Title: April 1st - The GIFT
Part: 1/?
Author: Yen
Pairing: Kaede Rukawa & Hanamichi Sakuragi

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{} = Places  [] = Thoughts  " " = Speaking   ^^ = Author's notes  <> = others …
Note: This fic follows the previous one titled: MARCH 31ST -- THE CHOICE

PART 04: Wayward Emotions

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"Sendoh" Sakuragi mumbled as he saw the tall spikey haired basketball player beaming his pearly whites at them from the door.

"Hana! The party's already in full swing and we were all waiting for you to arrive." After he had ushered his visitors in, Sendoh hurriedly closed the door and fixed his blue gaze over the fidgeting birthday boy who was clearly avoiding his eyes. [Cute] He thought but instead he said, "I was about to send my driver to pick you up."

"Yeah right, you wouldn't even know where to pick us up." Sakuragi mumbled.

"Oh yes I do, you were over at Rukawa's, am I right?" Sendoh asked.

Surprised, "How did you…" The redhead trailed and then asked, "What are you my shadow?"

The former Ryonan player laughed at the incredulous statement on the beautiful boyish face and couldn't help pinch the adorable nose. "I wish. But no, Hikoichi overheard Mito talking outside Danny's and told me."

"That snoop." Mito muttered under his breath. "Speaking of Hikoichi, we need to check if he's done everything we told him to." He told the other three. Turning towards the birthday boy, "Will you be okay if we leave you with Sendoh for a second, Hanamichi?"

"Don't worry about your friend Mito. I'll take real good care of him." Sendoh assured him under his breath as he caught one of Sakuragi's hands into his and brought it to his lips.

Sakuragi's Gundan watched their host's affectionate greeting to their friend in dismay and all had the same thought running in their heads… [This is not good.] But before any of them could do or say anything, Hikoichi surprisingly came bounding to them with tons of questions and dragged them away from the couple standing in the hallway, much to Hanamichi's chagrin.

Busy with cursing his friends' desertion of him, the redhead did not notice that his hand was still firmly clasped by the slightly taller guy and was about to chase Mito and the others when he was pulled back, bringing his body in close contact with Sendoh's. With one hand braced against the other's chest, Sakuragi's gaze was temporarily transfixed onto a pair of beautiful blue eyes darkened with an emotion he knew too well, but an emotion he could only accept in the eyes of Kaede Rukawa.

A feeling of guilt overcame him as he realized how he must have encouraged that emotion and knew that he had been unfair to him. Tearing his gaze away, Sakuragi bowed his crimson head and whispered, "Don't look at me like that Sendoh." He pleaded, pushing away as he tugged his hand from Sendoh's grasp but not before his ring had accidentally scraped the other's palm.

With a slightly pained statement, Sendoh asked, "Why, because of Rukawa?" Clenching his hand that was scraped by the ring, Sendoh edged closer to the redhead and scowled when he saw the glinting object around the other's finger, mocking him of sort that he no longer had the right or opportunity to pursue his intentions for the guy before him. "I see that he had wasted no time in branding his possession and I bet that he kept you from coming to our fishing trip this morning." He chided.

Backing away, "I am not a thing to possess Sendoh and Kaede does not treat me that way. I'm sorry about this morning but he had nothing to do with it. He IS my boyfriend and it's but natural that I would want to be with him than anybody else!" Sakuragi defended rather harshly, feeling slightly irked that his host thought ill of his boyfriend.

"Kaede… So now he is Kaede and I'm just… 'Anybody'?" He questioned, crowding the redhead with his wider frame as he continued to get closer.

Sakuragi shook his head, "No! You're my friend Sendoh, a very good friend."

[A friend. Was I only a friend to you?] He wondered, as jealousy, like Sendoh had never felt before, shot through his veins like molten lava, heating the sudden hate he felt for the absent Rukawa. "So where is KAEDE? Isn't he the least bit worried to leave you alone with me?" He asked and couldn't help keeping the venom from his voice when he uttered the name of the once crush of his sophomore life.

Sakuragi cursed under his breath when his back met the unyielding wall. Left with nowhere else to go, he met the penetrating blue gaze and calmly replied, "There's nothing for him to be worried about. Kaede knows that there's nothing between the two of us."

