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Miwaku no Zakuro	By : Tcharlatan Category: > Kyo/Kaoru Views: 2861 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This is a work of pure fiction. I do not personally know any of the members of Dir en grey, X Japan, or KISAKI, and do not profit from this work.

Chapter List
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- 27
Kyo found himself in a sea of people a head or more taller than himself. At least a dozen people had moved forward to offer him greetings and praise, and his head spun as he bowed again and again, faces and names flying past him in a flurry while he murmured his humble thanks. Even with everyone wearing formal suits, he’d never seen so many tattoos in his life. He struck out as best he could, keeping the stage at his back in the hopes that he’d eventually make it to the slightly raised section on the far side of the room where Kaoru’s table was supposed to be. It was a difficult trip; people were constantly stopping him to comment on his performance, to try to chat him up, and he had to stop for every one of them to bow, thank them, and excuse himself as politely as he possibly could.
‘Toshiya did warn me, I guess…’
It took almost twenty minutes to get to the table designated for the master of the house, and he couldn’t hold back a sigh of relief when he found that Kaoru was still at the table, sitting in a simple wooden chair like it was a throne rather than out somewhere in the mix on the floor. With everyone else in the room getting up to socialize following their dinners and the stage show, he’d been worried he’d spend the night searching for the man. As he approached, he frowned a little, searching the floor around his master, unable to find his customary cushion to settle on.
“Ah, there you are. I was starting to worry you’d gotten lost,” Kaoru chuckled, holding out one arm in invitation. “Come here, pet, I saved you some dinner.”
Kyo allowed himself to be guided into Kaoru’s lap without fuss. He ate his meals there most days, and though it was a touch awkward to do so in public, it was far better than standing all evening. His legs were already shaking. “Toshiya said I’m not supposed to eat tonight unless I’m trying to entertain someone…”
Kaoru raised an eyebrow, amused. “Oh really? And between Toshiya and myself, who do you imagine gets to decide your eating schedule?”
Kyo couldn’t argue with that. He rested against the older man’s shoulder, gratefully accepting the food that he was offered. For a few minutes, there was silence as he ate and rested, drinking heavily from the iced green tea his master had ordered for him as he felt a little bit of stability return to his limbs.
Then Kaoru’s voice came in a sly murmur in his ear as he dragged the pad of his thumb over Kyo’s bottom lip. “Besides, why do you think I do this every day? I’m very ‘entertained’ by just about everything you do with that mouth.”
The blonde very nearly choked on his food. In public – or at least, in front of Kaoru’s friends, which was as ‘in public’ as Kyo had been until now – his master was usually unfailingly polite. Everyone knew exactly what their relationship was, but it typically went unspoken. Looking up at the older man, he noticed Kaoru’s eyes were just a little softer than usual, and recognized the faint smell hovering around him. “You’re… drunk?”
“A little. Keeps me sane when the sycophants come calling,” Kaoru grumbled, gesturing irritably at the room, then smirked. “It’s a good thing I’ve been pacing myself, though. If I was just the slightest bit drunker, I’d have you bent over this table already, after that performance. I'd almost forgotten you can sing.”
Kyo blushed and opened his mouth to respond, but before he could speak, movement from the corner of his eye alerted him to someone approaching them. He glanced over, and immediately found himself shrinking against Kaoru just a bit. A looming form, rivaling even Die and Toshiya’s impressive height; long black hair pulled into a loose ponytail; tattoos from his ears down to the tips of his fingers, all done in black and crimson. More notably, a smug mouth and one cold, cruel eye, the other sealed shut and bisected by a nasty vertical scar. He recognized the man from one of the profile sheets Toshiya had given him, one that he’d put particular care into memorizing. Toshiya had very specifically warned Kyo to avoid Takashi Soejima, and Kyo had required no further warning, unsettled by even the man’s image on a piece of paper.
Soejima was remarkable in that he and Kaoru were very nearly the same age. They were the youngest leaders in the room, controlled two of the most powerful families, and most importantly, they were not friends. Though they’d never confronted one another overtly, Kaoru had been going back and forth for years with the man, nipping and shoving at one another’s territory, and the rivalry was a decidedly bitter one. Whispers hinted at a war soon to break out between the two families, when the men’s hatred for one another finally broke past the knowledge that they were too closely matched for such a feud to end without substantial bloodshed on both sides.
Kyo felt Kaoru tense beneath him, saw his master's face twist into a smug mockery of a welcoming smile, deadly black eyes bright and challenging.
“Such a pleasure to see you, Mr. Soejima. I had begun to worry you wouldn’t make it this year,” Kaoru purred.
