-Izumi's POV-

Despite his busy workload today, he had picked his brother up during his late lunch break and dropped Katsumi off at his apartment earlier on. Then a couple of hours later, after the last of his clients had been dealt with, Izumi went to the employee's locker room to grab his things and left work in a hurry.

When he arrived back at his apartment, he'd found his little brother raiding his kitchen. About half of the drawers were pulled out while the fridge and cabinet doors were left wide open. Izumi rolled his eyes at his discovery. He dropped his briefcase on his desk, then took off his blue suit jacket and draped it over the swivel chair next to it. Before the little munchkin could wreck further havoc, Izumi approached from behind and took a hold of his brother by the underarms. He plucked Katsumi off the small step stool that he was currently standing on and plopped the boy in front of him. Izumi then immediately turned the kid about face.

In spite of having the strongest urge to grin, Izumi managed to maintain a sour expression as he said, "I'm home."

He then crossed his arms over his chest for added affect.

Katsumi upon seeing his older brother, merely smiled up at him and announced, "I'm hungry."

Izumi rolled his eyes yet again. Even though it may seem like a cute trait of Katsumi's, but seriously, his brother needs almost constant reminder of his manners sometimes. "You're supposed to say, 'welcome home' or ask 'how is your day today?' Not, 'I'm hungry.'"

"But I am hungry, Izumi." The boy had the audacity to pout up at him as he made another faux pas.

This time though, Izumi gently conked his little brother on the head before he said, "It's big brother to you."

The boy winced in pain as he raised both hands to cover up the sore spot at the top of his head. He tried mimicking his older brother's glare, but it didn't work. It only succeeded to bring the grin that Izumi had been fighting not to show for a brief second. However it was enough to confuse Katsumi though.

Izumi smirked at that and began absently closing all the drawers and cabinet doors as he took out the ingredients he needed. "How about I make you my world famous ramen, eh kiddo?"

"Yeah!" the boy cried in excitement. Apparently, Katsumi had already forgotten his headache and remembered his hunger pangs instead.

As they were in the middle of finishing up their light meal, his mobile phone rang. It was his mother. Her voice had sounded a bit nasally and Izumi had worriedly asked her whether she was catching something. She dismissed his concerns when she emitting a strained laugh over the phone and informed him that he can bring Katsumi home now. After he bid her goodbye, Izumi wondered briefly whether he should stay with his mother tonight and take her to a clinic instead. She really didn't sound too good over the phone.

When he hung up, Izumi quickly turned to Katsumi and told him not to dawdle. The boy immediately slurped up the last of his noodles and went about the studio to grab his things. Izumi then took both of their dishes, washed it by hand, and dried them before he grabbed his jacket from the chair. They both left the apartment hand in hand.

Ten minutes later, Izumi alight the bus with his brother in toll.

-Takamiya's POV-

What rebuttal could he have made then? Takamiya thought as he ran a hand through his hair out of frustration. He had bid her a quiet farewell soon after Izumi's mother made her plea. Her tears had turned into an all out bawl; she was in no condition to continue their session. Plus, Takamiya didn't want to add to her distress any further, so he retreated.

He raised weary eyes to locate his rented car parked on the opposite side of the street. A few steps later he reached the car, opened the driver side door, and collapsed heavily onto the tan leather seats. After buckling up, Takamiya turned the ignition key and shift to first gear, intending to rip onto the road. However, his foot never hit the accelerator when he suddenly recalled her earlier words.

"My son came back broken, Takamiya-san. Our family has managed to piece him back together. He has finally learned to move on."

Takamiya shifted the gear back to park and banged his head back against the headrest. He closed his eyes and began pondering the conversation he had with Izumi's mother as the low rumble of the engine lulled in the background.

Initially he had intended to impart the terrible news to Izumi's parents; instead Takamiya had found relief in learning of his lover's wellbeing only to have that feeling dashed away moments later. His world once again, turned upside down.

"Please, if you still have a scrap of love left for my son, I beg you, don't seek him out. Leave him be."

One thing he was certain though, his gut feeling told him that Izumi's mother knew. Somehow, she'd known about his relationship with her son. Whether Izumi had told her or she'd found out by herself, she couldn't have made it any more plainly what she'd wished of their relationship. And yet, the words and tone she'd used don't seem to show her displeasure of this discovery. It almost sounded as if it was for Izumi's own welfare that Takamiya should never see him again.

The more he mulled over her responses, the more confused and frustrated he'd get. It was a vicious cycle; these words of ambiguity, for it generated other confusing questions that he didn't have any answers to.

Was what I did so irrevocable that Izumi was broken by it? Did something happen to him after all? I know I'd messed things up terribly. What had she meant by, he'd moved on? From me? To someone else?

Takamiya couldn't stand even the thought of that. He lifted his head from the headrest and banged his forehead not so gently against the steering wheel as he let out a loud groan. A light beep of the horn alarmed a couple of the pedestrians that were walking to catch the bus a block away. He paid no heed to the looks he got and raised his head back up. Right now, his head hurt from more than the physical. It pounded with the need for clarity. Takamiya pinched the bridge of his nose with his right hand and release a drawn out sigh of frustration.

Despite Izumi's mother's heartfelt plea to leave her son alone, Takamiya was more than ever, determined to speak with Izumi face to face.

And he only knew of one person who can help him.

With his new found resolve, Takamiya took in a deep breath and released it in a huff. He shifted the car back into first gear, easily merged into the light traffic, and drove pass the bus that had just arrived.