FIC: Triptych [Yukimura/Sanada/Yanagi]
triptych
yukimura/sanada/yanagi; 4,181
PG13
yukimura is troublesome, sanada is confused, and yanagi is just in the middle; written for sirene_wanderer for triopuri. thank you to longleggedgit and cmere for betaing!
It begins with Yukimura, as most things that change Sanada's life do.
"I want you to sleep with Renji," Yukimura says to him over the phone one night, right after they make plans to get their rackets restrung the next afternoon.
It's the worst change of subject Sanada has ever heard and he chokes on his tea, making it dribble down his chin and onto his pajama pants. "What?"
"I said I want you to sleep with Renji," Yukimura repeats, still talking as if they're discussing a new practice regimen for the second years. "Are you confused? I mean to have sex with him. Not actually sleep."
The expression on Sanada's face is a mix between horror and… well, more horror. He trusts that Yukimura can imagine it even if he cannot see it, but then again he has no way to be sure, so he sputters a bit into the speaker.
Still, there is no indication on Yukimura's part that he's thinking sanely again or even reconsidering his request. "Think about it," he tells Sanada instead, then hangs up.
The calligraphy books that he had intended to study are left alone on the middle of the table, stacked neatly, and Sanada sits there for quite a while with the phone still perched next to his ear. He tries to convince himself that he is having a lucid dream, but that would mean he wanted Yukimura to tell him to sleep with Yanagi.
He scares himself enough with that thought that he doesn't get any sleep at all.
---
The next day begins with Sanada feeling like his eyes are going to drop out of their sockets from sleep deprivation.
He is unfortunate enough to run into Yanagi on the train - out of all the car compartments he could have chosen, he decided to step into the one that Yanagi was already in. However, the seat beside Yanagi is occupied by a businessman with a comb-over trying to read the Wall Street Journal while holding a cup of Starbucks coffee, so Sanada is spared having to sit next to him. Instead, he nods while pulling his cap down further over his eyes and stays standing next to the doors.
Did Yukimura call Yanagi too? Sanada wonders. As the train leaves the station, he sneaks a glance over several shoulders at Yanagi's face. He doesn't think Yanagi looks like he’s been ordered to sleep with his friend's boyfriend. Then again, Sanada reminds himself, Yanagi doesn’t really have a habit of reacting to anything. Sanada often finds himself trying to figure out if Yanagi's secret life goal is to become an ascetic. His weary mind strays from that line of thought this morning and instead, Sanada somehow finds himself pondering how Yanagi would look as a monk. Would a bald head suit him?
He is so caught up in his thoughts that he blinks up in surprise when a hand touches his arm lightly. A slight blush spreads over Sanada's cheeks when he sees that the hand belongs to Yanagi and wonders briefly how Yanagi went from his seat to in front of him so quickly. He also suspects that the furrowing of Yanagi's brow is because of his uncharacteristic show of embarrassment.
"Are you all right, Genichirou?"
Sanada nods. "Fine," he grunts, trying to sound irritable in an effort to have Yanagi leave him alone. The problem is that that particular tactic has never worked.
"Are you sure?" Yanagi presses. "You look as if you're about to fall over."
Sanada shakes his head but grabs onto the handrail tighter just in case. "I said I'm fine."
Yanagi seems to be okay leaving the situation alone and nods slowly before turning to face the doors as well, just as the train begins to slow. To keep from losing his balance, Yanagi also reaches for the handrail, grasping it just under Sanada's hand, and he's so close that Sanada thinks he can feel the tiny, soft hairs on Yanagi's skin.
Sanada has no choice but to keep his hand where it is lest he wishes to barrel into Yanagi when the train lurches to a stop. And he doesn't.
But what he does want to do is ask Yanagi if had received any… unique phone calls the night before.
"Did Seiichi mention anything unusual to you last night?"
Sanada is confused. That didn't sound like his voice. It takes a few seconds for it to register in his head that it's because he didn't say it; Yanagi did.
Flustered and caught off-guard, Sanada answers hastily without thinking. "No, nothing."
"Hm." Yanagi frowns, barely moving an inch when the train finally stops while Sanada almost loses his footing. "That's interesting."
"Is it?" Sanada asks while they step off the train, trying to sound like he's curious for curiosity's sake.
Yanagi smiles calmly, falling completely in-step with him. "Yes, but it's nothing you should worry about."
Sanada wants to ask what it was about anyway, because it's definitely going to drive him crazy by the end of the day if he doesn't know. But he shouldn't press, not when Yanagi has essentially implied that what he was referring to has nothing to do with Sanada.
In the end, Sanada bites his tongue and stays silent, hoping that he won't regret it later.
---
Sanada looks to afternoon tennis practice with a mixture of hope and dread; hope that Yukimura is only playing a trick on him and dread that he most likely isn't and will be expecting an answer. For the first time, Sanada wants to skip practice.
However, he also feels so guilty for even thinking such a thought that he marches to the courts right after school, arriving much earlier than everyone else, and starts running laps immediately after changing.
When Yanagi appears from out of nowhere and starts jogging next to him, Sanada almost lets out a (manly) shriek of surprise.
"You seem awfully motivated today," Yanagi comments to him. "It's not even close to tournament season."
"I have certain things on my mind," Sanada replies, once again wanting their conversation to end shortly.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Sanada really didn't expect Yanagi to do what he wanted this time either. He shakes his head. "Is Yukimura here yet?" he asks instead.
"Seiichi?" Yanagi checks his watch. "Most likely not for another two laps."
