Disclaimer: Takaya Natsuki is the rightful owner. I'm merely borrowing her creations for my own diabolical ideals. No, really.

A/N: Out of one of the guest's that is appearing, it's either:

A. Shigure
B. Kureno
C. Hatori
D. Akito
E. Ayame

Who do you think it is? XD LoL

Kyo is also really hauling his arse around, too, because of the second guest. He's doing something he would never have dreamed to do in front of an outsider that is not a part of the family. Yet, you could say (impulse/regular habit on a regular basis) kind of thing is going on for Kyo. Hehe. X3

Life's Many Indulgences
Chapter 7: Two Unexpected Guests

"Tooru, how can you do such a thing!" Kyo is furious.

"Is it not an okay thing to do?" Tooru asked, unfazed by her brother's anger. "I want to call him by his first name, because he's become like a friend to me. Friends call each other by their first names."

Kyo grinded his teeth together at the stupidity that his sister was displaying. "Think with your brain for once, will you?" Tooru shrugged. "People are going to think that the two of you are dating or something! Is that what you want to happen?"

Yuki felt that he should say something on the behalf of Tooru, but when he tried to speak, Kyo threw him a look so nasty looking, that Yuki shrunk back instead. Since when did Kyo become so self-centered over his sister? Yuki felt hurt by the painful expression he received from Kyo - it was enough to make him want to cry. However, he wasn't going to let that look shake him to the core; surely, he can become stronger if he willed himself to.

"Ah, Mizunashi, if it's going to bother you that much, then I will not call your sister by her first name." Kyo let out a puff of air and looked at the gray-haired teen expectantly. Yuki needed to say something to Tooru now. The purple-eyed teen turned to face the girl. "And I guess you shouldn't address me in such a way anymore; your brother is right, after all. People will start to gossip about this, and unwanted rumors will be spread about the two of us."

"You shouldn't let it bother you so much, Kyo," Tooru suddenly said. "It'd be okay, too, if you addressed Yuki by his first name."

"Don't call him that!" Kyo found that he was too embarrassed to actually say, "Yuki".

"Mizunashi, really, you mustn't," Yuki told Tooru. He didn't like that Kyo was getting so angry over something so trivial, well, in his opinion anyway. "Just call me Usuda."

"Yeah, listen to him, Tooru, and I guarantee you that this will save you from digging yourself an early grave if I weren't around to watch you at school," Kyo said.

"What do you mean by that? Is someone going to attack me, otherwise?" Tooru didn't seem to notice the crazy, evil gleams in the fanatics' eyes at school, apparently.

"Never mind. Just make sure to come to me whenever you get into trouble, understand?" Tooru nodded. "And don't go alone with one of those weird girls that like to talk nonstop about Usuda, because they're up to no good if they ever caught wind of you calling Usuda by his first name, even if you've only done it once."

"Okay, I shall take your words to heart," Tooru made sure to place her right palm over her chest, "and I promise you that I will call you for help when I think I'd need it. There, better now?"

"Sounds like you were merely saying that to please me . . ." Kyo muttered.

"Did you say something, Kyo?" Tooru asked. She was looking at her brother quizzically.

"It's nothing . . . Come on, we're almost home," Kyo suffused, trying to get her attention off of his face and back towards the road.

By the time they did reach the front door, someone opened the door before Tooru could even ring the doorbell.

"Tooru, Kyo, finally, you guys are back!"

"Uncle!" Tooru exclaimed, eyes lighting up with delight.

"Not you again . . ." Kyo muttered.

Yuki said nothing, but in his mind he could only wonder who this man before them was. It was a given that he was Kyo's uncle, yet Kyo doesn't seem all that happy to see him. Yuki was giving Kyo sidelong glances, but the red-head didn't seem to notice. He was too busy muttering to himself things Yuki wouldn't mind hearing about. Yuki felt that he should at least introduce himself, however, he found that he couldn't find the voice to begin saying anything when Tooru directed the man's attention towards him. All he could do was stand there and stare.

