Title: Following You

Author: Yunshi Himura

Pairings: Oishi x Eiji

Genre: Drama, Romance

Rating: K+

Length: Oneshot [for the moment]

Disclaimer: Not mine, purely Konomi Takeshi. Just own the idea and plot.

Summary: Oishi is going to America. What about Eiji? Will he leave him alone, waiting?

Eiji sits with his legs hanging at the edge of the green container, waiting patiently for his partner to arrive. Oishi had called him last night to meet in the evening since both of them were busy with classes since early morning.

It has been five years since they graduated middle school and went separate ways. Oishi went to a medical school to pursue his studies in becoming a doctor, while Eiji went to Seishun Gakuen Senior High with Fuji. They were separated by miles distances, but they still keep in contact with each other, talking on the phone every day, exchanging emails and meet at least once a month. These routine goes on without fail for five years.

But lately, Oishi was busy with his studies and Eiji had a rough training in his stunt training centre. They rarely talk and the emails had shorten, and it was two months since he last saw the other. Eiji miss Oishi so much that he saw the other in his dream. He knows, no, he sure, he really really sure that Oishi miss him too.

That's why, he was so ecstatic when he got the call last night. He really miss the other. He can't wait to hug him, to hear his voice, to touch his face and to finally see Oishi after two long months.

Eiji giggled. He can't wait to see Oishi. He had rough days this week and Oishi's call was like a medicine to his soreness. His seniors had been hard on him and he really needs a shoulder to vent his frustration. And that shoulder was Oishi.

"Sorry, Eiji. Were you waiting long?" Oishi's voice called from below the container.

Eiji lowered his head, smiling his big and cheerful smile at the other. "Oishi..." he greets happily.

Smiling back at him, Oishi climb the container and take a seat beside the red head. Without wasting a second, Eiji jump on him and circled his arms around Oishi.

"Ei...Eiji..." Oishi manage to choke out.

He was used to it. Heck, he even prepared for Eiji to jump on him. But it still caught him surprise sometimes. Moreover they are on top of a container. It will be hard to control his balance. A little slip, they both will fall hard on the ground. Not like he's worried though. Since he won't let himself hurt by a mere hug and he definitely won't let Eiji hurt himself. And Oishi himself, believe in Eiji's acrobatic sense to save them both if such thing happen.

"I really miss you..." Eiji cried.

Oishi smiles as he raise his arms to grab Eiji's back. "I miss you too."

Eiji's body feels small in his arms, almost perfect to fills in the empty feeling in his heart. This is not the first time they hug each other. But every time they did, it never fails to warm him, never miss to make him feels butterfly in his stomach, never forgot to drum his heart heavily against his chest. And Oishi loves the feeling of Eiji's body against his.

Is it weird to feels like this? He had this funny feeling in his stomach since...well, he doesn't remember since when. But the feeling had been frequent in his chest since forever. As much as he doesn't understand the meaning behind this funny feeling, he doesn't want this feeling to disappear either.

Kikumaru Eiji had been his best friend, his partner, his life, his everything and hopefully, his forever. He doesn't want to lose the other. These five years distance had put him into a total mess. He had study to his last sweat. He had work hard to his last breath.

Hopefully, hopefully, it will all pay off to what he wish for.

Eiji was the first to loosen the hug, and Oishi already miss his warmth.

"How are you, Oishi?" Eiji asks.

"I'm fine." He smiles. "And you?"

"I'm fine nya!" the other replies enthusiastically, forgetting his tiredness and soreness at the class. See? It was just what he thought. Oishi was enough to ease his hard day.

"How was your study?" Oishi asks again. "Still had trouble with your senpai?"

Eiji turns around from Oishi, pouting. "They're demons I tell you. I was like their play things."

Oishi smiles at the rants. He knows it was hard for Eiji. The acrobat is a happy and energetic kid. A little bullying would never hurt him because Eiji usually would brush it off with his smiles. It was as if it's something fun or something they would play with each other. But for Eiji talking and complaining about the bullying every time they contact each other, it only means Eiji was reaching his limit.

