A/N: Adventures in the ynm discord have brought me to write about Yato and Hisoka. I'd like to thank the amazing people on discord for helping me build up this AU through amazing commentary and certain scenes that made their way into this fic. This is AU so lets just ignore Yato not being tied to Nagare all the time since he is the prison holding Yato.
Please tell me what you all think!
-Lucicelo
1 - Purity
Hisoka clutched onto his toy plush as he fast walked through the hallways toward his parents wing of the manor. Trying to keep his footsteps as quiet as possible, he listened for any of the staff who cleaned the hallways. He didn't want someone exposing his location and telling his nanny to collect him.
Earlier in the morning, he snuck away from her when she turned her back on him. She smiled too big for his comfort. Sometimes, he thought her face would stay stuck with that smile. Whenever she spoke to him, she used a baby tone which annoyed him more than the tense waves that burst out of her body. Many of the staff who worked in the manor hid the same emotions as his nanny. As a result, he wandered off on purpose to recover from the assault of bad feelings.
His little sneaking around trip through his home came with a bonus: catching sight of his parents. Despite their lack of interest, he still yearned for his parents to pay any attention to him. Sometimes, his father indulged him in letting him tag along to any important master business. He needed to learn everything his father did for the family before he grew up. At the end of those rare days, he toppled over in his futon from the tiredness of tolerating the darkness coming from his father.
The darkness that he felt from everyone made him groggy and exhausted.
Recognizing his father's room—his mother slept in another room—he slowed down before he stopped before the sliding door. Gulping, he reached out for the handle and moved it open in a slow pace. Taking a step into his father's room, he turned and closed the door behind him. Well kept and clean, he explored the area, careful in walking at a slow pace. He didn't have anything else to do that day, so he took his time.
Looking out the window, he gaped at the sight of the mountainside. Lush and green. The openness contrasted from the closed walls surrounding his area. From his room, there was a small koi pond, large cherry trees, and a large wooden fence blocking his view.
All of a sudden, a piece of the wall opened up, an amplified creak broke through the silence. startling Hisoka into dropping his stuffed toy. Wasting no time, he picked it back up, and heard the sound of hissing coming from beyond the door. From everything he expected from his father's room, he didn't expect some mysterious monster to appear.
A very large snake.
Yatonokami slithered through the open door with his tongue tasting the air. When he smelled the scent of the heir through the crack of the door, his curiosity brought him out of the depths of the walls. Nagare kept tight lipped over the boy, hiding new developments or giving him an indicator on how much time passed outside his small world. Yet, he found out any exciting news from the gossiping staff that the Kurosaki family employed.
Nagare's less than strict rules brought an open household, an advantage that he enjoyed exploiting. He found out numerous secrets from the rumor mill that he didn't need Nagare's forced responses. A good way for him to pass the time.
Ever since the birth of the heir, Yatonokami made small trips in between the walls whenever he grew bored. He did the same with each heir born into the family. A mere peak in curiosity on his end. Most displayed little to no powers which resulted from his addition to the blood. A shame and a blessing. He enjoyed terrorizing this family to ward off his lack of interest in remaining tied to their cursed blood. Sure, he cast the curse himself, but the never ending boredom set in after ten generations.
The newest heir, Kurosaki Hisoka, bore a striking resemblance to his sire. Same coloring, a striking beauty in the making, but the eyes appeared brighter in green tint, showcasing innocence and childhood ignorance. Inspecting Kurosaki Hisoka a bit more, he saw remnants of himself in the child. His human form.
This realization didn't shock him, not when many descendants of the Kurosaki inherited his features. His DNA ran through their noble blood, infecting them for generations to come. This fact made him chuckle during his mundane days.
He remembered one blaring fact about the young heir, Kurosaki Hisoka refused to speak. Many heirs showed quirks during their young ages before their father's inevitable mission to stomp it out of them. Nagare's continual thumb sucking and Iwao's disgust of vegetables, embarrassed the late master. The fool stomped these aspects out of his sons before they grew old enough to appear off.
He overheard mutterings to the plush toy from beyond the walls, but Hisoka remained tight-lipped to the family. The gradual mute nature of the child brought Nagare's ire to the forefront who tried forcing the boy to speak through various questionable methods. He saw more than enough when he managed to catch a portion of Nagare's frustration when the child pointed to his answer or whispered.
Being a gracious host, he spoke to the boy in a polite tone as to not inspire fear. Young heir. Welcome to my abode.
"Hello."
Now, what is the young heir doing in this side of the manor? Hmm? Yato slithered closer, watching for any sign of fear in Hisoka's eyes. He expected the child to run off screaming or process his appearance. To his astonishment, Hisoka remained relaxed and pliant.
"I'm bored."
Yato snorted. I'm not one to entertain guests, child. Where is your caretaker?
Hisoka hid his slight mischievous smile behind his bunny. "I ran away when she wasn't looking. She's too slow."
Ah. Don't you enjoy having a young woman fuss over you lad? Yato flickered out his tongue out, causing Hisoka to giggle.
"No. She talks to me like I'm a dumb baby." Hisoka wrinkled his nose. "Her smile is too big. Very creepy."
Begin speaking to the hired help in a sophisticated fashion, she may …change her manner of speaking. Yato laid his head onto the floor, Hisoka sat cross-legged in front of him.
"She will leave soon." Hisoka said. "The waves are getting darker and darker. That's what happened to the last nanny. She didn't wake me up and this nanny brought me my lunch."
Darkness? Hisoka's words attained Yato's full attention. Do you see it?
Hisoka shook his head. "No. I can feel it." He picked at the fur of his bunny. "Oh, I'm Kurosaki Hisoka. What's your name, sir?"
Yato narrowed his eyes. Surely, the Kurosaki family didn't keep their heir so ignorant about his heritage? Yatonokami. Instead of reacting in caution, Hisoka beamed up at him. Remembering the isolation of the child, it was no wonder the heir didn't have self preservation. Kids ran away from anything with scales. Call me Yato.
Hisoka nodded. "Okay, Yato nii-san."
Yato repressed the oncoming snort of attaining this high level of trust already. The child began calling him older brother without any prompting. So easy.
Overhearing the sound of oncoming footsteps, Yato cursed not having enough time to further convert the little boy to his whims. Oh well. He had plenty of time to mold Hisoka to his purposes. There is someone coming down the hall.
"Father?" Hisoka inquired, excitement palpable in his voice.
Yes. He smelled Nagare's scent from far distances. It is time for you to leave, young heir. Yato indicated toward the door he came through. Your...sire will not find it pleasing to find you in his quarters.
"B-But...I haven't seen father in weeks." Hisoka frowned. "I want to see him."
Yato slithered closer to Hisoka and urged him toward his secret door. I insist. You will not enjoy the results of having your sire find you in this room. It's best to see him at a later time. Well, finding Hisoka around him would bring out Nagare's wrath more than anything.
Hisoka pouted. "Yes, Yato nii-san." He got up on his feet and ushered over the small entrance. "I can't see anything."
Yato slithered around, turning his back to the door in order to assist the boy. I shall guide you along. Just keep on walking. Good boy.
Next time Hisoka saw his father, he tried not to appear disappointed at the lack of interest.
Staring down at Nagare's limp form, exhausted from the ritual, Yato found himself dissatisfied. Torturing these humans brought no more glee and triumphant satisfaction out of him. After so many decades, his original goal of returning back to his former glory took precedence over making this family suffer under his curse. The beginning generations brought him way more entertainment than the modern ones. More fear of the supernatural brought these people down to their knees.
He enjoyed breaking the spirit of the stubborn ones. The men who tended to fight him in the beginning, but later on lost their will to fight their purpose of the family. He broke the news on the first night of the ritual, not at all tender or comforting to the fact that they became the toy of the Yatonokami.
Nagare had yet to break.
This new master kept his samurai pride intact. A stubbornness that entertained him due to Nagare fighting him at every turn, way different than the late master. Kurosaki Kai boasted his strength and bravery, but became weak in his presence. The man readied a spare to throw at him before his eldest born, severing tradition for the first time in generations.
From the looks of Kurosaki Iwao, he imagined leaving the man bedridden due to the sense of superiority. The man wouldn't have lasted long as master, ceasing his amusement.
He heard more than enough complains echoing through the walls. Main Kurosaki staff members despised Kurosaki Iwao, but kept their smiles painted on as they served him. So far, the staff enjoyed having Kurosaki Nagare as a lenient master. Nagare relaxed a majority of the rules that the late master implemented. In turn, the servants worked harder to starve off the somber atmosphere of the manor.
