[log] Fuji and Eiji - closed 1/2

[acrobaticteddy]

Who: Fuji Syuusuke and Kikumaru Eiji
When: Oct 11th (Backdated like whoa~)
Where: Eiji's house.
Summary: After this entry and this thread, specifically, Eiji is afraid to sleep and calls Fuji up. Fuji comes to Eiji's rescue and Eiji finds out some of Fuji's secrets.
Warning/Rating: Er...talks of child abuse, so...PG-13?
Player Comments: Lots of fluff; Eiji being Eiji and Fuji being Fuji and Eiji and Fuji being Eiji and Fuji together. But, yeah, Fuji does not have a happy home life. You've been warned.

In two parts because Gottis and I know how to break LJ.

Comments/Crits Allowed: Y! ^^



The covers were pulled up to his nose. His eyes darted nervously around his room. He swore he heard something outside his window. He was sure he did! There was a thump and a creak and, after Shishido told him he was being stalked a while ago, strange noises in the night had never settled well with him. Eiji sat up in his bed with a gasp. He couldn't sleep. There was no way he could sleep. He stumbled sleepily over to his desk lamp and turned the switch before fumbling on his desk for his cell phone. He dialed a number from memory.

Syuusuke sighed and rubbed his hand over his eyes, pushing the chair away from the desk and the laptop. It was pitch dark outside and the illuminated clock on his DVD player showed a later time than what felt comfortable for him, but he still had more homework to do. He resisted the urge to simply throw the physics book into the wall - it would make too much of a noise - and instead he got to his feet. Maybe he should get himself some coffee at least... Suddenly his cell phone ran. He picked it up, slid his finger across the screen and unlocked it, saw who was calling and then, a small smile on his face, answered. "Good evening, Eiji. How are you?"

"Fujiko!" He voice was half-surprised, half-panicked. He didn't think Fuji would actually pick up at this hour, but he hoped the other boy would. He didn't want to be here tonight. He didn't feel comfortable in his own home anymore. Something brushed his leg in the low lighting of his room and he gave an embarrassing squeak before realizing it was just the comforter on his bed. He breathed a sigh of relief before continuing. "Did I wake you up?"

"No, you didn't." Somewhat alarmed by the tone of Eiji's voice, Syuusuke dipped his head to the side, curiously. "What's wrong, Eiji?"

Red hair bounced back and forth as he nodded, though he knew Fuji couldn't see it. "Good. That's good." There was a long uncomfortable silence during the time it took him to climb back in bed and pull the covers up over his head, his phone still pressed to his ear. "Wh-what are you doing, Fujiko~?" He tried to sound his usual energetic self, but it failed miserably. He knew it as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Oh, nothing really," he said easily, lying because it sounded very much like Eiji needed company, and he wanted his friend to feel free to ask for it. His studies could wait. Or rather, they had to. Friends were more important. "Why?"

"Oh." Eiji tried to remember what time Fuji normally went to bed, but his memory was failing him at the moment. "Um...don't laugh, okay?" He frowned under his cover. He was only now starting to feel a little silly about the whole thing. He was almost 15 years old! He shouldn't be afraid of the dark.

"You know I'd never laugh at you, Eiji." Okay, that was a lie; he loved poking fun at his friends. But... "... You know what I mean." Hopefully.

Normally, this would draw a snicker from Eiji; he knew Fuji's personality. Tonight, though, he stayed completely silent, his lower lip drawn between his teeth worriedly. "Mmm...the thing is...I got a weird email the other night and now I have a stalker and there are noises and I don't want to have my picture taken!" The information came out in a single rush, the last with greater emphasis than the rest. He was left having to take a deep breath after the sudden expulsion.

Syuusuke blinked, and tried to sort things out in his head. Stalker... That was bad, really bad. Not wanting to have his picture taken... Where did that belong in that mess? Well, it didn't really matter. Or, it did, but it could wait. The blond started to go through his room, gathering a few things and shoving them into a bag. "Okay, Eiji. It's okay. I'll come over, nee? I'll stay the night."

Eiji nodded his head under his blanket. He really didn't want to be here, but if he at least had some company, things wouldn't be so unbearable. "Thank you." The words were almost whispered. "Want me to meet you half-way?" As soon as they left his mouth, Eiji realized with sudden horror that if Fuji was on his way here alone, he was in danger, too. If the pervert would look in on Eiji, then certainly he wouldn't be above kidnapping a teen-aged boy on his way to a friend's house. Eiji quickly stood and threw on a t-shirt, already making his way towards the steps that led downstairs. He didn't even care that he still wore his pajama pants.

"Sure, if you da-- Eiji? Hello? Eiji? Aw, you disappeared on me..." Syuusuke pouted at the phone for a moment, before tucking it away. He walked as quietly as he could down the stairs - his father would not appreciate him sneaking out after curfiew - and then was out the door, quickly heading for his bike. Please don't notice me... He got onto the bike and started off, towards the Kikumaru villa. He had to wonder if there really was a stalker out to get Eiji. And if it were... Maybe he should tell his friend to wait for him inside...

