It was almost two hours later that Eiji called him. Oishi was going out of his mind by then. He'd even tried Eiji's new cell phone to make sure he had gotten home all right. "Hoi, call you in five, its all right, Oishi." Eiji said into the phone and hung up on him. Oishi had finished his work and to distract himself, and not go crazy, he was even going ahead with the rest of the week. His phone chirped and Oishi picked it up before it even fully rang once.

"Hoi..."

Oishi felt relief flood through him on hearing that one word. "Where have..." Oishi started and then his Father stood over him.

He looked up, shocked, that his Father had just walked into his room. Sure, the door was open a crack, but usually his Father respected his space and his privacy much more than this. His Father though looked distracted, looked at the work piled around Oishi, and only said, "Is that Fuji-kun on the phone? May I speak with him for a moment more please?" And he held out his hand and took the phone.

In horror Oishi let it go to his Father automatically. Oishi heard his Father talking. Asking questions. Oishi was waiting for him to yell. His Father when he yelled was terrifying. Poor Eiji! Poor him!

His Father walked down the hall a little with Oishi's phone, still talking. No yelling was going on. Eiji must have been acting as Fuji. But how? Eiji was good, but their voices were not completely alike. Eiji didn't have time to three way call and fill in Fuji. Did he?

Oishi tried to read the page in front of him and get swallowed up by it. He was trying to calm himself down so he did not have an anxiety attack. He'd had them as a child, stressing himself out. Its why he started playing tennis when he was younger, to get out his stress and aggressions. The attacks were not pretty and he tried to use every relaxation technique in the world he knew of to keep the panic from washing over him. His Father hated when he used to have them. He ordered Oishi not to. He saw them as a sign of weakness. If Oishi had one right now it would totally render him helpless and practically force his Father to send him to Saint Rudolph's. Away from everything and everyone. Away from Eiji.

Then his Father was there saying thank you and goodnight to Fuji, handing Oishi the phone, "Thank you. Goodnight son." His Father left closing his door.

"I..." Oishi started.

Then Fuji was there. "Hello Oishi. This is Fuji."

"Fuji!"

Fuji must have heard the tone of Oishi's voice. "Ne, Oishi, its all right." He said it soothingly.

"I...Is Eiji, there...?" Oishi was totally confused. Did Eiji go to Fuji's?

Fuji laughed softly and said, "Ne Oishi, Eiji is on the phone also." Fuji's voice was soft and relaxed and a little amused.

"Hoi Oishi. I called Fuji and then you, three way."

"Oishi," Fuji was saying in an almost narcotic sleepy purr, "its going to be okay, Oishi. All right?" Oishi did not know what to say. "Oishi call Eiji back and then three way if you need to reach me again with your Father. All right? Oishi?"

"Fuji-senpai, I...I...thank you." Oishi was speechless.

"Oishi-senpai, its what friends do." Fuji said it with a smile in his voice, then said, "I was going to surprise you, but it sounds like you don't need any more surprises right now. I'm going to help you Oishi. You and Eiji." Fuji paused as if to let that sink into them, that Fuji knew and was not judging at all. "Tomorrow night both you and Eiji are going to sleep over my house. My parents are away, my sister will be at her boyfriends, and Yuuta will not be home."

Oishi's face flamed crimson. Panic again went to wash over him. He could not even respond. Fuji knew! Someone other than him and Eiji, knew!

"Oishi I swear I never..." Eiji gasped and started to say.

"Eiji, I know you didn't. Of course you didn't." Oishi's first thought was to reassure Eiji, not even his panic could stop him from doing that. His second was for his other friend, "Fuji-senpai, I do, really appreciate this but I could not impose..."

"Ne, Oishi, it is no imposition, and you must. Your Father thinks you are coming here to see Yuuta. Eiji did not tell me and neither did you, Oishi. I just sort of, knew. I'm good at picking up on things like that, better than most people."

Fuji paused as if the next thing he said would be hard for him, "Also, having you both here will be good for me. I don't like being alone in this big house and staying by myself. I'll feel...better, safer, with friends around. All right?" Oishi mulled it over stuck worried in a bit of a panic. Then Fuji said quietly, "Oishi-senpai, let your friends help you."

"Th...Thank you Fuji-senpai."

"You're welcome. Now there is one thing you must do Oishi. You must become a regular. Its the only thing that will secure your place in Seigaku with your Father. Do you understand? Eiji do you understand?" They both said they understood.

