Disclaimer: I own very little.

Nothing in Tennis

"Love means nothing in tennis, but in life, it is everything."

- Anonymous

Chapter 13
Before And After

As Sengoku arrived to the clubroom, Dan was already there, wearing his tennis uniform and studying his data. Walking to stand behind him, Sengoku said, "Taichiichi." He pressed a kiss on his boyfriend's neck from behind. "Why so serious a look?"

"No reason, really." Dan shrugged a bit, frowning down at his notebook. "Well, except that I'm trying to figure something out desu..."

"Oh?" Draping an arm around Dan's shoulder, Sengoku leant down to take a look at the notebook, only to frown as he understood hardly anything. "What's the problem?"

"Me." Dan sounded perfectly serious. "…Well, rather my tennis. I can't keep playing like this."

"What do you mean?" Sengoku blinked. "You're a very good player, Taichiichi!"

"Not good enough." Dan sighed, pointing at some graphs that made absolutely no sense to Sengoku but were apparently meaningful to him. "I can mostly keep my serves, but I need to work something out for returns… And work on perfecting that new technique desu. It's far too unreliable yet."

"Aw, poor, poor dear." Sengoku kissed Dan's cheek, now. "Little Taichiichi only has an unreturnable serve, he's so lost…"

"It's not unreturnable, just very hard to return," Dan replied dryly. "As you should well know."

"Mm-hmm." Sengoku hugged Dan, only to notice how his boyfriend flinched at the touch. Frowning, he asked, "Bruises?"

"…Yeah desu." Dan looked away. "I – I'm sorry desu…"

"Don't be, Taichiichi." Nuzzling the blue hair carefully, Sengoku said, "I wish I could do something to help…"

"As do I desu." Dan sighed. then, after a short pause, he added, "My sister will be staying over at a friend's tonight. A birthday sleepover party desu."

"So she doesn't need you today." Sengoku nodded gravely. "…Want to come stay over?"

Dan's voice sounded very quiet as he leant back against Sengoku's chest. "…Please desu…"

"Like I would say no." Sengoku chuckled slightly. "Hey, let's hit the street courts after school, okay? Data and all, ne?"

"…I'd love to." For a moment, Dan actually smiled properly, and Sengoku instantly felt a lot better. Now, that was how it should be.

Even if there were bruises.

"Oooh, look, Sengoku-senpai!" Dan tugged at his arm, pointing towards the courts. "It's Seigaku's Kaidou-san! And Toriyama High's Amane-san!"

"Amane?" Sengoku looked to the direction Dan was pointing at and saw a curly-haired man with an exceptionally long racquet. "Oh, him. Didn't he used to be in Rokkaku?"

"Yeah desu! But his family moved to Tokyo after he was done with middle school and now he's in Toriyama." Dan was practically beaming. "Let's watch them play for a bit, ne, ne?"

Like Sengoku could have resisted such a request! Thus they stayed on the stands, watching Kaidou and Amane practically crush the two kids they were playing against. Sengoku couldn't help but notice that instead of the middle school students the courts had used to be full of, the players were now a fairly equal mix of both middle school and high school kids. Probably the old regulars had continued playing despite growing older.

The game ended with some strange special shot, one Sengoku hadn't seen before. Apparently Dan hadn't, either, given the way he gasped and immediately reached for his notebook. Seeing the pair leaving the court despite their clear victory, Kaidou going to get his water bottle while Amane talked with the younger kids gathered around the courts, Dan then hurried towards the Seigaku player, Sengoku following him.

"Congratulations for your victory! That special shot was amazing!" Dan said enthusiastically, his eyes shining. "Can you do it again? Please desu?"

"Don't be an idiot," Kaidou spat, glaring at Dan. "As though we were stupid enough to show our special moves to a data player."

For a moment, Dan seemed somewhat stunned. Then, however, a big grin spread onto his face. "Thank you so much, Kaidou-san desu!" he said happily, before turning around and hurrying towards Amane, doubtlessly to bombard him with questions.

The Seigaku player seemed startled at this surprising reaction. "What's wrong with him?" he asked from Sengoku.

"Oh, nothing wrong," Sengoku said, smiling. "I think he's just pleased that someone from the infamous Inui's Seigaku actually considers him a data player."

"Well, he is," Kaidou said, sounding somewhat confused. "Perhaps not as accurate as Inui-senpai, but he does calculate things."

"There, see?" Sengoku grinned. "Just a few years ago people thought it was a joke when he tried to collect data. If someone who's used to Inui considers him a data player, it's as good as an official statement. Inui is widely regarded as the master of that art, after all."

