CHAPTER 13

"What are you doing tonight?" Mitsui asked.

"Nothing," Rukawa said, then immediately regretted it. Sendoh had left yesterday and Rukawa was feeling the loss. He didn't want to do anything social tonight.

Mitsui placed one hand on the wall of Rukawa's locker room stall, above where Rukawa was sitting, boxing him in. "Nice. You should come out with me. I'm meeting some friends at this amazing cocktail bar that my buddy Tetsuo opened."

"I don't drink," Rukawa reminded him.

"Still?"

"Yes. Still." Rukawa resumed untying his shoes, hopefully indicating that the conversation was over.

"Okay, well, they have other stuff to drink. I'll bet they make, like, bomb mocktails."

Rukawa almost reminded him that he didn't consume most of the probable ingredients in a mocktail either, but decided to just shut the whole thing down instead. "I'm gonna stay in. But thanks."

Mitsui sighed and sat in the stall next to Rukawa. Sakuragi's stall, but Sakuragi was in the shower. "It's not healthy," he said. He looks like he was about to get real. "What do you do besides come to practice-" he waved a hand around the locker room, indicating the activity they'd just finished "- play games, work out, and sleep?"

"Lots of stuff," Rukawa argued, hoping he wouldn't be asked for specific examples.

"Like what?"

"I...see friends."

"Friends," Mitsui said flatly. And skeptically. "Like who? Yout parents?"

"No," Rukawa said quickly, then scrambled for examples. "Doaho Sakuragi?"

Mitsui frowned at him, then said, "Come out tonight."

"Why?"

"Because..."

Oh damn. "Because why?"

"There's someone I want you to meet."

Rukawa bent and yanked his shoes off. "No. No way."

"He's super nice, and, y'know, handsome. He's a personal trainer, and I figured you'd probably be into that."

"And let me guess: he's gay and and single."

"Well, yeah."

Rukawa wanted to punch at him that just because a man was gay and single and handsome and a personal trainer didn't mean that Rukawa would- okay, well, under different circumstances Rukawa probably would be into all of that, but that wasn't the point. The point was that Rukawa had a perfectly good secret boyfriend, so obviously it was rude of Mitsui to try to set Rukawa up with other men. Even if Mitsui didn't know Rukawa was with anyone, and probably assumed Rukawa hadn't had sex in years. Or ever.

The truth was, it was kind of sweet that Rukawa's JBL teammate was trying to find him a man to date.

After a slow exhale, Rukawa said, "I appreciate it, and I'm sure he's very nice."

"And handsome," Mitsui reminded him. "Even I can see that."

"Sure. But I'm really not looking for a date right now." There. That was straightforward. And honest.

Mitsui's eyes were full of concern, which made Rukawa doubt that he was going to let this go. "Why don't you want to date anyone? It doesn't have to be serious. You could just get laid, y'know?"

Rukawa glanced around the room nervously, but no one seemed to be paying attention. "I'm fine," he said tersely.

Mitsui laughed. "If being wound so tight you seem like you are going to fly apart at any second is fine, then sure."

"I'm not!" Rukawa said in the tone of someone who was about to fly apart. "Do the other guys think so? Do I seem distracted or something? Is it affecting my game? Is that what this is about?"

"No! Man, no. This is me, as a friend. You're a great guy and I want you to he happy. That's all. I promise."

Rukawa leaned back in his stall until his head bumped against the wall. "Okay."

"Okay, you'll meet Kazuo, or..."

"Kazuo?" Rukawa decided to play this up as an end to the conversation. "My dad's name is Kazuo. I can't date a Kazuo!"

Mitsui took Rukawa's objection seriously. "Shit. Sorry. I didn't even think of that. You're right." He stood, looking dejected.

"Hey," Rukawa said, "I do appreciate it. Really."

Mitsui brightened at that. "So if I meet any nice single gay guys who aren't named Kazuo..."

"Introduce them to Kazuo," Rukawa said. "Really. I'll let you know if I'm ever looking, okay?" Which would hopefully be never.

