Authors note: This was written for a challenge for the Tsukimine Shrine. It had to have an original character that was ultra spiffy and such and this is what I did for it. I don't think it's a scary Sue but what do I know.
PS- This has shonen ai, so if you have issues take them somewhere else.
"I have two to three odds for Kinomoto keeping the captain's chair against Chiyokei. We're down to the wire people so if you want to get in on this pipe up now," Kumi announced to the gathering of students from nearly every club in the school: from cheerleaders to the shougi club. Off to his right, Jun'ko was writing numbers furiously in his well-worn notepad as Tamae accepted the bills directly beside him. It was a well-organized system, one that they'd been perfecting since the second grade. Few events went off without the Triplets somewhere off to the side.
Suddenly, Tamae yawned widely, putting his hand to his mouth and putting the last bit of cash in his book bag. As he did, Kumi made a low, sharp motion with his hand, careful not to look around him, "Thank you, betting is closed now." Also, Jun'ko finished a few lines carefully before closing his book as Kajika sensei walked up behind them.
"What are you three up to now?" she said, clearly annoyed. "Racing snails perhaps? Hand it over, Kameko kun," she demanded flatly and Jun'ko blandly handed her the notebook.
"Racing snails, Kajika sensei?" Kumi asked incredulously. "What fun would that be? Sounds rather boring. We were all just waiting for the soccer practice to start. Very interesting since we're so close to the end of the year," he said with a mild smile.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure. And the rumors that the coach will be switch the captains for the final game has nothing to do with it." She flipped through pages and pages of notes, clearly getting more frustrated. "What's this all about, Kameko kun?" she asked sharply, waving the book in front of him.
Jun'ko shrugged. "Its my notes for my sociology class with Hajakiiku sensei." Truly enough, the pages appeared to be filled with nothing but notes on various tribes and facts about them.
She stared at him a bit longer before shoving the book back at him. "Here." She then turned on Kumi. "Ayashiko kun, you'd best watch yourself. You can't stay under the radar permanently and it would be a shame for your record to get tarnished so close to graduation," and with that she stormed back to her art class.
Watching her leave, Kumi mockingly mouthed back her last words, with a hand on his hip, complete with shoulder movements. Tamae laughed at the display and then bowed to the re-gathering students/customers. "The betting is reopened, thank you," he said with a bow and a few quickly began handing him various amounts of cash while Jun'ko resumed writing about pottery styles quickly.
Watching the eager people handing over their yen, Kumi grinned like the cat who'd eaten the canary. Between Jun'ko's computer brain (complete with encryption), Tamae's radar sense (detecting any and all prying eyes and ears), and his own dashing good looks and charismatic speaking voice, they simply couldn't loose. It was fool proof.
Again, Tamae yawned and the betting was re-closed. As soon as it was, the whistle was blown on the field announcing that practice was started. With another quick thank you to his customers, Kumi ran off to join the rest of the team while his compatriots walked over to take their normal seats in the stands.
"So what's the net?" Kumi asked his number crunching friend.
"Two thousand eight hundred thirty nine. Would have made double that if Kinomoto had lost, even with the spread."
Tamae nodded over his bento, "He's still a large favorite, even given his major slow down. We'll make up the difference on the goal betting in the last game. Everyone will still put their money on him."
"If he doesn't win that." Jun'ko stated flatly, stealing a rice ball from Tamae.
"Oh, he won't," he said through his mouthful of bun. "He'll never be able to keep up with Chiyokei. I wouldn't be surprised if the coach benched Kinomoto before the end of the game."
Kumi thought about this a minute while he took a drink from his water bottle. "We should take bets on that: on whether Kinomoto lasts the whole game. Doesn't matter how slow he is now, they'll still put their money on him."
Jun'ko nodded and made a note about a stone cutting tool one of his many, many tribes used. "I bet he'd drop a good coin against Kinomoto, though," he said nodding his chin towards Chiyokei, still talking to the coach.
Clearly unsure, Kumi thought hard about the potential of the situation. If Chiyokei won more than everyone lost, it would put them in the red, something they hadn't been in since grade school. He was still considering as Kinomoto walked across the field with his bag.
