"Consequences" of an Outburst

His father knew, his mother knew about...the punching? Had Hibiki met up with them, or something? Takuya...sparkle eater...? What...? Some responses seemed normal, others...

Of course Hibiki hadn't responded yet...

"Mm..." Muika looked up at Iyuki when he gave a laugh, a sheepish one before... She felt herself redden some, he was asking her how she...felt on all this...

"I-I don't like H-Hibiki, but...you're happy so...so that's what matters." She replied, "E-Even if you're related to...to him, I still love you..."

"I see..." Iyuki thought for a moment on Muika's words... gave a soft sigh, a soft resigned sigh as if contemplating something that pained him. His sparkles dimmed before...he tossed the phone to the couch and turned as he pulled Muika back enough to do so. His lips found hers as he laughed happily in his throat, the sparkles returning as the man poured all of his happy emotion into that.

He tipped them over as he kissed her, pushing them back to the couch and continuing it there. Muika loved him that much! She loved him so utterly... Iyuki could not handle these feelings and felt he would burst if he didn't show her how happy her words had made him.

He...saw?

Muika blinked as Iyuki seemed to be...contemplating something, he seemed hurt? W-Why? His excitement seemed to lessen to... W-Why though!? S-She'd just said...

Huh?

H-!

Before she could question anything, his phone was tossed and he'd-

A squeak made its way up her throat, but it was unable to escape as Iyuki's lips met hers. She was surprised, but it didn't take long for her to respond as he pushed them back to the couch.

He...He was happy again... That was good, if he was happy then she wasn't worried.

Iyuki finally pulled back after a few moments, smiling and laughing fully now. "Ah, I am so happy you love me so much as to accept this! You are the best my dearest, I love you..."

His eyes were twinkling as he leaned back down to nuzzle her cheek and then kiss it, utterly affectionate and sweet at her for such words. He had mourned his dignity and ability to hold back previously, so now he was free to act on his shining emotions.

"I love you too." Muika replied, unable to help a smile as he continued nuzzling her, kissing her cheek as he became more affectionate as moments passed. He was happy, that's what mattered.

E-Even if he was related to...Hibiki, what mattered was that he was happy. Though...

"...S-So long as you pay more attention to...to me than him..." She added, puffing out a cheek lightly as she blushed and averted her eyes, her arms having moved to wrap around his neck.

Muika was smiling and happy again and Iyuki's smile grew in return. He was just as pleased with her now as Otouto, though the young man would still feel his wrath on the morrow...

He moved to nuzzling her neck, giving her a few kisses there before moving back and then pulling away as she spoke so he could look at her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she...she was...pouting? Iyuki laughed and spoke, utterly serious eyes glittering despite his smile. "You are the most important person to me, the core of my heart. I will never give him ore attention than you, even on his birthday."

He then kissed her soundly and wondered if he should explain...why he had felt so attached to the young man while doing so... Muika might understand better then...

"G-Good." Muika was flustered by his words, but...but she had to respond to that! Once she'd gotten the word out though he'd kissed her again; not surprised like she had been last time, it didn't take her long to respond to it at all.

Kissing was rather nice but they were all in need of a wash and his pants were not very comfortable like this. Iyuki pulled away after a few moments, kissing both her cheeks, then her nose and then forehead before moving back and grinning.

"I say we shower and get dinner started, I can think about my new cousin later and see him tomorrow... We can talk some time possibly in a few days since my father and brother are coming out tomorrow evening as well, leaving me no time then." Iyuki was planning out the schedule in his head, attempting to figure out times and chances to meet with Hibiki that was not now...before giving up and turning his focus to his dearest. "Say, do you know why I feel...so attached to him?"

"Mm...Shower and then dinner's good..." They could do that, it seemed like a plan; they'd need one, and definitely before they ate.

Muika gave a small nod as Iyuki attempted to think of a schedule to talk to Hibiki, if his father and brother were coming tomorrow then there wouldn't be time...so in the next few days...

Mm?

Why...Why he was so attached to him?

"Mm..." She turned her head for a moment, averting her eyes to think, but in the end gave a small shake of her head.

Iyuki was pleased Muika agreed to the plan but seemed to have no clue as to the reasoning behind his affections. Holding his hand and arm out, he booped her nose lightly. "Because of you. You see... he had no one just as you didn't, though he was much better off due to Selena's help. However... he lacked anyone around him and was utterly alone. If...if someone had helped you when you had gotten out, I would hope it would have been better for you to not be so lonely..."

