Hiroki's gaze snapped up from his book as he heard the front door open later that Saturday afternoon. He excitedly shut his book and hauled himself off of the couch.

"Welcome back!" Hiroki called as he walked into the entryway. However, his eager smile faded as he saw Nowaki leaning up against the door, his face contorted in pain.

"I'm home," he grunted, slowly pushing himself away from the door. He shakily moved his hands to remove his coat, gritting his teeth as he raised his arms.

"Nowaki, are you alright?" Hiroki asked, padding down the hall and furrowing his eyebrows. Nowaki let out a breathy laugh.

"Uh… yeah, I'm fine. Let's go into the kitchen. I'll make you a snack," Nowaki said. He slid out of his shoes and shuffled down the hall, gripping his bag with white knuckles.

"Nowaki…" Hiroki trailed off, frowning with concern. He reached out to touch Nowaki's elbow as he trudged past. The second Hiroki touched him, however, he let out a pained hiss and flinched away. Hiroki snatched his hand away, gasping slightly.

"S-Sorry… just a long day at work. I had to do uh… a lot of lifting," Nowaki said through bared teeth. Hiroki's eyes narrowed as he followed Nowaki into the kitchen. Nowaki walked stiffly, his body swaying with every step. Hiroki clenched his jaw angrily.

"You're lying to me. Nowaki, tell me what's wrong."

Nowaki paused, leaning against the archway of the kitchen.

"Hiro-san, what are you… what are you hungry… f-for…" Nowaki choked. He slid down the door frame, strangled grunts tearing themselves from his throat as he went.

"Nowaki!" Hiroki cried. He stooped down to cup Nowaki's face from above, but his thumb brushed against something wet and slimy. Hiroki jerked his hand away and looked down at it. A blotch of skin-colored cream came off of Nowaki's face onto his thumb.

"Hiro-sa-" Nowaki began with a groan.

"What's this? What is this?" Hiroki asked frantically. He tipped Nowaki's head back and saw the cream, which was carefully spread around his right eye. Hiroki rubbed it away, earning an agonized cry from Nowaki.

Under the cream, the skin around Nowaki's eye was almost completely black and blue. For the first time, Hiroki noticed Nowaki's eye was bloodshot, swollen, and watery.

"Oh my God… oh God, Nowaki, what happened? Who did this to you?" Hiroki asked desperately. He rushed around to Nowaki's front and fell to his knees before him. Nowaki shook his head dazedly, squeezing his eyes shut as best as he could.

"I-I-I fell… I fe-"

"Don't lie!" Hiroki barked, grabbing Nowaki by the shoulders as he started to slump forward. Nowaki roared in pain, and Hiroki gasped as he released his shoulders. He began yanking at Nowaki's shirt, fiercely trying to wrestle it off.

"No… no, please don't look… don't look," he moaned. Hiroki finally managed to tear off his sweater.

"Oh, God," Hiroki whispered in horror, slapping his hands over his mouth. Nowaki's upper body was completely covered in black bruises, scarlet welts, and hundreds of cuts and scrapes. He twitched, the mangled muscles beneath his skin sending spasms up his beaten body.

"Hiro-san…" Nowaki groaned, sounding close to tears. "I'm so sorry… I'm sorry... I tried to hide it… I tried..."

Hiroki swallowed the bile that had risen in his throat and slowly got to his feet.

"Alright, I know it's going to hurt, but you have to get up. Come on, let's get you to the couch," Hiroki said hoarsely. Nowaki desperately begged him not to touch him, but Hiroki forced him to his feet, earning a scream of agony. Hiroki slung an arm over his shoulder and helped a heavily limping Nowaki to the couch in the living room. He gently eased his anguished fiancé onto the couch, where he laid him down onto his back. Nowaki clawed the cushions, arching his back and writhing on the couch in absolute torture. His mouth stretched open into a silent scream.

"It h-h-h-hurts!" he choked, his chest convulsing as his entire body quivered in pain.

"Stay here. I'll get you some ice," Hiroki rasped. He dashed into the kitchen as fast as he could and retrieved a plastic gallon bag. He filled it with ice from the freezer and wrapped the bag in a hand towel. Hastily making his way back to the living, Hiroki was relieved to see that Nowaki had at least calmed down enough to settle into the couch.

"Uhhn…" Nowaki groaned as Hiroki knelt beside him and gently placed the bag of ice over his fiancé's chest.

"What the hell happened?" Hiroki asked firmly, turning Nowaki's face towards him with a gentle hand on his sweating cheek.

"There was an anti-Append-X riot outside of the main hospital building… and a few stragglers came over to the pediatrics center. They started threatening the children through the windows… me and Tsumori-senpai were trying to chase them off when they lashed out at us," Nowaki rasped, his voice quiet and shaking. "They had baseball bats and pieces of pipe… a couple of them had switchblades, Hiro-san. Oh God, I'm so sorry, Hiro-san… I couldn't let them get to the kids!"

Hiroki looked on in horror, quaking.

"You… why didn't you stay at the hospital?" he asked, his voice gravelly. Nowaki shook even harder.

