Chapter 2

Kei groaned as he held his head. He slowly opened his eyes but saw everything was blurry. He felt around for his glasses as he found them on the nightstand. He put them on and looked around. He was in his room back at the mansion. He was sitting on his bed and on the foot of his bed was his mother.

"Good morning baby." Koshi smiled.

"Mom?" Kei looked confused before his memories of last night came back. He glared, "What am I doing here?"

"We found you-"

"Don't lie. Someone injected me." Kei glared as he held his head. He had a massive headache.

Koshi sighed, "Yes. The third child of Nekoma injected you. He was trained as an assassin. When Tetsuro called us that you left quite angrily we had him have his brother follow you. Then you ran off and he captured you for us. We then brought you home."

"Did you guys hit my head or something? It hurts so much." Kei groaned.

"It's a side effect from the injection. Here I'll get you some medicine. It should go away after a big breakfast." Koshi got up.

"I'm still not marrying him mom. You can't force me. Not you. Not dad. Not grandpa. Not even grandfather." Kei said.

"Kei I'm begging you as your mother to do this for us." Koshi went up to him.

"Mom you married dad cause you love him. Asahi is marrying Yu who he loves very much. Yu isn't even from any family. He was hired to be Asahi's bodyguard! And Shoyo, he's a child still. He shouldn't be marrying anyone!" Kei looked at him. "If I ever marry it's because I want to be with that person. Not because others want to just use me for their own selfish gain."

"Kei I do love your father but that's not the point. I too didn't want to marry him at first." Koshi said as he sat next to him. "I didn't want to marry anyone. I wanted to be the only leader for our family. The only one to lead our family to greatness. But over time after getting to know your father some more, I fell in love with him. When I first met your father we hated each other actually. Him, a young promising police officer, me, a young promising mafia leader. We were so opposite of eachother. I teased him, made him angry, I even threw a glass of wine on him." Koshi chuckled as he remembered those days. "But then he saw our world. Our justice. He talked to my father, your grandfather Keishin, and asked for my hand. He said he would only give it to him if he took control of the police force. And he did. He proved his loyalty to your grandfather, who in turn let him marry me. Of course I was angry then, I knew I was being used to gain something but in the end I did fall in love with your father."

"That doesn't mean you're being forced like me. Grandfather didn't choose dad. You chose dad. Grandfather didn't let you marry him until dad gave him something in return for you. Everyone is happy. I didn't choose the head of the Nekoma family. You all chose the head of the Nekoma family. The Nekoma head didn't even want me until you guys suggested it. All for you guys to gain their alliance. The only ones happy is you guys while I'd be stuck in a loveless marriage." Kei took Koshi's hands, "Mom please, don't do this to me. I beg of you. I don't want to get married. Not like this."

Koshi looked at his son as a flashback of when Kei was small popped into his head. He remembered Kei would hold his hands and begged him to let him stay after school to play with his friends. Back then he would always give in, but he knew he couldn't this time. "Kei please don't look at me like that. It breaks my heart when you do this to me."

"Please mom, I love you so much. I don't want to lose my mom. I don't want to hate you." Kei held his hands tightly. "Please mom, please don't marry me off."

Koshi gulped, "I-"

"Kei, you're awake, I'm glad." Daichi said as he leaned on the doorway.

"Dad." Kei gulped.

Daichi looked at the scene in front of him and sighed. He walked over to them and put a hand on Koshi's shoulder, "Darling, we know why we want to have Kei marry Tetsuro right? It's for his own good. So he can live the closest he can to a normal life while still being protected and safe."

Koshi gulped and looked down, "R-right dear. You're right. This is the best for Kei."

"What? No mom no! Please you know this isn't right!" Kei held on to him.

"Kei enough. Your mother has always babied you. He let you go to school, he let you play sports, he let you live a normal life. That was his fault for letting you mingle among normal people." Daichi said.

"You were normal once dad. You had that normal childhood. That normal family. That normal life. You chose to leave that." Kei glared at him.

