A Small Problem

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Lys ap Adin

Ink Burns

This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

This is a work of fanfiction, produced according to the principles of transformative fair use as put forward in US copyright law, and abiding by the custom and practice of fan-produced work in Japan, where the source texts were created. No author is in any way affiliated with any of the creators of the source texts, nor with the companies who distribute their products, nor any other rights holder, and these stories were not authorized by either the creators or the producers. Ink Burns is a fan site and the material here is freely provided for the enjoyment of fellow fan-community members; there is no commercial infringement.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 US license at the Ink Burns fanfiction archive (http://alltrees.org/archive/).

Published on 2005-01-06 14:55:44.

Attributions can be made by author's name and a link to the archive.

This ebook edition was published on May 16, 2012 by the Ink Burns fanfiction archive.

A Small Problem

Aziraphale comes looking for Crowley. Humor, I-2

It was a beautiful day: the sunlight was warm and the bleachers reasonably comfortable, and his host didn't have a match with Atobe for at least another half hour. Crowley stretched and yawned, supremely content with just how good life was.

It really was a pity that things were about to get so complicated.

The man had been peering at passing students and his surroundings with such confusion that it was obvious that he was wildly out of place. Choutarou pegged him as a tourist immediately, and felt obliged to offer his assistance (in his most careful English, since this man seemed to be about as non-Japanese as they came) in the form of directions, or perhaps a map.

However, the offer of directions had turned into a playing tour guide, with Choutarou dredging up vocabulary words he didn't remember learning and wondering how he'd agreed to this. The man was very polite and very curious, and somehow Choutarou just couldn't bring himself to be rude enough to excuse himself from his newfound role. Their walking tour of the Hyoutei campus dragged on, until they fetched up at the tennis courts.

The expression on Atobe's face promised that he would be especially cutting in regards to Choutarou's lateness, and there was no telling what Kantoku would have to say--

Except that Kantoku seemed more concerned with his befuddled tourist than with Choutarou's late arrival to practice.

"What do you want?" Kantoku demanded of the stranger.

"It's lovely to see you again, too, Sakaki-san," the man said, in flawless Japanese, suddenly standing much straighter and looking much more comfortable than he'd been a moment ago. "I trust you've been well?" Choutarou wanted very badly to let his manners slip so that he could make a face at his formerly clueless tourist, especially after the man slid his eyes sidewise and gave him a small smile.

"Well enough. Ohtori, go warm up," Kantoku said, crisply, and wasn't it funny that he seemed ill-at-ease?

There was no chance now to find out what was going on, so Choutarou bowed and headed for the clubhouse, shrugging at Shishido along the way to indicate that he didn't have any clue.

"What do you want?" Sakaki asked again, once the boy had left the range of earshot.

"Really, there's no need to be rude," Aziraphale said, chidingly. "I merely happened to be in the neighborhood, and thought I'd stop by and say hello." He glanced around. "So... tennis? How fascinating."

"Yes, tennis," Sakaki said, and really, his chin couldn't jut out much further. "And music."

"Delightful," Aziraphale murmured.

"If you're here because of the demon, I assure you, I have it under control," Sakaki said.

"You do?" Aziraphale blinked.

"Of course I do," Sakaki said. "Belial is completely focused on Rikkaidai at the moment." He sniffed. "I believe she's only interested in tennis at the moment."

"How shortsighted of her," Aziraphale said, torn between laughter and gibbering. Belial was on Earth? Up to something? On top of everything else? The more he thought about it, the more attractive gibbering began to seem. "How good to know you have things under control here."

That mollified Sakaki a bit. "Thank you."

"If you don't mind, I think I'd like to like to observe your tennis practice for a while. It seems to be quite the fashion lately," Aziraphale said, casually.

"As you like," Sakaki said, tilting his head towards the bleachers.

"Thank you kindly," Aziraphale said, and walked over to the bleachers. He sat in the row up from the napping boy, and once Sakaki had turned his attention back to his team, leaned over. "Crowley," he hissed, "wake up! We've got problems."

One sleepy eye cracked open to stare at him. "What, are you trying to blow my cover?" Crowley replied in a whisper.

"There's no time for that," Aziraphale said, urgently.

"Like hell there's not," Crowley retorted. "Hastur's still out for my blood, you know. And my rank."

"Worry about that later," Aziraphale said. He looked around. "Did you know that Belial is active? Here on Earth?" he asked.

Crowley winced. "She doesn't like people to use that name," he said. "Use Mad Hatter instead."

"Whatever," Aziraphale said. "Crowley, Michael and Raphael are down here, too, and so is the Messiah; Lucifer's been lurking around, and I've misplaced the Adversary."

"What the hell?" Shishido was staring when Choutarou came out of the clubhouse. "Choutarou, who is that guy?"

"What?" Choutarou followed the stares of his teammates to the bleachers, where Jirou was sitting bolt-upright, talking with his tourist. "I don't know. What did he do?"

"Just leaned over and started talking to him, far as I could tell," Mukahi said, sounding as awed as Choutarou felt.

Jirou stood, grabbing the stranger by the wrist, and turned to call over his shoulder, "Sorry, gotta run, things to do, world to save, I'll bring Jirou back in time for Nationals, 'bye!" and the two of them ran.

Kantoku was staring, eyes bugged out, and even Atobe seemed to be having difficulties keeping his composure.

Finally, Choutarou broke the silence. "What did he mean, 'I'll have Jirou back in time for Nationals'?" he asked.

Nobody could give him an answer.