A thought occurs to Sanada just then that strangely never had before. He hears Yanagi say Yukimura's given name and wonders why, when he is the one dating Yukimura, they have never called each other by their given names. Is it only something they share with Yanagi, or perhaps something that Yanagi shares with them, since he is the one with the habit of calling half the school populace by their given names.
But he's known Yukimura longer than Yanagi, and yet - nothing.
Sanada mouths Yukimura's name to himself, wanting to see how it feels to say it. It's awkward and also sort of embarrassing but mostly, Sanada feels like he's stepping over a line without permission.
"Genichirou?" Yanagi is looks over at him with a frown and Sanada ducks his head. "Are you sure you're alright? You have been acting odd all day."
As they round the corner back towards the clubhouse, Sanada clears his throat. "I'm going to talk to Yukimura about today's schedule," he says, feeling bad about ignoring Yanagi again when he seems so concerned, but he is more afraid of saying something that could make things weird. He's not good at doing weird.
"All right," Yanagi acquiesces, and he smiles knowingly this time. "I can pester him for information later."
Sanada stops abruptly and Yanagi laughs, waving his hand in the air as he continues to jog on, leaving Sanada standing there all too nervous.
He doesn't know if Yanagi was joking or not and only panics more when he thinks about how Yukimura wouldn't mind at all telling Yanagi all of Sanada's secrets. When did his life become so horrible?
Seeing Yukimura changing in the locker room reminds him.
"Sanada," Yukimura greets him while adjusting his headband. "Yanagi said you were here early."
Sanada stops in the doorway and blinks. "When?"
Yukimura laughs. "You're so ancient sometimes. He texted me."
Reddening, Sanada goes into his bag and grabs a bottle of water, then proceeds to chug down half. "I didn't know my being here early was worthy gossip," he mutters.
"Well, of course," Yukimura replies matter-of-factly with a vague wave of his hand as he spins the racket in his other. He walks over to Sanada and kisses him, simple but lingering. "You're our favorite subject."
Frowning when Yukimura winks, Sanada wonders if perhaps he's having a dream about having a lucid dream. Yes, that's it. That explains everything.
The rest of the team starts trickling in and Sanada coughs, turning away, thankful for the disruption because Yukimura was beginning to look at him in a more serious manner. The one that said 'I wasn't kidding about you sleeping with Yanagi,' which is precisely the one that Sanada wants to ignore right now and, ideally, for the rest of his life.
"BUCHOU!" Kirihara comes tearing into the locker room like his ass is on fire, eyes wide with clothes and hair more disheveled than usual.
The entire room turns their attention onto him and Yukimura steps forward, concerned. "Akaya?"
"WHAT DID YANAGI-SENPAI DO?!"
Yukimura frowns. "I don't understand your question."
"YOU'RE MAKING HIM RUN LAPS AND PRACTICE HASN'T EVEN STARTED!"
Sanada is about to tell Kirihara he's being stupid and explain that Yanagi is only warming-up early, but Yukimura steps forward and straightens his back, making himself seem all the more intimidating than he already was.
"Your senpai committed a very serious crime but was smart enough to accept his punishment without argument," Yukimura tells Kirihara quietly, and the latter seems to literally shrink before him. "You should do the same." He leans down and smiles morbidly at Kirihara. "Or would you like to join him?"
Kirihara shakes his head wildly, clearly terrified. "But," he says meekly. "What did he do?"
Although apparently not terrified enough to subdue his curiosity, Sanada notes. Suddenly, Kirihara's eyes bug out.
"DID HE KILL SOMEONE?"
Oh god, Sanada thinks and rolls his eyes, tugging the brim of his cap down.
Yukimura only sighs and shrugs. "Ask him yourself if you think you can handle it."
"IS HE GOING TO GO TO JAIL?!"
"Will you visit me, Akaya?"
Kirihara spins around and stares with his mouth agape at Yanagi, who walks in and goes to his locker, opening it with a flick of his thumb, and proceeds to take out his clipboard and the pencil he only uses for tennis club activities. Sanada always thought that was one of Yanagi's weirder habits. He's never actually thought about why though.
"My family will most likely disown me," Yanagi continues, closing his locker but stays facing it in a most melodramatic manner. "Prison's very lonely. Can I count on you?"
"But - Buchou. Sanada-fukubuchou. They-!"
"I wouldn't want to dirty Seiichi's pro tennis career with my mistakes and Genichirou won't think to bring me things like chocolate or new Nintendo DS games."
Sanada makes a sound of discontent and frowns deeper. He wonders if he should take offense to that comment. "Renji," he says firmly.
"Yes, Genichirou?" Yanagi turns to him, a subtle smile pulling at his mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry. Would you buy me DS games, too?"
Frowning, Sanada ignores Yanagi and goes over to smack Kirihara upside the head. "Idiot," he grumbles. "He was warming up."
"Eh?" Kirihara blinks up at all his senpai. Marui and Niou are snickering at him while the rest just have amused grins. Well, all but Sanada. "Wait, you tricked me?!"
Yukimura and Yanagi both go to ruffle Kirihara's hair.
"Change quickly, Akaya," Yukimura says, a lilt present in his voice.
"Otherwise you'll be late," Yanagi finishes, and then he follows Yukimura out onto the courts.
In the end, Sanada finds he is not as unsusceptible to paranoia as originally thought.
---
While Sanada plays against Marui and Jackal to help them hone a new move, Yukimura and Yanagi speak in hushed tones, their heads close together, one court over.
