AN: HI THERE! another update. I been playing Trickster Online more (again, i'm a raccoon named Svendlonn). That's the drug that drastically slowed down the release of "Gilded". Hopefully I'll still keep updatng this at a good pace. So much to do so little time! I feel like I can't even keep up with the fics I been reading!!!.

Chapter 11

Arai rolled off of Eiji, tired and spent, but extremely satisfied. He let out a contented sigh and turned to look at his boyfriend. Eiji in turn, rolled onto his side and smiled back at him. Arai went in for a quick kiss and Eiji obliged him.

"Don't you have to go to work soon?" Eiji asked, as Arai laced his fingers through his.

"Yeah, are you gonna be here when I get off?" Arai asked.

Eiji shook his head. "No, I have other plans."

Arai looked a bit disappointed and crawled over the bed (and Eiji) and grabbed a towel from the back of a chair. "I'm gonna go shower. You can use it after me."

He looked at Eiji and Eiji only nodded to show he understood.

"And you can stay over tonight after you finish your thing. Just call my cell phone if you decide to stay, ok?" Arai asked, wrapping the towel around his waist.

Eiji nodded again to show he understood and Arai walked out of the room to go to the bath. Once alone, Eiji turned onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. What was he doing with his life? Two boyfriends… One he just finished sleeping with and another he had to meet in… Eiji turned his head to look at Arai's clock… 30 minutes. Wait… 30 minutes! Eiji's eyes grew wide as he suddenly sat upright and lept out of bed. He frantically searched Arai's room for his scattered clothing. He found his boxers and shirt fairly easily. The pants somehow fell behind the television and the socks were just so much of a pain that Eiji decided to just borrow a pair of Arai's. He opened a drawer to look for socks. Opening the first drawer he found porno mags and dvds. Eiji rolled his eyes. How typical of Arai. He opened the second drawer and snatched out a pair of white socks and then walked into the bathroom.

Arai turned to look at him.

"I'm late. I just need to freshen up just a little, nya," Eiji said in an apologetic tone.

Arai stepped aside and let Eiji use the shower head to wash off.

"Where are you going?" Arai asked.

"Study group with some kids in my class," Eiji replied, not getting into any significant detail. He'd let Arai's brain fill in the rest.

"Oh, good luck then."

"Thank you," Eiji handed him the shower head. "And I borrowed your socks." Eiji stole Arai's towel and walked out the bathroom, patting himself dry.

Eiji got dressed and then looked at the clock again as he tied his shoes. Damn, 20 minutes. Eiji noisely exited the apartment, "Bye, Masashi-kun!" He didn't wait to hear Arai's reply and bounded down the stairs of the apartment complex. He broke into a run as he hit the street. Atobe was not one to wait around for anyone.

Atobe looked at his watch as he waiting for Eiji at the usual café.

"Keigo, I'm so sorry I'm late," Eiji said, sliding into his seat. He looked tired and was out of breath.

"Did you run all the way here?" Atobe asked, with an arched brow.

"Some of the way… not quite the entire way," Eiji replied. He layed his head on the table but Atobe made him pick his head back up.

"Stop doing that! It's your own fault you're late," Atobe said.

Eiji nodded. "I'm sorry."

He hadn't meant to be late. He only planned one date that day. Since Arai had to work it seemed perfect that he and Atobe would share the day together. However, Eiji had accidentally spent the night at Arai's place, and incidentally the morning too. It was hard work balancing and maintaining two stable relationships. He and Atobe had been juggling the task for about two weeks now. Eiji and Atobe never neglected their first lovers, Arai and Hiyoshi respectfully. But they also had an obligation towards each other. Despite their initial plan to tell their significant others about the fling, neither had the courage to do so in the end.

Eiji thanked the waitress as she set a cup of coffee down in front of him. He began to stir it and pretended to listen to what Atobe was saying. It wasn't that Atobe wasn't interesting, but Eiji's mind was elsewhere at the moment… like on Arai, and his relationship with Arai. He and Arai had gotten so much closer over the month and a half. Not to mention they already took the big step of sleeping with each other. But then Eiji had to take into account the boy sitting across from him. He had been dating Atobe for two weeks now. It took him and Arai basically a month to reach that step, whereas Atobe was already pressuring him to do it since day one. Of course, Eiji said no every time. But if he were to continue this relationship, then Eiji would have to at sometime say yes. Now, what bothered him was the fact that that would mean Eiji would be sleeping with two guys and in turn he'd be a slut… or something… right?

"Eiji! Are you even listening?" Atobe cut through Eiji's thoughts.

"What? Sorry Keigo, I dazed off."

Atobe rolled his eyes, "Judging from that blush it was something nice? Hopefully, it involved ore-sama and you."

"Something like that, nya," Eiji replied.

A smug smile tugged at Atobe's lips and Eiji had to look away, so he looked down at his cup of coffee.

"So what were you talking about?" Eiji asked, not taking his eyes off his beverage.

"Hajime Mizuki," Atobe replied.

"No," Eiji said, lifting his cup to his lips.

"What? You haven't even heard ore-sama out!" Atobe complained.

"I don't need to," Eiji said. "I already know what you're going to say."

"What? It was your idea in the first place."

"Nya! No it wasn't. It was your idea to come out to Hiyoshi and Masashi-kun. I only said Mizuki's name because he's the only person we know with two boyfriends—"

"Thus making him the likely source of good advice!" Atobe said.

Eiji set his cup down with a sigh. "Keigo… I do not want to risk losing what I have over this."

"So you care about that poor loser more than you care about me? You want to keep me in the shadows forever!?" Atobe covered his eyes dramatically. "Are you so ashamed of ore-sama!?"

Eiji rolled his eyes. "Fine!" He said.

"Good, because we'll be going to see him shortly," Keigo Atobe said triumphantly.

Eiji's eyes widened and just then their food arrived. Atobe smiled happily at the food on his plate and began to eat. Eiji stared down at his dish in front of him, a sickness growing in his stomach. He had suddenly lost his appetite.

To be continued…

AN: Thanks for reading. A lot of the time, I compare this fic to "gilded" in my mind. I personally love "gilded" to peices, but this fic is decidedly better written. Anyway, the sequal to gilded has been prancing around in my mind (again). I think I might have to begin writing it. If that happens I'll have to pace updates between two fics... so I haven't decided. Anyway, I'm still considering to write an "M" chapter to this fic. ...We'll see what happens. And... thanks for reading! Thanks for the reviewsssss :3