"I also would want, if say he was the one who had left before and you were his tracker... someone to be kind and help you along when you needed it. He had nothing familiar really, nothing to latch onto... Even if I was annoying him, I was someone to be around and someone to contact who could be there. For your sake, I would wish someone would do the same for you..." Iyuki smiled softly. "He also has a kind heart, hidden in there just like you I've come to learn and see. Even if he is... Otouto-like. But before I was thinking of how much you had needed help and wanted to make sure...he had someone... at least..."

Muika's eyes followed Iyuki's hand up until he booped her in the nose, giving a little noise in reaction as he did so before her attention went to his explanation.

That...

Her hands clenched slightly, and she averted her eyes. S-Similar...situations, yes... She could understand that, e-even if she was trying to not think those thoughts and understandings in relation to Hibiki, but...

"I-I don't think...I'm ever going...to be fully okay with him...f-for what he did, when all I wanted was to be left alone...but...but I can..tolerate...for you..." She replied, giving him the truth of the matter on her side.

She didn't know if...she'd ever be able to see Aito as "nice" but...she could tolerate, and she could...understand Iyuki's reasoning...

"I can understand that and I am sorry I push you two to get along better... Toleration is all I ask, eventually. Working towards it is fine... You both were forced to do miserable things and coped in your own ways, so I can not...blame him for his mannerisms unless I were to also blame you just as strongly." Iyuki's hand reached for her cheek, brushing away bangs and settling against it with a small smile.

"I wished you to know was all... and understand me a bit better. Thank you for trying so hard, all for me..."

"Mm...Welcome..." Muika gave a small nod; she could...understand his words, and like she'd said...she could...learn to tolerate. She would try to learn to tolerate...

She could understand his side of things, and wouldn't try to change his mind on any of it.

Tolerate... she could do that...

Iyuki leaned forward for one more kiss before hopping off of the couch and stretching. "Let us shower and then cook dinner, I may have to do one more final cleaning before the night is through just to catch any dust that may have gathered before my family arrives tomorrow."

His eyes scanned the room as if noting where the offending things may have gathered. How dare it settle in his house... He looked down to Muika after that though and held out his hand for her to take so he could lead them to washing...

Muika responded to the final kiss before Iyuki pulled away, moving to sit as he hopped off of the couch. The blanket slipped off of her as she took his hand and moved to stand, getting closer to him to hold his arm with her free hand.

Leaning her head slightly to his arm, she looked up to him, the lower half of her face hidden thanks to her positioning before she gave a small smile against him.

Bath, then dinner and then Iyuki could clean...

Iyuki nodded and leaned down to kiss Muika's head as she held onto him, smiling from how adorable she looked clinging to him like that. Now they just had to shower and everything would be quite nice, so the young man led Muika away.

------------

Iyuki today was laying face down on the couch. The color had drained from all his features, he was a man bereft of all comforts and joy in life. His sparkles, had been devoured.

Muika's words had comforted him yesterday, but today he had been shocked once more by Hibiki's healed appearance that his tolerance had become quite thin. He had also...noticed a large...hicky on her neck rather obviously placed...

That may or may not have contributed to his overreaction and subsequent beatdown by the young woman who he had not expected to wield such horrifying and deadly power... His sparkles eaten, his shift over, he had stumbled home in a daze to find Muika. Latching onto her was his only solace as he mumbled such incoherent words as "Sparkles...all gone..." and "D-Do not...make her angry...".

Instead he had moved to the couch almost fully dressed and collapsed there before Muika had come over and gotten him to cuddle her lap, still face down though. Luckily the Taiyaki had already been made or else he may get yelled at by his sister...

However his brother and father were due any second, yet the man could not move from his utter trauma.

Sparkles... She'd...?

Iyuki wasn't able to get much more out than that from what Muika had observed, and currently she was running her hands gently through his hair in attempt to comfort him. He...He wasn't hurt...at least, but...

Eventually, Muika was able to assume by "she" he meant Miyako. She guessed...something had happened at work, and whatever had happened...Iyuki had lost horribly.

How had Miyako...drained him like this?

Iyuki had been comforted, but gone utterly silent other than soft whimpers and whines every so often.

He didn't move or respond otherwise, even as a knock came at the door a firm one. The young man was dead to all, his bright shining light of life gone out, sucked into the depths of the deepest darkest black hole.

Hearing the knock, Muika looked towards the door before her eyes went back to Iyuki; for a bit, she'd need to get up...

