And here we go.

read, review, enjoy

Disclaimer: I do not own Sekirei; if I did, the situation with certain characters would've turned out very differently and we'd have more than two seasons of the anime. It belongs solely to Sakurako Gokurakuin.

Something stirred at the edge of his consciousness, drawing him back from the edge. It wasn't the warmth of the sun or the glaring light that was starting to hammer the surface of his eyes.

No, it was the poking sensation that wouldn't – go – away.

"Is he awake?"

"His eyes are still closed; asleep then."

"Should we really be doing this? Nishi will get mad at us."

"Oh lighten up will ya?! Like he's going to grill us for messing with this doofus."

"But-"

Alright, screw it. They weren't getting the hint.

Popping his eyes open, he found three pairs of eyes staring at him – one gray, one blue and one green. They all blinked at him just as he blinked back.

"Well? Can I help you three?"

"KYAAAAA!"

"GAH!"

Their shrill shrieks pierced his ears like a gunshot going off, making him grapple his head in pain.

But before he could even attempt to figure out who these girls were, where he was and what he was doing here, the sound of a door slamming open demanded his attention.

"KUJIKA, KUZURI, SHIJIME! ARE YOU THREE OK?!" came a bellowing voice, sending a chill down Tamotsu's spine as the figure stormed into view.

A gruff, rough-looking man in a biker getup stood there in the threshold, glaring murder at him.

"Uh…hi?"

The man let out a snort, storming forward and grabbing him off the bed with one hand, lifting up to his face. "You little punk! I let into my home and the first thing you decide to do is mess with my lovelies?!"

Tamotsu just stared; eyes wide with mounting fear as their stranger screamed in his face. He didn't know what the hell was going on but he had to say something, or else his face was going to be caved in by this guy.

That is, until couple of voices made themselves known.

"Master no! He didn't do anything!"

"Yeah, Kuzuri was the one who woke him up!"

"Shijime doesn't want this Nishi!"

'Master?' Tamotsu thought, bewildered.

Suddenly, he found himself dropped back onto the bed as the man turned around and clutched the girls to him.

"Oh thank goodness! I was so scared something happened to you guys when you screamed! You're sure you're ok right? Nothing messed with?"

"Mhm! Shijime is fine!"

"Yeah we're all good. We just got a little freaked out is all."

"Because Kuzuri wanted to wake him up."

Tamotsu didn't know what to make of the scene playing out before him. On one hand he thought he was still dreaming and on the other he wondered if he ended up in version of Hell.

If it is, then at least the pain was – nope. Still there.

Flopping back on the bed, he let out a groan as his body kindly reminded him he was in no condition to be active right now. As he laid there moaning in pain, a shadow fell over him and he found the biker staring down at him with a stony face. "Please, if you're going to kill me, at least start with my head – end it quick if nothing else."

The biker said nothing, only reaching behind him…and pulling out a bag of chips.

"…eh?"

"Peace offering." He shoved the bag to him and took a seat on the floor, opening his own bag of chips to start scarfing down.

Tamotsu blinked a few times, staring down at the bag he'd been given – it wasn't even the kind he liked, either – and tried opening it, only to remember he still had a busted shoulder. "…look, not to be rude or anything but maybe you can tell me how I'm even here talking to you right now errr…"

"Call me Sanada," the biker grunted, tossing some chips into his mouth seemingly unaware of the collection of faces that were clinging to his shoulders. "And I was hoping you could tell me that bit, kid. Considering the way we found you, you must have one helluva story."

"…eh?"

"Eh?"

The two stared at one another, at a loss.

"If you're asking me about what happened last night, I don't follow," Tamotsu admitted, rubbing his scalp.

Sanada eyed him stoically, studying him for a moment before he gave a sigh. "Fine, then I'll give you my bit. Hopefully that'll help fill in the blanks for ya."

"Uzume-tan…Uzume-tan, your food's getting cold!"

"Wah? Oh, gomen Matsu-chan," the brunette replied quietly.

The two other women gathered around the table exchanged concerned glances before turning back to her.

"Uzume-chan, is something on your mind? It's not like you to be so deep in thought," Miya remarked, a hand to her cheek.

Uzume tried her best to smile, but it was half-hearted at best. The dark circles under her eyes spoke volumes. "I'll be fine once the day gets going, Miya, don't worry."

