Ok everybody! A new, happier chapter! yay! I really hope you enjoy this. It's pretty fluffy and so it was difficult for me to complete (I'm not used to writing romance! Or thinking about it, for that matter!) So, I hope it is OK. Please enjoy and review! Danke!

"Momiji," Haru's voice fell flat with nervousness as he peeked through a crack in the door. "Momiji-kun? Can I please come in? I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Rasing his pitch, his cries crumbled under the stress. "Momiji-kun, I need to talk to you!"

No response. 'Oh shit! What have I done?' His stomach dropped in terror as he shifted on the balls of his feet. 'Momiji's hurting, and I did it! What if he never smiles again? I've never heard him cry like this before? What if I've destroyed him? I was too stupid to protect the only person dear to me!'

Suddenly, two wide, brown eyes met Hatsuharu, staring as the door slid open. "Haru-kun?" Momiji asked breathlessly, his lips trembling.

"Can I come in?" The cow looked around in his awkwardness, unable to meet the rabbit's gaze.

Nodding wordlessly, the blonde extended a shy hand, inviting his cousin to enter. Momiji projected an aura of clumsy apology, showing that he was not sure whether he should be upset or instantly forgiving. He felt so relieved that the taller boy had come back to him, but inside the sharp reprimand still hurt. Haru understood this as he read Momiji's expression, and therefore felt even more uncertain himself. Both boys avoided each other as they shuffled around the room.

The noiseless air elicited shivers from Hatsuharu. "Momiji," he attempted to end the silence. "Look, I don't really know what I can say to erase what just happened. I was stupid. I couldn't stop Black from taking over." Tears rolling down his cheeks, he swiped his palm across his face. "I've lost control of myself, and I'm hurting you! That's why you need to stay away from me."

"Nein!" The smaller boy insisted, advancing toward his white-haired cousin with a look of concern. "You don't hurt me. You make me happy! I don't want to stay away from you." Sitting down on his bed, he gestured for Haru to join him. His salty cheeks twitching with a smile, he reached his tiny fingers to caress the cow's arm. "When we play together, I have so much fun! And when you talk to me, I feel like I am loved for the first time in my life. You're nice to me and take care of me, and you're the only one that treats me like you love me, I think."

'Love?' Hatsuharu closed his eyes, trying to relax his inner tensions. 'More like lust. If I really loved him, I wouldn't even think about taking advantage of him. If he only knew what goes through my head when I'm close to him like this.' His brain throbbed as he realized his abuse of the rabbit's trust. "But I do hurt you," he argued, though he sounded weak and numb. "You're crying right now because of me. Can't you see I'm dangerous to you?"

"You didn't make me cry!" Momiji rushed to counter the comment, shaking his head fervently. "I'm crying because I did something bad to you and I don't know what!" The German boy rattled with pain, his voice fluctuating between cries. "I don't understand why you keep getting mad at me, but whatever's wrong, I want to stop it!"

Taking a deep breath, Haru realized the need to be honest with his companion. 'He deserves to know that this isn't his fault. I'm being so unfair! Just because I didn't want to embarrass myself, I kept everything inside even though he didn't understand what was going on. I can't do that any longer. My secrecy is hurting him even worse than my actions. I'll tell him everything if that's what it takes to cure his guilty feelings. Everything! Nothing is worse than hearing him worry about me!' Finding strength in this confirmation, he lowered his voice, forcing an explanatory tone. "Do you know why our class laughed at us today?"

"No!" The blonde squeaked. "They just started calling me words I couldn't understand, and then-,"

"What did they call you?" The larger boy cut in, anger bubbling once more in his chest.

Furrowing his brow in thoughtfulness, Momiji tried to answer. "F, fa-,"

"Fag?" Haru supplied, sympathetic pain boiling in his heart.

"Ja!" The smaller boy brightened in remembrance, still oblivious to that the fact that he had been insulted. "And they called you that, too! But they thought it was so funny, so I started laughing. I'm glad I could have fun with them. I still don't know what it means, though!"

