TeniPuri: (FIC) Kirihara and the Magic Hat Sanada/Kirihara
Title: Kirihara and the Magic Hat
Pairing: Sanada/Kirihara
Rating: PG
A/N: Written for crystalusagi as a pinch hit for round two of rikkai_shorts. Thanks so much to qtheallpowerful for the beta and to sakurashadow59 for the handholding, again.
Akaya got to practice early to watch Sanada do his swing reps. It meant that he'd have to do swing reps once Sanada noticed him, but it was okay because Sanada eventually noticed him.
There were too many people that didn't realise how awesome Sanada was, and they, Akaya thought fiercely as he pulled on his wrist weights-which were identical to Sanada's-were fucking idiots. It just so happened, much to his consternation, many of these idiots happened to be his teammates.
Vice-captain was amazing, and barely anyone even recognised it. Captain respected him, which was rare, and Akaya didn't think that Captain could be wrong-Vice-captain respected Captain, therefore so too did he. He ignored the convoluted, cyclical logic of it all, because it gave him a headache, and instead thought about making sure not to miss his stop again. Last time, he ended up having to practice with that idiot Niou, and Sanada went off with Yanagi-senpai.
Despite leaving early, the bus ran late, and he only managed to get to practice ten minutes before it started, which meant Sanada would be at the ball machine. He quickly ran into the locker room to get changed, hoping that Sanada would be able to yell at him about his form before everyone else showed up, and ruined everything.
His teammates didn't listen to Sanada because he knew almost everything there was to know about tennis. They listened to him because Sanada's backhand hurt like a bitch. Every time Vice-captain disciplined a teammate, Akaya both took sadistic glee in it, and was insanely jealous, because Vice-captain was touching someone that wasn't him. He only ever got hit once, and it had been on purpose, but the second he felt Vice-captain's hand touch his skin, he was instantly hard. No one should get hard from stuff that, unless they were a freak, which he wasn't. Stupid hormones.
"Akaya," Sanada said with a grunt, "get on the ball machine, if you're going to stand there like a lazy ass."
He scowled, as he hurried over to the next machine, and turned it on, making sure it was faster than the day before. He hated being caught staring. It made him feel like a jerk. "Yes, Vice-captain."
Sanada was already refocused on his own training, and probably didn't hear him at all. He contemplated saying it a louder, and missed a ball heading in his direction. It hit him hard in the gut, and he almost toppled over due to the impact.
"Akaya?" Sanada called out, and sent him an irritated look. Akaya stood up straight, ignoring the pain, and turned his attention back to the ball machine, hoping Sanada didn't see him being stupid again. Any time that happened, Vice-captain always told Captain, who always told Yanagi-senpai, who always told Yagyuu-senpai, who, apparently, was quite chatty in bed, or at least that's what Niou-senpai claimed, and Niou never kept secrets unless Yagyuu bribed him, which meant that he was teased ferociously by every idiot on the team.
"That was pathetic," Sanada lectured as soon as all the regulars had made their way back to the locker room after they'd completed an extra thirty laps. Akaya listened attentively as Sanada went on to talk about Rikkai, honour, and informed them all about the extra laps and swing reps they had to look forward to.
Sanada pulled his bag over his shoulder, and walked out of the lockers, mentioning something about having somewhere to go. Before Akaya had a chance to follow him and find out where he was going, stupid Niou decided to say something stupid, which really shouldn't surprise him at that point. Vice-captain warned him about Niou-senpai, and his loud mouth.
"Wonder what's stuck up his ass today?" Niou asked Yagyuu with a wink. "Or what isn't…"
Scowling, Akaya grabbed his bag. "You're just upset because Vice-captain is better than you."
"He's better than you, too," Niou argued back. "Or was it my imagination that saw you flat on your ass after your last match with him."
"Shut up," Akaya yelled, storming out of the locker room. Stupid Niou and his stupid mouth and his stupid comments making him miss walking home behind Vice-captain and instead having to listen to that stupid truth.
