NOTES:

YaoiKitty: Thanks! There's no way I can kill Sho. He's just too……perfect…I think… XD He's too cute, we'll leave it at that.

No One: Thanks. I feel appreciated!

Yuki-Chan2: Yay! My fic is a favorite for someone! I'm now happy. This is good because Love Letter is beginning to get to me. Although…I've figured out half of the piano in Etude so far!

And remember, I don't catch mistakes…I reread the last chapter and realized there're a MILLION mistakes.

Chapter Eleven: Spirit Dreams Inside

Life was hard for Sho the next few days. He, Kei, and Toshi planned out the funeral for Shinji and his wife. They only invited a small number of people to the funeral, including some people that came to Shinji's bar on a daily basis.

Toshi was staying at their house for a short amount of time. After Sho had told Toshi the news of Shinji's death, Toshi did exactly what Sho had done. Sho, feeling compassionate, invited him to stay with them for a little while. After he had invited Toshi over, he then told Kei.

"YOU WHAT!" Kei said angrily.

"Kei—" Sho said, keeping his voice steady. "He was as close to Shinji as I was. We're pretty much family. You know that, too."

"I know, but you could have—"

"Kei—he's in the same position as I am. What would you do?" Sho asked.

"I'd ask permission from my parents first." Kei replied, crossing his arms.

"But I don't have any—!" Sho began, but Kei shot him a look. "Oh……Kei—it's for his own safety."

"I guess…"

"Chan already attacked him once…" Sho said.

"Yeah, but—"

"Kei—is it okay?" Sho asked, putting on his pleading eyes.

"Oh fine." Kei replied. "He can stay here for a little while." Sho smiled. "I was going to say yes anyway."

"Oh Kei?" Sho said, glaring at him. "You aren't my parent!"

"It feels like it sometimes…" Kei replied, shaking his head.

So Kei had to move back into his old room temporarily and Toshi got to stay in Sho's room.

The day after Shinji's small, private funeral, Toshi told Sho he figured that it would be alright to move back into his apartment. "It's just too…uncomfortable around you two…" he told Sho before he left.

I wake from a nightmare now
In the day it haunts me

"What? Why?" Sho asked.

"I don't know. I just…it doesn't feel like you're the same person, Sho…" Toshi replied, making Sho stare at him. "Ever since you've been living with Kei, you've acted differently…I'd be more comfortable at my own house."

"Toshi, why?" Sho asked him, unaware that Kei was around the corner listening to their every word, hoping Sho would stick up for him. "Chan's out to get us and you'd be a wide-open target!"

"I don't care!" Toshi shot back. "It's better than having to try to ignore you two making out all the time!" Sho's jaw dropped, as did Kei's.

"Toshi—we haven't—"

"I don't fall asleep right away, Sho. I can hear you get up and walk over to his room. I can hear you two talk about how much I annoy you!" Toshi ranted.

"Toshi—I…You don't annoy me!" Sho said. It was true that Toshi didn't annoy him, and he wondered where Toshi had ever gotten it from. "And we don't make out!" Toshi simply shrugged and began to walk out the door. "Toshi, I've known you for longer than I've known Kei!"

"So?" Toshi said, still walking away.

"Toshi—wh—why…" he couldn't find the right words. "Toshi, why do you hate Kei?" Toshi stopped and turned around.

"He's changed you. Ever since you met him, he's changed you. You've always stuck around with him…like he's your idol or something…You've distanced yourself from me and from S-Shinji…" Toshi said, stuttering on Shinji's name.

"Toshi—I haven't!" Sho protested. "Toshi—I care about you. Why would I distance myself from you? Or from Shinji? Why? I'm not that kind of person!"

"You don't think you are." Toshi said as he closed the door behind him. Kei sighed and walked out from around the corner to find Sho staring at the closed door, dumbfounded. He placed a hand on Sho's shoulder.