“Now now, Mr. Niikura, you know I would never miss your Christmas party. I don't care who thinks such displays are ostentatious, one can always count on you to put on a good show.” Soejima’s voice was a smooth rumble, cultured and disgustingly cocksure. “And I'm sure your throne is more than secure enough that you can afford to take funds from your security measures to pay for such talented courtesans.”
“Why yes, it is, thank you. And I'm so pleased that you could see the show. I asked them to put your table right up front, since your depth perception has been somewhat… lacking in recent years.”
Kyo saw the man’s smirk twitch, fury flashing for just the barest second in his one remaining eye.
‘They’re like… wolves circling one another…’
He shivered as Soejima’s cold gaze landed on himself, and kept his own eyes carefully averted.
“So kind of you to remind me, I never properly thanked you for that. I certainly saw this one well enough, though. You’ve been somewhat spoiled in the company you keep, if the rumors are to be believed. I’m not so certain I do.”
“Oh? And what rumors might those be?”
“Silly nonsense, all of them. They say your Mr. Andou can shoot the wings off a fly, your Mr. Hara can charm a nun from her habit, and your Mr. Terachi can coax gold out of iron. Tell me, young man, how is it that you fit amongst such presumed quality?”
Kyo swallowed a bit, glancing up at Kaoru. His master was watching him with an encouraging smirk, no hint of warning on his face to suggest that he should keep his silence. The tension in the air was almost too thick to breathe through, and he worried that if the two men kept taking verbal jabs at one another, it would end in violence. He somehow felt that it was his responsibility to prevent that, to lighten the mood as best he could while still fulfilling his duties as a "status symbol." He could only pray he didn’t make things worse.
Boldly raising his gaze to meet the man’s stare dead-on, he smiled and quipped sweetly, “Well, sir… they say I can scream a banshee into shame… and that I can suck a golf ball through a bendy straw.”
There was a moment of surprise, and the tension reached its peak as silence stretched awkwardly before it simply… broke. Kaoru chuckled fondly, kissing his pet’s hair, and Soejima’s settled into a less aggressive stance with his hip propped against the table, apparently amused and decidedly curious. Kyo did his absolute best to swallow a sigh of relief at having played that properly, but there was nothing to be done about the faint blush on his cheeks.
“Well then, you are a spoiled man indeed, Niikura. Ah, but we should be celebrating the holidays shouldn’t we? Little banshee, perhaps you would do me the honor of joining me on the dance floor?”
Kyo froze.
‘…Oh fuck me…’
‘Is he serious?!’
‘What do I do?!’
Toshiya’s voice surfaced in his mind, telling him what he very much did not want to hear.
-“Just flirt a little, flatter people and bullshit with them, maybe dance with a few of them.”-
-“Most of all, we show them that we are not afraid of them.”-
‘…’
‘I am afraid of him!’
‘But if Master Kaoru needs me to fake it…’
‘Fuck me… I should have never left the bedroom…’
He bowed his head as graciously as he could. “If… if it pleases my Master.”
Kaoru looked for a moment like he might flat out refuse, and Kyo prayed that he would, counting on his master’s notorious possessive streak to keep him safe. Soejima spooked him down to his very bones; he did not want to be around the man without Kaoru’s protection, and he sure as hell didn’t want the man touching him. Kaoru and Soejima weren't at eachother's throats anymore, which was a relief, but now Soejima’s attention was on him, and he couldn't help but feel like the man knew exactly where his soft, vulnerable spots would be. Fate, as usual, laughed in his face before smacking his hopes back down.
“Oh, I’m sure he can stand to part with you for a simple dance. It is the season of sharing, after all, is it not?”
After that, Kaoru couldn’t deny him and still maintain the fragile pretense of hospitality. He smiled – though Kyo saw the bitterness behind it – and nodded. “But of course.”
Kyo mentally screamed every curse word in every language that he knew, even managing to fuse a few together into entirely new ones, as he accepted Soejima’s hand and let himself be lead out onto the dance floor. It took everything he had to keep from shaking as the taller man wrapped an over-familiar arm around his waist and he, as propriety demanded, rested his hand on that arm. Their other hands joined, and they began to move unhurriedly about the dance floor to the rhythm of the orchestra’s unobtrusive music. Kyo couldn’t help but glance back toward his master, who was watching them with a particularly dark scowl now that his rival’s back was turned.
‘Hell… at least… at least it’s in the middle of a crowded room.’
‘What’s the worst this guy can do to me here?’
“You put on a wonderful show.”
Kyo startled a little, looking up at the man.
