As I've said before: I'm sorry if you get confused while they are doing sexual activities pertaining to who is doing what.

Chapter Ten

Nowaki was confused. "So let me get this straight: 'something' is growing inside of Hiro-san, but you don't know what?"

"Correct."

"But this 'something' isn't bad?"

"Again, correct. We have done numerous tests, and it's not malignant nor is it in the way of any organs."

He shook his head; this made no sense.

"I don't understand. How is this possible?"

The doctor smirked. "I thought you went to medical school. You should understand this."

"I did go to medical school," a slightly offended Nowaki asserted, "But most definitely not for this. I studied pediatrics."

"Of course." Doctor Yamamoto gave a long sigh. "Well, basically we thought that the radiation—well, it wasn't really radiation, but they are similar enough to call it that—was going to destroy his organs. Instead, it has caused his cells to mutate. I believe that it is the lesser of two evils."

Nowaki clenched his fists and said through gritted teeth, "How is mutating cells the lesser of two evils?"

"Come now, calm down."

Nowaki was shocked at being told to calm down. The safety of his Hiro-san was threatened, and all the doctor could say was "calm down?"

"It's not that bad. I'm telling you, he is in very little danger now."

He forced himself to take a deep breath. "Okay, so mutating cells. What's going to happen now?"

"Nothing. We see what happens."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Nowaki walked back to his Hiro-san's room with a heavy heart. He knew very little about cellular anatomy, but he was pretty sure that if they were mutating it was bad.

"Ah, Nowaki, what's the verdict?" Hiroki asked when the tall man walked through the door.

"You're fine."

"Good, I thought so."

Nowaki waited for an explanation.

"I wasn't worried. I didn't think I was going to die. Sometimes, you just have a feeling that things are going to be okay. Besides, death isn't something to be afraid of."

"Not something to be afraid of? You just had a feeling that things were going to be okay? I could have lost you—" Nowaki gripped Hiroki's shoulders, "—and there would have been nothing you could have done to stop it." He shook the smaller man for emphasis. "And then what would happen? I would be alone, Hiro-san! Completely alone! You are everything to me!" His voice got louder and higher as he continued. The dam holding back all of his emotions broke, causing all of his worries from the past day to flood his body. His anxiety, fear, and worry overflowed him all at once, and his excess emotions burst out.

"Why can't you even pretend that this is a big deal?" The shaking continued, only this time harder. "Why can't you at least be worried about his? You could be dead! Dead!"

Hiroki winced as the arms gripping his shoulders cut into his skin. He pushed the taller man away, but he didn't budge. "Nowaki! Stop! You're hurting me."

Nowaki stilled as he realized what he was doing. Slowly, he dropped his arms.

"I'm sorry Hiro-san." He looked down out of shame as tears threatened to spill over his eyes. "I was just so worried, and you didn't even seem to care this whole time."

"Of course I care. I care a lot… I care about myself, but I care more about you." Hiroki reached out to put his hand on Nowaki's shoulder. "And I didn't want you to worry any more than you were already. If I let my feelings show, then you would have pickeded up on it and stress more."

Nowaki could only sigh. Hiroki was right. He looked up to stare into his Hiro-san's eyes, and felt his love for the smaller man consume him.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Two days later Hiroki was released from the hospital. The "tumor" was still present and unidentified, but the couple had been assured that it would cause no problems. Nowaki was still skeptical, as he didn't understand how something non-dangerous could be growing inside his Hiro-san, but he didn't question it further; he trusted the doctor's opinion.

They couldn't get plane tickets home until the next day, so the two paid for a hotel room. Although Hiroki was offered one more night in the hospital for additional recuperation, he declined because Nowaki wouldn't be allowed to stay with him. Besides, he needed a break from hospital gowns and sitcom re-runs.

As they were walking down the street after dropping off their bags in their room, Hiroki felt his stomach rumble.

"I'm hungry."

"But Hiro-san, you just ate breakfast at the hospital."

