CHAPTER 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Hajime no Ippo...

Onwards...

XOXOXO

"So, how'd your date go?"

Sendo glared at Randy from the corner of his eye before the sound of his on-screen character dying a horrific death made him suck his teeth.

"Stop bein' a jerk. It wasn' a fuckin' date. I jus' walked 'im home so I could get ta know 'im a lil better."

Randy reclined on Sendo's bed, arms folded behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. He was giving that smirk that made Sendo want to punch him in the fucking face.

"I mean, if you say so. Most people call that a date, though."

"Fuck off."

Sendo didn't want to think about what Randy had dubbed "the date." When he did, he couldn't stop thinking about the way he'd been two seconds – no, scratch that – half a second away from jumping Makunouchi right there in front of the boy's house. Why did he have to be so damned innocent? Why did he have to be so cute? Sendo gritted his teeth as he was forced to restart the video game level he was having trouble with. Randy had met him at his house, which was their usual, but Sendo had still been reeling somewhat from what had just gone down at the end of his walk with Makunouchi.

"So, what'd ya talk about?" Randy asked, interrupting Sendo's thoughts.

"Jus' some stuff."

"Yeah, right. Like I'm gonna let that shit slide. 'Fess up! Didja kiss him at least?"

Sendo wanted to throw his game controller at his dark-haired friend's head. Did Randy have to be so acute?

"What makes ya think I like 'im like that?"

Randy slowly sat up and turned to face him, one eyebrow arched with incredulous amusement. "Yer shittin' me, right?" When Sendo refused to respond, Randy swung his legs over the edge of the bed and rested his elbows on his knees, his chin in his palms. "Ya can't fool me, Sendo. I saw the way ya looked at that kid. Need I say more?"

"Jesus Christ, ya know? Jus' let it go. So what if I do like 'im? He ain't even inta guys like that, fer one thing, and I'd probably scare the shit outta 'im, fer another. Jus' leave it be."

"Wow."

The strange thing: that was all Randy said. But it was all he needed to say, really. Sendo completely understood where his best friend was coming from. No one – and he meant no one – had ever gotten him to the point where he was feeling insecure about himself. He set down the controller after his character died again, this time turning to face Randy with his full attention.

"I asked 'im if he had a problem wit' people bein' gay, an' he told me no. But he told me he wasn' gay, either. I don' wanna scare 'im off by comin' on too strong, ya know?"

"I have never in my life seen ya this considerate towards a Preppy's feelin's. S'weird. Yer givin' me the willies, Sendo."

Sendo snorted and shook his head as he toyed with a piece of the carpet near his feet. "How ya think I feel? Usually I jus' take what I want, but I can' do that wit' this guy."

"Why not?"

"You saw 'im! He's so goddamned innocent, I'd feel like Satan if I even breathed at 'im wrong."

Randy sighed and lowered himself to the floor beside Sendo. "I don' think that's all there is to it. I think ya like 'im. A lot."

Sendo glared at his best friend for the umpteenth time within the space of an hour. He'd become friends with Randy because he'd liked the boy's attitude, and he'd liked that the guy could see through bullshit and straight to the heart of a situation. However, there were times when Randy's astuteness posed a problem and turned into an annoyance.

"I dunno 'bout all that," Sendo grumbled, not meeting his best friend's gaze. "He's jus' interestin'."

"I wish you'd stop denyin' it already. I've known ya too long not ta recognize the signs a'you likin' somebody. Knock it off. S'insultin'."

"Fine! Alright? I like 'im. An' I like 'im a lil more than I should, which is why I ain't all overdoin' things. Leave it be, man."

Randy quirked his lips to the side as if he still had something to say, but was deciding against it. Sendo felt immense relief rush through him. He wasn't ready for the third degree just yet. Hell, he was still trying to figure out what it was about Makunouchi that drew him in so completely. He frowned down at his toes, his right hand forming a fist.

What is it about you, Makunouchi? Why can't I stop thinking about you?

His skin crawled as he recalled how soft the smaller boy's lips looked, how big and gray his eyes were, and how his cheeks had gone all red the closer Sendo had gotten to him. This was going nowhere. Now, Sendo felt like he just wanted to get into trouble. Maybe a nice, hard brawl would get his mind off of the Preppy who had managed to enchant him within the space of a few days.

