I'm sitting on the couch, watching TV, in a dark mood for inexplicable reasons. Hinoka is off to do a quick workout through the park despite the light flooding, Sakura is cleaning the kitchen after making lunch, and we're still waiting for Ryoma to get back. I don't want to do anything. School is apparently cancelled for tomorrow too (it had completely flooded and was currently becoming an underwater city) so I feel okay with procrastinating a little. I'm almost done anyway.

I'm frustrated and I can't really explain why. Ever since Leo left me with the bloody and blackened nose, my mood has soured. It's not uncommon for me to be in a bad mood, as my family is quick to point out, but it's usually within reason. Maybe Sakura got more attention, or Ryoma doted on Kamui. But this… It's something I can't, or won't explain.

I've come to almost appreciate Leo. Despite the anger he first gave me, it's…nice to find someone who shares something in common with me and someone who feels similarly to me. I also feel…almost appreciated. I am someone he confided in. Someone he trusts. I always feel ignored in my family, like I'll never be good enough, but they say that's not the case. I don't know. They can't change how I've felt for most of my life.

A commercial comes on and I'm slouched. Legs bent to my face, feet on the couch, arms on either side of me. I feel almost defeated. I stopped putting ice on my nose because the cold felt like it was burning my skin and the area around it went numb. I sigh heavily. I'm bored and I want to die.

I hear the door open and see that Hinoka has just come home, sweaty, hair sticking to her forehead. She's in runners and a sports bra, not caring how half naked she is. She could kick any person's ass any day.

"Hey Little Bro, what's up?" she asks, grabbing a water from the fridge. Sakura says a quiet hello to her, still doing dishes.

I just grunt in response. She didn't hear me. She enters and repeats herself.

"I'm just here, watching TV," I say grumpily. She laughs.

"You miss your boyfriend," she deadpans.

I sit up, slamming my feet on the ground, turning to her. "He is not my boyfriend!" I yell. Sakura enters from the kitchen, curious.

"Why are you so defensive? I was just joking."

"That's not a joke to me, Hinoka," I grumble, returning my attention to the TV. The game show I was watching comes back. Some little old grandma won a brand new car.

"Takumi, if you want to date, then do it. I don't hate him. I was just mad he punched you."

"He was defending himself. I'm the one that choked him." I refuse to look at her. I want her to leave me alone.

"He still hurt my little brother." She sits next to me. "He's pretty cute."

I decide to lie. "He's not even gay, Hinoka."

"Sure," she shrugs. "I can spot it a mile away, Takumi."

"Just because you're a lesbian doesn't mean you can see it."

She lets out this odd laugh, like she knows something I don't. "I have my ways, Takumi. Trust me. I know he's gay."

"Whatever, Sister. I don't care enough."

"Man," she laughs harder, "it's so obvious you have a crush on him."

This time I turn to her. I see the look of mirth on her face. "No. I. Don't."

"It's okay! He's cute and he's smart. Just like you, Little Brother." Her compliment goes unappreciated.

"Stop it. He's dumb and he's gross and he totally doesn't like me."

"Now I know you've got a crush on him."

"No. I hate him." I really want nothing to do with this conversation. I turn up the volume of the TV.

"Whatever you say," Hinoka giggles, and stays where she is to watch the show with me. A Hoshidan drama is on afterwards, and despite my normal cold exterior, I'm a sucker for these. Hinoka always teased me about being a softie.

"So what's happening next on our little drama here?"

"Lon'qu and Ke'ri broke up again and Ke'ri got in a bad accident. Lon'qu is devastated." The title screen comes up and for a while we stay quiet.

I hear the door opening again. This time it must be Ryoma.

"Hello all," he says. "Hmm, I smell fish stew."

"You just missed it," Sakura calls from the kitchen. "B-but there's more in the fridge."

"Wonderful. Thank you Sakura." I hear Ryoma's soft steps on the carpet. I turn to see him grinning. "So where's our houseguest…" He sees the bruising on my face. "What happened?!"

"That houseguest punched him, but Takumi fought back," Hinoka sighed. "Well, Takumi here says that he started it, not the other guy."

"His name is Leo, Hinoka, and it's true," I concede. "I really hurt him. He had to leave."

Ryoma chuckles. "You sound disappointed. But I suppose I would be too if my lover left after a fight."

"Not this again," I groan. "Hinoka won't stop joking about it either."

"I was being serious, Little Brother," Ryoma says, shocked at my denial. "Why else would you offer our home?"

"Because I'm apparently his only sane friend," I mutter. I realize my admission. "Well, maybe not a friend…"

"So you do have a crush on him?" Ryoma questions, concerned. "That's okay, Takumi. He's a bright young man, and I enjoyed his company."

"He's not a boyfriend and I don't have a crush on him. Why won't anyone drop this?!"

"We're just concerned," Hinoka pipes up. "Ever since you came out, we thought it was because you felt alone. We're happy to let you date and explore yourself. We don't care who you fall for."

"I HAVEN'T FALLEN FOR ANYONE!" I yell through clenched teeth. "Leo is my sworn nemesis and a partner for a project. I don't care about him in the slightest."

Ryoma guffaws heartily. "If that isn't the denial of a crush, I don't know what is."

I sigh dramatically. "Just drop it." Lon'qu was at Ke'ri's bedside this time. "Leave me to my drama."

Everyone laughs, even Sakura's giggle can be heard, and all I want to do is to sink into the couch and die.

Ryoma goes to eat the rest of the fish stew, Hinoka goes to take a shower, and Sakura joins me in watching the drama. It's quiet for a time, but then she speaks.

"So is Leo really gay?"

