Chapter three: Rainy Day

Disclaimers: I still own Raven, Ki, Umi, and the (lack of a?) plot.

Summary: Hiroki's in a depression. Wow. Spike finds out an interesting secret of his friend's. Whatever could it be? Now we're getting somewhere.

Thunder crashed outside as the rain spattered mercilessly against the windowpane. Hiroki sat on his bed staring blankly out at the tempest that raged outside. This was the third time in the past week it had rained, and Hiroki was starting to think that some higher power was trying to tell him something. He flopped down on his bed, feeling in the lowest of depressions; the pouring rain on the other side not lightening his dark mood in the least. Just as he nearly drifted off to sleep, someone began knocking frantically at the door.

"Who's there?" he mumbled. A muffled voice from the other side said,

"Hikaru."

"Go away," was Hiroki's response. He didn't feel like dealing with anyone right now, especially someone who made him think of Spike.

"You have to come down! Spike's awake!" Hikaru practically squeaked. At this Hiroki bounded to the door and snatched it open.

"If you're lying, I swear I'll make you miserable," he growled. Hikaru shook his head quickly, then motioned for Hiroki to follow him. They raced down the stairs to a research room- now modified to be an infirmary- where Spike had been kept.

"Hey guys," Spike said softly as Hiroki and Hikaru walked in. He was sitting up, though just that task looked rather painful judging by his facial expression. Hiroki's face suddenly cracked into a grin and he rushed over to greet his recovering friend in a great hug. Hikaru plopped down on the end of Spike's bed, thoroughly relieved that his cousin finally woke up.

Spike, however, was trying to maintain a blush that started to creep up his face, as Hiroki still hadn't freed him.

"Umm… Hiroki… You can let go now," Spike mumbled, at which Hikaru laughed quietly in response to. Hiroki realized that he had held on to Spike entirely too long and released him quickly.

"Where'd Hikaru go?" Spike asked making Hiroki turn to face the spot where Hikaru sat only a moment ago to find the younger boy was nowhere in sight.

"I don't know," the blue-haired boy shrugged.

"Anyways… Who won?" Spike now inquired, giving Hiroki a moment to face him inquisitively before realizing what had been asked.

"We forfeited, Shushuku won," was the indifferent reply. The red-head's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You did what?!" he yelled and attempted to stand up in protest, but collapsed back onto his bed coughing, "How could you forfeit?"

"You're seriously asking that?" Hiroki asked incredulously, "You could have died."

"But I didn't. We won't forfeit the next tournament; no matter what happens to me" Spike stated.

Hiroki shook his head, "What if you're killed? Don't you ever think about these things? Do you ever think about what could've happened to you?!"

"But I'm still here! It doesn't matter what could've happened because it didn't!" the blue-eyed boy shot back as he sat up painfully, "It's my choice to make! I happened to like that tournament."

"Spike! Don't you get it? It's not just that you could've died, but you almost did! And not just that, how do you think we would have felt! How do you think I would've felt?! I've known you since we were kids! I can't live a normal life with you dead! Why can't you think about these things?! Why can't you learn from the past?!" At this point, Hiroki was in full hysterics and had Spike not been more than willing to match wits at the moment, his friend's unnerving lack of composure would have had him slightly scared.

"That's the problem with you, Hiroki. You never think as much into the future; you're always stuck on the 'what-if's'! You never think that things turned out the way they did for a reason, you think I'm just some lucky idiot who manages to cheat my way out of dying or being hurt! I do think things over, but I don't let them consume me! I don't let past scrapes dictate how I live my life- or how I die! I just learn from mistakes, they make me stronger!"

Spike fell back onto his pillow, drained from his outburst. Hiroki just stared at his friend for what seemed like an eternity, until finally giving up.

"I'm sorry. I just don't want to lose my best friend; can't you imagine how much life would suck? I don't like thinking about it. I just wish you understood…" he trailed off. Spike quirked his eyebrow curiously,

"Understood what?"

Hiroki shook his head, "Nothing. It's none of your business."

"But you started saying something. I wanna know what the rest is," Spike said, "I hate when people do that. If you don't wanna tell me, you should've kept it to yourself."

"It's none of your business," the blue-haired boy repeated.

"Please?" his red-headed friend whined, "Tell me!"

"No!"

Spike suddenly grinned, "Fine then, keep your secrets, I'll find out eventually. I always do."

Hiroki instinctively thought of where he hid his journal. He had to make sure Spike wouldn't get it this time. The red-head's usual ploy of finding Hiroki's secrets was to exploit the all-knowing leather-bound notebook: a.k.a. Hiroki's Journal. If Hiroki had something he wanted to keep from Spike, it went in the journal, and was soon discovered; Spike didn't like secrets. Generally, Hiroki didn't care that Spike somehow located and read the notebook of doom, nothing within its worn-out pages would ever threaten the stability of their friendship. This time, however; the sacred information within must be guarded carefully; if Spike found it, Hiroki would certainly meet his end.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Three weeks had passed and Spike recovered nearly completely. He also did not forget to attempt a theft of Hiroki's journal any time possible. Because of these attempted lifts of the said notebook, Hiroki made very certain to safeguard it in his back pocket.

