Disclaimer: Almost done…

Hiroki: How exactly is that a disclaimer?

Chey: I don't know.

Hiroki: Well say it already.

Nowaki: Yes, say it now.

Chey: Jeez, everyone's ganging up on me now. Fine, I own nothing.

Nowaki: Good girl.

Chey: Yeah yeah.

Egoist Act Five Part Three

About halfway home, Hiroki spoke. "You said that you told me you were leaving. When?"

Nowaki looked a bit sheepish when he replied, "About two months before I left. That night you were studying for finals."

Hiroki vaguely recalled Nowaki talking at him while he completely focused on memorizing the birth and death dates of historical poets as well as each of their most well known works. Then he looked up at his lover, anger rippling in his eyes. "You told me you were planning to leave when I was hyper focused and knew I wasn't paying attention!" He tried to jerk his hand back but Nowaki held it fast.

"I know."

"Why?" he spat.

"Because I didn't want to know what you would say."

Hiroki's brow wrinkled. "I would have supported your decision of course."

"I know." Before Hiroki could interject, he went on. "I didn't want to hear that."

"Again, why?"

"Because I thought that if you said that it would mean that you wouldn't need me or even care if I left."

Hiroki's eyes widened. "You know that's not true!"

Nowaki looked away. "I'm just insecure."

"And if you had told me and I'd said, no, don't go?"

Nowaki's eyes shot back to lock onto Hiroki's. "I would have stayed, of course." Totally blunt.

Hiroki sputtered. "That's stupid!"

"Is it?" Nowaki stopped, shifting to face Hiroki. "Hiro-san, I want you to be happy through any means possible. If you want me to stay by your side forever, I will. If you want me to leave then I'll disappear." He lifted Hiroki's hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Don' dispear," Hiroki mumbled, looking fixatedly at the ground.

"Sorry?" Nowaki asked.

"Don't disappear," Hiroki snapped, jerking his hand away while his face turned red. He hated having to say stuff like that out loud.

"Hiro-san…" Nowaki breathed. He caught Hiroki's chin and lifted it. Hiroki's annoyed eyes met Nowaki's warm ones. Then all eyes slid shut as Nowaki leaned down and kissed Hiroki long and hard ignoring the fact that they were out in the open. It didn't matter anymore. People could see all they wanted. What were they gonna do about it? Hiroki's hands gripped Nowaki's shoulders and pulled him deeper into the kiss. Nowaki responded by snaking his arms around the teen's waist and lifted him off the ground to pin him against a store shop window.

Hiroki didn't know how long they stood together like that but at some point he murmured that he wanted to go home. Nowaki kissed him for a moment more before releasing him. "Let's hurry," he said, a smile touching his eyes.

Hiroki only managed a breathy grunt of assent before Nowaki took his hand and they were running.

They only just made it to the bedroom before both of them gave themselves over to renewed pleasure and need.

…

The next morning, Hiroki got up, rubbing his back, and went into the living room. He'd been too distracted to notice last night but now he could see that Nowaki still hadn't unpacked!

"Idiot," he murmured looking toward the bedroom where Nowaki slept on. He decided he really ought to get started on this since it would be less work later and it was still too early to start breakfast. Plus, somewhere in here were all the things he'd taken with him when he'd left.

He opened a box to reveal several medical textbooks in English. He started scooping them up and adding them to the book shelves on the walls. Another book revealed more of the same. However, in the bottom he saw a leather satchel.

He picked it up and was about to set it aside for Nowaki when said man yawned, "Good morning," behind him. He jerked, dropping the bag which promptly fell open. He glanced down at the ream of envelopes on the floor. He reached down and picked one up. It was addressed to him with American postage. "What is this?" he murmured opening it.

"Ah no, Hiro-san don't!" Nowaki yelled lunging for him. Ten years of Karate, Judo and Kendo was not to be wasted. He ducked and darted away while Nowaki hit the ground face first. He hastily pulled the letter free and started to read.

Dearest Hiro-san,

How are you? I miss you so much. I wish you were
here. But then, it's very cold. You would probably
hate it since you like warmth, like how you snuggle
up in my arms on cold nights. There's a lot more
snow here than in Tokyo. More than Hokkaido even.
Yesterday, I was told to stay home because the
hospital was snowed shut. But then, so was the
apartment. I wished you were here. I thought about
you all day.

I miss you a lot. I mean I really, really miss you. I
miss your face, your hands, your kiss, your soft body
under mine—

Nowaki managed to tear the letter away before Hiroki could read any more. Good thing too since his head might have exploded. Now, he merely stood frozen. "Hiro-san?" Nowaki asked.

Hiroki was silent. He continued to stand motionless staring at his empty palms. Finally his mouth began to form words. "You wrote letters to me and didn't send them?" Each word dropped like a stone.

"Yes," Nowaki actually sounded nervous.

"Why?"

"Because if you wrote back, I wouldn't be able to focus. I would have wanted to see you."

Hiroki didn't reply. Instead, he ducked around the doctor and shot back to where the satchel had fallen. He scooped up the letters and ran for the bedroom. "No! Hiro-san, give me those!"

"No way," Hiroki growled, clutching the letters to his chest.

"Hiro-san, give!"

"Baka, go away!" Hiroki failed to duck the attack and fell under Nowaki's overlarge frame. "Oomph, stop it."

"No, you don't need to read them." Hiroki was ignoring him though as he was tearing open another envelope. "Hiro-san," Nowaki moaned. "I can tell you what they all say. I wrote them every time I started missing you. I just couldn't send them."

Hiroki set down the letter and twisted his neck to look at his lover. "Nowaki," he murmured.

"Hiro-san?" Hiroki moved closer to Nowaki who automatically leaned in.

"Get off!" he snapped and flipped back, scrambling out from under Nowaki, grabbing as many letters as he could and fled to the bathroom to press the lock on the door. He settled for a nice bout of reading and ignoring Nowaki who was pounding on the door.

Chey: And done with Egoist!

Hiroki: Finally.

Nowaki: Hiro-san!

Chey: Anyway, next is Romantica Act 3.5

Misaki: Aw man, we have to come back? So troublesome.

Chey: I'm rolling my eyes.

Anyway, please review and thanks for reading!

~Cheyanne