Till death do us part

by Nekocin

AU, one shot, very mild KaiRei . Surely, everyone knows that life as a mortician arranger is a strange one. Clients like asking outrageous stuff to say farewell to their love ones.

Title: Till death do us part
Author: Nekocin
Genres: General, mild romance, mild humor, mild angst
Type: One-shot, Alternative Universe
Warnings: Possible Out of Character, uhm... speculative, death (but not really whose death you're thinking, I'm sure), not for traditional people
Pairing: uhm... very mild KaiRei with HitoshiBrooklyn in the background
Rated: PG13 (to be safe)
Additional notes: Rei's PoV, mild shounen ai
Dedicated to: hmmm... Blue Solitude's readers and reviewers! And just about anyone who has read my Beyblade stories so far. n.n
Disclaimer: Beyblade doesn't belong to me. Terms list comes from my dictionary. Flower meanings come from one of my Weiss Kreuz information hunting.

AU one shot. Surely, everyone knows that life as a mortician arranger is a strange one. Clients like asking outrageous stuff to say farewell to their love ones. very mild KaiRei

X X X X X

He woke up earlier than the time his alarm clock at which it went off, excited about the new day, and started rushing around his apartment to get ready for work (even if it didn't start after an hour or two). The weather was ideally calm. No puffy clouds in sight. The morning breeze tickled his insides. His chest felt light. His heart fluttered. He felt like a whole new being starting a new journey.

The day really shouldn't be this right, right? Right!

Upon entering the small office building called "Kinomiya & Sons Funeral Arrangers", he was greeted by the scene of his boss slouching in one of the swivel chairs, drinking his morning coffee and reading the morning papers—still wearing his pajamas. "Good morning, Rei. You look really—energetic, today,"

Said Rei beamed and took off his jacket to sling it across one of the remaining swivel chairs.
"Of course!"

"Egoist," boss said between sips and turned the page he'd just been reading. "You're spending way too much time with Maxie,"

Rei laughed. He pulled his chair closer to his boss'. "So what's wrong, boss?"

"Hitoshi. Boss is my father's title,"

"Right, sorry. So tell me, something wrong, Hitoshi? You're awfully—not-energetic today,"

Hitoshi snorted. "You've noticed that just now?"
Sighing, he put down his cup and with his free hand he reached for a piece—no—a brown-leather notebook or some sort from the small desk against the wall, before flipping it up in Rei's direction.
"A client—some bastard kept me up for the whole night,"

"Really?" Curiously, Rei leafed through the notebook and read the pages lightly.

"Yes. He called last night and started rambling about someone's funeral being the day after tomorrow. He made me write the necessary decorations his friend wants with the proper coffin and some long awaited farewell banners and whatnot," Hitoshi said, standing up to stretch his arms into the air. "Since you're the first one here, why don't you take this one and make us proud, Rei?"

He then smiled lazily, patting the other like a proud father would do and moved to the back door, waving. "When the others come in tell them you're in charge. And if they need me, tell them I'm not available,"

"Okay, whatever you want, dad!"

Kinomiya Hitoshi is the eldest among boss Kinomiya's sons, who likes both seeing and treating his co-workers as if they were his children since he could have none of his own due to his relationship with another man named Brooklyn. That really didn't deter him from wishing to be someone's father (though, his "children" were just five years younger than him) and acting like one at times.

From the notes that Hitoshi had meticulously scribbled across the pages, Rei concluded that the person who hired them—him—was probably a cold, rich, egocentric guy.

The client had ordered a thousand of bouquets of candy-tufts, orange lilies and marigolds; another thousand of white, purple balloons with the message "Farewell, old man,"; a hundred meter black stringers, container-sized of Chinese fire crackers, a large 100 a 100 vanilla cake with the chocolate coated message saying "To the old man who doesn't deserve my respect" on top; two thousand bottles of red wine (preferably Canei or just whiskey) and some unmentionables here and there. Probably because Hitoshi had tried not to fall asleep in the middle of the client's conversation. The list had at least 50 (and above) requirements.