He can't focus his concentration no matter how hard he tries and Marui gets a point past him. The first ever.
The entire practice comes to a standstill as Marui prances around declaring his genius. Yukimura and Yanagi look at him with indiscernible expressions.
Sanada is never going to live this down.
---
That night, he practices calligraphy by filling five sheets of rice paper with the characters three monsters.
They're uneven.
---
He sees Yanagi on the train again the next day.
Twice in a row is never a coincidence when Yanagi is involved. Sanada has learned this if nothing else.
Sanada is not lucky enough this time for someone to already be sitting next to Yanagi, and he discovers when he gets close enough that it's because Yanagi has placed his schoolbag on the seat to prevent anyone from doing so.
"Good morning, Genichirou," Yanagi greets, lifting his bag away to free up the seat. Just for Sanada.
For Sanada, who grunts in reply when he sits down. Yanagi smiles as if he has never heard a more amiable sound in his life.
They sit in silence for some time, three, maybe four stops worth. Yanagi looks out the window. Sanada tries not to fidget.
"Genichirou," Yanagi suddenly says and Sanada tenses so fast he almost pulls a shoulder muscle. "Seiichi did call you, didn't he?"
Yanagi's tone is relaxed, but Sanada isn't dumb. He grunts again in affirmation, hoping that Yanagi will drop the issue.
He doesn't.
"What do you think?" Yanagi says.
Yanagi is looking at him now instead of outside, but Sanada refuses to make eye contact, keeps his gaze down and listens to the screeching of the train as it makes a turn.
"It's foolish," he snaps. Beside him, Yanagi's fingers curl into a loose fist.
"I see. You have told Seiichi this?"
"He should know already." The meaning behind it would be vague to anyone else, but Sanada can tell that Yanagi caught it easily.
Yanagi nods and returns to his idling, placing his elbow on the window ledge and resting his chin on his hand.
Sanada finds he has an almost irrepressible urge to apologize, but he is too stubborn and too simplistic. And that he isn't able to tell what is real and what is manipulated irks him more than any request to sleep with his best friend ever could.
---
Yanagi steals Yukimura away at lunch and the unpleasant knot in Sanada's stomach grows tighter. He wonders why he feels so guilty about something when he should, for all purposes, be offended or angry instead.
Looking at the octopus sausages his mother made for him that morning makes him queasy and he rolls them around the obento box with his chopsticks, tipping them over on their sides. Usually he eats with Yanagi and Yukimura out on the schoolyards. Several classmates stare at him, confused by Sanada's presence among them today. Sanada grunts, glares, and tugs his cap down in that order.
It doesn't stop the staring, though, and he grows annoyed, to the point where he suddenly gets up, packing his things hastily and shoving them into his desk before making a quick exit. The hallways are empty and it isn't like Sanada had fully thought out what he was going to do after leaving the room. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he starts walking around aimlessly, past the chemistry rooms and towards the section of the building devoted to the art department.
"I feel it's best if we just let the matter go."
Sanada stops, recognizing Yanagi's voice immediately. It doesn't take a genius to know that the person he's talking to is Yukimura.
Even though he knows he should leave, lately Sanada has been having difficulties not letting his curiosity get the best of him.
"I'm too selfish for that, Renji."
And there's no way that he'll leave now. The sound of Yukimura's voice alone glues Sanada's feet to the ground.
"You can't force Genichirou, especially into something like this."
Yukimura sighs and Sanada feels the guilt return. None of this makes any sense.
"You think I should give up."
"Yes. This isn't tennis, Seiichi."
"No. It's more important than tennis."
Sanada misses the first class after lunch.
---
At practice, he does not do a good job of avoiding Yukimura and Yanagi while pretending like he's not. This becomes apparent to Sanada when Yukimura takes a page from Yanagi's book and sneaks up on him by teleportation while he's washing his face.
"You know I don't like it when I'm being avoided," Yukimura says behind him and Sanada nearly snorts water up his nose, quickly grabbing the towel and wiping his face.
"Yes," he answers, because it sounds like a safe one to give. Unfortunately, he is talking to Yukimura and not a block of wood.
"I especially don't like it when you avoid me, Sanada."
The past few days have easily been composed of some of the most awkward conversations of his life, and Sanada really just wants it to stop. Or at least be granted the right to hole himself up in his family's dojo for the rest of time. He'd settle for graduation, too.
"Sanada-"
"You asked me to --" Sanada garbles something here, a blush spreading quickly over his cheeks. "With Renji!"
Yukimura is unperturbed. "Yes." The blankness on his face seems to imply 'and?'
Sanada wants to dig a hole, crawl inside and die. Instead he swallows the lump in his throat and asks what has been truly bothering him this entire time. "Why?"
The silence that Yukimura gives him at first makes Sanada want to take his question back immediately, makes him feel dumb, but he's already asked it so what can he do?
"You don't know?"
Sanada doesn't reply, stands firm. This isn't his fault.
Yukimura's eyes narrow slightly. "Renji's coming over tomorrow. You should too."
That doesn't answer Sanada's question at all and he actually begins to feel frustrated, angry, clenches the towel in his fist tighter. "I have kendo," he grits out as politely as he can manage.
"Sanada," Yukimura says quietly, frighteningly calm, suddenly standing flush against Sanada instead of three steps away. "Renji's coming over tomorrow. You should too."
As Yukimura walks away, Sanada pretends not to think about how he might've said yes anyway.
---
Sanada's only been to Yukimura's house maybe all of ten times since they've known each other, but he feels more awkward now walking up the steps than he did the very first time.
