A/N: Hello! I'm back with the next chapter. Please enjoy: Chapter 11. :)

Chapter 11: Sands of time (Part 3)

xxx Souichi xxx

There was a little balcony that looked out onto the tree- lined street outside of Morinaga's brother's apartment. It was a simple space that was saved from being nondescript with fluttering curtains and evergreen plants winding around the metal rails. Kunihiro had also, somehow, managed to squeeze a rickety set of table and stools into the tiny space. The checkered tablecloth added a cozy finish to this cozy haven that Souichi found himself stepping into that afternoon.

Sitting himself at one of the wooden stools, Souichi immersed in the peaceful surroundings, shivering a little at the coolness outside. He could already hear the sweet sound of birds chirping in the air, a sure sign that spring had arrived. The sunlight also seemed warmer, the cheery rays more welcoming than the watery light of the winter. However, the trees outside were still bare and withered; the new cycle of life had not restarted just yet.

Likewise, it would still be a few more weeks before their baby would arrive. A new life, huh. Even now, he was still awed by the sensation of movement inside as their daughter pushed at the boundary of his womb. From the vigourous kicks in the past month to the rippling pressure that he felt as their baby grew and filled up the space within, Souichi cherished every single sign of the life that somehow, he and Morinaga had managed to conceive together.

A profound emotion gurgled in his chest as he examined the pronounced curve of his belly. Souichi felt his eyes dampen a little. Ah, damnit. This pregnancy was making him into a sissy, and a perverted one at that—! His pulse leaped. Just this morning, even when he knew that Kunihiro and Masaki were also in the apartment, Souichi had not managed to reject Morinaga and his amorous advances.

His cheeks reddened at the memory—like a pot calling the kettle black, he knew that he had made as much noise as that Masaki Junya had the night before! The embarrassment when he had stepped out of the guest bedroom and into Kunihiro still made him want to throttle Morinaga.

That incorrigible man had pushed his way through all of his protests and jumped him, as he had always done, Souichi thought dryly. The fact that he had enjoyed it so tremendously was definitely because he had heard something he should not have last night, not because of anything else!

"Oh, Souichi, so there you are—mind if I join you?" The glass door behind him slid open and Morinaga's elder brother, still proper- looking despite it being a weekend, stepped onto the balcony. Kunihiro was clutching a pack of cigarettes in his hand but upon seeing Souichi, he put it away with a sheepish smile. "Junya is helping Tetsuhiro to pack and shooed me away, so, here I'm…" The older man joined him at the table, his smile becoming a little strained.

At the mention of his nemesis, Souichi stiffened. Kunihiro turned an enquiring look at him and he forced himself to relax. That Masaki was only helping Morinaga to pack their belongings—there was no reason for him to worry! However, the restless feeling was back, pecking at his chest until the thrum of his blood became almost unbearable. Souichi was about to stand up and excuse himself when the other man spoke up.

"Souichi, I'm really glad that you went with my brother to see our parents yesterday…" Kunihiro was slightly hunched forwards, hands clutching the pack of cigarettes. There was a strange expression on his face, as though there was something he wanted to say but found it hard to.

Souichi was struck anew at how similar the two brothers actually were in appearance. That expression whenever Morinaga was holding back was now on Kunihiro's face. A little twinge stirred in his chest. "It was a given that I would go with Morinaga; there's no need to be thankful and whatnot."

A rueful smile crossed the older man's face, but the tinge of sadness and regret was still evident. "I'm really ashamed. Even as Tetsuhiro's brother, I didn't take his side when the scandal broke out and our parents disowned him; nor did I this time round…" Kunihiro turned away from Souichi again and spoke to the crumpled pack of smokes in his hands instead. "Does he hate me, Souichi? I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Junya and I—we have caused Tetsuhiro a lot of pain..."

That would be the understatement of the year—no, make that years! Morinaga's tear- streaked, vomit- stained face crossed his mind and Souichi's hand curled unwittingly into a fist. He remembered the trembling of Morinaga's body, the way he had tried to stifle his cries against their baby when his own mother had rejected him. Then there had been the fight with his parents just the day before—the hurt that his partner had had to endure was beyond what Kunihiro or Masaki could even start to imagine!