A fruitless endeavor.
Yato approved of Nagare's somewhat respectful way he went through suffering in dignified silence. Nagare braved him head on, taking the ritual through bearing the consequences of his ancestor. In recent years, Nagare began mouthing back at him whenever the aching and injuries grew too much. This urged him to inflict more injuries, but Nagare bit his tongue to quiet his cries of pain.
No one ever claimed he didn't lack patience.
He enjoyed playing around with his toys.
Flicking his tongue out, he turned away from Nagare and went through the hidden door.
Nagare found it harder to keep himself together in front of the Kurosaki family. The more the Yatonokami performed the ritual, the weaker he became. His whole body burned, his vision blurred, and his mind began seeing things from the corner of his eyes. He attempted to disprove what his mind saw through logic, but the more he fought, the more he saw these images.
A persistent itch developed throughout multiple areas of his body. At first, he thought it came from exposure to a plant, allergies, or even the wrong laundry detergent used on his clothing. When he checked the areas, he recoiled in disgust when he distinguished scales developing on his skin.
Scales of similar color to the Yatonokami.
The scales spread after each ritual. Unrelenting pain burned through his skin, festering and unbearable. He battled through the pain, using pure will to keep himself from succumbing to the pain. He already submitted himself to the beast, but to collapse from the injuries inflicted on him, gnawed at his pride. Days after the ritual, his sensitive and reddened skin still ached underneath his clothing.
Shameful of the appearance of them, he extended his previous measures in keeping himself private. No one entered his room without knocking and hearing a vocal approval to enter. He bandaged the areas, citing injury if someone managed to catch them.
No one could know about this new affliction.
Henceforth, any hint from the elders urging him to produce a spare heir went to deaf ears. He didn't trust Rui or anyone else to see the physical manifestation of the curse on his body.
You have returned. Yato stated from behind the hidden door as he felt the child's aura close in on him. A growing energy which caught his interest during their first interaction, surrounded the heir, encasing him in a dim light. He hid his intentions well, not wanting the young heir to catch wind of his true intentions. From the boy's slip in admitting that he felt dark emotions, it seemed an inheritance manifested in the child.
Through his eyes, a visible manifestation of power flickered from the boy. Power similar to his former glory. This heir suited his plans. A child who procured power at a young age and seemed unaware of his proper use.
So young and malleable.
A perfect tool.
Nudging the door open, the heir stopped before him, lacking the toy bunny he tended to carry around. A vast difference from the last time he saw the boy. Time passed since the last time he spoke to Kurosaki Hisoka. From the staff gossip, Nagare implemented tutors to prepare his son for his first year of elementary school. Adding to the rumor, it was also to keep him busy from any outside temptations.
Yato snorted at Nagare's sudden care for his son. These little bouts of interest kept the boy from disobeying his father in order to keep a fraction of attention. No wonder the heir stayed far away from this wing and studied hard to impress his sire. Such a cheap trick.
He almost mentally applauded Nagare's trickery.
As he looked at the boy, he noted how he grew taller and filled out better. He suspected that another year passed since they interacted. Having no use in keeping track of time, he tended to use visual clues and manner of speaking to tell him everything he needed to know.
"Hello, Yato nii-san."
Months have passed since I have last seen you, young heir. Yato voiced his amusement, Hisoka plopped himself in front of him. You have kept busy. Hmm...how did you escape the servant this time around?
Hisoka perked up. "I told her I wanted tea. I went into the wall in my room and she ran around looking for me. It was so funny. This nanny is so easy to trick so that's why I'm here." He got himself comfortable on the floor. "I got out through the wall at the end of the hallway. I haven't tested out the hallways before so I was happy that I got this close to father's room."
Ah...you're using the knowledge I have given you over these secret hallways. Good. Stay vigilant of your surroundings. There are visual markers on the walls to give you clues of your location as well. Yato flicked out his tongue to get a good scent of the boy. Through the giggling, he stored the scent as familiar to keep track of him. The power spiked off of this boy, making him shiver in delight.
"That tickles!" Hisoka patted Yato's cheek.
The snake god froze in place. Other than the first Kurosaki, no other human ever laid a hand on him. The late masters stayed fearful of him, keeping them from attempting to harm him through any method imaginable. Good thing the boy didn't have sticky hands from whatever substance kids tended to get their hands into. Regardless, voicing any awful thought would scare the child away.
