Dragging his best friend around to wherever he could proved to be easy for Meito. Every word Mikuo said was given some sort of a counterattack against it, and each one would send the aqualette into a fit of stuttering and worry.

He hadn't lied when he'd said they would be flirting with girls. Or, at least, trying to. The only reason for any of it was to keep Mikuo out of the house, and Meito was sure that maybe, just maybe, if he could find a cute girl and introduce Mikuo to her...

Mikuo just seemed to lay back though whenever the two approached a girl. His head stayed down while thinking sadly to himself about how Baraito would feel mad at him for not being around.

"Ugh, that went horribly..."

Turning to glance behind, Mikuo could see the brunette coming back over to him, rubbing the red slap mark on his cheek.

"How could she not be into me? Seriously! I'm perfect material!"

"I-I'm not sure, Meito-kun..." He murmured, fidgeting his index fingers in circles around each other.

"What's got you so upset?" Meito cocked his head, noticing his friend's displeasure. Though, it wasn't like he hadn't expected it, he knew Mikuo wouldn't be very thrilled to go out today.

The only response he got was a shake of the head and Mikuo walking away from him with soft steps.

Sighing to himself, the taller male ran after until he was caught up enough to walk side-by-side with him. Maybe this plan wasn't exactly working totally and utterly right, but he would thanked in the end, he was sure.

It just had to be this way, after all.

--

Walking down the street with his hands stuck in his pockets, Mikuo glanced over and spotted in the corner of his eye, a rather familier place on the curb.

The coffeehouse where he had first seen Baraito. Maybe, just maybe, if he were lucky enough, he could find Baraito inside. But he would have to get away from Meito before that could even be thought possible...

"Um, er, Meito...?" He squeaked out, looking to the boy at his side. "I want to get something to eat..."

Meito gave him a shrug. "So we'll go get burgers or something then, kay?"

"N-No, I don't want that..."

A sigh of slight annoyance made it's way to his ears. Even if they were best friends, they're tastes seemed to differ dramatically, and Meito had always found this a pain. They both knew it, but never spoke anything of it.

"If not burgers, what then?" His fists curled up and rested against his hips, body leant back as though teetering over backwards.

More silence for a moment.

"...I want to get some coffee, if that's okay..."

"I hate drinking coffee from around here, you know." Meito's voice sounded dry, indicating he wanted to get off the topic as quickly as possible.

He had to think of something...

"Y-You could go get what you want, and I'll get what I want! Then we'll meet up by...Um...The park? Is that...alright...?"

Meito considered the situation at hand for a moment, his face showing nothing but an ambiguous expression so that Mikuo could not read him easily.

Well, they were just getting food, and Mikuo wouldn't run off because if they were meeting up, Meito would be suspicious, and...

He shook his head to clear it all out before giving a firm nod. "Fine, we'll meet back in half an hour. But you had better be at the park because I'll come looking for you if you don't."

The younger boy's Adam's Apple bobbled just a bit as he gulped down a large amount of air and nodded back, afraid to think of the consequences he might be faced with if he didn't obey.

As soon as Meito went walking and turned the other corner, Mikuo went flying down the street for the coffeehouse without hesitation. He desperatly wanted to talk to Baraito, right away, and he only had a half hour to do it...

--

Inside, it seemed there were many more people than usual crowded at tables and sipping lattes. It unnerved him a little to hear so much noise in the place that was almost always dead silent.

But as luck would have it, he managed to spot a familiar mop of blue hair sitting at the usual table in the very back corner of the cafe.

Unlike other days, there was no smirk of content waiting on the man's face. He knew, oh he knew it, Baraito was mad at him for not being around earlier...

Taking a few steps closer to the table, Baraito glanced over in time to see him about halfway across the restaurant, walking in his direction. Clenching his fingers around the mug in front him, the azure-haired male scoffed and turned his attention to look out the window, as though he'd never noticed Mikuo.

That didn't stop the teenager from taking a seat across from Baraito.

"B-Baraito-san..."

Silence.

"I-I'm sorry I wasn't there this morning. Meito pulled me out, and I just..."

"..."

"...Are you angry with me, Baraito-san?" His voice had gained a new quiver to it.

For a moment, it seemed Baraito wasn't going to say a word, his gaze affixed on whatever sights could be seen outside the window.

"...I-I'm really sorry..."

Finally, he turned to look Mikuo in the eye, and the bitter expression he gave practically made Mikuo jump out of the booth.

"Do you realize how much nerve you have?" His teeth were barred together, as though he were attempting to keep any words he might later find regretful from leaping out.

Confusion filled the other's face. What had he done wrong? It wasn't as though he'd chosen to not tell Baraito, he simply hadn't had the time to do it. "N-No...I just...I'm sorry that I wasn't there...I won't do it again, I promise...."

The older man shook his head and gave another glare. "You honestly refuse to admit to what you did? I refuse to forgive you for something like that."

"B-But what did I do? I don't know what you're talking about, Baraito-san!"

"Don't ever call me that again."

His fist let go of the mug before slamming itself down on the table slightly, loud enough to make a few people at nearby tables glance over at the growing commotion.

Mikuo felt his body shake with uncontrolled tenseness. He'd never see Baraito so...So angry before.

"T-Tell me what I did wrong, Baraito!" He left out the 'san', just as he'd been told. "I-I'll apologize for whatever it was right away!"

