Feel lucky, because I'm updating!! Mwahahaha! By the way, this is just to fill while I whack my head to find out what's going to happen next in the story. =3 It has NOTHING to do with the story. It's just a filler.
Summary: Six-year-old Ariya watches Takuma train with his katana, and they have visitors...
Set before Juuri and Haruka died.Filler Chapter
"Takun-sama, where are you going?" Ariya called as her secret love walked past her open door with a Katana in hand.
Takuma turned and gave her a wide smile. "I'm practicing. Wanna watch?"
"Hai!" she said enthusiastically, bounding forwards to latch onto his free hand. He smiled and bent down to lift her up.
"Oof! What have you been eating?" he demanded playfully, tickling her nose; she squirmed in his hold. "You're getting heavy!"
She pouted at him cutely, although she didn't know it. Takuma fought back his just gr "Takun-sama's mean," she complained. "Takun-sama's the one who's feeding Ariya (*saying her own first name displays naivety) the food! Takun-sama can't complain to Ariya about her weight," she added indignantly.
Takuma stared at her in surprise. "Since when do you call me Takun-sama?"
She smiled vaguely, fiddling with a strand of his blond hair.
"You've been eavesdropping again, have you?" he said sternly.
Ariya didn't reply, but she kept the tiny smile playing at the edges of her lips, and her hands played with his hair.
"Ariya!" He groaned.
"Hai, Takun-sama?" she asked innocently, blinking her large silver eyes at him.
"Do you realize that if Ojii-san finds out, he'll punish you? Don't you remember what happened last time?" he reminded her, speaking of the time when Ichio found out about his little ward's habit of listening to whatever matter he calls Takuma for. He had her whipped and sent to her room, where she was grounded for a week.
"Takun-sama will never let Ariya be like that again," she replied, innocent trust in her voice as she pressed her face into the crook of his neck, impishly staring up at him out of the corner of her eyes.
He sighed, knowing that she was right.
"All right, you're right," he muttered grudgingly. "But don't call me Takun-sama anymore, or Ojii-san will be suspicious of you."
"Hai, Takuma-sama," she replied, and lifted her head to continue playing with his longish hair.
"By the way," he added conversationally. "There's a party in a few days... and you're invited. You have to come, because they all want to see how you've grown." He smiled at her, and she grinned back, but nervously.
"Is not Takuma-sama invited?" she asked, worried slightly. His smile faded, and he shook his head. "Why not?" she wanted to know, her big eyes beseeching him.
"Because I'll be busy," he lied quickly. "I need to do some things..."
"Takuma-sama isn't invited, ne?" she whispered. She was old enough to see through his lies, and to see that her Otou-sama never wanted his grandson along to these parties. Her little hand touched his cheek and she said, "Ariya won't go without Takuma-sama. Ariya will tell her Otou-sama this, and make sure he comes along." Her voice sounded like she was issuing the law.
He laughed, tickled her nose, and they walked to the training centre of the house.
--
Ariya watched Takuma's every move as he flowed from one pose to the next, feeling oddly peaceful as she did. It didn't take a genius to see that she loved him... although Takuma seemed to be fairly oblivious to her attraction. Even Ichio had noticed, much to his delight.
Then, the light of another presence made itself known to her, and she turned her head to the door, letting out a squeak of fear.
Takuma jumped, and automatically, dashed over to her, dropping his katana, until he too, noticed the presence, and relaxed, although she didn't. She jumped off her stool and hid behind Takuma's legs, peeking around his knee to stare at the door with fearful eyes.
Takuma was suddenly aware that he was dripping in sweat, and quickly grabbed the towel to wipe his face and neck clean of it.
Ichio stepped in, his beady eyes fixing on the fearful little girl who was hiding behind her ward's grandson's legs. Then, his eyes travelled up to meet Takuma's, before stepping aside and revealing the Kuran family.
