So, I have finished my exams, but I want to announce a possible future mini- hiatus now so I can get all of you ready for it. I have to go for an exchange program but if there is accessible internet there, I will continue to post. Before then though, I will do my best to give you as many chapters as possible. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know what you think! Many thanks!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own KHR nor do I claim any rights to it or any of the characters involved with the exception of the OC's. Otherwise the plot is mine and nothing else.
Hibari parked the car in the massive driveway and got out. He was at his grandfather's home in the country. This was where his grandfather wanted his ashes scattered. This was where he was raised and trained. He sighed as memories came flooding back – both good and bad. Then he turned to Haru to see her reaction to the home he grew up in.
Haru looked around in awe. The place was huge! It was a traditional Japanese style house with a beautiful garden surrounding it. Plum and peach blossom trees were all around them. They would look lovely when they bloomed with the perfectly manicured grass at the front. The same trees lined the driveway from the front gate which was about half a mile from where they now were. Off to her left which was the right of the house, she saw a stone path leading further into the trees which carefully concealed what lay there. She could hear and see so much nature. It was a wondrous place.
Hibari smirked watching her look around. She liked it too. That made him feel better about bringing her along. Of course the sheer size of the place would cow anyone, but he hadn't realised how much he had wanted her to like it. It was evident now by the strange relief he felt. He pulled their bags out of the car and set the alarm then walked around to her side.
"Oh no, I can carry those Hiba..."
"Kyoya. Call me by my name while we're here," he said and walked on ignoring her offer to carry the bags. Haru stood rooted to the spot unsure whether her ears were really functioning properly. Had he just asked her to call him by his first name? She blushed at the thought of being so informal with Hibari. Did that mean that they were in a relationship already?
Well, they had kissed, but he hadn't said he liked her. The confession made all the difference. People kissed for any number of reasons these days anyway and the kisses they shared had been no different if you thought about it. The first time, she had been repaying a debt and the second time, he was calming her down. There was no meaning to those kisses... right?
"Haru," he said interrupting her mental battle with herself. She flushed deeper and went to the door with him. She stood deciding whether to knock or just enter since she wasn't a resident there when the door flew open of its own accord.
"Ah! Kyo-chan! You have arrived at last! Come in, come in!" said a stout woman in a bright blue kimono. She smiled brightly at Hibari who scowled at the childish use of his name then she turned and noticed Haru. The shock was evident on her face but she was very clearly not displeased.
"And who is this lovely young lady? Oh my! You are pretty, please come in!"
Haru smiled nervously and took off her shoes then stepped in. The wide hallway was perfectly polished and very neat. Whoever took care of this house took great pains to make sure everything was in perfect place. The paintings on the wall all depicted floral murals or vivid natural scenes. Clearly, whoever owned this house loved nature too.
"This is Miura Haru," said Hibari stepping into the hallway. Anyone could mistake those words with the way he said them. It almost sounded as if he wanted them to be mistaken for some thing more... intimate.
"Oh, you can leave those there Kyo-chan, I'm sure someone will come and take them for you. I'm glad you told me you were bringing company! I wouldn't have guessed it but your room is ready..." she said looking at both of them so Haru didn't know which one of them she was addressing. Well, they were obviously in separate rooms. It was only proper after all. Besides, it would reflect badly on her character. His relatives would probably not like her if that happened. Haru shuddered. If Hibari's relatives were anything like him, she didn't want to imagine their scorn.
She didn't miss the look the older woman gave Hibari, however and it gave her pause. She turned to him the question very clear in her eyes but he said nothing. She really hoped he wasn't planning anything. She hadn't been prepared for this at all. Who was this woman? How come she knew so much about Hibari? Was she his mother?
"That's the head maid, Akino-san. She has been with my family for as long as I can remember," said Hibari fondly when Akino's back was turned.
"Now then, how long have you been together with my Kyo-chan?"
"Aren't you being a bit nosy Akino-san?" asked Hibari rather calmly. Well, it was no wonder really.
"I don't think so... and anyway, when did you start keeping secrets from me?" Hibari smiled. Haru caught the admiration in his eyes. Clearly she was a very special person in his life.
"Have the others arrived yet?" he asked. Akino turned her head slightly and sighed. Haru figured that he was talking about his relatives.
