[ multi-chapter ] [ Fate (1/?) ]
[Title | Fate ]
[Fandom | Tenipuri ]
[Characters | Atobe, Sanada ]
[Rating | This Chapter: PG-13, NC-17 (eventually) ]
[Word Count | 5 585 ]
[Warnings | AU, Seme!Keigo (eventually) ]
[Summary | Sanada is uprooted from his idyllic lifestyle by a sudden phone call. He meets a helpful mysterious stranger who helps him through a series of life's challenges. ]
[Disclaimer | I do not own ANY of these boys. I merely play with Konomi's toys when he's not looking. ]
“Genichirou? It’s Renji. Seiichi’s been in an accident. He’s in a coma right now.”
Sanada’s heart sank into his stomach as it froze at those few words. His grip on the phone tightened and he growled out at his old friend for more details. In a flurry of movement he had Renji booking the next flight to London where their old junior high tennis captain now lived and began to haphazardly fling clothes from his drawers into his suitcase. It was by some meticulous timing that found Sanada with something to do during the break now that all his university classes had stopped for the long winter break. Granted, he didn’t particularly find visiting comatose friends a good thing to do during break. Sanada much preferred his friends full of life.
“I’ll come drive you to the airport. I’ll meet you downstairs in 10 minutes Genichirou. If I could step away from work I would be on this flight with you.” Renji’s voice was filled with something akin to regret that leeched into his perpetual calm tone of voice. The click of the phone being returned to its cradle left Sanada hearing the soft doot doot, nothing like the hammering of his heart against his ribcage that was going at double time. He closed his suitcase with little problem. Even if he had indeed forgotten anything, Sanada was placated with the thought that he could purchase it in London for three times the cost in one of the thrifty stores in Japan. Yukimura had always complained about the high cost of living in England.
He looked about his small professor’s apartment with his suitcase by the door to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything and scowled as he realised he had left his cane by his bedside table. He trudged with his slight limp to grab his walking aid just as Renji pulled up to the kerbside and honked once. Sanada turned the lights off and grabbed his things, making sure he had his keys safely pocketed and all his important documentation was accounted for. His suitcase was easily carried down the stairs and Sanada exchanged brief words of greeting with Renji. It was clear both men were deeply troubled by the news of their friend but it was Renji that did most of the talking and informed Sanada all he knew about the situation.
Climbing into the passenger seat, Sanada rearranged his jacket and buckled in. He stiffly ignored the feel of his cane against his knee as he watched the scenery change. There was a tumultuous knot of foreboding twisting inside Sanada’s gut and the thick layers of anxiety brewing in the air left old friends without many words. The feeling didn’t lessen any as the small red car pulled into departures of Narita airport and Renji killed the motor to help Sanada unload his suitcase to the kerbside.
“Genichirou, I hope you have a safe flight. I have to get back to work. I know you’re going to insist on paying me for your airfare, but don’t bother. I have a feeling you’re going to need it for accommodation alone in London,” Renji looked regretful and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. In his hand, Renji placed a book; a travel book about London it seemed to be. “I hope that is useful. Take care of yourself.” Sanada nodded and thanked Renji before watching the man pull away of the kerb and drive away. With a heavy sigh, he extended the handle of his suitcase and walked inside the building, his limp not appearing to bother him much.
Narita airport was filled with the busy bustle of families and businessmen with their sleek black bags trundling along behind them, everyone frantic to get to the right counter at the right time. All around him Sanada saw the excited features of children as they waited in line with their families and teddies in hand. Walking to the large and very informative display screens, Sanada blanched as he read that his flight was delayed. The length of time had yet to be disclosed. This didn’t bode well for the start of a journey.
***
After a five hour delay, it was finally announced that the airplane he was to board was unworthy of flying that day. He hooked his cane against the side of his luggage and pressed fingers against his temples. Anyone with eyes could probably see the frustration rolling off him in waves. The overhead announcements urged passengers to take it up with the airline for an alternative flight path. Sanada eased himself out of the seat and quickly joined the queue of disgruntled people lining up. After all, airlines were required to maintain customer satisfaction and damn it did Sanada have something to say about his level of satisfaction at that moment.
The line shuffled and inched towards the front desk. He peered around the person in front of him in the queue and sighed to himself, noting the very long queue. His earlier frustration was waning and Sanada sighed to himself, feeling suddenly very weary of the world. The slow procession to the front only left an imprint of his cane handle in the plam of his hand but only bad news greeted him at the front desk.
"I'm sorry, sir. But this flight has been completely booked." The woman peered over her button nose down at him, her tone sounding quite unsympathetic to Sanada's cause. He frowned and argued in return, hoping that reason would reach her as well as the use of words with shorter syllables. The contempt was clearly seen on her face, clearly not liking being talked to like a five year old child. Sanada thought that was closer around the mark of her mental age, but quickly abandoned that plan. It wouldn’t do if the lady got nasty. It most certainly wouldn’t help him see Yukimura any faster.
The blonde tapped on the keyboard with her brightly painted fingernails and gave him a look, another one of those looks of appraisal as she took in his attire. Sanada didn’t think he looked that shabby in his well worn pants and a white shirt. Sure, the shirt didn’t have the same level of crispness from when it was first new, but it was what he considered the worn in look. All the kids around campus were sporting the very same look these days.
"The next flight is in six hours and has only one seat available in first class." Not that you look like you can afford it. Sanada could hear those unspoken words and tried to funnel out some of his frustration through the long breath he exhaled. Which god did he piss off recently for such terrible service? It certainly wouldn't do to wrap his hands around her tiny neck and wring the life out of the only thing that stood in his way of a flight that could get him to London as soon as possible. But the thought made him smile mentally if a bit sadistically. Clearly, Kirihara had rubbed off on him.
“My earlier flight had been delayed for five hours and then announced it was not going to fly at all tonight. I must get on this flight to make my connecting flight to England. You don't understand the situation I am in. My friend who has been like a little brother to me has been in a terrible skiing accident. I have to make this flight." Sanada growled out, feeling his patience unravel like the fraying ends of a rope. He also knew name calling wouldn’t be very conducive towards his plight, but this woman was infuriating. It had been a hellish morning so far and if this primped up princess was going to bear the brunt of it with her judging eyes then so be it. He pressed his weight against the counter, attempting to intimidate her further with his height.
