Volume I: Purple Sky

by Atsu Tenshi

1st chap Contagious Kiss It started with unwanted and unexpected occurrence to them – a cold, a kiss, a memory – leads to a strange and beginning in Haruka and Kantarou’s relationship. A forbidden love?

Title: Volume I: Purple Sky
Piece I: Contagious Kiss

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Penname: Atsu Tenshi

Pairing: HarukaxKantarou

Genre: Romance/Drama

Disclaimer: Believe it or not, Raiko is mine, mwhaha! Meh, Sakura-sensei and Kazuko-sensei owned them.

Summary Piece I -Contagious Kiss: "When a person has a cold, you could take it away with a kiss," Yoko told this to Haruka. So what would happen if Kantarou has a cold?

Summary Volume I: Purple Sky

It starts with unwanted and unexpected occurrence happening to them – it started with a cold, a kiss, a memory – leads to a strange and beginning in Haruka and Kantarou's relationship. Will it be a forbidden love between a demon and a human?

Warning: Spoilers from episode 3 and above. Post anime-Tactics (epi-25) where they had fought with Raiko and something blah blah to Suzu. So people out there who had watched the whole anime, you know what I mean with the blah blah right.

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Volume I:
Purple Sky
1. Contagious Kiss

There, he heard him again. A croaky coughed could be heard across the study room that was currently occupied by Kantarou.

Haruka sighed as he carried the green tea into the room. Another coughed escaped from his red-eyed master. He announced his presence, "Yoko had gone to her part-time work. I brought the green tea that she made before she left."

"Uh? She didn't tell me that she's starting today," Kantarou mumbled before another coughed escaped again. The silver-haired man raised his head from the study-table and slowly trailed his eyes to the standing tengu beside him.

Kantarou groaned, "Yoko went to work and left his poor master here, being ill with this horrib-" coughed. "-horrible cold!" he coughed more.

Haruka sat on the tatami floor and quietly poured the tea into the small tea cup. "If we rely only on you, how would we get expenses by the end of this month? Yoko wanted you to get enough rest so that you would able to continue with your work."

Haruka averted his gaze from the tea to the crimson eyes that were now locking to his dark abyss. Haruka silently huffed. "By the time you get well, make sure you won't butt off your ass from work. I don't want to starve. And I don't even want to die because of being famished."

Kantarou banged his head to the hard study-table. "I thought so." And Kantarou coughed more. Then he sniffed before he took the tissue paper that situated in front of him and blew into it.

The tengu looked at his master for a while. The flushed face of his master indicated that he would have a fever within a few hours. "But still, you won't leave me right?" the thin line of his lips turned to a slight smile.

Haruka frowned. He hated the fact that Kantarou was trying to be more reasonable when it comes to term of their relationship – master and servant or master and slave, or even master and pet. Something twitched inside Haruka as soon as the pet term reached his mind. So, crossed out the master and pet, besides, he – the Dark tengu that most demons, ghosts, spirits, and human beings afraid of, is not Kantarou's pet!

All I want…

Slave? Haruka could not say it out aloud whether he was a slave to the youngest Ichinomiya.

Though Kantarou tend to act childish as if he was still a fourteen year old boy, Haruka could not help it but have to be his guardian most of the time! Kantarou was over twenty (though his still young and single and still eligible for every woman to marry) but hey, what lady would marry a childish, lazy ass-hole, as short as a sixteen year old teenager with those big baby red-eyes (people would not believe the youngest Ichinomiya had reached the age where people called adult) and last but not least, poor. Well, not really poor, but just… still poor. Of course, he usually get expenses by the end of the month but it always disappear to a thin air of poof as soon as it reached the seventh day. Yoko, especially Kantarou is a big spender. Ok, so added another bad quality of him, Kantarou – a big spender! 1

All I want is…

Was he a servant to Kantarou?

A friend. A companion.

Those words still haunted him.

Haruka remembered that night when Kantarou confessed what he really meant to him 2. At first, Haruka thought it was only a random confession; a none-existence confession that didn't mean anything to the silver-haired boy, just a lie to make him stay beside Kantarou but faith had proved him wrong. They had been together in various kind of combats and missions and including in going through their personal life – their dark pasts for instance. Well, dark past didn't really occurred on Kantarou, it was only his sad childhood life. Dark past only happened to Haruka.