Mitsui nodded. "I'll mind my own business. Got it."

He left just as Sakuragi returned from the shower, wearing only a towel wrapped snugly around his waist. Sakuragi watched Mitsui leave, then turned to Rukawa. "Did he try to set you up with that guy?"

"He told you?" Rukawa did not like the idea of his love life being a team concern.

"Yeah, he told me."

"Why didn't you, like, discourage him?"

"Because the dude sounded perfect for you." Sakuragi held his arms out when Rukawa's mouth dropped open. "What? I think you can do better!"

"For fuck's sake. Thanks, idiot."

Sakuragi sat next to him, and nudged his arm with his elbow. "I'm kidding. Mostly. Besides." He leaned in. "I know you and Sendoh are married now, so..."

Rukawa closed his eyes. "Oh damn."

"Hana told me it was a beautiful ceremony. I'm a little hurt that I wasn't invited but, y'know. I'm happy for you kids."

"Shut up."

Sakuragi laughed, and eventually Rukawa joined him.

"You know," Sakuragi said seriously, "even though I give you shit about him, I do hope that I'd be invited. If you ever did get married for real."

Rukawa stared at him, simultaneously touched by Sakuragi's support and baffled that he thought Rukawa wouldn't invite him to this hypothetical wedding. "Of course you would be. Don't be fucking stupid."

Sakuragi grinned. "Good. Just making sure."

"I kind of doubt we'd ever have, like, a traditional wedding with all the stuff, but if we have anything at all, you're on the list, all right?"

"Cool. Is Sendoh on the list, or..."

"Fuck off," Rukawa laughed. "You're off the list now."

"No way."

"Yes. All the way off."

"Heh. I'm your best-friend. And the MC."

"Absolutely not."

"Shit, I'll get, like, annulled, or whatever. Marry you guys myself."

"Do you mean ordained?"

"Sure. okay."

"Annulled means ending a marriage, dumbass. Do you want to end your marriage and marry both of us? Because that's how that sounded."

"Fuck no! First of all, Haruko rules, and second of all, I would never marry Sendoh."

"So you'd marry me?"

Sakuragi turned a little pink. "No! I'm not- no!"

Rukawa decided to go easy on him, because this was getting weird. "You're my best man, Sakuragi. One hundred percent."

"Fucking right." Sakuragi held out his fist, and Rukawa bumped it. "I've gotta go film a FanMail."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"FanMail! It's a website where fans pay money to have their favorite celebrities send them little video greetings. Or to send vidoes to other people, like their dads or whatever."

"Seriously? You do this?"

"Uh...yeah. I get a money a pop for wishing randos a happy birthday. Of course I do it."

"Does it cost extra if you're only wearing a towel?"

Sakuragi grinned. "I was gonna get dressed first! Damn you, Rukawa."

"Maybe you should be on that other side? The porn one."

"The porn site? Like, the one and only porn site? Is that the one I should be on?"

"Shut up. You know the one I mean."

"Sure. Is it porno site dot com?"

"OnlyFans! That's the one I mean! Isn't that where people, like, do sex stuff for money?"

Sakuragi laughed so hard that Rukawa worried he would lose his towel. "You are so innocent. I love it."

"I am not." Why did everyone act like he was a total prude? Even Sendoh- the man he had actual sex with on the regular- teased him about it.

"Sorry," Sakuragi said, still laughing. "I'm sure you're wild in bed."

"You think I'm not?"

Sakuragi held up his hands. "Please don't tell me."

Fuck Sakuragi. Rukawa could be wild in bed. He wasn't always uptight. "You sure? Because the other night-"

"Nope!" Sakuragi backed away. "Hard no. Super no."

Rukawa shook his head. "Get dressed, dickhead."

Sakuragi began rooting through his bag for clean clothes. "It's okay if the magic is gone. That happens after you get married. Sometimes. Not to me, obviously."

"You're such an idiot," Rukawa said, but he was fighting a smile. And he was already brainstorming ways to show a bit of his wild side to Sendoh next time he had a chance.

