Chapter Sixty One ~

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

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

Oishi helped him up. He was glad this time Eiji didn't need to run to the bathroom first, but Oishi still made sure he was fine walking down the hall, turned on the bathtub, and kissed Eiji. "Do you want me to come back in a few minutes?" He asked. Eiji cocked his head to the side as if not sure. "I'll go wash up in my parents bathroom and then come back when you open the door. All right?"

"Hoi." Eiji nodded seeming happy about that. Oishi kissed him and went down the hall. He was amused thinking how much he was now walking around his house naked. He washed up and took his time. He was thinking about what he had to do the next day. He really had no homework, although Eiji probably had some, and he also had to do laundry. They had used a lot of towels Oishi thought smiling. The door was open when Oishi came back down the hall.

He still knocked and then went in when Eiji said to. The tub was already full and Oishi turned the water off. Eiji wanted Oishi to sit behind him in the bath so Oishi climbed over him to get in. The water felt good and Eiji in it with him felt better. "Anything hurt?" Oishi asked as he rubbed his shoulders gently.

Eiji to Oishi's surprise pouted. "I'm sore. I don't think I'll be able to again later, nya."

Oishi put his arms around him. "Not in pain, just sore from too much?" Eiji nodded pouting. "That's all right, there's other things we can do, and Eiji?" Eiji half turned to look at him. "I'm not sore." Oishi smiled and Eiji leaned back to kiss him, laughing at the same time. Then he could have sworn he heard Eiji say something again in his head. He knew Eiji had said nothing out loud but Oishi clearly heard him. "Eiji, I heard you think that."

"Nya, you did?" Eiji's jaw dropped open.

"Yes, you thought 'Yet!' " Oishi was smiling. "I heard you say it in my head, like you did before."

"Nya!" Eiji was laughing and Oishi was also. Eiji flipped around in the bath, slowly for him this time, he kept his feet out of the water so his butt was down in it still. He was facing Oishi fascinated, "Nya! What am I thinking now?"

It was a guess this time but an educated one. Oishi slid down slowly to meet him. "This." He said watching Eiji look at him in total disbelief. Oishi kissed him making Eiji laugh really hard because he guessed right. Eiji laughing made Oishi laugh and they held onto each other laughing until they nearly drowned.

Then they laughed at that too.

It was very late or very early however you looked at it. They dried off using more towels and Oishi changed Eiji's bandage still hating the stitches. He gave Eiji more clothes to wear. "Do you have anything to do tomorrow?" He asked as they dressed for bed and remade the tousled bed. Eiji looked at him but didn't answer. Oishi really didn't hear anything he was thinking but he was still enjoying making Eiji think he could because he knew him so well. "What kind of homework? How much?"

"Nya! You guessed wrong! I thought I want to play tennis with you tomorrow."

"Oh, your training for regulars you mean?"

"Hoi!"

Oishi noticed he still had not answered the question. "How much homework?"

Eiji made a face and stuck out his tongue, then he realized he did it at Oishi who would tell him not to stick it out if he wasn't going to use it so he put it back in his mouth faster than he stuck it out, making Oishi laugh. Oishi laughing seemed to pacify Eiji. He sighed, "About an hour, if you help me, like last time, nya."

"Sure. Anytime."

"Hoi? You don't mind?" Eiji looked at Oishi carefully. This seemed important to him.

Oishi understood sort of, "You finish faster and study better with someone than alone don't you? You get distracted and bored alone."

Eiji nodded slowly wide eyed as if surprised Oishi understood. "Hoi. But Fujiko is always finished. He just goes over it with me when I ask sometimes."

Oishi understood. "That's why your notes are so good." Oishi saw Eiji's expression, "They are, they're much better than mine and even Tezuka's, remember, I checked?" Eiji shrugged. "I don't mind. It will help me study also. All right?"

"Hoi." Eiji looked enormously pleased with himself.

"But Eiji," Eiji looked at him, and knew he was caught. "I'm not giving your my homework to copy, love." He kissed him when he pouted and laughed. "You're still very adorable and once you're done with your work, I'd love to play tennis with you too."

Eiji kissed him back smiling. "Hoi." It came out in a yawn, "Do you have anything to do?"

