A/N- Geez, you guys are awesome :) I have what, eleven reviews on two chapters? Seriously? *Dies*
So... This chapter is really long. Like, It's the longest chapter I've ever had besides one-shots. I hope you guys are happy XD
So, when I was originally working on this, I realized I had no idea what Nowaki's last name was. Like, in my notebook, I literally left a question mark because I had no idea. And so, when my friend (Emio Shira, same friend I was discussing symbiosis with XD) read through my notebook, she replaced the question mark with "HERPADERP"
Which would be okay, except I actually typed it and had to go back and fix it later... :P Yeah, I'm smart. I seriously typed "Herpaderp-sensei".XD
"Hey, Nowaki-sensei!" a little girl called from her bed as he was turning to leave, "Why is your shirt all wet?" Nowaki looked down to see that his shirt was indeed still tearstained and wrinkled from Misaki's tears.
"My friend was crying, so I gave him a hug." Nowaki was unsure how else to explain to someone so young, the girl was only five years old, after all.
"Oh... does your friend feel better now, Nowaki-sensei?" Nowaki smiled and patted the girl's shoulder.
"He was very sad, but I hope he'll feel better soon." Nowaki straightened his shirt so it looked a bit more presentable and looked over to see the girl give a knowing nod, wise beyond her years.
"Well, if you're his friend, then I'm sure be happy again really soon!" Nowaki smiled, glad that at least this one little girl believed he could make someone feel better.
"Misaki! Why the heck didn't you call me sooner?" His brother's voice came through the phone that had been on his nightstand, and he sounded agitated and almost scary, but with underlying tones of concern.
"I just didn't want you to worry or anything..." He heard his brother sigh and when he spoke again, his voice was much more calm and collected.
"I worry about your intelligence sometimes, Misaki. I'm your brother. You can't just not tell me if something like this happens!" Misaki had modified the story slightly, saying he had been walking back to Usagi's house and had been jumped in an alleyway, and been stabbed in the process. That story, at least, nicely covered up for why he hadn't answered his cell phone.
He knew his brother would be even more furious when he inevitably found out the real story, but he wanted to give his brother as long as possible oblivious to both the violence his close friend had inflicted on his brother as well as aforementioned friend's 'relationship' with his younger brother. (Misaki was still hesitant to call it that)
"I know, I'm sorry-" Misaki noted that Nowaki was right, and he really did apologize more than necessary.
"Are you going to continue staying with Usagi? You're always welcome to stay with me and Manami, if you like. I think i'd feel a lot more comfortable if you did." No matter how nice the offer sounded, Misaki's pride wouldn't allow him to accept it. However, he was careful not to directly say he was returning to live with Usagi, as he had no intention of doing so, and Usagi was being detained by the law to the best of his knowledge.
"It's alright- I'm fine, really." Misaki was for once glad that his brother was a bit gullible, and didn't press the issue too much.
"Well, if you're sure... But I want you to call me as soon as you get released, okay?" Well, maybe he wasn't quite as gullible as he seemed, but he trusted his brother too much to assume he would do anything other than what he said.
"I will, don't worry about it!" Misaki used a falsely confident tone, and gave a silent sigh of relief when his brother finally hung up a few minutes later.
"Nowaki-san, I really don't mean to be rude, but... why do you care about me so much?" Nowaki was sitting by Misaki's bedside again, and a styrofoam cup of smoothie was present next to him. (The burger from the night before hadn't sat very well in his stomach too well after such a recent injury)
"Hmm... That's not rude, it's just curious. But... I don't know, really, Misaki-kun. If you'd rather I stopped coming by or I'm bothering you-" Misaki cut him off mid-sentence.
"No!" Misaki's face took on a light pink tint. "I mean, uh, no, it... it's fine, really." Nowaki smiled slightly at Misaki's flustered words, and couldn't help the constant thought that something about the boy fascinated him.
He could never quite put a finger on what about the average-seeming younger man was so interesting, but there was undeniably something there that was the reason he felt the need to continually return. What that something might be, though, he didn't have the slightest idea.
Was it how strong Misaki tried to be, despite his current physical weakness? Or could it be pity for what he had gone through, even though he still couldn't say he knew the extent of Misaki's pain. No matter what it was, Nowaki was startlingly aware that Misaki was continually creeping into his thoughts, more so that he could remember anyone having done so before.
That night, Misaki lay awake staring at the ceiling, as drowsy thoughts tumbled about in his mind.
