Disclaimer: I'm happy.

Hiroki: That's not a disclaimer.

Chey: I know it's not. I don't feel like writing one right now. I'm psyched cuz my mom gave me a ticket to ACen for my birthday. It's super mega awesome.

Hiroki: Just freakin' say it! Don't make me throw something.

Chey: Okay okay. I own nothing. On to the chapter!

Egoist Act Six Part One

Nowaki was irritated. It had been a long time since he'd been irritated by anything. He didn't like the feeling. He shouldn't've let Hiro-san be so reckless. Now he had and the college student had a cold.

He should never have let him play in the snow.

The day before…

"Nowaki! It's snowing. Look at it all."

"Yes, it's snow. It often comes in winter, I hear." Nowaki was tired, having pulled an all-nighter at the hospital.

"I wanna go build a snowman!"

Nowaki looked at him, perplexed. This was not the typical Hiro-san response to…well, to anything. Minor changes in the world around him always put him off. But snow… Nowaki would've thought he'd be moaning over having to deal with it on his way to and from school.

"You gotta help!" he ordered Nowaki suddenly. Before Nowaki could respond, Hiroki had him by the arm and was dragging him to get his shoes and coat on.

Ten minutes later, Hiroki was happily building the bottom of the snowman while Nowaki played uselessly with a pile of snow he was attempting to make into a ball to no avail.

"You gotta work it," Hiroki said in exasperation. Nowaki just rolled his eyes.

"I'm trying," he said at last.

"Try harder."

Nowaki considered this and chose instead to dump the snow down the back of Hiro-san's coat. Hiroki screeched and leapt up, tripped over his third of a snowman and plummeted face first into a snow drift. In an instant, Nowaki was pulling him out. "Crap, Hiro-san, are you alright. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—"

He stopped abruptly when he realized Hiroki was laughing. Nowaki dropped him back into the snow with a huff and got up. Hiroki pushed himself up as well and brushed himself down. "I miss snow."

"It's here right now."

Hiroki shrugged. "Yeah, right now it is but it's been a long time since there was a lot to play with. Me and Akihiko used to play in it when we were little."

"Really?" Nowaki asked, jealousy just touching his words.

"Well, I use the term loosely. I would play and occasionally throw snowballs at him. He just sat or leaned against a tree and wrote stuff or watched me. He was never big on playing." Hiroki huffed, white breath fluffing up on the wind. He shuddered just a bit. "I'm kinda cold now."

"Come on," Nowaki replied. "Enough snow play for one day."

Hiroki nodded and followed his lover back to the apartment.

End Flashback

And now Hiroki had a cold. Nowaki had decided this to Hiroki's chagrin.

Hiroki was not actually sick. Okay, he'd had the shivers a bit when he got up but he was totally fine now. Unfortunately, Kusama Nowaki, Doctor Extraordinaire, had gone into full blown mother hen mode. A stranger coming in would've thought Hiroki was dying of some incurable illness. Pill bottles and heat pads and wash clothes littered the apartment as Nowaki went through them and tried to cook soothing foods for his lover.

Hiroki, however, wanted to get out of bed and do his homework. Unfortunately, Nowaki didn't care about that. Hiro-san was glad there was no school today because he was mildly afraid that Nowaki might try to stop him from going. He couldn't not go to school. His scholarship did have certain attendance stipulations. School was very important.

As was the homework he wasn't currently doing. But he needed to do it. With that in mind, he pushed off the heavy blanket and stood. He wavered slightly—not sick. Just messed up from not getting out of bed all day. He shook his head and ventured into the living room. Nowaki was flitting about the kitchen and monitoring three pots on the stove. Hiroki attempted to reach his school bag before Nowaki noticed him, planning to flee back to the privacy of the bedroom.

"Hiro-san!" Nowaki snapped.

Hiroki stiffened and looked around. "Ah, uh ha ha, I didn't see you there."

"You should be in bed, Hiro-san!"

"I…I am. I just need to look over some of my work."

"No way. Health is more important. Go back to bed."

"But I'm not tired!" Hiroki grimaced. He was whining. He hated whining.

"Yes you are," Nowaki countered. "You're just too stubborn to realize it."

That was sort of a possibility, Hiroki had to admit. Or he would if he wasn't so stubborn.

But he was so he wouldn't.

And then he was manhandled back into bed. Nowaki then set several pills next to him and a glass of water. "Drink that and take those. Then I'll bring you some food."

"Yes, yes," Hiroki replied. As soon as Nowaki left, he popped the tab on a pill and then shoved it under the mattress. He then downed half the water and flopped back, staring at the ceiling. Well, he could at least do his required reading. The book had been left sitting on the dresser last night. He got up and retrieved it. He was a third of the way through the first chapter when Nowaki came in with food.

"Did you take your medication?" he asked. At Hiroki's nod, he continued. "Good. I made some rice and an omelet for you."

"Thanks," Hiroki muttered rather than fight with the doctor. He ate with one hand and read with the other while Nowaki watched. "Aren't you gonna eat?"

"Not hungry. How are you feeling?"

"Perfectly fine. Know why?"

Nowaki went for the playful response. "Because I'm here?"

Hiroki smacked him in the shoulder. "Idiot. It's 'cause I'm not actually sick. Honestly."

"I don't think so. After the snow—"

"After the snow, I stayed up all night studying. I was exhausted, not sick. More importantly, I'm fine now."

Nowaki's mouth worked. "Then why didn't you say anything."

That earned him another blow to the shoulder. "I did! You weren't listening properly!"

Nowaki opened his mouth then closed it again. Then he leaned in and kissed the other man. Hiroki turned bright red and jerked away. Nowaki laughed. "Looks like you have a fever now," he said with a grin.

Hiroki moaned in exasperation and flopped back onto the bed. Nowaki crawled on top of him and leered down.

To be continued…

Chey: Yes yes I know. I'm an evil, cliffhanger doling out bitch.

Hiroki: You're just annoying is what you are.

Nowaki: And you're making me all creepy. I'm not about to attack a sick person.

Hiroki: I wasn't-! Forget it. I give up.

Chey: Yay, I win. Readers: REVIEW IF YOU WANT LEMONY GOODNESS IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!

Thanks for reading!

Also, anyone who is going to be at ACen (Anime Central) at the Hyatt in Rosemont, IL, on Friday let me know. My name badge will say CheyanneChika on it. Please stalk me. I have no friends.

~Chey