There's No Way This Is It

"W- where did you get that?" Kyousuke asked, his eyes trembling as he stared at the piece of paper his father was holding. Kirino backed up a little and tried to stay behind Kyousuke. The displeasing look their father was giving Kyousuke was powerful.

"Your mother was putting Kirino's present in her room as a surprise; that's when she found this on the bed," His father replied boldly. Kirino was speechless, as was Kyousuke. She didn't even think of hiding the letter, or at least putting it someplace that wasn't so obvious, like in her closet that she kept all of her eroge and other stuff in.

"I thought that you were both raised better than this. I knew that letting Kirino keep that disgusting hobby of hers would lead to trouble, but because I admired Kyousuke's determination and effort he put into arguing with me, I allowed her to keep it. I see now that it was a mistake. Those little sister games that you claimed to be yours Kyousuke, I know now that they are and always have been Kirino's. After the letter was brought to me, I searched through her room, for anything else like this. I found this sitting on the computer desk," Their father paused and pulled out the game that Kirino had left on her computer desk. He tossed it on the table, but his eyes remained locked with his kids. "After this was on the desk, I kept searching around and that's when I found out about your little secret closet Kirino." His eyes shifted to Kirino. She gasped a little in shock, as did Kyousuke. "I no longer care how good of grades you get, or how successful you are, this stops now. You will throw all of these abominations out, or I will do it myself. There's more to your punishment Kirino, but you and I will talk about that later, but as for now, Kyousuke," His father shifted his eyes back to Kyousuke. Kyousuke didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. He just looked into his father's eyes. "You will not be staying at this house anymore. I don't care if you have to sleep on the street, you are banned from this house. I will pack your things tonight, and you may return for them tomorrow morning, but after that you will leave."

"What?!" Kyousuke shouted back. He took a few steps towards his father, and raised his voice. "Where the hell am I supposed to go?! Why the hell are you even kicking me out?!" His father stood up out of the chair violently, causing the chair to fall over. He slammed his hands down on the table.

"You are a disgrace to this family! You are worthless! I will not have you corrupt your sister any further! I don't know how long this little relationship of yours has been going on but as of now it's over. Maybe when you finally grow up, you can come back, but until then, I am not your father. You're not my son." Those words felt like bullets as they pierced right through Kyousuke's body, and weighed down on his heart. Their mother had started crying again as she listened to her husband speak. Kyousuke had stopped his movements and was now standing still as he stared down his father. He showed no emotion on his face as he stared back at Kyosuke. Kyousuke started backing up, back towards Kirino.

"I won't leave." Kyousuke replied with a mumble. His father's glare tensed up.

"You don't have a choice." His father replied. Kyousuke stood in front of Kirino, and looked at his father.

"I. Will. Not. Leave." His father grunted in anger, and then began to quickly walk towards Kyousuke. Kyousuke tightened his fists as he prepared to act. His father rolled up his sleeve, and brought back his right arm. As the two were mere feet away from each other, Kirino stepped in front of Kyousuke.

"Stop!" She yelled. Her father paid no attention to her, and easily shoved her out of the way.

"Kirino!" Kyousuke shouted as he watched Kirino get shoved away violently. He dashed towards his father, and brought his arm back to punch him, but he was too late. The hard knuckles of his father crashed into cheek and dropped him to the floor. The hit didn't knock him unconscious, but it made him very disoriented. He had trouble picking himself up. Right before making it back to his feet, he felt the strong grasp of his father's hands around his collar. He was raised off the ground and taken to the front door. Kyousuke tried to fight his father's grip, but he wasn't strong enough. He was set down on his feet long enough for his father to open the door, and once it was open, he was picked back up, and tossed outside. He landed on his back, and gasped for air when he hit the ground. The wind had been knocked out of him.

