Log: Sanada and Akaya - New Year at Sanada's
Who: Sanada Genichirou and Kirihara Akaya
What: Sanada drags Akaya home for the holidays
When: Dec 30th
Where: the dorms, the train and ultimately the Sanada dojo/home
Rating: pg
Comments/Crits: welcome.
The 30th. He had promised to come back to the school and grab up his vanguard in order to take him away for New Years. To anyone else, it might have sounded romantic. To Sanada, it was necessary. Akaya needed to learn how to take care of his kendo gear and Sanada had time over the holiday between everything else that he was doing. Besides, a part of him, deep deep down thought that the younger man might appreciate spending New Years with someone who understood…or as close to understanding as Sanada got. He had the second train ticket in the pocket of his jacket and his legs moved through the snow to reach the dorms where Kirihara, was staying. If he remembered the room right…
In no time, he was at the door, making sure the snow was off of him and that he was prepared to drag the kid out if he had to. Feet anchored and shoulders squared, he rapped sharply on the door. Voice calling out. “Kirihara Akaya. I hope you are prepared to travel.” Because he had given him enough warning. He didn’t want to wait and have to take a later train. The train they were on was a very fast one, so that they wouldn’t have to spend as much time sitting awkwardly next to each other as it chugged along.
Akaya was sitting in front of his TV. His bag lay ready on his bed and everything was set for him staying at Sanada’s place. Thought he would never admit that he was somehow looking forward to not spending New Year alone. Christmas had been bad enough and he didn’t really needed that another time. But he would still smile and tell everybody that it wasn’t that bad. Itsuki, his new Roommate was away at home so Akaya Looked pretty surprised when he herd the knock. He didn’t expected Shishido so early, but as he heard the voice there was no doubt. So it was Sanada to collect him.
“Come in.”, Akaya called and stood up. He turned off the TV and went over to his bed to put on his shoes and a warm coat. It was pretty cold outside and he didn’t want to catch a cold just now. “I’m almost ready just have to get dressed”, he told the older boy.
Sanada’s eyes narrowed just a little. Just getting dressed... So behind that door was Kirihara Akaya in nothing but his underpants? And he was just supposed to come right on in? The kid certainly was bold. And Sanada wasn’t someone who cared about that kind of thing really. He’d been enough shower rooms. So, he turned the knob and stepped in. He ignored the slight feeling if disappointment at the fully dressed Kirihara and forced it down even further, glancing at the bag.
“You’ve packed everything then.” He went to pick up the bag, as if it weighed nothing. “Best hurry. Our train leaves in 20 minutes.” He was sure they would make it on time and if they had to, they could always run. Running in the freezing cold was good exercise. “I’ll be outside. You can carry your gear.” The gear would be heavier than the bag. Good strength training.
“Yeah”, Akaya murmured as Sanada asked if he had packed everything though he almost stared disbelieving as he heard that their train would leave on 20 minutes. Sanada really believed that they would make it? But well he should better hurry of they wanted to catch the train. So Akaya turned around to a corner where his gear stood and took it so they finally could go. “I’m ready”, he said and stepped out of the room, quickly locking the door before he turned around to his Senpai and Buchou.
He really did think they would make it. Defeat wasn’t an option, ever. With that in mind, he was not going to shorten his strides at all. His vanguard was going to have to keep up with him or get left behind. He knew Akaya could do it. He had faith in his kohai. He would still start them off slowly and then gradually pick the pace up. So, he left the dorms at a brisk walk. “Careful not to slip on the ice.” He warned, navigating around it.
Akaya on the other hand doubted that they could make it without running and he didn’t knew if his gear would survive it if he ran. “Hai”, he said and really watched out not to slip. That gear was too expensive to let it break. Even thought it was pretty difficult not to slip and two or three times he almost fell but managed to catch himself again.
Sanada made sure to keep an eye on the younger man. He didn’t really want to carry the bag, the gear and Akaya. He could if he wanted, but he preferred not to. He had his own dignity to think about. Besides, this was a good way for Akaya to learn how to place his feet in a hurry. And soon enough, as soon as the streets were clear, he was picking up the pace with a call of “10 minutes.” The station was about 15 minutes away by foot if one walked. He was not going to let them walk. They could catch their breath on on the train.
10 minutes? Damn he normally needed 15 till 20 minutes when he walked to the station, not that he did that very often. Akaya wanted to ask his Buchou if he was mad but was too busy not to slip or lose any of his gear as if he could actually speak anything. So he just had to adjust his speed to Sanada’s and hope that they would make it.
They would make it. They would make it even if Sanada had to get behind Akaya and push. He doubted that he would have to go that far. He could see the station in the distance. The train hadn’t arrived yet. He could see it’s sleek form speeding down the tracks towards it’s destination. He was on time...the train wasn’t. But he wasn’t about to tell Akaya that. No need to tell him they could slow down. There would be no slacking on his watch. “Look. There it is. If we don’t hurry, it’ll leave without us.” Not that it was even at the station.
Akaya too saw the train and almost panicked when Sanada told him they would miss the train if they wouldn’t hurry up. He didn’t mean that right? They had to be almost there. There was no way they could miss the train right?.........right? Akaya upped his speed again even thought he wanted to just let himself fall and rest. But he didn’t want Sanada to be angry at him because they missed the train because of him. He didn’t wanted to disappoint the other.
The shorter man wasn’t a disappointment at all. He had known the kid had it in him. He just needed the right sort of guidance. He just needed someone willing to help him push past his limits and into the realm of potential. It was too bad Sanada was going to be a cop; he might have made a good coach.
His feet hit the stairs and he was going up them to hold the door for Akaya. He reached out, from habit to pat the younger when he went by, as he informed him. “One minute to spare. Good job.”
Breathing heavily Akaya looked up with big eyes. ‘One minute to spare’...... a whole minute. “Uso”, he murmured breathless and just slid down to the ground when they reached the platform with all his gear in his lap. He had to catch his breath again. “Did you.... want to.....kill....me?”, he panted disbelieving and stared up to the other. “Don’t scare me..... like that.”
Was that a smile on Sanada’s face? Yes. A very slight one. He thought it had been a very fun little run. Plus, Kirihara Akaya breathless was sort of....stop that. He mind ground to a halt. There was no room to think about his vanguard as anything else but a kohai that needed more training to be at his best. The smile faded, not that the change was noticeable, and he muttered, “Tarundoru.” He just didn’t know if it was for himself or for Akaya. “Just this much won’t kill you and now I know we need to work your endurance and speed. They’ll both help in hard matches.”
He put the bag down to hold his hand out. “Now get off the ground. That’s no place for you.”
Akaya couldn’t tell the difference between this faint smile and Sanada’s normal stoic face so he didn’t get that Sanada actually was pleased, well the following ‘tarundoru’ didn’t help much either. It just made him think that he had done something wrong again. “Yes sir”, he murmured and let his head hang when he heard that they had to work on his speed and endurance. So Sanada was displeased with him. But then he heard his Buchou again and looked up surprised to see the others hand. Without him really knowing why, he felt a slight heat rushing into his cheeks. Why did these few words make him so happy? “Hai”, was the only thing he could say, as he took the hand and let himself be pulled up again.
He pulled the other up without much in the way of effort. Kirihara was still too light. That hadn’t changed at all since he had carried the boy in High School. He would have to make a better effort to feed him. Maybe, he could ask someone in Nutrition to make up a good diet plan for the kid...and for himself. And threaten stabbing if his own plan didn’t involve meat in some fashion. His hand stayed around Akaya’s three seconds longer than it needed to be there. He finally let go and then went to pick up the gear and let Akaya have his bag back. “You deserve a break for now.” He had plans for when the train ended up arriving at his home town...What had once been Akaya’s home town as well. “The train is here. You can have the window seat if you wish it.” Not just because he thought the younger would like it. He also liked the aisle because it was easier to move should he have to defend himself, not that he did.
Akaya didn’t minded Sanada’s hand staying around his own. It felt nice to be near somebody else again. Somebody that didn’t look at him as if he was a monster. “I do?”, he then asked as he took his bag that seemed so light to him now that he had carried the gear for what seemed like ages to him. Akaya watched the Train arrive and grinned as Sanada offered him the window seat. He loved sitting at the window and watch the landscape tearing past him. “Thank you”, he said with a big smile.
Even he couldn’t force down the thought that he liked seeing Akaya smile. He knew without a doubt that the kid didn’t smile, really truly smile, a lot. Fake ones, probably, but not like that. They were alike like that. He didn’t smile very often either. They just had different reasons for it. “Ah.” He answered and ushered the other onto the train. Their seats were towards the back but they were spacious enough that he wouldn’t be cramped while sitting. He could store the gear under the seat where it would be safe. Perfect. He just stopped long enough to ask just how long the trip would take. Due to the weather, a little longer. Around an hour... He’d be sitting on a train next to Kirihara Akaya for an entire hour. He supposed it would be a good start to get used to him, as he would be having the other man as a guest in the family house for at least two or three days.
Akaya went to their seats and stored his bag away above their heads before he let himself fall into his seat and looked out onto the white winter world that Japan had become. It was such a nice view. Actually he loved winter, when he hadn’t to run across frozen streets with expensive Kendo gear in his arms. But he looked up when Sanada sat next to him. “How long will it take?”, he asked curious.
Sanada sat down and made himself comfortable. He supposed he could stare forward and be his normal self for an hour. But that would leave Akaya bored. At least at his residence, there would be more to do than just sit there and be moved down the tracks. He supposed he could try and engage in the art of conversation... the school would be so proud of him if he did. But he wasn’t a talker, so, he knew this was going to hard on at least one of them.
At the question, he setted even more. “About an hour. No longer than that.” At least he hoped that would be the case. “If you get hungry, I can get you some food from the dining car. But it really shouldn’t take that long.”
Akaya nodded slightly “An hour... that’s pretty fast though. I needed much longer when I came to Sei Dai”, he remembered and turned around to the window again. Leaning back and slightly to the side, so his head rested on the window. He had one hour to enjoy the landscape. The statement that Sanada would get him food if he would get hungry passed without comment by Akaya. What should he say anyway? That he wouldn’t get hungry? That he had eaten about half an hour earlier? That would be meaningless, so he didn’t say anything and just stared outside.
He nodded and then stared forward as the train lurched to a start. He didn’t want to admit that he had gotten the fastest tickets possible. That way he could get Akaya to his place, settled in and everything.The quicker the better and then Akaya could adjust to the staunchness that was the Sanada household. Where the TV was rarely turned on and his now very very aged grandfather was still the technical master of the house. He crossed his arms and settled in and hoped they wouldn’t encounter the weather that had slowed the train down to begin with.
Now and then Akaya sat up when he saw something really interesting and always a faint smile lay upon his lips though at some point his eyes became heavier and the lack of sleep at night forced him to close his eyes and soon ha was fast asleep, leaned against the window. His whole posture relaxed and the smile still stayed on his lips.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed the moment that the younger man fell asleep. He smiled a little. Akaya must have been really anxious about this sudden order to come and spend a holiday working. Without a thought, Sanada shifted a little and stripped out of his coat. He’d be warm enough without it. He shifted again, to drape it over the other like a blanket. That finished, he returned to his forward upright position and crossed his arms. He’d be sure to wake Akaya up when they arrived.
Akaya noticed that something changed when Sanada lay his coat over the boy and reacted with a change of position. He curled up as good as possible, now facing Sanada. But he didn’t wake up.
