For the weeks following their fateful night, Haruka acted a bit paranoid. He would constantly gaze down at his abdomen, as if expecting to spontaneously feel nauseas or develop a noticeable bump. He zoned out in class even more often than usual, staring at nothingness with a dazed or dreamy look in his eyes, thoughts of his future with Makoto and their baby playing in his mind. Similar images visited Makoto's mind, as well; though, oftentimes he also worried. What if their attempt was unsuccessful, and Haruka got depressed over it? What if Haru came to regret this decision? What if something went wrong with the pregnancy, and Haru got sick, or worse- died? What if Haru was fine, but lost the baby before it was born? Nonetheless, he did his best to hide these concerns and feign calmness, so that his worry wouldn't rub off on those around him, specifically Haruka.

The one area in which Haruka managed to maintain his focus was the swim team. At each practice, he was his normal self; no, his self before he even got the surgery. He stayed in the pool after the others were already dressed, and swam like he was training for the Olympics. It seemed to Makoto that Haruka wanted to do his utmost best for the team before he would have no choice but to abandon it.

Each day, when they walked home from school, Haruka would slow down slightly as they passed the convenience store, thinking: Should I buy it? But each day, he would give a slight shake to his head and return to normal speed before Makoto could notice he was distracted.

However, as the weeks since his and Makoto's attempt turned into a month, and that month turned into two months, he couldn't take it anymore. He needed one. He needed to know.

"...wait."

Makoto paused immediately at the sound of Haruka's voice. He knew Haruka had been feeling particularly out of it all day, and so Makoto was even keener on alert than usual.

"What's wrong, Haru-?" He didn't even attempt to mask the concern in his voice as he turned to face his boyfriend. "Are you feeling dizzy again?"

Haruka slowly shook his head, glancing at the store to their right. "...I want to buy a test." The doctor had told Haruka when he got the surgery that if he ever believed he was pregnant, a regular store-bought pregnancy test would work just as accurately as it would for a woman; he didn't require a special procedure, or anything.

"Oh…!" Makoto's eyes widened, and his shoulders slackened slightly as he realized where they had stopped. "You do need one, don't you… But, what made you decide to buy one all of a sudden…?"

A light blush rose to Haruka's cheeks, and he gazed down at his feet. "...I looked up early symptoms… Dizziness and fatigue was one. ...I've felt dizzy and tired a lot, recently. It might be a coincidence… But…" He bit his lip. "I don't want to wait anymore."

It always made Makoto's heart race, hearing Haruka speak more than his typical brief comments and responses. He smiled softly, and nodded his head. "It's been two months now, hasn't it? Now should be a good time to check." Haruka, still focusing on the ground, nodded silently. "Would you like me to come in with you…?"

After a short pause, Haruka nodded again.

Makoto allowed Haruka to be the one to select which test he would buy. After carefully scrutinizing his options, he decided on the one that was said to have the most accurate results. "That one it is, then," Makoto stated cheerfully, picking the box that Haruka pointed at off the shelf. "Is there anything else you need, while we're here?"

Haruka's gaze was momentarily transfixed on the box in Makoto's hands, until he slowly raised his eyes to Makoto's face. "...are you going to pay for that?" Because it was the most accurate, the selected test was also the most expensive. Makoto nodded, smiling, and Haruka's eyes widened slightly. "...I'll choose a different one, then…"

Makoto could tell exactly what Haruka was thinking. He shook his head, gently grabbing Haruka's wrist as he reached for a cheaper brand. "I don't mind, Haru. Honest! You should get the best one, so we don't have any doubts. Besides; I can't put a price on your happiness."

A small, faint blush tinted Haruka's cheeks. He couldn't argue with that… And so he allowed Makoto to buy him the test, and they headed home.

While they walked along, Haruka held the plastic bag in one hand, and with the other, he tightly gripped Makoto's. They didn't speak for a long while. Makoto, as usual, was the one to eventually break the silence. "...so… When do you think you want to take it? The test..."

Haruka absently tightened his hold on his boyfriend's hand. Sometimes he wondered if Makoto was able to read his mind, as he had just questioned the exact topic that Haruka was currently contemplating. "...tonight," he answered after a pause, quietly but decisively. "And, I want you to come with me."

A slight smile appeared on the corner of Makoto's lips. "Don't want to wait, huh? ...I don't either, to be honest. Let's go."

So once they approached the hill that led to both of their houses, they both took the turn towards Haruka's.

