Chapter Forty One

Warnings: Yaoi, Love, Angst, Fluff, and Lots of Sex. Some kink. You've been warned ;)

Disclaimer: Nope not mine. Still in my dreams. ;)

"In the park, by where you played tennis with your friends last night, by the trees, past the swings. I called your phone and left you a message. Oishi, you have less than five minutes left to get here or he's dead."

She hadn't seen him yet, Oishi realized. She didn't know where he was. He stopped racing over there, though all he wanted to do was run to Eiji, and tried to keep himself hidden in the shadows. "I...I'm farther away than that Kiko, but...but I'm coming! Please! Please wait for me. Don't....don't hurt him!" He would call the police. Get help. Wait for them to help him.

"Oishi, beloved, only because I love you, you have exactly ten minutes. No more. Don't worry dearest, I wont hurt him until then. But if anyone else comes though, and I mean anyone, he will go to sleep and never wake up. Just you Oishi, alone. Now. Come and choose. We're waiting!"

"I'll be right there! I'm on my way! Please...!" But she had already hung up.

Ogodsogodsogodsogodsogodsogods! Oishi almost screamed in frustration and anxiety but he knew she would hear him if he did. He couldn't see from the tears in his eyes, his heart was racing, and his adrenaline was surging. He felt his chest tighten as if he was going to have a panic attack, and he held it back through sheer force of will because it could kill Eiji if he didn't.

Oishi didn't know what to do, and just to do something, anything, he called Fuji.

He told the tensai what was going on in a harsh whisper. Now that the initial shock and stress were wearing off, Oishi was getting angry. Not good either. He knew he could neither afford to panic or lose his temper right now. He had to keep calm. He had to help Eiji.

Fuji at first didn't believe him. Then he said simply, "Oishi stay calm. Just go there and keep her talking. Agree to whatever she says. Protect Eiji. And Oishi, be careful. We're on our way." Then Fuji hung up before Oishi could even ponder who 'we' were.

He hoped Fuji didn't do anything to make this worse and then almost laughed bitterly at the thought.

He ran over to the swings and called for Eiji and her. A flashlight turned on in response and he walked over towards the light.

Eiji was lying on the ground. Oishi could barely make him out in the dark but knew from the clothes it was him. He didn't seem to be moving. Oishi could not make out any details. His heart caught in his throat as Oishi thought he might already be dead. Kiko was half laying down next to him.

"Choose Oishi, me or him?"

"Is...is he...." Oishi could not even say it.

"He's fine. He's still breathing." She sounded disappointed and turned the flashlight on Eiji's face. Eiji never moved. His face was covered in blood and he looked to be sleeping or....worse. Oishi gasped. If not for his red hair that also had blood in it, Oishi would not have believed it was him. It looked like he was in makeup for a horror movie. He didn't even look to be breathing. Oishi went to run to him.

"Stop!" She commanded and flicked a switch of a stun gun in her hand. It crackled. Oishi froze. He had no idea what she had done and how she had hurt Eiji. Oishi knew he was seconds away from seeing red and wanted nothing more than to hurt her for hurting Eiji. He tried to calm down.

He had to calm down. "I just want to make sure he's all right!"

"He's fine Oishi! He doesn't matter beloved. Now choose!" She said it tight with tears in her voice. Oishi had no idea what this deluded psycho wanted him to say. "Oishi, you have no idea what I've gone through for you!"

Fuji said to keep her talking. Oishi tried to look relaxed and smile though it was the last thing he wanted to do. "Okay, I'm sorry, then tell me, Kiko. I'm listening. Tell me." She looked at him. His eyes were adjusting to the light and he could just see faintly that she was looking confused, or thinking this was a trick. "No really, I'm listening. Please Kiko. I want to know."

