Author's Notes: Gwar bad me delaying this so much. Anyways, in this chapter we get to see a little more into Jakotsu's mind about the situations they've faced. Aw, chapters like this remind me why I love those two so much.

Also, I'll be out of town this upcoming weekend with a convention (woot- I'm cosplaying Suikotsu) but expect more updates after that.

Well, that's all for now. As always- please read, review and enjoy!

It's ironic, really. I mean- to most people I'm just your average guy. The kind who plays sports, gets nominated for Prom King and could have as many girls as he wanted.

On the surface, I was just like that. The perfect specimen of a popular in-crowd high school boy.

But if they knew how I was prone to get emotional over stupid little things. If they knew that it wasn't just after winning a baseball game that I hugged other guys. And if they could ever see beyond the outer shell- they'd know the truth.

In the end, it all came down to stereotypes. Everyone claims they hate them- hate being labeled. Yet despite it all, everyone judges others by those same stereotypes.

Just because I play on the baseball team doesn't make me a dumb jock. Just because I manage to get a few A's in classes doesn't make a genius or a geek. And just because I look like the kind of guy that should have a gorgeous girlfriend- I don't.

On the other side of things, I don't match up either. My speech is clear and without a lisp. I've never been prone to wearing makeup or anything girly. And ask anyone who's caught a baseball I've thrown and they'll confirm that my wrist is far from limp.

Either way I go, either path I take- I'm breaking free from the stereotypes that society says I should follow.

And maybe that's why I found myself in the predicament I was.

People had no reason to think I was anything but what I looked on the outside. None of them could see the person I was behind closed doors. The one who found himself tearing up when his friends were in trouble. The one who saved a special smile for a picture of another man on his bedside. And the one- who despite all evidence otherwise, was in love with that other man.

Sometimes I even found it strange. Outside of Jakotsu, I'd never thought of anyone- boy or girl, in that manner. What had started as an undying friendship had just…grown into something more.

To the world, I was a tough guy. Very strong for my short height and somewhat lanky build. The only time they saw through my charade was when it was permissible to act in such a manner.

It didn't matter if you hugged your fellow teammates after winning a game. It didn't matter that you placed a comforting hand on someone's shoulder and tears welled in your eyes as they spoke about a sick family member. That- was normal. That was considered okay.

But if they could see me now: tears flowing freely down my face as I hugged my roommate closer… then perhaps they'd think differently of me.

Perhaps they'd begin to see me for who I really am inside.

Chapter 8: The Other Side of the Picture

The room was silent save for the light flapping sound of Kikyou's waylaid notebook pages as they fluttered in the breeze the overhead fan was causing.

Everyone in the apartment seemed frozen in time. Each one of them a statue left where the moment had last placed them. Shadows of their prior selves caught up in emotions that permeated the room, seeping through the walls and causing stillness to the entire building.

Then, as if the spell had been broken, Bankotsu gently pulled away from the comfort of his friends and shakily found his feet.

"Bankotsu…" Suikotsu murmured softly as he watched the black-haired boy make his way over to the wall.

Wincing, he already knew the outcome as Bankotsu's fist slammed into the wall.

"Shit…" He cursed. His body taking in deep breaths and forcing him back into his normal shell, "Why the hell does this have to happen to me?! Why?!"

Blue eyes turned towards the two others- his pleading gaze asking them to answer the questions he could not.

"Because humans are cruel creatures," Kikyou spoke up as she stood and made her way towards him, "What they cannot understand they fear and hate. They become victims of their own stupidity."

Reaching out, she took Bankotsu's fist into her hands; pale fingers slowly forcing him to release the built up tension and open his hand to him.

Her dark bangs draped over her eyes as she looked down at his open palm.

"You must remain stronger than they are. Don't let their idiotic nature drag you down as well."

Looking up, Kikyou found herself staring into wide blue eyes.

"Bankotsu. Stop hating yourself for what you are. It makes you no better than those that shun you."

"Kikyou…"

Her pale lips allowed a slight smile to tug at their corners.

"If you love him, then that's all that matters."

Bankotsu nodded mutely, his mind slowly digesting all the advice his friend was giving him.

"O…okay," He managed quietly in reply.

Glancing up, he noticed that sometime during the conversation Suikotsu had come to stand behind Kikyou. A supportive hand being placed on his girlfriend's shoulder.

"You gonna be all right now, Bankotsu?" The brown-haired young man asked after a moment.

"Yeah…thanks. I'm…not sure what I'd do right now if it wasn't for you two."

Placing his other hand gently onto Bankotsu's shoulder, Suikotsu smiled at him, "You'd probably be punching a hole through the wall and disturbing all the neighbors."

