Hello everyone! This is my first K story, in case it's not obvious, so I hope it's an enjoyable one! I've been planning this story for a while and have written all of season 1, which I will try to post one chapter every two weeks.
Fair warning: my only knowledge of K is of the anime and Missing Kings. I have yet to see Seven Stories (I really want to though, even though I know all of them will make me cry) so there will probably some wrong information in here. Some things I have consciously changed, and they should be obvious, but I will give credit where it's due down below so I don't spoil anything.
Oh, and in true K fashion, I will not reveal everything in this first chapter, which covers many years before the anime starts. As the story goes on, you'll learn more of what I've changed and how that effects the story of K. We've got plenty of new characters lined up to appear and a wild ride ahead, so I hope you enjoy this prologue! This story will also be posted on AO3, just so you know.
Now, enjoy!
Our story began just as many do, a simple meeting that was fated from the start.
Leoda would not admit she was nervous for her first day of school, not to her mother, not to her father and most definitely not to her older brother. Himori would never leave her alone if she did, he'd either tease her mercilessly or worry over her endlessly.
She didn't really want either option to come true.
"Ready?" Leoda's mother, Rae, smiled brightly at her six year old daughter.
"Yes, mom." Leoda nodded, trying to smile, conscious of her Japanese.
"You'll be fine, my daughter." Rae smiled softly as she bent down and ran a hand through her daughter's dark green streaked with silver hair. "You'll learn a lot and make lots of new friends, just you wait."
"But I'm different…" Leoda whispered, looking down, away from her mother's gaze.
"So was Himori, and he did just fine." Rae reminded.
"He doesn't have a different name then everyone else." Leoda pouted.
"True, but he has several habits other kids didn't." Rae stated. "And he had a fun time. You'll be just fine, right?"
"…Right." Leoda agreed as she looked up and her gray eyes met her mother's own matching pair. Quickly, the girl hugged her mother before she grabbed her backpack and slowly made her way to her new school.
Leoda didn't get very far inside before she was suddenly pushed to the floor, a body falling on top of her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The body, a boy, apologized as he moved off her. Leoda looked up and her eyes met the brown eyes of the boy as he sent her a sheepish smile. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking."
Leoda heard a snicker and turned to see a group of boys laughing before they ran away.
"You were pushed…" Leoda whispered, shocked.
"It was an accident, it's fine." The boy shrugged before his eyes grew concerned. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"No, I'm okay." Leoda shook her head. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, don't worry about it." The boy smiled as he stood up and offered a hand to Leoda. "Here, let me help you up."
Gingerly, the girl took the offered hand and stood up.
"I'm Tatara Totsuka. What's your name?" The boy, Tatara, asked.
"Leoda Akiyama." Leoda mumbled. Any second now…
"Wow! That's such a pretty name." Tatara complimented, to Leoda's shock. Just then, the bell rang. "Looks like we'd better get to class. See you around, Leoda!"
"Bye…" Leoda whispered in shock as Tatara ran off to class before she followed him.
At lunch, Leoda found herself sitting outside by herself, her homemade lunch in her lap as she stared at the field behind the school, feeling the wind blow through her hair.
Suddenly, the sound of laughter attracted her attention. Turning, she watched as a group of boys walked away, sharing a boxed lunch, and behind them on the ground was…
Without consciously thinking of it, Leoda found herself kneeling in front of none other than Tatara as she held her lunch out to him.
"Here, you can share with me." She offered.
"Oh, you don't have to, I'm used to finding my own food." Tatara shook his head as he made his way to the field without a word. Leoda frowned.
"You're gonna eat grass? That's not healthy." She stated.
"It's better than nothing." Tatara smiled as he continued walking.
Leoda found herself speechless as she stopped walking. She was trembling, her hands tightly clutching her lunch as she looked down, not able to look at Tatara.
"You idiot! Stop smiling at me like that! Come and share my lunch before I hit you!" Leoda shouted suddenly. She chanced a glance at Tatara only to see him frozen as he stared at her with wide eyes. "I can't let you eat grass of all things, especially since you keep smiling that…that horrible smile! If you're in pain, then let me see it, let me be your friend! Just…just stop with that fake smile!"
It was silent between the two, the only sound being the wind as it blew both of their hair, Tatara staring at Leoda with wide eyes while Leoda stared at Tatara in determination, despite her red cheeks.
