hey! so I hadn't really planned on writing a sequel to Losing Control, but after some totally awesome people left me some extremely kind reviews, how could I say no? (thanks again to you guys, you know who you are 3) so I hope this is good enough hahah I know it's a lot fluffier than the first story, but I feel like it fits better for what I want to happen with their relationship hehe... so here it is, hope you like it!

Making Promises

They'd started to officially date a few months ago, but sometimes it was still hard for Kirihara to believe it was real. Sanada was just so perfect, and Kirihara felt so inadequate next to him. Kirihara believed that he must be the luckiest boy in the world to get to date such an amazing guy. His boyfriend was tall, handsome, smart, and a great leader. People looked up to him. On the other hand, Kirihara saw himself as small and awkward and he knew people were usually afraid of him. So while he was thrilled to be dating someone as amazing as his senpai, Kirihara was worried that the other wasn't proud of their relationship. In fact, they'd never even been on a real date. Sometimes they would hang out after practice, maybe get some food with the rest of the team, but their alone time was usually spent doing other activities, and nothing romantic. Sure, Kirihara couldn't complain about the physical pleasure he got from the other, but he wanted more. No one even knew that they were together, which did sting Kirihara's pride and led to his thoughts that maybe Sanada was embarrassed by him.

"Kirihara, are you free after practice? My parents are going to be out tonight, so you could come to my house..." Sanada said in his husky voice, wrapping his arms round the smaller boy. They were the first ones into the club room, giving them a brief moment of alone time.

Nuzzling into the strong chest against his back, Kirihara nodded eagerly. But at the same time, his doubtful thoughts kept buzzing in the back of his mind. Why couldn't Sanada touch him like this in front of their teammates?

But Sanada was already pulling away, in case someone should walk in on them. "Great, just wait for me in here after practice then," he said as he exited the club room.

Sighing, Kirihara went to change into his jersey. He knew he should just tell his boyfriend what was bothering him, but he didn't want the older boy to take it the wrong way. What was he going to do?

Sanada unlocked the door to his house and let Kirihara go in first. Silently the two took off their shoes and dropped their backpacks. "Let's go to my room," Sanada whispered into Kirihara's ear.

"Yeah," the smaller answered. He allowed himself to be led up the stairs and into the clean room which had become so familiar to him during the past few months. He could feel his cheeks heat up as he thought of all of the things they'd done in that room.

Sanada must have noticed the blush because he suddenly asked, "Are you okay?" He put one of his large hands onto Kirihara's cheek, caressing the smooth skin.

Instead of answering, Kirihara leaned up to kiss Sanada sweetly on the lips. He felt the older teen wrap his arms around his waist, pulling him in close. He brought his own hands up to run through Sanada's silky locks of hair. Kirihara deepened the kiss as much as he could, standing on his tip toes to better reach the tall boy's mouth. He knew that once again he was just letting Sanada's body make him forget his original resolve to talk to him, but Kirihara decided that they could talk later...

Sanada slowly moved their makeout to his bed. The tall teen laid onto his back, hoisting Kirihara on top of him so that he was straddling his hips. "Akaya..." he said lowly. His hands feverishly roamed up and down Kirihara's sides, feeling the thin body through his shirt.

"Haaa," Kirihara panted as he rubbed his hips against the other's. His cheeks were even more flushed due to the fact that his lover rarely used his first name like that. Honestly, it was probably for the better, since such a simple action transformed Kirihara into putty in the other's rough hands. So, wasting no more time, Kirihara tugged off the shirt he was wearing, and carelessly tossed it to the ground. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sanada copy the action. Free from their tops, Kirihara let his small hands explore the broad chest of his vice-captain. The rippling muscles felt so strong and impressive under the light pressure Kirihara's fingertips applied. Everywhere he trailed his fingers, Kirihara then followed with sloppy kisses. Bent over the larger body, he moved his way up to Sanada's collar bone. He licked the depression in the center, and allowed himself to suck on the soft skin for a few moments. Both boys had agreed early on in the relationship that leaving marks could raise questions amongst their teammates in the locker room, however, so Kirihara had to be gentle. In the back of his head, Kirihara thought that this could be a great time to finally come out to the others. He could just leave dark marks all over his boyfriend and then proudly claim him as his own, but he knew Sanada would be furious. It wasn't worth upsetting his boyfriend over a few love bites.

While these thoughts ran through Kirihara's mind, Sanada suddenly said, "Please, more..."

Kirihara's ears perked at the request. At the beginning of their relationship, Kirihara had gladly bottomed to the larger man without question, and though that didn't change, Kirihara was learning other things he could do to pleasure Sanada. He was taking a more active role, so to speak. The teen lifted his lips from Sanada's chest so that he could sit up again. Kirihara quickly kissed his boyfriend before shifting further back on his hips, pointedly grinding himself against the bulge he could feel in Sanada's pants. Kirihara moved his fingers, expertly undoing the button and tugging off the other's pants and boxers in one deft motion. Having exposed his lover's erection, Kirihara tentatively put his mouth onto the tip. He still didn't think he was very good at this sort of thing, but Sanada seemed to enjoy it...

