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Disclaimer: I do not own Junjou Romantica

Chapter 3: Escapades of a Reluctant Fashionista

x-x-x

I awoke early the next day, not because I wasn't tired – because I definitely was – but because it was weird to be sleeping in a new room, in a new house. Especially when the man you are living with sticks you in what he calls the best room in the house, but you think is a room for a five-year-old.

"How do you like it?" Usagi had asked me last night when he showed me my new living quarters. I felt my jaw drop as I stared into the stuffed and furry jungle before me. The room was full of hundreds, possibly thousands, of stuffed bears.

"It's – umm – great?" I hadn't meant for my response to come out as a question.

How old is this guy again? asked Kage from somewhere in the back of my mind.

"I'm glad you like it," said Usagi as he patted me on the head. "Would you like to know their names?" he asked.

"Whose names?" I returned, not at all sure what he was talking about.

"The bears, of course," he said as if that were the most obvious answer in the world, "They are all named Suzuki-san."

"… Why?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.

"Suzuki is the most common family name in Japan, making it both popular and ordinary," explained Usagi, "I originally only had that one bear, the one out in the living room, but to compete with the number of Sukukis in Japan, I've accumulated this many." He gestured to the packed room that was to be mine.

I looked over at Usagi to see him looking very pleased with himself.

I wonder if he knows that Satuo is actually the most common name, mused Kage.

Well, I'm not about to be the one to tell him, I had thought. Although, this morning when I tripped over a few of the bears and nearly face-planted into the hallway I almost wished I had done something to wipe the grin off that stupid rabbit's face.

So why are we up, again? asked Kage groggily from the back of my mind, And making him breakfast of all things?

Because I want to make a good impression, I told Kage as I cracked a few eggs onto a frying pan over the stove.

I think you made a pretty good impression last night, said the demon. I could practically hear the laughter in his voice.

He just kissed me to make me stop crying, I said and Kage broke into a fit of hysterics in my mind. I grimaced.

Say that again and tell me you don't find it funny, said the demon through laughs.

I hate you sometimes, I said, trying to ignore the demon as his laughter intensified.

A few minutes later Usagi came down the stairs, looking disheveled and cranky. I could tell immediately that he was not a morning person.

"Good morning, Usagi," I said as cheerfully as I could manage with a demon cracking up in the back of my mind. He just grunted and collapsed onto the couch, using his largest and apparently first Suzuki bear as a pillow. "I made us breakfast," I continued, after a few moments of silence.

Usagi still didn't answer so I took it upon myself to bring the food to him, setting his plate carefully down on the coffee table before him and sitting with my own food on the opposite couch. "Thanks again for letting me stay here," I said trying, and failing, to make polite conversation. When he didn't respond, again, I contented myself to eat in silence, watching as Usagi buried his face further and further into the bear.

Finally, I asked, "Usagi-san, if you are so tired, then why did you get up?"

And finally, I got a response. "We have things to do today," he said, lifting his head enough to look at me through the silver hair that had fallen over his eyes.

"Like what?" I asked, hoping to be able to keep the conversation going.

He didn't answer right away and instead sat up and looked me over. I felt myself blush under his roaming eyes, a blush that only deepened with his next remark. "Are you planning on wearing that today?" asked Usagi.

"Yes…" I answered, not sure of where this was headed.

"Then we're going shopping," he answered.

x-x-x

Less than an hour later I was sitting in the passenger seat of Usagi's red sports car still fuming over the fact that Usagi had demanded that I throw out my entire wardrobe. "It's all trash anyway," he had said when I protested. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared out the passenger side window, determined not to look at Usagi for any reason at all as he drove us to the mall. Let me just say, that plan failed miserably.

"I do not understand why you are upset, Misaki-kun," said Usagi.

"You just told me everything I own is trash," I said, not looking at him.

"Not everything," he said, "Just most of it."

I huffed and said, "It's kind of like saying I'm trash."

Suddenly there was a warm presence on my leg, just above my knee: Usagi's hand. My heart definitely skipped a few beats at the touch, but I was not about to let that show, so I kept my head turned towards the window, trying to ignore it until…

"Usagi-san, what the hell are you doing?" I turned and practically yelled as we swerved on the road. The sudden turn as he moved back into the center of the lane made my stomach drop, but that was not nearly as disconcerting as how red my face got when I finally registered the fact that Usagi's hand was slowly but resolutely moving up my leg towards… "Both hands on the wheel, you stupid rabbit!"

Both Usagi and Kage were caught in a fit of giggles as we drove in near silence the rest of the way to the mall.

x-x-x

I had no desire at all to let Usagi buy me anything, but there was apparently no stopping him once he started. Only a few hours into our little trip and I was nearly laden down with more bags than I could carry. I was pretty sure we had hit every store that held anything even remotely similar to guy's clothes at least three times each. I had never wanted to get out of a mall more in my life.

Fortunately, according to Usagi, we were almost done.

"There's just one more place I want us to go," said Usagi, no evidence of his earlier fatigue as he tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for me to make it up the stairs. Why we couldn't just take the elevator was beyond me.

You need the exercise anyway, commented Kage, if you ever want to be less scrawny than you are now.

I'm going to ignore that, I snapped back and Kage laughed.