'Don't worry, Eiji. I won't let them bully you anymore.' Oishi smiles warmly at the other, half listening to Eiji's whining.

The red head caught Oishi's smiles. "Nya, Oishi!" he shouts. "How could you smile? Is it so funny to see me so miserable?"

Oishi laugh, making the other boy pouts. "Sorry, Eiji." He healed a breath, looking up at the sky. "The weather nice today."

Eiji lift his head to look up too. "Nya? But the forecast said it would rain later,"

"It's okay, we will go somewhere else if it's start raining,"

"Can I get ice cream?" he asks with puppy eyes, hopefully.

Oishi laugh. "Sure, whatever Eiji wants."

"Yeay. Yeay." Eiji jumps, hands rising happily, completely distracted from his anger and his bullying story. He leans his body backward, supporting them with his hands. "I'm surprise the container is still here,"

"Yeah." Oishi nods, looking around the green container. "It was more than five years that they said this container will demolish,"

"I guess they won't anymore because this is our secret and special spot," Eiji says, smiling jokingly.

Oishi laugh. "That...might be true."

Eiji's laugh followed. The laughter the two best friends share filled in the evening air. The breeze blows softly against their cheeks. The air is so refreshing despite the buzzing hot summer. With Oishi beside him on top of their green container, for once, Eiji forgot about his seniors in stunt training centre. For once, Eiji doesn't mind the bullying anymore if it means he can be together with Oishi, like today. It feels like as if the two months absence never comes in between them.

Eiji still looks up at the clear blue sky, oblivious to Oishi's eyes on him. Oishi's eyes are warm and loving, watching his dear friend with full of love.

"Eiji..." he called, softly.

"Nya?" Eiji turns to look at him, smiling.

"I'm going to America," he says calmly.

"Nya?" Eiji tilted his head. "When?"

"In two weeks..."

"That soon?" Eiji turns around to a more comfortable position, facing Oishi. "Why all of a sudden?"

"I got an offer to continue my study to America."

Silence.

Eiji froze. He feels the container shake with the sudden lightening. His hands shaking, his body trembling and his eyes watering.

"Ei...Eiji..." Oishi jump in panic when he saw Eiji's glistening eyes.

"You're going to America? To study?" Eiji hiccups. "I thought...I thought it just for a short visit,"

"No, Eiji. I'm going for my studies. It was a great offer for me to turn it down."

Eiji feels his tears run slowly on his cheek and he brush them off angrily. "How...how long?"

No way. It can't be. It can't be. Even when they live in the same country and the same town, it was hard to meet Oishi. What would happen if they live in separated lands with seas between them? How often they can meet? Once a year? Twice a year? Or Eiji can't see Oishi at all not until the other finish his studies? How about phone calls? It would take a fortune to make phone calls from overseas. How about mails? With their busy schedules, it might turn down to only a line a mail. How about...

Eiji lowered his head, his tears fall down his cheeks and drop on top of the container, and he didn't bother to wipe them off this time.

"Ei...Eiji..." Oishi jump forward, grabbing Eiji's shoulders. "Eiji..."

Eiji lift his head, meeting Oishi's panic and concern's eyes. "How...how long?"

Oishi smiles. "How long is doesn't matter..."

Wa...What...? Doesn't matter? How could Oishi Shūichirō do this to him? How could him? Is he not his friend anymore? How fragile their friendship is. It only takes five years of distant meeting and a move out of land to end their Golden Pair relationship. Did Oishi tired of Eiji now? Did Oishi want to get rid of Eiji now? Did Oishi want to forget everything they shared together, now?

Oishi lift his hands to cup Eiji's cheeks, he brush his thumbs to wipe his tears. "It doesn't matter how long. Be it a year, two years or ten years, it doesn't matter. Because Eiji, I want you to come with me."

Eiji blink his eyes.

Once.

Twice.

Trice.

Oishi wipe his wet cheeks clean from any visible tears, smiling warmly for the other's response.

"Nya?"

He lowered his hands to his lap. "I want you to come with me, Eiji, to America. I had found a suitable school for you, it was just near my school,"

"Why?" Eiji wipe his runny nose on his sleeve.