How the heck could he get everything done within 2 days worth? He mentally started counting the expenses and the extra reservations he should put on the bill to cover everything.

"GOOD morning, Rei! The world is too happy to make you look so seriously—well, serious," One of his co-workers chirped upon his grand entrance, complete with the morning sun beams enveloping him from behind, almost blinding anyone who would look his way, and plopped down in the nearest chair.

Rei could not stop the smile from appearing, and nodded, "Good morning to you too, Mr. Sunshine Max,"

"That's more like it!" the other grinned.

"Are the others in yet? We've a new mission,"

"We?"

"Yes! Hitoshi is temporarily out of order. So he has put me in charge in this one," his smile faltered.

"Oki-doki. What do you need, boss?"

"A lot of stuff. The deadline is the day after tomorrow and we need to work fast. Really fast,"

"All righty. What do you want me to do?"

"See the list? Get me as many employees you can to do the general decorations,"

- - - - -

He double-checked the address written in Hitoshi's notebook before carefully spelling the address printed on the road map he had borrowed from Hitoshi's desk. He then took in the environment in which he found himself. A spacious, very expensive apartment building complex that towered over his head. This must be the right place. It was strangely quiet and felt so... abandoned. No dogs or cats were making racket. No housewives were shouting at their children to get up and go to school. No laughing, giggling children playing in the front verandas. No husbands rushing out of the buildings... not even a bird was twittering somewhere near someone's window.

Squaring his shoulders, he cautiously walked down the lane, looking for the building called B-something something. He absently wondered whether he should ask for directions from the locals or not. Maybe a neighbourhood guard can help him. Fortunately (or unfortunately), there was a guy with red hair walking his huge white dog coming towards him with a huge smirk plastered on his pale face.

"Hey! Are you lost?"

"Well, you see-," A tentative smile on his lips.

"Ah! So you're not from around here. The commoner's complex is down the hill, a few miles further south," A pointed look at his clothes.

"I-I—ahem—actually, I'm not looking for a place to stay,"

"You're not?" The smirk stretched. As if it could. "Oh, you're looking for a sugar daddy, right?"

"Sugar daddy?"

"Don't play dumb, kitty. Just tell me who it is then I'll escort you like a handsome knight in shining armor," The dog barked in agreement.

Rei's right eye twitched. "What's -that- supposed to mean?"

The redhead wagged a finger in his face, smirking, "Ah-ah-ah. You don't talk impolitely to someone like me. Tell you what, I'll train you for a night or two and you'll be the best and the only -person- in sugar daddy's life,"

Rei couldn't help but sputter (unintentionally) his spit in the other's face
"Sir, it seems you're mistaking me for someone else," he glared when he finally spoke up, coolly. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way now, sir,"

He inclined his head lightly and then stiffly crossed the empty street, without waiting for a reply.

"Hey! Don't go! I was just teasing you!" A hand on his shoulder prevented him from moving any further from the middle of the street. He tried his hardest not to glare threateningly at those blue eyes.

"So, anyway, who are you looking for?"

"—Hiwatari Kai from—,"Rei checked the notebook, "—Suzaku-North complex, apartment number 4023B,"

The redhead's smirk was back on. "What a pleasant surprise. I live in Suzaku-North complex—4023A. Hiwatari Kai is my neighbour above,"

He looked skeptically at the other. "Before you get any ideas, I'm here for someone's funeral!"

"I know. Follow me. What's with that look? Oh... Don't worry. I'm not going to kidnap you or anything," The redhead motioned him to follow before pausing to look at him in the eye.

"With that sort of look on your face it's not really reassuring at all," Rei muttered.

The smirk on the other's face vanished. "You don't believe me?"
Was it just Rei or did those eyes turn icier than they already were?

Rei chose to stay silent.

"You're acting as prissy as he does when he meets someone new! Why are you a mortician arranger when you yourself fear death?-" Who says anything about dying? "-wait—don't answer. That's a rhetorical question," the redhead grumbled, turning his attention to his huge white-furred dog with a strange long nose, which the redhead deemed more important than oh-so-lost Rei. He could live with that. "Come on, Wolborg. Go chew on Kai's pants!"