The tall brunette's eyes narrowed and he was about to say something when someone tapped him from behind.

The redhead heaved a sigh of relief for the timely save and leaned his head further to the side to catch a glimpse of his savior. But to his dismay, he found the other two people he didn't want to face just yet and all because his friends took the liberty of organizing such a rigged kind of game.

Crying out his frustration, "What is this? Gang up on birthday boy day?" He questioned, pushing Sendoh away to walk past him only to be blocked by the other two. "What? Can't I join my own party?"

"Later Sakuragi. By the way, where's your boyfriend?" Fujima asked.

"He's with his parents. Why are you asking anyway?" He snapped, irritated by the turn of events.

Fujima and Kiyota shared a knowing glance then suddenly broke into grins. "Perfect! We have an opportunity to have a moment with you alone for a while. Sendoh?"

The host was silent for a while as he sought to control the unwanted feelings he just felt. Feigning a happy face that he really didn't quite feel at that moment, Sendoh nodded his head and said, "We'll continue our talk later Hana."

Sakuragi couldn't help but groan at that remark and though he knew that more talk would ensue from Fujima and Kiyota, he was left with no other option but follow the three.

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{Poolside}

Four pair of eyes scanned the area and still couldn't believe the place where Sendoh had arranged for their friend's party to be. The poolside, as Hikoichi enthusiastically informed them earlier when asked where the party was being held, was situated quite apart from the house. To arrive at the place, they had to descend a flight of rock made steps then pass through a covered walk that was roofed and surrounded by different sorts of flora, giving them a feel that they were going through the Garden of Eden. Once they had reached the end of the path, they had to walk under an arc covered by yellow daisies held at each end by two stone-carved angels posed to greet the visitors as they crossed the threshold of the pool area. The whole place just gave them a serene feeling of being on a remote island with a huge pool surrounded in the middle by wall made flowers on one side and the ocean on the other.

"Man would Hanamichi love this." Noma muttered, staring at the huge Olympic sized pool already being invaded by the other guests.

"Yeah, this is just awesome." Ookusu added, checking out the breathtaking view of the ocean visible from where they were standing.

Though Mito was equally awed by the place, he had voiced out one thought that had beset his mind. "I wonder what Rukawa would think when he sees this."

"That Sendoh was really out to outshine him in the eyes of Hanamichi." Noma chuckled.

Takamiya nodded his head in agreement, though he was already eyeing the buffet of food and beverages served at both sides of the pool. "I wonder who is richer, Rukawa or Sendoh?"

"If you would ask Sendoh then he would say, Rukawa." Said a not so tall brunette with sparkling blue eyes clad in shorts and a white shirt.

"Why would he say that, Koshino-san?" Hikoichi questioned.

"Because Rukawa has his precious redhead, that's why." Koshino scoffed.

All four Sakuragi Gundan mouthed, "Oh," before closing their mouth when Mitsui and Miyagi came to greet them, also clad in shorts and shirts.

"Hey guys, nice of you to drop in. Isn't this great? Hanamichi sure is lucky to have his birthday party celebrated here." The short mushroom head remarked.

"Hey I may not be as rich as Sendoh but I could make your birthday party a hell of a lot better than this Ryochin." Mitsui said, elbowing the guy beside him.

"Will you stop that? This is Hanamichi's day so zip it." Miyagi retorted.

Mito and the others had a question mark on their heads while Hikoichi and Koshino were giggling quite uncharacteristically. "Are you…?" Mito paused, not even daring to end his question.

Miyagi shook his head and said, "No we are not."

"Yet!" Mitsui added with a grin. "He's still playing hard to get and I told him that I will get my answer today even if I have to force it out from him."

"Good luck to you then." Mito said and laughed when Miyagi threw him a glare.

"So… Where's birthday boy? Sendoh said that you were over at Rukawa's?" Koshino asked after Miyagi had stomped Mitsui hard on his unknowing foot when the latter tried to place an arm around him.

Grinning slightly, "Hanamichi's with Sendoh now but we were over at Rukawa's earlier." Noma supplied.

Miyagi lifted a brow and asked, "Didn't Rukawa mind? Or is he with them as well?"

