Disclaimer: I live with my parents.
Summary: When Gokudera Hayato is invited to join the "illustrious order of the clam" Kappa Eta Rho, he is not looking forward to older, higher-ranked, stupid brothers giving him orders and trying to mold him into a respectable gentleman. But his "big brother", Tsunayoshi Sawada, is not what he expected. For one, he's a year Gokudera's junior. For another, he's very attractive in an adorable "don't you just want to obey my every wish" kind of way. Oh, and he's a 10th generation mafia boss.
Dedication: For my darling wonderful friend Ria.
Chapter One
Gokudera took care in choosing his attire for the dinner. Dark gray slacks, white shirt, cobalt blue tie. As he headed toward the Kappa Eta Rho main house, his thumb running over the embossed emblem, he couldn't help feeling a little proud of himself. After all, who else would care? His father certainly didn't. As for his sister, she was unusual. Again, her last words echoed in his mind as he was admitted into the parlor. Looking around, he only recognized two others from his year. Normally Kappa Eta Rho chose freshmen, but sometimes a select number of sophomores were recruited. This year it was Gokudera, a guy he vaguely remembered from his Chemistry class, and, surprisingly enough, Hibari Kyoya, head of the Namimori University Police Force.
Pushing his oddly colored silver bangs away from his forehead, he glanced at the vampirelike man in a way that seemed to say, "I didn't think to find you in such a social situation."
Hibari narrowed his eyes and responded with a glare that read, "Make any comment on the matter and I'll bite you to death."
Wisely choosing to avoid the chairman's general vicinity, Gokudera found himself a drink and joined a number of other recruits in front of a large portrait. It was of a man sitting in a rich wooden chair, staring off to the side. He was handsome in a rugged way, with dark golden hair mused in a styled fashion, a square jaw, and large knuckles that supported his chin. He wore a sort of secretive smile, but it was friendly. "Iemitsu Sawada," said a voice behind Gokudera, and he whirled around to find Yamamoto standing there. "Our founder, along with Mr. R. But we have no pictures of Mr. R, for some reason."
"My sister knows him," Gokudera murmured.
Yamamoto made a curious face, but as he was about to comment, the air was split and every person within ten feet of them jumped in an accurate impression of a frightened warren of rabbits.
"GOKUDERA-KUN!!!!! WECLOME, BROTHER, TO THE ILLUSTRIOUS ORDER OF THE CLAM!!!! EXTREME BROTHERHOOD!!!"
Gokudera cringed and took a tentative step back. He'd nearly forgotten that Ryohei Sasagawa was a member of Kappa Eta Rho. At that moment he reasoned that there were worse candidates for his big brother than Yamamoto. Of course, he could just make a run for it now.
"I hope you will join the Kappa Eta Rho Boxing Club, Hayato, you lucky octopus head!!" the enthusiastic brother cried, trapping Gokudera in a one arm grip. Too late. While Ryohei lead him around, speaking loudly and enthusiastically about boxing and all things extreme, Yamamoto tagged along behind, every so often pulling Gokudera free and introducing him to someone. After half an hour of this, Gokudera felt that he was perhaps the most "rushed" recruit at the dinner so far.
Eventually, though, that part of the evening had to wind down, and all the recruiters were ushered into the dining room, where a banquet was set out for them. Halfway through dinner – perhaps the best Italian food Gokudera had ever eaten – a tall blonde man entered the room, followed closely by two men in dark suits. He had warm brown eyes and wore a full Kappa Eta Rho pin on his lapel. As he passed, Gokudera caught sight of a tattoo on the back of his hand.
"Welcome, young recruiters," he said once he'd reached the front of the room and effectively held everyone's attention. "I am Brother Dino. All of you have been chosen as recruits for this year's Kappa Eta Rho family because you hold outstanding academic records and have been recommended personally by one of our members. Sadly, though, not all of you will be chosen to represent the noble fraternity. In the next hour, myself, Romario," he gestured to the man on his right, "And Brother Tsunayoshi will be conducting interviews. At the end of the night, those of you that are chosen will receive a pledge pin, presented to you by your new big brother."