Tsukishiro bounced happy around the fence to meet him near the end of the field and they paused to talk a moment before continuing on. "What are our numbers on that one, Jun'ko?" Kumi asked as he watched.
The numbers whiz sighed. "Too much. We've taken in forty seven thousand, two hundred ninety one, and fifty-three yen. All of which will have to be returned if the school year closes with no finish."
Kumi fell back onto the row behind him with a groan. "We've been collecting those bets for two years. Two years! We can't just close it with nothing gained. I'll throw myself off a bridge! I thought for sure one of our flowers would end the game by asking one of them but no... they have to be shy."
"I still don't see why we can't just ask or something," Tamae said, handing Kumi a cookie.
"Because," Jun'ko explained, "it was one of the original stipulations that we not directly interfere.
After waving off Tamae's cookie weakly, looking lost and forlorn, suddenly Kumi snapped back up. "That's it. I'm brilliant!" and he jumped up and ran down the bleachers.
"What's it?" Tamae asked uselessly as he left.
With a shrug from Jun'ko they slowly made their way down after him.
"Chiyokei san. May I have a word with you?" Kumi asked cheerfully as he sidled up beside the non-captain, his partners hanging back by the stands still.
"Go away, Ayashiko." The larger boy told him with a growl before stalking off.
"But I think I can help you out with your... problem," he said finally, jumping in front of Chiyokei.
"What problem?" he demanded, grabbing the front of Kumi's uniform.
Unfazed, Kumi continued with his pitch, "The problem that still has the captain's spot that you so rightfully deserve." The long silence from Chiyokei told him that he had the brute's attention. "Well, while his body is far from in the game lately, the problem is his heart."
"His heart?" he replied, obviously about two steps from decking the idiot in front of him.
"Yes! Exactly. See he still wants to play, even if he can't and that will could lead him to still compete with you in points in the final game, draw the eyes of scouts that should be paying attention to you. If nothing else his sheer presence will drag down the rest of the team and make winning a real uncertainty." He nodded as he spoke and slowly Chiyokei was nodding with him and released his shirt.
"What's your angle here?"
"My angle? Why it's to see that the team has the best chance of winning. Mouruko High are big spenders and they tend to shell it out whenever they come around. I'm just protecting my investment. Besides, they'll pay even better if they hear that the star player isn't playing. They don't know he's not exactly star quality anymore," he added with a conspiratory whisper. "So it's in everyone's best interest if he not play in tomorrow's game."
The boy nodded again, seeing the pure and simple logic involved. "So what do you have in mind about that "heart" of his, besides removing it?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You're thinking too basically. You could beat him to a pulp and he'd still try and play. The trick is to break his will.
"Walk with me," he laid a hand on Chiyokei's shoulder and led him in the other direction. "Kinomoto doesn't have many weaknesses (besides physically, now). He leads a rather monk-like existence and all that, but... his life is rather..., rabbit-centric, wouldn't you say?" he asked, stopping with them watching Kinomoto heading off with Tsukishiro, laughing about something.
"You mean the puffball that's always hanging on him? What about him?"
Kumi looked up at him and grinned. "Do you think you could kiss a man?" At the wide eyed expression he got, Kumi quickly continued. "Not me, the puffball, Kinomoto's reason for living..." he said dramatically as if in a soap opera.
"You're insane," Chiyokei said as he turned to leave.
"No, no, no," he came back with, jumping in front of him again. "Hear me out. Those two have been dancing around each other for years, trust me I have the bets to prove it. Either they're a couple now and very, very under wraps, or they're still just dancing. Either way, someone stepping between them would throw Kinomoto into a spin that would make the game seem pointless. I've been watching them like a hawk for years now, and I can tell you with near certainty that they're not a couple, yet, which means..." he trailed off, hoping his larger and less intelligent "friend" would pick it up.
"Which means... Kinomoto... doesn't like guys?"
