Hello, it is the topped muffin again. So I played a new otome game called Nameless over winter break instead of being productive... So good. So good. It gave me the feels, and usually I try not to catch those. Anyways, enjoy the story.

~ Kent ~

The moment my lips touched hers, I began to analyze. It couldn't be helped; it was simply within my nature to do so. There was a seeming pointlessness to it, the act of a kiss. It didn't seem any more intimate of a display of affection than something like holding hands or even sharing a glance. I was more aware of technical aspects, such as how she opened her mouth to breathe instead of using her nose or how that very breath of hers seemed to tremble.

Even now, sitting listlessly at my work desk, I was perplexed. I couldn't remember what her lips felt like or what I'd thought of the sensations at any point. A moment had been lost, it felt like, possibly something important, because I may have been paying attention to the wrong thing.

I glanced down when the vibration of my phone made incessant rattling as the notifications continued. Caller ID gave me a chance to prepare myself before answering. "Hello, Mother." Whatever sort of scolding she was about to give me wasn't of much consequence since I had already decided that tonight marked the end of my filial role.

"Hello, son." From there ensued a long period of silence.

I sighed. "Is that all?"

"Of course not. I wouldn't call just for that."

"Because nothing would be accomplished. So what's the matter?"

"I wanted to know why you brought the Ohayashi girl with you tonight."

I frowned, putting my guard up. Her tone wasn't hostile, not even accusatory, so what exactly was she playing at? "Her name is Michi. Address her as such."

"Michi, then. Why?"

"Because I am in love with her." The words came out with surprising simplicity considering that I was fully certain that I understood what love was at that point. But that in itself was part of what had drawn me to her, that desire to figure these things out once and for all. "She is, above all, the most genuine person I have ever met."

"I see." I could sense her slow consideration. "Did I ever tell you how it was your father and I met?"

"You never seemed to have time for such stories."

"I was a maid at a hotel he was staying at. He was the only one of his associates who took the time to speak with me. I was quite swept off my feet, I must say."

I removed my glasses and rubbed at my eyes. "You understand the irony of you even daring to judge Michi then, correct?"

"I do. And that is why I called you. There are a few things I must explain."

"I'm listening."

She took a slow breath. "I worked two jobs and struggled through college loans, even with academic scholarships. I was prepared to work in order to pay off those loans for the rest of my life. But your father was unexpected. I know what it is like to love across class lines. There were challenges, but every step and battle was well worth the end result. We made you together. That is by far the proudest achievement of my life."

The confusion I felt was immense. The words now and the way she had treated Michi didn't add up. "You understand both the irony and hypocrisy contained within your statements, don't you?"

"Of course I do. Therein lies what I must tell you." There was another lengthy silence as she thought about what she was going to say, and I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes while waiting. "As your mother I wanted to give you everything that I never had. So I put my foot into the family business and worked hard to make a name for myself and earn my place. I was so focused on upholding my convictions, Kent. I wanted you to have everything, including the skills it took to make it in this world of ours. I've learned a lot over the years but I never properly learned how to be a good parent. I did not mean to do this to you. To make you feel stunted and smothered by this life… To make you feel so alone. I just… I wanted to ensure your happiness. Somewhere along the way I lost touch with where I found my happiness in the first place as well, and…" Her voice hitched, and I sat up. "I am… so sorry."

I sat up, startled. "Mother, are you crying?"

She laughed, the sound bubbling up in a strained manner. "I am. I know it's unlike me. That's why I chose to have this discussion over the phone. I just knew I would break down like this."

"That's part of the problem," I said softly. "I needed you to show me your crying face, and your happy and sad faces too. I needed you to show me what it meant to feel and to love. That's why I had to figure it out on my own like this, you see?"

"I understand." She hiccupped in a sob.

"It's not even close to too late to figure this out… To improve upon ourselves and our relationship," I said hesitantly, also unused to attempting to be so emotionally raw. Many things as of late were new to me.

