Story title: Ao'iro
Author: Hagane
Status: 6/?
Pairings: RuMit, SenMit
Disclaimer: let's just skip this from now on shall we? We all know that the three of them belong to me ^^
Ao'iroMitsui frowned at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. The face that stared back at him was hauntingly pale- almost gaunt in appearance. There were dark circles under his eyes and a faint shadow of growth on his chin. He sighed as he set about fixing things- another sleepless night and another busy morning trying to undo the damage. Story of his life.
Finding some foam and a razor in the bathroom cabinet, Mitsui hesitated before beginning the shaving ritual. He considered leaving the stubble on- but then again, it would look too unlike him- people would know something was up. Sighing, he accidentally cut himself with the sharp blade.
"Shit!" he cursed as he reached for some toilet roll. A fine way to begin the morning.
Pressing the mass of roll to the cut, Mitsui replaced the foam and razor in the cabinet, no longer caring what people made of his new unshaven look. Cursing his luck, he stepped into the waiting tub-full of water. And leapt out immediately.
"Bloody hell!" instead of the cool soak he'd expected, he had filled the tub full of hot water instead.
Of all the rotten luck. And on a Sunday too.
Mitsui groaned as something occurred to him. 'Sundaes Everyday-where everyday's a sundae!'
Smile Mitsui, smile.
Rukawa chose not to wake his sempai up that morning. Mitsui hadn't looked too happy yesterday. Maybe it was just pms. Anyhow, Rukawa decided to train alone that morning. He wanted to clear his mind and straighten out his thoughts. Today was the day he, Rukawa Kaede, was going to turn Mitsui Hisashi out. Hopefully, all normality would return with it. Sempai was such trouble and he didn't want trouble- not now, not ever.
So why did he keep missing his shots?
"NYAHAHAHA!!! Kitsune, you're skills seem to be getting worse!" came that all-too familiar laughter.
"D'aho."
"TEME!!!" Sakuragi tensed, then his face relaxed as he broke into a grin. "The tensai will not bother with the kitsune today because the tensai is going out with Haruko-san today!"
"Daho."
"It's not a date Hanamichi," Miyagi stepped out from behind the redhead, "We're just going to walk her to the library like we promised taisho."
"It IS a date Ryochin! But of course you wouldn't know what a date is when you've never gone out with Ayako-san!"
"Baka!" Miyagi flushed crimson, "You don't know what you're talking about so shut up!"
"TEME!!!"
"D'aho."
"Urusai kitsune!"
"Stay out of this Rukawa!"
"D'aho. I wasn't going to interfere."
Both stopped their strangling of the other and stared at him.
"By the way Rukawa, you seem rather…. preoccupied," observed Miyagi, looking him over.
"Of course he is! The kitsune's thinking of how the tensai is better than him in every way!"
Silence.
"Oi," prodded Sakuragi.
"Ehe," continued Miyagi, "so what's on your mind?"
"Betsuni."
"Should have known. Anyhow, we should be on our way Hanamichi. Haruko might already be waiting."
"AAAAAHHHHH!! The tensai almost forgot about the time! Let's go Ryochin! We mustn't keep Haruko-san waiting!" with that, he dragged a protesting Miyagi away.
'Strange,' thought Rukawa as he picked up the ball, 'does it show?'
'We wonder,' added the voice.
Sendoh glanced at his watch for the nth time before he was convinced that there was no more time to waste. It was now or never.
'Hiro-kun…' he thought as he pushed open the door, 'you'd better be right about this………'
"Mitsui-san."
Mitsui froze in mid-wipe. Fearing the worst, he turned slowly towards the counter. Sure enough, Sendoh stood there, in all his handsome glory. Mitsui breathed in sharply.
"Sendoh." Was all he said.
An uncomfortable silence followed as both boys stared at each other, both uncertain of how to proceed.
"Well---" they both began at the same time.
Sendoh cracked a smile and the corners of Mitsui's mouth twitched.
"You go first," offered Sendoh generously.
"I'm sorry." Mitsui stared hard at the linoleum floor.
"For?"
"Shoving you."
Sendoh tried not to smile too much. "But don't you always do that?"
Mitsui turned pink. "You know what I mean. Off-court."
"We were on-court yesterday," he pointed out helpfully.
Mitsui's head snapped up as he gave the younger boy a withering look.
"You could make it easier for me you know," he said dryly.
"I know, but where's the fun in that?"
"Sendoh……."
"Sorry," he laughed, "go on."
"Well," Mitsui began again, "I shouldn't have done that. Reacted so violently I mean."
"Yep, you shouldn't have," agreed Sendoh completely.
That earned him an appraising glare.