Completely forgetting his phone upstairs, Eiji crept down towards the entrance of his house. He wasn't too worried about waking someone, though. Most of his family slept pretty heavily. The parrot would likely wake up before his parents would. He slipped his shoes on and whispered a polite phrase before turning the door handle and praying to whatever god was on duty that it didn't squeak. Someone was paying attention, because it opened without complaint. He checked to make sure it was unlocked before shutting it behind him and hopping on the nearest bike. Hopefully he wouldn't get attacked before he saw Fuji.

The night was chill and fallen leaves whirled up around him as he drove his bike forwards, the spotlight flickering in the dark. The cool breeze was good, Syuusuke figured; it helped keeping him alert. He was so tired lately, but Eiji would need him to focus. He kept a watchful ear out to the sounds of the night, if there was something that sounded out of place. If there really was someone out there... Who said they wouldn't try and jump him as well? Just as a worst case scenario, of course.

Eiji tried very hard to take his mind off of things as he rode, but he found himself literally jumping at shadows. It got to be bad enough at a few points that he actually had to stop his bike.

It took a bit, but he eventually saw another biking figure off in the distance. He risked taking a hand off his handlebars to wave.

Spotting Eiji, Syuusuke waved back, a smile spreading across his face. "Eiji! All in one piece, I see~"

Though he was still shaken up, EIji couldn't keep the small smile off his face at the sight of his friend. "Fuji~!" He nodded at the other statement, but didn't elaborate on it. Instead, he turned the bike around and headed back to his house.

Syuusuke smiled, picking up his pace, and once they reached Eiji's house, he parked his bike, locked it up and then blew hot air onto his fingers. They were stiff and cold, and he really longed to get indoors and warm himself up.

None of Eiji's family ever really bothered with locking up their bikes, so Eiji just parked the one he took back where he got it and jogged up to the door. He looked over at his friend sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Fuji," he whispered in the quiet night. He quickly opened the front door (thankful again that it didn't speak), and held it for the chilled Fuji beside him. He himself didn't really feel the cold until he felt the warmth of his house. He supposed he should be concerned about that, but he didn't pay it any mind.

"It's fine," Syuusuke whispered, stepping inside and toeing into a pair of guest slippers. "Sorry for intruding..." When the usual, polite phrase was over and done with, he ventured further into the villa. Eiji's room was on the upper floor, wasn't it? As he passed the living room, a loud squeak was heard and he felt like he jumped out of his skin. What the...?! He peeked inside, spotting the bird cage at the other end of the room. "... Oh."

Eiji toed his shoes off and forewent the slippers. He was fine in his socks. After whispering that he was back, a noise answered the two boys. Eiji nearly jumped out of his skin. A small, surprised "ah!" left him before he realized it was just the bird. He'd been nervous about leaving the front door unlocked and, for a moment there, he thought that someone had entered while he was gone.

He motioned for his friend to follow him as he crept back up the stairs and held his bedroom door for the blond. He'd have to make a large offering the next time he saw a shrine. None of the steps made a peep tonight.

As they settled in Eiji's room, Syuusuke turned the lights on before flopping down on his friend's bed. "Okay... Wow, your family's really a bunch of heavy sleepers, aren't they?" He grinned, and tucked a few thin whisps of hair behind his ear. "Anyway... Now. What's going on, Eiji?"

Eiji nodded his head quickly. He glanced nervously around his room and made sure to check outside his window before sitting on the bed near Fuji. Instead of answering his friend, however, he grabbed the previously discarded cell phone and flipped through his inbox. He quickly found the message he was looking for and showed it to the other boy. "I got this a little while ago. Isn't it weird?"

He read the message through. It read Hello, Kikumaru. Have you checked your LiveJournal today? You should go do that. ~.^ which wasn't all that odd... As long as you knew who it was from. And apparently Eiji didn't. "It is. Do you know if anyone's friended you that you don't know who it is?"

Eiji shook his head. "I can't think of anyone. But I posted up on LJ, and Shishido said it might be a stalker, and I've been eharing weird noises at night and I don't want someone taking my picture and spreading it around the pervert community~~" His words quickly starting melding together. Once he got started, he couldn't stop. He was becoming hysterical.

I'll kill Shishido, Syuusuke decided. He frowned and reached out a hand, placing it on Eiji's shoulder. "Hey, hey, hey... Calm down. Deep breaths, okay, Eiji? Deep breaths. No one's going to expose you to any pervert communities, I promise. You know what you should do? You should try and talk to Inui. Maybe he can help you trace the mail. I'm pretty sure there's a way to do that, nee? And then you'll know who sent it. They can't stalk you if you call them out on their crap, nee?"