Yet, Souichi could not find an iota of hatred in Morinaga's behaviour towards the people who had betrayed him. Whether it was his parents, brother or ex- lover, that silly man had treated them in that gentle and sincere manner he had. Even Souichi could not understand the amount of kindness that it would take. If it had been him, he would have given all of them a sound punch before he tossed them aside for good! "…Don't you understand your own brother, Kunihiro? It's impossible for that baka to know hatred—! Even towards that Masaki Junya—" Souichi paused, aware of the relationship between the two men. "Even towards your parents, Morinaga has never uttered a disparaging word about them!"

"Is—is that so? I'm so glad to hear that…"

Angry as he was, even Souichi could see the relief that his words had brought to the other man. Kunihiro's shoulders straightened and he sat up, wiping surreptitiously at his eyes. This man had been a straitlaced and rigid man, so much like their father. He had let Morinaga down; let their parents throw him out when he had already been suffering from Masaki's betrayal and the blame of that man's suicide attempt. Could he trust in this man sitting before him now? "Kunihiro, if you really want to make it up to Morinaga, there's only one way, and that's to tell the truth to your parents regarding Masaki's accident. You can't keep running away and let Morinaga continue to shoulder the blame! It's too damn unfair to him!"

"I know—I know that…!" There was suddenly an odour of tobacco in the air as the pack of cigarettes was squashed completely in Kunihiro's fists. The man sighed, a world of worries escaping unspoken. "Junya and I have discussed this before…it's just that, with our current r-relationship—"

"That's a bloody excuse!" Souichi roared. The birds hopping on the ledge of the balcony flew away, leaving the little enclosure suddenly silent. "Morinaga damn well faced up to his parents about the baby, even though he knew that they were already prejudiced against him! But here you are, twiddling your thumbs as he once again got kicked out of his own home!" Souichi was jerking up the collar of the startled man before either of them knew it. "Aren't you his brother? Stand by your brother's side for Kami's sake!"

"Souichi—"

"Fuck it, I have had enough of this shit." With a sound of disgust, Souichi released Kunihiro and stalked out of the balcony, slamming the glass sliding door in his stride. He ignored the pounding coming from behind him as he went to the bedrooms. "Morinaga! Get your ass out here! We are leaving."

"Ehh, but, Sempai, our train does not leave for another two hours—" Morinaga's cherubic face popped out from the guest bedroom, cocked in confusion. However, seeing the furious expression on Souichi's face, his puzzlement immediately became concern and he quickly came towards Souichi. "Sempai, are you okay? What's wrong?" The loud banging caught his attention and he saw his brother knocking frantically at the door. "Nii- san? Why is he out there?"

"What's going on, Tetsuhiro?" Masaki Junya also stepped out from the guest bedroom. As the man touched Morinaga's shoulder, Souichi snapped. Pushing his kouhai's hands away, he turned sharply and went straight to the front door. Wrenching the door open, he crossed the threshold without a backward glance.

"Sempai, wait for me!" Whirling back to the bedroom, Morinaga was out again in a flash with their baggage. "Massaki- san, thank you for having us. It was nice catching up with you—I don't know what happened but please help Nii- san to get out of the balcony! I'm sorry, and goodbye!"

By this time, Souichi had already turned the corner, long legs eating up the pavement in ungainly strides as his belly kept getting in the way. Miffed, he merely propped up his back and continued at the same speed. Damn those selfish bastards! What was Morinaga to them, exactly? Seeing his kouhai still acting all close and friendly with Kunihiro and Masaki made his blood boil further. Baka Morinaga!

"Sempai, it's dangerous to walk so fast—!" With that exclamation, Souichi was grabbed carefully if firmly by the arms and halted. Both men were breathing heavily as Morinaga, bags slung over his shoulders, rounded to face him. "Sempai, what happened just now? Everything was fine up till the time I went to pack the bags—!" A look of realization crossed his face. "Did Nii- san say anything to you?"

Panting slightly, Souichi nonetheless glared up at his partner, belly touching Morinaga as they faced each other. His fists clenched and thumped at the younger man's chest. "Why aren't you angry with them?! Are you so idiotic as to forget all that they did to you?!" Frustrated and not knowing how to relieve it, Souichi continued to punch at the man as Morinaga tried to bring him close. "Yet there you were, acting so—so friendly with Masaki and laughing away even after that thing with your parents—!" He was crushed fiercely against the man and suddenly, Souichi's chest felt stuffy and full. His voice caught as Morinaga squeezed him tightly. "Don't you know just how—how worried I was? Baka—baka!"

