A/N: Thanks to all of you who have reviewed so far! That really makes me want to write more! Is the reason I don't have many reviews because I asked you not to flame? Is it really that bad and no one's telling me? *has insecurity issues* Anywho, here's the chapter, and I hope you like it!

~~

"My name is Shuichi Shindou … not little boy! If I tell you which one, it won't make any difference. "

"Yeah, well ... I don't see one so delicate going as far as suicide."

"That's mean! Is there a reason for saying things like that and being so self-centered towards me?"

"Because of your poor job committing murder earlier ... Do you want to know what honorable, fine, up-standing business I'm in? Well, do you?"

"... Not really … Because I didn't think I'd run into you again."

"I see … my criticism went to your head. Song-making youngster."

"Huh?! But you just said you didn't know what I was talking about…"

"I lied. Idiot."

Yuki woke up with a headache and a sore throat. And a cold bed. He pulled himself out of bed and into the kitchen, his dream still playing out in his head. His nightmares had finally begun to calm down, and now he began to dream about his memories of the first time he had met Shuichi and their first real conversation.

"Ohayo, Aniki! Did you sleep well?" Yuki automatically jumped back from the overly happy voice. He had forgotten that his brother and Ryuichi had spent the night. He had also managed to forget that his brother was a morning person. He was much too happy much too early to fit Yuki's personality. Yuki growled something out to his brother, and Tatsuha laughed and placed a cup of coffee in front of him. After finishing it, Yuki was more capable of human interaction.

"Where's Shuichi?"

"Oh, he left about two hours ago," Ryuichi answered as he bounced into the room.

"Any idea where he went? He doesn't have to work today."

"He said something about visiting someone and needing to speak with them about something important. I think it was something about you."

"Why would he leave this early in the morning, though?"

"Ten o'clock is early?"

"For most people that have the day off, yes."

~

"Can I help you?"

"I hope so. I'm looking for Uesugi-san."

"Yes, I'm Uesugi. How can I help you?"

"I just have a few questions for you. Um… concerning your son."

"I told Tatsuha to stay out trouble. If he damaged any of your property, I'll pay for it."

"No, no! Nothing like that! I actually came about your other son."

"Other son… other son… Oh, Yuki?"

"Do you have a third son?"

"No. But I can't say Yuki is my son, either."

"Why not?"

"He has given up his name and gone to live elsewhere. He left before he was old enough to, and even stated in a letter that it was because of me. I can no longer claim him as my son."

"Oh."

"Would you like to come in? It looks like you've had a long journey."

"Arigatou."

~

"But why did you never seem to like him? He, Mika-san, and Tatsuha-chan have all said that you didn't really pay much attention to him."

"I never wanted him."

"What?"

"I only wanted one child. Mika was that one. I didn't want any others."

"But you accepted Tatsuha."

"Tatsuha was easy to accept. I had had time to resign myself to the fact that I had more than one child by that time."

"Then why didn't you ever accept Yuki?"

"He was a hard child to accept. Too different."

"How so?"

"He looks like a European."

~

"Aniki?"

"Hmm?"

"What did Kaasan look like?"

"Why?"

"I wasn't able to tell Ryu-chan when he asked last night, and I want to know."

"Okay. Um… keep in mind that I've never seen a picture of her, and I haven't seen her in over sixteen years. I may be a little off in the details. Uh… she had long blonde hair. When she let it out of the bun she always kept it in it went down to her waist. She had bright, green eyes. She was always smiling or laughing, and when she did either of those things, her eyes lit up really bright and it looked like there were lights behind them. She didn't look Japanese at all, but she was. She was almost as tall as Tousan, but the way she carried herself made her look taller. She was the kind of person who didn't need make-up or jewelry to make herself look nice, she looked really nice without any of that stuff covering her up."

"She sounds beautiful," Ryuichi sighed.

"She was. Or at least, my six-year-old brain and memories tell me she was." Yuki shrugged.

"From the way you describe her, you look a lot like her."

"I don't think so."

"Tall, blond, light eyes, doesn't look even slightly Japanese."

"Her eyes looked Japanese. Their shape, I mean."

"So do yours."

~

"But why does that matter? If he's your son, you should love him regardless of what he looks like."

"I was beginning to. But then their mother died, and he looks like a male replica of her."

"Shouldn't that make you care about him more? If he looks like your wife, then shouldn't you love him as the closest thing you have? All of your children should be that way," Shuichi commented, trying hard to understand the man.

"That's how it should work. The problem is, he looks too much like her. I couldn't bear to look at something that looked so much like a dead woman."