Sniffing loudly, Eiji reluctantly nodded. "O-okay." He took a few breaths to calm himself. Unsurprisingly, Fuji's words were a great comfort. It helped having him here. It let him think just a little bit clearer. He wasn't this childish! He was almost a grown-up! He couldn't be panicking over things like this. "Inui...," he thought aloud. "I didn't think about that." Quickly, his smile was back on his face. "Thanks, Fuji~" He gently patted the hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for making you come all the way over here just for me."

"You're my friend, Eiji. Of course I'll come." The shorter boy smiled, relieved to see the redhead calm down. He reached up to ruffle those soft, red curls and stopped, allowing his arm to drop down.

The smile broadened into a grin before drooping slightly around the edges. "But I feel bad now! I brought you all the way out here for nothing~!" He was a bad friend, wasn't he? Just calling Fuji up out of the blue and practically begging him to come over (and of course distorting the way the events happened in his mind). He'd disrupted whatever his friend was doing just to come out here and calm him down. What if he'd been doing something important? What if he had been sleeping and had just told Eiji that he was awake? It must've been the mood he was in, but he quickly over-reacted to the new thoughts.

There was obviously something going on inside Eiji's head; Syuusuke could gather that much from the shifting expressions that danced over his friend's face. "... You don't have to feel bad," he tried to reassure him. "I wasn't doing anything important, I promise."

Taking another deep breath and letting it out with a sigh, Eiji finally nodded. "Okay. If you say so~" He patted his legs rhythmically for a moment before saying, "What should we do now?"

Syuusuke stopped himself from suggesting that they'd try and study some. Instead he pursed his lips, thoughtful. "Do you have any photos of the team? From summer?" He missed Echizen, wouldn't mind seeing the boy's face again. And looking at photographs was something he enjoyed highly.

Eiji thought for a moment before nodding slowly. He actually had a lot of pictures of the team, but a lot of them were in scrapbooks, and Fuji was so not seeing his scrapbooks. "Wait a second." He hopped up and padded over to his bedroom closet. He quickly found the bundle of pictures yet to be placed in scrapbooks. "Here we go~" A lot of the pictures were casual shots of the team hanging out together in various places. He imagined there were a few of himself with Fuji or Oishi in there, too

Meanwhile, Syuusuke had tried to make himself comfortable on the bed - he was a bit sore here and there, not that he was going to let that show - and he snuggled up against a big, plush bear he thought was called 'Daigoro'. He smiled when Eiji returned, and started to flip through the photographs, smiling at the memories they brought up. "Oh, remember that day?" He pointed at one picture. Continuing to flip through them, he made small comments here and there, a radiating smile ever present on his lips.

Eiji settled in on the bed next to the blond. He grabbed an extra pillow and curled up around him as he smiled at the memories the pictures brought up. "Mm! I remember that~" He giggled. "Hey, Fuji~ Do you remember this? Look at Tezuka's face here!" He laughed at the so-stoic expression during the animated scene.

"Oh, right! That was when..." And on and on. He giggled, stopping at one picture of Echizen and Momo having some sort of eating contest, and smiled. "I'm sure he'll be back."

It was nice to reminisce, Eiji decided. Normally, he didn't do this, and never with a friend. He found himself nodding along with Fuji's words. "He can't stay away from us for too long. I bet he misses his senpai."

"I'm sure he does. You think he'd ever admit it, though?" Syuusuke snickered.

This drew an all-out belly chuckle from Eiji. "No, no. That's impossible. He'd never admit to anything like that. I don't think he'll ever get married. He'd want the girl to propose to him."

"Oh, I can so see him demanding that," Syuusuke laughed. "Or... That he wouldn't marry anyone unless she beat him in tennis. And even then, she'd have to be the one to ask him, not the other way around~"

Eiji fell onto his back in a fit of giggles. "If...if that's the case, then Tezuka would be the only one that could marry him," he managed to get out in-between in laughs. Of course, the idea of Tezuka proposing to o-chibi only brought the laughter on harder.

"Oh... My." Syuusuke couldn't keep from laughing out loud either, mouth hidden behind his hand to keep the volume down at least a little. "... Pillar of Seigaku, eh~?"

Eiji had to muffle his laughter in the pillow he still had. That was far too much for the redhead. Coming up for air, he managed to gasp out, "Fu-fuji! That was too much!" His face from red from all the laughing, and his eyes had actually begun to tear up a bit. "What...what do you think the pillar is?" This brought on yet another fit. If this kept up, he'd pass out from the lack of oxygen.

"Breathe, Eiji," Syuusuke giggled, shaking his head. "And of course... I think the pillar is something... Big. And pillar-y. And of course nothing us mere mortals should... dabble in."

Eiji shook his head as he laughed. It was impossible to stop laughing long enough. He'd breathe later. Right now, laughter was his number one priority. "Are you...sure, Fuji?" He coughed lightly into the pillow as his laughter began to gradually slow. "Maybe it's something really silly. Maybe Tezuka wants o-chibi to hold a broom or something."

