui nodded and silently watched the ceiling.

It will take a long time for wounds to heal, and Kogure needed much of Mitsui's patience. Mitsui was willing to wait even for a long time, just to make sure that Kogure will be over this soon.

"Say, Kogure?"

"Hn?"

Mitsui propped his head with his elbows on his knees. "Will…"

"Will what?" Kogure looked at him with slowly turning bright eyes.

"Will you learn to love me, even if you were failed by someone?"

All was quiet except for the footsteps of the security guard making his rounds.

"You don't have to answer that now, Kogure. I mean…I was just hoping…I am willing to wait, you know. Even if you take years to learn how to love me."

"Mitsui…"

Mitsui faced the vice-captain. "But will you try, Kogure? Just once? If you can learn to love me too?"

The vice-captain smiled at Mitsui, a smile even more radiant than the street lamps reflected on the glass window. "You don't have to ask. I am already learning."

Mitsui felt a comforting warmth envelop him as he sighed. "This time, Kiminobu…this is for real."

"Hisashi…"

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nikki: ahahahahaha! Finished! Finished ! Finished! Fin…what's the matter Kiyota?

Kiyota: Something's bothering me.

Nikki: What?

Kiyota: what did Mitsui mean with his last line?

Nikki: Baka, why don't you ask him?"

Mitsui: *appears from nowhere* That mean the love he will feel now is for real.

Kogure: Hontou?

Mitsui: Hai…

Nikki: *comes in between Mitsui and Kogure* Okay, enough. The fic is finished. I have to take Kogure home now.

Mitsui: What the…

Fujima: she's really a play girl…

Nikki: Sue the anime creators then. Why did they make lots of bishounen…

Fujima: ^^;;

Nikki: saa, till next time!

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