"Oh… one other question?"

"What?"

"Do you have any idea why Yuki would say he wished you would hit him?"

"Yes. That's part of the reason I'd like to speak with him again."

"Then why?"

~

"Tatsuha, what are you doing?"

"Making breakfast!"

"Why?"

"You said Shuichi would be cooking this morning, but since he's not here, I figured I would try!"

"No."

"Why not, Aniki?"

"Because I don't want to spend all of my advancement for my new book on a new kitchen!"

"Oh come on! I'm not that bad!"

"The last time you came over and cooked, I had to move because the cost was too high to fix it. I had to have what was left of the house demolished."

"Was it really that bad?"

"Only my closet was left standing. I lost most of my stuff, more than half of my wardrobe, and two books-in-progress because of it. I have another three books that I'm working on right now, and I'm pleased with how they're turning out, so I don't want you or Ryuichi anywhere near my kitchen."

"I think he woke up," Ryuichi commented blandly from his spot on the counter. "In case you haven't noticed, Aniki-chan [1], we've been in the kitchen all morning."

~

"My theory is that he thought that if I hit him, I would pay attention to him. He may have a different reason for it, but that's my thoughts."

"Well, why don't you talk to him about it?"

"I'd like to, but he refuses to come back to visit."

"Who says you can't go to him?"

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"The people here know that he's my son. I don't want to make a scene in Tokyo."

"There wouldn't be a big scene. Well, there would be, but only because everyone would be able to meet Yuki Eiri's father."

"It just wouldn't work out if I went to visit him."

"Why not?"

"I already told you. People here know he's my son."

"Wait a second. You don't mean it like they know what to expect do you?"

"What are you implying?"

"You don't want to claim him as yours, do you?"

"Why would I want to do that. He looks too foreign."

"You're pathetic," Shuichi sneered before standing up to leave.

"Now I recognize you."

"Wha?"

"I've been trying to place you since I saw you at the door. You're that cross-dresser my freak son is in love with. I would have thought you would be done with each other by now."

"Your 'freak' son?"

~

"Mika, what are you doing here?"

"I just came to talk. Tohma's coming by in a few minutes."

"Why?" Yuki sighed as he put his head in his hands. Mika and Tatsuha exchanged looks and both smiled. Mika walked over to her younger brother and put an arm around his shoulders.

"It's okay, Eiri. If the conversation gets to be too much for you, you can always call Shuichi in."

"He's visiting someone right now. I don't know where he is."

"I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"Hello, Eiri!"

"Can't you knock, Seguchi-san?"

"Can't you call me 'Niisan'?" Tohma countered.

"Will it make you leave?"

"Probably not. I'm here as long as Mika is."

Yuki looked up at his older sister. "How can I get you to leave?" The brunette woman laughed and shook her head. Just then they heard a pounding and shaking coming from outside. Everyone looked towards the door, and Yuki allowed a small smile to cross his face. "Shuichi's home."

Everyone looked back at the blond man, certain he was crazy. Since when was an earthquake the signal of Shuichi coming? Then Yuki continued. "He's upset about something." He looked to the others in the room, mainly the ones between himself and the door. "You might want to clear a path," he advised and stood up, taking a few steps away from the door.

As soon as everyone had cleared a path between the door and Yuki, the door burst open and a pink blur slammed itself into Yuki's chest, sending them both crashing into the couch. At that moment, they understood why Yuki stood up. If he had been sitting, it was highly possible that his kneecaps would have broken with the impact of the pink blur hurled itself at him.

Then the blur became more clear and was proved to be Shuichi, who had planted himself on top of Yuki, and was squeezing the older man's neck tightly. He was also crying and sobbing something into the blond's shoulder. Yuki smiled tenderly and pushed Shuichi back slightly.

"Try that again?" Yuki suggested. Shuichi continued to sob loudly. The only difference was that what he was saying could be almost understood.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT HE SAYS! YOU'RE NOT A FREAK! You're wonderful, and nice, and responsible, and if he doesn't see that then he's just a STUPID, BLIND IDIOT!"

"Slow down, Shu-chan. What are you talking about?"

"He said you were A FREAK! And that he didn't care about you and never really had," Shuichi sniffled.

"Who?"

Shuichi finally noticed the other people in the room and cringed when he locked eyes with Mika. "Gomen," he said quietly.

"For what?"

"I… kinda gave your father a bloody nose. I think I might have knocked him out, too."

"Shuichi! Why would you do that?"

