Love Of A Hunter - Chapter 6
Title: Love Of A Hunter
Pairing: Akame/ RyoPi/??
Genre: romance, fluff, soon-to-be angst
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, only the plot! I don't own the university and/or anything associated with it either.
Summary: Kazuya is starting his first year at Quebec University in Canada. There, he meets new people along with a new sport: HOCKEY. What he doesn't know is how much such a sport can give him, and what he could get out of it.
A/N: Le gasp~ Two updates in two days, I'm on a role. Long chapter ahead~
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Kame! You ready to go?” hollered Ueda from where he stood by the front door.
“Yeah!” came the answer. “I’ll be down in a second!”
“I’ll be in the car,” Ueda said as he opened the door and headed outside. From upstairs, Kazuya was standing in his room, half-naked with shirts thrown about on the floor. The redhead ran a hand through his hair and sighed in frustration. “Why can’t I just pick one? I’m not even going on a date! It’s Tat-chan’s match…” Kazuya continued to rant to himself all-the-while putting on different shirts and throwing those to the ground. He heaved another sigh before grabbing the last shirt from his closet and throwing it over his torso. He looked at himself in the mirror. “It’ll have to do!” And with that, he grabbed his wallet from his desk and bolted down the stairs.
“Sorry, Tat-chan,” said Kazuya as he entered his friend’s car. “I couldn’t find a shirt to wear.”
“What are you, a girl?” asked Ueda as he started the engine. “You didn’t even come down for breakfast. Don’t tell me you spent an entire half hour trying to find out what to wear.”
A blush came over Kazuya’s face, but he looked away so Ueda couldn’t see it. “I didn’t take a half hour just for that. I had to shower you know.”
“Which takes a mere ten minutes. That leaves twenty minutes extra.”
“Drive Tat-chan, just drive.”
Ueda shook his head as he began to drive away from their complex. “You’re such a girl…”
“I am not!” the redhead argued.
Ueda smiled, but said no more.
What they were unaware of was that an unfamiliar black car had been parked at their complex since the break of dawn.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“So you’re going to wait for the others?”
“Yeah. You can go get ready.”
“Don’t run off anywhere.”
“I’m not going to Tat-chan!”
“…of course you wouldn’t.”
“W-what’s that suppose to mean?”
“Nothing.”
Kazuya watched as Ueda smirked and walked off to get ready for his match. The redhead stood in the middle of the lobby, hands shoved in his pants pockets and face expressing that of a pestered one. He had a good half hour until Ueda’s match began so all he could do was wait for the hockey players to arrive.
Kazuya paused as a sudden thought came over him.
There were going to be hockey players at a boxing match.
…
Oh well, it happens.
Kazuya decided to walk around the lobby for a few minutes before heading outside and sitting on a nearby bench. He leaned against the wooden frame, closing his eyes and relaxing as the wind brushed against his face. He was sitting for however many minutes when something much firmer and smooth brushed across his cheek. Kazuya’s eyes fluttered open to see Jin standing there, arm outstretched so his hand could continue resting against Kazuya’s cheek. Those dark brown eyes glittered beautifully against the morning sun.
“Hello there Kazu,” Jin greeted with a tiny smile. “Enjoying the weather?”
Kazuya blinked a few times before registering everything, including Jin’s words. “I g-guess,” he mumbled. “When did you get here?”
Jin pulled back his hand so he could seat himself next to the redhead. “Just now. Ryo and Pi already went inside looking for you, but I don’t think they’ll find you in there.”
“Oh,” was all Kazuya could say. Jin chuckled and asked, “When does your friend’s match start?”
Kazuya looked down at his watch. “Ten minutes. Wow, I sat out here for that long…”
“How long?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“Did you get enough sleep last night?” Jin asked this as he began to lightly run his fingers through Kazuya’s hair. Kazuya’s eyes fluttered as he appreciated the touch. “I got enough…” he whispered as he began to lean into Jin’s hand. Jin smiled as he ran his fingers down to Kazuya’s neck and began massaging the warm skin there. The fingerlight touches were sending shivers throughout Kazuya’s body.
“Your body is tense,” said Jin as he pressed his fingers into the knots around Kazuya’s neck. Kazuya let the statement hang in the air as his head unconsciously lowered until his chin was almost touching the top of his chest. The wind was now caressing his face as the moments passed by. Kazuya felt like he was almost asleep when Jin’s hand disappeared. His head raised so he could look up at the hockey player.
There was a small smirk upon Jin’s face. “Feel better?” he asked.
Kazuya nodded. He happened to glance down at his watch again and his eyes widenned when he read the time. “The match is about to start!” he exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. Without thinking, he grasped Jin’s hand and pulled the other up with him as he ran for the entrance to the gym. Jin could only be dragged behind the redhead until they were both sitting upon a bench within the small arena. There was a small crowd of people surrounding them once Jin looked around. Then his eyes landed on two familiar faces and he waved toward them. Yamapi caught Jin’s wave and practically dragged Ryo in the same fashion as Kame pulled Jin until the two hockey players were seated beside the pair. Yamapi happily embraced Kazuya, exclaiming his excitement for attending the match. Ryo just rolled his eyes.
As Yamapi kept Kazuya’s attention occupied, Jin peered around somemore. It was then he realized something was missing.
More correctly, someone was missing.
“Where’s Taguchi?” Ryo suddenly asked.
Jin mentally slapped himself as a cold feeling of total shame washed over his body.
He had forgotten to call Junno.
“…”
Ryo’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You forgot to ask him, didn’t you?”
