It was another run of the mill afternoon in Koshino Hiroaki's life.  As usual, he had gone through the motions of school and basketball practice only to find himself lying in the ratty old brown couch in his boyfriend's apartment, said boyfriend sprawled on top of him, working furiously on his belt buckle.  For some reason, despite of Sendo's constant pawing at him, he was bored.  Dead bored.  This happened too much, too often.  As soon as he and Sendo were alone somewhere, the Ryonan ace would dive immediately for his pants without any preamble whatsoever.  This made him angry.  This made him frustrated.  Didn't Sendo know that there was a lot more to him than his body?  Did Sendo even care?

" That's it.  Get off me, Sendo.  Now." Koshino pressed his palms against Sendo's chest and pushed.  Which was really of no use.  Sendo was a whole lot stronger than him.  Especially when he was turned on.

" Ahh...My Hiro-kun!  You should relax...Just enjoy it."  The taller boy didn't even stop in his administrations.

This was another thing that Koshino hated about Sendo.  The guy never seemed to take his threats seriously, what with the fact that he wasn't exactly...well... Physically intimidating.  He'd like to see Sendo trying to pull a stunt like this on Uozumi, because once that guy said stop, you stopped.  Not that he could really picture Sendo with their current captain.  Or even really want to.  Koshino shuddered involuntarily at the image in his mind, his boyfriend mistakenly taking this as a sign that he was getting turned on, his efforts becoming more ardent.  " Sendo, dammit!"  Koshino lost his cool, which wasn't very hard for him to keep at the best of times when it all came down to it, and smacked the much taller boy soundly across the cheek, " When I tell you to get off me, you bloody well will get off me!"

"Ooh..." Sendo grinned, pulling back slightly and examining the redfaced Koshino with some amusement.  To say that the guy looked pissed would be putting it too mildly.  " Feisty.  I like that, Hiro-kun!"

Seeing that his boyfriend's guard was down, Koshino took this oppurtunity to push him right off the couch.  He jumped to his feet, evaded Sendo's groping arms as he attempted to pull him down onto the floor with him and plunked himself down onto an armchair.  Once there, he glared as the spiky haired boy managed to pick himself up from the floor.  " The two of us are going to talk."

A slow, lewd smile formed across the face of the Ryonan ace player.  " Whoah!  Hiro-kun!  I never knew you were the type who went for dirty talk!  Still, if that's what you want..."

" For the love of God, Sendo Akira!  Can't you even once in a while get all that hentai stuff off your head?!?"

Sendo's face fell.  " Oh.  You meant you really wanted to talk..."  He paused to consider this, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.  " Hey.  Are you breaking up with me?  'Cos that's how people always start when they're breaking up with somebody."

" I'm not breaking up with you!" Yet, anyway...Koshino added silently to himself, " I just want to talk.  We don't do enough of that.  How can we with you constantly pawing at me?"

" Oh...So...What do you want to talk about?" Sendo was willing to indulge him if that meant that the two of them could get it on later...

" I don't really know.  Just...Anything, I guess."

" Oh really?"  Sendo raised an eyebrow, realizing that this had a lot of possibilities.  Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all!  " Anything at all, you say?  Well, why don't we take turns revealing our deepest, darkest fantasies?  I'll go first!  You know that costume that the Rukawa cheering brigade wears?  Well, I've always wanted to see you in it cheering for me!  Sendo!  Sendo!  Sendo!  Sendo!  Sen-"  His chanting was cut off abruptly when a cushion got him right on the face, courtesy of Koshino.

" You sick pervert!  That was more than I wanted to know!"

" Itai, Hiro-kun!"  Sendo wailed, rubbing his aching nose.  " If you don't wanna talk about that then...How abou we talk about who we would like to have in a threesome?  Personally I think that Mitsui Hisashi from Shohoku is an excellent choice.  He's gorgeous...Absolutely gorgeous...I wouldn't mind him at all...But then theres Fujima too...Awfully cute.  I could have some fun with that guy.  He looks exactly like a baby, doesn't he?  I wonder what he'd look like in a little diaper..."

" I don't want to talk about that either..." Koshino informed Sendo through gritted teeth, though really, he sort of liked the idea of Mitsui Hisashi.  He stowed the thought away, thinking that he should maybe have a little talk with the Shohoku three pointer later on to try and arrange something for Sendo's birthday.  That was, if he and Sendo were still together back then...

" Umm...Favorite positions?"

" No, Sendo!"

" Wildest sexcapade?"

" Goddammit Sendo!"

The Ryonan ace watched, dumbfounded as Koshino jumped up from the armchair and began to gather his things.  " Hey, Hiro-love, where are you going?"

" I'm off to find someone that I can actually have a deep and meaningful conversation with.  It's pretty obvious that I won't get that from you, you nympho."

And that was how it came about that Koshino Hiroaki went off on his quest to find a deep and meaningful person that he could have a conversation with.
 

