A/N : I promise, promise, PROMISE I will have a TezukaFuji scene at the end of the story, and I'll make it a real fluffy one as well but with every new chapter comes a new pairing! And yes, since we ran out of Seigaku bishies… ;D

There will be MizukiYuuta as well, but I've got it set for later.

Oh and I disclaim now onto the story already…

Chapter 5: Ootori x Shishido

"…and that's why I think we could exchange some information over a cup of- Hey! Where did he go this time?"

"Mizuki, just give up." Yuuta sighed behind his boyfriend and laid a hand on the shaking guy's shoulder. The older boy seemed to be in the middle of having another nervous breakdown.

Fuji sighed inside, but the smile remained on his face. It wouldn't be a good idea to try to pair Yuuta up with some other guy either. He would just have to swallow this.

"Fuji-san!" an unfamiliar voice came and Fuji stopped in his tracks. Looking over his shoulder he could see a tall boy with a friendly face in a Hyotei uniform.

"Hyotei's Ootori?" Fuji guessed and the other boy nodded. Fuji remembered the boy from Hyotei, being the only one who was actually somewhat humble from the whole bunch.

"Nice to meet you!" Ootori smiled and Fuji nodded this time, waiting for Ootori to speak. "I know I shouldn't be asking you this, and I definitely don't want to bother you! You must be so busy especially around Christmas time."

"You want me to fix you up with someone." Fuji cut in and Ootori's cheeks heated up. "I see I was right. Let me guess. It's your doubles partner, isn't it?"

"I-I know I have no right to ask! We don't even go to the same school." Ootori said, the blush on his cheeks not looking like it was going to fade away anytime soon. So Fuji was famous through out all of the schools now. Soon he would be known as the matchmaker instead of the tensai. Fuji pressed a chuckle back at that strange thought, that he still found amusing.

"Maa, it's alright. Of course I'll help you" he replied and Ootori's gaze hit the ground for a while.

"Fuji-san, do you think this is wrong?" the boy then mumbled and Fuji opened his eyes, confused at first before fully understanding the boy's question.

"No, I don't think it is." Fuji's voice was warm and he gazed the cross around Ootori's neck.

"But please do as I say." Fuji continued and Ootori's eyes shone just like a puppy's, agreeing to do anything. More games for Fuji to play. More challenges.

Now what could he come up with here? Oh, the possibilities…

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

Ootori returned to his fellow teammates with an embarrassed look upon his face. Maybe he should have thought twice before saying yes to Fuji. The rumors about him being a tensai in playing both tennis and people seemed to be true.

"Oi, Choutarou, what's the matter?" Shishido asked, where he stood with the other Hyotei doubles pair.

"Did you go and talk to Seigaku's Fuji?" Gakuto was immediately up with his usual teasing. "I've heard some things about his newest tricks."

Ootori gave a furious blush. "N-no, it was nothing like that!" He was so bad at lying and he saw how Shishido quirked an eyebrow hearing all this.

Ootori knew he would die of embarrassment if Shishido found out. He had to think of something fast to change the subject. What would his doubles partner say if he knew Ootori had requested such a favor?

"I was just heading out…to play. Shi-Shishido-san, do you wanna join?" Ootori hurried to say and looked hopefully at his senpai.

Shishido just observed him for a while. "No, thanks. I think I'll be on my way now. I've got some things to take care of today."

Ootori pressed out a small "ok" seeing Shishido swing his bag over his shoulder and walk off. The taller boy just wished Shishido didn't know and that he didn't suspect anything. Maybe it wasn't too late to take the request back.

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

/Create a situation where you need him to pretend to be your boyfriend. Create a situation where you need him to pretend to be your boyfriend. Create a situation…/ Fuji's words rang over and over again in Ootori's head. The boy hadn't been able to sleep at all the previous night, trying to think what he should do.

"Oi! Ootori, watch out!" Gakuto called out, snapping him back to earth or more precisely the court where he was playing against Oshitari and Gakuto, together with Shishido.

Shishido managed to get in between the ball and Ootori with his racket, and returned the ball that ended up hitting the net instead.

"Geez, you almost got hit!" Gakuto said from the opposite side of the court and he and Oshitari came up to the net.

"I think it would be best if we stopped here, before anyone gets seriously hurt." Oshitari said and picked the ball up from the ground.