Oishi willed his body to relax just a little more. Public speaking and debating basics his father had taught him long ago. He posed as if he was talking in front of the whole school and asking them to vote his way on a proposal. He went into how to look open and attentive while waiting for the other party to speak. He relaxed his fists, he opened his body posture, he kept smiling slightly as if interested, he relaxed his jaw as Eiji had showed him, and he silently prayed for a miracle to any and every god he had ever heard of. Please! Let this psycho start talking and please let Eiji be all right!

Someone heard him.

She started talking. She told him about their first date their freshman year which he only remembered because this girl was the one who kissed so terrible, used her teeth during oral sex, and he was forced to stop her. It was right after Keiko. In fact it may have even been the weekend after when Oishi was still upset, in shock, and horrified. He would never remember the girl otherwise.

Certainly this girl looked totally different from that one. That one was cute with a little baby fat still on her, an open expression, and a bright mind. This girl was hard, lean, and crazed. She told him about her Daddy and the animals in her care. She told him about putting the animals to sleep. She used the same drug on Eiji.

Oishi hated her for whatever she did to Eiji. For her saying she would kill him. He completely hated her. All the while, he listened in horror to how she followed him daily for the last couple of years.

Stalking him. Crazy. She was crazy. Insane. But talking. She still was talking. She was summing up her pathetic story of the last couple of years of her life. Her and Kiku's movie plan. Her coming to see him at school. How she saw Oishi kiss Eiji on the street before school. Her then coming up with this plan to make Oishi choose between them and then how she planned on either way, killing Eiji.

On the street before school? When? They had tried to be very careful. The apartment building? No he didn't think then. When his father said over the phone he would be taking him out of Seigaku? No, they hadn't kissed then. He had held Eiji but not kissed him. When?

And then it came to him. One of his sweetest memories in a hundred thousand of him and Eiji together. A crumb brushed off Eiji's soft lips and Oishi early in the morning unable to resist touching his own lips in a sweet morning kiss briefly against Eiji's mouth. One kiss in ten thousand shared and this?

What was he going to do? Eiji was laying there helpless.

Oishi would never let her kill him. Never. He would kill her first or let her hurt him before she touched Eiji ever again.

Oishi knew he was terrible at lying. He really could not lie to save his life. But maybe he could to save Eiji's. "No, Kiko, no. You're wrong. It was never like that between us. He's just my friend. We were just practicing. I was just practicing. For you."

Even as Oishi said it he knew she wouldn't buy it. She was far gone but knew what she had seen between them. "Don't you lie to me Oishi! I'm not a fool!" She pressed the stun gun again and held it close to Eiji.

Oishi was on the verge of panic and then suddenly his head cleared. He remembered the tensai saying something about a half truth not sounding like a lie to his father. He could never convince her that he had feelings for her, but he could talk about his feelings for Eiji and just leave out the details. He had nothing else at the moment.

"Kiko...." He started and then cleared his mind. She turned to look at him holding the stun gun over Eiji still. All he thought about was Eiji. Eiji Kikumaru. His best friend who he loved more than life itself. He remembered every second, every moment of their friendship turned love affair and then he spoke, not to her, but to Eiji, lying helpless, wounded, unconscious, bleeding, hurt, in danger, and needing Oishi to save him from this monster. He knew Eiji probably couldn't hear him but he had no choice. The only thing he had were the words, and he had to say them. He couldn't lie but he could tell the truth.

"I am so, so sorry for all this, love. I cannot tell you how sorry I am that I ever hurt you. That I ever hurt us. I love you. I love you with all my heart. I have always loved only you. There is no one else. There never will be for me. You are my first and my only love. You are amazing. I can't imagine a day in my life without you. You're the first thing on my mind when I wake up and the last thing I think of before I fall sleep. I love everything about you, your laugh, your smile, your touch, your kiss, everything. I want to be with you. Really be with you. I am completely miserable without you." Oishi paused to stop himself from crying at the thought of really being without Eiji. Of losing him forever. Of never seeing him smile or laugh again. Of never holding him again. He took a shaky breath.

