Disclaimers: I don't own Slam Dunk. I am not making money out of this, so please don't sue. No copyright infringement intended.
Author's Notes: Koshino POV. For those of you who are waiting for an update for "Loving Koshino", I'm working on it, okay? I'm sorry for being slow to update. And thank you so much for the reviews! You guys are the best! *huggles*
The Guy in Between (from Two Lovers Arc)
by AJ Maxwell
Chapter One: Lured
It was quite a windy day. The clouds were a bit thick and gray--it looked like rain, but even if it suddenly rained hail in Kanagawa, I knew it wouldn't stop me and my two best friends in the whole world in watching Spider Man.
No. We weren't not crazy about the movie. Actually, Ikari and I weren't. It was only Akira who claimed that he'd absolutely die if he failed to watch his favorite web-swinging hero on the movie screen. Really. Well, Ikari was indifferent about it, as usual, but he said he would go with whatever I wanted.
And what I really wanted...eto...*blush* I really wanted to watch A Walk to Remember, which Akira promptly shot down, saying he wouldn't watch a sissy movie in public, even if he'd be doing it for his best bud Hiro-kun. *snort* And he claimed to be my best friend. Ikari, on the other hand, looked a bit gray when I suggested it, so I relented and said we'd watch Spider Man, on the condition that we'd watch A Walk... in their house the week after exams.
Oh yeah. And the reason why nothing could stop us from watching it today was that we have exam week after this, and Ikari and I will be too busy the next few days studying. Akira will be his usual goofball annoying self, but he'll be studying as well. I mean, he couldn't always wheedle Ikari into taking some of his tests, pretending to be his younger brother.
Oh. I think I forgot to mention that Ikari and Akira are twins.
"Oi! Hiro-kun! Come on, we need to get good seats!"
I smiled. That's Akira. He's funny, energetic, annoying, kind-hearted, wears his hair in this weird, spiky, hedgehog style, and we're both crazy about basketball. Also, he's the only person in the world whom I allow to call me that. Truthfully, I would have allowed Ikari, the older twin, to call me that, too, but he calls me--
"Hiroaki," he smiled and waved at me, his black hair falling over his blue eyes and brushing his black-rimmed glasses.
"Hey," I greeted them as I came nearer. "I'm not late, Akira, so stop fidgeting there."
"We should go in now or we might as well be late," he replied. "And the snack line is getting longer!"
I sighed, and I vaguely heard Ikari do the same.
"Lead the way, otouto," Ikari said, then placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. I smiled wanly at him, and his eyes twinkled like so, just like when Akira--
"Oi, guys!"
Akira's loud, jolting voice made the two of us jump. I glared at him, while Ikari only adjusted his glasses. "What?!" I spat out.
He just grinned at me in that way that effectively puts a Pachinko machine gone crazy in my stomach. My breathing caught, and all I saw was his cute, handsome, adorable face smiling like that at me.
"Hiro-kun?"
A huge hand waved itself in front of my face, and I blinked away the daze that I was in. "N-nani?"
"I was asking," Akira repeated patiently, "Cheese, sour cream, butter, or plain?"
I blinked again. "What?"
"He's asking you what popcorn flavor you want," Ikari supplied to me helpfully, sounding a bit perturbed.
"Oh. Plain."
"Okay, Hiro-kun! One plain popcorn coming up!" And then he told the vendor, "I'll have a huge tub of butter popcorn, a huge tub of cheese popcorn for my aniki, and a huge tub of sour cream popcorn for this short guy here--"
"Akira! Who are you calling short?!" I shouted at him, which earned us curious looks from the people surrounding us. Embarrassed, I toned it down, and grumbled at him, "And I said plain, not sour cream, you baka."
He just rolled his eyes, and says, "Hiro-kun, Hiro-kun. You know I never give you anything plain."
"So why the hell did you ask?!"
"Guys," Ikari stepped in between us. "We're causing delay." He reached for his wallet and paid for our snacks. "Let's go and get those good seats."
We walked away from the snack bar, with Akira almost skipping happily with his yucky tub of butter popcorn and his huge tumbler of chocolate and strawberry milkshake. I fumed silently.
"Hiroaki."
I looked up at Ikari, and his kind smile eased my irritation. His smile had a different effect compared to his brother's smile. Akira's smile messed me up inside, while Ikari's had a calming effect. "Hm?"
"I'll trade you my cheese popcorn if you hate sour cream," he offered timidly. "Really. It's okay."
I blinked. "Oh." Then, I looked at his tub of lurid artificial cheese-flavored popcorn, and I had to hide my grimace. The sour cream looked much more to my liking. "No thanks," I said. "I know how you love cheese flavor. Besides, sour cream isn't that bad."
