Title: Boy and girl?

Fandom: Prince of Tennis

Pairing: Atobe Keigo/Tezuka Kunimitsu

Rating: T (PG13~R)

Genre: AU, romance, comedy

Warnings: gender-bent boys who refuse to act like girls, general craziness

Summary: Enter Oshitari Yuushi, the troublesome, meddling genius, to the mix, and what do you get? Maybe taking Tezuka to Hyoutei wasn't Atobe's best idea ever, after all.

Disclaimer: I own nothing under the name of The Prince of Tennis. The characters belong to their creators (manga author Konomi Takeshi, the studio that made the anime). I write the story for fun, I make no profit from this.

A/N: I'm sorry writing this chapter took so long. Real life outside of fanfiction exists, unfortunately, and can sometimes be a real pain... Enjoy, anyway! The next chapter will be up much sooner :)


Atobe Keigo knew one thing for sure: he was magnificent, his whole existence was a great blessing for the entire world and obviously, everybody adored him and worshipped even the ground he stepped upon with his perfectly polished, shiny shoes. He was an ideal, a perfection if there ever was one, and naturally as such, he deserved only the best the world had to offer: the finest clothing adorning his god-like body (he might have been only fourteen, but that certainly didn't mean his toned, slim body wasn't godly and, of course, desirable like every other part of his charming person); the most expensive cosmetic products to help pronounce his beauty; the highest level of education, provided by Hyoutei Gakuen; the most luxurious living arrangements, because somebody as glorious would not be able to bloom in a place that didn't ensure his comfort; the loyal group of devoted followers (he had two – his fangirls, who were delighted to bask in his presence whenever he was in the mood to grant them that honour; and his tennis team, but they wouldn't exactly be thrilled to hear themselves being called Atobe's followers); and, last but not least, an awe-inspiring set of skills and abilities. He was impressive in whatever he did, the list starting with studying (only Oshitari could keep up with him in the grades department, to be honest, and only sometimes), moving on to his musical aptness, and ending with what seemed the most important to him: his tennis.

Oh, yes, his tennis was a miracle, a true gift from the gods of Olympus (Atobe was particularly fond of Ancient Greece and its philosophy and mythology, thus he found the metaphor fitting). But what would his skills and glorious victories mean without a worthy opponent, a rival who could stand on equal grounds with Atobe and would provide a challenge, a constant need to improve what was already perfect? It was only natural that, in order to truly become the world's number one champion, he had to find an opponent matching him in skills; it was his own preference, however, that discarded the possibility of choosing many terrific tennis players who wouldn't – couldn't – compare to him in either beauty or intellect. For the longest time, he couldn't be satisfied; he knew he was the only flawless person in the whole world, yet it was entirely impossible for there not to exist someone who could at least come close.

Until, one fateful day, Atobe saw Tezuka Kunimitsu for the first time.

Actually, back then, he didn't really expect the thin, big-eyed boy in totally unfashionable glasses to ever become such an important part of his life. Tezuka was plain and didn't really stand out – that was, until he stepped onto the court and defeated Hyoutei's then-captain. Atobe couldn't tear his gaze away from the other boy for the whole match. He wanted to be on that court instead of the useless captain. That match was obviously meant for him! He could only watch, though, and imagine himself responding to every mesmerizing move Tezuka made.

Tezuka probably never noticed him (even if Atobe did butcher up his captain during his own match), but it didn't matter. That day was the moment when Atobe finally found his worthy rival. After that, nobody even came close to starting a fire in Atobe's soul similar to the one that kept blazing even so long after his first encounter with Tezuka.

Because Tezuka Kunimitsu was, for lack of a better word, perfect. Observing him for the longest time, always hidden, always from afar, Atobe learned that there existed many kinds of perfection and he wanted to battle Tezuka fiercely on court, and defeat – destroy – him, the more he knew about him. Because Tezuka's cool, quiet magnificence was equal to Atobe's passionate and flamboyant one, the heir wanted nothing more than to show his ultimate superiority over his destined rival.

When he finally did face Tezuka on court, he found that it was completely different from what he'd imagined. It was... more. Just... everything about it was more, so much more. The intensity of the match surprised Atobe, but not as much as the fact that at some point of the game, his objective changed dramatically. Winning or losing were no longer of any importance, what mattered was now. And "now" consisted of Tezuka, of intensity, of pain, of adrenaline rushes, of dark eyes fixed on his every move, of a passion on the brink of insanity.

This, Atobe thought. This is the kind of tennis I should play. This, and I never want anything else.

