Love Triangle

Side Story

stared at the rude man before her in disbelief. It was bad enough that she already felt like she was intruding by accepting Ootori's invitation, but to openly feel the hostility from someone who wasn't happy about it truly made her feel bad. However, she was not one to show that she was offended. She straightened her back and glared at this so-called Oshitari Yuushi.

He was going to say something else, but was interrupted. "Yuushi, . I can feel the hate vibes all the way from here,” Atobe remarked, walking towards them. "Now, now, let's behave…"

flipped her hair and walked away to where Ootori was warming up.

Atobe crossed his arms and gave Oshitari a disapproving look. He shook his head and walked to where was.

The rest of the day was spent playing tennis. They had this gathering occasionally for old times’ sake. just watched the whole time. This outing was a refreshing change from the usual ones she went to. In a way, it did feel awkward being the only woman there, but she never really cared.

Finally when it was over, she thanked everyone and left. She didn’t even bother looking at Oshitari as she exited the area.

Atobe and Oshitari went to change. “Are you still mad?” Atobe asked Oshitari, buttoning his shirt and fixing his sleeves.

“Che! What were you thinking bringing a woman to our tennis outing. And a spoilt one too.” 

“I know her, but I didn’t invite her, Choutarou did.” 

“Che. What was Choutarou thinking?!” he muttered. 

Atobe looked surprised at Oshitari. “Why is it bothering you so much? It’s not like anyone else had a problem with it.” 

“She’s annoying,” he explained as he put his shirt on. 

“You said only two words to her and they were both rude,” Atobe muttered, pulling on his jacket.

Oshitari shrugged, casually draping his own jacket over his shoulders. 

Atobe looked at him as he moved a hand through his hair. “Well, I’m leaving,” he announced. “Take care of yourself.”

“Bye,” he said, looking around. He was the last one there as he closed his locker and walked out. “Great.” Rain was pouring down. He walked out on the curb when two boys ran past him and knocked him to the ground. His glasses slid off and he fell onto them, smashing them into bits.  

“Damnit!” he whispered, “I don’t even have my contacts on me! How am I going to drive?!” he asked knowing fully well that with his eyesight there was no way he would be allowed to drive. He knew this was punishment from God for pretending to need them during his school years. As he grew up, his eyesight weakened and the necessity for glasses became real. 

“Problem?” 

Oshitari sighed and stood up. Not only did he want to kill himself when he heard that voice, but he was soaked wet as the rain came down unmercifully on him. He was surprised when the rain stopped. He looked to his side and found standing next to him holding an umbrella above them both. “Don’t you think you should leave me here considering how rude I’ve been to you?” 

To his surprise a smile formed on her lips. “I am not like you, Oshitari Yuushi,” she replied. “And I would never leave one of Keigo’s friends dying on the streets.” 

He smirked lightly at that comment. “Why are you still here?” 

“My car broke down.” 

“I would offer to drive you, but…” 

“You’re blind as a bat, right?” asked knowingly. 

Oshitari nodded. 

“Give me your keys,” ordered, holding her palm out in front of him. 

“Excuse me?” 

“Your keys,” repeated. “I will drive.” 

“Over my dead body," he snapped. “No one’s driving my baby.” 

“Would you rather we both drown here?” She asked sarcastically, narrowing her eyes at him.

Oshitari sighed as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. “Fine, fine… but if you scratch her…” 

