A/N: I'm home! It's great to be back to all the snow looks out at blizzard Good times. I promise I'll get to all of your requests, if they fit into the story, and since everyone seems to want me to . . . I gotta pick a hair color. Hehe, enjoy!

Chapter Seven: Memories and Shock

"It's been a week, y'know, Kira," I comment, glancing over my shoulder to look at him as he sits on my bed.

"Since what?" he asks, tipping his head to one side cutely. I sigh, shaking my head as I tuck my jersey into my baseball pants.

"Your neck, those pictures, how could you forget!" I reply.

"Only a week? It feels like so much longer, because of everything that's happened, good and bad," he looks up at me when he finishes wrapping his wound.

"It has been pretty extreme. The bad was really bad, the good was really good," I say with a smirk.

"Really good? What might have that been?" he asks innocently.

"Oh, so you didn't like what we did yesterday? Your body told me otherwise," I whisper, leaning over the headboard of the bed, my face close to his.

"I was kidding, of course I liked it," he says, linking his arms around my neck.

"You wanna do that again soon?" I ask mischievously.

I nip gently at his neck, my hands on his waist, and he presses his body against mine, sighing softly.

"Not now," I laugh.

"Why not?" he whines.

"Because I have a game to play, and if we're late, La Flaga will know what we were up to."

"He already thinks we're having sex, not to mention the fact that our moms are encouraging it," he says.

"Waving the AxK flags," I kiss him lightly at the corner of his mouth, teasing him, as he moves his head, trying to make our lips meet.

"Stop moving like that," I whisper.

"Why don't you?" he hisses. I turn his head to the side so I can slowly, temptingly, start to suck on his earlobe.

"Athrun!" he gasps.

His hands slip down to my shoulder blades, massaging my back in circular motions. Hmm, massage, might wanna remember that. I shift so that I'm straddling him, sitting up on my knees and he tosses his head back, groaning, as I continue my attack on his weakness.

"Athrun . . . Shouldn't we . . . Be leaving?" he pants.

"You don't want to," I breathe, sliding my hand down to his crotch.

"Mmm . . .Yeah," he says, his voice husky.

"Easily excitable, aren't we?" I whisper between kisses down his jaw.

"You think I can't feel yours against my abs?" I capture his lips in a forceful kiss as a response, pushing my tongue into his mouth.

"Athrun, don't you have a baseball game to get to?" an irritated voice asks from behind me. I reluctantly pull away from Kira and look over my shoulder to see my dad standing in the doorway, glaring at us.

"How do you know I wasn't planning on skipping the game and staying here in bed with Kira?" I ask, grinding my hips against Kira's abs suggestively. I glance at him as he struggles to stifle a moan, biting his lip hard.

"Because you're in your uniform. Now cut it out and let's go!" my dad yells.

"Feh," I mutter, getting off the bed and grabbing my equipment bag from the corner, (don't ask me why it's in my room). I wait until my dad goes downstairs to turn back to Kira, who gazes at me with huge, pleading eyes, rubbing his inner thigh, waiting.

"Gods, Kira, how can you be so sexy and innocent at once?" I ask as I close the door, making sure it's locked before returning to his side.

"Lie on your back. I know how you want to do it," I instruct. He does as I say, raising his arms above his head and taking one wrist in the other hand.

"Do you have any idea what that makes me think of?" I ask, lying down on top of him.

"You pervert," he says. I merely smirk as I grind down, the image of him tied up still in my head.

"Yes, Athrun, ahh!" he cries, bucking his hips up with my next push down.

"Kira . . ." I groan. I wish we weren't being rushed, or I might be enjoying this more. When I hear my mother pacing around downstairs, I start going faster, causing so much pleasure that it's all I can do not to scream.

"Fuck! Athrun!" he wails, forcing his hips up once more as he finishes.

"Kira!" I yell, tossing my head back as I do the same. Our panting eventually stops, my head resting on his chest as it rises and falls, and I look up at him smiling.

"I thought you said you had a game to play?" he asks quietly.

"You're more fun," I say as I sit up, then I realize that I'm wearing my baseball pants.

"Oh shit!" I hiss. I spend the next few minutes running around my room, looking for the extra pair while Kira laughs at my stupidity.

"It's your fault for being so damn hot," I snap, quickly changing into clean boxers and the other pair of pants.

