Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following stories or their characters: Junjou Romantic, Gravitation, The Sex Pistols, Haru wo Daiteita or Winter Cicada.
The Uke Flu
Chapter Twenty-Three: Energy
As Nowaki walked out to the waiting area to speak with the receptionist, he saw Dr. Suzuki leading two huge men back towards the examination rooms. Seeing them come up the hall together had been strange, because both men definitely had a very strong seme look. Although Nowaki quickly noticed that the one with the lighter coloring, an American, apparently from the strange accent of his Japanese, was a bit taller and broader.
The American man was dominating the conversation with Dr. Suzuki, while the other seeming seme walked just behind looking apprehensive and slightly cowed.
Height rule.
Nowaki sighed.
He felt a sympathetic pang for the pair's over-sized uke, who was obviously very uncomfortable about being there. The good doctor was saying something to the couple. As he passed, he nodded in acknowledgement to Nowaki.
"You know this is quite a unique case, Mr. McBear" Dr. Suzuki turned back to the hulking American. "I have dealt with quite a few MP3REG36 viral pregnancies before, but never one caused by a parasite. Now explain to me again the mechanics of this?"
When the gargantuan couple walked by Nowaki, his seme senses tingled; he shivered involuntarily.
"Bear energy," Nowaki whispered self-consciously as he stepped out into the waiting room. Here, he encountered again, the famous couple from earlier. They had obviously just finished with their appointment as well.
"I can't believe I'm not pregnant, Yuki." The pink-haired rock star's voice carried a note of sadness
"Don't sound so disappointed, Brat," the author responded. "You should be feeling relieved. I know I certainly am."
"But all that stomach pain..."
"Well, that's what you get, idiot... Honestly, I go on a book tour for a few months and you choose to try and live on a diet solely of strawberry pocky." Yuki sounded disgusted.
"Oh, strawberry pocky, that sounds really good right now," Nowaki was unaware that he'd expressed his thought aloud until he almost tackled by an appreciative Shuichi.
"See, Yuki! There are other people who appreciate the finer things!" The pink haired youth glomped onto Nowaki as though they had been friends for years. Yuki didn't say anything. He just glared at the dark-haired seme before him, as though was Nowaki's fault that Shuichi was touching him.
Spoiled Author energy, that's even worse than Bear. Nowaki shivered again and began to politely try and extricate himself from the arms of the pocky-loving pop star.
When Hiroki emerged into the waiting room just a few moments later after having secured a car for them, he was relieved to find that Nowaki's mood seemed to have lightened a bit. He was not relieved, however, to find his partner engaged in an animated conversation with the pink-haired uke from earlier. Apparently the two were debating the finer points of snack foods.
Nowaki had managed finally free himself from Shuichi's enthusiastic embrace, but the youth was still holding one of his hands.
Hiroki was about to grab Nowaki, pull him away, and say something smart to the famous author about keeping better control of his uke, but Yuki spoke first.
"Do you belong to him?" The author indicated Nowaki. His displeasure over the interaction occurring between his rosy-haired lover and Hiroki's giant was obvious. Hiroki was about to snap at Yuki for the phrasing of his question and its demeaning assumptions, until he realized what he had been planning to say had amounted to essentially the same thing. He was shocked however, when Yuki Eiri, did a sudden double-take.
"Wait a minute… Please excuse me, but you aren't Kamijou Hiroki by chance?" Yuki's voice now held a more pleasant tone. Hiroki was perplexed by how the man would know him but answered in the affirmative.
"I have to say, Kamijou Sensei…" Yuki suddenly became surprisingly respectful, offering a bow. "I just finished reading your book about same-sex historical literary traditions within samurai culture, The Beautiful Way, and found it just fascinating."
"Oh, well, thank you, Yuki Sensei." Hiroki, returned the gesture. He was shocked and slightly flattered. He hadn't expected to find many readers outside of the academic world for his text.
"Ah, so you recognized me as well."
"Yes, I am familiar with your work." Hiroki hoped fervently that Eiri would not push him for his opinion of it.
Thankfully the man did not. "By the way, nice scowl in your picture on the dust jacket, I wondered if it was practiced, but seeing you now, I can see that it is entirely natural." Yuki's tone was very approving. "It's good for authors to look appropriately serious, I think."
Hiroki found himself thinking he might have to reassess his opinion of Yuki. He was even more surprised when the man suddenly offered him his business card.
"You know, Kamijou Sensei, I have been thinking about starting a new piece. Your book is in fact part of the inspiration for the work. Something a little bit different than what I usually write.
"I have this idea for a story about two men, lovers, who are adult film stars in the present but who were also lovers in one of their past lives: samurai warriors from opposing clans, who come to a tragic end together.
"I would love to consult with you about it. Make sure that my history and other elements are accurate. Would you be at all interested?"
Hiroki was intrigued by the idea and offered his card to the author in return. Within minutes the two of them were talking about some other literary topic. Nowaki, who had finally managed to secure his next appointment, found himself pulled pulled back into conversation by Shuichi and soon their discussion somehow switched from pocky snacks to puppies.
