Learning to Fall
by Suteishichic
They showered when they could finally move, kissing, laughing, and touching each other the whole time. Oishi usually had his days so structured that with Eiji and his make it up as you go way, it felt like a vacation. They had breakfast when they finally managed to stop kissing and laughing long enough to get dressed and eat.
It was still early and Oishi had a feeling Eiji probably had piles of homework he hadn't done. Oishi finished his before the weekend. Oishi did not want to badger Eiji like he was a parent so instead he asked over breakfast if Eiji needed help with any of his homework.
"Hoi. Can I borrow your English homework from last week?" Eiji said slyly, mouth full of food, and head cocked to the side.
Oishi laughed not fooled for a second, "No, but I will help you so you can get it done fast. It'll be no good for the test if you don't learn it. Do you have much left to do?"
"Nya! Just English. Fuji made me do all the rest. He tricked me."
Oishi laughed wondering if he should ask the tensai his secrets. "You did all the rest?" Oishi was very surprised. "I won't trick you but I will help you so it gets done sooner, if you want."
"Hoi." Eiji said with a resigned sigh.
"Is there anything else you wanted to do today?"
"Tennis."
"Tennis? You can't play tennis with your leg hurt."
"Nya. S' better. See?" Eiji went to stand up and drop his pants.
Oishi put his hands up saying, "No! Wait! Wait! Show me upstairs!"
Eiji laughed as if this was the funniest thing he had ever seen. "Nya! Oishi! No one is here but us!"
"You never know......" Oishi said glumly. Eiji, ignoring his discomfort, kissed him laughing, Eiji's mouth lingered there sweetly, and then he sprang across the kitchen in a one legged hop to start cleaning up. Oishi had to laugh, what else could he do? Eiji was....so.....Eiji.
After they had cleaned up, Eiji showed Oishi the bruise. It was still there but much better. He healed so fast! It would have taken Oishi weeks to heal as fast as Eiji had in a few days. So they made plans to first bring Eiji's stuff and his bike back over to his house, then homework, and after they would play tennis. Eiji said he had an idea about something and wanted Oishi to help.
Before they left, Eiji made Oishi put a Band-Aid on the blister on his hand. Oishi tried to tell him it was better. He would fix his grip tonight. No matter how he tried to argue, Eiji shook his head no and said, "Nya. Rankings are this week. If it hurts, you'll lose, and you promised." Oishi kind of liked being taken care of, even if it was over such a little thing, but he would never admit that to Eiji.
Before they walked out Oishi's door, Oishi found himself not wanting to go. Not wanting to let Eiji go. He really didn't know when they could see each other like this in the near future. A week sounded like forever, and that was if his parents went away. Eiji saw him sulking and kissed him. "Nya, silly Oishi." Eiji correctly guessed, "You can kiss me more at my house." He winked at Oishi and walked outside. Not afraid of anything.
Oishi rode his bike also and they made it to Eiji's much faster both riding. It was still early so they had to be quiet not to wake everyone at Eiji's. Apparently Eiji was the only early riser. They crept up into his room and Oishi kissed Eiji, as soon as the door was closed, taking him into his arms. He kissed him like he had not seen him in a month. Eiji laughed and kissed him back just as enthusiastically, so he must have felt at least a little the same. After a while of kissing, Oishi's stress over it all was allayed, as he realized Eiji wanted to see him and be with him too. They would find away. Also it occurred to him that Eiji might have several creative ideas on how to make that happen. Oishi relaxed. Eiji snuggled with him, kissing him now and again.
"Better?" Eiji asked him.
"Better. Thank you." Eiji smiled back at him. He lay in Oishi's lap with his head curled on his chest and seemed a little distracted, listening. "What are you doing?"
"Shhh!"
"Listening to my heart?"
Eiji nodded and said, "Shhhhh!"
