OLD AN: This chapter's Terrorist section is dedicated to the esteemed Moy Moy! Hope you like this dawg.

Cerberus

The Uke Flu

Chapter Forty-six: Caught

Monday morning Hiroki woke up early to the sound of Nowaki in their shower.

He must have just come home from the hospital.

Usually Nowaki showered there, but occasionally he waited until he came home, depending on how rough the shift had been, what he'd been exposed to, and how anxious he was to get back to the apartment. Hiroki didn't wish to seem prideful but it pleased him sometimes to think Nowaki forewent his shower, because his partner wanted to see him before he left for the University.

Hiroki folded his arm over his eyes and tried to think of anything that would divert him from the vivid images that filled his mind of a shower-fresh Nowaki. He was also trying to come up with something that would help fell his morning wood before his giant came in and Nowaki took it upon himself to play Paul Bunyan. Not that he wouldn't have liked a morning blowjob, or a handjob, but Hiroki knew once that scenario got going he would never make it to work on time.

Hiroki sought distraction by casting his mind back over the events of the weekend,. The semuke dinner party returned to him and he was still pleased it had gone far better than he'd expected. He actually had been surprised to find he'd enjoyed being around the other people there.

Maybe some of it was that their guests had so many similarities to his own situation, even beyond the peculiar pregnancies. Whatever the reason, for the first time in a long time, he didn't feel quite so isolated. Besides, it had made Nowaki so incredibly happy: he had glowed for hours after the last couple left. And despite how tired Nowaki had been by the time it was over, he had still managed to see that Hiroki kept his promise, multiple times, once in the kitchen and then in the bedroom. Then Nowaki had drifted off contentedly. Hiroki, meanwhile had stayed awake just a bit longer, listening to his partner lightly snoring; Nowaki's long form wrapped comfortably around him.

Realizing that dwelling on this particular aspect of the weekend's events was only going to make the morning "harder" on him, Hiroki turned his mind back to the motley crew he'd met at their party. He was still surprised at how well the semukes as a whole had adjusted to the Flu's third stage and were fairing with their conditions.

Well, maybe with the exception of Yokozawa-san. Hiroki reflected.

Though Nowaki had been sick and moody, he'd never looked nearly as terrible as Misaki had… Hiroki reminded himself, that of course, at that time, Misaki had been through so much already and hadn't really even had a chance to really begin healing from his terrible South American ordeal when he'd "caught," as the University students he taught called it.

Still, Hiroki knew from what he'd read and what little he'd seen, most Flu victims didn't fare nearly as well as the semuke giants appeared to be doing. Even young Keito, despite his obvious discomfort, seemed remarkably robust. The Flu really devastated many ukes physically for sure, if not psychologically as well. Once again Hiroki blessed Nowaki for giving him the vaccine.

Hiroki heard Nowaki exit the bathroom and come into the bedroom. He could smell Nowaki beneath the shampoo that he'd just used, the man's scent alone easily stirred him, not that he would ever admit this. But then add to this the visual component… Hiroki couldn't help but raise his arm up from over his eyes: his lover was just so enticing.

Seeing this in the dim morning light, Nowaki immediately offered his peeking professor a tired but beautiful smile.

"Ah, you're awake, Hiro-san," Nowaki murmured happily.

"Ummm," Hiroki conceded removing his arm completely and using it now to prop himself up as he looked at Nowaki in all his masculine glory. Still damp, Nowaki's hair had the sleek gloss of obsidian. He was wearing a pair of black cotton pajama bottoms slung low on his narrow hips and nothing else. His lean, tight body bulged perfectly in all the right places. Nowaki stood there quietly, basking in his lover's obvious pleasure. Hiroki's gaze drifted over Nowaki's contours appreciatively until he noticed a new curve.

"What is that Nowaki?" The first furrow of the day ploughed its way across his forehead. Nowaki's eyes quizzically followed the direction of his lover's gaze.

"What's what, Hiro-san?"

"That," Hiroki pointed. "What's wrong with your stomach?"

Nowaki walked over to the full length mirror on the wall. He faced forward first and then turned sideways. A lopsided grin formed on his face. His stomach which had always been flat and tightly rippled, now sported a small but definite pooch. Nowaki turned back, his smile growing wider.

"Well, Hiro-san, I could say it was all the cake I ate this weekend, but more likely than not, I am pretty sure that's our babies."

"So fast?" Hiroki was stunned.

"You know I'm almost done with the first trimester, Hiro-san. I should start getting bigger rather quickly now, especially with twins." Nowaki looked at Hiroki; he cocked his head slightly and rubbed the back of neck. Hiroki knew from experience this motion meant he was nervous.

