[ multi-chapter ] [ Fate (3/?) ]
[Title | Fate ]
[Fandom | Tenipuri ]
[Characters | Atobe, Sanada ]
[Rating | This Chapter: PG-13, NC-17 (eventually) ]
[Word Count | 5 300 ]
[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. ]
⇠ Part 1 | Part 2
Atobe had enjoyed dinner thoroughly. The appearance of Oishi was as much a surprise to Sanada as it had been to him, despite the latter not even remembering much about the old tennis circle. But it wasn’t like Atobe could expect everyone else’s memory to be like his: perfect and flawless. He could remember the first time he had tasted Oishi’s food and the difference between then and now were vast. Two to three years had seen an improvement in technique that he could taste on his palate and with that world recognition. It was nice to see that Oishi was moving up in the world of culinary excellence.
On the other hand, Atobe wondered if the company he had during tonight’s dinner made the experience sweeter and enjoyable. The brunette couldn’t recall a time where he had been so amused in so many hours, not that he had the gall to tell Sanada that. What a fascinating creature Sanada was turning out to be. He supposed the sake did help (because booze always helps with everything aside from driving). Looking down at the warm weight against his side, Atobe let himself smile a little more. Without the booze, Sanada wouldn’t have allowed him to help him out of the restaurant.
Sanada grumbled as he nearly tripped over the foot of his chair. Being of the chivalrous sort, Atobe helped carry Sanada’s jacket and the other man had surprisingly let him. “I’m just a little bit tipsy, not drunk,” Sanada announced to Atobe, his voice a rather pleasant rumble to his ears. Sanada’s free hand went to press against his forehead where Atobe guessed a dull throbbing headache had started to fester.
He could relate and tightened his grip around Sanada’s waist. It may have been his fault that the sake had been so free flowing, Atobe thought as he slouched down just a little to accommodate Sanada’s arm hooked around his shoulders. ‘But what an interesting learning experience’, Atobe thought fondly and he tucked Sanada’s alcohol tolerance level safely into his memory banks.
They made their way down to the main lobby without any incident which Atobe took for granted since the distance between the door and the elevators was not that great. That was until Sanada’s nearly made contact with an old lady’s face. It was a near miss and left Atobe admiring her agility and speed. She spent a few good minutes ranting at them with her sharp words behind false teeth before she finally let them go. He apologised once more on Sanada’s behalf and took greater care in guiding Sanada to the door.
The pair of them stood out upon the sidewalk as one of the boys whistled shrilly for a taxi. Atobe chuckled to himself and helped the tipsy man into the back of the taxi as the door was held open for him by the driver. Hoping that Sanada was comfortable enough, he closed the door and walked to the other side where the boy had opened the second door.
He produced a few Hong Kong bills and gave them to the valet who beamed at him and closed the door with a thud. The driver was directed to the airstrip dedicated to private planes and Atobe settled in for the trip. Throughout the taxi ride, Atobe found his gaze gravitate towards the napping man’s form. Some rest would help clear the mind and he wouldn’t wish to disturb Sanada’s rest. He might have overestimated Sanada’s ability to hold his liquor and turned his attention to the scenery outside.
The driver was unbelievably chatty; his English horribly disjointed to the point Atobe had to press his hand against his mouth to stop from bursting out laughing at his weak attempts at communication. It was rather tempting for him to just tune out the other man. Mostly what the cabby was talking about was related to Hong Kong’s blossoming racing industry (of which Atobe may or may not have a few horses reaping rewards for him). The topic itself wasn’t particularly riveting but Atobe found himself dropping a hint or two about a few of his horses.
Once they arrived at the isolated airfield, Atobe paid the fare and watched as the green taxi pulled away and turned onto the main road. The short trip had apparently done Sanada some good, for the man was sending a rather scathing scowl in his direction. He offered a smirk in reply, knowing that riling up the other man was fun. He watched as Sanada tightened his grip on his cane, apparently controlling his temper.
“There’s a step here, be careful you don’t trip,” Atobe warned Sanada. The other man must have taken as offense. He wondered if it had been intentional, but shrugged it off and carried both their bags into the hangar.
“Thank you.” The tone of the gruff reply was laced with anything but gratitude, his eyes wary at the grip of Atobe’s hand on the bag. Atobe’s smirk deepened further and the pair slowly walked towards the aircraft hanger where his private plane awaited. At the foot of his plane stood his crew who were all employed to be ready at the drop of a hat when he required travel.
“I’m not so far gone off the sober scale that I can’t tell if there is a step there, but thank you for clarifying it for me because I apparently couldn’t see it for myself.”
Atobe chuckled at the droll statement and walked alongside Sanada, who kept insisting he was only a little bit tipsy. The crew bowed in unison as the brunette and his companion approached. Someone stepped forward to take their bags and Atobe nodded at his crew in turn.
Kamio Akira had surprised everyone when he signed up to flight school. What was even more surprising was when his broody friend, Ibu Shinji, became his co-pilot. The pair had graduated with honours to their name and after only a year flying commercial aircraft, they found themselves under Atobe’s employment. It was probably a decision neither of them would ever regret. Kamio bowed and brushed back his long chestnut bangs from covering his left eye and letting his hat keep it in place effectively.
“Atobe-sama, where will we be embarking to today? And will that gentleman be flying with us?”
He watched as his crew looked around his person to stare quizzically at the man who stood a little ways away. Without looking, Atobe pondered the likelihood of Sanada straightening his back and glaring them all down. With Sanada’s character, which hopefully hadn’t changed all that much in the past decade, the man was most likely doing that very thing if his crew’s faces were anything to go by. He chuckled and wondered if anyone had matured since all those years ago.
“Yes, he will be travelling with us to London. It may have been partially my fault that we missed the connecting flight-” Someone snorted and Atobe could hear someone muttering about ‘partially my fault, my left shoe!’, but he wisely chose to ignore the children around him and continued. “So I’m killing two birds with one stone by being a good Samaritan and getting to where I need to be.”
Kamio just sighed and nodded to his broody co-pilot and the pair disappeared up the stairs, back into the cockpit to begin pre-takeoff checks. Of all the people Atobe was convinced wouldn’t be a pilot, Ibu Shinji had to be one of them. He looked around the hangar for his flight engineer and found the lazy bastard had not bothered to greet him properly, but it was of little consequence and importance right now, so the brunette let it slide.