It slowly tears me apart
With dreams of a distant love
I'm a wandering satellite

Up until that point, Sho had been strong throughout all of the things that had happened within the past week. But that night, when Kei crawled into their bed (completely forgetting about the fact that Sho was still having nightmares), Sho stayed silent and faced the opposite direction. As Kei threw the covers over both of them, he began to worry. "Sho?" Kei said gently, reaching over and resting a hand on Sho's shoulder. Sho shook it off and brought the warm covers up to his chin. "Sho? Are you alright?" Sho shook his head slightly. Kei moved closer. "Then why didn't you tell me?" Sho barely shrugged. "Sho—I'm hear to help you…you know that." Kei reached under the covers and touched Sho's bare back. Sho shuddered in response.

"Your hands are cold," he said quietly. Kei smiled, knowing Sho was feeling a bit better.

"Maybe I need someone to warm them up…" Kei said, inching closer to Sho, who said nothing in response, he only took a deep breath. Kei stretched out his arms, wrapping them around the unusually stiff body of Sho. When he leaned over to kiss him, he froze. Instead, he found a gently crying Sho. "Sho?" he said.

"Hm?" He heard Sho say slowly.

"Sho, what's wrong?" Sho gradually turned around to face Kei.

"Everything…" Sho said, staring into Kei's brown eyes.

"Then why do you keep it all to yourself?" Kei asked as he brought Sho into his embrace. Sho simply rested his head on Kei's white shirt he had forgotten to take off. "Sho, I'm here to help you. Why don't you tell me anything?"

"I—it's just…I don't think…you can help…" Sho said quietly, tears still forming in his eyes.

"How can I not help?" Kei asked, gently kissing the top of Sho's head.

"T-Toshi hates me for loving you…"

"……Oh." Kei said, acting as if he hadn't heard their conversation that afternoon. He thought Sho may have realized he had heard it when he had come out of the bedroom seconds after Toshi left.

Somewhere in the wasteland
I see you smiling at me

"And I don't think you can help with that," Sho said, looking up at Kei, tears still slowly tracing down his face. Kei stayed silent, not knowing what to say in response. "I—I don't—" Sho paused, taking a deep breath. "I don't think I could ever stop loving you…" Kei held Sho closer. "E-even when you left me a few months ago…I still loved you even then…"

"I know you did, Sho." Kei said softly into the man's hair. "I never told you, but after that first encounter we had, after I left, I ran back here and hid in the shadows in here and listened to you talk to yourself."

"You did?" Sho sputtered.

"Yes, I did, Sho." Kei replied, kissing Sho's forehead. "And I knew then and I know now that no one can come between us. I used to say to you when you were sleeping that you're too sweet to let go of." He brushed a few strands of hair out of Sho's wet face. "And I still do. After you fall asleep every night, I lie awake for a little while and watch you sleep. You're so precious and beautiful when you sleep, Sho." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sho's lips twitch slowly into a smile. "Just in those few short minutes, I know that you'll always be mine, no matter whom or what comes between us. Because the love that we have for each other is so pure that nothing can break it. Those few minutes that I watch you sleep seem so fleeting to me, as if they're only moments. Yet I want them to last forever because the time I take to watch your flawless face twitch every so often in the darkness is ever-lasting bliss to me. It makes me happy that you tried to steal my watch and ended up becoming friends with me." Sho laughed softly, remembering how he had first met Kei.

"Yeah, becoming friends and then—" Sho saidslyly, yet tears were still falling down his face.

"I know, I know…" Kei said, cutting him off. He slowly ran a hand through Sho's soft hair. "But I know nothing can separate us…"

Sho stared up at him and began to smile, but a yawn overpowered him. Kei grinned and kissed him lightly. Sho merely snuggled closer to Kei's warm body and let sleep overpower him, closing his eyes slowly and almost drunkenly. Kei stayed awake for several minutes to watch Sho sleep, a small smile on his lips. The tingling sensation of Sho's soft, warm breathing on his neck was soothing him into sleep's gentle embrace……

A vision out of my dreams
Will everything change...

Kei woke up to find Sho still resting his head on Kei's chest. His blue eyes were open wide, staring up at him. A small smile formed on his lips as he noticed Kei was awake. "Good morning, my sweet," Sho said peacefully, his soft breath tickling Kei's chin. He leaned up and slowly licked Kei's neck, making Kei shiver.

"S-Sho—" Kei moaned, grabbing at Sho's head. "D-Don't start, Sho—"

"Why?" Sho asked him, continuing to lick at his neck.

