For Granted
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Pairing: AtoRyo (Implied possible FujiTezu, TezuRyo, FujiRyo, and FujiTezuRyo)
Rating: PG(?)
Disclaimer: The PoT boys don't belong to me, but I'm still negotiating.
Summary: Atobe has the bad habit of taking things for granted.
Wordcount: 1392
Notes: Written for Royalpair's November challenge: Tezuka.
xxxx
For GrantedAtobe Keigo is a man accustomed to getting what he wants, how he wants, when he wants it. Many of the people that surround him indulge him his whims. This has lead to a rather large fault when it comes to relationships. You see, Atobe sometimes takes his position amongst those around him for granted at times. Most of these people tend to forgive him this oversight, but there is one who simply will not tolerate such behavior.
Echizen Ryoma refuses to be set aside or treated as an object. He doesn't deal well when others force their expectations on him. After putting up with Atobe's selfish whims for longer than he cared to think about, he finally decided that he would not be taken for granted by his lover any longer. He just had to devise a plan… and if that didn't work, well, he could always beat it into his obnoxious lover that ignoring him wasn't a bright thing to do.
Atobe never really thought much on their relationship. They'd been living together so long they had just fallen into a routine, and he, for the most part, was comfortable with this. Why change something that had been working well for so long? He had Ryoma, that's all he really needed. If they no longer spent as much time together as they used to, well, how could he help that? They both had jobs to juggle and life wasn't as simple as it was back in highschool when they'd first started dating.
It wasn't until one night when Ryoma came home much later than usual that Atobe found himself questioning the state their relationship had fallen into of late.
He wasn't sure whether he should be worried about this new development. He knew better than anything that there were few things that could cause such a reaction from Ryoma. He didn't like what that could mean. He really hoped it was only a case of an increased training regimen. A small voice in the back of his mind knew better but he was doing his best to ignore it.
He glances at his slightly dazed lover, wanting to ask, but also hesitant. He wasn't sure he would like the answer.
Atobe clears his throat, leaning against the hall door jam in an arrogant fashion.
"Where have you been?" Atobe forces any worry, which he totally wasn't feeling, out of his voice, causing it to sound sharper than he'd intended.
Ryoma's eyes jump to meet his. They widened slightly, but were otherwise unreadable. The younger man shrugged, glancing away. "Playing tennis."
"This late?"
Ryoma nods, tiredly stripping out of his sweaty clothes. Before he passes on to enter their bedroom, he looks Atobe straight in the eyes and states clearly, "It's nothing."
Atobe wants to believe him. He doesn't think Ryoma would lie, the boy would be more likely to come out and say it bluntly if something were going on. So Atobe lets him pass and the subject drop.
Still, he can't help but question it. The doubts, things he was unaccustomed to experiencing, plagued him. Would Ryoma lie to him? If so, then why? The question buried so deep he refused to touch it though, was "with who?"
Another night passes, and Ryoma is again late. Atobe waits up, ready when he opens the door. Atobe's determined gaze stares into Ryoma's, daring him to make another excuse.
"Tennis again, I assume?"
"Of course." Ryoma glanced away before meeting his gaze with one equally as determined. "Tezuka has been helping me improve my game."
"Tezuka?" Atobe didn't react outwardly, but inside he was a bundle of rage and nerves. "When did he get back in town? Wasn't he training in Europe again?"
Ryoma shrugs. "Ran into him the other day. Didn't come up. Fuji was there too."
Atobe's teeth clenched. "Fuji? I wasn't aware he still played tennis."
Ryoma eyed Atobe smugly. "He doesn't. Well, not often anyway." Ryoma's lips quirked at a memory, "There are ways to convince him back onto the courts, though."
Atobe nearly twitched, but held himself back. Of all of Ryoma's former teammates, those two were the most troublesome. There was a lot of unspoken history between them, and Atobe wasn't sure he liked how this was developing at all. There was no way he'd just sit back and let them take away his Ryoma.
Atobe decided his best plan of action was to do what he did best and had been neglecting for far too long. It was time to pamper his lover as he deserved.
