FicWad

One of the first things Sanada Genichirou did when he arrived at Rikkaidai Fuzoku was investigate the tennis club. He watched from the sidelines that first day, analyzing, taking note of who used what swing, who seemed to be above the rest. No one even noticed him, tucked in a corner-- just a skinny, blank-faced boy nearly hidden by the overly large brim of his cap.

Or so he thought, until he turned around to leave and found someone else in the shadows as well, watching the courts in the same way he was.

The other boy turned, drawn by the movement, and smiled-- and in that moment, Sanada was lost.

He signed up for the tennis club the next day, joined in the practice, and started the process of sweeping through the ranks of his fellow first years. He watched, as he played, for the other boy who had smiled at him, and was startled to find himself bitterly disappointed when there was no sign.

Until the captain called for them to switch courts, and everyone scrambled-- and suddenly there he was across the net, waiting with racket in hand. The resulting surge of emotion that went through Sanada almost made him stumble, and it lingered through the entirety of the game-- despite the fact that, against all precedent and to the surprise of his previous opponents, he lost.

When the last point had been scored, they both approached the net. The other boy held out his hand, smiled, and introduced himself.

Yukimura Seiichi.

The next day at practice, when they had to choose partners for warm-ups, Yukimura was there next to him before he could even think to look. He was there the day after, running beside him as the team did laps. And the day after, in the school cafeteria at lunch. And the day after /that/--

It wasn't for lack of other, better company-- there was something about this boy that had most people falling all over themselves to make him happy, something in that smile that seemed to smooth away tension and make one feel calm and content. There always seemed to be people around him, talking brightly, offering him little gifts-- and Yukimura would listen to their words, thank them for their presents, and always end up back at Sanada's side in the end, despite all the other possibilities available to him.

Sanada himself was bewildered by the actions-- he held no illusions as to himself or the quality of his company. He was quiet, single-minded, often intolerant of the antics of his classmates. Many-- nearly everyone outside of the tennis club, really-- avoided him altogether. They called him a cold bastard when they thought he couldn't hear-- as, in many ways, they were right to do, since his life largely revolved only around the twin centers of kendo and tennis.

By the time he noticed that circle had expanded to include Yukimura, he found he didn't much care.

Yukimura with the beautiful eyes and the warm, gentle smile, who played tennis as though the racket was a part of his arm and his feet had wings. Yukimura who just looked on in amusement when Sanada glared away the more persistent and annoying of the people who gathered around him. Yukimura who never seemed to mind his silences.

Yukimura who, for whatever reason, had chosen to be Sanada's friend and then never looked back from that decision.

Yukimura who, on one of the first days of spring, in the shadows of the budding trees, let Sanada come in close and rather hesitantly kiss him. Who simply looked up afterwards wearing that smile that made everything a little bit better, then leaned in and kissed him back.