Pinkshuchan: LALIHO! Hey, it's Pinkshuchan. This is the moment a lot of you have probably been waiting for; the moment when Shuichi meets Tatsuha's 'lover', which a lot of you might already have an idea with who it is. Question is why he wants to meet Shuichi. Well, I won't keep you guys waiting so here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 10
My Discovering Lover
The day had finally come; the day when Shuichi would meet the person who so desperately wanted him to come to New York to meet him, and yet for no apparent reason, he was slightly nervous. He was unsure of what may happen upon meeting him; what kind of person he is, his reasons for wanting to see Shuichi, etc. Would he be able to trust him or not? All these questions flowed through his head as he and Yuki boarded the plane. They took their seats, making sure that they were completely unnoticed from the press and any fans that may recognize them. Once they were properly seated without being recognized, they relaxed and the plane flew off to New York.
The plane ride was very quiet minus the in-flight movie and the small sobs from some of the children. Yuki just sat there in complete silence, unsure of what to really do as this was his first plane ride. He looked around, seeing some of the things going on; some people were too focused on the movie, some were listening to their i-Pods, and some were parents trying to calm their children down. 'Humans really are strange,' he concluded, 'How funny that just the simplest things can occupy them while flying for hours.' His concentration then moved to Shuichi, who was humming something quietly as he looked through the window. Shuichi then looked over at Yuki and smiled.
"My mother always sang this to me when I couldn't go to asleep," he responded, "She told me that that song was to keep me from feeling lonely. Humming this lullaby makes me feel like she's still alive. I really miss her."
Yuki just kept quiet. That was another thing about humans that always questioned him. They always seem to keep thinking about people even after they die. Never once had the demon ever done such a thing with his past prey. He never even gave them a second thought. That was another difference between humans and demons.
Finally, they made it to New York. As they were leaving the airport, they saw a familiar face waiting for them. Standing there with a big grin like the Cheshire Cat was Tatsuha, as he had been waiting for them. Yuki growled and Shuichi kept his guard up as they walked towards him. Tatsuha just stood there with his snickering face.
"Welcome to New York!" he greeted them, "Did you have a nice flight?"
Shuichi crossed his arms. "I'm assuming you're here to take us to your 'home'."
The dark haired demon's grin grew bigger. "Of course! You obviously don't know your way around New York. It's my job to escort you both."
And so, Shuichi and Yuki followed Tatsuha to a car that he got so he could drive them. They sat in the back seats of the car and once they were all set, they were ready to move. As they drove, Shuichi was in awe as he glued his eyes to his surroundings. New York didn't look much different from Tokyo; the only difference was that there were English writings instead of Japanese.
They drove until they reached the much quieter side of New York; they reached a house so big it almost looked like a mansion with clean white walls and pillars along with giant nicely carved wooden doors and clear windows. Tatsuha got out of the car and was about to open the door for Shuichi but then Yuki beat him to it and opened the door for his lover, offering his hand like an escort would do for his princess. Shuichi allowed the golden haired demon to do so, but only until after he got out. They then walked inside the giant mansion looking house, unaware of the mysteries the house had to offer for them.
Shuichi was amazed with how beautiful the house looked in the inside as it did on the outside. Everything in the front foyer shined without a speck of dust anywhere. The walls were completely covered by many colourful abstract paintings. It felt like he had stepped into a completely different world. He then found something that caught his eye. Sitting on an extravagant looking chair was a trite pink stuffed rabbit with a red bowtie and an adorable smile. Its black eyes seemed to be staring right at them. Shuichi walked over to the rabbit and picked it up.
"This is so cute!" he exclaimed before looking at Tatsuha, "Who does it belong to?"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN 'IT'?"
Shuichi looked back at the rabbit which now had its arms crossed and a scowl replaced its cute little smile. "For your information I am a he. Calling me an it is completely insulting, like it would be insulting for me to call you a she when you're really a he."
That didn't give much for Shuichi to be completely terrified of the rabbit. He gave a short yet loud yelp and dropped the rabbit before running to Yuki and hid behind him. "Yuki, that stuffed rabbit just spoke!"
The rabbit stood up and wiped itself off before glaring back at Shuichi. "Of course I can speak! You really are dumb aren't you?"
