Author's Note: So, another chapter is here! I am also currently working on a collab project with one of my friends which will involve a college AU with characters spanning different generations. It promises to be raunchy, sinful- and dark. Just how I like my coffee... wait I don't drink coffee. Well, if I did! Anyhoo, keep your eyes peeled and enjoy this next instalment of drama saga! Ciao!


Chapter Nine

Touya wasn't entirely sure what Rosa's little scheme was, but when his sienna irises melted into mischievous azure, he couldn't help but feel terribly uneasy. She had never wanted to willingly converse with him or Touko for that matter. And yet here she was in his bedroom with the both of them, drawling on about some party.

He couldn't care less, he hated keeping up appearances, and the last thing the boy desired was to spend an evening with a bratty teenage girl who lacked any brain cells. He needed that like a hole in the head.

"So... you're inviting us to a birthday party?" Touko questioned curiously as she relaxed on the boy's bed, gently nudging her twin's thigh with her foot playfully. He sighed heavily, batting at her white socks.

"Will you cut that out?!" He spat, as she merely rolled her eyes. Rosa was leaning against the wall near to the bedroom door, just in case, things turned sour. I mean, she had to plan for these things as the twins weren't exactly known for their warm demeanour. Touko admittedly was a lot nicer than Touya, but she still wasn't going to take any chances.

"Yes, I am inviting you. The more, the merrier I see it, and who doesn't enjoy underage drinking and pizza?"

"We don't even know this guy though," Touko stated, looking at the slim girl. "I mean... won't he get pissed off that you've invited randomers to his birthday party?" She shook her head wildly, smiling brightly.

"Of course not! Hugh already knows we have new siblings, so what better way to introduce you than a celebration?" Touya had rested his head on the palm of his hand, looking away. For an odd reason, the mere thought of spending any time with that guy was unsettling. What if he had ulterior motives and wanted to steal Nate away from him?

"... I'll pass, thanks for the offer though..." He grunted through clenched teeth, which immediately caused Rosa's cheeks to puff out in annoyance. It wouldn't be easy convincing this guy to go, she knew that, but maybe she had to start dripping the poison in to change his mind?

"Oh, that's a shame. Nate is going to be there, and you know how he gets with alcohol in his system. Such a lightweight~" She smirked in victory, as sienna eyes immediately met hers and stared hatefully into her very soul. Not that she cared. It was so pleasing watching the brunet get wound up by merely mentioning her brother's name. Touko noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere and sat up.

"Touya... relax, okay? It'll be fine."

"You do know she's got an ulterior motive, right?" He accused angrily. "This is all some sick and twisted game, and it's so obvious!" Rosa feigned being hurt and dramatically placed a hand over her heart. Her eyes falsely shimmered to give the impression Touya's empty words actually affected her.

"You wound me, bro... as if I would ever do such a thing~" He clenched his hands into fists in his lap as he turned away once again, staring at the floor. There was no way he could risk Nate going to this party without him being there. What if he got so drunk he ended up doing something with this Hugh guy? Deep within he cursed. Why had this kid affected him so severely?

"When is the party?" Touko asked gently, trying to calm down the statically charged energy between the two.

"Tomorrow~" Rosa grinned from ear to ear, knowing that this conversation had rattled the usually confident brunet. His body language strained with anger, just threatening to surface- but she wasn't the slightest bit intimidated. She would do anything to protect Nate, no matter what it was.

"We will be there," Touko stated, looking over at her brother. "Right, Touya?" His body stiffened as the attention of everyone in the room focused solely on his hunched figure. His jaw tensed as his eyes closed for a moment to recompose. They were leaving him with little choice right now, and even though it would be his idea of Hell, he had to go if only to ensure Nate wouldn't do anything stupid.

"...fine." Then sienna eyes burned into Rosa's form, and if looks could kill, she would have died on the spot, and painfully too. "We will be there."

"Oh lovely~" She beamed, clasping her hands together. "Nate will be so happy!"

"Where is the party?" Touko asked, almost feeling her brother's anger in the literal sense, as he grunted in response.

"Oh, it'll be at his house! It's just a few blocks down the road." Touya was all too aware of where that Quilfish-haired guy lived. He had the opportunity to glare at its walls from afar a few times now. There was no way this was just a simple gathering for a birthday. It just seemed too well thought out, there had to be an underlying reason. Was Rosa trying to get back at him somehow?

