Title: Penny for Your Thoughts
Author: Crescent Quetzalcoatl
Genre: Drama
Pairing: Yaoi (don't kill me okay?)
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Disclaimer: I couldn't claim them. Though I would like Hana-kun for my birthday. No? For Christmas? Still no? *sigh*
Chapter 1: Cry
He just woke up. His last class seemed to desert him since no one would dare to wake up Shohoku's Ace, 'Rukawa Kaede'. Stifling a yawn, he walked straight out of the classroom's door and walked to the basketball court with his duffel bag in one hand. He had to be early or at least come on time since he's the newly-appointed captain of the Shohoku team. And that do'aho redhead is the vice captain, he thought dejectedly, remembering their petty quarrel the day Anzai-sensei appointed the captain and vice captain of the team.
*Flashback*
"Chotto matte! That's not fair!" A very pissed-off redhead named Sakuragi Hanamichi just went up to Anzai-sensei and repeatedly bobbed his chin. "Oyaji! C'mon! Why make Rukawa captain? The Tensai's much better than him, y'know! C'mon oyaji!!!"
THWAP!!!
"ITAI!!!" Sakuragi winced and turned to see Ayako holding out her fan. "Ayako-san! What are you doing here?" he asked, almost fainted seeing their former manageress at the high school. Ayako sweat-dropped but relieved at the same time when Sakuragi released Anzai-sensei's chin. Ayako bowed her greetings to Anzai-sensei before answering Sakuragi.
"Well, Sakuragi-kun, I'm here to check on the club since Ryota couldn't come," she said, then adding, "Especially on the two of you. Vice captain, ne? Congratulations Sakuragi-kun!"
"You still have that fan?" the redhead asked, eyeing the paper fan as if it would blow up any minute.
"Yep! You should be thankful I'm still here to support you. Oh, and yeah! Rukawa-kun, congratulations! You're the basketball team's captain now, ne? I'm sure you're going to do just fine," the brown-haired former manageress smiled, giving the ever-silent Rukawa a pat on the back. Seeing them, Sakuragi snorted, obviously pissed off with the lack of attention and turned his head away from the kitsune. And saw Haruko in front of him. Smiling.
"Ha-Ha-Haruko-san!" the redhead blushed. Akagi Haruko smiled even wider.
"I want to congratulate you, Sakuragi-kun! I really think you deserved to be the vice-captain. I hope you wouldn't quarrel with anyone about it."
'I think you'd rather say I shouldn't quarrel with the kitsune', Sakuragi wanted to say but kept silent. This is Haruko anyway.
"Gambatte ne?" Haruko added, patting his arm in a rather affectionate way. Sakuragi blushed again, feeling a bit fuzzy on that area where Haruko touched. Turning to say something, he found her gone and walking towards the fox-eyed boy, who's silently gulping the last drop of his water. Haruko…
"Ano… Rukawa-kun…" she called to him softly. Out of respect, he tilted his head up, focusing his icy-blue orbs into her affectionate blue pools. He saw her face, quite pretty and angelic. Smiling and contented. Smiling and not blushing. Not blushing. That's a first.
"…Ano…" she called out again.
"Nani?"
"Congratulations, Rukawa-kun." Then she smiled.
And she's not blushing.
He felt something tugged in his heart. Watching them talking (well, with Haruko doing most of the talking), Sakuragi felt wary about the scene, especially with Rukawa looking at Haruko like… like… that.
'He's not supposed to look at her like that!' Sakuragi glared at the sapphire-eyed boy. 'He's supposed to ignore her! Don't look at her!' He mentally shouted. 'Don't look at her!' He glared like he never glared at anyone before. His chocolate brown eyes seemed to spit fire that was reserved only for the kitsune whenever he's furious and enraged.
And the Ice Prince seemed to feel the heat emitted, trying its best to melt the icy façade he's built.
"Do'aho," the fox snorted at Sakuragi's direction, completely forgetting Haruko who's still talking to him.
