Disclaimers: :P

Warnings: Shounen ai!!! Big time!! Not much else. Unless you count sap. ^^;;

Notes: Errrrrr…sorry this took so long. ^^;; I didn't want it to take so long!! I just had too much stuff to do. Argh argh argh. Hope this is okay; it's reeeeally sappy. ^^

YET ANOTHER STORY

Chapter Two:

And In That Darkness…

For the sixth time, the movie was super super cool! Doukun, Myojuan, Taka, and Shouka actually wound up coming, too, and ironically enough, we saw Doulin, Lanva, and Kaen at the theater seeing the same thing! It was a nice little Reincarnated Seishi Movie Excursion, even though only we Suzaku knew about the Seishi thing. Sai had said that Kaen had been a Seiryuu no Shichiseishi, same as the guy who'd killed me (which is weird to say and even weirder to think about). Doulin and Lanva worshipped a big white tiger, or something. I made a mental joke to myself to get those two out to Las Vegas some time to see the Siegfried and Roy show. Maybe it'd spark some memories, or something. Maybe they'd even join the show, do some seishi power stuff and become world famous.

Then I realized that the mental joke was getting waaayyy too detailed to be considered sane, and I forced my brain to stop thinking and focus on Mitzi from 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' ordering his army to attack Mount Doom.

The movie version of The Fellowship of the Ring was the best thing to happen to me since Drunken Sloshed Sai had caught me in a liplock and started the whole relationship thing. I read the books a long long long time ago, when I was eight or nine, and all I'd had to assuage my dreams to see it in movie form was that creepy cartoon version from the 70s. It was about time they made a decent live-action version!!

It had opened on Wednesday, December 19th, but I had been so excited about it that Sai had taken me to the very first showing, the Tuesday before at midnight. He bought us popcorn and soda and Milk Duds—I teased him and said he was going to make me sick, but it was fun having so much food, somehow, even when I knew we would never eat it all. We got there early enough to get a seat in the second row of seating in the Stadium Seating part of the theater, right in the middle. It was one of the best movie-going experiences I'd ever had.

Of course, having everyone seeing the movie at once was a lot of fun, too. I wished Miaka, Houjun, and Kouran were there, to make our family complete. But they were stuck out in Indiana at Perry University, and I wouldn't see them until February, when Miaka was planning on visiting.

After it was over, we all hung out in the lobby for a while. Gen-chan was going on and on about how (insert expletive) awesome the movie was; I teased him about how he reminded me of Gimli the dwarf, and he switched emotions quickly and started calling me Goblin Boy. When the ushers started giving us dirty looks and everyone decided to head home, Sai said I could spend the night at his place, if I liked.

Who was I to say no?

It was a school night, and I had a class at nine the next day, but it was the first day of school (therefore, a small amount of celebration was A-OK!). And Sai said he'd drop me off at class in the morning, since he had one himself at nine thirty. So I went, and we watched TV for a while on the couch and drank lemon tea before going to bed.

I loved sleeping with Sai. (Oh, for crying out loud, SLEEPING. Not SLEEEEEEPING!!) Having him there beside me, hearing him breathe, feeling his arms around me… When someone sleeps with you like that, sleeping and not SLEEEPING, protecting you and keeping you warm, it means they really, really love you. It makes you feel like you're important, important enough to be protected. Maybe it wasn't "manly," but gender roles are so dumb sometimes. Why can't people just be who they are without worrying that they're doing something wrong?

Okay, enough of the mushy stuff.

I had a pair of pajamas in one of my drawers at the house, so there was no problem in that arena. They were Peacock Green—judging by the color names of Prismacolor pencils—with pale yellow along the collar and cuffs and down the front. Sai had gotten them for me for Christmas, and they were very, very comfy—just like Sai himself, ehehehehe—and I loved them—just like Sai again, ehehehe! Big coincidence there—even though they were a little too big.

Did I say enough of the mushy stuff? It just keeps taking over. Siiigh.

"Do you want an extra blanket, or anything?" Sai asked me, turning down the covers of the bed as I emerged from the bathroom, mouth tingling from recent Listerine application.