“It reminded me very much of the kabuki play, Kagami Jishi, only with a dark, modern sort of flare that was very striking. Your dance was quite moving, and your singing was simply exquisite.”
Kyo averted his eyes, uncomfortable with the praise paired with the man’s overbearing scrutiny. “Thank you, sir, I’m… glad that it pleased you.”
“Very much so. Ah, how rude of me, I didn’t even think to ask for your name.”
“Oh, I… It… it’s Kyo.”
Soejima looked amused. “Just Kyo?”
‘To give a devil your true name…’
“Aa, just Kyo.”
“Hmm… it suits you, I suppose. You know, Kyo… I can feel the jute ropes through your clothing. I imagine Niikura wrapped you like this to remind you throughout the evening to whom you belong?”
Kyo stiffened, eyes slightly wide, as Soejima ran a bold finger across the bottom edge of one the ropes wrapped around his waist. He tried his best to mask his discomfort, his voice taking on a slightly warning tone. “Aa… Master Kaoru is very possessive.”
“That he is. I’ve always wondered how he manages to keep the company he does, given his penchant for disloyalty and cruelty. The man murdered his own brother in cold blood to inherit his organization, you know? And those three goons of his never stop to think he might do the same to them one day. Perhaps his lieutenants are just as depraved as he is, but you seem somewhat more… innocent. Far too sweet for someone like him, if I may be so bold. I should very much like to see how far down those ropes go.”
Kyo tried to pull back even just a little, but found the arm around him completely unyielding and fought to keep himself composed. “I’m very sorry, but I doubt He would allow that."
“I really like the way you scream,” Soejima murmured, far too intimately against his ear.
Kyo bristled, nervous. “I… I’m sorry?”
“When you were on stage. There was so much pain in it… so much despair, even for a performance. One can only imagine how you scream when you are truly in agony.”
Kyo shivered, his temper flaring in self-defense. “It's a shame you’ll never know.”
Soejima’s arm tightened abruptly, crushing the younger man against his chest even as he mouthed teasingly at the soft shell of the blonde’s ear. “You have something of a smart mouth, little banshee. Perhaps Niikura has been too soft on you, and you don’t fully understand your place?”
Kyo gasped, suddenly unable to breathe as his ribs were compressed against the taller man’s chest. He jerked his head away from the man’s mouth and tried to push away from him. “S-… sto-… I ca-…!”
“You know, taking things from Niikura has become something of a hobby of mine. I should dearly love to steal you from him and teach you how to behave yourself around your betters. He would never risk starting anything with me over a single whore. The way you bend, the way you shake… you have a delicious body. It would be a pleasure to drown in your screams, to use you until you were nothing more than a bloody, broken husk before dumping you back on his doorstep.”
Soejima waited until Kyo’s vision started to swim before loosening his hold enough for the younger man to breathe, his eye bright with enjoyment for the blonde’s struggle. Kyo heard the soft sound of metal sliding and paled, ceasing his struggles and staring up at the man in horror as something hard and damned sharp came to rest against his spine, under Soejima’s wrist.
“This dance floor is a bit crowded, don’t you think? Perhaps we should find somewhere more private to continue our talk…?”
‘Is that a knife?!’
‘He… he’s going to kill me!’
‘Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods!’
“Excuse me?”
He could have cried in relief as the man’s face dropped from a smug, almost sadistic little smirk to an irritated frown as Shinya tapped on his shoulder.
“Can I help you, Mr. Terachi?”
Shinya smiled, his eyes unusually hard, and bowed. “It’s a new song, Mr. Soejima, I was wondering if I might steal your partner for this next dance?”
Kyo saw the older man fight the same battle with propriety that Kaoru had earlier, and lose it just the same way. He couldn't put up a fuss here without drawing attention from the entire room. The blade at Kyo's back disappeared with a barely-audible click and he was released, moving quickly to hide halfway behind Shinya’s willowy frame. Soejima eyed both of them disdainfully for a moment, adjusting the cuffs of his tuxedo jacket, then gave a poisonous smile.
“Perhaps another time then. I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.”
He was able to hold out until Soejima was out of sight before his legs gave out beneath him. It was all too much. He was tired, he was hungry, and now he was terrified for what so nearly could have happened, what still might happen if the man made good on his promise. Shinya caught him easily, all-but carrying him to the nearest table, tucked away in a blessedly secluded corner, to catch his breath.
"Gods, I hate that man…" The auburn-haired man sat him down in a chair and put a hand on his shoulder. “I heard that blade of his. Are you alright? Did he hurt you at all?”
Kyo shook his head. “N-No, but I think… I think he was going to…”
Shinya sighed. “He probably was. I’m sorry I didn’t cut in sooner.”
