A Weakness So Terrible
[Part 3]
Yosuke

AN: WARNING - As you may have noticed, the rating of this story is M. This chapter does contain brief sexual situations (though if you're a fan of Junjou Romantica, I doubt that'll be a problem for you).

JR not mine.

The hospital staff had eventually shooed the Takahashi boys away, and with careful guidance by Aikawa, they managed to avoid the crowd of reporters ready to eat up any information given to them. Aikawa drove Misaki home after parting ways with Takahiro and his wife, and once he managed to convince her he'd be alright for the night, the boy went about the tasks of informing Sumi about Akihiko's condition, cleaning up the apartment, making a small dinner and not eating it, and climbing the stairs to hide himself in Usagi's bedsheets until his crying spell passed. He wasn't hungry, sleepy, or even aware of the time. He only knew how upset he was, and how suffocating his guilt felt in his body.

The smell of Usagi in his pillow and sheets eventually lulled Misaki into sleep, tears drying on his face as nighttime quickly approached.

Time passed in such a blurry state that Misaki Takahashi wasn't even sure how many days had passed until he got the call from Akihiko that he'd be coming home. Despite his initial defiance in seeing Usagi the first time he'd gone to the hospital, Misaki bolted out the door as soon as he got the word, hardly even dressed as he rushed to meet his mentor in time for his discharge. When he arrived, a reluctant Akihiko was being carted in a wheelchair to a waiting taxi. The mere sight of Misaki, however, seemed to raise his spirits, and he quickly stood from the chair, much to the nurses' grief.

"Misaki, you came-"

"Sit down!" Misaki shouted, nearly throwing himself at the novelist to get him seated in the chair again. Akihiko stared in surprise up at the student. Misaki looked to be near tears. "Don't stand up like that if the nurse needs to wheel you out! You know the hospital policy! You could hurt yourself! Don't be so stupid!"

The words seemed almost angry, but Akihiko saw the trembling bottom lip and the red tint of his cheeks. Misaki was happy to see his lover, and scared of anything happening to him again, no matter how small of an incident. So rather than get defensive like he normally would, Akihiko simply smiled and allowed the nurse to push him to the car, where Misaki helped him get in as if he'd somehow become some kind of invalid. Quite the opposite; the man was feeling more energetic than ever, having spent a week in a hospital bed. His limbs were finally stretching out and the sun felt so good on his skin. The only thing that would make the moment perfect was if he could wrap his arms around a certain slender-framed boy.

Once the cab door closed and Misaki was seated comfortably next to him, Akihiko gave the cab driver very distinct directions: his condo's address, and not to look in his rear-view mirror. And with a stifled protest from a very bashful Misaki, a congratulatory romp of sexual molestation ensued in the back of the cab. Needless to say, the cab driver was tipped graciously for minding his own business.

An uneasy layer of complacency seemed to have a hold on the apartment once they arrived home. Misaki's agitation at Akihiko's sexual forwardness was short-lived once he was grounded back in the reality of his guilty conscience and his injured lover. He did remember his original instructions to not dote, but he found that a difficult task to accomplish; he needed to help Akihiko, if only to help himself. True, many things he ended up doing for the novelist were things he did on a regular basis, such as the cooking and cleaning, but he found himself doing them with a greater tensity in his labor, making sure everything was just right so Akihiko wouldn't feel the slightest bit inconvenienced.

Akihiko noticed it almost right away, though he tried valiantly not to let it bother him. He knew it was just in Misaki's nature to be a little overbearing with his responsibility, and he dared to say it was usually an endearing quality about him, but this time, Akihiko could clearly see the thick cloud of unusual timidity and desperation, as if the boy expected to be beaten for not doing assignments he had set for himself. Akihiko didn't like it at all, and, in a rather counterproductive attempt, tried to do some chores himself. This ended up creating Misaki all kinds of grief, causing the student to flail over him like a bird whose nest had been severely disturbed. Akihiko was banished from his own kitchen, which was a threat the man decided to humor, seeing as he was rather useless in there anyway, considering the sling his arm was in and the medication he was forced to take on a daily basis.

