Notes: Slightly future AtoYuu :D Imagine one or two years ahead or so. Numbered scenes are not necessarily in chronological order so don't get confused :3 I also don't like the way FFnet has formatted it, so ignore the part where it chewed up the nice, neat gaps I had between scenes.
This technically stands alone because I wrote it that way, but there's another part that comes after this which follows it. Because I ♥ AtoYuu XD
By Miki
One: The first time Yuuta meets Atobe's mother, he doesn't know what to make of her.
He's wearing one of Atobe's jumpers since the house is a lot colder than what he'd expected, and he's wearing the guest slippers and has a bleeding nose with a tissue stuffed up one nostril.
(S)
Two: Miyoko can be strict at times, but she only has one son, and he means the world to her. She recognises his habits and knows how he thinks and she's hard on him where her parents were soft on her; being far too indulgent and allowing her to grow up a spoilt, often impractical child.
Keigo isn't a child anymore and he rarely requires guidance, so when she sees Yuuta, she hides her instant urge to straighten up his clothes, tell him off for wearing mismatched colours and choosing slippers which, quite frankly, look like duck feet with the way he walks.
He has none of Keigo's grace on his feet; rather, he's a little awkward and tends to shuffle sometimes.
She likes him instantaneously though and can't help wanting to pet his head as she passes him by. He looks confused, but that only endears him to her all the more, and she spends the rest of the day wondering when Keigo acquired such a friend.
He makes a change from the boys he usually invites home, and he's certainly a lot more fun to play with. Especially when he later shoots his carrots off his plate at dinner.
(S)
Three: Yuuta isn't big on presents. When Atobe's birthday rolls around, he debates for a long time and ends up surveying his team mates for ideas, even if they don't understand that blow up dolls, phallic objects and video games are not suitable options. They don't know he's asking for Atobe's sake, so he ends up mulling the dilemma over some more before coming up blank.
(S)
Four: Miyoko doesn't go into her son's room all that often. They tend to limit themselves to organised conversations in the rooms downstairs, when Keigo isn't studying and when he isn't training out on the courts.
She's noticed Yuuta's increasingly in the house, yet it isn't until she notices some clothes out of place and on one of the chairs in Keigo's room that she realises just how much time he actually spends with her son.
She folds the clothes neatly, taking note of their rough sizes and noting the fact that Yuuta has a habit of borrowing Keigo's old jumpers; the ones he outgrew a few seasons ago.
She tells Keigo to take him shopping; take him out and buy him something nice.
He obliges, though he doesn't look that thrilled.
The week after the purchase of one rather expensive pullover, Miyoko notices Yuuta again when she goes up onto the second floor to look for a book she's lost.
Yuuta's wearing Atobe's jumper again.
Miyoko sighs and wonders if it can't be helped.
(S)
Five: It turns out that Atobe's birthday celebration has been booked for the week after his actual birthday so Yuuta doesn't really expect to see him on the day itself.
He also doesn't expect to be receiving a present when he's supposed to be giving one instead.
He blinks as he opens the box Atobe's handed to him. Its contents are green and white slippers; the same style as the blue and white ones Atobe currently has – though Yuuta knows he has about fifty pairs of shoes in his closet and probably has more than ten pairs of slippers as well – and though Yuuta isn't sure he likes the colour, he does like the way they sit right next to Atobe's in the coat room near the front door.
He likes the fact that the butler brings them when he walks into the house with Atobe, and he likes the fact that when Atobe gets bored of his and buys a new red pair – solid colours are in fashion, not pastels, he tells Yuuta – he buys another matching pair for Yuuta as well.
Most of all, Yuuta likes kicking off his slippers.
He likes sitting on the edge of Atobe's bed and kicking off the things, waiting for Atobe's huff and incensed look when he sees them on the floor and not lined up parallel to the bedside table instead.
He likes the fact that Atobe actually lines them up himself and then frowns at him in disapproval, though they both know he doesn't really care about the slippers at all.
(S)
Six: Atobe needs his space.
He gets crabby at times, loses his temper, snaps at people, snaps for no reason or for silly little ones, sulks, muses and thinks things over and wonders why he has to like someone like Yuuta.
Yuuta's someone who snaps back and Atobe wonders if they have more in common than he usually likes to think.
Yet when Yuuta first stays the night and spends an awkward time at one side of Atobe's bed, looking as though he's sleeping on a bed of nails, Atobe sighs, sits up and turns on the light.
It's one in the morning and he knows Yuuta can't have slept at all.
The bed is huge, but Yuuta's right at the opposite edge, almost about to fall off.
It takes a lot to convince Yuuta that his mother isn't going to walk in in the morning, nor is anyone else and no, Mizuki does not have x-ray vision and Yuuta's mother isn't going to know what they do with each other.
It's nearly three in the morning by the time Atobe's satisfied with their sleeping arrangements.
Yuuta falls asleep, curled up against Atobe and grumbling at him for having hard collarbones. Atobe has to hold back his retorts, wanting to point out that bones are indeed hard, because wouldn't humans be rather like jellyfish without them? As much as he likes Yuuta, he doesn't think he'd like Yuuta as a jellyfish.
Yuuta's warm, and having someone else in the bed makes it suddenly feel a whole lot smaller, but Atobe doesn't mind.
He thinks he and Yuuta fit perfectly and he almost wants to tell Yuuta so, except that Yuuta's snoring.
Atobe's used to silence, but he really doesn't mind sharing his space after all.
(S)
Seven: Miyoko opens her son's bedroom door. It's eight in the morning but she's looking for her book still and she's quite sure it must be somewhere in Keigo's room.
She sees it on Yuuta's side of the bed and walks in, trying to be as quiet as possible.
Yuuta's asleep, curled up facing Keigo, who looks a little cold and uncomfortable with an arm out of the bed covers and resting across Yuuta's shoulders.
Miyoko hesitates, then pulls up the quilt properly and adjusts Keigo's arm, knowing he'll probably wake up and complain vigorously about needing to see a physio if she doesn't. He's a fussy child; she knows, and sometimes she wonders if he's too fussy for his own good; too used to getting what he wants when he wants it without putting effort in in return.
Then she ruffles his hair, and Yuuta's too, retrieves her book and walks back out, being careful to click the door shut.
.tbc.