A/N. sorry for the no disclaimer last time, hope your liking the story and to those that saw the upload issue it's gone now and the third chapter is readable (hopefully) :-P so on with the story and I wont forget the disclaimer this time.
Disclaimer: see I didn't forget it! I own nothing except my cert 3 and 4 in graphic design and soon to be Diploma, but yeah don't own the story.
"Do you understand your duties as the new head of the Shuuei syndicate?" Yukino asked they had finished going over the regular proceedings almost ten minuets ago. Yukino now firmly human again couldn't help but feel sympathy for this child. Because that's what he was, and this would never be a life a child should have to walk. A bloody fighting filled path clouded from his dreams, Yukino remembered when Raku was a boy how he would follow his father around dragging a small bokken (wooden practice katana), he would scout the halls and as soon as his mother came in to sight would throw it away. One or two times the sword would fly in his direction, he had nursed bumps to his head feet and even groin. He mentally groaned at the memory; that had hurt.
Raku's mother was a gentle spirit, her hair a dark amethyst like her son possessed, they were remarkably similar though Hikari was born to a well-known shrine family. She had always said the she felt that peace was ideal and disliked how the world was run by corrupt officials who called the shots for everything and cared for nothing but their own skin.
Hika was a beauty, but hated to attract attention to herself.
Their shrine house was referred to as the heaven's sword smiths or heaven's warriors. Hika had been taught, like all others in her clan to respect and master the sword. Hikari had mastered her families' techniques and considered them well under her range of skill, and so she sought the teaching of others outside her family and their style. This was how she found Rikiku, as he himself was being taught by his grandfather, the way of the sword and of how to be a strong and good man.
Rikiku' affection was immediate; he sought her love for five years before she gave in and allowed him one sole date.
Hika was strong and kept the young master on his toes for a further five years and by that time Rikiku was no longer 'second master' but the master, head of the Shuuei syndicate and their love became harder to sustain. That was until the day Rikiku was challenged to a dual, and whichever person won would have to forfeit their pride to the other.
The two fought for hours their swords clashing in a metallic ballad, a sort of screeching symphony that had all on looker enthralled, and as Rikiku bent back his opponents blade, as it fell and so did its owner he won. And just like that after hours of their battle Rikiku stood over the slightly graying man of only a few years more did he see the clan sigil on his robe back.
"You are of the same house as Hikari." He said knowing the answer but wanting it anyway.
"Yes, the girl of which speak is my sister and I had come here to challenge you. For no man may marry her if not worthy!" the man said and as he stood Rikiku could see the similarities that he had missed before, the dark hair that resembled precious stone and intense eyes of lavender.
"So you have, and did I pass this trail of yours? Am I worthy of my love? For I know that she is and there need be no silly ritual to tell me of it." He said his tone impatient and demanding, he would know the fate of his Hika and he.
"Yes you have." Said a voice behind him. It was Hika, standing there in a kimono of white and purple-blue. Turning back to her brother he nodded to this.
"You bested me." he said simply as he left the room.
Running to his Hika he swooped her up into his arms and kissed her.
They settled and started their family and a year later Raku was born, a bundle of innocence that looked so much like his mother it was uncanny.
Hika never picked up the sword after Raku was born; she abhorred violence, quite a funny notion that she married into a Yukuza family. It was sad and beautiful how Raku had become so much like her even without her there.
Yukino thought that one day this boy, this boy would be become a man much like his father, but with his mothers sensibility. Which truth be told was a god sent for the graying lawyer. Fixing his attention back on the present day, "you know Rikiku lost his own father when he was young, and then his grandfather when he was a few years older then you. He managed fine and I believe you will as well."
"Thank you Yukino-san, it is good to have someone reassure me on that factor." Raku commented, he stood up from the table and offered his hand to the man. "And I am sorry for my outburst earlier." His voice was very curt and clear, a business mans tone. Howard Yukino looked confusedly at the boy; it was to be considered normal for a person to convey that kind of behavior after what he had been through. Howard was worried; worried that Raku was holding everything in and denying that there were feelings inside at all.
Raku extended his hand to Howard; grasping it they shook, thus ending their meeting.
Ryuu had placed Chitoge in Yui' old room; it looked exactly like every other room in the house really. Tatami flooring and paper walls, with a small terrace door on outer wall. The room was quite sizable, Ryuu had lane out a futon and linen as well as a kotatsu with some comfortable dark purple cushions at the base. Settling into one of the cushions Chitoge called her father.
