A/N: Continuing on the childhood saga! I ended up extending the childhood and teen sagas with one chapter each.
It took me years to update this thing….sorry lol
Please tell me what you all think!
-Lucicelo
Chapter 2 - Tainted
With a portion of his body on the grass and submerged into the pond, Yato used his tail to pull Hisoka through the water. Pleased to see the boy take to water without lingering fear of his accident, he instructed the heir in the right way to kick. Considering the lake dipped down into a deep end, Yato remained in this part of the lake. Somewhat submerged into the water, he kept a keen watch throughout this impromptu swimming lesson.
Through the various cracks inside of the manor, Yato witnessed numerous members of the Kurosaki family swimming in the lakes. Either in the shadow of the night or during a rendezvous with forbidden lovers. He somewhat knew how to guide the boy around the water.
A new nanny had not arrived onto the property to oversee Hisoka's wellbeing. In the meantime, Hisoka remained unsupervised, but the staff tried filling in when necessary. The tutors didn't stay past their scheduled tutoring time to visit other students. Due to the sparse supervision, Hisoka wandered about the manor and forest whenever the staff left with empty plates or sullied laundry.
Yato used the large gaps of empty space for Hisoka to take on these new lessons. With summer on the horizon, Yato and Hisoka made use of the cool water. Even without these lessons, the weather caused Hisoka to make his way into the shallow end of the lake or stick his legs inside.
Since the drowning incident, Nagare distanced himself from his heir even further. The man turned the opposite direction whenever he saw Hisoka walking through the halls. He didn't address his heir unless it pertained to his school reports or in front of family members. As a result, Hisoka further clung onto Yato for companionship.
Yato thanked his good fortune. He didn't have to persuade Hisoka to see him. Hisoka's continual loneliness pushed the little boy to seek companionship. It mattered little if the person was a snake, a person was a person.
In addition, Hisoka's good behavior made him more tolerable than the average child. Yato wouldn't have tolerated anything less than politeness. Hisoka didn't need pushing or reprimands in order for him to uphold his image. Hisoka was taught from a young age that his position relegated a sense of foresight in his actions. He couldn't behave like an unruly child without consequences.
Yato suspected that the constant currents of emotions, overloaded Hisoka to a point of strained silence. Hisoka averted eye contact with anyone and went into compliant silence. Giving the image of a well-behaved child. This was further proven when he followed along with demands only to run off when time allowed him to leave.
After fifteen generations, Yato overheard copious screeching from the bratty sons of the main line. Whether from the master's own ears or through the walls, he despised loudness outside of the heat of battle. Not that the behavior lasted for long. Numerous masters of the past used to beat their children black and blue to correct their behavior. The fear of inanimate objects stayed in the consciousness of these boys that attained this position. To behave like a commoner was a disgrace and showed a lack of leadership from the master.
Of course, Nagare didn't lay a hand on Hisoka. Ever since Yato made his interest in the boy clear, the only bruises Hisoka sported were from his mother. A woman who didn't care if someone saw the evidence of her brand of punishment. Once Hisoka displayed more of his powers, Rui backed away, thinking he would infect her with his oddities.
The fear that Hisoka's parents shared over Hisoka prevented them from touching him more than necessary.
Even if Nagare ignored Hisoka, he fired nannies who accidentally marred his skin or ruined his possessions. The odd back-and-forth reactions to Hisoka's well-being was confusing to the boy. Continuous distance and disregard slowly temper down Hisoka's desire for his father's attention. After all, Yato was the one who showered Hisoka with the attention he wanted.
Hisoka's face scrunched up as he kicked his feet against the water to propel himself forward.
Hmm...you shall attempt to swim on your own in a few days. When he saw Hisoka's trepidation, he added in. But, I will keep to your side the whole time. You may reach for my tail for any added assistance.
Hisoka beamed. "Okay!" He kept his hands on Yato's tail while kicking his feet in the water. "When are we going to swim in the ocean?"
