To celebrate my graduation from high school (which is on Wednesday) I decided to make an Atobe/Jirou fic, making this my first ever Adorable Pair fic. I DID say that I would make one of these pairs in the future. However, I completely have no idea on how to write this. Most people see him as an egoistical, narcissistic bastard who can back himself up using tennis (myself included) and that characterization is hard for me to write about. I hope that I didn't make him OOC in this fic and I did his character justice. If any chance that most of you will agree that yes, he is OOC, I would take this down, rewrite it, and put it back up again.
Inspired my Cascada's Everytime We Touch (slow remix). Recommended that you listen while reading.
Reviews and constructive criticism are much appreciated.
It was their last day as middle school students.
And… it was his last chance to tell his feelings before going their separate ways.
He watched him from the corner of his eye. For once, he was awake, talking animatedly with Mukahi and Shishido, whose respective partners haven't arrived yet. With a small internal sigh, he ran his hand through the shock of his black-grey hair, unaware of the devastating effect it had on the nearby female population. He wasn't used to feeling like this. He was Atobe Keigo, dammit, and it was him who was always being chased, not the other way around. Due to his awesome prowess, everything was usually handed to him on a gold, not silver platter.
But he, however, underestimated the power of unrequited love.
He didn't understand it at all. Even his infallible Insight was useless against the matters of the heart. He knew long ago that he was attracted to people of the same gender, and he will admit that he had been attracted to Tezuka Kunimitsu and Sanada Genichirou and even Echizen Ryoma at one point in his middle school life (hence his almost obsessive need to beat them at tennis), but they have their own special significant others, and it was just a passing phase, anyway.
But just what made him so special? The known Sleeping Beauty of Hyotei, the sleepy genius, a blond ditz/Fuji and Marui fanboy (which was the cause his insufferable bouts of jealously on occasion) who was ultimately very bubbly and cheerful when awake (or worse, in a sugar high), which would usually get on his nerves because there could never be someone who could be that happy.
Not only did it not get on his nerves, he found it very adorable.
There must be something wrong with him for him to fall completely, irrefutably and irrevocably in love with Akutagawa Jirou.
And it did not help matters when the teen would sleep in his lap (as the strawberry blond insisted that it was the best pillow of all), giving him the full purity of his still boyish face, the long, curled eyelashes, the strawberry blond curls framing his not-so-angular face, or the fact that the teen was also very clingy to him like an overgrown koala or that he has earned the nickname 'Keigo-chan', which he did not mind very much, no matter how much he willed it otherwise.
Denial was only a river an Egypt, after all.
Lips twitching, he placed a finger over to his temples, staving off the headache he knew that was bound to come. He was already acting out of character by not flaunting at this graduation ball he organized himself, and not attracting the crowd to him in general. While he usually loved the attention, there was just something missing when everyone but him gives you the attention you are looking for. Love is a complicated thing, which he quickly learned when he started realizing his fluctuating feelings, from wanting to strangle the ditzy blond to protecting him from all the evils in the world.
At first he didn't know what to do. What he was feeling exceeded more than what he felt from his rivals. It took a long time for him to adjust to his newly found emotions and to accept it fully, and now, as he had come to terms with everything, it may be too late to do anything.
It will not stop him from doing anything, though.
He snapped out of his musings when he saw Oshitari and Ootori arrive, obviously there to see their respective partners. Since it was a going away party, everyone was invited to come, and there are some seniors who brought underclassmen as their dates. He fought the small twinge of jealously when he saw the tall second year with Shishido. It was well known to everyone that they are together, short of being actually married. Oshitari and Mukahi are the same, only that they take the meaning of Public Displays of Affection into ridiculously high levels. Just like now.
He did not need to see that.
The party has been going on full swing for hours now, and, if he would guess correctly, it was already close to midnight. It was his last chance.
And an Atobe always do things with style.
Standing up, he made his way to the podium, where he grabbed the microphone, the feedback startling many of the dancing students and the other people in the room turning their attention to him.
"Everyone, Ore-sama would like to thank you for coming to Ore-sama's graduation ball." He started off, garnering a round of applause from the students. "But as you may all know, it is close to midnight, and, because this is not done in Ore-sama's mansion, this party will soon be over."