Makoto waited patiently outside of the bathroom door while Haruka followed the procedure for taking the test. Haruka's hands trembled as he carefully removed the test from its box. This simple, pocket-sized device held the power to inform Haruka of the most important news of his life. If he received a negative result, he would be disheartened, but refuse to give up hope and wait anxiously to take another test. If the result was positive… Well, that's what he was praying for. Closing his eyes and breathing in deeply, Haruka did as was instructed.

"...Makoto," he called softly as he pulled his pants back up, fumbling with the button in his nervous state, "you can come in. ...I want to see the result together."

The door opened immediately yet carefully. The two of them didn't speak a word as they waited, the air heavy with anticipation. It seemed as though the seconds weren't ticking by fast enough, and a few times Haruka hallucinated a plus appearing on the little window. After two entire minutes had passed, Haruka began to wonder if he had purchased a faulty test.

Then suddenly, a result appeared. Haruka and Makoto held their breath.

Positive.

The test fell from Haruka's fingers. Taking a second to react, he scrambled to pick it back up, laying it across his shaking palms and staring at it incredulously. Both his and Makoto's jaws were agape, their eyes wide. Slowly, they peeled their gazes away from the test in order to look at each other. They grinned.

In an instant, they reanimated. Haruka dropped the test onto the counter and threw himself into Makoto's arms: something he had never done before even after becoming a more affectionate person. But this grand gesture didn't surprise Makoto; he was too happy at the moment and too shocked over the positive result to be surprised at anything else. He held Haruka close, throwing his head back and laughing, unconsciously giving and receiving kiss after kiss after kiss. "Do you see that, Haru? We're having a baby… We're really, truly having a baby…!" he breathed. He opened his eyes to see that tears were trickling down Haruka's smiling face. When it came to his attention that he was also crying himself, he only laughed again.

"Thank you, Makoto… I… I'm so happy…" Haruka whispered against Makoto's lips, his voice light. Instead of responding, Makoto brought their lips together in another kiss, this one lasting for more than just a few seconds.

In the back of his mind, Haruka was aware of the risks. It was still early in his pregnancy, so there was the possibility of losing the baby; not to mention the colossal responsibility of becoming a parent… But that meant little to him right now. He was having a baby with the man he loved more than anything in the world, and that was all that mattered.

Nagisa's experience was very, very different from Haruka and Makoto's.

At the beginning, he felt confident about what he had done. A beautiful, precious little baby, just for him and his beloved Rei…! Plus, if he was pregnant, he would have a completely plausible excuse to drop out of school, and raising the child would give him a reason to never return again.

But as the days and weeks passed by, he began to realize the drasticity of the situation he was in. For starters, he had openly lied to Rei. He wouldn't blame him if he chose to never forgive Nagisa for deceiving him in such a way. It seemed that there were only two ways that Rei wouldn't find out that Nagisa had tricked him: A) he had failed to get him pregnant (which was very unlikely, what with Nagisa's extremely high fertility) or B) Nagisa aborted the baby before it became noticeable that he was pregnant. ...although, it was clear to him that he could never go through with the second option. Sure, if he went through with it soon enough, all he would be doing is removing a cluster of cells… But, it would be a cluster of cells created by Rei. And he could never harm anything that even partially belonged to Rei.

Of course there was also the entire prospect of being a parent. Nagisa and Rei were very, very young; only sixteen years old. Sure, they would each be seventeen by the time the baby (if there was a baby) was born, that was still too young to have their lives completely organized, let alone be ready to raise a child by themselves. Nagisa was fantastic with kids, yes, but that was because he was still a kid himself. Plus, he wasn't even positive as to what Rei's opinion on children was. Kids seemed to love him just fine… But that didn't necessarily mean he wanted one of his own.

Nagisa was terrified and full of regret.

He did his best to keep his worries to himself. He acted like his typical cheerful, rambunctious self, and nobody seemed to notice that anything was wrong; after all, Nagisa had experience with honing the skill of faking a smile. However, about a month after he had tricked Rei into having sex with him, he simply could not take the anxiety any longer. He needed answers. So he took a detour on the way home from school, and stopped to buy a pregnancy test.

If he took the test at home, he feared that someone would find it in the garbage. Consequently, he decided it safest to take it in a public restroom. He disregarded that doing so was strange and unsanitary: he was desperate to just get it over with. So he locked himself in a stall in the restroom of a nearby fast food restaurant, hastily ripped open the box, and followed the procedure as quickly as possible.

He crossed his fingers and closed his eyes tightly as he waited for a result. His "period" was a little over a week late, and he had bought one of the most accurate tests available, so he felt confident that the result would be reliable. Negative… Negative… Negative… he pleaded silently, his heart thudding against his chest.. He bit his lip until it drew blood. Then, after several minutes that felt like several hours, something appeared. He opened his eyes wide and stared at the test for a moment.

