AN: Flashbacks will start again next chapter but I really wanted to advance this particular storyline.

Chapter Twenty Two

The girls are sleeping curled up next to me. Mom has suggested that she can move them to their beds but I feel okay. Mom has made sure that I have everything I need and I feel that since I've been confined to the bed that I've been more neglectful. Mom pushes my hair back as I snuggle down with them and smiles at me. "Thank you," she tells me and I look at her questioningly, "I mean. You've gone through so much, worked so hard, I'm so proud of you."

"Wwh-why?" I ask. I feel that I have to ask because I'm so different than I have been. Mom blinks back tears. I hate that I made my mother cry, I wish I was strong again and able to take care of everyone.

"If you can't see how much you've improved then we'll have to find some way of reminding you," Mom says and she continues to smile sadly. She ruffles my hair up like I was a little boy, being careful around my scar from the operation. "Kuon, you do realize that people are saying that an accident like that would have killed nearly anyone else and not just regular people like your father and I but doctors, people who have spent years studying the human mind and anatomy, people who have worked on cases that are more minor than yours. The doctors had to operate on your brain to stop the blood flow. The MRI came up with all kinds of further problems that they thought you'd die from and yet you're here with your children, fighting and working hard each day."

I look at her. She's missing out all of the medical problems that I'm enduring. She's making light of things that should never be made light of. I can't forget the fact that I have trouble speaking and listening, that I'm not allowed out of bed, that I feel depressed a lot of the time, that my appetite has decreased, that I won't be able to return to work for a while, that I have trouble with bodily functions.

"I agree," Kyoko says as she comes to the doorway. She sees the girls with me and smiles. "It's cute," she says before the girls start waking up. "Kuon," she says before wiping back tears. Did something go wrong with the show tonight? I know how important her collections are to her. "Corn, I'm really really sorry," she apologizes and I blink at her. Is she going to leave and take the girls with her? I know that I haven't been much of a father since I got hurt but I love my daughters and my wife. Isn't that enough?

"D-Dd-idd I…ddo-o so—" I ask before feeling my mouth stop working on that word. She turns to me in shock and comes over to me and takes my hand.

"Of course you didn't do anything," she says but I'm confused. If I haven't done anything then why is she so upset? She tries to blink back her tears. "I think I should get the girls into their own beds," she says before turning to Mom. "Can I speak with you privately about something?" she asks and I don't understand what's going on. Why can't she talk to me about whatever is happening? Maybe she doesn't trust me anymore. Maybe she doesn't think I'm intelligent enough to understand what is happening.

…

…

I can guess the kind of thoughts going through Kuon's head as I step out with Julie into the living room. I feel that I really messed up tonight by mentioning Kuon when I should have just kept quiet. Julie watches me and I feel that my breath is caught in my throat. "What's going on?" she asks and I freeze. That was the question which I knew that she was going to ask but it's not as if I was expecting it.

"It's Kuon," I tell her and she raises an eyebrow. Yes, it's obvious that it's about Kuon. "I did something tonight that…"

"That you don't want Kuon to know about?" Julie asks me and I shift uncomfortably. Julie sighs and gestures for us to sit down together. She watches me before leaning forwards. "Does it involve another guy?" she asks and I pale. Yes, but definitely not in the way that she's thinking. However, because I don't answer immediately, Julie looks at me with a pained understanding. "I know that Kuon has trouble performing sexually but he loves you. If you slipped up then -"

I stare at her horrified. I cough before shaking my head, "I wouldn't sleep with somebody else. No, this is about a guy approaching me and I said some things that I shouldn't but it wasn't in an affectionate way." I turn to Julie and sigh. I don't want to get angry at her for suggesting I have feelings for somebody else but is that the way I'm viewed? Am I a slut to her? "I love Kuon with my whole heart. I am so proud of the way he's coping with everything and seeing him tonight with the girls….maybe I want his recovery to go faster but I'm willing to wait. No. Even if Kuon was to pass away, my heart still belongs to him eternally. I was just harassed and the media caught it and I…I feel that I shouldn't have said what I said."

Julie sighs, "I'm sorry," she apologizes and I take steady breaths. "So what happened?"

"It was all Shotaro's fault," I breathe out in frustration and I see Julie tense. I know that she and Father despise him for what happened and how they believe if he hadn't been involved none of this would be happening. They also hate the fact that he is still coming onto me even after causing so much hurt.

"What happened?" Julie asks slowly.