"Mmm—you know I can't resist you…" Kei managed to reply.

"Oh really?" Sho said, arching an eyebrow. A maniacal grin spread across his face.

"Don't you dare—" Kei began to say, but he was stopped by Sho who pulled off his shirt for him. As soon as he threw it across the room, Sho dove for Kei's neck again. His hands slid down Kei's now-bare chest to the waistline of his pants. As Sho slid one hand underneath the waistline, the phone rang. "I'll get it!" Kei said abruptly, sitting up.

"Oh no you don't…" Sho said, pushing him back down onto the bed. The phone continued to ring.

Take the pain away
Lead me with your light

"Shoooooo—" Kei snarled as Sho's hand slid farther down into his pants. Angered at Sho's constant pleading for whatever he wished, he merely pushed Sho off of him by his shoulders, onto the bottom of the bed. Kei rolled over and grabbed the phone, quickly pressing the 'talk' button. "Hello?" He said kindly into the phone. Sho glared at him and rubbed at his sore shoulders vigorously.

"Hello, is this Kei?" A familiar voice said.

"Yes it is." Kei replied.

"Hi, this is Anisa calling for Kurisutina…" Anisa said. Kei could have sworn he heard something in the background moving. And it didn't sound like it was Anisa shuffling papers or Kurisutina passing by Anisa's desk. It sounded almost like laughter.

"Hi Anisa…" Kei said, shaking off the feeling that something was wrong. "Why are you calling?" Sho perked up a bit and crawled over to Kei, who shot a shifty look at him. Sho made a pouting face and sat down behind Kei, tracing his fingers along the edges of the angel wings etched on his shoulders..

"Well, she was wondering if you were coming in for your appointment tonight…" Anisa said. "Because you're about a half-hour late."

"Really!" Kei said, surprised. "What time is it?"

"About nine-thirty." Anisa replied. Kei checked his watch, the watch he cherished because it was what had brought himself and Sho together in the first place. Anisa was right. It was nine-thirty.

"Hold on, let me check with Sho first…" Kei replied, covering up the phone so Anisa couldn't hear what he was saying.

"Why is she calling us!" Sho asked, fuming. Kei rolled his eyes.

"Because—"

"Because why!" Sho interrupted him. When Sho was pissed, he wouldn't let Kei get a word in edgewise. Kei simply leaned over and pressed his lips to Sho's. Sho, happy he finally got something he wanted from Kei, simply closed his eyes and smiled as Kei pulled away.

"Because we're a half-hour late for our usual Friday appointment, Sho." Kei replied, licking his lips.

"Mmm—okay…" Sho mumbled, falling back onto the bed, keeping his eyes closed.

"Anisa? We'll be there within the next half-hour, okay?"

Heading for the sun
Leave the sadness behind
Crossing oceans dry

"Okay! She has a quick appointment at the moment, but she should be free once you get here." Anisa replied.

"Okay, we'll see her then! Goodbye." Kei hung up the phone and turned to Sho, who still had his eyes closed. "Sho." Kei said. Sho didn't move. "Sho, I'm not falling for it." Sho still didn't move. "Sho…"

"I'm not awake." Sho replied, reminding Kei of when he first met the stubborn little boy.

"Sho, we have to go." Kei said, aggravated. "Now."

"Only if you kiss meee…" Sho taunted.

"Sho—" Kei began.

"Come on, Kei, it's just a little harmless kiss…" Sho replied, opening his eyes and sitting up.

"Fine…" Kei said, leaning over towards Sho. Suddenly, Sho pulled Kei forward, enveloping his lips and pushing him back onto the bed. He pushed away after a few moments.

"Now, where were we?" Sho asked, a grin spreading across his face.

"Well…we were about to go to the psychiatrist." Kei replied, pushing Sho off of him for the second time that night. "And I think you really need it too…" Sho glared at him. "Just a harmless kiss…Yeah right…"

My world spinning out of time
Won't somebody stop me?
I may be losing my way

They both made their way out to the car. Sho jumped into the drivers seat, but Kei pushed him over to the passenger's seat. "There's no way I'm letting you drive again. The last time you nearly got us arrested."

"Oh yeah…" Sho said, smiling. "Just don't kill me, please Kei? My life's already horrible enough…" His smile faded.

