"Er...Rukawa-kun.  I don't really think he can breathe..." Koshino put in rather tentatively as he watched a spluttering Sendo's face turning from a brilliant shade of red, to a startlingly dull shade of blue, his arms flailing wildly about him the whole time as he struggled to get the younger, though apparently stronger boy's grip on his collar loose.

" So?"

" So...He'll...Uh...Die if you don't let go of him soon..."

" Then let him." Rukawa replied carelessly, his cold blue eyes fixed upon the desperately struggling Sendo.  " Koshino-kun will be sad if you die, Sendo.  So talk.  We don't want Koshino-kun upset, do we?"

" No."  Sendo managed to wheeze out.

" So you're going to talk?"

Realizing that he was about to pass out from lack of oxygen and that he didn't even have enough energy left in him to open his mouth anymore, Sendo just nodded dumbly, taking in big gulps of air as soon as Rukawa had released him.  His hands flew up to his aching throat as he glared at the dark haired boy.  After all, as easygoing as he was, Sendo wasn't one to take kindly to being choked half to death.  "What did you do that for?" He demanded shrilly.

" What do you have to meddle in my life for?"

" I'm not meddling!" Sendo repeated stubbornly for what seemed to be the hundredth time that night.  This had been going on for several minutes in the Shohuku High gym already.  Rukawa demanded to know what Sendo had done to bring about such a change in Hanamichi, Sendo insisted that he had had nothing to do with it whatsoever and that the redhead had finally gotten in touch with his true feelings about him, Rukawa would make a lunge at Sendo and Koshino would stop him from killing the spiky haired boy just in time.  This cycle had repeated itself quite a few times until just the last one where Rukawa had gotten past Koshino and had managed to wrap his hands around Sendo's throat.  "I swear I'm not!"

Koshino scowled, shaking his head in annoyance.  It figured that the idiot would stick to his damn story even in the face of death.  Well, he wasn't about to bail him out this time.  Let him think of a way to get himself out of this mess on his own.  If Sendo died, there was always Fukuda.  At least the guy would cause less trouble than Sendo did.  He snickered at this thought and attracted a strange look from his boyfriend.

" You're lying."

" No.  I'm not."  Sendo insisted, taking a few steps back when he saw that Rukawa was coming towards him again, a manic gleam in his blue eyes.  God the guy was being scary..." Calm down, Rukawa-kun.  Calm down.  I really don't see what's so bad about all of this.  So Hanamichi's being nice to you, finally.  Isn't that supposed to be a good thing?"

" I guess.  That's one less do'aho in the world to worry about."

" So what's your problem?" Sendo demanded, pouting.  Why couldn't the guy just appreciate all the effort that he was putting into everything.  After all, he was doing this all for the sake of Rukawa.  He had truly cared for the guy in the few months that they had gone out and he only wanted him happy.  He wanted the world to know the Rukawa Kaede that he had known and fallen in love with.  He wanted the people to see that beneath the cold exterior lay a sweet, rather shy young man who hid behind an uncaring facade to hide his uncertainties.  And in his opinion, Sakuragi Hanamichi was exactly the sort of person that would be able to bring all those things out in the open.

" I know you're up to something." Rukawa scowled.  " I don't like it."

" For the last time-"

" Need I remind you of the Hikoichi episode?" The younger boy interjected before he could reply to his prior comment.

Sendo threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.  What did these guys do?  Did they just have to store all the stupid mistakes that he had made in the past in their memories so that they could use them against him at a convenient time?  " Do you  have to just bring that up too?  I told everyone already that that was an incredibly stupid thing that I did.  It was an honest mistake and nothing like that will ever, ever happen again.  Besides, Hikoichi's still alive and still the sweet innocent virgin that he was before, right?"

" Sweet, innocent, paranoid virgin." Koshino put in, " He still hasn't gotten over the trauma.  Hell, Sendo, because of you Uozumi and I have to be there to walk him home after every practice!"

" See." Rukawa crossed his arms over his chest, his expression smug.

" See what?"

" You mess everything up."

" That's it!  Here I am just trying to help one of my best friends out-"

The dark haired Shohuku rookie raised an eyebrow at this.  " So you're admitting now that you had something to do with Sakuragi's personality change?"

" No.  Just saying that I wanted to help you out but resisted the urge to after you told me that you didn't want me meddling into anything."

" And since when did you actually start listening to me?" Rukawa demanded skeptically.

" Look, Rukawa-kun.  I swear on Hiro-kun's life that I had nothing whatsoever to do with the way that Hanamichi was acting at today's practice!"  There was a small sound of outrage from Koshino and Sendo winced slightly as he felt a sharp kick on his shin.  " I don't know what's up with Hanamichi-kun.  Maybe he just finally got tired of fighting with you all the time.  Maybe he just decided that you weren't as bad as he originally thought you were.  But Rukawa-kun, just accept it.  Just go with the flow."