Jin felt as if a bucket of ice just poured over him. “I sure did,” he said in a pitiful voice.
Ryo rolled his eyes before sending an accusingly glare in Jin’s direction. “Bakanishi! You were supposed to call him! Pi gave you a whole week to do that.”
“Eh? What did Pi do?” Yamapi suddenly asked as he heard his name being spoken.
Jin’s demeanor was crumbling once Kazuya looked his way too. Now all three pairs of eyes were looking at him. Well, one was glaring, one was beaming, and one was staring. Jin suddenly wished to be very small.
Since Jin wasn’t speaking at all, Ryo decided to explain Jin’s issue. Kazuya’s eyes widened before they suddenly filled with some disappointment while Yamapi began to complain loudly how much of an idiot Jin really was. Jin took everything that was thrown at him.
“Why don’t you call him now then?”
Jin looked up at Kazuya who was staring at him, but with less disappointment than before. There were shining with their usual brightness. Kazuya looked at Jin and said, “Just call Junno now. I know Tat-chan would like to see him, so it’s okay if he’s late. Please, Jin?”
How could Jin refuse Kazuya’s wish? Without a moment’s hesitation, he darted from his seat and ran into the lobby, whipping out his cell phone and dialing Junno’s number. He placed the device to his ear and waited for the other to pick up.
He better pick up otherwise Jin would murder the blonde at practice.
After the fourth ring, an all-too-familiar cheerful voice greeted him, but before Junno could speak two words Jin practically yelled at the blonde to get the gym in less than five minutes or be punished severely. Helpless, Junno could only agree.
With a satisfying click, Jin closed his cell and returned it to his pocket.
Well, that problem was taken care of.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Mou, why did you call me so late Jin?” pouted Junno as he practically collapsed onto the bench beside Ryo. “You could’ve warned me earlier!”
“You’re already here, so whatever,” Jin said simply.
Junno’s pout grew larger. “Call earlier next time…” whined the blonde as he caught his breath.
“Bakanishi doesn’t have common sense Taguchi, so I’d give up trying.” Ryo said this with a knowing yet annoyed look. Junno’s shoulders slumped. Ryo was right.
Kazuya gazed curiously at the tired blonde. The hair color was definitely much brighter up close. When Junno looked up however and caught Kazuya’s gaze, the redhead’s eyes widened.
Junno had blue eyes!
“Oh, you must be Kazu-chan,” said the blonde, completely oblivious to Kazuya’s keen stare. “Yamapi and Jin talked a lot about you. It’s nice to meet you, my name is Taguchi Junnosuke!”
Kazuya blinked a few times but quickly regained his composure. He bowed shortly and introduced himself. Junno continued to smile brightly at him and Kazuya wondered if Junno would ever stop smiling. So far, a smile was always on the blonde’s face.
“Is that your friend Kazu?” Jin suddenly asked, bringing the redhead out of his thoughts. Kazuya glanced up to where Jin was pointing and let his eyes land on a familiar figure dressed in only silk-like boxing shorts. Two huge red gloves were covering Ueda’s hands and red head gear was settled against his friend’s head. Kazuya smiled in excitement and nodded. “That’s Tat-chan!”
“Yay!” cried Yamapi. Suddenly, the hockey player got to his feet, cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, “Do your best Tat-chan!”
Kazuya stared at Yamapi. He copies even nicknames?
Ryo and Jin rolled there eyes while Junno stared at the figure away from their seats who was receiving all their attention. Serious, dark eyes landed upon Junno’s face and surprise seemed to flicker across them. Not only did Junno see that look, but Kazuya caught it too. He felt his stomach flutter with excitement. He was glad Junno was here for Ueda.
“Yamapi sit down. People are staring!” Ryo growled as he yanked the bouncing hockey player back down onto the bench.
The lights around them dimmed suddenly and the announcement for the start of the match was heard. Everyone watched as Ueda was introduced and so they cheered for him as he entering the boxing ring. Ueda was jumping lightly as he practiced a few punches through the air. He glanced at everyone watching him one last time before the sound of the bell rang clearly through the air and the match began.
Within two rounds, Ueda already had his opponent beat.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Congratulations Tat-chan!” exclaimed Kazuya as he embraced his friend tightly. “You did great!”
“Great! Great!” Yamapi echoed loudly in the background.
Ueda smiled at Kazuya and nodded his thanks before his eyes landed upon the three other figures also surrounding him. He recognized Jin easily, but the black-haired person and the blonde were people he’d never seen before. His eyes seemed to stare longer at the blonde though.
“Tat-chan, this is Nishikido Ryo and Taguchi Junnosuke,” Kazuya supplied as he stepped up next to Jin. “They’re from the hockey team too. Guys, this is my friend Ueda Tatsuya.”
Ueda bowed respectfully as did Ryo and Junno. Junno’s smile widened as he suddenly said, “You’re an amazing fighter Ueda-san! You’re punches were awesome!”
Ueda then did something that Kazuya has never seen him do.
He blushed.
Ueda Tatsuya just blushed!
Kazuya felt like jumping up and down in glory.
“Thank you for your words,” Ueda said as he inclined his head. Junno continued to smile.
“You’d make a fierce hockey player,” said Jin with a knowing smirk.
“Boxing is my sport,” Ueda replied kindly.
Jin shrugged. “You never know.”
“I don’t think Tat-chan could do any other sport than boxing,” said Kazuya with a large smile. “He’s been boxing since we were little kids. He’s never let it go.”
“You’ve known each other that long?” asked Ryo.
