Chapter 10: Curious

When Aikawa had brought Usami Akihiko back up to his room, he was relieved that he would be leaving the hospital soon - he felt as if he had spent too many days there already, and he was antsy to get back to his condo where he would be able to sleep in his familiar, warm bed that was much different than the hard mattress of the hospital bed he had been sleeping in.

He yawned loudly as Aikawa wheeled him into his room, and he stretched his long arms out in front of him as they came to a hault. He felt exhausted and his hand ached from all the writing he had accomplished that day, and he'd love nothing more than to fall asleep right where he sat.

"Here you go, Usami-sensei." Aikawa said, handing him a pair of baggy jeans and a black sweater. He nodded to her, about to undress before he noticed her lingering at the doorway, her back to him and her hand hovering just above the door handle.

"Ahem." Akihiko said, causing her to jump slightly. She turned around and looked at him sheepishly as he raised a single silver eyebrow at her.

"Is there something I can help you with, Aikawa?" he asked, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

"Well...I was just wondering, Usami-sensei…" she stalled, shifting her weight awkwardly from foot to foot. "Well...I just mean…"

"Are you sure you're going to be able to change by yourself with your legs?" she said, smiling at him pitifully as what she said finally dawned on him.

If both of his legs were casted, and standing up was nearly impossibly, then how was he supposed to put on his pants? The fact that they were also long and made out of jean like fabric wasn't going to help Akihiko much, either.

Ah, shit. he thought, rubbing his fingers on his temples as he sighed.

"Don't worry about me, Aikawa," he said, looking at her from underneath his long fingers."I'll figure it out myself, just give me a little while."

These legs are going to be a real pain in my ass.

Akihiko began to feel his irritation begin to rise as he realized all of the other daily tasks waiting for him at home that required standing - and that each one of them, despite the use of the boot like casts, were going to be more tedious and challenging to complete than usual.

Dressing, undressing, bathing, even just simply getting something off of a high shelf - his casted legs were going to be a huge disadvantage to completing all of them.

Aikawa, sensing that Akihiko was beginning to get angry, decided to abide by the man's wishes as she quickly stepped out of the room - shutting the door tightly behind her. She sighed deeply as she leaned against the door, sliding down it slightly as she pressed the back of her head into the tarnished wood.

Inside his room, Akihiko placed his clothes in his lap before he pulled his old hospital gown harshly over his head. He lazily tossed it onto the floor before he pulled his black sweater over his head, the elastic fabric clinging to his body as he pushed the sleeves up to his elbows. He quickly ran his hand through his silver hair before planning how next to attempt getting on his jeans over his casts.

Akihiko picked them up by the waist band - they were made similarly like the sweater, in that they were made out of a stretchy material and looked as if they were a bit large and baggy for Akihiko's thin legs.

Oh fuck it he thought, before balling the pants up haphazardly and tossing them onto the bed.

Akihiko pushed his wheelchair as close to the edge of the bed as possible, before placing his palms on the mattress and hoisting himself up onto it next to his pants. The next few minutes were spent awkwardly pushing his legs through each of the pant holes, he struggled to get them over his casts. Praying the fabric wouldn't rip, Akihiko thrashed his legs until they were both finally through, causing the man to sigh in relief as he buttoned them.

He awkwardly shifted his way back into his wheelchair and sighed again in relief at the feeling of being properly clothed for the first time in days. Akihiko pulled the sleeves of his sweater back down to his wrists before he wheeled himself over to the door, tapping on in lightly to let Aikawa know to come back inside before he got out of the way of the door.

When Aikawa stepped back inside the room, she was immediately relieved to see that Akihiko was able to get dressed by himself - she knew that he hated relying on others, and to need help with something as simple as getting dressed would probably have made him far from happy.

"Lookin' good!" she said, giving him a thumbs up in an attempt to cheer him up. He smiled slightly at her before resting his elbow on the armrest of his wheelchair and his temple on his fist.

"Now," she continued, pulling a chair over so that she could sit across from Akihiko.

"Let's get working on the plan for that novel you started."

After about a half an hour, Aikawa and Akihiko hadn't gotten nearly as much progress with planning the novel done as she had hoped they would. Akihiko was exhausted, and most of his creativity for the day had already been snuffed out by the extreme amount of words he had written that day. The last thing the author seemed like he wanted to do was to focus on any more work.

Aikawa, however, had hoped to at least plan on how long Akihiko was planning on writing his book and if he had any major plot points already figured out - or if he even had thought about how to end it yet. Akihiko, however, had without fail begun to doze off every time Aikawa had tried discussing it with him. He would constantly rest his cheek into his palm as his heavy eyelids would begin to close against his will, as if the promise of sleep and rest was too tempting to resist.

The hum of the hospital machines felt as if they were lulling him to sleep - the chirping of insects outside sounded like soft lullabies that Akihiko would have dreamed about his mother singing to him as a child. The soft fabric that clung to his skin kept him warm - making dozing off even that much more tempting to the man as the soft breeze of air coming from the open hospital room window tickled his skin, feeling like soft whispers were being spoken onto his flesh.

