Burning Youth

Disclaimer: ::insert the "I don't own King of Fighters, but this is my fic. I make no
money off of this, only hopefully happy feedback" note here::


"Burning Youth"
By: Domino

The clock struck seven. Most of the city of Osaka was just getting up,
but a pair of high school students were well into their weekend training. A
melee of kicks and punches were thrown back and forth between the sparring
partners, and soon the slightly smaller of the two crashed to the ground.
"Kusanagi-san! That really hurt!" The defeated boy whined.

The other boy ran a hand through his dark bangs and smirked, "That's what you
get for daydreaming." He sounded irritated. He didn't take kindly to his
student's lack of concentration, and in fact he was getting a bit tired of it,
"You really need to focus more, Yabuki. How are you going to get better?"

"R... right. Sorry, Kusanagi-san," The seventeen-year-old Shingo Yabuki hung
his head. "If you want, I'll bring you an extra yakisobapan along with a
cutlet after training."

That made Kyo Kusanagi perk up. He nodded and grinned, "Okay, Shingo. You're
forgiven."

Shortly after nine in the morning, the two boys sat underneath a tree,
nursing their bottles of water. Shingo watched his instructor fondly, grinning
like an idiot as he homed in on Kyo's face while he drank his water.

Shingo closed his eyes and sighed happily. He couldn't be any more content than
he was at the moment. He was learning a powerful form of martial arts from
someone he'd been idolizing for the past three years. And while they'd only
been training together for a few months, Shingo's admiration for Kyo
skyrocketed. To Shingo, nothing could be better than being with Kyo Kusanagi.

"Hey Shingo, you're drifting again."

That voice was like the softest velvet, though it snapped Shingo out of his
daze, "I was?" He did his best to cover up despite his reddening cheeks.

Kyo finished off his water, "Yes. You were. Now, about that cutlet..."

Shingo immediately sat up, "Of course Kusanagi-san!" He got to his feet and
dusted off his pants before running off.

Kyo sat back and sighed. He was happy about getting free food.

While Shingo was away, Kyo noticed a feminine figure walking in his
direction.

"Kyo, a letter just came for you," It was his mother, Shizuka. She handed him a
plain, white envelope with a familiar red seal. That's when Kyo could feel a
scowl coming onto his face.

"Thank you, Mom," Kyo said quietly as his mother smiled and left. He ripped
the letter open and cursed when his fears were confirmed.

It was an invitation to the King of Fighters tournament.

"When will they get it through their thick skulls that I don't want to be in
these damn fighting tournaments anymore?" Kyo was about to crumble up the
invitation when he heard the voice of his approaching student.

"Another fighting tournament?" Shingo had just returned with food in hand, and
he was practically beaming when he saw Kyo's invitation. "You got invited
again?! Lucky!"

"Yeah, lucky," Kyo groaned.

"That's so cool! Are you gonna go?" Shingo plopped down and handed Kyo the
packaged food.

"I really don't want to, but if Benimaru and Daimon are going, then I may
reconsider. Otherwise, probably not."

"Oh, but you have to go, Kusanagi-san! Everyone's expecting it!"

"Please," Kyo shrugged. "They can have a tournament without me, I'm sure."

"Still, don't you want to make your family proud, or prove once more that you're
the strongest of them all?"

As much as Kyo wanted to tell his student to dream on, he kept quiet. Instead
he sighed and turned to Shingo, "Anything's possible. Hell, maybe even you
can join the tournament one day."

"Really?!" Shingo practically jumped up and down with glee. To be in the
King of Fighters tournament, fighting alongside of his idol! The idea of
travelling around the globe made Shingo excited. "In that case, Kusanagi-san,
I want to join this year's tournament. 1997 will definitely be the year of
Yabuki Shingo!"

Kyo's eyes simply widened with shock. What the hell had he just done?

~*~

"I'm sorry?"

"Is something wrong? I want to sign up for the King of Fighters tournament."

"But as a single entry?"

"What's wrong with that? Yagami-san was allowed!"

"You're not Yagami," The petite brunette woman eyed Shingo warily. "And to
be perfectly honest I think you're not ready."

"I am ready though! I know I can take on any of these fighters!"

"Calm down, Yabuki," Kyo quelled his student before turning his attention to
the event coordinator. "Listen, miss, he may be young, but he definitely
has potential."

"Does he now?"

"Yes," Kyo made sure his tone was stern.