There was a general murmur of assent, and the guests went back to their dinner while Brother Dino and Romario picked out three recruits and escorted them out of the dining room, obviously to start their interviews.
As each recruit returned, his tablemates pressed him for information about the interviews, but apparently it had been decided that they be kept secret. The boy Gokudera had recognized from his Chemistry class approached him some fifteen minutes after he had been lead away by another recruit.
"Brother Dino will interview thee, Gokudera-kun. Go down the hall and make a right."
Folding his napkin and casting a look around the room as he exited, Gokudera felt the cigarette itch again. He'd gone most of the week without a smoke, and he was regretting it now. It always helped when he was especially nervous.
He took a right halfway down the hall as instructed, and found, down a short passage, a tall wooden door. He started to turn the knob, but realized that it would be impolite not to knock.
"Gokudera Hayato?" came the voice of Brother Dino, muffled through the wood.
"Yes."
"Please enter."
The room was small, but the ceiling high, and almost the entire wall to Brother Dino's back was composed of a single window divided into large panes. Dino sat with his chin resting on steepled fingers, and since his sleeve was drawn back in the fold of his elbow, Gokudera could see the tattoo more clearly. The back of his hand was mostly the full wrath of a blue flame, and just visible up his wrist were a number of black details that he couldn't quite make out to any particular shape.
"I have your school records here, and some letters of recommendation," Dino began, pushing forward an envelope. "You are a very good scholar and Yamamoto Takeshi speaks fondly of you. But please, tell me about yourself."
And so Gokudera began. He told of the house in Europe where he was born to a woman of Japanese nationality and an Italian man, already father to a girl, Bianchi. He spoke briefly of his mother's car accident and the years he spent learning piano and traveling between Japan, Italy and Paris. Lastly he spoke of his interest in chemistry.
While he spoke, Gokudera couldn't help but feel a prickle at the base of his neck. He'd felt it often enough before, and it had become his alarm as a child when Bianchi was looking to use him as a guinea pig for her cooking exploits. However, Bianchi was miles away in Paris, doubtless chasing after her ex-boyfriend. And the prickle wasn't telling him to run, it was telling him to be on his guard.
"And tell me, why are you interested in Kappa Eta Rho?" Dino asked kindly.
Gokudera started to say that it was an honor and that he hoped to contribute to the community through fraternity efforts, but just as he mentioned that he admired many of the alumni, the glass behind Dino smashed and a dark figure tumbled in, a blunt weapon in his hand ready to strike. Gokudera wasn't a stranger to fighting, but this was more real than street fights he got himself into as a teenager in Italy. The person seemed intent on causing Dino harm. So, he acted. Abandoning all formalities he mounted the table, kicked the assailant aside and pushed Dino in his chair out of range. Then, grateful that he always carried it, he pulled out his lighter and a small packet from his pants pocket, lighting it and hurling it straight into the indistinguishable face of the attacker. A moment later, a small explosion issued, and the man lay unconscious.
"Brother Dino?" Gokudera shook his shoulder.
Dino looked from the broken glass window to the unconscious man, finally letting his eyes rest on Gokudera. Unexpectedly, he began to laugh.
"Excellt!" he said, standing up and dusting himself off. "I had no idea that you carried your own weapons. Perfect!"
Gokudera stared.
"Thank you, Gokudera-kun. You may return to your dinner. And please inform Mr. Hibari Kyoya that his interview is next."
As he spoke, the man stirred and stood, dusting himself off as well. Gokudera was stunned to note that he was the man who had stood to Dino's left in the dining room.
"This was a test?" he asked hoarsely.
"Oh, yes. I apologize if I frightened you, but we were never in any danger."
Gokudera opened and closed his mouth a few times in an attempt at speech, but finally just nodded, excused himself, and left the room.
He didn't know it, but the strange interview would not be the first of these spontaneous tests.
