[log] Sanada & Yukimura
Mar. 24th, 2018 09:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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tennis_hellWho: Sanada Genichirou & Yukimura Seiichi
What: Helping Yukimura pack for his trip
When: March 4
Rating: G
To say Yukimura was excited would be an understatement. As soon as Kirihara had confirmed he was the one to go with him to America, he had talked to all of his professors (in person) and gotten approval to miss the last few weeks of the term. Of course, he had promised a lot of sketches to prove he wasn’t just on a vacation and he planned on doing just that when Kirihara wasn’t playing or they weren’t watching other matches.
He went through an old checklist Yanagi had given him about what to pack for when he traveled abroad for tournaments. Appropriate clothing for tennis that fit any tournament guidelines, plenty of socks and underwear, at least two business casual outfits in case he needed to talk to someone important, the necessary toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, razor, face wash, body wash), passport, wallet, medicines, blah blah blah. Yukimura put all the items in a gigantic pile on his bed and went to grab his luggage. Somewhere in the pile, his phone started buzzing. Rather than digging through to pile to try and find it, he decided he would do it later and left the room.
Sanada sighed as he looked down at his phone. Still no messages from Yukimura. His former captain hadn’t even looked at them yet according to the app. It was probably nothing. Yukimura was notorious for getting lost in his garden or his paintings, but it was reaching that point in time where he should have taken a break and perhaps noticed the blinking of his phone.
So deciding to err on the side of caution, Sanada hopped on the train heading towards Yukimura’s place instead of heading home. It was out of the way but Sanada would never consider checking in on Yukimura troublesome. It’s what friends did.
Keeping an eye on his phone as he headed towards Yukimura’s he was somehow not surprised but still worried when Yukimura still hadn’t checked the messages he sent. Hoping that Yukimura really was just involved in a painting, and not one that featured noodley Atobe’s physique, Sanada stopped by the store and grabbed a few healthy bentos before walking rest of the way. He rang the bell and waited, listening closely to any sign that Yukimura was inside and coming.
Luggage on the only free area of the bed? Check. Clothing thrown haphazardly in the luggage? Check. Yukimura was just about to sit on the suitcase in an attempt to close it up when he heard the doorbell. Strange, he wasn't expecting anyone.
He hopped off the bed, causing the suitcase to pop open and spill its contents all over the bed. He frowned, but there was still time to pack. Padding to the door, he twisted the lock and pushed the door outward to find... Sanada. Then he remembered that his phone had buzzed awhile ago, but in the search for his luggage, completely forgot all about it and actually had no idea where the device was now.
"I'm alive," Yukimura said in greeting, holding the door open for Sanada to step inside.
“So I see,” Sanada said with a smile. Too relieved to be annoyed at his friend for making him worry. “Were you in the garden?” Yukimura looked a bit rumpled and sweaty like he normally did after battling weeds. Though his clothes didn’t look like his normal gardening clothes and there was no dirt smudges anywhere. He hoped Yukimura didn’t have a fever and had been resting in bed.
Yukimura closed the door behind him. "Nope. I've been packing for the trip. I was just about to close the suitcase when you knocked." He picked up the list Yanagi had given him and held it up for Sanada. "This time, I even checked things off as I went," he added with a short laugh. "Did you have kendo or something? Usually you aren't out this way unless it's for that."
"Just a meeting," Sanada said quickly so Yukimura wouldn't question the lack of gear. He was not admitting he had been worried enough to go an hour out of his way. "And I think your checklist needs updating." He was sure Yukimura would still play plenty of tennis, but more time would be spent off courts. He needed more clothes for cafes and museums or wherever art students went to when travelling.
Yukimura shrugged and walked towards his bed and the open suitcase. "I plan on playing some tennis," he said, looking at the mountain of clothes. He supposed he didn't need as many things for playing tennis than being a spectator/tourist which grated on him more than he wanted to admit. Old habits died hard. Or not at all in his case. "What do you suggest then?"
"Of course. And it's a simple matter of swappi-" Sanada froze as he finally took in the chaos on and around Yukimura’s bed. A bomb exploding would have left less of a mess.
"Maybe we should start at the beginning." An easy swap of a couple outfits like Sanada was thinking of was far from possible right now. He set his backpack and bag of bentos down out of the way and prepared to get to work. They could certainly salvage this packing nightmare.
Yukimura looked at him for a long moment. “Why? There’s stuff here to work with.” He didn’t see the point of starting from scratch. Yanagi’s checklist might have been slightly outdated, but for the most part was still solid. He dug through the pile until he hit something hard. “Found it,” he said, pulling out his phone and scrolling through the notifications. “Did you have a panic attack while texting me?”
Sanada rather thought the problem was too much stuff. He started pulling out things and not finding anywhere to put them dropped them back in the suitcase and started trying to organize the chaos that was the bed. And if he focused on that, he didn’t have to look at Yukimura as he went through all of his phone messages. “Of course not. I was just concerned you wouldn’t know I was coming over and that I was bringing food.” He nodded toward the bag of bentos and then went back to folding some clothes. He knew Yukimura wouldn’t believe his excuse but he hoped his friend would take it for what it was and not tease him about worrying and fretting like Yukimura’s mother instead of his friend. It’d been six years and he still wasn’t over the fear he had felt the moment Yukimura had collapsed in front of them.
Yukimura typed a few responses to others before tucking his phone into the back pocket of his jeans. He looked at Sanada for a long moment then sat down next to the bag of bentos and watched. “This reminds me of the first time I packed for a tournament,” he said after a few minutes. It was how he got the checklist in the first place. “Please don’t extend your organizing to the rest of my apartment. I have a system.”
“If that’s what you believe,” Sanada said as he gave Yukimura’s room a quick look. He wasn’t foolish enough to try instituting a normal style system on Yukimura though. If he damaged paint supplies or plants he’d probably end up buried in the garden. “And all we need is Renji muttering about optimal clothing and laundry facilities.” Though without Yanagi’s expertise, Sanada would just make sure all situations he and Yukimura could think up were covered. And he was sure once everything was folded and placed in properly, they’d be able to pack everything that was needed.
“Just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean it’s broken,” Yukimura said, looking around in the bag Sanada had brought. “If you want to eat first, that can wait.” It would still be there. He hopped up and went over to the kitchen, getting utensils and tea for the both of them. “We can always call him if you want to hear the muttering,” he said as he walked back into the area of clothing.
“Of course,” Sanada said neutrally but it was still clear he didn’t really believe it. “And we might as well finish folding before we eat.” Sanada was saying we to be polite, or maybe to encourage Yukimura to help since he was the only one folding. Though he had almost brought order back to the bed. And it shouldn’t take too much work to sort out the clothes in the suitcase after that. “And I’m fine without the muttering.” If Yanagi was here he’d want to make lists and do geometry for best clothing places or something. It might not be as efficient but it was quicker without him.
“...you know it’s just going to be a mess once I actually have to unpack it, right?” Yukimura asked, setting the tea on a table along with two pairs of chopsticks before sitting down and watching Sanada finish up. If only there were enough time for a sketch or two before he did. “I’ll text him the contents later and see if he has any changes to make.” Yanagi might send an updated checklist. Or maybe one to use in situations like this.
“I’m pretty sure it’s not going to harm your creative energy if you attempt to keep things folded and orderly when you’re travelling,” Sanada said. He looked out over the bed with all the piles of clothes sorted by type and felt a sense of satisfaction. Looking back at the disaster of a suitcase made him sigh. “And if he has changes, he can come and help you repack.” He dumped the contents of the suitcase onto the bed in a free spot and set the case on the floor before folding more clothes. Laundry was one of his main chores at home so he was quite proficient and it didn’t take him long to start building a pile of tennis clothes all neatly and precisely folded.
"I thought you knew me better than that," Yukimura said. Annoyed that Sanada was still folding clothes, he reached over to one of his bookshelves and pulled a sketchbook from it as well as a charcoal stick from one of the cup holders. Opening up to a blank page, he glanced up at his friend before starting. "He doesn't have the time and I honestly don't care all that much. Whatever you do is fine," he said offhandedly, more focused now on getting the lines of Sanada's back right than the contents of his luggage.
Sanada looked over at Yukimura, a polo shirt in his hands, not surprised to see him sketching. “You’ve been my friend as long as I can remember and for all of that time you’ve been passionate and focused on things you love. It doesn’t mean it still doesn’t shock me that your laundry is always a mess.” Perhaps Yukimura’s parents weren’t strict enough with him growing up. Sanada knew he would have been more than happy to neglect his chores if he could have gotten away with it. But now tasks like folding clothes were mindless, simple, and halfway to meditative. Though he would need to google the weather of the cities Yukimura was visiting if he wasn’t going to ask Yanagi for advice. He needed to know how many sweaters to pack.
