Chapter Twenty Five ~Ohtori~

Warnings: Yaoi, Love, Angst, Fluff, and Lots of Sex. Some kink. You've been warned ;)

Disclaimer: Nope not mine. Still in my dreams. ;)

Ohtori tried to not think about Shishido-san the rest of the day but it was very difficult. He knew he would see him again in a few hours at afternoon practice and that there was a chance he might see him in the hallways and of course, he lived with him now. He could see him when he got home so he really should try to stop thinking about him now. But no one would let him.

Everyone had already heard about Ohtori, the shy freshman who was suddenly living and practicing with the sub-regulars. It spread through the freshman classes in a hot, fast, wave like a fire and suddenly everyone seemed to want to be Ohtori's friend--if only to talk about all the other guys on the team.Girls and even guys were asking him things about the other players and his teammates. Odd questions too like: What was Atobe-san like as a person? What did Taki-san sleep in? What did Shishido-san like to eat for breakfast? It was very strange and Ohtori knew not to answer anything definitively so he just acted dumb and overwhelmed which wasn't hard to do considering his sudden overnight life change. In homeroom when the teacher finally called several times for class to settle down and the crowd around a very blushing and embarrassed Ohtori finally parted the girl sitting next to him started passing him notes. She said she was in love with Shishido-san and started asking Ohtori questions about him.

When she discovered Ohtori really didn't know anything about him, she told Ohtori tons of information about Shishido-san and seemed to know everything about him. She whispered tons of things Ohtori didn't know about him. He was a loner. He never told a lie. His mother was wealthy but his father was a poor school teacher. That the family lived with no status and had no money but his parents were deeply in love. He had an older brother. He had a dog at home. He liked drinking coffee and chewing mint gum. He had never told anyone he loved them. He never made the first move. He never confessed to anyone. He never kissed anyone first. She named off a list of girls all who had dated Shishido-san. Ohtori didn't know most of them. Then she went through another list of guys and girls who also liked Shishido-san. She insisted she was in love with him though and asked Ohtori to let her know if he knew if Shishido-san was dating anyone or if she should go ahead and confess.

Homeroom was soon over and it seemed in nearly every one of his classes some girl or guy was cornering him and asking him questions. The first few would politely be about Ohtori and the rest were about the person they really wanted to ask about. On top of his sudden stardom, the other freshman tennis club members who at least said hello to him before suddenly despised him. He went to sit at lunch and there were suddenly no chairs left at their table. They were excessively polite about it to his face. One guy even wickedly smiled while he said how sorry he was. Ohtori was not used to this.

Being suddenly hated felt worse than being ignored. He felt suddenly very alone and wished that Takeo was there. He would have stepped in and pushed people aside to make room for him. It was Hiyoshi Wakashi who saved him. Ohtori had never talked to him before other than an exchange of nods or hellos when they passed by each other. Hiyoshi also tended to keep to himself as Ohtori did. Hiyoshi stood vacating his chair and then forcefully shoved the chair down next to him. He completely ignored that it had a stunned guy sitting in it or the surprised yelp the guy made as his chair crashed into the one next to it. Hiyoshi turned and grabbed a chair from behind him and shoved it up to the table, holding it out for Ohtori to sit in. "Please join us," he said without a trace of a smile or sarcasm. The entire table was silent.

"Th...thank you." Ohtori said and sat down.

"Congratulations." Hiyoshi said when Ohtori was seated without any inflection. He was being sincere.

Ohtori said, "Thank you, but I'm not in yet. Its just a chance."

Hiyoshi smiled slightly, "A chance any one of these guys would step over the body of their most important person to get. They all want to be in your shoes." Ohtori noticed that Hiyoshi was even waiting to eat until Ohtori started. It was a large measure of respect and it did not go noticed only by Ohtori. He started eating so Hiyoshi could. Ohtori noted that several people around him were so intimidated by Hiyoshi that they too had waited to eat even though they had completely excluded Ohtori just a minute ago.

"And you?" Ohtori knew he had no friends coming into this. After a day of everyone being so fake right to his face, he was a little charmed by his rescuer being so direct and seemingly honest to the point of being brutal.

Hiyoshi smiled very slightly, "I'm already in your shoes. They moved me into your former single."

Ohtori realized that if Atobe-san did that, he had his eye on Hiyoshi as well. "Oh. Congratulations. Its a nice room."

