Miecamiu: Maybe I will...heh...my "boyfriend" randomly sent me those lyrics once...

Chapter Seven: Echoes

"Kei..." Sho said, his voice cracking. He couldn't stand to see the person he loved crying...

Kei continued to sob, not responding to any of Sho's questions or gestures. Inside his mind, Kei's two opinions were at war. Why are you crying? Sho loves you. You love him... As well as: He never loved you. It was stupid of you to ask him what he wanted to say... On the outside, Kei was a wreck. His eyes were red and puffy, his sight blurred by the many tears that were still falling. His hair had become frazzled, falling to the sides of his face.

Overhead the albatross
Hangs motionless upon the air
And deep beneath the rolling waves
In labyrinths of coral caves

Sho, on the other hand, was trying to stay sane. He feared that if he tried to do anything, it might hurt Kei forever... and forever would be a long time for a vampire. His hand was still resting on Kei's cheek. Slowly, Kei slid down the side of the wall, softly hitting the floor. Sho, rather than supporting Kei, collapsed to the ground, giving up.

"Kei," Sho said, looking at the blue carpet. He couldn't stand Kei's tears. "Why can't you just answer me?" He clenched his fists. "God, Kei... sometimes... sometimes you're just too selfish..." A sob escaped Kei's lips, making Sho look up. Kei looked hurt, angry, and resentful.

"I'm the one—who—who's—selfish!" Kei choked out. He glared at Sho. "Me? I'm—selfish?"

An echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand
And everything is green and submarine.

"Yes, you are!" Sho retorted, glaring at the vampire. "You're always selfish! You don't care about anybody but yourself! You pay no attention to anyone at all! God, Kei... you don't even pay attention to me!" His words struck Kei deep. Wasn't loving Sho enough proof? Wasn't sitting with him in the hospital, almost losing his sanity, enough? Wasn't waiting for him to come home from the hospital enough?

Kei's face fell. Sho knew that he had hurt Kei deeply, he could tell by the man's stony silence. He realized what he had said was false. He had blurted out something that was completely untrue just to get Kei's attention. He felt horrible again. "Kei...I—I didn't mean—"

"Shut up." Kei said sternly, regaining control of his voice. Sho obeyed, staring at Kei. Never before had he sounded so serious. He was frightened. Kei stared at his feet, unable to look Sho in the face. "You think I'm selfish?" He asked, not expecting an answer. "You think I'm selfish? Me?" he paused. "Sho, when have I ever been selfish? When have I ever not thought about Toshi or Shinji? Hell, when have I ever not thought about you? Who held you in their arms when you were having a serious asthma attack the other night on a mission? Who yelled for Toshi to call an ambulance? Who sat at the side of your hospital bed waiting for you to wake up just so they could see your smiling face and know that you were alright and that life could go on?"

And no one called us to the land
And no one knows the where's or why's.
Something stirs and something tries
Starts to climb toward the light.

Sho began to say something. "Kei—"

"I sat there for so many hours, barely clinging onto sanity just so I could hold you and kiss you and know that everything would be alright, knowing that I could live on! I even apologized to you so many times after! It was my fault!" Kei paused. "Sho, when have I ever been selfish? I've always cared about you... and—and now..." Anger began to flare up inside of him. "And now... Now? Now you accuse me of being selfish!" Sho was silent. "Well? Say something!" Kei fumed.

Strangers passing in the street
By chance two separate glances meet
And I am you and what I see is me.

"I—I—Kei..." Sho stuttered. "I—I—didn't mean—" Sho couldn't find anything to say. All he could think of was what he wanted Kei to say, to make sure that Kei truly loved him. It was hard for the words to come out of Sho's mouth. "But—none of those... they don't—tell me how much you care about—about me." Kei's jaw dropped. He looked up, staring into cerulean eyes. Sho stared straight back. Kei's anger was at its peak, Sho could tell. He also saw misery behind the brown eyes.

And do I take you by the hand
And lead you through the land
And help me understand
The best I can.

"You want proof?" Kei said, tears beginning to well in his eyes. "Fine." He took a deep breath, trying to unravel his nerves. "Sho, I love you so much... If you would have died that night when you had your asthma attack, I would've killed myself." Sho gasped quite audibly. "I would have nothing left to live for in this world. Nothing! I would have sat out on the beach and watched the sun rise, awaiting to see you again in Heaven..." A tear trickled down his cheek. Sho watched as it fell down Kei's face and into his open palm. His open palm soon clenched into a fist.

"And if that's not enough proof for you, then I don't know what is!" Kei said, resting his head against the wall. Sho crawled over to Kei on all fours and sat in between Kei's legs, crouching in a cat-like posture.

And no one called us to the land
And no one crosses there alive.
No one speaks and no one tries
No one flies around the sun...

"It is enough proof..." Sho said, leaning forward, gently kissing Kei's forehead. Kei looked up, surprised at Sho's sudden change in mood. Sho could be so stubborn at times. He wanted the man to suffer, but as he looked upon Sho's face, Kei could tell that he was sincere. Behind bright blue eyes lay pain and suffering beyond anything Kei knew. Kei could tell that Sho was worried about him by how he was acting. Sho's eyes would not stop searching Kei's face for an answer.

