So sorry for the wait! After finals, I got really sick and then there was Christmas... I was sick during Christmas... So yeah, that was terrible. But I'm doing much better now and desperately wanted to write more! Hopefully there won't be too long of a wait for the next chapter or two or three, etc.?

Chapter 21

Of course, I should have known that Misaki would hardly even look at the books I wrote, let alone act out anything in them. He confessed to me that he only looked in one when he was curious to find out what I would like as a congratulatory gift. Even just him trying to seduce me was more than enough. And, I admit it, it definitely worked.

Sadly, it never happened again after that. He went back to being shy and reserved when it came to our bedroom activities. We were both still happy as could be though. He flooded my mind so much that I had forgotten about the upcoming awards ceremony…

Until Isaka-san came along, that is.

Misaki and I were minding our own business in my bedroom. It all started with a few deep and passionate kisses downstairs. I had just brought him up, laid him on the bed, and began touching his heated skin when Isaka-san barged through the door.

"We've come for you, Usami-sensei!" he yelled as he threw open the door, making the boy beneath me cringe and freeze up.

I slightly glanced behind me and saw Aikawa-san there as well. All I could do was glare at them both while Misaki clung to me. The director strolled over to the bed and sat on the edge. I growled a little as I sat up, ready to do away with him. When I sat up, I had released my grip on my lover and he began to struggle. There was no way it would take me more than a few minutes to deal with the two lunatics, so I held him down. He struggled even harder and tried to yell out, so I covered his mouth with my hand.

"Come on, let's go," the director commanded. "Let's go right away! I'll give you ten minutes. Hurry up and get ready."

"Isaka-san, can't you see what I'm doing right now?" I grunted as Misaki still flung around in my arms, trying to escape.

"Hm, let's see." He inched closer with a smartass look in his eyes. "You were about to devour this youth?"

"And knowing that, you would still stick around?"

"I would!" he said matter-of-factly. "Anyway, just hurry up and get ready. I've got a car waiting downstairs."

A car? Oh great, now what? "What? And just where do you think you're hauling me off to?"

"Where you ask? Where else?!" He started to sound like a game show host. He even jumped up out of bed and waved his hands around as if it was something magical. "The commemoration party for the great author Usami Akihiko winning the Kikukawa Award! Hosted by Marukawa Books, held at the Teito Hotel!" I swear there were sparkles all around him, even as that shit spewed from his mouth.

I had completely forgotten that he was going to host a party in honor of the award I was set to receive. I wasn't prepared for it and I certainly didn't want to do it. Therefore, I wasn't going to do it. I grabbed the blanket and tossed it over Misaki and me to hide ourselves from the evil Isaka-san.

"Akihiko, you bastard!" I felt the blanket being ripped off of us. "You're not getting out of this, and I mean it this time!"

Misaki began to struggle again, but I kept ahold of him. I wasn't done with him just yet. Our little fun was certainly going to continue sooner or later, just as soon as I got rid of the two morons. I sat up again to tell them off.

"When and where did anyone ever agree to attend such a thing?"

"You don't have to do anything! Just deliver a speech and be suitably sociable, and it'll all go smoothly." I wanted to wipe that damn smirk off of his face.

"That's the part I hate the most… and you know it!" I barked at him.

Aikawa-san, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke, but it wasn't to me or Isaka-san. "Misaki-kun, let's go eat some great food!" She seemed rather excited about the whole ordeal, which pissed me off.

I realized that there was no way I was going to rid of these leeches anytime soon, so I loosened my grip on the boy. He quickly got up and made a mad dash for the door. He was either mortified of being caught in that position earlier or pissed off that I held him down. Maybe both…

"The actual party is tomorrow," Isaka-san continued. "For today, please relax and enjoy a day of leisure in your super-luxurious hotel suite!" Aikawa-san nodded in agreement behind him. "You'll have a 360 degree panoramic night view all to yourself! Mmhmm, how romantic!"

I was beyond irritated. There wasn't a damn thing they could do or say to get me to go to this party and actually socialize and pretend to give a damn. Booking me fancy hotel suites or giving me large amounts of money were not going to do anything either. I pulled out my pack of cigarettes to calm my nerves.

"You think I'd be enticed by such a thing?"

"Well, a hotel suite might be nothing special for you, but what if Chibi-tan says he wants to go?"

So that's what he was planning. He was trying to use Misaki as bait to lure me into going to the stupid party. Well, the joke is on him because I'm not falling for him. I glared at him to try to tell him that.

"I actually asked him once before if he'd like to go with you," he continued.

"When?"

"When you weren't around. Chibi-tan's such a good kid! What do you think he said?"

I sighed. "What?"

