Disclaimers: Me no own these characters so no sue me.

Warning: Watch out for bad grammars and typing.

Once upon a time there was a redheaded teenager called Sakuragi Hanamichi. It wasn't supposed to be unusual for a teenager (or anyone for that matter) to have red hair, but since this particular teenager is Japanese, it is most peculiar indeed.

Everyone would love to taunt him if given the chance - that is if they don't mind missing a few teeth or getting a broken nose. His favorite hobbies included basketball, hanging out with friends at the pachinko arcade or shyly flirting with a sweet brown-haired by the name of Akagi Haruko.

One day, as Hanamichi was walking back home from basketball practice, he heard a mewling sound. Straining his ears to hear where the sound was coming from, he then came upon a box just outside the alley and inside were three kittens; one was light brown with wide yellow eyes, another was white with a scowly looking face but with the cutest nose and the other was midnight black with the bluest eyes he had ever seen.

As Hanamichi was bending over to see them better, a voice spoke from behind, "Poor things."

Turning around there was Mitsui, a senior and the star 3-P shooter of the Shohoku basketball team.

"Are you going to take them home?" Asked Mitsui, bending over as well.

"Huh?" asked Hanamichi, confused. Sure, they were cute, but he doesn't have time to take care of dirty animals! He's got basketball and he hasn't even worked up the courage to ask Haruko out...

"Y'know," said Mitsui smoothly, "I heard girls go for guys who're with pets, especially cute things like these."

"I guess I can spare some time and room for one of them," answered Hanamichi instantly.

Mitsui grinned until Hanamichi dropped the brown furred kitten in his hand. "And you get to take care of one of 'em," grinned Hanamichi.

"What?! Me? But I..." started Mitsui.

"Why, sempai?" taunted Hanamichi, "can't take care of one teeny little kitten?"

Pride stung and he huffed, "Of course I can. Just you wait, Sakuragi. My cat's gonna be stronger and bigger than yours."

"Hah!" scoffed Hanamichi, "Your cat wouldn't be able to defeat MY cat!"

"We'll see about that!"

"See about what, guys?" asked a new voice.

It was Sendoh, the 2nd year Ryonan player and he was looking at them curiously, his eyebrows arching when he saw each of them holding a kitten.

"Oh!" exclaimed Sendoh, walking up to them, "Kawaii!"

Mitsui picked the remaining kitten and thrust it into Sendoh's embrace, "Glad you feel that way. You get this one." The spiky-haired boy accepted the squirming kitten with a startled expression and before he could open his mouth to speak, Mitsui asked, "What are you doing so far out in Shohoku, Sendoh?"

"Uh, I just came from a basketball game with a few friends of mine living around here," answered Sendoh distractedly as he struggled to keep a firm handhold on the restless feline.

"Well then. Congratulations, Sendoh. You've got yourself a new pet," said Mitsui.

"But I..."

"Hey, y'think he's good with cats?" asked Hanamichi, looking at Sendoh, who was still struggling with the stubborn animal.

"I dunno," said Mitsui scratching his chin, "It may be dead in a week."

"Hey!" protested Sendoh.

"Well, I gotta go now," said Mitsui, turning to walk away, "I'll see you and your cat in one month Sakuragi."

"You're on!" said Hanamichi, walking away as well.

"B-but..." tried Sendoh, but the two were already gone. The boy sighed and eyed the white kitten in his hands in defeat.

"Alright, but no scratching my sofa, ya hear?" said Sendoh, shaking his index finger at it.

The kitten only pawed at the shaking digit in response.

~~~~~~~~

It's been one month already, thought Mitsui, stroking the caramel colored cat on the floor. The cat purred and butted Mitsui's hands for a scratch under his chin. The scarred-face boy complied, pleased that the kitten had grown into a healthy-looking cat he was proud to have reared on his own. The cat, Nobu, had been the most pleasant pet an owner could ever have and Mitsui was glad that Hanamichi dumped Nobu to him.

Mitsui scratched Nobu under its black collar, and he smiled when its purr became louder.

~~~~~~~~

Hanamichi glared at the black cat with the blue ribbon passing as a collar, dozing peacefully behind the drawer, despite the redhead shouting it's name for the past ten minutes to get it to eat dinner. If he had not heard the small bell on the cat's collar tinkling when the cat shifted, he would not have found it until tomorrow.

"Stupid cat," grumbled Hanamichi, "You're gonna be sick if you don't eat more."

Picking it up carefully, Hanamichi deposited it inside its basket and went back into the kitchen to put the cat food back into its packet. After changing his clothes, Hanamichi got ready for bed, reminding himself to remind Mitsui to show-off each other?s cats tomorrow. It?s already been a month since they'd picked up the stray kittens, and surprisingly the black kitten Hanamichi was stuck with shot up to become a graceful feline with the most beautiful blue eyes. But the laziest and arrogant, thought Hanamichi. He would always find the cat sleeping, and when it was awake it would ignore Hanamichi nearly all day long.

Hanamichi called it Kitsune because of its eyes, and only at that time would the cat perk its ears up and stare at the redhead as if he was no more than an annoying bug.

Haruko told him once that cats like to sleep and have an attitude of ignoring people around them. They are clever creatures too, and Hanamichi believed that statement, since every time Kitsune would look at him with those slanted eyes, Hanamichi felt it speculating him with its gaze.

Yawning wide, he settled himself comfortably into his bed and went to sleep. Sometime in the night, Hanamichi heard a small tinkle of a bell and felt a small furry body settle itself under the crook of his arm and halfway on his stomach. It was the usual routine. Even when Kitsune would ignore his companionship in the redhead's waking moments, it rarely misses climbing up into Hanamichi's warm bed at night. Hanamichi placed his big hand on the black cat's body and both pet and master went back to sleep in familiar comfort.

~~~~~~~

"Now don't be like that Koko," said Sendoh to the white cat, who had its back turned towards him. When he brought Koko into his household, Sendoh got to know that the kitten did not like to be cuddled, but after a few forced cuddles and a few scratches and bites later, Koko finally relented Sendoh to his cuddling but only for a few minutes. When the minute?s stretched onto an hour, Koko would get restless and struggle out of Sendoh's embrace. Sometimes Sendoh would let him go but that afternoon, the Ryonan player tested his limits and refused to let the white feline go. Koko bit, Koko scratched, Koko hissed and finally Sendoh let Koko go. Now Koko was angry and Sendoh was trying to console it with a few treats.

"I've got some chocolate milk for you," said Sendoh pouring the milk into Koko's water bowl. Koko's head turned when the creamy aroma of its favorite drink hit its nose. Padding towards Sendoh it instantly lapped the milk but also looking at Sendoh as if to make a run for it if the spiky-haired boy even thought of moving even an inch towards it.

After the milk was all finished, Koko proceeded to clean itself and Sendoh took that opportunity to make a grab at it. Koko, feeling mellow because of it's stomach being filled by the nice milk, just allowed Sendoh to cuddle it as it continued to wash it's mouth and face clean. The spiky haired boy gave off a deep laugh as he brushed his nose against Koko's cold one. The other thing he liked about Koko, other than it's soft white fur, was its cute nose.

"One day, Koko, I'm going to find myself a girl with a cute nose like yours and I'm going to make her my girlfriend."

Koko looked at him as if saying 'don't be so stupid' and wriggled out of his embrace to walk away.

"Don't tell me that you're jealous," laughed Sendoh, watching the cat ignore him again. The feline just looked at Sendoh for a moment before turning his nose away.

~tbc~