Tatsuha ran over to the rabbit and smacked him on the head. "Kumagoro you idiot!" he yelled at him, "We're supposed to be making him feel at home not scaring him! Can't you just keep your big mouth shut for once?"
"Why the hell do I have to keep my big mouth shut?" the rabbit, Kumagoro, snapped back at the dark haired boy, "Sure, he's never seen a stuffed rabbit talk but yet he is perfectly fine being surrounded by demons. Which is seriously scarier? I highly doubt it's the rabbit."
"Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately?" Tatsuha asked with a smirk, knowing the reaction he'll get from the rabbit.
The rabbit glared at him. "I may look like this Tatsuha, but don't forget that I'm a far more superior demon than you. We may not die very easily, but we can still feel lots of pain."
Shuichi's shock slowly died down after their conversation. "You're a demon too?" he asked as he slowly walked forward.
Kumagoro looked over at him and smirked. "You betcha!" he replied, "I'm not an archdemon but I'm more powerful than Eiri and Tatsuha here. My master calls me Kumagoro and I take the form of a stuffed rabbit as that is what my master is most comfortable with me as."
"And who is your master for you to be here?" Yuki asked in curiosity, "Surely it's not the same human Tatsuha formed a contract with."
"Ah, but it is!" Kumagoro continued, "Tatsuha and I were both after the same desperate soul who was yearning for revenge against a man that took everything away from him. We ended up fighting for him like two dogs after a piece of meat. But Master had a solution; to make the same contract with both of us. However, instead of getting one full soul, we will be getting half."
"But what can you do that's worthy to serve a human and earn their soul, even if it's half? You say that you might be more powerful than me and my brother but is it anything that can provide assistance?"
The rabbit was shocked. "What do you mean? I can do a lot of things!" He chanted something before disappearing. Everyone looked around, wondering where he was. But Tatsuha didn't have to wonder long. Knowing all of his fellow demon's tricks, he walked over to the hat rack, took a black top hat, and brought his hand into the hat before pulling Kumagoro out. The rabbit released himself out of the dark haired demon's grasp and landed on the ground on his feet.
"What did you think of that?" he asked, "There are more tricks where that came from in my stuffing!"
Tatsuha snicked. "Silly rabbit! Trix are for kids!"
The punch line drum played in the background, confusing Yuki and Shuichi. They both wondered 'Where the hell is that coming from?' But that didn't confuse Kumagoro; he knew exactly where and what that meant. He was not amused.
"You son of a bitch!" he yelled, "Learn to respect your elders!"
The dark haired demon glared at the rabbit. "Hey! You did that to me first! There's no rule that says I can't get even with you!"
Both boy and rabbit glared at each other until Yuki coughed for attention. "If you both are done arguing, my lover came here to see your master," he explained, "If you can't do something as simple as that, we will head back to Tokyo."
Tatsuha and Kumagoro, not wanting to annoy away the very person their human wanted to see so badly, nodded before showing their guests the way into the drawing room. As they walked through the halls, Shuichi was amazed with every sight that came to him. This was a beautiful house; he had to admit that. But the question still ran through his mind, who was it that wanted to see him so badly? He knew that he would find out soon enough as they finally reached the drawing room.
The drawing room was extravagant but had a modern taste. Light brown couches, loveseats, and chairs with white cushions circled around the oak coffee table with a glass top. Velvet blood red curtains hung over the windows, making the plain white walls look a light red. A big flat screen TV hung on one side of the room while a beautiful fireplace with a big clear mirror glowed on the other side. Beside the door they went through, there was a skinny rectangular shaped landing with pine railings and another door which showed the only way on. With every view, Shuichi became more and more curious about his mysterious host. He and Yuki walked over to the loveseat close to them, waiting for the answer to why they were here.
Suddenly, coming from the door on the landing, something jumped out and began dancing around. It was a man who looked like he was in his early thirties with short brown hair and big blue eyes. His clothes were completely opposite to the type of clothes expected from someone to own a house like this; a white t-shirt with a pink bunny on it and blue jeans. He danced and danced, unaware of who was watching him.
