Disclaimer: KoiNoSeason will never own Prince of Tennis.

Merry Christmas! Yes now I'm working on three fics at once, but I plan on finishing the two before this soon. Besides, I think it's been a long enough time before I got the chance to write another Imperial Pair.

This one is dedicated to an enthusiastic supporter of this pair, Riri.

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Lesson 1- How to Call Each Other

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Crisp black jacket was worn over a collared white shirt, the traditional Gakuran uniform for males. His pants were smoothed out without wrinkles thanks to the care of his meticulous mother. The brunette had unruly hair, but it didn't affect his intelligent countenance hidden away by oval glasses. He was ready at least ten minutes before to take off to school before his tennis friend knocked on the door, early that morning.

"Good morning Tezuka," Fuji wore his usual smile, greeting his captain of the guy's tennis team. Tezuka only nodded back in reply before they set out to their school, Seishun Gakuen.

At school, not only was he an excellent model student and athlete, but also the head of the student counsel holding influential position over the others. His visage showed no signs of unneeded emotion, calmly assessing one thing or another without much opposition. On the contrary as he hit third year there were hardly anyone who didn't look up to him. His exceptional skill at convincing another with reason was perhaps unparalleled at least in this middle school.

As morning turned to noon, the intelligent male became a stunning athlete able to control thirty-three of his teammates with a simple command of voice. He performed the role of a second coach when the one guiding the team had business to attend to. He was all in all very responsible, feeling he carried much weight over his shoulders. But it was by will.

"Eiji!" Ooishi caught up to the cat like senior, a frown knitted upon his clear forehead, besides the two antlers. Excuse me, bangs. The acrobat flipped to the side, hiding behind Fuji where Ooishi scratched the back of his head uncertainly and giving up, walked up lazily retracing his steps until he bumped into Tezuka. "Oh…Tezuka, hi."

"Ooishi. What's the matter?" He dutifully asked his vice captain seeing the strained expression on the others face. At first, it looked like Ooishi was going to talk about it, but he decided against it striding past the brunette with a weary smile. Tezuka didn't mind, but he added. "Whatever the case is, yudan sezuni ikou."

Tezuka didn't know from when, but when he realized it, he had been uttering one phrase repeatedly. That was, "Yudan sezuni ikou," literally meaning let's go without letting our guards down. For the most part he seemed like an iron wall, his face never displaying much emotion and playing a flawless tennis while at times even leading the teachers in the right path. Then again, he was human. He had one large weakness that he concealed [and maybe not by will] other then the issue of his arm. And that is…

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Atobe Keigo walked out of the passenger seat of one exceptionally gleaming black car only to be greeted by the crowd of the female populace of Hyoutei Gakuen. Although he wore the same uniform all male students wore, he stood out by far. A younger, yet a much larger student walked behind him as the sea of girls parted while excitedly chattering amongst themselves. The bodyguard like male carried two leather bags close to his chest and tennis bags on his broad shoulder.

"Kabaji, I'm going ahead. I have a meeting with the student counsel," his words were uttered in barely a whisper, his tone stoic. The girls shrieked with delight upon hearing his voice and separated letting him pass.

"Usu," Kabaji replied while the crowd surrounded him next, orderly handing him letters they've written for the silver haired male.

As Atobe walked to the entrance, he had no more interruptions as it was understood he was the star of Hyoutei. More commonly known as 'King'. No one was able to reach him, let alone have a conversation without becoming weak in the knees. That is, with the exception of his tennis team, Kabaji being one although he barely spoke anything other then his confirming word.

After the meeting was over, Atobe returned to class. Half of homeroom was cut through, but it didn't appear that he missed much he hadn't reviewed before. Swiftly taking out his writing implements he easily grew bored during the end half of class when he already understood all of, and more, of the lesson. It was only the lunch bell that he found amusing after hours of repetitive scribbling.

The silver haired male stood up, ready to head to the student counsel room where he usually resided during break time, but stopped abruptly watching a form of a tall oddly familiar figure he couldn't place a name on walking through his door. Yes. His door.

Oh. He remembered. It's Oshitari.

No. He didn't forget. Rather, he tried to push it forcefully out of his mind because whenever the blue haired tensai entered his field of vision, something seemed to always go wrong. He crossed his arms, preparing for the impact.

And it did come, in the form of tears shielded only by his fake glasses and floral handkerchiefs. Atobe took a step back at the scene, making a mental note to have the top of his desk cleaned before he would sit down again. On cue, Kabaji entered and kept walking until he made a U-turn out the door undisturbed by the events occurring. He figured it wasn't his place to meddle, although Oshitari most likely wouldn't even have noticed.

"What are you doing here," the emperor stated in a monotone, and before the anguished drama queen, er, tensai could respond in incomprehensible wails, he cut him off. "Let me rephrase that. Get out of the room."

Kabaji decided that the matter was settled and strode back in the room, but a hand from Oshitari stopped him half way. "Waaaait, Kabaji, I'm not done yet." The confused second year went back outside, before Atobe spoke again.

"Kabaji, you can come in you know."

"U-usu…" The large male walked in again, only to be stopped yet again by the blue haired third year in distress.

"Atobe! Why are you so nice to Kabaji, but you treat me like a nuisance?" He slammed his handkerchief into the table along with his fists and the silver haired male recoiled raising a brow in frustration.

"And what are you if you aren't a-"

"No stop," The spectacled one flipped over dramatically raising the back of his hand to his forehead. "Since you are so curious as to why I am in tears, I'll tell you because you are my friend."