Sendoh was surrounded by beautiful women. They were all married to his teammates, but still. Beautiful.

His teammates were charming too. Everyone and everything was charming. He caught a glimpse of himself in the giant mirror that hung on one wall of his specious living room. Swirling colorful disco lights glinted off his breastplate and wrist cuffs as he danced. Stunning.

He was maybe a little bit drunk. And a little bit high. A distant, annoying voice in the back of his brain- a voice that sounded a lot like Kaede Rukawa's- suggested that he might not be setting the best example for the younger players at the moment, as team captain.

But a louder voice said this was a party, in Sendoh's own home, and he was having fun and so was everyone else. Because Sendoh knew how to throw a party.

The song that was pulsing on the sound system was good. Sendoh didn't know what it was, or who had taken over the music.

Atsushi Tsuchiya was dancing next to him, dressed like a bee. He did not look stunning. His wife, Aurora, was dancing with him, wearing a butterfly costume. She had her arm around Tsuchiya's neck, and they were smiling at each other like they were the only ones in the room. This was a rare night out for the two of them, now that they had a baby at home.

Sendoh decided to take a break from dancing. His costume was heavy and much too warm for a crowded house party, and his cape was all twisted.

"Going to get some air," he said in the general direction of Tsuchiya and Aurora. They didn't even look at him. He noticed, as he walked away, that the makeshift dance floor was full of couples. He must have been the only one dancing alone.

He had to swat plastic skeletons and bats out of the way as he headed for the back of the house. He'd gone big with the Halloween decorations. He'd gone big with every element of the party because Sendoh didn't socialize with his teammates nearly enough.

Despite the brisk chill in the air, Sendoh's back deck was full of guests, talking and laughing. He found an empty seat in the corner of his outdoor sectional sofa, between Zito Maru and Kenji Fujima, and plunked himself down. Fujima was dressed as a superhero that Sendoh didn't recognized. Zito was dressed like a pirate, maybe? A sleeveless one so he could show off his tattoos. He had a scarf that probably belonged to his wife tied around his head.

"Good party, Sendoh," Zito said, grinning lazily. "You should throw them more often."

Sendoh stretched his arms across the back of the sofa. "I won't."

"You've got this giant fucking house and never invite anyone over," complained Tokia Dorrin, Sendoh's teammate, from an armchair across from the sofa.

"Why would I?" Sendoh asked flatly.

Fujima laughed and handed him the joint they'd been passing around. "Have you seen the kids? They can't believe they're in Akira Sendoh's house."

"You are making me feel old," Sendoh complained, though, if he was being honest, the youngest players on the team did seem like kids to him. There was less than a decade between himself and Luca Haru, but the gap felt far wider.

Sendoh shifted and brought his legs up to rest on Zito's lap. The knee-high sandals he was wearing looked fantastic, but were very uncomfortable. Zito didn't even protest, just kept smiling at him as Sendoh took a pull off the joint. Sendoh tilted his head back so he could gaze up at the stars for a moment as he savored the sharp sensation of smoke filling his lungs.

"Where's your shield?" Fujima asked.

"I don't know. Somewhere," Sendoh said, exhaling as he tilted his head back down. "What are you supposed to be?"

"I'm Adam Strange," Fujima said excitedly. "He was an archaeologist who got teleported by a Zeta-Beam to the planet Rann and then-"

"No," Sendoh said, holding up a hand. "Is fine. Enough." He took another long drag off the joint, then passed it to Tokia, who'd already had his arm outstretched, waiting for it.

"Oh, this pass you can take?" Sendoh squipped as he handed the joint over. Fujima and Zito cracked up.

"Dick," Tokia said.

Zito's wife, Nara, walked over to the couch, and tapped Sendoh's shins where they were resting on her husband's lap. "You're in my spot," she said.

Sendoh moved his legs, and Nara perched herself on Zito's knee. She was dressed like Wonder Woman, a superhero Sendoh actually recognized. She frowned at the joint Zito had just been handed by Tokia.