Both Kazuya and Ueda nodded. Junno’s smile grew even wider, if possible. “That’s amazing!” he said with awe in his eyes. Kazuya noticed Ueda lower his head as the praise seemed a bit too much for the boxer to handle. Kazuya smiled at how cute his friend looked.
Jin seemed to notice the smiles Kazuya was giving off and couldn’t help but feel a bit envious of the younger man’s close friend. Deep down, Jin wanted to Kazuya smile whenever he said something or looked shy (not like Jin would ever look shy in the first place). He wanted Kazuya to see him.
“Ne ne, Kazu-chan!” cried Yamapi, suddenly interrupting anyone’s thoughts. Kazuya looked up at Yamapi curiously as the bouncy hockey player explained that he and Ryo wanted to take everyone out to lunch. Ryo quickly stated that only Yamapi was paying, but the latter ignored him and practically beamed with happiness when everyone agreed.
So, Kazuya and Ueda ended up following Ryo’s car packed tight with one Jin and Yamapi while Junno followed at the very back of the line. Ryo led them to a place ten minutes from the gym. Ueda was surprised he’d never heard of the small place either.
The Fourth Avenue Café.
Kazuya’s eyebrow rose unconsciously. Ueda felt a small smile at the corner of his lips.
Nice name.
The six sat together at a table near the window. Everyone was oh-so-surprisingly seated beside a certain someone that sent shivers down their spines and butterflies throughout their stomachs. Jin was happily placed between Kazuya and Ryo while Ryo dealt with a cheerful Yamapi at his side. Yamapi was seated beside Junno who was secretly joyful to be next to Ueda. Ueda looked like his whole face was turning into a tomato.
Everyone kept quiet about their inner happiness, though some still weren’t sure why they felt so happy in the first place.
The beginning of love, ne?
A long silence prolonged until Yamapi broke out into conversation. Kazuya’s ears couldn’t help but pick out the familiar talk of pink buckets and he chuckled as Ueda’s face eventually lightened up and more and more people began to talk. The only one who seemed to keep quiet though was Ryo. The Osaka Man had his arms folded across his chest and it looked as if he was leaning heavily against his chair. Jin noticed Kazuya’s glances toward Ryo and he too saw the stiffness in Ryo’s posture. Secretly, he gave his friend a nudge in the side and asked, “Why so tense? Is something up?”
“Nothing,” Ryo murmured, not even looking in Jin’s direction.
“Something has to be up Ryo,” Jin continued without hesitation. “Come on, spill it.”
Unconsciously, Ryo’s eyes lifted up to look straight at the person sitting across from him. Jin also looked in that direction and felt confused. He looked back at Ryo who now had his eyes closed and lips pressed into a tight line, and asked, “Did he do something to annoy you?”
“I said it was nothing, now leave it be,” Ryo basically snapped.
Jin’s eyes narrowed. “Cool it man, I’m only trying to help.”
Now Ryo glared up at Jin with sheer hatred in his eyes as he seethed, “Well, you’re not any help at all. You’re practically a useless person so can it.”
“Huh?” Jin gaped at the other. He couldn’t believe the onslaught that had just attacked him. He faced Ryo head on now and felt his voice get louder as he spoke. “What the hell Ryo? What’s your problem?”
“Nothing!” Ryo snapped again. “I said nothing was wrong!”
“Ryo-chan?” Now Yamapi noticed how his friend was practically burning with anger. The younger hockey player put his hand upon Ryo’s shoulder and asked gently, “What’s wrong?”
“NOTHING!” Ryo hollered. This caused not only the remaining people at his table to look up at him in confusion, but also a few other customers seated nearby. Ryo glared down at Yamapi and said nothing as he suddenly got up and left the café. The echo of the bell ringing seemed to last forever as the five still seated at the table sat in silence.
Junno was the one to break it as he asked quietly, “Did I miss something?”
Everyone kept quiet until Jin finally replied, “It was really nothing, Junno. Ryo just lost it. I think something was bothering him, that’s all.”
“And he had to blow up in our faces because of it?” asked Ueda quite harshly. Jin noticed the boxer had an annoyed expression upon his face.
“I’m sure he didn’t mean too,” Kazuya imputed.
Junno nodded. “Maybe he’s just bothered by something.”
Jin had to stare at Ueda then. The boxer still had that annoyed expression written clearly for all to see and for some reason, Jin had the strong urge to wipe that look right off of his face.
“Well, are we still going to eat?” asked Junno as he tried to lighten up the mood with his cheerful voice. “I’ll help Pi pay.”
It was then that everyone noticed that Yamapi was being rather quiet than usual. Actually, the silence coming from the cheerful man sounded quite unnatural despite the fact silence isn’t something you hear. Jin was the first to scoot closer to his friend and pat him on the back. “Hey Pi, you okay?”
It took a few seconds, but Yamapi eventually lifted his head and nodded with a large smile. His smile turned into a pout though once he whined that he was hungry. The five slowly began to chat amongst each other once again as the ordered their food and sipped from their drinks. The food came and as time passed by everyone was full and content.
As the five agreed that it was time to leave, Jin slowed his pace until he was walking beside Kazuya. The redhead slowed down too so it was only him and Jin and curiously looked up at the hockey player. Jin smiled and then asked, “What are you doing Monday?”
“Monday? Ano, I don’t think I’m doing anything…”
“Good. You’re coming to our game then.”
Kazuya stared at Jin accusingly. “That sounded like an order.”
Jin smirked. “I can make it an order if you want.”