Even Aikawa's gentle, soft spoken Japanese seemed to calm his very soul where he sat.

No...I need to stay...awake...he would think whenever he felt his eyelids beginning to droop, and when Aikawa's words seemed to decrease in volume - fading slowly away from his range of hearing.

I need to stay awake...work…

At the same time, in stark contrast to the content and cozy Akihiko, Aikawa was stressed out and fidgeting uncomfortably in her chair as she desperately tried to establish any sort of progress with the man.

A few times, Aikawa would be right in the middle of a sentence when she would notice her author's head begin to droop, and she would have to gently nudge the man back awake in attempt to keep him focused. She would start back up with the last few words the author remembered before he had dozed off, and the same cycle would repeat again.

After the fifth time she had caught Akihiko dozing, however, she felt herself growing irritated with him. Even though she knew it wasn't his fault that he was so tired, she was getting sick of having to constantly repeat herself over and over, plus the added irritation of the previous events of the day were not helping her keep her temper under control in the slightest.

"Usami-sensei." she said, nudging him a bit harder than the previous times. "Please try to stay focused, this is important work and we need to keep working at it while the ideas are fresh in your mind-"

"Aikawa," he groaned, stretching his arms and shaking his head in an attempt to rid himself of his drowsiness before looking at her.

"Can't we wait until tomorrow to start working on this? Please? I'm dead tired and the thing I want most right now is to be able to sleep in my nice warm bed at home." he rubbed his eyes, wiping the crust in them off on his sweater sleeve.

"Besides," he said, picking the crust out of the fabric with his fingers and flicking them off into what seemed like the void as he continued speaking.

"You know me, do I ever plan my stories out before hand? Ever?"

Aikawa opened her mouth to protest, but clamped it shut when she realized that Akihiko did have a good point - most of his greatest works had been created (literally) overnight, usually fuelled by the seemingly sadistic adrenaline rush that all of her authors seemed to get as they hurriedly finished their works right before their final deadlines.

Whether it was two hundred words or twenty thousand, the Great Usami Akihiko always seemed to pull through for both Aikawa and Marukawa Publishing when it came to finishing the product, and everything he wrote was always nearly flawless - despite the fact most of it was purely bullshitted at the last second and only planned out moments before it was created. Akihiko smiled slightly as he saw all of these thoughts pass through Aikawa's head.

"Can't think of a time? That's what I thought." he said smugly, crossing his arms as he shifted lower in his wheelchair. "I can't just plan what I'm going to write - it just has to come to me."

"I'll just figure it out when I get to it." he said, dismissing any of Aikawa's possible protests with the wave of his hand. Aikawa wanted to argue with him, but she decided that the best move would just be to get Akihiko back home.

Sighing, she bent the yellow notepad containing Akihiko's story before placing it into her handbag. Despite her efforts - and due to the rather large size of the notepad - the notepad didn't fit all the way into her bag. Half of the notepad hung out of her small, fashionable black purse, but she was honestly too tired to care or to keep trying to fit it inside anyways.

"Fine," she said finally, standing up out of her chair before placing it back where it had been in the room and turning to her author. "If we're going to leave...then I guess we may as well go now."

Akihiko's eyes immediately lit up at Aikawa's words as a smile spread across his face.

"Thank you, Aikawa. You're too good to me sometimes." he said, watching Aikawa as she began checking the hospital room to make sure that they weren't leaving anything behind. She made sure to grab the crutches that Nowaki had given them before she walked over to Akihiko, handing them to him before he placed them on top of his lap.

"Oh quiet you, I'm still going to make you do work once I get you back home." she said playfully, squatting down to come face to face with Akihiko before she lightly flicked his forehead with her finger.

"Hey!" Akihiko said, rubbing his forehead and looking at Aikawa while furrowing his brows, pretending to look at her with an irritated expression as she rose back up to her normal height.

"Do you really believe that I'd let you off that easily?" she laughed, walking around him and taking a hold of the wheelchair before pushing him forward.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I get it." Akihiko said, resting his cheek in his palm again as he felt himself being pulled back into slumber. He slouched comfortably in his wheelchair, waiting for Aikawa to push him.

Aikawa smiled, enjoying the bliss of their playful conversation and relishing in her genuine laughter that she hadn't been able to bring herself to produce in what felt like days.

These were the times that she had missed recently, and the times that she lived for - times like this, where things were simple, where laughing over dumb jokes and teasing her authors for the heck of it over their stories was just an everyday occurrence and for a while, if only a moment, Aikawa could forget about the burdens of the world. She could forget about the printers breathing down her neck, or even the fact that her family disapproved greatly of her career choice were even forgotten.

"Wah, Usami-sensei," Aikawa said, opening the door and pushing Akihiko out into the hallway in front of her while keeping the door open with her foot.

