Disclaimer: I'm just a geeky fangirl. I own nothing.


The Long Way Home: Chapter 5

Morning had progressed to cloudy afternoon before Aki headed over to Ueno's apartment. He hadn't wanted to show up too early, to appear overeager. In addition, even if he had wanted to set out early, he couldn't have managed it. Aki wasn't an early riser if he didn't have to be, and it took several minutes after waking up to realize that he actually was awake. It took even longer for him to remember who he was, get his bearings, to recognize the burning in is belly as his bladder screaming at him to take a leak right now or suffer the consequences, figure out the day of the week, and what he had to do that day. Therefore, Aki took his time waking up and getting ready.

Instead of trying to figure out how to get to Ueno's apartment on his own, laziness inspired Aki to hop into a cab. He wasn't familiar with the area, and cabs were predictably easy to get from his residence. After getting to Ueno's place once, he figured he'd be able to get home on his own if need be. He gave the driver the address and settled against the white lace-patterned seat cover, setting his laptop bag on the seat next to him.

The ride wasn't lengthy if Aki actually thought about it, though it felt like forever. He tapped a finger impatiently against his knee while the cabbie turned off a main street into a residential area and stopped for pedestrians.

Aki paid the driver the required fare and hopped out of the cab, arranging the strap of his bag on his shoulder. The apartment complex looked new and tidy but not extravagant, with the numbers printed clearly above each door. Aki climbed the short flight of stairs after locating Ueno's apartment, and made his way to the door. He lifted his hand, prepared to knock, but stopped, arm suspended. He lowered his hand and strained to identify the noises coming from the other side of the door. A female voice reached his ears along with the clanking of dishes, a few loud squeaks, and what was probably a television set.

Aki raised a brow. Wrong apartment? He specifically recalled Ueno mentioning that he lived alone. He fished around in his bag for the small slip of paper that he had scrawled Ueno's address on the previous night, and then shook his head. Nope. If Ueno had given him the correct information, Aki was at the right place.

He reached out to knock again, but halted as he heard a yowl that he was positive was not human. Hmm? He raised his brow again, but quickly collected himself and managed to administer two short raps on the door. May as well satisfy that curiosity and get this party started.

The door opened after a short wait, and before Aki could back away from the door he found himself face-to-face with a set of light brown eyes, almost the color of tea. "Hi. Can we help you, sir?"

"I must have the wrong apartment. I-"

Aki stopped as someone called out from inside. "Who is it? I'm expecting someone."

That was Ueno's voice, without a doubt.

The girl smiled. "What's your name?"

"Aki. I go to-"

This time the girl cut him off. "His name is Aki."

"Let him in, Sora." Ueno called from somewhere inside, and the girl stepped aside to allow him entry.

"I'm Sora, Ueno is my big brother."

Aki let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and he slowly walked through the doorway, the girl closing the door behind him. He took a moment to view his surroundings while he toed out of his shoes, puzzled. The first thing he noticed was a small dog of the designer fusion type, though he couldn't identify what breeds had resulted in the tiny fuzzball. The thing gnawed furiously on a chew toy, front paws on the floor, fluffy butt in the air, tail wagging like crazy. Sora snatched the toy from the dog, which resulted in another howl. Aki watched as she threw it gently, and giggled as the furry little football bounded after it.

The interior of Ueno's apartment looked like a convention center hosting an estrogen conference. On top of the girl that introduced herself as Ueno's sister and the tiny canine, he spied another woman sitting on the floor balancing an infant girl in her lap while efficiently folding laundry, and another older woman, most likely a grandmother, stationed in the small kitchen. Ueno was standing next to her, chopping vegetables. They were speaking too quietly for Aki to decipher their conversation.

Ueno lowered the knife and turned around, giving Aki an apologetic smile. "Hey. Have a seat somewhere. I'll be done in a few minutes."

Aki slid out of his jacket and sat down on the couch. He was immediately joined by Sora, who squeezed in on his right side. He almost jumped as the left side became occupied by the woman holding the child. He smiled for their benefit, but he was a bit nervous at the attentive looks he received.

"Aki," Ueno called out from the kitchen, returning to his vegetables. "That's my little sister Sora, my mom, and my niece Suzume. And this one in here is my grandmother." Ueno gestured slightly with the knife.

"It's nice to meet all of you." Aki automatically supplied, as good manners dictated. He set his bag between his feet. Ueno's grandmother left her post in the kitchen after ensuring that Ueno was following her instructions correctly, and approached the couch.