A certain silver-haired man filled his thoughts, dark purple eyes flashing vividly in his mind's eye. Misaki winced at the memory, Usagi's expression contorting from one of lust to one of murderous intent, eyes wide and a knife in his hand, crazed and drunk and wild.
Misaki pulled a hand over his face, then rested his forearm over his eyes as though to block out the thought. He didn't succeed, and the pain of the knife being thrust into his gut as he relived the memory nearly blinded him, seeing the one who said he loved him with a face that longed to kill.
"Am I really scared of him now?" Misaki asked aloud, his words so soft they barely reached his own ears. He didn't want to be scared of Usagi- If anything, he felt that the man still cared about him despite what had happened.
He rolled over onto his side, wincing, and and tried to close his eyes, to push away the less-than-happy thoughts that were plaguing him. He wondered what he would do if he ever saw Usagi again; but then, he also wondered what the older man might do to him.
He wouldn't be surprised if he was greeted with a rough kiss and a whispered apology and an 'I love you'. And how would Misaki reply? He was entirely unsure just what had changed between them, or how differently Usagi might treat him after what had happened.
When Misaki awoke the next morning, Nowaki was sitting in what he had unofficially claimed as his regular spot at the bedside.
"Um... hi?" Misaki pulled himself into a sitting position, noting that the stitches in his stomach hardly hurt at all. "Why're you...?" Nowaki smiled.
"I came early, but you were still asleep, so I waited. Good morning." Misaki's thoughts wandered back to what he had been wondering the night before. He knew that had it been Usagi in Nowaki's place in that moment, he would have been woken up the moment the impatient man arrived with a rough and passionate kiss, and hands where he really didn't want them that early in the morning. (Or any time of day, for that matter) Misaki appreciated that about Nowaki- although he had a relatively straightforward, dominant personality, he wan't a pervert.
"Oh... you could've woken me up..." Nowaki reached over and ruffled Misaki's already disheveled hair. Why does everyone seem to do that?
"I'd feel bad if I did that. Anyway, I guess I'm not technically supposed to tell you this, but your name's on the list of patients that are supposed to be released today. So, you'll probably get to go home later." The words held a bit of a bittersweet feeling for both of them- Nowaki was glad Misaki was recovering, obviously, but he would miss the younger man's company more than he cared to admit.
Misaki would be glad to be out of the constant surrounding of the hospital, but still had yet to figure out where he would go, exactly, once he was released.
"Are you going to go back to staying with your brother?" Nowaki asked, almost as though he had read Misaki's thoughts.
"Oh... well, no, I'm not." Nowaki could sense the unease in Misaki's voice and asked curiously,
"You're not going back to your brother's friend, either, are you?" By the way Misaki winced, Nowaki could tell that wasn't the case either. "Well... where are you going, then?" Nowaki hoped he hadn't sounded too pushy, which he apparently hadn't because Misaki answered,
"I don't know..." Nowaki was taken aback by the boy's answer.
"You mean, you don't have anywhere to go?" Misaki looked away, glancing out the window in the opposite wall.
"I'll figure it out..." Misaki, it was clear, doubted his own words. Nowaki suddenly had an idea- It was a pretty stupid idea, sure, but somehow he could tell it was a good one.
"what if you came to stay with me? I know we don't exactly know each other very well, but..." Nowaki realized that he was being rather awkward with his invitation. "-Just if you want to, I mean." And expression that could best be likened to shock crossed Misaki's features.
"R-really? I'd hate to cause you any trouble, but if that would be okay, then..." Misaki seemed glad to have a potential solution to his dilemma, but was still hesitant to accept if it would inconvenience the other man.
"Of course it's okay- why would I offer if it wasn't?" Nowaki smiled in an attempt to relieve the tension that was starting to hang in the air, and after a silence, Misaki finally said,
"...Okay. But I won't just be a free loader! I can do housework and cooking if you want..." Misaki was reminded startlingly of his living agreement with Usagi, and repressed a shudder at the thought. He'd technically been forced into giving Usagi a bit more than just housecleaning...
"Well, alright, if you want to then I think we could work something out-" Nowaki checked his watch before saying, "Sorry, we have to work this out later, my shift is about to start..."
Nowaki left quickly after that, leaving Misaki alone with his thoughts. He didn't really know much about Nowaki at all, besides that he was a pediatrician in the hospital and only a few years older than Misaki.
But beyond that, what did he know? Who was Nowaki, really? All of their conversations were very Misaki-centric, it seemed. At times, Nowaki reminded him almost disturbingly of Usagi, such as when he would run his hand through Misaki's hair in a gesture of comfort. And although Misaki wasn't sure by how much since he was always laying down when talking to Nowaki, Misaki was sure he was much shorter than the other man.
