Chapter Eleven: Filing Papers
Monday morning, the eleventh, Hiroki stirred, something warm and wet had been lapping at his toes. He growled, "Nowaki, I didn't know you had a foot fetish, but would you knock it off!"
Nowaki however wasn't on the bed, he realized, as the smell of that mornings breakfast wafted through the air and he heard him speak.
"Did you say something Hiro-san?" Nowaki stood at the door, spatula in hand, wearing a long white apron that read 'Kiss the Cook'. Hiroki preferred the other one though that replace one of the o's with a c and the Kiss with the word Suck. He forgot whether or not the had been replaced by my or not.
It was the one he would have worn anyway, as long as it was just them. However, he believed they might have to dispense with it as Niro would be coming into their home. He believed with all his heart and soul, that Niro would survive this and remain in complete remission for the rest of his life.
However, if Nowaki were over there, then who the hell was licking his foot!
Flinging the covers aside he glowered down at his limbs, to see the three legged dog and memories of the day before came flooding back into his head. He and Nowaki hadn't even been able to make love last night, because the pooch had whined her head off till they let her in.
He hadn't been going to let her, but Nowaki had himself given him huge puppy dog eyes. He of course had told Nowaki, that if the dog were going to sleep with them, then they'd not be fucking each other like animals. There was no way that he would welcome an audience, even if they weren't human.
Nowaki had claimed that it would just be for one night, but he knew better. His lover had a softer heart than he did and would no doubt end up spoiling Literature. That to him, just sounded so wrong.
Hiroki pushed the dog from his leg, but not off the bed. She only had three legs after all to land on.
Getting up, still groggy, he stumbled into the kitchen right behind Nowaki, nearly bumping into him. However he stopped just short of doing so and turned to sit down in a chair that Nowaki must have pulled out for him.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he glanced over the food that was ready on the table, it was American fare, though with rice as was a staple of any self respecting Japanese man or woman's diet.
His stomach growled, his eyes flying to Nowaki, though at least he didn't laugh, but he did see his mouth had quirked into a smirk.
Nowaki came over with his own plate, all fires off and sat down across from him, though their feet lightly stroked against each others.
"Good morning Hiro-san."
"What's so good about it?" He tore into a piece of toast.
"Today, we'll get to sign papers adopting Niro, it'll go quick, because he's a relation of yours to place in the Kamijou family registry as your son. Quick too, unfortunately, because of his illness. There's no time to go through all the red tape, so that they should just give you all the papers, so that he has family to take care of him."
Waving a fork around with a bit of waffle on it he remarked, "Yeah, I'm sure its also because the government doesn't want to be the ones to pay for a funeral, if he should die, but he's not going to!"
"Hiro-san... you sound so certain."
"Of course I am! Niro has a love of literature just like I do. He's told me that he loves to read and that someday he'd like to be a poet. I'm not sure how good of a poet he'll be, but he loves Shakespeare and even some of our own long deceased poets and writers." He munched on more of the delicious American food Nowaki had prepared that he'd learned how to make over during that year there which had brought him so much anguish.
He would not hold a grudge for that, but he hated whenever he'd be reminded of it, whether by Nowaki, himself or an event.
After breakfast and after they had cleaned up after themselves, they quickly showered and changed into appropriate attire for visiting a lawyers office, of whom had been told of their desire to adopt Niro.
"Kamijou-san," spoke the man across a desk, lining papers together in order to organize them thoroughly, "there were none who were against your adoption of Niro. Most didn't even know about him, but hearing that he was sick..."
Hiroki snorted, "They didn't want to add another mouth to feed, or rather someone who might soon die and they'd have to dip into their funds."
The lawyer stared at him and Nowaki, before adjusting his glasses, "Well, yes, that might be true, but if you sign these papers I have for you, Niro will be all yours."
Taking the pen that the man offered, Hiroki gazed down at the papers, but before he could sign, Nowaki took them away.
"Hiro-san, never sign anything before reading it! You, more than anyone, should know that."
"I do know. Baka!"
The lawyer quirked a brow at them, but said nothing while Nowaki read.
A hand held the papers out for the brunette to take.
Taking the papers from Nowaki, he set them on the desk and bent over to sign after hearing Nowaki say that it was fine, that even the fine print didn't seem that bad.
Once Kamijou Hiroki's name was on the documents and all the questions had been answered the lawyers signed and sealed it, creating copies while keeping the original for their files.
"Tanabata Niro is now Kamijou Niro, son of Kamijou Hiroki and grandson of Kamijou Kinoki and Naruoki Hiromi."
Holding the paper in his shaking hand, Hiroki couldn't quite believe it, but there it was the certificate giving him custody of Niro. He just hoped that Nowaki would always be there for him and Niro, especially as he didn't think he'd make a very good parent, but his lover would, he was certain of it. Nowaki, was, afterall a pediatrician and loved kids.
Unless he was somehow changed into a woman, with all the biological parts in place, he'd never be able to give his Nowaki any children, but, this way, he could. He could give his lover the family he longed for.
He doubted that he'd be willing to ever adopt any other child, so he could not give up the faith, the belief, that Niro would survive and live a full and happy life.
"Nowaki, lets go tell Niro the good news."
Nowaki grinned, "Yes, Hiro-san."
Arriving at the hospital and proceeding to Niro's room, they were told he'd been taken to the ICU as he'd stopped breathing for three minutes, but had been given CPR. However, they had panicked and sent him there, placed on oxygen. He'd not been given time to flat-lined, since the nurse had been in the room checking up on him when it had happened.
The off duty doctor, holding Hiroki's hand, worried that might mean a delay in the bone marrow transplant if Niro were not strong enough.
The two of them found him and slowly walked into the room where he waited.
Niro gazed at them, glossy eyed, "Kusama-sensi, Kamijou-sensei," he smiled waveringly, still frightened by his mishap of earlier.
Hiroki sat down beside him, taking his hand and lightly squeezing it, glancing back up at Nowaki. He was frightened that this was an ill omen, knowing not what he should say.
Nowaki however, knew just what to say as he smiled at the boy, "Niro, you're okay now and that's what matters. Obviously you were not meant to leave this world yet, so its a good sign that the transplant will work."
Niro sniffled, "Really?"
Hiroki and Nowaki both nodded, Hiroki himself, quite comforted by what his partner had to say in regards to it. It was almost as though he'd read his mind, believing this event to have been an ill omen rather than the good one that he made it seem.
"Hiro-san, shouldn't you show Niro the copy of the certificate?"
Turning his head back to Niro, he gruffly took the paper out from his bag and said, unable to meet the child's eyes, feeling somewhat shy, "I signed the papers earlier today, you're now a Kamijou, Niro."
Niro's jaw dropped, "You really meant it!" He cried out in gleeful joy.
Hiroki stared at him confused, "Of course I did!"
"Some of the kids were saying that... you were joking... that you were just trying to comfort me before I... before I..."
Hiroki held up his hand, placing his fingertips over Niro's mouth, "Shh, don't say it, because you wont be doing so, you're going to live. Now you just have to get stronger before Wednesday."
Once he'd removed his hand, Niro grinned from cheek to cheek, "I will!"
Together once again, they discussed everything they would do on the day that Niro finally got to go home with them, instead of remaining at the hospital.