A/N- Hey guys! So I re-watched all the episodes with Egoist yesterday, and... holy fudge. Why did no one point out how OOC Nowaki's been? I mean, seriously... Not like I'm really going to change it very much, and this story is supposed to be slight AU, but... still.

On another note, it seems like the first scene of this chapter would make the awesomest, cutest fanart ever. Like, I dunno, it seemed kinda adorable. Not like I'm really asking for fanart or anything, but... *hint, hint*

Oh, and to Mangafan80: Please? It's mine. Seriously. :3

Nowaki had known Misaki was tired, but so exhausted that he fell asleep within ten minutes of watching TV? Nowaki saw that his guest's eyes were a bit out of focus and sliding closed, and figured that the younger could use the rest- he had only been released from the hospital earlier that day, after all.

Nowaki reached over to lie Misaki down so that he wouldn't fall asleep in the position he was in, and apparently misjudged the distance because Misaki's head fell right in his lap.

He was about to readjust himself, as it would be a bit awkward to explain if Misaki awoke, but Misaki gave a light, contented sigh that was somehow so endearing that Nowaki couldn't bring himself to move away. It was a startling realization, that he cared so much for someone he had met so recently. Nowaki ran his fingers through Misaki's hair again, watching lazily as the strands fell back into place on his forehead.

Nowaki knew he was behaving oddly- he barely even knew Misaki, but something had possessed him to allow him so stay; and not only that, but said guest was currently asleep with his head resting in Nowaki's lap. A vague thought crossed his mind that he should get up and go to his own bed, but Misaki's close warmth and his own sudden drowsiness secured him to the couch as though he were held there with glue.

He vaguely remembered to turn off the TV before he, too, drifted off to sleep, one hand still entwined in Misaki's hair.

Misaki knew before he opened his eyes that he wasn't with Usami, and the arm wrapped around him wasn't Usami's familiar one. For a moment he panicked, sitting straight up and wrenching his way out of the grip from the arm around him. It took him a moment to wake up fully and realize that it was Nowaki who had apparently been using him as a human teddy bear.

His sudden movement caused the older man to stir, and Misaki watched warily as Nowaki's eyes slid drowsily open. Usami hadn't exactly been much of a morning person, and Misaki wondered if Nowaki would be the same way. He curled into a slightly defensive position at the other end of the couch on instinct, and was genuinely surprised when Nowaki's face broke out into an amused smile.

"You're kinda jumpy... Is something wrong?" Nowaki's expression changed to one of mild concern, and Misaki quickly tried to cover up his odd reaction.

"It's nothing, my brother's friend just- well, he wasn't exactly a morning person... sorry." Nowaki decided that Misaki was definitely covering something up- there was no way someone would really be that jumpy just because the person they stayed with tended to be grumpy in the morning, right? However, Nowaki decided not to press the matter, as his stomach was grumbling incessantly.

Nowaki would have been fine with just cereal, really, but Misaki had insisted on making eggs and bacon for them. It felt more than a little odd to have someone he barely knew in his kitchen, cooking him breakfast, and was relieved to find out that Misaki was a better chef than him- although Nowaki wasn't a particularly bad cook, he couldn't make much beyond stew without needing to consult a cookbook.

The stack of pancakes Misaki sat in front of him smelled heavenly, and he didn't hesitate to dig in. Nowaki had no idea before that moment how good pancakes could taste- the light, fluffy texture was, in a word, perfection.

"Are they okay?" Misaki asked uncertainly after swallowing a bite. Nowaki nodded enthusiastically, saying,

"They're really great, thanks." Misaki calmed down a bit then, relaxing into his seat and eating his own food. Nowaki decided Misaki wasn't going to start a conversation himself, so he asked,

"What were you planning to do today?" Misaki hadn't really had a chance to think about it, and after a moment said,

"I guess I need to go to-" He stopped himself before saying 'Usagi', "-Usami-san's house and get some stuff..." Nowaki hadn't heard the name before, but assumed it to be Misaki's brother's friend.

