Five

Oshitari woke up to the sound of his phone ringing loudly from bedside table. Its bluish light blinked from the distance and the sun glared into his dreary eyes. Oshitari felt for the phone and finally grasped it and flipped it open.

"Moshi Moshi?" he mumbled.

"Yuushi…?"

It was the long drawling voice of Atobe.

"Yeah?"

"Hey I wanted to say that I was sorry for yesterday… I got way too drunk and started doing things that were out of the ordinary; to make it up to you meet me downstairs at your apartment around twelve?" responded Atobe quickly.

Oshitari grinned and his eyes were adjusting to the light.

"Sure. I'm glad you came to your senses. You were absolutely insane," he said.

He could hear a little sigh from the other in and a little bit of what sounded like,"Yea…I know."

"Hey it's eleven thirty Keigo, if you want me out of bed and dressed we better hang up now," he pointed out glancing at his digital clock.

"Alright, see you in a little bit," said Atobe.

"See you."

Oshitari slung himself out of bed and got dressed and ready to go out in the large crowds. It was a sunny day outside. The sun streamed in from the white curtains making the room whiter than ever. His silver laptop gleamed from the open window and he decided to go into the kitchen and hang around on the balcony until Atobe's car arrived. Oshitari unlatched the lock on the sliding door and stepped out. It was warm and only a little claming breeze.

The long white limousine pulled into the parking lot and Oshitari made his way outside to meet his friend who was awaiting him in his luxurious car. The butler Kabaji opened the door and greeted him. Oshitari greeted him back and slid into the limo across from where Atobe was sitting cross legged and glass of champagne in his hand.

"Afternoon," he said quietly.

Oshitari nodded. The ride was awkward for awhile; there was the odd silence between good friends who really didn't know what to say to eachother.

"I don't get it Yuushi, you're a romance novelist and yet you don't do romance," said Atobe breaking the silence.

Oshitari blinked and looked startled.

"What the hell brought this up! And since when were you so concerned about my love life?" he sputtered out.

Atobe chuckled and has a grin on his face as if he knew something that Oshitari didn't know.

"I want to see you happy Yuushi, that's all. You write so much about love and lust that it's so clear you want somebody to love you and make love to you. Yet you've never had any type of date or anything; I keep wondering what makes you tick! As your friend I should know!" he explained in an almost playful voice.

"What about you Mr. I'm-so-concerned-about-my-best-friend's-love-affairs? I don't see you having a woman hanging off your arm," snapped Oshitari.

"I'm bisexual. I love girls to death and would take notice in them if I found someone right, but men just seem so much more attractive. Plus I already have somebody and his name is Shishido Ryou!" protested the overconfident male.

"What you have is a guy you feels sorry for you because you're so depressed that you drink alcohol to wash away your sorrows!"

"EXCUSE ME! Who told you that?" screeched Atobe almost sloshing his beverage all over the place.

"Shishido himself. He cares about you Keigo, but he doesn't love you like that," answered Oshitari.

Atobe sighed and his eyes went all gleamy.

"Hey, you're going to find somebody Keigo; I know so! Not someone who wants your money and charm but someone who loves you for you. You just haven't found that somebody yet," comforted Oshitari, his voice going a little softer.

"Don't try to comfort me Yuushi… I will never find somebody who wants me for me," murmured Atobe.

"I promise you, if you don't find somebody I will for you. And I'll make sure that person is perfect for you in every single way."

"What about you? Can I promise the same?" Atobe asked.

Yuushi nodded and grinned.

"Yeah, sure."

-

Both friends exited the café they spent the first hour of the afternoon in. For it to be winter it was nice and warm oddly enough. Atobe had warned though that it would backfire tomorrow and maybe even snow if the weather felt like doing so. Oshitari didn't believe it though; he'd have to see it to believe it.

'Oi, Keigo…a shojo manga I've been reading...it's out. Can I go and see if the shop has it?" asked Oshitari.

Atobe rolled his silver blue eyes and nodded.

"You and romance," he muttered following Oshitari into the alleyway.

Oshitari opened the door to the shop to find Jiroh placing some books on a high shelf and Gakuto typing some things up on the laptop that was up on the counter.

"Ah good afternoon!" exclaimed Jiroh not looking back but when he did he looked shocked, the little red head behind the counter in contrast looked furious.

"Good afternoon as well," said Oshitari bowing slightly. He had to pinch Atobe's forearm to get him to do the same.

"What are you here for?" asked Gakuto in a flat tone.

"I was looking for the latest volume of Nana," replied Oshitari.

Jiroh's mood changed and he grinned brightly.

"Ooh Nana! It's on the shelf right there; we just got the shipment the other day ago so there should be a copy left!" he exclaimed happily bouncing off the ladder into the floor but stumbled a couple feet face-forward into Atobe who caught him right before the sunset haired boy fell to the floor.

"A-ah! I'm sorry!" Jiroh apologized.

Atobe shrugged still holding onto Jiroh, his fingers nestled into Jiroh's springy curls while Jiroh face was resting on his chest.

"You should be more careful when you're on ladders," he said quietly.

Jiroh nodded and pulled away from Atobe.

