A/N: I have Troubled Windchimes to thank for the idea of this chapter :D

Though I'm afraid it's not very nicely done... It could achieve greater heights... Anyway, please enjoy!

Warning: Strange Kikaito ahead O_O

Akaito was very, very upset. He didn't say anything along the way to the Shion house, his old home. Under other circumstances he'd be happy to go home, but that wasn't other circumstances.

Mikuo was going with him, and Akaito's old home was the last place he wanted Mikuo to be in.

Mikuo knew that, so he didn't try to cheer his friend up. The two walked in absolute silence.

Finally, Akaito spoke up. "Kuo."

"Hm?"

Akaito gave Mikuo a good long look. "This may be the last time we talk like this."

"What?" Mikuo frowned.

Akaito didn't explain further. "Why do you have to go there, Kuo? I can't guarantee you'd get out alive."

Mikuo shrugged. "They suggested that I go with you... What's so deadly about your old home anyway?"

"Mm... Taito, for instance. And Kikaito, in a way. And Nigaito's illness. Agh, even my habanero peppers are deadly." Akaito was already getting nervous thinking about it.

"You're just paranoid. Don't forget, I survived Miku and the Kagamines. That should amount to something."

"Ah...! So you might survive after all!" Akaito heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, something concrete that could help him believe in Mikuo's ability to get through! "Hey, we're here." He stopped in front of a house.

Mikuo looked at the gigantic house. "...Oh."

"I've never seen the backyard before, for your information." Akaito grinned, walking up to the front door. He rang the bell.

Within a few minutes, the door opened to reveal a little boy in green standing in the doorway, complete with green hair.

"Hi, Nigaito!" Akaito grinned.

The cute little child called Nigaito beamed. "Akaito-nii! You're back!" He ran and fell into the redhead's open arms.

"Yup, me's back! And I brought a friend over." Akaito nodded at Mikuo. "Name's Hatsune Mikuo, Miku's brother."

Nigaito looked at Mikuo with big, round eyes. "Whoa..."

"Nice to meet you, Nigaito-kun." Mikuo smiled at the child.

Nigaito blinked and buried himself in Akaito's embrace, blushing madly.

"The kid's shy as usual." Akaito laughed. "Let's go in."

Mikuo followed Akaito inside. The place was really big...

"AKAITO-NII!" A whole chorus of Shions shouted all at once.

"I'M BACK!" Akaito shouted back with all his might. "Gosh, it feels so good to be home," he added in a softer tone.

"You're everyone's big brother in here, aren't you?" Mikuo watched as Shion after Shion ran towards his friend.

"Second-in-command after Shion Kaito, at your service." Akaito grinned.

Mikuo smiled. He wasn't going to complain about the multitudes of annoying scarfs yet. He noticed a teen trailing behind the crowd, seemingly hesitant about following the others. The boy didn't have a scarf on. Most of his body was in bandages, and an eye was covered with an eyepatch. He had a look of disdain on his face as his vision focused on Mikuo.

Shion Taito.

Mikuo gave him a smile.

Taito averted his gaze.

"Don't mind him. He's just shy," a deep voice said beside Mikuo.

Mikuo looked at the owner of the voice. He was, well, yellow. Shion Kikaito. "Oh..."

Kikaito had a gleam in his eye as he called over to Akaito. "Hey, Akaito! I'll borrow your friend for a while, 'kay?"

"Okay!" Akaito was busy managing his siblings, so he didn't put much thought into it.

"C'mon." Kikaito took Mikuo's hand and led him outside. He sat the latter on a swing in the garden and took a seat beside him. He looked at Mikuo with great interest. "So you're Miku's brother?"

"Yes." Mikuo was feeling uncomfortable under Kikaito's gaze.

"Cool!" Kikaito grinned a grin relatively similar to Akaito's usual grin. "Say, you got a boyfriend yet?"

"I beg your pardon?" Mikuo didn't want to believe his ears. No. Way.

"Hm... was Akaito cheating on Anone-san with you?" Kikaito's gaze became more intense.

"I'm sorry. I don't understand what you're getting at." Mikuo didn't WANT to understand either.

"I like you, see? So I wanna make sure you're single before I date you. C'mon, speak up. I'm not gonna bite." Kikaito winked. "Not yet."

"Uh..."

Meanwhile, Akaito suddenly realised something. He ran out the door after shouting an 'excuse me', praying that the worst hadn't happened...

He noticed yellow and teal on the swing.

"What the- KIKAITO!" Akaito screamed as he tore across the grounds, headed for the garden.

