Hi. I cried while writing this. TW (kinda) for divorce I guess

"Come on. Can't you just tell us?" Hikaru asked. "What's the big deal anyway?"

"Yeah, I mean, if you're gonna wear them every day, don't we deserve to know why?" Kaoru added.

"No," Daichi answered bluntly, settling into Kyoya's arms on the sofa. "Senpai. Tell them?"

"If you're certain, puppy?" Kyoya asked. Daichi nodded. The other adjusted his glasses and looked round at the room of hosts. "Alright, everyone, since Daichi has told this story to me and he's mot much for talking, I'll tell it this time. Forgive me if I leave out anything."

Daichi pat his hand, and Kyoya started.

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Kyoya's POV

Daichi was ten years old. His mother still lived with him then, so did his older brother, Daisuke.

"Wait, what? Daichi had a brother?" Haruhi interrupted.

"He still does. He's just graduated. Now no interrupting, Haruhi."

"Sorry, senpai."

Right, so. It was some random day in the school year, but Daichi wasn't looking forward to it. The night before news had broken out about the divorce.

"Oh my god," Tamaki muttered. To think he and I had been students in the same class as Daichi at this time. We had known. We did nothing.

He just knew the whole school would be ablaze with rumors and snide remarks.

He purposefully went to his first class just before the bell rang so he wouldn't have to talk to anyone. The second he sat down, whispers surrounded him. The entire day he couldn't escape from them.

They called his mother a slack, a money-whore, and much more terrible things.

When he got home, he went straight to his room. He ignored the staff, his brother, his father, everyone.

Honey was holding onto Mori tightly. Haruhi's eyes were already shining.

His room was on the second story. He was almost there, nearly running to reach his door when a voice stopped him.

"Daichi. My sweet boy. I'm leaving today."

"No?"

"Seriously?"

Hikaru and Kaoru were closer than they had been when the story started only a few minutes ago.

Daichi turned around, his heart dropping. His mom was only a few feet away. She walked over to him and hugged him.

Daichi started crying.

"You can't do this to me, mom," he exclaimed. "You can't! You can't leave me with him. Please, let me come with you. Please, mom, you can't just leave me behind."

But she didn't do as asked. She said that Mr. Akiyama had paid off the judge in his favor, and there was no way she'd ever come up with enough to buy Daichi back.

"But I want to go with you, mom! I love you, not dad. Doesn't that matter? Doesn't it matter that I love you? Does it matter what I want?"

His mother pulled away from her son and looked him dead in the eye. "It does. My sweet boy, it matters completely. When you're older, what you want matters. You get to run your own life. You can make your own decisions, but Daichi... You're so little now. You have to let the adults make decisions."

That evening, she took the last of her things and left. Daichi has only seen her once since then.

The next day, he asked his brother Daisuke to take him to the store.

They went to a pet store.

Daichi bought himself a plain black collar, big enough to go around his neck. Once they were out of the store, he put it on.

"What's it for?" Daisuke asked.

"No one owns my life but me. And when I'm old enough, I'm gonna make my own decisions, and I'm gonna see mom again."

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3rd POV

Daichi had sunken deeper into Kyoya throughout the story. His friends all stared at him with horror, despair, and even guilt.

"Daichi," said Tamaki softly. "I can't believe we didn't know. I always thought it was just a little quirk. To know it means so much to you... I'm sorry, Daichi."

The others all made noises of agreement, and Daichi smiled softly.

"S'okay," he said, intertwining his fingers with Kyoya's. He looked at their hands as he spoke, not wanting to see their faces. "Was years a-ago 'n' I saw m-mom too."

"When?" Honey asked innocently.

Daichi looked at Kyoya with scrunched eyes, trying to remember. "Two summers ago," Kyoya answered. "In June. It was the only day she could spare, but it was good for them."

Finally, Daichi sniffed. His head was hanging low so no one could very clearly see his eyes, but Kyoya knew immediately how to handle the situation.

"If you all don't mind, I think it's time we head home. Please, excuse us."

They said goodbye, and Kyoya and Daichi made it to the limousine outside.

Daichi hugged Kyoya's side, unwilling to let go. "You know, you didn't have to tell them if you didn't want to."

"Know, but — w-wanted to. My-y friends."

Kyoya kissed the top of Daichi's head and held him tighter.