Disclaimer: I do NOT own PoT
Pairing: Atobe Keigo x Echizen Ryoma
Note: The third chapter for this story is actually quite long, like 5,000+ so I thought I'd split it up into two parts. I know it's too long, twice as long as the first chapter. But even so, I don't want to cut any part (just to save space) because not only did I spend so much time writing it but most importantly, I thought that every scene is essential in the development of the story. So, yeah. This is the first part only. I wanted to post both halfs back to back at the same time, but I thought, since I already finished the first part then I might as well post it for you guys to read. That'll be better than just letting it sit on my hard drive while I work on the second part, right? So, here it is. Please enjoy.
Chapter 3 (part 1)
Atobe looked up after taking a small drink from his juice. He frowned. Like the last five times that he looked up, he didn't see a certain stuck-up guest that he was expecting to see ever since he went down to have breakfast. He checked his watch. It's still early to go to school. But he thought they have agreed to go to the brat's place first thing in the morning to get clothes and stuff. Shouldn't the brat be coming down to breakfast right about now?
Atobe turned to look at the butler who was standing just a few feet away. The butler, immediately understanding what his young master was asking, walked forward to Atobe. "A maid was already sent to Echizen-sama's room."
Atobe nodded. He turned back to his food. After a while, said maid entered the dining hall. Atobe motioned her forward.
"Ohayou gozaimasu, Atobe-sama!" the maid greeted with a deep bow.
"Where is Echizen?" Atobe asked after he nodded his greeting.
The maid, who was quite passionate about her job, quickly answered, "I apologize, Atobe-sama, but Echizen-sama won't wake up!"
Atobe felt his heart stopped when he heard those words. To him, they sounded almost like, I'm so sorry, but he's dead. Atobe panicked. He didn't ask for confirmation or any questions at all. He threw his napkin on the table then rushed out of the room, leaving bewildered servants behind.
"Kaori-san," the butler asked the maid amidst the silence that followed Atobe's impromptu exit. "Don't you mean to say that Echizen-sama refused to wake up?"
Kaori, the maid, frowned. "That's what I just said."
The butler just sighed before going to follow his young master.
...
Atobe took the stairs two at a time. He rushed towards Ryoma's room, concern pumping adrenaline into his veins. He didn't pause, even when he reached the closed door. He threw it open, marched towards the bed, and looked down almost dreadfully – only to see a very obviously sleeping Ryoma.
The relief Atobe felt was almost palpable. His heart slammed into his chest as he felt it beat again. But still, he needed to be sure. He reached his hand forward, placing it above Ryoma's nose, needing to feel the air coming in and out of Ryoma's lungs. Atobe breathed another relieved sigh when he felt the warm breath beneath his palm. He straightened up, watched the younger boy snore softly for a few seconds. Then he walked towards the far wall and started banging his head on the hard surface. Damn it. He overreacted!
Atobe couldn't believe that he actually ran to Ryoma's room just because he misinterpreted what the maid said. The hell is wrong with him? Why was he worrying so much for the brat?
Atobe stopped banging his head. Why was he banging his own head, anyway? He turned to glare at Ryoma's sleeping form. This brat. He thinks he can make a worrywart out of the great Ore-sama? Huh!
Atobe marched back towards the bed. Then, still glaring, he started to wake Ryoma up. Which turned out to be a very arduous task as he later found out.
"Oi, Echizen! Wake up, brat." Atobe called.
Ryoma didn't stir.
Atobe tried again. "Brat. Ore-sama said to wake up!"
Still no reaction from Ryoma.
Atobe frowned. Seems like the brat is a very deep sleeper. He reached forward again, this time to shake Ryoma a little. "Brat. Oi! Wake up."
"Hmm," Ryoma moaned into his sleep, his arms shooting forward to grab and hold a pillow. He still didn't wake up.
Atobe took a calming breath. He's starting to get annoyed. "Oi, Echizen, if you don't wake up this instant, Ore-sama will leave you here alone."
He waited for a few heartbeats. When no reaction came from Ryoma, he continued. "You're going to be late for class."
Still nothing.
"Ore-sama will really leave you here." He continued, his voice laced with warning. "Alone."
But still, the brat didn't wake up. He didn't even stir.
Atobe started to scowl. "Oi, Echizen." He started to shake Ryoma again, a little harder this time. "Stop sleeping already."
Ryoma frowned in his sleep. Who on earth is trying to wake him up? He still wanted to sleep, damn it. "Yadda," he muttered stubbornly before burying his head under the pillow in his arm.
