synergetic | Doubling Down

Flayn was still looking forward to this match.

From the way he smiled when he described his plan, she knew he meant for her to feel excited and confident in its success. She'd done her best to meet his expectations, and she was still excited about getting to play with him. She would see even more of his playing this way; she would have much to learn from!

At the same time, for him to generally say leave most of this to me, feels... well. She doesn't quite want to name the feeling and make it real, she'd rather hold on to the way she felt when she opened his drawing of the yellow rose. Because she was sure that the same heart was behind both decisions. One just felt better than the other; that was all.

With practice winding down, she helps the first year girls put away the unneeded balls (it was only fair), craning her neck constantly to see if the boys were ready. They were at least easy to spot, being so tall...

She waved hopefully when it looked like they were putting things away, too.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's unbelievable how little power Yukimura has once it stops being about winning a game against him. It's not that he's any less of a tennis player; he is still incredibly strong. It simply doesn't matter that he is. The knowledge no longer feels like a weight slowing her reflexes, or an abyss swallowing her whole. Her mind is as clear as it's ever been, her body feels ready to burst she has so much energy.

It's the adrenaline in both cases. But it's enough. The game is no longer terrifying but thrilling, and suddenly-- it's not that Yukimura has developed blind spots, but his and Flayn's combination is full of them. She can see them all so well now, like glimmers of light across the court. It's almost too easy. She hardly notices the passage of time and their swelling lead. What she sees is the opponents' ragged determination and tenacity. Peripherally, she's aware of Yukimura's frustration and growing desperation to not lose this game, but more in her focus is Flayn's excitement and drive to keep trying simply for the fun of playing. That's right; that's the energy to ride out to the finish.

Match point. Sanada's double clutch sends the ball sharply askew to the corner of the court. A strangled cry tears from Yukimura's throat as he dives and sends the ball whizzing back like a bullet. He skids across the court paving, scraping up his limbs and dirtying his jersey. The ball smacks against the top of the net and rolls along the top, not unlike Bunta's most famous volley.

She knows, before it even happens, it's going to follow the same trajectory too. She moves without further thought. Knows without words that it's hers. Her racket arcs parallel to the ground and taps the ball with the frame back to the opponents' side without touching the net. It feels like slow motion watching it drop, not two inches from the net, and come to rest with barely a second bounce, sealing the outcome of the match at six games to four-- the same score Yukimura suffered to Echizen years ago.

The silence that follows is deafening.

Sanada almost checks his hearing again, but Niou's call saves him the trouble.

He doesn't have any words for either Aya or Yukimura, just an icy drop in his stomach looking at him, wondering...

But Flayn is beside him before he can react beyond that, looking at his scrapes with a cute little crease between her eyebrows and he feels his blood start to run again as he looks at Aya.

"You've really done it..."

Meanwhile, Flayn was looking over Yukimura with concern, breathing hard.

"That was magnificent," she insisted, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and brushing some of the grit and dirt from his arm. "I almost wish I could see it again!"

Oh, but she was probably hurting him worse, and she was breathing hard from the exertion and so was he and she could see Sanada approaching the net with a hand outstretched and before that she threw her arms around Yukimura's shoulders with a laugh.

"That whole match was amazing," she said breathlessly.

They lost.

Yukimura almost feels weightless as reality closes around him and steals a piece of his pride that he'll never get back. It's a milestone in his friendship and rivalry with Sanada, one the selfish side of him wishes never to have seen, even as another part of him fights to remind him: he's also deeply proud of Sanada. How tirelessly he's pushed himself, how long he's strived to reach this moment where he could extend his hand across the net as the victor between them. He can't manage happiness for him, but he has so much respect for how hard it's been earned.

The stinging scrapes on his limbs barely register. Sweat-dampened bangs cling to his face and stripe his view of Aya removing the hair pins and shaking her braids loose.

"Me? This is doubles, you know," she winks at Sanada with an expression so full of warmth and fulfillment even he can't miss it. "I'm glad I could be a part of this with you. Congratulations, Sanada-kun."

Yukimura pushes himself up as Flayn dusts him off, then simply throws her arms around him like this must be the best day of her life. What a strange feeling to be so pleasant after defeat. At least she's happy with it all. That's who it was for, right?

He smiles at her, torn between ruefulness for the outcome and gratification for her pleasure in spite of the fact. "You have good spirit; if you keep playing opponents like Sanada and Fujimiya, your strength will grow rapidly. As for me, that was an embarrassing introduction to my tennis. Come watch me play singles, okay?"

Accepting Flayn's offered hand up, he gets to his feet and approaches the net with her, extending his hand to shake Sanada's with a smile.

"Don't think I'm going to let it end with this. Sanada."

'Congratulations' simply couldn't be voiced. It was too much like saying their rivalry was over.

Elation has never come naturally to Sanada -- too easily it becomes carelessness! -- but in this case, it's as overwhelming as rollercoaster. He did it. (With Aya's help, it would have been impossible without Aya's superb playing and her positive energy to counteract his doomed certainty.)

But for a moment, he wonders if it was worth it, if he hasn't broken something that shouldn't be broken, shattered something that can't be repaired, the last thing he wants to be is a shadow in Yukimura's mind like Echizen or Tezuka. The way that Yukimura has gently oppressed him all this time is something he'd never, ever want to do in return--

"It's never going to end," Sanada promises him, the sun seeming to come out again when Yukimura smiles and takes his hand. Loss isn't defeat; merely an opportunity to come back better, and he smiles back, in spite of himself, because even now he isn't satisfied with merely winning a doubles match. There will be other matches, other wins and even other losses in the future.

Aya is radiant with her congratulations and something in him suddenly feels hot stuck between the two of them. Yukimura is probably faking some of his contentment (he knows what Echizen does to people), but his gratitude for that kind of friendship and rivalry is enough to make his chest burst, and Aya's elation is just as deserving.

Sanada is probably going to need some time to digest this milestone. It's a big moment for him and his bond with Yukimura. He should get the space to process it for now, and to revel in his long-fought-for victory. Yukimura, too, probably needs some space to process and have whatever private grieving session is hiding behind his good sport face across the net.

Aya, then, turns her attention to Flayn as they shake hands alongside Yukimura and Sanada. "That energy and spirit of yours out there was the best! Hey, wanna go get crepes? I'm dying for some sugar after all that."

"Oh, that sounds like fun!"

She spares a glance for her partner and Aya's, and they're with each other, but far apart, too. She senses something great happening in both their minds, and while she'd love to spend a little more time with Yukimura, he's already gone above and beyond for her.

So she smiles gratefully at Aya, and bids the boys all a fond goodnight.

Doubling Down

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