[Fic] Sought and Found (for Giving_Ground)
Title: Sought and Found
Author: vacivity
Recipient: giving_ground
Pairing/Characters: Niou/Yagyuu, hinted at Yukimura/Niou and Yukimura/Sanada/Yanagi
Rating: R
Warnings: AU
Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi.
Summary: Ten years doesn't make much of a difference. Especially when it comes to Yukimura and Yagyuu, at least for Niou.
Notes: I hope you enjoy, giving_ground
"Rikkai is looking for its old crew."
The bar was loud, smoky, and full of people who preferred to nurse their drinks in dark corners or around tables that didn't bother with lights. The stools at the bar were mostly empty, and Niou had chosen one at the far end when he'd first entered the bar, ignoring everyone else seated around the bar. It worked in kind - no one else paid any attention to him, didn't even look his way when he dug out a cigarette and lit it. That was exactly how he liked it. It made it easy to forget that there was even anyone around, almost made him forget he was in a bar. But it was impossible to entirely escape everyone, he realized, listening to the conversations between the bartender and a couple of the patrons further down the bar. At least none of them were speaking too loud, or he was well on his way to getting buzzed, because the voices all faded into the background, like some old radio turned way down low. It should have been impossible to hear anything, especially that name.
"How the hell do you know that? Rikkai ain't been heard of in ten years," another voice said, and Niou pulled his attention away from the bottles surrounding him to look at the group of guys clustered around the middle of the bar. The bartender was leaning against it and Niou assumed he was the first one who'd spoken.
"Some pretty guy walked in here last night and asked if I knew anyone. Said to spread the word." He might have been imagining things, but Niou swore he saw the bartender glance at him for a second. "I doubt it's true. The guy didn't look like he could scare anyone or do all of those killings they were blamed for." With that, the bartender moved and walked toward Niou, a question on his lips. Niou swore silently and stood up before the guy could ask him anything, tossing down a few bills on the bar and took off.
The description the bartender had given fit Yukimura; too pretty, too pleasant to look like he was capable of anything, especially leading a rogue ship that had been blamed for the explosion of a town and the deaths of everyone there.
And if Yukimura had been at the bar the night before, Niou wouldn't put it past him to show up again.
-
The night air helped Niou sober up, a little, the cold shaking him up enough that he wasn't walking as clumsily as he expected. He didn't bump into anyone, didn't even need to glance at anyone to move around them, which was almost a relief.
By the time he reached his apartment, he suspected it might have been better if he had bumped into someone, someone big and mean and liable to land him a punch that would've rendered him unconscious for the night. Or even have run into Yukimura. Or one of the others. Sanada, Yanagi - they had to be there with Yukimura. But no one jumped at him from the shadows and there was no one lurking under the eaves of the roof - Niou checked, glancing up and around and double-checking everything, just to be sure, and it was almost enough to make him breathe a sigh of relief.
The door took a moment to open, the lock sticking like normal; at least he didn't have to shake it to get it open, like he needed to half of the time, and with one last glance over his shoulder, Niou walked into his apartment, already thinking about his bed and the much needed sleep he had his doubts he'd be getting.
Yukimura was leaning against the wall, easily visible in the light shining in through the bare windows
"Fuck," Niou whispered. His voice was startlingly loud in the silence.
"Perhaps later," Yukimura said. Niou was sure he was smiling, pleasant and nice and hiding everything, but he couldn't be sure, because his face was in the shadows and he really didn't want to look at Yukimura. He even believed it too, for a second, until his eyes were drawn right back to Yukimura's figure.
"Did you really think we wouldn't be able to find you?" Yukimura asked, pushing away from the wall and walking toward him. "Think you could run far enough away that we wouldn't want to find you?"
Niou shrugged, unsure of how to answer and now wished he's stayed at the bar. He could have gotten wasted and passed out. Or that he'd stayed long enough and at least gotten drunk enough that the cold air and the walk wouldn't have made him sober up as much as it had.