If I had a say, never. Yato muttered under his breath. He had to protect this child from potential dangers.
Due to his curse, the family tended to befall accidents and travesty. He didn't need this to happen to the heir.
The other Kurosaki could die for all he cared.
"Aw, why?" Yato turned to Hisoka, stunned that Hisoka managed to hear him over the splashing.
You are too small to handle the strong currents of the ocean. End of discussion. Yato averted his eyes away from Hisoka's pout.
Soon enough, Hisoka became an avid swimmer. Instead of giving into an initial fear of drowning, Hisoka swam through the water with anticipation. Encouragement from his new friend was enough for Hisoka to get over his fears as well.
In the first few trips, Hisoka soaked in the water or floated on the surface. He soon learned that the water blocked out the heinous emotions coming from the loudest Kurosaki members. The water blocked his ears, deafening those emotions from reaching him. Soothing him into a lull, calm enough to almost fall asleep underneath the water. Hisoka spat out water more often than not.
As a result, he spent more than enough afternoons floating inside of the lake than outside of it.
Despite the acclimation to the water, Hisoka developed constant chills from lack of care. As to not get sick from his new hobby, Hisoka kept a warm robe and a towel at the usual exit point. After every dip in the lake, he rushed back to his wing where a servant prepared a bath for him.
Certain servants caught wind of his new hobby and timed his usual exit for him to go straight to his bath. At the end of his bath, Hisoka received a cup of hot tea and nutritious snacks.
No one wanted Hisoka to get sick after all. As the only son and heir, Hisoka's importance took precedence to the servants usual chores for the afternoon.
Although they knew of his swimming habit, none of them commented on Yato's presence.
The one time Hisoka spoke of his friend Yato, the woman in particular seemed to get into a daze. Seconds later she asked about what he wanted to ask her.
It didn't take long for Hisoka to suspect Yato spelled the servants and nannies from going near the lake. None of the new nannies stepped foot in his private backyard since the initial nanny didn't watch him properly. Still, the servants stayed near entrances to the manor to tend to Hisoka when he left the lake for the day.
Their ignorance and hypnotized looks shouldn't have been surprising. Yato was magical. Sort of like the monsters from legends who wandered the Earth. Hisoka wasn't sure what type of monster Yato was. His features didn't match up to certain monster books, but Hisoka didn't badger him with questions.
Yato would tell him in time.
Hisoka was sure of it.
At least, Yato closed off his mind for Hisoka to focus on his own thoughts. Spending time with Yato meant that Hisoka could think and have fun. He didn't have to correct himself while the people in front of him fake smiled while criticizing him in their heads.
Yato promised to help him better calm his gift when he grew older. Children didn't have good concentration skills for meditation or the mental capacity to keep guards up for long.
For now, the lake was Hisoka's best option against his empathy.
Good thing I can swim, young one. I'll be able to drag you out before you turn into a prune. Yato used his tail to splash water onto Hisoka's face.
With his ears underwater, Hisoka couldn't hear what Yato said. He continued on floating with a blissful smile on his face.
The sound of splashing caught Nagare's attention.
For weeks, he thought he misheard the sound of sloshing water. After all, the servants carried buckets of water for whatever chore they were doing. His notions were dismissed when he heard the following sound of laughing. This meant that whoever did the action was not a servant. The servants wouldn't dare disturb the atmosphere of the manor in case Iwao made a visit.
With his visits becoming frequent, Iwao wasn't shy in reprimanding the staff for their unruly behavior. Iwao's orders were laughable in theory, but Nagare placed preventative measures to lessen the drama. Nagare warned his servants to be discreet as to catch themselves whenever Iwao's servants or Iwao himself walked in their path.
So far, Iwao's criticisms have lowered. Somewhat.
This meant only one person laughed so freely, his son, Hisoka.