He replayed the information of Yukimura’s situation in his head. His former captain had been caught in a sudden avalanche when he had been skiing with Tezuka. Tezuka had been able to miss the brunt of the blow but Yukimura had not been so lucky and had slipped into a coma on the way to the hospital. All this Renji found out from Yukimura's frantic mother in one phone call.
The woman behind the counter gave him a rather cold hearted stare. The conversation was finished in her eyes and this old man was too stubborn for his own good. "You're holding up the line and-" Her demeanour changed as suddenly as a hand wrapped around the counter next to Sanada’s clenched fist and an arm wrapped ever so casually around his shoulders. The strong scent of expensive cologne invaded his nostrils and his small bubble of privacy. Sanada could only turn his head slightly to catch the sight of someone's jaw line thinking that whoever the person standing behind him with had a sheer lack of an understanding about the concept of personal space. He was going to get his arse handed to him once Sanada had the chance to move.
"My dear, you’ve heard this man’s terrible story. Now doesn’t that sound like a terrible predicament, darling?," the smooth voice practically purred and if Sanada wasn't aware - and at this point he was very aware thank you very much - that tone of voice was the stuff that made women weak at the knees. He cast his eyes and wasn’t surprised that it was working if her swooning was any indication. Out of the corner of his eye, Sanada noticed a number of female workers behind the counter were deploying emergency powder on their noses and reapplying lipstick. I will never understand women, Sanada scoffed to himself and wondered who the man behind him was that could garner such a reaction. It was obvious that he was good looking and had a penchant for the opulent side of life. "Why don't you let him onto the emergency seats that you and I know this plane has and fill up your good karma meter for the day, ahn?"
Sanada felt his eyes widen and he wondered to himself what kind of idiot would actually fall for such a trick, not that he wasn't going to be extremely grateful if she did indeed fall for the vocal trap, but it certainly goes against principle. The woman over the counter flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder in what may have been a seductive manoeuvre and leered at the man behind him as her fingers flew on auto-pilot over the keyboard to print out the ticket. Her vocal capabilities having recessed to about the stage of a gaping fish as she did as the mysterious man requested with a nod of her pretty little head. No questions asked. Sanada wondered if the man could get away with murder what with all the female accomplices (and perhaps a select number of male ones too) at his disposal.
Scolding himself for lack of discipline and his lapse in concentration, Sanada observed the contrast of the paler hand against his tanned one and subconsciously may have leaned into the warmth behind him. He figured it wouldn’t do if he opened his mouth and the words that spilled forth had the power to jeopardise his chance of making onto this flight. Already Sanada could hear the chatty voices of his female co-workers in his mind gushing about the happy ever after. This was the stuff of fairy tales and definitely did not happen ever in real life.
Twisting his head to get a look at the man that was too close for real comfort, he could only make out the profile at best. The lips weren't thin for a man and he could see they were pulled into a lazy type of grin. It was the type of smile that the cat that got the canary wore. It wasn’t a leap of the imagination or logic to conclude that he was absolutely gorgeous. The air around this man was slightly familiar and Sanada wondered if they had met some time ago. Though to his knowledge the only one close enough to being a smarmy man was Yagyuu and he was certain his old friend was busy in New York.
"What a kind soul you are, ahh..." The man paused to flick his gaze down to the nametag on that rather ample bosom. There must have been quite a charming grin on that face when the man next spoke with a lazy drawl. Sanada felt like he was caught in the crossfire of a flirtation war. The tone of voice definitely got the desired effect as the blonde made smouldering eyes at the delicious specimen of a man. "Lily. What a wonderful name. You have done a very good deed for such a beautiful and delicate flower." There were a number of things the man could be alluding to and it was definitely not related to anything green fingers could produce. The dramatic pauses between each adjective were warranting a gagging response from Sanada, the words dripping with sexual innuendo thick enough to coat the air with pheromones.
His plane ticket was printed off with a giggle and a well placed painted fingernail. More hot glances were flung casually at the man, who seemed to the world to be wholly unaffected at the entire process but was indulging the woman anyway. More awkwardness ensued as he continued being stuck between what seemed to be the stare down of the century and wondered if this was one of those opportune moments where the ground should have swallowed him up to avoid being caught in such a troublesome predicament. But naturally Mother Nature wasn’t being very kind to him today.
The arm was still around his shoulders and Sanada could almost feel those long fingers brush up against his nipples through his shirt. Accidental or intentional, he wasn’t entire sure and those hands were definitely much too close for comfort. It didn’t help that his situation and he growled out mentally at the traitorous hardening nub. He craned his neck a little and stole a look at his saviour in the mirror adorning the back wall. After all, if he was going to be stuck between them any longer he may as well see what was pressed up against him.
The man was about his height and definitely didn't look Japanese with those awfully bright blue eyes. His hair was that shade between blonde and brunette and the professor couldn’t decide which one it was more like. Sanada couldn’t tell any outward clues as to what the other man’s occupation was. But he had a sinking suspicion manipulation was in the cards.
Time continued to tick slowly, making Sanada far too aware of the press of that hard body against him. The warm touch against his back was somewhat comforting and foreign. It was definitely not alluring at all, he attempted to tell himself; it had been too long since he had been held by anyone. Sanada could feel the scar running up his leg and twisted along his back. It was the only remainder of a terrible car accident that had cost him his career and his fiancee.
She had left him between broken sobs claiming that she just couldn't deal with seeing those reminders of her mistake. The way the buxom blonde was looking at the man behind him was something Sanada had resigned himself that he would not see in this lifetime. So with a man so nonchalantly fiddling with parts of him that really didn't need fiddling was doing a number on his once dormant libido.
Once the newly printed plane ticket was slid between the pages of his passport, Sanada beat a hasty retreat and smoothly slid out from the other man’s loose embrace. He waited to one side to say his thanks as manner dictated. Not more than ten minutes had passed before the mystery man was free from the woman's promising looks and wet lips that seemed to speak of more. He finally got a good look at the decidedly foreign looking man with his hair carefully groomed and golden skin. Sanada couldn't quite tell brands very well, but he was certain that the other man was decked out from head to toe in them.
"Excuse me. I would just like to thank you for helping me out back there," Sanada offered as the blonde but not quite brunette man stopped in front of him. The other man waved it off with an easy smile of pearly white teeth. It was similar to one of his students that always seemed to know the answers to everything; that kind of smugness was an exact replica. If he wasn’t already indebted to the man, Sanada would have liked very much to wipe that smile off with a quick word or two.