"I-is there anything…I-I can help you with?" he stuttered out.

Atobe cheerfully smiled, Oshitari glanced from the manga he was looking at. He hadn't seen Atobe like that in a long time…

"You don't happen to have Kimeru's new CD out would you?" he asked.

"A-ah yes…K-Kimeru, we have it," murmured Jiroh leading Atobe to the CD rack. Gakuto snickered and behind his hands he also asked Oshitari, "Find the sap you were looking for?"

Oshitari smirked and held up the manga before heading to the counter where he paid for it.

"Why the hell did you bring him here?" muttered Gakuto in a low voice that only Oshitari could hear.

"He was out of it; depressed. I wanted to settle some crap that's been going on lately. Don't worry; Shishido is out of this now," replied Oshitari just as quietly.

Gakuto's dark blue eyes went wide.

"Y-you don't even know us and yet you…"

"I know Keigo; consider this as something done between friends Mukahi-san," said Oshitari shortly before raising head up and smiling cheerfully at Jiroh and Atobe who were looking through the CD rack happily chatting.

"You have such a small store. I've sent my butler down here before but I've never seen it for myself," said Atobe quietly his eyes not on the CDs' but the easily excited boy before him.

"Eto, we make due… It's something my friend and I enjoy so there's no loosing in this business!" exclaimed Jiroh happily.

Atobe chuckled.

"Here's the CD, thank you for looking for it for me," he said.

Jiroh blinked and the slowly nodded as Jiroh rang up Atobe's stuff as well. Atobe placed down a fifty and Jiroh was about to look for change when Atobe said, "Keep it. It's triple for helping me."

Jiroh's brightly lit eyes went wide in shock.

"There's no way I could keep all this for just one little CD!" he protested.

Atobe smirked.

"I'm a rich man kid; this isn't even a dent into my account. Keep it. Buy you and your friend something nice," he said.

Gakuto looked shocked too.

"Come on Yuushi," said Atobe grabbing him by the arm and out of the store.

Oshitari started cackling when they were in the limo. He was laughing so hard that tears poured down his eyes.

"You're never generous like that Atobe! What the fucking shit went on back there!" he howled out between laughs.

Atobe looked annoyed and pink tented his face.

"Don't' act stupid Yuushi! I just felt like giving a way a fifty!" he shouted.

"Pfft and your kindness too? When you go out anywhere else you act like you're better than any other person in that place and complain the whole way through!" protested Oshitari grinning.

Atobe looked away.

"I liked him…." He murmured shyly.

"Jiroh?"

Atobe nodded.

"He acted so much like a child that it wasn't even funny. It seems like he had no worries at all that the person who seduced his friend was there. And the conditions they were in, that store is so small and yet there's so much in there and so much to maintain," he explained.

Oshitari's teasing smile turned into a soft one.

"I've never believed in love at first sight Keigo, but how you described Jiroh…it seems like you want to get to know him better," he said.

"Don't be stupid Yuushi! I already warned you once. There's no such thing as love at first sight. I envied his careless-ness about the world around him; that's all. I liked him for that nothing more," said Atobe straightening up.

Oshitari rolled his eyes.

"Are you afraid of falling in love with a lower classed person than yourself?" he asked.

"What do you call Shishido then?"

"But he's beautiful enough to become a model if he chose," pointed out Oshitari.

Atobe's eyes brightened. He looked as though Christmas came early.

"You just admitted that Shishido was beautiful!" he exclaimed.

Oshitari turned a little pink at Atobe catching him; yes Shishido had a wonderful face and body. He could probably get whoever he wanted if he were interested in somebody. The novelist knew that he wasn't interested in Shishido though.

"Yes, but Jiroh is too in his own way. Everybody is. Someone needs to teach you that Keigo," he answered boldly.

There was another one of those long silences. Oshitari had no idea what they meant in the eyes of Atobe of even in the eyes of himself, all he knew is that this awkwardness was about them changing and growing up over time and not being able to adjust to it.

"My mother told me that…before she passed away," whispered Atobe his voice had that tremble in it that meant if he didn't hold back strongly he'd break and cry like a piece of glass being smashed with a stone. Oshitari knew that Atobe's family was torn apart from one another by just not caring about one another or there being a death in the family. Oshitari understood that. Atobe's mother died when he was fifteen years old and Atobe had taken it hard. It ended up being a huge dramatic event of her jealous twin sister poisoning her wine. It was the reason Atobe moved to the US and to this city. He no longer wanted to be a part of the drama. He still maintained his relationship with his father, because he was often called a 'Daddy's boy'. That was one close relationship he had with his family; but his father was always away on business and tried to make it up to his son.

"I don't want to make you hurt Keigo by making you think of her; but take those words of hers and use them," said Oshitari.

Atobe gave a broken smile and then threw himself onto his friend in the limo and hugged him tight before breaking down to cry.

"I hate being this way in front you but I hate not being able to feel!" he cried out. Oshitari's arms wrapped around his best friend and held him close.

"Then feel Keigo, feel. Feel what you have to do in your heart… Nobody is stopping you from doing anything."

With those words the usually egotistical male sobbed even harder and the novelist let him.