I don't own Kizuna, but I wish I did!!! All these characters are the property of Kazuma Kadoka. Don't sue me, I have no money. Enjoy!!! ^_^

Isolation

Part 1

"AH!!! No!!! Stop!!!"
Sagano Kai came awake with his wails. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead as he gasped for air. His fists tightly clenched his sheets.
Slowly, he sat up, his heart pounding hard against the wall of his chest. Visions of the dream swarmed back to him and he covered his face.
"God...no. Why can't it stop?"
He thought he had gotten over it. The nightmares had stopped then, and he was back to normal...
Face it, he told himself. Even since you were raped, you weren't exactly yourself. Sure the nightmares stopped. But have you truly been the same Sagano Kai that you were before that?
The answer of course was no. Everyone had sympathy for him after the incident. The underlings, his tou-san...why should his tou-san give a shit about him? He never had any interest in Kai before it.
Kai himself couldn't stand the pity they had for him. He forced himself to go back to his regular attitude of being a rude asshole. Of course, no one ever bothered to ask him if he ever needed help.
"It's expected," he whispered softly, tracing circles into his sheets. "They don't care about me at all. All they see me is as 'Sagano's son'. None of them care. Not even Masa..."
No, he told himself. Masa DOES care. He cares more than any of those bastards you're surrounded by all the time. He cares more than tou-san ever would.
Kai knew that loved Masa, the man who raised him. And it wasn't parental love, either. Masa felt the same for him, but was denying himself those feelings. Then, on the trip to Kyoto, Kai finally got Masa to loosen up. But when they were finally getting somewhere, he had flashbacks of the rape and ruined everything.
He lay down and pressed his face into the pillow. Silent sobs shook him. He had insulted Masa by freaking out. To even think of such a horrid thing when with Masa was just...
"I'm sorry, Masa," he sobbed. "I'm sorry..."

"A-CHOO!!!!!!"
Araki Masanori rubbed his eyes as he stared up at the moon in the garden. The entire household was asleep, no doubt. He himself couldn't sleep.
I should check on Bon, he thought. He's probably asleep, but I have a feeling...
He went back inside the house, hearing its silence. He knew that Kai had been depressed for a long while. And he knew it was his fault.
So much has happened to him, thought Masa. Most of it is because of me. Because he's so important to me, and I don't know what I'd do if he died...
He came to Kai's door and slid it open. Kai was laying facedown on the futon. The covers were strewn around his waist and his face was pressed into the pillow. When Masa turned him onto his back, he saw tear stains on his cheeks.
He was crying...
He lifted Kai's head and turned the pillow over so his head wouldn't rest on the soaked side. He brought the covers to Kai's chin, trying not to disturb the boy.
Kai had been through a lot. But nothing could get rid of the innocence in his sleeping face. No matter what, his innocence and vulnerability showed when he was asleep.
Masa leaned down and kissed Kai's forehead. The boy stirred slightly, but that was it. Not wanting to disturb him, Masa took his leave.
Why was he crying? He wondered. What's plaguing him?

"Bon!!! Breakfast is ready!!!"
Kai groaned as he came awake. The rapping on his door wouldn't cease.
"Bon!!!"
"Just shut the hell up, Kyousuke!!!!" Kai yelled at the closed door.
"Are you raising your voice to me?! Get ready and come have breakfast!!"
Kai rolled his eyes as he got off his futon. Kyousuke was always too bossy.
"If you're not out in five minutes, you'll be in big trouble!!"
"What are you gonna do?!" yelled Kai as he pulled on a shirt. "Ground me?!"
"I just might do that!!"
"Just leave me alone, and go wake someone else up!!!"
Kai got dressed and headed for breakfast. He sat down as Kyousuke placed a plate in front of him.
"Where's Tou-san?" asked Kai, but somehow knowing the answer. "He's home, right?"
Kyousuke paused in his usual routine of shoveling food onto Kai's plate. "He worked late last night. It was decided that he would sleep in."
That's bullshit, thought Kai. Aloud, he said, "So the old fart can't get his lazy ass out of bed, huh?"
Kyousuke hit him on the head with a wooden spoon. "That's mean, Bon!!"
"OW!!!!!"

