Disclaimer: I'm just a geeky fangirl that likes to play around; I own nothing.
The Long Way Home: Chapter 21
Aki wasn't aware of the exact time. All he knew was that it was entirely too early to be up for the day, not with how late into the morning they'd remained up, retiring only when their exhaustion left them no option.
He reached out, fully expecting to encounter another warm, soft body. Ueno wasn't next to him. That was odd, since Aki had seduced him into forgetting about his classes for the day. The two of them had remained awake for so long, if he'd had to get up at his normal hour, Ueno would have another miserable day on his hands. Considering that they had only retired a few short hours before, Aki should have woken to the sight of Ueno fast asleep at his side. Then Aki could have shoved the covers down to his feet so that when Ueno opened his eyes, he would have noticed- oh yeah. Aki had forgotten his decision to have none of that.
Half-conscious, Aki sniffed experimentally, taking in a pleasant aroma that floated in under the door. Not one who preferred to eat immediately after waking, his stomach growled all the same. All that he'd consumed the previous day had been a very light snack, and he was paying for it now. He spread his upper limbs, his slender arms sliding over the cool sheets, searching for the end of the bed. One of his hands found the edge of the mattress, and he rolled towards it until he was flat on his belly, then pulled himself towards the end of the bed.
Aki's motor skills were shaky at best when he first woke, resulting in him overestimating the distance that fine morning. As a result, half of his body slid over the side of the bed, and the other half had no choice but to follow. He tumbled, landing on the carpet with a loud thud.
He decided he wasn't really that hungry, and that the floor wasn't as uncomfortable as he'd assumed. He didn't even attempt to climb back into bed, just reached out blindly, snagging the corner of one of his comforters and dragging it down to his level.
"Ahh." Aki sighed from underneath his blanket. Mornings were hell.
Dimly, rapid footsteps sounded, and then the bedroom door flew open. "Aki?" He heard a stifled laugh. "Good grief."
The comforter was pulled free. "You really want to sleep naked on the floor?" Ueno threw the bedding back onto the mattress, grabbed Aki by the wrists, and hauled him into a seated position. "How many times have I told you to stay put until you're really awake? You could hurt yourself."
Aki slowly opened his eyes, and then blinked to bring them into focus. At least the first sight that greeted him was a pleasant one. "Morning," he mumbled thickly, managing a vacant smile, "It's early."
"Yeah, it is pretty early, but Mira was pounding on the door. He's hungry, so I made breakfast." Ueno returned the smile with one of his own. "I wasn't going to bother you, but I heard you fall. Since you're up, come on and get dressed."
"You got up just to feed him?" Aki let Ueno help him to his feet, waiting while Ueno rushed to his bureau and handed him a pair of shorts and lightweight pants. "Mira can fend for himself."
"I needed to feed the kitten anyway. Aren't you hungry?"
Ueno's cheerful disposition was highly perturbing at this hour, but Aki lacked the motor skills and cunning to effectively deal with it. "A little. But I'd rather go back to sleep."
"We've got all day, sleeping beauty. Besides, Mira didn't leave me much of a choice." Ueno stood patiently while Aki shuffled to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth.
"You," Aki began, re-entering the bedroom and wriggling into a t-shirt, "are inhuman. You got less sleep than I did. Are you on something?"
"Don't worry. I'll run out of energy sooner or later. But since I'm awake, I might as well be productive. After breakfast, you can sleep some more, and then we're taking the kitten in."
Aki followed Ueno out of the bedroom and into the living area. Mira was already seated, looking just as chipper as Ueno. Aki fought a scowl; they were both disgusting.
"Good Morning, pretty- although you don't look so great this morning. What's wrong, no sleep?"
"Morning." Aki was led to the couch and pushed into the cushions before Ueno scampered off to the kitchen with energy that was indeed baffling and began dishing up food.
Mira chattered idly while Ueno set his breakfast on the table in front of him, watching Ueno rush back into the kitchen and begin chopping up something with a large knife. "What's all that for?"
"For Aki." Ueno gazed at Mira quizzically from his post. "Why?"
"Why isn't he eating this?"
"Yeah, right. He's not gonna touch that this early in the morning." Ueno poured a glass of juice, sparingly buttered a piece of lightly toasted bread, and arranged various fruit on a small plate. "He's a picky eater."
"Isn't it tiring to remember all the things Aki will or won't do?" Mira turned to Aki. "I believe I did mention the word cater last night?"
