That night as he laid in bed, Kana's words rang through Ibushi's head. 'Something about keeping company with homosexuals seems dirty, don't you think? …. It doesn't matter how rich they are or how influential they may be, I simply refuse to associate with their kind.' Those words haunted him, having been spoken with absolute certainty. It made him wonder what kind of house she and Akoya had been raised in. He knew damn well that Akoya didn't share her ideals, but he also couldn't imagine how uncomfortable the teaching of those ideals had made his friend. With the friends he and Akoya shared, who wouldn't be uncomfortable with homophobic speech?

His finger lingered over Akoya's contact in his phone as he checked the time. It was the middle of the night, but he felt as if he would go insane if he didn't talk to the other. He felt as if he had so many thoughts crammed into his head that if he didn't talk about them to someone who understood, his head just might explode. Weighing his options for a brief moment, Ibushi finally resolved to press the "Call" button.

"Arima?" Akoya asked, tinny voice sounding as if he were still asleep. "Did you mean to call?" His tone indicated that he was hoping it was a misdial, but Ibushi refused to be swayed by it.

"I did," he slowly replied, cupping his phone to his face as if it would shatter if he didn't hold it with care. "Listen, I know it's the middle of the night, but I feel as if I'll go insane if I don't talk to someone." He heard the faint rustling of sheets on Akoya's end of the call. "It's about what Kana said today. Her words are still eating at me, and I just don't know what to do."

"The answer anyone else would give you is to tell you to ignore it. You know that, don't you?" The other sounded more awake now, but still not fully there. "But I'm not going to do that. Instead, I'm going to ask what about what she said bothers you. Can you pinpoint the exact thing that made you the most uncomfortable?"

"She said that homosexuals were dirty," Ibushi began, thinking back on it. "And then the whole not caring about status if they were gay. It's almost as if she doesn't see people like our friends as humans. Then again, it's not like she knows about Kinshiro, though I'm sure she knows about Naruko and Zaou, right?"

A tinny, exhausted sigh rang through the receiver. "Kana is constantly asking why I would associate myself with two 'backwards' people like them, even insulting my title as Sakura's uncle. But I'd rather do what I wish, even if it means having to listen to her obnoxious harping." He was quiet for a moment. "Don't worry, I don't think she knows you're friends with them, if that's what you're asking."

The green-haired man weighed his friend's words in his mind. Would it matter whether Kana knew who his friends were or not? He tried not to imagine the venom in her words if she were to find out about his relation to Io and Ryuu. Her hateful words in her casual speech were enough to have kept him up this late; he didn't want to imagine just how hateful she could get when she was intending to be.

"While I know that's meant to be comforting, I can't help but think that it feels wrong to keep something so important from my future spouse," he admitted, biting his lip with worry. He raked a hand through his thick hair, frustrated. "But even so, I know that there's no way around it if I want a peaceful marriage."

In his mind, he could see Akoya shrugging noncommittally as he replied with, "Every marriage has its secrets. I suppose nobility like us pride ourselves in them. Though it may not be seen as moral or whatever, it's all some of us know. It's what helps some marriages last." His voice sounded borderline regretful the more he spoke. He paused for a moment as if deep in thought. "Sometimes I wonder if I'll have an honest marriage when it's my time to wed. I don't want to keep secrets, and you know how I am about secrets being kept from me."

Ibushi couldn't help but laugh as he imagined a pouty Akoya sulking in front of his future spouse. "Know you, you'd annoy them until they told you literally everything, even things you didn't want or need to know."

"Glad to know you still know me so well," the other sang through the phone. "Looks like you truly are still my best friend after all!" There was a comfortable silence between the two before he spoke again. "I don't think you need to worry about anything. Kana isn't like me when it comes to secrets. She just chooses to ignore things that don't directly concern her." His voice sounded a little sad as he said, "Your marriage will be just fine, Arima. I'm sure of it."

At the moment, the green-haired man didn't want to think about marriage, especially to someone like Kana. In the beginning, a marriage with her sounded nice because then he could be brothers with Akoya, but at this point he'd rather marry Akoya himself just to piss her off.

Ibushi stopped himself mid-thought. He wanted to marry Akoya? That itself was an interesting thing to think about. It didn't sound like that bad of an idea, but he knew their parents would disapprove, especially since he was already promised to Kana. To be able to marry his best friend and bro out for the rest of their lives just wasn't in the cards for him.