That left only one member of his crew at the bottom of the stairs; a woman with bushy brunette hair and a mole under her eye to rival Atobe's own. People had been confusing them to be related ever since they had travelled with him.
She bowed to Sanada and introduced herself as Tomoka the flight attendant. In all the few short years of service, Atobe had yet to find the girl anything but enthusiastic and perky in her duties as a committed and serious flight attendant. Sanada didn't speak and Atobe could only assume the other man had nodded at her or something to that equal effect.
"The pre-flight checks will be finalised in a matter of minutes. We shall begin boarding if all arrangements have been finalised, gentlemen.”
He turned in a half circle to speak to Sanada with only one warning.. “Look Sanada-san, I don’t want you to feel pressured into coming-"
The scathing look on Sanada’s face was enough for the rest of his sentence to drop off. The dark haired man walked towards the stairs and shot a few words over his shoulder to match the look. “Pressure, Atobe-san? I think not. You’ve already stolen my bag. Why would I ever feel pressured to follow you?” Without further ado, the man stalked up the metal stairs and disappeared into the cabin. He gave an easy roll of his shoulders and followed after him up the stairs.
Sanada's stunned silence at the plane’s interior and Atobe hoped it meant silent approval. The cabin was swathed in shades of white which brought out the colour of the wood that was used as tables. The plump chairs were designed for comfort and each one was begging to be sat upon.
"Take any seat you like, sensei," Atobe said as he went to where the earlier crew member had placed their luggage in a safe baggage net towards the back of the small plane. He rummaged through his bag to produce his laptop.
Sanada chose the seat furthest away from the cabin door. The seat that offered a view of the entire cabin without having to crane his neck horribly; Sanada liked knowing what was going on in case anything awry was to happen. The flight attendant brought up the rear and closed the door firmly shut behind them.
'It is a good thing there aren’t any extra passengers. Wouldn't do if they took up all the comfortable chairs,' Atobe thought wryly and sat opposite Sanada. He shot the man a knowing grin, only to be easily ignored.
“Comfortable isn’t it?”
Sanada nodded, finding the squishy cushions rather agreeable. They were far better than the chairs in economy class and he wondered if Atobe’s chairs were like that of business and first class. Perhaps next time he would allow Yanagi to pay for a better seat.
Tomoka bowed once to her charges and informed them that if they were in need of anything at any time, it was possible to contact her in the crew’s cabin via intercom. She disappeared to join the pilots with an exaggerated sway of her hips and left the pair alone.
Atobe set his laptop on the polished wood table that separated them and powered it on eager to resume the work he started back at the hotel. The brunette ignored Kamio's voice as he announced that all seat belts should be fastened. Sanada frowned at that, but chose to not remind him. The man had learnt a few things about efficiency over the years and the motion of the small plane rolling towards the tarmac didn't deter his fingers from tapping at his keyboard. Only when Sanada spoke up in his usual clipped tone did Atobe momentarily look up away from his screen.”All electrical equipment needs to be switched off you know," he said, and Atobe raised an eyebrow in reply.
"Ahn?"
Sanada fixed him with a level look as he fiddled with his seatbelt to tighten it.”Electrical equipment causes interference with the onboard aircraft systems that are integral to a successful take off. Everyone knows that."
Atobe sighed softly and closed the lid of his laptop. “Take offs make me nervous," he admitted, “I need distractions when the plane lifts off. You know, just in case it lifts off and comes back down again.” His crew usually just let him be with his various modes of distraction, each wise enough to not speak out in front of their employer. After all, Atobe did pay his employees very well.
In a display of logic, Sanada's temporary expression of surprise took over the usual frown upon his countenance. “You are afraid of take-offs and crave distraction during it, yet the very method of distraction you employ could cause the plane to return to the ground." Atobe scowled mentally at Sanada and nodded mutely. That tone of voice made him feel like he was five. Besides, it was a perfectly legitimate thing to be nervous about.
"I said it makes me nervous. I’m not afraid of it."
"Turn that laptop off then. I don't intend to kick the proverbial bucket before I get to London," Sanada curtly informed him as he flicked his gaze between the aforementioned laptop and its owner. Atobe wondered if the man liked bossing people around. “Honestly, you own your own private jet and pretend all the rules for commercial aircraft don’t exist."
Atobe didn't reply as he saved his open documents and then set his piece of technology to hibernate. Then he looked up and felt a small quiver of apprehension fill his stomach as the small plane lined itself up on the straight and stilled. He chose to ignore the feeling and watched Sanada. “How do you plan on distracting me?" he asked, keeping his voice light and playful instead of hinting at his rising panic. He threw in a leer free of charge.
Sanada rolled his eyes and easily brushed the leer aside. “It is an activity I am certain you have no issues with. In fact, you are probably far too good at it. Care to give it a guess?" The professor's lips quirked upwards. The frown that had earlier been fixed upon Sanada’s features somehow ended up on his own in a contortion of concentration.
"Give me a hint. My talents cover a wide range of topics, namely everything, so this guessing game could take quite some time," he smoothly replied and folded his legs under the table, rather hiding his eagerness very well. He had to find the answer. It felt like some indirect compliment coming from Sanada.
A snort came from his companion and the man shook his head slowly in disagreement. “Modesty is not exactly your strong point Atobe. A hint, you say..." The man flicked his gaze outside as the engines kicked into life, causing the cabin to thrum and vibrate with energy.
"This activity is best done with your mouth."
The snigger that escaped his throat had a partner in crime as the lazy grin slowly turned sinister. There were a number of things he was good at with his mouth. Various sources from the past had confirmed that. Atobe observed Sanada for a moment and ruled out anything related to things behind closed doors. His thoughts were whirling quickly around his mind that Atobe did not notice when the plane took off and pulled away from the runway.
***
The instant Sanada realised he had said the word mouth, he had regretted it. No sooner had Atobe sniggered pervertedly did Sanada realise what Atobe’s mind was currently thinking about. It was clearly the path most frequently taken, if Sanada assumed correctly. He let out an inaudible sigh, predicting that Atobe would never let him live down his choice of words on the long ride that was to come.
Years of being apart and not having any contact with the ex-Hyoutei captain had left Atobe as a distant memory. 'Until now,' Sanada thought, wishing that Atobe had stayed that way.
