"Okay… what about this one?"
Nowaki smiled, leaning back in his chair as he watched Hiroki show him a chocolate from his heart-shaped Valentine's chocolate box.
"Hm… I don't know, Hiro-san."
"Just guess!"
Pondering for a moment, Nowaki tapped his lips.
"Let's see… maybe caramel?"
Hiroki popped the chocolate into his mouth and chewed. He shook his head.
"Nah, it's nougat."
"Is it good?"
"Yes," Hiroki said cheerfully, smiling. Nowaki grinned back at him. He must've done something right- Hiroki had just been a handful of sunshine ever since he had read the letter he had gotten. Eyeing the gold wedding band paraded proudly over his little fiancé's white t-shirt, Nowaki reached up to touch his own.
Hiroki glanced at him, swallowed, and tilted his head curiously.
"What is it, Nowaki?"
"Just thinkin'."
"About what?"
"About us."
Hiroki blushed, shyly wringing his hands.
"Mmm...? What about us?"
"About how much I want to kiss you right now."
Hiroki pinched his lips together and blushed harder.
"W-We can kiss as much as you want when you get here. I promise," Hiroki said quietly. Nowaki's heart swelled.
"Oh, Hiro-san, I-" Nowaki began. He was interrupted by a knock on the door to the guest bedroom.
"Nowaki? Usagi-san said that it's time to drive you to your doctor's appointment," Misaki called from the other side of the door. Nowaki huffed in annoyance.
"Alright," he responded, forcing his voice to sound polite. "I'll be there in a second."
"Doctor's appointment? For what?"
Nowaki smiled at the sound of concern in Hiroki's voice.
"Don't worry, love. It's just an appointment to check the condition of my leg one more time. Just to make sure it won't pose any problems later in life. It's nothing too special."
Hiroki's eyes softened.
"Oh, okay. Fuyumi's waking up over here, so I'll let you go."
"Alright. Can I call you later, after my doctor's appointment? I have the night shift tomorrow, so I don't have to wake up early."
"Of course, Nowaki. You don't have to ask about calling me as long as it doesn't interrupt your work," Hiroki said gently. Nowaki beamed. He felt some of his body heat returning for a split second, but it immediately chilled once more as Hiroki moved to slide off of his bed.
"Alright, I better go. I'll talk to you later," Nowaki said.
"Okay. Bye, Nowaki," Hiroki said.
"Bye. I love you, Hiro-san."
"Love you too."
The screen went black.
"Well, Kusama-san, your bullet wound has healed very cleanly. You'll have one heck of a scar, but other than that, this leg will never bother you again," the doctor said as he looked up from Nowaki's leg. Nowaki nodded.
"Thanks, doctor," he said politely.
"I'll just grab some paper work for you to fill out, and if you ever feel pain in your leg again, make sure you stop by. Your clothes are in that cabinet over there, if you could change into them, please," the doctor said, gesturing to a nearby cabinet. He stood from his stool on wheels and swept out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Sighing, Nowaki slipped out of his hospital bed, shrugging out of his hospital gown at the same time. He went to the nearby cabinet and grabbed his boxers from the pile of clothes on the third shelf. Wriggling into them, he stared absently at the wall in front of him. Just as he had his black jeans halfway up his legs, the door to the room opened quietly. Nowaki looked over his shoulder to see Nagasaki silently shutting the door behind him. Nowaki blinked.
"Nagasaki-san?" he asked. He pulled his jeans up the rest of the way and turned around. He spoke as he zipped them up and buttoned the button. "What are you doing here?""
"I heard you were in the hospital, and I thought I'd come to see Kamijou-san and little Fuyumi," Nagasaki said with a grin. Nowaki smiled back at him sadly.
"Sorry, but they're not here right now," he said. There was a long, awkward pause. "Hey, I'm really sorry about… you know."
"Oh, the pill thing? Don't worry about it. It's perfectly normal for a father to worry so much for his daughter that he goes a little off the deep end," Nagasaki said cheerfully with a dismissing wave of his hand. Nowaki shrugged.
"I'm still sorry."
"That's quite alright. So, where is Kamijou-san and Fuyumi today?"
