Author Note: Thank you to everyone who has been reading this ficcie! ^_^ Yes, I do read the reviews everytime there is a new one, even if I don't comment on them. It is great to get reviews and I hope you'll keep them up. I'm not sure what Hangata Mitsurugi's servants would call him, and I actually didn't think about it while writing this. ^^;; I'll try to keep track of it from now on. Also, Hanagata Mitsurugi is called Mitsurugi from now on. Any meantion of "Hanagata" is in referall to his father.
This fic is dedicated to Lady Aoi, who has nagged me to keep going. I thank her for that because this ficcie would of died by now if she hadn't! *gives a shamed look* Gomen for taking so long!!
This fic is rated R for past scenes, and NC-17 for future ones *grin* It is obviously a TWT, and could even be an AU. ^_^;;
Aqua *who is very tired right now*
Now then, on with the chapter:
Part 7: Pride in Yourself
"What do you think we should do?" Bloodberry questioned, glaring at Otaru's closed door. Mitsurugi had been sleeping for the past hour. The four of them were sitting outside of the bedroom, not wanting to wake him but Otaru being unwilling to risk having Hanagata show up.
Lime, who was too innocent to really understand the situation and had seemingly forgotten about their earlier conversation, glomped onto his arm. "Lime wants to go home!" she declared. Her eyes were troubled. Even if she didn't know what child abuse and the like were, she had been able to pick up the depressed air around them.
"I agree. We should leave. The less time we spend here, the better," Cherry stated.
"If only it were that easy," Otaru said with a sigh. "I can't turn my back on this situation and do nothing. Mitsurugi is still under his father's power, and won't do a thing about it as long as there may be a threat to Yumeji."
"Are you suggesting we take Hanagata out?" Bloodberry asked with a smirk. She didn't look like she would mind in the least.
Otaru grimaced. As much as he wouldn't mind, it would most certainly be a bad thing to take out a man of nobility. "We need to figure out something else to do," he stated firmly.
The three girls were quiet for a moment, then nodded. Otaru smiled at them, proud. "Keep everyone from the door. Think about it for a while. I'm giong to see how Mitsurugi is doing," he instructed.
"Was he hurt?" Bloodberry questioned, surprising him. It seemed that even she could be concerned about Mitsurugi, depending on the situation.
Otaru frowned at the question. "I'm not sure. Give me a while. I'll look after him if he is," he replied.
Again, the girls nodded and Otaru smiled before making his way into the room, locking the door as an extra precaution. He trusted them, but wasn't going to take any chances in case they were distracted. Mitsurugi was snoring in his sleep, blankets twisted around his body. Otaru couldn't help but be amused, and a little surprised. He hadn't expected Mitsurugi to look so... normal when he slept.
"Hey, Mitsurugi, wake up for a moment," he said, gently shaking the youth's shoulder. "Common, you can sleep in a minute. I need to talk to you."
The blond blinked a few times, then yawned and looked up at him. "Otaru? What are you doing here?" he questioned, looking half asleep and very confused.
Before Otaru could reply, Mitsurugi's eyes went wide and he looked away. "Oh yeah, I remember now. You know," he whispered.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" Otaru questioned.
Mitsurugi sat up and shrugged. "Just the usual bruises. They'll be gone in a few days. You stopped him before he could..." Mitsurugi's voice broke off with a strangled sound.
Otaru suddenly found his arms full of a hysterical Mitsurugi, again. Unable to do anything, he simply held the other as he sopped, thanking him, declaring his love over and over. Then, suddenly, Otaru felt disgusted with himself.
"How can you love someone who's responsible for some of these?" he questioned harshly, gently touching Mitsurugi's exposed shoulder where a bruise was clearly visable.
The blond sniffled, looking up at him with shock in his eyes. "What do you mean?" he questioned.
Otaru looked away from the tear-filled eyes in front of him. "I might not of caused some of them myself, but I never stopped Bloodberry for doing it on my behalf. I don't know how long its been, but I've always been such a bastard toward you. There were other ways to reject your advances besides beating the shit out of you, and I never stopped to consider them. I never stopped to think that I could actually of been hurting you," he whispered.