“Oh shut up!”

~~~

didn’t know what possessed her to do such a thing. She glanced at him while driving. He was handsome, she would admit that. He wasn't wearing his glasses, which was a bonus for her since she thought he had really striking eyes. However, she was not ready to forgive him so easily for being rude to her. "Shall I drop you home first so you can get your eyes back?"

"That's fine, if you don’t mind. I need to get out of these wet clothes as well," he answered, moving a hand through his wet tousled hair. "I'll drop you home after that."

"I'll just take a cab." continued driving.

"I'll drop you home after I change."

"I said…"

"Don’t even think of arguing with me, ,' he interrupted, crossing his arms and leaning against the seat. "I am more stubborn than you are." He closed his eyes and went quiet.

wanted to knock some sense into him, but she decided to say nothing. Thankfully, she had asked for his address earlier. Finally, they arrived and he led her to his apartment. hesitated, but went in anyway. She was surprised though at how neat it was. There was that one spot on the side filled with books and papers were scattered all around it, but everything else was spotless.

He excused himself and went to change.

walked around his apartment and studied the living room. There was a DVD collection filled with…. Romances? she thought surprised, trailing her hand across the different titles. She turned and went to the messy pile. She wasn’t nosey, but curiously looked at the different things. Her eyes caught something… she picked it up.

I love you, but I can't be with you…

She straightened herself, the quiver in her voice not denying her feelings for him. "Is it because of her?" She looked at him, the tears in her eyes ready to burst. Her luscious lips quivering as well…

"Nosey," heard as the paper was snatched from her hand. She looked at him in embarrassment and looked away. "I didn't mean to," she said softly, looking at him.

He smirked and folded the paper. "My fans will kill you if someone else reads this before them," he remarked, putting the folded paper back onto the table. Before she could ask what he meant by that, he said, "I am a novelist."

looked at him surprised. She picked up her bag. "You can send me home now," she said, noticing that he was dressed.

"Dinner first."

blinked as they walked out. "Dinner?" she asked confused. "You don’t have to treat me…"

"It's my apology."

She raised an eyebrow. "Just because I dro…"

"No, for being rude to you,' he interrupted, leading her out.

~~~

Dinner with Oshitari Yuushi was a… Pleasant surprise. She was enjoying his company. As much as she tried to keep herself from smiling too much, she was actually having fun. She picked up her glass and sipped her drink as he talked about one of his books. She wasn't really much of a book person, but she liked what he was saying.

"You're quiet," he observed, eyeing her. He bit a piece of bread and munched it.

set her glass down and returned his gaze. "I'm just wondering what I'm doing here."

Her statement made him think something else. "You're bored?"

"Au contraire, I am surprised that I am actually enjoying myself," she admitted. She thought she saw him smile.

They conversed for the rest of the evening. They realized that Atobe and Ootori was not the only thing that they shared. She found out that he was not quite a pauper, despite the messy attire. He told her that he played the violin, which was another surprise. The more they spoke, the more interesting they became in each other's eyes. However, neither was going to admit it. Not at this stage. Not after how rude they had both been to each other at the beginning.

When dinner was finally over, looked at her watch.

"Do you have work? I'm sorry that I kept you,” he said.

chuckled and placed her hand on his upper arm. "I am too spoilt to work, Oshitari Yuushi," she admitted with a proud look.

Her comment didn’t faze him. He was actually impressed that she admitted she was spoilt. He watched as she slung her bag over her shoulder and walked ahead of him. He admired her pose and confidence. She was a woman that did not hesitate to speak her mind and get what she wanted. He spent a few more hours with her and then finally dropped her home.

Tonight was indeed interesting, he thought.

~~~

It had been two weeks since last saw or heard from Oshitari Yuushi. She was at her home, looking at some things when she heard her cell phone ring. Picking it up, she didn’t recognize the number, but answered it anyway. "Hello?"

" , do you like to salsa?"

That voice. That huskiness. That accent…

 "I'm not even going to ask you how you got my number," she said, knowing full well that her own best friend was his best friend too. "As a matter of fact, I do indeed like to salsa, Oshitari Yuushi."

"Tonight?"

"One sec," she said, opening her schedule book that was nearby. She flipped the pages and grimaced when she realized that she was invited to one of her even richer and more spoilt cousin's events. She was going to decline, but stopped. It's not like I can't ditch my cousin, no? Before she could change her mind, she picked up her cell phone again. "What time do you want to pick me up?"

"Eight sound good to you?"

smiled. "Perfect, but one question. Should I dress to be comfortable or to please?" she asked, not knowing where they were going exactly.

"Always dress to be comfortable around me, ."

The remark surprised her, but it did bring a smile to her face. They talked a bit more and finally hung up. He has a weird way of asking someone out, she thought, but then stopped. "Oh my…" She placed her hand on her mouth. He just asked me out and… I accepted!?

wondered about this new situation. She wouldn't deny that she didn’t like his company, but it was still awkward. She shrugged off her feelings and went to her walk-in closet to see what she could wear.

It was almost 8 PM and had stuck to a "ruched halter dress"⁽¹⁾.

She was putting on her earrings when he called her to let her know that he was downstairs. She picked her shawl and purse and walked out. She was actually looking forward to this.