"As soon as we get home you have to get working on that story as soon as possible!" she said cheerily, a smile plain on her face as she and her semi-conscious author entered the hallway. She reached behind her to shut the door before continuing.

"I need to know what happens as soon as…" her voice suddenly faded as she turned away from the door, only to see Takahiro and Misaki standing just outside of the doorway of Misaki's room and to see them both looking straight at her.

Aikawa froze, her heart skipping a beat as her gaze met Takahiro's, catching her off guard as she hadn't planned on running into him again so suddenly - or at least not while she was with Akihiko. Takahiro's gaze pierced her, his eyes burning into her as if he were warning her to keep her promise.

I know a few secrets about Akihiko myself, she remembered him saying clearly in her head.

You wouldn't want them released to the public, now, would you?

Aikawa shivered, slightly ashamed of herself in how she was acting. Aikawa Eri was known for being a strong, fierce, no-nonsense woman with a sharp tongue and an even sharper mind. She wasn't one to back down easily, and she especially wasn't one to give in to others' intimidation or threats, given the line of work she was in.

And yet, here she was - letting a simple, block headed man push her around. It aggravated her to no end, and she'd love nothing more to have been able to tell Takahiro to go screw himself, but she had bitten back her tongue then and now because of one thing - her author's reputation.

In a line of work such as publishing, one's reputation was an essential quality to maintain - if scandalous things were to be released about Akihiko, then there was no telling what sort of shit storm would ensue afterwards - whether it be with Marukawa Publishing, the printers or even the plain media themselves, filled with tabloids who were constantly starving for a well known proper aristocrat to slander or lives to tarnish for the enjoyment of others.

The whole situation made Aikawa sick.

As much as she hated to, she nodded slightly to Takahiro, in a way as if saying I understand

to the man while not saying anything at all. He seemed to understand the message that she hadn't told Akihiko about Misaki and the tension in his shoulders lessened slightly, but he still looked threateningly at Aikawa as if in a warning.

You dick Aikawa thought bitterly, hating the way that she was being manipulated and ordered around.

Her heart also ached immensely, as she wanted to do nothing more than to overwhelm Misaki into the most relieved of hugs as she could give. She was overjoyed that he seemed like he was in good shape, but he obviously didn't recognize her - the very thought made Aikawa's heart feel as if had plummeted into the deepest depths of her stomach. It took most of her willpower to keep her emotions in check by simply looking at Takahiro as if she didn't see Misaki at all, which broke her heart even more.

Why do I do this to myself…?

"Aikawa…" Akihiko said suddenly, breaking the awkward and tense silence, shocking Aikawa back into reality as she drew her focus to him.

"Why did you stop talking…?" he asked, shifting in his seat as his last wave of drowsiness had passed.

Aikawa saw Misaki twitch as Akihiko's eyes must've opened. Takahiro's face darkened at the sound of Akihiko's voice, and Misaki dropped down on one knee and made himself busy with retying his shoe.

Aikawa felt herself panic, desperately trying to think of the most believable excuse as she could.

"Huh? Oh! Uh, no reason, I just, uh, lost my train of thought." she said quickly, feeling lame for saying one of the oldest lines in the book. She gripped the handles of the wheelchair tightly, turning Akihiko towards the direction of the elevators located at the end of the hallway.

As Aikawa turned, she briefly saw Misaki's ears peeking out from underneath his hair, noticing that they were a bright red.

Is he...blushing?!

Shocked, she wondered if perhaps Misaki remembered Akihiko, or if somewhere in his subconscious, he was still in love with the man and infatuated with the sight of him - as if his heart remembered what his mind could not.

Misaki-kun...she thought silently, maker her way down the hallway as she heard the Takahashi brothers' steps behind her.

What do you feel, Misaki-kun…?

As Aikawa walked, she wondered what her author in the wheelchair in front of her could have possibly thought of Misaki when he had seen him.

Before Usami Akihiko had opened his eyes, he had wondered why his editor had stopped talking, since it was a very rare occurrence.

"Aikawa...why did you stop talking?" he had asked, slowly opening his eyes.

When he had opened them, he found himself and Aikawa stopped outside the doorway of his hospital room. His gaze lazily came across the sight of two men in the hallway with them. He immediately analyzed their features, reading them and taking in any details he could about them both as if they were two open books for his own reading.

The first man, he observed, was taller than the other - he had dark, brown-black short hair and wore oval shaped, silver rimmed glasses. He wore a simple, plain gray business suit, looking as if he had just arrived at the hospital directly from work. His bangs fell just past his eyebrows, their color matching that of his eyes - which, Akihiko noticed, seemed to be looking at him with a slight amount of astonishment and a large amount of distaste.

Akihiko didn't recognize the man, but he sure as hell seemed to recognize Akihiko.

Well, someone isn't very friendly, now are they? he thought, looking at the tall man once more.

