Morg: Thanks for the support guys! There is only one chapter left after this one! At least, that is what I'm planning for now! I'm just happy that some of you gave this a chance! I know most people don't like Yoai. I hope that it is completely believable for you!

~It Has to be You~

Everything was set. Tadase was accepted to begin treatment at a hospital a couple of hours away. All Ikuto had to do was arrange for him to get there. After talking with the police, they agreed to transport Tadase with a squad car since the back doors couldn't be opened from the inside. Now all they had to do was catch him. Ikuto wasn't sure if he wanted to be there or not for that part since Kukai had said that Tadase tended to freak out.

Knocking on his sister's door, Ikuto listened as someone got up to open it for him. "Yo Amu."

Amu nodded to him before retreating to the bed and climbing onto it to sit beside Utau and Kukai. Utau looked a little surprised to find her brother in her room again. "What's up, Ikuto?"

His gaze shifted across the three of them looking at him before he settled his eyes on his sister. "I made the arrangements for Tadase. I was just wondering if Amu wanted to come with me to help the police get him off the streets and into their car since they'll be driving him and he knows us."

"I doubt it'll make a difference if I'm there. He doesn't recognize any of us anymore."

The pinkette seemed so nonchalant about the situation that it sort of angered Ikuto. This was the second time in two days that she'd managed to piss him off with just her words. Amu had definitely changed. She sort of reminded him of his sister. His sister that was now nodding in agreement to what Amu had just said. "That's not the point of coming along."

Kukai shook his head as he looked at the two girls on the bed with him. "I thought you both had more class than this. Ikuto, if it is alright I'd like to come along."

Nodding his head of blue hair, Ikuto sent a hard look at the girl he used to love and his sister. He thought he still had feelings for Amu but she seemed so different now. Corrupted and he wasn't the one to corrupt her, and it was not in a good way. "Sure."

The two boys exited the room and headed down the hall. Ikuto only stopped for a moment to grab his wallet and keys to his car before he and Kukai went out into the garage. Once they were on their way down the road, Ikuto broke the silence. "Thanks for coming with me."

Kukai only grinned before rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish manner. "He's my friend too, right? It is only natural for me to want to be there for him."

"What happened to Amu?"

"What do you mean?"

Maybe it was just in Ikuto's imagination but Kukai looked a little tense after he asked that question. "I mean, she used to be so caring and go out of her way to help anyone. What happened to her?"

Kukai was silent for a few moments before he answered. "She started hanging out with your sister a lot after you left. She still hangs out with other people if they call her but Amu no longer goes out of her way for her friends. She only does that for…"

Ikuto wanted to ask who Amu did that for, but the chance slipped away as they found the police cars that were parked on the road, blocking off an alley. "I guess they found him already."

They parked the car and got out to watch. The head officer nodded at Ikuto in recognition before turning back to watch Tadase being dragged out of dumpster. The blonde immediately began fighting his captors and screaming at the top of his lungs.

Kukai watched Ikuto as the taller teen's face turned paler than it usually was. Without thinking about what he was doing, he grabbed Ikuto's upper arm and squeezed it in reassurance. "He'll be okay. They're just helping him."

Ikuto only nodded blankly as he watched the officers put Tadase into a police car. After thanking the police, Ikuto and Kukai got back into Ikuto's car. The keys never made it to the ignition before his gaze got stuck as he stared out the windshield.

Kukai noticed right away that Ikuto was shaking a little. Almost as if there were too many emotions going through his body for him to handle. "You know, for being such an alley cat, you care about everyone a lot. I thought alley cats only worried about themselves?"

For a second or two Ikuto sat in silence and stared out his windshield. "I guess I changed more than I thought."

Then they laughed together.

XXX

"Hey Utau, do you have a moment?"

The blonde lifted her head to look at her brother. "Yeah sure. What's up?"