"Yes. We can work just as hard at this as we would any other venture."

I chuckled. "You sound so determined."

"Because I am."

"Fair enough." I sighed, tired now. "Would you mind if I hang up now? I'd like more time to process."

"Of course… One last question?"

"Yes?"

"How much of this is because of that girl… I mean, Michi."

"All of it, I'd say. Ikkyu supported me as well."

"I see… I'm… glad that you had people to support you up to this point."

"Me too. Goodbye, Mother."

"Goodbye. And goodnight."

I put my face in my hands after hanging up. Wherever Michi was concerned, unexpected things seemed to happen. It made my head spin, possibly in the best of ways. My fingers ended up dialing on the phone again. "Ikkyu, what are you doing right now?"

"Hello to you too. Just trying to contain myself. Sitting at home… Nothing, basically. I assume you're the same."

"Correct. Let's go to Umibozu." I mentioned a small bar at a fair midpoint between our places of residence.

"You're suggesting we go out drinking? What, is the end of the world coming and I missed the memo?"

"Ha. Ha. Are you going to come?"

"Sure. I've got nothing better." We met up roughly a half hour later. "So," Ikkyu spun around in the stool next to me as we leaned on the counter. "What brought this on?"

"A number of things that I frankly feel far too exhausted to go into right now."

"Okay, that's fine too."

"Well… In short. There's a slight chance that I might have something akin to a good relationship with my parents in the future at this point?"

"Really? What ended up changing overnight?"

"Basically…? Michi yelled at them."

"That sounds like her," he chuckled, warm affection and a general lighting up coming to his person just at the mention of her.

"Right…" I shifted in my seat. "Also, I felt it best to tell you that I confessed to loving her."

"Oh. Okay." He stared at me. "What? You did?"

"Indeed. I was rejected."

"So… Do you want me to lie to you or not?"

"I would prefer honestly, even if cruel." I glanced at me reflection in a shot before downing it. It was disgustingly bitter, but since my mind was elsewhere it didn't register as much.

"I'm glad. I am very, very glad that she rejected you."

I smiled. "I'd figured you would be. But still, I thought you should know."

Ikkyu laughed suddenly. "Wait, so are you drinking your feelings right now?"

"I do believe so." Despite everything good that had happened, that last bit of sadness still lingered.

"I'll accompany you gladly, then!" He laughed again.

"Thank you." I chuckled.

"It never crossed my mind that there was a possibility of us liking the same girl someday," Ikkyu noted several drinks later. "It makes no sense."

"It makes sense because fate is cruel," I sighed. "The first time we have honest feelings, it's for the same woman and we both get rejected. Ah, ye fate, ye has bested us today… We work in the same place… and she lives underneath me too. I can't even avoid her until my pride recovers…"

"Are you moping now? And are you seriously already drunk?"

"I… I don't even know." My head felt strange.

"That's more of a yes. Do you want to go home now?"

I sat up straight. "Yes. Yes I do." And then I started running.

"Kent? Hey, wait!" He chased me, catching up once I had exited the bar into the slightly cooler night air. "What are you doing?"

I grabbed his shoulders and leaned in to yell in his face. "I'm going home! And you're not allowed to come!" With that final sentiment, I sprinted down the street as a way of taking my leave.

"… What the actual hell?"

Yes, I had to get home immediately, before this feeling wore off. Before this instance of crazy, unprovoked bravery faded away.

~ Michi ~

I was almost asleep when my ringtone started blaring right in my ear. "Hiyah!" I threw my phone across the room without thinking. "Oh. Shit…" I sighed and lumbered out of bed to pick it up and answer it. "Whaaaaat? What do you want?" I hadn't even checked to see who was calling.

"Hey, darling."

"Ikki? What's up?" I couldn't be all annoyed at him, even if my first instinct was to curse at him for rousing me out of my restful state.