Looking out one of the large windows, he peered down and saw Hisoka swimming without supervision. He might have to fire the newest nanny for leaving Hisoka alone. Again. It seemed more of these nannies thought Hisoka less troublesome enough to not pay close enough attention.
He wasn't paying for assumptions. He paid them to supervise his child, keeping him away from unsavory people and those who would turn him against his family.
Of course, the village was steadfast in keeping Kurosaki loyalty throughout the incoming generations. Using the fun festival as a means to indoctrinate more children to keep the reverence alive. Even though, more kids started to go against the legend of the family, thinking of it as nothing more than a story to boost up the family image.
If only this was true.
Nagare wouldn't deal with a monster multiple times a week if it wasn't real. The growing scales underneath his bandages were painful and a constant reminder of that fact.
Taking time to watch Hisoka, Nagare had time in between meetings, he saw his son behaving like an actual normal child. There were no signs of his abnormality marking his beautiful image. The indications of the monster's power were seemingly gone. He looked like a curious child who got over his fear of the water. Happily playing on his own despite not having cousins his age to entertain.
Had Nagare cared more for his son than his family, he might have gone out to play with him. To behave like a normal father spending time with his son.
This wasn't possible.
The mastership title was a restriction. Even if Nagare didn't have the title, his status as a mainline son kept him trapped. He couldn't behave anything less than what the Kurosaki family wanted. Mainline Kurosaki were kept on a shorter leash than the branch lines. They were less important in the grand scheme of the family.
For all the notoriety and glamor, Nagare remained stagnant and complacent. He long since buried his heart alongside his wife and daughter. Ignoring his son for relative peace in the family. Ignorant peace that broke at a moment's notice.
All of a sudden, he saw a thick tail sneak behind Hisoka and tap his shoulder.
Hisoka turned around in the water. His green eyes blinked the lake water away and looked at the source of the tail. Instead of fear, Hisoka smiled big before waving his hand on the water and splashed at the tail.
Nagare shivered in place at the implication.
The beast followed his son outside of the manor.
Turning away, he did what he did best. He ignored the situation playing in front of him and ran away. His cowardice wrapped around him like a soothing shielding blanket.
Hisoka wandered past the cemetery area of Kurosaki manor, curious about the newer forest trails. He saw the disturbed ground where the grass was gone. Indicating that more people were going up the mountains more often than ever before.
He never thought to venture past the unexplored areas that were beyond Kurosaki manor. Those forests were in the direction toward the town. Exposing him to townspeople who had never seen him before. His features were the main clue of his identity. At the end of his trips, well meaning people guided him back home, cutting off his explorations.
No one in the family thought to take him out to explore the town he lived in or to other places in Japan. As much as Hisoka read travel guides, he wanted to see beyond the barrier of his home. Books of monuments and attractions garnered Hisoka's attention more than his school books during his lonelier nights.
Why do you wish to wander away from the area? There is no need for you to do so.
"I used to wander around all the time." Hisoka adjusted his extra jacket to check if his inner pockets contained his pocket money. There were instances where he got thirsty and went into town to the local market for juice.
Yato huffed. The Kurosaki are careless for their only heir to wander around so easily.
Hisoka retorted. "And no one ever comes around my lake because you magicked them away."
Yato denied it. No. Your servants are careless.
Hisoka pouted. "Yato nii-san, I'm not dumb. I asked a servant if they knew about you and she paused for a bit before she asked me what I wanted."
Fine. Yes, I advised them to go away. You don't need extra eyes while you soak in the lake.
Hisoka patted Yato's maw before he walked on forward. "I might just walk a little bit in this direction and then I will come back. Do you think you can follow me that far?"
Possibly.
Yato didn't know anything about the surrounding area, but kept vigilance at a distance. Cloaking himself in his limited abilities, he followed behind Hisoka at a slower pace. Hisoka didn't need Yato glued to his side. Hisoka explored around the town before he befriended Yato. Surprising to no one, Hisoka was independent in certain aspects.