Yanagi answers the door and Sanada can't help but feel like he's walking into a death trap, except that perhaps dying would be less nerve-wracking.
"Seiichi's upstairs. I'm getting some tea for us," he says before promptly disappearing towards the kitchen.
Getting tea. That means no adult is present to get it for them.
Sanada toes off his shoes and sets them neatly by the door before making his way up the stairs. His shoulders feel awkward without either his tennis bag or schoolbag and the uncomfortable, almost itching feeling makes him want to turn around and leave.
Unfortunately, the door to Yukimura's room is open and he is spotted before he can convince himself to go.
"You're late, Sanada," Yukimura says first thing.
"You didn't specify a time."
"You're late regardless," Yukimura shoots back as he stands up and takes Sanada's hand, pulling him over to the bed and making him sit down.
"I had kend-mmphgegihdkfj!" Sanada grips the edge of the mattress, eyes wide and staring at Yukimura like he has officially gone crazy because there is suddenly a Rikkai tie in his mouth.
Judging by Yanagi's reaction when he returns, he may not be alone in his thinking.
"Seiichi. I don't think that's the proper way to handle this."
"He was late. I have no choice. You know we have a time limit," Yukimura replies. "My spare is in the laundry, Renji. Give me yours?"
Sanada stares incredulous between the two of them, head whipping back and forth. "WENGI!"
Sighing, Yanagi sets down the tray of tea he's holding before walking over to the bed. He leans down until Sanada can see that his eyes are just slightly open. "As you can see, he's not against blindfolding and tying you up as well."
Suddenly all of Kirihara's insane ideas about the other two regulars being criminals on the run don't strike Sanada as so far-fetched anymore.
"Seiichi," Yanagi says, standing up straight again, looking at Yukimura with a furrowed brow. "Isn't there a better way?"
Sanada does not know whether to be grateful or terrified.
"Such as?"
"Well, you've effectively cut off all possible contact with his mouth."
Yukimura sighs, clearly beginning to grow annoyed at the situation. "You walked in before I fully immobilized him," he begins, leaning over Sanada's lap and grabbing Yanagi's collar to tug him in and kiss him firmly. "If he wants to, he can take the tie off himself."
There is a brief flicker of tongue and Sanada goes completely still. He thinks about tennis, backhands, the curve, spin, and angle of the ball in a serve - he thinks about Yukimura's hand warm on his thigh.
His fingers twitch and Yanagi notices, glances at him curiously. There is a brief pause, as if Yanagi is being sympathetic and giving another way out. Then, hands reach behind Sanada's head and the awkward tie is deftly removed, tossed to the side. The corners of Sanada's mouth feel weird with the pressure gone.
"You're no fun at all, Renji." Yukimura's voice is hazy in Sanada's ear. Yanagi hasn't moved away from his face.
"Hm. Sorry," Yanagi murmurs, then promptly presses his mouth to Sanada's, thin and dry and soft. It occurs to Sanada mid-kiss that he doesn't know who Yanagi was apologizing to.
He feels hands on his own, Yukimura's, trying to coax his fingers from the fists they’ve formed. They are stubborn but so is Yukimura and so is Yanagi, still there, still kissing him. Sanada slowly realizes he does not mind the scratch of his chapped lips.
"You think too much," Yukimura says when Yanagi finally pulls away. Sanada's lips feel weird for a different reason now.
He should speak, he should say something, because he doesn't think too much at all. It's them who don't say enough and Sanada is not omniscient, too different from them who communicate with silence and glances alone.
Actually, perhaps he does think too much.
"Do you think this is wrong, Sanada?"
Steadfast and blunt, that is who Yukimura has always been. Sanada's mouth opens, falters with choppy, dull blunders.
"If you think so, we'll stop. Be the way we were."
The thing is, as Sanada stares at the space between all of them, large and imposing, he finds that he believes Yukimura absolutely and wants Yanagi for reasons that he cannot ignore.
And says, "No, I don't."
---
The air tastes increasingly stale after each kiss Sanada receives from Yanagi, yet increasingly necessary with each kiss Yanagi shares with Yukimura.
Yanagi's tongue over his skin feels too similar to how Yukimura's usually does and Sanada lets his mind wander, remembers his paranoia and wants to ask how long Yukimura's been giving lessons on what makes Sanada squirm the most.
He imagines what such conversations might look like and quickly figures out what makes him blush the most, at least.
The tie returns without his permission while his hat is slid off in the same way, goes over his eyes this time ("You can pretend to be me, Genichirou.") and Sanada can't find enough brain cells to form a protest when Yukimura's oral fixation is locked on the dip above his collarbone and slightly rough fingertips travel over his belly. (Even if Yanagi's comment wasn't dumb, Sanada wouldn't find it amusing.)
Stripped cold, Sanada shivers when tongues and fingers mark him the same way the tip of a calligraphy brush paints onto rice paper. Like ink, something is bleeding into his skin but he can't form words from it, can barely understand. But what he does understand is enough to be a comfort instead of vulnerability.
---
Sanada wakes from a dream that he can't remember, cold and numb.
Yukimura is drooling on his shoulder and Yanagi crushing his arm. Both snore.
He suddenly knows why now.
---
The next time Sanada is paired off with Marui, he slams the ball into the corners of the opposing court one after another before Marui even pops his gum once.
Yanagi walks behind Marui to Court C and Sanada sees the corner of his mouth quirk up. To his right, Yukimura's laughter is clear and oddly comforting.