"I see... well, I have to go to work this evening, but if you wanted to go by later this morning, I could come with you." Nowaki knew he was being far more assertive than necessary, practically inviting himself over to a house that wasn't even Misaki's own.

"You don't have to-" Misaki was about to protest, but Nowaki raised his hand in a silent gesture for Misaki to hear him out.

"It's fine- and unless you really don't want me to, I'd like to come." Misaki couldn't make his mind form any real reason why Nowaki shouldn't come, and decided that forbidding him to do so would only make him come off as obnoxious and bratty.

"I guess... I mean, if you really want to, I don't see why not." Nowaki seemed to be much happier than he could reasonably be expected with such a small submission.

However, Nowaki had a bit of an ulterior motive for wanting to go with Misaki. He had developed what could only be called a protective instinct over the older man- even though Misaki was only about six years younger than him, he exuded an aura of somehow being more delicate than the average man his age.

Now matter what the reason really was, Nowaki had an urge to take care of Misaki in an unusual sort of way that he hadn't ever wanted to protect anyone before.

Three hours later, Misaki and Nowaki were riding up in the elevator to Usami's penthouse. Although Misaki had memorized the length of time the ride took, it felt unusually long when Nowaki was with him.

And, it felt somehow disloyal to Usami to bring someone else to their shared place of residence without him knowing, even though he was unsure if they were still officially together (Although if it came to that, Misaki had never really accepted themselves as an item in the first place.)

A faint 'ding' brought him out of his thoughts, and Misaki led the way to the penthouse door. He fished the spare key out of the pocket of Nowaki's old jeans, glad that it had happened to be in his pocket when the incident occurred.

Although the penthouse looked physically the same as it always did, the was a kind of dead atmosphere, giving the impression that Usami's house had been empty for much longer than it really had.

"Whoa..." Nowaki mumbled, clearly impressed by the excessive grandeur of the place. Misaki felt somehow embarrassed by it all, as though he would be judged for having lived with someone of such high status. He made his way to his room as quickly as possible, and felt comforted by the casual and familiar surroundings. There were a few teddy bears in the corner that had somehow made their way out of the bear room but besides that, everything in the room was his.

Nowaki uncertainly took a seat on the edge of the bed, while Misaki busied himself with packing a spare duffel bag full of as much clothing as he could fit, as well as random other things he thought he might need.

Nowaki watched detachedly as Misaki scrambled about, and found the whole spectacle rather amusing. It took Misaki only a few minutes to pack, and it was clear that he was desperate to leave.

Once he pulled the zipper on his bag closed, he practically ran in the direction of the door. Nowaki reached out to grab his arm at the last possible second, and Misaki turned around as suddenly as if Nowaki's hand were on fire.

"Hey... are you okay?" Nowaki asked, and Misaki gave the same dishonest nod he always seemed to when he was asked that question.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Nowaki-san..." As if. Nowaki could tell Misaki was lying, but what he didn't know was why. With every other similar situation, Nowaki had simply brushed it off. However, his curiosity overtook him and he couldn't help but ask about it.

"Misaki, it's pretty clear that you're not fine. You don't necessarily have to tell me, but-" Misaki shrugged.

"I'm just overreacting, it's nothing really..." Misaki paused and decided that there wasn't really much to tell, at least about his current mood of mild panic, and he had no real reason not to tell Nowaki anyway. It was true, he was uncomfortable being in this house and especially in his own room. He took a moment to collect his scattered thoughts before saying,

"Well actually... It feels weird being back here. Because I, you know, I almost died..." Misaki's eyes ventured to a patch of carpet that was now spotless Nowaki wondered who had cleaned it up, as he was sure by the look on Misaki's face that he had lain there and nearly bled to death.

