Chapter 21

It was almost three in the morning before Nowaki got home. Winter was fast approaching, chilling the air and making the cold seep through his coat. It left his fingers freezing and numb, fumbling to undo the buttons that kept it on.

A lone lamp in the corner softly lit their apartment. And although it was much warmer inside than out, the air was still cold, especially now that Nowaki had lost his protective outer layer of clothing.

He padded to the en suite bathroom and started the shower before stripping off the rest of his clothing. Normally, Nowaki preferred to shower in the morning. But after working the late shift, the heat of the water warmed his body before getting into bed. Hiroki didn't like getting disturbed by a freezing body climbing in during the middle of the night.

After the shower defrosted his frozen body, he pulled on a pair of boxers. His damp skin intensified the coldness of the bathroom, making him shiver and wrap his arms around his chest.

Finally, he slipped under the sheets and curled around Hiroki's back. Hiroki was so warm and smelled so nice. Nowaki pushed his nose into the back of Hiroki's neck and breathed deeply. Automatically, his hand moved to rest against and cup Hiroki's growing stomach. He was almost fourteen weeks along now and growing by the day. Feeling the life thriving inside his lover made Nowaki glow with happiness.

It had been a long day at work, so he was glad to be at home with Hiro-san at last. Not that sneaking into bed in the middle of the night was really spending quality time together, but any moment that Nowaki spent next to his lover was his favorite time of the day.

Before he left the hospital, one of his superiors asked if he'd be willing to take on more hours. It was a minor promotion of sorts; he'd get a slight raise in pay with the stipulation of more responsibilities. His initial reaction was to reject the offer, after all, he barely spent enough time with Hiro-san as it was, but something held him back from saying no. Instead, he said he'd think about it.

Hiroki made a small whimper and began to turn over onto his other side. Nowaki moved back a bit to give him room to move.

"Nowaki?" came a soft murmur.

Nowaki kissed Hiroki's forehead. "Sorry for coming home so late. I didn't mean to wake you up."

Hiroki snuggled into Nowaki's chest. "It's almost morning already. What time do you have to go into work?"

"Not till noon."

Hiroki groaned, "That's barely eight hours away! You're getting overworked. Tell them that they can suck it and don't go in. Take some time off."

Nowaki bit his lip. Hiroki would not be happy if he learned that the hospital wanted to add more hours to his already busy schedule. He'd probably throw a fit if he brought up the subject.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Hiro-san. Let's just sleep for now and we'll discuss it later."

"Whatever." Hiroki's tone was harsh and to drive it home, he pushed Nowaki away from him. It wasn't a hard push, just a little one to let Nowaki know that he wasn't off the hook.

Still, Hiroki let himself be pulled back into Nowaki's arms and kissed lightly.

"Goodnight, Hiro-san. I love you."

A long moment later came the reply.

"Love you too."

Morning came too quickly. Nowaki woke up with Hiroki's alarm, and ignored it when Hiroki told him to get back in bed.

When Hiroki pulled a peach from the fridge and began to wash it, Nowaki frowned.

"Hiro-san, how about I make you some eggs?"

"Thanks, but that's okay. I'll be fine with just this."

Nowaki got a pan from the cupboard and set it on the stove. "I insist. Protein is good for both you and the baby."

"No, Nowaki. Stop trying to force me to eat. I don't have time to sit down and eat today. I told Miyagi I'd get in early to do some filing."

Nowaki turned around and crossed his arms. "Is that Miyagi making you do his job for him? You know that I don't like it when he does that."

"And that's not your call, is it? Look, Nowaki," he sighed, like he was talking to a petulant child, "I have to do what he tells me. It's my job."

Hiroki's attitude had Nowaki tightening his jaw and raising his voice. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. Least of all something that Miyagi tells you to. You need to make yourself your priority. Our family, our child, needs to come first."

Hiroki stared at him with such fiery, angry eyes that Nowaki immediately regretted his words. Nowaki didn't mean to start a fight, but sometimes his emotions got the best of him.

Quietly, he apologized, "I'm sorry, Hiro-san, I shouldn't tell you how to do your job."

Hiroki's eyes softened the slightest amount. "Fine. I'll talk to Miyagi, but I need to go get my bag ready for work."

"Please, will you eat an egg?"

Nowaki may have imagined it, but he thought that he saw a small smile grace Hiroki's lips. But then, just as quickly, the small disappeared.

"Fine. But I'm leaving in 10 minutes."

He left for their bedroom and Nowaki put some butter in the pan. He was glad that Hiroki was going to eat something other than the peach. Before Hiroki had gotten pregnant, he would often eat only a piece of fruit before leaving for work, but now, he had to eat some protein. He needed the energy to get through the day, especially since the baby would be sapping his nutrients.

Hiroki was about to fall asleep on the train to work when the ringing of his phone woke him up. He stared at the screen for a minute before exiting out. His mother was adamant about coming to visit.

