Love Episodes - Episode 11: An Apple a Day...

[yoru-no-hikaru.livejournal.com]

Pairing: KinKi Kids
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Don't own KinKi Kids, or anything JE-related
Warnings: very slight violence, dark with rays of sunshine ^_^
Multi-Chapter


Introduction: Immediate follow up to the last episode. Koichi and Tsuyoshi try to fight their way towards an unknown future. While they both know that it will certainly be a long and rough road, they decide to stick together and stand up against all the obstacles on their way.

Koichi had mused about how he could face his partner all day long. He had absolutely no idea what he should do, what he should say when they faced each other again. HE had even stayed behind at work, musing. In the end he just cursed as he finally got up. He would see what he would do when he saw Tsuyoshi, he decided. He was edgy on his way home, unsure whether he was ready for a new encounter. The knife that he had taken from Tsuyoshi lay beside him on the co driver’s seat. He blinked. He still had to get apples. Or, should he? He bit his lip nervously.

 

In the end he decided it would be better to be well-prepared and got some apples at a small store on his way. When he reached the door to their apartment, he hesitated. But then he decided that he could not stand out there forever and that he had really brooded over everything enough and that he would certainly know what to do when he saw Tsuyoshi once he actually saw him. Taking a deep breath he opened the door determinedly.

“Tadaima,” he declared simply.

 

What am I doing?! As though nothing has happened. But what else can I say right away?

 

“O-okaeri nasai,” Tsuyoshi’s voice came from the living room door.

The boy didn’t look healthy, or stable, but at least he was dressed properly and he had no weapons in hand.

“I brought apples,” Koichi continued plainly, showing his bag to Tsuyoshi.

The younger boy tilted his head to the side. “Didn’t you say you’d buy only one?”

“Well, one each,” Koichi tried, “and then they told I’ll get a discount if I take double.”

“Ah,” Tsuyoshi nodded. “You haven’t eaten yet?”

“Not yet,” Koichi confirmed.

 

“So,” Tsuyoshi mused, “you didn’t really need to take that knife.”

Koichi tensed.

“Well,” the younger boy continued, “it’s fine. It’s not like I… actually wanted to use it. I had no…”

Tsuyoshi stopped as his breath left him. This time it wasn’t due to his illness, though, but because Koichi had come over and rammed his fist into his stomach. Tsuyoshi winced in pain, looking at Koichi helplessly. The older boy sighed in frustration and pulled his lover into a desperate kiss. He held Tsuyoshi close, cupping his face with his free hand, stroking it wildly, caressing his hair, and kissing him senseless.

 

Tsuyoshi could only hold onto him as he let himself fall into his lover’s arms. As Koichi drew back he looked at his lover challengingly.

“I’m warning you,” he said, still keeping them close so that Tsuyoshi would not be able to see anything but his eyes, pulling his hair harshly to show him he absolutely meant what he said. “If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I’m out that door and I’ll never come back.”

Tsuyoshi heaved, trying to hold back tears.

 

“Do you understand me?” Koichi asked intensely.

The younger boy nodded.

Koichi shook his head at that, though. “No, I want to hear you. Let me hear your voice. Voice what you want to say. So, do you understand me?”

“Yes,” Tsuyoshi choked out, body shaking.

 

But Koichi would still not have it. “Your voice is not that weak, Tsuyoshi. I’ve heard it a million times in every possible situation. You have a strong voice and I want to hear it. Do you understand what I just said?”

Tsuyoshi was shaking his head in desperation, but he stopped at Koichi’s tone, looking at him. He blinked. And then he understood. Koichi was offering him a new chance. A chance to learn to deal with his problems, to grow close gain, even though he had betrayed him so, maybe even to find a way to continue working together if that was possible. And Tsuyoshi decided that he would give it his all fighting for their future.

 

“Yes,” he said firmly, looking back at Koichi and nodding in determination.

“Good,” Koichi nodded back. “Tomorrow we go and see Chiba-sensei and ask him what to do about this.”

“Right,” Tsuyoshi agreed.

A short pause followed that was filled with an unusually awkward silence.

“Ano…” Tsuyoshi muttered, “What now?”

“Well,” Koichi mused, picking up his shopping bag. “Apple?”

Tsuyoshi smiled thankfully at him and nodded. He actually chuckled at the pointed look Koichi shot him and said, “Happily.”

“Right, then.”

 

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“This should keep you well-balanced for now,” Chiba-sensei told him. “You should have told me about your depressions before,” he scolded Tsuyoshi. “You sure gave your partner a heart-attack.”

“I know,” Tsuyoshi sighed. “I…” He looked at Koichi. “I’ll try harder.”

Koichi smiled reassuringly at him.

“Well, you’ll have a few obstacles,” Chiba-sensei told him.

“Such as?” Koichi asked.