Atobe was dumbfounded to say the least. He cannot believe that the brat had the nerve to actually contradict him even in sleep. "This brat." Atobe was quickly losing his patience. He pulled the pillow from Ryoma, none to gently. Now, he wasn't exactly expecting Ryoma to just wake up and start hitting him for disturbing his beauty sleep, but still, Atobe was surprised when the brat merely rolled to the other side of the bed and continued sleeping.
Atobe felt another strong impulse to bang his head against something hard again. Taking a deep calming breath, he started to count slowly in his head. He even massaged his temple to stop the oncoming headache. Goodness. It's only eight in the morning but Atobe felt exhausted already. This brat. Really.
Atobe looked at Ryoma's back. He considered for a moment. Then he crawled up on the bed. "Oi, Echizen." He said. He leaned forward to peer down at Ryoma who was sleeping very deeply again. Atobe sighed. That's right. Last night, it's nearing midnight already but Ryoma was still awake. The brat was obviously tired and needing sleep.
Atobe started to consider letting the brat sleep longer. Ryoma can just miss his morning classes and go to school in the afternoon. He will also have ample time to go home and pack some clothes. Atobe was about to do just that, but then he realized something. He was getting soft. When did he start getting soft? He was the captain of Hyoutei's Tennis Club for goodness' sake. With all its rowdy, immature members, he can't afford to be soft. He was supposed to be strict and hard.
"Oi, brat, wake up!" Atobe called loudly while shaking Ryoma on the shoulder at the same time. "Ore-sama is the one trying to wake you up, brat, so you better comply."
Ryoma moaned something under his breath.
"What was that, Echizen? Did you say something?"
Ryoma moaned again.
Atobe leaned forward, trying to understand what the brat was murmuring in his sleep.
"Karupin," Ryoma moaned softly. Then he turned to his other side, his lips stretching to a lazy smile as he played with his cat in the dreamland.
Atobe was petrified on the spot. He wasn't expecting Ryoma to turn to him. When the brat started to move, Atobe had been concentrating on Ryoma's words. He had heard it clearly. Karupin. The brat was having a dream about his cat. Atobe smiled. Then he realized that his face was only two centimeters away from Ryoma's. His smile frozen. His eyes widened. His heart did a mad jumping jack inside his chest. And his brain seems to lose all kinds of coherent thoughts. Oh, shit.
It took him more than a few minutes to recover. But when he did, Atobe immediately scampered backwards, falling on the floor on his haste to move away from temptation. Wait. Did he just say temptation? Yap. It's official. He's going crazy.
"Atobe-sama," the butler, who have been standing and was secretly watching just outside the door, called. Concern and a well-masked amusement in his voice. "Is everything alright, Atobe-sama?"
Atobe turned to look at the butler blankly. Then he immediately scrambled to his feet, blushing madly. After brushing off the invisible dirt from his clothes, Atobe cleared his throat and effectively resumed his princely demeanor, albeit the slight blush still on his cheeks. "Everything is fine." He answered regally. He gave the butler a pointed look.
The butler immediately bowed and turned to stand outside again, his back towards the room.
Atobe winced. Then he looked at Ryoma who was still sleeping, oh, so peacefully, unaware of the commotion going on around him. Really. Enough is enough. "Ryoma," Atobe called in a hard voice. "You are going to wake up this instant or –"
Atobe's words died in his throat when he saw Ryoma's eyes fluttered open slowly. The brat blinked a few times, adjusting his eyes to the brightness of the room. Then he sat up slowly, the neck of his big shirt hanging on the side, exposing a full, pale shoulder. He stared forward groggily, waiting for his brain to start working. Then his eyes turned to Atobe who was looking at him in quite amazement.
So, that's how you wake up the brat, Atobe thought. Call him by his first name. That was actually easy.
"Monkey King," Ryoma called sleepily, his voice husky from sleep. "Why are dressed like that? Are you going to school?"
Atobe felt his eye twitched. Did the brat just asked him that? "Brat." Atobe said, miffed. "It's obvious that you're not quite awake yet. So, Ore-sama will be kind enough and inform you that today is Monday."
Ryoma just stared at Atobe blankly. Then slowly, his eyes widened as he realized what the Monkey King was saying.
"Yes." Atobe confirmed. "So, go. Change. Now." Then he marched outside, closing the door with a bang.
Ryoma was left alone, panicking because he's going to be late, and frowning because he doesn't understand why the Monkey King was so annoyed so early in the morning.
….
"What are you going to do with that?" Ryoma asked as he watch the butler spread out various small tools in front of him.
"He's going to pick the lock." Atobe explained. He was standing just behind them, arms crossed in front of his chest.