"No, I think I'll be okay," I said, still not able to escape the slight heat that spread across my cheeks at his concern. I got cold really easily, and he knew that; what's more, he actually took measures to help me. It was just a little thing, really, and Genrou—all of my friends, at that—would probably have asked the same thing. (Well, Genrou would've found some way to make it sound like he didn't really care. But whatever.) But somehow, coming from Sai, it was different. Everyone else did it out of "You're My Friend And I Care For You" Love, but he did it out of "You're The Person In My Life That Matters The Most And I Want To Be With You Forever" Love. Maybe that's stupid; maybe it doesn't make any sense at all. But love hardly ever makes sense, I guess. It doesn't have to, though; it just…is.

So, anyway, yeah…no to the extra blanket. And I got into bed while he brushed his teeth and combed his hair and did his Noxeema and whatever else, and was halfway asleep already when he returned.

I felt the mattress shake as he climbed in beside me, heard the click of the lamp being dimmed, and then he was behind me, arms around my waist, holding me gently against his chest.

"Mmmf," I greeted eloquently.

"Are you warm enough?" he wanted to know.

Turning so that my head pressed into his shoulder, I twined my own arms under his with a contented sigh. "Mmmna," I said, which, translated, is roughly equivalent to "I am now, thank you very much for inquiring, you're such a gentleman."

"There's only a month until Valentine's Day, you know." He was running a hand through my hair. He seemed to like to do that. "What would you like to do?"

VALENTINE'S DAY!!! MY FIRST ONE!! My first Valentine's Day with a valentine!! Candy hearts and chocolate and for once I won't spend it pigging out with Gen-chan and throwing candy wrappers at people kissing in the park! I HAVE A VALENTINE!!!!! Wait a moment…I AAAAAM A VALENTINE!!!!

Apparently, the shock of this was too much for my conscious self to register at the moment, because I remained eerily calm. "Mmmm…s'alittle early, innit?" was all I said with a sigh, and snuggled closer, nuzzling my nose against his chest.

I love my Sai. He's so comfy.

"I know," he laughed softly. "But it's our first one. If you'd like to do something special, I can make reservations early to make sure we get them. If you'd like to go to a nice restaurant, or go to a concert in town…whatever you'd like."

I opened my eyes and blinked for a while. He was asking me what I wanted to do? Didn't he know I wasn't good at that sort of thing? Of course he knew. So why was he even bothering?

"Well," I said, "do you wanna do any of those things?"

"I asked you first."

He's so cute when he's playful.

I thought about it for a while, then replied truthfully, "I don't really want anything big and expensive, you know? I just want to be with you. If you wanna go out or whatever, that's fine. I don't care what we do, as long as I'm with you."

Those've gotta be movie lines, or something. You just can't escape the sap, can you? Ahh, it's hopeless. Just let it go.

He was silent for a while, but during that silence, he gave me a squeeze that said what I'd just told him had been well received. "How about if we have dinner here?" he said finally. "I'll make you dinner, and we can watch a video or something. How does that sound?"

"That'd be great," I whispered happily. "I like that idea."

"There's one catch, though."

"Mm? What?"

"Since I picked what we're doing, you have to decide what you want for dinner and what we watch."

"Both?" I squeaked. "Sai, that's not fair! I can't do both!! You have to pick the movie!!"

"All right, all right. What should I make for dinner, then? I could do filet mignon, or some nice salmon…"

"Can we have spaghetti?"

He burst out laughing, lowering his forehead to the top of my head. I felt the blushing start again. "Ahhh, Ryuuen," he chuckled. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

I pulled away a little so I could look in his eyes and check to see if he was fooling. I knew he wasn't, I guess. But it still seemed so new…and a lifetime of being romantically abstinent didn't help reality to set in any faster. It still made my heart swell to see nothing but earnest truth in Sai's beautiful golden eyes. It also still made me blush like a sunburned tomato, and I again tucked my head into the space between his shoulder and neck, trying to hide my face.

"Okay." He rubbed my back. "I think…sleep now, right?"

"Sai?"

