Three Years Later:
News of Hiromi's pregnancy spread through the manor like wildfire, everyone within talked about it nonstop, as if the moment it left their minds she'd no longer be pregnant.
She wasn't far along, barely two months in, and already the manor was receiving gifts upon gifts for the new addition to the Hiwatari gene pool. Luckily it was none of Rei's or the others jobs to deal with her belongings since she had her own harem of servants at her own beck and call.
To say that the servants quarters were cramped, since their arrival three years ago, would have been an understatement. It felt like the room and the people within it were going to burst at the seams any moment if just one more person was bought into the manor.
Natasha of course had kept her room, and Rei had fought off everyone he could to keep his own little space that he had when he first arrived, though it hadn't worked very well and he found himself on the floor at the foot of Natasha's bed every night. His back was always sore, and he had never got a full night's sleep half the time, or any if Micah so happened to slip into the room, where he would just promptly leave the entire servants quarters and sleep in the library downstairs.
He knew they couldn't survive like this, with twelve new servants in such a small space that it hadn't really came as a shock to him when Ursula had been sold. He had cried, inside, at the sight of her silently begging not to go, though Voltaire simply ignored her pleas and waved her away off to her next owner like she was nothing but cattle.
That night he couldn't sleep at all, no matter how hard he had tried and eventually found himself wrapped in Kai's arms, holding onto him as tightly as he could and listened to his breathing as he slept.
It felt like it had been forever since he had been with him, honestly he couldn't even remember the last time they had done this, but just like all the other times it had felt right and he felt protected and cared for. He wanted to throw caution to the wind and ignore Kai's rules, but he could never bring himself to do so. It wouldn't just be him they'd hang, they would hang Kai too and the thought alone caused bile to rise in his throat.
Rei had done it though, only once or twice, and each time he had been received with open arms and hasty kisses that set his body on fire. He thought he had been careful enough, quiet enough, and had hid the marks on his body well enough, but he had been caught, they had been caught, how he wasn't quite sure but he knew she knew now.
Hiromi's light-brown eyes bore into his golden ones, she had dismissed her other servants from her room, Misaki's room, as she feigned interest of herself in the oval shaped mirror of her vanity. Rei stood in front of the door, it closed behind him and he could feel his palms begin to sweat.
"Would you mind handing me that crystal tray on the nightstand?" She asked in the most fake innocent voice he had ever heard, though he did what he had been asked to do, bringing it to her and placing it beside her on the vanity before turning to walk away.
Her hand caught his wrist, stopping him from leaving her side. "Stay." She commanded, and so he stayed where he stood, watching her pick through the jewelry that sat in the crystal dish he had brought her.
"You see this?" She asked, still with that sickening sweet voice of hers that made his skin crawl.
Rei's eyes went to her hands as she held her left one out, slipping her wedding ring down her finger slowly.
"This... Along with everything in this room... In this house... Is mine." She said, stressing the words in a darker tone, her brown eyes glaring into his from the side.
"Do you know why that is?" She asked him, turning to fully face him as she held her left hand close to her face as if she was inspecting her ring for the first time.
Rei didn't answer, he didn't feel the need to answer her when he knew she was wrong. Nothing in the house belonged to her, and certainly nothing in that room did either, not even the ring on her finger was truly hers.
Her eyes narrowed when she didn't receive a response. "I asked you a question, and when I ask you a question I expect an answer." She bit out.
"Because you are the masters wife." Rei answered dully, the words leaving a foul taste in his mouth.
Her face beamed with fake enthusiasm and she clapped her hands together. "Exactly!"
She stood up with ease, her small round two-month belly barely showing through her gown as she crowded him in the corner by dresser that sat next to the bay window.
"I am his wife and he is my husband, mine to lay with and to hold and be held by. Do you see a ring on your finger? No! And you know why that is? Because disgusting beings like you are hanged." She hissed out at him, her light-brown eyes locked with his as she glared up at him.
Rei barely flinched from her words, only a little bit of panic was starting to stir within his stomach but he held it off.
"Of course that in turn means Kai will hang too, and yet you both surely know this... So why? Why does he come to you and not me?" She cried, tears at the corners of her eyes.
"I am carrying his child, I am the one who took his last name, the one who loves him with all my being!" She continued to wail, the tears rolling down her face as she sobbed into her hands.
"Yet it is you..." Her crying seemed to turn off like someone had flipped a switch and she brought her arms and hands away from her face as she glared at him once more. "It is you he calls for in the middle of the night, it is you who he holds while he sleeps and you who will be the death of him." She sneered, her body shaking from the anger and rage she felt bubbling inside of her.
Rei only watched on in silence as she continued to sob, while also holding her glare towards him. If she had planned to make him feel guilty, or scare him into staying away, her plans were failing miserably.