He turned his attention to the younger looking man that had been standing next to the taller one. He was now on one knee tying his shoe, and most of his face was hidden by the thick mop of brown hair that covered his head.

Akihiko studied the young man, watching him as he fumbled with his laces as he untied and tied them again, acting as if he didn't want to meet Akihiko's gaze. He watched as the boy's fingers trembled, and saw that a blush had seemed to spread from his face to his thin neck - the red flesh contrasting greatly with the emerald green sweater that the boy was wearing.

Well, is someone shy? he thought, feeling an odd smile begin to pull at his lips, but he restrained himself as he felt the older man's strong, distasteful gaze was still upon him.

What, is he his lover or something? Akihiko thought, fighting the urge to return one of the tall man's nasty looks. He looked the man over once more, noticing the wedding band on his left hand as light glinted off of the shiny gold.

No, that's not it...he's married, and the other boy doesn't have a ring to be found on his hand…

Then are they brothers, then? he thought suddenly. It made sense to him, yet Akihiko didn't understand how two strangers would know him or Aikawa, or why they would act so oddly towards him.

"Huh? Oh! Uh, no reason, I just, uh, lost my train of thought." he heard Aikawa say, before she quickly turned him around and began wheeling him towards the elevators.

What's going on? Who are they...he wondered, the image of the younger man's fumbling fingers and obvious blush crossed his mind as they made their way towards the elevator.

Why was he so shy...why wouldn't he let me see his face…? These questions were burning in the back of his mind as he heard their footsteps behind him.

Akiho sighed, realizing that they were all headed towards the same direction of the elevator - meaning that he was going to have to deal with the one man's unpleasant attitude at a close range, even if it was only for a few moments.

When they had finally reached the doors, Aikawa pushed the button. The doors opened within seconds, and Aikawa and Akihiko entered. Aikawa was turning Akihiko around inside the elevator to face the doors when the other two men had finally reached them.

Akihiko felt his heart skip a beat when he caught sight of the younger man as he was stepping into the elevator

The younger man - who looked rather more boyish than masculine - was about a head shorter than his brother, with much lighter, chocolate brown hair that flew freely around his head. His emerald green sweater clung to his delightfully thin body, making him appear lanky rather than scrawny. His jeans seemed to fit his thin legs, and he wore humble, plain converse shoes on his feet.

Compared to his older brother, the younger boy seemed much more quiet, gentle and kind - someone who would never have the guts or reason to give strangers such nasty looks as his brother was giving them.

You two are nothing alike, are you...he thought. For some reason the phrase seemed oddly familiar, but Akihiko just ignored it.

The doors closed with the four of them inside, and Akihiko could see the boy fidget under his scrutinizing gaze. When Akihiko caught sight of the boy's face, however, he was caught off guard.

The younger boy looked at him with large, doe-like emerald eyes that matched his sweater perfectly. His brown hair framed his heart shaped face - an evident blush spreading across his cheeks. The sight made Akihiko's heart race, and the young boy's blush only darkened when he met eyes with Akihiko.

The boy quickly looked away, leaning back against the elevator wall as he tried to look as casual as possible as his long bangs hid most of his face. Akihiko felt his heart sink in disappointment at the boy's actions, his palms sweating as he waited to see his lovely face once again.

He tapped his feet on the foot rests of the wheelchair impatiently, his heart hammering against his ribs so much that it was almost painful. His throat felt dry, and he felt as if he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around the younger boy - to bury his face in his brown jungle of hair.

He could see it perfectly - he imagined himself holding the young boy close, pressing his back into his chest so that the boy would be able to feel his fluttering heartbeat. While whispering to him softly, he would capture the boy's right hand within his own, brushing his thumb over the soft skin, kissing it before holding it to his chest. Gently, he would grasp the young boy's chin, his long agile fingers lifting it softly over the young boy's shoulder as he would bend down slightly to kiss him from behind-

STOP IT he thought suddenly as the elevator came to a screeching halt on the first floor.

As soon as the doors opened, the other two men quickly left the elevator. The younger man kept his head down, hiding his face from view as he made his way out the door and into the first floor hallway.

Aikawa had barely wheeled Akihiko out of the elevator when the older brother had already signed out at the main desk of the hospital and was quickly rushing out the front doors, pulling his younger brother along by the arm behind him.

And, like that, they disappeared from Akihiko and Aikawa's sight.

Akihiko felt this editor sigh loudly in relief behind him. He hadn't noticed before, but Aikawa had seemed as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders once the two men had left.

Just who were they…? he wondered as Aikawa wheeled him towards the main desk. He waited impatiently for her to finish signing the seemingly endless amount of papers that entitled his release.

When she had finally finished, she began wheeling Akihiko towards the door, waving back happily to the nurse at the desk behind them before exiting.

Akihiko breathed deeply as the cool, fresh air hit him. He bent his head back, resting it on the top of his chair as Aikawa looked down at him, smiling slightly. He smiled back at her as they made their way to her car, relishing in the fresh air and wide open space of the outdoors.