He jumped to his feet, and as he searched for his sneakers, he glanced over his shoulder at Randy. The other teen was watching him with amusement and curiosity in his dark eyes.

"What're ya doin'?"

"I'm gettin' ready ta find some trouble."

Randy's eyes went wide for a fraction of a second before his expression settled into a smirk. "I'm down with that."

XOXOXO

"Have a safe trip!"

Ippo waved after the family fishing boat before wiping the sweat from his face with the bottom of his white t-shirt. He had a few hours before the boat was due to return, so he figured he could get his homework done and maybe take Wanpo for a walk. Speaking of Wanpo, the dog was seated beside him, dark eyes pointed up at him and tongue lolling from the side of its mouth. Ippo reached down and scratched behind the dog's right ear. Wanpo had been a gift from one of Ippo's father's old friends. The man was still a regular with the family business, but since Nekota-san was getting on in age, his visits were becoming less frequent. Ippo hummed as he thought about going to see Nekota-san during their Summer break. He would have a lot more free time, and he missed the eccentric old man.

Decision made, Ippo made his way back towards his home. He enjoyed the way the light Spring breeze ruffled his short, spiky hair as he slowly left the dock. He always did like the warmer weather better than the cold. Once he entered the house, he went straight to his room and sat down at his desk. His school bag was draped across the back of his chair, so he dug around in it until he found his math book. How he hated math. He wasn't too shabby at it, but he definitely didn't appreciate it. He'd only gotten through about six problems when there was a loud knock at his front door. Frowning, Ippo paused. When he heard another knock, he slowly climbed to his feet and trudged to the front. He slid aside the door, almost reeling back in shock afterward.

"V-Volg-san! What are you doing here?"

The red-haired Russian smiled at him and rubbed the back of his neck. "I was passing through and thought I'd say hello."

"Oh...OK. Do you want to come inside for a while?"

"Yes, please."

Ippo moved so Volg-san could pass into the foyer before closing the door. He felt a little awkward around the older, taller teen. It wasn't the first time Volg-san had dropped by, but they'd never been in the house alone together, and it made Ippo a little nervous. He didn't know what to say. He shifted in place, his now clammy hands rubbing and toying with one another as he alternated his gaze between the boy in front of him and the floor. What did Volg-san want?

"Makunouchi, are you alright?"

Ippo flinched. He wasn't being a very good host, was he? He gave an uneasy chuckle as he scratched the back of his head.

"I'm sorry, Volg-san. I just wasn't expecting company. Would you like something to drink? Something to eat?"

"Ah. I'll have some water, if that's OK."

Once they moved into the well-lit kitchen, Ippo grabbed a glass and filled it with the filtered water from the refrigerator. He turned to hand it to his friend and almost dropped the glass on the floor.

"V-Volg-san! What happened to your face?!" he cried.

Volg-san's aqua-blue eyes went wide for a second before he smiled. "Ah, I'm coming from a match. I won."

Ippo sagged with relief. He'd thought that the other teen had been jumped by some of the Otawa High students.

"So, it was only a match? Thank goodness! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just a little sore."

"We can go sit in my room if you want? Take a load off for a bit?"

"That would be nice," Volg-san laughed before accepting the glass Ippo now held forward.

He emptied it in a matter of seconds, his Adam's apple bobbing quickly with each swallow. For some reason, the sight of the taller teen's neck made Ippo wonder how Sendo would look doing the same activity. He blushed as he realized where his thoughts had gone. Why on Earth had Sendo entered his mind? As soon as Ippo let his guard down to his imagination, it completely took over his brain. He relived the moment outside of his home, where Sendo had moved in so close, it had made the hair stand up all over Ippo's neck and arms. Then, the brunet had gone on to breathe across his ear and murmur into it, making Ippo have a strange reaction. He'd blushed from head to toe, and his heart had begun racing like he'd just gone for a quick run. There was something about Sendo's voice and smell that made Ippo behave in an odd manner; he just couldn't figure out what the hell it was.

He shook himself free from the hold of his wayward thoughts and led Volg-san to his room. Ippo felt as though he were up to something because the house was so quiet, the situation so bizarre. In his room, he went back to his desk and decided he would try and get his homework done while Volg-san kept him company.

"You can sit on my futon," Ippo offered as he pointed to the bed in the corner of the room. "Sorry, I don't have any other chairs, and I really need to get some of this work done."

Volg-san gave one of his warm, charming smiles as he nodded and lowered himself to the floor. "That's fine. What are you working on?"