Silence...a small, losing fight. He didn’t lose to anything. But his hand was still moving to brush away a curl from Akaya’s face. Damn it. Traitor! He snatched it back and crossed his arms with a dark “hn” to himself. One hour was not going to come quick enough, but he wasn’t about to stand and leave Akaya there asleep by himself. He might get off on the wrong stop. So Sanada stayed right where he was and stared at his watch.
Suddenly Akaya’s mien and posture changed. A frown crawled on his forehead and his whole body seemed to scream that he had a bad dream and that he was scared. His breath quickened and his hand seemed to look for something.
It didn’t take much to notice the change. He didn’t know what to do really. Wake him up was the logical thing. Pull him close and give him a hard and unforgiving lap as a pillow was another, less logical though. He hand reached out and he put it around a shoulder that suddenly seemed far too frail. He lightly shook the other. “Kirihara-kun...wake up.” He hoped it would work.
Akaya winced slightly as he was touched and after Sanada had shook him a bit he started up from his dream and stared almost frightened at Sanada his eyes slightly red but the blood retreated quickly again. “Ah..... where.....”, he looked around a bit confused and rubbed his eyes.
Red. Bloodshot. Sanada could handle that. He had calmed the beast before. He didn’t even take his coat back. He just sat there, hand on his younger friend’s shoulder. “Calm.” He murmured, more softly than most thought capable for him. “You had a nightmare it seems. You’re still in the train. We’re going to my place. It’s all right. Nothing is going to hurt you.” Because whatever it was would have to go through Sanada, and he wasn’t easy to get by.
Confused Akaya listened to the older boy. “Train.... right....”, he murmured running his hand through his hair. Damn... he shouldn’t have fallen asleep. That had been a really bad idea. “Sorry Sanada-senpai”, he said with a really miserable look before he noticed the coat around him. Why did he have Sanada’s coat?
He swallowed and looked away and just sort of pulled. He didn’t know why, but he thought maybe that would help. If Akaya was against something solid. Someone solid who didn’t freak out. Who didn’t react badly....well, most the time anyway. “Don’t apologize. If you want to sleep, you sleep. You’ll be busy once we arrive.” He didn’t look at the other and wished for all the world that he had brought his hat so that he could pull it down to hide his face.
Akaya was more than surprised when he was pulled and felt how his cheeks blushed again but still shook his head. “I don’t want to sleep”, he almost pouted like a little child. But still he stayed where Sanada had pulled him to and a part hidden deep inside him savoured the feeling.
“Hn.” He let go and was sure the other would stay if he wanted. He wouldn’t force the kid. “Then don’t.” He wasn’t going to argue with the pouting either. If Akaya wanted to pout like a five year old he could. Sanada didn’t care. He just looked at his watch. They’d be there soon anyway.
And Akaya stayed but still held his eyes open, didn’t want to sleep again. he had begun to hate sleeping and actually tried to sleep as little as possible but his body needed the sleep. But he didn’t want to see those nightmares over and over again. He wanted them to stop but didn’t know how. He just hoped that they would be there soon so he would have to do something again. Just sitting around made him so tired.
The train finally slowed to a halt. Once it stopped completely, Sanada stood and once more offered his hand to the younger man. He had been planning on making Akaya carry not only his gear, but also his bag. But now that he’d had that nightmare...No. He wasn’t going soft on anyone. He wasn’t. “We’re here.” He informed and picked up the heavier gear. “Let’s get going.”
Akaya looked out of the window at the just too familiar train station. “Hai”, he just murmured and took Sanada’s hand once more before he reached above them to get the bag so they could leave the train. Once outside he took a deep breath and let the cool air wake him up again.
It was cold. He noticed that right away. But he made no move to take his coat back. A man could take the cold for a little bit. It would be good for him. It would make him stronger and perhaps even make him forget about the fact that just a second ago he had been a little too close and cuddly with Akaya for his own good. He turned towards a familiar road. it would take him further into town where this dojo that was his family home sat.
Akaya looked up at the older boy, with his coat still around the shoulders. Slowly he grabbed it and pulled it down, to hold it out to Sanada. “Thank you”, he murmured not daring to meet the others eyes. “You should put it on again. It’s cold... you might catch a cold”, he said and, as he was sure that Sanada had taken hold of it, let go and quickly began to walk towards the direction he reckoned Sanada’s house was.
He stared at the coat in his hands and then shrugged it on before shaking his head and stepping to catch up with the other man and starting to direct them again. He couldn’t think of the last time he had invited anyone over. Niou Masaharu...but he was an old friend from way way back. And not that recently for that one. In fact, the last few years, he’d not brought a single person home. He was sure that his mother and father were hoping for him to one day come back with a bride before they had to sit down and engage him to someone, as was tradition.
Sanada didn’t want to think more on that. Instead, he wondered if any of this was familiar to Akaya. How long had it been, he wondered, since Kirihara had come back home. He wasn’t even about to ruin the other’s weekend by insisting he go back to his real home. No. There was no need for that. Kirihara was welcome to stay with him and that was that. There was no need to reopen wounds and rub salt into them.
“I should probably warn you.” He started. A rarity. Sanada willingly breaking the silence himself. “It’s probably not the sort of place you are used to.” And it wasn’t. As they reached the area where his house was, he could see the shift in architecture. Everything was older. Bigger. More stately. Houses looked more like mansions and temples than actual living places. His was no exception. Set up on a slight hill, with steps carved into the very earth, the dojo rose like a protective deity over the area. High stone fences and huge wooden doors and beyond... Well, for Genichirou is was going home. For Akaya, it would surely be like stepping back into the past and finding himself smack dab in the middle of a samurai epic.
Akaya looked around pretty interested when they reached the part of town where Sanada lived. He had been near here some times when he had been younger but never actually looked at the houses or rather the dojos/temples. It was as if you stepped back in time and a part of him thought that his clothes were entirely inappropriate. He waited to see a Samurai or a lady on a beautiful kimono somewhere.
“Wow”, was the only thing he could say, when they entered the Sanada residence. Big eyes Akaya looked around and tried to see everything at once. It was really as if he was back in the Tokugawa era. “You really grew up here?”, he asked and now didn’t wonder anymore why Sanada seemed so old fashioned.
The older man nodded as he stepped down the path that took them past the usually lively dojo. With the holiday, the students were out celebrating with their families. It was just the Sanada’s in residence at the moment. He was sure his mother was out shopping and his dad was probably meditating in the private garden. It was a nice quiet start to Akaya’s stay. “Ah. I did.” And he had run to school every day, even though it was still quite a way away.
“I’ll show you to where you’ll be staying.” He led around back and pushed aside the screen to get inside, kicking his shoes off. “It’s this way.” The insides of the house were just as traditional as the outsides had been. Sanada silently hoped Akaya would be comfortable here.
Akaya kept looking around with wide eyes. It seemed as if he needed two more pairs of eyes to see everything. Somehow he wished he had a Yukata. He perhaps wouldn’t have felt so misplaced if he was wearing something traditional.
“Ha..hai”, he said quickly and hurried to catch up with Sanada, kicking off his shoes so he could enter the building.
Sanada had yukata. He also had a lot of other things that fit in really well with this world that was so very traditional. In the coming days, he’d probably be in one of the many he owned, as it was a traditional celebratory time for him. But he would change after his bath tonight. For now, he had to concentrate on getting Akaya settled.
He finally stopped at another door. Kneeling a little he pushed the screen aside and then went into the room. His room. Everything was neat and tidy. There was some equipment carefully placed in a corner of the room. It looked more like a young lord’s room than that of a young man from modern Japan. He didn’t know if Akaya was going to be okay sleeping in there with him, but he didn’t know if he wanted to set aside a guest room. He did have one, right next door to him. His older brother’s room before he moved out. But he wanted to try this first. Maybe he wouldn’t feel so out of place sleeping in there.
“I hope you don’t mind it...” He nodded. “I have the extra futon for you.” Because at home, Sanada didn’t sleep on a European bed.
Akaya followed Sanada through the house and tried to make as little noise as possible. He didn’t know why but he wanted Sanada to be proud of him. He was the only one that didn’t judged him right away after seeing his other face and who actually gave him a second chance. Some part of him just didn’t want to disappoint the older man in any possible way. So he looked into the room carefully and was a bit surprised as he saw the two futons and heard Sanada talk about a spare one. Did that mean...? “I’m..... staying in your room?”, he asked as he finally entered the room and put down his bag carefully and far away from anything he could knock over. Some of the things looked too valuable to be broken by him.
“Ah.” He answered quietly. “Unless of course, you wouldn’t be comfortable here.” After that nightmare he had witnessed, part of Sanada wanted to keep Kirihara close. Not that he had known back when he had been making plans for his guest. He had just thought the other might want at least one thing familiar around . “There is the room next to mine. It was Nobuyuki’s before he left the house.” He nodded to the wall that separated the rooms. He wouldn’t make Kirihara stay if he really didn’t want to.
Akaya shook his head, staring at his feet. “No.. I didn’t mean it like that. I was just surprised. And..... this room really suits you”, he said to assure Sanada that he didn’t mind. He just hoped that nothing would happen during his stay. He didn’t want to hurt any of Sanada’s family, thought if the rest was as good in Kendo and stuff as he was, there was probably no way that he could actually hurt any of them.
He almost smiled again. “Then for now, please make yourself at home here. I’m afraid we don’t have a TV set, but there are a lot of books.” He wondered if he should have gotten something for him to entertain himself, at least for the first night. Tomorrow, they would start with the cleaning and the training. He wanted to give the younger man at least a half a day of rest. “And once you’re settled in, I’ll show you around. I’m sure you will want a bath and dinner will be ready by then.” He shifted a little, knowing this was probably more than he had talked to anyone in a long stretched. He was quickly using his monthly quota of words.
“Uh... thank you”, Akaya murmured and put his bag next to the futon that seemed to be his, almost throwing himself at it and rolling on his back. It felt so good. He loved his bed but a futon now and then was really cool. “Well I don’t think you have some manga here right?”, Akaya asked with an almost sheepish smile before he rummaged through his bag and got a PSP. He wouldn’t get bored so easily. “But a bath really sounds good. It seems like ages when I last took a bath. At Seidai I only use the shower”, he said and started the PSP to start his latest Crisis Core play-through.
He shifted a little to look over the other’s shoulder at the game. It looked really...complicated. He would be sure to break it the moment he touched it. So he had better not touch it. Besides, the size of the main character’s sword was...simply ridiculous. There was no way that this could be a useful functioning sword. He hoped Kirihara didn’t get his ideas of Kendo from this silly game. His eyes narrowed a little and he stood up abruptly to go to his chest of drawers and fetch a few things.
They were small on him, so he was sure that after the bath, they would be comfortable for Kirihara. He was glad that he hadn’t given them away yet. His old hakama and gi top. “He folded them and then placed them before the other with a mumbled of “After your bath.”
Akaya knew that it was impossible to fight with Zacks sword, or with Sephiroth’s. They weren’t real. He knew that Kendo wasn’t like that but he loved to forget himself in these fantasy worlds where everything was possible. So he didn’t noticed when Sanada stood up and didn’t look up until he heard a ‘after your bath’ from the side. As he finally watched, there was a hakama and gi top next to him, bot in some brownish color. “Ah.... thank you”, he said with an apologizing smile at the older man, “I’ll just finish that mission and then I can go.”
