Celibacy
by: Aki Midori
Warnings: OOC (for Rukawa's part... intended...), AU!!!, Yaoi!!! Plus, a couple of out-of-this-world pairings. Oh yeah, profanities, too... so be warned!
Rating: Strictly PG-13, minna!
Pairing: Sheesh, do you really have to ask? But hey... you'll find out who the other pairings are... but you know me... loyal SenRu/RuSen fan!
Author's Blahs:
Darn it... I never learn, do I? How many times do I have to say to myself that I should proofread my fics *again and again* before posting it?! Once is not enough. Twice is not enough... Ya hear that, Aki?!
*Aki bangs her head on the table*
There. Sorry for those typographical errors. Don't worry... I already changed the contents of chapter two. It's edited already. And yeah... if there are any errors in this chapter which I happen to leave behind, do tell me. And yeah, bap my head, if you like...
Before I forget... I disown Pond's Skin Whitening Cream. Thank you, Ashtoreth, for reminding me to put a disclaimer on that one. Thanks to G Lee, as well, for pointing out the name blunders. I changed that one already! I don't know what I was thinking back then... writing those names the wrong way when I knew better. Thanks, pal!
Last words... you know very well that I write long chapters, ne? Anyway, that's my style... but I gotta warn you.. this'll be a veeeery long one... ^_^ Gomen!
DiScLaiMerS:
Sendoh: This woman who thinks that I'm too horny to defend my vows doesn't own me, nor *my* kitsune, nor anyone else in this series. Let her rant and rave.
Aki: Oi... want me to castrate you? I'm not in a good mood. Those typo errors are getting on my nerves.
Sendoh: And who's fault is that?
Aki *indignant*: It's my laptop's fault.
Sendoh: *sweatdrop*
Rukawa: Hentai 'ahou...
Aki + Sendoh: Are you pertaining to me?
Rukawa: *Sigh* I don't belong to any of you, you hear?
Sendoh *to Aki*: You don't own me, too!
Aki *fuming*: That's it... I'm going to make both of you look *so* ridiculous in this fic, that later, you'll be begging me to *own* you...
Rukawa + Sendoh: Yare, yare...
------------------------
Celibacy
Chapter Three: High-Class Meddlers
Sendoh doesn't know who- or what- he should curse (or damn- whatever suits anyone, he doesn't care) first...
The options were few and limited, anyway...
Number one is this 'once-cold-bastard-who-reverted-into-a-seductive-foxed-eyed-hunk' guy named Rukawa Kaede. Number two could very well be the towing company. Number three is himself... Sendoh Akira, for parking his Ferrari into a 'no parking' zone.
Sendoh carefully considered the options.
He couldn't very well blame Rukawa. After all, he didn't do anything wrong... except that he changed a lot, and yeah... quite honestly, straight or not, he *almost* turned Sendoh on. But no... Sendoh's on the road to a meaningful existence. No sex, no hentai thoughts and deeds for a whooooole month. He's trying to change his life, dammit, and Rukawa didn't do anything wrong to him except be himself- if you call that leering kitsune still 'himself', that is. So scratch Rukawa.
The towing company. Yes, the towing company. Had they not towed away his Ferrari, he wouldn't even be in *this* predicament! It's not his fault that he's too hungry to see that 'No Parking' sign! And yeah... that area *looked* like a parking space, so who could blame him? Even Rukawa, who parked his BMW beside his car (but didn't get his car towed because he parked on the right area), didn't see that stupid sign. The towing company should have let him explain. He's Sendoh Akira, for crying out loud!
Okay, so towing companies doesn't have anything to do with an executive of Happy Smile Advertising Inc... but still... oh well...
Sendoh sighed. Scratch the towing company, too. So that means he should just curse himself, plus his stupidity, and maybe his stomach as well (because his stomach ate the nutrients that was supposed to be for his brain), for getting him into *this* predicament.
What exactly is *this* predicament?
Oh well... not much.
He was only sitting so close to a singing Rukawa in an enclosed BMW... with a leering Sakuragi at the backseat. And dammit, Rukawa has an oh-so-sexy voice. And it's turning him on, heaven help him, please!
'Ok,' Sendoh thought as he took a deep breath. 'You're straight. Remember that teeny-weeny fact. And no, goddammit, do *not* look at Rukawa. Do *not* study his sexy hair, nor his long lashes, nor his pale, well-contoured face, nor his red, kissable lips. Dammit, Sendoh, you will NOT look at Rukawa Kaede. You are practicing celibacy, dammit, so you have NO right to be aroused!'
"Hey, don't forget the seatbelt," Rukawa said with a smile. With that, he leaned over to Sendoh, rested his one hand on Sendoh's thigh, grabbed the seatbelt from its place with the other, oh-so-accidentally touching Sendoh's heaving chest in the process, and clasped it firmly into place.
'Dearlordalmightydon'tdothistomeplease!' Sendoh pleaded silently.
Sakuragi was grinning like a cheshire cat. Damn, but his cousin's *so* good at this! He never knew that Rukawa was such a good actor. Outside, the kitsune was all smiling and seductive and friendly, but Sakuragi knew him. Inwardly, Rukawa must be plotting a way to kill him... and maybe Sendoh, too. Sakuragi stifled a laugh.
Rukawa tightened his gripped on the steering wheel and picked up speed. 'The do'aho's enjoying this too much, damn him to hell and back,' Rukawa thought. 'I don't even know why I'm doing this! I should just take this goddamn smile off my face and tell Sendoh to go fuck off and bash Hana's face onto the dashboard and go on with my empty and meaningless existence. I hate smiling, damn it! My muscles are aching!'
"Anou, Rukawa-kun... Where are we going?" Sendoh politely asked.
"Tea," he muttered, fixing his eyes on the road. Sakuragi kicked his seat from behind. Rukawa glared at his cousin through the rear-view mirror, and Sakuragi glared back... with the flapping chicken wings, of course. Rukawa cleared his throat and looked at Sendoh with narrow-lidded eyes and a sexy smirk. "What I mean to say, Sendoh-kun, is that we're going to get *that* cup of tea. Remember that? Hmmm?"
"Yes," Sendoh squeaked. Sakuragi stifled another laugh. Rukawa raised an eyebrow. Sendoh cleared his throat and shook his head. "Yes, of course, Rukawa-kun. I do remember *that* cup of tea," he said, more smoothly now.
"Would you suggest a place, then?" Rukawa asked, yet again smiling. Inwardly, he was cursing himself yet again. Damn his pride for accepting such a meaningless and pointless challenge. He was acting way too out of his character. He couldn't even believe that he could *wink* and *leer*, for crying out loud.
"There's a cafe two blocks from here," Sendoh said. "Me and my friends hang out at that place a lot."
"Oh, you mean that cafe near the Happy Smile builing?" Sakuragi asked. "We tried that place a few days ago. It's great, and we decided to hang out there whenever we have the time, so maybe then we could see each other often! Nyahahaha! And yeah, Smiley, Kaede sure looks great today, ne?"
"He looks great, yeah," Sendoh said, earning him a grateful smile from Rukawa. 'Great' was the understatement of the day. He thought Rukawa looked 'gorgeous'. But, oh well... celibacy, man, he reminded himself. No flirting. No kissing. No sex.
Well, actually, the sex is easy... (*maybe*, he noted). But then again... flirting? Why did he have to include that? Darn... could he resist this yummy kitsune? Maybe he should visit a Shinto shrine and ask for heavenly intercession, ASAP.
'Someone give me a barf bag,' Rukawa thought. He really shouldn't be doing this. He'll talk to his cousin later and try to 'negotiate' with him regarding *this* matter. This is SO not him.
'This is so fun,' Sakuragi thought with a sly grin. He decided to invite everyone at the tea session and surprise Sendoh and Rukawa. The more the merrier, so they say... so he sent each of his friend a message via SMS, telling them to go over to the said cafe. He also sent a message to his new lover, Kiyota, and told him to invite *his* friends over.
