Every Little Thing He Does is Magic

She wanted to tell him how she felt, but she loses her nerve to speak every time she actually gained enough courage to come within five feet of him. It didn't help that Kaede Rukawa wasn't exactly one of the friendliest players in the basketball team. If he was half as accommodating as Hanamichi Sakuragi was, then perhaps she would have been able to tell him her deepest, deadliest secret a long time ago. Truth be told she'd give anything just to get it over with, but unlike the infamous RUKAWA cheerleaders, she wasn't one who'd flaunt her affections so carelessly in front of everyone to see.

Haruko Akagi still thought it proper for a lady to maintain her dignity even in front of her lifetime crush.

-o-O-HarukoxRukawa-O-o-

Regular basketball practice just ended, and the players were starting to file out of the court to get a decent shower before going home. Sakuragi immediately bounced his way towards Haruko and her two friends, his usual love struck expression obvious to everyone except Haruko herself.

"Did you see me do that slam dunk, Haruko-san?" he beamed proudly, like the normal egoistic person he was. "Not even Gori was able to stop me! Nyahahahaha!"

Polite as ever, Haruko nodded and smiled kindly. "You're getting better Sakuragi," she answered. "With more practice you can be as good as my brother!"

"Neh Haruko-san, I'll be better than him!" And a huge lump on the head from a respective gorilla two seconds later distracted him enough to give Haruko the needed time to catch a glimpse of the real reason why she watched that practice, and every other practice the team has ever had.

Rukawa was just finishing his last lay-up before heading towards the locker room. With eager enthusiasm Haruko watched as Shohoku's ace player shot the ball through the hoop with much ease, one of the proofs that he was indeed a rare basketball talent in their district. Her cheeks burned a bright red when Rukawa suddenly turned towards her direction and caught her staring at him.

Lucky for her, Sakuragi started making such a racket about the kitsune showing off his mediocre skills while telling him that he's better off leaving the next few games in his hands.

"Do'aho," was the only reply he got, and before the redhead could think of a wise-crack reply Rukawa was already off, right hand dribbling the ball that Sakuragi had just finished cleaning a day ago.

-o-O-HarukoxRukawa-O-o-

"Coming!" Haruko breathed hard as she rushed towards the door. She wasn't expecting any visitors, and since her brother wasn't home, she had no idea who could be ringing their doorbell at that time of the night.

"Rukawa-kun!" she gasped when she saw the lanky basketball player standing in front of her doorway, eyes still fogged from sleep.

The ace player stared back at her and watched as Haruko's cheeks turned red, either from embarrassment or affection he wasn't really sure.

"Big brother's not here yet," Haruko exclaimed to hide her blush. "He's in a study group with Kogure-san, but I'm sure he'll be back in a few minutes." Stepping aside she mentally slapped herself for being impolite. "Do come in for a while. You can wait for big brother in the living room."

Rukawa merely entered their house and headed for the living room, with a now profusely blushing Haruko following suit.

"D-do you want something to drink, Rukawa-kun?" she squeaked.

The kitsune merely nodded and she was off to the kitchen, grabbing the edge of their counter to calm her wildly beating heart.

A few minutes later she came back with a glass of orange juice, only to find Rukawa asleep on the couch, his light snore filling the rather silent house. With a little smile Haruko placed the glass down and sat on the adjacent chair. It was the first time she had the opportunity to study Rukawa up-close, and she took the chance of memorizing every little detail on his face – his straight eyebrows, thin lips, pale complexion, even the way his hair fell lazily just above his eyes. She loved every little thing about him, and she began to wonder if there was really even a chance for her to tell him how she felt, and if perhaps, someday, he'd return those feelings too.

To her utter surprise – and horror – Rukawa suddenly opened his eyes and caught her staring at him the second time in one day. She mumbled an incoherent apology and offered the orange juice, her cheeks aflame with embarrassment this time, no doubt.

"Thanks," came the reply, and Haruko smiled shyly as the ace player took the glass from her and politely drank half of it.

Suddenly finding herself out of words, Haruko began fidgeting with the edge of her shorts before standing up and bowing low. "I probably should go back to my room now," she began. "Big brother will be home in a few minutes so you don't have to wait for long."

"You can stay."

Surprised, she looked up and saw Rukawa not really looking at her, but the expression on his face told her that he meant every word. "N-nani?" she whispered without meaning to.

"You don't have to leave," he repeated for her. "Stay."

"H-hai," Haruko answered, sitting back on her chair and smiling shyly. They didn't exactly talk about anything until Akagi came home, but the silence between them was no longer the awkward silence that was there when Rukawa first came into the house.

-o-O-HarukoxRukawa-O-o-

"That will be all for today!" Akagi boomed, signalling the end of another day's practice for the team. Most of the players cheered as they started picking up the balls on the floor and arranging the chairs in the auditorium. Sakuragi, on the other hand, was at his comical best, teasing the kitsune about some insignificant matter that nobody paid attention to.

Haruko was there as always, watching with smiling eyes as Sakuragi kept his act long enough for Gori to hit him on the head for the tenth time that day. When Rukawa turned to her direction and nodded, she no longer felt the need to hide her blush behind a fidgety demure, and when he walked towards her to ask how she was doing, she knew that her dream of getting close to him was slowly turning into a reality.

END