"Well that was easy."
Mizuki shook as he fell to his knees, his head bent. He couldn't see the tears that swam in his eyes. Tears he refused to let fall. Couldn't he catch a break?
"Wasn't it Kabaji?"
"Usu."
Now Mizuki was twitching. He hated Atobe Keigo… easily as much as he was creeped out and pissed off by Fuji Syusuke. Both did the things they did deliberately, and both enjoyed seeing their victims squirm and suffer. Neither had changed in the two years since they had moved up to high school.
In retrospect, he had to wonder why he even bothered challenging the rich bastard. He had known he wasn't at the same level as Atobe, though he had gotten significantly better than he had been in junior high. Then he remembered exactly why he had challenged him.
No, Atobe Keigo never changed.
That reason was currently storming onto the court. He could hear her shoes as they rebounded off the rubbery surface of the court. He could practically feel the anger drifting off her in waves. Part of him snickered at the fact that Atobe was now in for it, but another part of him grimaced realizing that he was in for the same thing.
If there was one thing that Tachibana An did not tolerate, it was macho displays of territoriality.
He sighed, letting the depression wash over him. Not only were his tennis skills not up to par, but now his girlfriend was mad at him. His day just kept getting better and better.
"Atobe Keigo!" Tachibana An growled, her eyes narrowed accusingly as she stopped in front of Mizuki, her hands settling on her hips. "Just what do you think you're doing?"
Years of dealing with the rich tennis player had given her innumerable skills to deal with him. Direct confrontation always worked the best, as Atobe didn't do subtle. An smirked lightly to herself. Unlike the boy behind her, who tried so hard to be subtle, but failed miserably. Atobe didn't even fathom subtle.
Atobe's smirk grew and he picked himself up off the ground. He sauntered over to the net, his racket resting gently on his shoulder. "An-chan, how nice of you to show up. We were just talking about you."
She rolled her eyes, her foot beginning to tap. Mizuki winced again. Bad sign. "I just bet you were," An sing-songed, staring Atobe down. "And just what were you saying?"
He shrugged, still smirking. "You know, this and that. That miserable excuse for a man behind you had the wrong idea in his ugly head." He met her glare then, his eyebrows rising. "I merely set him straight."
"I'm not stupid Atobe, I know this was about me. And after years of this crap I thought you had finally realized how much I disliked being the prize of your silly little contests of machismo!" As she spoke she walked forward until she was toe to toe with Atobe and the only thing separating them was the net.
Atobe remained cool, his smirk in place and his head tilted casually to the side. "Aren't we self-centered. Not everything is about you, An-chan." Saying that, he flipped some of his bangs out of his eyes and gave her a dispassionate look. "However, for once I can honestly say that I didn't start this farce." He waved his hand in Mizuki's general direction.
An snorted, clearly not impressed. "Start it or not, I know you were behind it and thus place all the blame on you." She tossed her hair, turning her back on him abruptly. "I'm warning you Atobe-san, start something with my boyfriend again and you will regret it."
And with that she left him standing there, his mouth open in retort. Atobe ground his teeth when he realized that she had summarily dismissed him. She was the only female in existence that could do it, that would do it. Perhaps that was why he wanted her.
Scoffing, Atobe turned and walked away, commanding Kabaji to follow. Really, what did she see in that flaming idiot anyway? One day she would realize what the whole world already realized and she would come crying her little blue eyes out right to him. The thought brought the smirk back to Atobe's face. Yes, one day she would realize that Mizuki Hajime was as flamingly gay as one could get.
Mizuki was standing by the time An returned, and was dusting himself off trying in vain to regain whatever shred of dignity he had left that Atobe hadn't stolen. It was a futile effort, he could hear the snickers from the various onlookers and it made his fist clench around his tennis racket.
However, when he looked up at An returning all thoughts of humiliation fled his mind, being instead replaced by a squiggly warmth that made him want to grin. She was smiling at him, that smile that was saved only for him, and her eyes were laughing. She wasn't mad at him, she didn't even look annoyed. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ne Hajime-kun," An said brightly, threading her arm through his as she began to lead him off the court. "Why don't we go back to my house?" She grinned a bit mischievously. "We could listen to American 80s music and fill ourselves with chocolate? That would take our minds off the fact that Atobe is not worth our time hm?"
And that was why he loved her. She knew him so well, his likes and dislikes, and never once did she make fun of him for it. Sure she teased him a bit when he wore his pink or purple shirts, but she always defended him like it didn't bother her that everyone called her boyfriend gay.
Mizuki did his best to hide his smile and instead slanted a haughty look down at her. "Cindy Lauper. And you buy the chocolate. After all, I lost my manhood for you."
This drew a laugh out of her and a squeeze on his arm. "Just this once. Though, I'm sure Atobe would content that you had no manhood to begin with." Her eyes danced wickedly at him even as he began to protest.
She winked at him and stood on her toes (he had grown taller over the years!), bringing him to a stop. "But I know different, don't I, Hajime-kun." With another laugh she kissed him soundly and danced away, giggling as she went.
"If you don't hurry up Hajime-kun, I'm going to make you pay for the chocolate and we'll be listening to New Kids on the Block!"
Ugh. "I would die before I let you win!"