Disclaimer: I don't own Nurarihyon No Mago in any way!
This is set in a feudal japan au, by the way. Also this has so much angst I won't blame you if you rant to me in your reviews...
I honestly have no idea why I wrote this sad horrible angsty fanfic, so if you're looking for something cute and with a happy ending I suggest you go back and browse on.
Captivation
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Rikuo first saw Kana when he was seven; she was dressed in a red kimono with cherry blossoms embroidered around the bottom. He was just passing by along with his father and mother when he saw her selling flowers in her mother's shop. Trailing away from his parents he wandered over to the shop as Kana shyly asked in a polite way, "Can I help you?"
Rikuo panicked. He really didn't know what to say to the pretty girl, hastily pointing at the wasurenagusas- the light blue five petal flowers with that yellow center behind the brunette. "I'd like that please."
She nodded and turning around to fetch a bundle of the wasurenagusas as Rikuo flagged down his mother- Wakana who left her husband Rihan to buy whatever her cute little boy needed her to buy. Kana handed the boy the flowers wrapped in a small white sheet covering the stems. While the two children waited an awkward silence passed over them- both were unsure of what to say to the other. From Wakana's point of view it was just plain too adorable with their fidgeting. Eventually Rikuo managed to gain some nerve and blubbered out, "I'm Rikuo! What's yours?"
"I'm Kana." The brunette smiled as Rikuo beamed with his cute wide brown eyes. In an instant he was captivated by her radiant smile and grinned back. There was a brief pause before Riuo asked holding the blue bundled flowers, "Ano… What do these flowers mean in Hanakotoba?"
"True love." Kana said instinctively before asking, "Are you giving them to a girl?"
"Uh no." The brunette girl tilted her head, "Then why did you buy them?"
"Uh…" Rikuo turned his head to the side feeling heat rush to his cheeks before turning back to Kana with an honest answer in a sheepish voice, "Because they looked pretty?"
Kana giggled as Wakana after taking her time to observe the budding relationship between the two children paid for the lovely flowers in her son's hands before taking him by the hand walking back to Rihan who pondered over the news over his boy's first infatuation with the flower shop girl.
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The duo continued to meet at her mother's floral shop until it was burned to the ground. Even after all the years Rikuo had spent visiting the blossoming girl- he never knew her situation- a gambling father and a helpless pitiful mother. Her father was beaten and killed, her mother caught in the fire of the floral shop.
Everything was underneath her cheerful smiles, his rosy cheeks, and their playful yet polite banters. All that was really left of the shop were some lotuses which he knew meant in Hanakotoba were...
Far from the one he loves.
Sad, but indeed true for Rikuo, because for Kana...
She was nowhere to be found. Disappeared like a ghost.
The boy never asked he felt it was too presumptuous of him- clearly that was a mistake.
He could have helped.
Despite his appearance, his family- his household was- in all honesty not human. He was in fact a part youkai, meaning he could very well scare the hell out of any human (and possibly give them a heart attack) if he wished it (by making requests to a couple of his youkai family members).
Rikuo spent the next years of his life searching for her with an oath, come hell or high water, he would find her.
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Rikuo at eighteen found her at a geisha house dressed in an elegant kimono of black and butterflies. He was dragged by Aotabo and Kurotabo on their late night drinks in the red light district- literally by his arms. The newly appointed third head of the great Nura clan was slumped over the table with his cup of sake in one hand when she came out to perform.
Her fingers danced on the strings of the kokyū as she played. Rikuo looked up and felt his eyes widened at the familiar sight of her and her brown hair and hazel eyes that were now dull- he didn't like that dullness in her eyes before they closed as she began playing.
He noticed the lustful half lidded looks that the other patrons were giving her as the closed eyed musician continued to play that beautiful and fast paced melody. He personally wanted nothing more than to hack those fat pigs- that were honestly way too old for her into bits and pieces with Nenekirimaru (even though it couldn't cut humans), and whisk Kana away from the world and never let her out of his sight again.
Going over to the mistress of the geisha house, he told her that he wanted Kana and was willing to pay any price. To his surprise (even though it was common for geishas to be offered a great deal of money for their… services) the mistress was quick to accept the offer and went to gather the girl for preparations.
