Disclaimer: I own very little.
A/N: Do remember -- this story is 40.5-AU.
Nothing in Tennis
"Love means nothing in tennis, but in life, it is everything."
- Anonymous
Chapter 6
Confrontations
"Sengoku-buchou?"
Sengoku raised his eyes to his vice-captain. "What is it, Panda-chan?"
Muromachi twitched a bit at the nickname but refrained from commenting, as usual. He already knew Sengoku was something of a hopeless case. "Why are you calling Dan-kun, Taichiichi? I mean, I know you call people by nicknames all the time, but what does it mean?"
"Oh, that?" Sengoku grinned. "It's very simple, really. You see, when I first told Dan-kun I like him, he wasn't sure I could be faithful, since I'm always flirting with everyone and such. So, I told him that if he just agreed to go out with me, he'd be the only one for me. So, Taichi-ichi, Taichiichi. See? Simple."
"Yeah, simple." Muromachi sighed. "And also incredibly sappy. I didn't know Dan-kun was into that kind of stuff."
"Huh?" Sengoku's eyes widened in confusion. "What do you mean? Taichiichi's about the sweetest guy ever, of course he likes sweet things!"
"How can you be so sure?" Muromachi leant against the desk they were both sitting at. "I mean, he liked Akutsu for ages, right? If he's attracted to such a guy, he doesn't seem to care much for endearments."
Sengoku shrugged. "Well, I just can't be rude like Akutsu," he said. "If I did, I wouldn't be me. And if Taichiichi doesn't like me for myself, well, then he could just as well not like me at all, right?"
"You've got some logic behind that, yes," Muromachi admitted. "…For once."
"You wound me, Panda-kun." The hurt look on Sengoku's face was completely fake, as they both well knew.
The hurt look on his face was entirely too real, though, as during lunch break he wandered towards the club house only to find himself grabbed and then thrown against the wall of the small building. Regaining his balance, Sengoku stared up at blazing golden eyes. "…Akutsu?"
"Sengoku." Akutsu's voice was furious, even more so than usually. Oh shit oh shit oh shit. "You fucking bastard."
"What have I done now?" Sengoku glared up at Akutsu even as his self-preservation instincts told him to run. He couldn't let the other boy scare him just because Akutsu was bigger and stronger. If Dan could face Akutsu, he could, too – even if Dan did have the added bonus of Akutsu never being able to actually hit him.
"Like fuck you don't know." Akutsu towered over him, threatening as ever. "You stole the kid from me, Sengoku."
"I can't steal something that's not anyone's." Sengoku glared back. He knew very well that if it came down to a fight, Akutsu would win, but at the moment, he didn't care. Just what did the older boy think he was doing? Like it was any of his business whom Dan chose to date!
"He was mine." It was more of a growl than proper speech now, reflecting Akutsu's anger. "And you fucking stole him from me. You turned him against me!"
"Oh, shut up!" Sengoku was fuming with anger, now, too. It was strange, really, how they were indeed friends yet could drive each other to rage so easily. "The kid loved you for years, any idiot could have seen that! And you always just brushed him off and didn't pay him proper attention. It's all your own fault if he got tired of always being ignored."
"I didn't ignore him," Akutsu spat. "I tolerated him more than anyone else."
"That's the operative word here, though, isn't it? Tolerated? You never gave him any indication you had feelings of any kind for him. Rather, it looked like you didn't find him even worth hitting!"
"I would never hit Taichi." It sounded like saying these words took Akutsu quite some work. He wasn't used to such making such admissions, after all. However, there was no sympathy to be received from Sengoku – not that Akutsu probably had expected any. "And he knows that."
"Maybe he does," Sengoku replied. "But does he know why? No. Because you never told him. You left him with the impression you couldn't care less whether he lived or died, you idiotic bastard!"
"That's none of your fucking business!" Akutsu's eyes blazed with rage.
"Indeed, it isn't." Blue eyes met golden ones in a contest of glares. "However, what is my business is that you had every opportunity to make Taichiichi yours, yet you never did so. Therefore, the kid is free prey for me. And I happen to like him too much to see him go to waste pining after you."