"Say something!" She screamed, her fists balling up as she grit her teeth.
"Did you ask me a question?" He asked calmly, his head snapping to the left as her hand came full force across his face, the sound of the impact echoing around the room.
"I hate you..." She hissed.
Rei could only bow his head to her, his cheek red and stinging something fierce though he didn't let it show.
"If that is all you need ma'am, I must be getting back to my duties." He didn't wait for her to respond as he headed for the door, the anger in his stomach rolling.
He hated her too, and for almost all the same reasons she hated him. It was no secret the two had never gotten along when she had first stepped foot into the manor, he had hoped for his sake and Kai's as well, that she wouldn't be too bad, but he was wrong.
She was the definition of spoiled and pampered, her nose stuck up in the air to everyone around her and she didn't care for her servants or anyone close to her. Rei couldn't really tell if she had been telling the truth about loving Kai, they were stuck in an arranged marriage and he couldn't fathom anyone being truly in love with someone they were forced to share the rest of their life with.
Yet that was exactly why he hated her, he hated how she could be with Kai no matter what time of day it was, or who was around. She was allowed to kiss and touch him without fear of being reprimanded or killed, while he had to hide in the shadows with him, for his love to be hidden away like it was some disease.
He hated that she got to build a family with him, while he would probably die alone with no one. Though if he was completely honest, the reason he hated her the most was for the way she seemed to only love Kai's wealth.
Time and time again in the three short years that she had been around, she had shown her true colors more than once when it came to the wealth and status Kai held and it made him sick. He never loved Kai for his money or standing, he would gladly live on the streets if it meant they were together, while Hiromi went out and bought the latest fashion from Paris or the most expensive jewelry she could find. Not to mention the lavish parties she always hosted, just so she could show off her wealth.
All day Rei had that hate and anger in his gut from when he had been with Hiromi and when nightfall came and dinner had ended, Kai had made it known that he wanted Rei to come to him and he didn't hesitate to go.
It had never been so powerful, so demanding, before in all the times that they had had sex with each other. Rei had grabbed and pulled, kissed and licked every inch of Kai that he could, making sure to leave bruises and bite and nail marks along his pale skin; all for Hiromi to see.
Kai didn't complain, not knowing Rei's full intentions, but had enjoyed everything that had been given to him. His body ached, but he pushed past it in order to give back what he had received.
Rei's legs were placed over Kai's shoulders, his ankles crossed behind Kai's head as his nails dug in deeper into Kai's forearms as Kai pounded into him relentlessly. Sweat had poured from their bodies and the bedsheets were now soaked, their hair stuck to their brows and necks but neither cared.
All that mattered was that they last just a little bit longer, that they drive each other over the edge to a point neither had been before.
Rei could feel it building up within the pit of his stomach, he was so close now with the way Kai's thrusts were becoming stronger. He pawed at Kai's chest, nails raking across his skin leaving angry red lines before he cupped the back of Kai's neck and pulled him down into a hungry kiss.
Kai groaned long and hard into the kiss, his tongue already pushed past Rei's lips and was busy exploring his mouth like it hadn't been doing that just moments ago. Kai's fingers curled into Rei's hair tighter, tugging it as he thrust down hard into him causing Rei to cry out a moan that was muffled, his own nails leaving indents in the back of Kai's neck.
Suffocating each other Kai had to pull apart from the kiss, his arms trembling as he felt his own build up starting to edge closer now, not letting up as Rei's moans and cries became the fuel for his desire.
Kai thrust in deeper and harder than he had before, causing Rei's head to jerk back into the pillows, his mouth gaping open as he cried out while his orgasm hit him hard, his seed spilling out between the two of them and coating their stomachs and chests. Rei could only lay there panting beneath Kai as he shook and shuddered over the top of him, his orgasm coming in like waves washing through his body. Once it had passed Kai carefully removed Rei's legs from around his neck, the other male unable to move at all as his entire body felt heavy and weak, his legs almost numb from being in the air too long.
Once all of Rei's limbs were out of his way and Rei's stomach and chest had been cleaned, Kai shifted himself to where he could lay his face just below Rei's chin. His own body felt heavy and weak, his breathing pattern no better than Rei's own as they were still trying to refill their lungs desperately.
Instinctively Rei's arms went about Kai's body, holding him close to him as he felt the first waves of sleep start to come to him, only to be brought back to reality when he heard Kai's voice, though he didn't catch what he had said.
"Mmm... What'd you say?" He tried to open his eyes but they weren't listening, so he played with the very ends of Kai's hair to let him know that he was still awake.
"What happened to your face today?" Kai asked gently, his own fingers gently teasing Rei's sides.
"Fell down." He lied, and felt Kai shift off of him.