"Today is the day! Today is the day! My loved one comes to me at last!" he chanted before he ran back through the door, slamming it behind him. Tatsuha and Kumagoro smacked their heads. Yuki glared at the scene in front of him. But Shuichi gaped.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" his anger began to rise, "Don't tell me he's the one that asked for me to come here! He can't really be your master, the human you serve until your contract is done right?"
"Well…" Tatsuha began to fidget, "Yeah, he is but-!"
"Hell no!" the pink haired boy stood in fury, "I came here because I thought that someone serious needed to talk to me about something serious! Is this what he's always like?"
"Most of the time," Kumagoro replied bluntly.
"Then forget it! Whatever reason he has to see me probably isn't as important as what you made it seem like," He stormed to the door. "I'm heading back to Tokyo. This was a waste of my time." Before a word could be said to persuade him to stay, Shuichi left the room. Yuki was about to follow him until Tatsuha grabbed his sleeve.
"Bro, you've got to believe me when I say that my lover's reasons to see Shuichi are important!" he cried, "Please tell Shuichi to come back and give my lover a chance to explain."
Yuki forced Tatsuha to let go. "Why should I? How important is he that he calls Shuichi to see him then when he does he dances around like an idiot and completely ignores him?"
Tatsuha's expression darkened with the words he spoke. "His name is Sakuma."
And that was enough to get to Yuki. His face grew paler, his golden eyes widened in surprise, his mouth open like a fish. The raven haired demon smirked. "I know that look Bro! You know that name!" But Yuki just remained silent, knowing full well what his meeting with Shuichi means.
Back with Shuichi, he walked through the halls of the giant house looking for the way out. However, because he was too amazed by his surroundings on his way to the drawing room, he didn't pay attention to where everything was. He wandered around, looking for the foyer. He stopped though when he heard a familiar tune playing close by. What was that tune? Subconsciously he followed the tune until he found a door that was the only one slightly open. He began debating to himself in his head; should he go in and see where that tune was coming from or should he continue looking for the way out of the house? He cursed himself of his curiosity when he decided to go with the first option and opened the door.
It was slightly dark, but Shuichi could point out what everything there was. It looked like he opened the door into a child's bedroom. A king sized bed stood on the left side of the room with a dark canopy hanging overtop. Toys were scattered everywhere, making a mess on the floors. The wall in front of him revealed a door to a balcony. It felt like he stepped into the room from Peter Pan, the room where the three siblings slept and where they were when they first met Peter. But that didn't stop Shuichi from walking into the room and slowly walking to where he heard the tune. He followed it until he found a music box. But that melody; listening to it closely it sounded like the lullaby his mother always sang to him. How did this man own something like this? He took a couple of steps back and sat in the chair behind only to feel something hard below him. A bright light then began to shine on the wall beside him and voices echoed in the room. Shuichi stood up as he looked at the sight.
It was a TV. It appeared to be playing what looked like a home movie. It showed the face of the man who owns the house as a child. With it being as close up as it was, he figured that he was the one controlling the camera himself. He was smiling a goofy toothy grin, like a lot of children would usually do when being mischievous.
"Hi there peoples!" he greeted through the camera, "Look what I can do!" He then stuck his finger up his nose. Shuichi couldn't help but giggle with that. But then he heard another voice.
"Ryuichi! Turn the camera off! You'll waste the battery!" the voice cried.
The boy pouted. "Aww! Why can't I play with it?"
"This camera is for special occasions! We keep it charged at all times so we don't have it dying on us when there is something important happening."
The video then skipped to another one, this time the owner of the house looked more like he did now but slightly younger, like he was in his middle teens. It seemed like he was wearing a suit. He smiled a goofy grin, but not like the grin in the last one.
"Yay! I just love weddings!" he cheered, "Don't you Kumagoro?" The shot of the camera moved over to a chair with a pink stuffed rabbit similar to the Kumagoro Shuichi met but it didn't move. Instead, it just sat there with a smile on its face. Shuichi had a good feeling he knew where the demon's appearance came from. The camera moved back to Ryuichi. "He agrees with me. The best part is that I'm the best man!"
Shuichi continued to giggle. He did have to admit that this guy was good when it came to home movies. But the shot afterwards caught him off guard. It showed the bride and the groom of the wedding this video was about but the big surprise was who they were. The groom was a young man with short black hair and sharp brown eyes. The bride was a young woman with long brown hair and big violet eyes. He recognized them; they were his parents. This was their wedding. Why was this guy at their wedding? Did he know them? He did say that he was the best man so he must've known them, but how?
