Disclaimer: All I own are my ideas

I'm having a hard time with this story, so sorry that it's taking so long to write this story. I can only apologize again and again. Anyway, please enjoy.

Egoist Act One, Part Three

I might as well be a stray cat. Hiroki tugged at his annoyingly tight uniform. There's no reason for him to take me in. He feeds me, keeps me and is in and out so much that he wouldn't realize if I took everything in his house and fled with it. Still, he feeds me, which is better than starving in the street.

He popped open the door with a soft "Tadaima." Oh, he's home today. Nowaki was passed out, leaning against a pile of books. Working six jobs was his only option while he paid off his medical school. He was working as a doctor in afternoons, evenings and graveyard shifts, working part time at a flower shop in the mornings, a paper delivery job in the early mornings, and he worked his other three jobs whenever he didn't have a shift at the hospital.

And he still managed to cook food for Hiroki's breakfast and dinner, and left him with money to buy some food at school. He was a scarily good person.

Hiroki flumped down at the table and Nowaki opened his eyes. "Okaeri, Hiro-san."

"Hey Nowaki." Nowaki had ordered him to address him by his first name. Hiroki had ordered him to stop calling him Hiro-san, but he was, as yet, unsuccessful.

"How was school?"

"Fine, I'm thinking that when I go to college I'm gonna do extra."

"What, like repeating a year?"

"No, stupid, like getting a Master's. I want to teach Literature."

"That's amazing, Hiro-san. I'm sure you'll grow up to be an excellent teacher." His eyes sparkled with warmth.

Hiroki's eyes bugged. "It's not that great."

"Why do you say that? Teaching is amazing."

"It's not like being a doctor."

"No, but it's still as amazing. You are an amazing person, Hiro-san."

Hiroki looked down and blushed. Why couldn't he argue with the other man? It annoyed him to no end.

He looked about and noticed what Nowaki had fallen asleep reading. It was Akihiko's unpublished novel. "Oh, I borrowed it without asking, I'm sorry."

"It's fine." It clearly wasn't.

"You, know, I've never heard of the writer, is he someone you like?"

"Yes, he's my best friend. This is going to be his first published work after I finish giving him my input."

"Oh? Well, it's very good for a starting author."

Hiroki smiled slightly. "Yes, he is."

Nowaki twitched at the expression on the teen's face. He never smiled like that.

Hiroki recalled the last time he'd spoke to his friend, whom he'd only seen in passing at school. The writer was the man he loved. He wanted Akihiko so bad. In the end, though, he couldn't say anything. He just let the other man pine after someone else. It was such a waste.

Those thoughts kept him awake well into the night.

…

When Nowaki came home from a double shift, his delivery route and work at a construction site, he was greeted by a thoroughly exhausted and grumpy looking high schooler. "That's a nice expression," he said, half teasing.

"So sue me, I didn't sleep last night."

"Here's a sleeping mask," Nowaki reached into a bag and held it out. "You seem like you're sleeping less and less lately." This made Hiroki start to sway to getting along with the older man.

He shoved it off with bravado, "Go get a shower, you're filthy."

"Sure thing, Hiro-san." He disappeared into the bathroom.

Hiroki watch the door and then sat down to work on his homework.

…

Nowaki came out of the shower to find Hiroki sound asleep with the new eye mask over his face. Nowaki's heart thumped erratically.

Then he heard Hiroki murmur, "Akihiko."

Nowaki frowned. He felt guilty for watching a boy younger than him by four years. But he just couldn't hold back anymore.

He leaned down and kissed Hiroki. He braced his arms over his head and kissed the boy for all he was worth.

Hiroki's eyes opened at the feel of another man's lips on his. He recognized Nowaki and shoved him forcefully away. "What the hell are you doing?" he choked out.

"You mentioned your friend, Akihiko, in your sleep."

"So? What does that have to do with you?"

"I quit some jobs so I could have more time."

"Well, I'd be stressed too, working that much."

"That's not why I quit them."

"Why did you then?"

"Because I want to spend time with you."

Hiroki's eyebrow spasmed. "Wow, you must be exhausted. I think that construction job is making you loopy. That line is so cliché." He laughed too hard.

Nowaki grabbed him and pinned him. Hiroki's eyes widened with shock. "It's not a cliché. It's a confession. You wouldn't figure it out, until I said it flat out. Hiro-san, I—"

He was stopped by the doorbell. Hiroki shot up. "I'll get it." He ran for the door and threw it open.

And froze.

"Akihiko?" he breathed.

To be continued…

Here's the lovely cliffhanger. I hope you all review cuz I'm seriously bored and only reviews will perk me up.

Thanks for reading:)

~Chey