The woman took one last look at Shingo and nodded once, "Okay. Just fill
out these forms and he'll be entered."

Shingo tried not to squeal when he took the application in hand.

After settling into a cozy spot nearby Shingo read over the requirements,
"Kusanagi-san, why do they need my likes and dislikes?"

"It's for the program they put out every year. Think of it as pointless vital
statistics for the hardcore fanboys," Kyo responded tartly.

"Oh! Well, let's see," Shingo began filling in his personal information
out loud. "My favorite sport is swimming. I love instant noodles, those
candy toys, and lizards... And I can't stand milk..."

"Shingo, you don't have to announce those things to the world. That's
what the program's for," Kyo rolled his eyes. "And we all know the last time
you tried to drink milk you ended up locked in the bathroom for an hour."

"I can't help that I'm lactose-intolerant!" Shingo whined, finishing up his
application after the outburst.

~*~

It took but a couple of weeks for all the fighters' entries to be
chosen and finalized, and soon the contestants were whisked away to different
parts of the globe. Kyo ended up joining the tourney as his former allies
Benimaru Nikaido and Goro Daimon encouraged him to come with them. They formed
the Japan team once more, and Shingo Yabuki tagged along as a single entry.
As the others settled into their assigned rooms, Kyo watched Shingo almost
fondly as he tossed his student the completed program. "Welcome to the
King of Fighters."

Shingo caught the flying program, "Thanks! I can't believe I'm really here.
I'm sitting on a bed. In a hotel room. In Monaco no less!"

"Yeah, it's really something," Kyo mused as he sat in a nearby chair.

Shingo flipped through the program book, "Wow... look at all these entries
and teams! There's your team, Kusanagi-san!" He held up the book and pointed
to the photo rather fondly.

Kyo shrugged, "Eh, it's the same picture they use every year."

"I still think it's one of your better photos," Shingo chuckled and continued
to look over the contestants. That's when he perused a peculiar team, one
that seemed a bit thrown together, for lack of a better term. "Kusanagi-san,
did you see this Special Team?"

"Nope. I heard about it, but didn't know who the team consisted of."

"Blue Mary, Billy Kane, and Yamazaki Ryuji?"

Kyo blinked, "That -is- a strange team. I only recognize Kane's name.
Didn't expect for him to show up again."

"Wasn't Billy the guy who was beat up by Yagami-san?" Shingo inquired, his
boyish curiosity piqued by the staff fighter.

"Yep. I guess he's recovered now and ready to extract his revenge on
Yagami," Kyo answered sardonically and rolled his eyes.

"I see. Billy Kane, huh...?" Shingo continued to study the individual photo.
He shrugged and decided to read more about one of the other teams. He
finished the section regarding the Fatal Fury team, but the moment he did he
flipped back to Billy's section. Shingo continued to flip back to Billy's page
after he read about every other fighter.

"Shingo? Are you still reading that?" Kyo asked after a long pause.

"Yes?" Shingo answered quietly, as if he was caught doing something naughty.
"It's really captivating to read about everyone's vital stats."

"No it isn't. So Ralf hates snakes. Terry plays basketball. King
collects wine glasses. Big fucking deal," Kyo threw his hands up in the air.

"Well I think they're interesting," Shingo flipped back to Billy's page.

That's when Kyo walked up and snatched the program from Shingo's hand. He
ignored his protesting student as he looked at the page, "You're constantly
flipping back to Billy? Why?"

"I don't know. He seems really cool and stuff," Shingo shrugged.

"Just lick the picture, Yabuki. You know you want to," Kyo taunted, snickering
as he did so.

"Kusanagi-san!" Shingo felt his cheeks warm as he protested wildly. "How
could you say that?!"

Kyo then realized that he hit a nerve. He smirked and dropped the program
onto Shingo's bed, "I'm gonna grab a shower. Later."

The moment Kyo left the bedroom, Shingo stared at the magazine for a while.
He smiled a bit before reaching for it and flipping back to Billy's
page. He giggled and placed the magazine on the nightstand before flopping
back onto the generous bed.

~*~

Shingo took a deep breath, "(Stay cool, Shingo)." He nodded to his
opponents and got into the almost-traditional Kusanagi fighting stance.

"FIGHT!"

