Seeking advice
Subject: Going for advice
Characters: Kirihara Akaya and Nioh Masaharu
Location: Nioh's cabin
Time: Some point after the meeting at the pool
Rating: PG-13 for angst
Summary: Akaya asks Nioh for relationship advice, and things spiral down from there.
Akaya knocked on the door connecting his room to Nioh’s before opening it hesitantly. He didn’t want to run the risk of springing a trap. “Oi, Nioh, you busy?”
///
Niou looked up from his laptop upon hearing Akaya’s voice. “Nope, not at all.” he replied as he closed the laptop and placed it on the small table in front of him. “Come, have a seat.” He stood up and motioned to the chairs there.
///
Akaya slowly walked over to the table and sat down across from Nioh. Looking at the now closed laptop, he raised one eyebrow in curiosity. “I didn’t interrupt schoolwork, did I?”
///
He shook his head. “No, I was just checking my emails, that was it. I’m sure that I finished my work so that now I can just finally relax.” he said as he sat down and leaned back against his chair with his arms crossed as he stared intently at Akaya. “So, what’s up?”
///
Akaya sighed heavily as he picked at one of his fingernails. After the day at the pool, he had more questions than he felt he could ask, but Nioh was always someone that he could talk to about anything. “I know this is going to sound really personal, but how close are you and Yagyuu? Honestly? I...he...there are these feelings that I’ve never had before in relation to him, but I don’t want to ruin anything between the two of you.”
///
“Me and Yagyuu, huh?” he repeated as he held his chin to think. Honestly, Niou always had a small liking to Yagyuu, but neither really explored upon it since they were both busy with school. Yagyuu had always been his best friend and if this was really happening, the best thing to do is to support it. Niou shrugged. “There’s really nothing going on between us.” he said.
///
Akaya relaxed at that, letting some of the tension out of his shoulders. “Oh good. I just...I always thought of you as one of my best friends, so I don’t want to upset you by going after him. And that’s assuming I’m even reading things right. For all I know, he wasn’t actually flirting with me the first night here when we had dinner and went up to the top deck. But I think he was, and I was trying to flirt back, but subtly, you know?” And now he had Nioh sitting across from him, still with his devil may care sex appeal. If it wasn’t for the fact that he really did value the trickster’s opinion on the matter, Akaya would have probably gone and hid under the covers on his bed until he figured out what he felt and for whom.
///
“Yagyuu flirting huh?” he chuckled. “I guess even a thing is possible for him.” He nodded. “Maa, you can my blessings if things go well.” he smirked. “If you are reading into things correctly.”
///
“How do I tell though? I mean, you used to be him, can you give me any clues? I know it’s been years since you two have switched, but you still know him better than I do.”
///
“Well,” he started as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, “if I were him, right now there would a mental struggle of ‘is this right or wrong?’” he said as he nodded. “Hmm, I would look for small actions since he’ll be too proper to do anything drastic or even what you might normally do.”
///
“Well, he was nice enough to have dinner with me in my room since I mentioned that I hate eating alone, which I do. Then he suggested going to one of the restaurants to get dessert and watch the sunset, which I was all for. My ankle was bugging me a bit on the way up because my pain pill hadn’t kicked in all the way yet, so Yagyuu helped me walk some. We ended up chatting and missing the sunset, so he suggested going up to the top deck to watch the moonrise. I’m not...reading too much into that by thinking it was a date, am I?” Akaya shifted nervously in his seat as he spilled his guts to Nioh. Back when they’d been in school, he probably wouldn’t have trusted Nioh with such personal details, but they were adults now. Akaya was willing to take the risk, regardless of the outcome. Now, if only he could make up his mind about if it was Yagyuu or Nioh himself that was making his heart threaten to leap out of his chest.
///
Niou took a moment to think about what Akaya just said. “Sounds like something that I would do.” he smirked as he thought about all the time he had spent with him over the past years. It also reminded him of that night, but he pushed that thought back into the back of his mind.