"You make me so happy. Only you. I am so, so sorry I ever doubted us for even a second. I was worried that our families would not approve or that I couldn't make you happy enough. I know my father will never approve. I've always known and I am fine with losing my family because you're worth any pain I might have. But I didn't want you to lose your family. Not for me. I swear I only hurt you because I wanted you to be happy more than anything. I thought that by letting you go, you would be happy. That letting you go so you could be happy was loving you enough. But, I was an idiot. I was so wrong and I am so sorry." Oishi took a deep breath and had to clear his throat which had gotten tight with emotion.

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve you or your love but I would do anything, anything to make you happy again. I am so sorry for any hurt you've had to go through because of me, any pain, any tears you've cried." Oishi tried not to think of Eiji laying there bloody, and not knowing how bad he was hurt.

"I swear, I will do whatever you want me to, whatever I have to, to make it up to you if you only let me. I want to make this right between us more than anything in the world. I believe in you. I believe in us. I love you. I want to be with you. No matter what. I love you and only you. Please, please say that there is a chance. Please tell me you still love me. Please...."

"Oishi! Beloved! I do love you! I do!" Kiko interrupted, she was crying and she almost got up and moved away from Eiji. Oishi realized he was crying too and had nearly forgotten she was there. But she was still there. Still too close to Eiji, still crazy, and she still wanted to hurt him. He needed her away from Eiji. He needed a way to make sure she didn't hurt him. He decided to take control of the situation, like how he took control with a girl or with Eiji because Eiji let him.

"No, Kiko, first you are going to have to prove to me that you love me, to show that you trust me, and only then we can be together. Its the only way."

"What?! But beloved, I did all this for you!" She was confused and starting to get upset. There was only one other option. Only one other person who could manipulate people so well.

Oishi, completely on impulse, in a perfect imitation of his love, pouted slightly. "Fine!" He said, "Just forget it Kiko!" and he turned his back on her and Eiji, praying the sudden urge was the right thing to do. He counted to himself realizing now that Eiji might count. He prayed fervently that he would have the chance to ask him someday. One, two, three.......

"Oishi? Oishi? What do I need to do?!"

Still acting as Eiji he turned to face her partway, she was almost standing away, almost away from Eiji, and Oishi said in an imitation of Eiji's perfect voice when he was being sly, "Do you really love me?"

"Yes!"

"Do you really trust me?"

"I....yes!"

"No, you don't! You don't! Forget it Kiko!" He turned his back again.

She stepped closer to Oishi but stayed too near where Eiji was. She had the stun gun still in her hand and who knew what else. She was still too close to Eiji. Oishi got an idea. It was terrible but it might work. "Oishi, I....I'll do anything! Anything! Tell me what to do and I'll do it!"

"Anything?"

"Anything! Just tell me!"

Oishi pointed, "All right Kiko, if you really love me, then...breathe. You have to breathe that stuff. Just like him."

She gasped, "B...but Oishi I...." She looked horrified.

"See? You really don't love me Kiko! You really don't want to be with me!"

She must have seen that Oishi was resolute. "But....Oishi....that's what you really want me to do? That's the only way I can show you?"

Oishi nodded yes. He didn't trust his voice but she hesitated and he ordered her, "Show me!"

She moved back to where Eiji and her things were. "You'll watch over me Oishi? You'll stay with me? You'll choose me? You promise?" She was crying.

Oishi said simply. "Show me. I've already made my choice. You know that." It was not a lie.

She cried a little more with Oishi standing there, just watching her. As if she could convince him to let her go. He knew this was terrible to do to someone and he should feel guilty but he felt nothing. Just empty.

The only thing he did feel was desperate to get her away and get to Eiji and see why he had not moved, not stirred, not awakened. Crying still, she settled herself laying down near Eiji. She poured a bit of something from a bottle onto a cloth and held it up to her nose. She breathed in a little and coughed. He saw her swoon but not pass out.

"All of it Kiko. Show me." Oishi said, unable to keep his voice from sounding cold. She was still crying a little, and nodded.

"Oishi...." She said and then took a deep breath slumping back, out cold. It was almost funny, but Oishi had no time to laugh.