"Math. I don't like math," Ippo sighed with dejection. He was about to turn to the book on his desk when Volg-san winced and grimaced as he settled on the futon. "Is everything OK?"

The red head looked up with wide, blue eyes, which made Ippo think that perhaps Volg-san hadn't realized he was being watched.

"I...well, uh...it's my back, you see? Sometimes after a match it gets so sore, it tenses up. I'll be fine, though."

"No way! Is there anything I can do to help?"

He was genuinely concerned. Volg-san was his friend, after all. Ippo tilted his head to the side as he locked gazes with the other boy. Volg-san's kind eyes didn't have the same effect on Ippo that Sendo's sharp and piercing ones did. When Volg-san looked at him, all Ippo felt was kindness and friendship. With Sendo...it was a little different. The how or why, Ippo still hadn't come across.

"I'll be fine, Makunouchi. No worries."

"Are you sure?"

Volg-san's eyes fell to the carpeted floor of Ippo's bedroom as he shifted in place, his expression one of uncertainty. It took him a long few seconds to finally speak, but when he did, his request caught Ippo all the way off guard.

"Makunouchi, would you...I mean, you wouldn't mind, ah...how should I say it?" The boy's blue eyes suddenly lit up. "Ah! Do you know how to massage the back muscles to take away tension?"

Ippo arched a brow, confused at first. Then, Volg-san's meaning sunk in and made Ippo cover his mouth to try and hide his laughter.

"Volg-san, do you want me to give you a back massage?" he asked.

The red head nodded. "Yes! That's what it's called! I would very much appreciate it, Makunouchi. My back is bothering me so that I can't get comfortable. I hate to ask you such a thing, but it would really help."

Ippo stood with a friendly grin, unaware of Volg-san's blush. "If it's to help a friend, then sure."

As he moved over to the other boy, Volg-san stood and removed the light-brown jacket he wore, revealing the fitted white t-shirt he had on underneath it. His arms were muscular and strong-looking, but that was normal. The boy was a boxer. However, Ippo found his gaze straying to the red head's entire torso a little too often. He'd never noticed just how tightly packed the teen's abdomen was, or just how broad his shoulders were. Volg-san's red hair seemed easy to tame since it lay perfectly across his brow, and his very blue eyes were warm and kind. Ippo shook his head for the second time that night, his own eyes widening at where his thoughts kept roaming. Why was he suddenly so aware of his friend?

Ippo decided that he was going to ignore his fluttering gut and slightly trembling hands. He was already quite disturbed by the strange feelings creeping over him, so ignoring it would be best. He settled on the futon on his knees as he waited for Volg-san to reclaim his spot, heart rate climbing. And then, he glanced up to see what was taking the boy so long. His breath caught in his throat and choked to a halt. What was happening to him?! He couldn't even think straight anymore. Volg-san was in the process of taking off his t-shirt. It was tented over his head and arms, but his abdomen and chest were showing, complete with rippling muscle.

"Ah, um...Volg-san...i-is that really necessary?" Ippo stuttered.

"Huh?" the red head grunted, voice muffled by the t-shirt. Finally, the material slipped over the boy's head, mussing his hair. "What did you say, Makunouchi?"

Ippo lowered his eyes and shook his head. "N-nothing. I was just waiting for you to finish."

Volg-san dropped his shirt on top of his jacket before lowering himself to the futon, his legs folding underneath him Indian-style. He glanced over his shoulder at Ippo, blue eyes curious.

"Ready?"

Ippo swallowed thickly as he gave a short nod. His mouth was dry as sand, and his heart was hammering against his ribs. Why was he so nervous? Volg-san was just his friend. And besides, he didn't even like boys in that way. Not like Sendo. And there went his mind again. As Ippo sat behind Volg-san, eyes roving over the other boy's wide, strong-looking back, he imagined what Sendo would look like without his school uniform. It made him hot all of a sudden.

Trying to take his mind off of his new brunet friend, Ippo rubbed his hands together, warming them for a few seconds. Finally, he took a deep breath and lay a hand on each of Volg-san's shoulders. They were tight and rock-hard. The boy hadn't been lying when he'd said they were riddled with tension. Ippo squeezed and rubbed the muscles into submission before moving on to the taller teen's neck, where he pressed his thumbs against the base in slow, circular motions. Volg-san made a noise that made Ippo freeze. Had he done something wrong? He leaned forward a little, trying to see over the boy's shoulder, but that just made his stomach drop and heat up. His chest was pressed to Volg-san's back, and it gave Ippo the strangest feeling. He didn't necessarily dislike it, either.

