aki midori
You want disclaimers? Go look at the fourteen previous chapters (including prologue).
You want warnings? You'll get no more. You've read the previous chapters, no?
You want blahs?
You'll get blahs.
Author's Unrelenting Blahs:
Well. It's been long, hasn't it? Thanks again to the people who either reviewed here or mailed me personally. To be honest... (I haven't written this before, right?) when I first started writing Celibacy, I never thought that so many people would read and like. I never really imagined that it would reach so many people, and that you guys would go as far as to kick my ass personally just so you could get the next chapter. I never imagined all these.
But it happened.
It's magic, as far as I'm concerned.
Not that I'm complaining. I mean, hell. Even now, new people are popping up in the reviews section, telling me to, 'Update, please!' I wanted so much to do that for you, and for me too, but well... you know all that shit about being too busy and stuff, right? When I'm not busy, well, I wanted so much to write Celibacy, but man... sometimes, you can't write when you can't. But anyway, it's here again...
and this is dedicated to all of us.
Special Thank you's:
To Archangel-chan, for all the countless beautiful fics she has dedicated to me.
To Kim, for the late-night silly conversations and for being a great friend.
To Chache, for trusting me.
To Cheeky Jie, for being a great big sis.
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Celibacy Chapter Fourteen: And the Walls Collapsed
One minute, he was being manhandled by some... boobs that grew a body, and the next, he was sprawled on the floor, with a bruise smarting on his pretty cheek.
Man, Rukawa could sure pack a punch! Really, now. A man could only take so much pain for one night.
"What did I do?!" An uncharacteristic whine accompanied Sendoh's bewildered remark. He was an undignified heap on the floor, yes, but at the same time, his heart was clapping with glee. Rukawa. Was. Talking. To. Him. Right now. And he's right in front of him.
Whoopdeedoo.
"You bad, bad man!" Rukawa admonished, his blue eyes glinting as he tried to bore holes into Sendoh's seemingly confused head.
Bad, bad-
WHAT?!
"Kaede? Is there something wrong with you?" Sendoh asked, uncertain. He slowly stood up and came face to face with an unusually red-faced Rukawa.
Sendoh had a stinkin' feeling that something's wrong. Very wrong.
"Yeah, something's wrong with me!" Rukawa declared. "I turn my back on you for a few seconds, and this is what I see? What the hell are you thinkin', Sendoh Akira? Think you can go ga-ga over a booby woman with me around?" He didn't give Sendoh a chance to defend himself, for he turned his glorious fury on the woman in question. "You. Who the hell do you think you are, you slut?"
"I'm his fiancee," booby woman drawled easily as she pressed herself even more against Sendoh. She was determined to unite their bodies via constant manhandling and, er, rubbing.
"Fiancee," Rukawa echoed with the blankest of expressions. "Fiancee."
"Yes, darling. Fiancee."
Rukawa's eyes glinted as he grabbed Sendoh by the arm and pulled the man next to him. "Back off, lady. This is my turf."
"I'm afraid I can't, honey," Booby Woman said. "We're in love here."
Now, Rukawa Kaede is a very, very nice person, despite being quiet and unsociable. He doesn't like hurting anybody, save for his idiot cousin Sakuragi, and as much as it doesn't show, he's actually Pro-World Peace.
He's a very, very nice person.
But somebody's manhandling his man, and Rukawa Kaede doesn't like that.
He's a very, very nice person.
But he's very, very pissed, and he's very, very drunk.
What's a man to do?
"Die."
It took all of Rukawa's friends to keep him from strangling the clutchy woman. Rukawa's eyes screamed bloody murder as he tried- unsuccessfully- to get his hands on the woman. One hit. Just one hit, that's all he's asking for. Oh, how her smug smirk gets on his nerves! That woman's gonna be dead and mangled by the time he's done with her! The nerve of that woman, trying to snag /his/ Sendoh! That's not possible! Sendoh's /his/ and /his/ alone, and no Booby Woman's gonna take him away from him!
