Title: Substitution Method

Category: Prince of Tennis

Pairing: Atobe/Fuji, Atobe/Tezuka, Tezuka/Fuji

Genres: Romance/General

Rating: M (ultimately) but T for now

Summary: /Yaoi, AtobeFuji, AtobeTezuka, TezukaFuji/ In which a foolish, lovesick Atobe is in love with Tezuka, so much so that he agrees to date Fuji at his own peril.

A/N: PoT has always been one of my favorite animes, this is something I wrote a while back, I just dug it up. Please enjoy! :) And just in case anyone's confused, I moved the ages up so they're all in high school, and Atobe, Tezuka, and Fuji all are seniors.

01 Stroke of Genius

"Oshitari, ore-sama thinks you're utterly exasperating." Atobe half whined, half scoffed as a cold wet cloth was pressed down on his forehead, forcing him back down on the infirmary bed, "Ore-sama is absolutely fine, it's not like I don't have brain cells to spare." But his words seemed to fall on deaf ears as his teammate lugged the large medical kit over to the bed and opened it. It was so large, because no one ever used it. Who would have thought Atobe Keigo would be first?

Oshitari Yuushi certainly didn't, and judging from the reaction of the man of the hour, he doubted that Atobe did either. "Honestly, sometimes, Atobe, I really do wonder." He set a fresh roll of linen and then some gauze, and then iodine.

"I resent that." Atobe said, propping himself and stared at the iodine, obviously trying to decide if it would hurt or not. After all, he'd never sustained an injury such as this and no ointment had ever touched his skin.

Oshitari saw him looking, and he smirked, "Iodine will sting a little, but I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle." He took the bottle and dripped a few careful drops onto the gauze. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong now, or do you want me to?"

Atobe said, "What's there to tell? There's nothing wrong with me!"

Oshitari smirked, "Sure there's nothing wrong, it's really an everyday thing that you voluntarily let yourself get hit by and knocked out by a couple of tennis balls and then you crash into a fence, really ordinary."

Atobe rolled his eyes, it did sting, when Oshitari pressed the gauze to the drying gash on his forehead. "Fuck you. Do the words, 'I had a long day' mean anything to you?" He winced again, "And ore-sama would not do anything as distasteful as crash into a wall." But he wasn't surprised, Oshitari was always doing him disservices like that.

Oshitari paused and bit his lip, sometimes, Atobe was the most amusing.

"What should I have said then? You had such a long day that you voluntarily got knocked out by tennis balls and then subsequently walked into a wall?" The sarcasm was clear in his voice, "That tasteful enough? Lean towards me a little, please."

Atobe did so, reluctantly, with eyes narrowed. "Ore-sama really does not appreciate your attitude, Oshitari."

The other boy glanced at him, smirked an infuriating smirk. "I don't appreciate the way ore-sama is acting like a spoiled brat."

Atobe was a spoiled brat, but he was a spoiled brat with dignity, actual credentials, so he was rarely called out on it. The fact that Oshitari actually had the nerve to was aggravating. But then, their resident genius had the nerve to do a lot of things. All geniuses had a lot of nerve. He bit his lip petulantly, "You can say what you like, but there's nothing wrong with me. Go play doctor with someone else. I'm fine."

"Can I really say what I like?" Oshitari looked at him, capping the bottle of iodine.

"You..." Atobe rolled his eyes, 'Aren't you already saying what you like anyway? What makes now any different?"

Oshitari shrugged, getting up, "Fine then." he touched a hand to his glasses, and then looked at his captain, smirked that smirk he knew that Atobe despised so much. "You're in love with Tezuka Kunimitsu, you've been sneaking over everyday, it's clever that you told everyone that your mother is sick and you need to go home early to take care of her, but having a bedridden mother for two weeks is really pushing it, if I may."

Atobe sighed, he lay back on the infirmary bed, staring up at the ceiling. Of course Oshitari would know, Oshitari's father was the Atobe family doctor, most unfortunately. He was proud of himself though, his voice was calm when he said, "Liar."

"Am I? You're blushing."

He shouldn't have, but gave himself away by touching his face gingerly, as if he was afraid that his perfect face had somehow become diseased without his knowing. His cheeks indeed felt warm. He was torn between feeling deep humiliation and feeling the need to bash Oshitari's head in at the next suitable opportunity. "You...so what? Don't tell me you followed me to Seigaku." If Oshitari had, Atobe was going to use all of his resources and kick Oshitari Yuushi permanently off the Regulars, and permanently out of the Hyotei Tennis Club altogether, he didn't give a damn how genius the other was.

Oshitari shook his head, "What do I look like, stupid?" He put the kit away and walked back to the bed, sat down, and smirked. "No, I haven't personally, but I have thought about it. But word always comes around. And Atobe Keigo of Hyotei sneaking around making eyes at at Seigaku's Tezuka is big news."

