"Game and Match. Winner: Atobe-Sanada pair"
Yukimura shut off the TV. So Sanada had finally be able to work with the Hyotei captain. The thought didn't comfort him much, if at all. Since meeting Atobe, it seemed that he was the only thing that occupied the vice-captain's mind. During their short phone calls, Yukimura almost always heard the other's name during a conversation, and the calls seemed to grow shorter and shorter until they had run out of things to say.
Yukimura knew Sanada wasn't very articulate. But when his calls were short enough to the point that Yukimura was sure that he wouldn't even be charged for using the phone, he began to feel as if he were being treated as an obligation. A sudden knock on the door scattered his thoughts.
"Come in," he called. A young woman in her late 20s poked her head into the room and smiled.
"Yukimura-san? The gardens are open now. You should get some fresh air and start walking around." The captain nodded in return. He really needed to get up and move.
"Okay. Thank you Sakura-sensei," he answered with a smile.
The gardens were probably his favorite part of the hospital grounds. In fact, they may have been the only part he actually liked about the building. Hospitals were lonely and cold, and they were a constant reminder that there was something wrong with you and you had to be isolated from the rest of the world. Yukimura hated that feeling of loneliness.
Before, it hadn't been so bad because Sanada would visit him everyday after practice let out at school, but now he couldn't do that because he was away at camp. Away with Atobe Keigo.
Yukimura clenched his fists then relaxed them almost immediately. No, he wouldn't think about it like that. Atobe and Sanada were merely close acquaintances who had gotten off on the wrong foot and were now making up for it by cooperating with one another. Somehow, Yukimura highly doubted that, and it wasn't just because of what he saw. It was also because of what he heard.
"He's been moody lately, probably still mad from not being able to finish that match with that Atobe guy. Man, but it was intense, it looked like they were gonna kill each other! Hehe…" That was what Kirihara told him. Yanagi had given him a data analysis. Sanada's temper had increased and he seemed to be always disappearing somewhere and ironically enough, so did the captain of Hyotei. Yukimura didn't want to hear anymore after that.
Lost in his own thoughts, Yukimura didn't notice where he was going until his feet connected with something solid, making him trip and if he hadn't grabbed the branch of a nearby tree, he would've fallen straight to the ground. He looked down at what he had tripped over and found…
A person?
Yukimura thought the person was dead at first but in the silence of the garden, he was able to hear the other's breathing, which relieved him. Now the question was what was a kid like him doing here? Surely, his parents were worried by now. If Yukimura hadn't been recovering, he would've carried the boy back to the hospital himself. However, he was in no condition to be lifting even more than one or two paperback books.
Out of the corner of his eye, the Rikkaidai player caught sight of one of the nurses walking not very far from where he and mysterious stranger were. He called out to her.
"Excuse me, could you please help me, sensei?"
The lady turned around immediately. "Yes? What may I help you w-Oh…Akutagawa-kun is here again." Yukimura blinked and turned back to the person sleeping next to him. Akutagawa? Why did that name sound so familiar? At the moment, though, all the captain was worried about was getting him home before it got too dark.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Yukimura-san," Sakura said when he and the other nurse had brought the redhead in. "Akutagawa-kun is a regular here, if he doesn't fall asleep in the gardens, its somewhere else and most people just bring him to us, but I'm afraid we don't have a room for him at the moment…"
Yukimura nodded in understanding. "It's okay," he said. "I don't mind, I haven't had company in a while anyway."
"Ah, that's true, your friend Sanada, I saw him on TV today. He's working really hard for your sake." Those words cut the captain deep, but he forced a smile. Sakura-sensei knew no better and it was best no to burden her with all his problems. She didn't need to know that Sanada never called anymore, nor that he was probably off with some other guy and playing for his sake instead.
"I know, and I'm glad to have a friend like him," It was hard to say those words, but he managed to get them out without sounding bitter. He jumped suddenly when he heard a soft snort. It had come from Akutagawa.
"Ah, don't mind, don't mind," Sakura replied with a smile. "Akutagawa-kun does that in his sleep, it makes me wonder sometimes if he can hear every word we say, but he just doesn't care to respond." She suddenly glanced at her watch. "Ah, Yukimura-san, I have to go now, I'll leave Akutagawa-kun with you then, I'll be back to see if he's up later. Ja ne."
