Title: Fair Exchange part the second
Author: teshumai
Rating: R-NC-17
Genre: angst romance
Characters: Sanada, Jiroh
Pairing: Sanada/Atobe, Atobe/other
Disclaimers: I've moved out of the closet but I still don't own anything
Spoilers: none
Summery: Finding happiness is tricky business

-in which Jiroh and Sanada have a talk




Jiroh began spending more and more time around the Rikkaidai courts towards the end of that month, dropping complaints about how strict Atobe had become all of sudden and a couple not so subtle jabs at his love life. It was the middle of September when he apparently decided subtle wasn’t cutting it. He managed to make enough of a nuisance of himself for Sanada to actually interrupt practice to remove him from the courts. He was dragging the bouncy boy away from his idol when Jiroh’s smile dropped. Previously Sanada had believed Jiroh had only 2 expressions, ecstatic and asleep, now he added dangerously serious.

“You should forgive him already.”

Sanada blinked and replied with an undignified “huh?”

“Atobe, I know he can be difficult but he misses you a lot so forgive him so you guys can go back to screwing every Saturday.”

Sanada was about to deny it but Jiroh’s delicately raised eyebrow when he opened his mouth to protest dissuaded him. “How did you know?” he chose instead.

“I’m Atobe’s oldest friend, I know all about him.”

Sanada added deviously playful to his list of Jiroh’s expressions. At least he had a good reply this time.

“Than you should know he’s the one who stopped it.”

Jiroh’s dangerously serious face swung back, "What did you do?” The question was more of a threat.

Sanada sagged against the wall tired of the question that had been plaguing him for weeks. Not even the fact that he might be about to face a pissed off Jiroh (a person he had thought didn’t exist until moments ago) could dampen the lightness he felt being able to say the words out loud for once.

“I don’t know, exactly. All I did was kiss him and he-”

“For the first time?” Jiroh cut in

Sanada felt his cheeks warm with blood, realizing how terrible that made him look, “Yes,”

Jiroh’s eyes narrowed at Sanada and he received a sharp kick to his shin before Jiroh turned leaving Sanada to limp back to practice.

* * *

Sanada just wanted this one, kind of rare book for his grandfather. Really. That was the only reason he was in Tokyo and the only reason he was anywhere near Hyotei, it was just coincidence that the used book stores were so close. He wasn’t hoping that he might see Atobe despite the small odds. Fate seemed to have a soft spot for Sanada, for there he was, in the back of the very bookstore Sanada was hoping to get a book from, flipping through what was undoubtedly a first edition, ancient, expensive book like it was off a self at book-off while the old shop keeper stood next to him his hand resting on the slender boys hip.

Sanada felt his stomach turning and wondered as he stood outside the bookstore gulping down fresh air if this was the answer to who was Atobe’s first. Something tore at his chest making him wish to go barging in and pull Atobe away from the hand sliding down his side. His mind came-up with a fantasy about Atobe’s gratefulness for saving him from the evil book dealer. But it was just a fantasy and really, he didn’t know what was going on. Atobe certainly hadn’t seem phased by the intimate touch as his scanned the book. Sanada turned to leave; he could get the book later. Glancing once more into the store he found himself unable to look away. The man was closer and his hand had disappeared somewhere out of Sanada’s line of sight. Atobe had laid the book down and was staring out the window, not at Sanada, not at anything. he simply stared vacantly into the distance.

“Yes, he is one that stared it.” Sanada jumped away turning to find Jiroh leaning against the wall.

“Why?” Sanada asked, so many questions scrambling over each other to be the first out of his mouth. Why was Atobe doing this? Why did Jiroh know? Why wasn’t anybody stopping this?

Jiroh shrugged, “I could never figure it out.”

“Why are you here?”

“I have to look out for him, he doesn’t do very well on his own.” Sanada was about to ask what part of sitting outside a bookstore while Atobe was inside with some pervert feeling him up constituted looking out for when Jiroh continued, “If you were planning on buying something you should do it today, this store will be gone by Monday.”

“Why don’t you stop this?” Sanada asked his eyes back on the scene through the window.

“Atobe doesn’t know I know. He wouldn’t like it, besides he would just say it was his choice and he knows
what he’s doing and if we ever do this again he will kick us off the team and turn the school against us.”

“Us?”

Jiroh looked away and Sanada added sorrow to ever growing list, “Me,”

“You said us.”

“Well it’s just me now. Go get what you came for while it’s still here.”

Sanada nodded stepping into the store, retrieving the book his grandfather wanted and making it all the way up to the counter. Atobe barely registered his entrance though the man had moved away from him when Sanada had walked in. Sanada really had meant to just get the book, whatever was happening with Atobe it wasn’t his business and he shouldn’t get involved, but seeing the blank stare flicker towards him he found his body reacting without waiting for the appropriate signal from his brain. The book dropped and he found he was dragging Atobe outside and down the street. Sanada wasn’t sure where his body thought it was taking them but it was away and that was good enough.