Lover's Quarrel

By: Shin Sankai

Author's Notes: Another little story for Trifecta from me. Completely AU and drizzled in fluff.

Coughing came from within a dark one bedroom apartment, footsteps thumping heavily on the floorboards as the occupant stumbled from the bed, hands on the wall to keep him upright as he headed for the kitchen. Yokozawa Takafumi, salesman for Marukawa was currently fighting off a fever. He slouched against his small kitchen bench as he waited for the kettle to boil. He hoped that a nice warm cup of tea would help settle his stomach. He'd been feeling like this for several days now, not even having the energy to go to the store and pick up some drugs lest he collapse in the middle of the street. The businessman had hoped it was just a 24 hour bug, but considering what had happened and the way he'd been feeling, with everything still pent up, he knew he was just causing his body even more stress than what was seriously needed.

Pouring himself a cup of tea, dressed in a pair of black sweatpants and a navy blue shirt, this one being the third one for the day, his body trying to sweat out his illness, Yokozawa padded back to his bedroom, it lit by a small bedside lamp, not wanting too much light to be illuminated within the small confines of his room. He placed the teacup on the bedside table and crawled back into his bed. All that could be seen was his forehead and the top of his black scruffy hair as he hid himself under the mountain of blankets, curled up much like a sick child would.

Truthfully, he didn't feel like the tea at all, but instead used it as a test to see how his strength was...and Yokozawa had deduced it to be quite poor. As soon as he lifted his head off the pillow, he instantly felt dizzy, but stubbornness took over and he got out of bed and went to the kitchen. Now though, he felt like he was ready to throw up, but was trying to suppress the urge too. Slow deep breaths, within the warmth of his bed, eyes clenched tightly closed and after several long minutes, the squirming in his stomach eased off. With that side effect of the the fever over for now, it gave Yokozawa a chance to go over what had occurred and why he was currently in the state he was in...

Yokozawa had been away on a business trip. Two whole weeks of travelling around the country visiting more book stores then the man could count. He'd been on such a tight schedule, having meetings with the store managers and the sales department back at Marukawa that his phone had constantly been at his ear. Around midnight is when he finally got some peace every day that he'd switch off his phone, spending the next couple of hours going over the work he'd done during the day, compiling reports and figures and setting out his plans for that day as well. When he finished, he'd drag himself off to the shower, standing there for a good twenty minutes as the warm water pounded against his flesh before stepping out, towelling off and getting in a pair of briefs and slacks. His face would hit the pillow at about 3am and the next thing he knew his phone was beeping its alarm at 7am. He'd have a dozen unread messages from Kirishima, but only getting four hours of sleep, with multiple drives required to neighbouring towns for several meetings, it just didn't give him the chance to respond and even when he had the chance to, before he could write a simple message, his phone was ringing, it either being his superior or even Henmi who were obviously working the same hectic hours as him while he was away.

Two whole long draining weeks that Yokozawa had not been in contact with Kirishima. Two weeks of not feeling the man slouch all over him just trying to cop a feel of him much to his dismay...well...sort of. Two whole weeks of not hearing that voice, seeing those piercing almond eyes or that hypnotic yet frustrating grin on his lips. Two whole weeks without Hiyo-chan, Kirishima's 10 year old daughter whom he'd grown ever so attached to since he began his relationship with the man.

And now, Yokozawa was notching up another week of not being in contact with Kirishima. And the reason you may be wondering was because they currently were not on speaking terms. And who's fault you may also be wondering, why to Yokozawa it was definitely Kirishima's. The stupid man had pulled him away like some jealous lover in front of his friend who did nothing but stare quietly at the antics going on in front of him, cigarette between his lips.

Kirishima had been coming out of Marukawa, not even realising Yokozawa was back and found his dark haired lover standing under the same umbrella with the very man who he had an unrequited love with, Takano Masamune, Editor-in-Chief of Emerald within Marukawa for many, many years. Of course they were standing close, sharing Takano's umbrella because Yokozawa had not realised it'd been raining for two days straight, so of course he did not have an umbrella with him. By sheer chance he ran into Takano who was heading down the street towards the building just as Yokozawa pulled up and stepped out of a taxi. They'd been friends for years and over time the awkwardness they once had vanished and was replaced with such ease that they could idly chit chat without it feeling weird.

