High Love

by: schu-chan

*thoughts*

|phone conversation|

//flashback//

Ken stared up at the ceiling and sighed. //We both love you.//

*What's he trying to do? I... He...* Ken let out a frustrated growl before he got off of the bed and quickly grabbed his soccer ball before he headed outside.

~*~*~*~*~*

Ken sat there, staring at the ball. A child came up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Ken 'nii-chan! Let's play!"

Ken looked up and smiled at the child. "Hai."

~*~*~*~*~*

"KEN 'NII-CHAN!!" Ran turned when he heard the name that belonged to 'his' beloved brunette. He was surprised to see Ken on the grass, surrounded by a bunch of worried children. He hurried over.

"What's wrong?"

"'Nii-chan wasn't paying attention and he got hit by the ball!" Ran picked up the limp body and told the children not to worry and hurried away.

"Ne, Minoru?"

"Hm?"

"We don't know who that was... We gave Ken 'nii-chan to a stranger?"

". . ."

"He'll be okay... it's Ken 'nii-chan, after all."

". . ."

~*~*~*~*~*

Ken groaned as he came into consciousness. "Who the hell hit me?!"

"You were playing with your kids and apparently, you got hit by a ball."

"Ara? Ran?"

Ken rubbed his eyes and tried to focus his vision. When his vision finally managed to train onto something, it was on a katana. Ken's eyes widened slightly and he laughed nervously.

"I-is that real?"

Ran nodded.

Ken sat there in the bed, staring down at his hands. "Ano... thanks for helping me out."

"It's all right."

"So... uhm... I guess I'll go. I don't want to be a bother..."

"It's all right, you can stay."

Ken sat silently, wondering if Ran felt as uncomfortable as he did. *Probably not... he looks like nothing phases him...*

When Ran continued to just stand there and watch him silently, Ken began to fidget. "Is something wrong?"

"A-ano... could you... uhm... not stare at me?"

"Oh, does it make you uncomfortable?" Ken nodded, blushing.

"Gomen." With that, Ran looked away. Then, there was a knock on the door.

"Sir, I have the tea."

"Come in."

The man that had been driving when Ken had punched Ran entered with a tray that had two cups of tea. Ken accepted the cup that was offered to him, thanking the man.

Ken and Ran drank their tea in silence.

~*~*~*~*~*

Yohji, Schuldich and Crawford were sitting in front of Ken's apartment when Ran walked Ken home. "Guys, what're you doing here?"

Yohji sighed in relief. "We were worried when Minoru-chan called and said that a strange man had taken you from the field."

Ran raised an eyebrow. *Strange man...?*

Ken grinned, saying, "Naw, it was just Ran-kun."

*Just Ran-kun?* Ran scowled slightly.

Ken opened his door and entered. "You guys wanna come in and hang out?"

Everyone nodded and came in. Ken went to his room to change, motioning for Yohji and Schuldich to follow. Crawford and Ran were left alone to glare at each other.

"Are you guys serious? I mean... Yohji, I've known you for years, we're like brothers... And Schuldich, you seem to be totally in love with Yohji. Actually, the both of you seem totally in love with each other.."

Yohji reached forward and pulled Ken into his arms, hugging him. "We love you, Ken... please, believe that."

The door opened. "Hey, Ken, can I have a - oh. Sorry. I'll, uh... I'll just go back to the living room."

Ken looked up and gave Crawford a small smile before he pulled away from Yohji. "I'm sorry, Yotan... But..."

"But...?"

"I can't see you as a boyfriend."

"It's not because of the incident, then?"

Ken shook his head. "Yohji, I came here with you when I didn't know anyone, because I loved you; you're like my irresponsible and overprotective older brother. I... I worked to get you through it. It wasn't your fault, Yohji, so why would it be because of it?"

Yohji nodded and gave Ken a hug before he turned to leave. Ken gave Schuldich a smile. "Schu... I've seen you more as a brother-in-law and a friend than a boyfriend, so you're in the same boat as Yohji. Gomen-ne."

Schuldich smiled. "I thought so. No worries here."