"Maybe you should head back to bed; I don't think Miya-tan will mind," Matsu said, eyes filled with worry.

Normally she might leap at the chance to grab some more ZZs, but Uzume just shook her head and began quietly eating.

But this only made Miya and Matsu's worries deepen.

Th china-dress clad girl reached over and patted her friend's shoulder, "Don't push yourself too hard, ok?"

Uzume nodded, offering a more genuine smile that seemed to placate her friend– at least for now.

None of them could ever know what was really going on in the brunette's mind.

Tamotsu... The sight of his broken…bloody body still made her shudder with equal parts horror and rage.

It only brought a grim sort of satisfaction that she was able to visit even a fraction of it upon those bastards, especially that sleazeball Kei.

'Should've broken more than his arm,' she mused darkly unaware of the worried looks her house-mates were giving her.

"Miya-tan, this isn't normal for her," Matsu whispered to the landlady.

Miya nodded. "I surmised as much. However, Uzume-chan has always been a very private girl…even if said privacy never seems to match her indecent morning habits…"

"Miya-tan…your mask is showing," Matu uttered fearfully as that damned Han'nya mask floated over Miya's shoulder.

"Oh dear, is it that obvious?" Miya giggled as the mask faded away.

Somehow that unnerved Matsu more than anything.

The clatter of chopsticks alerted the two back to Uzume who had finished her plate and picking it up to deposit in the sink. "I'm gonna grab some fresh air for bit," she muttered after giving it a wash, heading for the door. She didn't even give the last member of Izumo Inn a glance as she blew by, heading out into the city.

Kagari raised his eyebrows and turned back to the others, "What's her deal?"

For all her knowledge and expertise, when it came matters of the heart, Matsu could only shrug.

"…so let me get this straight. You were riding around last night with those three," Tamotsu began, eyeing the three girls who were hanging off Sanada like they were glued. Save for the white-haired one, who he'd figured was named Shijime, the other two similarly dressed girls all stuck their tongues out at him. "…when you came across me and what was left of Kei's gang? And you decided to take me back to your place to let me recover?"

Sanada bit down on another chip, chewing as he answered, "Yup, pretty much."

Tamotsu paused, eyeing the man skeptically before braving the question. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why-!" Tamotsu bit his tongue quickly, giving a sigh. "Look, I don't mean to sound ungrateful-"

"A little late for that," one of the bikini-clad girls, likely Kuzuri scoffed.

"-but why would you go out of your way to help a stranger like that? You don't know me, Sanada-san."

Sanada leaned in close to him, almost making him fall back onto the bed as he said clearly and succinctly:

"I don't leave people to die, kid. Got it?"

Tamotsu felt all his objections get jettisoned at that statement. There wasn't much else he could say to that. Though that did beg the question… "If that's the case, why am I still here? No offense, but you don't seem like the guy who knows much about tending to people."

The girls glared at him for some reason, but Sanada didn't seem offended. If anything, he seemed bit melancholy.

"You'd be right about that…if things hadn't changed," the biker muttered, but didn't elaborate further. He made to take another bite of his chips but found none even when he tipped the bag over. "And as for why you're still around, your guess is as good as mine. All I did was wrap up the cuts and treat the scrapes."

"After he spit on them!" Shijime chimed in helpfully with an innocent smile.

Tamotsu made a face of disgust, staring in shock at Sanada who didn't look the slightest bit repentant. "You…spit on my cuts?"

Sanada's eyes flashed, offended. "Hey, it worked for my old man when I got hurt and I was right as rain! You should be just fine too, kid. You're moving, ain't ya?"

Much as he wanted to, the boy couldn't deny that fact although there was one thing that hadn't been fixed.

"Something wrong with my peace offering, kid?" Sanada seemed to growl at him.

"I can't open the bag with my shoulder the way it is. One of those b-," he paused, noting the virgin ears still present and corrected himself, "bullies hit my arm with a pip and messed it up."

"Hmmm," Sanada hummed, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Well then, let's fix that. Dislocated I'm guessing?"

"It's not in the right spot anymore, so I guess," Tamotsu replied, shrugging his good shoulder.

Sanada stood up, and Tamotsu was once more in awe of just how big the guy was. He was almost as tall as the ceiling! He grabbed Tamotsu' arm roughly and pulled it out straight, holding it there. Nothing else happened though.

