Akaya tapped, hesitantly, on the doorframe of Yukimura-san’s room. His mother had said to go on up, but Yukimura-san had only been home one day, and he looked tired. Still, he looked up with a smile of welcome.
“Akaya. Come in, I’ve been expecting you.”
At that bit of information, Akaya ground to a halt again, a few steps inside. Yukimura-san hadn’t said anything, yet, about the way Akaya had let his control lapse this year, but he was uncomfortably aware that he had merrily tromped all over his team captain’s direct orders several times. Having some privacy while his captain yelled at him about that wouldn’t make it significantly more pleasant. Not that Yukimura-san ever exactly yelled, but even-tempered disappointment was worse, and the cold edge when he did lose his temper was terrifying, and…
Yukimura-san’s breath wasn’t quite a sigh. He held out a hand from where he sat on the edge of his bed.
“Close the door, Akaya, and come here. I did say you could tell me about it later, didn’t I?”
Ah, so Yukimura-san had been expecting him because of that; not a huge improvement. Speaking of things that were a little terrifying. Just a little. Akaya tried not to fidget, as he approached, but when he reached Yukimura-san’s side, and paused, the memory of what he’d come to talk about drove such a shudder through him that his knees folded. He sat down abruptly by his captain’s feet and leaned against the bed.
“Are you all right?” Yukimura-san asked, eyes serious.
“I don’t know,” Akaya whispered. “When I played, for the final game, I… I don’t know…” Yukimura-san’s hand brushed over his hair, and Akaya bent his head to rest against Yukimura-san’s knee. “Yukimura-buchou, I can’t even really remember all of it.”
“I watched the tape of the match,” Yukimura-san told him. “Have you?”
Akaya nodded. “It was weird,” he declared.
“I don’t doubt it.” His captain’s voice was warm, and Akaya relaxed under it. “I think you will remember everything in time, especially the next time you play that intensely. What do you remember in the most detail, now?”
Akaya was silent for a few moments. “The feeling,” he said, at last, slowly. “It was so… clear. And cool. And bright. And I felt… like I could keep going forever; like I was breathing in strength, not air. It was so strong. So much.” He broke off, shivering, every muscle wound tight, clenching his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering.
Yukimura-san’s hands closed around his face and lifted his head. Akaya clung to the dark, steady gaze that met his, to brace himself against the memory of that overwhelmingly precise focus that had swept his awareness up like a leaf in a high wind.
“Yes,” Yukimura-san said, sure and clear. “I know that. And it can be almost too much to bear, can’t it?”
Akaya pulled in a breath, comforted by his captain’s instant understanding. “Yes,” he agreed, shakily. Yukimura smiled, slow and brilliant and wild, and Akaya’s breath departed again.
“But it’s also glorious, isn’t it?” A laugh ran under Yukimura-san’s voice. “To feel every moment and movement so fully, to experience the sharpness of that edge, to release everything that’s in you and throw it into the game.”
Akaya nodded, wordless.
“This is what I hoped, from the start, you would find, Akaya,” Yukimura-san told him. “It came more abruptly than I expected, but I knew it was there for you from the first.”
Akaya was trembling again, under his captain’s hands, and his eyes felt wide as saucers. “Is it like that… every time?” he asked, hearing his own voice thin with awe or incredulity or terror, he couldn’t have said which. Yukimura-san’s expression was sympathetic again.
“Not so perfectly, perhaps, but yes. It’s there every time. It always comes when you give all of yourself to the game,” he explained. The unspoken corollary hung in the air; if it was too much for Akaya, he could back away. His chin came up, pride stung.
“Yes, Yukimura-buchou.”
The gleam in his captain’s eyes made it clear that Yukimura-san approved of Akaya’s acceptance of this challenge. He took his hands away, fingertips brushing across Akaya’s face with butterfly-wing affection.
“Yukimura-san,” Akaya heard himself murmur, and bit his lip. He tried not to show that yearning too plainly. The gentle denial in Yukimura-san’s gaze hurt too much.
This time, though, Yukimura-san’s look was considering, fiercer and brighter. “Can you defeat me yet, Akaya?” he asked, with the unyielding edge in his voice that had called Akaya to him from the moment they first played against each other.