"Sir, must we eat in here?" asked Masa. "Why not with Bon?"
"He'll just complain about everything," said Sagano, as a plate was presented in front of him. "And he's the one I want to talk to you about."
"Is something wrong?" asked Masa, as a plate was placed in front of him.
"He seems to have gotten over Samejima-san."
Masa knew this very well. "Yes, sir. He has."
"Good!! Now we can get him concentrated on finding a girl!!!"
"What? But sir-"
"I can't have a gay son!! You know what kind of label that would put on me?!"
"But you had no complaints with Enjouji-san and Samejima-san."
"That's a different issue!!"
"How so? Enjouji-san is also your son."
"...Look, Masa. Have someone call up my friends with daughters. We can find a match through one of them!!"
Masa wanted to grab the man and shake him. He wanted to scream at him that ignoring his own son, and trying to make his life's decision weren't the right thing. But it wasn't his place, and he had questioned him enough. "I will right away, sir."
"That's the spirit!!! Any girl will do!!!"
"..."

Kai groaned in boredom as he bounced a ball on the ceiling. The sun was blazing with no clouds in the sky. But he didn't feel like jumping onto his motorcycle and driving all the way to Tokyo to bother Kei.
He's lucky, thought Kai. Tou-san, asking dumb question, trying to decide his life, trying to set him up with girls, doesn't hound Kei...
Not to mention Kei has Samejima-sempai, a part of him reminded him. You wanted him, but you couldn't have him. Life sucks, huh?
Kai sat up. Maybe a good ride on his motorcycle would clear his head.
But you do know what happened that last time you took a ride to clear your head, that voice said snidely. You got kidnapped and raped. Maybe this time you'll be cut up, and-
"SHUT UP!!!" he screamed aloud. He didn't want to think of it at all...
Suddenly, there was a tap at his door. "Um, Bon? You have a visitor."
Kai stood up and opened the door. An underling was kneeling there.
"Well, are you just gonna sit there?!" snapped Kai. "Get out of my way!!"
"Y-Yes, Bon!!" The underling got out of his way.
Kai walked down the hall to the front doors. A visitor? Hopefully not another girl that his tou-san arranged to meet.
But as he made his way to the front doors, his hopes sank. The underlings were crowded there, and Kai knew that a girl was there. The underlings were admiring her, but not shooing them away like previous girls had.
"You're back!!"
"You've grown so much!!!"
"Kirei!!"
"You guys just flatter me!!! I haven't changed all that much!!!"
Kai froze. That voice...
An underling turned around. "Oh, Bon!!"
The underlings turned and stepped aside. Kai could clearly see who it was.
"Oh my God!!!! Kai!!!!"
It was Kumi. She was dressed in a lavender tank top with a dark purple dress coat, and a short lavender skirt. Her blonde hair was tied in a tight braid, and she looked a lot older than the last time Kai saw her.
Having removed her high-heels, she ran to Kai and glomped him. Kai returned her hug, more than happy to see his childhood friend.
"It's so good to see you!!" cried Kumi. She leaned back and ruffled Kai's blonde hair. "You're a lot taller!!"
"You look different too," said Kai. He released her. "Well, come in."
"I'm way ahead of you." She followed him through the house towards his room. Kai had a feeling she had a lot to tell him.
Suddenly, someone bumped into Kai. Kai snapped his head up, ready to scream at whoever bumped into him.
Masa stood there. Kai immediately straightened.
"Bon," said Masa. "Pardon me."
"Nah, don't worry about it," said Kai. "So, has Tou-san eaten breakfast yet?"
"Um-"
"MASANORI-O-NII-CHAN!!!!!!!!" cried Kumi. She ran between them, and hugged Masa. "It's been too long!!!"
"Kumi-chan!!" said Masa. "You're back?"
"Well, just for vacation!!! I got back yesterday!!"
"That's-"
"Boss." This time, Kyousuke came up. "I'm sorry I-Kumi-chan?"
"Kyousuke-san!!!" Kumi hugged him. "Hi!!!"
"It's been over a year!! How are you?"
"I've been great!! College can be boring, though."
"So, have you gotten a boyfriend yet?"
"Nah, I'm at an all-girl college!! Boys hit on us, but they're junior high kids!! Well, some girls hit on me..."
"Um, that's nice...I think..."
Kai grabbed Kumi's hand. "Let's go."
"'Kay. Bye guys!!!"
They went into Kai's room. Masa had a feeling about something. A bunch of underlings had planted themselves outside Kai's door to eavesdrop.
Masa shooed them away, but that feeling wouldn't fade. He found himself sitting down outside the door.
"Boss?!" exclaimed Kyousuke.
"Shut up and sit down," hissed Masa. Kyousuke sat down beside him. They both peered into the small crack, hearing what they were saying.

