CHAPTER 8

Sendoh had a decision to make.

He could play it safe and take the sure thing, or he could risk it all for a shot at glory.

No decision at all, really. He rolled the dice.

"But that was a full house," Yuna pointed out.

Sendoh rolled two dice onto the table. "And now it is four threes." He picked up the one nonconforming die and kissed it before rolling it.

"No!" said Kazuo as soon as the die came to a stop.

"Gosh," said Yuna.

"Yahtzee!" Sendoh yelled. He raised his arms in triumph.

"I don't know why we invite you over," Yuna grumbled.

"Because I bring hand pies." Sendoh had learned from Hiromi about a bakery outside the city that sold the best hand pies Sendoh had ever eaten. He especially liked the cherry ones.

"He has a point there," Kazuo said.

Sendoh's phone rang then. When he saw who was calling, he grinned and stood up from the Rukawa's kitchen table.

"Let me guess who that is," Yuna teased.

Sendoh winked at her as he walked into the living room and answered the call. "Hi."

"Hey," said Rukawa. "How's it going?"

"Good. I am at your parents' house."

"Oh yeah? What are you doing there?"

"Destroying them at Yahtzee."

Rukawa laughed. "Mom won't like that."

"She loves me." Sendoh strolled over the mantel, which was covered in framed photos of Rukawa at various ages, mostly in basketball ball. "Ready for the game?"

"Sure. It's just Ryonan."

Sendoh huffed. His own team hadn't won against Ryonan in ages. "Cocky."

"Usually. But you like it."

Sendoh's lips curved up. "Yes."

"You're gonna watch, right?"

"Maybe." Sendoh traced a finger over a photo of Rukawa in his junior basketball uniform. He looked about seventeen- the age he'd been when Sendoh had first met him. "Maybe we will watch a movie instead."

"Dick," Rukawa said affectionately.

"But you like it."

"I do. But I also like the rest of you." His voice dipped into a more seductive tone. "I've been fucking dying to have you inside me, though."

Sendoh grinned. "You are on speaker phone by the way."

"What?"

"I am kidding."

"Doaho." Rukawa exhaled. "Not funny."

"If you say so."

"I should probably go. We're leaving for the arena soon."

"Okay."

There was a long pause- the same long pause that made an appearance at the end of most of their phone conversations. Both men needing to end the call, neither one wanting to.

"Good luck tonight," Sendoh said finally. "Try not to embarrass yourself too much."

Rukawa snorted. "Sure."

"Call me later, yes?"

"Of course."

Sendoh smiled at the photo of teenage Rukawa. "Ya lyublyu tebya."

"Ya vsegda budu tebya lubit," Rukawa replied.

"Show-off."

They ended the call, and Sendoh returned to the kitchen, shaking his head at how gross he and Rukawa had become.

"He looks good tonight," Yuna said.

Sendoh murmured his agreement from his end of the couch. Rukawa looked good everyday. He was a great player on a great team. Sendoh was a great player on a terrible team, and he felt less great with each passing week.

"Is it weird to watch Ryonan play?" Kazuo asked.

It had been once, but not anymore. Their roster had changed quite a bit in the two seasons since Sendoh had played for Ryonan. "I have a better team now," Sendoh said. "Well, better for me. The team is bad."

"You don't regret it?" Yuna asked. "Leaving?"

"Never." It was mostly the truth. He might have led Ryonan to another Champion Cup if he'd played for them last season. They'd gotten close, even without him.

But being in Okinawa, Rukawa's hometown, made it easier to be with Rukawa. Sendoh could build a life here, in Rukawa's hometown of Okinawa. Eventually he could becoma a Japanese citizen, and retire, and start a new adventure with Rukawa.

"Do you need another Coke?" Kazuo asked during a commercial break.

"No, no, I am good. Full from the delicious dinner," Sendoh said with a small smile. Kazuo had made chicken lemon, one of Sendoh's favorites. Sendoh had eaten more than he'd needed to. Especially after eating two hand pies.

