The Uke Flu
Chapter Thirty-two: Phone call
After a few minutes, Nowaki slid off of Hiroki. He pulled his beloved professor into his arms and was almost immediately asleep. Nowaki was so tired, in fact, he barely registered when Hiroki left the bed a short time later. The sound of the water running in the bathroom flowed into his dreams. Sleepy blue eyes opened briefly when he felt a warm, wet cloth begin to travel over his skin. Nowaki watched drowsily as Hiro-san, his brow furrowed in concentration, gently wiped him down.
Hiroki finished with his giant's ablutions and crawled back into the bed, reclaiming his previously vacated spot in Nowaki's arms. Once his back was against Nowaki's warm chest again, he found himself immediately gathered in tighter. Hiroki resisted his first impulse to squirm and instead allowed himself to be quiet. Nowaki glowed with contentment at this stillness. He kissed the back of Hiroki's neck and found it tasted mildly of soap from the older man's own washing. Nowaki rested his forehead against his partner's chaotic auburn head.
"I love you, Hiro-san," Nowaki whispered into Hiroki's tangled mane. He had rarely felt so attended to and his heart was overflowing with happiness.
"Yeah."
One of Hiroki's hands shifted and long fingers closed over Nowaki's hand. Again, Nowaki was amazed by the multitude of meanings Hiro-san was able to impart to even the most humble of words.
Hours later, Hiroki was in the middle of a common nightmare where he was giving a particularly inspired lecture to a full auditorium and all of his students' cell phones suddenly rang at once, completely drowning him out. He was roused from his dream to find his ears still haunted by the unwelcome sound of a ringing phone. Somewhere in his sleep-addled mind he realized by the tone it was Nowaki's. Thus, his forehead managed to furrow that day before he even opened his eyes.
I thought Nowaki's phone was broken.
Hiroki sighed deeply and reluctantly stretched out of his lover's warm embrace. He reached across his still slumbering giant and his fingers blindly sought Nowaki's miraculously resurrected phone on the man's nightstand, though presently, rather than marvel at this wonder, the thought foremost in his mind was how he might best kill it again.
Hiroki lifted the phone only to realize that it was still connected to its charger.
Maybe it wasn't ever truly broken. Maybe throwing it jarred the battery or something.
Hiroki decided to forgo this mystery at the moment and answer the damn thing before it woke Nowaki up. His fingers fumbled with the charger plug as he detached it and pulled the phone over to his side of the bed.
"Kusama's phone."
Hiroki made sure to use his best morning growl to greet whatever asshole thought it was appropriate to call someone at five-fucking-thirty in the morning. The connection was slightly staticky but despite this, unfortunately, Hiroki could hear the early-bird caller just fine.
It was his mother.
"Hiroki, what on earth are you doing answering Wa-chan's phone?" the lady Kamijou trilled. Hiroki thought she sounded more awake than anyone had a right to be at this godforsaken hour.
"What? I live with the man, Mother." Hiroki whispered harshly into the receiver. He was a bit put off that his mother sounded disappointed that he'd been the one to answer the phone.
He turned slightly and noticed Nowaki was still out: the younger man usually slept like a stone until whatever time it was he'd decided to wake up. That Nowaki never needed an alarm clock was something that had always annoyed the older man.
"Wait…" Hiroki stopped, recalling his mother's salutation. "When did you start calling Nowaki 'Wa-chan' and why in the blazes are you calling at such an unreasonable hour?"
Hearing the irritation in her son's voice, the lady Kamijou sighed heavily. "Hiroki, why must you be so rude to your poor mother?"
She had not talked with her son directly for weeks so all the unsaid words she'd harbored suddenly seemed to come out in a rush, her tone quite wounded. "Your mother, who is beside herself with worry about the health of her only son. I mean, you're always so cross; though I suppose I can understand it more at the moment…"
She paused only to draw a shallow breath before surging on.
"Besides…" She sounded indignant. "I have been trying to reach you two boys since yesterday and this is the first time I have been able to get through. And anyways, I thought I would be catching Wa-chan at the end of his shift at the hospital." The lady Kamijou's voice switched seamlessly from indignation to accusation,
"You know, Hiroki, your husband is never rude to me."
