22/12/12 - EDIT!: I have gone through the entire story and revised the chapters. Nothing major has changes besides perhaps a few words here or there. If you want to re-read it feel free to. If you want to review but already have, just PM me, I won't bite :)
16/04/2012 Re:Edit! – Someone was kind enough to inform me that I was spelling Seijuurou's name wrong so I've gone through all the chapters and changed that! Thank you very much 'Kouki' for correcting me
Well here's chapter 3, I do hope you enjoy it; it's more of a filler chapter than anything else. I had this one as the beginning to the next chapter, but by the time I had written it out it was like 10 pages long and extremely depressing.
So I made the decision to cut it up and shuffle some things around a little. I hope this is agreeable as I need this story to be light and happy as well as dark and scary.
I have NOT forgotten about my other two KHR stories! I am writing them as I write this, they are not going to be good, and I might skip things for later, but bear with me!
Please enjoy despite the spelling and grammatical mistakes I am prone to.
To the Untrained Eye
Of training and trust
Sena woke with a startling feeling of loneliness, one he hadn't experienced in a long time. For a moment his instincts urged him to drift into the shadows, to hide with his surrogate mother and prepare to fight. Then, his more sane side- the more trusting side – led his mind into calm serenity, allowing him to think before acting. Though it was difficult ignoring the base animal instincts bred into him from a young age; he lived in a world where thinking could both kill and save you.
When he finally stopped, his acute hearing widened and he started to hear the soft breathing of his brothers in the rooms beside him. He could hear noises from downstairs, chair scraping and pots clanging- he knew Seijirou must be awake.
Allowing himself to calm further he made his way downstairs, not even glancing at himself in the mirror- he had nothing to hide, and no pretences to uphold in this house.
"Good morning, Sena." A warm, even voice greeted him as he walked in.
"Good Morning Kakei." He greeted back.
The blue eyes of his brother shone with worry and protectiveness, the mixture made him outwardly hard and unreadable. His passion shone before the more private emotions, but the walls of determination dropped around Sena- much to his pleasure- and he could see the worry plain as day.
Sena wasn't stupid, he knew that his brothers had drugged him- they had done it more than a few times before- and every morning they'd all have worried, guilty looks in their eyes. It didn't bother Sena of course; they were worried about him and acted accordingly. It was their duty and pride to care for Sena's well being- so it wasn't his place to retaliate against a gesture of their love for him.
Smiling to his brother he took a seat next to him, Kakei smiled back- a flash of relief entering his eyes- and reopened the newspaper he had discarded in favour of greeting his younger brother.
Seijuurou turned to greet Sena with a traditional Japanese breakfast, only to have it stolen by a half-asleep Mizumachi as he went to take a bite.
"Ohhh. Mizumachi! That's my breakfast!"
"You're too slow Sena; if you were faster maybe you wouldn't be so small." The pout upon Sena's face was enough to reassure Mizumachi that he –and the others- was not being blamed for their decisions the night before.
Mizumachi really hated it. He hated it with every fibre of his being. To have to drug their brother to calm him down- to let him get even one good night's sleep- it made his fists clench and made him want to scream at the world and ask why it had to be so God-dammed-unfair to make such a pure an innocent child so pained and haunted. Of course, he only ever voiced his fears to Kakei, for they were some of the only people in the family who knew to the full extent what Sena had to deal with from a young age.
He hated it, hated it all. So when Sena smiled at them, even the morning after they had drugged him, they knew he appreciated the night's sleep; he'd brush off their guilty looks, smile warmly, and then he'd sit with them. He'd greet them, hug the ones who were comfortable with it, just look that look of acceptance you couldn't help but feel calm under at the ones who weren't and sit with them for every meal he could. It was as if he could read them. Like he could read their fucking souls. Of course Mizumachi knew Sena could read so much more, and he appreciated it, because it meant that Sena was never judging or prejudice, he was open, understanding, and most of all Sena loved them all as his friends and brothers.
Sighing to himself as he felt the aura coming off of his tall blonde brother, Sena dug into his new breakfast- the one Seijuurou had placed in front of him almost as soon as Mizumachi had touched his old one, the rice was warm and the miso smooth, as it always was.
