Your Cover's Blown [Prince of Tennis, jail!fic universe]
jail!fic, Sanada gets a visitor. 1305 words. Prompt: 16 January 2006. Your cover's blown. Unfinished.
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Your cover's blown
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"Sanada - visitor," the guard says, and Sanada nods as though it isn't unusual. In fact it's more than unusual - it's ridiculous. There isn't anyone who would visit him. He has no family who know where he is or what he does, and nobody in the organisation in their right mind would seek him out and strengthen the connections. Jackal, perhaps, might report to him. Jackal is cautious enough that he would be sure everything was absolutely safe before attempting such a thing. And Sanada has to admit it would ease his mind a hell of a lot to be reassured that everything is going smoothly for now.
Smoothly would be good enough. He doesn't particularly want to hear that his men are flourishing without him. But that is unlikely. He excels at his job. Jackal is a lot like him but he seems content to stay in the shadows most of the time and let Sanada handle the running of things and disciplining of his men. Which is precisely as it should be because Jackal is not the man in charge.
When Sanada walks into the visiting room he immediately sees that his visitor is not Jackal. He knows exactly who it is, he just can't believe it. He is sat in his chair on the other side of the glass with his feet on the chair, knees practically propping up his chin. A far cry from the usual impeccable suit and tie combination, he wears trainers, shabby jeans, and a loose t-shirt with a jacket over it. The thing that makes Sanada's teeth grit is that Yukimura is wearing one of his own baseball caps to shade most of his face.
Yukimura looks out from under it and smiles sweetly in Sanada's direction as he sits down, his own face like thunder. Yukimura already has the receiver cradled under his chin.
"Yu- you," Sanada catches himself quickly before he can say Yukimura's name where anyone will hear it. It is certainly not going to be what is written on the I.D. he had to provide at the entrance. He lowers his voice and hisses, "what are you doing here?"
Perhaps he should show a little more respect to his kumicho, but Sanada is too concerned with Yukimura's safety right now to care. Yukimura finds it amusing, as he does often when Sanada is wound up.
"I wanted to see you," Yukimura shrugs. "It's been a while, right?"
Sanada closes his eyes so that he doesn't have to see Yukimura's smirk.
"Want to see my I.D.?" Yukimura asks suddenly. He fishes in his back pocket. "Nineteen, it says! I'm twenty four; do you really think I can get away with nineteen? I suppose I can or else I wouldn't be here now."
"They say the truly evil never age," Sanada replies.
"You flatterer," Yukimura sighs. "I miss you, you know. Having Jackal at my side isn't quite the same."
"Where is he now?"
"Outside in my porsche."
Sanada has to actually stop himself from banging the table with his forehead. He is certain that if Yanagi were with him Yukimura would be doing no such thing. Possibly Yanagi hasn't actually prepared things on the outside enough for his incarceration. Perhaps he himself hasn't taught Jackal enough. Certainly he hasn't if the man is stupid enough to drive around with Yukimura in a shiny sports car.
"You really don't give me enough credit, Sanada," Yukimura says lightly. "Of course everyone is going to remember the car. If somebody were to ask what your visitor looked like, the one who arrived in the porsche, nobody is going to remember. Sometimes we hide best by standing out."
"My apologies," Sanada says quickly, bowing his head to Yukimura's superior thought process. He is too quick to judge, too quick to think of the simple answer. Yukimura thinks much more deeply than he lets most people believe. And reveals it only to Sanada and Yanagi.
"You're trying my patience lately," Yukimura sighs again. "Perhaps I don't miss you after all."
Sanada stays silent. He knows when an apology is needed, and when it is just grovelling. That is something he will not do, not even for Yukimura. As if Yukimura could respect a man who grovelled in front of him anyway.
He is saved from the awkward silence when the door behind him opens. Time isn't up for him so he knows someone else has a visitor coming. He glances back just a little to see Fuji walk through the door, hands cuffed and hanging loosely in front of him. He smiles.
"Sanada," he nods when they meet eyes. But when his gaze drifts to Yukimura through the glass Fuji's entire expression changes. Sanada isn't good at reading people at the best of times, and he cannot tell what the look on Fuji's face means at all.
When he turns back to Yukimura he sees an expression he has seen very rarely, but at least he recognises it.
"Who is he?" Yukimura asks as Fuji takes a seat of his own and watches the door for his visitor who is about to walk in.
"Fuji Syuusuke," Sanada replies.
