Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Konomi Takeshi does. I'm merely playing with them for the moment.

Insight

Chapter 10

Triumph

Of course, Sanada couldn't say he was exactly surprised.

After all, Atobe did just about everything in as flashy, massive a manner as humanly possible. Of course his actual return to tennis would be a matter of spectacle as well. Sanada had heard certain rumours about the time he'd taken over the Hyoutei middle school tennis club, and he hadn't exactly expected the high school club to merit any less of a show.

Nevertheless, he was somewhat surprised as he made his way towards the courts at the time Atobe had asked him to arrive, finding the stands full of people. This wasn't just tennis club, he concluded; there were other students, too, as well as people from several schools around. He spotted several familiar faces within the crowd, old rivals and opponents, all gathered to see the outcome of this match.

"Looks like half of Tokyo's tennis players are here," he murmured, tugging his cap a bit lower. He felt a bit uncomfortable. Several people seemed to have recognized them.

"Well, it's only to be expected," Renji replied. Renji and Yukimura had insisted on coming along when they'd heard Atobe would be playing again. "After all, this match does not only decide the captain for this year, it's also the first time Atobe Keigo has played in public since your match. Obviously everyone would want to see how he does."

"I do hope it won't be a disaster," Yukimura said, smiling sweetly as ever. "That would be just terrible, now wouldn't it?"

"Atobe will do fine," Sanada said, shrugging. He certainly did believe in Atobe's skills. It wasn't just a matter of faith, either; he knew perhaps better than anyone just how well Atobe was doing. He was the one who'd first found himself struggling against the Insight, after all. He'd been there to see the smirk on Atobe's face when he'd reached Koori no Sekai again.

He'd been there when Atobe had finally completed his new technique, one that nobody aside from the two of them knew yet. And he was fairly certain this match wouldn't bring it out. Atobe wouldn't need such things to regain his rightful position, not now that he was back in his usual condition.

"...Sanada-kun." Looking over, he saw the familiar face of Atobe's father. He didn't exactly know the man very well, but they had talked a few times when he'd been over.

"Atobe-san," he replied, nodding politely. "I... didn't expect to see you here."

"Yes, well, Keigo never deemed it necessary to tell me when his first match would be," Atobe-san said, raising his eyebrows. "Thankfully Michael decided to inform me as well."

"...Ah." Sanada fiddled with his cap. "Atobe... will be happy." Far as he could tell, it bothered Atobe that his family wasn't interested in his playing. Not that they discussed such things often, or that Atobe would have admitted such things, but... that was the impression he'd gotten.

"...I wonder." There was a peculiar expression on the older Atobe's face.

They had no time for more discussion, though, as the time of the match finally came. It really was too much of a show, Sanada thought, still feeling awkward as they found seats. A match for the succession of a captain could have been just as easily handled during practice, but instead they'd insisted on a separate match complete with announcements and everything, as though it had been an official match. According to Atobe, he would have been quite content in a practice match like during his middle school revolution, but the current captain had wanted to take the chance to humiliate him in public. Well, it was his own mistake. Sanada was absolutely certain Atobe would not be the one humiliated in this match.

The prize for the winner of the match, the announcer told everyone on the stands, would be the position of the captain. Honestly. If the idiots had been a bit smarter, there wouldn't have been any need for this match; few people would deny that for all his egoism and flashiness, Atobe had been a good captain for three years. And, in Sanada's opinion, he was better than whoever the current captain might be.

There were some whispers going across the stands as Atobe was announced to the court, whispers about his accident and how he hadn't played since and how he was still half blind. Someone remembered Rikkai, and someone else spotted them, and soon far too many people were looking at them and whispering. Thankfully Sanada was quite accomplished in looking completely unaffected, with the other two demons being equally unfazed at the attention.

The match started, though, drawing the attention away from them. The two played apparently on full speed right from the start – at least it appeared so. It was far too obvious to anyone who knew Atobe's actual playing style that he was just toying with his opponent. This was still far from his ultra-aggressive style. Yukimura and Renji were certainly aware of this as well, not appearing very impressed just yet.

As the match carried on, it was far too obvious that the opponent was making full use of Atobe's injury, aiming his shots on the bad side of Atobe's area of sight. Nevertheless, Atobe was more than capable of keeping up, even controlling the pace of the game. Sanada snorted. It'd take more than this to give Atobe any trouble.

"What is he doing?" Yukimura sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is just... sad."

"If the match goes on like this, Atobe will win without fail," Renji noted. "With these long rallies, his endurance will win out in the end."

It seemed Atobe was getting bored as well, though, given that he was taking even more control of the game. His special techniques were also starting to make appearances, Tannhauser Serve and Hametsu he no Rondo and others. The score was leaning his way as well. The opponent wasn't bad, he was Hyoutei's high school captain after all, but he was simply no match for Atobe.

Apparently the captain realized this as well. With only a couple of games remaining until Atobe's victory, the game was getting more aggressive on both sides of the net. Sanada frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. He had the most unpleasant feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong.

Reaching for a ball on the side of the court, Atobe apparently got the distance wrong, reaching in vain for the ball. Having rushed forward too far to regain his balance, he fell down on the ground. A gasp flew through the audience as they saw his head hitting the court. Sanada found himself several steps from his seat before he even realized he'd stood up.

