Happy
by Trixie

disclaimer: i dream about owning them, but i never get money from 'em.

summary: Sanada responds to Yukimura's questions. (PoT, Sanada/prettyYukimura)

notes: for hikaaki, on fic on demand. again, let's pretend they are in high school. ^_~

~*~

In the distance, there were children laughing as they played soccer. The tennis courts were surrounded by trees, which rustled musically in the wind. The sun was just touching the horizon, bleeding light bright enough to color the air.

Yukimura dipped his head back on the bench, and smiled.

The water bottle slipped out of his hands, and he would have thought he dropped it, except he could hear Sanada drinking. He closed his eyes, and sighed.

The bench dipped slightly as Sanada sat down next to him, placing the water bottle between them. Sanada leaned back, and pulled his hat down over his face. Yukimura could hear it all so clearly, it was like he was seeing it.

"You were hard on Akaya today." He smiled, and pictured Sanada's scowl in his head.

"Was I?" Sanada sounded indifferent, but Yukimura knew better. "Perhaps. But you were being awfully lenient. You have two more resignations on your desk, you know."

"Oh, you didn't take care of them?" Yukimura turned so he was facing Sanada a little, but he didn't open his eyes. "I realize that Akaya is a bit... rough. But..." His lips curled into a smile, and he cracked his eyes open a fraction. "We don't really need weak players like that on our team, do we?"

Sanada snorted, and folded his arms over his chest casually. "True."

Yukimura sighed happily, and put his hand down on the bench next to where Sanada's leg was.

"Tell me something." Sanada stretched his legs out in front of him. "Why did you want to play here, after practice? We could have played at school."

"I didn't want to play you there," Yukimura shrugged with one shoulder. "I didn't want it to go on our records. I just wanted to play with you."

Sanada nodded slowly, putting his hand down on the bench just behind Yukimura's hand. "You're getting to be afraid of me, aren't you? My speed is becoming impossible for you."

"Ooh, Sanada-san is so scary, he's so tough, I'd better watch it or he'll hit me!" Yukimura snickered softly, his heart feeling light, even as Sanada was blushing. "But... I won, didn't I?" He opened his eyes to smile at Sanada.

"Perhaps I let you win," Sanada replied archly, and only someone who was really close to him would detect the teasing hint in his voice. "You are in a strange mood today, if you don't mind me saying so."

"Am I?" Yukimura shifted in his seat a bit more so he could see Sanada's eyes under the brim of his hat.

Sanada nodded seriously. "You were rather... chatty at lunch. And you were so... *affectionate* to Kirihara. And now this."

"I'm happy. That's not strange, is it?" Yukimura watched Sanada's face closely, keeping an eye on the chiseled line of his jaw.

"I should hope not," Sanada replied softly.

Yukimura smiled at the tenderness in Sanada's voice. He reached up, and put his hand on Sanada's arm, proprietarily. "I got top marks in Calc today. That girl whose name I always forget made me a really good lunch. I didn't have a single spasm all day long."

Sanada frowned. "You should really see a doctor about that..."

"Shush!" Yukimura commanded with a false scowl. "You're interrupting my happy time! Now where was I? Oh, yes. We had a good practice, and got rid of some extra dead weight on the team. And I get to spend time with my Sanada."

The bright flush of color that stained Sanada's cheeks and the way Sanada turned his eyes away was all the encouragement Yukimura needed.

"Being with Sanada always makes me happy." He dug his fingers into Sanada arm, and curled his body closer to Sanada. He spoke in a hushed tone, his voice like the wind through the leaves above their head, and he couldn't help but blush a little himself.

Sanada looked down at Yukimura, blinking. "If that is so... then I should always be by your side, so you would always be happy."

"Would you do that for me? Sanada-san?" Yukimura felt his heart beating in his chest, and it was almost like he could also feel Sanada's heart beating.

"I would do anything you asked me to... Yukimura." Sanada dipped his chin down lower with each word, his voice so weak, he almost didn't sound like Sanada.

Perhaps, Yukimura thought, he was hearing Genichirou's voice. "Would you?" Yukimura inched closer to Sanada. "Would you go to the moon and bring me home some rocks?"

Sanada looked up at the darkening sky, finding the growing light of the quarter moon quickly. "Perhaps I could just hit the moon with a tennis ball? Would that be all right?"

"Che!" Yukimura shook his head. "Such a lazy ass! I should make you run laps."

The corners of Sanada's mouth curled up into a rare smile.

"Aha! A Sanada-smile. Those are precious to me." Yukimura grinned up at Sanada, whose expression was sobering even as his eyes turned to Yukimura in adoration. Yukimura reached up and traced Sanada's lips with his fingertips. "But so fleeting... Hm, now, if I can make you smile for a second by calling you a lazy ass, how long could I make you smile by calling you, say, a sleazy jackass?"

A brief, but heartwarming chuckle shook Sanada's chest. He took Yukimura's hand in his, and caressed the finger gently in his palm. "Call me whatever you like, Yukimura. I... I am yours to name."

"Are you?" Yukimura wondered, softly. He smiled, and closed his fingers around Sanada's. Suddenly, the idea of going home seemed utterly incomprehensible. "Do you have any homework tonight?"

Sanada blinked at the sudden shift in the conversation. "Homework? I do my homework in class."

"Don't you get into trouble?" Yukimura laughed, imagining a teacher trying to correct Sanada in class.

Shrugging, "No, no one cares what I do. Isn't it the same way for all the regulars?"

"I never do homework, actually." Yukimura put his other hand on top of Sanada's hand, holding his.

"You don't?" Sanada was shocked, and for some reason, that was funny to Yukimura.

He tapped Sanada on the nose. "Well. One day, I skipped my homework, because I didn't have time, and then no one said anything. So I thought, let's see how long I can get away with this. It's been about a year now."

"Hm." Sanada shook his head, his eyes shining with amused affection. "I can't imagine you getting into trouble for anything."

Yukimura smiled at Sanada, watching the sun set behind Sanada. "Let's go to a movie tonight."

"All right." Sanada replied immediately, not even thinking before he spoke.

"You really would do anything for me, wouldn't you?" Yukimura leaned close, so his lips were right next to Sanada's ear. "Some day, I'll have to invite you over, when no one is home... and really put that to the test."

Sanada's face went bright red, and he sputtered a bit. Yukimura had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Yukimura jumped up and pulled on Sanada's hand. "Come on! Let's see what's playing!"

Sanada didn't move, and he tugged back on Yukimura's hand, pulling him back down. "Put me to whatever test you like, Seiichi." He kissed Yukimura's cheek quickly. "I won't let you down."

Yukimura didn't stop smiling, not until long after the movie ended, and he and Sanada had parted ways at the subway to go home. He didn't let go of Sanada's hand until he absolutely had to, either.

It was all right that he had put off telling Sanada about the doctor's visit for another day. Happy days were too rare not to be enjoyed.

~*~

end