Hi guys! Sorry for the long wait~ the second to last chapter (unless you want me to write more that is not based on the manga) is up! Thank you all so much for bearing with my inconsistent uploading! There will be one more chapter to do with the manga after this, but if you want me to write more, please write in the comments and try to specify what you want to see, if you want to see anything, that is.

Disclaimer: I don't own BroCon. I wish I did but, alas, the World works in mysterious ways, doesn't it.

~A few days later~

Kazamatsuri and Nishina-san were standing in a secluded area of the park. When he saw me, Kazamatsuri shouted: "Asahina! Over …here…?" He and Nishina-san both looked so shocked when they saw me wearing a mask to hide the bruise Subaru had put there when he punched me a few days ago. When I joined them, they immediately started bombarding me with questions.

"Whoa there… Why are you wearing a mask?"

"A Cold?"

"An allergy debut?" Then Kazamatsuri went and hit the sore spot.

"Or are you… hiding something?" Then, without my permission, he reached up and pulled my mask off.

"HEY!" Was all I could get out before the small, deep-purple bruise, at the corner of my mouthwash revealed to all… hallelujah. It was a stark contrast to my pale skin. Both Kazamatsuri and Nishina-san blanched at the sight, openly staring with their mouths hanging open like a bunch of idiots (not that they are, of course… well… least most of the time they aren't). From the looks on their faces I could tell they were LOLing inside their head at my injury. Then…

"WHAT'S WITH THAT!? ASAHINA!" Nishina-san yelled

"Looking Manly, bro!" Kazamatsuri laughed and clapped my back. I grimaced before snatching the mask and putting it back on. While I was doing that Nishina-san and kazamatsuri were whispering loudly behind me.

"Could it be you had some sort of conflict with your brothers over Ema-chan?" I flinched visibly at that and the action was not lost to Kazamatsuri and Nishina-san they began to gossip even more while I tried to ignore what they were saying (and ultimately failing, since who could stop themselves from hearing gossip, especially if it is about them explicitly?) "Looks like I hit the bulls eye. Man, my intuition is amazing~" continued Nishina-san. I was visibly sweating as I turned around and tried to get them to stop. But, of course, what happened? They didn't stop.

"I think Asahina's more amazing. He always lives up to our ridiculous expectations" said Kazamatsuri as they continued tittering like a bunch of middle school girls stalking and cooing after their sweethearts. I was getting annoyed.

"Done yet? We need to get going…" I almost pleaded we started walking again. But the gossiping continued as we walked, much to my irritation.

"Man, it'll be hard not to talk about this again~"

"IKR, IKR!"

"… Please spare me guys…"

~Later that night~

I stood on the balcony of my apartment, looking over at skyline while smoking a cigarette. My phone was in hand, with the messenger app open and Ema's name in the recipients space… but however hard I try, I could not make myself send her a message… not since the day Subaru saw us kissing outside the Condo. Sighing, I locked the screen for my phone as I remembered the last things she said to me that fateful day.

"You think there's nothing between us anyway…" was what she said with a forlorn look on her face, as if she was remembering something from a long time ago. At the time, and even until now, I didn't understand what her words meant, so I had to leave things in a complete and utter mess. While waiting for her "wounds to heal", I was really just wasting time… I am so damn pitiful… Just as i was about to head back into my condo, I received a message from Azusa.

"We're hosting a graduation party for Ema (and Yusuke) next week. You're coming right?" I glared at the screen suspiciously… sounds fishy was what I was thinking when a flash of familiar clothing caught my eye. Against my better judgement, I threw on my shoes and ran down the stairs. Throwing the front door open, I yelled as loud as I could.

"SUBARU!" He stopped while I ran towards him. Not giving him a chance to reconsider talking to me, I hurriedly blurted out "What's up? What are you doing around here?" I continued walking until I was right in front of him. It was only at this instance that I realized just how much taller and broader Subaru was in comparison to myself.

"Well…" Subaru muttered sheepishly, not looking me in the eye. "Um… I'm sorry… for hitting you last time" he said, scratching his head, then looking me directly in the eye. "I took my frustration all out on you. Even though I knew that I could never get Ema's love by doing something like that". He closed his eyes, his memories going back to that day- when Ema threw herself in front of Natsume-nii to stop him from punching Natsu-nii again. "Everything became crystal clear… But still… I was able to give my allot Basketball because she was there." He sighed again.

