A/N: So, I origianlly intended for Challenge to be a one-shot, but a few people asked for more, and I caved. This isn't the end either, and I'm not sure how long the entire thing will end up being. Also, I need a title for the entire story. Any suggestions?

Charm

Tezuka couldn't for the life of him figure out why he had agreed to go out on a date with this narcissist. Well, he hadn't exactly agreed, it had been a deal; if Tezuka won, Atobe would stop chasing after him, but if Atobe won their match, Tezuka would accompany him to dinner. But he couldn't remember why he had consented to the bet in the first place, or why he had lost, for that matter. If he had moved just a bit quicker, if he had reacted a little faster, he could have reached that last return. He could have, but he had let it go, and consequently lost the match. And now here he was, sitting in an overly expensive, extravagant restaurant, Atobe Keigo smiling at him from across the table.

"You don't look like you're enjoying yourself, Tezuka," Atobe remarked, placing an elbow on the arm of his chair and leaning his chin and the backs of his fingers.

"How would you know? You can't see my face," the brunette reminded him from behind his menu, shifting slightly in his seat, "Besides, I don't recall enjoying myself as being part of the deal." He closed his menu and carefully placed it down on the table.

"Well then, I suppose I'll just have to turn up the charm," he said, brushing back dark bangs, "Have you decided on what you're ordering?"

Tezuka nodded curtly and Atobe beckoned their waiter over with a snap of his fingers. The server bowed to Tezuka, and then more deeply to Atobe, before taking their orders and once again leaving them alone.

Tezuka resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose as he sat there with Atobe, who was, for once in his life, being quiet. The brunette had to fight not to squirm under Atobe's gaze, dark blue eyes looking at him intently. Tezuka almost wished that Atobe would start talking if only to fill the awkward silence. Almost. However, at this point, he would give nearly anything if Atobe would only stop staring at him like that. It felt as if the other boy could see right through his, past his false façade, past that constant air of confidence that he put on. He hated feeling this vulnerable, he hated feeling like he wasn't in control. Yet at the same time, it was almost… relieving. When he didn't have to hide behind a stony visage because it was of no use, he was almost able to relax. But he didn't; Tezuka didn't want to let Atobe see him act any differently from how he normally did.

He was dragged from his thoughts when he noticed someone come to stand beside him. The waiter has returned, and was now filling his glass with a pale golden liquid. Tezuka looked at it curiously, and then turned to Atobe, lifting a questioning eyebrow.

"Sparkling cider," Atobe informed in, chuckling when he noticed the almost indistinguishable surprise on Tezuka's face, which remained for only a brief second. "I don't need to resort to getting you drunk to ensure that you have a pleasant time." He lifted his lifted his glass to his lips and took a sip, eyes never leaving Tezuka.

Tezuka shut his eyes tightly. Of course they wouldn't serve alcohol to minors, even if it was Atobe. He chided himself for his momentary lapse in judgment, but at this point, he thought he might have preferred it that way.

"You're being uncharacteristically quiet tonight, Atobe," Tezuka commented, adjusting his glasses, "I thought you were going to 'turn up the charm'."

Atobe smirked. "Silence can be charming all in itself." He adjusted the collar of his silken lavender shirt, and then tugged gently on the lapels on his black suit jacket so that it fell properly against his chest. Tezuka had to admit that Atobe looked nice tonight. The boy knew how to dress. The clothes hugged his chest nicely and accentuated his broad shoulders. Leaving the two top buttons undone was a nice touch too, Tezuka mused.

As if reading his thoughts— or he might have just followed his eyes, Tezuka supposed— Atobe's smirk deepened and he gave Tezuka an all-knowing look. Tezuka mentally slapped himself for making another slip-up like that. He never let his guard down like this, so why did he keep stumbling when around Atobe? He considered asking Atobe why he was looking so smug, so that it would seem like he hadn't just been ogling a bit of bare skin, but he didn't get the chance before their meals were being set down on the spotless white table cloth.

They ate their food without speaking, and it made Tezuka all the more uncomfortable. While he didn't have conversation to distract him, it caused him to notice things more acutely. For example, the light scent of Atobe's cologne, or the way the heir ate so daintily, instead of stuffing his face like many teenaged boys Tezuka knew. In order to remain seemingly composed, he had two options; he could either stare at his food like it were the most interesting thing he had seen in days, or he could look at Atobe. He chose the former, not wanting to take the risk of anything betraying the confident look he had done his best to paint on his face. As for Atobe, he hadn't taken his eyes off Tezuka for more than a moment. Tezuka couldn't stand it. But at the same time, it felt wonderful. He currently felt like a living contradiction.

