Filched
Chapter Two
-Instigate-
Eleven years later…
Sanosuke sat at his family's table, drowning out the sound of his younger brother's babbling. The fourteen year old always talked about the same thing, every day. Chitose. The girl the youngest Uchiha had decided he was going to marry. That's all he ever talked about. Chitose this, and Chitose that. It was irritating.
And not only because he talked about her all the time, but because it made it even more painfully obvious that he, Sanosuke, did not have anyone in mind that he wanted to marry. His three elder siblings had already been married off to various people, and so as the next child in the Uchiha line, he would be the one his parents tried to marry off when the next opportunity arrived, since Hayate still wasn't old enough.
He sighed, pushing his food around his plate. He didn't envy his older siblings their marriages, that was for sure. Born triplets, a rarity in Japan, they had all gotten married within quick succession of another. Kanamé, the oldest, had been married first. It was arranged, but the match was a good one, since his wife shared many of his interests, and it was clear that they liked one another well enough.
Then his sister, Izayoi, was married, despite being the youngest of the three. Her suitor, Kai, was a samurai from a prestigious family, had been very arduous in his pursuit of the Uchiha female, and had won her heart before they had gotten married, a bit abnormal in these times. But it was necessary in order to convince his father to let her wed the white haired man.
His older brother, Noriaki, had been forced into marriage with one of Kai's cousins. The middle triplet was known for his enjoyment of women and the red light district, and so his parents had done everything in their power to make him settle down. He of course could still visit the brothels if he wanted, though Sanosuke didn't see why he would. The woman they had married him to, Hikari, was beautiful, and had a set of tits any husband would be glad to say his wife owned. He knew they didn't like one another very much though, because she definitely had a strong personality, and was not the normal, submissive wife. Though, if Sanosuke had to be honest, he took great amusement from hearing his older brother complain about being married to such a harpy.
Hearing his name, he glanced up, meeting the identical forest green gaze of his father, Uchiha Akito. "Hm?" he asked, since he had not been listening.
The Uchiha patriarch sighed. "I said that I found a girl that I think would be suitable enough for you to marry." He repeated. "Her name is Futawa Rin. Her father is a well-known merchant. He doesn't have any sons, so you would of course inherit his business and fortune once he passes."
Sanosuke had to refrain from sneering in obvious distaste. "I do not wish to be a merchant, father." He said. "Nor do I want to marry her. She's Hayate's age, a mere child in my eyes."
"Hey! I am not a child!" Hayate huffed.
"You might as well be." he muttered.
"I agree." Natsumi interjected. "I think we should find someone closer to Sanosuke's age."
"But Sano doesn't like anyone his age." Izayoi spoke up, her own jade depths bored with the conversation.
"It doesn't matter if he likes her or not, because I have the final word." Akito said. "Besides, she's only two years younger, as it was when your brother married Minako." He looked to his wife. "So I don't see the problem."
"The problem is that I refuse." Sanosuke said. "Don't make the mistake of thinking you can force marriage upon me the way you did Nori."
Natsumi sighed and pat her son's arm. "Don't worry sweetie, you know mommy would never force you to marry someone you couldn't stand."
"What!" Noriaki gasped. "Where was that when I got married?!"
The pink haired woman gave him a hard stare. "I picked the most physically appealing to you didn't I? And Hikari is a diamond among gems. So you're lucky she even said yes, more or less."
Hikari smiled. "Thank you Natsumi-sama." She said, before looking at her husband and jabbing him in the side. "You better remember that."
"I'll remember that when you can remember how to cook." He huffed, sitting back and crossing his arms.
Her violet eyes narrowed. "There must be something wrong with your taste buds, because my cooking is phenomenal."
"Can't you two save your stupid quarrelling for later? Maybe try and act like a civilized couple, the way Kanamé and Vitani do." Akito said, gesturing to his eldest son and his wife.
Kanamé chuckled, the dark haired male glancing at his father before shrugging. "It's okay father, they'll get there eventually."
"Well you and Vitani were there from day one." He grumbled. "And your marriage was arranged."
"Kanamé's also more civilized than Noriaki, as is his wife." Sanosuke pointed out.
Hikari gasped in offense. "Excuse me?"
"Look." Izayoi said loudly, quieting the whole room. "We all know that I am the most perfect specimen of awoman. Beautiful as the moon and as sweet as candy." She smiled. "So obviously Kai and I are the best. He practically moved mountains for me."
"Yeah not far from it." The white haired man grumbled.