He forced his eyes open to see where Kai was going, though jumped back when he saw Kai hovering over him, his face only mere inches from his own.
"Don't lie to me." His voice was almost deadly, his eyes not tearing away from Rei's.
"I'm not... I fell down earlier and hit the ground." He defended, trying to figure out why Kai would be interrogating him all of a sudden like this.
"You are lying." Kai said, his eyes narrowing. "You know how I can tell you're lying?"
Rei stayed quiet, it had always been a question in the back of his mind on how Kai knew when he was lying, he just never had the guts to ask him.
"Every time you lie, the color of your eyes dull."
"No they don't... And I'm not lying! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and tripped and fell." Rei argued back.
Kai frowned at him, sitting himself up on Rei's hips as he crossed his arms over his chest. "They just did."
"No they didn't!... Here, ask me something you know I can't lie about." Rei said, hoping the distraction would cause Kai to forget his original question.
"Alright fine." Kai bit back and looked to be in thought for a second before a smirk crossed his face. "Did you just have the best sex of your life?" He asked, the knowing smirk still on his face.
Rei didn't hesitate to answer, "Yes." And Kai's smirk stayed on his face as Rei's eyes stayed the same.
"Did you do laundry today?" Kai asked.
"No, Sunday's belong to Yuki, you know that." Rei rolled his eyes at him and sighed, just how long was he going to keep this up? Kai nodded, Rei's eyes stayed the same as before again.
"Did I hurt you, just now?" Kai asked and Rei huffed at him.
"No." The color in Rei's eyes dulled slightly and Kai frowned.
"Where do you hurt?" He asked gently, cupping the left side of Rei's face.
"... My thigh hurts..." Rei admitted, looking away from him. "The right one..."
"I'm sorry." Kai kissed his forehead as an extra apology before sitting himself up right again.
"Are we done now?" Rei huffed.
"No." Kai answered flatly. "Are you really scared of horses?" He asked with a quirked brow.
"Yes." Rei sighed as he rolled his eyes, the color staying the same bright gold.
"Do you like being here?"
"... I like being with you..."
"But you hate Voltaire." Kai pressed.
"Yes." The color didn't change.
"Are you scared of him?"
"No." The color dulled, but Kai let it slide.
"Do you hate me?"
"No!" Rei bit out and forced himself to sit up, but his eye color hadn't changed.
"Are you scared of me?"
"Of course not." Kai was a little more than excited to see that the color had stayed the same and he smiled before placing a quick kiss to his lips.
Rei chased his mouth when he pulled away, glaring at him angrily in a pout.
"Do you like Hiromi?" Rei quirked a brow, not having expected for him to ask that, while also realizing that he had changed the words around this time.
"Yes." His bright golden eyes dulled considerably, though Kai didn't make a move to let him know he knew.
"And what do you think of her?" Kai asked, his own brow arched.
"I think she'll make a wonderful mother, that she's a good and faithful wife, who loves you very much." Kai had focused on him, the first two statements were true, while the last was a lie.
"Are you scared of her?" He asked.
Rei scoffed and rolled his eyes. "No." He lied.
"Is it because she's carrying my child?" Kai didn't think he had to play his lil game anymore, he was already getting the information he wanted out of him already.
"No, and I'm not scared of her." Both lies.
"Are you scared of her because you think she'll sell you?" Kai asked calmly, and watched Rei tense up beneath him.
"No, because she can't. You said so yourself." He lied and then told the truth.
"Are you scared she'll want us to move to Japan once the baby is born?"
"No!" Rei yelled out in frustration, though his eyes dulled again.
"Then what is it!? What makes you so scared of her?" Kai yelled back and finally Rei had snapped.
"Because she knows!" He shouted and watched Kai's face fall in an instant.
"What?..." He breathed out, his stomach clenching and rolling.
"She knows... I don't know how, or when, but she found out..." Rei said as he lowered his tone. "She hit me because of it, that's what happened to my face."
Kai had gone quiet, all the worse possible scenarios running in his head until finally he snapped out of it. Wordlessly he crawled off of Rei, gathering his clothes off the floor.
"Get out." He demanded without so much as a second look.
Rei sat there a bit stupefied, his brain not having registered what Kai had said. "What?"
"I said get out!" Kai yelled, causing Rei to scramble off the bed in a hurry, still unsure what it was he had done wrong for Kai to be yelling at him now.
"What's wrong? What did I do?"
"You just need to go... Alright? Just, just get out of my sight right now." Kai answered as he turned away from him, heading towards the back balcony off to his left.
Rei watched him go quietly and perplexed, not sure where he had gone wrong or even what had just happened, but he obediently obeyed Kai's commands and got dressed and left the room quickly.
