Title: At the End of the Road

Author: chescaOtaku

Pairings: HanaRu/RuHana; MitKo/KoMit

Genre: Shounen-ai

Status: Ongoing; 10/? (series)

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimers:: All Slam Dunk characters mentioned below are properties of Takehiko Inoue, TOEI and his other colleagues. Only the storyline is mine. So…don't sue me. ^_^ I'm too young to go to jail. ::

~*~

At the End of the Road

Chapter 9

~*~

'Hana-kun…'

'Hana-kun…'

"Youhei…Noma…Takamiya…Yuji…"

"Nani yo, Hanamichi?" Youhei asked.

"About what happened earlier…." Sakuragi started softly.

"You mean…when Rukawa called you by your…first name?" Youhei inquired.

"Yeah…"

Earlier, Rukawa finally woke up and the first thing he did was, he muttered the word, 'Hana-kun…', much to Sakuragi's astonishment. He never expected that the Kitsune would say such words, after all that he did to him. Rukawa's eyes were full of longing, hurt and love mixed-up all together and Sakuragi did nothing but stare and gape at his former lover. Thank God the team did not clearly hear it, due to the incoherent way his raspy voice said it, but Sakuragi never missed the familiar feeling building up inside him. He felt the love, care and affection rushing towards his whole body and his heart started to beat rapidly against his chest. They stared at each other for what seemed like and eternity, only to be interrupted by the flooding questions implied by their teammates. When they heard those familiar voice, they abruptly looked away from each other, but the redness built on their cheeks never fade away.

Sakuragi remained silent all throughout the time their teammates were there. He only replied to some statements when necessary. All he did was watching Rukawa's expressions as he answered monosyllabically his teammates. The redhead even thought he saw a tiny smile that crept Rukawa's face when Kogure told him something in a tender manner. Then, his mind went back to the scene where Rukawa said his name. What caused him to say that? Did he say it accidentally?

Those questions boggled his mind and he finally decided that talking such matters with his friend could help.

"You know what, Hanamichi? I think you should confess to him once more. You know…like the first time you confessed your love to him. Only this time…it would be much more challenging. Remember that it was you who broke up with him…" Youhei suggested. He knew Hanamichi too well, to hide his feelings. /Those two just needs a little more push. Just like the first time…/

"Youhei, are you out of your mind?! It's not that easy…besides…I don't know how he feels for me now…I mean…what if—"

"He still loves you. And always will." Noma finished.

"No…noma…demo…" Sakuragi started.

"We saw the look in his eyes, you baka. There's love. And we somehow heard the word he said to you when he woke up…"

"Hmph! No one dares to call the Tensai baka! Ch'! you get away with this one, Noma…"

"Yeah right…"

The Sakuragi Gundan bickered for several minutes while walking on the hard, cold pavement, creating ghostly shadows above it. The streetlights lightened their figures and the crescent moon illuminated them. After a while, they walked in silence, turning on the right corner and sometimes humming some tunes from a song. Finally, Sakuragi spoke up and asked them, "Guys…do you think there's still a chance? I mean…I've been such a jerk and this time, I want to show him how much he really means to me."

"There still is, Hana. Just listen to your heart. And when you do succeed, never let him go, just because of the stupid society's minds. Trash 'em." Youhei affirmed. He then looked at his best friend and with an unspoken language; they both smiled and knew it was just the right thing to do.

/Maybe there's still hope. No—there is certainly a hope. A big, big hope awaiting the tensai. And I'll not fail you this time, Kaede…/

~*~

"How are you feeling today, Rukawa-kun? Feeling better? The doctor said you could go home in three days. You just need extra rest and that you should not engage in strenuous activities just yet. You don't like to reopen your wounds, do you?" The old nurse asked him as she entered the room and got the raven-haired boy's blood pressure.

"Iie."

"Well, that's good, young man. Okay, your blood pressure's normal and your fever's running low. That's a good sign. Just press that buzzer if you need any help, okay? Wait…where's the young man that stayed with you all night, all day long yesterday?" The nurse asked.

/Young man? Who the hell…? This nurse sure is a big gossiper Not to mention a…sort of spy…? Nah, might as well ask her./ "Young man? Dunno…"

"You don't know? I mean…the tall guy with red hair…he took care of you for almost two days. He left last night with some of your friends. I guess he's a close friend of yours, ne? He was really worried about you. He even shouted at the doctors…" The nurse narrated.

/Red hair? Sa…Sakuragi!!! But…how….Hana…/  Rukawa closed his eye for a while and contemplated. His thoughts were scattered and didn't know what to really think. Memories came flying by, flashing blurred scenes in his mind, voices radiating echoes at the corner of his mind. Sinister laughs were audible and a shining, silver dagger appeared, and a familiar voice speaking pleadingly to him flashed suddenly. He knitted his brows and beads of sweat formed in his head. He rubbed his temple lightly, as if to alleviate a migraine.

"Daijobou, Rukawa-kun?"

"Aa. Daijobou. Just need to be alone."  Sensing this, the nurse packed the thermometer and other equipments and slowly walked out of the room.

