All We Ask is that You’re Careful
By Meredith Edwards
 
Miwa dunked the basketball through the hoop. "He
shoots; he scores!" he cried as Yuu caught the ball.
"The crowd goes wild!"
 
Yuu passed the ball to Arimi, who dribbled around Miwa
before passing back to Yuu. They were in a small ball
court behind Meiko's house. From the sidelines Meiko
watched them play. Sweat stained Yuu's tank top in a
dark vee-shape, and his loose shorts pulled tight
across his firm buttocks whenever he reached for the
ball. Meiko shoved her hands deep in her pockets and
admired Yuu's moves, the way his golden hair caught
the sun, the way his tank top billowed out, offering
tantalizingly brief glimpses of his bare chest. As Yuu
tried for a three point shot, he glanced over at Meiko
and flashed him a bright smile.
Meiko grinned back. As the ball sank through the hoop
a voice beside her said, "Great shot."
 
Meiko turned to find Miki standing next to her. "Hey,"
she said. "How are you?"
 
Miki looked at her a moment, indecision written
plainly on her face. Then she seemed to make up her
mind, and she asked in a low voice, "Can we talk?"
 
Meiko's stomach clenched nervously, but she nodded and
said, "Sure." She followed Miki off the court and out
of the yard.
 
They walked in silence for a few minutes. Around them
the streets were empty, the houses quiet. Despite the
peaceful atmosphere of the neighborhood, Meiko felt a
sliver of fear pierce through her. What did Miki want?
She prayed it had nothing to do with Yuu. Part of her
didn't care what the others thought -- the way she
felt when she held Yuu close made her want to tell the
world, shout from the rooftops and defy the gods. But
she didn't know how Yuu felt about their friends
knowing ... well, knowing about them, together.
 
She didn't want to say anything without talking with
Yuu first, but if Miki asked her point blank what was
going on, Meiko didn't know if she could lie
convincingly enough and say nothing. Not when images
of Yuu's sweaty body kept crowding her thoughts.
 
But when Miki spoke, Meiko felt the tension between
them disappear. "I want to ask your advice about
something," she said, and Meiko didn't think this was
about her and Yuu.
 
"What about?" Meiko asked.
 
Miki sighed, searching for the words. Finally she
said, "It's about Ginta. We has a problem."
 
Uh-oh, Meiko thought, the sinking feeling returning to
the pit of her stomach. Ginta was Miki' boyfriend, and
suddenly Meiko realized she hadn't seen him lately,
and she thought the worst. "Your's not --" She took a
deep breath. "Your not pregnant, are you?"
 
Miki stopped walking and stared at her, dumbfounded.
"Preg--" she began, and then she laughed. "God, no!
Don't scare me like that!" Running a shaky hand
through her hair, she caught up with Meiko, who
laughed.
 
"Sorry," she said, clapping Miki on the back. She
shook her head. "I was gonna say, I can't help you
there."
 
"Jesus," Miki said again softly. They continued
walking, Meiko not wanting to rush her friend.
Finally, Miki spoke again. "No, Iam not pregnant. He's
got --" She sighed. "He's got these two friends. He's
really close to both of them. But he thinks there's
something going on between them and he doesn't know
what to do."
 
"Something like what?" Meiko asked.
 
"He's not sure," she said. "Nothing bad, but he thinks
they might be fooling around together and he's just
worried. He doesn't want to see them hurt."
 
Meiko shrugged. "He can't do anything about that," she
said. "You love, you get hurt, you learn. You move on.
He can't protect them."
 
Miki looked at her closely. "But what if something
happens and they get in a fight? He can't take sides
--"
 
"Whatever happens between them," Meiko said, "is none
of his business."
 
"But he's afraid --" Miki began again.
 
"Of what?" Meiko asked quietly. Suddenly she didn't
think Miki was talking about Ginta anymore.
 
"Of losing them," Miki whispered.
 
Meiko turned and met Miki' gaze. Her dark eyes were
sad, full of trepidation and concern. She gripped
Meiko's arm tightly, her voice low and urgent.
"Promise me you'll stay safe," she said.
 
Meiko nodded. "I will," she promised.
 
"You know you can always talk to me, right?" Miki
continued. "Any time, about any thing. You know this,
right?"
 
"I'll be fine," Meiko said.
 
Miki looked at her a moment longer and then nodded.
Meiko wondered exactly what Miki suspected about her
and Yuu. She wondered if any of the others had noticed
something between them, too.
 
Back on the court, Yuu tossed the basketball to Miwa,
who caught it deftly in his hands.
 
"That's it for me," Arimi said, looking at Miwa. "I'm
gonna head back inside."
 
Miwa nodded, and Yuu got the feeling that something
unsaid passed between them that he missed. He mopped
the sweat from his brow with the hem of his tank top
as Arimi left, and he felt Miwa staring at him.
Suddenly Miwa asked, "Can I ask you something, Yuu?"
 
His stomach fluttered but he kept his voice steady as
he said, "Go ahead."
 
"What's up with you and Meiko?" Miwa asked, and Yuu
felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him.
 
"Nothing," he said, a little too sharply. Not looking
at Miwa, he started off the court.
 
