Disclaimer: I don't own SD boys, Inoue does. The events that follow are not included in the original plot but enjoy anyway.

A/N: Yes! This is the last chapter. (laughs diabolically) Thanks to Castor and Pollux for the idea, and to my dear reviewers; Kaara, Mifune, Mistress KC, HM (your name's quite a tongue twister) and to everybody. I wouldn't have the patience to finish this without you all (sheds a tear). Anyway, this is kinda inedited so just forget the errors.

Warning: language. Lotsa swearing.

Chapter III: The Visitor

I briskly shuffled through our gate path to ward off prying eyes. People just kept gawking at me since they noticed this sour freak in a pair of semi transparent pyjamas with a 10 bill beer case latched between his hands. Yeah, it was an outlandish spectacle; especially at 8 in the morning when the neighborhood was still scratching off the sleepiness out of its eyes. I continued to pace leisurely till I came upon the mystical threshold of house number 27.

I wrenched the door open only to be amazed by the fact that my visitor was still stiff as a granite statue. He actually busied himself surveying the slab-sided sofa bed that squatted before him; I couldn't tell which was duller, each seemed to accuse one another of the same flaw; 'You're so boring.' But there was a breakthrough; he practically changed his position and leaned a little closer to the back of the seat; other than that, he was still destabilized and lulled to a permanent speechlessness. For some reason, i was suddenly upbeat to see Rukawa in his chronic ineptitude. Why was he so obedient to me? I told him not to move and guess what? He didn't and without a fret, making me feel like I was really the honcho here; I thought the only holy man in his eyes was Anzai-sensei. That almost made me feel sorry for my former, over-acted agitation. I smiled wolfishly and dumped the beer case in front of him.

'There. We can throw a little party here,' I cheered while surveying the size of our living room. 'We can invite a couple of our pals and drown ourselves with beer. We can actually conduct a slumber party!'

Slumber party? Whoever heard of a slumber party that starts in the morning? Whatever. Rukawa just nodded periodically to signify assent. I had no idea if he was enthused by my plans but one thing was certain; I wasn't hired to perform a sedentary job and pay hell by playing a staring game with Rukawa for half a day. So I decidedly considered to make calls as my only resort. The first one that came to mind was Kogure. Then I figured that the gink was a parent boy; he'd rather have Shohoku lose a devastating match against Takezono than to drop a milliliter of alcohol on his tongue. Then flashed Miyagi. Brilliant, I thought. The first time I went out with Miyagi was listed as one of my most fun moments and I have no doubt he drank. Though he wasn't exactly a party going sot. I eagerly punched his number on the dial buttons.

'Hi there. This is Ryochin. I'm not home right now. Call back 15 hours later.' said his squeaky, hey-I'm-lying voice. Oh deuce. So he wasn't home at 8 in the morning? What could be...? He was a lover boy, naturally. That explained it; Miyagi never returned or answered phone calls unless it was from Ayako or Anzai. That being figured, I was now left with two dire options; Akagi or Sakuragi. I jammed the speaker down with a picqued grunt, totally incinerated by my frustrations. What if none of them was available? Doomsday would sure come too early for me. I settled on Akagi and clicked his home number only to be disappointed by a recurrent buzz.

beep...beep...beep...flowed the shirty tempo of the infamous busy tone. Damn! Where the crap was everybody? I almost wring my head in fiasco.

But there was still the red head ape...The reason why I didn't right away put the make on Sakuragi was that I was rather loath to tell him that we had company. Rukawa. It would just invoke all the hugger-mugger under the sun through wires if I went like, 'Come over, kid. There are lots to swive here. Even Rukawa is here.' No, I realized that would make my day even more stale. He would refuse it 200 per cent on the money if he knew I was with Rukawa. And then he'd go berserk, entertaining no thoughts of rehabilitation or reconciliation with Rukawa. He wouldn't even do it for my sake; he was generally pitiless and self centered. The depraved cave man. But I was the one at stakes here and my life was no question my primary concern. I elected to give my shrewdness a try. I slat Sakuragi's phone number on the box. 1-700-56938.

ring...ring...ring. It worked! I was ready to jump and bump my head on the ceiling.

'Hanamichi here. What?' Sprang his voice. Laziness was mingling with it.

