Daitan had always known that eventually things would come to blows between himself and his father. He'd tried since he first came out to his family to avoid confrontation with his father as much as he could to try to keep things from reaching that level. He didn't do this for himself, because he really didn't care what happened between himself and his father since he'd made his first ignorant comment. He did it for his mother and his sisters. He did it for the man he loved, his best friend, Kamoku. Now he stood staring in disbelief at his father as his best friend tugged urgently on his arm, speaking rapidly in his ear, franticly begging him to leave. Daitan barely heard the younger man as he lifted his hand to the stinging on his cheek.

  "You bastard, you finally did it, you finally hit me. Does that make you feel better? Does it make you more of a man?"

  "What the hell would you know about being a man you little punk? You should listen to your little girlfriend there and just get the fuck out of here. I told you before your little fag friends aren't welcome in my home. I only put up with your pansy ass because of your mother and sisters. The sight of you makes me sick."

  Daitan watches as his father's attention shifts from him to Kamoku and stiffens in anticipation of what was about to happen. "You know, I bet your parents didn't die in a plane crash like you were told. I bet they killed themselves in shame of what they brought into this world. They were ashamed of their son," he pauses here and shifts his gaze back to his own son, "much as I'm ashamed of mine."

  Daitan barely hears the shocked and hurt gasp from behind him. He jerks as if he'd been hit again, rage boiling over from his father's comments. He jerks his arm out of Kamoku's grasp and strides across the room to stand toe to toe with his father, glaring into the older man's face, body shaking with barely controlled rage. "Insulting me is one thing," he begins, voice calm and oh so cold, "but I will not let you spew your garbage to or about Kamoku. He's done nothing to you and doesn't deserve your narrow minded hatred. The next time you open your mouth and say anything I think is even remotely insulting about Kamoku, it will be the last thing you ever say, do you understand me you old bastard?"

  Without waiting for a reply, Daitan turns and strides back across the room, taking hold of Kamoku's arm and leading him from the room. He pauses at the door to turn and give his father one last hate filled look. "And just so you know, you son of a bitch, Kamoku is more of a man than you'll ever be."

  Daitan stands and watches the color rise in his father's face as he closes the door, cutting off any further invectives. He stands staring at the closed doors for several minutes, trying to collect himself. When the rage fades enough for him to be able to move without fear of running back into the room and carrying out the threat he'd made to his father, Daitan turns and takes Kamoku's hand and heads down the hall. He ignores the calls of his younger sister as she tries to stop him. The sound of his mother crying in the next room was almost enough to stop him, but it's at that moment that Kamoku gives his hand a reassuring squeeze, reminding Daitan of everything that has just happened, as if he could honestly ever forget. He glances back over his shoulder at Kamoku, trying to give him a reassuring look, but he knows he just can't quite make it. Instead he shakes his head and hurries out the front door. When they get to his car he stops and stares at it for several moments, feeling himself beginning to shake again with barely contained emotion. Glancing up, he finds Kamoku looking at him with concern. He hands the younger man the keys then moves around, climbing into the passenger side of the car.

  Lost in a tangle of unpleasant emotion, the trip home passes by without Daitan even being aware of it. When his door opens suddenly, Daitan jumps and turns his head to look up at Kamoku standing there. The look on the younger man's face makes him feel mildly guilty; he looked nervous and extremely worried. Climbing out of the car, Daitan sighs and reaches out to squeeze Kamoku's shoulder before he walks past him and into his house. He moves into the living room and sits on the couch. He stays there for only a few heartbeats before he gets up and begins to pace in a tight circle through the room. When Kamoku steps in and stands looking at him in concern, Daitan stops. He takes a deep breath and lets it out in a sigh.

  "Dai? Are you ok? You never said a word the whole ride back here, then you just sat in the car glaring at the glove compartment for five minutes after we got here. I kept calling your name, but you never seemed to hear me. I didn't know what I was going to do."

  "Ah, Kam, I'm sorry. I'm just so pissed at that stupid bastard... I guess in my attempt to keep from taking that rage out on you, or anyone else unlucky enough to draw my attention, I turned too far into myself. I didn't mean to worry you. I'm sorry."

  Kamoku shifts his weight from one foot to the other, watching Daitan and not looking any less concerned. "It's ok, really. I understand. And you don't need to apologize to me."

  Daitan sighs and walks across the room to stand in front of his best friend, smiling weakly at the younger man. "Someone should, and because that ignorant bastard that fathered me isn't going to, I guess that leaves it to me. I'm sorry I took you into the middle of that. I honestly didn't think he was going to be there today."

  Kamoku shakes his head stubbornly and crosses his arms over his chest. "It's not your place to apologize for his ignorance. You did nothing wrong, therefor you don't need to apologize. You can't live your life thinking that you can make up for your cruel father. Daitan, you can't, and I wish you wouldn't try. Your life is hard enough all on its own without you adding to it."

  Daitan laughs slightly and shakes his head. He's silent for a few moments then laughs again, this time a little hysterically. He shakes his head a little harder then lets go of everything he'd been holding in since he'd walked out of his father's study. Body shaking, he sinks slowly to his knees, screaming his rage and his pain, helpless under the onslaught of emotion. Without him even being aware of it, Daitan's hysterical laughter turns to choking sobs. When Kamoku drops down to the floor in front of him and gathers Daitan into his arms, he finally lets go of the pain he'd been holding in him since the day his father disowned him for being gay. Clinging to Kamoku as if he were the only bit of safety in the storm that seemed to be raging through him, Daitan cries, occasionally gasping between sobs, "God, he hates me, he really hates me."

  As the pain at last begins to ease out of him, loosening the band around his heart, Daitan slowly relaxes, his tears quieting gradually, but still he clings to Kamoku, letting the younger man comfort him. After several minutes, Daitan lifts his head and looks up into Kamoku's eyes though he doesn't let his friend go, a small part of him afraid he'd become lost in the rage of emotion again if he let go. There were tears drying on Kamoku's face, a silent testimony of Kamoku's pain for his hurting friend. Daitan tries a smile, and the relief he sees in Kamoku's eyes tells him that he managed one good enough to ease his friend's worries. With great reluctance he slowly eases back, letting go of Kamoku, but to his surprise, his younger friend continues to hold onto him tightly.

  "I want you to listen to me Daitan, and never forget what I am about to tell you." Daitan glances up at Kamoku and nods when he pauses. "Your mother loves you. Your sisters love you. And more than anything else, I love you. There's no room in your heart and in your life for the hatred of that man. You let it go and don't give it a second thought. He doesn't deserve to have your thoughts, or to have you as part of his life. Don't give him the pleasure of knowing that his hatred has wounded you. Do you understand me?"

  Daitan blinks up at his suddenly strong friend and feels a last tear trickle down his cheek. Unable to speak at first, he only nods until he can clear the lump that had grown in his throat. "Thank you, Kamoku. You don't know just how much that means to me, to know that you love me."

  Kamoku gives one of his bright, but lopsided smiles and shrugs, letting go with one arm long enough to push his glasses up his nose, a familiar gesture that made Daitan's heart ache with love previously unrequited. "Of course I love you. I've always loved you I think. I'm sorry you didn't know that. I'm sorry I gave you reason to doubt."

  Daitan can only smile as his heart leaps in his chest, straining to break free as joy floods him. Leaning forward, he wraps his arms around the younger male and lays his head on his shoulder, sighing shakily. He knew in that moment that though his father's hate might wound him, Kamoku's love would heal him. Completely.