Buzz. BUZZ. BUZZ!
Akuma rolled over, feeling the perfect numbness of sleep replaced by a throbbing and impetuous headache. Who was awake at ten o'clock on a Sunday? He grabbed his phone and checked the contact name. Fuck.
"Oh fuck..." he groaned, pressing the button to answer. He knew that if he hung up or ignored that he'd just keep calling.
"Hello Nii-sama," came a far-too-happy voice on the other end.
"I should've known that when I woke up with a headache the source would be you, ototo-chan," Akuma sighed, clamping a hand over his forehead and pushing the hair up.
"What do you want anyway?"
"You're coming to Queensbury to visit our parents for the weekend. You haven't seen them in two years Nii-sama, it's not fair on them you're a grouch," his younger brother Gaichu answered huffily. He wasn't going to let his parents be disappointed by Akuma a third year in a row.
"How about no?" Akuma growled, taking the phone away from his ear. A string of curses from his ototo began, and rang through the room despite speaker phone being off.
"You're not going to shut up unless I come are you?" Akuma sighed, knowing how persistent Gaichu could be.
"Look, I'll come as long as you don't make me pretend like I want to be there,"
"Deal," was the immediate response
"But I'm bringing Katie and I told our parents you were bringing your boyfriend. So don't disappoint them, mkay?"
"You told them what?!" But Gaichu had already hung up. Akuma pushed his hair back behind his ears and got up, shrugging into boxers, skinny jeans and a shirt then packing spare underwear. He added some kohl to define his eyes and debated whether to call his lov- boyfriend!- or not. He decided that another phone call this early would make him insane and poured himself a cup of Camomile tea before walking to his boyfriend's house.
When he knocked on Kaiko's door, he was surprised when it was opened immediately and his innocent stood in a light blue dress shirt, beige khakis and carrying a brown duffel bag. He'd dyed the front of his blonde hair purple. Kaiko gave his boyfriend a small, innocent smile.
"Good morning Akuma-kun. Your ototo called me and told me about the trip. He didn't trust you to actually come get me," Kaiko explained as if this was the most normal occurrence in the world. Well, in their relationship it was. It was funny to Kaiko how everyone seemed to irritate Akuma just by existing.
"Bastard..." Akuma snarled before turning back to Kaiko.
"Well come on or we'll miss the bus,"
The couple walked side by side, Akuma hunched over smoking a cigarette with his ever-present frown and Kaiko clutched to his arm, smiling happily and almost skipping to the bus stop.
*
Ding dong.
Akuma rang the doorbell to his parent's house and put a painfully strained smile on his face as the elderly couple opened the door. The were both far smaller than Akuma and neither one had brown hair like his. Or green eyes, Kaiko noticed. They were both tanned whilst Akuma was pale, and both were stout whilst Akuma was lean.
"Good to see you, otosan and mother," Akuma greeted, sarcasm and falseness dripping from his every syllable. The elderly couple didn't seem to notice and led the couple in for tea. The couple walked in and saw Gaichu and a seemingly American girl called Katie, who had large eyes and long wavy dark hair. Gaichu looked more like his parents. Small with brown eyes and black hair. He was of average build and nodded dutifully to Akuma, who ignored him and raided the fridge for wine.
Over dinner Akuma's parents talked about how happy they were that their son was dating a respectable man and sharing stories about Akuma and Gaichu's childhood. Kaiko noticed that Gaichu's stories went to birth, and Akuma's stories only began at the age of eight.
Akuma sat at the table on the verge of attacking someone, almost ripping out tufts of hair in frustration as his dear ototo and parents and boyfriend shared their happinesses. He glanced at Katie who was having an equally awkward time. They shared a sympathetic look toward the other and somehow both kept their composure throughout the dinner.
Kaiko and Akuma had to sleep in Akuma's old room. It had purple walls with black satin bedsheets, a small wardrobe and a VHS player in the corner hooked up to a small television. Kaiko had glanced in Gaichu's room and seen way more cool stuff. Akuma threw his luggage down and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Sorry you had to come here. Was it as boring as you thought, Kaiko-kun?" Akuma chuckled half-heartedly. Kaiko put his hands on his hips in a stern manner and Akuma recognised his mistake. They were alone now and that meant-