--Izumi's POV--

"Ah— I love you!"

"I— I love you too, Takamiya-san!"

Over and over, the image of their ardent exchange reenacted before Izumi's teary eyes as he fled the haven he once knew, but is no longer. He had no idea where he was going, but then again Izumi didn't care. All he knew was that he had to escape, and so he ran and ran until he was entirely exhausted from his flight. Izumi threw himself against a nearby birch tree along the side of the road and tried to catch his breath.

Once the haze had lifted, all his other senses returned with a vengeance. It coursed through his system like festering poison. He remembered everything.

Their every pants, moans and groans drowned his hearing. Frantically waving his head from side to side, Izumi couldn't shake the noise away. He tried to block out the sounds with his palms over his ears, but it was no use. A sob escaped his thin pressed lips.

Along with that memory, the musty smell of sex reinvaded his senses accompanied by the scene of those lovers' impassioned movements until he felt his gorge rise again. This time though, Izumi hunched over to his side and retched.

Heaving until he couldn't retch anything further, Izumi collapsed beneath another birch tree a few feet away as he breathed heavily from his exertions. Feeling completely wretched and cold, Izumi numbly pulled his jacket closer together and pulled his legs inwards. He then wrapped his arms around his legs and curled into a ball as he began to sob loudly.

Takamiya Katsura, his first love and lover for seven years was no longer his. The man had taken a new lover right under his nose and Izumi had no clue. He felt like such a fool. He'd known Takamiya for seven years and hadn't suspected a thing. Never would he have thought the older man would replace him like this. Oh God, why!? Why!?

That question kept repeating in his mind like a broken record until Izumi, bleeding with heartache, quietly sobbed his self to sleep against that birch tree by the side of the road.

With the first fall of the morning mist, Izumi awoke with a shiver. He yawned loudly and looked down at his wrist watch. It was five in the morning and the sun has yet risen.

Still groggy from his troubled slumber, it took a moment for him to figure out where he was and why he was there. Despair immediately settled on his broken heart as renewed tears slid down his cold cheeks.

Izumi didn't know how long he had sat there continuing to wallow in his own misery, but by the time the first crack of dawn shone upon him, he was completely drained of emotions.

With shaky hands, he wiped the tears away with his sleeves and dug into his coat pocket for a handkerchief to blow his nose. He then rose on stiff legs and scanned for an isolated spot to relieve his bladder at. Upon finding the perfect spot, Izumi quickly walked over to the bushes on his left to do so as he went on the lookout for early morning walker-bys.

Satisfied with his minimal ablution, Izumi headed back to the road as he quietly thought things through. What now?

He couldn't very well go back to the cottage. He had no desire for a confrontation, it would only hurt more. Since Takamiya had made his choice, Izumi wanted nothing more to do with him. Trying to convince his self of this, tears that he thought long since dried up, renewed yet again. Disgusted by the sway of his own heart, Izumi roughly wiped his eyes dry and walked down the path faster. Anger quickly displaced the pitiful misery he'd felt since last night. He welcomed it with open arms.

Seven years! Seven fucking long years! He'd wasted on a man who had converted him from a regular straight school boy to a homo. Seven years of precious memories spent in couple-hood with the man who repeatedly spouted words of love and had showered him with affection.

All of it, was it all a lie!?

Unbidden, the answer came swiftly, easily.

No…

The previous anger sputtered to a stop and Izumi slowed his steps. It all became clear to him now. No, they weren't lies. All of the precious memories he'd shared with Takamiya were theirs. It was something he'd known deep down in his heart. Takamiya had truly loved him for the past seven years.

The Takamiya that loved him was kind to everyone and tremendously affectionate to the ones he loves. The Takamiya he'd known was gentle, thoughtful, and would never hurt anyone intentionally. Upon these revelations, comprehension of the older man's actions dawned on Izumi.

Perhaps, Takamiya hadn't meant to hurt him like this. Perhaps, Takamiya upon having fallen in love with someone else didn't know how to tell Izumi of this. The man had always had a problem with hurting people. Somewhat oddly comforted by this knowledge of the Takamiya he'd known, Izumi felt a bit better, albeit still broken hearted nonetheless. Despite this knowledge though, Izumi had known that he could never forgive Takamiya for his infidelity. It was one thing to fall in love with someone else, it was quite another to act upon it before the previous love was severed.

Now that the truth has come out though, Izumi suddenly felt ashamed of his own behavior and subsequent actions for the past month. He had disliked their guest from the start and hadn't known why at the time. The fellow was gracious, patient, and helpful. He also had a wit and charm that matched his handsome appearance. In truth, that man was everything Izumi was not. He was so pathetic that he had even tried everything in his power to drive the man away because of his jealousy. Saddened by his thoughts, Izumi decided to not dwell any further on his own miserable shortcomings.

Determined to pull through and survive this heartache, he focused all his willpower to figure out a new course for his life. Before, his path was life with Takamiya. Now, that path was no longer his to follow. He can't go back to the cottage and he can't stay in England. This was no longer his home. Saddened by his decision, Izumi dejectedly walked towards a nearby call-box and dialed for a taxi cab.
(AN: A call-box is British English for phone booth.)

Half an hour later, Izumi was on his way to Gatwick International Airport, reluctant to leave everything behind. Nineteen hours later, he landed on Kansai International Airport, determined to forget and start afresh.