Disclaimers: The rewritten version of a story based on the song "Koi no Gekidasa Ecstasy" by Tachikiritai and Tachikiritai themselves.

I don't own Prince of Tennis.

I don't own the translation of the song. The translation I'm using is from mikimaro0.

"Kenjirou," Shiraishi moaned. "Kenjirou, stop."

"I can't. I have to."

"No, Kenjirou—"

"Kuranosuke, I have to."

Shiraishi grabbed his boyfriend's back, looking at him with desperate eyes. Koishikawa stopped at the door to look at him.

"Stop," Shiraishi begged. "Don't leave me alone again."

"Kuranosuke, work is important to me. We're working on a big project that still needs a lot of work. My dad gave me a good job, and I can't let him down again," he explained, picking up his coat and briefcase.

Shiraishi frowned. "Work is more important to you than I am?"

He looked up from his work. "Of course not, Kuranosuke. This is just a crucial time, you know?"

"I'm tired of being alone every night, Kenjirou," Shiraishi confessed, watching his boyfriend carefully as he picked up files for work.

"I'm sorry, Kuranosuke," he checked his watch. "Oh, I'll be late at this rate. And you're not alone—" he began, rushing and kissing Shiraishi "—you have your cat, don't you?"

Shiraishi pulled Koishikawa back to kiss him for real before he left for the night. Koishikawa pulled away after checking his watch behind Shiraishi's back.

"Bye. I can't be late or I'll let my dad down again," he explained when Shiraishi heaved an aggravated sigh.

"That's the second time you've said 'again'! When was the first time?" Shiraishi yelled as Koishikawa was in the doorway.

He stopped and turned around to look at Shiraishi, standing in the middle of the large and empty living room. Before closing and locking the door to leave for work, he offered a tragic smile.

"What's that look for?"

He frowned at the man on his screen. "Yuuta just texted me to say he's having dinner with Mizuki," he explained flatly, tossing his phone off screen.

"Ah," he answered. "You don't have to be so meant o him, you know. Yuuta must really like him if they've been together for so long."

"I know. They still have problems, though. And Yuuta's too good for him."

The other man chuckled a bit, "Everone has their own problems, Fuji."

He pouted a bit, leaning on his arm. "Even in Germany?"

"Yes, even in Germany."

"Oh," he returned flatly. "Well, anyway, Tezuka, I was wondering when you were going to come back to Japan."

"Perhaps for Christmas," he answered. "To see my parents, you know."

"Oh, well, maybe we could go out to dinner when you come back."

He shifted in his chair a bit. "Um, Fuji…"

The brunette smiled and laughed a little. "Fine, I know. You're not gay, even though we had that whole thing in middle school."

"What 'whole thing'? It was one kiss, Fuji," Tezuka explained exasperatedly. "One kiss."

"One long kiss," Fuji nodded in understanding, raising his hands in resignation. "I meant as friends."

Tezuka made a face.

"Sort of," Fuji smiled. "And anyway, Kojirou said he might be coming down to Tokyo soon! So maybe I can have dinner with him instead."

Tezuka sighed. "Saeki, again?"

"Don't act like he's not gorgeous, Tezuka. Everybody wants him."

"Fuji, I know you just want a relationship, but don't rush in to anything. Don't let your guard down, okay?" Tezuka sighed, looking at least a little bit worried.

"Kojirou and I grew up together; I would hardly call it rushing."

Tezuka checked the time. "Well, alright. Just try, okay? I have to go get ready to go out."

"I'll try. I promise. Have a good day," Fuji smiled, waving a little bit at the camera.

"Have a good night. Bye, Fuji."

"Bye, Tezuka."

The screen in front of Fuji flashed to black when Tezuka hung up and left. He saw his phone from the corner of his eyes, reminding him of his lonely dinner plans tonight.

It started to ring, breaking the silence, and reminding him of his empty apartment.

He picked it up. "Hello? – oh, Kojirou! – no, I think I'll be free – oh. Is that so? – Oh. So, you two are going out… -" he laughed broken heartedly "—I'd love to meet her…"

She was really pretty. Really pretty, he thought.