Hisoka ran his hands around Yato's face, in awe at the smooth scales he felt underneath his fingers. "Wow. You're so smooth..."
I am a snake, young heir.
Hisoka kept on stroking Yato's face, an image popped into his head, so he blurted out. "Were you always a snake?"
Pardon? Yato tilted his head to the side.
Hisoka peered into Yato's eyes, "I'm seeing a grown up version of father in my mind, but with long hair and old clothes." He added in fast. "This man is way more handsome than father though. Was that you?"
Despite his shock, Yato preened at having one upped Nagare at another aspect in the master's miserable life.
He distracted Hisoka from asking about his human appearance through inquiring about his studies. Diving into the curse of the family didn't suit an good start to an initial line of acquaintance.
As predicted, Hisoka dove into the many subjects that Nagare piled on him and forgot about seeing human Yato.
Gathering his courage, Hisoka paused at the secret door entrance and muttered. "Is it okay for me to come back?"
During your previous visits, you never asked permission to return. Yato pointed out as Hisoka twiddled his fingers. And the reason for this request?
Hisoka worried his lower lip as he kept staring at his hands. "I thought I was bothering you too much. Anytime I try spending time with another person, they start avoiding me all of a sudden. The kids from the village walk away when they see me walking through the forest. None of them talk to me like they used to. Um...I...I don't have any friends..."
Yato stayed quiet of his knowledge of Nagare's interference. On more than one occasion, he overheard Nagare muttering about another child's attempts at befriending his son. Nagare tended to speak to the parents, who in turn, told their children to cease speaking to heir Kurosaki. He suspected the parents didn't find offense to Nagare's explanations due to the nobility status of the family. In their minds, Kurosaki Hisoka didn't associate with commoners.
It just wasn't done.
Still, Nagare's plans to keep his heir isolated, brought the child to seek refuge to a snake. Oh, Nagare, the fool. This worked to his advantage and he didn't have to do any work to ensnare the heir.
I enjoy your company. Hisoka's relieved smile caused a slight warmness in Yato's cold heart. Strange. Had I not enjoyed your visits, I would have told you during our first encounter. You are welcome to return.
In a sudden act of boldness, Hisoka ran to Yato and hugged him. "I'll come back in a few days. Bye, Yato nii-san!" Grinning, he ran out of the room and entered one of the secret doors, leaving a stunned Yato, staring at his retreating back.
Nagare stopped in his tracks when he caught his heir through his peripheral. Turning his head to the side, he noticed Hisoka inspecting the hallway before pushing the palm of his hand on a space of the wall which popped open a section to reveal a door. One of the many secret entrances to the emergency tunnels of the manor. As Hisoka closed the door behind him, he heard Hisoka laughing through the wall as he wandered the opposite direction away from him.
He fought away his initial reaction of reprimanding his son for misusing these passages for mere amusement. Many of his ancestors lost themselves through the similar passages and came out in an entirely different part of the manor. Each one spoke stories of walking out in an enclosed rooms, seeing apparitions, or becoming afraid of the tight spaces.
He wondered who told Hisoka about the entrances into the secret passages.
As he thought back in his youth, his late father forbid his sons from entering the walls, finding the act as a last result for escape, not for games.
He didn't have the heart to chase after Hisoka. Sad to admit, he had not heard his son laugh in years. The sound of Hisoka's laughter was so delightful and carefree. A vast difference from the headaches he dealt with on a daily basis.
He remembered Hisoka's infant years with fondness. During the first few years, he visited his son, maybe even played a game with him. Rui's lack of attention showed, prompting him to make some semblance of an effort. In those moments, he imagined raising his daughter alongside his son. Hisoka would have received a different name from his elder sister, assuming his own identity without this hidden stigma around his own name.
The missed opportunity still clenched his heart.
His priorities went toward the Kurosaki family and the numerous businesses their family invested in order to keep their fortune. His intervention in family disputes also kept him from interacting with his son on a consistent basis. He did in fact care for Hisoka, but the reminder of his first born lingered in the back of his mind. Whenever he looked at Hisoka, his undealt grief resurfaced and clouded his judgment.
"Young Master!" A flustered older woman shuffled throughout the hallways, looking for her charge. "You need to come back! It is time for lunch!"