Akaya stormed home. If he were more like Vice-captain, they wouldn't tease him anymore, at least not to his face. They'd do it behind his back, like any dutifully fearful and awed person would. If there were something he could take that would make him grow a few centimetres and gain a few pounds of muscle, he'd take it, but it wasn't likely. Instead, Akaya knew, he needed to become like Vice-captain in all the ways he actually could.
With a satisfied nod, Akaya grabbed a bag of spicy chips and a can of soda, and ignored his English homework in favour of a few hours playing Grand Theft Auto. A few buttons here, a few cheats there, and he'd be crushing everyone in town with his tank, and blowing up any police that got in his way.
It came to him, as he ran over that second hooker, that Vice-captain probably didn't blow off homework for video games…he blew it off for Kendo, instead. Or at least that's what Captain grumbled about when he handed over a few sheets of paper to Vice-captain a while back. Akaya decided that he could start being like Sanada tomorrow.
The first thing Akaya tried was the calligraphy. He had paper and brushes and ink, therefore he didn't have to spend his allowance or ask anyone else for stuff. The last thing he needed was any of his teammates to catch on, and spoil everything.
Akaya made sure his door was locked before he retrieved his prize. It was still sort of crumpled, but it was still beautiful anyhow. A while ago, he had snuck into the clubroom where Sanada and Yanagi had just finished practicing and swiped some of the crumpled papers from the trash. Most were a bunch of Yanagi's crap, but he managed to score one of Sanada's haikus.
He had brought it home and put between two of his heaviest books to flatten it. Now, it was in the secret hiding spot he didn't think his sister had found just yet. She was a snoop, so he changed the spot religiously on every fifth day.
Akaya had practiced for what felt like forever, but was really only about two hours. All of his calligraphy sort of looked like those ink blot tests. The kanji was barely legible and his brushes all looked smooshed and gross. He threw the pile of worthless papers in the trash along with the brushes and crossed his arms. This was hopeless.
"Play a match with me," Akaya asked, tugging on Sanada's sleeve. He heard obnoxious kissing noises behind his back, but he didn't care if he got his match.
Sanada looked at him for a moment, and shook his head. "Why?"
"I want you to show me that serve again. I think I can beat it." Akaya smiled proudly. He'd been practicing with the ball machine again, faster and stronger than ever before. He could do it.
Giving him an amused look, Sanada replied, "You think so?"
"Yeah, I'll crush you," Akaya said determinedly, tapping his fingers against his racquet strings.
Niou came up behind him, slinging his arms around his shoulders, and whispered in his ear, "You mean I'll crush on you."
"Shut up, Niou-senpai," Akaya growled out, pushing Niou's arm off him.
Sanada sighed, frowning. "That's disrespectful, Akaya. You and Niou. Practice match, now!"
"I'll crush you," Akaya mumbled under his breath as he followed Niou out to the courts. He always ruined everything, and Vice-captain was about to say yes. At least he knew he could beat Niou's stupid ass in tennis.
Akaya wondered what to do next. So far, his plan to become more like Sanada was a failure, and Niou had made fun of him more than ever before. He walked half-heartedly around the mall, looking for some inspiration. He hated shopping, but he was out of ideas and was desperate.
Frustrated, Akaya huffed as he walked to the last store in the mall. This whole annoying trip was a waste and he could have been asking Sanada to play a match with him or running laps or something. Then he saw it. It was a perfect, exact replica of Sanada's hat. His fingers trembled as he picked it up, almost in awe of it as if it were Sanada's. He never got to touch Vice-captain's hat. No one did, except for Captain, and even that was rare.
It cost him most of his allowance to pay for it, but he didn't care. He practically ran all the way home, and locked himself in the bedroom with his new acquisition. Akaya sat down at his desk, and turned the hat over, fingers running over every single line, and inch of surface. He tried it on, and it was too large, falling down over his face, so all he could see was the underside of the brim. He took it back off, laid it on his desk, and stared at it.