"Oooooh, a brooooom~~" Eyes sparkling, Syuusuke picked up the pillow underneath him and gently slapped it over Eiji's head. "Now shush, you'll wake the entire household, you silly~"

"Heyyy~" Eiji complained about suddenly being hidden from the world. What he really wanted to do was throw the pillow back at his friend and start a pillow fight, but he knew Fuji was right; he should be quieter. He took a few deep breaths to calm his laughter and dropped the pillow covering him onto Fuji's head. "I'll behave~"

"That's a good boy," Fuji smiled, striking a pose with the pillow on his head. "How do I look?"

Eiji brought a hand up to cover his mouth as he giggled. "Ne, Fuji~ If you keep making me laugh, we'll get in trouble!"

"We will?" For a second, Syuusuke looked dead serious, concerned even, and he glanced over his shoulder, over at the door. "... I hope not. Okay, okay, no more laughing Eiji~" He smiled, leaning back against the wall. "Uhm..."

"Well," Eiji started, but stopped when he saw how serious Fuji was. This bothered the redhead greatly. "Um...it's...it's okay to laugh, Fuji. I just don't want to wake my parents up."

"Y-yes. You'd said we'd get in trouble, right?" He had a vague feeling he might have said too much, or over reacted. He thought quickly, trying to find a way to patch things up before they went completely out of hand. A change of subject seemed like a good idea. "Oh, never mind. Come to think of it though, how many animals do you guys have? I know there's a parrot, and a dog..."

Eiji frowned. To him, Fuji was acting weird. "It's...it's okay, Fuji." Eiji didn't like seeing his friend unhappy. Still, he thought it was best to just go along with the change in topic, though his frown never disappeared. "We have the dog, the parrot, and my brothers have been raising some turtles. I want a kitten, though."

"A kitten? Together with the dog?" Eiji wasn't buying into it, he could tell that much, but... Oh well.

Eiji made a noncommittal noise and pouted before nodding. Fuji wasn't going to talk anymore about his reaction. He may as well keep going with it. "I think they'd get along fine. Yuu likes other animals."

"I guess... If the kitten's small enough, it will adapt just fine, as long as the dog doesn't try to bite it or barks too loud, eh?" Syuusuke sucked thoughtfully on the insides of his cheeks. "I wouldn't know very well; we don't have any pets at home."

Eiji nodded and hugged his pillow tighter, a smile slowly beginning to reform on his face. "Yup~ I'm sure it'd be fine. But mom says no, so I guess I'll have to wait anyway." He cocked his head. "Have you ever had any pets?"

The blond thought for a moment. "I guess we're not counting my cacti now, nee? Hm... Does Yuuta count?" He giggled. "Ah, probably not. Let's see... I think we had rabbits one summer. I was... five, maybe?"

Eiji giggled too. He guessed having a little brother might be like having a pet. "Rabbits? They're so cute~~ How come you don't have any now?"

"Well... They died. And... We never thought of getting new ones, I guess." He shrugged.

Eiji looked thoughtful for a moment. "We should get you a rabbit."

Syuusuke laughed. "What? Why?"

Eiji shrugged. "So you won't be lonely in your room."

He blinked. "... Who says I'm lonely in my room?"

A flush worked its way into Eiji's cheeks. "I...I meant...like...." He sighed, clearly flustered. "Everyone needs a pet~"

"Oooh~?" Leaning forward, chin resting on his hands, Syuusuke smiled coyly. "I'm sure they do, Eiji~"

For some reason, this only turned Eiji's cheeks redder. "Y-yeah. So...so you can take care of them and cuddle them and talk to them and...stuff."

He was silent for a while, decided not to make fun of Eiji's blush - there would be time for that later, when Eiji wasn't spooked by some potential stalker or something - and instead he said, voice soft: "Do you really think I'm that lonely?"

The softly spoken question changed the entire mood of the conversation. Eiji looked at his friend somberly. His own voice followed suit with Fuji's and dropped in volume. "Are you that lonely, Fuji?"

He regretted that he had asked. Regretted it because he didn't know how to answer the question when it was directed back at him. He didn't want to lie, didn't want to lie to Eiji. He didn't want to admit himself weak or vulnerable either. Admitting that he could feel lonely, or that he was lonely, that seemed like a defeat. In the end, however, he smiled blandly at Eiji in response, and shrugged lightly, wordlessly.

Something twisted uncomfortably inside of Eiji at seeing Fuji's transparent mask of a smile. He didn't like seeing his friends upset and this, combined with the earlier reaction, told Eiji that there was something going on. When he thought about it, Fuji had been acting a little oddly for a while now.

He shifted himself so that he was sitting up and facing his friend. His eyes searched Fuji's face for something he didn't think he'd ever find before pulling the other boy into a hug. "Fuji~~ Don't ever feel lonely, okay? You've got me whenever you need me."

Syuusuke's mouth opened and closed twice, as he still couldn't think of anything to say. He made himself relax and rest his weight against Eiji, head resting against his shoulder. "... I know," he finally managed, plastic smile still in place. "I know."

