Snakey: My Love, a prince of tennis fanfic

Snakey: My Love…

by aragon asten

A/N: this is a slightly, long, light and fluffy one-shot. Hope you enjoy!

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There was 85 percent probability that this day will be sufficiently pleasant…

With hot and fragrant steam floating out of the door, Inui Sadaharu stepped out of the shower and unto his adjoining room.

…a perfect day to test my new creation…

Clad only in a little fluffy bit of what passed as a towel, wrapped securely across his lean waist, the manager of Seigaku walked across the white vinyl (easy to clean) floor towards the 182.88 cm by 121.93 cm mirror situated in the northeast side of his immaculately and freakishly white room.

He gazed at his reflection through eyes devoid of any glass covering. His eyes scanned the pale flesh, which stretched out over finely toned muscles. Across his chest, his arms, his long, white legs--even the parts hidden by the towel were all portraits of hard, calculated labor he made each day.

He smiled in that special way of his.

Thank you for everything. It was all worth it.

With this smile trailing across his lips, he scanned the school uniform he had carefully laid across his bed, the hair gel he had especially formulated to suit his hair, the newly cleaned glasses, the schoolbag in the corner, where his new (still to be tested) juice lay hidden, the worn tennis shoes, and the-

He froze.

It was gone!

Frantically scanning the room for traces of his brown bracelet, he searched hither and thither, his wet black hair flapping across his face. His brows furrowed together in a frown.

This can't be! This wasn't in the schedule.

Stopping in the center of his room, He closed his eyes, and laid one trembling hand across his temple. He pressed it across the pounding blood vessels, telling himself to just breathe.

Out

Out…

THUMP!

Seigaku's dataman collapsed on the floor.

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Inui walked across the campus, carefully circling his aching shoulder to lessen the pain. From across the tennis courts, Tezuka nodded at him, silently complimenting him for the good match they had just played, even if Inui had lost. He nodded back. But inside, he was berating himself.

What went wrong?

He had carefully analyzed Tezuka's condition and playing style prior to the match. And during game he successfully applied his strategy. Hadn't he predicted that lob shot? The direction of that volley? The-

He fought the urge to sigh.

Still, he lost again. What was his problem?

He gazed forlorn eyes hidden by glasses towards the freshmen who were fulfilling their after tennis duties. His ears perked up to the distinctive sound of two freshmen fighting with each other on who was fastest in collecting the tennis balls. What was their name?

Ah. Momoshiro and Kaido.

His defeat relegated to the back of his mind, he noted with interest their intense competition and the way their hands swept the balls with incredible speed and skill. Taking his notebook from its usual hiding place, he began to jot notes about the two interesting kouhai's of his.

After a few seconds, he looked up. The balls were all tidied up, but as it looks from the fierce scowls from both sides, no one had won. He grinned. He would continue watching the two. They could possibly benefit Seigaku in the future.
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He was magnificent.

Because of some laboratory duties, Inui was forced to stay in school late unto the night. When he had finished, he prepared himself for the walk home (his house was nearby). He prepared himself for the cool brisk air, the stinging bite of coming rain, and the road that would become 67.5 percent more slippery than usual. But he didn't expect this.

It was that boy. Kaido, was it?

He was hidden in some corner, doing push ups, and based on the amount sweat and strain upon his face, he had been engaging in that activity for quite some time. He let his eyes wander across his tight face, the clenched teeth, and the ground wet with his perspiration. In the corner, lay some wet towels, and a tennis racket laid gently upon the floor.

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, thinking, pondering, his massive brain taking in these new data like a marine porifera.

...intense training laced with extreme determination? Is that what he missed?

"You're pushing it at the wrong angle."