It switched to another scene. It was blurry but he could hear his mother's voice followed with baby cries. "Shunsuke, are you holding the camera properly?" she asked.
"Yes," his father replied, sounding annoyed, "Don't worry Sara; I know how to work a camera."
The sight began looking clearer as it showed Shuichi's mother, holding what looked like a baby in her arms, crying for whatever reason it had, until finally it stopped. Judging by what was going on; Shuichi had to guess that the baby was him. He then saw the man again, looking at the baby Shuichi with big wide eyes and a giant grin.
"He's so cute!" he squealed before jumping in his seat, "Can I hold him Sara? Can I please hold him?"
"Alright Ryu," she replied with a sigh, "But be careful; don't drop him!"
Slowly, Shuichi's mother handed the baby Shuichi to the man. Once he had hold, the latter brought the baby close to him and looked into his eyes. His big grin changed to a small honest smile, his face showing more maturity. "Have you both come up with a name for him yet?"
Shuichi's mother looked at him. "Shunsuke and I had a tough time thinking about what we were going to name him. In the end, we decided to name him Shuichi."
"Shuichi?" asked the man, "I think that's a perfect name for him."
The video ended, leaving Shuichi to ponder the events seen before him. Was this person a friend of his family? If so, then how come Shuichi didn't remember him? Or rather, how come Shuichi had never seen him around to see his family? They looked so close to him in the videos, so how come he never seen or heard him around?
"Those were the good days."
In a flash, Shuichi turned around to see the owner of the house. But his face didn't look like it did earlier. His big childish ocean blue eyes were replaced with sharp serious blue eyes. He looked at Shuichi with evident sorrow, being reminded of the things he lost in the past.
"Shunsuke and Sara really loved you," he continued, "You were their pride and joy; their reason of living. They sacrificed their own well being to keep you alive and be the man you are today," He walked over to the pink haired boy. "It's amazing how much you've grown. Never in my entire life did I ever think you would grow up so beautiful. You look like your mother but your personality is your father's, the perfect combination."
Shuichi just stared at him for a bit before asking what he wanted to know. "Who are you exactly? I can tell by this video that you knew my parents. Actually, it seemed like you three had a strong relationship."
The man smiled. "My name might be self-explanatory. I am the owner of this beautiful house, which is merely a more modern version of the home I had back in Japan before I was forced to move here. My name is Ryuichi Sakuma."
Shuichi's eyes widened at the name 'Sakuma'. "Sakuma?" he repeated in a whisper, lowering his eyes, "That was my mother's maiden name."
Ryuichi nodded before placing his hand on Shuichi's shoulders. "Yes. Your mother, known as Sara Shindo, is also my sister, originally named Sara Sakuma. I'm your Uncle Ryu."
This was enough for Shuichi to look up at him, tears welling up in his eyes. He held on to Ryuichi with all his might, afraid of losing the last member of his family who would truly love him. The latter pulled his nephew close and held him, also afraid that if he let go he would forever lose him. He stroked the pink locks and tried to calm him down.
"Shh, it's okay," he whispered, "We're finally together now."
This continued on until Shuichi was unable to cry anymore. They then met up with Yuki, Tatsuha, and Kumagoro back in the drawing room, discussing things that could easily be shared between uncle and nephew. It was only after they got comfortable did Shuichi ask a question that had been weighing on his mind.
"Uncle Ryu?" he began, "I've been meaning to ask you-!"
Ryuichi looked like he knew. "It's about why I've been here in New York all this time when I could've been in Tokyo to take care of you and avoid the circumstances set for you by Ryoma right?" Shuichi nodded. The brunet laid back on the couch he was sitting on. "Three years after you were born, I caught Ryoma doing something that was completely unforgivable for a man like him to do. Upon realizing that I knew what he had done, he blackmailed me into staying in New York and never come back to Tokyo. He told me that if I was to ever come back to Tokyo, he would accuse me of being the one doing the things he did and be sent to prison. I didn't want to do that to myself and to you and your parents, who were the only family I had left, so I did as he told me to.