The Editor-in-Chief of Japun had just popped up his umbrella, sending his daughter a message that he was on his way home when he found the two of them sharing the umbrella. He couldn't hear what they were conversing about, but the way the men stood so comfortably close together when Yokozawa couldn't do that with him, the light touches even though it was a slap on the shoulder or a thump on the chest, it got Kirishima's blood boiling. How dare Yokozawa just waltz on back without even calling him!

It could have been for the fact that he'd been working long hours, he currently had a pounding headache, he wasn't sleeping much and with Hiyo constantly asking if he'd heard from her Oniichan, knowing full well he had not, his calls constantly going to voice mail, it all just became too much for him to watch this display of affection in front of his eyes. When he watched Yokozawa hand over a souvenir to Takano, something being said and that almost secret smile gracing his lips that he rarely saw himself, that was the last of his rational mind fleeing. He was down the stairs faster then he'd ever been, hand instantly going out as it wrapped possessively over Yokozawa's right wrist, the sudden touch surprising the man as did the yank, his briefcase dropping on the drenched footpath and he staggered on his feet as he knocked into Kirishima hard firm body.

"What the hell?" Yokozawa blurted out trying ever so hard to yank his wrist away as he righted himself, coming face to face with a pissed off Kirishima. "Let go!" The salesman voiced in exasperation, only wincing slightly as his lover's grip tightened.

"And when were you going to tell me you were back?"

"I don't have to tell you anything!" Yokozawa had instantly snapped back. Of course he regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth, watching those almond eyes frown ever so slightly, but the salesman soon forgot that when his steely-blue gaze darted to Takano, his friends brown eyes just quietly starring at the two of them. He was just silently watching them quarrelling like an old married couple, it was just so damn embarrassing that all Yokozawa could do was shout at the man to shut the hell up and leave him alone. He quickly shoved him aside, swiped up his dropped brief case and turned on his heels and strolled away, hoping beyond all hope that his face wasn't too flushed in embarrassment at their antics. His long strides took him down the street in the pelting rain, ignoring his name falling from Kirishima's lips.

How could Kirishima just act like that in public and in front of his friend too? After all, he'd not told Masamune about he and Kirishima being together. Granted it had been many months now, probably close to 8 months now, but still, it was a delicate topic to just try and bring up with one of your oldest and closest friends. Of course it'd been on his mind many times, but it just never felt like the right time to tell his best friend that he was alright now, that he was over what they had...or didn't have...and that he'd gotten over him, that he'd fallen in lov-...

"Stupid..." Yokozawa mumbled to himself, stopping all thoughts and turned over in his bed, but within his muddled mind he was certain his bed wasn't that small as he knocked into something on the vacant side – an intruder within his home! "Wha..." He began but there was soft incoherent mumbling above him as a cooling pad was pressed on his forehead. "Kirishima..." The businessman mumbled out but got no response. He was lulled back into slumber when he realised his intruder was not a threat to him.

Yokozawa twitched in his sleep at the feel of a cooling pad being pressed onto his forehead once again. "Kirishima..." His parched and croaky voice called out again and this time a tiny hand moved down to press lightly against his cheek, making his blurry eyes peel open.

"Oniichan," His vision finally came into focus to see he was lying in the middle of his double bed, his curtain drawn open letting in the afternoon sun and he turned his blue orbs to see worried brown ones looking down at him.

"Hiyo," He gave her a half smile as reassurance that he was alright, she kneeling on the bed at his side, patting down the cooling pad on his forehead, it being a replacement for the one that was scrunched in the plastic bag on his bedside table which Hiyo had obviously removed. The coolness was bringing him instant relief.

"How long have you been sick Oniichan? You should have called us straight away. Papa and I have been so worried!" The 10 year old lightly complained, even as she tucked the blankets up around his chin like she were taking care of her own sick child. It was truly adorable.

"I'm sorry..." Yokozawa mumbled out, turning on his side as he pulled his right arm free from his blankets as he lifted it up and cupped the youngsters cheek. "Thank you for taking care of me." He watched her blush cutely, eyes darting away.