"Just really laundry, we used a lot of towels, some cleaning." Oishi caught the yawn, "Oh and I have to get ready for the student government meeting during the week."

"Nya. At lunch again?"

"Wednesday, yeah, I hate them in the middle of the day but its the best time for me with tennis. Otherwise I'd miss practice."

"Do you like it though? Being president?" Eiji was laying on him as they settled down into bed. Oishi was on his back as usual. Eiji looked as if he really wanted the answer to this.

"I like...helping people. It helps the other students. It helps the school. Its an honor to be chosen. I guess I like it." He shrugged.

"Hoi." Eiji said smiling at him for some reason and then kissing him.

Oishi looked at how late it was in the clock reflected in his aquarium and groaned. It was almost dawn. He noticed something else. "Eiji, love, you have to stop feeding my fish all the time, they don't do well if they're overfed."

"Nya, they were all very hungry especially the blue one."

"Eiji, they're all blue."

Eiji laughed like this was the funniest thing he ever heard. "Nya! You can't tell which one is which? And they're your fish!"

"They'll be my dead fish if you keep feeding them all the time."

"Hoi, hoi, just when you say I can then." Eiji pouted and Oishi kissed him.

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

"What are their names?"

"Eiji, they're fish, they don't have names."

"Can I name them?" He sounded very excited about this.

Oishi laughed, "Sure, just as long as you only feed them when I say?"

"Really? Hoi!" He kissed Oishi and hugged him hard.

Oishi played with his hair. "Thank you, for before, that was very sweet of you. Erasing a bad memory and replacing it with something very, very good." Eiji smiled brightly as if he was thrilled Oishi understood. "My boyfriend has a very big heart and I love him more than anything." He kissed Eiji softly on his lips.

He kissed Oishi back and then gently kissed him a little more. Oishi, even as satisfied as he was, felt himself getting turned on again. The power Eiji had over him to both please him and turn him on all the time, amazed Oishi. Eiji made that little purring noise that always turned Oishi's stomach to jelly when he heard it.

"Hmm. Oishi?"

"Yes...." Oishi was about to tell him that he loved when he made that noise, but Eiji interrupted him.

"I'm really hungry!" Eiji said it as if it surprised him too.

Oishi laughed at how quickly Eiji changed his moods. Now that Eiji mentioned it, Oishi noticed he was hungry too, in fact, starving. They had done a lot and Eiji had eaten less than Oishi did. Oishi hated to get up now because he was exhausted and it was so late, but he wanted to eat now too. "Me too. Let's go eat before we go to sleep."

"Hoi! What do you have?"

"You went to the store with me, don't you remember?" Eiji shook his head no. Oishi laughed, "All right then lets go look, whatever you decide on will be better than I made for you earlier." Eiji nodded agreeing a little too much with him. "Hey, I'm really sorry, I tried." Oishi now felt terrible.

Eiji at once was hugging him, "Nya Oishi, it was fine. Nya. Your boyfriend was being stupid and he's sorry." Eiji kissed him.

Oishi laughed a little, not wanting Eiji to call himself stupid ever, "No, you're not stupid. Its fine, your boyfriend just can't cook."

"Hoi. My boyfriend already does too many things really well as it is, I love him just how he is." Eiji hugged and kissed him until Oishi laughed again. "Now? Hoi? Can we go eat? Please? I'm starving!"

Oishi laughed, "Sure."

In the kitchen Eiji took stock of what they had and got out things to make other things with. At least that was how it looked to Oishi, "Eiji, how do you know how to cook like this, so well?"

Eiji shrugged. "I'm the youngest and I always get up first. They used to leave out cereal for me in the mornings but they found the sugar made me too crazy." Eiji made a face for Oishi to laugh at and Oishi could see him very young, very hyper, and very crazy at a very early hour. "Hoi." Eiji agreed when he saw Oishi's face after picturing the image, "So then they left out bad cereals, adult things, and I learned to cook. Plus, being the youngest of all girls, everyone stands in the kitchen talking and cooking all the time. I just learned." He shrugged.

