Prison

It caused an uproar. News, internet, newspapers, words of mouth. That a certain young man killed another and tried to kill his own brother. The object of the crime was smothered by Misaki's finger prints and Takahiro's due to self-defense. Usami Akihiko's witness' statement made the case stronger. But Misaki's confession nailed his coffin shut.

After a stressful whirl of events, he was brought into some privately owned prison after a verdict of life imprisonment. In just a night, Takahashi Misaki became one of the most hated. All the while, his brother, Takahashi Takahiro, who sealed his mouth shut due from Misaki's wishes became a hero in the medical world.

Two weeks. Two weeks without any contact from anyone, and Misaki just stared at the concrete walls inches thick before him. The room was a box of concrete, so much different than the bars he was expecting. No sound. No movement. No color. Nothing to do. Nothing to live by.

That time, Misaki realized then the meaning of 'time is dragging'. He could go crazy just by sitting at one corner. And he was supposed to stay there his entire lifetime? Seventy years, more or less?

"It's okay...Nii-chan for sure...is what the world needs..." the boy cheered himself. Though they were like sand against his tongue.

Misaki sighed and looked at the small table at the corner. Only his clothes were there. And the picture he used to put in the locket in between. It was a picture of him and his brother when they were still young. But what was important for the teen was what was at the back of it.

"Oi, someone's here to have a word with you."

It broke Misaki's train of thoughts and hurriedly, the teen looked up at the huge man in uniform who opened the steel door for him.

"Someone?" Misaki repeated but since he last talked two weeks ago, his voice was croaky.

The bulky man moved aside, revealing a man so familiar to him. Tall, handsome and his face said it all. He abhored Misaki. Usami Akihiko abhored Takahashi Misaki to the pits of hell.

"You may leave."

The sound of the metal door scraping against the concrete hurt Misaki's ears. But the teen couldn't even flinch. He didn't know whether to stand and greet the man. Or remain like a demented boy in one corner.

"My family owns this place..." Usami whispered. His eyes could burn a hole at the teen's head. "I could kill you right now and no one would know."

Misaki just cuddled into the corner. Hugging his knees to his chest. His prison clothes bulky. Anyone would feel pity. But not Usami.

The older man took more steps closer to the boy's mattress. His shoes clicking sharply, bouncing in all the corners of the grave of the living.

"Tell me. Why?"

The boy just bit his bottom lip. "Why?"

Usami sat at the edge of the bed. His chiselled body and tense muscles due to anger very obvious. His jaws clashing as the man remembered something.

"He told me he was jealous of his brother before and even to me jokingly...poor boy...lacking of self-confidence."

"Because you're useless?" Usami asked without even an expression. His lavender eyes colder than ice. "Hey...have you gone mute?"

"I didn't kill him..."

Misaki wanted for some reason to just sink where he was.

"Why...?" Usami repeated. "I SAID WHY?!" he shouted, grabbing the teen's face, forcing Misaki to have eye contact with him. "Because you're jealous of them?"

"I already accepted that I am not as good as Nii-chan long ago...but I've come to know my good points..." Misaki thought.

"WHAT?! ANSWER ME!" the man hissed at the boy's ear. His fingers digging onto Misaki's cheeks.

"I can cook...I can clean...and I am good at cheering people on..."

The boy's lips quivering not from fear but due to something else opened to say no. But Misaki...

"I guess... I don't know, I blacked out..." Misaki replied with a forced smile.

A slap almost breaking Misaki's neck echoed into the room. And the innocent boy's sobs escaped his mouth.

"Why then when it's me needing the cheering...No one's by my side?"

Usami grabbed Misaki's collar and pulled the thin boy close to him. His hot breath grazing at Misaki's skin.

"...Bastard...Bring Uruha back to life!" Usami screamed at Misaki's face before slapping the teen on the other cheek. He slapped him hard and strong. He slapped him with all his might. But it was never enough.

"I didn't mean it..." Misaki muttered threw broken sobs. "He didn't mean it..."

"You think killing you is enough?" Usami's eyes started turning red. He hated this murderer. But there was a small voice inside him who was hurting for the teen too. But he was all too absorbed by anger the voice was being drowned away. "I am going to make your life miserable...you don't know what you got yourself into...by crossing ways with me."

Misaki raised his hand and held on to the arm almost choking him. He couldn't almost see past the hot liquid in his eyes. But he had only one plea.

"Forgive me..." Forgive him...if he realizes it's his bestfriend who did that...Usami-san would get hurt more..."

Usami threw the boy against the wall. And Misaki scrambled on the corner once more. Shaking, trembling, crying, bleeding.

