Disclaimer: I hope this chapter makes up to the long wait. By the way, I was well, wronged by myself about Nakago not loving Yui...
Thepinkmartini: Oh, I do remember that I told you I was going to rewrite this but...the rewrite didn't flow in sync with this and kinda clashes with the actual storyline so I'm just gonna twist this into a better story with the actual storyline as the backbone.
Ethan strolled over to his younger brother who was busy with their family pet. "Hey." Nakago ignored him and continued to allow Fenrir to nuzzle his palm. "Damn you! I'm fucking talking to you, bastard!" Ethan shouted as he grabbed Nakago's collar, "Look at me, you fucking bastard!" Nakago raised his head haughtily and stared blankly at blazing dark eyes. Nakago's insolent haughty look made Ethan mad with an even maddening rage.
"You fucking piece of shit!" Ethan shouted, narrowing his eyes dangerously to an unfazed Nakago, "Get out of this freaking seat, you good-for-nothing brother." Nakago nudged Fenrir out of his laps, shoved Ethan away and stood up, towering over his brother.
"Got you attention, haven't I?" Ethan snarled at his brother who stared right back at him with twice the venom. "Hear this because I'm only going to say it once," Ethan sneered and Nakago watched him like a predator. The entire Kings family turned their attention and braced for Ethan's following words. No doubt, Nakago wouldn't like what Ethan would say but to hell! He'll just listen and then decide later. "I love Yui and I'll take her away from you," Ethan sneered and Nakago came up with the best nonchalant reply-he yawned in Ethan's smug-turned shocked face.
"Well, good luck at buying her priceless heart," Nakago replied sarcastically while his lips twitch into his lazy arrogant smirk, "I suppose you can always stake claim though Rei Roliz would be against it."
"The hell; Rei Roliz, that pathetic excuse for a man, is way out of my league," Ethan smiled, truimphant at his younger brother's dismiss over Yui, "I'll have her and there'll be nothing you can do!" Laughing hard, Ethan left the drawing room leaving a smirking Nakago.
"Nakago," Cassandra laid a porcelain hand on his shoulder, trying to smoothe the glowing rage within that wall of muscles, "Talk to me. I'm willing to listen to your rant. After all, you're most amusing when you're mad."
Nakago looked over his shoulder and raised a handsome eyebrow at his mother's beautiful smile. "There's nothing for me to worry about," Nakago smiled softly and cruelly as he settled back into his seat and raised a decanter to his lips. Sipping lightly his eyes gleamed with mischief and raw determination. Even Gabriel the cool headed brother was surprised at Nakago's absurd calmness. "Rei wouldn't go down without a fight. After all, that plain Jane is worth the hearts of many men," Nakago chuckled and spun the decanter between his long fingers, "If it requires teeth and claws, Rei is more than willing to prove his worth to her. I'll just have this two mindless gentlemen have their brawl and I'll have the damsel for myself." A sinister smile tugged on his lips and his parents decided this was enough; that is was time they stepped aside and watch their sons take the most efficient and harmless procedures.
Fortunately, to Nakago, the end always justifies the mean. For Ethan, the right procedures always gets the most desirable results. And for Rei, the heart always brings the best outcome. The battle for Yui's love and heart has just begun.
X.X.X.X.X.X.
The very next morning in a sky blue shirt unbuttoned to the center of his chest, Nakago visited his rival with a very cheerful mask. "Morning rival, or perhaps retard," he smiled innocently as he opened the windows for more ventilation, "How do you do?"
"Cut the act. You hardly are this friendly," Rei remarked as he matched Nakago's laughing eyes, "Get straight to the point, will ya?"
"I'm wounded but I don't think you're going to compensate and nurse the wound, are you?"Nakago's innocent smiled turned mysterious and cruel, "I'm to assume that there is another candidate for Yui's heart. Remember Ethan Kyo Kings?" When Rei gritted his teeth and growled fiercely, Nakago happily continued, "Well he's participating too. Isn't that just lovely?"
"Why the hell would he?" Rei tried to contain his voice so as to avoid shouting and creating an uproar.
"He fell in love with her at first sight. I reminded him of the terms and surprisingly he complied without much argument," Nakago sniggered as he watched Rei's face turn from red to purple; choking on his own temper. "I've decided to stop my advancement and allow you two to face off to be the better husband."