He didn’t really mean to rush the other. He was just getting things ready. He would go himself later on. But for now, he was trying to be a good host and get his guest comfortable with being here. It made him almost wish...almost, that they had some more modern conveniences. If only so Kirihara would feel less out of place. He was sure he did because Sanada was well aware he would feel very much an outsider in Kirihara’s dorm.
“It’s just down the hall to the left. There’s a shower and a tub. You can use either.” Sanada liked the bath. He liked soaking his aching muscles after a long day of training. But for now, he went back to his closets for his own change of clothing. Without thinking, he started to pull his tee-shirt off.
Akaya felt like an outsider where ever he was so it didn’t really mattered to him. Akaya was in the middle of a difficult fight when he looked up for a moment to ask Sanada something. Quickly he looked back at his display, but the game was forgotten. Carefully, slowly he lifted his head again and watched Sanada undress. He let his eyes wander over the broad back down feeling how his cheeks got hot while watching the other. What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he look away? Sanada was a guy dammit. But he looked really good.
He could sort of feel the eyes on him. It wasn’t something easy to ignore really. He had grown accustomed to that when he had been a “pet” of Kime-hime...A name he didn’t want to even think about right now because it would piss him off for the rest of the week. He didn’t want or need to think about his stalker. He would have hated it if it was Kime...but he didn’t mind it with Kirihara. Strange.He shook his head. Not something to think about right now. He just kept going. He’d changed in front of people before, and they were both guys, so it was fine.
He pulled his own very comfortable yakuta on. He’d be in it for the rest of the night. At least until bedtime. Dressed again, he turned back around and glanced at Kirihara. He had a look that seemed to say Something you need?
As Sanada turned around again, now dressed in a Yukata, that seems to fit him more than the normal clothes he was wearing before, Akaya quickly looked back at his display just to find the game over screen be shown. Ah Damn. He threw the PSP on his Futon and stood up, grabbing the Hakama and Gi top Sanada had given him and turned to open the door. “I’ll go shower then”, was the only thing he said, not facing the other before he left the room. down the Hall left the other had said. So Akaya went that way and really found the bath. filling the bath tube with hot water Akaya undressed and sat down on a small stool to wash himself before entering the bath. “Way to go Dumbass”, he sighed and stared at himself in the mirror. What was wrong with him? Why did he feel that way? Just because Sanada was nice to him? “You should know better than fall in that trap Akaya.”
He watched the other escape quickly. He thought to get the room tidied a little more when he head the beeping from the strange game on the other futon. Kirihara’s game. Kirihara had left his game on and going. He was going to lose. He reached down and picked it up. He frowned. He didn’t like losing and he was sure Akaya wouldn’t either. But he had never played a video game before. Never.
Sitting on the futon, he started to to press buttons. The little spiky haired figure on the screen moved. It didn’t move the way he wanted it too. He didn’t know how to even work this and his frown darkened. It was growing very frustrating to him. He couldn’t figure this out at all. “Tarundoro.” It was too. It was pathetic that he couldn’t figure this out when Akaya could play it so easily.
With a long sigh Akaya let himself slide into the hot water. It felt good and Akaya felt how his arching muscles started to loosen up again. Closing his eyes he let the water flow around his body and warm him again. For the next twenty minutes there was nothing beside the warmth that let him imagine that everything was alright. But then the water had gone too cold to stay so he stood up again and dried himself up to get in the clothes Sanada had given him. They fitted him surprisingly good. The top was a light brown while the Hakama was more beige. Clothed like that he left the Bath to go back to Sanada’s room. What he found there made him almost laugh. “Do you need help?”, he asked, leaning against the door frame.
Sanada’s frown was very dark indeed. The frustration he was feeling was almost visible. Like black tendrils of fire. He was sure he was actually growling a little at the game as he fumbled to keep the little man on the screen alive. It was quite a challenge seeing as how clueless he was about this and just mashing buttons would probably break the toy. He didn’t want to break Kirihara’s things. He had a feeling that Kirihara didn’t have many nice things.
He almost dropped it when he heard the amused voice. He wanted to claim that he wasn’t having any trouble at all. Instead, what came out was a dark, “Hn.” He did need help. He hadn’t to admit it. He needed help or he was going to lose the game for Kirihara. “You left if on...” He started, eyes moving from the screen only for the shortest moment. He knew if he looked away for too long, he would really die. He let go of the console with one hand and roughly patted the space next to him on the futon that would be Kirihara’s for the duration of the stay, then his hands went back to the game.
Akaya chuckled slightly, a real chuckle not the ones he normally did just to play his role. “You could have just let it be. I always could have started that mission again”, he explained and came over to Sanada, to see where he was. “Ah... you need to look after your health. Use a potion. And that enemy is best to defeat with fire attacks. You need to press L..... nonono”, Akaya tried to explain the other but it was difficult. He knew all the keys by heart. So he just stood up to stand behind Sanada and reached around him to lay his hands on top of the others and started pressing the Keys he needed to press. “You see. just like that.”
“I didn’t want you to lose.” Was his stubborn mumble as he fumbled his way around the game. He wished he had his hat. He would have tugged it down very quickly when the younger man started to instruct him in something that should have been sort of easy. It made him feel even more backwards than he knew he was. He could handle a shinai. He could hold a calligraphy and always hit the bulls-eye with a bow....but he couldn’t make a little computer generated guy move the way he wanted it to.
He just kept pressing buttons until slender arms wrapped around him. Kirihara Akaya was...hugging him. Only not.. This wasn’t a hug. He didn’t have that small form against his back, needing to be protected. He was there to show him how a stupid game was played. There was nothing at all special or suggestive about the way hands laid over his. Smaller. His stubbornness let himself be guided. “I....see...” He was sure that if he could figure it out, he could easily get lost in such a game. It was...sort of like meditation in a way. Only with a warm kohai addition.
“Really it isn’t difficult if you start from the beginning. They explain everything to you at the start. But it’s kinda mean to start in such a fight because I’m already pretty far”, he explained and soon the enemy was defeated and the mission completed. “Now save”, Akaya grinned and hit the key that would save the game. Slowly he let go of Sanada again and let himself fall on the Futon next to the other again. “So... you want to try it from the Start? Or do you want watching me playing?”, he asked with a wide grin.
It was without any hesitation that he sort of just thrust the game at Akaya. He missed the warmth, strangely and considered for a moment pulling the other into the space made by his crossed legs. His hands tightened on the fabric of the yakuta he was wearing to keep himself from doing so. “I’ll...watch.” Because he didn’t want to feel more stupid or frustrated than he felt. He’d leave technology to the curly haired man and stick with things he could understand, like books.
Akaya quickly caught his precious PSP with a slight grin and got back to the main menu and started a new game. “Here. I show you. It’s easier to understand when you start a new game Thought.... You never played Final Fantasy VII right? Well that is practically the prologue to VII. You get information's about the different characters, that help you to understand them better in VII”, he explained, sat closer to Sanada so he would see enough and started to play.
Sanada shifted even closer, his thigh pressed against Akaya’s as he leaned to watch. “I’ve never played any video game.” He admitted. “I never found any desire to.” Because they were a distraction from kendo and everything else he was trying to do. He didn’t have time to go to arcades or play Nintendo or anything like that. He had training. The time Akaya spent playing the Final Fantasy games, Sanada has spent in meditation under waterfalls. “It’s....interesting though...” He watched over the other’s shoulder. “What are you trying to win?” Because there had to be some end goal to achieve.
“Okay so you don’t know the story of VII. That’s not a problem. This game tells the story before VII and ends... if I remember right, with the start sequence of VII. That guy here, Zack”, he pointed at the guy that was running over the top of the train right now, “Is our character. he wants to become first class soldier. Well actually you have to stop Genesis, one of the three most powerful first class soldiers. The other two are Angeal, your mentor and the other is Sephiroth, the most awesome enemy ever in the Final Fantasy series if you ask me. He is one of the enemies in VII later. Well yeah you have to find out if Genesis is still alive and have to kill him to be short”, He explained and watched the first cut scene.
There was a lot of killing in this game. He had already figured that much out when he was trying hard to play it. But the story sounded really complex. He sort of liked the idea of mentors and students and soldiers though. It really appealed to him. He leaned to watch the cut scene as well. “So....that’s your enemy....and that’s you...” He was sort of getting the concept. “Who’s the girl?” He knew girls could fight, but a part of him though that she looked like the sort who would get in the way and get stabbed through the chest at some point.
“Yeah that’s my enemy and me.... And that’s Aerith. She’s Zack’s girlfriend you could say. Too bad that they kill her in VII..”, Akaya explained and tried to show Sanada how to fight in the game. He didn’t thought that the other wanted to play again but it was nice to show Sanada something that he liked. After all the other always showed him Kendo, and Sanada loved Kendo.
“Ah.” He smirked a little to himself. He had been right. That was nice to know. It was probably sad when it happened, but he felt a little happy because he had guessed at something that must have been a huge surprising plot point at the time. He shifted again. The looking to the side was starting to bother his neck a little and he decided that it would be okay to move Kirihara. After all, the smaller had done it to him in a way.
One more shift and now he was the one behind, chin resting a little on the shoulder, still wet hair tickling at his cheek as he watched. “So...you go on these missions...and you get points on how well you do them?” He wondered if maybe he could get Akaya this interested in Kendo. Maybe a point system...Leveling up. Special mana potions....No. That would taint the sacred sport. “Is this...” He tapped the screen a little. “what got you interested in Kendo?” He wondered. Because Kendo was as close to this sort of sword’s play Akaya could get.
“Yeah the Missions are good to level up and become more powerful for the fights later on”, Akaya explained trying to hide how much it surprised that Sanada now was behind him, resting his chin on his shoulder. It was warm and felt nice. If he just would lay his arms....wahhhhh stop! No! He should stop thinking that way. There was no way at all! “What?”, he asked but then shook his head slightly. “Ho... uhn no.... not really. I though I could.... “, again he shook his head but more slowly this time, “No.... it’s nothing.”
“Ah.” One word sentences. It meant he was nearly out of his limit of words. He needed the distraction though, else he might just wrap his arms around that slight frame. “So...not this. That’s good then. We don’t fight like this at all.” He nodded to the screen. Kendo was an art form. This was just hacking and slashing. Fun, but ugly and it had no honor to it. “But...I see why you like it.” It was still a distraction though. And one he’d have to take away if Akaya didn’t concentrate on his studies or his kendo. He lapsed back into silence and just watched, waiting for the familiar voice of his mother to call them for dinner.
“You know. I might be stupid, bit not that stupid. I know that fighting like that is impossible. It looks really cool though”, he said with a smile and focused on the game, slowly leaning back against the warm chest without really realizing it.
The weight was there and he momentarily let his arms move to settle around those arms. He knew he could sit like this for hours. He could almost meditate like this. With the beeping of the game and the small sound of their breathing and the beating his his heart as background. The spell was soon shattered by the call he knew was coming.Sanada Nadeshiko was calling her family to dinner. He reluctantly let go and pulled away.
Standing and stretching he leaned down to once more offer his hand. “You’re in for a treat. I told mom we would have guest. So, she probably made a feast.” A very traditional Japanese feast. His mother was like the rest of the Sanada family. She was a proper well bred Japanese woman, befitting the Sanada name.
Akaya would also have been able to sit there for hours and so he frowned slightly when he heard the female voice, calling them. Soon after the warmth of Sanada left his back and he turned the PSP off to take Sanada’s hand and let himself be pulled up. Quickly he looked that his clothes still were where they had to be before he looked up again. “But that wouldn’t have been necessary”, he said almost worried as he heard that Sanada’s mother bothered herself with making something special just because he was there.