~~~

Oshitari Yuushi impressed to no end. She had gone to one or two salsa parties before, but it was usually her dance partner that had to keep up with her. However, the minute she stepped on the dance floor with him, she knew he was special. He knew his moves and he certainly knew how to dance.

The music was perfect, the crowd was just right and the lights were not so bright. This was the first time she came here and she loved it. They danced almost all night and kept laughing at the things he was telling her. He kept turning her in and out and she finally leaned against his shoulder. "You're making me dizzy." She laughed, placing her hand on his upper arm.

He smirked and put his arm around her waist. "Let's sit for a while." He led her to one of the tables. "We've been dancing for three hours." He held her hand and adjusted the chair for her to sit down. "Do you want a drink?"

"Yes, please. Just water though." She bent down a bit to take off her sandals.

He nodded and went to get it.

watched and studied him. He had surprised her big time. Here she had thought he was one of those dead serious men who didn’t really care about anything, let alone dancing… He came back to her and sat down, loosening his tie.

moved a bit further since he was sitting next to her and studied his profile once again. She didn’t know what she was doing here with him but… She liked it. He was different. There was something about him. She would never admit it, but maybe it was the fact that he had been openly rude to her from day one that made him more intriguing. "Why?”

He looked at her, a question in his eyes as he tried to comprehend what she meant.

"Why were you openly hostile to me?"

He looked away and a small smile touched his lips as he looked at the drink in his hand. "You don't back off if you want to know anything," he remarked, picking up his glass and taking a drink.

felt bold; she leaned closer and hugged his arm. "Tell me."

He chuckled slightly and pushed her away lightly. He stood up, and pulled her up. "We're here to dance, ." He led her to the dance floor.

"My sandals…" exclaimed.

"You don't need them."

~~~

By 2 AM, was officially tired, but satisfied. He was walking her back to her apartment when her phone rang. They both looked surprised. looked at the caller ID. "I should've known," she muttered, picking it up. "Keigo, what the hell are you calling me at this hour for? I could be having my beauty sleep you know."

"But are you sleeping, ? I'm more curious as to who you're with at this hour since you're not picking up your apartment phone."

paused. The idiot, she thought, knowing fully well how overprotective of her he was. "I… I just went dancing with a friend."

"I'm not stupid."

"Neither am I, so I'm not going to tell you." She stood by her door as Oshitari stood next to her, waiting for her to finish her conversation.

"You realize we're having lunch tomorrow?"

"You just want to have lunch with me tomorrow because you want to know who I'm with," she said knowingly. "You're not getting that information out of me." She rolled her eyes at Oshitari.

Atobe said a few more things and then hung up.

'I'm sorry," apologized, putting her cell phone back in her purse. "He can be overwhelming."

Oshitari rubbed his jaw, thinking of something. "I didn't know that he was that overprotective, but what I want to know is why you don't want him to know you were with me."

raised an eyebrow. "The same reason you don't want him to know, Yuushi." She smiled, poking his forehead. "Do you really want Keigo to know that you went out with a woman you had classified as annoying? Not once only, but twice." She raised her hand and held up two fingers for emphasis.

He coughed. "How the hell do you know that?"

"I've got my spies." She winked, teasing him. looked at him and took his hand. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I had fun, Oshitari Yuushi," she whispered in his ear. With that said, she turned and went into her apartment.

~~~

Next Day – Atobe's Country Club

"Did you sleep with him?"

sat down and took off her hat. They were at the country club. She had worn a summer dress that fell to her knees. Removing her sunglasses, she glared at him for asking her such a question. "You really are crude, do you know that? It was only my second time going out with him; do you really think of me like that?"

He leaned back in his chair and was going to retort, but she interrupted him sharply.

"And if I did, it certainly isn’t any of your business."

He crossed his arms and smirked. "It certainly is. The man you're seeing might end up marrying you. My godchildren are in your hands and I must make sure that they're well bred from his side."

"So I'm a horse now?"

"No, I…"

"Keigo, just shut up and order. This conversation will not get us anywhere." She picked up her menu and studied it, indicating the end of the conversation.

He ordered for the both of them and he finally leaned on the table and placed his elbows on it. "May I at least know where he took you last night? I ask because even though you're annoyed by my questions, you're certainly glowing."

"I had a facial before I came."

