"Get in the car, Ryou," Atobe Keigo said, opening the passenger side door to his sports car.

Shishido glanced at Atobe with a frown, "Why?"

"I want to take you somewhere."

Shishido smiled and pushed some of his hair out of his eyes. "Oh? And where do you want to take me?"

"It's a surprise."

Shishido shrugged, "Pop the trunk and I'll throw my bag in there."

Atobe popped it and Shishido put his book bag in there before sliding into the passenger's seat. Atobe was well dressed in pressed black pants and a muted blue shirt that went well with his light brown hair and blue eyes. Shishido felt incredibly underdressed in a pair of well worn leather pants and an oversized oxford shirt only buttoned most of the way to be considered decent. Squirming a bit, he eyed his friend.

"Exactly where are you taking me?" he asked, noticing they were headed out of the heart of Tokyo and off to the artier area of the city.

"I'm taking you to see something," Atobe said with a smile, taking one hand off the wheel to push his sunglasses back up his nose and then reaches over twirl a long strand of Shishido's ponytail. "I'm glad you grew it out again." He had said that every time they were alone for the past four years.

"I prefer my hair long," Shishido said with a shrug, the same answer he always gave. "Now, what exactly are you taking me to see?"

"There's two new exhibits at the Museum I thought you would like to see. As I know you would never get to see them otherwise, I decided to take it upon myself to make sure you saw them."

"Which two?" Shishido asked, curiosity piqued.

"There's a collection of Di Vinci's works on loan from the Louvre, and a collection of Francis Bacon's work on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York."

Shishido stared at Atobe, his sunglasses slipping down his nose. "What?" he squeaked.

Atobe merely reached over and closed Shishido's jaw for him. "I remembered you liked Bacon's art, though Ohtori finds it rather…"

"Repulsive?" Shishido asked, pushing his sunglasses back up and raising an eyebrow.

"Objectionable," Atobe said smoothly. "Besides, Di Vinci is always something to see."

"Smooth," Shishido laughed. "Fine, I'll let you kidnap me today. It's not like I have anywhere else to be."

"Problems with Ohtori?" Atobe asked politely.

"Nah, he's visiting his family because his sister is bringing home her fiancé."

"Shouldn't you be with him since you two are practically engaged yourselves?"

"Tch," Shishido muttered. "We're not practically engaged."

"You've been dating since junior high, you live together, and he plans on joining you at the same University. Wouldn't that be considered the same thing?"

"Nope," Shishido said, pulling at a simple antique silver and aquamarine charm that he had around his throat. It had been a gift from Atobe, and he was pleased to see his gift was being used. "That's just…just a relationship."

"You two have been fighting then?"

"A little," Shishido admitted. "What couple doesn't fight?"

"I'm just surprised that you would start fights with someone you so obviously care for," Atobe said lightly.

"I don't start them!" Shishido said hotly. "He makes these comments that he just knows will set me off and we get into an argument."

Atobe raised an eyebrow, "Really? That's not very nice of him."

"Can we just…not talk about it right now?" Shishido asked, a note of pleading entering his voice.

"Had a fight this morning?"

"Last night."

Atobe nodded and continued to drive. "Shall I treat you to dinner as well then? We wouldn't want you to eat alone, and there's this great new Mediterranean restaurant that you would love!"

Shishido laughed, "Pushy, pushy."

Atobe glanced at Shishido quickly before concentrating on the road. "You don't have to come to dinner with me. I was just offering to keep you company."

Shishido winced, "I didn't mean it that way, Keigo. I'd love to go to dinner with you. You just have a tendency to bowl people over with your excitement."

"Ah," Atobe said, nodding a little and making the turn to get off at the correct exit. "I apologize."

"It's nothing," Shishido said, looking out the window.

"Would you like to stop for coffee before we go to the museum? You look like you're drooping a bit."

"Coffee would be sublime," Shishido said with heartfelt gratitude. "I ran out this morning so I've only had weakly caffeinated tea."

