Welcome to Gaia! ::

Daichi nodded. “Yes, that would be perfect. Thank you, mother.” He said happily. It sounded like they had a few options, would be nice. He liked having different options, and he kind of wanted someplace completely different than his last place. Since Kaoru moved into his apartment, it always felt more like his place than theirs… this time they would be moving in together, so it would definitely be theirs. He looked up when Kaoru spoke, and he nodded again, swallowing his bite before he spoke. “I’ll eliminate any places too far out of range or unsuitable. Then we can look at the remaining together.” He said, pausing at Kaoru’s request. He’d have to look at the options, but surely there was one near a library. If not, they could look at the options that were the closest. “Kaoru.” Daichi said softly, trying to stop Kaoru’s nervous rambling. He reached out and took Kaoru’s hand, waiting for him to look up. “We’ll look at the options. Okay? It’s a reasonable request.” He reached up and gently ran his fingers through the short hairs around Kaoru’s ear. After a moment, he dropped his hand and returned to his food.

Dinner was pleasant, just the three of them. They talked about their date, the movie, moving, and some random stories Yui decided to tell about Daichi’s childhood. Daichi was actually smiling softly near the end of it all. Once everyone was done, Daichi helped Kaoru gather the dishes, but they were stopped at the kitchen entrance by the kitchen staff, who took the dishes and rushed to clear off the rest of the table. “Can you take Hana outside, Kaoru? I’ll go over the list with mother, then come find you.” He said softly, leaning forward to place a kiss on Kaoru’s head before he left, heading upstairs to his mother’s study with her.

Akiko nodded, biting back another ‘yes, sir’. He had been worried about writing the rules down… sometimes he didn’t remember the rules until he was in the middle of the action… so it was comforting to know he could add to the list later on. Another short nod followed as Akiko got up and gathered his own dishes. His fingers twitched when Rui stood with his own plate. He really wanted to reach out and gather all the plates together… Rui told him not to though. Akiko rinsed his own plates, putting them in the dishwasher once Rui had moved.

Rui asked him to call the main house and he nodded. Phone calls were the one thing he was still good at. No one could see him or hurt him through a phone. He still had to worry about his wife waking in and overhearing something that displeased her. But… Akiko waited for Rui to leave the room before he picked up the phone and dialed the number. He stood with his back a bit straighter as the phone rang before it was answered. He smiled, a very business-like smile. “Hello, this is Mr. Nishimi, staying in the guest house, 2A. Can you please send someone to pick up the dinner tray? Yes, thank you.” He said, speaking even and confidently. It was a strange shift in character, but it only lasted the length of the call. The phone call ended, the phone returned to its station, and Akiko’s posture and smile crumbled back to it’s usual blank and slightly wary expression.

Tugging and fiddling with the cuff of his shirt, he decided to sit on the couch to wait for Rui and the main branch servant who would be there shortly to get the tray. He sat on the far end of the couch, furthest from the door and kitchen. Without much thought, he pulled his knees into his chest and leaned back into the soft cushion. It was surprisingly easy to get comfortable, until he heard Rui’s footsteps. He tensed again and threw his legs down so that his feet weren’t on the couch. Bright eyes turned and followed Rui as he walked into the living room. “The main h-house has sent s-someone.”

Daichi didn’t speak until the door to his mother’s study closed. “Obviously.” He answered, however his voice wasn’t one of annoyance, just impersonal. He walked over to the chair in front of his mother’s desk and sat down. He sat comfortably, but froze when his mother started to speak. Kaoru’s father was on the grounds? Immediately he worried about Kaoru… Kaoru had said he didn’t want to see his father… surely Rui and his mother had precautions in place to prevent an unwanted reunion. He trusted they did, and pushed his worry to the side for the time being.

