TITLE: Delusions

PART: One of Three

GENRE: Yaoi (Alternate Universe/Psychological/Angst/Drama)

AUTHOR: Simply Kim

PAIRING: Atobe Keigo x Tezuka Kunimitsu

FANDOM: Tennis no Oujisama

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the stuff, characters and series mentioned here, except this... (Piece of crap?) story. ;

NOTE #1: Blah or Blah is for emphasis. /Blah/ is for conversations over the phone or flashbacks (if any). /Blah/ is for the conscience or whatever inner voice there is talking. Blah is for thoughts or random Japanese words.

PART ONE: CALL OF THE UNCONSCIOUS
Atobe Keigo graduated at the prestigious University of Hyoutei. He had been part of the institution's infamous escalator program ever since his elementary school days. He excelled in his field and made his parents very proud.

Now, he was twenty-four years old, the head of a very successful multi-million-dollar company his family owned together with several minor stockholders. He was both loved and hated, first by people who admired him and his capabilities, the other by those he turned down – people who hated the guts of his clan.

He belonged in a tightly knit group of friends, all of who were quite settled in their respective domains. It was expected of someone with his calibre after all. And they didn't hold back when they were with him, a refreshing break from the stiff formalities he had to endure day after every single day while at work. They made him feel at ease, but not so much so that they made him open up.

It was true that he was flamboyant when it came to projecting his talents in front of snapping cameras and varying interviews, but he never revealed anything deeper than what was skin-deep. He too, like many had a private side to him... and only a choice few knew that. But then again, they did not know the whole thing.

He felt it was better that way.

Fewer confrontations... less hassles.

R.E.A.L.I.S.V.E.R.I.F.I.A.B.L.E

"Would you please throw away that infernal Orange Range cd?"

Mukahi Gakuto, self-proclaimed housewife, sniffed haughtily, crossing his arms across his chest in a show of defiance. "And what, may I ask, is wrong with Orange Range?"

"They sound really kooky, that's why." Atobe, his current verbal sparring partner retorted just as haughtily. "They cater to commoners."

Oshitari Yuushi, the anointed husband, sighed, sitting next to his partner, giving a quick peck on the lips and slinging a protective arm around the redhead's shoulders. "Just a matter of preference, you two." He admonished tiredly. He had seen lots of bouts like this ever since they got together as a group in their elementary school days. "Gakuto, you can't make everyone like your music, and Atobe, for heaven's sakes, we are normal young people, we don't listen to Italian operas like you do."

"That's exactly why I said it's for commoners."

"I hate you."

"Ore-sama knows you do, Mukahi-kun."

"Why you –"

"Gah, I'm really worried about my little Akira..."

All were silent upon the sudden intrusion to another of their infamous arguments. They instantly turned to the farthest couch and therein erupted an almost inaudible collective sigh. Akutagawa Jirou, for the umpteenth time, was moaning, spurred on by depression his only daughter caused. He was returning to the Australian outback to create a documentary about kangaroos for a world-renowned animal channel in which he was a regular of along with his colleague Kaidoh Kaoru, and it seemed his four year old daughter thought he should quit and just babysit her all day, everyday.

"Akira-chan just misses you!" Mukahi Gakuto retorted, breaking Oshitari's hold on him gently and crossing over, bashing his depressed head with a recent copy of Reader's Digest. "Because you don't play with her much. It's either you skip town or you sleep the day away, you narcoleptic!"

"Ow." Even in his depressed state, Akutagawa still gave him a sheepish smile. "It's not my fault anyway, I think Yumi-chan influenced her to let me stay home this time."

"The 'cling-to-dad-and-whine' tactic, huh?"

"Uh-huh." The woeful father nodded.

Oshitari's lips quirked in a semblance of an amused smile. "That's what you get for falling in love and marrying Fuji Yumiko." He mused. "Fuji Syusuke is already scary, and then you have to go marry the older sister." His eyes sparkled good-naturedly. "And you even gave her the opportunity to name your firstborn. I sure am glad it's not a boy or he'd be carrying a girl's name."

The conservationist grinned. "I think it's cute that she named our first kid with a boy's name! Akira is strong and firm, and I'm hoping she'd be way cooler than her dad when he was her age!" He made a show of his over-enthusiastic face again.

Atobe shook his head and sniffed. "That's why you never defeated me in tennis."

"Atobe, that is so not true! Remember that time when Shishido cut his hair? I won that game!"

The man in question started laughing. "Point, Keigo." Shishido Ryo made a toast with his canned rootbeer, which was touched by another soda can courtesy of Oshitari who reached out just to do so and make a point.

"He did." Came the sultry response.

The company head frowned good-naturedly. "That's because Ryo was late and I saw him drinking Ponta, sporting a shorn head. I was surprised, so I missed returning Jirou's last shot." He said defensively, crossing his rams across his chest.

"Hah! I won that fair and square! I won! I won!" Chanted the gleeful Akutagawa.

"Don't be such a sore loser, Atobe." Taki Haginosuke sniggered after taking a sip of lemonade, speaking up from his comfortable position on the far end of the living room couch.

"Ugh. Fine, gang up on Ore-sama, you ingrates." Atobe retorted snappishly, sinking lower into his plush swivel chair. He observed them with amused eyes, a small smile turning his mouth upward slightly.

He delighted in small get-togethers like this. As of present, they were in the living room of the local celebrity violinist, Ohtori Choutarou, who became a good friend upon introduction from Shishido while in university. The same Ohtori who had been so shy and proper then but more open now, flushing from all the teasing Mukahi, who now transferred his attention to him, was doing.