"Eiji!" He didn't even check to see if she was still breathing. He didn't even care. He was at Eiji's side in one step.

"Oi-shi...nya, I can't believe you...." He said it softly as if half awake or in awe. Oishi could not see him clearly enough to tell. Oishi was crying now, big tears rolling down his face when he found Eiji was still breathing, still moving, still alive.

He took him in his arms, "Eiji! Oh gods, Eiji, I'm so sorry....." He was crying a little harder now. He kissed his face, ignoring the blood.

"Nya Oishi! Untie me, please?"

"Oh gods, I'm sorry. Here." The ropes were tied in little tiny tight knots that were nearly impossible to untie. It took a moment to pull everything loose enough so Eiji could wiggle his hands out. Eiji was flexing his fingers as if to get the blood flowing while Oishi started untying his ankles.

"Hoi! Oishi, you're bleeding!" Eiji looked at him, worried.

"Its not my blood Eiji, its yours." Oishi was about to sob again.

"Oh." Eiji said it surprised, "Damn!"

"What?!"

"Nya. My Mom's gonna kill me if I need more stitches."

Oishi smiled through his tears as he finished untying Eiji's ankles. He then went to see if she was still breathing. She was. Her pulse seemed fine too.

Eiji saw and then said, "Help me up, please?" Oishi didn't know the effects the drug would have at all let alone how bad Eiji was from all the blood lost. He took Eiji by his forearms and helped pull him up to standing. Eiji surprised him by holding him close, wrapping his arms around him, and kissing him.

Oishi sobbed while kissing him, amazed at Eiji comforting him. "Nya. I'm all right Oishi. You saved me. I'm okay." He held him closer. "And we will be too. I heard what you said, I was keeping my eyes closed and tried to get the knots out but couldn't. Nya Oishi, you are a terrible liar! I can always tell when you're lying. We were practicing?" Eiji laughed a little.

Oishi was crying with an odd mix of shock and relief and joy. Eiji, even now, made him laugh even if just a little, "I'm sorry, I couldn't think of anything else....."

Eiji was laughing a more little too. "Nya Oishi. But the other part was the truth right? That was to me?"

"Of course, but I thought you could always tell when I was lying?"

"Hoi, I can. Oishi," Eiji kissed him softly, "please don't listen to Tezuka, all right? I want to be with you too. I love you. Tezuka is all backwards over his own feelings for Fuji. My parents already know and they just want me to be happy. And I am happy. With you. Or at least I was." He pouted.

"I'm sorry, love. I'm so sorry."

"Nya. Don't do it again."

"I won't." Oishi paused holding him and being held. He was still a bit lost and processing all this. He just realized that Eiji figured it all out without Oishi or Fuji. "Eiji? You knew?"

"Hoi. I knew. Now kiss me Oishi, please. I've had a bad night."

Oishi said it through tears, "As you wish...." He kissed him just needing to touch him. Eiji was a bloody mess. Oishi chastised himself to get a grip and get his love some help. And what to do about the crazy girl out cold at their feet? But first this was more important, "I love you, Eiji."

"Oishi, I love you too." Eiji kissed him as if sealing it and then looked down as if just noticing Kiko laying on the ground unconscious. "Nya. Now what do we do?"

"Eiji! Oishi!" As if on cue, Fuji threw down his bike and came running over. Tezuka was right behind him. Fuji gave a gasp to see the girl laying on the ground and his friends covered in blood in the dim light. Its one of the few times ever Oishi remembers seeing the tensai truly shocked.

"Nya Fujiko, its all right, we're fine, don't hug me now..." Eiji warned Fuji away, "nya, its my blood on Oishi so he's fine too. He saved me....but....." He pointed at Kiko.

"Is she dead?" Tezuka asked sounding as usual. Oishi realized how it must look and had a momentary flash of hysterical insanity where he thought Tezuka might order them to run one hundred laps for killing the psycho girl.