Ikuto hesitated. For some reason, the ordeal with Tadase wasn't hitting him as hard as he thought it would. Kukai had given him the right amount of reassurance as the boy had whispered that everything would be alright while they'd been taking the struggling crazy boy away. That alone confused Ikuto. Only his father, and previously Amu, had the power to calm him down when situations got too emotional for him. Something irked him and he just couldn't figure out what it was. So he went to the person that knew him second best, his sister. "What's the relationship between Amu and Kukai?"

Utau froze for a moment. This would be the perfect chance to tell her brother, but she and Amu wanted to do it together. Besides, Ikuto had asked about Amu and Kukai. "They're best friends, why? Does it bother you that Kukai spends so much time here? I could ask him to stop but he doesn't have anywhere else to really go."

That made Ikuto hesitate for a moment. Why did he care about their relationship? The reason he was asking, was it because of Amu? For some reason, he knew that wasn't it. "Why don't you guys ever hang out at Amu's house?"

Utau couldn't help but laugh at that question. "Simple, Ami."

Ah, the little sister that Ikuto had almost completely forgotten about.

"That and her parents don't like me much anymore."

One eyebrow lifted up Ikuto's forehead. "Why not? Aren't you the loveable superstar?"

Laughing nervously, Utau rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, that's a long story. I'll tell you later. Anyways, Kukai doesn't like going over there because Ami has a massive crush on him."

"Not into younger girls?"

"Not everyone is a pervert like you, Ikuto."

The siblings shared a short laugh before Ikuto made his sister gasp with his next comment. "That was before though. Something about Amu has changed and I don't feel the same about her as I did before. Though, I'm still trying to see if the old Amu is there."

Utau didn't know what to say as her brother walked away from her. What could she say? If Amu had changed, it was her fault. At first, Utau had convinced Amu to hang out with her with the intentions of making Amu hate her brother so Utau could have him all to herself again. Things had changed though, when the pop star hung out with the pinkette. At first, both girls didn't understand, but soon enough they were on the same page.

With a sigh, Utau went in search of her room where she knew her best friends were waiting for her. The feeling in her chest felt like relief now that she knew her brother was no longer interested in her already taken friend, but Utau still felt a sense of foreboding hanging in the air.

XXX

Ikuto stood in shock in the middle of the hall. He couldn't believe his ears, but the reoccurring noises were forcing him to.

"Ahhhh Utau, hhhhmmmm. Oh! Right there! Do that again!"

The sultry laugh of his sister made Ikuto think very dirty thoughts. Part of him wanted to try the door to see if what he heard was matching up with what was actually happening. Maybe Utau was just giving Amu a rather good backrub. Nevertheless, Ikuto stood in complete shock. He couldn't move from where he stood. Not until a new voice broke the air.

"Ikuto? What are you…"

Slowly, the taller man turned to face the shorter of the two. The expression on his face must have been horror mixed with confusion as Kukai approached him. The brown haired voice had died out when a rather loud moan filled the air. Panic was all Ikuto saw in the other boy's eyes. "W-what?"

Kukai gulped. There was no way he was going to lie to Ikuto. Despite what the girls had told him about the older man, he liked him. Ikuto had stood up and taken care of Tadase when no one else would or could. He supported his sister's dreams and followed his own without letting anyone stop him. Kukai was not about to lie to him. "They're… I… You…"

Unfortunately, nothing would come out. The brown haired boy stuttered ruthlessly as he faced the older man's gaze. Words just stuck to his throat.

Ikuto found the nervousness of the other boy to be slightly cute, which broke him out of his stupor. "So that's the person that Amu has been seeing. Aren't you upset that Utau is with Amu rather than you? I thought you liked her?"

Like a deer in the headlights, Kukai froze for a second. "W-what? Why would you think that I would want to be with Utau? Don't get me wrong! She's a great girl but… I… I'm…"

There was that not being able to talk thing again.

Ikuto moved forward with a smirk on his face. The girls behind the door he'd just been standing in front of were completely forgotten. "You what?"

Kukai swallowed hard. "I'm gay."