Racking his brains for any piece of information about Atobe from around his first year of senior high, Sanada could only recall one instance where he had been hanging out with the boys and someone (probably Marui) had asked about where their old adversaries had gone to. Someone (undoubtedly Renji) had replied that he was able to answer most of the whereabouts of the old junior high tennis circle.
Atobe's name had cropped up quite early in one of the 'let's-quiz-Renji' game. The dark-haired man remembered his friend saying that Atobe had left the country and had returned to England. He also remembered someone (Marui again probably) asking why Atobe had left and Yanagi hadn't been able to answer. Akaya had jokingly asked his fukubuchou if his heart had been broken by his lover leaving the country for good.
He had scowled menacingly at his sniggering friends. The loudest of them all were calmly ordered to do laps and those fearing for their lives ran away to do them. Sanada could hear laughter as they ran however. Of those that he hadn’t ordered to run, Sanada had promptly given them a much-needed tongue lashing about his non-relationship with Atobe. Atobe was just another pretty face with some considerable skill to back up his tennis and nothing had been going on at the Junior Senbatsu, but no one seemed overly convinced. That was the last time Atobe had ever been mentioned as real life got in the way of everything.
The memory made him scowl and he realised Atobe hadn't noticed his wavering attention. Curling his fingers around his chin, Sanada turned to look out the window and stared at his haggard reflection. It wasn’t that surprising to have entirely forgotten about Atobe Keigo or Oishi Shuuichirou. The lack of communication and the many other and far more important things in life was as good an answer as any to why it never occurred to him that the brunette who had come to his rescue was the older version of a boy he had met a good fifteen years or so ago.
There were people from his junior high class he no longer remembered the faces or names of and a good majority of his tennis opponents fell into that category. The course of time changed things in an unpredictable way, so it couldn’t be considered his fault if someone as great as Atobe slipped from his mind.
He looked at Atobe, really observing the man this time and Sanada could see the differences that the years had inflicted on him. Manipulative jerk, Sanada thought viciously at the earlier rants that had somehow lead to this -- travelling halfway across the world with an old acquaintance. The wheels of fate were rather unkind to him lately.
"The activity you speak of, could it be related to the way my tongue-"
The leer was still on Atobe's face and he glared at the man in return. “It has nothing to do with what you are thinking about," Sanada spoke, pre-empting the list of sexual acts that Atobe was thinking about. He mentally appended 'pervert' to the growing list of words that described the modern day Atobe.
"My, my, Sanada-san, I was going to say nothing of the sort.” Sanada felt his eyebrow twitch almost comically, not believing for a second that Atobe was not insinuating perverse acts with his silver tongue, especially not with his choice of words.
"Of course you weren’t. Especially with the way you have been groping me all day, you were definitely not going to say anything related to that."
Atobe's grin widened impossibly. ”I have been doing no such thing and I haven’t seen you all day, just on two separate occasions. There’s a fine difference there. Maybe you are just subconsciously seeking my touch?" the younger man teased as he threaded his fingers together and propped his chin up on the back of his hands. Sanada said nothing, wanting nothing more than to knock Atobe's arms away so that the man would faceplant hilariously onto his laptop.
"Ahn? Not going to deny it? Must be a yes then.”
He took in a deep calming breath to soothe his fraying patience. “You were saying?" Sanada replied blandly, ignoring Atobe’s suggestive question. He was never one for adding kerosene to the fire. It was much easier to ignore idiots, and now that he had been teaching for nearly half a decade, it wasn’t an impossible feat to achieve. Atobe stifled his amusement into his hand and offered his companion a bright smile.
“The activity you spoke of is perhaps related to speaking?”
He nodded, not all that surprised that Atobe had guessed it in one go. The other man seemed pleased and sat back into his seat looking incredibly smug with himself. With the airplane steadily increasing in altitude, Sanada found himself being the subject of Atobe’s stare. He just hoped he didn’t remind Atobe that they could still plummet to the ground from this great height.
Speaking was becoming a good distraction for the both of them. “You are correct,” Sanada snuggled deeper into the white leather and looked out the small window at the pitch black tone of the night outside.
“It’s a shame we’re not going to be passing over civilisation. The lights are beautiful at night over Hong Kong.” The man spoke as he pulled the plastic partition down, cutting off the entrancing view of the black outside. “So, Sanada-san, it has been what, fifteen sixteen years since we’ve last spoken or even seen each other. I propose a game, just a simple game of asking simple questions. Don’t ask questions you wouldn’t answer yourself. Don’t want to answer a question then get another go. Are you game?”
Sanada nodded again. It was exactly the idea he had in mind and the smug man sitting opposite him was taking all the credit. That had to be changed. “That was what I was going to suggest. Are you game?” The other man chuckled, finding the irony of the situation amusing.
“Oh I’m very game,” came the breathy reply. “I wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise, especially with this special quality of mine being so highly praised by you.” Sanada rolled his eyes and wished he’d mentioned something about Atobe’s rarer quality of staying quiet and practising that instead. Hindsight was always a bitch to consider. It was a good thing that the plane was entering its long cruising part of the journey. The seatbelt sign switched off and both men unbuckled themselves from their chairs.¬
“Before we start, I think I will be emptying my bladder first. You kept the sake flowing,” Sanada said as he stood up from his chair and ambled to the toilet with his cane a steady presence in his left hand. Disappearing behind the door, Sanada sighed inaudibly against it as he locked it for some privacy.
He washed his hands thoroughly afterwards and stared at his appearance in the mirror, feeling slightly vain. The person blinked back and Sanada nodded at himself. Question time, he could handle it. He didn’t become a professor by choice but Sanada was getting better at handling and answering questions. Though it was most unlikely that Atobe would ask about Japanese literature, Sanada wondered if he was ready to disclose parts of him that he hadn’t ever told anyone.
If he could help it, Atobe was not going to be seeing him in London. It wouldn’t matter if he was truthful, right? Sanada wiped his hands clean on the towel and unlocked the door before Atobe found it necessary to check on him again like he had back at the hotel. Yes, this was only just a strange quirk of fate that had landed him in something out of a movie script.