Yukimura didn’t quite think it was that bad, but he supposed living with it and experiencing it on an occasional basis were two different things. He lifted his head just enough to check Sanada’s profile before focusing on the paper again, adding shadows to his brow and jaw line. “Could be worse,” he said, blowing away some of the gathered charcoal dust before continuing. Holding up the sketchbook, he compared it to the form in front of him then went back to work putting in more details.
“True. At least everything here is clean.” Sanada set the last of the shirts on top of the neat pile and then checked the suitcase one last time to make sure they didn’t miss anything. They could start filling it up again after they ate. Preferably with a few less training outfits and a couple more art student type ones. “Alright, let’s eat.” Now that he knew that Yukimura wasn’t passed out somewhere and the dangerous exploding suitcase was taken care of his hunger had made itself known again. “Unless you need to finish…” He added on since Yukimura still had his sketchbook in hand and Sanada knew what a challenge it could be at time to get Yukimura to stop in the middle of a project.
"Mmhmm," Yukimura hummed in response, turning the charcoal to an angle, needing the sharp side to draw a crisp line. He was about to start on the bottom half when he heard Sanada speak again. Looking up, Yukimura noticed the piles of folded clothing and an empty suitcase. So he was done. Finally. Setting aside the sketchbook and charcoal, he wiped his hands on his jeans. "I can finish later. It's just a sketch anyway." He didn't really need to finish the drawing, but probably would since he hadn't done all he wanted. Nodding towards the bed, he asked, "happy now?"
Sanada smiled softly at Yukimura as he sat down at the table. He was completely intimidating and compelling on the courts but when caught up in sketching… well Sanada always enjoyed watching Yukimura get lost in his art. It was one of the reasons he was okay with being a model for Yukimura. "Mostly. We still need to pack. You should probably figure out how much art things you want to bring first." They could see how many outfits they could fit in after that.
Oh, right, the packing. “I have a carry on for the art stuff,” Yukimura said, pulling the bentos out of the bag and putting them on the table. “It’s already packed.” To the brim with three sketchbooks, a travel-size watercolor set and brush, and a pouch with pencils, erasers, lining pens, and a smudging tool. He would probably need to actually take one of them out and put the super important things like his passport, wallet, and medicines in there. “I need to sort out my tennis bag though.”
“I doubt you need my help for that,” Sanada said. He took one of the bentos and opened it up. “You can do that while I try to find your bed.” He would even do his best to not reorganize all of Yukimura’s closet and drawers as he put away the extra clothes that didn’t end up in his suitcase.
Yukimura shook his head. He knew what he needed for tennis; he just needed to remove a few things. Namely the racket that needed restringing. “You can kind of see the bed now,” he said, opening the bento and poking at its contents with a pair of chopsticks. He couldn’t sleep on it, but I was at least visible. “That’s better than it was when you got here.”
Sanada watched Yukimura poke at his food and frowned slightly but quickly hid it by eating some of his own food. He didn’t want Yukimura to think he was fussing more than he already was. “That was a low bar to clear,” he said. And he aimed for more in their friendship than just clearing the lost goal post and calling his work done. It didn’t mean that he couldn’t tease about the lowness of that goal post though.
Yukimura took a bite of rice and looked over Sanada’s shoulder at the clothes. “So I should probably only take half the amount of tennis-playing clothes, huh?” he asked, turning back to Sanada. He was pretty sure there would be an opportunity to do laundry; he’d ask Kirihara on the plane. “It’s supposed to be nicer weather, so I probably don’t need anything heavy. Maybe a hoodie or slightly thicker sweater so I don’t get too cold,” Yukimura mused then took another bite of food.
“Probably. And less sweaters means more room for other things,” Sanada said. Though he would still make sure Yukimura packed a couple. And a nice warm scarf. He really didn’t want to fuss over Yukimura like he was a child, he respected him and cared for him far too much to ever want to treat him like that. But he couldn’t help the worry and fear that stole over his heart when he thought about all the things that could so easily go wrong with his friend. Especially when he and Yanagi wouldn’t be anywhere near him. Though he supposed Kirihara would look after Yukimura in his own way. And it wasn’t like Yukimura was going backpacking through Europe via hitchhiking and staying at budget hostels. Everything would be fine. But the scarf wouldn’t hurt.
Yukimura nodded in agreement. “Nothing with logos. If I’m pictured with Akaya, I don’t want him to get in trouble with his sponsors because I was thoughtless.” He only had a few things — most were related to tennis gear from when his own sponsorships — but he didn’t want to take any chances. He had enough clothes to get around any potential mishap. “I’d like enough options to account for the weather, but I need shorts for sure when Akaya and I go to Disney. I’ll bring you and Renji back some Mickey ears,” he added at the end with a laugh.
“I’m sure the sponsors won’t mind if you wear their logos,” Sanada said thinking about who was sponsoring what parts of Kirihara’s tennis right now. But the mention of Mickey ears pulled him back to the conversation and he frowned. “I don’t need Mickey ears.” Especially since if Yukimura bought them he just knew a picture of him and Yanagi wearing them would end up on Yukimura’s phone and then sent to everyone else.
“I guess that could be an option." Yukimura knew Kirihara's sponsors weren't the same as the ones he'd had, so he doubted anything in the piles or his closet would work or be considered appropriate. That didn't mean he might not pick something up while traveling. "But you do," he said matter-of-factly. "Akaya and I are getting them and so is everyone else on the old team." They could take a group shot. Oh, he could even get them embroidered. "You'll wear them and deal with it."
Sanada sighed but resigned himself to being forced into Mickey ears for a group photo. It was fine if he was actually at DisneyLand but seemed foolish when it was just when they were hanging out. “If I must,” He said and poked a bit at his rice. “Do you have someone to come by to water your plants while you’re gone?” He hoped that Yukimura did since while he could be trusted with many things, keeping Yukimura’s plants alive were not one of them. He had no green thumb to speak of.
"You must," Yukimura told him flatly. He didn't really care if Sanada never wore the ears again, but he would get his group photo of everyone wearing the Mickey ears come hell or high water. Besides, everyone was in one place for the first time in awhile. It wouldn't kill Sanada to wear them for all of a few minutes. "Don't worry, it's not you," he answered. Yukimura knew Sanada meant well, but he would never again ask him to take care of his plants in his absence. Not after the last time when one of his favorite plants had perished. "I asked Shiraishi since he already has a key and knows when they'll need water. You're more than welcome to stop by though if you need a respite from your niece and nephews."
Sanada visibly relaxed at being told that Yukimura’s precious plants wouldn’t be under his care. His ears still rung from the lecture Yukimura had given him about proper plant care after the last incident. “I might stop by a few times. I have a few things I’m working on and not having the family around might be nice,” Sanada said. He just hoped he wouldn’t come by at the same time Shiraishi was around the apartment. He didn’t dislike the other man but it would defeat the purpose of coming here for quiet privacy.
“I’ll let Shiraishi know that you might be stopping by and to knock before he comes in.” Yukimura took a few more bites of his food then put the lid back on, already full. He pulled the sketchbook back into his lap and opened to a new page. “Keep eating,” he said, looking at Sanada for a long moment before dropping his gaze to the paper. “We can start packing when you’re done, but there’s no rush.”
Sanada watched Yukimura pull out his sketch book and tried not to sigh. He’d just have to nudge Yukimura into eating more when the urge to draw had passed. “A sketch of me eating can’t be that interesting,” Sanada said. But he also knew there was no point in arguing about it. Yukimura had sketch books filled with him and their friends doing various things. At least he wasn't self-conscious about Yukimura watching him intensely and could still enjoy his bento.
Yukimura finished the rough shape of Sanada’s form then started on the details. “It’s not about you,” he said absentmindedly, glancing up just long enough to check that he was getting the angle of the light source correct. “The action is what’s interesting.” Not that Sanada wasn’t interesting, but that wasn’t the point. He drew in the lines of Sanada’s hand and how they gripped the chopsticks, adding shadows when needed.
Sanada didn’t quite get it, but that was often the case with Yukimura and his art. He shook his head fondly at his friend and continued eating at a slower pace than he normally would just to give Yukimura more time to observe the actions since apparently that was the interesting part. It meant it would take longer to get all of the clothes sorted out but there was nothing urgent that needed his attention so it didn’t matter if he got home later than planned.