I trudged up the rest of the stairs and stood beside Usagi, who was standing before a store with his hands on his hips as if he was very pleased with himself for finding the right place. Although there was no way in hell this was the right place.

"Uh, Usagi-san," I said, "I think you are lost."

"I am very much the opposite of lost," said Usagi with a grin before grabbing my hand and pulling me into the women's clothing store before us.

"Usagi-san!" I yelled as he dragged me from rack to rack, pulling out all manner of dresses and throwing them at me to hold, "What are we doing here?" He didn't answer, just piled more and more dresses into my arms. We were the only two guys in the store and were getting some very odd looks from the other shoppers – needless to say, my face was growing very red.

Finally, once I was teetering on the brink of collapsing under the weight of all the dresses, Usagi turned to me. "Okay, that is enough," he said and I let out a sigh of relief. But it was too soon as he continued, "Now go try them on."

"What?" I said, eyes wide in disbelief. There was no way he expected me to try on dresses. I was a guy!

"I believe you heard me," said Usagi calmly, "The fitting rooms are that way." He pointed towards the back of the store.

"I am not a cross-dresser!" I yelled at Usagi, eliciting some strange looks from the other shoppers. I could feel my face growing redder.

"No, you are not," said Usagi, still with that annoyingly calm voice, "Now go try on your dresses."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I need you to," said Usagi, simply.

"Because you want me to?" I repeated hollowly, "No way." I tried to turn away, but Usagi caught my wrist and turned me back towards him. I was close enough to him that I had to tilt my head up to meet his eyes.

"I did not say 'want', Misaki, I said need," clarified Usagi, "I would like to buy your brother and his new fiancé gifts to congratulate them on their engagement."

"You're doing this… for Takahiro and Kajiwara…?" I said quietly.

"Yes," said Usagi and I suddenly felt very horrible. Usagi was in love with my brother, yet he still wanted to congratulate them with gifts. And here I was, Takahiro's own brother, trying to stop him. Takahiro had already given so much for me, the least I could was try on a couple of dresses.

"Fine," I said, sounding somewhat defeated, "I'll help you." I yanked my wrist from Usagi's grasp and made my way over to the dressing room. I chanced a quick glance over my shoulder to see Usagi watching me with an unreadable expression.

The woman working the dressing rooms gave me an odd look as I asked for one, but it didn't faze me; I was doing this for my brother.

It took me a while to figure out how to work my way into the first dress – a green one with a dark sash around the middle that flared out at the bottom as it fell to my knees. This coloring next to the deep red blush of my face made me look like Christmas. I grimaced as I opened the door and peeked out to see Usagi leaning against the wall opposite of my fitting room.

He smiled when he saw me. "You look quite lovely," said Usagi, "That color really brings out your eyes."

"Th-thanks," I stammered out, blushing deeper and tilting my head forward so my hair fell into my face.

Usagi laughed softly and placed a hand on my head, ruffling my hair. "No, Misaki," said Usagi, "Thank you."

I looked up and met Usagi's violet eyes and I felt my heartbeat flutter involuntarily. Suddenly he stepped forward and I stumbled back into the dressing room, almost falling over, but a strong arm caught me around the waist and pulled me close. My back arched as I looked up at Usagi, my savoir, as he leaned over me. Our faces were very close. "You accepted so easily, once I mentioned your brother," said Usagi, "You didn't even ask why I needed your help."

I turned my head away, thoughts flowing through my mind like spilt milk. It was my fault… I thought, but I said nothing.

Usagi sighed but continued kindly, "You do not have to talk about it if you do not want to, but I am always here for you. Remember that."

To be honest, I was slightly touched that he cared that much about a kid he barely knew. Which made me feel all the more horrible about the fact that I could never tell him about the thing inside of me that was eating away at my mind and going to force me to kill him later.

Hey, said Kage, I am not just some 'thing'. Jeez ten years I stick with you and you cast me aside because this angel is being nice? News flash, Misaki, angels are programmed that way. You're nothing special.

I don't know why those words hurt, but they did, biting into my heart and making tears well up in my eyes. Although the tears, I knew, were from a mixture of Kage's harshness and Usagi's kindness. Man, was I an emotional mess.

"Usagi, I – I," I started to say, but I was cut off by Usagi putting a few fingers under my chin and turning me back towards him. He stared into my now shining eyes for only a moment before leaning down and kissing me, his lips soft against mine. My body automatically relaxed into the comfort of his grip and before I knew what I was doing, I was kissing him back. And then he pulled back arms still around me.

I really hope that response was all part of the whole 'distract the angel thing, said Kage, a little warningly. I ignored him, not trusting my thoughts, at the moment, to answer in a rational manner.

"Misaki-kun," said Usagi, "You can tell me when you are ready." And then he let me go turning to leave the dressing room. "Oh, and Misaki," continued Usagi, glancing casually over his shoulder, "I asked you to try on dresses because I did not know Kajiwara's size. But I thought you were similar enough to her in size and body structure to give me a pretty good estimate." With that he closed the door behind him, leaving me to try on another dress.

In case you were wondering, said Kage, Yes, he did just say you look like a girl.

"Usagi!" I yelled angrily. But the only response I got was laughter, both from the other side of the door and within my own head.