Hello, my fellow writers and fanfiction readers. My name is Aquila Falcon, and this is my first story that I'm publishing onto the site. I've been watching KHR since the beginning and reading it word for word, panel for panel. I've enjoyed watching Amano-san's style improve and her characters grow. I've wanted to make a story that honors the spirit of KHR! but at the same time shows my style as an author. So I made this.
Title: Bad Luck!
Summary: Hibari Nadeshiko has been eclipsed by his elder brother's shadow for as long as he can remember. As a gambler, he uses his wits and his gift of reading the emotions of others to get by and boost his own confidence. After a particularly testy battle with Hibari, he is offered a place in the Vongola alongside his companions. However, Nadeshiko has been dealt a prescribed hand of cards. He cannot add, he cannot throw away, he cannot trade in his hand. He has lost all the luck. All of it.
Pairings: OC x OC, yet it doesn't serve as the focus.
Warnings: Foul language for Zengi Naderu's potty mouth (and to an extent, Nadeshiko's.)
Disclaimer: I do not own KHR. KHR belongs to Akira Amano and all other affiliated parties.
There's nothing in life that cannot be put on a table for all its worth. Wealth, cars, countries, human lives—everything can be at stake during a card game. There is Crazy Eights, Bridge, and Spades. However, the game that Hibari Nadeshiko found most engaging was Poker.
Being a self-proclaimed "Poker Face Enthusiast," Nadeshiko found himself pulling his opponents apart by registering subtle facial contortions, subconscious habits of whimsy, and the flaring of nostrils at the climax of the game. He kept his own expression stoic, though; a trait that he prefected—perfected—while living in the Hibari household for a short time as a child. Nadeshiko and Kyoya never really "hit it off" as standard conventions dictate. Rather, they tolerated each other until Nadeshiko brought it upon himself to leave. After that, it was safe to say that the two hated each other and that reconciliation was an event left to be determined.
Nadeshiko pushed that cumbersome ass out of his mind and focused on shuffling the cards that were suddenly set in front of him. The event described only a few short sentences before was, of course, not explicitly explained verbatim. It was a complex web of subtle proceedings that dictated the disassembling of the Hibari household, much like a round table of six faces all twitching and flushing during a game of Poker that gave away losing hands. Nadeshiko split the deck, letting the cards in his left hand fall casually into his right. He peered at his challengers through messy black bangs. A purposed mafia boss and five of his lackeys; they weren't the most challenging people that he had ever faced. His most challenging game would have had to have been when he won his grumpy lewdly-tagged angel who was currently occupying the bed in his room upstairs. He always held games in the basement, where she wouldn't have to be subjected to the dark world of gambling.
Nadeshiko slammed the shuffled cards on the table, pushing the stack of red backed cards down the middle of the tacky green felt table towards his golden haired challenger. Determined chocolate-hued eyes stared back into Nadeshiko's steel blue orbs before splitting the deck in half, placing the right half over the left. The man used his tattooed arm to push the stack of cards back to Nadeshiko. The young male mussed his feathery black locks that fell in an annoyingly similar way to Hibari's and adjusted his goggles so that his bangs were pushed out of his face.
"What are we playing for, gentlemen?" Nadeshiko purred as per habit. It always seemed to add the air of authenticity to his ramshackle basement, taking away the fact that they were all sitting on emptied fruit boxes and that the table was a jilted wobbly table that Nadeshiko stole from a yard sale, hosed down, and tossed a heavy green blanket over. They weren't even in a basement; they were in Nadeshiko's kitchen that had candles lit for mood lighting.
"Information and a proposition devised with you in mind." Nadeshiko raised an eyebrow; it was rare that any propositions were "devised with him in mind." It sounded interesting.
"Is the proposition game relevant or not?"
"Not. You'll be offered the proposition at any rate, regardless of if either of us win or not." Nadeshiko looked around the table; it was five against one. Not that Nadeshiko minded. He had faced greater odds.
