A/N: Hi guys, thank you for reading this story. I present to you: Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Homestretch (Part 1)

xxx Tetsuhiro xxx

The cab screeched to a halt outside of the obstetrics department of Nagoya Hospital. Tetsuhiro stumbled out of the vehicle, catching his foot in his haste. Jacket and briefcase in hand, he bolted towards the entrance. It had been four hours since the time he got off the phone with Matsuda- san. Sempai had been in the hospital for four hours.

"Nurse, I'm a family member of Tatsumi Souichi. He was admitted to the hospital at about noon this afternoon—may I know how and where he is now?" Uncaring of his appearance, Tetsuhiro panted out his question at the enquiry counter. He looked around wildly, trying to find Matsuda- san. Where was she?!

"Sir, please calm down. Before we can release patient details, we need your name and contact details. Please give us those to register you." The nurse in a pale- pink dress looked on sympathetically as Tetsuhiro fumbled with his wallet for his identity card. She took down the details efficiently, which he appreciated. "Morinaga- san, please proceed to ward 202, down that corridor on the right."

"Thank you!" Without looking back, Tetsuhiro dashed down the seemingly endless corridor, past frowning nurses, past confused patients, until he spied the correct ward near the end of the line. He burst into the room, half- expecting to hear the cry of their baby. "Sempai!"

"Morinaga- kun! Thank goodness you are here, finally. Try to keep your voice down—Sou- kun just dozed off." Sempai's aunt and mother figure, Matsuda- san, rose from the plastic chair and hurried towards the panting man. "It was a false alarm, and not actual labour. However, Dr. Hako recommended an overnight stay for observation. I think we are all worried especially since it's a male pregnancy…"

"Is he—is he all right? Hahh…" His throat was dry from the panting and Matsuda- san patted his back soothingly. Tetsuhiro barely registered the touch, his attention wholly focused on the man sleeping on the bed. His eyes traveled to Souichi's swollen womb. A false alarm…

"Sou- kun and the baby are all right. Morinaga-kun, why don't you sit down first? You must be tired after travelling so much—here, drink some tea." Matsuda- san poured out a cup of tea from a thermos flask and brought it to Tetsuhiro. "I'm sorry for panicking you earlier. However, we still hadn't known whether the baby was really going to arrive at that time. I'm just so glad that you are here with Sou- kun now…" The lined face of the matron was creased in relief.

Refusing to sit down, Tetsuhiro ushered the older woman to the single chair beside the bed. Every so often, he would glance over at Souichi and made sure that everything was all right. "I'm so sorry for leaving Sempai alone at home, Matsuda- san. I should have stayed back, no matter what."

"Silly child, I was there to take care of him, wasn't I? Sou- kun told me that you had an important meeting at your company. Don't go blaming yourself over this, Morinaga- kun. Childbirth can be unpredictable."

Accepting the lady's grace with gratitude, Tetsuhiro quietly caressed Souichi's prone hands. There was a little furrow between his lover's brows as he slept fitfully. Tetsuhiro ached to hold Souichi and soothe his dreams. "Thank you for taking care of them, Matsuda- san."

"They are my nephew and grandniece, Morinaga- kun. I would always be happy to look after them! Silly child…" There was a soft chuckle and Tetsuhiro glanced back at Matsuda- san sheepishly. "I'll leave Sou- kun in your care then, Morinaga- kun."

"Thank you, Matsuda- san. See you later." After they had exchanged goodbyes, the aunt left the ward quietly, leaving Tetsuhiro alone with Souichi. The adrenaline ebbed out of him. With a sigh, Tetsuhiro rested against the low railings of the bed.

"…Mhmm…Morin…aga…" Soft murmurs fell from the sleeping man's lips.

At the mention of his name, Tetsuhiro looked up jerkily. Was Sempai awake? However, Souichi's eyes were still closed, soft breathing in tandem with the steady rise of his chest. Tetsuhiro tenderly swept an errant tendril of hair from his profile. "Sempai, I'm here now—I'm here beside you, okay? Don't worry and sleep well, love."

"Hmm…? Morinaga…?" Tone husky with sleep, Souichi blinked awake and gazed at Tetsuhiro fuzzily. The bed creaked as the pregnant man attempted to sit up. "What are you doing here? The meeting with your boss…?"

"Sempai, just lie down and rest while we talk, okay? Here…" Carefully, Tetsuhiro made Souichi lie back against the bed and propped pillows against his back and between his legs. "I rushed back to Nagoya after the meeting. But that's not important; what's important is that you and the baby are all right…"

Falling back on the chair, Tetsuhiro clutched at Souichi' hands tightly. "You don't know how scared I was, thinking of you in pain and alone! What if it had not been a false alarm? What if complications had occurred? You were already not feeling well this morning but I still jetted off to Tokyo and left you at home…!" The tide of trepidation that he had bottled up all the way from Tokyo to Nagoya gushed out. Tetsuhiro buried his face in Souichi's hands. "If something had happened to you or the baby, I—I wouldn't have known what to do!"