The best part about having Sanada as a model was that he didn’t move too much. Each movement was slight and measured, nothing wasted. It made completing a sketch quick, easy, and still in proportion. Yukimura set down the charcoal and held up the drawing for Sanada to see. “Done,” he said, putting the sketchbook down and standing up, stretching once he got to his feet. “I’m ready to pack if you’re done eating.”
“It’s nice,” Sanada said taking in the drawing. It always amazed him that Yukimura could create such things so quickly and have them look so good. And now that he was done with drawing, Sanada could stop loitering over his food. He quickly ate the last part of his bento in two bites and then tidied it up while still chewing. He drank down the last of his tea and then looked over at the bed. “Alright, let’s get you packed.” He was sure that everything would fit much better now that it was all nicely folded and Yukimura wouldn’t be trying to pack his whole tennis wardrobe.
"Thank you," Yukimura said. He sat on the bed, next to the stacks of clothing. Sanada had done a very good job of sorting and folding the clothes. Shirts in one, pants and shorts in another. He was going to wear a hoodie on the plane, so no need to pack that and he would grab underwear and shove them in the side pocket on the inside along with his socks. "I can put things away and grab new things as needed," he told Sanada. "Just remember, much warmer there than here."
“You’re really worried I’m going to pack you ten sweaters and a scarf, aren’t you?” Sanada said as he moved over to survey the clothes that were already out on the bed. Yes, he fussed and he probably would tuck an extra sweater into the suitcase just in case an unseasonably cold day came around or the hotels were too aggressive with their air conditioning. But he had no plans to coddle Yukimura so much that he was left with inappropriate clothing to wear. Besides, overheating was just as bad for you as getting chilled.
Yukimura shook his head. "No, a reminder, that's all," he said, reaching across to grab a sweater already in a pile. In doing so, he knocked half of it over and hastily put the toppled clothes back. It didn't look as good as it had before, but he decided it was fine after pulling on the garment. Sanada would probably sort through it again anyway to determine what to pack. "Is there anything you want from America?" he asked. Other than the Mickey ears which Sanada was getting no matter how much he protested, Yukimura did want to get his best friend something else.
Sanada frowned as the pile he had made was manhandled roughly by Yukimura but decided not to say anything. Everyone needed flaws after all and as far as those went, being a bit careless about keeping clothes neatly folded was a minor one that Sanada could tolerate. Though that didn’t stop him from reaching over to tidy the pile. “No special requests. I’m sure you’ll find something that suits me,” Sanada said as he started adding a few tennis outfits back into Yukimura’s suitcase, careful that the brand was noticeable or was one of Kirihara’s sponsors.
"Fine," Yukimura said with a frown. Why did Sanada have to be so difficult? If he didn't want anything special, then he would have to figure out something when there was some down time between Kirihara's matches. It would have to be something useful that couldn't be destroyed or claimed by his niece and nephews. ...This was going to be more difficult than he thought.
He pulled a few more items from various piles and put them in front of Sanada, a not-so-subtle way of telling him to pack those items. "Whatever you don't pack, I can put away. I don't want you to waste time organizing my closet."
Sanada gave a snort at that. “You just don’t want me to be attacked by everything in your closet if I open it,” Sanada said. He knew better than to go digging around in Yukimura’s things anyway. It wasn’t so much a respect for his privacy as it was for his own life. He didn’t want to accidentally damage any drawings or plants if he started looking around.
“Though you will need some more outfits that will work a casual day in the city.” Sanada figured that’s how Yukimura would be spending most of his time even if he did squeeze in a fair amount of tennis. Though the clothes that Yukimura had just passed him were a good start. Though he set one of the shirts back onto a pile without packing. He didn’t know why Yukimura liked that shirt when the colour and shape somehow made him look frumpy. Maybe it was gifted to him by Atobe and cursed to make Yukimura look unappealing because it was one of the only things Sanada thought Yukimura didn’t look good in.
"...it's not that bad," Yukimura said. Nothing had fallen on him as he had gathered clothes that morning. Though, it was kind of a mess. He could deal with it when he got back.
Yukimura watched as Sanada put some of the clothes away except for one shirt he had wanted to pack. He grabbed it again and stuck it into a new pile of things he wanted to wear. "I don't know that we're going to do a lot of sightseeing. Akaya will need to rest the day after matches. The only thing I think we'll really do is Disney, but put in whatever you think is best." He didn't really care that much so long as he had the appropriate clothes for the weather.
“I doubt he expects you to keep him company all of the time. I’m sure you’ll go exploring on your own.” And as much as Sanada didn’t want to think about Yukimura wandering around large cities on his own where anything could happen, he wasn’t foolish enough to think that Yukimura would spend all of his time in the hotel and courtside. He just had to remind himself that despite being a little forgetful when focused on something that Yukimura was an adult and completely capable. Though that didn’t mean that Sanada would let him leave the country with that horrible shirt. He started packing the pile of things Yukimura gave him and when the other man looked away, slid out the shirt he didn’t like to sneak into another pile of clothes.
Yukimura hadn't planned on being Kirihara's shadow anyway, but he had said what he thought Sanada wanted to hear. "If there's an art museum nearby, I may try to go. I don't really like the idea of getting stuck in traffic." Plus, he didn't like driving in America anyway. Too many people, too many cars, too many idiots who didn't know how to drive.
He grabbed a few more things he thought he would want to wear and put them in front of Sanada. "I'll send you lots of pictures." They would likely be pictures of plants, flowers, selfies with Kirihara, and tennis, but it would be fine. Maybe he would send a picture of a rock.
Sanada nodded at that as he took the clothes and looked through them before packing them neatly. He had no doubt that Yukimura would be able to find the most interesting museums and gardens in each city they went to. And he was thankful that Yukimura’s hobbies generally took him to nice quiet places. “And pictures would be nice. It’s an easy way to tell us what you’ve been doing.” He hoped that Yukimura would be better at sending pictures than he was about responding to texts.
Yukimura grinned. Sending a few pictures throughout the day would likely get them to relax about his twice daily check-ins. If he happened to skip/forget one, it would be okay if he sent some photos. "I'll do my best," he said, tugging at an item from the bottom of a pile. Noticing it was about to topple, he put one hand on the top to steady it while he fished out the garment he wanted. Yukimura knew Sanada was vaguely annoyed at his super neat piles being messed up and after putting the shirt in front of him said, "Last one. I promise."
“Renji and I can send you pictures in return,” Sanada said. Though he had no idea what type of pictures he’d send. He had a hard enough time thinking of what to put on his journal. Though Yukimura wouldn’t judge him if he just took a picture of his lunch or something he saw on the way to school. “And you still have plenty of space. Do you want to pack some extra outfits or save space for souvenirs?” Sanada asked as he put the last shirt in the suitcase. He’d start refolding the clothes in the lopsided piles on the bed once Yukimura was sure if he wanted more from there or not.
"When you go on your old man dates, send me a selfie of the two of you." Yukimura hoped Sanada's family rock wouldn't make an appearance in the photos, but he dared not say it out loud. His best friend was strangely sentimental about an inanimate object. He looked over the suitcase and its contents. "Souvenir room," he replied. "Where else am I going to store all the hats from Disney?" He laughed and hopped off the bed, grabbing one of stacks and taking it into his closet.
“You’ll be jealous you aren’t on the old man dates with us,” Sanada said. He had long ago since accepted that rest of the team saw his hobbies as old man like even if he didn’t think they were. “And you’re really set on these hats.” Sanada didn’t see the appeal but he would put up with them if it made Yukimura and Kirihara happy to see the whole old team in them.
Yukimura didn't see the appeal of shogi or most other things Sanada and Yanagi did together without him. "Why would I be jealous? I'll have Akaya and tennis," he said, coming back to grab another pile of clothes. "I just think they'll make a nice group photo. You can throw it away after for all I care." He knew Sanada would never do something like that; he was sentimental about gifts given to him by his friends.
"But Kirihara isn't me and Renji," Sanada said with a grin. He then reached over for one of the remaining piles to straighten it out and better hide the ugly shirt. "And if you really wanted a nice group photo in Mickey ears we should plan a day at DisneySea or Land. Perhaps as a celebration for Kirihara when he wins." Something about being in Disney made wearing silly things feel less silly and much more appropriate.