I clench my jaw, trying not to snap at Sakura. She's sensitive after all. "I wish everyone would drop this subject. It's not anyone's business."

"…so he is…" The way she says it is sad and dejected. I wonder where that came from. But then I realize something.

Sakura is the one with the crush.

"So you have a crush on him," I accuse. "Sakura, he's much older than you."

"N-no he's n-not!" She's a freshman in high school. She didn't deny it.

"Sakura, he's not your type."

"Y-you don't even know my type!"

"You hardly talk about boys! No one knows your type." I'm trying to focus on the show, but at this point my concentration is broken.

Sakura stays silent and then I hear the hiccups. Great. She's crying.

"Sakura…" I realize my mistake. I didn't want to make her cry, but here I go.

"N-no, I-I'll b-be f-f-f-f-fine…." She whimpers out. "D-don't worry about m-m-m-me…" She scampers away.

"…shit." I really did it this time.

I hear her sobbing as she climbs the steps and Ryoma enters again from the kitchen, confused. "Was that Sakura?"

"Yeah. I hurt her feelings… I should apologize, but I'll wait."

"True… She's so sensitive and you're so abrupt. I'll go check on her." He starts to leave, but pauses. "Why don't you call your…friend? I'm sure he misses you."

I sputter. "What…! Noooo he does not! We're hardly friends. He punched me."

"Friends often get in fights, Takumi. Especially friends with so much in common."

"Ugh, fine. I'll text him." No one will drop it, so I might as well…

I pull out my phone and type out a quick greeting. I tell myself it's at my brother's request, not the fact I miss him.

How's your neck? I don't expect him to respond. I would be pretty mad. I would be really mad, so mad that I would respond with a hateful message.

Okay. So maybe he will respond. And I'm right.

Leo: It's fine. Minimal bruising. Camilla made a comment but she isn't mad anymore. I remember Camilla is the curvy older sister.

She looks like the type of woman who would have no trouble killing someone.

I see the icon that indicates he's typing and get an almost immediate response.

Leo: She is. Camilla is a woman not to be trifled with.

I want to say something else. I don't want the conversation to end on his sister.

Why do I care that I want to keep talking to him? Do I feel bad? Kind of.

Did you find a place to stay?

His response is sarcastic and almost rude. Leo: Duh. Camilla has a friend. Not a nice friend, but a friend nonetheless.

How does someone write so formally in a text? Leo must really not have friends.

What's wrong with her?

Leo: To put it plainly, she's an insufferable bitch. I see he's about to double text. This woman must have really gotten under his skin.

Leo: I've known her since Camilla was in high school and she was always very rude to me. Mean spirited. She's still holding a grudge against me because Camilla got in fights and therefore in trouble for defending me from bullies. I don't know if you remember that. We didn't share classes. How odd he would remember that specifically.

Leo: Regardless, she admitted to it today and is mad I haven't "come out of the closet" yet when frankly that's none of her business and I'm not relenting that information ever. It's bad enough I told it to you, which I don't regret by the way, but I would rather people not get involved in my business. It is especially not HER business. She must be truly awful. I don't think Leo has ever spoken to me so candidly besides the whole Eliwood and Hector are gay for each other thing.

Leo: Anyway, I don't know why I admitted all this, but telling Elise or Camilla is out of the question because they'll just insist I'm gay and I don't want that conversation again. I can't tell Niles or Odin, for obvious reasons. I can only turn to you. He types up one last response.

Leo: I don't know how I feel about that.

That's definitely a way of ending a text explosion. I don't know how to feel about that.

It's fine, don't worry about it. We're friends of sorts I guess. You need someone to talk to and you don't have any gay friends other than me and your family sounds like they'd just tease you. Way to go, Takumi. This friend of yours writes something truly heartfelt but you just sort of dismiss it.

Leo: They would. It's odd to say we're friends. I think this is the first time we've admitted it willingly. It seems my dismissal doesn't seem to bother him.

I mean, it wasn't my intention to be so blasé about it. But I don't want to seem like I'm attached to someone who just a day ago was my nemesis. You just don't do that.

And yet…

It kind of feels nice, Leo. DON'T TAKE THAT THE WRONG WAY.

I'm just saying that I like that I can be honest to someone about this whole gay thing and that you can turn to me. It's kinda going fast, but maybe that's how good friendships start. I didn't take to the few friends I have so quickly, so it's kinda weird.

But with you… It's different.

There's a slight pause. Maybe I went overboard. Maybe he doesn't want to be friends so intimately. But I see he's typing again.

Leo: I always wished I had a friend like you.

Leo: And the same goes for you: Don't take it the wrong way. We're friends only.

He's pushing this way too hard, like me. I don't think something more would happen, I don't want it to happen…

But if it does? Well… I don't want to think about that.

Don't worry. It's not like I want or need a boyfriend. I just want to get through high school. I don't even think I'll date in college. Not worth my time.

Leo: Heh, I feel the same. Who needs men? Who needs love? Waste of time. I need to focus on my studies.

Leo: And on that note, I bid you farewell. I want to finish up this damn project.

I don't want it to end just yet. I need to say something.

It's not like that. I just want the last word in.

If you want, we can skype later. For the project of course.

He responds pretty quickly. I don't have one. We can FaceTime.

That's fine.

He doesn't answer. So I really did get the final word. Good. It's not like I wanted to keep talking to him. It's bad enough I have to talk to him tonight about this damned project.

It's not like I miss him and am thankful for his friendship. It's not like his friendship is a dream come true, something I've longed for. It's not like I'm glad I've taken to him so quickly.

And then I realize that oh shit I really did like him. AS A FRIEND.

This can't and won't be good.