"I-It wasn't just me, Papa called in a favour from one of his friends and had him come over and check on you, to make sure you didn't have to go to hospital." At the mention of her father and the lengths he had gone to in order to make sure he was alright, it touched Yokozawa greatly as his eyes lifted away from Hiyo's and focused on Kirishima standing at the doorway.

"I'm embarrassed at the trouble I've caused."

"No matter how embarrassing it is, it doesn't matter, as long as you are alright." Blue eyes finally found almond focusing on him.

"Ah, Papa, no fighting, you promised." Yokozawa watched as Kirishima placed up his hands in defeat at Hiyo's stern response and made his way into his sunlit bedroom. Yokozawa's heart began to pound heavily in his chest as the man drew closer, eyes breaking from his for a moment as they focused on his daughter's.

"Give us a minute?" The salesman was not quick enough to latch onto Hiyo's hand as he would of begged her silently to stay with him so he did not have to feel this awkward with her father, but of course she was too quick for him as she jumped off the bed, skipped out the room and closed the door behind her, leaving the two men in silence.

"When I'm better, please allow me to thank your friend personally for the trouble I've caused." Yokozawa gulped down the sudden lump in his throat as Kirishima took a seat on his mattress, turning his almond gaze down towards him.

"It's his job to treat the sick."

"Yes, but,"

"Shut up and sleep." Yokozawa felt his blood pressure rise at the snappy response. That wasn't like Kirishima at all. Usually it was he who had the snappy remarks.

"What's your problem?" The salesman croaked out.

"You are my damn problem." Blue eyes widened slightly as Kirishima frustratingly raked a hand through his light coloured hair. "I know what I did in front of Takano that day with you was wrong and it embarrassed you and we went our separate ways to cool our heads, but then I get to work and you're not there and you aren't answering my calls, again I might add, and then to have Takano of all people come to tell me you're actually at home sick with a high fever, it just pisses me off."

"Wha..." Yokozawa was downright confused.

"Why does he know you're sick before me? Why is it that he was here looking after you and not me? Aren't we together? Am I not reliable enough to look after you?"

"Wait," Yokozawa slowly sat up, Kirishima helping him to do so even if the man was angry with him. "Back up a minute, what is this about Masamune?"

"Masamune..." Kirishima began, almost childishly as he voiced Takano's given name in spite at not liking that Yokozawa could call the man that so easily. Of course he knew he was being immature, knowing they'd been friends for years, they had history together, but it really didn't make him feel any more secure in their supposed relationship since they weren't even on a first name basis yet. He'd only done it a few times during sex, just to see how riled up he could make his younger lover, but truthfully they'd not given each other permission to call each other's given names, he kind of just thought it would eventually happen, but he didn't think it'd take this damn long. And then there was the fact that Yokozawa hadn't even come out and said that he liked him! It was really making Kirishima doubt himself and what the two of them shared together, what the three of them shared together for that matter. "He waltzed on into my department, told me you were in bed as sick as a dog, gave me his key to your place and then just left. At first I just sat there like an idiot thinking why the hell did he have your key when I don't even have a key to your place, but that thought was forgotten when I quickly called up Hiyo-chan and we've both been here with you ever since yesterday afternoon."

"Sorry,"

"Stop apologising!" Blue eyes widened at the temper tantrum going on in front of him, it was practically laughable. "What the hell is so funny?" Yokozawa hadn't meant to laugh, but he couldn't help it. Granted it hurt his stomach, which was probably a little payback for laughing at his lover, but the man, who was usually so cool, calm and collected, who only acted childishly in front of him, almost unknowingly was just so...cute. He'd often wondered if a screw had come loose in Kirishima's head when he referred to him as 'cute' but seeing the way he was acting now, it was just so not how he was with everyone else...and that made his heart pound within his chest proudly.

"I rang Henmi, advised him I wouldn't be in for the rest of the week and asked him to pass it on. I know I was meant to have a meeting with the staff of Emerald, so I assume Henmi advised Masamune I was unwell as he knows he and I go way back. As I don't work directly with your department, Henmi didn't see it important to advise you or your department."

"Well..."

"And Masamune has a key in case I cannot get home and Sorata needs looking after. Of course that rarely happens now since we are always at your place as Hiyo takes such good care of him and I haven't gotten around to getting back my key from him. I guess he just used it to make sure I wasn't dead or something..."

