[FIC] PoT: Resolution Redux 1/2 (Atobe/Yuushi, Atobe/Yukimura, one-sided Atobe/Jiroh, Jiroh/Bunta)
Title: Resolution Redux 1/2
Author: iff_u_loved_me
Genre: The Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Atobe/Yuushi, Atobe/Yukimura, Atobe/Jiroh, Jiroh/Bunta
Rating: pg-13
Warning(s): none
Disclaimer: Belongs to Takeshi Konomi
Summary: Jiroh has a crush on Atobe. The problem is Hyoutei's captain is always looking for love elsewhere. Jiroh resolves to make Atobe his. But when Atobe hooks up with Oshitari, Jiroh knows he must get over his captain. Will Jiroh succeed, or will this resolution be broken as well?
Word Count: 1691
a/n: Another long fic. Broken into two parts. I promised myself that Jiroh would get some love. I know it's been a while since I last posted. I'll write when I can, but don't expect an update every week.
Jiroh sat on a bench outside the school building. He was very close to dozing off when a boy came strolling down the hallway. Jiroh recognized him immediately. Atobe Keigo, the most popular boy in school. Affluent, smart, and athletic. He was Hyoutei’s shining star for the glory it so craved.
“Hey, Akutagawa-kun right?”
“Yes,” Jiroh said, his back straightening and feeling much more awake in the presence of such a beautiful boy.
“What are you doing here?”
“I just got out of detention and was about to go home. But then I saw the bench and I felt the need to sit down.”
Atobe looked mildly alarmed. “Are you okay?” He offered Jiroh his water bottle. Jiroh drank from it greedily, delighting in the indirect kiss.
“So, what did you do?” Atobe asked and to Jiroh’s amazement, he took a seat next to him.
Fidgeting, Jiroh confessed, “I feel asleep in class again.”
“Oh, did you have a hard time falling asleep last night?”
“No, it’s just I’m never really awake.” Jiroh could hardly believe that the Atobe Keigo was actually interested in what he had to say.
Atobe frowned for a moment and Jiroh worried, thinking he’d maybe said something wrong. Because of course Atobe could care less. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He was an idiot to expect more, but Jiroh couldn’t help it. Whenever he looked at Atobe, there was something so compelling that Jiroh felt the need to say something, to hold his attention for fear he might leave.
Then Atobe smiled and Jiroh could almost hear birds chirping.
“I know what you need.” Atobe leaned forward ever so slightly and Jiroh could smell the sweet sweat coming off him. Could see a bead of sweat slide down the opening of Atobe’s jersey.
Jiroh fought to keep the smile in place but his throat caught. Was Atobe going to suggest medication?
“Come to tennis practice with me. I was just taking a break; some of the upperclassmen aren’t too thrilled at the fact that I’m vice-captain.” Atobe chuckled, smiling as though at some private joke.
Jiroh stared in complete admiration. “The elections were today? Really, Sakaki-sensei chose you? That’s- wow, congratulations!”
“You’re the first one I’ve met who seems happy. Everyone seems to resent me.” Atobe looked down at his tennis shoes. “Hey, Jiroh-kun-can I call you that?” Jiroh nodded enthusiastically. “Want to walk me back to practice? You could watch, then decide if you want to play.”
“Okay,” Jiroh agreed, because when Atobe Keigo smiles at you, you’re totally and completely captivated.
*One month later*
“I..like you. A lot. Will you go out with me?”
Atobe hesitated and Jiroh’s hopes fell splat on the school’s white linoleum floor.
“If you’re seeing someone…“ Jiroh began, his stomach tied up in knots that made every intake of breath painful.
“No, nothing like that. I’m single, but the thing is, I don’t want to date anyone right now. ” Atobe had the grace to look sheepish.
“Oh. I see.” Jiroh wished he could disappear, or if that was impossible, that his face wasn’t so red.
“Sorry. I understand if you’re mad…”
“I’m not going to wait for you,” Jiroh said, praying to God that Atobe couldn’t tell he was lying.
“Good, I wouldn’t want you to,” Atobe replied quietly, trying to smile but not quite managing it.
“See you at practice, vice captain?”
And that would’ve been it. Except both of them were lying.
*One year later*
Lying down on the grass, Jiroh clenched his fists before gingerly sitting up. He coughed twice before calling out, “Hey, Buchou!”
Atobe turned and there it was, that dazed post-coital expression. Jiroh tried desperately not to start crying. He jogged to where Jiroh sat.
“Yes, Jiroh? Did you want something?” Even Atobe’s voice was softer. Jiroh offered him a sunny smile, trying to mask his outrage.
“Yeah, did you talk to Yukimura yet?”
Atobe grinned and leaned down, ruffling Jiroh’s hair. “Yes and he said he’d pass along the message.” Then he walked away, leaving Jiroh to stare wistfully after him. Even though it’d been a year and Atobe was dating Fudomine’s Tachibana Kippei, Jiroh still had a massive crush on his captain. And he was at a complete loss as to what to do about it. Oshitari would tell him to date someone else. But that was impossible. Atobe was a one of-of-kind.
*One day later*
As soon as the teacher left the room, Atobe twisted around in his seat and called his name softly. Jiroh’s eyes blinked open and he was awake enough to feel the familiar fluttering in his stomach when Atobe angled a wide grin his way. “Hey, Jiroh, catch.” The vice-captain tossed a square of folded loose leaf and Jiroh catch it reflexively. His breath caught when Atobe winked. “Make sure you open it private.”