As quick as a gunshot, Kei's hands thrust forward, grabbing Sho's head. Without hesitation, Kei pulled Sho's head towards his own, kissing the man passionately. Sho was shocked. At first, he resisted Kei's tongue, but it was a tough effort and the vampire seemed as though he wouldn't quit. Sho, tired of the struggle, gave up, letting Kei's tongue explore his mouth for as long as he could stand it.

Almost everyday you fall
Upon my waking eyes,
Inviting and inciting me
To rise.

Soon after, Sho felt Kei's hands leave his face and move to his chest, tearing off his shirt. In return, since Kei had no shirt on, Sho forced his tongue into Kei's mouth, tracing it over Kei's perfect teeth, tasting the sweet saliva of the vampire. As Sho was kept busy by Kei's mouth, Kei was occupied with removing his pants. He threw them off and moved on to Sho's. They proved to be harder to remove than Kei had expected them to be, since all he could see was Sho's perfect face and all he could concentrate on was Sho's tongue in his own mouth.

After a few minutes of trying to focus on Sho's pants and not his tongue, Kei managed to unzip them and pull them off as far as he could reach. The next problem was getting Sho's attention. Gently, Kei bit down on Sho's tongue, making Sho's eyes fly open. Kei stared straight into blue and made a motion with his eyes that made Sho nod in response, withdrawing his tongue. He pulled off his pants as he said, "I thought you wanted to stop because it seems wrong." Sho looked up at Kei, who was giving him one of those 'Are you wearing my pants?' look.

"No," he said, wrapping his arms around Sho's thighs. "That's something you would do." Sho smiled and nodded in response. He suddenly stopped, staring directly at Kei.

"Hey, that was an insult, wasn't it?" Sho asked, leaning forward.

And through the window in the wall
Come streaming in on sunlight wings
A million bright ambassadors of morning.

"You're the genius." Kei replied, staring at Sho's illuminated face. Finally, and unexpectedly, he lunged at Sho's mouth, however, he never made it to his mouth since their tongues met before their lips did. Kei pushed Sho backwards onto the floor, straddling the man. He began caressing Sho's hips roughly, making Sho moan in pleasure, thrusting his hips upward.

Sho was longing for the feel of Kei's skin against his own. He bucked his hips up again, moaning, "Please…" Kei readied himself and thrust his whole being inside of Sho, making Sho arch his back, screaming in pleasure and pain. He smiled secretly, realizing how pleasant it felt to him. It may not have felt pleasant to Sho, but he was enjoying it all the more, Kei could just tell.

Kei thrust his hips upwards, driving himself farther and farther into Sho. In response, Sho thrust his hips as well, finding and joining the rhythm of Kei's sex-driven motions, trying to lessen the pain. He couldn't tell if Kei was trying to hurt him or please him, but his body cried out in pain as Kei continued to push even farther inside of Sho. "God, Kei..." Sho managed to say, opening his eyes to look at the vampire, who was smiling. "Kei... Kei... he screamed (again) in agony, wrapping his legs around Kei's waist. The movement just barely lessened the pain.

And no one sings me lullabyes
And no one makes me close my eyes

Kei leaned forward and whispered in Sho's ear: "I love you." before plunging his tongue into Sho's mouth, losing his sense of time...

Sho woke up hours later, his head heavy. As he regained his senses, he quietly whimpered in pain, realizing that his hips and legs, not to mention his back, were throbbing with pain. Also, he was cold. Shifting his weight so he wasn't in so much pain, he turned around and came face-to-face with Kei. He was a wreck, although there was a smile on his face. His hair was no longer slicked back; it hung in fluffy bunches, falling in front of his line of vision. The vampire's brown eyes were staring directly into Sho's, his arms wrapped around Sho's waist. "Morning." He said.

"Isn't it evening?" Sho asked, not bothering to look out the window for reassurance. Kei shrugged, shifting the grip he had on Sho's hips, making Sho flinch in pain.

"God, is my head pounding," Kei moaned. Sho nodded in response, bringing on a wave of dizziness. He leaned forward, pressing his head to Kei's chest. Kei sighed, patting Sho's head, making Sho smile in response.

"So childish," Kei mumbled, smiling.

"Sure. Fine. Whatever." Sho replied, falling back asleep listening to the steady beating of Kei's heart...

So I throw the windows wide
And call to you across the sky...

YES THEY RANDOMLY SLEPT NAKED IN THE MIDDLE OF KEI'S ROOM! YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT! Sorry...

Don't mind the horrible lemon stuff...I don't think it's good, but that's just me...tell me what you think...Oh yes, and:

I found this cool quote on the back of Kristal's Vanilla Lyrics that she's had forever in her planner:

"Your muscles might be sore after the first few days, but it will eventually become easier as you do it more and get stronger and faster."

This was said by our Spanish teacher...during Spanish class...any thoughts on what she meant by it?

The song is Echoes by Pink Floyd...I will randomly put American music in here because I'm too lazy to look up Gackt or Hyde lyrics...

All is going well with my dad's transplant...he's expected to come home Monday morning...only five days after his surgery!