"No, but I can train with Akaya," Yukimura said, picking up the next pile. It was the reason he had initially grabbed so many tennis-playing clothes for the trip. "I know that, but they're ears from an American park. It's different. We can do one at DisneySea too. I'll ask Renji to plan it for sometime after we get back." He doubted that was what Sanada had in mind, but he was going to run with it. Double group photos in Mickey ears was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
“I’m sorry that Renji and I can’t provide that for you,” Sanada said. While Yanagi and him could and still did play tennis, they would never be quite the level that Kirihara was now at and therefore not the same kind of challenge for Yukimura. Fortunately Sanada was secure enough in his friendship with Yukimura to know that he was more than just a tennis partner to the other man. “And was that a hint to pack another tennis outfit?” He was not going to touch the DisneySea and extra ears topic. If he did, he’d probably just make it worse and end up in full matching outfits with assigned characters or something.
Yukimura didn't mean it badly. He would rather play Sanada than Kirihara, but knew that the kind of matches he wanted to play with either one of them were going to be few and far between. Training and practice would have to come from somewhere if not them. "Don't beat yourself up about it," he said after dropping off the second pile. He shook his head at Sanada's question. "Nope. I'll probably be able to do laundry. If not, I can pick something up if I need to." It would take away from souvenir room, but wouldn't be that big of a deal if it came to that.
“I’m not. But I miss playing tennis, too.” Sanada had spent so many years of his life focused on tennis that it felt odd to only pick up a racket for a bit of exercise or a friendly match. He was probably an idiot for pushing himself so hard in junior high school but nobody thought of long term consequences at that age. Just look at Tezuka. “And if you really need something, just borrow some of Kirihara’s. I’m sure his sponsors won’t mind.” Yukimura might not be actively on the circuit anymore but his story had resonated with numerous people across Japan and any company should be happy to get Yukimura into their clothes and photographed with a rising star like Kirihara.
"Well, it's not like you've completely given it up. I don't know if I could ever forgive you." Yukimura was only half serious; he knew Sanada's physical limits, but it didn't stop him from being upset by it. The other man had been stupid when it came to taking better care of himself during his main tennis-playing years. He shrugged at Sanada's suggestion. "He'll need them. Besides, I shouldn't risk upsetting the sponsorship overlords." Even though he hadn't played in a tournament since last season, he was still contracted in the event that he returned. Which he definitely wanted to do. "You probably figured it out, but the real reason I wanted Akaya to pick me was to see if I could handle the travel again. And the match schedules."
Sanada tried to bite back the sigh but failed. The thought of Yukimura doing this as a trial run had crossed his mind but he had hoped that Yukimura really did just want to support Kirihara while enjoying tennis and visiting various museums and doing art things. It’s not that Sanada didn’t want to encourage Yukimura in his dream of playing pro tennis again, he just didn’t want to handle the heartbreak and anger if Yukimura found it was too much for him still. “I hope things work out for you then. But that does mean you can’t forget about meals or your medication. You want to give yourself the best odds for victory,” Sanada said and hoped it didn’t come off too patronizing. There was a fine line between worrying as a friend and coddling and he often went over it.
Yukimura expected that reaction. He hadn't exactly taken it well when his doctor told him he shouldn't play professionally. Sanada and Yanagi had ended up listening to his bitching for too long. "It's not a guarantee. My personal trainer is working on something to make it a bit easier." He sat back down on the bed and messed with the hem on his sweater. Yukimura knew that Sanada was supportive, but there was definitely an air of trepidation in his words. "Of course I'm going to cheer on Akaya, but I can't help but feel jealous. That it should be me playing too," he admitted. "If it doesn't work out, then I can at least say I tried."
Sanada hating seeing Yukimura doubt himself when, in Sanada’s eyes, he was the most amazing person. He moved over to him and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. “My grandfather has told me that life can be many things, even wonderful. But he’s never once said life was fair. I think it’s okay to feel jealous or angry.” He sometimes felt that way about his knees. And while it was nothing compared to Yukimura’s problems, it did help him understand a bit of what Yukimura felt. “And you know Renji and I will always have your back.” No matter how difficult the path Yukimura wanted to travel might be, there was no doubt in his mind that Yanagi and him would stand by Yukimura along it.
Of course Sanada would give him advice from his grandfather. Yukimura smiled at him. "Depending on how things go, I've told my coach to see if I can get into the qualifiers at the French Open." It was his favorite tournament (partially because of the location) and he had gotten pretty far the last time he played there. Plus, it wasn't as if he had been slacking since the end of last season anyway. "I expect you both to watch my matches and help me improve. My coach isn't as good as Renji and you when it comes to making sure I'm prepared." Yukimura wasn't quite sure why he still even had a coach when he had his two best friends behind the scenes, but it was something to think about.
Sanada chuckled and he gave Yukimura’s shoulder another squeeze before letting it go and stepping back. “I think your coach is too scared of you to give you proper advice sometimes,” Sanada said. That certainly wasn’t a problem when it came to Yanagi’s data and and precise advice for everything. And Sanada would also call out Yukimura if he saw him getting sloppy or pushing himself harder than he should and wasting energy. “And if you make it past the qualifiers maybe I can come watch in person.” He’d have to check his savings and schedules for a million different things but to watch Yukimura play at another Open in person he was willing to move mountains.
Yukimura frowned slightly. "If he's too scared, then he shouldn't be my coach," he reasoned. He'd probably have to confront the man after he got back from America to find out if that was true. And if it was, he'd just fire the man and put Yanagi and Sanada on his payroll since they did most of the work anyway. Yukimura narrowed his eyes at Sanada's comment. "If I make it? You meant when I make it." Obviously it would be nice if Sanada or Yanagi or both of them came out to watch, but that was a lot of planning. "If you can manage it, I'd love for you to come, but if you can't, then you'll just need to adjust your sleep schedule in order to watch me play live," he ended with a laugh.
“You said if first. I was just following your lead,” Sanada said with a grin. He had no doubt that if Yukimura entered the qualifiers he’d win them. But there were several important steps Yukimura had to take before that happened. “And talk to your coach and tell him you expect more critiques. Maybe he’s just used to working with weak willed players who need to be coddled.” And if that didn’t work it was definitely time to look for a new coach. Yukimura had enough obstacles to playing his best without an underperforming team around him. “And you know Renji and I will watch each match together and be annoying all of his neighbours as we cheer each point.” Losing a little sleep was a small price to pay for cheering on a friend. Though he did mostly plan to record Kirihara’s matches and watch them later but Kirihara wasn’t Yukimura and he wouldn’t mind slightly delayed commentary to his tennis.
"If I get I to the qualifiers and if I win them are two very distinct concepts," Yukimura said. He had no doubts about winning once he was there. It was getting in the preliminaries that was the tricky part. He rolled his eyes at Sanada's comment about his coach. If he hadn't figured Yukimura's style out by now, there was no hope and the tennis player didn't have the time or the patience to deal with someone that was useless. "I'll talk to him about his... efforts," Yukimura said, though his mind was mostly made up. He would decide for sure once he got back. Leaning against the wall, he gave Sanada a wide grin. "You'll go hoarse from cheering then. I don't plan on dropping a set. Warn his neighbors in advance." From years of experience, he knew how loud Sanada could be. It would be only courteous to provide warning.
Sanada let the if thing go and moved to an open part of the bed to sit down. “If I don’t warn anyone, maybe it will finally convince Atobe to move out. I don’t know what weird games he’s playing at thinking he should live there.” Not only was it completely strange to see Atobe not being pampered by at least twenty staff members but Sanada was sure there was a university student actually in need of cheap accomodations that would appreciate that room more than Atobe.
Yukimura blinked at him. It took him a moment to understand the reason why Atobe's name was mentioned. This strange obsession with Atobe and Tezuka would never end. He thought the weird triangle between the three of them was stupid and he did his best to ignore it. Unfortunately, his best friend had a hard time letting things go when it involved those two. "There are more people in the world than his royal prissiness," he said, rolling his eyes. "Stop wasting time and energy on him."
“Of course. That’s why I’ll warn everyone else and then skip him,” Sanada said with a smug grin. It was really the perfect plan and required no extra energy or time wasted on Atobe. He rather thought Yukimura should approve of that.
With a sigh, Yukimura shook his head. There was no real way to respond to this amount of ridiculousness. "Whatever you say, Gen-chan," he said.
Sanada grinned over at Yukimura and then reached over and gave Yukimura’s thigh a pat. “I have a feeling that this year is going to be a great one. Just wait,” Sanada said. He just had a feeling that all his friends were going to do well in their pursuits, Yukimura would have a year with no flare ups of his illness, school would end up with satisfying results and maybe Yanagi would even stop gifting him strange things.