"Then Eiji talk to Oishi for a while but, Eiji," Fuji's soft voice lilted slightly with amusement, "let him get some sleep! He's exhausted. He has to win and he can't do that in the state he is in. Its going to be all right but the two of you have to calm down and use your heads."

"Good night Oishi, Eiji, both of you get some sleep and call me if you need anything. I'll keep my phone by my bed just in case someone needs me."

They said goodnight and many, many thank yous to Fuji.

Oishi called Eiji back from his house line. Eiji picked up the phone and said nothing. They were each silently lost in their thoughts listening to the other breathe for a long time.

"Eiji," Oishi said softly, "I'm sorry." Oishi stood and paced around getting his things for school together, needing to move.

"Nya. Probably my fault." Eiji said.

Oishi did not want his friend to even begin thinking that. "No, its not, Eiji. Not at all. In fact you probably saved me."

"Hoi?"

Oishi thought about it. Eiji did save him in many ways, not just from this scary, crazy girl. But he felt too far away from Eiji right now to tell him all that. "Eiji can you imagine if you and Fuji weren't with me what might have happened? How crazy this girl is and that I would have been alone with her? There's no telling what she might have done or what might have happened. You saved me. In a lot of ways." Oishi added smiling, "I wish you were here." he said softly, quietly.

Eiji paused a moment and then again surprised Oishi by saying,"Nya Oishi, if you go to Saint Rudolph's, then, then, I'm going too!"

"Eiji! I would never ask you to do that!" Oishi was shocked. Completely.

"I know. You didn't. Nya. But if you go, I'm going too."

"But Eiji, you can't..."

"I can. I will. I could wait a little while and then go too. I mean it. We could even be, roommates..." Eiji trailed off the sweet sounding phrase and all it entailed, "...but even if we're just best friends, nya Oishi, I want to be with you."

Oishi closed his eyes as his emotions washed over him, "I want to be with you, too." Oishi stared at his fish watching them and feeling a wave of calm soothing him. He also noticed his fish were distinctly, grossly, getting over fed. Eiji, he thought to himself with a smile.

There was a long silence. Then Eiji said, "Oishi will you hold on so I can go get ready for bed? You should too."

"Yes, I will, too." Oishi put the phone down and went to the washroom. He walked slowly and then hurried only when the door was closed so he could get back to Eiji as soon as possible. He used Eiji's toothpaste smiling at the memory of Eiji watching him using it in this very bathroom. Oishi had to keep himself from running back to the phone. He took one last look at his stuff making sure he had everything, set his alarm, turned out the light and climbed into bed. "Eiji?" He asked.

"Hoi."

"No Oishi song?"

"To myself." Eiji sounded like he was smiling.

"Eiji, I want to know why when I told that girl today, Masumi-chan I wasn't interested in her like you asked me to, you were upset, before Kiko showed up acting crazy."

"Nya. Doesn't matter now." Oishi knew from his friends voice it did matter and he was pouting.

"Is it because I told her there was no one else I was interested in?" Oishi knew that was it. But what could he have told her? "Eiji, I said that because it was true." Oishi felt Eiji stiffen as if he was there. "Listen, I don't want to date her not because of anyone else or you, I just am not interested in her. To tell her its because of someone else and then have her not see anyone else, well it would seem like a lie and be unfair to her. I was trying to be honest."

"Nya." Eiji said softly, "You said you were too busy." It hit Oishi like a ton of bricks. Eiji was right. Oishi usually told girls he was not interested in that he was too busy and that was probably why they kept coming around, waiting for him. He didn't mean for it to happen that way but that's what was happening.

"I'm sorry. You're right. I wasn't telling the truth, I only thought I was. It was very stupid of me and I've always done it. What do you think I should have said?"

"Nya. I don't know, but the truth."

"All the truth?" Oishi was genuinely confused.

"Nya. Just enough."

"I'm sorry. I...I'll think about it all right? Thank you for showing me what I was stupidly doing."

"Hoi." Oishi heard Eiji flipping around on his bed into one of his odd positions and a thought occurred to him.

"Hey, what did you tell that girl with the red ribbon? The freshman? I didn't see her around you this morning. You told her something, didn't you?"

"Hoi." Eiji said it quietly.

"What did you tell her? The truth?"