"So?" he grumbled. "The food they fed me the last few days tasted like cardboard. I want something real, like noodles or a nice big steak."

"Of course, Hiro-san."

Nowaki smiled, pleased that his lover was back to normal, whatever normal was.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

"I am going to go take a shower."

Nowaki looked up from the book he was reading to look at Hiroki. "Oh, okay. I'll take one after you then." He went back to reading.

But Hiroki just stood there awkwardly. After several long seconds, Nowaki noticed that he wasn't leaving for the bathroom.

"Do you need something, Hiro-san?"

"Nope. I'm good. Just about to go take a shower…"

"So I heard."

Hiroki blinked and shuffled his feet. "Well… aren't you going to ask if you could join me, or if I needed help washing my back, or something stupid like that?"

He closed the book and set it down. "Do you want me to ask?"

"No, no… I just…"

"So you do want me to ask." Nowaki's eyes twinkled mischievously as he smiled. "Well then, Hiro-san. Do you want me to join you in the shower?"

"No," he asserted. But then his voice got softer. "But if you wanted to you could, I guess."

"I always want to. I just didn't know if you'd be up for it after everything that's happened. I didn't want to pressure you."

"Stupid, you never pressure me to do anything," he mumbled.

The two men went into the bathroom and stripped. Hiroki blushed when he saw Nowaki's naked body lean over the tub to turn the water on. His ass was so firm and squeezable; the skin so smooth and tight. Hiroki doubted that his own behind could compare. Idly, he wondered if Nowaki ever looked at Hiroki the same way.

Nowaki turned around and caught his lover staring.

"What were you looking at, Hiro-san?" he asked playfully, as if he didn't already know the answer.

"Ah, nothing, nothing."

He walked over to the shorter man and nuzzled his neck before ushering him into the shower.

"Do you want me to wash your hair, Hiro-san?"

"No, I'm fine."

Nowaki ignored him and began to soap up Hiroki's head with shampoo. The professor didn't complain. After all, he really did love it when Nowaki bathed him; his pride just wouldn't allow him to admit it.

Soon, Nowaki was running a sudsy washcloth over Hiroki's body. Down his arms, over his chest, and then around his ass. These sensations, accompanied by the knowledge that it was Nowaki in front of him, aroused him viciously. His penis hardened and lengthened with anticipation, but Nowaki didn't touch it.

He continued to rub the washcloth over his Hiro-san's body. Down his legs, over his instep, between his toes. Hiroki was tense; every single part of his body had received Nowaki's attention except for the part of him that wanted it most.

He ached from needing Nowaki's touch.

"Nowaki…"

"Yes, Hiro-san," he replied innocently as he turned the water off.

"Never mind."

Nowaki stepped out of the shower first. He took a towel from under the sink and held it open for Hiroki. He dried the older man off carefully and gently, making sure that every inch of his skin had been run over with the towel. As soon as Hiroki was dry, he dropped the towel to pick up a new one that he quickly ran over his own body.

As he began to rub down his hair, he felt a fingertip trace the curve of his spine.

"Hiro-san?" This was odd. Usually, Nowaki was the one to initiate any touching.

"Mmmhmm?" Hiroki continued rubbing his back.

"Are you that ready for me?"

"Ugh," he scoffed, "Well what was I supposed to do? You hardly touched me in the shower, and then you just stood there. I couldn't help it."

"Oh no, you misunderstand me," Nowaki said gently, "I like you touching me. Go ahead, continue."

"No, no, I'm good now," Hiroki replied and began to walk away.

He made it as far as the bathroom door before he felt Nowaki's hard body trap him from leaving. His body was turned around and then he felt Nowaki's soft lips moving against his own. Their contact was lost just as quickly when the tall man grabbed his hand to pull him out the door and press him down on the bed.

"I love you, Hiro-san," Nowaki said softly.

"I know. I love you too."

