Title: Aftermath
Author: echizenryo
Rating: T
Spoilers: Episode 52
Summary: In which the Golden Pair sort through the aftermath of their First Fight, Oishi blames himself, and Momo tries for a free meal. Eiji x Oishi, ep 52-centric. An epic battle of Angst vs. Fluff!

Aftermath
by echizenryo

Oishi

Eiji is speaking to me again. I can't tell you how…well, how relieved I am that things are okay between us again. The thought of losing what we have, of losing the Golden Pair…it gives me this horrible, dark, squeezing feeling in my chest, like I can't breathe, like I'm dying.

I guess that sounds kind of over-dramatic, but it's true. This past day, not speaking to Eiji…I never realized before how much a part of my life he is, and I can't tell you how many times I almost ran up to him and begged him to forgive me just so things could be normal again, so I could breathe again.

I didn't, though. Maybe because every time I thought about it, Fuji was always right there beside Eiji like some kind of bodyguard—and it seemed almost like he knew what I was thinking of doing, because every time I would just be tensing my muscles to go over there, he would glance over at me and shake his head, just a little.

So I didn't go up to Eiji. I didn't apologize, and I tried to pretend that it didn't bother me that he never even glanced in my direction, that he spent the whole day laughing and talking and bouncing around like he usually does.

I guess it hurt me a little, to realize that he can get along so well without me. But then, that's Eiji. He doesn't need anyone else to make him happy; he's the one who gives happiness to other people, even idiots like me who throw it away over something silly like teasing me over my shirt being inside-out.

I keep running that moment through my mind, and I still don't know why I did it. Why I hit him. I honestly feel sick when I think about it, and it seems like I can still hear that sound my hand made when it hit into his chest—and I know I can still see the look in his eyes. Shocked. Hurt.

Betrayed.

But that's all in the past now, right? Because like you'd expect from Eiji, he's gone from being furious enough to break up the Golden Pair…to having completely forgiven me. I thought that maybe there'd be some lingering coolness between us or something afterwards, but no—Eiji's treating me exactly like he always has, so I guess he really has forgiven me.

I haven't, though. Forgiven me, I mean. How can I? Even when it was happening, when I was so angry, some part of me still understood that Eiji didn't mean anything by what he was saying. He was just being Eiji, and I don't think he understands, even now, what he did that would make me hit him.

God, I still can't believe I did that. I hit him. I hit Eiji.

How can he even stand to be around me after that? How can he have forgiven me?

I don't know. I should probably stop obsessing over this. I mean, everything seems normal between us, the Golden Pair is reunited…but I can't stop feeling sick inside over how I acted, and I have to keep fighting the urge to talk to him about it, to ask him how he could possibly forgive me…

But I know I won't do it. I won't talk to him about it, because I'm a coward, and because I don't want to risk losing him when I've just gotten him back.

I really am pathetic, aren't I?

Eiji

Hoi-hoi, Eiji here. Good day today. Great practice (got Ochibi really mad by pinching his cheek every time he walked by, hehe!), and Oishi and me are talking again. Which is good, because without Oishi, Tezuka might've made me play doubles with Ochibi or Momo, and then we'd lose every game and never get to Nationals!

Hehe. Well, playing doubles with Fuji isn't too bad, so I guess it would be okay if they paired me with him. I think we could probably win just as many games as me and Oishi, but…

Well, I guess it just doesn't feel like doubles unless Oishi's with me.

Nya, but it doesn't matter now, 'cause things are okay with us again. We're still the Golden Pair, and so whoever we face next better watch out!

And I mean, even when I was really mad at Oishi and said that we shouldn't play together anymore…nya, I didn't mean it. Honnnto. I was just mad, 'cause nya, Oishi hit me! Oishi's never hit anybody before, and I still don't know what I did that made him want to do that. Guess maybe he was just having a bad day?

Still, I wish he hadn't done it. It didn't hurt that much—I take harder falls than that during practice matches!—but I've never seen Oishi look so mad before, and even though I don't think I did anything wrong, it still kinda felt like I did. 'Cause I mean, it's Oishi. He doesn't get mad over nothing. He might glare at me a little when I overfeed his fish or when I start humming anime theme songs while he's trying to study, but he never yells at me or hits me or anything. Oishi just isn't like that.