"Have you happened to see Kent within the past couple of minutes?"

"Uh, no. I was in bed."

"Ooh. Do tell."

"Shut up. Is Kent okay?" I frowned. I'd figured he would do the same thing as me and just be done for the night.

"Probably. I mean, yeah. Sure. We were out at a bar and –"

"Ah, so you were being a bad influence on him. Shame on you, Ikki."

"It was his idea, I'll have you know. Anyways, he ran out yelling that he had to get home, so would you do me a favor and check on him? I'd do it myself but he specifically told me not to come. He said I wasn't allowed. He seems to be a childish drunk, and a lightweight…"

"Seriously? Are you two really supposed to be adults?"

"In theory. But will you do it? I can come over to help if you want. He might need someone to take care of him. Or it could just be the two of us, me taking care of you perhaps. Whatever you prefer."

I sighed. "I'll check on Kent. You're welcome to stay right where you are as long as it's far away from me. Cool? Cool."

He laughed. "But really, thank you."

"Yeah, yeah." Secretly I was very curious to see what Kent was like drunk. I wanted to see him acting like an idiot for once. "So, are you okay? Not too plastered to get home?"

"I'm fine. Nice to hear you're concerned though. Mind if I come over and put my head on your lap?"

"… Ugh. You're one of those perverted drunks, Ikki. Be careful, or else you'll end up as a lonely old man with a vodka bottle in his hand, looking at high school girls wistfully."

"That's oddly specific of you, but okay. I'll try my best to not head down that path. But really, what do you expect from me? I've been on a tighter leash lately, what with your restrictions for me…"

"Eh? So you're blaming me now?" I laughed. "Okay, fine."

"I meant it in a good way, really." He sighed.

"Hey, you really okay?" I tilted my head as if that would help me understand how he really felt through his voice, that one lonely sigh.

"I'm more drunk than I thought, I think." He paused for a few moments. "Can I ask you something?"

"I mean, I'm not there to physically stop you from doing so."

He laughed softly. "Will you –"

"Ah!" I jumped when there was a loud banging on my door.

"You okay?" Ikki sounded alarmed.

"Yeah, just someone's at my door…" I grabbed a pocketknife just in case and checked the peephole. "It's just Kent. Nothing to worry about."

"Ah, so he's fine… So did he go home just to see you?" Ikki sounded puzzled but also like he was frowning.

"I dunno. I can barely understand him when he's sober, so I don't really have a chance of getting him when he's drunk." I swung the door open. "Hey, Kent, Ikki was just asking me to check up on you."

"Tell him he's an asshole for leaving me behind so suddenly."

"He says you're an asshole." I raised my eyebrows when Kent didn't reply to this but instead just looked at me as he caught his panting breath; evidently he'd been running. "Kent? Hello? You alright?"

"I think my bravery faded a bit on the way over…" He mumbled.

"Your bravery?" He made no sense whatsoever.

"Does he look like he's about to pass out? He was really throwing a lot of shots back. I think more than I realized," Ikki explained.

"Ikki, you're a dumbass. You should've watched him."

"We were male bonding, okay? You wouldn't understand the complexities. It was mostly your fault anyways."

"Blaming me again! Whatever. Kent, let's just get you…" I trailed off as he removed his glasses and pocketed them before taking my face in his hands. "Kent? What is it?"

"You okay, Michi?" Ikki asked. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, he's just – Mmph!" I dropped the phone when Kent suddenly pushed his mouth on mine. He came closer, edging me to walk backwards until he was in the apartment and then closing the door with his leg. My attempts to ask him what the hell was going on were effectively smothered and swallowed as he kissed me in a hard, messy way completely unlike earlier. Then, he hadn't even moved, just stayed still. But now he was working his mouth on mine in a way I would have expected from the like of Ikki, not from Kent. "Ah! W-what?" I gasped and stammered when he backed away.