The brunette's eyes suddenly softened, and he smiled, a soft, gentle, real smile and Leoda felt her breath leave her.
"Alright." Tatara whispered as he slowly made his way to Leoda.
"What…?" Leoda asked quietly, her eyes widening as she watched the brunette bend down before he reached her and tucked a peach flower behind her ear, the soft red petals tickling her cheek.
"Do you know what a peach flower means?" Tatara asked her.
"No, do you?" Leoda asked, curious.
"'Fascinating personality'." Tatara smiled softly, another real smile.
Leoda felt heat rushing to her cheeks, she was probably as red as the peach flower behind her ear, as she grabbed Tatara's wrist without another word and dragged him back to where she had previously been sitting. Once both of them sat down, the forest haired girl forced the brunette to eat first before she continued where she left off.
They ate in silence for several minutes before Leoda spoke up again.
"Same to you." She whispered, refusing to look at Tatara, who simply smiled in return as he continued to eat, not pushing her anymore than he already had.
Of course, by the end of the day, they were considered friends.
Leoda spent the entire school day biting her lip nervously. Tatara hadn't come to school at all and that usually meant he had ended up either sick or in the hospital, not for the first time. And with the passing of his father, she had no one to ask, especially when Tatara refused to call her during school, the stupid idiot!
Why the hell is he more worried about my school work then his own health?!
She had never asked Tatara why though, she just knew it was the kind of person he was, always putting others above himself and never losing his blinding optimism, even in the face of major peril.
Once the final bell rang, Leoda was running towards both the hospital and Tatara's house, which were conveniently in the same direction. Halfway there, her phone rang.
"Hello?" She answered, not bothering to check the caller ID.
"Leoda, I got a call from the hospital." Himori's voice answered, sounding exasperated.
"Tatara's there, isn't he?" Leoda sighed as she changed directions.
"Yep. Said he got beat up pretty badly." Himori stated.
"Why the hell does he call you instead of me?!" Leoda growled as she continued to run.
"Probably because I'm home and he refuses to bother you while you're in school." Himori answered.
"That was rhetorical, Himori!" Leoda cried.
"I know." He was smirking, she knew it.
"Remind me again why I love you?" The forest haired girl sighed.
"Cause you love me, no matter what, little sis." Himori chuckled. "So, what flower will you be giving Tatara this time?"
"That's none of your business!" Leoda snapped.
"Oh, so you're gonna give him a primula sieboldii?" Himori teased.
"Of course not, I'm not in love with him!" Leoda protested, feeling her face heat up. At least her brother couldn't see her face.
"Keep telling yourself that." Himori chuckled.
"I'm hanging up now." Leoda stated a second before she did so, walking into the flower shop she had just reached.
When Leoda entered the hospital room she was directed to, she was not surprised to see how bandaged up Tatara was.
"Leo!" Tatara grinned brightly as his eyes landed on the forest haired girl.
"Tatara, you are an idiot." Leoda snapped. Tatara instantly wilted; Leoda only called him that when he really made her mad.
Without another word, the fourteen year old girl made her way to the empty vase at the boy's bedside and placed a white chrysanthemum in it.
"What's the meaning for this one?" Tatara asked.
"'Trust me'." Leoda answered.
"Of course, I trust you, Leoda." Tatara insisted.
"Then why don't you tell me right away when something like this happens?!" Leoda demanded. "When you don't show up, I never know if I should panic or not and I have to hear from a family member where you are every single time! If you trust me, then call me as soon as you can, and I promise I'll come after school, you idiot Tara!"
Silently, Tatara used his unbandaged right arm and grabbed a flower that rested beside him on the bed, which he then gave to Leoda.
"What's this mean?" Leoda asked softly as she accepted the flower, a hydrangea.
"'Apologies' and 'gratitude'." Tatara offered a small smile. "And a promise that I will let you know right away from now on."
"You're such an idiot, Tara." Leoda chuckled as she wiped a tear away and smelled the flower before tucking it behind her ear. "Thank you."
"I should be the one thanking you." Tatara smiled.
"Oh, almost forgot, I brought a book for you to read, since you're probably bored out of your mind." The girl said as she dug said book out of her bag while taking the only chair beside the bed.
"You know me so well." The boy grinned as he took the book and began to read aloud so the two could share the book.
It wasn't long, however, until the door opened and the two looked up just as two teenagers, not much older than them from the looks of it, walked in.