He tells Marui 'TARUNDORU' anyway.
yukimura/sanada/yanagi; 4,181
PG13
yukimura is troublesome, sanada is confused, and yanagi is just in the middle; written for sirene_wanderer for triopuri. thank you to longleggedgit and cmere for betaing!
It begins with Yukimura, as most things that change Sanada's life do.
"I want you to sleep with Renji," Yukimura says to him over the phone one night, right after they make plans to get their rackets restrung the next afternoon.
It's the worst change of subject Sanada has ever heard and he chokes on his tea, making it dribble down his chin and onto his pajama pants. "What?"
"I said I want you to sleep with Renji," Yukimura repeats, still talking as if they're discussing a new practice regimen for the second years. "Are you confused? I mean to have sex with him. Not actually sleep."
The expression on Sanada's face is a mix between horror and… well, more horror. He trusts that Yukimura can imagine it even if he cannot see it, but then again he has no way to be sure, so he sputters a bit into the speaker.
Still, there is no indication on Yukimura's part that he's thinking sanely again or even reconsidering his request. "Think about it," he tells Sanada instead, then hangs up.
The calligraphy books that he had intended to study are left alone on the middle of the table, stacked neatly, and Sanada sits there for quite a while with the phone still perched next to his ear. He tries to convince himself that he is having a lucid dream, but that would mean he wanted Yukimura to tell him to sleep with Yanagi.
He scares himself enough with that thought that he doesn't get any sleep at all.
---
The next day begins with Sanada feeling like his eyes are going to drop out of their sockets from sleep deprivation.
He is unfortunate enough to run into Yanagi on the train - out of all the car compartments he could have chosen, he decided to step into the one that Yanagi was already in. However, the seat beside Yanagi is occupied by a businessman with a comb-over trying to read the Wall Street Journal while holding a cup of Starbucks coffee, so Sanada is spared having to sit next to him. Instead, he nods while pulling his cap down further over his eyes and stays standing next to the doors.
Did Yukimura call Yanagi too? Sanada wonders. As the train leaves the station, he sneaks a glance over several shoulders at Yanagi's face. He doesn't think Yanagi looks like he’s been ordered to sleep with his friend's boyfriend. Then again, Sanada reminds himself, Yanagi doesn’t really have a habit of reacting to anything. Sanada often finds himself trying to figure out if Yanagi's secret life goal is to become an ascetic. His weary mind strays from that line of thought this morning and instead, Sanada somehow finds himself pondering how Yanagi would look as a monk. Would a bald head suit him?
He is so caught up in his thoughts that he blinks up in surprise when a hand touches his arm lightly. A slight blush spreads over Sanada's cheeks when he sees that the hand belongs to Yanagi and wonders briefly how Yanagi went from his seat to in front of him so quickly. He also suspects that the furrowing of Yanagi's brow is because of his uncharacteristic show of embarrassment.
"Are you all right, Genichirou?"
Sanada nods. "Fine," he grunts, trying to sound irritable in an effort to have Yanagi leave him alone. The problem is that that particular tactic has never worked.
"Are you sure?" Yanagi presses. "You look as if you're about to fall over."
Sanada shakes his head but grabs onto the handrail tighter just in case. "I said I'm fine."
Yanagi seems to be okay leaving the situation alone and nods slowly before turning to face the doors as well, just as the train begins to slow. To keep from losing his balance, Yanagi also reaches for the handrail, grasping it just under Sanada's hand, and he's so close that Sanada thinks he can feel the tiny, soft hairs on Yanagi's skin.
Sanada has no choice but to keep his hand where it is lest he wishes to barrel into Yanagi when the train lurches to a stop. And he doesn't.
But what he does want to do is ask Yanagi if had received any… unique phone calls the night before.
"Did Seiichi mention anything unusual to you last night?"
Sanada is confused. That didn't sound like his voice. It takes a few seconds for it to register in his head that it's because he didn't say it; Yanagi did.
Flustered and caught off-guard, Sanada answers hastily without thinking. "No, nothing."
"Hm." Yanagi frowns, barely moving an inch when the train finally stops while Sanada almost loses his footing. "That's interesting."
"Is it?" Sanada asks while they step off the train, trying to sound like he's curious for curiosity's sake.
Yanagi smiles calmly, falling completely in-step with him. "Yes, but it's nothing you should worry about."
Sanada wants to ask what it was about anyway, because it's definitely going to drive him crazy by the end of the day if he doesn't know. But he shouldn't press, not when Yanagi has essentially implied that what he was referring to has nothing to do with Sanada.
In the end, Sanada bites his tongue and stays silent, hoping that he won't regret it later.
---
Sanada looks to afternoon tennis practice with a mixture of hope and dread; hope that Yukimura is only playing a trick on him and dread that he most likely isn't and will be expecting an answer. For the first time, Sanada wants to skip practice.
However, he also feels so guilty for even thinking such a thought that he marches to the courts right after school, arriving much earlier than everyone else, and starts running laps immediately after changing.
When Yanagi appears from out of nowhere and starts jogging next to him, Sanada almost lets out a (manly) shriek of surprise.
"You seem awfully motivated today," Yanagi comments to him. "It's not even close to tournament season."
"I have certain things on my mind," Sanada replies, once again wanting their conversation to end shortly.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Sanada really didn't expect Yanagi to do what he wanted this time either. He shakes his head. "Is Yukimura here yet?" he asks instead.
"Seiichi?" Yanagi checks his watch. "Most likely not for another two laps."
