A/N: Yooo. It's a short chapter. Sorry. I'm going to run out of ideas if I keep this up. HAHA. So yeah, back to weekly updates I guess. Don't worry, I'll post a longer one soon. ;) Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favourite/followed, it means a lot to me. I have a few apologies to make, but I'll put that at the end, if people don't want to read it. Either way, here's Chapter Three!

"Akkey….what are you doing?"

Akihito looked surprised and released his finger from his mouth.

"I…" The blond blushed, mouth opening and closing and Hiroomi could see the cogs grinding away in his head, searching for a reason. "I-I was just…"

Hiroomi's mouth lifted at the sides and he put a hand on Akihito's head. He leaned in a little and said, "You're a good kid Akkey."

Akihito only flicked his eyes up and said rather unconvincingly, "I'm not a kid anymore." Something was missing. Something had just upped and left from those beautiful, honey eyes but Hiroomi just couldn't figure out what.

But this wasn't the time to think. He took his hand away and mused, "Fine, if you're not such a kid anymore go set the table; the curry's almost done." Looking away, he busied himself with the pot. Akihito faltered for a moment, but hesitantly followed his orders anyway, setting the table for two.

Hiroomi decided this would be best, for the both of them. He didn't know why Akihito did that, nor did he know why he stuttered like he did, but one thing was clear. The blond was confused and he was scared and Hiroomi didn't like that. He didn't like it one bit. Akihito was someone important to him – possibly the most important right now – and Hiroomi would be damned if he let him be hurt. So he chose to ignore it and move on and hoped Akihito would too, despite the fact that his heart was yearning incessantlyfor the blond. He could feel it. And he paid no attention to it.

Keep yourself together Hiroomi, keep calm. Calm.

"Alright, be careful. It's hot." Hiroomi served the curry after bandaging his finger, and although he was sure he cooked it to perfection, the blond was strangely dispirited. Sitting himself next to the blond, he tried to cheer him up in vain. "Hey, Akkey, if you keep thinking so hard your brain will break."

No response.

"If you keep frowning so much you're going to get so many wrinkles you'll look like an old grandpa! Girls are already running away from you, you know."

No response.

"Good kids don't ignore their senpais." For a second, Hiroomi thought Akihito was going to keep ignoring him but then the blond said something quietly.

"What?"

Akihito looked up; his honey eyes clouded with something akin to frustration and repeated what he said. "I'm not a kid."

Hiroomi let out a small laugh. "Of course you're not a ki-"

"Senpai." Akihito furrowed his brows and the raven haired male stiffened. This was the first time Akihito had called him that. Ever. Even when he told him to. "I'm not a kid."

Hiroomi let out a small sound of confusion involuntarily and Akihito pressed on.

"I'm not a kid. So please stop treating me like one." The blond's voice was quiet, and he refused to look into Hiroomi's eyes, focusing instead on his feet. His hands were on his knees, gripping them so tight his knuckles were white. "I…I know I get myself in trouble a lot and I know that I'm a nuisance a-and that you've always had to look after me but please." Akihito looked up, his frustrated eyes meeting Hiroomi's confused ones. "See me as an equal. I-I've changed and I'm not the little boy that you had to look out for because Hiroomi," The blond let out a sharp laugh and continued on. "I want to be someone worthy of standing next to a distinguished Spirit World Warrior. I want to be someone worthy enough to stand next to the son of the Nase family. I want to be someone worthy of standing next to you." Akihito laughed bitterly and his voice sounded strained. "I know I'm just a bastard child and I-I'm a monster but I want to stand where you stand because Hiroomi, I-"

"Akihito." Hiroomi's soft voice cut off Akihito and he bit his lip, still refusing to look at the emerald-eyed male. "Akihito," Hiroomi reached out, gently patting his head. "I've never, ever thought of you like that. And I will never look at you like that so don't you dare look at yourself like that." Akihito looked up and he tried to talk, but the words got caught in his throat. He coughed.

"I'm…so sorry…I…" Akihito relaxed his hands and took a deep breath, trying to steady his breathing and be able to say what he really felt. "I…"

Hiroomi smiled sadly and cut him off. "You're not a monster, Akkey. You're human. Just like me. Just like Mitsuki. Just like everyone else. And believe me when I say that you are more than worthy."

And he meant that from the bottom of his heart. Akihito had always been like the sun to him, so warm and inviting and beautiful, even before these feelings had surfaced, and he had always wanted to protect that beauty; perhaps as a way to make up for his own flaws. He envied the way the blond could launch himself selflessly into the troubles of other people, and yearned for the way he could make everybody feel at ease.

Because if Akihito was the light, Hiroomi was the shadow.

The dark recesses that no one neither needed nor wanted, but with Akihito, he felt like he belonged. Like someone actually saw him. Not as the son of the Nase family or as the brother of Izumi or Mitsuki, or even as a Spirit World Warrior. Just simply as Nase Hiroomi.

That's right.

Akihito always saw him for who he was and Hiroomi was incredibly happy for that.

Stop thinking about yourself. You're a terrible lover…no. You're a terrible friend.

Hiroomi mentally flinched. It was true. He had never even considered the possibility that Akihito might have felt anything like this. He never noticed that Akihito felt this way, or that he had put so much pressure on the blond. He didn't know he was such a burden, but he didn't want to let go either. Even so, Hiroomi knew his duty. What he has to do. That's all he had ever known.

He felt someone touch his hand and he came back into reality.

"Hiroomi?" The blond looked up at him, eyes curious. "Are you okay?"

"A-Ah? Uh, yeah, sorry I'm fine." Hiroomi mentally shook his head. Focus on Akihito you awful friend. "How about you? How are you feeling now?"

A/N: How's that hmm? It's a bit random and I'm sorry it's short, but next chapter will have Akkey's POV AND it's longer, so please bear with me. Things become clear.

Some people have been telling me that my writing's a little, well, dramatic and I apologise for that. I've never written things like this before, so I'm actually very confused about what to do. Also, I apologise for the OOC-ness. I'm not great at channelling characters. Any and all tips that anyone can give me are greatly appreciated, and please feel free to PM me or something if you do have any tips.

As always, please read and review and your support is delightful. Much obliged.