But Miwa stepped in front of him, the basketball in
the crook of his arm, an earnest look on his face.
"C'mon, man," Miwa said. "It's me you're talking to.
Miwa. You can tell me."
 
Yuu glared at his friend. "There's nothing to tell,"
he said.
 
"Bullshit!" Miwa cried. "I've seen the way you two
look at each other. What's going on?"
 
Stepping around him, Yuu said, "Why don't you ask
Meiko?"
 
Miwa reached out and caught his arm. Yuu tried to
shrug his hand off but Miwa held on, and when Yuu met
his gaze again Miwa said, "I'm not asking her. I'm
asking you."
 
Anger flared within him, and his eyes flashed. "It's
none of your business," Yuu said, his voice hard and
cold.
 
"It is my business," Miwa replied. His voice was soft
and his eyes so compassionate that Yuu felt his anger
dissipate, leaving him shaky, tired, and confused.
"You're my friend, Yuu -- you both are. I don't want
to see you get hurt --"
 
"I won't," Yuu said. When he shrugged again Miwa let
his hand fall away. Yuu turned and stalked off, taking
deep breaths and measured steps to steady himself. He
wouldn't run, though he longed to put as much distance
between himself and Miwa as he possibly could. His
eyes stung and he blinked away tears and sweat and
wondered if they all knew about him and Meiko. He
hadn't wanted them to know -- the way he felt about
Meiko was something private, something special,
something between the two of them alone.
 
Inside he hurried down the hall to his room, a scowl
on his face to deter anyone he met from asking him any
more questions, but he didn't run into anyone. When he
passed the closed door to Meiko's room, he stopped and
hesitated, his hand on the cool wood. Then he knocked
softly.
 
Meiko opened the door and Yuu pushed past her into the
room. Taking in her friend's red eyes and grim frown,
Meiko knew someone had asked him about their
relationship, too.
 
"Who was it?" she asked as she closed the door.
 
"Miwa." Yuu choked back a sob and sighed, looking
around the room, his back to Meiko.
 
Meiko watched her friend's shoulders shake as Yuu
clenched his fists at his sides. Stepping closer,
Meiko ran her hands down Yuu's arms and around his
chest, encircling him. She rested her head on Yuu's
back, still damp with sweat, and hugged him tightly
until she felt the tension in Yuu's muscles melt away.
In a weary voice Yuu asked, "Which one talked to you?
Arimi?"
 
"Miki," Meiko replied.
 
"Do they all know?" Yuu asked, his voice breaking with
tears.
 
Meiko hugged him tighter. In her arms Yuu felt so
right -- she wished she could ease his mind, take away
his pain. Instead she just held on as Yuu reached up
and ran his hands along Meiko's arms. "I didn't say
anything," Meiko whispered. "We don't have to tell
them if you don't want to."
 
"They don't have to know!" Yuu cried. "This is between
you and me."
 
"Do you ..." Meiko gulped, suddenly afraid, but she
had to ask. She had to know. "Do you want to stop ..."
 
 
Yuu turned in his arms and cradled Meiko's face in his
hands. His eyes were puffy and red, glistening with
unshed tears that made them shine like deep blue
crystals. Losing himself in those eyes, Meiko couldn't
imagine ever letting go. But if that's what Yuu wanted
-- "No," Yuu said, shaking his head. "Don't say that.
Don't even think that." Searching Meiko's face, Yuu
whispered, "I love you. I can't change that, and I
wouldn't want to if I could. I love the way you make
me feel, and I don't care what the others think."
 
Tears of relief pricked at Meiko's eyes. She tightened
her grip around Yuu's waist as Yuu's words sank in. I
love you. Meiko replayed them in her mind, savoring
them. "I love you, too," she whispered, and Yuu pulled
her face to his, his mouth covering Meiko's. Yuu's
tongue slipped between Meiko's lips easily, caressing
her teeth, her tongue, claiming her.
 
Meiko licked Yuu's lips, tasting him, and she ran her
hands under the sweaty tank top and over Yuu's cool
back. Yuu let his hands roam through Meiko's hair as
he slipped his arms around Meiko's neck and pulled her
closer, his tongue hungry in Meiko's mouth.
 
"I love you," Yuu whispered again, his breath hot
against Meiko's skin. "It feels so good to finally say
it. I might never stop."
 
Nuzzling his face against Yuu's neck, Meiko said, "I
don't want you to." Then, thinking of the others, she
asked, "What are we going to do?"
 
She felt Yuu shrug against her as they hugged. "Wait
and see," Yuu said. "Miwa didn't ask me straight up,
and I think I managed to piss him off enough that he
won't ask again anytime soon."
 
Meiko nodded and kissed the hollow of Yuu's throat.
"Miki didn't ask -- she just said be careful."
 
"They don't know how right this feels," Yuu said,
rubbing his hands across Meiko's back.
 
He kissed Meiko's ear again, his wet tongue warm,
exciting her. "We'll tell them when they absolutely
need to know."
 
Meiko hugged him close and agreed. They wouldn't
understand this, she knew. She didn't fully understand
it herself, but Yuu had said he loved her, and that's
all that mattered to her right now.