He'd have to come up with an excuse soon. The old 'Work is too busy at the moment' wasn't going to keep her away for long.

When the train stopped he was still thinking about it, and later when he was giving a lecture he was also thinking about it. It stayed in his mind through all his morning classes.

However, once it hit his lunch break, he forgot his mother and realized how hungry he was. He dug into the rice balls and chicken he brought and immediately felt bad for fighting with Nowaki that morning. Nowaki was only showing concern for him. He couldn't imagine how hungry he'd be right now if Nowaki hadn't made him eat breakfast. Maybe he would apologize when he got home.

Man, he was turning into a sap. Since when did Kamijou-the-Devil apologize?

Hiroki shook his head to dispel the feelings.

Unfortunately, Miyagi chose that moment to disturb his peaceful lunch break. The man burst through the break room and made a beeline straight for Hiroki. He plopped down in the chair next to him and let out a big breath.

"Hiroki, you have to help me get out of a jam." Miyagi's face was sweaty and red.

He calmly took another bite of rice. "And why exactly would I do that?"

"Please, please, I'm begging you!"

"I'm on break. Go away."

"Come on! Please?"

Hiroki sighed and put down his fork. "Okay. No promises, but tell me what's going on."

"You know how I told you that some students were trying to get me to give them extra credit? Well, one of them is trying to use— ahem — other means of raising her grade."

"So basically she is offering sexual favors for an A?"

"Yes!" Miyagi hissed. He looked around the room suspiciously and then hunched over and lowered his voice. "Please, Hiroki, you gotta get me out of this."

"And what do you want me to do about it?"

"Just go up to her and tell her no."

"Do it yourself."

"But I can't."

"You actually probably can." Hiroki tried to suppress a smirk. Miyagi could be so incompetent sometimes.

"No, you see… Well… She's very attractive and has really big—" Miyagi cupped his hands and gestured in front of his chest, imitating a woman with large breasts. "As a man, it is much too difficult to say no to her."

"So you're you saying that I'm not a man?" Hiroki raised an eyebrow, a little disgusted. Miyagi could be such a pig.

"You're gay."

"And you're not?"

"Of course I'm not gay!"

"I seem to remember walking in on you with the brat Shinobu on your lap. And you didn't seem too distraught over it."

"That doesn't make me gay, Hiroki."

"Whatever." Hiroki went back to eating his lunch.

"Is that a no?"

"Give me one reason why I should help you? I already came in early today to do your paperwork."

"Because you love me?"

"Try again."

"Please?"

"No! That's not my job!" Hiroki was getting annoyed. In the beginning it was a little funny to have Miyagi begging him. Now, he just wanted him to go away. "I'm trying to eat my lunch. I'm too hungry to deal with you."

Miyagi stood up and glared. "You've been hungry a lot lately, huh? Getting a little chubby there."

Hiroki's eyes widened and his jaw dropped open. He could feel his face heating up as he stuttered, trying to come up with a reply.

"Lay off the food, will you? The extra weight is not becoming on you."

Hiroki couldn't decide whether he was embarrassed, angry, or ashamed. Attacking his weight was a low blow, even for Miyagi. He clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms. He couldn't think of an appropriate response, so he lashed out. "At least I'm not embarrassed about who I want to fuck. Although I might be if I was you. Is Shinobu even legal? Would that be considered pedophilia?"

Miyagi sneered and gave a cold laugh. "Nice try."

They had a stare down before Miyagi left the break room. Although Hiroki acted tough in front of him, once Miyagi was gone the façade he put up faded. He looked down at the food in front of him and clenched his eyes, trying to keep back the tears. After a minute, he calmly stood up and dumped the rest of his lunch in the trash.

It was shock, Hiroki assumed, that was keeping him from majorly breaking down. Normally after a fight, he was angry and wanted to punch the offender. But after this, he just wanted to curl up and sulk.

The negative feelings only got worse throughout the rest of the day. His students noticed that he didn't have the same intensity as usual and took advantage of it. They were all texting, falling asleep, or whispering to each other. Hiroki didn't feel like dealing with it, so he dismissed his last class early and went home.

Although it was only seven o'clock when Nowaki got home, the apartment was dark.

"Hiro-san?" he called out.

No reply.

He tried again. "Hiro-san, are you here?"

Nothing.

Hiroki probably wasn't home yet. Nowaki let out a big breath. If that Miyagi roped Hiroki into staying late to do more paperwork…

He walked through the kitchen and living room and turned on the lights. He stopped in his tracks when he heard a small noise come from their bedroom.

Slowly, he opened the door and peeked in. There was a Hiro-san sized lump under the covers.

"Hiro-san?" he whispered, approaching the bed. "Are you okay?" When there was no response, Nowaki nudged the lump.

Upon contact, the lump huddled further under the blankets.

Nowaki got on his knees next to the bed and rubbed the lump.