Ootori turned to Shishido. "I'm sorry, Shishido-san."

"Concentration, concentration." Shishido mumbled and Ootori gave a nod. He definitely would next time.

"Hai, thank you for saving me." Ootori blushed and his use of words weren't missed by Gakuto who jumped over the net and laid an arm around Ootori's neck.

"Yes, it was indeed very heroic of Shishido." Shishido shot Gakuto a look, since one; he didn't like where that comment was leading and two; he didn't like Gakuto glomping Ootori like that, which Gakuto was well aware of himself as well.

"I bet it was something Fuji said! Did he tell you how to sweep your shorter than thou prince off his feet?" Gakuto winked at Ootori who blushed even more.

"No, that's not-"

"Why else couldn't you concentrate? What advice did he give you to get Shishido to be head over heels?…Or should I say heels over head?" Gakuto continued to tease and Shishido walked over to them finally and brushed the redhead off his doubles partner.

"We're not like you." Shishido stated snarkily, and although Ootori wasn't quite aware of exactly what his two senpai's were talking about, both Shishido and Gakuto had a perfect understanding. Ootori's mind was just too innocent to pick up on the real meaning behind Gakuto's words 'heels over head'.

Gakuto jumped to hang on Shishido's neck instead of Ootori's, only to annoy the otherwise grumpy boy even further.

"So, you've dropped hints and it's frustrating you that your partner is still only your partner in tennis?" Gakuto whispered into his ear, knowing Ootori was close enough to hear over half of it. "Maybe Yuushi could give you some advice on how to-"

"Why have you stopped practicing?" Atobe's voice came and the diva, sorry, captain appeared with Kabaji.

"Well that's because Ootori-" Gakuto started, but Shishido's reflexes on the court worked as good off the court and he cut in.

"We're already done praciticing. We won 6-4." Shishido said and Gakuto sent him first a glare saying no way in hell would we lose to you and with that score! Gakuto gave Shishido a tug on his arm, only to be elbowed off the grumpy third year.

"I won't stand you getting sloppy! Go and do some self-training until practice time is over!" Atobe ordered and turned on his heels.

"Ne, doesn't it seem that captain is somehow irritated with us today?" Ootori asked carefully as soon as Atobe had made his exit.

"That's because he's jealous over the rumors about Seigaku's captain and your matchmaker." Gakuto snickered. "So he's been a little on the edge lately."

"Souka…" Ootori mumbled.

"Call it his personal PMS." Gakuto said and winked at Ootori once. "Here, watch this." The acrobatic player raised his voice so that also Atobe was bound to hear it. "How's it going with Atobe and Tezuka by the way? Are they getting anywhere?"

Atobe froze in his steps and turned around to give a certain acrobatic player a piece of his quite irritated mind. "I'll have you know Tezuka is already involved with the tensai from his team!" Atobe shot back, knowing where Gakuto was going with his not-so-innocent remark.

"Involved?" Gakuto asked even more innocently than before.

"Yes, involved. As in having the same nightly activities you and Oshitari have…and occassionally during the daily hours too." Atobe snarled.

"Just occasionally?" Oshitari asked, a smirk quirking up on his lips.

Gakuto grinned victoriously. The captain had fallen into his trap. Yay him! "I didn't know you had those kinds of…nightly feelings for Tezuka. I just wanted to know if you had set up another match with him in the near future was all. If you had gotten that far to arrange a day for it yet?"

Atobe sent him one of his infamous death glares and replied in an ice cold tone, almost as professionally as Tezuka always did (due to all the training), "Not yet."

Gakuto gave a shrug and took Oshitari's arm. The two doubles pairs quickly exited the court, before Atobe could get on an even better mood and decide to punish them.

They started on their normal training, with Gakuto continuing to tease either or both Shishido and Ootori as he always enjoyed doing. But Ootori wasn't really listening today. All he could hear were those Fuji's words, starting to form inside his mind again. Then of course Fuji wouldn't think it was wrong for two men if he was involved with his captain…

While he was training Ootori tried his best to come up with something good to make Fuji's plan work, but found the task to be even harder than he had found it to be before.

Practice soon ended and Ootori noticed he hadn't gotten anywhere in his so-called scheme.