Bankotsu cracked a smile at that, "I guess I would be…"

"Well now, since I'm sure Kaede doesn't want you tearing up the apartment, let's use this time to get ready for Jakotsu moving in with us. How's that sound?"

"Sounds good to me."

Suikotsu's expression took on a more serious tone for a moment, as he looked Bankotsu in the eye, "But promise me we'll try and figure out how to deal with this Hiten issue, okay?"

Sighing heavily, and feeling as if all his troubles had been dumped right back on top of him, the black-haired young man reluctantly agreed.

"Okay… but I still don't know what to do about him…"

The airplane continued its flight across the ocean; most of the passengers taking the time to sleep in order counteract the time-zone differences they were experiencing.

But one of the overhead lights shone down on a unique young man who was still awake in his row of seats all to himself.

Glancing down at his watch, Jakotsu could see the seconds slowly ticking by.

"Mou…what time zone are we in now anyways?" He questioned to no one in particular.

"Sir?" The sweet female voice questioned.

Blinking, he turned and noticed the stewardess standing out in the aisle, "Shima?"

"You pressed the call button- is there something you needed?"

"Oh! That!" The black-haired man exclaimed, his mind recalling what he needed, "I was just checking to see if were still at an okay altitude to use a CD player."

"We certainly are," She said politely.

"Ah good- thanks."

Shima bowed her head and then made her way back down the aisle towards the back.

Jakotsu tugged at his bag under the seat in front of him, finally freeing it of the tight confines and sitting it in his lap. Stuffing his hand into it, he rummaged around searching for his CD player.

"I know I left it in here…" He thought to himself as his search continued to come up empty.

Opening another compartment to search in, his fingers grazed the bottom of the bag; a small felt-covered box tumbling around inside as his hand sought to grasp it.

Reverently, as if it was some great treasure, he pulled it out and opened it. The box held within it two golden rings- each having six jewels embedded in their golden widths.

One stone for each color of the pride rainbow- the symbol of an undying promise.

Finding his mind drifting over the thoughts he had when he made the purchase, Jakotsu smiled slightly to himself, "Okay, so maybe I can't help checking out every cutie that crosses my path but…I want him to know that I'm not letting him go. Not after what he's been through for me…"

In a blur, his mind called forth the memory of that fateful day from years before. The moment Bankotsu had made the permanent choice for both of them.

}} "Mom…I…I love him." {{

Jakotsu could clearly remember the young man's shaky and defensive voice as he uttered those few words.

"Sure," He thought to himself, his fingers gently running over the jewels as he cradled the box in his hand, "I'd found him attractive. How could I not find Bankotsu attractive? But…I never thought that he'd…well, he just didn't seem like the type to like guys."

Laughing inwardly, his dark eyes skimmed the quiet airplane before returning to his own thoughts.

"I guess that just goes to show how wrong the stereotypes are. He'd always been my best friend…I just never thought there could be anything beyond that. In the end though, he gave up everything for me. His life, his family- everything- he risked it all because he cared about me."

Outside the airplane, the clouds blurred past and Jakotsu found himself quietly watching them as they streaked across the sky. Closing the box as he overheard some noise from the seats nearby, he found that he was now holding it tightly in his fist. A lifeline, something he never wanted to let go of.

"Sometimes I wonder if Bankotsu knows how much that meant to me. Before that moment…I didn't have much to care about except for my friendship with him. Then after that…well, he just gave me a whole new perspective on life."

The rattle of a cart caught his ears, and he looked up to see Shima pushing one down the aisle towards the front. Curiosity catching him up in what she was doing, he watched as she paused at each row of seats and inquired those awake what they might like to drink.

Finally reaching his personal row, the stewardess asked the same question she had all the others.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Pepsi," He answered without a second thought and the young woman nodded as she poured out the glass of the beverage.

As she walked past and Jakotsu felt the drink seeping into his taste buds, he paused a moment in realization.

"Pepsi is Bankotsu's favorite drink. I usually drank Coke. Heh, I guess he's rubbing off on me. Or perhaps it's that whole thing like with married couples, saying that they adapt to like what the other does. We have been together since…well, forever."

Taking another sip, he ruefully shook his head, "Ah man, now I'm getting all sappy. That's what this being apart does to your mind. It turns you into a sap."

Reaching back over to his bag, he securely placed the small black box back where it came from before beginning to dig around again.

But this time, he wasn't seeking the CD player as he was before. Instead, he was looking for a small schedule book, purple cursive lettering with his name decorating the cover of it.

Opening it quickly, he pulled out a photograph that was tucked within the book's pages. A smile grew upon his colored lips as he ran a finger over it.

