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 Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2018 8:53 pm
  Kaoru shook his head a little, "I'll be ok." He got up and changed into some of his softest pjs, wanting to be warm and cozy. He couldn't keep himself from watching Daichi change. The man was just to beautiful. When they were both ready, Kaoru sat back down on the bed and sighed. "I do't know what to think. She was yakuza...I just," he shook his head and looked down at his hands. "Maybe that's why she hated me. I was weak and useless, nothing that holds value in that kind of family." He looked up at Daichi, "Do you think we can go back home? Or do you want to stay here? With her gone, it should be safe for us." Hana was back in his lap and he started to pet her, "I wonder if my father was arrested too." His stomach tightened at the thought. His father had been kind to him when he could. "I hope not. He didn't do anything wrong. I-I don't think he did at least." And what about his sister? Was she yakuza too? His head was swirling with all the possibilities. Rui smiled, "I will, I promise. Thank you for everything." He nodded to the woman before heading back to the outlaying house where the doctor was waiting. He gave him a brief summary of what to expect and the older man nodded, he was used to working with sensitive cases. Rui lead the way into the house, "Akiko?" he called, wondering where he would find the man. "Akiko, it's Rui. I have Doctor Heni with me, Yui and I wanted him to take a look at you to make sure you were ok." He waited for Akiko to come to them before smiling, "Hey. We just want to make sure you have a clean bill of health, but you don't have to be alone with him. I can stay with you if you would feel more comfortable?" Dr. Heni smiled, "I don't mind either way. Or we can do the check in a different room, but with the door open so that Mr. Rui can see us the entire time. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable, Mr. Nishimi." His kind, wisened eyes showed no signs of malice. He was one of those people that looked like he wouldn't hurt a fly, and truth be told, he wouldn't.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2018 2:49 pm
 Daichi slipped on a black tank top and his pj bottoms before he slipped into the bed, next to Kaoru. Kaoru started to speak and Daichi grabbed his hand, pulling him to lay down next to him. “You aren’t weak and you aren’t useless.” He said, biting back his anger as he wrapped an arm around Kaoru’s hip and pulled him in closer. He pressed a kiss to the crown of Kaoru’s head and waited a moment for his words to sink in. “I would prefer not to stay here any longer than we have to…” He said, then paused. Had he told Kaoru that they were moving? Now that he thought about it, he handled all the movers and storage units while Kaoru was in the hospital… so Kaoru probably didn’t know… “We are moving. I moved all of our stuff out into a storage unit after your mother showed up.” He paused. “I will make a few calls tomorrow and secure a new apartment. Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if mother already has a new place ready for us. If so, I’ll call the movers.” He lifted a hand to brush a strand of hair out of Kaoru’s eyes. Daichi watched the worry shimmer in Kaoru’s eyes when he mentioned his father. Daichi wasn’t sure how he felt about Kaoru’s father. He didn’t know too much about how Kaoru’s home life was like… but maybe his father was being abused too? Otherwise, there was no reason why he hadn’t stood up for his son… Daichi focused on Kaoru again. “We can ask mother? She probably knows if he was arrested to, or at least she can find him, for you… if you want to find him…” He said softly. he studied Kaoru’s eyes, trying to get a better understand about how Kaoru felt about his father. After a couple of minutes, Daichi sighed a nodded. “Rest now, Kaoru.” He pulled Kaoru into his chest a bit more and rested his head comfortably on the pillows. He closed his eyes, holding Kaoru gently. He didn’t drift off however until he heard Kaoru’s breathing level off and deepen. Akiko was sitting in one of the bedrooms, sitting on the bed. The house was nice, not too large, two bedrooms. But it was so quiet… he couldn’t help but jump at every sound. So of course, he jumped when the door opened and tensed when he heard Rui’s voice. He closed his eyes tight for a moment, willing himself to stand and walk over to the doorway despite his panic. But he froze when Rui mentioned the doctor. ‘No no no no, god, no please.’ His breathing hitched as he panicked. But Rui was calling to him, and hiding always resulted in a punishment. He forced himself to more those last couple of feet to stand in the doorway. His hand grabbed the doorway for support, and immediately he gripped the wood hard enough to turn his knuckles white. “H-hello.” He said softly, acknowledging Rui and the doctor. He couldn’t help how broken his voice sounded. His heart was in his throat at the mention of an examination. He could already catalog his current injuries… there wasn’t anything life threatening… he would be fine… did he really have to do this? He looked to Rui, wishing the male would send the doctor away. But Akiko knew better. So, he needed to make a decision but alone with the doctor, or have Rui near? If he was alone with the doctor, what was stopping the male from punishing him? Maybe the whole doctor thing was a ruse, an excuse to get Akiko alone so that his wife’s crimes could be atoned for. He shivered at the thought. “Not alone.” He said softly, barely a whisper, but in the quiet of the room, both of males heard it.