"No one asked-"

"It's a heartache that pains me," he said, not just to Atobe, but also to Kabaji and the bewildered students of Third Year Class A ready to evacuate as soon as the large second year unplugged the exit. "Why that Mukahi Gakuto…"

The said red haired acrobat wove past the obstacle and briskly walked up to the two at their desk with hands on his hips. "Yo, Yuushi. Hiyoshi said he had to do stuff so I'll eat lunch with you."

"Gakkun! Really? Yaaaay!" As if in a trance the tallest of the three smiled as if nothing happened a moment before. Gakuto shrugged and then left the room with the tensai. Atobe stared for a second or two, before turning his attention to Kabaji who appeared magically beside him while he spaced out.

"Kabaji," he said after a long silence while the younger waited for the silver haired male to speak or give him some kind of order. "Remind me why he is called a genius?"

"…………Usu. Atobe-san. …It is said that genius and crazy are different sides to a same coin."

"Okay."

Atobe Keigo was indeed a fine student, smart and hard working to the point of over exhaustion. He also became the captain of the Hyoutei tennis team in first year when he announced it at the entrance ceremony where he was the valedictorian. As the representative of the year, he spoke on the podium as he proclaimed to become the King of Hyoutei. He easily achieved that feat, but as years passed, he wondered if he made the right choice. Sometimes. Otherwise he was content with his school life. During practice he had no trouble making himself heard, or seen rather. Then heard.

He was not the type to have so much trouble, or need help from someone when he was unable to accomplish something. It just didn't happen. Kabaji was an exception, where he liked to tag along the vibrant male, for unspoken reasons. They had been childhood friends, inseparable, perhaps from the time Atobe gave Kabaji his picture book in their youth. And the large second year prized it even now after all those years.

However, the hard working male had a problem in hand without Oshitari having to go weird on him. And that problem was…

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Tezuka reached for his glasses and rubbed his lens with the edge of his sleeve. Then put them back on, returning to the awkward silence in his room. He sat at the edge of his bed, hardly watching the arrogant silver haired male that sat in his chair turned away from the desk. Neither spoke for the fifteen minutes since Atobe's arrival, the male not even commenting on how small he thought the room. Maybe it was better unsaid anyway. The brunette cleared his throat, ready to say something, but the other cut him off.

"It's been a whole week…since you asked me out but…" Tezuka nodded to Atobe's words slowly, dreading what was to come. The shorter male bit his lower lip gently before proceeding. "Nothings…happening."

"Atobe…"

It was true. Although they were the smartest and held the most influence in their respective schools neither of them was experienced in love. Well, Atobe seemed to be, but it was the first time he had liked someone of the same gender. Surprised at himself for it too, and didn't know what to do with a partner larger then himself. It was just awkward. Tezuka on the other hand, the whole experience was new to him. However, since Atobe was smaller then him, there were things he would have liked to do, but refrained not wanting to take the steps to intimidate the other. Yet, not being able to express himself clearly, he was stuck waiting for the silver haired one to make the first move.

How very wrong that was.

Atobe uncrossed his legs and shuffled through his bag, while Tezuka looked up at the other in confusion. Then he pulled out what looked like a small novel from the leather and held it out for the other to see. Clearly across the surface it was written. 'Guide to Dating' written by Ousitaurily U.C. in suspicious blue print underneath the title. The brunette twitched.

"Atobe, where did you get that?"

"Ahn? I don't know really… on the way home some guy on the streets handed it to me. He said I needed it," he shrugged.

"Atobe…" The brunette's eyes closed and he shook his head. "Have you not been told not to follow strangers who hands you candy?"

"Yes, and it isn't candy," he replied. Tezuka was over exaggerating and he had never been told that by his mother, but now that he knew Atobe had been told by his parents or guardian, he understood the reason why.

"Fine. Just don't follow a suspicious looking stranger next time," the captain of Seigaku sighed inwardly. "So…why did you take that out?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He tipped his head to the side, locks like molten silver sliding off his cheek and to his shoulder. Tezuka had to agree to that. There was only one use for that kind of book and it was to burn it. He shuffled through his drawer for matches, but Atobe read on. "Introduction…blah blah blah, Chapter 1: How to use this book…what the heck. Chapter 2: …Tezuka- you can't burn it."

The brunette put away his matches, though reluctantly, eyeing the book like it was something evil. The smaller male defended it.

"Okay. Step one, we have to call each other by name," he said after skipping through several pages, then chapters. For a moment the brunette wondered where the steps started. He didn't question it.

"Without letting our guards down?" He asked curiously. Atobe rolled his eyes.

"Kunimitsu."

Silence.

"Keigo…"

More silence. Then a shudder.

"This is harder then I thought…" Atobe mumbled fingering the golden letterings on that page. Tezuka consented with his nod, though he actually liked the name coming out his mouth. "I guess we'll just have to get used to it."

"Why don't we just stop if it makes you uncomfortable?" The brunette asked, although now he was the one enjoying it. Keigo, Keigo, Keigo… He had never been allowed to call him that before.

"No, we have to, or our relationship will never progress," talk about hard worker. He flipped through the pages again. "I guess…we can try one at a time. Like tomorrow."

"Right. Yudan sezuni ikou." Then with a slight hesitation, "Keigo."

And thus began the start of the two valedictorians learning a new subject they were not familiar with.

AN: Aha... xD Hope you liked it.

Next chapter is How to Hold Hands.