Kaidou hissed. "Data players are weird," he concluded. "You never know what goes through their heads."

"Most of the time, nope," Sengoku agreed cheerfully. "And that's exactly where their charm is."

"…I'll just take your word on that."

There were few things that felt better than winning a match. Spending time with your boyfriend afterwards, going over the success, did come quite close, though.

"That was really a great match, even if the next one was rescheduled," Sengoku said, grinning at Dan. "And can you believe it, Taichiichi? We're going to the Nationals for sure, now!"

"Yeah desu!" Dan was wearing a grin of his own, sitting on Sengoku's bed next to the other boy. "I hope we get to the finals, too, but semi-finals is an achievement in itself."

"You bet." Sengoku's grin turned somewhat sly. "You know," he said, scooting a bit closer to Dan, "I think this calls for some celebration, Taichiichi."

The tiny flush that spread over Dan's cheeks was definitely more out of enthusiasm than embarrassment. "I agree desu," the boy said softly before promptly flopping himself down in Sengoku's lap, facing the other boy.

"Great to know we're on the same page." Settling his hands on Dan's waist, Sengoku murmured one final, "Lucky," before diving in for a kiss.

Dan's mouth was warm and sweet as usual, the boy's tongue putting up quite a fight for a change. As though straddling his lap wasn't enough, Dan wrapped his legs around Sengoku, pulling himself even closer to the older boy. Sengoku most certainly did not protest.

They broke apart for air, looking at each other with dazed eyes. "You know," Sengoku said, "my parents and sister won't be home for hours."

A little grin spread over Dan's face, one that was unlike anything Sengoku had ever seen from his boyfriend. There was a certain amount of slyness to it, along with an overwhelming lot of innocence in his bright brown eyes, making Sengoku feel like a pervert for even contemplating anything further than kissing.

Ah, well. Dan was a big boy already. Better he learnt these things from someone he loved and trusted and not some bastard who just used the kid on his advantage.

Pressing little kisses over the other boy's jaw line, Sengoku slid his lips down to Dan's neck. The other's t-shirt was just a bit too large, slipping to the side to reveal more of one shoulder than the other, exposing smooth skin for his advances.

"Sengoku-senpai?" murmured Dan, his lips almost brushing against Sengoku's ear. The warm breath on his skin made the older boy shiver slightly.

"Mmm?" This was not the moment for words, decided Sengoku. Not when he had his mouth on Dan's skin, not when the boy was pressed against him just so…

A hand slid down his side, slowing down as it got further, finally coming to a halt with the fingertips pushed just barely under his waistband. "Do you now believe I know what I'm getting myself into?" asked a falsely innocent voice.

Sengoku paused in his task of marking Dan's shoulder. Then, in a flash, he abandoned the slim shoulder and attacked Dan's lips again instead. It wasn't like he'd ever been accused of being too hesitant when it came to sex, after all – not when the circumstances were relatively normal, with no crying and fear and wishes to forget.

Dan whimpered into his mouth, shifting in his lap, uncomfortably close to where Sengoku's erection was enclosed within his pants. And then there was a small hand, somewhat hesitant but not afraid, pressing against the denim over his groin. Dan didn't seem too shocked at what he found there, smiling against Sengoku's lips before parting his own, allowing the older boy's tongue to slip inside.

Sengoku found his own hand reaching down, too, cupping the tight little behind to draw Dan even closer. He tried not to think how long he had wanted this, it was not the time for such thoughts, not now when Dan's hands were busy struggling with the button of his pants and he was exploring the younger boy's mouth with more intensity than ever before, if at all possible. It was not the time to remember the time before, the time he had been so close to giving in, to hurting Dan in ways he never wanted to.

"Seems like you won't object this time desu." Dan's voice was hardly more than a murmur as he leant towards Sengoku again.

"Hey, I would have stopped you otherwise, now wouldn't I?" Sengoku let his fingers wander under Dan's t-shirt. "I'm quite confident you aren't scared out of your mind or desperate to forget something traumatic right now."

"You'd be right with that assumption." Dan smiled against Sengoku's lips, his arms wrapping themselves around the older boy. Sliding his hand further under the other's t-shirt, Sengoku responded to the kiss even more enthusiastically than before.

He shouldn't move too fast, he knew, but they were both teenage boys and had been dating for a long time already, especially by Sengoku's standards. Surely this wasn't too fast, anymore? Dan definitely didn't seem to protest as he brought his other hand to Dan's chest, feeling for nipples through the other's t-shirt. The tiny moan he got in response to his actions, in fact, could be counted as an agreement without much of a stretch of imagination.