Kaido froze. Raising shocked eyes above, he was astonished to discover his enigmatic sempai looking down upon him. Inui sempai! What was he doing here? Turning his eyes in confusion, he looked around. But he was even more shocked to discover that it was raining for some time, based on how wet his surroundings were. He had been so completely focused in his training that he failed to notice the water splatter all about him. But darting quick eyes across his body, he discovered that he was completely dry. Bewildered, Kaido looked up, back at his sempai, and noticed the massive black umbrella he was holding up, covering them both.

Had he been doing that for the last minutes? How stupid his sempai must take him for.

Shocked and embarrassed, Kaido hid his blush with a faint hiss.

Inui heard that faint "Fshuu…" Mistaking it for irritation, he decided to elaborate.

"Your hands are too close together. You're arms must form a 90 degree angle with you body. They must be held apart from eleven to twelve inches based on your body width. Doing this, will improve your body support while strengthening your arms."

Kaido could only stare.

And after a few moments, Inui let out a sigh of resignation.

And to Kaido's utter astonishment, Inui leaned over, kneeling on one foot, and covered his hands with his palm. And before he could even react, his strange, mysterious sempai had already adjusted the position of his arms.

Kaido was frozen--speechless.

For a few moments, they sat there--him in a supine position, Inui kneeling before him, one of his hands covering his, and one hand holding up an umbrella which shielded them both from the rain.

Finally, Inui broke off and stood up, still gazing at him from the depths of those impenetrable glasses. For a single second, the sudden desire to see the eyes within those walls, drifted towards Kaido, before it was swept away by the embarrassment that was consuming him. He couldn't help it. He hissed again.

"Fshuu…"

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…67 percent improvement in stamina, 42.5 percent improvement in speed, 89.56 percent improvement in…

Inui carefully jotted these notes in his data notebook, a tiny smile flitting across his lips as he considered the improvements he had gained in the past months. He had improved a lot.

Then, at that moment, his eyes drifted to the boy beside him, who was carefully adjusting his bandanna as they sat side by side in the locker room.

And much could be said about Kaido, too.

A new smile flickered across his lips, as he considered how successful, his training program had been. Of course it was! The evidence was right before his very eyes. But of course, it wasn't entirely Inui's fault. The boy beside him had persevered, and strove hard to reach every deadline and standard Inui had set for him. Kaido's desire to be stronger was so incredible that it had overridden every concern he might have felt, or every doubt he might have experienced when Inui offered to train him.

He was a good boy.

And at that moment, this very boy's bandanna knot strangely tied loose. And it fell over his eyes.

And with a fond chuckle that was very much anti-Inui, he reached out to tie it back. Kaido stiffened. And relaxed.

And for a second there, Kaido's mind, drifted to that very first day Inui had acknowledged his presence in the team. Inui had kneeled before him, while he lay on the ground.

Now they sat side-by-side. How weird it felt! And infinitely pleasant…

"Why do you wear that bandanna?" Inui asked softly. "I can infer that it serves as a sweat and hair control…"

Kaido nodded slowly.

"But why do I get the feeling that it serves another purpose?" Inui gently probed.

Kaido stiffened once again. He emitted a faint hiss, and he lowered his head-in embarrassment, perhaps? Meanwhile, Inui waited quietly, patiently, knowing this tactic would surely bring the answer he needed.

The minutes ticked by. Until, finally, Kaido spoke.

"It's a reminder, sempai. It-it helps me…remember…"

Remember what, Kaoru?

Kaido looked up toward the doors of the lockers in front, tyring to avoid his sempai's gaze, stammering gruffly, "When-when I wear it, I remember that I have to be strong. When-when I feel it lying on my head, I remember that I have to-to work hard-train hard… it-it…helps me succeed… it-it…" Kaido sighed. "It just helps me remember…"

Inui stared at him for a moment, the light above glinting across his opaque lenses. who regarded him in that strange new light.

Afterwards, he nodded, saying in that monotone voice. "I see, so it's a reminder, then…" He trailed off, nodding to himself, and soon enough, as expected, taking his notebook, he began to jot down notes.