Aki shrugged. "I don't ask him to do it." He thanked Ueno when his breakfast was set down in front of him.
"Thank me by eating at least half of it." Humming, Ueno pinched Aki's cheek, then left the room.
"He's sickening, isn't he? He barely slept, but he's still bouncing off the walls."
"He's not high?"
"I asked him that; he didn't answer." Aki shook his head.
They both lapsed into silence, Aki losing his focus. He was contemplative as he nibbled at his fruit.
After settling into bed, weary but unwilling to sacrifice calm conversation, gentle caresses, or occasional kissing for their much needed rest, they kept one another company for hours. There had been no excessive fooling around or arguing; the two of them had simply rested in each other's arms, prattling quietly.
Aki would happily give up half of his daily allowance of sleep if they could talk like that every night. A nice commingling of all things enlightening, stimulating, foolish, insignificant, sweet and gentle, their sharing had been just what he'd needed.
Starting over hadn't been the plan, but it appeared that it was taking place, at least in some departments. Even after the previous afternoon, after they'd grown closer physically, neither seemed willing to proceed further, or even speak of it. Strangely, Aki was relieved; he was in love, but their truce was tentative, and only time would strengthen it. While they waited for the cement to dry, Aki desired for nothing else to derail their progress or confuse either one of them any further, even ever-important sexual gratification. It was the most adult decision he'd made in years, but Ueno was too important to him; thinking with his privates or making rash decisions with lasting consequences was not an option.
Hunger slighted, he gave up on eating once he'd reached his required portion; his true desire was to climb back into bed, Ueno at his side. They would both likely still be slumbering if Mira could have kept his ass in his own place. Mira was most definitely welcome in Aki's apartment, but perhaps not at the frequency in which he was sure Mira would insist upon until the novelty of their new living situation wore off.
Luckily, at least that morning, Mira had other plans. He thanked Ueno for his generosity and efforts, rising to his feet and announcing his departure. "I have to get going. My parents are taking me shopping."
"So you woke up the whole building just so I could feed you?" Ueno had re-joined them, and had to ask as he cleared the table, although he didn't appear to be put out.
"You got it. I won't be joining you two for lunch, but make sure dinner has no carrots, will you?"
"Making you a dinner that meets your expectations will be my main goal for the day." Ueno rolled his eyes.
"Since he's leaving, can we go back to sleep?" Aki's voice was laden with hope.
"Go back to sleep. I'll do the dishes."
Aki understood that an offer to help was polite, but he was tired, had no desire to assist, and Ueno most likely wouldn't accept his help regardless. "Okay. See you later, Mira."
"You will." Mira left with the promise of a return.
Aki considered asking Ueno if they could spend the night at his apartment instead; it would ensure their privacy, the ability to sleep at a decent hour as well give them some peace and quiet. If they timed their exit correctly, they could be out of the building before Mira returned from his shopping trip, or perhaps he could extinguish all of the lights and make Ueno promise not to answer the door.
"Now that I'm thinking," Ueno said, his hands immersed in suds, "before I go back to sleep, I should get the kitten to the vet and get it over with. Do you still want to come? I can go alone."
"No." Aki sighed. "You're right; we should get it taken care of. Do you know where we're going to take him?"
"I wouldn't be taking him anywhere if I knew how long he'd been separated from the mother. I just want to make sure he doesn't need any special attention. I was going to take him to an actual vet, but it would be cheaper and easier to just take him to school."
"School?"
"Yeah. The upperclassmen in the veterinary program can take a look at him. They'll have fun with it. There's a lab on campus with a student attendant on hand; we can take him there."
"What animals do they keep?"
Ueno finished the dishes and dried his hands. "They keep strays there, and some that belong to students in the program. There are no weird experiments, tests, or anything like that. They're just students, and they're not advanced enough to handle any big stuff. The strays are from local shelters. They take care of them during the day, and volunteers take them home at night. Don't worry; they're spoiled rotten. There are some reptiles that stay there overnight, but that's about it."
"Okay. I'll get dressed."
"And I'll get the kitten ready to go. Let's take a cab so he's not out in the cold too long."
Aki got dressed quickly while Ueno wrapped the kitten in a small blanket to help fight off the cold and got himself bundled up for the trip. Even though the rain had let up some, the chill in the air was painfully present.