The grandmother had indeed aged gracefully. With her clear, sharp brown eyes, smooth pale skin and thick white hair that still had strands of dark brown sprinkled throughout, she'd likely been a gorgeous youth. She was small in stature, and Aki guessed she couldn't have been taller than about five feet, slender and petite. He could also tell that despite her height, she was still an authority figure. She met Aki's eyes and smiled sweetly.

"Why don't you join my grandson? He could use a hand. I'd like to sit down for a moment, but my little bitty grandson here is clumsy enough to slice off a finger without proper supervision." She gestured with her head to the kitchen area.

"Yes ma'am." Without thinking, Aki stood, and made his way to Ueno's side, noticing that the older woman immediately took his vacated seat. He surveyed that Ueno appeared quite skilled in the art of slicing vegetables, despite his grandmother's assessment. He greeted him quietly.

"Hi."

"Hey, Aki. Sorry. My mom usually stops over every couple of weeks to visit. I forgot she was coming today." Ueno moved on to another vegetable. "She and my grandmother like to come by with groceries. They cook, clean, and basically take over the place, but apparently today I'm helping with the prep work. I don't think she's feeling well today, though she'd never admit it."

"Don't be sorry. I can handle my assignment. Besides, I don't want to interfere with your family time. I'll just head home and see you at school on Monday, okay?" More than thirty minutes with Ueno without an audience had almost been his. The disappointment could not be helped, but he managed a half-smile to help take the edge off of his words.

"Hey, now. You can stay. They've been here for hours and they'll be heading home pretty soon. I hope." He paused, thinking about his words. "Unless you're uncomfortable. Are you? My family isn't so much into formality once you're in the house and introduced, and they're real nosy. Once you go back out there, they'll be all over you, you know. They love to sniff out new people, and I'm not talking about Hana."

"Hana?" Aki cocked his head to the side.

"My mom's dog."

"Oh. I can field a few questions. If you don't mind, I'll stick around, then." Aki smiled fully. "I can't have you hurting yourself, anyway. According to your grandmother, you're not worth much in the kitchen." He passed Ueno a handful of rinsed carrots. "Though, I can't cook at all."

"No?" Ueno chuckled quietly, delighted that Aki was actually teasing him while wondering if there was someone around to cook for him or he existed off convenience store fare. "I can cook, but I have the random clumsy moment. I almost lost a finger once, and my grandma constantly thinks about that when I've got a knife in my hand. 'If you can't hold a knife steady and slice food evenly, how are you going to operate on a poor sick patient, even if you do make it through med school?' is her favorite line. According to her, the kitchen isn't my best room."

"Which one is, then?"

They were both silent for a moment. While Ueno likely hadn't meant to include any adult connotation in his comment, both of their thoughts were bouncing around on the same wavelengths now, thanks to Aki's question.

Aki figured he already had Ueno's best room accurately labeled, but he wisely kept his opinion to himself and merely observed while Ueno swiftly peeled and sliced up the rest of the vegetables without incident before calling to his grandmother that he was finished. She quickly shooed them both out of the kitchen and into the zoo that was Ueno's living room.


For the rest of the afternoon, Ueno was aware of Aki's presence, and acutely so. He lay on the floor, Hana curled up in a tiny ball on his stomach, as Aki endured endless questioning from his mother and grandmother. The questions weren't overly invasive, much to Ueno's disappointment; they pertained to his schooling, course or study, and information along those lines. He watched as his mother deposited the baby in Aki's arms, the panicked look on his face when his mother handed him the bottle and encouraged him to feed her, and of the pained expression in his eyes as his grandmother continued to feed him. Toward the end of their visit, Aki visibly relaxed and looked like he may have actually started to enjoy himself. He smiled more readily, and became a bit more engaged in conversation.

Ueno felt like beating his head against a wall. His thoughts kept returning to that casual remark Aki had made back in the kitchen earlier. Man, he didn't need to have thoughts like this with his family in any proximity. His kitchen wasn't large, and Aki had been close enough to touch, close enough to smell, close enough to share his body heat. He gritted his teeth because most importantly, he had been close enough to kiss.

At least his kin were immediately taken with him. Then again, his family liked most of his friends, except for his grandmother. The fact that she was trying to force Aki into a food-induced coma was a good sign. She fed those she was fond of.