"So you're saying that I'm a horrible thing in your life?" Kei asked him, arching an eyebrow as he backed out of their driveway.

"You know what I mean, Kei…" Sho replied, staring out the window as they headed down the beat-up freeway.

"No, I don't, Sho." Kei replied. "Your brother died and your best friend hates you. You have no blood relatives left in the world. It seems as though you have no one to turn to."

"That about sums it up…" Sho said sadly.

"It doesn't sum all of it up, Sho," Kei continued. "You've been forgetting about me throughout all of your hardships within the past week…I can help you, Sho. I told you this last night."

"You mean this morning?" Sho said.

Kei shot a glare at him. "Sho, you say your life is horrible, yet ten minutes ago you were ecstatic just to be in bed with me…" Sho snickered. "…Will you shut up! That's exactly my point! You say you're miserable but yet you're over there laughing behind my back!"

"No I'm not…" Sho said quietly, his snickering ending abruptly.

"Sho, I'm not mad at you, but you keep putting yourself down and it makes me mad. And—" Kei added, reaching over and stroking Sho's neck. "—you always forget about me when you say that your life sucks or it's horrible…"

"I don't include you because you're not the horrible part of my life!" Sho replied, reaching up to hold Kei's hand that was stroking his neck.

Will you make it right?
Take the pain away
Hear me as I cry

"Oh fine. I'll believe that for now…" Kei replied as they pulled into the parking lot several minutes later. Kei had been doing well over the speed limit, so they had gotten there exceptionally fast. "Come on, let's go in."

They both entered to the quiet room, met by Anisa's broad grin. "Hi!" She said cheerfully.

"Hello." Kei and Sho replied, taking a seat across from the door to Kurisutina's office.

"Kurisutina-san's still with the patient before you, so just wait a bit, okay?" Anisa said, returning to her computer.

"Okay…" they replied. The only sounds were the ticking of the clock above the doorway and Anisa's typing.

Several minutes later, the door opened abruptly and a little girl, not older than nine or ten, emerged and stopped a few feet in front of Sho, staring at him, her eyes wide. "Hana!" A meek voice called from inside the room. Sho's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat, causing Kei's head to turn towards him. Hana simply turned around and ran back to the short woman standing in the doorway. Sho stared at the woman, who glanced at him once and turned back to Kurisutina. Sho, on the other hand, fell back into his seat, covering his eyes with his hand. Kei, confused, looked back at Hana. Something was familiar about her, but he couldn't quite place it. He then looked at the woman and realized that it was Yi-Che. Kei smiled and leaned over to talk to Sho.

"I see your little crush is married…" Kei whispered to Sho, who looked like he was about to die. Kei laughed and kissed Sho's cheek lightly and leaned back in his own seat.

Heading for the sun
Leave the sadness behind
Crossing oceans dry
Deep inside I go

"Yeah, married…" Sho muttered to himself. This time, he leaned over to Kei. "Kei—you remember when you left like…nine or ten years ago…"

"I thought we'd agreed that we wouldn't talk about that ever again!" Kei hissed. "We agreed that it was too painful to talk about."

"I know, but I—" Sho began to say. "I have to tell you—"

"Oh you two are here now!" Kurisutina said, suddenly addressing them. "Come here and meet one of my other clients!" Kei stood up immediately, but Sho was hesitant. After a few moments of mental torture, he stood up as well and forced a friendly smile. "This is Yi-Che and her daughter—"

"Hana!" Hana finished for her.

"It's nice to meet you," Kei said to both Yi-Che and Hana. Yi-Che nodded politely and Hana smiled.

"This is Kei, and that's Sho," Kurisutina said, gesturing towards them.

"Hello," Yi-Che said timidly.

"Hi," Sho replied, managing to keep his voice steady. "I've noticed your painting in the park…it's really well-done…"

Spirit dreams inside

"Oh, thank you," Yi-Che replied. "No one has—said much about it…" There was an odd silence for a few seconds. "Well, we should be going…" She motioned to Hana and they left without another word.

"Well, you two might as well come in," Kurisutina said to them as she walked back into her office. Kei and Sho followed reluctantly. As they sat down in their usual two chairs, Kurisutina closed the door. Kei heard a fain click and realized that she had locked the door. He wondered why she had locked them in, since she had never done it before.