Oishi came up behind him and hugged him as he worked. Eiji stopped moving and sighed as if to say he couldn't work with Oishi doing that. Oishi smiled. He still held him close, smelling him, smelling his soap, his shampoo, feeling his warmth, his body against him, missing him when he was right there but wouldn't be tomorrow. "Sorry," Oishi heard his voice tight with emotion, "I was missing you already."

Eiji put his arms on top of Oishi's and hugged him back. He turned to face him kissing him and Oishi saw he was almost instantly crying, "Me too." he said. "But we're here now, Oishi." He held him back tight.

Oishi nodded against him, agreeing with what he said. Oishi gave a little half laugh, "The stupidest thing is I will see you everyday, and at tennis, and whenever we can too."

"Hoi, but not like this all the time." Eiji nodded as he said it, understanding.

Oishi held him close and thought to him, 'Not yet love.'

Eiji kissed him slow and sweet. He looked at him as if he'd heard him.

"Did you hear me in your head?" Oishi asked and smiled, charmed.

Eiji smiled and nodded. Oishi kissed him just enjoying the feeling of his lips on his, well, his boyfriend's. It was the first time he referred to Eiji as that in his own head he realized even though he had said it out loud and he smiled. "Then what did I say?" Oishi smiled more, waiting.

Eiji grinned the smile he gave when he knew he had the right answer. "Hoi. You said 'Not yet love.' I heard you say it in my head." Oishi laughed, thrilled, and not believing him for a second. He figured Eiji guessed just knowing him.

Oishi brushed his thumb across Eiji's full soft lips even though there was nothing on them and he kissed him softly, feeling an electric tingle still go through them both when their tongues touched. When the kiss ended, Oishi hugged him close and said one word softly, but wanting Eiji to hear it out loud and not just in his head, to not guess it. To Oishi it was more than a wish or even a promise, it was a vow that he wanted with his entire being, "Someday."

Eiji sighed against him after he said it and Oishi felt him nodding in agreement. He heard Eiji say in the same tone of voice as if wanting Oishi to hear his answer out loud also, "Yes."

Oishi smiled at how right it felt, and noticed he could feel Eiji's heart beating when he hugged him tight like this, pressed up against him. He could feel it as well as he could feel his own. "I love you." Oishi said even softer.

"I love you." Eiji said just as softly. Oishi pulled back and met his lips in a kiss, again as if they were sealing it. It felt so good and right that Oishi found he had closed his eyes.

He opened them to find Eiji watching him and smiling. "Sorry, I'll let you cook." Oishi said smiling back.

Eiji cocked his head to the side still smiling and bit his bottom lip in the good way. As if he was going to ask Oishi to stay there a little longer. Oishi kissed him just to stop him from biting there and then moved away. He set the table and then watched Eiji work.

Eiji made them quick breakfast things. All light and perfect. They ate everything, they were both starving, and both of them seemed surprised at how much they ate. Eiji went to give Oishi the last bite on everything but Oishi let him have them all. Oishi felt full but it wasn't heavy to sleep on. He quickly cleaned with Eiji insisting on helping and they went to brush their teeth once more and get back into bed again.

They didn't talk much but touched a lot, smiled a lot, and kissed now and again. Oishi was exhausted, truly. He lay on his back and Eiji curled up with him, his head next to his on his pillow, sweetly kissing him goodnight again and again.

"Eiji, do you get tired like that a lot?"

"Nya...." he said it small and quiet, looking down.

"You're embarrassed about it? I'm sorry, its nothing to be embarrassed about, I just want to know. Please? I didn't know and I was worried. I never mind taking care of you though. You were fine. You even told me you loved me before you went to sleep."

"Hoi?" Oishi told him exactly what he did and said. Eiji thought it was very funny especially him telling Oishi 'Shh, sleep.' when Eiji was the one talking.

"Nya Oishi, it just...happens sometimes. Used to happen all the time when I was little. Its embarrassing. My family makes fun of me. I'd go swimming and swim so hard, I'd swim far and not be able to get back. I would ride my bike around the block and ride so far away I would be lost and too sleepy to get home. I would run and the same thing, too lost and too tired to come home." Eiji shrugged.

This was an important revelation to Oishi. He realized Eiji did everything that way. "So you do this with money too, you spend all you have and then get surprised that its gone?" Eiji nodded seeming surprised. "And you do that when you study alone? You use up all your time on one thing or get distracted and then you run out of time?"