"He said he'd love to go because he never gets to go to those kinds of places, but you're always so busy and he doesn't want to be a bother to you. But if he went, he wanted to go with you because it wouldn't be any fun without you."

My eyes widened. I didn't expect that. It actually sounded like something Misaki would say, since he's always concerned about causing trouble for others. Isaka-san must not have been lying and must have actually asked him. And he really wants to go? There's no way I could deny him something that he wants…

The director put his hand on my shoulder. "Come on, how about letting him experience luxury for once? I bet it'd make Chibi-tan really happy."

As much as I hated parties and Isaka-san and his tricks, I couldn't say no. If Misaki wanted to experience an expensive, luxurious hotel, then I was going to take him to one. I was just irritated that in return I would have to act like some goody-two-shoes person in front of hundreds of guests.

Isaka-san stood up and looked at Aikawa-san. "He's ready to go. I'll leave the rest to you."

She looked incredibly impressed. "He talked Usami Akihiko into it! That's Isaka the Closer for you!"

Oh lord, I thought. I've been duped, haven't I?

Misaki still had a couple classes to attend, but he said he would meet me at the hotel afterwards. He packed a weekend bag before he left for school. I sighed as Aikawa-san and Isaka-san packed me a bag as well. I couldn't believe this was really happening. This better make Misaki happy…

They drug me out to the car afterwards and went to the hotel. All the way there, Isaka-san wouldn't shut up about how great the party was going to be for my image. He sounded so smug and full of shit. Aikawa-san agreed with everything he said and looked too excited about the whole thing. I couldn't wait to get away from them and just be alone with Misaki at the Teito Hotel. Oh the things I was going to do to him…

The two idiots didn't leave me alone even when we got to the hotel and went up to mine and Misaki's suite. I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts, but Isaka-san insisted that we go over the minute-to-minute details of the party the next day. The whole party consisted of bullshit that I did not want to deal with at all. Most of it was socializing with big shots and random fans. This was going to be a nightmare…

"Here!" The director handed me a pen and opened his notebook to a blank piece of a paper. "You need to plan your thank you speech. I don't really care if it's short, but when you actually speak, it has to be sincere. Got it?"

I sighed, but I knew I had to do it, so I got to work. When I finally wrote what I thought was a suitable speech, I handed it back to Isaka. He quickly scanned it and then looked at me with puppy-dog begging eyes. I scowled at him in return.

"What?! Nothing about the amazing director you have or your wonderful editor?" he whined arrogantly. "We've done everything for you! Shouldn't we get a thank you in your big speech?" He turned to Aikawa-san. "Right?"

She nodded her head and frowned a little. "I would just love it if you could just say that your editor has been there for you every step of the way!"

I sighed and took the notebook back. I scribbled in a thank you to them so they would be happy. They both looked over it and gave me thumbs up signs. Finally. I took out a well-deserved cigarette and began to smoke. Aikawa-san left, promising that she'd be back in the early afternoon the next day. I was hoping Isaka-san would leave as well, but he didn't budge from his place in the corner. Whatever. I would make sure he left once Misaki got there.

I checked my watch and noticed that it was way past the time when Misaki's last class was over. He should be here by now. Or least he should be close by. I hurried and finished my cigarette. Maybe he was downstairs and didn't know where to go. Isaka-san told him which room was ours, but maybe he wasn't sure where the room was. The hotel had just recently been remodeled after all.

I stood up from the bed and walked to the door. "I'm going to go look for Misaki."

Isaka-san followed behind me. "I should get back to the office and finish up some paperwork anyway."

My phone began to ring just as we stepped into the elevator. I checked the caller ID and saw that it was Misaki. I smiled a tiny bit and felt at peace inside. It was still such a new and odd feeling to me. Only he can make me feel this way.

"Yes?" I said into the receiver.

"Oh, Usagi-san? It's me," the boy replied.

"Misaki," I sighed into the phone. "Are you almost to the hotel?"

"Yeah, I just got here."

Before I could reply, the elevator doors opened and I saw my lover walk by with his phone up to his ear. He quickly stopped and backtracked a bit.

"Wait, hey!" He chuckled as Isaka-san and I stepped out of the elevator. "It's you, Usagi-san! Awesome!" He sounded so excited to see me. Maybe he was thrilled to be at the luxurious hotel.

I smiled at him as I put away my phone. Suddenly, another person came into my vision. He was standing right behind Misaki. My blood began to boil and my chest felt heavy. What the hell was he doing here?! Why?! And with Misaki?! He glared at me, half in shock.

What. The. Fuck!

"Hey, it's Haruhiko-chan!" Isaka-san chimed in. He sounded surprised as well.