"What a surprise! What brings you here, King?" Tatara asked with a bright grin.
"King?" Leoda repeated.
"King of what?" The blonde teen asked as he looked back at the redhead.
"Who jumped you, kid?" The redhead asked straightly.
Tatara stared for a minute before he fell back into his pillow with a smile.
"Listen, pal. If you keep hanging around this guy, you're gonna be spending a lot of your time in the hospital." The blonde warned. "You might think you're safe hanging around someone so strong, but you'll find out the exact opposite is true."
"I'll be fine, don't worry." Tatara chuckled.
"You idiot, you're already in here often enough as it is." Leoda growled before she turned to the blonde and suddenly transformed. "I apologize for my friend's idiocy. I hope he hasn't been bothering you both too much."
"Leo! Come on, I'm not that bad!" Tatara protested.
"That's right. You're a bigger idiot than I took you for if you keep going on like this. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were stalking this guy when I'm not around." Leoda sighed.
"Eh, well…" Tatara trailed off sheepishly.
"Tatara!" Leoda cried, shocked and angry with him as he only smiled at her.
"Maybe you didn't hear what I was telling you." The blonde sighed just as the redhead slammed his foot on the bed, causing the brunette to shoot up.
"Hey, don't hurt him more!" Leoda cried as she stood up. King or not, nobody was gonna hurt Tatara even more on her watch.
The redhead ignored her as he turned to Tatara.
"Don't play around. Tell me who did this." He demanded. Tatara stared at him before he finally looked down, resigned.
"Before I tell you who it was, I have a huge favor I need to ask. Will you hear me out?" The brunette said.
The red head nodded as the blonde and Leoda stared at him.
"It's my foot…it really itches like crazy! Could you scratch it for me? It would be such a relief!" Tatara requested. Leoda stared in shock for a moment before she clenched a fist, prepared to hit her best friend until the redhead did just that, to both her and the blonde's shock. "Thanks so much!"
Then the redhead punched Tatara on top of his head and walked out.
"I can't believe you, you're so reckless." The blonde commented.
"No kidding. Idiot! He could probably kill you with just his bare hands!" Leoda scolded, hands on her hips.
"Don't blame me or your friend here if he does." The blonde added.
"Hey, don't sweat it!" Tatara brushed it off. "It'll all work out in the end. Before too long, I'm going to become the King's Vassal."
"Huh?" The blonde hummed.
"I'm telling you, that guy's gonna become someone great. One day, he might actually become like a real king! Don't you think?" Tatara smiled.
"I think we've all got a bit of growing up to do before we get to see that." Leoda commented with a sigh. "By the way, who are you two anyway?"
"I'm Izumo Kusanagi, and the other guy was Mikoto Suoh." The blonde smiled.
"So, you're the two he's told me so much about." Leoda hummed. "I'm Leoda Akiyama, this idiot's best friend."
"Hey!" Tatara protested jokingly.
"I'm not joking." Leoda stated, entirely serious.
"You two sure do seem close. And that's a pretty name you've got there, Miss. Leoda." Kusanagi smiled. "Your name means 'of the people' in German, right?" Reluctantly, the girl nodded.
"Really? Why'd you never tell me, that's really pretty! Better than mine, that's for sure." Tatara said.
"It never really was important, just another thing that made me different." Leoda looked down as she played with one of the silver strands of her hair.
"That doesn't change that you're still the same Leoda I've always loved." Tatara shook his head. Leoda suddenly turned bright red and looked away, hoping her shoulder blade length hair would hide the redness.
Thankfully, it did…from Tatara. Kusanagi, on the other hand, saw the change in her complexion and smirked, causing the girl to glare at him.
"Tara, you don't just say things like that." Leoda mumbled.
"Huh?" Tatara questioned.
"Well, looks like you're gonna be just fine, pal." Kusanagi chuckled as he pet the top of the brunette's head, much to his chagrin. "Anything like this happens again, give HOMRA a call, okay?"
"Really?! Thanks!" Tatara grinned, his eyes excited.
"No problem. I'll see you both around, okay?" Kusanagi smiled.
"Both of us?" Leoda asked, surprised.
"Sure, the kid's stubborn, you'll probably get dragged along for the ride, Miss. Leoda." Kusanagi smirked.
"Alright, thank you, Mr. Kusanagi." Leoda smiled.
