The one thing that Tezuka Kunimitsu hated the most was hearing excuses.

Whether they be valid or stupid, the handsome brunette just loathed hearing them. Being Seigaku's Pillar of Support, he has been the receiver of many moronic and senseless "reasons" behind absences and whatnot from his team members.

That was why he was very irked when a certain narcissistic, on-court rival of his called him up on a Sunday morning, his one and only rest day.

"Tezuka, I'm sick," said Atobe Keigo. Noticing that the other end of the receiver remained quiet, he faked a cough and blatantly stated the reason why he called. "I want you to come here to my mansion and visit me."

"No" was the immediate response of Seigaku's stoic captain. Tezuka had a feeling that Atobe was either faking his sickness or was taking advantage of the situation, and he refused to be made into a fool by giving in to the egotistic boy's request.

"But Tezuka, I'm sick."

"No."

"You have to come over here and visit me."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No." Tezuka slammed down the phone and hung up on Atobe. Who did he think he was anyway? Sure, he was the said pride of Hyotei Gakuen, and many are "awed by his prowess" but Tezuka himself was not one of those who did. He simply thought of the boy as a nuisance, someone who he is thought of as an authority by others but just someone who knew how to carry himself well and trick others using his talents into thinking that yes, he was that great.

That was why one way or another, even if Tezuka hated to admit it to himself, he admired Atobe to a certain, limited extent. A very limited extent.

His phone started to ring again. Tezuka knew who the person on the other line was, and he had no intention of dealing with him again. He was about to be successful in ignoring the phone call that he did not want to receive, but something stopped him from doing so.

"Mitsu-kun! Answer the phone!"

Tezuka sighed. He had no choice but to follow his grandfather's orders, lest he wanted to be punished for being disobedient. He picked up the phone and did not even bother to say hello, for he was too irritated by the boy who almost got him into trouble.

"Don't make me beg Kunimitsu." Tezuka cringed at not only the fact that Atobe was using a disgusting, sugary tone of a voice, but also because he just called him by his first name. And take note, no one calls Tezuka Kunimitsu by his first name except for those who are totally close to him.

"No amount of begging will get you anywhere, Atobe. I still won't go."
"That's what you think. The limo has been waiting for you for fifteen minutes now. Just hop in."

Tezuka sighed. I cannot believe I am doing this.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Welcome to my humble abode, Tezuka" greeted Atobe the moment he stepped in the living room where he made Tezuka wait. The said brunette had arrived ten minutes before, and according to the servants he looked quite irritated. Knowing this, Atobe decided that he'd make things interesting and make Tezuka wait to agitate him more. Seeing Tezuka's frown plastered on his face, Atobe could say that he was certainly successful. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I had to deal with some…important matters. But that aside, would you like some tea? We have a wide variety of tea leaves from around the world, such as jasmine, chamomile, earl gre—"

"How about some hemlock? Or poison ivy? I'm sure that would match your taste quite perfectly," Tezuka said dryly.

"Hahahahaha! Why I never knew you could be such a joker, Tezuka."

"You said you were sick. You liar." He maintained a calm and cold composure, yet Atobe could sense the bitterness in his tone. This is so amusing.

"On the contrary, I am—"

"I have no room for dalliance Atobe. I'm going." Tezuka was certainly enraged. Who wouldn't be pissed anyway? He gave in to the spoiled brat's request, and he thought that they would actually do something substantial—although in truth he did not know what he really expected from their meeting. Did he expect them to do something interesting? An act of intimacy of some sort?

Whatever it was that he expected, Tezuka did not want to add up confusion for himself. He stood up, and walked towards the door. Just as he was about to turn the doorknob that would lead him to the hallway which would lead him to the exit, a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"I wasn't finished talking to you, Tezuka." Atobe was more serious now, for this moment was the be-all and the end-all for him. I have to tell him how I feel. "I was saying that I am sick."

"Yeah right." Tezuka actually snorted for the first time. If Atobe was surprised with this gesture of his, he did not show any signs of his bewilderment.

"Let me finish," Atobe looked straight into the light brown orbs that stared at him with annoyance. He didn't care whether Tezuka was hating him more and more as each second passed by, as selfish as that may sound like; he would hate himself more if he didn't get his point across now. He cornered Tezuka, making sure that he wouldn't escape. "I am sick, Tezuka. I'm sick and tired of waiting for you to notice how much I love you."

For a moment, Tezuka felt like as if time stopped, and everything around them came to halt. Several thoughts ran through his head, and he felt mixed emotions inside of him. What was that strange, tingling sensation that he had in his stomach? Was this what others called "butterflies?" Why did he have them right now? Why did his heart beat so fast?

Atobe felt as if his heart beat stopped. He saw the awestruck expression in Tezuka's face, and he knew that what was about to happen next was not going to be good. Was I too aggressive? Should I have waited longer before I told him? For once in his life, Atobe cared about what someone else would think; the assumption that the one he loves did not love him back actually pained him.

"Well," Atobe put both his arms down, and Tezuka sensed a hint of defeat in what the former just did. "That's just what I wanted to tell you. I wouldn't want to waste any more of your valuable time. I think I've wasted enough of it. I'll call the maids to assist you in exi—"

Atobe wasn't able to finish his sentence. He was cut off by a kiss from Tezuka, and he was shocked. Is this really happening? Atobe could not believe it at all. Somehow, began to feel happier again.

Tezuka did not know what drove him to kiss the boy that he thought of as annoying just a moment ago, but what he did felt right. They remained like that for a while as Tezuka let the taste of Atobe's lips linger on his.

When he broke the kiss, Tezuka looked Atobe straight in the eye. "Pardon me for my impertinence earlier. Is there any way I could help in mending this sickness of yours?"

A mischievous grin formed in Atobe's lips. "Well, there is one way."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Tezuka woke up at the sound of his ringing cell phone. He worried that the boy that laid on his muscular chest would be awakened by the sound of it, but he saw that Atobe remained sleeping like a log. He reached towards the side table beside him and pressed the "answer" button to accept the call.

"Mitsu-kun, it's 10 o' clock in the evening. Where are you?"

Tezuka sighed. He could not believe that he was actually going to do this, but he had no choice.

"Gomenasai grandfather, I should have told you earlier. I'm going to sleep over my friend's house to do this project for school."

Tezuka Kunimitsu hated hearing excuses, but he didn't say that he hated making them, if those excuses were for the one and only Atobe Keigo.