"I am glad I could be of help but I did want to make this flight before I have to wait another five hours. You are surprisingly resilient and I have to agree with Lily. You were holding up the line," the easy and rather bored reply came and washed over Sanada like velvet. The very nerve! This man was terribly rude and it made Sanada want to punch babies in the face. Although a pretty face, Sanada had just experienced that the man was completely incapable of manners and an excellent master of manipulation. It wouldn’t do if he got caught in his web.
"Be that as it may, I do wish to sincerely thank you. The ticket in my hand means more to me than you could possibly imagine," Sanada thanked him thoroughly and bowed once before bidding the other farewell as he made his way towards customs and the departure terminal with his suitcase rolling behind him and his cane in the other hand.
A number of people were already waiting at the departure lounge. Children were curling up on top of seats, napping in the laps of their parents as they waited for the attendants to announce that they were ready to accept people boarding. It was no surprise to see a familiar pretty face amongst the short line of first class passengers and even less of a surprise when the attendants processing the tickets pressed a tissue to her nose as he walked past.
***
Although the flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong had only been five or so hours, there had been a baby that had been travelling in the same cabin who had screamed the entire way leaving Sanada and much of the other passengers feeling tired and cranky. The trip had consisted of a small meal of inedible trollop that all airlines disguise as food that tasted horrible and bland. He had immediately lost his appetite after the second bite. Not that he could stomach anything in his worry for Yukimura.
Was Yukimura alright? Had he awoken yet from his coma? Sanada couldn’t help worrying as he slowly sauntered to the departure lounge which considering the reconstruction of Hong Kong’s airport was conveniently the terminal next to it. He turned his back to the hustle and bustle of Chinese people and pressed his fingertips against the wide glass windows. There he watched numerous planes take off from the runway and wondered which airplane would be the one to take him to London. Sanada could have sworn any plane that remotely turned in his direction was the one.
Taking steps away from the window, Sanada turned around and collided into someone solid. He had half an apology on his lips when he realised just who he had actually run into. Half a blink later, Sanada blurted out eloquently, “It’s you.” After that hell ride, all of Sanada’s knowledge of vocabulary flew out the rather large glass windows. Fluency was never quite his forte when startled.
The other man raised a delicate eyebrow at the curt greeting, though his lips quirked into a slight grin. For the second time that day, Sanada felt himself being scrutinised. His rumpled clothes spoke volumes of the rather uncomfortable economy class ride. That really couldn’t be helped (he had refused to let Renji pay for anything higher despite the other man’s insistence earlier). Sanada really shouldn’t have been surprised at the other man’s rather fitting conclusion.
“Hello again; you look like crap. Did you have a good flight?” The cheerful tone of voice didn’t make Sanada feel any better and wondered why he was receiving such unadulterated attention from someone like the man who looked to the entire world to have all the female flight attendants at his beck and call. It was obvious the brunette had had a far more comfortable flight. He didn’t really want to give the other man the satisfaction of knowing just how abysmal cattle class really was.
Stranger danger responses were going off in his head. The darker haired man settled for sending a tired scowl in the general direction of the other man’s face, a sarcastic reply already on his lips. “Thank you, Captain Obvious. If you hadn’t already made the terrifying leap of logic earlier, we don’t exactly fit the same pay grade. Now if you’ll excuse me.” Sanada moved to push past the other man when he felt a hand slide around his wrist.
His gaze gravitated to the long fingers that held his wrist in that firm grip and Sanada found his scowl darkening as he looked up to lock gazes. “What do you want now?” Deep inside Sanada was conflicted on the proper course of action that he should be taking. On one hand, he was slightly curious about the man in front of him and just why the man was practically stalking him. That side wanted answers and unfortunately that would mean spending more time in that smug presence. It had also been far too long since anyone had touched him to that capacity and his traitorous wrist was becoming warmer than what normal body temperature should be. But last time he had checked, Sanada was very much into women. Maybe he was just getting a little bit too lonely?
On the other and far more practical hand, Sanada wanted to have nothing to do with this mysterious person who seemed rather hell bent on making his already miserable day unbearable. In fact, all he wanted was a nice cup of tea and to spread out on some soft surface for the few hours away from the shrill calls of screaming babies. Perhaps he could even tempt fate and get a few hours of sleep in before his next flight.
In the end, he decided on a foot and waited patiently for the brunette’s answer who was eyeing him in amusement. For whatever reason, Sanada was unsure of. Unless the other man was in fact a psychic; then there may have been a few emergency bells going off in his mind about his past few thoughts. He schooled his face into a mask of indifference and hoped none of his confusion was leaking through. With a quick glance down at his duffel bag which was looking increasingly more like a pillow by the minute, Sanada wondered how fast it was possible to get rid of this man before his eyelids shut.
However, the other man seemed to have other ideas. “Must you be so antagonistic and suspicious?” The brunette eyebrow was still raised high and the question was punctuated with a defeated kind of sigh. “Now I’m sure this is a wonderfully comfortable piece of glass you happen to want to slide down. Not exactly my idea of comfort, but to each their own. However, I’m certain my idea will suit both our needs.” Without a further ado, the stranger leant down and took hold of his suitcase and began pulling him away from the terminal lounge.
The darker haired man protested and attempted to wrestle his hand away from that rather strong grip. His cane bounced along the clean grounds rather uselessly. “What are you doing?” Sanada hissed as got pulled along by a rather cheerful man, who appeared to the world like he was dragging along a rather petulant child. Only in this case the petulant child had no idea who the dragger was, so it was a bit of a long shot to call this short of kidnapping.
“Don’t dilly-dally or get lost,” the stranger replied with another cheerful grin and looked out of the corner of his eye. Sanada noted that somewhere in the conversation and being dragged away from the terminal thing, the stranger had managed to pull on a pair of aviator sunglasses. If the reactions of some of the passerby were something to go by, the innocent accessory seemed to have heightened some quality within the other man. Sanada wondered again how and why this man was being so friendly.
His protests fell on deaf ears and he had long given up attempting to pull his wrist free from that rather stubborn grip. It was definitely time to switch plans if he ever wanted his wrist back. “Look, stop pulling me already. Let go of me! I demand an explanation of this madness.” Sanada growled as he dug his heels in before they got any further away from the terminal lounge that he needed to be in. The other man finally stopped and turned to face Sanada but the man didn’t let go of his wrist. “Explain. Now,” Sanada spoke in his best ‘don't-mess-with-me’ voice he reserved for his students that deserved it.
