A/N: I'm trying to end this story as fast as possible, but…I keep getting ideas for it. Let's see how this works, eh?


Always Tomorrow
Day Five

Silence. Everything was so silent.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. It wasn't completely silent. The only noise was the quiet pitter-pattering drops of rain as they angled to the side and hit the window, sliding gently down. It contrasted perfectly with the tick-tocking of the clock in the center of the mantle above the fireplace, resting calmly in the living room of the Atobe mansion. It only added to the mad tendencies that ran through the mind of one Atobe Keigo.

He sat calmly, perched in the center of his living room, right leg crossed over his left, fingers entwined over his lap. He refused to speak a word, even a sound, as he feared to break his ultimate concentration. It seemed that reflecting was all he did nowadays. Reflecting on one Tezuka Kunimitsu. That man always made things…difficult.

Tezuka Kunimitsu, why do you do this to me?

That was the only thought running through his head, his body completely still against the chair; the chair that his father always sat at. He didn't even know if it could be called a chair. It was more like a throne; a throne for some fallen king…the one that Atobe Keigo would inherit one day and meet the same fate.

Save me before I crumble…Tezuka Kunimitsu.

Why had a man so perfect, so amazing, been so torn up inside? Why Atobe Keigo? Wasn't he the wealthiest middle schooler in Japan? Why couldn't his perfection bring him happiness…why couldn't his perfection lead him to Tezuka Kunimitsu and have him led right back?

Finally he moved, his entwined fingers untwining and slowly reaching up to entangle in his perfect locks of hair, getting a feel of the smoothness to make sure that he was indeed real. The silence of the house was getting to him. His father was away on business and he had taken his mother with him, so he was alone, save the various butlers, maids, and whatnot.

But the silence was also good. It gave him time to think for himself; time to reflect on what exactly it was that he had done. And it dawned on him.

Atobe Keigo had kissed Tezuka Kunimitsu.

It couldn't have been real. There was no way because…because Tezuka hadn't exactly pushed him away right that moment. Had they really—?

"Tezuka…"

His voice might not have been as perfect as it would have usually been due to the hours of complete silence, but it was still beautiful in its own way. Atobe Keigo had spent the whole night, awake, lying in bed thinking of the events of which occurred only hours ago. And needless to say, he wasn't pleased at himself. That kiss meant nothing to Tezuka Kunimitsu, but it meant everything to Atobe Keigo.


"Atobe Keigo," he said, finally regaining his cold composure. "I don't know what you heard or saw…but if you think that I'm with Fuji, you're sorely mistaken. I am with no one; I desire no one…and I won't be with anyone. Now—"

The Hyoutei captain pressed his lips firmly to the Seigaku member's own, silencing him almost immediately as he had pressed into him, Tezuka's back connecting perfectly with the doorframe. The opposing texture of the unreadable man's home clothing and the smooth wood of the doorframe colliding, creating a slight heavy noise, almost like the nails-on-a-chalkboard effect; a noise that should have been calming, despite the disturbing feel, but the only thing they heard was the cloth on wood, screeching through their flowing minds.

Tezuka had tried to get himself away from Atobe in hopes of reprimanding him for his actions, but found himself completely trapped between the man and the doorframe of his own house. The only one making the calls would be Atobe Keigo, as always.

Realizing that Tezuka was not kissing back, as assumed, Atobe pulled back, his eyes locking on the other's for some sort of reaction. Finding nothing but the coldness to the look, he lost the eye-contact, effectively turning away.

Atobe, for once, wasn't the first to speak.

"You never listen, do you? Atobe Keigo," said the man who could not be read, completely ignoring the fact that he and his rival shared an evening kiss. Confronting Atobe Keigo on that would come another day.


Standing up smoothly, he sighed and walked to the clock on the mantle, his right forefinger connecting with the minute hand and turning it back to the exact time he had kissed Tezuka Kunimitsu. The hour hand followed the minute hand obediently as if it was one of Atobe's followers, the minute hand being Atobe Keigo.

He cared not for the second hand, his calm, elegant, unshaken finger ignoring its existence as it moved the minute hand perfectly counterclockwise to meet the exact time from the day before. Six-thirty-three. Just like then.

His eyes clouded over and he watched the second hand clock back to where it belonged, going faster than the minute and hour hands, giving his eyes the spiral effect like he was falling.

"Tezuka…" He whispered again, turning away from the clock and walking to his front door and right out, his coat hanging loosely on his shoulder instead of covering him up for the cold. He wasn't cold; the air didn't bother him. In fact, he was anything but cold. He needed to see Tezuka again. He needed to talk to him.


He needed to be back to normal. He needed it to be who he was…to be as confident as always to win Tezuka Kunimitsu's heart.

"Of course Ore-sama listens!" He said, now eyeing his rival up and down. "Ore-sama just wants to make Tezuka Kunimitsu his own."

"…"

Tezuka remained silent, definitely not used to being desired, especially by someone so…self-centered as Atobe Keigo.

At Tezuka's abrupt silence, the Hyoutei captain's face fell, his utter confidence fading once again. It wasn't right. He shouldn't have kissed him. Tezuka Kunimitsu would never be his own. Tezuka Kunimitsu will never be anyone's.

Turning around without giving the Seigaku player even one glance, he walked away, not even giving his little arrogant wave farewell. He never even noticed the look the other gave him…


Tezuka Kunimitsu, wait for me.

He walked along the sidewalk, this time completely forgetting that he could get a ride from one of his butlers. His mind was so jumbled up from thinking of what he had done that he wasn't paying attention; wasn't keeping cool like he usually did.

Without any further thought, not even sure as to how he actually got there, he found himself at the Tezuka Residence, his eyes clouding over as he stared at the same doorway he had his rival pinned against.

"Tezuka…"

With a sigh, he walked up the stairs and stood silently there, unmoving, for a moment before he finally lifted his right hand and knocked softly on the door, waiting patiently for Tezuka Kunimitsu's answer.

It was now or never.


A/N: Ahh…sorry for the sudden cliffhanger. -Grins.- I love writing them…but I really hate reading them. I like to keep all the chapters roughly the same length, I suppose. OCD.

Review, please! I'll try to have the next chapter up tomorrow!