"Well, that's one..." Rei muttered not understanding Nakago's well-laid out plan, "I'm gonna teach that son of a whoring bitch who he's messing with!" Glaring into Nakago's bottomless sea of azure light, Rei growled in his throat, "That brot-"
"-He's not my brother and don't you dare insult my mother. Watch your language, Roliz."
"-That man," Rei quickly amended. Even in his worst fits of anger, he knew not to piss one man off, especially this one man- Nakago. "That man has a lot of nerve trying to tear Yui and I apart. Oh what great joy I'll have when I rip that precious neck of his!" Blood lust filled Rei's murky brown eyes and glee danced madly in Nakago's azure eyes. Yes, the plan has proceeded so carefully smooth. Now all he needed was opportunity, patience and then he would reap the best results.
X.X.X.X.X.
"I can't believe she's such a slut!" Tomo shouted to no one in particular as he grudgingly sauntered to class with his girlfriend, "She practically snogged some idiotic-face moron!" His hand gestures flew everywhere as he emphasized his point while Soi just kept quiet during his rantings. Honestly, she wasn't that interested in Yui's affairs because as far as she knew, Yui is Nakago's property.
"Pray tell, why are you so angry on such a beautiful morning?" Nakago ruffled Tomo's hair and shot a mischievous grin to Soi who literally sweatdropped. (AN: Imagine a happy Nakago...ur, I'm gonna have nightmares... =S )
"You're surprisingly jubiliant today," Tomo snarled, glared and shrugged Nakago off, "Shall I remind you what happened last evening?" At that, Nakago's grin stretched wider that seemed to be able to tear his face in half. "I'll take that as a yes?" Tomo continued viciously, his breaths coming in harsh, "I never thought your memory would ever fai-"
"You're amusing Tomo," Nakago chuckled airily but the aura that now surrounded him turned the atmosphere cold, "As far as I appreciate your concern, I hate it."
Even though fear gripped and suffocated him, Tomo dared to continue. "Amusing? The hell! You're gonna freaking lose her!"
Running a hand through his well-taken care of hair, Nakago whispered softly and gently, "Don't make me mad Tomo." He met Tomo's gaze with a cool look, "I don't usually hurt my friends but if push comes to shove, I won't hesitate." He cast one dark look before strolling away, leaving Soi to deal with a mad Tomo.
"He's so selfish," Soi remarked dryly as the couple watched the retreating figure of their best friend, "I don't know what goes inside that thick skull of his."
"I swear on Seiryuu, you wouldn't want to know..." Tomo tried to control his strides to usual steps, not elongated, fast strides. He would cool down and wait for the performance to begin. No doubt Nakago had a plan but it sucks to wait as audience for the tension to built to the climax. "Then again, I hope he tells us instead of showing it to us..."
X.X.X.X.X.X
"Yui, stop spacing," Nakago nudged his Lady gently, snapping her out of whatever day-dream she was visioning, "you'll miss today's lesson if you continued dawdling like this..."
His voice was a soft caress that a blush immediately coloured Yui's cheeks. Oh Seiryuu, it's way too easy to make her blush. "I-I wasn't day-dreaming! I was only thinking about something!" Yui denied hotly and decided to ignore the man beside her but it was impossible. One moment, that man didn't care, the next he started seducing her. What she would give up to understand him. He certainly isn't like how she remembered he was!
"Really?" Nakago challenged teasingly and continued to regard her intensely with his mischievous eyes, "Or am I to presume that you want a one-to-one session with me? After all, I'm the best in school..."
"I DON'T WANT A ONE-TO-ONE SESSION WITH YOU!" Yui screamed and Nakago's face broke into an amused smile while the class turned to look at the two geniuses, "YOU'RE INFURIATING ME! YOU CAN VERY WELL DRIVE ME MAD!" When she finally realized that her classmates were staring wide-eyed at her, embarrassment overwhelmed her. Furious at herself, Yui left the lecture hall swiftly with Nakago hot on her heels.
"Come to the garden with me," Nakago coaxed the furious and upset Yui.
"Why should I?" Yui stomped and huffed towards the Emergency Exit at the end of the corridor.
"Because I made you angry so I'll make it up," Nakag flashed his brilliant smile and Yui almost immediately melted. "Come..." Nakago hugged her from behind, coaxing her, "I could carry you if you want..." Nakago smirked when he saw the blush darkening. Oh God, it's way too easy to make her blush! Nakago guided her slowly to his sanctuary- the school garden.