The other man must have seen the rise of Sanada’s stubborn streak and realised that there was no way around it but to divulge information to Sanada. “See, I have a room booked at the Airport Izakaya which is nearby. Now I figured that travelling in cattle class is not the most restful of activities and I am trying to fill my good karma quota of the day,” here the man paused for breath and Sanada knew that behind those sunglasses he was being analysed and dissected again. It seemed to be a common running theme today. “You do look like you could do with rest on a proper bed.” Sanada frowned and he could feel a number of alarm bells going off in his head. There was really only one explanation that could take into account all the factors that were being displayed.
The stranger was deeply and mentally challenged with some kind of controlling streak in him. Underneath all those many layers of charisma and the rather attractive outer layer, Sanada could only fathom that the man was a bit loony. Though a rather strong, speedy and stubborn loony which was not advantageous to Sanada given the circumstances. Especially since the man still had his bag and his wrist, neither of which Sanada could leave without. There was only one thing he could possibly do and the darker haired man wondered how much convincing it would take to somehow influence the other man into returning both items preferably unharmed without having to alert airport security.
Clearing his throat, Sanada tried using his teacher voice again despite his quickly disappearing patience. “I appreciate what you are doing for me, I sincerely do. But this is unnecessary. I don’t even know your name! Now, if you would give my bag back to me…” Sanada deliberately left the sentence hanging as he gauged the blonde’s reaction. In the far recesses of his mind, he knew it was most likely that the man would refuse him and he wondered for a fleeting moment where he had to go to get the authorities into this. He braced himself for whatever the outcome would be.
“Atobe Keigo.”
There was no more physical domination on his wrist and Sanada blinked as his bag was offered back to him. He attempted to see past the reflection of the man’s sunglasses, gauging what kind of emotion was playing on that suddenly calm face. That was easier than he thought it would be. His tired head was being quite too imaginative with the amount of possibilities that could have been.
“I thought you would appreciate a shower and a bed to rest on for the coming few hours. But if you vehemently seem to insist that you’re happier waiting at the terminal then who am I to stop you? I don’t force decisions on you.” The honey quality of that voice made Sanada scowl. Don’t force decisions on anyone his left shoe. But the mention of a hot shower could possibly be his undoing. What had his parents taught him about going anywhere with strangers? This Atobe fellow might look and act like a rockstar but he would rather endure hard surfaces and cold glass against his back than to go anywhere with a man that looked like he could commit anything between a murder and a human trafficking plot. He peered curiously under his fringe at the other man as his fingers tightened their grip on his cane as he wondered just what kind of game this man was playing.
The brunette ran a hand through his hair with a sigh at the lack of a response. The man could tell Sanada wasn’t particularly trusting of him, which was a good reaction. Sanada’s thought processes were whirling as people continued to walk past the two men that were at a standoff. There had been many hisses of annoyance from travellers as they walked around the road block. He wrapped his hand around the bag handles and pulled the bag away from the stranger. It was a battle between fight or flight as Sanada attempted to make the correct decision, despite his judgement being clouded by sleep deprivation. But if there was a hot shower in this deal for him, he would take the chance of being possibly mugged of his worldly possessions and left in a country without any means to get home.
“I will take you up on your offer, Atobe-san,” Sanada said at length, as the promise of a bed for a few hours finally, if easily, won out against the worn carpeted floor and comfortable concrete of the terminal lounge. His joints were feeling awfully stiff from having sat in the same position for the duration of the trip and he was certain it could all be fixed with a shower. Sanada only hoped that this didn’t end up with him being carted off to goodness knows where. Perhaps he had been spending too much time reading too into things. Perhaps Atobe was really trying to be nice. Perhaps the sun also rose from the west.
The duo made their way to the front of the airport where there were complimentary shuttle services to the Airport Izakaya. Sanada was unsure whether it was all pre-planned for Atobe did not have any baggage on him. He observed the man as they stood awaiting their stop. The comfortable posture Atobe held seemed to have attracted the attention of a number of women on the bus as they spoke behind their hands to undoubtedly comment on the handsome one. With a wry smirk, Sanada wondered if Atobe got treated like some Adonis often. He snuck another glance out of the corner of his eye and noted the self-satisfied smug look on Atobe’s face. The answer was a resounding and very loud yes.
The shuttle bus doors opened and a handful of people got off the bus. He may have heard abject sighs of disappointment as the man gracefully stepped off the vehicle. Sanada was pretty certain as the bus pulled away, there would be the press of faces against the windows. It was a riot being this close to Atobe. The same Atobe who kept insisting on helping Sanada with his bag, an act of chivalry or with a different kind of motive, he wasn’t quite sure.
When he immediately set foot into the lobby of the Airport Izakaya, he felt a little apprehensive at the atmosphere the place exuded. Atobe motioned for him to wait by the elevators as he went to get the key card to their room. He nodded in acknowledgement of the order, still wondering about Atobe’s lack of a suitcase even as his own bag was held by Atobe’s firm grip. Moments later the man in question returned with a smile as he held a key card between his long slim fingers.
“I’ve got the room. Please follow me…” Atobe hesitated as he realised that Sanada had never offered up his name in return. He tilted his head to one side as he removed his aviators from his face. It was wiser not to mention that he had earlier acquired his name from Sanada’s airplane ticket. He offered a small smile which he hoped Sanada wouldn’t translate as something predatory. The vibes he was getting from the other man was akin to him being the big bad wolf about to devour something quite delectable. “I’m sorry but I never caught your name.”
Sanada looked up like a deer caught in headlights as he withdrew his hand from where he had just pressed the button for the elevator. Discovering he had indeed not offered up his name, Sanada cleared his throat in embarrassment.
“Sanada Genichirou.”
Part 2 →
A/N: What do you think? Hate it? Love it? I'm not even sure where this is going to be headed myself. This is to combat the lack of AtoSana in the world and hopefully Sanada doesn't seem too out of character. ^^; I'm working on it! I definitely hadn't fathomed I'd be writing something so long what with a few projects of mine needing updates rather badly. But I will endeavour to do my best, because Fate really doesn't have any definite ending for the forseeable future anyway. I'm interested as to where Atobe and Sanada will take me on this ride.
