Log: Sanada Genichirou and Kirihara Akaya
Who: Sanada and Kirihara
What: Sanada confronts Akaya about his post
Where: the kendo dojo
When: right after Akaya’s latest journal entry
Rating: G
Comments/Crits: go for it.
Sanada had just bothered to check the journal system. He was still very bad about using it, but he did it more often. Ever since his kohai had shown up. Perhaps it was to keep an eye on him. It was a good thing he had. He had read something that he was sure wasn’t meant for his eyes. And it bothered him. It bothered him deeply. It bothered him that someone he had taken into his home thought he was insane. It bothered him that somehow, during the night, Akaya had wandered somewhere and hurt someone. It bothered him that he might have to take extra night duties, just to stand in front of Akaya’s dorm building to make sure that he stayed put instead of sleep walking all over creation.
But now, he stood there. Stood there, not in his usual kendo gear. Just a normal black shirt and jeans, arms crossed over his chest while he waited. He had called Akaya here because this was the safest place he could think of if the other decided he needed to go on a rampage. He doubted that would happen though. And if it did, he would handle it. He uncrossed his arms to tug the brim of his black hat down. Then he crossed them again. He would figure out what to do with him as soon as he arrived, but for now, Sanada waited.
Akaya had been surprised as his mail program showed that he had a new comment on his post. And as he saw Sanada’s message he was even more confused. It sounded strange. He just had asked for some training but this ‘NOW’ had really surprised him. Had he done something wrong? He couldn’t think of anything that he might have done wrong so that Sanada could be angry at him. So he had just slipped in his shoes, and told Itsuki that he was out for a bit. He ran as fast as he could so Sanada wouldn’t have to wait too long.
“Sanada-senpai”, Akaya said, trying to catch his breath as he slipped out of his shoes again and bowed down before entering the room, “Is... something wrong?”, he asked worried.
He could feel the seconds ticking by. It felt like an eternity. Then he heard the sounds of the other entering and slowly turned. He used the brim of his hat to hide hard eyes scanning the smaller frame. He was looking. He didn’t know what for. He didn’t know what to look for really. But he didn’t see any signs of injury. And he couldn’t see any redness to those eyes. He uncrossed his arms and pulled his brim down even more. “Hn.” A typical answer in an atypical situation. He didn’t know what he had been so worried about. Akaya was fine for the moment. But his mind reread to him the words on that post.
He paused and then started towards the other, stopping right in front of him. A vast, unmoving wall of strength and silence. “...You tell me.” He knew there was something up and he wanted to hear it from Akaya.
Akaya stood there, still just steps away from the entrance and stared at Sanada as he stared at the boy. What was wrong with his Senpai..... he... he didn’t find out, did he? Akaya hoped not. He didn’t want to lose his senpai’s trust again. He worked so hard to prevent the attacks when he was awake. He just couldn’t to anything about them at night when he slept. He couldn’t control his dreams. As Sanada suddenly came closer, Akaya made a step back out of habit. “Tell you.... what? You were the one who called me here. Did something happen?”, he asked worried.
He would not tarundoru Kirihara. He wouldn’t. Even if at the moment, a part of him really wanted it. Here he was, giving his kohai ever chance to stand there and tell him everything and here he was playing dumb. He set his jaw a little and forced his arms to stay crossed. He still loomed. He couldn’t stop that, using his posture to crowd the younger man. “I don’t know. I thought...you might need to talk.” Damnit...It was like chewing on glass and tin foil. He could barely get the words out They just felt wrong to him. Sanada didn’t talk things out. “I can listen.” He was good at that, as Akaya already knew well enough. “About your night time activities.” And why did that sound so dirty?
