Chapter Seven: "Thank you" is a dangerous phrase . . .

Momentarily amazed by the sudden kindness, Haruka looked up in confusion to Undertaker who wiped away at his tears. They were such big and cold hands against his warm, red cheeks. But imminently, Haruka turned away, refusing to look at him.

Upon turning away, Undertaker sighed and paused a bit, his newly made mark on Haruka completely visible now. He groaned lightly, it was too obviously placed. For sure now, Fujin would make fun and Undertaker didn't doubt the possibility.

Haruka's mind, meanwhile, played back what had just occurred, getting angrier with himself over and over again. How it pained him to be so weak. Feeling lighter, Haruka turned back to find Undertaker off of him now and sitting across from him.

Slowly, Haruka pushed himself up, sliding himself away from Undertaker until his back touched the wall and even then Haruka wished he could get further away. Undertaker noticed, "Be calm, I'll not do something like that again~".

Haruka rose his brow in slight disbelief and kept his distance anyways. "I'm not interested in such base desires" he added, rolling his eyes, not that Haruka could see it anyways. Haruka gave a confused look, why was he still here then? It was obvious Haruka already rejected the proposal made by Undertaker, unless, that wasn't really it.

"Then what do you want?"

Undertaker smiled, "Just what you stole~". Haruka lowered his eyes, "stole", he hated the sound of it, being called a thief. In slight hesitation, Haruka finally sighed and handed over the paper. Undertaker took it with a grin, "Did you take a peek? ~"

Haruka shook his head, should he have? Undertaker rose his brow, "why not?" What kind of question was that? Haruka paused a bit confused, "I-it's not my place . . ." he said slowly. Hah? The boy had clearly stolen it in hopes of wagering but was worried about knowing his place?

Undertaker sighed, Haruka was indeed interesting. He stood up and smiled, "Coming? ~" He asked heading towards the door. Haruka looked at him in surprise, did he really mean to get him unbound from his chains? "I-I can . . .?"

"You gave me what I wanted, it was a deal, right? ~" Undertaker said mockingly but Haruka only sat in shock. He really meant it! He was really going to get him out of here! Years bound from the chains of desire and now they were being shattered. No amount of words could coincide with what Haruka was feeling and so tears swelled up to his eyes and started to fall within seconds.

Undertaker paused as Haruka wept, what an unpleasantly awkward situation to be in. "Hey now, don't cry" he said a bit confused by these tears. Haruka shook his head, the streams of tears still falling and he smiled, ". . . Thank you . . ." it was soft, a mere whisper, but sincere.

Thank you? Undertaker could not remember the last time he was thanked. Sure, he'd heard it countless times but it never meant anything. It was always used in business transactions, but it was merely to appear as good businessmen. But now, here, sitting and weeping, a young boy—Haruka, was thankful, and thankful to him. And it was real, not just some word to pass the time, not just some line used to appear thankful, no, it was real, Haruka was really thankful and it was a real and sincere means of thanks . . .

Undertaker paused, placing a hand to his head, was he really letting some line get to him? Unbelievable Undertaker grumbled to himself. "Alright, alright", Undertaker said coming closer, approaching Haruka. Haruka, too busy in his tears of happiness, gasped when he was lifted off the ground. "Shall we go now, princess? ~"

Haruka flushed red, embarrassed to be carried like a bride, "P-put m-me down" He pleaded and stuttered as Undertaker walked out of the room with him.

"Well I didn't actually expect you to accept the offer" Fujin smoked laying against the wall, just a bit outside of the room. His eyes trailed to Haruka, catching a view of the bruised flesh and then to the slight red hand mark on Undertaker's cheek, "I'm guessing you didn't get your way with him" he mocked, puffing out smoke.

Undertaker grumbled in his mind, he knew Fujin would mock this. "No, apparently not~" he said playfully none the less. "You going to let us go? ~" Undertaker smiled and Fujin huffed, looking to Haruka, "Finished what I wanted?"

Haruka remembered and fumbled his way off of Undertaker's arms, running back into the room and out with the map, "Here . . ." he said slowly, handing it to him. Fujin took it and viewed over it, "Hmn, really talented you are at this too, such a shame" he muttered under his smoke, "You've even detailed traps for me I see" he noticed.

"Ah—um, just the ones I'm aware of" Haruka added nervously. "Oh?" Fujin rose his brow and suddenly shuffled his hand into Haruka's hair, ruffling it with a smile, "You did good kid, you're free to go". Haruka paused surprised, praise?

"U-um, thank you . . ."Haruka smiled softly. Fujin stopped, "what for?" he asked a bit confused. Undertaker also starred at Haruka, he was doing it again, thanking people. "F-for giving me a chance to get my own freedom" Haruka explained still smiling softly. Fujin blinked a couple times before laughing, "Wow sweet cheeks, are you for real?"

Haruka gave a confused look. "You don't thank the people who hold you captive, besides, to be honest, I was more than sure he'd say no" Fujin admitted. Haruka paused a bit, "but, thank you anyways" he said it again. Fujin paused, probably starting to understand why Undertaker said yes. "Yeah, yeah, don't be so nice sweet cheeks or you'll make me fall for you" Fujin laughed a bit, ruffling Haruka's soft hair one more time.

"Ehh?" Haruka gasped a bit surprised by that statement before feeling a hand brush on his shoulder. "Time to go~" Undertaker notified to Haruka. "See you around Undertaker, Haruka" Fujin smirked to the two, taking another puff of smoke.