"Nya. Oishi talked her into breathing what she used to knock me out. She's out but still breathing." Fuji looked surprised at Oishi and then Eiji as if not believing that. Oishi didn't flinch even though he was still surprised at himself.

"Ah. How long ago?" Fuji was already plotting, Oishi could tell.

"Five minutes at most while I untied him."

"Mn. Oishi, bring Eiji over to the hospital and we'll handle it from here. Don't tell anyone, let us handle it, that way you're father won't find out. Eiji say you fell or something. All right?"

"Fuji, are you sure....."

"Yes! Oishi go before anyone sees you. Eiji you are a bloody mess, hold onto Oishi and let him know if you feel dizzy or sick. Call when you're done and let us know how you are. We probably won't be able to call you for a while. Go!"

He grabbed Eiji's hand and they ran to his bike still over by the still lit up tennis courts.

"Hoi Oishi? You came to find me. You turned on the lights." He laughed when Oishi looked surprised at him. "I knew it was you!"

"I was looking for you. Were you on the swings? I was going to look there next. I tried to call you again but Kiko answered your phone." Then Oishi gasped.

"Hoi?"

"N...nothing....just how bloody you are in the light. Where are you hurt, love?"

Eiji looked down at his blood stained clothes and Oishi with blood all over him too. He grinned as if a bit delighted in the gore. He felt around his face and his scalp as he climbed on the back of Oishi's bike behind Oishi. "Nya Its nothing. My cheek hurts and I have a cut on my head, in my hair. Those always bleed really bad. A few scrapes. Everything else is fine." He shrugged.

"You're not dizzy? Or anything else? You'll tell me if you are?"

"Hoi. Its nothing." He saw Oishi was not convinced, "Nya, I've had worse. Let's go." He wrapped his arms around him and hugged Oishi tight as they started off.

Oishi had to know. "You were on the swings? Tell me where you went."

Eiji told him where he ran to, even almost going to Oishi's house, how upset he was, how he felt, and how he put it together. He told him how he knew it was Oishi who turned on the lights and then she must have grabbed him. He was coming out of it right after Oishi arrived.

Oishi told him in turn what Fuji told him, leaving out what Fuji said about Tezuka. It was Eiji who then told him that he heard Fuji and Tezuka in bed the night before and Tezuka leaving early in the morning.

"Why didn't you tell me you heard them and him in the morning? You acted like you thought he was still there, with breakfast and all."

"Nya. Fujiko told me not to tell anyone, especially you, when he said he had feelings for him." Eiji paused and Oishi heard him pouting slightly, "It was hard not to tell you, nya."

"I already sort of knew but Fuji told me the rest after......I'm sorry. I should have just talked to you after Tezuka talked to me instead of trying to....."

Eiji held him tighter but said in a serious voice, "Hoi Oishi, you should have."

Oishi was lost for a moment in a world of should haves and shouldn't haves and what might horribly have been. Eiji must have been too. "I'm so sorry I didn't, love. I'll never do it again. I swear."

Eiji was quiet a while longer while Oishi waited for some response. Oishi felt terrible and waited for Eiji to rule on this. They were at the hospital and they both walked the bike over to a rack secure it. Neither one spoke for a long time.

Eiji asked in a little voice, "Oishi, can I still stay at your house tonight?" As if Oishi would reject him.

Oishi was locking up his bike before they went inside. "Of course you can Eiji...if you still want to."

"Hoi! My mom will be mad if I need stitches."

"Oh."

"And I want my present."

"Sure."

Eiji knelt down to where Oishi was having trouble putting the two parts of the lock together because tears were blurring his eyes suddenly. His heart was breaking. Eiji put his hand on Oishi's shoulder as he lowered himself to look at him. He said softly, "And Oishi, I still love you. I still want you. I still want to be with you too." He took the lock out of Oishi's hands.

"You do?"

"Hoi." He clicked the lock into place. "Of course. Do you?" He looked a little worried.

