For Love of the Game ~ [The Pig Pen]

Feelings

*There he goes with the Aya-chan thing again. Aya-chan. Aya-chan. Aya-chan. He plainly doesn't see that she treats him only as a friend. He plainly doesn't know what I feel for him.* Mitsui thought, dribbling the basketball absently before shooting another perfect three pointer. He smiled and caught another ball from Yasuda, dribbling it again as his mind wandered off.

*Lazy eyes. Cocky and know-it-all look. Left pierced ear. Fast. Sneaky. Quick in mind. The right height. The perfect point guard with a perfectly annoying attitude. I wonder how Ayako puts up with him...* Swish. Another three pointer. *I wonder why I bothered with him before.* He lowered his arms and began to dribble another ball.

//What? Never seen a basketball player before?//

//What's your problem?//

//What are you looking at?//

Swish! Twenty out of twenty. An improvement.

"Thanks for helping me, Yasuda." Yasuda merely smiled and made a gesture before going back to his own training. It was early after all. Akagi wasn't here yet. Mitsui picked up a basketball and started to dribble as he went to stand under the basket, his ears picking up Miyagi's whining. He stopped when the sound disappeared. Surprised, he turned back around to look. Miyagi was going one on one with Hanamichi. The red head on defense.

*Hm.. someone agitated a point guard.* He mused as he watched the spectacle. An idea struck him and a grin lit up his face, "Oi guys! Count me in, ne?" He smiled at Miyagi's surprised look.

"You don't mind if I side with that baka over there do you?" He smirked, taunting Miyagi. He knew he would take the challenge now.

"You're on." Miyagi grinned, "The loser... I mean losers pays for the entire team's lunch."

"Hah! The tensai never loses!"

*Who cares about him?* Mitsui rolled his eyes and bent his body a little lower, watching Miyagi as he dribbled the ball expertly while making a decision. Mitsui moved the same time Miyagi did, blocking his way as the point guard spun around to move to the other side, then as if changing his mind, moved the other way, getting out of Mitsui's defense and running into Hanamichi, whom he of course easily went past. The ball went in. Miyagi was as good at passing the ball as he is at throwing it. The point guard smirked as he turned to face the ex-gangster and fuming red-head.

"Lunch's on you."

*Lunch's on me. He could have said it without the pose.* Mitsui thought as he walked back home. *Hmph. There goes my allowance for the week. Thank god Kogure doesn't eat much.* He stopped suddenly when he spotted a familiar figure in front of him. Actually, two familiar figures and a very familiar whine. *Mr. Pointguard and Aya-chan.* The three pointer mused and walked up to meet them.

"But Aya-chan..."

"I can see myself home, Ryota. Your parents did say to go home early."

"But Aya-chan! It's Valentine's Day! We should be going out! On a date! You know!"

"Maybe later, okay?" Ayako looked up and saw Mitsui. "Ah. Mitsui-sempai."

Mitsui merely gave her a lazy wave. "Hi." He was thinking again. *So it's Valentine's Day. That's what the whining was about.*

"Look. I promise I'll call you when I get back." Ayako told Miyagi. The reluctant point guard nodded and she walked off after saying goodbye to the both of them.

"Guess you're stuck with me."

"Guess I'm stuck with you."

Both of them blinked. The sentences were said simultaneously. They chuckled.

"Okay. We're stuck with each other." Miyagi laughed.

*Hm.. good sense of humor.* The three pointer added it to his collection of 'What Miyagi is'. "So asking Ayako out for Valentine's Day?"

Miyagi's head dropped and sighed. "Hai.."

"Let me guess. No luck."

Miyagi shrunk into a chibi. Mitsui found it amusing as Miyagi moped around but he was mad.

*Of all the people, he wanted to ask Ayako out.*

"Hey. I know! I can buy something for her!" Miyagi exclaimed. "Mitsui-san! Come on! I need help here!"

Mitsui gawked, *Okay. Did he just asked *me* for help?!*

"Please?! I really need to impress her this year!"

Mitsui sighed and raised his arms in defeat. Miyagi could get very pouty faced when it comes to Ayako. He wished it was him. "All right. But only to the shop and then I'm going home."

"Yosh!"

"So what are you going to give her?" Mitsui deadpanned. Miyagi's high spirits drooped.

"I don't know." Miyagi murmured, placing his fingertips together, embarrassed.

"Okay. What about a bracelet?" *Oh fuck! I'm helping him choose a present for Ayako.*

The point guard's face lit up. "Hey! That's an idea! Come on!" He ran off. Mitsui swore he ran faster when it comes to Ayako.

*Always Ayako. When is it going to be *me*?!* He sighed and walked after him.

~*~*~*~

"Er.. Mitsui-san. Help."

He could get used to this. Miyagi rarely asked for help. Well... *his* help.