"There's ice cream," Yuna said. "If you want some."

"No, thank you," Sendoh said. Then, "What kind?"

Yuna smiled. "Chocolate and Vanilla."

Sendoh put his hand over his heart. "Impossible to resist."

A few minutes later, Sendoh was tucked under a blanket on the couch, eating ice cream out of a little bowl. He felt like a child, and he kind of loved it.

They were showing Rukawa on the television, a close-up as he got ready for the offenses. His cheeks were flushed, his skin glistening with sweat. His dark hair was tidy in a small bun which was no more raven-haired stylist.

"His hair is too long," Yuna complained.

"No," Sendoh said quickly. "It is perfect."

In the second period, Rukawa took a pass from Mitsui that resulted in a breakaway. Rukawa raced through the Ryonan zone, using his incredible skills to make sure no one caught him. When he reached the hoop, ones of Ryonan players was blocked him, and in the split second before he took the shot, Sendoh realized what he was doing. Rukawa had bounced the ball between the legs of Ryonan players, and fired the shot.

And then, Rukawa smirked at the camera. Smirked. And Sendoh knew it was meant for him.

"That's my move!" Sendoh said. The blanket he'd been wrapped in fell to the floor as he stood, one hand waving at the television, the other cradling his ic cream bowl protectively to his chest. "He did my move!"

Kazuo and Yuna were laughing. Sendoh wasn't.

"When did he learn that?" Sendoh demanded. "I did not teach him."

"You know Kaede," Yuna said. "He studied it, learned it, and, I would say, perfected it."

"That move is called the Sendoh!" Sendoh exclaimed. "He cannot do it."

"He just did," Kazuo pointed out.

Sendoh dropped back onto the couch with a huff. "Is copycat."

"You should be honoured," Yuna said. "It's a show of respect."

"Is a show of being a thief."

"You think kids aren't practicing that move all over the basketball-playing world?" Kazuo asked. "I'll bet half the JBL has practiced it, but no one can pull it off except you and Kaede."

Well. That was nice to think about, not that Sendoh would admit it.

"I can do better," he grumbled instead.

The Rukawa's just laughing at him. They found Sendoh was cute sulking like a little kid. Though they knew he was just fake the angrier about the stolen moves.

Rukawa was on the bench now, smirking and looking way too fucking proud of himself. Sendoh shoved a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth to stop himself from smiling back.

"You little bastard."

Rukawa laughed in face of his boyfriend's fury. "Did you like that?"

"How did you learn it?"

"Like it's hard," Rukawa said dismissively, as if he hadn't practiced it in secret for hours, visualizing this moment. Hoping for this exact expression on Sendoh's face.

On Rukawa's phone, Sendoh was scowling, but his eyes were glinting with the mixture of anger and desire that always made Rukawa's knees weak. He was shirtless, and Rukawa could see the top of the grizzly bear head tattoo on his left pec, and part of the loon tattoo near his left shoulder.

"Were you trying to make me angry?" Sendoh's voice was low and dangerous, and it made Rukawa shiver.

"Did it work?"

"Are you alone?"

Rukawa moved the phone around to show his empty hotel room. "Yes."

"Take that shirt off. Get on the bed."

Rukawa took a moment to snap his phone into the tripod he'd had the foresight to set up next to his bed. He'd known his little stunt on the court would make Sendoh horny as hell. He'd been counting on it.

When he was settled on the bed, shirtless as instructed, Rukawa said, in Russian, "Do you have plans for me?"

Sendoh's mouth hung open for a moment, and Rukawa could practically see the bolts of arousal rocketing through him. "Fuck," Sendoh said.

Rukawa bit his lip, pleased with himself. Pleased that he could still make Sendoh react like this, could still surprise him, after all these years.

"I think I should get a reward," Rukawa said, in Japanese. "For perfecting that move."

"Perfecting," Sendoh scoffed. "Was just okay."

"The ball went in the hoop."