'Oooh... I'm going to love this,' Sakuragi thought as he furiously pounded on his cell phone. He couldn't call his friends. He couldn't let Rukawa know of his devious plan. 'My friends will be rooting for Rukawa to go and seduce Sendoh, while Sendoh's friends will be rooting for him to resist the kitsune. This would be soooooo interesting!'
Rukawa gripped the steering wheel so tight, that his knuckles turned white. 'Yes,' he thought. 'I will talk to Hana later, and tell him that this stupid seduce-Sendoh-and-get-laid-within-a-month dare is pointless.' For the mean time, he would act like a stupid, seductive whore (and curse *everything* inwardly while doing so). He had his freakin' pride, damn it, and he *did* accept Sakuragi's challenge in front of honest, goody-goody people, so he gotta pull this one off.
He actually rested his free hand on Sendoh's leg and hummed along with the tune.
Sendoh broke out into a cold sweat. He suddenly wondered why the heavens were allowing *this* to happen to him. He's only human, for sanity's sake, and he wondered how the hell he could resist this temptation. Oh well... better hide from his friends, or they'll see him like this. He had his pride, damn it, and he *did* make a vow that he will turn away from his life of sex, flirting, kissing, green jokes and pornography in front of his friends... Friends who were willing to bet that he couldn't pull this one off. He had to hold onto his vow... otherwise, his pride would be severely damaged.
He oh-so-gently pried Rukawa's hand away from his leg.
Rukawa held his hand firmly.
Sendoh oh-so-gently pried Rukawa's fingers off his hand.
"Anou... Rukawa-kun, do you usually drive with one hand only?" he asked, very uncomfortable at the moment.
Rukawa gave him a sweet smile and said nothing, but he did take his hand away from Sendoh's and gripped the wheel tighter, whilst cursing himself- and the world, for that matter- again and again.
Sakuragi was grinning from ear to ear. He was thoroughly enjoying the show...
**********
"Whoa, hold your horses, Nobu!" Maki exclaimed into his phone as he did a sharp turn. "What are you saying again?"
"Go to the cafe, now!" Kiyota demanded. "You'll see the show of a lifetime, I promise!"
"What show-" Maki was cut short because Kiyota hung up on him. He sighed. He was having the time of his life, speeding along the streets of Tokyo, and damn Kiyota for interrupting him just like that. He threw his phone at the back of his car and did another sharp turn.
Yes, he knew that speeding was wrong, but hey, he leads a very boring life. Once in a while, he liked to do something reckless... something stupid, or something illegal. At least, that would indicate that he's still human.
What did they call him again? 'Mr. No-Nonsense', 'Mr. Goody-two-shoes', 'Mr. Formal-tie-and-black-pressed-trousers', blah, blah, blah. Maki couldn't blame them. It's all true anyway. Sometimes, he wished he could have his friends' colorful lives. He wished he wasn't the stuck-up perfectionist, or the calm person, or the sensible person of the group. Sometimes, he wished he has Kiyota's outward arrogance and cheerfulness, or Mitsui's recklessness and impulsiveness, or Sendoh's appeal and sense of humor, and sometimes, even Koshino's short-fused temper and tendency to panic a lot. At least their lives are colorful... his wasn't.
Office. Coffee. Formal ties. Pressed trousers. Documents. Contracts. Lunch. Documents. Contracts. Cafe. Chat. Cinnamon. Tea. Home. Dinner. Sleep. What a life.
A goldfish trapped in a fishbowl could have a happier life.
Maki grunted. He picked up speed. To hell with those cops. Where are they anyway? Why weren't they chasing him? Stupid cops... probably slacking off in a ramen house again. Why couldn't they be like those two cops in that series he watched a long time ago? Who were they again? Uh... Kobaya-something Miyuki and Tsujimoto Nat-whatever. Those two were great cops. But oh well, if there were cops like them in Tokyo, then he's not too stupid as to do what he's doing now.
Or maybe then... he could be *that* stupid. Just so he could prove everyone that he's human.
Another sharp turn. More speed. Turn left. Turn right. No cops at that alley... sharp turn again. Maki sighed. Better get to the damned cafe and see what that wild monkey's up to this time. Swerve to the right. Sharp U-turn.
Speeding... breaking the rules... Danger... Why is he doing all these? What's the point? For a moment, he thought he understood what Sendoh must be feeling. A break from monotony. A break from a mundane, routinal existence.
Sendoh may be right. Sometimes, people needed to change their lifestyles, no matter how stupid their ideas could be.
He made another sharp turn...
And nearly ran over a man.
"Shit," Maki cursed as he hit the brakes and furiously swerved the wheel to avoid that jaywalker. His car stopped right in front of a lamp post. His heart thundered in his chest. He waited for a moment and let is heart calm down, and when it did, white rage shot through him. He stepped out of the car and attacked the petrified victim.
Or so he thought.
The victim wasn't petrified. He was furious.
"What the hell were you thinking, driving like an enraged lunatic?! You nearly killed me, damn you!"
Maki blinked.
He nearly killed Fujima Kenji. Captain of the National Basketball Team. Basketball legend. Popular. Well-known. Respected. Idolized. Worshipped, even.
And the most beautiful person he laid his eyes upon.
**********
"Yes, yes, yes, Nobu, we're on our way, dammit! What show are you talking about, your exaggerating nincompoop? Wha-... Oh yeah? And then? Uh-huh... Hmmm? Oh, Rukawa Kaede? That icy national player? What's he got to do with Aki-... What the... Seduce Akira!? Sakuragi Hanamichi dared his cousin to seduce Akira?! Now way! ... Alright, we're on our way!" Mitsui snapped his cell phone shut and grinned at a perpetually scowling Koshino.
"What's going on?" Koshino asked as he walked towards another shelf of books.
"Well, you know Rukawa Kaede right? Well-"
"What the hell do you mean, 'you know Rukawa Kaede'? He's a freakin' national player, you moron, of course I know him!" Koshino snapped. "Now where the hell is that damn book? Why is that Kogure such a good bastard that his books are always gone before I could even see its shadow?"
"Let me finish, would you, you tightass?" Mitsui shot back and threw Koshino a hardbound book. Koshino mumbled a 'thanks' before glaring at him and urging him to continue. "Well, you see... that icy player Rukawa Kaede was challenged to seduce Akira!" Mitsui exclaimed.
Koshino blinked.
Mitsui blinked back.
Koshino blinked-blinked back.
Mitsui blinked-blinked-blinked back.
And snapped.
"Well, aren't you going to say something?" Mitsui demanded.
Koshino's temper snapped almost instantly. "What the hell do I have to say?! So that national player is on a quest to seduce that stupid Sendoh. Well, whoopdedoo! Scoop of the century!" he cheered sarcastically. Mitsui rolled his eyes. "Now let's go on with our lives, shall we? I'm going to ask Kogure-san to sign this while he's still here at the book store. Now where the hell is he?" With that, he walked away.
"Kogure, Kogure, Kogure," Mitsui muttered as he walked blindly along the aisles of the bookstore. "What's with that bastard's books, anyway? Sure, he doesn't write sappy stories and his books actually have substance, but hell- Ow! Watch it! Don't you know that I'm Mitsui Hisashi?! I ought to..."
He trailed off...
Those are the most beautiful brown eyes he had ever seen. Cute smile, too.
"Anou... Mitsui-san, right? From Happy Smile Ad Inc? I'm so terribly sorry. I wasn't looking," the brown-eyed guy said. Mitsui shook his head and raked his hand through his hair before giving the guy one of his hundred-mega-watt smiles.
"And I'm Mitsui Hisashi," he said. "Anou... you are...?"
"Kogure. Kogure Kiminobu."
Mitsui did a double-take.
Four aisles away, Koshino was cursing profusely. His favorite author was sitting at the stupid table a while ago, signing autographs, and now, he's nowhere to be found. Damn that Mitsui. He shouldn't have listened to Mitsui's idiotic tirade about Rukawa's plot to seduce Sendoh. Why the hell should he care, anyway? Just so long as he's free from Sendoh's obscenity, he'd be fine, thanks very much.
