A/N: Hi guys, I'm back with the next chapter! Thank you for waiting, reading, and possibly reviewing :p 3 Please enjoy: Chapter 3.

Chapter 3: Storm in the horizon

xxx Tetsuhiro xxx

"Hahh, I'm finally done~!" With a sigh of relief, Tetsuhiro saved the data file and sent a quick attachment to Saga- san, his superior at S Pharmaceuticals. Lately, the number of assignments given to him had increased as he gradually integrated into the company. Despite the fact that he had not actually started work formally, Tetsuhiro was glad that Saga- san was beginning to entrust more responsibilities to him. It meant that he would be able to provide for Sempai and their daughter in the future.

At the thought, Tetsuhiro turned instinctively to the couch, his gaze softening. Sempai was fast asleep on his side, a journal on agricultural science open to an article by their own Prof. Fukushima. It was not only Tetsuhiro who had work to complete; Souichi had been assigned to write two review articles for the professor during his leave of absence. Thus, much research had to be done. Tetsuhiro was just glad that Souichi did not have to carry out lab experiments with his advanced pregnancy.

Padding quietly to the sleeping man, Tetsuhiro shook Souichi gently. He would catch a cold sleeping without a quilt in the weather. "Sempai, wake up for a little; let's turn in for the night."

"Mhmm-? Ah, Morinaga; you are finished with your work?" Souichi sat up lethargically, the magazine sliding off the sofa on to the floor as he did so.

Tetsuhiro picked it up and placed the journal neatly on the coffee table. Taking advantage of Souichi's dazed state, he snuggled close to him. "Sempai, were you waiting for me so that we could go to bed together?" Tetsuhiro teased, fully expecting Souichi to deny it.

"Yea; I thought I would get in some reading at the same time. Urgh, I didn't realise that I had fallen asleep," Souichi yawned, unconsciously leaning into Tetsuhiro. "It's good that you have finished your work."

Ehh? Sempai had really been waiting up for him, and had even admitted it freely! Buoyed, Tetsuhiro grabbed hold of Souichi's hand as the man made to get off the couch. Standing up, he shifted and caught the startled man deftly into a hug. Sempai's belly, rounded and heavy, pressed into his own flat abdomen. The sensation was rather surreal but Tetsuhiro found that he really liked the feeling, the solid presence that was their baby. His arms barely managed to encircle Souichi's waist but Tetsuhiro thought that it was perfect. How could it not be, when they were his whole world?

"Morinaga, are you trying to suffocate me?"

Tetsuhiro looked down at the man who was still clasped to his chest, catching the exasperated glare that was directed at him. Wisely, he loosened Souichi from his bear hug. "Sempai, you must be tired. I'll check the locks first so you should go in and sleep. Make sure to cover up with the quilt because it's quite cold tonight!" Robbed of the chance to hold Souichi, Tetsuhiro stole a kiss as compensation before he relinquished his hold.

"B-baka, stop doing that!" Despite his miffed tone, Souichi's cheeks were just the faintest shade of red. "I'm going to bed!"

Tetsuhiro chuckled. Ah, Sempai was so cute. Still smiling goofily, he secured the windows beside the bookshelves, lowering the blinds for the night. Satisfied, he moved to the front door and slid the door chain into place. As a precaution Tetsuhiro also looked through the peephole, expecting to see the usual stretch of empty corridor.

To his shock, he caught a glimpse of a dark figure darting away from their apartment, disappearing from his scope of sight before he could do anything.

Immediately, Tetsuhiro unlocked the door, his haste making the chain clank loudly against the metallic catch. Who had been loitering outside their apartment? Stepping outside, he made a quick check around their front door but did not see anything unusual. Jeez, had it been a burglar about to break into their house? Thank goodness that he had checked the locks! Since he had apparently scared the burglar away, Tetsuhiro returned to the apartment, making sure to lock up securely.

"Morinaga, what took you so long?"

