"Why am I angry? You want to know why I'm so angry? Do you know what it feels like to see the one you love spending all their time with someone else that couldn't possibly love them as much as you could? Do you know how it feels to have your heart crushed into a million pieces each time you see that person? You don't!" His voice cracked a little, but he managed to keep from soiling his face with tears.

"Kazuki..do you love me? Is this what this is all about? The one you're after isn't Maruno? It's...me?" He was shocked. All this time, he had his eyes set on him and not Maruno. This had nothing to do with her.

"Don't make me say it if you know it" Kazuki looked down at his feet, refusing to look in Shinichi's direction.

"Why didn't you say anything to me!? Why now?" He walked over and sat down on the couch. Resting his head in his palms, he sighed and gripped at his hair.

"How could I tell you!? You can't just walk up to another guy and confess your love for him. It's not that easy"

"Easy? So beating the shit out of me is how you decided to handle it? You're telling me that was the easier solution? You say you love me, but you've bruised my body to no end countless times! That's not love! If you love someone, you would never lay a finger on them no matter what! You have no idea what kind of pain you put me through everyday!" The beatings he went through, the pain he held, the fear he had for him. None of it made sense.

"When I saw you with her, I couldn't control my anger! I wanted to hit you. I wanted to mess you up each time you ignored the love I had for you. You ignored me everyday, acted like I was nothing! I wanted you to look at me the same way you looked at her. I wanted you to spend time with me! I wanted that! I thought beating you up would make you leave her alone and you would finally be alone and I could have you to myself, but you always went back like you were asking for a another beating! You're so stubborn!" Kazuki slammed his fist against the door.

"Look at the way you've treated me! Did you expect me to just come to you with open arms as you beat me until my body ached? Beating someone up is not how you express love! How was I suppose to know what you wanted when all you did was treat me like shit from the beginning? How was I supposed to get love out of everything you've done to me?! You've made my life unbearable because you're nothing but a coward " Shinichi stood up as he shouted at him from across the room. All this time he was thinking the abuse he endured was because of the love he had for his bestfriend, when really it was him himself all this time. He beat him, ridiculed him, and shunned him from all the hate and jealousy he carried around in his heart. He envied what they had, so he tried to take it away.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for how I treated you. I never meant to hurt you. Please forgive me!" Kazuki clenched Shinichi's jacket and laid his head on his shoulder.

"I forgive you, but I can't accept your love" He walked away from him and sat back down on the couch.

"What! Why not!?"

"You're jealous of the relationship me and Maruno share, and you always will be. Jealousy is a strong emotion and if I were to pursue a relationship with you, your feelings will only grow and there is no telling what you would do then" Kazuki sat down next to him and looked him in the eyes.

"I promise. I promise I'll never do anything else to sabotage you and Maruno's relationship. As long as you're mine, I'm happy with just that"

"I don't believe you nor trust you. You are unpredictable. I know you, you'll lie about anything just to get what you want"

"That's not true! I have lied in the past, but what I am saying now is only the truth. Please believe me"

"Trust is not given, it's earned"

"Do you love me?"

"No, I do not. If I do not trust you how could I love you. Anyways, how could I love someone like you?" Shinichi stood up and started to walk off, but Kazuki grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket stopping him.

"Can we start over? Can we forget about what has happened in the past?"

"How could I forget about the past when I can see it every time I look in the mirror? Something like this can not be easily forgotten. Asking something like that is impossible. Please leave"

"No! Try! Just try! I don't want this to end like this! I know what I did was wrong and I wish I could take it back, but what's done is what's done. I can't take back what I did to you then, but I want you to look past it and forgive me. I was jealous of you! I wanted to make you suffer, to make you feel a pain that was like the pain that crushed my heart every time I saw you. I wanted to separate you two no matter what. Seeing you two together made me hate you more and more each day, that my love for you was blinded by hate and envy that grew in my heart. I couldn't take it anymore so I snapped. I'm sorry...I'm sorry" Still gripping his sleeve, he bowed his head down.

"Like I said, I forgive you, but I don't think I could love someone that resorts to abuse when he is angry. You've beat me countless times with no sympathy in your heart. I'm afraid of you! Tell me how could I love you if I'm afraid of you!?" He balled his fist up holding back tears. He felt uneasy. So much was happening at once. The man that loved him was the man that tormented him every chance he could get. What was he going to do?

"Shinichi..." He grabbed his hand and pulled him back on the couch next to him.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore. I promise I won't ever lay a hand on you again unless it's to comfort you" He wanted to believe him. He wished he knew the truth behind those words.

"I don't want to be afraid of you, but I can't help but feel fear when I am around you"

"...I really want to kiss you. May I?"