"Nya. Don't want to say."

"Why?"

"Nya. Don't want you to get upset again."

"I wont get upset, just tell me what you said."

"Nya you will! You don't know this! I don't want to upset you! You're upset enough! Nya!"

"Please...whatever it is, you're my best friend, just tell me. I...I'll deal with it okay? I promise. Please?" If there was something Eiji had not had a chance to tell him because the day was so crazy, Oishi owed it to his friend to listen.

Eiji sighed as if really, really upset and then said in an angry big blurt, "I...I told her there was someone else that I'm interested in. That there's someone else I have feelings for! All right!"

Oishi felt like he was punched in the stomach. He felt sick. He squeezed his eyes shut and wished he had just listened to Eiji and not pressed him to tell him. Then Oishi realized that Eiji before wanted to go to Saint Rudolph's with him as roommates, but then a second later remembered Eiji saying even if only best friends. "Th...there is?"

"Yes." Eiji said it softly, almost a whisper.

"Who?" Oishi had to know. He would be happy for his friend and he would not let him see him get upset or cry. No way. Maybe he would go to Saint Rudolph's just to not see Eiji everyday with his new girlfriend, for certainly any girl who Eiji confessed his feelings to would be thrilled. He did have a huge crowd of admirers.

"You know who Oishi!" Eiji sounded, angry? Why was he angry when Oishi was the one who felt terrible?

"I...I'm sorry Eiji, I really don't know who, please, tell me."

"You really don't know!" Eiji sounded livid and like he didn't believe him. Like he thought Oishi was teasing him or making fun of him.

Oishi had no clue why. "No, I really don't know. Who?"

"Oishi!" Eiji sounded really furious, "You!" Then he paused. Oishi did not respond from the shock. He heard him say softer again, "You."

"I...Eiji I'm sorry. I didn't think..."

"No, you didn't..." He sounded near tears.

Oishi worried he was going to hang up the phone. "Eiji, wait, please? When you said just best friends at Saint Rudolph's, just then I thought you were going to say a girl. I thought you liked a girl and had feelings for a girl. That's why I didn't know who. I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. You know that. I was not making fun of you. Okay? I'm sorry. I have...I have feelings for you too I'm just, I'm just not sure what they are yet."

"What do you mean?" Eiji sounded very upset.

"I mean, I am so happy when I am with you. And when I am not with you, I think about you all the time. Its like you're with me even when you're not. And I want to be with you all the time. Even more than now. I would never have gotten through tonight without you being there. Never. I would have never gotten through dinner without getting sick, without you touching me. I want to hold you and kiss you all the time. I could barely even shower today after tennis because I thought about you being so close there. If you were next to me then I would not have been able to not touch you. Normally, if I feel strong about someone or something I would back away afraid, but I'm not afraid when I am with you. I'm not. I just feel happy. You make me feel happy. But I've never felt anything like this before so I don't know what to call it. But, is that how you feel too?"

Eiji waited a few moments while Oishi's heart raced, anxious to hear his answer, and then he said, "Hoi. I couldn't have showered next to you either today so I hurried and went before you finished playing."

"But...is that how you feel also?" Oishi was suddenly concerned that Eiji's feelings were only sexual and not anything else but a friend and sex. Maybe Oishi was wrong.

"Hoi, I nodded, yes." Eiji said sounding annoyed at having to repeat himself. "That's how I feel too."

"I'm sorry, I'm not there, I couldn't see you nod." Oishi felt both relieved and missing him not being there. "Thank you for showering first by the way, there was no way I could have if you were there. I would have had to touch you."

"Hmm. I wish you were here." Eiji was pouting yet had started purring when he thought of Oishi touching him. His hois became purring hmms when he was turned on. The little noise alone just turned Oishi's stomach to jelly.

"I wish I was there too." Oishi sincerely wished it. More than he had wished for any other thing, ever.

"Hmm. What would you do if you were here?"

"Honestly?" Eiji didn't answer and Oishi figured he was nodding again, "What I really want to do right now, more than anything, is hold you and have you hold me. I just want to kiss you for a really long time and hold you. Would that be all right?"

"Hmm."

Oishi picked up the pillow Eiji used and smelled it, "My pillow doesn't really smell like you any more." This made Oishi unspeakably sad.

"Nya Oishi. Go look in your bag. Outer pocket." He paused, "Don't laugh at me." He sounded very guarded.