Running his huge hand over his face, Usami heaved a deep breath.

"Save your apologies. They mean nothing. I'd be glad to see you die slowly..."

Misaki clasped his hands over his mouth. If he didn't do that, he might scream his lungs out from the pain. His body and face were aching so bad. But the most was his heart. That beating organ who seemed to be shredded to into pieces each time Usami Akihiko glares at him. It was more painful than all physical pains he was feeling.

"I'm sorry..."

Usami turned to the door. "Uruha had four stabs on the chest...I'll let you experience how painful each was."

Usami went out, the locking sound of the metal door from the outside sounding much stronger.

The boy ran towards the table to grab something to wipe his sweat and tears off. Pulling the small towel, the photo he treasure for a long time fell on the floor gracefully. He was ten then and his brother was 18. With aching joints, he picked it up and turned it to the other side.

"I've liked him three years ago...when one day Nii-chan started mailing me all their photos and random stuff about his life in Tokyo..."

Misaki's eyes clouded once more as a smiling face of Usami came to view. A small picture he printed out and pasted at the back of his and brother's picture.

"Nii-chan told me all sorts of things about Uruha-san and Usami-san...all their wants...their personalities...and somehow...Usami-san drew me near... I know it is impossible..especially when he has Sugita-san by his side..."

His tears were the only witnesses for his unrequitted love.

"I was so happy to come to Tokyo because I will be able to see him and mingle with him. Even with just those things, I am fine and content...But this accident has to happen..."

And Misaki curled up in a small ball where he was. Crying silently as he was touching his swollen and painful face. Imagining a more happy and warm first meeting with Usami.

"How can I fall in love with just looking at his picture...crazy...I'm crazy..." he muttered gritting his teeth. "And now...I am hated."

Protect his brother. A plausible yet insane way of brotherly love by Misaki.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, it was all the same to Misaki. Days, nights, they were but a long and distant memory. The only thing to look forward to was the silverhaired man 'visiting' him.

Usami wouldn't do anything when he was sobber. He'd just stare at Misaki with eyes enough to tear at the boy's flesh. But when he's drunk, he'd turn into a fiend.

"He really, really loves Sugita-san..." Misaki thought as he stared at the meal before him.

In a row of all convicts, Misaki seemed to be the youngest. No one would talk to him. It was 'mind your fucking business'. Until an old man, his hair thinnning on top took the empty seat before Misaki.

"You're all beaten up every week young man," the old man commented. "You can just call me 'grandpa'.

"..."

Misaki's huge eyes wandered from his tray untouched tray of food to the stranger. The man's skin was pale and sagging. His body had turned into a small, bony and rigid form. His face full of wrinkles, and his sad gray eyes were smiling at was all enough to stir Misaki inside.

"...grandpa..." Misaki mumbled as droplets the old man knew fell from the brunette's young yet swollen face. "I...I am T-k-shi...M-sa...ki..."

The clanging of other utensils seemed faraway as the two at the far end corner of the dining hall looked into each other's faces.

"People are blind, aren't they?"

"..."

"My eyes know a murderer..." the old man whispered like in a fairytale. "What are you doing here?"

Something was pulling at Misaki's tongue he only gasped.

Grandpa sighed, his tired face painting a burdened look. "Long ago...I was framed. Perhaps you weren't born yet...I was twenty-three, sentenced to ninety years. It's basically a life imprisonment in its own way," he continued. "Are they expecting me to live until 113 years?" he laughed.

The brunette, gaining more attention from his hiccups started counting with his fingers. "There was a person who lived up to 115...Grandpa...if you hang on, you'll be able to go out."

The old man smiled. A smile that brightened up his old face. " You remind me of Spring you know. he sighed. "Thank you. It's not too late for you as well...I can feel it."

The time for the meal has ended as the bell filled the area. Misaki and the old man weren't able to eat but both seemed satisfied for some reason.

"Grandpa..." Misaki called as the old man stood from his seat. "Can...can we talk again tomorrow?"

"Hang on to your hope, kid."

At the break of dawn, Misaki lost all his will. Grandpa died in his own cell. A peaceful death at the age of 109.

Face buried on his knees, Misaki didn't care anymore about the sound of the familiar door scraping against the floor. He didn't look up at the sound of familiar footsteps. And he didn't look up at the familiar stench of alcohol that filled his living grave.

Misaki thought he could carry it out...turned out, he wasn't strong enough to take one's responsibility on his small shoulders.

"Aren't you going to say hi?"

The brunette who lost all his appetite the entire day pretended he did not hear anything. He just rocked himself back and fort, back and fort like a broken doll. Crying for Grandpa. Crying for his brother. Crying for Usami. Crying for himself.

