Hey there! So this is just a day late, but I promise that I've been working super hard on some new chapters so please just hold off with the pitchforks and torches! Enjoy this chapter and give me your comments, please!

"I don't know. We hold each I guess. I don't really know how this works."

It was the roughest weekend he'd had since finishing his book, but Akihiko was willing to work twice as hard so that he could have time to see Misaki. He also cleaned his room, and washed his sheets. Just in case. Tuesday was spent making calls and writing, making sure that the house would be spotless when Misaki came home. If he came home. Around 2:00, when Misaki would be leaving class, Akihiko considered calling Hiroki, although the other man was still at work. Hiroki was really his only true friend, but he'd already messed up their relationship enough as it was.

In lieu of a call, Akihiko ordered a flower and fruit basket to be sent to Hiroki's office, and a chocolate box to be sent to Nowaki's hospital. Everything was going to work out. Everything would be okay. Diligently, Akihiko repeated the mantra to himself as he hurried about, making sure that everything was in place and ready for the rest of the day.

"This will be the best Tuesday of my entire life," He decided as he hurried into the coffeeshop at 6:25. Misaki hadn't arrived yet, which was fine, and gave Akihiko some time to unpack his flowers and determine what he wanted to tell the young man.

At exactly 6:30, Misaki pushed through the door, his hair pinned back on the sides and falling stick straight against his neck. He looked around the small area, self-consciously pulling at his sweatshirt. Akihiko swallowed and forced himself to wave at the young man. Misaki saw him immediately and headed toward him, his face impassive and calm. He sat down across from the nervous man and they stared at each other, the situation suddenly awkward.

"Hello." Akihiko started, nudging the flowers to Misaki's side. "I got these for you." Misaki's eyebrows jumped up, and his mouth formed a little 'o'.

"Thank you." He replied softly, and brought them to his nose, smelling and smiling slowly. Akihiko beamed with pride, but he knew it probably appeared like a smirk or a grimace. Misaki cleared his throat and scratched his nose before speaking again. "I have to tell you something, Usagi, and I don't think you're going to like it."

Akihiko nodded quickly and folded his hands on the table. "I'm all ears, Misaki." He said.

Misaki smiled his soft smile at him and spoke quietly, "I can't be with you anymore."

With those words, Usami Akihiko's heart broke. He cleared his own throat and drummed his fingers on the table. "And, um, why is that, Misaki?" He asked, trying to sound calm. Misaki fiddled with a petal on a flower and folded his fingers together.

"I'm not as- as innocent and mysterious as you think I am. I've done bad things." Misaki said, avoiding eye contact.

Akihiko pressed the issue even more, a dozen thoughts running through his head. "Just tell me everything, Misaki. Please."

Misaki looked up at him with huge, green eyes, and Akihiko knew that he would do anything that this man asked, that he would give his last breath to see him again, to hold him. He would do anything, give his all to make Misaki happy. The said man took a deep breath and placed his hands flat on the table, palms down.

"When I was younger, Takahiro used to use me. For like, his sexual exploration. He would just- yeah. It was bad, and I didn't know it was wrong. And he sometimes wanted my friends to do stuff too, like, I don't know." Misaki waved his hand in the air as though he were reaching for some sentence that to help him explain himself, but it was out of grasp. He laced his fingers again and continued.

"I'm pretty sure my parents knew. I mean, my dad used to make me go to my friend's houses without him, and he didn't like kids coming over, and stuff. But they didn't do anything about it." Misaki looked down at the flowers and sniffed, and Akihiko resisted reaching out a hand to him. He didn't want to disturb him.

"So when I came out and he basically disowned me, I had no real way to pay for college and stuff, so I started, um, prostituting. Sort of. I don't know." Misaki wasn't looking at him, but Akihiko's mouth dropped and he stared at his boyfriend incredulously.

"Can you explain what you mean by that?" He replied tersely, and Misaki's head jerked up as though he'd been slapped. He shook his head quickly and looked around as though he were a caged animal.

"I'm not- I don't- Please don't hate me." The man's eyes were welling up and he wrung his fingers over and over, blinking back tears. Akihiko gripped at his cup, and frowned deeply. It was at this moment that a waitress strolled up to their table and smiled at them brightly.