"That is very cute my friend, but its not going to get you out of doing your homework." Eiji realized he was caught and stuck out his tongue. Oishi flipped them over so he was on top and kissed Eiji hard, holding his hands in his own, lacing their fingers, and teasing him with his tongue. When Oishi broke the kiss they were both a little shaky from how good it felt. Oishi smiled, "Didn't anyone ever tell you not stick that out unless you were going to use it?"
"Nya, maybe I want to use it...." Eiji suggested
Oishi kissed him once more because he was so irresistible, but he was full aware of what he was doing. "English." Oishi reminded him gently when the kiss ended.
Eiji gave an exaggerated groan saying, "Nyyyaaaa!" He really hated it apparently.
What he hated was the sentence structure stuff which Oishi actually liked and was good at. Oishi slowly showed Eiji some tricks he had learned, deciphering the odd riddles of a sentence in English. Eiji learned very fast and was soon picking it up. Oishi tutored kids occasionally but teaching Eiji was much easier. Once you could get him to focus, he picked up nearly everything right away. If you could keep him focused he breezed through it. The trouble Oishi was having was he kept being the one to distract Eiji, kissing him. Oishi just could not resist his soft full lips that Eiji pursed without realizing while thinking.
Eiji also had a little bit of reading comprehension left to do. Eiji said he wanted to finish it in school but Oishi insisted Eiji finish it then. He promised to take Eiji to lunch if he did and so Eiji complied, grumbling. It was something Oishi really did not like to do. Read several pages of information or story, and pull a few often obscure facts out of it. Oishi was amazed. Eiji was really, really good at it, just sort of naturally. He read fast and absorbed everything faster while Oishi had to plod through slow and careful making sure not to miss things. Eiji seemed thrilled to find a subject Oishi was not good at, especially one where he was.
One of Eiji's biggest problems was that if there were a lot of questions, Eiji would get distracted. As if he was trying to answer them all at once and became jumbled up. Oishi showed him how to cover the rest and work on one at a time like he sometimes had to do when he tutored. It seemed slower but Eiji was actually able to finish faster. Oishi showed him if he did that on tests also, he would probably be able to increase his grade very easily. Eiji knew the information, he just had a hard time trying to answer every question at once. If he slowed down he actually accomplished more in less time.
They were finished. "Yah-hoi! Finally!" Eiji exclaimed.
Eiji went to throw on other clothes to play in and get his racket which he had not used since he was hurt. He and Oishi stretched out a bit in his room before on Oishi's insistence. Eiji was more likely to skip stretching properly when he got excited, and Oishi wanted to make sure Eiji really wasn't in any pain. He seemed to be fine, just a little stiff from not doing his usual 150 miles an hour in every direction all day long. Oishi wondered though, if he wasn't there, if Eiji would really be limping more.
They said good morning to Eiji's family as they left to go play. The fast food place and the courts Eiji wanted to go to were both close enough to not bring their bikes this time so Oishi left his at Eiji's. On the way, Oishi's cell phone rang and it was that that girl Kiko calling him yet again.
He screened the call and worried to Eiji that she would not stop calling him. Over the weekend she had called several times and left several long rambling messages. Eiji had watched as Oishi had to delete message after message after message. Then last night she started calling Eiji's phone asking if Oishi was all right in message after message to Eiji. Oishi even was considering a new phone number. Eiji thought that might be a good idea as long as she didn't keep calling Eiji looking for Oishi.
They had lunch and then went to play. The park was a big one and they were lucky to find an open court.
Oishi started off playing lightly giving Eiji some easy things to return. Eiji got mad after a while wanting Oishi to go all out but Oishi knew Eiji just was not up to it yet. He was favoring his leg still and though he was not limping, Oishi was sure it was because he was trying to being tough. He was still hurt.
Eiji met him at the net to yell at him. Eiji put his hand on the net while standing there poised to fight. Oishi without thinking put his hand on Eiji's to explain to him that he just didn't want Eiji to take longer to recover. When he realized they were outside, in broad daylight, in public, with people around them, and Oishi had his hand on Eiji's, Oishi turned scarlet red and let go of Eiji's hand like it was on fire. He turned on his heel expecting Eiji to be laughing at his obvious distress. When he turned back to face him, Oishi saw Eiji standing there with his mouth open, his hand still on the net, and his eyes on fire. He was furious.