"You don't have to answer," Yukimura told him, and he was right in front of Niou, looking at him and Niou realized that he hadn't forgotten how to read Yukimura, which was the most unexpected thing of the evening. "I'm not expecting any explanations and they're kind of pointless after ten years. But I want the crew back."
"Find everyone else first." Niou swallowed, looking away from Yukimura, although it was a hard thing to do. "Find another navigator. I haven't flown in ten years."
"You can't lie to me." Yukimura reached out and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him closer, until they were face to face and Yukimura's lips only inches from his. "The only possible way you got here was by flying."
"Small ships, yeah, but nothing big like the Rikkai."
"There's not much difference." Yukimura closed that distance and pressed his lips to Niou's, pulling back before the kiss could get very deep. "And you're the last one we need."
-
Niou woke up with a headache. Not much of a headache, as far as headaches went, but enough of one that he stumbled to the bathroom, grabbing a bottle of aspirin and drowning two pills with rusty, lukewarm water from the tap. It left a bad taste in his mouth, and he wandered through his tiny apartment, looking for something to wash the taste away, turning up a beer and a few slices of bread.
The wind was howling outside and Niou didn't even need to glance at the window to know that there was more sand in the air than on the ground and that he wouldn't be going anywhere that day. No one would. Which was probably a good thing, he reflected as he swallowed the bread, washing it down with the beer, since it meant no visits from anyone. It was also a pity, since he had no food in the place and there really was nothing to do, but at least it was better than seeing people he wasn't sure he was ready to deal with. And if he dared risk a sandstorm, he could sneak out and the leave the town, even the planet if he really wanted to, without being noticed.
But Yukimura's words from the night before echoed in his mind, and Niou, with not unexpected insight, knew that even if he'd left, there would be no escaping from them. Rikkai had once been known for being able to hunt down the most elusive prey, find the missing person, and do things most other space ships - pirate or legal merchants or legalized pirates - only dared to dream about. And if Yukimura wanted him on board as navigator, then Niou would be on board.
"I don't know why I'm resisting so much," he said aloud, to the silence of the room. "It's going to happen."
And it wouldn't even be against his will. Not entirely. Especially not if it meant the chance to fly again - and fly something of a decent size, not the small transport things he'd been using for the past ten years. Not if it meant the chance to be a part of Rikkai.
-
It was the pounding on his door that woke Niou up again. For a second, he thought it was his head, but it didn't hurt as much as it had earlier, and after that came the thought that it was just the wind blowing something against the side of the building, only it was too steady for that, too rhythmic.
Only someone insane or intent upon something would have walked to his apartment in a sandstorm and Niou groaned into his pillow upon that realization. The only person, or people, he knew who were insane and driven enough to defy the wind was everyone he'd once been on a ship with. The very people he didn't want to see.
Hoping it was Yukimura, but knowing somewhere deep down that it wouldn't be, Niou pushed himself up and to the door. The knocking died down, almost as if the person knew he was there, and it made Niou scowl as he yanked open the door.
"Hello Niou," Yagyuu said.
-
Only Yukimura would send Yagyuu. Only Yukimura would be sadistic and cruel enough to send Yagyuu, with food and beer and the barely-hinted at suggestion of entertainment. Only, Niou knew it wasn't Yukimura would be the only one. Yanagi or even Yagyuu himself had probably suggested it and Yukimura had probably been delighted by the idea and pushed for it to happen; had probably told everyone to make it happen.
"Fuck you, Yukimura," Niou whispered to his image in the mirror above the bathroom, scowling, because Yukimura was the easiest one to blame for everything, and grabbed the pants he'd been wearing the night before. He'd stripped down to nothing to sleep and answering the door naked only to find Yagyuu on the other side hadn't been the best of moves.
Yagyuu had the food laid out over the floor and was using the bed, a mattress on the floor, as a seat, when Niou emerged from the bathroom. Seeing him lounging on the bed sent a weird shiver down Niou's spine. He'd dreamed about Yagyuu fucking him on that bed often enough that seeing him there made it hard to quench the feeling that stirred low in belly. Even if he knew he shouldn't feel anything, actually believing that was close to impossible.
