Aki did<span style="font-style: italic">not</span>expect such a violent, well not really, reaction from the kid. He had expected the confusion and the possibility of him knowing or figuring out what he said, but he did not expect him to try and storm away. Yes, try.<br/><br/>He took the one step between them as the kid turned around then gently wrapped his arms around the kid and pulled him back flush against himself. "I do not deny calling you short," he began his voice soft compared to the kid's moments ago raised voice, "but I did not mean it in a derogatory sense. Simply as a... cute fact because," He let his chin rest on the kid's head, "I'm pretty sure my lone female friend would agree that the sight of us like this is cute." He used to have a female friend back in Japan, but they didn't have the time to correspond much between their own studies and such. But she was one of those otaku, yaoi-lover people. She would have pulled out her camera and been snapping pictures with the flash almost causing permanent blindness.<br/><br/>"Will you calm down and take it as a complement from me, hmm?" He finally asked once out of memory lane and nightmares.<br/><br/>He actually had to bend slightly to rest his chin on the kid's head, so when he asked his last question he straightened out and just looked down at the kid's ball cap wondering if he would look back and let him see his blue eyes.