The Uke Flu

Chapter Twenty-Six: Missed I

Even with all his wanderings, Hiroki, per his usual habit, still somehow managed to make it to Kobayashi's about twenty minutes early.

Their couple's counselor had come highly recommended by Akihiko and handled a rather upscale clientele. This was actually part of what put Hiroki off about the man. That Kobayashi managed to make in a week, listening to the whining of a few rich fat-cats, what it would take him a month to make, babysitting more than two hundred students and having to read through all their idiotic garble, irritated him to no end. Still, Nowaki had convinced him after a lot of puppy dog eyes and a few absolutely fantastic blowjobs that the counselor's fees were a small price to pay if it would strengthen their relationship.

His elite clientele enabled Kobayashi to lease a rather spacious suite for his private practice. Hiroki entered the plush waiting room and ignored the receptionist, Hara-san's, smile of greeting. He was looking at his phone wondering if he should try to call Nowaki again.

Hiroki had been very pissed off, once he'd finally screwed up the courage to call Nowaki and apologize, only to find that his idiot giant had apparently taken his suggestion to turn off his phone. Then, as it got closer to the time for their appointment and he still hadn't managed to reach Nowaki, his anger had turned to worry, which was now quickly dissolving into panic.

Cursing himself for not having insisted that they keep their land-line when they moved, rather than try and save a few extra pennies, Hiroki snapped his phone shut. As far as he was concerned now they should have forgone the shrink and kept the phone. He was also wondering how long he should wait before calling yet again, so that it didn't appear he was a desperate, pathetic, worry-wart when Nowaki finally did turn on his phone and looked at his missed calls. Although this was the truth, Hiroki just didn't want to advertise this to Nowaki. As if after almost nine years the man didn't already know it.

Of course everything is fine…Nowaki will be here soon… I don't need to call again. I should just sit down, try and relax, and wait.

Hopefully by the time Nowaki arrived, he would be somewhat rested and have gotten over his anger. The younger man never had been one to really carry a grudge unless of course he thought that person was interested in his partner.

I'll gently reprimand Nowaki about keeping his phone off; we'll have our appointment; I'll make my humiliating but brief apology in front of Kobayashi; and everything will go back to normal.

Or whatever is passing for normal these days.

Hiroki stuck his phone in his pocket and went and sat in one of the comfortable padded chairs that punctuated the waiting room. As had most often been the case when he'd been there previously, there was no one else outside of the receptionist in the waiting area.

Or is there?

A movement on the floor over by the edge of the receptionist's desk caught Hiroki's eye. He looked over and noticed a tiny child seated on a blanket on the floor. The baby looked up at him from the toys he'd been quietly playing with and regarded him back. Hiroki furrowed his brow.

That kid looks an awful lot like Akihiko and Misaki's brat, Aki.

The pale-haired child copied Hiroki's frown for a moment and then broke into a magnificent smile of recognition. He picked up a toy from his pile and with surprising alacrity wobbled over. If the grin on the baby's face didn't convince Hiroki of whose child it was, the plastic panda head ashtray that the wee tyke brought with him and once again offered to him confirmed it. Aki held the plastic panda head out and shook it vigorously at Hiroki when he didn't immediately take it.

"You must think I like pandas or something, huh?"

Aki regarded him quite seriously and then nodded, his smile breaking open just a bit wider.

Then Hara-san looked up from the papers she'd be working on and saw the baby interacting with Kamijou-san. Knowing a bit of Kamijou-san's personality from his previous visits, she all but jumped out of her seat and rushed over towards Aki.

"Ahh, I am so sorry, Kamijou-san!" She apologized rapidly as she scooped Aki up.

"I hope he didn't disturb you. We usually don't have children in the office, but at their request, we've made an exception for the couple the Doctor is currently with and Aki-chan is such a good boy, he's never caused any trouble." She set Aki back down on his blanket. Aki looked up at her with an expression of serious consternation.

"Nooo," he scolded Hara and before she could bend down and grab him, Aki launched himself off again in the direction of the professor.

Hiroki had watched the exchange between baby and adult with fascination. When Aki reached his knee again, the boy finally turned back just in time to see the young woman lunging at him. He looked up at Hiroki, a plea for help lit his huge green eyes. Aki pointed at Hara-san, frowned and said, "noooo!" then he turned back to Hiroki, smiled and chirped, "up!"