Akaya somehow became smaller and smaller. What was wrong with Sanada-senpai? He should talk? About what? ‘About your night time activities’..... No! Akaya’s eyes widened as he heard that. Sanada knew... he knew about his sleepwalking? Had he seen him? Where? When? “How....when..... I....I mean....” His mind was blank. Sanada had found out that he still hurt people - though he didn’t want to do it but that was a bit difficult to explain. What should he do now? Akaya didn’t know why it hurt him so that Sanada knew it. “I’m …....sorry. I disappointed you”, he breathed and felt as if he’d better lean against something but there was nothing he could lean against.
He could see the younger man melting in front of him. Shrinking like some beaten dog. He made him scowl more. He watched those eyes go wide at his accusation. Perhaps he hadn’t meant to see it. Then the stammering questions came followed closely by an apology. He sighed and considered his options for a second. The next moment, a dark cap was being placed into those unruly curls, his large hand putting it there and pushing it down a little as if to hide Akaya’s face away from all that was hurting him....or might still hurt him. “I read about it.” He admitted. “And I’m not disappointed. Merely worried for you.” Worried that it might have been Akaya that had been hurt. Did the demon that sometimes stole Kirihara from himself hurt it’s host? It was something he never wanted to find out. “And I will help you.” Somehow.
Akaya winced slightly as he felt something on his head but as he opened his eyes he saw almost nothing because the cap blocked his view. “Read....about it?....But I locked it....”, Akaya murmured surprised. Sanada just could have meant his Journal, that was the only place he wrote about it. As he heard the next statement Akaya was really happy for the cap, carefully grabbing it himself and almost pulling it even deeper in his face. So Sanada at least didn’t saw the tears that ran down his cheeks. “I didn’t want to, really. I can’t control it. I hate it. I want it to stop, I don’t want to hurt anybody”, he babbled suddenly and grabbed the cap so hard that his knuckles became white. It was just too much for him.
He could tell the other was crying. He could see it in the slight shake of the shoulders, or the way the hat had been moved. He chose to ignore it. Because Akaya wasn’t him. It was okay for Akaya to cry like that. There was no need for Spartan punishment for expressing such sorrow. “Ah.” He answered. “I suppose I somehow ended up getting to it, screened or not. You know how I am with technology.” As in, he didn’t understand it in the least, so he hadn’t purposely hacked. His seeing it had been a mistake. But he wasn’t going to take that back now. No. He was going to let Akaya have his day in court. Even if that court was a kendo hall in front of him.
He watched the color in that gripping hand change. He didn’t know what to do. Just stood closer and put a hand on his shoulder. His next move would be a very awkward hug. But not yet. He wasn’t going to go that far yet. “I know that. And that as well. I know you aren’t a bad person. And I’ve seen it. I’ve dealt with it. I know that’s not really you and I know you want it to stop. And I’m going to help you. I’ll do what I can for you.” He wasn’t a psychiatrist. He’d make a damn awful one too. But he could at least teach Akaya how to better still his mind. “I can teach you meditation. I can teach you anger management.” Though Sanada claimed he didn’t need such things himself. He could manage to get angry all on his own... “And I’ll change my patrol areas. To make sure the one you run into if that doesn’t work...is me.”
Akaya wished that his family would understand him at least a bit as much as Sanada did. Akaya really lo.... He just had realized something he somehow wished he hadn’t. “Aritagou.... Sanada-senpai”, He mumbled still crying. What had he done to deserve his senpai, who did so much for him and who wanted to do so much for him. He even wanted to change his Patrol for him? “Hontou ni Arigatou”, he whispered getting a slight hiccup.
The time for the hug seemed to be upon him, but he resisted. Instead, he once more reached out and lightly put his hand on his hat again. “Ah...” He answered the thanks. He didn’t think the thanks would be very forth coming once he started trying to make Akaya’s mind stronger. He was sure that after a bit, the man would probably start to hate him...or think him even more boring and old fashioned. After all, Sanada was going to make him sit in very uncomfortable positions for hours on end, staring at nothing after doing whatever he could to piss the boy off. Not a good game plan, but one none the less. Lure that demon out and then force Akaya to sit.
