Women are Evil

By Kerrie-chan

AN: Nya! My first completed PoT fic XD Go me! I've started so many too --'

The pairing IS MizukiAn so if you don't like het, or don't like An, please do not read this fic.. I don't really want any flames because of the pairing or because you don't like An P

xxxxx

"Ugh! Have you ever stepped back and actually looked at yourself?!"

Mizuki Hajime's ears twitched as they normally did when something big was about to happen. A feral smirk tugged at his lips. He leaned up against the vending machine, tilting his head closer to the corner where he knew the pair stood.

He couldn't help himself. It was what he did—eavesdropping that is. It gave him the best blackmail; especially when he over heard someone he knew.

Like now.

He had recognized the girl's voice immediately as belonging to the pretty, honey haired Fudomine manager. Now he had nothing against her particularly, in fact he was rather impressed by some of her skilful manipulation. She was almost at his level. Almost.

No, it was not for Tachibana An's sake that he was looking for blackmail, it was her companion. Atobe Keigo.

He couldn't understand why she would want to affiliate with someone as arrogant and slimy as Atobe Keigo. But then, he never understood women. Couldn't be bothered to. They were unimportant in the large scheme of things.

The large scheme being something to further himself in the world, of course.

However, in this particular instance, things were different. This woman was…worth it so to speak, if only by association. Bringing down Atobe Keigo would help him out a great deal. If only the strong willed girl would do her job and get him to say or do something incriminating.

"Of course I've looked at myself. It's rather hard not to."

"Ugh! I meant figuratively stupid! You know, like looked at yourself on the inside, maybe find out if there's something in there other than ego and fake charm?"

"Why An-chan, are you inferring something bad about my character?"

"No I'm telling your straight out that you are a shallow, egotistical, stuck up pig!"

Mizuki couldn't help but snicker at that. She took the words right out of his head!

Of course the fact that he was very much like Atobe never crossed his mind.

"I would say that I'm wounded…but well that would rather be like lying wouldn't you say? And we all know how much you hate liars."

"You sicken me."

A dark, arrogant masculine laugh sounded. "Come now, I know you don't mean that. And as much as I'd like to convince you of that fact, I'd rather not do so in front of our audience."

"Audience?"

The black haired boy froze, cursing inwardly, trying to figure out how Atobe knew he was there. Surely the taller boy's crap about being psychic was just that: crap. Right?

At that moment Atobe and An rounded the corner, coming face to face with a slightly flustered Mizuki. He of course hid it well, all too used to being caught 'spying' or 'eavesdropping'. Now…to find an excuse.

If An was surprised at seeing Mizuki Hajime lurking behind vending machines listening to her private conversation, she didn't show it. Her eyes widened fractionally before returning to normal, a cool look of calculation crossing her face, and a small smile touching her lips.

"Oh Hajime-kun!" She cried, her eyelashes fluttering, her small pink mouth making a tiny 'O'. "I didn't know you had arrived! You should have told me!" She then skipped over to his side and wrapped her hands around his arm.

Mizuki blinked rapidly, his mind in shambles. What the hell was she doing?? "Huh?"

She giggled, winking discreetly at him. "You know, our date? You can't tell me you forgot, seeing as you're here." She sent him a stern look.

He was quiet a few moments, his eyebrow quirking as he caught the game she was playing. So, she wanted him to play along. He had no doubt it had something to do with getting out of a date with Atobe. Not that he could blame her any there, but why should he help her? Hm. He'd have to think of some form of payment later.

"Of course I didn't," Mizuki stated suddenly, his voice dry. "I was merely thinking of something else when I came across you." He smiled, what appeared to be a real smile, rather than his usual slimy smirk. "I would never miss a date with you my dear An-chan."

An brightened, grinning back at him and squeezing his arm.

Atobe meanwhile was scowling blackly. "Who the hell are you?" He demanded, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Mizuki wanted to throttle the pretty playboy. What was it with people and not remembering him?? It was a trait he hated about Fuji Syusuke. Bastard.

However, before he could reply, An's arms slipped completely around Mizuki's, hugging it close to her front. In an angry, put out voice she scolded, "He's the manager of the St. Rudolf boy's tennis club! He also is one of the regulars. He's very good you know."

The dark haired boy's eyebrow arched once more, his dark gaze settling on the side of the honey haired girl's face. How did she know all that? He felt a little shiver run down his spine. Apparently someone did remember him…

Atobe, however, still did not recall him. "St. Rudolf...Is that that pathetically weak school we beat in the district tournament? The one in the brown and white."

Mizuki seethed. Pathetically weak?!