Life tried with great strife to put itself back into its regular routine for the two men, and truthfully, Akihiko could've adapted just fine to his temporary situation of being one-armed, seeing as this wasn't exactly the first time he'd ever broken a limb. But Misaki's shame created massive tumors in the normalcy, turning any beautiful day into just a facade to hide the ever-imminent rainclouds that would drown out any happiness for him. It wasn't just a phase, Akihiko had finally noticed after a week of the constantly looming apathy. This incident had truly destroyed whatever supports Misaki had built for himself in light of the tragedy of his parents so many years ago. The boy had fallen down into some deep hole inside himself, a place where Akihiko had died in that car.

It came about one evening when Akihiko was finally forced to do something about it.

The broad frame of the exhausted and fussy novelist was slouched heavily in his office chair, staring absentmindedly at his computer screen, having lost track of how many times his insertion point had blinked until he could think of something to force into his newest manuscript. He was slowly sobering up from his recent dose of medication, and he'd already decided, against the doctor's orders, to throw his sling across the room and simply try to operate with the casted arm. His fingers could still move just fine, but anyone would think that fact had slipped past the man completely as he remained motionless, trying his best through his boredom to come up with something to add to the next line.

He barely heard his door open, and slowly turned his head to look at the slender young man hovering in his doorway, eyes bashful and shoulders tensed as if expecting to be yelled at for his intrusion. But Akihiko only smiled and spun his chair slowly to face him.

"Yes?"

"I'm..." Misaki started quietly. "I'm sorry to bother you while you're working." The words "I'm sorry" had slipped out of Misaki's mouth so many times that past week that despite Akihiko's stern instructions to not blame himself for what had happened to him, the student seemed quite hellbent on disregarding those orders, one way or another, be it by declaring outright that it was his fault, or apologizing through other reasonings. If he said he was sorry for bothering him, it most certainly sounded like an underlying apology for causing his near-death experience.

Akihiko tried to ignore that, however, and continued smiling at him. "It's no problem. I was just about to take a break anyway. I think I need another happy pill," he offered up lightheartedly, referring to his pain medication. Truth be told, he wasn't in that much pain; a small surgery on his shoulder had fixed that problem. He just liked the high he got, though admittedly it made him want to fuck Misaki like crazy. He'd barely made a move on him all week, though. He noted that, other than the time in the cab, Misaki had barely put up a fight like he normally did, and for the most part just lay back and let Akihiko do as he desired. The man could only sigh at the heavy complacency, aware that Misaki was probably just too tired and upset to fend off the man's sexual advances anymore.

It saddened Akihiko, because one of the things he genuinely loved most was watching his young lover squirm beneath him, protesting weakly and trembling, trying to fight against his rebellious body's reactions whenever the man did something that drove him up the wall with eroticism. All the denial Misaki piled up during sex was just a passionate build-up to one giant "Yes!" when Akihiko finally let him come...

But that was beside the point, and making it difficult to focus on the shy student in the room. Akihiko adjusted himself a little to hide his ever-so-slightly growing arousal, and tried to put his full attention into the conversation.

"You're not supposed to take more than two pills a day," Misaki had interjected once he seemed to have his attention. "The doctor said so."

"Oh, one or two more won't hurt me. Maybe you should try one. The buzz is pretty decent," Akihiko joked, but the saddened look on Misaki's face suggested that the man's antics were being taken seriously.

"I shouldn't get high, not when I have to take care of you." A passing tremble of his body told Akihiko that Misaki was faintly imagining not being able to look after his boyfriend due to some mistake he might make. Misaki's eyes found Akihiko's after a moment. "If you really want another, though, I can get it for you-"

"It was a joke, Misaki," Akihiko sighed, trying hard not to sound so agitated. "There's virtually no pain left anyway. I could probably stop taking them." He was going to miss his buzz...

Misaki's head perked up a little. "Really? No pain?"

"Not really." Akihiko forced out a smile, sugar-coating the situation a little. His back hurt a little, and his shoulder cramped some, but that wasn't anything Misaki needed to know. "I'll call the doctor tomorrow to see what he thinks."

That slight indication of his improvement seemed to lift Misaki's spirits just a little, and the novelist was delighted to see the delicate features of his student's face slip into a small smile, the first genuine one Akihiko had seen all week. It was about time.

"Misaki, why don't we go out somewhere today?" Akihiko suggested, trying his hardest to keep the boy's spirit up. But an unusual look of trepidation passed over the others face as Misaki's smile slowly disappeared.