They shone brightly until the very last seconds of that heated duel, and even as, by pure luck, Atobe won, that radiance Tezuka gave off still wouldn't disappear. Atobe knew he was high from the intensity, from the exhaustion, from adrenaline, sweat and pain, but he also knew that if Tezuka vanished from his life now, it would lose all the shiny brilliance and would never make sense anymore. The knowledge was followed by a rather startling realization: not only did he find Tezuka his most worthy rival... not only did he admire the stoic captain of Seigaku – which was strange, as he didn't typically admire anyone – he was also very much in love with the other boy.

This was certainly uncalled for, but not entirely unwelcome. It actually seemed rather logical; because Tezuka was Atobe's equal, his magnificent, beautiful, fearsome and intelligent rival, he was the only person in the world who could be compared to him and wouldn't pale in comparison. Tezuka was special and it didn't matter that was a boy. Atobe didn't care – at this point, he knew that there was nobody else who could make him feel what Tezuka did, and the fact that they were both boys had no meaning whatsoever.

Of course, now, Tezuka was a girl, much to his own (and Atobe's, but the heir would not admit it, as he claimed to be un-surprise-able) astonishment. And, being Tezuka, the captain of Seigaku still gave off that radiance which drew Atobe to him in the first place. His physical appearance changed, but his mentality didn't – which was sure to bring trouble, and soon.

By the end of the first period, "Mitsuko-chan"already had a fanclub, even though "she" hadn't talked to a single person besides Atobe and the teacher. Impressive. Of course, this was Tezuka; Atobe decided it was only understandable that somebody else but him would notice the other's unmistakable charm. Really, it wasn't as if he were jealous or worried, or anything.

As long as Tezuka only talked to him and nobody else, anyway.

Introducing the Seigaku captain as Katou Mitsuko, the daughter of one of his father's associates from as far as Germany, was too easy. Tezuka's fluency with the language contributed to the idea, and well, who would ever be able to see through it? To the Hyoutei Gakuen students, it was absolutely normal for the new kids to be from abroad, or to be somehow related to Atobe's father's business.

Actually, in their world, everything was related to Atobe in one way or another. And it was not that strange that the heir suddenly brought a girl to school, called her "Micchan" (much to her dismay, from what everybody could gather) and had her live in his house. Hyoutei was just... interesting like that. They didn't ask questions – in case someone would answer them. They certainly didn't want that.

'That's an intriguing little miss ya brought in, Atobe,' commented Oshitari Yuushi in his purring, appreciative voice that a fourteen-year old boy really should not possess. He looked Tezuka over, starting of course from the shapely legs and ending with the face, at which his trademark lazy smirk grew into an outright grin. 'Very intriguing, indeed,' he murmured.

Later, Atobe would admit to himself that he had underestimated the infamous genius of Hyoutei. Oshitari Yuushi was almost as intelligent as Atobe himself, although he had a strange tendency to devote his uncanny intellect to completely insubstantial matters, like gossip and annoying others. He was also a pervert and the laziest person in the universe, surpassing even Akutagawa Jirou in the matter – Oshitari was supposedly too lazy to even fall asleep, so he just went around, doing nothing and looking bored.

Somehow, even though he seemed to lack any redeeming qualities whatsoever, the genius still had a fanclub of his own (which consisted of girls and boys alike – Oshitari had said on many occasions that he wasn't picky about such unimportant things as gender when it came to romance. And his insufferable charm made people actually love him more for such daring statements instead of bashing him for being so open about it. Of course, it hardly mattered, since Atobe suspected that in the world he was living in, heterosexuality was a minority. Figures.). And, to be completely honest, he did have a sharp mind that could analyse and bind any observed facts lightening-fast. He usually used it to create gossip more effectively and more often than not, rumours he invented hit really close to home. It was understandable, thus, that one look at Mitsuko's face told him everything he should know to make the connection.

'We need to talk, na, Atobe?' Oshitari suggested with a grin that said something along the lines of, Oh, I know your secrets and you will explain the rest, or the whole school might accidentally learn something they shouldn't.

'There is nothing to talk about,' the heir said, his stern expression threatening. If you tell anyone, you will suffer my wrath. I will make sure you, your entire family, everybody you love and Rikkai's Sanada Genichirou, are ruined, oh, and that's just the beginning, because by the time I'm finished destroying your life, there will be legends about it for the future generations to know.

Yes, Atobe said all that with one threatening glance. He was just that magnificent. But Oshitari, unfortunately, was completely resistant to Atobe's magnificence – and, even more, to his threats – so he simply raised his eyebrow before winking at "Mitsuko".