"That, and... well, never mind." He had considered telling Nowaki behind the real reason he felt so much uneasiness, but figured it was unnecessary; Nowaki seemed to have something he wanted to say, anyhow.

"Well, that makes sense. I can imagine it being really uncomfortable- actually, you look a bit pale, would you like some water or something?" Misaki shook his head, then picked up his duffel as well as a book-bag that had been sitting on the ground near the door.

He led the way out of the room, and Nowaki had no choice but to follow or fear getting lost in the spacious house. By the time Misaki slowed his pace, Nowaki noted that they had reached the kitchen. It was clear by how expertly Misaki moved about that he was used to working here.

"Since it's already almost lunchtime, do you want me to make something while we're here?" Nowaki was taken aback by Misaki's sudden mood swing, but decided to agree- since they were already there and Misaki was offering, it would seem rude to disagree.

"Sure, do you need any help?" Misaki shook his head, pulling some food out of the refrigerator. Some of it had gone bad while the house had been unoccupied, but Misaki was able to make a nice meal out of what they had anyway.

"You're a really good chef- have you ever had lessons or anything?" Misaki shook his head again, getting out a cutting board before saying,

"When you have to cook every day for a few years, I guess you're bound to improve. But, it's more of a hobby, really." So... he had to cook for this person he lived with every day? Nowaki made a mental note, but pushed it aside in the interest of continuing the conversation.

"Well, you're good at it anyhow. By the way, it's just you and your brother's friend living here, right?" Nowaki didn't want Misaki to think he was invading his privacy, but Nowaki wanted to find out if his suspicions that 'Usagi-san' was more than a friend were correct.

"Yeah, it's just us here." Misaki moved the plates of freshly-prepared food to the table and took a seat, gesturing for Nowaki to do the same. "Why?"

"Just because, it seems like a big apartment for only two people." A small line appeared between Misaki's brows as he drew them together.

"Yeah, it is- Usag- I mean, Usami-san tends to be really extravagant when he doesn't need to." Nowaki wondered if those word really held just the surface level meaning they implied, and somehow he doubted it.

"I see..." Nowaki mumbled, and Misaki avoided his eyes a bit after that, staring at the walls or down at the table. Nowaki didn't notice, though, because he was trying to sort out his own thoughts; If Misaki really had been abused, wouldn't be be more hesitant to talk about him and be uncomfortable with being back in his house? But, when Misaki had been in his room packing, hadn't he looked like he wanted to leave as quickly as possible?

Nowaki mentally slapped himself- Misaki was uncomfortable, and was probably just trying not to show it for Nowaki's sake. He ma not have known Misaki for long, but Nowaki was already well aware that Misaki would rather suffer in silence than burden anyone else with his problems.

As soon as it was clear neither of them were going to eat any more, Misaki cleared their plates to the sink and began washing them.

"Do you want any help?" Nowaki asked, feeling weird for watching Misaki work without helping him.

"Oh... um, sure, if you want could you dry them?" He handed Nowaki a dish rag, gesturing to he small pile of dishes on the draining rack. It took only a few minutes for the dishes to be washed, dried, and put away, and it was wordlessly agreed that they had nothing else left to do there and could leave.

Despite Misaki's protests, Nowaki carried his heavy school bag for him- a gesture that reminded Misaki of the many times Usami had done something similar. Misaki shouldered his duffel bag, and the two were riding down in the elevator when Nowaki said,

"I guess I'll have to clean up the spare room for you, hmm?" Misaki looked over and gave him a questioning look. "Sleeping on the couch is nice and all-" a light blush sprung up over Misaki's cheeks, "-but as for permanent arrangements..." Misaki nodded. He had been wondering where he would stay as well, but had refrained from voicing his concern. He sighed, realizing just how much of an introvert he had become.

They had arrived at Nowaki's apartment by two o'clock, and Nowaki suggested they start cleaning up the room that would soon become Misaki's.