Seijuurou always cooked, often times Jumonji or Tetsuma helped him, but sometimes Seijuurou just enjoyed cooking in Sena's presence with no help or distraction. Sena understood the sentiment; it was one of the only things Seijuurou could call his own- for he had to share Sena with everyone in the house- and even some people outside it. So Sena just smiled and ate the food- showing Seijuurou the appreciation he felt for the warmth it filled him with.
After finishing breakfast the house was quiet, there was no more movement and no unusual activity; most of the residents still hadn't made it out of bed; in fact only Sena, Seijuurou, Kakei, Mizumachi, and Kid were out of bed. It wasn't surprising, but at the same time it made Sena worry.
"Kid, where's Tetsuma-nii?" he asked when the Texan brother had finished his more western breakfast.
"Tetsuma is out running an errand for me; he had a bit of jet-lag still and was restless." He explained as he read over one of the paper's Kakei had discarded.
"I see; does anyone know where Jumonji, Kuroki, and Shozo-nii are?"
"They're probably still sleeping." Seijuurou informed his worried brother. He had already cleared everything off the table and put in the dishwasher- Sena could only imagine he was on his way to start his morning exercises as he usually did after the breakfast rush.
"I see, then I'll go wake them up." With a smile, a nod and a wave Sena was upstairs and at the door of the three brothers not of blood.
With three distinctive raps at the door he waited for a reply. When he was only met by soft breathing, a light snore from Jumonji, and murmurs from Kuroki and Shozo he entered with a sigh.
"Ne, Jumonji! Kuroki! Shozo! It's time to wake up! It's already nine o'clock; we still need to do stuff today." Walking up to the sleeping blonde Sena couldn't help marvel at the sheer strength he exuded, the powerful image was helped only by the scar on his cheek he had received when he and Sena first met.
Sena was twelve at the time and he was already part of the mafia world. Sena, Seijuurou, Mizumachi, and Kakei had moved to France with the adults caring for Sena while he learned the ways of the mafia at the time. They were all settling in somewhat, but still missed their Japanese home.
Of course Mizumachi had led them astray; he had been bored and told them he wanted to explore the local town. Wanting nothing more than to please his big brother, Sena heartily agreed and they snuck out, which was surprisingly easy considering Sena was to be under 24-hour surveillance and protection, but four bored, almost-thirteen-year-old boys were never to be trifled with.
Of course, that's where the problems started. First was the fact Mizumachi just couldn't keep his clothes on, they –meaning Kakei and Sena- spent most of their time chasing after him with handfuls of his clothing trying to get him dressed before he was arrested- because even if it was easy to bail him out again with a mention of Sena's name, it was a hassle to have to go home again and get the adults' help. Then there was the issue with Seijuurou's fascination with trying to train off of anything that looked remotely like a pull-up bar. First it was a streetlamp, then it was the awnings over a store front, it took all their effort to get him to stop before he decided to use two decorative posts as push-up points. By the time lunch was in full swing Kakei and Sena were exhausted, lost, and more importantly hungry. Of course Seijuurou and Mizumachi were no worse for wear, Mizumachi was hungry, and Seijuurou was just watching Sena, not really caring they were in the middle of the woods, in the middle of France, with no idea where they were.
"So, what are we going to do now?" Kakei's monotonous voice resounded off the trees. He was sitting next to Sena in their little circle.
"I don't know, but I'm HUNGRY!" Mizumachi whine. He was rocking back and forth with his knees pulled into his chest. "Ne, ne! Kakei, get me some food please?!" he called to the blue haired pre-teen.
"And where," Seijuurou began, speaking for the first time, "do you suggest we get food?"
"I don't know! I'm HUNGRY!" was Mizumachi's intelligent response.
"I know! Why don't we walk around and see if we can get our bearings." Sena suggested as he stood and brushed the bracken off his pants. "We might even find some people," he smiled.
"Or some FOOD." Mizumachi brightened at the thought of food and just about pulled Kakei to his feet.
"I'm up." He breathed impatiently.
So the boys walked, not really knowing where they were going, but enjoying the time none the less. Sena walked in front with Seijuurou glued to his side. Kakei and Mizumachi strolled behind them- though not too far from their little boss' side.