"Damnit, why is my memory like this? Everything is blurry…voices scattered…damn…" Rukawa uttered under his breath. "I knew now I was stabbed…but by who? Who brought me here? And how did Hana—Sakuragi know?" Questions filled his mind, but his senses failed to answer even a single of it. He decided to dismiss those questions and said to himself that he would eventually get those pieces of information together in the near future. But there was one thought that never left his mind: Sakuragi took care of him while he was totally out, Sakuragi was so worried about him that he even shouted at the doctors. At first, he thought the nurse might be mistaken, but then, he knew no one who had red hair, except his former lover.

/Why did Sakuragi do that? He was the one who dumped me, if my memory was right and he was the one who took me out of his life. And now, he was here, taking care of me all of a sudden?! What was going on?! Could there still be…a flicker of hope…or even…a chance for a new…/  He stopped himself before he could finish what he was thinking. He reminded himself that he had no right to ever think that way unless…

/Beat it, Kaede. It's over. Don't hurt yourself more. Zap back to reality and stop being a jackass. Even if you still love him, there's no fucking way he would love you./  Then, another voice from inside told him, //But what do you call what happened yesterday and the night before? What do you call the story of that damn old nurse? You just can't jump into stupid conclusions.//  

Rukawa again rubbed his temples, tried to relax and laid his head in the pillow. He thought about the nurse's story a while ago and pondered if there is still a chance for both of them. Otherwise, his Hana-kun wouldn't do such things if he did not care—or love—him, right? Why would a certain redhead waste his time over a helpless, aloof and walking block of ice like him? Yet, he still couldn't be so sure. Sakuragi did that maybe because he was forced to or maybe his little good old conscience finally took over and made him do it. Still, knowing Sakuragi, he wouldn't perform such tasks if those were the only reasons. His former lover was different and very dedicated.

The fox-eyed boy sighed in exasperation and closed his eyes once more. His mind was in the middle of a certain battle called "The-He-Loves-Me-Loves-Me-Not-Battle" and he just didn't know which side must he join in. his heart was totally confused that he couldn't decide and see things the way he wanted to see them. Just then, the image of Sakuragi's face yesterday popped out from nowhere and time seemed to stop for a moment. He remembered those surprised brown eyes and the intent gaze he gave him after he said the words 'Hana-kun' and the way they stared at each other. He also never failed to notice the shade of crimson that appeared in Sakuragi's cheeks as he looked away from him. He looked cute…looked adorable. And those looks made him want to cuddle Sakuragi in his arms and kiss him endlessly.

"Ugh!!"

/Why does that image keep coming back?! Does that mean…there is still a chance? For us?  For love?/

As much as the Super Rookie hated to admit it, hope was springing up into his heart and all the doubts and pain he felt were beginning to melt away. Love was also making its way to his system, and he just wished that what he were feeling and anticipated would turn into a blissful reality.

~*~

It was lunch break in Shohoku High School and the students' voices filled the once, still air. Blue-colored uniforms scattered into the hallways and others were still, seemingly anticipating for something. Laughs of different voices and manner could be heard, loud and hurried footsteps could be felt and the bonding of different groups and gangs began to take its form. Yup, a typical afternoon at Shohoku High. But for a certain Sakuragi Gundan, it was the other way around. They were in the rooftop as usual, five members creating a circle, heads slightly bowed down and furrowed foreheads could be seen.

"Hmm…it couldn't be Katakeshi's gang, right? I mean, after we beat 'em up into a pulp, they never showed again and god knows where the hell those stupid guys are right now. So it couldn't be them." Takamiya said.

"How about…the Iko gang? I heard they usually loiter around Kanagawa during nights…" Yuij added.

"But they're not that kind of gang who would beat up someone like Rukawa, stab him and leave him out cold in the streets. I mean…they're just too kind for that. They're amateurs, Yuji! And they wouldn't dare to disturb Rukawa, would they?"

"K'so!! Whose gang did that?! K'so, the Tensai can't think!! How could I make them pay for what they did to Kitsune?!" Sakuaragi suddenly exploded. Ever since the day started, all Sakuragi could think of was the gang or group of brainless maniacs (as he put it) that hurt his Kaede. He tried to recall some gangs whom his Gundan met before. But couldn't think of any who was capable of doing such damage. So during lunchtime, he sought some help from his friends and was continuously suggesting possible suspects.

"Cool it down Hanamichi! If you're that hot, naturally, no possible group could pop out of your mind—or, that is, if you have any." Youhei retorted.

"Nani yo?! Are you saying that I have no brain at all?! How dare you—"

Youhei was about to brace himself for yet another head "punch" from his best friend, but the blow never came. He saw his best friend beet red all over and even thought he saw smokes and overly large veins pop out from his head. "Whoa!! Hanamichi!! Just cool it down okay?! Sometimes, I need to deflate that bloated ego of yours for you to think rather clearly. Just get serious and think!"

Silence.

More silence.

"Chotto matte!!" Youhei suddenly blurted.

"Nani yo, Youhei?"

"Guys, do you remember the Snipers? The gang whose members were full of ugly tattoos and large muscles?" Youhei inquired.

"So… what about them?" Sakuragi asked.