Cue the groaning and the protest of the other students.
"To finish this night off, the last dance," At this, many of the people vacated the dance floor, leaving it deserted. "Ore-sama would like to invite a special someone to dance with him."
The crowd buzzed into whispers as he paused, and the girls stared suspiciously at each other, wondering who was the special girl that caught Atobe Keigo's heart.
He ignored their reactions, staring into the crowd, his sharp blue eyes searching for a pair of soft caramel ones. He finally saw him, and he resisted breaking into a soft smile.
"This person is possibly one of the happiest people Ore-sama has ever known. This person never asked Ore-sama for anything, and because of that, Ore-sama is willing to give up everything for him."
The whispers grew significantly louder. Atobe Keigo, giving a public confession?! Why?! And more importantly, to whom?!
"This person has shown nothing but complete, sincere sweetness to Ore-sama since we first met. And today, this night, ore-sama would like to return that favor."
By some divine power, others call it fate; it decided to let their eyes meet.
Letting his lips curl into a small smirk, he finally voiced out his question.
"Akutagawa Jirou, will you let me have the honor of becoming your last dance?"
Several gasps of shock and disbelief followed this statement. The blond in question also gaped in surprise, before biting his lip and letting the pink blush stain his cheeks. "The eyes are the windows of the soul" it was said, and he would like to agree to that, feeling those chocolate brown orbs pierce into his very core. Without looking away, he snapped his fingers, and a slow melodic tune started to play as he walked slowly towards the blond, who was still standing, transfixed at the sight of him.
I still hear your voice when you sleep next to me.
I still feel your touch in my dreams.
Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why
Without you, it's hard to survive.
He stood in front of the blond, quirking an eyebrow when the blond looked as if he couldn't speak. "... Me, Keigo-chan?" He finally asked, breathless.
At that, he couldn't help but give a genuine smile. "Would I have said it if I didn't, Jirou?" He held out his hand, an invitation for a dance.
'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling.
And everytime we kiss, I swear I could fly.
Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last.
Need you by my side.
The feeling of Jirou's smaller hand in his own made his heart pound. He led him to the middle of the dance floor, guiding Jirou's arms to his shoulder, while he wrapped an arm around the small waist. Jirou, if possible, blushed harder.
"Ke-Keigo-chan... the people are staring…" He whispered softly, his body starting to tense at the outright shocked or disgusted glares he received.
"Let them." Suddenly he found himself being twirled, he squeaked in surprise, clutching at the front of Atobe's dress shirt to keep himself steady, feeling breathless. Ice blue orbs kept him captive in its stare and he could only stare back, mesmerized, as a low voice whispered sensuously into his ear.
"I only have eyes for you."
'Cause everytime we touch, I feel this static.
And everytime we kiss, I reach for the sky.
Can't you hear my heart beat so...
I can't let you go.
Want you in my life.
They started to dance, moving in slow circles, unaware of the world except for the two of them, their bodies moving in synchrony, and Jirou leaned his head on his Keigo's chest, hearing the steady beat of his heart, closing his eyes as he let himself be drowned in the myriad of emotions and senses, the heat of the other's body pressed against his own, the intoxicating musky scent that made him feel lightheaded and the own pounding of his heart, quick and rapid, unable to believe that he wasn't dreaming.
"Hey, Keigo-chan… do you… really… like me?" He murmured, clinging tighter, fervently wishing that he wasn't asleep right this moment. "Tell me, am I dreaming?"
Your arms are my castle, your heart is my sky.
They wipe away tears that I cry.
The good and the bad times, we've been through them all.
You make me rise when I fall.
He heard the heir sigh in apparent exasperation. "I don't just like you, Jirou." Tilting the blonde's face to meet his stare, he gently brushed the curls from the angelic face, cupping the face tenderly, and whispering against the blonde's lips.
"I am completely, irrefutably, and irrevocably in love with you, Akutagawa Jirou, and God help me if you don't want me to, because as of this moment, you are mine, and I'll kill anyone who would say otherwise."
For Atobe Keigo, who finally closed the distance between them with a kiss, this wasn't the end.
This was the beginning.
So guys, did I make the cut? For the diehard Adorable Pair fans, please don't flame me too much if this isn't to your liking.
Mitsukai20