"You don't approve, Doctor?" Sendoh guessed.

Nara, a doctor at the local children's hospital, said, "It's the sharing germs that bothers me, not the weed. But you guys are full-time disgusting, so I guess it doesn't really matter."

"We're not disgusting," Fujima argued.

"Dude," said Nara, "I watched you guys drink a bottle that was sharing with unknown around for a minute. Last night."

Fujima shrugged. "It was a simple matters. The bottle is clean. I wash my mouth when I was in the shower. I was a beautiful guy who always thinking about maintain cleanliness."

Everyone laughed. Kenji Fujima did have beautiful face, with light brown skin, a sexy body that he was very proud of.

"I can't believe you're going to marriage someday," Nara teased.

"I can't believe either," Fujima said with a grin. "But everyone else was doing it, so I figured what the hell." He nudged Sendoh. "Except this guy."

"Sendoh is never settling down," Tokia said cheerfully. "He's a fucking legend."

"Nah. He'll meet the right one someday," Zito said. "Boom! Head over heels. Won't even know what hit him."

There was more laughter, then the conversation shifted to something else. Sendoh found, after several minutes, that he was no longer paying attention, and was suddenly overwhelmed with the need to be alone. He stood and said, "I am going to..." as he waved a hand in the general direction of the house. He left without waiting for their reaction.

He walked straight through the party and upstairs to his bedroom, closing the door behind him. Again he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the large mirror that stood in the corner, but he didn't still think he looked stunning. He thought he looked ridiculous. And sad.

He removed the cape and tossed it on his bed before picking up his phone from where it was charging on his nightstand. There was a message from Rukawa from over an hour ago.

Kaede: Don't take that costume off.

Okay. Whatever that meant.

Akira: How is your night?

He waited several minutes for a reply, then gave up. Sighing, he fell backward onto his bed, wincing as he landed weird on his fake sword. He removed it and tossed it across the room as if it were the source of all his problems. He just needed a few minutes alone, then he could return to the party.

He'd already met the love of his life, and he was head over heels, and he couldn't tell anyone and it fucking sucked.

He let himself sulk for twenty minutes, then forced himself to stand up, adjusted his expression so he looked less miserable, and headed back downstairs. He left the cape and sword behind. The costume looked sexier this way anyway, with only the straps from the breastplate crisscrossing across his bare back.

By midnight, most of the guests had left. Babysitters needed to be relieved, and morning fitness schedules needed to be kept to. The stragglers- mostly kids- made after-party plans and called cabs when they noticed Sendoh glaring at them. He may have tarnished his reputation as a fun party guy, but he didn't care.

At twelve thirty, Sendoh received a text from Rukawa.

Kaede: Party still going?

Akira: No. Everyone is gone.

Ten minutes later, his doorbell rang.

Rukawa was standing on the doorstep in a puffy jacket, looking a little embarrassed.

"I didn't want to use my key and scare the shit out of you," he said. "Oh wow. That costume is even better in person."

Sendoh blinked, unable to find words.

Rukawa let out a shaky breath. "This is probably so stupid. I have to be back in Shohoku for a practice tomorrow and-"

He didn't get to finish that sentence, because Sendoh was hauling him into the house and kissing him at the same time. He pressed Rukawa against a wall inside the door and devoured him while Rukawa ran his hands over Sendoh's mostly bare back. He couldn't believe he was here. All night he'd been dying inside, wishing he could have the man he loved at his side. Wishing Rukawa was in his arms, in his lap, in a ridiculous costume, in front of everyone.

"You smell like weed," Rukawa said when Sendoh finally let him breathe.

"You'd know."

"I know what weed smells like," Rukawa said testily.

Sendoh grinned at him. "You're here."

"Yeah." Rukawa smiled shyly. "Is that okay? You sent that photo and I've just been- fuck, I missed you so much."

Sendoh kissed him again, then said. "You want to get fucked by a gladiator, Rukawa?"