"Do you not like it Hiro-san?" Nowaki had never paid that much attention to his body, but all of a sudden he found himself feeling strangely insecure. Hiroki scowled at the question. Sometimes his giant was so easy to read.

"Come here, Idiot."

Nowaki rather sheepishly joined him in the bed. He propped himself on his back with his pillow behind him and pulled the sheets up to his chest. Hiroki pulled these down a moment later.

Turning on his side to face Nowaki, Hiroki asked "can I touch it?" his growl more tentative than usual. Nowaki smiled at this. He reached out and took Hiroki's hand and gently began moving it in the direction of his cock.

"Please Hiro-san, touch it." he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Pervert!" Hiroki gruffed. "Don't get me started; I need to leave on time this morning."

"Just kidding, Hiro-san… Kind of." Nowaki chuckled and moved Hiroki's hand up, setting it on the subtle new rise of his belly. Hiroki held his hand perfectly still where Nowaki had placed it, it was almost as if he was afraid moving his palm would disturb something. He looked up at Nowaki, his eyes large.

"Can you feel them yet?"

Nowaki shook his dark head.

"Not so far, Hiro-san. I should be able to in a month or so. I read that they'll feel like butterflies at first. It's not until about the fifth month, I guess, that you can really feel them. Though with two in there I imagine that I might be able to earlier."

After saying this, Nowaki scooched down a bit and turned on his side, moving so his back was up against Hiroki's chest. He was careful however to keep Hiroki's hand on his belly and not to jar his partner's still-evident arousal. Since Nowaki couldn't see him, turned away as he was, Hiroki smiled at this carefully orchestrated maneuver. He slid closer, pressing their bodies together. He placed a sucking kiss on the back of a broad shoulder before draping his head over the top of it.

"I can give you five minutes like this, Nowaki." Hiroki knew even as he growled this, it would be at least twenty now before he would find the strength to pull himself away.

They lay together in silence for a few minutes then Nowaki asked again, "It's okay. Right, Hiro-san?"

Hiroki sighed and carefully used the hand over Nowaki's belly to him just a little bit closer. "Dumb ass," he whispered kissing the side of Nowaki's strong neck. "It's not okay… It's amazing."

Hiroki arrived at the University feeling surprisingly positive. As he walked down the hall to his office, thinking on his experience that morning with Nowaki, he pondered what a curious thing life was.

Opening the door to his office, he wasn't too shocked to see Miyagi at his desk working. What did stun him, however, was when Miyagi looked up at his entrance into their shared space, Hiroki immediately saw the older man sported a terrible shiner.

"What in the hell happened to you, Miyagi?" Hiroki's mouth snapped shut when the senior professor frowned and put his finger to his lips in a gesture for silence.

Now it was Hiroki's turn to frown. He had no idea what was going on with his superior. Then he noticed Miyagi pointing at the shabby office couch that stood between the two of them. Hiroki moved in and stepped around and noticed a blanket wrapped lump on the sofa starting to shift and grumble.

The figure slowly sat up and instantly Hiroki recognized Shinobu. Unlike normal, however, the usually handsome blond youth looked just terrible. Shinobu's skin was pale and had a sickly tint to it and his eyes were red-rimmed as though he'd been seriously crying. Hiroki also noted the young man had a black eye that almost matched Miyagi's.

Hiroki moved quietly around the couch, went over to his desk, and set his things down.

Shinobu glanced at him only briefly as he slowly sat up. A slight blush filled his pale cheeks at being seen in such a condition by someone he still occasionally saw as an adversary. Though Shinobu no longer really worried about someone else, particularly Kamijou-san, claiming his older lover's affections, he was still jealous sometimes of how much time the two older academics got to share together.

Hiroki draped his coat over the back of his desk chair. He watched Miyagi rise a bit stiffly and go over to the the sofa. He blushed when he saw the older man ruffle his fingers affectionately through Shinobu's tousled locks. Hiroki's pink face turned a shade darker when Shinobu responded by leaning into Miyagi's large palm, closing his eyes and sighing deeply.

Over the last three years Hiroki had become somewhat inured to the strange couple's sexual antics, but it was rare for him to witness this kind of open tenderness between the pair. He almost wished he'd walked in on them fucking: it would have been less embarrassing.

"How are you feeling Shu?" Miyagi's dark blue eyes contained an uncharacteristic expression of worry.

Shinobu lifted his head as though it were tremendously heavy. One gray eye opened; its countenance was initially furious, but this slipped quickly into something more mournful and extremely weary.

"How do you think I feel, Old Man?" Shinobu's voice was weakly peevish.

"Not well." Miyagi's tone was apologetic.

"Try like shit," Shinobu corrected.