Many of the staff warned her of Young Master Hisoka's tendency to disappear from his caretakers, but she waved these women off as unprofessional and inattentive. Master Nagare hired her after a rigorous, extensive interview process.
She cared for multiple children at once during her career as a nanny. Her numerous years working under different rich families showed her dedication to her charges. All of them wrote a letter of recommendation when their children grew up and their need for a nanny ended. She still carried confidence in child rearing. Besides, one child was easy, not hard to handle.
Young Master Hisoka proved her wrong.
The moment she turned around, he managed to maneuver away without making noise. He seemed to vanish and left no trace of himself. Having tried other staff members, many of them shook their heads in amusement and waved off her concerns. She kept her frustration under control before it showed on her face. They didn't have a job hovering over their heads over losing one child in a huge manor home.
Behind one of the walls, Hisoka contained his giggling as he leaned against the door. Successful in hiding from the newest caretaker, he heard her mumbling from behind the walls. He cringed at her emotions skyrocketing into rapid fire in her quest to find him. Whimpering, he covered his ears in a failed attempt to keep her out of his head.
The one time he returned from visiting Yato, he was twenty minutes late. His nanny hid her annoyance through a fake smile and tried adding on homework that his tutors didn't assign. He finished it without effort so she didn't report his bad behavior to his father. He kept escaping to visit Yato and returned late every single time. Her irritation grew as the weeks passed on.
One morning, Yato left an old pocket watch for him to use beside his bed.
Ever since, Hisoka planned his visits to leave some time for him to return to his room. His nanny warned him about being late for his tutoring lessons again, she said nothing about lunch.
Gathering his bearings, Hisoka hurried through the passages, looking up at the indicators for his location. Despite the darkness in the hallways, the light still peeked through the walls, giving him some light to see. Stopping, he patted the side of the wall on his left side. Managing to press the door open, he squinted at the oncoming bright light of the room.
Hisoka appeared through the secret passage into the kitchen, spooking the lead cook into dropping his knife.
The lead cook breathed out to calm his accelerated heart. "Young master, please, don't appear from the walls so suddenly. You will scare the other staff members into faint spells."
Hisoka wrinkled his nose. "But why? I can get through the manor easier this way." Inhaling the smell of food, his stomach gurgled. "Oops."
The older man chuckled. "Looks like you're hungry. You should run back to your nanny, she took your tray of food along with her." He winked down at Hisoka. "I even added an extra dessert to perk you up for your studies."
Hisoka huffed. "I don't want to eat in my room." He perked up and asked. "Can I eat in here?"
Hesitating, the cook winced. "Ah...I apologize, but you're not supposed to eat in the kitchen. A young boy of your class is better suited in the privacy of your room or in the dining area."
Hisoka pouted. "Please?"
Gulping, the cook remained firm. "Your father will not enjoy the knowledge that you ate in the kitchen. I'm sorry."
Turning away from the man, Hisoka went back inside of the secret wall, shutting it behind him. Had he waited another second, he would have encountered his anxious nanny who burst through the room, frantic in finding him to keep to the schedule.
Hisoka avoided his mother after the latest smack on his cheek. He didn't know what he did to her. All he did was greet her and just stood at the entrance to her personal parlor. He thought she was busy with adult business and couldn't see him. She got on her feet, went to him, and slapped his cheek for his apparent disregard for her privacy. He couldn't stop his tears from flowing and she sneered at his weakness.
He left her area of the area, trying to hide his crying and hiccupping. When he almost bumped into one of the cleaning crew, he went into one of the passages, looking for the indicators with blurry eyes. Finding the sign for the kitchen, he slowed down his pace and his tears dried out before walked through the secret door. Taking out the cloth from his yukata sleeve, he went toward the water pump and began pushing the old handle up and down. Water flowed out onto the bucket.
Putting a cloth underneath cold water, Hisoka wrung out the cloth to and pressed the cloth to his cheek. Wincing from the dull pulsations under his skin, he checked around the kitchen and found nothing for him to eat. The cook tended to deep clean the kitchen once he finished each meal time and left no leftovers. No chance for a snack.
"Yato nii-san, why does mother hate me?" Hisoka spoke out loud, knowing full well that Yato wandered through the walls.
Hisoka didn't jump when he heard the familiar voice answer back. I'm not sure of her hatred, but she is still grieving. Finding the boy old enough to know, Yato continued. Her twin sister and her niece died before you were born.