A doctor came in a bit later to give him a final check-up and a bottle of painkillers before changing the bandages around Misaki's stomach one more time and saying that he could go.
He got up gingerly, and managed to get to the bathroom without a problem. He changed out of the hospital pajamas and into a pair of baggy jeans and a button-down shirt that Nowaki had leant him, saying that he kept them in his locker t the hospital for when he had to work a double shift without getting chance to get home.
As Misaki pulled on the shirt, he couldn't help but notice the light, clean scent that clung to the clothes. Usagi's clothes (And oddly, most of Misaki's as well) held a strong, musky scent that was almost overpowering.
Once he finished changing, Misaki realized that he would probably have a few hours at least to wait before Nowaki was done with his shift. Conveniently, there was a park down the street from the hospital, and Misaki decided to wait there.
He lifted his face up to the early afternoon sun, which felt refreshing after a few days inside. He listened to the sounds of the children playing on the playground equipment, elderly people chatting, and couldn't help it when his memories drifted to the many times Takahiro had taken him to parks, how he had been chased around by his brother until late afternoon, when they would sometimes get ice cream on their way home as a special treat and they would walk home, tired but happy.
It was around five o'clock when Misaki decided to head back and see if Nowaki was done with work yet. He re-entered the hospital lobby he had left earlier that day, and walked over to the reception desk.
"Excuse me, but do you know what time Nowaki... um..." Misaki tried to think back to the name tag that was always present on Nowaki's work uniform, but cam up blank. "Sorry, I don't know his last name. He's a pediatrician here...?"
"Ah, yes, Kusama-sensei. What about him?" The receptionist glanced down to type something into her computer.
"I was just wondering what time his shift would be over?" the receptionist typed something else, before glancing up to say,
"It says four-thirty here, but then it looks like he got another patient at the last minute..." Misaki looked at a clock on the wall to see that it was about five twenty.
Just then, a door across the lobby labeled 'staff only' banged open, and Nowaki quickly hurried over. Misaki barely had a chance to register his presence before he said,
"I'm sorry, I had an emergency case so I stayed overtime to help-" He seemed flustered, and like he had been genuinely distraught about Misaki having to wait. Misaki shook his head quickly, saying,
"It's fine. I didn't know what time you were supposed to be done by, anyway." the two departed from the hospital, and began walking in the direction of the nearest train station. A few minutes later, they were fighting their way through the crowded station and only barely able to catch the train on time.
The two rode in companionable silence for a while and just when Misaki was about to ask how much longer it was going to be, the train pulled in to a station and Nowaki stood up, signaling that this was where they were getting off.
Misaki followed suit, and only two blocks later they reached an average-size apartment complex. It somehow managed to instantly feel more home-y than Usagi's building had at first glance, maybe because it was much closer to hat Misaki would consider normal or average, as opposed to the constant and completely unnecessary extravagance present in Usagi's top-of-the-line penthouse.
There wasn't much conversation between the two, simply because neither was sure what to say- Misaki was thankful to Nowaki for letting him stay, but he was aware that he knew almost nothing about him.
Nowaki was much more sensitive to Misaki's emotions than Usagi tended to be, and was somehow softer and warmer... Misaki shook his head slightly, knowing that even in his head the words felt weird.
True, Usagi wasn't exactly the most in-tune to other people's emotions, but living with him hadn't beed a bad experience, per se, albeit it wasn't always a comfortable one.
When Nowaki opened the apartment door, the first thing he thought was that he wouldn't have much work to do. The apartment was a bit on the smaller side, but everything seemed o be neatly in its place. It smelled the same as the scent that had clung to the clothes he was wearing, and he glanced over to see Nowaki smiling slightly, probably at Misaki's reaction. But Nowaki seemed to smile like that rather a lot...
Misaki's stomach chose that moment to grumble embarrassingly loudly. Nowaki glanced at the clock on his wrist quickly before saying,
"It's almost eight- I don't know what i really have for dinner, but I'll see if I can find something..." Misaki saw this as an opportunity to prove his cooking skills, and eagerly volunteered to help.
Nowaki accepted and a few minutes later the two were standing side-by-side in the small kitchen, chopping vegetables and chicken to make a simple stir fry. Misaki noted that Nowaki seemed to be a proficient chef, chopping bell peppers into clean, even chunks with skill to rival Misaki's own.
It took about a half hour for dinner to be finished, and Misaki became painfully aware of the fact that they had absolutely nothing to talk about.
