Hello everyone and here is the next chapter! Once again thank you for the reviews. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to write something.

darkhuntressxir: yes, they will be together, no matter what!

puppyfacetwo: we know how self-centred Akihiko can be sometimes, but of course the last thing he wants is to see Misaki in pain.

XMiyuki-chanX and Lovetta Dream: About the nightmare: guys are usually squeamish about birth, and Misaki is very nervous.

KiyameHikari-chan: arigatou gozaimasu! Glad you liked it.

fer-hyu: yup it's kinda sad, Misaki will get to meet the kids very often of course, it's just that they don't belong to him.

chibifiedfangirl18: It's cool that you do cosplays! I would love to see them. I am still hoping for a 3rd season though it's highly unlikely :(

darkrosetears, Glitterbaby214: Usagi's just being the jerk that he sometimes is :)

Life 4 Love: It's interesting to think how their lives would be after the babies are born! Would it somehow change things?

gothpandaotaku: yes he will eventually. Takahiro's approval means a lot to him.

usigh & Nathalia: Thanks, I hope you keep reading! yes it has to be true love.

Chapter 12

"Morning!" Takahiro and Manami greeted Akihiko at the door. Their son Mahiro was with them, jumping up and down excitedly as he entered the swanky apartment.

Akihiko returned the greeting politely. He was dressed neatly in his usual shirt and vest combination, but his hair looked as though he had just gotten out of bed.

"Unagi!" yelled the nearly-three-year-old toddler in glee. He could never pronounce the novelist's nickname properly. Akihiko smiled and invited the family in. Presently, things were cordial between him and Takahiro, neither of them bringing up the topic of his relationship with Misaki. The maid promptly came and served everyone tea.

"Is Misaki resting in the bedroom?" Manami asked, looking around.

"He's in the kitchen."

"Oh has he recovered already?" Manami looked slightly concerned after the preterm labor scare.

"Yes. The doctor says he can get out of bed for short periods."

Misaki was standing behind the kitchen counter, lining up the bottles of vitamins and medicines that were a part of his daily routine. He popped the pills one by one, downing them with a glass of milk. The sounds of his nephew's laughter drifted from the living room, prompting him to lift his head.

"Suzuki-san!" Mahiro squealed at the orangey-brown stuffed bear perched on the sofa with its usual serene expression. He ran towards the bear and wrapped his little arms around it. The sight brought a smile to Misaki's lips. At least the atmosphere now was quite relaxed, and Mahiro was being a great distraction. Akihiko was sitting there arms folded, being his usual reserved self, while Manami did most of the talking.

The heavily pregnant teen finished his last gulp of milk and washed his glass in the sink. Pressing one hand on his spine and the other underneath his stomach, he waddled awkwardly over to the living room to join his relatives. One of the babies was lodged in his hips and making it painful to walk. His feet were also swollen and throbbing. Manami jumped up and helped him lower himself into the couch.

"Misaki-kun! You haven't been sleeping well," she commented, noticing the dark circles under his eyes.

"Yeah," Misaki admitted with a sigh. "I just can't get comfortable at night now, no matter what position I try."

"Oh you poor thing," said Manami sympathetically. "It was like that when I was carrying Mahiro. I can't imagine how it's like with twins."

"These two are going to be athletes when they grow up," Misaki's face brightened as he invited her to feel the twins doing their morning flips and rolls.

Little Mahiro, who had been watching Misaki with curious big eyes all this while, ran to Takahiro and tugged at his shirt sleeve. "Daddy, why is Uncle's tummy so big?"

"Because Uncle has two babies inside him," Takahiro answered his son truthfully.

Manami laughed as she lifted her hand from Misaki's belly. "We haven't told him that he's going to be a big brother yet."

"Oh yes, this reminds me - the names!" Misaki exclaimed, struggling to lean forward and reach for the notebook with a list of baby names on the coffee table in front of him.

Manami helped him pick up the notebook. "Is this the one?"

"Yes! What do you think of these? Or these?" Misaki asked, showing the names to the couple.

Takahiro nodded and smiled approvingly. "Oh, Mitsuo and Minori sound perfect. Great job Misaki!"

"Wow! So you're really taking the names I chose?" Misaki beamed happily.

"Yes of course! You deserve the honor," Manami said. "Ah... I can't believe it, soon it will be our turn to get eyebags from all the midnight feedings and diaper changes! Exciting isn't it? Oh, what is it, Mahiro?"