"Drink it while it still hot."

Kantarou let out another coughed before smiling to the tengu. His hand reached for the tea and he sipped it slowly since it was hot. After few seconds sipping and gulped half of the tea from the tea cup, he put it down onto the tatami floor. He let out a content sighed.

"Na, Haruka, you'd better stop frowning like that or you will be an old man in the next century."

Haruka frowned even deeper. "A Tengu won't get old."

There, Kantarou gave him a stupid geeky smile even though he was in such condition. Somehow, when it came to a situation like this where his master would give him a stupid comment and he, who would not let a stupid comment be left like that, would bite back and here where he always ended up feeling like he was the one who had given a stupider retort.

Before Haruka could balance himself to stand up, Kantarou sneezed lightly and coughed again. The sound of the cough was getting worse in Haruka's ear.

As if reading his companion's thought, Kantarou gave a reassured smile. "Don't worry; this will last within few days."

Haruka was not convinced of that. Avoiding from opening his mouth to say something that he would later regret; he stood up swiftly and went out from the room.

So, here he was. On the roof as he lay lazily with his both arms crossed behind his head. His eyes gazed to the sky that was starting to get darker in ever minutes passing by. The gloomy gleam from the dusk sky made Haruka's thought a little peace in mind. Just a little…

More coughs could be heard from the room below him. Haruka cursed silently. Where was Yoko when he needed her? Haruka was sure that if such situation as this often occurred, he would not be surprise he would die of too much worry for his master, yes, he admitted it! He was worried for his master now.

Guess Sugino was right; he had a soft-spot for his master. Curse that white tengu for making him realising that. After all, he did realised it even if Sugino would not point it out and it just became obvious the last time when Sugino was having a big fight with his wife and threatened to hurt Kantarou if he dared to take Moo away from him. He remembered that without a second thought, as soon as those words clicked to him, he went to search Sugino. While Sugino was having fun putting trick spells onto some random human beings, Haruka told him, "I don't mind you harming others. Just as long as you keep your hand away from Kantarou 3."

Night came slowly and Yoko was fussing around, forcing Kantarou to drink those horrible and disgusting medicines. Even Haruka himself winced a little as soon as he sniffed the horrid smell. They smelt worse than a skunk's smelly odour.

Haruka was sitting crossed leg outside Kantarou's study room. He was leaning on the hallway's wall. More whining and coughed sounds came out from the room, making Haruka's migraine to surface.

"But Kan-chan, you have to! You're sick and you know that. So you must drink this!"

"No, I don't-" coughed. "I don't want to!"

"If you only wait for miracle to happen to you, well, guess what, there won't be any!"

"Look, it's just a nor-"

"No it's not!"

"It's jus a common cold."

"Kan-chan!"

Silence.

Haruka started to pay attention from here. He knew that Kantarou would act as master from here and order the demon fox.

"Yoko, I don't want to drink that medicine. I want you to put it away from me and you may go and take your rest."

Silence. Haruka knew that the demon-loyalty instinct from Yoko has reacted out. Just as soon as a master ordered his or her demon, that demon, without any control from its brain but its master word which controlled their body would eventually responded. Haruka counted, 1…2…3…

The sliding door was opened with a loud bang. Yoko then closed it with another loud bang that almost hurt Haruka's ear drum.

Haruka sighed. The fox demon will be whining in a few seconds, 2…1…0…

"Wargh! Demons are poor, don't we, Haruka! I hate it as soon as he started to order us in that master-tone! Wargh, I hated my demon instinct. Why are we like this!"

She slumped herself to the floor and punched the floor. "That Kan-chan, doesn't want to get well. Grr… now I think about it, how I wish if the so-called miracle existed." She quickly stood up with the cup of medicine still in her hand. She managed to avoid spilling on the floor.

"The only thing that we could hope so that Kantarou will get well is for a prince charming!"

Haruka raised one puzzled eye-brow.