"I thought Akita would be a great city to go to college," said Kumi. "But I'm so bored there!! I'm glad I'm visiting here, but it doesn't help!! It makes me wish I were back in high school with you. At least school was fun then."
"Yeah, I wish too," said Kai, staring out his window.
Kumi stood in front of him. "Something's wrong."
Kai glanced at her. "What?"
"You. You're not the same Kai I last saw. You're more distant, more melancholy..."
"...I guess."
Kumi sat down. "Well, I'm all ears."
"??"
"Don't give me that dumb look, Kai. I'm your best friend. Whatever you say, I won't say to anyone else."
Kai was silent for several minutes, but then he nodded. "Alright. I'll tell you. For a long while I was in love with...a person."
"Okay, who?"
"Just...someone. But they loved someone else. Someone I didn't like. For several months, I tried to come between them, tried to take the one I loved away. I was selfish.
"This...person I loved...they love the person I despised. And no matter what, they weren't about to leave that person. And..." Kai sighed sadly.
"What was his name?"
Kai's eyes widened in shock. Kumi didn't looked disgusted, but looked understanding.
"Samejima Ranmaru."
"...Your idol?"
"Yes. The one he's with...is my half-brother Enjouji Kei."
"You have a brother?"
"Yeah. My tou-san had an affair. Anyway, like I said, I couldn't have him. He didn't want me...and everything just seemed to crumble for me." Kai felt tears sting his eyes and it made him embarrassed. "I felt like no one could love me in such a way that Kei and Samejima-sempai love each other. Everyone seemed to be rejecting me, pushing me away."
"Kai..."
The tears spilled out and Kai covered his face angrily. "I was so lost because I was so rejected. I was hurting and hurting and hurting. And everyone kept hurting me more by pushing me away. For a while..." he raised his head, tears stained his cheeks. "I thought of dying."
Kumi leaned forward. "But what about Masanori-o-nii-chan?"
Kai wiped his face and smiled a little. "He helped me out. He's the family I wanted out of my tou-san. He...he's a really great guy."
Kumi smiled and stood. "You still love him."
Kai turned dark red. "What?!"
Kumi laughed softly as she walked around the room. "Kai, I've known you practically our entire lives. I know you too well."
"B-B-But-"
"Kai, you've loved him like that since you've known what love is. I've had my crush on him, but I knew it wouldn't last. I knew you loved him truly."
Kai turned to look out the window. "...Yes..."
Kumi walked over and sat down behind him. She put her arms around him and leaned her head against the back of his shoulder. "It's okay. You can love him, Kai. You belong together. And you're the only person I'd ever allow to be with him, considering I've liked him since I was eight."
Kai smiled kindly and closed his eyes. "Thank you, Kumi. You've cheered me up."
"That was my intent."

Masa sat there, stunned. He heard the whole thing...
"Bon loves YOU?" whispered Kyousuke.
"Don't tell the boss, okay?" Masa whispered back.
"Tell me what?" asked a voice behind them. Sagano.
Masa and Kyousuke shot to their feet. "Nothing, sir!!!"
"Nothing? If you want to keep something from me, then it's something. What is it?!"
Masa felt like he was being trapped into a corner. "Um-"
"What's this?!" Sagano peeked into Kai's room. A smile spilled across his face. "Oh, I see!!! You don't have to keep this from me!!"
"Uh-"
Sagano threw open the door. "Kai!!"
"UWAGH!!!!!" cried Kai.
"Sagano-sama!!" cried Kumi. "How's it going?"
"Come, you two!! I'm holding an emergency meeting!!"
"Why does it involve Kumi?!?!"
"Oh, it involves her!! Let's go!!"
Oh God, thought Masa. I know what he's doing...