"Ja," Yukimura responded and soon the door closed, leaving the two of them alone. Yukimura sighed and sat down on the bed next to the red-head. He gave a soft smile and felt the need to run his fingers through the other boy's hair so he did. It was soft and curly, it reminded him of…
"Marui," Yukimura whispered softly. Instantly, and much to the captain's shock, the boy next to him woke up.
"Marui-kun's here? Where? Where!" he took a glance around the room. "Ano, Marui-kun's not here, this is the hospital, what am I doing here?" and then it seemed he finally noticed that he wasn't alone. He blinked. "Ne, who are you?"
It took a while for Yukimura to get over the initial shock of seeing someone who had been dead asleep before be so alert and awake. But of course, the captain remembered his manners and formally introduced himself.
"I'm Yukimura. Yukimura Seiichi."
The redhead blinked again. Then he smiled. "I know you! You're on the same team as Marui-kun! You're their buchou aren't you?"
It was now Yukimura's turn to blink. "Yes, I am on the same team as Marui. Do you know him?" If he did, why had he never seen him around before? He looked the boy up and down and found why. The boy was from Hyotei. The same place where Atobe was from.
Yukimura felt his muscles clench again at remembering the diva. Why did everything have to go back to that? He couldn't even make a new friend without seeing some sort of connection to the Hyotei captain. Those thoughts were forgotten as he heard an almost high pitched squeal.
"Sugoi! What's it like to be on the same team as Marui-kun? He's so awesome and waa! He can do that really cool trick that I want to do! Ne, ne, do you think I could meet him sometime?" Yukimura smiled. So Marui had a fan ne? A very hyperactive fan at that. Come to think of it, wasn't Akutagawa always the one sending Marui cakes? Yukimura smiled. Ah, so that's how he knew the redhead.
"Of course, just stop by after practice sometime, I'm sure Marui wouldn't mind meeting you." Yukimura replied. He was then suddenly tackled flat onto the bed.
"Sugoi! Sugoi! You're the greatest Yukimura-kun!" the boy screamed. Yukimura smiled.
"It's no problem Akutagawa-kun." At this, the red-head scrunched his nose and frowned.
"Call me Jiroh. Akutagawa sounds weird. Atobe says tha-" he stopped in mid-sentence, his hyperactive-ness suddenly gone, and suddenly, the redhead seemed more interesting in counting the lines on the floor.
"Akut…Jiroh-kun?" Yukimura asked placing a hand on the red-head's shoulder. "Are you okay?" For a moment, the other held a sorrowful expression on his face but upon feeling the captain's hand on his shoulder, he looked up and the smile returned, though Yukimura could tell is was falsified.
"Everything's fine. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," he said. Yukimura gave a soft smile.
"I know how you feel," he said. Jiroh looked up surprised.
"What are you talking about?" he asked confused.
"Atobe-san, you like him don't you?"
Jiroh looked down at his feet again and bit his lip. He took a few deep breaths before asking, "How did you know?"
"It hurts when you think about him ne? I feel that way about Sanada."
Jiroh's head shot up immediately. "Sanada?! You mean Atobe's new boyfriend is…oh...." he immediately shut up. It wasn't polite to ask those sort of things to someone you had just met.
"It's okay, I had been suspecting something for a long time, it's not very surprising to me." Yukimura replied and Jiroh caught a little bit of bitterness in his voice.
"Ne, but it still hurts doesn't it?"
Yukimura stayed silent then sighed. He turned to the redhead and nodded, still keeping the soft smile on his face.
"Yes is does hurt Jiroh. It hurts a lot." Yukimura then took the chance to turn away and sighed to himself. He couldn't look at Jiroh right now. Although he thought nothing bad of the redhead, in fact, he thought the other's presence to be quite relaxing, but he couldn't bear to look at the boy's uniform and know that he came from the same school as Atobe Keigo, the man who had stolen both Sanada and his heart away from him.
Suddenly, he felt a pair of arms encircle around him. By instinct, he held onto them and then realized that Jiroh was hugging him.
"Ne, we both got left behind huh?" he asked. Yukimura nodded.
"Hai, Jiroh. We did get left behind."