Kumi sighed loudly. "It means that the puffball is still waiting, up in the air, unpropositioned. Come on, you've played this game before; I know you have. A girl is head over heels with some guy that doesn't even know she exists, she feels unwanted, unworthy, unattractive, and so forth, and you sweep in, lavish your clumsy attention on her and she spreads wider than a seven ten split. This is the same thing," Kumi finished making a chopping motion with his hand. "It'll be like shooting fish in a barrel." He again turned Chiyokei to watch the leaving pair. "Come to the party at my place this evening, Kinomoto will be there and so will be his unrequited puffball. You swoop in, take him for your own, arrange that Kinomoto finds out and... poof! He's broken. I mean he might even take a swing at you and in his current state he wouldn't stand a chance against you."
He could see Chiyokei was wavering and continued. "Most you'd have to do is kiss him, maybe some over the clothes stuff, and if Kinomoto doesn't play... I'll give you a cut of my winnings from the game."
"How much?" he asked quickly and Kumi grinned mentally.
'People are so easy, just mention cash and you have their rapt attention.' "Say... twenty percent?"
"Twenty? I'm the one doing all the work!"
"Ah, but I'm taking the monetary risk, not to mention setting it all up for you, giving you your chance to really show the scouts what you can do. Besides with what I'll pull in, twenty will be a very large amount, I assure you."
"How large?"
Kumi snapped his fingers and Jun'ko, who had finally walked up behind them answered, "Given their average spendings, plus the loss of our 'best' player... twenty percent should be about thirty thousand yen."
He looked back at Jun'ko and then to Kumi, wide eyed. "Thirty?"
Kumi nodded. "Money, scouts, the satisfaction of ruining Kinomoto, the golden child," he listed, ticking off fingers as he went. "And any other... benefits you might get from the evening. You have to admit the puffball is at least pretty, I mean you can barely call him a him. The girls on the softball team are more masculine than he is. Maybe even a couple of the cheerleaders, too," he added off handedly. "It would work, if you can pull it off..."
"What do you mean, 'if'? Why the hell wouldn't the flake want me? I'm certainly better than him!"
"Then you're with the plan?" he asked casually, extending his hand.
Chiyokei thought about this a moment then nodded, taking his hand. "Yeah."
"Wonderful." At that Jun'ko made a few more notes in his book and Kumi turned to leave. "Be at the party at 7:15, not earlier not later. See you then."
The three of them headed quickly off the field, as it was already five and things had to shifted now. "Kumi, that was horrible," Tamae scolded, "Tsukishiro is very nice, he's in my literature class."
Kumi made a dismissive sound as they walked. "Of course he is, that's why he'll never let that ox get further than first base, tops. Just enough to prompt a spontaneous admission from our captain." Tamae's mouth made the shape of an "O" and Kumi suddenly turned towards a large cluster of girls. "But still, he needs weakened a bit in order to make Kinomoto nervous... Girls, girls, girls," he began to the cluster. "And how are we this fine, beautiful day?" he asked loudly of the giggling group.
"I assume you're all coming to my party this evening." At their unsure expressions, he continued undaunted. "Everyone will be there, Matako san, Jurishi, Kinomoto..." that earned him some whispers and he smiled his ring master smile. "You just have to come. It's the last one of my parties before college..." he dipped one girl and leaned in suggestively before righting her again. "I'd hate for you all not to be there, who knows when we'll all see each other again. Could be the last chance to hang out and hook up," he added, bumping one girl with his hip. "Well, I have to go, things to do, busy, busy. See you all there!" he called out as they headed out.
Once they were clear of the school, he continued his explanation. "I'm sure at least one of those girls will come and make a good try for Kinomoto. That will make Tsukishiro feel even more unwanted, making him easy prey for Chiyokei. Either Kinomoto will step up and save the day or... he won't, Tsukishiro will hook up with the ox, and we'll make a killing on the game, either way we'll have the end of the Kinomoto/Tsukishiro bet." As Tamae opened his mouth to protest, clearly not liking the idea that Tsukishiro was a pawn in the whole thing, Kumi continued. "And... after the bet is over we can knock Kinomoto over the head and wake him the fuck up without being in breach of contract and end up with a happily ever after anyway." Seeing that the smallest of the three was still unhappy he continued. "And we'll give them a cut of the winnings...?" Still not happy. "A third? Half? Three quarters?" He stopped and tried to stare down the displeased psychic and in the end crumpled. "All?"
