I got many wonderful reviews last chapter and every single literally made me squeal with happiness, so thank you very much!
Chapter Eight
Akihiko threw his coat over the back of a chair, avoiding Takahiro's glare. The man was mad at him, and for good reason.
"Again, Takahiro, I'm sorry."
Takahiro huffed and rolled his eyes, but then grinned playfully. "Fine, it's not like I can actually stay mad at you. Just try to get Misaki home on time, please? Is that too much to ask?" When his brother stepped out of the entranceway, he broadened his smile. "And then who could ever be mad at my Misaki?"
Akihiko felt himself twitch in annoyance at those words. Misaki wasn't Takahiro's. If anything, Misaki was…
No. Misaki wasn't his. As much as he wanted the boy, he had already been rejected. A few harmless touches and suddenly Misaki was flipping out unconscious. Okay, maybe they weren't completely harmless, but still, if that wasn't rejection, he didn't know what was.
But that didn't mean that things wouldn't change. In fact, Akihiko was determined that he would eventually make Misaki accept him as both a friend and a lover.
He walked over to the boy and rested a hand on his brown hair, ruffling it a bit. "No, that's just not possible. The prospect of anyone being mad at Misaki is simply inconceivable," Akihiko played, noticing the blush rising on the boy's face.
As much as it bothered Misaki, he actually liked Akihiko's hand on his head. It was strong and very large, a little cold but comforting at the same time.
Awkwardly, he forced himself to step away. "I'm gonna go take off my jacket."
Before he could make an escape, Takahiro grabbed his shoulder. "Wait, I have something to tell you."
"Did you forget to take the papers to the Hayati firm again? You really can't keep forgetting things like this." Misaki tapped his foot petulantly. "If you screw up much more you might lose your job. We can hardly pay the bills as it is, you can't afford—"
"No, no! I didn't forget the papers!" Takahiro said desperately, flushing. "I just… There's something I want to tell you guys. Er, rather, there's someone I want you to meet."
A small woman stepped into the room, grabbing their attentions.
Akihiko gripped the steering wheel of his sports car, feeling his hands cramping with the force. He tried to loosen up, but couldn't. It almost hurt more to let go than to keep holding on.
A tightening in his chest forced him to grit his teeth.
Minami, Takahiro's fiancé.
Fiancé.
Such a vile word. A word that should never have been associated with Takahiro.
But yet, at the same time, an itty-bitty part of him was relieved.
When Takahiro first announced his engagement, Akihiko had been shocked silent. Of course, after a few deep breaths, he was able to put on a happy façade, but it was all just a show. At that time, he could only comprehend the utter pain that destroyed his senses, but now… the ache had lessened. Lessened quite a bit, actually.
It still hurt, but not nearly as much. In fact, he was almost happy for his friend. As much as he hated to admit it, Minami was nice. Very cute. A good match for Takahiro. Takahiro deserved to be in love.
A month ago, this news would have killed him. But now, something had changed. Although he still loved Takahiro, the feelings were different. It was a different type of love than before.
Something else had wormed its way into his heart. He smiled when he realized what it was.
Misaki.
The love that suddenly swelled in his heart was too much to bear, making dampness flood his vision. Trying to stop the tears from spilling over, Akihiko breathed deeply and closed his eyes.
There was nobody else on the road. It was well past regional curfew— not that many people went out at night anyway. Because it was safer to drive at night than to walk, they took the car. Otherwise, Akihiko would have liked to walk, maybe hold hands a little, and possibly even drape an arm over the boy's shoulder. But once darkness fell, there was no way he would take Misaki out on the streets, no way he would risk such a valuable life.
And how could he not treasure Misaki? Misaki was just so… so… Akihiko couldn't think of the right word.
Sure, there were a lot of words that would describe Misaki, like cute, sweet, beautiful, kind. Maybe even a little dainty, or a little fragile.
But none of those words adequately conveyed just how exquisite Misaki really was.
Ah, yes, exquisite. That was the word Akihiko was looking for.