"I know, I know…Sempai, I feel so blessed—you are always thinking of me." The note of joy in Morinaga's voice made Souichi tremble. "Somehow, I don't dislike Kyuushuu as much when you are here, Sempai. All the bad things just seem so insignificant when I think of how fortunate I'm to have you.

"It's the same thing with my family and Masaki- san. I asked myself: which is more important—staying stymied in the past or moving on to a happier future with you and the baby? If I want to move on, I must learn to forgive. You said so yourself, Sempai. I must face the nemeses of my past so that I won't be held back forever…are you going back on your words, Sempai?"

Souichi felt the blood rush to his face. Damnit, when he had said those words to Morinaga, he had not anticipated the depth of injustice that the man had had to face, and from the people who should have been the closest to him. It was impossible for Souichi to witness that and still remain calm!

"Sempai, if it had been in the past, I would have felt uncertain; I would have felt insecure about your feelings for me. But Masaki- san told me that you demanded an apology from him for me…"

A sigh ruffled Souichi's hair and Morinaga's voice became more somber. Giving up completely, Souichi finally relaxed into the man's embrace. The thumping of his lover's heart vibrated against his ears.

"Regarding that incident, I had always been the one to apologise, and I did so because I felt that I was at fault—whether it be being gay, or falling in love with somebody who had only always loved my brother…Nobody stood up for me or thought about how I felt. I had accepted that, and accepted the responsibility of keeping Masaki- san's secret. However, not only did you come with me to confront my parents, you also wanted to make it right between Masaki- san and I…for the first time, I wasn't alone. Thank you for worrying about me, Sempai. Thank you for fighting for me."

"…Are you sure you are not just holding back again, Morinaga?" Despite himself, the anger that had spurred Souichi's exit was seeping away. He clutched at the back of Morinaga's coat tightly. "Don't shortchange yourself for others anymore, you get me?"

"I'm sure, Sempai, and I won't." The bags dropped onto the ground as Morinaga shrugged them off and held Souichi even tighter. "Let's go back to Nagoya, Sempai."

Their baby kicked, hard, as though protesting that she was being squashed between the two of them. Souichi pushed away from his kouhai, face flushing at the fact that he had forgotten that they were out in public. Oh shit…to his relief, the side street was deserted at the moment. "Wait, so did that guy apologise to you?!"

"Actually, Masaki- san already apologized to me a long time ago…it would be that time when he came over to Nagoya to visit. But he said sorry again just now before we left…" Reluctantly releasing Souichi, the younger man picked up the baggage. "That's why we were alone, Sempai, nothing else. Please don't misunderstand!"

"…I never said that I was worried about that!" Biting his lip, Souichi avoided Morinaga's knowing gaze and started walking rapidly away. The relief blossomed out in slow patterns, until goose bumps covered his entire body. But he would never admit that, never!

"Sempai, wait for me! Be careful, please!"

In the cool Spring afternoon, the two of them returned to Nagoya via bullet train, leaving Kyuushuu behind, leaving the past behind.

"Nii- san! Guess who's back, guess who's back!" A whirlwind named Kanako flew out of the kitchen the moment Souichi unlocked the front door of Matsuda- san's house. His little sister immediately tackled him as she continued to garble on excitedly. "Tomoe- Nii's back from America, Nii- san! Hehe, now us three siblings are together again!"

"Huh—Tomoe's back? Why didn't you tell me sooner!" Souichi ruffled his sister's hair affectionately and stepped into the house, beckoning Morinaga in as well. "Where is he?"

"Nii- san!" Tatsumi Tomoe and his husband of a year, Kurokawa Mitsugu, appeared just then. "Welcome home, and my, my niece has really grown! When is she due, Nii- san?"

The two brothers exchanged a tight hug. As he patted Tomoe's back, Souichi glared sharply at Kurokawa. The salaryman jumped back a mile, his smile slipping off his face. Damnit, they were still together! Souichi wrapped his arms protectively around his younger brother as they began to make their way to the living room, silently daring Kurokawa to protest. Wisely, the other man kept mum and meekly followed behind them.

"Ne, Nii- san, you haven't answered Tomoe- Nii yet! Oh, Morinaga- san, konbanwa! Please make yourself at home!" Kanako's girlish appearance was wreathed in smiles as she greeted Morinaga. The five of them settled around the dining table and Matsuda- san joined them a short while later. "Have you thought of a name for my niece yet?"