"W-what's wrong?" Tamotsu asked, trying hard not sweat.

"You're not from around here, I take it. Where ya from?"

Tamotsu blinked. "Does that really matter right now?"

"Do you want your shoulder back?"

"What, I'm being held hostage now?"

"Just answer the damned question, kid!" Sanada snapped.

"Ok, ok! I'm from Hikone."

"Never heard of it," Sanada grunted, his eyes off of him.

Tamotsu sighed. "Not a lot of people have. It's pretty secluded, and the only thing we've got to our name is a large lake and an old cas-

POP!

"-SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTT!"

Sanada stepped back, dusting his hands with a wide smile on his face. "There we go! Good as new!"

Tamotsu fell back onto the bed, whimpering from the excruciating pain he'd just been put through. "A little…warning would've been nice!" he shouted, groaning a bit afterwards.

"If I'd done that, you would've tensed up and made it much worse," Sanada explained, as his girls fawned over him.

Tamotsu groaned, rolling over onto his good side and being careful not to aggravate he reset shoulder, staring at the man in disbelief, "So let me get this straight… you know how to relocate somebody's shoulder, but spit on others' cuts to disinfect them?!"

Sanada, once again, just shrugged with a grin, "It worked, didn't it?"

Tamotsu fell back to the bed and let his eyes close.

This…this is the man I owe my life to. Seriously, why me? When did I piss off Kami-sama to deserve this?

'Tough little bastard. He handled it better than most. Others would've been bawling their eyes out over this.'

'Then again,' Sanada thought, 'this kid still has got some explaining to do.'

"So, now do you feel like sharing what happened?"

He watched as the kid gingerly touched his shoulder, moving it experimentally a few times before he answered.

"Two things; one, stop calling me kid. I've got name – its Tamotsu. And second, I don't know what you want me to say."

Sanada snorted, "Well, kid," he stressed the name that had become more or less a title by this point, "I want you to tell me why I found you one foot in the grave with five other lowlifes strung around you. What happened, did you forget you owed some money to the yakuza?"

Tamotsu scoffed, "More like a few guys didn't like getting shown up by a kid like me."

Sanada's eyebrows rose slightly, taking a seat on the floor again with Shijime, Kujika and Kuzuri still hanging off him. He could feel their bond between Ashikabi and Sekirei that they were on edge around the kid but it wasn't just distrust. It was something else. Maybe he'd ask them later when the kid was out of ear-shot.

"So what happened?"

The story he got wasn't all that interesting really, but it did explain a bit more about how this kid had made it. He gave the kid brownie points for stepping in to save a pretty lady – he'd have done the same thing, Sekirei or no. Any more talk of her fell to the wayside but Sanada wasn't going to press. It seemed painful to him and if there's one thing Sanada Nishi wasn't, it was a busybody.

What did surprise him however was the fact that he'd managed to piss off an old rival of his – Kei, and his retard of a cohort Yuji. Those two were bad news and it took a bit for Sanada to finally kick them out of what had become his turf. The last time they tried to muscle in, he made sure to…discourage them.

He still shuddered as he thought of what had happened to most of the man's crew.

Kei must've wanted him real bad to risk coming back, Sanada mused. 'He was lucky the others weren't around. It would've been a bloodbath.'

"Gotta say kid, you're damned lucky to be among the living still. Not many people survive a run-in with Kei, let alone two. The guy's a hair trigger with an ego the size of Jupiter and doesn't take kindly to being snubbed."

Tamotsu just shrugged, "If they hadn't had busted my shoulder, it would've turned out differently," the kid remarked, almost casually.

It wasn't arrogance, but a simple statement of fact.

Sanada smirked. Kid had some balls alright. "Anything else?"

Tamotsu made to say something but held back, which drew some suspicion from Sanada though he wasn't going to call him on it. The kid had been through enough.

"Well, what do ya wanna do now?"

Tamotsu started to fiddle around in the pockets of his pants, "You wouldn't happen to have a charger, would you? I need to charge my…" Trailing off, he gave a sigh afterwards, "...guess not. You wouldn't happen to have a phone I could use? I need to call my folks and tell them I'm alive."

Sanada nodded, turning to Kujika, "Get my ringer, would ya?"

Kujika saluted like a good soldier, "Hai!"

"So after you get in touch with your folks, then what?"

