Ugh. I put this up before I could hate it enough to delete it. I've read it so many times...

Tattling Secrets

He was untouchable.

Kazuma, rather King Kazma, his furry eared avatar, shot out a curled fist into the yellow jaw of Teco Strix, the top 3rd fighter that had clawed his way through the ranks with pure grit and stubbornness. These weren't challengers, he thought as he jumped kicked into the chest of his assailant. But merely dissatisfying lechers who hopelessly longed after the enticing taste of what victory fed them.

Fame. Virtual fortune. What was it worth, Kazuma contemplated when he stepped up to his dropped opponent, sullen faced as the K.O. signal pinged, the mechanical voice announcing his victory nearly inaudible as spectators cheered on a pitiful win. What was it worth this way if these hands reached for something so irrational? Kazuma looked down at his hands, tracing the human fissures in his palms with his black eyes, clenching the thin, bony human fingers over his rough, human skin.

What was it worth if he only wished to be something else entirely?

"Broter, broter!" Small feet struck the wooden floor outside his tiny closet room in a flurry. Kazuma flew into a panicked race, ripping out cords skillfully quick and shutting his laptop just as his younger sister brought back the screen door with a loud snap. Her round, brown eyes heightened in curiosity when she noticed him tuck away his equipment with a lock and key. "Kazooma, momma says to stop playing with your toys and help with dinner. We're having soba!"

Kazuma turned away. "Alright, alright. Just leave, Yuri," he said calmly. "You're not supposed to be in here."

Despite his biting refusal, Yuri's wide eyes roamed over his shoulder. Kazuma noticed her wandering gaze and leaned further to the left to hide the cabinet, tucking the key into his pocket. "What's that?" she asked, thumb curiously out of her mouth as she observed him unplug wires and shut drawers with a practiced ease and snap.

Kazuma watched Yuri without expression as her little toes inched closer and closer, thumb stuck back into its permanent place in her mouth. If he did tell her about his computers, she would only whine till she got one herself from their mother, who would not be pleased with him for revealing the information in the first place. But if he kept it silent and ignored her, Yuri would likely weasel her way into his stuff and screw with the system and probably break something while he was in summer classes.

Either way he was screwed.

Kazuma slipped his headphones comfortably over his ears and patted his lap. "Shut the door," he said when she took a step. Yuri closed the door, a wide grin preventing her from sucking her thumb when she climbed into his lap. Kazuma popped open his laptop and logged into OZ within a few clicks. Yuri watched silently and pointed out his blond-haired avatar instantly.

"Kazooma?" she asked.

"King Kazma," he corrected, smiling to himself as his sister concentrated on every little detail he revealed to her about the virtual world of OZ. "This is my message board. It alerts me to new duel challengers." Yuri sat still patiently, thumb poised on her lips instead of in her mouth as Kazuma continuously declined requests. A distinct ping alerting him of a new message struck loudly from his headset. Yuri stared at the screen when a yellow and black exclamation point reverberated in tune with the ring.

"What's that?"

Kazuma tore off his headset and clutched his ear, irritated. "I'm not sure." Kazuma clacked his way through numerous caution pages, his paranoia from two summers ago not settling well. But it couldn't be Love Machine. They'd destroyed that virus. Most likely a hacker then, he reassured himself, setting his chin on top of Yuri's head. Easily fixable as long as he acted fast.

"Kazuma!" his mother's voice screeched from the kitchen. He could hear as pots and pans clattered against the floor and the splash of water striking wood. Kazuma sighed, his dark eyes sliding to rest on Yuri who was still focused on the flashing screen. He locked the computer and hoisted her off of his lap despite her whiney protests. "Don't touch anything," he warned. "I won't let you on OZ again if you break something."

Yuri's cries shut with an instant snap of her puckered lips. Kazuma stared at her silently, his common sense chiding him not to leave her alone.

"Kazuma!"

He looked at her once more before he turned the corner and disappeared out of sight. Yuri, alone with her small hands tucked between her legs sat still, determined to mind Kazuma's cold words. Yet the possible consequences instantly whisked away when she jerked from the sudden ping that blasted from the headset by her foot, thrown carelessly aside by her brother.

"Kaz…" she weakly called, holding the small device in her hands awkwardly. She could hear the voice of her mother, harsh and loud, but her brother's own tone fell hushed under each women's scolding. She placed it on her head, letting them fall around her neck when she noticed they were too big. The computer had become unlocked and the exclamation point was flashing again. Yuri's hand hesitated but a moment over the mouse.

She clicked. The screen erupted into a violent array of tab bars until it halted on a black screen with a pink bunny hopping across it. It stopped suddenly and stared at her. A white speech bubble popped above its bobbing head.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

Yuri stared at the keyboard, finger hovering over the Y key. She looked over her shoulder, remembering her brother's words. Her eyes darted around on the screen, locating the title of the OZ tab. She typed it slowly, biting her lip as she copied the letters.

