The sound of the falling monsoon outside his bedroom could not drown out the feeling of shame welling in his heart. How could his mother be so shameful! The man was a peasant! Both him and his son were unworthy to share the same house as an Ichijouji. His mother must have been put under a spell of some sort!! In love! HA!! His mother was blinded by a curse of some sort! That had to be it! There is no such thing as love...

Ichijouji Ken, the first born of his family, turned over on his stomach and pouted at his reflection across the room from him.

"I will not let them ruin our family name! I cannot stop my mother from remarrying, but I can make sure that this place will be hell for them." Ken growled softly as he pulled the bed curtains closed, hiding his form from the room. He would not let them...

///

Motomiya Daisuke stared at his new home, chocolate brown eyes widening. This was where they would be living from now on?! The Ichijouji home was far grander than anything he had ever lived in before. Reaching out to take the long sleeve of his neesan's Kimono, Daisuke pressed his head to her side. He was scared that they wouldn't like him. His red hair always seemed to upset people for some reason. That was why his sister colored hers with some strange mixture she made to make it look dark. Daisuke looked up at his neesan, her head held high as she marched behind father. She looked so beautiful and proud. Daisuke felt his heart swell with happiness, and, copying his neesan, Daisuke drew himself up to his full height and marched proudly next to her.

Jun looked over at her brother out of the corner of her eye, smiling softly. As much as he tried to look brave and proud, she could see he was still scared of what was to come. He was trying to imitate her and their father, but his dirty little fingers still held on the sleeve of her pink sakura kimono. Jun stopped moving for one moment, turned to her little brother, and wrapped him into her sweet smelling arms. Placing her red lips close to his ear, she whispered, "Do not be afraid. Hold your head high for me." Daisuke buried his face into her shoulder, clutching the silky pink folds tightly. He was slightly ashamed of clutching onto his neesan like this, like a baby, when he was of thirteen years... but she was so warm... and she would never laugh at him. So he held on for dear life, letting his insecurities show. Jun pressed a warm, wet kiss to his forehead as she straightened herself and started walking after their father once again.

Daisuke wiped the wet kiss off of his forehead, glaring at the back of his neesan's head. He hated when she did that!! Smiling broadly, Daisuke scampered after his family, threading through the crowded street towards the open door of his new home. He would show them how worthy he was! He would never let his neesan have any reason to hide her face in shame.

///

Ken glared at the spiky haired boy across from him. The boy spoke brashly, always out of turn, but Ichijouji-san, his mother, smiled and laughed until she couldn't breath at some of the rude things that fell from Daisuke's lips. Ken didn't like him one bit. His mother may have been blinded by this false charm, but Ken would not be! He would show his mother her mistake before she married that wretched man!

While in his own thoughts, Ken did not hear his mother bid them goodnight, or offer Daisuke a place in Ken's room until one could be made suitable for him. What brought him out of his thoughts was Daisuke. Ken froze as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Blinking, Ken looked up to see Daisuke standing next to him.

"Ken-san? While you were in another world, your mother told me that I would be sharing your room until mine can be set up. I hope you don't mind toi much." Daisuke smiled, a warm, sweet smile that made Ken's cheeks flush with color. Snapping out of it, Ken glared at the boy in front of him, nodding curtly.

"Fine. Come with me then."

Daisuke blinked, taken back by the impatient tone of Ken's voice. Shrugging his shoulders, Daisuke stood up and followed Ken down the halls and past the closed doors of other rooms. Daisuke cleared his throat, hoping to start some form of friendship with the pale, ice-eyed boy.

"Ken-san? Where will I be sleeping? Not in your bed, I hope."

Ken sneered over his shoulder, flipping his hair arrogantly out of his eyes.

"Don't be stupid. Someone will have brought a futon for you to sleep on." Ken slid open the heavy wooden door to his room, and, glaring at Daisuke, slipped off his house slippers and walked inside. Daisuke imitated him, following the shorter boy into his room.

"Ken-san?" Daisuke asked, looking around the room. Where had that little brat gone? Padding over to the large bed under the graceful sweep of heavy translucent curtains and grinning, Daisuke looked around the room in almost awe. Almost. He would like the nicely furnished room more, if the boy who lived here were not such an ass.

"What are you doing on my bed?!" Ken snapped as he flung a large tee shirt and a pair of loose trousers at Daisuke. Daisuke blinked down at the clothing, looking back up at Ken in confusion.

"What..."

Ken rolled his eyes as he pointed to a futon that had been made up at the other end of his room. Daisuke blinked for a few moments before he realized what Ken was saying. Growling softly, Daisuke got up from the bed and made his way over to the hard futon.

He liked Ichijouji Ken-san less and less every second.

///

Thunder clapped darkly in the sky above the house, startling Ken awake. No... That was not what had woken him up. Someone was climbing into bed with him... Ken kicked out, his foot connecting with someone. Ken glared at the now slumped over figure, mouth pressed into a firm line. Motomiya-san. Ken's lips curled up into a sneer as he pulled his blankets closer to his body.

"Who do you think you are, climbing into my bed in the middle of the night?"

Daisuke looked up sheepishly, brown eyes glowing under the unruly fringe of his red hair. Plopping back down on his ass, Daisuke rubbed at his shoulder, glaring at the other boy.

"I was cold, and I don't like thunder. I would have gone to my neesan's room, but I have no idea where she is. So unless you want me to tell your mother about how rude you were after she left, you better shove over and let me stay until the storm passes."

Ken paused, a curious glint in his eyes. No one had ever spoken so frankly to him before. He was use to people putting up a brave face, trying to impress him with their courage. This boy however wouldn't do that, he told the truth fearlessly and without a thought to how much of a child he was acting like now.

Grumbling in response to the threat about his mother, Ken turned to face the wall.

"Fine. Do as you please." The threat about his mother was no chip off of his shoulder. He could care less if his mother thought him to be rude. Then why let the Motomiya sleep in your bed, because he is afraid? If you hate him so much, mock him and push him from your bed!! Ken moaned softly, pressing his face into the warmth of his sheets. He didn't want to think about what the voice in his head was implying. He was allowed to show some kindness every once and awhile! Even the greatest rulers showed compassion to those weaker then themselves.

It means nothing. Nothing...

Lyra-chan rants

*Grins* I told myself i wasn't going to write any more fics until I had finished all the others, but here I am posting something new. *Sweatdrops* This is another AU fanfiction, as you have most likely guessed, set around the time Edo period (1603-1867) but I am mostly just bullshiting my way threw the customs, seeing as I have very little knowledge of it. I hope I haven't done anything to wrong, but if I have, no big deal!! ^_^ This fic is just for fun!!