Who, needless to say, didn't even flinch. Atobe, were he any less of a flawless god-like being, would have envied Tezuka the stoicism. Alas, as it was, envy didn't exist in his life, unfitting for somebody as perfect as himself. By the way, neither did jealousy. And any other bad personality traits.

'Can we please head to our second period, Atobe?' Tezuka asked, as if a fierce battle wasn't being fought for his sake right at that moment. Atobe wondered if the other captain was that oblivious, or if he simply chose to ignore any deviations from the norm that he encountered. If the second option be the case, well, good luck, Tezuka. And welcome to Hyoutei, wherein the normal doesn't lie. Beware, there be monsters (and fangirls)! 'I don't want to know what Rikkai's Sanada has got to do with this, I just don't want to be late for my lessons. Or is it common courtesy for the Hyoutei students to ignore the rules in favour of their own business?'

'Oh, I can clearly see there is nothing to talk about,' said Oshitari, a smug expression adorning his face in reaction to Tezuka's words. Atobe wanted to hit him, or strangle him, but did neither. Instead, he turned to Tezuka, who seemed as disinterested in the whole exchange as he could only be.

'Let us go, Micchan. I'm pretty sure you will enjoy our next lesson. Your father was kind enough to inform me that you are particularly enthusiastic about History,' the heir said, deciding to ignore Oshitari for the time being. He gently pushed Tezuka's back to indicate that yes, they were going to their next class, just like he wished.

Tezuka hesitated, though. And he looked sad, for some unfathomable reason. Was it because his family was mentioned? The heir, who wasn't really that fond of his parents (just like they didn't care all that much for him, as long as he was perfect and didn't soil the good name of Atobe), but he imagined that Tezuka was quite different than him in that matter. His numerous spies rarely did manage to gather any info regarding Tezuka's private life, but when they did, Atobe was always amazed at the soft side of Tezuka that the other captain would sometimes show at home.

He must have missed his parents. And his team-mates, too, most probably. Being separated from everything a person knew and thrown into a completely new environment with little to no familiar elements around was tough. Atobe knew that. He was there many times before, reliving the nightmare in all of the schools he'd been in before coming from Europe to Japan, to Hyoutei, where he finally did find his place.

'You do realize, Atobe, that I also attend the same History classes as you do?' Asked Oshitari, following them like an annoying stalker. Well, Atobe couldn't do anything about him for now but roll his eyes and go along with it. He would deal with the irritating genius and his irritating wit later. For now, they really needed to get to class. Atobe Keigo was NEVER late for his lessons.


After a few more lessons – which, coincidentally, Atobe and Tezuka shared with Oshitari, much to the heir's dismay – the trio headed to the cafeteria for lunch. Atobe could tell this was something new to Tezuka, who, after all, attended a traditional Japanese school, which Hyoutei was not. While in Seigaku, students most probably ate their lunches from the boxes prepared at home, Hyoutei had a restaurant-quality cafeteria (as saw to by Atobe, who could not stand sub-standard food) with a beautifully decorated interior and well-qualified staff.

They took a table and all three of them sat down with their chosen meals; nobody bothered them. Atobe knew why, of course – because nobody would ever dare trouble him while at lunch break, unless their business was that urgent. It almost never was. They ate in relative silence, enjoying their food (and, in Atobe's case, enjoying the view of Tezuka as the other captain was taking bite after bite of his grilled eel). When they were done with the food finally, Oshitari (who finished first, despite having had the most enormous serving of different foods he could fit on his tray; his friends suspected that he kept a whole family of tapeworms in his stomach) looked really determined. Atobe understood he could not put it off – the three of them had to have The Talk.

'This is an interesting situation,' the genius started. 'I'm sure all of us know what is going on, however, I seem to be the only one deprived of the information on how. I want that information.'

'So that you could run around blabbering about it to others, no doubt,' Atobe replied, sarcastically. Tezuka said nothing. He was looking at the tablecloth (white, with a little, blue flower-print), and his face carried no expression whatsoever.

He sat like a boy, with parted legs, not minding the skirt at all – which Atobe noticed only now, much to his horror. Fortunately, the table hid everything which could be seen otherwise, but either way, this was still very improper. He had to teach Tezuka how to wear women's clothes with dignity (not that he knew from experience – he just noticed those things, of course). He'd do it later, though.

'You're hurting my feelings, Atobe,' Oshitari said, making a mock-hurt face. Noticing that his "pain" was pretty much ignored, he sighed. 'Well, this is a special case, right? I wouldn't go around telling people stuff like this. See, first of all, it seems kind of serious, okay. And the other thing is, nobody would believe me if I told them. You have to admit that a story about Seigaku's gorgeous captain turning into a girl and attending Hyoutei is more than a little bit far-fetched, now isn't it?'