Jiroh suddenly buried his face in Yukimura's back. "He's had tons of boyfriends, first there was that Tezuka guy from Seigaku, then there was Shishido and Oshitari-san and then he went chasing after Tezuka again, then that 12-year-old freshman that's also from Seigaku, and he always complained about them in one way or another. But I was happy because all of those relationships ended quickly and he'd spend time with me whenever he broke up with someone and I always thought he'd pick me eventually, but now he's run off with someone else and I think its going to last this time. I don't know why, it's just…"
"I know," Yukimura said. "Sanada won't go into a relationship unless he's completely serious about it. It's probably why nothing really ever happened between us. I guess I really was just an obligation to him."
The sat the way they did in silence, dwelling on their thoughts, neither knowing how to offer the other comfort. It was then that the silence was broken between them.
"Ne? Yukimura-san?" It was Sakura-sensei. She knocked on the door and then let herself in. "Is Akutagawa-kun…ah! Akutagawa-kun you're awake."
Immediately, Jiroh's cheerfulness returned. "Yup! I am, Yukimura-kun's been keeping me company!" Sakura smiled.
"I'm glad then, Yukimura hasn't had company over in a while as well, it's good to see you two are getting along. Do you want me to call your parents to pick you up later?"
The redhead seemed to think about it before smiling and shaking his head. "No its fine, I want to stay with Yukimura-kun tonight!" The comment surprised both Yukimura and Sakura.
"Oh, I don't know Jiroh…Yukimura-san is it okay with you?" she asked a little nervously.
Yukimura nodded in return. "It's fine. I enjoy Jiroh's company. He can stay for as long as he wants." It was true. Even though he had only known the boy for a short amount of time, he already felt comfortable around him and wanted to get to know him better. He shot a genuine smile towards the narcoleptic player, now fully awake, who smiled in return.
"Well, I guess that's fine then, I suppose," Sakura said and shrugged. "I'll go and get your pajamas then." And then she departed from the room. Yukimura raised an eyebrow.
"You have pajamas here?" he asked. Jiroh nodded.
"Yeah, I'm here a lot, so I leave some of my clothes here and they wash them and everything, which is really awesome, and then I get to use them here so I don't have to wear those uncomfortable ones. They make me itch." Yukimura nodded and smiled. This was going to be an interesting night.
Jiroh's pajama's came (along with some toothpaste and a teddy bear) and soon the both of them were ready for bed, but it would be a long time before they actually got to sleep. They stayed up all night and talked each getting to know the other better, his quirks, favorite foods, hobbies outside of tennis, etc. It was a refreshing experience for Yukimura, who had never met someone quite as unique as Jiroh before. The boy was either very sleepy or very hyper, but around the Rikkaidai captain, the redhead was all ears.
Before they knew it, they had run out of things to say and it was long past midnight, if not 1 or 2am already. They sat in silence for a while, but it wasn't an awkward silence like it would be if Sanada were around. The silence was comfortable; the two didn't need anything else but the presence of one another.
That morning, Yukimura awoke to the sun in his eyes and his arms wrapped around Jiroh's shoulders. He didn't know he they'd gotten that way, or when they had decided to sleep, but he was comfortable and he didn't want to get up just yet. Like the redhead had done the night before, Yukimura buried his face in his back, taking in the senior's essence. It felt nice to be like this and Yukimura wished time would freeze and stay at this moment forever.
Time was cruel; however, they had to get up eventually, though it wouldn't be for a long time. Sakura had wandered in earlier and had smiled at the sight of the two, she was supposed to wake Yukimura up for a continuation of his rehab, but that could wait a little longer. Right now, keeping Jiroh close to him was one of his best chances for recovery.
Yukimura wished he could Jiroh with him in the hospital forever, but of course he couldn't, the redhead had to go to school still, and he wasn't sick, although most, if not the entire staff in the hospital knew exactly who he was. The Hyotei player visited everyday though, bringing in with him a large bouquet of flowers along with a smile, which Yukimura loved and always looked forward to seeing.
They talked everytime Jiroh visited, and they walked about the gardens, which oddly enough, had been a favorite place for the redhead to sleep, particularly under the tree where Yukimura had found him for the first time. Hourly visits turned to days turned to weeks and soon Yukimura was well enough to leave the hospital. It was then that a certain vice-captain decided to pay a long overdue visit.