"Come back for your things in the morning, otherwise I'll throw them all out." And with that, his father slammed the door shut, and locked it from the inside. Kyousuke struggled back to his feet, and then slowly made his way back to the door. He was gasping for breath every step, but eventually he made it. He slammed his fists against the door multiple times, but then gave up. He leaned his back up against the door, and then slid down onto his butt. He could feel his eyes become watery, and soon, the tears started rolling down his face. He looked out in front of him, out to the street. Snow was still falling very lightly, and was visible with the aid of the streetlights. He didn't know what to think about; he just wanted everything to disappear, everything but Kirino. He had no place to go, he could always call a friend, but how would he explain to them that he had been kicked out of his house for being in a relationship with his sister? And on top of that, tonight was still Christmas Eve. Everybody would be home with their families, anxiously awaiting the morning to come, what right did he have to intrude on them? He could also try to sneak back into his house and figure something out with Kirino, but he feared that his life might be at risk if he was caught. He slammed his fist down against the ground, breaking the skin on his knuckles and making them bleed.

"Dammit…" He muttered with sobs still in his voice. He beat his fist down against the ground a few more times. "Dammit!" He slowly managed to pull himself to his feet. He turned his head over his shoulder and looked at the front door to his house, or rather, his former house. He could still hear yelling going on inside the house, he assumed that it was his father scolding Kirino. He wanted to rush back into the house and help her, but he couldn't. There was no way back in, and even if he did get in there, his father was simply stronger than he was, so the only thing he would accomplish is getting another beating. So as much as it pained him to do it, he kept his back turned to the house he used to live in, and he walked away. He was still unsure of where he would go, where he could go, but one thing he did know, was that he would be back for Kirino. He would do his best to stand by her side, no matter what he would have to do. Kyousuke looked up into the sky, and could barely see the light of the moon through the clouds. As he looked upward, a snowflake had landed on his cheek. The initial touch sent a chill through his spine, but soon that feeling had changed into some sense of happiness. He forced a smile onto his face, even though it was just for a second, and then set out down the street, making his way to town.

He walked for what seemed like hours, even though in reality it was only minutes. The coldness of the outside world failed to compare to the coldness he felt on the inside. At this point he wasn't sure what felt worse, not having a home to go back to, or not being able to be with Kirino. Time marched forward, and soon he found himself in the middle of town, walking down the empty streets. No stores were open at this hour, so naturally there would be no people. The only light in the area was the light that the Christmas tree gave off. Kyousuke looked to the tree, and slowly his head started to tilt backwards as he looked up to the star that rested on top. Why was this happening to him? He just wanted a normal life. He wanted a normal school with normal friends, and above all, a normal sister. So why is his life the exact opposite? Sure school may be pretty normal, but his friends were anything but, and of course, Kirino is the farthest thing from a normal sister. He did have some great times with her, but was what was happening really worth it? He'd been caught red-handed, and evicted from his house. He was now alone, wandering aimlessly through the streets of town with nowhere to go. Nobody could possibly understand him, even if he did have the guts to tell somebody what was happening.

Kyousuke eventually found himself worn out, and took a seat on a bench that was nearby. He kept his hands in his pockets, trying to keep them warm. He leaned backwards on the bench and looked upward. The snow was starting to pick up, and there were small gusts of wind that were starting to blow, causing the snow to whip around in the air. A strong shiver was sent down his spine as the coldness of the night started to finally get to him.

"Kyousuke..?" A voice called out to him. Kyousuke was taken by surprise as he turned his head over his shoulder.

"Akagi?" Kyousuke spoke quietly as he was in disbelief. "What are you doing out?"

"I should be asking you the same question. You look like hell, are you okay?" Akagi showed concern for his friend as he took a seat on the bench next to him. Kyousuke hadn't noticed, but now that he thought about it, he imagined that he probably did look like hell. He had been crying so his eyes were probably red, the coldness of the night probably turned his face a redish purple, his knuckles had dried blood on them, and his nose was runny.