"What was that?" Akito gave him a hard glare.
"Hm?" he glanced up, appearing innocent. "Oh nothing."
Izayoi only smiled and leaned against her husband happily, who wrapped his arm around her waist to return her affection. Hayate laughed, a bright smile on his face. "Well Chitose and I fell in love at first sight! We're already a perfect couple, and we're not even married yet! So we have you all beat, except mom and dad." He said.
"What if Chitose gets promised to someone else?" Noriaki asked with a dark smirk.
Hayate didn't even seem fazed. "I already talked to her father about marrying her when we're both old enough to make sure that doesn't happen, and he seems to be alright with it." he beamed. "After all, who would turn down an Uchiha?" he laughed.
"Anyone would turn down you." Noriaki rolled his eyes.
"Don't be bitter because Hayate actually gets to choose his wife." Sanosuke said, looking to his brother.
"I'm not bitter, I'm just giving him a hard time." He scoffed. "Besides, no one would say yes to you either. I've never seen you even interested in a girl. Even for sex."
"Why would I be, when they would just be your seconds?" Sanosuke replied. "Since you've been with every whore within a twenty-five mile radius of our home. And even some of the nobles' daughters." He smirked.
Hikari set down her chopsticks a bit harshly and stood, wordlessly walking out of the room. Noriaki groaned and rolled his eyes, leaning back on his hands as he tried to look after her. "What did you do that for?" he grumbled, getting up and hitting Sanosuke over the head as he walked out. "Ass."
"Says the pot to the kettle." Sanosuke said, looking back at his family. He caught his mother's gaze and his brow furrowed. "What? It was true."
"Sanosuke." She shook her head. "I know I taught you better than that." She said, crossing her arms. "How was hurting Hikari's feels really a hit to your brother? If you must antagonize him, don't drag her into it, you know she's very emotional."
He scoffed. "I didn't drag her into it. It's not my fault she was married to a womanizer. And she knew enough about Nori before they were married to be aware of what I said, so I don't see why it should bother her so much."
Akito sighed. "You have a lot to learn about women Sano." He said. "When you are married you will better understand."
Sanosuke glared at him. "I don't want to learn about women. I don't want to be married. And sometimes, I really don't want to be a part of this family." He declared, standing and leaving the room before anything more could be said on the matter.
They just didn't understand. Why couldn't they leave him alone? Every morning it was the same. Hayate bubbles about his day wooing Chitose, Kanamé and his wife sit there mostly silent as they watch everyone's exchanges, Izayoi tries to prove that she and her husband are the best couple, while her husband and his father nearly argue, Noriaki and Hikari exchange numerous jabs at one another, and he, Sanosuke, is talked about as if he's not even there. Why he hasn't married yet, why he isn't interested in any of the girls in town, etcetera, etcetera.
Well he was tired of it. Things needed to change, and they needed to change now. As he walked out of his family's home to go and train with his sword, he began to think of what he could do. His forest green gaze landed on the gates out of the Uchiha Prefecture, and a small smile came to his face. He could always leave, he thought, making his way out into the village. All he had to do was buy some supplies, and then he would be gone, never to be heard from again. And after travelling the country and living his own life for a few years, he could come back, and all this talk of marriage would be behind them. Because after that, his family would know better than to try and force him into anything he didn't want to do.
His mind made up, he continued on his way through town, deciding to buy his supplies in the market before leaving. He didn't need any spare clothes, and had his sword with him. Once he ran out of money he could always earn more by being a bodyguard or something. Sure it would be a rough life, but it would be his. No family to nag him and tell him what to do, no responsibilities…
A commotion caught his attention then, and he looked over to see what the fuss was about. From the sounds of it, it was just a noble getting upset with their slave. He moved back and looked though the open archway to one of the nicer homes. His eyes widened slightly when he saw, what appeared to be, the man of the house backhanding one of his slaves. But it wasn't the pure brutality of the hit that had shocked him. It was the blonde girl who fell to the ground from the force. Her hair covered her face as she tried to push herself back up, and she brushed her hair back, revealing liquid amber depths that met his for only a moment before the man grabbed her by the front of her kimono and jerked her back up.
"You stupid girl! Do you think being a worthless piece of trash is going to make me want to keep feeding you?!"
Sanosuke felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. That couldn't be her…the only girl he had ever spoken to of his own free will. But her eyes were unmistakable, as were the golden locks that shined like the sun in the light. Before he knew what he was doing, he was standing in the archway of the home. "What's going on here?" he asked, making the man pause in shaking the poor girl.