His family cleared out far too late for Ueno's liking. It was already dark outside when he and Aki bid them all goodnight after his mother finished putting away Ueno's clean laundry, cleaned the kitchen and stored all of the prepared food. He shut the door and turned as Aki stood next to his couch, indecisiveness coloring his features.

"I should get going too." Aki hefted his bag and slung the strap over his shoulder. "I'm sure you have things to do."

He didn't. "You can stay if you want. You're not keeping me from anything."

Aki paused. "If you're sure. I don't wa-"

"I am." Ueno said confidently, gesturing to the couch. "Besides, I haven't even looked at your paper yet." He watched as Aki again set his bag on the floor and took a seat. He settled next to him. "Let's see it."

Aki unzipped his bag and pulled out a neatly stapled sheaf of paper, handing it over.

Ueno relaxed, leaning back into the cushions as he started on the first page while Aki waited patiently. He suddenly stopped and turned his head to Aki, his dark face quizzical. "Are you serious?"

Aki stared back, his expression innocently confused. "What do you mean? I thought I'd done a decent job."

He handed the papers back to Aki. "You've got to be kidding me. That doesn't need any editing. From now on, you're required to proof my stuff. Are you one of those overachiever types?"

Something told Aki that Ueno was one of those types. He sighed. "You caught me."

"You knew you didn't need any help?"

"I didn't think so. As far as writing is concerned, I usually don't, so..."

"Why didn't you say so?"

Making up a lie on spot while flustered wasn't going to fly. Might as well come out with it. He stared at his clasped fingers as he spoke. "Two days is a long time."

"What are you-" Realization hit him like a ton of bricks, recognition dawned in his eyes, and his breathing quickened. He answered shakily. "Oh. Two days does seem a little long, doesn't it?"

"This time, it does." Aki rested his hands at his sides and he sighed again. "I didn't mean to be dishonest. Well, I did mean it, but I'm sorry for being selfish, for wasting your time. "

Before Ueno could consider the consequences of his actions or even comprehend what was about to occur, his mind took a back-row seat to his emotions, and he covered Aki's hand with his own. "It's okay. I couldn't ask, either. Didn't know how, really, since whenever we talk the conversation is always really basic. But… you've never wasted my time. I sometimes wondered if I-I was wasting yours."

Aki trained his stare on their locked fingers. "Silly," he said, his whisper almost inaudible, "what are you saying?"

Ueno may have moved first, but he wasn't positive. Nonetheless, there were two points in time that he recognized; the first, with his hand merely resting on top of Aki's, and the second, with Aki's fingers carded between his, with no distance separating them any longer. Ueno's thigh rested against his, their shoulders brushing, Aki's clean scent wafting into his system, his warmth soaking into his skin.

Ueno had been trying mightily to be laid back over the last couple of weeks, trying to make them more comfortable with one another, but right then, he realized that all he had accomplished while attempting to play it safe was driving himself insane. He watched from a detached perspective as Aki slowly moved closer, turning to the side, squashing their tightly linked hands between their bodies, but the moment he felt Aki's breath on his cheek, it was Ueno who slowly raised his other hand to gently cradle the back of Aki's head, his fingers splayed and embedded in his soft hair, urging him closer.

Ueno had never thought to rate any of his kisses, but he had always assumed he did well. Now, he couldn't recall any of them being as eagerly anticipated as this one. Every aspect of this one was important and to be remembered; the gentle brush of the tips of their noses, the tingling sensation of Aki's breath on his cheek, the slow flutter of Aki's lashes as he closed his eyes, the soft sound that emanated from one of their throats, though it could have been either one of them. Every moment leading up to Ueno drawing Aki closer and the eventual pressing of their lips was just as wonderful as the kiss itself.

Ueno followed Aki's lead; he turned his body to the side to allow them to press themselves more closely to one another, to fill the gap. When their legs, bent at the knees, prevented them from achieving the closeness both of them sought, they became as entangled as their still-joined fingers.

The kiss was soft, slow and experimental in the beginning. Once it increased in intensity, their lips parted frequently for small gasps of much-needed air, only to be drawn back together. In the back of Ueno's mind, he registered that Aki's free hand, which had somehow found its way to Ueno's hip, was trembling, and he reluctantly released his hold on Aki's hair to tightly grasp his shaky fingers, breaking the kiss.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, his voice surprisingly thick and unsteady. "You're shaking."

