Author's Note: Listening to the song "The End of Heartache" by Killswitch Engage has given me an idea for this multi-chapter story. Welcome to my angsty Dirty Pair story.

Notes before Start: In this story, since it seems to mainly be in the past, for now, the italics are the present, regular is the past. Just to leave out confusion.

Enjoy!

Chapter One: Seek Me

Heavy panting could be heard all the way from the other side of the door, even through the pounding raindrops on the roof and windows. It was about seven in the evening and he was sitting at his desk, glasses on the flat surface as he skimmed the notebook that held his answers. He didn't expect any interruptions, mainly because the rest of his team was busy with the same assignment, excluding the three second year regulars that had more mild assignments. He had heard that Mukahi was called in sick with a fever, so he wasn't even at school, let alone practice, for almost a week. No one was free enough to be at Oshitari's house, so he didn't know what to expect at his front door...

"What is it?"

With a small creeking noise from the hinges, the tensai of Hyoutei Gakuen's Tennis Club slipped open the door, immediately locking eyes with a soaking wet, panting, redheaded acrobat. His doubles partner looked feverish and, to top it all off, he was wearing nothing besides a pair of sweatpants and a child-sized tanktop; no shoes, no coat. Nothing to keep him warm.

"Gakuto! What are you doing?" He asked frantically, losing his cool for the first time, and grasped the slender wrist, tugging the shivering boy into his house. "What happened? You stayed home with a fever, why aren't you in bed?"

He received no answer, only a small whimper and the sight of the crown of Gakuto's red hair as the small boy stared at the floor. Oshitari watched as his partner kicked at nothing on the floor with his bare feet, looking for a distraction. Without a second thought, the tensai softly grasped the bottom of the feverish boy's chin, lifted his head up and looked at the distant eyes as they glanced quickly away, averting any contact.

"Gakuto!"

"Yuushi..." The redhead finally spoke, falling forwards into his partner, no longer conscious. All Oshitari Yuushi could do was wrap his arms tightly around him and lift him, carrying him to his bedroom; there was no way he was letting Gakuto out of his sight after this--at least not for a while.

Oshitari Yuushi sat, discontent, in his classroom, listening to his teacher ramble on about something he really didn't care about. He, being the tensai he was, knew everything anyway. He shouldn't even be in the grade anymore; he knew too much, much more than the teachers had. He had to literally force himself to remain awake and listen; it was so boring. And to conclude his dismay, he had heard from Atobe that Gakuto was stuck home with a fever, so he would be completely alone during practice. He might just have to stay on the benches with Jirou, the adorable Sleeping Beauty.

"Oshitari Yuushi-kun," the teacher spoke, addressing the tensai for his attention. "Would you please answer the question on the board?"

The blue-haired boy looked up, snapping out of his daze before he shook his head. "No." With that, he pushed his chair out and stood, walking towards the classroom door. Not sparing even one glance, he turned the handle, pushed forward, and walked out into the hallway. He had to find Atobe for answers.

"Atobe."

"What is it, Oshitari? You pulled Ore-sama out of class, though Ore-sama's really not complaining," the self-proclaimed 'King of Tennis' said with a snap of his fingers, giving the tensai a look before he continued. "Ore-sama does not want to stay after school because of work missing when he could very well be kidnapping Tezuka."

"Atobe, shut up for a minute."

That literally made 'Ore-sama' shut up. No one ever really talked to him like that, especially not Oshitari Yuushi, Hyoutei's tensai.

"Why were you the one that was told that Gakuto wasn't in school because of a fever, and not me? He should have told me!" Oshitari was losing his cool, over Mukahi Gakuto, nonetheless. "He tells me everything!"

"Oshitari, calm down," Hyoutei's captain said, eyeing the other. "I didn't hear it from Gakuto." For once, he left out the 'Ore-sama' completely, giving the serious effect. "His parents called the school, Sakaki-sensei heard and told me. That's it."

Oshitari's face faltered as he stared at his captain. Gakuto was never sick--at least not sick enough for the school to contact Sakaki, the music teacher and tennis coach. "What's wrong with Gakuto?"

"Sakaki-sensei was very vague, but from what I heard, he only had a fever. All else, you'd have to get from the Mukahis. It's under strict word that nothing gets leaked into the school; only select teachers know."

Without further word, Atobe turned on heel and stepped away from the tensai. Flicking his wrist, he gave a silent farewell and reentered his classroom. Oshitari was left alone to his thoughts.

Practice was nothing without the redhead. Nothing. The tensai refused to play any form of tennis without his doubles partner because Gakuto was the one he worked well with most. It was plain and boring without the jumpy, acrobatic player. And no, Jirou didn't count because he wasn't as acrobatic...and he always slept.

"Oi, Oshitari-senpai," Ohtori started, fidgeting gently on his feet as he stood in front of the blue-haired boy. "Are...Are you going to practice today? Because--"

"No, Ohtori, I'm not," he stated firmly before he gave the slender blonde a glance. He fought the urge to lean over and pet his hair. He didn't mind most of the Regulars, especially the second years because they were so innocent, well, Hiyoshi wasn't too innocent--he had the intention of 'Gekokujou'ing a select few of his senpai, so he wasn't so innocent in Oshitari's eyes--but Ohtori...the innocence killed him. Jirou and Gakuto basically had Ohtori's innocence, though, Gakuto could be a bit more...forward sometimes.

... Gakuto.

He was reminded all over again about the fact that the acrobat wasn't in his presense...and he felt himself becoming distant; he didn't even notice Ohtori shyly creeping away from him, as well as the slightly fearful look his kouhai had given him. It wasn't very senpailike to frighten his kouhai, now was it?

Without a further thought, he had reached out and gently began petting the soft, blonde locks. He knew by now that that would never wake up a sleeping Akutagawa Jirou, mainly because it soothed him even more.

"Oshitari." He heard the firm voice of his tennis captain, as well as feel himself being blocked from the sun by a shadow. Atobe Keigo. "You should go home. You're in no condition to be staying here."

"Atobe, I have no need to go home. I'm just fine here."

"Ore-sama demands that you, Oshitari Yuushi, go home and rest."

It was final. No one goes against Atobe Keigo when he 'demands' something. Ore-sama was a very powerful man. No one was stupid enough to even try going against that. Not even Oshitari Yuushi, a tensai.

With that said, Oshitari stood, leaving the sleeping blonde alone, and walked to the locker room. He changed silently, grasped his tennis bag and dialed for one of his various limousines; after all, Hyoutei was the richest school in Tokyo. He awaited his ride to appear, got in, and went home.

Allowing himself to relax in the warmth of his home, he let out a sigh, the events of which occurred that day sinking in.

What was wrong with Gakuto?

End Note: Sorry it's so short. It's a sort of a prologue. I suppose...XD

Please let me know your opinion!