Yoko stared for a while at Haruka when suddenly; Yoko pounced onto Haruka and shouted out loud. "We need a prince with shining armour to kiss him!"

"Kiss him?" Haruka managed to put his tongue together.

"Yes, to break the spell!"

Haruka was totally lost. He did not understand.

"Don't you get it, there's a fairytale that a prince saves the princess with a kiss to break the spell. So, the situation that we're having now is the same as that. When a person has a cold, you could take it away with a kiss."

Yoko huffed and back slumping onto the ground. "The problem was that, who is going to kiss Kantarou?"

What came out from Haruka's lips was unexpected, "Moo?"

Ok, he really did not mean it! It just slipped!

Yoko simply gave Haruka the stare that said 'are you out of your mind!'.

"If Sugino found out that you are suggesting his wife to kiss Kantarou, instead of breaking the curse, Kantarou will be the next sleeping beauty with a bad ending!"

Haruka nearly throw a horrified look at the brown-haired demon but luckily he managed to quickly compose himself. "I think Rosalie had been putting fairytale junks into your head."

"Haruka, they are not junks. Besides, she brought it with her before she left England. Among other things, they are the closest stuff that would remind her life in the orphanage. Of course, my most favourite fairytale story is Cinderella. Sigh, I feel like a Cinderella right now. I have to do all the jobs while Kan-chan is sick-"

"I thought you enjoy doing all the works."

"If they offered money!" Yoko winked before settling down into another soft sigh. "Oh well, I'm off to sleep. Good night, Haruka." And Yoko stood up slowly and stretched herself like a fox would do.

She left Haruka who was now still staring at the demon fox's back.

Take it away with a kiss?

Nightfall slowly crept into the shadow of the sky that was illuminated by the brightly shining stars. Haruka could not sleep. It was neither because of the crickets' symphony that accompanied his thought nor was the chillness that were now caressing him like a mother tried to lull back her baby to sleep with soft touches and void whispers.

Haruka did not want to be in his room for now. He just wanted a peace of mind again. If he was in the room, he could feel the pressure surrounded him every time he heard the silver-haired boy. But then, even so he was now settling down on the roof here for a while, he still could hear a soft coughed from inside the house.

When a person has a cold, you could take it away with a kiss.

Haruka sighed and silently groaned as he sat up. "This would be Yoko's fault!" Black wings emerged from Haruka's back and he slowly flapped them to the air. Then he descended himself slowly to Earth as he controlled the latitude of his wings. Just as Haruka's feet touched the Earth, his wings vanished and only few fallen dark feathers left on the brown soil.

The onikui tengu entered back into the house and straight away went to his master's resting-room. There were no more cough escaped from Kantarou but that would not give the tengu a hope, though if it was a slight one. He slowly pushed the slide partition screen and slowly crept into the room.

Kantarou was restless. He knew it by just looking at his young master uneven breathing.

Haruka stood there. His mind immediately went blank. What was he doing in Kantarou's room? Was he really serious to do that stupid act! What if it was only a some kind of a stupid joke that Yoko and Rosalie believed.

Just go ahead and do it. There's no turning back.

"Oh yes, I still could get away! I could walk away and forget about this," Haruka softly murmuring to himself. He turned and touched the partition screens. His action instantly froze half-way.

No one was around to see what was he going to do anyway, right? There was no Yoko peeping on him right now; no Sugino to disturb him and ramble about Moo's whereabouts; no Moo to snuggle onto Kantarou; no Reiko to loudly complaining of Kantarou's laziness; no Rosalie playing hide-and-seek and make their home as her hiding place from her adopted-father; no Hasumi blaming and scolding Kantarou for kidnapping his adopted-daughter; and no demons, ghosts or spirits to disturb and even witnessing the dark tengu's action. There was no one around and his demon instinct had proved to him!

Haruka gave in and so he slowly dragged his feet to the sleeping figure. The slight illuminate came from outside, made Haruka marvelled of the sight of his master. Pale skin…

Haruka quickly shook his head. Now was not the time to drink at the awe sight of Kantarou. He knelt down to the tatami floor and his left hand was right beside Kantarou's side cheek. Haruka now felt the thick air of restless surrounded the silver-haired lad.