"Get out of here boy!" he shouted, glaring at him, though he took in his appearance. "An Uchiha?" he hissed. "Get out! This is no business of yours."
Talia glanced over, but gasped when the man's other hand clasped around her throat. She gripped onto his hand, trying to pry it off, but he only glared at her. "Come on you filthy little half blood." He seethed, beginning to drag her inside.
At that phrase, Sanosuke knew it had to be Talia. He hastily moved forward, grabbing the man's wrist that was connected to the hand holding her. "Let her go." He demanded, pressing down on the joint harshly and causing him to do so. He stepped in front of Talia as best he could, conscious of her coughs from nearly being choked. "You don't touch her like that." he glared.
"I beg your pardon?!" he demanded, trying to step around him, though Sanosuke kept moving in front of him. "She is my property! I will do as I please."
His glare intensified. "She is a person, and a woman at that. And women should not be treated that way." he told him. "If you can't treat her like the treasure she is, then you do not deserve to have her."
"You little brat! She is property!" he yelled, raising his hand to strike Sanosuke. And although he didn't move or even back down, Talia ran around him and grabbed onto the older man's arm to stop him.
"Don't! He'll leave! Just don't hurt him." She begged, shutting her eyes tightly as she tensed, sensing another blow.
But instead of the blow coming to her, she felt her arms yanked on. And when she opened her eyes, it was to see that her master had fallen to the ground, and was now unconscious. She then looked over to see Sanosuke staring at her. "Are you alright?" he asked, concern marring his brow.
She blinked, glancing back at her master before meeting his forest green gaze. "Why did you do that?"
"Because…I…" he frowned, since he didn't really know the answer. "Is it really you Talia?" he asked.
She stared at him for a while, before holding out her pinky to him. "I promised, didn't I?"
The corner of his mouth lifted in a small smile as he reached out and intertwined his pinky with hers. "As did I." he said, feeling a sudden warmth at where they were touching. He was reluctant to release her hand, but when she pulled hers away he did the same. "Though I didn't think I ever would."
Talia nodded, though her somewhat light expression turned downcast. "You should leave. I can put him to bed and hopefully he'll think it was all a dream. But it would probably be best if you were not here when he woke up."
"I'm not leaving you here with him. He'll mistreat you." he said. "Come with me."
"I can't. I'm a servant. He practically owns me." She shook her head, looking utterly defeated.
"No he doesn't, not anymore." Sanosuke said, reaching out and offering her his hand. "Just trust me, please."
She stared at his hand, her own lifting slightly. "I…I can't. I'll be a traitor."
"No you won't." he told her. "If you stay, he'll beat you. Is that what you want?"
Talia stayed quiet until the man on the ground groaned. She looked into Sanosuke's eyes one last time before she placed her hand in his. He pulled her with him the moment her grip tightened, and they disappeared around the corner. "Won't you get in trouble?" she asked, trying to keep up.
"Yes, but you will be safe." he said, his earlier plans about leaving his family forgotten as he headed back to the Uchiha District. "And the wrath of my parents will not last very long."
It didn't take long until they reached the massive gates of the Uchiha Prefecture. Talia swallowed when they entered, "Oh my God…I'm in the Uchiha District."
Sanosuke glanced back at her, their pace slowed but not by much. He wouldn't feel safe until they were in his home. "It's not that big of a deal." He said.
"You only say that because you're an Uchiha." She pouted slightly.
He smirked. "Perhaps." They continued through the district, before coming to his home. He led her inside, taking her straight back to his bedroom, closing the door behind her. "Alright, I need you to stay here, while I go and talk to my parents." He told her.
"Um…okay. So I just sit here?" she wondered, looking around.
"Well…yes…is that alright?" he asked. "I just don't know if you should come with me…"
Talia shrugged. "I don't know…whatever you think is best. I don't think your mom liked me the last time I saw her."
"She did, trust me. She thought that I liked you…well that you had stolen my heart." He waved it off. "She was just upset that we were causing a scene."
The blonde blinked, seeming somewhat surprised, though a small pink came to her cheeks. "Stolen your heart?"
Sanosuke actually puffed up slightly. "You know what I mean." He said, trying not to get embarrassed.
She actually smiled and then laughed. "You liked me?" she asked, unable to stop herself from going a shade darker. "Even though I had such weird hair?"
"I told you I thought your hair was pretty." He defended. "And I still do."
She still smiled at him. "I'll wait for you here."