Eiji felt the other boy relax and smiled. He, of course, had no way of knowing that Fuji had forced himself to do so. His hand patted Fuji's back a little awkwardly. "I mean it, Fuji. Even if it's 10 years from now and I'm living on Mars. Call me and I'll fly down for you. Okay?"

"Do you want to live on Mars?" His smile turned a thought more genuine as he glanced over at Eiji.

A dark blue gaze shifted to glance at the head on his shoulder. "Maybe~~ Or maybe I'll live on the moon. It's closer."

"You'll be like Queen Serenity," Fuji chuckled.

Eiji giggled. "You think I'd look good in a dress?"

"Oh, absolutely~ Almost as good as I."

Eiji shook his head, the ghost of his laughter still on his face. "We'd have to walk in heels. I don't think I could do that."

"No?" Fuji smiled. "I can~ I borrowed Yumiko-nee's when I was little. I think I've got it down~"

Eiji pulled away slightly, feeling a little awkward now that they were actually talking. "Eh? Really? Does it hurt?"

"It... Did? At first? I thought my ankles would kill me. But it's fun~" He grinned sheepishly. "And not very manly, I guess."

The thought of balancing on tiny spiked had Eiji's feet throbbing, but his curiosity was thoroughly piqued. "Woooow~ Fuji's so talented!" His grin came quickly. "I think it's manly to be able to do it. It probably takes a lot of balance, right?"

"A lot," Fuji agreed, wriggling his toes. "And strength. You see, so much of your body weight rests on your toes and the front of your feet when you walk in high heels."

Eiji pondered this over for a moment. "Ne, Fuji? Let's not tell Inui about this. He might make us practice in them."

"... That wouldn't be good." Fuji blinked, looking like he was imagining the entire team running down the track in high heels. "Oh my."

The redhead shuddered at the image. "It wouldn't at all~" He shook his head emphatically.

"Let's change the subject," Fuji suggested. "... I'm thirsty."

Eiji agreed. "Yosh~" He bounced up from where he sat and stood. "Let's head downstairs, then. Are you hungry, too?"

"A little," Fuji nodded. He wasn't, really, but he knew he hadn't been eating anything since a small snack after practice, so a bite would be good. He got to his feet and waited for Eiji to lead the way downstairs.

Quietly, Eiji walked in his sock-feet to his bedroom door and looked either way down the hall before stepping out. Luckily, the family dog, Yuu, was sleeping in with his brothers tonight. He quickly started down the steps after motioning unnecessarily for Fuji to follow him and walked into the kitchen. Pulling open the refrigerator, he suggested a few drink items and pulled out a bowl of white rice leftover from dinner.

Fuji pulled out a chair as silently as he could and sat down, rubbing a hand over his eyes while he waited for Eiji to finish up.

Eiji pulled a glass down from a cabinet and placed it in front of his friend. "Tired? You can go ahead and get what you want from the fridge. I like the strawberry juice~" He popped the bowl of rice in the microwave and grabbed a glass for himself after a second thought. Juice sounded good right now.

"Yes, I guess I'm a bit sleepy. Is it okay if I stay the night, you think?" He got up and looked through the fridge, picking out a small milk bottle, and the strawberry juice for Eiji.

Eiji nodded. "I figured you would with how late it is." He thanked Fuji for the bottle of juice and frowned a bit. "Sorry, but I didn't pull out a futon or anything for you. I think I have one up in my closet, though."

"You don't have to bother," Fuji said hurriedly. "We can... Uhm. I mean, if it's not too much of a hassle... We could share bed."

Eiji cocked his head before shrugging. He poured himself a glass of the juice and returned the bottle to the fridge. "It's not a hassle. I don't mind." He sat across from his friend while he waited for the rice to finish heating. "I just thought you would want to sleep on your own." Although, now that he thought about it, having someone in bed with him would be a big comfort tonight.

"Well, I don't mind sleeping in your bed. And I figured you might want the company. Unless, of course..." He paused, smiling ever so sweetly. "... You think I'm the stalker?"

Eiji smiled. Fuji had a way of knowing exactly what he was thinking sometimes. ...That smile quickly disappeared into a shocked expression before turning thoughtful, then suspicious. "Would you really take pictures of me while I slept and pass them around to creeps, Fuji?"

"I guess I wouldn't. I would take pictures of you and perhaps pass it around the guys in the team, or put it together in a scrapbook, but that's that. But there was nothing in that text that said anything about taking pictures, Eiji..." That part puzzled him a bit.

Eiji shrugged. "I wouldn't mind if you were my stalker." He thought for a moment before adding, "As long as I got to stalk you back~" The skin pinched between his brows. "I fell asleep curled around my baseball bat after Shishido told me I might have a stalker." He swallowed hard to suppress the panicked edge his voice began to take on. "I told Shishido and he said that he probably took pictures of me while I slept. Do you...do you think he did?"