The moment the announcer commenced the battle Shingo dashed towards his
first opponent. He did his best to remember what his Kusanagi-san taught
him when he managed to land several blows. While Shingo was unable to use
flames like his master, he made up for it with extremely powerful punches and
kicks. Sie Kensou, a Chinese-born psychic and kung fu student, was Shingo's
maiden victory. As Kensou fell, Shingo kept himself from hopping up and down,
"Awright! I did it, Kusanagi-san!"

The battle gave Shingo an incredible adrenaline rush. He battled Kensou's
teammate, Japanese pop singer/Psycho Soldier Athena Asamiya, and easily
defeated her. The biggest challenge for Shingo was Chin Gentsai, the two
younger fighters' master. He was obviously drunk, but that was his fighting
style. Shingo dodged the elder fighter's erratic moves, trying to ignore
his sour, alcohol-laced breath. Shingo tumbled back when Chin released
a massive fireball from his mouth, and stayed on the defense until the flames
died out.

That's when Shingo suddenly flew forward with an awkward arc kick, "SHINGO
KIIIIIIICK!"

Shingo's foot connected with Chin's surprised face, knocking him to the
ground. As soon as Shingo landed from the attack he fell to his knees,
panting hard, "I... I did it!"

The Japan Team clapped as Shingo got to his feet, practically beaming now,
"I can't believe... I managed to survive..."

"You did well, Shingo," Kyo clapped Shingo on his shoulder. "But don't let
it go to your head. You still have a long way to go."

"Of course, Kusanagi-san! I won't let you down!" Shingo smiled wide.

After a day of rest, Shingo battled another prominent team: The Art of
Fighting. He barely managed to survive their attacks, but emerged with
the victory. Then it was off to the United States, where he was to face the
1997 Special Team.

Blue Mary Ryan.

Yamazaki Ryuji.

And Billy Kane.

Shingo's heart jumped into his throat as he stood in front of the small,
blonde woman, "M-Mary, right?" He said shakily as her two partners stood
behind her. He tried not to avert his attention to Billy while Mary
acknowledged his question with a simple nod. "It's nice to meet you guys."

"Likewise," Mary smiled a little. "Are you ready?"

Shingo scratched his head, "Yeah. Let's fight!"

Thankfully the battle with Blue Mary ended rather quickly, as Shingo
sensed the Sambo fighter holding most of her power back. He took advantage
of that and overcame Mary's throws and holds. When she realized Shingo
was stronger than he seemed, it was too late. Mary hit the confetti-covered
pavement, and Shingo claimed the victory.

"Not bad," Billy readied his staff. "My turn."

Shingo gulped, hoping he wasn't blushing in front of Billy. He nodded and
readied himself.

A flurry of red strikes flew towards Shingo as he tried to dodge the
best he could. He countered when he got up close, and stayed nearby as Billy's
strength was in fighting from a distance. Shingo noticed Billy was holding
back as well. He felt a bit disappointed as he was trying his best, and
yet these two weren't using their full power. Shingo ducked underneath one
of Billy's swipes and summoned most of his energy into an extremely
powerful shoulder rush, slamming into the English pole fighter and sending
him to the ground. Billy screamed and cursed when he realized he was defeated.

"Wow... I did it!" Shingo smiled and posed like his master Kyo.

Billy grunted and dusted off the confetti, "Yeah. You won."

Yamazaki looked at his fallen teammates and snarled, "You two got your asses
handed back to you by a teenaged boy. Go stick your heads in an oven, now."
He cracked his neck and rotated his head before shoving one hand into his
pocket. With an evil glint in his eye, he beckoned Shingo to attack him.

Shingo reluctantly nodded but went ahead and began attacking the much older
man. He was drained from fighting Mary and Billy, so when Yamazaki hunched
forward and wiggled his tongue, Shingo began to fume a little.

"Come on," Yamazaki growled.

That did it. Shingo hopped forward and attempted to kick his opponent.
Yamazaki then grinned and blocked the incoming kick. "That really hurt!" He
shouted cynically as he punched Shingo in the gut and sent the boy
hurling into the air before watching him crash into the ground.

"Pitiful," Yamazaki shook his head, turning his back on his fallen opponent,
"You want to be a fighter? Act like it, kid."

"Does... this mean I'm out of the tournament?" Shingo got to his feet, albiet
shakily.

Benimaru, who watched silently from the sidelines, rubbed his forehead, "You
aren't eliminated, though it hurts your chances of getting to the finals."

"Oh," Shingo stood up straight and dusted off his pants.

