A/N:
Hello! I'm going back through these chapters and posting my author's notes. I have another account on yff which included these from the beginning, and I apologize for not including them earlier here. So, here they are, and thank you for the wonderful reviews so far :D
Alrighty, a long author's note for a short chapter. Consider this my introduction, because this is my first (real) fanfiction! Here's the good news about me—the whole story is written! It had to be before I could even think about posting it. I have a very scrambled brain, so I write everything out of order (in case you're interested, this fic was penned as follows: chapters 1, 2, 13, 12, 14, 3, 10, 11, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 4). However, I'll be posting it one chapter at a time, because I might tinker around with a few things as I read your feedback. Plus, I've got to get you hooked and leech reviews out of you somehow, right? I have a rather plain writing style, but everything I say usually has a purpose. Please stick with me through all the grammer and spelling errors (gotcha! It's grammar, I know), because I haven't got any formal training in writing, just a voracious love of reading. I can promise that chapters 12 and 13 are the best. At one point, I actually had considered posting the story backwards so they would come sooner! So, this story is inspired by some real life events (in which I play Hiroki), and I say 'inspired by' because the ending actually turned out quite different. (You'll have to PM me if you want to know how that turned out. In my opinion, it's even more interesting.) This is my attempt to give a little background on Takahashi Takahiro, Misaki's older brother whom Akihiko was in love with for some ungodly amount of time. He's often portrayed as kind of a bumbling simpleton, but I'd like to think there's a little more going on behind the scenes. That being said, I made an effort to keep him (and everyone else) in character, though it was very, very tempting to give Takahiro a sassy, slutty bisexual alter ego. So, so tempting. Sigh. This takes place in kind of an AU? I maintain that this could TOTALLY HAVE HAPPENED without changing any of Nakamura's original storyline. Also, keep your eyes peeled for lots of mixed up canon elements! I'll be writing from a narrator's perspective but taking turns following different characters, mainly Takahiro and Hiroki. I probably should have thrown an Akihiko chapter in there, but he reminds me way, way too much of someone from my past who I'd rather forget, so I won't be going near his perspective with a 10 foot pole. Rated M for language, but no lemon or anything (Hey now, I didn't say no one's getting any action. But I get ahead of myself...) Now, back in time to the spring of Akihiko/Hiroki/Takahiro's final year of high school...
Enjoy!
ika
Chapter 1: The Favor
"Hiroki, I need a favor."
Hiroki rolled his eyes adding a "hmmph!" as he realized this physical gesture of frustration would go unnoticed over the phone. He needn't have bothered—Akihiko had known his old friend for so long, by now, he could feel the eye roll without even having to look at him.
"I've never heard that one before," Hiroki complained. "I'm hanging up."
There was silence on both ends of the line.
"I thought you were going to hang up," Akihiko stated plainly.
"You would only have called me back and picking up the phone again would have been an inconvenience," Hiroki grumbled. Ugh, was that really the best he could do? "Spit it out already!" he added, making sure to infuse his voice with an extra dose of growl.
"I need you to talk to Takahiro..." Akihiko began.
"What!" Hiroki spluttered. "I really am hanging up!"
"Wait!" Akihiko cried, sensing his friend was serious this time.
The petition in Akihiko's voice was enough to give Hiroki pause.
"Why?" he asked warily.
"I need a second opinion, and there's no one I trust more than you," Akihiko said. He knew by now that a good combination of flattery and patience was enough to wheedle nearly anything out of his childhood friend. He took Hiroki's silence as permission to continue. "To be completely honest, I can't tell if Takahiro is straight or not. This whole 'being nice' concept is completely arcane to me. What's his motivation?"
"...And how exactly am I supposed to help?" Hiroki asked in an icy monotone.
"Well, you're gay..."
"Tell me something I don't know!" Hiroki snapped.
"Look, all you have to do is casually run into him at my house and talk to him for five minutes, ok! That should be plenty for your self-proclaimed 'flawless gaydar' to work its magic," Akihiko said impatiently. He took a deep breath and continued in a cool, collected, logical tone. "Actually, you'll probably enjoy each other's company. There's not many people who can tolerate me, so I'm sure he'll be able to tolerate you," he chuckled self deprecatingly. "You'll play nice, right? What do you say, Hiroki?" He paused to listen for the answer. "Hiroki? HIROKI!"
Hiroki had hung up.
A/N: Let me know how you like it so far, and the next chapter will be up soon!
