"This is boring," Atobe told his glass of fruit juice, swirling it around and watching the sprinkling of lights from the Christmas tree behind him dance.
"Hey Atobe, let's go play a game or something." Jiroh bounded up and tugged at Atobe's arm.
Atobe fought a smile, as he usually did when Jiroh was around. The urge to smile simply because someone else was smiling at you was impractical and uncivilized. Besides, Jiroh smiled at everyone. It didn't mean anything. "Ore-sama believes we shall play billiards." Atobe snapped his fingers and a servant appeared. "Fetch Mukahi and Oshitari. Ore-sama requires their attendance in the billiard room. Come, Jiroh."
"We are so going to trounce them. I've been practicing since the last time we played and I'm really, really good now." Jiroh pulled Atobe out of his chair and linked their arms together. No one was looking, so Atobe allowed it.
"Ore-sama hopes that we will not have a repeat of the last match of this nature. Ore-sama does not lose gracefully." In fact, Atobe did not lose at all. He called the game early, declaring himself exhausted, and refused to admit that he was, at any point in time, losing to anyone as vulgar as Mukahi Gakuto. For his part, Gakuto insisted that Atobe was "full of crap."
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"We're going to waste 'em," Gakuto chuckled after Atobe's servant was out of earshot. "Jiroh sucks at billiards and Atobe isn't much better."
"Atobe didn't speak to Jiroh for a week after losing that game," Oshitari pointed out, taking hold of Gakuto's shoulders and steering him toward the billiard room. "Jiroh practiced every day until he became a master billiard player. We'll have to watch him." Oshitari gave in to the small temptation and gave Gakuto's shoulders a soft little squeeze. Immediately, Gakuto started to make the low buzz-hum in the back of his throat that signaled that Oshitari was doing something good. Oshitari often wanted to stretch their explorations and see how Gakuto's responses would vary under different stimuli, but there was a line of trust between the doubles partners that Oshitari dare not cross; at least, not after only a year of playing together.
If Oshitari had to pin down their relationship, he'd say that Gakuto was his best friend. If put to the knife, Oshitari might admit that he had a crush on his doubles partner. He could wait, though, until Gakuto showed some sign of interest. At the moment, Gakuto seemed more interested in crushing Atobe's ego and completing his new handspring return.
"Yuushi, you're thinking too hard again." Gakuto rapped Oshitari over the head with his knuckles. "Did Jiroh's cookie finally get to you? I saw Shishido run into the bathroom and he's had about five."
"Shishido ran into the bathroom to avoid talking to Ohtori." Oshitari pointed toward the bathroom and, sure enough, Ohtori was standing outside the door.
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Damn. Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn. He had to run into the bathroom, didn't he? It wasn't even the second story bathroom, but the closest one to the party. Shishido sank down to the ground, his back resting against the under-sink cabinet. Everything would've been fine if Ohtori hadn't followed him. Ohtori's concern was usually cute, but today it was a little- claustrophobic. Maybe that was just the five foot by five foot square room Shishido was crouched in.
"Shishido-senpai, are you okay? I can have them get you something for your stomach if it's upset." Ohtori sounded so cute and gentle and everything someone like Shishido would defile in five minutes. Best to stay in the bathroom.
"I'm fine." Please go away. "I think I ate too many cookies." The cookies weren't bad. They looked weird, but they were edible. Jiroh probably tested them until he got the recipe to Atobe's liking. No amount of practice would be able to help Jiroh's artistic skills, though.
"Oh. Well. If you need anything, just yell. I'll go stand by the corner, just in case. Mukahi-san and Oshitari-san went to play billiards with Atobe-san and Jiroh-san so you won't get teased if you're feeling sick and need some help." Ohtori was probably biting his lip and shifting his weight unconsciously from his toes to his heals and back again. He did that when he was nervous or embarrassed. It was one of the first things Shishido noticed about Ohtori, probably because the freshman was often nervous or embarrassed when they spoke- another reason for Shishido to keep his distance.
"Thanks, but just go enjoy the party. I'll be out in a bit." Now Ohtori was going to think he had a delicate stomach and the freshman would worry about him. Ohtori did sweet things like that, checking up on his teammates to make sure everyone was okay. He purchased special insoles for Hiyoshi's shoes when Hiyoshi complained that his arches hurt after practice. Ohtori sent Gakuto a get well card and bouquet when the acrobatic player fractured his ankle earlier in the year. Ohtori purchased an extra copy of a book for Oshitari because the tensai was away with family when the author was in town, signing copies. Everyone loved Ohtori and Ohtori loved everyone. Shishido wasn't special. Ohtori was just doing what Ohtori always did- being nice to a senpai.
Shishido sank further down, resting his weight on his tailbone. A few deep breathes and he was ready to face the world again. All he had to do was stay away from Ohtori before he embarrassed himself by saying something stupid or, worse, asked his kouhai out on a date.
