Rofl, recently, I've been in the mood to update this FF...
"Hey Kimiko… Do me a favor, will you?" A seven year old Sora asked. The two were walking around in Italy.
"Sure," Kimiko said. "What is it?"
"Close your eyes and cover your ears… Don't move from this spot until I tell you to." Kimiko looked puzzled at Sora but did as she was asked to. "Make sure you can't see or hear anything." Kimiko nodded when she closed her eyes tightly and covered her ears, it was almost as if she were blind and deaf.
Sora smiles softly at his sister as she did her best to fulfill his request. He then turned his attention back to what he was focused on earlier.
"Come out. I know you're there," He shouted.
Clapping could be heard. "My my, how talented. Too bad it's been put to waste. Goodbye."
Sora pulled out his staff and blocked a sword aimed at him and his sister. There were at least five men, the enemy. He had to hold back, or else he'd run out of fuel too easily and harm Kimiko.
"Hm, isn't the servitore [servant] meant to protect the erede[heir]?" Sora gritted his teeth.
He managed to take down three by himself while Kimiko stood there, her eyes shut tight and her ears covered.
"Sora-nii?" She called. Sora froze as he glanced back at Kimiko. He ran in front of her and blocked an attack, making sure she was unharmed. He was too occupied with protecting her that he was cut deeply on the left arm. He cried out in pain. It was loud, and sharp. "SORA!?"
"No! Kimiko, don't open your eyes!" He shouted at her. She nodded and bit her lip.
"The darkness is scary," She said. Sora raised his staff to block another attack. A blade slid out and stabbed one of the men. "But… When I know Sora is here, I feel safe." Sora coughed up blood as knives stabbed him in the back.
"Attack the girl!" A man commanded. Sora's eyes widened.
"NO!" He blocked and took a bullet to his abdomen.
"Sora-nii?" Kimiko asked. No response. He collapsed to the floor in a bloody heap. "Sora? Nii-chan? Aniki?" … "Fratello?" Tears were streaming down her cheeks, her eyes still closed. "Can… I open my eyes yet? Why can't I see what's happening?"
"Don't…," Sora rasped. "Don't open… your… eyes… please…"
Kimiko hic'ed and cried. "The darkness is scary…"
"Oh how touching and sad," A man said. He aimed a gun at Kimiko's head, though while still covering her ears and closing her eyes, she didn't know.
"KIMIKO!" Kimiko raised her head at the sound of Sora's voice. He coughed out more blood. The man placed his finger to the trigger and…
BANG!
Sora's eyes were wide as the man who was holding the gun fell to the ground.
"Look like we came in time before you died or she got shot," A man who had shot the bullet said. "Go!" The men behind him ran to take care of the rest of the enemy.
"E…Etienne…," Sora rasped.
"It's okay now, you're both safe," A female said. She walked over to Kimiko and put a hand on her shoulder. "Kimiko-sama."
"Eh? Nathalie?" Kimiko asked.
"Yes, it's me; I need you to stay still. We'll explain everything later," Nathalie said, picking up the girl and running off. Etienne picked up Sora and did the same.
"Young master, we're assuring Kimiko-sama's safety, so please, calm down," Etienne said. Sora was restless as he was carried by Etienne. "Your wounds are serious; we need to tend to you."
"Kimiko…," Sora rasped as he was growing unconscious. "Take care… of… her…"
--
Sora's eyes shot wide open and he was sweating and panting. He gripped his head and trembled. He glanced at his cell phone beside his bed, it was ringing. It was what had woken him up. He silently thanked whoever was on the other line. He flipped his phone open and leaned against his bedpost.
"Hello?" He asked, a little out of breath.
"Good morning Sora!~" Byakuran's cheerful voice boomed. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"
"It's okay," Sora said. "Good morning. Is there something you need?"
"You don't sound so well, are you okay?" Byakuran asked from the other line.
"I just had a nightmare," Sora said. "That's all…"
"Oh, that's not good," Byakuran said. "Are you okay? Or are you still shaken up?"
"I'll be fine. So, why did you call me?" Sora asked. He glanced at the clock at his bedside. It was six thirty in the morning. "So early in the morning."
"I woke up early, I couldn't sleep," Byakuran laughed.
"Did you eat too many marshmallows again?" Sora asked. The two had grown closer after the course of a few days.
"No, it's not that…"
"Then what?"
"I really want to see Sora! Didn't you say you'd come over to see the garden too?"
"Ah, that's right."
"Then come over!"