Aki nodded furiously, too unsure of his own voice to utter a reply. His response would have been too deep even if he could have spoken. Instead, he answered by pressing soft kisses to Ueno's chin, eyelids, and forehead before he found his way back to his mouth. He wrenched his fingers from Ueno's, running his hand along the ring of Ueno's t-shirt until he reached the back of his neck and slid his fingers just below the collar line, resting his warm fingers against the firm skin he discovered.

Ueno battled the lightheaded feeling that threatened to result in unconsciousness, the frantic heartbeat that threatened to shake his entire apartment. He didn't want to miss a second of the sensation that Aki's feather soft lips invoked in him, and he held on, succeeding in maintaining his wits as the kiss returned to slowness.

On some level, Ueno didn't want to kiss to ever end, which didn't at all explain the relief he felt when it did. He was enjoying himself more than he could have anticipated, but he was well aware of the fact that any more activity would have been extremely dangerous, and his senses were charged enough as it was. Anything more would send him into complete overload.

Instead, he returned his hand to back of Aki's head, and without understanding the unconscious need coddle, began massaging the soft skin gently while Aki rested his lips against Ueno's neck, waiting for his breathing to slow. On that other relieved level, Ueno was startled at the calm he felt, the easing of tension he hadn't realized had been present. He brushed his foot against Aki's, lips curving upward uncontrollably when he received an answering nudge.

"You should ask me for fake help with your homework more often. As your upper-classman, I'm obligated to serve." Ueno said when he could find his regular voice again.

Today was full of firsts; the kiss, and now Ueno was blessed to hear Aki's first snicker. "I really do need help with mathematics. Honest." If possible, Aki rested against Ueno's body more solidly.

They remained that way for quite a while, in comfortable silence. Neither of them felt the need to sully the moment with deep conversation or needless small talk. Eventually, Aki did gently disentangle their limbs with a sigh.

"I really should go now." The words came, but his heart wasn't in them. It appeared to be manners that were driving Aki's statement, not an actual desire to leave, but Ueno wasn't offended. It might be better to part ways before Ueno lost control of his good sense and things went too far- or he made a fool of himself. A good regroup couldn't hurt after a day full of such progress.

"Mmm. Okay," Ueno agreed. "I should focus on studying for the rest of the night, anyway. I've had too many pleasant distractions."

"I thought you didn't have much." Aki questioned.

"I don't have much due on Monday, but now I'll need to work ahead this weekend so that I can be ready to start work on Monday."

"Work? You found a job between yesterday and today? That was fast."

"Yeah." Ueno sat up straight and stretched. "I went job hunting yesterday after class. I didn't expect to find a job so quickly, but I was offered one on the spot that seemed pretty sweet, so I took it. I'll be working mostly during the week."

"More bunnies to care for, perhaps?" Aki smiled.

Ueno couldn't help but laugh before continuing, the referral to his past job no longer an uncomfortable subject. "No, I won't be working with animals this time. Anyway, I got hired to run errands, pretty much. I was told that I'll be hanging around the hotel until they need me, and that I could do homework then, but I don't want to worry about all that while I'm trying to get comfortable with the place."

Aki straightened. "A hotel? Which one?"

"It's that's small foreign-style hotel downtown. La Maxe. Ugh, I probably pronounced it wrong."

Ueno saw a flash of something pass over Aki's features, and his beautiful eyes widen briefly before his expression returned to normal. It was so fleeting he felt that he almost imagined it. He watched, dumbfounded, as Aki stood abruptly, snatching up his bag.

"I'd better go. I'll see you on Monday."

"Okay." Ueno frowned, wondering what had caused his sudden rush. "Monday, then."

After he shut the door behind him, he actually did bang his head, although it was against the doorframe and not a wall. Should he have offered to see Aki home?

No, he told himself. Aki hadn't even given him time to make the offer. Besides, he'd obviously wanted to separate for the time being.

Ueno abruptly decided to end his day early. His homework could wait until tomorrow, and there was no way he would be able to focus anyway, not after watching Aki run out on him. The night had looked so promising, even though Ueno had no intention of taking matters any further that day.

But then, Aki had almost ran away from him, as if he couldn't have left fast enough. Had he suddenly regretted what happened between them? As he settled into bed later that night, one question bounced around within his skull relentlessly, and he knew the rest of the weekend wouldn't be pleasant.

What had Ueno done to drive Aki away?