He let go of the red leather leash. And within a few seconds the dog was out of sight, barking somewhere in the distance.

"You serious? You're seriously letting that huge dog of yours chew on Mr. Hiwatari's pants?" Rei reeled back in shock, eyes wide and jaw slacken.

"Why not? It's his favorite past time," The familiar smirk was back on and off the red head went, presumably leading the funeral arranger to Suzaku Complex. They walked past several building complexes that were either yet to be rented out or yet to be finished, a private park with a swimming pool somewhere near a luxurious restaurant that did not really interest him much and a kindergarten that looked so out of place among all the all the building complexes only built for rich folks.

Neither one tried to banish the silence that was cast upon them as soon as they had set off to find the Suzaku complex. No idle chitchat about neighbours the redhead knew. No small talk about "How are you doing?" or "What's your favorite color?" sort of stuff. Not even a quick introduction.

Suzaku-North complex was situated way up North indeed. Much farther than the street at which Rei had started. Almost nearby the northern coast.
And room number 4023B was on the twelfth floor.

On finally having reached their final destination, Rei couldn't help but stare at the scene in front of him. That huge dog was actually chewing on the ends of that guy's dark blue pants—Hiwatari Kai's pants with the owner struggling between keeping himself upright against the wall and shaking his captured foot.
How the heck did the dog make it to the twelfth floor this fast? Did he use the elevator?

"Wolborg! Off! Off now! I said off!" The guy growled, shaking the leg that was held captive between the dog's front teeth. His attempts to make the dog let go was futile for no matter how hard he shook the dog just wouldn't let him off.

Rei heard amused but repressed snickers from his left and turned curious eyes to the other. Hiwatari's head shot up, looking at the redhead standing next to Rei with irate vermouth eyes. "Yuri! Get your damn mutt off my foot before I sock him in the stomach!"

The insult must have struck a proud chord somewhere within the redhead. He, Yuri, caved in, glared at the helpless Mr. Hiwatari while putting two fingers into his mouth to whistle.
"Come here, darling. Kai hadn't washed those pants since last year. I don't want you to catch any bad diseases from them,"

Wolborg obediently let go, saliva trailing down from his tongue on to the pants and then rushed back to his owner, tail wagging. He received a quick scratch above his nose.
Hiwatari let out a relieved sigh, his head leaning back to compose himself and then turned his attention to Rei. "Who are you?"

"Kon Rei, sir. I'm the funeral arranger you or one of your people have sent for," Rei said, taking out Hitoshi's notebook to slip out his name card.

Hiwatari had been studying his card for quite a long time, before he turned his eyes to Yuri. "He'll do," With that said, Hiwatari pushed himself away from the wall, typed something on the electronic pad Rei hadn't noticed and entered the dark room as soon as the front door had slid open. He disappeared into his chambers without much of a good day.

Yuri coughed to get Rei's attention. "Don't worry about him. He's just going to change those pants. Now about the funeral...,"

X

On the final day, Rei felt so overworked when he opened his eyes, dark bags discolored his face and ink spots covered his hands and jaw line. As expected, the preparations for Mr. Hiwatari's deceased grandfather went along with a lot of mistakes, a lot of bickering and most of all, two sleepless nights.

Mr. Hiwatari had dropped by one or two times already. Not exactly checking whether everything was going smooth or not—but instead, he came to reprimand Mr. Ivanov about his undisciplined dog, Wolborg that kept chewing on his clothes. Like "Yuri..." and "Yuri...hnnnn...," followed by glares and several menacing looks in Mr. Ivanov's direction that got Rei wondering if Mr. Ivanov understood the threats at all.

Well, he himself didn't really know what the pauses meant but he supposed that Mr. Hiwatari was just exasperate with his friend. Mr. Ivanov had probably, intentionally left his dog in his client's care to keep him from going crazy after the death of his only kin (he found out later that the elder Hiwatari was the only family member his client had).