Jumping up, Akaya thought of a way to make the hat even better. He looked around before sneaking into his sister's room, and snatching her white fabric pen, and snuck back out. She'd know he was in there, but she wouldn't care since he didn't read her diary again. He wouldn't dare, anyhow, because last time he read about her and her boyfriend, and it traumatized him for life.
As carefully as he could, Akaya wrote Sanada's name on the underside of the hat and, after a minute, added his own. He refused, however, to add hearts. Hearts ruined everything and made him a girl.
He wore his hat to practice the next day, and ignored both how it fell over his eyes, and the stupid comments Niou and Yanagi were making behind his back, deliberately loud enough for him to hear.
"Vice-captain," he called out as he ran over. "Play a match with me?"
Sanada turned to him, and then just stared, not saying a word. Akaya smiled proudly, knowing that Sanada had to be impressed now that he had the hat. Wasn't it the hat that made Vice-captain as cool as he was? Now that he had his own, they'd be holding hands in no time. Or at least practice buddies.
"So?" Akaya bounced on the balls of his feet. Vice-captain had to say yes. He had the hat.
Giving a short nod, Sanada replied, "Let's play."
The hat worked. Score. He even managed to get first serve, too. Akaya grinned as he made to return Sanada's lob when the hat fell down across his eyes again and he missed the shot.
Eight minutes later, Akaya lay panting on the court, wondering how it all went wrong. The hat was supposed to be good. It was supposed to make him like Sanada. It wasn't supposed to make him suck.
"That hat's too big, and was a distraction. Twenty laps, Akaya," Sanada said, looking down at him. Akaya got to his feet, and angrily tossed the hat to the ground. It wasn't fair.
When he finished, Akaya walked up to Sanada to say something when he noticed something white as he looked up. He could make out their names in his own cramped kanji on the underside of Sanada's hat. "Vice-captain, is that…"
Sanada's face went a slight shade of pink, and he tugged down his hat, before interrupting him, "We can have another match tomorrow."
Grinning happily, Akaya ran off to the locker room to get changed. He was right. That hat was awesome.
Pairing: Sanada/Kirihara
Rating: PG
A/N: Written for crystalusagi as a pinch hit for round two of rikkai_shorts. Thanks so much to qtheallpowerful for the beta and to sakurashadow59 for the handholding, again.
Akaya got to practice early to watch Sanada do his swing reps. It meant that he'd have to do swing reps once Sanada noticed him, but it was okay because Sanada eventually noticed him.
There were too many people that didn't realise how awesome Sanada was, and they, Akaya thought fiercely as he pulled on his wrist weights-which were identical to Sanada's-were fucking idiots. It just so happened, much to his consternation, many of these idiots happened to be his teammates.
Vice-captain was amazing, and barely anyone even recognised it. Captain respected him, which was rare, and Akaya didn't think that Captain could be wrong-Vice-captain respected Captain, therefore so too did he. He ignored the convoluted, cyclical logic of it all, because it gave him a headache, and instead thought about making sure not to miss his stop again. Last time, he ended up having to practice with that idiot Niou, and Sanada went off with Yanagi-senpai.
Despite leaving early, the bus ran late, and he only managed to get to practice ten minutes before it started, which meant Sanada would be at the ball machine. He quickly ran into the locker room to get changed, hoping that Sanada would be able to yell at him about his form before everyone else showed up, and ruined everything.
His teammates didn't listen to Sanada because he knew almost everything there was to know about tennis. They listened to him because Sanada's backhand hurt like a bitch. Every time Vice-captain disciplined a teammate, Akaya both took sadistic glee in it, and was insanely jealous, because Vice-captain was touching someone that wasn't him. He only ever got hit once, and it had been on purpose, but the second he felt Vice-captain's hand touch his skin, he was instantly hard. No one should get hard from stuff that, unless they were a freak, which he wasn't. Stupid hormones.
"Akaya," Sanada said with a grunt, "get on the ball machine, if you're going to stand there like a lazy ass."