"Okay, thank you for the information." Rosa grinned brightly, feeling extremely pleased with herself. This party was the perfect opportunity to see just how Touya and Nate behaved under the influence of alcohol, and if he dared put one foot wrong, she had planned to take photographic evidence for blackmail purposes. Oh, it was such a devious little plan; it made her almost want to squeal in delight.

"No problem! I look forward to it! I'll go and tell Nate the good news~" As her sickly sweet voice faded from memory and she closed the bedroom door behind her, Touya's jaw tensed, and his brow furrowed. That girl... just what was she trying to do? Touko looked at her brother in concern, seeing how agitated he had become.

"Touya...?"

"She's up to no good sis, I just know it." It was amazing how her brother was now the concerned party when it came to ill intentions, when not too long ago, he was the one planning the devious schemes. The tables really had turned, and drastically also.

"How do you know that?" He looked at her incredulously.

"Did you not see how she was trying to get a rise out of me? She's fucking lucky she's Nate's twin..."

"Now, now..." Touko scolded, gently rising up to slap his arm. "Violence is never the answer."

"I never said anything about violence. I have better ways of ruining people." He muttered darkly, idly fidgeting with his hands in his lap, while his brain was on overdrive. Touko sighed softly, clearly worried. He really believed that Rosa was up to no good, and even though the invitation was definitely sudden, she couldn't fully believe that the young girl harboured a mind as dark as her brother's

"...well, let's just see how this party goes, yeah? I mean, it could all be fine, and you're here stressing over nothing." He exhaled deeply.

"Alcohol is involved sis, you know how Nate got last time he was drunk."

"Yeah, he lunged at you because he finds you ridiculously attractive, and you turned him down," Touko stated simply, looking at his hunched form. Touya sighed heavily, cautiously running a hand through his hair.

"That's not really the concern. What if he tries doing something in front of her? Or even in front of his best friend? They'll know we don't have a normal brotherly relationship and then..."

"Ah... say no more." She quickly cut him off, understanding completely. If Nate was extremely intoxicated, then all rational thinking would fail to reach the deep crevices of his mind, and it was likely he would act in a way that could jeopardise everything. If Rosa or Hugh found out about this sinful relationship, or even worse get evidence of this, then their Dad would immediately shut it down, even if it meant leaving altogether.

"...I know it was my intention from the start to make sure the kid accidentally told someone about us so we could leave and be with mother again... but I swore I wasn't going to do that now. I promised him." Gently she rested a hand to his shoulder, and her fingers softly eased the tension that had formed there. Touya was extremely stressed, it was practically radiating off his body in waves.

In such a short space of time, he was now worried that someone would take Nate away from him, and even though the whole relationship was wrong to a degree, Touko couldn't deny that she enjoyed seeing her brother finally happy.

"You really care about this kid, don't you?" Feeling frustrated with himself, Touya put his head in his hands, attempting to sort out the chaotic mess in his brain. Now the mere idea of being forced to leave Nate was actually excruciating, even though a week ago that had been the plan all along. What had changed? Yeah, he was adorable and submissive, but there was more than that. Nate actually accepted him for who he was, despite knowing the horrible truth.

"I guess I do... pathetic I know." Touko moved until both her arms wrapped around her twin brother, cuddling him gently. They weren't a particularly affectionate family, but she knew that when Touya was feeling vulnerable, all he needed was support and someone to tell him it would all be okay.

"You're not pathetic Touya, it's perfectly natural to care about someone. I'm actually so happy you're not Hell-bent on ruining his life, and actually want to protect him now. Nate's a sweet kid, and doesn't deserve the hurt or upset." She was right, he was the embodiment of an Angel to him, and Touya felt like nothing more than a wretched apparition doomed to Hell for eternity.

He didn't deserve Nate. He didn't deserve to feel these feelings for him, or even think it was acceptable. It was all so wrong and messed up, but it was too late to go back now. Deep within he could feel every pained beat of his heart, hammering against his ribcage. Nate was too precious to lose, and Touya made a mental note to try and protect him as much as possible- for both of their sakes.

XxXx

Nate stared at his sister in wonder while he busied himself in washing the dishes. Her relaxed form draped on one of the counters, a sweet smile tugging at her lips. Of course, this news was bound to please him, after all- she knew just how naïve her brother could be.

"So... they're going to come with us?"