He saw a lone figure standing near the empty table where Kogure was signing autographs a while ago, and recongnized the person as Jin Soichiro, an executive in a leading publishing company. He wasn't suppose to be *that* famous, but hell, his friends are all popular, plus he's got his own unique personality which made all people like him.
'Maybe he knows where Kogure is,' Koshino thought as he started to approach the ever-patient doe-eyed executive. "Excuse me," he started, "have you, by any chance, seen Kogure-san around? He was here just a while ago."
"Oh, you mean Min-kun? He's just around," Jin replied with a friendly smile. "What do you need him for? Maybe I could help."
"Oh, I was just wondering if I could still have him sign this," Koshino replied while holding out his book. "I'm a great fan of his."
"Don't worry, he's just around," Jin replied. "Why don't you wait here with me? We need to go someplace because our friend sent an urgent message, but I'm sure he would sign that for you."
"Ah... Arigatou."
"I'm Jin Soichiro, by the way," Jin said, holding out his hand.
"I know. I'm Koshino Hiroaki," Koshino replied while he shook Jin's soft hand. Warmth spread through his body as Jin gave him a smile once again. That smile was so... relaxing. So comforting. Koshino shook his head to clear his thoughts. There's no time to feel all fuzzy-wuzzy now. His life is too complicated and hectic as it is. But the smile is so warm, dammit, and it's rocking Koshino's thoughts. His nerves are always on the edge, but once this doe-eyed guy smiled at him, it was as if he's never known the word 'tense' all his life.
"You're from Happy Smile Advertising, Inc, right?" Jin asked. "You and your friends are pretty popular. Anyway, it was nice meeting you."
"Nice meeting you, too," Koshino replied. Comfortable silence wrapped itself around the two as they patiently waited for Kogure.
"So... bastard, eh?" a voice teased. Jin and Koshino looked up to see Kogure approaching with a blushing Mitsui beside him.
"Anou... I didn't mean to say that... er... you see, my friend, Koshino... anou..." Mitsui stammered. Kogure laughed.
"It's fine. Forget it," he said. Mitsui sighed out in relief.
"There you are, Min-kun!" Jin exclaimed. "This nice guy here was waiting for you, and I'm sure Hana's pretty anxious to see us at the cafe, ASAP. Where have you been?"
"Klutzing about," Kogure easily replied. He turned to Koshino. "Yes, may I help you?"
"Hello, Kogure-san," Koshino greeted. "If it's not too much, could you please sign this book for me?"
"Oh, sure... Koshino Hiroaki, if I'm not mistaken?"
"Uh... right."
"Okay," Kogure said and scribbled a few words on Koshino's book. He smiled when he finished and handed the book to Koshino. "Thanks very much for reading my books, Koshino-san."
"Thanks for signing it," Koshino said.
Mitsui was still speechless. Standing beside him was probably the nicest fellow he'd ever met, and what does he do? Let his impulsive nature get the better of him. 'Baka Mitsui,' he thought. And instead of delivering a smooth apology, he actually has to stammer like a love-sick moron.
"If you gentlemen wouldn't mind, we really have to take our leave," Jin said politely. "You see, our friend Sakuragi needed us to go this cafe-"
"Waitaminute," Mitsui interrupted as a grin broke out. "Sakuragi? Is this about Sendoh Akira and Rukawa Kaede? I mean... Rukawa is your friend, right? And, by any chance, are there any seduction schemes involved?"
"Now that you mentioned it, yes," Kogure replied with the same grin. "I'd love to see how those two will pull their stunts."
"Would the two of you like to accompany us during the ride?" Jin offered. Koshino was about to say that they brought his car when Mitsui covered his mouth with his hand and accepted the offer.
"Why, thank you ever so much, Jin-san," he drawled out. "We would appreciate that very much. Now why don't we get over there and join the fun? I'm sure our friend Maki is on his way at the cafe. We're *good* friends of Sendoh, by the way."
"And Fujima's on his way, too," Kogure said. The four of them walked out of the bookstore and headed towards Kogure's sports car.
"Why don't we just leave them alone?" Koshino asked. "I mean, that's their business, right?"
"But it'll be fun," Jin insisted. "Just come along with us, okay, Koshino-kun?"
And there it was again. That same smile which spread warmth all over Koshino.
"Yare, yare," he muttered. "Oh boy... this is gonna be a loooong day."
**************
"Sssssh... quiet or they'll hear you!"
"*YOU* be quiet, you arrogant supermodel wanna-be!"
"Temee! Who the hell are you anyway?! Dare you insult this tensai's prowess?!"
"It's Mitsui Hisashi, pal, and don't you forget it!"
"Stop this non-sense, minna."
"Oh, right... Mr. Sensible talks."
"Shut up, Nobu."
"Hana, what exactly are you doing here? Aren't you with Kaede and Sendoh-san earlier?"
"Well, you see, Megane, I wanted to leave those two alone... and oooh! Look at that! Rukawa's advancing towards Sendoh!"
"Where?"
"Over there, Nobu-love!"
"Nobu-love?! Waahaha!!!"
"Shut up, Hisashi... Cool! And look at Sendoh! He's red as a tomato!"
"You're pretty quiet, Kenji, what happened?"
"I'm fine, Soi... I was just... shocked."
"Oi... gomen..."
"It's okay, Maki-kun."
"What the hell happened to you two?"
"Nothing much, Hiro. And don't snap at me."
"Hell, I'm not snapping!"
"Calm down now, Koshino-kun."
"Uh... hai, Jin-san."
Seven tables away... Rukawa bit his lip to refrain himself from killing his friends and Sendoh's friends. He could only do so much. What the hell are those maggots doing there anyway? Do they think that he's such a moron that he wouldn't notice the ruckus they were creating? And why the hell were they hiding, dammit? Wait... what the hell is that signboard Sakuragi's waving?
'Go Kaede!' it said.
Rukawa fumed.
"Anou... my friends are over there," Sendoh said. He was still sweating in anxiety, dammit. He'd been enduring this sexy hunk's advances for the last hour or so. So far, Rukawa oh-so-accidentally brushed his hand over his thigh when his spooned dropped under the table. Rukawa also winked at him for so many times that he lost count. He could never forget the way Rukawa licked the ice cream off his lips earlier, too. The smiles... Kami-sama, the smiles. Never in his life had he seen such twisted, or sweet, or seductive smiles.
Rukawa rested his chin on his hand and smirked. "Want me to invite them to come over?"
"Yes, please," Sendoh said. Heaven knows that if he'd be alone with Rukawa for another minute, he'd break his vows and pounce on the seductive kitsune.
Rukawa yet again winked before he stood up and walked over to the looney bunch.
"Uh... guys?" Jin called out.
"Hmmm?" Fujima asked.
"Kaede's on his way here."
"And he doesn't look too happy, I presume," Maki noted.
"Heck, he looks as if he could kill us!" Mitsui said, but not sounding bothered at all.
"Hiya, dearest cousin," Sakuragi greeted when Rukawa reached their crowded table. "Meet Sendoh's friends. This is Maki Shinichi, Koshino Hiroaki, Mitsui Hisashi, and Kiyota Nobunaga. And whaddaya know... our friends are here, too! Happy coincidence, is it not?"
Rukawa simply bonked Sakuragi's head before addressing the group. "That blabbering 'ahou wants you there," he said.
"Oi, what happened to that seductive basketball hunk we've seen back there?" Kiyota asked.
"Gone to hell," Rukawa snapped.
"You're not enjoying this are you?" Mitsui asked.
"Go figure," was Rukawa's terse reply. He turned to Sakuragi. "I've been smiling a lot for the last couple of hours, you moron, and my muscles hurt. I've been talking a lot, too, telling that do'aho my conquests at court and my success and my goddamn life, and my vocal chords are tired. I've been winking a lot, too. I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to face that hentai 'ahou anymore. This is stupid. I want out."
And he started to walk away.
"Chicken!" Sakuragi called out.