KING KAZMA

The bunny's head bobbed quietly. She could hear the click of its movement in the headset as if it were a toy spring.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE KING KAZMA. WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU.

Yuri jolted back with a scream when the screen exploded into a blur of static before jumping to life again.

Within a second each tab bar closed, and the screen before her eyes was just as it had been minutes before; frozen on her brother's message board. Yuri clutched the headset, eyes trained on screen. She set the headset down in its place and curled her legs carefully under herself, trying to sit still when Kazuma appeared once more with a metal spoon in his hand. His eyes darted toward the screen and paused before jumping back to Yuri. She picked at her dress and didn't look at him.

"Come on." Kazuma knocked the spoon against the door frame. "Supper's ready."

"Okay." Yuri stood up slowly with her head hung low. Kazuma watched her paddle out like a small duck, feet tucked in at an angle as she shuffled. His gaze lingered on the screen that he had left frozen. Despite it remaining the same, a feeling of obvious occurrence nagged at his fear. He stepped forward.

"Kazuma!" his mother's voice bounced shrilly off the walls. "Come greet the family!"

Kazuma hesitated, then clicked a couple keys so the computer hummed a brief few seconds before going black. His hand lingered, eyes attached to that blank screen before his mom began to rise to a yell again. He reluctantly left his computer, feet reverberating as a dull patter down the hall. "Coming."

)0.0(

Everyone was at the table.

The mere mention of the word soba did not encompass the enormity that was their family's appetite. Various amounts of fish dishes were in grouped abundance across the table, steaming squid the majority on anyone's plate as a platter was passed under his nose, the smell sharp as sea salt and pungently fresh like ocean water. His mother and father flanked each side of him and Yuri was in his uncle Wabisuke's lap at the head of the table, laughing and giggling to herself as everyone wished her a happy third birthday.

She had been born the day grandma died.

But it had been three years already. He didn't expect them to break down at every familiar thing that reminded them of Grandma Sakae. That would be selfish to Yuri. But still…it seemed unfair to smile so much on this day.

"-believe it, Kazuma?" Kazuma's eyes darted from the table to his grandfather Manesuke's old face. His grandfather watched him with a wide grin. Kazuma cursed himself for not listening and opened his mouth for an apology when his eleven year old cousin, Shingo, snorted without looking up from his handheld game.

"Yeah right, old man."

"Doubt me, do ya' boy?" he laughed, turned away from Kazuma again as he faced his skeptical younger cousin. "But it's true! Our little Kenji finally popped the question. Wait till Shota hears of it. His face ought to be something to see."

The table fell silent within a drop of his uncle's loud declaration. Shingo grunted, eyes glued to the screen while Manesuke lost his grin. "Aw crap. Wabisuke," he yelled from across the table. "She called you first. I thought you told them."

Kazuma watched his uncle Wabisuke shrug, a smirk on his face while the family again erupted into a chorus of yells and questions.

"But they're sill only in college! So young," Mariko commented, hand to her cheek.

"Hey," aunt Naomi cut in, "why not when you're young? The old life's full of disappointment. I say have fun."

"Naomi," Mariko chided, her eyes darting to the kids set in a line beside her, faces glued to the games in their hands.

A set of feet shook the walls from outside and Kazuma calmly lifted his glass. As if from of the night itself, Shoto burst from around the corner, slamming his fist against the wall so hard that more than few drinks toppled over. His face was red from running and he was still dressed in his police uniform. He rasped roughly in his place for a few seconds, pointing at grandpa Manesuke again and again shakily. "You…" He took a breath and held his chest. "You're lying! She would have told me." His young face broke down into a sad expression as if he weren't sure of this himself.

Manesuke's chest heaved in loud laughter and he clutched his own belly. "Why would she have to? She's twenty-one this year."

Kazuma tuned out of the conversation, watching his mother struggle with the spilt glasses with an already soaked-through cloth. He reached out.

"Oh, Kazuma. Would you?" She held out the towel for him and shook her head chidingly at Shota as he rambled on about Natsuki abandoning the family for a criminal. "Extras are in the kitchen. On the table with the fish."

Kazuma nodded and left the cheery atmosphere for the desolate one in their small kitchen. He wrung out the towel silently, chuckling to himself as he pictured Kenji on one knee proposing to his cousin. It was ridiculous thought that that wimp had managed to do something so out of character. He hadn't even been able to kiss her in front of everyone three years ago.

Propose? Impossible.

You're just jealous. You're all alone.

Kazuma set the towel in the sink and shook his head at himself, deciding he needed more sleep. When he turned around, Yuri's large brown eyes peered up at him. She popped her thumb from her mouth.

"Help?"

Kazuma shook his head and turned her around with a gentle shove at her shoulder. "Get back in there. It's your birthday."

Yuri tore away from his touch and shook her own head again and again. "No, no, no! Help." She put her little hands up on the counter and helplessly reached for the towel he had left hanging at the edge of the sink. He pulled it away.

"Why do you want to help? It's your birthday," he repeated, expecting her to giggle like she always did and run out of the room yelling for him to chase her. Yuri's thumb hovered over her lips. She pointed at his arm suddenly, her eyes at her bare toes as she tugged at the hem of her dress.

"Kaz sad," she mumbled, her eyes darting to him, and then back to the floor just as quickly when she noticed him watching her. "Bruise," she said quietly.

Kazuma unconsciously clutched his forearm, wondering how she'd seen it. He'd worn a T-shirt today.

"I'm fine," he said, grabbing her hand and walking her toward the door that separated the kitchen from the dining room. "It's just from playing at school."

"He was mean. I don't like that boy," she whispered.

Kazuma's fingers fell from the crevice of the handle. He looked down at his sister. "What boy?"

"He comes everyday," Yuri said slowly, her small fingers growing tighter and tighter around his hand with each word. "Told momma 'bout what I saw. She got really mad and yelled at him."

Kazuma didn't say anything. His hand had gone slack as he listened to the dull throb of his family's yells in the other room. Yuri tugged at his shirt weakly. "I just told her what I saw," she begged in a small voice. "I don't want you to hurt…"

"You can't tell mom about that anymore."

"Why?" she asked quietly, her eyes big and round. "He hurts you. I don't want-"

"You can't!" he yelled, clutching her hand in his as she shrunk back like a stricken puppy. "Don't say anything about it to mom," he said coldly. "I can take care of myself. Remember what grandpa taught me?"

Yuri's tiny eyebrows knitted together. She was pouting. "No."

"Yuri," he repeated, jaw tight as he tried to keep his voice level.

"No!" She ripped her hand from his. He grabbed her arm and twisted her toward him. "Listen to me! Don't you dare tell mom."

"It hurts!" she screamed out in pain, tears in her eyes as she clawed at his fingers.

"Tsuneo, man. He's just a kid."

"Who cares. Teach him to yell for mommy." Tsuneo's breath was hot and muggy against his ear. The sharp smell of smoke from the butt of Tsuneo's cigarette burned his nose. They laughed as tears slipped from his eyes and he cried out when Tsuneo kicked his legs. "Scream for mommy, you little shit," he whispered with his elbow around his neck. Kazuma gasped for breath as Tsuneo squeezed harder. "I want to hear him say it. Mommy!" he imitated shrilly, his friends laughter dull behind him as Kazuma's thoughts began to fade.

"It hurts," he whispered, face crushed against the ground. His nose began to bleed as cartilage snapped.

Please. Anyone.

Help me.

Kazuma's fingers slipped from her wrist. Tears were streaming down Yuri's cheeks as she sprinted down the hall, wailing as she clutched her arm to her chest. His mother appeared at the door, jerking back in surprise when she saw Kazuma in front of her, gaze still lingering down the hall where Yuri had disappeared around the corner.

Her eyes softened when she noticed his expression. "Kazuma, what's wrong? Where's Yuri?"

Without a word he took off down the hall, pushing aside paper doors until he came around to the porch. He fast walked all around the large house, stepping on patches of weeds and damp tumbles of grass that chilled the end of his toes. Kazuma reached the beginnings of the grounds in a sprint that showcased the Jinnouchi estate's grand entrance gate. It was pitch black outside and his lungs were burning by the time he saw her at the foot of the staircase that led up to the front door. She was standing so still.

"Yuri!" he yelled.

Her head turned and her eyes grew wide when she noticed him. That was when he saw the man. He was dressed in a blue button-down suit, his foreign blond hair accessorized with pale blue eyes. He smiled when he saw Kazuma as if he were just an uncle taking his niece along for a friendly ride. A black car was humming docile just feet away, its silver-rimmed wheels already skidding in the dirt and kicking up dust clouds.

Kazuma broke into a run. "Yuri!" he screamed. The car doors slammed shut. Kazuma sprinted after it, his legs on fire. But then he tripped, his head snapping back when he hit the ground rolling. He laid in the grassy hill motionless, curled into a ball as blood ran into his eye and grass blades poked painfully into his small cuts. He was alone.

Yuri was gone.

I hope no one assumes the man is random pedophile. He's not. I'm not that twisted inside. I ended this on a cliffy though, but everything will be explained. This IS NOT one-shot. But some people don't read the author's notes. Even though they could have something extremely important in them. So I hope everyone who reads this story also reads my author's notes. Even though most of time I just ramble about useless crap. (like now) SIGH. But this'll be interesting. I've never written in a guy's perspective for an extended period of time. How weird. Bear with me. I also wouldn't mind if you kept me noted of mispellings on anyone's name. I had a hard time keeping track. Huge flippin family! Kazuma's my favorite.

Note: I spelled his name Kazooma on purpose. Because it's Yuri saying it and she's three...I babysat my cousin when he was three. Little kids are such little monsters when they're todlers. o.O