Disclaimer: Takaya Natsuki is the rightful owner. I'm merely borrowing her creations for my own diabolical ideals. No, really.

A/N: Was typing this up on my new laptop! I am glad I got a new one though, even though it has taken a HUGE chunk out of my wallet. Well, enough of me.

Phew, I've tweaked this chapter quite a bit with all the time I've spent working on it. This was "supposed" to be the last chapter, but due to the changes I have made I have changed my mind. (.(sounding very conceited).) You all know you like reading this story. Don't mind me . . . XD

Life's Many Indulgences
Chapter 22: Your Decision

Naohito took a moment to register into his mind what Yuki just said, but once it melded in he was acutely aware of it. Yuki continued to stare at him, face anticipating his other reaction now.

After a long while, Naohito said, "incest is taboo almost everywhere worldwide."

"I . . . I suppose."

"Don't simply say, 'I suppose', Yuki. It is because it is taboo that you should be more attentive of what you do or say. Think of what Mizunashi might see this as." Yuki took on a crestfallen look, eyes glazing over. "Hate me or whatever after hearing me out, but you've brought it upon yourself by telling me something you perhaps did not intend to tell anyone outside your family."

His quick but somewhat regretful reply. "I'm ready."

". . . then, having found out you still feel the same way about him?"

"It's not that simple. I can't suddenly make my feelings for him disappear just because we've found out we are related by blood. I've liked him for the longest time. It's much too hard to let go now."

"What a predicament you've landed yourself in. I'm beginning to pity you."

There was a jab of hurt feelings here, and yet Yuki wasn't in the right to oppose Naohito's words. ". . . sounds like something you would say."

"Well, I have no real advice for you, but I'm sure everyone else is going to say this to you, too. Best to let him go just because you two are blood-related. If you really care for him you shouldn't drag him down alongside you. The society of Japan is harsh, especially when it comes to matters such as these. 'It's so disgusting.' 'Who in their right mind would date their own sibling?' 'I hear your baby will come out disfigured with health problems if a brother and sister sleep with each other.' Comments like these will circulate, Yuki, even though you and Mizunashi aren't exactly on par with my last one."

"It's not that easy . . . It never will be, Nao."

"I understand, but like I've told you, hate me or whatever after hearing me out."

XOXOXOXOXOX

Tooru went through the front door only to be hounded by her Uncle Shigure, whom was anxious to know how her day went today.

"Welcome back, my lovely Tooru! How was school today?" Shigure took a step or two closer to her, lightly nudging her with one elbow.

"Fine, Uncle. How was your day?"

"Quite dainty! Kyo and I had a long session today on the woes of love. He was conspiring with me for my next novel. I was shocked at the ideas he threw at me."

"I was not!" Kyo retorted, face turning red. "Don't believe a stupid word he says, Tooru!"

"I told him what I thought was best, Uncle Shigure! He . . . He didn't . . ."

Shigure tilted his head to the side. "Hm?"

"What's happening!" Ritsu suddenly called out (dashing out from some random room due to the noise). "Is it me! I'm very sorry!"

"Ritsu, mind quieting your voice for a moment? Tooru's trying to tell me something," Shigure said over his brother's loud babbling.

Kyo stood by, watching his family making fools out of themselves by trying to talk over one another. It only seemed right for him to put a halt to all things by shouting some cheesy line like 'will you all shut up!', but like hell he'd something like that (at least this time anyway). But then, all of a sudden, everyone fell silent and looked to him.

His reaction. "What?"

"It makes sense . . ." Shigure said.

"Yuki's . . ." Tooru said.

"Huh? So it's not my fault?" Ritsu asked.

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Kyo looked from Shigure and then to Tooru. "Finish what you're saying before staring at me like I'm supposed to know how to figure out the rest."

"Seems Tooru didn't quite penetrate through Yuki like I'd hope she'd had. You're going to have to be the one to talk some sense into him. He doesn't understand how taboo things like incest is frowned upon around here. In the past there have been incidents of horrific acts done to people by others who despise incest-related behavior.

"And not only that . . . Ritsu's had to go through such a traumatic round similar to this himself, (simply because he is a man with girly features) and is internally conflicted at the thought of feeling better when dressed as a female. This is, shall I say, why he constantly apologizes for things he is not at fault for."

Kyo noted this had nothing to do with Ritsu, so he didn't quite understand why his problem was brought up and neither was he going to ask Shigure to elaborate. "So you're saying even if it's one-sided on Usuda's end, I still have to stop him from feeling this way?"

"Well, are you comfortable with the idea of your half-brother liking you more than just like a brother?" Shigure asked.

It hit Kyo point blank then.

"That's . . . disgusting. It's worse than being gay."

"You can easily say this to us now, but if you were standing in front of him, would you be able to say the exact same thing?" Shigure asked.

"I don't know . . ."

"Tsk, tsk, you need to be more firm, Kyon."

"Kyo, dammit! Quit calling me that!"

Tooru to the rescue (somewhat). "It's not that simple, Uncle Shigure. Saying such a hurtful thing to someone you care about will only make you feel bad if you don't word yourself carefully."

"Ah, but dear Tooru, saying carefully worded things can and do often lead to misunderstandings, no? And saying it for the sake of 'will only make you feel bad if you don't word yourself carefully' sounds awfully selfish, doesn't it?"

Kyo had enough of this as he usually did on a daily basis (as long as his Uncle was here). "I'm going to my room. Don't bother to call me down, even for dinner."

XOXOXOXOXOX

§THE NEXT MORNING§

"What the hell are you three doing?" Hatsuharu looked at each girl. Momiji stood beside him, also wondering what was going on. "Why are you three standing by my shoe locker like there is something here for you?"