"Hello" he answered.
"Ah, daddy, I'm going to be staying at Raku's tonight to keep him company. I don't feel right leaving him alone, besides I said I wouldn't let him out of my sights and I am not losing to that beansprout in anything!" hearing a few chuckles emerge from the speaker Chitoge relaxed slightly. She needed to him in a good mood for what was to come.
"Daddy could you have Tsugumi bring me a few things?" she asked a slight whine enveloping her words. "Pwease!" she said again hitting the cute factor dead on.
"Alright, just call tomorrow you know the rules." He said in a light voice -she had him- but then came the condescending inquisitive, and worried qualities that made up the 'dad' voice.
Rolling her eyes she repeated them, "Call if anything changes, call in the morning and before going to bed. Call before going out, and lest we forget, credit card is not a toy." She's said it so often it felt more like a mantra then a set of rules.
"That's my girl." Her father said.
"Bye Daddy." She said hanging up the phone. Dropping the it into her lap she let out a huge sigh, deflating until her head touched the tables' surface. "Acting like a princess taking it out of you?" a voice called.
"Shut up Raku, that is how girls ask their dads for things." She responded lifting her head slightly from its wooden pillow.
Raku was standing in her doorway still in his clothes from today, the only thing new was an envelope he was holding in his left hand. Drawn to it Chitoge motioned towards it with her chin, "what's that?' she asked.
"It's a letter from my Ka-san, I don't really remember her." he said his eyes focused on the letter in his hands. Sitting down on the cushions as well, Raku inspected the parcels exterior, the page was old and discoloured but the seal was still intact, still having not been broken even after thirteen years.
Shuffling over to sit beside him Chitoge watched him. Raku wanted to know what his Ka-san had left for him but he couldn't right now, "This letter will have to wait a little bit longer."
Though disappointed Chitoge pated him on the back, "I'm sure she understands." She said really trying to nock the darkness clouding his eyes again. "You wanna build a snow man?"
"What? Where did that come from?" he asked.
"I haven't the foggiest." She replied confused as well as to how the words had just leapt from her lips.
"Ah never mind what I said before. Do you want to play a game or something?" she asked covering the silence.
"We don't really have very many games here." Raku said scratching the back of his head.
"That's ok Tsugumi is coming over to give me a few essentials, I'll just text her to bring a few games and in the mean time we can- I don't know play the king game."
"We cant play it with only to people." He stated back, thinking on it the idea was to order people around but you don't know who because the each got special numbers only they knew.
'Right." She said slowly drawling at the end, "then what? What, what? Of how about truth or dare its really popular in western countries."
"Doesn't that have the same problem as the king game?"
"No, cause you know who you're daring anyway so it doesn't mess up the idea of the game. SHIT, I lost the game."
"What?" Raku asked severely confused by Chitoges sudden outburst. This girl must have bi polar –he'd thought it before but wasn't a hundred percent sure, - and you just don't ask a mob bosses daughter if they had a mental disability, unless you had a death wish.
"It's a game." he raised an eye brow at the blonde, "It is! The object of 'the game' is not to think about the game, and when you do think about it you lose, but your ment to try and take out as many people as you can as you lose. Its really difficult and annoying but its cool to call out at anime conventions, you just got to watch out they don't swarm ya. And the worst part is once you know, then your playing the game and every time you think about it you lose!"
This sounded like a pointless game to Raku and Chitoge could tell because it was written all over his face. "That doesn't sound like a game in the lest it sounds like a type of mental torture."
"That's because it kinda is." Chitoge said looking to her upper left as she said it.
"Westerners are weird." Raku said looking off into space contemplating this strange game. "Argh." He gruffed.
"What?' she asked wandering what he was thinking to garner that response.
"I lost the game." He replied quietly. Chitoge couldn't help the smile that grappled to overcome her mouth, and soon the awfully hidden smile was joined by bursts of laughter. Turning on her Raku tackled the girl. She landed with a muffled thud. "You're the cause of it." he said threateningly, it just made her laugh harder. Chitoge's belly was starting to ach from the laughing and she was gasping breathlessly pushing at Raku.
Repositioning himself Raku sat to the side of the gasping girl. Her face was redder then anything he had ever seen, she was past tomato and the red made its way down her neck and onto her chest.
"It was just a game. Get off me!" she shouted still laughing but glaring at the dark haired boy. Removing himself fully Raku smiled; that would have to be one of the first times he'd ever beaten Chitoge. In anything bar cooking.