Atobe smiled and parked his car in the museum parking lot. The two got out and made their way to a local coffee shop that Shishido adored and walked around one of the public gardens while they drank their coffee before heading over to the museum.

While Shishido was utterly enthralled with the exhibits, especially Francis Bacon's art, Atobe stood back and observed his friend. The fights with Ohtori were obviously weighing heavily on the other man's heart. They'd been together for so long, almost their entire schooling careers. Now Shishido was a freshman at Hyotei University with the rest of their year while Ohtori was in the middle of his senior year at Hyotei High School. There was an entire year between them, and Atobe worried that maybe it was starting to become more of an issue than either of the two let on.

He and several others had overheard a few of the pair's fights last year. They were harsh, and deadly accurate in their tormenting. Usually when this happened, the two would separate from each other and a few days to a week later, they would have ignored the whole thing and gone back to normal. Atobe wondered if ignoring it was the correct course of action when it just seemed to make the fights happen more frequently.

They left the museum a few minutes before closing time and Atobe whisked Shishido into an upscale clothing store to buy him something to wear for dinner. It had been a while since the two had shopped together, their friendship seeming to vanish before Atobe's eyes as Shishido got more and more tangled up in Ohtori. He had forgotten how dramatic Shishido could be when he wished, and trying clothes on was something that always caused laughter and smiles.

After selecting a pair of black denim jeans with an elegant cut to them and a simple, if not a little sheer and risqué, black button down shirt – and being talked into trying on the most ridiculous outfits the two had been able to find, they were off to dinner. Atobe hadn't been joking when he said that this restaurant would please Shishido; the other man's blue eyes lit up in delight as he looked over the menu.

Conversation was easy and carefree, the two reliving old stories and sharing old jokes, as well as catching up on the news in their lives. It had been too long since Atobe had had the chance to monopolize Shishido like this; Ohtori always came along or pulled Shishido away before they had a chance to really talk. As much as Atobe hated to admit it, he sometimes needed someone to talk to, and Shishido was always willing to listen.

Of course, Ohtori had reason to not trust Shishido with Atobe for one simple reason – Atobe was in lust, or possibly even love, with him.

Only Shishido could hope to match Atobe's beauty; only Shishido could make Atobe laugh in such a carefree manner when his world was crashing down around him; only Shishido made Atobe realize that things would work out for the best, even if it all went to hell first. Shishido was his support, and his beautiful friend. A perfect match for him, in all ways, except one. Shishido was quite taken, and Atobe resented Ohtori for it.

Although it seemed as if Ohtori was loosing his hold over Shishido.

Now, if Atobe could only get the reasons why the two were having fights out of Shishido, everything could possibly work out in his favor.

~

After dinner Atobe asked if Shishido wanted to go home or wanted to get drunk and mock whatever was on TV. Shishido had laughed and decided that drinking was more fun that sitting at home and studying.

He did, though, call the flat he shared with Ohtori and looked shocked when someone had picked up. From the scowl and terse way Shishido was talking, it was not a pleasant conversation. Atobe carefully tuned it out to give Shishido some sort of privacy.

"Sometimes I want to throttle him," Shishido groaned, hanging up.

"What wrong?"

"He wants me to come home, but hell if I'm going to. I haven't spent this much time with you in years, and I miss it. Choutarou can just get used to the idea of sharing."

Atobe smiled, "I'll try not to keep you too long."

"Eh, whatever," Shishido sighed. "But first thing's first. I want that drink you promised me."

"Of course. I believe you prefer the flavored vodkas?"

"Oh, you do love me!" Shishido half-purred. "Yes, vodka. Gimme, gimme. I have no classes tomorrow and am looking forward to getting absolutely smashed."

Atobe laughed and pulled into the driveway of his mansion and handed the keys over to the valet to park while he and Shishido made their way into Atobe's bedroom, grabbing bottles of liquor on their way. In the end, the TV was considered boring and they stuck a movie in, grinning and mocking it while knocking back shots and swigs of whatever liquor was close at hand.