"Prey? Taichi's no fucking prey, you bastard. The kid has his own bloody will."
"That's right. And he decided to choose me over you. He'd have been yours for years already if you'd just done something about it in the beginning, so don't start complaining now when it's too late." With one last cold glance, Sengoku stepped out from between the club house's wall and the bigger boy. "Besides, it's not like he wants to see you anymore, anyway, is it?"
He could hear Akutsu cursing as he darted towards the corner.
Getting to the other side of the clubhouse, Sengoku sighed. It wasn't great as far as hiding places went, being only on the other side of the very small building, but then again, if Akutsu had truly wanted to chase him, he'd have had no chance regardless of where he ran to. Whatever secret talent Akutsu possessed, it definitely affected his running skills as well, and when he truly wanted to find something – or somebody – he was like a predator stalking his prey. There was simply no escape from him.
Luckily – and wasn't he always so lucky? – Sengoku soon heard Akutsu's muttered curses fading away. This would have been a huge relief, had he not suddenly spotted another sound. Curious, he headed towards the end of the clubhouse, the side of the building he was yet to see.
To his great shock Sengoku found a lithe form there, leaning against the wall, tears streaking the pale face.
Dan had overheard, most likely the whole conversation. Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit. This truly wasn't his day, was it? He should have heeded the horoscope and simply stayed in bed all day.
"…Taichiichi?" he asked carefully. "Hey kid, you okay?"
"Do I look like I'm okay?" snapped Dan, trying in vain to wipe his tears away. "Honestly desu. You call Akutsu-senpai an idiot but are one of the worst kind, yourself."
Ouch. Sometimes Sengoku forgot that under the polite, proper façade there was a guy who didn't hesitate even to yell at Akutsu – a guy you did not want to argue with, even if the argument was rather difficult to get into. However, as the next moment he saw Dan sobbing, he again remembered that this same unyielding boy was also one who occasionally needed comfort – sometimes when he least would admit it. Walking closer, he pulled Dan into his arms, holding him quietly as the younger boy cried into his shirt. The poor garment was going to be soaked, but at the moment, he could care less.
"…I guess this is goodbye, then." Well. It had lasted longer than his average relationships. Not that this was saying much, considering his usual dating habits.
Then why did it hurt so much?
"Huh?" Dan pushed away a bit to raise his gaze to Sengoku, looking puzzled. "What – what do you mean, Sengoku-senpai?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Sengoku shrugged. "Now that you know Akutsu likes you, you'll want to go back to him, right? And don't even think of denying it." He settled a finger over Dan's lips to keep the younger boy from finishing the half-voiced words. "I know you still like him. I've seen the way you look at him."
For a long, heartbreaking while, Dan was quiet, his eyes downcast. The small hands were still holding onto Sengoku's shirt.
Finally, though, the chocolate gaze was again raised to meet Sengoku's eyes. "But I like you, too, Sengoku-senpai desu." Dan's voice was quiet but determined. Stubborn kid, as usual. "I didn't lie, you know. And I am with you now desu. You were right, Akutsu-senpai had his chance. Even if – even if he does like me – if he never said anything about it…" A choked sob interrupted Dan for a second before he was able to finish. "Then, he obviously never liked me enough desu."
"So…" Sengoku didn't actually say anything, afraid he was wrong. Of course, it seemed rather obvious where Dan was headed now, but he didn't want to take any risks. This subject was too precious for him for him to trust his luck at the moment.
"I'm not leaving you desu." Quiet yet determined, still. So very Dan. His Dan. "If you still want me, that is."
"Taichiichi, Taichiichi dear," Sengoku said, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy and holding him close, "do you really think I would have risked becoming the target of Akutsu's wrath just for fun?" The broken chuckle that resonated against his chest was enough of an answer.
For a while, Sengoku just stood, enjoying the feeling of Dan in his arms. It was strange, he decided, how none of his former girlfriends or boyfriends had ever made him feel like this. They'd been fun to be with, sure, and all nice in their own way – why else would he have dated them? – but Dan was something else entirely. Something… important.
