A Brand New Day

Author: Sacharine
Feedback: yes, please!
Rating: PG-13 
Warning: Future profanities? No-beta (Please excuse any minor mistakes.)
Notes: "..." denotes speech '...' denotes thoughts
Disclaimer: All rights go to their respective owners. I claim nothing.
 
---Previously---

"Tadaima!" Fuuko hollered into her doorway, taking off her shoes. Mitsui popped up from behind the kitchen island, his hands full with a carrot and a peeler.

"Okaeri Fuuko... What are you guys doing here!?!" His welcoming drawl went into a sharp crescendo yelp as he caught sight of his intentionally misplaced friends.

Next, a few things happened at in one go.

Miyagi felled over guffawing, pointing at Mitsui and panting out 'Micchy' and 'carrot' one after another. Repetitively. Rukawa felled asleep AGAIN. Kogure stared mournfully at Mitsui and told him that if he really does not want them to be here they could leave. And the all of above increased in volume till it expanded and took over more air space, till it became a full-blown shouting match. The cat screeched sharply as Rukawa had conveniently step on the cat's tail while falling asleep. Kogure was shouting at Mitsui to listen to him. Mitsui was yelling at Miyagi; to get him to stop laugh (It didn't work) and Fuuko was steaming at he ears, shouting at them all to shut up.

---

"Would you people stop making so much noise? I'm trying to study here!" Mikagami shouted into the doorway. 'Great. The bacteria life form known as Mitsui Hisashi had actually multiplied and mutated into other strange creatures. I suppose if I'm not careful they might actually spread over to my place.' He thought dryly. Then Mikagami caught sight of Rukawa. Rukawa stood up straight (amazing) from his permanent slouch type position and lifted an eyebrow in response.

Mikagami walked over and started the most, most interesting conversation ever.

"..." Mikagami stared into Rukawa's eyes.

"..." Rukawa stared back.

"...?" Mikagami stared back, questioning.

"...!" Rukawa eyes opened up in surprise.

"...! ......!!" Mikagami eyes almost popped out from his semi panicky demeanour.

"..." Rukawa gave the ~Yeah right look~.

"...!!!!" Mikagami freaked slightly then gave up.

Rukawa smirked and punched Mikagami playfully on the shoulder. Mikagami smiled. Rukawa smiled back. Mikagami turned around and froze when he realized that the whole group was staring at him and Rukawa. Mitsui's peeler and carrot slipped out and fell to the ground with a muted clatter.

Gaping back at them with a hesitant defensive manner, he snarled out the word that flashed by his head. "What?!"

'Oh my God, oh my sexy God! Oh MY GOD!!! Mikagami smiled! He smiled the special smile!' Fuuko could feel her heart going into cardiac arrest. 'Sex God!'

"You... you two are not GAY right?" Miyagi blurted out in shock. " I mean... you see... I had almost never seen you SMILED before!!" He waved his hands around like a pair of fluttering birds in Rukawa's direction. "And now you are SMILING at a GUY for GOD SAKE! I mean he is PRETTY ENOUGH but a GUY nonetheless!" Miyagi blabbed on digging a deeper and deeper hole. All he needs now is a coffin and then he could Rest In Peace.

"Do-ahou." Rukawa turned away.

"Can't I smile? Bunch of primates." Mikagami pointed at Mitsui. "African Gorilla." Points to Miyagi and sneered. "Chimpanzee." Points to Kogure and muttered. "Orang-utan."

'He is at it again. Why in the world did I fall for a guy like this?' Fuuko sighed. 'He just insists on naming any possible acquaintances by primate origins.'

Miyagi was reduced to a spluttering idiot by Mikagami's caustic remark. Kogure burst into tears (anime-waterfall-style).

"He... he called me a orang-utan!" Min-kun whimpered adorably. Mitsui had stonified in shock.

Mikagami tool the opportunity to pull Fuuko aside for a little private chat.

