Just a ridiculous little story about beer, bottle rockets and sexual harrassment. This was written a very long time ago and has been festering on my computer so I thought I should let it see the light of the internet at least once.

Hidaira Park

XX

After introducing Nowaki to his parents - and, dear God, that was an experience he was intent on drowning out with alcohol - Hiroki had been secretly glad that he would never have to do the same. It was not that he was happy that Nowaki was an orphan, not that it would have made much of a difference if he was not, just that it saved him the embarrassment and humiliation of introducing himself to the parents.

Oh God, if it was anything like Nowaki meeting his parents - the awkwardness, the humble bow, the 'please leave your son to me!' as if he were carrying off their virgin daughter and, even worse, the parents patting and congratulating each other as if they had just married off said daughter - then Hiroki would sooner hang himself.

'He's a tall, handsome, young doctor! Everyone wants to bag a doctor, son!'

He thought he would go drown himself in the fish pond.

Shaking his head of such thoughts, Hiroki shoved his hands in his pockets and reluctantly trailed after Nowaki, who was running ahead like an enthusiastic child.

"Hiro-san! Hiro-san!" he waved him over to the benches. "Do you remember this place? This is where we first met!"

"Yeah, and you almost took my head off with that damn rocket," Hiroki muttered. He had been brooding about never gaining Akihiko's love at the time and, although he was no longer in love with the man, those horrible feelings were something he did not care to remember either.

"It was love at first sight," Nowaki sighed, smiling.

Hiroki glanced around the park. It was working hours but they both had the day off and Nowaki had suggested going back to Hidaira Park. It was where they had first met after all and yet they had not been there again for years. It was like an anniversary spot, Nowaki insisted, so they had to go back some time.

The park was as quiet as ever, quieter perhaps since most people were at work or at school; there was no one around that Hiroki could spot. Picking up on this, Nowaki grabbed his hand before he could protest and pushed him on to the bench.

Hiroki yelped despite himself as he toppled onto the bench. "Hey! Don't just - mmf!"

Nowaki's mouth was not helping him speak much, not that it really mattered anyway, but they were in public. Public!

He pushed him away, sliding down the far end of the bench for safety reasons. "Nowaki! What do you think you doing, brat?" he barked angrily, face flushed with embarrassment.

"Well, I believe I was kissing you," Nowaki replied bluntly.

Just as Hiroki opened his mouth to make some angry retort, he became acutely aware that they were not as alone as they had thought they were. He turned his head sharply towards the sound of footsteps, his cheeks turning even redder as he recognised the man approaching them.

It was one of the old men that Nowaki had dragged him along to see after almost decapitating him with that damn rocket. Hanada-san or Hayaguchi-san or something. He forgot the name. All that he could remember was that the old geezer was some big-shot CEO for some big-shot company.

"Wa-chan!" the old man smiled then, noticing Hiroki too, said; "Oh, Hiro-tan, wasn't it?" and nodded at him.

"H - Hiro-tan?"

Nowaki bowed his head respectfully. "Hello, Hayakawa-san, long time no see," he smiled politely. Ah, so that was his name.

The man clasped Nowaki's hands very slowly, as if he would hurt Nowaki's hand if he touched it too fast. Hiroki shuffled a little and tried not to look uncomfortable. If they had been spotted kissing, at least Hayakawa was polite enough not to say anything. No, that was not it! He was old, right? The man was probably as blind as a bat. Yes, that was it! All old men were as blinds as bats nowadays, weren't they? Disaster averted.

"It's been far too long. All the guys have been wondering how our dear Wa-chan has been doing!" Hayakawa continued, shaking Nowaki's hand very slowly.

"I've been fine, thank you. I'm sorry for not keeping in touch," Nowaki smiled apologetically.

"Ah, I heard that you were planning to become a doctor."

"Yes, I've already completed my training."

"That was fast! And at such a young age as well!" the old man congratulated him.