"That's enough, Kaede," Megumi said firmly as she easily protected Booby Woman from Kaede's futile blows. She steered her friend away from her murderous, drunk brother and smiled. "Thanks, Yohko. You sure got him."
Yohko smiled and passed an arm around Megumi. "No problem, 'Gumi-chan," she replied. "For a while, though, I thought I was gonna die back there," she said, shuddering involuntarily. "Your brother's really intense."
"'Bout time he got intense, if you asked me," Megumi muttered. "He's an ass, is what he is. Should have known it would take an extremely clingy woman to knock him into his senses."
"Oh, but he's cute, anyway!" Yohko laughed. She threw a cautious glance towards the commotion- Rukawa was a tad moment closer to biting poor Sendoh's head off, while all their friends stand by, should any more violence occured- and smirked. "I did my part, darling. Now where's my reward."
"Your reward's right here with me," Kirei drawled from behind Yohko. "Here's your Gold Card, darling. You're entitled to great discounts, plus, an exclusive Kitty-Cat lingerie set, custom-made just for you."
"Thank you ever so much," Yohko said. "Now, if you girls would excuse me? I think I'm better off out of here. Kae-chan's still throwing me dirty looks, and I would really like to try out that Kitty-Cat set some time in my life. Tonight, if possibe."
"Oh?" Kirei smirked. "Well, you better get going, then. Thanks for all your help."
"Anytime," Yohko said, heading off. "Bye, darlings! Do tell me whatever happened to Kae-chan, alright?"
"Sure," Megumi said as she waved one final good-bye. She turned to Kirei with an impatient frown and pointed towards her miserably drunk brother. "What do we do with that shit-head? He's rip-roaring drunk, and I think it's about time Sendoh gets his paws on Kaede, and fuck him into oblivion!"
"Now, now, Megumi-chan, calm down, darling," Kirei said with a placating smile as she steered her pissed sister towards the commotion.
"Calm down, darling," Megumi mocked beneath her breath. She arrived at the riot just in time to hold Rukawa down firmly as he tried to punch Sendoh again. Stupid friends aren't doing anything to help. "Laugh your asses off, why don't you?" Stupid friends just laughed. Ch'.
"Let me go, oneechan!" Rukawa screamed in fury. Totally unusual for him, since he was well-known for his quiet, subliminal fury. But oh well. He's drunk, anyway, so he might as well use that excuse once he got sober. "He's a goddamned bastard, and I want to hit him!"
Yeah. He /did/ say that he was going to avenge his broken heart.
"Why would you want to hit me?!" Sendoh wailed out as he tried to protect himself from Rukawa's onslaught. "I didn't do anything wrong, Kaede!"
"Oh yeah? And what do you have to say about that woman?!" Rukawa demanded. Oh, joy! He was finally able to escape the clutches of his friends and sisters, and was finally able to take a swing at the flustered Sendoh, who, in turn, was totally sober, so he was able to dodge the attack.
"I don't know him, Kaede!" Sendoh stood his ground and glared Rukawa down. He's innocent, dammit, and he's not about to let the man he loves think the worst of him! He has his pride, dammit, and he was damned proud that he has been faithful to Rukawa all along! That... and the fact that he was able to live by his new creed. Celibacy!
Oh, he was a good, good man.
He was good, good, faithful man.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Rukawa slurred, swaying a little. "I'm not the one who was making out with a damned booby babe! And would you stop moving about, you reprobate! You're making my head spin! Stay right where you are!"
"I'm not moving, Kaede," Sendoh softly said, reaching out for the drunk man. "I'm staying right where I am. Right where you'd want me."
"Oh, do get your hands off me!" Rukawa shouted. He swayed again and tried to focus more on the argument at hand. Damn, but everything's spinning already! Everything must stay still, dammit! He's trying to make a point, here! He's trying to...
What was he trying to do, again?
