DISCLAIMERS: SLAMDUNK . . . NOT MINE . . .

WARNING: SUPER, UNBELIEVABLE OOCness . . . hope that's okay with you . . .

ONE WISH Chapter 5

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"What time is it already?" Naya asked.

Rukawa looked at his diver's watch and in a cold, icy tone, "It's ten past seven. Have you got nothing to do but to ask for the time every five minutes?"

"You're exaggerating," she said, rolling her eyes. "You got a problem with that? Why are you being so snobbish?" she took a deep breath, and then turned to look at the man again. "I'm starving, aren't you?"

"Hungry but not starving."

He turned his back on her and faced the dark sea; so dark that you can only see the small lights from the pier and from the boats far away from them. Good thing the boat had an emergency light, or else they would be looking at each other with only the stars as their light.

Naya was at the very corner of the boat, hugging her legs. It's already dark, and it was getting colder. She can feel the cold wind getting through her pedal pusher and her thin shirt.

She looked up to the man. "Do you live here? I mean, somewhere near the place." She asked.

"No, I don't. My . . . friend lives here and I was just having a vacation at her place." Rukawa was forced to answer.

He was staying at Haruko's vacation house, and then sailed to celebrate her birthday on his yacht. He was planning to sail to Paso de Blas but Haruko got mad at him and decided to stay at her parents' vacation house and continue celebrating her party there . . . minus Rukawa, who doesn't even bother to go back and apologize to her.

And he didn't want to sail back to Paso de Blas, anyway. He was enjoying his journey on the ocean, sailing alone.

"So you're the city boy," Naya continued, interrupting Rukawa's thoughts. "What's your job there? Is the speed boat yours?" she pointed at the speed boat using her lips.

"What are you, an investigator?" he snapped. He didn't want to talk while thinking. He was starting to worry, it's already dark and they're still stranded on the middle of the ocean.

"I was just starting a conversation so that both of us won't get bored." She said calmly. "Look at you; you won't even speak unless I talk to you. Your face is totally blank but the way you walk there, back and forth, tells me you're worried. And that what makes the time really boring. I'm the woman here; I'm supposed to be the one worrying because I'm with a stranger . . ."

"Why, your calm really surprised me," he said drily. He didn't want to admit that he admired her calm.

If Haruko was the one stranded on the boat with him, his socialite girlfriend would surely go hysterical-or his ex-girlfriend? He wasn't sure. All he knows is that he has no plans of going back to her.

"And it's normal for you to worry because like you said, I'm a stranger . . ." he added.

"Well . . ." she surveyed the man, then wrinkled her nose. "You don't look like a maniac at all . . ." she patted Rufus on the head that was lying beside her, telling him that the dog would not leave her if he's planning something not good.

He wanted to laugh at what she did. He can guess what he was thinking. "Looks can be deceiving . . ." he said.

He didn't want to frighten the girl, but he cannot understand why the parents of this child-well, in a way, she just looked like a kid out of school-to sail alone. What if she was with another stranger?

"Are you?"

"I am what?"

"A maniac?"

"Shut up!" he glared at her, both in irritation and amusement. In his whole life, no one-not even one woman, has thought of him like that. "If I'm a maniac, I should've raped you right now, even if we are in the middle of the water. In fact, it would be to my advantage because after that, I'll throw out of the boat and that dog of yours can do nothing!"

"Well, I believe you," Naya said casually.

"What?"

"That you're not a maniac and a psycho killer . . ."

Rukawa let out a sigh, can't decide on whether to get irritated or to laugh at her. But again, the girl was right. If they don't talk, time will be really boring for them. But then, that's the very first time he was with a woman, alone for two hours, their distance was about your both arms fully stretched away.

"You didn't answer me, is the speed boat yours?"

"So what if its mine?"

"Why, you must be very rich!" she exclaimed mildly.

He frowned. "So?"

She cocked her head and said guilelessly, "Well, I like rich men . . ."

"Tell me something I don't know," he murmured drily, irritably.

"And you don't like women who like rich men?"

He looked at her, irritably, and said, "I hate nosy women."

Naya shrugged, and then silence ruled. Rukawa, on the other hand, felt guilty, thinking that he made her feel bad.

He sighed and gazed at the sky. It was a clear night, the stars were scattered above.

Naya was looking up at the heavens, too. Then suddenly her eyes grew wide.

"There's a falling star!" she cried, stood up and followed her gaze at the bright light on the sky that slowly made its way down, then quickly disappeared from her sight.

Rukawa smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, and in a slight sarcastic tone, "Why didn't you make a wish?"

"I was supposed to but it suddenly disappeared. Besides I don't have any pockets." There was a bit disappointment in her voice. Force of habit.

He frowned again. "What's the pocket got to do with your wish?"