"He has the eyes of a born killer," Yukimura says, and his smile sends a chill right through Sanada. He didn't even tell Yukimura what Fuji was in for.
"Tell Renji I'll be sending him a visitor tomorrow," Yukimura says, "I'll have him memorize something innocuous. Renji will decode it."
Sanada thinks that is it, and waits for Yukimura to leave, but Yukimura turns back.
"My apologies, Sanada," Yukimura says quietly into the phone, "your stay might become a little extended. The more people involved in an escape the more complicated the logistics."
Sanada nods acceptance and shuts his eyes. It actually hurts to be left like this. But the look on Yukimura's face is not to be denied. It is interest; it is the desire to claim someone's skills for his own uses.
"He's a convicted serial killer," Sanada says, just to see the fire in Yukimura's eyes burn brighter before he nods and walks away.
---
"Well?" Sanada demands when Yanagi returns to the dining hall just in time for the evening meal.
"It would seem things just got more complicated," Yanagi says. "You didn't tell me this."
"He said he would send someone today, I didn't see what difference it would make."
"You mean you spent the night panicking and sulking in turn and couldn't stop wallowing in self-pity long enough to say anything to me."
Sanada scowls. Yanagi might be right but that doesn't mean he should say any of it out loud. A reputation for aggression and a foul-temper will be completely doused by a reputation for sulking and self-pity.
"Genichirou, he hasn't forgotten about us. And we're no less important. In fact I doubt anyone else but us now could be trusted with a job on this scale. And the plans were already larger than you realise. Yukimura has had his eye on a couple of other people around here for some time."
"Stupid of me to assume I was the only one he was concerned for," Sanada says, and tries to make it sound more like a fact than a childish tantrum.
"And you still wonder why we placed Akaya under your care," Yanagi says. Sometimes the similarities are undeniable. "Now I need to speak to Sadaharu about this. We're jumping from four men to six, possibly seven. Everything will have to be recalculated."
"Seven?" Sanada asks.
"Trust me," Yanagi replies. "I've been given permission to make these decisions if I think there is anyone else worth the risk. Naming names now would be dangerous."
"So what else did his message say?" Sanada figures changing the subject is a safe bet. It might even cool his temper if they end up discussing tactics or layout.
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This entry was originally posted here on Dreamwidth. Comment there if you'd prefer!
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Your cover's blown
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"Sanada - visitor," the guard says, and Sanada nods as though it isn't unusual. In fact it's more than unusual - it's ridiculous. There isn't anyone who would visit him. He has no family who know where he is or what he does, and nobody in the organisation in their right mind would seek him out and strengthen the connections. Jackal, perhaps, might report to him. Jackal is cautious enough that he would be sure everything was absolutely safe before attempting such a thing. And Sanada has to admit it would ease his mind a hell of a lot to be reassured that everything is going smoothly for now.
Smoothly would be good enough. He doesn't particularly want to hear that his men are flourishing without him. But that is unlikely. He excels at his job. Jackal is a lot like him but he seems content to stay in the shadows most of the time and let Sanada handle the running of things and disciplining of his men. Which is precisely as it should be because Jackal is not the man in charge.
When Sanada walks into the visiting room he immediately sees that his visitor is not Jackal. He knows exactly who it is, he just can't believe it. He is sat in his chair on the other side of the glass with his feet on the chair, knees practically propping up his chin. A far cry from the usual impeccable suit and tie combination, he wears trainers, shabby jeans, and a loose t-shirt with a jacket over it. The thing that makes Sanada's teeth grit is that Yukimura is wearing one of his own baseball caps to shade most of his face.
Yukimura looks out from under it and smiles sweetly in Sanada's direction as he sits down, his own face like thunder. Yukimura already has the receiver cradled under his chin.
"Yu- you," Sanada catches himself quickly before he can say Yukimura's name where anyone will hear it. It is certainly not going to be what is written on the I.D. he had to provide at the entrance. He lowers his voice and hisses, "what are you doing here?"
Perhaps he should show a little more respect to his kumicho, but Sanada is too concerned with Yukimura's safety right now to care. Yukimura finds it amusing, as he does often when Sanada is wound up.
"I wanted to see you," Yukimura shrugs. "It's been a while, right?"
Sanada closes his eyes so that he doesn't have to see Yukimura's smirk.
"Want to see my I.D.?" Yukimura asks suddenly. He fishes in his back pocket. "Nineteen, it says! I'm twenty four; do you really think I can get away with nineteen? I suppose I can or else I wouldn't be here now."