An seemed to have seen Atobe's comments coming and slid one of her hands down to grasp his, squeezing it reassuringly. "Don't listen to him Hajime-kun. He's just an egotistical jerk. Come on, let's go." With that, she tossed her honey locks and began tugging the seething boy away.

"You can't leave with him!" Atobe said loudly, clearly Anoyed. "You still owe me a date!"

An stuck her tongue out over her shoulder. "Too bad! My boyfriend doesn't like it when I go out with other guys!"

"Boyfriend?!" But by then they were out of sight range of Atobe, and his voice was nothing more than a mere echo throughout the street tennis park. An merely laughed, swinging their joined hands merrily. It was not everyday you got to embarrass the 'great' Atobe Keigo!

"You know, you are rather evil. That was actually quite brilliant."

An laughed more, turning her sparkling cerulean eyes to her new 'companion'. "Of course it was. I have been trying to get back at him for months, or at least just to get him to leave me alone. He never learns though that no means no. It's like his fragile little ego can't handle the fact that one poor little girl wouldn't agree to go out with him and spend the day flattering him. Just how I want to spend my day off."

Mizuki chuckled, allowing his gaze to wander over the street they were walking down, not realizing of course that he was still holding her hand, and that they were walking in no direction in particular. "You do know that you owe me. Something fairly large as well. I will be collecting as I see fit."

"Is that so?" An drawled, looking amused. She looked at him, but he wasn't looking at her. In fact he was looking at anything but her. She wondered if he was doing it on purpose, or if he was just generally looking around. "Well I don't like that deal. How about I choose your repayment?" She grinned mischievously.

Mizuki knew enough about himself to be wary of that smile, even if it was on a different person. Sure he didn't know her all that well—or at all really beyond her name and what school she went to—but that didn't mean he couldn't see the hidden evil in her. She almost reminded him of his archrival. Fuji.

"What makes you think that I'm going to let you choose?" He replied, coming to a stop and narrowing his eyes at her. "I'm not stupid you know. I now know how conniving you are."

An merely flashed an innocent smile, and pulled her hand from his. It was at that point he realized that he had been holding her hand for at least 5 minutes. He tried very hard not to blush.

"Well you don't really have a choice now do you, Ha-ji-me-kun?" She breathed, leaning forward towards him, her hands clasped behind her back. "It's either you get what I give you, or you get nothing and you'll have done a random act of charity for free. Heaven forbid."

Charity. Free. Two words that didn't work in his vocabulary alone, but when put together. Well… he tried not to think of that. Snorting he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. "Fine then. Hurry it up, I don't have all day you know."

"Close your eyes."

"What?"

"I said," she emphasized, "Close your eyes!"

"Why?" Now he was really suspicious. This girl was not to be trusted, under any circumstance.

An rolled her eyes. "Do you want your payment or not?"

He growled, and then sighed heavily. "Fine." And he shut his eyes.

Within a few seconds Mizuki felt the strange sensation of something brushing across his lips once, then twice, then a third time. The third time was much stronger than the first times, pressing fully against his lips.

Her lips were warm, soft and sweet. Like warm cherries. Without even realizing what he was doing, his tongue slipped out of his mouth and ran over An's bottom lip. An's mouth curled up in the corner then opened, unexpectedly causing Mizuki's tongue to plunge into the moist cavern as she pressed her lips closer to his.

While Mizuki was definitely surprised, he wasn't overly disgusted or repulsed by the sensation of having his tongue in someone else's mouth. In fact, he was quite enjoying himself. So much so that his hands moved to her hair of their own accord, threading fingers through the silken locks.

An pulled back slightly, just enough to separate their lips, but enough to stop their breaths from mingling. She was smiling, her eyes locked on his lidded, smoky gaze.

"Well then… that wasn't so bad was it?"

"Hm," he grunted, his gaze sliding down her face to her slightly swollen lips. "Not horrible. But not nearly payment enough."

Her eyebrows rose. "Perhaps you should fix that then."

He smirked. "Maybe I will," he murmured closing the short distance between their mouths.

Their second kiss was, if at all possible, more heated than the first. An found her hands wandering over the expanse of his tennis-honed muscles and losing herself in his kiss. For someone who she was pretty sure had never kissed a girl before, he was pretty good.

Which led her to wonder why she was even letting him kiss her…why she had started it. Sure, when she first saw him she had been mildly annoyed at him for eavesdropping, but she was also very grateful Atobe had called him on it. Other wise she would have been on a date with him rather than making out with a really cute tennis player that she could stand and actually remotely liked.