"Subaru…" I was shocked at this development, so shocked that I didn't what to say

"I truly loved her" Subaru said with downcast eyes, a look of love and sadness mixed in his eyes.

"It doesn't matter how the journey went" I said after a moment of silence, hoping to comfort Subaru, "the important thing is that your hard work paid off, and you've become a pro now. It's very admirable." I said with a small smile playing at the corner of my lips (since I don't smile a lot this came, surprisingly, easy). "I've always cheered for you, and I always will. So work hard, Subaru." I said encouragingly, hoping we could reconcile the relationship between us that was on thin ice.

"Things like this" Subaru said, his expression going from self-deprecation to understanding and, are I say, love "I would've know even if you didn't tell me". He smiled thinly before turning and walking away from me. It was then I had a revelation. Subaru wants to repay Ema for the strength she gave him in a proper and whole hearted way. That's what I want to do, too. My resolve concrete, I opened the message from Azusa and wrote my reply.

"I'm coming".

~One week later~

All was quiet on the outside of the condo, but the inside was a completely different story. A huge banner reading CONGRATULATIONS ON GRADUATING, EMA (and Yusuke) was strung from the rafters as my brothers and I and Ema milled around, eating, drinking and making small talk.

"Natsume" I heard Azusa call as he walked towards me, drink in hand.

"Azusa" I said by way of greeting "whaddap?" He replied with a twitch in his eyebrow that said don't whaddap me, buster

"Did you say hi to tonight's VIP?" He glanced purposefully, and not so discreetly at Ema, who was surrounded by Water, Louis, Ukyo and Tsubaki, who was, at this instant, being attacked by the squirrel for making indecent advances towards Ema. I followed his gaze and saw her looking at me also. But she looked away when she saw me looking at her, but not before I saw the hurt in her eyes.

"No… She's been surrounded all night." I sighed, my resolve from last week draining away, leaving me with a slight headache. "I'm… going to take a smoke outside" I said to Azusa, making my way onto the terrace and lighting up a cigarette and taking a long drag from it. I was looking out at the view when I heard a Clack sound from the glass door followed by the sound of the person I most wanted to talk to but couldn't bring myself to engage in conversation with.

"Natsume-san?" She looked slightly confused, as if I wasn't the person she was looking for.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked her politely, cursing myself for Still not getting to the point, "What's the life of the party doing here?" She still looked quite confused and refused to meet my eyes as she replied.

"Erm… Azusa-san told me that Tsubaki-san was out on the terrace" she walked closer and stopped when we were only a couple of meters apart "and he asked me to call him back in…" her eyes and mine widened in shock as she realized she had been tricked and I because of what Azusa had done for me.

"Azusa did…?" I said in wonder as I recalled the last time we were in the same room (after they had dragged me out of Ema's room when they discovered her treating my bruise. I had just told them I had no intention of giving up or backing off. Azusa and Tsubaki looked at each other, then they both gave me a small, albeit sad, grin. Azusa had said "that's what I thought" and "well, actually, we would never forgive you if you weren't at least prepared to do that". They had both shook their heads in mirth as Azusa continued, "I never thought we'd lose to Natsume… but… Even we've never gone to her room before") I never would've thought that those two would lend me a hand. I grinned a little bit as I stubbed my cigarette. "Congrats on graduating" I said, completely genuine. She looked down, hurt still evident in her eyes.

"Th… Thank you…" She shuffled around a bit, unsure of what else to say while I did the same, just without the shuffling of feet. "Well… I'm going back to the living ro-" She turned to leave but, instinctively, my hand reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her movement.

"Ema!" I said without releasing her arm, and with no intention of doing so until we talked.

She still didn't look at me a she said coldly but with a slight quiver in her voice that didn't go amiss to me, "please let go". But I was resolute.

"No, I won't." We were at a stalemate for a few seconds until she lost control of her emotions and started sobbing quietly.

"Why?" She finally turned to look at me "you don't even think of me as anything." Once again, I found myself wondering exactly what the heck she meant by that when I was sure I had never said anything of that sort to her before.

"Hey… you said that last time too, right? Why?" I probed, trying to get why she had been ignoring me for at least a week. Reluctantly, she told me.

