Mistral [PoT; Niou, Yukimura]

[jetsam]

Title: Mistral
Fandom: Tenipuri
Character: Niou, Yukimura
Word Count: ~200
Notes: for a prompt from a set by readerofasaph

Of the team, Yukimura smiles the most. He smiles when they finish a practice match - a fierce smile for a good match played, or a polite one for a teaching game. He smiles when their supervisor checks up on them, charming them into returning to the office or handing on the paperwork.

Niou smiles the least. There's no need to. He doesn't pretend to be polite and there's no one of sufficient interest to warrant his full attention. He laughs often - at his teammates, at his victims, at himself.

Once he enters the hospital, even Yukimura's polite smiles are rare.

With Yukimura gone, Niou has even less reason to make the effort.

Niou doesn't hear Yukimura laugh until they discover Seigaku will be facing them in the finals of Nationals, and then it is a laugh of genuine pleasure. At Yukimura's shoulder, Sanada shivers and zips his jacket up to his chin. Yanagi glances back at them, picks up Yukimura's racquet bag and slings it over his own shoulder, striding pointedly ahead. Niou finds himself smiling: he is on tomorrow's starting lineup and it is a match to look forward to.