"See ya." Kusanagi waved bye.
"Bye, Mr. Kusanagi!" Tatara waved with his free hand before he turned back to his forest haired friend. "Aren't they cool?"
"Yeah." Leoda chuckled. "Yeah, they are."
The last thing Leoda expected just a few months after meeting Mikoto and Kusanagi was to get a phone call from Tatara, demanding she get to Kusanagi's bar, HOMRA, right away.
Of course, when she got there and found Tatara holding a too small child in his arms while Mikoto and Kusanagi whispered to each other, she instantly ran over and began to check the boy in Tatara's arms over.
The boy was small, far too small, and was soundly sleeping in Tatara's arms, his messy black hair falling in his eyes with black glasses covering them.
"What happened?" She demanded softly.
"Mr. Kusanagi was about to close up when we found him on the steps." Tatara explained. "Business had been really slow, so nobody noticed he was there this whole time. I think he ran away from home."
"What's the plan then?" Leoda asked as she ran a hand through the boy's hair instinctively.
"The plan is to talk to the cops." Kusanagi insisted. "He probably has parents who are worried sick."
"But he ran away from home. What if it isn't a good place for him?" Tatara whispered, empathy in his voice.
"It'd probably be safer for him if we were to take care of him." Leoda said, her eyes never leaving the boy. He looked to be about ten if she ignored the obvious signs of neglect and malnutrition he exhibited. Only four years younger than me…
"We can't just keep him! That's kidnapping!" Kusanagi protested.
"But Mr. Kusanagi-" Tatara started when the boy stirred and the whole bar fell silent.
The boy opened his eyes, revealing their blue color, and he instantly stiffened in fear as his eyes darted over the four people staring at him.
"Hey, shh, it's okay, you're safe." Tatara smiled softly.
"Can you tell us your name?" Leoda asked carefully. The boy mumbled something none of them could make out.
"Hey, kid, would you mind repeating that? We couldn't hear you." Kusanagi asked gently as he knelt beside the two young teenagers.
"Saruhiko Fushimi…" The boy, Saruhiko, repeated softly.
"Alright, Saruhiko. We found you on the steps of my bar. Are you lost?" Kusanagi questioned.
Saruhiko shook his head, his eyes so full of fear that Leoda began to gently caress his hair in an effort to calm him.
"Did you run away from home?" Leoda asked softly. Saruhiko simply nodded in answer.
"Your parents are probably worried sick, we should get you home." Kusanagi sighed, disappointment clear in his voice.
Instantly, Saruhiko clung to Tatara, as if he was his lifeline. The brunette simply continued to whisper calming words to the boy while Leoda continued to caress his hair.
Silently, Mikoto approached the group of four and made sure he was looking Saruhiko directly in the eyes as he bent down. Saruhiko shrunk back from the gold gaze aimed at him, further burrowing in Tatara and Leoda's arms.
"Do you want to go back?" Mikoto asked clearly.
Saruhiko furiously shook his head in response.
"He stays." Mikoto stated as he stood up and walked back to the bar.
"We can't just keep him! He's not some stray dog, Mikoto, this counts as kidnapping!" Kusanagi protested.
"He doesn't want to return, he doesn't have to." Mikoto stated as he met his best friend's eyes.
"We'll help you take care of him." Tatara offered.
"We'll come over every day." Leoda added, "So, it'll be like he has four parents taking care of him, right?"
"We can't just adopt a kid we're virtually kidnapping!" Kusanagi protested.
"Izumo." Mikoto cut in, his gaze steady. "The kid's obviously scared of going back. We'd be better than where he's scared. And your connections can handle anything we need."
Kusanagi groaned before he went into the kitchen. He returned with a mug of hot chocolate, which he proceeded to give to the boy, who gingerly and tentatively took the mug and began to drink it.
"Looks like we've adopted a kid then." Kusanagi finally sighed, a small smile on his face.
Saruhiko looked from one face to another before he drank his hot chocolate, not complaining one bit and Leoda felt her heart break at what this boy must've been put through if he preferred the company of four strangers to that of his own parents.
They would raise him right, she'd make sure of it.
Tatara wouldn't admit he was nervous, he was eighteen and this was his best friend…but at the same time, this was the girl he'd been in love with for two years, or at least aware, he's been aware of it for that long.
"So, today's the day, eh?" Kusanagi chuckled as he cleaned a glass.
