Title: Kisses – Part 02: Most Memorable Kiss
Author: Viv
Genre: romance/humor
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Slam Dunk book - manga
Pairing: Nyhahahahaha!
Disclaimer: Yeah, I've got Rukawa and Hana locked up in my closet. Hehehehe…
Summary: … You want me to talk about what? Hanamichi's POV – part 02.

… My most memorable kiss?

…

…

Do I have toooooooo?

…

ALRIGHTALRIGHTALRIGHT! I'll talk about it! Geez, you don't need to get mad at me, you know.

Nobody gets mad at the tensai! Nobody! Never-

Right, right, the kiss, sorry.

Uh, let's see, now how to begin this?

You don't care how?

… I still refuse to accept the fact that it was a kiss but because of stupid Sendoh, everyone insist that it was.

…

Well, um, it happened somewhere in the beginning of my second year at Shohoku, I guess. Nothing particularly interesting happened between the months that followed my first kiss to what I'm about to tell you about.

I mean, other than the basketball team actually making our way to the Japan interhigh tournament and becoming one of the top four schools in the country, that is. It was nothing more than a first for Shohoku, since it had never even made it to the regional semi-finals before. It was also just the first time that two teams from the same prefecture made it into the final four; Kainan and us, both proudly representing Kanagawa.

And Rukawa and I finally willingly working together to win against Sanno, only the best team in Japan over the last I-don't-know-how-many-years-and-frankly-I-don't-care, took everyone by surprise. I later heard from Haruko-san (and from the newspapers clippings that Yohei or Megane-kun sometimes brought me, much to the annoyance of Akagi) that the kitsune and I had quickly been dubbed the 'Golden pair', the 'Super rookie duo' and some other things like that. Tche! Although I'll admit that we made a great team, I still insist that it was I, the genius, who took the first step into insuring our victory.

NYHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Oh, and let's not forget about me being sent to a rehabilitation center since I hurt my back badly during that game. No need to worry about me though, I did it for the team after all! I'm the tensai, I knew I'd be fine in no time!

It was only a few months away from school (and consequently, basketball) – which incidentally also happened to be a few months closer to Ka- errr, fox-boy. Rukawa's training center with the Junior All-Japan team happened to be close by and we saw each other daily – though it took us quite a while to actually talk to each other.

Besides, we-

What?

What do you mean, I talk too much!

… Oh.

… Sorry.

See, it was around the beginning of my second year. Three weeks into the beginning of the year, I had gotten back to Shohoku a day before Rukawa.

By then Ryochin had fully stepped into his position as captain of our team, with the support of Ayako-san, Yasuda and the two others in their grade.

Of course, the moment I stepped back into the picture, everything became hectic and messy again. And then when Rukawa came back, all hell practically broke loose. Ayako-san was the only one who could discipline the two of us whenever we got into a fight (even Haruko-san had a harder time calming me down). Other than that, I think everyone but Ryochin were pretty amused by our antics, though we all knew our captain was more than happy to have us back although he wouldn't admit it.

Oh, yeah, I'm going off again.

Alright, so about two weeks after we got back, Shoyo, Ryonan, Kainan and our school decided to have a friendly match regrouping the five main starting players of each team from the previous year. This was, in a way, a good opportunity to show and introduce to the first year team members from all four schools to the matches they would be later be playing in.

Everything was quickly organized and before we knew it, the following week-end we found ourselves all on our way to Kainan High, because they apparently had an outside court and since the weather was so nice, well hey, why not have it outside?

Gori, Megane-kun and Mitchy were more than happy to be wearing the Shohoku uniform again (though our former captain refused to admit it).

The moment we stepped into the court though, Sendoh, the new captain of Ryonan, bounced up to us (and when I say bounced, I mean literally bounced) while Koshino, then appointed as vice-captain, slowly followed him, scowling at his best friend. I remember hearing that Hikoichi's voice shrieking "Unbelievable, it's Shohoku! Sakuragi and Rukawa are back! I need to write that down! The Golden pair!" to which Uozumi and Ikegami both promptly smacked him on the back, sending him sprawled to the concrete ground. The ape-king eventually ordered Fuku-chan to peel the squirt off the ground.

What?

Oh!

So as I was saying, Smiley came bouncing up to us, grinning like he always was.

"How are you guys?"

"…"

"Ah, Rukawa, talkative and expressive as always, I see!"

"…"

"What about you, Hana-kun?"

"…"

"Are you turning into Rukawa?"

"… What did you just call me?"

"Nothing. What's wrong, Hana-kun?"

"YOU! WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME!"

Big puppy eyes stared back at me.

"But Hana-kun! Aren't we friends?"

"SINCE WHEN- OW! GORIIIIIIIII!"

"You're too loud."

"OW! WHY DID YOU HIT ME AGAIN!"

