"Huh, well, I was just wondering how many girlfriends you've had before?"

Rukawa blinked at the question, tried to speak before blinking once again. How should he say this?

"Well?"

What Rodman didn't expect was the sudden blush on Rukawa's cheeks. Rukawa tried to force the humiliating stain off his face but to no avail. Finally, he sighed, knowing that he might as well tell Rodman the truth. Even though Rodman may very well throw him out because of it, he didn't want to lie. "Well, you see, I'm not exactly straight..."

To his surprise though, Rodman didn't look horrified or disgusted. In fact, the man seemed... pleased?

"That's good..." Rodman muttered with a satisfied smile. He caught himself though and smiled. "I mean, that's okay. That's fine. We're all God's creatures, aren't we? No one has the right to judge you because of your sexuality."

"Yeah... since I've seen in the newspapers that..." Rukawa spoke, looking down at his food.

"Huh?"

"You... You crossdress right?"

The response to that was Rodman snickering then eventually laughing. "What have you been reading, kid? The tabloids? But yeah, I do crossdress. You know, women's underwear are really comfortable. And - " He was about to say more when he noticed that he was making Rukawa embarrassed with the conversation. "Alright, alright, I'll stop. I just wonder though if you've had boyfriends before?"

Rukawa nearly blushed again at the question. He cleared his throat and tried to speak as if he was not at all affected. "I had some..."
"In Japan? How about here in Chicago?"

"I had two in Japan. They're basketball players like me."

"What were their names?"

"Uhm... Toru and Akira..."

"They must have been pretty lucky to have you." Rodman grinned. And in doing so, he paused, looking specifically at the boy. He watched Rukawa looking back at him in curiosity. At Rukawa's flushed cheeks and rosy lips. Those clear midnight blue eyes looking back at him...

"Uhm..." Rukawa spoke, wanting to break contact from Rodman's intense stare at him. He looked down at his food and began to eat again. "Uhm, why aren't you with your family?"

"My family? Well, I don't know. They disowned me perhaps?" Rodman laughed softly, becoming distracted. "Anyway, they're busy. My mother owns a restaurant downtown and they're all busy there. My father, I don't know him."

Rukawa wondered... "If... If they're busy and you're not, why don't you visit them? Shouldn't family be important?"

Rodman paused in mid-swallow. He sighed before continuing his meal. "I don't know. My mother and I had a fight a few months ago. It's because I get myself into trouble always. You know how mothers are..."

"Maybe she was just concerned about you." Rukawa muttered, remembering his own mother as well. He looked off to the side and actually recalled her - tall like him and beautiful with her long raven hair and striking blue eyes. People always said he looked like her.

"Hmm." Rodman smiled. "You're an interesting kid. Maybe you're right though. I guess you know all about this, huh?"

Rukawa didn't say anything to that.

"Anyway, you don't mind staying over tonight, do you? I was alone and you... well, it's just a coincidence and all. What do you say? It might be interesting." Rodman couldn't help but wink at the boy.

Rukawa sighed though he was not at all displeased with the invitation. Instead of another night alone at his apartment, he was spending /Christmas/ with the infamous Dennis Rodman. Once his acquaintances from Japan heard this, they'd be hysterical. So, he didn't shun it. Rather... "Alright. I guess I could stay."

"That's great!"

***

After dining...

Rukawa wanted to help out with the dishes. In fact, he knew it was a must for him to do so. But the older man kept him at bay, asking him to fix the table instead. There was not much to fix. The dishes and other utensils were emptied and placed in the dish washer and that was that. Now, sitting awkwardly on a seat in the main room, Rukawa waited for Rodman to come to him. He wondered what the man had in mind next. 

"Hey, there. Did I bore you too much?"

Rukawa turned his head. Rodman was there on the doorway that lead to the dining room. The older man was smirking at him, as if a Cheshire cat. He could only guess what the Rodman was thinking now.

"Hey, it's Christmas Eve. What do you want to do? Want a tour? Nah, that'd be too boring, I know. There must be something interesting for a teenage boy to enjoy. I have something in mind but I want to save that for later. Hey, you want to have a jacuzzi? I heard that in Japan, you have baths... onsen baths, I think. This is just like that. I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

"Jacuzzi?"

"Outside on the patio at the back but it'll be hot even though it's snowing. The view would be great. It would just like be hot springs in... Hokkaido, I think. Besides, it'll be good for relaxation."

"But..." Rukawa felt embarrassed suddenly. Was this charity? Rodman being nice to a boy he picked up somewhere? Well, better enjoy it while it lasts. He hadn't really felt much comfort in Chicago. This was a welcome distraction - no matter how weird.

Rodman lead him upstairs, to the biggest bedroom. It was obviously the master's bedroom, Rodman's very own private chambers. It was large and bright even on this winter afternoon, with white walls covered in draperies and expensive paintings. The floor was with a thick lush light brown carpet. The bed was extra large with stone-carved posts on its four corners. Everything looked comfortable and elegant, soft pillows and blankets and the light satin curtains that allowed light in the room. Rodman opened a door inside and what was revealed was a large walk-in closet. The light was turned on and Rodman rummaged through some drawers to find shorts for both himself and the boy.

Rukawa could only watch, a bit stupefied and still stunned at what he was doing here. A pair of black shorts was thrown to him and he realized for the first time that he had to take off his clothes, not only in the presence of a stranger but with the fact that that stranger happened to be the notorious Dennis Rodman. Nevertheless, he turned his back on Rodman as if it didn't matter and begun to tug off his garments.