"Well…I've been better," Kyousuke tried to joke about it but his humor failed to lighten the mood.

"What happened? Something big it looks like otherwise I don't think you'd be out this late on Christmas Eve by yourself."

"It's…well, it's a long story. Besides, you're out here by yourself too aren't you?"

"Well yeah, but I don't look like shit. I'm out here because of my sister, she just couldn't-" Kyousuke cut him off with a small chuckle.

"Your sister huh…it seems like we're out here because of the same people, just completely different reasons..."

"Eh? Did you guys have a fight or something?"

"Sort of I guess. It wasn't really her fault though; it was my own stupidity that led me here." Kyousuke gritted his teeth, trying to hold back the tears. Akagi could see that his eyes were starting to water up.

"Why don't you just go back home and apologize?" Akagi was trying to sound sympathetic, but he was doing a bad job.

"I can't go back...something happened and I can't go back to that house. I'm not welcome there anymore…" The first tear had silently made its way down Kyousuke's face as he spoke. Akagi's face was now very concerned, and Akagi himself was very confused.

"Damn dude, I don't think I wanna know what you did…but I'm sure whatever it was, was for the right reasons. You're smart enough to know the consequences of your actions, so whatever you did, I don't think you did it for nothing. But that's enough out of me, I'm sure the last thing you want right now is a sympathy speech. Come on, I just bought the entire first season of Accel World and we're watching all of it tonight." Akagi put a smile on his face as he stood up from the bench. Kyousuke looked to Akagi with a confused look on his face.

"No, I couldn't do that. It's Christmas Eve, you should go be with your family-"

"This year my mom and dad are both gone out of town for a few days so we already had our Christmas, and the likelihood of Sena actually wanting to do something with me tomorrow is very small considering she got the new Make Out Men game-" Akagi paused and cleared his throat. "Anyways, she'll be pretty occupied for a while so don't worry. Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I let you freeze outside?" Kyousuke forced a smile on his face and walked next to his friend.

"Thanks Akagi…" He mumbled. The two began to walk, making their way to Akagi's house.

"You know, I'm not sure I remember the last time you were over, it's been a long time," Akagi said.

"You're right…it has been a long time indeed. I guess I was just so occupied with Kirino that I-" Kyousuke stopped himself. His gaze became fixed on the ground as he slowed his walking pace.

"…If you don't mind me asking, what's your relationship with Kirino?" Kyousuke flinched at the question. What was he supposed to say? 'She's my sister and that's all.' That would be the logical thing to say, but then how many more lies would he have to come up with to explain why he was evicted from his house. He could just be honest and say that she was his girlfriend, but was that any better? What if Akagi viewed him differently and took back his invite to stay at his place for the night for fear that his sister might be at risk? This was a situation that Kyousuke had wanted to avoid.

"Would you judge me?" Kyousuke replied in a monotone voice. Akagi looked to Kyousuke, a serious look in his eyes.

"No. I wouldn't." Akagi replied firmly. Kyousuke was kind of surprised by his response; he could tell that Akagi was being serious. "Maybe it'll help if I explain my relationship with Sena first." Akagi let out a soft smile. "Sena and I have always been close, but she doesn't like to admit it. Remember that night we ran into each other when those games were coming out? We were both there for the midnight release, both of us there for our sisters." Kyousuke nodded his head. "I'm sure you found out then that Sena has a habit of fantasizing about men loving other men, and sometimes she gets carried away, but do you know how many people would judge her if more people knew? She wouldn't be the same person. As her older brother I assumed responsibility for my role, and I supported her. I may not agree with the type of games she plays, but I won't judge her. She's my sister and I love her. And to be honest…sometimes I think my love for her is more than just a brotherly love… I know that sounds weird and disgusting, but it's how I feel. So, Kyousuke, now let me ask you the same question. Now that you've heard my side, will you judge me?" Kyousuke looked into Akagi's eyes, and could tell that he meant every word of what he said.