"That was for calling me Gori."

I growled at Akagi before turning back to glare at Sendoh.

Again, big, happy, puppy eyes were beaming back at me.

My own eyes widened and I slowly leaned closer.

"A kiss, Hana-kun?"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

"Kiss?"

"I'm not kissing anyone or anything!"

"Please? If you do, I'll stop calling you Hana-kun."

"…"

I kept staring at Sendoh for a while, my face heating up. Somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear Kyota cackling something like "the redhead monkey is afraid! He won't do it!" and see Koshino trying hard to refrain himself from strangling Sendoh.

Now that I think of it, Ka- kitsune was openly glaring at Smiley. If Rukawa often did that on the court or at me, they usually meant 'I-will-beat-up-your-sorry-ass-in-this-game-and-you-will-lose' (actually, at me, they were more of a 'hey-piss-off-do'ahou' look), this one went far past the icy glares he usually gave… it seemed more like something along the line 'I. Will. Beat. You. Up. You. Fucking. Bastard.'

Really scary.

Not that the genius that I am is ever scared.

Anyway, let's get this over with.

… What do you mean, it's about time!

So I stared at Sendoh.

And he smiled back at me… with a strange gleam in his eyes.

And I stared.

And he smiled.

And I stared.

And he smiled.

And I quietly nodded.

And he instantly beamed back at me.

Hikoichi fainted, Uozumi fell of a bench, Kyota stopped laughing, Maki choked on the water he was drinking, Fujima and Hanagata tripped over each other, Haruko-san blushed, Yasuda and Kakuta quickly edged away from Gori, Ayako-san dropped her fan, Ryota and Ishii walked into each other, Mitchy grabbed Kogure so he wouldn't fall back, Koshino's hands were slowly moving towards Sendoh's neck, everyone else turned noticeably paler and gaped and Rukawa's expression became clearly murderous.

If looks could kill, Smiley would've been buried ten feet under the ground on the spot.

… Don't ask me how I remember that.

Sendoh grinned.

"Really?"

"…"

"Now, now, come closer, Hana-kun, nothing's gonna bite you."

"I thought you said- "

"After the kiss, Hana-kun."

"…"

"Closer, Hana-kun."

"…"

I stopped in front of Smiley and stared up at gravity-defying hair before shutting tight my eyes.

I heard the idiot shuffling closer still and then…

I felt a warm, slightly rough, wet, wet, wet tongue give my face a mighty lick that went from my chin up to my nose.

I had spit all over my chin, lips, cheeks and UP MY NOSE.

UAAAAAAAAAAAAARG! I thought.

"UAAAAAAAAAAAAARG!" I shrieked.

"UAAAAAAAAAAAAARG!" everyone else shrieked.

My eyes popped open as I saw the Shoyo benchwarmer trying desperately to not throw up, Fukuda and Jin turning green, Akagi hiding behind a bush and everyone else gagging. Even Coach Taoka looked like he was about to faint.

…

"EWEWEWEWEWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!"

"Thank you, Hanamichi. That was very nice of you."

"Nice? NICE! DON'T YOU MEAN STUPID! THAT WAS DISGUSTING!"

"Now, now, Hanamichi- "

"I HAVE DROOL ALL OVER MY FACE!"

"But Hanamichi!"

And again, large innocent puppy eyes beamed up at me.

"…"

"But Hana- "

POW!

"Hiro-kuuuuuuun!"

"You disgusting asshole! Stay away from me!"

"But Hiro-kun- "

"Sendoh, what possessed you to ask Sakuragi to- "

"But- "

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU AKIRA SENDOH!"

"But Hanamichi was willing- "

POW!

Everyone stared at the fist that had delivered the second punch to Smiley's head.

And then everyone looked at the arm that it was connected to.

And then at the broad shoulder.

And then at the neck.

And then at the face.

…

Sendoh smiled, as if the two bumps on his head were only figments of our imagination.

"… Rukawa?"

"Don't call him Hanamichi."

"…"

Everyone blinked.

"…"

And then Sendoh turned back to look at me.

"I'm so glad you accepted, Ha- "

POW!

"JUST GET THAT FREAKING PUPPY AWAY FROM ME RIGHT NOW BEFORE IT ALSO DECIDES TO SWALLOW ME BECAUSES IT LOVES THE TENSAI TOO MUCH!"

Three bumps and Smiley had kissed the concrete ground of the court and was knocked out cold while said puppy was dropped from Sendoh's arms before happily prancing around my feet, tongue hanging and tail wagging.

So yeah, that was my most memorable kiss.

It came from a puppy.

… Stop laughing.

I SAID STOP LAUGHING AT THE TENSAI!

What?

Only if I talk about another kiss?

My most breathtaking kiss?

But- but- but-

…

Arg!

---

September 15, 2005