"There are many reasons why I left that life. Being normal doesn't mean happiness. Your mother and his world was my happiness." Daichi said. "I want what's best for you, living a normal life isn't what's best. Here we can give you everything you want. Anything you desire. Yet you still want to be a normal person."

"I do. I want to be normal. I don't want this. I don't want money, I don't want alliances, I don't want deals, I don't want anymore deaths. I want to leave all that behind. To be a normal boring person." Kei looked at his father with sadness, "Don't make me do this."

"Dear maybe we should-" Koshi said but Daichi cut him off.

"I'm sorry son, but a normal life is just a dream. Let it go." He grabbed Koshi by his arm and pulled him up from the bed making Kei let go of Koshi's hands. "We will be having lunch with the twin foxes, the Nekoma and Aoba Johsai family today. Go shower and get ready."
"I refuse to attend." Kei glared as he got up, "I'm leaving this family and you will never see me again."

"Kei." Koshi wanted to go to him but Daichi held on to Koshi's arm firmly.

"Is that so? And where would you go? You have no money, no job, and no home to go to." Daichi looked at him.

"The whole point of you not seeing me again is for you to not know where I am." Kei smirked.

"Oh let me guess, is it with that friend of yours? Oh what's his name again?" Daichi made a thinking face before he smirked, "That's right it's Tadashi Yamaguchi."

Kei's smirk fell before he grabbed his father's collar and glared, "How do you know that name?!"

"I've been keeping track of you. Did you actually think I would let you go off alone when I knew you wanted to live like a normal person? I've been tracking you since you started to go to school." Daichi said. "I always knew you wanted to be like your friend. Always going to his house. Always playing like a normal person. I'll just have to take care of that then."

Kei's eyes widen, "Don't you dare touch him! He has nothing to do with this!"

"You care so much for him, did you think you could just leave your family to be with him?" Daichi asked as he saw Kei starting to get angry.

"Better than being forced into a marriage that I don't want to be in." Kei growled out.

"Go on then. Go be with your friend. If you can get to him in time." Daichi smirked as Kei's eyes widened.

"What did you do?!" Kei yelled.

"Taking care of the only link you have to the normal world." Daichi said.

Kei gulped before he started to shake. He looked down, "Don't. Don't do anything to him. I'll do it. I'll marry the head of the Nekoma family."

"Kei." Koshi's heart broke seeing Kei so defeated.

"I'm glad you see it my way son." Daichi said.

"I want to hear you call your men off." Kei said.

"Don't you trust me?" Daichi said.

"No." Kei said not even looking at him.

Daichi sighed and took out his phone and called his men. "Come back home, we don't need to deal with him anymore." He then hung up the phone.

Kei instantly got his phone and called Tadashi. He heard Tadashi's ringtone in the hallway. Kei looked over in that direction in confusion. "Tadashi?"

"Ah I guess the game is over now. Tadashi come on out." Daichi said as Tadashi came in. He had green hair and green eyes with freckles.

"What's going on here?" Kei said as he ended the call.

"Hey Kei." Tadashi smiled and waved.

"You see Tadashi here works for the family. His grandfather is a friend of your grandfather Keishin. They do undercover work for us. I told you I kept track of you." Daichi said.

Kei stepped back. "You lied to me. All this time, I thought you were my friend!"

"I am your friend Kei, I was just also your bodyguard." Tadashi said.

"No. No! You lied to me! You were just following my father's orders!" Kei looked at him in disbelief.

"No you all can fuck off! I'm not doing this! I'm not doing this!" Kei held his head in pain.

"Kei calm down." Koshi said as he tried to go to him but Daichi didn't let him go.

"NO! GO TO HELL!" Kei yelled before Daichi went up to him and slapped him hard. Kei fell back onto his bed as Koshi gasped.

"You NEVER yell at your mother like that again! Do you understand?!" Daichi glared down at him.

Kei held his cheek as he glared back at his father, "And what are you going to do about it?"