A thought occurs to Sanada just then that strangely never had before. He hears Yanagi say Yukimura's given name and wonders why, when he is the one dating Yukimura, they have never called each other by their given names. Is it only something they share with Yanagi, or perhaps something that Yanagi shares with them, since he is the one with the habit of calling half the school populace by their given names.
But he's known Yukimura longer than Yanagi, and yet - nothing.
Sanada mouths Yukimura's name to himself, wanting to see how it feels to say it. It's awkward and also sort of embarrassing but mostly, Sanada feels like he's stepping over a line without permission.
"Genichirou?" Yanagi is looks over at him with a frown and Sanada ducks his head. "Are you sure you're alright? You have been acting odd all day."
As they round the corner back towards the clubhouse, Sanada clears his throat. "I'm going to talk to Yukimura about today's schedule," he says, feeling bad about ignoring Yanagi again when he seems so concerned, but he is more afraid of saying something that could make things weird. He's not good at doing weird.
"All right," Yanagi acquiesces, and he smiles knowingly this time. "I can pester him for information later."
Sanada stops abruptly and Yanagi laughs, waving his hand in the air as he continues to jog on, leaving Sanada standing there all too nervous.
He doesn't know if Yanagi was joking or not and only panics more when he thinks about how Yukimura wouldn't mind at all telling Yanagi all of Sanada's secrets. When did his life become so horrible?
Seeing Yukimura changing in the locker room reminds him.
"Sanada," Yukimura greets him while adjusting his headband. "Yanagi said you were here early."
Sanada stops in the doorway and blinks. "When?"
Yukimura laughs. "You're so ancient sometimes. He texted me."
Reddening, Sanada goes into his bag and grabs a bottle of water, then proceeds to chug down half. "I didn't know my being here early was worthy gossip," he mutters.
"Well, of course," Yukimura replies matter-of-factly with a vague wave of his hand as he spins the racket in his other. He walks over to Sanada and kisses him, simple but lingering. "You're our favorite subject."
Frowning when Yukimura winks, Sanada wonders if perhaps he's having a dream about having a lucid dream. Yes, that's it. That explains everything.
The rest of the team starts trickling in and Sanada coughs, turning away, thankful for the disruption because Yukimura was beginning to look at him in a more serious manner. The one that said 'I wasn't kidding about you sleeping with Yanagi,' which is precisely the one that Sanada wants to ignore right now and, ideally, for the rest of his life.
"BUCHOU!" Kirihara comes tearing into the locker room like his ass is on fire, eyes wide with clothes and hair more disheveled than usual.
The entire room turns their attention onto him and Yukimura steps forward, concerned. "Akaya?"
"WHAT DID YANAGI-SENPAI DO?!"
Yukimura frowns. "I don't understand your question."
"YOU'RE MAKING HIM RUN LAPS AND PRACTICE HASN'T EVEN STARTED!"
Sanada is about to tell Kirihara he's being stupid and explain that Yanagi is only warming-up early, but Yukimura steps forward and straightens his back, making himself seem all the more intimidating than he already was.
"Your senpai committed a very serious crime but was smart enough to accept his punishment without argument," Yukimura tells Kirihara quietly, and the latter seems to literally shrink before him. "You should do the same." He leans down and smiles morbidly at Kirihara. "Or would you like to join him?"
Kirihara shakes his head wildly, clearly terrified. "But," he says meekly. "What did he do?"
Although apparently not terrified enough to subdue his curiosity, Sanada notes. Suddenly, Kirihara's eyes bug out.
"DID HE KILL SOMEONE?"
Oh god, Sanada thinks and rolls his eyes, tugging the brim of his cap down.
Yukimura only sighs and shrugs. "Ask him yourself if you think you can handle it."
"IS HE GOING TO GO TO JAIL?!"
"Will you visit me, Akaya?"
Kirihara spins around and stares with his mouth agape at Yanagi, who walks in and goes to his locker, opening it with a flick of his thumb, and proceeds to take out his clipboard and the pencil he only uses for tennis club activities. Sanada always thought that was one of Yanagi's weirder habits. He's never actually thought about why though.
"My family will most likely disown me," Yanagi continues, closing his locker but stays facing it in a most melodramatic manner. "Prison's very lonely. Can I count on you?"
"But - Buchou. Sanada-fukubuchou. They-!"
"I wouldn't want to dirty Seiichi's pro tennis career with my mistakes and Genichirou won't think to bring me things like chocolate or new Nintendo DS games."
Sanada makes a sound of discontent and frowns deeper. He wonders if he should take offense to that comment. "Renji," he says firmly.
"Yes, Genichirou?" Yanagi turns to him, a subtle smile pulling at his mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry. Would you buy me DS games, too?"
Frowning, Sanada ignores Yanagi and goes over to smack Kirihara upside the head. "Idiot," he grumbles. "He was warming up."
"Eh?" Kirihara blinks up at all his senpai. Marui and Niou are snickering at him while the rest just have amused grins. Well, all but Sanada. "Wait, you tricked me?!"
Yukimura and Yanagi both go to ruffle Kirihara's hair.
"Change quickly, Akaya," Yukimura says, a lilt present in his voice.
"Otherwise you'll be late," Yanagi finishes, and then he follows Yukimura out onto the courts.
In the end, Sanada finds he is not as unsusceptible to paranoia as originally thought.
---
While Sanada plays against Marui and Jackal to help them hone a new move, Yukimura and Yanagi speak in hushed tones, their heads close together, one court over.
He can't focus his concentration no matter how hard he tries and Marui gets a point past him. The first ever.
