Misaki's Fourth Truth

"Go get him! He'll listen to you!" Aikawa had said when the two discovered that Usagi had fled the apartment. He always went over to Hiroki's place to hide, and Aikawa knew where the man lived because she had been there a couple times just in the past month to try to drag Usagi back and finish his latest novel. The problem was, Aikawa seemed to be under the impression that Usagi wouldn't listen to her anymore, and that's how Misaki got stuck riding a subway to Kamijou the Devil's house.

Currently, however, he was sitting on one of the couches in the living room while Hiroki disappeared to wherever Usagi had fled to when he heard Misaki at the door. Nowaki was there at the time, and the man came in as Hiroki was shouting profanities, carrying two cups of tea. He flinched slightly when there was a loud thump, but then he just shook his head.

"I'm sorry you had to come all the way out here, Takahashi-san," Nowaki said, setting one of the mugs down on the coffee table in front of Misaki. "I'm sure you have better things to do than sit here, drinking tea with me."

Misaki picked up the mug and then stared at Nowaki over the top of it. "You're Kamijou-sensei's lover, right?" he said before he could stop himself. Nowaki hadn't introduced himself, though, and Misaki was curious.

"Yes," Nowaki said. He hadn't sat down yet, so he bowed. "I'm Nowaki Kusama."

"Oh! You work at that flower shop, right?" Misaki suddenly asked. Nowaki nodded vaguely, and Misaki blushed. "I'm sorry. I just went in for flowers a while ago, and you left an impression on me. You're… really tall."

Nowaki smiled as he went over to the guinea pig cage in the corner and took the rodent out. "Thank you, I suppose," he said. He was about to pick up the plastic exercise ball nearby when there was a thump.

"Bakahiko, get your ass out here! If you don't go home with Takahashi I know that editor of yours will be over here." There was some kind of noise that may have been Usagi talking. "This is my bedroom and you're locking me out." More noise. "Well I'm sure what we do in there is no worse than what you do to that teenaged lover of yours. I swear I am surrounded by men who try to compensate for their middle age by dating young boys." He eyed Nowaki, who looked somewhat amused. "Don't give me that look. I was in my early twenties when we met."

"How long have you two been together?" Misaki asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Seven years."

Misaki looked surprised, and Nowaki put the guinea pig in her exercise ball and set her loose. Then he reached over the cupboard and produced a key. He discretely gave it to Hiroki, and when the door was unlocked, Hiroki charged in. Usagi was soon tossed out, narrowly avoiding the guinea pig in its plastic ball.

When Usagi got into the living room, however, he said, "I feel like going out to eat."

Misaki sighed but nodded.

Going home for the summer, and don't have internet at home. I'm interning at the library and they have wifi, but no random 3am updates anymore. Sorry D: