I don't know what happened (why it's !!!!!!!!!!! instead of the story) when I posted this one few days ago. So I'm doing it all over again. ^^;; Hope you guys like (and I hope it works this time) . ^_^

Title: Outsider

Author: Kuroi Tenshi [kuroi_22@hotmail.com]

Pairings: RuHana

Warnings: Shounen Ai, cursing and some stuff but they're relatively harmless... ^_^

OOC as well, but you'll see why

Notes: This is actually important and not just minor rambling. If you've seen the episode with the "camp-shot-training" where Hanamichi learns to do jump shots [oops! You have seen it, right? ^^;; Sorry for the spoilers], you'll have to totally erase that from your memory as you read this little ficcie. Hanamichi's learning it himself, meaning he's his own sensei. That's all. Thanks. Back to your regularly scheduled fanfiction. ^_^

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Part 3

Not a second before seven, the doorbell rang and Hanamichi automatically opened it, expecting to see Aisha with one of the house servants in tow. He wasn't, however, expecting to see his mother, regal and proud in stature, to be the one standing outside his door, his sister behind her, surrounded by servants.

"I told you Aisha would be here before seven," she said, stepping into the humble apartment he (she once) called home. She looked around and shrugged. "You didn't change things much since the last time I've been here," she observed, looking at the charcoal painting she had done and hung on the wall approvingly. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"I thought Aisha and a maid would come here. You didn't tell me you were going to bring a whole army of servants," he said, ignoring the exasperated sigh from his mother.

"Hana, are you saying that I'm not welcome?"

"I don't mean that. It's just that… was it necessary to bring the entire household? This place is only about the size of your living room. I don't think we can accommodate everyone. And to be honest, I'm not sure if I want to," he said, voice strained at having to deal with his mother so early in the morning.

"Yuuji went on the business trip this weekend, he'll probably be back next week so it's not a bother to anyone that they'll be here to serve the both of you," she said, as if she hadn't heard a word he said. "I've brought Moemi here, she's an expert in Japanese cuisine, as you've previously said that you don't like steaks. She'll be here to make sure you eat properly. Waverly here is the driver, he'll drive you anywhere you want to go, no matter what time. Oh, and Natsume, Setsuna and Hierra will be at your service twenty-four hours a day. I still need to call Fred and ask the next batch to come but I'll do that later. Now, you didn't answer my question. Have you had breakfast yet?"

~*~*~*~

An hour later, he was finally able to convince Minako that bringing the whole household staff was not necessary. After a heated debate with her that had futile results, he finally caved into his initial solution and pushed her (and her train of servants) out his door and locked himself in, barricading himself from maternal terrorism.

She finally gave in and agreed to send everyone back to the house and promised that she would not send the next batch. She also promised that she herself would remain in the mansion, supervising the sudden redecoration (something she'd been looking forward to do) and leaving everything in his hands.

He felt vibration coming from his pocket and sighed, ignoring the ringing phone. She hadn't left for two hours and she had already called him three times. He had enough of her talking his ear off with unwarranted distress. Aisha's going to be fine with me, mom, he said in his mind, a bit annoyed.

Nodding his head to acknowledge his friends few meters away, he then sighed. The incident with his mother earlier that morning wasn't exactly the "good morning" he was looking for. Rubbing his neck tiredly, he gave his friends a small smile when he caught up with them.

"Rough night?" Noma asked.

"Rough morning," he replied. "Aisha's staying over for a while and my mom's hell bent on making sure her angel's perfectly safe and comfortable there. Sometimes she's too much, you know?"

"It's understandable," Yohei replied, shrugging. "She's a mom."

~*~*~*~

"Sakuragi-sama?" the petite maid said, keeping her eyes trained on the floor.

Hanamichi looked up from the TV, startled at not only having company but having someone call him "sama" as well. "Yes, Setsuna?" he addressed the timid-looking girl who was assigned the task to take care of the bundle of energy called Aisha.

It was Friday afternoon and thankfully enough, said bundle of energy was sleeping peacefully inside her room after tiring her companions playing tag all over the house. Hanamichi was glad that sleep finally won in on her, as he was ready to collapse from exhaustion.

"I know it's too bold and forward of me to ask this of you but may I please be given permission to take the weekend off?" she asked, cheeks coloring. "I know that it's not right for me to take advantage of the opportunity that Minako-sama isn't here but before we left the mansion, I got a phone call from my sister. Our mother is sick and I would eternally be grateful if I were to be permitted to—"

"Go," he said, smiling at her. "And you can be sure I won't tell my mom about this." He nodded as the girl smiled in response, the relief and gratitude obvious in her face.

"Thank you very much, Sakuragi-sama."

"Don't worry about it," he replied. "But you have to do a favor for me."

She stared at him expectantly, wondering what the favor would be.