Rukawa's pride couldn't take that, could it?
So he turned back to Sendoh, gave the poor celibate man another one of his winner smiles, and sat down next to him.
Sakuragi, Kiyota and Mitsui cheered. Jin and Kogure smiled. Maki and Fujima just shook their heads in amusement. Koshino... well... Koshino is Koshino, so he just rolled his eyes and scowled.
"Come on, let's go over there," Kiyota said. They all stood up and went over to Sendoh and Rukawa's table.
"Guys! Thank *heavens* you're here!" Sendoh greeted a little too enthusiasctically. "Go ahead, take a seat, don't be shy! Rukawa-kun and I are just *talking*, I promise!"
"Don't be too defensive, pal," Mitsui snickered as he took a seat beside Kogure. Intended, of course, since he was besotted by the mild-mannered novelist.
"So... what's up?" Maki asked.
"Nothing much," Sendoh replied. "Rukawa-kun here was just talking about what he did after *that* fateful day when we had a *friendly* one-on-one. He left Kanagawa and went to Tokyo U and then got recruited by the National Team and that pretty much started everything. Nice, eh?"
"Now, what were you two *doing* all these times?" Kiyota teased.
"Oh, we're just talking," Sendoh replied breezily.
"Talking?" Mitsui pressed, leering at Sendoh.
"Just talking?" Sakuragi asked, raising a deadly eyebrow at Rukawa.
"Talking, and... some other 'stuff'," Rukawa replied with a lazy wave of his hand and winked once again at Sendoh.
"What other stuff?" Koshino asked, narrowing his eyes at Sendoh.
Sendoh gulped. 'Not Koshino,' he thought. "Aaaaah... we've been... eating ice cream. And talking. Yeah... talking. And ice cream. And tea."
"Oh. Good."
"Are you, by any chance, flirting with our friend?" Jin asked politely.
"Flirting?" Sendoh half-said, half-squeaked. "No. It's just an innocent little chat!"
"Just that?" Fujima pressed, but looking at Rukawa.
"Just an innocent chat, and... some other stuff," Rukawa drawled with a smile. Inwardly, he wanted to get the hell out of this place? What are these people up to, anyway? Why are they here? Why don't they just drop dead?
"But *what* other stuff?" Kiyota asked.
"Remember your vow, Sendoh?" Mitsui teased.
"What vow, hmmm?" Rukawa asked with heavy-lidded eyes. Bedroom eyes. Sendoh gulped.
"I'd rather keep that as a secret, if you don't mind," he replied. Rukawa leaned in closer. Sendoh resisted the urge to squeak. Rukawa's breath was so warm on his ear.
"Suit yourself," he whispered.
And touched Sendoh's ear with the tip of his tongue before pulling away.
Sendoh was frozen.
Rukawa was downright disgusted with himself. He's going way too far.
Sendoh's friends were giving out a silent warning, but they all seemed amused, and Sendoh thought they're all willing to bet that he couldn't resist Rukawa.
Rukawa's friends were either shocked or amused at his actions. Never in their lives had they seen Rukawa this bold.
Sakuragi was victorious. On the outside, it might seem to others that he's only doing this to Rukawa for the sheer fun of it... but he has his reasons. He wanted his cousin to *feel*... may it be anger or disgust or lust or whatever. He just wanted his cousin to *live*. Seducing Sendoh isn't the way, he knew, but it's a start. He just needed to push Rukawa towards someone, let them spend time together, and just get to know each other. He wanted Rukawa to *live*. Maybe that way... Rukawa would be able to reach out. Maybe that way... Rukawa would be happy. For Sakuragi, this isn't all about seduction and getting laid. It's about reaching out. He just hoped Rukawa would understand what his intentions are...
Maki, on the other hand, was studying Sendoh. He finally understood earlier why Sendoh chose celibacy, but now he's wondering if Sendoh could resist this bold man and his advances. Somehow, he knew that there's something more to this stupid plot that what it seems on the outside. Two men. Two challenges. It's all about pride.
Oh well... enough about Sendoh and Rukawa. For now... he's contented with just looking at Fujima. Who would have thought that this handsome player actually has a complex personality? One minute, he was all enraged, the other, he was perfectly friendly. One minute, he was making sense, the other, he was uttering non-sense. One minute he was all flirty, the other, he was serious. Oh, that would be one ride Maki would never forget. He will meet Fujima tomorrow after his practice, and they'd have a cup of tea or two. Break from monotony. That's his aim.
"Hey everyone, I gotta go," Rukawa suddenly said, unable to take everything anymore. He doesn't know why he's doing this. Oh... right. Pride. But hell, his pride could only take so much. Yeah, he'd get himself laid within a month, but for now, he wanted to go home. He'd continue this some other time. He stood up, bid everyone good-bye and walked away. Sakuragi started to stop him but he gave his cousin a deadly, yet, resigned glare. Sakuragi sat back down.
Sendoh stood up. "I'll walk you home."
"I have a car," Rukawa said, and for once since the entire time they've been together all afternoon, there was no smile, no leer, no wink. He's the ice-cold bastard again.
"Well, could you do me a favor then?" Sendoh asked. Rukawa silently urged him. "Could you please drive me home?"
Sendoh's friends gave him a smirk, but he ignored them. For a reason, he wanted to be with Rukawa... he doesn't want him to go. It's not that he enjoyed Rukawa's advances... heaven knows he'd do anything to make it all stop, but being with Rukawa just felt... right.
"Suit yourself," Rukawa said and walked away. Sendoh bid everyone good-bye and ran after Rukawa.
Everyone just looked at the two departing figures. When the two were out of sight, all eight (yes, including Koshino) men released a sigh.
"I've never seen Kaede like that before," Kogure said. "Hana, do you think that this is right? He looks unhappy."
"Give them some time, Megane," Sakuragi said. "Give him some time. I doubt that he'll be a seductive kitsune when we're around. Let those two spend some time together... maybe then they'd be able to reach out. Maybe then... he'd be happy."
"Sendoh, too," Koshino stated. "I've never seen him that way before. It seems as if he wanted to give in to Rukawa, but he's resisting because of his pride. He's serious about this celibacy bullshit... serious enough that he fought temptation so hard. But he's got a thing for your friend. I just know it."
"Okay... let's stop with the drama, and just have fun with this," Mitsui proposed. "Who's willing to bet on Rukawa?"
"That's hard..." Jin said. "Kaede looks as if he doesn't want to continue this."
"And Sendoh looks as if he's going to give in," Maki pointed out.
"I'd bet on Rukawa," Sakuragi said. "He's my cousin anyway."
"My friend's pretty serious, plus I'd like to give him moral support," Kiyota said. "So I'd go for Sendoh."
"I'd go for Sendoh," Maki said.
"Rukawa," Fujima simply said.
"Sendoh." It was Kogure. "Kaede may be too proud as to let this continue, but one way or another, he's going to snap."
"Rukawa," Mitsui said. "Akira won't be able to resist him."
"Sendoh," Jin said. "I agree with Min-kun."
"Knowing Akira? ...Definitely Rukawa," Koshino said.
"All set then," Kiyota said.
"What's in for the winners and losers?" Mitsui asked.
"Winners take all... Losers get to do whatver the winners wanted them to do for a whole day," Kiyota proposed. "Fair enough?"
"Fair enough," everybody agreed.
**************
Inside a car, two men were deep in thoughts, until they broke the silence at the same time...
"Meddlers," they muttered.
***********
tsu.zu.ku
***********
I don't know if this is getting too serious, or getting too boring, or getting too whatever. Just tell me what you think.
And yeah... you now know that I write long chapters, eh? And I gotta tell you this... I think this is gonna be a looong fic... which means, more madness to come, more seduction to go, more resistance from Sendoh, and even more serious thoughts. This'll be one long ride, and I hope you'll go with me all the way.