"And an apology."
"Apology? I'll be getting them together in the end and emptying my pockets in the process! They should be thanking me!" he looked indignant, but Jun'ko stepped in this time.
"And you're using them both as pawns and may do damage to that relationship. You'll have to apologize, not to mention be extremely careful in how you handle this. I suggest you arrange for Chiyokei to be interrupted if he tries to go too far with Tsukishiro."
"Argh!" he shouted, near to the point of pulling his hair out. "You two are going to drive me broke! I hate it when you gang up on me. Alright alright, all the winnings if Kinomoto doesn't play, and an apology, and I'll make sure Chiyokei doesn't really take advantage of him. Deal?" he stopped, with the look of a man about to leap off a bridge. "Or perhaps you two would like me to open a vein, give them a kidney perhaps?"
The other two just shook their heads and headed towards Kumi's house. "This is an evil plot to kill me off isn't?" he shouted after them.
The party was going grand, Kumi thought as he strolled through the crowd. The girls he'd hoped for, and a nice number of them, too, had shown up promptly at six, and as expected was getting good and antsy by the time that Kinomoto and Tsukishiro showed at a quarter to seven (again as expected). This lead to the planned feeding frenzy that meant at any time at least one girl was crooning over him, and drawing his attention from Tsukishiro. This had gone on for about a half hour and Kumi had to fight to keep the shark's grin from his face as Tsukishiro looked less and less cheerful. If there was one thing he knew, it was people.
He sighed a bit and looked down at his watch. 7:19... Chiyokei was late. Not good. If Yuki was left to his own devices too long he might try to leave. Kumi was just starting to get nervous, when the ox in question came in.
Kumi had to admit he was attractive. Not as attractive as himself, he thought smiling into a nearby mirror, but attractive. Tsukishiro had also not spent much time with him before, so he wouldn't have first hand knowledge that Chiyokei was an enormous asshole: a point in his favor.
Almost holding his breath, Kumi watched as Chiyokei walked over and started to talk with the lost looking Tsukishiro and he was so focused he didn't see his two companions come up behind him. "It seems to be working, so far," came Jun'ko's deep voice from behind him.
Kumi jumped and Tamae added his two cents in. "I sure hope this pans out like you hope it will. If this goes south..."
"Yes, yes..." he waved a hand at them, looking defeated. "It'll be my first born, I remember. Sheesh. Everything is gonna be fine. Haven't you ever heard that true love conquers all?"
"Actually, statistically speaking..." Jun'ko started before Kumi threw a wadded up napkin at his face.
"Oh we've had enough of your statistics. Go write in your notebook," he looked over at Tsukishiro and Chiyokei and pouted before turning back to him. "By the way, what the encryption for next year?"
"Russian history."
"Awesome. Those obscure college classes will be-"
"Kumi," Tamae began, nodded his head towards Tsukishiro and Kumi turned to watch him duck through the crowd in the tow of Chiyokei.
"Yes!" he hissed through his teeth and at the dead expressions of his friends he shrugged. "Come on, looks like their heading out back, and we have to play chaperone, don't we?"
The backyard was equally full of party-goers, enjoying the pool and their various alcoholic drinks, though the two managed to wind their way off further into the massive yard where it was a bit more tree covered. Luckily the very trees that provided the cover that Chiyokei was seeking, also gave Kumi and his band of not so merry men plenty of cover to spy... from above. "I don't even want to know how you knew you'd be able to see them from this part of the roof..." Jun'ko said with a sigh.
"Shhh... Besides, who's to say that Tamae is the only psychic here?" At their disbelieving looks he just grinned and crouched down to watch.
"This is better. I just wasn't doing well with all that noise..." Tsukishiro said with a sigh as he leaned against the tree.
"I don't blame you. That's a mad house in there, always is though."
Tsukishiro nodded and put on a smile. "But it seemed a bit worse this evening. Tensions are just high from the end of school I guess..."
"No kidding. Those girls were pretty desperate in there. I think they're about one step from clubbing guys and dragging them into closets."
With a light laugh, Tsukishiro nodded again. "It must be nice, though, to have all those people wanting you around. You had a few watching you, I don't think I've ever seen you leave these parties alone."