"All right?" Oishi had no idea what would be there with Eiji, "Why?" He said getting out of bed, "Are you hiding there?" Eiji laughed as if delighted at the thought but it was a guarded laugh. In it was Eiji's shirt from tennis that day curled into a ball. Oishi realized Eiji must have taken his too. "Eiji," he laughed, "I was all sweaty, my shirt probably smells all sweaty."

"Nya. Smells like you. Does mine?" Eiji now sounded concerned.

"Sweaty? No, it just smells like you, and outside, and the sun, and tennis." Oishi said breathing his scent in, and thinking about the colors Eiji would say they were. He smiled, "Thank you." He did not mean just about switching their worn shirts either. Oishi climbed back into bed with the shirt. He knew it was stupid and just didn't care. "What side are you on? The wall?"

"Hoi. But no playing tonight."

"No?" Oishi felt a pang of concern. "You don't want..."

"Nya. Fujiko said sleep. You have to win Oishi. You have to." Oishi thought about it and realized it was true. "I'll see you tomorrow at Fuji's. After you win. And in the morning at practice. I'll warm up with you too but I can't come all the way to your house because my bike is there. I'll meet you on the way. Hoi?"

"Okay."

"Oishi, you can do this."

"All right." Oishi was quiet a while, thinking about it all, and then said, "Eiji will you stay with me?"

"Hoi. On the phone?"

"Yeah. Please?"

"Will you sleep?" Eiji was very serious and had every reason to be Oishi realized.

Oishi thought about it and realized what was true. "I sleep better with you than alone."

Eiji considered it. "Hoi."

"Thank you, Eiji. Good night."

"Good night, Oishi." Oishi thought of a thousand and one questions to ask Eiji and before he got to the first one Eiji said, "Sleep."

Oishi smiled and listened to Eiji's breathing growing deep and regular, he wished they were in each others arms. Oishi curled up with Eiji's dirty shirt, smiling at how stupid it was, and soon sleep claimed him.

Oishi woke up hearing Eiji's alarm clock again. He laughed. He felt so much better it was amazing. He had a touch of a headache he figured from sleeping so long and so deep.

And then he remembered that he would be spending an entire evening with Eiji. The thought was delicious. He stretched trying to ease his headache. Eiji must have heard him.

"Hoi! You're finally up!"

"Yep. I slept really good too. Thank you."

"Hmm. Go shower. Think of me. I'm going to think of you."

"Now?"

"Hmm. Right now. Or I will pounce on you when I see you in school." Eiji hung up the phone. Oishi laughed again and went to "join" his friend. He made his bed swiftly first, carefully tucking Eiji's shirt under a pillow where it couldn't be seen. He wasn't sure exactly why he did it, but he did, smiling.

Then he went down the hall and got into the shower. He thought of the two of them in the shower just a short time ago, then he thought about what Eiji was doing in his shower right now and Oishi was hard nearly immediately. Oishi soaped himself up, being very careful not to get it anywhere that burned. He touched himself thinking of Eiji and picturing Eiji touching himself thinking of him. He closed his eyes at the thought and memory of Eiji touching himself. He thought of Eiji's mouth being on him, kissing, tasting him, and licking him everywhere. He had to stifle a loud moan at just the thought of the things his friend could do with his mouth alone. Oishi then thought about putting his fingers, and then his hard erection into that tight, hot space inside Eiji. He thought about being inside him, and kissing him while he buried himself inside him, coming in him. That it felt good to Eiji. That Oishi coming inside him made Eiji come. Oishi came so hard right then that his knees almost gave way and he barely could hold himself up. It took him a few minutes to stop shaking after, but that thought, of him wanting to be inside Eiji, to come inside him, lingered.

He finally finished his shower, dressed, grabbed something to eat and his things, and ran to meet Eiji.

Eiji was walking up a side street that he must have known Oishi would pass, he waved when he saw him, and Oishi smiled knowing his friend went far out of his way to see him. It was so silly and so sweet at the same time. Oishi had to keep himself from "pouncing" on Eiji and kissing him soundly.

"Hoi."

"Good morning." They started walking to school together both smiling.

"Eating?" Eiji asked him looking at the health food bar Oishi grabbed.

Oishi made a face. "Its not good, yours is probably much, much better." Eiji looked at him curious, "All right, you want to try?"