Kuran Kaname's dark red eyes met silver, and he smiled gently, as if trying not to scare her further. She emitted another squeak and pressed her head into the place behind Takuma's knee. He stumbled slightly, then grinned at the girl. "Hey, don't worry. They're our friends." She glared at him balefully and ducked her head again.
Kuran Juuri, however, had taken immediately to this little girl. She smiled at her and her husband sighed as she asked Ichio for her name.
"Yunoki Ariya," he replied in his deep, rumbling tones.
Juuri walked forward and started to coax the little girl out from behind her shield. Takuma knelt, turning around to face her, and whispered something into her ear that made her look straight at Juuri, who smiled soothingly. Ariya took one stiff forward, took fright, and grabbed at Takuma's hand. Takuma chuckled, and carried her to Juuri.
"Say hello," Takuma reminded her.
"Ohayo, Kuran-sama," she whispered. Juuri laughed, and turned to Takuma.
"May I carry her?" she asked him, and Takuma obliged, handing over the little girl, who was starting to warm up to Juuri.
Haruka looked at his wife with amusement deep in his red eyes, then ruffled Kaname's hair. Kaname said nothing, but smiled a little too widely at Takuma, who grinned back.
Kaname walked towards Takuma, and they talked quietly as Ariya looked on from Juuri's arms. Juuri was stroking her hair and murmuring sweet nothings to her.
"Is that the ward your Ojii-san adopted?" Kaname asked, his voice hushed.
"Hai, Kaname-sama."
The young heir stared at Takuma with an exasperated expression. "Every time I come here, I am forced to remind you to call me Kaname. We're friends, and I only want to be treated as an equal. It's bad enough I get tons of that everywhere I go, but worse coming from my only good friend."
"Gomen, Kaname," Takuma apologized, his green eyes showing some bemusement.
Kaname smiled a little sadly, and turned to his mother, who was tickling a giggling Ariya. She was trying, with no success, to push away Juuri's scrabbling fingers. Takuma's eyes sparkled in amusement now. "Juuri-sama, her most ticklish spot is her stomach," he told her, and Ariya squealed.
"Takuma-sama! Don't tell Juuri-san!" she cried, but it was too late, as Juuri had taken his not-so-subtle advice to tickle her belly. She squealed again, and started to giggle more. "Juuri-san!"
Juuri laughed, and relented, hugging the girl close before setting her down. She toddled over to Takuma and hugged his leg. He looked down, and laughed, patting her head.
"It's amazing how small they are," Kaname said, amused. "She's only knee-high."
"Now, Kaname, you were knee-high once, too," Haruka chastened him, his eyes twinkling playfully.
Everyone in the room laughed at that statement as Ariya took Takuma's hand and started to play with his fingers. Kaname looked at her, and sadness entered his eyes. Takuma was about to ask him what was wrong, but Haruka and Juuri said that they had to leave, and the chauffeur would take Kaname back later.
"Shall we go do something?" Takuma suggested, his green eyes slightly worried. Kaname nodded, and Takuma took Ariya's hand as they went off to the house in search for something to do.
--
(strange whirring noise greets readers)
-ow- The End!! -ow-
-ow- Lol, I hope -ow- Ariya was innocent -ow- enough. It was fun -ow- making her like -ow- this... -ow-
Please -ow- review even if it's -ow- just a -ow- filler! And someone -ow- stop the -ow- damned -ow- machine!! (Whirring noise stops as Ichijo, bound and gagged like the others so that he won't boast to those who weren't in the chapter and are complaining, presses the button) Thanks, Takun! (Author smirks at Ichijo, who glares and pokes button again with his nose) GAH!!! -ow- STOP IT, DAM- I mean, please -ow- stop -ow- it, -ow- Ichijo-sama? (whirring noise stops yet again)
Thank you.
Review! =D
Thanks! Now, I need to go do something about these bruises... Man, what was IN those rotten tomatoes??