A while later the two boys laid in the bed, sweaty and exhausted. The blankets were pulled up over their naked bodies, courtesy of Sanada. The tall boy had his arms folded behind his head, and Kirihara was pressed tightly into his side. Still panting slightly, Kirihara decided this was the perfect moment to finally confront his boyfriend. "Hey," he called quietly. His heart was beating furiously in his chest, worried that what he was about to say could make Sanada angry or upset.

Sanada shifted slightly and looked at the smaller boy. He pressed a kiss into the dark curly locks before humming, "Mmmm?"

Kirihara allowed his finger to trail over the other's bare chest for a few long moments while he pieced together exactly how he wanted to voice his concerns. "Do I embarrass you?" he finally asked, turning his face away from the other. He removed his hand from Sanada's chest, holding it instead close to his own body.

Surprised by the question, Sanada sat up. "Why would you ever think that? I love you, Akaya." His hand went to Kirihara's face, grabbing it and turning it towards him. He frowned worriedly at the younger boy.

Pouting a bit, Kirihara said, "Well, you don't want anyone to know we're dating and so I thought maybe you didn't want people making fun of you for going out with me..." He crossed his arms over his chest, becoming distinctly aware that he was still naked and wishing that he wasn't. A light blush was splattered over his cheeks. This really wasn't how he imagined this conversation going.

The other teen was quiet for a moment. Then he cleared his throat and said, "I didn't know you were upset about that." He dropped his hand from Kirihara's chin so that it rest in his own lap. His dark eyes were also trained there.

"What?" Kirihara asked, suddenly exasperated. "Why wouldn't I be upset about this? My own boyfriend doesn't want his friends to know about us, of course that hurts my feelings!" A few tears were stinging his green eyes, but he prevented them from falling. He was getting upset at how childish he knew he sounded, but also at the fact that his boyfriend could sometimes be so oblivious to other peoples' feelings.

Suddenly Sanada's toned arms were wrapped around Kirihara's slight frame, pulling him so that he was sitting up as well. "I'm sorry. Please believe me when I tell you that it has nothing to do with you as to why I've been... secretive. I admit that I have not been open about our relationship, but it has nothing to do with me being embarrassed or ashamed of you in any way!" The usually calm teen let his face reveal all of the guilt and worry that was swirling around inside him.

Kirihara wanted to believe him, but he still didn't know exactly what to think. "Well, if it's not me, then why?" he asked quietly, eyes lowering. He balled his hands into tight fists, ready to hear what the other teen had to say to that.

The vice-captain let out a sigh. He loosened the hug that he'd still been clenching Kirihara in. "Akaya," he began after taking a deep breath. "It's because I'm not... comfortable... coming out as... gay," he said, each word getting quieter, until he was whispering at the end.

That instantly changed everything for Kirihara. His eyes opened wide with realization. He hadn't ever thought about that. Since middle school Kirihara had been flaunting the fact that he was gay, and so he never considered that that could be a problem for the other. Sanada never seemed self-conscious, but knowing the stoic teen, it was probably just part of his calm facade to hide any insecurities. Reflecting back, actually, it made sense to Kirihara. When Sanada had kissed Kirihara the first time those months ago in the showers, it was equally surprising to the ace player that Sanada was kissing him for the fact that it was him and that he'd never even pegged the tall teen as anything but straight. So obviously no one else knew either. This entire time Kirihara selfishly thought Sanada was just snubbing him because he only liked his body and not their actual relationship or something, when that was clearly far from the truth. Now Kirihara locked at his boyfriend with wide and sad eyes. "I never thought about that," he said slowly.

Sanada turned his face slightly so that he could regard his lover easier. "I know," he smiled. "But maybe it's time I start to be more open, yeah? I need to get over this foolish fear."

Kirihara was blushing now, feeling stupid but also loved. Sanada was willing to come out about his sexuality just for him? "We'll start slow," he said, a laugh finding the edges of his voice. "I pinky promise." The ace held out his right hand, his smallest finger extended.

Smiling at the juvenile sentiment, Sanada just followed suit, curling his own digit around the offered one. Shaking their pinkies like that, Sanada said, "And I promise to not be as afraid about what others think about me."

Kirihara sighed. He wanted to respect Sanada, but it had been a week and nothing had changed. Nothing. Obviously he wasn't going to rush to "out" his boyfriend, as he'd promised, but Kirihara was just so anxious to be able to proudly walk around with the other boy and not have to deal with girls constantly coming up to him and confessing. Sanada would always turn them down politely, but he wouldn't have to as much if people knew that he was taken. Shaking his head, Kirihara let himself slide a bit further down the locker he was leaning against. He was waiting for Sanada to take a shower so that they could leave together and study at the older teen's house. Of course Kirihara didn't care much for studying, even with midterms drawing near, but his tedious boyfriend wanted to keep up his perfect grades before graduating.

"Ready?" Sanada suddenly asked, startling Kirihara slightly.

Rolling his eyes, Kirihara just nodded. He stood up from the locker and left the club room with his boyfriend. They walked on the path that led to the school's front gates, and had almost reached them, when someone approached them.