But when he gets really angry, it's because something is really wrong, or someone did something really wrong. So I guess I did something wrong.

Except that I didn't. And I think maybe that's why I was so mad when he hit me, because Oishi doesn't get that angry over nothing but I didn't do anything and so it didn't make any sense, but I trust Oishi and I know he wouldn't hit me for no reason, so…it was just all very confusing and weird, and it made me feel bad and kinda sick, and then just really angry. Because it was like…it was like everything was wrong. Oishi wasn't acting like Oishi, and nothing made any sense.

But nya, it's okay now. Whatever made Oishi act like that, I can forget about it. The Golden Pair is too important.

And anyway, today was really hard. Before we made up, I mean. I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't talking to Oishi, and I kept glancing over at him when he wasn't looking. It just felt wrong not talking to him, which is weird since I spend more time with Fuji than I do with Oishi. But I kept thinking of things I wanted to tell him…and then I'd remember that I couldn't because we weren't talking, and I guess I just really missed being able to tell him stuff, and knowing that he'd always be there when I needed to talk to him.

I tried to pretend like it didn't bug me, though, because I didn't want him to think I was feeling bad about us not talking. Because nya, it was his fault for hitting me, and if I felt bad, then that'd make it look like it was my fault and… Nyaaaaa, I don't know. This is all really confusing.

Anyway, things are okay now. And that's all that matters, right?

Oishi

I can't take this anymore. I have to talk to him about it. I have to make him understand…what? That I didn't mean it? That it wasn't his fault? That I'm sorry?

I don't know. Maybe I'll figure it out when I start talking.

Anyway, I've decided to do it today. Today, after practice, I'll take him to that noodle place he likes, and we can talk about it there. And maybe if I know that he understands, I'll stop feeling so guilty every time I'm around him.

Eiji

Oishi asked me if I wanted to go to that great noodle place today after practice. He seemed kind of nervous, which made me kind of nervous, but I said I'd go anyway—'cause nya, it's always fun spending time with Oishi, and when we go out to eat, a lot of the time he pays for me just 'cause he's nice like that, and he knows that I have to save my money for stuff like extra-bouncy tennis shoes.

But yeah, so after practice, we got changed and then left for the noodle place. And all the way there, Oishi kept not looking at me, and I started wondering if maybe he didn't want to be friends again after all, if maybe he'd changed his mind or something, and so then I started not looking at him…

Nyaaa. I guess things might've stayed like that, but when we were a couple blocks away from the restaurant, Oishi stopped and looked over at me, like he'd just noticed that I wasn't looking at him. And he smiled that nice Oishi smile and said, "Daijobu, Eiji," like he knew exactly what I was thinking. And then he said, "Gomen. I'm not trying to ignore you, I'm just…I have a lot on my mind."

I grinned at him, really relieved, and said, "Nya, you always have a lot on your mind."

He smiled again, and everything seemed like it was back to normal again. He still seemed kinda nervous, but I just figured he probably did have a lot on his mind, and so I acted like I usually do when Oishi's worrying about something—I tried to joke him out of it, make him laugh. And he did a little bit, but it was almost like…

Well, nya, it's weird, but it was almost like me trying to make him laugh made him sad for some reason, or made him worry more. So I quit it after awhile, and by the time we got to the noodle place, things were kind of weird and awkward between us again.

Oishi

I decided to wait until we'd ordered our food before trying to say anything. I told myself that it was just so I wouldn't have to be distracted by the waiter in mid-thought, but truthfully, it was more because I was scared. Things between Eiji and I had finally started to feel right again, and suddenly I wasn't so sure that I wanted to risk that just for the sake of my own peace of mind.

He caught onto my mood pretty quickly—but then, he always does. And I felt bad, not being able to respond to him with anything brighter than a half-hearted smile, but I just couldn't make myself relax. I kept running the words I'd been rehearsing through my head—Listen, Eiji…I think we need to talk about what happened the other day.—and telling myself that any second now, I was going to say them…any second now, I was going to open my mouth and spit them out. But the moment just kept sliding further and further away, and before I knew it the waiter had come back with our food and—

Well, I couldn't bring it up while we were eating. So I told myself that I would do it afterwards, when we were through with our meals.