He shook his head and glared at Sendoh again. Now, why the hell are there two Sendoh's? "Since when did you have a twin?!" And why are Sendoh's arms around him? Is that the twin Sendoh, or the original Sendoh?
"I don't have a twin," Sendoh said, frowning at Rukawa. "You're drunk."
"Yes, he is," Kirei drawled. "Now, would you like to take him home for the night? Take care of him, perhaps?"
"Uh, sure?" Sendoh replied, a little uncertain. Yes, he would like to have Rukawa with him, but the man's drunk!
"That's good. Now, go," Kirei said. "And I don't want to see you both until my Kaede gets devirginized by you. And I mean it, Sendoh." It was a stern command.
Sendoh blanched. The others gave out hoots and catcalls. Shinri squealed in delight, Miku smiled, Ayako smirked, and Megumi laughed.
"What are you talking about?" Rukawa demanded. "Who's gonna get devirginized? Is there such a word?"
"You're gonna get devirginized," Kirei replied, her eyes promising a painful future should Rukawa disobey. "I don't want to see you 'undevirginized', so even if it takes you forty-five years to finally have sex, then we'll wait 'till then before you can finally go home." Kirei turned her attention to a perpetually-flustered Sendoh and narrowed her eyes at the man. "You take him home, and you give him back devirginized, you hear?"
Sendoh shook his head to clear the shock away and smiled, albeit too forced. "Look, I'm very happy to, uh... adhere to your wishes, 'neechan." He gulped and threw a look at an equally dangerous-looking Rukawa Kaede. "But if there's any 'devirginizing' that has to be done, I would at least want my partner to be sober. Soooooo... I think there might be a delay."
"I don't care," Kirei snapped.
"'Neechan-"
"Hello!" Rukawa called out. "I'm here! You guys have a habit of ignoring me, don't you!" He glared at everybody present, including the crowd of people who has gathered to watch the commotion. Such a scene, really. It was as if they were shooting an international movie. Rukawa 'hmp'ed and finally settled his glare onto Sendoh. "Devirginize yourself, jackass."
"I believe that's not necessary," Maki supplied, trying to be helpful.
"Yes," Kiyota chirped in, a tad too happily. "That's already taken care of, way back when he's- OW! That fuckin' hurt, Hiroaki!"
"Serves you right, doofus," Koshino muttered.
"You're ignoring me again!" Rukawa complained, waving his hands in the air.
"You're drunk, Kaede," Sendoh said, tightening his hold on Rukawa. Oh, how he wanted to do this for so long.
"Like, duh, stupid," Rukawa drawled, /still/ trying to get his vision to focus. "I'm drunk, and it's your fault!"
"Why is it my fault, Kaede?"
"Because!"
"Because, what?" Sendoh couldn't take his eyes off his Rukawa. The man was as red as a ripe tomato, and he was so damn close, he could almost kiss him.
"Because you and that... that humpy woman are practically making out in front of me!" Rukawa declared.
"And what is that to you, Kaede?" Sendoh asked, his intense boring holes into Rukawa's flustered being. "Why do you care?"
"Idiot!" Rukawa admonished the man. "Why would I /not/ care? Ask my friends, they know! They know I'm upset, but you don't, so you let that bad woman press her whole self to you!"
Sendoh looked up to the little circle that has gathered around them only to find out their smirks and suppressed laughter. "Ask them, Sen-doh." The man in his arms tried to stand still and glared at the group. "Why do I care?"
"I don't know, Kaede," Kogure's soft voice rose above the amused silence.
"You tell us," Sakuragi said.
"I care, dammit! Why does everybody think I don't care? I can care, too! Ask Megumi! Ask her about the meat loaf! I killed the meat loaf!" Rukawa declared. Oh, no! He killed a meat loaf! Poor meat loaf. Rukawa felt bad about the poor, poor meat loa. Oh... wait. He's a meat loaf murderer! No! He's a nice, nice person, and he didn't mean to hurt the meat loaf! "I didn't mean to hurt the meat loaf! I swear! But Sen-doh made me hurt the meat loaf! Megumi-neechan tried to stop me, but-"
"Hush, Kaede," Miku interrupted softly. "No one would get mad at you for hurting the meat loaf."