"Good evening sirs! Have you been helped yet?" She said breezily, eying Misaki warily. Her gaze flicked over to Akihiko, and her smile dropped just slightly. "Can I help you with anything?" She said, looking at Misaki, who smiled just as brightly back at her and shook her head.

"Oh no, we're fine." Misaki said, his voice high and lilting, the way that he'd sounded over the phone on their first night. Akihiko watched him cautiously, and noticed the way that Misaki's smile didn't reach his eyes. The waitress smiled and nodded at him, sliding away to another table.

Misaki sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Um, so yeah, like I said, I was sort of a prostitute. But I'm not anymore. I can't stress it enough, Usagi-san." Misaki blinked at him, practically pleading with his eyes. Akihiko nodded gruffly and waited, and sure enough, Misaki began to speak again.

"I started talking to this older guy, who really wanted to date me. He was about 30, so of course he loved talking to an 18-year old kid." Misaki let out a shuddering sigh. "I got him to pay for some of my classes and my rent, stuff that I couldn't cover with my jobs at the time, and he basically treated me like a little puppy. I mean, he loved it." Misaki smirked a bit. "And I could just compliment him on his sex skills and he'd buy my groceries for a month. He was sort of my first daddy." Akihiko felt his eyes widening, and forced himself to calm down.

"Um, so I started the dating profile and older guys just came running. And I got really good at it. So I was able to get them to buy me clothes, and pay for stuff, and all the things I needed were paid for. And I was able to cut down to one job, plus accumulate savings." Misaki chanced a glance up to Akihiko, and blinked a few times. "I didn't sleep with all of them. They just- they were lonely and I filled a void. And they paid for it." Akihiko sucked in a breath, realization dawning on him.

"Is that- Is that what I was?" He asked, his question coming out as a whisper. Misaki stared at him for a moment and his eyes filled with tears.

"You were so much more to me." He murmured, and sank his head into his palms. Akihiko went rigid in the booth.

"Wait, so that's why you added me to your list?" He asked, his voice coming out a bit stronger than before. Misaki nodded and wiped away tears.

"It started that way, but now it's more, like, I love you and that's why I stopped." Misaki replied, his voice muffled. Akihiko felt heat rising to his cheeks and he fidgeted in his seat.

"But you want to break up with me, is it because I'm not paying enough for you?" Misaki shook his head and shrank in his seat, tears running down his face freely now. He rubbed his hands on his cheeks and tried to brush them away. Akihiko felt himself becoming angrier, and began to shake his leg under the table. "I'm just- just your sugar daddy. I just let you live with me and you- you're a slutty gigolo who uses other people!" He said, speaking louder with each word. A patron from another table glanced over at them, but no one else paid the two much mind. Misaki shook his head and grabbed his bag.

"I knew you'd be mad." He said, grabbing his phone and keys as well. Akihiko reached out, impulsively, to hold Misaki's wrist. Misaki looked at him and sniffled. "What." He asked flatly, and Akihiko felt like the rudest person in the world.

"I'm sorry, I just- I don't know why I said all of that. Can we go somewhere?" He pleaded, and Misaki rubbed his nose and squinted at the clock.

"I've got to go back to Hazel's." He mumbled, but didn't pull his hand away from Akihiko. The author stood up as well, and took Misaki's hand into his own.

"You don't have to talk, if you don't want to." He corrected himself. Misaki was standing next to him, his little shoulders slumped forward and his eyes downcast. "Just go to sleep, and I'll hold you." He ruffled Misaki's hair, and the kid scowled at him. "If that's okay." He added quickly, pushing his chest out and standing up a bit straighter.

Misaki gave him the tiniest, most adorable smile, and Akihiko's heart melted at the sight. "I'd love that." Came the shy, quiet response, and the author gently led him to his car, where Misaki promptly fell asleep on his shoulder and Akihiko drove them to the lakefront. He held his boyfriend, simply rubbed his back and whispered the sweetest things he could imagine to him, and the stars seemed to burn brighter than ever before.

Tried to end this one on a happier note, but at the same time keep them mostly in character. Let me know what you think in the form of a review!