[Fandom | Tenipuri ]
[Characters | Atobe, Sanada ]
[Rating | This Chapter: PG-13, NC-17 (eventually) ]
[Word Count | 5 585 ]
[Warnings | AU, Seme!Keigo (eventually) ]
[Summary | Sanada is uprooted from his idyllic lifestyle by a sudden phone call. He meets a helpful mysterious stranger who helps him through a series of life's challenges. ]
[Disclaimer | I do not own ANY of these boys. I merely play with Konomi's toys when he's not looking. ]
“Genichirou? It’s Renji. Seiichi’s been in an accident. He’s in a coma right now.”
Sanada’s heart sank into his stomach as it froze at those few words. His grip on the phone tightened and he growled out at his old friend for more details. In a flurry of movement he had Renji booking the next flight to London where their old junior high tennis captain now lived and began to haphazardly fling clothes from his drawers into his suitcase. It was by some meticulous timing that found Sanada with something to do during the break now that all his university classes had stopped for the long winter break. Granted, he didn’t particularly find visiting comatose friends a good thing to do during break. Sanada much preferred his friends full of life.
“I’ll come drive you to the airport. I’ll meet you downstairs in 10 minutes Genichirou. If I could step away from work I would be on this flight with you.” Renji’s voice was filled with something akin to regret that leeched into his perpetual calm tone of voice. The click of the phone being returned to its cradle left Sanada hearing the soft doot doot, nothing like the hammering of his heart against his ribcage that was going at double time. He closed his suitcase with little problem. Even if he had indeed forgotten anything, Sanada was placated with the thought that he could purchase it in London for three times the cost in one of the thrifty stores in Japan. Yukimura had always complained about the high cost of living in England.
He looked about his small professor’s apartment with his suitcase by the door to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything and scowled as he realised he had left his cane by his bedside table. He trudged with his slight limp to grab his walking aid just as Renji pulled up to the kerbside and honked once. Sanada turned the lights off and grabbed his things, making sure he had his keys safely pocketed and all his important documentation was accounted for. His suitcase was easily carried down the stairs and Sanada exchanged brief words of greeting with Renji. It was clear both men were deeply troubled by the news of their friend but it was Renji that did most of the talking and informed Sanada all he knew about the situation.
Climbing into the passenger seat, Sanada rearranged his jacket and buckled in. He stiffly ignored the feel of his cane against his knee as he watched the scenery change. There was a tumultuous knot of foreboding twisting inside Sanada’s gut and the thick layers of anxiety brewing in the air left old friends without many words. The feeling didn’t lessen any as the small red car pulled into departures of Narita airport and Renji killed the motor to help Sanada unload his suitcase to the kerbside.
“Genichirou, I hope you have a safe flight. I have to get back to work. I know you’re going to insist on paying me for your airfare, but don’t bother. I have a feeling you’re going to need it for accommodation alone in London,” Renji looked regretful and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. In his hand, Renji placed a book; a travel book about London it seemed to be. “I hope that is useful. Take care of yourself.” Sanada nodded and thanked Renji before watching the man pull away of the kerb and drive away. With a heavy sigh, he extended the handle of his suitcase and walked inside the building, his limp not appearing to bother him much.
Narita airport was filled with the busy bustle of families and businessmen with their sleek black bags trundling along behind them, everyone frantic to get to the right counter at the right time. All around him Sanada saw the excited features of children as they waited in line with their families and teddies in hand. Walking to the large and very informative display screens, Sanada blanched as he read that his flight was delayed. The length of time had yet to be disclosed. This didn’t bode well for the start of a journey.
***
After a five hour delay, it was finally announced that the airplane he was to board was unworthy of flying that day. He hooked his cane against the side of his luggage and pressed fingers against his temples. Anyone with eyes could probably see the frustration rolling off him in waves. The overhead announcements urged passengers to take it up with the airline for an alternative flight path. Sanada eased himself out of the seat and quickly joined the queue of disgruntled people lining up. After all, airlines were required to maintain customer satisfaction and damn it did Sanada have something to say about his level of satisfaction at that moment.
The line shuffled and inched towards the front desk. He peered around the person in front of him in the queue and sighed to himself, noting the very long queue. His earlier frustration was waning and Sanada sighed to himself, feeling suddenly very weary of the world. The slow procession to the front only left an imprint of his cane handle in the plam of his hand but only bad news greeted him at the front desk.
"I'm sorry, sir. But this flight has been completely booked." The woman peered over her button nose down at him, her tone sounding quite unsympathetic to Sanada's cause. He frowned and argued in return, hoping that reason would reach her as well as the use of words with shorter syllables. The contempt was clearly seen on her face, clearly not liking being talked to like a five year old child. Sanada thought that was closer around the mark of her mental age, but quickly abandoned that plan. It wouldn’t do if the lady got nasty. It most certainly wouldn’t help him see Yukimura any faster.
The blonde tapped on the keyboard with her brightly painted fingernails and gave him a look, another one of those looks of appraisal as she took in his attire. Sanada didn’t think he looked that shabby in his well worn pants and a white shirt. Sure, the shirt didn’t have the same level of crispness from when it was first new, but it was what he considered the worn in look. All the kids around campus were sporting the very same look these days.
"The next flight is in six hours and has only one seat available in first class." Not that you look like you can afford it. Sanada could hear those unspoken words and tried to funnel out some of his frustration through the long breath he exhaled. Which god did he piss off recently for such terrible service? It certainly wouldn't do to wrap his hands around her tiny neck and wring the life out of the only thing that stood in his way of a flight that could get him to London as soon as possible. But the thought made him smile mentally if a bit sadistically. Clearly, Kirihara had rubbed off on him.
“My earlier flight had been delayed for five hours and then announced it was not going to fly at all tonight. I must get on this flight to make my connecting flight to England. You don't understand the situation I am in. My friend who has been like a little brother to me has been in a terrible skiing accident. I have to make this flight." Sanada growled out, feeling his patience unravel like the fraying ends of a rope. He also knew name calling wouldn’t be very conducive towards his plight, but this woman was infuriating. It had been a hellish morning so far and if this primped up princess was going to bear the brunt of it with her judging eyes then so be it. He pressed his weight against the counter, attempting to intimidate her further with his height.