'Mornin',' Sakuragi. Does a drinking party at my place sound good to you?' I asked hurriedly and excitedly.

'Yeah, I guess. But it's too early-'

'Never mind that. Both our schedule is vacant. I'll wait for you even if you come late. Just promise you will,' I grumbled with a fussy shiver. He can't say no. He can't say no. He can't say no. My mind was being drilled.

'Sure thing. Uhm, who else is going?' He asked in a make-it-fast tone.

'No one.' I lied and cast a skittish glance at Rukawa who was still endorsing the same blank look that resembled oddly a scowl. 'Everybody's out. But that doesn't mean 2 can't party, ayt?' I finished apologetically.

'Fine. In an hour.' Sakuragi replied peremptorily. End of the deal; I was saved. It was as if I had just been injected with sedative drops. But an hour seemed too long.

Time was spherical, and so was life.

I slouched off in front of Rukawa. Pure, unsullied silence was pervading the air like invisible confetti; only the despondent clanging of the grandfather clock in the corner was a disruption. There he was supporting his dysfunctional head and inside it was his defective, minute brain. He was almost a walking good mood repellent who bereaved me specifically of fundamental tolerance. Why did I harbor so much personal aversion towards this boy? Envy; for the execution of his perfect talent? His sky high slams? His fans? Forget it. He was the hoodlum and I was his hostage; unless the circumstances necessitated me to go away from him, I was trapped.

'You want a bottle before we start, Rukawa?' I asked in a calmed attitude. No abhorrence there anymore; I wanted affinity.

'...' He gave a specified "no" by shaking his head lightly. It was like a white balloon, an airhead. Even so, he was being a good boy just like what his mom asked him.

'I'm really sorry but I can't take care of you as your nanny does. I dunno any of those household arts or baby sitting crap; I'm an untutored dick for that field. But we can still have fun, okay?' I said reassuringly as if I were comforting a bruised child.

'...' Rukawa sighed. He was a true blue no-lingual crumb, if not a one liner. Still, he was exhibiting the very same goddamn look that neither indicated assent or disapproval.

'Well, what d'you suppose we do to kill time with while waiting for Sakuragi? I got my to-do list blank today, you know.' I murmured, trying hard not to sound like a manipulative bastard.

'The do'ahou is coming?' Rukawa blurted out in shock, excluding the erstwhile innocence of his cool. Then his deathly gaze shifted into a scornful glare as if I myself were Sakuragi. It all revealed his stocked hatred for the red head.

'Yeah, well I figured it would be boring if we party and carouse by ourselves alone.' I reasoned. I wanted to maintain the I'm-the-boss-here-so-I-make-decisions composure, but it just flopped like a crappy movie.

'He can't, sempai.' Rukawa persisted in a matter I didn't anticipate nor approve of. It was demanding and bossy. I knew he was committed to it and no way was he putting up with that monkey faced red head.

This was what I was trying to avoid but it all seemed inevitable; whichever, nothing was easier.

'Listen, Rukawa.' I leaned my head forward to stress my point. 'This is a weekend and we're supposed to have fun, like teenage hoola boolas. If you're planning to formulate my blow up day just because you hate hanging out with Sakuragi, then be my guest. But note that that wouldn't happen for as long as I am here. It's rather puny, so hooey to hold grudge against someone-'

knock...knock...knock. A heavy set of knuckles thundered the door's surface like an earthquake.

'Mitchan! Tensai is here!' sprouted the familiar, booming voice. Sakuragi just arrived. I looked at Rukawa pleadingly for him to assume splendid cooperation, but he only gave back the typical look of a timorous sonuvabitch.

Click…click...click. The door knob was twisting furiously due to Sakuragi's well supplied effort to quarrel with the instrument. Clearly, he couldn't figure out that it was locked from the inside. I relieved him by quietly unclasping the door.

'Hi Mitchan! I brought some--' Sakuragi halted mysteriously upon coming vis a vis with me. A strange look whelmed his face as if he just saw Akagi transform into a hunky matinee idol. I don't know the exact name of the expression; I only knew that it was the kind that preceded a mocking peal of laughter, then...For a second I noticed that he deliberately averted his gaze as his fiery eyes fell on Rukawa. The pupils further burned with a supercilious hmmph. He was about to say he brought along my favorite street barbecue. Dead meat.