"Yes...more than anything." Oishi looked into his eyes. Eiji was covered in blood, smiling, and somehow still adorable.

"Good. Even if your father will never understand?"

"Yes. Always." Their eyes met for a long moment and they talked without saying anything.

"Good." Eiji smiled and stood but then paused, "Nya. Will you hold my hand if there's needles or I need stitches?" He looked for a moment extremely vulnerable and afraid. It was a completely unguarded moment and Oishi was not used to seeing any fear on Eiji's face.

"Of course, love."

Eiji smiled back at him and they went inside. Eiji had a very good time at the hospital at the start. When they walked in covered in blood, the girl at the desk screamed making Eiji laugh. He seemed very pleased that Oishi, his favorite audience, was there to see it too. He got in right away. Oishi waited for him to be done, worrying how he was.

A nurse came out after a while and called Oishi's name. His friend was asking for him. She led him back to where he was sitting, waiting for the doctor.

He was pouting, "Nya Oishi. I need stitches on my cheek...and they have to use needles." He looked like he might cry.

"And your head?"

Eiji smiled despite pouting. "Nya, its nothing. They're gonna glue it."

"Glue?!"

"Hoi! Too small a cut for stitch. Told you they bleed a lot."

Cleaned up a bit, Oishi saw Eiji's sweet, beautiful, right cheek had a deep jagged cut on it. "Eiji, I'm so sorry."

"Nya, I fell too when I was running so it could be from then. Not your fault."

"But....you'll have a scar...on your face."

"Hoi! Like a pirate?" Eiji was smiling a little again.

Oishi was extremely upset, he spoke in a quiet, broken voice. "No! I don't want you to have a scar. You're too handsome to have a scar."

Eiji looked shocked at Oishi. A voice behind them startled them both and said, "I'll use little stitches so it won't be much of a scar. He can use silicone sheets once its healed and that will help minimize it too. I can't believe you got this banged up playing tennis...again." The doctor shook his head laughing. "All righty then, we're going to start." His tone implied that Oishi should leave.

Eiji looked to be panicking. Oishi said, "Excuse me, but my friend, he doesn't do very well with needles, is it all right if I stay with him?"

The doctor looked at Eiji now looking pale and slightly trembling. "Oh, one of them." He smiled, "I didn't think you would be afraid of anything young man." He turned to Oishi, "If you can maybe hold his hand and keep him calm I'd appreciate it. I'll give you a few minutes to talk to him and then come back to see how he is doing."

Oishi hadn't realized but Eiji was holding his hand in a death grip. He was trembling more now. He really hated needles. "Love," Oishi said touching his soft skin on his handsome, undamaged cheek, "I am so sorry. But you're going to be fine. I'll stay with you, okay?" Oishi checked behind him to make sure no one could see them. The curtain was closed. He kissed him. Just a slow kiss not really expecting Eiji to respond but Eiji sort of melted into it. Still afraid, but trusting Oishi always. Oishi's heart was breaking thinking of Eiji with a scar. A scar Oishi caused being stupid.

"Hoi? Handsome?" Eiji smiled, slightly, though he still seemed very worried.

Oishi smiled, "Very. Don't you know that?" He smoothed back Eiji's hair. There was still blood caked in it, mixing with his auburn locks.

Eiji looked a little away with a pout, despite his fear. This was important to him Oishi realized. "Nya. Never said."

Oishi smiled and kissed his pout away. "I know other people have told you that you're handsome and if I've neglected to say it I will be sure to tell you more often. You're very handsome, Eiji."

"Even if I have a scar?" He said it teasingly and smiled. Then Eiji must have seen how upset Oishi was about it. "Nya Oishi, flaws make people beautiful. Kiss me?" Oishi did smiling at Eiji comforting him even though he was nearly terrified. "Nya. You, you might not want to stay Oishi, I really am afraid of...."

Oishi kissed him again, "You're not getting rid of me that easily. Now lay back. I'll stay with you. I'll be right here and hold your hand. I'll breathe with you just like you did with me. Just keep looking at my eyes, I'll watch to make sure they don't hurt you all right?"