“Of course it’s necessary.” He countered almost immediately, putting a hand on the other’s back to guide him to the dining area and to the very low table and the cushions on the floor for them. “You are my honored guest. It’s not often I bring friends home with me. She wants to make you feel welcome...” And try to entice Akaya to remain friends with her anti-social son. He had a feeling that with how Akaya looked, his mother would fuss even more over him. She always did have a fondness for the bratty type...like his nephew...
“No really”, Akaya murmured and felt pretty uncomfortable that they made so much just for him. And when he heard that Sanada seldom brought friends with him he felt even worse. Sanada’s parents probably thought that Akaya was a really good friend of Sanada but.... wasn’t he here just because Sanada wanted to make sure that he did the first cleaning right?
It was correct. He was here to learn how to clean his armor and his sword properly. But Sanada supposed he had a different quieter reason deep down. Akaya had spent Christmas alone. Akaya would have spent New Years....alone. A part of Sanada couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t let his vanguard’s game suffer because he had been lonely and bored and lazy during the holidays. At least here, he would be kept occupied. Here, he could train and leaned. Here, Akaya wouldn’t be alone. But he’d never, never ever confess to that line of reasoning. He would die from the torture first.
He brought them to the table and sat properly and nodded to the spot next to him. Once everyone was there, he would be sure to introduce them all. But it was time for the very first real rule of the Sanada household. “We don’t eat until Grandfather is sitting with us and starts.” Because his now very elderly grandfather was still master of the house. The man was often a little late. Probably chatting with his old rival over his fancy new phone. Genichirou never complained. Waiting built character.
If Akaya would ever find out why Sanada really brought him here he probably couldn’t look the other in the eyes again. He hated to be pitied he hated it even more than being hated for something he couldn’t control. Carefully to not knocking over anything he sat down next to Sanada and looked around slightly nodding as he heard the first rule. “I’ll just start when you do”, he shrugged with a slight smile. He would probably be too nervous to be really hungry anyway.
It wasn’t really pity. Not really. Because Sanada didn’t feel pity. He didn’t know what it was. Just that he needed to...wanted to...do it. He simply couldn’t explain it, not even to himself. So instead, he waited as the dishes were brought out. A large, traditional spread, with all the staples. He had been craving his mother’s miso too. But he waited until everyone was seated before quietly introducing his guest to his mother, his father and to his grandfather. Of them all, only the old man had mellowed, smiling warmly at the younger man and welcoming him before telling him to dig it before it got too cold.
Akaya looked surprised at all the food that was brought and as everybody was there he bowed down as Sanada introduced him to the others. The Grandfather smiled at him and Akaya smiled back glad that at least somebody seemed to be a bit friendly, because he really didn’t know what Sanada’s parents thought of him. “I’m grateful that you allow me to stay”, he murmured, didn’t want to disgrace Sanada.
Genichirou knew that his family was...a bit oppressive. He didn’t usually notice it, as he had grown up with it. But as he got older, and his grandfather’s eccentric nature grew more and more pronounced, he started to see just how different his home was for a lot of other people.He was certain Kirihara wasn’t unwelcome. He had made sure to ask before demanding him be there. Well...not so much ask. He was old enough to make his own decisions. He had more like informed that his friend would be coming to stay the weekend and take part in some of the ritual cleansing activities. Only a few of them. He wasn’t going to make Akaya come with him and be purified under a waterfall or anything. That could wait til next year.
He could tell though that his parents were okay with their guest. He didn’t see any guard up and he could see the slightest of smiles from his mother. “It’s our pleasure. Genichirou needs to come home more often. And it’s good he’s made a friend.” ...And now he really wished for his hat. Instead, he covered up his small bit of embarrassment by starting on his meal.
“Eh.... uhm.... hai”, Akaya said with a slight blush and stared at his rice bowl. “Though I am really sorry to intrude just on New Year. I am really sorry for that”, he sighed and after looking very apologizing at Sanada’s Mother took the chopsticks and also started to eat. Just as he said, he waited until Sanada had started.
The rest of the dinner was very quiet. They weren’t a family that talked about their days or the world news over meal times. Meals were a time for reflection and for family unity.You didn’t need to talk for that to occur. Eventually, he finished off all of his and glanced to Akaya’s plate. A part of him wanted to slide some extra food on there, but he refrained. Instead, he waited until he was sure the other was finished. “If we may be excused, there is a lot still to do tonight. Mother. Father. Grandfather.” Genichirou actually bowed to each one before leaving the table. He hoped Akaya wouldn’t be too put off by the formalness of it all.
Akaya wondered what it was that was still to do and so he nodded at the others, not knowing if he could go without bowing or if he had to do the same as Sanada, so he just nodded and followed the older man. “Uhn, what is it that we still have to do?”, he asked a bit confused.
Bedtime wouldn’t be for a while yet. “I wanted to show you around more. So that you don’t get lost. Then I need to practice and have my own bath.” There was simply no break for Sanada. He was still training, even on vacation. “I can also tell you the rest of the rules here. There aren’t that many.” Well, there were, but to him, they were all obvious, and so he would only touch on the ones that might not be.
“You still want to practice?”, Akaya asked surprised and followed the other. Though that Sanada wanted to show him around wasn’t a bad idea. He didn’t want to end up somewhere, where he didn’t was allowed to be so it would be good to know where everything was. “How many rules are there?”, He then asked as Sanada mentioned the Rules. He wondered what kind of rules the Sanada family had, beside that they didn’t eat until the Grandfather had begun.
He nodded a little. He still wanted to practice. He never took a break from it. It was just the way he was. He actually smiled a little, thinking about the hours or so that he would spend in sweaty bliss. He paused in his steps and then turned. “Only a few.” He continued. “Most of them start with don’t touch...” There were things even he wasn’t allowed to touch yet. He wasn’t yet old enough or far enough along in his training.
“Then...we’ll start with the dojo...” He wondered if he could convince Kirihara to come back here when it was cherry blossom season. The garden by the dojo was so pretty with the falling pink petals. “It’s this way.”
Don’t touch? Damn that were the most tempting rules of all. Akaya knew it would he difficult as hell to stick with the rules. So he followed Sanada and it seems that every time he wanted to look closer at something Sanada told him to not touch it. Was there actually Anything he was allowed to touch? It didn’t seem so.
He couldn’t help but smile a little more. Even though through out the tour, he seemed to only say “don’t touch” to the younger man. He didn’t mind though. He liked that. He liked that Kirihara was curious and interested in his world. It was actually sort of cu....no. He wasn’t about the think of another man as cute...even if he already was. He finally stopped once they had returned to his room. “You can touch anything here.” That done, he stopped smiling and went to pick up his shinai. No armor today. He would just do sword swings. “Do you want to join me?” Today was voluntary. He’d let Akaya decide. Tomorrow, there would be no choice.
“Finally”, Akaya sighed and almost hugged his Futon. Finally he could touch something again. It felt so gooooood. But as Sanada asked him if he wanted to join him he sat up again and thought for a moment. “Can I....watch you?”, he asked then
That was adorable. The way Kirihara nearly hugged his futon. He turned away in order to really smile at him. When he turned back around to face the other man, he nodded. He didn’t mind an audience. And maybe Kirihara might also learn something new about Kendo. “Ah.” He answered and nodded towards the door. He wouldn’t do cutting practice today, just swings. He’d not bring out his katana until the first of the year. That was when he would cut. The first straw dummy of the year was very important.
Akaya nodded and stood up again. “Then I’ll come with you”, he said with a smile and stretched slighely before he looked at Sanada, waiting for him to leave the room.
He led to the dojo and took his stance. The man took a few short breaths and began. even though it was just swings, even though it was just practice, Sanada put his all into it. To him, practice was just as serious as a real legitimate match. He was sure Akaya could see it. The fire in his movement. The abject strength and power. The dedication and skill. He could get lost in it. It was like Kirihara and his video game.
He did lose track of time. He only stopped when he could feel the sweat drip down his face. He breathed out again and turned his eyes to Kirihara once more. “Kirihara-kun...I hope you leaned something. Because tomorrow, it’ll be you.”
Akaya followed the older man and sat down in a corner of the Dojo where he wouldn’t bother Sanada with his training. His eyes never left the taller man, watching him how he brought down the Shinai with powerful swings every time. He saw how the muscles contracted under the Gi top. He almost saw the powerful aura that surrounded Sanada and it was just fascinating. So he winced as Sanada suddenly talked to him again. “Huh what? Oh... eh..... yeah...sure”, he murmured and scratched his head. Damn.... he had totally been lost in the view.
Sanada put the shinai away and came to stand before Akaya. He was sure that tomorrow the other would have a very hard time of it. But he also thought that all Akaya needed was a little push. All he needed was someone to guide him and make him see his potential. “Don’t stay up too late tonight playing your game then.” He warned. “And I’ll see you back in my room” He needed to take a nice hot bath.
“I won’t”, Akaya promised. Actually he was tired enough from the sprint earlier that he probably would fall asleep as soon as he’d lie down. So he made his way to Sanada’s room and searched for his sleeping shorts. He didn’t want to sleep but perhaps being near Sanada would prevent him from doing anything stupid so he could finally sleep more or less peaceful for at least one night. Quickly he had changed again and snuggled up under the Futon, which felt so nice.
The bath was amazing ,and he wished to soak longer, but he had a guest. He had to make it quick and return to see what said guest was up to. When he arrived, he paused at his doorway. ….. There was just no denying it. Kirihara Akaya was damn cute. And he wasn’t at all hard on the eyes. Later, he’d find a way to punish himself for indulging in looking him over as he slept, unaware. He finally had to take his eyes off him in order to shut the door again.
Silently, he approached, the sleeping boy. Without a thought, he crossed over and lightly pulled the covers over him. His hand lightly brushed that curly dark hair. He then went to get into his own boxer shorts. Once more to the door to flip the lights off and then onto his own futon, to look at the sleeping man. “Good night....Akaya-kun.” He murmured and then settled down to try and sleep as well.
Akaya didn’t noticed when Sanada was back because he was sound asleep and for now had no nightmare, so there was no need for Sanada to wake him up. Though, as Sanada brushed his hair, he leaned into the touch for a second, before it was gone again.
Later in the Night, as a nightmare plagued him he started to roll around again. He always was an active sleeper when he had a nightmare. But this night it was different, because when Akaya rolled around and eventually found Sanada, he curled up nest to him hugging him and finally calmed down again.
Being the light sleeper that he was, Sanada shot awake at the first sounds of another nightmare. How many, he wondered? How many did the younger man have in one night. How much sleep did he actually get. Such small worries were chased from his mind by a sudden warmth. Akaya had left his own futon for Sanada’s. He swallowed a little. He knew he should wake the young man and force him back on his own futon. He knew he should...He knew he shouldn't listen to that small voice deep down that told him that this felt really nice. That he really...honestly...didn’t mind the smaller frame against him in such a fashion. A part that said it was okay...even acceptable to put an arm around the younger man. He knew without a doubt that he should not listen to those voices. But in the dead of the night, Sanada ignored his reason and listened to everything that he shouldn’t.
Slowly, he let his arms go around the other and closed his eyes again. Just for tonight... Just for tonight, he would let himself indulge. Just for tonight, he’d let Akaya seek protective comfort from whatever terror plagued his sleep. Just for tonight...He’d have to remember to get up early, in order to wake up before Akaya...so that he could pretend this had never happened. His pride wouldn’t allow for anything else.
