Chapter 7

They slipped into a pattern, they would train together in the morning, go back to Kaidoh's after, take and shower together, while sorting out some of those pesky hormones, get dressed, go to school, go to tennis, back to Kaidoh's to do something, (like watch movies, eating dinner, doing homework together, which really improved Kaidoh's grades with Inui's help, or spend the evening on the couch cuddling and kissing, then on to 'other' 'things'.) the day's didn't always end on third base, but whatever they did they always spent at least 15 minutes kissing goodbye before Inui would actually leave. They were one hell of a loved up couple. Their tennis had improved and so had Kaidoh's grades, plus they really were getting used to each other, Kaidoh was feeling more and more confident in his actions and was more settled to trust Inui and what he felt like doing with him. One restriction he had made pretty clear was that; Inui was never to push Kaidoh beyond what he was comfortable, in other words nobody was losing their virginity until he said so! Which Inui was very happy with, he didn't want to make his boyfriend do anything he didn't want to, besides who needed sex when he had someone like Kaidoh to help him release 97 of the days out of the week.

This had carried on for just over 2 weeks now and they were both so secure in the routine, they really became in tune with what each other was thinking or each others' next move. This is why things were feeling very wrong when Kaidoh went to the meeting place for the morning exercise and Inui wasn't there. I know it's a Saturday but Inui's never late. I better go check on him. He set off towards Inui's house, despite the fact that he had never been in his boyfriend's house he knew exactly where it was. He walked up to the path of the 4 bedroom white house, with the pristine garden and knocked on the door. "Oooooo, may be that's your girlfriend now Sadaharu." Kaidoh didn't have much time to think over this sentence before the door was thrown open and a neat and sensible looking woman stood in the doorway looking down at him. "Oh, hello, how can I help you?" She asked in and cheery voice.

"Err, is Inui-sempai in?"

"Oh, yes, but he's not feeling very well."

"Oh, I don't suppose I could see him, could I?"

"I suppose so, but not for too long. I'm sure you don't want to catch his cold."

"No, not really." Kaidoh stepped inside and removed his shoes.

"So what is your name?"

"Oh, sorry that was rude of me; I'm Kaidoh Kaoru, nice to meet you." Kaidoh bowed with an ashamed blush.

"I find it very hard to believe that you can be called rude, far from it in fact. Nice to meet you Kaidoh-kun, I'm Sadaharu's mother."

"Do you have any idea who Inui was supposed to be meeting this morning?"

"Yes, me."

"Oh, really. I thought he was going to meet his girlfriend or something. I'm only guessing though, he won't tell me if he has a girlfriend, although he said that he was dating somebody, but denies that he has a girlfriend. He's thoroughly confused me!" Kaidoh let out a strained laugh.

"I suppose that's Inui for you though. He likes to confuse people, just to analyse their reactions." He smiled, and then shook his head. "Where is his room?"

"Oh, sorry, go up the stairs, turn right and it's the room at the very end of the landing. I'll be up soon with some refreshments." She smiled sweetly and bustled off towards the kitchen. Kaidoh ascended the stairs, took a right and came face to face with a man who looked very much like an older version of Inui.

"Who are you?" The gentleman asked politely.

"I'm here to see Inui-sempai, I'm Kaidoh Kaoru, nice to meet you sir." He said with a bow, being as respectful as possible.

"Well Kaidoh-kun, it's nice to finally meet one of Sadaharu's friend's, do you also play tennis."

"Yes, I do, Sempai and I are currently training together in the mornings so that we can give each other advice on how to improve ourselves."

"I see, well he's a bit under the weather, but feel free to go and see him. It's nothing serious, just a fever, although my wife is insistent that it could be serious and keeps try to get Sadaharu to the hospital. She had a great deal of trouble trying to stop him going out the front door this morning. Something about being late to see somebody. That must have been you. He must really value your friendship, to want to meet you when he's got such a high fever." Kaidoh nodded and blushed. He tried to get away before even more could be said, but as he placed his hand on Inui's door knob Inui's father spoke again.

"You wouldn't happen to know who he's currently seeing do you?" Gesturing towards Inui's door. Kaidoh just looked at the floor trying not to reveal himself. "Well I suppose being his friend you have promised not to tell, it's nice to know he has someone like you alongside him. Just wandering though, as you do. You know he's thoroughly confusing, he says he leaves the house every morning early to meet the person he's seeing, but when we asking him about it he says that he hasn't got a girlfriend. How long have you been training with him in the morning?"

"Just over 2 weeks."

"Hmmm, that's about the same time that he's been going out to meet this person he's seeing, but he's meeting you. How odd, anyway I'll let you go and visit Sadaharu and I'll talk to you later." Kaidoh smiled and watch him walk off towards and down the stairs. He took a moment to compose himself, before entering his boyfriend's room.

The room was dark, the curtains still closed, heavy with the feel and smell of sleep. He closed the door behind him. The closed royal blue curtains did not block out all light and the glow from behind the curtains revealed a very tidy room. Selves full of books and note books and a single desk and chair against the opposite wall, under the window. Against the far wall was a bed, its occupant fast asleep. Kaidoh leaned against the door for a minute or two, looking lovingly at the figure in the bed. Then he moved, walking silently up to the head of the bed, where he knelt down and took a closer look at the sleeping face of his boyfriend. He smiled and lightly placed his left palm on Inui's right cheek. He stirred and looked at Kaidoh through bleary eyes.