Hisoka frowned. "Oh. That's so sad."
Yato rolled his eyes at the sentiment and nodded at his own forethought of staying behind the walls. The boy would see his obvious disdain of anyone in his family real clear. Somehow, he managed to act out a somewhat friendly large snake monster to keep the boy from running away from him.
With his own mental protection, the heir wouldn't have known of his other plans for him.
"Do you know where my cousin is buried?" Hisoka wrung out the towel and put it back into his sleeve. "I want to visit her and give her flowers. I'm sure she's lonely."
Hmm...I know the location of the infant. I shall show you momentarily. Follow me into the wall.
Hisoka pressed his hand on a loose knob and the door popped open. Closing the door behind him, he followed behind Yato, who kept peeking over his body to check up on him.
Hisoka stared down at a familiar grave, plunging his stomach past his feet. Reading the name, Kurosaki Hisoka, he remembered the manner his father showed him this grave. Through his panic, he looked at the date of death, something he didn't do before, and saw that his cousin died on when she was born. The adrenaline slowed down as he processed every detail of the grave marker.
This Kurosaki Hisoka had nothing to do with him.
She was his cousin.
Gulping, Hisoka stuttered out. "S-She has my name."
I'm certain you were named in remembrance of this child. I don't recall who named you. Yato licked his maw as he observed his surroundings. He kept himself hidden in the brush, protecting the boy from any unsavory company. To prevent any future confusion, this Hisoka is not your cousin.
Yato went through a simplified explanation. He explained Kasane, Rui, and Nagare's roles in this drama. Every once in a while, he asked Hisoka if he understood, when he nodded, he continued on his tale. As an outsider, he didn't sugarcoat certain details, but kept the nitty details of the family dark secrets from this child. He would inform him at some point.
"So...this Hisoka is my big sister."
Yes.
"And...father married my aunt before he married my mom?" Hisoka reached out his hand and patted his sister's grave marker. "I was born a year after my sister. Didn't father love my aunt?"
Old families need heirs, young heir. Simply waiting out such immense grief didn't settle well with your family. He married Rui as a means to continue on the line. He might respect her, but he doesn't love her.
Hisoka pouted as he rubbed his head. "Adults are confusing." He crouched down and placed the flowers in front of the grave. Clasping his hands together, he saw someone doing this at a Kurosaki funeral, he mumbled a hello and how he liked his big sister.
When he finished, Hisoka turned to Yato. "Yato nii-san?"
Yes, young heir.
"Father showed me this grave before." Hisoka fiddled with the flowers in front of him. "He said this one was mine."
Preposterous. Yato rolled his eyes. Why would he lie to you about your older sister? He hid his grin at the astounded expression on the boy's face. Surely, he would have introduced you to her and explained the situation in depth.
"Why would he lie to me?" Hisoka worried his bottom lip. "He really scared me..."
Hmm...come to me if you have any questions, young heir. It seems...your father is keeping the secrecy of the family alive and well. Yato leaned down and flicked his tongue against Hisoka's cheek.
Hisoka presented a watery smile before hugging his face. "You won't ever lie to me. Right?"
Yato didn't hesitate in his white lie. "I'll make great strides in keeping your confidence."
Hisoka didn't know how to swim. From all the subjects he learned, swimming remained the last thing on the list. He began kendo and archery, proper sports for an heir, but swimming showed a person flailing arms and ghastly gasping for air. His father found the whole act as a ridiculous show of weakness and lack of propriety.
Having run away from his nanny, again, he went outside his room and went to one of the many ponds on the property. The one near his room contained koi fish that he sometimes fed food in the morning. He started a game of walking over the rock barrier that surrounded the pond, keeping him concentrated so he wouldn't fall over. Getting distracted by the fish, Hisoka looked back and forth from the rocks and the fish.
In the background, Yato peeked from behind one of the doors which lead outside. Without meaning to, he started following the boy around the property, looking over him when he wandered about on his own. He even caught the heir in his kendo lessons, the boy naturally gravitated into the right posture and followed the direction of his instructor. Pride filled Yato at seeing the heir's accomplishments.
A sudden cry and a splash broke Yato from his memories. Looking toward the pond, he saw Hisoka moving his arms in an attempt to keep himself up on the water. Hisoka began yelling for help, his words muddled out as he swallowed in water.
