Work Text:
This really is nice, Misaki thought as he slowly chewed his popcorn. Nestled up next to Usagi-san on their couch, Misaki was glad that the two of them could finally spend the day together. Usagi-san's workload had always been hectic, which could be attributed both to how demanding it was and how much he procrastinated. Now that Misaki had been promoted, he was also getting more responsibilities. They hardly got their days off at the same time, and even when they did, those days were spent by either Usagi-san taking him to ridiculous places for his work-related ‘research’ or by seducing him into getting down and dirty with him.
(Misaki enjoyed both the options, not that he would ever admit it.)
In the extremely rare case where they weren't indulging themselves in such manners, the two of them wasted the day away in front of their (unnecessarily) large TV. This wasn't some routine activity or anything. One day a couple of years ago, when both of them had nothing better to do, Misaki had set up some old movie on the TV. Neither of them could even remember what it was about or whether they actually enjoyed it, but the mere act of watching the movie together on the couch was something so domestic that they resorted to it on more occasions than they realized. Usagi-san wasn't a fan of movies, but he never complained when Misaki put one on. Slowly, it was just something that they did together.
Misaki had flushed deeply when the realization struck him during their sixth movie night, Usagi-san’s arm around his waist and Misaki leaning on his chest. As always, nothing escaped the notice of the Great Lord Usami Akihiko and when Misaki refused to elaborate on the reason for his red face, the movie was soon forgotten and…
Well, no need to mention what happened next.
Misaki sniffled as the heroine of the movie realized the depths of the hero’s love for her by reading the letters he had left behind. It was so sweet! And incredibly romantic! Love letters really were the best! There really should be no other manner of confessing one's love other than -
A soft snort interrupted his thoughts. Turning his head, he saw Usagi-san suppressing an amused smile.
Amazing, the Great Lord mocks him once again.
“What?! What's that smirk for?!”
If he makes a comment about love letters, Misaki swore, I will feed bell peppers to this guy for weeks!
Usagi-san’s arm curled around his shoulder, pulling Misaki into himself, “It's just that you always surprise me.”
Huh?! A compliment?! That easily?!
“A young man who has been in a passionate, romantic, and domestic relationship for over half a decade being brought to tears just from a love letter. It's truly surprising.”
Knew it!
Triggered, Misaki turned to his side to face the (literal and figurative) pain in his ass.
“Love letters are great! They are the height of romance! No love confession in the history of media is ever complete without them -”
“By media, do you mean manga and anime?”
“They are the most classic form of modern romance! Love letters become a reminder of the love, an ever lasting proof of feelings and the moment of confession -”
“I sincerely hope you don't feel the same about the love letter you received from your classmate in your last year of -”
“And they are - what… You know it's not about that! I returned the letter the next day and told her properly that I have a partner! How many times have we had this discussion again?”
“Not enough, apparently.”
“And like I said, it's not about that! And shouldn't you be on my side? You're an author! Your books are all about love and emotions. Well, I mean they are about other things as well but…”
Usagi-san hugged him closer and smiled, “I know what you mean. And I was just teasing,” Misaki puffed up with rightful rage, but Usagi-san's chuckle deflated his anger, “I was just amazed at the letter itself. A love letter is about the person for whom it is intended for. But it felt as if this one wasn't even intended for the woman. I just didn't find it touching, especially for something that is supposed to be written by a professional. It's obvious that the person is ignorant when it comes to romance. If I give something like this to Aikawa for editing, she'll throw me off the balcony.”
As the movie continued to play in the background, Misaki opened his mouth to refute, but found no words to spare. Usagi-san was obviously the expert in the subject matter and Misaki would just make a fool out of himself if he tried to counter him.
Or rather, he realized as a fierce heat crept up his neck, he had already made a fool of himself by sniffling about a love letter that his lover found silly. He averted his eyes to save himself some face. But that brought his attention to his position. During all their pushing and pulling, Misaki had ended up straddling Usagi-san. He could feel the heat climb up to his cheeks.