He replayed the information of Yukimura’s situation in his head. His former captain had been caught in a sudden avalanche when he had been skiing with Tezuka. Tezuka had been able to miss the brunt of the blow but Yukimura had not been so lucky and had slipped into a coma on the way to the hospital. All this Renji found out from Yukimura's frantic mother in one phone call.
The woman behind the counter gave him a rather cold hearted stare. The conversation was finished in her eyes and this old man was too stubborn for his own good. "You're holding up the line and-" Her demeanour changed as suddenly as a hand wrapped around the counter next to Sanada’s clenched fist and an arm wrapped ever so casually around his shoulders. The strong scent of expensive cologne invaded his nostrils and his small bubble of privacy. Sanada could only turn his head slightly to catch the sight of someone's jaw line thinking that whoever the person standing behind him with had a sheer lack of an understanding about the concept of personal space. He was going to get his arse handed to him once Sanada had the chance to move.
"My dear, you’ve heard this man’s terrible story. Now doesn’t that sound like a terrible predicament, darling?," the smooth voice practically purred and if Sanada wasn't aware - and at this point he was very aware thank you very much - that tone of voice was the stuff that made women weak at the knees. He cast his eyes and wasn’t surprised that it was working if her swooning was any indication. Out of the corner of his eye, Sanada noticed a number of female workers behind the counter were deploying emergency powder on their noses and reapplying lipstick. I will never understand women, Sanada scoffed to himself and wondered who the man behind him was that could garner such a reaction. It was obvious that he was good looking and had a penchant for the opulent side of life. "Why don't you let him onto the emergency seats that you and I know this plane has and fill up your good karma meter for the day, ahn?"
Sanada felt his eyes widen and he wondered to himself what kind of idiot would actually fall for such a trick, not that he wasn't going to be extremely grateful if she did indeed fall for the vocal trap, but it certainly goes against principle. The woman over the counter flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder in what may have been a seductive manoeuvre and leered at the man behind him as her fingers flew on auto-pilot over the keyboard to print out the ticket. Her vocal capabilities having recessed to about the stage of a gaping fish as she did as the mysterious man requested with a nod of her pretty little head. No questions asked. Sanada wondered if the man could get away with murder what with all the female accomplices (and perhaps a select number of male ones too) at his disposal.
Scolding himself for lack of discipline and his lapse in concentration, Sanada observed the contrast of the paler hand against his tanned one and subconsciously may have leaned into the warmth behind him. He figured it wouldn’t do if he opened his mouth and the words that spilled forth had the power to jeopardise his chance of making onto this flight. Already Sanada could hear the chatty voices of his female co-workers in his mind gushing about the happy ever after. This was the stuff of fairy tales and definitely did not happen ever in real life.
Twisting his head to get a look at the man that was too close for real comfort, he could only make out the profile at best. The lips weren't thin for a man and he could see they were pulled into a lazy type of grin. It was the type of smile that the cat that got the canary wore. It wasn’t a leap of the imagination or logic to conclude that he was absolutely gorgeous. The air around this man was slightly familiar and Sanada wondered if they had met some time ago. Though to his knowledge the only one close enough to being a smarmy man was Yagyuu and he was certain his old friend was busy in New York.
"What a kind soul you are, ahh..." The man paused to flick his gaze down to the nametag on that rather ample bosom. There must have been quite a charming grin on that face when the man next spoke with a lazy drawl. Sanada felt like he was caught in the crossfire of a flirtation war. The tone of voice definitely got the desired effect as the blonde made smouldering eyes at the delicious specimen of a man. "Lily. What a wonderful name. You have done a very good deed for such a beautiful and delicate flower." There were a number of things the man could be alluding to and it was definitely not related to anything green fingers could produce. The dramatic pauses between each adjective were warranting a gagging response from Sanada, the words dripping with sexual innuendo thick enough to coat the air with pheromones.
His plane ticket was printed off with a giggle and a well placed painted fingernail. More hot glances were flung casually at the man, who seemed to the world to be wholly unaffected at the entire process but was indulging the woman anyway. More awkwardness ensued as he continued being stuck between what seemed to be the stare down of the century and wondered if this was one of those opportune moments where the ground should have swallowed him up to avoid being caught in such a troublesome predicament. But naturally Mother Nature wasn’t being very kind to him today.
The arm was still around his shoulders and Sanada could almost feel those long fingers brush up against his nipples through his shirt. Accidental or intentional, he wasn’t entire sure and those hands were definitely much too close for comfort. It didn’t help that his situation and he growled out mentally at the traitorous hardening nub. He craned his neck a little and stole a look at his saviour in the mirror adorning the back wall. After all, if he was going to be stuck between them any longer he may as well see what was pressed up against him.
The man was about his height and definitely didn't look Japanese with those awfully bright blue eyes. His hair was that shade between blonde and brunette and the professor couldn’t decide which one it was more like. Sanada couldn’t tell any outward clues as to what the other man’s occupation was. But he had a sinking suspicion manipulation was in the cards.
Time continued to tick slowly, making Sanada far too aware of the press of that hard body against him. The warm touch against his back was somewhat comforting and foreign. It was definitely not alluring at all, he attempted to tell himself; it had been too long since he had been held by anyone. Sanada could feel the scar running up his leg and twisted along his back. It was the only remainder of a terrible car accident that had cost him his career and his fiancee.
She had left him between broken sobs claiming that she just couldn't deal with seeing those reminders of her mistake. The way the buxom blonde was looking at the man behind him was something Sanada had resigned himself that he would not see in this lifetime. So with a man so nonchalantly fiddling with parts of him that really didn't need fiddling was doing a number on his once dormant libido.
Once the newly printed plane ticket was slid between the pages of his passport, Sanada beat a hasty retreat and smoothly slid out from the other man’s loose embrace. He waited to one side to say his thanks as manner dictated. Not more than ten minutes had passed before the mystery man was free from the woman's promising looks and wet lips that seemed to speak of more. He finally got a good look at the decidedly foreign looking man with his hair carefully groomed and golden skin. Sanada couldn't quite tell brands very well, but he was certain that the other man was decked out from head to toe in them.
"Excuse me. I would just like to thank you for helping me out back there," Sanada offered as the blonde but not quite brunette man stopped in front of him. The other man waved it off with an easy smile of pearly white teeth. It was similar to one of his students that always seemed to know the answers to everything; that kind of smugness was an exact replica. If he wasn’t already indebted to the man, Sanada would have liked very much to wipe that smile off with a quick word or two.