They caught a cab directly outside of the hotel, and the trip to campus was short. Aki carried the kitten, already secured within the blanket, under his coat while they made the trek along paved pathways to one of the science buildings. Once inside, Ueno led him to an unmarked doorway.
The perimeter of one half of the room was lined with large carriers, the other half with supply cabinets. Aki couldn't explain the relief he experienced when he realized that very few of the carriers were actually occupied, and reminded himself that even these animals didn't have to remain in a cold, unfriendly lab overnight.
"Ueno?"
Ueno turned to the lone occupant of the lab and smiled. "Hi, Etsuko. How have you been?"
The girl wasn't a raving beauty, but she could hardly be called dowdy or plain, either. She had her own spunk; that was obvious, even after Aki's quick once-over.
Dark brown hair, mixed with strands varying in color from lighter brown to blonde, had been combed back and arranged into a loose, haphazard knot at the back of her head, with random strands spiking up from it in odd directions. She had round face, darker in complexion than even Ueno, with plump, glowing cheeks, but a very small build.
Her lab coat was unbuttoned, and her personality was apparent in the clothing she wore underneath; a little bit punky, in addition to the multitude of holes in her ears. Her eyes were dark and full of fun. She wore no makeup, but didn't really need it, at least as far as Aki was concerned; she was pretty cute on her own.
Aki unzipped his coat, carefully unearthing his bundle while Ueno explained their situation. As Aki opened up the blanket, the girl's chubby face transformed, as most women he knew did when they saw a tiny animal. She immediately descended, snatching the kitten from Aki's hands, and in crooning tones, asked questions of the kitten that it obviously wasn't going to respond to.
"Aki, this is Etsuko."
"Nice to meet you." Etsuko literally hopped from foot to foot in her excitement, and Aki had to wonder what the big deal was. Was this the first kitten she'd ever handled?
Aki returned the greeting regardless, along with a winning smile. The girl was okay, if not overly bubbly.
Just as quickly, Etsuko placed the cat back in Aki's hands. "He seems okay, considering what he's been through. How much you want to bet that the owner didn't think he'd make it and just dumped him?"
Ueno hummed in agreement. "I know there's not much you or even a vet can do as far as a checkup at this point, but I just wanted someone to take a look. I needed to make sure that what we're doing for him is enough for now."
"I can do that. Let's look at him on that table over there." Etsuko pointed.
Aki and Ueno approached the indicated table, where Aki carefully set the kitten down.
"So, Ueno," she began, rummaging around in a cabinet, "I haven't seen you out and about lately."
"Oh. I've been busy. New job, stuff like that."
Aki, not included in the conversation, rubbed the kitten's neck gently. The girl seemed very sweet, confident and much the opposite of most girls he encountered on campus. He couldn't put his finger on it, but for some reason, he didn't dislike her on sight. She didn't appear to have any hidden agendas.
"I figured I'd run into you sooner or later, but you never show up at the normal places anymore. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you didn't like us anymore." She shouldered Aki aside, wedging her body between the two of them.
Aki wasn't offended. She had no idea who Aki was, or what position he held in Ueno's life. He wasn't being assessed and disregarded; she just seemed to have no interest in him, and probably just needed the room to examine the kitten. She reminded him of Ueno, honestly, which was probably why he liked her- except for the shoving. Ueno would never handle someone so carelessly.
Their eyes meeting over the top of her multicolored head, Aki could see that Ueno had become slightly uncomfortable, due to the fact that Etsuko's actions would be seen as rude to most people. Ueno's lips moved, though no voice was heard.
Sorry.
Aki shook his head, indicating that it was no big deal, while Etsuko busied herself running her fingers gently but firmly over the tiny kitten's body.
"He look okay to you?"
"As well as can be expected. If you feed him regularly, make sure he's eliminating waste, and keep him warm for the next week or so, he should have a pretty good chance. I don't think there's much else you can do for him. You're not going to take him to a shelter, are you?"
Ueno shook his head. "Nope. We're going to keep him."
"We? So you two are roommates? I thought you liked living alone."
Ueno's reply was short. "Not really."
"Ooohkay." She accepted Ueno's evasive answer dropped the subject, moving on. "Is he eating well?"
"He's eaten every time we've fed him. Once every three or four hours."
"He's so tiny, it might be a good idea to feed him a little more often in smaller quantities for the rest of the week. Is he eliminating?"
"Yep. Sure is, though not every time."