His face was immediately turned up towards Usagi-san's, who softly kissed him. But Misaki knew from experience that the softness was a trap. As his lover's familiar smirk appeared at the corner of his vision, Misaki heard him say, “Well, sometimes such ignorance is endearing as well.”
Attempting to gain a victory which he was generally deprived of, Misaki added, “Y-Yeah. And-and the character is the one who's supposed to be the writer right, so it can't be as if some great author wrote it! Normal people just pen down their raw feelings. That's exactly what makes the love letter special!”
As Usagi-san hummed contemplatively for a moment, Misaki hoped that the distraction had worked. But before he could even blink, he had been pushed down on the couch and…
Well, no need to mention what happened next.
A week or so passed. Misaki could say that things had been normal. And he wouldn't be wrong…
But he wouldn't be right either.
In the wonderful penthouse of the Great Lord Usami Akihiko, certain facts remained eternal.
Rule 1: The Great Lord was incapable of not creating a mess. And cleaning it up? Pff, of course that was Misaki's job!
Rule 2: The Great Lord's loyal companion, Suzuki-san (and variants), must be in pristine condition. Who was responsible for that? Well, Misaki, of course!
Rule 3: The Great Lord shall not appreciate any addition to the number of the current residents of the house. Who will have to calm him down? Of course, Misaki is here, isn't he?
Rule 4: The Great Lord shall not be awakened before noon unless the building is actively on fire (and even then, it was a gamble).
And most importantly, Rule 5: The Great Lord shall only ever meet his deadlines by the smallest possible margin.
Violation of any of these rules had become the signal of an omen for Misaki. And much to his chagrin, he had started noticing a major disturbance in the household.
The Great Lord was doing his work diligently. Usagi-san, the man who refused to get out of bed at a normal time, was actually waking up early and spending a substantial amount of his day in his office. And he was genuinely engaged in his work.
That didn't mean he was not continuing his routine bizarreness. He still made a mess of the house. He still teased Misaki to the point of tears. He still drove Misaki to whatever place he had to travel to. They still had dinner together. But despite all of this, Usagi-san was actually doing his work, that too without any reminders, scoldings, or threats.
Misaki was suspicious, rightfully so. Aikawa-san had been suspicious as well, but it soon turned into surprise and delight. He was positive that Usagi-san had told her about something. Misaki was still suspicious. He had initially thought that Usagi-san was working on one of his Akikawa Yayoi projects, but he later heard Aikawa-san mention that it was not one of them.
After some days, the suspicion subsided, but the wonder remained. Out of shock, Misaki started paying more attention to his needs. He started reminding Usagi-san to take breaks when he went into a flow state for long. He started making Usagi-san's favourite meals. He even followed (most of) his demand without objections.
He was, in simpler words, mother-henning.
Usagi-san, of course, also knew that he was mother-henning. And he responded to it in the worst possible way - by becoming sweet and affectionate in the manner that he knew made Misaki weak in the knees. Usagi-san would randomly kiss him when they crossed each other anywhere. He would ruffle his hair when he was too tired to respond in words. Most nights, he would just hold Misaki close and not even try to get frisky.
Misaki only wished that the upcoming omen would bring him fortune. Such a development was not good for his blood pressure. He was not even thirty, damn it!
But one thing was certain - Usagi-san’s next novel would be something to behold. All his works were excellent, even a literature novice like Misaki knew that. And he would never insult Usagi-san by thinking that he was currently creating his magnum opus; Misaki knew that when it came to his work, Usami Akihiko-sensei was a man who could improve upon perfection itself. But whatever he was creating right now - it was going to be something different.
(And in the privacy of his heart, he could not wait to see what it would be.)
Misaki came home after a particularly grueling day to hear Usagi-san and Aikawa-san discussing the manuscript. He tried to focus on their conversation, but he simply could not bring himself to do so. He had spent the entire day with his senior editor trying to bring their author out of a phase of writer's block-induced depression. He rubbed his eyes and leaned on the wall, he could still see the drafts behind his closed eyes. He wanted nothing more than to go to bed. But he knew how the two got when it came to work. Both of them must not even have eaten anything, forget taking a break. And he just could not let it pass.
