Warning: polyamory background pairing
Chapter One - Wind Beneath Wings
Niwa Daisuke was no ordinary boy.
He was a thief.
According to his family, it was a matter of life and death and tradition. They were required to steal away artifacts from famous and mysterious families (most from their arch enemies, the Hikari family) and purified them to make sure the magic inside didn't go insane and continuously curse people.
One of these days, Niwa Daisuke was going to kill Dark, even if that meant smothering himself with the thickest pillows possible, especially since it was seven in the morning on a Saturday.
His other ego was smart and useful, but he was also a flirtatious jer and kept more secrets for his own good than anyone else's.
At least today was because he didn't want to get up on a rare Saturday and not because he was messing with his lackluster love life.
Which, now that he had thought about it, was also acting weird. Riku-san was getting busier again with sports. It was actually kind of… disheartening. But then she was also his friend, like her sister. All of this was so confusing and awkward. And he was fourteen.
Maybe I don't just like girls, he joked to himself, forcing his jeans on. This was summer vacation. He didn't really want to do much of anything other than draw and find his parents' old camera.
You wouldn't be the first, your great-great-great grandparents only got together to continue the line then bopped off with whomever it was. He could almost see Dark rolling his eyes. Though you're the only one with an inclination for tragedy-prone angels.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
Course you don't. Because you're a dunce with the ways of romance and good looking anything. Heck, I went with a few guys in my time. Drove my host off the rails.
Why was he even thinking about this? What are we going outside for today anyway? It was better than thinking about the curse he couldn't fix anyway, especially if he'd suddenly found an inclination towards men and this curse was meant for maidens.
There was something inherently sexist about that. Somewhere.
Not sure to be honest. Emiko will know, she usually does. It's probably a rare, non-Hikari artifact. Those get some nasty magic done on them.
Why? Daisuke was in the middle of attempting to detangle his hair, giving the red locks a glare in the mirror. He was going to be visible enough as it was with purple.
Sadly enough, the Hikari family is actually competent in their own right. He could hear Dark yawning as he spoke. Their works all gained feeling and shape and the like of their own, sure, but the magic they put in in the first place is no slouch. They're the real thing. Most families just can't compare. So those people just pick the worst curses or spells they can and use them, or the most powerful. They just don't have the confidence.
Daisuke made a face as he made it to the table. Should we really be getting our hands on it then? We might not be able to put it to sleep.
We're the only ones who can.
That's almost noble of you.
Hey! Even thieves have a code of honor. Besides, like calls to like, right?
Daisuke rolled his eyes and began to eat. His mother was all smiles while his grandfather was nowhere to be found. Likely with Dad. Hopefully, his dad was feeling alright. For some reason, heists always took a lot out of him.
"Any extra classes today, Dai-chan?" His mother was singsong in her excitement. A heist always made her strangely giddy, at least so long as it went well. Dark could remind him of every time they went wrong and she lost it.
"Just two, then I'm going up to try a new painting." Daisuke paused. "I have time… right?"
His mother bobbed her head eagerly. "Most definitely. You may even be able to sneak in some time with Riku-chan if you want!"
Daisuke's face throbbed pink. "Mom…" He didn't want to say anything to that… Things were awkward enough as it is.
You could at least pick a better guy personality wise.
Shut up, Dark.
That's the argument of someone who's lost.
And you'd know!
Six teenagers, much like Niwa Daisuke, were sitting inside one large RV, much unlike Niwa Daisuke. The trip home had been long, and at this point, most of them had been reduced to using their phones for entertainment on their way back to their current home.
"Today, I will come to steal the Fairy Tale Key."
Kouji was examining the news video over and over on his phone, skepticism narrowing his blue eyes into slits. "Do they get paid for this?"
"Tomoki, hit him, I'm near the fan," Takuya groaned. "His thinking is making the temperature go up."
"You're the warrior of flame, you should be used to it," Tomoki said, taking a bite of his ice cream. Everyone's eyes, barring Kouichi who was the only one they trusted with an RV, and not for the first time, goggled at him. He grinned.
Five years had changed them all, and there was something to be said for how much everything had done for the once bullied Himi Tomoki. He had no fear.
"You're the warrior of ice, you should have chipped in for the AC on this thing," Takuya shot back.
"Both of you shut up," Izumi ordered from her place on the couch. "Or I'll tell Junpei to sit on you. Even you, Tomoki."
"With his muscular behind," Kouichi agreed from his spot at the wheel. "Why did we have to come back today anyway?"
"So the lacrosse team doesn't kill Tomoki for missing practice." Junpei turned the page of his magazine. "Why am I being used as a torture device?"
"It's hardly a torture device if we appreciate it," Izumi offered.
The entire group shared a laugh. Then Tomoki made a face. "I'm too young for this romantic talk."
"You just keep telling yourself that." Takuya rolled over. "Seriously how much further, Kouichi?"
"Give me a break, these streets are smaller than your attention span."
"Oh, thanks!"
The RV was full of snickering laughter. Takuya mimed throwing his sock at Kouichi but instead chucked it to land on Kouji's phone. Kouji immediately dropped it, muttering drowned out by Takuya's cackling.
"Seriously you should have seen that coming." Junpei repositioned himself by the kitchenette. "You're probably running up our cell phone bill."
Kouji glowered at him and rolled back onto the floor. Which was a prime targeting spot and super bumpy. Everyone had just come to the conclusion that Minamoto Kouji was a masochist: plain and simple. "Satomi-kaa-san is an art and history maniac," he said in lieu of actually apologizing because that was what he did. "I've never heard of the Fairy Tale Key. She's never heard of it. And yet it's all over this part of the internet, along with some weird other art pieces done by this family named Salem. If these were that famous, that scandalous to be stolen, wouldn't they be all over?"
"Kouji," At some point, they'd all dropped honorifics anywhere, none more obvious than Tomoki. "Stop, you sound like Takuya."
The look of horror on his face was worth it. The look of horror on Takuya's face was worth it.
Junpei adopted a look of thoughtfulness as he gazed out the window. "Azumano is like, the size of a 1 yen coin on the map. Maybe all it can consider a scandal."
Kouji hummed, the sound full of doubt. Then he winced, right around a speed bump.
"Kouichi, careful. You may have knocked Kouji on the head."
"I'm fine."
Kouichi's fingers tightened on the wheel. "Sorry."
He nodded to their cheerful replies. But Kouji was looking at him still. He had felt that too. Maybe the end of their peaceful vacation was going to be a lot less relaxing than they thought it would be.
A/N: And there, finally. One of two more commissions is up and running. Let's do this! Please show your support as always and if you're interested in a commission, let me know!
Challenges: Commission for Tomoe Mami, Three-Sided Box, Novella Masterclass (Frontier) 6., Mega Prompts Quote Prompt 76, Crossover Boot Camp - seashore