"Oh, um... I shouldn't..." he said rather quietly, as if it might somehow offend Akihiko to decline the offer. "Honestly, I have... some stuff to do..." The words died out slowly, losing life in their semi-brave attempt to sound sincere. The truth was, Misaki had a week's worth of assignments from his classes piling up, and now that his self-designated chores were done, and once he finished doing what he'd set in there to do in the first place, he planned to take the opportunity to complete at least some of them. But, if Usagi wanted to do something else with his time...

Misaki swallowed, his dry mouth aching in the effort, and he peeked back up nervously at the pair of eyes staring him down in wonder.

"If..." he started quietly. "If you want to do something today, though... we can." He tried to hold in a sad sigh at the thought of the blank papers sitting on his bed, unfinished and more than likely remaining that way. But he couldn't even sigh over it, could he? He had other, more primary, duties to fulfill, and anything he needed for himself should've been put second, and if that meant failing a class or two for Akihiko's comfort, than he supposed he'd have to retake some classes next semester.

Akihiko seemed to sense there was something underlying the offer, and also tried his best to hold in a sigh of discontent. "Misaki, I know you feel like you need to do everything for me, and I appreciate it, but you seriously can just take a break every now and then." All his efforts to convince him to flat-out stop had finally come to end, seeing as Misaki had no intention of complying. So he could at least tell him to take a breather once in a while. "We don't have to go out if you don't want to. I'm tired, anyway."

Oh, dear. Now guilt was flashing in Misaki's eyes. This needed to stop.

"Misaki, stop beating yourself up." His voice was gradually getting sterner. "Didn't I tell you-"

But he was cut off when Misaki suddenly and quickly approached him, his face resolute but still concerned, like every time he did anything that past week, that he would be turned away in his attempts to help. The boy stopped short of Akihiko's chair, seemingly avoiding eye contact as much as possible. Taking in a short breath as if to ready himself for whatever he was about to do, Misaki dropped to his knees and placed his hands on the others legs. After a moment of what appeared to be mental debate, Misaki's fingers deftly reached for Akihiko's zipper, yanking open the pants before the man could even comprehend what his lover was doing.

Misaki had tried this once before. In a futile attempt to praise Akihiko for an achievement he'd received for one of his novels, Misaki had wanted to give his boyfriend something no one else would be able to give him, and something that the man might really want. Needless to say, the experience had been embarrassing and clumsy, and in the end, Akihiko was on top and fucking little Misaki's brains out. After that, the novelist had never tempted Misaki to try it again, and the boy had never hinted at wanting to do it. Akihiko knew it wasn't the act that disgusted Misaki, just the thought of how inexperienced he was and how badly it had gone the first time. Akihiko didn't want to put Misaki through that embarrassment again, and never tread on the idea. But that wasn't to say he hadn't made the student make up for it with... other bodily explorations...

But that was a derailing thought train, and Akihiko's brain was screaming at him to turn his full attention to the boy who was suddenly wading into dangerous territory. Why was Misaki doing this? That is, he was about to give a blowjob, right?

Oh, yes, most definitely a blowjob. Akihiko confirmed this thought the moment Misaki slid the man's flaccid length from his boxers. There was a look of morbid desperation on the boy's face as he seemingly held his breath and craned his neck to let his lips meet the exposed manhood.

The moment it was in that warm mouth, Akihiko felt the blood rush straight to the organ, hardening it significantly and causing the man to question his own self-control. Part of him knew he needed to stop Misaki, because for whatever reason he was doing this, it was obviously not for the reason Akihiko would normally want it. But part of him was too distracted by the sensual act he'd rarely received since the student had moved in with him.

In the end, Akihiko gave up and sank down into the suddenly-comfortable office chair, fingers loosely grasping the armrests as his eyes maintained a steady focus on his young lover's face.

Misaki's eyes were closed, though every now and then they would peak open just slightly, as if trying to constantly re-establish where he was and what he was doing. His small, slim hands were placed on Akihiko's inner thighs, dead still and unsure of what to do. And his mouth... those beautiful, flushed lips were wrapped around the engorged length with a slight tremble to them every now and then. The tongue inside was warm, wet, and moving with hesitancy and unpracticed strokes. But despite the amateur nature of the act, Akihiko wouldn't have enjoyed it more any other way, except for... if Misaki's eyes didn't look so sad.

When Misaki next peeked open his eyes, Akihiko was sure he caught a glimpse of how unhappy Misaki was feeling. Just the thought that the treatment Akihiko was receiving so much pleasure from could be causing his love so much pain stung deep into the man's chest, and almost instantly, he felt his libido draining.