Just a quick one. Haruka's mind told him.

It was quick, and he knew that. It was a slight pressure of his lips as they touched Kantarou's warm forehead.

What was this warmness? He never knew that just a brief touched would make the warm from Kantarou's seemed contagious to him.

-

It was only a kiss.

"It didn't work!"

Yoko blinked as she stared at the legendary dark tengu who was now glaring at her with those sharp abyss eyes. It took few seconds for Yoko to finally understand him. "What! You did it!" Yoko shouted.

Haruka twitched as his migraine started to surface again. "Quit shouting at me. I'm having headache since last night!"

"I still can't believe it! You actually did it!"

Haruka glared at her more. "Hahaha, I knew it. You almost tricked me. Of course it's impossible for you to do that. Unless…uh, never mind. Na Haruka, do you want to know how the prince did it?" Haruka maintained his cold glare. Yoko on the other hand ignored it and continued without waiting for an answer from the tengu. "The prince wakes the princess up by kissing her on the lips. It's the same as Snow White too."

For no reason, Haruka could feel his cheeks started to warm as soon as he heard the word 'lips'. Last night memory haunted him back. But his trained of thought was disturbed when Yoko laughed.

"Hahahaha, but then, I don't think so you will do that! It's alright. Kan-chan will surely get well in a few days. But since he didn't want to take his medicine, I'm sure it will take a week for him to be fully cured. Anyway, about the kissing, I heard from Hojyu-ji's wife that it's actually real because humans' cold is contagious. By touching somewhere that has no in contact with saliva nothing will be affected."

A slight muffled voice was heard across the living room. "Yoko, aren't you suppose to be in work right now?"

"KYAAA! Ano, Haruka-chan, help me take care of him. I won't be coming back tonight because I have to take care Hojyu-ji and help his wife in some more works."

And that was the last Haruka heard from Yoko for that day. Hours passed slowly with Reiko visited Kantarou. Then later, Kantarou was visited by none other than the green monster, Moo, together with her husband, Sugino till he got tired waiting for Moo who would not get away but sat on Kantarou's laps for three hours! Somehow, Haruka felt jealous to watch that demon snuggled onto his master. Then, Rozaria came to hide away from his father again and Hesumi came to the house, throwing insults onto Kantarou for kidnapping his daughter again.

To Haruka, this was a daily routine that would never stop but will continue to cycle. Of course, it was still a little strange for someone who last time often came to their house but now those times had gone, no longer here but left only memories of her.

And so night came. Kantarou's sickness was getting worsen and that had worried Haruka. Haruka thought that he might go insane if this continue. So he made up his mind, if that lad would not want to touch his medicine (and forcing him would be a waste of energy because in the end his master would win. Besides, wasn't it obvious, he was also a demon and Kantarou could order him anytime), then he have no choice but to do that!

He was feeling down. Why had he become so weak since he was under the youngest Ichinomiya? Wasn't he the notorious dark tengu that everyone said the most fiercest and scariest of all demons, ghosts, and spirits? Why was Kantarou's childlike personality had over powered him?

"Haruka, are you alright?" Kantarou asked him with his almost droopy-eyes. His tone was soft and nearly a whisper to Haruka's hearing. It seemed that Kantarou must have been tired because of all the commotion that happened at day time with all the guests that he had to entertain. Kantarou was sitting in front of him and he leaned forward to the tengu. His drowsy crimson eyes locked to Haruka's, "You look so tired. Did you get to sleep last night?" Kantarou asked again.

Haruka just gave his master the silent-treatment but since Kantarou had gotten used to that, he ignored it and continued as he gave a tired sheepish smile to his companion. "I'm sorry if I have been sneezing and coughing to loud. Or shuffling here and there." Haruka knew that Kantarou was in his limit and would anytime soon fall into dreamland.

But Kantarou continued, "Is… just… that I'm so…"

Haruka reached out for the silver-haired boy and held his both shoulders. "Shh… I know. You're restless because you're sick. Every human is like that when they are sick."