"No…I won't." Kyousuke replied. "You know that Kirino and I haven't always been on speaking terms, in fact for a long time we hated each other. She hated me for not being there when she was growing up, I hated her for…well for hating me I guess. We never spoke, never hung out, never did anything together. That was up until I found out that she has the same type of hobby that your sister has. She is what the outside world refers to as an otaku, but to me, she's my sister. I couldn't care less about what she hobbies she has, or why she chose the ones she did, and she could see that. That's why our relationship changed so suddenly, we had a new kind of bond being born. I knew a secret that she couldn't let anybody else find out about. We used that secret as a bridge to rebuild our relationship…and we built a relationship that became more than just a simple brother sister bond. Our feelings for each other deepened, and soon they got out of hand. We fell for each other."

"That's what I thought…" Akagi muttered. "I've seen you guys around town, and I've been wondering. I thought it was more than a coincidence running into you guys at that restaurant on Halloween, and since then I've been kind of curious. You probably haven't ever noticed me but I've been at that café a couple times when you and Kirino have gone there and that's when I was fairly certain." Akagi nodded his head as he spoke. Kyousuke was shocked to hear that Akagi had known so much and had never said anything.

"Y-you knew?" was all Kyousuke could mutter out.

"Like I said, I never knew, I just had high suspicion."

"You never said anything…"

"That's just who I am, I just don't care. If she makes you happy and you love each other than by all means don't let me stop you. Other people may look down upon it, actually I'm sure all of society looks down upon it, but as far as I'm concerned, I don't care. There are so many things going on in the world right now, wars, poverty, disasters, I mean who really cares about stuff like loving your sister? Sure it's wrong, but only deemed wrong by society and those who follow in its footsteps. Sometimes, you need to step outside of the normal, break away from society, and then find your own sense of happiness." Kyousuke stopped walking and let the words of Akagi sink into him.

"I didn't know you were so insightful Akagi," Kyousuke let out a soft chuckle. Even though he was being playful with him, the words that he spoke were very comforting and helpful.

"Don't get used to it," Akagi laughed back. He had stopped walking as well and was waiting for Kyousuke to regain his movement and catch up to him. "So now that we've been open with each other, can you tell me what happened?" Kyousuke took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly.

"We had gone out to spend the day together, but stuff happened and we got separated before we could spend it with each other, but eventually we met back up and I gave her her present when we got home. I wrote her a letter and I got her a Stardust Witch Meruru figure that had been autographed. Afterwards we went out to go look at the lights, and when we got back our dad confronted us in the living room. Apparently when our mom went to put Kirino's present in her room, she found the letter and brought it to our dad. After that things went downhill and he ended up saying some pretty nasty things and kicking me out of the house. I have to go back tomorrow morning for my stuff, but after that he doesn't care what I do or where I go." Kyousuke tried not to tear up again at the thought, and he was struggling pretty hard. Akagi let his shoulders relax as he put his hand on Kyousuke's shoulder.

"That's rough man, I'm sorry. Well listen, like I said my mom and dad are out of town for a few days and you're welcome to stay with me for a little bit. Anything I can do to help, just let me know."

"You really don't have to do that, but thanks Kouhei," Kyousuke forced a smile across his face.

"You used my first name, ha; it's been awhile since you've done that."

"Eh, shut up," Kyousuke nudged Akagi on the shoulder as they continued walking. They had walked most of the way already during the course of their conversation, so they only had a few minutes left before they arrived at his house.

When they finally arrived, Akagi was the first to step inside. His house was similar to Kyousuke's, but it had its own aura about it. The size and shape was the same but the detail and décor was different. Kyousuke followed him through the living room and up the stairs. On the way to Akagi's room they passed by Sena's room. Akagi stopped in front of her door for a second and knocked on it twice.