Misaki noticed, realizing the length he was working on was suddenly going soft. His eyes shot open and he backed up, gaze drifting up to the looming man over him. Blue eyes watched him tiredly, and Misaki suddenly felt his face swallowed by heat. Blushing heavily, he started jumping to all kinds of conclusions.

"U-Usagi, I'm sorry, I know I'm not that good at this, but... I didn't realize it'd make you-"

"That's not it, Misaki," Akihiko interjected, reaching down to tuck himself back into his boxers and fix his pants. "It had nothing to do with skill. It just looked like it was causing you pain."

Misaki jerked at that, hands falling down to his shirt and twisting his fingers in the material. "W...Why? Why should it cause me pain? It couldn't possibly hurt me just to..." He couldn't finish the sentence, too modest and unused to such situations. "Usagi, I wanted to do that for you... I know I never... do that, and you've always been really patient with me. I just thought..."

"You thought what, Misaki?" Akihiko's voice wasn't demanding or derogatory, but careful and patient. One hand moved down to touch Misaki's face, who in return glimpsed up nervously at his mentor. "I've never asked you to do this before. Why would you suddenly feel like doing this?"

"I..." The boy struggled to form the sentences properly in his head, feeling the heat roil in his cheeks as a very dangerous confession ebbed on his tongue. "I... I owe you so much... I know I always try to fight you off when you want to h... have s-sex, so to make up for... everything... I thought I'd start doing more for you-"

He was very suddenly cut off when he quite forcefully found himself on the couch adjacent to the computer table, on his back with a knee shoved up between his legs and hands pinning down his shoulders. Misaki stared in wide-eyed surprise at the angry face of his lover.

"You're forcing yourself to pleasure me to make up for the car accident?!"

Misaki gaped for a moment, his mouth opening and closing, trying to come up with a valid response, but the anger in Akihiko's eyes dulled his attempts, and he found he only had the coherency to nod dumbly. Akihiko resisted every urge to slap him.

"What would make you even think I'd be okay with that?!"

His voice was getting louder, which in turn pushed Misaki deeper into his little shell of self-preservation. He stayed quiet, unsure of what he could say that wouldn't anger the novelist further.

"Dammit, Misaki, say something!"

"I owe you!" he blurted out before he could stop it. His eyelids screwed shut as he felt the onslaught of emotions overtake him, and tears burn just behind his eyes. He knew Akihiko was still staring angrily at him, and tried desperately to come up with a way of explaining himself that wouldn't sound so bad, but the proper words just lost themselves in the turbulence of his deafening heartbeat and the painful knot in his throat. "After you came home from the hospital... I just thought of all the things I'd never done for you, things I knew you'd never get if you hadn't... come home at all..." The tears brimmed from behind squeezed eyelids. "I wanted to give you everything, anything you'd ever want, because... what if you hadn't b-been here to be with me anymore?"

"Misaki, that's not-"

"I know you're going to say it's not necessary, and that you're fine, and that I don't have anything to feel guilty for, but I do, I really do," Misaki managed to choke out in a breathy voice, tears sparkling on his cheeks as he did his best to meet Akihiko's simmering gaze. "Usagi, I shouldn't have argued with you over the phone. I should've just done as you asked, and this whole mess could've been avoided. I know you don't like it when I talk to Sumi, so I... I stopped talking to him."

This surprised Akihiko.

"When you got back from the hospital, and he tried to call me, I told him I had other things to do... He's tried calling me since, but I haven't answered his calls. I hope... I hope that makes things a little better..." The tears were running freely down his face now, and Misaki's chin was trembling with the effort to hold back his sobs. "I'll shut out everything else for you, Usagi, I promise. I'll behave however you want me to, and I'll do everything for you, just please..." The sobs were taking control now, his vision nearly blinded by the tears as he finally broke down beneath the man pinning him to the couch with much less force than before. Misaki's body shook with each breath as he verbalized his sadness so much more clearly than he'd been able to all week. "Please, Usagi, please forgive me! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" He lifted his arms to cover his face with them, crying deeply and relentlessly as the pain and guilt that had suffocated his heart ever since the accident swarmed him completely, almost to the point where he thought he would die from grief.

Akihiko, as a man who made a living on comprising beautiful sentences and charming ideas, could say nothing in response to his broken lover. He could only stare in wordless, thoughtless uncertainty down at Misaki, shaking with sobs and begging for forgiveness for a crime he didn't commit. What could he possibly say to him? What words could possibly put this right for poor Misaki? What words would the boy believe? What would make him feel healed?

