A/N: Thank you for your reviews:takes a deeeep bow: I love you guys! It's so interesting to see what thoughts awoke in you while reading a chapter! Sorry for the previous chapters being so short and moving so slowly! I hope I'll be able to fix that, and I'm not gonna make it with my deadline (sorry!) I'm just drowning in other stuff right now...

On other notes: Atobe the slut and Ootori the blush machine – XDXD Just had add that here! And I also agree about Atobe's eyes (why do you think I keep bringing them up? XD) They're wonderful! Anyway, enough rambling and onto the next chapter:

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Chapter 4: The lover after me

Ootori closed the door to his room and sank to his feet. 'Baka. Baka, baka, baka, baka…' Ootori refused the urge to hit his head somewhere. He felt so stupid.

…

And what had that scene been all about! Outside his house. Had his captain tried to kiss him?

No, that was wrong! Atobe would never try to do something like that! The captain had probably just been on his way to hug him or something. To say good night.

'Are you asking me out? '

Or maybe not. No, of course Atobe had only been joking the whole…

' Do you want me to follow you all the way up to your bedroom? '

…time.

Ootori let his head sink into his hands. He just needed to get some sleep. He was tired and so had Atobe been. The captain had probably only tried to amuse him.

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Ootori yawned as he looked out through the window in class. He hadn't been able to sleep the entire night thanks to that conversation with Atobe. And although Ootori wasn't one to discriminate anyone, the junior couldn't help but to worry about the fact that his captain was showing signs of homosexuality like that. And so openly!

The class ended and Ootori went to stand by the school gates. He had no idea where Atobe had wanted to meet. The captain had just said after school.

"Yo, Choutarou!" Shishido's voice suddenly came and Ootori turned towards his senpai.

"Shishido-san!" Ootori smiled cheerfully. Ootori was greatful for Shishido's sudden arrival. It made him feel a little more at ease, and less nervous.

"How did your training go last night? With Atobe." Shishido asked, as if he just casually wanted to know.

"It went well. I wasn't home before past nine." Ootori replied. "Ne, Atobe-buchou really cares about his team, doesn't he?"

"Heh, you could say that…" Shishido said. 'Past nine!' Was the only thought in his head. "So, what are you doing now? Wanna go somewhere?"

"Actually I'm meeting Atobe." Ootori answered with an apologetic expression on his face. Shishido jerked back.

"Again?"

The junior gave a nod and Shishido paused.

"Okay. Choutarou, listen. About Atobe-" Shishido started, his voice suddenly serious.

"Eh? What about me?" the deep voice of their captain came from behind Shishido and the other senior practically jumped.

"H-heh, nothing. I was just gonna say that you really do everything for the team's well-being." Shishido hurried to say with a carefree smile directed at Ootori, before turning to face Atobe with no trace of the previous smile.

"I try my best." Atobe smirked, watching Shishido's face turn grumpy-looking. "And since Ootori is new with us, it is only in my best interest to spend a little time with him alone…Get to know him and his abilities, you know."

"I bet you have plans for him alright." Shishido shot back.

Atobe and Shishido were conversing as if Ootori wasn't even there. Although had the junior really not been there, Atobe and Shishido would probably not have been throwing 'read in between the lines' comments at one another.

"Actually I do have plans for him." Atobe said and walked past Shishido, stopping next to Ootori. "I'm going to show Choutarou my place."

Shishido tightened his fists with the way Atobe had spoken Ootori's first name. It had been his priviledge!

"I am kind of keen to know how you live, cap-…um, A-Atobe." Ootori stuttered and although Shishido wasn't watching them he could almost see the image in his head: Atobe standing there with an evil smirk upon his face, his hand somewhere innocently resting against Ootori's figure and Ootori next to him blushing and totally unaware of what was really going on.

"Well have fun then." Shishido gritted from in between his teeth.

"Ah, we will." came Atobe's provoking voice. "I'll show Choutarou a good time."

Shishido clenched his fists tightly together again. "Yeah, you're a real giver." he muttered.