///
“You mean like if you asked someone on a date?” Nioh’s smirk was giving his mind wicked ideas. Akaya wanted to tell him to stop it, but that would be rude. Not to mention it would likely mean getting kicked out before he got all the answers he was hoping for.
///
“Mmhmm.” he hummed as he leaned back against his chair again.
///
Akaya leaned back in his chair as well. “So you’re saying it was probably a date then? But...why me? What do we really have in common anymore other than a presumed shared sexual preference? I mean, I’m assuming he’s gay, it seems logical.”
///
Niou shrugged, even he didn’t know the answer to that. “Well, do you really need to have things in common to start taking a liking in someone?” he asked. “When I first meet Yagyuu, there wasn’t much we share in common and now look at us.”
///
“Alright, maybe not to start liking someone, but I’m not in the market for something short and simple, especially not with an old friend. I’ve done the whole sleeping around gig, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I just...I can’t tell if I’ reading too much into this. For all I know, he just wants some fun, no strings. And here I am, wanting lots and lots of strings.” Akaya scrubbed his hands through his hair in frustration.
///
Niou sighed as he got up from his seat to take the seat next to Akaya before placing a hand on his shoulder. “Does Yagyuu actually seem like the type of guy that just want to have fun?” he asked in a serious tone.
///
“If you’d asked me that four years ago I would have laughed in your face and possibly tried to have you committed.” Akaya smiled slightly and took a deep breath before continuing. “Now though, I just don’t know. I want to say that he’s not like that, but everyone is so different than we were back then. Hell, look at me! I’m possibly more fluent in English than anyone else from our old team, you’re in medical school and kicking ass from what I’ve gathered, and Seiichi and Sanada walked away from tennis! I don’t want to go in expecting behaviors that would have been normal four years ago because I can’t be guaranteed that things will still work that way.”
///
“Yes, there’s no doubt that everybody has changed over the years, but I don’t believe that things have changed that much.” he said sadly as he shook his head, clearing his thoughts. “Out of everyone, Yagyuu really doesn’t seem to change that much throughout the years. He’s still the same level-headed person that’s always been there and more. You might not believe that, but I do.”
///
Akaya smiled and leaned a little closer to Nioh. “I believe you. I think I’m just overthinking things, shockingly enough. Sorry for dumping all of this on you. How have you been doing lately?”
///
Niou smirked as he wrapped his arm around Akaya’s shoulders and pinch his cheek. “Don’t overthink things; it doesn’t suit you.” he smiled as he let go of him and shrugged. “I’ve been okay, I guess. Not really much to say.” He got up from his seat. “Want something to drink?” he asked as he walked over to the mini bar in his room.
///
“Sure. I’ll take a beer if you’ve got one.” Akaya smiled and leaned back into his seat. He hadn’t had a pain pill that day, so having a beer wouldn’t hurt anything. Reaching for his cane, he stood up and turned toward the living room area of the cabin. “Mind if I move to the couch?”
///
“Go ahead; make yourself comfortable.” he said over his shoulder and he pulled two things out then went back to Akaya and handed him a water bottle instead of a beer. “You shouldn’t be drinking any alcohol while you’re still injured.” he said as he sat down and opened his own water bottle.
///
Akaya pouted at the bottle of water, but took it anyway. “I figured I would be ok as long as I wasn’t planning on taking a pain pill at the same time. But, you’re the one in medical school, so I’ll listen to you about it. How’s that going, by the way? Have you picked a specialty?”
///
Niou shrugged. “It’s going good. I think I’d decided to work kids since they all love me at the hospital.” he smiled as he thought about all the kids that he’d encountered during his internship that had led him to his decision.
///
Akaya smiled brightly as he took a drink of his water. “I can see you being really good at that. You can show them all kinds of simple tricks to cheer them up. What hospital are you at? Or are you still mostly in classes?”
///
“I still have two more years at my university.” he answered with a slight frown. “I just have an internship at a local hospital where I get paid to mostly have fun with the kids. They especially love it when I do impersonations of people.” he chuckled as he looked over to Akaya. “The kids really love my impersonations of you and Sanada; it makes them laugh so much.”