The little boy was still fascinated with Misaki's mid-section and was trying to digest what his dad told him. He asked his next question rather apprehensively. "Daddy... Did Uncle eat the babies?"

"Oh, Mahiro darling," Manami laughed as she ruffled her son's hair.

Her husband, however, made a serious attempt at explaining what was going on. "No, he didn't. The babies belong to Mommy. You see, Mommy's life was in danger, so we borrowed Uncle's tummy for the babies."

"Oh... " the kid stared back with his large, round eyes, confused by the explanation. His adorable expression elicited an amused chuckle from Misaki. It was the first time the youth had laughed in a while, but soon his joy turned to embarrassment when he realized he had peed his pants. Crap, why must this happen now? He cursed his bladder silently, a blush filling his cheeks immediately. "Um - please excuse me, I - er really need to go," he apologized furiously, trying to push himself up from the couch.

Manami nodded understandingly. Akihiko quickly stood and gave him a hand, helping him to the bathroom and leaving the guests to entertain themselves. Mahiro had now wandered into the spacious dining room and was playing hide and seek with himself.

"Hmm... I wonder what other names he's shortlisted," said Manami, picking up the notebook again. After skimming through the list, curiosity got the better of her and she flipped a page and saw something that looked like a diary entry.

Dear Diary

I slept sitting up on the couch last night. The twins are taking up lung space and I can't lie down without feeling like I'm suffocating. I can't wait till the day they're born, but I will miss them terribly...

Manami shook her head. "Aw, I feel bad for making him go through this ordeal."

"Uh, I don't think we should be looking at his diary," Takahiro said.

"What's wrong? It looks like a diary to record the progress of the pregnancy, that's all."

"Yeah, but..." Takahiro looked up to see if Misaki was coming back. He was nowhere to be seen. As for Akihiko, he, too, seemed to have disappeared somewhere.

Manami flipped through the pages some more and was stopped by her husband. "Wait. I think I see Usagi's name in there," Takahiro said. Manami found the entry and the couple inspected it with interest.

Dear Diary,

I haven't told you about Usagi-san, have I? I know, it's funny that I've been living with this man for two years, yet I haven't given our relationship much thought. I guess I have been taking it for granted...

"Hmmmm..." said Manami and continued reading. When she had finished, she looked at Takahiro and found him frowning intensely. She shrugged. "I knew all along that the two of them were in a serious relationship. Usagi lets him live here for free, offers to pay all his medical bills, and personally takes care of him. Who would go to that extent for a friend?"

The perturbed expression remained on Takahiro's face. "I've always known Usagi was gay," he admitted in a low voice.

"Really? You never told me about it."

"Look, I've known this guy for a long time. We don't talk about it, but I'm alright with him being gay. He's the best friend I could ever have. The problem is... Misaki."

"What do you mean?" Manami frowned. "You can't accept Misaki being gay? He's your brother, you know."

"It's precisely because he's my brother. I thought they were just messing around the other day, but - I just can't picture them having gay sex - ugh!" Takahiro buried his face in his hands.

"I don't get your logic. You're alright with your friend being gay, but not your brother?"

"This isn't about logic," Takahiro shook his head. "Look, imagine if," he pointed at Mahiro. "Imagine if our son... grew up to be gay. What would you do?"

"Well, I would love him just the same," replied Manami without a moment's hesitation.

"I honestly don't know if I could do that. Anyway, Misaki's still young. He'll probably grow out of it."

"But it's clear from his diary that he really loves Usagi, isn't it?"

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore okay?" Takahiro held up his hand. "It's going to stress him further."

They heard sounds of footsteps. Realizing that Misaki was coming back, the couple lowered their voices to a whisper, quickly closed the diary and placed it back in its original position.

"Usagi-san says he's sorry he can't join us!" Misaki huffed as he eased into the couch. "He's rushing his work. Aikawa-san is breathing down his neck again."

"I feel bad imposing on Usagi like this," said Takahiro. Sounds of little Mahiro's laughter travelled from the dining room. The boy was now grabbing the stuffed bear by the leg and throwing him on the floor. Manami ran over to her tireless toddler. "Mahiro dear! Don't throw Suzuki-san around like that, he doesn't like it!"

"I hope he doesn't break anything," Takahiro winced. He turned to find Misaki looking at him with his brilliant green eyes, as if he had something to say.

"Um - Nii-chan?" The teenager asked hesitantly. His fingers gripped the armrests nervously. "Can I - um - talk to you about something?"

His brother raised an eyebrow expectantly. "What is it?"