Jiroh thought his heart would burst as his thoughts raced. Did Atobe and Tachibana break up? Did Atobe want to date him instead? Was this note a confession? Jiroh felt dizzy with happiness. The teacher returned and as she resumed teaching, for the first time in a while, Jiroh stayed awake.
He ran to the boy’s bathroom and opened the note. In girly, slanted handwriting read:
Dear Jiroh-kun,
Bunta would love to play a match with you. He’ll meet you on our courts since I understand from Keigo that yours are being renovated.
May your day be filled with sunshine,
- Yukimura Seiichi ϋ
*Later that day*
“Did you hear?” Gakuto piped up as he sat next to Jiroh’s head on the bleachers, legs swinging idly back and forth.
Jiroh yawned before asking, “What?”
“Atobe-buchou and Tachibana split up.”
Jiroh didn’t sit up in excitement, but he almost did. “Oh?”
Gakuto didn’t need any further motivation to keep going. “Yeah, and guess who he’s going out with now?”
Jiroh hid a scowl, thinking, Why does Atobe have to be so goddamn popular?
“Rikkai’s Yukimura Seiichi.”
Jiroh nearly fainted, which he supposed he could’ve gotten away with; people would’ve just assumed he’d fallen asleep. Because the world was an unfair place, this development made complete sense. Why else would Yukimura be willing to coerce Bunta-san into playing a match with him?
*A fortnight later*
Jiroh let out a deep, contented sigh. His idol Bunta Bunta watched him lazily. They lay together on the tennis courts, on the same side of the net. Their rackets had been tossed aside after the match as they had both collapsed on the unforgiving concrete.
Jiroh grinned, thinking that maybe Bunta would be open to getting ice cream with him later.
“You’re incredible, Bunta-sempai,” his voice breathy and unfamiliar. He could do this: play tennis and flirt, like he wasn’t in love with someone else.
“Thanks, kid. You’re not half bad, either.”
And the smile Bunta gave him just then, it didn’t make his heart ricochet but it sped up a little. And he seized on that like a lifeline.
Jiroh slowly, agonizingly, sat up so he could face Bunta.
“Hey, you got any plans later?”
Bunta’s eyes stayed closed. “Mmm, nope. Well, I have to go home and babysit the little demons…Why, what did you have in mind?”
“There’s this new bakery…”
Bunta’s eyes snapped open. And Jiroh couldn’t help but wish Atobe was so easily swayed.
*Later that week*
“Keigo, we have practice in five minutes.” Jiroh was slumped against Atobe who was in turn leaning against the lockers
Their last class of the day, English, had just ended. Jiroh and Atobe had cleared a spot on the floor and were currently lying down, face up. They were next to each other but not touching. Jiroh wasn’t sure if he was hallucinating but he thought he could feel the heat radiating from Atobe’s body. I must be crazy, he decided happily.
Atobe made a face and let out a disgruntled noise. “I don’t care. Let’s skip practice.”
Jiroh laughed, thinking he was kidding. “You’re the captain; you can’t skip practice.” But Atobe was serious.
“What’s wrong, Keigo?”
“I don’t know. I just don’t feel like myself.”
Jiroh tilted his head so he could better see Atobe’s face. “Are things going okay with Yukimura?”
Jiroh saw Atobe’s body stiffen and tried not to be indignant. He scoffed while trying to keep his tone light, “What, you didn’t think I knew?”
“We were trying to be discrete,” Atobe muttered in a slightly defensive tone. Jiroh just looked at him. Then they both laughed.
“Yukimura thinks I’m cheating on him,” Atobe confided, his hands clenching.
Jiroh knew better than to ask if it was true. “Well, do you know who with?”
Atobe pinched the bridge of his nose. “Didn’t ask.”
“Well, he must know it can’t be anyone here.”
“What do you mean, here?”
“From Hyoutei.” Jiroh scratched the back of his head with his hand.
“I know, but what are you talking about?”
Jiroh was slightly incredulous. “Keigo, you can’t tell me you haven’t noticed that you only date outside of Hyoutei and usually captains.”
“I do not.”
“Oh really? Tezuka, Kippei, Jyousen Taki-”
“-Yukimura,” Atobe finished. He shrugged and then hummed noncommittally. “But you’re wrong, anyhow.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. Yuushi and I dated briefly last month.”
Jiroh’s memory flashed back to that day after a particularly easy practice- Shishido had wondered aloud where Atobe was getting some and praised whoever it was. Jiroh had looked at Oshitari, expecting him as Atobe’s confidante to be in the loop. But that smug, dreamy eyed look on Oshitari’s face had annoyed Jiroh. Huh. So that explained it.
“I’m surprised I didn’t hear about it,” Jiroh muttered under his breath. Atobe did a strange sort of shrug where his left shoulder dipped down.
“But, say you didn’t know this. It’s not about the school, Yuushi aside. I didn’t decide that. I don’t decide who I fall in love with. If I find the right person…” he trailed off, not looking at Jiroh, his eyes, the color of dark water, trained on nothing in particular.
“Yeah…” Jiroh couldn’t be sure, but he thought he kept the longing out of his voice. But who knew?
TBC