"Baka…" Despite the admonishment, Souichi's tone was gentle. "I really did feel fine after that moment. The contractions only came sometime afterwards…Actually, I still feel that Matsuda- san overreacted—Dr. Hako did say that the Braxton Hicks would strengthen as the time nears. That's how I ended up in hospital, and why I'm lying here now. There's no need to blame yourself over something like this!"

Softly, Souichi's thumb wiped the single tear that had overflowed from his eye. Tetsuhiro sank into his lover's warmth. Sempai always sounded so matter- of- fact that it gave him an aura of invincibility. However, Tetsuhiro remembered the icy grip of his hands that morning, the way Souichi had leaned into him to seek solace when the Braxton Hicks contractions hit. His heart clenched at all the things that Souichi left unspoken. There must have been so much… "Sempai, let me stay here with you for today. I don't want to leave you again, ever!"

"Idiot, that's why I didn't want Matsuda- san to call you. Once something gets into your thick head, it never comes out! I told you that it's all right, isn't it?" Exasperation coloured Souichi's tone and he pinched Tetsuhiro's cheeks, stretching his features into a comical pancake. "Pfft…" His mouth wriggled suspiciously as Tetsuhiro stared woefully at him with tear- struck eyes. With a sigh of defeat, Souichi let go of his face and turned away from Tetsuhiro tetchily. "…Fine! Do whatever you want! Jeez…"

Elated, Tetsuhiro stood up and leaned over Souichi's blanketed form. Tilting the man's face to his, he noted the faint blush colouring his cheeks. The small space between their bodies heated up immediately and Tetsuhiro's gaze dropped unwittingly to Souichi's lips. Bending lower and meeting with no resistance from the other man, Tetsuhiro pressed his lips against Souichi's, sucking slowly as if savouring nectar. His hands on either side of Souichi's head, Tetsuhiro angled the kiss, watching those silken lashes flutter against his lover's flushed cheeks. The steady beep of the heart rate monitor kept time as they exchanged each other's breaths.

Feeling his nether region stirring restlessly, Tetsuhiro licked Souichi's lips before he finally let go. A tiny sigh escaped from his beloved. Tetsuhiro chuckled, wanting to tease his contrary lover a little. "Sempai, I wish I could do all the things we do at home to you right here, right now—" His finger trailed tantalizingly down the unbuttoned collar of Souichi's hospital gown, stopping just before he grazed the tiny peak of his nipple. "If we were at home, I would touch you here, roll it between my fingers, and perhaps suck on it…Sempai…"

"B-baka! So this is the kind of nonsense that's always playing in your head! Get off of me, pervert!" Souichi pushed Tetsuhiro away and he played along, making sure that his lover did not move around too roughly.

"Ehh, but you enjoyed my kiss just now, didn't you, Sempai?" The bright bloom of colour across Souichi's face was reward enough. Tetsuhiro stood a safe distance away from the fuming man and poured some tea out for Souichi. "Here, Sempai. I didn't mean to tease you, so don't be angry, okay?"

"Idiot! I knew I should have chased you home! Tch!" The cup of tea was snatched from Tetsuhiro's grip and the pregnant man gulped it down furiously.

A soft knock at the door broke the spell of playful intimacy between them. Reluctantly, Tetsuhiro withdrew from Souichi's side and bowed in greeting as their attending physician and advisor, Dr. Hako, stepped into the ward. Tetsuhiro glanced back at Souichi, noting with guilty pleasure the slightly swollen bud of his lover's lips. "Good afternoon, Dr. Hako."

"Ah, Morinaga- san, I see that you have managed to make it here! That's good, that's good," The doctor picked up the chartboard from the base of the bed and perused the data. "Tatsumi- san, are there still contractions coming along?"

"No, they seemed to have stopped." Prevented from sitting up, a disgruntled Souichi stayed reclined, a hand resting against his distended womb. "But would they come back?"

"Yes, Dr. Hako, is our baby going to be premature? But there are still three more weeks—!" Tetsuhiro stood guard beside the bed unconsciously. "Are there complications because it's a male pregnancy?"

"Morinaga, don't get so worked up—"

"Morinaga- san, I understand your concern, and of course, Tatsumi- san's as well. Hmm," With a clatter, Dr. Hako replaced the board and smiled genially at them. "The sonogram showed no anomalies just now, and since the fetus was conceived and anchored within a legitimate uterus within your body, the stability of the fetus is much higher than an ectopic pregnancy."