At some point, they had curled up around each other on the bed, shirts shed a while ago. Atobe was running his hand through Shishido's hair, causing the other man to purr and moan softly in pleasure.

"Ryou?" Atobe asked hesitantly.

"Hm?"

"Why are you still with Ohtori if the two of you do nothing but fight?"

Shishido was quite for a few seconds before sighing. "I love him. I'm not exactly pleased with the way he's acting, which is like a spoiled child being denied his favorite toy or sweet, but it doesn't change the fact that I still care deeply for him."

"Do you know that he feels the same?"

"I know he loves me," Shishido said slowly, "but I'm starting to wonder if that's enough."

"You haven't been with anyone besides him, right?" Atobe asked, pulling Shishido into his lap.

"Nuh-unh," Shishido said, tilting his head to the side.

"Have you ever wondered?" Atobe asked, stroking his thumb over Shishido's lips. "Have you ever thought of what it might be like with someone else?"

Shishido nodded, unable to talk since Atobe had his thumb pressed gently against Shishido's mouth.

"Have you ever thought about what it might be like with me?"

Shishido pulled Atobe's hand away from his mouth and kissed him full on the mouth, surprising Atobe completely. "Of course I've wondered," Shishido grumbled. "You're my best friend, it's natural. Especially when things are going to hell, I wonder why it might be like if Ohtori and I took a break."

"Would you take a break from each other?"

"Why, Keigo!" Shishido laughed. "Are you trying to get me into bed with you?"

"Yes," Atobe said honestly. "We don't have to do much, just let me touch you, Ryou. Let me make you feel good. You deserve to feel cherished."

Shishido rested his head against Atobe's shoulder. "No sex."

"No sex," Atobe promised, stretching out on his bed with Shishido straddling his hips. "We can do whatever you want. I won't push you."

Shishido gave a small, half-smile and leaned down and kissed Atobe gently. When the kiss grew more heated, Atobe snaked an arm around Shishido's waist and brought the other man down to lay on his side next to him. Shishido grinned and kissed Atobe again, easily letting Atobe take control of the kiss as hands began to wander. Atobe's hand drifted down to the front of Shishido's pants and smirked into the kiss as he felt Shishido's erection.

"May I?" he asked, stroking the side of Shishido's face with one hand.

Shishido nodded, lifting his hips when needed to get his pants off, glad that Shishido rarely ware boxers with his leather pants. Atobe moved off the bed for a second to strip himself down and then joined Shishido on the bed, one hand encircling Shishido's cock as he stroked it gently.

"I'd never peg you for being shy in bed," Shishido teased, arching into Atobe's hand.

"'Shy?'" Atobe echoed, arching a perfect eyebrow. "I'll show you shy, Shishido Ryou."

He straddled Shishido's waist and continued to jerk the other boy off as Shishido kissed him with a desperate edge and showed Atobe's cock the same attention he was receiving. The two came, crying out into each other's mouths, come slicking their hands. Shishido smirked evilly and licked Atobe's come off his hand.

Atobe couldn't help but groan and kiss Shishido after that, rolling to the side to pull Shishido on top of him once more.

"You," he swore, "are going to be the destruction of my sanity."

Shishido smiled sadly down at him and kissed him. "Probably," he murmured. "Just…promise me this doesn't change anything, Keigo. I don't need you snarking at Choutarou behind my back."

"Promise me you'll think about what I said," Atobe countered. "Please, Ryou. You two are hurting each other more than—"

Shishido place a finger over Atobe's lips with a firm look. "I love him. Yes, we're fighting and have been for a while. Please do not make me chose between the two of you, because I will tell you right now, I will not chose between you two."

"Ryou—"

Shishido gave him a mild glare. "Not another word on the matter."

"I love you. I just want you happy."

"I know," Shishido said, curling up at Atobe's side. "I know."

The End

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