He scowled, as he hurried over to the next machine, and turned it on, making sure it was faster than the day before. He hated being caught staring. It made him feel like a jerk. "Yes, Vice-captain."
Sanada was already refocused on his own training, and probably didn't hear him at all. He contemplated saying it a louder, and missed a ball heading in his direction. It hit him hard in the gut, and he almost toppled over due to the impact.
"Akaya?" Sanada called out, and sent him an irritated look. Akaya stood up straight, ignoring the pain, and turned his attention back to the ball machine, hoping Sanada didn't see him being stupid again. Any time that happened, Vice-captain always told Captain, who always told Yanagi-senpai, who always told Yagyuu-senpai, who, apparently, was quite chatty in bed, or at least that's what Niou-senpai claimed, and Niou never kept secrets unless Yagyuu bribed him, which meant that he was teased ferociously by every idiot on the team.
"That was pathetic," Sanada lectured as soon as all the regulars had made their way back to the locker room after they'd completed an extra thirty laps. Akaya listened attentively as Sanada went on to talk about Rikkai, honour, and informed them all about the extra laps and swing reps they had to look forward to.
Sanada pulled his bag over his shoulder, and walked out of the lockers, mentioning something about having somewhere to go. Before Akaya had a chance to follow him and find out where he was going, stupid Niou decided to say something stupid, which really shouldn't surprise him at that point. Vice-captain warned him about Niou-senpai, and his loud mouth.
"Wonder what's stuck up his ass today?" Niou asked Yagyuu with a wink. "Or what isn't…"
Scowling, Akaya grabbed his bag. "You're just upset because Vice-captain is better than you."
"He's better than you, too," Niou argued back. "Or was it my imagination that saw you flat on your ass after your last match with him."
"Shut up," Akaya yelled, storming out of the locker room. Stupid Niou and his stupid mouth and his stupid comments making him miss walking home behind Vice-captain and instead having to listen to that stupid truth.
Akaya stormed home. If he were more like Vice-captain, they wouldn't tease him anymore, at least not to his face. They'd do it behind his back, like any dutifully fearful and awed person would. If there were something he could take that would make him grow a few centimetres and gain a few pounds of muscle, he'd take it, but it wasn't likely. Instead, Akaya knew, he needed to become like Vice-captain in all the ways he actually could.
With a satisfied nod, Akaya grabbed a bag of spicy chips and a can of soda, and ignored his English homework in favour of a few hours playing Grand Theft Auto. A few buttons here, a few cheats there, and he'd be crushing everyone in town with his tank, and blowing up any police that got in his way.
It came to him, as he ran over that second hooker, that Vice-captain probably didn't blow off homework for video games…he blew it off for Kendo, instead. Or at least that's what Captain grumbled about when he handed over a few sheets of paper to Vice-captain a while back. Akaya decided that he could start being like Sanada tomorrow.
The first thing Akaya tried was the calligraphy. He had paper and brushes and ink, therefore he didn't have to spend his allowance or ask anyone else for stuff. The last thing he needed was any of his teammates to catch on, and spoil everything.
Akaya made sure his door was locked before he retrieved his prize. It was still sort of crumpled, but it was still beautiful anyhow. A while ago, he had snuck into the clubroom where Sanada and Yanagi had just finished practicing and swiped some of the crumpled papers from the trash. Most were a bunch of Yanagi's crap, but he managed to score one of Sanada's haikus.
He had brought it home and put between two of his heaviest books to flatten it. Now, it was in the secret hiding spot he didn't think his sister had found just yet. She was a snoop, so he changed the spot religiously on every fifth day.
Akaya had practiced for what felt like forever, but was really only about two hours. All of his calligraphy sort of looked like those ink blot tests. The kanji was barely legible and his brushes all looked smooshed and gross. He threw the pile of worthless papers in the trash along with the brushes and crossed his arms. This was hopeless.
"Play a match with me," Akaya asked, tugging on Sanada's sleeve. He heard obnoxious kissing noises behind his back, but he didn't care if he got his match.