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Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2018 4:33 pm
Kaoru nodded a little, pressing himself against Daichi, but he felt guilty that they would have to move, "Sorry, you liked that place, didn't you? I didn't mean to make us move." Logically he knew it wasn't his fault, but he still felt guilty. "I don't know if I do or not. I know mother-she wasn't nice to him. She was always yelling at him and she would hit him too, but I don't know if I want to see him. I'm scared." He snuggled in closer to Daichi, "How silly is that? He would bring me water when I was on the veranda, and I know mother would have punished him if she found out, but I'm scared to see him." Kaoru shook his head a little, but he nodded when Daichi told him to rest. "I'll try." It took a while, but he eventually dropped off into a light slumber. God, seeing how scared Akiko was made Rui's heart clench. The poor man. He wasn't surprised when Akiko elected for Rui to be there was well. "Alright, let's go to your room then? I think it will be easier." The doctor nodded and they let Akiko lead the way. Rui settled against the dresser, leaning back casually and watching, giving Akiko smiles whenever he looked his way. Dr Heni walked behind then, knowing this was going to be a bit difficult. He'd do the examination as quickly as he could so that Akiko wouldn't have to suffer too much. "If you could remove your shirt, son, and sit on the bed?" he asked gently, "I promise to be as quick as I can." He pulled out a stethoscope, medical gloves and a few other instruments as he waited for Akiko to do as he'd asked. When the man was topless, Dr Heni turned, his face blank despite the old and new bruises that littered the man's torso. Rui, on the other hand, couldn't help be take a sharp breath in, growing a little pale at the sight. Dr Heni got to work, gently poking and prodding, checking for any internal damage as he cataloged the injuries old and new. What worried him were the obvious signs of Akiko being whipped at at least one point and time. The scars were unmistakable. That, and the deep bruises on Akiko's hips that indicated something far darker. When he'd finished with Akiko's torso, he stepped back. "Son, I'd like to do an examination of your lower half as well, but I think you've been stressed out enough. I just have one question, and, well, I'm pretty sure I know the answer to it already." He glanced at Rui, not sure Akiko would like him to hear this, but he'd asked for the man to be here, so he continued. "I had to be crass, but there really isn't another way to ask. I know you've been abused, quite horridly too, but I need to know, have you been sexually assaulted as well? You don't get those bruises on your hips by being beaten."
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 11:45 am
Daichi rubbed his thumb along Kaoru’s cheekbone, shrugging softly. “I didn’t really have any attachment to it… it’s fine. It’s not your fault…” he said, trying to calm and sooth his husband so he could sleep. But talking about his father was upsetting Kaoru, and he seemed like he wanted to cry. “No, Kaoru, It’s alright. It’s okay to want to know where he is, and still not want to see him. You don’t have to see him every again if you don’t want to.” Daichi’s hand trailed along Kaoru’s neck and shoulder, then back to his head, gently rubbing fingers into his temple. Luckily, under his ministration, Kaoru let the topic slide and closed his eyes, drifting to sleep. Daichi didn’t sleep long, and he slept lightly. When he woke, his eyes slowly focused on the top of Kaoru’s head. His arm had wrapped around the male, pulling him into his chest. Kaoru’s head was nestled under his chin. One of Daichi’s thighs had pressed its way between Kaoru, essential entangling all their limbs and trapping the male close. Daichi laid still, just relishing in the warmth and feel of his husband as he listened to his gentle breathing. It was peaceful, and Daichi wanted to live in this moment a bit longer. Akiko was already mostly in his bedroom, so he just took a few steps back towards his bed. He never turned his back to the doctor, his eyes focused mostly on the ground until the other two entered the room. He watched Rui take a spot off to the side, still within his peripheral. The doctor walked closer and Akiko tensed, his hands clenched into fists and opened a few times, a nervous tick his wife could never break him of. Softly he nodded and began to undo the buttons of his shirt with trembling fingers. Next his undershirt came off and he ignored the throbbing pain of sore and bruised muscles at work. Akiko spared a glance at Rui when he took a sharp intake of breath, but quickly