"Okay enough." Koshi pulled on Daichi's arm. "Stop this. No one is going to budge here."

"Your son needs to learn his place." Daichi said.

"Let me talk to him. Please dear." Koshi nudged him to go.

Daichi sighed, "Fine. Tadashi let's go."

"Yes sir." Tadashi said not even glancing at the glaring Kei.

The two left as Koshi sighed. He sat next to Kei.

"Let me see your cheek." Koshi put his hand on his when Kei pushed his hand away.

"Leave me alone." Kei said.

"Kei, I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out this way." Koshi said.

"My entire life was a lie. I thought I had a friend I could trust but in the end, it was all a lie created by you and father." Kei glared at him.

"Kei…" Koshi hugged him. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry my baby."

"Then let me go mom. Let me run away. If you're truly sorry let me be free." Kei begged.

"I can't. As much as I want to I can't. The best I can do is let you get married to the head of the Nekoma family. He doesn't want you to help him run his family. He just wants an heir and someone to spend time with him when he takes time off. Which is something he rarely does. You can spend all your free time doing as you please." Koshi said. "Please Kei."

"Why, I don't get it?" Kei felt tears starting to fall. "Why let me have a taste of normality when all you were gonna do is take it from me?"

Koshi's heart broke as he saw his middle child start to cry. He started to regret all this. "I just wanted to make you happy. I know I wasn't the greatest mom but I saw that you really wanted to go to a normal school. I thought you would hate normal life but you fell in love with it," he sighed, "and that is my fault."

"Mom, please end me." Kei cried.

Koshi looked at him in shock. "W-What?"

"End me. I rather die than be forced into a marriage." Kei cried. "Mom please."

Koshi felt tears fall, he's only cried a few times in his life. When he was born, when his father forbade him to see Daichi, when he married his husband, when his children were born and now, when his son asked him to end his life. "I-i…." He couldn't form words. He didn't know what to do. He felt so helpless.

"Mom? Kei? Why are you guys crying?" They heard a voice say behind them. They turned to see Shoyo there.

"Oh it's nothing baby." Koshi quickly wiped his tears. "Go on and get ready for lunch. Your fiance and his family are coming to eat with us. As well as the twin foxes and the Nekoma family."

"Okay mom." Shoyo said.

"Fiancé? You accepted?" Kei looked surprised as he looked at Shoyo.

"Yup. He's weird but I think we'll get along." Shoyo smiled.

"Why? Shoyo you're nineteen!" Kei yelled.

Shoyo was a bit surprised.

"Because mom and dad said so. I get to be helpful!" Shoyo smiled.

"You don't even know him! How can you get married to someone you don't know?!" Kei asked.

"Well the twin foxes are going to take us out so we can get to know each other." Shoyo explained.

"But you're young. You have the whole world to explore." Kei was shocked before he hissed and held his head.

"Kei? Are you okay?" Shoyo asked.

"Shoyo can you get me the medicine in the kitchen. It's on a plate with food. Bring the plate as well." Koshi said as he rubbed Kei's head while Shoyo went to the kitchen.

"My head, it's killing me." Kei groaned.

"I know. I know, it will be over soon. Here lay down for a bit." Koshi said gently.

"No, let me be." Kei groaned more.

"Kei please." Koshi held him. "Please let me at least do this for you."

Kei sighed as he laid down and Koshi laid with him. Koshi held Kei close as he rubbed his head.

"This doesn't mean I forgive you." Kei said.

"I know. I know." Koshi held him tightly. "Promise me you will never tell me to kill you ever again. I could never end you Kei. You're my world. I would never forgive myself if you died."

Kei closed his eyes, "That marriage will be a prison for me. To be with a man I don't know. To be with a man I don't love. To lay in bed with a man I don't care for. To have sex with a man I don't love. To bear his child. It will destroy me."

"Then how about getting to know him." They heard Ittetsu's voice say. They turn to see Ittetsu holding the plate of food and medicine.

"I thought I sent Shoyo for that." Koshi said as he sat up.