The other two left, passing the gazes of Fujin's men and soon passing the gates of Fujin's home. Undertaker made way in the direction of his home and stopped upon hearing no other footsteps. He turned slightly to see Haruka bowing politely, "Hmn?" he rose his brow. "T-thank you!" Haruka said bowing and then standing straight, "but I think it's best we go different ways now" Haruka smiled a bit, "I-I mean, I've bothered you enough as it is so I . . ." Haruka stuttered, waving his arms around trying to formulate the right words.

Undertaker was a bit amazed, despite being prone to being assaulted, the boy didn't bother asking for even one night's stay just so he wouldn't bother him? True, the boy had given Undertaker more than enough trouble and it'd probably be best to leave him alone but . . . doing that felt like losing to the boy's unpredictability.

He watched as the boy continued to nervously try and explain and Undertaker just huffed to himself, "You plan to sleep outside? ~" he mocked, "You know you'll just be raped right? ~"

Haruka jolted a bit, Undertaker had a point but he wouldn't dare ask for protection or even a place to sleep. He laughed a bit, gripping the sides of his dress tightly, I-I guess . . . I'll just have to . . ." Haruka was scared out of his mind of sleeping outside alone, especially at night.

Undertaker noticed Haruka gripping his sides and could tell Haruka was afraid. He ginned a bit, "Since I did save you, I guess it's my responsibility to make sure you're alright, you'll be staying at my shop~" he said. Of course, Undertaker wasn't going to ask, he doesn't do the asking after all.

Haruka couldn't pretend he was not relieved but he hesitated, "b-but . . ."

Undertaker didn't allow Haruka time to finish arguing against the idea and started strolling away, "come~" he smiled and walked. Haruka didn't move momentarily before following right afterwards, catching up to Undertaker but keeping a respective distance behind him. ". . . Thank you . . ." Haruka whispered and Undertaker paused a bit before continuing to walk. Indeed, as he thought, those words were dangerous . . . .

They managed to get back in silence, each too busy in their own thoughts to acknowledge any form of conversation. Haruka stopped a bit, upon looking at the shop he had entered. He looked at the coffins laying disorganized on the floor and pressed up against the walls and to the jars of uniquely strange possessions on the shelves. He looked to the small little desk inside that led a small window opening to the outside. It was open, and Haruka guessed Undertaker would gaze out from it to the townspeople or to the sky.

Undertaker watched Haruka to see what reaction he'd make to his shop since everyone seemed to be a bit surprised or mortified when first entering, including Fujin on his first visit. Instead, Undertaker was a bit surprised himself to see nearly no reactions, only the look of curiosity on Haruka's face.

How many times, in such a little time, had this boy done the opposite from what Undertaker had expected? Undertaker smirked to himself, admitting in his mind that it was quite fun to be wrong. It made being around the boy more tolerable.

Haruka turned his attention to Undertaker when the other cleared his throat. "This is where you'll sleep~" Undertaker said giddily, pointing to an open coffin laying on the floor. It looked fairly comfortable inside. It was cushioned in white and had a white pillow in it. Haruka stared at his "bed" for that night.

Undertaker waited for another reaction from Haruka. Haruka bent down and pressed down slightly on the white cushion before turning slightly, "Thank you . . ."

Thank you?. . . could the boy not be more thankful? The worst part to Undertaker was that it all sounded rather sincere! But seriously, he couldn't possibly mean that?

Unknowingly to Undertaker, Haruka was actually a bit excited to sleep in a coffin but was afraid to act excited about it. He had always wondered what it would be like to be dead and now he'd sleep in a coffin.

He crawled inside, it was more spacious than it looked. Haruka let a small smile escape onto his face as he placed himself comfortably in his little coffin bed. Undertaker felt he had hallucinated, had Haruka really just smiled?

Unpredictable, unpredictable . . . .

Undertaker sighed, leaving to get Haruka a blanket before he hurt his head wallowing in Haruka's weirdness. Haruka on the other hand, had forgotten momentarily about Undertaker and instead fidgeted around inside the coffin, having "fun" as he did until something fell and blocked his view.

He paused, sitting up and looked down to a dark red blanket. Haruka flushed beat red, embarrassed that he acted the way he did. Undertaker grinned, "Enjoy your sleep! ~" he said before leaving to another room. Haruka sighed in embarrassment before pulling the blanket closer to himself and smiling softly to the direction Undertaker had left in, ". . . thank you. . . really . . ." he said lowly, not meant to be heard. But unknowingly to Haruka, Undertaker was just behind the door and had heard it perfectly fine. He groaned to himself, those words really were dangerous for him to hear.

The next morning, Undertaker yawned, since he had taken an unexpected nap for himself after reviewing his research. He sat rigidly on the chair with his upper body partially on the desk. He stretched his arms and stood, thankfully his body wasn't like human's and could withstand a night's sleep and the rigidness that came with it the next morning.

He hid his research behind the wall where he kept it and headed out of the room, locking it before turning to look at his shop, his eyes roaming the entire place. It was quiet. . .

He spotted the red blanket Haruka was supposed to be using to sleep in folded nicely and placed on a table. He paced himself to the coffin and found it empty. He darted his eyes around and Haruka was nowhere to be found.

His eyes stopped on a thin paper laying flatly on the table on top of the dark red velvet blanket. It read in elegant letters:

"Thank you, you've been more than helpful to me.
I admit I was afraid of you back when we met in the forest,
and it wasn't funny when you attacked me earlier,
but I see now you are not a bad man
and for that,
Thank you."

Undertaker paused feeling a laugh wanting to rip itself out from his throat. A good man?! Undertaker scoffed to himself at Haruka's obvious naivety. Still . . . it felt nice to be so sincerely thanked, not that Undertaker would ever really admit it . . . out loud anyways.

(Yeah, yeah, not so great and no this is not the end, still have a lot more planned!)