He had to force himself to walk across the floor, step over everything laid out in front of the bed and sit down next to Yagyuu. He could have taken the floor, sat across from him, but the floor was uncomfortable and he didn't want Yagyuu knowing he was the slightest bit unnerved by Yagyuu's presence.
"Yukimura is determined to get the old crew back," Yagyuu told him without preamble as Niou sat down next to him. "There's already a mission he's taken on."
"He's already got a mission?" In the midst of opening a beer, Niou paused and glanced at Yagyuu, not entirely surprised. "What is it?"
"Recovering some stolen documents from somewhere." Yagyuu shrugged. "He's not been too open about it. He told us we needed you before we could start and he wants it over with soon."
"So he sent you to talk some sense into me."
Yagyuu glanced up at that, looking at Niou for the first time since walking into the apartment. He smiled, although it wasn't something anyone could call a smile, hinting at something sharp and dangerous beneath that too-plaid demeanor. "No. He didn't send me. Yanagi is the only one who knows I'm gone. Yukimura was actually sure that you'd come back on your own."
Niou studied Yagyuu's face, wishing he wasn't wearing those glasses that always hide his eyes too well, wondering what he was thinking. It was easy to guess, but with ten years between them, Niou couldn't be sure of being right.
"So why are you here then?" Niou asked, breaking away first and reaching for something, anything, to keep his hands busy and away from Yagyuu. "Didn't trust our esteemed captain and his ability to sway even the toughest of people?"
"No," Yagyuu told him. "I trust him just fine. I wouldn't be back here after everything if I didn't trust him. But we have things to discuss." His eyes were still on Niou, feeling like they were burning through his skin and reading his mind too easily.
Niou's stomach clenched, twisted sharply and the food that had looked so appealing when Yagyuu held it up earlier turned to dust in his mouth. There was only one thing they could possibly have to discuss and it was the very thing Niou had been running from for the past ten years.
"I thought it would be best to clear up things before we were on the ship."
"Did any of you think that I wouldn't be returning?" Niou set the container he was holding down, drawing up his knees. "'Cause I was thinking about skipping town this morning and not returning."
"But you didn't. You wouldn't have." Yagyuu did glance away finally; Niou couldn't feel his eyes burning into him any longer. "None of us were able to refuse it, even if we all considered saying no."
It was annoying how well Yagyuu knew him still, or could read him. Niou knew that Yagyuu was right, and Yagyuu knew it. At least he wasn't the only one who'd returned with more than a few hesitations; from the tone of voice, Niou was sure Yagyuu had been one to seriously consider saying no. He'd probably had a decent job, somewhere, a house, a life, and being asked to give it all up for a nomadic life on a too-cramped ship would have raised some doubts. Niou thought about that for a moment, thought about what he'd be giving up. A tiny apartment, an even smaller ship, a life of doing almost nothing except random odd jobs that provided little amusement and no challenge.
Yagyuu was right. There was no way he could refuse.
"So everyone's back. Even the twerp?" Niou asked, reaching for his food again, only to be stopped short by Yagyuu's hand grabbing his wrist.
"Even Kirihara. He was the first to agree, after Sanada and Yanagi, although I doubt they count. They found me afterwards and then we went to find Marui and Jackal." Yagyuu tugged, just a little, on Niou's wrist and Niou glanced up, narrowing his eyes, but Yagyuu's tone remained polite, cool, almost distant, giving no sign that he even noticed Niou. "It took a bit of tracking to find you, which is why it has taken us so long. But I'm not here to discuss them."
"No," Niou agreed, his tone mocking Yagyuu's, even as he pulled his wrist free and reached up to grab the glasses that he so disliked so he could look directly at Yagyuu. "You're here to discuss us."