"Don't call me 'sama' it makes me seem so old," he said, smiling at her. "I'm not really that into formality stuff and you calling me 'sama' is just… weird." He smiled at her again, seeing relief wash over her face. "But you have to be back here on Sunday evening otherwise my mom will catch on when she picks Aisha and you're not here."

The girl nodded, murmuring her thanks again as she bowed and left. He gave her a flippant wave as she stood by the door few minutes later, obviously having left the task of unpacking last in case he did allow her so she didn't have to repack her bag.

Once alone in the house, Hanamichi grinned. A whole weekend with Aisha with no servant.

It was going to be a long and tiring weekend. But he was sure it would be fun at least. He had always wanted to have his sister stay with him without her train of servants but had never been given the chance. This was the first time he was going to be with her, bond and get to know her better without a pesky nanny to interrupt them. He could even teach her a thing or two about basketball if she wanted. The weekend was theirs.

Now if only he could find a way to get rid of that mysterious sitter he had yet to meet.

~*~*~*~

"I heard Hanamichi played hooky this afternoon again," Kogure heard one of the first years he passed by on his way to the gym. He's been slightly worried for his former teammate now that his cutting of classes became more frequent. He hoped he wasn't in trouble.

Even if he was no longer part of the team, the vice-captain was still concerned for him. He run into Mitsui and smiled at him, eliciting a blush from scarred boy. "Have the others gone in yet?"

His teammate shook his head. "Almost. Everyone assembled inside but Rukawa's not yet here."

Kogure frowned. "That's strange. Rukawa almost never misses practice. Do you think something's wrong? Maybe something happened…"

"I wouldn't worry if I were you," Mitsui assured the bespectacled boy. "He's capable of taking care of himself. Knowing that fox, he's probably baptizing some bench with his drool."

Rukawa stood outside the gate of the little compound, feeling small drops of rain land on his exposed neck and face. His new employer had called him the night before and had briefly told him what the little girl had done and how she was staying with his brother for the weekend. She was supposed to stay with him until he returned from practice. He gathered from her speech she wasn't aware of Hanamichi walking out of basketball practice that afternoon and not returning after.

He shrugged inwardly. It wasn't his problem; there was no need to meddle. It was nothing to him that the redhead had kept that a secret to his mother.

Liar, a voice in his mind said. Anything related to him concerns you. Admit it.

No, I won't, he answered the voice irritably, wondering if he had lost his mind since he's arguing against himself. He stared at the gate, left ajar that anyone who wished to can just walk in and enter.

I'm not even needed here, he thought. He's been here since lunchtime and from the looks of it, he was not going anywhere, leaving Aisha with no supervision. I better go. I'll just tell the lady I got lost and tell her to forget the whole thing. She can find herself another sitter.

The strange thing was, his feet were moving on its own and before he could stop himself, he was already pushing the small button on the wall, unconsciously holding his breath as he waited for the wooden door to open.

~*~*~*~

Hanamichi cursed under his breath as he turned the shower off. Yohei called before he got in, reminding him that he would pass by to say hi to Aisha and get his Science book, which he had left the last time he was there with the gang.

"Trust that baka to ring the bell when I'm in the shower," he grumbled under his breath as he grabbed the towel to cover that part of him. Not even bothering to make himself halfway decent aside from the small piece of dark blue cloth, he stormed toward the door, ready to give his best friend an earful for his sense of timing.

"Stop it with the ringing, Mito!" He bellowed as he threw open the door. "You might wake Ayi-chan and you wouldn't want her around, ready to play tag after she's had her naptime. She'll be full of energy!"

He blinked at the boy in front of him in disbelief before feeling the color drain away from his face. Then return with full force as a blush. "Ki-kitsune!"

"Do'aho," his former teammate replied. "Dark blue looks good on you." He smirked, stepping in and brushing past the half-naked redhead.

Hanamichi sputtered and gaped for a good one minute before regaining his composure and glaring at him. "Don't you know breaking in is against the law, you stupid fox?"

"You let me in, didn't you?" he replied, looking at him.

Hanamichi shivered as he felt Rukawa's eyes travel along his body. Suddenly the towel gave him no assurance of privacy anymore. It was like Rukawa could see through the cloth. He held the sides of the towel tightly and cleared his throat, cursing himself for blushing damn too much. He wanted to run his room and put on his long sleeves and pants. With socks and boots even. But he couldn't do that. That would seem silly. "What are you doing here?" he asked instead.

"Kitsune-chan!" Aisha bounded into the room, smiling gleefully as she launched herself unto his legs, dangling almost shamelessly albeit happily. "You came, will you be playing with me then?"

Rukawa looked at the little girl looking so cute and so much like her brother. He reached down and mussed her hair, eyes softening. He turned to the brother. "Will you be standing there the whole night in nothing but your towel?"