"I happened to overhear what you said to your female colleague at Eden Parks…" I was shocked, remembering what I had said to Nishina-san to get her off my case about Ema… It's not like there's anything between Ema and I… so it was that time, huh… "Natsume-san…" I was jolted back to the present when she said "you're going out with her, right?" She looked me in the eye, eyes full of sorrow and hurt and she looked at me for an answer. I was genuinely tempted to laugh out loud, but considering the situation, I did the only thing I could do.

"… What? No! She's just my superior from work. She's always likes to tease people. That's the only reason why I said that to her." Her eyes widened as she processed what I said, but she was still not convinced I was telling the truth about Nishina-san and my relationship.

"But during the trip to the villa too, you…" I didn't let her complete her sentence before I launched into an explanation.

"Ohh, about that. She had to cover at work for me so I had to think her for that double. That's all, really."

"So…" an uneasy silence ensued as Ema and I continued looking into each others eyes', both unwilling to say anything. Finally, she looked down and blousy bashfully. "Oh. It was just a misunderstanding… that's good to hear". she was shuffling around again. I felt a full-sized grin creep up onto my face as I walked closer still to Ema and whispered.

"And why is it something good to hear about?" Ema instantly blushed beet red as she tried to explain herself.

"Well… That's because… I… umm…" I didn't wait for her to finish. I instead lifted my arm to curl around her next, my other arm curled possessively behind her back.

"Love you" were the only words I said before I swooped down gently and kissed her full on the lips. The feeling of kissing her again after a week of abstinence was like drinking pure water when I was dying of thirst. Pure bliss. After another minute of being lip locked, I finally released her (for her sake and myself since we had both been close to running out of air) and looked her in the eye. She was shinning with joy, literally.

"Natsume-san" she whispered, her voice full of so much love and adoration that made me feel unworthy of her, but that feeling was quickly swept away with my next words.

"Before, I said I'd stay by your side. But I didn't mean it like that." I looked at her seriously, her small body still encased in my hold. "I Want to stay by your side." I whispered, moving close to her again, so close that our lips bushed. "Being your 'brother' isn't good enough for me" I took a step back, gauging her reaction. Her eyes were shinning faintly with unshed tears of joy as she whispered back.

"Me too. Being your 'sister' isn't good enough for me either." I sighed in relief, glad that my love and hers were both reciprocated, and proceeded to kiss her senseless again.

A few weeks later (maybe, I don't know the exact time frame)

"Ema!" I called out as I saw her idling outside the park where I said I would meet her. "Sorry I made you wait" I apologized while silently cursing the wedding ceremony that made me late.

"It's alright, I just got here myself" she smiled cheerily at me, her happiness rivaling the sun in its glory. "More importantly, how did you college's wedding go?" She asked, genuinely interested. I scratched my head absentmindedly before answering her question.

"Well… It was great. The Ceremony… at least". I shuddered, remembering the drunken stupor Kazamatsuri and Nishina-san had been in when I had fled the scene. They had been going on and on about me "having a date to go to" and just "how niiiiiiiice" it was. I had to leave. Ema looked at me weirdly before she sighed.

"A June bride. Must be nice~ I looked them up a little-" she continued talking as I looked at her beautiful face. Now that she mentioned it… The first time we met, was at our parents' wedding. It almost seems like it was the work of fate… Just kidding, I thought to myself as i smiled thinly, banishing those thoughts from my head. It's so out of character to think these things…

"Eh? Natsume-san?" Ema asked me, looking slightly worried. "Is there something wrong? Your face looks slightly red…" I looked away from her, blushing. Then a devious thought hit me.

"… I think I'm coming down with a cold. Will you look after me?" I asked her, an idea forming in my head.

"Yea, of course! Let's get you back to your apartment and take a rest…" she continued to ramble, not noticing me getting closer to her.

"Alright then" I whispered in her ear, causing her to shudder deliciously at my proximity. "You'll be staying with me forever. Because I won't let you leave. Ever." I pulled back just in time to see her blush beautifully, her hand clutching the ear I had whispered in. I chuckled lightly before threading our fingers together and continued walking down the road to my apartment. Someday, I thought to myself, someday- I hope that the chapel won't just be a place where we met, but also a place where we'll exchange our vows.

Such a sweet ending, ne?

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Truly yours,

~Nymphoftheglade