Hara stopped short and regarded the two males with a perplexed expression.

"I'm so sorry, Kamijou-san, for some reason he seems to have taken a liking to you." She sounded regretful. Her expression informed Hiroki that she was highly critical of Aki's taste in companions.

"Ummm… that's okay, really. I know Aki-chan's parents… we're friends… so I don't mind. He's not hurting anything just standing here." Hara tried to cover her surprise at Kamijou-san's benign response to the child.

"Okay, if you really don't mind…"

"Not at all," Hiroki said mildly, surprising her further. She blushed and retreated behind her desk, but Hiroki could see her glancing up frequently, just to making sure that he didn't devour Aki or turn him into a newt or something.

Hiroki looked down at Akihiko and Misaki's Flu baby. He set down the panda head he suddenly realized he was still holding and then took his phone out of his pocket and checked it again. Aki tapped his knee gently.

"Nooo," Aki admonished him. "Up!" he corrected, lifting his arms in a pantomime of the motion as if this would help Hiroki understand.

"Well, it seems as though you may be developing Akihiko's imperious nature, Aki-chan."

Emerald eyes regarded him intently, "Agi?"

"Yes, Usagi. Growing up to be like your old papa." Hiroki folded his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. Aki frowned. It appeared to Hiroki as if the child wasn't sure he appreciated his assessment.

Smart kid.

However, Aki seemed to have come to some resolution and had apparently forgiven Hiroki for the slight, because he suddenly smiled again.

"Up!" he repeated this time adding the clenching and unclenching of tiny fists to the upward motion of his arms.

"What is it with you and this up thing?"

"He wants you to pick him up." Hara had been watching their exchange and her guard had dropped a bit. She sounded a bit amused.

"That much I have ascertained, Hara-san," Hiroki said drily. Then he looked at Aki and added, "I am not an idiot." The baby's expression indicated that Aki wasn't entirely sure he agreed.

"UP!" This time the boy's tone was definitely demanding. Hiroki looked over at the receptionist with a slight furrow on his brow.

"Is there a special way I'm supposed to pick him up?"

Hara smiled at him now. "Just hold him under the arms gently and lift him up, but not too fast." Hiroki did as he was instructed.

He was amazed when he touched Aki to find that the small boy was cool, just like his older father. He could feel the delicacy of the baby's fine bones and was startled at how light Aki was. He realized that perhaps this was the first time that he'd held a child this little since he was a boy himself. Then he had been forced into it by a gaggle of crooning aunties while he was trapped at one of those interminable family events that his father's current disassociation from him had blissfully freed him from.

Hiroki held Aki out in front of him, his arms straight.

"Okay, you're up. Now what, smart guy?" Aki smiled and pointed at Hiroki's thigh.

"Dow.."

Hiroki regarded the small person in his hands a moment longer and then gently set the toddler's padded backside down on his thigh. He maintained his grip with both hands under the tiny boy's arms, worried otherwise about Aki's stability. Aki's huge doe-like eyes surveyed the room quietly from his new perch and he seemed quite satisfied.

Hiroki found himself feeling a bit satisfied as well.

This isn't so hard… or horrible really, for that matter. Hiroki suddenly found himself wishing that Nowaki would show up so that he could witness this.

Perhaps it would help score me some points after the fiasco this morning. Then Hiroki looked back down at Aki. The boy gazed back and Hiroki suddenly felt as though Aki had read his thoughts. He blushed feeling a bit guilty.

Just then Akihiko and Misaki came out of Kobayashi's office. Akihiko had his arm around Misaki's waist. He was guiding his younger partner whose vision was impaired by the fact he was actively rubbing his eyes with both hands. Hiroki noticed with some embarrassment that Akihiko's eyes were also rimmed with red.

Funny, I don't think in all the time I have known him that I have ever seen Akihiko cry. He and Aki remained equally silent. Aki was now watching his parents closely.

Misaki, as soon as he finished wiping his eyes, looked immediately to the blanket and when he didn't see Aki there, a look of pure panic overtook his face. Hara caught his eye and waved his gaze over to where Hiroki and Aki were sitting. The expression of relief on Misaki's face made Hiroki feel badly that he'd not called out.

"Ah, Hiroki," Akihiko greeted his old friend genially though his voice sounded a bit hoarse. "What's this? Suddenly feeling a bit maternal, I should snap a picture and send it to that giant of yours."