Eiji turned and walked back to his bag. "Eiji.....?" Oishi asked starting after him. Eiji threw his racket into his bag and started to walk away, limping, Oishi saw now, just slightly. His anger was making him forget to cover it up. Oishi grabbed his shoulder gently to turn him around, stop him, find out what had him so upset. "Eiji, I'm sorry, I forgot where we were, Eiji, wait!"
Eiji stopped with his back to him and his hands clenched to fists. Oishi didn't know why he was so upset, but was frustrated not being able to hold him like he wanted to, and find out what was wrong. Eiji turned, with tears in his eyes, tears Oishi realized he put there. Eiji, instead of yelling said very quietly, "Nya. When we're alone you can't stop touching me, and you tell me you won't hurt me, but now you can't even touch my hand without turning red?"
"Eiji, "Oishi said knowing he had to tread very carefully and could not use hugs and kisses to make this better here and now, "I am so sorry. I'm an idiot. Okay? This is new for me too. I...I get embarrassed easily. I'm also nervous playing you. I....I don't want you to get hurt and I haven't played you since I hurt you."
Eiji looked at him, still hurt, still mad, and waiting to see if Oishi would say more. "Please Eiji? Play me a little before the ranking tournaments this week. Please? I'm sorry." Eiji waited and considered. "Eiji," Oishi said with his voice a little softer, "its really hard for me now to not be like how we are when we are alone. I want to be like that with you all the time. Remember how I was when we left my house? And when we got to yours today? Please? I'll try harder. I promise."
"I'm still mad." Eiji said just to let Oishi know where he stood.
"I understand. I would be mad too if you did the stupid thing I just did to you. I'm sorry. Please? Play me for a little while and then I'll make it up to you."
Very quietly to let Oishi know he was on very thin ice Eiji said, "Nya. I wouldn't do to you what you just did to me."
"No, you wouldn't." Oishi spoke his thoughts out loud. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me?"
"Hoi. Its important to you?"
"Yes. Very. Because I hurt you last time." Oishi did not say which last time or which hurt he meant. "I won't hold back. If you say you're fine to play, I believe you as long as you aren't playing me mad."
"Don't do it again."
"I won't, I swear. And I won't hold back."
Eiji marched back past him grabbing his racket and throwing his bag down. "Its my serve." It wasn't, but Oishi would have let Eiji serve all day if he wanted to. Oishi felt he really was an idiot. Eiji really never would have held back emotion, affection, a touch, whatever he felt like doing he did.
Actually, Oishi thought about it and corrected himself, that isn't true. Eiji normally would have walked away and not spoken to him for days. Or pushed him away. Or screamed. He was holding back and so could Oishi, he realized again thinking himself an idiot all over again. "I'm starting." Eiji went to serve. Then paused, looked at him, and said, "And I'm not playing mad."
It was a good rally. Oishi stopped worrying and just played. They weren't keeping score but Oishi knew it was all in his favor. Eiji still wanted to play so Oishi said nothing and kept going. A couple of people stopped to watch them. Probably because of some of Eiji's theatrics while playing. Even though losing, a week of inactivity without a crowd to please had gotten to him.
They stopped to get drinks and a couple of older guys asked them to play doubles. Oishi deferred to Eiji who said yes. Oishi really had not made Eiji run much. He instead had worked on pinpointing his own playing shots for the coming week and letting Eiji do what he liked rather than on winning. Eiji said before they walked back onto the court, "What did you and Fuji-senpai say before you played?"
"He asked me up or back and I said back. I told him to distract them and make them forget about me. They would not be expecting me to come in then and I would. Why? Do you want to do the same thing?" Eiji held out his hand for Oishi to hit. They held their hands there for a moment longer than necessary and smiled. Oishi said with his eyes, I'm sorry.