Meanwhile Yamazaki shrugged and began to walk off. Mary gathered her
discarded leather jacket and waved to both Beni and Shingo before leaving
the battle ring. Billy coiled his staff and gave Shingo a little smile,
"Good luck, kid." He said softly before he followed his teammates.

Shingo patted his cheeks and sighed a bit, "I must've really worked up a
sweat, Beni-san. I feel really warm."

"You did fight well, Shingo," Beni encouraged, though he easily realized the
real reason why his young friend looked flushed.

"Ready to head back to the hotel? Even though I lost, I still want to tell
Kusanagi-san about my progress," Shingo smiled wide and sauntered off,
leaving Beni behind.

Beni grinned knowingly as he put everything together. He followed Shingo
a short while later.

~*~

Shingo felt something touch him in his sleep. He fluttered his eyes
open, noticing his sheets being pulled down. A hand gently ran up his thigh,
"K... Kusanagi-san?"

A pair of lips kissed the back of Shingo's neck, "Yeah, Shingo. It's just
me. Don't worry."

Shingo sighed happily, calmed by the voice and giving himself completely
over to Kyo.

Kyo gently pushed Shingo onto his back, sliding a hand under his shirt. He
kissed Shingo's neck, moving his way down his student's chest and exposed
stomach.

Just as Shingo felt Kyo's hand slide into his pajama pants, he saw a shadow
standing at the foot of the bed, "Thanks for warmin' him up, Kusanagi. I can
take it from here." The shadow pulled Kyo back by his collar and tossed
him aside before settling himself on Shingo's bed. Soon the shadow came into
the dim light, "Hey Shingo."

"B-Billy-san?" Shingo squeaked.

"Call me Billy," He smiled and leaned down to kiss Shingo gently. He kissed
the same trail Kyo did before, but this time both hands slowly slid down
Shingo's pants. Billy's lips kissed every inch of Shingo's skin, moving
dangerously close to the boy's growing arousal. Shingo moaned, almost
overwhelmed by Billy's experienced assult on his body.

Shingo reached shyly for Billy's bandanna, "Can I?" He asked.

"Of course," Billy guided Shingo's hand and let him slide the striped cloth
off, allowing the younger man to run his shaking fingers through the hair
underneath. Soon Shingo watched Billy kiss around his erection before
moving his tongue up the shaft. Shingo arched his back, moaning louder than
before.

Shingo then felt someone sit on the edge of the bed roughly, "Shingo, what the
hell is going on?!" The voice sounded familiar, and very demanding.

"Kusanagi-san?!"

"What, are you building a house in there?" Kyo banged loudly on the bathroom
door.

Shingo's eyes widened as he sat on the toilet, the shock bringing him to a
forced orgasm, "I... uh, I think I had dairy again, Kusanagi-san!" His
heart beat faster, hoping Kyo wouldn't barge in.

"Oh, no. Okay, I'm gonna be across the hall with Nikaido and Daimon. And
light a match when you're done," Shingo heard Kyo's footsteps as he
walked away from the bathroom door.

Relieved, Shingo cleaned up his mess and sat back for a moment. The fantasy
with Kyo felt nice, but it became more intense when Shingo thought about
Billy. He didn't know exactly what attracted him to the pole fighter, but
whatever it was, it made him feel warm inside. He decided that Kyo wouldn't
want to talk to him after what happened, so he treated himself to a long,
hot shower.

Shingo slid on a pair of jeans and a blue longsleeve before heading
down to the lobby of the hotel. He wanted to take a walk and clear his mind
before anything else embarassing happened to him. As he made his way towards
the door he heard an irritated voice. He turned to see Billy Kane, who
was glued to his cell phone, "Sir, to be honest I think this mission's a bust.
I don't know why we put up with him. He's a pain in the arse!"

The rough language made Shingo blink. Was Billy talking about him?

Billy continued to talk while looking over his shoulder once in a while,
"This whole Orochi crap is a waste of time. Yamazaki doesn't make the
situation any better."

Shingo sighed in relief. Billy wasn't talking about him. "(Of course he's
not bitching about me. I'm too paranoid sometimes)," He thought as he
crept in closer, trying to catch more of the conversation.

"I'll continue to take notes, but next time I-" Billy turned around to see
Shingo. His blue eyes widened, "Sir, I'll call you back." He hung up
his cell.

"Hey," Shingo waved sheepishly. "Sorry if I interrupted."

