I own nothing…duh.

Hey everybody, sorry things have been slow. I meant to update this sooner, but I had to get a cavity filled and my dentist nicked the nerve and I spent last night sobbing and drinking shots to numb the pain. So I couldn't work on it. But now I'm heavily drugged, so I can focus a bit better.

So, now I'm presenting chapter 4

Nowaki stared down at the still half sobbing woman. She looked back at him, honesty, along with guilt and fear were radiating from her eyes as she looked up at her handsome son. "Hibiki," she breathed, fighting the need to break down again.

Nowaki pushed away the moment he could feel his limbs again. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I'm your biological mother, Kisu Watani." She braced herself, preparing for her son's anger. She certainly deserved it. He was going to hate the woman who abandoned him, but maybe, just maybe he wouldn't hate her forever.

Nowaki, was too busy being in shock to feel any strong emotions other than shock. Had Hiro-san known..? He must have, and couldn't put it into words. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked about my parents. Poor Hiro-san. He forced himself to focus on the issue at hand. The one that involved the woman standing before him who looked ready to break down again at any moment. He started forward, the urge to comfort her, like he comforted the parents of his patients almost overpowering him. He stopped short of touching her and said, "Kisu-san, how did you find me?" (a/n: I know most people, when meeting their birth parents, react with either happiness or anger. But most of the time, they are kids whose emotions are too strong for his or her immature brain. Which is why they act out, but as an adult, Nowaki is not going to go ballistic)

She started to say something, when Nowaki interrupted. "I just realized I'm being terribly rude. Would you please come in and sit down? And would you like some tea? I just made a fresh pot."

"Oh, I—thank you." She stepped further into the house and looked around. It was abnormally clean for a house in which two bachelors lived. It was also rather pretty, with pictures of Nowaki and the man from yesterday. He must be this Hiro-san. They looked oddly happy together. More like a couple, than roommates. She looked around and saw that the apartment had only one bedroom. She was starting to wonder, when Nowaki came into the room with a tea set. They both took seats on the floor cushions at the table.

Nowaki poured out tea and said, "So how did you find me? I apologize for interrupting before."

"It's alright, and thank you for the tea." She took a sip and continued, "I've been looking in every orphanage between my hometown and Tokyo. Kusama was the last one on the list. Father Kusama recognized you from the picture I had of you." Glad that her son hadn't gotten angry yet, she babbled on, hoping to get enough out so that he wouldn't hate her too much.

"Picture?" He'd only seen a couple pictures of himself as a small child, and none as a baby, the orphanage couldn't afford cameras. The pictures were taken by child services.

"Ah, hai." She reached into her bag and dug for a moment before she remembered. "Oh, I showed it to your roommate, I don't think he gave it back."

"Hiro-san has it? Well, he'll be back after class."

"Is he a student?" She noticed that they were avoiding the 'Birth mother' subject, but it would come up again soon, and Hibiki, or Nowaki as he was now named.

"Ah no, he's a teacher."

"Really…your teacher?" Was that how they met?

"No, well, he tutored me when he was starting college and I was in middle school. We've been together ever since. He's a classic literature professor at Mitsuhashi University."

"Wow, that's cool for someone so young. Of course, becoming a doctor is even more amazing."

"Thank you." Nowaki put on a glazed expression. "I'm always trying to catch up to him…to be worthy of him." Watani watched him, confused. Why was he talking about his friend like this? Was Hiro-san something else? An adoptive brother or something?

"Um, this Hiro-san, your roommate. Is he a good friend?"

"The best. He's also my Hiro-san…my true love."

Watani stiffened. Hibiki was gay? "Y-your true love?"

"Yes, I love my Hiro-san." She looked at all the pictures again, she'd thought they looked like a couple,

"Are you two a—"

"We're lovers, going on seven years." Watani's eyes bugged out as she stared at her son. While she'd been searching for him, he'd been in a homosexual relationship with an older man. She hadn't even started looking for him until after he'd already begun to build himself a new family. She began to feel guilty for imposing herself on them. He had his own life. One she had no place in.

"So you are happy?"

"Yes. If I hadn't been in the park with the other kids that day, I would never have found Hiro-san. I'm glad about the way my life has worked out." He was trying to sooth her, having read the guilt on her face.

"I'm sorry," she blurted suddenly. "I'm sorry I left you there, I'm sorry I'm here now, interrupting your life, I'm just so sorry!" She started to sob again, and Nowaki got up hastily and embraced the woman he now knew was his mother. She stiffened, then broke down completely.

"Shh, it's all okay, I'm glad to finally meet you. I wondered, what had happened, but I had hoped that you and my father were happy."

She laughed wetly. "I was happy when my parents took me back. I met a boy in college, I was prepping for High school. I asked him to tutor me and it turned into something more. I fell in love with him instantly. The night before he had to leave, we…you know, anyway, he went to America and never contacted me again. I wound up pregnant, and my father threw me out. During that storm, I'd left to steal food. When I came back, you and the building where we were living were gone. I figured you had died and saw opportunity. I was so selfish. I wanted to go home so I just left you. I hate myself now, for doing that. Hell, I hated myself back then, but I ignored it since I was happy my family had allowed me to return. I know you can't forgive something so heinous, but please, don't hate me."

"I forgive you." Nowaki said it that simply.

She looked him square in the face and said, "What?"

Yay, Cliffhanger time. Anyway This will be the last update for a while, I'm going on vacation and there is no internet access up there. I know, you'll all have to deal. I'll try to update Ransom or Shinobu's Confession, before I leave, but I may not be able to as I leave tomorrow and I am currently on route to my emergency root canal.

Please review since by the time I read them, I will be depressed, upset and in extreme pain.