///
Akaya chuckled at that little tidbit as he leaned back against the couch and propped his bad foot up on the cushion. “Yeah? Do I want to know how you impersonate me?”
///
Niou raised his right hand and placed his pointer finger against his lips. “That is a secret between me and the kids.” he smiled. “Whenever you happened to be in town, drop by, I’m sure the kids will love you too.”
///
“When we get back, I’ll be sure to. I love kids, they’re so much fun. It’s why I want to teach when I retire from tennis.” Akaya nodded and gave Nioh a toast with his water bottle.
///
Niou chuckled as he returned the toast. “I’m keeping you to that.” he said. “When do you plan on retiring? Surely you’ll be going back to tournaments once you are healed.”
///
“Oh yeah, I’m hoping to get at least another five to ten years. Originally I thought I’d be able to play for longer than that, but this injury has cut down the span of time where I’ll be able to play at the level I was at. Or that’s what my doctor told me. And he had been a professional athlete before going into medicine, so I figure he knows what he’s talking about.” Akaya nodded and smiled at Nioh, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.
///
“He was a professional athlete before going into medicine, huh.” he repeated as eyes then wandered to the sea outside his room. Since he had left the tennis club back in high school, he hasn’t picked up his racket even once. He missed playing the sport with everyone the most. He sighed as he turned back to Akaya. “You better win a few titles in the time you have left.” he smiled.
///
“Don’t worry, I will. I’ve beaten Yuuta-kun already, and Echizen hasn’t been anything to worry about yet. Tezuka and Atobe have been the hard ones. And they’re still working and getting stronger while I’m trying to just get back on the court at the moment.” Akaya scowled a bit to himself. He knew there were lots of strong players out in the circuits, but beating the best from his own country still happened to be one of his biggest personal goals.
///
Niou nodded, fully understanding since he had became Tezuka a couple of times with his Illusion and had played doubles with Atobe once, he knew the skills and potential that both have. “Maa, heal quickly and nicely then get back to training. I’m sure Yukimura or Sanada would be more than welcome to help you train.” he smirked.
///
Akaya made a considering noise and was quiet for a moment before speaking. “I don’t know about that. Seiichi-san is too used to working with children I think, and that won’t translate well with me. Sanada is so focused on being a cop and getting back out in the field that I don’t think he has the time to worry about my tennis. Yanagi gave me a notebook of exercises to do, and I have done some of them. It’s just going to be a matter of time. Age and life are forcing me to adopt patience as a virtue.”
///
He shrugged. “That’s probably true. If not, if I have time, I can always help you. Once I start playing again, then maybe.”
///
“I’ll use you to help me get warmed back up once I can start playing again, how does that sound?” Akaya teased. In reality, he didn’t think it would take long for Nioh to be able to give him a run for his money.
///
He nodded. “Deal.” He knew that he’ll have to start those drills with Jackal soon so that he can at least try to get back to where he was years ago and then probably see other people’s matches so that he be as outdated as he was.
///
Akaya grinned in agreement before turning to stare at the wall. “Hey, is it ok if I talk to you about something serious again?”
///
Niou stared at Akaya in a moment of silence before slowly nodding. “Go ahead.”
///
“What would you say if I said that Yagyuu isn’t the only one I’m interested in? Or that I honestly don’t know which one of them I like more than the other?”
///
One of Niou’s eyebrows rose, questioning Akaya. “Is that so....” he muttered as he rubbed his chin. “The heart is complex thing, isn’t it?” he laughed. “Well, I’ll support you in anyway I can, but the final decision is up to you.” he said then leaned in closer to the younger male. “Might I ask who this other person is?”
///
Akaya swallowed thickly before whispering his answer. “It’s you. You and Yagyuu are the ones that I like, and I don’t know if I could pick between you two.”
///
Niou stared at him without any emotions on his face before a sly smile appeared on his lips. “Is that so.” he said reached up and held Akaya’s chin with his thumb and pointer finger.