"You did. I ran into him and he told me that he saw you two crying. So I sent him to get ready and I would deliver this." Ittetsu came in and put the food and medicine on the nightstand.

"Go away grandpa." Kei didn't even look at him.

"Listen to my proposal Kei. Get to know Tetsuro. He's a nice man, he'll prove that to you. And if you truly don't like him and don't want to go through with the engagement then I'll pay for you to go live your normal life." Ittetsu said.

Koshi and Kei were shocked as they looked at Ittetsu.

"I don't believe you." Kei said as he was wary.

"I'm not lying, Kei. I personally will hold responsibility for you. If you truly don't want to be with Tetsuro after you get to know him then I'll pay for your new normal life. You won't ever have to worry about our family business again." Ittetsu said. "But you have to give him a real chance."

"What's the catch?" Kei asked.

"He'll be coming early today to talk to you. Accept his proposal with the condition that you have to get to know each other before marriage. If you decide he's good enough then you'll marry him and if not you will not marry him." Ittetsu explained.

"And you think he'll just agree?" Kei asked.

"I do." Ittetsu said confidently.

"It's a risky move dad. Daichi won't be happy about it." Koshi said.

"It's not his call. It's mine." Ittetsu said.

"Why? Last night you said you didn't want to hear it about it anymore." Kei said.

"I don't want you to die Kei. I do love you after all." Ittetsu said as he held his hand, "So please, accept this offer."

Kei sighed, 'Give him the chance and I can be free. Dad would never go against grandpa. This is the only way out.' "Okay."

Koshi looked at him, "Really?"

"I will accept your deal grandpa." Kei said.

Ittetsu smiled, "I'm glad."

Koshi hugged Kei, "Thank you. Thank you." He kissed his cheek.

"But if I don't like him I'm ending it right then and there." Kei said.

"Alright. Now eat your food then medicine." Ittetsu smiled.

Kei sat up as Koshi gave him the plate.

"Can you two leave me alone for a while?" Kei asked as he ate.

"Maybe we should be with you Kei." Koshi said.

"I'm going to nap after this. Then I'll get ready." Kei said.

"Alright. Come Koshi." Ittetsu said.

Koshi nodded and kissed Kei's head. "I do love you Kei."

Kei stayed quiet for a bit, "I love you too mom."

Koshi smiled as he and his father left.

Kei sighed as he ate his food. "Just pretend to give him a chance. Give him like a few weeks and then you'll tell grandpa you don't want to continue and he'll help you live a normal life. That's what's best."

Afternoon

Kei got out of the shower as he wrapped a towel over himself. He sighed as he got out of the bathroom and was about to go to his closet when he saw Tetsuro, who was wearing a casual suit, sitting on his bed. Kei blinked before he slightly screamed.

"What are you doing in here?!" He tried to cover himself up.

Tetsuro chuckled, "Your father told me you were in here."

"You must have heard me in the shower though, meaning you should like you know leave." Kei said.

"I'll wait." Tetsuro smiled, "I don't mind waiting."

"Out of my room." Kei glared.

"Aw come on Kei I promise not to look see." Tetsuro closed his eyes.

"You're such a pervert." Kei said as he went to his closet.

"Ah ah ah I have my eyes closed. Besides all I saw was your chest and I think that's pretty even since you saw mine last night." Tetsuro chuckled.

"I didn't want to see your chest. You took your shirt off right in front of me. I am in my room which I thought I was alone in. You are the perv." Kei said as he grabbed his clothes and walked to the bathroom again.

"Come on Kei don't be like that." Tetsuro smiled as he opened his eyes.

"When I come out you better be gone." Kei said as he closed the door. Kei sighed as he started to change. 'Can I even last without murdering him beforehand?' He wore some casual pants and a button up red shirt. Soon he came out only to see Tetsuro still there sitting on his bed. "I thought I said to get out." Kei glared.

"I just want to talk Kei." Tetsuro said.

"About?" Kei asked though he had a feeling he already knew what.