"H...hoi. O...Oishi?"

"What love?"

"Nya...Is it a really good present?" Oishi sincerely hoped so at this point.

"Its just something I saw in a store and I thought of you. I hope you like it. I got you some other things today too though. I was thinking about you all afternoon. I couldn't wait to see you, to be with you, and now this. I'm so sorry. I wish I was the one who was hurt."

"Hoi, did you get any ice cream?"

"Yep. Two kinds."

"Two?" He looked confused.

"Tonight and maybe tomorrow night, if you want?" Oishi smiled.

The doctor came in with a nurse right behind him, "Okay are we doing better now?"

Eiji gripped Oishi's hands with his and locked eyes with him. "We can get another kind if you want a third?" Oishi suggested.

"H...hoi."

They turned Eiji's head to the side and rubbed cleanser and something to numb it on his skin. Then they started anesthetizing the surrounding area before cleaning it. With needles.

Oishi kept watching Eiji and breathing with him. He let Eiji clench his left hand and he put his right hand on his head, stroking his forehead with his thumb softly, not caring who saw. Eiji went to look away, his eyes nearly panicking. "Stay with me Eiji, stay with me."

Eiji locked eyes with him. Oishi could see only it was only him, only his touch, only his eyes staying with Eiji that were keeping him from completely panicking. Oishi gently stroked his forehead talking to him silently for a long time.

They started scrubbing the wound hard then put a cloth over it once it was clean with a square cut out. They kindly folded it so Oishi could still see Eiji's eyes as the doctor started stitching. With a needle. Oishi mouthed I love you to him and Eiji gave a slow blink in response.

"Talk." Eiji said very quietly as if afraid to move.

"Story?"

"H....hoi."

Oishi did. He told Eiji the first thing that came to his mind. He told him about the first time he remembered Eiji talking to him. In the locker room, doing a flip and landing on his butt to stop a fight. What Fuji had said about watching Eiji work and how Oishi watched Eiji pull everyone together during practice. "That is the first day that you asked me to practice with you, for just a few minutes, do you remember?"

Eiji just watched Oishi he looked at him as if to say that he sort of remembered but not as clear as Oishi seemed to.

"You did." He continued, "And before I knew it a few minutes turned into over an hour. Then somehow you got me to go for ice cream with you which I never really used to like."

Eiji looked as if to ask you don't like it?

"But," Oishi said, "I sort of like it now. Especially sharing the last bite."

Eiji blinked again slowly in response. He was almost smiling with only his eyes and seemed to say continue please.

"Then you and I started walking and you talked. You talked about school and teachers and did impressions of them and Tezuka. You made me laugh so hard my sides hurt. I don't ever remember laughing that hard in my life until then. My face hurt the next day from smiling so much from you making me laugh so hard. No, really, it did." Oishi smiled answering the unverbalized question. "Before I knew it, I had walked you all the way to your house and you were saying goodbye to me. I had no idea I had walked you all the way home. I got home late, had tons of homework to do, and ended up staying up really late to get it all done." Oishi smiled remembering.

"Okay young man, thank your friend for keeping you calm, we're all done. You'll need to have the stitches out in 7-10 days, keep it clean, dry, and bandaged and then you can use the silicone sheets when its healed to minimize any scarring. Take care of yourself young man. I don't want to see you back here again for at least another month. Thank you." The last part the doctor said to Oishi and walked out.

"Can I see before its covered?" Oishi asked.

The nurse smiled and showed him. "Of course. He stitched it very fine with small stitches, it really wont be much of a scar."

"Hoi! Is it cool? Can I see?" She handed Eiji a small mirror. He seemed enthralled. Oishi was devastated. It didn't help seeing the black lacing of the small stitches on his soft pale cheek. "Oi....!" Eiji saw the look on Oishi's face and stopped saying whatever he was going to say. Probably pirates, Oishi figured, feeling sad and angry at himself.