Thus, even dead exhausted, he went to the kitchen to prepare tea and refreshments. From what he could understand, Usagi-san was done with the manuscript and they were discussing the finer details before Aikawa-san took the manuscript for editing. And oh, he almost over filled the cup; better serve it now. Like a zombie, he took the tea and snacks to the table. He was pretty sure that he had been grunting in response to everything that was said to him, and was even more sure that he'd feel terrible about his behaviour later. But right now, his brain had stopped functioning properly and he was moving on autopilot.
Misaki was unsure of how much time had passed. He knew that he was putting the dishes away, but nothing else registered. Thus, he did not sense his lover coming behind him. He was mildly shocked when a large, cold hand covered his eyes, while another came across his waist, pulling him close to a warm body. A surprised gasp left his mouth; he sounded even more tired than he had imagined. As he was pulled away from the counter, he released what could have been an indignant sound at leaving the work unfinished. But Usagi-san shushed him softly. Within a few moments, Misaki was jolted and he heard a door open. When his clothes were gently removed, he realized that he had been carried to the bathroom.
Usually, it was Misaki who gave Usagi-san a bath when he was too exhausted to move. But on much rarer occasions, the opposite also occurred. Misaki knew from experience how gentle Usagi-san could be. But at the moment, his gentleness felt reverent. Perhaps it was his fatigue or perhaps Usagi-san was in an affectionate mood, but Misaki felt that he could fall asleep right then and there standing in the shower.
In a haze of exhaustion and sweetness that had swept him away, Misaki was barely aware of the soft nothings murmured in his ears, the gentle kisses that were bestowed to his face, or the large hands that dried him up and carried him to bed. Before he knew it, both him and Usagi-san were naked under their blanket. Usagi-san was still saying something and playing with Misaki's hair, but Misaki was too far gone.
When Misaki woke up, he decided that this had been the best sleep he had ever had in his life.
A couple of days later, Aikawa-san came back to the penthouse with the final manuscript. Misaki was unfortunately once again not at home when she had arrived, but he had returned by the time they were done with their work. As Misaki once again prepared tea for Aikawa-san, because Usagi-san just won't learn, he heard Usagi-san head up the stairs. When Usagi-san disappeared from his view, Aikawa-san walked around the living room to come to the kitchen.
“Oh, Misaki-kun, you don't have to make me anything. I'm just about to head out,” she was smiling, but there was something in her tone that Misaki just couldn't pin down.
“Uh, not even tea Aikawa-san?”
“No, no. I'm running a bit late, you see,” she said softly. She then suddenly came up to him, hugged him tightly, and whispered in a choked voice, “Misaki-kun, thank you so much.”
Eh? Eh?!
“A-Aikawa-san?! What happened?!”
With another squeeze, she released him. Misaki then realized there were actual tears in her eyes. This had to be the first time he had seen her cry, outside of her rage episodes. His mind started running away from him.
How the hell do you comfort a crying woman?! Nii-chan, I need your guidance!
“Oh boy,” she softly said as she wiped her tears, “Goodness, I ruined my makeup!”
As she chuckled, Misaki calmed down as well, “Aikawa-san, really, what happened? Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes Misaki-kun, I'm alright,” a sniffle interrupted her. “Sorry to burst on you all of a sudden. I just… oh well, I'm just being overly emotional right now.”
“Are you-” Misaki was interrupted immediately.
“Misaki-kun, did I tell you why I became Usami-sensei’s editor?”
Misaki paused for a second, before the old conversation came to his mind, “Yes, um. Because you were his fan first, right?”
She finally smiled properly, “Yes, I'm proud to admit that I'm one of his biggest fans… But I'm also his friend, and his colleague,” Misaki nodded, not understanding where this was going.
“So, as all of that, I have to say that this is Usami-sensei's greatest work till date. And I… don't even have the words…Well, all that aside, I'm very grateful to you. I'm glad that you ended up meeting him.”
Misaki blushed, but he couldn't take credit where it wasn't due, “All of Usagi-san's works are his own, Aikawa-san. I really don't think it's because of me…” well, except when he's writing porn, “But it's really all him so… I, um, don't understand why you are…”
Aikawa-san laughed, as if she knew some secret. She winked at him and said, “Never change Misaki-kun.”
He could only nod as Usagi-san started descending the stairs just then. Thankfully, there were no traces of tears on Aikawa-san’s face and her mood had been uplifted again. They bid their goodbyes and Usagi-san dropped her off till the door. When he returned, he noticed Misaki giving him the stink eye.
“What is it?”
“Did you say something to Aikawa-san?”
“No, I didn't. Did she say anything?”
Misaki frowned, not detecting any lie from his lover, “She kind of…started crying? And she was being a bit weird…”
Usagi-san’s eyes widened for a moment before he hid his smile behind his hand. Misaki realized that he knew why Aikawa-san had acted like that. He was now positive that there was something, some… some secret, that he was being kept out of.
Usagi-san ruffled his hair, “Don't worry about it. It's just work.”
“As if! The only times she cries is when you-”
As they dissolved into useless chatter, Misaki ended up forgetting his interaction with Aikawa-san. It was only much, much later than he realized what had been happening.
The next few months were hectic. Once everything was finalized, Usagi-san was (once again) forced into getting involved in the novel’s promotion. Interviews, conferences, advertisements, and all other formalities, one after the other, kept worsening his mood. Misaki was (once again) caught between the united force of Aikawa-san and Isaka-san and the increasingly irritated Usagi-san, while simultaneously managing his own work. Things were, relatively, back to normal.
One afternoon found Misaki wondering about his lover's upcoming novel again. On his day off, while Usagi-san was forced to attend a meeting, Misaki stumbled upon one of Usagi-san's promotional interviews on a news channel. On being asked what the novel was about, Usagi-san gave the fixed spiel of I-suppose-everyone-will-have-to-read-and-find-out. But Misaki found it slightly strange. He looked up more of his interviews online. No one would say that anything had been out of the ordinary. But he knew that usually Usagi-san tended to give away a little information about his work. A thing or two definitely slipped out here or there during these interviews. But it looked like this time, he was purposefully being secretive.
This stayed with Misaki for a while. Even when Usagi-san came back and they both had dinner, Misaki kept wondering if he should ask about the novel. Usagi-san had never hidden his work from him (probably because Usagi-san didn't care about it once he was done with it), so it was likely that he'd get an answer. A part of him was desperate to know, but another part wanted to wait for the mystery to unfold.
And since Misaki had never been good at masking his expressions, Usagi-san noticed something was up with him. But Misaki was somehow able to pass it off as exhaustion. And after working hard for so long, Usagi-san had other things in mind.
“I need to recharge on my Misaki.”
“... you've been saying that for the past week.”
Usagi-san's thumb caressed Misaki's blushing cheeks, “Saying it isn't the same as doing it.”
That's true, Misaki blushed as the thought came to him. Grumbling, he got up to clear the table. Usagi-san was patient enough to let him do that. But as soon as he was done, Misaki was carried away in his lover's arms to their bed.
Afterwards, as they basked in each other's presence, Usagi-san brought up the novel himself.
Pulling Misaki into his chest, he whispered, “They've decided a release date for the novel.”
“Oh, that's great!”
“I have to do a signing event.”
Chuckling, Misaki whispered, “That's great too.”
Usagi-san snorted. He didn't say anything for a moment. And then -
“Will you come?”
Not ‘I won't do it if you don't come’ or ‘I don't want to do it’. The question itself indicated the importance of Usagi-san's intentions.
Misaki didn't even have to think before he answered, “I'll tell the office tomorrow that I'll be taking a leave that day.”
This really is the WORST, Misaki thought for the hundredth time. As usual, nothing could go their way - some trouble had to interrupt their plans. This time, it was work.
Misaki had taken a leave for the day of Usagi-san's signing event four months in advance. Four months! And as the date had approached, he had made sure to remind his colleagues that he would be unavailable on that particular date. Everything was supposed to go smoothly…
Then why exactly was he three hours away from the bookshop where the signing was supposed to take place?!
He buried his head in his hands, taking deep breaths to calm himself. His mind went through the string of incidents that brought him here.
Early that morning, Misaki had received a call from his supervisor, who had obviously been in tears. Apparently, one of Misaki's coworkers had been in an accident en route to the office. Said coworker had been supposed to get one of his author’s manuscripts. His supervisor apologized profusely and asked if he could do him just this favour. He told him that Misaki could take the next day off. Thinking that he would be done with the work in a couple of hours and get another day off for free, Misaki dropped a text to Usagi-san explaining the situation and left for the author's house.
Catastrophe struck when Misaki reached his destination. The author did not answer the doorbell or his phone for a long time. Misaki grew worried. He asked one of the neighbours, an elderly woman, if she had seen the author. Receiving a negative response, they decided to call the apartments’ secretary and ask her to get the duplicate key. The secretary, another elderly woman, told them that she wasn't at home but would come to them as soon as possible. All of this took another hour - the signing event was set to begin in two hours, he realized as he checked his watch. When they were finally able to enter the apartment, they found the place in disarray. The secretary and neighbour were horrified and thought that a crime had been committed at the place. Misaki assured them that this was normal in this profession, much to their amazement.
They found the man collapsed in the kitchen. The posture of his fall was grotesque, his legs twisted in one direction and his torso in the opposite direction. From the water spilled on the ground and soaked on the man's clothes, it was obvious that he had slipped. Misaki had somehow managed to drag the man to his bed, after which the women tried to wake him up. They were successful, but only for a moment. He opened his eyes with a grunt of pain and said, “I think I broke something,” after which he immediately lost consciousness again.
What followed was an utter mess. The women called the ambulance while Misaki informed his supervisor about the situation. Seeing as there was no one else to help the man move around, Misaki came to terms with the fact that he'd be the one staying behind.
Once the ambulance brought them to the hospital, Misaki had him admitted. This was followed by a lengthy interrogation from the hospital’s staff in which he clarified that - No, he was not a family member, they worked in the same office and he was just there to collect something. No, he didn't know anything about the man's family, but he could try asking. No, he had no idea about his medical history - this was perhaps the second time they had met. With every question, Misaki's gaze kept going back to his watch.
Misaki again called his supervisor and asked if he had any idea about the author's family or emergency contact. Thankfully, the supervisor (who Misaki could clearly hear weeping - both due to the missed deadline and the author's state) knew about his family. As they continued to converse, the doctor attending to the author came to him and gave the update. The author had supposedly been dehydrated and collapsed, possibilities of fractures and concussion still had to be confirmed through tests. Misaki conveyed the information to the supervisor, much to his worsening mental state, who in turn sent him the contract information of the author's brother. Misaki then contacted the brother, who apologized profusely for the trouble and told him that he would reach the hospital as soon as he could. But Misaki could barely hear him over the ticking of his watch.
One hour till the signing started. It would take him nearly three hours to reach that place. Since the event was to last for five hours, Misaki could make it in time. He'd still get scolded though. Nonetheless, he felt it would be better to inform Usagi-san of this development so that he didn't worry.
Unfortunately for him, Usagi-san didn't pick up his phone. That made sense, he would probably be busy with the preparations. Fortunately though, Aikawa-san did pick up her phone. As he explained the situation to her, Misaki could sense the grimace on her face on being the one who would have to inform Usagi-san about Misaki's tardiness (though due to no fault of his own). He assured her that he would try his best to reach in time, he just didn't want Usagi-san to be upset. As they said their goodbyes, Misaki hoped the assurance was enough for himself as well.
As it turned out, it wasn't enough for him. Misaki couldn't leave the man alone as there was no one else with them. His brother had called him back, frustratedly telling him that he was stuck in a traffic jam, which had been caused due to an accident. As Misaki waited, another hour passed - it was time for the signing event to begin. Misaki silently groaned to himself, hoping he would be able to leave soon. During this time, the author had woken up and had been taken for the required tests.
Another call from the brother let him know that the traffic jam hadn't cleared and he had been forced to take the long way to the hospital. Which meant that it would take him another hour to get there. Misaki wanted to stay optimistic, but the helplessness had started creeping in now. Time hadn't paused for him. He wondered if he would be able to make it at all.
By the time his replacement made it to the hospital, Misaki had given up. About half of the event had already passed, and it would take Misaki about three hours to get to that place. But he knew that Usagi-san would stay a bit late if he knew that Misaki would be coming.
Misaki tried to hail a cab, but the driver informed him that the route to the bookshop had been blocked due to an accident. Finally, he had no choice but to take the train. When he got to the station, an announcement was made that some rides had been delayed due to some technical difficulties. Misaki swallowed the lump in his throat. His fingers were crossed - he hoped that his train wasn't one of those. But as always, Misaki had never really been lucky.
Alas, this really was the worst.
Misaki wanted to sit there and wallow in his misery forever. How was he supposed to face Usagi-san? He would be busy right now, Misaki couldn't even call him. Should he leave a message for Aikawa-san? Why did that even matter - Usagi-san would be so sad! What should he do?! What could be even -
“Damn it!”
The sudden shout pulled him out of his dooming mind. He turned to see a man, around his age, cursing out under his breath, standing a few steps away. Once he noticed everyone staring at him, he bowed slightly in apology. The guy soon came to sit next to Misaki.
Misaki noticed his red eyes and wretched expression. He felt it would be better not to say anything for the moment. But he changed his mind as soon as the other man pulled out a book from his bag and looked at it as if it was garbage. Misaki couldn't read the cover page, but from the packaging itself he knew what book it was.
Blooming Colors by Usami Akihiko
“Hey!” Misaki didn't even realize when the exclamation left him.
The nerve of this person to treat Usagi-san's novel like this…!
The man obviously startled. He looked between Misaki and the novel for a moment. Then realization hit him and he gave Misaki an apologetic look, “Oh no, no. Are you a fan? Please don't misunderstand me. It's nothing about the novel or the author.”
The man wasn't even deterred by Misaki's suspicious look. He continued to explain himself, “It's just that - I stood in the line since morning to get it for my girlfriend. And it was terrible, sensei’s fans are scary,” Misaki could definitely agree with that. “I couldn't get it signed, but I thought my girlfriend would be happy anyway. And then I went to see her and I… I found that she was cheating on me…”
Misaki’s expression turned sympathetic at the last part. He didn't know how to console people, but he had to try.
“I'm so sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah,” the man extended the novel to him, “Do you want it? I am obviously not giving it to her now, so…”
Wow, maybe today wasn't the worst after all?!
Misaki still tried being polite and rejected the offer at first. But the person laughed and told him that he was very obvious in his wish to read it. Misaki confirmed that he had planned to go to the signing but missed it due to a work-related emergency. In the end, Misaki was given the novel and they conversed for a while. Soon, the man got a call and excused himself. Misaki finally got the chance to read Usagi-san's novel.
Should I just read it like this? It feels like cheating since I didn't get it directly from Usagi-san…
His heart dropped again once he remembered that he had missed the signing. He knew that now he would only get to see Usagi-san at home.
Maybe I can surprise him? He will be happy with that, right?
With this thought, Misaki turned the cover page.
The story was one Misaki was quite familiar with. Yet, it was something completely unfamiliar. It described the life of a painter - one so prodigious that whatever he made seemed to gain a life of its own. He was praised and admired by everyone, and seemed to have everything one could ever wish for.
But no one knew that despite being a talented painter, his life went on in greyscale. He had no one to trust or share his life with. Even his artwork, which was praised to heavens and back, appeared colourless to him.
The painter had been drowning for as long as he could remember. Nothing had ever even encouraged him to fight against the pressure. He was slowly being pushed towards the bottom of the ocean. And he was fine with it. Everything would soon turn black. He had no intention of ever coming back up. There was no one to miss him after all.
But then he met a miracle. This miracle would look at the flowers the painter had passed by a thousand times without noticing and say, “They've blossomed such a vibrant red!”
The miracle would look at the sky, which had been nothing but pale grey to him, and say, “What a clear blue sky! Looks like the weather will be great!”
The painter didn't understand the miracle initially. After all, colors didn't exist for him. But over time, the grey of his life started changing. He would catch bright spots at the corner of his eyes. And whenever he turned to look at them, the miracle would always be there.
One day, when the pressure on his chest was too much to bear and he was sure that he had reached the ocean floor, he heard the miracle call out to him. He turned around and saw the smile directed at him. Suddenly, he was breathing for the first time.
The colors of the world soon became visible to him. Once he saw them, the painter realized what he had been missing. For the first time in his life, the faded grey went away. Beautiful colors had instead blossomed for him. The miracle had changed his life forever.
… And as long as the miracle was with him, his life would be sparkling.
Misaki’s journey back home was a blur. He genuinely remembered nothing, and was shocked when he found himself unlocking the door to their home. He could hear Usagi-san moving around when he entered. Again, everything faded away - he didn't remember taking off his shoes or rushing to the living room.
He only wanted Usagi-san.
Usagi-san was still in his suit, he must have just returned. Misaki heard Usagi-san sigh at the noise he was making. His low voice was clearly audible, “Why are you rushing now? You're too late for the signing by the way. Well… anyways, Aikawa told me what -”
Usagi-san stopped as soon as he saw Misaki's face.
“Misaki! What happened?! Are you hurt?! Let me see -”
Misaki leaped into his lover's arms. Usagi-san stumbled, balancing the two of them within a moment. Misaki had his arms around Usagi-san's shoulders, his legs locked on his waist. He could hear Usagi-san speak, but the lump in his throat didn't allow him to respond. Once he gained a semblance of control, he spoke clearly.
“I love you too, Akihiko-san,” huh, why was his voice so wobbly… oh, he'd been crying, he realized as the man underneath him froze, “I really… really love you. So… so much. I -”
He was interrupted by a small cough, the lump in his throat was back again. While he tried to find more words to convey himself, he didn't notice Usagi-san's widened eyes filling with tears, the sudden tightening of his arms around Misaki, or how realization came to him when he saw his novel peeping out of Misaki's bag. But Misaki did hear his muffled chuckle.
“I spent months, months, trying to write down what I felt,” he sniffled. “And here you are, surpassing my confession, within a minute.”
“Idiot Usagi-san! That's not what this is about! I just -”
“I know,” a soft kiss was pressed to his lips. “I love you Misaki. I love you more than anything in this world. You can't even imagine how much I -”
Misaki retaliated by pressing his lips to Usagi-san's this time. He could imagine, all right, he had just read the novel after all! And how dare Usagi-san underestimate him?! Hadn't he just said that Misaki's confession was superior?!
As the kiss intensified, all thoughts left Misaki. Looking at Usagi-san as he loomed over Misaki on their bed, Misaki knew they wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon.
Well, he had nothing to complain about.
This really wasn't all that bad after all.
Misaki woke up late the next morning. He chided himself for his laziness, but it was all forgotten as soon as he saw that Usagi-san was still asleep next to him. As he stretched himself, he found his copy of the novel right next to his pillow.
Strange, he wondered. Wasn't it in my bag?
Misaki picked it up and saw that a pen was kept between the starting pages, being used as a bookmark. Turning to the page, Misaki found himself reading Usagi-san's beautiful writing.
To my most beloved Misaki,
I dedicate this novel to you. It is the first love letter I have ever written, and I hope you found it romantic enough for your liking.
Misaki, you are everything to me and not a day goes by when I'm not grateful for you. I hoped that this book would act as a reminder of our love. I wanted it to become an ever lasting proof of my feelings for you, but it was while writing this novel that I was once again reminded that no amount of words could express even an iota of what I feel for you.
Forever yours,
Akihiko
Smiling shyly, Misaki set the book aside and turned to face Usagi-san. Pressing his lips to Usagi-san's, he cuddled next to his lover and decided that there was no problem in having a lazy day once in a while. As he was once again pulled into a light slumber, a stray thought crossed his mind.
This really is the best.