"No, it's okay. Yabuki, roight?" Billy tucked his phone into his jacket.

"Yeah! Wow, you pronounced my name correctly. But you can call me Shingo,"
Shingo grinned and blushed a little. "Can I ask you something?"

Billy raised an eyebrow quizzically, "I guess. Wot is it?"

"I was wondering... would you like to take a walk with me? I kinda don't
want to go alone and Kusanagi-san's in a bad mood."

"Eh, why not? Yamazaki's bein' a dick, so I really don't feel like goin'
back to my room. Any place you have in mind?"

"Well, how about getting a snack?" Shingo suggested.

"Sounds good," Billy gestured towards the door, "Shall we?"

Shingo nodded rapidly, "Yes!" He trotted past Billy and out the door. Billy
smiled a little and followed the boy.

"So Shingo, wot got you into joinin' the tournament?" Billy shouldered
his staff and strolled down the sidewalk. Shingo stayed in stride,
grinning the whole way. They stopped by a hot dog stand and picked up
something quick before continuing on their walk.

"Well, I was encouraged to join by Kusanagi-san. It's different than
anything I've tried before, and so far I'm having a lot of fun," Shingo
took a bite of his hot dog. Billy hadn't even started on his when he noticed
Shingo's was already gone.

"You're fightin' to improve your skills then. An' I have to say you're
definitely on your way. I mean you defeated me," Billy finally started on
his hot dog.

"Yeah, you were holding back. I could tell."

That made Billy blink. He chewed thoughtfully, "Wow, you -are- on your way."

"Why did you hold back?" Shingo stopped walking, "Was it because you didn't
take me seriously?"

"Wot? No no! Shingo, I..." Billy rubbed his temple, taking a deep
breath, "Yeah, I guess you could say that. But really Mary an' I didn't want
to hurt you."

"Oh," Shingo frowned. "I can kind of see why you did it, but how am I going
to get better if everyone goes easy on me?"

"Er, sorry if I hurt your feelin's," Billy felt himself getting a little
uncomfortable. "But if it makes you feel any bettah Mary punched
Yamazaki in the face for bein' so mean to you."

Shingo started to giggle. Even he had to admit that was a pretty funny
visual, "Mary-san did that?"

Billy nodded, finishing his snack, "An' she even made his nose bleed."

"No way!" Shingo began to laugh, "That's too much, Billy-san! I wish I was
there to see it."

"Hey hey," Billy put his hands up, "Wot's with the formalities? Just call
me Billy, okay luv?"

"(Call me Billy)," The words echoed in Shingo's mind. He shivered a little,
remembering his fantasy earlier that day. "Okay, Billy."

"There you go," Billy looked at his watch. "Damn, it's really late. An' I
still have to finish me report to Geese. Nice talkin' to you, Shingo.
I'll see you in the tournament!" Billy excused himself and trotted back
to the hotel.

Shingo stood in place for a moment. Billy was much friendlier than he
expected, and was a gentleman. Plus that warm smile almost made poor Shingo
melt on the spot. Shingo snapped himself out of his brief daze before
heading back to the hotel himself. He made his way back to his joint suite,
"Anyone here?" Shingo called out.

"Hey Shingo-chan," It was Benimaru, who was brushing his hair while
sitting on his bed.

Shingo plopped down next to him, "Beni-san, can you do me a favor?"

"Of course."

"Can you help me cook something for someone? Please?"

~*~

The next morning there was a loud knock on the Special Team's door.
Billy was the only one of the three who was awake, dressed, and coherent, so
he cursed to himself as he opened the door. "The hell...?" He said since
no one was there. He turned his head to check both sides of the hallway.

Nobody.

He shrugged, but just before he was about to head back inside a medium-sized
blue drawstring bag at his feet caught his eye. A small card was perched
the bag with the name, "BILLY" written on it in black marker. "(Wot the...?)"
he said to himself as he picked it up, opening it to peek inside. There
was a white and blue bento box nestled inside. He raised an eyebrow before
placing it back into the bag. Soon he headed inside and set the bag on the
table.

Billy opened the bag once more and pulled out the box along with a plastic
fork. He lifted the bento's lid, blinking when he saw the food inside.
There were four pieces of tamago-yaki, or Japanese omelette, resting
alongside a generous portion of rice. In the corner of the box was half an
apple, sliced artistically to make a small fan shape. Billy licked his
lips, "(It looks delicious, but who made this)?" He began to think of who
put the time and energy to make him such a dish. It had to have been someone
who knew he loved anything with eggs, and when he took that first bite he
moaned in approval. The dish tasted better than it looked.