Yagyuu inclined his head in agreement, eyes sharp and staring at him even though Niou knew he couldn't see anything. "Why did you leave, Niou?" he asked and although his voice was low, the question almost whispered, Niou felt the sharpness of it, the demand to answer.
The wind still raged on outside of the walls, howling loudly, but it faded into the background and the only thing that Niou could hear was the pounding of his blood against his ear drums. That question. Why had he left? How he hated it.
There really hadn't been a reason. Not one specific one that would explain it all away. It was everything really: not being able to accomplish a mission, watching a town burn for their mistakes, getting outrun by Seigaku, of all the ships in the business. Yukimura getting sick. Even, in its own way, the something of an understanding he'd reached with Yagyuu. And behind it all, the desire to just do something and leave all of it behind. Everyone was scattering anyway, so it was easy to just walk away and not look back.
"Or maybe the right question is - why didn't you come back?" Yagyuu asked and his voice even lower and right next to Niou's ear; Niou hadn't noticed him moving closer and it surprised him, making him jump and instinctively lash out. Yagyuu caught his fist before it connected with flesh, Yagyuu's fingers locking around his too-skinny wrist easily. "I realized you needed time, but when years passed and you didn't return, I was about ready to start hunting you down on my own."
He was tempted to ask why Yagyuu hadn't, the question was even on the tip of his tongue, but one glance at Yagyuu's eyes dark and dangerous, looking exactly like they did when had been on a mission and he was completely serious about something, stopped him. Niou knew, in a way, why Yagyuu hadn't; same reason why he hadn't returned. After so many years, it was easier to just keep on running than to go back or to keep looking at the sky from the safe comfort of the ground.
Until Yukimura returned, with his damn ship and promises of excitement. It had always been Yukimura who'd shaken them up.
Niou pulled his arm, knowing Yagyuu wouldn't let go, and dragged his former partner closer, until he could press his lips to Yagyuu's, demanding and insistent and not relenting until Yagyuu returned the kiss - which didn't take too long.
He tasted of beer and the food that was still on the floor next to the bed, and beneath it all, Yagyuu and Niou groaned into the kiss. It had been too long since he'd gotten laid and even longer since he'd tasted Yagyuu that it was almost intoxicating, the blood leaving his head in a rush to pool in his dick. Feeling Yagyuu's fingers loosen around his wrist, Niou pulled his hand free to clutch at Yagyuu's shirt, tugging and pulling at it, pushing it up in an attempt to get even closer to him. He knew there were still things they needed to talk about, but Niou didn't really care. All he wanted was for Yagyuu to fuck him and Yagyuu seemed to understand that, at least.
In the middle of it all, Niou was aware of the wind dying down and then of something ringing and knew it had to be Yagyuu's phone; Niou didn't have a one. For a brief moment, he wondered who it was and what they wanted, how much longer they'd have before Yukimura or someone was pounding on the door. But then he felt Yagyuu's hand on his cock and everything else escaped his mind.
-
Niou stirred when Yagyuu moved from the bed, propping himself on an elbow and watching Yagyuu pick his way through the food to the discarded pants he'd been wearing and dig through the pockets. A second later, he turned back to Niou, unsurprised to see him awake and watching him.
"Yukimura wants us back to the ship before the sun goes down," he told Niou. "We're leaving tonight."
Niou glanced at the window, trying to judge the position of the sun. The winds had died down, but there was still enough dust in the air that it was hazy outside, hard to pick a specific time, but he guessed they still had a few hours before sundown. "Yukimura needs someone to keep him on his toes; he's gotten too cocky for his own good," Niou said. "Assuming I'm coming back when I haven't promised shit."
"He doesn't doubt his powers of persuasion," Yagyuu said, carefully returning back to the bed. Niou wasn't sure where his glasses where - somewhere among the clothes and the bottles and everything else. They'd find them in a bit. "If it weren't for everything ten years ago, I'd say he's never known failure."
"He needs to be reminded those powers of persuasion won't work all the time." Niou glanced back to the window. "There are still a few hours until sundown. Might as well make the most of them."