“What’s the difference then?” Kazuya huffed. He smirked once he saw the disappointment slowly fill Jin’s eyes but it disappeared once he slipped a hand into Jin’s warm one. Jin looked at their entwined hands curiously before looking into Kazuya’s eyes.
“I’d love to go,” said the redhead with all-too serious eyes. Jin smiled. He pulled up both their hands and kissed the knuckles at the bottom of Kazuya’s fingers. Kazuya felt Jin’s warm breath tickle skin and let out a quiet breath. Still holding their entwined hands below his lips, Jin looked up at the redhead with his deep brown eyes and whispered, “I’ll see you Monday then.”
All Kazuya could do was nod. Jin smirked and slowly lowered their hands as he pulled Kazuya toward their cars.
“Jinjin!” Yamapi suddenly hollered. Instantly, Kazuya stiffened and without hesitation pulled his hand away from Jin’s. The latter couldn’t help but glance at Kazuya with hurt eyes, but he quickly masked that as he looked up at Yamapi running toward him.
“What is it Pi?” he asked.
Yamapi turned and fervently pointed toward a familiar black car parked between Ueda’s and Junno’s. “Ryo-chan left without taking his car!”
That piece of info even made Kazuya stare at Yamapi ridiculously. Jin tilted his head to the side and asked, “Why is that so bad Pi?”
Yamapi’s eyes seemed to widen with horror as he exclaimed, “Ryo-chan is walking alone all the way home! Jinjin, it took us twenty minutes to get to the gym and ten to get here. We have to go find him!”
Jin rolled his eyes as he recalled Ryo’s harsh outburst from before. “Let him walk Pi. He could use the exercise for practice.”
Yamapi’s eyes widened even more and tears began to form. “But Jinjin, Ryo-chan didn’t mean to be mean…”
Kazuya’s heart tightened as he looked at the worried hockey player. Deciding what was best, he patted Jin’s back and said, “Go find him Jin. It’s the right thing to do.”
“I don’t want to go look for that bastard,” Jin muttered as he folded his arms over his chest.
At that, Yamapi pouted even more. Kazuya’s face hardened as he turned Jin around and somewhat glared at him. “You know you should go look for him, so do it. If you don’t, I won’t be coming to your game anymore.”
“Wha-“ Jin gaped at the redhead. “Kazu!”
“I swear I won’t Jin.”
Now Jin’s face formed into that of a pout. “Fine,” he mumbled as he turned and headed for the car. Yamapi cried out happily as he followed to the passenger’s seat, but before he got all the way in he quickly bounced out and gave Kazuya a tight Yamapi death hug. Kazuya smiled and waved at the two as Jin started the car and began to pull out. The passenger’s window to the small car rolled down and Yamapi stuck half his body out as he waved enthusiastically. “Bye bye Tat-can! Bye-bye Junno-chan! Don’t worry, we’ll find Ryo-chan!”
Both Ueda and Junno waved as the car disappeared along with Yamapi’s smiling face. Kazuya stepped up beside Ueda just as Junno announced he was leaving too.
“I have an appointment in less than a half hour,” the blonde explained. “But I won’t blame Jin for making me come out here. I was glad to watch Ueda-san’s match and hang out with everyone. I hope we can do it again soon!”
Kazuya smiled and nodded. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again, ne Tat-chan?”
Ueda glared at Kazuya as another blush assaulted his face. Kazuya chuckled and waved to Junno who was now getting into his car. Ueda waved too until the blonde’s car was out of sight.
“So Tat-chan,” Kazuya said after a few moments. “What do you think of them?”
Ueda shrugged. “I already told you what I think of Jin. By the way, you two were quite obvious a few minutes ago. Yamapi is Yamapi, but I have to say that that Nishikido friend of yours is really arrogant and rude. The guy was annoying.”
“Eh?” Kazuya gasped in surprise. “Well, I guess I can see why you think that way…”
“He’s a jerk,” Ueda finished bluntly.
Kazuya decided it was best to let the Ryo topic pass, so he nudged Ueda and asked, “What about Junno? I have to say Tat-chan, I’ve never seen you so flushed in a single hour before in my entire life and it was really amusing!”
Ueda glared. “Amusing huh? Is it amusing that I find him…attractive?”
Kazuya’s eyes widened with glee as he clutched onto Ueda’s arm and exclaimed, “You think he’s attractive? That’s perfect Tat-chan!”
“Why are you so happy all of a sudden?” Ueda asked suspiciously.
Kazuya ignored the question and continued to rant on about Ueda’s new-found feelings. Ueda could only deal with the hyperactive Kazuya until the two were home and Ueda had the pleasure of closing his bedroom door in Kazuya’s face. The redhead pouted, but he felt that feeling vanish as he skipped about the house. He felt like he was the happiest person in the world.
Then he looked out the window and his eyes widenned.
“No way…” Kazuya murmured, his joyful demeanor now vanishing into thin air. His eyes were locked onto a black car parked on the curb of the street. The windows weren’t tinted enough to hide the man in the driver’s seat holding up binoculars in Kazuya’s direction. Kazuya felt his entire body stiffen.
“Kame?” asked Ueda once the boxer came out from his room dressed in clean clothes. Kazuya said nothing as Ueda approached him. He was still looking out the window.
“What are you looking at?” Ueda asked carefully, noticing his friend’s shocked expression.
Kazuya slowly turned his head toward Ueda with frightened eyes.
“They’re here Tat-chan…”
~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: I had to name the café what I did because I love L’Arc~en~Ciel so much. Hope everyone enjoyed. Comments are like valuable hockey pucks 8DD
Pairing: Akame/ RyoPi/??