He and Shishido left the locker room together. After walking for a while Ootori suddenly stopped in his tracks staring past Shishido, who naturally also took a halt when his doubles partner did.

"What is it?" Shishido asked and Ootori swallowed, placing his gaze nervously on the shorter boy. "Shishido-san, can I ask you for a favor?" he piped out finally and Shishido gave a nod, the older boy's gaze observing him closely.

"I…It's Hiyoshi…" Ootori made up. "There have been some rumors about how everyone should get together on Christmas Eve, since there are so many new couples who wants to celebrate and Echizen from Seigaku was gonna tell how he's spent Christmas in America and we'd just do it all according to his traditions except for the fact that we'd celebrate it the previous night instead…you know, thanks to his boyfriend that is. Cuz Echizen would never…-"

"I've heard of it too. What of it?" Shishido cut in and paused then. "What about Hiyoshi?"

Ootori tried to collect himself. He didn't want to bore Shishido with news he had already heard, but he couldn't help that he started to babble when he got nervous.

"I think he's sort of gonna ask me to go with him…as his date." Ootori felt like scum, lying like this, but he was out of the ideas he had never actually had to begin with. Furthermore he was running out of time as well. "So, do you think that…since we are friends, right? That you could maybe…pretend to be my boyfriend for the evening? I trust you in this, so it would be a relief to me if it was you."

Shishido had to admit he was a little taken aback by the sudden request. "Um, sure."

"Really?" Ootori looked hopeful and Shishido gave him a nod. "Thanks, I will definitely pay you back in any way you want!"

"It's no problem. I know your religion is against those kinds of relationships, and you don't wanna be rude and reject him in person for it." Shishido shrugged and Ootori's face fell. His religion? Did Shishido really believe that to be a major object standing in between a relationship like that? A relationship between them?

"I mean, it's probably not the guy, but your faith that doesn't fit well with the situation. But he doesn't need to know that. All he will know is that you are taken and therefore he can't have you." Shishido then continued when Ootori stood there a bit speechless.

"O-oh, that's right! I, um, since we are supposed to be together as a couple already at the party and since he might ask me out before that…could we start pretending right away?" Ootori spoke again. "I'm sorry, I know I'm asking for a lot!"

"Okay, whatever." Shishido said, shooting a look past Ootori's shoulder. "Then you might wanna start now."

Ootori looked puzzled at him for a moment.

"Hiyoshi is heading our way. This could be the perfect opportunity to set your plan in action." Shishido pointed out and Ootori awkwardly closed the space between them, and hopefully making it look like they were more than friends.

"T-then, what do I do?" Ootori blushed and Shishido guided a hand behind his neck, making him lean in lower.

"It's alright with me if you kissed me." Shishido said it so easily and the blush spread all over the taller boy, his whole body tensing. "That is if you are allowed to, just this once. That'd atleast prove your situation to him and to everyone else. That you are mine."

Ootori felt some cold sweat run down his forehead over to his cheek. "I-I guess."

"Then do it. You're the top one, right?" Ootori wasn't quite sure what Shishido had meant by that statement, but apparently he was so to speak on top of the situation. Ootori also found it weird hearing Shishido's voice like that. It was so, he blushed again, seductive.

Yet in the midst of it all Ootori almost felt like there was something of an amusement on Shishido's features, but in that case the older boy did a great job concealing it. Ootori gave a doubtful nod, closing his eyes and very carefully placing his lips upon Shishido's.

How Shishido was able to take it all so lightly was a wonder to the taller boy. After all Ootori was kissing him. He had never meant to take his actions this far.

Insecurily Ootori let his lips move slightly against the other one's, not daring to break the kiss in case they were still being seen but at the same time wondering if Shishido wasn't gonna push him away soon, accusing him for insulting him like this.

But Shishido didn't do anything to indicate that it was enough and after a while Ootori slowly parted, face red as a tomato.

That wasn't exactly how he had imagined his first kiss to be like, although he had secretly hoped Shishido would be the one to have it. "I-is he gone?" he asked, not daring to open his eyes yet and see for himself.

"He's been gone for a while now." Ootori snapped his brown eyes open in shock. He knew it! He had been molesting his teammate and Shishido had just been too decent about it and hadn't pushed him away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know!" he bowed lower than Shishido was high. "T-thank you, Shishido-san." Ootori's voice shook as he tried to collect what was left of his dignity, but it all fell apart as soon as he finally brought himself to look Shishido in the eyes. Those dark ones were now loaded with suspicion.