Sanosuke nodded and left his room, finding his parents enjoying tea in the garden. He stopped before them and bowed, an act that caught their attention quickly. "Father, mother…I have done something that might trouble the family soon." He announced as he straightened.
Akito frowned. "What is it Sano?"
"I…may have stolen a slave girl from another noble family, after knocking said noble unconscious." he told him.
Natsumi blinked, dropping her cup and hearing the shatter on the small table. "What?" she gasped, appearing horrified. "Why did you do that!"
Sanosuke frowned. "He was choking her, and I couldn't just let it happen-"
"Sanosuke, why would you do this?!" Akito nearly yelled, standing from his seat and giving his son a hard look. "You know not to trifle with another man's servant-"
"But it was Talia!" he exclaimed, not expecting them to understand. "I couldn't…I didn't even know what I'd done until it was over…and then I couldn't just leave her there to be beat…"
Natsumi seemed confused, though clearly not as angry as her husband. "Wait, who's Talia?"
"That girl I met in the market...when I was five…" he waved off. "The one you thought would steal my heart or some nonsense."
Akito blinked, still appearing angry. "What girl? What is he talking about?" he looked to his wife.
The pink haired woman still looked lost. "You remember someone from when you were five?" she asked, her brow furrowing as she tried to think. "You mean that little blonde girl?"
Sanosuke nodded. "Yes."
"How do you even remember her? You only met her once." Natsumi huffed, before going wide eyed. She gripped onto her husband's yukata and shook him. "Sweetheart he's in love!"
"Woman!" Akito growled, trying to shake her off of him. "Will someone please explain to me what is going on?! Who is Talia, and why does Sano love her?!"
Sanosuke sighed. "Mother, please, I am not in love." He rolled his eyes, though he tried to fight down an uncharacteristic blush.
"It's just some girl that Sano met while he went to the market with me. He shared his treat with her and then started tickling her like a monster." She explained.
Akito deadpanned. "And now he loves her?"
Sanosuke groaned. "Will you two stop saying that?" he asked. "Look, I only came to inform you of what I did because the lord recognized me as an Uchiha and will come here looking for her. And I refuse to give her up."
"And you want us to save your ass?" Akito arched a brow. "You realize you must be punished for this."
"Yes father, I understand." He nodded.
"And we'll have to pay for her." Natsumi sighed, looking from her son to her husband. "I just hope it isn't Tano, he is so boorish."
"If it is I will handle him omae." Akito assured her, before his attention was back on Sanosuke. "Now, where is this Talia girl?"
Sanosuke frowned. "In my room…"
Akito pinched the bridge of his nose. "Have her sent off with Mei. Tell her that Talia is to receive a proper bath, and new clothes. If we are going to keep her, she must look the part of an Uchiha servant."
His eyes widened. "You mean it father? I can really keep her?"
"We shall see. For now though, she is not exclusively yours." Akito said.
Sanosuke bowed once more. "Thank you." he said, before walking off.
Akito looked to his wife. "I have never seen him so passionate about another human's well-being before." He commented. "I hope my decision to let her stay turns out for the better."
"I'm sure it will darling." She smiled, leaning against him even though he was still standing. Her brow furrowed slightly. "Oh…one more thing my love…she's a half-blood."
"Oh holy hell." He cursed, pinching his nose once more. "How badly obvious is it? Just so I'm prepared."
Natsumi looked off, not wanting to strain him any further. "Well, you know how when the sun shines down and kind of gives your hair a tiny hint of purple…well Talia's hair is like the color of the things that does that to your hair…" she mumbled cryptically.
His green gaze narrowed. "Natsumi." He said in a warning tone.
"What?" she pouted, looking up at him with fluttering lashes.
"Don't tiptoe around the subject. Just tell me what color her hair is." He demanded.
"I did." She huffed. "You're smart, you figure it out." She said, getting up and walking off to the house.
He frowned, thinking over her words before his eyes widened. "She's blonde?!" he nearly shrieked, going after her.
"Talia, this is Mei." Sanosuke gestured to the elderly servant that had come into the room with him. "My father said that you could stay. She will take you to be washed and changed into different attire."
Talia looked from him to the woman, who gave her a small smile. "Okay…" she nodded, standing from her place and walking over to the two.
Sanosuke wanted to reach out and touch her, but the action seemed almost foreign to him, and so he didn't. "Don't worry, Mei will take care of you. And once everything is sorted out, I will come and find you. I promise."