And as Kaido stole nervous glances at his weird sempai, he caught snatches of faint words. And he froze.

"79 percent chance of working to his advantage…"

His eyes widened.

79 was a rather high percent.

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"Good job, Inui."

The sunlight glinted off his glasses, as Seigaku's future manager shook the hands of its future captain.

"Thanks, Tezuka," he muttered back.

Then after some polite nods, he walked out of the tennis court.

Kaido Kaoru, early, as usual, witnessed Inui's pre-tennis practice defeat. He tightened hold of his bag as he walked towards the locker rooms, feeling a strange heavy weight taking hold of his chest. His eyes flickered to his stoic sempai, Tezuka who was quietly conversing with his friend Oishi. And then his eyes rested upon Inui retreating back.

Then he knew-he finally realized.

All those months of training were all for this! This match. This game. Inui had trained hard-using Kaido as a guinea pig (he knew that now, and grudgingly accepted it) to achieve the lofty goal of defeating Tezuka. And still he failed! Like he did, months ago.

At that moment, the heavy weight in Kaido's chest, dropped to his stomach, making him squirm against his will.

He felt-sad? disappointed?

Then his eyes once again wandered towards Inui's figure-the almost imperceptible lines of exhaustion decorating his broad shoulders. Few could have seen it but Kaido did! He had been with his sempai for so long, he just knew it.

What are you feeling, Inui?

Kaido emitted a low hiss, flexing his aching fingers-fingers who spend the whole night completing a home eco project. He got a low grade, of course! Anyway, he was a tennis player, not an accessory maker… But still-

His bandana knot strangely came loose, then. And it hit him. Like a blow from behind.

He froze for a second. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he glanced back at the tennis court, hissing softly, before running back to the school's main compound.

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He saw it lying inside his locker. Someone must have slipped it inside…

Picking it gingerly, he examined its exterior, wondering what it meant.

Grabbing a towel from a corner, he stepped out of the room, and unto the outside fountain. From the distance, he could hear the club members, loudly preparing for their walk home. With a frown creasing his forehead, he stepped towards the fountain, his mind resting on the strange object lying on his left palm.

"It's a reminder."

Inui stiffened upon hearing that familiar voice from behind him. Turning around, he let his eyes wander across Kaido's nervous expression.

"You mean this?" he muttered softly, displaying a palm that cradled a crude brown bracelet.

Kaido nodded in embarrassment. Lowering his head, he hissed for a second, then he spoke in polite terms befitting a kouhai.

"Sempai, you told me that there was a 79 percent of working to your advantage. I was just hoping it would help you…you…" He coughed suddenly. And after muttering swift and unintelligible apologies, he turned around so he could run away from this embarrassing encounter. He started to run-

"There's still that 21 percent of failure, Kaido."

Kaido steps were taken short, as he heard that dry voice from behind him. Quickly, he tried to suppress the surges of disappointment that welled up inside him. It was useless anyway. He knew that it wouldn't work for his sempai. Beside few people were as weird as Kaido Kaoru and anyway, he knew that-

"But I think I'll take the chance."

Kaido's thoughts dissolved in the wind, and his eyes widened upon hearing that dry but amused voice speaking words that, inexplicably, filled him with a sense of utter achievement. He lowered his head, hissing once again.

But he was smiling now.

And with that smile upon his lips, he ran away, never once looking back.

And behind him, one boy clasped a brown bracelet across his left wrist, a faint smile flickering across his lips, and the sunset's rays glancing off his opaque glasses.

"Oooohh…Inui looks so different without glasses! Open your eyes now! I want to see it, nya!"

"Lower your voice, Eiji, you're bothering him!"

"umm…, Oishi? I think he's waking up…"

"What Taka? (pause) You're right! Inui, can you open your eyes? How are you feeling? Are you in pain? Do you need water? I can get you water, if you want. Or do you need your schoolbag? We brought it for you. We even got notes for today's lesson! But are you well enough to read? Do you want me to read for you? Do you need…"

"Hmm… I never thought Inui sempai could faint like that. Does anybody know what happened?"