What: Sanada drags Akaya home for the holidays
When: Dec 30th
Where: the dorms, the train and ultimately the Sanada dojo/home
Rating: pg
Comments/Crits: welcome.
The 30th. He had promised to come back to the school and grab up his vanguard in order to take him away for New Years. To anyone else, it might have sounded romantic. To Sanada, it was necessary. Akaya needed to learn how to take care of his kendo gear and Sanada had time over the holiday between everything else that he was doing. Besides, a part of him, deep deep down thought that the younger man might appreciate spending New Years with someone who understood…or as close to understanding as Sanada got. He had the second train ticket in the pocket of his jacket and his legs moved through the snow to reach the dorms where Kirihara, was staying. If he remembered the room right…
In no time, he was at the door, making sure the snow was off of him and that he was prepared to drag the kid out if he had to. Feet anchored and shoulders squared, he rapped sharply on the door. Voice calling out. “Kirihara Akaya. I hope you are prepared to travel.” Because he had given him enough warning. He didn’t want to wait and have to take a later train. The train they were on was a very fast one, so that they wouldn’t have to spend as much time sitting awkwardly next to each other as it chugged along.
Akaya was sitting in front of his TV. His bag lay ready on his bed and everything was set for him staying at Sanada’s place. Thought he would never admit that he was somehow looking forward to not spending New Year alone. Christmas had been bad enough and he didn’t really needed that another time. But he would still smile and tell everybody that it wasn’t that bad. Itsuki, his new Roommate was away at home so Akaya Looked pretty surprised when he herd the knock. He didn’t expected Shishido so early, but as he heard the voice there was no doubt. So it was Sanada to collect him.
“Come in.”, Akaya called and stood up. He turned off the TV and went over to his bed to put on his shoes and a warm coat. It was pretty cold outside and he didn’t want to catch a cold just now. “I’m almost ready just have to get dressed”, he told the older boy.
Sanada’s eyes narrowed just a little. Just getting dressed... So behind that door was Kirihara Akaya in nothing but his underpants? And he was just supposed to come right on in? The kid certainly was bold. And Sanada wasn’t someone who cared about that kind of thing really. He’d been enough shower rooms. So, he turned the knob and stepped in. He ignored the slight feeling if disappointment at the fully dressed Kirihara and forced it down even further, glancing at the bag.
“You’ve packed everything then.” He went to pick up the bag, as if it weighed nothing. “Best hurry. Our train leaves in 20 minutes.” He was sure they would make it on time and if they had to, they could always run. Running in the freezing cold was good exercise. “I’ll be outside. You can carry your gear.” The gear would be heavier than the bag. Good strength training.
“Yeah”, Akaya murmured as Sanada asked if he had packed everything though he almost stared disbelieving as he heard that their train would leave on 20 minutes. Sanada really believed that they would make it? But well he should better hurry of they wanted to catch the train. So Akaya turned around to a corner where his gear stood and took it so they finally could go. “I’m ready”, he said and stepped out of the room, quickly locking the door before he turned around to his Senpai and Buchou.
He really did think they would make it. Defeat wasn’t an option, ever. With that in mind, he was not going to shorten his strides at all. His vanguard was going to have to keep up with him or get left behind. He knew Akaya could do it. He had faith in his kohai. He would still start them off slowly and then gradually pick the pace up. So, he left the dorms at a brisk walk. “Careful not to slip on the ice.” He warned, navigating around it.
Akaya on the other hand doubted that they could make it without running and he didn’t knew if his gear would survive it if he ran. “Hai”, he said and really watched out not to slip. That gear was too expensive to let it break. Even thought it was pretty difficult not to slip and two or three times he almost fell but managed to catch himself again.
Sanada made sure to keep an eye on the younger man. He didn’t really want to carry the bag, the gear and Akaya. He could if he wanted, but he preferred not to. He had his own dignity to think about. Besides, this was a good way for Akaya to learn how to place his feet in a hurry. And soon enough, as soon as the streets were clear, he was picking up the pace with a call of “10 minutes.” The station was about 15 minutes away by foot if one walked. He was not going to let them walk. They could catch their breath on on the train.
10 minutes? Damn he normally needed 15 till 20 minutes when he walked to the station, not that he did that very often. Akaya wanted to ask his Buchou if he was mad but was too busy not to slip or lose any of his gear as if he could actually speak anything. So he just had to adjust his speed to Sanada’s and hope that they would make it.
They would make it. They would make it even if Sanada had to get behind Akaya and push. He doubted that he would have to go that far. He could see the station in the distance. The train hadn’t arrived yet. He could see it’s sleek form speeding down the tracks towards it’s destination. He was on time...the train wasn’t. But he wasn’t about to tell Akaya that. No need to tell him they could slow down. There would be no slacking on his watch. “Look. There it is. If we don’t hurry, it’ll leave without us.” Not that it was even at the station.
Akaya too saw the train and almost panicked when Sanada told him they would miss the train if they wouldn’t hurry up. He didn’t mean that right? They had to be almost there. There was no way they could miss the train right?.........right? Akaya upped his speed again even thought he wanted to just let himself fall and rest. But he didn’t want Sanada to be angry at him because they missed the train because of him. He didn’t wanted to disappoint the other.
The shorter man wasn’t a disappointment at all. He had known the kid had it in him. He just needed the right sort of guidance. He just needed someone willing to help him push past his limits and into the realm of potential. It was too bad Sanada was going to be a cop; he might have made a good coach.
His feet hit the stairs and he was going up them to hold the door for Akaya. He reached out, from habit to pat the younger when he went by, as he informed him. “One minute to spare. Good job.”
Breathing heavily Akaya looked up with big eyes. ‘One minute to spare’...... a whole minute. “Uso”, he murmured breathless and just slid down to the ground when they reached the platform with all his gear in his lap. He had to catch his breath again. “Did you.... want to.....kill....me?”, he panted disbelieving and stared up to the other. “Don’t scare me..... like that.”
Was that a smile on Sanada’s face? Yes. A very slight one. He thought it had been a very fun little run. Plus, Kirihara Akaya breathless was sort of....stop that. He mind ground to a halt. There was no room to think about his vanguard as anything else but a kohai that needed more training to be at his best. The smile faded, not that the change was noticeable, and he muttered, “Tarundoru.” He just didn’t know if it was for himself or for Akaya. “Just this much won’t kill you and now I know we need to work your endurance and speed. They’ll both help in hard matches.”
He put the bag down to hold his hand out. “Now get off the ground. That’s no place for you.”
Akaya couldn’t tell the difference between this faint smile and Sanada’s normal stoic face so he didn’t get that Sanada actually was pleased, well the following ‘tarundoru’ didn’t help much either. It just made him think that he had done something wrong again. “Yes sir”, he murmured and let his head hang when he heard that they had to work on his speed and endurance. So Sanada was displeased with him. But then he heard his Buchou again and looked up surprised to see the others hand. Without him really knowing why, he felt a slight heat rushing into his cheeks. Why did these few words make him so happy? “Hai”, was the only thing he could say, as he took the hand and let himself be pulled up again.
He pulled the other up without much in the way of effort. Kirihara was still too light. That hadn’t changed at all since he had carried the boy in High School. He would have to make a better effort to feed him. Maybe, he could ask someone in Nutrition to make up a good diet plan for the kid...and for himself. And threaten stabbing if his own plan didn’t involve meat in some fashion. His hand stayed around Akaya’s three seconds longer than it needed to be there. He finally let go and then went to pick up the gear and let Akaya have his bag back. “You deserve a break for now.” He had plans for when the train ended up arriving at his home town...What had once been Akaya’s home town as well. “The train is here. You can have the window seat if you wish it.” Not just because he thought the younger would like it. He also liked the aisle because it was easier to move should he have to defend himself, not that he did.
Akaya didn’t minded Sanada’s hand staying around his own. It felt nice to be near somebody else again. Somebody that didn’t look at him as if he was a monster. “I do?”, he then asked as he took his bag that seemed so light to him now that he had carried the gear for what seemed like ages to him. Akaya watched the Train arrive and grinned as Sanada offered him the window seat. He loved sitting at the window and watch the landscape tearing past him. “Thank you”, he said with a big smile.
Even he couldn’t force down the thought that he liked seeing Akaya smile. He knew without a doubt that the kid didn’t smile, really truly smile, a lot. Fake ones, probably, but not like that. They were alike like that. He didn’t smile very often either. They just had different reasons for it. “Ah.” He answered and ushered the other onto the train. Their seats were towards the back but they were spacious enough that he wouldn’t be cramped while sitting. He could store the gear under the seat where it would be safe. Perfect. He just stopped long enough to ask just how long the trip would take. Due to the weather, a little longer. Around an hour... He’d be sitting on a train next to Kirihara Akaya for an entire hour. He supposed it would be a good start to get used to him, as he would be having the other man as a guest in the family house for at least two or three days.
Akaya went to their seats and stored his bag away above their heads before he let himself fall into his seat and looked out onto the white winter world that Japan had become. It was such a nice view. Actually he loved winter, when he hadn’t to run across frozen streets with expensive Kendo gear in his arms. But he looked up when Sanada sat next to him. “How long will it take?”, he asked curious.
Sanada sat down and made himself comfortable. He supposed he could stare forward and be his normal self for an hour. But that would leave Akaya bored. At least at his residence, there would be more to do than just sit there and be moved down the tracks. He supposed he could try and engage in the art of conversation... the school would be so proud of him if he did. But he wasn’t a talker, so, he knew this was going to hard on at least one of them.
At the question, he setted even more. “About an hour. No longer than that.” At least he hoped that would be the case. “If you get hungry, I can get you some food from the dining car. But it really shouldn’t take that long.”
Akaya nodded slightly “An hour... that’s pretty fast though. I needed much longer when I came to Sei Dai”, he remembered and turned around to the window again. Leaning back and slightly to the side, so his head rested on the window. He had one hour to enjoy the landscape. The statement that Sanada would get him food if he would get hungry passed without comment by Akaya. What should he say anyway? That he wouldn’t get hungry? That he had eaten about half an hour earlier? That would be meaningless, so he didn’t say anything and just stared outside.
He nodded and then stared forward as the train lurched to a start. He didn’t want to admit that he had gotten the fastest tickets possible. That way he could get Akaya to his place, settled in and everything.The quicker the better and then Akaya could adjust to the staunchness that was the Sanada household. Where the TV was rarely turned on and his now very very aged grandfather was still the technical master of the house. He crossed his arms and settled in and hoped they wouldn’t encounter the weather that had slowed the train down to begin with.
Now and then Akaya sat up when he saw something really interesting and always a faint smile lay upon his lips though at some point his eyes became heavier and the lack of sleep at night forced him to close his eyes and soon ha was fast asleep, leaned against the window. His whole posture relaxed and the smile still stayed on his lips.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed the moment that the younger man fell asleep. He smiled a little. Akaya must have been really anxious about this sudden order to come and spend a holiday working. Without a thought, Sanada shifted a little and stripped out of his coat. He’d be warm enough without it. He shifted again, to drape it over the other like a blanket. That finished, he returned to his forward upright position and crossed his arms. He’d be sure to wake Akaya up when they arrived.
Akaya noticed that something changed when Sanada lay his coat over the boy and reacted with a change of position. He curled up as good as possible, now facing Sanada. But he didn’t wake up.