Daichi frowned, practically scowled, when Yui started to tell him about the atrocities that occurred against Kaoru’s father. Yui rage filled out burst was surprising, but not unreasonable. “She did what?” his voice was practically a growl, angry and dangerous. Daichi rose from his seat, either way… this wasn’t a conversation he could have sitting down… after all, he got his temperament from someone. He leaned forward, pressing his hands to the edge of his mother’s desk. He didn’t know how to answer his mother’s questions. But he was outrageous how far their family had seemed to have fallen. They probably needed to have a large family meeting… they hadn’t had one in decades, but this warranted a meeting. “If you want my opinion, mother… you and father should call for a gala… heads of households, spouses… maybe even the eldest offspring in attendance. Sounds to me the outlying families have forgotten why we are the head family…” his voice was cold, almost scary.

Eyes flickered across the wood surface as his mother continued her explanation. It made sense why Akiko was brought here. He rose up and crossed his arms across his chest. “Kaoru’s not ready to see him and by the sound of it, he isn’t ready to see Kaoru.” He looked at Yui, determined to protect his husband, even from their own family. He knew his mother would do the same. He nodded softly, soundlessly showing his gratitude as he reached over and took the list from his mother. He flicked through the few pages of information and grabbed a pen from his mother’s desk. After a couple of minutes, he put an ‘x’ through three different places. Either they were further than he wanted from work, or too far from a library for Daichi’s liking. That left another eight places. He also eliminated any place too close to his old apartment, which eliminated another two places. “Thank you, mother. I think I’ll show Kaoru these six places and discuss with him.” He said, showing her the options he had chosen. He wasn’t sure why he showed his mother his list... but he wanted his mother’s approval.

Daichi left Yui’s office with the list and the pen and found Kaoru in the gardens. He stepped out and caught sight of the male, just staring as Kaoru played with Hana for a minute. A soft smile spread on his lips before he was caught. He waved, holding the list, then walked over. “Hey, Hana.” He called, laughing a bit when the puppy ran over to him in greeting. He knelt down and petted her, letting Kaoru come the rest of the way to him. “Look at these places and tell me what you think.” He said, holding the paper out to Kaoru before returning to playing with Kaoru.

Akiko was glad Rui decided to sit in one of the chairs and not next to him. He had had so much physical contact that day… he wasn’t sure he could stand much more without breaking down. He really wanted to pull his knees into his chest and curl up. But that wasn’t polite. He shook his head at the mention of hobbies… chores usually took a fair amount of his day… sometimes his daughter would need him to make a few calls for the company, he liked doing that for her. It made him fill useful. In the evening, he usually just did whatever Akane had wanted… even if he wasn’t in the mood. Lately however, it seemed like he was always in trouble, so ‘free time’ was taken up with punishments. He shrugged, wrapping his arms around his chest as he stared at the wall. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Akiko buried deeper into the couch, almost like he thought it would swallow him up and hide him from the servant who had come to retrieve the dinner tray. Akiko’s eyes followed her path, but never meant her gaze. He didn’t move until she had gathered the tray and left. The door clicked softly behind her and Akiko released a soft breath. He was silent for a long minute. “M-may I return to m-my room? I’m… tired.” He didn’t want to talk anymore, he didn’t want to be around people… he really just wanted to shower and sleep… and maybe tonight he would actually get a full nights rest.

Daichi played with Hana while Kaoru looked over the choices. He paused when Kaoru spoke up, holding out two particular units. He smirked softly. “And what if I don’t want to make the final decision?” he asked, gently testing the waters. “I’ve already approved all of these units, so has mother… think you could make the final decision?” he asked, walking over to stand in front of Kaoru. “It’s okay if you can’t. But I’d really like to hear your favorite…” he reached out and gently brushed his fingers through the short hair around Kaoru’s ear, an action he had grown to enjoy quiet a lot. He waited patiently, just watching Kaoru’s face. If he got too upset, he’d step in… but he kind of hoped Kaoru would voice his real opinion.