 

“Well, your meds are on the tough side. They will most likely have side effects. You might have a feeling of sickness for the next few days.”

Tsuyoshi nodded in understanding.

“After that your appetite will most likely go up,” the doctor continued. “In addition to that the meds will suppress the Trypsin in your body. It’s a digestive enzyme working in your small intestine. This means that you will be prune to gaining weight very easily.”

 

“That’s not a problem,” Koichi decided firmly. “Any serious stuff?”

“Well,” Chiba-sensei laughed nervously, “if the side effects get any stronger than that we’ll meet again to re-medicate. Make sure to keep a diary on your daily condition and everything that might be array,” the doctor impressed on Tsuyoshi.

“Right, I’ll do that,” the boy nodded.

“Very well, then,” the doctor said, “we’re done for today. I’ll see you in two weeks.”

“Thank you, sensei,” Tsuyoshi said as he got up, bowing before he went for the door.

“Thank you,” Koichi said gratefully, smiling at the doctor before following his lover.

 

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“So…” Tsuyoshi mused as he sat down next to Koichi on the sofa.

The TV was running, showing some kind of F1 summary of the day, but Koichi paid no attention to it, turning towards his partner.

“So?” he asked.

“So,” Tsuyoshi sighed, “you’ll be stuck with a miserable fat slop by the end of the month. I’m just a bit scared that you might run,” he told Koichi.

 

The older boy tried to laugh reassuringly, but he ended up sounding nervously.

“What are you saying?” he asked the other boy. “The doctor said you’ll probably gain weight more easily. If we keep a watch on that I’m sure you’ll be fine. And if the meds keep working so well…” Koichi broke off, looking away slightly.

“Yes?”

“Well,” Koichi mused, “I just thought maybe then we can have sex again.”

Tsuyoshi laughed at that. “That’s what’s on your mind right now?”

 

“Not exactly,” Koichi explained. “It’s more like a perspective. Something to aim for.”

Tsuyoshi pondered that. “That kinda sounds nice,” he agreed. “I just wonder whether I’ll be able to do it, you know.”

“Neither do I,” Koichi shrugged. “But so long as you keep fighting I’ll be by your side,” he told the other. “I’ve already had you unconscious on stage, you lied to me, I found you… in the bathroom… and I didn’t run yet. So I won’t, no matter what comes next,” he decided firmly.

 

“But how do I keep fighting forever?” Tsuyoshi mused, sounding a bit discouraged.

“Nobody said anything about forever,” Koichi told him.

As Tsuyoshi looked at him he found the older boy’s gaze finally glued to the screen.

“What?”

“How about…” Koichi stated rather casually, “you’ll just try to fight today. Just today.”

“And then?” Tsuyoshi wanted to know.

“Then we go from there,” Koichi informed him.

 

Tsuyoshi looked at his partner in wonder. Then he smiled gratefully. Koichi was offering him all the support he could possibly ask for. And… Koichi’s logics were interesting, but in a way he was right. He didn’t have to fight forever. Only for a day. Everyday it would just be a day. And a day wasn’t really all that long. Carefully he shifted closer to Koichi, settling against his side and resting his head on the older boy’s shoulder. He closed his eyes as he felt Koichi’s hand stroke his hair lovingly, and snuggled up against him more. He smiled as he felt lips against his forehead. Koichi was warm against him, he smelled good and his hand was tenderly playing with his hair. Taking in the whole situation Tsuyoshi decided that, having Koichi, maybe he could be happy, after all.

 

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[This is a post script. I don’t know how else to put it in, so I’ll just give two short comments of the characters. An after-thought, if you like, to these happenings, that would be phrased several years later. Think of it as something that we would love to read in a magazine interview.  ^_~  ]

 

Koichi: Tsuyoshi is one of the strongest characters I’ve ever met. He’s a true fighter. He always keeps saying how I help him when he’s not feeling well, but in reality he’s the stronger of the two of us. I truly admire him for this strength.

 

Tsuyoshi: The one thing I love the most about Koichi is the fact that he never gives me the feeling that he has to carry me. He will be there with all his support, but he will never take matters into his own hands, letting me make my own decisions and mistakes, trusting me to be able to deal with the consequences. In that he doesn’t exactly give me strength, but he helps me to find strength in myself. He’s a remarkable person. And somehow, I don’t know, but I always kind of think I really have to live up to his expectations. ^_^"

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Finished. Now this story line is basically over, although you might themes of it in later chapters, like e.g. Tsuyoshi asking Koichi for a story, etc. But that will be light stuff. I promise that I'll be writigg about happier stuff from now on. And, of course, porn will have a revival too. ^_~ Thanks to everybody who read up to this point. It took a lot of time and effort, but I'm happy I finally finished it. I hope you liked (as much as anyone could) and that you'll keep reading what's to come.