The other man had apparently gotten his flight attendant to arrange drinks for them and Sanada was impressed at how fast the woman had worked. Atobe looked up and smiled, “I assure you there’s no alcohol here, sensei. Just some sparkling water for I expect us to be asking a number of questions.” Sanada nodded and took his seat, setting his cane to lean against the junction between cushy back rest and arm rest without it falling over.
Yes, nothing was ever normal when it came to Atobe either, Sanada mused. It had certainly never been at their last junior senbatsu where he clearly remembered Atobe showing off his wealth in one way or another. ‘And today I am seeing that he does indeed have the evidence to back up his prior plans of flying people across countries because he could.’ He didn’t know why he had scoffed at that idea back when he was younger, for the idea of actually owning a private jet was not dealt into his hand of cards.
“I’m assuming you are comfortable enough to begin?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s begin with the easy questions, then. Sanada-san, are you romantically linked with Yukimura Seiichi?”
That was the most absurd question in the history of questions. The professor could not believe Atobe had the nerve to ask something so private. Sanada gave him the longest and hardest stare he could muster. His idea of easy questions ran along the lines of what one’s profession was or if he had any pets.
"What?"
"No need to act so surprised. It’s just a simple yes or no. Aren’t I so thoughtful? I’ll give you some time to think about it so I'll go first and answer," Atobe said. The brunette wondered if Sanada realised his mouth was hanging open and he looked quite like a fish. "I can say that I have not been romantically involved with your captain, although I wouldn't be adverse to it if he asked."
Sanada growled at the brunette. How dare this man even suggest that he and Yukimura were like that especially when Yukimura didn't do that with men. Just thinking about Yukimura and that was like any child thinking about their own parents having sex. It made him wish that brain bleach was invented. Time definitely hadn’t improved Atobe's subtlety and Sanada was rather convinced that the entire Atobe family were like this by nature.
"Oh go on Sanada. It's been years and practically everyone thought you two had it on."
"Not that it’s any of your business, but no." Sanada ground out. Atobe nodded calmly and ignored the daggers being shot his way. It was kind of Sanada to finally confirm that particular fifteen year old rumour. "Are you and Oshitari romantically linked then?”
Atobe chuckled and shook his head. “Heaven’s no. If you couldn’t remember, we were too busy at the gym most of the time. I am pretty sure Oshitari was busy with his doubles partner anyway.” The brunette man shrugged and smiled lazily at Sanada who cringed at the mention of Gakuto and Oshitari. Sanada’s hand found his cup of sparkling water and brought it to his lips.
“Were you married once Sanada?” The dark haired man brought his cup down after taking a swallow of water. ‘How did Atobe come to that conclusion’, he wondered. “Your ring finger has a ring tan, though it isn’t very dark suggesting that your marriage may have ended at some point. You don’t have to answer if you’re uncomfortable with it.”
Sanada didn’t particularly like talking about his engagement since it always brought back so many painful memories. Yanagi and Yukimura were always nagging at him about how it wasn’t healthy to keep everything bottled up inside. Sanada had even gone to a psychiatrist for a few sessions in hopes that it would help him somehow. It didn’t.
He looked up to find inquisitive blue eyes studying him, brunette eyebrows knotted together and Sanada was surprised to find a hint of concern on his companion’s face. Perhaps he had been carrying about his tale for far too long and it wouldn’t hurt to bare his soul to someone that seemed so genuinely interested.
“I was engaged once to a woman named Shizuka. I thought she was the one I would spend the rest of my life with. I was young and at the height of my career, feeling virtually invincible,” he hesitated for a moment, averting his eyes down to watch the clear liquid quiver with the small motions of the plane.
Atobe laid a warm hand over Sanada’s in a gesture of comfort. The brunette could tell the other man had suffered but was entirely unsure of how to help Sanada through his tale. He brushed his thumb over the back of Sanada’s hand and gently asked what happened next.
“She was drunk and had insisted on driving home. I had insisted on getting a taxi home, but she insisted and she pushed,” Sanada continued to stare at his glass. The bitterness ran deep and his mind kept replaying that day over and over. He had always wondered what would have happened if things had turned out differently.
“We ended up in a car accident and you can see what I ended up with.” Sanada darted his gaze towards the handle of his cane and then down to his leg. He cleared his throat and continued, “She had been extremely lucky that the collision only left her bruised and shaken. The damage to the car was mostly done on the passenger side. I hope you never have to see the way metal could bend.
“Eventually, they had to call in the fire department to cut open the car before they could even get me out. Eight hours in that wreck and she was able to walk fine. I was left in rehabilitation and had to relearn how to walk. I couldn’t compete any longer at iaido or kendo so this is the life of early retirement for me. I’m just a man who teaches Japanese literature to students who couldn’t get into a better course. I’m just a man whose fiancée left because she couldn’t deal with the reminders any longer.”
His hand felt awfully warm and he looked down to see that Atobe had replaced the cup with his own hand. The brunette gave his hand a squeeze and encouraged him to look up. For once, Atobe couldn’t find the right words to express how he felt. He wanted to comfort his companion and somehow take away some of the pain that had been embedded in Sanada for so long.
“Do you want to forget, Sanada, just for a little while?”
Sanada nodded once and was pulled onto his feet, without the strength to say no because it had been impossible for him to even try. A moment later he found himself in Atobe’s lap and a pair of warm hands brushed against his cheeks.
“Sanada Genichirou, you are an amazing man.”
Sanada hesitated as Atobe drew slowly closer. Had he backed away sooner, he wouldn’t have felt a pair of lips pressed gently against his in a chaste kiss. Sanada couldn’t think of anything else but how close Atobe was. The man’s scent and the light pressure where Atobe made contact was all Sanada could feel. He ignored the part of him that was yelling at him about how this was wrong.
All his life, Sanada had been taught to be wary of strangers and never thought there would come a day where he would be kissing another man. He envisioned that one day he would be married, settle down and have children like his parents expected him to. Now he wasn’t so sure that was the life he wanted and just this once he wanted to defy expectations.
Atobe must have sensed a change within Sanada and took that as a sign to carry on. The brunette ran his tongue along Sanada’s bottom lip, seeking permission to deepen the kiss. He felt his defences succumb under Atobe’s technique. He closed his eyes and let Atobe get away with it.
A/N: Sorry for the late chapter. I ran into a few snags along the way and the first draft didn't get where I wanted them to be. Hopefully it was worth the wait. Thank you once again to my wonderful beta erulisse.