~**~

" Hey, Hikoichi!  You have time to talk?"

" Sure, senpai!" Hikoichi Aida patted the bench beside him and looked up expectantly at his senior.  He always had time to talk to Koshino-senpai.  No doubt the guy had a lot of inside information on Sendo, what with the two of them being so close and all.  He was sure that his sister would appreciate that.  "What's on your mind?"

" See!  See!  That's it!"  Koshino fumed, beating his fist agitatedly against his thigh as he plopped himself down beside Hikoichi.  " I have plenty of things in my mind, if only Sendo would bother to find out what they were!"

" Oh!"  There was a sparkle in Hikoichi's dark eyes.  He had hit pay dirt.  " So this is about Sendo-senpai then?"

" Yeah it's about Sendo, that sex maniac..."

" I see...I see..."  The younger boy muttered absently, scribbling away on the infamous little notebook filled with the deepest, darkest secrets of the Kanagawan society.

" Is a little meaningful conversation too much to ask for, Hikoichi?"  Koshino demanded, sighing tiredly.
" I mean, the two of us never talk!  He goes directly for my pants and he doesn't even pretend to be slightly interested in anything else but sex!  He treats me like some sort of sex object or something and yeah, I guess that is sort flattering in a twisted sort of way, but there should be so much more to a relationship than that!"

" I wouldn't really know, Koshino-senpai.  I've never been in a relationship before..."

" Oh, yeah.  That's right.  Don't worry about that, though.  You're a handsome guy.  You'll find a girl, or a guy, soon.  Whatever suits your taste..."  The thing was that he wasn't exactly sure whether the younger boy was straight or what.  He had never really taken the time to really talk to Hikoichi before now, out of his frustration with Sendo.  " Anyways, another thing that bothers me is how perverted that Sendo's mind can be!  I'm going to tell you something, Hikoichi.  Something that I want you to take to your grave!"

Hikoichi nodded eagerly.

" You have to swear that you won't let this get out to anybody from the team or anything!  It's just that it's so nice talking to you and I have to get this off my chest!"

" I swear, Koshino-senpai!"  He wouldn't let this get out to the guys on the team, he would honor his promise.  But the older boy never said anything about keeping this information from his sister...

" Well, Sendo told me that he had this fantasy about seeing me in one of those little cheerleading outfits that the Rukawa Brigade wears.  He wants to see me dancing around disgracefully in one of those skimpy little skirts, waving a pom-pom around and screaming out his name!"  Koshino shook his head in disgust.  " Isn't that just sick?"  He waited for some sort of sign that the younger boy agreed with him and got none.  Hikoichi was completely silent.  Puzzled, Koshino glanced at the boy sitting beside him, only to find that he was busily scribbling away on 'the notebook'.  " What the hell are you doing?  Didn't you hear me say that I didn't want this getting out!?"

" Maa, maa. Koshino-senpai..." Hikoichi giggled nervously as he jumped to his feet and hid the notebook behind his back.  " I was just taking notes.  For future reference, you know?"

" Future reference, eh?"  Koshino repeated, cracking his knuckles dangerously as he advanced slowly towards him.
 

~**~

" Oi!  Koshino-san!  What's that that you're burning?"

Koshino glared down at the charred remains of 'the notebook', an evil smile on his lips.  Finally he had managed to get rid of that godforsaken book...He looked up, getting a nice view of a broad, flat chest.  He scowled.  Just another reminder of his vertically challanged state.  He looked up some more and saw the self proclaimed Tensai of Shohoku glaring down at him.  " Sakuragi-san.  It's nothing."

Sakuragi Hanamichi kicked at the ashes on the ground and muttered something under his breath.

" What was that, Sakuragi-san?  I didn't quite catch it..."

" I asked you if you've seen Rukawa..."

" Er...No."

" Good for him then, 'cos if you had then I would have ripped his fucking, cheating head off!"  This last part was yelled out, thoroughly scaring the shit out of Koshino.  It never made anybody comfortable to have a guy which was so much bigger than you going on a rampage right in front of you.  " That little bastard!  Just you wait until I get my hands on you, you stupid Kitsune!  Just you wait!"

Well, this was the perfect oppurtunity to have a little conversation with the redhead about relationship problems.  " Calm down, Sakuragi-san.  Everything will be all right.  I'm sure you'll be able to work all of this out..."

" Yeah...By killing that bastard!"

" Now, now...Violence is never the answer..."  He wasn't exactly one to talk since usually his arguments with Sendo ended with him inflicting some sort of bodily harm on the taller boy.

" With the Kitsune it is!  It's the only thing that he bloody well understands!"
 

~**~

Was there no person in Kanagawa capable of normal conversation?  First there had Sendo who couldn't discuss anything without relating it to sex somehow, then there was the information freak, then the ranting lunatic who could talk of nothing but of various, imaginative ways to torture a cheating Kitsune.  He had just about given up hope.

" Psst...Is that you, Kaede?"