"Oy, Sena, I'm back. Kyousuke is here too." After a few seconds the door to her room opened up. Sena looked to Kyousuke with a smile on her face, and then turned to Akagi. She grabbed him by his coat and yanked him into her room, slamming the door behind him.

"A-Akagi?" Kyousuke mumbled. He was quickly, and violently, thrown back out of her room only after a few seconds.

"Geesh, she has no patience," Akagi said brushing his shoulder. "Anyways, my room is right here, come on." Akagi led the way to his room and walked inside. Once Kyousuke was in, the door was closed behind them. Kyousuke looked around his room, admiring all the things that were in there. He had posters up of attractive girls posing in bikinis, he had a rather large TV on the back wall, it must've been at least 42 inches. His bed was small and slender, much like Kyousuke's, and he also had a computer in his room that was resting on a desk.

"Alright! Let's get this marathon rolling!" Akagi shouted pulling out the season set of Accel World. "What do you think, should we cook up a pizza tonight? Or should we save it for tomorrow? Oh! Also if you get thirsty that big hunk of a cube over there is a mini fridge, help yourself."

"Geesh Akagi, do you have enough stuff in here?" Kyousuke asked laughing.

"Never! Anyways, what about pizza? You hungry?"

"Yeah, I am kinda hungry. I was so caught up with everything that was happening I haven't had dinner yet." Kyousuke looked around again before adding, "You don't happen to have a freezer and a stove stashed away in here too do you?" Akagi laughed at his comment.

"I keep it all under my bed! But sadly, no I don't. I actually have to move and go down the stairs." They both let out a sigh before sharing a laugh.

"This is why we're friends," Kyousuke said. Akagi nodded his head in agreement.

"Alright well I'm going to get the oven ready. We should be able to finish the first episode before the pizza is done." And with that Akagi left the room and went down the stairs. Kyousuke sprawled out on his back on the floor and looked up into the ceiling, thinking about Kirino, wondering how she was doing, what her punishment was, will he be able to see her. He closed his eyes as he pondered his thoughts.

Dammit Kirino, we've really done it this time. What are we going to do now? I might not get to see you for a long time… what if I never see you again…

'Baka!' Kirino's voice ran through his head. He shot open his eyes at the sudden appearance of her voice. He smiled softly as he knew that's exactly what she would've said. But she was right, he was being an idiot, thinking negatively doesn't have positive results.

I will see you again. If it's the last thing I do, if I have to go through hell and back, if I have to stand toe to toe with our father, I will see you again. As his thoughts faded away from him he could picture Kirino smiling at him, her bright blue eyes being so comforting, her strawberry-blond hair flowing gracefully behind her head, her pink hair clip making her stand out in a crowd. His peaceful thoughts were broken when he heard the sound of Akagi's footsteps rushing up the stairs. He emerged back inside the room and got the disc ready to play.

"You ready?" Akagi asked, slipping the disk inside the DVD player. Kyousuke nodded his head and sat up, now resting his back against Akagi's bed. The main screen popped up, and Akagi pushed the play button on the remote. As the anime began to start, Kyousuke started to lighten up a little, not worrying so much about life at the time. He would enjoy his night at Akagi's tonight, and worry about Kirino and his father tomorrow. Who knows what the next day will bring, but Kyousuke was not looking forward to it. He didn't want to confront his father again, and even more than that, he didn't want to have to think about where he was going to go after his time at Akagi's was up, or what he was going to do.

The first episode came and went in a matter of minutes, and soon Akagi was downstairs and back with a freshly made pizza. It was a simple pizza that only had pepperoni on it, but they didn't care, they both loved it.

"This is delicious! Wouldn't you agree?" Akagi smirked chomping down on a slice. Kyousuke nodded his head.

"This is the best tasting thing I've had in ages!"

"It's so good!

"Magnificent!