"Okay—wait." Nadeshiko thought he heard a pair of small feet padding across the wood paneling of his apartment. Oh, shit, he did. "Oh shit. Wait." On his way out of the kitchen, Nadeshiko blew out a candle that was dangerously close to the paper doilies that were made for décor's sake.
Nadeshiko slid the door closed that led into the kitchen and stared down the dark hallway towards the living room. Sure enough, his ward was curled up on the couch with a body pillow, her ochre colored locks mussed every which way. Her bangs were pinned away from her face, fully revealing the enormity of her forehead—a trait that Nadeshiko teased her about almost all the time when the forehead was visible. Her black eyes were wide open, leading Nadeshiko to come to the conclusion that she had had a night terror. He padded over to the couch and took a seat at the girl's feet, immediately reaching to stroke her hair. She was such a small and crippled thing when she was awakened out of a peaceful slumber; like an angel disturbed…
"You fucking pervert! You just want to touch me, don't you?" Did Nadeshiko think of her as an angel? He wouldn't be surprised if she woke her own damn self up; she was a living night terror…only she thrived during the day as well. "What are you doing up, anyway? We have a lot planned tomorrow and you're still up; probably watching fucking porn or something. Is that what you do; watch porn while I'm sleeping?"
"Shush, derisive dwarf of mine. You need your beauty rest; no use being flat and cranky forever, right?"
"Excuse me?" Nadeshiko turned away from his ward, lacing his arms behind his head.
"Well, and I mean this in the most subjective way possible, but maybe if you developed a bit more, people would be more attracted to your body than to your repulsive personality."
"Fuck you; like you're some god damn poster child for integrity! You're worse than I am, you shitty snarky kid!"
"I find it amusing that you can fit a curse word into every sentence, Naderu." Nadeshiko yawned, waving the young girl off. "Much less call me a kid."
"Fuck you." The small girl hugged her pillow tight to her chest and then stood up from the couch, heading towards her room.
"I hope that I've effectively chased away your night terrors, you lewdly named girl!" Nadeshiko yelled in a joking manner.
"I'd rather dream about getting eaten by spiders than have you chasing away anything that pertains to me!" Then the door to his room slammed shut. Nadeshiko slid into the kitchen and took his place at the ramshackle poker table without saying a word. He picked up the cards and started to deal.
"So…"
"I would prefer not to talk about it, Mr. Cavallone." Nadeshiko finished dealing and placed the remaining deck on the tabletop.
"Please; Mr. Cavallone is my father. Dino is fine."
"Where'd you pull that line from? One of your old Italian movies?"Nadeshiko watched the first of Dino's underlings, one Romario, draw a card and discard a two of hearts.
"It just came to mind." Dino amicably answered. "I feel pretty funny playing poker in a kitchen."
"Welcome to my world." Nadeshiko watched another of Dino's underlings discard a two of spades. Nadeshiko peered down at his own hand; three of a kind already. He had a seven of hearts, a seven of spades, and a seven of clubs. He scanned the faces of the men sitting around him. Dino seemed to be the only one who had any inkling of what a composed Poker Face looked like. His underlings looked distraught; confused.
The first hand continued with Nadeshiko, of course, winning. The second hand begun with Dino and Romario starting off strong, yet Nadeshiko made a comeback with a full house; two kings and three fives. The third hand was Nadeshiko's win without reservation; Dino had only gotten a high hand while Nadeshiko had procured a four of a kind; four queens in a row. By the fourth game, Nadeshiko had noticed that he was not playing a table, but playing a singular man. During his games, he had been careful to examine everyone's faces behind the veil of his hair and his cards. Dino's comrades came along to be the distractions. Their faces were too distraught, too flushed, and too rehearsed. They knew that they were dealing with a person who could sense discomfort and the inevitable defeat of his victims. Not to brag, but Nadeshiko had gotten around; his deck was pretty reputable. Nadeshiko knew by the fourth game that he was playing Dino, the man who was staying surprisingly cool when he was in hot water.
"Royal flush."
"Impressive. Three of a kind." The game was set for best out of five, so Nadeshiko still had his victory sealed. Letting his opponent win was a courtesy that he granted as a master player.
