Chapter 1: In Cold Blood
"Yoichi… Where's Mika?" Yuuichirou whined as he rolled restlessly on his nest with his black teddy bear, the Salt King, in his arms, his form curled into a ball on the soft mattress while he pouted his mouth. Tears were glazing his green eyes as he gave his servant the most pitiful look he could muster up. "I want to see him – no – Ineed to see him. Please. I can't stand this!"
The omega couldn't help but chuckle at how adorable Yuuichirou looked and he raised a hand to rub on his scent glands to calm the other down as he entered the room. He sat down on the soft bedding where Yuuichirou was and patted him gently like a mother to a child would. It was proven effective because Yuuichirou immediately sighed in relief and his body practically sagged to relaxation on the bed, purring at the caresses of his friend.
"Shh… Mika-kun just left fifteen minutes ago since he still has lessons to take with Guren-sama, Yuu-kun." Yoichi explained as he caressed Yuuichirou's black locks and massaged his scalp. "He would soon become the patriarch of the Ichinose family, and besides, he still has to catch up with his internship, after all. Please understand."
"I know that, but…" The beta muttered against his teddy bear as his grip on it tightened and he glanced at Yoichi. "I just… I have to see him. I've been growing irritable this past weeks when I don't see him often. Is this an effect of being pregnant?"
"Hmm, perhaps..." Yoichi hummed as he gently urged Yuuichirou to roll on his back, his eyes immediately noticing the small baby bump on his master's belly underneath the hoodie he wore. "I don't really know how pregnancy works for betas so I can't say for certain. Maybe it's your instinct that made you want to see Mika-kun, to make sure he's safe? It's a pretty natural reaction since the two of you are mates."
"… M-Maybe." The beta agreed with a nod as he trailed a hand down on his belly to rub the round bump tenderly. "It's been... four months since the whole incident in France… Time sure flies; it almost feels like a dream."
"Indeed, it is." Yoichi agreed, idly remembering what had occurred in those past months. "A lot of things happened, huh? We learn more stuff, and at the same time, regret things too."
Yuuichirou hummed in agreement as he closed his eyes slowly with his hand resting protectively on his belly where his child was growing. A contented smile curled on his lips as he began to relax against the bed, feeling sleep slowly overcoming him. Yet, before he could allow sleep to come, he opened one eye on Yoichi and patted his belly softly.
"You can touch them too, you know…" He said which surprised Yoichi a bit. "You're one of their uncles so I'm sure they'll like to get to know you too."
Yoichi fretted, feeling embarrassed. "Oh, no, Yuu-kun. I can't possibly…"
"Touch them." The beta insisted with a fond smile for his friend.
Hesitantly, Yoichi reached a hand out to touch Yuuichirou's small, round belly. A look of amazement and warmth flashed on the omega's face as he rubbed the skin further before he jumped when he felt something touch his hand from the inside. Yoichi immediately recognized that it was a baby kick.
"O-Oh, was that…?"
"They're saying 'Hi' to you." Yuuichirou said with a grin. "Look at that… I bet they can't wait to see you, along with the others."
The beta's hearty laugh was endearing to hear.
"That's so cute." Yoichi chuckled as he leaned close to Yuuichirou's belly to whisper against it. "Aw, I also can't wait to see you too, little guy. I bet you'll look just as cool and amazing as your parents when you come here."
"Y-Yoichi…" Yuuichirou whined a bit as his face flushed in embarrassment at the compliment.
"I'm just saying the truth, Yuu-kun." Yoichi winked playfully as he leaned back. "Thank you, though, for letting me get closer to them. I know how protective you and Mika-kun could be, and I tell you, you two can be quite scary when someone you don't trust comes close to your child. It's really amazing."
Yuuichirou made a pouting face after hearing that. "But I do trust you, Yoichi. You were one of my childhood friends, so it's totally okay if you want to touch my child."
"With your permission, though." Yoichi added. "I won't do anything that might be uncomfortable to you unless I was given your consent. You're my master and it's my role to serve you as your personal butler, Yuu-kun. And besides..." The omega gave a short uneasy laugh. "Mika-kun can be frightening to other people, even me…"
"Ah…" Yuuichirou's mouth hang open in surprise before he puffed his cheeks with a frown. "Mika, seriously…"
"B-But, don't get mad at him, please." Yoichi immediately assured while raising his hands and waving it frantically. "I kind of understand why he would act like that since he was just here for nearly three months and he's still getting to know the people around you. Give him some time to know others in his own pace, okay?"