"I trust you." She smiled, before disappearing out the door with the older maid.
He let out a sigh, before leaving his room and heading to the main room where guests were received, knowing that his parents would be there. That was when he heard the familiar, angry yell of the lord echoing through the paper thin walls of his home.
"Where is she?!" he yelled.
"Tano please calm down." Natsumi tried to coax.
"Your disrespectful child stole her from me!"
"And we will compensate you for the loss." Akito spoke up. "Just give us a price."
"Are you saying you can put a price on my honor?!" Tano shouted.
Sanosuke could just imagine the bored look on his father's face. "Are you saying to want to duel our son to regain the honor lost at having been bested by him?" the Uchiha asked. "Because that can be arranged."
"You call blind-sighting someone besting them?" Tano snapped. "Fine. I wanted to be civil about this, but I'll just bring the police with me next time to get back my property."
Akito arched a brow. "You mean the police force run by the Uchiha?" he inquired, probably trying not to smirk. "Tano, if you would take a deep breath and calm down, you would see that I am attempting to be civil about this. My son has no intention of returning the slave girl to you. As such, my wife and I are willing to pay you handsomely to compensate for the wrong done to you. And you can be assured that Sanosuke will be punished immensely for what he's done. We do not take things like this lightly in the Uchiha Clan."
"If you took things seriously, you would give her back to me and not try and sweep this little indiscretion under the rug. So it's okay to do whatever you want as long as mommy and daddy can back you up."
Sanosuke glared through the rice paper door, nearly wanting to burst in there, but holding himself back. "If my son told me correctly, you were not treating that girl properly. She is an old friend of his, and wishes for her to be safe. Our children's happiness is of the utmost importance to us Tano, and since Sanosuke doesn't really ask for anything, we want to allow him this." Akito explained. "Now, if you would like to suggest what his punishment will be, my ears are open. I wouldn't want you to think we are disregarding your feelings on the situation."
There was silence for a while until Tano grunted. "Fine. I will be paid for her, and your son will take her place for an entire month of service. Sunrise to sunset. Five days a week, as to not upset your lovely wife." He conceded.
"Agreed." Akito said. "He will begin his punishment tomorrow then, and you are to treat Sanosuke as any other servant. I do not want him to be given any liberties because of his name." His voice hardened. "But, you are not to take it too far. I am aware of how you treat your staff, Tano, and while it is no business of mine, my son is. If he is being mistreated excessively, we will have an issue on our hands. Am I understood?"
"Oh don't worry. I'm sure your son won't have any problems. After all, my one condition is that he acts like a servant. He back talks, or says no once, and Talia is mine. And of course, I will not ask anything unreasonable."
"Then we have an accord. Now, how much do you want for her?" the Uchiha asked.
Tano chuckled. "Nine hundred thousand yen."
Sanosuke could imagine his father was not pleased with the price. "…very well." Akito said after a moment's pause. "It will be sent over tomorrow with my son." He said. "Though, Tano, I will ask this one thing. The girl…is she pure?"
"Doesn't matter." Tano chuckled. "Your son wanted her, so he has her…for now. He better not be late." He said, before they heard the door close.
Natsumi sighed. "Oh my. Well that's going to be an unfortunate surrender of funds."
"She better be worth it." Akito grumbled. "Sanosuke, you can come in now, I know you've been eavesdropping." Sanosuke sighed, pushing open the screen and walking in, meeting his father's gaze. "I trust I don't need to explain to you your punishment?"
"No father, I understand everything perfectly." He bowed.
"Good." Akito said, his green gaze hard. "Because if you fuck this up and cause me to lose nine hundred thousand yen, I may very well kill you."
Sanosuke knew of course his father would do no such thing, but he understood the threat just the same. If he messed up, there would be no end to his punishment. Natsumi gave her son a hard look before walking past him. "When she's finished you will meet us in the tearoom." He nodded and turned to go back to his room, not wanting to be under his father's judgmental stare any longer. And when he got there, he sat in the center of his bed and closed his eyes, intent on meditating away his stress while he waited for Talia to join him once more.
It was about an hour later when there was a soft knock on his door. "Come in." he said, not bothering to open his eyes. The door slid open and Talia walked in. He opened his eyes when he heard her and had to stop himself from showing his shock. Talia was wearing a pretty orange kimono with yellow starbursts decorating it. It wasn't an expensive kimono like the noble women wore, but it was still nice, as most of the Uchiha servants were not dressed in rags. Her hair was pulled half up and tied with a forest green ribbon in a bow. "You look beautiful." He said, rising from his spot instantly.