He looked up at the starry sky for the first time in days, feeling as if he had never realized just how beautiful they were. He smiled to himself and closed his eyes, excited and relieved.

He was finally going home.

Usami Akihiko was excited - well, he had been.

Now, he found himself inside Aikawa's car as they drove slowly through Tokyo. Traffic was horrible, and they were almost nearly stopped as the lineup of cars seemed to go on forever. Aikawa pounded her hands on the steering wheel in frustration when they came to a complete stop yet again. Akihiko rested his head in his palm as he rolled down his window - the air was filled with the loud noise of car horns honking and the sound of aggravated drivers shouting.

It was giving him a headache.

I finally get to go home and there just has to be a traffic jam he thought bitterly, each sound irritating him more and more as he sat there impatiently.

Silently, he prayed for the traffic to lighten up so that he could finally get home and rest. He needed something to take his mind off of waiting. If he could do that, maybe traffic would seem like it was moving faster. A sudden idea crossed his mind.

"Hey, Aikawa," he began, looking over at her slyly from the corner of his eye. "Do you think you could give me a cig-"

"No, Usami-sensei, I'm not giving you any cigarettes." she said curtly, cutting off Akihiko before he could finish his sentence.

Akihiko pouted at how the woman had seen right through him. He crossed his arms and slouched down into his seat as he looked moodily out the window.

"Fine. Be that way. Allow me to suffer my nicotine deprivation in silent agony. I hope I don't bother you." he said sarcastically. Aikawa snorted.

"Believe me, Usami-sensei, if it wasn't against Kusama-san's orders, I'd gladly give you a whole carton of cigarettes to keep you from whining." she said sassily, pounding her fists on the steering wheel in frustration as their car came to a halt yet again.

Akihiko sighed in frustration as a tick began to form in his jaw. His body all but screamed for nicotine as he rubbed his temples- he was certain that he was going to have a headache sooner or later unless he got some nicotine into his body soon. As he massaged his aching head, a sudden thought crossed his mind.

Wait...if smoking is against Kusama-san's orders...doesn't that mean I'll have to wait until my prescriptions are finished to smoke again?!

Akihiko felt like banging his head into the dashboard. He rested his face in his hands as the car began to inch slowly forward once again. Exhausted, he leaned back into the passenger seat, his face still in his hands.

This seriously sucks...he thought. Closing his eyes, Akihiko tried to think of happier thoughts in an attempt to relieve some of his stress and worries. Akihiko waited as the sounds of the busy Tokyo traffic and Aikawa's angry swears began to fade out as he day dreamed. Unexpectedly, an image of the boy from the elevator appeared in his mind.

Akihiko's heart pounded. He squeezed his eyes tighter, trying to remember anything he could about the boy. He struggled to remember - his memories were already hazy due to his tired state, and the boy had covered his face most of the time that he had been around Akihiko.

What he did remember, however, was that the boy had chocolate brown hair and startling, large emerald colored eyes - eyes that were a rare sight in the heart of Japan (though Akihiko was one to talk, being that he had light, lavender colored eyes which were a rare sight in just about every part of the world).

What else?! What else did he look like?! Akihiko thought, frustrated at himself for not looking at the boy more closely.

Wait...why am I thinking about that boy when I should be thinking about Misaki?! Akihiko thought suddenly, opening his eyes in shock at this realization.

What am I doing...no, finding Misaki should be my main priority.

I won't dare let myself fall for anyone else.

Akihiko straightened up at this declaration in his head, suddenly feeling more awake as the traffic began to lighten up and he and Aikawa quickly made their way to his condominium.

Once they had finally made it back to Akihiko's home, Aikawa quickly parked the car and helped him into his wheelchair, replacing the crutches back into his lap as she wheeled him to the condo's entrance. After riding the elevator to Akihiko's floor, she quickly wheeled him down the hallway, stopping in front of his door. She quickly punched in the security code number, causing the door to open before she and Akihiko made their way inside.

Akihiko sighed, relieved to be back at home where everything was familiar - where there were no unpleasant sights or sounds that came along with staying in a hospital - no nosey nurses, no itchy hospital gowns or sheets - there was only his belongings, and the only audible noises were that of the muffled sounds of the city coming through his windows.

It feels like home. he thought, smiling slightly as Aikawa wheeled him towards his bedroom where the promise of sleep awaited him. She opened the door to his room, not bothering to even turn on the lights as she brought Akihiko to a stop in front of his bed.

Aikawa bowed to him and promised him that when she left she would lock the front door behind her, and that she would be back in the morning to make sure that he was alright.

"Call me if you need anything, Usami-sensei." Aikawa said, closing the bedroom door behind her as Akihiko climbed his way onto his bed.

"Sweet dreams." she whispered, shutting the door softly behind her.