"Okay."
As we settled ourselves in our seats, with Ikari on my left, and Akira on my right, I took a sip of my drink, expecting ice cold water, when the taste that hit my tongue made me want to vomit.
"Ack! What the hell is this?! Akira!"
"SSSSSHHHHHH!!!" The girl behind us shushed me. I glared at her, which was futile in the lack of substantial light.
Akira whispered to my ear, his cold, chocolate-and-strawberry-milkshake smelling breath tickling my neck. "It's soursaupe, papaya, and lemon shake. Nice combination, huh?"
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Yeah. It's really nice," I whispered back.
His white teeth flashed at me in the dark. "I knew our tastes would finally agree, Hiro-kun."
"Yeah." I nodded. I took off the lid and the straw. "It's a great combination to dump onto your lap."
The freezing drink made a satisfying squelch sound against the front of his jeans, and even though he didn't shout and panic in the theatre, his utter embarrassment from the disgusted looks that people aimed at his wet crotch after the movie made all my troubles worth it.
÷
I had expected him to bolt straight up and run to the men's room, but he had calmly grabbed the wads of napkins from Ikari and quickly cleaned himself up. That disappointed me. He didn't embarrass himself, and the worse part was that he's not talking to me anymore.
I turned up my nose at this. He asked for it. First, the "short guy" comment, then the popcorn fiasco, then the shake.
He'll talk to me after the movie.
Minutes into the movie, Ikari poked my arm. "Hm?"
"I'll share you my drink."
"What is it?"
"Rootbeer," he whispered apologetically.
"OK. You don't mind?"
"Of course not."
"Arigato."
..."Anything for you, Hiroaki."
His words puzzled me. He'd been saying that a lot lately. It was like a new sentence that he's just learned and couldn't keep from saying again and again. Hm. Oh well. Ikari's always been kind and sweet...
÷
Akira wouldn't talk to me.
Of course, when your best friend stopped talking to you, you'd feel bad. That's how I felt right now...No. Make it horrible. I felt horrible and I hated myself for making Akira treat me like this.
Well, he went too far, and he really pissed me off. He always did that; it's like he'd die if he doesn't get me pissed off at him every week. I tried not to be bothered by him, but he's always there, you know. Always smiling and always making me feel so out of control.
"Hiroaki, are you alright?"
We're several steps behind Akira. I voiced out my concern, caring to not let Akira hear. "Akira won't talk to me."
Ikari ran his fingers through his hair, and quipped, "Again?"
"Hm."
"You know he'll talk to you again," he told me, matter-of-factly. "Dumping that shake on him was a bit harsh, even for you, Hiroaki, but he's been trying his best to annoy you. He only got what he deserved. He's got to grow up some time."
"Well, I still feel horrible about it," I confessed. Ikari understood. "I know he'll talk to me again, but when he's like this to me, it's like, something's eating me alive from the inside."
"I... I know how you feel."
"Honto?"
"Hai."
I sighed. "You know, you're my only best friend who understands me."
Ikari shook his head vehemently at this. "Don't say that, Hiroaki," he said, his ocean blue eyes earnest. "Akira understands you, too. It's just that he's so different from you, but really, he also understands you."
"I almost forgot. Brothers stand up for each other," I said dryly.
He smiled. "That, too. But he really does understand you, and you're important to him. I know he also feels bad about what happened. He also knows that it's his fault--he'll apologize later, you'll see."
And then he wrapped his right arm around me, giving me a lingering squeeze. I happily smiled up at him. I trusted Ikari's judgment. I knew he's always right. "Thanks, Ikari."
"Anything for you, Hiroaki."
"Ahem."
I looked up, a bit startled from the interruption. "Akira."
He wasn't looking at me, however. He faced Ikari, and said, his voice neutral, "I'll walk Hiro-kun from here, aniki."
Ikari nodded, but said, "Ask him."
He looked uneasy, then a bit guarded, but he turned to me and asked, "May I walk you home, Hiro-kun?"
I looked at Ikari gratefully, and he smiled reassuringly. "Go ahead. I'll see you at home, Akira," he said, and walked away.
"Hiro-kun?" He looked at me nervously.
I nodded. "Let's go."
÷
We slowed our pace, shortened our steps. We walked a foot apart, not looking at each other. I looked calm, but my heart hammered madly inside me. I really couldn't bear the silence, but I wasn't the one who's supposed to break it.
"Hiro-kun?"
"H-hai?" I shivered. The wind blew stronger, and I didn't even bring a windbreaker with me.