Author: vacivity
Recipient: giving_ground
Pairing/Characters: Niou/Yagyuu, hinted at Yukimura/Niou and Yukimura/Sanada/Yanagi
Rating: R
Warnings: AU
Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi.
Summary: Ten years doesn't make much of a difference. Especially when it comes to Yukimura and Yagyuu, at least for Niou.
Notes: I hope you enjoy, giving_ground
"Rikkai is looking for its old crew."
The bar was loud, smoky, and full of people who preferred to nurse their drinks in dark corners or around tables that didn't bother with lights. The stools at the bar were mostly empty, and Niou had chosen one at the far end when he'd first entered the bar, ignoring everyone else seated around the bar. It worked in kind - no one else paid any attention to him, didn't even look his way when he dug out a cigarette and lit it. That was exactly how he liked it. It made it easy to forget that there was even anyone around, almost made him forget he was in a bar. But it was impossible to entirely escape everyone, he realized, listening to the conversations between the bartender and a couple of the patrons further down the bar. At least none of them were speaking too loud, or he was well on his way to getting buzzed, because the voices all faded into the background, like some old radio turned way down low. It should have been impossible to hear anything, especially that name.
"How the hell do you know that? Rikkai ain't been heard of in ten years," another voice said, and Niou pulled his attention away from the bottles surrounding him to look at the group of guys clustered around the middle of the bar. The bartender was leaning against it and Niou assumed he was the first one who'd spoken.
"Some pretty guy walked in here last night and asked if I knew anyone. Said to spread the word." He might have been imagining things, but Niou swore he saw the bartender glance at him for a second. "I doubt it's true. The guy didn't look like he could scare anyone or do all of those killings they were blamed for." With that, the bartender moved and walked toward Niou, a question on his lips. Niou swore silently and stood up before the guy could ask him anything, tossing down a few bills on the bar and took off.
The description the bartender had given fit Yukimura; too pretty, too pleasant to look like he was capable of anything, especially leading a rogue ship that had been blamed for the explosion of a town and the deaths of everyone there.
And if Yukimura had been at the bar the night before, Niou wouldn't put it past him to show up again.
-
The night air helped Niou sober up, a little, the cold shaking him up enough that he wasn't walking as clumsily as he expected. He didn't bump into anyone, didn't even need to glance at anyone to move around them, which was almost a relief.
By the time he reached his apartment, he suspected it might have been better if he had bumped into someone, someone big and mean and liable to land him a punch that would've rendered him unconscious for the night. Or even have run into Yukimura. Or one of the others. Sanada, Yanagi - they had to be there with Yukimura. But no one jumped at him from the shadows and there was no one lurking under the eaves of the roof - Niou checked, glancing up and around and double-checking everything, just to be sure, and it was almost enough to make him breathe a sigh of relief.
The door took a moment to open, the lock sticking like normal; at least he didn't have to shake it to get it open, like he needed to half of the time, and with one last glance over his shoulder, Niou walked into his apartment, already thinking about his bed and the much needed sleep he had his doubts he'd be getting.
Yukimura was leaning against the wall, easily visible in the light shining in through the bare windows
"Fuck," Niou whispered. His voice was startlingly loud in the silence.
"Perhaps later," Yukimura said. Niou was sure he was smiling, pleasant and nice and hiding everything, but he couldn't be sure, because his face was in the shadows and he really didn't want to look at Yukimura. He even believed it too, for a second, until his eyes were drawn right back to Yukimura's figure.
"Did you really think we wouldn't be able to find you?" Yukimura asked, pushing away from the wall and walking toward him. "Think you could run far enough away that we wouldn't want to find you?"
Niou shrugged, unsure of how to answer and now wished he's stayed at the bar. He could have gotten wasted and passed out. Or that he'd stayed long enough and at least gotten drunk enough that the cold air and the walk wouldn't have made him sober up as much as it had.
