Disclaimer: I don't own Flame of Recca or any of its characters.

BLT 4: Bonding Like the old Times

Fuuko easily scaled the tree right outside Recca's room. She glanced in first before deciding to make her presence known.

She saw Recca on his bed, staring at the ceiling, a haunted look on his face.

Satisfied that only Recca was inside, she knocked.

Fuuko could've sworn that she heard Recca shriek like a girl.

Huffing and puffing, Recca opened the window. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" He glared at her as he stepped back to let her in.

"I haven't done that in ages!" Fuuko laughed as she climbed in. "I need to get out tonight. Wanna come with?" She asked.

Recca look at her in interest. "Mikagami just came barging in," he told her.

"Here?" Fuuko panicked.

Recca smirked. "No. He left about fifteen minutes ago. I'm surprised you didn't see him,"

"I slinked off in alleys and back streets," she admitted as she opened Recca's closet. She wrinkled her nose as she searched for something.

Recca frowned. "Are you avoiding him?" He asked.

Fuuko ignored him as she found what she was looking for with a triumphant, "I got it!"

"Fuuko!" Recca grabbed her shoulders and turned her around.

"Eep!" Fuuko shrieked. She glared at her friend but her expression softened when she saw the pain in his eyes.

"Fuuko, don't avoid him," he told her. "Yanagi's been avoiding me all afternoon and it hurts."

"Recca," Fuuko sighed as she unconsciously wrangled the black shirt she held in her hands.  "I'm sorry,"

"It's not your fault." Recca raked an unsure hand through his dark hair. "But if Mikagami gets hurt, that would be your fault."

"I know." She turned around and plopped in Recca's bed. "It's just that,"

"That?" Recca encouraged.

"I'm not ready to see him yet," Fuuko sighed. "Not tonight."

"Something you want to share with an old bud?"

Fuuko stared at him for a full minute before responding. "Tell you what. Why don't you and I go out tonight and share teenage angst together?"

The cheeky grin was back. "You're on, Kirisawa."

"Great. Let me change from my track uniform first," Fuuko said as she began to peel off her shirt.

"Fuuko!" Recca protested as he turned red and turned around.

Fuuko grinned as she hurriedly put on the black shirt. She didn't know when her best friend grew up, but she was sure glad he did.

"That girl is gonna be the death of me," Mrs. Kirisawa muttered as she placed an extra plate on the table.

Mikagami stifled a sigh. That girl was going to be the death of him, too.

"I'm sorry, mom," Ganko sighed as she swung her short legs underneath the table. "I should've asked her to wait for Tokiya-niisan,"

"It's not your fault honey." Mrs. Kirisawa assured her. "Even if you did, you wouldn't been able to stop her."

Tokiya gave Ganko a tired grin. He thought this kinds of events happen only in the movies. Apparently not. Fuuko was probably tearing the town apart, looking for him.

"Tokiya-kun, why don't you go home and rest for now?" Mrs. Kirisawa asked. "You must be exhausted driving straight here from Tokyo U," she said. "And you know how stubborn Fuuko could be. She would've searched for the whole neighborhood twice over before she realizes that you're either here or at your house. I'll just have her call you."

Fuuko laughed as she pushed the too-small swing with her legs. "We used to spend every afternoons here," she sighed in remembrance.

"Hey! Remember the ice cream shop we used to go to?" Recca asked.

Fuuko's eyes sparkled in excitement. "Wanna go for ice cream?"

"Your treat?" Recca asked. He patted his pocket. "I'm broke as of the moment,"

"You're always broke, even when we were little, you freeloader." Fuuko rolled her eyes. "And I left my wallet on our porch."

"You should talk. If I remember correctly, you were a little moocher too,"

"I was not!" Fuuko denied hotly.

"Those were the days." Recca grinned back at her. "Things were simpler back then,"

"Yeah. And look at where we are now."

"We're quite a pair, you know that?" Recca shook his head. "A man whose love was rejected and a woman who's currently hiding from her boyfriend. Since when did things start to get complicated?"

"Yeah, I guess my biggest problem back then is how on earth I could defeat you,"

"Fuuko, get it through your thick skull, you would never beat me," Recca snorted. "Not then, not now, not ever."

Fuuko made a face. "Come on, admit it, the only reason why you agreed to become Yanagi-chan's ninja was because you realized it was all a matter of time before I beat you."

"In your dreams, Kirisawa!"