Nodding gently, Haru spoke as if he was addressing a child. "Well," He started. Wondering how he should answer the eager boy, he took wary precautions with his words. He was afraid that the direction of the conversation would cause his feelings for Momiji to surface. 'But I promised that I would be honest! I can't keep thinking about my own interests in this!' Ending the pause, he offered a shy grin. "Well, it's a very mean name for a gay person. Honda and Taki think we are both gay." He hesitated, "Momiji-kun, do you know what 'gay' means?"

"Natürlich!" He quipped defensively, his face heating up as he realized the magnitude of the other boy's statement. "Oh, so they think we're, I mean, when I said we sleep together, they must have thought-," He dissolved in nervous giggles for the first time that evening. Although the sound was laced with obvious shame, it twinkled in the silence. "They thought I meant we had-,"

"Yes," Haru buried his face in his hands. "They think we are having sex." Hunching his shoulders, he could not bear to face his cousin. 'Why am I so embarrassed? I've never had a problem talking about sex before. But with Momiji sitting next to me, I can't be so bold! He just doesn't understand!'

"Oops," The blonde's mood plummeted once more. "I'm sorry! I didn't know what I was saying!"

"It's OK," The cow responded hurriedly, his own mood turning even more solemn as traces of sadness returned to Momiji's voice. "Don't worry about it." A pregnant pause trailed his statement.

Staring meditatively at the white-haired boy, Momiji exhibited blatant curiosity. "Haru-kun, are you gay?"

"What!" Shaking the bed, Haru jumped to his feet in surprise. His eyes probed into his cousin's expression. 'He must've noticed! Oh God, what does he think of me now? Is he as disgusted by me as Yuki is? Please don't leave me, Momiji!' A lump accumulated in his throat. 'Please don't reject me!' Studying his feet, he mumbled, "Why do you think that?"

"Keine Sorge!" Momiji exclaimed, hopping up to hug the other boy. "I've known for a long time, ever since Kyo-kun told me! He said that I should stay away from you, too," he pulled the cow back onto the bed, rushing to ease his discomfort, "but I didn't listen to him because it doesn't bother me at all!" Seeming to read Hatsuharu's thoughts, he rubbed his hands across the other boy's back. "I don't think you're gross, Haru-kun," He finished sweetly.

Automatically, Haru jerked away from the wandering fingers. "But, doesn't it bother you?" He stammered.

"Nope!" He replied, sounding almost joyous. "When you told me that you used to like Yuki, I felt happy for you. Remember? If you love someone, it's a happy thing! Love isn't gross or something to be embarrassed about!" Clasping his hands together, he bounced in his seat. "I'm happy for you if you love someone!"

'Love?' Haru mused once more at how loosely his cousin used the term. 'Does he even know what that means? If he knew, he certainly wouldn't approve of my love for other guys, and especially not my love for him.' His eyes wandered around the room, as if mentally searching for some point to disprove Momiji's acceptance. He just could not believe it. "Why do you trust me so much? Don't you ever worry that I might start liking you?" The question escaped his lips before he could reclaim it.

Momiji smiled in his uncertainty, covering his blush with his hands. "Genau," He giggled once more, stumbling over his answer. "A couple of days ago I thought, um," stuttering, he whispered, "I thought you were going to kiss me."

Gritting his teeth, the other boy moaned. "Ugh! Momiji-kun, I'm so sorry about that! I don't know-,"

"I was kind of happy," Momiji stopped the apology with an honest expression on his face. "Sometimes I think about," the narrative tumbled from his lips, "doing things like, like that with you. When we're playing sometimes, I think I love you, and I hope that you love me too. But then I can't talk to you about it because I don't want to make you mad at me! I never wanted you to find out about this. I'm afraid you don't like it when I kiss you!"

Cold sweat welled on Haru's skin as he met the other boy's terrified stare. Although Momiji had jumbled his words, the cow understood him. He just couldn't accept what he heard. 'He can't be saying this. He doesn't mean it. He doesn't think about the same things I do! He's just too innocent!' Insistent criticism pounding in his brain, he choked out a response. "It wouldn't make me mad," he mumbled under his breath, completely unsure of his own strength.