Aki tuned them both out, attempting to evade his boredom by gazing around the lab. Their vocabulary was becoming more technical and lengthy, and Aki had no desire to ask questions in an effort to better understand their conversation. Ueno could brief him later.
He couldn't wait to get off campus. Aki wasn't tired now that he was up and moving, but he was positive once he settled down in his apartment he'd encounter no issues falling asleep again. Aki enjoyed his rest, though he was not a lazy person or excessive sleeper; it was when his sleep pattern was interrupted, whether it be due to stress, intrusion or otherwise that he indulged in more of it. Unfortunately, that had occurred too often for comfort recently.
During Aki's musing, the conversation had transformed to something much more basic.
"What if I stop by this weekend?"
"What for?" Ueno's reply, in the form of a question, was blunt and not what anyone wanted to hear when imposing themselves on another person in the hopes of acceptance. Ueno sometimes thought things through too much, but there were rare occasions where Ueno was an oblivious idiot that spoke based on gut instinct before his brain could advise him otherwise. That, or he really didn't understand why she was inviting herself over to his apartment.
"Well," she said, not skipping a beat, "I was hoping that I could check on your little friend and see how he's holding up. We could get something for dinner- wait- I could bring dinner, and we could watch a movie. I miss spending time with you."
Aki's spacing out came to an abrupt halt after she made her suggestion, but he refrained from speaking. Unless Ueno said or did something stupid, he'd stay out of it, though a quick change of heart caused him to have to physically fight a scowl.
Ueno took his time answering her, his voice gentle. "I'm sorry, Etsuko. I don't have much time to hang out much anymore with work, class, homework and all. If you want, I could bring him back to the lab sometime."
Aki's expelled a deep breath, and his scowl faded.
"Whenever you have time is fine with me. With all that you do, a night off would do you some good. I could give you my number." She picked up the kitten, cuddling him against her bosom. "I'd love to see you and your baby."
The scowl returned.
"Um- well, I could take your number, but I really don't have time. It would be better if we just dropped by the lab when we're free. That work, Aki?"
Aki smoothed his features before he drew concern. "Of course. We'd love to bring him back." Ueno's acknowledgement of him was encouraging. Really, he most definitely wouldn't love to come back to the lab and witness any more shameless attempts on her part, but if Ueno was returning, so would he.
In the end, they did exchange phone numbers, but Ueno participated in the exchange with visible reluctance.
Etsuko, to give the girl credit, was no airhead. She understood that Ueno wasn't sold. However, she didn't seem like the type to accept a negative answer as right off the bat; she wasn't satisfied with the consolation prize Ueno offered.
"You should give me a call this weekend."
Aki decided he'd listened to enough; he wanted to go, right now.
"Are you two finished with your examination?"
Both heads turned; it seemed they both had briefly forgotten the third party.
Etsuko nodded. "We're done."
"Good." Aki held out his arms. "Give me my cat, please." He ignored Ueno's startled stare and removed the kitten from the girl's grip. "Ueno, don't we need to stop by the pet store before we take him home?"
"Yeah." Ueno shoved his hands into his pockets. "Nice to see you again. I promise to stop by sometime soon."
"Right. It was nice to meet you, Aki."
"Yes." Aki left his reply at that, pressing the kitten to his chest and zipping his coat before leaving the other two occupants behind. "I'll be outside."
Ueno wasted no time following him through the door and out of the building. It wasn't until they were making their way down the walkway and had just about reached the campus entrance before Ueno spoke.
"It's really okay to bring him back here?"
"Once he's stronger, of course."
"Right." Ueno flipped up his hood. "Hey."
"Yes?" Aki glanced sideways.
"Am I in trouble? You're not mad?"
Aki chuckled, rearranging the bundle under his coat. "Should I be?"
"Is that a trick question?"
"Not at all."
Ueno wasn't sure how to phrase his question without being offensive. Aki hadn't proven to be the most reasonable man when it came to those who interfered, but Ueno couldn't identify a single advantage to bringing up the negative, even though they would be the easiest examples to use.
Ueno was spared the difficulty of making that decision. Aki stopped in his tracks and turned. "You were expecting me to be angry with how she acted, and take it out on you, I'm guessing."
Ueno stared at his shoes, unable to reply.
"I can't blame you, really. But I was standing right there, and you did nothing to encourage her, so I can't be upset with you."
Ueno's sigh of relief was audible, but as they climbed into a cab, he wondered if he should be relieved at all.
"But if you'd agreed, I'd have to kill you."