"They say the truly evil never age," Sanada replies.
"You flatterer," Yukimura sighs. "I miss you, you know. Having Jackal at my side isn't quite the same."
"Where is he now?"
"Outside in my porsche."
Sanada has to actually stop himself from banging the table with his forehead. He is certain that if Yanagi were with him Yukimura would be doing no such thing. Possibly Yanagi hasn't actually prepared things on the outside enough for his incarceration. Perhaps he himself hasn't taught Jackal enough. Certainly he hasn't if the man is stupid enough to drive around with Yukimura in a shiny sports car.
"You really don't give me enough credit, Sanada," Yukimura says lightly. "Of course everyone is going to remember the car. If somebody were to ask what your visitor looked like, the one who arrived in the porsche, nobody is going to remember. Sometimes we hide best by standing out."
"My apologies," Sanada says quickly, bowing his head to Yukimura's superior thought process. He is too quick to judge, too quick to think of the simple answer. Yukimura thinks much more deeply than he lets most people believe. And reveals it only to Sanada and Yanagi.
"You're trying my patience lately," Yukimura sighs again. "Perhaps I don't miss you after all."
Sanada stays silent. He knows when an apology is needed, and when it is just grovelling. That is something he will not do, not even for Yukimura. As if Yukimura could respect a man who grovelled in front of him anyway.
He is saved from the awkward silence when the door behind him opens. Time isn't up for him so he knows someone else has a visitor coming. He glances back just a little to see Fuji walk through the door, hands cuffed and hanging loosely in front of him. He smiles.
"Sanada," he nods when they meet eyes. But when his gaze drifts to Yukimura through the glass Fuji's entire expression changes. Sanada isn't good at reading people at the best of times, and he cannot tell what the look on Fuji's face means at all.
When he turns back to Yukimura he sees an expression he has seen very rarely, but at least he recognises it.
"Who is he?" Yukimura asks as Fuji takes a seat of his own and watches the door for his visitor who is about to walk in.
"Fuji Syuusuke," Sanada replies.
"He has the eyes of a born killer," Yukimura says, and his smile sends a chill right through Sanada. He didn't even tell Yukimura what Fuji was in for.
"Tell Renji I'll be sending him a visitor tomorrow," Yukimura says, "I'll have him memorize something innocuous. Renji will decode it."
Sanada thinks that is it, and waits for Yukimura to leave, but Yukimura turns back.
"My apologies, Sanada," Yukimura says quietly into the phone, "your stay might become a little extended. The more people involved in an escape the more complicated the logistics."
Sanada nods acceptance and shuts his eyes. It actually hurts to be left like this. But the look on Yukimura's face is not to be denied. It is interest; it is the desire to claim someone's skills for his own uses.
"He's a convicted serial killer," Sanada says, just to see the fire in Yukimura's eyes burn brighter before he nods and walks away.
---
"Well?" Sanada demands when Yanagi returns to the dining hall just in time for the evening meal.
"It would seem things just got more complicated," Yanagi says. "You didn't tell me this."
"He said he would send someone today, I didn't see what difference it would make."
"You mean you spent the night panicking and sulking in turn and couldn't stop wallowing in self-pity long enough to say anything to me."
Sanada scowls. Yanagi might be right but that doesn't mean he should say any of it out loud. A reputation for aggression and a foul-temper will be completely doused by a reputation for sulking and self-pity.
"Genichirou, he hasn't forgotten about us. And we're no less important. In fact I doubt anyone else but us now could be trusted with a job on this scale. And the plans were already larger than you realise. Yukimura has had his eye on a couple of other people around here for some time."
"Stupid of me to assume I was the only one he was concerned for," Sanada says, and tries to make it sound more like a fact than a childish tantrum.
"And you still wonder why we placed Akaya under your care," Yanagi says. Sometimes the similarities are undeniable. "Now I need to speak to Sadaharu about this. We're jumping from four men to six, possibly seven. Everything will have to be recalculated."
"Seven?" Sanada asks.
"Trust me," Yanagi replies. "I've been given permission to make these decisions if I think there is anyone else worth the risk. Naming names now would be dangerous."
"So what else did his message say?" Sanada figures changing the subject is a safe bet. It might even cool his temper if they end up discussing tactics or layout.
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This entry was originally posted here on Dreamwidth. Comment there if you'd prefer!