"About my proposal. I want to know if you gave it more thought?" Tetsuro asked.

"The one about marrying you?" Kei asked.

"Yes that one." Tetsuro chuckled.

'Come on Kei, this is your only way to be free. You can do this.' "I have given it thought." Kei went up to him. "And I made a choice."

"Oh really?" Tetsuro looked at him with amusement.

"I'll be your fiance for now." Kei said which made Tetsuro raise his eyebrows a bit.

"But?" Tetsuro looked at him now will all seriousness.

"But you will have to convince me you're worthy of marrying me." Kei said confidently. 'That is not what I meant to say! What the hell?!'

Tetsuro smirked as he got up, "Oh yeah?" He got close to him, "Shouldn't it be you that has to prove if you're worthy for me? Since your family wants the alliance."

"You are the one who made the request to find you a wife and you are the one who proposed to me. Thus you are the one who needs to prove that you're worthy of me." Kei said not backing down.

"I'm liking you more and more. You're showing me new sides of you today, Kei." Tetsuro rubbed his cheek as Kei stayed still. "Let's say I accept this deal, what would I need to do?"

"Now if I told you what you had to do that's cheating. You need to put in the work." Kei smirked, "Of course you can always back down if it's too hard for you."

"So all I have to do is prove myself to you and then you will marry me? Sounds like a fun task. Now let's so for some miracle I don't win you over?" Tetsuro asked.

"I will break off the engagement with you. It will be up to you and my parent's if you want to keep the alliance but I will be off the table. Of course to avoid all this we can just help you find another suitor." Kei offered.

Tetsuro thought for a minute before he wrapped his arm around Kei and pulled him close. He moved his free hand to Kei's face and rubbed his cheek, "I'll accept the deal. I will win you over little crow."

"Let's see if you can, stray cat." Kei smirked.

"I know a way we can celebrate." Tetsuro smirked as he leaned in but Kei put his hand in between them.

"Ah ah ah you are not ready for kisses." Kei said.

Tetsuro smirked and licked his hand, "I mean you are my fiancé. So I think it's fine."

"I just became your fiancé. I know nothing about you." Kei said as he wiped his hand on Tetsuro's shirt.

"I'm the oldest of the Nekoma family. I have two younger siblings, Morisuke and Kenma. Morisuke is engaged to Lev. You met him before. The tall bodyguard." Tetsuro said.

"The one who chased me?" Kei asked.

"Yes that one." Tetsuro chuckled. "I've been the leader of the Nekoma family since I was about 18. I'm pretty good with a gun." He moved his hand down Kei's back. "And I'm told I have amazing fingers."

"Okay get off perv." Kei tried to push him away.

"Aww baby don't be like that." Tetsuro chuckled. "We're getting to know each other."

"Keep your hand out of my back." Kei glared.

"Yes sir." He moved his hand to his butt and squeezed, making Kei gasp as jump a bit. "What a cutie."

"Pervert, get your hand off my butt!" Kei tried to move Tetsuro's hand away but he just picked Kei up making Kei gasp. "What are you doing?!"

"Picking you up. You do look really cute." Tetsuro smiled.

"Let me go! This is not a place for that!" Kei blushed deeply.

"Don't worry we're alone here." Tetsuro chuckled.

"Kei Tetsuro the other family has-oh I see you two are busy. Take your time." Koshi said as he had come in.

"What? No no no that's not what's happening here. Tetsuro let me go." Kei said.

"Aww yes sweetheart." Tetsuro put him down but kept an arm around him.

"Well I'm glad you two are getting along." Koshi smiled.

"Yes, Kei was actually telling me that he accepts our engagement." Tetsuro smiled.

"That's great news!" Koshi smiled. "Come along let's go inform your father Kei."

"R-right. Tetsuro let go." Kei nudged him.

"Fiancé's do this you know." Tetsuro smirked as Kei groaned in annoyance.

'This is going to be a long day.' Kei sighed as they walked to the living room where his family was.