He wasn't the only one who was concerned, it appeared, with Atobe's old teammates rushing to his side. At least Atobe didn't seem to have hit his head too badly, being already on his feet. However, he had managed to scrape his forehead, blood flowing from the wound.

"Atobe." Sanada pushed his way through the group gathered on the side of the court. "Are you all right?"

"I can still see if that's what you're concerned about," Atobe replied, pressing a towel to his wound. "And yes, I am damn well finishing the match. I'm not defaulting at this point, never mind that he would not give me a rematch." He threw a dirty glance at his waiting opponent.

"He's starting to get the pattern," Sanada murmured. "He knows just the spots to aim for so you'll have more trouble estimating the distance."

"Yeah, well, then I have little choice." Atobe smirked at Sanada even as one of his teammates was busy patching up the wound. Thankfully it really didn't seem to be more than a scrape. "I hadn't meant to use it yet, but... I'd hate for him to feel too good about himself."

"...Indeed." Sanada nodded. "Just... win."

"Oh, I do plan to." Atobe turned back towards his opponent. "I apologize for the distraction," he said smoothly. "Let's continue."

"You sure you can do it?" the current captain taunted him. "Last time you played after an injury didn't go so well, as I heard."

"Yes, well, Sanada actually is a worthwhile opponent, unlike yourself," Atobe remarked wryly. "To defeat someone like yourself... I won't need even one eye." And, to make his point abundantly clear, he closed his eyes.

"Is he crazy?" Shishido stared, apparently echoing the feelings of most people in the audience. "Sure he didn't hit his head?"

"Not at all." Sanada allowed his lips to curl just a bit. "If Seigaku's Fuji could do it, Atobe certainly can." Atobe's tennis instincts had been quite remarkable to begin with; in his quest to make up for the lack of one eye, he had managed to hone them further than ever before. Far enough, indeed, that he now stood quite confidently in front of his opponent, eyes closed.

It was just like Atobe, he mused, watching calmly as Atobe served the ball to his disbelieving opponent. Something so simple, yet it was all a show, one even flashier than his match usually. He could already hear the whispers from the audience, could already imagine the rumours that would soon spread. Not only would Atobe return to the courts and regain his position, he would start a legend, one even more unbelievable than his previous tricks.

He didn't go back to the stands. He didn't want to lose even the little bit of the match he'd have had to spend walking to his seat.

Sanada suspected he was the only one in the audience who wasn't especially shocked as Atobe took the match to its conclusion without opening his eyes even once. It wasn't until the score was announced, game set match won by Atobe Keigo, that he finally opened them, a triumphant smirk on his face as he looked over to his opponent.

"I do believe," he said as he walked over to the net, "that this will mean certain changes in the team... former captain."

There was a short silence, as though people had been still trying to wrap their heads around it all. Finally, though, the applause began, deafening as it surrounded them from every direction from the stands.

Sanada lowered his cap a bit to hide his small smirk. So very typical.

As much as he hadn't been surprised at the final result, nor at the fact that Atobe now turned his attention to his loyal supporters, he hadn't exactly expected Atobe to walk immediately up to himself. "Ah... good game." What was he supposed to say? "...Congratulations."

"Thank you." Atobe was smirking up at him. Even with sweat on his face and a patch over the wound, Atobe managed to look almost... pretty, in as much as a man ever could. "Say, Sanada... I have been meaning to ask you something."

"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows. It wasn't like Atobe was exactly lacking in opportunities to ask him just about anything.

"Indeed." Atobe's expression turned more serious, though he still spied a hint of a smirk there. "...Will you go out with me?"

For a moment, Sanada found himself speechless. It was just as well, it appeared, as everyone else was suddenly talking at once, their congratulations from a moment before turned into various expressions of surprise and disbelief. However, apparently Atobe was still waiting for a response, looking at him expectantly. Finally, Sanada managed to ask, "Ah... what do you mean?"

"I mean I'm asking you to go out with me," Atobe replied. "Yes, the two of us, yes, on a date, yes, I am serious, and yes, I am aware your captain is here."

"...Hn." It wasn't just Atobe who was looking at him, now; everyone around them did so as well. He wanted to pull down his cap to hide his expression, but he knew Atobe would not have allowed that anyway.

Atobe was asking him on a date. Him. On a date. He... couldn't say it was entirely outside the realm of possibility that this might happen, but he still hadn't exactly expected it. Certainly not in front of hundreds of people.

"...Fine." He wasn't exactly sure why he said it, wasn't sure what possessed him, but as he saw the smile on the other's face he decided it was just as well. He'd certainly have to explain this to Yukimura as the word got out, and he was fairly sure he spied Atobe's father making his way towards them as well, and he rather suspected this might cause more gossip than the match itself but then it wasn't like he cared much about what was being said about him except when it was about tennis. And, well, if he was going to cause a fuss in Hyoutei, he'd rather do it by dating their new captain than by sending him to hospital.

Of course, he hadn't exactly expected to suddenly be dragged closer to find Atobe's lips pressing against his own, but then this was Atobe so Sanada couldn't say he was exactly surprised.