"Mm?"

Rotating my head the slightest bit, so that my forehead rested against the side of his neck and I could actually breathe again, I tried to stifle a yawn. "Will you stay with me forever?"

He gathered me closer, wrapping the blankets more tightly around us.

"Longer."

Ehehehehehehehehe…What did I do to deserve this guy? Save the entire world from destruction, or something?…

…Oh, yeah. Duh.

"Sai…"

"Mm hmm?"

Slight pause.

"I love you, too, you know."

Never moving his arm from around me, he reached back and turned the lamp completely off.

"I know."

There was darkness. And in that darkness, there was nothing but him and me.

(For heaven's sake. Genrou's right. You are a TOTAL sap.)

~*~

"Ryuuen!!"

I looked up with a gasp, but strangely, I moved in slow motion; my hair floated around my face as if I was under water. There was nothing around me but air, swirling thick and opaque across my vision. My feet were hidden in the mist, but they weren't touching the ground.

"Ryuuen!! Turn around!"

I did as the voice said, turned slowly, and broke out into a smile. "Sai!"

He grinned back as I floated toward him, and caught me in his arms, swinging me around and laughing. His hair shone in the dim light, the long ponytail drifting out behind him; there was a sparkle in his eyes, reflecting the brightness of his smile. And he was smiling for me.

"Where are the others?" I wondered aloud as we spun through the cloudy air.

"I don't know," he replied. "We're alone."

"I have to write my thesis," I informed him solemnly.

Sai nodded. "You should have done it last semester."

Suddenly stricken by a fluttering desire, I wrapped my arms around his neck and said, "I'd like to kiss you." And in my dream, I didn't blush.

As he did not protest, I moved my mouth closer and closer to his, closing my eyes…but something made me stop right before we touched. It was if something was stopping me, restraining me…and it didn't make sense.

Why couldn't I kiss him?

Confused, I pulled back slightly and opened my eyes to see…

~*~

"Ryuuen! Ryuuen!!"

Something shaking me…It wasn't him; it wasn't him…

I opened my eyes quickly, realized I was panting, lying on my back and staring up at the ceiling. Sai was leaning over me, hands on my shoulders, peering down with a worried expression, his hair falling around his face in sepia waves; as soon as I awoke, he stopped his gentle shaking and let out a breath.

For the longest time, there was no sound in the room besides my own heavy breathing. The dream was still vivid in my mind; at the end, at the end…I had looked up…and it hadn't been him. And it had frightened me. I couldn't remember why, but it had frightened me…

"Are you all right?" Sai asked, stroking my cheek with his thumb. "You called out."

I looked up at him, breathing slowing. "I did?"

A nod. "Did you have the nightmare again? Ashitare?"

Shaking my head, I turned on my side and hugged him. "No…it was just weird. I'm…I'm sorry."

"There's no need to be sorry. Are you sure you're all right? Do you want something to drink?"

I shook my head again. "I'm okay. Let's…let's just go back to sleep, okay?"

"All right." The light was turned off once more, and before I knew it, Sai was asleep with his cheek on the top of my head, his breath gently rustling my hair. From the safety of his arms, I told myself that I should have no trouble sleeping again…but I couldn't stop thinking.

What did the dream mean? Why had it scared me? Why hadn't Sai been himself? The questions made my head spin in circles, an effective ward against dozing off. I finally told myself that I was an idiot, that some dreams are just dreams, and don't mean anything. Maybe it was the popcorn I'd had at the movie. Maybe it was something I saw on TV.

You've gotta learn not to be so obsessed with the supernatural. Seishi or no seishi, EVERYTHING doesn't happen like that.

It took quite a while, but eventually, Sai's embrace and my own repeated insistences relaxed me enough so that I could fall asleep.

TBC…

Notes: Eheh…okay. Notes. Number One: Mitzi from 'Priscilla' is played by Hugo Weaving, who (if you couldn't tell from the context ^_~ ) also plays Elrond, as well as Agent Smith from The Matrix. ^___^ Sorry if this chapter was too boring. There's…more "interesting" stuff coming soon. ^^;;