his eyes returned to the floor. It was a pain he was used to. He set the clothes on the bed and sat as he was instructed, hunching his shoulders slightly to try and make himself look smaller. Akiko was tense as the doctor touched him, clinically and through. He couldn’t help some of the short intakes of breath whenever the doctor would press against a particularly sensitive bruise, but for the most part he remained quiet. He was actually expecting this to hurt more… maybe since Rui was here, the doctor was restraining himself from causing too much pain… too many witnesses. After what felt like an eternity, the doctor took a step back. But his next words made Akiko’s blood freeze in his veins. He looked up at the doctor, terrified. He couldn’t help the short shake of his head at the mention of a ‘lower half’ examination. He knew what the doctor was going to ask… his eyes focused on the floor like the carpet in this room was particularly interesting. He couldn’t look at Rui, or the doctor… he wouldn’t be able to handle the shame. He was a man… men don’t get raped… and yet… he felt hot tears prickle his eyes and he squeezed them shut, trying to prevent the tears from falling. He just gave a short nod to the doctor’s question and tensed, waiting for a blow or something. He wasn’t supposed to talk about it to anyone… he was never allowed to go to the hospital… no one was ever supposed to know. “I-I’m s-sorry.” He whispered, so softly it was barely a whisper as his arms wrapped around himself. He was trembling softly, shivering, but not from the temperature of the room.
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Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 4:34 pm
Kaoru didn't sleep long. He woke wrapped up in Daichi's arms and with Daichi in his own arms. It was nice. He sighed and tried to snuggle closer, but there wasn't much closer they could get. He could tell Daichi was awake, he lifted his head and looked at the man, smiling softly. "Sleep well?" he asked, slipping his hand upwards to play with Daichi's hair. "Sorry, I kinda of freaked out there, didn't i? I hope I didn't embarrass you." He dropped his head back to Daichi's chest and kissed it, "But today's date was amazing. We should do it again sometime." He listened to Daichi's heart before sighing, "We probably should get up and do our chores. I don't want to see your mother when she is angry with us for not doing them." He shivered a little, though he knew she wouldn't hit them, but maybe she wouldn't allow them to eat dinner until they were done. Rui was done standing by the side. His entire body had tensed when Dr Heni had asked, but Akiko's response and reaction had him moving. He knelt in front of Akiko and slipped his arms around the man, hugging him. "No," he said softly, "you have nothing to be sorry for, Akiko. None of this is your fault, you did nothing to be treated that way." He moved back and cupped Akiko's cheek, "Can you look at me, sweetie?" He waited for Akiko to look up, "You aren't going to be hurt here. You are a member of this family, no one will ever touch you again." He spoke with a passion he didn't know he possessed. "You are safe here, Akiko, and I'm going to help you to believe me." He smiled and stood up, placing his hand on Akiko's back, standing beside him and offering support. "What do we need to do, Doctor?" Dr Heni watched the two, feeling a bit protective of Akiko himself. "I'll prescribe a few creams for the bruises. And some medication for your rectum, in case of any tearing." He smiled gently at Akiko and patting his shoulder in a fatherly way, "Other than that, ibuprofen for pain and swelling. Make sure to use the medication, son. It will help. I'm sure you are used to enduring this without aid, but you don't have to anymore. I'm sure Rui here is going to take good care of you. He's a good man, you can trust him." He patted his shoulder again and gathered his things, "I'll send out an order for those medications, they should be delivered soon." He nodded to the two and saw himself out. Rui didn't go with the doctor, instead he sat next to Akiko, "It's going to be ok." He smiled gently and stood back up, "Go ahead and put your shirt back on. I can help you with the ointment when it is delivered. Do you want to do something until then?" He worried about the last time Akiko had eaten, he could count the man's ribs from his seat against the dresser. "Are you hungry? I can call the main house and they will bring us dinner. Would that be ok with you?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 7:48 pm