Only I was through with mine right away, because my stomach was all twisted into knots from all the worrying I was doing, and so I only managed to get in a few bites before I had to stop.

Eiji was attacking his noodles with the usual enthusiasm, shoveling them into his mouth and still managing to keep up a constant chatter in the meantime. I found myself just sitting there and watching him, shaking my head a little because I really don't understand how he hasn't managed to choke himself by now, the way he eats.

After awhile, I guess he felt my eyes on him, because he glanced up at me with a noodle still hanging from his mouth, and blinked at me with this curious, confused look on his face.

"Nyani?"

He slurped up the noodle and spent a few seconds chewing.

"Oishi, daijobu? You're not eating."

There was a little smear of soy sauce on his chin from the noodle. I didn't really think about what I was doing—I just picked up my napkin and reached across the table to wipe it away. About halfway through the motion, though, I realized what I was doing and stopped, the napkin still pressed to his chin. He blinked at me again for a second, looking surprised, and then I pulled back my hand and the napkin and wondered what the hell I'd been thinking.

"Go…gomen," I managed, feeling my cheeks warming but not really knowing what I could do about it. I glanced up at him, hoping he wasn't keeping silent because I'd genuinely made him mad…

But he was just sitting there, smiling at me. He didn't look angry, or like he thought it was strange, me doing something like that. He just looked…well, kind of pleased. Like I'd passed some secret test or something, or said just the right words—only that was ridiculous, since I hadn't said anything at all.

"Arrigato," he said softly, and it was strange, but he sounded almost shy.

That was when I knew I could tell him.

Eiji

Oishi's the nicest person I know. Honnnnto nya. He really cares about people, and cares for them—he's one of those people who really takes care of his friends.

So I guess that's why I just really didn't get it when he hit me, 'cause that's not the kind of thing he does.

But when he reached over and wiped my face for me…I suddenly felt really good, 'cause everything was back to the way it was supposed to be. Oishi was taking care of me again, and even if things were still kinda weird between us, I knew that everything was gonna be okay, 'cause Oishi still cared.

Nya, I guess that sounds all weird and mushy, but it's true. Oishi always takes care of me. He helps me up when I fall down, he peels off those annoying little sticky-flaps on the band-aids when I hurt myself—he even gave me his lunch once, when I forgot to bring mine. He doesn't even think about that stuff when he does it, either—he just does it. It's natural for him.

But the best part of all is when he does something like that…and then he gets all embarrassed and starts blushing and apologizing—like I mind when he does something nice for me! Nya, for somebody so smart, Oishi can sure be dense sometimes!

But yeah, so after he wiped my face with his napkin, he went all red and looked away and said that he was sorry. And usually when he does that, I hurry up and tell him that it's okay, and maybe flick him between the eyes ('cause it's fun and he deserves it sometimes)…but something about this time was different.

Maybe it was 'cause I'd missed him so much when we weren't talking, or maybe it was just 'cause I'd forgotten how nice and gentle Oishi's hands are. Whatever it was, though, when I opened my mouth to tell him it was okay, no harm done, nya, what came out instead was, "Arrigato."

And I guess maybe I let some of the emotion into my voice even though I didn't mean to, because Oishi suddenly looked really surprised, and kind of happy, but also really determined all of a sudden. I didn't know what that was about, but I didn't have too much time to think about it, 'cause all of a sudden he reached across the table and got a hold of my wrist, holding it in a real loose kind of grip that made these weird, warm tingles go up and down my arm.

"Eiji," he said, and there was something in his voice that made me a little afraid, even though it was hard to feel that way when his hand was all warm and tight on my arm. "I think we need to talk about what happened the other day."

Oishi

I honestly wasn't sure how he was going to react to that. I guess I expected some sort of big reaction, or…well, any reaction, really. But he just nodded at me and didn't say anything at all, like he was waiting to see what else I had to say.

The only problem was that I hadn't thought this far into it. I knew how to open the conversation, and I knew vaguely what I needed to discuss with him, but how to go into it? How to phrase it so it didn't come out sounding all wrong? I didn't have a clue how to go about it, so I just sat there for a few seconds, not saying anything, my hand still wrapped around his wrist. I probably should've let go of him, or not touched him at all, but Eiji and I have always been about touch. It's a big part of how we communicate, and I guess it just…makes me feel closer to him.