///
“Uhuh.” Akaya replied meekly. Feeling Nioh holding his chin in place made Akaya’s cheeks start to turn pink as his heart began to race.
///
Niou chuckled seeing blush appearing on Akaya’s face before he let him go and leaned back. “Well, whatever happens will happen.” he said. “I would support you either way; whether it be with Yagyuu or me.”
///
“Do I really have to choose?” Akaya’s voice was soft, and there was almost a hint of a whine in it. He really didn’t want to have to make that decision.
///
“How would it be fair to anybody if I or Yagyuu made the decision?” he replied back with his own question. He knew it was a tough decision, but it really wasn’t his to make.
///
“I’m not asking either of you to make the decision. I’m being selfish and wondering why I have to choose at all.”
///
“It’s not fair to either of us.” he sighed as a thought crossed his mind. “Maybe... it’s best just to go pursue Yagyuu.” he said as he averted his eyes to the floor.
///
Akaya sat up straighter and reached for Nioh’s hand. “There’s something that you’re not saying. Tell me? Please?”
///
Niou slightly smiled feeling the warmth of Akaya’s hand before pulling away. “You said in the beginning that people change. There are things that I have to hide. So, why be with someone so secretive?” he wearily laughed.
///
“Because. Everyone deserves someone they can trust with their secrets. You are no exception to that.” Akaya kept his voice soft and low, not wanting to start a fight. He was simply speaking what he felt was the truth.
///
“Trust, huh?” he repeated. He never felt that trust was the issue that he had kept to himself since his final year in high school. He trusted his friends; that really wasn’t the issue. Niou patted Akaya on the back before standing up. “I don’t know about that.”
///
“Then what is it that’s holding you back? What is so terrible that you can’t tell your friends.” Akaya raised his voice so that Nioh could hear him better, but his volume dropped a bit as he looked up into sea green eyes. “What’s so terrible that you can’t tell me?”
///
Niou’s eyes hardened as he stared back at Akaya. Only one person knew about what happened and it was Yagyuu. He could never really bring up the topic with anyone else because... because he didn’t want to feel pitied. Everyone who knew pitied him and it made him feel... helpless. “It’s nothing.” he muttered.
///
“You’re lying. It’s not nothing. It never has been, and I think that scares you a bit. “ Akaya turned his eyes away and played with the label on his water bottle. Still, he kept his voice soft and neutral, not wanting to provoke anger from Nioh. “Are you worried that I’ll pity you and treat you differently, or are you afraid of having someone to give you support?”
///
He stared at the younger male for a while before kneeling down in front of him. “Don’t worry about it, okay?” he smiled, though he smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Let’s forget about all this.”
///
Before he could stop himself, Akaya’s hand went to Nioh’s cheek. “You have such incredible eyes. They’d sparkle more if you smiled like you meant it.” His voice was soft, like he was thinking out loud, but that didn’t make the words less true.
///
Niou chuckled as he took Akaya’s hand into his. “You look tired.” he commented. “You should probably go back to your room and rest.” he said as he let go of his hand and stood up again.
///
Akaya hated to admit defeat, but he realized he didn’t have much choice at the moment. Reaching for his cane, he stood up and gave Nioh an almost sad look. “When you’re ready to tell me, I’ll be waiting to listen.” Gathering his courage, Akaya stretched up to brush his lips of Nioh’s cheek before stepping past him toward the door connecting their rooms.
///
Niou stood there not even looking back at him. “I’m sorry, but that probably won’t happen.” he whispered.
///
Closing the door behind him as he stepped back into his own cabin, Akaya leaned against the wood and sighed. There was a part of him that wanted to be the brash and reckless child he used to be. The old him would have charged back into Nioh’s room and demanded an answer, but pushing Nioh to talk never worked, and Akaya had grown up enough to know that now. Sighing again as he stared at the ceiling, Akaya wondered what it would take to get Nioh to open up to him. His heart hurt for the older man, and he wanted so badly to fix whatever the problem was. “But how can I when I don’t know what it is?”
