Hiroki waddled into the bedroom, carrying a tray full of food with him.

"Dinner's ready, Nowaki," Hiroki said cheerfully. Nowaki, who was propped up against the headboard with a half a dozen pillows, blinked lazily at his little fiancé. He was shirtless, but gauze was wrapped around his abdomen and part of his torso. Both of his arms, which had received the majority of the damage, were tightly wrapped from the wrists all the way up to the shoulders.

"Hiro-san… I don't want to sit around in bed anymore," Nowaki groaned, tipping his head back against the headboard. "I want to make you snacks and take you out to dinner."

Hiroki smiled sympathetically, setting Nowaki's dinner down on a T.V. tray that he had brought into the bedroom. He pulled up the chair he had brought in from the kitchen and sat at Nowaki's bedside.

"I know you hate it, but it's time to clean your eye," Hiroki said, grabbing a damp washcloth from the dinner tray. Nowaki grumbled and shifted in bed so his head was lying horizontally on top of the pillows. Hiroki stood and bent over him.

"Uhn," Nowaki grunted with discomfort as Hiroki prodded at his blackened eye and dabbed it with the washcloth. It had been three days since Nowaki's beating, and although the swelling was going down, there had been some discharge. It had immediately sparked concern in Hiroki, and although Nowaki told him that he would be fine, Hiroki insisted that they cleaned his eye at least three times a day.

Despite it all, Nowaki enjoyed the extra attention.

"Stop moving, or I'll poke your eye out," Hiroki snapped, splaying his fingers across Nowaki's face to get him to stop twitching.

"Sorry, Hiro-san," Nowaki said sheepishly. Hiroki clicked his tongue, squinting as he gently rubbed Nowaki's eye.

"Oh, Nowaki. You're such a mess," Hiroki sighed, caressing Nowaki's cheek as he finished cleaning his eye.

"I think I can lift my arms now," Nowaki said hopefully, lifting his arms up a tiny bit, but then letting them drop back to the bed. Hiroki pursed his lips and shook his head.

"Nope. Not enough to start feeding yourself," Hiroki said. He took a seat in his chair once more and stirred the bowl of stew he had made his fiancé.

"Hiro-san," Nowaki murmured as Hiroki raised a spoonful of stew to his lips and blew gently on it. Hiroki glanced at Nowaki.

"Hm?" he answered, still blowing on the stew.

"Thank you for taking care of me," Nowaki said, a gentle smile on his face. Hiroki blushed and reached out with the spoonful of stew to press it to Nowaki's lips.

"Eat, eat," Hiroki commanded, trying and failing to sound impatient. Nowaki obediently clamped his lips around the spoon and drank the hot stew.

"Hehe, it's delicious," Nowaki said cheerfully.

"Shut your mouth, brat. I know you're just making fun of me. Both you and I know that this stew came in a can," Hiroki snapped. He scooped up another spoonful and tasted the stew for himself. "Yeah, it tastes like plain old stew."

"It's especially good because you're feeding it to me, Hiro-san," Nowaki cooed. Hiroki clenched his jaw.

"You're lucky your arms don't work, idiot. If you weren't at such a disadvantage, I'd kick your ass all the way to the moon," he huffed. He quickly fed Nowaki another spoonful of stew before he could retort. There was a long silence as Hiroki fed both himself and Nowaki, splitting the large bowl of stew.

"I guess this will do as a dinner date," Nowaki murmured when they finished the stew together. He shut his eye and lolled his head against the pillows. "If there's one thing good about this whole situation, it's that I get to spend the whole day with you, Hiro-san."

Hiroki smiled slightly. He had been in the room with Nowaki the whole time, only leaving to go to the bathroom, make something to eat, or help Nowaki go to the bathroom. It had been a long three days of napping together, talking together, and simply being together.

Despite the circumstances, Hiroki was happy.

Hiroki opened his mouth to reply, but without warning, the doorbell rang. Hiroki looked up.