Tamotsu took the offered phone from the Sekirei, but froze as he opened it up. "I…I don't know. They took everything – my phone, my wallet – I've got nothing. Couldn't even go buy food if I wanted to, let alone find a place to stay."

Closing his eyes, Sanada nodded sagely knowing that feeling all too well. He'd been on the streets a few years back as well and it had taught him some hard lessons. "I get ya."

"Guess I'll have to figure something out. Thanks for saving me, Sanada-san. I'll get out of your hair soon."

Sanada's eyes opened and fixed Tamotsu with a sharp look, unnerving the kid.

"W-what?"

Sanada stared, gauging the kid for a moment. From everything he'd heard – everything he'd seen – the kid had been through a lot and letting him go back out there might just be the last time he saw the kid. Sanada was a lot of things – a truant, a rebel, and heartbreaker – but he wasn't no murderer.

And letting this kid go back out there - with Kei likely on the loose and on the warpath - would be the closest he'd ever get to it.

"Yeah, put a pin on that thought," Sanada told him, stunning the kid.

"Eh?"

"Did I stutter?" Sanada rumbled, looming over the kid. "Or you just gonna eat my food and then ghost?"

"B-but I don't want to intrude-!"

"You ain't intruding if I'm letting you crash here. And I ain't just gonna let you live here for free neither. This place is a dump-"

"Only because you never bother to clean it," Kuzuri mumbled.

"-and if you're gonna be staying here, you're gonna help clean it – got it?"

"But, my arm-!"

"I ain't having you lift furniture and shit, so calm your tits," Sanada snorted, ignoring Kujika's indignant squawk. "And these three will be helping you out."

His lovelies immediately turned on him with a mixture of shocked and outraged expressions.

All except Shijime who threw her sleeves up with a cheer, "Yay, cleaning Nishi's house!"

Kujika and Kuzuri stared at their fellow Sekirei with surprise before giving a sigh, "Fine, we'll help," they said in stereo before turning gloved fingers on Tamotsu, "you better be grateful, freeloader!"

Sanada didn't miss how Tamotsu's eye twitched slightly but he managed to give a respectful bow to the twins, "I'm in your care," he uttered instead.

It took Sanada all he had not to laugh at the gobsmacked looks on his lovelies' faces.

"Right then, first thing's first – let's get some grub…after you take a shower," the biker said, leaning away from Tamotsu as the kid smelled himself. He reeked.

"Y-yeah, good idea."

As the kid got up to head into the shower, he turned to his three Sekirei and gave them a stern look. "Alright you three, spill it. You're normally not so on edge around other guys."

Aside from Shijime who looked somewhat clueless – bless her – Kujika and Kuzuri folded their arms and shot looks to the side.

"He's like you."

Sanada's eyebrows shot into his hairline at that, "Like…you mean, an Ashikabi?" At the twins' nod, he cursed under his breath. "Shit. That makes things tricky. Might explain how the hell he's still around though. That Sekirei you felt last night – you think it was one of his?"

But Kujika shook her head, "No, she wasn't winged. But she was strong."

Sanada swallowed a bit, venturing a guess, "A single digit...?"

Kuzuri started worrying her thumbnail a bit, "No, but she was close. And she beat feet before we even got there."

Sanada frowned, cupping his chin in thought. Some things weren't adding up. First Kei goes after the kid, and then this unnamed Sekirei shows up? That might explain why there were signs of a Sekirei fight since there were craters and the like humans couldn't cause easily. He didn't doubt the kid when he said he fought them – Sanada had learned to weed out liars over the years, and the kid wasn't one of them.

So, the question was: why was there a Sekirei there to begin with, and more importantly, why did she get involved?

A tugging on his vest brought him back to reality, finding Shijime smiling at him. "Don't worry, Nishi!"

Such a simple line, and yet coming from Shijime he knew she was right. The little one had been his first Sekirei and she'd picked up on his moods much easier than the other two. If he didn't already know what his Sekirei's abilities were, he might've concluded she was an empath too.

Leaning in, he kissed the little girl on her lips which caused her light gray wings to bloom forth as she leaned into him.

Two pairs of hands yanking him back reminded him of the other two, who were already clamoring for a kiss too.

"No playing favorites Master!"

"Yeah, lay it on us too!"