Nowaki smiled happily and thanked him. "Well, I had excellent motivation and an excellent tutor," his eyes slid over to Hiroki.

"Even though I didn't teach you a thing about medicine!" he muttered under his breath. Damn brat, wasting his time on a subject he was not even going to pursue!

Hayakawa turned to Hiroki as well, breaking his handshake with Nowaki to clap him on the back. "Oh! Hiro-tan, we have to catch up as well! How have you been? No, don't answer that yet! Come, the guys and myself have gathered for some drinks. Please join us," he beckoned them away.

Hiroki opened his mouth to politely decline the invitation but Nowaki was already bowing and thanking the old man so he conceded in going as well. Hayakawa led them back to that same spot where the same old men were sitting on the same mat eating the same kind of snacks.

All Hiroki remembered from their last conversation all those years ago was being told that the CEOs had become sponsors of the orphanage where Nowaki grew up. They had gotten to know each other through Nowaki. That, and about Nowaki being an orphan. Oh, and something about happiness. It was all very fuzzy.

However, when Nowaki went to assist one of the men in pumping a handmade bottle rocket full of air, Hiroki was definitely filled with an odd sense of de-ja-vu .

"Yama-chan is at it again," another of the old men, Rinei-san, sighed, taking a sip of his beer.

Hayakawa handed him a can too, smiling warmly. "So, Hiro-tan, all we did was talk about ourselves and Wa-chan last time, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself now?"

"Uh…well, I'm a professor at M university," he said, snapping the tab off of his can. A little foam flowed over his fingers and he licked it off.

"Oh? Which department?"

"Literature," he replied.

"Literature, eh?" Kunio, head of Kunio pharmaceuticals, leaned his head back a little. "What a wonderful subject!"

Rinei nodded his head vigorously. "I'm glad. It seems you've become good friends with Wa-chan. Is the fact that we haven't seen him much lately attributed to you as well, eh, Hiro-tan?" he jokingly nudged Hiroki's side.

Before he could reply, Hayakawa cocked his head to one side questioningly. "Oh, you two aren't lovers?" he asked innocently.

Hiroki almost spat out his beer. "Ehhh? W - what makes you think that?" he stuttered, feeling his cheeks beginning to burn.

Hayakawa looked confused. "Oh, I'm sorry," he apologised, "maybe my eyesight is just getting worse in my old age but I would swear I saw dear Wa-chan kissing you."

Hiroki thought that if he turned any redder his head would just burst. "Th - th - that was - " he stammered, desperately tried to invent some excuse.

"Oh, so you're lovers, eh?" Rinei sighed dreamily. The old men were blatantly not listening to a single stuttering word coming out of his mouth.

"Ah, lovers is it? How nice!" Kunio nodded and they all began murmuring their assent amongst each other without letting Hiroki get a single word in between.

"It's the springtime of youth!"

"Ah, I remember when I was that age!"

"I don't."

Secretly, Hiroki managed to swiftly glance at Nowaki, who was still pumping air into the rocket. It looked as though he was not going to get any help any time soon.

Then Hayakawa said had to say it. The word.

"Well," the old man nodded wisely, "if it's with Wa-chan, he must be getting quite an active sex life."

Hiroki spat out his beer faster than he could think. He scrubbed his lips furiously, coughing and choking on his beer.

"Are you okay, Hiro-tan? Young 'uns these days!" Rinei said kindly. He really was not helping at all. "No need to be so prudish, we've all been there."

"You mean you've been in Nowaki's - "

"Hiro-san, are you okay?" Nowaki, noticing all the commotion, came over to the mat.

Hiroki wanted to say something but he could barely breathe between his coughing fits. Hayakawa clapped him around the back while he was still coughing and wheezing.

"Ah, his drink just went down the wrong way. Hiro-tan here was just telling us about that new amusement park that opened up recently. He said that he was thinking about taking you to see it," he said, offering Nowaki an unbearably sweet smile in return.