"Yes. It is." Ohtori heard the unspoken that what Hiyoshi wanted really was what Ohtori had and even though it wasn't said out loud, it was still so direct that Ohtori decided he really liked Hiyoshi right then and there. And he looked like a coyote. Ohtori years ago for school read a book of animal stories from around the world and always liked the American Native Indian ones about the coyote. The trickster. Coyotes he knew were extremely adaptable to any environment, intelligent, fast learners, strong for their size, very loyal, and he remembered that they mated for life. One of the few animals to do so. Hiyoshi smiled a little more and said quietly so only Ohtori heard him, "Maybe one day if you aren't too busy, you will honor me by showing my your fast serve?" He smiled a little more,"I'd like to return it."

Ohtori grinned back at him, "The scud serve? Of course. You're welcome to try." They ended up setting up working out after dinner that evening. It would be good for Ohtori too who knew he needed to get himself and his game back together. He could not afford to be lax after the months spent in mourning. His serve was strong still but its speed and strength could be higher. Much higher.

He had to go to meet with Atobe-san's doctor back at their place before dinner that night.The doctor gave Ohtori what he said was a lower dose of different pills and said in a week they could see how Ohtori does off them completely. The old ones had made Ohtori feel groggy and spaced so he was happy.

Ohtori barely saw Shishido-san during the day. Even at practice Ohtori was kept running as if Atobe-san knew he needed work. After dinner, he worked out a third time with Hiyoshi until he ached. Ohtori had never seen anyone play like Hiyoshi did and it kept him learning the entire time they played. Hiyoshi and he worked each other hard and it was really good even if it was with few words. They agreed to do it again the next night.

Then that first night at home when he was finished with his homework, Shishido-san called Ohtori over and gave him some paperwork for him to get started on. Shishido-san said he would go over what Ohtori needed to know for his induction in the spring for about an hour or so each evening during the week. Ohtori was very happy. Shishido-san wrote some things down for Ohtori.

As he did, Ohtori admired his strong hands which moved with precise delicate motions as he wrote in perfect if somewhat square hand writing. It looked more like the kind of lettering you would see on a map or an architect's blueprints than a few jotted notes. When he saw Ohtori watching his hands, he didn't blush or get annoyed as Ohtori, feeling embarrassed at being caught, thought he would. Ohtori suddenly understood that Shishido-san must know he was beautiful and was probably used to being watched by people. In fact, he realized after Atobe-san, Shishido-san was the one most girls and guys asked about. Oshitari-san came in third he remembered followed by Akutagawa-san, then Mukahi-san, Taki-san, and then everyone else.

The only hint and response Shishido-san had to Ohtori watching his hands when he wrote, his mouth when he talked, and his eyes when he listened, was a quick flash that passed over his face saying he noticed. It was so fast that had Ohtori not been watching he would have missed it, and he knew most other people would have. It was faster than Takeo on a good day. Shishido-san tended to scowl a lot but Ohtori noticed this often was more of a habit of protection than any real anger. After Ohtori's crazy day he understood that Shishido-san created a safe space around him by seeming unapproachable. What happened to Ohtori at lunch would not have happened to Shishido-san because he would have sat down anyway or scowled until someone moved. Then as he continued to watch him, Ohtori saw Shishido-san tuck a strand of hair behind his ear. It was a habit that he probably did when he was uncomfortable Ohtori realized and then tried to give Shishido-san a little space.

Still Ohtori noticed he was extremely attractive. His features were perfect and even. Ohtori read that people who were considered attractive had even features. And Shishido-san's face was a little feminine up close but in a nice sexy way. He had high cheekbones,big expressive eyes that Ohtori couldn't figure out if they were dark black or dark blue in color, and when he relaxed or smiled he had full, soft looking lips and straight white teeth. He was very attractive. And surprisingly nice. He had waited for Ohtori to come home from practice with Hiyoshi and not demanded to know where he was even though he had things to go over with him. Taki-san had asked where he was and looked annoyed when Ohtori said only, "Practicing Taki-san."

Shishido-san even let Ohtori get settled and get his homework out of the way before asking him if he could go over this with him. He could have ordered him to but he didn't. He asked. He was nice. Surprisingly polite. Then Ohtori remembered he was supposed to give him space and he wasn't. Shishido-san tucked another strand of hair behind his other ear in response to Ohtori's latest too close observations and soon said they were done.