Chiyokei shrugged disinterestedly. "Sure. Its fun and all, but I was feeling a little fried. End of school jitters myself I guess. Things are still a little up in the air for my college situation: trying to get into one still. But at least Kinomoto looked like he was enjoying it, more power to him."
Tsukishiro nodded again, though a bit slower. From where Kumi sat he wanted to throw something at Chiyokei to get him to wipe that shark's grin off his face. Thankfully Chiyokei had gotten good enough at this game to put the smile away as soon as he stepped up to make the smaller boy look up at him. "Though you don't look too happy about that, huh?"
All and all, Kumi was looking forward to the slime ball getting exactly what he deserved: a good kick in the nuts, which was exactly what he figured would come of this.
"No, no," Tsukishiro said quickly, pacing a few steps away. "Why wouldn't I? Oh sure I didn't have anyone to talk to but that's pretty petty if you begrudge your friend having all those pretty girls around him just cus you're bored."
"...Not bored... but maybe... lonely," he said, running the back of his hand up the side of Tsukishiro's face from behind him. When Tsukishiro turned around to face him, clearly surprised, Chiyokei stepped forward, closing the gap between them. "He shouldn't be leaving you feeling lonely..." he mumbled as he leaned in and kissed the wide eyed rabbit.
As Tsukishiro gave into the kiss, letting him deepen it and draw him closer still, Kumi was silently fuming. Sure this was what he'd been aiming for, but this prick was making other smooth talkers look bad, using his powers for evil as he was! His dark side would not conquere, Kumi would strike him down with his light side, for smooth talking scoundrels everywhere!
He barely kept himself from jumping up and shouting.
Instead he slinked back to the window, motioning for the others to follow. Once back through they headed out into the party proper. Time to exercise those very powers.
As they walked past the line to the bathroom, Kumi whispered (but not too quietly) "I can't believe Tsukishiro went out back with Chiyokei."
Tamae picked up and replied at the same volume, "and you know what he takes people back there for... Guess Kinomoto missed his shot." They could already hear the whispers start up as they started down the stairs.
"Now, we just sit and watch," Kumi said as they took up position on the landing, Kinomoto well in view. He'd obviously noticed Tsukishiro's absence and was already looking for him. It didn't take long for a few whispering girls to tell him where Tsukishiro was, and what he was doing. The expression that crossed his dark features was priceless and he thanked them quickly before heading out the door at nearly a run.
With Kumi leading the way, the three ran behind him, trying to catch up. They darted out the door, and around the corner just fast enough for them to hear Kinomoto bellow, "Get off him!" and see Chiyokei get drug backwards and thrown onto the ground.
"To-ya?!" The white haired boy was the picture of shocked as he quickly got up, pulling his shirt closed.
Kumi looked pretty shocked,too, that Chiyokei had gotten that far that fast. "The force is strong with this one," he whispered to his two friends. "But my monkey fist shall defeat his dragon style and I shall conquer prince Humperdink," he finished with a wide grin before they both hit him in the back of the head.
"Pick a series would you?" they said in unison before looking back to the drama before them. The yard had gone dead quiet save for the music and everyone was very interested in this show.
"You stay the hell away from him you son of a bitch! What did you get tired of tricking girls into coming back here that you decided to go after Yuki?!" he looked bare moments from decking him when Tsukishiro drug him back.
"To-ya stop! He didn't trick me, I came back here on my own!"
Kinomoto pulled free of his grip. "Why? This guys an asshole! He doesn't care-!"
"Since when do you?!"
Kinomoto seemed taken aback but before he could say something, Chiyokei got up and decided to join the fight. "Yeah, so why don't you just go back to your cheerleaders and leave him the fuck alone." Obviously the shock being caught on top of a guy had worn off from the prospect of making Kinomoto's life miserable.
It was that this point that whatever little strand was holding Kinomoto back snapped and Chiyokei caught a fist in the face. Tired or not, Kinomoto was still large and Chiyokei reeled back before coming back with his own swing. As a full out brawl started, suddenly guys jumped forward to drag them off of each other, including the Triplets themselves: Kumi and Tamae had Kinomoto, while Jun'ko had one of Chiyokei's arms. "You ever touch him again and so help me I'll rip off your arms, you-!" Kinomoto's ranting was stopped when Tsukishiro stepped between them and clocked him. "Yuki?"