The entire practice comes to a standstill as Marui prances around declaring his genius. Yukimura and Yanagi look at him with indiscernible expressions.
Sanada is never going to live this down.
---
That night, he practices calligraphy by filling five sheets of rice paper with the characters three monsters.
They're uneven.
---
He sees Yanagi on the train again the next day.
Twice in a row is never a coincidence when Yanagi is involved. Sanada has learned this if nothing else.
Sanada is not lucky enough this time for someone to already be sitting next to Yanagi, and he discovers when he gets close enough that it's because Yanagi has placed his schoolbag on the seat to prevent anyone from doing so.
"Good morning, Genichirou," Yanagi greets, lifting his bag away to free up the seat. Just for Sanada.
For Sanada, who grunts in reply when he sits down. Yanagi smiles as if he has never heard a more amiable sound in his life.
They sit in silence for some time, three, maybe four stops worth. Yanagi looks out the window. Sanada tries not to fidget.
"Genichirou," Yanagi suddenly says and Sanada tenses so fast he almost pulls a shoulder muscle. "Seiichi did call you, didn't he?"
Yanagi's tone is relaxed, but Sanada isn't dumb. He grunts again in affirmation, hoping that Yanagi will drop the issue.
He doesn't.
"What do you think?" Yanagi says.
Yanagi is looking at him now instead of outside, but Sanada refuses to make eye contact, keeps his gaze down and listens to the screeching of the train as it makes a turn.
"It's foolish," he snaps. Beside him, Yanagi's fingers curl into a loose fist.
"I see. You have told Seiichi this?"
"He should know already." The meaning behind it would be vague to anyone else, but Sanada can tell that Yanagi caught it easily.
Yanagi nods and returns to his idling, placing his elbow on the window ledge and resting his chin on his hand.
Sanada finds he has an almost irrepressible urge to apologize, but he is too stubborn and too simplistic. And that he isn't able to tell what is real and what is manipulated irks him more than any request to sleep with his best friend ever could.
---
Yanagi steals Yukimura away at lunch and the unpleasant knot in Sanada's stomach grows tighter. He wonders why he feels so guilty about something when he should, for all purposes, be offended or angry instead.
Looking at the octopus sausages his mother made for him that morning makes him queasy and he rolls them around the obento box with his chopsticks, tipping them over on their sides. Usually he eats with Yanagi and Yukimura out on the schoolyards. Several classmates stare at him, confused by Sanada's presence among them today. Sanada grunts, glares, and tugs his cap down in that order.
It doesn't stop the staring, though, and he grows annoyed, to the point where he suddenly gets up, packing his things hastily and shoving them into his desk before making a quick exit. The hallways are empty and it isn't like Sanada had fully thought out what he was going to do after leaving the room. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he starts walking around aimlessly, past the chemistry rooms and towards the section of the building devoted to the art department.
"I feel it's best if we just let the matter go."
Sanada stops, recognizing Yanagi's voice immediately. It doesn't take a genius to know that the person he's talking to is Yukimura.
Even though he knows he should leave, lately Sanada has been having difficulties not letting his curiosity get the best of him.
"I'm too selfish for that, Renji."
And there's no way that he'll leave now. The sound of Yukimura's voice alone glues Sanada's feet to the ground.
"You can't force Genichirou, especially into something like this."
Yukimura sighs and Sanada feels the guilt return. None of this makes any sense.
"You think I should give up."
"Yes. This isn't tennis, Seiichi."
"No. It's more important than tennis."
Sanada misses the first class after lunch.
---
At practice, he does not do a good job of avoiding Yukimura and Yanagi while pretending like he's not. This becomes apparent to Sanada when Yukimura takes a page from Yanagi's book and sneaks up on him by teleportation while he's washing his face.
"You know I don't like it when I'm being avoided," Yukimura says behind him and Sanada nearly snorts water up his nose, quickly grabbing the towel and wiping his face.
"Yes," he answers, because it sounds like a safe one to give. Unfortunately, he is talking to Yukimura and not a block of wood.
"I especially don't like it when you avoid me, Sanada."
The past few days have easily been composed of some of the most awkward conversations of his life, and Sanada really just wants it to stop. Or at least be granted the right to hole himself up in his family's dojo for the rest of time. He'd settle for graduation, too.
"Sanada-"
"You asked me to --" Sanada garbles something here, a blush spreading quickly over his cheeks. "With Renji!"
Yukimura is unperturbed. "Yes." The blankness on his face seems to imply 'and?'
Sanada wants to dig a hole, crawl inside and die. Instead he swallows the lump in his throat and asks what has been truly bothering him this entire time. "Why?"
The silence that Yukimura gives him at first makes Sanada want to take his question back immediately, makes him feel dumb, but he's already asked it so what can he do?
"You don't know?"
Sanada doesn't reply, stands firm. This isn't his fault.
Yukimura's eyes narrow slightly. "Renji's coming over tomorrow. You should too."
That doesn't answer Sanada's question at all and he actually begins to feel frustrated, angry, clenches the towel in his fist tighter. "I have kendo," he grits out as politely as he can manage.
"Sanada," Yukimura says quietly, frighteningly calm, suddenly standing flush against Sanada instead of three steps away. "Renji's coming over tomorrow. You should too."
As Yukimura walks away, Sanada pretends not to think about how he might've said yes anyway.
---
Sanada's only been to Yukimura's house maybe all of ten times since they've known each other, but he feels more awkward now walking up the steps than he did the very first time.