Together the four men drifted towards the door. All were so deeply engaged in their conversations that they had completely forgotten about the chaos that was being held at bay outside the clinic. That was until they stepped outside into the blinding flash of paparazzi cameras and the deafening din of screaming fanfolks.
Outside the clinic it was a madhouse. Yuki directed K to assist Hiroki and Nowaki in getting to their taxi. Shuichi caused a distraction (ever the polite idol) by signing autographs for the few fans who had been able to breach the tight ring of the paparazzi.
Hiroki and Nowaki made it to their car at last, but not without having at least a dozen different reporter's cards pressed into their hands and at least twice that number of paparazzi shouting figures if they would be paid if they agreed to disclose what they had been talking about with the two stars while they were in the clinic.
Hiroki had Nowaki get into the car first, while K held the crowd at bay. Hiroki made a show of dropping the press cards disdainfully on the ground. Then he took the ones from Nowaki's hand also (Nowaki would have waited and thrown them away at home, he was never one to litter) and threw these out also just before he closed the door.
Yuki observed this from the midst of the madness. His general scowl turned up in a thin smile of approval at Kamijou's behavior. "Interesting couple," he thought, "I hope I'll see them again sometime."
K wasted no time, once the other couple was off, in getting Yuki's car pulled round.
"Come on, get in!" He urged holding the back door open.
Yuki grabbed Shuichi by the collar and hauled the youth in after him. Shuichi's pink hair was completely wild, it looked rather like a popped piece of bubblegum, wisps straggling every which way. His shirt and his pants hung in tatters, all but torn off by his rabid fans. Yuki on the other hand still looked as though he'd just stepped out of a salon.
"Wow! That was kind of fun! Wasn't it Yuki?" Shuichi exclaimed, his eyes bright with fan-buzz.
Yuki leaned back in his seat and lit the undamaged cigarette still hanging after all this time from his lip. He took a deep drag and exhaled. "Yeah, loads." He sighed looking bored.
After giving the cab driver directions, there was a pronounced silence in the back of the Kamijou/Kusama cab. The revival of Nowaki's mood after talking with Shuichi apparently ended with press frenzy they'd encountered outside.
"Well, so much for keeping things quiet." Nowaki sighed.
Hiroki looked at his giant, Nowaki appeared completely wrung out.
If it's like this now, how will things be in another month, or two… let alone seven? And TWINS, what in the hell are going to do with two kids? Worse yet, what are these two brats going to do to my Nowaki? Hiroki tried to push these thought aside. He needed to find some way to try and make Nowaki feel better.
"Oh, come on Nowaki. Who's going to recognize us if we're in some silly pop idol's paparazzi picture? I mean, anyone looking at that sort of stuff will be looking at the stars, not a couple of average guys like us.
"I bet if they can, the tabloids will cut us out of those photos entirely or use ones without us in them. There were so many taken, surely we can't possibly show up in all of them."
Nowaki looked at Hiroki, a bit of hope glimmered in his eyes. "Do you really think so?"
"I think it's highly likely."
"What if they do show us though? What if people start asking what we were doing there?
"Hiro-san, I'm not sure I want a bunch of people knowing about this yet. I don't want us to have to put up with that kind of attention again." Usually so imperturbable, Nowaki was obviously distressed.
"Look Nowaki… umm if it comes to that… I guess that I…" Hiroki stopped. He wasn't sure if his pride would allow him to say it. The idea of it was mortifying but looking at Nowaki, his shaggy head tipped back and resting on the edge of the seat, Hiroki knew a sacrifice needed to be made. "I mean, I'd be willing to pretend to be…"
Nowaki's dark head suddenly shot up. "Hiro-san," his eyes glanced at the cab's driver. "This is not a conversation I want to have here right now.
"Please, let's wait until we get home to discuss it." Then obviously still upset by the fact that Hiro-san had not disclosed his failure to get the vaccine, Nowaki added in a sad voice, "it is an option though. After all you're obviously quite skilled at pretending."
This comment alone ensured that the rest of the cab ride home was passed in silence.
NEW AN: So this was originally chapters 23 & 24, but they were short, so I combined them. Sneaky, I know.
InuAngelBaby, what a passionate plea. Don't worry, Cerberus has things well in hand for your dear Egoists.
Alcuzey, thanks for the props, and I'm with you, spontaneous MPreg annoys the hell out of me. Glad to have you along on this story and DWS is definitely in my hopper.
Roocie, glad you enjoyed the chapter! I'll pass the word on. I bet with all the JR Egoist fans they would never find themselves without a sitter.
Sana Lama Samaha, that you think I'm the bees' knees makes me swoon. Seriously, thank you so much for the thoughtful and articulate review. Hope to hear from you again as you re-read. Getting all these stories back up here makes me feel so content.
Silent Stare, I am delighted to talk to you in my AN's. Especially if it makes you happy. I wonder what my mother was feeling then to give me my own peculiar nature. Anyway, they lady Kamijou is usually written as quite bubbly. Probably because she seems that way in the series, but a serious Mama Kamijou holds promise... hmmmm... No, no, Cerberus, bad dog... Must finish re-uploading and stories already started...
Clobojojo, keep those reviews coming and hope you enjoyed the SP cameo. Heh heh.
Thanks for reading!