The preparations that the mistress told the still green Rikuo befuddled him until Kubinashi, who came to the house with the trio had to explain the process of purchasing a geisha for the night. Chuckling as the mortified and still naive Rikuo went up to reunite with his long lost crush, Kubinashi shook his head and laughed before calling on a geisha to bring him some sake.
His heart raced in his chest as Rikuo climbed up the stairs with a prowling grace reaching the room first he waited for the mistress to bring his friend. Pacing in the room he wondered what to say to her- wondering if she still remembered him after all these years. The door slid open as Rikuo's head snapped to the person entering the room.
His breath caught in his windpipe as Kana bowed formally. She had changed into a white kimono with ominous spider lilies, and her hair was longer without the hair ornaments he had seen on her on the stage playing the kokyū. Immediately Rikuo stepped forward embracing the beautiful woman. He felt her stiffened in confusion while struggling to relax.
"Kana." Rikuo breathed out above her head as the man felt the woman in his arms gasp audibly. Pulling back Rikuo looked down to see her face and to his disappointment had a ton of make up on- he always preferred her natural look.
"What are you doing here?" She asked as Rikuo said, "A couple of my men dragged me here to drink... Kana why are you here as geisha?"
The brunette woman looked down with a sudden interest in the floor. Rikuo grasped the woman by her shoulder in a pleading tone asked, "Kana please tell me. All I want to do is help."
"To pay off my father's debts." Kana said quietly as Rikuo stiffened. Kana looked up with a smile, "So how about we catch up?"
For hours they talked most of what they talked caused Rikuo's blood to boil. For years his Kana had suffered- kidnapped by her father's loaners, tossed and turned in the geisha training program, and most of all touched by measly men who were decades older! (Luckily one of her co-workers stepped in before anything worse could happen to Kana) He talked about his dad died soon after the burning of her floral shop, and they shared a moment of silence to remember their deceased parents before smiling at each other. More of their playful banter ensured soon after- it was like they had never been separated in years.
Awkwardly enough Kana sputtered out, "I love you, Rikuo."
Rikuo blinked for a moment his eyes softening at the woman before him and grinned, "I love you too, Kana."
The duo quickly made arrangements to have Kana out of the geisha house, and to hunt down her father's debt collectors. With a smile and another kiss Rikuo left the geisha house feeling a warm tingly feeling in his heart.
Everything at that moment was right in the world.
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Tragedy struck once more into Rikuo and Kana's life like lightning and was more permanent than before.
His knees dropped to the ground as he stared in shock at her lifeless body that was still in the same white kimono with red spider lilies.
Rikuo stared in compete utter horror at the sight of her dead open brown eyes. Ironically before bed Rikuo had dreamed of the brunette woman with his arms around her shoulders as their looked down to the bundle in her arms- a baby boy. Their baby- he could tell by the hair and brown eyes that he was theirs.
Now she was gone.
Forever this time.
Now that was stolen from him by an unknown man who stabbed Kana multiple times before escaping the house.
Fury rose within Rikuo and like a fire- exploded as he roared with injustice.
He slaughtered that day. Slashed and hacked until the body of the jealous pig who murdered his one and true love was indescribably unrecognizable.
Rikuo swore that day:
To never love again.
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He felt cold. It was snowing, but it wasn't because of that. Rikuo felt cold and dull. The life seemed to suck right out of him that day. He still visits her grave a the temple bringing her favorite flowers- Amaryllises. Walking back from her grave Rikuo was numbly escorted by Kubinashi on the orders of his grandfather. While Rikuo looked up to the sound of a bowed string instrument playing before seeing a familiar shade of brown hair.
No.
She's dead. Stop with the naive illusions! He thought to himself as the musician continued to play with closed eyes. Forcing himself to walk past the woman Rikuo stopped in his tracks noticing something about the lady musician.
Around the edge of her form he could see the fading edges of her white and red spider lily kimono. Rikuo only saw that with only one kind of youkai.
A yurei.
A spirit.
His breath once caught into his throat as he said, "Kana?"
The familiar woman opened her eyes seeing a man with white hair and red eyes. She blinked, "I'm sorry, but do I know you?"
Rikuo froze- unable to comprehend the words out of her mouth as Kubinashi intervened, "Yes he does. Actually he been searching for you for a long time now, miss."
She perked at this, "Really?"
Rikuo managed to compose himself, "Really... It's been too long..."
He held out his hand.
She reached out.
The two halves completed each other.