"Fuuko. You are a girl. For Heaven's sake stop inviting guys back! I promise Yanagi to take of you. She will have my head if anything happens to you. Don't make me worry! Yanagi will be worried too!" Mikagami admonished in hush whispers.

"Hey, you are one to talk. They are friends of Mitchy that all. So what is the deal between you and that silent guy huh?" Fuuko retorted. She had felt a warm glow for Mikagami's -Don't make me worry!-, but was dashed to the ground with his next sentence. 'Always for Yanagi, always Yanagi.' Fuuko thought bitterly.

"He is my cousin." Mikagami muttered grudgingly. Fuuko's chin hit the floor with a loud splat.

Birds renew their efforts to chirp loudly in the momentarily silence.

"Well...  Both tall, double check. Both cold, double checks. Both handsome, double check. Both are rude, double check that too. No wonder you two are related. It must run in the blood huh? No wonder the silent communication." Fuuko joked after picking up her chin from the floor, nudging Mikagami with her elbow.

Mikagami flushed faintly, hiding his pleasure behind his veneer of nonchalance. 'She think I'M HANDSOME! And maybe... Shit, did she say Kaede is handsome too?!'

" What is Mitsui too you?" Mikagami finally asked, fiddling with a loose string at the hem of his t-shirt.

Fuuko hemmed and hawed.

"That is touchy subject. You don't have to know so leave it alone. It too complicated anyway..." Fuuko walked back to her flat, evading. Before she close the door, Rukawa sauntered out. And through the gap, Mikagami could see Fuuko trying to revive Mitsui. And to rescue Kogure from the cat.

'What the heck did she mean too COMPILCATED? SHE JUST DIDN'T WANT TO TELL ME! She didn't even try to explain yet so how can she say it is too complicate. WHAT THE HECK!!"

-A while later-

Mikagami passed Rukawa a cup of tea. "How are you? My mother sent her regards." Rukawa asked, sipping carefully at the hot tea.

" My answer is still the same. I have yet to forget what your mother did." Mikagami replied stonily.

Rukawa sighed. " It has been so long. It is good to know you have forgiven us, but wouldn't you forget too? Let us make it up too. My mother has pass her prime and this affair weights heavily on her heart."

Mikagami thought for a moment, then smirked. He spoke to Rukawa.

"... You have been, like holding this grudge for over a decade and now you are willing to forgive us completely for something as trivia as this? She must be very important to you then." Rukawa stared at Mikagami, semi-stunned.

"She was the one to convince me to let go, and actually caught me when I did." Mikagami smiled.

" Fine, I will do it. But in return, you must go with me to visit my aunt and put my mother fretting to rest."

"Agreed." Mikagami inclined his head slightly in agreement.

"..."

"..."

They stared at each other.

"It will turn me stupid you know. To even attempt to communicate with those imbeciles..." Rukawa spoke resentfully. He was sure he had gotten the shorter end of the stick.

"I'm sure you can survive." Mikagami clapped Rukawa on the shoulder solemnly.

"I just know you are going to say that."

-Next Door-

Mitsui leaned back against the door, utterly exhausted now that he had finally fobbed off the rest of the people with half promises and semi excuses. He looked over to Fuuko who is caressing a skein of hair, staring out of the window. It looks suspicious like Mikagami's hair. Mitsui exhaled.

"You love him." Mitsui asked quietly.

"Yes." Fuuko replied.

"Does he know?"

Fuuko smiled and shook her head.

"Why? No don't tell me." Mitsui sighed, rising his arm to cover his eyes. "I don't know what to say but please don't get hurt. I can't say you deserve better or even offer someone better, but I do care for you. It would pain me to see you sad and then I would have to beat him up. You don't want that do you?" Mitsui smiled crookedly, lifting his arm slightly to peer at her.

Fuuko stared up to him, her eyes gleaming in the late afternoon sun. Then suddenly she flung herself into his embrace and sobbed, hiccupping and yet her tears did not fall.