Daichi smirked softly when Kaoru woke up. His hand rested on the back of Kaoru’s head and his fingers played with strands of his hair gently. “Fine… you?” he asked softly, whispering. He wasn’t sure why he was whispering… maybe he didn’t want to ruin the quiet moment by talking. His fingers stopped momentarily at Kaoru’s words. “What do you mean?” he asked, his brows pulled together in confusion. His fingers started to move again and he shook his head a bit. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” He said as he pulled Kaoru into his chest. He smiled at the mention of their date. “We will. Let’s get situated first, then we can plan another.” He said, placing a kiss on the top of Kaoru’s head. They stayed like that for a moment longer, just enjoying each other’s company, before Kaoru spoke again. He sighed softly, but couldn’t help the soft chuckle. “She gave you those chores to distract you. I can almost guarantee that the staff have completed all of the chores by now.” He said, leaning back to smile at Kaoru. He brushed back Kaoru’s hair as his gaze grew softer, affectionate. “Can I kiss you, Kaoru?” he asked softly. They had both agreed to go soft while they were both healing… but how slow exactly? Because after their date today, Daichi wanted more… so much more. But if Kaoru wasn’t ready for that, he’d wait. Akiko tensed when Rui moved from his spot, moving to knelt before him. He flinched as Rui touched him, expecting to be hit for his tears. But the touch was gentle and the hold was firm but not restrictive. Though his words didn’t make much sense. He obviously did something wrong, hence the need for a punishment. But he knew better than to talk back. He simply nodded and tired not to flinch away when Rui cupped his cheek. His eyes closed tightly for a moment before opening again to look at Rui. Tears clung to his eyelashes and stained his cheeks. Rui spoke of protection, of family. Again, foreign words with little meaning. But he just nodded again. The doctor mentioned some medication before patting his shoulder, causing him to flinch again. He wasn’t used to people touching him. He nodded again, returning his gaze to the floor. “Thank you.” He whispered softly, shivering slightly as the doctor gathered his things and left. Rui sat and Akiko tried to pull in on himself more. But he quickly grabbed his shirt when he was permitted to dress again. He didn’t feel as exposed clothed. Akiko glanced at Rui when he asked if he wanted to do anything until the medication arrived. He didn’t have an answer, so he returned his gaze to the floor. Luckily the male suggested something, and food actually sounded amazing right now. He nodded at the suggestion. “Y-yes please.” He stuttered, wrapping one arm around his chest, holding his opposite elbow.
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Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 11:23 pm
Kaoru frowned, "But she gave me the chores. Why would they do them?" And how could Daichi be so casual about it? He felt himself starting to panic, would they get in trouble because the servants did their chores for them? Would Yui be disappointed in them? They'd gone out without finishing their chores, oh gods. His stomach dropped and he trembled slightly. "Daichi, I-I need to do my chores. I don't want to get into trouble." He felt tears in his eyes, "I don't want to-I don't want to-" he shook his head and buried his face against Daichi's chest, struggling to get his breath back. It was ok. He wasn't going to be punished. He was safe with Daichi. "Sorry," he whimpered, starting to cry, "I'm sorry. I know it's ok, in my mind I know we won't be hurt, but at the same time everything is screaming at me. Telling me if I don't do the chores I'll be punished." He shook his head, "It's so stupid! She gave the chores to help me. All I had to do was obey. Why can't I just be good and do as I am told?" Rui smiled softly, even thought it was lost on Akiko as he kept his eyes on the ground. The poor man was too scared to even glance his way. "Alright, Akiko. Let's get something to eat. I'm going to step into the front room to call the main house. You can either come with me, stay here, or do something else while we wait for the food. No trick or trap, you won't be punished no mater what you pick." He stepped away, hoping that Akiko would actually chose what he wanted instead of what he thought Rui wanted him to do. He walked to the front room and picked up the phone there that linked him directly to the kitchen. He requested their dinner be sent and he was promised it would be there in the next five minutes. That was five minutes to see what he could do about getting Akiko to the point where he wouldn't be afraid to eat in front of him. He just hoped the b***h hadn't done something to cause the man to have that fear.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 6:05 pm