The blond entertained the thought of going over to Shishido and strangle him when he slept. But that would be rude. Wouldn't it? "Ah... Well. If you do have a stalker... There's always a risk, I guess. But... Quite frankly? It's a small risk. Don't you think someone would notice if there was someone in your garden that shouldn't be there? Don't you think Yuu-chan would have barked? I'd try and relax if I were you, Eiji."

Eiji listened, Fuji's words calming him. He nodded slowly. "Y-yeah. You're right. I'm acting like a baby, aren't I?" He laughed lightly. "Who'd want to stalk me anyway?" A thought surfaced in his mind. "And I live on the second floor! They'd have to climb a tree or something."

"They would. And that would definitely be noticed by someone." Well, it wasn't guaranteed, but Eiji didn't need to be told that. Instead, Fuji reached out a hand and ruffled Eiji's hair lightly. "And don't say that. You're cute, of course people would take interest in you. But stalking is bad though, so it's not something you'd want, nee?"

Eiji stuck his tongue out in retaliation. "Hmmm~ Fujiko thinks I'm cute, huh?" He laughed to let his friend know that he was joking. "Anyone who wants to be stalked is crazy."

"Cute as a button," Fuji winked, sipping on his milk. "Or a kitten~"

Eiji grinned, his cheeks flushing lightly. "But you're cuter~ If I'm a kitten, then Fuji's like...a fox."

"A fox?" That made Fuji smile... Very fox-like. "Now you're just teasing me, aren't you?"

Eiji shook his head. "Nope~ Fuji looks so cute and harmless, but if you mess with him or his, you'll get hurt. He'll use his brains to trick you. That's why you're a fox."

"Well, seems like you've got me pinned down to a T, nee?" He put the milk bottle away. "Is the rice done yet?"

"We've known each other for a while." Eiji shrugged with the explanation. He glanced over at the microwave. "Probably." He hit the door release button and checked the bowl. "It's finished."

"We have, haven't we?" He readied his chopsticks and waited. "You remember our first year?"

He grabbed a wooden spoon from a drawer and two small bowls from another cabinet. He placed two heaping bowls of warm white rice in front of them and smiled. "Late-night snack is served~~!" He only answered Fuji after he sat down. "Yeah, of course."

"Itadakimasu~" He clasped his hands together quickly, mumbling the phrase, before slowly digging in. "You weren't all that eager with playing doubles at first, were you?"

Eiji echoed the phrase before taking a bite. It was just as good reheated. "Mm...I was nervous."

"Really?" It really was good, it settled warm and comfortable in his empty stomach.

Eiji nodded, not really wanting to expand on it. "How's the rice?"

Fuji licked his lips. "It's good. I like it better when it's reheated, actually. Although... You wouldn't happen to have any chili flakes or something around, would you?"

A smile raised the corners of his lips. "I think we have come curry powder in the back of the spice cabinet."

"That sounds lovely~" Fuji smiled and leaned back in the chair.

Eiji checked the small spice rack first before going to the larger spice cabinet. He finally found a half-used container. After placing it down in front of Fuji, he took his seat again. "Hey, Fuji? Do you remember how we met?"

Fuji immediately started to drown his rice in seasoning, and then looked up, nodding. "I sure do~"

Eiji barely spared Fuji's food a second glance. He was used tot he other boy's eating habits by now. "It feels like so long ago, doesn't it?"

Putting the container down, the shorter boy nodded, digging in anew on his rice. "It was just before school started, right? I... I remember having had a fight with Yuuta, so I was in a pretty bad mood. You were doing some sort of trick on the monkey bars."

Eiji nodded. "Mm~ I remember. I'd just flipped off and landed and saw some cute kid about my age all upset. So I went over and asked what was wrong."

"And... We took it from there." He had been pretty upset back then, so he'd rather not think about his own behavior too much.

"Yup yup~ It's funny, huh? I didn't know that that kid would become one of my best friends." Eiji smiled at Fuji as he took another bite of his rice.

"Funny how that happens, eh?" Fuji finished up his serving and carefully wiped his mouth, then hid a yawn behind his hand. "I'm full. Thank you so much for the food~"

"It is, it is~" Eiji finished his own rice soon after and cleared away their dishes. "You're welcome. You wanna head back upstairs now?"

"Sounds like a good idea," Fuji yawned and stretched lazily. "You want any help with that?" He nodded towards the dishes.

"No, it's fine. There aren't many. You head upstairs and get comfortable, okay?" Eiji filled the dishpan and started on their few bowls and glasses.

"Okay, if you're sure..." He pushed the chair away from the table as silently as he could and started up the stairs. He was glad he had thought of bringing his pajama with him, and happier still that Eiji was busy downstairs. He quickly stepped out of his clothes, wincing a bit as the sudden movements made the bruised flesh on his abdomen taut and uncomfortable. This was the reason he was glad Eiji was downstairs; he did not want him to see this. He folded his clothes up neatly and stepped into his pajama pants. He sat down on the bed and started to slowly pull the pajama shirt on. He took a second to wipe away any cold sweat that had beaded on his brow, and then started to button up the shirt.