Takamiya shook his head and replied, "No he's not. Hanamichi said that he'd be coming a little later."

"Oh, guess Sendoh's not wasting the opportunity huh?" Mitsui chortled.

Each person gathered near the arc received the remark quite differently. Hikoichi and Miyagi just shrugged, Koshino had a frown painted across his face, while Sakuragi's Gundan sported a worried statement.

Noticing the silence that had suddenly befallen them, "Hey why such gloomy faces? It was just a joke. Come, I'll show you where you can change." Mitsui offered as he led the small group to the changing room.

[I just hope that you are right Mitsui-san. I just hope that you are right.] Mito thought as he followed the others.

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{Elsewhere}

A tall spectacled brunette was checking his watch for the 2nd time that afternoon as he patiently waited for a certain someone to come out from the door that would herald the arrival of passengers coming from Tokyo. He had been surprised to receive the call early that morning asking for him to be at the airport. His surprise was not because of the request but of the person who made the call. They were not what you would call friends since they had seldom talked to one another and when they do, the only reason for it would be because of a certain blue-eyed brown-haired 'angel'… his best friend and the other's boyfriend.

[So I guess it would be right to assume that this meeting would be about him.] He thought with a sigh. He was about to check his watch again when the door he had been keeping vigil swung open and out came a mass of nameless faces. Not till he saw the brooding face of the one he was waiting did he let out a sigh of relief and went to greet the other.

"Hanagata."

"Maki."

Their curt greetings to each other was nothing out of the norm but Hanagata's gut feeling made him think that whatever it was that had made Maki came rushing back to Kanagawa was something worth to skip his parents' wedding anniversary.

"So you mind telling me why you're here and not where you're supposed to?" Hanagata asked after they have exited the airport's main entrance and were waiting for a cab to pass by.

"I came to get Kenji back." Maki clipped.

Chuckling, "Impatient to be with your boyfriend Maki?"

Brown eyes turned to regard the taller player with jealousy in his eyes. "I came to get him back from you Hanagata."

Taken aback, Hanagata leaned his head back and stared as if Maki had just grown another head. "What are you talking about? Kenji and I have already told you countless times before that I am straight. We're just the best of friends, nothing more and nothing less. Can't you get that through your jealous head?" He cried, frustrated that Maki was still singing that tune.

"Then why not tell me why he had broken up with me?" Maki questioned, brown eyes glinting with anger and pain.

Hanagata's dark grey eyes almost popped out from their sockets as he stared in disbelief after hearing the remark. "What? When?" He stammered.

"Just this morning."

"This morning…" Hanagata trailed, totally missing the intense scrutiny the other was giving him as he digested the information. "Did you guys have a fight?" He suddenly asked.

Maki shook his head but still kept his deep brown eyes locked to the taller guy beside him. "Last night? No. But we have been having short arguments about him staying away longer than usual." He replied.

Deep in thought, "But I thought you were okay when he had decided to extend his stay here instead of returning to Tokyo last week?" Hanagata asked.

Hearing a car horn, Maki turned to look at the incoming cab and cursed silently when he saw that it was occupied. Frustrated and depressed, Maki bowed his head and said, "I would have said no but something in Kenji's voice told me that he would have stayed with or without my consent, so I let him." Sighing, "Last night, when he called, I was hoping that he would say that he was coming home. But when I heard his voice…" He trailed, squinting his eyes as he tried to recall something, "… It sounded different. HE sounded different. I asked him about it but he just cut me back by saying that he couldn't talk for long and then hang up." Turning pained brown eyes to the taller fellow beside him, "Then, he called again early this morning and told me in no such clear terms that he had to break up with me. That he was sorry, and before I could even recover from the shock, the line went dead." He finished, bowing his head again as he fought to control himself from breaking down.

Hanagata saw Maki's struggles and felt something like guilt course through him. Not because that he was the reason why they had broken up but maybe if he had done something or said something then things wouldn't be as muddled as it was turning out to be.

[But why did he have to break up with him?]