"Teme Kitsune! I'm not a do'aho!" the very pissed off redhead shouted at Rukawa and strode angrily at his direction. He grabbed the kitsune's shirt accidentally shoving the brown-haired girl in the process. "Take that back! Don't call me a do'aho," Sakuragi screamed at his face.
"Do'aho."
Sakuragi was about to swing his fist at the kitsune when Haruko grabbed his arm and pulling it away from Rukawa.
"Onegai, Sakuragi-kun! Onegai! No fighting here!" she pleaded, holding on to his arm. Sakuragi noticed her and her attempts to save Rukawa. He complied, pulled his arm and shoved the blue-eyed boy away. Then he turned to Haruko.
"Gomen, Haruko-san. It won't happen again," he said softly, looking at her in the eye as he held her shoulders gently. Then he turned and walked towards the stunned and surprised faces of his teammates. "Yosh, minna! Let's start practice!" And he took one of those orange balls and started passing.
Rukawa stared at him.
The do'aho?
Won't fight with me?
Because of her?
Rukawa snorted at himself.
Of course, baka. She's the love of his life! It's not a surprise that he listens to her.
*End of Flashback*
He's going to see him again. No. Make that 'he's going to see them again'.
Placing his hand on the sliding doors that lead to the locker room, he paused when he heard something or someone making odd sounds inside. Curious, Rukawa took a peek at the small gap he made and his eyes widen at the scene he saw.
Red. Hair.
Sakuragi. Crouching. Sakuragi. Crying.
Crying? I must be dreaming. Why is that baka crying?
Okay, it might not be the noisy tears you can call crying but streaks of running water from the eyes and a hand clamped over the mouth trying to shush it all up can be considered crying. Isn't it?
Rukawa dared to open the door noisily as if wanting Sakuragi to notice his incoming presence. He saw the redhead snapped his head towards him, bloodshot eyes from crying glared pure venom and anger, all directed at him for disturbing his solitude.
"What?!" he shouted.
The fox-eyed boy just stood there in front of the redhead.
"WHAT?!" Sakuragi screamed more loudly. The raven-haired kitsune walked towards a bench, placed his bag, zipped it open, took a handkerchief, zipped it close and hand the white cloth to Sakuragi all without flinching and saying a word.
Sakuragi stared at the piece of cloth like some filthy garbage offered by his most-hated rival, the kitsune. The redhead was furious at the gesture. He wanted to be shocked that Ice Prince actually wanted to comfort him but no! His mind keeps telling him that Rukawa was humiliating him because the Tensai was crying! He slapped the hand away that offered the handkerchief, and pulled himself up while rubbing his face with his large hands, wanting to erase the traces of the embarrassing salty liquid they called tears.
"GO AWAY!" he shouted, as he shoved the blue-eyed kitsune backwards. "I don't need your help! What are you doing here?!"
"Practice," Rukawa deadpanned.
"I knew that!" Sakuragi hissed. "But why are you offering your handkerchief?"
"You're crying," the kitsune plainly stated.
"Ch! I don't need it! I'm the Tensai! You hear? I can take care of my self!" Sakuragi grabbed his gym bag and settled beside the sink, washed his face with water and dressed himself up for the basketball practice. Then he walked out to the courts and closed the door with a slam. Leaving Rukawa staring at the door.
-tsuzuku-
Crescent speaks:
Yosh! My second fic! Awee! Awee!! *jumps around the room*
Minna-san, please read and REVIEW. Yes, I'm begging for reviews, it keeps me going! So what do you think?
Ano… I'm trying to make a yaoi, my first one, mind you. So, don't get angry at me or anything if I made a mistake. Well, you could… um… tell me, in private. Ehehe…
I missed RuHana Day, I know I blew it. Well, I hope I can make up to it.
Yeah, careful on the flames… I must say I can't tolerate them but be gentle, okay?
Oh… about my other fic if you're wonderin'… um… I'm working on it. *ducks to avoid flying chairs and laptops* GOMEN! *sheepish grin* the school term started so… ah… I'm gonna update them little by little… yeah… Oh, I think I'm going to lose my comp too because I didn't got good grades last sem so… well you got the idea…
THANK YOU!!!