Akaya heard what Yukimura-san wanted: for Akaya to give himself to this crazy brilliance as completely as his captain had. If he did, and they both played from that intensity… Akaya shuddered, violently.
“Not quite,” he choked, before he hauled in a slow breath and looked up. “Yet,” he finished, sharply.
If a hawk could smile, it might smile the way Yukimura-san was now. “I’ll be waiting for you,” he said.
Akaya nodded, while anxiety and exultation got together to dance a polka in his stomach.
“On that topic,” his captain continued, looking more stern, “I trust I won’t see laziness like you showed in the first part of that match again.”
Akaya winced. He’d known it was coming. He twisted his fingers together and lowered his head.
“Yes, Yukimura-buchou.”
“I know I wasn’t there to hold you back, Akaya,” Yukimura-san said, seriously, “but you must learn to do it for yourself. If you can’t your game will stagnate, and you’ll destroy yourself. And, above that, it isn’t worthy of you. “
Akaya’s head dropped a little further. “Yes, Yukimura-buchou,” he whispered. He’d known, at the time, that his captain wouldn’t be pleased, but the knowledge had been small and distant next to the satisfaction of utterly destroying whatever threatened his goal. Now it was a lot more visceral. Yukimura-san’s kindness, even in the middle of making his displeasure clear, made Akaya feel about one centimeter high.
There was a rustle as Yukimura-san slipped off the bed onto the floor and tugged Akaya, gently, into his arms.
“You’re so innocent, in some ways, Akaya,” he sighed, pressing a hand to Akaya’s bowed head, “and so direct. Let that serve you, instead of dragging you down, and you’ll be one of the best. Remember that I’m waiting for you.”
Akaya closed his eyes and leaned against his captain’s belief in him. He would. He knew what he was chasing, now. He would keep going, and when he found Yukimura-san, on the way, he would be able to hold his head up.
End
Aw…I can’t believe this! I was crossing my fingers for aomething Akaya and Yukimura about what were talking about before about what buchou would think about his plays style and the match with Fuji…and would you look at that. *stares wonderingly* You must be psychic. @_______@
You have such incredible grasp of characterization, so I understand this is most likely the exact way Yukimura would react to to Akaya if they ever talked about that match. If it were me, I would chew his arm off, literally.
He’s so nice though, isn’t he? Too bad nice is scary. He would probably get along either incredibly well with Fuji or terribly. At least the tension in any room with the both of them in it would so thick. =___=
Hee~! *bounces* There’s more, yay!
*flourishing bow* I do try; and I set you up to expect this one, so I don’t suppose I can claim to be psychic quite yet. ^_-
*whistles* Well, you know, Yukimura knows that Fuji was injured, deliberately, by one of his players, and it’s his duty as captain to take responsibility for that, so I’m kind of figuring there will be some visits in the near future…
Well, as soon as I finish the Reunion of The Three, and the SanaKiri smut, anyway. *dashes off*
Wha~!!? Did I read right? SanaKiri smuuuuttt…yey!
And I hope there will be YukiFuji interaction in the future. *nods something fierce*
hee I pictured something like this would happen and here it is XD so great *_*
your characterization of Yukimura is awesome and thorough. you developed his character without straying outside the limits defined by canon yet Yukimura is still a rich character. that was what jumped out at me in this arc besides the YagyuuxNiou interaction. I can’t wait to read more :3~
If a hawk could smile, it might smile the way Yukimura-san was now.
Yesssss *_____*!!! I totally agree. and I totally agree with![[livejournal.com profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
psychobunny that Yuki and Fuji would get along (or hate each other but I’d rather see the optomistic side, ne). :3 Fuji and Yuki as girlfriends is such wonderful crack <3
*bounces* Thank you! Yukimura is one of my favorites; I’ve been dying to get to his pov.
*falls over laughing* Oh, yes, and they could go shopping together, and trade tips on how to get a stoic boyfriend to say five words in a row, and plan to take over the world! *nods* It’d be perfect.