Ken gave Schuldich a grin before he left the room. *God... I thought that my heart was going to beat out of my chest!*

He went to the kitchen and grabbed a cup. He pulled out the container that held the water and began to pour some water into the cup before he sighed and put the cup down. He drank straight from the container, taking huge gulps of water to try to calm himself down. Water dribbled out the side of his mouth, trailing down his neck. He put the container down hard, wiping his mouth with the side of his hand.

"Ken, daijoubu?" Ken turned and smiled at Crawford. "I'm fine, Crawford-kun."

"Call me Brad, ne?" Ken nodded, giving Crawford another smile.

~*~*~*~*~*

one week later...

Ken sat in the cafeteria, blushing. He knew most of the cafeteria had their eyes on the table he sat at. Yohji, Schuldich, Crawford and Ran were currently sitting with him - just like they had been for the past week. But it seemed as though Yohji, Schuldich, Crawford and Ran had formed some kind of alliance and that morning, all four of them had confessed to him at the same time IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE SCHOOL.

Ken had more or less wanted to beat the crap out of all of them but had refrained himself. He'd just turned around and run away from them. Instead of going to class, he'd hidden in the soccer team's locker room. He'd gotten hungry, which was the only reason he'd come out. He'd tried to grab some food and run but had been caught by Yohji and Schuldich.

"You guys, what are you thinking?! Announcing it in front of the entire school like that! Do you think any of the administration or faculty will go for it or even just leave it alone?! I mean -"

"Yo, Ken-kun, choose a good guy, ne?" Ken looked up, about to bite off the head of the person who said it.

"P-principal!" The man smiled at him before going on to see if there was anything good to eat at the cafeteria that day.

"You were saying, Ken?"

Ken groaned and buried his head in his arms. He suddenly looked up and glared at Ran. "And Ran-kun, I thought that you weren't the type that was much for public displays of affection!"

Ran gave him a soft smile and leaned forward, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm not, usually, but I have to let people know you're mine, don't I?"

Ken let out another groan before he jumped off of the bench and ran.

~*~*~*~*~*

Ken accepted the tissue that his soccer captain handed him. "I'm only a second year in high school, Captain! I can't deal with this kind of stuff! I mean... Yohji and Schuldich are like family, Crawford-kun and Ran-kun are completely different from how they usually are! And then they went and let the WHOLE school know about it!"

The captain laughed and ruffled his hair. "Come on, Ken. We have practice - it'll take your mind off it of everything for a while."

Ken followed his captain out onto the field.

~*~*~*~*~*

Ken yawned and gave his captain a lazy smile. Practice had ended thirty minutes ago and Ken had just finished showering and was currently lying down on a bench with his head in his team captain's lap, talking.

"Ken, I... I think you should get your head off of my lap."

"Why? It's more comfortable than the bench."

"Because I would like to remain alive. Look."

"Ara?" Ken sat up and looked to where the third year was pointing. He sweatdropped when he saw all four of his suitors glaring at them both from the other side of the field. He suddenly felt a surge of anger and he turned and threw his arms around his captain. He looked up into the surprised green eyes of the sempai he'd looked up to for years and whispered a soft sorry before he covered the sempai's lips with his own.

All four of the teens that had declared their love for him stood there, in shock.

*Ken's kissing me! Dear God! He's like a little brother to... hey, he's done this before.*

When Ken pulled away, he whispered, "Gomen. But they pissed me off and - mmph!"

Ken's eyes widened when his sempai pulled him in for another kiss.

"Th-they're making out in the middle of the field where anyone could see! Do any of you think that it's weird? I mean, it's Ken, guys."

"Yea..."

Ken gave his team captain a smile before he kissed his cheek. "And I always thought that you were more in love with soccer than I was. Guess I was wrong, ne?"

The team captain gave him a scowl before he flashed him a small smile and left the field. "Ken, you're interested in him?"

Ken nodded. He gave them all a glare and said in an angered voice, "So don't bother me."

The four suitors sighed. They'd pissed Ken off... now what?

TBC...

dear god. this chappie SUCKS. like REALLY sucks, doesn't it? i don't update in god knos how long and this is what i turn out... *groan* gomen-ne. anyways...

next chapter: what will they do to get back into Ken's good graces? and how will they "steal" him back from the "evil" soccer team captain?

oh and thanks for the reviews, minna!