Akihiko made his way to his pillows and pulled the neatly tucked in bed covers out before nestling under them, not even bothering to change into his pajamas. He went to put his arm underneath his pillow when he felt it strike something large and soft. He grabbed a hold of it and pulled, revealing that what his hand had struck was a large teddy bear with a decorative bow tied around its neck.

Akihiko froze at the sight of the bear - it seemed extremely familiar, and from the looks of it he must have had it for many years. He tugged at his memories, searching for its name.

"Suzuki-san...Suzuki-san!" Akihiko said, his eyes lighting up in realization. He hugged the teddy bear - Suzuki-san - to his chest, burying his face in the soft top of the bear's head - the action seeming very child like as Akihiko hugged the bear tightly.

Suzuki-san, Akihiko remembered, was just one of the many stuffed teddy bears in his collection and was by far his favorite. Akihiko dragged the bear almost everywhere around the house, though he never did bring him out with him into public. Akihiko loved collecting small toys and bears, since they seemed to calm him - giving him a sense of normality, or what he had missed out on during his childhood when his mother had raised him in such an abnormal, aristocratic environment.

Suddenly feeling exhausted, Akihiko nearly collapsed onto the bed, pulling the covers over his head as he allowed the soft sheets to envelop him as he held Suzuki-san closely to his chest. He inhaled deeply, relishing in the scent of his own bed and home, which was much different from the sterile stench of the hospital which, like most hospitals Akihiko had visited, made it seem as if they were always trying to cover up the smell of disease and death.

Akihiko waited a few minutes, expecting to fall asleep quickly, when he realized that something felt as if it were missing. He squeezed Suzuki-san tighter to him, and for some reason he felt cold - even though he was covered in sheets with Suzuki-san by his side, and he knew that Aikawa must've turned on the heater before leaving. He tossed and turned slightly, wondering why he felt this way until a sudden thought struck his mind.

Misaki…

A sudden loneliness filled him as he realized that he must have felt cold due to his lover's absence.

Is it because Misaki isn't here? That must be it...he thought, removing the covers from his head as he breathed a gulp of fresh air. Staring up at the ceiling, he felt sad feelings begin to fester in his chest as he lay there thinking about Misaki. After a few minutes, he finally leaned over the bed and reached out for any stuffed animals or toys of his collection that he could find strewn about the bedroom floor.

Leaning over as far as his legs would allow, he pulled a large amount of items onto his bed, creating a sort of fortress around him as he snuggled into his covers once more, trying to create the warmth that his missing lover could not provide. Sadly, he closed his eyes as sleep finally began to overtake him.

Misaki…he wondered.

I wonder what you're doing right now…

Are you missing me?

These were the author's last thoughts before finally conking out, surrounded by his piles of stuffed animals and with Suzuki-san tucked under his arm.

His breaths were calm and even, and, for the first time in days, it wasn't Misaki who he dreamed about.

His dreams were filled with that of the mysterious boy he had seen in the elevator.

Meanwhile, while the rich author Usami Akihiko had drifted off into a comfortable sleep, Takahashi Misaki found himself unable to find peace at all as his mind raced with the memories of the earlier event that had happened that day.

Oh god, oh god! I was so awkward...what must he have thought of me...stupid! Misaki thought, grabbing a pillow from beside him and smashing his face into it.

Stupid...stupid…

He slowly slid the pillow from his face, looking up at the ceiling as his heart pounded against his chest as anxiety overtook his mind. He sighed a shaky breath, sadly closing his eyes as he desperately wished that he could have been born like his brother - like someone who didn't have to fret over every little decision or action they made.

Why do I have to be so awkward...Misaki wondered sadly, tears stinging his eyes as a pain in his gut began to form. He rubbed the back of his hand against his eyes harshly.

What, and now I'm crying?! How can I be so pathetic…

Misaki rolled over onto his stomach as he pressed his face into the soft mattress of his bed. He was thankful that he at least had his own room at Takahiro's place, though it seemed unusually plain and bare, similar in appearance to a guest room rather than a twenty-something's bedroom. This thought had crossed Misaki's mind, but he was too busy brooding over the day's recent events to be bothered with thinking about it now.

Wah, I must've looked redder than a freaking tomato...he thought anxiously, reliving the day's events over in his mind for what felt like the fiftieth time that night.

Misaki had felt himself blushing and sweating far before he and Takahiro had reached the elevator. This always happened to him whenever he was put on the spot or just extremely nervous, and he was always embarrassed by it.

Misaki had stared straight at his feet as he made his way down the hall, closely behind the eerily silent Takahiro, leaving Misaki too nervous to ask why his brother was acting so strangely. The squeaking of his sneakers against the tiled floors only seemed to put him on that much more edge as the space between them and the elevator slowly became nonexistent.

His hands shook slightly as Takahiro stepped onto the elevator first. Misaki took a deep breath, balled his fists and raised his head before stepping onto the elevator.