The words were so soft that Ikuto almost didn't hear them. Unable to react for a mere second, Ikuto watched as the embarrassed boy took off in a run back the way he'd come. The taller man felt terrible. He hadn't expected that to be what the other boy was going to say. In all honesty, Ikuto hadn't seen that coming. From what he remembered of the boy, he was all smiles and cheese, sure, but he'd also been rather athletic and popular.

Still frozen in the hallway for an entirely new reason, Ikuto cringed as he heard the door behind him open. He didn't want to face the girls that he now knew were lovers. So he decided to play it cool. Walking down the hallway as if he hadn't been outside the door the entire time, Ikuto kept his face straight although they couldn't see it.

Amu froze at the sight before her. Ikuto was walking rather stiffly away from Utau's room and she knew that he must have heard something. "I-Ikuto?"

Stopping his movements, Ikuto refused to turn around. "Yes?"

"W-what are you d-doing?"

With a sigh, Ikuto continued on his way down the hall. He had a lot to think about at the moment and the stutters from his sister's lover, the girl he used to love was not something he needed to add on top of everything else. "Going to my room, Amu."

A shiver ran down her spine at the rather cold response she received from the boy she thought would never be mean to her. "I-I want to… C-can I… I-Ikuto…"

What was it with everyone trying to talk to him today and only starting their sentences? "Do you love her?"

Amu lowered her head and glanced to the side to see that Utau was still in her bathroom. The older girl frequently went to shower after they had some alone time so that she'd be clean for whenever Kukai showed back up. The boy had asked only once to not have to smell their activities for the girls to agree to clean up right away. Utau would not hear their conversation. "I do now. At first she was just helping to be ready for when you came back. Now, I- I don't want anyone else."

Ikuto turned his head to see her out of the corner of his eye. He stayed that way until she looked up at him. Nodding his head only once, he continued on his way down the hall. So many things made sense now. Why Kukai was always leaving them alone in Utau's room and why they all seemed a little tense when Ikuto was around. This must also be the reason that Amu's parents didn't like Utau. Things just fell into place in his mind.

Two things still bothered him, however. The first was why they hadn't told him right away. Granted, they couldn't have known his reaction but Utau was his only sister. Amu should've known that he wouldn't do or say anything stupid.

Second, Kukai was gay? There were hints to it now, as Ikuto thought back about the times he'd been with the younger boy. His movements were graceful and rather feminine, though Ikuto thought of them as being more submissive than anything else. So he was the submissive type? For reasons Ikuto refused to think about, he was smiling at that thought.

XXX

To say that Kukai was nervous would belittle the state he was in. He was terrified. The teen hadn't seen Ikuto since he'd come out to him in the middle of the hallway. There was no reason for him to act the way he was, but Kukai couldn't help but feel shy. He liked Ikuto. Maybe not in the way Utau and Amu teased him, but the opinion of the older male mattered and Kukai didn't want to hear him say that he was disgusted by him.

Silently, he walked down the hallway towards the kitchen. While Amu and Utau were being understanding and had comforted him when he'd told them about his meeting with Ikuto, they'd given him the subtle get out or watch warning. Kukai hence retreated to the kitchen. Hoping to not run into Ikuto quite yet, he moved with all the noise of a cat. Peeking around corners and listening hard for the other man's whereabouts, Kukai jumped out of his skin when a silky voice spoke behind him.

"Avoiding me and giving them space?"

Turning to face a rather hot smirk, Kukai gulped. His cheeks instantly reddened and he hoped that Ikuto wouldn't tease him and bully him now that he knew that Kukai was 'different'. "I was just-"

"Going to the kitchen? I've been following you since my room. Why are you moving so slowly? What could possibly be interesting enough to make you stop for five minutes at every corner?"

Gulping again, Kukai felt his face only heat up more now that he was caught. "Don't… don't hate me."

Stunned. That was what Ikuto was. Stunned. Stunned that Kukai's voice could come out so meek and mild when the boy was usually full of confidence and energy. "Why would I hate you? For keeping a secret for your two best friends? That makes no sense."