"Well, we had a hard time beating them not so long ago and one of the members even took out a silver dagger and placed it above Noma's neck… and…"

"And it occurred in the night!! One of 'em even held Noma's fists together so that he can't move!!" Takamiya finished.

"And then they threatened us that if we ever bother them again, they're gonna kill us!!"

Sakuragi was dumbfounded for a moment. He contemplated on what his friends' were saying and after a few seconds he replied, "So you're meaning to say that there's a damn possibility that they were the ones who did it, right?"

"Hell yeah." Noma said. "Demo…how can you guys be so sure?" Sakuragi asked once more.

"We couldn't beat them…how much more Rukawa? Didn't you see that wounds in his wrist yesterday? That meant he was tied up! Then he was stabbed…and the Snipers had a dagger….and he was beat and stabbed at night and the Snipers usually hang around at night!! See the resemblance? And when Gori asked Ice King—uhh…I mean, Rukawa last night about those people, he said that those people were tattooed people and that there was a silver something…and that something was a dagger implied to him. Got it, Tensai?"

"Hai, Youhei. Sou ka. Azuro..that was the name of their leader right? Hmm…Snipers. Youhei, Yuji, Takamiya, Noma…our fists are going to be busy. Tonight. "

~*~

"Gomen ne, Kotehota-san…demo.."

A certain middle-aged man turned his chair around and faced the owner of the voice and asked her, "Nani yo?"

"There's a phone call for you, sir. It was from Kitamura Hospital and the man said it concerned your son—"

"Tell the man to call in my line. Now!! " Ruji said curtly. The secretary immediately went out and told the man to call her boss' line.

Two nights had passed and still his stepson did not come home. He scanned through the remaining things of Kaede but wasn't able to find his directory. He called Shohoku but the old lady told him she didn't have any information about Kaede's whereabouts. Then, the morning after, he called the police and ordered them to look for his stepson, and told him that they would exert efforts in finding Kaede. Yet, up to now, there was still no report and Ruji was totally infuriated, not to mention the overwhelming worry he felt for his stepson. He never felt this way before about his stepson and even wondered what made him feel like this, but couldn't find a proper answer. All he could think about was the safety of his stepson and his welfare. He had dark rings under his eyes and his face was paler than usual, and those features only proved that he did not sleep properly these past two nights. He was totally anxious about Kaede to go into a deep, sweet slumber. Images of sexy, seductive women even went out of his mind and were only filled by Kaede's handsome features.

/Am I changing?/

~*Ring*~ ~*Ring*~

His thoughts were disrupted by the sound of the telephone in table and immediately picked up the phone and answered it.

"Moshi moshi."

"Moshi moshi. Uhm…Kotehota-san? This is Tageno Ikara from the Kitamura Hospital and I'm here to inform you about your son's condition. Two nights ago he was brought here by…"

The paramedic narrated to him what happened, and all the while he was listening, his face had drained its color and he had to sit to support himself. It seemed like everything froze for a moment and all he could hear was the fast slamming of his heartbeat like quick drum rolls inside his chest. /Kaede…stabbed?!?!?! What the…./

When the paramedic finished narrating, Ruji told him that he would be there as soon as possible. He banged the phone down, got his suite, wore it and walked abruptly out of his office. He left instructions to his secretary and was soon out of the building, driving his way to the said hospital. His hands were clammy, his boy was trembling and his heartbeat continued to beat hastily. He did not know why he was so worried, he did not know since when he became anxious as this, but he didn't give a single damn about those things right now. He had to get to that hospital as quickly as possible, no matter what.

~*tbc*~

a/n::. Hiya!!!!!!!! Could you actually believe I updated my fic?! It felt like ages since I touched this fic of mine… oh well, anywayz, I really am very very sorry *smiles apologetically* for this delay. As you can see, I am bombarded and loaded with tons of projects homeworks and long tests these past few months and I just couldn't find the time for this. Not to mention our upcoming 1st quarterly exams next week…*sighs* now I know why junior year in high school is the most challenging year…just wish me luck and hopefully, I will survive this year without getting more insane than I am now. ^_^;; anywayz, hopefully, just hopefully, the next chapter will be up next week. (I don't want to make promises anymore, but I will try to mark my words). I am trying my best to patch things up in this fic as quickly as possible, so I can already finish this and make a new one, in, of course, my spare time. ^_^;; ok, that's it for now!! (whoa…it's nearing 12 in the midnight…but oh well, as if I'm not used to it -.-) please do review, they are much appreciated and for further comments, mail me at chesca14316@yahoo.com or kitsune21@rukawa.zzn.com ^_^.

~*~

Ru: hey you.

Me: *looks back* me?

Ru: *rolls his eyes* who else. Come here. Baka.

Me: aww…Ru…what's the matter.

Ru: finish this and stop torturing me.

Me: *pats ru on the back* Daijobou ru…don't worry, I'll try my best, k?

Ru: one more thing…

Me: hm?

Ru: Will there be a lemon part?

Me: *almost faints and runs away*]

Ru: Ch'. Do'aho. No lemon? Hn. You're dead, girl.

Me: HELP!!