"Um... How long have you been a pediatrician for, Nowaki-san?" He knew from experience that most people liked to talk about their jobs and was glad to find Nowaki no exception.
"Well, I'm not technically a fully-qualified pediatrician yet, I'm still just an assistant. But I've been training for about two and a half years." Misaki took a moment to try and figure out the mental math.
"So, you're... twenty-six?" Nowaki wasn't sure how much college it took to become a doctor, and Nowaki's slight head shake said he was apparently a bit off.
"No, I'm twenty-eight, actually. I'm sorry, does that make this a bit awkward?" Misaki had looked away quickly, slightly surprised that Nowaki was the same age as Usagi. Nowaki seemed more mature, but also kinder as well. It was an interesting personality, but not necessarily one he would mind getting used to.
"Oh- no, it's just a coincidence, since you're the same age as my..." Misaki stopped for a moment before continuing, "My... brother's friend."
If Nowaki hadn't been sure there was more between Misaki and his 'brother's friend' before, he was absolutely positive of it now. The way Misaki avoided talking about him, and refused to refer to him as anything other than his brother's friend, as though he was trying to persuade himself.
"I see... Misaki, if you don't mind me asking-" Misaki shrugged, giving him permission to continue, "-Did you not like your brother's friend very much?" Misaki looked down and started playing with the few pieces of food left in the bowl before him.
"Well, I guess... The whole place was filled with teddy bears and super-expensive stuff, so it was really unusual, but..." Misaki's answer wasn't particularly enlightening, but it was rather interesting that he had avoided really answering the question, talking about the house itself instead of the person who lived there. That, and the fact that the house was apparently filled with stuffed bears.
Nowaki, although he wasn't exactly planning on asking him then, still wondered what had happened and what exactly this other man was to Misaki.
"Teddy bears? That's... unusual."
"I guess. You kind of get used to it after a while." Misaki's thoughts started drifting off to somewhere near teddy bears, and how warm and comforting certain other things could feel if they were embracing him as he drifted off to sleep. Suddenly, a wave of longing enveloped him, and he had a sudden yearning for the feeling of Usagi's warm, strong arms around him, the feelings of captivity and reassurance rolled into one.
"Misaki?" Nowaki inquired, waving a hand in front of his face to snap him out of his daze. "Are you okay?" Misaki nodded quickly, focusing his eyes on Nowaki's.
"I'm sorry, I'm just a little tired."
"Well, you can go to bed, if you like- you only just got out of the hospital today, after all." Misaki didn't respond to his words, so Nowaki asked, "Or we could watch something on TV?"
"Sure, if you want to, that sounds good." Misaki couldn't help making a comparison between Nowaki and Usagi- Nowaki was offering to just sit and watch TV, while Usagi would be on top of him in an instant, like the pervert he was. It was a nice relief to Misaki that not every man in the world would jump him, if they were given the chance. (Because Misaki knew that if Nowaki really wanted to, he was in the perfect position to do so)
However, Misaki knew almost intuitively that Nowaki wouldn't- he didn't have that weird pervert aura that surrounded Usagi.
A few minutes later the two were seated on the sofa in the living room, Nowaki with one arm propped up on the armrest and supporting his head while Misaki sat with his knees pulled in to his chest. There was a gap between them, but not an awkward one that made them seem like they were avoiding each other.
It was, in a word, comfortable. There was another companionable silence in the air, which Misaki found to be both a relief and a pleasant change.
He hadn't even realized how tired he was until the show they were watching reached the first commercial break, and he couldn't resist the heavy feeling in his eyelids as he allowed them to slide closed. Before he fell asleep completely, however, he felt an odd sensation of someone laying him down (As he was still curled into a ball) and gently ruffling his hair. He gave a final deep sigh of contentment, before drifting off entirely.
A/N- So, what did you think? For some reason, I feel like I did really well with characterization in this chapter. Maybe I'm finally figuring out their characters? Either way, I liked it. But, did you like it?
Anyone wanna give me some author food? Even though with the number of reviews I've been getting, I think you guys are going to make me fat XD (Because getting reviews can apparently make me gain weight. Somehow.
Oh! And a pairing name for the Misaki X Nowaki pairing! Well, I found two I really liked... Junjou Optimist, and Junjou Opportunist. Which one to you guys think fits better? (I don't even know why I really want them to have a pairing name, I just thought it would be cool, and I got some good feedback last time)
*Sigh* I'm in a derpy mood, and I'm tired, and I have to go to a sleepover tonight... yeah, should be fun :) I can't wait to get home and see all of the reviews you guys are going to send me! *Hint, hint*