Talia blinked, though a dark pink began to arise on her cheeks. "Really?"
"Well…yes." The Uchiha nodded, feeling embarrassed now. "My mother wishes for us to join her and my father in the tearoom. So if you are ready to go and meet them, we can head that way."
"Um…okay…" she swallowed, lacing her fingers together nervously.
"Don't worry, they've already arranged with Tano to let you stay here. You don't ever have to go back there again." Sanosuke promised. "They just want to meet you, my father especially."
She nodded, still appearing wary, though she followed him out of the room. She started playing fretfully with her waist length blonde hair, trying not to show how uncomfortable she was. "How…how did you get him to let me stay?"
"My parents bought you." Sanosuke said, leaving out the sum. "And as my punishment for what I did, I am to go to Tano's five days a week, from dawn until dusk, and act as one of his servants."
Talia stopped, going wide eyed. "What? But…but you're a noble!"
He stopped and looked at her. "And I disrespected another noble, and brought shame to my family. I must do this in order to regain my honor, and prove that I am not hiding behind my parents."
"But he's horrible." She frowned.
"It doesn't matter. There are consequences for every action, Talia, and these are the ones my parents chose for me." Sanosuke said.
"Sorry." She looked down.
He arched a brow. "For what?"
"For speaking out." Talia frowned. "I shouldn't."
He reached out and curled a finger beneath her chin, tilting her face up towards him. "Talia, I want you to talk to me like when we were kids." He said. "Before titles mattered…treat me like an equal. Please."
"But we are not equal." She whispered. "And we're not kids anymore. And nothing is going to change that Sanosuke…sama."
"If I ordered you to do it…would you?" he wondered.
She gave him a hard look. "You can't order me to treat you not masterly. That's just stupid…and...and defeats the purpose of ordering."
He tried not to smile, but a hint of it came through. "Does it? If it would get you to do what I want, which is to treat me normally, then that would be the only thing I would ever order of you. And that is why people order others around, to do for them whatever they want."
"I'm your servant. I have to do what you say. No matter what." She protested.
"Then treat me as your equal." The Uchiha said.
She puffed up slightly. "Fine. Master."
"Ah." He held up a finger, smiling almost wickedly at her. "You have to call me Sanosuke."
"Sanosuke. Sama." She quipped, crossing her arms.
"No sama." He said.
She shook her head. "I can't call you something so improper. You are my master."
He sighed. "I am your friend before I am your master, Talia." He told her. "But we can argue about this later. Right now, my parents are waiting." He said, gesturing for them to continue.
She followed after him until they reached a door in which he entered. She slowed her pace and stopped at the entrance, before bowing in the doorway. "Hello Uchiha-sama."
"Ah, so you're Talia." Akito said. "Enter, and take a seat beside Sanosuke. For this meeting you do not need to stand on ceremony." He instructed.
"Right…" she went in and sat beside Sanosuke, though she didn't dare look at him and break eye contact with his father.
Natsumi smiled as she tugged on her husband's sleeve. "She's so pretty sweetie!"
"She can hear you Natsumi." Akito smirked, looking to the pink haired woman. "Do try and be somewhat serious. We're still mad at Sano, remember?" he asked, ignoring the sound of their son's sigh.
Talia blushed, gripping her kimono slightly. "Um…what is it you need of me?"
"Oh, we just wanted to meet you." Akito said, returning his attention to her. "And to ask what it is you did at Tano's, so we know what you need to be taught, if anything."
She shrugged. "Anything he asked…cook, clean, shopping. Normal stuff."
"Are you pure?" Akito asked. "Tano wouldn't say."
"Father." Sanosuke hissed.
Talia blinked, her face turning a blood red. Natsumi glared at her husband. "Darling stop being so…loutish."
Akito waved them both off. "It's alright, her expression already answered my question. I only wanted to be sure he didn't abuse her in…other ways. Like you said my dear, she is very beautiful. Especially with those eyes."
Sanosuke let out a sound of annoyance. "Talia is not some piece of meat, and I would appreciate it if we could stop talking about her as if she were." he said. "If that's all you wanted of us then we shall leave."
"Not so fast Sanosuke." Akito spoke up, his gaze seeming to harden slightly. "Your mother and I have other things to discuss with the two of you, such as Talia's role in our house. We paid for her after all, therefore what is to happen to her is for us to decide, not you."