That particular question bothered him since he knew how much Fujima loved Maki and it was just… [Not right,] he thought. Thinking that his friend's change of heart might have happened sometime late last night or very early in the morning, Hanagata tried to jog his memory and remember what happened the night before. But much to his disappointment, only bits and pieces were popping in his mind and he still couldn't tie them together. Tilting his head upwards with his eyes closed, [I shouldn't have gotten drunk last night.] He thought, mentally kicking himself in the process. He was not a good drunk, never was and never will be. But self-reprisal could wait since he still had the pressing matter of remembering anything that could shed some light into Fujima's hasty decision. Taking a deep breath, Hanagata focused his attention hard on the wall in front of him as he tried to picture himself with his best friend, getting stoned from all the beer that they had bought earlier that evening. Slowly, the hazy image got a little clearer and he could see them sitting on floor.

< Non-stop drinking… Fujima gesturing something with his hand… Fujima's constant yapping about the stupid 'dating game'… occasional mention of his boyfriend's name, though he couldn't quite recall what about… and something about scheming a way to take the redhead away from Rukawa. >

[WHAT????] That last recollection stopped him short and would have gawked if he had not stopped himself in time. Shaking his head a bit, Hanagata turned his full attention into that last bit of memory. But try as he might, he just couldn't quite remember the details. [Damn it! Why is it that Kenji always says the stupidest things whenever he's drunk?] He mentally cried. Placing a hand over his throbbing forehead, "God, what a mess!" He unconsciously voiced out loud.

Hearing his companion, Maki lifted his head and saw the troubled statement on the other's face. "Is there something that I should know about Hanagata?" He asked.

Hanagata unconsciously gulped as he tried not to flinch from Maki's penetrating gaze and almost wished that he had not remembered anything at all. < Ignorance is bliss > Wishing to be ignorant about certain matters was already too late for him since he realized that he was already caught in the web that his friend had weaved.

Thinking that his best friend might have went over board this time, not to mention that he might be making the huge mistake of his life, Hanagata decided that it was time to let Maki know everything and prayed that Fujima would not fault him with it afterwards. Taking a deep breath, "I think it's time that you should know what's been keeping Kenji in Kanagawa." He started but before he could continue, a tall and arresting young man standing a few meters away from them caught his attention.

"Rukawa," he called and then made his way towards the surprised Shohoku ace with an exasperated former Kainan ace in tow.

"Hanagata-san. Maki-san." Rukawa said in greeting.

"Why aren't you over at Sendoh's?" Hanagata abruptly questioned, the fact that Rukawa was not where he 'should' be was making his head whirl with thoughts and images that he really didn't like to entertain at that moment.

A frown crossed Rukawa's face as he replied, "Why should I be?"

"Because that's where Sakuragi's birthday party was transferred to." Hanagata replied and felt a pang of regret for blurting it out quite carelessly.

Disbelief immediately replaced the frown that had marred Rukawa's face before a sudden surge of jealousy rose at peak point that made his eyes narrowed into slits, his blue orbs shouting bloody murder.

Upset that Hanagata seemed to have shifted attention, "Quit stalling Hanagata and tell me what's going on with Kenji!" Maki interjected.

"I'm not stalling Maki but Rukawa has much right to know about Fujima as you do." He argued, though his comment made his two companions confused.

"What has he got to do with Kenji?" Maki asked and was barely fighting the urge to shake the taller guy for answers.

"Talk." Rukawa barked.

The order was unmistakable and Hanagata had the sudden urge to punch whoever had voted for him to act as sponge for the two slowly getting incensed basketball player. Sighing, "I will answer both of your questions but first we need to get going to the party." He casually informed them.

"I'll take us there." Rukawa clipped. Though he was not really inclined to have company, Hanagata's comments confused him to the point that his earlier dread of not being with his Hana was making his heart pound erratically in his chest. His hands were balled into fist and were itching to be rammed on someone's face, [preferably Sendoh's], he thought but then, [what's my connection with Fujima?] He really didn't get the chance to dwell on it a bit further since his car came into view and they were soon on their way to Sendoh's house as Hanagata started telling them about Fujima and about his 'aho.

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To be continued....

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Notes: Thank you for those who have reviewed and commented. To everyone who had read it, THANKS!!!! Anyway, I'm sorry for the delay in updating.. got tied with work. Well hope you guys likes this chapter and do please leave your comments and reviews.... There are lots of SenRu's popping.. guess I just had to post a RuHana/HanaRu ... smiles