"You don't have to answer," Yukimura told him, and he was right in front of Niou, looking at him and Niou realized that he hadn't forgotten how to read Yukimura, which was the most unexpected thing of the evening. "I'm not expecting any explanations and they're kind of pointless after ten years. But I want the crew back."
"Find everyone else first." Niou swallowed, looking away from Yukimura, although it was a hard thing to do. "Find another navigator. I haven't flown in ten years."
"You can't lie to me." Yukimura reached out and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him closer, until they were face to face and Yukimura's lips only inches from his. "The only possible way you got here was by flying."
"Small ships, yeah, but nothing big like the Rikkai."
"There's not much difference." Yukimura closed that distance and pressed his lips to Niou's, pulling back before the kiss could get very deep. "And you're the last one we need."
-
Niou woke up with a headache. Not much of a headache, as far as headaches went, but enough of one that he stumbled to the bathroom, grabbing a bottle of aspirin and drowning two pills with rusty, lukewarm water from the tap. It left a bad taste in his mouth, and he wandered through his tiny apartment, looking for something to wash the taste away, turning up a beer and a few slices of bread.
The wind was howling outside and Niou didn't even need to glance at the window to know that there was more sand in the air than on the ground and that he wouldn't be going anywhere that day. No one would. Which was probably a good thing, he reflected as he swallowed the bread, washing it down with the beer, since it meant no visits from anyone. It was also a pity, since he had no food in the place and there really was nothing to do, but at least it was better than seeing people he wasn't sure he was ready to deal with. And if he dared risk a sandstorm, he could sneak out and the leave the town, even the planet if he really wanted to, without being noticed.
But Yukimura's words from the night before echoed in his mind, and Niou, with not unexpected insight, knew that even if he'd left, there would be no escaping from them. Rikkai had once been known for being able to hunt down the most elusive prey, find the missing person, and do things most other space ships - pirate or legal merchants or legalized pirates - only dared to dream about. And if Yukimura wanted him on board as navigator, then Niou would be on board.
"I don't know why I'm resisting so much," he said aloud, to the silence of the room. "It's going to happen."
And it wouldn't even be against his will. Not entirely. Especially not if it meant the chance to fly again - and fly something of a decent size, not the small transport things he'd been using for the past ten years. Not if it meant the chance to be a part of Rikkai.
-
It was the pounding on his door that woke Niou up again. For a second, he thought it was his head, but it didn't hurt as much as it had earlier, and after that came the thought that it was just the wind blowing something against the side of the building, only it was too steady for that, too rhythmic.
Only someone insane or intent upon something would have walked to his apartment in a sandstorm and Niou groaned into his pillow upon that realization. The only person, or people, he knew who were insane and driven enough to defy the wind was everyone he'd once been on a ship with. The very people he didn't want to see.
Hoping it was Yukimura, but knowing somewhere deep down that it wouldn't be, Niou pushed himself up and to the door. The knocking died down, almost as if the person knew he was there, and it made Niou scowl as he yanked open the door.
"Hello Niou," Yagyuu said.
-
Only Yukimura would send Yagyuu. Only Yukimura would be sadistic and cruel enough to send Yagyuu, with food and beer and the barely-hinted at suggestion of entertainment. Only, Niou knew it wasn't Yukimura would be the only one. Yanagi or even Yagyuu himself had probably suggested it and Yukimura had probably been delighted by the idea and pushed for it to happen; had probably told everyone to make it happen.
"Fuck you, Yukimura," Niou whispered to his image in the mirror above the bathroom, scowling, because Yukimura was the easiest one to blame for everything, and grabbed the pants he'd been wearing the night before. He'd stripped down to nothing to sleep and answering the door naked only to find Yagyuu on the other side hadn't been the best of moves.
Yagyuu had the food laid out over the floor and was using the bed, a mattress on the floor, as a seat, when Niou emerged from the bathroom. Seeing him lounging on the bed sent a weird shiver down Niou's spine. He'd dreamed about Yagyuu fucking him on that bed often enough that seeing him there made it hard to quench the feeling that stirred low in belly. Even if he knew he shouldn't feel anything, actually believing that was close to impossible.