"Are you OK, Volg-san?" he asked in order to distract himself.

Volg-san made that noise again before he said, "Mmm, I'm fine, Makunouchi. That feels good."

The hair all over his arms and neck stood up as he backed away from Volg-san. So, the red head was moaning. Ippo gulped as he went back to coaxing the tension from the other boy's neck. He was studiously attempting to ignore the way Volg-san's voice rumbled with pleasure the more Ippo went on. Thankfully, during a slight lull where Ippo let his fingers knead the taut muscles surrounding Volg-san's spine, Volg-san spoke up.

"Makunouchi," he started quietly.

"Hmm?"

"I-I, um...I did come here for a reason, after all."

Ippo's hands paused as he listened. Volg-san seemed more serious than usual. "Oh. What was it?"

"I wanted to apologize for earlier. I really shouldn't have been so harsh with you when you told us about Sendo-san. I was just surprised."

Ippo sighed. The sober topic made his body cool down almost instantly. "I understand. I was surprised as well, but Sendo is actually a really nice guy if you give him a chance." Volg-san's shoulders stiffened, making Ippo frown at the impediment of his progress. "What's wrong? You tensed up."

"Why don't you use honorifics when you say his name? Are you that close already?"

Ippo's face reheated as he blushed darkly. "Well, it's not that. It's just...Sendo wants me to be less formal with him."

"Why?" Volg-san asked, voice almost dripping with disdain.

Ippo frowned, but answered the question anyway. "I don't know. It's just what he wanted."

The room went silent as the two boys let their minds wander. Ippo worried that Volg-san was upset with him for some reason. The boy's back kept tensing and relaxing in short intervals as though he was trying to keep himself in check. But Ippo didn't understand why. He hurried through the rest of the massage, making sure to cover the important areas, yet still moving at a fast pace. When he finished, he sat back on his heels and made a show of it.

"There you go, Volg-san! Feel any better?"

Volg-san was quiet for a few beats before he climbed to his feet. When he faced Ippo, he wore a small smile. "Thank you, Makunouchi, but please...call me Volg. You don't have to be so formal with me, either."

Ippo blinked at the sudden change in demeanor from his foreign friend. He honestly didn't know what to say, so all he did was nod. Volg-san stooped to the floor and nabbed his t-shirt before pulling it over his head. Ippo felt a brief pang of disappointment as the other boy's body was concealed beneath the white material once more.

Man, he was being so weird.

He walked Volg-san to the door once the boy had his jacket on again. There, they stood in silence until Ippo chuckled from the awkward moment.

"OK, good night, Volg-san – I mean, Volg. See you at school tomorrow?"

"Yep. See you there, Makunouchi."

When Ippo closed the door, he leaned back against it and blew out a deep breath. That had been so disconcerting, but sure interesting.

XOXOXO

Sendo strutted through the halls of Otowa High, sporting his bandages proudly. He and Randy had gone for a walk the night before and had ended up running into trouble at a nearby park. Just like he'd wanted. There had been a group of idiots from a rival school, lounging by the monkey bars, who'd spotted Sendo and Randy as they'd passed. Of course, after seeing the Otowa High uniform, the idiots had taken upon themselves to confront the two teens. It hadn't been smart on their part at all, but Sendo had made sure to take out all of his frustrations on them. In the end, he and Randy had been victorious. Randy had only acquired a split lip and a bruise underneath his left eye, while Sendo had gained a cut over his right eyebrow, a bruised cheek, and a cut near the corner of his mouth. Nothing serious. News of the fight had spread like wildfire if the behavior of one of Sendo's cronies was anything to go by.

"Wahhh, Sendo-sama! Ten guys and those are the only wounds you received?! Awesome!"

Sendo grinned as he stalked to the entrance of the building. "A'course! What'd ya expect, huh?"

"You're right, sir! As usual!"

The boy beside him was eager to prove himself worthy of a higher position in ranks, but Sendo was skeptical. He didn't trust just anyone to have his back, so he would have to figure out a way to determine the boy's loyalty. Now wasn't that time, though.

"I'm leavin' fer a bit," he grunted, his tone brooking no argument.