"No, we haven't had the time to discuss the choices; there were too many distracting things that happened this past month." Souichi was pissed just thinking about Inari Reiko and the media circus. The reporters were still contacting them on a regular basis. Of them, that Hashimoto from N Magazines had been the most persistent. If Souichi were not pregnant, he would have gone at those rabid tabloids personally!

"Do you all have any suggestions? It would be great to decide on a name for her together!" At the mention of their daughter, Morinaga perked up as he energetically began the discussion.

"Well, the Cesarean surgery is slotted in April. That means she'll be born in spring." Souichi mused. It was a fitting season to have a girl—by then, the cherry blossoms would be out, and the air would be perfumed with their delicate scent and blushing petals.

"Hmm, how about names inspired by spring, then, Nii- san?" A ponderous expression settled over Kanako as she tapped a finger against her temple. "How about Harumi? To be as beautiful as springtime—oh, or how about Haruko? A child of spring."

"Personally, I like names such as Asami and Amaya; if she were born in the morning, the first name would be suitable, and the latter if she were born at night." Tomoe also joined in with his suggestions as Kurokawa snaked an arm around his waist. Souichi caught the movement but was distracted when Morinaga did the same to him.

"I-I was also thinking that Masami sounds sweet…a wish for your daughter to grow to be an elegant beauty, Tatsumi- san, Morinaga- san." Kurokawa was visibly scared of Souichi's dark glower but nonetheless stayed close to Tomoe valiantly. "Ano, hope I'm not intruding with my suggestion."

"You are definitely not, Kurokawa- san! We really appreciate your thoughtfulness." Morinaga laughed merrily, a stark contrast to Souichi's sour expression. "Ne, Sempai?"

"…Yea, we do." Souichi reluctantly acknowledged the man's efforts. He yelped when his kouhai suddenly pulled him to his side. "M-morinaga! Don't sit so close to me! Baka!" There was a brief scuffle as he elbowed the persistent man.

"Nii- san, there's no need to feel embarrassed in front of us! We are family, you know." Kanako piped up, grinning happily as she looked at the way her older siblings had blossomed with their lovers by their side. "Although you should stop glaring at Mitsugu- Nii; don't you think it's a little unfair?"

"W-what?! This and that are totally different matters! I would never acknowledge this devil that stole my Tomoe away! Kurokawa, don't be getting all cocky now!"

"Ara, ara, minna-san, calm down!" Matsuda- san laughed genially as she clapped her hands together. "Sou- kun, I have some suggestions to make for the baby's name too."

"Ah, I'm all ears, Matsuda- san." As Morinaga sat a foot away from him with a woeful pout, Souichi smiled at his aunt who had been his mother figure for so long, and respected as such. "I'm sure you'd have thought up of some really good names."

"When you told me of your pregnancy for the first time, I could tell that you were determined to keep her, even though you were scared." Matsuda- san patted Souichi's hands gently as she smiled at them. "You are a good boy, Sou- kun, and Morinaga- san too. Despite the fact that neither of you expected such a thing to ever happen, you stepped up to the responsibility willingly.

"Morinaga- san, thank you for taking care of Sou- kun and the baby." A little tear rolled down Matsuda- san's crinkled cheek and she sniffled with a watery smile. "Our Sou- kun has a temper, to be sure, but you saw beyond it to the man he is beneath. Thus, knowing that it's you with Sou- kun, I can put my mind at ease."

"Matsuda- san…" Souichi squeezed his aunt's hands tightly. "I'm sorry for worrying you all this time. We will be fine, I promise."

"I won't let Sempai or the baby down, Matsuda- san! I can swear it to the heavens!" Morinaga struck a ridiculous pose of confidence and, despite the seriousness of her words, Matsuda- san burst into laughter.

"Hahha! That's good to know, Morinaga- san! I can be assured now, and let their mother be at peace too." Wiping her eyes delicately, the older woman smiled again. "This baby is a miracle, a bundle of joy that the Tatsumi family has had the fortune to receive. I only have one suggestion for her name. However, I thought that it would be the most appropriate one. This little angel could be called Emi, because she is a beautiful blessing."

Emi. Tatsumi Emi. The name rolled out smoothly and somehow, it felt really good when he thought of his daughter by that name. Souichi had wanted something uncomplicated, a name that was not overly frivolous but still conveyed all the hopes and wishes he had for their little girl. She was the crystallization of all that he felt for that baka kouhai of his—something unexpected, something troubling and worrisome, but still infinitely precious to him. She was their miracle, a living, breathing being made up of him and Morinaga.