"I wonder f he kept his copy of this picture… He was so embarrassed when I asked his dad to take it before I left."

He smirked, then tapping the figure of the other boy in the photograph, he addressed him as if he could hear him, "I know you think I'm just some lustful maniac- but I guess that's just my way of expressing myself. Well… and because you are such a cutie when you're all flustered like that. But- Bankotsu…after all this time apart- I'm not sure how much longer I can wait. I want you. All of you. Body and mind. I want to be able to show you…how much I care. And that's really the only way I know how."

Amusement graced his features as he reflected on the few times he'd proposed going a step further in their relationship.

"I know, you're scared. To be honest, I am too. I'm comfortable being gay- I'm used to the crap you get for it. But you aren't. You want to be normal. And sometimes, if I thought it would take away your pain, I'd wish you were normal."

The bitter thought caused Jakotsu to clench his fist in anger, his mind recalling all the people that had pushed Bankotsu out of their lives just due to his choice to be with him.

"You don't deserve to be treated like that, Bankotsu. You're the best when you're smiling. I've…always loved your bright smile. But they take that away from you just because you made the choice to love me. It's just- stupid. Why would anyone want to take away your smile? Why would they want to hurt you when you were only doing what makes you happy?"

Slamming down the empty cup and causing the remaining ice to rattle, the black-haired man sighed, "I do…make you happy- right Bankotsu?"

But the silent image in the photograph couldn't answer that question and despite his earlier plan to not bother sleeping, Jakotsu found himself suddenly very irritable and tired. Snatching up the thin airline blanket from the other spare seat, he covered himself with it.

"Goodnight Bankotsu. I love you."

And with the photograph still clutched loosely in his hand, he did his best to curl up across the three seats and fall asleep.

The small apartment was quiet as Suikotsu returned from taking another box downstairs to their storage unit. Looking about in appraisal of the cleaning they'd done, he felt his stomach growl as he smelt the aroma drifting out from the kitchen.

Walking over to the archway, he glanced in; warm smile appearing on his face as he saw Kikyou silently stirring a large pot on the stove.

"So what's for dinner?" He asked stepping into the room.

"Spaghetti. Considering how much pasta you had already in the cabinets, I would take it you both like it."

"Well at least we're getting plenty of starch in our diets," Suikotsu remarked with a laugh, his pace slowing as he walked up behind the black-haired young woman.

She paused her stirring a moment, eyebrow quirking upward as she looked back at the young man who'd just embraced her from behind.

"How's Bankotsu?" He asked, eyes darting towards the bedroom.

"Still in there. I think its best we just let him come out of his own accord," She replied, gently placing her hand over Suikotsu's, "He's dealing with a lot right now."

"I think I'll go see if he wants dinner," Suikotsu said pulling away, "Problems or not, he's got to eat."

"Be gentle with him. His emotions are very unstable at the moment."

"As long as he's not bleeding, I should remain perfectly calm," The young man joked, earning himself a stern glance from the young woman, "Okay, I will."

"I'll get the table…err- cleaned off," She remarked on seeing the kitchen table covered in various odds and ends.

In the bedroom, Bankotsu sat with the worn photograph in his hands. His fingers absently running down the battered edges from the time it had spent hidden in his wallet.

"Jakotsu- what am I supposed to do about this? I don't want to lose anyone- you or my friends…"

"Bankotsu?" The soft voice called through the door tentatively, "We have dinner if you're up to it."

On not receiving an answer right away, Suikotsu slowly opened the door.

Squinting to adjust his eyesight to the dimly lit room, he could make out Bankotsu curled up on his bed, a small picture clutched in his hand.

"Jakotsu would want you to eat, Bankotsu," He said, hoping it would be enough to stir the black-haired boy.

"I know. I'm coming. Just a moment, okay?"

Bankotsu sat up and rubbed as his eyes just in case any traces of tears lingered there.

"Suikotsu?"

"Hmm?"

"It's…still okay with you that I'm…with Jakotsu, right?"

The brown-haired man smiled, and nodded, "As long as you don't mind me being with Kikyou then I have no reason to."

Remnants of his smile surfaced at that, "Okay. So…what's for dinner?"

"Spaghetti."

Walking up beside his roommate, Bankotsu took a deep breath, "So…he's really coming home tomorrow?"

"You can't wait anymore can you?"

"I miss him, a lot. I just want him home again."

"I'm sure he'll be glad to be home."

Bankotsu bit his lip as he thought over all the issues at school that still needed to be dealt with. Then, shoving those to the back of his mind, he replied, "I hope so."

Preview for Chapter 9:

If parting is such sweet sorrow- what is it that reunions bring to those who have been parted for so long?