I can tell he stared at me while I was changing, but it doesn't nearly make up for all the ogling I've done. He changes as well with more indecent staring, then I run downstairs and out to my dads car, Kira following on his crutches.

"You two look awfully red. Are you okay?" my mom asks as I sit down on the edge of the back seat, holding Kira's crutches for him while he gets comfortable.

"No, we're fine, it's just, uh, hot out, that's all," I reply with a fake innocent smile.

Am I a good liar or what? I don't think either of them believed me. But I don't have to be worrying about that, because I know I have more embarrassment to face when I get to the field.

"You're late because why!" La Flaga yells when I slink into the dugout. I missed the warm up before the game and arrive just before we start batting.

"Kira and I got kinda side-tracked . . ." I mutter, staring at the dirt, my face burning. I try to hide under the brim of my cap, but La Flaga pulls it off my head and glares at me.

"What were you up to now?" he asks. I can hear Yzak and Dearka snickering nearby as I try to find something to say.

"We were . . .We were . . .Uhm, can we talk about this later? Like, somewhere far away from other people?" I ask hopefully.

"If you wanna sit on the bench the whole game, then sure," he replies.

"Fine! We were . . . Doing . . . Some things in my room," I mumble.

"Oh? What kind of things? Playing video games?" he asks with a wicked smirk.

"You know what I'm talking about! Things I don't want my parents to know about!" I hiss.

"Like . . .?" Sometimes I wonder if he was put on this earth to torture and humiliate me.

"Yeah, Athrun, like what?" Yzak asks.

"None of your fucking business! We weren't doing anything! I'm going to bat!" I yell, grabbing my bat and helmet from my bag.

"Not until you tell me," La Flaga says.

"It was just some kissing, okay? Happy?"

"Not really. I know that's a lie, but go hit anyway."

Thanks to him, that's all anyone asks me for the rest of the game when we're sitting in the dugout Being nagged about your sexual activities pisses you off really fast, believe me. Nicol doesn't mention it, 'cause he's nice, unlike Yzak and Dearka, who talk about it every other minute. Damn them. No way are they getting any more Red Sox tickets from me. Last night's game was slow, the Sox winning by a score of 2-0. Kira and I had more fun staying home anyway.

Unknown to the two of us, my parents spent the whole game talking to Kira's parents about our relationship. Yeah, bad times. We find out this is what they discussed from Lacus, who said one of her "sources" overheard part of the conversation. I bet she has this whole school bugged, that's how she knows all the gossip.

"So what exactly were they saying?" I ask as the three of us loiter near the bleachers after the game is over.

"Ahem, I have it all typed up right here, if you would like to see," she brandishes a piece of paper at me and I snatch it away, Kira peering over my shoulder as I read it.

"'Do you have any idea what our sons have up to over the past few days?'" I say, pretending to be my dad.

"'I think it's sweet that they love each other so much,'" Kira says in an impression of his mother.

"'I fully approve of their relationship,'" I say as my mom.

"'How can you two say that? They're both boys!'" Kira says as his dad.

"'What about what happened the other night? If Athrun hadn't cared enough about your son then he probably would've been killed!'" I say, still my mom.

"'Exactly! That girl he was on the date with was a horrible person! Would you two rather have them be with women like that, who you can't trust, or each other!'" Kira says as his mom now.

"Wow, our mothers are wicked cool," I say.

"We should buy them a present or something for sticking up for us," Kira says, nodding in agreement to my statement.

That reminds me of the choker I bought for him on Wednesday, which has been under my bed since then. I was in such a bad mood before my secret mission that I just kinda shoved it under there and forgot about it until now. I'm gonna have to give it to him soon, but I want it to be kinda, y'know, romantic, I guess. Not like, "hey, I got this for you," more of a, "Kira, will you be my boyfriend?" present. I'll have to figure it out later, when my parent's aren't interrupting me with stupid questions like they are now.

"So, we've planned to go out to dinner with the Yamatos tonight," my mom says. My ears prick up at the mention of his last name and I lean into the front seat, demanding all the details.

"Is it random or are we celebrating something?" I ask.

"Don't act so suspicious. I just thought it would be nice if we all went to dinner together," my mom replies.

"Where? What time? How nice is it?"

"We're driving down to Boston, going somewhere in the North End, so fairly nice," she says.