Yukimura grinned. "Of course it will be. Was there ever a doubt?"
What: Helping Yukimura pack for his trip
When: March 4
Rating: G
To say Yukimura was excited would be an understatement. As soon as Kirihara had confirmed he was the one to go with him to America, he had talked to all of his professors (in person) and gotten approval to miss the last few weeks of the term. Of course, he had promised a lot of sketches to prove he wasn’t just on a vacation and he planned on doing just that when Kirihara wasn’t playing or they weren’t watching other matches.
He went through an old checklist Yanagi had given him about what to pack for when he traveled abroad for tournaments. Appropriate clothing for tennis that fit any tournament guidelines, plenty of socks and underwear, at least two business casual outfits in case he needed to talk to someone important, the necessary toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, razor, face wash, body wash), passport, wallet, medicines, blah blah blah. Yukimura put all the items in a gigantic pile on his bed and went to grab his luggage. Somewhere in the pile, his phone started buzzing. Rather than digging through to pile to try and find it, he decided he would do it later and left the room.
Sanada sighed as he looked down at his phone. Still no messages from Yukimura. His former captain hadn’t even looked at them yet according to the app. It was probably nothing. Yukimura was notorious for getting lost in his garden or his paintings, but it was reaching that point in time where he should have taken a break and perhaps noticed the blinking of his phone.
So deciding to err on the side of caution, Sanada hopped on the train heading towards Yukimura’s place instead of heading home. It was out of the way but Sanada would never consider checking in on Yukimura troublesome. It’s what friends did.
Keeping an eye on his phone as he headed towards Yukimura’s he was somehow not surprised but still worried when Yukimura still hadn’t checked the messages he sent. Hoping that Yukimura really was just involved in a painting, and not one that featured noodley Atobe’s physique, Sanada stopped by the store and grabbed a few healthy bentos before walking rest of the way. He rang the bell and waited, listening closely to any sign that Yukimura was inside and coming.
Luggage on the only free area of the bed? Check. Clothing thrown haphazardly in the luggage? Check. Yukimura was just about to sit on the suitcase in an attempt to close it up when he heard the doorbell. Strange, he wasn't expecting anyone.
He hopped off the bed, causing the suitcase to pop open and spill its contents all over the bed. He frowned, but there was still time to pack. Padding to the door, he twisted the lock and pushed the door outward to find... Sanada. Then he remembered that his phone had buzzed awhile ago, but in the search for his luggage, completely forgot all about it and actually had no idea where the device was now.
"I'm alive," Yukimura said in greeting, holding the door open for Sanada to step inside.
“So I see,” Sanada said with a smile. Too relieved to be annoyed at his friend for making him worry. “Were you in the garden?” Yukimura looked a bit rumpled and sweaty like he normally did after battling weeds. Though his clothes didn’t look like his normal gardening clothes and there was no dirt smudges anywhere. He hoped Yukimura didn’t have a fever and had been resting in bed.
Yukimura closed the door behind him. "Nope. I've been packing for the trip. I was just about to close the suitcase when you knocked." He picked up the list Yanagi had given him and held it up for Sanada. "This time, I even checked things off as I went," he added with a short laugh. "Did you have kendo or something? Usually you aren't out this way unless it's for that."
"Just a meeting," Sanada said quickly so Yukimura wouldn't question the lack of gear. He was not admitting he had been worried enough to go an hour out of his way. "And I think your checklist needs updating." He was sure Yukimura would still play plenty of tennis, but more time would be spent off courts. He needed more clothes for cafes and museums or wherever art students went to when travelling.
Yukimura shrugged and walked towards his bed and the open suitcase. "I plan on playing some tennis," he said, looking at the mountain of clothes. He supposed he didn't need as many things for playing tennis than being a spectator/tourist which grated on him more than he wanted to admit. Old habits died hard. Or not at all in his case. "What do you suggest then?"
"Of course. And it's a simple matter of swappi-" Sanada froze as he finally took in the chaos on and around Yukimura’s bed. A bomb exploding would have left less of a mess.
"Maybe we should start at the beginning." An easy swap of a couple outfits like Sanada was thinking of was far from possible right now. He set his backpack and bag of bentos down out of the way and prepared to get to work. They could certainly salvage this packing nightmare.
Yukimura looked at him for a long moment. “Why? There’s stuff here to work with.” He didn’t see the point of starting from scratch. Yanagi’s checklist might have been slightly outdated, but for the most part was still solid. He dug through the pile until he hit something hard. “Found it,” he said, pulling out his phone and scrolling through the notifications. “Did you have a panic attack while texting me?”
Sanada rather thought the problem was too much stuff. He started pulling out things and not finding anywhere to put them dropped them back in the suitcase and started trying to organize the chaos that was the bed. And if he focused on that, he didn’t have to look at Yukimura as he went through all of his phone messages. “Of course not. I was just concerned you wouldn’t know I was coming over and that I was bringing food.” He nodded toward the bag of bentos and then went back to folding some clothes. He knew Yukimura wouldn’t believe his excuse but he hoped his friend would take it for what it was and not tease him about worrying and fretting like Yukimura’s mother instead of his friend. It’d been six years and he still wasn’t over the fear he had felt the moment Yukimura had collapsed in front of them.
Yukimura typed a few responses to others before tucking his phone into the back pocket of his jeans. He looked at Sanada for a long moment then sat down next to the bag of bentos and watched. “This reminds me of the first time I packed for a tournament,” he said after a few minutes. It was how he got the checklist in the first place. “Please don’t extend your organizing to the rest of my apartment. I have a system.”
“If that’s what you believe,” Sanada said as he gave Yukimura’s room a quick look. He wasn’t foolish enough to try instituting a normal style system on Yukimura though. If he damaged paint supplies or plants he’d probably end up buried in the garden. “And all we need is Renji muttering about optimal clothing and laundry facilities.” Though without Yanagi’s expertise, Sanada would just make sure all situations he and Yukimura could think up were covered. And he was sure once everything was folded and placed in properly, they’d be able to pack everything that was needed.
“Just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean it’s broken,” Yukimura said, looking around in the bag Sanada had brought. “If you want to eat first, that can wait.” It would still be there. He hopped up and went over to the kitchen, getting utensils and tea for the both of them. “We can always call him if you want to hear the muttering,” he said as he walked back into the area of clothing.
“Of course,” Sanada said neutrally but it was still clear he didn’t really believe it. “And we might as well finish folding before we eat.” Sanada was saying we to be polite, or maybe to encourage Yukimura to help since he was the only one folding. Though he had almost brought order back to the bed. And it shouldn’t take too much work to sort out the clothes in the suitcase after that. “And I’m fine without the muttering.” If Yanagi was here he’d want to make lists and do geometry for best clothing places or something. It might not be as efficient but it was quicker without him.
“...you know it’s just going to be a mess once I actually have to unpack it, right?” Yukimura asked, setting the tea on a table along with two pairs of chopsticks before sitting down and watching Sanada finish up. If only there were enough time for a sketch or two before he did. “I’ll text him the contents later and see if he has any changes to make.” Yanagi might send an updated checklist. Or maybe one to use in situations like this.
“I’m pretty sure it’s not going to harm your creative energy if you attempt to keep things folded and orderly when you’re travelling,” Sanada said. He looked out over the bed with all the piles of clothes sorted by type and felt a sense of satisfaction. Looking back at the disaster of a suitcase made him sigh. “And if he has changes, he can come and help you repack.” He dumped the contents of the suitcase onto the bed in a free spot and set the case on the floor before folding more clothes. Laundry was one of his main chores at home so he was quite proficient and it didn’t take him long to start building a pile of tennis clothes all neatly and precisely folded.
"I thought you knew me better than that," Yukimura said. Annoyed that Sanada was still folding clothes, he reached over to one of his bookshelves and pulled a sketchbook from it as well as a charcoal stick from one of the cup holders. Opening up to a blank page, he glanced up at his friend before starting. "He doesn't have the time and I honestly don't care all that much. Whatever you do is fine," he said offhandedly, more focused now on getting the lines of Sanada's back right than the contents of his luggage.
Sanada looked over at Yukimura, a polo shirt in his hands, not surprised to see him sketching. “You’ve been my friend as long as I can remember and for all of that time you’ve been passionate and focused on things you love. It doesn’t mean it still doesn’t shock me that your laundry is always a mess.” Perhaps Yukimura’s parents weren’t strict enough with him growing up. Sanada knew he would have been more than happy to neglect his chores if he could have gotten away with it. But now tasks like folding clothes were mindless, simple, and halfway to meditative. Though he would need to google the weather of the cities Yukimura was visiting if he wasn’t going to ask Yanagi for advice. He needed to know how many sweaters to pack.