But the question of who cooked it still bugged Billy.

His train of thought derailed when he saw Yamazaki walk into the main room,
"The fuck is that, Kane?"

"A boxed meal."

"Uh-huh."

"Someone left it at the door, but I have no idear who," Billy continued
eating.

"And you're actually eating it. Man, you're stupid," Yamazaki groaned and
left the hotel room.

"Fuck you too," Billy sneered and went back to savoring the wonderful meal.

When he was close to finishing the food he began to wonder if Blue Mary
cooked this for him. She was out the night before and maybe she had someone
else deliver it to him. He smiled and mused over the possibility, "(I
guess she wasn't as close to Bogard as I first thought)."

"Morning, Billy," Mary grabbed her leather jacket off a nearby chair. "What
are you eating? You order in?"

"Nope. It's an omelette boxed meal (So that scratches Mary off the list),"
Billy scooped the last of the rice into his mouth. "I found it on the
doorstep this mornin'."

"That's strange. Any idea who left it?"

"No clue. It had me name on it, but nothin' else. Whoevah did leave it
is an exquisite cook. I haven't had a meal like that in ages. The egg was
fluffy, the rice wasn't too sticky, an' even the apple tasted sweeter."

"If I didn't know any better I say the person who left it has a thing for
you," Mary slid on her jacket. "Awwwwww, Billy Kane has a secret admirer!"

"Wot, we're eight years old, now?" Billy rolled his eyes. "Please."

"Well, let's see. The person who made it knew you liked eggs, and went out
of their way to present the meal in your colors."

Billy looked at the now-empty box, "Hey I didn't even notice that."

Mary began to head out, "But then again they may have been out to poison
you, since Geese isn't exactly popular with most people. Hopefully that's
not the case, though. I'll be back in time for our next match. Later." She
stepped out and quietly shut the door to their suite.

That made Billy stare at the box. What if it was really poisoned? He was
dumb enough to eat it, though every bite was pure heaven. He got up and
grabbed his staff, dreading the possibility that he was now doomed.

Billy made his way from the hotel to a nearby park, one that was
adjacent to the famous Adventureland. While Adventureland was noisy and
generously hosted some King of Fighters matches, the park was virtually
empty save for some ducks, squirrels, and the occasional jogger.
Billy deposited himself on a bench near the pond. He took in the serenity,
praying his death would be painless and quiet.

"Billy-s, I mean Billy!"

"Huh?" Billy jerked his head around. He saw a familiar form running
towards him, "Shingo?"

Shingo panted when he reached the bench, nodding, "I came down here to train.
How are you?"

"I'm not feelin' all too well at the moment. I think it was somethin' I
ate," Billy frowned.

"Wh-what?!" Shingo's eyes widened, "My omelette made you sick? I'm sorry!"

Billy looked up to meet Shingo's eyes, "Wot? -You- made the omelette?"

"Yeah, but I didn't mean to make you sick."

"It didn't make me sick, though Mary made me think that it was poisoned.
Yamazaki didn't make things any bettah."

"Oh, well I didn't poison it. Does that mean you liked it?" Shingo perked
up.

"It was brilliant, Shingo. But why'd you go through all that trouble just
for me?"

Shingo figeted with the strings on his hooded sweatshirt, "Well I wanted
to do something nice for you. I was kinda hoping I'd run into you because
I wanted to see if you, um... wanted to hang out some more. I really
enjoyed myself the other day, and maybe we could grab a cup of coffee or
something... That is if you have the time and stuff." He tapped his sneaker's
toe against the paved trail below. His heart and stomach were fluttering
wildly, and he hoped and prayed that Billy wouldn't notice.

At first Billy found Shingo's shyness somewhat cute and charming. He
couldn't figure why the boy was being so nervous around him. Then
realization began to settle in on Billy's end as Shingo finished his
rambling. Now he knew why Shingo was being so friendly. He sighed, "Shingo,
listen." He let the younger man sit next to him, "I think you're a good
kid. I had fun hangin' out an' I really appreciate you cookin' that meal for
me. But I don't think we can be together."

"Why not?" Shingo felt his lower lip tremble. He bit it gently.