He had to force himself to walk across the floor, step over everything laid out in front of the bed and sit down next to Yagyuu. He could have taken the floor, sat across from him, but the floor was uncomfortable and he didn't want Yagyuu knowing he was the slightest bit unnerved by Yagyuu's presence.
"Yukimura is determined to get the old crew back," Yagyuu told him without preamble as Niou sat down next to him. "There's already a mission he's taken on."
"He's already got a mission?" In the midst of opening a beer, Niou paused and glanced at Yagyuu, not entirely surprised. "What is it?"
"Recovering some stolen documents from somewhere." Yagyuu shrugged. "He's not been too open about it. He told us we needed you before we could start and he wants it over with soon."
"So he sent you to talk some sense into me."
Yagyuu glanced up at that, looking at Niou for the first time since walking into the apartment. He smiled, although it wasn't something anyone could call a smile, hinting at something sharp and dangerous beneath that too-plaid demeanor. "No. He didn't send me. Yanagi is the only one who knows I'm gone. Yukimura was actually sure that you'd come back on your own."
Niou studied Yagyuu's face, wishing he wasn't wearing those glasses that always hide his eyes too well, wondering what he was thinking. It was easy to guess, but with ten years between them, Niou couldn't be sure of being right.
"So why are you here then?" Niou asked, breaking away first and reaching for something, anything, to keep his hands busy and away from Yagyuu. "Didn't trust our esteemed captain and his ability to sway even the toughest of people?"
"No," Yagyuu told him. "I trust him just fine. I wouldn't be back here after everything if I didn't trust him. But we have things to discuss." His eyes were still on Niou, feeling like they were burning through his skin and reading his mind too easily.
Niou's stomach clenched, twisted sharply and the food that had looked so appealing when Yagyuu held it up earlier turned to dust in his mouth. There was only one thing they could possibly have to discuss and it was the very thing Niou had been running from for the past ten years.
"I thought it would be best to clear up things before we were on the ship."
"Did any of you think that I wouldn't be returning?" Niou set the container he was holding down, drawing up his knees. "'Cause I was thinking about skipping town this morning and not returning."
"But you didn't. You wouldn't have." Yagyuu did glance away finally; Niou couldn't feel his eyes burning into him any longer. "None of us were able to refuse it, even if we all considered saying no."
It was annoying how well Yagyuu knew him still, or could read him. Niou knew that Yagyuu was right, and Yagyuu knew it. At least he wasn't the only one who'd returned with more than a few hesitations; from the tone of voice, Niou was sure Yagyuu had been one to seriously consider saying no. He'd probably had a decent job, somewhere, a house, a life, and being asked to give it all up for a nomadic life on a too-cramped ship would have raised some doubts. Niou thought about that for a moment, thought about what he'd be giving up. A tiny apartment, an even smaller ship, a life of doing almost nothing except random odd jobs that provided little amusement and no challenge.
Yagyuu was right. There was no way he could refuse.
"So everyone's back. Even the twerp?" Niou asked, reaching for his food again, only to be stopped short by Yagyuu's hand grabbing his wrist.
"Even Kirihara. He was the first to agree, after Sanada and Yanagi, although I doubt they count. They found me afterwards and then we went to find Marui and Jackal." Yagyuu tugged, just a little, on Niou's wrist and Niou glanced up, narrowing his eyes, but Yagyuu's tone remained polite, cool, almost distant, giving no sign that he even noticed Niou. "It took a bit of tracking to find you, which is why it has taken us so long. But I'm not here to discuss them."
"No," Niou agreed, his tone mocking Yagyuu's, even as he pulled his wrist free and reached up to grab the glasses that he so disliked so he could look directly at Yagyuu. "You're here to discuss us."