Seriously, I have a feeling Yukimura is going to wig Fuji out just a little, the first time they meet. Should be fun.
oh have you read the dialogue (http://www.livejournal.com/users/lecumedesjour_s/1570.html) between Fuji and Yuki in RabuPuri? XD It’s one of the most wonderful things I’ve ever read. It shows so much about Yuki. First piece of hard evidence (from one type of canon) that he is indeed sneaky. (I loved how he just brushed off finding Akaya for information XD XD XD)
I think this (http://www.deviantart.com/view/6853394/) might amuse you >:3~~
*grins* Fun dialogue. You figure, Yukimura must be good at juggling; he has to do it all the time, with such a fractious team. And can also hand out pretty stiff penalties, when he’s annoyed.
*howls over picture* Nice legs, Sei-chan! *wolf whistle* *flees from Sanada’s glare*
“I watched the tape of the match,” Yukimura-san told him.
Ah-hah! So you’ve SEEN Pod!Ryouma! You’ve seen the truth, haven’t you? Haven’t you?!
Yukimura: Really, don’t you think the joke is wearing thin by now?
Meep. [joins Kirihara in feeling about one centimeter tall]
Ahem. On to a more serious comment-style. ^^;
He tried not to show that yearning too plainly. The gentle denial in Yukimura-san’s gaze hurt too much.
[pets Kirihara, gingerly, as one might pet a puppy recently recovered from rabies] There, there. That sounds more like a “Not yet” than a “No way in hell” to me, kiddo. [petpet]
[contented sigh]
*tiny smile* While I was writing this Yukimura wanted to know if he should just start calling himself Atlanta. I said it was Fuji who liked apples, and he gave me a Look.
*snugs* There will be both smoosh and smut to distract you soon, my dear. *pets*
Smoosh! Smut! Splendid!
…I wish I hadn’t left my notebooks of tenipuri-ness back in Bloomington. I think working through with the revising and such would be good for me at the moment.
I love you; you’re a goddess; and I can’t wait for the promised goodies.
[thinks]
yep. that pretty much sums everything up ^.^;;
You know, I wouldn’t be a lick surprised if Fuji and Yuki don’t already know each other–yeah, they go way back {nodsnods} Yeah, hey, isn’t Rikkai dai located in Chiba? And even so… I’m sure those two ran across each other occassionally on the elem. circuit…. not to mention, I can just *picture* Yukimura talking to Tezuka and then suddenly asking to be introduced to Fuji… and… .*bam*! instant, sadistical-manipulative-bastards-we-love-t
yeah, I know, I’m procrastinating and running away from the sudden Niou-Yagyuu plot bunny that hunted me down today… meep! help! I think it sees me!
[runs away. runs away quick]
Goodies on the way!
Ah ha! *tackles Andrea so plot bunny can catch up* Here, little plot bunny; nice bunny. See the nice writer? Mmm, tasty.
traitor.
*wicked grin*
Oh, hey. hmm… weren’t *you* gonna write something involving Bunta and Jackal? oh, and Sanada and Elf-boy?
And dont’ forget about the Yukimura & Fuji!
Wasn’t planning on D2, but the SanaKiri is in proofing, and the one with Yukimura and Fuji sparks is begun. So, I’d say it’s only fair for you to contribute some D1. *feeds carrots to plot bunny*
Hai, hai…
[pouts] poor Jackal and Bunta… {sniffles} And Jackal’s such a sexy thing with that dark skin and bald head of his…. And Bunta’s so cute….
Oh well. I could always counter with that weird Bunta-Niou thought from yesterday. Maybe.
Your Yukimura make my life complete. He’s perfect, he’s wonderful, and why the hell isn’t Konomi giving us this Yukimura? Grr.
Everytime I read a piece of your Rikkai fiction I’m always amazed by your characterisation of them. You get them perfectly right. Kirihara is so adorable, and so innocent. Yukimura knows this, but he’ll not let this get in the way of making Kirihara realise his full potential.
Darling, I LOVE you! *clings to knees*
*hunkers down to snuggle*
I know! Nice as the Sanada v Ryouma match is, I want it to hurry up and finish so we have room for more Yukimura! We need more Yukimura!
I trust all the fans in Japan are communicating this need, so we have a chance of actually getting some.