Nagisa immediately began to sob.

Nagisa and Haruka, completely unbeknownst to each other, were both about two months pregnant at this point in time. Haruka and Makoto decided to wait a few days before they made their announcement to their friends, when their personal excitement had calmed down just a bit; on the other hand, Nagisa had taken his test nearly three weeks ago… and had yet to tell even Rei.

After wiping away his waterfalls of tears in the stall of that restaurant bathroom, Nagisa made a decision: he would keep his pregnancy a secret until he was given a distinct reason to bring it up. He knew, now, that Rei would be absolutely furious with him when he found out, and Nagisa had no idea how he would be able to handle having the love of his life suddenly detest him. So, he wanted to preserve their state of innocent bliss for as long as possible.

However, he overestimated his own acting abilities.

As usual, Rei and Nagisa had taken the train and were now walking the rest of the way home from school. The abnormal part was that thus far, the journey had been completely silent. The typically chatty Nagisa hadn't spoken a word on the train, and even now that they were alone, he seemed to have nothing to say. Even when Rei awkwardly attempted to spark a conversation, Nagisa's responses were dull and they trailed off quickly. It was beginning to make Rei uncomfortable.

The reason behind Nagisa's speechlessness was that he was exhausted. He had started off the day with an awful spout of morning sickness, and made the mistake of deciding to go to school and act as if he was feeling fine. However, pretending to be energetic was even more tiring than actually being energetic, and so by the end of the day, his energy had been completely depleted.

Rei knew that whenever Nagisa acted suspicious, asking him what was wrong would only result in a smile and a "Nothing!" So, he had another idea.

"...Nagisa…" he murmured in a tone he rarely used; one that was low and suggestive.

It caught Nagisa's attention. "Hmm?" The moment he turned his head, Rei leaned down and swiftly stole a kiss.

Nagisa's face flushed red, his eyes wide in surprise. "Rei-chan…!" he squeaked. Slowing his walk, Rei raised an eyebrow suggestively and trailed his hand from the back of Nagisa's head, to his neck, across his back, and down his waist. It made Nagisa's body shiver with pleasure; but his mind knew that this wasn't normal. Rei never initiated gestures like this, especially not in public… They continued to slow down until they came to a total stop, in front of an alleyway.

"...Rei-chan, you're acting really weird…" Nagisa remarked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Now you know how I feel." Pushing back his glasses, Rei reverted to his natural sophisticated persona. "You're the one who has been acting weird, Nagisa."

Nagisa's heart suddenly began to beat faster. Rei was onto him… Had he slipped up? Or had Rei just grown more perceptive? Either way, he couldn't let Rei know that something was wrong. "Whaaaat? How'm I acting weird? You're being silly…" He let out a nervous laugh.

"No, I am not being 'silly.' Something has been off about you for weeks now," Rei insisted. He turned his body fully towards Nagisa and crossed his arms. "Mostly, it feels as though you've been much less of a pest than usual. It's been quite a while since you've begged me to go on a date with you, or kissed me in front of a crowd of people, or made an unwholesome remark about my back side…"

"Aww, does Rei-chan want attention? Don't worry, I still think you have a reeeeally nice booty~" Nagisa grinned flirtatiously. Relax, Nagisa… You've got this! Just keep smiling and laughing, he told himself frantically.

"Nagisa. I'm being perfectly serious. If something is the matter, you don't need to keep it to yourself… Do you not trust me?"

The grin immediately faded from Nagisa's face. "I-!" The words got caught in his throat. He did trust Rei; God, he trusted him with his life. But Rei had absolutely no reason to trust him. ….he needed to do it. He couldn't hide it any longer, Rei had every right to know… If he needed a clear reason to reveal his secret, this was certainly it. Drawing in a quivering breath, Nagisa closed his eyes and uttered, "...I'm pregnant."

"Pardon-?" Rei's voice lacked any shock or disgust; only simple curiosity. He hadn't heard Nagisa, was all.

"I'm-" No. He couldn't do it. It took enough strength to say it once; there was no way Nagisa would be able to force the words out of his mouth twice. His voice broke, his eyes bulged, and he started to sob.

Rei's eyes widened with concern, and he immediately pulled Nagisa into a gentle hug. "Oh, Nagisa…! Shhh… It's alright…"

"No it isn't!" Nagisa shrieked, wiggling out of his love's arms. There was no anger in his expression despite his sharp tone; only shame and sorrow. "Rei-chan… Rei… I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry…" he cried into his own hands, his shoulders heaving with each sob.