"Hi, there," the man said, "I'm Mizunashi Shigure. I'm Tooru and Kyo's uncle; it's nice to meet you."

Mizunashi Shigure is the youngest son out of three, with Mizunashi Kyo being the oldest. The second son has yet to be revealed, but in due time he shall make an appearance. It is a well known fact that Kyo doesn't like Shigure very much, because of the older man's aloof character, and his ever-so-easy methods to piss the kid off. Also, Shigure's profession is that of a small time romance novelist - despite the fact that he doesn't make as much as he'd like - he's never going to give up writing because he enjoys it aplenty, anyway.

Yuki did not reply, and neither did he look away. The man known as Shigure was an interesting looking character. He gave off the impression that he was a sophisticated man in a obscenely mannered way.

"Um . . ." Tooru began, when she finally noticed that Yuki wasn't going to say anything. "He's Usuda Yuki, from Kyo's class, Uncle."

"Oh? Kyo's class, you say?" Shigure turned to look at his nephew - Kyo visibly stiffened. "Why didn't you tell me that you were going to have such a nice looking fellow from your class coming over, eh? Shame on you, Kyon." He waggled a finger at Kyo.

"Don't call me that! I hate it!" Kyo was now blushing furiously and he was trying his hardest to avoid Yuki's gaze. Being called a nickname he never liked in front of a classmate is pretty embarrassing. "Besides, it's none of your business what type of relations I have with anyone in or out of school. I'd like it if you'd stop butting in."

It is because Shigure is also so nosy added along with his aloof persona, that Kyo does not like to tell him anything. Things get a little iffy when Kyo starts to notice Shigure adding in elements of things happening around the teen within his novels. Shigure never directly copies, but the implications alone makes Kyo uncomfortable to think that people are reading about him (in a way) unknowingly.

"My dear Kyon--"

"Kyo! Get my name right!" Kyo snapped.

Shigure ignored the angry teen, and continued with what he was saying before he got disrupted, "my butting in has helped you out on different occasions, so you needn't think of it any more differently now. Just be grateful that I came over today, because your father was falling behind in his paperwork."

"I thought I was doing some of it for him," Kyo replied.

"You are, but more was sent in, I'm afraid. Did he not tell you that he usually has much more than what he actually shows to you?" Kyo sweat dropped, and from that reaction, Shigure knew that he should say no more, lest he wanted Kyo to go into a rampage right in front of a classmate. This usually turned out that he'd regret doing such a thing, and he'd blame the Uncle for getting him so riled up in the first place (which was something Shigure was "oh, so good" at doing. "Anyway, are the two of you going to let our second guest stand out here all afternoon, or are you two going to invite him inside?"

"Shouldn't you be the one to do that?" Kyo asked, voice coming off in a mock-like tone. "And whoever said that you were a guest?"

"Oh, but I am," Shigure countered. "If I don't live here and if I come visit, whether we be family or friend, I am still considered a guest. Use common knowledge, Kyo."

"Hmph." Kyo knew his Uncle had a point.

Alas, Yuki had yet to say a single thing in front of Shigure, and evidently to come, Kyo and Tooru's parents.

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Oh, my, who's this young lad?" Mrs. Mizunashi asked.

"Who's this, Kyo?" Mr. Mizunashi asked.

Kyo made sure to note that what his mom and step-dad said were literally the same thing, but spoken in a different context of wording. He was itching to say something really rude just to spite his parents; for some reason, Kyo felt like showing a side to Yuki that he has never really shown to anyone other than his younger sister, Tooru.

"He's Usuda Yuki . . ." Kyo made sure to look at Yuki while saying this (for courteous reasons) ". . . from my homeroom class at school. Tooru invited him over for lunch today."

"How splendid!" Mrs. Mizunashi was obviously very pleased. "Instead of having one guest, we are having two! Go on, Usuda, Shigure," she motioned them towards the dining area, "please sit down at the table because the food will be ready soon!"

"You're always too good to me, Satsuko," Shigure beamed. "A poor romance novelist like me never makes enough to really buy anything too nutritious, if you know what I mean."