'Oh, he's here? What the fuck is he doing here?' Flared the incensed scarlet top. He pointed a shaky finger at Rukawa.

'Get out, do'ahou.' Retaliated the Kitsune in an outrageous arrogance by furrowing his boasting brow.

'Yap out, Rukawa!' I warned and shot him a menacing, watch-yourself-dude look. 'Easy, freshies. Sakuragi, Rukawa's here as my responsibility. Rukawa, Sakuragi's here at my invitation. Neither of you are more welcomed than the other so just tag along with the plan, okay?' I continued in a calmer degree.

There was a pause. An intermittent momentary gap that simply said that my plan sucked worse than a stormed backyard party. Between Rukawa and Sakuragi there was no positive mutuality, only discord. I knew I thought better of not asking them to shake hands for Rukawa would blow Sakuragi's top the next moment.

'You're not needed. Scram.' Rukawa spat. Infallible hubris was all there was in his voice. So cheeky in his stature, he seemed like he just beat the crap out of the whole LA Lakers team.

'And you're not a candidate for the conversation, Kitsune. Go get yourself a driver's license and crash yourself to death on the road, it will all give us good!' Snarled the cantankerous Sakuragi. The tension had taken an upswing! I had to do something; this is the time to panic.

'This is childish!' I howled. 'You're team mates, you're supposed to be in sync-'

'Speak for yourself, Mitchy. This is all your goddamn doing. The fuck are you thinking taking Rukawa with you? Oh well, whaddayaknow. I'm leaving.' Sakuragi said with sheer conviction. I had trapped myself in an obscure swamp. How was I going to solve this? I hadn't got a solution...This is making me feel rotten. I thought.

'Hold it, Sakuragi!' I yelled and turned to Rukawa. 'Kaede, be mature enough to think correctly. This is the problem; not just you and me and him. It's the team that gets involved here. Now please, take a seat both of you.' I versed in strangled notes. I wasn't even sure what lectures to give them then.

Then using his most hostile arsenal, Rukawa ignored me; that salty, deliberate ignorance. If he could get more snobbish than that, he would've defined the meaning of clear cut impossible.

'Do'ahou.' Rukawa taunted (OOCly) in an attempt to continue the series of hubble. He was still muttering something under his breath like a dark crafted chanter, and his foxy eyes were rolling malignantly underneath his lids.

'Rukawa, I said shut up.' I howled for the umpteenth time in 4 minutes. My uneasiness was adding to my impatience, plus Rukawa's dour conduct and Sakuragi's threadbare temper and I was done for.

'You can call it your twosome party. I'll just go.' Sakuragi said to cut the litany. So he is playing the good guy. I thought. But I knew that he wasn't kidding. 'And by the way, Mitchy; YOUR FRONT TEETH ARE MISSING.' He slipped away silently, taking with him his justified huff while venting it on his palms.

It no longer mattered if Sakuragi was leaving me behind in this quandary. That whacked me out like I had just been tripped face down on the marble. Frozen on the spot. But I didn't drop on the floor. The gravity beneath me was pulling me harder that I was almost lured to a faint. A look reminiscent of a horror flick was blanketing my face. My thoughts were all rumbled inside my hollow frame. Whenever I tried catching one piece of thought, it just vanished before making contact with my impotent grasp.

MY...FRONT...TEETH...MISSING...What a cruncher. A one scatty finishing blow to this wacky weekend trip. I drew my fingers to my mouth and found the evidence that subtantiated Sakuragi's claims. The dentures weren't there; my point and forefinger fitted between the hollow left by those false beauties, and the curve was empty in the middle. Simply speaking: my 2 glittering, spurious teeth weren't equipped. They were neglected, left forlorn in my bathroom's wash bowl. Why the crap did i have to take them off while sleeping. And it occurred to me; I just went out! Humiliated myself publicly.Omigosh!

I was left in hysterics. I was going insane, utterly losing all operative faculties, as my memories dove in a pit of oblivion.