The boy skidded to a stop before the wide, double doors that led outside and nodded. "I understand!"

With that, he took off in the direction they had come, leaving Sendo to his thoughts. He was still a little bothered by how much the Preppy, Makunouchi, seemed to remain on his mind. And then, there was the fact that he wanted to do so much more with the boy. To him. It was driving him crazy, but he'd be patient. He planned to wear down that innocent personality of Makunouchi's before the school year was out.

"You're gettin' predictable, Sendo," Randy rumbled from beside him.

Sendo was surprised, but he refused to jump and show it. Instead, he rolled his eyes with a smirk.

"Whatever, Old Man."

"I take it we're goin' ta see yer lil boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend. Least not yet."

Randy stopped walking, and it took Sendo a few seconds to realize it. When he did, he paused and stared at his friend.

"What's wrong witchu?" he grunted with a frown.

"I don' believe it," Randy said, eyes wide. "Who the hell're you, and what'd ya do wit' my best friend?"

Sendo threw his head back and cackled. "Ah! Old Man, yer a hoot!"

"I'm serious! You don' do boyfriends, Sendo, or didja ferget?"

Suddenly sobering, Sendo's face went blank. "I didn' ferget nothin'."

"Then wha-"

"I thought we talked 'bout this already?"

Randy rubbed his mustache as he continued to stare at Sendo. Sendo didn't really care at this point. What he wanted, he got. And right now, he wanted that dark-haired Preppy with a vengeance. That final thought spurred his feet onward, carrying him over to the open area in front of Otowa Prep. It was lunch time and he was ready to see his new friend. Randy caught up with him with a few long strides, but he was eerily silent. Sendo scowled as they passed the brick partition separating the sidewalk from the school grounds.

"Yer makin' this weird," he mumbled, agitation building beneath his skin. "It doesn' hafta be."

Randy sighed and stroked his chin. "I know that. Ya gotta give me credit fer not completely freakin' out, though. I ain't used ta you talkin' 'bout boyfriends and shit."

Sendo understood. He'd been against the idea for so long that it only made sense that his best friend would be floored. He started to respond, when he caught sight of a head of dark, spiky hair. There's no mistaking that hair of Makunouchi's, Sendo thought as a wide, mischievous grin bloomed across his face. He wanted to jog over and catch the boy unaware, but that notion went out the window when Sendo noticed another dark-haired Preppy watching him with disgust.

Fucking Miyata. What the hell was that prick's issue with him these days, anyway? Their history was old news.

Sendo ignored the dark looks coming from Makunouchi's band of geeks as he made his way over. Unfortunately, the group's silence brought Makunouchi's attention directly to Sendo. Those brilliant gray eyes went round with shock as usual, but there was something different this time. Makunouchi's cheeks were turning red. Sendo frowned for the briefest of seconds before his grin was back in full force.

What's this?

He stopped in front of the shorter boy and put a hand on his left shoulder. "Hey, Makunouchi. How ya doin' taday?"

The look of surprise cleared from Makunouchi's face as he beamed that enchanting smile at Sendo. "Better than you, apparently," he teased.

Sendo wanted to kiss him.

"What happened to your face, Sendo?" the boy continued.

Sendo shook himself free from his lecherous thoughts and shrugged. "Got into a fight wit' a buncha creeps. Nothin' serious."

"What did I tell you? You see? He's nothing but a criminal."

Sendo wanted to strangle Miyata. He turned to him with a deep scowl.

"What the fuck is yer problem?" he growled.

The girl of the group cringed and backed up a few steps, while the other two boys of the group stared at Sendo with enormous eyes. There was a red head there, who was frowning at Sendo and standing way too close for comfort next to Makunouchi.

"Miyata-kun!" Makunouchi chided. "That wasn't very nice!"

"I don't have to be nice to this asshole!"

Sendo was starting to see red and took a threatening step towards the snobby bastard, when he was stopped by a large hand across his chest. He looked down and then up into the dark eyes of his best friend. Randy was smirking, his attention all for Miyata.

"It's cool," he said. It was his turn to step forward right into Miyata's personal space. "I don' see how this is yer business, rich boy."

Miyata's eyes widened before his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Sendo thought the other boy looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Wh-who are you?" Miyata asked, voice almost breathless.

Or maybe not.