Silence...a small, losing fight. He didn’t lose to anything. But his hand was still moving to brush away a curl from Akaya’s face. Damn it. Traitor! He snatched it back and crossed his arms with a dark “hn” to himself. One hour was not going to come quick enough, but he wasn’t about to stand and leave Akaya there asleep by himself. He might get off on the wrong stop. So Sanada stayed right where he was and stared at his watch.
Suddenly Akaya’s mien and posture changed. A frown crawled on his forehead and his whole body seemed to scream that he had a bad dream and that he was scared. His breath quickened and his hand seemed to look for something.
It didn’t take much to notice the change. He didn’t know what to do really. Wake him up was the logical thing. Pull him close and give him a hard and unforgiving lap as a pillow was another, less logical though. He hand reached out and he put it around a shoulder that suddenly seemed far too frail. He lightly shook the other. “Kirihara-kun...wake up.” He hoped it would work.
Akaya winced slightly as he was touched and after Sanada had shook him a bit he started up from his dream and stared almost frightened at Sanada his eyes slightly red but the blood retreated quickly again. “Ah..... where.....”, he looked around a bit confused and rubbed his eyes.
Red. Bloodshot. Sanada could handle that. He had calmed the beast before. He didn’t even take his coat back. He just sat there, hand on his younger friend’s shoulder. “Calm.” He murmured, more softly than most thought capable for him. “You had a nightmare it seems. You’re still in the train. We’re going to my place. It’s all right. Nothing is going to hurt you.” Because whatever it was would have to go through Sanada, and he wasn’t easy to get by.
Confused Akaya listened to the older boy. “Train.... right....”, he murmured running his hand through his hair. Damn... he shouldn’t have fallen asleep. That had been a really bad idea. “Sorry Sanada-senpai”, he said with a really miserable look before he noticed the coat around him. Why did he have Sanada’s coat?
He swallowed and looked away and just sort of pulled. He didn’t know why, but he thought maybe that would help. If Akaya was against something solid. Someone solid who didn’t freak out. Who didn’t react badly....well, most the time anyway. “Don’t apologize. If you want to sleep, you sleep. You’ll be busy once we arrive.” He didn’t look at the other and wished for all the world that he had brought his hat so that he could pull it down to hide his face.
Akaya was more than surprised when he was pulled and felt how his cheeks blushed again but still shook his head. “I don’t want to sleep”, he almost pouted like a little child. But still he stayed where Sanada had pulled him to and a part hidden deep inside him savoured the feeling.
“Hn.” He let go and was sure the other would stay if he wanted. He wouldn’t force the kid. “Then don’t.” He wasn’t going to argue with the pouting either. If Akaya wanted to pout like a five year old he could. Sanada didn’t care. He just looked at his watch. They’d be there soon anyway.
And Akaya stayed but still held his eyes open, didn’t want to sleep again. he had begun to hate sleeping and actually tried to sleep as little as possible but his body needed the sleep. But he didn’t want to see those nightmares over and over again. He wanted them to stop but didn’t know how. He just hoped that they would be there soon so he would have to do something again. Just sitting around made him so tired.
The train finally slowed to a halt. Once it stopped completely, Sanada stood and once more offered his hand to the younger man. He had been planning on making Akaya carry not only his gear, but also his bag. But now that he’d had that nightmare...No. He wasn’t going soft on anyone. He wasn’t. “We’re here.” He informed and picked up the heavier gear. “Let’s get going.”
Akaya looked out of the window at the just too familiar train station. “Hai”, he just murmured and took Sanada’s hand once more before he reached above them to get the bag so they could leave the train. Once outside he took a deep breath and let the cool air wake him up again.
It was cold. He noticed that right away. But he made no move to take his coat back. A man could take the cold for a little bit. It would be good for him. It would make him stronger and perhaps even make him forget about the fact that just a second ago he had been a little too close and cuddly with Akaya for his own good. He turned towards a familiar road. it would take him further into town where this dojo that was his family home sat.
Akaya looked up at the older boy, with his coat still around the shoulders. Slowly he grabbed it and pulled it down, to hold it out to Sanada. “Thank you”, he murmured not daring to meet the others eyes. “You should put it on again. It’s cold... you might catch a cold”, he said and, as he was sure that Sanada had taken hold of it, let go and quickly began to walk towards the direction he reckoned Sanada’s house was.
He stared at the coat in his hands and then shrugged it on before shaking his head and stepping to catch up with the other man and starting to direct them again. He couldn’t think of the last time he had invited anyone over. Niou Masaharu...but he was an old friend from way way back. And not that recently for that one. In fact, the last few years, he’d not brought a single person home. He was sure that his mother and father were hoping for him to one day come back with a bride before they had to sit down and engage him to someone, as was tradition.
Sanada didn’t want to think more on that. Instead, he wondered if any of this was familiar to Akaya. How long had it been, he wondered, since Kirihara had come back home. He wasn’t even about to ruin the other’s weekend by insisting he go back to his real home. No. There was no need for that. Kirihara was welcome to stay with him and that was that. There was no need to reopen wounds and rub salt into them.
“I should probably warn you.” He started. A rarity. Sanada willingly breaking the silence himself. “It’s probably not the sort of place you are used to.” And it wasn’t. As they reached the area where his house was, he could see the shift in architecture. Everything was older. Bigger. More stately. Houses looked more like mansions and temples than actual living places. His was no exception. Set up on a slight hill, with steps carved into the very earth, the dojo rose like a protective deity over the area. High stone fences and huge wooden doors and beyond... Well, for Genichirou is was going home. For Akaya, it would surely be like stepping back into the past and finding himself smack dab in the middle of a samurai epic.
Akaya looked around pretty interested when they reached the part of town where Sanada lived. He had been near here some times when he had been younger but never actually looked at the houses or rather the dojos/temples. It was as if you stepped back in time and a part of him thought that his clothes were entirely inappropriate. He waited to see a Samurai or a lady on a beautiful kimono somewhere.
“Wow”, was the only thing he could say, when they entered the Sanada residence. Big eyes Akaya looked around and tried to see everything at once. It was really as if he was back in the Tokugawa era. “You really grew up here?”, he asked and now didn’t wonder anymore why Sanada seemed so old fashioned.
The older man nodded as he stepped down the path that took them past the usually lively dojo. With the holiday, the students were out celebrating with their families. It was just the Sanada’s in residence at the moment. He was sure his mother was out shopping and his dad was probably meditating in the private garden. It was a nice quiet start to Akaya’s stay. “Ah. I did.” And he had run to school every day, even though it was still quite a way away.
“I’ll show you to where you’ll be staying.” He led around back and pushed aside the screen to get inside, kicking his shoes off. “It’s this way.” The insides of the house were just as traditional as the outsides had been. Sanada silently hoped Akaya would be comfortable here.
Akaya kept looking around with wide eyes. It seemed as if he needed two more pairs of eyes to see everything. Somehow he wished he had a Yukata. He perhaps wouldn’t have felt so misplaced if he was wearing something traditional.
“Ha..hai”, he said quickly and hurried to catch up with Sanada, kicking off his shoes so he could enter the building.
Sanada had yukata. He also had a lot of other things that fit in really well with this world that was so very traditional. In the coming days, he’d probably be in one of the many he owned, as it was a traditional celebratory time for him. But he would change after his bath tonight. For now, he had to concentrate on getting Akaya settled.
He finally stopped at another door. Kneeling a little he pushed the screen aside and then went into the room. His room. Everything was neat and tidy. There was some equipment carefully placed in a corner of the room. It looked more like a young lord’s room than that of a young man from modern Japan. He didn’t know if Akaya was going to be okay sleeping in there with him, but he didn’t know if he wanted to set aside a guest room. He did have one, right next door to him. His older brother’s room before he moved out. But he wanted to try this first. Maybe he wouldn’t feel so out of place sleeping in there.
“I hope you don’t mind it...” He nodded. “I have the extra futon for you.” Because at home, Sanada didn’t sleep on a European bed.
Akaya followed Sanada through the house and tried to make as little noise as possible. He didn’t know why but he wanted Sanada to be proud of him. He was the only one that didn’t judged him right away after seeing his other face and who actually gave him a second chance. Some part of him just didn’t want to disappoint the older man in any possible way. So he looked into the room carefully and was a bit surprised as he saw the two futons and heard Sanada talk about a spare one. Did that mean...? “I’m..... staying in your room?”, he asked as he finally entered the room and put down his bag carefully and far away from anything he could knock over. Some of the things looked too valuable to be broken by him.
“Ah.” He answered quietly. “Unless of course, you wouldn’t be comfortable here.” After that nightmare he had witnessed, part of Sanada wanted to keep Kirihara close. Not that he had known back when he had been making plans for his guest. He had just thought the other might want at least one thing familiar around . “There is the room next to mine. It was Nobuyuki’s before he left the house.” He nodded to the wall that separated the rooms. He wouldn’t make Kirihara stay if he really didn’t want to.
Akaya shook his head, staring at his feet. “No.. I didn’t mean it like that. I was just surprised. And..... this room really suits you”, he said to assure Sanada that he didn’t mind. He just hoped that nothing would happen during his stay. He didn’t want to hurt any of Sanada’s family, thought if the rest was as good in Kendo and stuff as he was, there was probably no way that he could actually hurt any of them.
He almost smiled again. “Then for now, please make yourself at home here. I’m afraid we don’t have a TV set, but there are a lot of books.” He wondered if he should have gotten something for him to entertain himself, at least for the first night. Tomorrow, they would start with the cleaning and the training. He wanted to give the younger man at least a half a day of rest. “And once you’re settled in, I’ll show you around. I’m sure you will want a bath and dinner will be ready by then.” He shifted a little, knowing this was probably more than he had talked to anyone in a long stretched. He was quickly using his monthly quota of words.
“Uh... thank you”, Akaya murmured and put his bag next to the futon that seemed to be his, almost throwing himself at it and rolling on his back. It felt so good. He loved his bed but a futon now and then was really cool. “Well I don’t think you have some manga here right?”, Akaya asked with an almost sheepish smile before he rummaged through his bag and got a PSP. He wouldn’t get bored so easily. “But a bath really sounds good. It seems like ages when I last took a bath. At Seidai I only use the shower”, he said and started the PSP to start his latest Crisis Core play-through.
He shifted a little to look over the other’s shoulder at the game. It looked really...complicated. He would be sure to break it the moment he touched it. So he had better not touch it. Besides, the size of the main character’s sword was...simply ridiculous. There was no way that this could be a useful functioning sword. He hoped Kirihara didn’t get his ideas of Kendo from this silly game. His eyes narrowed a little and he stood up abruptly to go to his chest of drawers and fetch a few things.
They were small on him, so he was sure that after the bath, they would be comfortable for Kirihara. He was glad that he hadn’t given them away yet. His old hakama and gi top. “He folded them and then placed them before the other with a mumbled of “After your bath.”
Akaya knew that it was impossible to fight with Zacks sword, or with Sephiroth’s. They weren’t real. He knew that Kendo wasn’t like that but he loved to forget himself in these fantasy worlds where everything was possible. So he didn’t noticed when Sanada stood up and didn’t look up until he heard a ‘after your bath’ from the side. As he finally watched, there was a hakama and gi top next to him, bot in some brownish color. “Ah.... thank you”, he said with an apologizing smile at the older man, “I’ll just finish that mission and then I can go.”
He didn’t really mean to rush the other. He was just getting things ready. He would go himself later on. But for now, he was trying to be a good host and get his guest comfortable with being here. It made him almost wish...almost, that they had some more modern conveniences. If only so Kirihara would feel less out of place. He was sure he did because Sanada was well aware he would feel very much an outsider in Kirihara’s dorm.