"I was afraid. I thought that they'd come here next," Nowaki whispered feebly. "Please, please don't be mad…"

Hiroki gulped and ran his fingers through Nowaki's hair, brushing back his sweaty bangs.

"Why would I be angry?" he asked softly.

"I didn't want you to worry… I lied to you and put that cream on my eyes because I didn't want you to see me so helpless like this. How can I protect you if I can't even lift my arms?" Nowaki rambled, his voice growing louder and louder. He cursed as he trembled and let out a few dry sobs. "Now you're going to be scared because I can't defend you if something happens!"

Hiroki hunched over his poor fiancé, letting his hair brush against Nowaki's cheek.

"It's okay. It's okay, baby. I'm right here, I'm safe. Shh," Hiroki soothed, lowering his head to kiss the eyelid of Nowaki's good eye. "You were amazing. You saved those children from the rioters. You're not helpless. I'm not mad or afraid. I love you, Nowaki. I love you."

Nowaki's blubbering dwindled to a few sighs and hiccups, and he relaxed in the tenderness of Hiroki's caressing hands cupping his neck.

"I'm sorry I lied," Nowaki murmured as Hiroki moved the ice bag to a rather large welt on the side of his abdomen.

"You getting hurt like this is something that you tell me immediately, regardless of the situation. Period. Don't you ever fucking scare me like that again, I thought you were dying or something," Hiroki said sternly, patting Nowaki's cheek as a mild punishment. Nowaki nodded.

"Okay, Hiro-san."

"I'm going to get you some ibuprofen. Would you like something to eat with it?" Hiroki asked gently, stroking Nowaki's neck with his thumbs.

"I'm fine."

Hiroki rolled his eyes.

"Let me rephrase that. What would you like to eat, Nowaki?"

"…Can I just have a popsicle?" Nowaki asked softly. Hiroki smiled and cupped Nowaki's cheeks in his hands. He pecked Nowaki sympathetically on the lips.

"Of course," he murmured. Hiroki hauled himself to his feet and waddled into the kitchen. The baby kicked and made its presence known, silently questioning Hiroki. Putting a soothing hand over his belly, Hiroki hummed. "Don't worry, baby. Daddy's okay."

Hiroki grabbed a glass of water and four ibuprofen, then went to the freezer to grab a strawberry popsicle- Nowaki's favorite flavor. He unwrapped it and went back to the living room. With the use of several pillows under Nowaki's back, he put Nowaki into a half-sitting position, with his head resting against the armrest of the couch. He carefully scooped his hand under Nowaki's head and raised it so he could take the ibuprofen. Then, he prodded Nowaki's lips with the popsicle.

"Hiro-san, you don't have to do that," Nowaki said tiredly, peeling one cobalt eye open. Hiroki's heart clenched: Nowaki's other eye was completely swollen shut.

"You can't lift your arms, right?" he asked softly. "Let me feed you."

Nowaki grumbled in protest, but obediently parted his lips so Hiroki could slip the popsicle into his mouth. Nowaki licked tentatively at first, but then began greedily sucking the cool, soothing popsicle.

In any other circumstance, it would have been erotic. Nowaki flicked his tongue over the tip of the popsicle between sloppy sucks, then began to deep throat it. He let out little grunts of satisfaction with each bob of his head.

But the last thing on Hiroki's mind was sex. All he wished for was for Nowaki to not be in so much pain. He could only feel anger and hatred towards the people who had hurt his precious fiancé.

"Hiro-san…" Nowaki trailed off with a sigh after he finished his popsicle. "Didn't you see that I was trying to seduce you?"

Hiroki clicked his tongue exasperatedly.

"Yes, I saw. But you're in pain. The answer is no, Nowaki."

"But-"

"No."

Nowaki pouted.

"Seriously, I'm fine, Hiro-san. Look, I can-"

Hiroki put a silencing finger on Nowaki's lips.

"Nowaki. Stop trying to prove yourself to me. Just relax and let me take care of you. I'm already incredibly impressed," Hiroki whispered. He let his finger slip from Nowaki's lips. He lowered his head to kiss him, and Nowaki craned his neck in response, working to kiss his little fiancé harder. Hiroki, however, put a hand on his cheek, easing him back down onto the armrest.

"Hiro-san," he whined as Hiroki pulled away and held Nowaki's head down.

"Please, just rest. The faster you let yourself relax, the faster you'll heal," Hiroki said firmly. "Please. For me."

Hiroki rained persuading kisses down onto Nowaki's cheek and temple. Nowaki sighed in defeat.

"Okay," he said reluctantly.

"Thank you."

"In exchange, can I have another kiss?" Nowaki asked. Hiroki chortled lightly.

"Just one more, I guess," Hiroki murmured. He lowered his head once more to brush his lips against Nowaki's. He pulled away, and gazed down at his poor fiancé, who stared back up at him with one eye.

"Another?" Nowaki asked sweetly.

Hiroki smiled, his lips hovering just over Nowaki's.

"…Idiot."