Tossing away the idea of concealing himself, Yato slithered out of one of the doors which lead toward the lake area. Hisoka's words garbled as he submerged into the water.
Hisoka! Yato slid into the lake. Swimming toward the floating child, he used his head to push him out of the water. Once Hisoka made contact with the ground, Yato inspected the child, making sure to see his small chest rise from breathing.
Hisoka lay still.
Moving the rest of his body from the water, he used his tail to apply pressure onto Hisoka's small chest. A few pushes later, Hisoka coughed up water from his lungs. Yato almost collapsed in relief.
Hisoka got on his knees, gasping in air in desperation.
Hisoka, you're alright. Yato pressed his nose against Hisoka's stiff body, earning a flinch in response, and then a heartbreaking cry came from him. Hisoka? Don't worry, young one, you're going to be alright.
Almost as if he didn't hear Yato, Hisoka kept on crying.
Yato swore when he heard the sound of someone approaching their location. He slithered back to the door on the side of the manor and went inside. Hisoka's cries still penetrated the wall.
The caretaker found Hisoka soaking wet, crying his little heart out in the side of the lake. Heart thumping in her chest, she snatched Hisoka in her arms and ran toward the bath. The one time she left the child on his own—on purpose—he slipped into the lake. She feared the reaction of Master Nagare. Having tried her hardest to reign in the child, he disappeared on her, leaving her with no way to track him down.
One of the head maids took one look at the soaking child and ran the other direction. Her stomach plummeted at her mistake being broadcast to everyone in the manor. Nothing remained a secret for long. Even worse, Master Nagare would find out and fire her for this mistake.
Trying to fix her lapse in judgement, she ran a bath for Hisoka and warmed him up. Throughout the whole process, he sniffled and wiped stray tears from his eyes. He responded to none of her questions, his trauma evident in his wandering mind and
Once she laid him in his futon, Hisoka fell into an exhausted heap, clutching his pillow to his chest. The nanny backed away from the room, preparing herself for the worst outcome. Her doom came in the form of Nagare's oncoming footsteps, his fury showed clear on his face.
"Please, Master Nagare! I didn't know the Young Master would fall into the lake." She pleaded in desperation, attempting to keep her job. "I-"
"You're fired." Nagare sneered at the teary eyed woman before he hurried over to his son's room.
His heart plummeted into his stomach when he heard that his son almost drowned from lack of supervision. Out of all the nannies, this one neglected his son to the point of the boy falling into a lake. Somehow, Hisoka managed to get himself out of the lake and cried out of fear.
Are you alright, young heir? No injuries?
Nagare froze at the sound of the beast's voice. The snake interacted with his son. When did this start? How did he miss this? He feared to know when the Yatonokami began his interactions with his heir.
"I'm okay." Hisoka answered. "Thank you for saving me..."
Nagare bit his thumb, his teeth grinded on the nail part, his mind went on overdrive. The beast's sudden stint of bravery didn't compute in his mind. Yatonokami cared about no one and showed his delight in another dead Kurosaki. To hear Yatonokami speak to his heir, using a soothing tone, brought a chill down his spine.
I shall teach you to swim. Nagare managed to catch Hisoka stifling a laugh. This is no laughing matter. You almost drowned. Your sire has lacked in teaching you this one life skill. How careless.
"Father said that I didn't need to learn how to swim." Hisoka deepened his voice in a humorous interpretation of an adult male. "Hisoka, flailing your arms and kicking your feet makes a person look unseemly. You're from noble blood. Such a display isn't appropriate for your status."
And the result of his lack of precaution almost caused your death. You will learn how to swim. Yatonokami paused. With my lack of limbs, I will have to use my tail to guide you along.
"Okay!"
Overhearing the animated conversation Hisoka and Yatonokami shared, Nagare stood at the entrance door, stiff and afraid. From the years he spent enduring the family curse, the Yatonokami showed no interest in his heir. Even the birthing announcement brought on a dismissal before the ritual started. The beast kept retelling the usual unsavory words to break him out of his concentrated state.
He didn't foresee this acquaintanceship.
His attempts at keeping any outside influences from corrupting his son backfired on him. He forgot about the biggest bad influence that lived in the walls of the manor, ruling over their noble clan.
Without his knowing, the Yatonokami tainted his son.
TBC