His forest green gaze moved to the blonde. "For all intended purposes, you are a servant in this house. Now, we do not treat our servants such as Tano does. You will be given your own room over in the separate house we had built for those that work here and do not otherwise have a home. You will report to Mei, whom you met earlier, about any duties she needs you to do during the day. Otherwise, you answer to my wife." He gestured to Natsumi. "As her personal maid. If she requires anything, you are to make sure she has it. We will give you three meals a day, of course, but you are not to go to bed until my wife or I have dismissed you. Do you understand?"
"Of course Uchiha-sama." She bowed her head. "I appreciate everything you've done."
He nodded. "You will be introduced to the rest of my children at dinner, so you may spend what's left of the day with Sanosuke."
"Okay." She said, resting her hands in her lap.
"Father, I really don't think it's a good idea for her to meet them. you know Nori-" Sanosuke began, only to have Akito reach across the tea table and hit him on the head like he used to when he was a small boy.
"And that's why we think about things before doing them Sano. Now go away. Your mother and I will see you two at dinner." He dismissed.
"Yes father." Sanosuke grumbled, rising from his spot on the floor. Talia did the same, and he led her from the room and back out into the hall. "Well, that was annoying."
"So why do I have to meet your family?" she wondered.
He sighed. "Well my younger brother lives here still, as he is only fourteen. And while my older siblings have their own homes, they are all connected to ours, and for breakfast and dinner we all eat together as a big family. My father probably wants you to meet them so that you are acquainted with them and their spouses, since you will be seeing them around." He looked down at her.
"You have a lot of annoying family…don't you?" she asked, meeting his gaze for a moment.
"You have no idea."
She sighed. "That's unfortunate."
"Hopefully you won't have to deal with it too much." Sanosuke said. "So, would you like me to show you around the estate?"
Talia nodded. "Sure. I might as well get to know where I'm going to be living, right?"
"Right." he agreed. He showed her around the entire place then, telling her helpful hints about each room, such as what kind of cleaning was usually done. He ended their tour in the garden, stopping beneath one of the willow trees. "So what do you think? I can give you a tour of the entire prefecture at a later date, if you wish."
"That's okay. I think I'll explore a little and see what I can uncover myself." She smiled, looking around the garden in slight awe.
He frowned then. "Talia, it occurs to me that I should apologize for putting you through this…shock." He said. "I don't usually make hasty decisions like that, and I hope you don't come to resent me from taking you out of that place, but you do understand that I couldn't leave you there, right?"
"I don't really understand." Talia gave him a kind look. "But I could never resent you Sanosuke. You're a hero, just like back then."
Sanosuke blinked. "But…all I did that day was force my taiyaki upon you." he said. "How does that make me a hero?"
"Because you saw a little girl and came to her rescue, even if it was a small thing." She said. "Like sharing a treat."
A small smile came to his face. "You just looked so timid and sad…I wanted to cheer you up."
She returned his gesture. "The only thing I don't understand…is why. I mean…you met me once…ten years ago. I can't even believe you remember me."
"I…I really don't know." He said truthfully. "I almost didn't recognize you, not until you looked at me, and Tano called you a half-blood. I guess I just felt compelled to save you and bring you to my home, which is odd, because I was planning on leaving tonight."
Talia blinked, stepping closer and looking up into his face. "How come? Don't you have a wonderful, carefree life?"
He sighed. "I suppose to you it may seem that way, but I really don't. I've been told what to do my entire life, never really free to make my own decisions. I'm expected to marry now that I'm of age and my older siblings have been wed, even though I don't want to. But my feelings on the subject don't matter. My brother Noriaki didn't want to get married and he was forced into a marriage with a woman he can barely even stand."
"So you don't want to get married?" she wondered.
"I don't like to be forced into things, or told what to do." Sanosuke clarified. "So this next month at Tano's will be interesting."
"I'm sorry." She frowned.
"Why do you keep apologizing?" he asked. "It's my fault, and so I must pay for it."
Talia sighed. "But it's because of me."
"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean you should keep apologizing to me."
She stayed silent after that, looking off. "May I ask something of you?" she whispered. "I know I have no place to ask you for something…but…"
Sanosuke blinked. "Talia, you have every right to ask me anything. I want you to treat me as an equal, remember?"
"Well…back at Tano's estate…I only had one possession. My father's sword. It's still there and it's the only thing I have left from him. When you go there, will you please get it for me?" she asked, looking back at him and meeting his gaze once more.
"Of course." He nodded. "Where is your room? I doubt if I ask Tano for it he will give it back. He's a very bitter man."