Koshino paused in his tracks and searched for the speaker.  " No."

" You're not Hanamichi or one of his gang members, are you?"

" No.  I'm Koshino Hiroaki."

" That's good then.  Wait a sec..." A rather dishevelled figure emerged from behind a crate.  " What a relief!  I thought you were that stupid redhead!  He's been after me and Kaede since this morning!"

" Err...Why?" Koshino watched as Mitsui Hisashi brushed himself off.  His cheeks reddening slightly when he remembered what Sendo had said about this guy just a while before.

Koshino got his answer when a dark figure suddenly came out of nowhere and hurled itself into the Shohoku senior's arms.  It was undoubtedly Rukawa Kaede.  The guy that Hanamichi was planning to murder once he got to him.

" Sorry I'm late, Sashi-kun.  I had to be careful.  The do'aho was after me..."

" Er...Yeah.  I was gonna bring that up, you know."  Koshino piped in before the two could start making out right in front of him, which, from the way that Mitsui's hands were wandering all over the younger boy's body, seemed to be exactly their intention.  " He's after your blood, Rukawa.  And yours too, I guess, Mitsui.  The two of you had better be careful."

" Er...yeah.  We knew that already though.  But thanks anyway..." Mitsui looked at him expectantly.  When Koshino made no move to go away, he sighed.  " Hey, what are you doing here anyways?  Aren't you a little far away from home?"

" Oh?  Me...Well...I'm looking for somebody that I could have a deep and meaningful conversation with..."

" In that case, I'll give you the name of somebody!  He's really good.  Always manages to talk sense into me.  Most of the time, anyways..."  Anything to get rid of the guy so that he and Rukawa could get down to some business.  Mitsui quickly scribbled an address on the old receipt that he found on his pocket and pressed it into Koshino's hands.

The Shohoku senior didn't even hear his thank you.  He was too busy with Rukawa.  Koshino guessed that he would have to scrap his plans to ask Mitsui to join him and Sendo in a little threesome.
 

~**~
 

" Hello..."

" Hey...You don't know me, I guess..."

" No...I do!  It's...Koshino, isn't it?"

" Er...Yeah."  Koshino hesitated, wondering if the guy would think he was crazy if he told him his reasons for suddenly appearing at his doorstep.  " I...Well, I was just looking for somebody to have a deep and meaningful conversation with..."

" Oh."  Kogure Kiminobu blinked down at him through his glasses.  " Really?  Well...Come on in then..."

When they had both settled themselves down onto the living room couch, Koshino spoke first.  " Mitsui told me that you were the best person to talk to..."

Kogure beamed at this.  " Mitsui said that about me?  Really?  What else?"

" Well...He was a little too busy..."

" Oh yeah?  With what?"

" I would say with who..."

Kogure's face fell.  " He was with somebody."

" Yeah.  I would have thought you would have known.  After all, he and Rukawa are both your team mates!"

" Mitsui and Rukawa?" Kogure choked out, bringing his hand up to his chest.  " My Mitsui and Rukawa?"

" Uh-oh...I think I just put my foot in my mouth."

" No...Not your fault, Koshino-san.  You didn't know..."  The bespectacled boy let out a little tired sigh..."Tell me, have you ever felt...Well...Used, sometimes?  As though you were good for one thing and one thing only..."

Koshino's eyes widened.  That was exactly how he felt in his relationship with Sendo!  It was as though Sendo was always after sex and it was incredibly frustrating...  He nodded fervently.  " I do...I do.  All the time..."

" Yeah...Well, that's how I feel when it comes to things about Mitsui.  It's like he only ever comes to me when he needs help to straighten out his problems and just goes after I've straightened things out for him.  I mean, don't get me wrong.  It's not that I mind helping him or anything...It just makes me angry sometimes..."

" Same thing goes for me and Sendo..." Koshino commiserated.  He always just comes to me when he's in the mood for sex.  He always just rolls over and falls asleep right away.  He never wants to cuddle or anything...It leaves me feeling...Well...Used..."

Kogure gasped, this statement striking him as incredibly true.  " That's right!  That's how I feel too!  Except Mitsui and I aren't sleeping together or anything..."

Their eyes met over the coffee table.  Time stopped.  Suddenly, Koshino launched himself onto the rather startled Shohoku senior, all thought about a deep and meaningful conversation forgotten as their lips met.
 

~**~

" Whoah..."  Koshino gasped some time later.  " Who would have thought that an intelligent conversation would be such a turn on?"

Beside him, Kogure chuckled.  " Not that we had that much oppurtunity to talk before you jumped me..."

" Yeah, I'm sorry about that..."

" Don't worry. I See, I'm the exact opposite of you.  I'm sick of all talk and no action..."

" So you didn't mind."

" Not at all.  I had a good time, actually.  But..."  Kogure turned away, " What about Sendo?"

" Aah...Sendo.  Let's have a long, long talk about what is wrong with that guy..."
 

~**~ Owari ~**~