Kikaito turned to face his brother, his hand a few inches away from Mikuo's cheek. "Mm?"

Akaito reached the two and slapped Kikaito's hand away. "No touching Kuo, you hear?"

"Eeehhh..." Kikaito pouted. "But he's so cute that you can hardly believe he's a boy... you're so lucky to have someone like him around you." He didn't believe that Akaito was seriously angry. Akaito never had anything to say about his preferences.

"Kuo's lucky it wasn't you he's best friends with!" Akaito turned his attention on Mikuo, caressing Mikuo's head like he would a hurt kitten. "Promise me you won't touch Kuo."

"Can't do that, Akaito. He's-"

"Promise me," Akaito stressed in a darker tone.

Kikaito blinked in shock. Akaito's not angry... right?

Akaito glared at Kikaito. "Promise me!"

"Okay, I promise... Chill, man..." Kikaito said as if in a daze.

All the while Mikuo was looking past Akaito at the ridiculous mess of colours that were the Shions.

Taito popped out from the group and left.

"Aren't I excited to discover the secrets of the Shions?" Mikuo muttered to himself.

Moments later...

"Hatsune Mikuo," a cold voice said behind Mikuo.

Mikuo was zoning out in the kitchen when he heard his name being called. He turned around to see Taito behind him. "Hello, Taito-kun."

"Don't call me by that." Taito's eye turned wild for a moment until he regained his composure. "Does Kikaito frighten you?"

"... Quite." Mikuo decided to be honest with this guy. There's nothing to gain if he lied anyway.

"Well, then, you should've met Kamaito." Taito neared Mikuo a little, enough to let the latter notice the icepick in his hand.

"Kamaito? Akaito mentioned him before." Mikuo didn't bother about the icepick.

"'Her'," Taito corrected him.

"Sorry." Mikuo nodded in understanding.

"Hypocrite." Taito spat out the word as if it were poison. "You evil hypocrite, acting as if you're so knowledgeable and calm. I hate the likes of you. How on earth did Akaito-nii become best friends with a hypocrite? He's such an honest man!"

Mikuo made no comment. His eyes caught sight of flaming red near the doorway.

"You changed him. I hate you." Taito's grip on the icepick tightened a little.

"I never expected for everyone to like me," Mikuo said calmly.

Taito raised the weapon in fury. "How long do you plan on acting, huh? You-"

"Enough, Taito."

Taito knew it was Akaito by the voice. He growled. "NO!"

"This is enough, I said!" A hand grabbed Taito's armed hand. "You disappoint me!"

Mikuo saw tears glisten in the one eye. He had had enough. "Let him go, Akaito. You're hurting him."

"He tried to hurt you!" Akaito didn't do as he was told.

"I don't care," Mikuo said firmly, "Let Taito go."

Akaito slowly released Taito's hand.

Taito screamed at the redhead. "You weren't like this before! You never said such cold things! I know the hypocrite changed you! You kept looking at him for recognition! I'm bringing you back, don't you see?!"

"What...?!" Akaito glared at Taito.

Mikuo looked to Akaito. "You're trying to prove to me that you can manage the house well, correct?"

Akaito stared at Mikuo. "No... I wasn't... I mean, I..."

"I trust you, so you don't have to prove anything to me, okay?" Mikuo smiled. "And thank you for protecting me from the supposed dangers of your home."

Akaito had a look of relief on his face, but a tint of sadness coloured his eyes. "I failed to prove that I can manage my siblings, didn't I?"

"I'm sure all of us here objects to that." Mikuo looked at Taito. "Right?"

Taito looked away. "... Yeah," he said in a small voice.

A hand grabbed Akaito's scarf. "Akaito! Where on earth did you find this darling of a boy?! He's so awesomely awesome!"

It was Kikaito.

"Oh, and, Kikaito?" Mikuo smiled his creepy smile which never worked on Akaito. "I'm fairly sure I'm not interested in guys."

"... Geez." Kikaito tried to hide his fear of the intention behind the creepy smile. "Can't be helped."

"I'm looking forward to meeting all of the Shion household!" Mikuo announced, smiling brightly.

"This guy's really good at handling things, isn't he?" Kikaito whispered to Akaito.

Taito's shoulder twitched.

Akaito laughed. "You shouldn't expect any less from someone who survived Hatsune Miku and the Kagamines!"

It was no secret. Akaito is proud of his best friend.

A/N: It's not like I hold any grudges against Kikaito, okay? Just spur of the moment and Kikaito became like that O_O

This chapter's really long... O_O