///
Characters: Kirihara Akaya and Nioh Masaharu
Location: Nioh's cabin
Time: Some point after the meeting at the pool
Rating: PG-13 for angst
Summary: Akaya asks Nioh for relationship advice, and things spiral down from there.
Akaya knocked on the door connecting his room to Nioh’s before opening it hesitantly. He didn’t want to run the risk of springing a trap. “Oi, Nioh, you busy?”
///
Niou looked up from his laptop upon hearing Akaya’s voice. “Nope, not at all.” he replied as he closed the laptop and placed it on the small table in front of him. “Come, have a seat.” He stood up and motioned to the chairs there.
///
Akaya slowly walked over to the table and sat down across from Nioh. Looking at the now closed laptop, he raised one eyebrow in curiosity. “I didn’t interrupt schoolwork, did I?”
///
He shook his head. “No, I was just checking my emails, that was it. I’m sure that I finished my work so that now I can just finally relax.” he said as he sat down and leaned back against his chair with his arms crossed as he stared intently at Akaya. “So, what’s up?”
///
Akaya sighed heavily as he picked at one of his fingernails. After the day at the pool, he had more questions than he felt he could ask, but Nioh was always someone that he could talk to about anything. “I know this is going to sound really personal, but how close are you and Yagyuu? Honestly? I...he...there are these feelings that I’ve never had before in relation to him, but I don’t want to ruin anything between the two of you.”
///
“Me and Yagyuu, huh?” he repeated as he held his chin to think. Honestly, Niou always had a small liking to Yagyuu, but neither really explored upon it since they were both busy with school. Yagyuu had always been his best friend and if this was really happening, the best thing to do is to support it. Niou shrugged. “There’s really nothing going on between us.” he said.
///
Akaya relaxed at that, letting some of the tension out of his shoulders. “Oh good. I just...I always thought of you as one of my best friends, so I don’t want to upset you by going after him. And that’s assuming I’m even reading things right. For all I know, he wasn’t actually flirting with me the first night here when we had dinner and went up to the top deck. But I think he was, and I was trying to flirt back, but subtly, you know?” And now he had Nioh sitting across from him, still with his devil may care sex appeal. If it wasn’t for the fact that he really did value the trickster’s opinion on the matter, Akaya would have probably gone and hid under the covers on his bed until he figured out what he felt and for whom.
///
“Yagyuu flirting huh?” he chuckled. “I guess even a thing is possible for him.” He nodded. “Maa, you can my blessings if things go well.” he smirked. “If you are reading into things correctly.”
///
“How do I tell though? I mean, you used to be him, can you give me any clues? I know it’s been years since you two have switched, but you still know him better than I do.”
///
“Well,” he started as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, “if I were him, right now there would a mental struggle of ‘is this right or wrong?’” he said as he nodded. “Hmm, I would look for small actions since he’ll be too proper to do anything drastic or even what you might normally do.”
///
“Well, he was nice enough to have dinner with me in my room since I mentioned that I hate eating alone, which I do. Then he suggested going to one of the restaurants to get dessert and watch the sunset, which I was all for. My ankle was bugging me a bit on the way up because my pain pill hadn’t kicked in all the way yet, so Yagyuu helped me walk some. We ended up chatting and missing the sunset, so he suggested going up to the top deck to watch the moonrise. I’m not...reading too much into that by thinking it was a date, am I?” Akaya shifted nervously in his seat as he spilled his guts to Nioh. Back when they’d been in school, he probably wouldn’t have trusted Nioh with such personal details, but they were adults now. Akaya was willing to take the risk, regardless of the outcome. Now, if only he could make up his mind about if it was Yagyuu or Nioh himself that was making his heart threaten to leap out of his chest.
///
Niou took a moment to think about what Akaya just said. “Sounds like something that I would do.” he smirked as he thought about all the time he had spent with him over the past years. It also reminded him of that night, but he pushed that thought back into the back of his mind.