But not today. No. Akaya had enough to deal with today. “Now....Deep breath...”
Akaya tried to obey his senpai and breath deep but the hiccup always interfered at the worst parts. Akaya had finally let got of the cap, that now loosely lay on his head while he tried to brush away the tears that still ran down his cheeks. “I’m sorry... I’m so pathetic.....”, he whined, “You want to do so much for me and I’m just crying like an idiot.”
Something inside him broke just a little. That stubborn wall had another fissure with Kirihara’s name on it. “Kirihara-kun...” He started. His free hand went under the brim, to wipe a few tears himself. The other pulled, knowing the collision course between Akaya and himself would be a short one. “Don’t whine.” Yet he was still hugging him, chin resting just on top of his own hat. “And don’t apologize. I’ll decide when you’re pathetic.”
This though finally made the tears stop, because Kirihara was too surprised to continue crying. Sanada …. hugged him? And this time it was a real hug and not like when he had shown Sanada how to play Crisis Core. Sanada really wanted to comfort him. Akaya knew that he shouldn’t do this but he just couldn’t help closing his eyes for a moment and just enjoy the feeling of somebody hugging him. ‘
The tears had stopped. That was a good thing. Sanada honestly hadn’t know how to handle it. He had always grown to believe that crying, and most other emotions were a sign of weakness. Sanada men were never weak. But....Akaya was not a Sanada man. Akaya was Akaya and he was allowed. He took a deep breath himself. “You have a roommate now...” He had noticed that as well. He would not allow himself the small feeling of envy. “So...I will give you my number. If you feel you might have trouble...you call me.” Because last thing he wanted for Akaya was for the younger man to wake up and find that he had strangled his roommate in his sleep.
Akaya kept Sanada close for a moment before he slowly let go again, feeling how the blood rushed into his cheeks as he backed off again. “Number... yeah... thank you Senpai. I’ll make sure just to call you if it is important”, he said silent, slightly nodding before he grabbed the Cap and took it off just to hold it out for Sanada to take again. “Thank you...”
Why don’t you keep it. His mind said the words even as the hat came back towards him. He booted that thought hard as he could and took the head covering back. It was something important to him. He had just been loaning it out and it had served it’s purpose. A moment later, it was back where it belonged and he didn’t feel quite as naked. He adjusted it, to make sure Akaya could still see his eyes. Once more, he took a thumb to clear away the last tracks of those tears. “Ah....” He answered. Then a pen came out for him to write down the number in his far too nice handwriting.
Akaya looked everywhere but at Sanada while the other wrote his number down. “Thank you”, Akaya murmured as he took the piece of paper and looked at it. He was surprised at Sanada’s handwriting but with such a traditional family Sanada probably had learned how to write the right way.
That finished, he crossed his arms again and nodded. “Tomorrow.” He stated, “back here.” He would come up with some sort of training regimen in the mean time. “I expect for you to be on time...You did good today.” Because he hadn’t actually expected for Akaya to hurry there because of one NOW. He really was an obedient boy. It was kind of cute.
Akaya nodded slightly and put the note away. So his new training would start tomorrow. “What time should I be here?”, He asked. He had to know when Sanada would be waiting on him so he wouldn’t be too late. And again he felt how he blushed slightly as he heard the compliment from his Buchou.
Not as cute as the color forming on those still wet cheeks.... He’d have to do something about this soon, else his feelings would get in the way of training. But as long as he could keep it in check, as long as Akaya didn’t realize just how fond he was...As long as that stupid hacker didn’t find out and paste that everywhere for anyone to read...he would be okay. “Before dinner. Perhaps 4.” Because he didn’t want Akaya to slack off just because had a full stomach. Plus, it meant that perhaps he could accompany Akaya to the evening meal before his rounds around campus began.
“Yes sir”, Akaya murmured with a little nod. He was curious what Sanada would do to help him. How would this anger management be like? He just hoped that it would help him with his dreams as well.
