A Tender Warmth

One

Christmas was right around the corner, and Makoto was staying at his parents' home. His younger brother and sister were not yet old enough to move out. They were only in their second year of middle school.

Today was a chilly Wednesday, four days before Christmas. Makoto had settled with his parents the day before. The house he had lived in his whole life was much more welcoming than his own apartment. Makoto was planning to meet up with his highschool friends while he was in Iwatobi, especially his childhood best friend, Haruka Nanase.

Makoto walked out from his old bedroom and downstairs to the kitchen. The smell of cooking fish made him feel nauseous. He called out, "Hey, mum. What's that smell?"

As he looked at his mum with his hand over his mouth, she answered with a sweet smile, "It's just the usual salmon I have for lunch. What's wrong, sweetie? You don't look so good."

She put her hand on his back as he lent over feeling like he was going to vomit. "Quick. Go to the toilet."

Makoto hurried to the toilet and all of his lunch ended up down the drain. He was there until nothing came up anymore. What was going on? He felt fine about ten minutes ago. This doesn't usually happen to him.

His mother comforted him and asked, "Are you feeling okay now?" He shook his head and used the back of his hand to wipe his mouth, "I still feel sick."

"Come with me." She helped him stand up and took him to the dining room and sat him at the table. "I'll get you a drink of water and a bucket."

She smiled at him and he tried to smile back. Moments later, his mother came back and handed him a grey bucket, and placed a tall glass of water on the table. "Drink the water slowly. I'll get you something to ease the sickness. Have you been feeling sick previously? Like any constipation or bloating?"

Makoto looks his mother in the eyes and nods, curious of how she might of known what was happening. She turns and hums, walking to the kitchen. All Makoto could think about was what could be the cause of this nausea.

There was a quiet vibrate on the bench in the kitchen and Makoto's mum looked at the phone, "Is this your phone, Makoto?"

Makoto didn't notice it buzz. She handed him his phone and he read the message he received. From Nagisa:

Nagisa- Heyyy!!! Mako-chaaan!! When are we going to hang out?! (^o^)

Makoto felt like he didn't have the energy to hang out, let alone reply to the message. He knew Nagisa would be exhausting to be around, so he ignored the message.

The day went by slowly for Makoto, and he couldn't keep his food down at all. This happened the next day. And the day after.

Makoto's mother tried to convince him to go to the doctors to do a checkup but Makoto refused and said he would be fine. He doesn't want to be a burden to his family right on the day before Christmas.

Eventually, Makoto's mother got him to go.

"Mum, I'll be fine." Makoto assured his mother quietly as they were about to sit down in the waiting room.

"You're not fine. You're continuously vomiting, and you can hardly eat anything without it coming back up again." Makoto sighed and slouched back on the seat.

A friendly looking doctor stepped into the waiting room and called out, "Mr. Tachibana Makoto?" Makoto's mother stood up and Makoto hesitantly followed.

The woman led them to a simple doctors room and allowed them to enter the room first. They both sat down on the guests chairs and the woman closed the door and sat in her chair, a sweet smile on her face. "How can I help you?"

Makoto looked at his mother, wiping his hands on his knees, then back at the doctor. "Um," He swallowed the saliva that built up in his mouth, "The other day, I started to vomit continuously."

The woman nodded and checked her computer on her desk, typing things down. "It wouldn't stop until there was nothing left. I've hardly stopped since. I can't keep any of my meals down, and I'm not eating very much because of it. I've also had constipation and bloating." She nods and looks at Makoto, "Mm. It sounds like you're getting the symptoms of pregnancy. How long has this been occuring?"

Is she being serious?

Makoto's body stiffened, his eyes widened. His mother answered for him, "Since Wednesday." "Right, okay." The woman tapped away on her keyboard. Makoto zoned out, staring at the patient bed on the other side of the room.

Pregnant? But that's not even possible for a guy. Wait... Sousuke didn't use a condom when we had intercourse.

Makoto's face turned a ghostly white. He was nervous, it felt like his body would crack and break at any moment.

"Makoto? Are you okay?" His mother's voice broke through his thoughts. "Huh?" He looked at her face. "She asked you a question."

Makoto looked at the woman and it felt like his whole body went numb when he heard those words, "Have you had intercourse with a man in the past couple of months?"

Makoto's head fell forward and his hands gripped at his pants. His hair covered his face and he forced back tears. This was a nightmare. His mother's hand gently rested on top of his, "It's okay, Mako."

Makoto didn't want to lie, but his mother knowing of his doings, how can she be so calm?

It was obvious what the answer was by now. He had sex with the man he's desperately in love with. Sousuke Yamazaki.

"Sweetie?"

Makoto says quietly, hopefully so they couldn't hear, "Yes." His eyes stung as the woman replied, "How long ago?" He didn't want to say, this was unbearable. Right in front of his own mother, how could he admit to all of this?

"Month and a half." There were further sounds of tapping on the keyboard. Makoto refused to look at his mother. The look of disgust on her face. He wouldn't be able to live with himself.

"When was the last time you urinated?" Makoto slowly lifted his head and looked at the woman, his eyebrows furrowed.

She had a simple smile, it was as if they had known eachother for years and had a decent relationship. Her dark brown bangs framed her face and her bright pink eyes reminded him of Nagisa's.

It calmed him down, his nerves were fading away. "What? I mean- this morning." "Okay!" She handed him a small container with a yellow lid, "Pee in this cup to the white line, then give it back to me. I'll show you to the private toilets."

She stood up and Makoto followed. He glanced at his mum and she gave a gentle smile.

Not disgusted at all. Did she know, by any chance? That was Makoto's thoughts.