"That's good to hear…Sempai, I'm really glad—" Relief rushed through him. Tetsuhiro grasped Souichi's hand tightly. "I'm really glad!"

"Baka…didn't I tell you that we are all right? Everybody just overreacted this time."

"That might not be necessarily correct, Tatsumi- san," With a little frown, Dr. Hako regarded the two of them. " Even though the fetus is no longer considered a preemie at this stage, it's best to let her be born as near to the due date as possible. As such, I recommend bed rest until the scheduled Cesarean. That means no excessive movement or activity, such as exercise and sex." He glanced shrewdly at Tetsuhiro, who gulped. "Absolutely forbidden, all right, gentlemen?"

Tetsuhiro flushed bright red at the doctor's sharp observation. Dr. Hako had noticed Sempai's swollen lips, after all. He glanced obliquely at Souichi, who looked mortified by the mention of sex by their doctor. Darn it…How was he going to resist Sempai for so long?! Tetsuhiro sighed inwardly. "…I understand completely, Dr. Hako."

"Now, now, Morinaga- san. It's only for a few more weeks! We all want a safe and healthy birth, don't we?" Dr. Hako's eyes twinkled mischievously but his tone soon became more serious.

He was right. Renewed determination fuelled through Tetsuhiro. He would learn to abstain! "That's my greatest wish! I'd do anything and everything for Sempai and Emi."

"Yes, I'm sure that both of you would. Tatsumi- san, you would have to stay a night for further observation, in case the contractions became more serious. I'll be the doctor on call for tonight so, press the call button at the side should any problems arise, all right?"

"Hai, we understand, Dr. Hako. Thanks for all your assistance." When the doctor had left, Tetsuhiro resumed his seat beside Souichi. Slouched against the metal railings, he idly stroked Souichi's hand as he wondered about everything that had happened on that day itself. He did not know about his future at S Pharmaceuticals but, at least, Sempai and the baby were fine and he had not missed his first child's birth. There was nothing to do now except to wait.

"…Morinaga, you haven't said anything about what happened at the company just now." The quiet enquiry broke the comfortable silence in the ward. Tetsuhiro bit his lip, continuing to stroke Souichi's hand further. However, the other man was having none of it. Retracting his hand, Souichi smacked his head soundly.

"Ouch!" Rubbing his sore head, Tetsuhiro looked up and pouted woefully. "Sempai, I'm really going to become an idiot if you keep hitting me like this…! Besides, Dr. Hako said not to move around too roughly!"

"That was just my hand! And, you are deliberately avoiding my question, aren't you?" There was a rustle as the pregnant man shifted restlessly. "Morinaga—"

Seeing as Souichi was trying to sit up again, Tetsuhiro hurriedly stopped him. "Sempai! Okay, okay, I'll tell you now. But, lie back and rest first!" Clucking like a mother hen, he tucked the grey hospital blanket around Souichi, smoothing it gently over his swollen womb. "I don't know what's going to be the outcome, Sempai. But, Dr. Maya came back and tried to help me. Can you believe that? I was really shocked!"

"Dr. Maya?" Puzzlement was evident in Souichi's voice as he looked at Tetsuhiro. However, it was not long before realization hit him. "That woman—!"

The mention of his ex- superior brought up the unpleasant memories when he had just started at S Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Maya had made him drunk and nearly took advantage of him…Tetsuhiro shuddered at the thought. The she- cheetah had nearly devoured him. It was only because Sempai had believed in him that the entire situation had been defused.

However, there was still a lingering guilt within Tetsuhiro. Sempai had just become pregnant then. However, he had still caused his lover to worry needlessly over him. Regardless of whether Dr. Maya had seduced him or vice versa, his naïveté with regards to a woman's wiles had still created a misunderstanding that had nearly caused him to lose Souichi.

With Dr. Maya's transfer to the office overseas, Tetsuhiro had thought that the fiasco had come to an end. The woman's return to Japan at the time when his job at S Pharmaceuticals was in jeopardy was coincidental but her defence of him still mystified him. "She argued for me against Saga- san and the Shachou, Sempai. She was like some whirlwind that descended on the company—even the Shachou seemed a little helpless against her."

"Is it…"

The peculiar little note in Souichi's voice made Tetsuhiro perk up a little. Did Sempai still mind about his ex- boss? "Sempai? What is it?"

"No, nothing…hrmph." With a click of his tongue, Souichi turned away from Tetsuhiro and pulled the blanket over his shoulder. "…How did she know about your situation?"