In reality, the elevator should've felt roomy to those who rode it, but to Misaki it felt cramped and overfilled, even though there were only four of them on board. As the doors closed, Misaki shifted his gaze to the silver haired man sitting in the wheelchair, his heart giving a painful squeeze at seeing him in such a close proximity. He felt his heart beat quicken as it began to thump loudly in his chest as he noticed the man looking him over, as if he could see right through him. The action left Misai feeling uneasy as he watched the man's lavender eyes move - they never once wandered from his body.

Why are you looking at me? Misaki wondered as he fidgeted uncomfortably, tightening his grip on his clothes in his hands.

It's not like I'm that attractive or anything...and he has a girlfriend right next to him, so why isn't he looking at her instead?! Misaki shouted in his head, confused by the man's actions.

Misaki began to panic as he saw the man's eyes beginning to travel upwards, and he froze when their eyes met. The man's cool, calm gaze stunned Misaki where he stood, his face feeling hot as the man merely made eye contact with him. After a few heartbeats, Misaki felt as if his heart would explode if he remained looking at the man any longer.

In an attempt to look cool, Misaki leaned back - and half stumbled - against the elevator wall, lowering his head so that the man could not see the expression he was making underneath his thick, brown bangs.

Misaki's heart pounded in his chest as he hoped for the elevator to quickly reach the first floor. Misaki had hoped to regain some of his composure by hiding his face, but he still felt as if the man had his eyes on him - only making him feel that much more nervous.

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw the man tapping his feet against the foot rests of his wheelchair as if he were waiting for something. Misaki briefly wondered if perhaps the man was waiting for him to look at him again, but he quickly dismissed the thought, due to the fact that he was sure there was no way he could possibly compete with the beautiful woman that had come onto the elevator with the man.

Misaki felt his chest tighten in anxiety, his stress from the situation at hand causing a lump to form in his throat that made it difficult for him to breath. He tried to look as if he were breathing normally, though it was difficult as he quickly inhaled and exhaled through his nose, desperately trying to get oxygen back flowing to his brain.

Misaki kept his head down the entire rest of the elevator ride, noticing slightly that there seemed to be some sort of tension between his brother beside him and the strawberry blonde woman that had entered the elevator before them.

He was about to ask if they knew each other in an attempt to break the awkward silence - and in an attempt to get a gulp of breath through his mouth - when the elevator came to a halting stop on the first floor.

Takahiro had quickly exited the elevator before the doors had even opened all the way, and had tightly grasped Misaki's arm as he hauled him from the elevator and towards the main desk. Takahiro quickly signed all of the related papers, as if he were trying to leave the hospital before the man and woman had a chance to catch up to them.

Misaki held back the urge to look over his shoulder at the man one last time before leaving - craving to see that handsome face once more, since he knew that he may very well never see him again. His heart felt heavy at the thought, and he suddenly felt himself being dragged once again by Takahiro as he led him out of the front entrance of the hospital, not even bothering to say a polite farewell to the nurse at the desk.

"...Nii-chan?" Misaki asked once they were outside, Takahiro's firm grip still on Misaki's arm as he ignored him.

"Nii-chan? Are...are you alright?" Misaki asked again, concerned as to why his brother wasn't answering him.

"Nii-chan?! Please, answer me- ow! Nii-chan," Misaki said, feeling his brother's hand tighten around his arm, his nails digging into his younger brother's arm through the fabric of his sweater.

"Nii-chan, you're hurting me! Please, let me go, Nii-chan…" Misaki pleaded as Takahiro still dragged him towards the direction where he had parked his car, finally releasing him once they had reached it.

Misaki rubbed his arm softly as Takahiro silently took his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the doors with the press of a button. Misaki quietly got inside, fastening his seat belt as Takahiro got inside beside him.

Takahiro didn't put the keys into the ignition, however, but instead ran his hands through his hair and sighed. Misaki was silent, deciding that it wasn't the best idea to push his brother. He merely waited for his brother to speak as he looked down at his hands that he had placed on top of his spare clothes in his lap. He fidgeted in the presence of the awkward silence of the car.

"Misaki-kun…" Takahiro finally said, his voice causing Misaki to look up from his hands to meet his brother's gaze.

"Misaki-kun...I...I'm sorry for dragging you out of the hospital so harshly back there…" Takahiro said, looking at Misaki apologetically as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Eh, don't worry about it Nii-chan! I'm fine, really. I was just wondering...I've never seen you act that way…" Misaki said quietly.

"Was...was it possibly that woman who set you off?" Misaki asked innocently, trying his hardest not to set off his older brother again.

"Ah, well…that is," Takahiro began, removing his hand from his neck as he spoke, his face turning grave as he looked at Misaki.

"Just...I'd rather not talk about it, alright, Misaki-kun?" Takahiro said, resting one of his hands on his younger brother's shoulders. Misaki's eyes widened as he nodded in understanding.