"Say, Dan-kun," he voiced his next thought, "would you like to come over to my house some day?"
For some reason, Sengoku felt somewhat apprehensive about taking Dan to his home. Of course, it wasn't like the younger boy had never been there or met his family before, but it just felt… different, now. After all, this was the very first time Dan was coming over as his boyfriend. Sengoku didn't think of it as introducing him to his parents – in any case, such introductions had been made years ago – but still, it felt somewhat strange.
Of course, it wasn't like anybody knew of the change. Sengoku hadn't told his family. It wasn't that he feared disapproval – after all, he had always been open about his dates, be they girls or boys – but rather that he was afraid they'd remember his dating history too well. He didn't want them to think of Dan as the two-week relationship number seventy-eight, as they were bound to do if he introduced the kouhai as his boyfriend. He wasn't sure why he was so particular about this, but…
Well. As he took Dan to his house, the introduction part was easily solved. "You remember Dan-kun, right? We were team mates back in middle school and are now again." And of course they remembered – Dan wasn't exactly easy to forget, after all. It was rare to run into such a polite and pretty child, as Sengoku's parents made a point of mentioning. Obviously they wished he would have rubbed off on their son a bit.
The visit went well, though. Dan and Sengoku went into his room, did their homework, and then made out – although the last part only after Sengoku had made sure the door was locked. His sister was awful about gossip, and he'd had her walk in on some good making out one time too many. Afterwards Dan was invited for dinner, a request he could hardly decline, being polite as he was. Despite the protests of Sengoku's mother, he even helped set the table.
Sengoku couldn't help but notice that when setting the table, Dan used his right hand more. Naturally. After all, this was one thing he usually never did other than at home, and there, he'd have to literally watch his hands.
He was fairly sure he'd never even met Dan's father, but he found he hated the man more and more every day nevertheless.
At last, though, Dan had to leave. Sengoku offered to walk him back to his house – or at least as far as he would allow – but Dan declined, saying he'd already caused too much trouble to his captain. Therefore, they simply said goodbye at the door, followed by a fast goodnight kiss once they were sure no one could see them.
Looking after Dan's retreating back, Sengoku had to wonder. He'd dated so many people before; why had no one else ever managed to affect him so deeply with a simple, chaste kiss?
Regardless, he was on a very good mood as he returned inside, practically skipping on his way back to his room. This had been a good day after all.
"Dan-chan sure is nice," a voice suddenly said right behind him. "Do bring him over more often, won't you?"
Sengoku smiled as he turned around to face his mother. Oh, he definitely planned to do so. "I promise I will, Mum."
"Well, I'm glad." His mother smiled at him. "I was starting to worry you'd never settle for just one person."
Sengoku blinked. "What do you mean, Mum?" he asked, confused.
"Why, isn't it obvious?" Her smile was even warmer now. "Dan-chan and you are dating now, aren't you?"
For just a second, Sengoku was stunned speechless. Finally, he managed to speak. "How… how did you know?"
A pair of twinkling blue eyes met his own. "Just a lucky guess, my dear." Ah, yes. The luck did run in the family. But to think it worked this way, too… "You're serious, aren't you? At least more so than usually. You've never looked at anyone else like that, before."
"Well…" Sengoku sighed. There was truly nothing you could hide from a mother, was there? "I don't know how serious I am, but I do like him. A lot. And, well… it's a bit different from my usual dates. You know? I can't put a finger on it, but, well. Usually I don't mind much when I break up with someone, but now… I just don't want to lose him."
"And that, my dear, is what love is all about." She ruffled his hair, gaining a sound of annoyance from her son as his hands flew up to protect his hair. Seriously. He was taller than her now, couldn't she just forget that stupid habit? "Seriously, though, do bring him over more often. For dinner, that is. The poor kid needs more flesh on him. You aren't overexerting him at the practice or anything, are you? You'd better –"
Listening as his mother went on and on with her well-meaning rant, Sengoku gave up all hopes of being let out of her clutches anytime soon.