"H...hoi."

"So if you were to go running twenty kilometers, you wouldn't run ten there and ten back, you run all twenty and haven't saved anything for the way home." Eiji nodded gravely. Oishi hugged him a little more. "Thank you for telling me, I understand a little more about you now." Eiji looked at him like he wanted him to explain, "Well, just whatever you do, you give everything you have. You don't hold anything back." Eiji shrugged and seemed embarrassed, "Its not always a bad thing. Not holding anything back, giving everything you have, because that includes when you love. Doesn't it?" Eiji looked like he was considering it, "That's how you love me?" Eiji nodded and looked like he was caught. Oishi smiled and kissed him.

Oishi thought back to earlier though and wanted to know a little more though, "Do you notice when you get that tired though, before, or does it come all at once?"

Eiji thought, "Nya. Sometimes I know, but most of the time, I am tired before and fight it and then I don't know." Oishi nodded. Eiji thought of something, "Hoi Oishi? You never told me about your bad dream, from yesterday. Oishi felt a terrible sense of dread come over him. Like a shadow over his heart. He gave a little shudder without realizing it. Eiji looked at him alarmed. "Nya. That bad?"

Oishi nodded, "Terrible. I don't want to tell you anything scary before we go to sleep." Oishi fervently didn't want to pass the dream or the feelings in it along to Eiji.

"Nya. Please? You're with me, I won't be scared. It will help if you say it and then you won't dream it again. Please?" Eiji was not going to let it go.

"All right," Oishi held him closer without really realizing it, "its hard to explain. There was a storm, I was on a beach running, in the rain, a bad storm. I couldn't remember if I was running away from something terrible or if I was searching for something desperately needing to find it. And....I was alone." Oishi looked at Eiji, "You were gone. I couldn't...I couldn't feel you at all anywhere. Even when I'm not with you, I still can feel you, right?" Oishi explained and Eiji nodded, understanding completely. "Well I couldn't, not at all. You were just...gone." Eiji looked horrified at the thought, and Oishi held him closer, "I was alone."

"When I realized that, that you were gone, that I couldn't feel you, then everything changed. I was in the middle of the ocean and it was still storming but worse. There were huge waves and it was dark but I could somehow see still. It was raining very hard and I looked at the boat I was in but it wasn't a boat. I was a cold marble fountain or bathtub quickly filling up with water. I still couldn't feel you and didn't know what had happened to you. I knew I was going to die, that I was drowning, and I was okay with that. I didn't care about that."

Oishi felt chilled inside himself remembering, "The only thing that upset me was I couldn't feel you, I didn't know what happened to you, I had no way to reach you. I was drowning and kept thinking if I just knew that you were all right, that you were safe, then I didn't care if I died, but I couldn't find you or feel you at all." Oishi heard his voice was now tight with emotions and he was near tears.

Eiji had tears in his eyes, and kissed him, "Nya Oishi, nya. I'm right here. You can feel me." Eiji put Oishi's hand on his heart. "You will always be able to feel me and I will always be able to feel you. That's never going to happen. Never."

Oishi kissed him back needing to feel him and to believe it. Eiji looked at him seriously and said, "Oishi? You are never going to be alone again, ever." Eiji kissed him as if sealing it, after he said the one thing Oishi realized he most needed to hear and was not even aware that he needed to hear it.

"Thank you, I know it was just a stupid dream but it felt very real. It felt real."

"Nya, I'm right here Oishi. What happened when you woke up?"

Oishi smiled, "You were in my arms, sleeping. I held you close and kissed you. It made me feel better."

"Nya, I didn't wake up?"

Oishi shook his head no. "You were too tired. Its okay, it was just a stupid dream."

"Nya Oishi, don't you see? Yesterday it rained and when I was so tired, you felt alone and you worried. I'm sorry I was so tired. I'm sorry, Oishi, but even if I'm asleep, even if I'm asleep and not here, I'm with you and you're with me. You're never going to be alone." Eiji kissed him and smiled, settling back down. "Nya. Besides, thats not how we die."

"What?" Oishi lost that jump in logic.