"It's supposed to be Uruha's birthday today...you know that?" Usami's unsteady words got closer and closer. "We were so looking forward to it..."

"Grandpa...only four more years...me...why is this not enough...why torture me like this...?" Misaki whispered hurriedly not listening to Usami. "What would you do...if...if..."

"What?" Usami hissed.

His lavender eyes turned into slits, grabbing Misaki's wrist in the air. He was a little taken aback by the stare he got from Misaki.

Lips trembling, flushed face, small body, messy hair...was this murderer always like this? So alluring that Usami wanted to make him cry even more. Was Takahashi Misaki always this vulnerable he wanted to force himself on him so suddenly? Or was it because his head was swimming with booze?

Yeah, his anger and booze combined together turning into just lust.

Shocked, Misaki had no time to react after being grabbed by the hair. His back slammed against the wall. So strong to knock his breath away for a few seconds.

It was the first time, more than seeing a dead body Misaki felt his skin crawling. Usami's eyes weren't the same as they glared hard on him. He pushed and pushed. He struggled. Yet it didn't seem to matter.

"Did you think you can escape? Didn't I say I'd make you miserable?" Usami whispered. His breath smelling of alcohol, and smoke.

"No..-No..."

Was his prison shirt made of paper? Misaki wondered as he watched them got torn away by Usami's hands.

"Plea-se..." Misaki begged, still pushing Usami away.

But Usami wasn't him anymore. He was just any other drunkard lost in memories.

As Usami's fingers bore deep into Misaki's arms, the captive could just shake his head hastily.

A strangled moan escaped Misaki's mouth when Usami bit his ear. A moan no one could hear, see and even realize but the four corners of his cellar.

"I don't want this..." Misaki begged. "I don't wan-"

As if Misaki's chant just threw a stoke into the fire, the lost man forced his mouth on Misaki, shutting Misaki up.

Muffled voice. Sucking sound. Hurried movements. Misaki felt lightheaded. His knees were starting to fail him. He started going on with the flow. When with just a simple word, Misaki broke from a bitter-sweet dream.

"U-ru-ha..." Usami whispered into Misaki's lips.

That hurt Misaki. Hurt him so much that suddenly he got his strenght back and for the first time, got to slap someone so hard on the face his palm felt hot.

Usami was taken aback. Licking the corner of his lips that tasted salty.

"Why are you-" Misaki breathed in, getting his support to remain standing from the wall.

"Why isn't this enough Usami-san?!" Misaki shouted. "What would you do if it wasn't me!? WOULD YOU DO THIS TO MY BR-"

Misaki bit his tongue to stop himself. Suddenly his angry face turned sad. Like the crying he did still wasn't enough.

Usami for some reason stepped back. And as if there was a magnet pulling him deeper into Misaki's eyes, he stood frozen on the spot. The alcohol washing away, Misaki's desperate face became clearer. Everything in that gray room became foggy, the only thing engraving in his eyes were Misaki's emerald ones.

"I'VE LIKED YOU FOR SUCH A VERY LONG TIME AND THIS STUPID ME IS CRAZY ENOUGH NOT TO FEEL ANY ANGER TOWARDS YOU DESPITE THIS!"

A long deafening silence filled the cell. Heavy breathing from Usami, broken sobs from Misaki. It was a sound comparable perhaps to hell. Full of suffering and heaviness but noone has the ability but to keep on sinking even deeper.

"Like?"

Usami blinked a couple of times. His head registering what he just did. Hurting the boy physically, but trying to rape him? A streak of sweat ran down from Usami's forehead down to his nape as he watched the teen's naked upper body and bruised arms.

This abuse of power...since when did he turn like this?

Misaki swallowed hard and stepped towards Usami. Reaching out to Usami's conflicted face, his shaking fingers cupped the older man's face. It was barely a touch.

"Sugita-san, isn't the only person in the world who loves you..." Misaki whispered, smiling sadly.

"What the hell...are you saying..." Usami whispered back. Suddenly he slapped the hands away and turned for the door.

For some reason, Usami turned to look back at Misaki. The older man felt like crying himself.

"I'm sorry..." Usami mouthed out of nowhere.

"Sorry because he hurts me? Sorry because he couldn't return my feelings? Both?" were Misaki's thoughts as he watched Usami's pained face looking at him.

"I didn't want to try...assaulting you..."

The door opened and closed. The slamming sound echoing through the night signalled something.

The thick wall growing even thicker. An end to endings.

And since that night, no Usami Akihiko came for that door.

on to the last chappy^^