"I do want to tell him but I'm so afraid! Don't you see? I not good enough for him! I have seen so many girls, prettier then me, gentler than me and smarter than me that he had reject. At least like this I could hope and pretend!" Fuuko whispered into Mitsui's chest, her fist bunched up tight on his shirt.

"Yet it still hurts. He turns away again every time when I thought that I have finally got to him, finally got him to acknowledge my existence. But every time I find out it for Yanagi again. What am I? Am I like a temporary fix when going gets tough? Use recover then throw away?" Fuuko cried out. "I didn't even he has relatives left! Just before you came, he gave me his hair and talked to me. Like a fool, I was so happy. I thought it meant something. But I was wrong. It was all for Yanagi again. Protect me because Yanagi says so. Take care of me because he promised Yanagi. Why do it even bother? What am I doing? Why can't I stop thinking about him? Why isn't the person I love you instead? At least you see me, even though you are just like him. You care only because you feeling guilty."

Mitsui stilled at her accusation.

"Don't do this again. Don't keep making me repeat. Don't you think ten years is a little too long for some guilt? I take care of you because I care about you. Because you have became somebody important to me." Mitsui grasped her by her shoulders, staring into her eyes.

"So stop doing this. Stop making our fiendship a mockery. Stop making me hurt by looking down on what I do, do I matter so little to you now that you have somebody else? I'm not that strong too. You have to answer your own questions. My only strength is basketball. Have you forgotten who I am? I have feelings too!"

Fuuko stared at him silently. Then tears began to slowly trickle out, welling out into a waterfall.

'I'm sorry. I so sorry." Fuuko choked out the words.

"It's okay." Mitsui gathered her back into his arms. 'I will take care of you forever, I promised. And that includes not letting Mikagami hurt you anymore.'

-TBC-

Seems like Mikagami had something up his sleeves to win Fuuko to his side. But will he be thwarted by Mitsui determination to prevent Mikagami from hurting Fuuko anymore? And why wouldn't Ryota and Kogure just go away? Stay tune to find out. 10 reviews.

BTW actually I was going to post this earlier. Then I saw that FF.net had removed some of my stories. That really pissed me off. And I went off to sulk. And when I finally got over my snitch, GUESS What. They banned me from uploading anything till only a while ago. *Waves the 'I love Fan fiction net' banner *

 To make up, this chapter is slightly longer then normal... (^_^)

Thanks to:

Reviewer

Date

Chapter

Type

Haze

2002-12-06

5

Signed

Yes, Mikagami is appearing. Thanks for your review! It had me chortling s I wrote it too.

qwerty

2002-12-04

5

Anonymous

Here he is! Thanks!

bishounen lovah

2002-12-04

5

Signed

One large serving of Tofu mush coming! Thanks!

yuko

2002-12-02

5

Anonymous

Here is Mikagami, wrapped up and ready for Christmas. Thanks!

Cherie (sinful_sacrifice@flowersforthedead.com)

2002-12-01

5

Anonymous

Thanks for being such a great beta! Actually I started this way before the SD/FOR became popular then died off (check my dates), hence, I got to finish it right? I'm very prone to ToFu too, is there even a single Mit/fu supporter? Sorry for the delay, hope you enjoy this chapter!

fuuko mikagami

2002-12-01

5

Anonymous

Here he is here he is! Thanks!

hyper_shark

2002-12-01

5

Anonymous

Thanks! Hope this is fast enough!

yonfi

2002-12-01

5

Anonymous

Thanks! Tofu coming up.

kaze' yurei (kazeyurei@hotmail.com)

2002-12-01

5

Anonymous

I think they rocks too! Thanks!

Yanagi

2002-11-30

5

Signed

I love the Rukawa sleeping scene too! Thanks! * Drags the story back to FOR forcibly* Thanks!

chibi-chan

2002-11-30

5

Anonymous

Yes. Thanks for your review! I hope I'm fast enough!