"What?" Atobe shot up, genuinely alarmed, "Is that what they said about me?"

"Well, yeah...you weren't very inconspicuous, were you?" Oshitari wanted to laugh, didn't dare. Of course Atobe wasn't inconspicuous, he was Atobe, he had to advertise everything he did in the most flamboyant way possible, he probably didn't know how to be inconspicuous.

"Ore-sama wishes you'd go to hell." Atobe glared up at him.

"Oh, I probably am," Oshitari smirked, "Just wait a little longer. You'll probably join me." He shook his head, wanting to laugh again, "Come on, Atobe, cheer up, let's go have coffee, there's the new cafe that just opened."

Atobe looked around, he had to give this cafe some merit, although in his opinion, it was trying much too hard to be European, but he had to admit, he liked it, he turned around as was about to actually compliment his teammate on this fact when an all too familiar voice that never seemed to lose its feminine wont drew out--

"You're late. You told me you'd be here by five."

--Atobe promptly changed his mind and his face completely blanched.

Who else but Fuji Syusuke of Seigaku sat there at the table nearest to the door, arms crossed, smiling that smile that always meant he was up to nothing good. Atobe from past experiences was really beginning to hate that smile. He hated Oshitari too, especially the way his teammate sauntered over to the table, and settled a hand on Fuji's shoulder.

"Sorry, but I had to get a certain someone patched up. He cra—I mean walked into the fence. If I say crashed, he says it's distasteful."

Fuji's smile turned inquisitive, "Really? And...this is normal?"

"According to Atobe himself, I would think so." Oshitari nodded gravely. "Atobe, don't just stand there, come sit down." He pulled out the chair next to him.

Atobe did, very sulkily, and was determined not to look at Fuji unless he absolutely had to, instead, he concentrated his fury on a faint stain on the tablecloth, how unsightly.

Fuji was speaking again, "Ah, I see. Well, it's understandable, I mean, after what happened with the roses, anyone would be little put off."

"What happened with the roses again? You didn't tell me, you were but then you hung up because Yuuta-kun wanted something." Oshitari was enjoying this conversation way too much. Atobe glared harder at the stain, finding it more and more despicable.

"I didn't? Oh, well, anyway, it was pretty funny, Atobe didn't know that Tezuka was allergic to roses, and...you know, he made a scene. Inui recorded it on his phone, if you ask nicely I'm sure he'll send you a copy."

Oshitari laughed, "That's just like Inui, I'll be sure to do that." And then Oshitari remembered Atobe and turned to look at the boy in the seat to him, "...Atobe, you're red again."

"Will just you shut up?"

Fuji smiled, "Saa, Atobe, it's nothing to be ashamed of, your liking Tezuka." He had to shake his head, when Atobe was like this, stripped of all of his glory, he was actually quite amusing to watch. No wonder Oshitari enjoyed it so much. Well, if the Hyotei genius was willing to share, Fuji guessed that he'd might as well enjoy it too. "Of course the last person I'd expect to fall for Tezuka is you...but it's better you than some idiot."

Atobe looked up at last, "Go on, just kill me all at once, why don't you?" The idiot comparison hurt. It hurt more than Atobe ever thought it would.

Fuji's smile just slipped a little, "You really can't take a joke, can you, Atobe?" He shook his head, "Oshitari's only worried about you. I mean, walking into fences and getting knocked out by tennis balls can't be all that pleasant on a daily basis."

All geniuses were insufferable. If Atobe ever got what he wanted, he would do everything in his power imaginable and kick Fuji Syusuke off of the Seigaku Regulars, permanently.

"So?" Trying to not seem interested was more difficult than he thought.

"So I'll help you." Fuji smiled, a dangerous vixen smile. "But only because Oshitari's worried and Hyotei might stop functioning. Not because I want to. But I can help you get Tezuka. All you have to do is something very simple."

"I don't want to hear that from the likes of you." Atobe meant the cerulean eyes, still filled with too much mirth to suit him. "I hate you too, you know."

"I know. And I don't mind, it's not like I like you, either." Fuji returned.

"I don't want your help."

"Really?"

"Really. If all you're going to do is insult ore-sama, then I don't need your help." Atobe glared at Fuji, although he was a little bit flustered just the same because Fuji's smile didn't slip at all.

"I'll tell you a secret, then. It's about Tezuka."

Atobe hated himself for being intrigued. "What? It better be a good secret."

"It is." Fuji's smile seemed to widen, "I know who Tezuka likes."

Atobe looked hopeful. "Who?"

"It's not you." Fuji said, "But it could be."

"Who is it then?" Well, obviously it wasn't him, it couldn't be him, especially after the rose fiasco yesterday. Which was precisely the reason he hadn't gone to Seigaku today.

Fuji smiled, "Me."

TBC