Genre: romance, fluff, soon-to-be angst
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, only the plot! I don't own the university and/or anything associated with it either.
Summary: Kazuya is starting his first year at Quebec University in Canada. There, he meets new people along with a new sport: HOCKEY. What he doesn't know is how much such a sport can give him, and what he could get out of it.
A/N: Le gasp~ Two updates in two days, I'm on a role. Long chapter ahead~
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Kame! You ready to go?” hollered Ueda from where he stood by the front door.
“Yeah!” came the answer. “I’ll be down in a second!”
“I’ll be in the car,” Ueda said as he opened the door and headed outside. From upstairs, Kazuya was standing in his room, half-naked with shirts thrown about on the floor. The redhead ran a hand through his hair and sighed in frustration. “Why can’t I just pick one? I’m not even going on a date! It’s Tat-chan’s match…” Kazuya continued to rant to himself all-the-while putting on different shirts and throwing those to the ground. He heaved another sigh before grabbing the last shirt from his closet and throwing it over his torso. He looked at himself in the mirror. “It’ll have to do!” And with that, he grabbed his wallet from his desk and bolted down the stairs.
“Sorry, Tat-chan,” said Kazuya as he entered his friend’s car. “I couldn’t find a shirt to wear.”
“What are you, a girl?” asked Ueda as he started the engine. “You didn’t even come down for breakfast. Don’t tell me you spent an entire half hour trying to find out what to wear.”
A blush came over Kazuya’s face, but he looked away so Ueda couldn’t see it. “I didn’t take a half hour just for that. I had to shower you know.”
“Which takes a mere ten minutes. That leaves twenty minutes extra.”
“Drive Tat-chan, just drive.”
Ueda shook his head as he began to drive away from their complex. “You’re such a girl…”
“I am not!” the redhead argued.
Ueda smiled, but said no more.
What they were unaware of was that an unfamiliar black car had been parked at their complex since the break of dawn.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“So you’re going to wait for the others?”
“Yeah. You can go get ready.”
“Don’t run off anywhere.”
“I’m not going to Tat-chan!”
“…of course you wouldn’t.”
“W-what’s that suppose to mean?”
“Nothing.”
Kazuya watched as Ueda smirked and walked off to get ready for his match. The redhead stood in the middle of the lobby, hands shoved in his pants pockets and face expressing that of a pestered one. He had a good half hour until Ueda’s match began so all he could do was wait for the hockey players to arrive.
Kazuya paused as a sudden thought came over him.
There were going to be hockey players at a boxing match.
…
Oh well, it happens.
Kazuya decided to walk around the lobby for a few minutes before heading outside and sitting on a nearby bench. He leaned against the wooden frame, closing his eyes and relaxing as the wind brushed against his face. He was sitting for however many minutes when something much firmer and smooth brushed across his cheek. Kazuya’s eyes fluttered open to see Jin standing there, arm outstretched so his hand could continue resting against Kazuya’s cheek. Those dark brown eyes glittered beautifully against the morning sun.
“Hello there Kazu,” Jin greeted with a tiny smile. “Enjoying the weather?”
Kazuya blinked a few times before registering everything, including Jin’s words. “I g-guess,” he mumbled. “When did you get here?”
Jin pulled back his hand so he could seat himself next to the redhead. “Just now. Ryo and Pi already went inside looking for you, but I don’t think they’ll find you in there.”
“Oh,” was all Kazuya could say. Jin chuckled and asked, “When does your friend’s match start?”
Kazuya looked down at his watch. “Ten minutes. Wow, I sat out here for that long…”
“How long?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“Did you get enough sleep last night?” Jin asked this as he began to lightly run his fingers through Kazuya’s hair. Kazuya’s eyes fluttered as he appreciated the touch. “I got enough…” he whispered as he began to lean into Jin’s hand. Jin smiled as he ran his fingers down to Kazuya’s neck and began massaging the warm skin there. The fingerlight touches were sending shivers throughout Kazuya’s body.
“Your body is tense,” said Jin as he pressed his fingers into the knots around Kazuya’s neck. Kazuya let the statement hang in the air as his head unconsciously lowered until his chin was almost touching the top of his chest. The wind was now caressing his face as the moments passed by. Kazuya felt like he was almost asleep when Jin’s hand disappeared. His head raised so he could look up at the hockey player.
There was a small smirk upon Jin’s face. “Feel better?” he asked.
Kazuya nodded. He happened to glance down at his watch again and his eyes widenned when he read the time. “The match is about to start!” he exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. Without thinking, he grasped Jin’s hand and pulled the other up with him as he ran for the entrance to the gym. Jin could only be dragged behind the redhead until they were both sitting upon a bench within the small arena. There was a small crowd of people surrounding them once Jin looked around. Then his eyes landed on two familiar faces and he waved toward them. Yamapi caught Jin’s wave and practically dragged Ryo in the same fashion as Kame pulled Jin until the two hockey players were seated beside the pair. Yamapi happily embraced Kazuya, exclaiming his excitement for attending the match. Ryo just rolled his eyes.
As Yamapi kept Kazuya’s attention occupied, Jin peered around somemore. It was then he realized something was missing.
More correctly, someone was missing.
“Where’s Taguchi?” Ryo suddenly asked.
Jin mentally slapped himself as a cold feeling of total shame washed over his body.
He had forgotten to call Junno.
“…”
Ryo’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You forgot to ask him, didn’t you?”