The frightening part of this whole assignment was that elder Mr. Hiwatari was a well-known, wealthy old man. Which meant, no matter how corny it may sound, a lot of rich folk around the world would attend the -big day-.

Shaking himself out of his morning stupor, he crawled out of the comfort of his warm bed and readied himself for another stressing day.

The first thing Maxie had said at the office was strangely enough not "GOOD morning, Rei!" but instead "You look like you've just boxed someone's ears off and got two tattoos in your face in return,"

He smiled wryly, looking over at his colleague. "Right back at you, Maxie—Did you get those bouquets?"

"Unfortunately all the candytufts are out of stock in the city. Their next shipment comes next month due to the unexpected storms in sea. The ship was forced to take a longer detour in order to arrive at the harbor," Max said half-heartedly and slumped over the desk, laying his head on his arms.

"Oh,"
Disheartened again, Rei let out a long sigh, playing with his tie and twirling with a pen at the same time before copying Max' position—laying his head on his arms atop the desk.
"How are we going to get this done?" he groaned.

"We choose to work here in order to cheer up depressed people who had just lost their dear ones some way or another," Max let out a bitter laugh.
"Ironically, all we can do is getting depressed in their places, paying the price for defying customs instead,"

"Mhm—you're not yourself today,"

"I know"

"Already giving up?"

"Are you patronizing me, Rei? That's not nice to ask,"

"I know—"

Max grumbled something inaudible under breath. "So—what are we going to do about the whole bouquet-thing?"

"I guess we should tell them and lose one third of the money,"

"—Rei, the way you say those things isn't helping me much, you know?"

"Should it—?"

He let out another long sigh.

"Gather your wits, Maxie. We should go now,"

"But what about Takao? He told me he will be coming along with us,"

"Fine. Go wake him up. We have only three hours to get those bouquets ready (even without those candy-tufts) to the chapel,"

Max sprang up immediately, then beamed, "All righty, boss. Right away, boss,"
He mock-saluted, pushed his chair back and went to the back door.

With Hiwatari being always depressed (he didn't really know if that was true for he couldn't really understand the blank face Hiwatari liked to show everyone), Yuri was given the strings to see to it that everything was ready before the funeral. It was rather annoying when Rei found out he's supposed to dutifully report to Ivanov Yuri on their progress. It wasn't really because Ivanov was an annoying man. Instead, he was a very likeable man who seemed to enjoy teasing everyone he deemed fun to play around with. Rei just happened to be his favorite target.

"You mean there are no candy-tufts?"

Rei resisted rolling his eyes at the redhead, "That's what I said, Mr. Ivanov,"

"How can this be? That is the most important ingredient! It means 'I'll be forever indifferent to you'," He didn't sound horrified.

"My apologies, sir. The ship has taken a different route to reach the harbor with the latest stock due to some incoming storms,"

Yuri sighed, crossed his arms and looked down at his shoes in thought. "Oh well, Kai probably won't mind some missing flowers. He isn't a flower person, you know?"

No, he didn't know but he suspected that much from the young Hiwatari. Just by looking at the guy one would conclude that he wouldn't be one nurturing flower seeds to grow into flower buds.

Ivanov slipped his thumb under his chin, index finger tapping the point of his nose lightly. "It's a pity—just repay us with what you have then. He'll be so thrilled,"

He did a double take. "—excuse me, sir?"

"You know, cheer him up with your moves. You're rather a good cat walker,"

"A what?" He almost sputtered.

Yuri grinned, waving him away and strolled over to straighten some chairs that really needed no straightening.

Time ticked by and invited guests streamed into the chapel dressed in customary black suits and dresses with even matching black diamonds adorning rings, brooches and necklaces. It wasn't hard to take notice of how much the rich flaunted with their wealth about the room, especially the women who flitted from their spouses' sides to gather round "poor cute Kai".

Max closed the little distance he had behind Takao's back as if asking to be shielded away from those intimidating rich folks and was having problems with keeping his happy smile plastered on his face. It was ready to twitch downward and tremble.