He....smiled. The small twitch of the corners of his mouth shifting upwards, fraction by fraction. Barely there, yet with him almost blindingly obvious. It was perhaps a doting smile. A proof that he was growing more fond of Kirihara than he probably should. And all because the other was willing to blindly trust him. He would not betray that trust. He would have to do some deep research. Perhaps it was time to go to the psychology department. But first, he had to make sure that the younger was okay to go back.
“Then...I’ll take my leave for now, unless you need something from me.” He paused and then stated. “Remember to wash your face before going out. I wouldn’t want any of your fans to see you like this.” Because he was sure that Kirihara probably had his fans, just as Sanada did. Sanada’s biggest fan just happened to be a former Prince and a stalker on top of that. Which made him consider what he was going to do about that. He didn’t want jealousy of a former ruler to get in the way and he would kill Kime-hime with his bare hands if the over amorous man touched a hair on that curly head. Just one more thing to protect Akaya from. He wondered if eventually, Sanada would start having to protect the younger man from Sanada himself.
“Hai”, Akaya noddd slightly but then frowned and looked up at Sanada again. “Fans?”, He asked, hasn’t even realized that there are some who could actually be called that way. He didn’t had payed attention to this because he had learned to mistrust most people and didn’t even tried to find friends. Itsuki had been a necessary evil, and Sanada..... Sanada was something different, something special.
“Hn.” He answered. “The kendo team is popular. And on top of that, you are my vanguard. You’ll have a mountain of Valentines next month.” That, and even he could admit it, Kirihara was easy on the eyes as well. Someone that cute was terribly likely to have quite the fan following; if not now, then eventually. It was inevitable. He would have to remember not to get jealous and to find a way to make himself unavailable for his own deluge of pink envelopes. “You’ll see soon enough, as soon as we hold a tournament here on campus instead of away.”
“Oh.....”, Akaya said still a bit surprised. Of course he had noticed Sanada’s fans but that there should be some that liked him? It was a strange thought. Back in Rikkai everybody knew that he was dangerous. “Ah right... tournament.... When will be the next one anyway?”
He nodded. They would come out for the tournament. From the girl’s college down the way. from this college. From the town too. With banners and cries for their favorite and questions of marriage and child rearing. He’d heard calls of “Sanada-san, I want your baby!” It was disturbing. Especially when it came from certain men. He pushed the thought away for the question. “The next one. About a week after finals. We’ll be at a rival school again. Our tournament here is at the end of the season, as we are the champion. “We’ll be ready for them, no matter where we are.”
Akaya probably would be rather scared that motivated if he’d see and hear that. But then Akaya nodded again. “So about a month from now”, he murmured. He’d have to train hard so he wouldn’t embarrass his senpai. “Alright.... then....I’ll go back hm?.... I don’t want to bother you any longer”, he murmured and wanted to turn around.
He nodded once. About a month from now. He would be riding the team hard until then. He hoped they’d not crack under the pressure. If they did, he’d just have to push them harder. He nodded again and let his arms drift away from the hug. Once more, he reached up and lightly ran his thumb once more over that fine cheekbone, as it to make sure no more tears were there. “Ah. Remember...if you need anything...” Akaya had his number.
It was hard for Akaya not to simply close his eyes as he felt the thumb on his cheek again. A part of him didn’t want to go. But he simply nodded and stepped back a bit. “...I’ll call you, I promise”, he nodded at the last statement with a very thin smile.
Sanada was the one to turn his back on his kohai. He took a few steps away. Akaya was dismissed. He needed to calm down and the best way to do that was a few swings and then some meditation. Akaya could stay if he wanted, but Sanada was going to make himself busy.
Akaya lowered his head and bowed down, even if Sanada didn’t see it. After a last gaze at his Senpai he turned around as well and left the Dojo. He needed to think and try to understand what he really felt. He was just glad that Sanada wasn’t disappointed or hated him now. That had been his deepest fear.