So I didn't let go. And he didn't move away. He sat there, just as still as I was, and waited patiently for me to get my thoughts together. And after a few more panicked seconds, when I realized that I still didn't know what on earth I was going to say to him, he reached over with his other hand and wrapped his fingers over top of mine.

That was all I needed. I drew a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Eiji…I'm sorry. I know I said it before, but I'm not sure if you understand that I really mean it, and that…well, I don't know if you understand why I…did what I did. And I realize that I should just drop it and let it be, but I wanted you to understand why I—" My voice caught on the word despite my best efforts. "—hit you."

I let out a breath that shook just the slightest bit, and realized that I had lowered my eyes to the table.

"I shouldn't have done it," I said quietly. "And I never would have, if I had been thinking clearly at the time. But I wasn't. I was frustrated, and it had been a long day, and I was worried about Momo…and I guess I just felt like the whole team was falling apart, and it was my responsibility to hold it together." I closed his eyes. "I know you didn't mean it, what you said about Momo. I know you weren't trying to be…hurtful, or mean, but if you had said that to him, I know he would've…"

"You were trying to protect him," Eiji said, very softly, "na, Oishi?"

I opened my eyes, feeling Eiji's fingers tightening over mine.

"You were trying to take care of him," Eiji went on, "'cause he was hurting, only not in a way we could see."

I nodded, slowly, thinking that for someone who spent half his life bouncing around making cat noises, Eiji could be incredibly intuitive sometimes. "Aa."

He lowered his eyes. "Gomen, Oishi," he whispered.

Eiji

People tease me sometimes, 'cause they say I act like a little kid. And I guess I do. But no matter how much I act like it, I'm not a kid, and just 'cause Oishi's nice enough to always take care of me…well, nya, that doesn't mean he should always have to do that, always have to be strong all by himself! I mean, what kind of a doubles team would we be if he did all the playing and I just stood there?

"Gomen, Oishi," I said, lowering my head because it felt like the right thing to do—the kind of thing Oishi would do. "I didn't back you up."

I guess that didn't make a lot of sense to him, 'cause he frowned at me. "Eiji…"

"You were trying to hold everything together by yourself," I said, really hoping I could get this out in a way that Oishi would understand, because it was suddenly really important to me that he did understand. "Nya, like you always do. And I should've been there to help you, but I wasn't. I didn't even know that you needed help. It's kinda like…" I looked up at him. "It's kinda like when we first started playing doubles, and we kept losing matches 'cause I never looked back to see where you were. I was just trying to play by myself, and since you were behind me, I almost forgot that you were even there.

"But just 'cause I can't see you…well, nya, that's no excuse for not knowing what's going on with you. I should know. And I should be there to back you up, like…like you always are for me."

Oishi shook his head, like he didn't know what to say. "Eiji," he said after a few seconds, "I didn't bring this up to make you feel bad. I just…I wanted to make you understand…"

"Hoi, I know. And I do. Understand, I mean. But I'm still sorry that I made you want to hit me."

Oishi looked mad all of a sudden. Really mad.

"Nothing," he said in this really angry, shaking kind of voice, "should give me the right to hit you! I don't care what you say or do, Eiji, there is no excuse for me doing something like that! We're partners. We're supposed to take care of each other, not…not hit each other over stupid…senseless…ridiculous…" He shook his head, looking all sad and miserable and ashamed, and that was when I figured it out.

Oishi felt really guilty about hitting me.

I guess I should've figured that out way earlier, 'cause nya, this was Oishi after all, but it'd just never occurred to me. Oishi felt really guilty. And suddenly I understood why things were weird between us, and why us acting like normal made Oishi feel sad.

'Cause Oishi didn't think I should've forgiven him. And maybe he thought that once I figured that out too, I'd go back to being mad at him and stay that way.

And I guess I still was a little mad at him, before he said that. I mean, just 'cause he apologized and I apologized didn't mean that I forgot about how it felt, having him hit me for what seemed like no reason.

But when I finally figured out what was going on with him, it was like all the rest of the anger went poof! and was gone, just like that. 'Cause I understood now. I knew why he'd done it, and it wasn't because he was acting not-like-Oishi, it was 'cause he was. 'Cause he was trying to take care of one of his friends, only since that friend wasn't me, I didn't get it right then.

