It is hard to believe this tale is almost over. I've had it completely written for weeks, but I read each chapter before posting it for some reason. Rather bittersweet in my opinion. One more chapter to tie up the story after this one. Thanks to everyone who has been reading and a special thanks to those who are kind enough to review. Hope this chapter meets expectation.

Cheers!

/GG/

Betsu No Ai oKeiken Suru Monogatari

Nowaki Monogatari 7

(2011)

Loving only one person in someone's whole life is quite the accomplishment. Most people go through crushes or puppy love throughout their younger years. Very few people are able to say they actually have experienced true and everlasting love. Sure, people will spout it out left and right, especially if it will get them sex. It's those that spout it out and don't want the sex that are a dying breed.

Holding onto that love, even when it seems to not be in existence is a difficult task. Sometimes people forget what they are holding on to, while others just stop caring. Those that hold on through adversity are the lucky ones, because that love is both strong and true.

Nowaki Kusama sat in his bed, shaking, and still seeing red eyes boring holes into his own blue ones. He mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts and for a moment he wondered if he wasn't having a panic attack. Using the skills he knew he had, he checked his heart rate and found it to be rather high. Then again he could feel his heart trying to pound its way thought his chest, so he wasn't really surprised it was a little high.

The man looked over at Hiro-san, the man with the red eyes, and saw his love was still sleeping. Nowaki didn't want to wake him after having such a vivid and strange dream, so he got out of bed and went into the bathroom. He turned on the water and splashed it on his face and let the water drip from his nose into the sink below. His reflection gazed back at him and he wondered how he could have ever thought, even in his dreams, about being with someone other than his Hiro-san. To Nowaki there was no one else on earth.

After wiping the excess water off his face he walked into the kitchen and started rummaging for some sort of beverage. Alcohol would have been nice, but completely wrong for the occasion; he wanted to clear his mind not fog it further. So the doctor settled for grabbing a bottle of juice and took it to the sofa.

Where had that dream come from? He asked himself. He hadn't recalled ever having a dream like that before. Nowaki remembered reading somewhere that it was the dreams a person would rather forget that were the hardest to get rid of. Contrary wise, it was the dreams a person wanted to remember that were the easiest to forget. This was one of the dreams he was never going to forget.

For a fleeting moment Nowaki actually thought about copying the dream down and showing it to Hiro-san's writer friend, but that would have led to one of two things. 1. The dream would have ended up in a new story (literature or otherwise). 2. The man would tell Hiro-san that Nowaki was dreaming about women, which would have ended up with some ridiculous argument. Neither sounded like good ideas.

There was always Hiro-san's superior at work too, but Nowaki had a love-hate relationship with the man. He loved that Professor Miyagi was able to bring out the best in Hiro-san's teaching and writing abilities. Hiro-san was always going off on how he wanted to top (not sexually) his superior at work so he could wipe that impish grin off his overgrown face. Nowaki also hated the man because Hiro-san was with him so much during the day, times when Nowaki wasn't able to see him.

Okay, he was able to admit to himself that he didn't actually hate either of the men in his Hiro-san's life. Nowaki had aged and grown away from the jealousy he'd had toward the two years ago. In reality he was more envious of them for having a place in Hiro-san's heart that he himself would never be able to have.

That must have been how Shizuka felt toward the end, when my thoughts were only on sitting on the bench and waiting.

Not being a professional writer wasn't going to keep Nowaki from writing this down. Eventually he may build up the nerve to seek out the meanings behind what he dreamt about. So the tall man with blue eyes took out a notebook and started jotting down what he remembered.

One hour later

Nowaki had finished writing and was now staring at the notebook like it was taboo. Within that notebook was a detailed account of things he had done without Hiro-san. The thought made him sad that the man he was completely in love with was hardly part of the story.

"Nowaki?"

The gentle giant was startled by the voice and turned around in surprise to see Hiro-san standing behind the sofa, rubbing his shoulder. Obviously the man was still tired as he was yawning, but there was a look of concern in his little tsundere's eyes. Those were the looks that made Nowaki's heart melt.

"Sorry, Hiro-san. Did I wake you?"