Hiroki chose to ignore his mother's misuse of the word "husband." It was not that it was untrue; in fact for all intents and purposes, though not legal, it was accurate. Still, there was something in the way she said it that made him feel rather degraded. He suddenly found himself wondering uncomfortably when his mother talked with Nowaki, if she referred to him as the "wife." Rather than dwell on this, Hiroki quickly moved to his next question.
"Wait. You know Nowaki's schedule too?"
"Well, thankfully my son-in-law, unlike my son," The lady Kamijou pointedly added the latter part, "cares enough about this old woman to call and inquire after her at least two or three times a week."
"He does?"
Hiroki was dumbfounded. He knew that Nowaki and his mother got along. He'd always imagined it was partly Nowaki trying to make up for the parents he'd never had himself. Still, he'd had no idea that his giant was corresponding with his mother so regularly.
I'm going to kill that big dork!
"What in the heck can the two of you find that is so interesting to talk about that often?" Hiroki grumbled, rubbing his eyes. This was certainly not his ideal way to start the day. Then a sinking feeling hit him.
"Gahh…. Mother, I hope the two of you are not talking about me!"
"Honestly, Hiroki!" His mother sighed sounding very disappointed. "You are so egotistical sometimes, my son." The lady went on haughtily. "There are worlds of interests Wa-cha…Kusama-san and I share that inform our deep and often philosophical conversations."
Hiroki blushed at his mother's rebuke and suddenly felt very convicted for believing that the two fools were conspiring about him.
"Oh… Well, I'm sorry… I mean… I didn't…"
The lady Kamijou suddenly giggled. The sound greatly disconcerted Hiroki, as did the fact his mother seemed to be in quite high spirits today. He always appreciated her more when she acted stiff and dignified.
"Oh, I'm pulling your leg, Dear," she teased. "You are so serious in the morning, Hiroki. Of course we talk about you…" She added sounding rather sly, "you are our favorite subject, after all."
Yep, I am definitely going to kill that over-tall brat of mine.
"And speaking of my favorite subject…" The lady's voice became quite serious. "Hiroki… is it true? What I saw on the news… Is Kusama-san seeing Shindou? Or… were you there, perhaps… for you?…" The hope in her voice was heartbreaking.
Hiroki pinched the bridge of his nose and released a long breath. He nudged Nowaki in the ribs, trying to rouse his still slumbering giant: Nowaki should be there when he revealed their situation.
"Erm…" Hiroki felt Nowaki stir next to him. "We were going to tell you when we came up in a few weeks to talk about the ceremony, but… yes," Hiroki stammered. "It's true… Uh, Nowaki and I are having a Flu baby."
Hiroki jerked the phone away from his ear as what could only be described as the squee to end all squees shrieked from the other end of the phone.
This, more than his elbow, finally drew Nowaki from his slumber. Nowaki propped himself up on one elbow.
"Hiro-san?" His voice was sleep-puzzled. "Is there a siren going off somewhere in the building?"
"Nowaki, it's for you…" Hiroki passed the phone over to Nowaki who lay there, blinking at it uncomprehendingly.
"But I thought it was broken…"
"It's a morning miracle." Hiroki muttered, sourly pulling a pillow over his head.
Nowaki put the phone to his ear. "Eh? Good morning?"
Beneath the pillow Hiroki listened. The squeeing had stopped and was replaced by a flurry of animated chatter. He was only too glad he couldn't decipher it, as he was sure the contents of it would have driven him insane.
"Oh, hello, Kamijou-san…" Nowaki suddenly sounded perfectly awake. "So you saw us on the news…
"Ah, yes… Well, we're very excited…
"Yes, Hiro-san too.
"No, we just suspected it a few days ago…
"Well, you know… around about nine weeks now…
"Yes, you're right, I should have known sooner. I suppose I haven't been keeping tabs on Hiro-san as well as I should have been…
"Yes, well, we have both been very busy with our work…"
Hiroki listened to his painfully honest partner's bumbling attempts to lie.
"Well, you know, Hiro-san is so stoic when he feels unwell and he really had remarkably few symptoms…
"Oh? You say he was a horrible hypochondriac when he was a child… would go to bed for days over a head cold…
"Hmm, well, you know, I am sure he has really matured over time…"
Hiroki ground his teeth as he endured the silence that indicated Nowaki was listening to one of his mother's long drawn out stories. Given the recent flow of the conversation, he had no doubt she was regaling his partner with humiliating tales about his various childhood maladies and what an insufferable patient he'd been.