Rukawa gazed up at him through his dark lashes. "Why not, Sendoh?"

Holy shit.

With a growl, Sendoh began stripping Rukawa of his puffy jacket, and then all of the rest of his clothes. "Fucking help me," Sendoh snarled as he tugged at Rukawa's track pants.

Rukawa laughed and pressed his smile into Sendoh's neck as he toed off his sneakers, the stepped out of his pants and underwear. Once Rukawa was naked, Sendoh grabbed his thighs and hitched him up until Rukawa's strong legs wrapped around Sendoh's waist. Sendoh carried him to the living room like that, kissing him the entire way. He slid a hand down to Rukawa's ass, and squeeze it.

"Oh fuck," Rukawa gasped.

"You came here all the way just want to sex?"

"Uh-huh."

"That," Sendoh said with lusty voice, "is very slutty."

"Not as slutty as that costume." Rukawa relaxed Sendoh's body and stood back. He ran his gaze appreciatively over Sendoh. "Damn it."

Sendoh smiled. Maybe the costume wasn't so ridiculous after all. "Worth the drive?"

"Fuck yeah." Then Rukawa was back in Sendoh's arms, kissing him with a hand gripping the back of Sendoh's neck.

"Been thinking about this all night," Rukawa said, gazing up at him with dark, lust-drunk eyes. Then he flipped the front of Sendoh's skirt up and hauled Sendoh's underwear down. Sendoh hadn't even finished stepping out of them before Rukawa wrapped his lips around his hard cock.

"Kaede," Sendoh breathed. Rukawa didn't need any costume pieces to look like a fantasy. He was absolutely beautiful, on his knees for Sendoh. He was always so beautiful.

Sendoh's eyes pickled with tears as he watched him, which was weird and alarming. He closed his eyes, hoping Rukawa hadn't noticed. Sendoh had felt oddly fragile all night, and the wonderful surprise of having Rukawa here combined with the fervent way his dick was being worshipped was too much.

Enough. Time to take control of himself and this situation. He took a step back, enjoying the way Rukawa fell forward a bit, chasing his dick, and said, "Did you come here for this, or did you come here to get fucked?"

Rukawa blinked up at him. "Shit," he said quietly.

Sendoh smiled. "Stand up. Turn around."

Rukawa obediently got himself in position, gripping the arm of the sofa, and Sendoh grabbed a packet of lube from a discreet little box on the mantel behind him. He'd learned to keep lube in most rooms of the house.

He slicked himself up, then played with the Rukawa's ass a bit more. Rukawa moaned and wriggled his hips, then gasped.

"How did you can drive all this way," Sendoh asked, "my impatient lusty lover."

"No way in hell I drove at all," Rukawa gritted out. "I had to use private jet to came here immediately."

Sendoh chuckled. "So dangerous."

"Fucking hurry up," Rukawa complained.

"Is this what you came here for?"

"Yes. Come on."

Sendoh pushed into him, gripping Rukawa's hips tightly to hold him steady. Rukawa's body welcomed him, already loose and open. It felt like heaven.

Rukawa cried out, and Sendoh started a steady rhythm, thrusting into Rukawa so hard the couch slid a few inches across the floor. The room that had so recently been full of people and music and drunken laughter was now filled only with the slap of Sendoh pounding into Rukawa, his own rough breathing, and Rukawa's moans of pleasure.

"Fucking love you so much," Rukawa panted. "Needed this."

Sendoh grunted, and planted a hand between Rukawa's shoulder blades, pushing him down until his arms buckled and his chest rested on the arm of the couch.

"Holy-" Rukawa gasped. "That's perfect. Oh fuck. Don't stop."

Sendoh didn't want to stop, but he could feel his orgasm building already. He reached for Rukawa's cock, wrapping his hand around it, and started stroking.

"Wait," Rukawa gritted out. "Wanna see you."

Sendoh didn't argue. He pulled out and flipped Rukawa over, then tilted him back until he felt onto the couch cushions with his ass resting on the arm. Sendoh grabbed his thighs, pulled him up and toward him, and sank back into him.