But I did now. I got it.

I let go of Oishi's hand and stood up. I guess he thought I was leaving because I was mad at him or something, because he got this really sad look on his face and wouldn't look at me. But I wasn't going far. I was just walking around to his side of the table, because I suddenly really wanted to be close to him, maybe so he'd believe me when I told him it was all right.

'Cause I don't know, I can't really say stuff well. I can talk about whatever for a long time, but when it's important stuff…I have a hard time getting it out. And this was really important, so I knew I couldn't risk it coming out wrong. And the only way to do that…well, was to not say anything at all.

I nudged Oishi with my elbow. He looked up at me, all surprised 'cause remember, he thought I was walking out on him. And then he figured out what I wanted and slid over so I could sit down beside him. Which I did. And then I reached over and wrapped my arms around him and hugged him, hard.

He seemed pretty surprised at first, like he wasn't sure what was going on. So I just held onto him and waited, 'cause it felt good and anyway, I wasn't gonna let go until he understood what I was trying to tell him.

He got it, finally. I knew 'cause all of a sudden, he started hugging me back. His arms went around my back and he held me really tight, so tight I could feel his heart beating against my chest.

My family really likes hugging, so I've been hugged about a hundred million times in my life. I'm really used to it, and so I don't even really notice it anymore, what it feels like when somebody hugs me

But when Oishi did it…I noticed. I noticed a lot of weird, little things, like the way his shampoo smelled, and the way his breath tickled my ear, and the way I couldn't get close enough to him no matter how tight we pressed together. And I guess I knew that it was weird to feel like that when it was Oishi, but I couldn't help it. It just felt really good, and right, and like we…fit together in just the right way.

I guess I shouldn't have held onto him for so long. I mean, nya, we were in a restaurant after all, and people were probably staring at us—and Oishi maybe didn't like the hug as much as I did—but I just really didn't want to let go. I wanted to hold onto him forever, 'cause when we were close like this, I knew that everything was okay with us.

But I knew it had to end sometime. The restaurant would have to close in a few hours, at least! But I told myself that Oishi would have to be the one to do it, 'cause no way I was going to! So I kept waiting for him to let go of me. I kept waiting for him to sit back and pull away.

Only…he kept not doing it.

He just kept holding onto me. And I just kept holding onto him. And I don't know how long we sat like that, but after awhile I felt this little tap-tap-tap on my shoulder, and I turned my head with this sleepy kind of blink and looked up—

And Momo was standing there, and Ochibi was standing beside him, and behind them were Fuji and Taka.

I guess I should've been embarrassed or something, but all I felt was annoyed, 'cause now I had to let go of Oishi and who knew when I'd be able to hug him again!

Which, I guess, was a weird thing to think, but I didn't really care. But I figured Oishi might, so I sighed and let go of him and sat back against the booth.

"A-Ano…minna," Oishi said when he saw everybody. "What brings you here?"

Oishi

Everyone was here. And they had seen…

What? I asked myself defensively. What had they seen, except me hugging Eiji, which was perfectly normal and nothing at all to be ashamed of?

Momo scratched the back of his head, looking uncomfortable, and managed to get out that he and the others had heard us discussing our post-practice plans, and apparently thought that tagging along in the hopes of a free meal might be a good idea.

"Apparently not," Echizen muttered.

I couldn't help it. I laughed. Not because of what Echizen had said, but just because I felt so…so good, like everything was right again. Eiji and I were together again, the Golden Pair, and our friends were with us, and everything was all right. So after I finished laughing, and while everyone was still staring at me like I was completely insane, I smiled and waved for the others to sit down.

Momo grinned and started to do just that, rubbing his hands together and talking about how hungry he was—but Fuji caught his arm and held him in place.

"Iya," Fuji said, "daijobu. We shouldn't have interrupted."

And while I watched, a little startled, Fuji managed to drag a protesting Momo and the others away from our table and out the door, not looking like he was exerting himself at all while he was doing it. Taka-san gave us a polite wave as they went, and then the door to the restaurant jingled closed, and Eiji and I were alone again.