Yukimura didn’t quite think it was that bad, but he supposed living with it and experiencing it on an occasional basis were two different things. He lifted his head just enough to check Sanada’s profile before focusing on the paper again, adding shadows to his brow and jaw line. “Could be worse,” he said, blowing away some of the gathered charcoal dust before continuing. Holding up the sketchbook, he compared it to the form in front of him then went back to work putting in more details.
“True. At least everything here is clean.” Sanada set the last of the shirts on top of the neat pile and then checked the suitcase one last time to make sure they didn’t miss anything. They could start filling it up again after they ate. Preferably with a few less training outfits and a couple more art student type ones. “Alright, let’s eat.” Now that he knew that Yukimura wasn’t passed out somewhere and the dangerous exploding suitcase was taken care of his hunger had made itself known again. “Unless you need to finish…” He added on since Yukimura still had his sketchbook in hand and Sanada knew what a challenge it could be at time to get Yukimura to stop in the middle of a project.
"Mmhmm," Yukimura hummed in response, turning the charcoal to an angle, needing the sharp side to draw a crisp line. He was about to start on the bottom half when he heard Sanada speak again. Looking up, Yukimura noticed the piles of folded clothing and an empty suitcase. So he was done. Finally. Setting aside the sketchbook and charcoal, he wiped his hands on his jeans. "I can finish later. It's just a sketch anyway." He didn't really need to finish the drawing, but probably would since he hadn't done all he wanted. Nodding towards the bed, he asked, "happy now?"
Sanada smiled softly at Yukimura as he sat down at the table. He was completely intimidating and compelling on the courts but when caught up in sketching… well Sanada always enjoyed watching Yukimura get lost in his art. It was one of the reasons he was okay with being a model for Yukimura. "Mostly. We still need to pack. You should probably figure out how much art things you want to bring first." They could see how many outfits they could fit in after that.
Oh, right, the packing. “I have a carry on for the art stuff,” Yukimura said, pulling the bentos out of the bag and putting them on the table. “It’s already packed.” To the brim with three sketchbooks, a travel-size watercolor set and brush, and a pouch with pencils, erasers, lining pens, and a smudging tool. He would probably need to actually take one of them out and put the super important things like his passport, wallet, and medicines in there. “I need to sort out my tennis bag though.”
“I doubt you need my help for that,” Sanada said. He took one of the bentos and opened it up. “You can do that while I try to find your bed.” He would even do his best to not reorganize all of Yukimura’s closet and drawers as he put away the extra clothes that didn’t end up in his suitcase.
Yukimura shook his head. He knew what he needed for tennis; he just needed to remove a few things. Namely the racket that needed restringing. “You can kind of see the bed now,” he said, opening the bento and poking at its contents with a pair of chopsticks. He couldn’t sleep on it, but I was at least visible. “That’s better than it was when you got here.”
Sanada watched Yukimura poke at his food and frowned slightly but quickly hid it by eating some of his own food. He didn’t want Yukimura to think he was fussing more than he already was. “That was a low bar to clear,” he said. And he aimed for more in their friendship than just clearing the lost goal post and calling his work done. It didn’t mean that he couldn’t tease about the lowness of that goal post though.
Yukimura took a bite of rice and looked over Sanada’s shoulder at the clothes. “So I should probably only take half the amount of tennis-playing clothes, huh?” he asked, turning back to Sanada. He was pretty sure there would be an opportunity to do laundry; he’d ask Kirihara on the plane. “It’s supposed to be nicer weather, so I probably don’t need anything heavy. Maybe a hoodie or slightly thicker sweater so I don’t get too cold,” Yukimura mused then took another bite of food.
“Probably. And less sweaters means more room for other things,” Sanada said. Though he would still make sure Yukimura packed a couple. And a nice warm scarf. He really didn’t want to fuss over Yukimura like he was a child, he respected him and cared for him far too much to ever want to treat him like that. But he couldn’t help the worry and fear that stole over his heart when he thought about all the things that could so easily go wrong with his friend. Especially when he and Yanagi wouldn’t be anywhere near him. Though he supposed Kirihara would look after Yukimura in his own way. And it wasn’t like Yukimura was going backpacking through Europe via hitchhiking and staying at budget hostels. Everything would be fine. But the scarf wouldn’t hurt.
Yukimura nodded in agreement. “Nothing with logos. If I’m pictured with Akaya, I don’t want him to get in trouble with his sponsors because I was thoughtless.” He only had a few things — most were related to tennis gear from when his own sponsorships — but he didn’t want to take any chances. He had enough clothes to get around any potential mishap. “I’d like enough options to account for the weather, but I need shorts for sure when Akaya and I go to Disney. I’ll bring you and Renji back some Mickey ears,” he added at the end with a laugh.
“I’m sure the sponsors won’t mind if you wear their logos,” Sanada said thinking about who was sponsoring what parts of Kirihara’s tennis right now. But the mention of Mickey ears pulled him back to the conversation and he frowned. “I don’t need Mickey ears.” Especially since if Yukimura bought them he just knew a picture of him and Yanagi wearing them would end up on Yukimura’s phone and then sent to everyone else.
“I guess that could be an option." Yukimura knew Kirihara's sponsors weren't the same as the ones he'd had, so he doubted anything in the piles or his closet would work or be considered appropriate. That didn't mean he might not pick something up while traveling. "But you do," he said matter-of-factly. "Akaya and I are getting them and so is everyone else on the old team." They could take a group shot. Oh, he could even get them embroidered. "You'll wear them and deal with it."
Sanada sighed but resigned himself to being forced into Mickey ears for a group photo. It was fine if he was actually at DisneyLand but seemed foolish when it was just when they were hanging out. “If I must,” He said and poked a bit at his rice. “Do you have someone to come by to water your plants while you’re gone?” He hoped that Yukimura did since while he could be trusted with many things, keeping Yukimura’s plants alive were not one of them. He had no green thumb to speak of.
"You must," Yukimura told him flatly. He didn't really care if Sanada never wore the ears again, but he would get his group photo of everyone wearing the Mickey ears come hell or high water. Besides, everyone was in one place for the first time in awhile. It wouldn't kill Sanada to wear them for all of a few minutes. "Don't worry, it's not you," he answered. Yukimura knew Sanada meant well, but he would never again ask him to take care of his plants in his absence. Not after the last time when one of his favorite plants had perished. "I asked Shiraishi since he already has a key and knows when they'll need water. You're more than welcome to stop by though if you need a respite from your niece and nephews."
Sanada visibly relaxed at being told that Yukimura’s precious plants wouldn’t be under his care. His ears still rung from the lecture Yukimura had given him about proper plant care after the last incident. “I might stop by a few times. I have a few things I’m working on and not having the family around might be nice,” Sanada said. He just hoped he wouldn’t come by at the same time Shiraishi was around the apartment. He didn’t dislike the other man but it would defeat the purpose of coming here for quiet privacy.
“I’ll let Shiraishi know that you might be stopping by and to knock before he comes in.” Yukimura took a few more bites of his food then put the lid back on, already full. He pulled the sketchbook back into his lap and opened to a new page. “Keep eating,” he said, looking at Sanada for a long moment before dropping his gaze to the paper. “We can start packing when you’re done, but there’s no rush.”
Sanada watched Yukimura pull out his sketch book and tried not to sigh. He’d just have to nudge Yukimura into eating more when the urge to draw had passed. “A sketch of me eating can’t be that interesting,” Sanada said. But he also knew there was no point in arguing about it. Yukimura had sketch books filled with him and their friends doing various things. At least he wasn't self-conscious about Yukimura watching him intensely and could still enjoy his bento.
Yukimura finished the rough shape of Sanada’s form then started on the details. “It’s not about you,” he said absentmindedly, glancing up just long enough to check that he was getting the angle of the light source correct. “The action is what’s interesting.” Not that Sanada wasn’t interesting, but that wasn’t the point. He drew in the lines of Sanada’s hand and how they gripped the chopsticks, adding shadows when needed.
Sanada didn’t quite get it, but that was often the case with Yukimura and his art. He shook his head fondly at his friend and continued eating at a slower pace than he normally would just to give Yukimura more time to observe the actions since apparently that was the interesting part. It meant it would take longer to get all of the clothes sorted out but there was nothing urgent that needed his attention so it didn’t matter if he got home later than planned.