"What about this one?" He suggested, randomly pointing at a bracelet, which turned out to be quite expensive.

"Mitsui-san! You're not helping!"

Mitsui shrugged.

"Oh! Maybe that one. I think she'll love it."

Mitsui sighed and wondered why he came here.

It took almost an hour for Miyagi to choose a present. It will be ten minutes of long whining and questions before he arrived home. Mitsui let out another sigh.

"I really wonder if Aya-chan's gonna like this. What if she doesn't? Do you think she'll hate me?"

"Miyagi, you were never this talkative."

"Eh? Oh..." Miyagi blushed. "I get like this every year. Heh. Kinda embarrassing."

"Yep. Embarrassing." Mitsui agreed, receiving a glare from the point guard. He gave an innocent shrug. "What?"

"Don't act innocent. It's not like you."

"Don't act like a crazy love-sick school girl. It's not you."

"I don't act like a school girl!"

"You do now."

"Mitsui!"

"What?"

"You're doing it again."

"What? The innocent thing?"

"Yes."

"I am innocent."

"Liar!"

"Oh, just give Ayako the bracelet!"

*He stuck his tongue out at me. I think it's the first time we ever argued this way. Not since that day I sent him to the hospital. I think I'm liking this friendship thing.* Mitsui thought as he watched Miyagi worry over the bracelet. *Now if only he can think about me that way.*

~*~*~*~

"Er.. Mitsui-san. Are you sure she's going to like this?"

"Miyagi... my patience just blew out."

"....... gomen."

*Tenth time. He is definately nervous.*

"Erm but.. I think she already has one. What if she hates this? I don't know if her favorite color is red or yellow. I...."

"Miyagi! Shut up!" Mitsui snapped then added in his mind. *Before I do something stupid which I might regret. Or might not regret..*

"Man, I'm nervous."

"I think I should go. Don't want to come between you two now." Mitsui stood up to leave.

"Wait!" Mitsui stopped and turned back in surprise. "I... erm..." Miyagi blushed. The blush did not go unnoticed. "You can leave when she gets here, ne? I think I'm going to need to talk to someone."

Mitsui was still in a daze as he sat back down beside Miyagi. "Okay."

There was an awkward silence. It was making Mitsui uneasy. He decided to talk.

"I..."

"I'm nervous."

"I know, you said it ju-"

"No. I mean.. I'm not nervous about whether she likes the bracelet or not. I'm.... I'm afraid that she might like me."

"What?"

"I... I don't think I... like her... that much."

"Then why are you…"

Miyagi was fidgeting. Mitsui never saw Miyagi fidget before.

"Because... I don't know. I just don't know. I thought it might be love but... oh hell. Why am I opening up to you anyway? I'm just paranoid."

Mitsui hesitated. This was it. Now or never. *But... I'm taking advantage. I'm not supposed to do that. He likes Ayako.*

*He said he *might* not like her. Go on.*

*He'll know I'm gay and hate me.*

*It's better than not knowing at all.*

*I don't know...*

*Do it. It *is* Valentine's Day after all.*

*Oh hell.* The argument in his mind ceased. Mitsui turned to Miyagi, "Miyagi." The point guard turned his head to the side to look at Mitsui. Mitsui leaned forward and took Miyagi's mouth into his, his hand went behind his head to prevent him from moving back while his other hand moved to his back, holding him.

Miyagi tensed.

*This is it. He's going to hate me.* Mitsui thought and started to pull back when he felt the point guard returning the kiss. Now it was his turn to tense up.

There was the sound of something falling to the ground. Both boys pulled away, red faced and panting.

"Ayako!"

"Well now. I guess I won't be going on a date with you today, Ryota?"

"Aya-chan I can explain."

*There he goes. The old Ryota's back. Maybe I'm asking too much. He kissed back. That's enough.* Mitsui stood up. "I think I better go. I've stayed around too long. Ja ne you two. Have fun." He waved and left. His heart let out a sharp pang at each step he took away from Miyagi.

~*~*~*~

Mitsui looked at the parcel in surprise. He took it out of his locker. There was a note. He read it:

"Happy Valentine's Day. Signed Miyagi Ryota. P.S: Third door in the male's bathroom. Knock three times."

Mitsui blinked. He opened the parcel. In it was a familiar earring. Miyagi's.

Determined, Mitsui went to the appointed place. He knocked three times. The door opened and Miyagi jumped out, wrapping his arms around the stunned three-pointer and locking both their lips in a bruising kiss.

*Hm... nice....* Mitsui thought, recovering from the surprise and was slowly kissing back. He heard the gasp of surprise from the other occupants of the toilet. *Hm.. the rumors are gonna fly like hell. But who cares?* He smiled as the two boys continued to be locked in a passionate kiss.

~Owari