"U-uhm," he stuttered. "Do you want to come in, take a seat?"

"Thanks. Shishido-san," he smiled, letting her walk in and take a seat first. He sat next to her , and put his arm around her shoulders.

She was shorter than him, and with healthy looking hair. She had soft lips and long legs. He looked like a smiling doofus next to her, all mature and slim. But it looked good.

"So, you're Chotarou's—"

"Girlfriend," she cut in, smiling.

"Right."

"I wanted you to meet her, Shishido-san," he explained. "I know I mentioned her, but it's just not the same."

"No," Shishido agreed. "It really isn't."

There was a pain in his stomach. There was a different pain in his throat.

"You two look great together," Shishido said.

"Thanks, Shishido-san! I'm glad you like her, I think you two will really get alone."

"I hope so," she agreed. "Chotarou talks about you all the time, Shishido-san."

He almost blushed. "O-oh, really?"

"He's always saying what a great guy you are! It's amazing a girl hasn't snatched you up."

"Oh, don't say things like that!" Ootori exclaimed, face flushed a bit. "It's embarrassing if you tell him what I say."

She smiled an apology and kissed him on the lips.

Shishido sighed quietly and ran a hand through his hair. "I was going to start dinner. Did you two want some?"

"Oh, we couldn't impose!" Ootori insisted.

"It's really fine, Chotarou. Unless you guys had other plans. I mean, I was gonna make some soup. It's not hard to make more."

"Well," he smiled shyly, considering it. "If it's really okay. This way, you two can get to know each other."

"Yeah. You guys chill, watch some TV or something. I'll go get started, then."

Shishido tossed Ootori the remote before going to his kitchen. Seeing them together – seeing them kiss – brought a pain to his stomach. He wanted something, and he felt it in his gut.

It was butterflies. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Butterflies were definitely in his stomach when he saw him, sitting at that park bench with his dog.

"Kippei!" He yelled.

He looked up from his dog. "Ah, Chitose. What are you doing here?"

"I was just wandering around, like always. It's chance I ran in to you," he smiled, walking over. "You?"

"Oh, I was out jogging with Gokutora, but he hasn't been too well lately," he answered, turning his attention back to his dog.

"Oh, no. Well, Kippei, you know, I work at a petstore? It's called Koi. I work almost every day, so you could stop by and see me. I could take a look at him for you."

"You'd look at Gokutora for me? I really appreciate that, Chitose!"

He smiled. "Of course. I mean, we've known each other for a while now, and well, we are sort of close," he looked down. "I mean, I've always thought we were sort of…"

"You're right, Chitose."

His head snapped up, a smile and blush coming on to his face.

"We have known each other for quite some time, haven't we? And even after what I did to you," Tachibana nearly shuddered at the thought of it, but he looked right back to Chitose's eyes. "I'm glad we've remained friends."

"Friends," Chitose repeated incredulously.

"Yes, I consider you a very close friend of mine, Chitose. I don't want anything to change between us."

"Oh," he breathed softly. He looked down again. He forced a smile to look back at Tachibana. "Yeah, me neither."

He thought about kissing him, to get his own point across. But nothing could change between them now.

"I – I think I need to get home, Kippei. Bring Gokutora by sometime, okay?"

"Sure," Tachibana smiled ignorantly and waved.

Chistose leaned forward. "Oh, you know," he began.

He changed his mind.

"Hm?"

He leaned back.

No, he has to say it.

No, he can't.

"I don't work tomorrow until the evening," he said.

"That's fine. An can drop him off. Bye, Chitose."

"Bye, Kippei," he waved and jogged off by himself.

Almost, he thought, almost. Maybe some other day he'd try again. It's just that he was tired of being alone, night after night.

"The number of nights I've frequently spent alone," Shiraishi told his cat.

"Is astounding," Fuji mused to himself.

"Now that I realize it!" Shishido exclaimed, washing the dishes in his empty apartment.

"I still haven't been in love," Chitose decided, sighing, as he walked back home by himself.

A/N: Koishikawa is the vice captain of Shitenhouji's middle school team, if you don't know.

I've changed a lot from the original version, and I like this a lot better.

Merry Christmas, Jellyfur