"It's six thirty in the morning," Sora said. "Kimiko-sama isn't even awake yet."
"It's always Kimiko-sama this, Kimiko-sama that!" Byakuran huffed. He was glaring at a wall while in his office.
"But of course, she's the young mistress."
"But aren't you the young master!?" Byakuran asked, hiding his seething anger. Sora groaned and held his head. Young master… He hasn't heard that in years…
"Fine, let's go with this, I'll go arrange a day that I can set up and then verify it with you, is that okay?" Sora asked.
"Perfect!" Byakuran said cheerfully. He really did want to see Sora ASAP.
"Okay, I'll get back to you on that when I can, bye."
"Bye!"
Sora closed his phone and sighed. Byakuran was such a clingy man.
--
"Oh wow," Sora, for once, was speechless. Byakuran had been right, the garden was stunningly beautiful.
"Like it?" Byakuran asked, leading Sora down a path in the garden.
"It's… Amazing," Sora said.
"Would you rather spend your time admiring it, or would you like a lesson? It doesn't matter to me either way," The Gesso boss said with a brilliant smile.
"A lesson… Though I can name a few of these flowers," Sora said.
"Really?" Byakuran asked, raising an eyebrow. "Let's see how much you know already, shall we?"
"Well," Sora began. He walked up to plant with spiny leaves and white flowers. "This is an Acanthus, right?" Byakuran nodded. "It means art…" Another nod. Sora blinked and turned a yellow flower. "Oh, a Yellow poppy."
"Mm?" Byakuran was interested in listening to what Sora had to say.
"My aunt came to visit us and brought us a few of these once," He crouched down and gazed at the plant. "Kimiko-sama would stare at them every day. They're different than the ones she uses when she does her flower arrangements."
"Sora…," Byakuran started. Sora had his back turned to the other male, so he didn't notice the displeased expression on his face. "Is the reason you know these flowers because of your sister?"
"Of course," Sora replied without hesitation. Byakuran's frown deepened. "But some… I learned through other people as well."
"Mm?"
"…" Sora glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "Cherry blossoms?"
"Of course, they're beautiful, aren't they?" Byakuran said. Sora laughed.
"They remind me of a guy I met when I was in Japan," Sora said, walking over to the tree. "He absolutely loathed them, I could understand why though." Another laugh. "Not many fond memories of them."
"Oh? And who might this man be?" Byakuran was growing curious. Maybe he'd hunt that man down later…
"A senpai when I attended a school there for a few weeks, Hibari-senpai," Sora told him. He smiled as he looked at the cherry blossoms. Byakuran took his phone out and took a sneak picture, while Sora was distracted. "Then again, he dislikes Lotuses too. I wonder which he hates more."
"Nee, Sora," Byakuran called. Sora turned his head and walked over to the other male.
"Yes?"
"Hold this, would you?" He kept handing Sora things until his hands were completely full.
"Um… What am I supposed to do with these…?" Sora asked.
"Just wait…," Byakuran looked around the garden. Sora blinked. "There we go!" The Gesso placed slipped a red rose in Sora's hair and tucked the stem, making sure to rid of any thorns, behind Sora's left ear.
"H-hey!" Sora couldn't move his arms as he was still holding random objects. He had a light blush on his cheeks. Byakuran pulled out his cell phone once again and took another picture, laughing. "Byakuran! Take it out!"
"Nah," Byakuran grinned, showing all of his white teeth and Sora groaned.
A few maids and butlers stuck their heads outside to see what was going on. The maids had bright red faces and the butlers just stared. Byakuran sent a warning glance at them as Sora was fumbling with trying to figure out how to get the flower out of his hair and not look like an idiot. He glared at the white haired male. "Stop taking pictures!"
"Mm," Byakuran smiled. "Nope!"
--
"Nee, Sora, want to have a sleepover??" Byakuran asked.
"I'll have to pass," Sora said, removing the flower from his hair. Byakuran snickered as Sora was having a hard time removing the flower petals he had sprinkled on his hair earlier. "Geez, you just had to stick flower petals in my hair. All Kimiko-sama used to do was make me a flower crown when we were younger."
"You really care about your sister, don't you?"
"Of course, she's the reason I'm the way I am," Sora replied easily. Byakuran frowned and made Sora sit right in his lap. Sora decided it wouldn't be smart to anger the Gesso boss so much that he'd demolish the alliance at any time. Judging by Byakuran's personality, he could probably do that without much as a second thought.
"Is that so?"