It was a few hours later they came to a clearing. It was empty of all but a few logs in a semi-circle of what looked suspiciously like an old fire-pit. There were summer flowers swaying all around, but otherwise it was quiet, that was until Sena heard a snapping to his left.
Without thinking much about his actions, Sena dove towards the sound with the effortless speed that had grown to be natural to him. He could hear the protests of his brothers, but choosing to ignore them he kept running, his golden eyes focused on the top of a large pine tree in front of him.
"Careful! You're gonna' fall!" Sena yelled in broken, frantic French.
A pair of warm, coffee eyes wheeled towards him as a young boy- no older than thirteen- took a step onto the next highest branch close to him. His eyes widened of course as the sound of snapping, twisting bark and wood reached his ears.
Next thing anyone knew there was a pile of children in the bracken of the pine tree. Green needles rained down as bark and dust settled to the ground.
"Sena!" three terrified boys yelled in the debris.
When they caught sight of spiky brown hair they also caught the scent of blood and the sight of dusty blonde hair. Sena was on the floor, sprawled out like he had just taken a tackle, almost straddling him was a pre-teen, thicker than Sena he had arms like timber and legs thick like the bows on the trees. Blood was dripping from his cheek as he crouched over Sena's body, the drops hitting Sena's face and running in a thin line down his cheek, one hand was on either side of Sena's head. More branches fell from the hole in the branches the boy had made, and his back bore the impact- instinctively protecting the fairly fragile looking Sena.
"Are you ok?" the boy asked in flawless French.
"I'm fine." Sena had breathed. As he moved to sit up the boy shifted, leaning back on his hips, but he did not move from on top of the young Sena. "But you are not." Sena stared wiping the blood from the shallow cut on the boy's flawless face.
Now Sena had a closer look he couldn't deny that the boy was a strong, intelligent thing. His face and chest were all planes and angles, his arms were flexing and flinching as Sena moved and his legs held his bulk off of Sena, and Sena instinctively knew the boy was acting not to hurt him.
"My name is Sena Kobayakawa." He explained as he cleaned the rest of the blood beading on the fresh wound.
"I am Kazuki Jumonji." The blonde boy had replied.
Sena instantly knew of the last name and his blood boiled at the though. Jumonji was the name of a mafia family that discarded all the children of the generation. Of course, he knew Jumonji probably didn't know it, because the children were adopted away almost instantly. However, the warm chocolate eyes showed honesty and compassion, and Sena couldn't help but smile.
"Thank you for saving me, Sena. I don't think I could have gotten away as unscathed as I have." He replies smoothly, a smile was lighting on his thin lips.
Jumonji could honestly say that he had never felt as warm as he did when the young brunette- who obviously wasn't French- smiled at him. The smile was open, warm, and trustworthy. He had been betrayed before, and he had trusted before. Though, he never felt as happy as to have been caught by the brunette, he couldn't explain it, it made him want to laugh and embrace the boy.
"Let me repay your favour by being your friend." Jumonji smiled softly, a smile probably only Sena could see.
"Oi! You need to ask us permission before you can be Sena's friend." Another blonde yelled as he ran towards Sena and Jumonji.
Sena let a thick, happy laugh bubble from him as he watched Seijuurou shrug and walk towards a tree branch- knowing full well he was going to train- and as Mizumachi and Kakei approached his new friend, a shake of the head from Kakei and a furious scowl from Mizumachi at the thought of sharing his brother with yet another person.
Of course, that started Jumonji's friendship with Sena and his misfit bunch of brothers, though, if he was honest, he would have it no other way.
Sena is pulled from his thoughts when thick, pale arms erupt form beneath the thin summer sheet of Jumonji's bed. They circle themselves around Sena's slim waist and pull him towards the warm bed. He's pulled towards the planar chest of the blonde haired boy he met in France and is squeezed close- as if he'll disappear any other way.
After a few moments of struggle the blonde stops moving and sighs contentedly, his arms relax and allow Sena to sit up. He looks over his brother in disbelief as he rolls on to his back and scratches his stomach in his sleep- as sprawled out as his is it's a wonder he fits on even the double bed he owns.