He was answered by an annoyed grunt as Hanamichi closed the door and glared at him. "Alright then, I'll be back. Don't break or take anything while I'm away, all right? Ayi-chan, make sure he doesn't take anything, okay?"

Aisha nodded, now playing with the lollipop Rukawa had given her to keep her occupied for a while. "Ayi-chan is sure Kitsune-chan take no anything. Puh-wuh-mise," she smiled.

Seeming satisfied (and already exposed beyond repair), Hanamichi casually made his way toward the hallway leading to the bathroom. Once out of sight, he made a mad dash for the door, slamming it shut as if to keep Rukawa out. Leaning against the door, Hanamichi took deep breaths, trying to return his heartbeat to normal. It would do him no good to be brought to the hospital wearing only a dark blue towel.

Now what the hell was his mother thinking, hiring Rukawa to be Aisha's babysitter like that? She could very well have hired a kidnapper to look after Aisha! And sending him over his house…

Shaking his head in disbelief, the perplexity starting to slowly wear off, he stepped into the tub and finished his shower in record time. He then made his way to his room, making sure to pick out his most conservative clothes without seeming so. Now, clad in a long-sleeved white shirt and khaki pants, he was surprised to see his sister and her sitter silently watching TV. They were watching one of the taped games Hanamichi had of Shohoku.

Aisha looked up when Hanamichi entered the room and smiled. "Aki-chan plays really good, ne?" she asked, oblivious to the dark scowl that crossed Rukawa's face.

Hanamichi recalled Sendoh and Aisha meeting once when the spiky-haired player bumped into them while at the toy store. No one would've thought Sendoh had a passion for virtual pets like Aisha did. "Yes, I think he's really good, just don't let him hear you say that, okay?"

Aisha nodded then paused, looking thoughtful. "But I think Hana-chan is better!"

"Now, that you make sure that smiling baka hear!" Hanamichi laughed, grinning as he plopped down next to her on the couch, elbowing Rukawa out of the way discreetly. When he didn't budge, he elbowed him harder yet still no response.

He turned and saw the fox-eyed boy sleeping, no doubt lost in La-la-la Land. Sighing exasperatedly, he settled in a more comfortable position, ignoring the fact that the only possible comfortable position would be to drape an arm over the back of the couch, Rukawa's head almost nestling against his chest. "Ayi-chan, how can you let this fox sleep? He's supposed to be watching you."

Aisha looked at him reproachfully. "Hana-chan, but he's tired, don't you see? He's been standing outside the gate even before Setsuna left! And it was starting to rain too…"

"He was…?"

She nodded. "Ayi-chan saw him. Ayi-chan wondered why he didn't come in earlier. He could get sick, you know. Okasan said that being outside while it rains can make you sick. Will he?"

"Will he what?"

"Get sick."

"I don't know," he shrugged, having a hard time concentrating on the game. Why the hell had the fox been standing outside that long anyway? "He probably won't. Foxes have strong resistance. He'll live."

~*~*~*~

Rukawa felt something warm and solid beneath him and when he opened his eyes, it took almost all his will not to jump. He was on top of Hanamichi!

Well… not on top on top but kinda on top… the redhead's arm was draped around him and he was using Hanamichi's chest as his pillow. He felt a small smile tug on his lip as he recalled the feeling of having that warm solid plane against his cheek.

But the sudden movements from the cushion-covered floor made him stop savoring this temporary bliss. Aisha was sleeping on the carpeted floor, using the pillows she mounted as her bed. She kicked one away and snuggled into a more comfortable position. Rukawa was afraid her actions would wake the sleeping redhead next to him.

The television was still on, though the volume was low, something Rukawa was grateful for. He wouldn't want Hanamichi to wake up with him still half-atop. He watched the game on the screen, relishing the taped sight of the young basketball genius.

He really admired the way Hanamichi learned so fast. Now if only he could actually voice it out loud and admit it to the redhead…

"Hmm…" Hanamichi mumbled in his sleep, snuggling closer to the other boy. He slung his right arm on Rukawa's shoulders and rested his head at the crook of Rukawa's neck and inhaled deeply. "Smells good," he mumbled, still asleep.

The raven-haired boy felt a small smile grace his lips and he snuggled to the redhead. He hesitantly placed a hand at Hanamichi's head to support it then sighed contentedly. It was hard to explain but that simple act felt so…right.

He stared at Hanamichi's closed eyes and leaned closer to his face, stopping when he was only a small breadth away. He gently placed a soft kiss on the sleeping boy's lips and traced his jaw lightly with his free hand. "Hanamichi…"

Tbc

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Sorry it took forever to update. ^^;; and I know, I'm evil for leaving it to that. ^_^ ::ducks random sharp objects thrown her way:: I love you all? R&R! ^___^