"Oh, that's probably Nagasaki-san. I'll be right back," Hiroki said. He hauled himself to his feet with a slight grunt and a disapproving kick from the baby. Waddling out of the bedroom, he put a hand on his baby bump, instinctively rubbing slow circles over the peak. He went to the front door and opened it.

"Good evening, Kamijou-san," Nagasaki said as he stood before the threshold in his grey jacket and earmuffs. "Cold, isn't it?"

"Yes. Please come in," Hiroki said, gesturing for Nagasaki to enter. He bowed briefly before stepping in, and Hiroki shut the door behind him. "You can take off your shoes and coat right here."

"Alright. Thank you," Nagasaki said, putting his large bag on the floor for a second to rid himself of his coat and shoes.

"No, thank you, Nagasaki-san. Thanks a ton for coming out for a home visit," Hiroki said gratefully, nodding his head slightly. Nagasaki laughed and waved his hand dismissively.

"Oh, no, it's fine. So I understand Kusama-san had quite a bit of an incident at the Musashino Medical College? What happened?" Nagasaki asked, tilting his head in concern.

"Um… anti-Append-X rioters attacked him and his colleague. He's in a lot of pain, he's got a black eye, and he can barely move his arms. That's why we couldn't come out to the hospital tonight. Sorry."

"No, really, it's fine. I'm sorry that happened to you. If you'd like, I could take a quick look at Kusama-san. I'm mostly trained in childbirth and infant surgery, but I know bone structure quite well. I can check if anything's broken."

"Oh, thanks! I'd really appreciate it. It might bruise Nowaki's ego as a doctor a little, but I'm sure he'll live," Hiroki said, smiling slightly. Nagasaki chuckled.

"Alright. I'll gladly check. Where is the big guy?"

"In the bedroom. Here, come with me," Hiroki said, beckoning for Nagasaki to follow him. He led the doctor down the hallway and to the bedroom. He let Nagasaki enter first, then followed by closely behind him.

"Hello, Nagasaki-san," Nowaki said. "Thanks for coming out for our preparation period."

"Not a problem, Kusama-san. Kamijou-san here has requested for me to check for broken bones really quick, do you mind?"

Nowaki put on a smile, but Hiroki knew it was somewhat forced.

"No, not at all," he said. He lied back as Nagasaki gently ran his hands over Nowaki's body, pausing at certain spots to check for breaks.

"Well, the good news is, there doesn't appear to be any breaks. You've got a few damaged muscles, though. You'll probably be pretty sore for another few weeks. I'd avoid lifting heavy objects or raising your arms above your head for at least a few months," Nagasaki instructed. Nowaki nodded.

"Got it. Thanks, Nagasaki-san."

"No problem. Now, for Kamijou-kun," Nagasaki said, turning towards Hiroki. He beckoned him over, and Hiroki padded up to the doctor. Nagasaki gestured for him to sit on the edge of the bed, and Hiroki took a seat next to Nowaki's feet. He pulled Hiroki's maternity shirt up and the front panel of his pants down, unveiling the large baby bump it concealed.

Nagasaki ran his hands over the bump, pressing into several spots. He nodded and muttered to himself, grabbing his stethoscope from his black bag and hooking it on his ears. Hiroki flinched as the cold chest piece was pressed into the sensitive skin of the underside of his baby bump.

"Well, Kamijou-san…" Nagasaki said slowly, getting to his feet. "It's gotten to the point where you could go into labor at any given moment. I suspect that you'll go into labor during any time between right now and two weeks from now."

Hiroki gulped, putting a supporting hand on Nowaki's calf.

"Now, have you two thought about the birthing options? There's C-section or natural birth. Natural birth would be giving birth through the rectum, and C-section-" Nagasaki began.

"Um… I think C-section would be the best way to go," Hiroki chuckled nervously. Nagasaki smiled gently at him.

"That's what everyone says. It's probably very hard to imagine giving natural birth. However, there is a consequence to getting a C-section. As the appendix only serves as a re-awakened, artificial womb, cutting into it to retrieve the baby would mean the permanent damage of the organ. In other words, it would have to be surgically removed, and you would never be able to have a child again."