Ohtori thought he would have fallen asleep right away because he was so physically tired. He found he was still having trouble sleeping but this was a different kind. He had so many changes so fast that his mind was spinning to just process the overwhelming day. Taki-san talked to Ohtori for a little while but soon was fast asleep. Ohtori wondered if he took a sleeping pill. Ohtori hated how groggy they had made him feel all morning. He was in a strange bed in a strange place with people who were strangers. He couldn't sleep and decided to get up and wash his face.

He was surprised to find Shishido-san up and watching television. It was late and Shishido-san was laying there like he had been there a while and would be there even longer. Ohtori said nothing as he went into the washroom. He washed his face and re-brushed his teeth just to be doing something. He passed Shishido-san who looked at him. He didn't know what to say and panicked so he said only, "Good night Shishido-san."

Ohtori went back to bed and wondered if Shishido-san couldn't sleep either. He decided that if he couldn't sleep tomorrow and Shishido-san was there, he would ask him. Maybe he could even talk to him about a few other things. Ohtori was curious about him and yet, he no longer thought Shishido-san looked very much like Takeo. In their grade school there were twin girls that no one, not even Takeo could tell apart, but Ohtori always could. Once you got to know them, they were completely different. One was shy and the other loud. One was good at art and the other one at music. They really didn't even look that much alike once you talked to them a few times. Ohtori remembered that and thought how it was like that with Shishido-san and Takeo.

At first glance they looked very similar but then when you kept looking nearly everything about them was different. Takeo was loud and Shishido-san spoke quietly and lower than Takeo did. Takeo needed to make everyone like him and Shishido-san didn't seem to care if anyone did or not. Everything about them was different. Their hands, their writing, their lips, their eyes, even their features. Shishido-san was more feminine but in a beautiful guy sort of way where Takeo was a little wider in his eyes and more masculine in his jaw in a way that was completely different. Takeo was a good looking guy but Shishido-san was, as the girl in his homeroom said, gorgeous.

He missed Takeo and wished he could tell him all about this and dissect his day with him but then realized that Takeo would have been so jealous that he would have demanded Ohtori move out and never talk to Shishido-san again. Even the Takeo in his head couldn't help him with Ohtori's questions of should he just get to know Shishido-san as a person or was he just noticing Shishido-san so much because he at first looked so much like Takeo or was it maybe something else? Ohtori didn't know and was again on his own.

Ohtori decided some time later that it would hurt nothing to get to know his roommate and senpai sponsor. Even just as a teammate and maybe even as a friend. He knew everyone said Shishido-san was a loner but maybe it was Hyoutei that made him a loner and need space. Maybe Shishido-san was really like a tom cat that had done what it had to in order to survive but if someone really was good to it, really nice and kind, then the cat would let them be its friend.

Ohtori refused to think about being any more than a friend with him. That girl in his homeroom said only girls names who Shishido-san had dated. Just because the guy played tennis didn't mean he was into guys and Ohtori had no idea what he was doing anyway. There was no way anyone as gorgeous as Shishido-san, who could have anyone at Hyoutei he wanted, would ever need or want someone plain and ordinary as Ohtori. He would never see Ohtori as anything more than maybe just an acquaintance or a friend even if he did like guys. Or guys and girls. No, Ohtori thought just as he fell asleep, even if Shishido-san thought Ohtori was just a teammate or an acquaintance, Ohtori could still think of him as a friend and be a friend to him. He would just be himself and get to know him. You can never have too many friends.

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Ohtori's second day living there went pretty much the same as his first did except that he didn't have to see Atobe-san's doctor. He also rarely saw Shishido-san at school and it was almost as if at practice Atobe-san on purpose kept him away from Shishido-san to the point that Ohtori couldn't even see him. He wished again he could play him in tennis but not at Hyoutei.Ohtori wished he could play him the way he and Takeo used to play together. He missed that. They would play for hours and hours just because they loved it and it was fun. Tennis at Hyoutei was a large competition and while Ohtori always liked playing, it was more something he would call work than fun. He wondered if Shishido-san had ever played tennis like Takeo and he used to and if he had felt that enjoyment before.