s**t. Daichi was fairly certain he just threw Kaoru into a full blown panic attack. “Kaoru, Kaoru, hold on. Breathe.” He cupped Kaoru’s face to force the male to look at him. “You aren’t in trouble. You did nothing wrong.” He tried to soothe but the words fell on deaf ears. He sighed after a moment, letting Kaoru press into his chest and hide his face. There was no point trying to reason with Kaoru right now… he sighed softly. He’d apologize later for making Kaoru freak out. But right now, Kaoru needed something to do, to focus his attention on. “Okay. Come on, Kaoru.” He pulled away from the male and stood up. He didn’t go far before he was gently coaxing Kaoru out of the bed with him. “Get dressed. We’ll go down to the kitchen and do our chores. And if they are already down, we’ll cook dinner for the family tonight. And if that's done already, we'll clean up. That should make up for not doing our chores.” He said softly, hoping his words wouldn’t send Kaoru into another panic. He really wasn’t good at this talking and comforting thing. He threw on a t shirt and jeans, then waited for Kaoru to dress. He was sure to keep his face neutral, not angry or annoyed… and that was actually easy since he was neither of those things. Maybe a bit disappointed but he was disappointed at himself… they had been having such a good day and he had ruined it. He’d have to talk to Rui about how to talk to Kaoru… he was getting doubts again about teaching Kaoru karate again. Daichi obviously didn’t know how to talk to Kaoru… Akiko looked up, worried when he was given a choice. Choices were never a good thing… it usually meant there was a wrong answer. And even though Rui said there was no trick… he couldn’t believe that. He looked around the room when Rui left… he doubted someone was hiding in here, waiting for him to be alone to hurt him. He stood and walked over to the doorway, peering down the hallway towards Rui’s voice. He could tell the male was ordering food from the main house… unless it was all code… Akiko followed the voice and found Rui in the front room. He glanced around the room before he went to the kitchen. He opened the cupboards and found the plates and utensils. Slowly, with careful and deliberate actions, Akiko started to set the table for two. He always kept Rui in his peripheral, and he handled the glassware like he was afraid he would drop it. But setting the table gave him something to focus on, which helped lessen the tension in his shoulders, if only a bit. Kaoru was usually the one to set the table. But Akiko had taken over that responsibility whenever Kaoru was getting punished or away. He always set the table for two, even if sometimes his wife didn’t allow him to eat with her, or eat at all that day. So this was routine for him… whether Rui would actually put food on his plate however was still up in the air.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 6:59 pm
Kaoru sniffed and nodded when Daichi told him to get dressed. "I'm sorry, I will clean up. It's my fault we didn't do our chores on time." He got dressed and moved to hold Daichi's hand, but he saw that blank expression he was coming to hate on Daichi's face. It was the expression he used when he was hiding what he really felt. Kaoru frowned, Daichi had been happy until he brought up the chores...Kaoru stopped. Daichi seemed to think that the chores weren't important. And Daichi wouldn't do something to get him into trouble. Daichi had told him he'd never hurt him. Kaoru took a deep breath and looked up at Daichi, unsure. "Do-do you really think it's ok if we don't do them?" He swallowed, "Was it really just to distract me? I just-" his hand tightened around Daichi's, "I don't want to be punished...but you aren't happy anymore. You were happy and I ruined it." Rui watched Akiko out of the corner of his eye while the man set the table. He was so careful, he didn't even make noise. By the time he finished there was a knock on the door. He opened it and two of the servants brought in trays of food. They placed it on the table and bowed before making their way out. Rui smiled and moved to sit at the table. "Let's eat, Akiko." He loaded his plate and waited for the other man to do the same. When he didn't do anything, Rui smiled gently. "It's ok, Akiko. Go ahead and take what you want, you don't need to wait for me." Dammit, so the b***h had done something. "Akiko? Did your wife regulate what you could and couldn't eat?" He waited for the response before nodding, "Ok. Akiko, what will make it easier for you? I want to make you as relaxed as possible, but I don't know what things she made you do. If you can, will you explain to me? I just want to know so that I can help you move beyond her conditioning."