"No, and yes." Hiroki stated as he came round the sofa and sat next to Nowaki. "I didn't hear you out here. I just felt like something was missing and I woke up." Immediately a deep blush crept across the man's face as he bowed his head in embarrassment.

Nowaki grinned. "Hiro-san is so cute when he's tired."

"Shut up, brat." The older man said as he playfully shoved the younger away. "What are you doing up at this hour on a day when you don't have to work?"

"I had this strange dream Hiro-san. It kind of worried me, but I didn't want to bother you, so I left the room to think about it."

Hiroki looked over at Nowaki and saw that his face was a little downcast, so whatever the man had in his head was obviously playing with him. Far be it for him to deny that when he saw Nowaki like that it didn't pull at his heartstrings. Nowaki was the most important person in the world to him and when the giant was sad, it made Hiroki sad too.

"What kind of dream would cause you, of all people, to get so worked up?"

Nowaki handed Hiro-san the book where he'd just written the dream. He'd allow the professor to read and he could narrate at the same time. That way if anything was missing in either account the other would be able to find out the whole story.

Hiroki listened and read as a tale was woven for him like the intricate pattern in one of those old woven blankets. What Nowaki was telling him had his eyes popped open and a feeling of awe in his head. It wasn't uncommon for someone to dream about what life might have been like if they were to follow a different path, but to know in a person's heart that he or she didn't want that path and slowly change it wasn't common. Lucid dreams were rare and even Hiroki wasn't able to pull that off. Nowaki must have had some pretty powerful feelings to be able to break away from the storybook family and find what he was truly seeking.

He looked at the man he'd given his heart too and fell in love all over again. Nowaki had been given a chance to see what it was like to have kids (something Hiroki regretted he would never be able to give to Nowaki) and the man had still chosen him. In that moment he never felt more loved then he had ever felt in his whole life.

The literature professor knew there wasn't much merit to dreams; most of it was just symbolism anyway (Akihiko would back him up on that). Still, he did wonder if Nowaki ever felt like he was missing out and that was why the dream was so detailed. The Hiroki character in the dream wasn't technically him; it was more of the longing Nowaki had for his lover. So did Hiroki even show up in the dream?

"Are you okay, Hiro-san?" Nowaki asked with concern. The tables had turned.

"This is quite the story here. If I didn't know better I'd have thought you'd written a novella."

"That is only what I can remember, but it doesn't really mean anything."

Hiroki nodded. "I know, I just don't want you to feel like you are missing out. I know you want kids and I can never give that to you."

Nowaki blinked and pulled Hiro-san into a hug, which caused the older man to flail. Once the professor stilled and let Nowaki hold him, the man spoke. "Even in my dream Hiro-san, I gave up on kids I'd already had to be with you. I know we won't ever have children, but I don't want them if it means I can't keep you."

Inside Hiroki was glad to hear that and he was jumping around like a little child. Outwardly he was just a stoic as usual. Never would he show that inner child to anyone, especially Nowaki.

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

"Yes, Hiro-san."

"I am glad that even though you were able to experience another love, you still chose me." He said shyly. "And…in the dreams I've had that were similar, I always chose you too."

Nowaki's eyes went wide at the thought and a huge grin plastered his face.

"You've had similar dreams?"

Hiroki lowered his head and sighed. "I don't usually go for girls, normally it's people from my past…" He admitted. Then he looked up with a growl. "But I always woke up before anything could happen, so in other words, I chose and will always choose you, Nowaki."

With those final words Hiroki Kamijou stood up and stalked back to the bedroom. He never wanted to admit such a thought again. Even if it did make his overly-affectionate giant happy.

Nowaki watched Hiro-san stalk off with a smile on his face and a song in his heart. That man was never much for saying sweet things, but to hear those words roll off the older man's tongue was like music to the doctor's ears. It made him fall in love all over again.

"Nowaki."

He looked over and saw Hiro-san standing in the doorway to the bedroom.

"Nowaki…I'm cold." Hiroki stated with a blush.

The other man stood up with a grin and walked toward the bedroom. He wouldn't change any single part of his life, as long as when he came home his Hiro-san was waiting for him. That was all he really needed.

"Right, Hiro-san."