"You don't want to be mixed up with a guy like me. You're young. You have
your whole bleedin' life ahead of you. It wouldn't be roight of me to
tie you down."

"But... but..." Shingo then let his urges override his common sense. He
lunged forward, pressing his lips to Billy's. On his end, Billy's lips were
much softer and sweeter than he imagined.

Billy, on the other hand, widened his eyes in pure shock. His thoughts became
jumbled, "(Mmmm... this does feel nice-! Wot am I thinkin'?! No, I can't do
this...)" He gently grabbed both of Shingo's arms and pulled away, "No."

"But Billy-!"

"Shingo," Billy cut him off, "I'm sorry." He got up from the bench and
clapped his hand on Shingo's shoulder, remaining quiet. He walked away from
the bench and Shingo, and when he reached the edge of the park he turned
around to see the boy still looking at him. Billy closed his eyes and
kept walking away until he was out of Shingo's sight.

Shingo brought his knees up to his chest, fighting the tears welling
in his eyes. He was hurt, but Billy was right. A relationship wouldn't
work out between them, and Shingo still had feelings for Kyo Kusanagi.
It wouldn't be fair to Billy to be lusting after someone else as well as him.
He wiped his eyes and cheeks with his sleeves, "(Not much I can do about
Billy now. And I do have my life ahead of me and stuff like he said...)" He
stretched out and got up, "(The least I can do is do my best in the
tournament)." He decided to ditch training for the day and headed back to
the hotel.

"Yabuki, where the hell have you been?" Kyo had his arms crossed.
An impatient scowl marred his face. Goro and Benimaru were present as well.
All of them were worried about where Shingo was.

Shingo gulped. He was about to answer when Beni stepped in. He knew where
his young friend was, "Not now, Kyo."

"I'm gonna go lay down," Shingo left the room and went to his own, falling onto
the bed. His thoughts wandered between Kyo and Billy. He liked both men,
but he realized that it was for the best for him and Billy to go their
separate ways. He smiled a bit. He felt he grew up a little thanks to the
time he and Billy spent together.

The door opened slowly, "Shingo?"

Shingo turned his head to the doorway, "Oh, hi Beni-san."

Benimaru shut the door and sat on the edge of the bed, "I'm assuming you
ran into Billy."

Shingo should have been surprised, but he wasn't. he sighed, "Yeah, I did.
I asked him out, and even... I even kissed him."

"And I guess he rejected you?"

"Yeah, but not because of that. He was more concerned about me, if that
makes any sense."

"He wasn't ready, and you're not either."

"I know, I know," Shingo sat up. "I'll live. I can't be moping around
forever."

Beni smiled and hugged Shingo, "That's the Shingo I know."

Shingo returned the hug, "Man, I could go for some junk food right about
now."

"We can do that," Beni helped Shingo off the bed. They left the room and told
Kyo they were going out for a while. Shingo smiled the whole way.

~*~

Six years passed, and the King of Fighters tournament was still
going strong. Shingo was now twenty-three, and much more self-confident in
his fighting abilities. He had grown into a handsome college student and
came off as intelligent and pleasant, though deep down he was still Shingo.
He'd severed ties, more or less, with his teacher, and began training
under Saisyu Kusanagi, Kyo's father. Through the new training, he became
more of a serious fighter, though he still saw the tournaments as a way to
challenge himself. He was still having a blast, loving every minute of
being a semi-famous fighter.

He noticed during his battles that several fighters from the previous
tourneys returned, and amongst them was Billy Kane. Both he and Billy made
eye contact and acknowledged one another, but neither of them had a chance
to initiate conversation or sit down to see how things were going since the
last time they saw one another. Shingo didn't admit it, but he still had
feelings for Billy. He even went as far as to hoping he wouldn't have to
fight Billy again, remembering back when the other fighter held back against
him. If they faced each other, would Billy do it again?

Once the tournament ended and the victor was declared, most of the
teams packed up and went home. The Japan team, now consisting of Benimaru,
Goro, and Shingo, decided to stick around in the last tourney location to
rest up. They were having lunch at a small restaurant when someone started
yelling, "Hey Shingo!"

"Huh?" Shingo turned his head.

It was Billy, who waved to him once he caught Shingo's attention.

Shingo's eyes brightened. He got up from his seat outdoors and ran over
to the other man, "Billy!"