"I-Iyuki, I'll be riiight back, promise..." She stated, carefully moving Iyuki's head off her lap so she could get off the couch for a bit to get the door.

She made quick steps over before answering the door, opening it for their guests.

"S-Sorry, that took a bit..." She'd needed to be careful about getting up so it'd taken a bit longer to answer...

Iyuki gave a muffled whimper, almost a nod, as he laid there. It would be fine, his sparkles would revive with time and tender love... His held tilted listlessly on the couch as Muika settled him there, eyes still closed.

As Muika opened the door, Fujio gave her a warm smile and tilted his head. "Hello Muika, it is perfectly fine. May we come in then?"

The shorter man was towered over by his stepson who shot Muika a large grin before he winced at the form of the man on the couch. Takuya gave the woman a sheepish grin. "Aah she got him too? That girl is scary when she gets annoyed. Hiya Lil Sister."

"H-Hi. M-Mm, of course." Muika replied, stepping aside for the two men to come inside and make themselves at home for now.

As they headed inside, she made her way to returning to the couch, just as Takuya spoke up...

...Got him too?

"Something about...sparkle...eating..." She replied; Takuya had apparently encountered this problem too? W...What even....

"Thank you." Fujio gave a nod as he stepped past Muika, Takuya following as he reached up and ruffled Muika's hair. It seems he'd decided to stop trying to charm her and instead treated her entirely like a baby sister.

He got to the couch before her though, shaking his head at the woman. "I got it, he's gonna be useless..."

"Ouch... Poor lil guy, he didn't stand a chance." Takuya sighed as he lifted Iyuki's head, giving the young man a thorough examination as he pulled a flashlight out and shined it in the unresponsive eyes. Iyuki just whined softly. Takuya moved to the couch after, pulling the younger man up and settling him against him as Iyuki curled like a hurt puppy against his brother. "What'd ya do? Try to steal her food?"

"..."

"Come on, can't be that bad...?"

"...Otouto...neck...hickey..."

"Huh?"

Fujio just ignored the pair after giving a shake of his head and a sigh, moving to sit at the dining room table. "Here, we can should talk here. He'll take care of his brother... I have some things to discuss with you both of importance first, but it seems my son lost his...sparkles to that friend of yours."

Muika hadn't expected the hair ruffling, but had stood still and accepted it nonetheless...her eyes followed Takuya to the couch where Iyuki still was; useless... well, he was completely out of it.

Since Takuya seemed to have things...under control, Muika headed towards the dining room where Fujio had gone to sit down. She sat down in one of the seats as well, though seemed confused about all this...sparkle eating stuff.

Tried to take her food? Otou...to... Hibiki? Neck hi-...Miyako...?

"I'm not...entirely sure what happened..."

Takuya shook his head, tilting his head back a bit to be heard better. "I tried to steal your...um friend? Her ice cream yesterday... She...she..."

The man shuddered and shook his head. "I don't know how but she...ate my sparkles. It drained me of energy much like a vampire and then I fell to the ground where she unsympathetically stepped on my face until that grumpy cousin of Iyuki's came in. And then she FED HIM the ice cream I WANTED. I was just trying to tease her and be flirty! It always works to break the ice!"

Takuya pouted and snuggled his baby brother, who did not protest one bit when normally he would. Instead Iyuki absorbed the man's sparkles and got some color back into himself. He took a breath, nodding a bit. "I too was felled by that dark power... I attempted to...to hit Otouto again. He had...there was a hickey on her neck and he had done the thing I had said not to do..."

He hoped Muika would get the hint, on Miyako healing Hibiki, but he wasn't sure of it. His voice was weak though, and he sighed as he fell back against Takuya who patted his head soothingly.

Fujio just stayed silent, amusement radiating from him as his hand came up to cover the smile. His...sons...

Miyako then...

Muika blinked, so Miyako had somehow sucked the joy out of them, well their typically bright atmosphere... H-How...well, she guessed there was no explanation that could really be given. S-Still though... M-Miyako...

"I-I see..."

Dark power...

Hibiki had left... Hearing Iyuki it was...quite obvious said hickey was probably there in attempt to bait him into hitting him. She...She couldn't entirely be upset with Iyuki in that regard, H-Hibiki was still his typical self it seemed...

He'd done the thing he'd told him not to do... Have Miyako heal him? Muika had to think on it, but...she didn't remember Iyuki warning them in his angered state not to heal the injuries...

"Mm..."