Sitting up Chitoge looked to Raku, she narrowed her eyes and ground her teeth as she viewed him. You'd never know that Chitoge like Raku with the way she was looking at him, and then suddenly a sidesplitting grin broke out on her face. She looked every bit as sadistic as the Cheshire cat, and Raku couldn't help but feel like a mouse in this room.
Pounce. Chitoge jumped at him her agile grace very much suited the cat-like image he had emblazoned upon her moments ago. Her skirt road up as she wrestled in onto the floor of her temporary room, the skin underneath showing up to her thigh. It was not a good day to be him he thought as he uncharacteristically looked at the exposed flesh. He had seen more then that of her, before when they had gone to the hot springs, but this glimpse just couldn't help but catch his eye. Dragging his attention away he looked into her eyes, Chitoges face was one of excitement; she was having fun wrestling with him and he couldn't help the smile that took to his lips either as they play fought their way over the tatami floors. At one point he had her pinned again, but she released herself by throwing him sideways with her legs. Right now they crouched at either side of the room neither moving –trying not to give the other an opening- Chitoge dove right and grab the pillow set out for her, with weapon in hand she attacked, swooping at the young master and knocking him with the firm pillow. "So we fight to the death?" she panted as Raku acquired a pillow of his own, turning back to her with his clothes disheveled and hair a mess. Thanks to the material of her dress Chitoge was in a better state as the skirt of her dress fell as she rose, her usual ribbon loosening in its tie.
Spinning his pillow he replied coolly, "exactly." And they took position each blocking the others blow with their weapons. This was a battle that took their surroundings, the room was a mess as feathers flew and hits connected. Chitoge couldn't believe that Raku could even match her, but he was. Taking a hit from behind Raku turned to intercept her next attack but was shocked as she tackled him through the middle, taking him to the floor with her. Landing on his chest Chitoge held the pillow above her head threatening. "Surrender?" she said, keeping her balance on his still fighting body. Swoosh.
"Ojou, I brought you those things you said. Ryuu told me you where staying in this room and let me in." Tsugumi said as she slid the door open, opening her eyes as she finished speaking she collapsed backwards onto the floor.
Tsugumi couldn't believe her naiveté; she should have knocked before coming in. Ichijou and Ojou-sama lay in a tangled heap on the rooms' floor. Ojou was straddling Raku Ichijou's waist and had just dropped the pillow that she was previously holding. Ojou was straddling Ichijou-san and had a look of victory spread across her face, Tsugumi could feel the world tilt. Black.
The two teens stared at their friend; she had fallen straight out the door and didn't seem to be waking up. Looking back at each other they scrambled to separate kneeling faces read as they stared at the door, embarrassed at being found in a compromising position.
Blushing Raku looked over at Chitoge, she was staring a the floor like it was the most interesting thing in the world. "I surrender," he said getting up and tiptoeing around Tsugumi's unconscious body. "I'll go see to diner, please explain to Tsugumi that…. Yea." Raku continued stopping and looking at her, until he became to embarrassed that he shook his head and walked off, not finishing his sentence.
Looking to her friend and bodyguard Chitoge released a small breath of disbelief escaping her as she stood to go and wake Tsugumi. Explaining would so not go well and she wished she could lump it on Raku but –he'd just make it worse.
Taking her bags off the floor Chitoge pulled them into her room and then returned to her passed out friend. Looking at Tsugumi's not so peaceful face she raised a brow and shock the girl.
Eyes fluttering she sat up shaking her head and touching the dull throbbing from the back of her skull. "Oh Ojou I brought your stuff." She said looking around for the heavy bags. Not finding said bags she looked to her Ojou only to remember the way she had found Chitoge not moments before. "Ojou, are you still pure." Tsugumi said waving her hands over her charges body check for ripped clothing or any –other proof. "If that Ichijou did something to you I'll kill 'em I don't care if he is the head of the Shuuei group now, I'll put one in his right hand and two in either sides of his hips. That'll show him!" she said a demonic aura surrounding her.