"You know what you did, and no amount of words is going to repent for it."

Pulling himself up from the seat, Baraito straightened himself and strode away from the table angrily. Deep inside, it felt as though a fuming presence was building itself up in his chest, until it began to well up too fast to be suppressed any longer.

He had one foot out the door before a hand grabbed a wad of cloth from the back of his suit, gripping on with all it's might so he wouldn't leave. "B-Baraito-san, please tell me what's wrong! I'm sorry for whatever it is! I'll do anything to make it up to you!"

The idea of kicking the boy in the shin with his other foot came to mind, but Baraito thought himself better then to resort to violence such as that.

Always, he'd been better then that.

Always.

"I said to never call me that again! And let go of me this instant!" Thrusting forward out the door, Mikuo nearly lost his footing before letting go and catching himself in the doorway. Baraito just walked ahead on the sidewalk.

Though he knew for sure that some of the patrons at the cafe had seen the little scuffle, he didn't rightly care anymore.

He wouldn't be going back there again anyway.

No reason was made for it any longer.

Heavy footsteps ran up from behind him along with tired pants of breath. "Baraito, I'm sorry already! I don't know what I did! Can't you just tell me what it is!?"

While his words were enough to make the man stop walking, he refused to turn around and face Mikuo directly.

"...I really should have realized it from the beginning...This whole act...You would make a good actor..." A small chuckle escaped his lips, the first Mikuo had heard him do all day, but this one sounded crooked.

Twisted.

"It was wrong of me to think this could possibly work out. Relationships like ours would only be seen as taboo and disgusting in taste...Perhaps that is best. More reason then to make it stop."

"I don't u-understand what you're saying...Baraito-san, please..."

"You're the one whom told it was the end. You should accept your own decision." His voice was now cold and bitter, speaking in a low tone that seemed to strike the aqua-haired boy's heart.

What on Earth was he talking about!? He hadn't wanted it to end! "I never said anything like that!"

"You didn't have to!" Baraito turned his head to look back. "You message said it all!"

"I didn't leave any message today!"

His head began to feel dizzy, as though he were trapped underwater.

"Don't lie! I found that flower...That orange lily...How fragile it looks, but if one sees what it truly means..."

This time, Baraito's entire body turned to Mikuo. He wanted to yell many things, and though the fuel of anger was there and ready, something was still holding him back just the slightest.

"I don't know what you're talking about! Please, just listen to me! I don't want to end it!"

He didn't care about being in public at the moment, or that he was screaming at the top of his lungs practically. This wasn't what he wanted! This wasn't what should be happening!

Baraito turned his body sideways a moment, as though he were going to leave without anything more.

No!

Mikuo wouldn't let him do that!

Without a second thought, without even hesitation, he grabbed the taller man's hand and pulled him closer with hostility. Baraito struggled and yelled something he didn't hear.

"I loveyou, Baraito!!" Thrusting the other's arm with all the strength he could muster, Mikuo forced Baraito down until their lips crushed into a forced kiss, right there in the middle of the crowded sidewalk.

It didn't matter anymore who was watching.

It didn't matter who knew.

He didn't care about any of that. All he cared about was making him realize, making him understand how deeply he felt.

That was all and anything and everything he wanted.

But Baraito didn't realize, and he didn't understand.

His eyes grew wide as soon as their lips touched, and in no less then two seconds did he use his free arm to push Mikuo hard enough to let go.

As soon as he was out of the teenager's grasp, he slapped Mikuo as hard as he could across the face with the back of his hand.

The aqualette was sent toppling over onto the pavement, his cheek burning with pain and his ankle twisting beneath his weight.

Laying on his side, tears began to well up in minty-green eyes as they flickered slightly to look up at the figure looming over him. He couldn't do anything more but lay where he was in pain.

Baraito stood above him stoically. No hand held out in generosity, no look of worry, not a single hint of regret in his eyes. His lips parted, ready to say something or other before closing again in a pursed fashion.

Searing warm tears began to fall down the boy's face in front of him. Still he said nothing.

People glanced over, people stared at the argument.

Yet, not one intervened.

After what seemed like forever, the looming figure Baraito possessed seemed to dissolve into nothingness before his light frame cracked itself back into place and turned away from Mikuo.

"...I never want to see you again. Do not call me and expect me to ever pick up for you as well."

Without another sound, he walked off wordlessly into the crowd before disappearing a few moments later behind the larger crowd up ahead. The atmosphere around Mikuo felt empty as soon as he couldn't see him any longer.

For several minutes after that he stayed rooted to his spot on the ground with his face turned to the ground so no one would see his tears. When the pulsating in his ankle seemed to calm itself a little more, he managed to stand after several attempts and began to limp towards the park with one hand pressed to his cheek.

Tears fell the entire walk there, and he couldn't even begin to describe the heartache he felt in that moment.

--

Meito was licking an ice cream cone, sitting on a bench when Mikuo arrived at the park. He noticed his limping right way and asked what was wrong.

Wiping his eyes with one sleeve, Mikuo lied and told him that he'd just tripped while running and twisted his ankle. When the brunette asked about the mark on his cheek, he just said he'd hit it on the ground when he fell.

Insisting that he go home and lie down, Meito let Mikuo's arm rest around his shoulders, walking slowly on the route back home.

Somehow, in the back of his mind...

He just knew it hadn't been some normal accident.