Nakago took her into his sanctuary, left her under a tree before he collapsed beside her. His hands pillowed him and one side of the shirt swayed away to expose the hard muscles that lined the body. It was only half but with enough imagination, one could just picture what his whole body would look like.
So near yet unreachable...
"Now you can scream, cry or laugh your heart out," he sighed before continuing with an even quieter voice, "No one can hear and no one will know...This is my sanctuary. No one comes in without my permission..."
Yui still remained where he left her. This was the same place he had kissed her wholeheartedly. This was also the same place he found her and brought her into his sinful room. A soft smile chased her upset away and Yui startled herself when she started to crawl towards the large frame. So much had happened since she first came to school and met him. Sitting beside him, Yui peered over to see his flawless face. Her shadow blocking the sun from bathing his angelic face. "Nakago..." Yui raised her hand and gently shifted his bangs away from his eyes. That was when Yui realized the long eye lashes that shaded the beautiful eyes. "Na-" It didn't help trying to calm down when her 'enemy' or rather now 'her crush' was lying right beside her in his glorious outlook. Really, he's unreadable.
"Hmm?" Nakago hummed quietly, his eyes remained close as he continued to relax in the grass.
"You know you're kinda like a mad man experiencing schizo," Yui remarked coolly at the 'sleeping' figure beside her, "Kinda like having a split personality."
"Maybe I am having the split," Nakago answered after a while, turning his head and looked at her calmly, "Because you strongly remind me of someone a long time ago and I daresay I fell in love with her despite being titled a cold, distant beast which knew not how to love."
Yui stared into his eyes, unsure how to reply. Unsure how to react. Her insides kept shouting "It's me, you're missing!" "Maybe I should open my heart wider," Yui thought as she slowly stretched her legs and looked up to the trees. "I know I've talked about him to you before but thinking about him gives me comfort." When Nakago didn't say anything, Yui continued with a softer voice, a voice filled with longing, "I fell for someone like you too. He looked like you, shared the same name as you," Yui described her ex-seishi with a dreamy face that held so much hope, "I met him 5 years ago but...it was not to be." Yui sighed as she looked down, the dreamy face gone, the hope that shined in those cerulean orbs vanished as if they never were there. "I loved him more than I loved anyone," she continued and Nakago rose from his lying position and watched her with gentle understanding eyes, "Do you know how it feels to see the one whom you loved so much to die in front of you?" Her voice grew weak and shaky as tears started glistening in those eyes.
"Then, allow me to reply you similar as before; he must have been quite a man to have you mourn for him," Nakago spoke quietly beside her and gathered her into his arms, "I don't know how to chase sadness away but I can try." Yui buried her face into his chest, feeling the heat and listening to his strong heartbeats. They sat in silence while Yui's mind screamed frantically, "It's you I've been missing!" Somewhere during the silence, Nakago dropped his head and took a whiff of her perfume and fell asleep.
"Nakago..."
Nakago held her hand tenderly and placed it over his heart so that she could feel his heartbeats, "You love to whisper my name..." Nakago's crystal-like eyes fluttered open and he smiled warmly at her and once again, the blush appeared. "Whisper my name with love...Tell me how much you want me," he encouraged desperately and gently in his husky voice.
No pressure...just go slow...
Patience is virtue...Let's go slow...
It sounded like a beg but this hunk...he didn't have to beg. Yui was already melting, already weakened by his voice. No one, no man, can ever make her this weak. Not Rei, not Ethan and definitely not Tetsuya. "Nakago..." Yui whispered that name as lovingly as she could and felt a slightly-calloused hand caress her face tenderly, "Uh, Nakago..." Yui moaned as her skin burned under his touch.
"Moan for me, Yui. Let me hear you moan," Nakago smiled at her triumphantly, his eyes glittering with joy and pride, "Speak the words I want to hear..." He started kissing the corners of her mouth, the line of her jaw and trailing down her neck.
"Ah, Nakago...stop...Uh, Nakago...I need you..." Nakago gathered her into a warm embrace, stroking her hair with rough gentleness. Yui was lost in the crazy passion that was suffocating her yet she was enjoying herself immensely. She clawed passed his shirt and into his shoulders, feeling the warm skin of the only man her heart will ever belong too. Never had she felt passion and love as powerful as this. It was just...amazing. When Nakago asked her to repeat, those three words flowed out of her mouth like honey.
