Chapter Fourteen

Hiroki was in front of his apartment after walking back from the grocery store when his phone rang. Great, just when his hands were full. He squeezed the carton of juice between his body and his forearm while balancing a dozen eggs so that he could flip open his phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Hiro-san. I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be home a little later than usual today, okay?"

"Uh, sure. That's fine. What are you doing?"

"I'm just going to stop at the bookstore. There's a few things I want to buy."

"Oh, great! I've been meaning to go there recently but I haven't had time. If you can come home first we can go together."

"No, no," Nowaki quickly sputtered, "I'll be really quick. I'd rather just go now."

Hiroki narrowed his eyes.

"Don't be silly. I want to go too."

"Ah, really, it'd just be faster if I went now."

His voice was nervous and tight. What was Nowaki playing at?

"But if you want I can pick something up for you."

Hiroki flattened his mouth into a tight line before answering.

"Don't bother. It's fine. I'll just go later. Alone."

"Sorry, Hiro-san…" Was he apologetic? "I'll see you at home, okay?"

"Sure, sure. Bye."

"I love you, Hir—"

Hiroki snapped the phone shut. Groaning with frustration, he shoved the phone into his pocket.

At that moment, the eggs balancing on his arm teetered. He saw them slip off and fall with aching clarity. As they plummeted down, he squatted to try to grab them midair, but the carton squeezed between his arms prevented his reach. One by one they tumbled out of the box to splat on the concrete, getting raw egg juices all over his pants, shoes, and face.

He stared at the sticky yellow blobs covering his clothes and the ground. Reaching a finger up, he wiped at a globule running down his forehead.

Without a word he turned around and walked through the door to his apartment.

Luckily—if luck was even to be found in this situation—he was only a few steps away from home when the eggs fell. If this happened father away… Hiroki couldn't even contemplate the embarrassment he'd feel walking home if someone saw him covered in egg goop.

Once inside, he sat on a stool. He didn't want to think about the mess outside. Egg was particularly difficult to clean up. If he didn't get it all gone, then it would soon start to rot and smell.

He massaged his temples, only to find that he was rubbing egg gunk into the sides of his head. The cold substance squished between his fingers rather repulsively, and Hiroki's first instinct was to move his hand away. On second thought, he decided to continue anyway. Fuck it, he thought, it wasn't like he wasn't a mess already, and the rubbing sure felt nice against his stress at the situation.

After several minutes, Hiroki had calmed down enough to grab a roll of paper towels and walk out the door.

Upon seeing the sticky mess of the sidewalk, he got on his knees and ripped off a sheet from the roll.

His anger built up as he rubbed at the ground. Stupid Nowaki! This was all his fault.

He threw the paper towel to the side and grabbed a new sheet.

Why did Nowaki even have to call him in the first place? If he really wanted to go alone to the bookstore he could have just gone. It wasn't like Nowaki needed his permission or something.

His feelings simmered nice and slow as he cleaned up the splattered mess.

The sound of approaching footsteps made him halt work as he looked up.

"Um… Hiroki…. Not that I ever mind you on your knees, but… uh… what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? What am I doing, you ask me?" He stood up with irritation. "Well, thanks to you, I am out here cleaning."

Nowaki tilted his head in confusion.

"Thanks to me? I don't understand."

"What is there not to understand?" Hiroki threw his arms out for emphasis, but the quick movement made the egg gathered on the paper towels fling off to glob on a nearby trashcan.

He stared at it while gritting his teeth. An eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"Um, Hiro-san," a confused Nowaki murmered, "There's some egg on the ground."

His anger boiled over.

"YES, I KNOW THERE'S EGG ON THE GROUND!" He took a deep breath for control. "And now, there's egg on the trashcan, and there's egg on my clothes, and on my face, and probably in the kitchen too."

Nowaki took a step forwards, holding out his hands.

"Are you okay, Hiro-san?"

Hiroki ignored his outreached hands.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just go inside so I can finish this."

The tall man cocked his head and turned. Slowly, without looking back, he walked inside their apartment. Hiroki watched him leave.

Stupid Nowaki, Hiroki seethed, He wasn't actually supposed to leave him out here.

He moved over to work on the trashcan. He got so absorbed in his cleaning and self-ranting that he hardly noticed when a hand landed on his shoulder. He spun around to stare at the abnormally tall man.

Without a word, Nowaki placed a wet towel against his cheek and wiped. He gently rubbed it all over his face until all remains of egg were gone. Then, he spoke.

"Hiro-san, I'm sorry about this. Whatever I did, please don't be angry."

Hiroki anger evaporated at the man's words. Why did he always have to look so attractive while saying such understanding words?

"I'm not angry," he muttered. "I'm just…." He trailed off, not knowing how to continue.

"Just what?" Nowaki pleaded.

The tall man placed a cool hand against his cheek.

Nowaki frowned and moved the hand up to his forehead.

"Hiro-san, you're really hot. Do you feel okay?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine; it's just hot out here." He shrugged the man off. "When I get back in the air conditioning I'll be good."

Nowaki was skeptical but decided not to press the issue.

This is what I wrote tonight instead of finishing up a paper I have due tomorrow. Well actually it's not due till Friday, but I'm leaving town to play in a music thing on Thursday morning so the paper is due early. Yipee. It's just so hard to write about medicinal stuffs without it sounding dreadfully boring, so I have zero motivation to get it done…

Purplegurl156, I will do it. I just have to get over the idea that it'd be weird if Hiroki did that. I guess it's not weird in the whole scheme of things considering that I'd be writing gay sex in the first place. :)

Reviews make me very happy. :D