A/N: alright, the chapter you've all been waiting for! ...for six months... yeah, real sorry bout that... hehe... this chapter is dedicated to you, my lovely frenchy! XD Hope you enjoy Akihiko's little love rant here.

Chapter 6

This Isn't Acceptance

Misaki squeezed his eyes shut as the door swung open, clasping Usami's hand with both of his slick palms. He didn't know what to expect, screaming? Ranting? A full out temper-tantrum at the front door? But when he peeked open his tightly clenched eyes, he was met with shock.

Takahiro stood in the doorway of his home, staring at two of the most important men in his life, men he thought he knew down to the very fiber of their beings. His eyes travelled down to their hands, hanging between them, fingers interlocked. Apparently he didn't know them as well as he thought.

"G-Good morning, Nii-san." His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, his hands were shaky and he felt as if he were going to be sick. "We thought we'd stop by…"

"Oh you did, did you?" His brow furrowed and he glared menacingly at Akihiko, then back down at their hands. A soft voice called from further inside the house.

"Takahiro, dear, who is it at the door?" The dark-headed man cast a glance over his shoulder into the dark living room. Adjusting his glasses firmly, he sent a wayward glance at the two men standing awkwardly on his front porch before turning away and walking down the hall. Not offering to invite them in, simply leaving the door open.

Misaki couldn't believe how cold he was being, how serious his goofy older brother had become in just a few days. A silent, almost whisper-like voice flitted through his mind in a second. But a second was all it needed to plant the seed of guilt in the young man's heart.

'It's entirely your fault, you know.'

Soon the seed began to blossom and grow, and every little thing he'd done wrong began to gnaw at his insides.

If only he hadn't let those girls on the riverboat take any pictures, if only he hadn't let Akihiko kiss him and get their attention. If only he hadn't left the hotel room with Usami, if only he hadn't let him lead him out of the restaurant, and if only he'd stayed home instead of going to the states, this never would have happened. He felt tears begin to prick at the corners of his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away with his free hand. After all, this was only the beginning, he still had to be strong.

He felt Usami's strong hand leading him into the house, and silently followed. The house was fairly large, but unsurprisingly, nothing compared to the condo. Takahiro sat, arms crossed, on a sagging blue and white checkered couch and pushed up against the wall, Manami was coming out of the kitchen in a dark green apron, followed by Mahiro at her heels, a tray of freshly baked cookies clutched in her mittened hands.

:Uncle Misaki!" The little boy's eyes grew wide at the sight of his favorite relative. The emerald eyed brunette gave a soft smile and released his lover's hand to crouch down and embrace his nephew.

"Hey there, how've you been?" The little boy giggled.

"Great, now that you're here!" Misaki chuckled, he was such a smart kid.

"Mahiro, go to your room." Takahiro's voice was cold and sharp, silencing his son's laughter.

"But…" He looked up at his two uncles.

"Mahiro, now." The boy hung his head and walked away into an unseen part of the house.

"Hello Misaki-kun, Usami-san." Manami gave a nod of her head to each as she placed the tray of treats down on the coffee table before returning to the kitchen.

"Misaki, I think we need to talk about…" His eyes travelled to the tall author, a look of disgust on his face. "…this. Have a seat."

They sat across from Takahiro on a matching loveseat. How ironic.

The room was awkwardly silent until Manami reentered, having shed her apron and oven mitts, to sit beside her husband.

Takahiro was the first to speak. "Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed in your behavior, Misaki. Honestly, what's gotten into you?" He wasn't sure how to respond to the question. He sat tensely, gripping his knees harshly with his curled fingers.

Isn't it obvious?" He jumped as the author's voice rumbled out from beside him. " It's love."

"I didn't ask you." Takahiro snapped.

"Takahiro…" Manami placed a warning hand on his arm.

"I don't know about Misaki, but as for myself, I can say that I love your brother with all of my heart, and I never want to part from him."

"Pretty words, for a man who writes words like that every day for a living." Takahiro had venom in his words, the hate radiating from the very pores of his body. "How do I know you mean what you say?"

"I don't see any reason why you shouldn't believe me."

"Because! You're a fucking homo!" Takahiro stood suddenly, pointing an accusing finger into his friend's face, his own red with anger. "You're defiling my precious little brother, you're publically humiliating him, his picture's been spread around the world like trash, and I will not tolerate it!"

Misaki could see the frustration in Akihiko rising, although he maintained his composure.

"Just because I'm gay, doesn't mean my word should be any worse than it was when you believed me to be straight, furthermore-" A loud slapping sound resonated around the room, Takahiro had left a fiery mark across Akihiko's cheek.

"You lied to me, and then you went so low as to pull my brother into your lies and cover him in your… your filth!" And that's when he lost it.

Usami was a blur as he wrestled Takahiro to the ground, Manami shrieked, Misaki yelped and jumped back in his chair, and Mahiro poked his head out of his room to peer down the hallway. Misaki had never seen him like this.

"Listen to me! Misaki is the most pure and precious thing in the world to me, I would never hurt him in any way. If I knew it bothered him in even the slightest way possible, I would go and collect every last print of the photos that have been taken these last few days, but it doesn't, and I can't. He's never been trash, he's everything, absolutely everything to me, and he always has been. If you try to take him away, so help me God, I will pry him away from you no matter what it takes. I love him."

The room was silent. Misaki felt his earlier tears come bubbling to the surface again. After a few seconds, Takahiro licked his dry lips and turned his head, still pinned to the ground by the author, towards his brother.

W-Well… what does Misaki have to say about all of this?"

All the eyes in the room turned to the small boy huddled on the loveseat. Both Takahiro and Usami were staring intently, and Misaki felt the weight if his next words weigh on his shoulders.

"I…I-I" But it was no use, once he'd opened his mouth, the tears began to fall. He wiped at them hurriedly, and his nose began running as he continued to try to speak.

"I…." He had to say it. He knew it inside, now all he had to do was admit it. His future with Akihiko depended on it.

Did he even want a future with Akihiko? Yes. The answer was undeniably yes. He couldn't imagine life without the perverted author, didn't even want to try to imagine.

"I love him… N-Nii-san." The tears ran faster, mingling with the mucus running out of his nose, and Misaki was sure his face did not paint a pretty picture.

"I love him so much… I-I" He sobbed loudly and Akihiko slowly got up from the floor to sit beside him and wrap his arms around him gently.

"I can't be without him…" Misaki nuzzled his tearstained face into the older man's dress shirt, knowing he'd already said to much.

Takahiro was once again, shocked. He looked to his wife, who gave him a small shrug. He sighed.

"Fine. I'll tolerate your relationship, but I'm not accepting it. And Akihiko," The two elder males' eyes met. "I'm still not very convinced. Watch your back."

Usami simply nodded as Misaki sobs grew harder and the tips of his ears became red. No doubt he was embarrassed to be crying in front of his family. He knew his family should be the people he opened up to most, but he had always felt the need to be strong in front of them. But being here, able to embrace his lover in full view of his brother, this was beyond anything he could ever want. Sure, it was embarrassing, but it was worth it to be able to share the feelings he had for Usagi with his brother.

This wasn't acceptance, but it was good enough for him.