The best part about having Sanada as a model was that he didn’t move too much. Each movement was slight and measured, nothing wasted. It made completing a sketch quick, easy, and still in proportion. Yukimura set down the charcoal and held up the drawing for Sanada to see. “Done,” he said, putting the sketchbook down and standing up, stretching once he got to his feet. “I’m ready to pack if you’re done eating.”
“It’s nice,” Sanada said taking in the drawing. It always amazed him that Yukimura could create such things so quickly and have them look so good. And now that he was done with drawing, Sanada could stop loitering over his food. He quickly ate the last part of his bento in two bites and then tidied it up while still chewing. He drank down the last of his tea and then looked over at the bed. “Alright, let’s get you packed.” He was sure that everything would fit much better now that it was all nicely folded and Yukimura wouldn’t be trying to pack his whole tennis wardrobe.
"Thank you," Yukimura said. He sat on the bed, next to the stacks of clothing. Sanada had done a very good job of sorting and folding the clothes. Shirts in one, pants and shorts in another. He was going to wear a hoodie on the plane, so no need to pack that and he would grab underwear and shove them in the side pocket on the inside along with his socks. "I can put things away and grab new things as needed," he told Sanada. "Just remember, much warmer there than here."
“You’re really worried I’m going to pack you ten sweaters and a scarf, aren’t you?” Sanada said as he moved over to survey the clothes that were already out on the bed. Yes, he fussed and he probably would tuck an extra sweater into the suitcase just in case an unseasonably cold day came around or the hotels were too aggressive with their air conditioning. But he had no plans to coddle Yukimura so much that he was left with inappropriate clothing to wear. Besides, overheating was just as bad for you as getting chilled.
Yukimura shook his head. "No, a reminder, that's all," he said, reaching across to grab a sweater already in a pile. In doing so, he knocked half of it over and hastily put the toppled clothes back. It didn't look as good as it had before, but he decided it was fine after pulling on the garment. Sanada would probably sort through it again anyway to determine what to pack. "Is there anything you want from America?" he asked. Other than the Mickey ears which Sanada was getting no matter how much he protested, Yukimura did want to get his best friend something else.
Sanada frowned as the pile he had made was manhandled roughly by Yukimura but decided not to say anything. Everyone needed flaws after all and as far as those went, being a bit careless about keeping clothes neatly folded was a minor one that Sanada could tolerate. Though that didn’t stop him from reaching over to tidy the pile. “No special requests. I’m sure you’ll find something that suits me,” Sanada said as he started adding a few tennis outfits back into Yukimura’s suitcase, careful that the brand was noticeable or was one of Kirihara’s sponsors.
"Fine," Yukimura said with a frown. Why did Sanada have to be so difficult? If he didn't want anything special, then he would have to figure out something when there was some down time between Kirihara's matches. It would have to be something useful that couldn't be destroyed or claimed by his niece and nephews. ...This was going to be more difficult than he thought.
He pulled a few more items from various piles and put them in front of Sanada, a not-so-subtle way of telling him to pack those items. "Whatever you don't pack, I can put away. I don't want you to waste time organizing my closet."
Sanada gave a snort at that. “You just don’t want me to be attacked by everything in your closet if I open it,” Sanada said. He knew better than to go digging around in Yukimura’s things anyway. It wasn’t so much a respect for his privacy as it was for his own life. He didn’t want to accidentally damage any drawings or plants if he started looking around.
“Though you will need some more outfits that will work a casual day in the city.” Sanada figured that’s how Yukimura would be spending most of his time even if he did squeeze in a fair amount of tennis. Though the clothes that Yukimura had just passed him were a good start. Though he set one of the shirts back onto a pile without packing. He didn’t know why Yukimura liked that shirt when the colour and shape somehow made him look frumpy. Maybe it was gifted to him by Atobe and cursed to make Yukimura look unappealing because it was one of the only things Sanada thought Yukimura didn’t look good in.
"...it's not that bad," Yukimura said. Nothing had fallen on him as he had gathered clothes that morning. Though, it was kind of a mess. He could deal with it when he got back.
Yukimura watched as Sanada put some of the clothes away except for one shirt he had wanted to pack. He grabbed it again and stuck it into a new pile of things he wanted to wear. "I don't know that we're going to do a lot of sightseeing. Akaya will need to rest the day after matches. The only thing I think we'll really do is Disney, but put in whatever you think is best." He didn't really care that much so long as he had the appropriate clothes for the weather.
“I doubt he expects you to keep him company all of the time. I’m sure you’ll go exploring on your own.” And as much as Sanada didn’t want to think about Yukimura wandering around large cities on his own where anything could happen, he wasn’t foolish enough to think that Yukimura would spend all of his time in the hotel and courtside. He just had to remind himself that despite being a little forgetful when focused on something that Yukimura was an adult and completely capable. Though that didn’t mean that Sanada would let him leave the country with that horrible shirt. He started packing the pile of things Yukimura gave him and when the other man looked away, slid out the shirt he didn’t like to sneak into another pile of clothes.
Yukimura hadn't planned on being Kirihara's shadow anyway, but he had said what he thought Sanada wanted to hear. "If there's an art museum nearby, I may try to go. I don't really like the idea of getting stuck in traffic." Plus, he didn't like driving in America anyway. Too many people, too many cars, too many idiots who didn't know how to drive.
He grabbed a few more things he thought he would want to wear and put them in front of Sanada. "I'll send you lots of pictures." They would likely be pictures of plants, flowers, selfies with Kirihara, and tennis, but it would be fine. Maybe he would send a picture of a rock.
Sanada nodded at that as he took the clothes and looked through them before packing them neatly. He had no doubt that Yukimura would be able to find the most interesting museums and gardens in each city they went to. And he was thankful that Yukimura’s hobbies generally took him to nice quiet places. “And pictures would be nice. It’s an easy way to tell us what you’ve been doing.” He hoped that Yukimura would be better at sending pictures than he was about responding to texts.
Yukimura grinned. Sending a few pictures throughout the day would likely get them to relax about his twice daily check-ins. If he happened to skip/forget one, it would be okay if he sent some photos. "I'll do my best," he said, tugging at an item from the bottom of a pile. Noticing it was about to topple, he put one hand on the top to steady it while he fished out the garment he wanted. Yukimura knew Sanada was vaguely annoyed at his super neat piles being messed up and after putting the shirt in front of him said, "Last one. I promise."
“Renji and I can send you pictures in return,” Sanada said. Though he had no idea what type of pictures he’d send. He had a hard enough time thinking of what to put on his journal. Though Yukimura wouldn’t judge him if he just took a picture of his lunch or something he saw on the way to school. “And you still have plenty of space. Do you want to pack some extra outfits or save space for souvenirs?” Sanada asked as he put the last shirt in the suitcase. He’d start refolding the clothes in the lopsided piles on the bed once Yukimura was sure if he wanted more from there or not.
"When you go on your old man dates, send me a selfie of the two of you." Yukimura hoped Sanada's family rock wouldn't make an appearance in the photos, but he dared not say it out loud. His best friend was strangely sentimental about an inanimate object. He looked over the suitcase and its contents. "Souvenir room," he replied. "Where else am I going to store all the hats from Disney?" He laughed and hopped off the bed, grabbing one of stacks and taking it into his closet.
“You’ll be jealous you aren’t on the old man dates with us,” Sanada said. He had long ago since accepted that rest of the team saw his hobbies as old man like even if he didn’t think they were. “And you’re really set on these hats.” Sanada didn’t see the appeal but he would put up with them if it made Yukimura and Kirihara happy to see the whole old team in them.
Yukimura didn't see the appeal of shogi or most other things Sanada and Yanagi did together without him. "Why would I be jealous? I'll have Akaya and tennis," he said, coming back to grab another pile of clothes. "I just think they'll make a nice group photo. You can throw it away after for all I care." He knew Sanada would never do something like that; he was sentimental about gifts given to him by his friends.
"But Kirihara isn't me and Renji," Sanada said with a grin. He then reached over for one of the remaining piles to straighten it out and better hide the ugly shirt. "And if you really wanted a nice group photo in Mickey ears we should plan a day at DisneySea or Land. Perhaps as a celebration for Kirihara when he wins." Something about being in Disney made wearing silly things feel less silly and much more appropriate.