The wild look in Rukawa's eyes disappeared and was replaced by raw sadness. "But you would get mad at me for hurting Akira, wouldn't you?"
"No, Kaede," Jin replied softly. "We wouldn't be mad at you. But we would be very, very sad."
"Why?" Rukawa asked. "Why would you be sad?"
"We would be sad because Sendoh's our friend, and we don't want him hurt," Maki supplied.
"And we would be sad, because we know that you hurt, when Sendoh gets hurt," Kogure said. "And we don't want you to get hurt."
"I'm hurt, though," Rukawa couldn't look everyone in the eye now. He had the feeling that something's wrong; that he shouldn't be doing this, that he shouldn't be saying this, but he couldn't help but do so, anyway. It was as if all his restrains were washed away by the alcohol.
Rukawa blinked. And blinked again.
What alcohol?! He didn't order any alcohol! Who spiked the drinks? HANA!
He wildly directed his gaze to his evil cousin, but the latter was busy staring him down. Why was the aho looking at him like that! He was the one who spiked the drinks! He was the perpetrator of this mad scheme! The root of all evil! The bane of his existence! The-
"Why are you hurt, Kaede?" Sakuragi suddenly asked.
Huh?
He was hurt? "I'm hurt?"
"You just said you are," Mitsui said from his back. He tried to twist around to see Mitsui, but oh, how his head ached!
He's hurt? Wait... he was, wasn't he? He's... sad. Why? "I'm an ass."
"We're aware," Sakuragi abruptly said, which earned him a hard whack upside the head, courtesy of Rukawa Megumi. He glared at his cousin and backed down when he saw the dangerous glint in her eyes.
"I'm an ass," Rukawa repeated softly, bowing his head. He tried to move out of Sendoh grasp, but the older man was too strong. And too sober, to boot. "Let me go, Sendoh. I'm an ass, and you shouldn't help me. I don't deserve it. I'm an ass, because I've hurt you again, and again, and again. Go away. I don't deserve you."
Sendoh's heart ached. Yes, he wanted to talk to Rukawa, but not like this. Not with Rukawa drunk as he was at the moment. The alcohol was forcing Rukawa to face what he didn't want to face, and to feel what he didn't want to feel. The alcohol was making Rukawa say what he didn't want to say. Sendoh knew how proud Rukawa was, and he knew that Rukawa would regret it come next morning. As much as he wanted to know what Rukawa's true feelings are, he sure as hell wanted the man sober when he was doing so.
The alcohol was making Rukawa vulnerable. Rukawa doesn't want to be vulnerable, and would hate himself for being so. Sendoh knew that much, and he doesn't want Rukawa to hate himself any more than he did, already.
"Stop it Rukawa," Sendoh said. He wanted Rukawa to stop, immediately. He didn't want Rukawa to hurt anymore.
"No, let him," Kirei said, dead serious. "It's about time, Akira. He's repressed himself too much. Let him talk."
"But he's drunk!" Sendoh protested. "He's going to regret this tomorrow! He'll hate himself for being vulnerable like this! He has to stop!"
"What would you do, then?" Megumi demanded. Sendoh glared at her and she glared back.
"Damn," Sendoh muttered, frustrated that he couldn't do anything to remedy the situation. Rukawa was now muttering a long list of reasons as to why he was an ass.
"Sendoh," Ayako said, coming up to him to stroke her flustered brother's jet-black hair. "He needs this. Just let him talk. It's sweet that you care for Kaede that much, but trust me. He needs this. He may not like it when he regains his sanity, but heaven knows he needed to get those damned things off his chest. If it would take an alcohol to force him to do that, then by god, I'll gladly shove all sorts of alchohol down his throat."