Nowaki's face brightened but he struggled to control the emotions on his face. He could barely believe that someone as private as Hiroki would openly discuss something like that, even if the CEOs were all so friendly.

"Is that true, Hiro-san?" he asked.

"There, there, don't choke!" Hayakawa slapped his back with surprising force, making Hiroki's head bob up and down.

"H - Hiro-san!" Nowaki's tentative smile was transformed into a blinding grin.

Hiroki gasped for air. Damn, these old men were crafty!

As soon as his well-being was assured, Nowaki excused himself to help Yamada with the bottle rocket, leaving Hiroki once again at the mercy of these devious old men.

"A university professor, eh? That's a respectable profession," Rinei said, steering the conversation back to normal subjects. Away from Nowaki and his sex life. Thank God.

However, Hiroki's gratitude was short lived. They were not steering away from his sex life at all!

"Not bad for a guy. Quite a looker if you ask me," Kunio nodded to himself, looking at him as though he were weighing up all the pros and cons of a participant at a marriage interview. "Why, if I were thirty years younger…"

"Oh, stop that Kun-chan! Hiro-tan is taken!" Hayakawa laughed.

"Ah, I suppose he is!" Kunio said and they all began laughing at once.

Hiroki felt an eyebrow twitch.

Another round of beer was passed around and Hiroki wondered if these old men were the type who got drunk easily. He knew he had to watch what he drunk. The last thing he wanted was to go spilling his guts to them.

"But as a university professor, don't you ever get tired of the students? If you ever want to branch out and become an independent researcher, I wouldn't mind funding you," Hayakawa most generously offered.

"Would you?" Hiroki brightened. Finally, the first good thing anyone had said to him all day! "That would be really helpful! I don't want to give up teaching just yet but I've always been frustrated that my research has been limited due to lack of funds and resources!"

"Of course I'll support you every step of the way, Hiro-tan!" Hayakawa put a warm hand on is shoulder. "We're friends after all and I owe you for taking such good care of Wa-chan for us!"

Hiroki opened his mouth to thank the old man but he instantly snapped it shut again. Wait. He had a sneaking suspicion…

"Of course, I would be even more generous if you took extra, extra special care of our dear Wa-chan!" the man continued.

He knew it! He knew that it was all a little sudden and a little too good to be true. Still, he always dreamed of doing some independent research. He almost forgot himself and let a grin slip on to his face when he thought of all the books he could buy with extra funding. Just asking would not hurt, would it? If it was anything too outrageous he could always refuse.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

"What do I want? You make it sound like a trade, Hiro-tan!" Hayakawa slapped his back again laughing at the ridiculousness of it. However, Hiroki never failed to catch that knowing glint in the old man's eye. "Of course I do have a few suggestion but they're totally voluntary. I wouldn't dare force you to do something you wouldn't want to do," he said and proceeded to reel off a list of embarrassing things in Hiroki's ear.

"C - Crossplay?!" Hiroki yelped. What was wrong with the elderly today? This old man was a pervert!

Nowaki returned to them again, frowning a little when he saw how red Hiroki had become. He put a hand to his own forehead and another against Hiroki's, testing the temperature. "Hiro-san, are you really okay?" he asked worriedly.

"N - N - Nowaki! D - does bunny girl c - crossplay turn you on?" Hiroki shook him off, stammering and blushing like a chaste high school girl about to lose her virginity. In a way, he was. His 'decent-clothing' virginity was being stolen in a flourish of black lycra and fishnet stockings.

Nowaki did not say anything but he did turn a very bright shade of red and swiftly looked at the ground. That was a definite yes.

In their moment of defencelessness, Rinei moved in for the kill. "Oh, talking about bunny girls. My company's main product is beer and as a promotional and I've ordered several bunny girl costumes. Well, I don't know what you'd do with it but you're more than welcome to have some, I have one that's exactly Hiro-tan's size!"

Hiroki almost crushed his beer can in his hand. That damn old man knew exactly what they were going to do with it!