Sanada sighed, submitting himself to the barrage of kisses from the two. Really, all he wanted was to live a carefree life and just cruise the town. Instead, now he was entangled with three little girls who had become everything to him in such a short time. His dream was still there, of course; he just had to make some modifications is all.

Life wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either – not if he had to spend the rest of his days with them.

That crackpot's words came back to haunt him, and he could already feel a migraine from the memory.

All the more reason for that plan thing he talked about to get started, he thought.

He just hoped that the kid wouldn't end up becoming a rival he'd have to put down when the time came.

Shutting the faucet, Tamotsu took a look at himself in the mirror and sighed.

'I look like shit. It's no wonder they got frightened by me before.'

Idly, he wondered just who those three were to be so close to Sanada but quickly shook it off. It was none of his business and it wasn't right for him to start suspecting his savior.

Besides, there was something even more daunting he had to deal with before going forward.

The phone one of the bikini twins gave him sat on the lip of the sink, like a grenade that still had the pin in it. Sooner or later, he would have to pull it.

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the phone and punched in the number for his grandmother, hoping she wouldn't be too cross with him.

He snorted.

'Yeah, right. She is going to be so pissed…'

Pulling the pin, he held the phone to his ear and waited.

"… … … Moshi Moshi."

Gods, she sounded exhausted. This already wasn't spelling well for him. "Oba-san...?"

"…Tamo-kun? Is that you?"

"H-hai."

Silence.

Tamotsu knew it was going to happen; it had happened a dozen times before and this one would be no different. Even still, the sheer volume of her voice still managed to blow out his eardrum.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN YOU BRAT?! I've been calling you since yesterday and only just set my phone down! Did you lose your phone there, too?!"

Tamotsu smiled bitterly at that, "Y-yeah, actually."

"AND- Wait, what?"

Tamotsu sighed, "It's been a crazy day, Oba-san. I'm glad I can talk to you again."

His grandmother was quick to pick up on his tone, "Tamo-kun, slow down. What happened? You're giving me a fright."

"Oba-san, I'm fine. Someone was looking out for me so don't worry."

An unladylike snort echoed through the line. "Boya, you're all I worry about. It's a full-time job in fact, even if I'm retired."

Tamotsu rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless, "Gee, thanks."

"But what happened? You lost your phone? How'd that happen?"

"Ah, funny story actually! I had my phone out trying to find my way around and somebody bumped into me. It knocked the phone out of my hand and into a storm drain."

"…Boya, I bought you that thing only a few months ago. You're telling me you lost it already?!"

"Sorry, Oba-san," he said sheepishly.

She sighed heavily over the line, but she was sounding calmer now. "The next one you get is going to be your own problem. You're a young man now and need to start relying on yourself instead of others. Perhaps this little stint of yours will be good for you."

If only she knew…

"Maybe you're right. Besides, I've been wanting to get away from home. You nag too much."

"Excuse me, brat. I nag you perfectly enough, thank you!"

"Sure you do, old hag," Tamotsu returned with a smirk.

"Hmph. Tamo-kun. Well you sound fine if nothing else so I'll let you go. But you had better call me tomorrow on your new phone, you hear!"

"Hai, hai."

"I'll be expecting it, so don't disappoint this oba-chan got it?!"

"I won't. Ja ne."

The call ended, and Tamotsu slumped against the sink clutching the phone tightly in his hand. "I'm sorry Oba-san. But if I told you what was really happening, you'd just worry more. And you've already done enough on that measure for me."

The only thing he could do now was fake it until he made it, and come hell or high water, he would make this place a home – somehow.

What mattered now was figuring out how the hell he would survive the next 24 hours.

Once more I'd like to stress that I'm winging all of this, so please bear with me if some characters seem OOC or anything. I'm basing a lot of this stuff off the things that were left up in the air, such as Shijime being Sanada's first Sekirei. If I'm wrong, somebody please point it out.

I know next to nothing about just how bad a dislocated shoulder is, but hopefully I didn't mangle the procedure. I like to be accurate about these types of things.

And so we have the morning - afternoon? - after, and Tamotsu meets Sanada. I'm still not quite sure how things will progress going forward with him but for the time being, Tamotsu will be stuck with him until he recovers.

And as for Uzume, she's going to get sidelined for a bit until I can get to Mitsuha, which should be coming up sooner than you'll think. And she's going to be fun to write.

Till then,

Take care.