"It's about... me and Usagi-san."

Takahiro was surprised his painfully shy brother would initiate the conversation, but still, he was glad he was the one who brought it up. "I know," he said, and then took a deep breath, before continuing in a low voice. "I hope you don't get angry with me, but we just read your diary entry... the one about Usagi."

"You did?" Misaki gasped in shock as he recalled what he had written. "Oh no... so you know everything now?"

"Yes. So the two of you are really in a serious relationship. And you have had sex, more than once, it seems." Takahiro had decided not to beat around the bush.

"Uh- yeah I guess you can say so," the red-faced teen looked down. The truth was out and there was nowhere for him to hide. The awkwardness and weirdness was magnified by his protruding belly with its two entities inside.

"Misaki. You need to be more confident." Takahiro leaned forward and rested a hand on his brother's shoulder.

The teen looked up, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Tell me honestly. Are you doing this because Usagi's letting you live here for free? Are you doing it to return the favor?"

"Huh? No! That's not what it's like!" Misaki cried shaking his head, shocked that his brother would even consider something like that.

"Did he force himself on you?"

"No... well uh- sometimes... um-actually no, I don't mind it. Not at all."

Takahiro sighed, trying to imagine the kind of life had his brother had been leading for the past couple of years. All the while Misaki had kept up his usual cheery, boisterous self, and he had assumed he was living life like a normal teenager. If only he had been more observant. But his little brother was all grown up now, and he was making his own choices.

"I'm sorry, Nii-chan," Misaki said quietly with trembling lips. "I did it with Usagi-san because I... because I... love him."

Takahiro gave him a doubtful glance. "Are you sure it's love?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"So you should know Usagi's character well by now?"

"I guess so, yes, I think I do."

"He's a celebrity writer, and you're a college student. He was born and raised in a background that's totally different from ours, and he's a good ten years older than you. I'm just worried it won't work out."

"I know. Usagi-chichi said the same thing too."

"Are you ready to spend the rest of your life with him? It is not easy being gay in Japan, and you can't expect Usagi to protect you forever, you know."

Misaki nodded biting his lip. "Yes, I am." Placing a hand on his lower stomach and feeling a vigorous kick in response, he wanted to say I want so badly to have his children too, but kept quiet instead.

"I want you to think carefully about this. If you and Usagi truly love each other, Manami and I will give you our blessings."

"Oh Nii-chan, thank you," the boy said softly, blinking away tears. "I'm- I'm so happy to hear that."

It was nearly midnight. Misaki was in bed, reading bedtime stories to the little ones, while Akihiko rushed to complete his manuscript next door. Despite his physical discomfort, he was feeling much happier and at peace after coming out to his brother. He had not spoken about it to Akihiko, though. I think I will tell him tonight, he thought as he closed the book and put it on the bedside table. Then he started arranging his bed of pillows. The door opened suddenly, startling him.

"Misaki." The silver-haired writer was at the door. There was a bit of urgency in his voice.

"Usagi-san?" Misaki wondered what was it he wanted, as Akihiko had really unpredictable moods.

"I'm sorry."

Misaki's heart skipped a beat. He had not expected the man to apologize. But before he could respond, Akihiko was already beside him, his strong fingers burying into his soft brown hair.

"I love you, Misaki."

The teen felt a warm, tingly sensation creeping into him, that familiar sensation he had felt a thousand times before. He closed his eyes and felt Akihiko's lips pressing against his. He welcomed them, and Akihiko kissed him deeply while saying "I love you" over and over again. Heart pumping fast, he grabbed the older man's shirt and tried to pull him closer, but his belly was in the way. They continued kissing in that awkward position, until Akihiko sensed Misaki was tired. The teen whimpered a bit as he felt harsh kicks in his abdomen. He knew he was going to have a troublesome night again.

Pulling away gently, Akihiko reached for the drawer of the bedside table, opened it and took out a tube of cream for stretch marks. "Lift up your shirt," he ordered.

Misaki reluctantly did as he was told, revealing the angry red stripes running along his swollen belly. Akihiko dabbed the cream on his skin and slowly rubbed circles on it until the movements in the belly gradually calmed down and subsided. Misaki moaned contentedly.

"Usagi-san..."

"Say it. I want to hear it from you."

"I love you, Usagi-san."

Akihiko smiled triumphantly as he continued his gentle and soothing motions on Misaki's stomach, stopping only when the teen was snoring soundly.

That's all for now. Let me know what you think. To be continued!