Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Konomi Takeshi does. I'm merely playing with them for the moment.
A/N: Ever since the 1st of December, I have been posting one fic/update a day over at my LJ, lumelle. These updates have been in series of five fics sharing a theme.
The second series of five are set in a future RyoDan universe loosely based on the LJ-based RPG TeniCamp.
At this point in time, the boys have moved to America and Ryoma is playing professionally.
Sadistic Smiles
"You're evil, Tai." Ryoma glared at his lover, stretching his legs. "Evil, sadistic, and just downright mean."
"All true. And I take pride in it, too," Dan replied calmly, not even looking up from his papers. Ryoma had no idea what he had written on those magical papers; then again, he didn't really want to know. He did know it was data, and that was quite enough to keep his curiosity at bay. Those things were just incomprehensible to him and he quite preferred it that way. Data was not meant for the eyes of mortals, or indeed anyone with a soul.
"Woe is me," murmured Ryoma, wiping his forehead. "My lover is trying to drive me to my death!"
"I'm not doing this as your lover," Dan chuckled, adjusting his glasses slightly in a manner that was all too reminiscent of Inui, "but as your coach. Something we have a contract about and something you're paying me for, if I may remind desu. I should hope my methods have been successful enough this far."
"Sure you are." Ryoma threw him another glare. "You've probably called Inui-senpai and asked him for the best ways to be sadistic. Next thing I know you'll start brewing those horrible juices, too."
"Inui-san is quite a respectable authority in coaching methods, yes, but I quite prefer it when you actually want to eat the things I cook up." Dan smirked a bit, pushing a lock of dark hair behind his ear. The gesture mesmerized Ryoma momentarily as he followed the path of the dark strands across the smooth skin. "And when you're quite done bitching... we aren't exactly done for today yet."
"We're never done," Ryoma grimaced. "You'll just keep me running and running and running until I literally drop dead."
"Only until we're done with today's program, though your idea does have some merit to it, too. But then, dead players never won matches." With another little smirk, Dan folded the papers up and stuck them into his pocket before running off. "Come on, Ryoma~" he called over his shoulder.
"Unfair!" Ryoma shouted back before darting off after him. Dan was just plain concentrated evil, he decided. But then, he had known that long before they'd ended up in their current arrangement. Sometimes he felt like he was the evil one, here... he'd dragged Dan all the way to America simply to aid him in achieving his own goals. Dan hardly had much time for any life of his own, what with both of their lives being structured around Ryoma's tournaments and practice schedule. But then, it was also the best way to actually fit their lives together. If he'd had someone else as his personal coach, he probably would have seen much less of his lover. He'd watched from afar how Atobe arranged his life, being on a different continent than his lover most of the time, and he'd seen enough to know he didn't want that. Evil coach or not, at least this way Dan was with him every week, every day, almost every hour.
And besides, he thought to himself with a little smirk, Dan certainly had the best... rewards... when he won his matches.