When he returned from his third workout of the day with Hiyoshi and finished his homework, Shishido-san spent some time with him going over things he would need to know. Ohtori tried to give him space and not watch him too closely but he failed terribly. Shishido-san was writing something down and Ohtori tried not to stare at his hands when he noticed the beating pulse along Shishido-san's throat and wondered to himself what it would be like to press his mouth to that spot? What it would feel like, the warmth and the small steady throb against Ohtori's lips? He was curious to know if he licked there with his tongue, what would Shishido-san's skin taste like? Would Shishido-san like it if he touched and tasted him there?

Ohtori realized he was hard and staring and he quickly looked away. He put his head down and licked his lips which suddenly felt very dry. He felt a rush of his own blood to his own face in response to his inappropriate thoughts and cleared his throat. His hands were trembling so he put them in his lap which he hoped also would conceal the fact that he was very hard. And very mortified. He couldn't remember the last time he was this hard or turned on and that bothered him. He wondered if it was the pills he was getting off that had maybe kept it from happening and if now it was going to happen like this, all the time and seemingly twice as hard as before.

Very kindly Shishido-san said nothing and continued to write. Out of the corner of his eye though Ohtori noticed that Shishido-san must have seen him and his reaction because Shishido-san glanced over at him for a second and then tucked one strand of hair behind his other ear. He had already tucked the first when Ohtori wondered what Shishido-san's hands would feel like on his naked skin a little earlier. Ohtori struggled to get in control of himself although he felt totally lost and overwhelmed. Takeo if he was there would have made a joke and at least then Ohtori could laugh at himself for being this stupid.

Shishido-san stood in a fluid motion and said, "I'm thirsty, do you want water?"

Ohtori stammered out a yes and put his head in his hands for a moment while Shishido-san walked over to the kitchen and got two bottles from his own things. Shishido-san was gone a little while and Ohtori wondered in shame if it was because he was trying to give Ohtori time to get himself together. This was so embarrassing.

"Here." Shishido-san said and held out a glass to him as he gracefully sat back down. Ohtori took it and stammered a thank you to him. Shishido-san in the few times Ohtori saw him drink water, drank from the bottle and not from a glass. Ohtori thought he probably poured the water into glasses to give him more time to recover.

Ohtori drank and discovered he was very thirsty. As if he hadn't had water for a week or more. "Hey, hey, easy." Shishido-san took his arm to slow his gulping the cool delicious water down. "You'll make yourself sick if you drink too fast. Slow down." Ohtori tried to comply, he did, but the glass was soon empty. Shishido-san took it from him and handed Ohtori his own glass that he had sipped from. Ohtori went to protest he couldn't take his but Shishido-san wouldn't let him. "Its fine. I have more water. Drink it. You're dehydrated."

Ohtori drank it and tried to do it slow when all he wanted was to swallow it all down in one gulp. He thought of how Shishido-san's lips were recently against the glass and he drank a little faster and felt a blush again creep onto his face.

He stopped guzzling the water down and froze when he felt Shishido-san's cool palm on his forehead brush his hair aside and press to his skin. Then he touched the back of his hand to Ohtori's cheek. Ohtori realized Shishido-san's palm had been cool from the water glass because the back of his hand on his cheek was warm and soft. "You don't seem to have a fever. Maybe you're just tired." He looked at Ohtori again critically, "You look tired. We were just about done here and we can do the rest tomorrow. Wash up and go to bed."

"Th...thank you Shishido-san. I'm really very sorry for all this."

Shishido-san shook his head slightly and a look of kindness crossed his face for a flash. "There's nothing to be sorry for kid, just take care of yourself. You need to remember to drink more. Did you sleep okay last night?" Ohtori shook his head no. Shishido-san gave a strange little look as if he hated that Ohtori had not slept well. Ohtori didn't understand what that meant. "Then go to bed." He ordered while smiling with one side of his mouth in a very attractive way. Ohtori remembered that Shishido-san was on the couch wide awake late last night too. He was curious.

"Shishido-san? What do you do when you can't sleep?"

Shishido-san gave that little one sided smile again and said, "When I can't sleep I just stay up." He shrugged and then looked serious again. He said and pointed with each word, "Ohtori, bed." Ohtori thanked him and went to comply.