Jin felt as if a bucket of ice just poured over him. “I sure did,” he said in a pitiful voice.
Ryo rolled his eyes before sending an accusingly glare in Jin’s direction. “Bakanishi! You were supposed to call him! Pi gave you a whole week to do that.”
“Eh? What did Pi do?” Yamapi suddenly asked as he heard his name being spoken.
Jin’s demeanor was crumbling once Kazuya looked his way too. Now all three pairs of eyes were looking at him. Well, one was glaring, one was beaming, and one was staring. Jin suddenly wished to be very small.
Since Jin wasn’t speaking at all, Ryo decided to explain Jin’s issue. Kazuya’s eyes widened before they suddenly filled with some disappointment while Yamapi began to complain loudly how much of an idiot Jin really was. Jin took everything that was thrown at him.
“Why don’t you call him now then?”
Jin looked up at Kazuya who was staring at him, but with less disappointment than before. There were shining with their usual brightness. Kazuya looked at Jin and said, “Just call Junno now. I know Tat-chan would like to see him, so it’s okay if he’s late. Please, Jin?”
How could Jin refuse Kazuya’s wish? Without a moment’s hesitation, he darted from his seat and ran into the lobby, whipping out his cell phone and dialing Junno’s number. He placed the device to his ear and waited for the other to pick up.
He better pick up otherwise Jin would murder the blonde at practice.
After the fourth ring, an all-too-familiar cheerful voice greeted him, but before Junno could speak two words Jin practically yelled at the blonde to get the gym in less than five minutes or be punished severely. Helpless, Junno could only agree.
With a satisfying click, Jin closed his cell and returned it to his pocket.
Well, that problem was taken care of.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Mou, why did you call me so late Jin?” pouted Junno as he practically collapsed onto the bench beside Ryo. “You could’ve warned me earlier!”
“You’re already here, so whatever,” Jin said simply.
Junno’s pout grew larger. “Call earlier next time…” whined the blonde as he caught his breath.
“Bakanishi doesn’t have common sense Taguchi, so I’d give up trying.” Ryo said this with a knowing yet annoyed look. Junno’s shoulders slumped. Ryo was right.
Kazuya gazed curiously at the tired blonde. The hair color was definitely much brighter up close. When Junno looked up however and caught Kazuya’s gaze, the redhead’s eyes widened.
Junno had blue eyes!
“Oh, you must be Kazu-chan,” said the blonde, completely oblivious to Kazuya’s keen stare. “Yamapi and Jin talked a lot about you. It’s nice to meet you, my name is Taguchi Junnosuke!”
Kazuya blinked a few times but quickly regained his composure. He bowed shortly and introduced himself. Junno continued to smile brightly at him and Kazuya wondered if Junno would ever stop smiling. So far, a smile was always on the blonde’s face.
“Is that your friend Kazu?” Jin suddenly asked, bringing the redhead out of his thoughts. Kazuya glanced up to where Jin was pointing and let his eyes land on a familiar figure dressed in only silk-like boxing shorts. Two huge red gloves were covering Ueda’s hands and red head gear was settled against his friend’s head. Kazuya smiled in excitement and nodded. “That’s Tat-chan!”
“Yay!” cried Yamapi. Suddenly, the hockey player got to his feet, cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, “Do your best Tat-chan!”
Kazuya stared at Yamapi. He copies even nicknames?
Ryo and Jin rolled there eyes while Junno stared at the figure away from their seats who was receiving all their attention. Serious, dark eyes landed upon Junno’s face and surprise seemed to flicker across them. Not only did Junno see that look, but Kazuya caught it too. He felt his stomach flutter with excitement. He was glad Junno was here for Ueda.
“Yamapi sit down. People are staring!” Ryo growled as he yanked the bouncing hockey player back down onto the bench.
The lights around them dimmed suddenly and the announcement for the start of the match was heard. Everyone watched as Ueda was introduced and so they cheered for him as he entering the boxing ring. Ueda was jumping lightly as he practiced a few punches through the air. He glanced at everyone watching him one last time before the sound of the bell rang clearly through the air and the match began.
Within two rounds, Ueda already had his opponent beat.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Congratulations Tat-chan!” exclaimed Kazuya as he embraced his friend tightly. “You did great!”
“Great! Great!” Yamapi echoed loudly in the background.
Ueda smiled at Kazuya and nodded his thanks before his eyes landed upon the three other figures also surrounding him. He recognized Jin easily, but the black-haired person and the blonde were people he’d never seen before. His eyes seemed to stare longer at the blonde though.
“Tat-chan, this is Nishikido Ryo and Taguchi Junnosuke,” Kazuya supplied as he stepped up next to Jin. “They’re from the hockey team too. Guys, this is my friend Ueda Tatsuya.”
Ueda bowed respectfully as did Ryo and Junno. Junno’s smile widened as he suddenly said, “You’re an amazing fighter Ueda-san! You’re punches were awesome!”
Ueda then did something that Kazuya has never seen him do.
He blushed.
Ueda Tatsuya just blushed!
Kazuya felt like jumping up and down in glory.
“Thank you for your words,” Ueda said as he inclined his head. Junno continued to smile.
“You’d make a fierce hockey player,” said Jin with a knowing smirk.
“Boxing is my sport,” Ueda replied kindly.
Jin shrugged. “You never know.”
“I don’t think Tat-chan could do any other sport than boxing,” said Kazuya with a large smile. “He’s been boxing since we were little kids. He’s never let it go.”
“You’ve known each other that long?” asked Ryo.