Shaking his head, Kukai tried to explain what he was talking about. "No, not for that. I would call you an idiot if you were mad at me for that. I just… I don't want you to treat me differently since I told you…"

His voice had gained a little confidence only for him to lose it again. Ikuto understood what he was saying and helped the poor boy out. "You mean, don't hate you because you're gay."

Swallowing hard and nodding, Kukai kept his eyes on his feet and refused to raise his head. He was waiting for some sort of physical or verbal blow. Like the ones he'd received from his brothers and old friends at school. There was a reason that Kukai only hung out at Ikuto and Utau's house. "Yes, that."

Without being able to hold it in any longer, Ikuto chuckled. With one hand, he lifted Kukai's chin so that the other boy had to make eye contact. "Did you forget that I've traveled the world? I've met more gays than you probably have. Some of my best friends are gay. Why would that matter to me?"

The relief that Kukai thought he'd never feel was finally there. Sure, Amu and Utau accepted him and his lifestyle but no males ever had. Tadase had been crazy by the time Kukai figured it out and Nagi was dealing with his own dilemmas so Kukai hadn't even tried. "My brothers beat the shit out of me when they found out and my mother no longer looks at me. Not that she did much before, although she used to care if I came home and now she'd rather I didn't."

Ikuto frowned at that information and let the chin of the other boy go. It bothered him that so many people could narrow their minds to the point where they turned against their own family and loved ones. "Well that's too bad for them. Tell me, what have you lost since you told them?"

Kukai thought about it for a moment. He didn't lose much since he told his mother, but to have his brothers scorn him was hard to take. "I lost my brothers. We used to play sports together and hang out. I don't have friends anymore expect those love birds in Utau's room and we don't do anything but hang out here because Utau always gets mobbed when she goes outside."

Ikuto thought over those words for a moment longer before he decided. "Then we're going to do that stuff together. No reason for you to have to suffer. Besides, I took this break to relax and have fun like a normal person. Why don't we help each other out?"

Kukai couldn't help but grin at that. He felt elated and didn't want to come down any time soon. Not only did Ikuto accept him, but he was still willing to hang out with him. "I think I can manage that!"

Glad to see that Kukai was his more normal self, Ikuto congratulated himself on doing the right thing and helping out his newly acquired friend. "Great, so what do you want to do first?"

"Can we play soccer? It's been a while since I've even touched a ball."

The nod that Kukai received made his heart flutter and he couldn't believe that he was actually going to play again. At least, he wanted think that it was his excitement to play soccer that made his heart flutter.

XXX

"So how do you want to do this?"

Kukai stared at the other man for a moment before he just shrugged.

They were awkwardly standing in the middle of an empty soccer field with a ball on the ground between them. They had planned on playing one on one but the more Kukai thought about it, the more his mind focused on how hot and sweaty they were about to get and how much physical contact was going to happen between them. He knew that Ikuto had accepted him but he didn't know how the older boy felt about the touching part.

Ikuto sighed. The problem wasn't that he didn't know how to play soccer; he just wasn't sure how Kukai felt about the game just being the two of them. "It is just a game, right? Don't be so worried about offending me. I've been hit on my guys before. I mean look at me, I'm extremely good looking."

Lifting his head to stare at Ikuto with a mixture of shock and confusion, Kukai had to admit that Ikuto was extremely good looking but also extremely egotistical. "Sure, if that's what you want to call it. Are you sure they didn't mistake you for a girl?"

"Hey now! If anyone is girly out of you and me, it's you!"

Kukai scoffed right as he made a move with the ball. His foot rolled around the top to claim the ball as if he'd never stopped playing the game. "Well then this girl is going to kick your ass!"

The game began. Ikuto was pleased to see that he'd managed to get Kukai to stop being so awkward even though the boy blushed hard whenever he realized he'd just made a move that brought his body in contact with Ikuto's. Not like Ikuto minded. It wasn't like Kukai was some fat, ugly person. The boy was rather good looking as well, not that Ikuto was going to tell him so.

XXX

Panting, Kukai collapsed dramatically in the middle of the field.

Ikuto chuckled before coming to stand over the heaving boy. "Yep! That settles it."