Ah, Boston, only the best city in the whole world. Boston, fancy restaurant, with Kira . . . And my parents. Rawr. I need to go with just him sometime; another thing to do when his leg is healed. Augh, not to mention that Cagalli is coming as well.

How am I supposed to eat with her around? She'll glare at me and throw silverware at my head or something, maybe an appetizer plate. In other words, it'll be a wonderful evening, I'm sure. The only thing wonderful about it will be when Kira and I sneak off somewhere, like to Fenway, and leave Cagalli with our parents. Bwahaha. Good plan, but not very likely that it'll happen.

"Athrun! We're leaving! You better be dressed appropriately!" my dad yells up the stairs.

Feh, like I'll listen to what he says. I'll dress however the hell I want to, meaning baggy pants with my stud belt and a Taking Back Sunday T-shirt under my leather jacket and my favorite black Chuck T's. I go downstairs to find that my parents are already in the car, which means by the time they see my outfit, it'll be too late for me to go back inside. They're so impatient.

"So, where exactly are we going?" I ask as I get into the back seat with my Walkman and CD fold in my hand; my parents listen to the worst music.

"We haven't decided yet," my mom answers.

"What? But it's Saturday! It'll be so busy down there!" I exclaim.

"No need to yell, don't worry about it," she says.

We'll end up somewhere crappy, I know it. With my bad luck, we probably won't eat at all, but maybe I'm just being pessimistic. I pick a CD for the hour-long car ride into the city and start sulking and ignoring my parents. Sure, they were the ones that set this up, but our dads are also the ones who don't approve of my relationship with Kira. What our moms said is true: would they rather have us be with slutty women or each other? I think that my dad would prefer the former, I'm not kidding.

He's always been against anything I liked that was out of the ordinary, music and TV shows, and liking Kira is definitely odd to him. But I think we've always been a lot closer than regular friends, ever since we were really young. What Kira mentioned yesterday about people asking us if we were a couple is true. I remember once we were at the movies when we were about fourteen, seeing something scary that I talked Kira into going to. I told him it wasn't that bad, but we both ended up with nightmares. Anyway, Kira got so scared during it that he curled up close to me and made me hold his hand. Then some bitch behind us told us to shut up and get a room. This just prompted me to be even more obnoxious and cuddle more with Kira.

I guess we've always been pretty affectionate towards each other, more than normal guy friends are. I go over all the instances in my head when we did couple-ish things before this past week. Hmm . . . There was that time last year when we both got really drunk at someone's party, then Yzak dared me to make out with Kira. I was so smashed that I didn't even remember I did it until a day later. Cagalli was pissed, to put it lightly. Actually, she didn't talk to me for a whole week after that incident she was so mad/humiliated.

So that kiss last week wasn't our first after all. I run my fingers over my lips and stare at the cars as they pass, focusing on a patch of blue sky beyond the stores on the side of the road. I don't know why Kira couldn't come in my car; I wouldn't be this bored if he had, hehehe . . . Not that we can do anything with my parents in the front seat.

I bet Cagalli is nagging him about one stupid topic or another, or they're arguing. There's never peace in the Yamato house, as I've learned the hard way. I've had to break up quite a few fights between the twins, and it wasn't fun. I got punched in the nose "accidentally" by Cagalli over the summer. I don't think I ever really loved her, I was just trying to convince myself that I did so I wouldn't have to admit that I love Kira.

But everything is different now, I tell myself as I hop out of the car onto the sidewalk. Up the sidewalk a little, Mrs. Yamato is helping Kira out of the car and Cagalli is scowling at him, like it's his fault that he got stabbed by Flay's ex. Bitches. I wonder for a moment if Cagalli has a new boyfriend, but I highly doubt it. I go over to stand with Kira, ignoring Cagalli's Death Glare and smile at him.

"What was the argument du jour?" I ask.

"Nothing, my parents kept her quiet," he replies.

"We're not going to dinner yet, are we? It's only five thirty," I say to no one in particular.

"They're gonna fight about where we eat, so the extra time will be killed easy. Plus, I'm sure you two won't be bored, will you?" is Cagalli's snappish response.

"I wasn't talking to you," I retort, turning away from her.