"Is it that obvious?" Tatara asked sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. He was eighteen and yet Kusanagi could still make him feel like that fourteen year old kid who was just figuring out he liked his best friend.
"Only cause I know how you get when it comes to Leo." Kusanagi smirked as he placed the glass down only to pick up another as Tatara turned red.
"Eh? What's going on, Mr. Totsuka?" Misaki Yata questioned as he turned away from his best friend, Saruhiko, who sighed quietly at that before he turned to his youngest 'father figure'.
"I'm going to meet Leo." Tatara answered, smiling slightly.
"So? Why're you so nervous? You always hang out with her." Yata said, confused.
"You're such an idiot." Saruhiko clicked his tongue.
"Hey, Saruhiko!" Yata cried.
"Do you not see the bouquet he has?" Saruhiko pointed out.
Sure enough, sitting innocently on the table Tatara was pacing near was a bouquet with sunflowers, morning glories, red camellias and forget-me-nots with a single other flower set aside the bouquet.
"Yeah. What about 'em?" Yata asked.
"You know Leo and Tatara like communicating with flowers. The meaning of those flowers is what's important." Kusanagi explained.
"Guys…" Tatara whined as he hurriedly swept up the flowers. "I'm going now!"
"Go get her, Tatara." Kusanagi winked, chuckling at the blush that covered Tatara's cheeks in response.
"Good luck." Yata smiled, a blush covering his cheeks at the thought of talking to a girl.
"Try not to suck." Saruhiko sighed, turning away as the brunette finally left.
Tatara tried to ignore the nervous pounding of his heart as he walked to where he was to meet Leoda, the bouquet in his right hand and the single flower hidden behind his back with his left.
It was just Leoda, his best friend for twelve years, who's family welcomed him despite his status as a member of HOMRA, who gave him a reason to smile for real, who made him want to fight if it meant keeping her safe…
The brunette sighed as he admitted that yes, he had it bad, as Kusanagi would put it just to tease him.
Tatara's thoughts, thankfully, fell silent as he caught sight of their meeting place, a beautiful fountain in the park that was an equal distance from her home and his. And standing there, waiting for him, was Leoda.
In the twelve years they've known each other, Tatara could admit that the forest haired girl had grown up beautifully.
Leoda's dark green hair was loosely braided and resting on her right shoulder, her bangs falling gently in her gray eyes as the sun shined off the streaks of silver in her hair. Since it was spring, she wore a long sleeved, cream colored shirt that showed the barest hint of her shoulders and the ends of the sleeves flared the slightest bit at her wrists with white lining, a light purple skirt that stopped at her knees and light brown ankle boots. Around her right wrist was a leather bracelet similar to Tatara's own and around her neck was a necklace similar to Tatara's fang one only instead of a fang, Leoda's had a single angel wing.
To Tatara, she was the most beautiful girl in the world and he felt lost for breath.
If I could spend my life with her, I'd die a happy man…
At that thought, Tatara felt a tingle shoot up his left arm, but he ignored it as Leoda finally spotted him.
"Tara! I thought you'd never get here." The forest haired girl teased from where she sat on the fountain's edge.
"Sorry, it took longer than I thought to get these together." The brunette sheepishly smiled as he shyly held the bouquet out. He knew as soon as she examined the flowers, Leoda would understand what he was saying.
And, sure enough, as the girl took the bouquet in her hands, she gasped softly.
"Do you know what they mean?" Tatara asked softly as he sat beside her, keeping his left hand hidden.
"Sunflowers for 'adoration, loyalty and longevity', morning glory for either 'brief love' or 'bond of love', red camellia for 'humility, discretion and being in love' and forget-me-not for…'true love'…" Leoda recited, tears forming in her eyes.
Subtly, Tatara took the final flower in his left hand and slid it behind Leoda's right ear, the stem entwining with her braid.
Feeling the flower, Leoda slowly reached up and delicately touched the flower.
"Primula sieboldii for 'long lasting love'." Tatara whispered as Leoda met his eyes.
His heart was pounding as he waited for her reaction. He prayed her tears were a good sign and not, in fact, the end of their entire relationship.
The fear of losing her, as his best friend in the entire world, was enough to force Tatara to turn away. He would accept her decision no matter what, but…he couldn't look at her, not with the fear feeling as if it was crushing his wind pipe and heart all at once.
So, when a forget-me-not was shoved in his face, Tatara found himself blinking repeatedly.