Ehh? Baffled by the rebuff from Souichi, Tetsuhiro cautiously went forwards and touched the other man's shoulder. "I'm not sure why she knew about it either, Sempai. Dr. Maya has been at the US office for the past six months…it could be company gossip that reached her ears." When his lover still refused to look at him, Tetsuhiro's puzzlement cleared as a sudden thought hit him. With a huff, he settled on the side of the bed, his hand still on Souichi. "Sempai, even though I also send monthly reports to Dr. Maya, they have only been about work and nothing else!"

"…So you still kept in contact with her all this time?" The shoulder beneath Tetsuhiro's hand was stiff. There was a jerk as Souichi shrugged his hand away.

"But—but that's for work, Sempai!" Souichi's rejection stung. However, Tetsuhiro refused to back down. Dr. Maya's provocative mannerism had already caused him trouble once; he was not going to let it happen twice! "There really isn't anything going on between us!"

"Why would she tell you to update her when she's not even your direct superior any longer? Saga- san is your boss now, isn't it? I don't get her intentions in asking you to do that!"

The outburst was completely unexpected. Tetsuhiro was dumbfounded for a moment, his hand frozen over Souichi's back. What had Sempai meant by that? "Sempai…? Did you mean…?"

"I didn't mean anything by that! Urgh, shut up and just go home, Morinaga!"

From what he could see of Souichi's face, the dull flush colouring his cheek told Tetsuhiro everything that the man himself had not said. With a relieved sigh, he pressed his face against the resisting shoulder. When he was not shrugged off a second time, Tetsuhiro relaxed completely and snuggled against Souichi. "So it's not me that you doubt, but Dr. Maya? I'm glad to hear that, Sempai."

"Tch…! I didn't say anything, did I? Stop pulling your own conclusions, baka!"

Tetsuhiro could feel the heat through the hospital gown. Sempai was definitely blushing all over his body now. In spite of his furious words, the man's body never lied. Whether he liked to admit it or not, Sempai's jealousy, whether it was over Masaki- san or Dr. Maya, was like an intangible but irrefutable proof of his feelings. Kissing the nape of the man who still refused to look at him, Tetsuhiro made himself comfortable against Souichi, pulling the man into his arms.

"What the hell are you doing, Morinaga! It's the hospital, for goodness sake!" Souichi's elbows dug sharply into Tetsuhiro's stomach. "Let go, baka!"

"Shh…Sempai, don't move around so violently. Remember what Dr. Hako said? Let me stay just like this with you for a while."

"Idiot!"

"Yes, yes, I'm an idiot, Sempai…but you love me, don't you?"

"No I don't! Stop sprouting such shameless nonsense!"

Tetsuhiro cuddled close to his lover and baby, ignoring the fuming glares that Souichi threw at him. The man had finally stopped struggling and was lying still, if reluctantly, in his arms. The hard curve of Souichi's womb felt warm and full of life beneath his palms. The rippling movements of their daughter were apparent as they stopped bickering and focused on the new life that they had created. "Ne, Sempai, if I were to lose the position at S Pharmaceuticals, I promise that I'd work hard to find another job to support you and Emi. I'll definitely do my best to provide for the both of you."

Souichi was silent for a moment, his half- relaxed body tightening again as he turned back with difficulty to frown at Tetsuhiro. "Idiot. You are not the only one who's going to earn a livelihood for the family. That was not why I was worried! Wasn't it your dream to contribute to the industry in a more practical manner? Why are you adopting such a casual attitude with regards to the outcome of today's meeting? Be more serious about it, baka!"

"I'm serious about it, Sempai! I—I just didn't want you to worry about me when you already have the birth to think about…I didn't want to add to your burden."

"Tch…It's a little too late for that, baka. It's impossible not to worry about you! Always thinking about others and not enough about yourself—it was like that with your parents and that Masaki Junya, and now with your job!" Seeing the bewildered expression on Tetsuhiro's face, Souichi sighed, unconsciously leaning into him. "You didn't even realise it, did you, Morinaga?"

"But, Sempai, I already have what I wanted—that's you, Sempai." And he was in his arms now. Tetsuhiro pressed closer to Souichi, letting his body memorise the imprint of his skin against his. "I was very selfish when it came to you, Sempai."

"…Damnit…tch!" Sputtering in embarrassed anger, Souichi folded his arms crossly and refused to accept Tetsuhiro's kiss. "Why don't you ever apply that tenacity you used on me towards other things?! If you had, I—I'm sure everything would have gone your way…!"

"Are you saying that I have successfully captured you, Sempai?" In a coaxing tone, Tetsuhiro inched Souichi's flushed face towards him again. His breath shimmered over his lover's lips as they gazed at each other, the atmosphere an eclectic mix of embarrassment and euphoria.

"I-idiot…! Hey, what are you trying to do—nrghh!"

Tetsuhiro slowly brought their lips together a second time, rather glad that Dr. Hako had already made his rounds. Surely a kiss was allowed, maybe two…

To be continued.