Mitsurugi had stopped crying now, but his form still trembled. "It's different, Otaru," he replied.
"How is it different?" the youth exclaimed, his head snapping around so that he was facing the other once again. "How is it different, when you are hurt either way? I am no better than your father."
"Don't you dare say something like that," Mitsurugi yelled, stunning him to silence. "You and my father are nothing alike. He has no reason for what he does. Even if your excuse is a mean one, at least it is a reason. You've never dished out anything that I didn't deserve, and you've never forced me into anything that I didn't want to do. You and my father are nothing alike!"
Otaru was quiet for a long moment, then shook his head. "No one deserves it, for whatever reason. Mitsurugi, I'm sorry," he said quietly.
Mitsurugi stared at him, then smiled softly. "That's the first time I've heard you call me by my first name," he commented.
Otaru blinked. "I called you by it a few moments ago," he retorted.
The blond shook his head. "I only heard you telling me to wake up. It's nice, to hear you say my name," he said quietly, laying his head down on Otaru's shoulder.
Realizing that the situation was vastly transforming into a more uncomfortable one, Otaru was at a loss of what to do. "It is less confusing to call you by your first, when in this house," he replied, stammering a little.
Silence reigned between them for a long moment. Finally, Mitsurugi looked up at him with hopeful blue eyes, his form trembling a little once again. "Otaru, can I ask you a favor?" he questioned.
Half-knowing what the favor was going to be, Otaru hesitated. Then he sighed and nodded. "Sure, what is it?" he questioned.
Having noticed his relunctance, Mitsurugi looked away. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to. I was just hoping that you might kiss me, just once. The only person who's ever kissed me is my father. I just thought that it might be nice, to feel the kiss of the person I love, even if it is only once. I can understand if you are repulsed by the idea after finding out how I've been used before. But, Otaru, I want to know what it is like," he said, his voice almost inaudible.
Otaru let his breath hiss out of his lungs. How could he say know, when asked like that? When given those reasons? "Alright. But just once, and I can't promise it will mean anything," he said, hardly able to believe that he was about to give his first kiss to Mitsurugi of all people.
"That's okay. It will mean something to me," Mitsuruigi whispered, just before their lips met.
TBC
This fic is dedicated to Lady Aoi, who has nagged me to keep going. I thank her for that because this ficcie would of died by now if she hadn't! *gives a shamed look* Gomen for taking so long!!
This fic is rated R for past scenes, and NC-17 for future ones *grin* It is obviously a TWT, and could even be an AU. ^_^;;
Aqua *who is very tired right now*
Now then, on with the chapter:
Part 7: Pride in Yourself
"What do you think we should do?" Bloodberry questioned, glaring at Otaru's closed door. Mitsurugi had been sleeping for the past hour. The four of them were sitting outside of the bedroom, not wanting to wake him but Otaru being unwilling to risk having Hanagata show up.
Lime, who was too innocent to really understand the situation and had seemingly forgotten about their earlier conversation, glomped onto his arm. "Lime wants to go home!" she declared. Her eyes were troubled. Even if she didn't know what child abuse and the like were, she had been able to pick up the depressed air around them.
"I agree. We should leave. The less time we spend here, the better," Cherry stated.
"If only it were that easy," Otaru said with a sigh. "I can't turn my back on this situation and do nothing. Mitsurugi is still under his father's power, and won't do a thing about it as long as there may be a threat to Yumeji."
"Are you suggesting we take Hanagata out?" Bloodberry asked with a smirk. She didn't look like she would mind in the least.
Otaru grimaced. As much as he wouldn't mind, it would most certainly be a bad thing to take out a man of nobility. "We need to figure out something else to do," he stated firmly.
The three girls were quiet for a moment, then nodded. Otaru smiled at them, proud. "Keep everyone from the door. Think about it for a while. I'm giong to see how Mitsurugi is doing," he instructed.
"Was he hurt?" Bloodberry questioned, surprising him. It seemed that even she could be concerned about Mitsurugi, depending on the situation.