"Actually… they both moved to Sweden. I-"
"Oh, that's too bad," Nagasaki said sympathetically. I'm so sorry… if there's anything I can do, tell me. Just know that there are more fish in the sea."
Nowaki blinked.
"Um… no… we're still together. I sent Hiro-san and Fuyumi to Sweden to protect them from the raiders. I'm only here in Japan because I have to earn my pediatrician's degree," Nowaki explained. Nagasaki stared at him for a moment or so.
"I see," he finally said. He thought for a moment as Nowaki turned away from him to retrieve his black t-shirt and tug it on. "Hey… mind giving me his mailing address? I meant to give him a package with some extra supplement pills in case his vitamins aren't stabilized yet."
"Of course," Nowaki said, pulling down the hem of his shirt. Nagasaki dug a memo pad from his coat pocket and a pen. Nowaki went to the nearby counter and wrote down Hiroki's address on one of the sheets. He handed it and the pen back to Nagasaki.
"Thank you," Nagasaki said with a smile. "I'll be sure to send them right away."
"No problem. Thanks for sending those," Nowaki said gratefully.
"Of course. If Kamijou-san is happy, then I'm happy."
"Did your doctor's appointment go well?" Hiroki asked. Nowaki shifted in his desk chair, crossing his legs and leaning back. Hiroki, meanwhile, was sitting cross-legged on his bed, his bed with Fuyumi lying in front of him. She was doing a mini push-up, her upper body supported by her tiny arms. She wore the footie pajamas she had gotten for Christmas: the white ones with the candy canes printed on it. Cooing, she flapped her lips.
"Aba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, aba," Fuyumi babbled. Nowaki and Hiroki grinned at her, then looked up at each other.
"Yeah, my leg's pretty much healed. The doctor said I didn't have to go back unless it starts bugging me again."
"Ba, ba, ba, ba!"
Hiroki patted Fuyumi's fluffy hair, quietly shushing her.
"That's good."
"Ba, ba, ba, aba, aba, ba!"
"Shh, sweetie," Hiroki said with a giggle. Nowaki smiled gently at his precious family, falling in love with them all over again. Hiroki made kissing sounds at Fuyumi, whose eyes widened as she turned towards her papa and panted at him.
"Fuyumi," Nowaki sang quietly. Fuyumi jolted and turned towards her daddy, sticking out her tongue and licking the air. Nowaki smiled widely at her. He imitated his daughter's babbling. "Ba, ba, ba, ba."
"Ghh!" Fuyumi gurgled. Nowaki's eyes widened as Fuyumi's lips twitched. Slowly, ever so slowly, the corners of her mouth upturned and her mouth opened into a nice big baby smile.
"Nowaki?" Hiroki asked in concern when Nowaki's jaw dropped.
"H-H-H-Hiro-san!" he sputtered. "Fuyumi's sm-smiling!"
"No way!" Hiroki exclaimed. As if on cue, Fuyumi squealed at the burst of attention towards her and turned towards Hiroki. Nowaki's heart swelled at the huge smile that spread across Hiroki's face.
"Her first smile…" Nowaki purred happily.
"It's so adorable!" Hiroki cried. Fuyumi squeaked as she was brought up into Hiroki's arms and cuddled thoroughly.
"I'm so jealous," Nowaki sighed half-jokingly. Hiroki glanced up at him as cradled his baby.
"You're almost halfway there, Nowaki. I promise you, you'll be holding Fuyumi very soon," Hiroki said soothingly.
"Not soon enough," Nowaki muttered. Hiroki frowned sadly.
"Oh Nowaki… is there anything I can do for you?"
"No… no, don't worry. You're right. I'm almost there. I'll be fine," Nowaki said, wanting to rid of the look of concern on his precious fiancé's face. Hiroki looked hesitant, but Fuyumi cooed and he smiled down at her once more. Seeing her papa's smile, Fuyumi mimicked him, shyly feeling her lips with her tiny fingers to memorize the new sensation.
"She's going to be a smiley, beautiful girl," Hiroki murmured, reaching up to let Fuyumi grip his finger and bring it towards her mouth so she could lick it experimentally.
"Because she's your baby," Nowaki said softly.
"Ours," Hiroki corrected casually without looking up. Nowaki's heart clenched.
"Yeah… our baby will be gorgeous."