"Ryuuichiro?" my brother said. "What are you doing here?"

"Work. I've got a certain esteemed author here, and – "

I didn't let him finish. I had a bone to pick with this guy.

"Why are you together?" I interrupted. My voice was harsh.

The question was directed at my brother, but Misaki piped in instead. "What? We sort of met when we were getting on the train, and we were going to the same place, so…" He turned to Haruhiko then turned to me with wide eyes. "Wait, do you know him?"

I kept my angry gaze on my brother as Isaka-san stepped in. "What are you talking about? This guy is Usami Haruhiko, Akihiko's older brother."

Misaki's mouth dropped in shock and, if possible, his eyes grew even wider. "WHAT?!" How did he not realize that it was my brother? Isaka-san even addressed him by his name, after all. Of course, I had just told him a bit about my family just the other day.

"Did you get the date wrong, by chance?" the director asked Haruhiko. "The party's tomorrow."

My brother glanced over at him with a confused look. "Party? For what?"

"Huh? I sent you an invitation. Did you not even look at it? It's to commemorate Akihiko winning the award!"

He looked back at me with venomous eyes. "First I've heard of it… I'm only here because I have a meeting here today. I never imagined that I would run into you in a place like this though."

What was that supposed to mean? "Thank you very much for going to the trouble of sending me flowers the other day," I spat, just ready to get as far away from him as possible.

"Flowers? Oh, my secretary probably sent them without telling me," he said conceitedly. "I had no knowledge of it."

My hands were balled into fists and possibly shaking. I couldn't believe that Misaki had been near this guy already. He better not have found out that Misaki is my lover… or else he definitely would have told Misaki about Ryuto. Misaki absolutely cannot know about him, at least not from someone who isn't me.

"Misaki, let's go," I quickly said, just wanting to leave. "Isaka-san, I'll be going on ahead to my room."

I turned to get back on the elevator, not even waiting for Isaka-san or Misaki to say anything.

"Akihiko," my brother suddenly shouted. His voice was like daggers to my ear drums. "When do you intend to return home?"

Not this shit again… I told him and my father several times already that I'm not going back. I don't need them to protect me. I don't need them to smother me. I'm perfectly fine on my own.

I turned to him and looked him straight in the eyes, to get my point across. "I'm not going back." I had told him too many times over the phone that I wasn't going to give in to their demands. When would they ever get that through their thick heads? "I've told you that several times, haven't I? Since I left, I have no further expectations, so do as you please with the rest of it."

I was trying to be as vague as possible since Misaki was still right there. Hopefully this guy standing before me would have the decency to keep the old family secrets locked up only between those who knew about what happened. I was hoping what I previously thought was wrong and that my brother and father wouldn't try to blackmail me. Dear god, please let that be wrong.

"Get real!" Haruhiko shouted at me. His already grey eyes seemed to become darker as his eyebrows furrowed in anger. I heard Misaki gasp beside me. He must be so confused and afraid. "So you have no regard for me, and the fact that I have to clean up the aftermath and fill in for you?"

I never once said that he had to cover my ass after what happened and after I left home, refusing to join the company. I was perfectly capable of handling the situation on my own, but our father took to hiding everything from the world perfectly. Never once did I ask him to and never once did we sit and talk about it. It certainly wasn't my fault that my brother got dragged into it as well.

Besides, this was over 10 years ago. Why can't they both let the past die?

"If you don't like it, you could just quit," I argued back at him. "I don't recall forcing you to do anything."

"The one who fled can say whatever he pleases, after all."

His voice penetrated my ears too harshly. I hated that word. 'Fled.' 'Flee.' That means escaping in a cowardly way. I wasn't a coward when I left home. I was simply moving on from a terrible past. I was ready to handle whatever was thrown my way, but they took over and wrestled with everything themselves, while I just wrestled with my own inner demons.

"H-Hey, stop it, both of you!" Isaka-san chimed it. He seemed very uncomfortable with what was going on.

"And as a result of running away," Haruhiko continued, "you became a writer?"

"Hey, Haruhiko!" The director once again failed in trying to diminish the situation.

"What a nice position to be in. Always flitting about imaginary worlds, turning away from reality. How easy that must be."

What was he trying to say? That I wasn't living in reality? What an asshole! I live that reality every day. Every night. At least, until Misaki came along. Now it's not quite as often, but I still live it. Besides, writing stuff that possibly millions of people enjoy reading is not an easy feat.

"Weaving worthless sentences together, getting your insipid books published, and on top of all that, wallowing in your own self-satisfaction." He sounded so condescending that it made me want to vomit. "You must be on top of the world!"

I was about to butt in when another angry voice rang through my ears.

"Get real!"

Was that… Misaki?