Nowaki laughed a little nervously. "Thanks for the offer but I don't think Hiro-san would - "

"P - please let me have one," Hiroki mumbled. His pride would not allow him to say it any louder but he did not want to reject the offer. Not when a whole truck load of private funds was riding on one little, stupid bunny costume. He had endured worse things than that to get where he was now, had he not?

When he thought about it, no he hadn't.

Yet that was nothing but a minor detail. Nowaki looked at him, bewildered, but thankfully he did not say anything, opting instead to scrutinise the ground.

"Oh! That's the spirit, that's the spirit! Youth should be adventurous!" Kunio congratulated them. "By the way, I have lots of other things you might want to try. I would gladly send you a whole box of supplies you might like to use."

Not if I kill you first! Hiroki could barely contain his embarrassment, which, naturally, was transforming into rage. It was not in his nature to be cruel or disrespectful to his elders but these old men were pushing it, by God, they were pushing it!

Yet the old men continued to talk amongst each other, suggesting and discussing all sorts of 'useful' things Hiroki might like to try, things Nowaki would no doubt love. And Hiroki, caught in their merciless pace, ended up being swayed along by their pleasant smiles and comments of;

'Oh, did you know I have the original copy of Bansho's first work? First publication! I'd be happy to give it you since you're so good to Wa-chan' and;

'I recently purchased the entire collection of Mishima's unfinished short stories. I'm not a fan though, would you like them? No, don't worry, whatever makes you happy is sure to make Wa-chan happy too. We want both of you to be happy after all. What are friends for?'

Lies! These old men were incorrigible liars! They were not concerned with his happiness at all! They were worse than parents and there were three of them! Three! Four if he included Yamada who was still obsessing over his rockets. Even under the veil of friendliness and kindness, Hiroki was experiencing visions of them dropping by with gift baskets and questions regarding his sex life and if he had tried such and such a position yet or if they had gotten to the point where eating off of each other was natural!

Taking a deep breath, he steeled his nerves. He was a man dammit! Who was he to be bossed around by a bunch of very influential, rich, powerful old men, even if they were the CEOs who practically ran the business industry! Okay, he would do the bunny girl and the amusement park but that was it. He swore an oath upon it! That was it!

XX

"…Let's see…" Nowaki took out a pen and a small pad as they were walking home along the sunset drenched back streets.

Hiroki quickened his pace and tried not to listen to the list of 'activities' he had unwillingly consented to. Each one was a blow to his pride.

"So we're going to that theme park on Sunday, on Monday it's the, ah…the c- crossplay," Nowaki blushed a little at that. "On Tuesday, we're bathing together - I better buy supplies - on Wednesday we're going to light fireworks, on Thursday, we're going shopping and to the cinema, on Friday we're going for a fancy dinner at a romantic restaurant... Are you sure you're okay with all of this Hiro-san?" he cocked his head to a side questioningly.

"It fine!" Hiroki snapped, fighting back the unpleasant memories of that park. "It absolutely fine! It's all for you, after all!"

Suddenly, Nowaki trapped him in a fierce bear hug that almost lifted him off of his feet. "Hiro-san makes me so happy!" he cried, grinning from ear to ear.

Struggling and demanding to be released, Hiroki flailed this way and that to hide the faint blush colouring his cheeks. Well, he supposed, if Nowaki was happy about it then maybe he could forgive those lousy old men.

However, his stern, prideful side harshly reminded him, this was just a one-off thing. He did not care Nowaki begged or cried that it was for their anniversary or whatever, he was never, ever going to go back to Hidaira park again!

I took the names of the three old men and professions off of the cards they give Hiroki in the first episode/chapter of Egoist. Apparently, in the drama CD, Hiroki's mother was out when they visited last time but we can all assume that they paid another visit again.

If anyone also reads 'Walking Amongst the Butterflies' you may recognise the name Hidaira Park from chapter two when Usami "voluntarily kidnaps" Misaki. This isn't a crossover, I just thought I would reuse it.