Lastly... you do notice that I post chapters in one week intervals, right? I have lots of things to do at the moment, so that's my best shot. But after I finish my tasks, I'll try to update faster. But hey, I'll try my best not to update later than one week, okay?
by: Aki Midori
Warnings: OOC (for Rukawa's part... intended...), AU!!!, Yaoi!!! Plus, a couple of out-of-this-world pairings. Oh yeah, profanities, too... so be warned!
Rating: Strictly PG-13, minna!
Pairing: Sheesh, do you really have to ask? But hey... you'll find out who the other pairings are... but you know me... loyal SenRu/RuSen fan!
Author's Blahs:
Darn it... I never learn, do I? How many times do I have to say to myself that I should proofread my fics *again and again* before posting it?! Once is not enough. Twice is not enough... Ya hear that, Aki?!
*Aki bangs her head on the table*
There. Sorry for those typographical errors. Don't worry... I already changed the contents of chapter two. It's edited already. And yeah... if there are any errors in this chapter which I happen to leave behind, do tell me. And yeah, bap my head, if you like...
Before I forget... I disown Pond's Skin Whitening Cream. Thank you, Ashtoreth, for reminding me to put a disclaimer on that one. Thanks to G Lee, as well, for pointing out the name blunders. I changed that one already! I don't know what I was thinking back then... writing those names the wrong way when I knew better. Thanks, pal!
Last words... you know very well that I write long chapters, ne? Anyway, that's my style... but I gotta warn you.. this'll be a veeeery long one... ^_^ Gomen!
DiScLaiMerS:
Sendoh: This woman who thinks that I'm too horny to defend my vows doesn't own me, nor *my* kitsune, nor anyone else in this series. Let her rant and rave.
Aki: Oi... want me to castrate you? I'm not in a good mood. Those typo errors are getting on my nerves.
Sendoh: And who's fault is that?
Aki *indignant*: It's my laptop's fault.
Sendoh: *sweatdrop*
Rukawa: Hentai 'ahou...
Aki + Sendoh: Are you pertaining to me?
Rukawa: *Sigh* I don't belong to any of you, you hear?
Sendoh *to Aki*: You don't own me, too!
Aki *fuming*: That's it... I'm going to make both of you look *so* ridiculous in this fic, that later, you'll be begging me to *own* you...
Rukawa + Sendoh: Yare, yare...
------------------------
Celibacy
Chapter Three: High-Class Meddlers
Sendoh doesn't know who- or what- he should curse (or damn- whatever suits anyone, he doesn't care) first...
The options were few and limited, anyway...
Number one is this 'once-cold-bastard-who-reverted-into-a-seductive-foxed-eyed-hunk' guy named Rukawa Kaede. Number two could very well be the towing company. Number three is himself... Sendoh Akira, for parking his Ferrari into a 'no parking' zone.
Sendoh carefully considered the options.
He couldn't very well blame Rukawa. After all, he didn't do anything wrong... except that he changed a lot, and yeah... quite honestly, straight or not, he *almost* turned Sendoh on. But no... Sendoh's on the road to a meaningful existence. No sex, no hentai thoughts and deeds for a whooooole month. He's trying to change his life, dammit, and Rukawa didn't do anything wrong to him except be himself- if you call that leering kitsune still 'himself', that is. So scratch Rukawa.
The towing company. Yes, the towing company. Had they not towed away his Ferrari, he wouldn't even be in *this* predicament! It's not his fault that he's too hungry to see that 'No Parking' sign! And yeah... that area *looked* like a parking space, so who could blame him? Even Rukawa, who parked his BMW beside his car (but didn't get his car towed because he parked on the right area), didn't see that stupid sign. The towing company should have let him explain. He's Sendoh Akira, for crying out loud!
Okay, so towing companies doesn't have anything to do with an executive of Happy Smile Advertising Inc... but still... oh well...
Sendoh sighed. Scratch the towing company, too. So that means he should just curse himself, plus his stupidity, and maybe his stomach as well (because his stomach ate the nutrients that was supposed to be for his brain), for getting him into *this* predicament.
What exactly is *this* predicament?
Oh well... not much.
He was only sitting so close to a singing Rukawa in an enclosed BMW... with a leering Sakuragi at the backseat. And dammit, Rukawa has an oh-so-sexy voice. And it's turning him on, heaven help him, please!
'Ok,' Sendoh thought as he took a deep breath. 'You're straight. Remember that teeny-weeny fact. And no, goddammit, do *not* look at Rukawa. Do *not* study his sexy hair, nor his long lashes, nor his pale, well-contoured face, nor his red, kissable lips. Dammit, Sendoh, you will NOT look at Rukawa Kaede. You are practicing celibacy, dammit, so you have NO right to be aroused!'
"Hey, don't forget the seatbelt," Rukawa said with a smile. With that, he leaned over to Sendoh, rested his one hand on Sendoh's thigh, grabbed the seatbelt from its place with the other, oh-so-accidentally touching Sendoh's heaving chest in the process, and clasped it firmly into place.
'Dearlordalmightydon'tdothistomeplease!' Sendoh pleaded silently.
Sakuragi was grinning like a cheshire cat. Damn, but his cousin's *so* good at this! He never knew that Rukawa was such a good actor. Outside, the kitsune was all smiling and seductive and friendly, but Sakuragi knew him. Inwardly, Rukawa must be plotting a way to kill him... and maybe Sendoh, too. Sakuragi stifled a laugh.
Rukawa tightened his gripped on the steering wheel and picked up speed. 'The do'aho's enjoying this too much, damn him to hell and back,' Rukawa thought. 'I don't even know why I'm doing this! I should just take this goddamn smile off my face and tell Sendoh to go fuck off and bash Hana's face onto the dashboard and go on with my empty and meaningless existence. I hate smiling, damn it! My muscles are aching!'
"Anou, Rukawa-kun... Where are we going?" Sendoh politely asked.
"Tea," he muttered, fixing his eyes on the road. Sakuragi kicked his seat from behind. Rukawa glared at his cousin through the rear-view mirror, and Sakuragi glared back... with the flapping chicken wings, of course. Rukawa cleared his throat and looked at Sendoh with narrow-lidded eyes and a sexy smirk. "What I mean to say, Sendoh-kun, is that we're going to get *that* cup of tea. Remember that? Hmmm?"
"Yes," Sendoh squeaked. Sakuragi stifled another laugh. Rukawa raised an eyebrow. Sendoh cleared his throat and shook his head. "Yes, of course, Rukawa-kun. I do remember *that* cup of tea," he said, more smoothly now.
"Would you suggest a place, then?" Rukawa asked, yet again smiling. Inwardly, he was cursing himself yet again. Damn his pride for accepting such a meaningless and pointless challenge. He was acting way too out of his character. He couldn't even believe that he could *wink* and *leer*, for crying out loud.
"There's a cafe two blocks from here," Sendoh said. "Me and my friends hang out at that place a lot."
"Oh, you mean that cafe near the Happy Smile builing?" Sakuragi asked. "We tried that place a few days ago. It's great, and we decided to hang out there whenever we have the time, so maybe then we could see each other often! Nyahahaha! And yeah, Smiley, Kaede sure looks great today, ne?"
"He looks great, yeah," Sendoh said, earning him a grateful smile from Rukawa. 'Great' was the understatement of the day. He thought Rukawa looked 'gorgeous'. But, oh well... celibacy, man, he reminded himself. No flirting. No kissing. No sex.
Well, actually, the sex is easy... (*maybe*, he noted). But then again... flirting? Why did he have to include that? Darn... could he resist this yummy kitsune? Maybe he should visit a Shinto shrine and ask for heavenly intercession, ASAP.
'Someone give me a barf bag,' Rukawa thought. He really shouldn't be doing this. He'll talk to his cousin later and try to 'negotiate' with him regarding *this* matter. This is SO not him.
'This is so fun,' Sakuragi thought with a sly grin. He decided to invite everyone at the tea session and surprise Sendoh and Rukawa. The more the merrier, so they say... so he sent each of his friend a message via SMS, telling them to go over to the said cafe. He also sent a message to his new lover, Kiyota, and told him to invite *his* friends over.