Sanada looked at him for a moment, and shook his head. "Why?"
"I want you to show me that serve again. I think I can beat it." Akaya smiled proudly. He'd been practicing with the ball machine again, faster and stronger than ever before. He could do it.
Giving him an amused look, Sanada replied, "You think so?"
"Yeah, I'll crush you," Akaya said determinedly, tapping his fingers against his racquet strings.
Niou came up behind him, slinging his arms around his shoulders, and whispered in his ear, "You mean I'll crush on you."
"Shut up, Niou-senpai," Akaya growled out, pushing Niou's arm off him.
Sanada sighed, frowning. "That's disrespectful, Akaya. You and Niou. Practice match, now!"
"I'll crush you," Akaya mumbled under his breath as he followed Niou out to the courts. He always ruined everything, and Vice-captain was about to say yes. At least he knew he could beat Niou's stupid ass in tennis.
Akaya wondered what to do next. So far, his plan to become more like Sanada was a failure, and Niou had made fun of him more than ever before. He walked half-heartedly around the mall, looking for some inspiration. He hated shopping, but he was out of ideas and was desperate.
Frustrated, Akaya huffed as he walked to the last store in the mall. This whole annoying trip was a waste and he could have been asking Sanada to play a match with him or running laps or something. Then he saw it. It was a perfect, exact replica of Sanada's hat. His fingers trembled as he picked it up, almost in awe of it as if it were Sanada's. He never got to touch Vice-captain's hat. No one did, except for Captain, and even that was rare.
It cost him most of his allowance to pay for it, but he didn't care. He practically ran all the way home, and locked himself in the bedroom with his new acquisition. Akaya sat down at his desk, and turned the hat over, fingers running over every single line, and inch of surface. He tried it on, and it was too large, falling down over his face, so all he could see was the underside of the brim. He took it back off, laid it on his desk, and stared at it.
Jumping up, Akaya thought of a way to make the hat even better. He looked around before sneaking into his sister's room, and snatching her white fabric pen, and snuck back out. She'd know he was in there, but she wouldn't care since he didn't read her diary again. He wouldn't dare, anyhow, because last time he read about her and her boyfriend, and it traumatized him for life.
As carefully as he could, Akaya wrote Sanada's name on the underside of the hat and, after a minute, added his own. He refused, however, to add hearts. Hearts ruined everything and made him a girl.
He wore his hat to practice the next day, and ignored both how it fell over his eyes, and the stupid comments Niou and Yanagi were making behind his back, deliberately loud enough for him to hear.
"Vice-captain," he called out as he ran over. "Play a match with me?"
Sanada turned to him, and then just stared, not saying a word. Akaya smiled proudly, knowing that Sanada had to be impressed now that he had the hat. Wasn't it the hat that made Vice-captain as cool as he was? Now that he had his own, they'd be holding hands in no time. Or at least practice buddies.
"So?" Akaya bounced on the balls of his feet. Vice-captain had to say yes. He had the hat.
Giving a short nod, Sanada replied, "Let's play."
The hat worked. Score. He even managed to get first serve, too. Akaya grinned as he made to return Sanada's lob when the hat fell down across his eyes again and he missed the shot.
Eight minutes later, Akaya lay panting on the court, wondering how it all went wrong. The hat was supposed to be good. It was supposed to make him like Sanada. It wasn't supposed to make him suck.
"That hat's too big, and was a distraction. Twenty laps, Akaya," Sanada said, looking down at him. Akaya got to his feet, and angrily tossed the hat to the ground. It wasn't fair.
When he finished, Akaya walked up to Sanada to say something when he noticed something white as he looked up. He could make out their names in his own cramped kanji on the underside of Sanada's hat. "Vice-captain, is that…"
Sanada's face went a slight shade of pink, and he tugged down his hat, before interrupting him, "We can have another match tomorrow."
Grinning happily, Akaya ran off to the locker room to get changed. He was right. That hat was awesome.