Disclaimer: Slam dunk is not mine.

Author's notes: No pairing.

Akira Sendoh was not a happy man. He woke up without smelling breakfast, and a pounding headache due to Hanamichi's early call. Then all morning, Coach Nota shouted verbal abuses to him, and reminded him again that Kaede be better be back in practice in a week or else he's out of the team. His teammates gave him sympathetic glances but didn't dare talk to him otherwise be subjected to the coach's abuses as well.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? DID YOU CALL THAT A SHOT? I BET YOUR PEA-SIZE BRAIN THINKS IT IS!" Coach Nota shouted at Akira when he shot a ball in three-pointer line. The ball missed so the couch had an excuse to yell at Akira.

Akira glared at the infuriating man. This gained the coach's attention.

"Are you glaring at me?" Coach Nota walked over to where Akira was standing and pushed him around. He followed Akira when he tried to move away. "Don't you turn your back on me, young man. You're nothing. To this team and to this school. And what the hell happened to your Hana-mama? I'm surprised he hasn't showed up yet to pounce at me for hurting his babies!" the couch sneered.

These words broke Akira's patience, and his fist flew to his coach's jaw. The other man staggered backwards but kept his balance. The whole gym fell silent at Akira's action.

"Don't you ever bad mouth Hanamichi again, you prick," Akira said in a cold tone. "Or I'll make sure you'll visit a plastic surgeon soon."

"Are you threatening me?" the coach was not daunted at Akira. In physical aspect, both men were near to equal. Both in the same height and muscle build. The coach was 34, but looking younger than his age. "Are you threatening me?"

Akira defiantly glared back.

The coach stepped closer but the team captain stood between him and Akira.

"Cool, coach," Shinichi Maki said to calm the enraged man. He cocked his head to a fellow to teammate to take Akira away.

"IF YOU WANT TO REMAIN IN THE TEAM, TELL YOU HANA-MAMA TO TALK TO ME!" Coach Nota yelled at Akira's back.

Akira's knuckles turned white and his jaw muscle tightened to keep from walking back and finishing what he began. He'll be shit if he allowed Hanamichi near that jerk. He glared daggers at the man before he entered the locker room.

"Cool down, Sendoh-kun," Hiroaki Koshino, the team manager, murmured. He was worried that Akira might get kicked out of the team, but it seems that their coach had other ideas. He wordlessly presented a plastic water bottle to Akira.

Akira nodded, and then offered Hiroaki his sunny smile. "I'll be fine." He got the bottle and drank the contents calmly. After drinking, he sat and stared at the wall thoughtfully. "I don't know what that bastard's problem with me and Kaede."

Hiroaki took a seat across Akira. He's not smiling but had a grim expression.

"Do you think he's got something against gay men?" Akira asked Hiroaki. "The bloody rumors are not true. So why the fuck..!"

"He's got nothing against gay men," Hiroaki reassured.

"Oh really?"

"He's gay himself."

Akira's jaw pretty much hit the floor.

Hiroaki chuckled at Akira's expression. "Everyone in the team knew except maybe you and Kaede."

Akira's eyes widened in horror. "You don't think that he's hitting on me and Kaede, do you?" The team manager shook his head, and Akira sighed in relief.

"He likes Hanamichi."

Akira stiffened.

Hiroaki looked away guiltily. "I was ordered by the coach to give Hanamichi a letter, but I think Hanamichi knew that it was from an admirer so he threw it in the trash." He looked back at Akira, and smiled sheepishly. "The rumors might not be true, but Hanamichi pays more attention on you and Rukawa than anyone else. I think that's why he hates you both."

Akira's body radiated his anger. Everything was clear to him now. The every reason why the coach insisted that Hanamichi should be the one to be their roommate was that he wanted to be near the redhead. And every time he and Kaede got hurt, the coach never allowed any of their teammates to help them. The result was always having Hanamichi suddenly appearing in the gym and demanding Coach Nota to talk to him.

"IF YOU WANT TO REMAIN IN THE TEAM, TELL YOU HANA-MAMA TO TALK TO ME!" rang again in Akira's mind. His nails dug painfully on his palm, as he tried to control his anger.

"That pervert." Akira swiftly stood up and walked to the door. Hiroaki immediately blocked him.

"You get kicked out of the team if you attacked him," Hiroaki warned quietly.

Akira grinned at Hiroaki. "My father's a lawyer."

Hiroaki froze but refused to budge. "No!"

Akira heaved an exasperated breath. "Hiro-kun, if I kill him now, you will have a better coach next season." He smiled beguilingly at the smaller man.

Hiroaki narrowed his eyes. "No!" he replied stubbornly. "If you want to kill him, do it subtly."

Akira blinked then laughed. "Damn, you're right!" He shook his head in disbelief. "I'll do just that." He went back to his locker and began taking his stuffs out and bagging them.

Hiroaki relaxed slightly. He knew that Akira was only joking. 'He's got to be joking,' he reassured himself.

"Are you going home?" Hiroaki asked the busy man.

Akira nodded as he stuffed his clothes into his bag. He was thinking of whom he could possibly hire to kill the prick.