"Yeah, I managed to convince them with my amazing conversational skills~" Nate beamed happily, overjoyed that finally he would be able to introduce Touya to his best friend, and was utterly oblivious to any ill intentions that harboured within his sister's mind. As far as he was aware, this was a good thing.

"That's great news! Thanks, sis!" Nate turned to wipe his hands on a towel nearby now all of the dishes had been cleaned and lined up ready to dry. Rosa just stared at her brother, tirelessly trying to figure out the workings of his mind. She could see that he was helplessly infatuated with Touya for an odd reason, and needed to get to the bottom of it.

It wasn't as if he were a supermodel or anything, in fact, she thought him to be quite dull, and yet her brother had taken a shine to him in a big way. There needed to be a way to nip it in the bud as fast as possible.

"I'm sure you're excited to celebrate Hugh's birthday, no? It'll be good for you guys to have some time together." Nate turned to face Rosa, trying to conceal any emotion from his face. He hadn't seen Hugh since the incident involving alcohol, when he so shamelessly lunged at him, and deep within- he was worried that things would somehow be awkward between them. But he kept it to himself. The last thing he needed was for his sister to become aware of this knowledge.

"O-oh... yeah! It'll be good!" She raised an eyebrow at him, smirking.

"Why are you blushing?" He gaped at her.

"I'm not...!" A soft chuckle escaped her lips, as secretly she took great pleasure in seeing her brother become so flushed. This plan would definitely work, especially now Nate had given her the ammunition.

"Sure... anyhoo, I have to go and tell Hugh the news about the party! Try not to break anything cupcake~" As she bobbed out her tongue, Nate watched her slim form walk towards the front door and leave swiftly.

His heart fluttered within his chest, and inwardly he cursed, gripping the counter with his fingers. Would it really be plain sailing? For an odd reason, he felt nervous and uneasy- but if Touya was coming along, then at least this time it would be different as the object of his desires would be within reach. That thought in itself caused the brunet to smile, as he wiped down the surfaces with a towel.

XxXx

"You did what...?!" Hugh almost yelled at the girl stood outside of his front door, to which she flinched inwardly and anxiously scuffed her shoe against the gravel. It might have been a good idea to have kept Hugh in the loop in regards to her devious plan, after all- he was the main attraction.

"I thought you would be pleased?!" Rosa cried out, pouting a little as the navy-haired male folded his arms, and leaned against the wall.

"Happy that you're bringing your psycho step siblings to my house? Yeah, I'm ecstatic..." He grumbled sarcastically. She rolled her eyes in response. What had happened here? Hugh had been quite open to the idea of helping her before, had something changed?

"Hugh, you were happy to help me out before so why are you moaning about it now?" Crimson eyes blinked for a moment before he found himself looking away shyly. How could he bring himself to tell her about Nate's drunken antics? He was almost positive that the brunet would never mention it to anyone, and it felt wrong to casually spill those secrets out to the one person who never had an off switch.

"It's not that I won't help you, Rosa. Just... have you really thought this through?" She nodded and grinned brightly.

"Yes! Come now cupcake, do you really think I would have left something out here? Get Nate and Touya on the alcohol and watch them make stupid mistakes! Then I'll be there with my trusty polaroid camera and- BINGO! Blackmail time~" He sighed heavily, actually hating the plan. He wasn't sure why the thought of Nate and his step-brother gave him chills, but it literally made his stomach churn. They weren't related by blood, so it wasn't technically incest, but it was still weird and unsettling. Or maybe, there was another reason for the boy's disdain. He wasn't sure.

"That sounds horrendous..." He dead-panned, watching as she puffed her cheeks out like an enraged Jigglypuff.

"Look! I need photographic proof that Touya is manhandling my brother, and then I can tell our Mom about it to put a stop to it!"

"Rosa, do you really think it'll be so simple?" She paused for a moment to look at Hugh, how his crimson eyes stared into her own with concern and worry. "...your family will be in ruins if that happens. Do you wanna be responsible for hurting your brother like that?" Once more, she rolled her eyes, not quite believing what Hugh was trying to insinuate. She was only trying to help Nate, to pull him out of Touya's malicious clutches and give him the chance to be loved by someone who actually cared for him and valued his company.

"Nate would eventually forgive me once he realised that my intentions were nothing but sincere!" Hugh shook his head, not believing her.