They remained that way, undisturbed throughout the afternoon. Feeling, tasting...a rekindled flame...
X.X.X.X.X.X
"Nakago-sama!" a shrill came from a distant and Nakago woke up with a jolt, turning to the source of the voice with clear displeasure.
He sighed and detached himself slowly from Yui, to avoid waking her up as well. Surprising, he had good dreams or at least better dreams. "What do you want Melissa?" Nakago drawled tiredly after leaning Yui to the tree, "I was having such a good dream."
"How can you mix yourself with a commoner? A commoner with zero social status?" Melissa screamed at her fiance who simply waved her rantings away, "You're my fiance, how can you do this?"
"Why are you here? This is my sanctuary," Nakago snarled quietly, furious at the woman before him, "I'm your fiance by name." He matched her glaring eyes with his own dark menacing gaze, "Actually, you're not my fiancee. It was all conspired by your parents and my aunt. So there you have it, I' m not tied down to you in anyway, like I've told you before." Nakago smirked his signature smirk when Melissa's face turned purple in an attempt to swallow her anger. "Now you'll leave my premises," he dismissed her, proceeded to sit beside Yui and slung an arm protectively over Yui's shoulders, "If I see you in my garden again, I'll rip your tongue out." He closed his eyes and rested his head on Yui's shoulder, not caring that Melissa was watching him angrily.
Despite that, she carried herself away. Nakago never bluff, he always carried his threat be it to a woman or a man. "You'll pay Yui! Just because you have Tomo, Soi and now Nakago too, to back you up, I'll tear you down so much you can't get up again!" Melissa swore viciously under her breath as she scampered back into the school.
X.X.X.X.X.X
"You slept in the garden with Nakago?" Soi asked incredulously as she faced a flustered Yui, "Did he whisper I love you? Well did he?"
Yui bit her lips and averted her gaze to hide her shyness. "No, he just hugged and comfort me and then I woke up to see him missing." Mischief danced gleefully in Tomo's eyes while grinning madly.
"You're in love with Nakago," Tomo spoke each word carefully and a full-blast pink tint coloured Yui's face, "Haha, I knew it!" Soi laughed along until she rolled over Yui's bed.
"I'm not in love with him!" Yui denied hotly but the two pair of eyes that regarded her slyly made her confess, "Yes, you're right...I've fallen for him."
"There's not a woman out there who can resist him," Tomo chuckled, his adam's apple bobbing up and down, "The power of his charm knows no boundaries."
X.X.X.X.X.X With Nakago...
"Woven a web around her, haven't you little brother?"
Nakago ignored and gazed at the setting sun, wine glass in one hand. Sipping the red wine gracefully, he didn't even bother to turn and acknowledge the man who now stood in study. He would not pay any attention to this man, it was ridiculous to say the least.
"Ignoring me seems to be your favourite tactic now eh?"
Still Nakago ignored him and place the glass to his lips as if giving a toast to his love for Yui. As he slowly felt the liquid burned through his throat, Nakago moaned softly imagining Yui's lips.
"Damn you."
"Ah, what pleasure to have you to accompany me this evening," Nakago rose up from his mohagony chair, walked round the chair and stood haughtily before his brother, "It has been a long time since you offer company for an evening." It was all innocent but tension soon rose and venom was reflected in both blue eyes and black eyes.
"Damn you to the pits of hell," Ethan growled at his brother who smiled gently at his comment.
"Why not?" Nakago challenged and placed a hand over his heart to feign sadness, "However, I'm deeply upset that my own flesh and blood brother would condemn me as such..."
"You!" Ethan roared as he clenched his fist by his sides, raw fury grazed that fair face, "I swear by the hand of God, I'll make you eat your sarcasm!"
"Ah, that's a nice line; by the hand of God," Nakago sighed and smiled innocently while his eyes dimmed the venom, replacing it with twinkling amusement, "I realized I don't hate you and I'm most proud you have stopped using those vulgar words."
"You fucking bastard!" Ethan threw a punch that was caught easily by his handsome brother, "You bloody son of a whoring bitch!"
A fast retaliate punch met Ethan at full force throwing him off his balance cruelly. "Oops, my hand acted on its own," Nakago smiled cruelly, killing instincts woke up, "My hand hates it when you insult my mother." When Ethan looked up, his eyes full of hate and fury, his younger brother laughed savagely. "What's with that look?" Nakago crooned with a scary sense of calmness, "You look like a spoiled child denied of his desires."