"You can pick locks?" Ryoma asked the butler, something almost akin to admiration in his voice.
"Hai, Echizen-sama." The butler arranged the tools in front of him following some weird order. "My uncle was a very good detective and this is one of the many skills that he taught me."
"Heh," Ryoma said, impressed. "Will you teach me then?"
The butler smiled indulgingly at him. "Of course, Echizen-sama."
The butler proceeded to describe to him the different tools and its uses, showing it to him, and even letting him touch. Ryoma nodded his head occasionally, his eyes focused on the each tools as they were described.
Atobe sighed while he watched. He thought they already established that they're going to be late for school if they don't hurry up. He said so to the two who were deep in discussion.
"Hai," The butler said. "I apologize Atobe-sama." Then he turned to Ryoma. "May I ask that we continue the discussion some other time, Echizen-sama?"
Ryoma nodded. "Alright. It's fine by me."
The butler took two pointed thin metals from the tools collection, one short, the other longer. Then he went to the front door and kneeled in front of it, his old hands quickly reaching for the knob to unlock it. Just before he begin, however, Ryoma stopped him with his comment.
"Ah." Ryoma said, his hand in his pocket. Atobe looked at him questioningly. "I found my key." Ryoma announced. He pulled his hand from his pocket and raise it for everyone to see. There, held in his fingers, is indeed a key.
The butler paused for a second before he began to chuckle heartily. He stood up from his position and gestured for Ryoma to open the door. Ryoma immediately complied.
After opening the door, he turned back to the others with a definite self-satisfied grin, which faltered a little when he saw Atobe's expression. The older boy has an obvious twitched on his right eye and he was looking as if he wants to throttle Ryoma.
Shimatta, Ryoma thought. He immediately backed away inside the house. "I'll hurry up," he said before turning fully away to run to his room upstairs. "Come on in if you want." He called to Atobe over his shoulder before fully disappearing from sight.
Atobe was still scowling, but he shrugged. He went inside the house slowly, his eyes wandering around the place.
….
After approximately ten minutes, Ryoma came back down. "I'm ready," he said.
Atobe looked up to see Ryoma coming down the stairs. The brat have his bag slung on one shoulder, his cap carelessly placed on top of his head, his fingers busy buttoning his shirt.
Tch. What ready? Atobe watched as Ryoma put on his white shoes. Then the brat bounced to his feet, pausing for a moment to probably remember if he had forgotten something. Which he obviously did. He tapped a hand to his forehead before walking further inside the house. Atobe curiously followed.
He found Ryoma in front of the refrigerator, drinking a bottle of milk. Interesting. He watched as Ryoma finished the milk quickly before taking another bottle and proceeding to drink it as well. He raised his brow when the brat turned to his direction.
Ryoma paused on his drink before shrugging. "Inui-senpai told me to drink two bottles per day."
Atobe snickered, understanding. "Tch. Like it's going to work." He teased.
"What does that mean, Monkey King?" Ryoma asked with a glare.
Atobe only smirked at Ryoma's predictable reaction. Then he suddenly frowned.
"What's wrong?" Ryoma asked suspiciously when he saw the older boy's intent look on his face.
Atobe ignored the question. He walked forward and only stopped when he was directly in front of the first year. Then he gingerly reached out and adjusted the cap on Ryoma's head. He even shifted the bangs so it won't get into the younger boy's eyes. He leaned backward a little to inspect his work.
He met Ryoma's eyes. The brat was looking up at him, eyes a little wide, mouth open, and a stunned look on his face. Atobe frowned. He was about to ask what's wrong when he finally realized what he did.
Atobe felt his face starting to heat up. He cleared his throat, his eyes darting to the side to avoid Ryoma's gaze. He moved backward to put distance between them.
"Hurry up, brat. We don't have all morning." He said, voice as neutral as possible. Then he turned around to inspect the contents of the cupboard, pretending that he didn't do something so awkward and so totally out of his character.
"Oh. Ah. Yeah." Ryoma turned his back to the Monkey King, a small blush creeping into his face. Boy. That was totally unexpected. No one has ever done that before. Adjusting his cap, that is. The gesture almost seemed affectionate. Ryoma blushed harder. Scowling because of the uncomfortable feeling, he raised the still half-full bottle to his lips, pretending that his heart wasn't pounding so hard inside his chest.
That's all of part 1. I promised special guests for this chapter, didn't I? Well, they're going to appear on the second part so please look forward to it. I''ll post it as soon as I can. Please, don't forget to tell me what you think. Wonderful reviews are always appreciated. And suggestions are also welcome. That's it. Ja Ne!