"I think that I should put something down on the table since we're so close to the end." Dino fished into his pocket and pulled out a stunning silver ring. The half crest that adorned the ring had the infinity symbol engraved into it, the top of the crest having three miniature seashells carved into it. Dino also put a stack of bills on the table, but that was irrelevant to Nadeshiko. The ring was beautiful; dazzling. A dull ache began to pester him, the sensation running down his fingertips and into his right arm. "This will be our all-or-nothing game."
"…they say you know a man by two things. How he plays cards and what he's willing to give up. I'll take you up on your offer." Nadeshiko had nothing to offer, so he did not put anything on the table…nothing but his pair of goggles. He didn't really like them anyway.
"Let the games begin, eh?"
"So now you're Canadian? Make up your mind."
Dino's subordinates rose from the table, standing behind their boss as he faced off with the young poker demon. Nadeshiko kept his wits about him, taking cards and surrendering cards in a methodical fashion. Nadeshiko wondered if he had a possibility of winning. He looked up at Dino's subordinates and was content with their worried expressions. He looked to the right of Dino and saw that his brown haired subordinate was tugging at his collar. Dino nudged the man's leg with his elbow, receiving another collar pull in return. That was a sign to fold; all five of the men looked nervous.
"I-I'll fold." Dino placed his hand right side up, showing Nadeshiko what he had been working with. A four of a kind; that was a very good hand. Nadeshiko stared down at his hand and stifled a grin before the hint of it could be seen on his face. He had gotten a straight flush; just his luck, too. Any less and he would have lost.
"Good on you." Nadeshiko gathered his treasures while laying his hand out for all present to see. He slid the bills in his pocket and slipped the silver ring around his thin finger. It picked up the soft candle light that filled the kitchen and gleamed attractively. "Wow, is this real silver?"
"As real as silver can get. I was directed by an anonymous donor to give it to you." Dino explained to the boy. Nadeshiko leaned back on his wrists and frowned. "Anonymous donor, huh? How interesting. I do have a lot of enemies; maybe it's set to open the lock to some otherworldly bomb or something."
"I'm not entirely sure myself. The donor explained nothing to me. I was just told that it was to get to you."
Nadeshiko nodded and stood up from the table. He moved systematically around the kitchen, blowing the dwindling candles out with smooth, drawn out exhales. Dino stood up as well, taking the chance to examine Nadeshiko in the darkness. Nadeshiko felt uncomfortable with Dino's scrutiny; providing that he had met him, his mind was probably organizing many questions and thoughts pertaining to countenance, character, astuteness, site, bloodthirstiness, combat skill, callousness, crudity, et cetera. Nadeshiko slid the kitchen door open with a glance towards the front door. Dino stared at Nadeshiko for a small while longer, the inquiry of his brown eyes becoming more concentrated. Nadeshiko refused to fidget beneath Dino's gaze. The principles of poker applied to any situation, and in this case, the duel was psychological.
"Are you related to Kyoya?" Dino questioned.
"What was your first clue; now get the fuck out."
Nadeshiko placed his hands against Dino's side and started to shove the male out of his home. The flaxen haired mafia boss had intruded on his personal life long enough. Poker games were never supposed to last outside the deck wreathed in red. If Dino wanted to pry, he could do it over a good game of poker where Nadeshiko wouldn't be predisposed to snapping at him. Being careful not to wake the slumbering girl in the rear room, Nadeshiko guided Dino towards the front door. He shoved the taller blonde out of the door and onto the patio that led to the staircase. Apparently Nadeshiko had pushed the man too hard, for he slammed into the railing with a barely suppressed grunt. That caused the door to the right of Nadeshiko's to open and reveal a disgruntled male with mussed silver hair. Nadeshiko didn't bother to restrain his snort of contempt for the prying teen.
"Can't you fucking keep it down?"
"Fuck you, Gokudera, go to hell." Nadeshiko snarled. Gokudera slid a pair of glasses from the collar of his white tee and put them onto his face. He regarded Dino with a wide pair of eyes and a scowl; two completely contradictory facial expressions that Gokudera somehow pulled off.