"I love you too…" Leoda whispered, not meeting his gaze as Tatara slowly accepted the flower, the meaning of 'true love'…
As everything sunk in, Tatara found himself grinning brightly and grabbing Leoda in his arms, somehow not crushing the bouquet or the primula sieboldii behind her ear in the process. He stood up and spun her around in the air, repeating those three simple words as if they were his salvation.
Once he stopped spinning her, Tatara simply stared into Leoda's eyes and smiled before he softly repeated, one final time:
"I love you."
"I love you too." Leoda smiled softly.
And it was only then that Tatara felt as if a warm fire was circling around his left arm.
"What…?" He gasped.
"Tatara!" Leoda gasped as said brunette fell into her arms.
Only a year later, Leoda found herself entering HOMRA only to find Mikoto leaning against a couch, Kusanagi cleaning a glass behind the bar, Saruhiko sitting at the bar and Tatara holding Anna's hand to head towards the kitchen.
"Why am I not surprised to find you napping here again?" Leoda sighed, shaking her head.
"Hey! I'm not napping now." Tatara protested as the forest haired young woman walked over to him and Anna.
"'Now', meaning you just woke up." Leoda stated before she bent down to Anna's level. "Hello, Anna, Saruhiko. Has Tatara been bothering you, Mr. Suoh and Mr. Kusanagi?"
"He's here every day anyway, what difference does it make?" Saruhiko clicked his tongue.
"Come on, Saruhiko, you know that's not what she meant." Kusanagi shook his head at his adopted son.
"No, I like having Tatara here." Anna shook her head. "You too, Leoda."
"Aw, I'm touched." Leoda smiled as she straightened up and kissed the top of the girl's head. "I hope that's not just because Tatara and I will be married soon."
"You really think that?" Mikoto lazily asked, causing the young woman to turn towards him.
"You never know. I'm from Timeless Palace, after all, and my brother's in Scepter 4. By marrying me, Tatara will be related to both clans and I know how the Red and Blue clans never got along. Besides, it's not like I can be open about, you know." Leoda explained.
"You're not just your clan, you're Leo." Mikoto stated.
"What Mikoto means, is that you're as much a part of our family as Tatara is, and we're happy that you two found each other." Kusanagi explained.
"Weren't you guys the ones insisting we're a family?" Saruhiko sighed.
"Of course, we are, Saruhiko. Thanks, Mr. Kusanagi, King. That means a lot to me." Tatara smiled as he took Leoda's hand in his own, bringing it up to his lips to kiss her knuckles.
"Don't think this gives you an excuse to be lazy all the time." Leoda scolded.
"I'm never lazy!" Tatara gasped dramatically.
"You come here every day for your afternoon nap. Honestly, how did you ever manage to help us raise Saruhiko?" Leoda stated, crossing her arms, her engagement ring sparkling on her left ring finger. Suddenly, there was a tug on her skirt and she looked down to see Anna looking up at her.
"Can I see your ring?" The girl asked quietly.
"Of course." Leoda smiled softly, allowing Anna to gaze at the ring to her heart's content.
"And right after, you guys can help with dinner." Tatara smiled.
"You better not blow up the kitchen." Leoda warned.
"He blew up a kitchen?" Kusanagi repeated, his tone implying what would happen if that was true.
"No, no, no! I'm a great cook!" Tatara protested, his hands up in surrender as he faced the bartender.
"Leoda." Kusanagi ordered.
"Only if he has help, so I'll save your kitchen, Mr. Kusanagi." Leoda reassured.
"Are you trying to get me banned?" Tatara sighed.
"Please, he allowed Saruhiko inside. He'd never ban you." Leoda teased before she turned to Anna. "Come on, Anna, let's make sure Tatara doesn't destroy Mr. Kusanagi's kitchen."
The girl nodded in agreement and Tatara reluctantly followed the two, ignoring Saruhiko and Kusanagi's snickers.
At twenty two, Tatara could admit he still had some maturing to do. His biggest motivation to do exactly that was the reason he was now walking to the headquarters of Scepter 4.
Yata had called him insane, willingly walking into the lair of the Blues where not only would he have to share the same air as them, but he'd have to see Fushimi, who was the biggest traitor in Yata's eyes.