Hiroaki nervously looked around the locker room. He hoped no one heard his suggestion to Akira. Or else he'll be in deep trouble.

Akira's head snapped in attention when his cell phone rang. He searched the room but he couldn't find it.

"Have you seen my phone?" he asked Hiroaki as he turned chairs and tables over to look for his phone.

"I think it's in your bag."

Akira ran to his bag and emptied it. The cell phone dropped in last.

"Hello," he greeted excitedly.

"Akira, come home quick." Kaede's squeaky voice sounded like in a panic.

Akira could hear Hanamichi screaming in the background. "What happened?"

"The wicked witch of the north is banging at the door with a social helper. She said that it was illegal for you to take care of a baby." Kaede paused for a minute. Akira heard a constant rapping on the door. "Come home, Akira. They wanted to take Hanamichi away." Kaede's voice broke at the last statement.

"I'm coming," Akira assured the boy calmly, though he was near panic himself. "Don't open the door until I got there, okay?"

"Okay," Kaede sniffed before hanging up the phone.

Akira turned off his cell phone then stuffed all his possessions in his bag. He didn't care anymore if the clothes would be crumpled and torn. He had to get home.

"Everything alright, Sendoh-kun?" Hiroaki asked in worry. He never saw Akira panicked before.

"I got to get home, and kill another insect that looked like human."

Hiroaki blinked. He watched in confusion as Akira made a beeline for the exit.

Everyone in the gym looked at Akira as he ran out of the gym.

"That ungrateful bastard didn't even say a proper apology," Couch Nota snarled.

Kaede clung to the now-calm Hanamichi. He was truly scared. He didn't want to give Hanamichi to those heartless people. If he had been bigger, he could protect Hanamichi.

"I will protect you, Hanamichi," he told the baby. Big brown eyes just blinked at him. "They will not lay a hand on you."

Hanamichi blinked at Kaede again then smiled brightly at his guardian. He cooed and played with Kaede's shirt. Akira had forgotten to buy Kaede some clothes last night, so Kaede wore his old clothes.

Kaede kissed the unruly red hair. He glared at the door as more tapping could be heard. He couldn't make out what the people outside were telling him, but he knew that it were all lies.

Suddenly, the lock turned. Kaede's eyes widened in fear when a stranger entered his home.

The strange man looked around the room, and smiled at Kaede when he spotted the boy crouched in the sofa. To Kaede, he looked like a devil from hell.

"It's okay, boy," the man said calmly. He began walking towards the two boys slowly. He was followed by three more adults. Kaede recognized his landlady as one of them.

"Everything's alright, boy," a woman in smart clothes said behind the man. She smiled warmly at Kaede. "We're here to give you a home."

Kaede narrowed his eyes wildly at the adults. He carefully straightened in his position then ran to the door with Hanamichi clinging to him. The baby might not understand what's happening but he could sense Kaede's tension.

One of the adults easily scooped Kaede before the boy could reach the door.

"Feisty one, isn't he?" the man laughed as he watched Kaede struggled out of the woman. He stepped closer to them and took the boy in his arms. The woman in smart clothes took Hanamichi.

Hanamichi stared up at the stranger and began crying loudly again. He reached out to Kaede desperately.

Kaede saw Hanamichi cried out for him, and struggled strongly. Unfortunately, the man was much stronger than he is.

"Hana!"

The baby kept screaming as he was herded out of the apartment. The woman had to tighten her hold or else the baby will slip out of her grasped.

Kaede tried punching the man but the man only laughed at his thrashing. He cried helpless tears as he saw the woman went out of the apartment. In all his life, he never felt so powerless. He didn't fight the man anymore when he was pushed outside.

Akira huffed as he raced to his apartment. He hastened his running when he saw Kaede walking out of the building with man behind him. Even at a distance, Akira could see that the boy had been crying. Kaede brightened a little bit when he spotted Akira.

"Wait!" Akira shouted to get the social workers attention. A woman calmly turned to face him. "Wait! Those kids are my nephews."

"I'm sorry, Sendoh-san," the woman said calmly. "But until you have given a solid proved of your kinship with the two children, then the children will stay with us." With a formal bow, the woman entered the car.

Akira looked inside the car, and waved at Hanamichi. The baby immediately crawled to Akira but the woman held him back. Hanamichi cried in outrage at the woman but it was no use, he's staying with the woman.

Kaede was placed in a different car. He glared at Akira as he entered the car.

"Please, let me talk to the boy," Akira asked the male social worker.

The man studied Akira first before nodding.

Akira smiled gratefully at the man then squatted beside the car. "I'm sorry, Kaede," he apologized to the boy. Kaede's bottom lip quivered as he fought the tears back. Akira felt like hell.

"I'll get you out of there before the day is through," Akira promised. "Take care of Hana in the meantime, okay?"

Kaede turned his eyes to Akira and nodded.

Akira tousled Kaede's hair before straightening to let the social worker in the car. "Take care of my babies, okay?" he said to the man.

The man smiled then nodded.

Akira Sendoh decided that the day was a living nightmare as he watched the two cars zoomed away.