"No, but I can train with Akaya," Yukimura said, picking up the next pile. It was the reason he had initially grabbed so many tennis-playing clothes for the trip. "I know that, but they're ears from an American park. It's different. We can do one at DisneySea too. I'll ask Renji to plan it for sometime after we get back." He doubted that was what Sanada had in mind, but he was going to run with it. Double group photos in Mickey ears was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
“I’m sorry that Renji and I can’t provide that for you,” Sanada said. While Yanagi and him could and still did play tennis, they would never be quite the level that Kirihara was now at and therefore not the same kind of challenge for Yukimura. Fortunately Sanada was secure enough in his friendship with Yukimura to know that he was more than just a tennis partner to the other man. “And was that a hint to pack another tennis outfit?” He was not going to touch the DisneySea and extra ears topic. If he did, he’d probably just make it worse and end up in full matching outfits with assigned characters or something.
Yukimura didn't mean it badly. He would rather play Sanada than Kirihara, but knew that the kind of matches he wanted to play with either one of them were going to be few and far between. Training and practice would have to come from somewhere if not them. "Don't beat yourself up about it," he said after dropping off the second pile. He shook his head at Sanada's question. "Nope. I'll probably be able to do laundry. If not, I can pick something up if I need to." It would take away from souvenir room, but wouldn't be that big of a deal if it came to that.
“I’m not. But I miss playing tennis, too.” Sanada had spent so many years of his life focused on tennis that it felt odd to only pick up a racket for a bit of exercise or a friendly match. He was probably an idiot for pushing himself so hard in junior high school but nobody thought of long term consequences at that age. Just look at Tezuka. “And if you really need something, just borrow some of Kirihara’s. I’m sure his sponsors won’t mind.” Yukimura might not be actively on the circuit anymore but his story had resonated with numerous people across Japan and any company should be happy to get Yukimura into their clothes and photographed with a rising star like Kirihara.
"Well, it's not like you've completely given it up. I don't know if I could ever forgive you." Yukimura was only half serious; he knew Sanada's physical limits, but it didn't stop him from being upset by it. The other man had been stupid when it came to taking better care of himself during his main tennis-playing years. He shrugged at Sanada's suggestion. "He'll need them. Besides, I shouldn't risk upsetting the sponsorship overlords." Even though he hadn't played in a tournament since last season, he was still contracted in the event that he returned. Which he definitely wanted to do. "You probably figured it out, but the real reason I wanted Akaya to pick me was to see if I could handle the travel again. And the match schedules."
Sanada tried to bite back the sigh but failed. The thought of Yukimura doing this as a trial run had crossed his mind but he had hoped that Yukimura really did just want to support Kirihara while enjoying tennis and visiting various museums and doing art things. It’s not that Sanada didn’t want to encourage Yukimura in his dream of playing pro tennis again, he just didn’t want to handle the heartbreak and anger if Yukimura found it was too much for him still. “I hope things work out for you then. But that does mean you can’t forget about meals or your medication. You want to give yourself the best odds for victory,” Sanada said and hoped it didn’t come off too patronizing. There was a fine line between worrying as a friend and coddling and he often went over it.
Yukimura expected that reaction. He hadn't exactly taken it well when his doctor told him he shouldn't play professionally. Sanada and Yanagi had ended up listening to his bitching for too long. "It's not a guarantee. My personal trainer is working on something to make it a bit easier." He sat back down on the bed and messed with the hem on his sweater. Yukimura knew that Sanada was supportive, but there was definitely an air of trepidation in his words. "Of course I'm going to cheer on Akaya, but I can't help but feel jealous. That it should be me playing too," he admitted. "If it doesn't work out, then I can at least say I tried."
Sanada hating seeing Yukimura doubt himself when, in Sanada’s eyes, he was the most amazing person. He moved over to him and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. “My grandfather has told me that life can be many things, even wonderful. But he’s never once said life was fair. I think it’s okay to feel jealous or angry.” He sometimes felt that way about his knees. And while it was nothing compared to Yukimura’s problems, it did help him understand a bit of what Yukimura felt. “And you know Renji and I will always have your back.” No matter how difficult the path Yukimura wanted to travel might be, there was no doubt in his mind that Yanagi and him would stand by Yukimura along it.
Of course Sanada would give him advice from his grandfather. Yukimura smiled at him. "Depending on how things go, I've told my coach to see if I can get into the qualifiers at the French Open." It was his favorite tournament (partially because of the location) and he had gotten pretty far the last time he played there. Plus, it wasn't as if he had been slacking since the end of last season anyway. "I expect you both to watch my matches and help me improve. My coach isn't as good as Renji and you when it comes to making sure I'm prepared." Yukimura wasn't quite sure why he still even had a coach when he had his two best friends behind the scenes, but it was something to think about.
Sanada chuckled and he gave Yukimura’s shoulder another squeeze before letting it go and stepping back. “I think your coach is too scared of you to give you proper advice sometimes,” Sanada said. That certainly wasn’t a problem when it came to Yanagi’s data and and precise advice for everything. And Sanada would also call out Yukimura if he saw him getting sloppy or pushing himself harder than he should and wasting energy. “And if you make it past the qualifiers maybe I can come watch in person.” He’d have to check his savings and schedules for a million different things but to watch Yukimura play at another Open in person he was willing to move mountains.
Yukimura frowned slightly. "If he's too scared, then he shouldn't be my coach," he reasoned. He'd probably have to confront the man after he got back from America to find out if that was true. And if it was, he'd just fire the man and put Yanagi and Sanada on his payroll since they did most of the work anyway. Yukimura narrowed his eyes at Sanada's comment. "If I make it? You meant when I make it." Obviously it would be nice if Sanada or Yanagi or both of them came out to watch, but that was a lot of planning. "If you can manage it, I'd love for you to come, but if you can't, then you'll just need to adjust your sleep schedule in order to watch me play live," he ended with a laugh.
“You said if first. I was just following your lead,” Sanada said with a grin. He had no doubt that if Yukimura entered the qualifiers he’d win them. But there were several important steps Yukimura had to take before that happened. “And talk to your coach and tell him you expect more critiques. Maybe he’s just used to working with weak willed players who need to be coddled.” And if that didn’t work it was definitely time to look for a new coach. Yukimura had enough obstacles to playing his best without an underperforming team around him. “And you know Renji and I will watch each match together and be annoying all of his neighbours as we cheer each point.” Losing a little sleep was a small price to pay for cheering on a friend. Though he did mostly plan to record Kirihara’s matches and watch them later but Kirihara wasn’t Yukimura and he wouldn’t mind slightly delayed commentary to his tennis.
"If I get I to the qualifiers and if I win them are two very distinct concepts," Yukimura said. He had no doubts about winning once he was there. It was getting in the preliminaries that was the tricky part. He rolled his eyes at Sanada's comment about his coach. If he hadn't figured Yukimura's style out by now, there was no hope and the tennis player didn't have the time or the patience to deal with someone that was useless. "I'll talk to him about his... efforts," Yukimura said, though his mind was mostly made up. He would decide for sure once he got back. Leaning against the wall, he gave Sanada a wide grin. "You'll go hoarse from cheering then. I don't plan on dropping a set. Warn his neighbors in advance." From years of experience, he knew how loud Sanada could be. It would be only courteous to provide warning.
Sanada let the if thing go and moved to an open part of the bed to sit down. “If I don’t warn anyone, maybe it will finally convince Atobe to move out. I don’t know what weird games he’s playing at thinking he should live there.” Not only was it completely strange to see Atobe not being pampered by at least twenty staff members but Sanada was sure there was a university student actually in need of cheap accomodations that would appreciate that room more than Atobe.
Yukimura blinked at him. It took him a moment to understand the reason why Atobe's name was mentioned. This strange obsession with Atobe and Tezuka would never end. He thought the weird triangle between the three of them was stupid and he did his best to ignore it. Unfortunately, his best friend had a hard time letting things go when it involved those two. "There are more people in the world than his royal prissiness," he said, rolling his eyes. "Stop wasting time and energy on him."
“Of course. That’s why I’ll warn everyone else and then skip him,” Sanada said with a smug grin. It was really the perfect plan and required no extra energy or time wasted on Atobe. He rather thought Yukimura should approve of that.
With a sigh, Yukimura shook his head. There was no real way to respond to this amount of ridiculousness. "Whatever you say, Gen-chan," he said.
Sanada grinned over at Yukimura and then reached over and gave Yukimura’s thigh a pat. “I have a feeling that this year is going to be a great one. Just wait,” Sanada said. He just had a feeling that all his friends were going to do well in their pursuits, Yukimura would have a year with no flare ups of his illness, school would end up with satisfying results and maybe Yanagi would even stop gifting him strange things.
Yukimura grinned. "Of course it will be. Was there ever a doubt?"