At some point, Yato hit a limit. Giving Hisoka an encouraging nod, Hisoka continued on his own. Almost slower in his steps as he looked around the area, fascinated at the flora and thicker trees, he breathed in the crisp, clean air.
A jolt from his empathy prompted Hisoka to pause. The emotions of children were always a roller coaster. Children change their moods constantly. They were never level headed in their energy.
At least, children were not intentionally cruel like his family members.
Going on forward, he noticed a beaten down path in between the tall grass. The grass was stomped down to make way for whoever was walking in the area. This meant the children were nearby this path or were exploring.
Hisoka almost didn't want to interact with people but he took a deep breath and broke through the bushes.
In a cleared part of the forest, were a group of village boys playing with a ball. The urge to run over to them and ask them to play was strong. Hisoka somewhat started getting used to being ignored by the village kids after a few times of playing with them.
Hisoka didn't know why they turned against them. He was polite and courteous. He said nothing mean to them like his cousins did to others who were not from blue blooded families.
He only found out the truth after he fell ill and his father visited him thinking he was asleep. Through his delirium, his empathy spiked when his father pressed a cold hand against his forehead.
This one touch exposed Hisoka to the memory of his father letting the children's parents know not to let their kids interact with him.
Hisoka persisted in making friends but none of them stuck.
"Hello." Hisoka waved at the village kids.
One of the newer faced kids piped up. "Hi!" He held up a plastic ball in his hands. "Want to play with us?"
Hisoka almost nodded, but saw the looks from the other children who were warned away from him. He remained silent.
Despite the whispers, Hisoka felt the waves of trepidation and uncertainty.
"Wait! Ken-kun, he's a Kurosaki!"
"Yeah, mom said not to speak to them."
"But, why? Aren't they supposed to be important?"
"Important to where we don't speak to one!"
"How do we even know he is one?"
"His hair and eyes are the biggest clue. Dad said Kurosak'si always have those colors."
"But, I saw some older Kurosaki and they have black hair."
"Those are not the important Kurosaki."
"There are less important Kurosaki?"
Feeling awkward, Hisoka thought to dismiss himself from these kids. As far as he could tell, none of them wanted to play with him.
While they were stage whispering, Hisoka started to leave but he was stopped by a yell.
"No, no, play with us!" The one Hisoka heard was called Ken insisted. "There is still enough time before dinner. C'mon!"
Turning to the direction of where Yato was hidden, Hisoka felt a pulse of encouragement. Beaming, Hisoka looked back at the boy and nodded his head. "Okay!"
The next time Hisoka met those boys, they turned away from him and ran away.
Frozen in place, Hisoka controlled the urge to cry. Out of all the lessons he learned, he couldn't show his reaction to outsiders. Much less people who were not immediate family. Even then, Hisoka couldn't behave like a regular child. Tears were seen as weakness.
Hisoka hadn't cried in front of his parents in years. Rui ignored him while Nagare sent the nanny to see to his discomfort. Yato was the one who comforted him from his nightmares more often than not.
At some point, Yato taught him breathing exercises and to think a certain way to stop his tears from forming. The techniques helped him from releasing his tears until he got to his rooms. Sometimes, he failed and cried in front of others. He was still learning how to control his face.
When the boys were out of sight, he looked down at the ground. His hopes at being treated as normal were misplaced.
In the family he was born in, he would never be normal.
Sighing, Hisoka didn't feel like exploring this particular area anymore. He turned around and returned to his section of Kurosaki manor. Through losing himself in the scenery, he forgot the emotions he felt from before.
He made it to his room and changed into a softer yukata. His newer nanny rushed inside with a tray of tea and snacks before leaving to return to her chores.
He thought he was over his sadness from before. Until, Yato popped his head out of the hidden door. Hisoka started tearing up at the sight of him.
Seeing his distress, Yato slithered out and laid his head on Hisoka's lap.