"You should know." Atobe added and Shishido heard footsteps next. They were leaving. "Oh and by the way, thank you for your earlier compliments, Shishido-san. I didn't know you cared." Atobe smiled victoriously before taking Ootori gently under the arm and leading him off the school properties.

"Don't worry, I don't." Shishido muttered, but doubted they had heard it.

"I'll see you on Monday, Shishido-san!" Ootori called over his shoulder, where he was being led away by the other boy. Shishido tightened his fists even firther until his knuckles had turned completely white.

Damn that Atobe. He always got what he wanted.

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

"This is…this is…" Ootori stuttered where they had stopped outside Atobe's household.

"The mansion, yes." Atobe filled in for the younger boy and digged the keys out of his pocket. "Would you like to come in?"

"This is not a mansion." Ootori then finally found his voice again. "This is a castle!"

Atobe flashed a small smile, before opening the door. On the inside one butler was hurrying to get to the door.

"Master Keigo, you could have let me get the door for you!" the man apologized.

"Thank you, but I got it." Atobe nodded politely and dismissed the servant, who shot one look at Ootori and then hurried to leave the two boys alone. "So where should we start? What do you wanna see first?"

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After touring around almost the whole 'castle' Atobe had told Ootori to go up to his room, while he would get them something to drink.

Ootori entered the bedroom. Atobe did have a fantastic view from his windows. The family had to be very rich.

"Hope you like lemon juice." Atobe said, as he pushed the door close behind him and Ootori turned to him.

"Ah, sure." the younger boy smiled gratefully and accepted one of the glasses from Atobe. Atobe sat down on the giant king-sized bed and patted his side for Ootori to join him.

The other boy slowly sank down on the opposite corner, avoiding any possible physical contact with his captain, much to Atobe's amusement. Atobe loved virgins. They were always such a challenge.

"So you said yesterday that you haven't dated a lot." Atobe said and Ootori lowered the glass from his mouth.

"Hai, but I did consider what you told me last night!" Ootori answered. "And I do believe I will find a person to love someday."

"The one?" Atobe pressed on a perfect smile, although feeling kind of sick with his comment. But the player never let that show on his face.

Ootori blushed. "Yes…My the one. My soul mate. Someone I can share my life and believes with…"

Atobe nodded, almost unnoticeably moving in a little closer as Ootori talked.

Ootori suddenly noticed he had been rambling. "This…is quite a big bed you've got." Ootori tried to change the subject, suddenly finding himself staring directly into his captain's eyes. Remembering what had happened last night, Ootori was getting kind of awkward and debated on the perfect excuse to leave.

"Yeah, I have noticed that size impresses most guys." Atobe replied amused, never stopping his advances.

Ootori didn't really follow. "No, I just meant that you've got a big bed for someone who, um…sleeps alone…" the junior tried to explain his previous comment, but failed. Nervously he took a sip from his drink.

Atobe raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well I'm not alone in it right now…"

"E-excuse me?" Ootori choked and Atobe's face stopped only inches away from his. The younger boy backed away, almost falling off the bed in the process.

"A-Atobe. I…I don't swing that way." Ootori finally managed to say and Atobe remained seated so that the other boy would stop moving away from him.

"How can you be so sure?" the captain countered. "You've never dated before, have you?"

Ootori looked away from those eyes. He could never lie while he was under them. "No, I haven't. But I don't think of guys that way."

"Choutarou, you don't have to think of all guys that way in order to connect with one." Atobe pointed out. "Furthermore if you say that you can't be with a guy, then you're saying that your soulmate has to be a girl."

"I…uh." Ootori blushed. "But I can't go through with…this."

Atobe just gave him an amused smirk. "So how do you feel about dinner?"

"Huh?" Was Atobe hungry? Ootori had thought the captain was trying to come onto him.

"I'm asking you out, silly." Atobe smiled. "Did you really think I didn't want to get to know you before sleeping with you?"