'Oooh... I'm going to love this,' Sakuragi thought as he furiously pounded on his cell phone. He couldn't call his friends. He couldn't let Rukawa know of his devious plan. 'My friends will be rooting for Rukawa to go and seduce Sendoh, while Sendoh's friends will be rooting for him to resist the kitsune. This would be soooooo interesting!'
Rukawa gripped the steering wheel so tight, that his knuckles turned white. 'Yes,' he thought. 'I will talk to Hana later, and tell him that this stupid seduce-Sendoh-and-get-laid-within-a-month dare is pointless.' For the mean time, he would act like a stupid, seductive whore (and curse *everything* inwardly while doing so). He had his freakin' pride, damn it, and he *did* accept Sakuragi's challenge in front of honest, goody-goody people, so he gotta pull this one off.
He actually rested his free hand on Sendoh's leg and hummed along with the tune.
Sendoh broke out into a cold sweat. He suddenly wondered why the heavens were allowing *this* to happen to him. He's only human, for sanity's sake, and he wondered how the hell he could resist this temptation. Oh well... better hide from his friends, or they'll see him like this. He had his pride, damn it, and he *did* make a vow that he will turn away from his life of sex, flirting, kissing, green jokes and pornography in front of his friends... Friends who were willing to bet that he couldn't pull this one off. He had to hold onto his vow... otherwise, his pride would be severely damaged.
He oh-so-gently pried Rukawa's hand away from his leg.
Rukawa held his hand firmly.
Sendoh oh-so-gently pried Rukawa's fingers off his hand.
"Anou... Rukawa-kun, do you usually drive with one hand only?" he asked, very uncomfortable at the moment.
Rukawa gave him a sweet smile and said nothing, but he did take his hand away from Sendoh's and gripped the wheel tighter, whilst cursing himself- and the world, for that matter- again and again.
Sakuragi was grinning from ear to ear. He was thoroughly enjoying the show...
**********
"Whoa, hold your horses, Nobu!" Maki exclaimed into his phone as he did a sharp turn. "What are you saying again?"
"Go to the cafe, now!" Kiyota demanded. "You'll see the show of a lifetime, I promise!"
"What show-" Maki was cut short because Kiyota hung up on him. He sighed. He was having the time of his life, speeding along the streets of Tokyo, and damn Kiyota for interrupting him just like that. He threw his phone at the back of his car and did another sharp turn.
Yes, he knew that speeding was wrong, but hey, he leads a very boring life. Once in a while, he liked to do something reckless... something stupid, or something illegal. At least, that would indicate that he's still human.
What did they call him again? 'Mr. No-Nonsense', 'Mr. Goody-two-shoes', 'Mr. Formal-tie-and-black-pressed-trousers', blah, blah, blah. Maki couldn't blame them. It's all true anyway. Sometimes, he wished he could have his friends' colorful lives. He wished he wasn't the stuck-up perfectionist, or the calm person, or the sensible person of the group. Sometimes, he wished he has Kiyota's outward arrogance and cheerfulness, or Mitsui's recklessness and impulsiveness, or Sendoh's appeal and sense of humor, and sometimes, even Koshino's short-fused temper and tendency to panic a lot. At least their lives are colorful... his wasn't.
Office. Coffee. Formal ties. Pressed trousers. Documents. Contracts. Lunch. Documents. Contracts. Cafe. Chat. Cinnamon. Tea. Home. Dinner. Sleep. What a life.
A goldfish trapped in a fishbowl could have a happier life.
Maki grunted. He picked up speed. To hell with those cops. Where are they anyway? Why weren't they chasing him? Stupid cops... probably slacking off in a ramen house again. Why couldn't they be like those two cops in that series he watched a long time ago? Who were they again? Uh... Kobaya-something Miyuki and Tsujimoto Nat-whatever. Those two were great cops. But oh well, if there were cops like them in Tokyo, then he's not too stupid as to do what he's doing now.
Or maybe then... he could be *that* stupid. Just so he could prove everyone that he's human.
Another sharp turn. More speed. Turn left. Turn right. No cops at that alley... sharp turn again. Maki sighed. Better get to the damned cafe and see what that wild monkey's up to this time. Swerve to the right. Sharp U-turn.
Speeding... breaking the rules... Danger... Why is he doing all these? What's the point? For a moment, he thought he understood what Sendoh must be feeling. A break from monotony. A break from a mundane, routinal existence.
Sendoh may be right. Sometimes, people needed to change their lifestyles, no matter how stupid their ideas could be.
He made another sharp turn...
And nearly ran over a man.
"Shit," Maki cursed as he hit the brakes and furiously swerved the wheel to avoid that jaywalker. His car stopped right in front of a lamp post. His heart thundered in his chest. He waited for a moment and let is heart calm down, and when it did, white rage shot through him. He stepped out of the car and attacked the petrified victim.
Or so he thought.
The victim wasn't petrified. He was furious.
"What the hell were you thinking, driving like an enraged lunatic?! You nearly killed me, damn you!"
Maki blinked.
He nearly killed Fujima Kenji. Captain of the National Basketball Team. Basketball legend. Popular. Well-known. Respected. Idolized. Worshipped, even.
And the most beautiful person he laid his eyes upon.
**********
"Yes, yes, yes, Nobu, we're on our way, dammit! What show are you talking about, your exaggerating nincompoop? Wha-... Oh yeah? And then? Uh-huh... Hmmm? Oh, Rukawa Kaede? That icy national player? What's he got to do with Aki-... What the... Seduce Akira!? Sakuragi Hanamichi dared his cousin to seduce Akira?! Now way! ... Alright, we're on our way!" Mitsui snapped his cell phone shut and grinned at a perpetually scowling Koshino.
"What's going on?" Koshino asked as he walked towards another shelf of books.
"Well, you know Rukawa Kaede right? Well-"
"What the hell do you mean, 'you know Rukawa Kaede'? He's a freakin' national player, you moron, of course I know him!" Koshino snapped. "Now where the hell is that damn book? Why is that Kogure such a good bastard that his books are always gone before I could even see its shadow?"
"Let me finish, would you, you tightass?" Mitsui shot back and threw Koshino a hardbound book. Koshino mumbled a 'thanks' before glaring at him and urging him to continue. "Well, you see... that icy player Rukawa Kaede was challenged to seduce Akira!" Mitsui exclaimed.
Koshino blinked.
Mitsui blinked back.
Koshino blinked-blinked back.
Mitsui blinked-blinked-blinked back.
And snapped.
"Well, aren't you going to say something?" Mitsui demanded.
Koshino's temper snapped almost instantly. "What the hell do I have to say?! So that national player is on a quest to seduce that stupid Sendoh. Well, whoopdedoo! Scoop of the century!" he cheered sarcastically. Mitsui rolled his eyes. "Now let's go on with our lives, shall we? I'm going to ask Kogure-san to sign this while he's still here at the book store. Now where the hell is he?" With that, he walked away.
"Kogure, Kogure, Kogure," Mitsui muttered as he walked blindly along the aisles of the bookstore. "What's with that bastard's books, anyway? Sure, he doesn't write sappy stories and his books actually have substance, but hell- Ow! Watch it! Don't you know that I'm Mitsui Hisashi?! I ought to..."
He trailed off...
Those are the most beautiful brown eyes he had ever seen. Cute smile, too.
"Anou... Mitsui-san, right? From Happy Smile Ad Inc? I'm so terribly sorry. I wasn't looking," the brown-eyed guy said. Mitsui shook his head and raked his hand through his hair before giving the guy one of his hundred-mega-watt smiles.
"And I'm Mitsui Hisashi," he said. "Anou... you are...?"
"Kogure. Kogure Kiminobu."
Mitsui did a double-take.
Four aisles away, Koshino was cursing profusely. His favorite author was sitting at the stupid table a while ago, signing autographs, and now, he's nowhere to be found. Damn that Mitsui. He shouldn't have listened to Mitsui's idiotic tirade about Rukawa's plot to seduce Sendoh. Why the hell should he care, anyway? Just so long as he's free from Sendoh's obscenity, he'd be fine, thanks very much.