What: Sanada confronts Akaya about his post
Where: the kendo dojo
When: right after Akaya’s latest journal entry
Rating: G
Comments/Crits: go for it.
Sanada had just bothered to check the journal system. He was still very bad about using it, but he did it more often. Ever since his kohai had shown up. Perhaps it was to keep an eye on him. It was a good thing he had. He had read something that he was sure wasn’t meant for his eyes. And it bothered him. It bothered him deeply. It bothered him that someone he had taken into his home thought he was insane. It bothered him that somehow, during the night, Akaya had wandered somewhere and hurt someone. It bothered him that he might have to take extra night duties, just to stand in front of Akaya’s dorm building to make sure that he stayed put instead of sleep walking all over creation.
But now, he stood there. Stood there, not in his usual kendo gear. Just a normal black shirt and jeans, arms crossed over his chest while he waited. He had called Akaya here because this was the safest place he could think of if the other decided he needed to go on a rampage. He doubted that would happen though. And if it did, he would handle it. He uncrossed his arms to tug the brim of his black hat down. Then he crossed them again. He would figure out what to do with him as soon as he arrived, but for now, Sanada waited.
Akaya had been surprised as his mail program showed that he had a new comment on his post. And as he saw Sanada’s message he was even more confused. It sounded strange. He just had asked for some training but this ‘NOW’ had really surprised him. Had he done something wrong? He couldn’t think of anything that he might have done wrong so that Sanada could be angry at him. So he had just slipped in his shoes, and told Itsuki that he was out for a bit. He ran as fast as he could so Sanada wouldn’t have to wait too long.
“Sanada-senpai”, Akaya said, trying to catch his breath as he slipped out of his shoes again and bowed down before entering the room, “Is... something wrong?”, he asked worried.
He could feel the seconds ticking by. It felt like an eternity. Then he heard the sounds of the other entering and slowly turned. He used the brim of his hat to hide hard eyes scanning the smaller frame. He was looking. He didn’t know what for. He didn’t know what to look for really. But he didn’t see any signs of injury. And he couldn’t see any redness to those eyes. He uncrossed his arms and pulled his brim down even more. “Hn.” A typical answer in an atypical situation. He didn’t know what he had been so worried about. Akaya was fine for the moment. But his mind reread to him the words on that post.
He paused and then started towards the other, stopping right in front of him. A vast, unmoving wall of strength and silence. “...You tell me.” He knew there was something up and he wanted to hear it from Akaya.
Akaya stood there, still just steps away from the entrance and stared at Sanada as he stared at the boy. What was wrong with his Senpai..... he... he didn’t find out, did he? Akaya hoped not. He didn’t want to lose his senpai’s trust again. He worked so hard to prevent the attacks when he was awake. He just couldn’t to anything about them at night when he slept. He couldn’t control his dreams. As Sanada suddenly came closer, Akaya made a step back out of habit. “Tell you.... what? You were the one who called me here. Did something happen?”, he asked worried.
He would not tarundoru Kirihara. He wouldn’t. Even if at the moment, a part of him really wanted it. Here he was, giving his kohai ever chance to stand there and tell him everything and here he was playing dumb. He set his jaw a little and forced his arms to stay crossed. He still loomed. He couldn’t stop that, using his posture to crowd the younger man. “I don’t know. I thought...you might need to talk.” Damnit...It was like chewing on glass and tin foil. He could barely get the words out They just felt wrong to him. Sanada didn’t talk things out. “I can listen.” He was good at that, as Akaya already knew well enough. “About your night time activities.” And why did that sound so dirty?