Yagyuu inclined his head in agreement, eyes sharp and staring at him even though Niou knew he couldn't see anything. "Why did you leave, Niou?" he asked and although his voice was low, the question almost whispered, Niou felt the sharpness of it, the demand to answer.
The wind still raged on outside of the walls, howling loudly, but it faded into the background and the only thing that Niou could hear was the pounding of his blood against his ear drums. That question. Why had he left? How he hated it.
There really hadn't been a reason. Not one specific one that would explain it all away. It was everything really: not being able to accomplish a mission, watching a town burn for their mistakes, getting outrun by Seigaku, of all the ships in the business. Yukimura getting sick. Even, in its own way, the something of an understanding he'd reached with Yagyuu. And behind it all, the desire to just do something and leave all of it behind. Everyone was scattering anyway, so it was easy to just walk away and not look back.
"Or maybe the right question is - why didn't you come back?" Yagyuu asked and his voice even lower and right next to Niou's ear; Niou hadn't noticed him moving closer and it surprised him, making him jump and instinctively lash out. Yagyuu caught his fist before it connected with flesh, Yagyuu's fingers locking around his too-skinny wrist easily. "I realized you needed time, but when years passed and you didn't return, I was about ready to start hunting you down on my own."
He was tempted to ask why Yagyuu hadn't, the question was even on the tip of his tongue, but one glance at Yagyuu's eyes dark and dangerous, looking exactly like they did when had been on a mission and he was completely serious about something, stopped him. Niou knew, in a way, why Yagyuu hadn't; same reason why he hadn't returned. After so many years, it was easier to just keep on running than to go back or to keep looking at the sky from the safe comfort of the ground.
Until Yukimura returned, with his damn ship and promises of excitement. It had always been Yukimura who'd shaken them up.
Niou pulled his arm, knowing Yagyuu wouldn't let go, and dragged his former partner closer, until he could press his lips to Yagyuu's, demanding and insistent and not relenting until Yagyuu returned the kiss - which didn't take too long.
He tasted of beer and the food that was still on the floor next to the bed, and beneath it all, Yagyuu and Niou groaned into the kiss. It had been too long since he'd gotten laid and even longer since he'd tasted Yagyuu that it was almost intoxicating, the blood leaving his head in a rush to pool in his dick. Feeling Yagyuu's fingers loosen around his wrist, Niou pulled his hand free to clutch at Yagyuu's shirt, tugging and pulling at it, pushing it up in an attempt to get even closer to him. He knew there were still things they needed to talk about, but Niou didn't really care. All he wanted was for Yagyuu to fuck him and Yagyuu seemed to understand that, at least.
In the middle of it all, Niou was aware of the wind dying down and then of something ringing and knew it had to be Yagyuu's phone; Niou didn't have a one. For a brief moment, he wondered who it was and what they wanted, how much longer they'd have before Yukimura or someone was pounding on the door. But then he felt Yagyuu's hand on his cock and everything else escaped his mind.
-
Niou stirred when Yagyuu moved from the bed, propping himself on an elbow and watching Yagyuu pick his way through the food to the discarded pants he'd been wearing and dig through the pockets. A second later, he turned back to Niou, unsurprised to see him awake and watching him.
"Yukimura wants us back to the ship before the sun goes down," he told Niou. "We're leaving tonight."
Niou glanced at the window, trying to judge the position of the sun. The winds had died down, but there was still enough dust in the air that it was hazy outside, hard to pick a specific time, but he guessed they still had a few hours before sundown. "Yukimura needs someone to keep him on his toes; he's gotten too cocky for his own good," Niou said. "Assuming I'm coming back when I haven't promised shit."
"He doesn't doubt his powers of persuasion," Yagyuu said, carefully returning back to the bed. Niou wasn't sure where his glasses where - somewhere among the clothes and the bottles and everything else. They'd find them in a bit. "If it weren't for everything ten years ago, I'd say he's never known failure."
"He needs to be reminded those powers of persuasion won't work all the time." Niou glanced back to the window. "There are still a few hours until sundown. Might as well make the most of them."