When there was no reply, Nowaki peeled away the blanket. Hiroki's face was down into the sheets, so he ran his fingers through Hiroki's soft hair, hoping to get a response.

"Hiro-san, are you okay?"

After a moment, Hiroki peeked his head up.

The room was dark, but Hiroki's face was brightened by the moonlight coming through the window. Nowaki couldn't be completely sure, but it looked like his eyes were red and puffy.

Immediately, Nowaki's heart broke.

"Hey there," Nowaki cooed softly, brushing Hiroki's hair off his face, "Want to talk about it?"

Hiroki shook his head and turned his face back into the sheets.

"Do you want to be alone?"

Hiroki made no movement for a moment, but then there came a very small no from under the blanket.

Nowaki walked around the bed and climbed in. He was glad that Hiroki didn't want him to leave. Sometimes, when Hiroki was in a bad mood, he just wanted to be by himself to work off his anger.

When he had dragged himself close enough to Hiroki, he put his arm on the smaller man's shoulder and turned him over so they could cuddle. In the colder months, they usually spooned while they slept, Nowaki being the big spoon and Hiroki the smaller one. It was a comforting position for them both, so Nowaki hoped it would calm Hiroki down.

Nowaki didn't speak, knowing that Hiroki would open up when he was ready. Sure enough, five minutes later, Hiroki did just that.

"I'm sorry, Nowaki. You shouldn't have to deal with this. These stupid hormones are making me a total wreck." His voice was rough and cracked halfway through.

"That doesn't matter. You know I'll always be here for you."

"I just had a really bad day."

"Can I help?"

"Probably not."

"How about I make us some dinner? We can talk about it while we eat if you want. You didn't make something already, right?"

"No, but I'm not really hungry."

"I'll make something anyway. It's past dinnertime already, and you need to eat."

Hiroki was about to argue, but decided against it. He had no energy to hold his own in a dispute.

He followed Nowaki into the kitchen and sat down while the taller man opened the fridge.

"What are you in the mood for?"

"Whatever you want.."

Nowaki ended up making a quick stirfry. It had a lot of vegetables to make it healthy. Now that his pregnancy was progressing, Nowaki had become very conscious of what Hiroki ate. That meant he couldn't skip meals and had to eat all of his vitamins and nutrients. The pregnancy was already high risk; they didn't need to exacerbate it with a poor diet.

"So, Hiro-san," Nowaki said, putting their bowls on the table, "do you want to talk about what happened today?"

"Not really, but basically a whole bunch of crap happened in the span of six hours. First we had our argument about breakfast, which I got over pretty quickly. I mean, I know you were just concerned about me."

Nowaki felt his heart clench. "I'm sorry, Hiro-san, I didn't mean to ruin your day."

"No, you were the least of my problems. Later, when I was on the way to work, my mother texted me."

"Oh, yes! And how is Lady Kamijou?"

"Fine. She still wants to come visit us, though."

"What date did you give her? I'd like to request a day off for it."

"I didn't. Come on, Nowaki, it wouldn't be a good idea for her to come here. You don't know her like I do."

Nowaki's face fell. "But I'd like to know her, if it's okay with you, Hiro-san."

"Maybe. We'll see."

Nowaki knew that that was Hiroki's way of dismissing the subject, never to be broached again. But he would not give up that easily.

"She should come pretty soon, I think, before our baby gets too much bigger." Nowaki forced out a laugh. "After all, it would be too much of a shock if her son was heavily pregnant with no warning. At least for now your belly isn't so obvious. We can ease her into the subject."

Hiroki squirmed. "Maybe."

"I've never had a mother before."

"Trust me, it's not like you're imagining it."

"Maybe not. But still…"

Hiroki sighed. Nowaki could be so wistful sometimes. "Anyways, during my lunch break stupid Miyagi came up to me and asked for a favor. When I told him no he got angry at me."

"That wasn't very kind of him."

"He's just such an idiot sometimes."

"Maybe you should tell him how you feel about it. What did he say to you?"

"Ugh, I can't even imagine having to talk to him right now. He was just being a rude jerk." Hiroki shivered, recalling how he felt when he was called fat. He'd always been very trim, and had admired his lithe body.

Now, his stomach was sticking out and all the extra food Nowaki gave him was causing him to gain a little pudge in his face, arms, and thighs. It was nothing super noticeable, but when he stood naked in front of the mirror, he couldn't see anything other than the weight he'd gained.

Knowing that other people had begun to see it too was the worst.

He'd never tell Nowaki what Miyagi had said. Nowaki would just try to cheer him up and make him eat more food. More food was the last thing he needed.

He only ate a couple bites of the stir fry. Nowaki noticed and encouraged him to eat a bit more, but he refused and said he was too sleepy. He didn't feel too bad for skipping dinner; after all, he really was tired.

The reviews you guys left last chapter made me incredibly happy. It means so much to me that you take the few seconds it takes to review and the encouragement is amazing.