Kai sat down, and Kumi was directed to sit next to him. His tou-san sat at the front of the room, and Masa was seated on his left next to Kyousuke. A bunch of underlings lined the room.
I have a bad feeling about this, thought Kai.
"It has come to my attention that you two are close," said Sagano.
Where have you been?!?! "Well, Kumi is my best friend, Tou-san..."
"And what is your input, Kumi-chan?"
"I guess we're close," said Kumi.
"Then it's decided!!!"
Oh God...
"I'll contact your parents, Kumi-chan!! You two are to be married!!!"
There was a stunned silence amongst everyone present. Then the underlings admitted forced cheers.
"WAIT!!!!!!!" snapped Kai. "I didn't agree to this!!!"
"It'll be an arrangement!!!" said Sagano.
"With all due respect," said Kumi. "I've known Kai for a long time. I love him, but as a friend. I can't feel for him more than that."
"It'll evolve with time!!!"
"But-" Kumi helplessly looked at Masa to see if he would stop this. Masa had his head lowered and Kyousuke was staring stunned at him.
"Now that this is decided, I shall pay your parents a visit, Kumi-chan!!!"
Kai shot to his feet. "Just hold on a goddamn minute!!!!! Who the hell do you think you are, trying to decide my life?!?!"
"I'm your tou-san!!!! And don't ever talk to me like that!!!!"
Kai felt all his bottled-up hurt about to erupt. Not only was he being forced to marry his best friend, but also Masa wasn't saying a word against it. That hurt piled up until it exploded.
"You're my tou-san?!?! You're nothing but a fucking stranger to me!!!" Kai loomed over Sagano. "When was the last time you ever praised me for anything?!?! When was the last time you ever said anything nice to me?!?! When was the last time you ever held me, comforted me, ANYTHING!!!!!!!!" Sagano's eyes widened in shock. Kai wasn't done.
"Who are you to decide my life?!?! All you've ever done is ignore me and hurt me!!!!! Why?!?!? What did I ever do to you?!?! All I've ever done is pleaded to you to treat me like a human being!!!!! But no!!!!!! I'm not some fucking puppet you can control!!!!! I have feelings!!!!! You're so accepting of Kei and Samejima-sempai, and you weren't even married to Kei's kaa-san!!!! You're the one who had that affair!!!"
Kumi looked from Kai to Sagano to Masa to back to Kai. She didn't know what to do.
Kai was crying without realizing it. Sagano was still looking at him in shock.
"Well guess what?! You don't have to deal with me anymore!!!!! All you ever see me, as is a burden!!!! So I'm leaving!!!! And I'm not coming back!!!" with that, he ran from the room.
"Kai?!" cried Kumi. She took off after them, leaving the room in its dead silence.
Kai was in his room, packing a satchel full of clothes. "Don't stop me, Kumi."
"Kai-"
"I don't have to deal with this!!! Tou-san doesn't love me!!!" He slung the satchel over his shoulder and grabbed the keys for his motorcycle. He walked past Kumi and headed out.
Kumi followed him out of the house. "Kai!!"
Kai put on his helmet and readied his motorcycle. "I told you not to stop me."
"Wait." Kumi fished into her purse and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. She scribbled on it. "Here's a hotel in Tokyo run by my uncle. I'll call him, and he'll give you a discount."
Kai took the paper and put it in his jacket pocket. "Thank you. See ya later." He started his motorcycle and drove off.
Kumi could hear people behind her. She ignored them and pulled out a cell phone and dialed up her uncle. "Hi, Uncle? A friend of mine will be coming to stay at your hotel. Kai Sagano. You will? Thank you!!"
As she hung up, Kyousuke came up beside her. "Kumi-chan!!!! Where's Bon?!?!"
Kumi shot him a glare. "I'm not telling. I'm going home."
She walked away. Kyousuke slapped his forehead. "Shit, this is terrible..."


Wow, that was loooooooooong!!!!! And my first Kizuna 'fic!!! It doesn't exactly follow the storyline, if you're confused. But I hoped you enjoyed it nonetheless. Be sure to look for the next chapter!!! A little lemon between Masa and Kai!!!!! ^______^