"No! You don't want me, but no one else can either?! Is that it?! No!" he turned on his heel and ran out towards the street. "No more, To-ya!"
"Yuk-!" he called but he was still held tight for a moment before they released him. "Yuki!" he called as he ran after him.
As they watched him pursue him, Kumi turned to Chiyokei (who was re-buttoning his shirt) and grinned. "Gee, I didn't think you swung that way?" and then laughed at the murderous expression he got in response before he chased after the two, Tamae and Jun'ko close behind him.
"Yuki...?" they eventually caught up with them only because Tsukishiro had broken down on a curb, sitting with his head in his hands. Kinomoto was standing over him holding on to the lamppost, very out of breath. At the sound of his voice, Tsukishiro looked like he'd run again, but Kinomoto stopped him. "Please don't run again," he managed through gasping breaths. "I think I'll die if I have to chase you again."
"…Just go away To-ya."
"No," he not so much sat beside him as fell into a sitting position. "No, I've fucked things up pretty badly but I don't want to believe that me leaving you alone is the best thing I can do." He reached up to lay a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry..."
"For what?!" he demanded suddenly, crying harder. "You were just trying to protect me from someone you knew was a jerk; I had no right to expect anything from you. I'm sorry... I shouldn't have hit you... I'm sorry... I'm..."
As he buried his face in his hands again, Kinomoto released him and knelt down in front of him (sending Kumi and his accomplices scrambling back as they were standing behind them). "No, no, don't cry, don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong."
"Yes I did. You're a good friend. After everything you've done, I try to demand more from you? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."
Kinomoto came forward and held him tightly, stroking his back and rocking him. "Shhh... Don't cry. Please. Please...?" He kissed the top his head softly and laid his head on top of his. "...I love you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, was too scared to tell you sooner... I love you. Please don't cry..."
Yuki drew back, and looked up at him. "You... You love me?" He sniffled a bit, but to the two with Kumi, the touching moment was lost as their friend began to silently cheer to the point that they had to restrain him so as to keep them from being seen by the couple. "You really love me? But... but the party, all those girls... You didn't say more than two words to me-"
"How was I supposed to? They were all over me and wouldn't shut up. I turned around and you were gone. Have I ever shown any interest in the girls who hang around me? Have I ever shown interest in anyone but you? I-!" He jumped as Tsukishiro leapt forward and hugged him tightly and crying all over again. "Oh please stop crying... I thought you were happy."
The crying cut off to laughter and Tsukishiro pulled back to kiss him. Kinomoto's surprise faded quickly as he closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss. The touching scene got Kumi under control and Tamae and Jun'ko drug him away.
After they were further out of hearing range, Kumi stopped them and looked back at the happy couple still kissing and pulled Jun'ko close. "How much? How much did we make?" he whispered excitedly.
"Three hundred fifty seven thousand, eight hundred thirty two yen."
At that Kumi started crying and hung all over Tamae, clutching him close. "It's so beautiful..."
"We would have made like four times that if one of them would have rejected the other one," Tamae pointed out as he began to buckle under Kumi's greater weight.
"5.23 times to be precise (to the second decimal at least)," Jun'ko corrected as he tried to save Tamae from being crushed.
"Phhfftt! Don't ruin the moment. Besides the killing we'll make on the goals tomorrow will more than make up for it. Everyone will still be betting on Kinomoto. Besides, statistics say that men do worse in sports if they have sex the night before the event and they sure look like their heading th-OW!" He was cut off by Jun'ko smacking him in the head.
"Don't be vulgar."
Kumi stuck his tongue out at him as Tamae laughed at them both. "Ah well," Kumi said, stretching his arms out to drape over his friends shoulders. "We are victorious, yet again. Lets go off and ready our plans for tomorrow's endeavors."
"You mean get plastered at the party and wake up tomorrow ten minutes before game time?" Tamae questioned, as they walked back to the house.
"Exactly! Come my compatriots, we're away!"