Eiji said, I forgive you, IF we beat them.
They beat them 6-2.
Eiji was amazing, taking a running dive to win the last point. He landed hard on his back. Oishi knew there would be more bumps and scrapes all over him. Several people watching applauded, and Eiji surprised even Oishi doing a handstand and then ending in a flip to get up before Oishi could offer him a hand. Oishi did notice he landed with his weight on his unhurt side still.
On the way out of the park they saw some swings and Eiji could not resist going on them. Oishi swung next to him slowly and safely. Eiji yelled down, flying past him, "Oishi, have you ever seen anyone go around the world?" He laughed when Oishi in response covered his eyes and said no.
They went back to Eiji's. Oishi was tired and had some things to do for school, but he really wanted to give Eiji a better goodbye and good night kiss. Eiji's Mom asked Oishi to stay for dinner but he said he had to get home soon. Eiji dragged him up to his room saying Oishi had to get something and then closed his door behind them. Oishi reached for him and hugged him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?"
"Nya. Don't do it again." Eiji said then hugged him back.
"I won't. I'm sorry. Thank you for playing and not playing mad. How is your back? Can I see?"
Eiji nodded and lifted his shirt. Oishi kissed the spot that seemed to be the worst. "Nya. I'm all sweaty!" Eiji said laughing.
"I like your sweat." Oishi said turning Eiji around and kissing him. "You played amazing."
"Nya. I lost to you." He pouted and Oishi kissed him again, not able to resist.
"Only because you haven't played in a week. Will you put the arnica on your leg before you go to sleep?"
"Hoi. Nervous?" Eiji asked with a smile.
"About rankings? Not anymore." Oishi smiled back and kissed him.
"Hoi. My bed misses you already." Eiji smiled at him starting to pout.
Kissing him hard Oishi said, "Will you think about me in the shower? I'm going to think about you......"
Eiji put his hand right on the front of Oishi's pants making him gasp in surprise as he traced his swelling contours and said, "Nya. Call me when you get home and we can do it at the same time. Then I can hear you." They kissed for a while standing there, teasing and kissing each other.
Eiji checked on the blister on Oishi's hand that looked to be about the same. No worse so the ridiculous bandage had helped some. Oishi kissed Eiji again, knowing he had to go home and not wanting to. "Hoi, wait!" Eiji said going to his closet. He handed Oishi a new box of grip tape. "Mine's better. And its mine. I can't play." He said insisting Oishi take it and redo his racket tonight. "Nya. So you can win like you promised."
"You want me to win with your tape because its like you're with me?" Oishi asked for clarification, knowing it was silly, stupid, and not caring because it was so cute.
"Hoi." Eiji said happy Oishi understood him. "And mine's better." He kissed Oishi hard and put his hand back on the front of his pants.
"Hey! How am I supposed to walk past your family and ride my bike home like this?" He laughed and pointed down, where it was obvious he was fully hard. Eiji just laughed. Oishi had to put on his warm up jacket from the morning before and keep it zipped to get out of the house. He blushed the entire way home.
When Oishi walked into his house, he got there just in time for dinner. He hadn't realized it was so late. Oishi went to put his things up in his room and he texted Eiji saying he was
'home' and 'have to eat dinner'. He would 'call you later'.
Eiji texted back saying he was 'eating too' and had 'showered' '...'
He'd added the dot dot dot just so Oishi knew it could mean either way.
It gave Oishi a little thrill so he texted him back asking 'yes or no?' Did he or didn't he?
Eiji texted back 'not yet, love' and then 'wait for me'.
Oishi roared with laughter and felt another thrill, thinking of when he'd said those words last night. He texted Eiji
'LOL', then sent him, 'want you'.
Eiji sent him back 'Me too'.
Oishi texted him he would 'be back later' and put his phone down, wishing to continue this now.
Or Oishi wished he could call Eiji right then and there, sighed because he wished a lot of things, and then he went back to being his good, boring self for his family.
Although smiling more than usual.
On to Chapter 14!!