"I'm glad you could make it," Kurisutina said as she walked around the back of her desk. She slowly rummaged around through the top drawer. "I would have been very disappointed if you hadn't shown up."

"I didn't know you liked us so much…" Kei said, smiling slightly.

"Oh, I've grown very accustomed to you two," she replied, a twisted smile on her face. "I know I'll enjoy this very much." She pulled out a gun from the drawer she had been rummaging through and pointed it from Sho to Kei, back and forth. Sho's eyes widened in horror, as did Kei's. Although he knew he couldn't die, he was worried that she might shoot Sho.

"Are you mad!" Sho spat at her, tensing in his chair.

"I'm a psychiatrist. I'm not allowed to be mad. Or insane. Those are the jobs of my patients." She replied. No longer was she referring to them as 'clients', but now as 'patients', which made Kei wonder if she really was mad. Suddenly, Kurisutina pulled the trigger. The gun was aimed at Kei. As the first bullet hit his stomach, horror flashed before his eyes. She shot him several more times, each bullet piercing his chest. The shock knocked Kei unconscious and he slumped over in his chair.

"What's your fucking problem!" Sho screamed at her. She dropped the gum suddenly.

"I—I thought revenge would be sweeter than this," Kurisutina replied, shaken to realized that she had just shot someone.

What can I do, I ask?
There's nothing left to say

"Revenge?" Sho screamed, utterly confused. "What did Kei ever even do to you!"

"He took you away from me!"

"WHAT!" Now Sho was stunned. What is this woman thinking? He thought. "You never even had a chance with me!"

"I—I didn't?"

"HELL NO. Especially after you just shot him!" Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kei beginning to stir from the shock of the shots.

"Wh-what! He's not dead?" Kurisutina choked out.

"You can't kill a monster—" Kei growled, lunging at Kurisutina, pinning her to the ground. "—that can't be killed."

"What the hell are you!" she screamed in his face.

"Your worst nightmare." Kei replied simply. He bit into her neck deep and hard, making Sho stand up suddenly. The sight of Kei feeding made him sick, although he knew it was in Kei's nature to do such a thing.

"Kei!" Sho yelled over Kurisutina's frantic screams. "Kei—KEI! STOP!" But his pleading went unheard. The screams died down and Kurisutina's body went limp. A pool of blood was forming around her neck, the blood that Kei couldn't catch flowing out of the bite wound. Kei was completely gorging himself upon her, and he was enjoying it. It made Sho sick to his stomach. Sure, the pitiful woman had shot him, but it's wasn't a big deal when you couldn't die and you'd heal incredibly fast. Feeling as though he would throw up at any moment, Sho unlocked the door and stepped out into the waiting room, closing the door softly behind him. Anisa was standing in front of him, teary-eyed.

Why am I here?
Why am I lost?
Where is love?

"Did—did she do it?" Anisa asked, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"YOU KNEW!" Sho screamed, pointing at her. His usually soft, cerulean eyes turning to fierce, ice-cold sapphire.

"I wanted to tell you!" she replied, beginning to cry. "I didn't want her to do it! I even protested against her!"

"But why didn't you do anything?" Sho asked. His voice had quieted down and the ice had nearly faded from his eyes. He felt horrid that he had screamed at her, so he gently put an arm around her shoulders and guided her to a seat. He sat down next to her and waited for an answer, his arm remaining around her comfortingly.

"Sh—she threatened me! I couldn't do anything!"

"Couldn't you have told us on the phone today?"

"N-No. She was standing at my desk, cackling evilly and—and holding a gun to my head. I would have loved to have told you, but—but she would have hunted you down and killed me…"

Lead me with your light

"She knows where we live!" Sho asked, and then it hit him. She had dropped him off after one of his more recent hospital visits. "Oh…"

"A-and I was afraid to die, but—is Kei alright? I heard gunshots and screaming…but it didn't sound like Kei…" Anisa asked him, the tears slowly dying down.

"Yeah, Kei'll be fine, don't worry." Sho replied. "But—I'm afraid Kurisutina is dead…"

"Oh thank god!" Anisa said suddenly. "Sorry—but I hated her. I was literally her slave…she made me do everything. And it annoyed me. So much. But—how'd you kill her?"