Rodman smirked as he too tugged off his clothes. He didn't turn his back. In fact, as he changed to his leopard-skinned trunks, he watched as the boy slowly moved his arms down to perhaps unbutton his shirt. He watched as the shirt was slowly peeled away - one pale shoulder at a time being exposed to him. He watched as the shirt was taken off and the slender body was being revealed. He watched as those hands disappeared to unfasten his jeans and slowly pull them down. Rukawa turned his head. Rodman averted his eyes just in time as he pulled on his trunks.

Rukawa blushed at this encounter, quickly took off the rest of his clothes and finally clothed himself in the black shorts. When he took another glance at Rodman, the man was already ready in a leopard-skinned pair of trunks that was never going to be Rukawa's fashion.

"You ready?" The constant smirk again. Rodman suppressed showing anything but friendliness for now. At Rukawa's nod, they moved themselves out of the closet, out of the room. They went downstairs and Rodman opened the back door that lead to the patio. He went immediately to the jacuzzi and turned the water on. Rukawa watched him from the doorway.

After a few more minutes of waiting for it to be filled up to the right height, Rodman closed the water source and called out to Rukawa. "Well, come on. Don't be shy." He himself entered the jacuzzi and sighed in relief at the hot water that touched his skin.

Rukawa hesitated at the doorway. Slowly though, he walked towards the jacuzzi, slowly climbing in. He noted Rodman's look at him and finally noticed something out of the ordinary. That look - what was that look? It was something familiar - something he had seen in both Akira and Toru before. He nearly blushed at the seeming revelation before suppressing himself lest he make a false assumption. Rather, he concentrated on enjoying the hot water touching his body, the way the jacuzzi was massaging him. It was a safer thing to think about. Best to let Rodman do the offensive before he humiliate himself...

"Your body looks good." Rodman complimented, leaning back against the tub. He looked Rukawa up and down again. He watched the beautiful face, the graceful and slim curve of the neck, the smooth body and the pale long legs under the water.

This time Rukawa finally blushed, hearing a compliment of that nature from none other than Rodman. If his hearing was correct, Rodman just made a pass at him? Not that he was feeling icky about this. Rodman looked good too but he just wasn't... well... He didn't know.

Rodman smirked in pride. "You don't hear that often? What were Akira and Toru thinking when they let go of you?"

Rukawa shrugged his shoulders and looked off to the side. From that position, he could very well see that the city of Chicago covered in snow was right before his eyes. He recalled suddenly that they were on a hilly suburban area.

"I'm sure you guys have already..."

Rukawa coughed. Why was Rodman asking him these questions? It made him recall passionate times with Toru and Akira. Lying under them as they... Rukawa coughed again, trying not to let his memories affect his body.

"I'm sure you miss them."

Rukawa allowed himself one wistful smile. "Yeah, I miss them..."

"And I'm sure they miss you even more."

"I don't know." Rukawa just muttered in response, not really knowing what his two former lovers thought about him.

"Oh, they must. What with that body. Of course they do."

<Yes, definitely, without a doubt, a pass. And a very blatant one at that.> Rukawa swallowed, his throat moving up and down once. His heart raced. Now he realized why the man picked him up...

"The moment I saw you when I left the locker room, you know what I thought?"

"Wh - what?" Damn himself for being nervous. It's not like this hasn't happened before.

  "I thought you were the most beautiful boy I've laid my eyes on. And I wanted you right away. Do you understand why I picked you up now?

Rukawa wanted to glare. "Of course I know. I am not innocent. I do know these things."

"Good, because I intend to do something to you tonight."

The air seemed to have left his body at that. There it was. What could be more blatant than that? Of course, there was the matter of the actual rod up his ass. Rukawa wondered if he seemed like a whore right now to the celebrity, what with eating dinner and having a roof on his head in exchange for a sinful night. Not like he cared. He didn't care!

"I see you finally understand my offer. You have that look on your face.

"What look?" Rukawa spoke in forced fearlessness. The truth was he did care. The truth was he was scared. Because Rodman was a stranger, a celebrity, someone much older than himself. What the hell was he doing here?

"You're scared, aren't you?" Rodman challenged. "Scared because you've never done this before? Scared because before, your boyfriends were loving and caring. Because you know my reputation and I could just use you and leave you."

Rukawa swallowed once more, feeling suddenly cold despite the hot water surrounding him.

"That is the course that everyone must take once they're grown up, Kaede." Rodman began to explain, as if his lessons were that from a guru. "In adulthood, it's much more complicated. Love doesn't exist always in a relationship. Sometimes, people are only together because of sex. Unfortunately for you, you're going to learn this early on."

He really had nothing to say to that for actually, he knew that to be true. Rukawa sighed and looked down at his hands and wondered if he could wish the infamous Santa Claus to get him out of here now.

"Hey, don't feel bad, kid. I'm just telling you a lesson of life. What adults like me need aren't simple anymore. We need good food, good clothing, free sex and anything that stimulates us. That's the current world we're living in. Hah, the philosophers must be rolling in their graves right now..."

Rukawa sighed once again before looking up at Rodman, at his multi-colored hair, his caramel skin and his well-defined muscles. It's not like he was going to run away from this. Would he allow Rodman to question his masculinity? He would not back out from such an encounter. It was just that... Perhaps... Even as he was with someone right now, he suddenly felt alone. Why was that? Perhaps it was because he had no feelings for the man? Because there was no emotions involved?