"Just..."

Misaki started to speak before Akihiko could even summon a tangible thought.

"Just... Can you just..." The sobs slowly broke apart bit by bit until Misaki could get his words out through wet gasps. "Could you just fuck me?"

Again, Akihiko could say nothing, his shock returning full force.

"Just fuck me... Please just do it..." Misaki peeked up at his mentor through his arms, his face red and wet from crying. "It'll make me feel... useful to you... And I know it'll make you feel good. Do something with me... Show me you're angry, I know I deserve it... Just fuck me and maybe everything will start to go back to normal."

It was almost unimaginable, nearly inconceivable how torn and broken the young man beneath Akihiko was, how deep his shame ran and how hard the mere act of living each day was. Misaki blamed himself so badly that he wanted true justification for what he believed was an accident he'd caused, and he wanted his own lover to exact that revenge. To use the boy like he was nothing, like his feelings shouldn't have been accounted for, like he'd lost his purpose as a legitimate boyfriend and companion and was now nothing more than the human equivalent of a stress-ball, was just so barbaric, so ludicrous in Akihiko's mind that for a moment, he could almost feel the intense agony strangling Misaki's heart briefly touch his own, and the novelist could do nothing more than pull the boy into his arms and hold onto him for dear life.

Misaki sniffled and kept his eyes shut tight, the last of his sobs still weakly struggling to find their way out as his Usagi, ignoring his hurt arm and the discomfort of this new position, lay on top of him with his arms held tight around the younger man, face buried in the side of his neck. He couldn't say anything. He could think of nothing that would resolve the situation, and could only pray that the sincerity in that moment would reach Misaki, if only for a little while, to ease his pain.

After several long minutes, Misaki timidly returned the embrace, his fingers lightly clutching at his lover's shirt as he finally opened his eyes and tried to form his words correctly, at the risk of destroying the semi-peaceful moment they were sharing.

"Usagi, I... I just can't understand how you aren't mad at me..." he practically breathed out, lips moving against the man's neck as he spoke. Akihiko felt the delicate touches, returning the affection with light nips at the boy's neck. He felt his smaller frame shudder against him, but could find no sensuality in the moment, having just been asked to commit a rape.

"Misaki," Akihiko half-whispered and raised himself to his elbows over Misaki, staring down at him like he'd just witnessed the student coming back from the brink of death. One of his hands started to carefully stroke the soft brown hair affectionately, a move Misaki wasn't necessarily used to but didn't particularly dislike. "Misaki, I want to sleep with you."

The reaction of blushing to such a comment was ingrained in Misaki, and despite the fact that he'd just requested his mentor fuck him, he couldn't help the heat reaching his cheeks at the forwardness of Akihiko's statement. "L... Like I said, Usagi, you should-"

"No, Misaki." Akihiko kept petting the boy's hair, keeping his gaze locked on him to help him realize how serious he was. "I don't want to use you, I want to make love to you."

It was such a simple request, something they'd done so many times (more times than not against Misaki's initial will), but this time, after the heavy moment they had just experienced, Misaki's break-down, and Akihiko's anger, the boy knew this wouldn't be just a senseless romp of lust. Akihiko wanted him, he wanted to be with him. And with all the time it had taken for Misaki to inevitably crumble from his own guilt, just as surely, he felt that little seed of love he had for Usagi grow, and even if just for that moment, he couldn't see Usagi's face in his mind looking down on him with anger over the accident, and he couldn't hear his voice filled with rage in his imagination. He saw Usagi for how he really felt, how genuinely he loved the boy and held no strife for him.

Misaki tried his hardest not to start crying all over again, but he wasn't completely successful, though this time they weren't tears of fear and anguish. The boy clung to his older lover as he kissed him, and through some seamless transition from Akihiko's workspace to his dark, warm bedroom, Misaki found himself naked on the lush comforter with Usagi's hands dancing across his skin, tender words of love being whispered into his ear, and strong hips pushing against his own trembling body. He was rocked against the mattress, slow and firm, hands grasping at the broad shoulders and mouth agape with moans and Akihiko's petname. The passion was real, no hatred or guilt present when Misaki finally came, his cries smothered by a heated kiss as Akihiko, in return, emptied himself into his lover.