"Kei killed her…" Sho said. "And…he—he shot her…in the neck…she's bleeding to death…" Sho knew Kei would have killed him if he told Anisa about him being a vampire.

"Oh……well…did she manage to hurt Kei in any way?"

"Well—" Sho tried to think of a way to explain the blood that would be dripping from his lips. He shuddered at the thought. "Yeah, she punched him rather hard in the jaw, so his mouth is bleeding badly…" There was an odd sort of silence between the two of them. Sho realized he still had his arm around Anisa, but he didn't bother to move it. "Well, I think I'm going to head home."

Heading for the sun
Leave the sadness behind

"And leave Kei here?" Sho asked, shocked.

"Yes. Kei will be fine. He knows the way home…he'll find his way home…"

"Did you two ride in separate cars?"

"Oh…yeah. Yeah, we did." Sho realized that he couldn't take the car home. It was far too long of a walk. He realized that he could just hotwire Kurisutina's car. "Anyway. When he comes out, tell him I already went home, okay?"

"Okay! I can do that for you, Sho-san," Anisa replied, smiling.

Sho-san! Sho thought, surprised by the formalness of Anisa. "Thanks, I'll see you sometime. I don't think I'll be coming anymore."

"I wouldn't think so…" Anisa said, standing up. Sho stood up as well, placing his arm back at his side.

"Thanks for being so nice to me and Kei, Anisa." Sho said as he began to leave.

"You're welcome! I enjoyed it very much!" Anisa called after him. As he closed the glass door, he looked back at Anisa and smiled his usual captivating smile. She waved frantically as he walked down the walkway and out of her sight.

Crossing oceans dry
Deep inside I go

"Now, which car is hers?" Sho asked himself. He remembered that she had driven a red car, and there was only one red car in the small parking lot. Shrugging, he walked over to the driver's door. Realizing he hadn't brought any tools to open the door with, he simply pulled on the rusted handle. The door swung open. "Wow. She really must be nuts…" Sho said to himself as he pushed the steering wheel upwards in order to get to the panel underneath the steering wheel to hotwire the car. He checked the ignition to see if she had possibly left her keys…and she had. Sho laughed out loud, wondering if she had been planning their escape.

As quiet as he could, he started the car and took off down the road, hoping this time, he wouldn't be pulled over by a cop……

Back at Kurisutina's office, Kei had finished off Kurisutina's blood and was staggering out into the waiting room to find Anisa sitting at her desk, staring intently at him, almost as though she was expecting him to come out in the state he was in.

"Uhh…Hello." Kei said slowly, trying not to slur his words. For him, drinking blood was the equivalent of having a dozen or more drinks in one sitting. "I-I'm looking for Sho—"

"He already left. He figured that you could make your way home." Anisa replied. "And he didn't seem too worried that you killed Kurisutina or that she punched you in the jaw." Kei looked puzzled for a moment but realized Sho had lied to protect his secret.

"Thanks…" Kei said. "I'll talk with Sho—and we'll see we're going to do…Thanks for everything you've done…and sorry, but you've got a little bit of a mess to clean up in there."

"That's okay, and you're welcome!" Anisa said brightly, smiling. "I hope to see you sometime in the near future!"

"I hope to see you too." Kei said as he walked out and closed the door behind him. He walked over to the car and pulled out the keys, wondering how Sho was getting home if he hadn't taken the car……

Spirit dreams inside……

I watched the beginning theme song for Full Metal Alchemist last night and I would have screamed if people hadn't been sleeping. Just to hear L'Arc en Ciel on my TV is so great…

What do you guys think is up with Yi-Che and what Sho had to tell Kei (thathedidn'tgettotellhim)? I'll explain why Kei left in the first place in the next chapter, 'kay?

I had no other title for the chapter…and as you may have guessed, the lyrics are Spirit Dreams Inside by L'Arc en Ciel. So finally some HYDE lyrics! Plus, I bought Smile at Suncoast in Ohio over the weekend along with the Seventh Heaven CD by T.M. Revolution.

So Read and Review because I love you all. Have a happy Easter...even though this is more fluffy than happy...