"Ryoma?"
"Hmm?" Ryoma looked up questioningly.
"Let's go out tomorrow."
"For Tennis?"
Atobe grunted in annoyance. "No, just out. On the town. Make a day of it."
Ryoma blinked. "But work…"
"Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it."
Atobe stood and strode away, totally missing the utterly smug and content expression adorning Ryoma's face.
"Made made dane," the younger man whispered.
xxxxx
"That was fun, we should do it again." Atobe stated when they returned home the following evening. He eyed the younger man shrugging from his coat, his pants slung low on his hips. All night had been a test of his desire. He'd forgotten how tempting Ryoma could be.
"Hnn." Ryoma grunted noncommittally.
Before he could blink Atobe was on him, kissing him breathless in a desperate passionate manner he hadn't shown in years. Ryoma's lips quirked up, his eyes dancing. He had missed this, though he'd never admit it to Atobe.
Atobe was busy kissing him, while removing the barrier of his shirt when a sudden ringing interrupted their play. Ryoma's pants were ringing. Or, to be exact, the cell phone in his pants was ringing. Ryoma pulled away from a thoroughly irked Atobe to answer it. He smiled at the voice on the other end. "Buchou."
Atobe's eyes narrowed.
//"You don't need to call me Buchou any longer, Echizen. I'm not your captain anymore.//
Ryoma grinned. "What can I say, old habits die hard." He gasped when Atobe suddenly latched himself onto his neck, tugging gently with his teeth. Ryoma glanced at him in annoyance with narrowed eyes. Atobe stared back completely unabashed and not at all repentant. He soothed the bite mark with kisses and tongue.
//"Are you all right?"//
"Mmm. Yes, I'm fine. Just… a little distracted."
//"Ah, I see, maybe I'll wait for a more conv- Wait a minute Fuji, stop that!"//
Ryoma could hear his old teammates voice on the other end of the line.
//"No. I want to talk to him.//
//"Later, he's busy right now."//
//"You know very well he's not the one busy, now hand it here."//
There were some faint protests, but in the end Fuji somehow got a hold of the phone.
//"Ryoma?"//
"Fuji?" Ryoma's eyes narrowed when he felt another too hard nip from the mouth paying homage to his throat.
//"Maa maa, I've told you to call me Syusuke, Ryoma. We've known each other too long to stand by such formalities."//
"I… ahh… don't think that would be such a good idea right now." Ryoma could almost see the smirk spreading on Fuji's face.
//"I take it my plan worked?"//
"Mmm… like a charm." Ryoma looked at Atobe in an exasperated fondness. Atobe quirked an eyebrow questioningly in response. Ryoma shook his head.
//"Oh well, I suppose that's good to hear."//
Despite the disappointment-laced words, Ryoma heard the sincerity in the statement. Fuji was happy to hear all was well.
//"Ah, but Ryoma?"//
"Yes?"
//"Tell Atobe that next time he takes you for granted we really will steal you away."// This was spoken loud enough that Atobe, whose head was quite near, could hear.
The arrogant man's lips quirked and one eyebrow rose. Snatching the phone from Ryoma's limp hand he stated into it, "I dare you to try it."
//"I'd be more than happy to take up the challenge--"//
Atobe pressed the power off button silencing his lover's annoying former teammate.
"Now, where were we?"
Ryoma just smirked before taking advantage of his lover's preoccupation with a passionate kiss. Neither one bothers to worry about anything but the moment and each other. The future was a distant idea, and not something to worry over. There were far more fun things to be doing at the moment.
xxxx
The End
xxxx
author's rambles: It's 3:44 in the morning, a half an hour late and I'm exhausted, so please forgive any typos/grammar errors. I just wanted this to be posted in time to be included in the challenge and I'll try and fix it later on, when life is less hectic.
And Fuji is love. XD He so would snatch Ryoma away if Atobe let his guard down.
Feedback equals food for the soul
11/30/06
quick edit: 12/1/06
Still not perfect though. :