Everything about him was simply exquisite, from his thin, lithe form to the smooth skin of his face and body. Misaki was perfect.
Thinking of him like this, Akihiko got a sudden acute urge to see Misaki, to talk to him. It was so strong that it was almost painful. He wanted to gather the boy up in his arms and spread kisses all over his body. After that, he wanted to lick a trail all the way down his stomach. All the way down. Once Misaki was in his mouth, he would be shown him just how precious he was.
The delicious images continued, each one getting more and more intense, causing a tightening in his pants. He shifted around to make room, but the friction only worsened the problem.
Damn. Now was not the time to get all hot and bothered.
His erection ignored all mental protests, growing firmer and more heated with every second. There were so many things he wanted do to Misaki, so many things that Misaki would really enjoy.
But he couldn't think like that. If the images didn't stop, surely an unstoppable force would take over his body, making him turn abound and drive back. Takahiro would be suspicious if he returned just to see Misaki.
But there were other ways to relieve the worst of his urges.
Eager to alleviate the pain growing between his legs, he pressed down on the gas pedal.
He slowed down slightly for the border guards. They knew him well, and although all passers were supposed to be checked for weapons and other suspicious items, Akihiko was let by with only a friendly wave.
After that, it was only a short ride back to his condo. Akihiko quickly parked and ran up the steps.
It took several tries to get the key to enter the lock, but finally it gave way. The door slammed shut behind him as he threw everything on the ground to scramble into his room. The need for Misaki hurt more now. He never knew that wanting another person could hurt so badly.
Pants were quickly unbuttoned and dropped to the floor.
"Misaki…" he moaned, falling on the bed and palming his erection.
As he stroked himself, Akihiko pictured everything he wanted to do to the boy and the faces he would receive in response. His vivid imagination quickly led to his release. It felt good—as it always did— but something was missing.
Tired, he decided not to contemplate it and rolled over, trying to ignore the ache in between his arms where a certain brown haired boy would fit perfectly.
Akihiko hefted his bag onto his shoulder as he stood up from his car. It was colder out than normal. Sure, it was winter and it was always cold, but today was different. It smelled humid and earthy, like rain, and although clouds thickly blanketed the sky, they were white and fluffy. Not grey and low.
Maybe a storm is moving in, he thought as he pulled open the door to the Region Three headquarters. He hoped not. Rain was always so… wet. Wet and cold. But then again, in England, the place he grew up, precipitation was a common occurance. A predisposition to dislike rain was in his blood.
As he entered the doorway into the meeting room, he saw Takahiro sitting in a chair, tense and rather nervous looking.
When Akihiko came into view, he perked up and got to his feet.
"Usagi-san," he called, trotting over.
"Hey."
"Um, can we talk before the meeting starts?"
Akihiko stilled mid-stride. They always talked after the meeting, never before. He gulped loudly. Misaki must have confessed about the rather indecent acts he had attempted to commit. Not that any of them worked in the end, but still… the intention was there.
He nodded and took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for Takahiro's rage. It was unlikely that his friend would take kindly to Misaki being molested— not that Akihiko called it that. The word molestation seemed so loveless and cruel. No, he preferred to think of it as 'showing his affection' or 'bonding.'
But instead of yelling, Takahiro just took his bag and pulled him over into their corner. He put it against the wall and sat down.
"Usagi-san, I have something to ask you."
"…Okay?" Akihiko said nervously, still standing up. When all hell broke loose, he wanted to be able to make a quick getaway.
"Well, you see, I have a favor to ask you."
A favor?
Well, this was unexpected.
Or maybe this was all part of Takahiro's ploys: pretend to be all happy and suppliant, and then unexpectedly break out in rage. Well, the plan wasn't going to work.
Akihiko moved behind the chair, creating a barrier.
Takahiro sighed desperately. "You know how much I hate to ask things of you, but I'm really in a jam."
Akihiko narrowed his eyes, examined the man, and then relaxed slightly.
His friend didn't seem angry, and he doubted that Takahiro could act even remotely at peace if he thought that Misaki had been sexually assaulted.
