The big day crept closer and closer. Two days before the ceremony, Usagi-san, Misaki, and Aikawa checked into their rooms at the Teito Hotel to prepare. They sat in the lounge and ate a late lunch as Aikawa went over the checklist one more time.
"...And you got the license from England, correct?"
"Yup." Usagi-san sipped his martini calmly. "All taken care of."
"I've already triple checked with the officiant - I got a judge from the British Embassy to come perform the ceremony. Then let's see...the flowers are all in line. Did you two bring your wedding clothes?" She eyed them nervously.
"Oh, yes," Usagi said, smiling slyly. "I've decided to wear leather pants, then nothing but a bowtie and bunny ears. It'll be so sexy."
Aikawa blanched. "Please tell me you're joking..."
Usagi-san laughed. "Of course I'm joking." He took another long sip of his drink. "That outfit is only for Misaki."
Aikawa breathed a sigh of relief while Misaki turned red to his ears. "Stupid rabbit," he grumbled, pouring ketchup on his french fries. Usagi just flashed him a loving smile, making him blush even more.
Aikawa continued to check off items on the list, and when they finished their meal, they exited the lounge and headed for the elevators. Suddenly, a bright, melodious sounding woman's voice chimed through the marble hallway. "Aki-chaaaaan!" it cried.
The three turned around to face the source of the noise. A very tan, petite and trim middle aged woman wearing a large hat and positively dripping in jewelry was making her way towards them rapidly. Her long, platinum blonde hair bounced against her expensive looking floral print silk dress as she clicked along on some impossibly high heels. "Aki-chan!" she repeated, opening her arms as she got closer.
"Shit," Usagi swore. "Who invited my mother?" he hissed under his breath. Aikawa looked very guilty, while Misaki just stood in shock at meeting yet another member of the Usami family in the hallways of the Teito Hotel. _What kind of weird coincidence is that?_
Usagi-haha (as Misaki immediately dubbed her in his mind) reached the group and threw her arms around Usagi-san's waist. "Oh, my adorable, adorable little Aki-chan. I haven't seen you in so long. I'm soooo happy that you invited me to your wedding." Usagi looked bored and squirmed slightly as his mother squeezed him over and over. She came out of the hug and turned towards the red-headed editor. "And this must be Misaki!"
Aikawa couldn't avoid the hug that Usagi-haha forced on her in the next second. Misaki was taken aback, but then realized since his name could be for both a boy or a girl, Usagi's mother had misinterpreted the situation. "Ah, I always thought you would do better with an older woman," she cooed, and Aikawa's face flashed an expression of pure murder at the insult. Usagi-haha glanced at Misaki. "And she's even got a son? Hmmmm...that could be trouble. Stepchildren aren't all they're cracked up to be, trust me," she said, rolling her eyes. "Send him off to boarding school as soon as you can."
Misaki's eyes goggled out of his head at Usagi-haha's candid and rude manner of speaking. Aikawa pried herself free from Usagi-haha's arms. "Actually, I'm Usami-sensei's editor from Marukawa publishing, Eri Aikawa. I'm just the wedding planner."
Usagi-haha parted her ruby red lips in surprise. "Oh? Then where is Misaki?"
All at the same time, Usagi pointed back at his lover with one finger, Aikawa gestured at him with an open hand, and Misaki raised one shaking hand like a frightened school boy. Usagi-haha was too shocked to speak for a few moments, just staring at the boy with a furrowed brow. "Wait..." she finally said suspiciously. "Are you just a tomboy or something?" Misaki couldn't get any words out, even as Usagi-haha stepped closer with a rapid clicking of heels and patted his chest. She gasped at the flat surface, and her hand flew up to his throat to feel his Adam's apple.
Misaki finally found his voice as her curious hand went below his waist and started to pat there. "Excuse me!" he cried out, stepping back and out of her reach. _What the hell, she's just as groping as her damn son!_ Misaki screamed in his head.
"Mother..." Usagi-san said, sounding irritated and tired.
"He's a boy!" Usagi-haha exclaimed. "Did you know that, Aki-chan?" She sounded in total disbelief.
"Yes, I'm very aware that he's male," Usagi-san assured her.
"Then, what...how?" Usagi-haha asked. Usagi-san sighed and explained the situation. "Oh, I see..." was all Usagi-haha could manage as she tried to let the information sink in. "I...I need a drink," she said, and tottered off for the bar.