Akiko nodded, though he would still probably ask before he did things for a while longer. “G-good night, Rui.” He said softly before he slipped off the couch and headed down the hall. He slipped into his bedroom and shut the door. He was tempted to lock it… but he wasn’t sure he was allowed too. So he didn’t. He looked around his room a moment before he headed to his suitcase and pulled out pajamas. He took them to the adjoined bathroom and turned on the light. It didn’t take him long to shower and get ready for bed. He enjoyed the hot water that helped relax his muscles. And the soft bed practically pulled him to sleep. But the room was too quiet… maybe he could… he pulled out his phone and plugged it into the wall. He opened up a white noise app and set the sound on low. He wasn’t sleeping with Akane, so no one would mind if he had a bit of noise playing in his room… right? With the warm covers and the soft noise, Akiko was asleep in moments.

((I’m going to wait until Daichi and Kaoru go to sleep before continuing with Akiko… I’m thinking he has a nightmare tonight.))

Daichi smiled brightly when Kaoru picked one. He couldn’t be happier with Kaoru’s choice. “Yep, our new home.” His voice accentuated the word ‘our’. Daichi wrapped an arm around the male, holding him and Hana close to his chest. He leaned forward and placed a kiss to Kaoru’s head. Daichi nodded, his smile never faltered. “She did. It’s a distant cousin. The doctor is tending to him while his family is away.” He said simply. He wasn’t going to lie to Kaoru, but if he could avoid telling him that his father was nearby, he planned on it. They walked inside slowly, still leaning into each other. “I’ll call the movers tomorrow, after I call the apartment, and have them deliver our stuff. We should be able to leave in two days. Is that alright with you?” he asked, hoping the change of topic was seamless.

Daichi directed them up the stairs to their bedroom. “I think I’m going to shower. Can you help me with my hair?” he asked, holding his still bandaged hand up with a shrug. He hoped he could remove the brace in a couple of days. It was bothersome. Daichi pulled off his shirt and set it in the provided laundry basket. His pants and underwear followed. Kaoru had seen him naked, multiple times… so he didn’t bother hiding as he walked over to the bathroom and turned on the water to warm it up. He carefully removed his brace and let his hair down, running his fingers through the strands. He’d been to brush it after his shower.

((Not sure yet. He probably won't make any noise... maybe he goes to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and that wakes Rui?))

Daichi was pleased when Kaoru agreed to help him with his hair. Though he didn’t have any doubts. He rather enjoyed Kaoru’s fingers in his hair. And he’d probably still ‘ask for help’ after he got his brace removed… there had to be another excuse he could come up with as to why he needed Kaoru’s help… or maybe he could just be honest and tell the male that he liked it? Once in the shower, Daichi turned his back to Kaoru to give him access to his hair. He took the opportunity to start washing his body while he relished in Kaoru’s ministrations. Daichi smiled at Kaoru’s assessment. “I don’t know… I think you’d look cute with your hair in a ponytail.” He said softly. “Though long hair isn’t for everyone. There’s some days I’m tempted to cut it all off.”

Daichi closed his eyes as Kaoru started to lather up the shampoo through his strands. “Hmmm? I have some emails I need to write, but I can do that in bed with you. So that you can sleep.” He said, smiling a bit at Kaoru’s nervous rambling. “Kaoru.” He said his voice softly, hoping to stop Kaoru’s nerves. He looked back over his shoulder and smiled. “It shouldn’t take me long to answer my emails. I'd rather stay close to you.” He said honesty.

Once the conditioner was rinsed from his hair, Daichi turned and pulled Kaoru in against his chest. “Thank you.” He said softly. Then, acting on impulse, he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss against Kaoru’s lips. He didn’t try to deep the kiss or push Kaoru. He wasn’t trying to rush his husband into anything… but it felt like forever since the last time they kissed, and Kaoru always seemed to enjoy his kisses. He pulled back after a moment, but didn’t move far. “Is this alright?” he asked softly, blue eyes searching honey brown.

Daichi smiled into the second kiss, which was just as sweet and soft as the first. He wanted to press in further, press Kaoru against the tile… but instead he let Kaoru pull away and tuck his head under his chin. Daichi rubbed his hands along Kaoru’s bare back. “What gave you that impression?” he asked softly, tilting his head to kiss the top of Kaoru’s head.

