title: Beautiful Life
author:
yumeyanafandom: slam dunk
pairing: rukawa kaede x kogure kiminobu
rating/genre: PG / humor, fluff
summary: It has been said that the best is usually saved for last. But Rukawa has never been the one to believe those kinds of things. Not until that moment.
[crossposted at
sdyaoi and at
quilled_dreams.]
Author’s Notes: It has been a really long time since I’ve written anything Slam Dunk related and I haven’t watched Slam Dunk in ages. This piece is a result of five revisions, my desperate attempt to hold onto my memories of Slam Dunk, and DBSK’s Beautiful Life on repeat. I hope I still get my characters right; you’ll be the one to judge me on that. So please read and enjoy.
Disclaimers: Slam Dunk and all its characters belong to Inour Takehiko-sensei. The title used in this piece is from DBSK’s song, Beautiful Life. Only the plot is mine.
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Beautiful Life.
Ah. Rukawa-kun, how are you feeling?
It is a bit surreal, you think, since it is not usual that a teammate-more so your team’s fukubuchou-visits you at home. But you are sick with some cold you hate to the highest degree and perhaps it is not as unusual as you think it is. After all, Kogure-sempai has always been known to be the motherly type.
But something in this visit makes your day-your absolutely hellish day in bed-a lot better.
You watch him balance a bunch of books on his right hand-most probably yours-and a plastic bag on the left. He is smiling at you, a bit shy and it makes you wonder why; he has never been shy around you before. You know that it is not your silence; he is very much used to that. But it is as if he is struggling with his words and not with what he is holding.
You raise an eyebrow-Kogure-sempai?
He smiles at you sheepishly; he knows that you’ve gotten wind of his uncertainty. His lips part-you briefly wonder how he keeps the smile in place while talking-and he starts telling you that your homeroom teacher asked Sakuragi to give you your homework. But of course, the bespectacled one says, the redhead would never do such a thing-that do’ahou, you snicker inwardly-and it fortunately he passed by the faculty room. He tells you how he saves the Sakuragi from murdering the teacher because of the suggestion and you almost pout; it would’ve been a really fun scene to watch.
Kogure-sempai goes on and on about how everything happens-like the domino game you’ve been playing alone upstairs. Any other day, you think, you’d already grab your books from your sempai’s hand but instead, you don’t.
Or more like you can’t.
Those long fingers are curled around the last of your books, firmly holding it in place. There is something there in the way Kogure-sempai doesn’t want to let go of the books just yet; and you will wait until train of long sentences recognizes the stop sign.
-and I also brought you some okayu I cooked before going here.
You blink. Huh?
Kogure-sempai bites his lower lip and you almost tell him not to. It is such a shame to damage those lips.
He holds up the plastic bag-I brought some homemade okayu.
Poetry is not something up your lane and you think that romanticized words are too cheesy, mushy and overrated. But his smile is softer than you’ve always thought it has been, his eyes are a shade of brown lighter. The afternoon sun shines behind him, making his chestnut hair glow - quite like an angel you don’t think an ice cold bastard like you deserves.
Your eyes take in the sight of his presence in front of you and you think, the best is always saved for last.
You take the plastic bag from his hand-You cooked this?
He smiles at you nervously-Aa.
Then I’d better eat this while it’s still hot; you step aside-Come in.
His smile immediately transforms into one of the most beautiful smiles you’ve ever seen. Yes, you think, the best things always arrive last. Perhaps it is because of that Pandora’s Box story or because Ayako-sempai is just right about delayed gratification.
Kogure-sempai glances back at you-Rukawa-kun?-and you shake your head. You close the door behind you and soon you are at his side. He looks at you, observing you for a moment before the concerned look on his face fades into a soft smile.
It almost makes you want to smile yourself.
Or perhaps, Kogure-sempai just knows some kind of magic trick that can transform the hellish of days better. Childish, you think, but it could be true.
After all, life has never been this beautiful.
xxx
27Ap07
08:04p