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 9:15 pm
Daichi held his hand out to Kaoru, unsure if he’d want contact right now. But Kaoru quickly grabbed his hand. Tears still clung to his eyes, which only made Daichi feel worse, which in order made his features close off more. He turned to walk to the door, but paused when Kaoru didn’t move. He turned, standing far enough away that their entwined hands were outreached. Daichi’s brows pulled together, confused, as Kaoru spoke. Daichi took a moment before he nodded. “I’m certain of it.” he said simply. “But we can still go do something, if that will help you.” He sighed softly and took a few steps closer to Kaoru, letting their hands relax between them. His other hand reached up and cupped the side of Kaoru’s face, thumb rubbing against Kaoru’s cheek bone. “Nothing’s ruined, Kaoru. I’m a little disappointed in myself for sending you into a panic attack, that’s all.” He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Kaoru’s head. “Let’s head down to the kitchen. If there’s anything left for us to do, we’ll do it. Okay?” he asked softly. Akiko flinched at the knock. He was so glad he hadn’t been holding anything… he probably would have dropped it. He moved to the far side of the room when the servants brought in the trays and placed them on the table. He didn’t make any movement towards the table until Rui spoke. He tentatively slipped into the seat across Rui, practically sitting on his hands. His feet curled around the feet of the chairs, to ensure he wouldn’t accidently kick Rui under the table. Akane had hated that. Rui started to dish out his own food and Akiko remained still. He was actually surprised when Rui spoke, telling him to make his own plate. He looked at Rui confused, but didn’t move. That was a trick… somehow… Rui asked another question and Akiko nodded softly. “Yes.” He whispered. Akane didn’t want him to get fat. And with age, his metabolism had slowed a bit. Again, confused brows looked at Rui. Explain it to him? He looked down at his plate. “She a-always made my plate… I’d eat what I-I was given.” He explained softly. He shrugged and looked back down at his plate. Is that what Rui wanted? Or did he want more? He wanted to ask, but he wasn’t sure how… “Is-is that--- d-do I-I have to---“ he closed his eyes tightly for a moment. Akane hated when he stuttered.
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Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:13 pm
Kaoru closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He stepped closer to Daichi and rested his head on the man's chest. "No," he said softly. "We don't have to. It'll be ok." He shivered, but looked up at his husband, his eyes firm, "It wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything, it was me...and my mother. She's the one who-who did this. Not you and not," he hesitated, having to force the words out, "and not me." He sighed and dropped his head back to Daichi's chest, "It's ok. It's going to be ok." The words were whispered assurances to himself. "Ok, what do you want to do? Should we see if it will be dinner time soon or do you want to play with Hana outside?" Rui kept back the curse he wanted to spit out. That vile woman. She had her poisonous talons so deeply into the man that he didn't even dare breath without her telling him to. "It's ok, Akiko," he said softly, his smile still in place, "How about I make your plate for now, ok? I'll put the same amount of food on your plate as I have on mine. You don't have to eat it all, but if you want more I want you to tell me honestly, ok?" He stood and loaded the man's plate until it was the same as his. "There, please eat? I'm worried about how skinny you are, so please tell me if you are still hungry after you finish your plate." He started to eat himself and was very careful to not blatantly watch Akiko to see how much he ate. "Akiko, I'm going to be living here with you for now, if that is ok. You seem comfortable enough around me and I don't think you would be as comfortable with anyone else. I will have to leave every morning to have a session with my other clients, but I can ask someone to come stay with you, if you want. For now I just want to learn the rules that were established for you before. I don't want to ask you to do something if you have been told you are not allowed to do that." Maybe if he learned Akiko's 'rules', he could start helping the man move beyond them. "Can you do that for me, Akiko?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2018 12:02 pm
Daichi cradled Kaoru’s head as he leaned forward. He wanted to argue, ask if Kaoru was sure. But he was saying no… he never said no. And Daichi didn’t want to discourage that. He bent down and placed a gentle kiss on Kaoru’s head, his mask dissolving as his fingers ran through he short hairs on the nape of Kaoru’s neck. “Yes, it will be.” He said gently, pulling back so Kaoru could look up. He gave the male a gentle smile which only grew when Kaoru spoke, blaming his mother and not himself. He nodded, then wrapped his arms around the male, hugging him gentle as the smaller man mumbled to himself. He stood there with Kaoru for a minute before he spoke. “It should be dinner time. Let’s go down and see if the others are there. If they aren’t, we’ll take Hana outside until dinner is ready.” He said, giving Kaoru a squeeze before releasing him. His hand trailed down to Kaoru’s hand and intertwined their fingers