Kyo looked up at the older man, eyes wide. “I’m just glad you came when you did. Thank you.”
Shinya smiled. “Any time. Just try to stay clear of Soejima, alright? With things the way they are between him and Kaoru, we might not be able to help you in time if things get out of hand. We can’t really afford a war with him.”
Kyo nodded quickly. He didn’t need to be told twice; he’d never wanted to be around the man in the first place, and now he only had more reason to stay clear of him. To hell with propriety, he would not be dancing with Takashi Soejima ever again. Any punishment Kaoru might deem necessary for the rudeness had to be better than what Soejima seemed to have in mind.
“Can you walk, or do we need to find you someplace to rest? Kaoru and Die are both looking for you, but I’m sure they’ll understand if you need a break.”
Kyo shook his head and stood slowly, using the table to push himself up. “I'm fine. I just… haven’t eaten much today.”
Shinya gave an odd little half-smile at the obvious bluff, but seemed to think better of mentioning it. “Alright. At least you’ve met the worst of them; the rest of the party should be a breeze.”
And it was. Shinya delivered him back to Kaoru – who was still fuming and significantly drunker by this point, a condition which Kyo chose not to exacerbate by relating his near miss – and he was more than happy to sit in his master’s lap and be fed his dinner without further interruption. People came and went to speak to Kaoru, offering thanks and praise for the party, hinting at favors or partnerships they might want with him, but by and large Kyo was left alone. The few times that guests did try to talk to him, Kaoru spoke for him, fondly, possessively, leaving no room for doubt in anyone’s mind that he was not interested in sharing any further this evening.
He made an exception later in the night only for Die, who came up and demanded a birthday dance with the star of the show. Kyo was feeling much better by that point, and he found himself actually enjoying dancing with the redhead. Die was not the best dancer in the world, but he was just enjoying the party so much, his demeanor entirely carefree, and his enthusiasm was infectious. At the end of the song, Kaoru came out and took his best friend’s place. Die made a big show of being disappointed, until Toshiya came over and, with uncustomary shyness, asked him to dance.
The redhead laughed, obviously finding the idea terribly novel, and accepted, and Toshiya’s face lit up with ill-disguised joy. As Kaoru spun him languidly around the dance floor, Kyo heard Die’s confused murmur wondering who should lead, and couldn’t help but smile just a little at Toshiya’s answering chuckle. After a month spent witnessing first-hand just how hopelessly besotted the blue-haired man was with Kaoru’s head of security, Kyo was glad that Toshiya could at least enjoy this much. As for himself, he was plenty content to stay with Kaoru and let his master's possessive glare keep the sharks at bay.
It wasn’t until many hours later, into the wee hours of the morning, that Kyo finally got to return to the safe haven of Kaoru’s quarters. Thankfully, mansion staff had seen to accommodating those guests who weren’t going home until the next day, but he’d still had to stand at his master’s side as Kaoru bade farewell to each visitor in turn. He was less than half awake as they went through their usual nighttime ritual, and he found himself hoping maybe Kaoru would let him sleep in the big bed tonight. His body ached, and the thought of the hard floor in his corner was disheartening.
“Don’t fall asleep on me now, pet. I have a surprise for you,” Kaoru murmured, less drunk and more sleepy now.
“Mph?”
“Your Christmas present. You did so well tonight, especially with Soejima, I had it sent up for you a little early as a reward.”
Kyo blinked, just slightly more awake now, as Kaoru opened up the door to his room. His eyes went wide and his lips parted, shocked. Against the right-hand wall, next to his bathroom, a dressing cabinet stood, large enough to hold an entire wardrobe. One of its lower drawers was open to reveal a full selection of different colors and styles of pants and hakama. After so long wearing only whatever Kaoru handed him, the freedom to choose his own clothing day to day was a vast change.
He didn’t care about that at the moment, though.
Right then, all he saw was the thick, decadently plush bed tucked into his usual sleeping corner, identical to the one he had ruined so long ago. A heavy blanket was folded neatly on top of it, a fluffy pillow resting tucked into one side, and when he went to his knees and pressed his hands into it, he was met with just the perfect amount of cushy resistance. He couldn't even find it in himself to care that it was shaped like a dog bed anymore. It was a bed of his very own, it was glorious, and he was speechless in awe of it.
"With how hard you’ve been working lately, we can't very well have you sleeping on the floor every night, now can we? See if you can keep this one intact."
“It's… Kaoru, I…” He looked back at his master, unable to find the words for his gratitude.
Kaoru simply smiled. “Merry Christmas, Kyo.”
- 25
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Miwaku no Zakuro