"I could draw you a layout and show you." She offered, looking back to the house. "Should I just do that tonight?"
"Yes." He said, following her gaze. "Dinner will be soon…do you have any questions on my family before you meet them? That way you are better prepared for the chaos."
She sighed. "Can't I just…hide or something? Why am I even eating with you? I'm a servant and you're the family. I shouldn't be sharing your meal."
"It is my father's wish that you dine with us tonight." Sanosuke said. "I don't know, nor do I try to understand, his reasoning."
"But I don't want to! It's going to be so uncomfortable and awkward!" she protested a bit angrily. "And it's completely ludicrous that I do it, not to mention it breaks so many boundaries that should not be broken."
He tried to hide his smirk. "Then you want to go and tell my father that?" he asked.
Talia paled, shaking her head quickly. "He's…intimidating…" she said softly. "Can't you just do it?"
"I could try, but I doubt he will accept anything I say." Sanosuke told her. "Since technically I'm still in trouble."
"But why would he listen to me?" she sighed.
He shrugged. "If you give him a good enough reason, he will let you have your way."
"I couldn't…" she shook her head quickly.
Sanosuke let his amusement show. She was probably unaware of how charming she looked in the evening light, all uncertain and innocent, with a hint of anger, but she was. So much so, that he knew then and there, he was attracted to her. "Would you feel better if I went with you to speak with him?"
"I guess so…" she pouted slightly.
He reached out and lightly ran his fingers across her cheek. "I wish I had found you sooner." He mused.
Talia blinked, turning a dark red since she wasn't used to such contact. "What?"
"I wish I had found you again sooner." He repeated, trailing his fingers through her golden locks.
Her amber depths darted to his hand before returning to his face. "Um…what are you doing?" she whispered.
He was silent for a minute, as he rubbed her hair between his thumb and pointer finger. Then he released it, looking up at her face. "Overstepping my boundaries."
She stared at him for a while before pressing her lips together in a thin line. "Are you in love with me?"
"No." Sanosuke said without hesitation. "Love is a complicated emotion…one that I don't fully understand. But I am intrigued…fascinated in you, if you will. I want to learn everything there is about you Talia."
"So you're obsessed with me." She said. His eyes widened at her statement, and he tried to think of something to say. "It's okay, I could tell even back then."
"It's your hair." he smiled. "It was the first thing that caught my eye. I don't know why, but I think it's the most beautiful color I've ever seen."
"Is that why I'm an acceptable half-blood?" she wondered with a small smirk. "I've seen other treated like lepers."
His gaze hardened slightly. "Talia, I don't think of you that way." he said. "I would never call you such a thing. And you shouldn't think of yourself like that either. You're better than what you make yourself out to be."
She only smiled. "I don't think it's a bad thing to be a half-blood. That's what I am. I get two heritages, while most here only have one. My mom used to tell me I was a lily amongst sunflowers. Beautiful and envied, yet rejected by all. I never understood her because I thought I should be a sunflower, cause' my hair was the same color. But lilies are so much prettier." Talia laughed. "At least I think so."
Sanosuke chuckled. "She was right, you are beautiful."
The blush returned to her face. "You shouldn't say that to your servant."
He smirked. "Five days a week, we are equal." He said. "Five days a week…I am to be a servant. And even so, I would say it to you anyways. You deserve to hear it."
Talia laughed. "You're funny."
"You're the first person to ever tell me that." he admitted.
"Really?" Talia blinked. "You seem…like it to me…"
He looked down into her amber depths, and felt the strong urge to kiss her. But he couldn't. Not only did they hardly know each other, but it was improper, and he didn't want anyone to see him being so intimate with a servant. If that happened the rumors would fly, and his family, as well as Talia, could suffer even more for his impulses. He sighed. "If we're going to see my father before dinner, we should do it now."
"Oh." She nodded. "If you want me to. Though, I don't mind now, if I get to set next to you."
Sanosuke was shocked at the pleasure that coursed through him at her words. "Really?" he couldn't help but ask. "You want to sit next to me?"
"Who else would I sit by?" she smiled. "Besides, you'll protect me from all the chaos right?"
He returned her smile. "I will always protect you." he promised.
"Good. Besides I'm hungry." She said simply.
"Then let's go eat." he said, gesturing back to the house. "Dinner should be served soon, and I think it would be best if we were there first."
She nodded and walked with him towards the house, trying not to show how nervous she was. After all, how bad could it be?