"He said all those mean things about you, and then wasn't willing to admit to strangers that you were his son, even though he said you look just like your mom did, and he would only get famous if he did claim you. Then he called you a freak and I hit him. I didn't mean to hit him that hard, though. I promise!"

"You gave him a bloody nose?"

"And probably knocked him unconscious, too."

"You BAKA!"

"Gomen! I didn't mean too!"

"You should have broken his nose! And everything else that could be broken, too!"

Everyone looked at the enraged women curiously. Yuki backed away in fear. He hadn't been too young when his mother died to remember the consequences of getting Uesugi women angry. Tatsuha, noticing the direction his brother was headed, decided it would be safest to follow Yuki's lead. Ryuichi was safe because he was Tohma's best friend, and he wasn't really involved in it at all. Shuichi was safe because he had managed to inflict even a little damage on the reason for Mika's wrath. That left only Tohma. The poor man had no idea what hit him. Mika punched him twice before storming into the kitchen and returning with a beer.

"I've put up with what he does to Eiri and what he says about him only because usually Eiri is either there to defend himself – or at least insult right back – or he's done something recently to deserve it. This time Tousan had no excuse! That's it. Shuichi, if you didn't break his nose, I'm going to. Come on Tohma!"

And with that, the human hurricane and her husband were gone. [2] For a few moments afterward, everyone in the room just stood where they were and stared at the door. Then Yuki and Tatsuha looked at each other and burst out laughing. To say that Ryuichi and Shuichi were both shocked would be an understatement.

"Gomen," Yuki laughed. "But seeing her angry about something our father did, and her being the golden child, it's just too funny. And did you see Tohma's face?" Yuki lapsed into giggles with tears streaming down his face. Tatsuha was no better off.

"I've never seen Neesan lose her cool like that. I almost expected to see fire and smoke coming out of her ears! And Tohma was… I can't believe he never saw that after all the time that they've been married!"

"Why did she all of a sudden blow it?" Shuichi asked once the brothers had calmed down enough to breathe every once in awhile.

"Maybe because she finally realized that it's not impossible to punch out our father? I've known for a long time that he's not omnipotent, but she seems to be just losing her delusional viewpoint."

"Yuki?" Shuichi asked. The blond man turned to face him.

"Nani?"

"I'm sorry to bring this up if you don't want to talk about it, but why did you say that you wished your father would hit you?"

"What do you mean?"

"In your story, when you had announced that you were changing your name you said you wished your father would hit you."

"Oh. That. That's kind of hard to explain."

"Can you try?"

"If I hadn't intended on trying, I wouldn't have mentioned it in the first place."

"Then why didn't you say anything about it before?" Ryuichi asked. Yuki stared at the thirty-year-old with a look of annoyance and appreciation on his face. Annoyance for asking so many questions, and appreciation for asking the right ones.

"I was trying to find the best phrasing for it."

"Always a novelist, huh?" Tatsuha commented.

"I guess. I wanted my father to hit me because then at least it would be real. I would know what was meant by it."

"What do you mean?" Ryuichi asked, seeing that Yuki had stopped and didn't seem to have any intention of continuing.

"Most the time he would just yell at me or call me names, or just ignore me altogether. That hurt, but I didn't know what he really thought of me. For all knew, that was just his way of relating to me. He and Mika got along, but that was bound to be different because she's the daughter. He and Tatsuha got along, but Tat's the baby of the family, and the last bit of Kaasan we have. I had no idea where or how, or even if I fit. I figured that, if he hit me, I would know for a fact what his feelings towards me were.

"If he hit me hard enough to leave a dark mark, or if it lifted me off my feet, then I would know he didn't like me. But if he didn't hit too hard, then there was still a chance that he might like me. For a long time that's all I wanted."

"For him to like you?" Ryuichi asked. Yuki nodded.

"To have him not hate me. I could handle him not liking me, I didn't need him to like me, really. I just wanted to make sure he didn't hate me. I could never tell with the way he talked to me. It sounded like he was disgusted with me, but then he'd say something nice out of the blue. I was never sure about it."

"Do you still want to know?" Shuichi asked quietly.

"Yes. Why?"

"I think I might have your answer."

~~

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. I actually meant to end it awhile ago, but it just wouldn't let me quit writing. I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be the last one, though. Thanks for the reviews and for reading the story. Please review for this chapter, too? Thanks!

[1] – Well, he seems to like calling people by nicknames, and Tat's name for Yuki is Aniki. Also, since he's older than Yuki, it's just fitting that he calls him Aniki-chan.

[2] – I think I've been spending too much time in English class. That was an unintentional alliteration thing.