///
“You mean like if you asked someone on a date?” Nioh’s smirk was giving his mind wicked ideas. Akaya wanted to tell him to stop it, but that would be rude. Not to mention it would likely mean getting kicked out before he got all the answers he was hoping for.
///
“Mmhmm.” he hummed as he leaned back against his chair again.
///
Akaya leaned back in his chair as well. “So you’re saying it was probably a date then? But...why me? What do we really have in common anymore other than a presumed shared sexual preference? I mean, I’m assuming he’s gay, it seems logical.”
///
Niou shrugged, even he didn’t know the answer to that. “Well, do you really need to have things in common to start taking a liking in someone?” he asked. “When I first meet Yagyuu, there wasn’t much we share in common and now look at us.”
///
“Alright, maybe not to start liking someone, but I’m not in the market for something short and simple, especially not with an old friend. I’ve done the whole sleeping around gig, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I just...I can’t tell if I’ reading too much into this. For all I know, he just wants some fun, no strings. And here I am, wanting lots and lots of strings.” Akaya scrubbed his hands through his hair in frustration.
///
Niou sighed as he got up from his seat to take the seat next to Akaya before placing a hand on his shoulder. “Does Yagyuu actually seem like the type of guy that just want to have fun?” he asked in a serious tone.
///
“If you’d asked me that four years ago I would have laughed in your face and possibly tried to have you committed.” Akaya smiled slightly and took a deep breath before continuing. “Now though, I just don’t know. I want to say that he’s not like that, but everyone is so different than we were back then. Hell, look at me! I’m possibly more fluent in English than anyone else from our old team, you’re in medical school and kicking ass from what I’ve gathered, and Seiichi and Sanada walked away from tennis! I don’t want to go in expecting behaviors that would have been normal four years ago because I can’t be guaranteed that things will still work that way.”
///
“Yes, there’s no doubt that everybody has changed over the years, but I don’t believe that things have changed that much.” he said sadly as he shook his head, clearing his thoughts. “Out of everyone, Yagyuu really doesn’t seem to change that much throughout the years. He’s still the same level-headed person that’s always been there and more. You might not believe that, but I do.”
///
Akaya smiled and leaned a little closer to Nioh. “I believe you. I think I’m just overthinking things, shockingly enough. Sorry for dumping all of this on you. How have you been doing lately?”
///
Niou smirked as he wrapped his arm around Akaya’s shoulders and pinch his cheek. “Don’t overthink things; it doesn’t suit you.” he smiled as he let go of him and shrugged. “I’ve been okay, I guess. Not really much to say.” He got up from his seat. “Want something to drink?” he asked as he walked over to the mini bar in his room.
///
“Sure. I’ll take a beer if you’ve got one.” Akaya smiled and leaned back into his seat. He hadn’t had a pain pill that day, so having a beer wouldn’t hurt anything. Reaching for his cane, he stood up and turned toward the living room area of the cabin. “Mind if I move to the couch?”
///
“Go ahead; make yourself comfortable.” he said over his shoulder and he pulled two things out then went back to Akaya and handed him a water bottle instead of a beer. “You shouldn’t be drinking any alcohol while you’re still injured.” he said as he sat down and opened his own water bottle.
///
Akaya pouted at the bottle of water, but took it anyway. “I figured I would be ok as long as I wasn’t planning on taking a pain pill at the same time. But, you’re the one in medical school, so I’ll listen to you about it. How’s that going, by the way? Have you picked a specialty?”
///
Niou shrugged. “It’s going good. I think I’d decided to work kids since they all love me at the hospital.” he smiled as he thought about all the kids that he’d encountered during his internship that had led him to his decision.
///
Akaya smiled brightly as he took a drink of his water. “I can see you being really good at that. You can show them all kinds of simple tricks to cheer them up. What hospital are you at? Or are you still mostly in classes?”
///
“I still have two more years at my university.” he answered with a slight frown. “I just have an internship at a local hospital where I get paid to mostly have fun with the kids. They especially love it when I do impersonations of people.” he chuckled as he looked over to Akaya. “The kids really love my impersonations of you and Sanada; it makes them laugh so much.”