"Hoi, how we die, you and me, thats not how we die. We don't die alone."

Oishi felt weird, like this was something not to be talked about, "Eiji, love, you can't know that and you....."

"Nya. I had Fuji's sister do a tarot reading and she told me. I already know. Do you want to know?" Eiji smiled.

"I....don't know if I do. When did she do this?"

"When your father was going to send you to Saint Rudolph's. I didn't use your name. I needed to know."

"How we die?"

Eiji smiled, "Nya. I needed to know how we end up, how we live." Oishi understood, what Eiji must have wanted to know is if they were together or not.

Oishi asked him already knowing the answer and still wondering at it, "You really would have gone to Saint Rudolph's if I was sent there?"

"Hoi. Still will if you do." He shrugged, "Want to be with you."

"That's very sweet, but when you make regulars, I wouldn't want you to give up your place."

"Nya, then we'll both just make regulars at Saint Rudolph's."

Oh sure, then we'll just make regulars there, that was so Eiji, and there was no arguing with him. Oishi smiled, "It would be very nice to be your roommate...."

Eiji laughed, thinking about it, and kissed him. "Hoi, but we'd still have to come to your house on the weekends, you make a lot of noise." Eiji beamed at Oishi, having gotten that one in.

Oishi laughed, "That is entirely your fault for making me feel so good."

Eiji kissed him, "Hmm. You make me feel good too."

Oishi touched the bandage on Eiji lightly, "I'm still worried a little about that girl, what happened, and the police talking to my father again."

Eiji looked surprised, as if that happened a long time ago Oishi thought at first, and then realized that wasn't it. Eiji smacked himself in the head, "Nya! I forgot to tell you! Fuji knows what happened! He told me at the movies before it started. I am so sorry!"

"Don't hit yourself," Oishi kissed where he comically hit himself, and then what Eiji said registered in his brain, "What?"

"Nya. You're not mad?" Eiji looked concerned. "I would have told you when I remembered."

"No we've had a busy few days. I know you would have told me, its all right." Oishi kissed him. "Tell me, okay?"

"Nya. I'm sorry I forgot. Fujiko said in the movies that he called concerned about Kiko. She is in the mental ward in the hospital and the police told Fuji she will be there a long, long time because of the phone threats she made to our old cell phones and other things she did. They said she was crazy, she is an...erotomaniac." Eiji said sounding it out as Fuji must have done for Eiji. "Oishi, its scary." Oishi looked at Eiji confused as Eiji held his hand tightly as if to make him be brave. "She followed you for years. The police told Fuji not to worry because she had journals with pages and pages all about following you around for years. Did you know?"

Oishi was surprised, and felt a little scared about it. "No. Really? No, I had no idea. I went on one sort of date with her once freshman year. It wasn't a date really, she asked me to help her study and sort of came on to me kissing me. We fooled around."

Eiji's jaw dropped. "Nya?"

Oishi felt bad and explained, "I'm sorry. I should have remembered her by how bad she kissed but I didn't. She looked totally different and said her name was Keiko, not Kiko. It was right after that happened to me with the other Keiko. She kissed just as bad back then. I stopped her and told her I wasn't interested in her." Oishi sighed, "I probably told her I was too busy and that I didn't want to date people at the same school as me."

Oishi looked at Eiji and felt terrible then he worried about what Eiji might think, "But I always said that, I was wrong. Eiji, you know I don't feel that way now, about you, about us? You know I want to be with you right?"

Eiji looked a little relieved for some reason. "Hoi, Oishi, don't worry. I know how you feel." Eiji hesitated and then went on, "Oishi? Nya. You didn't really do anything wrong. She followed you before then even. For years. She was crazy. She'll get help now and she won't be able to hurt you anymore. Or me." Eiji added before Oishi could.

"How did Fuji find all this out?"

Eiji shrugged, "Fujiko is scary smart. He just did."

All right. Well, Oishi could see Fuji getting the information, but not the rest, "Why? Why me?" It was just so weird. Oishi worried, "Do you think the police will talk to my parents, to my father again?"

Eiji shrugged, "They might, but it has nothing to do with you, she was just crazy. If it wasn't you it could have been anyone else."