Rukawa let out a soft grunt.  He was still suspicious but he supposed that he could let Sendo live a few more days.  Eventually the truth would come out and if the Ryonan player had had anything to do with it, then he just better watch out.
 

~**~

" I swear on Hiro-kun's life, do you?"

Sendo winced slightly at all the shouting that was going on only a few centimeters from his ear.  They had long since gone from the Shohuku gym, leaving Rukawa to practice on his own, and still Koshino refused to stop shouting at him, despite of the stares that the two of them were attracting from the other people sharing the train carriage with them.

" What the hell do you mean by that, Sendo Akira?"

" Hiro-kun!  I didn't mean it!  I had my fingers crossed behind my back..." Sendo explained meekly, studiously keeping his gaze away from Koshino's fiery eyes.

" That's supposed to make me feel better?" Koshino demanded, not caring when the people crowded around the two of them drew back nervously.  When he wanted to vent out his temper, he vented out his temper.  No matter where he was or what he was doing.  This habit had come from being the much adored and indulged only son of a very well off family.

" Koshino-kun, don't be upset..." Sendo wheedled, reaching out for him.

Koshino slapped his hands away.  " How am I not supposed to be upset?  Did you see the way the guy reacted back there?!?  He would have killed you, you idiot!  He would have killed you!  You should have just told him the truth right then and there!  What the hell is the matter with you?"

" Hiro-kun, Rukawa-kun won't kill me."

" Don't be so sure about that."

" Anyway, everything was going so nicely already, Hiro-kun."  Sendo pointed out, finally managing to place an appeasing hand on his boyfriend's shoulder.  " Hanamichi-kun was being so nice to Rukawa-kun and Rukawa-kun actually seemed to appreciate it!"

" Hanamichi is only being nice to Rukawa because he thinks he's dying." Koshino growled.  " Lies are not something that you can build a relationship on, Sendo."

" Of course not." The other boy agreed readily.  " I'm sure that sooner or later, they'll find out the truth and then-"

" And then bye-bye, Sendo Akira."

" And then it won't matter anymore," Sendo continued taking no heed of Koshino, " Because by then, Hanamichi will be as deeply in love with Rukawa as I am with you, Hiro-kun.  As you are with me."

" You're assuming too much."

" I know you don't mean that, Hiro-kun." Sendo told him, his smile still subbornly set on his face.  "I know that the only reason that you're blowing your top here right now is because you were afraid for me when you thought that Rukawa would kill me."

" Rukawa could have killed you and I wouldn't have cared."  Then he voiced out his prior thoughts.
" There's always Fukuda."

" But you would never be able to love anyone, especially not that Fukuda, as much as you love me, would you, Hiro-kun?"  No answer.  Not even an insult or a rebuttal.  Sendo knew, from experience, that when Koshino got really pissed, he began to get really quiet until all his anger had been stored up within him and he just blew.  He knew that his current silence was not a good sign so he did the only thing that he could.  He smiled.  " You were just worried about me, weren't you, Hiro-kun?"

" No."

" Hiro-kun was worried about me!"  Sendo told the man standing beside him conversationally.  " Isn't that the cutest thing that you've ever heard?"

" I was not worried about you, Sendo!"  That vein on his forehead, one that Sendo was very familiar with since he was the one that usually brought it forth, appeared again.  " He was worried!"

" Was not!"

" You don't have to keep it all inside you, you know, Hiro-kun!  I get worried about you too all the time!" Sendo told him solemnly.  " Everytime you have to commute on the train by yourself I get worried 'cos somebody might do something really bad to you, you being so cute and all.  But you don't have to be worried about me!  You really don't.  Rukawa won't hurt me."

" For the last time, Sendo.  I was not worried."

" Hiro-kun, Hiro-kun, Hiro-kun."  Sendo clucked disapprovingly.  " It's very bad to keep all your feelings within you, you know.  Besides, as soon as you admit that you were worried, then I'll stop annoying you."

" Fine." Koshino scowled, elbowing Sendo sharply in the ribs.  " I hate the fact that you always get yourself into the stupidest situations and make me worry.  I hate it."

" Because you love me?"

" Because I love you..." Koshino reaffirmed quietly.

" And I love you too, Hiro-kun!" Sendo told him, discreetly squeezing his hand, seeing as how he was unable to do anything else,  what with all the people in the carriage with them.  " And don't worry!  Even if Rukawa-kun does kill me, which is possible, I admit, what with him being as fast as me when it comes to running, I'll still hang around in spirit and haunt you.  Make sure you don't take up with that Fukuda."

" Gee, Sendo.  That's really sweet."  Koshino commented dryly.  " You always know just what to say to a guy to make him feel better, don't you?"

" It's a gift of mine, Hiro-kun."  Sendo declared with a careless shrug.  " It's a gift."