before he pulled towards the door again. He put his hand on the handle and looked back at Kaoru, checking if he was alright before opening the door. Akiko took a breath when Rui spoke softly to him. There was a whole table between them, but that wouldn’t prevent Rui from hitting him or kicking him if he were truly angry with Akiko… but even so, Akiko wasn’t sure Rui would hit him… maybe if he did something really wrong… Soft eyes looked up at Rui and he nodded. Carefully he lifted his plate to Rui, waited for Rui to add the food, then returned it in front of him. He still waited for Rui to start eating before he dared to pick up his fork. Akiko ate rather quickly, not quick enough to forget his manners, but at a much faster pace that Rui… almost like he was afraid the plate would be taken from him if he ate too slowly. Rui tried to distract him with conversation, which only partially worked. He nodded when Rui mentioned he would be living here as well. “ Yes, sir.” He said softly after he swallowed his mouthful of food. Talking would definitely slow him down… so he tried not to take much… not that it was hard, he didn’t talk much in general. “I-I can be a-alone, while you w-work.” He paused and cleared his throat. Akane hated his stutter. Why did he have to stutter? “I won’t… I’ll be good. I don’t need supervision.” He said softly, rather proud of himself for not stuttering! Rui said he wanted to learn the rules Akane had put in place… maybe Rui was trying to be nice and figure out how to help Akiko… or maybe he wanted to learn what Akane did so that he wouldn’t have to start from scratch as his new ‘master’… either way, denying him sounded like a bad idea, so Akiko nodded. “Yes, sir.” He said softly before he continued to eat. Wait… did Rui mean right now? Was he supposed to be going over all the rules he could remember right now? That would be one way to ensure he didn’t finish his plate…
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 1:21 pm
Kaoru felt a small bloom of happiness in his stomach, Daichi's blank expression was gone and he was smiling again. Kaoru had done something right. He leaned into the hug, relishing in the pleasure of knowing he'd made Daichi happy. They pulled apart and Daichi took his hand, Kaoru nodding to what the man had said about dinner. "Come, Hana," he called and the puppy shot up from where she'd still been snoozing on the bed to run after them. They walked down to the kitchen and saw Yui speaking with one of the servants who looked upset. Kaoru frowned a little, but Yui dismissed the girl before they got too close. "Sorry, dear," she said, smiling at Kaoru. "We have a distant relative staying in one of the outlaying houses. He's been sick and came here to recover. Poor girl was a bit shocked when she took him his dinner, he was worse off than she'd expected." She carefully pulled Kaoru into a hug, now that she had more details on what that evil woman had done to him, her maternal instincts were kicking into overdrive. "How are you doing, sweetie? I'm sorry you had such a shock today." Kaoru stiffened a bit in the hug, but he forced himself to relax. "I'm ok. Sorry I worried you." Yui smiled and pulled away, giving her son a small hug too, "Not at all. I'm just glad you are safe now." She smiled and waved them to the dining room, "Come, I was about to send someone to check on you. Dinner is ready." She lead the way and Kaoru gave Daichi a little bit of a confused look. "I must have really worried her-" he whispered as they followed behind. The table was set and Kaoru sat with Daichi, serving himself small portions of the food, not sure how hungry he was at the moment. "Where is rui?" Yui smiled, "He's with the relative. The poor man's struggling with having been ill for so long and Rui volunteered to help him. You two will still have your morning session, but twice a week they will be together. Sound good?" Rui knew he was in for a lot of heartache as he saw the way Akiko ate. It was classic for someone who'd had food used as a way of abuse. He was trying to eat as quickly as possible while still being polite about it as if he were worried Rui would take the plate away from him at any moment. The 'sir', though, made his blood turn cold. Oh gods, did Akiko think that Rui was replacing his wife? He felt ill and had to take a break from eating, not sure he could stomach any more food at the moment. "Akiko?" he said softly, "Please don't call me 'sir'. My name is Rui. I am not here to control you or give you orders. I am here to help you learn that you are in charge of yourself and no one has the right to take that away from you." He stood slowly and moved to put more food on the man's plate, "Starting with eating. I would never deny you anything you want that won't cause you harm. You can take your time eating, no one will take it from you." He smiled and carefully placed his hand on Akiko's back, giving it a gentle rub, "As for the rules, do you think you could write them done for me? Not right now, but after dinner. Or maybe in the morning when I am doing my sessions?" He stepped away and sat back down, his stomach settled. a bit more. He wanted to show Akiko what he was saying as he felt words meant little to the man. He'd gotten up, moved towards him and given him more food, touched him softly and then sat down. All of those things had happened without causing Akiko any pain. Slowly, very slowly, the man would come to trust that Rui would never hurt him.