"Yato nii-san." Hisoka couldn't stop the tears from flowing out of his eyes.
What happened?
"It happened again. No one wants to talk to me. Nagare stopped more kids from playing with me."
Yato nuzzled his maw against Hisoka's downtrodden face. I shall attempt to sway his stance, but Kurosaki Nagare is firm in his actions.
Hisoka wiped away his tears with tough swipes. "Why does he hate me?"
I understand that he doesn't hate you. Had he hated you, you wouldn't run freely around Kurosaki manor.
Hisoka hiccuped. "But…. I have no friends. You're my brother, not a friend, Yato nii-san." He quickly reassured Yato before he got the wrong idea. "What is so wrong with me having friends? I was taught to be nice to everyone."
They're commoners. Not blue blood or come from a noble title. Of course, the Kurosaki would filter out your friends. Yato lowered his head back down onto Hisoka's lap. Remember, you have the advantage over all these weaklings. You filter out their intent before they interact with you.
Hisoka nodded his head. "I know."
Cry it out if you need to. Tomorrow is another day.
Hisoka burrowed his face into Yato's untangled hair. His whole body trembled as he clutched onto Yato's head and hid his face from the world.
Yato tolerated the uncomfortable feeling of wet scales and hair for a majority of the afternoon.
After Hisoka finished his classes for the afternoon, Hisoka met his teachers, Tachibana and Mori.
Nagare called him through the use of a servant and he arrived without delay. Hisoka stood before his teachers with baited breath.
These men were not from their city. It was evident in their smiles and the manner of speech. His teachers didn't stumble to bow before him. The lack of overdone platitudes was a nice change. They were from the big city and new to the area. Making it easier for Hisoka to have unbiased teachers who didn't placate him.
Not that his tutors were biased. His tutors were strict and didn't make the material easier for him. Hisoka learned far beyond the usual grade school material due to his rigorous and stern teachers who disliked slackers.
It helped that Hisoka studied alongside Yato. Yato learned behind the walls and was intelligent in his own right. Yato's lectures were rarely boring. Hisoka listened with an open ear as he reviewed his notebooks.
Through all the help he received, it would have been a shame if Hisoka didn't study hard.
Hisoka stared up at his teachers. Both of them appeared friendly, his power flared a bit for him to further inspect them. Thoughts of being paid well and the long trip filtered through Hisoka's mind. Other than the inconvenience, they didn't seem upset about having to teach him.
Nagare informed Hisoka. "Tachibana Daichi is your archery instructor and Mori Haruto is your kendo instructor. They will train you three times a week."
"Yes sir."
Tachibana and Mori shared an incredulous look at the manner Hisoka addressed his father.
Heart wrenching at not being addressed as father, Nagare continued on. "They will test you before beginning your lessons."
Mori piped up. "The Young Master will begin his real lessons on the second visit, Master Nagare." He looked down at Hisoka with a slight smile. "He needs to know what it takes before he holds a bow or a wooden sword."
Tachibana agreed. "We've found it easier to go through an explanation plan followed through with examples and a demonstration portion. The Young Master will have a better grasp of the material in this manner."
Mori added on. "Besides, the Young Master has gone through a rigorous day of studying. We shall ease him into the lessons so as to not disrupt his schooling."
Nagare nodded in approval. "Good." Glancing at Hisoka, he let out a sigh. "I shall leave you to it." Nagare turned around and left the area without addressing his son.
Tachibana and Mori ignored the distant implications for their student's sake. Family drama wasn't their business, but Hisoka needed a space to release his energy several times a week. They could provide this service for as long as Master Nagare deemed their use for.
When Nagare was out of sight, Hisoka bowed deep. "It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I hope I meet your expectations."
Soaking in the lake after an intense lesson helped loosen Hisoka's muscles.