"How've you been, luv?" Billy smiled warmly and patted Shingo on the arm. He
was in his early thirties, and was still able to pull off wearing a jacket
without a shirt. "We nevah faced each other in the tourney so I figured I'd
go out and find you. Looks like I succeeded."

That made Shingo giggle a bit. He still had that adorable face when he
giggled, "I've been okay. I'm in college and studying under Kusanagi-sama.
Now I'm a regular at the tournaments. What about you? I haven't seen you in
years."

"After '97 I went back home and to me normal life, so to speak. I still work
for Mr. Howard, though I'm seriously considerin' retirin' from all this.
I'm gettin' too old for it."

"No you're not! You still look-!" Shingo scratched his head and blushed.
"You look good."

"Oh, thanks Shingo. But yeah, I just want to leave an' live like a regular
person," Billy shrugged. "You'd mentioned Kusanagi-sama. I take it you're
not trainin' under Kyo anymore?"

Shingo nodded, "Yeah, Kusanagi-sama took me in after Kusanagi-san told me
to get a life two years ago. I realized then I didn't like how Kusanagi-san
was treating me. I really thought I had something with him."

"Hey, these things happen, luv. No worries," Billy smiled. In the back
of his mind he wondered if Shingo ever thought about him, and if he was still
mad about Billy leaving.

"Billy, are you all right? You looked like you were drifting," Shingo
chuckled.

"Eh? Oh! Sorry, Shingo," Billy snapped back to reality. "Still sharp I
see."

"Well, I-"

"Shingo!" Another voice called out for him.

"K-Kusanagi-san? Is that you?" Shingo turned his full attention to the
direction of the voice.

It was indeed Kyo, who stood near Beni and Goro's table. He waved a little.

Shingo grinned wide, "Hold on a sec, Billy." He ran towards Kyo.

Billy stayed behind, frowning some. It seemed Shingo still had feelings for
his former master. He turned and started to walk away.

"Kusanagi-san, it's not what you think."

"You think you're going to surpass me by training with my old man? Maybe you
can shoot flames!" Kyo snapped.

"No! It's not like that at all!"

"Spare me, Yabuki. You've definitely improved your skills, but you won't
ever wield the Kusanagi flames," With that Kyo's hand lit up with the legendary
crimson flames.

Shingo felt the heat when Kyo launched a flaming fist at him. Several
followed, and Shingo wasn't a match for Kyo's anger, "Help! Anyone! Even
Yagami! Heeelllppp!!"

The screaming caught Billy's attention. At first he figured Kyo was just
venting, but when he turned around he saw the flames and Kyo attacking Shingo,
he grit his teeth. "Oh hell no..." He ran back to the restaurant, where
Beni and Goro were trying to quell Kyo's temper. "Wot's goin' on here?"

Kyo stopped his assult, "Billy? The hell are you doing here?"

"I heard Shingo's voice, an' he was cryin' for help. Obviously somethin's
wrong."

"Kane, the tournament's over, and this doesn't concern you. So why don't you
go back to Southtown and re-attach your lips to Geese's ass?"

Billy rolled his eyes, "How original. Why're you beatin' on Shingo anyway?"

"Stay out of it and fuck off, okay?" Kyo's fists began to flare up again.

"As much as I want to put you in your place..." Billy knelt down and helped
Shingo to his feet. He turned his attention back to Kyo, "Shingo told me
he no longer studies under you. That means you won't mind if I do this."
Billy moved in and covered Shingo's mouth with his own, letting himself get
a bit lost in the gentle, passionate kiss.

Shingo felt his knees turn to jelly. He slid his arms around Billy's neck,
but he did so in order to deepen their kiss rather than support. As much
as he didn't want to, he broke their kiss in order to get some air,
"Billy...?"

Billy tilted Shingo's chin up, "Come on. I think I still owe you a cup of
coffee. How about it?"

Shingo blushed, but a smirk slowly tilted his lips, "Okay." He walked with
Billy, allowing him to slide an arm around his shoulders.

Kyo stood there, dumbstruck. He watched his former student and the English
guard walk off into the distance. He turned to Beni and Goro, "What the hell
just happened?"

The other men just shared a look, and Beni shook his head, "Kyo, are you
really that dense?" Beni sighed and left. Goro shrugged and followed, both
leaving their share of the restaurant's bill on the table.

Kyo smacked a hand to his forehead, letting out a frustrated sigh. He started
chasing after his former teammates, "Come on! You're hiding something!
Tell me please!!"

~THE END~