He saw a lone figure standing near the empty table where Kogure was signing autographs a while ago, and recongnized the person as Jin Soichiro, an executive in a leading publishing company. He wasn't suppose to be *that* famous, but hell, his friends are all popular, plus he's got his own unique personality which made all people like him.
'Maybe he knows where Kogure is,' Koshino thought as he started to approach the ever-patient doe-eyed executive. "Excuse me," he started, "have you, by any chance, seen Kogure-san around? He was here just a while ago."
"Oh, you mean Min-kun? He's just around," Jin replied with a friendly smile. "What do you need him for? Maybe I could help."
"Oh, I was just wondering if I could still have him sign this," Koshino replied while holding out his book. "I'm a great fan of his."
"Don't worry, he's just around," Jin replied. "Why don't you wait here with me? We need to go someplace because our friend sent an urgent message, but I'm sure he would sign that for you."
"Ah... Arigatou."
"I'm Jin Soichiro, by the way," Jin said, holding out his hand.
"I know. I'm Koshino Hiroaki," Koshino replied while he shook Jin's soft hand. Warmth spread through his body as Jin gave him a smile once again. That smile was so... relaxing. So comforting. Koshino shook his head to clear his thoughts. There's no time to feel all fuzzy-wuzzy now. His life is too complicated and hectic as it is. But the smile is so warm, dammit, and it's rocking Koshino's thoughts. His nerves are always on the edge, but once this doe-eyed guy smiled at him, it was as if he's never known the word 'tense' all his life.
"You're from Happy Smile Advertising, Inc, right?" Jin asked. "You and your friends are pretty popular. Anyway, it was nice meeting you."
"Nice meeting you, too," Koshino replied. Comfortable silence wrapped itself around the two as they patiently waited for Kogure.
"So... bastard, eh?" a voice teased. Jin and Koshino looked up to see Kogure approaching with a blushing Mitsui beside him.
"Anou... I didn't mean to say that... er... you see, my friend, Koshino... anou..." Mitsui stammered. Kogure laughed.
"It's fine. Forget it," he said. Mitsui sighed out in relief.
"There you are, Min-kun!" Jin exclaimed. "This nice guy here was waiting for you, and I'm sure Hana's pretty anxious to see us at the cafe, ASAP. Where have you been?"
"Klutzing about," Kogure easily replied. He turned to Koshino. "Yes, may I help you?"
"Hello, Kogure-san," Koshino greeted. "If it's not too much, could you please sign this book for me?"
"Oh, sure... Koshino Hiroaki, if I'm not mistaken?"
"Uh... right."
"Okay," Kogure said and scribbled a few words on Koshino's book. He smiled when he finished and handed the book to Koshino. "Thanks very much for reading my books, Koshino-san."
"Thanks for signing it," Koshino said.
Mitsui was still speechless. Standing beside him was probably the nicest fellow he'd ever met, and what does he do? Let his impulsive nature get the better of him. 'Baka Mitsui,' he thought. And instead of delivering a smooth apology, he actually has to stammer like a love-sick moron.
"If you gentlemen wouldn't mind, we really have to take our leave," Jin said politely. "You see, our friend Sakuragi needed us to go this cafe-"
"Waitaminute," Mitsui interrupted as a grin broke out. "Sakuragi? Is this about Sendoh Akira and Rukawa Kaede? I mean... Rukawa is your friend, right? And, by any chance, are there any seduction schemes involved?"
"Now that you mentioned it, yes," Kogure replied with the same grin. "I'd love to see how those two will pull their stunts."
"Would the two of you like to accompany us during the ride?" Jin offered. Koshino was about to say that they brought his car when Mitsui covered his mouth with his hand and accepted the offer.
"Why, thank you ever so much, Jin-san," he drawled out. "We would appreciate that very much. Now why don't we get over there and join the fun? I'm sure our friend Maki is on his way at the cafe. We're *good* friends of Sendoh, by the way."
"And Fujima's on his way, too," Kogure said. The four of them walked out of the bookstore and headed towards Kogure's sports car.
"Why don't we just leave them alone?" Koshino asked. "I mean, that's their business, right?"
"But it'll be fun," Jin insisted. "Just come along with us, okay, Koshino-kun?"
And there it was again. That same smile which spread warmth all over Koshino.
"Yare, yare," he muttered. "Oh boy... this is gonna be a loooong day."
**************
"Sssssh... quiet or they'll hear you!"
"*YOU* be quiet, you arrogant supermodel wanna-be!"
"Temee! Who the hell are you anyway?! Dare you insult this tensai's prowess?!"
"It's Mitsui Hisashi, pal, and don't you forget it!"
"Stop this non-sense, minna."
"Oh, right... Mr. Sensible talks."
"Shut up, Nobu."
"Hana, what exactly are you doing here? Aren't you with Kaede and Sendoh-san earlier?"
"Well, you see, Megane, I wanted to leave those two alone... and oooh! Look at that! Rukawa's advancing towards Sendoh!"
"Where?"
"Over there, Nobu-love!"
"Nobu-love?! Waahaha!!!"
"Shut up, Hisashi... Cool! And look at Sendoh! He's red as a tomato!"
"You're pretty quiet, Kenji, what happened?"
"I'm fine, Soi... I was just... shocked."
"Oi... gomen..."
"It's okay, Maki-kun."
"What the hell happened to you two?"
"Nothing much, Hiro. And don't snap at me."
"Hell, I'm not snapping!"
"Calm down now, Koshino-kun."
"Uh... hai, Jin-san."
Seven tables away... Rukawa bit his lip to refrain himself from killing his friends and Sendoh's friends. He could only do so much. What the hell are those maggots doing there anyway? Do they think that he's such a moron that he wouldn't notice the ruckus they were creating? And why the hell were they hiding, dammit? Wait... what the hell is that signboard Sakuragi's waving?
'Go Kaede!' it said.
Rukawa fumed.
"Anou... my friends are over there," Sendoh said. He was still sweating in anxiety, dammit. He'd been enduring this sexy hunk's advances for the last hour or so. So far, Rukawa oh-so-accidentally brushed his hand over his thigh when his spooned dropped under the table. Rukawa also winked at him for so many times that he lost count. He could never forget the way Rukawa licked the ice cream off his lips earlier, too. The smiles... Kami-sama, the smiles. Never in his life had he seen such twisted, or sweet, or seductive smiles.
Rukawa rested his chin on his hand and smirked. "Want me to invite them to come over?"
"Yes, please," Sendoh said. Heaven knows that if he'd be alone with Rukawa for another minute, he'd break his vows and pounce on the seductive kitsune.
Rukawa yet again winked before he stood up and walked over to the looney bunch.
"Uh... guys?" Jin called out.
"Hmmm?" Fujima asked.
"Kaede's on his way here."
"And he doesn't look too happy, I presume," Maki noted.
"Heck, he looks as if he could kill us!" Mitsui said, but not sounding bothered at all.
"Hiya, dearest cousin," Sakuragi greeted when Rukawa reached their crowded table. "Meet Sendoh's friends. This is Maki Shinichi, Koshino Hiroaki, Mitsui Hisashi, and Kiyota Nobunaga. And whaddaya know... our friends are here, too! Happy coincidence, is it not?"
Rukawa simply bonked Sakuragi's head before addressing the group. "That blabbering 'ahou wants you there," he said.
"Oi, what happened to that seductive basketball hunk we've seen back there?" Kiyota asked.
"Gone to hell," Rukawa snapped.
"You're not enjoying this are you?" Mitsui asked.
"Go figure," was Rukawa's terse reply. He turned to Sakuragi. "I've been smiling a lot for the last couple of hours, you moron, and my muscles hurt. I've been talking a lot, too, telling that do'aho my conquests at court and my success and my goddamn life, and my vocal chords are tired. I've been winking a lot, too. I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to face that hentai 'ahou anymore. This is stupid. I want out."
And he started to walk away.
"Chicken!" Sakuragi called out.
Rukawa's pride couldn't take that, could it?