With the sheets still warm and their skin still heated, Misaki fell asleep curled against Akihiko, his tears drying on his cheeks, and for the first time in a long time, his heart free from the crooked talons of his shame.

"I would've switched places with you... if I could, Usagi."

"I know, but there's no need for those thoughts anymore, okay?"

"I couldn't let it go... I know you say you think you understand how I feel, but I'm not sure you do... I almost died when Aikawa told me that... that you were in the hospital."

"Ah, Misaki, was that a love confession?"

"I'm trying to be serious, Usagi..."

"So am I."

"I think I wanted you to hate me. I wanted you to be mad. I thought maybe it'd help me cope with what I'd done- I mean... what I thought I'd done... I thought if you could be mad at me, it would be the punishment that would help me redeem myself in some way. I used to think that my parents must've hated me for causing their accident."

"Misaki, you can't possibly believe, after all this time-"

"No, you're right, I don't. Takahiro helped me with that. But for a long time, I did, and it made me hurt inside to think that my parents in heaven were looking down at me with contempt, looking down at their own son in hatred. I don't know what hurt me most, missing them or fearing what they thought of me. It was my weakness, a weakness so terrible it made my heart hurt."

"Well, what do you believe now, Misaki?"

"... I believe my parents loved me, and they still do. I believe Takahiro will never blame me for what happened, and I think that should be good enough. I believe it was just a set of very unfortunate circumstances that led to their accident, and what happened would've happened regardless of whether or not I'd spoken to them on the phone that night. But that little spot in my heart that tells me I'm guilty is still there, and I don't think I'll ever get rid of it. It's the same spot, the same weakness that tells me what happened to you was my fault, too."

"I guess that's my next project for you, then."

"What?"

"Filling that spot of yours with good feelings instead of bad ones. It's not healthy to have a hole in your heart, and I'd say I'm pretty good at filling in your holes..."

"Usagi! That's such a perverted thing to say!"

"After all this time, you're surprised I'd pull out a dirty pun like that? Misaki, you're the cutest."

"Well, next time I'm trying to be sincere with you, I'll keep that in mind."

"I love your sincerity, Misaki. I rarely get to hear what you really think of me. And I'm so happy you've finally opened yourself up to accepting what I really thought of the whole mess with the car accident."

"... What is that you really think?"

"You know what I think, Misaki. I just want to make sure you think the same thing as I."

"You got hurt, but... it... it wasn't... Usagi, if I hadn't of argued with you-"

"And I need to learn to ease up a little, because then I have to watch you suffer for shit like this. But it wasn't your fault, Misaki. Look at me. Look at me, Misaki. Say it wasn't your fault."

"It wasn't... It wasn't my fault... It was both of our faults."

"... I can work with that. Now say I'm the sexiest man you've ever met and you can't live without me."

"Usagi, you're taking it too far."

"C'mon, say it. Say you love me."

"Can you stop teasing me already?"

"That's not teasing. This is teasing..."

"... Nnh... A-Ah, no... Usagi..."

"Say it, Misaki..."

"Nh... I... can't... Uhn..."

"Misaki..."

"... I love you..."

"... Misaki... Look at me..."

"Usagi, s-stop, I can't..."

"Misaki, it's time to stop hurting yourself over my accident. I'm alive and well. Can't that be enough for us to move on?"

"I can try..."

"Because you love me?"

"Stop making me say it. Isn't once enough?"

"Never."

"Yes, okay? I'll try because I love you and you love me and you're alive and it's not my fault, now stop moving your fingers in me! I can't... I can't take it!"

"Mm... I love it when you're sincere."

"... I love that you're alive."

"Me, too."

Ze end.

AN: I apologize for dragging some of those parts out; the story came out a lot longer than I intended. I tried to make it worth it with the emotions and just a pinch of sexy sex stuff. On a related note, sorry for the angst. I'm not a fan of taking lighthearted anime and writing a sob-fest about it, but this one was just sitting in the back of my brain and it needed to be let out.

I understand that due to the story reaching levels of sadness the manga storyline never quite explored, Misaki was probably a bit OOC, and for that I sincerely apologize. I can't stand OOC-ness. I tried really hard to determine what he would do and say if this were to ever happen. I hope most of you agree.

I suppose the story deserved more of a climactic ending, what with all the drama in the middle, but I was concerned dragging it out any longer would start to disinterest readers, so I made the ending short and sweet. I hope it was enough for you.

Thanks for reading! Now click on that pretty link that says review and type something fancy.