Raising The Bar

By: Smash41KMF

Disclaimer: I do not own The Prince of Tennis, but I do own this story and Kathryn!

Chapter Twenty-One: The Other Father

Hiya guys and peeps, I'm back and I'm feeling great about this story, I love Fuji and I love the thought of how he's so sweet, oh it'd be so great if he were really real, I'd sooooocall dibs!

By the way, thank you to EVERYONE who reviewed, favorited, or alerted my story! I love you guys, and thank you sooooo much!

By the way! Atobe will also be going in and out of being ooc, but he'll be mainly ooc with only Hikaru, and perhaps Sam later on, but with everyone else, he'll be the good old atobewe all know and love! Anyways, Enjoy!

After darting upstairs, I flopped onto my bed, and withdrew my phone from my school bag, staring at the screen and contemplating. He said that he'd call, but I really wanted to talk to him... oh well. I flipped open the phone and dialed his number.

"Hello?" Atobe glared at his dad, but the older man grinned evilly.

"Ahhh... you sound different over the phone..." the other end replied, and his father grinned even more, causing the younger Atobe to squirm slightly.

"I suppose that's the wonders of technology, my love." the older Atobe chimed happily, enjoying the unease of his son.

"Um, okay? Anyways... about earlier...?" the voice began, but before they could continue, The older Atobe sighed dramatically.

"Darling, there's nothing to worry about, what happened was a mistake, and it shouldn't have even occurred in such a public place." his father answered, and Keigo winced at the sweet sounding ring in his father's voice.

"You're right, and I'm sorry..." his father cut the other end off again, and Keigo swallowed, he was really, really hoping Hikaru could recognize that it wasn't really him.

"I accept your apology, sweetheart. Maybe we should just keep our distance for a little while until things start to settle down?" his father suggested, and Keigo's eyes grew, and the son lunged for the phone, but instead he the seat on the other side of the limo, before being thrown onto the floor when the car stopped.

"Maybe we should...but what was that noise, and are you feeling okay? You're acting a little weird..." the other end asked, and the older Atobe refrained from growling...

"Look, stop being so nosy, okay?" Keigo sat wide-eyed, terrified to imagine what would happen if his father continued talking to Hikaru. "I was trying to be polite, but I think I might as well get it out now! I never want to see your commoner likes ever again! I hate you, and everything that has happened between us has been out of my sympathy, but you're just a street rat that is trying to dine with civilized people. I don't ever want to see you again." He couldn't do anything, and just sat and watched his father spit at Hikaru through the phone, and he felt horrible. 'I said that I'd protect her... #!*% it!'

"Uhhhh...what exactly are you saying? I don't understand, why are you telling me this?" This time the older Atobe did growl, and Keigo hung his head.

"Because I want you to go to #!*% , commoner #!*% . And stay the #!*% away from my son! He doesn't need you interferring in our lives, besides..." Keigo's father looked at him with another evil grin, and Keigo paled, shaking his head desperately. "He's about to be engaged to a very wonderful young lady."

The other line went silent for a few seconds, and the older Atobe laughed victoriously, handing his son back the phone and leaving the car. "It's for you." he said, laughing as he watched the boy hesitantly take the phone and collapse onto the sidewalk, holding his head in one hand as he held his phone to his ear in the other.

"Hikaru, I-" he started, but the response shut him up.

"Atobe..." Keigo's eyes widened, and his head shot up, and he almost shouted in relief, but instead attempted to wince in order to keep up a fascade for his father to think it was still Hikaru as they entered the house, and Keigo was home-free (literally), and ran up to his room, shutting the door and sighing in relief.

"WHAT THE #!*% ? Do you really think that about Hikaru?" Keigo groaned, running a hand through his hair in irritation.

"No..." he sighed, sitting up and shaking his head. "No, I could never say that about you, Hikaru..." he said, and the other line scoffed.

"Don't act stupid, Atobe, you it's me-" Keigo cut the other person off, aware of the fact that his father was outside the door listening in.

"Shhhh...shhhh... it's okay... Please, stop crying...Hikaru..." He hated saying to the other person, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "You shouldn't listen to my father... please... I would never say that to you, ever... " Keigo said, and thankfully the other person caught on and played along.

"Put the phone on speaker, I had an idea." Keigo obeyed, setting the phone to speaker, while the other end began yelling in a high-pitched, girly voice. "Keigo Atobe, I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! How could you do this to me? Do you have any idea how this makes me feel? At all?" Keigo jumped back in surprise, silently applauding the other's acting skills as he heard his father's footsteps retreat. "I-"

"You can stop now." he said flatly, and the other end stopping, and becoming serious once again as Keigo took the phone off speaker and held it back up to his ear. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, but I do have one question." they said, and Keigo paused, dreading the upcoming question, because he knew exactly what it'd be. "Are you really about to be engaged?"

He sighed, shaking his head in aggrivation, before laying down on his back, and groaning, covering his face with his hands.

"Atobe, I want an answer." Keigo bit his lip, before answering hesitantly.

"Yeah..." he admitted ruefully, "I am..."

I blinked, looking at the clock on my nightstand and sighing. It was about 8:30 when he left the house, and it was nearing on ten o'clock, but the line was still busy, and he hadn't called. Sighing, I flipped shut my phone and crawled into bed and closed my eyes. 'He can leave a message...'

I know, I know: WTF? right? haha, yep, it's true, Atobe's getting engaged, and Hikaru is clueless, but who is that he is talking to? anyone want to guess? get it right, and your review will count as two? Plus, I have a contest for anyone wanting more chapters!

read my other story: The Vibrations of String.

it's a tezukaxoc, but when you get far enough, i won't say how far, but you'll realize something that connects these two stories, it's both ironic, and witty!

Anyone who gets it right, can pick who they want to get Hikaru's first kiss in the story, and the scenario in which it happens! And how the other is effected by it! Or they get to make up their own character and I'll use them in my story as Atobe's fiance.

Your choice! I want reviews!

But anyways...

OKAY! haha, I'm evil, I know! Anyways, stay tuned, it gets even better! And some major hikaruxatobe fluff is approaching in the upcoming chapters. And big bro moments too! I love this story!

However, the biggest question is... will Atobe try again? Or will they continue dancing around each other as the interruptions start to lose their sense of concidency? And what about Fuji? How does he handle the growing relationship between Hikaru and Atobe? Will he be able to accept the thought that he might not be able to win Hikaru over Atobe? or what will happen when Hikaru learns that Atobe's about to be engaged?

Take the poll on my profile for who gets Hikaru in the end! Please, I only have three votes!

And I need ideas for fujixhikaru events during school! Thanks!

Find out! Review for ideas, and guesses!

Enjoy!