Fuuko laughed. "I can't believe I used to be so desperate to make you my ninja,"

"Admit it, you had the biggest crush on me," Recca grinned cheekily. "And who could blame you?" He flexed his muscles.

"Oh, yeah," Fuuko muttered sarcastically. "You were quite a catch. You're noisy, you're cheeky, you're rude, you're—"

Before Fuuko could finish her statements, Recca had tackled her off the swing and onto the ground.

Fuuko laughed. "Hey!" She protested,

This was a game they engaged in as children, only they were much more violent and brutal then.

Recca grinned at her as he pulled her up but held her arms behind her back so that she wouldn't be able to struggle. "I won't release you until you say uncle."

"No way, Hanabishi," Fuuko stuck her tongue at him as she struggled futilely.

"No use trying to fight me, Kirisawa," Recca proclaimed triumphantly. "You're not strong enough to defeat me!"

"Oh, yeah?" Fuuko asked as pushed back and and up, bolting over Recca's shoulders. She used the momentum to free herself from Recca's grasp. Reversing their position, Fuuko grabbed Recca's arms and twisted it behind his back. "Hah!" Fuuko declared triumphantly. "Now, you say uncle!"

"Why do we have to say uncle anyway?" Recca frowned as he twisted around to look at his friend's face.

Fuuko chuckled. "Hey, don't ask me! You started it." She looked at Recca and smiled. Fuuko saw something shift in the depths of her friend's eyes.

"Fuuko," he said huskily.

Suddenly, something altered in the atmosphere. Fuuko knew that something was up, but she just can't put her finger on it.

And then, Recca crouched down, then threw Fuuko over his shoulders.

"Recca!" She protested as she found herself face to face with the raven-haired boy. This time, it was unclear as to who was holding whom.

But something was wrong. Recca wasn't smiling. In fact, his mouth was set in a straight line. Some unidentifiable emotion stirred in his eyes.

"Fuuko,"

"Recca?" Fuuko swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry.

"I never told you this before, Fuuko," Recca said seriously as he released his hold. "But you've changed this past year," he took a strand of her purple hair and wound it around his fingers.

Fuuko's breath caught in her throat.

"You were OK before, but now," he sighed. "You're a very beautiful girl, Fuuko." He said. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Mikagami's a very lucky man to have you."

Fuuko reddened. "Yeah. Yanagi's lucky to have you, too." She smiled at him. "I always knew that the woman you'll love would be very fortunate," she shrugged. "Maybe that's why I really wanted you to become my ninja."

"So it is true," Recca smiled softly. "You used to have a crush on me,"

"Like it wasn't obvious back then,"

"So,"

"So."

Recca gave her a tender smile.

"Recca?"

Recca suddenly took a step backward. "Let's go," he said curtly.

Fuuko frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he started walking. "Time to go home, Kirisawa," he said.

Fuuko gave a mental shrug before following her friend. She figured he just remembered his problems with Yanagi.

They walked in companionable silence.

Soon they were standing in front of the Kirisawa porch.

"Better go home now." Recca said as he watched her search her pockets for the key.

"Yeah. See you tomorrow then?" She asked as she slipped the key in the hole and turned it.

Recca nodded as he turned around then started to walk away.

Fuuko turned and waved at him. "Bye!" She called out.

But Recca abruptly stopped in mid stride.

Fuuko looked at him, her face contorting in confusion.

Recca suddenly turned to her and walked back. "Fuuko," he began. "There's something I wanted to do since the we left the playground."

"What is it?" Fuuko asked.

But instead of answering, Recca brought his face closer to Fuuko's.

Fuuko's eyes widened as she realized what Recca intended to do.

Trapped between the wall and Recca's body, Fuuko desperately tried to think of something that would get her out of this ridiculous situation. Recca was her best friend, right? And he was still smarting from Yanagi's rejection, right? And she has a boyfriend, right? So why on earth does this feel so right?

Already, Recca had closed his eyes.

Fuuko's eyes were about to flutter close when she felt a breeze wheeze past her face. She gasped when she saw Recca sprawled on the ground, a trickle of blood from one corner of his lips.

"So this is the emergency I heard about," a cold voice commented.

Fuuko whirled to her side and was immediately assaulted by a pair of ice-cold, angry blue eyes. "Tokiya," she gasped.

Tokiya grasped her wrist. "Get inside, Fuuko," he commanded her.

"Let her go, Mikagami," Recca snarled as he got to his feet.

"Stop this," Fuuko told the two of them.

"Inside, Fuuko. Now." Mikagami said as he released his hold of her. He then placed himself between Fuuko and Recca.