Ueno sighed. "Of course you would."
After a very brief trip to both the grocery store, as well as a pet shop, kitten nestled under Aki's coat and undetected the entire time, they were back at home.
Aki's predictions for the afternoon were brought to a screeching halt. He was seated on the carpeted floor, syringe in hand, feeding the kitten some formula, when a sharp rapping on his door teased a groan from his lips.
Ueno unintentionally echoed him. "Really? I thought he wasn't going to be back until tonight."
"Shh. Don't answer the door or make any noise," Aki made the suggestion forcefully, more like a command, "and he'll go away."
"You think that's going to work?" He did as told, sitting still, pen raised over his homework, as if his scribbling was audible from outside the door.
There was a jingling sound as the doorknob was tested.
"If you don't want him in here, start locking your door." Ueno hissed as the door opened. "Hi, Mira. Done shopping already?"
"Yup. How's the kitty?"
"Fine." Ueno nodded in Aki's direction. "He's eating."
"You're back early." Aki remarked, baldly voicing his thoughts. "I thought we'd have a few more hours to ourselves."
Mira lowered himself to the floor, taking Aki's cue, and then reached out and tugged on the lighter haired man's bottom lip. "We're finished for the day. Aki, pouting doesn't become you."
Aki swatted his hand away and had opened his mouth, retort prepared, when a gentle chime filled the living area.
Ueno hopped to his feet, digging his phone out of his pocket. "Same number as yesterday. I have no idea who this is." He opened the flip. "Hello? Uh-yes, that's me."
Mira and Aki both watched with varying levels of interest as Ueno opened the front door and stepped out into the hall, letting it swing shut behind him.
"Anyway," Mira said, "what's your problem? It's not like I interrupted any plans. You guys are the two most boring people in existence."
Aki glared through half-closed lids, tossing a towel over his shoulder. "For some reason, I don't take offense. Considering your idea of fun, I don't see that as an insult." He raised the kitten to his shoulder, patting it as he'd seen Ueno do the night before.
"You're adapting to having a pet pretty well." Mira switched subjects. "I never thought I'd see you burping an animal. I don't know how I feel about this."
"It wouldn't be fair for me to force Ueno to do all the work. And he's not so bad." Aki smiled gently, more at the kitten than Mira.
Mira didn't reply, and the room was silent for a few moments, until Ueno re-entered the apartment, ending his phone call.
"Yes. Yes. Sure. Thank you." Ueno gulped, pressing the disconnect button. "Aki?" Oddly, after entering, he turned towards the door, back to the other two men.
"Hmm?" Aki sat next to Mira, finished with his task, kitten now nestled in his arms.
"Last Friday, did you give anyone my phone number?"
"No. Who called?" Aki stood. "Why won't you look at me?"
"I'm sure your dad probably did." Mira supplied. "Ueno was a hit, and a bunch of people asked your dad about him. This may or may not be comforting to Ueno, but he's pretty much a part of the family now."
"That makes sense." Ueno's words were spoken slowly. He became lost in his own thoughts, jumping when Aki passed ownership of the kitten to Mira and approached him from behind, tentatively resting a hand on his shoulder.
"What is wrong with you?" Aki inquired, plaintively.
Ueno turned, chewing his lower lip. "You're going to be mad."
Aki took a step back. "How mad?"
"Really mad." Ueno took a step as well, then another as a precaution.
Mira hadn't moved; he watched from his seat on the floor with interest. "Ueno's got a bomb to drop. This ought to be good."
Ueno ignored him; lashing out at Mira would feel good, but it wouldn't fix the issue at hand. This was a problem that only a spine could resolve, and Ueno had lost his own during that phone call.
"That was your aunt."
"Which aunt?" Aki asked carefully. "I have a few aunts."
"Kanoko's mom. She's been trying to call me since yesterday."
"Okay." Aki barely moved, but his body stiffened. "Go on."
Ueno cleared his throat. "Um-well, she wanted to know if I was- um, she asked me if I- tomorrow night, there's a-"
Aki lips were pressed tightly together, his hands gripping his hips. "Ueno, I swear, if you don't-"
"Dinner and a movie. Some foreign love film that's gotten excellent, glowing reviews, Italian food in a rustic, old country setting, and-"
Aki, already impatient, stomped his foot and spoke sharply. "Spit it out."
The words tumbled from Ueno's lips. "I have a date. Heh."
"Boom."