"Whatever. Hold on. One minute."

Rukawa waited while Sendoh set his phone up on his own tripod. When he finished, Rukawa had a good view of Sendoh reclining on his bed, wearing only boxer briefs.

"I hope that's not what you wore to my parents' house."

"I dressed up for your parents. Nice shirt, very respectable boyfriend."

"You don't have to dress up for them. They love you."

Sendoh's smile looked soft, and helpless. "I know. They made me chicken lemon. And there was ice cream."

"Sounds healthy and well-balanced."

Sendoh shook his head. "What is the point of life if you are not eating chicken lemon and ice cream?"

"I can think of some good things," Rukawa said as he gently caressed himself through his underwear. "Besides food."

"High interval training?" Sendoh asked dryly.

"Shut up. I'm trying to be sexy."

"Oh. Okay. I was not sure." He stretched one arm over his head and let his hand drape casually against the pillow. "So what is the plan?"

"Plan?"

"You are in charge, yes? You want a reward? What do you want me to do?"

"Um." Rukawa wished he could respond to that sort of question without blushing. Sendoh always managed to be perfectly filthy without embarrassment. "Touch yourself."

Sendoh poked his own nose. "Like this?"

Rukawa looked skyward in frustration. "Why are you like this?"

"Because it is fun."

"You know what? Fuck this. Take your dick out and get yourself hard while I watch."

Sendoh was silent for a moment, blinking at the screen. Then, quietly, he said, "Yes. Okay."

In seconds, Sendoh was naked, and Rukawa could see him from his thighs to the top of his head. Rukawa was pleased to see his cock was half hard already, the head beginning to peek out of the foreskin. Rukawa licked his lips.

"I wish you were here right now," Rukaw said.

"Be weird. With your teammates around."

"Then I wish I was at your house right now. Stop being difficult."

Sendoh smiled lazily as he stroked himself. " I want to touch you. I miss you."

"I always miss you." Rukawa's throat felt tight, which was a ridiculous sensation to experience when watching your boyfriend jerk off. He swallowed hard and said, "You look hot."

"Probably."

Rukawa's lips curved up and he added, "For a guy who just had his move stolen."

That made Sendoh laugh and smile so wide his eyes crinkled. Rukawa laughed too, and tried not to be terrified by how much he felt for this man.

Sendoh's laughter morphed into a sigh of pleasure as he kept stroking his cock. "Is this all you want?"

"Yeah," Rukawa said, barely above a whisper. "Just want to watch you."

It was true, and it wasn't true. Rukawa wanted to climb through the phone and sit on Sendoh's lap. Watching Sendoh stroke himself was a decent consolation prize, though.

"I want you to be here," Sendoh said.

"Me too. Wanna touch you. Wanna...fuck, I want to see you come."

Sendoh spread his legs wider and leaned back more on the pillows behind him. "Put your glasses on, then."

"So I can see better, or because you're hot for my glasses?"

"Both."

Rukawa reached for his glasses case on the nightstand. He made a show of opening the case, pulling the glasses out, unfolding them, and putting them on. Like a nerdy reverse striptease.

Sendoh grinned as his big hand moved in an easy, sure rhythm over his thick cock. Rukawa took advantage of his own improved vision and let his gaze dart all over the place, to his twitching pecs, to his swollen balls, to the way his muscular forearms worked as he stroked himself.

"You are so fucking handsome," Rukawa said.

Sendoh smiled at him in that crooked way that had been making Rukawa feel crazy for over ten years. "Tell me."

"As if you don't know how hot you are."

"Tell me anyway."

Rukawa smiled and shook his head, but said, "You're so fucking big. Like, everywhere. Your arms, your chest, your fucking thighs. I love how tall you are. I don't even care that you make fun of my height because I fucking love being swallowed up by you when we're together."

Sendoh groaned and moved his hand faster.

Rukawa laughed. "Figures that would do it for you."

"Touch yourself." Sendoh's voice was strained, making it sound less like an order and more like a plea.