The rest of Nowaki's apartment was neat and orderly, but the spare room was cluttered, with boxes stacked in the corners and on top of the sparse furniture. Nowaki ran a hand through his hair sheepishly, mumbling something about he should keep the room cleaner.

"It's just a storage room though, right? There's really no reason to keep it cleaned up." Although Misaki was a bit of a neat freak himself, he didn't really mind the clutter all that much.

Misaki bent down to pick up a rather large box, only to have waves of pain radiate from his midsection.

"Oi! Don't strain yourself! You only just got out of the hospital yesterday, stupid!"

"Sorry... Misaki was startled by Nowaki's sudden outburst, and couldn't help but think that Nowaki seemed almost protective of him. However, he brushed it off with the excuse that since the older man was training to be a doctor, of course he wouldn't want Misaki to strain himself.

Misaki was a bit surprised to find the closet nearly empty, and after a bit of rearranging he was able to hang up his clothes. It felt a bit odd to be so casually making himself at home in someone else's residence, but he diligently continued to help Nowaki clean up. (Or as much as Nowaki would let him at least.)

Misaki felt a bit more tired than he usually would have after such little physical activity, but pushed it aside. It was nearly time for Nowaki to leave for his night shift at work by the time they finished, and despite Misaki's protests Nowaki insisted he could just pick up some food on his way over.

And before he knew it, Misaki was alone. He wasn't sure what to do, really, so he paced around his new bedroom for a while before settling on his bed with a book he needed to finish for Devil Kamijou's class. He had been missing classes since his injury, after all, and didn't even want to think about the amount of homework he would have when he got back.

It was only after he had nearly fallen asleep for the third time that he decided he really wasn't making much progress and should find something else to do. He wandered into the kitchen, having neglected to eat dinner earlier, and began looking for something to eat. He found a container of the stir-fry left over from the night before and reheated it, not really in the mood to cook anything new.

As he tried to remember where Nowaki kept the chopsticks, he also started wracking his mind to recall how much homework he still needed to get done, assuming he could return to classes the next day.

Once he ate, washed his dishes, and returned to his room, he realized that it had been a long time since he had even thought about checking his cell phone, and if someone was trying to reach him he had been all but ignoring them.

He plugged in his charger and waited for his phone to come back to life. Once it did, he glanced at the display to see: RIver Glen Recuperation and Rehab- 19 missed calls. He had no idea who that was, but they clearly needed to reach him. He decided to call them back after he checked his text messages.

The least recent few were from Sumi, the afternoon of his... incident. There were quite a few from his brother as well, one from Aikawa telling him to make sure Usami met his next deadline... Somehow, it seemed like there was something missing. Whenever he checked his phone, there was always at least one or two random texts from Usami- most of them stupid reminders to come home as soon as he could, or saying he loved him, or... pretty much anything, really.

Misaki skimmed through the texts from everyone else, before deciding to call back whoever had called him nineteen times. His finger hovered over the call button, and he was about to press it when a though occurred to him- He didn't really have any idea where Usami had gone after what he had done, but maybe it would make sense that he had ended up at whatever 'Recuperation and Rehab' meant.

It was a wild guess, but there was a chance, right? Misaki hesitated only for another moment before pressing the 'call' button. The phone rang a few times, agonizingly slowly, before someone picked up on the other end and Usami's voice flooded through the phone, anxiously saying,

"Misaki?"

A/N- And there you go. That's the best cliffhanger you get, sorry. I couldn't think of a better place to end it. And I think that gives some nice dramatic buildup for next chapter, right?

Oh, yeah... and originally, my plan was for Nowaki to kiss Misaki when they were in Usagi's penthouse. But then, the moment didn't seem quite right, so... nope. It almost happened, though. ^^

Also, this story is so much more popular than my other ones, I don't even... Seriously. It's going to hit twenty reviews on chapter 4, probably. You guys awes awesome :D

So... what did you think? Liked it? Hated it? Tell me what you thought! Reviews are author food, you know~!