Both Kazuya and Ueda nodded. Junno’s smile grew even wider, if possible. “That’s amazing!” he said with awe in his eyes. Kazuya noticed Ueda lower his head as the praise seemed a bit too much for the boxer to handle. Kazuya smiled at how cute his friend looked.
Jin seemed to notice the smiles Kazuya was giving off and couldn’t help but feel a bit envious of the younger man’s close friend. Deep down, Jin wanted to Kazuya smile whenever he said something or looked shy (not like Jin would ever look shy in the first place). He wanted Kazuya to see him.
“Ne ne, Kazu-chan!” cried Yamapi, suddenly interrupting anyone’s thoughts. Kazuya looked up at Yamapi curiously as the bouncy hockey player explained that he and Ryo wanted to take everyone out to lunch. Ryo quickly stated that only Yamapi was paying, but the latter ignored him and practically beamed with happiness when everyone agreed.
So, Kazuya and Ueda ended up following Ryo’s car packed tight with one Jin and Yamapi while Junno followed at the very back of the line. Ryo led them to a place ten minutes from the gym. Ueda was surprised he’d never heard of the small place either.
The Fourth Avenue Café.
Kazuya’s eyebrow rose unconsciously. Ueda felt a small smile at the corner of his lips.
Nice name.
The six sat together at a table near the window. Everyone was oh-so-surprisingly seated beside a certain someone that sent shivers down their spines and butterflies throughout their stomachs. Jin was happily placed between Kazuya and Ryo while Ryo dealt with a cheerful Yamapi at his side. Yamapi was seated beside Junno who was secretly joyful to be next to Ueda. Ueda looked like his whole face was turning into a tomato.
Everyone kept quiet about their inner happiness, though some still weren’t sure why they felt so happy in the first place.
The beginning of love, ne?
A long silence prolonged until Yamapi broke out into conversation. Kazuya’s ears couldn’t help but pick out the familiar talk of pink buckets and he chuckled as Ueda’s face eventually lightened up and more and more people began to talk. The only one who seemed to keep quiet though was Ryo. The Osaka Man had his arms folded across his chest and it looked as if he was leaning heavily against his chair. Jin noticed Kazuya’s glances toward Ryo and he too saw the stiffness in Ryo’s posture. Secretly, he gave his friend a nudge in the side and asked, “Why so tense? Is something up?”
“Nothing,” Ryo murmured, not even looking in Jin’s direction.
“Something has to be up Ryo,” Jin continued without hesitation. “Come on, spill it.”
Unconsciously, Ryo’s eyes lifted up to look straight at the person sitting across from him. Jin also looked in that direction and felt confused. He looked back at Ryo who now had his eyes closed and lips pressed into a tight line, and asked, “Did he do something to annoy you?”
“I said it was nothing, now leave it be,” Ryo basically snapped.
Jin’s eyes narrowed. “Cool it man, I’m only trying to help.”
Now Ryo glared up at Jin with sheer hatred in his eyes as he seethed, “Well, you’re not any help at all. You’re practically a useless person so can it.”
“Huh?” Jin gaped at the other. He couldn’t believe the onslaught that had just attacked him. He faced Ryo head on now and felt his voice get louder as he spoke. “What the hell Ryo? What’s your problem?”
“Nothing!” Ryo snapped again. “I said nothing was wrong!”
“Ryo-chan?” Now Yamapi noticed how his friend was practically burning with anger. The younger hockey player put his hand upon Ryo’s shoulder and asked gently, “What’s wrong?”
“NOTHING!” Ryo hollered. This caused not only the remaining people at his table to look up at him in confusion, but also a few other customers seated nearby. Ryo glared down at Yamapi and said nothing as he suddenly got up and left the café. The echo of the bell ringing seemed to last forever as the five still seated at the table sat in silence.
Junno was the one to break it as he asked quietly, “Did I miss something?”
Everyone kept quiet until Jin finally replied, “It was really nothing, Junno. Ryo just lost it. I think something was bothering him, that’s all.”
“And he had to blow up in our faces because of it?” asked Ueda quite harshly. Jin noticed the boxer had an annoyed expression upon his face.
“I’m sure he didn’t mean too,” Kazuya imputed.
Junno nodded. “Maybe he’s just bothered by something.”
Jin had to stare at Ueda then. The boxer still had that annoyed expression written clearly for all to see and for some reason, Jin had the strong urge to wipe that look right off of his face.
“Well, are we still going to eat?” asked Junno as he tried to lighten up the mood with his cheerful voice. “I’ll help Pi pay.”
It was then that everyone noticed that Yamapi was being rather quiet than usual. Actually, the silence coming from the cheerful man sounded quite unnatural despite the fact silence isn’t something you hear. Jin was the first to scoot closer to his friend and pat him on the back. “Hey Pi, you okay?”
It took a few seconds, but Yamapi eventually lifted his head and nodded with a large smile. His smile turned into a pout though once he whined that he was hungry. The five slowly began to chat amongst each other once again as the ordered their food and sipped from their drinks. The food came and as time passed by everyone was full and content.
As the five agreed that it was time to leave, Jin slowed his pace until he was walking beside Kazuya. The redhead slowed down too so it was only him and Jin and curiously looked up at the hockey player. Jin smiled and then asked, “What are you doing Monday?”
“Monday? Ano, I don’t think I’m doing anything…”
“Good. You’re coming to our game then.”
Kazuya stared at Jin accusingly. “That sounded like an order.”
Jin smirked. “I can make it an order if you want.”