"Arima? You still there?" Akoya's tinny voice brought him back to reality. "Did you fall asleep on me? That's pretty rude, you know."

"What? No, I'm still here," he quickly replied. A small smile played on his lips. "I was just thinking about how it would be more fun to marry you instead."

There was a crash on the other side of the line before his best friend's voice, frenzied, came back through. "Sorry about that, I dropped my phone. Why would you say something like that, Arima? Is it because it's so late at night or something? You really took me by surprise. What's up with you? Should I let you go so you can sleep?"

Ibushi laughed at the other's response. It was so like him. "Maybe you're right," he replied, unable to keep a goofy grin off his face. "I think I should get to sleep. If I don't, who knows what I'll say next, huh?"

"Goodnight then," Akoya said, voice sounding reluctant to hang up.

"Let's meet up tomorrow," the green-haired man said, reaching over and shutting off the lamp on the nightstand. His room was instantly immersed into darkness, the only light coming from the stars through his sheer curtains and his cell phone. "Maybe we can invite everyone. It's been too long since I've seen them."

"I'll send out a group text, but I know most of them work. I know at least Io and Ryuu would show up with Sakura, so we can just plan for that. Now go to bed. I don't need you proposing to me while half-asleep," the other joked. "Goodnight, Arima."

"Goodnight, Akoya," Ibushi chuckled before hanging up. He rolled over onto his side and thought about what he had said to his best friend. If only it were possible. He'd rather be married to him than be stuck in a miserable marriage with his sister.

.

Ibushi entered the crowded coffee shop, instantly spotting Akoya in a crowd. Beside him was a 24-year-old Io Naruko, wrestling a toddler into her high chair. Seeing Ryuu's daughter in person made him realize that she definitely looked just like her father.

Io threw his hands up in surrender, turning to Akoya. "Please take her. She's driving me nuts," he sighed before turning to Ibushi. "It's been awhile, Arima. I'm glad to see that you're in good health. Ryuu should be here before too long. He got held up at work."

With a smile, Ibushi took a seat next to Akoya, who was snuggling the little girl. "I'm glad to see you in good health as well, Io." His eyes went from the gold wedding band on Io's finger to Sakura. "Things have definitely changed, haven't they?" he joked. "You never really struck me as the parental type."

"You know, I thought the same thing," the other green-haired man replied, smiling at his daughter fondly. "But then Sakura happened. When Ryuu and I found out about her, you can bet that I wasn't the happiest, but when I met her I fell in love. Sure, she drives me crazy sometimes, but when she snuggles up to me and falls asleep in my lap at the end of the day, I feel as if I've truly found real treasure."

"She's the cutest, little princess!" Akoya enthused, tickling her. His smile could hardly fit on his face as Sakura burst out into energetic giggles. "Do you want to come play at Uncle Ako's house sometime, Sakura?"

"Yes!" she squealed back, brown eyes lighting up with pure joy. "Uncle Ako is best!"

Io couldn't help but smile at the two before turning back to the man beside Akoya. "I heard you're engaged to Kana. She's really something, isn't she?" He smirked, unable to hold back his snark any longer. "Just you wait, you'll have a Sakura of your own before too long. And that child will drain every ounce of energy you possess. You'll slowly lose your mind in the most wonderful of ways."

Akoya snorted. "Kana as a mother? You've got to be kidding me. She hates kids. Odds are she'd have a sole heir and have them raised by a nanny or something. She might even make poor Arima raise the child on his own." He snuggled a giggling Sakura into his chest. "I can't wait to have kids of my own. They're going to be so beautiful and I'll buy them anything they could ever possibly want! But until then, I suppose I'm going to have to spoil yours instead."

The door to the coffee shop opened, the man entering's presence commanding attention to it without even needing words. He strode over to the table and sat beside his husband, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Who's got you, Sakura?" he asked, grinning at his child.

"Uncle Ako!" she cheered in response. Her eyes lit up when she realized that Ryuu had joined them. "Papa!" She practically jumped out of Akoya's lap, landing safely in her father's arms. "You're here!"

"Did you miss me?" Ryuu asked her, grinning as he patted her head. "I know I missed you." Though he was someone that everyone had snidely joked would knock a girl up back in high school, no one had ever imagined that it would actually happen. And when it finally did, no one ever thought that he would be as amazing of a father as he turned out to be.