She snarls something under her breath that I can't really hear, but I'm sure it was rude and mean. While our dads start talking about something stupid and father-y, (probably grousing about how close together Kira and I are walking), our mothers join us.

"Thanks for what you did earlier," I say quietly.

"Hm? How did you find out about that?" my mom asks.

"Lacus," we reply in unison.

"Oh, well don't worry about your father. He's just being a stiff," my mom says.

"Mom!" I gasp. Kira snickers and him mom glares at him accusingly.

"I fully trust the both of you in your relationship," she says to me.

"Thanks," I say. Cagalli slinks along behind us, grumbling as she listens to the conversation. She's obviously not supportive of us. Feh, she can go to hell. Who cares about her anyway?

"Ooh! Are we going to Modern Pastry?" I ask excitedly, referring to my favorite Italian pastry shop.

There's another larger one up the street, but they're not nearly as good. I run the rest of the way to the little shop, throwing the door open and getting in line. To my surprise, it's not very busy today, which is lucky for me. Kira is suddenly at my side, looking around at the sweets on the shelves and in the refrigerated cases.

"What are you getting?" he asks.

"Two cannolis and a piece of chocolate mousse cake. You?" I reply.

"I dunno. Augh, I swear if I have to spend any more time with my dad or sister I'll kill someone," he growls, hopping forward on his crutches as the line moves up.

"Now, now, Kira, violence isn't the answer," I laugh.

"Even violence against my sister?" he asks hopefully.

"Well, I guess that's okay, as long as you don't murder any innocents," I say as I step up to the counter.

I order my pastries while Kira decides what to get, ending up with two chocolate chip cannolis and a fruit tart for his mom. We leave the shop and I take a deep breath of the Boston air, smiling, then realize that we're alone, meaning our parents are gone. As in they left us behind. What wonderful, caring families, ne?

Now we have to look for them, and I'm sure Kira really, really wants to hop around the crowded alleys of the North End to do so. We don't come here often enough to have a certain place to look, so I guess we just have to wander. I tell this to Kira and he nods, sighing heavily; I can tell he's trying not to complain about his crutches, because every time he leans forward on them, he winces.

"I'm sorry we have to do this," I say softly as we cross the street.

"I'm okay, don't worry," he says weakly, giving me a fake smile.

"Stop, I hate when you do that and you know it. Now c'mere, no more crutches!" I grab them from him, being careful of the pastry boxes, and quickly catch him with my other arm, wrapping it around his shoulders and pulling him close. I feel his fingers shyly touch my waist, then his hand settles over my hipbone as he starts to limp.

"This is better," he says with a small smile at me.

"But people are staring. Doesn't it bug you?" It personally doesn't bother me, but he worries about what others think of him. I need to break that habit of his.

"They can put their head in a bear trap if they have a problem with us being a couple," he says. I laugh when he scowls at the next person who looks at us strangely.

"I can't believe we lost this afternoon," I say angrily.

"So much for our winning streak," he mutters, grabbing at something around his neck. He rubs the little Sox charm that dangles from a thin gold chain as it glints in the sun.

"You stop by the park?" I ask.

"Yeah, this was the last one. I stole it from Cagalli," he says, grinning.

"Hey you two! You think you can get all cuddly just because you get lost for fifteen minutes!"

Well speak of the devil. She runs around the corner, her boots thumping on the cement and glares at us. She approves of our relationship like I approve of Yankees fans in Fenway Park, or Boston in general. She stomps over to us, shoots me a poisonous glance, and snatches the crutches from me.

"Why are you doing that? It's easier this way!" I snap, grabbing the ends.

We both start pulling on them, Kira leaning against a parking meter and watching as we play tug of war. With one good yank, Cagalli loses her grip and falls hard on the pavement, looking up at me in shock and disgust. I grin smugly at her before turning to our parents who stand nearby.

"Here, Kira doesn't need these," I say, shoving the bothersome objects at Kira's dad, then I give my mom the boxes from the pastry shop.

His dad grumbles, but doesn't verbally protest, as I wrap my arm around Kira's waist. I smirk evilly at my dad as I slip my hand into the back pocket of Kira's jeans, stroking his ass through the fabric with my thumb.

"Athrun!" he hisses, more out of embarrassment than irritation. We are, after all, walking around a big city with our families and I'm being all clingy in public, but it's his own fault for being so desirable.