///
Akaya chuckled at that little tidbit as he leaned back against the couch and propped his bad foot up on the cushion. “Yeah? Do I want to know how you impersonate me?”
///
Niou raised his right hand and placed his pointer finger against his lips. “That is a secret between me and the kids.” he smiled. “Whenever you happened to be in town, drop by, I’m sure the kids will love you too.”
///
“When we get back, I’ll be sure to. I love kids, they’re so much fun. It’s why I want to teach when I retire from tennis.” Akaya nodded and gave Nioh a toast with his water bottle.
///
Niou chuckled as he returned the toast. “I’m keeping you to that.” he said. “When do you plan on retiring? Surely you’ll be going back to tournaments once you are healed.”
///
“Oh yeah, I’m hoping to get at least another five to ten years. Originally I thought I’d be able to play for longer than that, but this injury has cut down the span of time where I’ll be able to play at the level I was at. Or that’s what my doctor told me. And he had been a professional athlete before going into medicine, so I figure he knows what he’s talking about.” Akaya nodded and smiled at Nioh, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.
///
“He was a professional athlete before going into medicine, huh.” he repeated as eyes then wandered to the sea outside his room. Since he had left the tennis club back in high school, he hasn’t picked up his racket even once. He missed playing the sport with everyone the most. He sighed as he turned back to Akaya. “You better win a few titles in the time you have left.” he smiled.
///
“Don’t worry, I will. I’ve beaten Yuuta-kun already, and Echizen hasn’t been anything to worry about yet. Tezuka and Atobe have been the hard ones. And they’re still working and getting stronger while I’m trying to just get back on the court at the moment.” Akaya scowled a bit to himself. He knew there were lots of strong players out in the circuits, but beating the best from his own country still happened to be one of his biggest personal goals.
///
Niou nodded, fully understanding since he had became Tezuka a couple of times with his Illusion and had played doubles with Atobe once, he knew the skills and potential that both have. “Maa, heal quickly and nicely then get back to training. I’m sure Yukimura or Sanada would be more than welcome to help you train.” he smirked.
///
Akaya made a considering noise and was quiet for a moment before speaking. “I don’t know about that. Seiichi-san is too used to working with children I think, and that won’t translate well with me. Sanada is so focused on being a cop and getting back out in the field that I don’t think he has the time to worry about my tennis. Yanagi gave me a notebook of exercises to do, and I have done some of them. It’s just going to be a matter of time. Age and life are forcing me to adopt patience as a virtue.”
///
He shrugged. “That’s probably true. If not, if I have time, I can always help you. Once I start playing again, then maybe.”
///
“I’ll use you to help me get warmed back up once I can start playing again, how does that sound?” Akaya teased. In reality, he didn’t think it would take long for Nioh to be able to give him a run for his money.
///
He nodded. “Deal.” He knew that he’ll have to start those drills with Jackal soon so that he can at least try to get back to where he was years ago and then probably see other people’s matches so that he be as outdated as he was.
///
Akaya grinned in agreement before turning to stare at the wall. “Hey, is it ok if I talk to you about something serious again?”
///
Niou stared at Akaya in a moment of silence before slowly nodding. “Go ahead.”
///
“What would you say if I said that Yagyuu isn’t the only one I’m interested in? Or that I honestly don’t know which one of them I like more than the other?”
///
One of Niou’s eyebrows rose, questioning Akaya. “Is that so....” he muttered as he rubbed his chin. “The heart is complex thing, isn’t it?” he laughed. “Well, I’ll support you in anyway I can, but the final decision is up to you.” he said then leaned in closer to the younger male. “Might I ask who this other person is?”
///
Akaya swallowed thickly before whispering his answer. “It’s you. You and Yagyuu are the ones that I like, and I don’t know if I could pick between you two.”
///
Niou stared at him without any emotions on his face before a sly smile appeared on his lips. “Is that so.” he said reached up and held Akaya’s chin with his thumb and pointer finger.