Not that he was going to admit all of these however; Souichi glanced at the solemn profile of his partner and battled back the wave of emotion threatening to make him tear again. No, that would just make that baka's head swell up even more!

"I think that it's a beautiful name, Matsuda- san," Morinaga had sidled close to Souichi to link their hands together. "We had to endure so many things for the past few months—there was even a time when we nearly lost her too…! To be able to reach this point when I await her arrival together with Sempai; I feel really blessed."

The intense look that Morinaga pinned him with made him gulp. Souichi found himself unable to look away. Slowly, infinitesimally, they leaned closer and closer towards each other. He could see Morinaga's sooty lashes lower as he focused on his lips; feel his hands burn unbearably hot against his palms. Souichi's face heated up. His lover and Emi's father…The world around him disappeared. As Morinaga pressed into him, Souichi forgot about Matsuda- san, about Kanako and about Tomoe and his husband—

"It's such a pretty name, and easy to remember too! I vote for it!" Kanako's lilting voice broke the shell of emotion around the dining table. Souichi and Morinaga sprang apart, visibly startled. As the flustered duo attempted to pretend that they had not just been about to kiss in front of everybody, the young girl grinned mischievously and nudged her other brother. "Tomoe- Nii, Mitsugu- Nii, what do you both think!"

"It's a really good one, Matsuda- san. Father should be pleased too. We should tell him about it as soon as possible! It's likely we will only see him when Nii- san gives birth." Tomoe, serious and thoughtful as usual, gave his vote calmly. However, the unrestrained smile he flashed at Souichi and Morinaga was undeniably young.

"This is settled nicely, then! I'm really glad that all of you like the name. What do you all say to dinner now? I have made some dishes to welcome spring!"

After a boisterous dinner with Matsuda- san's excellent cooking, Souichi and Morinaga bade farewell to his family. Walking further away from the warm glow of the house, the two of them fell into a companionable silence for a distance.

At length, Morinaga spoke up, his bangs covering his eyes as he spoke. "I really enjoy eating dinner at your house, Sempai. It's always full of people and conversations. Matsuda- san and your siblings are always so nice to me..."

"…Morinaga." Try as he might, Souichi could not catch the man's eye. Damn, the family gathering had really affected Morinaga, as he had feared it might. It was inevitable to compare their two families and, after that showdown with the elders, the difference in their families' attitudes was bound to be jarring.

Upon seeing Souichi's frown, Morinaga hurriedly added on, "I'm not feeling sad or anything, Sempai! If anything, I'm happy that I can get to have meals with you and your family..." This time, his kouhai met his eyes but it was only for a moment before he averted them again.

That baka. Removed from the camaraderie that had provided a buffer against darker feelings, the longing that the man felt was painfully obvious in the moonlight. No matter what Morinaga said, it would be a while before things would really be all right. Souichi shook his head, simultaneously worried and irritated at the same time. This silly puppy would never voluntarily voice out his troubles.

"Sempai…?" Morinaga glanced back to where Souichi had stopped in his tracks. "It's cold out; let's get to the station quickly."

"…My family is your family, Morinaga." Rushing to say the words before he could think better of it, Souichi stepped forwards and wound his arms around his man. Burying his face because he was too embarrassed to do otherwise, Souichi squeezed Morinaga tightly once before he promptly let go. "I want to wait for my father to be back and get his approval before telling the rest about the propo—about formally adopting you into our family register. You are going to be a part of my family, so don't draw lines about what's yours and what's mine! Idiot..."

"…Can I really be a part of your family, Sempai? Really and truly?"

Morinaga's vulnerability was so tangible that Souichi could only react on instinct. Hands clutching at his kouhai's coat, he tiptoed and pressed his lips gently to Morinaga's. Looking directly into those surprised green eyes, Souichi pulled Morinaga's hands around his swollen womb as he leaned in for another kiss.

"Yes...stop making me repeat myself, baka."

"Y-you won't throw me away, Sempai?" With each question, they exchanged another kiss.

"I would never do that."

In the middle of the deserted street, as the spring wind swirled around them, Souichi gathered his man close and sealed the promise with his lips.

To be continued.

A/N: Again, thank you to everyone who contributed to the name suggestions! I really appreciated it. :)