Then as slowly as the clouds eclipse the sun, it all transpired to me...From the moment I dragged me out of the phony bed. I knew it; the pieces were coming back to narrate the tale. That was why Sakuragi just jaw-dropped when I opened the damned door to him and the chain of strangeness never ended before that. That explained why the stupid cereals were spraying out of my mouth as I chewed; they were slipping through the void left by my 2 front teeth. And Rukawa's mom; she had mole eyes for eyes whose vision is just considerably slightly better than a blind's. She couldn't have suspected that I lost my any teeth. She was exonerated, in other words, clear of blame. Then there were the nosy people in the streets; instead of informing me they made jests by squinting oddly at me. It wasn't about the freaking, stinking pyjamas, it was about my teeth! They would pay me big time. And Mr Inoh...he was gentle minded and careful not to humiliate anyone. He was forgiven. Then came Sakuragi. Nah. I owed him. And then came Rukawa.

He had been there all the while, shattering all logical resistance of an Ice box, he who knew all along but rescinded his knowledge about the 'absence of my phony teeth'...Feel free to curse now, Hisashi. I was thinking though by all means I knew I was going nuts.

'DAMN BASTARD, YOU FILTHY PIECE OF FUCKED UP IMBECILE. WHY THE FUCK DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE A FUCKING MORON OUT OF ME IN THE GODDAMN STREETS? YOU DON'T GIVE A CRAP ABOUT OTHERS' EGO; YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE A BATTALION OF NINCOMPOOPS OUT OF THEM SO YOU'D LOOK SMARTER WHEN IN FACT YOU'RE DUMB AS A KOALA. AAAAAHHHHHH!'

No. I didn't hunch out all those banal profanities. I was too speechless to speak, much less to get myself out of this stunned state. Until,

'It's okay, sempai.' Rukawa grumbled out of the blue.

'This is fucking weak.' I gave out an irrational groan. How dare he? How dare he fucking soothe me when...arggghhhhh.

'You look okay, sempai.' Rukawa again. It sounded so half meant to me.

'...' I just grimaced to show my dissatisfaction. Who was going to buy that now? Me? Look okay without my front teeth? Bullcrap. Even Jude Law would look like a sewer imp sans front teeth.

I still stood there in seamless inactivity when suddenly the inexplicable happened.

Rukawa stretched up and helped me to the sofa. And all I could come up with was some incoherent gurgle, but I wouldn't cuss him. No matter how apparent was the fact that i was brimming with anger.

'You go drink all that beer. The aroma nauseates me. It's your goddamn money anyway.' I said, exhausted by the initial insanity of my lost teeth. Rukawa just watched me with those x ray eyes, the very kind of stare which my eyes couldn't adjust to. It was lucid, full of meaning, the one that could send an evasive chill exploring one's skin gradually. It was almost creepy.

I just looked back at the revolting maniac. He was sort of sneering, or was it just me? He slithered closer to me and huddled beside my larghetto body. At that particular instance, all the numbness swiftly left me for some cause that...He was near me and believe it or not, was actually stroking me. I didn't stop him. I could not. Because I wouldn't. I was drawing comfort from his actions. His face was just an inch apart from mine and I couldn't help remarking, deluded as I was, that he was a knockout. Like wow. I had never touched such translucent skin and so cool, cute face. I was actually in a couch with a heart throb, in my barely-there pajamas. I could've gone wet that second, or perhaps already I was.

Rukawa halted at his fiddling and did that old yawning trick; lifted up his arms and landed them unconsciously on my shoulders. It felt, no other word for it: heavenly.

'Rukawa?'

'Yes, sempai?'

'I'm still sleepy.'

'Me too.'

'Let's go upstairs to my room.'

'Okay.'

That ended the 3 hour crisis. Just like that; I forgot all his offenses against me. It brought back all the expired magnificence of my ideal, perfect rest. Our bodies were way too close together. That was all that mattered.

I don't remember much after that. We might've even gone to the showers together or whatever. The case of Miller Lite remained untouched and was reduced to a damp bunch of warm alcohol. No trace identified that we ever took time drinking it. We might've been good boys after all. And then as wicked as it sounds, upon Mrs. Rukawa's arrival, we immediately persuaded her to let Kaede sleep over at my place. She agreed without an argument and the sleepovers became frequent to the point of regularity. Even until now. It's a wonder how ironic one can get, isn't it? Even I. But the factor happened to be Rukawa; to tell the truth, I've never met anyone as irresistible, as magnetic, as powerful, and as efficient a partner. He doesn't even mind if I'm not wearing my front teeth. Yeah, he's that perfect.

END