"Don't make a joke out of your illness!"

Yokozawa was about to apologise again, but thought better of it. "As for Masamune looking after me, when did that happen?"

"When he gave me your key, he'd said he'd already popped over and placed a cooling pad on your forehead, but handed you off to me to look after. Hiyo and I rushed over as soon as we met each other at the train station and when we entered your apartment, we found the packet of cooling pads on the bedside table, you woke just as Hiyo was replacing it."

"That wasn't you?"

"Eh?" There was surprise in Kirishima's voice just like there had been in Yokozawa's before. The Editor-in-Chief watched his younger lover's face flush red.

"I was angry about what had happened...and I was trying to work up the courage to apologise too. It was just a stupid meaningless fight. We were both at fault and I should have called you, but I was going to try and sneak back home, to prepare a nice meal with Hiyo for you, but then you became all stupid in front of Masamune and it pissed me off."

"Hey..."

"And I haven't found the right time to tell him about us. Though I'm sure its pointless now, with the way you fucking acted, he probably already knows something is up between us, but still, its not that I don't want to tell him, I do, its just the timing has never been right and then when you pulled that shit I just lost it and ran away, wandered around town in the pouring rain for ages before going home. When I got sick I blamed you, even though it was my fault too and I haven't been sleeping well and when I felt the coolness of the pad on my forehead and the presence in my room, I just instantly thought it was you. I called out for you, but nothing was said so I just thought you were forgiving me about the petty fight, coming to look after me, because...you still loved me..." The last was mumbled out so quietly but fortunately for Kirishima, he had caught it all.

"You thought Takano was me so you called out thinking it was me?"

"Y-Yes..."

"You wanted me to look after you?"

"Y-Yes..."

"You are so open when you're drunk, I never realised this also occurred when you're sick too. Please, show me more." The older man teased sweetly.

"Shut up!" Yokozawa barked off loudly as he watched that knowing smile on the face he had missed grow wider. Quickly he dove under his covers, turning away from the man out of sheer embarrassment. His head felt dizzy afterwards and he was trying to be truthful with the man, which was never easy when he was constantly teased. "I'm trying to be serious here!" Yokozawa instantly stiffened when he felt the warmth of Kirishima behind him, he deciding to lift up his covers and curl behind him, his left arm moving over his body to pull him back into his strong arms and against his chest. "Let go..." He mumbled unconvincingly as Kirishima's right arm snaked its way under his neck to make him rest his head against his bicep, his hand curling back as his fingers glided patterns within his tangled locks of hair, albeit soothingly.

"I can't. My lover is just being so damn adorable there is no way I can let him go." Kirishima was certain that Yokozawa's ears turned red at his comment, but seriously he wasn't sure if he could take all the credit for it since the man was trying to fight off a fever and he wasn't really helping in keeping his temperature down. The room fell quiet as Kirishima placed his head on the pillow and closed his eyes, familiarising himself once more with the feel of Yokozawa within his very embrace.

"I am sorry..." Kirishima heard Yokozawa mumble after a long bout of silence between them. The sorry could mean many things, but the handsome older man wasn't about to dwell on it.

"I'm sure we'll have many more quarrels in the future, lets just continuously learn from them and work through them together."

"I-If that is what you want..." Kirishima felt a grin spread across his lips once more. His lover's self confidence was always low that the salesman seemed to doubt his own appeal and probably silently questioned what it was that his older lover saw in him. The Editor-in-Chief was certain that the salesman's response was practically his way of telling him that if he was happy to have him, then Yokozawa was more then happy to stay with him and his daughter.

"Takafumi," Kirishima hadn't meant to mumble his lover's name so sweetly, so lovingly into his ear, lips pressed against his temple, but he just felt so content with having his adorably cute lover in his arms that it had slipped out. The older man waited for an outburst from the salesman, which never came and when he shifted slightly it was then he noticed that Yokozawa was fast asleep, his left hand resting over his, fingers intertwined. "I love you."

"Mm," It was a cute little mumble which Kirishima was sure Yokozawa would have been horrified with if he had heard himself do it, but Kirishima decided it was as close to a returned confession of 'I love you' as he was going to get...for now anyway.

End.