Well, I'm technically not lying, per se...Takahiro thought as he removed his hand from his brother's shoulder before placing and turning the key in the ignition.

Misaki-kun is a respectful boy he thought, sighing in relief as the engine roared to life.

He most likely won't bring this incident up again, and I got away without having to think up any lies.

As Takahiro was filled with relief, his brother beside him felt much differently.

Just as Takahiro had guessed, Misaki wasn't planning on questioning his brother any further out of respect for Takahiro's privacy, but his curiosity still burned in the back of his mind. Who was that woman? How was she related to Takahiro? Was the mysterious man somehow related to his brother in any way?

Wait, no! Misaki thought, shaking his head as Takahiro pulled out into traffic, speeding down the roadway towards the direction of their home.

What am I doing, getting all hopeful? Being hopeful is pointless, and I'll probably never see him again anyways...Misaki thought, brushing his hand over the top of his coat in his lap as he feebly attempted to get his heart to agree with his common sense.

It's pointless to hope for anything…

It had taken Takahiro and Misaki nearly two hours to get back to Takahiro's home.

The traffic jam had been awful, and Takahiro had called Manami ahead of time to inform her that they would be late. By the time they had finally walked through the door, the hot pot had already gotten cold and Mahiro was fast asleep in his room, though he had been excited all day to be able to welcome his Mi-chan home.

Manami had pulled Misaki into a welcoming hug after he and Takahiro had taken off their shoes, relieved that he was looking very well for someone who had had surgery only a handful of days before returning home. She squeezed his shoulder before landing a light peck on Takahiro's lips (an action which made Misaki sick to his stomach, since he had never been a sucker for romance).

Manami asked Misaki if there was anything he wanted to eat that she could quickly make for him, but Misaki politely declined, asking her if he could go straight to bed instead.

"Oh, of course! You poor thing, you must be exhausted!" Manami said, leading Misaki into a small hallway near the entrance of the house, stopping in front of the door at the farthest end of the hallway before opening it.

"Here you are, Misaki-kun. Sleep well, and if there's anything I can get you, just holler." Manami said, winking at him before leaving him in the privacy of the room.

Once she was gone, Misaki placed his spare clothes on top of a small dresser in the room before he collapsed onto the bed, savoring the soft quilt that was neatly placed on top of it. Too tired to care, Misaki had just crawled under the covers wearing the same outfit he had put on earlier at the hospital.

Misaki felt himself slowly drifting into sleep when his memories of the day began pestering him. His most embarrassing memories always seemed to come out during the night time to haunt him, making even the smallest mistake seem like the end of the world. All Misaki could do was cringe as he remembered countless mistakes - yet, even though he knew that he was probably the only one who still remembered them, they still pierced him like knives, as if each of his dumb actions had been engraved in history.

Misaki hated this rather anxious part of his personality - one that had started right around the time his parents had died. Misaki had started having these cringe attacks frequently, and he would often lose up to hours of sleep spent brooding over mistakes and his past. He hated it, but even to this day he hadn't told Takahiro about it.

The last thing he would want to do would be to worry his brother.

Well, that, and the fact that it seemed as if everytime he shared his genuine feelings about something, he always made himself look ridiculous or he just ended up feeling stupid. Because of this, Misaki did not open up to people very often - at least, he didn't let them see his sadder, more selfish side.

Sighing deeply, Misaki tucked his arms behind his head as he closed his eyes, promising himself that he would fall asleep in the next few minutes.

Yeah, right. Like I was seriously going to fall asleep Misaki thought sarcastically in his head.

Misaki had been close to sleep like he had promised himself, but then he had started thinking about the mysterious man and woman, and - cringing - how red he must have gotten when he and Takahiro had gotten in the elevator with them.

Misaki took the pillow that was in his hands and used it to cover his face yet again.

Stop worrying about it...he thought, squeezing his eyes shut.

It was no big deal. It was no big deal.

So what, if they were looking at you?

So what if you looked a little dumb?

You'll never see them again, so it doesn't matter.

The last thought, instead of calming Misaki down as he had hoped, made his heart ache painfully as he rolled over, clutching the pillow to his chest. His heavy eyelids slowly closed shut as he finally felt himself falling asleep.

Don't think about it he thought, before finally falling asleep.

Yet, against what Misaki had tried convincing himself, he dreamed of nothing but the silver haired man.

Even though he was desperately trying to dissuade it - similar to Akihiko - his heart was curious. It was as if their hearts, like Aikawa had thought, were trying to reach out to each other.

As they both slept, they were as one as they dreamt of each other - unaware of the old feelings blooming in their hearts.

Hello everyone!

This chapter was super long...and I had to edit it a lot...so much that I'm kind of just ragequit-uploading it and hoping for the best...so now I'm too lazy to type up a proper or interesting AN...

I need sleep ;n; I hope everyone's having/had an awesome day, and hopefully you enjoyed this chapter ^u^ !

-OopsIThoughtICouldFlyy