Akaya somehow became smaller and smaller. What was wrong with Sanada-senpai? He should talk? About what? ‘About your night time activities’..... No! Akaya’s eyes widened as he heard that. Sanada knew... he knew about his sleepwalking? Had he seen him? Where? When? “How....when..... I....I mean....” His mind was blank. Sanada had found out that he still hurt people - though he didn’t want to do it but that was a bit difficult to explain. What should he do now? Akaya didn’t know why it hurt him so that Sanada knew it. “I’m …....sorry. I disappointed you”, he breathed and felt as if he’d better lean against something but there was nothing he could lean against.
He could see the younger man melting in front of him. Shrinking like some beaten dog. He made him scowl more. He watched those eyes go wide at his accusation. Perhaps he hadn’t meant to see it. Then the stammering questions came followed closely by an apology. He sighed and considered his options for a second. The next moment, a dark cap was being placed into those unruly curls, his large hand putting it there and pushing it down a little as if to hide Akaya’s face away from all that was hurting him....or might still hurt him. “I read about it.” He admitted. “And I’m not disappointed. Merely worried for you.” Worried that it might have been Akaya that had been hurt. Did the demon that sometimes stole Kirihara from himself hurt it’s host? It was something he never wanted to find out. “And I will help you.” Somehow.
Akaya winced slightly as he felt something on his head but as he opened his eyes he saw almost nothing because the cap blocked his view. “Read....about it?....But I locked it....”, Akaya murmured surprised. Sanada just could have meant his Journal, that was the only place he wrote about it. As he heard the next statement Akaya was really happy for the cap, carefully grabbing it himself and almost pulling it even deeper in his face. So Sanada at least didn’t saw the tears that ran down his cheeks. “I didn’t want to, really. I can’t control it. I hate it. I want it to stop, I don’t want to hurt anybody”, he babbled suddenly and grabbed the cap so hard that his knuckles became white. It was just too much for him.
He could tell the other was crying. He could see it in the slight shake of the shoulders, or the way the hat had been moved. He chose to ignore it. Because Akaya wasn’t him. It was okay for Akaya to cry like that. There was no need for Spartan punishment for expressing such sorrow. “Ah.” He answered. “I suppose I somehow ended up getting to it, screened or not. You know how I am with technology.” As in, he didn’t understand it in the least, so he hadn’t purposely hacked. His seeing it had been a mistake. But he wasn’t going to take that back now. No. He was going to let Akaya have his day in court. Even if that court was a kendo hall in front of him.
He watched the color in that gripping hand change. He didn’t know what to do. Just stood closer and put a hand on his shoulder. His next move would be a very awkward hug. But not yet. He wasn’t going to go that far yet. “I know that. And that as well. I know you aren’t a bad person. And I’ve seen it. I’ve dealt with it. I know that’s not really you and I know you want it to stop. And I’m going to help you. I’ll do what I can for you.” He wasn’t a psychiatrist. He’d make a damn awful one too. But he could at least teach Akaya how to better still his mind. “I can teach you meditation. I can teach you anger management.” Though Sanada claimed he didn’t need such things himself. He could manage to get angry all on his own... “And I’ll change my patrol areas. To make sure the one you run into if that doesn’t work...is me.”
Akaya wished that his family would understand him at least a bit as much as Sanada did. Akaya really lo.... He just had realized something he somehow wished he hadn’t. “Aritagou.... Sanada-senpai”, He mumbled still crying. What had he done to deserve his senpai, who did so much for him and who wanted to do so much for him. He even wanted to change his Patrol for him? “Hontou ni Arigatou”, he whispered getting a slight hiccup.
The time for the hug seemed to be upon him, but he resisted. Instead, he once more reached out and lightly put his hand on his hat again. “Ah...” He answered the thanks. He didn’t think the thanks would be very forth coming once he started trying to make Akaya’s mind stronger. He was sure that after a bit, the man would probably start to hate him...or think him even more boring and old fashioned. After all, Sanada was going to make him sit in very uncomfortable positions for hours on end, staring at nothing after doing whatever he could to piss the boy off. Not a good game plan, but one none the less. Lure that demon out and then force Akaya to sit.
