Title: Never Again
Author: Hareta
Rating: PG-13 to be safe...
Genre/s: Humor/Angst (???)
Summary: Winning at the Butoukan Cup, the Tobita team is now qualified to join the Asian Cup! At Kaoru's prodding, the boys relented to holding a victory party at Kyousuke's house, with the gearmaster dreading the very idea for some weird phobia he got out of a similar party before. He soon forgets it as things get wild that night...and then Kaoru comes, bringing with her something that will give the rest of poor Kuroudo's evening a bittersweet twist...
Dedication: This is to yuki-chan, one of the reviewers of my previous CGT fic, Pretense. Flames don't bother me (cause I have received too many of them to care anymore) but they do give me the writer's blocks whenever I remember them. So thanks for your message. It cheered me up a lot!
Disclaimers: Standard Disclaimers Applied. I don't own CGT, its characters, gears, and other elements, and can anyone please tell me who does? I really have no clue as to who its creator is...
Notes: Another wild fic, focusing on Kyousuke and Kuroudo again (deliberate shounen-ai this time, be warned), and as senseless as the previous one. By the way, you'll notice that I've used a different writing technique in this fic (I've lossened up a bit), as well as it is relatively shorter than Pretense. If it's not too much of a bother, please tell me which style is better either via review or e-mail and I'll use it in my CGT fics hereafter. Oh, and since this is my second CGT fic, yes, you may now proceed to tying me to a stake like a witch and burn me alive with your flames. LOL

Part 1 : Kyousuke Hates Parties...

"I'm sure you'll see him again someday," Kuroudo reassured his teammate. Jirou had been telling him about his former best friend and catcher, Taki Hiromi, as they walked together to the club that morning.

"I hope so," Jirou answered, opening one of the club's double-doors. They looked at each other upon seeing that no one was there and hurried around the arena to go into the backroom. Kuroudo placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it, opening the door to find Kouya, Lilika, Kaoru and Kyousuke already there.

"I have better things to do than that." They heard Kyousuke say irritably, the black-haired boy facing the computer and his fingers flying over the keyboard. Kuroudo raised an eyebrow, wondering what the heck it was the gearmaster was talking about and who he was speaking to. Listening to him, it sounded like he was pissed off about something.

"What's up, guys?" Jirou asked, lowering his bag on top of the table next to the computer's monitor. Kyousuke pried his eyes off the screen for a second to look at it, before turning back on whatever it is he was doing, research in preparation for the Asian Cup probably.

"You're both late," Kouya told them, ignoring Jirou's question. He looked at Kaoru who was talking animatedly to Lilika and rolled his eyes.

"Not really. It's not as if we have an official meeting today," Kuroudo calmly replied, placing his bag down on the floor. "What's going on in here? Kaoru? Why did you call us to check in?" he asked.

"Oh, Kuroudo, Jirou, you have to talk him into it, please!" Kaoru exclaimed, finally noticing them. Kyousuke groaned in annoyance but still didn't turn around to face them while Kouya rolled his eyes again. Lilika had an amused look on her face and was shaking her head. Kuroudo frowned. Something was definitely up.

"Talk who into what, Kaoru?" he asked her.

"Talk Kyousuke into the victory party!" she all but screamed, a bit too hyper today she really was.

"Victory party?" he echoed incredulously, looking at Jirou who only shrugged back. He turned his gaze to Kouya who only stared back at him and then to Kyousuke who was now looking at the still elated girl with great distaste.

"Yes, the victory party!" she shouted exasperatedly, suddenly standing still and looking straight at him. He only cocked a golden eyebrow at her. "You guys won the Butoukan Cup and are now qualified for the Asian Tournaments, you need to celebrate!" she screeched her explanation.

"Ah, now I understand," Kuroudo muttered, nodding his head. He sighed inwardly and took a quick discreet look at Kyousuke who was looking at him with wide dark eyes. He didn't miss the worry in them and knew full well why he was acting like this. "Kaoru, you must be joking," he said, flinching slightly when he realized he wasn't talking like himself.

"But I'm not! Why do you think that, huh?" she asked him, pouting a little.

"Well, for one thing, where do you think will we be able to hold it?" he asked testily, brushing a few stray strands of blonde hair from in front of his eyes. He tried hard not to smirk as Kaoru's eyes widened and she tried to come up with an answer.

"Um, in-at..." she stuttered and then a triumphant grin broke into her face. "At Kyousuke's place!"

"What?!"

~*~

"I absolutely cannot believe her!" Kyousuke huffed as the four boys walked out of the club late into the afternoon. The other three gearfighters looked at each other and shrugged.

"At least there will only be us boys, the party would be a total nightmare if Kaoru is with us," Kouya pointed out.

"I won't mind much having Lilika with us though..." Jirou mumbled dreamily almost to himself. Fortunately for him, only Kuroudo heard him clearly and decided to let it pass.

"Anyway, do you think your parents will let us hold it at your place, Kyousuke?" Kouya asked.

"I think so. They often say that I should spend more time out of the workroom and with you guys...they don't know what they're suggesting for me to do, not at all...so it should be fine," he answered, a small frown forming on his lips as one of his hands raised mechanically to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "That's not what I'm thinking about. The problem is that I-" He stopped abruptly, realizing that he was about to say. He glanced at Kuroudo who still didn't let show on his handsome face any of what he knew. He involuntarily winced. Or maybe it's because he no longer remembers?

"You..?" Kouya prompted.

"That I have many things to do," Kyousuke finished, luckily not so lamely.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it. You know Kaoru, she won't leave us alone if we don't do this, so we might as well get it over with," Kuroudo finally spoke up and, after a hesitant look that crossed his face for a few seconds before disappearing unnoticed by no one except Kyousuke, placed his right hand on Kyousuke's shoulder. The gearmaster felt a great deal better and more so when he felt the reassuring squeeze before Kuroudo lowered his hand again to his side.

"Ne, don't worry about it, guys!" Jirou said as they reached the intersection from where they would be going separate ways to get home. "It won't be too bad. If anything, we'll just end up chilling out with each other."

'That's just it,' Kyousuke thought wryly as he entered his house and proceeded to his workroom, sitting down glumly in front of his computer. 'I don't chill out. And if this victory party is like anything the one Griffon had before...'

to be continued...