Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing. As you can clearly see.

Hiroki: At least you're not arguing with us today.

Chey: Too tired.

Hiroki: Then why are you writing?

Chey: Cuz I'm bored and I can't sleep.

Hiroki: Oh, that's nice.

Egoist Act Four Part Three

Nowaki was sitting on the bench outside their restaurant, waiting for two hours. It was raining and he knew he was developing a cold. He cast a look at the people on the street. There was still no sign of Hiro-san. And why would he come, really? He had dumped him. Officially. Of course he wasn't going to show up. He got to his feet, rubbing the water from his cheeks, impossible to tell if there were tears amid the raindrops. He turned and walked slowly down the road.

A minute later, Hiroki ran full tilt to the restaurant. Nowaki wasn't outside. He went inside and looked around, but Nowaki had already left. "Shit," Hiroki snapped. He covered his face with his hand. "Shit, shit, shit." He started to turn to go back to Takahashi Sensei's apartment, then, cursing violently, spun on his heel and headed for his old apartment, the one he'd shared with Nowaki.

He climbed the steps to the door and, before he could talk himself out of it, he knocked on the door.

There was no answer. Hiroki blinked. "Nowaki," he called. "Nowaki, are you in there?" Was he really not there? Or was he there and he just wouldn't answer the door. Hiroki blinked, hard. Then he turned tail and ran all the way back to Akihiko's place. Outside the apartment, he hesitated and then kept going to the school. He didn't know why he wanted to go there, just that…he bit his lip and went into the university.

He walked up to Takatsuki Sensei's office and was surprised to see a light glowing inside. He went to the door just as Takatsuki opened it. He jerked back, staring at Hiroki's bedraggled appearance. "You look like a drowned rat," he said bluntly. Hiroki didn't answer, just continued to stand there. Shinobu pursed his lips and said, "Well don't just stand there, dripping. He backed into the office and grabbed a towel he kept in his desk for hot days. He lobbed it at Hiroki's head.

"Thank you," Hiroki muttered, rubbing his hair.

"I can hardly have you dripping all over the office," Shinobu grunted, going back to his work. "Dry off."

"Yes sir."

Hiroki took a seat and started drying his hair while Shinobu went back to grading papers. But Shinobu found his eyes drifting back to the soaked teenager. The kid had dried his hair and was now attempting to pat his shirt and skin beneath dry. Shinobu sighed and got up again, going over to the boy. "Here, take your shirt off before you catch a cold.

"Wh-what?" Hiroki choked.

"You'll get dryer and warmer faster." Hiroki struggled when Shinobu reached for the buttons of his shirt. "Stop struggling!"

He hesitated, then let his hands drop while Shinobu undid his shirt and helped to tug it off his shoulders. "You should lose the pants too. They're soaked all the way through."

Hiroki's expression was one of shock. "Sir," he murmured.

"Not in here you idiot. In the bathroom. Honestly, the last thing I need is some kind of sexual harassment charge." He looked at the now soaked towel. At least the boy's torso was dry. "Hang on a moment. I'll see if the janitor's closet has any drying cloths for you." He was reaching for the door handle when someone knocked. "More visitors?" he asked. "They should put better locks on the front doors." He gestured for the still shirtless Hiroki to move out of view of the doorway then opened it. "Can I help you?"

…

Nowaki didn't know how long he'd walked about in the rain. It felt like hours but it could have easily been only one. At some point, he ended up at the only place he knew Hiro-san still had a connection to. He walked up to the front gate and tugged it open. Then he walked into the school. He wandered aimlessly. The place was dead silent. It was after ten o'clock now, even the most studious of students had gone home for the night. He walked slowly up a flight of stairs and in the vague direction that he had followed his lover earlier that day.

He was surprised then, to see a light glowing from the office where Hiro-san had hidden from him. The owner of it must be working late, Nowaki decided. He knew he should have walked away then but…well, he had an impulsive thought. This professor might know where Hiro-san was staying. He hurried to the door and knocked.

There was a distinctly displeased mutter before the door opened. "Can I help you?" the short professor asked, looking like nothing disinterested him more than helping the young doctor.

"Er, yes. I understand that Hi- that Kamijou Hiroki is a PA here."

The professor's eyes flicked briefly away, making Nowaki suspicious. "So what if he is?"

"I'm trying to find him. I was wondering if you knew where he was staying." Movement just beyond Nowaki's range of vision suggested the professor wasn't alone, making the boy's suspicion grow.

"Even if I did, I'm hardly likely to give that kind of information to a brat who's just shown up at my office in the middle of the night," Takatsuki replied bluntly. Unfortunately, his eyes betrayed him. They kept flicking away.

"Pardon the intrusion," he said suddenly, shoving past Shinobu into the room. What he saw made his heart stop. Hiro-san was sitting in a chair, shirtless and petrified. Nowaki couldn't believe it. He bit his lip, looking down at his lover while anger slowly built in the pit of his stomach.

"Nowaki," Hiroki started. But there was nothing else he could say. He just sat there, watching fury he'd never seen in the gentle giant's eyes flare a fiery blue. His hands fisted for a moment, then loosened and he turned on his heel and walked out of the office without a word.

"What was all that about?" Shinobu asked.

"No-nothing," Hiroki said.

Shinobu raised an eyebrow. "If that's so, then why are you crying?"

Hiroki raised a hand to his cheek, surprised when it came away damp. "I don't know."

Takatsuki rolled his eyes. "Go after him," he said dully.

"What?"

"Baka, do what your teacher says and go."

Hiroki swallowed but nodded. He got up, forgetting his shirt and dashed after Nowaki.

"Stupid brats," Shinobu muttered as his office door slammed shut. "So noisy."

To be continued…

Chey: We are finally done with Act Four. Just Act Five left, which may end up only being two parts since this chapter bleeds into act five a bit. And I sort of misplaced my copy of Junjou Romantica Volume Two until just now so I was going by memory, which is a bit flawed. In any case, please review and I will love you forever.

Hiroki: What, we don't get to say anything?

Chey: You just did.

Thanks for reading!

Hiroki: Hey, what a min—

~CheyanneChika