After he returned to his dinner, Gokudera calmly fended off any questions. No wonder the others had been so quiet. He watched the others renter the room time after time, hoping to see the flicker of on their faces, and found it more than once. Hibari Kyoya, of course, rentered the room as though he had simply been to the bathroom. The lack of emotion – despite being all too normal for him – made Gokudera want to rush back to the office to make sure that Dino was still alive. Hibari didn't have a sense of humor, and in all honesty he wouldn't be surprised if both exam proctors had been "bitten to death" for the joke. But Hibari walked easily over to another recruit and murmured the same instructions. Gokudera released a breath.
An hour passed, and soon all of the recruits had been interviewed. Dino returned to the dining room, looking unfazed, and proceeded to tell them a short history of the fraternity. When that was done, they were invited back into the parlor for desserts. Gokudera noticed, as he took a bit of strawberry shortcake, that a number of recruits, at least 20 of the invited 60, were gone. Doubtless Dino and his two men had found a way to politely usher them into the hall and inform them that they had not passed the interview.
The unplaceable anxiousness found him again. That meant he would be initiated as a pledge to Kappa Eta Rho. He looked around and saw that almost everyone else was battling with this revelation, save Hibari.
"We are very pleased to tell you that you have all passed the interview portion tonight," Brother Dino announced once he entered the room again. "Kappa Eta Rho has always prided itself on choosing academically driven students with a desire to contribute to our family. Our good founders, Iemitsu Sawada and Mr. R, also feel that young men from all walks of life should be welcomed here. Please feel free to take a moment and congratulate yourselves and your fellow pledge members. In a few moments, I will explain about big brothers, and you will receive a pledge pin from your assigned."
Immediately, Gokudera was crushed between Yamamoto and Ryohei.
"Congratulations, Hayato!"
"EXTREME!!! THE HONOR IS EXTREME!!!"
It was probably too late to back out, unfortunately.
Yamamoto dragged him off with Ryohei close behind in order to shake Brother Dino's hand and thank him. Gokudera wisely stayed mum on the attack.
"If you will all be seated," Dino began when much of the excitement had died down, "We will begin. Pledge week here is very important to us. It is the week in which you will prove to us your worth to the Kappa Eta Rho family. You will perform community service and go through a more thorough interview with Iemitsu Sawada at the end of the week. To guide you through this time and the first trial month, as well as to be your mentor while you are here, will be your big brother."
The ordained members of the "illustrious order of the clam" smiled around at the pledge members.
"Now, on a final note, I wish to speak on the difficult subject of hazing," Dino said. "As you may know, some fraternities in America go to extremes - " Gokudera saw Ryohei's eyes light up at the word, " – to embarrass their pledge members and force them into positions of near servitude. Kappa Eta Rho does not tolerate hazing, but as a pledge member you must be ready to put yourself at the immediate disposal of your big brother's wishes so long as they are in the best interest of yourself, himself, and our noble fraternity."
The was silence.
"That being said, I encourage you to let your big brothers educate you in our ways and help mold you into fine gentleman."
The ordained members of the fraternity stood and wandered around, looking for their little brothers. The boy from Gokudera's chemistry class was pulled aside by Yamamoto, Ryohei nearly gave his a heart attack, and Hibari Kyoya stood rather stiffly while Dino pinned a small gold clam to his lapel. In a week, if they were accepted, the laurel and ribbon would be attached.
"Meet my little brother, Hayato!" Yamamoto exclaimed, pushing the boy forward. Gokudera was shaking his hand and saying that Yamamoto would be an excellent big brother when he was tapped on the shoulder by Ryohei.
"This is Sawada," he said, tugging a young man into their circle. "He's the most EXTREME guy I know!!"
Gokudera was immediately floored. This young man had large brown eyes that seemed perpetually alight with calm fire, a mass of hair that resembled that of the founder's in the way of its styled, unkempt vibe, and an honest smile.
He held out a hand, and was surprised by the firm grip Sawada possessed.
There was that untouchable anxiousness again, but this time it sped up Gokudera's pulse and trapped words in his throat.
"Mr. R has determined that I will be your big brother, Gokudera-kun," Sawada said rather sweetly, reaching up and pinning a small gold clam to his lapel and patting his shoulder. "There. You look quite handsome."
- The Writer