"Aya-neechan," Sendoh whispered.
"And I also bully Shinri a lot," Rukawa said with conviction. "One time, I pushed Miku-neechan away, when she was trying to comfort me that time when the team lost. She was very, very sad. I'm an ass. And I also snap at my friends a lot, even though they don't do anything wrong. Yes. I'm an ass. Then there was a time when I stole Megumi-neechan's favorite bunny and hid it out in the backyard, and she cried! Megumi-neechan never cries, but I made her cry because I stole her favorite toy. Papa gave that to her before he left and never came back, and that toy was her favorite, but I stole it anyway, because she was such a bully and she pisses me off all the time, but I didn't have to steal that toy because it was special, and it made Megumi-neechan cry. I'm sorry, Megumi-neechan. You can punch me now because-"
"Shut up, Kaede," Megumi snapped. "I forgive you. You can move on to the next in the list."
"But you cried!" Rukawa protested. "You never cry! And I don't want to see you cry, because you're strong! You're the strongest person I know, but you cried, and you were nineteen then! I was seventeen, and I should have known better, but-"
"I said shut up, man." Megumi snatched Rukawa away from Sendoh and gave her flustered brother a hug. "Let it go, already. Let it all go."
"I'm an ass, neechan," Rukawa said, his voice muffled on Megumi's shoulder. Megumi allowed her brother to stay in her embrace for a while. It's been so long since she last held her idiot brother. It felt so good. How she missed this.
Then she felt it.
Fuck.
Her blouse was wet where Rukawa's face was buried.
Fuck.
Fuck.
"And I hurt Sendoh," Rukawa whispered, his breath on her neck slightly tickling her. "I hurt Sendoh, neechan, and he's the only person I've fallen in love with."
Fuck!
Silence.
"I didn't want to hurt him, but I was scared, Megumi-neechan," Rukawa buried himself more into his sister's safe embrace. "I was scared of falling in love. It made me vulnerable. It was scary. When I realized I love him, there was this huge flood of emotions that swirled all over me, and it scared me so much."
Fuck.
"So much to lose, neechan. So much to lose," Rukawa whispered brokenly.
"What's there to lose? It's not as if you've allowed yourself to gain," Megumi whispered back. "And if ever you did allow yourself to have that one thing you wanted, loss wouldn't really matter anymore. You wouldn't have the time be afraid, because you'll be busy being happy. You'll be busy making every moment count, that when it comes to the time that you have to let go, you wouldn't have any regrets, because you lived for every moment. Don't be scared, idiot. Don't be."
"Oneechan," Rukawa called out softly. "I love him, oneechan."
"I know." Megumi felt Rukawa smile against her neck when she suddenly felt him get heavier. KO. Knocked out. Perfect. Man finally confessed his feelings, and escapes to lala-land not a split-second after he did so. Stupid Kaede. She smiled softle and raised her glistening eyes Sendoh's equally-glistening ones and smiled. "You heard the man. Now do something about this dork. I know I'm tall and everything, but he's very heavy. And I don't like this mushy shit."
Rukawa loves him.
Rukawa. Loves. Him.
Rukawa. Kaede. Fucking. Loves. Him. Sendoh. Akira.
"Oh my god," Sendoh breathed out, feet unable to move away from the spot where he was standing. "Oh my god."
"Akira." Maki crossed the small distance between him and his friend and gathered the shocked man into a hug. Akira absently returned it, all the while staring at Rukawa's unconscious form.
"Oh my god."
"Akira, you ok?" Maki asked, letting go of his friend's stiff form and going back to Fujima.
"You heard that, Shin?" Sendoh asked, his eyes never leaving Rukawa. "You heard?"
"I did, Akira," Maki replied.
"We all did," Koshino said, patting Sendoh on the back.
"Oh my god." Sendoh's voice was shivering, and his feet were heavy as he tried to move one after the other, towards the man who claimed his heart, not so long ago.
