Trusting The Rich

Chapter 1

There were things in life that she'd never come to understand. Like, how could a man just walk away? It didn't seem fair- it wasn't fair- and though it had been seven years since her daughter's birth, a part of her still hung onto it. Misaki sighed as she scrubbed down a table in the restaurant, thinking of the talks she'd had with her daughter about her father.

"Mummy, all the girls at school have a daddy, so, why don't I?" Ayano had asked one Summer night as Misaki tucked her into her bed. "And don't tell me 'it's complicated' again, I want the truth." For a seven year-old child, her skill for retaining knowledge of their past conversations was as impeccable as ever.

"You father didn't love me. I didn't realize at the time. And then he left. End of story. Now, go to sleep, Aya." Misaki sighed and kissed her daughter's forehead. "I love you."

"I-is it hard for you, mummy?" She had to bite her lip to stop the tears welling up. Misaki nodded firmly.

"It's very hard, darling." And with that, she left the room.

She scrubbed harder at the table, long after it was polished. She didn't stop until the rich chef came up behind her, his blonde hair peeking out from below his chef hat as he smiled down at her and set a hand on her shoulder. She sighed and shook his hand from her shoulder, peering at her reflection in the spot she'd scrubbed clean.

"What do you want, Usui?" She sighed again. It was a habit he'd picked up on very early in their four years of knowing each other. She was very hostile and angry towards men as well, but he didn't seem to bother her as much. He'd still taken many hits regardless.

"You're going to scrub right through the table, Misaki." He noted, his eyebrows raised in amusement. She threw the cloth at him and he frowned.

"You do it then, you rich bastard." And, with that, she made her way to the staff room. Misaki gathered her things and then untied her apron so that she could set it in her locker. She was due to pick Ayano up from her mother's house any minute now. Minako lived right down from the school, so, on the nights when Misaki worked late, Ayano would walk herself down to the house and wait there for her mother. She shut the back door behind her, leaving it unlocked so that the other employees would be able to leave from their shifts, and got into her car. She chucked her handbag in the back of the car and started the engine. When she pulled up to the curb beside her mother's house, Minako and Ayano were sat out on the front porch, waiting patiently.

"Mummy!" Ayano squealed as Misaki cut the engine and hopped out of the car.

"Hi, sweetie." Misaki smiled as her daughter ran into her arms and clung on tightly. "I'm sorry I had to work late tonight." Ayano shook her head.

"Gran'ma told me it was because you loved me so much." Misaki smiled up at her mother who had joined them outside the car. The two women hugged and Misaki kissed her cheek.

"Thanks, mum." Minako smiled softly.

"Don't mention it."

"Come on, Ayano. Let's go home." Ayano waved at Minako.

"Bye, gran'ma."

"Bye bye, Aya."

~o~

"Yumi? I'm home." Usui knocked on Yumi's bedroom door and a minute later there came the reply of a thud. "I'm coming in." He turned the doorknob and opened the door. Yumi grinned sheepishly up at her father through her golden sheets of hair, tangled in her bed sheets. She laughed nervously.

"Hi, daddy." He watched her in mild amusement as she surveyed the mess around her. "I was- uh- making a fort." Usui grinned and knelt down beside her, helping her out of the array of sheets and duvets she was stuck in. She buried her face in her father's chest once she was free and hugged him tightly.

"Did you have fun at school today?" He asked, tucking a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. Yumi looked up at him and grinned, nodding her head.

"I made a friend, daddy!" She did a little twirl as Usui began to gather her sheets and duvet. He watched her closely. Yumi wasn't much one to make friends, so it puzzled him as to what kind of child she had chosen to get to know.

"Is that so? Girl or boy?"

"A girl, silly daddy," She poked her tongue out at him and giggled at the prospect of having a boy for a friend. At her age, such a thing was considered weird. "Her name is Ayano."

"What, she doesn't have a last name?" Yumi stuck her nose up in the air.

"I don't want you to suddenly know her mummy and have her want all our money, so I'm keeping my mouth shut." She exclaimed. Usui chuckled.

"Not every woman is like that. I keep telling you." He tucked in the edge of her duvet and straightened it out. "There. Now, are you going to tell me her last name? I'd like to know, since this is the first friend you've ever talked to me about." Yumi huffed, turning to walk out of the room.

"Ayuzawa." She muttered, descending the long, marble staircase. Usui blinked. Where had he heard that name before...?

"You should invite her family to dinner sometime." He said, catching up to Yumi. She eyed him suspiciously.

"Fine. But, if her mummy makes one single move on you...," She trailed off.

"Yes, yes, I get the point."

~o~

"Mummy?" Ayano said through a mouthful of fruit loops.

"Chew and swallow before you talk, Aya." Misaki told her, putting her phone into her handbag. Once Ayano had swallowed, she resumed her earlier question.

"Mummy, you're working late tonight, right?" Misaki nodded.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"I wanted to go to my friend's house. She can pick me up, as long as mummy can come and get me after work."

"Do you have her address?" Ayano pulled a piece of folded paper out of her pocket. Misaki studied it and hummed. "Okay. I'll pick you up after my shift, okay?" Ayano nodded.

"Thanks, mummy." Misaki kissed her head.

"You're welcome. Now, come on, let's go." Misaki dropped Ayano off at school and later that night went to collect her. She noticed very briefly that she seemed to be following Usui in her car, though it didn't hit her hard until they pulled up at the same address.

"Are you stalking me, Misaki?" Usui asked as he hopped out of the car, grinning. Misaki stole a glance at the address written on the piece of paper Ayano had given her and blinked.

"No, actually, I'm not. My daughter's here."

"You have a daughter?"

"Apparently so do you." Misaki watched him cautiously before he offered her a hand. "No way." She murmured, and she strode off up the staircase of the grand mansion. He followed her pace and pushed open the doors for her. She frowned at the gesture. "I'm taking her straight home. Don't try anything." He chuckled.

"As you wish."

"Ayano?" Misaki shouted up the stairs. There were a few thuds and bangs but, eventualy, Ayano emerged from a doorway and came bounding down the staircase. She jumped into Misaki's arms and Usui smiled at the way they embraced each other with such love.

"Hi, mummy. Look at this place, it's so big!" Misaki frowned.

"Hmm," She mumbled. "Come on, let's go home." Ayano stayed in place.

"But Yumi wanted me to stay for dinner."

"I'm not opposed to the idea." Usui spoke up as Yumi descended the stairs. Misaki shot him a look.

"But I am." Ayano tugged at her black waitress skirt and pouted.

"Please, mummy?" She looked between her pouting daughter, Usui's broad grin and Yumi's poker-face and sighed.

"Fine." Ayano pumped her fists in victory and Yumi led her by the hand to the kitchen, shooting one cold glance at Misaki and her father before she left, leaving the two adults standing in the entryway.

"What happened to 'I'm taking her straight home', Misaki?" Usui grinned slyly and Misaki punched his arm as she walked past him, determined to follow her daughter.

"Shut up, rich bastard."

"You can stay as long as you want." He drawled, catching up to her.

"I'm glad we're heading towards a kitchen." She said and he frowned, caught off guard by her sentence.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because there are knives there." Was her simple, cold-hearted reply.

Hi guys! So, welcome to my new KWMS fanfiction. It was inspired by 'The Babysitter.' By 'Painful Death' (which I am currently reading) so I did get some help with the basic idea. In moderation, anyway. I hope you enjoy this, even though this chapter in particular was shorter than most of my works, I do hope I can extend it to better lengths in the next few chapters. Anyways, thanks for reading and please R&R, it means the world to me.

Xx SweetsPrincess-Sama