Satsuko isn't Kyo and Tooru's mother's real given name, but she changed it to this preferred name, because her old one brought back memories that she's been trying to forget. Aside from bringing it up the past, she also didn't like the way it sounded. For the purpose of not being secretive about her real given name, she was once known as Mie. The name Satsuko popped up when Mie was only eighteen and she was name-hunting at the time, anyway. It was on a billboard in big letters, and it was there and then that she decided that that was what she wanted to be known as: Satsuko.

Kyo scoffed, while sneakily saying, "then get another career."

"I heard that, Kyon." Everyone took their seats (excluding Mrs. Mizunashi, because she has yet to serve the food.)

"Kyo! Not Kyon!"

Yuki wanted to say something this time. He wanted to say something to Kyo, in the hopes that what he was going to say will calm the red-head down.

"Um, Mizunashi, is this considered normal for you?" Yuki asked.

Kyo turned onto him so fast that Yuki swore he didn't realize Kyo had turned his face to the side. "This is not something normal for me, Usuda. It's only when he's here," he pointed to Shigure with a finger, "that I go kind of out of my way."

"I . . . I see." Kyo was talking to the gray-haired teen, and this made Yuki happy. He was also relishing in the fact that Kyo told him something he must have not told anyone else at school. Of course, this would be the case, because at school Kyo tried his best to avoid anything and anyone (except his sister). It was as if he thought everyone else as a plague. "However, it must be nice to have a family like this."

"It is," Tooru agreed.

"It is not," Kyo responded.

"Don't mind Kyo," Tooru added, smiling all the while. "It really is nice to have family like this, because through the bad times will the good times be all the more stronger in our minds, right?"

"That's right, my dear Tooru; it's a good thing you learned about that concept on life from me. Amazing stuff, is it not?"

"Thank you, Uncle."

"The food's here, everyone. Are you all ready to eat?" Mr. Mizunashi asked, when he noticed that his wife was starting to bring in the food. "And please don't be bashful and east as much as you'd like--"

"Will do," Shigure interrupted.

"Not you. He was talking to Usuda," Kyo told Shigure.

"Ah, well, the both of you. Usuda, Shigure, eat as much as you'd like. Don't hold back."

"Thank you for letting me eat lunch with all of you today," Yuki made sure to say.

By now Mrs. Mizunashi was getting settle down as well, because all the food has been set onto the table. "Oh, we are all happy to have you over here today. It is very rare for Kyo to bring someone home for lunch or dinner."

"Tooru was the one to invite him, mom," Kyo said.

"No matter. Let's eat." Shigure was already picking up several sushi rolls with his chopstick to put onto his plate.

"Yes, let's eat." Tooru patiently waited until everyone got something onto their plates before she even dared to pick something out for herself.

Such a lady, isn't she?

XOXOXOXOXOX

"Oh, Yuki, thank the heavens you are all right!"

"Eh?" Yuki was being hugged by his mother as soon as he stepped foot inside their front door of the house.

"Your father and I were so worried! I called him from work and he came home immediately to wait it out with me in the time of your absence! Don't ever scare us like that again, you hear?"

"I searched for you around this area, and no one said they've seen you pass by ever since this morning!" Mr. Usuda ran a hand across his face, from the forehead down. "But now that I know that you're all right, I need to get back to work. When I return tonight I'd like to talk to you, Yuki."

"Oh, yes, that's right . . ." Yuki sweat dropped; he had forgotten to call home when he first ran into Kyo and Tooru's Uncle, and then onto their parents. So many things happened that he had entirely forgotten. And as a result, this was what he got: a weeping mother and a panicked father. ". . . I'm sorry, mother, father."

Today was a hell of a afternoon, and it was more than not that Shigure left an impression on him. He was going to find this hard to scratch off, since the memory of Kyo reacting so violently towards his Uncle made the images so much more meaningful. He'll cherish them for what they were. Tooru was right . . . Having a family where the bad times makes the good times more precious is a wonderful thing, indeed. Yuki needed to keep this in mind.

Chapter 7: END