All was quiet through the Shinotaro laboratory that day as Hiroki lay on his stomach in the so-called living room while reading- more or less sleeping. So deep in sleep was he, that he didn't hear Spike tromp into the room. The redhead suddenly grinned; now was the perfect opportunity to snatch the damned book while Hiroki was dead asleep. He walked lightly over to his friend's sleeping form and carefully pulled the journal out from Hiroki's back pocket.

What Spike didn't notice once he sat down and opened the book, was that while removing it from Hiroki's pocket he had awoken his friend.

"Spike!!!" Hiroki yelled as he lunged for Spike. The redhead's eyes grew wide as he dodged the blue-haired boy's tackle.

"No! You can't have it!" Spike protested. Hiroki lunged again and tackled Spike to the ground.

"Give it back!" he growled, reaching for it while Spike was keeping it out of reach. The redhead grinned evilly and tossed the journal to the other end of the room. Hiroki took a second to glare at the blue-eyed boy before going after the notebook with Spike following.

Hiroki grabbed the fallen book and hugged it tightly just as Spike came careening into his friend, knocking him over. Spike pinned Hiroki to the floor, trying all the while to pull the journal from the other's grasp.

As if on cue, Umi and Natsumi came in from the kitchen with the sight of Spike sitting on top of Hiroki to greet them. Umi was drinking from her glass as she came in, so when she failed at holding her laughter back the two boys were showered with cola.

"Don't let us interrupt you," Natsumi managed to say between tears of laughter, both from the sight before her and because of Umi spewing her cola in laughter. The girls walked around them and headed up the stairs laughing still uncontrollably.

Noting Hiroki's distraction, Spike snatched the journal from Hiroki's relaxed grip and bolted upstairs. When he reached he and Hiroki's room, the redhead locked the door and climbed up to his bunk.

Hiroki tore upstairs after Spike only to find that the door had been locked. He began pulling at the knob angrily then slammed his fist into it.

"Damnit Spike!" he yelled furiously, still unsuccessfully trying to take down the door. Spike ignored his friend's cursing on the other side as he flipped through the countless entries whose information he already knew. Finally, the most recent entry.

July 22

Spike's my best friend, right? He's always been there, I could always count on him. Then why does being around him now feel so different? I swear something's wrong with me… I might lose him now, I never should've talked him into competing in that fucking tournament. I had to be so damn stupid! He never even trained for it! If he dies, I'll never be able to live with myself. I won't. You see? That's my problem, I need him. I wouldn't be able to go on with life without him.

Now it comes down to it. I think I may be falling in love with my best friend.

BANG!!

The redhead nearly jumped out of his skin at the noise. He heard Hiroki's infuriated yelling,

 "Damnit Spike! Open the fuckin door!"

Spike stared at the door blankly, stunned at what the pages of the journal revealed. He glanced back down at the book and skimmed over the entry to make sure it was real, then closed the notebook with a sudden grin. He hopped off the top bunk and traveled to the other end of the room to unlock the door; which was nearly off its hinges thanks to Hiroki's angry attempts to break it down.

Spike was met by his friend's severely irate face the moment he opened the door. Hiroki gave Spike a look that would surely kill a person twice, and snatched the journal from the redhead's hand.

"Hey, Hiroki?" Spike started, but stopped short as his golden eyed friend glared at him with a look reminiscent only of the time when he was under Specter's power. The redhead swallowed hard and decided now was not the best time to speak.

"Shut up," Hiroki snapped, as he turned to stalk off he muttered under his breath, "I hate you."

Spike stood for a moment blinking stupidly, wondering what had just happened, before choosing to follow the livid boy.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hiroki sat on the dock behind the lab watching the sun begin its descent toward the horizon. His boots were set beside him as he dipped his feet in the water. He felt the dock quaver slightly beneath him with the weight of approaching footsteps. Spike took a seat beside his subdued friend. He sat quietly for a few moments, not daring to move; just staring intently at the ripples Hiroki's feet made in the water. Spike dropped something next to Hiroki's leg.

"I didn't think you'd get so mad," Spike apologized as Hiroki picked his journal up and put it back in his pocket.

"It's not the first time I've taken you're book, and you've never gotten pissed about it before so…" the red-head continued, "I didn't think I was out of line. Anyways, I don't see what you were so worried about in it. Nothing I would make a stink about if I kept a diary-uh, journal."

Hiroki looked Spike in the face now.

"Did you even read last week's?" he asked. Spike nodded.

"The 22nd?" he asked again, and again Spike nodded; Hiroki breathed a sigh of relief, "I should've known you wouldn't ditch me over that. I think I big time insulted you friendship."

"I am a little peeved that you think so little of me," Spiked joked, "God, how shallow do you think I am?"

A few more moments of awkward silence then,

"Dammit," Spike cursed. He reached behind Hiroki's head and pulled the other boy into a quick kiss. The feeling lasted several minutes after as Hiroki looked at Spike with a puzzled expression.

"HEY YOU TWO!! THE PROFESSOR'S ORDERING TAKEOUT!! COME IN IF YOU WANT SOMETHING!!" Natsumi bellowed from the backdoor of the lab; almost completely ruining the moment. Spike stood up and headed back to the lab; after all true love was nothing next to a growling stomach.

To be continued in Chapter four…

A/N: Hiroki has some serious issues, ya? I had to put that closing in, really I did. I had to ruin the happy moment.