"Wirklich?" Sliding closer to the white-haired boy, Momiji seemed to be asking permission to continue. One of the rabbit's trembling hands slid around Haru's waist, while the other reached to stroke his hair. His eyes widening, the small boy shone with surprise. Surprise at his own brave actions, and surprise that the other boy was not withdrawing. "If I wanted to kiss you," he looked down, "would it be OK?"

Reason escaped Haru once more, his head nodding reflexively. His inner turmoil freezing as Momiji moved closer, he found no will for self control. He could only shut his eyes in anticipation and forget all the painful toil he had endured trying to destroy his desires.

Momiji's squirming body drawing forward, his mouth came within an inch of the other boy's face before hesitating. He sighed awkwardly, warmth dancing across his cheeks. "Haru-kun," His breath tickled the larger boy's lips. "I don't think I know what to do."

With an understanding grin, Hatsuharu wrapped the rabbit in an encouraging embrace. Opening his eyes, he skimmed Momiji's cheek with his fingers. 'I need to do this!' A part of his mind insisted, overpowering his conscience. 'I've wanted this for so long, and he's letting me, so I can't be taking advantage! Even if it is just this once, I want this to stay in my memory forever.' Blood rushed to his ears as he listened to Momiji's hastened heartbeat. "Momiji," He spoke huskily, drinking in the other boy's adoring gaze.

The gap between them closed instantly, neither boy actually knowing who made the final move. Momiji's lips pressed clumsily against Haru's mouth, energy exploding at the sloppy point of contact. The feel of the rabbit's body against his own was the single focus of Haru's mind, and he relished in the awkward touch. Hands roaming across the other boy's back, adrenaline shot through Hatsuharu's body in jolts. Mouths dancing together, the two boys dissolved in pent-up emotions.

Lingering but a few seconds, Momiji pulled backwards with an uncertain glint in his eyes. "Haru-kun, Ich liebe dich." He explained kindly, as if he needed to account for his unusual behavior in its aftermath. His shoulders trembled with skittish giggles.

"I know." His finger brushing through the other boy's disheveled tresses, Haru shut his eyes and recalled the brief kiss. He could still feel Momiji's lips joining his own, the fluttering sensation deepening as he replayed the moment over and over in his mind. But, as he reclaimed his thoughts, the shadow of guilt returned. His hands dropped from the rabbit's back. "You really need to get some sleep. We have school tomorrow."

"I know, but Haru, I don't feel tired at all!" He fidgeted, obviously activated by the night's events. "I've never done anything like that before, I mean," he hid his face under the blankets shyly, "that was my first kiss ever. I'm so happy it was with you!" Bursting with glee, he simultaneously blushed and smiled at his cousin. However, in his infatuation he offered Hatsuharu unquestioning obedience, flipping off the light switch in accordance with his request. "I guess you're right, Haru-kun! But I can't wait for tomorrow morning to come so we can spend more time together."

"I'll be here with you the whole time," Haru corrected, his voice sounding slightly amused.

"Danke schön!" He flung himself against the larger body. "Guten Abend, Haru-kun! Ich liebe dich!" In the darkness, he grew bolder with his lips, lingering a moment longer as he planted another wet kiss on Haru's startled mouth.

At the renewed touch, Hatsuharu's chest fluttered with sparks. Trembling in both fear and excitement, he tried but failed to abandon his regrets. 'We have to go to school tomorrow. Things will be so different for us, won't they, Momiji?' He silently reviewed the day's events as he tried to soothe his cousin to sleep. Thinking of the blonde's virginal naivety, his head churned with shame. 'He thinks this is all play now, because that's all he can understand. But what about when he finally sees what he's done? I shouldn't feel so content when I know he might not really mean what he told me tonight. He seems too sweet to be as twisted as I am, I just can't believe his kiss.'

Momiji's German lesson #8?

Nein- no

Ja- yes

Natürlich- naturally. (I know it seems like a strange thing to say, but in German people say it all the time like we say "of course")

Keine Sorge- No worries

Genau- another German expression, like a conversation filler, that means "of course" or something like that.

Wirklich- really?

Danke schön- Thank you

Guten Abend- Good night

Ich liebe dich- I love you

Next chapter will be simultanteously cute and angsty, like everything I write in this story! That's the only preview I can give! tee hee!