He chuckled. "I know a facial when I see one. Your whole face is shining. You seriously looked like you had fun last night and I know you well enough to know that when a date doesn’t interest you, you're home by midnight."

let out a sigh, knowing that he was not going to let it go. "Keigo, this is only my second time going out with him. I don’t even know. I like his company, I'll admit that, but that's all I'm going to say. I'm not going to judge him like the rest." She looked at her nails, making sure they were all right.

 
"Plus, we went dancing and you know how much I enjoy dancing." She moved her hair behind her ears. "That's all I'm going to say for now."

He looked like he was going to say more, but he thought it over and decided against it.

~~~

Weeks went by and Oshitari was a frequent caller on 's phone. had gone out with him a few times more than anyone else. He had surprised her at every outing. They had done almost everything, from visiting museums to scuba diving. He was adventurous and knew how to show someone a good time. Out of curiosity, she had even picked up one of his novels and read it. She didn’t tell him that she did because she knew he'd be picky about it.

let out a sigh when she realized that it had been four months since she met him, and she was thinking more about him than was usual. She was at the Nail Bar getting her nails done when her cell phone rang, interrupting her thoughts.  

"I'm sorry for the short notice, but I need to cancel our dinner plans tonight.'

frowned. "Atobe Keigo, you're going to stand me up?"

He let out a sigh. "I got stuck on a client meeting and I don’t know how the hell that vixen turned it into a double date," he complained. "It took me an hour to convince Yuushi into coming with me and escorting the other woman."

shifted in surprise. "Ow!" She winced. The sudden move had caused the lady who was giving her a manicure to hurt her. blew on her finger and looked apologetically at the lady. "Yuu… you mean Oshitari?" felt her heart beat faster.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I just dropped something," lied. "Keigo, it's alright. You enjoy your date, I have to go now." hung up and felt something creeping up her soul. That shouldn’t bother me… It’s not like we're a couple…

After she was done, she walked out of the Nail Bar and roamed around in the mall. She wanted so much to text Yuushi, but she couldn’t do it. She didn’t want to put herself in such a position. She was feeling down and she wanted to call Ootori, but she realized that it was late. She hadn’t noticed that she had been there for more than four hours.

Since her home was close by, she decided to walk to clear her mind. It was chilly when she walked out. hugged herself and walked under the stars. She was taking shortcuts and ended up in an alley she didn’t recognize. Am I lost? she thought, retracing her steps. She stopped when she saw someone in front of her. She ignored him and sidestepped him, but he grabbed her arm. "Aren't you in the wrong place?"

pushed him away. "Let go," she snapped, taking a few steps back. "If you want money, just take it…" she threw her purse at him, knowing that she couldn't avoid him.

The man looked at her. "Who said I wanted money?"

~~~

Oshitari Yuushi did not want to kill Atobe. He wanted to do it twice. He planned on resurrecting him and killing him again. His 'date' was a horrible flirt. How many times did she try to actually kiss his cheek? He wanted to punch her eyes out. They've been here for three hours and he kept giving Atobe hints that he wanted out. It was already 11 o'clock and he just wanted to go home. This time he was going to seriously kick Atobe under the table when his cell phone interrupted his evil thoughts. He realized it was . He frowned, not sure if he should pick it up, but he did. "Hello?"

"…"

He looked at his cell phone to make sure it was on. "Hello?" he repeated, trying to listen harder.

"Who is it?" Atobe asked, looking at him.

"Yu.." cried softly. "Yuushi."

Oshitari tightened his grip on his cell phone. "? What's wrong? Talk to me…"

Atobe looked sharply at Oshitari when he heard 's name. He saw a weird look on his face. Oshitari ended the call and stood up. "I have to go."

Atobe narrowed his eyes. "Is it my , Yuushi?"

Oshitari hesitated. "Yes."

Atobe stood up. "Did something happen?"

Oshitari moved a hand through his hair. “Yes, Atobe. It might be best that you come as well."

Atobe nodded and excused himself from the ladies after paying for the food. He saw that Oshitari had already rushed to his car. Atobe got in, not bothering to call his driver. "What happened?"

"She didn’t say; she couldn’t even speak. She was crying so much."