"Harder," Rukawa demanded. "Want to feel this for days."

Sendoh grunted, and began snapping his hips so vigorously that he was almost worried he was hurting Rukawa. Except Rukawa was smiling like he'd never felt anything so wonderful.

"Akira," he panted. "So perfect. Love this."

"Make yourself come," Sendoh ordered, somewhat frantically. "Now."

Rukawa stoked himself furiously, his gaze fixed on Sendoh's face. His eyes were huge and shiny and Sendoh wanted to dive into them. He wanted to stay buried in Rukawa forever, making him come again and again and again.

"I'm coming. Holy fuck. Akira, I'm-" Rukawa's words dissolved into a groan as he spurted all over his own stomach.

"Yes," Sendoh said quietly. "So beautiful."

It only took a few more thrusts before he was emptying himself into Rukawa, bracing himself with one hand on the back corner of the couch.

"Wow," Rukawa rasped.

A weird giggle erupted out of Sendoh. He covered his mouth quickly.

Rukawa grinned. "What was that?"

"Nothing. I don't know." Sendoh distracted himself by carefully pulling out of Rukawa.

Rukawa slowly got to his feet, placing a hand on Sendoh's shoulder for balance. "Gotta say, that was totally worth to came."

"Pervert." Sendoh grinned.

"I just really needed to see you," Rukawa said seriously.

Sendoh nodded, then wrapped him in a tight hug. His eyes were burning with tears again, which was embarrassing and inappropriate after amazing sex.

"Thank you," he said into Rukawa's hair. It was so unlike Rukawa to be impulsive like this. To came to Okinawa in the middle of the night for some quick sex.

But it was also unlike Sendoh to cry after sex, so everyone was experiencing new things tonight.

"I like the decorations," Rukawa said after a minute of Sendoh breathing in the scent of him.

"Yes. They are good."

"Very spooky."

"Mm."

"We should probably get cleaned up. There was come on my belly. Now it's on your costume."

Sendoh sniffled, and hoped Rukawa didn't notice. "We will take a shower. Then bed. Then morning sex."

"I have to leave before seven."

Sendoh squeezed him tighter. "No. Skip practice."

"I can't."

"I know." Sendoh sighed, and let Rukawa go. "Very early morning sex, then."

Rukawa grinned. "What we do in life echoes in eternity."

"What?"

"It's quote from Gladiator!" Rukawa gestured at what was left of Sendoh's costume. "Come on!"

"Okay, nerd."

"I only know it because Comeau has it tattooed on his arm."

"Of course he does."

Rukawa flicked Sendoh's left pec, over the breastplate. "You're in no position to be making fun of other people's tattoos." He smiled up at Sendoh, and Sendoh smiled back, overwhelmed by how much he loved this man.

"Go," Sendoh said gently. "Upstairs."

Rukawa kissed him quickly, then turned and headed for the stairs. Sendoh watched him go, giving himself a moment to take some deep breaths and try to settle whatever was happening inside him.

The next morning, when the sun had just begun to rise, Sendoh watched Rukawa drive away. He stood on his front step for several minutes after, staring in the direction the car had gone, and shivering in his gym shorts and T-shirt. Then, he went inside, closed the door, and burst into tears.

When he'd finished crying, some uncertain amount of time later, he felt more exhausted than he had after any basketball game. He was crumpled on the floor, slumped against his front door, and standing up seemed like an insurmountable feat.

He decided that, yes. He should probably get some professional help.

TBC

Girl: They're married, indeed! Hahaha! Aww, miss you, Cuties!

Amber: Aww, TQ! Your review melt my heart also, Beauty. Hehehe..

Treeviaseesaw: Thank you so much! You're amazing, Sweety! I was happy to see your review. This sequel perhaps got more hurt situations. And please forgive me if I'm hurt you! I would combined all the moment at this sequel. I don't want hanging it like I do on SR. I'll try my best at this sequel. Aww, love you too!