"Sara, your mother, knew that it was against my nature and called me in New York. She promised me that if anything were to happen to her and Shunsuke, their will will state that you, Shuichi Shindo, unless have reached your eighteenth year, will stay with me in New York where I would take care of you, even if you have to be taken here to New York by yourself. But after they died and you were put under Ryoma's care, I had to see why my sister and her husband's wishes weren't carried out. When I checked it out, it said that they never wrote any will.
"I had been told a lot that they might've not had the time to write the will before they died, but I know Shunsuke and Sara; they didn't die by an accident, they died under lack of food. Surely they knew that they wouldn't have survived without food and write the will then. I doubt that it was a misplacement either. They would've given it to their lawyers if they knew it had to be carried out quickly. In fact, I'm positive that Ryoma had something to do with why you weren't brought here to New York to stay with me."
"Interesting story," said Yuki as he crossed his arms, "But what I want to know is what it was you caught Ryoma doing that caused you to be forced here to New York?"
Ryuichi lowered his head. "This might actually be hard to hear, but this is another reason why I suspect Ryoma with taking the will. I caught Ryoma taking cash that belonged to the one and only Shunsuke Shindo."
To say that this was a shock was an understatement in Shuichi's case. "Why the hell would he take money from my father's account?"
"That's what I want to know," Ryuichi replied before standing up, "That's actually another reason why I've asked you to come to New York. Aside from our beautiful reunion, I have something to ask of you. This isn't just mere coincidence that we both retrieved demons to fight alongside us as we fight to get rid of the very man that caused us our sorrows. I want you to join me. Together, we can get rid of Ryoma Shindo and free ourselves from this never-ending torture."
Shuichi lowered his head. His heart felt a little heavy with everything told to him. A second uncle who was forbidden to see him, his uncle Ryoma's deeds of stealing his parent's money, causing the very thing that made him lose them; it was all too much. "I'm sorry Uncle Ryu," he replied, "I'm having a hard time emotionally with all this. Plus, I'm still really tired from my way here so…"
Ryuichi nodded. "I understand," He walked over to the door. "You won't need to bother with a hotel. You are welcome to stay here until you return to Tokyo. Kumagoro will show you to your room." He then walked out the door with Tatsuha following behind.
Kumagoro huffed as he crossed his arms. "Why does it seem like I'm the one who has to do all the work? I even took the form of his old stuffed rabbit out of respect to him," He growled. "Anyways, I might as well comply with his request and show you to your room."
Shuichi and Yuki followed the rabbit through the halls until they reached the door leading to their room. Once there, they unpacked their stuff and got ready as soon as Kumagoro left. When everything was done, Yuki laid down on the bed while Shuichi sat at the edge. The golden haired demon looked at him.
"What do you think?" he asked, "You going to go through with Sakuma's plan?"
Shuichi didn't look back at him. "Honestly, I don't know," he replied softly, "It's true that if we agree to join up to get rid of my uncle, we may be successful. But…"
Yuki sat up. "But what? You might not get another chance."
The pink haired boy moved over so he was lying beside the demon. "Hey Yuki, what do you think I should do? Should I really agree to it?"
"It's not my place to decide what you should do or not. That's something you should decide on your own."
Shuichi nodded before covering himself up with the covers and getting himself comfortable. "Well, I'll have to decide in the morning. Goodnight."
The moment Shuichi fell asleep; Yuki kept staring at the human. He came up with a final conclusion that would not change no matter what. 'Humans are no doubt really strange.'
Back with Ryuichi and Tatsuha, they had both stripped of their clothes and were currently 'making love'. Ryuichi talked as Tatsuha placed kisses all over him. The brunet was so happy to have his beloved nephew who he only saw once before forced away from him return to him.
"Just think Tatsuha," he explained, "With Shuichi and his demon by my side, we will finally be rid of Ryoma Shindo. Finally, it will all end, and Shuichi and I will be together forever." Tatsuha just stared at the human, knowing full well what it meant the moment the wanted man is dead. Nonetheless, he continued planting kisses on his 'lover', laughing inside that a lot of fun would come from this.
Pinkshuchan: Well, here's the chapter. I seriously thought it would never end. But I did it. Read and Review!