Someday You'll Love Me.
Prologue.
"Stand up straight." "Yes mother."
"Hold your head up." "Yes mother."
"Don't look him in the eye." "Yes mother."
"And whatever he wants from you you do it, understand? This needs to work." "Yes mother."
"List your tasks." "I will cook his meals, clean his house, wash his clothes, run his baths and do anything in my power to make him happy."
"And?" "I will let him have me any time he wants to."
"That's a good boy."
Haku stared at his reflection in the full-length mirror for a long time after his mother left the room. In the long white gown he hardly looked like himself, the pearls in his long black hair and white veil covering his face made him seem like something he wasn't. "I hate you." He whispered to his reflection. He'd turned 18 only yesterday, and now he was getting married. He didn't even know who the groom was, just that it was an important business partner of his father. This marriage was nothing but a deal to tie the man to the company, and selling his son was a price his father had no qualms about paying. With nowhere to go and no one to rely on, Haku really had no other option besides accepting… not that he'd been asked anything.
He sighed and pulled on his face, his mother had smeared make-up all over him… he absolutely hated it, his naturally ivory skin now had a hideous orange glow to them, and the fat black line around his eyes made him look like a raccoon. He kicked off his shoes and flopped down into the white armchair. Everything in the room what a creamy white, one would almost start suspecting that virginity might be an issue for these people. He'd contemplated telling his mother a couple of white lies, that he's slept with the plumber and car mechanic for instance, but that would do nothing to help his cause and only piss her off. He honestly didn't understand why it was of such importance that he was a virgin while the man he was marrying, who had 15 years on him, had probably been fucking around half his life. Hypocrites.
He'd been eavesdropping on his aunts, who loved to gossip more than anything in the world, and apparently this man was not just some businessman, he was yakuza. And apparently he was incredible eye candy too… but a rotten apple on the inside. The 'shoot first, ask questions later' kind apparently, and very, very dangerous. Though they loved to exaggerate, from all the stories they told about him it seemed more than likely that the acclamation that he'd murdered all his previous lovers was, in fact, true. Good, respectable women they'd been, according to his mother and her sisters, but he hardly believed that. They found themselves respectable women as well, but he thought that leeching of your husband, hiring a maid with his money in secret to do the housework while he was at work and eating chocolates all day wasn't exactly respectable. Not to mention how they would make fun of their husbands behind their backs by talking about all the ways they'd been refusing sex for years… and bitching about all the mistresses of course, all in a day's work.
Haku pulled the small picture his mother had given him out of one of the pockets of his folded trousers and printed the face of the man he would be spending the rest of his life with into his memory. He really was handsome, this Zabuza, that was true. His shoulder length black hair was slicked back and he had a strong jawline. The cold, grey eyes scared him, even though it was just a photograph they seemed to stare right through him. He stood, he couldn't bear to be in this horrible room of lies for another second, and walked to the door. He tried opening it, but it was locked from the outside. "Mother? Can you open the door please?" there was no answer. She'd locked him up and left him. He tried pulling on the handle with all his might but it wouldn't budge. In a huff he ripped off his veil, causing some of his hairdo to unravel and pearls to bounce and roll over the hideous white carpet. He opened the door to the bathroom and smiled. There was a window, and it was big enough for him to fit through. Luckily the building only had one storey, so he could easily lower himself to the ground. The soft grass tickled his bare feet and he inhaled big gulps of fresh air.
Now what? He'd have to be back in the room in fifteen minutes… maybe he could spy on his parents a bit, to see what their real reactions to all this were. He'd had the mind to throw on the dark green dressing gown before climbing out so he wouldn't stand out… being the bride and all. He snuck in the main entrance and hid in the cloakroom when his aunts walked past. "But Zabuuu, you're not the type to get married at all! What about us?" Haku, whilst hiding in the clothing racks, made his way to the female voice. "He's probably a frigid little bitch, nothing will change with us." Though the deep, silky voice made his insides quiver, the statement his soon to be husband made made his blood ran cold. The woman let out a horrible giggle, and while Haku tried to get a little closer he tripped over a bag and sprawled himself on the ground if front of the two.
When he looked up a face he'd only seen on pictures before stared down at him in annoyance. "Little eavesdropper aren't you, boy?" the quite, he could now see, busty woman said while throwing her curly brown hair over one shoulder. The man's hands were on her waist, and he stared at Haku a little longer, clearly not recognising him. "This is adult business going on, kid. Fuck off." And started kissing the woman's neck while grabbing one of her breasts. Haku quickly apologised and got to his feet before running away. He climbed back through the window and collapsed in a heap on the horrible carpet. He felt sick. The day of his wedding and his husband was already planning an affair… he was probably doing it with her right now! "Well fine! Like I cared for him anyway!" he didn't, really didn't. so there was no way to be so dressed up.
He would be pretty, quiet, obedient and perfect. But he would be his damn self. He stormed into the bathroom and turned on the faucet, then he started pulling all the small pearls from his hair and combing it down with water. He washed his face until all the makeup was gone and painted his finger and toenails green. He clumsily unzipped the pretentious white dress and pulled on his pink sleeveless yukata with a peach swirl pattern on it, then he tied a brown choker around his neck and put on the white veil. No shoes.
"Haku, get out of there, the ceremony is starting!" his mother yelled from outside.
He smiled at the big brown eyes in the mirror looking back at him and tied the white sash around his waist. "Time to get married, bitch."