I need to work on this story more.

I don't own anything.

Uozumi

The Brother Project

Chapter Seven

Nuriko's eyes were dark and cloudy as he trudged behind Hotohori after the heir's home car mechanic picked them up at Nuriko's house around three in the afternoon on Sunday evening. Tasuki's parents had pushed him over the edge, and he had fled, his parents could care less, and words were still ringing in Nuriko's head from some heated conversation between someone and Tasuki over the phone the night the younger boy appeared at his house.

"Hey.

"Yeah it's me.

"I just called t' say I'm at Nuriko's.

"WHAT?! Ya can't be serious! I mean…"

Then Tasuki had launched into several ear-bleeding curses.

"Well, I guess we'll jest stick t' the game plan in a sense, then.

"Yeah, it's only two years…uh huh…

"Look, I – I'm sorry 'bout this. I didn't know what t' do er where t' go –"

Then the junior had turned wistful, his eyes taking a gleam Nuriko had never seen them take before.

"Love you too.

"Bye."

"Nuriko."

The voice brought the short senior back, "Oh! What? Sorry, I was spacing."

"We're here, take your shoes off, we don't wear them in the house," Hotohori indicated where several pairs of shoes were set neatly by the door as though they were ornaments that belonged there naturally.

"Okay," Nuriko felt strange putting his dirt-splattered, three-year-old, fraying Van's next to Hotohori's pristine brown suede shoes, but decided not to indicate that. He was now part of Hotohori's family. He was now a Li, a young man that could become a part of the conglomerate…

It was an overwhelming realization.

Forcing himself to not gawk at his surroundings, Nuriko looked to Hotohori, "So…?"

"XING-SHU!" a woman with a long red dress and matching jacket appeared before them as though she had teleported. Her brown hair was pulled straight back into a tight bun, her amber eyes casting a horrified glance at Nuriko. "Who is this?"

"T – Tiao Liu –"

Mrs. Li silenced Nuriko with a glare, then trained her imperious gaze on her youngest son, "Well?"

"This is Tiao Liu-Chuan, Honored Mother, he is the boy that I lied with for a week."

Mrs. Li looked as though she was going to faint, "This?! THIS?! YOU WERE A PART OF THIS FOR A WEEK?!"

Nuriko forced himself not to wince as the soprano shrieks reverberated around the acoustical entryway, nor defend himself. This woman made him just want to stand there and hang his head. If his mother spoke like this, he would have shot back, and maybe been sent to his room and had a grounding, but this…

This was so extreme.

"Yes, Honored Mother, I did," Hotohori also kept his head bowed, but he wasn't afraid, he was just doing what he had been taught. There was no fear, because there was no need to fear. This was just how things were done in the Li home.

Mrs. Li's eyes flickered back to the boy beside her son, then she sniffed, "Fine then. We'll make a Li out of him, make him into something worthy of being in our home," she strode over to Nuriko, then took his chin, forcing his head up so their eyes could meet, "Actually, I think I could make something more of you, child," then she removed her hand, turning to a maid, "Get the chauffeur! We're going out!"

Turning back to Nuriko, she smiled, "Now, child, we are going to make you a Li, and keep you one.

"It's a pleasure to have you home, Li Liu-Chuan."

"You seriously aren't going to spend money on me," Nuriko looked to Hotohori as they walked up to a tailor.

"You don't know mother yet," Hotohori sighed. "This is what it is to be a Li, which is the point of the assignment; to understand the other family."

"So I take it that I'm never going to see my things I brought ever again," Nuriko looked like he was about to cry. There went his favorite shirt, his favorite shoes, his skateboard…

"No, I dropped them off at your house," Hotohori put a hand on Nuriko's shoulder, "It's going to be okay. I'll make sure you don't get too smothered."

Nuriko nodded, "Thanks."

"You showed me how your family works, prompted me and such, I'll do the same for you," Hotohori smiled. "If you think this is bad, just wait until supper when you meet my five older siblings."

"F – Five?"

Hotohori nodded, "Three brothers, two sisters. Mother called them so they could meet you and induct you into the family."

"Man, the way she's carrying on, you'd think that she really was," Nuriko laughed nervously.

Hotohori glanced at him, but remained silent.

"I'm so glad you're here, Tasuki," Kang-Lin smiled as they sat in front of the television watching her current favorite on-TV anime.

"Yeah?" he glanced away from it. This was the first time he'd ever watched Yu Yu Hakusho, and despite his staring hesitancies, he had to admit that he liked it. "How come?"

"Well, most the time it's just Liu-Chuan and me at home with Mama and Papa, but he's gone off to be a Li for a week, so it was going to be all week of hell for me –"

"Kang-Lin, don't use such language in my home!"

"Sorry, Mama!"

Tasuki chuckled. He loved the Tiaos, and was glad that he had chosen them to hide at. Mrs. Tiao had hugged and proclaimed that he was now her son, and had named him Chun-Yu, which Kang-Lin kept forgetting to call him. He could have gone to live with Chichiri, but he thought for their own sakes that this move was better. Also, Mrs. Tiao was always adamant that she wanted him to go to them first if he ever got the courage to run away.

"Well," Kang-Lin turned back to him, "anyway, I'm glad you're here, because I have another brother, and I'm not here all alone with Mama and Papa – not that I don't love them, I do, but I like it better not being the only child."

"I know whatcha mean," Tasuki nodded, "I like not bein' the only child anymore."

Kang-Lin smiled.

Contrary to popular belief, the Tiaos really weren't as lower middle class as they portrayed themselves. They used the majority of their money to save up to send Kang-Lin and Nuriko to college in such close proximity. Mrs. Tiao had confided that fact to Tasuki when she first figured out his home situation, and told him that they had more than enough to take him in as a son as well, and she wouldn't take no for an answer.

He couldn't be happier. This was the kind of support and life he needed, had wanted all his life. He wished that they had adopted him originally, but now it was almost as though they had. His parents had called the Tiaos, knowing he would go there, and told Mrs. Tiao, which colorful language exchanged from both sides, that they could keep him forever, and they hoped he never showed up at their doorstep ever again.

Of course, now he didn't have a car, but that didn't matter. The Tiaos lived within walking distance of the school, and he could survive on that. He actually liked the idea of walking to and from school.

"Chun-Yu, Kang-Lin, set the table."

"But, Mama, it's not over yet."

"Don't talk back, Kang-Lin, there's always reruns."

Sighing, the freshman shut off the television and then she and her new brother went to do their household chore.

To be continued…