So my mom finally leads us into a restaurant just as my stomach starts to growl quite loudly. It took her long enough to choose somewhere. The waitress seats us at a table by the window, until I request a separate table for two. Bwaha, leaving Cagalli-bitch with the 'rents! I tell the waitress I'll give her a twenty if she'll put us at the other end of the restaurant and she eagerly agrees. That's one of the only good things about being rich: getting other people to do stuff for you with your cash.

"Cagalli's glaring at us," Kira whispers across the table.

"I'd be worried if she wasn't," I reply casually, leaning back in my chair.

Who really cares what she thinks, or anyone else for that matter? Certainly not me, and with a few lessons from me, Kira will be that way, too. Ever since we were younger, he was always concerned about what our classmates said about him. I felt bad that he was so insecure, and that was when I started threatening the kids who made fun of him. Ah, good times, when I could beat someone up and not be called meaner. Things really do get worse as you get older.

I glance over at Kira, who smiles at me when he looks up from stirring the sugar into his iced tea. Then again, if I wasn't seventeen and I had this obsession with him, I'd have no idea what to do, so maybe things aren't so bad.

I stretch my free arm above my head, yawning, while my other arm is around Kira's waist again. We rushed through dinner so now we can walk around by ourselves for awhile. In other words, I can have Kira all to myself . . . Or so I thought.

"Funny meeting you here!" a voice calls and I cringe when I recognize it.

"Hi, Mr. La Flaga," I say with facade of joy. I'm gonna have him arrested for stalking me, I swear!

"Are you two on a date?" he asks, smirking.

"Sadly, no. Our parents are here with us," Kira sighs.

"What're you doing by yourself? Did Murrue dump ya already?" I snicker.

"I could get you detention for that, Zala! If you have to know, I'm waiting for her."

"Where is she?" I ask.

"Where is who?" I look over my shoulder and Ms. Ramius is standing on the corner, her hands in the pockets of her skirt.

"Never mind. Isn't it cute that they're on a date, Rue-chan?" La Flaga asks teasingly.

"We're not on a date!" I yell.

"Don't call me Rue-chan," Ms. Ramius snaps as La Flaga draws her close to him.

"Oh, c'mon, it's cute, please?" he whines.

"Just ignore him," I say.

"I do, don't worry," she says.

"Not when we go to my apartment and–"she clamps her hand over his mouth, a bright flush on her face.

"You two are doing that already!" Kira exclaims, his eyes wide.

Various images appear in my head, the thought of my teachers doing those kinds of things together making me sick. La Flaga grins once Murrue moves her hand and she fidgets uncomfortably beside him, then shakes off the embarrassment. She winds her arms tight around La Flaga's neck, glancing over her shoulder at us.

"To tell you the truth, yes," she says.

"No more teasing us then, 'cause we haven't done anything yet!" I yell.

"Yet?" La Flaga asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, what'd you think? I'm gonna let him stay a virgin?" I scoff.

"I'd eventually make you do it, Athy-chan," Kira whispers. Athy-chan?

"Since when do I have a new nickname?" I ask.

"I just thought of it. Now let's go before our parents find us!" he says, pulling on my arm.

"A bit rebellious, are we?" La Flaga laughs.

"If you're gonna date your best friend, then you kinda have to be," I say as we follow Mu and Murrue down the sidewalk.

Now that I think about it, it's weird to be talking to my teachers about things like this, and so is spending time with them out of school. But they're my favorite teachers anyway, and definitely the nicest.

"Same with dating another teacher," Mu says, glancing at Murrue.

"Does anyone know about you two?" I ask curiously.

"Only you guys, so you better keep it a secret, got it?" Mu says sternly.

"You blabbed about our relationship," I retort.

"Plus, how can you keep it a total secret when you're having sex in your apartment? The neighbors must hear you," Kira says.

I laugh as Mu and Murrue both glare at him briefly as we turn a corner down an alley. I notice a flash of bright pink in the shadows, shifting and blowing in the wind. What the hell, who has hair like . . . My eyes widen as we draw closer and I realize who it must be. My gaze falls on her face, tears and bruises on her pale skin and her grey eyes stare up at me, begging, then narrow into slits.

"Athrun," she hisses.

"Flay!" Kira shouts.

TBC . . .

A/N: BWAHAHAHA! CLIFFHANGER AGAIN!