“It’s just down the hall to the left. There’s a shower and a tub. You can use either.” Sanada liked the bath. He liked soaking his aching muscles after a long day of training. But for now, he went back to his closets for his own change of clothing. Without thinking, he started to pull his tee-shirt off.
Akaya felt like an outsider where ever he was so it didn’t really mattered to him. Akaya was in the middle of a difficult fight when he looked up for a moment to ask Sanada something. Quickly he looked back at his display, but the game was forgotten. Carefully, slowly he lifted his head again and watched Sanada undress. He let his eyes wander over the broad back down feeling how his cheeks got hot while watching the other. What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he look away? Sanada was a guy dammit. But he looked really good.
He could sort of feel the eyes on him. It wasn’t something easy to ignore really. He had grown accustomed to that when he had been a “pet” of Kime-hime...A name he didn’t want to even think about right now because it would piss him off for the rest of the week. He didn’t want or need to think about his stalker. He would have hated it if it was Kime...but he didn’t mind it with Kirihara. Strange.He shook his head. Not something to think about right now. He just kept going. He’d changed in front of people before, and they were both guys, so it was fine.
He pulled his own very comfortable yakuta on. He’d be in it for the rest of the night. At least until bedtime. Dressed again, he turned back around and glanced at Kirihara. He had a look that seemed to say Something you need?
As Sanada turned around again, now dressed in a Yukata, that seems to fit him more than the normal clothes he was wearing before, Akaya quickly looked back at his display just to find the game over screen be shown. Ah Damn. He threw the PSP on his Futon and stood up, grabbing the Hakama and Gi top Sanada had given him and turned to open the door. “I’ll go shower then”, was the only thing he said, not facing the other before he left the room. down the Hall left the other had said. So Akaya went that way and really found the bath. filling the bath tube with hot water Akaya undressed and sat down on a small stool to wash himself before entering the bath. “Way to go Dumbass”, he sighed and stared at himself in the mirror. What was wrong with him? Why did he feel that way? Just because Sanada was nice to him? “You should know better than fall in that trap Akaya.”
He watched the other escape quickly. He thought to get the room tidied a little more when he head the beeping from the strange game on the other futon. Kirihara’s game. Kirihara had left his game on and going. He was going to lose. He reached down and picked it up. He frowned. He didn’t like losing and he was sure Akaya wouldn’t either. But he had never played a video game before. Never.
Sitting on the futon, he started to to press buttons. The little spiky haired figure on the screen moved. It didn’t move the way he wanted it too. He didn’t know how to even work this and his frown darkened. It was growing very frustrating to him. He couldn’t figure this out at all. “Tarundoro.” It was too. It was pathetic that he couldn’t figure this out when Akaya could play it so easily.
With a long sigh Akaya let himself slide into the hot water. It felt good and Akaya felt how his arching muscles started to loosen up again. Closing his eyes he let the water flow around his body and warm him again. For the next twenty minutes there was nothing beside the warmth that let him imagine that everything was alright. But then the water had gone too cold to stay so he stood up again and dried himself up to get in the clothes Sanada had given him. They fitted him surprisingly good. The top was a light brown while the Hakama was more beige. Clothed like that he left the Bath to go back to Sanada’s room. What he found there made him almost laugh. “Do you need help?”, he asked, leaning against the door frame.
Sanada’s frown was very dark indeed. The frustration he was feeling was almost visible. Like black tendrils of fire. He was sure he was actually growling a little at the game as he fumbled to keep the little man on the screen alive. It was quite a challenge seeing as how clueless he was about this and just mashing buttons would probably break the toy. He didn’t want to break Kirihara’s things. He had a feeling that Kirihara didn’t have many nice things.
He almost dropped it when he heard the amused voice. He wanted to claim that he wasn’t having any trouble at all. Instead, what came out was a dark, “Hn.” He did need help. He hadn’t to admit it. He needed help or he was going to lose the game for Kirihara. “You left if on...” He started, eyes moving from the screen only for the shortest moment. He knew if he looked away for too long, he would really die. He let go of the console with one hand and roughly patted the space next to him on the futon that would be Kirihara’s for the duration of the stay, then his hands went back to the game.
Akaya chuckled slightly, a real chuckle not the ones he normally did just to play his role. “You could have just let it be. I always could have started that mission again”, he explained and came over to Sanada, to see where he was. “Ah... you need to look after your health. Use a potion. And that enemy is best to defeat with fire attacks. You need to press L..... nonono”, Akaya tried to explain the other but it was difficult. He knew all the keys by heart. So he just stood up to stand behind Sanada and reached around him to lay his hands on top of the others and started pressing the Keys he needed to press. “You see. just like that.”
“I didn’t want you to lose.” Was his stubborn mumble as he fumbled his way around the game. He wished he had his hat. He would have tugged it down very quickly when the younger man started to instruct him in something that should have been sort of easy. It made him feel even more backwards than he knew he was. He could handle a shinai. He could hold a calligraphy and always hit the bulls-eye with a bow....but he couldn’t make a little computer generated guy move the way he wanted it to.
He just kept pressing buttons until slender arms wrapped around him. Kirihara Akaya was...hugging him. Only not.. This wasn’t a hug. He didn’t have that small form against his back, needing to be protected. He was there to show him how a stupid game was played. There was nothing at all special or suggestive about the way hands laid over his. Smaller. His stubbornness let himself be guided. “I....see...” He was sure that if he could figure it out, he could easily get lost in such a game. It was...sort of like meditation in a way. Only with a warm kohai addition.
“Really it isn’t difficult if you start from the beginning. They explain everything to you at the start. But it’s kinda mean to start in such a fight because I’m already pretty far”, he explained and soon the enemy was defeated and the mission completed. “Now save”, Akaya grinned and hit the key that would save the game. Slowly he let go of Sanada again and let himself fall on the Futon next to the other again. “So... you want to try it from the Start? Or do you want watching me playing?”, he asked with a wide grin.
It was without any hesitation that he sort of just thrust the game at Akaya. He missed the warmth, strangely and considered for a moment pulling the other into the space made by his crossed legs. His hands tightened on the fabric of the yakuta he was wearing to keep himself from doing so. “I’ll...watch.” Because he didn’t want to feel more stupid or frustrated than he felt. He’d leave technology to the curly haired man and stick with things he could understand, like books.
Akaya quickly caught his precious PSP with a slight grin and got back to the main menu and started a new game. “Here. I show you. It’s easier to understand when you start a new game Thought.... You never played Final Fantasy VII right? Well that is practically the prologue to VII. You get information's about the different characters, that help you to understand them better in VII”, he explained, sat closer to Sanada so he would see enough and started to play.
Sanada shifted even closer, his thigh pressed against Akaya’s as he leaned to watch. “I’ve never played any video game.” He admitted. “I never found any desire to.” Because they were a distraction from kendo and everything else he was trying to do. He didn’t have time to go to arcades or play Nintendo or anything like that. He had training. The time Akaya spent playing the Final Fantasy games, Sanada has spent in meditation under waterfalls. “It’s....interesting though...” He watched over the other’s shoulder. “What are you trying to win?” Because there had to be some end goal to achieve.
“Okay so you don’t know the story of VII. That’s not a problem. This game tells the story before VII and ends... if I remember right, with the start sequence of VII. That guy here, Zack”, he pointed at the guy that was running over the top of the train right now, “Is our character. he wants to become first class soldier. Well actually you have to stop Genesis, one of the three most powerful first class soldiers. The other two are Angeal, your mentor and the other is Sephiroth, the most awesome enemy ever in the Final Fantasy series if you ask me. He is one of the enemies in VII later. Well yeah you have to find out if Genesis is still alive and have to kill him to be short”, He explained and watched the first cut scene.
There was a lot of killing in this game. He had already figured that much out when he was trying hard to play it. But the story sounded really complex. He sort of liked the idea of mentors and students and soldiers though. It really appealed to him. He leaned to watch the cut scene as well. “So....that’s your enemy....and that’s you...” He was sort of getting the concept. “Who’s the girl?” He knew girls could fight, but a part of him though that she looked like the sort who would get in the way and get stabbed through the chest at some point.
“Yeah that’s my enemy and me.... And that’s Aerith. She’s Zack’s girlfriend you could say. Too bad that they kill her in VII..”, Akaya explained and tried to show Sanada how to fight in the game. He didn’t thought that the other wanted to play again but it was nice to show Sanada something that he liked. After all the other always showed him Kendo, and Sanada loved Kendo.
“Ah.” He smirked a little to himself. He had been right. That was nice to know. It was probably sad when it happened, but he felt a little happy because he had guessed at something that must have been a huge surprising plot point at the time. He shifted again. The looking to the side was starting to bother his neck a little and he decided that it would be okay to move Kirihara. After all, the smaller had done it to him in a way.
One more shift and now he was the one behind, chin resting a little on the shoulder, still wet hair tickling at his cheek as he watched. “So...you go on these missions...and you get points on how well you do them?” He wondered if maybe he could get Akaya this interested in Kendo. Maybe a point system...Leveling up. Special mana potions....No. That would taint the sacred sport. “Is this...” He tapped the screen a little. “what got you interested in Kendo?” He wondered. Because Kendo was as close to this sort of sword’s play Akaya could get.
“Yeah the Missions are good to level up and become more powerful for the fights later on”, Akaya explained trying to hide how much it surprised that Sanada now was behind him, resting his chin on his shoulder. It was warm and felt nice. If he just would lay his arms....wahhhhh stop! No! He should stop thinking that way. There was no way at all! “What?”, he asked but then shook his head slightly. “Ho... uhn no.... not really. I though I could.... “, again he shook his head but more slowly this time, “No.... it’s nothing.”
“Ah.” One word sentences. It meant he was nearly out of his limit of words. He needed the distraction though, else he might just wrap his arms around that slight frame. “So...not this. That’s good then. We don’t fight like this at all.” He nodded to the screen. Kendo was an art form. This was just hacking and slashing. Fun, but ugly and it had no honor to it. “But...I see why you like it.” It was still a distraction though. And one he’d have to take away if Akaya didn’t concentrate on his studies or his kendo. He lapsed back into silence and just watched, waiting for the familiar voice of his mother to call them for dinner.
“You know. I might be stupid, bit not that stupid. I know that fighting like that is impossible. It looks really cool though”, he said with a smile and focused on the game, slowly leaning back against the warm chest without really realizing it.
The weight was there and he momentarily let his arms move to settle around those arms. He knew he could sit like this for hours. He could almost meditate like this. With the beeping of the game and the small sound of their breathing and the beating his his heart as background. The spell was soon shattered by the call he knew was coming.Sanada Nadeshiko was calling her family to dinner. He reluctantly let go and pulled away.
Standing and stretching he leaned down to once more offer his hand. “You’re in for a treat. I told mom we would have guest. So, she probably made a feast.” A very traditional Japanese feast. His mother was like the rest of the Sanada family. She was a proper well bred Japanese woman, befitting the Sanada name.
Akaya would also have been able to sit there for hours and so he frowned slightly when he heard the female voice, calling them. Soon after the warmth of Sanada left his back and he turned the PSP off to take Sanada’s hand and let himself be pulled up. Quickly he looked that his clothes still were where they had to be before he looked up again. “But that wouldn’t have been necessary”, he said almost worried as he heard that Sanada’s mother bothered herself with making something special just because he was there.