Usagi-san sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead. Misaki also sighed. "I guess she doesn't like me, huh?"
"She doesn't like anyone. She doesn't even like herself."
"She seems to like you," Misaki pointed out.
Usagi-san just shrugged and turned towards the elevator, pressing the up button to call it. "She likes me when she wants to like me. She spent my entire childhood drunk, pretty much." The elevator arrived and the three stepped on board. "You shouldn't have invited her," he admonished Aikawa. "This is going to be a big disaster."
"I'm sorry," Aikawa lamented. "I thought it might be a good idea..."
"Well, it wasn't. If she ruins our wedding, I'm holding you personally responsible." Usagi-san folded his arms, and Aikawa whimpered pitifully.
Misaki felt compelled to speak up. "Ah, Usagi-san, don't be so hard on her. She couldn't have any idea that your mom was like that. Listen, maybe if I just go down there and talk to her a bit, let her get to know me, she might not have a problem with it any more."
"Bad idea," Usagi-san grunted.
"Well, it's better than doing nothing," Misaki assured him. The elevator arrived at their floor, but Misaki stayed on the car despite Usagi's protests, and rode it back to the lobby. There, he headed for the bar and found Usagi-haha at the counter, pushing away an empty cocktail glass and accepting another. "Ah, excuse me, Usami-sama," he began, trying to be very respectful.
She snapped her head towards him. "Oh, it's _you," she spat. "What do you want?"
Misaki started to tremble a little bit. He was never good with hostile people, and every cell in his body wanted to turn and flee. But he forced himself to sidle up on a barstool next to her. "I...I just thought maybe, maybe if we got to know each other..."
She laughed loudly, waving her hand dismissively. "There's nothing I could want to know about you." She narrowed her eyes. "The nerve you have! Coming to talk to me! You little devil! Now I'll never have grandkids! You seduced my little Aki-chan into being a homo!"
Misaki's fear flew out the window at this absurd comment. "_I _seduced _him_? You've got it all wrong. I was a totally normal guy until I met him. So you've got no right to accuse me of ruining your son or whatever." He stood up abruptly. "You know what? Forget this. And don't you even dare to come to our wedding and try to make a scene!"
"And if I do?" she challenged.
Misaki sucked in a breath through his gritted teeth. "First off, you'll be murdered by Aikawa for ruining her perfect event. Secondly, if you survive that, your son will never, ever speak to you again, I'm sure. And third, it won't stop us from being together, so you might as well forget it. You'll just be making yourself look like a sad, pathetic old woman."
Usagi-haha's eyes got wide, and she stared at Misaki with some strange mix of hatred and hurt. Misaki just frowned in discontent and turned to go, but immediately barreled into someone. "Oh, excuse me..." he apologized, trying to move around the person.
"Misaki?" Misaki looked up, recognizing that warm, sonorous voice instantly. _Usagi-chichi! _Usagi's father looked over Misaki's shoulder at the seething woman behind him. "Ah, I see you've met Akihiko's mother," he said crisply. "I'm very sorry about that."
"You shut your damn mouth, Fuyuhiko," Usagi-haha snapped out. "So, are you telling me you're _okay _with this? Our son marrying a boy? And a _common _boy at that?"
Usagi-chichi shrugged. "Misaki is a nice young man, Michiko. He takes very good care of Akihiko, from what I can tell. Opposing their relationship isn't going to change anything."
Usagi-haha huffed. "Well, it'll be a cold day in hell when I approve!" Her eyes narrowed suddenly at the entrance of the bar, and both Misaki and Usagi-chichi turned to see what she was glaring at. _Now it's Usagi-ani too! _ Misaki wailed in his head. _There are too many Usamis in this place! Something bad is going to happen!_
Haruhiko stepped closer, coming up beside his father. "Hello, Mother," he said, bowing respectfully. "It's been a long time."
Usagi-haha laughed contemptuously. "You don't have to bother to call me that. There's no one here to keep up appearances for."
"Michiko," Fuyuhiko said warningly. "That's a very rude way to speak to your son."
"_My _son? Ha! I don't know how many sons _you _have, but I have only one. I know you're getting old and senile, so might I remind you _this _one is the child of your whore of a mistress," she said crisply. Misaki's eyes widened in horror at her cruel words.