Nowaki gently cut the lady Kamijou off after about her third anecdote, as he could feel the tension radiating off Hiro-san and was sure if he didn't steer the conversation to another topic his professor would soon have an outburst. He could always bring the subject back up and collect more cute stories when he talked to Kamijou-san later on one of their regular visits while he was at the hospital.
"So, Kamijou-san..." Nowaki started. "Did Hiro-san tell you his really big news?...
"Ah, yes… bigger than that… well, actually still kind of related…"
"Are you sitting down somewhere, Kamijou-san?"
Hiroki lifted the pillow up slightly from his head and peered out at Nowaki from beneath it.
"If you're going to tell her, you might want to hold the phone away from your ear, Nowaki," he warned.
Nowaki's brow rose and he smiled at this, but Hiroki noted he did move his cell away a bit. "Um…Kamijou-san…" Nowaki had distinct note of pride in his voice. "Hiro-san and I are having twins."
There was an even more ear-splitting squee followed by a rather loud thump. Even under the pillow Hiroki heard it.
"Hiro-san…" Nowaki sounded concerned. "I think your mother… erm …tripped." He looked at Hiroki seriously. "Is that something that runs in your family too?"
God damn it!
Hiroki was suddenly panicked. The idea of his mother passed out on the kitchen floor while his father was no doubt still in bed was terrible. He snatched the phone from Nowaki's hand.
"Mother?" Hiroki called into the receiver. He was shocked when a new and unfamiliar voice came on the line.
"Kamijou-kun…" a woman's voice started nervously." This is Asuka Midori…"
Hiroki recognized the name as one of the society friends his mother had made after he'd left home. If he recalled correctly from his mother's ramblings, the woman had a whole household of daughters from near his age to a few still in high school. His mother had mentioned the woman's extensive female clan often, before the circumstances of her son's life had become clear to her.
"My two youngest daughters are seeing to your mother. I am sure she will be fine," Midori assured.
Hiroki was perplexed by this turn of events. "What?... Asuka-san, excuse me, but are you at my mother's house?"
"Ummm, no…" Midori said uncomfortably. "Your mother is at mine."
"What is my mother doing at your house? At this hour of the morning, no less?" Nowaki looked Hiroki now with an expression of puzzled concern.
"Well… Kamijou-kun," Midori stammered. "Please forgive me for being so forward… it's really not my place…" She dropped her voice, presumably so her daughters wouldn't overhear. "But it seems your father was home and not particularly pleased when he saw you and your, um…"
Hiroki felt his stomach drop; he knew in an instant what had most likely transpired. He offered Midori the word she was searching for:
"Partner."
"Yes, well… After Kamijou-san saw you and your partner on TV last night, your mother came to visit me while your father… um … had a chance to catch his breath." The woman paused, obviously embarrassed. "It seemed that this was not easy for him to do. So, your mother just stayed."
"I see." Hiroki suddenly felt very tired even though he'd not even gotten out of bed yet. Despite the tumult of emotions he felt inside, he kept his voice carefully measured. "Well, Asuka-san, may I first say how appreciative I am that my mother has such a wonderful friend… And how sorry I am that you had to be exposed to my father's rudeness," Hiroki offered sincerely.
"I hope that this unfortunate turn of events has not put you out unnecessarily or disrupted your household too much. I know it would distress my mother greatly if she caused one of her friends unease."
"Oh, no, Kamijou-kun!" Midori rushed in. "Your mother is my dearest friend and it has been no problem at all.
"We all need a little breather from time to time… Even we ladies…" feeling herself headed into dangerous territory and not wanting to reveal too much, Midori quickly diverted.
"And may I be the first to congratulate you on your, um… news? I know your mother will be so thrilled once she regains consciousness."
"Ah, look …" Midori said brightly. "She is reviving even now."
In the background Hiroki heard a wobbly voice cry "Twins!" and the chatter of what sounded like half a dozen frantic fangirls.