Yuuichirou thinned his lips in a line before he let out a tired sigh, rolling onto his side. "I'll talk to him about that when he comes back later, but for now, I want to take a rest…"
"I agree. Having proper rest is good to both you and the child." Yoichi said with a nod before standing up. "I'll prepare you some tea and cookies later on in case you want something to eat."
"Thanks a lot, Yoichi." Yuuichirou purred as he curled comfortably on his nest, nuzzling against the sheets like a cat as sleep eventually overcame him. The cute display made Yoichi smile.
However, his smile didn't last long when a knock made its way to Yuuichirou's room door. The brunet turn his head to see Shihou opening the door a bit to check the occupants of the room before sighing.
"There you are." He said hastily.
Yoichi tilt his head in confusion. "Shihou, what's up?"
"You have a call from the phone over the lobby." Shihou explained as he raised a hand up to scratch the back of his head with annoyance radiating in his being. "The caller was very insistent to speak with you and is practically very stubborn into giving any information as to why he wants to call you. So I thought that I should let you speak with him just to shut him up."
The omega covered his mouth a bit when a short laugh escaped his lips. "I see, thank you for telling me this."
He walked towards the door so that Yuuichirou could be left alone to sleep and closed the furniture behind them with a soft click. Olive green eyes looked up to Shihou with a smile as he bowed gratefully to the alpha which caused Shihou to blush lightly in embarrassment.
"You don't have to be so formal..."
"I can't help it. You have this air that spoke of authority so I think it's only right for me to polite." Yoichi giggled as he began to walk away in the hallways with Shihou following suite. "You're part of the secret service serving under the Ichinose's, after all, not to mention an alpha, so…"
"Yoichi." Shihou called out which made Yoichi stop walking. "You're no longer a victim of your past. In this house, you're free. Even Yuu said it himself, that the moment you were taken in by the Ichinose's to be trained as his personal butler, you can do whatever you want provided that you don't violate any rules of your job."
"I'm aware of that, Shihou." Yoichi nearly snapped yet he didn't look back at Shihou as one of his arms was raised to hold himself protectively. "... But I guess old habits die hard."
Pursing his lips, Yoichi continued to walk on, but this time, Shihou didn't trail behind him as he eventually reached the lobby floor. He immediately spotted the phone and took it on his ear to answer it.
"Hello…?"
"Is this Yoichi Saotome that I'm speaking to?" A deep voice asked on the line which made Yoichi hesitant to answer back but he did what he needed to as he spoke.
"... Yes, it is. May I ask who you are and why you're calling?"
The voice made an eerie chuckle that sent goosebumps on Yoichi's skin. "There's no need to know such unimportant things. After all, I just called in to deliver a message."
The omega felt slightly uneasy by that but he continued on. "And what kind of message is that, sir?"
"It's rather simple... We have your sister, Tomoe Saotome ."
Yoichi's blood ran cold. "You... You have my sister?" His hand tightened around the phone. "W-What proof do you have that you have her? I haven't seen her for years."
"Let's see..." The man on the other phone hummed. "She has auburn hair, olive green eyes, speaks fluent Japanese and English..." He paused for a while but Yoichi could tell in his gut that the man was smirking. "... And a very fertile omega."
Yoichi felt his throat drying with how accurate the descriptions were. With his breathing becoming shaky, he couls feel adrenaline slowly pumping in his veins as he cautiously chose of what words to say to the man holding his sister hostage.
"I-If you don't mind, may I speak with her...?" He requested softly.
Eventually, some rustling and breathing was heard, which was replaced with heavy panting. A female one at that. Yoichi just couldn't bear to imagine what was happening on the other line, especially when some guy claimed this woman as his sister.
"Tomoe, your lovely brother wants to speak with you. Do make it nice and sweet, would you?" A distant voice asked in a rather sadistic tone.
There was nothing but pants for a moment, leaving Yoichi slightly bewildered.
"O-Onee-chan...?"
"... Yoi... chi..."
This voice...!
"Onee-chan, is this...?!" Yoichi's voice shone with recognition. Surprise mixed with elation surged through him upon knowing that it was indeed his sister. "Are you alright?! Where are you?! I-!"