Punching his fist into the carpeted floor, the brown haired man swore viciously and gathered himself. He stood up, his breaths coming in ragged. "I swear I'll take away everything you ever consider to be precious to you. Just you wait." He turned and walked out the door leaving the room that will serve as a proof of his humiliation.
"If you had been someone else, Ethan," Nakago shook his head after sinking into his mahogany throne-like chair, "I'd have killed you but because you're my flesh and blood brother, I'll forgive you. It appears ironic that I'm acting like the older brother." It wasn't that Nakago wanted to humiliate his brother but he just loved Ethan that he just wanted to forget the rift between them. "Why can't it be like old times?" he sighed and watched the birds circling outside in the orange sky, "What I'd give to have everyone precious to me happy? What would make you most happy, Ethan? Would giving Yui up to you compensate for the rivalry and bitter feelings you bottle up?"
When the sun had been fully swallowed by the green hills, Nakago perceived it as a cue to leave his study. It was time he stopped acting like a big shot and humble himself. This was most probably the price to pay to make his wish a reality. True, he had acted as one of the kings of the world but that was because he worked for it. He was a master of the underside of the cities and also a leading man in the cities.
"Michael, come here." Nakago turned sharply, hurting the tendons in his neck as he matched his father's steely eyes. While Nakago followed his father quietly, he frowned as he concentrated on his thoughts. "Tell me what's bothering you."
"Nothing is bothering me, Father," Nakago replied flatly in his monotone voice. There was however, a deep sarcastic respect on the emphasis 'Father'. He would not ask for help or guidance, especially from his jet black haired brute. He would do everything on his own, make his own decisions and sacrifices. He would not submit to his weakness or his incompetency; he was perfect in his own way. So obviously, nothing is wrong, right?
"No, you're frowning. You're angry," Laguna stated the facts that printed so clearly on his son's face. Laguna fixed a smug face upon reading the predictable turmoil within his son.
"I hate to repeat; there's nothing wrong," Nakago growled fiercely but quietly. He had to protect his heart, protect it from being pried open. He would solve everything on his own just like he always had. There was no use trying to ask for help when no one could understand much less help.
"Let me help-"
"There's nothing for you to help!" Nakago cut his father short, stood up swiftly and reached for the door when he turned back, "I'm sorry but I have everything under control."
Laguna closed the distance between father and son in a few steps and pressed Nakago's shoulder gently. "Sit down. It's a command." Glaring furiously, Nakago shoved his father's hand away, stride angrily to his seat and crossed one leg over the other. Eyes that spoke nothing but hatred watched his father murderously. "Now you'll tell me what's going on in that head of yours."
"My word stands; I won't tell or allow you to help me in anything," Nakago snarled viciously while his face contorted into an ugly monster, "I'll never let you help me because I will never need your help. This discussion is over." When Nakago moved to stand up...
"Put your damn ass down Michael Nakago Kings and let me into your mind! Let me help you as a father to a son!" Laguna thundered like a sergeant-major.
"It's too late to act fatherly to me, Laguna. The only times you pretend are the times when Mother is there to watch you. So I figured that I'll move out permanently; you won't ever need to see me again, Laguna Kings."
"What nonsense are you spewing this time?"
"I'm not 'spewing' nonsense; I'm just stating the facts. You have never been interested in whatever I did, why now?"
"Because you're fighting your own brother for a lady's heart."
"Is that true? I doubt," Nakago said so softly one had to strain their ears to hear. Hurt, disappointment clouded that two sentences but they were soon gone when Nakago growled his next few sentences. "Are you helping me to win her or to lose her? After all, Ethan has always been your darling favourite and I have always been the one you hated. I'm the one you condemned to eternal flames. So take your good intentions elsewhere."
"Wha-"
" Thank you Laguna Kings for letting me see the world. I stand by my promise that you'll never see me again even if Mother yearns for me."
Nakago left his stunned father for his room to begin his packing. He would do as he promised; he would never break a promise. That was what made him different from everyone else, made him stand out from everyone else. He was an individual in his own right and he would never falter. Never would he fall from grace again...but oh, he would be so wrong. Promises would be broken. And he would fall from grace; just a matter of time.