"Oh, my… Kamijou-kun, I should probably go so that I can help her. Shall I have her give you a call once Kamijou-san has gotten herself back together?"
"That would be most appreciated, Asuka-san. Please tell her not to worry though, Kusama-san and I are both fine, so there's no need for her to rush to call back." After a few more polite exchanges, Hiroki shut Nowaki's phone. He handed it to Nowaki and pulled the pillow back over his head and closed his eyes.
Nowaki lifted the pillow and looked down at his partner with an anxious expression.
"Hiro-san, is Kamijou-san okay?"
Hiroki opened one eye and regarded Nowaki a moment; then he closed it again. There was no need to tell his giant what had happened. He did not want to make Nowaki worry any more than he needed to and if his mother wanted Nowaki to know what was going on, she would tell her phone pal the next time they chatted.
"Yeah," Hiroki mumbled tiredly. "She had some friends there with her. They'll have her call back later."
"It's nice your mother is so excited about our babies." There was genuine happiness in Nowaki's voice.
"Yeah, it's great." Hiroki sighed, feeling guilty for some unknown reason.
Hiroki felt a kiss placed behind his ear before Nowaki settled back down and pulled him into his warm embrace once again. Nowaki settled his head over the top of Hiroki's and pulled the pillow over them both. Within minutes Hiroki could hear the sleep in Nowaki's breath once again. He knew, however, that sleep would not be returning to him.
As he thought of his father and his new impending familial configuration, Hiroki settled more deeply back into Nowaki's comforting heat, trying to dispel the new feeling of cold that had suddenly gripped him.
NEW AN: Thank you every one who wrote in at help this fic break 1000. You are all amazing and I am grateful.
TBF101- My Darling Flamingo, what did I do to deserve such a wonderful cyber uke? Your reviews are what satisfy this dog's sweet tooth. Again thank you for noting the versatility of the Egoists and that being receptive is far different from being passive. I appreciate your note of their ritual too. Those unspoken understandings are very important in relationship. Kisses, Birdie!
Clobojojo- What a great deal we have going: you like to wake up to romance, I like to wake up to reviews.
Sakurayuri89, Silent Stare, Gurgicalcipher, Lionfish13, Roocie, Thank you, sweet lovelies. for all your short but so sweet reviews!
Miruco, thank you for the review and you're right, their kids will be awesome.
FujoshiNinjaNumber6, Thank you. I wish my stories were the anime too, cause then I'd be far richer than I am.
Klainer1, Glad you liked it. And there will be belly talk, have no doubts, before this fic is over.
InuAngelBaby, glad you're liking this story so much, love your enthusiasm. I will endeavor to do my best.
Barrettachante, You have me blushing like Hiroki. And thank you, Koi, for being my one thousandth reviewer! For a treat, pick a story you'd like a new chapter for.
X, my lovely one, I am so happy to hear from you and to find that my changes meet with your approval. I wouldn't be where I am today without your astute commentary and equally astute proofreading eyes.
ShadowMyStranger, thank you so much for the praise and vaccine issues will be revealed soon in upcoming chapters. So, hold tight!
OLD AN:
Whoo hoo a two chapter weekend. Hooray! Onwards and upwards. Hopefully I'll post again later next week.
MidoriTenchi- well, shy girl, I am glad you are brave enough to post reviews. Perhaps you can serve as an inspiration for those other reticent readers. I love your faithfulness and sweet words. Nowaki style hug right back at you!
Puppyfacetwo, Segment Thought, Junjou-Hatsukoi, BlackFlamingo 101, Aoshi139, Anonymous, thank you for the reviews! Glad you liked the lemon.
ArtlieST- I dedicate this chapter to you… new FF member. Thank you so much for the compliment. I am delighted to have you reading. And I think your English is splendid. Better than some of my American students.
Kiristin from Italy- tell your BF he better start calling you better love names before a more articulate and appreciative lover comes to sweep you away. What an inspired review. Did you know that similar male pairings were an established part of samurai society (though penetration was allowed) although interestingly, in that culture it was considered more appropriate for the younger male to pursue the older male he wanted for relationship and mentoring as opposed to the other way around as was traditional in Greek society. Casts a whole new light on the Terrorist dynamic understanding that, doesn't it? Butterfly kisses for you today, princess.