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"I thought you wanted to play billiards, Atobe, not watch Jiroh play billiards." Gakuto sat in a chair in the corner, sulking. He wanted to be sitting in the other corner, all snug and warm and happy on Oshitari's lap, but the tensai would probably freak out. Maybe when they won nationals next year Gakuto would be able to kiss his doubles partner. If Oshitari reacted badly, Gakuto could just claim it was a congratulatory kiss and done in the heat of the moment.
"Ore-sama does not appreciate your snide commentary toward his billiards partner. It is not ore-sama's fault that you lost the coin toss to go first. You will simply have to pay for your deficiencies, Gakuto." Atobe smiled his stupid, aristocratic smirk and turned back to watch Jiroh wiggle across the table while lining up for a shot. Gakuto noticed that, after hearing Atobe defend his honor, Jiroh upped his smile by fifty watts. Those two really made Gakuto want to heave.
"Gakuto, would you please go up and check on Shishido. Ore-sama believes you the best person to convince Shishido to do what must be done." Atobe's eyes flitted, again, to Jiroh's swaying rear end. "Do not return until you are successful. In the unlikely event that your team acquires a turn, Oshitari can play."
Gakuto wanted to tell Atobe where he could put that suggestion, but Gakuto really wanted to play on the team next year. Arguing with Atobe didn't keep you on the team- unless you were Shishido, who was bitchy to everyone. "Whatever." Gakuto slunk out of the room, his feet falling as hard as he could make regularly paced footfalls sound. He would do Atobe's little chore, but he would damn well show that he wasn't pleased to be doing it.
"Hurry back Gakuto," Oshitari called before Gakuto slammed the door. The acrobatic player paused a moment outside the door to dwell in the fuzzy, tingly feeling that buzzed through his stomach when Oshitari said nice things like that. A minute more, and the feeling was gone, replaced by an acidic dislike for Atobe, Shishido, and Ohtori, who were eating into his Oshitari-time. Well, maybe Gakuto wasn't mad at Ohtori; the kid didn't know any better.
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It took him five more minutes, but Shishido finally got up the guts to leave the bathroom. Hiyoshi thought hiding from your love interest by retreating into the bathroom was something that you stopped when you got to middle school. Apparently, no one told Shishido. Atobe wasn't around, so Hiyoshi was currently sitting in the semi-comfortable throne in the center of the living room. From there, he could see everything going on. Kabaji was quietly drinking egg-nog and talking with the butler, Choutarou was pacing by the fireplace, Shishido was shuffling back and forth, taking two steps toward Ohtori and two steps away, and Mukahi was just entering the room and looking at Shishido like he wanted to kill the dash specialist. Go Mukahi-senpai.
"Hey Shishido and Ohtori, come with me. I need your help in the kitchen." Mukahi was rolling his eyes and tapping his foot on the ground. Oshitari wasn't anywhere nearby so that meant that Atobe had sent Mukahi on some sort of mission. Gakuto didn't leave Oshitari unless ordered. Shishido and Ohtori could learn something from Mukahi and Oshitari. Those two didn't dance around eachother and fill the air with unneeded tension. Everyone knew Oshitari and Mukahi were going out and it made everything that much easier to deal with when the two occasionally made eyes at eachother when they thought the other wasn't looking. It was cute.
The way Ohtori pined after Shishido was not cute. "H-hai," the tall boy called, trotting after Mukahi, but only after Shishido had moved to follow. Ohtori would probably jump into a spiked pit if Shishido went first. Grumbling to himself, Hiyoshi reached for the bell and rang for a servant to refill his juice.
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Oshitari lined up his shot carefully, eyeing the various balls and where they would scatter. He should be able to win this game in four rounds if he aimed carefully. Hopefully Gakuto would be back by then.
"Break already," Atobe sighed, examining imaginary dirt under his nails. On the floor near Atobe's feet, Jiroh sat, his eyes flitting open and closed. "If you do not hurry, Jiroh will fall asleep."
And everyone knew the world moved around Jiroh's sleep schedule. Oshitari resisted the urge to snort at the display Atobe was unwittingly making. Not interested in Jiroh, indeed. It didn't take Oshitari's considerable IQ to deduce that Atobe was more than partial to the volley specialist. Atobe's fingers unconsciously sliding through Jiroh's hair was evidence enough for the densest of individuals. "My apologies. I will try to expedite my win as much as possible."
Oshitari broke, but his smooth gesture was interrupted by the sound of Gakuto's scream. It had to be Gakuto, no one else on Hyoutei could hit that high, nasal note and still sound so beautiful. "My apologies. We will have to forfeit this game." Oshitari looked from Atobe to a now sleeping Jiroh. "I-I need to go." He dropped the cue and sprinted out toward the sound of Gakuto's swearing.