When they had both finished eating surprisingly quickly, most likely because that hadn't paused to talk, Atobe paid the check with a flourish, despite Tezuka's attempts to cover his half. They had then both exited the restaurant, stepping out onto the sidewalk, flooded with the dim light of street lamps. The streets were, for the most part, empty.

"Where's your limousine?" the taller boy asked, rather anxious to get home.

Atobe glanced at him and chuckled. "Don't tell me you've become dependent upon it after only one ride?" he inquired, his tone sarcastic. He ran his fingertips through his hair and then shrugged indifferently. "I thought we might take a walk," he said, turning to start down the street.

Tezuka looked after him for a moment, eyebrows furrowed and the corner of his mouth twitching, and then followed after him. Their footsteps seemed to echo in the calm night air as they hit the pavement. Save for a few people here and there and the occasional passing car, the streets were calm that Sunday night. Tezuka walked a few paces behind the other boy, thinking about what had happened so far that night. The date had been, to say the least, unpleasant. He had felt awkward the entire time, not knowing what to say when Atobe had let silence hang over them for nearly the entire time. And when he did speak, the only thing that left the heir's mouth was one snarky comment or another. It was hardly chivalrous, not Tezuka felt cheated because of the lack thereof it, but he would have appreciated some level of politeness.

He was startled from his thoughts when he bumped into someone in front of him. He blinked and looked down to see Atobe looking at him questioningly. He had been so consumed by his reverie that he hadn't noticed that the other boy had stopped. He looked around and found that they were standing in front of the entrance a public park. He turned his gaze back to Atobe, but the other boy had already moved from where he had been standing, and was now walking through the gates of the park. Tezuka bit back the urge to turn around and walk home, instead trailing behind Atobe into the park.

They followed the path for while, Tezuka still keeping the distance of a few feet from Atobe. He watched the heir from behind, who now had his hands his pockets, his steps slow and casual. He looked at ease as he walked, his dark suit blending in with the night air, moonlight accentuating his hair, which was only a few shades lighter.

Suddenly, Atobe stopped, standing still for only a moment before strolling off the path and onto an open grassy area. Tezuka waited until Atobe had stopped in the middle of the small field before walking after him. When he reached the other boy, Atobe smiled at him briefly before looking up to the sky.

"The stars are beautiful tonight," Atobe commented.

Tezuka frowned. "You can hardly see them with all of the city lights," he replied, scanning the sky above him, which was only dotted with a few scant stars.

"How romantic of you," the heir remarked wryly, sighing.

They stood there silently for a few minutes, Atobe never moving from his spot, and Tezuka was beginning to feel the need to fidget. He looked around at the empty park, and then at his watch.

"They're a lot like emotions, you know," he heard Atobe say.

"The stars?" he asked, looking up at him.

Atobe nodded, gaze never leaving the night sky. "It's hard to tell how they'll develop while they're still forming. Some burn more brightly than others, some live longer than others," he began, now turning to look at Tezuka, "And some last seemingly forever before finally burning out."

Tezuka didn't reply. He wasn't sure how.

"Come on," Atobe said, "I'll drive you home."

Once again, Tezuka followed him without uttering a word. But this time it wasn't because he didn't want to seem like he was desperately trying to fill the silence. It was because he was genuinely at a loss for words.

He was arrogant, self-righteous, materialistic, spoilt, generally intolerable, and Tezuka was currently losing sleep over him. The brunette sighed and rolled over once more, pulling the blankets over his shoulders and shutting his eyes. He had been lying in bed awake for an hour and a half now, and he was still unable to fall asleep, though it wasn't for a lack of trying.

However, whenever he closed his eyes, he would see that face. At times he thought he could still hear his voice and smell the distinct scent of his cologne. It was ridiculous. The entire situation was completely ridiculous.

Tezuka Kunimitsu was losing sleep over Atobe. Atobe, who had taken him on a horrible date. Atobe, who had spent the entire night making smug remarks or not speaking at all. Atobe, who aggravated him to no end.

Atobe, who always managed to say the perfect thing at the last minute. He would say something that would leave Tezuka completely baffled. No one had ever left him so entirely unsure about how he was feeling.

Tezuka rolled onto his back and kept his eyes firmly shut, finally drifting off after some time, still enraged. Because all he could think about was Atobe.