"I was just…….. caught off-guard that's all." A flush crept into the boy's features.
"Really." Sendoh's voice was unexpectedly gentle.
Mitsui risked a glance at him. There was a small smile on the boy's face but otherwise he didn't look any different than usual.
"In a good way or bad?" the Ryonan player asked, head cocked slightly.
"Um, in a good way I guess."
Mitsui felt an undeserved sense of satisfaction as Sendoh beamed at him.
"Forgive me?" he asked almost meekly.
"You needn't ask," came the gracious response.
Mitsui returned the smile. "So what did you want to say?"
"Me?"
Mitsui nodded.
"Well I just wanted to claim what was mine," Sendoh winked suggestively at Mitsui who flushed crimson and looked away.
"There's no rush is there?" he whispered, staring out the window, "We can take it slow can't we?" He sounded almost pleading.
"I'll wait for you how long it takes Mitsui-san," came the reply, "you needn't worry."
By some peculiar twist of fate, Rukawa found himself outside the parlor where Mitsui worked. 'Hell,' he thought, 'since I'm already here, I might as well get something.'
And so he entered.
'What the?' he thought as he saw who Mitsui was attending to at the counter. There was no one else in the store save for the three of them.
He turned abruptly to leave but not before Mitsui caught sight of him. Their eyes met and….. held.
'So what's this called Rukawa?' piped his inner voice, 'If this isn't attraction, then what is?'
'Go away,' replied Rukawa distractedly. Sempai's eyes were captivating and he wanted to be left alone to admire them.
'If this isn't attraction, what is?' taunted the voice, 'Are you still going to turn him out after this?'
'Go away.'
'Can you bear to let him go?'
'I………don't know.' thought Rukawa, drowning in those pools of blue.
'There you go!' said the voice smugly.
"Hey Rukawa, what's up?" greeted Sendoh cheerfully.
Rukawa broke eye contact with his sempai to glare at his nemesis. "D'aho."
The other boy laughed, then turned to Mitsui.
"Well Mitsui-san, I've got some errands to run but we'll catch up later, ne?" he leaned forward and planted a light kiss on his lips, "Don't miss me too much."
Mitsui rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Dream on Sendoh."
"Oh I will," laughed the boy, "very pleasant liquid ones."
"Get out of here." Mitsui blushed yet again and Rukawa stared. He never saw this side of his sempai before and he's like to see it more often.
"Looks cute doesn't he?" whispered Sendoh as he passed, "No one can resist that blush."
Rukawa remained stoic and inexpressive. Sendoh didn't know how right he was.
Rukawa stared as his sempai went about preparing the mixtures and refilled the containers with chocolate bits, M&Ms™, oats, fudge and every other topping imaginable. Sendoh had long gone and both of them hadn't uttered a word since yesterday.
Rukawa noticed the light stubble on his sempai's chin and decided right then that he liked it. It gave his sempai a more mature air.
'He's just standing there. Why not say hello?' suggested the devil within.
'Maybe I will.'
"Sempai."
Mitsui looked up and was immediately attacked viciously on the lips. Rukawa took advantage of his surprise to force entry into his mouth. Mitsui moaned as Rukawa stroked his thigh, and, the younger boy, encouraged, pushed his sempai gently down on the counter where he could ravage his sweet, sweet lips.
"Shit, you're barbaric," panted Mitsui as Rukawa sank his teeth into his neck. "Stop it."
"Why." Was the reply.
"Because this isn't right."
"Why." Rukawa licked his sempai's swollen lips.
"Because I'm not a willing partner so this amounts to an outraging of my modesty."
"What modesty?"
"Shit Rukawa. You're freaky when you're like this."
"Oh?"
Mitsui didn't say much else as he was locked in another passionate kiss with the other boy.
"And because I'm not supposed to do this," he continued after they broke apart for air.
"Why."
"Because I'm with Sendoh that's why."
"Forget him," Rukawa said dismissively, kissing him hungrily.
"Iie." Mitsui pushed him away gently, "I can't do that."
"Why not?" argued Rukawa, slightly annoyed.
Because I like him. He's nice, he's funny and he's good-looking," Mitsui's eyes glazed over as he thought of Sendoh, "oh, and he likes me too."
"So do I," growled Rukawa. Why couldn't sempai just forget about the stupid porcupine?
"You don't like me. It's lust that you're feeling, nothing more."
"Does it matter?"
"Yes."
Mitsui pushed Rukawa aside and straightened his uniform.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to open the store."
Author's notes: so how's this? I really, really am torn- should I make this a MitSen or a MitRu? I love 'em both and I can't decide. !-! can we have a vote?