"I am glad I could be of help but I did want to make this flight before I have to wait another five hours. You are surprisingly resilient and I have to agree with Lily. You were holding up the line," the easy and rather bored reply came and washed over Sanada like velvet. The very nerve! This man was terribly rude and it made Sanada want to punch babies in the face. Although a pretty face, Sanada had just experienced that the man was completely incapable of manners and an excellent master of manipulation. It wouldn’t do if he got caught in his web.
"Be that as it may, I do wish to sincerely thank you. The ticket in my hand means more to me than you could possibly imagine," Sanada thanked him thoroughly and bowed once before bidding the other farewell as he made his way towards customs and the departure terminal with his suitcase rolling behind him and his cane in the other hand.
A number of people were already waiting at the departure lounge. Children were curling up on top of seats, napping in the laps of their parents as they waited for the attendants to announce that they were ready to accept people boarding. It was no surprise to see a familiar pretty face amongst the short line of first class passengers and even less of a surprise when the attendants processing the tickets pressed a tissue to her nose as he walked past.
***
Although the flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong had only been five or so hours, there had been a baby that had been travelling in the same cabin who had screamed the entire way leaving Sanada and much of the other passengers feeling tired and cranky. The trip had consisted of a small meal of inedible trollop that all airlines disguise as food that tasted horrible and bland. He had immediately lost his appetite after the second bite. Not that he could stomach anything in his worry for Yukimura.
Was Yukimura alright? Had he awoken yet from his coma? Sanada couldn’t help worrying as he slowly sauntered to the departure lounge which considering the reconstruction of Hong Kong’s airport was conveniently the terminal next to it. He turned his back to the hustle and bustle of Chinese people and pressed his fingertips against the wide glass windows. There he watched numerous planes take off from the runway and wondered which airplane would be the one to take him to London. Sanada could have sworn any plane that remotely turned in his direction was the one.
Taking steps away from the window, Sanada turned around and collided into someone solid. He had half an apology on his lips when he realised just who he had actually run into. Half a blink later, Sanada blurted out eloquently, “It’s you.” After that hell ride, all of Sanada’s knowledge of vocabulary flew out the rather large glass windows. Fluency was never quite his forte when startled.
The other man raised a delicate eyebrow at the curt greeting, though his lips quirked into a slight grin. For the second time that day, Sanada felt himself being scrutinised. His rumpled clothes spoke volumes of the rather uncomfortable economy class ride. That really couldn’t be helped (he had refused to let Renji pay for anything higher despite the other man’s insistence earlier). Sanada really shouldn’t have been surprised at the other man’s rather fitting conclusion.
“Hello again; you look like crap. Did you have a good flight?” The cheerful tone of voice didn’t make Sanada feel any better and wondered why he was receiving such unadulterated attention from someone like the man who looked to the entire world to have all the female flight attendants at his beck and call. It was obvious the brunette had had a far more comfortable flight. He didn’t really want to give the other man the satisfaction of knowing just how abysmal cattle class really was.
Stranger danger responses were going off in his head. The darker haired man settled for sending a tired scowl in the general direction of the other man’s face, a sarcastic reply already on his lips. “Thank you, Captain Obvious. If you hadn’t already made the terrifying leap of logic earlier, we don’t exactly fit the same pay grade. Now if you’ll excuse me.” Sanada moved to push past the other man when he felt a hand slide around his wrist.
His gaze gravitated to the long fingers that held his wrist in that firm grip and Sanada found his scowl darkening as he looked up to lock gazes. “What do you want now?” Deep inside Sanada was conflicted on the proper course of action that he should be taking. On one hand, he was slightly curious about the man in front of him and just why the man was practically stalking him. That side wanted answers and unfortunately that would mean spending more time in that smug presence. It had also been far too long since anyone had touched him to that capacity and his traitorous wrist was becoming warmer than what normal body temperature should be. But last time he had checked, Sanada was very much into women. Maybe he was just getting a little bit too lonely?
On the other and far more practical hand, Sanada wanted to have nothing to do with this mysterious person who seemed rather hell bent on making his already miserable day unbearable. In fact, all he wanted was a nice cup of tea and to spread out on some soft surface for the few hours away from the shrill calls of screaming babies. Perhaps he could even tempt fate and get a few hours of sleep in before his next flight.
In the end, he decided on a foot and waited patiently for the brunette’s answer who was eyeing him in amusement. For whatever reason, Sanada was unsure of. Unless the other man was in fact a psychic; then there may have been a few emergency bells going off in his mind about his past few thoughts. He schooled his face into a mask of indifference and hoped none of his confusion was leaking through. With a quick glance down at his duffel bag which was looking increasingly more like a pillow by the minute, Sanada wondered how fast it was possible to get rid of this man before his eyelids shut.
However, the other man seemed to have other ideas. “Must you be so antagonistic and suspicious?” The brunette eyebrow was still raised high and the question was punctuated with a defeated kind of sigh. “Now I’m sure this is a wonderfully comfortable piece of glass you happen to want to slide down. Not exactly my idea of comfort, but to each their own. However, I’m certain my idea will suit both our needs.” Without a further ado, the stranger leant down and took hold of his suitcase and began pulling him away from the terminal lounge.
The darker haired man protested and attempted to wrestle his hand away from that rather strong grip. His cane bounced along the clean grounds rather uselessly. “What are you doing?” Sanada hissed as got pulled along by a rather cheerful man, who appeared to the world like he was dragging along a rather petulant child. Only in this case the petulant child had no idea who the dragger was, so it was a bit of a long shot to call this short of kidnapping.
“Don’t dilly-dally or get lost,” the stranger replied with another cheerful grin and looked out of the corner of his eye. Sanada noted that somewhere in the conversation and being dragged away from the terminal thing, the stranger had managed to pull on a pair of aviator sunglasses. If the reactions of some of the passerby were something to go by, the innocent accessory seemed to have heightened some quality within the other man. Sanada wondered again how and why this man was being so friendly.
His protests fell on deaf ears and he had long given up attempting to pull his wrist free from that rather stubborn grip. It was definitely time to switch plans if he ever wanted his wrist back. “Look, stop pulling me already. Let go of me! I demand an explanation of this madness.” Sanada growled as he dug his heels in before they got any further away from the terminal lounge that he needed to be in. The other man finally stopped and turned to face Sanada but the man didn’t let go of his wrist. “Explain. Now,” Sanada spoke in his best ‘don't-mess-with-me’ voice he reserved for his students that deserved it.