Nowaki started with his arm, running his fingertips up and down his lover's smooth skin. The strokes were long and slow, allowing Hiroki to get used to the sensations, and when he was sure the smaller man was ready, he leaned down to replace his fingers with his mouth. His lips traveled over his lover's lean muscles, and he felt him twitch when he pressed kisses onto the skin.

When he could tell the smaller man was ready, he travelled his lips over to Hiroki's nipple. Before he took the nub into his mouth, he looked up. Hiroki was gazing down on him, the sweetest expression on his face. His mouth was slightly parted to allow for deep breaths as he panted with anticipation and need. When Nowaki sucked it into his mouth and pulled, he jerked involuntarily.

Hiroki was breathing in an unrefined, rigid rhythm. Nowaki flicked his nipple again, and watched as his Hiro-san arched off the bed, one leg twisting up to allow his heel to dig into the mattress. A few more licks had Hiroki balling the sheets in his fists.

"N… Nowaki…," he moaned. "I need more."

He left the nipple to brush his mouth downward, over his pec and down his stomach. He dipped his tongue in Hiroki's belly button and felt him gasp. His Hiro-san's abdomen was so cute. It was soft, firm, and very warm. He nuzzled the sensitive skin between his pelvic bones and belly button.

"Nowaki," he gasped, "Stop playing."

Nowaki travelled lower until his mouth was poised above Hiroki's erection. It was leaking a pearly fluid as evidence of his need, and Nowaki couldn't wait to taste it.

He sucked the head in and then twirled his tongue around it. Hiroki moaned, the low sound rumbling throughout his chest; then he gasped. His head threw back into the pillow, but he kept it at an angle so he could still see Nowaki.

His lips enveloped Hiroki's straining erection. The pull from Nowaki's sucking was too much, and he groaned with need. He continued to work him with his mouth, licking up and down, then dipping his tongue in the slit before taking all of him in. All of this drove Hiroki higher and higher until his hips began to swivel and thrust into Nowaki's mouth.

He pressed his left hand on Hiroki's lower abdomen to hold him down. His other hand reached down between the smaller man's legs to fondle his heavy sac. This new sensation accompanied by Nowaki's warm mouth caused him to moan wildly. A fire of need built in his body as searing heat consumed him.

Nowaki, knowing that his lover was close, sucked with more force. He gripped both sides of Hiroki's hips and began to bob his head up and down. Hiroki, overcome with ecstasy, reached out to grab fistfuls of Nowaki's hair. As passion and ecstasy rose within his body, he pulled on the hair.

"Nowaki!" he cried, as his orgasm overtook him.

Thick liquid began to shoot into Nowaki's mouth. He continued to suck until Hiroki's body had stopped shaking, drawing out his lover's pleasure.

Hiroki could only lay there. His heart was pounding and his muscles felt as though they had disappeared.

Nowaki moved from between his legs to get off the bed.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Nowaki stood still and scratched the back of his head.

"We're not done. You didn't find your release yet."

"I'm fine, Hiro-san. Seeing you overcome with pleasure is enough for me."

"Well I'm not okay with that," he said, looking pointedly at the straining erection between Nowaki's legs. "And clearly, you aren't okay either. Come here." Hiroki opened his legs, inviting Nowaki back.

The tall man sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, but made no move to continue their earlier activity.

"Hiro-san, as much as I want you— and believe me, I do want you—I don't think I should put myself inside of you this soon after you got out of the hospital. I don't want to hurt you."

"Well that's stupid. I'm fine. The doctor said so. Whatever happened to me is over. Done with. The past. Besides, you can't just leave that the way it is." That, being the throbbing erection between his legs.

Hiroki pushed Nowaki onto his back.

"No, Hiro-san," he protested, "I'm fine really."

But the moan that left his lips when Hiroki took him into his mouth made his objection lose all force.

I feel so perverted. ;)

Sorry if this is confusing. I got confused while writing it, so it wouldn't be surprising if you got confused too.

Please review! It would make me very happy.