Haruhiko lowered his eyes. "Excuse me," he said quietly, exiting the scene looking thoroughly humiliated. Misaki never would have thought he could feel such pity for the man that had tried to hurt him before, but his heart was nearly bursting with sadness. _If he spent his life being treated like that, then no wonder he's so messed up..._ Misaki thought.
Fuyuhiko hissed angrily. "Just as hateful as ever." He turned with a click of his heels. "Come on, Misaki, don't stay around her," he advised. Misaki nodded frantically and hurried out of the bar right behind his lover's father.
They found Haruhiko at the elevators, pressing the up button urgently and looking ashamed. He avoided eye contact with his father and Misaki. "I'm very sorry, Haruhiko," Fuyuhiko said quietly, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder as they all boarded the elevator.
The doors closed and the elevator car ascended with a soft hum. Haruhiko just shook his head. "I should be used to it by now," he murmured.
"But how could anybody be used to that!?" Misaki exclaimed. Haruhiko and Fuyuhiko watched his emphatic outburst in surprise. "She's just horrible! How can she be Usagi-san's mother?" He gave a dry, sad laugh. "I can't believe I was actually happy for a split second to find out he had a mother...mine's been dead for almost eleven years now, and I thought it would be nice to have a kind of mother to fuss over me again. But not her! I wouldn't ever let her fuss over me, even if she wanted to! She's evil! Not only does she say all those mean things about everybody, but the bitch felt me up ten seconds after meeting me to see if I was really a guy!"
The somber mood was broken as both Usamis stifled laughter at Misaki's statement. "She did! I'm not joking!"
"Oh, I believe it, unfortunately," Fuyuhiko said with a chuckle. "She grew up so utterly spoiled, that she still thinks she can do anything and get away with it like she did when she was ten years old. It's actually rather sad." He frowned for a moment, then laughed once again. "Well, hopefully she's angry enough that she'll just take back off for Argentina or Tahiti or whatever tropical place she's haunting right now." He smiled warmly at Misaki. "Just in case, I'll call in some security. I don't want anything ruining your special day."
Misaki blushed, looking away. It seemed as if the horribleness of Usagi's mother had brought out even more kindness in his father. "Th-thanks..." he whispered.
Haruhiko's phone suddenly chimed and vibrated in his pocket, and he tried to hide his excitement from his father and Misaki as he checked the text message from Satoshi there. His new boyfriend had managed to get out of rehearsals that evening after all, and would be meeting him in the lounge in an hour. Haruhiko could only hope that his stepmother was gone by then.
"Well, this is our floor," Fuyuhiko said, snapping Haruhiko out of his thoughts. Haruhiko slipped his cell back in his pocket and nodded, clearing his throat and exiting. Misaki offered him a sympathetic smile as he passed, which made him feel a little better about their fractured relationship. He was still utterly mortified about what he had tried to do, and couldn't forgive himself. So to know Misaki didn't totally hate him was a relief.
Misaki watched the doors close, and the elevator continued to rise to the floor his room with Usagi was on. Once there, he exited and headed for the large suite at the end of the hall. He had barely slid his keycard in the door when it opened from the inside. "There you are," Usagi-san said, relief evident in his voice. "I was starting to get worried."
"Mmm, I'm okay," Misaki said, stepping in the room. "But, your mom and I aren't exactly best friends or anything."
"Tch. I'm not surprised at that." Usagi lifted a cigarette to his lips and lit it. "What happened?" he asked, exhaling a thin jet of smoke. Misaki flopped down on the king sized bed, and launched into the tragic tale. "Yep, that sounds pretty par for the course," Usagi commented. He stubbed out his cigarette. "If you think that was cruel, you should have heard some of the things she said to him when we were kids. I can't even repeat most of it." He walked over to the window and pushed back the curtain, gazing out over Tokyo. "That's why I couldn't stand being at my house. It was a sick pattern; she'd get drunk, then rage at my father and his 'bastard son'. If I was around, she'd cling onto me, crying and cooing over how perfect her 'real son' was. Just sick and sad."
"No wonder Haruhiko resented you so much."
"Yeah, I understand, but I never _did _anything to him. Just my mere existence made his all the more miserable." Usagi sighed and shook his head. "Ugh, I have a headache now, remembering all that." He moved over to the bed, loosening his tie and laying down next to Misaki. "Let's just take a little nap," he whispered, nuzzling his soft brown hair and wrapping him up in his arms.
"Mmm," Misaki hummed happily. He relaxed into Usagi's embrace, wishing and hoping with all his might that their wedding day would go smoothly.