So he turned back to Sendoh, gave the poor celibate man another one of his winner smiles, and sat down next to him.
Sakuragi, Kiyota and Mitsui cheered. Jin and Kogure smiled. Maki and Fujima just shook their heads in amusement. Koshino... well... Koshino is Koshino, so he just rolled his eyes and scowled.
"Come on, let's go over there," Kiyota said. They all stood up and went over to Sendoh and Rukawa's table.
"Guys! Thank *heavens* you're here!" Sendoh greeted a little too enthusiasctically. "Go ahead, take a seat, don't be shy! Rukawa-kun and I are just *talking*, I promise!"
"Don't be too defensive, pal," Mitsui snickered as he took a seat beside Kogure. Intended, of course, since he was besotted by the mild-mannered novelist.
"So... what's up?" Maki asked.
"Nothing much," Sendoh replied. "Rukawa-kun here was just talking about what he did after *that* fateful day when we had a *friendly* one-on-one. He left Kanagawa and went to Tokyo U and then got recruited by the National Team and that pretty much started everything. Nice, eh?"
"Now, what were you two *doing* all these times?" Kiyota teased.
"Oh, we're just talking," Sendoh replied breezily.
"Talking?" Mitsui pressed, leering at Sendoh.
"Just talking?" Sakuragi asked, raising a deadly eyebrow at Rukawa.
"Talking, and... some other 'stuff'," Rukawa replied with a lazy wave of his hand and winked once again at Sendoh.
"What other stuff?" Koshino asked, narrowing his eyes at Sendoh.
Sendoh gulped. 'Not Koshino,' he thought. "Aaaaah... we've been... eating ice cream. And talking. Yeah... talking. And ice cream. And tea."
"Oh. Good."
"Are you, by any chance, flirting with our friend?" Jin asked politely.
"Flirting?" Sendoh half-said, half-squeaked. "No. It's just an innocent little chat!"
"Just that?" Fujima pressed, but looking at Rukawa.
"Just an innocent chat, and... some other stuff," Rukawa drawled with a smile. Inwardly, he wanted to get the hell out of this place? What are these people up to, anyway? Why are they here? Why don't they just drop dead?
"But *what* other stuff?" Kiyota asked.
"Remember your vow, Sendoh?" Mitsui teased.
"What vow, hmmm?" Rukawa asked with heavy-lidded eyes. Bedroom eyes. Sendoh gulped.
"I'd rather keep that as a secret, if you don't mind," he replied. Rukawa leaned in closer. Sendoh resisted the urge to squeak. Rukawa's breath was so warm on his ear.
"Suit yourself," he whispered.
And touched Sendoh's ear with the tip of his tongue before pulling away.
Sendoh was frozen.
Rukawa was downright disgusted with himself. He's going way too far.
Sendoh's friends were giving out a silent warning, but they all seemed amused, and Sendoh thought they're all willing to bet that he couldn't resist Rukawa.
Rukawa's friends were either shocked or amused at his actions. Never in their lives had they seen Rukawa this bold.
Sakuragi was victorious. On the outside, it might seem to others that he's only doing this to Rukawa for the sheer fun of it... but he has his reasons. He wanted his cousin to *feel*... may it be anger or disgust or lust or whatever. He just wanted his cousin to *live*. Seducing Sendoh isn't the way, he knew, but it's a start. He just needed to push Rukawa towards someone, let them spend time together, and just get to know each other. He wanted Rukawa to *live*. Maybe that way... Rukawa would be able to reach out. Maybe that way... Rukawa would be happy. For Sakuragi, this isn't all about seduction and getting laid. It's about reaching out. He just hoped Rukawa would understand what his intentions are...
Maki, on the other hand, was studying Sendoh. He finally understood earlier why Sendoh chose celibacy, but now he's wondering if Sendoh could resist this bold man and his advances. Somehow, he knew that there's something more to this stupid plot that what it seems on the outside. Two men. Two challenges. It's all about pride.
Oh well... enough about Sendoh and Rukawa. For now... he's contented with just looking at Fujima. Who would have thought that this handsome player actually has a complex personality? One minute, he was all enraged, the other, he was perfectly friendly. One minute, he was making sense, the other, he was uttering non-sense. One minute he was all flirty, the other, he was serious. Oh, that would be one ride Maki would never forget. He will meet Fujima tomorrow after his practice, and they'd have a cup of tea or two. Break from monotony. That's his aim.
"Hey everyone, I gotta go," Rukawa suddenly said, unable to take everything anymore. He doesn't know why he's doing this. Oh... right. Pride. But hell, his pride could only take so much. Yeah, he'd get himself laid within a month, but for now, he wanted to go home. He'd continue this some other time. He stood up, bid everyone good-bye and walked away. Sakuragi started to stop him but he gave his cousin a deadly, yet, resigned glare. Sakuragi sat back down.
Sendoh stood up. "I'll walk you home."
"I have a car," Rukawa said, and for once since the entire time they've been together all afternoon, there was no smile, no leer, no wink. He's the ice-cold bastard again.
"Well, could you do me a favor then?" Sendoh asked. Rukawa silently urged him. "Could you please drive me home?"
Sendoh's friends gave him a smirk, but he ignored them. For a reason, he wanted to be with Rukawa... he doesn't want him to go. It's not that he enjoyed Rukawa's advances... heaven knows he'd do anything to make it all stop, but being with Rukawa just felt... right.
"Suit yourself," Rukawa said and walked away. Sendoh bid everyone good-bye and ran after Rukawa.
Everyone just looked at the two departing figures. When the two were out of sight, all eight (yes, including Koshino) men released a sigh.
"I've never seen Kaede like that before," Kogure said. "Hana, do you think that this is right? He looks unhappy."
"Give them some time, Megane," Sakuragi said. "Give him some time. I doubt that he'll be a seductive kitsune when we're around. Let those two spend some time together... maybe then they'd be able to reach out. Maybe then... he'd be happy."
"Sendoh, too," Koshino stated. "I've never seen him that way before. It seems as if he wanted to give in to Rukawa, but he's resisting because of his pride. He's serious about this celibacy bullshit... serious enough that he fought temptation so hard. But he's got a thing for your friend. I just know it."
"Okay... let's stop with the drama, and just have fun with this," Mitsui proposed. "Who's willing to bet on Rukawa?"
"That's hard..." Jin said. "Kaede looks as if he doesn't want to continue this."
"And Sendoh looks as if he's going to give in," Maki pointed out.
"I'd bet on Rukawa," Sakuragi said. "He's my cousin anyway."
"My friend's pretty serious, plus I'd like to give him moral support," Kiyota said. "So I'd go for Sendoh."
"I'd go for Sendoh," Maki said.
"Rukawa," Fujima simply said.
"Sendoh." It was Kogure. "Kaede may be too proud as to let this continue, but one way or another, he's going to snap."
"Rukawa," Mitsui said. "Akira won't be able to resist him."
"Sendoh," Jin said. "I agree with Min-kun."
"Knowing Akira? ...Definitely Rukawa," Koshino said.
"All set then," Kiyota said.
"What's in for the winners and losers?" Mitsui asked.
"Winners take all... Losers get to do whatver the winners wanted them to do for a whole day," Kiyota proposed. "Fair enough?"
"Fair enough," everybody agreed.
**************
Inside a car, two men were deep in thoughts, until they broke the silence at the same time...
"Meddlers," they muttered.
***********
tsu.zu.ku
***********
I don't know if this is getting too serious, or getting too boring, or getting too whatever. Just tell me what you think.
And yeah... you now know that I write long chapters, eh? And I gotta tell you this... I think this is gonna be a looong fic... which means, more madness to come, more seduction to go, more resistance from Sendoh, and even more serious thoughts. This'll be one long ride, and I hope you'll go with me all the way.
Lastly... you do notice that I post chapters in one week intervals, right? I have lots of things to do at the moment, so that's my best shot. But after I finish my tasks, I'll try to update faster. But hey, I'll try my best not to update later than one week, okay?