Tetsuhiro slid quietly into the warm covers. Souichi's eyes were already closing; tucking the thick quilt snugly around them, Tetushiro saw no point in alarming Souichi when he himself was not sure if it had been a burglar earlier. He would make a trip down to the building's superintendent tomorrow morning, make sure they did not let any suspicious characters enter the estate…Tetsuhiro nestled close to Souichi's sleeping form, the comforting warmth lulling him into a deep sleep.

The sinuous curve of Souichi's buttocks was outlined clearly, perking tantalizingly in the air as he inhaled. His swollen womb swayed and heaved like ripened fruit with every movement. Languidly, like a haughty feline stretching in the sun, Souichi arched his back. Silvery locks whispered down his shoulders.

Tetsuhiro trained his eyes on the grain of the floorboards, hands folded demurely over his crotch as he sat on the wooden floor of their living room.

"Hah…"

Sempai's sighs tinkled along his spine and in spite of all his efforts, Tetsuhiro shivered. This was torture, absolute torture. Shutting his eyes and sucking in shallow gulps of air, he gripped his thighs. Stay in control, he willed inwardly.

It felt like an infinite length of time before there was a business- like clap and Suzuki- san spoke up crisply.

"All right, keep the back straight! Yes, that's it. Now, follow my count when you tighten the abs, then release after five seconds! One, two, three, four, five; now, relax. That's it for the kneeling pelvic tilt!"

With a groan, Souichi pushed away from the floor and retracted into the same sitting posture as Tetsuhiro. "That was harder than I had expected." Sweeping a wayward strand of hair away from his face, Souichi glanced curiously at him. "Morinaga, are you listening to me?"

Tetsuhiro jumped guiltily and he quickly turned towards his lover. The front of his trousers felt just the tiniest bit tighter than before Sempai had 'gotten down', as they (or Hiroto, to be accurate) liked to say. Gingerly, he stood up, careful not to provide any more friction to a certain, currently sensitized, part of his body. "Sempai, let me prepare some tea for you and Suzuki- san!" With that, he successfully escaped to the kitchenette. A glass of cold, cold water was definitely what he needed right now!

He was just lifting the teapot over the cups when a melodious tone rang loudly, startling him. A little hot water spilled from the teapot onto his hand and he yelped. Sucking at his reddened finger, he looked towards the living room for the commotion.

"Oh, that's my cell! Just let me switch it off-" Suzuki- san went to her satchel quickly and took out the ringing mobile phone.

Souichi, still seated on the floor, was quick to assure her. "Suzuki- san, please, feel free to answer the call; it could be something important. We can wait."

"Apologies, gentlemen. I won't take long! Please excuse me…" Suzuki- san retreated to the genkan to answer the phone. She was back not a minute later, apologizing profusely as Tetsuhiro served the tea. "That was my assistant midwife; she just wanted to know where I was," she took the teacup with a nod of thanks. "Ah, this is nice tea that you have here! Oh, speaking of tea for pregnancy; Souichi- kun, red kiichigo leaf tea is rich in alkaloids that strengthen the pelvic muscles. It also provides a lot of vitamins and minerals that your body would require to support you and the baby."

Souichi's fingers brushed Tetsuhiro's as he received his cup, the contents paler than his own or Suzuki- san's. "Actually, I have been drinking it since my second trimester. Morinaga has been preparing it for me daily."

"That's really great! It's no wonder that you both are agricultural science majors, huh? You could probably tell me more about the properties of the tea leaves than what I could teach you!"

Tetsuhiro glowed at the unspoken gratitude underlying Souichi's words. Sitting down to join the other two, he spent an enjoyable time chatting before they moved on to the next part of their lesson.

Tetsuhiro strode down the familiar halls of his alma mater, smiling fondly at the hordes of students in the midst of campus life. Ah, youth was indeed invigorating. Energised, he quickened his steps, turning left towards the agricultural sciences building. Since the lab accident a few months ago, Tetsuhiro had not been back to the school. However, Saga- san had asked him to pass some journals back to Prof. Fukushima, and he was now on his way to do so.