It seems old habits die hard. Sena muses to himself. After their first meeting he realised that Jumonji was a very clingy person, or maybe that was Europeans in general? Sena has always been grabbed by the blonde- and his German companion – whenever they were insecure or worried. After so many years the instinct to seek comfort had dulled to comfortable brushes of hands or arms when anyone in the famiglia was insecure, though Jumonji was slower to accept the more intimate embraces to soothe him. Sometimes they- Jumonji and his companions especially- would just pick Sena up for a moment before placing him back on his feet and walking off. It was as if they needed that comfort, needed to know Sena was there, he was uninjured and he was healthy. Sena of course was all too happy to take the embraces, or allow his hands to brush with the others'; he was happy to be hugged, or for one of his brothers to sit too closely for most people's comfort- because it was a sign of trust, and a sign of companionship that most friends never got to experience.
Sighing to himself and standing again Sena decided to let his brothers sleep- he can hear from their heavy breathing that they won't wake any time soon.
He left the room and went downstairs. He was greeted by Mizumachi who promptly dragged him downstairs into the communal wreck room for some game play and some training thereafter. Seijuurou would join them soon after, and Kakei would calmly sit in one of the couches watching Sena wipe the virtual floor with Mizumachi in an uncountable number of games.
Laughter filled the wreck room as Sena's character killed both Seijuurou's and Mizumachi's characters.
"Now now Sena, you know you need to be careful." Kid chided from his napping position on the couch. "If it starts too well it won't end well."
Sena laughs as he continues to play the various games Mizumachi, and eventually Tetsuma when he arrives home, try to beat him at.
As they continue to play Mizumachi gets restless, sitting for more than ten minutes is a miracle that usually ends in roughhousing and a pile of bodies with Sena on the bottom. True to the norm Mizumachi is soon tickling Sena senseless as Testuma catches the various pillows and game items being thrown around. Kid sighs and shifts his hat lower down his face, trying to sleep amongst the ruckus. Of course, eventually Sena escapes the long hands of Mizumachi and uses Kid as a shield. Mizumachi pounces and kid is pulled into the fray.
"Woah! What did I tell them." He sighs incredulously to Kakei who is still enjoying peace on the other side of the wreck room.
He laughs a little until he's hit squarely in the face by a pillow. Sena smirks as the giant of a boy jumps him and joins in the boss abuse.
No-one hears the hydraulic sigh of the doors as Seijuurou enters, his body is covered in a thin layer of perspiration from his jog but as soon as he sees Sena's tears he jumps into action.
Eventually they all end up attacking each other. The pillows and tickling continues well into the afternoon, everyone forgetting the fact they had a long list of things that needed taking care of. Suddenly three new faces join the games as Kuroki, Shozo, and Jumonji join the game of boss abuse that seems ever so reoccurring amongst the brothers.
When the dust and pillows settled Sena couldn't help but smile, he loved times where his brothers and he could forget about the mafia.
Another reason for Sena's decision to move was the fact Japan was peaceful for the most part; they could all grow emotionally as well as physically in a place such as this. Sena hoped that his brothers would learn more about the outside world- especially those who were mafia born and bred.
Smiling from under the pile of bodies he couldn't help the euphoric laughter from ripping from his lips. His brothers soon followed and soon enough they were holding their sides in pain from the stitches the laughter was causing.
"I think it's time for dinner eh Sena?" Mizumachi laughed as he wiped some stray tears from his eyes.
"Yeah. Seijuurou, what's for dinner tonight?"
"How about some ravioli?" he asks as he stands.
"Sounds great." The smile on Sena's face is enough to warm the hearts and settle the fears of every man in the room; they all feel the protection the boy promises in his smile. Each and every one of them and their missing bothers also, feel the protection that the boy promised to them when they all met him. That is something special, and something they will protect tin return for being accepted by his all encircling arms.
Arigatou. Thank you. Grazie tante.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thank you for reading and please review. I need to know how it's flowing, if there's something completely wrong... or if you like it... despite what many thing, even two words can make an author's day... so please just give a few words of encouragement ... or even words saying if something was bad.
Either way. thank you.
~~Bleach-ed-Na-tsu :3