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 2:45 pm
Daichi lead Kaoru downstairs, smiling as Hana ran ahead of them. In the kitchen, his mother was talking with one of the servants. Daichi’s expression hardened slightly when he saw the distress on the servants face. Eyes narrowed, trying to assess what was going on by just looking at their persons. But their conversation ended and the servant left, leaving Daichi feeling a bit confused and out of the loop. What was going on? Was it something he needed to worry about? Daichi frowned and tried to catch his mother’s eye. But she was busy doting on Kaoru, hardly looking his way. That was probably intentional. Hmmm? Maybe it was nothing… Daichi analyzed her words as he leaned into to give his mother a small hug in return. A relative? Sick? What kind of sick? Daichi didn’t voice his questions though. Yui turned away from them and called them to the table. Daichi slipped his hand to the small of Kaoru’s back. “Everything is alright.” He said softly before they headed to the table and took a seat. He sat next to Kaoru and his mother. Something was still bothering him, in the back of his mind. Rui was busy tending to the relative… it was a bit strange that his mother hadn’t provided a name for the ‘relative’. There had to be a reason why his mother was being so ambiguous… and he had a feeling it was for Kaoru’s benefit. So he decided to ignore it for now, and ask his mother about it later, after Kaoru was asleep. He turned his attention to the food and made his plate. “Mother, I’d like to talk to you about some of the family owned apartments we have in town. Kaoru and I would like to move back into our own space as soon as possible and I was wondering if we have any available units near my branch.” Akiko looked up when addressed him. But he subtly flinched when Rui told him to stop calling him sir. He bit his tongue to stop himself from automatically responding with ‘yes, sir.’ s**t, he was already doing stuff wrong. He nodded quickly. “O-of course… Rui… I’m s-sorry.” He asked softly instead, hoping it was a good enough save. He forced himself not to flinch when Rui decided to move. It took him an extra long moment to realize Rui had moved to add more food to his plate, and not to hit him for his error. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and nodded again at Rui’s words. “Thank you.” He looked back down at his plate and took another bite, slower this time. Rui wanted him to slow down… and maybe he really wouldn’t take the plate away before he finished… Rui was really into touching. Don’t get me wrong! Akiko wasn’t against the touches… they were gentle and plutonic… but he wasn’t used to pleasant touches. So, he couldn’t help but tense and flinch whenever Rui touched him. That had to be discouraging and upsetting for Rui. If he really was as nice as he was trying to be perceived, then he’d eventually get annoyed with Akiko’s jerk reactions… Akiko would have to work on that… The smaller male nodded at the question. “I’ll d-do my best to put them in w-writing while you are gone.” He said softly, his gaze stuck on a particularly interesting part of his plate. It would give him something to do while Rui was away. He ate the rest of his dinner slower, and only sparred a few glances at Rui throughout the whole meal. He actually got to get to his fill and then some… he wasn’t about to leave food on his plate. Rui’s plate was empty before his, but only just… almost like Rui slowed his eating so that he would finish at the same time as Akiko. “M-may I clear the table?” he asked softly.
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 4:04 pm
Yui knew the real reason why Daichi wanted to talk to her. She'd debated telling him about Akiko, but now she didn't really have much choice. "Of course, dear. I have a list already made up in my office, shall we go and look at it after dinner? We can weed out the ones you don't like and then you and Kaoru can go over the rest and make your choice. Sound good?" Kaoru hadn't noticed the looks between the two, but he was a little surprised he would be included in the decision. He smiled at Daichi and then Yui, "I'll take Hana out to the garden while you go over it, ok? That way we both will be out of your way." He continued to eat, enjoying the meal. "Oh, Daichi? It doesn't have to be, but if we move to somewhere close to a library, I'd appreciate it. We don't have to, I can take the bus or train, but-well," he blushed and looked down, wishing he'd kept his mouth shut. It didn't matter if they were close to a library or not so long as Daichi was happy with the location. "Never mind. It doesn't really matter, sorry." Akiko seemed to relax a bit more and started to eat slower. He still seemed tense, but it was getting better. "Take your time with them, ok? If you forget some of them and need to add them later, it's ok? I don't want you to push yourself, Akiko." They finished their meal and Akiko asked if he could clear the table. "Only if you let me help." Rui stood and gathered his own plates, "You don't have to serve anyone, Akiko, least of all me." He helped to clear the table and place the dishes they had used in the washer before placing all of the uneaten food back on the tray. "Akiko, will you call the main house and ask them to pick up the tray?" He nodded to the phone in the main room, "The numbers are listed next to the phone. Just call the kitchen and let them know we are finished and the tray is ready for them. I am going to get my computer so I can take some notes." He smiled gently and walked out of the room, letting Akiko go at his own pace to call and get the tray taken care of.
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