Eiji started to hum as he normally did when he worked on the dishes, but remembered quickly that he should be doing them as quietly as possible. It wasn't even close to morning yet; he didn't need to be waking people up. It didn't take him long to finish the small pile and he soon found himself turning the lights out and creeping up the stairs. He hoped that Fuji thought to bring pajamas with him. He wasn't sure if he had an extra set clean. He needed to do laundry soon. He tapped lightly on his bedroom door to let Fuji know he was coming in (though he wasn't really sure why; it was his room) and quickly opened and closed it behind him. "All done~"

Fuji was nearly done, had a few more buttons to do, but the worst of it all was covered at least. He hoped he didn't look too pale. Smiling, he finished up and slid down underneath the cover. "Fast! I always take forever to do the dishes~" Because he could be ever so lazy.

"It's 'cos I enjoy it." Smiling with a wink, he walked over to his lightswitch. "You ready?" He was just about to flick it when he really looked at Fuji for the first time since he entered the room. His sharp eyes took in his friend's paler-than-normal skin and the sheen that covered it. "Hey, are you okay? You look really pale."

He thought quickly. "I think I ate a little too fast. I feel a bit sick, actually. I'm sure it will pass."

Eiji nodded, easily accepting the answer. He had no reason to suspect anything else. "I'm going to turn the light out, okay? Do you want me to grab you some medicine first?"

"No, it's fine." Fuji smiled, making himself comfortable, snuggling against the pillow. "Do you want to sleep closest to the wall or the other way around?"

"I like the wall behind my back!" he answered automatically. He flipped the switch without second notice and padded over to his bed. He navigated his room easily by memory and crawled up the bed from the bottom before wriggling his way under the covers.

Eiji's wriggling tickled, and Fuji couldn't help but giggle, but he carefully edged himself closer to the other side of the bed to keep their bodies from knocking into each other too much. "Now you remind me of a hedgehog," he pointed out cheerfully.

Fuji's laugh made Eiji laugh in turn and his comment only made it worse. "A hedgehog? How?"

"The way you snuffle underneath the cover, like a hedgehog in a pile of autmn leaves~" Fuji's cerulean eyes sparkled in the dark.

Light laughter sounded from Eiji. "I guess my hair doesn't help, huh? It's probably all over the place now."

"Probably~ Should I turn the light on and we'll see~?" He made no movement towards it though.

Eiji shook his head, realized Fuji probably can't see the motion in the dark, and responded, "No~ I don't feel like seeing the light." He shifted where he lay and accidentally bumped something of Fuji's under the covers. "Sorry!" It had been a while since he'd last shared a bed with someone.

"Okay, then I'll just..." He cut himself off as Eiji bumped into him, his breath caught in a pained hiss.

"AH! Are you okay?" His immediate concern for his friend was apparent in his voice. "I didn't think I hit you that hard!"

"... You didn't, you didn't." He took a few deep breaths to steady himself. "I just... I'm just sore after practice, you know?" He hated lying to Eiji. And he hated that the lies came so easily.

He knew how that felt, but never in the history of the tennis club had he ever been that hurt. "Did you pull a muscle or something? You want me to rub it?" His voice dripped with the worry he had for his friend. Fuji sounded like he was in so much pain!

"I might have done that, yes." He shifted, trying to make himself more comfortable. "And... And it's okay, really. I..." He couldn't come up with a good excuse, so he simply allowed the words to die away.

"Oh...okay." He was a little disappointed that he couldn't do anything to help. "Where does it hurt?"

"My stomach." He paused, a small smile making its way to his lips. "And what's wrong, Eiji? You don't sound too good yourself~"

It wasn't exactly unusual for a tennis player to pull an abdominal muscle, but Eiji was worried if it hurt with just that small hit (he knew he didn't hit Fuji that hard). "I'm just worried, Fuji~ Promise me you'll get it looked at if it still hurts tomorrow?"

He really, really hated lying. He slowly sat up and turned the light switch on, rubbing his eyes. "Actually, Eiji... Do you have some kind of ointment or something?"

Eiji blinked rapidly at the sudden invasive light, but nodded. He started to tell Fuji to open the drawer on his nightstand but, after remembering that he'd be embarrassed about Fuji seeing a few of the things he kept in there, he quickly decided to do it himself. "I have some muscle cream I use sometimes." He sat up and reached past his friend. He quickly opened the drawer, retrieved the small jar, and shut it. He could only hope that his friend was too tired to notice. "Here you go~"

Fuji wasn't too tired to notice, but he decided to say nothing about it. Instead he started to unbutton the pajama shirt, allowing it to fall down on the bed behind him. Four bruises, one faded on his chest, one partly faded on the left side of his rib cage, and two angry looking, dark ones close to each other on the right side of his abdomen, came into view. "I could use some help, I think."