The fond look in Io's eyes said it all as he watched the other two members of his little family. He had been content with Ryuu as he was before Sakura, but he felt as if one he became a father there was even more to love. Of course he had been furious upon finding out about Sakura. Who wouldn't have been? In fact, when she had first come to stay with them, he would hardly even acknowledge the poor child. He didn't even like children.

And then came the fateful night when Sakura had developed a fever in the middle of the night. Ryuu had been away on business, leaving Io alone with the poor, sick toddler. He had panicked and called up his husband, worrying him to no end. Staying up all night, Io had tended to Sakura and managed to break her fever. Relieved, he decided to nap, taking her to his and Ryuu's bedroom with him. Ryuu had come home to find Sakura asleep on his husband's chest and the two had been inseparable ever since.

"I did!" she told him, eyes wide with seriousness as she nodded to him. "Daddy let me play with Uncle Ako!" Her big brown eyes shyly eyed Ibushi, who gave her a gentle wave. "And Uncle Ako's friend!"

"He's mine and Daddy's friend too, Sakura," Ryuu told her, smiling. "His name is Ibushi Arima."

"Ibu!" Sakura dubbed him, pointing a decided finger at Ibushi. The sureness in her voice nearly startled him, but he decided to roll with it as she smiled at him. "I'm Sakura Naruko."

"I'm happy to meet you, Miss Sakura," he replied with a respectful bow of his head. "I hope that we can become good friends."

"Best friends!" she chirped back, grinning widely.

"I thought I was your best friend," Io complained, pouting at her.

"You're my daddy!" she giggled to him, jumping from Ryuu to Io. She hooked her arms around his neck, squealing with delight when he caught her.

Ibushi couldn't help but feel almost envious of the Naruko family. Something pulled at his chest as a voice in his head told him that he'd never have that, no matter how rich he was. He wondered what it must be like to raise a child together with the person you loved the most. Though he had never been in love before, he couldn't help but mourn the love he'd never have. It wasn't as if Kana was the absolute worst, but he knew he could never truly love her in the way Io and Ryuu loved each other. After all, how could he ever love someone so cruel when it came to love in the first place?

.

After bidding the Naruko family farewell, Ibushi and Akoya decided to walk around together. Though they were walking together, their thoughts were elsewhere. As they walked side-by-side, the two of them pondered the afternoon they had spent together. Was it already the time to say goodbye?

"Say, Arima, would you mind if I stayed with you tonight?" Akoya asked. His voice sounded distant, even though he was standing right next to him. "I don't want to deal with Kana tonight after having such a great day. She'd only ruin it all."

Ibushi scoffed, trying to hold back his laughter. "Sure thing, Akoya," he told him. "It really was a great day, wasn't it?" He thought back on it, smiling to himself. "You know, I've never imagined those two as parents before I found out they were, and they're family dynamic is pretty great, if you ask me. Sakura is a lucky girl to have two wonderful parents like them."

"She really is, isn't she?" the pink-haired man mused. "It makes me wonder what my life would be like if my own parents had cared for me the way Io and Ryuu care for her. Do you think that you and I would have been completely different people if our parents had paid attention to us?"

"Maybe," the other replied, thinking about it. "Perhaps we would feel as if our family weren't strangers to us." He thought of his father and how they hadn't even spoken once while he was away at college. His mind then drifted to Io and Ryuu in the future, calling up Sakura every night that she was away and warning her to stay away from boys like Ryuu. "It really makes me wonder what family truly is."

Akoya nodded his agreement. "To me, they're all strangers with whom I share blood. And then I see Io and Sakura, and it makes me think that family doesn't always have to be blood. Maybe family can be the people that you choose to surround yourself with." He fell into a contemplative silence for a moment before looking up at Ibushi. "If we're following that logic, would that make you my family, Arima?"

"I'd like to think something along those lines," Ibushi chuckled in response. "Screw blood, right? If you're Uncle Ako to Sakura, that means they consider you part of their family. To me, that sounds better than what we're stuck with, you know?"

"Uncle Ibu," the smaller man said, trying it out. "If I'm Uncle Ako, then you're her Uncle Ibu. Who cares about my blood family? I like this one better."

"Me too," Ibushi agreed as they walked on together. Saying it aloud helped his heart feel a little more at peace. Surely if he could keep having days like this after his wedding to Kana, then he could grow content with the life that was being forced upon him.