"Don't mind me, Yoichi... Just don't do whatever this man wants..." Tomoe's soft, raspy tone warned
"W-What do you mean?"
"Trust me; just don't-gah! Stop that! Let go of me!"
"O-Onee-chan...?!"
A sound of a throat being cleared was heard with messy rustling sounds in the background like there was someone fighting.
"As much as we want to extend your lovely chat together, we'll have to cut short to the chase. We don't really appreciate our time being wasted since we only want one thing from you." The man from before interrupted in a stern tone.
Yoichi was silent for a moment, a mix of dread and fear filling his being as he slowly answered back. "W-What do you want me to do...?"
"Easy. Assassinate Guren Ichinose and his son."
Yoichi's eyes widened. His breathing dropped. "W-What? I-I can't do such a thing. I'm just a butler."
"You can since you were an infamous assassin and a wanted criminal. It's ironic how you're working under the Japanese government now after the crimes you've committed for 8 years... along with the fact that you're an omega."
Yoichi's throat felt dry when he heard that. "H-How...?"
"How'd I find out? Well, to be honest, it took up some digging and research since we felt like your supposed 'death' looked orchestrated. We traced the lines little by little, and eventually, it all ends up being pointed to you." The man chuckled darkly. "And how convenient it is that you're living right next to your targets in one building."
"I'll never do that. I changed. I'm never going back to what I once was." Yoichi spat in determination as he frowned.
"Oh, but that can't be right, Yoichi~" The man cooed that sent goosebumps up Yoichi's skin. "It's either them or your sister and reputation. Kill both Guren and his son, then rest assured, your sister will be left unharmed and you can live your life in any way you want it. Let them live, however... Your sister will pay the price and your secrets will be exposed, forever labeling you a murderer who kills his victims in cold blood. So choose wisely, Saotome."
Yoichi gripped on the phone very hard to the point that he was shaking. His blood was boiling in his veins but his expression was blank with dull eyes as he glanced down at the innocent item before him.
"... I'll kill you." He murmured on the phone. His tone was soft yet deep and lifeless.
"Hmm, what was that?"
"I'll find you..." Yoichi continued. "I'll hunt you down with everything I've got, and when I finally have you, I'll kill you in the most painful way possible as punishment for harming my family. You'll never get away with this."
The man scoffed. "Heh, you may be a renowned assassin before, but don't think it'll be easy finding us. After all, you're only meant to carry out orders."
Yoichi gritted his teeth as a small growl escaped his lips.
"With that said, I'll give you three weeks to kill them since I'm such a nice person. I expect good results, Yoichi Saotome or face the consequences. Good luck."
A beep was heard at the other end, signalling the end of the call. Yoichi placed back the now slightly chipped phone to its proper position before he turned to his heel and started walking back up to the stairs. His footsteps were heavy yet brisk as he made a beeline towards Guren's office in quick strides. He didn't even bother to knock as he threw open the double doors wide, amusing the occupant of the room.
"Well, I didn't expect to see you so soon, Yoichu." Guren greeted as the omega neared his desk. He quickly noticed Yoichi's unpleasant aura and he looked at him in concern. "Is something wrong?"
"Pardon my intrusion, Guren-sama, but may I request for a temporary leave?" Yoichi asked without pause.
"A leave...?" Guren repeated before he shook his head. "It's dangerous for you to go outside... given your reputation as an internationally wanted criminal, Yoichi. We agreed on this the moment I accept you to be Yuu's butler."
"I insist, please..." Yoichi pleaded with a determined look. "I just received a threat that involves you, Yuu-kun and my sister which I didn't take too kindly at all. You know how much I've waited for years to see my sister again, and I know that both you and Yuu-kun had gone through so much. So please, allow me to handle this."
"... I see." Guren hummed as he looked down on his paper then back to Yoichi. "Then how long will you be away?"
"For three weeks, Guren-sama." Yoichi answered firmly.
"Three weeks...?" Guren snorted. "That's generous of them."
"But it's more than enough time for me to find and dispose them before this could escalate into something more than we can handle. And for that, I require your immediate permission, sir." Yoichi said without falter.
"Given your skills as an assassin, I'll expect nothing less." Guren smirked before he sighed. "Very well, I'll give you your leave but promise me that you'll take care of yourself and come back in one piece. Yuu won't take it well if you somehow end up in a hospital."
"I understand." Yoichi nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Guren-sama."