They had come a long way, all of them, even Hiyoshi Wakashi, who had been one of his major adversaries in Hyoutei's Debate Society. They managed to set aside their differences to file a case against the dean of their college for sexual harassment of freshmen girls, thus forging a bond of admiration and respect between them. Now, he was Taki's partner in the fashion industry, owning several local boutiques that were steadily becoming household names.

But there was something missing.

Atobe could feel it, the emptiness inside. Even with all these amazing people, even with all his trusted circle of friends...

He had never felt so lonely.

R.E.A.L.I.S.O.C.C.U.R.I.N.G

It was one of Atobe's numerous purposes in life to make sure Akutagawa arrived home safely. Since his bodyguard and friend, Munehiro Kabaji had been relieved by his father of his duty and was flown reluctantly to Europe to reunite with his older sister; the other man had been his steady source of amusement. He saw him as something like a pet – something he and Fuji Syusuke agreed upon.

After all, he was only fully awake when working or among his entire group of close friends.

"You seem really worried about Akira-chan." He noted lightly, trying his best not to broach too deeply on the subject of the other's woes. Thankfully, Akutagawa gave him a weak smile and a nod, his eyes turning thoughtful.

"It seems as if she has this special friend she talks to when Yumi and I are not around... and it bothers me." He admitted. This surprised Atobe. A special friend? He thought almost incredulously.

"Like an imaginary friend of sorts?"

"Yeah." The other man ran a hand through his dishevelled orange hair. "I think it's too early for her to go through something like that."

"Oh?"

"Uh-huh. It's common for kids between ages five to, say, nine... but she's only four, Keigo, four. Isn't that weird?"

Atobe raised a questioning brow. "I think it's weird that people have them at all. Isn't it better to have real friends?"

Akutagawa's smile waned some more. "Yes it is. But it's not only that that makes me uneasy – it's the fact that when she described her friend, she said he looked exactly like me."

"Interesting."

"Keigo, believe it or not, she even named him Jirou-papa."

R.E.A.L.I.S.E.X.I.S.T.I.N.G

A week passed and Atobe was neck-deep, once again, in paperwork. It took him exactly three days to finish the bulk of the month-end overflows.

On the final night of what he deemed as his last 'Moments of Torture', there was a storm brewing outside. For some strange reason, Atobe felt compelled to finish his paperwork. He credited it to his rush to free himself from the burden of his responsibilities as soon as possible to have some quality time for himself. Ah, Ore-sama needs his beauty sleep... He thought in agony, stamping one of the documents in the now-dwindled pile situated angrily on his desk. If I finish my work sooner, the sooner I could go off and take a nice, long vacation...

CLINK.

At the sudden sound, Atobe's movements stilled, not daring to look up. He cursed himself for being such a coward at a time like this – if he didn't look up, he wouldn't see who the perpetrator was, the one who had so conveniently dared using the cup and saucer from his prized lacquered –

Coffee set?

Stunned at the sight of a steaming cup of coffee edging towards him carefully, he couldn't help but make a small noise of disbelief. He wasn't one to believe in ghosts, but seeing that he was the only one left and all his other employees on his floor were sent off home early because of the burgeoning storm, it wasn't hard to imagine. It wouldn't be logical either to hear something outside the office since it was built to be soundproof.

As the cup stood, stable on his desk, he decided it was high time he learned the identity of the one who had the audacity to disturb him while he was working. It was a nice gesture, but he was already on a roll and the sudden intrusion shattered his momentum. Besides, he wasn't about to let himself be taken hostage in his own seat. Brows knitting even more, he took a deep calming breath and looked up abruptly. "What are you –?"

His words, however, died in his throat as he set his eyes on someone he hadn't seen before. The man was standing before him; eyes staring calmly back at him. He seemed taller than him, probably a centimetre or so. He seemed really familiar, and Atobe wracked his brains for clues to his identity. The tasteful clothes rang a familiar bell in his head.

Lightning flashed, and the sudden shot of light that permeated through the window reflected on the spectacles the other sported.

And it was enough.

"Kunimitsu?" He asked suspiciously as the other continued gazing at him. "Aren't you supposed to be in Germany for further studies?"

"I came home this afternoon." Tezuka Kunimitsu answered readily, surely, nodding his head in emphasis, a small smile playing almost playfully on his lips.

"You're not supposed to be here." Atobe retorted eyeing him, weirded out by the fact that he came unannounced – and unnoticed.

"I came to visit. I'll be going off again at month-end."

"How did you get in?"

"..."

Atobe's brow twitched at the lack of answer. The implication of the other's silence was ridiculous. "Don't tell me you stole inside."

"While you were too busy to notice." Tezuka pushed a pair of shiny spectacles up, a habit, before nodding his head in a gesture of agreement. The company head was trying hard not to let the blush rise up to his cheeks in mortification.

"Do you always have to come unannounced?" He barked sullenly, trying not to sound childish but all to no avail.

"Yes."

Atobe's brow, once again, twitched in hidden irritation. "Why?"

"It's gratifying."

His brow twitched once again, eyes following Tezuka's progressive steps to where he was sitting. Even as irritation ran in his veins, he couldn't help feeling the rush of excitement that washed over him. "Is it now?"

He was right beside him now, leaning down, hand gripping the armrest of his corporate chair as a means of support. There was tenderness in those dark eyes, focusing on him that he couldn't breathe properly upon realisation. "You're challenging Ore-sama, Mitsu-chan. I hope you know what you're doing."

"Definitely."

Atobe's lips curled into a predatory grin. "Then you are bound to lose."

Tezuka's lips twitched once again in amusement, swooping down for a kiss.

"I can't be careless then..."

TSUZUKU

A/N: This is a pretty complicated plot, which I hope I would pull off well. Feedbacks are greatly appreciated!