Rukawa obeyed, humming happily as he finally gave his rigid cock some attention.

"Were you waiting for me to tell you to do that?" Sendoh asked with amusement.

"No," Rukawa said quickly. "I just wanted to see how long I could wait."

Sendoh huffed. "Playing your own game over there, yes?"

Rukawa shrugged one shoulder. "Needed to do something to keep myself awake. It's not like you're doing anything interesting over there."

"Brat." Sendoh let his dick snap backward, slapping hard against his firm stomach.

"Wow," Rukawa said sarcastically. "You've got tricks now."

They both cracked up. Sendoh flipped him off with his left hand while he went back to stroking himself with his right.

"How is this for interesting?" Sendoh said when he'd stopped laughing. "I have not come for three days."

Rukawa's eyebrows shot up. "Are you okay?" Rukaw regularly went at least as long between orgasms without feeling deprived, but he knew Sendoh usually needed at least one a day.

Sendoh chuckled softly. "Fine. Busy, I guess. Or maybe waiting for this. For you."

"I'll admit," Rukawa said. "You have my full attention now."

"Good. Please jerk off so we can come together."

"I am. For fuck's sake, give me a chance to catch up."

"Like you need it."

"Like you need it," Rukawa mimicked with his best attempt at a Russian accent.

"That is what I should like? No wonder you are so hot for me. Sexy."

Rukawa laughed. "Shut up. Let me focus."

For the next couple of minutes, both men were silent besides their quiet moans and heavy breathing. Jerking off together like this always felt like a competition, even when it wasn't. This time, Sendoh had explicitly stated that he wanted them to come together, but even that sounded like a challenge to Rukawa. Fortunately, challenges were a huge turn-on for him.

"You close?" Rukawa asked shakily.

Sendoh smiled. "That was fast. Rukawa."

"I didn't say I was close."

"But you are."

"You don't- ah, fuck- know anything."

"How long has it been since you came?"

Rukawa shuddered. "I don't remember."

Sendoh's head rolled against the pillow. "I am going to come so fucking hard."

Rukawa exhaled, relieved that they were done pretending. "Fuck, me too."

"I can't wait to fuck you again."

"Me too. Shit, me too. Akira, are you-"

"Yes. Come on."

Rukawa's orgasm hit him so hard that he let out a weird whimpering noise as the first burst of come landed on his stomach. It was a struggle to keep his eyes open through the intense jolts of pleasure, but it was worth the effort to watch Sendoh coming spectacularly all over himself.

"Holy shit," Rukawa said, when he was able to talk again.

Sendoh had his eyes closed and was breathing hard through his nose. He was still holding his dick.

"You okay?" Rukawa asked.

"I think there is more." Sendoh started stroking himself again, hard and fast. Rukawa watched in amazement when, a few seconds later, Sendoh's body tensed and arched as a small sprut of come joined the mess on his belly.

"That's new," Rukawa said.

Sendoh's chest was still heaving. "Like you said. I have tricks."

They both laughed.

"That was hot," Rukawa said.

"Yes. Very."

"I really need to take a shower. Again."

"Mm."

"I love you."

Sendoh's expression turned serous, and for a moment Rukawa's stomach clenched as if he expected Sendoh to tell him something awful.

But all Sendoh said was, "I love you so much, Kaede."

Rukawa knew it, but hearing Sendoh say it in such a raw, unguarded way cut through him like a blade. The pain of not being in the same room as Sendoh felt physical.

"Ten days," he said. God, ten. How was he supposed to endure ten more days without Sendoh? And then only have him for one, maybe one and a half, before they'd be apart again.

"Ten days." The number sounded just as enormous when Sendoh said it.

They said goodbye, ended the call, and then Rukawa was alone again, and wishing like hell that there could be a solution to their problem.

TBC

Chrizaakth: Aww... Thank you so much. And I love you ;)

MisaoxMori: Ahhhh... Am sorry for Sendoh poor :(