///
“Uhuh.” Akaya replied meekly. Feeling Nioh holding his chin in place made Akaya’s cheeks start to turn pink as his heart began to race.
///
Niou chuckled seeing blush appearing on Akaya’s face before he let him go and leaned back. “Well, whatever happens will happen.” he said. “I would support you either way; whether it be with Yagyuu or me.”
///
“Do I really have to choose?” Akaya’s voice was soft, and there was almost a hint of a whine in it. He really didn’t want to have to make that decision.
///
“How would it be fair to anybody if I or Yagyuu made the decision?” he replied back with his own question. He knew it was a tough decision, but it really wasn’t his to make.
///
“I’m not asking either of you to make the decision. I’m being selfish and wondering why I have to choose at all.”
///
“It’s not fair to either of us.” he sighed as a thought crossed his mind. “Maybe... it’s best just to go pursue Yagyuu.” he said as he averted his eyes to the floor.
///
Akaya sat up straighter and reached for Nioh’s hand. “There’s something that you’re not saying. Tell me? Please?”
///
Niou slightly smiled feeling the warmth of Akaya’s hand before pulling away. “You said in the beginning that people change. There are things that I have to hide. So, why be with someone so secretive?” he wearily laughed.
///
“Because. Everyone deserves someone they can trust with their secrets. You are no exception to that.” Akaya kept his voice soft and low, not wanting to start a fight. He was simply speaking what he felt was the truth.
///
“Trust, huh?” he repeated. He never felt that trust was the issue that he had kept to himself since his final year in high school. He trusted his friends; that really wasn’t the issue. Niou patted Akaya on the back before standing up. “I don’t know about that.”
///
“Then what is it that’s holding you back? What is so terrible that you can’t tell your friends.” Akaya raised his voice so that Nioh could hear him better, but his volume dropped a bit as he looked up into sea green eyes. “What’s so terrible that you can’t tell me?”
///
Niou’s eyes hardened as he stared back at Akaya. Only one person knew about what happened and it was Yagyuu. He could never really bring up the topic with anyone else because... because he didn’t want to feel pitied. Everyone who knew pitied him and it made him feel... helpless. “It’s nothing.” he muttered.
///
“You’re lying. It’s not nothing. It never has been, and I think that scares you a bit. “ Akaya turned his eyes away and played with the label on his water bottle. Still, he kept his voice soft and neutral, not wanting to provoke anger from Nioh. “Are you worried that I’ll pity you and treat you differently, or are you afraid of having someone to give you support?”
///
He stared at the younger male for a while before kneeling down in front of him. “Don’t worry about it, okay?” he smiled, though he smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Let’s forget about all this.”
///
Before he could stop himself, Akaya’s hand went to Nioh’s cheek. “You have such incredible eyes. They’d sparkle more if you smiled like you meant it.” His voice was soft, like he was thinking out loud, but that didn’t make the words less true.
///
Niou chuckled as he took Akaya’s hand into his. “You look tired.” he commented. “You should probably go back to your room and rest.” he said as he let go of his hand and stood up again.
///
Akaya hated to admit defeat, but he realized he didn’t have much choice at the moment. Reaching for his cane, he stood up and gave Nioh an almost sad look. “When you’re ready to tell me, I’ll be waiting to listen.” Gathering his courage, Akaya stretched up to brush his lips of Nioh’s cheek before stepping past him toward the door connecting their rooms.
///
Niou stood there not even looking back at him. “I’m sorry, but that probably won’t happen.” he whispered.
///
Closing the door behind him as he stepped back into his own cabin, Akaya leaned against the wood and sighed. There was a part of him that wanted to be the brash and reckless child he used to be. The old him would have charged back into Nioh’s room and demanded an answer, but pushing Nioh to talk never worked, and Akaya had grown up enough to know that now. Sighing again as he stared at the ceiling, Akaya wondered what it would take to get Nioh to open up to him. His heart hurt for the older man, and he wanted so badly to fix whatever the problem was. “But how can I when I don’t know what it is?”
///