"Settles what?"

Ikuto only smirked at the slightly confused boy on the ground. "You are gay."

"Yah! Don't say it like that!"

Laughing, Ikuto helped the other boy to stand before slinging his arm around Kukai's shoulders. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your dramatic moment if you treat me to some sushi."

Kukai was smiling until Ikuto brought up going out to eat. He couldn't afford that. The job he'd been working had recently fired him and since he had no current source of income, Kukai didn't dare spend what he had. Lowering his head in shame, he mumbled out his reply. "I-I can't pay for that."

"Then you lead the way and I'll buy!"

The look on Kukai's face was pure surprise as he looked up at the older boy. There was no way that Ikuto could be serious. They were sweaty and gross and definitely needed a change of clothes and a shower before they went anywhere, and yet, Ikuto demanded they go now. He was definitely different from everyone else Kukai knew. "Then how is that me treating you? You're going to tell everyone about my diva moments!"

"Oh stop pouting! The only people I could actually tell are Utau and Amu. Why bother them though? So let's just go eat and call it good."

They were all wrong about this man. At least, that is what Kukai decided in that moment. Ikuto was more than just a black cat of misfortune. He was a man that cared about his friends and Kukai felt blessed in that moment that Ikuto had come home. For however long the man would be staying, Kukai wanted to be by his side.

XXX

"Damn you!"

"Don't be pissed because I have moves."

"Can't you just let one in?"

"That wouldn't be fair. You have to work for it."

"But you're a freaking cat! How am I supposed to get it past your grace and agility!"

"So you finally admit that I'm amazing. About time, soccer boy!"

"Don't call me that!"

Kukai sent a rather hard kick to the soccer ball at his feet. Once again, Ikuto managed to snatch the flying object out of the air before it could even think about going inside the goal he was protecting. Kukai had been kicking balls at him for over two hours and hadn't scored once. Ikuto was just too fast. His muscular body allowed him to move quickly and stop everything.

"Well, apparently your anger doesn't make you any better."

Kukai dropped to the ground with a pout. He sat there facing Ikuto and made sure the other man knew his pain. Ever since Ikuto had agreed to spend time playing with him, Kukai had worked out more and regained his hard body he'd had in high school. He'd never been overly muscular to the point where it was gross, but he no longer felt sluggish anymore. That was all thanks to Ikuto.

"Stop pouting! Do you really think some cute face like that is going to work on me?"

"Hey! I'm not cute!"

"I didn't say you were!"

Scowling now, Kukai spun himself while still seated on the grass and dirt to face away from Ikuto. Someone deserved the silent treatment for saying that Kukai wasn't cute.

Chuckling, Ikuto licked his lips before sneaking up on the unsuspecting male. Bending so that his head came into view of Kukai's eyes, albeit upside down, Ikuto smirked in the boy's face. "That is definitely not a cute face either."

With a quick movement, Kukai stuck his tongue out and turned his face away so he wouldn't have to see the other male. His heart was beating profusely in his chest and he refused to believe that it was because Ikuto's face was so close to his. In the past few weeks, Kukai had come to realize that he liked Ikuto more than he should. He liked him more than as a friend and he liked him more than as a brother. He couldn't go as far as to say that he had a crush on the guy, he just knew he liked him more than normal.

Ikuto enjoyed the time he spent with the energetic boy. Everyone always told him to be careful of his hands while he was on tour. That was something that Ikuto hated. So what if his hands got injured and he could never play again? There were other things he could do with his life. He rather he could just be normal and worry about it if something actually happened. Kukai never said anything about it. In fact, he was the one that suggested that Ikuto should be goalie. That was something no one would allow if Ikuto was on tour. He liked being a rebel and liked that Kukai was helping him without knowing. The boy just seemed so innocent sometimes.

Softly, Ikuto nudged Kukai with his foot. "Hey, shall we go get cleaned up and head to Utau's concert?"