"W-what?" Ootori was beat red again. Atobe didn't think he had ever seen a guy blush like that in his company. Ootori did make one fine collection to his long list of achievements, as soon as he nailed the boy.

"Don't tell me you've never been asked out on a date before, just because you've never dated."

"No, I have! It's just that…" Ootori's voice died out.

"Not by a guy." Atobe filled in for the boy and Ootori shook his head. "Well, there's a first time for everything, right?"

"But we are teammates!" Ootori practically protested, but the conversation was totally under Atobe's control. The third year could play all he wanted with his kouhai. Ootori was so predictable in some ways.

"You know, for someone who believes so much in love you sure have a way to rule out a lot of possibilities to fall in love." Atobe cornered the boy again and Ootori looked concerned, really.

"What? How do I rule out…?"

"Well, you say you believe in love and in soul mates, but still you limit yourself to only date a person who is not a teammate or a friend, who shares the same believes with you and not to mention is a girl."

"No, I…" Ootori started. Atobe was right in a way. By putting those rules, he had limited his chances of ever finding someone he could refer to as a true soulmate. "I didn't mean to…" Ootori then mumbled, gaze falling to the floor.

"If you didn't, then how about giving me a chance?"

Ootori stayed silent, for some reason he was finding Atobe's very expensive carpet incredibly interesting.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. Don't agree to this because I'm your senpai and captain. Agree to this if some part of you finds some part of me interesting enough to do so." Atobe then continued and Ootori finally looked up again.

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

The next Monday at practice Shishido noticed that Ootori wasn't in his usual game that day.

"Choutarou." The third year came to talk with the junior after their doubles game against Oshitari and Gakuto, who had gotten a lot better because of their personal hard practice almost every day.

"Ah, Shishido-san! I'm sorry. I was a bit out of it today, wasn't I?" Ootori shot the other boy an apologetic smile.

"Ah…Listen did something happen with Atobe?" Shishido then continued, almost afraid to ask.

Ootori was close to choking on his water bottle. "Wh-what makes you say that?" he coughed and Shishido signalled for them to go aside.

"Tell me what happened, Choutarou." Shishido said as they were out of earshot.

Ootori was quiet for a while. "He…he asked me out." Ootori glanced nervously the third year's face. "On a date." Shishido's expression didn't change much. "I…said yes. He's gonna pick me up in the evening."

"Did he try anything else?" Shishido asked and Ootori was taken aback.

"No. Not really…Why?"

Shishido gave a sigh. "Listen, Choutarou. There's something about Atobe you should know…"

Oshitari looked after the other doubles pair. Atobe had competition, it seemed. Shishido looked serious about it as well. Well, it was only to his fortune and Atobe's loss.

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

That same evening Atobe knocked on the door to the Ootori household. After a while Ootori opened the door, his eyes shyly taking in his captain's form in his doorway.

"Hi. You look…" Atobe eyed the clothing Ootori wore. Was that the junior's idea of dressing for dinner? "…good. Are you ready to go?"

"A-Atobe." Ootori started, avoiding having to look into the older boy's eyes. "I-I can't go. I changed my mind."

Atobe was baffled. He had never been turned down by anyone before. "What do you mean?" the captain fought to keep the irritation from showing in his voice.

"I, um, I can't go because…" the junior was searching for the right words. Atobe would not help him out in this case.

"Did something happen?" Atobe still asked after a while. They would be standing there the whole night if this continued. "You promised me a date. What made you change your mind?"

Ootori felt how he heated up under the intense eyes of Atobe.

"Nothing." Ootori lied. "I just realized I can't go through with this after all."

Atobe took a couple of steps backwards. "I see. Too bad." he mumbled and turned around, walking a couple of steps more until he heard Ootori whisper something after him.

"I'm sorry."

Atobe looked over his shoulder. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me. But don't keep turning your back on love that way…it might pass you by." he added and left.

'Love?' Ootori rested against the door frame, staring after his senpai. 'Atobe, why did you have to turn out to be like that? I might've really given you that chance. I kind of like you, even though we are both boys…'