[Fandom | Tenipuri ]
[Characters | Atobe, Sanada ]
[Rating | This Chapter: PG-13, NC-17 (eventually) ]
[Word Count | 5 300 ]
[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. ]
⇠ Part 1 | Part 2
Atobe had enjoyed dinner thoroughly. The appearance of Oishi was as much a surprise to Sanada as it had been to him, despite the latter not even remembering much about the old tennis circle. But it wasn’t like Atobe could expect everyone else’s memory to be like his: perfect and flawless. He could remember the first time he had tasted Oishi’s food and the difference between then and now were vast. Two to three years had seen an improvement in technique that he could taste on his palate and with that world recognition. It was nice to see that Oishi was moving up in the world of culinary excellence.
On the other hand, Atobe wondered if the company he had during tonight’s dinner made the experience sweeter and enjoyable. The brunette couldn’t recall a time where he had been so amused in so many hours, not that he had the gall to tell Sanada that. What a fascinating creature Sanada was turning out to be. He supposed the sake did help (because booze always helps with everything aside from driving). Looking down at the warm weight against his side, Atobe let himself smile a little more. Without the booze, Sanada wouldn’t have allowed him to help him out of the restaurant.
Sanada grumbled as he nearly tripped over the foot of his chair. Being of the chivalrous sort, Atobe helped carry Sanada’s jacket and the other man had surprisingly let him. “I’m just a little bit tipsy, not drunk,” Sanada announced to Atobe, his voice a rather pleasant rumble to his ears. Sanada’s free hand went to press against his forehead where Atobe guessed a dull throbbing headache had started to fester.
He could relate and tightened his grip around Sanada’s waist. It may have been his fault that the sake had been so free flowing, Atobe thought as he slouched down just a little to accommodate Sanada’s arm hooked around his shoulders. ‘But what an interesting learning experience’, Atobe thought fondly and he tucked Sanada’s alcohol tolerance level safely into his memory banks.
They made their way down to the main lobby without any incident which Atobe took for granted since the distance between the door and the elevators was not that great. That was until Sanada’s nearly made contact with an old lady’s face. It was a near miss and left Atobe admiring her agility and speed. She spent a few good minutes ranting at them with her sharp words behind false teeth before she finally let them go. He apologised once more on Sanada’s behalf and took greater care in guiding Sanada to the door.
The pair of them stood out upon the sidewalk as one of the boys whistled shrilly for a taxi. Atobe chuckled to himself and helped the tipsy man into the back of the taxi as the door was held open for him by the driver. Hoping that Sanada was comfortable enough, he closed the door and walked to the other side where the boy had opened the second door.
He produced a few Hong Kong bills and gave them to the valet who beamed at him and closed the door with a thud. The driver was directed to the airstrip dedicated to private planes and Atobe settled in for the trip. Throughout the taxi ride, Atobe found his gaze gravitate towards the napping man’s form. Some rest would help clear the mind and he wouldn’t wish to disturb Sanada’s rest. He might have overestimated Sanada’s ability to hold his liquor and turned his attention to the scenery outside.
The driver was unbelievably chatty; his English horribly disjointed to the point Atobe had to press his hand against his mouth to stop from bursting out laughing at his weak attempts at communication. It was rather tempting for him to just tune out the other man. Mostly what the cabby was talking about was related to Hong Kong’s blossoming racing industry (of which Atobe may or may not have a few horses reaping rewards for him). The topic itself wasn’t particularly riveting but Atobe found himself dropping a hint or two about a few of his horses.
Once they arrived at the isolated airfield, Atobe paid the fare and watched as the green taxi pulled away and turned onto the main road. The short trip had apparently done Sanada some good, for the man was sending a rather scathing scowl in his direction. He offered a smirk in reply, knowing that riling up the other man was fun. He watched as Sanada tightened his grip on his cane, apparently controlling his temper.
“There’s a step here, be careful you don’t trip,” Atobe warned Sanada. The other man must have taken as offense. He wondered if it had been intentional, but shrugged it off and carried both their bags into the hangar.
“Thank you.” The tone of the gruff reply was laced with anything but gratitude, his eyes wary at the grip of Atobe’s hand on the bag. Atobe’s smirk deepened further and the pair slowly walked towards the aircraft hanger where his private plane awaited. At the foot of his plane stood his crew who were all employed to be ready at the drop of a hat when he required travel.
“I’m not so far gone off the sober scale that I can’t tell if there is a step there, but thank you for clarifying it for me because I apparently couldn’t see it for myself.”
Atobe chuckled at the droll statement and walked alongside Sanada, who kept insisting he was only a little bit tipsy. The crew bowed in unison as the brunette and his companion approached. Someone stepped forward to take their bags and Atobe nodded at his crew in turn.
Kamio Akira had surprised everyone when he signed up to flight school. What was even more surprising was when his broody friend, Ibu Shinji, became his co-pilot. The pair had graduated with honours to their name and after only a year flying commercial aircraft, they found themselves under Atobe’s employment. It was probably a decision neither of them would ever regret. Kamio bowed and brushed back his long chestnut bangs from covering his left eye and letting his hat keep it in place effectively.
“Atobe-sama, where will we be embarking to today? And will that gentleman be flying with us?”
He watched as his crew looked around his person to stare quizzically at the man who stood a little ways away. Without looking, Atobe pondered the likelihood of Sanada straightening his back and glaring them all down. With Sanada’s character, which hopefully hadn’t changed all that much in the past decade, the man was most likely doing that very thing if his crew’s faces were anything to go by. He chuckled and wondered if anyone had matured since all those years ago.
“Yes, he will be travelling with us to London. It may have been partially my fault that we missed the connecting flight-” Someone snorted and Atobe could hear someone muttering about ‘partially my fault, my left shoe!’, but he wisely chose to ignore the children around him and continued. “So I’m killing two birds with one stone by being a good Samaritan and getting to where I need to be.”
Kamio just sighed and nodded to his broody co-pilot and the pair disappeared up the stairs, back into the cockpit to begin pre-takeoff checks. Of all the people Atobe was convinced wouldn’t be a pilot, Ibu Shinji had to be one of them. He looked around the hangar for his flight engineer and found the lazy bastard had not bothered to greet him properly, but it was of little consequence and importance right now, so the brunette let it slide.