"You say that Touya has ill intentions? By doing this... you are no matter than he is. Just think about that." He could literally see the workings of Rosa's brain and watched at how her face contorted to that of sadness, with an undertone of guilt. Her eyes misted with tears, and immediately he started to panic. Oh no, he could never handle girls crying, he had experienced that enough with his sister.

"I-I... just wanna see him happy..." She mumbled sadly, and Hugh literally had no idea what to do, seeing her begin to crumble in front of him. He wasn't prepared to deal with her bawling her eyes out, or having to be the emotional pillar of support.

"Hey, hey... don't cry, okay? I'm sorry." He spoke gently, cautiously attempting to console her before the flood gates opened. "...just... don't cry, I can't... deal with that..." She sniffled a little, holding back the tears.

"You don't understand Hugh! Touya wants to hurt Nate! That's been his intention from the start! I have to protect him!"

"I get that... honestly, I do, and I'm right there with you- but, this isn't the way about it." Her eyes looked away, momentarily. Hugh breathed deeply, hating this. Why did he feel like right now he was the bad guy in this? He was only trying to offer a different perspective on everything.

"...we have to do something; otherwise Nate is going to get hurt." Hugh sighed softly and looked thoughtful. If they even attempted anything too risky then evidently the brunet would get wise to it and end up hating them for interfering. They had to play a long game here, it was the only way.

"Let's just see how the party goes, and see what happens from there, okay?" As she looked up and their eyes met, Rosa weakly nodded, sniffling back her tears. Deep within, Hugh was relieved that she hadn't broken down in front of him as he wasn't the best at dealing with people's emotions. It was excruciating enough when Molly would cry over the smallest inconvenience.

For now, it was better to just wait and see how the two interacted and make a judgement based on that. Hugh was very aware just how close their relationship was, but refused to disclose that information. If Touya had any ill intentions towards his best friend, then Rosa wouldn't have to act, because he would willingly put a stop to it, regardless of how Nate felt.

XxXx

As the day was finally starting to merge into the evening, a beautiful indigo sky captured Touya's attention from the lookout. A fresh breeze tousled his hair and dissipated as soon as it arrived. At least the weather was pleasant today, and the boy needed some fresh air after that intense exchange with Rosa.

He found himself frowning, trying to think of the possible schemes that the girl could be plotting against him. Was she trying to out his relationship in front of everyone? Just waiting for him to slip up and capture it on film so she could potentially blackmail him?

That would totally be her style, wouldn't it? She would stop at nothing to get him out of her life, and now he gave it some thought he realised that Rosa and himself were very alike in so many ways. They were both trying to protect and salvage their own families. It was so strange to actually be able to understand her ill intentions, even if they paled in comparison to his own darkness.

"Touya...?" A small voice piped up nearby, until a pair of slim arms wrapped snugly around his waist and a weight settled on his back. "...what you doing out here?"

"Thinking I guess..." He answered the smaller boy, not even bothering to turn around to face Nate. It was comforting knowing that he cared, and despite everything was still there offering an ear and a shoulder to cry on if need be.

"Is it about the party?" Touya tensed immediately, and Nate felt the change of his body against him. Gently he pressed his cheek against the taller boys shoulder blade in an attempt to convey that he was here, and wasn't going anywhere. Touya had only just begun to open up, and the last thing he wanted was for them to end up back at square one again.

"... I'm just a bit concerned..." He answered, honestly.

"It'll be okay. Hugh isn't a bad person, Touya. I think you'll like him!"

"That isn't why I'm worried..." Then he paused, stopping himself. How could he speak to Nate about this? It wasn't as if he could willingly drop into conversation that he was convinced that Rosa had a vendetta against him.

"Then why...?" Nate asked in a small voice, causing Touya to sigh softly. They just had to be alert tomorrow when the party rolled around, and try not to make any rash decisions. It would be difficult if Nate got paralytic on drink again, but they would have to cross that bridge if they ever came to it.

"I... don't want you to get yourself into a state again." The smaller boy's arms coiled tighter around Touya's stomach protectively, and he couldn't stop his heart from somersaulting in his chest. Just being able to share sweet, intimate moments like this was something to be grateful for, especially when his demonic intentions could have so easily ruined the relationship within seconds.

"I have you there, so I'm sure I'll be fine." Turning around in the smaller boy's grasp, Touya looked deeply into dark eyes, that shimmered in purity and love. This kid really cared for him in ways that he never thought were possible. He could clearly see the devotion on his countenance, and it made him smile.