Sendo tilted his head to the side as he studied the slender Preppy. Miyata was still handsome. As a matter of fact, he'd grown into his looks quite nicely, but his attitude ruined everything. If he didn't walk around like he had a bug up his ass, he'd be fine. Perhaps what the boy needed was someone to take him down a peg or two, and who better to do that than Randy? Randy was used to bringing Preppies back to reality whenever they overstepped their bounds.

"The name's Randy Boy Jr. Remember it, 'cuz you'll be hearin' it a lot." Randy's smirk grew. "Maybe even screamin' it a few times if yer lucky."

Sendo snorted as he took a closer look at his best friend. Randy was joking of course, but there was a small light of interest in his eyes that hadn't been there before.

Hmm...

A gentle hand on his arm snapped his head to the right. Makunouchi was looking up at him with concern in his gray eyes.

"Please don't be angry with Miyata-kun. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but you're my friend, and I won't let him be mean to you anymore."

Wasn't that just adorable? Sendo grinned and put his arm around Makunouchi's shoulders, drawing the boy closer to his side. "Don' worry 'bout him, Makunouchi. I ain't. I just don' like bein' disrespected, ya know?"

"I understand. It won't happen again," Makunouchi stated with a grim glance in Miyata's direction.

Sendo watched as Miyata glared back and forth between Randy and Makunouchi, obviously wanting to say something, but also equally unable to.

"Makunouchi."

Sendo frowned at the deep tenor coming from behind them. He glanced over his shoulder, and his frown deepened when he spied the red head scowling at him. Who the hell was this guy?

"Ah, Volg. What's the matter?"

Sendo almost keeled over in shock. Who the fuck was this dude that Makunouchi addressed so informally? Sendo had gotten accustomed to being the only one the dark-haired boy did that with. This new addition didn't sit well with him at all. He carefully removed his arm from Makunouchi's shoulders and faced the red head.

"Is there a problem?" he asked, voice all steel and razor blades.

The red head's bright blue eyes narrowed as he took a step closer, which raised Sendo's hackles. Oh? If this clown wanted a fight, Sendo was more than ready to give him one. Especially if it concerned Makunouchi.

"I just want to make sure you're going to be OK. I'm about to head to my next class."

Makunouchi grinned, clearly clueless to the interest in the red head's gaze. Sendo didn't like that shit one bit.

"Oh, yeah, I'll be fine. See you later!"

The red head lingered for a few moments more before nodding and taking his leave. Sendo didn't relax his shoulders until the guy had made his way into Otowa Prep, the entrance doors closing behind him. When the guy was well out of sight, Sendo turned back to Makunouchi with a creased brow.

"Who the heck was that?"

Makunouchi chuckled, but he also blushed. Red flags sprang up and alarms blared in Sendo's mind. What the actual fuck? Now he really wanted to hit something.

"He's just my friend. His name is Volg."

"Like I give a shit 'bout that!" Sendo snapped before he caught himself. Makunouchi's eyes went round again as he stared up at Sendo in what could only be confused fright. Damn. He hadn't meant to scare the kid. "I mean," he backpedaled. "I just didn' like the way he was lookin' at me."

"O-oh. I understand."

"Look, I'm just gonna go. I'll see ya 'round, Makunouchi," Sendo muttered.

His good mood was thoroughly trashed. He hadn't anticipated having competition for Makunouchi's affections, and now that he did, he didn't know what to do about it. Normally, he'd just beat up the guy in question, but he couldn't do that this time around. Makunouchi had said the guy was his friend, and one thing Sendo noticed about the boy was that Makunouchi took friendship very seriously. Almost the way most people took relationships.

What was he going to do?

Sendo walked off, hands thrust deeply into his pockets. He'd forgotten about Randy until the other teen jogged up to him. Thankfully, the taller boy didn't say anything right away, which gave Sendo more time to think about his predicament. He really liked Makunouchi. Yes, he was able to admit that to himself now. And therein lie the problem. He liked the guy, but he obviously wasn't the only one. He sighed and ran a hand through his messy brown hair. He supposed that was the straw that broke Randy's back because as soon as they passed the stone partition, Randy grabbed Sendo's right elbow and pulled him aside.

"What the fuck happened back there? Yer actin' like ya confessed an' the kid turned ya down." Randy paused, eyes growing. "That ain't what happened, is it?"