That left only one member of his crew at the bottom of the stairs; a woman with bushy brunette hair and a mole under her eye to rival Atobe's own. People had been confusing them to be related ever since they had travelled with him.
She bowed to Sanada and introduced herself as Tomoka the flight attendant. In all the few short years of service, Atobe had yet to find the girl anything but enthusiastic and perky in her duties as a committed and serious flight attendant. Sanada didn't speak and Atobe could only assume the other man had nodded at her or something to that equal effect.
"The pre-flight checks will be finalised in a matter of minutes. We shall begin boarding if all arrangements have been finalised, gentlemen.”
He turned in a half circle to speak to Sanada with only one warning.. “Look Sanada-san, I don’t want you to feel pressured into coming-"
The scathing look on Sanada’s face was enough for the rest of his sentence to drop off. The dark haired man walked towards the stairs and shot a few words over his shoulder to match the look. “Pressure, Atobe-san? I think not. You’ve already stolen my bag. Why would I ever feel pressured to follow you?” Without further ado, the man stalked up the metal stairs and disappeared into the cabin. He gave an easy roll of his shoulders and followed after him up the stairs.
Sanada's stunned silence at the plane’s interior and Atobe hoped it meant silent approval. The cabin was swathed in shades of white which brought out the colour of the wood that was used as tables. The plump chairs were designed for comfort and each one was begging to be sat upon.
"Take any seat you like, sensei," Atobe said as he went to where the earlier crew member had placed their luggage in a safe baggage net towards the back of the small plane. He rummaged through his bag to produce his laptop.
Sanada chose the seat furthest away from the cabin door. The seat that offered a view of the entire cabin without having to crane his neck horribly; Sanada liked knowing what was going on in case anything awry was to happen. The flight attendant brought up the rear and closed the door firmly shut behind them.
'It is a good thing there aren’t any extra passengers. Wouldn't do if they took up all the comfortable chairs,' Atobe thought wryly and sat opposite Sanada. He shot the man a knowing grin, only to be easily ignored.
“Comfortable isn’t it?”
Sanada nodded, finding the squishy cushions rather agreeable. They were far better than the chairs in economy class and he wondered if Atobe’s chairs were like that of business and first class. Perhaps next time he would allow Yanagi to pay for a better seat.
Tomoka bowed once to her charges and informed them that if they were in need of anything at any time, it was possible to contact her in the crew’s cabin via intercom. She disappeared to join the pilots with an exaggerated sway of her hips and left the pair alone.
Atobe set his laptop on the polished wood table that separated them and powered it on eager to resume the work he started back at the hotel. The brunette ignored Kamio's voice as he announced that all seat belts should be fastened. Sanada frowned at that, but chose to not remind him. The man had learnt a few things about efficiency over the years and the motion of the small plane rolling towards the tarmac didn't deter his fingers from tapping at his keyboard. Only when Sanada spoke up in his usual clipped tone did Atobe momentarily look up away from his screen.”All electrical equipment needs to be switched off you know," he said, and Atobe raised an eyebrow in reply.
"Ahn?"
Sanada fixed him with a level look as he fiddled with his seatbelt to tighten it.”Electrical equipment causes interference with the onboard aircraft systems that are integral to a successful take off. Everyone knows that."
Atobe sighed softly and closed the lid of his laptop. “Take offs make me nervous," he admitted, “I need distractions when the plane lifts off. You know, just in case it lifts off and comes back down again.” His crew usually just let him be with his various modes of distraction, each wise enough to not speak out in front of their employer. After all, Atobe did pay his employees very well.
In a display of logic, Sanada's temporary expression of surprise took over the usual frown upon his countenance. “You are afraid of take-offs and crave distraction during it, yet the very method of distraction you employ could cause the plane to return to the ground." Atobe scowled mentally at Sanada and nodded mutely. That tone of voice made him feel like he was five. Besides, it was a perfectly legitimate thing to be nervous about.
"I said it makes me nervous. I’m not afraid of it."
"Turn that laptop off then. I don't intend to kick the proverbial bucket before I get to London," Sanada curtly informed him as he flicked his gaze between the aforementioned laptop and its owner. Atobe wondered if the man liked bossing people around. “Honestly, you own your own private jet and pretend all the rules for commercial aircraft don’t exist."
Atobe didn't reply as he saved his open documents and then set his piece of technology to hibernate. Then he looked up and felt a small quiver of apprehension fill his stomach as the small plane lined itself up on the straight and stilled. He chose to ignore the feeling and watched Sanada. “How do you plan on distracting me?" he asked, keeping his voice light and playful instead of hinting at his rising panic. He threw in a leer free of charge.
Sanada rolled his eyes and easily brushed the leer aside. “It is an activity I am certain you have no issues with. In fact, you are probably far too good at it. Care to give it a guess?" The professor's lips quirked upwards. The frown that had earlier been fixed upon Sanada’s features somehow ended up on his own in a contortion of concentration.
"Give me a hint. My talents cover a wide range of topics, namely everything, so this guessing game could take quite some time," he smoothly replied and folded his legs under the table, rather hiding his eagerness very well. He had to find the answer. It felt like some indirect compliment coming from Sanada.
A snort came from his companion and the man shook his head slowly in disagreement. “Modesty is not exactly your strong point Atobe. A hint, you say..." The man flicked his gaze outside as the engines kicked into life, causing the cabin to thrum and vibrate with energy.
"This activity is best done with your mouth."
The snigger that escaped his throat had a partner in crime as the lazy grin slowly turned sinister. There were a number of things he was good at with his mouth. Various sources from the past had confirmed that. Atobe observed Sanada for a moment and ruled out anything related to things behind closed doors. His thoughts were whirling quickly around his mind that Atobe did not notice when the plane took off and pulled away from the runway.
***
The instant Sanada realised he had said the word mouth, he had regretted it. No sooner had Atobe sniggered pervertedly did Sanada realise what Atobe’s mind was currently thinking about. It was clearly the path most frequently taken, if Sanada assumed correctly. He let out an inaudible sigh, predicting that Atobe would never let him live down his choice of words on the long ride that was to come.
Years of being apart and not having any contact with the ex-Hyoutei captain had left Atobe as a distant memory. 'Until now,' Sanada thought, wishing that Atobe had stayed that way.