He floated on the surface of the lake, arms spread wide, back arched. His eyes were closed and water filled his ears. The shadow from the surrounding trees helped cover most of Hisoka's body from the sun. So far, Hisoka had not burned from the rays of the sun.
Underneath his back, he felt the tickle of Yato's tail poking his skin. Yato tended to hover his tail under Hisoka in case he flinched and started flailing about.
Hisoka couldn't help but smile.
His older brother was always so careful of his safety. Yato was a constant presence to where Hisoka trusted him more than the adults in his life.
Turning his head to the side, half of his face was submerged under water, causing him to close one eye. At a distance, he saw Yato peeking through one of the hidden doors, his tail camouflaged in the surrounding grassy areas.
Through his exposed ear, he heard the servants rushing around the area. Their palpable anxiety washed over Hisoka. Hisoka moved his head to look upward, blocking their energy from ruining his swim time.
Hisoka didn't realize the luck of being placed in the isolation room until he woke up hours later.
When the door to the isolation room was shut, he slammed his hands onto the door and kept up the pace until he tired himself out. Slinking down onto the floor, he curled into the blanket left for him to keep warm.
He tried to remember where he went wrong.
Remembering the shocked expression on his father's face over telling him of his thoughts, Hisoka huddled further into himself. He didn't mean to tell his father that he knew of his disgust at having to talk to Uncle Iwao. Whenever anyone from his home talked to Uncle Iwao, their smiles hide the bad feelings that came out of them. Safe to say, no one other than his grandmother liked Iwao.
At nine years old, his powers accumulated enough to where his control left him during the worst times. Try as he might, he overheard the worst things coming from the minds of every person he encountered. He learned about his first impression seconds after he met a person.
Secrets didn't remain secrets for long.
And he disliked having to act out a smile when his mind hurt. He wasn't versed in the acting ploys his family members did every day.
Yato warned him about seeking the company of people whose negative emotions exuded out of their pores. As the heir, he couldn't hide from family members or from high ranking companies. His mother dragged him out, almost violent in her manner of inspecting him before his nanny dressed him. Making sure that no one saw her, she pinched his sides whenever he hunched over. Her sadness and anger jumped out, scaring him out of his mind.
Young heir? Yato prompted. Hisoka?
Hisoka sniffled. "Yato nii-san?" He turned his head around the dark room, trying to find the source of Yato's voice. Calming down at the sound of his friend, he sat up, cuddling the blanket even closer around his body.
Little one, why are you in this room? Yato cooed from beyond the walls. This is not a room for you to occupy. A nice, well lit room suits you. Far from such a cold, desolate place.
Hisoka used his blanket to wipe the remaining tears from his face. "Father put me in here." He hiccupped. "I didn't mean to tell him."
What did you tell him? Yato inquired.
Hisoka blurted out. "I overheard my father's mean words about Uncle Iwao. Well, I heard it in my mind! A lot of the servants had the same thoughts! No one likes him! I try to like him, but he isn't very nice!"
Yato peered through one of the openings of the wall and watched the energy swirl around the child. There is no need to like such a bitter soul, young heir. He is beyond saving. He will die soon enough.
Hisoka rubbed his cheeks with his blanket. "But...he's my uncle. I have to love my family."
Who told you such a ridiculous notion? It does not matter. He doesn't hold positive emotions for you, does he?
Hisoka muttered. "No...he always seems mad whenever he sees me. Like...he's angry that I'm the heir."
Waste no tears or notions of ever holding any positive feelings for your family members. Their importance will lessen once you become a master. Yato heard Hisoka utter a huh, which prompted him to repeat himself. Don't waste your time crying for your family. Pressing nose on the right spot, the door propped open.
Hisoka snapped his head toward the noise and saw Yato's glowing eyes. Shuffling on his feet, he ran toward the snake. He was happy to see a familiar face in the doom and scary room. Wrapping his arms around Yato's muzzle, he held him tight, almost afraid that his nii-san might leave his touch.