Kantarou smiled to Haruka and raised himself from the floor in order to lean near to the tengu in front of him. Surprisingly, which Haruka would never expected to happen, Kantarou's head lay on his shoulder as his two boneless arms wrapped around Haruka. The tengu have to balance the both of them since he could not lean to anything behind him.

"Haruka…" Kantarou whispered softly, warm air stroked Haruka's almost cool skin. "I'm so tired…but I don't…want to go to…sleep…" Kantarou sighed. "It feels…so good…like this…feels…like…I…will never be…alone…anymore."

Haruka could not explain his emotion. It was too confusing and too strong for him to take it at one time. He pushed Kantarou from his shoulder and stared at his master. Their distance between each other was so close, and their noses almost touched. Weak arms still draped around Haruka's and the tengu's other hand had started to stroke Kantarou's pale but slightly red cheeks due to his cold.

Haruka's senses just shut down instantly. And he leaned forward, without a second thought. Lips touched and Haruka pulled Kantarou closer. Kantarou pulled his face and opened his mouth to inhale air but Haruka took the opportunity to seize his lips. Wet tongues mingled together into a heated kiss. Since air was needed badly, they pulled apart but lips still faintly touch.

Kantarou smiled lovingly to Haruka. "Haruka…I…" and even before he could finish his sentence, the silver-haired lad had already fallen to unconsciousness but before he could fall to the floor, Haruka had quickly scooped the boy and pulled him closer.

Senses came back to him and confusion ensued in his mind. But Haruka shook it out because dizziness came over him and he started to feel a faint of unsteadiness. So, Haruka carried his young master to his room before he went to his own room and fell asleep instantaneously 4.

-

Last night was forgotten.

That was Kantarou. But will never be to Haruka's memory.

Haruka sneezed and coughed uncontrollably. Even more unfortunate, he had a fever which was a mystery to Yoko who just came home in the morning. And surprising, Kantarou went back to his usual healthy-genki childish character.

"You must have been taking care of me the whole 24/7 hours till you over-limit yourself!"

"See, Kan-chan! Haruka had been taking care of you till he got sick!"

"So, it was my fault!"

Somehow, Haruka was glad that Kantarou did not remember last night's account but somewhere at the corner of his heart, something hurt – a feeling that he hated to experience…again.

"Haruka, since you're sick, I shall give you the medi-"

"No!" Haruka stated it simply.

"What! Don't tell me you're also expecting a great miracle to happen!"

Oh yes, he wished. Maybe revenge to someone particular for making him sick!

--Contagious Kiss END—tbc to thenext piece Purple Sky--

1 Can't help it but having fun insulting Kantarou. Gah:dodges knives from Kantarou's fans: I mean, can't the seme Haruka insulted the uke. Meh, I should say the kinky word, teased the uke…:knives still throws to the author:

2 I think the confession occurred in between episode 4 to 8. The thing was that, I really forgot which and which was the first. Was the first confession where Kantarou confessed that he would die for Haruka or the confession that Haruka was more than just a so-called pet or servant :cough:cough, you know what I mean.

3 I watched this episode only for two times so I'm sorry if I don't really get the real words that Haruka used when he warned Sugino about harming Kantarou. But I remembered he was saying that he didn't mind about Sugino hurting all those stupid humans that Sugino would prefer to refer as, but just as long as he would not hurt Kantarou.

4 At least Haruka is polite to do that. He still give privacy to Kantarou rather than immediately sleep there with his master (which I plan to do that but meh, I'll be killed by Haruka before I could type that scene) unlike Kantarou who would not leave someone's side :winks: Who have watched episode 13? Wasn't it the best episode among all? Kantarou slept on top of Haruka! Awww, and then they looked like they are cuddling on the bed role… the sweetest scene that every fan-girl had been dreaming of.

A/N: Review and I'll give you cookies unless you hate or alergic to cookies, I shall give you my almighty glomp (beware of the glomp, sometimes it might suffocate you). Oh, and I know there are few grammartical and vocab errors so constructive criticisms are welcomed. Btw, I was planning to post this only in lj but I have no idea what possessed me to post in too.

Atsu Tenshi