Racking his brains for any piece of information about Atobe from around his first year of senior high, Sanada could only recall one instance where he had been hanging out with the boys and someone (probably Marui) had asked about where their old adversaries had gone to. Someone (undoubtedly Renji) had replied that he was able to answer most of the whereabouts of the old junior high tennis circle.
Atobe's name had cropped up quite early in one of the 'let's-quiz-Renji' game. The dark-haired man remembered his friend saying that Atobe had left the country and had returned to England. He also remembered someone (Marui again probably) asking why Atobe had left and Yanagi hadn't been able to answer. Akaya had jokingly asked his fukubuchou if his heart had been broken by his lover leaving the country for good.
He had scowled menacingly at his sniggering friends. The loudest of them all were calmly ordered to do laps and those fearing for their lives ran away to do them. Sanada could hear laughter as they ran however. Of those that he hadn’t ordered to run, Sanada had promptly given them a much-needed tongue lashing about his non-relationship with Atobe. Atobe was just another pretty face with some considerable skill to back up his tennis and nothing had been going on at the Junior Senbatsu, but no one seemed overly convinced. That was the last time Atobe had ever been mentioned as real life got in the way of everything.
The memory made him scowl and he realised Atobe hadn't noticed his wavering attention. Curling his fingers around his chin, Sanada turned to look out the window and stared at his haggard reflection. It wasn’t that surprising to have entirely forgotten about Atobe Keigo or Oishi Shuuichirou. The lack of communication and the many other and far more important things in life was as good an answer as any to why it never occurred to him that the brunette who had come to his rescue was the older version of a boy he had met a good fifteen years or so ago.
There were people from his junior high class he no longer remembered the faces or names of and a good majority of his tennis opponents fell into that category. The course of time changed things in an unpredictable way, so it couldn’t be considered his fault if someone as great as Atobe slipped from his mind.
He looked at Atobe, really observing the man this time and Sanada could see the differences that the years had inflicted on him. Manipulative jerk, Sanada thought viciously at the earlier rants that had somehow lead to this -- travelling halfway across the world with an old acquaintance. The wheels of fate were rather unkind to him lately.
"The activity you speak of, could it be related to the way my tongue-"
The leer was still on Atobe's face and he glared at the man in return. “It has nothing to do with what you are thinking about," Sanada spoke, pre-empting the list of sexual acts that Atobe was thinking about. He mentally appended 'pervert' to the growing list of words that described the modern day Atobe.
"My, my, Sanada-san, I was going to say nothing of the sort.” Sanada felt his eyebrow twitch almost comically, not believing for a second that Atobe was not insinuating perverse acts with his silver tongue, especially not with his choice of words.
"Of course you weren’t. Especially with the way you have been groping me all day, you were definitely not going to say anything related to that."
Atobe's grin widened impossibly. ”I have been doing no such thing and I haven’t seen you all day, just on two separate occasions. There’s a fine difference there. Maybe you are just subconsciously seeking my touch?" the younger man teased as he threaded his fingers together and propped his chin up on the back of his hands. Sanada said nothing, wanting nothing more than to knock Atobe's arms away so that the man would faceplant hilariously onto his laptop.
"Ahn? Not going to deny it? Must be a yes then.”
He took in a deep calming breath to soothe his fraying patience. “You were saying?" Sanada replied blandly, ignoring Atobe’s suggestive question. He was never one for adding kerosene to the fire. It was much easier to ignore idiots, and now that he had been teaching for nearly half a decade, it wasn’t an impossible feat to achieve. Atobe stifled his amusement into his hand and offered his companion a bright smile.
“The activity you spoke of is perhaps related to speaking?”
He nodded, not all that surprised that Atobe had guessed it in one go. The other man seemed pleased and sat back into his seat looking incredibly smug with himself. With the airplane steadily increasing in altitude, Sanada found himself being the subject of Atobe’s stare. He just hoped he didn’t remind Atobe that they could still plummet to the ground from this great height.
Speaking was becoming a good distraction for the both of them. “You are correct,” Sanada snuggled deeper into the white leather and looked out the small window at the pitch black tone of the night outside.
“It’s a shame we’re not going to be passing over civilisation. The lights are beautiful at night over Hong Kong.” The man spoke as he pulled the plastic partition down, cutting off the entrancing view of the black outside. “So, Sanada-san, it has been what, fifteen sixteen years since we’ve last spoken or even seen each other. I propose a game, just a simple game of asking simple questions. Don’t ask questions you wouldn’t answer yourself. Don’t want to answer a question then get another go. Are you game?”
Sanada nodded again. It was exactly the idea he had in mind and the smug man sitting opposite him was taking all the credit. That had to be changed. “That was what I was going to suggest. Are you game?” The other man chuckled, finding the irony of the situation amusing.
“Oh I’m very game,” came the breathy reply. “I wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise, especially with this special quality of mine being so highly praised by you.” Sanada rolled his eyes and wished he’d mentioned something about Atobe’s rarer quality of staying quiet and practising that instead. Hindsight was always a bitch to consider. It was a good thing that the plane was entering its long cruising part of the journey. The seatbelt sign switched off and both men unbuckled themselves from their chairs.¬
“Before we start, I think I will be emptying my bladder first. You kept the sake flowing,” Sanada said as he stood up from his chair and ambled to the toilet with his cane a steady presence in his left hand. Disappearing behind the door, Sanada sighed inaudibly against it as he locked it for some privacy.
He washed his hands thoroughly afterwards and stared at his appearance in the mirror, feeling slightly vain. The person blinked back and Sanada nodded at himself. Question time, he could handle it. He didn’t become a professor by choice but Sanada was getting better at handling and answering questions. Though it was most unlikely that Atobe would ask about Japanese literature, Sanada wondered if he was ready to disclose parts of him that he hadn’t ever told anyone.
If he could help it, Atobe was not going to be seeing him in London. It wouldn’t matter if he was truthful, right? Sanada wiped his hands clean on the towel and unlocked the door before Atobe found it necessary to check on him again like he had back at the hotel. Yes, this was only just a strange quirk of fate that had landed him in something out of a movie script.
The other man had apparently gotten his flight attendant to arrange drinks for them and Sanada was impressed at how fast the woman had worked. Atobe looked up and smiled, “I assure you there’s no alcohol here, sensei. Just some sparkling water for I expect us to be asking a number of questions.” Sanada nodded and took his seat, setting his cane to lean against the junction between cushy back rest and arm rest without it falling over.