"You look like you could use some tea," Miyagi said softly, "Why don't you lay back down and I'll go get you some." The senior scholar looked over at Hiroki. "I think perhaps Kamijou would like some too."

Hiroki was about to say he was fine, but then he caught Miyagi looking at him and realized that the man wanted him to go with him.

Shinobu's single open gray eye flickered as it drifted over to Hiroki. He wasn't stupid. He sighed and shifted. His eye closed as though it was too much effort to hold it Open. Then with an unexpected burst of movement that startled both professors, Shinobu suddenly flopped himself over, laying the other direction than the one he'd just been previously. He pulled the blanket wrapped around his shoulders tight.

"Just tell him, Miyagi. You don't have to pretend to go get tea. I probably couldn't keep it down anyways."

Seeing Miyagi's expression, Hiroki found himself once again getting pulled into the older professor's dramatics decidedly against his will. He sighed.

"Actually I was thinking about getting a cup of tea, Takatsuki-kun."

The appreciation on Miyagi's face was disconcerting.

"See Shu, there's no subterfuge here," he offered soothingly.

"Like hell there isn't," Shinobu muttered hiking the blanket over his head.

Miyagi smiled wanly down at his blanket-buried lover. He'd just started moving towards the door when suddenly Shinobu's strong slender fingers slipped out from under the covers and grabbed his wrist.

"Miyagi…" in that instant Shinobu's muffled voice sounded much younger than his twenty years."Would you please get me a can of something cold?" he asked hesitantly.

"Do you want soda or tea?" Miyagi slipped his wrist around so that he was now holding Shinobu's hand. "Though you know caffeine and sugar aren't good for you in your condition."

"Stupid Miyagi," Shinobu huffed without his usual vigor. "I'm not going to drink it; it's for my eye." He paused then admitted reluctantly, "It's really hurting again."

Miyagi gave the young man's hand a light squeeze before letting go.

"Sure thing Shinobu-chin, I'll get you some hot tea too though. I don't want you getting dehydrated."

As soon as Hiroki heard Miyagi utter the word "condition" he immediately understood the reason for the scenario he'd just witnessed. He moved quickly out of the office not wanting either Miyagi or Shinobu to see his horrified expression. Miyagi entered the hall a few moments later but by then Hiroki had recovered himself.

"So Miyagi, I take it Shinobu's 'caught', as they say?" Hiroki asked hesitantly as soon as the office door had clicked shut behind them. Miyagi rubbed the back of his neck and gave him a lopsided grin.

Miyagi sounded just a little bit sheepish. "Who knew that after all that time trying with Risako that it wasn't me?"

The two academics started walking towards the faculty lounge where the vending machines were kept.

"I mean the first morning after I fucked him, Shinobu said he felt funny. I thought he was just being weird. You know how he is. Once that kid gets something in his mind…"

Hiroki hummed at this noncommittally.

"Then two days later the brat is suddenly sick. I mean really sick." Miyagi continued sounding quite guilty. "I just didn't think if it happened, that it would affect him so quickly or he'd get hit so hard."

"So did you still have your family dinner?" Hiroki asked cautiously as they neared the lounge. Miyagi pointed to his shiner.

"Where do you think I got this?"

"I take it things didn't go so well."

Miyagi stared hard at his junior. "Kamijou, they could have hardly gone any worse."

"I guess the Dean's not so thrilled then that you knocked up his son."

"Don't say'knocked up' please, Kamijou" Miyagi sighed. "It sounds so sordid."

Considering the circumstances, Hiroki thought the word "sordid" for this latest development in Miyagi's three-year affair with their boss's seventeen years junior son was perfectly apt, but rather than say this he snorted.

"You sound just like Nowaki."

Miyagi looked at him strangely and shook his head. "The thing is, the Dean doesn't even know about the Flu part yet. We never got that far."

Hiroki's eyes widened at this information as they entered the lounge. Miyagi walked over to the vending machines. He put his hand in his pants pocket and after a moment pulled it out. He studied its empty interior, frowning. He looked over at Hiroki and gave him an apologetic smile.

Hiroki wrinkled his nose in annoyance before he sighed, put his hand in his own pocket and dug out some his wallet and removed a few bills. He handed these to Miyagi.

"Thanks, Kamijou," Miyagi said earnestly.

Normally Hiroki was one to mind his own business: he took whatever the older professor chose to confide and left it at that. But today he found himself more than just a little bit curious, especially considering that he and Nowaki would be going to see his own parents later in the week.

Deciding he might like a cold drink after all, Hiroki opened his wallet again to withdraw some for some more yen for himself. As he did he asked his superior softly, "So what happened, Miyagi?"

OLD AN: Ah… I know you wanted lemon, with Hiroki in that apron, but I am sorry ladies and gents, I am just not "up" for it at the moment.