But not today. No. Akaya had enough to deal with today. “Now....Deep breath...”
Akaya tried to obey his senpai and breath deep but the hiccup always interfered at the worst parts. Akaya had finally let got of the cap, that now loosely lay on his head while he tried to brush away the tears that still ran down his cheeks. “I’m sorry... I’m so pathetic.....”, he whined, “You want to do so much for me and I’m just crying like an idiot.”
Something inside him broke just a little. That stubborn wall had another fissure with Kirihara’s name on it. “Kirihara-kun...” He started. His free hand went under the brim, to wipe a few tears himself. The other pulled, knowing the collision course between Akaya and himself would be a short one. “Don’t whine.” Yet he was still hugging him, chin resting just on top of his own hat. “And don’t apologize. I’ll decide when you’re pathetic.”
This though finally made the tears stop, because Kirihara was too surprised to continue crying. Sanada …. hugged him? And this time it was a real hug and not like when he had shown Sanada how to play Crisis Core. Sanada really wanted to comfort him. Akaya knew that he shouldn’t do this but he just couldn’t help closing his eyes for a moment and just enjoy the feeling of somebody hugging him. ‘
The tears had stopped. That was a good thing. Sanada honestly hadn’t know how to handle it. He had always grown to believe that crying, and most other emotions were a sign of weakness. Sanada men were never weak. But....Akaya was not a Sanada man. Akaya was Akaya and he was allowed. He took a deep breath himself. “You have a roommate now...” He had noticed that as well. He would not allow himself the small feeling of envy. “So...I will give you my number. If you feel you might have trouble...you call me.” Because last thing he wanted for Akaya was for the younger man to wake up and find that he had strangled his roommate in his sleep.
Akaya kept Sanada close for a moment before he slowly let go again, feeling how the blood rushed into his cheeks as he backed off again. “Number... yeah... thank you Senpai. I’ll make sure just to call you if it is important”, he said silent, slightly nodding before he grabbed the Cap and took it off just to hold it out for Sanada to take again. “Thank you...”
Why don’t you keep it. His mind said the words even as the hat came back towards him. He booted that thought hard as he could and took the head covering back. It was something important to him. He had just been loaning it out and it had served it’s purpose. A moment later, it was back where it belonged and he didn’t feel quite as naked. He adjusted it, to make sure Akaya could still see his eyes. Once more, he took a thumb to clear away the last tracks of those tears. “Ah....” He answered. Then a pen came out for him to write down the number in his far too nice handwriting.
Akaya looked everywhere but at Sanada while the other wrote his number down. “Thank you”, Akaya murmured as he took the piece of paper and looked at it. He was surprised at Sanada’s handwriting but with such a traditional family Sanada probably had learned how to write the right way.
That finished, he crossed his arms again and nodded. “Tomorrow.” He stated, “back here.” He would come up with some sort of training regimen in the mean time. “I expect for you to be on time...You did good today.” Because he hadn’t actually expected for Akaya to hurry there because of one NOW. He really was an obedient boy. It was kind of cute.
Akaya nodded slightly and put the note away. So his new training would start tomorrow. “What time should I be here?”, He asked. He had to know when Sanada would be waiting on him so he wouldn’t be too late. And again he felt how he blushed slightly as he heard the compliment from his Buchou.
Not as cute as the color forming on those still wet cheeks.... He’d have to do something about this soon, else his feelings would get in the way of training. But as long as he could keep it in check, as long as Akaya didn’t realize just how fond he was...As long as that stupid hacker didn’t find out and paste that everywhere for anyone to read...he would be okay. “Before dinner. Perhaps 4.” Because he didn’t want Akaya to slack off just because had a full stomach. Plus, it meant that perhaps he could accompany Akaya to the evening meal before his rounds around campus began.
“Yes sir”, Akaya murmured with a little nod. He was curious what Sanada would do to help him. How would this anger management be like? He just hoped that it would help him with his dreams as well.