"Seriously Choutarou, what were you trying to do?" Shishido sighed. Ootori truly was a terrible liar.

Ootori felt his heart take a stop. Had he been that bad? He didn't exactly know how to kiss someone…

Shishido raised a hand to point carelessly towards the way Hiyoshi had gone off to. "You don't really expect me to believe in all that, do you?"

His senpai's use of words were a little harsh, as always, and Ootori's face fell realizing what he had been talking about. He was disappointed with himself that he hadn't been able to live up to Fuji's plan and create a situation where he would need Shishido to pretend to be his boyfriend. Then through that drop the other boy a hint or a green card to show Shishido that his senpai was allowed to make a move if he wanted to, because Ootori couldn't bring himself to do it.

Now it had more turned out to be him attacking Shishido, coming up with the worst story of the century and above all lying to his senpai's face.

But Ootori had never really thought it would be okay for him and Shishido to be together until now, not before hearing how many had been paired up. So how was he gonna be able to come up with a scheme like that out of the blue? Wasn't that supposed to be Fuji's job anyway?

"If you were trying to use me as a cover to avoid being asked out by Hiyoshi I can tell you that's not necessary. Last I heard he's dating Taki." Shishido then broke the short, but awkward silence that had fallen over them.

Ootori was taken aback. "Oh…well, that's good for him." he mumbled, but knew Shishido wouldn't save him again. This time the boy would wait stubbornly for Ootori to cough out the real story.

"I…" Ootori started and looked down, reflecting his position once. He hadn't lost his chance completely yet, he could always try to come up with a new scheme...but his conscience told him he should just come clean. He owed Shishido that after making the boy engage in an act like the previous one. "I went to see Fuji."

There was a moment of silence again and Ootori wondered how Shishido was taking the information.

"I know." Ootori's head flew up. Was Shishido disgusted with him now? But Shishido just sighed. "I saw him too."

"What? When? Why?"

Shishido gave out a short laughter. "What do you want me to answer to first?"

Ootori let his head sink again, still feeling embarrassed. "What did he tell you?" the younger boy managed to ask then.

"He told me to wait." Shishido answered and Ootori lifted his gaze again.

"Wait?"

The older boy gave out a half smirk. Ootori could indeed be very innocent, almost retarded. "That's all he said when I told him I wanted to know what you had asked of him."

"So…you knew?" Ootori was afraid to ask.

"All along." Shishido showed one of his rare smiles and Ootori blushed one of his not as rare blushes. Shishido had waited for him to try to drop a hint all along. And Fuji had known that he wouldn't be able to fall through on the plan without giving himself away to Shishido.

Ootori felt like such a fool with his pathetic attempt, being played by both guys this way.

"So do you still wanna spend that Christmas Eve with me?" Shishido's voice came again and Ootori lifted his head to stare at Shishido in awe. Shishido was gonna forgive him? Shishido was gonna give him a chance?

"There is still a Christmas party, right? Fuji didn't tell the guys from Hyotei to start a rumor about that?" Shishido joked, lightening up the mood for Ootori and making the younger boy feel a little more relaxed.

"No." A pause. "Not that I know of atleast…Momoshiro talked Echizen over. They are really gonna have a party…and yes, I'd love to." he then replied and broke into a shy smile. Shishido signalled for them to continue walking and Ootori hurried up to his side.

"I'm sorry, Shishido-san."

Shishido cocked his head to the side to look at him. "For what?"

For not having the courage to come directly to you, needing someone else to tell me to. For trying to scheme on you instead of just being honest…

"For everything." Ootori then said and Shishido gave a sigh.

"Baka, don't apologize."

"I'm sorry-" Ootori said apologizing for apologizing in the first place, but stopped in the midsentence seeing the look upon Shishido's face.

Actually Shishido kind of felt like he should be the one apologizing for leading Ootori into his palms that way. To tell the truth it didn't take Shishido long to understand the meaning of Fuji's words to him. To wait for Ootori to give him a chance to curl the younger boy around his finger.

But the thing was that Shishido was not really sorry. No, he wasn't sorry at all.