Eiji nodded, bit where Oishi last did, made a face, and spit it out. Oishi laughed as Eiji gagged and clawed at his mouth exaggerating. "Why?" He asked horrified.

"I told you it isn't good. I guess I got used to them." Before you Oishi thought to himself.

Eiji took a bite of his and then handed it to Oishi. "Try."

Oishi bit in and it was heaven. It was some kind of pastry with eggs and stuff in it he knew Eiji had made. When Oishi had no idea. He was still convinced that Eiji was a sprite who could magically manipulate time.

He told him his latest theory making him laugh and then took another bite saying, "That is SO good." He handed it back to Eiji. Eiji went to hand it to him again and took Oishi's bar away. "No I am not going to eat your breakfast!" Eiji threw Oishi's bar in an open trash can they passed on the street in front of someone's house. "Hey! I have to eat that!"

"Nya! That is yours, I just ate some on the way." He chuckled. Oishi laughed and laughed harder when Eiji made a face and said, "Hoi. I'd better have one more bite though, that," He pointed to the trash can they had passed, "was disgusting!" They shared it, eating as they walked, Eiji every so often having to have a bite saying how gross the bar was.

Oishi thought about kissing the taste from his mouth and Eiji saw the look he gave him. In response, Eiji smiled that smile. The wicked one he gave Oishi when he wanted to kiss him too. The look Eiji gave him when they were alone. Eiji purred at his thoughts and asked, "Hmm. How was your shower?"

"Don't DO that. I can't warm up with you when you do that!" Oishi said it smiling at him. Eiji laughed but waited for an answer. "Fine. You want to know how mine was?"

"Hmm." He said still smiling that wicked smile.

"You were very good, and very, very bad. So? How was I?"

Eiji licked his lips as if they had suddenly gone very dry. "Good." He said his voice gone a bit raspy remembering.

"What did we do Eiji?" Oishi said it low, walking very close to him, and they slowed their stride. Oishi said it soft and quiet, in a voice only Eiji could hear. He knew it was getting to his friend and knew he should stop, but he didn't want to."Did we do what we've done before Eiji? Did I touch you places I've touched you before?" Eiji gave him a long slow blink, "Did I kiss places I've kissed before?" Oishi could see Eiji turned on, and swooning a little, remembering. Oishi remembered what he had come to and without thinking, he said, "Did we do something we haven't done, yet?"

Oishi instantly knew he'd gone too far and if he could take the words back he would have. Eiji blushed, looked upset, and turned away. "Eiji, wait. Eiji! Please..." Eiji would not look at him. Oishi grabbed his hand and pulled him into an open courtyard apartment building they were passing. He lead him past the door and down a hallway where they were alone. He turned him around to face him touching his face. "I'm sorry." Oishi kissed him. Eiji kissed him back but still would not look at him. "Eiji, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I didn't. Hey," he held Eiji's chin the way Oishi first taught him to kiss so long ago, "I'm sorry, okay?" Oishi kissed him drawing Eiji into a deep kiss and then hugged him tight. He breathed into Eiji's ear, "I've thought about it too..."

"You have?" Eiji said quietly.

"Sex?" Oishi said quietly, just making sure. Eiji nodded. Oishi had to stifle a moan at the thought. He paused a moment to get control before continuing. "Of course I have." He tenderly kissed his friend and ran his hand along his friend's smooth cheek. "How about we talk about it later? I'll see you tonight, right? I'll tell you what I thought, and you can tell me what you thought... I'm sorry. Please don't be upset. Its what I came to this morning, thinking about it. About you." Oishi kissed him, deeply, enjoying everything about him. Eiji melted into the kiss, making Oishi's head dizzy with lust.

"Hmm." Eiji was already purring.

Oishi had to close his eyes, "I love when you make that sound. It drives me crazy."

"What sound?" Eiji asked all wide eyed and innocent. Oishi knew he knew. He kissed him again smiling.

"I'm sorry. Are you all right now? Can we go to school?"

Eiji looked around at where they were. He blinked as if coming to his senses, "Hoi? Where are we?"

Oishi laughed looking around too, "I...have no idea."

They both laughed, left the place laughing, and went to school and practice. They laughed nearly the whole way there about getting lost and every now and again Eiji would make Oishi laugh even harder asking "Hoi? What sound? Tell me!"