"Bravisimo!" They were both praising this pizza like it was a God. They were all hyper and jittery, but that soon stopped when Akagi's door came flying open, smashing into his wall. Sena was on the other side and looked like she was going to kill someone. Startled by the sudden noise, Akagi and Kyousuke both clung to each other and let out a slight scream for a second.

"Shut. Up." Sena said. Akagi and Kyousuke looked to each other and then quickly let go of the other, slightly embarrassed.

"R-right…sorry," Akagi bowed his head while letting out an awkward laugh. A simple "Hmph" was all Sena gave for a response as she turned and slammed the door back shut.

"That was freaky," Kyousuke muttered.

"Yeah, when she starts in on her…hobby…she doesn't like being distracted and she becomes a totally different person." Kyousuke let out a sigh.

"I know how that goes…" The two shared another laugh before resuming the demolition of the pizza.

They continued to watch the anime until their bodies could no longer function and they were forced to go to sleep.

"Well…we made it through eight episodes at least…" Akagi mumbled, trying to keep his eyes open.

"Black Lotus…is so hot…" Kyousuke mumbled back.

"Dude that's like…not right. She's like the same age as- ha ha oh yeah…"

"Shut…shut up Akagi." The two spoke like they were high; they had to think carefully about what they were saying otherwise their words would turn into unrecognizable mumbles. Eventually they both passed out, Akagi on his bed, and Kyousuke on the floor.

Soon morning came, and the moment of truth would be quickly arriving upon Kyousuke. He would be going to confront his father once more and get his things. He wondered if he would get to see Kirino again while he was there, or if he would have to figure something else out. Kyousuke struggled to wake himself up, but eventually managed to get there. Akagi was already up and out of bed, and Kyousuke assumed he was downstairs. He pulled himself to his feet and headed down the stairs. Akagi was sitting at the table, eating a breakfast that looked like it had been prepared by Sena, seeing as how she was still in an cooking apron.

"Morning Kyousuke!" Akagi said cheerfully. "Sit down, grab a bite, relax a little."

"Sorry, I think I'll pass for now. I just want to go get my stuff and get it over with. If food is still present when I get back, then I'll be glad to pig out." Kyousuke smiled at the two.

"Eh, suit yourself. I can't promise there will be any food left though." Akagi laughed as he continued stuffing his face. Kyousuke made his way to the door and slipped on his shoes, getting ready to leave.

"Oh! Kyousuke!" Sena spoke up, she wore a very happy look on her face.

"Huh?"

"Merry Christmas!" Kyousuke smiled back at her.

"Merry Christmas," He replied. Kyosuke took his leave from their house, and started making his way back to his own. The walk there was silent as he went alone, and soon he arrived in front of his doorstep. He gulped down a mouthful of ice cold air as he walked up on the steps and knocked on the door. He tried to make his face expressionless, but he was failing to do so. A few seconds passed before the door opened up. His father was on the other side and was looking at him with the same cold, piercing eyes as yesterday.

"I'm here for my things," Kyousuke said. His father said nothing back, just grunted and opened up the door. Kyousuke stepped inside and made his way towards the living room where everything was packed up. But something was odd, he didn't have this much stuff. There were plenty of bags and suitcases, way more than what would be needed for his things.

"Is this…all mine?" Kyousuke asked confused.

"No. The ones on the left are yours, those few over there. These are Kirino's." His father replied. Kyousuke's eyes shot open.

"What do you mean?! You're kicking her out too?! She's not even in high school yet!" Kyousuke turned to his father with complete frustration.

"Hmph, stupid child! You know nothing!"

"Then what are you planning to do huh?! Where is she?! I want to talk to her!"

"That's impossible." His father replied, his voice strong and stern.

"And just why is that?"

"Because Kirino is at the airport. She'll be taking the morning plane back to America today, to finish out the next four years of her education."

Kyousuke's eyes widened as he stared into his father's eyes. His heart sank down into his stomach, lower than it had ever sunk before. Was Kirino really out of his reach?