Yanagi answers the door and Sanada can't help but feel like he's walking into a death trap, except that perhaps dying would be less nerve-wracking.
"Seiichi's upstairs. I'm getting some tea for us," he says before promptly disappearing towards the kitchen.
Getting tea. That means no adult is present to get it for them.
Sanada toes off his shoes and sets them neatly by the door before making his way up the stairs. His shoulders feel awkward without either his tennis bag or schoolbag and the uncomfortable, almost itching feeling makes him want to turn around and leave.
Unfortunately, the door to Yukimura's room is open and he is spotted before he can convince himself to go.
"You're late, Sanada," Yukimura says first thing.
"You didn't specify a time."
"You're late regardless," Yukimura shoots back as he stands up and takes Sanada's hand, pulling him over to the bed and making him sit down.
"I had kend-mmphgegihdkfj!" Sanada grips the edge of the mattress, eyes wide and staring at Yukimura like he has officially gone crazy because there is suddenly a Rikkai tie in his mouth.
Judging by Yanagi's reaction when he returns, he may not be alone in his thinking.
"Seiichi. I don't think that's the proper way to handle this."
"He was late. I have no choice. You know we have a time limit," Yukimura replies. "My spare is in the laundry, Renji. Give me yours?"
Sanada stares incredulous between the two of them, head whipping back and forth. "WENGI!"
Sighing, Yanagi sets down the tray of tea he's holding before walking over to the bed. He leans down until Sanada can see that his eyes are just slightly open. "As you can see, he's not against blindfolding and tying you up as well."
Suddenly all of Kirihara's insane ideas about the other two regulars being criminals on the run don't strike Sanada as so far-fetched anymore.
"Seiichi," Yanagi says, standing up straight again, looking at Yukimura with a furrowed brow. "Isn't there a better way?"
Sanada does not know whether to be grateful or terrified.
"Such as?"
"Well, you've effectively cut off all possible contact with his mouth."
Yukimura sighs, clearly beginning to grow annoyed at the situation. "You walked in before I fully immobilized him," he begins, leaning over Sanada's lap and grabbing Yanagi's collar to tug him in and kiss him firmly. "If he wants to, he can take the tie off himself."
There is a brief flicker of tongue and Sanada goes completely still. He thinks about tennis, backhands, the curve, spin, and angle of the ball in a serve - he thinks about Yukimura's hand warm on his thigh.
His fingers twitch and Yanagi notices, glances at him curiously. There is a brief pause, as if Yanagi is being sympathetic and giving another way out. Then, hands reach behind Sanada's head and the awkward tie is deftly removed, tossed to the side. The corners of Sanada's mouth feel weird with the pressure gone.
"You're no fun at all, Renji." Yukimura's voice is hazy in Sanada's ear. Yanagi hasn't moved away from his face.
"Hm. Sorry," Yanagi murmurs, then promptly presses his mouth to Sanada's, thin and dry and soft. It occurs to Sanada mid-kiss that he doesn't know who Yanagi was apologizing to.
He feels hands on his own, Yukimura's, trying to coax his fingers from the fists they’ve formed. They are stubborn but so is Yukimura and so is Yanagi, still there, still kissing him. Sanada slowly realizes he does not mind the scratch of his chapped lips.
"You think too much," Yukimura says when Yanagi finally pulls away. Sanada's lips feel weird for a different reason now.
He should speak, he should say something, because he doesn't think too much at all. It's them who don't say enough and Sanada is not omniscient, too different from them who communicate with silence and glances alone.
Actually, perhaps he does think too much.
"Do you think this is wrong, Sanada?"
Steadfast and blunt, that is who Yukimura has always been. Sanada's mouth opens, falters with choppy, dull blunders.
"If you think so, we'll stop. Be the way we were."
The thing is, as Sanada stares at the space between all of them, large and imposing, he finds that he believes Yukimura absolutely and wants Yanagi for reasons that he cannot ignore.
And says, "No, I don't."
---
The air tastes increasingly stale after each kiss Sanada receives from Yanagi, yet increasingly necessary with each kiss Yanagi shares with Yukimura.
Yanagi's tongue over his skin feels too similar to how Yukimura's usually does and Sanada lets his mind wander, remembers his paranoia and wants to ask how long Yukimura's been giving lessons on what makes Sanada squirm the most.
He imagines what such conversations might look like and quickly figures out what makes him blush the most, at least.
The tie returns without his permission while his hat is slid off in the same way, goes over his eyes this time ("You can pretend to be me, Genichirou.") and Sanada can't find enough brain cells to form a protest when Yukimura's oral fixation is locked on the dip above his collarbone and slightly rough fingertips travel over his belly. (Even if Yanagi's comment wasn't dumb, Sanada wouldn't find it amusing.)
Stripped cold, Sanada shivers when tongues and fingers mark him the same way the tip of a calligraphy brush paints onto rice paper. Like ink, something is bleeding into his skin but he can't form words from it, can barely understand. But what he does understand is enough to be a comfort instead of vulnerability.
---
Sanada wakes from a dream that he can't remember, cold and numb.
Yukimura is drooling on his shoulder and Yanagi crushing his arm. Both snore.
He suddenly knows why now.
---
The next time Sanada is paired off with Marui, he slams the ball into the corners of the opposing court one after another before Marui even pops his gum once.
Yanagi walks behind Marui to Court C and Sanada sees the corner of his mouth quirk up. To his right, Yukimura's laughter is clear and oddly comforting.
He tells Marui 'TARUNDORU' anyway.