Kukai nodded before heading off to his home, leaving Ikuto to go in a different direction. Sure, he spent most of his time at Utau and Ikuto's house. He even had a lot of his clothes there, but Kukai was doing his monthly home check in so that his family at least knew that he was alive. He'd meet back up with Ikuto within an hour or so. Kukai just hoped that his visit to his house would go smoothly.

XXX

Ikuto stood stunned at the backdoor entrance to the concert hall Utau was performing in. The taller boy had been waiting for his newfound best friend to show up and was slightly worried when he was late. Now, however, he was extremely pissed off by what he saw. Kukai stood before him with a black eye and a cut lip. "Your brothers?"

Head tilted down in shame, Kukai nodded.

Ikuto would have none of that. His hand was quick to find the other boy's chin and he lifted it so Kukai had to look at him. "Don't be ashamed. If anyone should be ashamed it should be them. Ashamed for turning their backs on you. I don't want you to ever go back."

Kukai felt his cheeks heat up as he blushed hard. The contact with the other boy made his heart rate pick up but Kukai shoved the feelings away. He couldn't possibly start liking and then ruin the relationship he had with Ikuto. There would be no reason for him to continue living if he was going to be alone again.

They entered the concert hall and took their designated spots backstage to watch as Ikuto's sister rocked the place. Fans screamed and the music was good. Afterwards, Kukai went to Utau's dressing room to congratulate her on another wonderful performance. He walked in to find Utau already being congratulated by Amu in an entirely different way.

The kiss between the two girls broke as Kukai entered the room; however, they continued to smile at one another until Amu excused herself. She'd seen the way Kukai looked and would rather not be involved with the issue. Utau was much better at handling that sort of thing.

"Great job tonight, Utau."

"You went home?"

Kukai bit his lip before nodding his head. "My brothers were working on cleaning out my room. They just threw everything away. I have no home now."

Utau crossed the room to pull her best friend into a hug. "Live with us. I'm sure Ikuto won't mind. I've noticed that you two have gotten rather close lately."

Shaking his head, Kukai didn't want to think about it. "He's a great friend."

"Just a friend?"

"I… I can't afford to let him be anything more. What if he gets repulsed and I screw everything up? Then I'll go back to having no one and I don't know if I can live with that."

Utau rubbed the boy's back before shushing him. "Ikuto isn't like that. You can like him as much as you want or as little as you want. He will still treasure your friendship. Besides, wasn't he the one that suggested hanging out together in the first place? That obviously means that he finds you interesting and wants to be your friend."

Kukai felt his tears coming. Finally, someone was straight up telling him that it was okay for him to like Ikuto. So he acknowledged the feelings that he'd been shutting away as his tears began to fall. "I really, really like him! It isn't fair! Why does he have to be straight?"

Utau couldn't help but laugh at how distraught her friend sounded over her brother. "So move in with us and fanboy over him all you want."

There was a knock at the door before Kukai could answer and Ikuto entered to see his sister hugging his best friend. Kukai's face was hidden but he knew from the hold that Utau had on him, the boy had been crying. "What's going on?"

Utau caught the hint of anger and maybe jealousy from her brother as he sauntered into the room. "Kukai was kicked out. I'm trying to convince him to move in with us."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Kukai wiped his face before turning to look at Ikuto. His heart leapt with his newfound feelings and he couldn't help but grin a little. "Sorry, I was still in shock I guess."

Ikuto scoffed before crossing the space between him and the other boy to sling his arm around Kukai's shoulders. "Of course you are moving in with us. There wouldn't be much of a difference considering you're already there all the time anyways. Now, however, you'll have a permanent room as your own. You can have your pick of the rooms too. Hell, if you want Utau's girly room I'll move her stuff out of there for you."

His sister slapped his arm while Kukai let out a groan and made a face. "I don't like girly shit! Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I love pink!"

"It doesn't?"

Kukai and Ikuto left while still arguing. Utau could only smile. So Kukai liked her brother. From what she saw just a few minutes ago, her brother seemed to be unaware of how much he liked Kukai back. It was time for Utau to start scheming.

.

Morg: Here's part two! Thanks for the support guys! Love ya Mi!