The nurse put the bandage on and the two of them left soon after.

They went to unlock Oishi's bike first. "Hoi Oishi, it didn't even hurt. I wasn't even scared with you there." Eiji cheerfully tried again to comfort him.

Then Eiji stooped down next to him again. "Nya, Oishi, its fine, really. I'm safe. You saved me from the monster. Its life, there are going to be problems, scars, bumps, arguments, scrapes, bruises, all of that, but as long as you're with me I'm happy. All right?" Oishi smiled a little at how sweet he was, and got on his bike standing to let Eiji hop on the back. "Besides you left out two important parts of the story."

"I did? Which two?"

"Hoi. One that I hugged you goodbye and that I went upstairs and called Fujiko. I told him I really liked you and I was happy I made a new good friend." He hugged Oishi tight. "And two what you thought about me?"

"I stayed up late, smiling, thinking about you making me laugh, and when I finally went to sleep I was happy that I made a new good friend too." Oishi held him for a long moment remembering and loving him. Eiji then got on the back of his bike.

"Hoi!" Eiji cheered, "To your house!"

"Do you want more ice cream?"

"Nya, two's enough for tonight, maybe more tomorrow?" He looked eager and happy.

"Sure, if you want. After practice?"

"Hoi, Fujiko says there wont be practice in the morning. Its going to rain." Oishi looked at the clear night sky. He didn't see how but knew not to argue when Fuji told Eiji anything. "Oishi? My stuff is all at Fuji's still."

"Oh, we should call him. Do you want to go get your stuff?"

"Nya call first."

Oishi pulled over and stopped to call. Eiji thought this was the funniest thing but Oishi saw how much blood Eiji had lost and would not take the risk of him falling off and getting hurt. "Fuji, its Oishi...."

Eiji then grabbed the phone from him, he had hopped off the bike when they stopped and he walked a little ways away. "Ya-hoy! Fujiko! What are you up to?"

Oishi was totally confused by this. Eiji continued, "Hoi, guess what?! I fell playing and needed seven stitches on my face and glue on my head!" Eiji mentioned the girl at the hospital screaming as they walked in and laughed a little.

Then Oishi heard Fuji talking. Eiji said, "A girl! Really? Nya! Is she all right?"

More Fuji talking. "Hoi. Tezuka? Oh. Fujiko, I left somethings at your house and if it doesn't rain....." Eiji rolled his eyes at Oishi, "Hoi, but if for some reason it doesn't can you bring them to practice? I can use Oishi's stuff tonight. I'll be at his house. Okay, maybe we'll talk to you later. Bye!"

Eiji turned to Oishi handing him back his phone. "Nya. He couldn't really talk, police were there and an ambulance."

"Oh," Oishi turned to him, "How did you know to....."

Eiji laughed, "Nya Oishi, you've really never been in trouble before have you?"

"No...."

"Alibi. Very important. Now we've got one." He went from laughing to whining in two seconds,"Take me home Oishi!"

"Okay, but tell me what Fuji said."

"Hoi." Eiji sounded exasperated, he hopped back on the bike were Oishi was standing and looked meaningfully at him like Go! Oishi started pedaling waiting to hear. He was enjoying Eiji's arms around him. Eiji was holding him very close and after the stress it felt nice. Once Eiji saw Oishi was continuing on Eiji did too. "Fuji said he and Tezuka were playing tennis over there, stopped to get a drink, and found a girl passed out. They called the police who called an ambulance."

"Why?"

"Just in case, with your dad, so it has nothing to do with you."

"Oh, she did say she was trying my phone but she was probably calling my old number, the one the police have. The only number I called tonight is you even though she answered it."

"Right and we played tennis and I got hurt. We have the hospital records to show it. See?" He seemed very proud of this.

"You're good. Very smart."

"And handsome? Even with a scar?" He said it kidding but Oishi knew Eiji's ego could be fragile for all his bravado.

Oishi smiled, "More handsome, if that is even possible." He got held a little tighter for that.