Eiji…

I wondered what he was thinking. If he was wondering why I'd held onto him for so long, or if he knew that it was all I could do not to reach out to touch him again, to pull him close to me.

We didn't say much after that, but it wasn't an awkward silence. It was the kind where you just don't need to say anything, because just by being there, you're saying all you need to say.

Eiji

I thought about going back to my side of the table after Fuji and everybody left, but I didn't want to. I wanted to stay right where I was, with Oishi sitting so close to me that our shoulders touched, so I reached across the table for my plate and got back to eating. And nya, I know it sounds dumb, but I swear the noodles tasted better after that! Honto nya! And I guess maybe Oishi thought so too, 'cause he actually started eating his, and pretty soon we were acting just like we used to, eating our noodles and talking about random stuff and just acting like everything was normal.

Only it wasn't exactly like normal, because we were sitting really close to each other now, and every time Oishi reached for his napkin, his hand brushed against mine, and I liked the way it felt, warm little tingles going up my arm.

We talked for a really long time, which was great, and then Oishi walked me home and we stood on the porch for a little while, still talking about stupid stuff and laughing about whatever. Then I yawned, 'cause I was pretty tired by that point, and Oishi got this soft look on his face and told me he should get going, 'cause I should go inside and get to sleep.

Only…I really didn't want him to go. I guess it sounds silly, and I knew it couldn't happen, but I kinda wished that he could come inside and stay with me, 'cause everything was better with Oishi around, and so wouldn't it be great if he could always be around?

I knew it was dumb, though, and so I didn't say it. But when he was getting ready to leave, I really felt like I had to say something, or…or do something, so I hurried over to him before he could leave and gave him another hug.

"Arrigato, Oishi," I said. I never noticed before, but it was really nice, the way my chin fit over his shoulder, and the way it felt when his arms came up around me and pulled me all tight and close.

His voice was quiet, right in my ear 'cause we were still hugging. "For what?"

I didn't really know, so I just hugged him harder. After awhile, though, I knew I should let go, so I did.

We just stood there for a little while after that, not saying anything. The moon was out, and so everything looked all glowy and silvery, even Oishi's eyes.

"Well," he said after a couple minutes, "I should get going."

I nodded. I still didn't want him to go, and I didn't say it, but I really wanted to hug him again. Who knew hugging your doubles partner could feel so good? I wondered for a sec if Fuji'd ever tried it with Taka, but then I thought that that was a weird thing to think about and so I put it out of my mind.

"I'll see you in school tomorrow, Eiji…"

"Hoi. Ja ne, Oishi."

He was taking these little backwards steps, like he really didn't want to leave either. I thought it was pretty silly, both of us wanting to stay together but neither of us saying it, so I took a step forward and opened my mouth—

But Oishi I guess thought of the same thing at the same time, 'cause he stepped forward too and suddenly we were standing really close together, like we were going to hug again but not, and I didn't really understand it but I kept looking at Oishi's mouth like I was waiting for him to say something, only I didn't know what…

But I guess Oishi did, 'cause while I was still trying to figure it all out, he reached out, really gently, and put his hand on the side of my face. And then he leaned in and kissed me.

Everything went kind of still and warm for a little while, and I thought a little dimly that there was something better than hugging Oishi, and that was this. I felt all warm and safe and protected, but at the same time, it was like I was standing up on top of a cliff or something—like if I took one wrong step, I might slip over the edge and fall. It was like Oishi kissing me was safe and dangerous at the same time, and even though I felt really warm and good when he did it, there was also this explosion of butterflies in my stomach, and this feeling in my chest like I was either going to laugh or start crying.

And I guess that's a lot to feel just from somebody putting his lips on yours, but that's what it felt like.

Anyway, so after a little while, and just when I was starting to get the hang of how to move my lips so it wasn't just Oishi doing the kissing, he all of a sudden let go of me and took a little step backwards. He looked really nervous, even more nervous than back when we were walking to the noodle place, and his face was all flushed like we'd just played a hard match or something.

I knew what he was gonna do. Because he was Oishi, he was gonna start stammering and apologizing, and I really didn't want him to do that so I figured I'd better shut him up somehow. And since it didn't seem fair, him ambushing me with a kiss like that when I was just a beginner, I decided to ambush him and show him what I'd picked up. 'Cause you know, I'm a pretty fast learner, and so I figured that if Oishi and me practiced for awhile longer, I could get to be pretty good at this kissing thing.