He....smiled. The small twitch of the corners of his mouth shifting upwards, fraction by fraction. Barely there, yet with him almost blindingly obvious. It was perhaps a doting smile. A proof that he was growing more fond of Kirihara than he probably should. And all because the other was willing to blindly trust him. He would not betray that trust. He would have to do some deep research. Perhaps it was time to go to the psychology department. But first, he had to make sure that the younger was okay to go back.
“Then...I’ll take my leave for now, unless you need something from me.” He paused and then stated. “Remember to wash your face before going out. I wouldn’t want any of your fans to see you like this.” Because he was sure that Kirihara probably had his fans, just as Sanada did. Sanada’s biggest fan just happened to be a former Prince and a stalker on top of that. Which made him consider what he was going to do about that. He didn’t want jealousy of a former ruler to get in the way and he would kill Kime-hime with his bare hands if the over amorous man touched a hair on that curly head. Just one more thing to protect Akaya from. He wondered if eventually, Sanada would start having to protect the younger man from Sanada himself.
“Hai”, Akaya noddd slightly but then frowned and looked up at Sanada again. “Fans?”, He asked, hasn’t even realized that there are some who could actually be called that way. He didn’t had payed attention to this because he had learned to mistrust most people and didn’t even tried to find friends. Itsuki had been a necessary evil, and Sanada..... Sanada was something different, something special.
“Hn.” He answered. “The kendo team is popular. And on top of that, you are my vanguard. You’ll have a mountain of Valentines next month.” That, and even he could admit it, Kirihara was easy on the eyes as well. Someone that cute was terribly likely to have quite the fan following; if not now, then eventually. It was inevitable. He would have to remember not to get jealous and to find a way to make himself unavailable for his own deluge of pink envelopes. “You’ll see soon enough, as soon as we hold a tournament here on campus instead of away.”
“Oh.....”, Akaya said still a bit surprised. Of course he had noticed Sanada’s fans but that there should be some that liked him? It was a strange thought. Back in Rikkai everybody knew that he was dangerous. “Ah right... tournament.... When will be the next one anyway?”
He nodded. They would come out for the tournament. From the girl’s college down the way. from this college. From the town too. With banners and cries for their favorite and questions of marriage and child rearing. He’d heard calls of “Sanada-san, I want your baby!” It was disturbing. Especially when it came from certain men. He pushed the thought away for the question. “The next one. About a week after finals. We’ll be at a rival school again. Our tournament here is at the end of the season, as we are the champion. “We’ll be ready for them, no matter where we are.”
Akaya probably would be rather scared that motivated if he’d see and hear that. But then Akaya nodded again. “So about a month from now”, he murmured. He’d have to train hard so he wouldn’t embarrass his senpai. “Alright.... then....I’ll go back hm?.... I don’t want to bother you any longer”, he murmured and wanted to turn around.
He nodded once. About a month from now. He would be riding the team hard until then. He hoped they’d not crack under the pressure. If they did, he’d just have to push them harder. He nodded again and let his arms drift away from the hug. Once more, he reached up and lightly ran his thumb once more over that fine cheekbone, as it to make sure no more tears were there. “Ah. Remember...if you need anything...” Akaya had his number.
It was hard for Akaya not to simply close his eyes as he felt the thumb on his cheek again. A part of him didn’t want to go. But he simply nodded and stepped back a bit. “...I’ll call you, I promise”, he nodded at the last statement with a very thin smile.
Sanada was the one to turn his back on his kohai. He took a few steps away. Akaya was dismissed. He needed to calm down and the best way to do that was a few swings and then some meditation. Akaya could stay if he wanted, but Sanada was going to make himself busy.
Akaya lowered his head and bowed down, even if Sanada didn’t see it. After a last gaze at his Senpai he turned around as well and left the Dojo. He needed to think and try to understand what he really felt. He was just glad that Sanada wasn’t disappointed or hated him now. That had been his deepest fear.