"Fu-fuji...." Eiji froze in place. Fuji looked horrible. Eiji wondered how he'd even managed to move with all those bruises. His brows pinched together as he looked over his friend's abdomen. He may not have been very smart, but he was pretty sure those weren't from playing tennis. He couldn't imagine what would have caused those other than being hit by a ball. He couldn't remember Fuji getting hit during practice. "Fuji," he said, his voice a little more determined. "You know I'll help you, but...tell me what happened." His face was deadly serious for once.

"I will, if you promise you won't tell anyone. Not Tezuka, not Inui, not anyone. Okay?" He looked back at him, dead serious himself, the smile he often wore faded from his lips.

Eiji shook his head. "I don't tell your secrets, Fuji. You're safe with me."

"Okay, well... I only got 88 points on the last test, right? Because of tennis practice. Dad kind of wants me to quit tennis, so I can focus on school properly." Now he smiled, awkwardly. "I kind of went 'no way'." He shrugged. "So..."

He really didn't understand at first. "Why would saying no to--" he stopped mid-sentence and his eyes widened in understanding. "Your dad did this to you?!"

The blond stared down on his knees as he nodded.

"Fuji...." He didn't know what to say. He couldn't believe this. "How long...?"

Fuji shook his head. "Does it matter? It's fine, Eiji. It just hurts a little right now, that's all."

"Yes, it matters!" His voice was a little loud and he hurried to hush his speech. "Ne, Fuji. Move in with me."

"No, Eiji." He shook his head again. "I can't do that. I can't. Just... Help me with this now? And then we'll go to sleep."

Eiji sighed. He knew Fuji couldn't really move in with him, but it really angered him that he had to put up with this, and that Eiji couldn't do anything for him. Right now, however, Fuji needed help that he could give. He'd just focus on that. "Okay. Just tell me what you want me to do."

He settled back against the pillows and closed his eyes. "Just... apply the salve, gently. I trust you, Eiji."

Nodding, Eiji scooped up some with his fingers and gingerly smeared it on one of the bruises. "Let me know if I hurt you, okay?"

It felt cool against his skin and he couldn't help but twitch at the initial touch, but then relaxed. He nodded, leaning back a bit, and closed his eyes. He tried not to feel embarrassed... But it was difficult, really difficult. So while Eiji tended to him, he didn't want to look at him, or at anything at all for that matter.

Eiji took the opportunity to really examine the bruises once Fuji closed his eyes. He felt a burning at the back of his own when he looked at the wounds. Tears threatened to spill out, but he wouldn't let them. If Fuji could be brave about it, then so could he. Gingerly, tenderly, he spread the salve over the bruises. His own features winced when he went over a particularly bad one. "S-sorry, Fuji." His voice sounded choked to him. He hoped that the other boy didn't notice.

When Eiji's fingers touched the particularly bad one, he couldn't help but inhale sharply, through clenched teeth. "Aa... It's okay," he muttered, fingers clawing into the covers underneath him. Something in the tone of Eiji's voice made him open his eyes and look carefully at his friend. Wasn't Eiji's eyes... Suspiciously shiny? "... He--hey. It's okay."

Eiji shook his head, his waves bouncing back and forth. It wasn't okay. It wasn't okay at all! He wanted badly to yell this at Fuji; to make him understand, but the words wouldn't come out. He couldn't even make himself meet his friend's eyes; his gaze felt glued to the bruised flesh in front of him. "It's...it's not okay, Fuji," he finally whispered.

"Eiji." He sat up, halfway, resting on his elbows, his eyes not leaving Eiji's face. "Listen. I need you to help me right now, because I'm very sleepy... But if it makes you feel better, we can try and talk tomorrow, after breakfast. Okay?"

His eyes flicked up to Fuji's. His lower lip found its way in-between his teeth, and he was silent for a long moment. Finally, he nodded. "Okay." He finished rubbing the salve in in a perect, determined silence. He then carefully rebuttoned Fuji's nightshirt. "Do you need anything else?" His words were still soft, defeated almost.

"I'd ask for a hug, but I think I'm a bit too sore for that." Fuji smiled, oddly enough his usual one, like nothing was wrong in the world. "Maybe you can promise you'll snuggle close? I think that would be nice."

Eiji perked up a bit at seeing Fuji's normal smile return. "Fujiko~ You don't have to ask for that." He reached over Fuji to flick off the switch and set the jar on his nightstand. After snuggling back under the covers, he wrapped an arm over Fuji, his hand resting on the other boy's hip, and snuggled his face into the crook of Fuji's neck. "I'd have done it anyway ~nya."

"Silly Eiji..." Fuji found himself chuckling as his eyes slid close, and one hand reached up to take Eiji's. "Thank you."

Deep blue pools closed in the dark and the owner of them soon found himself drifting in that space between sleep and awakeness. "Nnn. Don't thank me, Fuji. We're friends, right?" His voice was no more than a mumble by Fuji's ear.

It took a while, but then Fuji gave a small, almost invisible nod, as he too drifted away, the fingers that held onto Eiji's hand growing lax.