"As soon as I got the offer, I had thought of asking you to come with me. I search for your school where you can study acrobat and work at the same time. We can live there together," 'forever.' He replies, leaving the last part unsaid.

"Really?"

"Really." Oishi smiles.

Eiji sniffed harshly. "It's...it's great, nya. Finally I can leave those demon senpai-tachi," he says, obviously happy and excited with the turn of event.

"Yes, you can leave your demon senpai-tachi and show them later what you had become," Oishi says, relief that Eiji had stop crying and change back to his usual self.

"I will be the number one stuntman in the...wait, in where? Japan or America?" he says, pounding for himself.

Oishi laugh. "Doesn't matter where. You can be the number one in America or number one in Japan."

Eiji nods enthusiastically. "I, Kikumaru Eiji will be the number one stuntman in the world. I will show those demon senpai-tachi the great Kikumaru-sama's stunt." His hands curled into a fist and shot them up his head.

Oishi laugh again. It sounds childish and unrealistic, to become a number one in the world. But Oishi doesn't care. It was what makes Eiji as Eiji, the happy and excited kid with dream and passion, the partner he loves so much.

"America, it's great, nya. I can't wait," he says, facing Oishi. "But why?"

"Huh?" The egg head tilted his head.

"It was a great offer, Oishi. Thank you." He smiles sincerely. "But why...all of a sudden? You cancel our meeting last month and didn't contact me much like you used to. And then you called last night to meet and then here, you drop a bomb on my shoulder,"

"You don't like it?" Oishi fake a hurt look.

"No. No. Not that, nya!" Eiji quickly wave it off. "I mean...I miss you, like really really miss you. You don't know how happy I was when you said you want to meet. It just...this thing about moving to America is kind of...sudden. I like surprise but not this kind of surprise, nya. It's not good for my heart."

Oishi chuckles softly. "Sorry. It's not that sudden, Eiji. As I said, as soon as I got the offer, I had thought of asking you to come with me. I don't want to leave you alone here. I can't leave you. I can't live without you."

"Hoi?"

"Because..."

Oishi grab Eiji's head and pulls the other closer, and caught his lips in a searing kiss. It was too sudden. Too fast for Eiji to realize that Oishi had kiss him. Oishi Shūichirō, his best friend, his double partner, his pair, had kiss him on the lips. Before Eiji can return the kiss, Oishi had pull away, smiling his sweet and loving smile.

"Because I love you..."

Eiji blink his eyes.

Once.

Twice.

Trice.

And the tears fall like a river down his cheeks, making Oishi panic again.

"Ei...Eiji..." He quickly brush the tears away. Worries engulfing him fully. He's not making Eiji scared, is he? He's not making Eiji hate him, right? He's not making Eiji feeling gross, did he?

No. It's not good. He just proposes to Eiji to go with him to America. He just confesses his undying love for Eiji. He just gives and in return, steal Eiji's first kiss.

He can't. He can't ruin everything now. He can't bear the fact of Eiji hating him and choose to not come with him. He can't imagine his life without Eiji by his side. He can't...

"Ufff..."

Oishi's eyes widen in surprise. Eiji had thrown his body, once again on him. Eiji had circled his arms around his back, hugging him close as if his dear life depends on it. His tears fall on Oishi's shoulder, marking a pool on his shirt.

Slowly, Oishi lift his arms to Eiji's back, pulling the smaller boy closer, as if it's still possible. Oishi smiles warmly and lovingly. It was Eiji's answers to his proposal, his confession and his kiss.

No words needed.

No signs required.

Just like how they play their doubles in courts. They know each other. They believe each other. They completed each other. The action, speaks louder than words.

Oishi knows his double partner well enough to know that the feeling is mutual, that Eiji loves him too, that Eiji wants to be together with him, forever.

How is it?

Is it bad?

Please leave some comment.

My first Prince of Tennis's fanfiction. This...is supposed to be a oneshot, for the moment. Until I decided to make the second and third chapter, so a oneshot that is.