Hiroki tensed, then looked over to Nowaki, who looked equally shocked and torn. They simply stared at each other for a while, communicating silently.

"I… I think I want to try natural birth," Hiroki muttered, shaking slightly. Nagasaki smiled.

"I see. Well then, I'll give you a rundown of the procedure. You will be admitted into your hospital room with your selected group of individuals who will be there for the birth. Right before you start pushing, we'll flush out the rectum to avoid contaminants from getting into the baby's eyes or mouth. During the actual child birth, you will get very large contractions, as a lot of dilation will be needed to fit the baby through the anus. A male child birth runs a little differently from a woman's: you're not going to stop dilating until after the baby is completely out, and a male child birth is much more painful, but also faster than a woman's. Your final contraction before the baby is born will be the biggest and most painful, but it is also the contraction during which, with one big push, the baby will come out. If you don't push hard enough during this time, the anus will start reverting back to its original diameter. If this happens while the baby is still inside, surgical procedures will be followed. Do you understand?"

Hiroki nodded dazedly, slightly thrown off guard by the tidal wave of information coming at him.

"It is very important to push during this time, Kamijou-san. It could be the difference between life and death for you," Nagasaki said solemnly. Hiroki gulped.

"As long as Nowaki is there, I'm sure I can do it," Hiroki said shyly, blushing. Nagasaki smiled.

"Good. I wouldn't fret too much over it- during that time you will have a huge urge to push as hard as you can. I'm sure you won't have any trouble, Kamijou-san. Do you two have any more questions?"

Nowaki and Hiroki glanced at each other briefly.

"How will I know when I go into labor?"

"You'll feel it. Your water will break."

"And contractions…? How will I know when those begin?"

"Oh, you'll know."


That following Friday, Nowaki was feeling much better. He could move freely about the house again, and although his arms were still quite sore, he could actually move them and bend them at the elbows once more. Since the due date was so close, Nowaki had taken temporary leave from the hospital so he could be there for Hiroki.

Meanwhile, Hiroki was becoming more and more nervous by the second. The baby's constant kicking didn't help either, as every other time it felt like Hiroki was going into labor. The stress was taking its toll on Hiroki's body and energy, and Hiroki found himself sleeping more and more.

"I'm home, Hiro-san!" called the cheerful voice of Nowaki, rousing Hiroki from his slumber. He was sprawled out on the couch, a book lying open on his chest.

"I'm in the living room," Hiroki replied groggily, grunting as he rolled onto his side. His swollen belly shifted slightly as the baby fluttered. Nowaki swept in a moment later, a plastic bag in hand.

"Guess what I got, love?" Nowaki asked. Before Hiroki could answer, Nowaki walked briskly up to him and dropped to his knees. He yanked Hiroki's shirt up and buried his face in his baby bump. He kissed the baby bump with rapid pecks, tickling Hiroki's sensitive sides. Hiroki thrashed as much as he could.

"Ah! Ah! Quit it!" Hiroki shrieked between uncontrollable giggles. Nowaki pulled away and chuckled, only to lean forward and kiss Hiroki's cheek.

"I got popcorn and a movie, Hiro-san. Let's have a movie night," Nowaki murmured, dotting kisses all over Hiroki's face. "You've been so tired recently."

Hiroki smiled at his thoughtful fiancé.

"That sounds amazing. But you make the popcorn. I don't feel like getting up," Hiroki said stubbornly, clutching a pillow to his chest. Nowaki laughed.

"Of course, Hiro-san."

Nowaki took the plastic bag he had brought and went into the kitchen. Hiroki hummed impatiently as he listened to the popcorn popping in the microwave. The baby fluttered.

"Yes, we're going to have some popcorn, baby," Hiroki cooed softly, rubbing his baby bump as the baby shifted and nudged his fingers.

A few minutes later, Nowaki returned to the living room with a big bowl of popcorn and a DVD in hand.

"What movie did you get?" Hiroki asked. Nowaki glanced down at the DVD box.