Yeah, she knew all about him and his…underhanded ways, just like she knew about all her brother's opponents, or potential opponents. And even though he was slimy (He was a different slimy than Atobe!), and a bit too obsessed with Fuji Syusuke, she couldn't dislike him. She actually found him rather attractive and amusing. She blamed it on her own conniving inner self.

"OH MY GOD MY EYES!"

The pair jerked apart, spinning around to see who had shouted so loudly, their breathing ragged and their faces flushed. Both were too dazed to really say anything.

Momoshirou Takeshi, Echizen Ryoma, Kikumaru Eiji and Fuji Syusuke stood not ten feet from where they had stopped, obviously headed towards the street tennis courts. Momoshirou was clutching at his eyes, rubbing them violently while his best friend shook his head, muttering, "Idiot."

Kikumaru looked slightly excited, after all he did like An quite a bit, but also slightly disturbed at who her 'partner' was. Mizuki did not have a very good name around Seigaku. Fuji looked happy, smiling his same benign smile that masked everything.

It's too bad Hajime-kun doesn't like Fuji, I rather like him. An thought to herself, before waving at the approaching quartet. She glanced at Mizuki to gauge his reaction, but found none. He was staring at the four Seigaku students with little emotion, his eyes flat, where only two seconds prior they had been smoky.

"Hello An-chan," Fuji greeted, apparently the only one either not preoccupied, or not effected by what they had interrupted. "I trust you are well?"

Mizuki tried not to twitch as he was purposely over looked. Damn Fuji.

An nodded, smiling brightly back. "Yup! I'm perfect."

"That's good."

"Ugh, how can you be perfect when sucking face with… that. I thought you had better taste than a snake Tachibana-imotou! I mean, even rhythm boy is better!" Momoshirou exclaimed, sending glares at Mizuki who glared back.

"Momoshirou!" An cried, scowling. "Don't say things like that! Whom I choose to spend with is none of your concern! I don't make nasty comments about your liaisons so you will do no such thing for mine!"

"Maa, An-chan, Momo is only concerned! He'd have said it for anyone!" Kikumaru piped up, sensing trouble. Echizen remained silent.

An huffed, crossing her arms over chest. "I doubt it. But never the less, whom I choose to date is not up for discussion, and if that person is Hajime-kun then so be it. It's my life Momoshirou Takeshi, not yours."

"Hajime-kun?!"

Mizuki stayed silent throughout the discussion, surprised at how adamantly she was defending him. No one defended him. Not even his 'friends', not that he had many. Everyone thought he was too mean, slimy and generally horrible to even bother associating with. He wondered what she saw. He certainly didn't see any of those things. People just didn't understand him.

"Mizuki-kun."

The black haired boy blinked, turning to face the now solemn Fuji, who had opened his eyes and was staring at him with an extremely frightening expression in his eyes.

"You will not toy with An-chan." The threat was very, very clear in the sandy haired teen's words. Mizuki actually shuddered a bit.

"Come on Hajime-kun!" An exclaimed suddenly, apparently finished with her conversation with Momoshirou, "We're leaving."

His eyebrows rose but he still said nothing, merely allowing her to drag him away, an annoyed but amused look on his face.

"ANNN! Where are you going??" Momoshirou called, glowering. "I'm going to tell Rhythm-boy!"

"You do that! I'm going on a date with my boyfriend!"

"Your what?!"

"Have fun An-chan!"

"Thanks Fuji-kun!"

He let her drag him for about a block, out of sight of the Seigaku students before he made her stop. An turned, blinking and tilting her head.

"What's the matter?" She said, arching an eyebrow.

Mizuki shrugged, tiring of the whole game. "I'm leaving. We're even."

An's face scrunched up. "No you're not. You're taking me for ice cream."

Now it was Mizuki's turn to blink. "What? Why?" He demanded, being tugged rather forcefully along, his hand trapped in the steel cage of her hand.

The girl grinned back at him, her eyes twinkling. "Because that's what boyfriends do of course."

"What?!"

She giggled, winking at him. "You better get used to it! Oh and you better get used to jealous boys too…Particularly Akira-kun… he can be a bit…" She trailed off, looking thoughtful.

Mizuki stared at her in horror, trying to comprehend just what was happening. How had they gone from barely speaking, to dating in fifteen minutes?! What the…

His blood ran cold as he realized just what she had done. She probably knew that the Seigaku teens would be coming along… she had probably planned the whole thing…by tomorrow everyone in their prefect would know about them.

Why that conniving…

"You are evil. Pure, unadulterated evil. And I thought I was bad." He said finally, looking her up and down with approval. "You'll do."

She just laughed, tugging on his arm. "Come on! I want my ice cream!"

Mizuki smirked. "For a price."

An smiled. "I can handle that."