"Yes, I know, this is a pivotal, touching moment, but would someone please get this buffoon off me?!" Megumi demanded. "Goddamn, but he's heavy!"
"Hidoi, neechan! You're ruining the moment!" Shinri complained, though tears were falling down her own pretty cheeks.
Sendoh snapped out of his daze and quickly gathered his prize in his arms. His eyes glistened even more, but he held his tears at bay. This is not the time to release tears. It is the time to rejoice.
Sendoh heared Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' playing on his mind.
This beautiful man on his arms- this man with the most beautiful jet-black hair, with tear-streaked face and lush strawberry lips- loves him. Oh his god, indeed.
"Now, now... there's no need for tears, my darlings," Kirei announced, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "Akira, you heard him. He loves you, now don't cry anymore, ok, darling?" she said, placing her hand on Sendoh's cheek.
"I'm not crying, 'neechan," Sendoh whispered.
"Liar," Kirei admonished softly, wiping the stray tear that managed to escape from Sendoh's control. "Now, darling. You two leave early, ok? You need to rest. The night's been taxing to both of you, so you better head off."
"Yes," Sendoh managed to croak out. He softly kissed Rukawa's cheek and raised his eyes to look at all his friends. "You guys. Thanks."
"Anything for our friends," Fujima said, his smile a bright ray of sunlight in the dimly-lit room.
"Stay happy, alright?" Jin said.
"Yes, please do," Kogure added.
Sendoh nodded and smiled at each and every one of his friends and sisters before finally heading off towards the door. The mesmerized crowd parted in half- Sendoh didn't notice them gathering, and what do the idiots take them for, anyway, stars in a cheesy romantic comedy flick?- and watched him and his love as he walked. A voice stopped him as he reached the door.
"Akira-love."
"Yes, Kirei-neechan?" Sendoh asked, turning once more to see the smirk on his friend's evil faces.
"I meant what I said. I don't want him undevirginized when he gets home."
Well, whaddaya know. For the first time ever, Sendoh Akira blushed.
Really blushed.
From the roots of his hair to the tips of his toes.
Un-fucking-believable.
It was gone as soon as it came, though, and it was replaced by a confident Sendoh Akira-branded smirk.
"I'll take care of that."
tsu.zu.ku --------------
chapter finished - 2 January 2004; 01:21 am -
Long Post Notes and you don't have to read if you don't want to:
Well! That didn't turn out the way I expected it! I hope you guys found it to your liking. I mean, I was aiming for a humorous-drunk chapter, but this came out, instead. Less humour, more feelings. I mean... it has to come, one way or another, and what with the flow of conversation, a teary scene was inevitable.
Now, Rukawa's terribly OOC here, but I made it clear that he was quite drunk. It /is/ possible to be like that. Trust me. I must tell you that it's one hundred percent possible to be so out of character when you get drunk. I was rip-roaring drunk on the night of the 30th of January. It was my first time to get so horribly drunk. I had two shots of tequilla, and countless shots of vodka, and I remember everything vaguely. First, I was just tipsy... crazier than usual, louder than usual, and wackier than usual. But later on, I found myself shouting in fury, crying over little matters, then laughing my ass off, then everything stops, only to start all over again.
I'm a horrible drunk.
Ehm. So anyway... that was probably what triggered me to write this chapter. That and the fact that I was trying to finish this in time for Rukawa's birthday, but my mama dragged me off my ass, and hauled me into a movie house, and I ended up watching a drama-comedy about this really loud woman and her gay best friend. So yeah... I'm an hour and twenty one minutes late, but hell...
Happy Birthday, Rukawa Kaede!
And thank you every one for your continuous support for this fan fiction.
aki midori senrusendotnet
PS...
Sorry for the cliffhanger. I'll be tying the loose ends, so we could all say good-bye to this series, ok?
Damn. The thought of saying good-bye to this madness... Ah, it pains me!!!