"Um… The Notebook. It's in English, but there are Japanese subtitles," Nowaki said, scratching the back of his head. "I think it's a romance. I kinda just grabbed it because it looked interesting."

"Romance? You're such a sappy idiot," Hiroki said as he watched Nowaki walk to the television and kneel to put the movie in the DVD player.

"Well, I wasn't in the mood for an action movie," Nowaki said, looking over his shoulder and grinning. "We always watch action movies."

"Because they're cool!" Hiroki barked, sitting up. Nowaki laughed and stood, grabbing the remote from the coffee table and then dimmed the lights. He put the bowl of popcorn in Hiroki's lap, and before his little fiancé could protest, he sat down onto the couch behind him.

"Cuddle with me, Hiro-san," Nowaki murmured, swinging his leg up onto the couch and forcing it between Hiroki and the back of the couch.

"Nowaki, aren't you still in pain?" Hiroki asked, looking over his shoulder. Nowaki leaned up against the armrest and outstretched his arms.

"It doesn't matter. We haven't been able to cuddle in a long time. Please, Hiro-san?" Nowaki asked. Hiroki sighed and shuffled back so he was nestled in between Nowaki's legs. He laid back against his chest, his temple resting against Nowaki's chin.

"There, happy?"

"Yes, Hiro-san."

Nowaki started the movie and wrapped his arms around Hiroki, gently gliding his hands over his baby bump. Hiroki munched on his popcorn, watching the movie with little interest.

"Why the fuck is he climbing that ferris wheel? He's going to fall!" Hiroki exclaimed, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I don't know, Hiro-san," Nowaki mumbled absentmindedly, trailing kisses down the back of Hiroki's neck and nuzzling into his hair. Hiroki continued to watch the movie, shoving popcorn in his mouth.

"This is going to be one short movie if they get hit by a car. Look at those idiots, lying in the streets like that," Hiroki snorted around a mouthful of popcorn.

But as the movie went on, Hiroki found himself more and more intrigued. He soon stopped eating popcorn all together. He put it on the coffee table to he could lay his hands over Nowaki's on his belly.

"Oh, God," Hiroki whispered, bursting into happy tears. "She came back!"

Nowaki chortled lowly behind Hiroki, resting his chin on his little fiancé's trembling shoulder. Hiroki continued to watch, sniffling softly.

When the movie ended, he was sobbing into his hands.

"Hiro-san, why are you crying? That was a happy ending," Nowaki murmured, a smile in his voice. Hiroki blubbered incoherently.

"B-B-But they… that wasn't a happy ending, idiot!" Hiroki wailed.

"Oh, Hiro-san. What am I going to do with you?"

Nowaki gracefully maneuvered out from underneath Hiroki and scooped up his weeping fiancé into his arms.

"P-Put me down!" Hiroki barked half-heartedly. "You're n-not supposed to b-b-be doing any heavy lifting!"

"This isn't heavy lifting," Nowaki said simply, pressing a kiss to Hiroki's forehead. He carried him into the bedroom and gently lied him down onto the soft sheets.

"Th-That movie was so stupid," Hiroki muttered, jolting as a few more tears rolled down the sides of his face. "I h-h-hated it!"

Nowaki chuckled, slipping into bed beside Hiroki and laying a hand over his baby bump.

"I don't know why you're so upset. They were together in the end, weren't they?"

"Y-Yeah, but… b-but they…"

"Hiro-san, they spent their whole lives together. Doesn't that make the ending happy? I thought it was a nice wrap-up," Nowaki said soothingly. Hiroki sniffed and turned towards Nowaki, pulling his pillow close to his fiancé and snuggling in.

"You think so?" he asked softly. Nowaki reached up to brush away Hiroki's tears.

"Yeah."

"'kay," Hiroki whispered. Nowaki gave him a lingering kiss on his forehead, then pulled Hiroki in as close as possible.

"Love you, Hiro-san."

"I love you too."

They fell asleep rather quickly, blissfully unaware of the two figures stalking up their street.