"Yeah, I think you're giving me too much credit. I struggled last time with how hammered you were." A faint blush tinted Nate's cheeks as he glanced away, remembering the encounter.

"Oh... y-yeah... sorry about that." Touya grinned and playfully fluffed up his wild hair, watching how the younger boy almost pouted at his actions.

"It's fine, but for the record- next time you throw yourself at me like that, I am not going to be sensible and turn you down~" His teasing tone caused Nate's skin to become heated at the devilish thoughts that swam amok in his brain. They hadn't indulged in full sex yet, but just the idea of it was making the younger boy too hot behind the collar.

"T-Touya..." He muttered shyly. "Don't say that..."

"What? I'm merely stating the truth. So, if you don't want me to ravage your cute self senseless then be sensible with the booze." He winked, and Nate found it almost impossible to keep eye contact. In the moments of intimacy, they shared it was all so very intense, and thinking about the possibility of actually feeling the older boy inside of him was making his groin ache.

"O-okay..."

"Unless that's secretly what you want from me. If it is then, by all means, ~" Smiling, Touya gripped the smaller boy tightly in a hug, picking him up, swinging him around, and they both laughed happily together. The scene was so wholesome if anyone passing by could bear witness they would leave with joyful smiles on their faces. Or most people anyway.

From Hugh's house, both Rosa and Hugh were watching the scene unfold, at how Touya playfully tickled her brother, and how his raucous laughter filled the air. Subconsciously her hands clenched into fists at her sides, which Hugh took immediate note of.

"Rosa..."?

"Look at him... acting like that! Ugh... it pisses me off!" She chewed the inside of her mouth, watching at how they laughed together. Was it all some sick and twisted game? Touya actually appeared happy, that just proved how good of an actor he truly was. He was even almost convincing her that his intentions towards Nate were pure. But she knew better.

"They seem... happy," Hugh noted, feeling a pang of hurt deep within somewhere that needed to stay dead and buried. This was not the time to feel jealous. Rosa sighed, clearly frustrated.

"Don't tell me you're falling for this facade!" Her eyes became hard in disdain. "It's all an act! Although I admit it's very realistic." The blue-haired male shrugged his shoulder's, casually watching the figure of his best friend in the distance, clearly having fun and looking blissfully happy.

"Nate's laughing and smiling, I'd say that is a good thing."

"Yeah, and it would be if it was anyone else doing that apart from Touya!"

"You really have a vendetta against this guy... sheesh! Remind me never to piss you off." Hugh grunted, relaxing against the doorframe, as she clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Think of it like this- would you be calm and understanding if some asshole was trying to hurt Molly?"

"Of course not." He answered simply. "I'd break that asshole's kneecaps."

"Exactly." She turned to look at the sickly scene once again, feeling anger and rage within her body. "...so forgive me for not being all sentimental and soppy about this bullshit."

"But... from how I see it, Touya isn't hurting Nate. They're happy, see?" Rosa closed her eyes briefly, slowly feeling herself lose patience with Hugh. She understood that he only wanted the best for his friend, but the last thing she expected was for that very friend to start siding with the enemy.

"You're still going to help me with that plan, right?" He blinked.

"What plan?"

"The 'play pretend' plan we decided before." Hugh swallowed hard, realising what she meant and instantly regretted asking about it. They had already had an awkward encounter thanks to the devil's liquid, and the last thing he wanted was to make things worse.

"Rosa... you really think that's a good idea? You can't play Arceus with your brother's feelings. It doesn't work that way." She found herself almost glaring intimidatingly at the taller boy, whose face paled considerably.

"Nate is easily lead astray, I am aware of this. So, all it would take is some simple flirting and empty promises, and he'd forget all about Touya~" Hugh exhaled deeply, closing his eyes. Deep inside this didn't sit well with him at all, willingly lying to Nate about his true intentions? It just seemed warped beyond recognition, but if he decided against helping Rosa then surely she would murder him in cold blood. It was like being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"This is wrong, you know, right? This could end up getting more people hurt in the process, you and I included."

"How are we getting hurt, cupcake? It's for the greater good! Sometimes we have to make sacrifices." And as he looked at her face, Hugh could see her once carefree, and kind countenance start to morph into the very thing she had been dead set against.

Rosa was so vengeful and riddled with hatred that it radiated off her in waves, and Hugh was anxious that her deeply personal ideals would affect the severity of the matter at hand.

This plan was doomed- and he knew it.