So I wrapped my arms around Oishi's neck and kissed him, and nya, guess what? My plan worked. He didn't apologize. And neither did I, when I finally let go of him awhile later.

I guess about then, it hit me that we were still standing out on my front porch where the neighbors or my family or anybody could see us. But just like in the restaurant, I didn't care. I just wanted to be close to Oishi, so since we were done kissing (for now), I tried hugging him again, and was really happy when he hugged me back without hesitating at all.

"Eiji," he whispered. He wasn't just holding me like he did before—his one hand was rubbing all nice and slow against my back, and the other one was sliding through my hair. I closed my eyes and just enjoyed how it felt for a little while.

"Na, Oishi…" I said after awhile.

"Hai?"

I grinned and tilted my head back so I could look up at him. "Let's go out for noodles more often, nya?"

He smiled back at me, and for the first time in a really long time, he didn't look worried, or nervous, or upset. He just looked happy, and like Oishi.

Like my Oishi. And if me kissing him could make him look like that…well, nya, then I was gonna have to do it a lot more often.

"Oyasumi, Eiji," he said in this soft voice. Then he leaned down and kissed my forehead, which should've made me feel all embarrassed but really just made me feel like I was loved. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I smiled. "Oyasumi, Oishi."

I watched him go down the walk and turn onto the road, and even when I couldn't see him anymore, I still stood out there for awhile, leaning against the porch railing and grinning.

I guess I should've gone inside. I mean, it was late and I was tired, but I just really wanted to stay out there where Oishi kissed me, 'cause if I closed my eyes and stood out there, it was like I could still feel him holding onto me…

I was still standing there with my eyes closed when I heard somebody coming up the walk. I knew it wasn't Oishi—I'd know his footsteps anywhere—so I opened my eyes to see who was coming over so late. I thought it might be my sister's boyfriend, since he comes by sometimes to drop off homework or notes or something…

But it wasn't him. It was somebody else, somebody big whose face I couldn't see since the moon went behind a cloud right then. He stopped when he saw me, and I was all ready to ask who he was and what he wanted…when all of a sudden something hit me really hard on the back of my head, so hard that I felt it ring through my whole body. It made me feel really dizzy and sick, but I still tried to turn around, 'cause I didn't understand what had happened or why and I thought that if I could just turn around and see what had hit me, then I'd know and it'd be okay.

But something was really wrong with me, 'cause I couldn't turn too well, and my knees were suddenly really weak and wobbly, and before I knew it I was falling. I hit the porch floor hard, but it was like it was happening to somebody else—I barely felt it.

What I did feel were the big, rough hands that grabbed me and picked me up and started carrying me away. I tried to struggle, or yell, or do something, but everything was all fuzzy and weird, and I couldn't do anything but lie there. Which I knew was really bad—I mean, somebody was taking me away to who-knew-where and if I didn't do something, nobody was gonna know where I was. Oishi wasn't gonna know where I was, and then he'd get all worried and I wouldn't be there to joke him out of it, and then what would he do?

But even though I really, really wanted to get away, I just couldn't do it. I couldn't move, and it was like the night was getting darker, like the moon wasn't just going behind a cloud but was disappearing, and by the time I realized that I was going to pass out, it was too late, and I did.

I dreamed about Oishi. He was sitting beside me and petting my hair, and telling me in this quiet, sad voice that everything was gonna be okay, but my head hurt so much that I couldn't answer him, or tell him not to worry, or do anything at all but lie there.

When I woke up again, I was in a dark little room and my hands were tied behind my back, and I knew that I was in big trouble.

To Be Continued…

japanese glossary:

ochibi – eiji's nickname for ryoma
nya / hoi – nonsense words eiji uses periodically
honto - really
nani? - what?
daijobu – i'm all right / are you all right?
arrigato – thank you
aa - yes
gomen - i'm sorry
ano – um…
minna - everyone
iya - no
ja ne – later / see ya! (informal)
oyasumi – goodnight
yarou! – bastard! (proper insult to fling at authors who end on evil cliffhangers after sudden, angsty plot twists)