Oishi gasped, "Oh no. Eiji? She saw us kissing. Outside. Remember that morning, early, before school, I brushed a crumb from your lip and couldn't help myself from kissing you? What if she wrote it down? Eiji, I'm so sorry." Oishi was seriously worried, and Eiji moved to calm him.

"Nya, Oishi. Nya. She's crazy. She could have seen us in the apartment building or any other time. She followed you for years Oishi. She must have been watching us play tennis at those courts by my house and maybe even on the swings. She is crazy."

In other words no one would know. No one would think this of Oishi or Eiji. Eiji was looking worried at Oishi as Oishi tried to calm down and get a grip on himself. Oishi just a short time ago told Eiji he would tell his father. He realized that he still would. He loved him that much. But Eiji didn't want that now and he was right to want to wait until they were older.

Oishi kissed him to let him knew he was fine after his momentary lapse into worry, "Sorry, it just surprised me. I'm fine. I'm with you. I love you." Oishi kissed him and Eiji kissed him back as if relieved. "You want normal now, right?"

"Hoi. Normal this and that too. For now. Its okay, Oishi. Its over. Now its just us."

"And we end up together? Happy and together?"

Now Eiji looked thrilled. "Hoi!"

Oishi was curious but still feeling bad, like he was breaking some taboo that he shouldn't. He took a breath hugging Eiji and took a risk, "All right. What did she say?"

"You really want to know?" Eiji was smiling and Oishi felt odd still. But then he thought about how Eiji only liked stories with happy endings.

He really wanted to know now. "Tell me."

Eiji smiled, "Hoi. We die two very old men who still completely love each other. We are happy and have a big family with lots of good friends. We have a long happy life together, Oishi." He said kissing him, "We make love that night, we kiss and hold each other for the rest of the night after until we both fall asleep at the same time. When we wake up, we wake up together at the same time in another place, together and happy still. We're together. We stay together and we're happy. That's how." Eiji looked very pleased about this. Oishi thought it was sweet but there were just too many variables in life to predict things like this. Oishi didn't know what to say and so he kissed him. Eiji kissed Oishi back, fervently believing in this, believing in Oishi, and believing in them.

It made Oishi's heart feel a little lighter as if again he was borrowing some of Eiji's eternal hope. "Thank you for telling me. I love you."

Eiji smiled, delighted at Oishi listening, "I love you." He said and kissed Oishi before settling down on him this time. Then he looked up at him, "Your jaw?"

"I think its tired, I think all of me is tired. But if you want, I'll go get the gum."

"Nya." Eiji said kissing Oishi's neck, "If you make noise I'll wake you. Lets just go to sleep. You're not worried?"

Oishi had to catch up with that thought. "Not anymore." Oishi realized surprised that it was true. His bad dream seemed far away. Even if the police did talk to his father, even if they sent Oishi away to school, he and Eiji would find a way. They would. Oishi could count on that and on Eiji. He could believe in him and in them. He did.

Eiji yawned, "Nya more bad dreams?"

"Not with you." Oishi smiled feeling Eiji smile and kiss his neck again as he started wrapping them up together. Oishi thought of telling Eiji what Tezuka asked him but worried maybe he should talk to his father first just to make sure it was all right. He didn't want Eiji to be excited and then get disappointed if his father said no. Then Oishi thought of telling Eiji how much, how very much, he loved him. How he wanted to believe in that happy together future. How no matter what problems they faced, if they were together he felt they would be fine. He thought of telling Eiji how happy he was, and was formulating his thoughts so he could say it simply and not wax poetically or sound completely idiotic.

Before he got one word out Eiji said, "Hmm...Oishi? Shhh. Sleep."

Oishi smiled and laughed lightly. He rubbed Eiji's back gently with his hand and kissed his head. "You knew?"

He could feel Eiji smile against him, "Hmm...and I love you too. Now sleep."

Oishi smiled even more, sighed contentedly, and tried to stay awake long enough to watch Eiji fall asleep. To feel his breathing get slower and heavier, to feel any last remaining tensions leave his beautiful body, and to feel him snuggle closer in sleep more, loving him more, staying with him, being with him even while asleep.

Oishi tried, but sleep took them both at the same time.

And that was all right too.