Title: A Dirty Basketball

Disclaimer: If I owned SD, I'd be filthy rich right now and I'd not have to go through fanfics if I wanted to realize this story, y'know.

Pairings: Umm, at the moment, uncertain. But this is not yaoi!

Time Setting: After Shohoku lost to Aiwa. Oh, wait! After the Interhigh was concluded. Yup, the champs are here. Of course, they're my creation. And here, the teams are still complete.

Fictional/New Character: A whole team, actually… Okay, a whole school. This includes the particular person I created, Aki Sendoh, Akira Sendoh's, umm… cousin… hehehe!

POV's: many, maybe most of my lead characters will have their own share

Summary: Aki confesses her feelings to her cousin. Sendoh doesn't answer. (Here we go again with the cousin thingy. Oh, the hell… Just read on.)

Chapter 8: Sunday Morning

NoRMaL PoV

"Hey," Aki said. She sat down beside her cousin, who was sitting on one of the benches in the public basketball court near Aki's house. It was a bright Sunday morning, with just right sunlight and light breezes of wind passing by occasionally. Sendoh was panting, quite tired from practicing all alone.

"Hey," Sendoh said as he wiped himself with a towel. Sweat was dripping off of him.

"You're practicing too hard, Aki smiled and took the towel from her cousin. She, then, carefully wiped the sweat off his face.

"I forgot to tell you yesterday. You played really well," Sendoh said through the towel in Aki's hand, which was on his face.

"I got injured, though," Aki's eyes flashed towards its corners, feeling someone was watching. But no one was in the court except the two of them.

"You arm okay now?"

"Yeah,"

"And I'm not practicing too hard," Sendoh said as Aki put the towel down. "if I want to beat you, I have to always practice,"

"You never said you wanted to beat me,"

"I told that to myself long ago,"

"I'm not all that better anyway,"

"Thanks for the consolation, but I'm not gonna fall for that,"

"It's not a consolation," Aki slapped her cousin's upper arm. "I'm just saying that just because I'm women's MVP doesn't mean that I'm already better than you,"

"You're women's MVP, you said it,"

"They say mean are stronger than women, don't they?"

"You believe that?"

"No. It's not always true. But it's not always fiction either,"

So, you think, in our case, I, the man, am stronger than you, a girl?"

"Sort of,"

"Why?"

"Coz you've always been stronger. It's always been like that,"

"Really?"

"Come on,"

FLaSHBaCK:

"You can't play basketball,"

"But, dad!"

"My decision is final! Don't try debating with me anymore, Aki!"

"Dad, if I do this, I won't have anymore problems with my PE classes!"

"You can do well in your Physical Education, even without playing basketball! You will not join the basketball team!" At this, Aki turned and went out of her father's office. She went downstairs into the living room and found her mother and her cousin sitting on the couch. She sat on a small one, too, and remained quiet.

"What happened?"

"Akira," Aki could not fight back her tears. She hugged her cousin and sort of cried into his neck. (You get the picture, right?)

"Aki…" Akira said as he wrapped his arms around his cousin's waist, trying to comfort her.

"Aki, you understand your father, don't you?"

"Mom?" Aki looked up at her mother.

"He's just concerned. Basketball is not fit for you. You are a girl. Call it crazy but sometimes even I fear that you might choose basketball as your career for the rest of your life," Aki's mother smiled at her.

"Mom, it's jus a junior high basketball team," Aki said, not taking her arms from around his cousin.

"And it's not a life long decision. She's just fourteen, oba-san," Akira said to his aunt, also not taking his arms off Aki.

"-sigh- I cannot answer that. Jus remember that your father is doing this out of concern for you. And don't get yourselves into trouble, Aki, Akira," Aki's mother said, getting up from the couch and disappearing into the hallway. Aki settled onto the space where her mother sat earlier, still not taking her hands off Akira. She then leaned her head on his chest.

"What's your plan?"

"My plan?"

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Supposed to – do?"

"How am I going to join the team?"

"You mean – you don't have any plans of obeying your father?"

"Nope. Except if you don't want me to play anymore."

"Of course I want you to play!"

"Then think up a plan," Aki said, holding her cousin more tightly. "Akira, you taught me basketball. You showed me how to play it. You taught me how to love it. I don't want to lose that just yet, not at this age. I want to play basketball for the rest of my life," Akira put one hand on Aki's back.

"So your mother's fear was right," Akira smiled, leaning his chin on the back of Aki's head. "But don't worry. I want to play basketball for the rest of my life, too. And I want to play it with you. We're gonna get you into that team no matter what, whether they like it or not," Akira grinned.

"We're getting sentimental and evil here,"

"It's your fault,"

"Yours, too!" the cousins teased each other.

NoRMaL PoV:

"Y'know what?"

"Hn,"

"Though you became MVP and all, I never saw you change,"

"…"

"You're still the same. You're still sane, not obsessed with basketball, not like that Kitsune,"

"?"

"Rukawa. Yes, you like basketball. It's your life. But it's just different with Rukawa, y'know. And, you're still the cute player I knew," Sendoh pinched Aki's cheek playfully. Aki held his hand, looking seriously at him, but still smiling.

"Akira… Thanks…"

"For – what?"

"For being with me,"

"?"

"Don't act like you don't know. It's not like you haven't done anything – in my life,"

"…" Sendoh smiled, staring on the floor. Aki got up from the bench and stood in front of Sendoh. Aki placed her hands on her cousin's nape and pulled him closer, so that Sendoh's face was sort of onto Aki's stomach. "Aki," Sendoh put his arms around Aki's hips. Aki closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"Akira… I… love you,"

"A – Aki,"

"Y'know why I hugged you this way?"

"…"

"Because I don't want you to see how weak I am,"

"…"

"Admitting that you love someone, it's as good as showing your weakness,"

"…"

"But I'm not afraid to tell you that I'm weak, because you already know that," Aki smiled, eyes still closed. "And you've always been strong, for me. If I tell you that I'm weak, I won't get hurt because you'll protect me. Even when we were young, you've always been stronger than me, to protect me, and teach me. Akira," Aki wrapped her arms around Sendoh's head.

"Aki – I – I can't say – "

"I'm not waiting for an answer. I just wanted you to know," Aki let go of Sendoh, picked up her bag and walked away, all the while avoiding her cousin's eyes.

"Daijobu ka, Sendoh-san?" Otome asked. Aki proceeded to Jonan to meet with Otome, and do work for the committee. She and Otome were sitting inside one of Jonan's conference rooms.

'A – Nani?"

"You seem very preoccupied today. Are you okay?"

"A – Hai. Daijobu,"

"Are you sure?"

"Uh, yes. Of course, I am,"

aKi'S PoV:

Akira, I hope you understand. I never expected you to answer me positively. It never crossed my mind. As you once said to me, I may have been the greatest pessimist you're ever known. But I just hope you understand all that I've said. It's not like I don't have a heart. I love you. And I wish you'd love me. But not returning my feelings is all good. I want you to be happy.

End of Chapter 8: Sunday Morning