"So you're the one she's been seeing? I've had my suspicious that it was someone I know, but they were never really confirmed." Atobe glanced at Yuushi. In a second, he got angry. "You're an ass! I told that you were coming with me tonight. If you two were serious about each other, you should've told me that when I asked you to come with me."

"Atobe, I don't know where I stand with ."

"It's obvious you are high on her list since she called you instead of me!" he snapped. "Drive, damnit!" he shouted, frustrated.

When they got to her apartment, they took one look at her and immediately guessed what had happened. Oshitari bent down and hugged her tightly as she cried non-stop. She was a mess – her clothes were torn and there were bruises on some parts of her body.

Atobe knew was strong, but this was the first time he had seen her cry like this. "I'll get the first aid kit," Atobe said, walking to the kitchen.

"Get some towels too."

He returned and found nestled on Oshitari's lap. She had quieted down, but was still sniffling. Her hand held Oshitari's tightly. "," Atobe said softly, cupping her face. "I think it's best if we go to the hospital as well for tests."

"He…" Her lips quivered. "He didn… He didn’t rape me, I managed to escape."

The look of relief was obvious on both of their faces. They both helped clean her up and treat what bruises they could. Finally, Oshitari dabbed at her eyes and dried her tears away. "I'm sorry…" she whispered, looking down. "I ruined your date."

"No you idiot, you actually saved us." Atobe knocked her head lightly.

chuckled, but she had tears rolling down her cheeks. It was obvious that she was emotionally distressed.

"I'll get you some painkillers," Atobe said, walking back to the kitchen. He knew she had a drawer to keep all the medicine in. He found it and came back, but he stopped in his place.

Oshitari had his arms around and he was kissing her tears away. She moved her head under his jaw and rested her hand on his chest as he looked at her. Holding the hand that was on his chest, he turned it around and kissed her knuckles.

Atobe smirked. This certainly confirms it, he thought, taking a few steps back. I'll let them enjoy their time for now. I'll scold them tomorrow for ignoring me; he left them alone and went home.

~~~

When woke up, she found Oshitari Yuushi by her side. She was on her bed and he was beside her. realized that she was holding his hand. She squeezed it and moved closer. Her feelings had been all over the place for the last months, but she knew. She knew the minute she called him that her feelings for him were strong.

He woke up and stirred. He took a look at her. "Come here," he said softly, pulling her into his arms. "Will you forgive me for going out with someone else?"

turned in his arms and looked at him. "It doesn't matter," she said quietly. She leaned upwards and kissed his jaw lightly. "We're not exactly a couple." She laid her head on the pillow.

"Is that a bad thing?"

She looked at him, confused.

"Us not exactly being a couple."

avoided his gaze. She was feeling embarrassed. She didn’t want this, yet… She wanted him. She had fallen in love with Oshitari Yuushi. In just four months, she couldn’t stop thinking about him or not be with him.

He tightened his hold on her and kissed her forehead. He turned her around and kissed her lips lightly. knew she couldn't deny him this and she responded to his kiss. Finally, he hugged her. "Get some sleep." He moved his hand across her back. "Tomorrow's a new day."

She didn’t argue with him.

~~~

Epilogue

Six Months Later

"I never really thought you'd take these steps, let alone with him."

smiled at Atobe as she put on her earrings. It was her engagement party. One that Atobe had thrown for her. "You can complain all you want, Keigo. The fact that you threw this party for us tells me that you approve of Yuushi."

He smirked. She knew him very well. "I can kick Yuushi's ass if he mistreats you since I know where he lives.'

"Yeah, yeah…"

Atobe studied her and a tenderness washed over him. She was like a little sister to him and protective of her as he was, he could see that Yuushi did wonders for her. She hadn’t stopped glowing in months. He walked to her and hugged her. "I love you, you brat."

She looked at him and smiled. "Me too, you ass," she added. She looked seriously at him. "When will I meet her, Keigo? The woman that's captivated you? I want to meet Mizuki Kaho."

"Not yet," he answered. "It's still too soon. I don’t know if she's mine yet."

looked at him and realized that he was serious. "Call me if you ever need help." She winked at him.

He nodded and took her hand. "Allow me to escort my lady to her accursed fiancé." She laughed as he pulled her out of the changing room. They walked together to the party downstairs. Together to 's new life~

~~~

DeVeliCious

Edited by Elenniel

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(1) The dress idea was taken from this link: ruched halter dress