Otaru frowned at the question. "I'm not sure. Give me a while. I'll look after him if he is," he replied.
Again, the girls nodded and Otaru smiled before making his way into the room, locking the door as an extra precaution. He trusted them, but wasn't going to take any chances in case they were distracted. Mitsurugi was snoring in his sleep, blankets twisted around his body. Otaru couldn't help but be amused, and a little surprised. He hadn't expected Mitsurugi to look so... normal when he slept.
"Hey, Mitsurugi, wake up for a moment," he said, gently shaking the youth's shoulder. "Common, you can sleep in a minute. I need to talk to you."
The blond blinked a few times, then yawned and looked up at him. "Otaru? What are you doing here?" he questioned, looking half asleep and very confused.
Before Otaru could reply, Mitsurugi's eyes went wide and he looked away. "Oh yeah, I remember now. You know," he whispered.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" Otaru questioned.
Mitsurugi sat up and shrugged. "Just the usual bruises. They'll be gone in a few days. You stopped him before he could..." Mitsurugi's voice broke off with a strangled sound.
Otaru suddenly found his arms full of a hysterical Mitsurugi, again. Unable to do anything, he simply held the other as he sopped, thanking him, declaring his love over and over. Then, suddenly, Otaru felt disgusted with himself.
"How can you love someone who's responsible for some of these?" he questioned harshly, gently touching Mitsurugi's exposed shoulder where a bruise was clearly visable.
The blond sniffled, looking up at him with shock in his eyes. "What do you mean?" he questioned.
Otaru looked away from the tear-filled eyes in front of him. "I might not of caused some of them myself, but I never stopped Bloodberry for doing it on my behalf. I don't know how long its been, but I've always been such a bastard toward you. There were other ways to reject your advances besides beating the shit out of you, and I never stopped to consider them. I never stopped to think that I could actually of been hurting you," he whispered.
Mitsurugi had stopped crying now, but his form still trembled. "It's different, Otaru," he replied.
"How is it different?" the youth exclaimed, his head snapping around so that he was facing the other once again. "How is it different, when you are hurt either way? I am no better than your father."
"Don't you dare say something like that," Mitsurugi yelled, stunning him to silence. "You and my father are nothing alike. He has no reason for what he does. Even if your excuse is a mean one, at least it is a reason. You've never dished out anything that I didn't deserve, and you've never forced me into anything that I didn't want to do. You and my father are nothing alike!"
Otaru was quiet for a long moment, then shook his head. "No one deserves it, for whatever reason. Mitsurugi, I'm sorry," he said quietly.
Mitsurugi stared at him, then smiled softly. "That's the first time I've heard you call me by my first name," he commented.
Otaru blinked. "I called you by it a few moments ago," he retorted.
The blond shook his head. "I only heard you telling me to wake up. It's nice, to hear you say my name," he said quietly, laying his head down on Otaru's shoulder.
Realizing that the situation was vastly transforming into a more uncomfortable one, Otaru was at a loss of what to do. "It is less confusing to call you by your first, when in this house," he replied, stammering a little.
Silence reigned between them for a long moment. Finally, Mitsurugi looked up at him with hopeful blue eyes, his form trembling a little once again. "Otaru, can I ask you a favor?" he questioned.
Half-knowing what the favor was going to be, Otaru hesitated. Then he sighed and nodded. "Sure, what is it?" he questioned.
Having noticed his relunctance, Mitsurugi looked away. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to. I was just hoping that you might kiss me, just once. The only person who's ever kissed me is my father. I just thought that it might be nice, to feel the kiss of the person I love, even if it is only once. I can understand if you are repulsed by the idea after finding out how I've been used before. But, Otaru, I want to know what it is like," he said, his voice almost inaudible.
Otaru let his breath hiss out of his lungs. How could he say know, when asked like that? When given those reasons? "Alright. But just once, and I can't promise it will mean anything," he said, hardly able to believe that he was about to give his first kiss to Mitsurugi of all people.
"That's okay. It will mean something to me," Mitsuruigi whispered, just before their lips met.
TBC