Half an hour later, he was finished with the visit, feeling happy to have been able to catch up with his mentor. The time was still early; Sempai should still be busy with his work. He had already been working from home on his thesis and other paperwork for the past two months and a routine had been established. It was still two hours before he was due back to cook dinner. Since he was already in school, Tetsuhiro figured that he could spend those two hours catching up with his former classmates.

The main agricultural sciences laboratory looked spanking new. Tetsuhiro's tennis shoes squeaked along the linoleum as he approached the gleaming sliding doors. Admiring the smoothness in which the doors slid open, Tetsuhiro stepped into the inside of the lab. It was apparent that the facilities within had been renovated and upgraded after the explosion. Gone were the old equipment and cracked bench tops, the dingy windows. In their place were gleaming worktables, new fumehoods, and full- length windows that let in the light through the shimmering glass.

"Morinaga-san! What a rare visitor!"

Clatters and the sounds of stools being pushed back were heard and his old friends soon surrounded him, greetings and laughs echoing in the large lab. Grinning, he settled into the familiar atmosphere of camaraderie. Ah, youth was indeed the best.

They chatted for close to an hour. After promising to make a dinner appointment with the group, his friends dispersed to finish their experiments. Parka in his hands, Tetsuhiro stood up, intending to leave for home. To his surprise, somebody tapped him on his shoulder.

Yamaha Kyuichi was standing behind him, his hair still a striking platinum blonde. The Japanese- American looked slightly anxious but he still offered a smile at Tetsuhiro, his hand outstretched in greeting. "Ano, konbanwa, Morinaga- Sempai…how have you and Tatsumi- Sempai been doing?"

Tetsuhiro glanced at the man, his mind dredging up their shared memories of the explosion and all the aftermath. Yamaha had apologized to them personally and even wanted to resign from Nagoya University as a form of contriteness. However, even though Tetsuhiro had pleaded to Souichi on Yamaha's behalf, it was undeniable that the man had caused the explosion. Thus, it was with a complex mix of feelings that Tetsuhiro shook hands with the blonde man, keeping his tone polite but just a little bit distant. "Konbanwa, Yamaha- san. Ohisashiburi desu. Sempai and I are doing fine. How are you?"

"I'm doing fine; Fukushima sensei and the other mentors have been rather nice to me, considering the trouble that I have caused…" The other man seemed to sense his sentiments and his shoulders slumped slightly. "I know that I'm in no place to say this but I hope that the baby is doing well, too?

"Yes, she is. Uh, Yamaha- san, if there is nothing else, I'll be taking my leave. I'm glad to hear that things in school are going well for you." Tetsuhiro started to leave. He had little desire to discuss his family with the man.

"Please wait, Morinaga- Sempai! Actually, there is something else that I think I should tell you," the blonde hesitated but continued on when Tetsuhiro stopped once more and looked at him. "A few days ago, there was a woman asking around for Tatsumi- Sempai and you. I told her that both of you are no longer in school—I just wanted to give you a heads up on this."

Somebody had been going around asking about them? Tetsuhiro was puzzled. "Did the lady tell you who she was and why she was asking about us?"

"Ah, no, she did not. I tried asking but she dodged my questions. Could she be somebody you know?"

"No, I don't think so," Tetsuhiro's mind whirled as he mentally sifted through his contacts. "If she ever comes back, could you continue to tell her the same thing? If it were somebody who knows me, then she should be able to contact me via my number. Thank you for telling me about this." He turned; paused. "All the best for school, Yamaha- san."

His kouhai smiled fully for the first time since their conversation and in his blue eyes, Tetsuhiro saw the faint sparkle of his old spirit. "I'll do that. Take good care, Morinaga- Sempai."

"...naga, Morinaga!"

"H-huh? Yes, Sempai?" Tetsuhiro startled, refocusing his attention to Souichi. His cheeks stung with the winter cold as they strolled slowly back to their apartment. Souichi had wanted to take a walk outside after a whole day indoors and Tetsuhiro had tagged along as had become their habit.