Rei couldn't blame him for he himself was sweating profusely. It was like waiting for the long-awaited result of an exam; the turning point to anyone's life.
Especially when any of the rich trailed their eyes to look him over with either cold indifference or obnoxious disdain.

Each guest was given some handkerchiefs just in case someone wanted to burst into tears. But none touched them when the opening ceremony began with Ivanov taking up the role of that day's spokesman instead of Hiwatari. Ironically, he didn't ramble about Mr. Elder Hiwatari's life like Rei had expected him to do.
Instead he said with eyes not once wobbling slightly unfocused due to unshed tears, "He was a very old man. About sixty perhaps. And he is one lucky bastard who is fortunate enough to be released from this lifetime before Kai could strike him a blow in the head. I've no more comments for the night. Thank you for coming,"

Rei was shocked and looked over at the guests, expectantly waiting for a protest or some sort. None came. Many mourners were nodding agreeably to each other, faces serious—no hints of smudged mascara and tear streak trails. Not even a muffled sniffle. Had he been an unloved man?

Hiwatari then appeared by Ivanov's side, before waving the other away with a hand gesture. His audience quieted down their murmurs and focused their entire attention on the only Hiwatari in the room.

"I'm not grateful that he's my only family. Neither am I grateful to be his only grandson," Hiwatari said. He then shot a significant glance in Rei's direction. "—I'm only glad I still live on as of today,"

The latter felt scandalized when he heard those words. How disrespectful and brutal to say about an old man who had just passed away. He was not accustomed to hear people speak so coolly about their relatives like that. And what's with that look on Hiwatari's face?

He looked around for Max and Takao and wasn't surprised when he realized they were nowhere within the room. Max and Takao had probably slipped away as soon as Yuri started talking. He suspected the reason being Maxie. Max couldn't keep his tears from coming out after every funeral they had arranged even though he had never met the dead. His co-worker was that kind of guy. Too sensitive for his own good. And too damn perky...

Feeling depressed, Rei slowly slid between the crowds, who were suddenly rushing for the food table without some proper respectable speeches. If they were hiding their pain behind sarcastic, hateful speeches perhaps it was for the best he wasn't around to break down in their place like Max did.

X

He found them sitting on the side of the street, talking so softly that it was almost impossible to associate both Max and Takao as the rowdy bunch in his line of work without any having met them properly, and gesturing around to the many expensive cars in the parking lot.

"Come on, Maxie, Takao. Our work here is done," He said.

Both heads turned to look his way in surprise. Max was the first one who spoke up. "What about the bill?"

"I have already emailed them the total and if they forget or ignore that, I've written the bill to their accountant and left them a note on Mr. Hiwatari's fridge," Rei said as he reached his arms out to pull both of them back on their feet.

"Oh. That's so smart!" Max said.

"Yeah! Let's go. I'm starting to hate this place," Takao said. He took a cautious look behind me and shuddered to prove his point.

Max didn't seem to have the same line of thought as Takao had and was looking at me with those oh-so-sad eyes, "Rei—"

"Don't worry. Those people had taken that guy's death rather well so let's just leave," Rei started making a beeline to the corner of his right.

"Don't be so gloomy you two. Brooklyn promised us a surprise once we get back," Takao said. He grinned at the others when they stared at him for a moment. As expected, Max was the first one to react to this one much more enthusiastically Rei would ever manage in his whole life.

"Your brother-in-law is awesome!"

That comment immediately got Takao hyped, making him grin from ear to ear, "Isn't he? Isn't he?"
Which was quite unusual when Takao was the only one who showed his dislike to his brother's relationship with Brooklyn. Something about Brooklyn being such a lady-killer. Something about Brooklyn being a bad fashion dude. And also something about Takao hating Brooklyn's guts since grade one.

Having Brooklyn live with Hitoshi must have done some good to Takao's blatant and sometimes childish dislike.

... or maybe Takao was just after whatever surprise Brooklyn had in store for them.

"Yeah... come on..." He said before realizing that he was talking to no one. Max and Takao were already a few feet ahead of him, chattering ecstatically about nonsensical topics and making unasked bets about who would be the first to reach the next corner.