Even though Nagisa had just shoved him away, Rei didn't look the least bit offended; he only looked more worried. "What on earth for…? Nagisa, what-"

"I'm pregnant!"

Rei froze. "...you're… what?" he whispered dangerously. This time, there was no curiosity in his tone. He had clearly heard Nagisa. Instead of repeating himself, Nagisa cried harder. "...Nagisa… That isn't funny at all. I'm being serious, here," Rei told him in a stern, warning voice.

"I'm not kidding…!" Nagisa insisted pathetically.

Every ounce of gentle concern had drained out of Rei's expression. "...is this because of what we did after that study date? When you spent the night?" Nagisa nodded weakly. "...you told me we didn't need protection, Nagisa."

Rei's tone was cold and accusational, and it pierced Nagisa like a knife. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Rei, I lied to you… I know I lied, and I know that was really really awful of me… I'm sorry…" he whimpered desperately.

"Why?" The dark apathy in Rei's voice made Nagisa feel very small. He flinched as Rei reached out and grasped his shoulders. "Why would you lie about that? Did you want this to happen? Answer me, Nagisa! Why would you WANT to get PREGNANT?!" His volume increased with each inquiry until he was practically screaming at the tearful blonde.

"I was being stupid!" Nagisa shouted back at him. Although the tears were not stopping, he was gradually gaining control of himself. He continued to avoid Rei's stare. "I… I just love you a lot, and I… I really wanted to stop going to school… And… And… I just… had a really stupid idea… And thought it was really good…. Um…" he sniffled.

After a few moments, Rei let out a deep sigh. When Nagisa glanced up at him, he saw that the dangerous expression was gone from his face, and he was rubbing his temples fervishly. "...I can't believe this… I can't believe it, Nagisa… What were you thinking? I don't completely understand your motives, but surely there are other ways you could have done whatever it is you wanted to do… Ways besides getting pregnant! Do you know what a MASSIVE responsibility this is?! Being a parent is FAR from just playing a game of House. I know you aren't fond of school, but do you truly want to drop out? You'll never get a respectable job if you don't even have a high school degree! Do you know what a major financial toll having a child creates?! Your health insurance may cover the visits to the doctor , but you'll still need to buy special vitamins… Not to mention after the child is born, you'll need to buy it clothing, and food, and furniture for a nursery, and eventually pay for schooling... And what about me? Did you even for one moment consider how this would affect my life?!" he lectured furiously.

Rei's tone wasn't as harsh as it just had been, but it was still heated enough for Nagisa to flinch as he spoke. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I-I get that you hate me now…"

Rei paused for a moment, wearing a flabbergasted expression. "...hate you? Who ever said that I hate you, Nagisa?" Slowly, his face softened and his breathing calmed, and he reached out to place a gentle hand atop Nagisa's head. "I don't hate you, Nagisa. I'm only…. frustrated. This alters my graduation plans drastically… My university of choice doesn't offer off-campus living, so now I'll need to find another one of quality that will allow me to come to and from my home… Even before then, I'll need to rearrange my sleeping and studying schedule so that I can spend an appropriate amount of time with you and the baby, since it's going to be born while we- or I- am still in high school…"

"...w-wait… So you're… not, gonna leave me?" Nagisa whispered, staring at Rei in shock. Rei stared back at him incredulously.

"Leave you? Of course not, Nagisa… That would be a horrible thing for me to do! This child is as much mine as it is yours, I can't just abandon it… ...and, it's as I've said before. You underestimate yourself too much. Do you think my love for you is so fleeting that I could leave you so suddenly? You must not realize it, but, I'm endlessly committed to you."

Nagisa felt his heart flutter in his chest. It was rare for Rei to say such sentimental things, so confidently… He wanted to respond with something equally romantic, or at least something grateful, but instead he asked a question that was somewhere in the back of his mind. "...do you… even like babies, Rei-chan-?" Nagisa knew it was much too late to ask this, but he felt like if he was going to be having a baby with him, he should probably know how Rei felt about them.

Rei scratched his head. "Well, it isn't as if I dislike them… ...besides. If it's our own, I'll love it, won't I?" He mustered a slight smile, carefully taking Nagisa's hand in his. "Becoming a teenage father wasn't exactly in my repertoire… But I'm going to take responsibility for this. It's simply an unexpected challenge that I'm willing to accept."

Nagisa gazed up at Rei, tears brimming in his eyes again. But this time, they were joyful tears. "...I love you, Rei-chan… I really, really do…"

Rei placed a small kiss on Nagisa's forehead in response. "Now let's get you home… I'll make some ramen for you. Oh, and remind me to stop at the library tomorrow…. I'll need to read up on parenting if I'm going to do this correctly."