Title: Us Then, Us Now

Pairing: Yagyuu x Oshitari (but got AtoTari angst in this part)

Fandom: Prince of Tennis

Disclaimer: not mine, cool? cool.

"Yuushi." Oshitari sighed and turned towards the voice. Sometimes, there were dangers to having Atobe know him so well. "What happened?"

How could he explain, when even he wasn't sure? "Niou's strong," he replied, feeling the limo slow to a stop, presumably for a red light.

"That wasn't all. Your play - it was different." There was another thing about Atobe - egocentric as he was, he had been their captain for more reasons than just his strength. Even though he rarely showed it, Atobe did watch over his team carefully, grooming each player to his own style so that the team benefited overall. He was just glad that Atobe also had tact enough to wait until they were alone before asking him these questions. But how could he respond? Ever since their breakup, their friendship had cooled down and become strained - they surely didn't talk about relationship-related issues.

"Niou... said something. Before the match. I guess it kind of threw me off, that's all," he finally said. He was so not getting away with just that, though. Not from Atobe.

Indeed, the next words from Atobe were, "You're not the type to get thrown by petty words, Yuushi. It must've been something big."

"Does it matter? I screwed up, I lost, I'll train hard, and I'll improve, OK?" Oshitari's gaze hardened into ice, voice lower than usual. He realized it was a mistake as soon as it happened though - Atobe never let that get to him.

"What if it happens again, in a real match? Do you expect me to keep you out of the game every time we play Rikkai? Do you need me to keep guessing what it is, so I know when to not place you in a match? Yuushi, this isn't just about you. It's also about the team." Oh damn. So it was about the team, now, was it. Of course - everything was always about the team.

"I can deal with it on my own, you know. You don't need to mother me all the time, Atobe. There's no need to worry about the team; it won't get to me again."

Atobe sighed. "Fine then, Yuushi, as a friend. Tell me as a friend, because I do worry about you, you know." That came as a shock. He knew that Atobe cared about all of them, but he never expected the narcissistic boy to come out right and say it. "How about this? I missed talking to you the way we used to, about school and guys and tennis and life and you and me."

This time had been bound to come - they were bound to one day face each other and talk out their status. He just hadn't expected Atobe to be the one to instigate it. "He said I liked Yagyuu, OK? Can we drop it now?" There. He wasn't sure what Atobe's response would be, but he was pretty sure it wouldn't be helpful to him at all.

"Do you?" Indeed, it wasn't helpful, but the way that Atobe said it made Oshitari look at the boy next to him more closely. Atobe's eyes, usually imperiously stoic and uncaring, were softened into that gaze he had reserved especially for Oshitari once, and now for Jirou. It wasn't warm, and it wasn't caring, but it was human. Atobe hadn't used it on him in a long time - the last time had been quite awhile before their breakup - and it felt kind of strange. "I mean, I've been feeling kind of sorry for you these past years, since you hadn't been dating and all. Of course no one could compare to me, so you just couldn't find anyone of the same caliber." Now that sounded more like Atobe. Instead of answering, Oshitari closed his eyes and leaned back into the seat.

But the question he'd asked was lodged in Oshitari's memory and refused to leave. Did he like Yagyuu? Sure, the gentleman was courteous and handsome, but so were a lot of people, on the outside. Yagyuu could also be quite a nasty character, like when he agreed to Niou's impersonation plot last year at the Kantou finals. Then again, he had dated Atobe, and Atobe certainly could be nastier than that by far. Plus, he didn't really know Yagyuu that well, not like Atobe, whom he'd known since elementary school.

"Answer me, Yuushi."

"No." Pause. Atobe stared at him with those insight eyes that could see through the strongest of tennis players to spot their weakness. "Yes." Longer pause. To his credit, Atobe didn't say anything, or even move. Somehow, they both knew neither was the correct answer, not the answer that was reverberating in Oshitari's mind, unwilling to come out. "Not the way I liked you," he finally said. Not as much as I liked you, he finished in his mind.

Atobe sighed, indicating he knew this was the most he'd get from Oshitari that day. "I'm sorry." That was quite a curveball - Oshitari sat up straight again, eyebrow quirked in question. Atobe Keigo was never sorry, not even if he destroyed someone's entire future. It was just against his nature to be sorry, and even more against it for him to say it. "Really, Yuushi, I did love you. But Jirou, Jirou's something different altogether. He needs me, and you don't. You're strong and independent, you and I don't click that way."

He had known that also, but it helped a little to hear it directly from Atobe. "If you'd like, I'm sure Yukimura would be more than thrilled to set you up with Yagyuu. We've talked a bit about relationships on the circuit, and he always lamented about Yagyuu's single status." Now that was new. And interesting. Atobe needed credit, sometimes.

They were pulling up in front of his house, though, and he wasn't quite sure what to say. Instead, he picked up his bag from the floor of the vehicle, and said, "I'll let you know, how's that?" Atobe just nodded. The driver was about to get out to open the door, so Oshitari quickly informed him that it'd be OK, he could get the door himself. Stepping out of the car, he was surprised that Atobe followed him out. Silently, Atobe leaned forward and lightly kissed him on the lips. He then got back into the car, closing the door behind him and drove off.

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