Yes, nothing was ever normal when it came to Atobe either, Sanada mused. It had certainly never been at their last junior senbatsu where he clearly remembered Atobe showing off his wealth in one way or another. ‘And today I am seeing that he does indeed have the evidence to back up his prior plans of flying people across countries because he could.’ He didn’t know why he had scoffed at that idea back when he was younger, for the idea of actually owning a private jet was not dealt into his hand of cards.
“I’m assuming you are comfortable enough to begin?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s begin with the easy questions, then. Sanada-san, are you romantically linked with Yukimura Seiichi?”
That was the most absurd question in the history of questions. The professor could not believe Atobe had the nerve to ask something so private. Sanada gave him the longest and hardest stare he could muster. His idea of easy questions ran along the lines of what one’s profession was or if he had any pets.
"What?"
"No need to act so surprised. It’s just a simple yes or no. Aren’t I so thoughtful? I’ll give you some time to think about it so I'll go first and answer," Atobe said. The brunette wondered if Sanada realised his mouth was hanging open and he looked quite like a fish. "I can say that I have not been romantically involved with your captain, although I wouldn't be adverse to it if he asked."
Sanada growled at the brunette. How dare this man even suggest that he and Yukimura were like that especially when Yukimura didn't do that with men. Just thinking about Yukimura and that was like any child thinking about their own parents having sex. It made him wish that brain bleach was invented. Time definitely hadn’t improved Atobe's subtlety and Sanada was rather convinced that the entire Atobe family were like this by nature.
"Oh go on Sanada. It's been years and practically everyone thought you two had it on."
"Not that it’s any of your business, but no." Sanada ground out. Atobe nodded calmly and ignored the daggers being shot his way. It was kind of Sanada to finally confirm that particular fifteen year old rumour. "Are you and Oshitari romantically linked then?”
Atobe chuckled and shook his head. “Heaven’s no. If you couldn’t remember, we were too busy at the gym most of the time. I am pretty sure Oshitari was busy with his doubles partner anyway.” The brunette man shrugged and smiled lazily at Sanada who cringed at the mention of Gakuto and Oshitari. Sanada’s hand found his cup of sparkling water and brought it to his lips.
“Were you married once Sanada?” The dark haired man brought his cup down after taking a swallow of water. ‘How did Atobe come to that conclusion’, he wondered. “Your ring finger has a ring tan, though it isn’t very dark suggesting that your marriage may have ended at some point. You don’t have to answer if you’re uncomfortable with it.”
Sanada didn’t particularly like talking about his engagement since it always brought back so many painful memories. Yanagi and Yukimura were always nagging at him about how it wasn’t healthy to keep everything bottled up inside. Sanada had even gone to a psychiatrist for a few sessions in hopes that it would help him somehow. It didn’t.
He looked up to find inquisitive blue eyes studying him, brunette eyebrows knotted together and Sanada was surprised to find a hint of concern on his companion’s face. Perhaps he had been carrying about his tale for far too long and it wouldn’t hurt to bare his soul to someone that seemed so genuinely interested.
“I was engaged once to a woman named Shizuka. I thought she was the one I would spend the rest of my life with. I was young and at the height of my career, feeling virtually invincible,” he hesitated for a moment, averting his eyes down to watch the clear liquid quiver with the small motions of the plane.
Atobe laid a warm hand over Sanada’s in a gesture of comfort. The brunette could tell the other man had suffered but was entirely unsure of how to help Sanada through his tale. He brushed his thumb over the back of Sanada’s hand and gently asked what happened next.
“She was drunk and had insisted on driving home. I had insisted on getting a taxi home, but she insisted and she pushed,” Sanada continued to stare at his glass. The bitterness ran deep and his mind kept replaying that day over and over. He had always wondered what would have happened if things had turned out differently.
“We ended up in a car accident and you can see what I ended up with.” Sanada darted his gaze towards the handle of his cane and then down to his leg. He cleared his throat and continued, “She had been extremely lucky that the collision only left her bruised and shaken. The damage to the car was mostly done on the passenger side. I hope you never have to see the way metal could bend.
“Eventually, they had to call in the fire department to cut open the car before they could even get me out. Eight hours in that wreck and she was able to walk fine. I was left in rehabilitation and had to relearn how to walk. I couldn’t compete any longer at iaido or kendo so this is the life of early retirement for me. I’m just a man who teaches Japanese literature to students who couldn’t get into a better course. I’m just a man whose fiancée left because she couldn’t deal with the reminders any longer.”
His hand felt awfully warm and he looked down to see that Atobe had replaced the cup with his own hand. The brunette gave his hand a squeeze and encouraged him to look up. For once, Atobe couldn’t find the right words to express how he felt. He wanted to comfort his companion and somehow take away some of the pain that had been embedded in Sanada for so long.
“Do you want to forget, Sanada, just for a little while?”
Sanada nodded once and was pulled onto his feet, without the strength to say no because it had been impossible for him to even try. A moment later he found himself in Atobe’s lap and a pair of warm hands brushed against his cheeks.
“Sanada Genichirou, you are an amazing man.”
Sanada hesitated as Atobe drew slowly closer. Had he backed away sooner, he wouldn’t have felt a pair of lips pressed gently against his in a chaste kiss. Sanada couldn’t think of anything else but how close Atobe was. The man’s scent and the light pressure where Atobe made contact was all Sanada could feel. He ignored the part of him that was yelling at him about how this was wrong.
All his life, Sanada had been taught to be wary of strangers and never thought there would come a day where he would be kissing another man. He envisioned that one day he would be married, settle down and have children like his parents expected him to. Now he wasn’t so sure that was the life he wanted and just this once he wanted to defy expectations.
Atobe must have sensed a change within Sanada and took that as a sign to carry on. The brunette ran his tongue along Sanada’s bottom lip, seeking permission to deepen the kiss. He felt his defences succumb under Atobe’s technique. He closed his eyes and let Atobe get away with it.
A/N: Sorry for the late chapter. I ran into a few snags along the way and the first draft didn't get where I wanted them to be. Hopefully it was worth the wait. Thank you once again to my wonderful beta erulisse.