Lager

A little pressie for SanYumi

The pile of cans that, through the course of the evening, had been balanced precariously in the middle of the room toppled over with a loud metallic rattle and all Soubi could do was collapse into a fit of giggles. He and Kio had been drinking heavily since lunchtime and it was now half past ten in the evening. Currently they were watching reruns of old game shows, drinking yet more lager and eating bowls of chips.

“Soubi . . .” Kio slurred. “I think perhaps . . .” He held the can up to the light, trying in vain to see through it to try and make out how much was left. “I think we’ve had enough.”

Soubi blinked at him a couple of times in an attempt to focus and giggled, his long hair falling in front of his face.

“Really?”

Soubi shook his can and pulled a face when it didn’t make any noise. He rolled off the beanbag and crawled across the floor to the box where the full cans should have been. He picked it up.

“Empty.” He said, looking inside.

He turned round and looked at the large pile of empties that had collapsed in the middle of the room and giggled again.

“Yep. Right. Enough.”

He threw his can onto the pile and then collapsed once more on the beanbag.

Kio crawled across the room and over to Soubi, smiling widely and laying his head in Soubi's lap.

"You know . . ." he said, "if it wasn't for Ritsuka, I think we would have been good together. You're pretty, really pretty, you know that? You're eyes are so beautiful and your hair . . . so long . . . so soft."

Kio reached his hands up and one began to stroke the long strands that were hanging down, practically brushing his face, while the other removed his glasses. He folded the glasses and placed them behind them before doing the same with his own. Soubi laughed and began to stroke Kio's forhead as if petting a cat. In fact, Kio seemed to stretch in a very feline way and almost purr in reply, wriggling contentedly against Soubi's crotch. Soubi moved Kio's head slightly - an affectionate Kio, a lack of recent sexual activity and alcohol all combined wasn't a good idea. Especially not when Ritsuka was coming to see him.

The thing with Ritsuka was . . . complicated to say the least.

"You do know that it's not like that between me and Ritsuka, right?" Kio nodded in his lap and again Soubi tried to move Kio's head a little bit more to one side. "I mean, he's too young for starters. And I can't take his innocence. He needs to hang on to those ears and tail for a long time yet. And, of course, there's Semie . . .

Kio sighed, Semei was a touchy subject. "But what about me?"

Soubi smiled, "You're nice, soft, pretty." He sighed again. "But . . .

Kio made a small humming noise and then sat up suddenly, cutting off Soubi's speech as his head cracked Soubi on the chin.

"Ow ow ow!" Soubi muttered, holding his chin as he rocked precariously,almost losing his balance. Kio, however, was much too drunk to feel the pain and instead laughed loudly, rolling around on the floor.

"P . . . Pizza!" He managed between laughs. "Need . . . pizza."

Soubi rubbed his chin once more and then crawled across the floor to grab the phone and then did a complete lap of the room on his hands and knees looking for the take away menu. He knew it was here somewhere. It was normally on the table in the middle of the room, but the table had been turned over earlier in their empty bottle gun battle to make a fort for Kio.

"Kiooooooo . . ." He whined. "It's goooneeee!"

Kio collapsed into giggles once more and then pointed to a kitchen counter, a couple of sheets if paper obvious in the surface.

"But that's hiiiiiiigh!" He whined. following Kio's finger. "I'd have to stand! Kiiiiiiiiiiiiooooooooooo!"

Kio laughed and took the hint, pulling himself to his feet and staggering into the kitchen.

"Aha!" He called, waving the menu triumphantly once he had made contact with it.

Kio smiled, took a bow - almost overbalancing - and then dropped back to his knees before making his way back to the lounge where Soubi was now sprawled on his back on the floor. Soubi took the menu from Kio and flipped over to the back page, pointing at a random pizza.

"That!" He said loudly. "I want that!"

"Sure?" Soubi nodded enthusuastically Kio shrugged his shoulders.

Kio picked up the phone and tried to dial the numbers, his eyesight not good enough. Soubi squinted and then realised what was needed and passed him his glasses. Kio took them at the second swipe and the placed his glasses crooked on his face. Eventually he got through to the guy onthe other end and placed a rather confused order for three pizzas. Two for them, one each, and one for Ritsuka when he got there. After he hung the phone up the atmosphere in the room became still. Kio looked at Soubi who was obviously now deep in thought.

"Kio?"

Kio looked at his friend who had now dropped his eyes to the floor. "Yeah?"

Soubi sighed. "I think I have a problem."

Kio shuffled closer to Soubi and looked closely at his friend.

"What's the matter, Soubi?"

A small tear trickled down Soubi's cheek. "I couldn't protect Ritsuka."

Kio smiled softly. "I know Soubi."

"I didn't really try to start with. I used to tell him I loved him all the time but it was using words as spells to bind us together as fighter and sacrifice, but since he's grown . . . He's nearly eighteen now and I . . . I . . ." Soubi sighed and another tear trickled down his face. "As an adult he's just . . ."

Kio sat up and wrapped an arm around Soubi. He knew exactly how Soubi felt, what was going on, why he was so confused.

"Yeah, he's an adult, Soubi. If he hadn't had you do you think he'd have made it this far?"

Soubi sighed. "He's been through so much. When he was a child I couldn't protect him from his mother, and then Semei broke his heart. He doesn't trust adults, yet he trusts me. He takes care of me. He's been my sacrifice for a long time and I'd do anything for him. But somewhere along the line it's changed. He's an adult. He doesn't need me any more."

Kio smiled and crawled to the fridge, opening the bottom draw and pulling out a hidden four pack of beers. He carwled back to Soubi and passed him one.

"Soubi, you got him through, and he got you through losing Semei. Don't be such a dick. Of course you protected him. And now you have each other. You're still protecting each other, weather you realise it or not. And when you finally open your eyes and decide you need something more, you can have me."

Soubi blinked repeatedly and then smiled before cracking open the beer.

"And in half an hour Ritsuka will be here and we can get him drunk too!'

Soubi laughed and took a swig of beer. "To Ritsuka! A sacrifice worth saving!"

"Soubi?" Kio managed to cough out when he had finished laughing. "You're officially insane . . ."