Ohtori put his papers away and washed up. He then told Taki-san he was tired and going to turn in. Taki-san asked what medication the doctor had switched him to the day before. Ohtori was confused as to how he knew the doctor was going to switch them and then figured that maybe he was Taki-san's doctor also. Ohtori told him and Taki-san made a face. He told Ohtori he would probably be very tired, dying of thirst, and need to pee several times at night. Ohtori told him the doctor wanted him to be off everything in a week how Ohtori was looking forward to it. Ohtori wished he could find a way to let Shishido-san know it wasn't entirely his fault for being so thirsty or such a mess. Really, he was the one who was always bugging Takeo to drink water and not sugary bad for you things like soda which Takeo always reached for unless Ohtori put something healthier in his hand first.

He thought again as he tried to sleep about how nice back then Shishido-san was even though Ohtori felt like a complete wreck and an idiot. He hoped Shishido-san didn't hate him or think he was a waste of his time. He had been so kind.

And then Ohtori thought how when he asked Shishido-san questions, he always talked. Not like he hated Ohtori but as if he thought talking with Ohtori was all right. Almost like he liked it. Maybe Shishido-san was bad with conversation and maybe because he looked annoyed in that space-getting way he had, he was a little lonely. When Ohtori thought about it, usually Shishido-san was by himself and when he was with other people he listened rather than talked. He had also in the last two days not seen Shishido-san on the phone and Ohtori wondered if there was anyone Shishido-san talked to. Then he thought about Hyoutei and wondered if there was anyone he could talk to. Anyone he could trust.

Ohtori realized with a little shock Shishido-san maybe really didn't talk to anyone and Ohtori's heart went out to him. People weren't meant to be alone all the time. Ohtori firmly believed this and his time being isolated and grieving reinforced this belief. Shishido-san like everyone else must need to talk to people and not just hold everything inside himself. Maybe because at Hyoutei there was no one else he could tell things to he didn't talk to anyone. Maybe he thought there was no one he could trust. He could trust Ohtori though. Ohtori would be his friend.

He realized with a second shock that he could get to know Shishido-san and be his friend. It would not be easy and Ohtori would have to take it very slow so he didn't scare Shishido-san away. It would be a lot like when he foster-cared for a cat. One who had been hurt, mistreated, and abused and now was shy of getting close to people. Cats that were out of practice or inexperienced with human contact needed to slowly and gradually be coaxed into a relationship. They would need to slowly learn they could trust and rely on the human who cared for them. That the human would never hurt or scare them. Cats were though very curious social animals and they would start to depend on the person and the contact but be spooked away if pushed too fast, too soon. You had to go slow and take your time.

The first time, after the cat was a little settled and relaxed, you had to stroke them gently once and then walk away as if it was the most natural thing in the world. You would start to pet them and get to know them every other time you saw them. Then you would withdraw and see if they came curiously looking for more contact. If not then you wait and start all over. But if they did want the contact, you gradually increased the frequency and the intensity slowly until they came to accept and love the contact and you. They would learn that they could trust, rely, and depend on you and that you would never hurt them.

Ohtori thought it was a little funny in an ironic way that he was considering trying to foster Shishido-san but he knew on some level if he did it with honest conversation, friendship, and care, Shishido-san would respond. He probably wanted to as much as Ohtori wanted him to. Ohtori thought, Shishido-san must be alone. He must feel all alone. Like Ohtori did. Shishido-san must need this and that it would help him in his life if he knew he had one good reliable friend no matter what happened. Ohtori wanted to at least give him that back for his kindness.

He made a plan of action and some time later went out to pee again. He was annoyed that the drug was doing just what Taki-san said and couldn't wait to be free of it. Ohtori then got a glass of water and again drank it down so he wasn't dehydrated again later. He was pleased to see Shishido-san on the couch still awake and watching television although it was late. Ohtori spontaneously decided to make the first stroke right then. "Thank you again for all your help Shishido-san. I really appreciate it and I like talking with you. Good night Shishido-san." Ohtori smiled and saw a flash of confusion and then wariness cross Shishido-san's face as if he wasn't used to people being nice to him or wanting to be his friend for no reason other than they genuinely liked him. It was a little sad and made Ohtori even more determined to do this for him. Shishido-san said goodnight in response and before he could wonder what Ohtori was up to, Ohtori went to bed.

He soon fell asleep smiling at having made a plan and the first stroke.

On to Chapter 26!!