“What’s the difference then?” Kazuya huffed. He smirked once he saw the disappointment slowly fill Jin’s eyes but it disappeared once he slipped a hand into Jin’s warm one. Jin looked at their entwined hands curiously before looking into Kazuya’s eyes.
“I’d love to go,” said the redhead with all-too serious eyes. Jin smiled. He pulled up both their hands and kissed the knuckles at the bottom of Kazuya’s fingers. Kazuya felt Jin’s warm breath tickle skin and let out a quiet breath. Still holding their entwined hands below his lips, Jin looked up at the redhead with his deep brown eyes and whispered, “I’ll see you Monday then.”
All Kazuya could do was nod. Jin smirked and slowly lowered their hands as he pulled Kazuya toward their cars.
“Jinjin!” Yamapi suddenly hollered. Instantly, Kazuya stiffened and without hesitation pulled his hand away from Jin’s. The latter couldn’t help but glance at Kazuya with hurt eyes, but he quickly masked that as he looked up at Yamapi running toward him.
“What is it Pi?” he asked.
Yamapi turned and fervently pointed toward a familiar black car parked between Ueda’s and Junno’s. “Ryo-chan left without taking his car!”
That piece of info even made Kazuya stare at Yamapi ridiculously. Jin tilted his head to the side and asked, “Why is that so bad Pi?”
Yamapi’s eyes seemed to widen with horror as he exclaimed, “Ryo-chan is walking alone all the way home! Jinjin, it took us twenty minutes to get to the gym and ten to get here. We have to go find him!”
Jin rolled his eyes as he recalled Ryo’s harsh outburst from before. “Let him walk Pi. He could use the exercise for practice.”
Yamapi’s eyes widened even more and tears began to form. “But Jinjin, Ryo-chan didn’t mean to be mean…”
Kazuya’s heart tightened as he looked at the worried hockey player. Deciding what was best, he patted Jin’s back and said, “Go find him Jin. It’s the right thing to do.”
“I don’t want to go look for that bastard,” Jin muttered as he folded his arms over his chest.
At that, Yamapi pouted even more. Kazuya’s face hardened as he turned Jin around and somewhat glared at him. “You know you should go look for him, so do it. If you don’t, I won’t be coming to your game anymore.”
“Wha-“ Jin gaped at the redhead. “Kazu!”
“I swear I won’t Jin.”
Now Jin’s face formed into that of a pout. “Fine,” he mumbled as he turned and headed for the car. Yamapi cried out happily as he followed to the passenger’s seat, but before he got all the way in he quickly bounced out and gave Kazuya a tight Yamapi death hug. Kazuya smiled and waved at the two as Jin started the car and began to pull out. The passenger’s window to the small car rolled down and Yamapi stuck half his body out as he waved enthusiastically. “Bye bye Tat-can! Bye-bye Junno-chan! Don’t worry, we’ll find Ryo-chan!”
Both Ueda and Junno waved as the car disappeared along with Yamapi’s smiling face. Kazuya stepped up beside Ueda just as Junno announced he was leaving too.
“I have an appointment in less than a half hour,” the blonde explained. “But I won’t blame Jin for making me come out here. I was glad to watch Ueda-san’s match and hang out with everyone. I hope we can do it again soon!”
Kazuya smiled and nodded. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again, ne Tat-chan?”
Ueda glared at Kazuya as another blush assaulted his face. Kazuya chuckled and waved to Junno who was now getting into his car. Ueda waved too until the blonde’s car was out of sight.
“So Tat-chan,” Kazuya said after a few moments. “What do you think of them?”
Ueda shrugged. “I already told you what I think of Jin. By the way, you two were quite obvious a few minutes ago. Yamapi is Yamapi, but I have to say that that Nishikido friend of yours is really arrogant and rude. The guy was annoying.”
“Eh?” Kazuya gasped in surprise. “Well, I guess I can see why you think that way…”
“He’s a jerk,” Ueda finished bluntly.
Kazuya decided it was best to let the Ryo topic pass, so he nudged Ueda and asked, “What about Junno? I have to say Tat-chan, I’ve never seen you so flushed in a single hour before in my entire life and it was really amusing!”
Ueda glared. “Amusing huh? Is it amusing that I find him…attractive?”
Kazuya’s eyes widened with glee as he clutched onto Ueda’s arm and exclaimed, “You think he’s attractive? That’s perfect Tat-chan!”
“Why are you so happy all of a sudden?” Ueda asked suspiciously.
Kazuya ignored the question and continued to rant on about Ueda’s new-found feelings. Ueda could only deal with the hyperactive Kazuya until the two were home and Ueda had the pleasure of closing his bedroom door in Kazuya’s face. The redhead pouted, but he felt that feeling vanish as he skipped about the house. He felt like he was the happiest person in the world.
Then he looked out the window and his eyes widenned.
“No way…” Kazuya murmured, his joyful demeanor now vanishing into thin air. His eyes were locked onto a black car parked on the curb of the street. The windows weren’t tinted enough to hide the man in the driver’s seat holding up binoculars in Kazuya’s direction. Kazuya felt his entire body stiffen.
“Kame?” asked Ueda once the boxer came out from his room dressed in clean clothes. Kazuya said nothing as Ueda approached him. He was still looking out the window.
“What are you looking at?” Ueda asked carefully, noticing his friend’s shocked expression.
Kazuya slowly turned his head toward Ueda with frightened eyes.
“They’re here Tat-chan…”
~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: I had to name the café what I did because I love L’Arc~en~Ciel so much. Hope everyone enjoyed. Comments are like valuable hockey pucks 8DD