"Ok, chill 'Claude" calm down I'm fine." Demonic presence still there. "Nothing happened, we were fighting." She said and by Tsugumi Dramatic change back it seemed to have worked. The girls looked at each other Chitoge could see that she was regretting what she had yelled. Ichijou-san didn't need her making it harder on him right now and she had completely forgotten that when she had seen them. Chitoge saw the look taking over Tsugumi's face; she was about to go into dramatic self-blame mode. I'm gunna nip that in the butt Chitoge thought as she grabbed the other girls' hands. "Hey you were just doing your job," she said smiling into Tsugumi's face. "Don't blame yourself, it's out of your control. You say before you think, Raku knows this and if he doesn't man is he a dumb beansprout." Smiling back at her Ojou she stood up and bowed to Chitoge turned and left the estate.
Walking back to her room Chitoge dug through her bags, tossing their contents about the room like some over eager child. Reaching the bottom of one she moved to the next. There were a total of four bags that Tsugumi had brought over. The first two seemed to be a mix of clothing and toiletries while the next was a blanket and three large pillows the last contained some of Chitoges board games, card sets and video games as well as one console, the best in her opinion –the original Xbox. Yea she had the other generations and the other consoles but this was her first one she got from her mum, the rest where after and all from Claude.
Deciding that Xboxing it out would be the best distraction Chitoge looked around the room for a TV to hook it up to. There was nothing. Now on a mission Chitoge roamed the halls, searching for a member of Raku's Gang. They should now where the TV's where in this confusing house. Sadly she had been searching for a good eight minuets before she thought to ask Raku, changing direction walked in the direction she thought was the kitchen; 'I need a map' she thought walking down the next corridor. That looked exactly like the last one!
"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid-"
Following the sound of the odd words Chitoge had managed to follow the voice to exactly where she wanted to go. And the voice turned out to be Raku's, she found as she walked into the traditional looking kitchen. He was still repeating the word, what had her was that it was in English. Eyebrow quirked Chitoge joined in, alerting him to her presence. Smiling Chitoge walked up next to him, leaning against a bench with her arms behind her back. Chitoge stood on her tiptoes to see over his shoulder, it was something covered in batter. Chitoge just stood back and watched for a bit. "Did Maiko-san teach you how to make this too?" she asked talking to his back as he worked.
"Eh, oh yea she did." He responded, hands still busy.
"What is it?" she asked bluntly, it didn't look that good to her right now.
Smiling over his shoulder at her he said, "Just wait wont ya." Turning around more he asked, "What are you even doing in here? And where's Tsugumi, I made enough for her too." He frowned slightly, being alone with Chitoge was good but he felt like he could zone out at any moment, and having Tsugumi here would give Chitoge someone else to talk to.
"She left after dropping off my stuff." She said her arms still behind her back but she wasn't really looking 'at' him but past him at the prep bench. Raku rolled his eyes at the normal display of her priorities food is second to none. Sighting Raku turns back to work.
"It's Karaage." (Japanese fried chicken: if you have not had, have!) He said rolling more chicken into the batter, the miso broth and vegetables were almost done too, he thought as he moved to check on them. The rice would only take a few minuets. Looking back over at Chitoge he took a chance. "Hey you want to help?" he asked with a bit of sarcasm to spice up his words.
Chitoge looked like I'd just asked her to look after a band of children, it was an amusing sight. "I haven't put the rice in yet can you get it and help out." She looked misgiving, "come on," he persuaded her "I'll even give you tips!" he finished smiling holding out his hand. Reluctantly Chitoge took it.
Smirk growing Raku placed an apron around her neck and gave her a hair covering.
"Why am I wearing these when your not?" she asked tying the cord around her back and following him as he moved about the room.
"Try because I actually know what I'm doing in here and there's less of a chance of me getting ingredients all of me or me all over the ingredients! Plus now you look the part." He said the smirk just widening as the words left his mouth.
"ok so take the measuring cups out of that draw there," he said pointing to the middle draw in front of her, "and then measure out four cups of rice and put them into the rice cooker. Put water and a pinch of salt in then set off for about half an hour or so. You got that?" he listed quite quickly.
"Kind of." She replied back, looking at the set of four cups hooked together giving them a skeptical look.
Rubbing his hands down his face Raku approached. "I'll still help so don't give the measuring cups dirty looks." He said taking them from her and placing them on the bench top.
END CHAPTER:
A/N. this chapter came out fast didn't it, and I didn't even get any proper reviews LI'm sad now. And to think I spent so much time writing it for you guys L. Just kidding but I would love reviews and or favorites/follows any and all really. So yeah this chapter was longer and I hope you enjoyed it, tell me what you think and you could even tell me what you think about characters and or anything. Read, review and follow/fav.