To Want And To Wait ~ scene III
by the diggler
Warnings: This fic is YAOI [has boyxboy homosexual content] and this part is rated PG13. Some spoilers for events that happen in the manga after the anime ends.
Disclaimer: Slam Dunk and related characters are the property of Inoue Takehiko et al.
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scene takes place after the IH, Hanamichi is staying at a hospital recovering from his back injury and Rukawa is training with the All-Japan team.
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"Why do you keep coming here?" Hanamichi asked, his hair ruffling in the wind as he looked out at the ocean.
Rukawa stared at the redhead, wanting to tell him how he went crazy if he went too long without seeing him, even if it was just long enough for the redhead to insult him... but he didn't.
"You know why." he said instead.
Hanamichi didn't reply, continuing to stare out at the ocean. Rukawa thought he saw Hanamichi sigh, but it was so small he couldn't be sure. He continued to observe the redhead, drinking in as much of Hanamichi's presence as he could before the inevitable insult came to chase him away. But it never did. Rukawa frowned.
"Sakuragi..."
The redhead turned to look at him, his eyes searching.
"What happened to 'do'ahou'?" Hanamichi asked quietly. Then even more softly, "or even 'Hanamichi'?"
Rukawa stared at the other boy in surprise. Hanamichi shifted uncomfortably in the silence.
"Do'ahou." Rukawa said softly.
"Teme..." Hanamichi replied. But the response lacked its usual vehemence, and soon they lapsed back into silence, broken only by the occasional squawk of a seagull and the distant breaking of waves on the shore.
Rukawa came here often. Ever since that first day when Rukawa had come by and seen Hanamichi here, he'd started coming by whenever his training schedule with the All-Japan team would allow, hoping to see the redhead again. And it seemed that Hanamichi came here every day, because the redhead was always sitting here when he came by. They would share a few quick minutes consisting of the usual exchanged insults or a glare or two, and then Rukawa would be back on his way.
But today was different. Today when he got here, Hanamichi was sitting quietly on the bench, staring listlessly out at the ocean as if he'd lost something out on the horizon. He hadn't even protested when Rukawa sat down next to him. Rukawa frowned and tried again to ask Hanamichi what was bothering him.
"Is something wrong?" Rukawa asked.
Hanamichi sighed deeply.
"We can't keep doing this."
"Doing what?" he asked.
"Fighting each other." Hanamichi replied.
Rukawa frowned again. Of course he wasn't going to fight with Hanamichi anymore, especially not now with the redhead's back injury, it was just too dangerous.
"I know we can't." Rukawa replied. "Do you really think I would risk it?" he snapped, annoyed that Hanamichi could think him to be so reckless.
"No it's not that. I... I don't want to fight with you anymore."
Rukawa blinked, surprised.
"Since that game with Sannoh, I've been thinking about a lot of things..." Hanamichi said. Rukawa thought back to that day. It had been the game of their life. They had defeated the strongest basketball team of the tournament, and they had done it together. They had finally put aside all their bullshit in the game's crucial moments, and had worked as a team. Rukawa wondered what that meant for them now.
"See, I realized some things about myself during that game." Hanamichi continued. "When Ayako told me that my back injury could be serious, that I might never be able to play basketball again, I finally realized how much I love it. I want to keep playing. I want to be stronger. And I want to make Shohoku stronger." Hanamichi paused, looking at Rukawa, "And we need to work together to do that."
Rukawa blinked in surprise again. And then a little smile crossed his face.
"Yeah... We make a good team."
"We do." Hanamichi smiled back. And then the redhead blushed, and looked away.
"Oi." Rukawa said, noticing the strange change. "What is it?" he asked.
"Ah... ah..." Hanamichi stammered, his hand going to the back of his neck as he blushed even harder. Rukawa stared at the redhead in puzzlement.
"Just spit it out do'ahou" Rukawa sighed in exasperation.
"Teme kitsune!" Hanamichi growled, whirling around to face Rukawa again. "Just because we're going to be working together from now on doesn't mean that I will stop challenging you! I'm going to come back even stronger than before and show you this tensai's true abilities! Nyahahaha!" the redhead laughed.
"Yare yare." Rukawa said softly to himself, shaking his head, but he didn't provoke the other boy any further, instead smiling to himself, happy to see the redhead back to being his usual loud self.
"Hmph." Hanamichi crossed his arms over his chest self-satisfactorily. And as they lapsed into silence again Rukawa's secret smile slowly turned into a smirk, because Hanamichi's little tensai rant hadn't included Akagi's little sister for once.
Eventually Hanamichi's bravado settled down, and he uncrossed his arms, laying his palms on the bench again as that almost lost look returned to his eyes. Rukawa's gaze was drawn by Hanamichi's arm, following downwards to where the redhead's hand lay dangerously close to his own. And then Hanamichi spoke, so softly that Rukawa almost didn't believe he'd really said it...
"You'll... you'll wait for me right?" the redhead whispered, unable to look him in the eye.
Rukawa's heart began pounding again, his body buzzing with disbelief and sheer happiness at what those words meant. He suddenly wanted to grab Hanamichi into his arms and crush him close, claiming the redhead's lips and washing away any uncertainty in his mind... but somewhere in his reeling consciousness he realized how inappropriate that would be, in broad daylight with people walking around... and through some amazing feat of willpower he managed to restrain himself from doing so.
And then he realized that maybe it was better this way. He didn't want to scare Hanamichi off like the last few times he'd let his desire get the better of him. No, this time he would take it slow. This time he was going to do it right.
Cautiously he moved his hand over, carefully letting its weight rest on top of the redhead's hand. When Hanamichi didn't pull away, Rukawa closed his fingers around the redhead's, and gently squeezed. Slowly Hanamichi turned to look at him, shy uncertainty and hopefulness mirrored in his eyes. Rukawa smiled softly.
"I've waited this long, haven't I?" he said.
Hanamichi smiled, squeezing back.
~
August 4 '04