"You're cold. Come here."
Then I was nestled in Akira's arms, his warmth spreading through me gradually. I struggled in his embrace. I could feel my face turning red, and I finally protested, "Akira! What if people see--"
He tightened his arms, and I ceased struggling. "I don't care, Hiro-kun. You're cold, I'm cold, and we need to talk."
I buried my face in his shirt, and my words were muffled when I spoke, "You don't want to be called sissy, but you don't care if people think we're gay?"
"MPHUMTBNKGAY?"
I scowled up at him. "Don't start, Akira."
He just chuckled softly, and we stopped walking. The street was deserted, and I didn't feel as embarrassed as before. "I said--"
"I heard you, Hiro-kun," he cut in, his index finger lingering on my lips. "So, you thought we were being gay?"
A hot flush stole up my face again, and I stammered, "I d-didn't say that! We weren't, but other people--"
His blue eyes pointedly looked at me. "We were only being ourselves, Hiro-kun. We're close friends, and we comfort each other in times of need. People can't fault us for that, you know."
I sighed. "I know."
Blue pools lit up at me, and he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling up as he did so. "So, we're still friends, ne?"
Something jumped in my chest, and I fought hard not to smile back. I raised an eyebrow instead. "You haven't apologized for the 'short guy' comment, for the popcorn, and for the shake."
Akira laughed aloud, and said, "You are one vindictive guy, Koshino Hiroaki."
I pouted. "Hmph. So?"
Akira shook his head, smiling all the while. "Okay. I'm sorry for calling you short, for not ordering plain, and for giving you soursaupe, papaya, and lemon shake instead of your boring iced water."
I nodded, pleased. "Apology accepted. And I'm sorry for dumping the shake on your crotch."
Now it was him who raised an eyebrow at me. "As much as I love you, sorry won't cut it this time, Hiro-kun."
My head swam at what he said, and a smile found itself on my lips. As much as I love you...
"Hiro-kun?"
I blinked. "Who's being vindictive now?" I managed to blurt out, albeit breathlessly.
He pouted, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Didn't you notice how people looked at me as if I was some kind of pervert? They all thought I was jerking myself off during the movie!"
I rolled my eyes. "Well, you are a hentai sometimes, Akira."
Akira mock-glared at me. "So that's supposed to make things okay?!"
I scowled. "I didn't say that!"
"You implied it!"
"You're imagining things, Akira."
"I am not!"
I sighed. "I only said that you could be a hentai sometimes. I didn't say that since you're a hentai sometimes, it's okay for other people to think that you are."
He stepped closer. "See! You did imply it!"
"I did not!" I exclaimed hotly.
"Yes, you did!" he insisted.
"Did not!"
He took another step. "Did!"
"Did not!"
We stood only a few inches apart. "You did!"
"I did--mmph"
My breath hitched, and my heart seemed to explode inside me. W-what was happening?
The soft pressure from my lips slowly pulled away, and hot breath wafted over my neck, lips, and nose. I opened my eyes, and his solemn expression greeted me. I couldn't recognize the look in his eyes. The cool blue of his eyes seemed to burn just then, and I gasped for air, learning to breathe again.
I was loathe to break the moment.
He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, the burning fire in his eyes were somewhat subdued. He stepped back, and grinned. "See? You admitted it yourself," he said jokingly.
I gaped at him, confused and not knowing what to do, and what to feel. I'd always known that I liked him an inch past the borderline of being friends and being more than friends. I admired him a lot, I liked him a lot, and I think he's really cute. I'd imagined things like this a few times, but I always brushed them aside. I'd wondered how his lips would feel on mine, but I had never imagined this--
That he'd steal my first kiss just because of a stupid banter gone out of bounds.
I didn't know. I felt like punching his face, getting angry, feeling all warm and sappy, feeling nervous, betrayed, horrified, and happy. I didn't know what to do, so I struggled to act unaffected, and stated the obvious. "Akira, I really think we just did a gay thing," I slowly told him.
The self-satisfied look on his face faded as he blinked at me a few times. "Huh?"
I really wanted to shout at him and flatten his hedgehog hairstyle with my fists, but the extreme feelings roiling inside me caught me in an impenetrable daze. "You just kissed me," I said, a note of desperation creeping into my voice.
He gaped at me, looking horrified, and then, "Hiro-kun...gomen nasai!"
He pushed me away, nearly throwing me onto a couple of trash bins on the sidewalk. "Akira?"
"I'm really sorry, Hiro-kun."
He ran away from me, and when he looked back one last time, I saw the fear and regret evident in his eyes.
Finished August 2002
Revised: April 22, 2003
