A Prince of Tennis fanfic.
SanaYuki pairing a.k.a. alpha pair

Story: Milky Tea (sequel to Sugary Coffee) - Chapter.4

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi.

Author's note: Slight Platinum. Please enjoy.

Please review!

4. Cold Sake

That month, Yukimura was only home six times.

Sanada poked the crisp lettuce with his fork with a look of disgust. After a moment of hesitation, he stuffed the whole leaf into his mouth and winced slightly at the taste of mayonnaise. It was worse than the sour sweet tomato he had moments ago. Were sweet tomatoes meant to be sour?

However, sitting opposite him, Yagyuu seemed to be genuinely enjoying his chicken salad. Sanada noted mentally to get the chicken instead of the Caesar next time.

Yagyuu finished and wiped his mouth with the serviette, gentlemen-like. "Enjoying university?" He asked politely.

"Sort of," Sanada said, playing with his fork, "it's tiring, but it's fine. How about you? Medicine is pretty hard, isn't it?"

"It's not so bad because otou-san is a doctor as well."

Around them, the small restaurant began to fill. Sanada glanced at his watch. It was the beginning of lunchtime and since this restaurant was cheap and close to Todai, a lot of students came here for lunch. Yagyuu ordered a latte and Sanada a black coffee (it seemed Yukimura's unhealthy habit of drinking too much coffee had rubbed off on him). They continued talking, reminiscing about the past. It had been a long time since they had seen each other despite going to the same university.

A group of girls sat around the table beside them and Yagyuu lowered his head, as if trying to avoid their glances. "Do you know them?" Sanada asked casually, sipping his coffee.

"They're from the nursing faculty... very noisy, very annoying..." Yagyuu mumbled, pushing up his glasses.

Sanada nodded and continued their conversation. But he stopped abruptly when he heard the words "Yukimura-san" and "Moya". He turned to the girls at the next table and saw that they were crowding around a magazine. Sanada narrowed his eyes. It looked like a tabloid magazine. Yagyuu noticed his diverted attention and turned his own gaze to the girls.

"Yukimura-san and Moya are dating?!" One of the girls squealed. Yagyuu watched as Sanada's face darkened.

"Read this." Another girl pointed to a paragraph and began reading it aloud, "Yukimura-san was seen having dinner with Koesaki-san at a fancy restaurant, his co-star in the new drama Chains. He has driven her home multiple times in his black Maserati and..."

Sanada blocked the voices from his mind and gulped his coffee. Yagyuu looked at him with concern but Sanada simply shook his head. "I remembered the name of the drama wrong," he stated simply, unable to say anything else. Sanada's heart was beating erratically fast; not only did he not know anything about Moya, he did not even know Yukimura had a car, let alone a Maserati.

He caught Yagyuu's eyes and seeing unwanted sympathy behind them, he changed the topic hurriedly, "How's Niou?"

Love is not blind; it sees more, not less. But because it sees more, it is willing to see less.

- Rabbi Julius Gordon

After a simple dinner at a ramen store, Sanada went to a small bar for a drink. He did not want to go home. There was no one anyway. The silent isolation had become too much for him in the past month. Despite disliking bars and bistros (mostly due to drunkards), he needed something else other than an empty apartment. The chatter in the small bar was quiet and bearable. Just enough to keep him sane.

It was shortly before midnight when he arrived home. The alcohol had sobered his misery, but what he had heard in the afternoon could not be cast out of his mind. He took off his shoes and stepped into the living room. As expected, no one was home. Everything was neat and tidy, a sure sign that Yukimura had not returned.

"Genichirou!" A voice called from the bedroom. Sanada rushed in and saw Yukimura. "Welcome home," he said, despite the annoyed expression on his face. "Do you know where my leopard-patterned sunglasses are? I can't find them anywhere." He added and slipped off the bed, storming into the living room.

Sanada sighed, opened the wardrobe door and pulled out one of the drawers. "They're here," he said, taking out the Calvin Klein sunglasses.

Yukimura stormed back in and took the sunglasses. "Thanks," he said, throwing it on the bedside table, near his wallet and two phones. He fell back onto the bed and sprawled across it. Wanting the ask Yukimura about "Moya-chan" but not daring to, Sanada took a change of clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.

The scorching water ran down his back. He wondered where Yukimura's "welcome-home" kiss went. He stayed in the shower, his heart filled with anxiety, until the water became cold. Then, stepping out, he dried himself. He wondered if Yukimura was asleep yet. He wrapped himself in a white bathrobe and stepped out of the steamy bathroom.

"Did you waste all the hot water?" Yukimura was still awake. But he had changed out of his clothes and was now lying on bed naked.

Sanada had almost forgotten Yukimura's habit of sleeping naked. He did not entirely approve of it, but somehow, gazing at Yukimura's naked, defined abdomen, it felt as if his life was restored back to normal.

"Good night," Yukimura said, pulling the blanket over himself, "turn the lights off when you're done."

Sanada smiled and switched the lights off. He slid out of his bathrobe and went under the covers as well. Letting his hands guide the way, Sanada circled his arms around Yukimura's waist, hugging him from the back. He pulled their hips together and kissed Yukimura's soft, shampoo-fragranced hair. "Seiichi..." He said, giving Yukimura a kiss on his earlobe.

Yukimura flipped around and pried Sanada's hands from his waist. He gave Sanada a butterfly kiss on the forehead and said, "Sorry, I'm tired." He flipped around again and went to sleep.

Sanada lay in bed, his mind a blank mess. He could not figure out why Yukimura was so unresponsive to his teasing. Normally, no matter how worn out he was, Yukimura would pounce when he got teased. Never had he rejected Sanada so quickly, using such a simple – and even pathetic – excuse. Sanada flipped around as well and stared into the dark. What could have made Yukimura so tired? He did not even have work today! (Sanada was told by Yanagi, who had called in the afternoon, wanting to have dinner with him and Yukimura.)

Where had Yukimura been?

What had he been doing?

Sanada closed his eyes. He had a pretty clear idea of where Yukimura was and what he had been doing. And who he was with also. Sanada was doubtless. He hated himself for having these thoughts, for suspecting Yukimura, but the truth was laid out in front of him, clear as crystal.

He had been hiding and running from the truth for the past few months. But now... he had no choice but to surrender.

He knew it. But he had avoided it. Out of his love for Yukimura, he had avoided it.

But now, the truth was unavoidable... Yukimura was no longer his.

Please review!!!