"Ah, you are Shimazaki Hatsuharu, aren't you?"

"And the short one is definitely Kishida Momiji," one of the other girls whispered.

"Yeah, that's me."

"Hey, hey, Haru, what's going on?" Momiji whispered.

"No idea."

"I do believe we've met before, but let me reintroduce ourselves to the both of you. I am Minagawa Motoko, she is Kinoshita Minami, and she is Yamagishi Mio, and that girl over there is Goto Mai."

"What do you three want?"

"We've always want to know this: are you two gay?" Mai said. She said this without a moment's hesitation as she eagerly waited for a reply.

"Mai, you idiot!" Minami snapped.

"You didn't have to be so blunt about it!" Mio added.

"Oh, is that all?" Hatsuharu didn't look the least bit embarrassed to be asked such a thing. It made the girls wonder if he had been asked this many times over. When none of the girls responded, he said, "he and I are not an item, and neither will we ever be. Girls tend to have crazy fantasies of gay men, don't they?"

"Yup."

"To the point of where they are making assumptions of pairings within this school. Ridiculous."

"This may have been based upon assumptions, but it did not go without some sort of evidence-like material!" Motoko defended. "Like at the time that short one over there," she pointed to Momiji, "was crying and you were consoling him in a lovingly way!"

"Lovingly?" Momiji repeated. "I'd say he was doing it in a comforting way. I had to go away for a while and was sad about it, but he reassured me nothing was going to change between us."

"Can't you two become gay?" Mai asked, eyes taking on a pleading look.

The other three instantly turned into stone (and nearly crumbled as a result).

"Not likely." Hatsuharu was beginning to look annoyed.

"I don't see other boys in that kind of way." Momiji was beginning to look a bit miffed.

"We approached that one other guy and asked him, didn't we, guys?" Mai turned around to look at her fellow fan club members. Each one were staring daggers at her, as if ready to trample her at any second. "He did look a bit taken aback, but that was all, right?"

"What other guy?" Momiji asked.

"I think his name was Nao something. Can't remember."

"Oh! The student council member? Sakuragi Naohito?"

"Yeah, him! We asked him about the two of you, since he's really smart and more than likely knew something. And as it turned out he said he wasn't sure of your relationship towards one another other than being just friends. But I, Goto Mai, couldn't take that as an answer, for it was not acceptable."

"In other words . . ." Hatsuharu looked to Momiji.

Momiji returned the gaze. ". . . she was trying to make something big out of this when it is actually something insignificant."

"Oh yeah, our Prince showed up shortly afterwards, so we had to scram and couldn't question Sakuragi any further. It was really a shame."

"Mai, shut your trap already! You're making us look stupid with you!" Mio hissed, nostrils flaring. She turned to Hatsuharu and Momiji. "Listen, you two, forget this ever happened. We are at fault for making the two of you angry, and will no longer be looking for a glimmering chance of you two being an item. As for Mai here, we will make sure she keeps her big mouth shut."

"Cheh." Hatusharu couldn't be any less mollified.

"Done deal, Shimazaki, Kishida?" Mio was beginning to sweat bullets, because she was about ready to leave the scene altogether whether she was with the others or not.

He is angry; very angry.

"You stupid whores need to get out of my face right now. My friend and I aren't here to entertain your silly daydreams. Come near us again with this fucking bullshit and I'll make sure you won't leave my presence unscathed, got it?"

"Scary!" Mai meeped.

"This is all your fault, Mai!" Mio said.

§YUKI FAN CLUB MEETING ROOM§

"You know, Motoko, you could have said something back there in our defense. You too, Minami."

"How could have I? Shimazaki was already beginning to look frightening even before Mai was finished blabbering. Perhaps you didn't know the intense anger in his eyes at the time, but me and Minami noticed it."

"So that explains why you two bastards kept quiet, and allowed me take the brunt of his anger out on."

"All we have to do is not go around them anymore. It's as simple as that," Motoko said.

"Easy for you to say, because you'll be graduating soon."

"Oh, but Mio, then I won't be able to see Prince Yuki anymore. It will sadden me greatly."

"No it won't. Every time you come to visit the school you'll more than likely see him anyway."

Case closed: Shimzaki Hatsuharu and Kishida Momiji were royally pissed off.

Next mission: try to help their beloved Prince Yuki in any way they can (only from the sidelines).

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Hey, Haru, I was wondering . . ."

"Hm?"

"Did it really bother you all that much when they thought we were gay?" Hatsuharu raised an eyebrow at his friend, wondering why he was asking him this now. "Well, you seemed really upset earlier and even called them stupid whores."

"Well, they should have been ones," was the steely reply. "And why are you asking me if it's a bothersome issue or not? The answer should be very clear."

"Of course! I was just curious, is all."

"Sometimes you're weird, you know that?"

"Hey hey, want me to tell you a little story about me when I was still in middle school?" Momiji asked.

"Go ahead."

"When I was I in the second year of middle school this boy came up to me and confessed! I was really shocked and somewhat flattered at the same time, but who'd have thought a gay would come up and ask a straight person out! I did not hesitate at all in turning him down, yet in doing so I felt kind of bad afterwards. He looked really hurt."

"Perhaps he was set up."

Momiji blinked several times. "What do you mean?"

"If he knew you were straight he probably wouldn't have asked you in the first place, Momiji. Seeing as appearances can be deceiving someone must have told him you swing that way; this may have given him the boost he needed."

"Hrm, I've never thought of it that way before."

"However it wouldn't surprise me if you were secretly hiding you true sexual identity from everyone and playing it off as a straight."

"Haru, how can you say such a thing! I am straight!"

Hatsuharu laughed, now feeling a little more at ease than he had earlier.

Chapter 22: END