"He was there and he started saying how I was only with Kuon because I didn't want to hurt his feelings which is stupid and ridiculous and you have to know that there is more behind my…" Julie nods along. We love each other and that's something everyone knows. If we didn't then the chances are that we wouldn't have been married for so long. "I started yelling at him for things I've kept from you and Father." I bow my head and close my eyes, "Such as how he attacked Kuon at our house, how he attacked Kuon in the hospital." I see Julie tense with anger but she remains silent. "Then I started talking about how he suffers from seizures and I know he's self-conscious about that."

"So, you gave information which you know he wasn't comfortable with?" Julie asks before putting a reassuring hand on my upper arm. "Darling, you have to know that this information would come out eventually. Kuon won't blame you. He's not ready to appear in public but people are already speculating on his condition."

I take another deep breath in. "Shotaro started trash-talking Kuon and saying things like he was a freak and making fun of his communication skills. He called him pathetic and addressed the media about this. I felt protective of Kuon and I tried to thank the media for their respect whilst saying that although Kuon was hurt very badly, he is recovering and soon we'll hopefully be able to do an interview but then I…I wanted to destroy him even more and so I called him a murderer who has been harassing us and assaulting Kuon and…."

"Maybe that wasn't the best forum to do it but it's the truth," Julie tells me and sighs. "It sounds like what you did was damage control. This man is the one who started it and honestly, if he is continuing to track down my son and hurt him then I want to ruin his career as well. It's one thing being a part of an accident that nearly resulted in a fatality but following that same man that you hurt, kicking him when he's down, that's a criminal offense."

I look to her. I don't feel guilty about what happened to Shotaro but I'm worried that Kuon will think negatively about me because I wasn't able to just say no comment and leave. How could I though when Shotaro's words might be printed in magazines and injure Kuon verbally. I look down. "I don't want him to find out though, not from another source. I don't want to cause any disturbance in his recovery. He's working so hard."

"He is working hard," Julie agrees with me and I sigh. I just hope that the media won't blow this out of proportion and talk about Kuon and how they believe he's doing without actual proof. I turn back to the room. It's time to get the girls to their beds if only so I can selfishly snuggle up in my husband's arms.

….

….

After dealing with Akitoki and telling the president that if they intend to continue representing a murderer, I would take down their entire agency and hearing that they already didn't plan on keeping Fuwa on, I managed to secure a talk show. I'll be discussing my work as well but this gives me the perfect opportunity to go on the offense.

"So, we're all excited to hear what work you're doing next," the host says to me and I smile back at him, "But first, we're all wondering if you can give us a little information on Kuon-san. It's okay if it's private we -"

"Kuon was nearly murdered," I tell them and the host pauses. "I don't know how to explain it but this Fuwa guy, he went to Kuon's house after he was released from the hospital following a coma that lasted a few months and attacked him." I don't know very much about this personally and am a little upset that Kyoko never told me this but it doesn't matter, if needed I'll make up what I need to.

"And why would he do that?" the host laughs uncomfortably and I turn to him.

"Because Fuwa Shotaro is a psychopath…no, he's more of a sociopath," I tell them and I hear the audience gasp and lean in closer. "I'm sure that most people have seen the footage of what happened and it's a miracle that Kuon was able to survive and start recovery from that but to attack him afterwards because of a twisted idea of love, that is punishable with a prison sentence."

The crowd starts to gossip and I feel some success at how this is playing out. Soon nobody decent will even associate with this idiot. Nobody crosses my son and gets away with it. Even his own parents should have problems with how he's being depicted and that's a gift that I can give to Kuon whether he knows he wants it or not.

I also know that his birth name has never been mentioned on air before but I don't care. Let his career rot. "Before we continue with the interview though," I say and turn to look into the camera. "I will never work with any director, producer, or agency that feels a desire to work with this criminal. To allow this man to work for you whether you are a fashion designer, interviewer, or producer, if you do that then you are publicly insulting the HIzuri family and the HIzuri name. I don't want to associate with people who feel comfortable working with a murderer."

I feel a cold chill in the air and the host laughs very nervously. Not many have seen this side of me before but this is for Kuon. Maybe they'll learn who Kuon got his dark side from because it most definitely isn't Julie.

The host awkwardly attempts to move the interview back on track but his next words make me feel a sick and twisted pleasure inside, "Well, we definitely won't be inviting Fuwa back onto our show, that's for sure."

End of Chapter Twenty Two

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