The other man must have seen the rise of Sanada’s stubborn streak and realised that there was no way around it but to divulge information to Sanada. “See, I have a room booked at the Airport Izakaya which is nearby. Now I figured that travelling in cattle class is not the most restful of activities and I am trying to fill my good karma quota of the day,” here the man paused for breath and Sanada knew that behind those sunglasses he was being analysed and dissected again. It seemed to be a common running theme today. “You do look like you could do with rest on a proper bed.” Sanada frowned and he could feel a number of alarm bells going off in his head. There was really only one explanation that could take into account all the factors that were being displayed.
The stranger was deeply and mentally challenged with some kind of controlling streak in him. Underneath all those many layers of charisma and the rather attractive outer layer, Sanada could only fathom that the man was a bit loony. Though a rather strong, speedy and stubborn loony which was not advantageous to Sanada given the circumstances. Especially since the man still had his bag and his wrist, neither of which Sanada could leave without. There was only one thing he could possibly do and the darker haired man wondered how much convincing it would take to somehow influence the other man into returning both items preferably unharmed without having to alert airport security.
Clearing his throat, Sanada tried using his teacher voice again despite his quickly disappearing patience. “I appreciate what you are doing for me, I sincerely do. But this is unnecessary. I don’t even know your name! Now, if you would give my bag back to me…” Sanada deliberately left the sentence hanging as he gauged the blonde’s reaction. In the far recesses of his mind, he knew it was most likely that the man would refuse him and he wondered for a fleeting moment where he had to go to get the authorities into this. He braced himself for whatever the outcome would be.
“Atobe Keigo.”
There was no more physical domination on his wrist and Sanada blinked as his bag was offered back to him. He attempted to see past the reflection of the man’s sunglasses, gauging what kind of emotion was playing on that suddenly calm face. That was easier than he thought it would be. His tired head was being quite too imaginative with the amount of possibilities that could have been.
“I thought you would appreciate a shower and a bed to rest on for the coming few hours. But if you vehemently seem to insist that you’re happier waiting at the terminal then who am I to stop you? I don’t force decisions on you.” The honey quality of that voice made Sanada scowl. Don’t force decisions on anyone his left shoe. But the mention of a hot shower could possibly be his undoing. What had his parents taught him about going anywhere with strangers? This Atobe fellow might look and act like a rockstar but he would rather endure hard surfaces and cold glass against his back than to go anywhere with a man that looked like he could commit anything between a murder and a human trafficking plot. He peered curiously under his fringe at the other man as his fingers tightened their grip on his cane as he wondered just what kind of game this man was playing.
The brunette ran a hand through his hair with a sigh at the lack of a response. The man could tell Sanada wasn’t particularly trusting of him, which was a good reaction. Sanada’s thought processes were whirling as people continued to walk past the two men that were at a standoff. There had been many hisses of annoyance from travellers as they walked around the road block. He wrapped his hand around the bag handles and pulled the bag away from the stranger. It was a battle between fight or flight as Sanada attempted to make the correct decision, despite his judgement being clouded by sleep deprivation. But if there was a hot shower in this deal for him, he would take the chance of being possibly mugged of his worldly possessions and left in a country without any means to get home.
“I will take you up on your offer, Atobe-san,” Sanada said at length, as the promise of a bed for a few hours finally, if easily, won out against the worn carpeted floor and comfortable concrete of the terminal lounge. His joints were feeling awfully stiff from having sat in the same position for the duration of the trip and he was certain it could all be fixed with a shower. Sanada only hoped that this didn’t end up with him being carted off to goodness knows where. Perhaps he had been spending too much time reading too into things. Perhaps Atobe was really trying to be nice. Perhaps the sun also rose from the west.
The duo made their way to the front of the airport where there were complimentary shuttle services to the Airport Izakaya. Sanada was unsure whether it was all pre-planned for Atobe did not have any baggage on him. He observed the man as they stood awaiting their stop. The comfortable posture Atobe held seemed to have attracted the attention of a number of women on the bus as they spoke behind their hands to undoubtedly comment on the handsome one. With a wry smirk, Sanada wondered if Atobe got treated like some Adonis often. He snuck another glance out of the corner of his eye and noted the self-satisfied smug look on Atobe’s face. The answer was a resounding and very loud yes.
The shuttle bus doors opened and a handful of people got off the bus. He may have heard abject sighs of disappointment as the man gracefully stepped off the vehicle. Sanada was pretty certain as the bus pulled away, there would be the press of faces against the windows. It was a riot being this close to Atobe. The same Atobe who kept insisting on helping Sanada with his bag, an act of chivalry or with a different kind of motive, he wasn’t quite sure.
When he immediately set foot into the lobby of the Airport Izakaya, he felt a little apprehensive at the atmosphere the place exuded. Atobe motioned for him to wait by the elevators as he went to get the key card to their room. He nodded in acknowledgement of the order, still wondering about Atobe’s lack of a suitcase even as his own bag was held by Atobe’s firm grip. Moments later the man in question returned with a smile as he held a key card between his long slim fingers.
“I’ve got the room. Please follow me…” Atobe hesitated as he realised that Sanada had never offered up his name in return. He tilted his head to one side as he removed his aviators from his face. It was wiser not to mention that he had earlier acquired his name from Sanada’s airplane ticket. He offered a small smile which he hoped Sanada wouldn’t translate as something predatory. The vibes he was getting from the other man was akin to him being the big bad wolf about to devour something quite delectable. “I’m sorry but I never caught your name.”
Sanada looked up like a deer caught in headlights as he withdrew his hand from where he had just pressed the button for the elevator. Discovering he had indeed not offered up his name, Sanada cleared his throat in embarrassment.
“Sanada Genichirou.”
Part 2 →
A/N: What do you think? Hate it? Love it? I'm not even sure where this is going to be headed myself. This is to combat the lack of AtoSana in the world and hopefully Sanada doesn't seem too out of character. ^^; I'm working on it! I definitely hadn't fathomed I'd be writing something so long what with a few projects of mine needing updates rather badly. But I will endeavour to do my best, because Fate really doesn't have any definite ending for the forseeable future anyway. I'm interested as to where Atobe and Sanada will take me on this ride.