She shrugged her shoulders, pouted her lips and said churlishly, "I don't know either. But my mother said that my wish would come true if I put my hands on my pockets . . ."

If she didn't turn around quickly and faced the ocean, Naya must've seen the smile that grazed his lips. Rukawa couldn't believe he was having this kind of conversation with a woman. A young and a pretty woman for that matter. They were like kids.

"There's another one!" she exclaimed, while looking up to the sky. Instinctively, Rukawa followed her gaze.

The boat suddenly shook when Naya stood up and went towards the man. And from the stranger's back, Naya put her hands on the pockets of his shorts. Then she closed her eyes and uttered a wish.

Rukawa was stunned. He wasn't able to move.

Naya's breasts were pressed on his back. Her two hands were each tucked inside the pockets of his shorts, and were just inches away from the private part of his body!

Her cheek was pressed on the lower part of his left shoulder. And Rukawa could feel the heat emanating from her body; smelt her scent. Something like rose water and powdery scent . . . mixed with the tang of sea air.

Why, the wench had an enchanting scent!

And her breathing was soft and warm in his ear . . . like a soft evening breeze.

And heaven! His body was starting to react!

He cleared his throat and looked at her behind his back. "What did you wish for?" he said huskily, can't believe that he was taking part of her foolishness. But that's the only way he could think of to get his mind off the reaction the girl was giving on his body.

"I must not tell," she was almost whispering, her eyes still closed and her hands remained inside his pockets, not moving from her position. "Or my wish wouldn't come true."

He swore he wouldn't smile, even if her face was almost hard as rock. And god of the seas! His face was not the only "thing" that's hard . . . (lolz)

"Alright, so you've made your wish," he said in a formal tone. "Your falling star has completely fallen," his voice was laced with mild sarcasm. "You can take your hands off my pockets now and don't take advantage of me."

"Don't be stupid," he murmured, her eyes slowly opened. "I was just getting some heat from your back. I'm so cold, and you, I think you're made out of rock, your polo is open and you seem not to feel cold."

Rukawa sighed. She had a point. Maybe she was really cold.

Or maybe she was lying. She could be either a tease or just simply innocent and was really cold, no doubt about that. Any of that, to sum it all up, she was still very young. And he doesn't go for young, childish women.

And damn! His body must not be reacting this way on her.

And he had to do something or else he would be in trouble and embarrassed them both.

"Okay, so you're cold. You're dog is right there," he turned to Rufus, who was quietly watching them. "She's warmer. Take your hands off my pockets; you're near the danger zone . . . In fact, too close, lady."

Naya softly gasped at what he was trying to tell. She raised her head away from his back, her eyes wide open.

Why, she was right! And she didn't even notice that his shorts were slowly tightening. And how could she have noticed unless . . .

She quickly pulled her hands off his pockets as if it was on fire, and walked back towards her waiting dog. Glad that it was dark, or else the man would've clearly noticed the reddening of her cheeks.

Which of the three had really happened? She was forced by the habit of putting her hands on the pockets to make a wish? Could be. But why on earth on a stranger's pockets?

Or she was too cold and his body was just so tempting. Maybe. But how could she be so bold to have run into his stranger and borrowed heat from his body while all along-like he said-Rufus was there?

Or all along she was fantasizing the stranger's back and subconsciously; she gave in and used her first reason, and followed the second?

Oh, dear Neptune! She'd never done something like that in her whole life, not even with Sendoh, in their six months relationship.

"Do you really believe your wish could come true just by that? Making a wish on star?" he asked, trying to take away the discomfort on the girl's face. He can see it from the emergency lamp.

Maybe she was really cold, and he didn't want to embarrass the girl. But surely he would be the one who'll get embarrassed once she noticed the "thing" happening on his body. If it is in another place and time, and probably in another woman, he wouldn't let that kind of action pass by. Immediately, he would consider such act as an invitation.

And he was sure that the young woman has no intentions like that.

Rukawa looked up to the sky, awed by the beauty of the dark heavens that was decorated by the bright stars. A moonlit night bathes the earth with beauty all its own. He always loved gazing up at a starry heaven. On a starry night, just like now, the beautiful stars hang like shining jewels against the darkness of space. And he wondered just what is out there in space . . . beyond the expanse of heavens.

Naya on the other hand, remained silent. She knew the man was waiting for an answer. They both knew that it was only a childish story. And she was glad that her embarrassment was starting to fade away by his casual voice.

She was about to say something friendly when they heard a loud noise from a motor coming towards them, and a bright light searching the dark sea.

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End of chapter 5

yeah . . . yeah . . . kind of boring . . . is it? Mitchy!!! You've got more reviews on your fic than mine! How can you do this to your cousin!!! *_* (jokes, sis.) Thanks for correcting my mistakes . . . I can't help but to commit one, English is not my first language.