With a small bow of respect, Yoichi turned on his heel and began to walk away. But he was stopped on his tracks when Guren spoke up.
"Oh, do you want to bring anyone with you? You know, to help you out?"
Yoichi slowly took a hold of the doorknob whilst he gave Guren a small smile.
"... That won't be necessary. After all, I'm used to working alone."
Without another word, Yoichi moved the door and left Guren's office.
He had plans that needed to be taken care of.
Being the dutiful servant as he was, Yoichi came back to Yuuichirou's room within a few hours with a tray holding a plate of assorted cookies and a tea set. When he entered, he was greeted with the sight of Yuuichirou humming a soft tune while caressing his belly. His master had a contented look on his face as he sang to his still growing child which made Yoichi radiate a sense to protect him.
However, his presence immediately caught Yuuichirou's attention and the song was faded away as Yuuichirou perked up upon seeing his friend.
"Yoichi...!"
"Hey..." Yoichi greeted back with a wry smile as he neared his master and placed the tray on the bedside for easier access. "Your tea and cookies, as promised."
Yuuichirou giggled as he reached over and took a cookie. "You're a real lifesaver, Yoichi. I don't know what I'll do without you."
"You can do a lot, in my opinion. You've survived a month in France all by yourself, well… along with Mika-kun, that is." Yoichi supplied honestly as he took a seat on Yuuichirou's bed. "And I think you can handle yourself once I start my temporary leave tomorrow."
"... Huh?" Yuuichirou blinked as he slowly took nibbles of his chocolate chip cookie. "You're... You're leaving?"
"Yes, but it's only temporarily, Yuu-kun." Yoichi emphasized gently as he added a sugarcube on Yuuichirou's tea before serving it to his master. "I have... family matters to attend to. It's nothing special since it'll be dealt with for three weeks."
"It must be bad with how long you'll be gone..." Yuuichirou hummed in thought as he took the teacup from Yoichi. He stared up to his butler anxiously. "Will... Will you be okay? I can sense something in your mood when you came here. I'm concerned since this is tthe first time it happened..."
"I'm fine, don't worry about it." Yoichi smiled warmly at the beta to reassure him. "I may not look like it, but I'm perfectly capable of handling things myself."
"I don't doubt you in anything since you've shown me so much these past years, but…" The raven beta paused as he gave Yoichi a hesitant look before continuing, "I just have a bad feeling about this…"
Yoichi tried not to flinch before his master because Yuuichirou had a sharp eye for liars, just like his father. It wasn't like he was lying, really. Yuuichirou was just unaware of what Yoichi was prior to his employment as his personal servant and he intended to leave it that way to protect Yuuichirou from the ugly truth. The fear of what Yuuichirou's reaction might be once he found out that his butler and best friend was an assassin didn't sit comfortably for Yoichi. He was grateful enough that Guren accepted and kept this secret away from everyone for a very long time.
He honestly felt bad to hide this information away, but he meant well due to his desire for a home to call his own after his sister's disappearance and his guardian's death. It was a dark time for Yoichi, but now that he had found what he sought after, he sworn to protect it at all cost.
Having only a few others know about his past was a small price to pay.
"I'll be fine, Yuu-kun." Yoichi assured again as he move his hand to place it on top of Yuuichirou's head. "Don't stress yourself over me when you have someone else to take care of... right down there."
Yuuichirou looked down on his belly for a moment before he groaned in realization. "Alright, alright, I get it, geez..."
The beta huffed, trying to look annoyed though it faded in seconds when he gave Yoichi yet another worried look.
"You'll come back, right?" He asked.
"Of course, I will. I would never abandon the very people who gave me a home." Yoichi answered as he lowered his head as if he was bowing. "I'm forever grateful to you and everyone in this estate because of that."
Yuuichirou blushed lightly in embarrassment but he had a tiny smile on his face nonetheless. "Just... please don't do anything that could put yourself in danger. I don't know what'll happen if I lose you.
"You won't lose me, I promise. I'll be back before you know it." Yoichi stated firmly with a confirmed smile.
Despite that somewhere in the back of his mind, Yoichi knew that he would eventually be on dangerous territories once he stepped out from his safe haven. He would be alone and he would have his hands stained in red once more.
But unlike the past, Yoichi now had something to protect and he would do anything to keep them safe.
Even if it would make him a monster in end.