The man was so damn protective of his brother. In a way, Akihiko was glad that Takahiro was like that. Misaki was too trusting and way too cute; he needed to be looked after. But Akihiko wanted to be the one protecting Misaki. He wanted to be the one that Misaki leaned on for strength.
"I was wondering if you could do something for me. It'd really mean a lot if you could help out with this."
"Sure, anything."
"Are you free next Friday?"
Akihiko bit his lip. Normally, he would do anything for Takahiro, but he really needed to finish writing his novel. A few weeks ago, he would have dropped his manuscript into a paper shredder to come to Takahiro's beacon and call, but now… he didn't feel that compulsion. Besides, he was already a few weeks late, and his editor would have an aneurism if it wasn't completed by the extension date.
"Well, I'm not really free… I mean, there's something I kinda have to do. But if it's urgent whatever you need is fine."
"No that's okay. I was just hoping for Misaki, but he'll understand. I told him—"
"Wait! Misaki?"
"Yeah, I told him that I would—"
"Well, if it's for Misaki then I'll do it."
"No, don't put yourself out if you're busy. Besides, you don't even know what I was going to ask."
"Doesn't matter. I'll do it." I'll do anything for Misaki.
Takahiro looked skeptical. "Are you sure? I don't want to tell him that you can do it, but then have you fall out at the last minute."
"I would never do that to him," he said gravely.
"Okay, well… if you're positive that it's fine, can you take him to the museum next Friday?"
"The museum?" Akihiko's voice piqued up. "What's at the museum?"
"Nothing really, but there's an exhibit showing right now that he'll like. I promised that I'd take him, but something came up for work and I have to go to Osaka that weekend. But I just can't cancel on Misaki."
"Don't worry. I'll take him, no problem."
Takahiro let out a big pent up breath and smiled with relief. "You're a lifesaver! I was so worried that you wouldn't be able to help."
"I'm always here for you, you know that."
"Yeah, but still…"
Akihiko frowned as he decided how to word his next question.
"So, the whole weekend?"
"Well, Friday to Monday."
"You're leaving him alone at your apartment?"
"I know, it makes me nervous too. I was gonna have him stay with Minami, but I think that'd make him uncomfortable. It doesn't matter though, because she's actually coming with me now." He sighed. "Anyway, I decided that Misaki is old enough to stay home alone."
"Just because he's old enough doesn't mean that he should."
Takahiro closed his eyes for a very long second. "I have to accept the fact that he is growing up."
"But it's too dangerous for him to be alone that long."
"It's not even a week. But yeah, I know what you mean. I think he'll be okay though; there haven't been any serious attacks on Region Three for a couple months."
"He can stay with me."
"No, don't worry about it."
"I have lots of room. It's really no problem."
"Don't be ridiculous. He'll be fine. It's just one weekend, and on Monday he has to go back to school anyway."
When Akihiko scowled and looked away, Takahiro frowned. The man could be so difficult at times. "If you want, you can check up on him every day and call his cell whenever you feel like it."
He waited for his friend to reply, but there was only silence.
"Is that okay?"
Akihiko stared at him long and hard until it was clear that Takahiro wasn't going to budge. He gritted his teeth. "Fine."
"Good! Now, I already bought the museum tickets, so I'll give those to Misaki. I'll give him money too, so make sure he takes you to dinner."
Akihiko pulled a box out of his pocket and took a cigarette. "Going out to eat isn't necessary. I just want a homemade meal from Misaki."
"Oh. Well, I'm sure that if you ask for it, he'll make you one. He's actually quite a good little chef."
When Akihiko nodded and lit up the cigarette, Takahiro looked away, narrowing his lips into a fine line.
"What?"
"Usagi-san, I've told you before that I don't want you doing that around me." Takahiro frowned disdainfully.
"You've never told me that," came the calm reply.
"Okay, maybe I didn't, but I've certainly thought about telling you not to do it."