But Tatara had known his reasons for doing this were more important then any clan rivalries. While Leoda typically came with her husband when he went to Scepter 4's HQ, Tatara had insisted she stay back today and get some rest, which she reluctantly, and she emphasized reluctantly, agreed to.
As he reached the entrance to the courtyard of Scepter 4's HQ, Tatara wasn't surprised when Benzai walked up to meet him.
"Totsuka. I'm surprised you're alone." Benzai greeted.
"Leoda wasn't feeling too well this morning, so I made her take a nap. She'll be meeting us at HOMRA later." Tatara explained.
"I see. Is Leoda's health any better this time?" Benzai questioned as he began to lead Tatara into Scepter 4's HQ.
"Somewhat, but I think it's just us knowing what to expect more this time. Her mother was a great help last time, her aunt and grandmother too. Thanks for asking, Benzai." Tatara smiled.
"No problem. I've seen Leoda a lot since Akiyama and I joined Scepter 4, we're all very close with her. Probably as close as you are to your own clan." Benzai said.
"I don't doubt it." Tatara chuckled, knowing there was more to Benzai's closeness to Leoda then he let on, as they reached their destination.
Benzai barely opened the doors when a small body raced through and latched onto Tatara's leg, yelling,
"Daddy!"
Tatara chuckled as he bent down to scoop his son into his arms. The boy was only one, yet he clearly took after both parents with his father's brown hair, touched with a few streaks of his mother's dark green, and light gray eyes, a perfect blend of both parents' eyes.
"Hey Kristopher! Were you good for Uncle Himori?" Tatara smiled.
"Uh huh! Uncle Himori even let me play with Hiko!" Kristopher explained eagerly.
"Tsk. Brat." Fushimi clicked his tongue.
"Glad to see you get along so well with your brother, Saruhiko!" Tatara grinned before he turned to his brother-in-law, ignoring Fushimi's muttered 'he's not my brother'. "Thanks for watching Kris, Himori. It meant a lot."
"It was no trouble." Himori smiled as he messed up his nephew's hair. "This little stinker always brightens up the place, even Lieutenant Awashima and the captain have a soft spot for him."
"Well, I'm glad to know we're not an inconvenience." Tatara sighed in relief.
"Hey, you're family. And family is never an inconvenience." Himori reminded the brunette as he placed his hand on the younger man's left shoulder.
"Yeah! Family comes first!" Kristopher nodded as he squeezed his father's neck.
"That's right, bud." Tatara chuckled. "We should head back to the bar, Mommy will be getting worried."
"We can't worry Mommy!" Kristopher cried. "Come on, Daddy! Let's go!"
"Alright, then we're off!" Tatara grinned.
"Say hi to my sister for me." Himori chuckled as he waved goodbye, a wave both father and son returned as they made their way out of Scepter 4 and made their way to HOMRA.
That night, as Leoda sat beside her husband, Anna next to him and Kristopher on her lap, and listened to Tatara sing, she could honestly say she had never been happier.
This was only a small portion of her family, but that didn't change the bond they all shared.
And so, as she laid her son to bed that night, she turned to Tatara and smiled at him.
"What?" Tatara questioned, curious as his wife sat beside him on their bed only to wrap him tightly in her arms.
"I didn't fall in love with you. I walked into love with you, with my eyes wide open, choosing to take every step along the way. I do believe in fate and destiny, but I also believe we are only fated to do the things that we'd choose anyway. And I'd choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you and I'd choose you." Leoda whispered. "You are my primula sieboldii, my forget-me-not and my morning glory. Always."
"How poetic. I'd say you beat me when it comes to saying heartfelt sayings." Tatara chuckled before he became serious. "You are all of that to me as well, never forget that."
Only three months later, my world came crashing down entirely.
And there we are.
Every flower meaning mentioned in this story is based on Hanakotba, as I've found it online. If I'm wrong, please correct me!
Now, for the big change in this story: Fushimi. This idea is credited to ridiasfangirlings on Tumblr, also known as Klitch here on FF. I am simply adapting it to my fic and in no way take credit for it. Honestly, I suggest you guys go to their Tumblr and check out their 'fushimi has three daddies' tag, it's beautiful.
The inspiration behind the title of this story comes from an English cover of Tatara's song, Circle of Friends, by Johnny Krasinkiewicz on YouTube.
I think that's everything for now...I hope you guys like this chapter and are ready for a wild ride cause, boy, do I have plans. I'll see you all in two weeks then. Bye!