Recca adopted a defesive stance. "It's not what you think, Mikagami," he said.

"It's not?" Mikagami glared at him. "So you're not about to kiss Fuuko then?"

Recca reddened. "It was a mistake." He spat out.

"A mistake?" There was no change in Mikagami's expression or tone, yet somehow, Fuuko and Recca felt the cold rage that was building inside of him. "You taking Yanagi away from me, was that a mistake too?"

Fuuko gasped. "Please tell me that you are over her,"

Mikagami didn't turn to her. He didn't even say anything.

"I never took Yanagi away from you, she was never yours in the first place," Recca told him, a murderous look in his eyes.

"Stay away from Fuuko," Mikagami warned him.

"Or what, Mikagami?"

"Stop it." Fuuko moved to place herself between the two men. "Recca, just go."

"But—"

"I'll call you tomorrow," Fuuko dismissed him. Recca hesitated. "Go!"

Recca nodded as he turned around and started to walk away.

Fuuko slowly turned to Mikagami. "Are you still pining over Yanagi?" She asked him.

"Don't turn the tables, Fuuko."

"What tables?" She demanded.

"We've didn't see each other for five months, and now that I'm here, you chose to be with that boy."

"I don't have to arrange my life to fit yours, Mikagami."

He winced at the cold way he spat out his name. "Fuuko," he hated the pleading way his voice had come out.

Fuuko's face softened. "Recca is my friend, Mi-chan. He needs me now."

Mikagami tucked an errant strand of purple hair behind her ear. "I know." He told her. "I just missed you so much."

"I missed you, too." She gave him a weak smile.

"It's just that the thought of you spending more time with him, the thought of him touching you," his voice trailed off as he once again got lost in her expressive eyes.

Fuuko bit her lower lip. "Is this about me," she asked him. "Or is this about Recca?"

Mikagami's eyes narrowed.

"I won't ask you again, Mi-chan," Fuuko spoke softly. "Are you in love with Yanagi?"

Mikagami hesitated.

And that was answer enough for Fuuko. "Good night, Mi-chan," she told him. "I'll talk to you tomorrow,"

"Fuuko," Mikagami called out, but it was too late. Fuuko had already entered the house, closing the door behind her.

Fuuko screamed as she tossed her house keys violently against the wall.

"Honey, what has the wall done against you? And can you keep it down? Ganko's sleeping upstairs."

Fuuko screamed again, this time in surprise. She blinked. "Mom?" She asked uncertainly. "What are you doing in the dark?" She asked as she switched on the living room lights.

Her mom, who was sprawled on the couch, sat up. "Waiting for my teenaged daughter."

Fuuko sighed deeply.

"Uh-oh. That means something bad happened. Didn't you find Tokiya-kun?"

Fuuko sank on the floor. "I didn't go out to look for him," she admitted.

Mrs. Kirisawa raised an eyebrow, waiting for her daughter to continue.

"In fact, I was avoiding him."

"May I ask why?"

Instead of answering, Fuuko took out a very crumpled envelope from her pocket. She tossed it to her mother wordlessly.

Mrs. Kirisawa took it. She read what was inside. She smiled. "I guess congratulations are in order, honey."

Fuuko frowned. "You're not surprised?"

"I knew about this," the elder Kirisawa admitted. "Ganko told me,"

Fuuko's eyes narrowed. "I'm gonna kill that kid."

Mrs. Kirisawa smiled. "So why didn't you want to see Tokiya-kun,"

Fuuko shook her head.

"So you're not ready to talk about that?"

"No."

"How about you tell me why you're so upset."

"Recca and I went out. Tokiya saw Recca walking me home."

"And that is a problem because—"

Fuuko groaned. "It got really weird, mom," she said. "Recca, well, Recca tried to kiss me tonight,"

"And Tokiya-kun saw that?"

Fuuko nodded. "I didn't know that he was standing there. Then they got into a fight."

"Who would've thought that my tomboyish daughter would have two bishounens fighting over her?" Her mom laughed.

"It was not funny, mom," Fuuko told her. "And they were not fighting over me,"

"Oh?"

"They were fighting over Yanagi."

Her mother frowned. "Yanagi-chan?"

"He's still not over her mom,"

"How about you?"

"Me?"

"Are you over Recca?"

~tbc

P.S.

I'm taking a two-week Sabbatical due to our pending finals. So there won't be updates. But I would appreciate reviews, though. Thanks and see you in two weeks!