Akihiko sighed and extinguished the burning end on a nearby ashtray. It wasn't as if he was actually craving the nicotine and if it would make Takahiro happy, then he wouldn't smoke around him.
"Can I ask you something?"
When his friend nodded, he continued, "Well, when I took Misaki to my condo, something weird happened. He accidentally fell asleep on the couch…" Akihiko trailed off, hoping that Takahiro would say something.
But his friend just sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. "He fell asleep, huh?"
"Yeah, asleep."
"I see. And?"
Akihiko tapped his fingers against the chair and looked away. It felt weird talking about Misaki like this behind his back. Almost like he was betraying him. "Well, he woke up screaming. It was weird though; he wasn't surprised about it."
Takahiro massaged his forehead. "Yeah, well, it happens a lot."
"Okay….?" Akihiko urged, trying to press for more information.
"Look, Misaki is really sensitive about his dreams, and I don't feel right telling you about them. If he wants you to know, he'll tell you."
Akihiko grimaced.
"Don't feel bad if he doesn't say anything. He's very reticent about the nightmares; it's just a bad subject for him. Don't take it personally."
Akihiko leaded back and tried to loosen his frown. As much as he realized that Missaki would need time to get used to him, he was a little peeved that the boy didn't feel comfortable enough to tell him about it.
Neither said anything more, and nothing more needed to be said. As they sat by the fire, Akihiko replayed the night that he took Misaki to his condo. For the last few days, that evening had been all he could think about, and one thing about it had been bothering him.
When he had his hands on Misaki's chest, he had been too overwhelmed with the pleasure of touching the boy that he hadn't paid attention to how skinny he was. Of course, he noticed it right away, but the thought quickly left his mind to attend to more… important matters.
He wanted to ask Takahiro about it now while he had the chance, but it was a rather tricky subject. Bringing it up would shed light on the fact that he had thought about Misaki's body. But it was highly unlikely that Takahiro would be shrewd enough to think about that, much less realize that he had also touched his brother.
"Hey, Takahiro, when I was with Misaki the other day, I noticed that he's very skinny for his age."
The man tore his eyes away from the fire and gave a small laugh. "Oh, yeah, he's always been a little small."
Apparently, Takahiro wasn't getting the point. Akihiko hardened his voice as he corrected, "No, not small. Skinny."
"Well, he doesn't always eat much."
"So make him eat more."
Takahiro's eyes flashed. "Don't tell me how to take care of my brother."
When Akihiko recoiled from the harsh tone, Takahiro took a deep breath. "Sorry, it's just… See, I took him to a doctor, and they said that he was underweight. He's just never hungry. I can't get him to eat."
"But you said that he cooks a lot."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that he eats much of if. More than anything, I think the problem has to do with our parents. Ever since they died, his appetite just disappeared. If he's sad or reminiscing about them, his stomach shuts down. But sometimes when he's happy, he eats more normally."
"He's sad a lot?"
"No, not exactly sad, but I can tell that he thinks about our parents quite often, and I know it affects him negatively. Quite often years ago, when he thought I wasn't listening I would hear him in his room talking to them. Of course, they've been dead for over ten years now, so I don't think he needs to talk to them as a coping mechanism anymore. Or maybe he still does, but the conversation just takes place in his head. I really don't know."
Akihiko looked down and scratched his nail along the fabric of the chair. He didn't really know what to say at a time like this. Sorry? I wish that your parents hadn't died? I hope things get better for you and Misaki? All of it was true, but none of it was really appropriate to say.
After a moment, Takahiro flushed and shook his head dramatically. "Ah, sorry, sorry, this isn't the kind of thing that you want to talk about."
"I want to know everything about Misaki," he said seriously.
Takahiro forced out a laugh. "Well, I guess you know one more thing then."
"Yeah, I guess I do."
In this chapter, I realized that I use the word "he" way too many times. This means that I probably always do it, but just never notice it. I tried to fix it, but then it was all awkward sounding so I changed it back.
All questions/comments/ concerns/ criticisms are more than welcome. Thanks for reading! If you are confused, just ask me and I will clear anything up.