Kai stopped at the railing of his balcony which overlooked the backyard and garden, along with the vast open field past the rock wall of the manor's grounds. He stood out there for an hour, debating on what he should do and how to handle the issue. He wasn't even sure how she had found out, but that didn't matter now, all that mattered was keeping Rei safe.
Kai didn't even knock when he stepped into Hiromi's bedroom, the maid that was in there attending to her practically jumped out of her skin when the door hit the wall behind it.
["Leave us."] Kai commanded, his eyes and tone cold as he stepped in.
The maid bowed quickly to him and scurried out of the room, making sure to close the door behind her.
Hiromi smiled warmly to her husband as she was sitting in the middle of her bed, Misaki's bed, in her designer nightgown and her brown hair undone as the maid had been brushing it for her.
"I was hoping you'd come to me tonight." She said in a sickly sweet voice and a knowing smile.
Kai hadn't even bothered to cover the bite marks and bruises Rei had left on him only an hour ago on his neck, and his eyes narrowed down on her.
"Stay away from him." He ordered coldly and her knowing smile vanished into a hardened frown.
"How dare you!" She spat out, jumping to her feet on the end of the bed. "Have you no shame?!" She screeched.
"How dare you for striking him!" Kai bellowed out and she flinched back from the sound. "If I ever find out that you touch him again..." He left his threat at that, his eyes boring down into hers.
"You'll do what?" She seemed to mock him. "You won't do anything to me, I know you won't because you can't. But there's really nothing stopping me from going to your grandfather with this." An evil smile twisted its way onto her lips, though Kai didn't falter.
He moved to the side, showing her the door and even held his hand out for her to go out now and reveal what she had found, though she didn't move an inch.
"Thought so." He said with an air of confidence as her smirk fell back down her face. "You have a lot more to lose in this than I do, but by all means, do it if that's what you wish." He called her bluff once more as she didn't even blink now.
"Once again then, stay away from him." He warned and began to turn away from her and stopped when she caught his arm.
"Tell me why! Why him, of all people? A low life rat of this earth is all he is!" She yelled, her perfect nails digging into his skin.
Kai had to restrain himself from turning back and smacking her across the face, never in his life had he ever hit a woman, but she was making it difficult not to want to.
"You wouldn't understand, even if I told you." Kai said through grit teeth, jerking his arm out from her death like grip.
"Try, I have to know what makes him so special... I am your wife, I am the mother of your child!" She yelled as tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
Kai let out a long exhausting sigh and turned to face her once more. "He was, and is, all I have ever had."
"And us?!" She yelled, the tears rolling down her face as she touched her stomach.
"You two are nothing more than a duty, a burden on my shoulders for the rest of my life."
Hiromi shook as she raised her hand and slapped him across the face, though he didn't flinch as his skin stung from the impact as if he had just been attacked by thirty angry wasps.
"How dare you... Whether you like it or not, I am still your wife and I should be treated with respect and be honored like the wife that I am! I forbid you to see him like that again!" She shouted and in her anger her body continued to tremble and shake.
"You forbid me?" Kai asked in a humorous tone, fighting back the urge to just laugh right in her face as he cocked a brow.
"I forbid you! You are my husband!" Her tears continued to roll down her face.
"And if I refuse?" He asked, deciding to play her game.
"Then I will go to your grandfather and you will be hanged for your transgressions."
"And you will lose everything." He reminded, once more calling her bluff. "Face it, without me, you have nothing. So, once more. Do not come near him again, am I clear?"
Hiromi could only nod, looking down at her feet.
"I will not hesitate to strip you of everything you love if you dare touch him again, if you so as much speak to him in an ill-mannered tone. He is mine and mine alone, do not test me with this." Kai warned once more and got another nod in return.
Kai didn't say anything more and left her standing there, rubbing her stomach as if their unborn child would somehow save her. Kai was right though, without him she would have nothing. If she went to Voltaire with what she knew it would not only shame the Hiwatari name but hers and her father's name as well.
She felt trapped and afraid, Kai's unspoken threat at the back of her mind. He had been able to call her bluff, but she wasn't sure if she could do the same with him. It felt as though she was walking on eggshells as the month went by, she had been on high alert since that night and had made sure not to cross paths with Rei if he were in the same area as she was in and outside of the manor.
Eventually she had cracked and gone to Voltaire with the evidence her maids had found, but as the month went on nothing had been done about it and now she had put herself into even more of a frenzy.
The stress on her body and mind began to weigh her down so much that she became bedridden, but it did nothing to help as she miscarried in her fourth month, something the doctors had warned her about happening.
She was surprised when Kai had come in to see her, as she had been left in an inconsolable fit of tears and hysterics. It was as if their argument had never even happened a month ago the way he held her and let her cry into him, as she apologized and he ran his fingers through her hair. He could have been doing it all for show, but she didn't care.
