Author's Note:

This might be a bad idea because I'm not exactly an expert in publishing or anything that will appear in this fic. I love Junjou Romantica but I can't say that I have everything memorized, so there may be some inconsistencies. I apologize in advance if you catch anything. Word of warning, I haven't really read the manga, so everything here will be based mostly off the anime.

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of the anime or the manga. Nothing belongs to me.

"GOOD MORNING, GRADUATE!"

That's the last thing I hear before I'm pulled into a suffocating embrace by my older brother Takahiro, who has incidentally been staying with Usagi-san and myself since Friday afternoon. Today is Sunday, the morning of my graduation from Mitsuhashi University! Coincidentally, Mitsuhashi was also the university Takahiro was looking forward to attending before he was forced to set his schooling aside, to take care of me naturally, and so I pledged to apply myself. I'd been so worried that my brother would be in a foul mood because of that one painful detail, however…

"My little Misaki is so grown-up! I'm so proud, I feel just like a parent!" Takahiro is holding me from behind, squeezing almost painfully as he sobs happily into my apron. I doubt he's noticed that his coddling is burning our breakfast, but I don't mention it to him either. I like seeing my brother so happy, knowing he's proud of me – it makes all of my effort to graduate worth it.

After a couple more seconds of intense cuddling and sobbing, he finally releases me and moves to stand next to me instead, watching over my shoulder as I attempt to scrape the (near blackened) eggs from the bottom of the pan.

"Hey, why don't we go see something at that new theatre you've been wanting to go to? It'll be my treat," he smiles, placing his hand on my shoulder affectionately. Apparently I'm just as good as my brother at letting our scrambled eggs burn, because I can't focus on cooking breakfast whilst attempting to repress these feelings of juvenile excitement washing over me. I gasp, and kind of squeak at the same time, and throw myself at Takahiro. I almost manage to knock the two of us to the kitchen floor, but I'm so happy that I pay no mind to my clumsiness for once. Takahiro is laughing and holding me at arm's length while I jump up and down.

"REALLY?! I mean, I know you wouldn't joke about this, but that place is kind of pricey and I don't want to trouble you…" I manage, grinning like an idiot but also anxious that a night at the theatre would be too much. I might be graduating, so it would make sense that Takahiro would want to treat me, but self-reliance is something I've come to value greatly in the past year.

"It's no trouble, Misaki! You've earned it," he grins, running a hand through my hair.

"Ha! I'm so excited! The theatre," I swoon, comically touching the back of my hand to my forehead. "This is going to be a great day. I can already tell," I sigh under my breath, scraping the eggs onto a plate. Takahiro has moved to the dining room already, sitting almost serenely with a cup of coffee and a newspaper. I always wondered how someone with a kid could still manage to find peace, especially in the morning – the time of day when everything here decides to explode all at once. I sit next to him and just stare for awhile, and luckily he doesn't take any notice.

When niichan told me over the phone that he was coming, I had been legitimately excited – but also terrified. You see, ever since Usagi-san and I started this…this thing we have, Takahiro hasn't exactly been in the know. I wonder how he'd react if he found out that his best friend from high school and I were in this…well, this arrangement.

I force myself to look away from him and down at my own plate.

He'd left his wife and Mahiro back at home, explaining that they already had plans and it would be easier to spend time with me this weekend if he didn't have a child to worry about. I was grateful for that. It's natural that I would miss him, I guess. But, strangely, there was a part of me that also didn't want him to come either. I wanted to tell him,

Please, just stay home with them. It'll be easier that way.

But ever since his arrival I've been having a wonderful time just sitting and looking at him, talking with him, being normal brothers without the lectures about making good grades, or renting an apartment, or…Usagi-san. Things have been relatively peaceful this time, all things considered.

BANG.

An upstairs bedroom's door nearly flies off its hinges, and in the doorway stands Great Lord Akihiko Usami, winner of the Naomori and Kikukawa Awards, and my current flatmate/lover of nearly five years. Tucked under one arm is his bear, Suzuki-san, and following him as he makes his way downstairs is what appears to be a purple cloud of grumpiness and self-loathing. Breakfast will undoubtedly be tense, as usual.

Oh yeah, I may have forgotten to mention that due to my brother's ignorance of our typical sleeping arrangement, Usagi-san and I have not shared a bed, or a room for that matter, since he came to stay with us.

"Morning, Akihiko!" my brother chirps in welcome, completely oblivious to the sudden tension in the room. Usagi-san just grunts and pulls out a chair, sitting rather stiffly and glaring at me from across the table.

I change my mind; today is going to be hell.