Oh, Dan was definitely not a child, Sengoku noticed soon. Inexperienced, surely, and somewhat hesitant, but anything but childish as his hands roamed over Sengoku's chest and arms in response to the older boy's actions. While Dan's body was somewhat skinny still, it was also nicely muscled, firm and warm under Sengoku's expert hands. The thighs pressed against him were strong, as was only to be expected of a tennis player, leading to a flat belly and a chest that was already starting to show some signs of maturity. Small Dan may have been, but small didn't necessarily mean undeveloped.

In the end, it was Dan who first tugged at his boyfriend's boxers. Sengoku might have been surprised at this boldness had he not been too lost in the moment. As it was, he simply went along with the flow, though he was somewhat faster in relieving his boyfriend of his clothes than Dan of his.

As he afterwards pressed a very satisfied kiss on Dan's lips, Sengoku decided that he should find causes for celebration more often.

Never known for their discipline, perhaps, the Yamabuki team was even more buzzy than usual. However, as their buchou clapped his hands to get their attention, they actually fell silent for a moment.

"Okay, tomorrow we'll be facing Hyoutei," Sengoku said enthusiastically. "It's the semi-finals, guys, so we'd all better take it seriously! Rikkai and Seigaku will amuse each other for the time being, lucky for us, but to win the victor there we have to deal with Hyoutei first." He looked at them all, one by one. "Any complaints to us using our standard line-up for this round as well? Speak up now, or forever hold your peace!"

"Ah, Sengoku-buchou," Dan said, sounding somewhat nervous. "I think it'd be better if you played Singles Two on this round instead of me."

"Why so?" Sengoku asked. "I thought we'd already solved this argument, Taichiichi." Nevertheless, he was obviously ready to listen – the ones he usually consulted about the line-up were not only his fuku-buchou but also the little data gatherer, after all.

"This is another matter entirely." Dan looked at him seriously, like he was always serious when it came to tennis. "All evidence points towards Kabaji-san being Hyoutei's Singles Two on this round desu. He's probably the strongest high school tennis player in the whole Tokyo. You are the only one in our team with any hope of returning his strongest shots desu."

"But if you use your serve, you won't lose," Sengoku pointed out. "Strong shots tend to eat stamina, and he'll tire out – and besides, not all shots are equally strong. You don't need to return all of his shots, after all, just enough to break his serve once. And you can do that, especially with emulation."

"But there's another problem desu. You see, aside from being really big and strong, Kabaji-san is also one of the best copy players around, if not the best. If he as much as sees a technique, he can copy it perfectly desu. The amount of repeats required for me to win the match would definitely be enough for him to copy both my serve and emulation – and if he gained those, I'd likely lose. Is that really what you want?"

Sengoku didn't have to think twice. A Hyoutei player with two of Dan's strongest weapons? As though the rich bastards didn't have enough special shots of their own. "…Fine. But you'd better win in Singles Three."

"You know, usually people are concerned about potential loss if they have to face an opponent more difficult than usually." Kita looked at his partner.

"I think Sengoku-buchou is merely trying to look like he's not giving in too easily." Nitobe nodded in agreement with Kita. "Totally whipped, isn't he?"

"Do you two absolutely want laps?" Sengoku sighed. What wouldn't he give for a nice, quiet, skilled but practically unnoticeable doubles pair… Well, another one, that was.

"Really, now, Sengoku-buchou." Dan pouted. "I thought their observations were rather accurate desu"

"Even you, Taichiichi?" Sengoku moaned. "I have no support here…"

"You're the captain, so you have to take a certain amount of crap without complaints," Nitobe said. "It's on the job description."

"It's not." Sengoku gave him a flat stare.

"Ano, actually…" Dan smiled innocently. "Did you ever actually read the tennis club rules? There is indeed a clause stating exactly that…"

With a sigh, Sengoku turned to look at Minami. "Kenta? Is it too late to switch back?"

"Yes, it is." Minami smiled almost apologetically. "I did warn you. Yamabuki captains are never as worshipped as those of other teams."

"Now, we'll just have to figure out whether the problem lies with the team or the captains." Kita looked at Nitobe.

"Indeed, indeed. Most peculiar question, that." Nitobe nodded in agreement. "Or maybe there isn't any question at all…"

"…Dismissed. Or whatever I have to do to get you out of my sight."