Young heir, your grip. Yato bit back his irritation from his tone, but he understood Hisoka's clinginess. The child's powers fluctuated from his own emotions and his palpable fear catapulted the boy onto him.
"Sorry..." Hisoka loosened his grip and his lower lip wobbled. "It's just...I am afraid of the dark."
Yet, you seek comfort from a large reptile. You have interesting views of what is terrifying to you and what is not. Yato mused as he positioned his chin onto Hisoka's lap.
Hisoka ran his fingers through Yato's matted hair, being careful in detangling some of the strands. "Nii-san, you need a hairbrush." Yato's glowing eyes looked up at him, bringing in some light into the dark room. "May I brush it?"
I never had a need to brush my hair. His tongues tended to keep his strands untangled but running after a child made him forget his grooming. But—you may brush it on a happier day.
Hisoka declared Saturday mornings as hair brushing day.
Waking up to his newest nanny bringing in his breakfast, Hisoka tried to conceal his excitement over brushing Yato's hair. He liked being helpful even if most people didn't thank him for it. He tried staying up during the night, but he closed his eyes for one moment and went to sleep. Once he woke up, he pouted about his lack of control.
As he bounced on his pillow, he averted his eyes from his newest nanny. She didn't exude any positive or bright energy. All her thoughts spiraled into her failure over not being able to leave their town. He saw images of her reading different booklets and then crying at a piece of paper that showed her test scores. The low numbers made him wince. His father would have never tolerated him getting lower grades in tests or failing in his final grades. Then again, Kurosaki family members couldn't be second best to common folk. Had Hisoka failed or did poorly, his family wouldn't take it well.
Hisoka clasped his hands together and voiced his thanks for the meal. The nanny stood to the side, silent and cold.
She disliked him on principle. Thinking of him as a spoiled prince who received everything he wanted. This was far from the truth, but Hisoka said nothing to change her thoughts. He couldn't have possibly known of her hatred of the Kurosaki if he didn't read her mind. Anyone employed by the Kurosaki knew better than to whisper anything bad about their employers.
When he finished his breakfast, the nanny left with the dirty plates, leaving him alone in the room.
He waited until her footsteps trailed on before he piped up. "Yato nii-san? She's gone!"
The hidden door propped open before Yato made his way inside. Slithering in, Yato stopped beside Hisoka who bowed his head in greeting. Afterwards, Hisoka hugged Yato's head before he retrieved his own hair brush.
He returned to his seat before Hisoka went to task in untangling Yato's hair. At first, he started from the top, until Yato used his tail to guide his hands toward the ends of his hair. Huffing at his mistake, Hisoka sectioned off the hair and continued on brushing the entangled bundles. Of course, he took his time, making sure he didn't hit a snag or pull hard.
Yato melted onto Hisoka's lap. If he had the capability of eyelids, he would have fluttered them closed and lost himself in the gentle handling of his hair. Hisoka was careful whenever he gathered handfuls of his hair and slowly moved his brush down to detangle knots. In some instances, Hisoka even massaged the top of his head, making the snake almost hiss in delight.
Yatonokami didn't realize time passed by quickly. He was almost asleep when Hisoka set down the brush on his low rise table. The sound of the brush hitting the wooden surface broke Yato from his thoughts.
"All better!" Hisoka huffed with pride. "I can put my fingers in your hair now!"
Sluggish from the tender treatment, Yato peered up at Hisoka. He had forgotten the satisfaction of another person grooming him. In his human form, he tended to use his powers to wave through his hair to keep it untangled. He pulled it back and didn't dare cut it short. Snakes from the shikigami realm shared this similar pride in their hair with the dragons.
Although, his energy surged through his body, not his hair.
Yato always found the indicator of power level through the hair a ridiculous notion. Then again, he was a snake, not a dragon. As a result of the confusion, Yato received enemies attempting to cut off his hair. The panic wasn't dire in Yato's case, but he thrived in his enemies underestimating him.