"I was wondering…" He blinked at me, gaze slightly unfocused. "What it would feel like if I wasn't really thinking about it."

"… Huh?!" I barked.

"… It's so warm… Feels good." He promptly sat on the floor and then lay down with a thud.

"Kent? Yo!" I knelt next to him and poked at his face. "What the hell, man?" I froze when he lifted his hand to touch my cheek again, tenderly this time.

"I really... love you..." He closed his eyes and his head lolled to the side.

I just stared at him for a few seconds, then slapped him. No reaction. So he really had just passed out. "Fuck!" I yanked the phone back up from where it had landed and bounced a bit on the floor.

"Michi? You okay?!" Ikki was yelling through the receiver.

"Shut up!" I yelled back, then cleared my throat. "I-I'm fine." Surprised and flustered, but otherwise completely fine. "Kent's passed out, I think. I'll take care of him for tonight, so you don't need to worry about either of us."

"… I'm coming over." With that, he hung up.

"What? Hey! Ikki, you bastard! What are these assholes doing tonight?! I just wanted to sleep, dammit!"

"So, I imagine, do the other people in this apartment. You should quiet down," Musca interjected.

"Ugh…" I sighed. "Okay. Okay. I've got this." I grabbed onto Kent's feet and dragged him towards the couch, then hefted him onto the furniture by alternately heaving on his back and legs. "Oh… my… he's… so huge!" I panted, sagging down to the floor. "Whyyyy is this happening…!"

"I have no idea." Musca patted my head consolingly.

I was still laying there sadly when there came another knock at the door. "Yeah, yeah, come in." I waved my arm, not even bothering to get up as Ikki rushed inside.

"What are you doing?" He pulled me to my feet.

"Resting here in despair." I sighed tiredly. "I don't get it. But it's fine." Taking care of a drunk hadn't exactly been on my agenda for the night, but I guessed it was okay.

"No it's not! Argh!" Ikki let out an exasperated yell as he ran his hands thought his hair. "I'm taking him home."

"Dude, I literally just finished lifting him onto the couch. You be wasting my effort here."

"He can sleep in his own bed." Ikki swore softly under his breath after almost snapping.

"Seriously, Ikki. I don't mind taking care of him."

"That's really not the issue here. As if I'd leave you alone in your apartment with some other drunk guy, even if it is Kent!"

"Eh?"

He sighed and smiled before flicking me on the forehead. "Never forget. In the end I'm still standing here with my feelings for you. We both are." He motioned to Kent.

I opened my mouth and clenched my hands into fists. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"I know." He ruffled my hair. "But don't worry. He'll be fine." He motioned back to Kent. "Just for now, his pride got a bit wounded. It happens."

"Ikki…"

"Would you mind leaving me alone with this? I'm about to do some very ungraceful and undignified things."

"I dunno, I kind of want to see that."

"You're a cruel mistress, Michi."

"You sure you've got this?"

"Trust me, darling."

"Okay then… Goodnight." In the end I couldn't make heads or tails out of this day. It was a comprehensible whirlwind.

"Goodnight." He touched his lips to mine in a short peck.

"H-hey!" I leaped back.

"What, Kent's the only one who gets a goodbye kiss?" Ikki teased, winking. "I can tell, you know. Your lips are a bit swollen."

"Erk…" I blushed and covered my mouth with my hands. "I-I didn't… He just…"

"Again, no need to worry, darling. It doesn't change a thing from my perspective."

"Ikki…" My heart went out to him in moments like these, wondering what could have been. Just about the stupidest question in the world.

"Away now. Get some sweet dreams."

"You too, I guess." I sighed and retreated back into my bedroom, choosing to let him keep up his cool guy image and not stick around to watch him attempt to heave Kent back up to his apartment. It was still funny in its own right to listen to him struggle. "Can I just sleep for the next few days, Musca?"

"Hm." She tilted her head. "You have work in the morning, don't you?"

"Fuck!"