A girl with long hair in a ponytail stood before Sanada and bowed. Her uniform was from their school but Kirihara couldn't recall having ever seen her before. She had a shy voice, but fierce eyes full of determination. "Sanada-senpai, please, accept this!" she said quickly, closing her eyes and biting her lip as she held an envelope out to the tall teen. She blushed as she held the light green parchment in her small hands and bowed deeply.

"I'm very sorry, but I can't accept this. I appreciate your feelings, but I'm already in a relationship," Sanada said with a sincere voice. By this point Sanada had turned down so many girls that he knew exactly how to do it so that it was as painless to them as possible. But even though he was used to turning girls down, this was the first time he included exactly why, at least to Kirihara's knowledge.

The girl turned to look at the tennis player, eyes wide. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you were seeing someone!" she blurted out. She looked a bit confused and somewhat hurt, but mostly just embarrassed. She shifted her feet as her eyes fell. Kirihara could have sworn he heard a sniffle from the petite girl.

Not at all offended, however, Sanada offered her a kind smile, one that looked completely out of place on his usually stoic face. "No harm done," he said. Then, without warning, his hand slipped to Kirihara's. He wrapped his pinky around the smaller boy's, in the same fashion as when they had made their promises the week before.

The surprised girl lifted her head enough that she caught the action, and then stared at the linked pinkies. Her wide eyes shone for a moment, any tears that had been there instantly drying up. A small smile settled on her face as she offered a quick nod, shoving her love letter into her backpack. "I understand, Senpai. Thank you," again she bowed. When she stood up straight, all traces of disappointment had vanished from her face. She left without saying anything else, skipping off in the opposite direction, seemingly happy at the outcome of the interaction.

Sanada looked pleased with himself before turning around back to the school's gate, his hand still lightly held onto Kirihara's.

"What if she tells other people about us?" Kirihara hissed under his breath. He glared suspiciously at the retreating girl. "I thought you wanted to go slow about telling people. I bet she's going to tell her friends, and who knows who else will find out..." He chewed his lip nervously as he watched the girl go around a corner and out of sight completely.

The older teen just swung their connected hands lightly in the warm afternoon air. "Oh well, what happens next is out of my control," he said, apparently carefree about the situation.

Kirihara studied the other with his large green eyes for a moment. A genuine grin split across his face. He stood on his toes so that he could place a soft kiss to the tip of Sanada's nose. Kirihara felt so happy in that moment. No longer did doubt plague his thoughts, and he knew that he was loved by the other teen. Kirihara was ready to come out and tell their teammates and friends about their relationship, but he was prepared to wait. Sanada was already fulfilling his promise, so there was no way that Kirihara would break his own. Because, in all honesty, Sanada was worth it, no matter how long it would take.

"Hey, come on, let's get going, we have studying to do..." Kirihara trailed off, smile still bright as he slipped his hand fully into Sanada's. He winked at his lover, thinking of what other things he knew they were bound to end up doing instead.

His tall boyfriend squeezed his palm gently. "Sounds good to me," he said, quirking his lips into a little smile.

Kirihara beamed up at him for a moment. Then, without warning, he let go of the other's hand and dashed a few steps away. He tossed a smirk over his shoulder before calling, "Race you there!" He didn't wait for a reaction before he once again began to run away from the school and in the familiar direction of Sanada's house. Giggling as he went, he could hear the tell-tale thud of Sanada's footsteps keeping pace behind him. Kirihara knew that Sanada was faster and had more stamina than him, but it didn't matter, he didn't actually care about beating the teen there. Just as he thought this, he felt his vice-captain come up right behind him. Sanada wrapped his thick arms around Kirihara's lithe waist, hoisting him into the air.

"Gotcha," Sanada panted. He hugged his boyfriend tightly.

Kirihara, not even bothering to struggle in the loving grip, was laughing so hard that a couple of tears pricked his eyes. His stomach hurt by the time the laughter had stopped wracking his frame. "Fine, fine, you win," he eventually was able to say. His face was pleasantly warm from the running and laughing, not to mention the close proximity of his lover. Kirihara almost pointed out that they were still near the school, and anyone could see them, but he knew that obviously Sanada was aware of that fact as well.

Then Sanada kissed the top of Kirihara's head before asking, a smirk evident in his voice, "What do I win?" He shifted his hold on the smaller teen so that he was being held bridal style in his muscular arms.

The curly haired teen bit his lip in thought. He raised his brow a couple of times seductively and then answered, "I guess you'll find out when we get to your house."

"Well then let's not waste any more time!" Sanada said with a short laugh. Still holding his boyfriend, Sanada continued the walk to his house.

With his head resting against Sanada's broad chest, and a huge smile covering his face, Kirihara nodded slightly to himself. Yes, Sanada was definitely worth it. Kirihara would keep his promise for as long as necessary. Because, truth be told, Kirihara felt that he was the luckiest boy in the world when he had Sanada by his side, and he never wanted that to change.

hope you all enjoyed this! thanks for reading, and as always, requests, reviews, and critiques are always welcomed and wanted!