"You really do have a fever, your boiling."

"Kaidoh?"

"Hi ya Haru." Inui smiled at the pet name, it was new.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it to meet you this morning, but my mother tied me to the bed, literally, she untied them while I was sleeping."

"It's fine, you have a fever, you should stay in bed, I can stay here if you want me to." Inui smiled at the offer and nodded.

"Please do. My mother won't stop trying to take me to the hospital. You have to help me." Kaidoh laughed, looking at the helpless figure in front of him.

"I'll try my best." Inui smiled then shivered. "What's wrong?" Kaidoh asked worriedly.

"The outside may feel hot, but I'm so cold. It's as if I can't retain heat no matter the how much I put on." Kaidoh slide his hand under the cover and realised that Inui was right. There was no heat in the bed; it was cold, as if no-one had been in it for a while. Kaidoh thought for a moment; then to Inui's surprise he pulled back the covers and slide into the bed next to his boyfriend. Inui realised what he was trying to do and wound his arms around the fully clothed, warm figure next to him, Kaidoh wrapping his arms around his boyfriend in return. He's so nice and warm. He snuggled as close as he could to Kaidoh; unsatisfied he rolled them both until he was lying flat on top of Kaidoh, thoroughly benefiting from his boyfriend's warmth. Kaidoh didn't mind, he liked Inui lying on top of him, it was comfortable and he had come to expect it as a part of their third base activities. He had really gotten used to this and he would do anything to help Inui feel warmer. And Inui was starting to warm up, it was working like a charm; his Kaoru was making him better. He smiled My Kaoru is making me feel better, how girlie does that sound? "My Kaoru." He said into the silence of his room, "Forever," Kaidoh replied with a smile of his own.

Crash, the sound came from the doorway. Both boys looked around to see both of Inui's parents starring at them and doing a very good impression of a fish. Inui groaned, "Ohh!" and hide his face in Kaidoh's neck, hoping that he had just hallucinated his parents.

"Sadaharu!" May be not, he thought with dismay.

"Yes mother!" He mumbled into Kaidoh's neck. Kaidoh just starred at the doorway in shock, still wrapped around his boyfriend.

"What do you think your doing!" His mother demanded.

"Getting warm and saying hello to Kaidoh while I'm at it."

"What do you mean getting warm? You have a fever, if anything you're too warm."

"No, the reason why I have a fever is because my body isn't retaining its heat, so inside I'm freezing." Stilled talking into Kaidoh's neck, it was starting to really tickle.

"Ok, but must you do it that way? You're squashing poor Kaidoh-kun!"

"No, it's alright mother, he's used to it. And it has to be done this way because the best way to get rid of a fever is to burn it off, so by rising my temperature even more it's more likely to cure me!"

"Oh, that's good. Well give me a shout if you need anything." She went to close the door, but her husband put his hand on the door keeping it open, finally waking up from the comma he had appeared to have been in for the last few minutes.

"What do you mean he's used to it?" Inui raised his head from Kaidoh neck, in which he had been taking refuge, but did not answer his fathers question, instead taking a page out of his boyfriend's book and just starred at the door way containing his parents. Then a light seemed to appear in his fathers eyes, everything was falling into place and he was shocked with the apparent answer.

"You're dating someone, but you don't have a girlfriend. You leave every morning early to meet the person who you're dating, but you have been meeting Kaidoh-kun here for training. So that means…… you have a BOYfriend, KAIDOH-KUN! You're dating Kaidoh-kun!" He finished looking triumphant and shocked.

"Yes," Inui replied simple, dropping his head to once again take refuge in Kaidoh's neck. His parents returned to impersonating fish and Kaidoh, both happy and shocked with Inui's ease at telling his parents about the two of them, closed his eyes and snuggled up against his boyfriend. 5 minutes passed before anyone said anything.

"I…I…see." Stuttered Inui's mother. Then she saw that Inui had fallen asleep with such a content and happy expression on his face and she smiled. "Look at how happy he is." She whispered to her husband. He starred at the figures on the bed before realizing that his wife was right, his son was very happy and content and had been for the past 2 or 3 weeks. "I suppose your right; I guess I can give them my blessings." He whispered in reply, with a smile.

"Kaidoh-kun," Inui's mother spoke into the room and Kaidoh stirred, looking reproachfully at the people in the doorway, then he saw that they were smiling and he relaxed a bit, "whenSadaharu wakes up, would you both come down stairs so that we can both talk to the both of you?" Kaidoh nodded, not sure what to say, satisfied with this, Inui's parents closed the door and headed downstairs. Kaidoh was left in the darkness and smiled, it looks like their accepting us. That's really good and nice of them. Inui moved, I think I'm going to enjoy seeing the expression on his face when he finds out that they want to talk to us. He fell asleep smiling, under his perfectly warmed boyfriend.