"Oi, Genichirou. Tell me why you're dragging ore-sama all the way to this…run-down building," Atobe Keigo frowned and scrunched his nose. Truly, he'd been pleased that his boyfriend had been waiting for him after practice let out, but this wasn't exactly the ideal place for a date in his opinion.
"We're going to visit Yukimura," Sanada replied. The Hyotei captain frowned and was ready to turn around but the vice-captain knew better and grabbed his arm to stop him. "I haven't visited him in over a month, Keigo and…" he stopped then sighed. "We have to tell him about…us"
Atobe sighed in return. "Why do we have to tell him? It's not like he wouldn't know already," the Hyotei captain smirked and Sanada rolled his eyes.
"Yes, thanks to a certain someone," was the gritted reply. "But I still have to tell him, I don't want to lead him on anymore. I think he's well enough to take it now."
"Fine fine, if it'll make you happy," Atobe said. "But you owe me a date later."
A smirk. "Of course, Keigo." Sanada then turned to nurse in front of the information desk. "Excuse me? Do you know if they've released Yukimura yet?"
The nurse looked up a little surprised at hearing Yukimura's name, then her eyes widened upon seeing the Rikkaidai player. "Oh! You're his friend, I remember you, Yukimura-san is gathering all his stuff and filling out the paper work, he's in his room with Akutagawa-kun."
"Akutagawa?" You mean Jiroh? What is he doing here of all places?" Atobe demanded upon hearing the redhead's name from behind Sanada. The narcoleptic player hadn't shown up for practice today and no one had been able to find him. So why was he…
"Nyah! Atobe is here!" The pair turned around and found a madly waving Jiroh with his arm about Yukimura's shoulder. "Ne ne, Sei-chan, he brought over Sanada too!"
"Sei-chan?" Atobe and Sanada repeated in unison. Just what was going on?
"Konichiwa, Atobe-san. Sanada." Yukimura greeted them with a smile, but it was different from the one Sanada was used to seeing. There was no bitterness or sadness hidden behind it.
Jiroh smiled and bounced up to Atobe. "Ne ne Atobe, guess what, guess what happened today with Sei-chan? Guess! Guess!" The Hyotei captain smirked, he obviously knew what was going on.
"You are either no longer a virgin or you just got asked out, which one Jiroh?" The question made the redhead's face match his hair as he muttered "the second one," under his breath. Sanada's eyes widened as he looked from Jiroh to Yukimura, then back to Jiroh, then Yukimura. How did these two even know each other?
"Jiroh-kun has been keeping me company ever since you went off to camp," Yukimura said, as if reading the vice-captain's mind. "I tripped over him in the gardens," he added, a comment that amused the Hyotei captain.
"Is that so?" he asked. "Well then, Yukimura-kun, you have indeed fallen in love, cliché as that sounds." Yukimura only smiled in return as the Hyotei captain turned to his teammate. "Oi Jiroh!"
"Hai!" Jiroh answered with a burst of energy, some that Atobe wasn't used to seeing unless he was playing against someone worthwhile, and this had nothing to do with tennis at all. Although he wouldn't admit it, Atobe was impressed. So someone had finally woken Jiroh up eh?
"Are you happy?" he asked. Jiroh nodded.
"Un! I'm very happy, the happiest I've been and I like being awake now because it means I get to see Sei-chan!" Jiroh replied and Yukimura smiled at the compliment. The Hyotei captain smirked.
"That's good, but you are no longer allowed to skip out on practice like you have done today, or you will be kicked from the regulars team," Atobe said firmly then added slyly, "We'll visit them together after practice let's out."
Jiroh's eyes widened. "Really? Waa Atobe is the greatest ne Sei-chan? I'll get to see you after school everyday too!" Yukimura nodded and mouthed a thank-you towards the Hyotei captain, who shrugged.
"See Genichirou? It all worked out in the end. Now come. You owe ore-sama a date." And then the two departed from the hospital.
When they were out of sight, Jiroh turned to his new boyfriend and smiled. "See, that wasn't so bad was it Sei-chan? Everyone's happy now!" Yukimura smiled and ruffled the redhead's hair.
"Yes, everything did work out in the end Jiroh-kun," he replied. "I'm glad that Atobe found Sanada now. If he hadn't, I would never have met you." Jiroh smiled and took Yukimura by the arm.
"And I'm glad I met you!" he exclaimed for the whole world to hear. "Now let's go play tennis together ne?"