"I DO! I will tell you, Sempai momo-chan, with my two years tennis exp-umphhhh! Aahh KOchiro! Let go of my face! AARgh-ummphhh…"

"He had an anaphylactic shock, Momoshiro."

"An-a-a what, Fuji sempai?"

"Anaphylactic shock. It's a severe allergic reaction."

"Allergies! To what?"

"I'm not sure. But the doctors say, there's a big chance it was because of his new bathroom soap…"

"Whaat! Hwuahahaha! That's so-so… Hwuahahaha! Well, I know that would never happen to me!"

"Mada mada dane."

"What do you mean ochibi! Are you saying I'm gonna have allergies like that! Huh! huh! Maybe you're the one who has allergies! Maybe that's why you only use special bathing salts!"

"How did you know that, Momoshiro?" (sadistic smile)

"Ah, Fuji-sempai…umm…aahh…"

"Che. Baka hentai."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY OCHIBI!"

"Momoshiro, Echizen, run ten laps around the hospital grounds!"

"WHAAT!
"B-but buchou..."

"(sighs) You too, Oishi."

"B-but Tezuka, why am I included?"

"You're bothering Inui. Now go."

"Buchou, b-b-but…"

"Tezuka, I was just-"

"Run forty laps around the court, NOW!"

Inui groaned.

After making sure that his teammate's (specifically Eiji's) voices were at least ten meters away, Inui carefully and slowly opened his heavy eyes.

And froze.

How could I have not heard you!

For right in front of him, Kaido was staring at him with astonished eyes.

Inui's eyes widened, which surprised Kaido even more, and before they knew it, they were staring--drinking up the sight of each one.

The seconds ticked past, but it seemed as if the two were frozen in that one instant. One instant in which one stared at the other's beautiful face unmarred by any form of concealment, in shock-in pleasure-in unexplained delight, while warm flowing heat pooled inside him and flowed to the other, who was finding it hard not to stare back.

Finally…finally… finally… finally… finally…

Then they blinked.

And the moment was gone.

With a sharp hiss, Kaido abruptly lowered his head to hide the blush which stained his pale cheeks, while a (regretful?) sigh burst from Inui as his hand grasped the glasses that were lying by his bedside.

When Kaido finally looked up, the glasses were back.

Clearing his throat offhandedly, Kaido gruffly whispered, "Sempai-uh… y-you left this yesterday… in the locker…and well-"he froze mid-ramblings, and with a quick embarrassed gesture, he covered Inui's hands with his own.

…déjà vu, perhaps?

The thought sailed across Inui's brain in an instant, and when Kaido had removed his hand, revealing a crude, worn bracelet, Inui was already silently chuckling to himself.

"Thank you, Kaido."

"Hey! Kaido, why didn't you tell us he was already awake!"

The loud and chipper voice of Eiji broke through what promised to be another staring "moment." And before Inui could stop them, the rest of the team had already gathered around him, and Kaido was relegated to his usual place at the back.

He sighed regretfully in his mind.

Then he noticed something.

His bag.

His school bag.

His school bag which contained-?

Inui's familiar grin was back.

"Seigaku, wanna have a get-well toast?"

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There was 85 percent probability that this day will be sufficiently pleasant…

And as Inui gazed at his teammates lying half-dead on the hospital floor, he was sure it was.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A/N: To all readers who have been misled by the title, I'm sorry. This actually doesn't refer to Kaido but a "real" bracelet my querida made for me, which I aptly named Snakey because of its hue and stripes.

I often call it, "my love" and since that bracelet inspired this one-shot, I placed that name as a title.

Oh well! enough of that crap! I hope you enjoyed that story. And I'll love you forever if you manage to leave a review.

If not, well, thanks anyway!

Mabuhay!