They finished their shower and got out. Daichi dried himself off, then rewrapped his finger and reapplied the brace. The he walked out into the bedroom and changed into some boxers. He grabbed his lab top and moved to the bed, where Kaoru was already curled up and half asleep. “Hmmm?” he looked over at the sound of his name. “Hmmm.” He slipped under the covers and smiled softly at Kaoru. He ran a hand through Kaoru’s head, pressing him firmly against his side and watched the male fall sleep. “I love you too.” He whispered so softly, it was barely audible. He stayed there for a while longer, playing with Kaoru’s hair, watching the male sleep. Eventually he was able to pull his mind away and open his laptop. He answered some emails for about an hour before he shut everything down. He set his laptop on the bedside table, then shimmed down into the bed, pulling Kaoru to his chest. He stared at the ceiling a little while longer before he passed out to the sound of Kaoru’s deep breathing.

Akiko woke with a strangled cry stuck in his throat. His body had learned long ago to never cry out in his sleep… that usually resulted in severe pain… Akane hated being woken in the middle of the night. Akiko panted, tears streaming from his eyes, a light layer of sweat coated his skin. He stared at the ceiling until he got his breathing and crying under control. The room was quiet except of the white noise from his phone… he sat up slowly and wiped his cheeks to dispel the tears. He sighed and looked around the room. There was no way he was going to get back to sleep… He pulled the covers off and stood up. Wearing only his long sleeve pajamas, he quietly walked over to his door. He opened it slowly and glanced into the hallway. The house was quiet and dark… He noticed Rui’s door was cracked.

Venturing out into the hallway quietly, he glanced into Rui’s room. The soft light laminated Rui’s sleeping form. As long as he was quiet… Akiko quietly walked to the kitchen, flipped on the light, and grabbed the electric tea kettle. He filled it and set it on its stand. As he waited for the hot water to boil, he searched the cabinets. He smiled to himself when he found the tea cups and the tea bags. He would have preferred loose leaf teas, but this would do for now… maybe Rui would allow him to buy a real tea pot and some teas… he was careful to be quiet as he set the cup on the counter and dropped the tea bag into it. The water boiled, then shut off, luckily with no real noise. He poured the hot water into his cup and set the kettle aside. Akiko drifted off as he waited for the tea to steep, dipping the tea bag up and down from time to time as he stared off at the far wall.

Akiko lifted the tea cup to his lips and blew, cooling the liquid before he took a sip. He set the cup down, making a soft clicking sound as he did. The repetitive motion of lifting the cup and setting it back down helped ease his mind. But all the tension returned when he heard Rui’s voice. His shoulders tensed and shot up to his ears. He gripped the counter to stop himself from sending the cup flying. He turned to the voice, scared he had done something to wake the other up. “S-sorry. I didn’t m-mean to w-wake you.” He said softly. He looked back down at his tea then back at the male. “I c-couldn’t sleep… nightmare.” He shrugged and forced his shoulders down. “I j-just came o-out here to make a cup of t-tea. I’ll just…” he grabbed his cup and turned to the sink, with the intent of throwing it out and running to hide in his room.

Akiko froze when Rui said no and moved to stop him. He looked at him disbelieving for a moment before he returned to the counter where he had been before. He relaxed a bit when Rui said he that he hadn’t woken him. Looking down at his cup for a long moment, he took another slow sip. He shook his head at the question. “Not really.” He said softly. He sounded so tired, felt so tired, but he knew sleep would elude him tonight… or he would be plagued by more nightmares. Akiko gave a very small smile when Rui said tea sleeps him relax after nightmares too. “I picked up the habit from my mother.” he said softly. He glanced up and looked over into the living room. When he was younger, and he’d wake up with nightmares, his mother would make tea or warm milk and they’d sit in the living room, watching a movie until he fell back asleep. He relaxed a bit more at the memory. “What woke you up?” he asked softly, tiredly. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he liked the sound of Rui’s voice… it was calming.