"Not yet. For now you have the house to yourselves. They should be arriving soon though. I hope they at least respect Hibari-sama's memory..." Here she paused for a bit, her voice taking on a slightly saddened note and then she beamed at them and led them into a large room off to the right. Clearly Hibari's grandfather was well-loved in his home.
Like every other room they had passed on their way there it was very beautifully decorated. Tatami mats covered the floor and in the middle of the room was a rather large low table that could comfortably seat about ten people with soft cushions.
To the left were three brown sofas all arranged around another table. Somehow, in the midst all this traditional decoration, they didn't seem thoroughly out of place. Beyond the sofas, the wall to the far left opened up to a magnificent view of the garden and what looked like a pond. There were flowers in the corner and more murals and paintings on the walls. From the looks of it, this was the common room.
"Sit down, sit down. Make yourself at home! I'll get us some nice tea. Would you like some green tea? Oolong tea? Ginseng tea? Maybe I'll just get everything and let you choose, hmm? I do hope you're not allergic to anything Miura-san," she called out disappearing into the hallway. Apparently she didn't particularly care for a reply to that because she was gone. Well, it was a good thing that she wasn't allergic to anything then, thought Haru with a sigh.
Hibari waited until Akino had gone on without them before he pulled Haru out through another door and into the vast gardens. If she had thought the front of the house was beautiful, this was amazing!
There was an island in the middle of a pond with a single tree in the middle of it with a wooden bench under it. It wasn't just some old rickety bench either but one of fine wood. Haru had to wonder how it battled the elements. The pond stretched across the grounds and was bordered by trees on each side. To the far right was a path leading away from that and into some more plants. Ahead of her was yet another path. There were bridges connecting all three paths to the island and each had a simple elegance. They were not ordinary by any means but they were not gaudy or showy in any way either.
Whoever had come up with the plans for this place really had an eye for detail. Even the statues on the grassy bits seemed to be exactly where they were meant to be. Hibari led her across the bridge and to the island. She smiled watching the ducks in the pond. Peering in, she saw several of the biggest koi fish she had ever laid eyes on. This place was a paradise! She couldn't imagine anything she had ever seen matching up to this now.
He led her down the path straight ahead and Haru heard the sound of flowing water. She wondered what he was going to show her next. Through the trees, she saw a grassy patch ahead. When they came through it, she saw a stream running through the garden and away. Directly ahead of them was what looked like a temple. Perhaps it was the family's temple? To one side were a number of tombstones. Her curiosity was sparked, but she didn't dare go there just yet. Hibari might not like it and this wasn't the best time to annoy him.
"My grandfather will be laid to rest here," he said quietly. She turned to him hearing the sadness in his voice and she felt a little guilty for enjoying the view and not focusing on him. Still, how was she going to comfort him anyway? Well, if she remembered correctly, he had said that just her presence was enough. She didn't think so but as long as she was helping, it was okay, she supposed.
"Seven Generations of Hibari have lived here and died here," he said looking at the grave stones. She couldn't quite tell if he was just stating a fact or if he felt anything about it. Haru took a deep breath and slipped her hand into his. It was an impulse action. There was nothing else she could think of doing but she had sensed that he needed the comfort. This much should be okay.
He didn't pull his hand away and he didn't say anything. He did squeeze her hand though and in that moment, Haru fancied she had shared something very intimate with the brooding Skylark. Their silence was interrupted by a commotion a ways behind them and Haru's hand was about to slip back out of his when he gripped it. He didn't want to let go! This would be embarrassing. What if whoever it was got the wrong idea?
Her panicked gaze met his but the look he gave her encouraged no argument.
"Ah! Kyo-san! I heard you were around! And you have brought a guest..." said a woman walking towards them gleefully. Behind her, three men followed, all older than either Hibari or Haru herself. Hibari's grip on her hand tightened slightly and she noticed the slight tick in his jaw although all this was carefully masked in bored nonchalance.
Enemies, that look told her.
Haru put on her best smile ready for anything. At last the relatives had arrived. She was sure she would later wonder what had possessed her to come, which seemed to be a running gag whenever she had gone to Hibari's room in the past. Well, that had always had its different outcomes. She should just wait to see what would come of this...