"Usagi-san, don't tease," Misaki quietly reprimanded. "Hello, Kamijou-san." Misaki blushed, embarrassed by his tear-stained condition.

"Actually, Akihiko, your son and I were just getting re-acquainted and Aki was telling me that his younger father is quite nice, but that his older father is rather an obnoxious ass."

"Ah, hello, Takahashi-san," Hiroki added, looking down politely so as to save Misaki's face. He was equally uncomfortable with the lingering evidence of the young man's emotions. "I'm sorry I missed you the other day, another time perhaps."

"Ah yes, yesterday turned out to be, uh… A bit more than I bargained for. That's why we're here today," Misaki offered shyly looking over to Akihiko for confirmation. Akihiko smiled at him and nodded.

"We can't always navigate everything on our own, even though we'd prefer it." Akihiko's voice was as tender as his eyes when he spoke to Misaki.

"Misa," Aki interjected obviously feeling as though he'd given the adults enough time to exchange pleasantries.

"Up!"

Aki raised his arms and Misaki plucked his son up easily off of Hiroki's lap. He drew Aki up towards his chest. The boy took both sides of his young father's face between his hands and pulled Misaki's head down until their foreheads were almost touching; green eyes stared into green.

"I'm okay. Really, Aki-chan." Misaki gently assured his son. Aki stared a moment more until he seemed convinced and then looked over at Akihiko.

"Yes, Aki, I'm fine too." Akihiko looked down at Hiroki.

"Where is Kusama-san by the way? I thought you were doing this together? Don't tell me he finally wised up and realized you're hopeless?" Hiroki cringed a bit at his friend's words, they hit too close to home, though he knew Akihiko was teasing.

"Nowaki's just running a bit late today. He should be here any time now really," he lied lamely. Akihiko saw this and a flash of regret crossed his usually impassive face. He decided to change the subject.

"Do you know if you'll be able to stop by on Friday?"

"Uh, I can't make it Friday; I have a real faculty meeting."

"Too bad," Akihiko's concerned gazed had followed Misaki and Aki over to the desk where his lover was now thanking Hara-san for looking after Aki.

"Well, I might be able to get away tomorrow afternoon… If Miyagi doesn't dump a bunch of extra shit on me," Hiroki offered. Miyagi had been doing this to him a lot of late, knowing that once his junior got tenure, his days of having Hiroki do all his work for him would be over.

"That would be wonderful, Hiroki, and I would be most grateful." Akihiko looked back at him offering a rather pained smile.

"Grateful enough to stop putting Nowaki and me in your BL novels?"

Now Akihiko's smile was all light. "Oh hell no, Hiroki! You two are the fangirls' favorite couple." Akihiko laughed.

"Kamijou-san, Dr. Kobayashi will see you now," Hara-san called from her desk. Hiroki rose and offered a slight bow before he headed towards the door of Kobayashi's office.

"Goodbye, Akihiko, Misaki-kun, Aki-chan.

"Akihiko, I'll call you tomorrow and let you know when I'll be by if I can make it." He took out his phone and looked down one more time.

No call and no sign of Nowaki.

Hiroki wondered what the fangirls would do if their "favorite couple" ever broke up. He closed his phone and tried to rub the furrow from his brow. He sighed, squared his shoulders, and opened the door, prepared to meet his and Nowaki's couple's counselor alone.

NEW AN: Dear readers,

How amazing to look back now and see the old AN celebrating 200 reviews when now this story in nearing 1000. Thank to all who have dropped a line and made this story the living thing that it is.

With Gratitude,

Cerberus

OLD AN:

Dear Reviewers,

I just realized today this story hit 200 reviews. AMAZING! Thanks to all who have posted!

A special thanks to all who wrote yesterday. I can't thank you enough for the amazing comments you sent for yesterday's chapter. I feel so very honored by your thoughts and your praise. To be honest I was actually a little bit nervous about posting that last chapter. I can't tell you how much you helped assuage my fears.

I hope you enjoy this next chapter as much. I think tomorrow I will try to get back to Nowaki, unless you really want to know what went on in Hiroki's conversation with the counselor. I hope you will continue to read and review.

Please know how privileged I feel to have such an amazing audience to share my ramblings with.

Cheers,

Cerberus