"No, dipshit," Sendo grumbled, averting his gaze. He was so pissed and disappointed, he didn't know what to do with himself. "That guy..." he started, but his voice trailed off as the hurt took root inside of him.

Makunouchi hadn't used an honorific for the Volg guy, and he used honorifics for everyone. Not only that, but the way they looked at each other...the way Makunouchi had blushed after meeting Volg's eyes...it really bothered Sendo. Was he losing before he could even compete?

"What guy?" Randy interrupted his sullen thoughts. "Miyata?"

"Fuck no!" Sendo spat as though the name alone left a bad taste in his mouth. "That other guy."

"Sendo, there were like four guys there. Could ya be a lil more specific?"

"That jerk with the red hair!" Sendo roared, surprising himself as well as Randy. "Volg or some shit! He's got...that motherfucker..." he snarled, not really making any sense with what he was trying to say.

Sendo punched a hole in a sign on the sidewalk that advertised the upcoming Otowa Prep school festival. He was so pissed that his blood crashed through his veins like a river during a storm, and the skin at the back of his neck prickled. He wanted to fight. No, he needed to fight. If he didn't get rid of some of his anger, he would do something reckless.

"Jesus Christ, Sendo. Talk ta me, man."

"That Volg asshole wants Makunouchi for himself. I c'n see it in his eyes. How can't I? It's the same look I got in mine whenever I see that kid."

Randy blew out a breath and ran a hand through his own mess of dark brown hair. He shifted his weight and stared down at the ground for a beat before shrugging his shoulders.

"Kick his ass."

"I can't! Makunouchi would never talk ta me again. I dunno what ta do," Sendo sighed as he ambled over to the curb and plopped down onto it. "I don' wanna lose ta that guy."

For the next few minutes, there was a tense silence that neither boy knew how to get rid of. Sendo couldn't remember the last time he'd been this angry. All he wanted to do was tell Makunouchi that he wanted him. That he wanted to kiss him and take him to new places. Randy called them dates, but Sendo thought that was too fancy a word. He just wanted to spend time with Makunouchi. Show the kid that he wasn't the barbarian everyone thought he was. Well, maybe he was, but he wanted to introduce the boy to the softer side of himself.

God, if Randy could hear the shit going through his head, he'd laugh him into the next town.

"Sendo?"

Sendo's shoulders sagged. Great. Now he was hearing Makunouchi's voice too. That's just awesome, he thought bitterly as he kicked at a small pebble.

"Sendo?" came the voice again.

A kick to his side had him frowning up at Randy. "What the f-"

"Ya got comp'ny, dumbass!" his best friend snapped with a jerk of his head.

Sendo glanced over his shoulder, and spying Makunouchi near the stone partition, he shot to his feet and smoothed a few wrinkles in his uniform. Shit, what the hell was he doing?

"Makunouchi? What're you doin'? Don'cha got class?"

"Ah, I just...I wanted to ask if you wanted to...um...maybe...er, I guess," the boy mumbled.

Sendo was holding his breath as he watched Makunouchi falter over his words. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. "What's on yer mind?"

Makunouchi took a visible, deep breath as he closed his eyes and his hands formed fists at his sides. "Would you like to come over to my house after school today?"

The words had been rushed, but Sendo could swear he'd never heard anything sweeter. He fought against the grin threatening to consume his entire face as he moved closer to the shorter boy. Dammit, he wanted to grab Makunouchi's face and kiss him until he couldn't breathe.

"Ya want me ta come over ta yer house?"

Makunouchi opened his eyes and jumped a little. Guess he hadn't expected Sendo to get that close so quickly.

"Y-yes. I-if you'd like to."

If he'd like to?

Sendo smirked and stepped all the way into Makunouchi's personal space. But then, his happiness subsided as a handsome red head filled his mind. Expression serious as a grave, Sendo caught Makunouchi's gaze.

"What about that Volg guy? He gonna be there too?" he asked.

Makunouchi's brow creased, the boy clearly confused. "Where? At my house?"

"Yeah, at your house."

"N-no. It's just...well, it'll only be us."

Sendo breathed a sigh of relief. For the moment, he could be satisfied that he would have Makunouchi to himself. He planned to interrogate Makunouchi when he got to the kid's house anyway. There was no way in Hell that he was going to let the chance slip by. Plus, Sendo was going to make it so that Makunouchi thought about no one but him.

"Hell yeah, I'll come over."

Welp! This is totally not proofread, but I still hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading!