The Nightmare

An arm wrapping around his waist and tugging him closer pulled Misaki out of his sleep. Emerald eyes met amethyst eyes. His body jerked backwards as his arms came up to push away the older man.

"Misaki, stop. Are you alright," the author snapped, care disguised behind fleeting anger. The light that shone through the hallway illuminated Akihiko's face. His eyebrows were turned downward above worry-filled eyes.

Misaki halted at the older man's expression. He hated seeing Usagi-san frown, even though it was a fairly common sight. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," Misaki mumbled.

"Then why are you in my bed," the author grumbled curiously.

A deep red blush appeared across the boy's face as he realized, once again, where he was. He continued to push and shove the man, though he couldn't possibly prevail with Akihiko's strong gasp surrounding him.

"Misaki, tell me," Usagi-san asked, pulling the other male closer.

"I-I-I had a bad dream," Misaki stuttered.

Usagi-san's face turned blank as he brought Misaki into a tight hug, one hand rubbing the boy's back. A smile appeared on his face when he teased, "Is Misaki all better now?"

"Baka usagi! Of coarse I'm better! Now, let me go," Misaki yelled, wiggling around in Akihiko's arms. "I love you, Misaki," was whispered into the young man's ears. His emerald eyes squeezed shut as if they were pained by the words. "L-l-let me go, Usagi-san!"

"You mean, I love you, Usagi-san," the author cooed into Misaki's ear.

Misaki clapped his hands over his the sides of his heads and barked, "N-n-no, I don't. L-let me go, now, Usagi-san!"

"Misaki, do you not love me," Usagi-san asked, catching the boy off guard.

Turning around to catch a glimpse of the other, he saw the pain dwelling deep inside the amethyst orbs. Misaki wanted to run a finger along those plump lips when they were downwards, and he wanted to whisper reassuring words into the man's ear to soothe away his worries. "It's n-not that," the lad whispered.

"Then, why," Akihiko yelled, at the verge of his breaking point. He cupped the boy's cheeks, staring far into Misaki's eyes, as he calmed down. "If it's not that, then why don't you just admit it to me?"

The blush returned back onto Misaki's face. As he avoided Usagi-san's gaze and swallowed a gulp, murmuring, "It's embarrassing."

"It's embarrassing to love someone?"

"N-no! Of coarse not!"

"Then say it, Misaki! Just say it," the man bellowed onto his partner's face.

Misaki bit his quivering lip as tears started to form in the corners of his widened eyes. It was all becoming too much for the boy. He wanted to show his love to Akihiko, but when he was being forced to, it made him hold it all in.

At the edge of his gaze, he noticed shaky hands grasping his shirt. The author was taken aback. Sumi's words played again inside of his head: I'm sure you forced yourself on Misaki at the beginning, right? He thought the lad had eased his worries. I'm really all right with this. And you never really forced me or anythin'. I mean I never once thought of it that way. It seemed history was repeating itself. Usagi-san wrapped Misaki in another fond embrace, continuing to stroke the others back. "I'm sorry, Misaki. I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to do. Only sometimes, I unsure of whether or not you actually love me," Akihiko whispered.

The tears finally started to fall out of Misaki's eyes, and gushed down his face. He buried his face into the older man's shirt, wetting it with his tears. I've told him I love. Plus, I do plenty of things to let him know that I do. He just annoys me with his 'attacks'. How could he think that? … "U-usa-g-gi-san, I d-do l-love you. P-please, don't ever think otherwise," Misaki sobbed.

Akihiko lifted Misaki's face, so he could see his lover's beautiful face. "I promise not to think that, if you promis not to be embarrassed about anything around me."

Misaki nodded, wiping away his tears with the backs of his hands. Lips suddenly attacked to his, causing his to flinch in surprise. Usagi-san's tongue traced his lips as the two stared into each others eyes. Slowly, Misaki's eyelids fell, and he wrapped his arms around Akihiko's neck, bring him nearer.

Eventually, the two pulled away to gasp for air. Misaki coyly rested his head back onto of Usagi-san's chest while hesitantly bringing his arms around the author's waist. When he had accomplished a his goal, he let out a contented sigh, enjoy the others company.

Usagi-san smiled lovingly, looking down at the lad. Ruffling Misaki's tender brown locks, he whispered, "Are you still tired, Misaki?"

"Hai," Misaki mumbled before closing his eyes. Akihiko wrapped an arm around Misaki's torso. After a moment passes, the two were both full consumed on a world of quiet imagination.