X X Epilogue X X

To say they were oddly surprised at seeing both Ivanov and Hiwatari calmly drinking green tea with Brooklyn and Hitoshi at the office was an understatement. All three of them had gawked and sputtered unintelligent thing or two. What were they doing there instead of at the after party?

"There you guys are. We were starting to worry whether or not you've gotten the message," Hitoshi spoke up first, not really sounding amused or angry as he stood up to usher everyone into the remaining vacant chairs in the office. He seemed angry for some reason though.

"Sorry, we were sort of caught up in traffic," Max said, smiling in apology.

"What message?" Rei wondered aloud.

Brooklyn and Hitoshi shared a strange look together, a few significant chin moving, head shaking, lips curling somewhere, and then they finally nodded to each other in agreement. Rei never knew they could do head language as opposed to body language.

"Rei—," Hitoshi focused his attention on Rei when he spoke up and pulled his chair closer to the latter's. "--I know it might sound a bit too sudden—but Brooklyn and I have decided to tell you this anyway-,"

He felt a nervous rise within his stomach and something stuck in his throat. Hitoshi looked so serious. Even Brooklyn who rarely looked this serious was giving him glimpses of intense eyes. Were they going to fire him? Did he do something very wrong with Mr. Hiwatari's funeral?

"-Y-yes?" He didn't want to hear it and yet he did.

"—would you mind considering Hiwatari Kai as your new found husband?" Hitoshi's eyes were scary when they looked so seriously worried.

It took a moment for him to register those words when his eyes widened, his jaw dropping, his lips forming unintelligent words, "...huh? EH? WHAT?"

Max and Takao dropped their jaws in shock.

"He'd just asked us for your hand," Brooklyn said with a nod. "And I approve. He's such a fine young man,"

"Indeed he is. Are you okay with this, Rei? I mean I didn't you already have someone. Why didn't you tell us you are involved with him?" Hitoshi said, continuing his father-like behaviour. Rei's eyebrows twitched.

"Why, Rei, Hitoshi here almost wanted to throw Mao into your face for being so lonely,"

"Life as an undertaker IS lonely, Brooklyn,"

"Oh, sorry about that but you didn't have to feed that girl's heart with false hopes of having a chance,"

"Right. At least we now know why Rei had been stressing, don't we?"

Rei cussed "WTF?" aloud. "This isn't a fucking fairy tale!"
He all but screamed and looked involuntarily at the two guests to deliver a glare. "What did you do to them?"

"Told you it was so much fun teasing him," Ivanov nudged Hiwatari in the ribs and smirked. Hiwatari smirked as well. Though, much more reserved than Ivanov's amused one.

He then gave Rei a flower. A blue Camilla. He touched the other's fingers lightly.

END

Candy-tufts -- garden plant with flat tufts of white, pink or purple flowers (means indifference)
Orange Lilies -- kinds of plant with various colors and in various sizes (means hatred and disdain)
Marigolds -- plant with orange or yellow flowers (means cruelty, grief, jealousy, sacred affection, disdain)
Sugar daddy -- rich, usually elderly man who is generous to a young woman in return for sexual favours or friendship
blue Camilla -- means "You're a flame in my heart"

- Um... before anyone wonder, it's Yuri who kept Hitoshi up all night. I doubt Kai is -that- talkative... uhm yeah.

TheNekoTalks:

X3 Some way or another I've started adoring this HitoshiBrooklyn pairing.

Inspired by one of the English texts I got last school year. It was about arranging funerals traditionally, much in the same way Kai wishes the funeral to be. It pays well, or so I've read.

The one-shot turned much longer than I'd planned (my 2nd longest one shot)... heheheh, I was afraid I had to cut this piece into several parts and stick them in a sort of A(lternative) U(niverse) series fic. Uhm, this is a one-shot. I have not planned for a follow up. Maybe a sequel will do or a prequel, but for now this fanfiction stands on its own.

Thank you for reading!

.:Nekocin:.