To this, Atobe had to admit Oshitari had a point. Yesterday night, when Tezuka in his new form had come to him asking for help, he had trouble believing the whole situation wasn't just a strange dream. The fact that the other captain was close to tears didn't do much to convince him otherwise. Now, he realized that the crying had to be caused by the sudden change of the whole hormonal system in Tezuka's organism; going from male to female in a short amount of time must have been a strain not only on his mentality, but also on his poor, confused body... Atobe knew this now, but last night, when he encountered the crying girl in an over-sized school uniform, everything just seemed too bizarre to be true.

'... I don't know if I can tell you anything,' the heir said after giving it some thought. 'I might be in charge for now, but it is not my call whether we let anybody know or not.'

'I don't mind,' decided Tezuka, speaking up for the first time since the beginning of the lunch break. 'Oshitari knows anyway, so it doesn't matter if he knows how everything happened. Maybe he will be able to help come up with a solution.'

'If you say so,' Atobe just shook his head. He couldn't really picture Oshitari actually doing anything useful, especially consciously. The genius seemed to love his uselessness. It usually meant nobody asked him for anything, which was absolutely fine by him.

With Tezuka filling in the fine details, Atobe told Oshitari the whole story of the unlikely transformation. It took a good portion of their remaining lunch break, but it was okay, since they had nothing to do anyway. Atobe didn't want to go and meet up with the tennis team, figuring that it would be rather risky. Oshitari was one thing, they couldn't avoid him finding out, but the others? Oh no, they certainly didn't need the loud and annoying brats of the Hyoutei team to know. They had to hide "Mitsuko" from their sight for as long as they could.

Oshitari could help.

'Ya always drink suspicious stuff from some freak, na, Tezuka?' The genius asked, giving Tezuka a look full of disbelief and some strange kind of respect, mixed with amusement. 'I mean, that Inui guy might be from your team, but he's still weird. See what he did to ya?'

Tezuka didn't reply. Neither did Atobe, at least not verbally. He didn't hesitate to kick Oshitari in the shin under the table, though. Really, as if insulting anyone was ever a good course of action! And insulting a Seigaku player in front of Tezuka? Smooth, Oshitari. You're an idiot. Yet, Tezuka didn't react at all, apart from maybe staring even more intently at the flower pattern on the tablecloth. Was it really that interesting? But it was only a small blue flower print...

'Ya know, I don't get one thing,' the genius said, after glaring at Atobe and massaging his aching shin. 'What's there to hate about the situation? I mean, man, if I were to become a chick for some time, I'd have so much fun!' There was definite glee in his eyes; he must have imagined himself as a girl, having fun. It sounded scary enough.

'Harassing Rikkai's Sanada, without a doubt,' guessed Atobe, who knew his genius well enough.

'Oh, ya bet. That guy wouldn't be able to resist me anymore, were I a pretty girl like our Micchan. He'd be all over me!'

'As opposed to you being all over his, pretty much disinterested, self?' Asked Atobe, raising an elegant eyebrow. He wasn't sure why he was engaging in this conversation which, he was sure, would soon turn disturbing if he let the subject drag on. Oshitari was a pervert normally, but when it came to Sanada, well, most people really didn't want to know. Really.

'Na, Atobe, if I didn't know better, I'd think ya were being rude to me,' said Oshitari, narrowing his eyes. He looked a bit like an angry cat. Well, at least he wasn't purring in self-satisfaction. 'I swear if ya say one more word concerning my... opinions... about that guy, I will share some of your opinions about Tezuka, with our dear Micchan. You wouldn't want that, would you now?...'

'You wouldn't dare,' challenged Atobe, fully aware that he might come to regret it.

'Try me,' threatened Oshitari, accepting the challenge with an unusual fire in his eyes.

Tezuka cleared his throat.

'I believe we only have a few minutes left to get to our next class. Would you please have your fight after school? I don't want trouble,' he said, getting up. The two boys blinked, but followed him unusually obediently, which earned them a small nod of acknowledgement.

It seemed Tezuka didn't lose his commanding aura even as a girl.

They had no choice but to head to class; in his mind, Atobe promised Oshitari some kind of revenge (most probably in the form of a thousand laps around the school grounds at the afternoon training, if the other even turned up for training; since their loss to Seigaku, tennis practices weren't all that regular for the third years – after all, they had nothing left to train for), but decided to forget it for now. With a bright smile of unrivalled magnificence, he led his only worthy rival to their next class, wondering only briefly what other problems they would get into.

Because, no doubt, they still had a lot coming.