So far, none of his opponents managed to cut or singe his long flowing hair.
The thought of sparring brought a sense of nostalgia in Yato. He missed having someone to release the energy he accumulated in his body. To feel the adrenaline of defeating his enemies or an opponent who gave him a challenge.
But, in this miniature form, he was cut off from a majority of his power.
He was stuck in the world of the living.
Yato cursed Kurosaki Ren for his involvement in trapping him. He cursed him for fifteen generations. His anger built up inside of him, simmering underneath the enchantment used to keep him attached to them.
Yato had the last laugh when Kurosaki Ren's first born son was born. He looked just like Yatonokami's human form. Blond hair and green eyes. The boy looked nothing like his parents. The first generation's heir showed the first signs of Yato's curse.
Yato thought his resentment for the Kurosaki would continue on for him to torture generations of masters to come. Yet, the sixteenth-generation heir's innocence was something Yato didn't know he needed.
Peering up at Hisoka, Yato ignored the pang of warmth over seeing Hisoka's beaming smile.
Upon returning late from an after-dinner walk, Hisoka overheard his parents' explosive argument from the hallway that attached the master and heir suites.
Hisoka didn't need to understand their words to feel their resentment and anger toward one another.
Sighing, he turned toward his side and began walking toward his room. He didn't need to be caught listening in on them and getting punished for eavesdropping. Although, walking in on the commotion wouldn't get him in trouble.
Case in point, his new nanny appeared out of nowhere and ushered him down the hall. Frantic in keeping him away from the yelling, on the assumption Hisoka cared.
Hisoka ignored her comforting words as he inquired. "May I have tea, please?"
"Of course!" The nanny opened the door to his room and Hisoka entered inside. "Don't worry young master, just read your book and I will be back with your tea." The nanny forced cheer in her voice as she retreated from his room.
Hisoka held back the urge to roll his eyes before he changed into his sleepwear. It wasn't close to the time he fell asleep, but he didn't want the nanny to stick around. The nanny always left him alone when he changed clothes.
Dropping his clothes into his laundry basket, he grabbed a random book from his shelf and started reading. He sat at his low rise table, waiting for his tea.
The newest shipment of books were for kids older than him, but they were appropriate for him to read. His family would never let him read books that would persuade him away from his family. Hisoka learned this fact during one of his grandmother's visits.
He tuned out the echoing screams from across the manor and focused on his book.
Exiting his wife's bedroom, Nagare rubbed his temples. Having spent the last hour or so trying to placate the woman, Nagare was tired.
Passing his heir's bedroom, Nagare overheard the beast.
Again.
He didn't understand Hisoka's fascination with the creature. He ignored the fact that his involvement in keeping Hisoka from interacting with outsiders pushed the beast onto his son. Without anyone other than his teachers to speak to him, it was natural for Hisoka to seek refuge in anyone or anything.
The mere sight of this beast would have been enough to scare a child. A normal child would have run the other way and stayed far away from it. Yet, Hisoka continued on speaking to the thing without fear in his soul.
Then again, his son wasn't normal.
Hisoka's flaw ruined a competent, no, an exceptional heir.
Hisoka surpassed his father and uncle in academics. There were no bad reports throughout the year. In fact, Hisoka learned material a few grades beyond his age. Hisoka's tutors boasted about their brilliant student having no trouble learning their material.
His manners were awe inspiring to everyone who interacted with him. For his age, Hisoka should have been immature and childish, but he showed none of those aspects. Hisoka addressed everyone in a polite tone and threw no tantrums.
Hisoka was one of the best up and coming masters to lead the Kurosaki family.
Nagare didn't realize that the beast he abhorred helped polish Hisoka. His inaction in his own son's life laid the groundwork for Hisoka to resent him once he grew old enough to think for himself.
Kurosaki Hisoka's corruption against his family began past the point of no return.
TBC