InsaneJournal

PsyDai: Keigo
Title: Keigo

Author: Me

Fandom: Tenipuri AU a.k.a PsyDai

Series: Sequel to O-Mitsu

Rating: PG - suggestive content

Disclaimer: Not mine, etc. (Does Konomi even bother trying to sue?)

Summary: Not content on forcing an unwanted nickname on Tezuka, Atobe proceeds to badger Tezuka into using his given name.

Author's notes: Keigo (敬語) literally means "respectful language" and usage of honorrifics falls under this category. It is also a homophonous pun on Atobe's given name and serves as a matching pair to the previous title consisting of an admittedly atrocious nickname that I've chosen for poor Tezuka. I confess that much channeling of Fay D. Flourite was had while I was writing this, which is all manners of mind breakiing when you take into consideration that Fay and Ohtori share the same seiyuu, while Fuuma and Atobe do too, and Fay, at least in the manga, has met up with Fuuma. That my partner in crime is threatening to write a CLAMP x PoT crossover is not helping my sanity one whit and thus, you have this.

===

“O~Mitsu,” Atobe trilled from his side of the room.

Silence greeted his call.

Undaunted, he continued, “Kuni-tan. Mitsu-chan. Kuni-pon.”

“We’ve been through this, Atobe. My name is Tezuka,” Tezuka finally answered, looking up from his book when the nicknames proceeded from mere annoying to outright absurd.

“Be that as it may,” Atobe continued, steamrolling over Tezuka’s protest, “don’t you think our situation is a bit unfair?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” began Atobe as he scrambled to an upright position from where he’d previously been lying on his stomach, “I address you in the familiar, yet you still insist on calling me ‘Atobe’. Don’t you think you ought to refer to me by my given name?”

“No.”

“But, Kuni-puu…”

“That’s not my name.”

“Mitsu-pii, it’s an unfair advantage,” Atobe huffed, bouncing back from the abrupt interjection as though Tezuka hadn’t opened his mouth. “It doesn’t put us on equal grounds at all.”

“Kikumaru doesn’t refer to Oishi by his given name,” Tezuka pointed out in a bland voice. “They have a perfectly balanced relationship.”

“So you don’t mind bottoming.”

“What?”

“You do realize Kikumaru’s the bottom in that relationship right?” deadpanned Atobe.

“Atobe, the fact that we were not discussing sexual relationships aside—”

“We weren’t?” Atobe interrupted with a look of faux innocence.

Tezuka ignored him, knowing better than to pick up on that tangent, and continued, “The subject of this conversation is highly inappropriate.”

“You brought up Kikumaru’s love life.”

“I was referring to their partnership,” Tezuka responded through clenched teeth.

“We don’t play doubles,” Atobe returned cheerily, looking unrepentant. “Well, except for that one time during high school and it wasn’t even the fun kind of doubles. Not to mention ore-sama did all the work.”

“My heart bleeds for you,” muttered Tezuka as he turned his attention back to his book, sarcasm pitching his voice higher than usual. “Can we stop this nonsense now?”

“This is serious business, Tezuka,” Atobe insisted, leaving his previous agenda of annoying Tezuka with asinine nicknames aside and reverting back to his habitual preferences. “Names are an important indicator of level of familiarity.”

“I know.”

“They are the social cues necessary to set the correct behaviors.”

“I know.”

“When used improperly, it could hinder otherwise healthy interactions with people.”

“I know.”

“Take Ohtori for example: if he will stop using unnecessary keigo with that blockhead, he’d actually get some by now.”

“I kno…what? Atobe!”

Tezuka once again looked up from his book to send an incredulous glare in Atobe’s direction.

“We’re not talking about Kikumaru’s love life,” Atobe defended himself.

“How is talking about Ohtori’s any better?” asked Tezuka, shutting his book and giving up on accomplishing any reading, seeing as Atobe was showing no signs of relenting.

“It’s not,” Atobe agreed. “At least Kikumaru is getting laid.”

Tezuka’s only response was a slow blink as a sense of déjà vu overcame him.

“This would be a lot easier if you’d just refer to me by my given name, you know,” advised Atobe, who was looking smug.

“Fine…Keigo,” Tezuka relented, tongue tripping over the unfamiliar address, just as the door to their room opened revealing Oishi, who had came to call Tezuka to dinner, Kikumaru, who was hanging off his shoulder, and a trailing Fuji.

“Ah…” Oishi began, searching for words as the three stared into the room in awkward silence. Finally, he chose escape as the best option and quickly said, “We’ll be leaving now.”

Despite Oishi hastily closing the door, Tezuka still caught a glimpse of deadly blue looking in Atobe’s direction. Sighing, Tezuka pinched the bridge of his nose and wondered if he should get the anti-venom out in advance.

After a few moments, Atobe’s reprimanding voice drifted across the room.

“See what happens when you don’t use the proper names?”