Normally, Tetsuhiro would have hung on to Souichi's every word and savoured the night out with his lover but tonight, his thoughts were occupied with what Yamaha had told him earlier on. No matter how much he had racked his brains, Tetsuhiro could not figure out who might have been interested enough in him or Souichi to enquire about them in school! The lab incident had died down gradually so it could not have been about that…Coupled with the suspicious character that he had seen loitering outside their apartment, Tetsuhiro could not help but feel unsettled.

"As I was saying, we should start thinking about some names for the baby….there's also the issue of surname registration…" the last bit was uttered almost reluctantly and Tetsuhiro nearly missed it.

"Ehhh, Sempai, that is—" The significance of Souichi's words sank into him and for a moment, Tetsuhiro was completely floored. Could it be—? However, before he could say more, Souichi continued on in a rush.

"I didn't mean anything by that!" Souichi's gait quickened and Tetsuhiro had to speed up to hear the rest of his words. "Urgh, just—just forget about what I said! We can settle the baby's name after she's born."

Tetsuhiro took hold of Souichi's hand as they reached the gates of their apartment building. "Are you proposing to me, Sempai?" His heart was beating a mad tune as they stood chest- to- chest. The rush of joy and anxiety tasted so deliriously sweet. Tetsuhiro's fingers trembled as he stroked Souichi's reddened cheeks. "To have the three of us—you, me and our baby girl—adopt the same surname and be recognized by law as a family?"

"B-baka, who said anything about proposing? It's for practical reasons—!" Despite his tone, Souichi's face became even more flushed and he tugged his hand away from Tetsuhiro. "Forget what I just said!"

"But, Sempai-!" As they entered the lobby and Souichi stabbed at the elevator buttons, Tetsuhiro continued to press the issue. "This is so important; we can't wait until the baby is born—!"

The elevator arrived and Souichi stalked to the back of the lift. Selecting their floor by instinct, Tetsuhiro strode towards the long- haired man as the doors closed smoothly behind the two of them. Breathlessly, he closed in on Souichi, effectively trapping the recalcitrant man with his arms. "Sempai…"

"You are crowding me, Morinaga! And there's a camera; what the hell are you doing—!" Souichi tried to push him back but Tetsuhiro merely leaned closer, his lips against the erratic pulse of Souichi's nape.

"Sempai, I'm so happy that you are thinking seriously about our future. If you were to propose to me, I could die happy right now!" He slid his arms around Souichi's waist even as the other man continued to resist his hug. "I love you."

"B-baka!" Punches landed on Tetsuhiro's back but he was mindless to them. "We haven't even told your parents about the baby yet; if I were to adopt you into my family's register suddenly, how are we going to explain that to them?" The lift dinged softly and Souichi's struggles increased in vigour. "Let go now, we've reached the floor! What if somebody were to see us!"

Tetsuhiro's breath hitched at the mention of his parents and his hold tightened around Souichi. "My parents don't matter anymore…you are my world now, Sempai!" As the elevator came to a stop, he released Souichi reluctantly, huffing a sigh as the man immediately stepped towards the opening doors.

"O-oh, excuse me!" A woman startled visibly as Souichi nearly burrowed into her. "I wasn't expecting somebody to come out. Are you all right?" She steadied Souichi as he halted and nearly tripped, her hands grazing his belly. "Oh, sorry about that!"

Tetsuhiro hastily took hold of Souichi, politely thanking the lady as they exited fully from the elevator. He did not like how she seemed to be studying them, that avid gaze burning into his back as the door closed with a whoosh. That was strange; in the year that they had been staying here, he had never seen this neighbour before.

Shrugging, Tetsuhiro dismissed her as a visitor and refocused his attention on the topic of Sempai adopting him into his register. Everybody in the world of homosexuality in Japan knew the import of the gesture…Despite his protests, Tetsuhiro was pretty sure that Souichi had been serious when he had broached the topic. Following behind the man as they reached their apartment, Tetsuhiro decided that he would wear down Souichi's armour until he gave in. It was a worthy challenge that would yield the sweetest reward. Tomorrow, no, tonight, he would start on his attack!

To be continued.

A/N: The thought just occurred to me as I was writing the last part: Even though we haven't seen Morinaga's parents before, they are still rather troublesome, no?