"Bucking Bronco? What the hell are you doing here?"
"Nadeshiko and I played a friendly card game." Dino claimed with a smile.
"Tch. Whatever. Just keep it down, asshole."
"Go drink some warm milk or something and go away." Nadeshiko snidely commented.
"Go to hell."
Dino and his men had retreated down the stairs while the two teen boys argued. Nadeshiko and Gokudera had clashed ever since Nadeshiko moved in next to him with Naderu in tow. Nadeshiko never understood what Gokudera's problem was with his existence. He just kept his distance although they attended the same school. Come to think of it, Nadeshiko kept his distance from almost everyone. Being the brother of the head prefect caused most of Nadeshiko's peers to keep their distance, no matter the filial detachment the two males subjected themselves to. Nadeshiko and Gokudera both retreated into their respective apartments, slamming their doors closed behind them.
Nadeshiko was met with an abysmally black apartment. Using the tips of his toes to canvas the layout of his living room, he carefully maneuvered around his rough-edged coffee table and light stands that stood beside his loveseat. He then made a straight trip down the long hallway that led to his bathroom. Of course, he stopped in the guest bathroom and took an obligatory before-bed potty break. He flushed and walked into his room quietly with regards to the slumbering girl on his bed. He saw his laptop's screen flashing impatiently, casting his silhouette against the farthest wall. Nadeshiko sat down at his desk and saw that someone was sending him an instant message. OmnipotentAlpha was a consistent element in Nadeshiko's internet life; someone or something that had wriggled into his list of friends and had refused to relinquish its grip. It wasn't like Nadeshiko wanted the someone or something to leave him at all; they were quite interesting…if not a bit on the neurotic side.
{PedanticPenultimate has been contacted by OmnipotentAlpha.
PP: you do know what time it is where I am right? or is it that you dont really care?
OA: Fufu. Of course I care, PP-kun. It's just that today is really important for me!
PP: did you finally take over the world or whatever drabble you always spout when you log on? really your whole convoluted im-in-different-circles thing is really starting to get on my nerves. what is it like a story or something? do you start having lucid dreams or something and thats what the fuck youre talking about all the time?
OA: It's true! I saw you; I know I did. You were dressed in all blue, riding atop a shimmering white panther. You looked so noble, and—
PP: what the fuck white panthers dont exist panthers are only black
OA: Well, then it was a white…cat. A big white cat.
PP: did it have stripes? was it a tiger?
OA: Nope!
PP: leave me alone
OA: You seem to be in a bad mood…
PP: not in a bad mood necessarily just tired. i finished a poker game and got some good ass loot. i suppose that i can take a picture and show you later. i just got a ring and shit nothing special really.
OA: You really should show me tomorrow! I know it's nighttime where you are, so get a good night's sleep, PP-kun!
OmnipotentAlpha begrudgingly left PedanticPenultimate alone.}
Nadeshiko closed his laptop and stood up from his desk. With a heavy exhale, he slid into his divan next to the tiny curled up body of his ward, Naderu. He placed his large hand over her tiny one and reveled comfortably in her messy nest of hair. Her body although diminutive was warm and inviting to Nadeshiko's aching limbs.
"Good night, Nadeshiko."
It was at times like these where Nadeshiko wished that he could cast a spell on Naderu and keep her in a constant drowsy haze. She was much more bearable that way.
How did you like it? I don't particularly intend on begging for reviews, but I would enjoy reviews just to see what I need to improve upon or what I'm doing right. So if you're reading this, thank you for taking the time out of your day to enjoy this chapter.
*Zengi means "the Labia" and Naderu means "To Stroke." Her name is a sexual pun, which is why Nadeshiko says she's lewdly tagged.
*Speaking of name puns, the name "Nadeshiko" classically is partnered with the name "Yamato." "Yamato Nadeshiko" is used to give a name to the idea of a traditional Japanese woman. "Nadeshiko" also means "Large Pink," a flower that grows in high altitudes in Japan.
R&R, and until next time, readers.
xAF