“Of course it’s necessary.” He countered almost immediately, putting a hand on the other’s back to guide him to the dining area and to the very low table and the cushions on the floor for them. “You are my honored guest. It’s not often I bring friends home with me. She wants to make you feel welcome...” And try to entice Akaya to remain friends with her anti-social son. He had a feeling that with how Akaya looked, his mother would fuss even more over him. She always did have a fondness for the bratty type...like his nephew...
“No really”, Akaya murmured and felt pretty uncomfortable that they made so much just for him. And when he heard that Sanada seldom brought friends with him he felt even worse. Sanada’s parents probably thought that Akaya was a really good friend of Sanada but.... wasn’t he here just because Sanada wanted to make sure that he did the first cleaning right?
It was correct. He was here to learn how to clean his armor and his sword properly. But Sanada supposed he had a different quieter reason deep down. Akaya had spent Christmas alone. Akaya would have spent New Years....alone. A part of Sanada couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t let his vanguard’s game suffer because he had been lonely and bored and lazy during the holidays. At least here, he would be kept occupied. Here, he could train and leaned. Here, Akaya wouldn’t be alone. But he’d never, never ever confess to that line of reasoning. He would die from the torture first.
He brought them to the table and sat properly and nodded to the spot next to him. Once everyone was there, he would be sure to introduce them all. But it was time for the very first real rule of the Sanada household. “We don’t eat until Grandfather is sitting with us and starts.” Because his now very elderly grandfather was still master of the house. The man was often a little late. Probably chatting with his old rival over his fancy new phone. Genichirou never complained. Waiting built character.
If Akaya would ever find out why Sanada really brought him here he probably couldn’t look the other in the eyes again. He hated to be pitied he hated it even more than being hated for something he couldn’t control. Carefully to not knocking over anything he sat down next to Sanada and looked around slightly nodding as he heard the first rule. “I’ll just start when you do”, he shrugged with a slight smile. He would probably be too nervous to be really hungry anyway.
It wasn’t really pity. Not really. Because Sanada didn’t feel pity. He didn’t know what it was. Just that he needed to...wanted to...do it. He simply couldn’t explain it, not even to himself. So instead, he waited as the dishes were brought out. A large, traditional spread, with all the staples. He had been craving his mother’s miso too. But he waited until everyone was seated before quietly introducing his guest to his mother, his father and to his grandfather. Of them all, only the old man had mellowed, smiling warmly at the younger man and welcoming him before telling him to dig it before it got too cold.
Akaya looked surprised at all the food that was brought and as everybody was there he bowed down as Sanada introduced him to the others. The Grandfather smiled at him and Akaya smiled back glad that at least somebody seemed to be a bit friendly, because he really didn’t know what Sanada’s parents thought of him. “I’m grateful that you allow me to stay”, he murmured, didn’t want to disgrace Sanada.
Genichirou knew that his family was...a bit oppressive. He didn’t usually notice it, as he had grown up with it. But as he got older, and his grandfather’s eccentric nature grew more and more pronounced, he started to see just how different his home was for a lot of other people.He was certain Kirihara wasn’t unwelcome. He had made sure to ask before demanding him be there. Well...not so much ask. He was old enough to make his own decisions. He had more like informed that his friend would be coming to stay the weekend and take part in some of the ritual cleansing activities. Only a few of them. He wasn’t going to make Akaya come with him and be purified under a waterfall or anything. That could wait til next year.
He could tell though that his parents were okay with their guest. He didn’t see any guard up and he could see the slightest of smiles from his mother. “It’s our pleasure. Genichirou needs to come home more often. And it’s good he’s made a friend.” ...And now he really wished for his hat. Instead, he covered up his small bit of embarrassment by starting on his meal.
“Eh.... uhm.... hai”, Akaya said with a slight blush and stared at his rice bowl. “Though I am really sorry to intrude just on New Year. I am really sorry for that”, he sighed and after looking very apologizing at Sanada’s Mother took the chopsticks and also started to eat. Just as he said, he waited until Sanada had started.
The rest of the dinner was very quiet. They weren’t a family that talked about their days or the world news over meal times. Meals were a time for reflection and for family unity.You didn’t need to talk for that to occur. Eventually, he finished off all of his and glanced to Akaya’s plate. A part of him wanted to slide some extra food on there, but he refrained. Instead, he waited until he was sure the other was finished. “If we may be excused, there is a lot still to do tonight. Mother. Father. Grandfather.” Genichirou actually bowed to each one before leaving the table. He hoped Akaya wouldn’t be too put off by the formalness of it all.
Akaya wondered what it was that was still to do and so he nodded at the others, not knowing if he could go without bowing or if he had to do the same as Sanada, so he just nodded and followed the older man. “Uhn, what is it that we still have to do?”, he asked a bit confused.
Bedtime wouldn’t be for a while yet. “I wanted to show you around more. So that you don’t get lost. Then I need to practice and have my own bath.” There was simply no break for Sanada. He was still training, even on vacation. “I can also tell you the rest of the rules here. There aren’t that many.” Well, there were, but to him, they were all obvious, and so he would only touch on the ones that might not be.
“You still want to practice?”, Akaya asked surprised and followed the other. Though that Sanada wanted to show him around wasn’t a bad idea. He didn’t want to end up somewhere, where he didn’t was allowed to be so it would be good to know where everything was. “How many rules are there?”, He then asked as Sanada mentioned the Rules. He wondered what kind of rules the Sanada family had, beside that they didn’t eat until the Grandfather had begun.
He nodded a little. He still wanted to practice. He never took a break from it. It was just the way he was. He actually smiled a little, thinking about the hours or so that he would spend in sweaty bliss. He paused in his steps and then turned. “Only a few.” He continued. “Most of them start with don’t touch...” There were things even he wasn’t allowed to touch yet. He wasn’t yet old enough or far enough along in his training.
“Then...we’ll start with the dojo...” He wondered if he could convince Kirihara to come back here when it was cherry blossom season. The garden by the dojo was so pretty with the falling pink petals. “It’s this way.”
Don’t touch? Damn that were the most tempting rules of all. Akaya knew it would he difficult as hell to stick with the rules. So he followed Sanada and it seems that every time he wanted to look closer at something Sanada told him to not touch it. Was there actually Anything he was allowed to touch? It didn’t seem so.
He couldn’t help but smile a little more. Even though through out the tour, he seemed to only say “don’t touch” to the younger man. He didn’t mind though. He liked that. He liked that Kirihara was curious and interested in his world. It was actually sort of cu....no. He wasn’t about the think of another man as cute...even if he already was. He finally stopped once they had returned to his room. “You can touch anything here.” That done, he stopped smiling and went to pick up his shinai. No armor today. He would just do sword swings. “Do you want to join me?” Today was voluntary. He’d let Akaya decide. Tomorrow, there would be no choice.
“Finally”, Akaya sighed and almost hugged his Futon. Finally he could touch something again. It felt so gooooood. But as Sanada asked him if he wanted to join him he sat up again and thought for a moment. “Can I....watch you?”, he asked then
That was adorable. The way Kirihara nearly hugged his futon. He turned away in order to really smile at him. When he turned back around to face the other man, he nodded. He didn’t mind an audience. And maybe Kirihara might also learn something new about Kendo. “Ah.” He answered and nodded towards the door. He wouldn’t do cutting practice today, just swings. He’d not bring out his katana until the first of the year. That was when he would cut. The first straw dummy of the year was very important.
Akaya nodded and stood up again. “Then I’ll come with you”, he said with a smile and stretched slighely before he looked at Sanada, waiting for him to leave the room.
He led to the dojo and took his stance. The man took a few short breaths and began. even though it was just swings, even though it was just practice, Sanada put his all into it. To him, practice was just as serious as a real legitimate match. He was sure Akaya could see it. The fire in his movement. The abject strength and power. The dedication and skill. He could get lost in it. It was like Kirihara and his video game.
He did lose track of time. He only stopped when he could feel the sweat drip down his face. He breathed out again and turned his eyes to Kirihara once more. “Kirihara-kun...I hope you leaned something. Because tomorrow, it’ll be you.”
Akaya followed the older man and sat down in a corner of the Dojo where he wouldn’t bother Sanada with his training. His eyes never left the taller man, watching him how he brought down the Shinai with powerful swings every time. He saw how the muscles contracted under the Gi top. He almost saw the powerful aura that surrounded Sanada and it was just fascinating. So he winced as Sanada suddenly talked to him again. “Huh what? Oh... eh..... yeah...sure”, he murmured and scratched his head. Damn.... he had totally been lost in the view.
Sanada put the shinai away and came to stand before Akaya. He was sure that tomorrow the other would have a very hard time of it. But he also thought that all Akaya needed was a little push. All he needed was someone to guide him and make him see his potential. “Don’t stay up too late tonight playing your game then.” He warned. “And I’ll see you back in my room” He needed to take a nice hot bath.
“I won’t”, Akaya promised. Actually he was tired enough from the sprint earlier that he probably would fall asleep as soon as he’d lie down. So he made his way to Sanada’s room and searched for his sleeping shorts. He didn’t want to sleep but perhaps being near Sanada would prevent him from doing anything stupid so he could finally sleep more or less peaceful for at least one night. Quickly he had changed again and snuggled up under the Futon, which felt so nice.
The bath was amazing ,and he wished to soak longer, but he had a guest. He had to make it quick and return to see what said guest was up to. When he arrived, he paused at his doorway. ….. There was just no denying it. Kirihara Akaya was damn cute. And he wasn’t at all hard on the eyes. Later, he’d find a way to punish himself for indulging in looking him over as he slept, unaware. He finally had to take his eyes off him in order to shut the door again.
Silently, he approached, the sleeping boy. Without a thought, he crossed over and lightly pulled the covers over him. His hand lightly brushed that curly dark hair. He then went to get into his own boxer shorts. Once more to the door to flip the lights off and then onto his own futon, to look at the sleeping man. “Good night....Akaya-kun.” He murmured and then settled down to try and sleep as well.
Akaya didn’t noticed when Sanada was back because he was sound asleep and for now had no nightmare, so there was no need for Sanada to wake him up. Though, as Sanada brushed his hair, he leaned into the touch for a second, before it was gone again.
Later in the Night, as a nightmare plagued him he started to roll around again. He always was an active sleeper when he had a nightmare. But this night it was different, because when Akaya rolled around and eventually found Sanada, he curled up nest to him hugging him and finally calmed down again.
Being the light sleeper that he was, Sanada shot awake at the first sounds of another nightmare. How many, he wondered? How many did the younger man have in one night. How much sleep did he actually get. Such small worries were chased from his mind by a sudden warmth. Akaya had left his own futon for Sanada’s. He swallowed a little. He knew he should wake the young man and force him back on his own futon. He knew he should...He knew he shouldn't listen to that small voice deep down that told him that this felt really nice. That he really...honestly...didn’t mind the smaller frame against him in such a fashion. A part that said it was okay...even acceptable to put an arm around the younger man. He knew without a doubt that he should not listen to those voices. But in the dead of the night, Sanada ignored his reason and listened to everything that he shouldn’t.
Slowly, he let his arms go around the other and closed his eyes again. Just for tonight... Just for tonight, he would let himself indulge. Just for tonight, he’d let Akaya seek protective comfort from whatever terror plagued his sleep. Just for tonight...He’d have to remember to get up early, in order to wake up before Akaya...so that he could pretend this had never happened. His pride wouldn’t allow for anything else.