Welcome to Gaia! ::

Daichi looked up when Kaoru said his name. He caught the little smile Kaoru had on his lips. It made him smile softly. He liked how Kaoru said his name. He was used to his mother’s voice, usually yelling his name. He was used to the tensing tone of his brothers. But Kaoru’s tone was new, and refreshing. It was soft and smooth. Daichi paused however when Kaoru flushed and stuttered when he heard his own name slip past Daichi’s lips. He frowned a bit when Kaoru mentioned making more friends than enemies. He wasn’t sure why that was… Kaoru seemed normal enough… he was a bit soft spoken but would that cause him to make a lot of enemies? That didn’t sound right. He shook his head of the thought and focused back on Kaoru’s words. He smiled softly, and it was a very sweet smile. “Very well. Kaoru it is then.” He said, softly.

Daichi was nearly finished with his ice cream and they were nearing the end of the gardens, they would need to turn around shortly and head back. So Kaoru liked to read? There was a public library near his house… and a bookstore… he would need to show Kaoru around so he wouldn’t get lost. Daichi chuckled a bit at Kaoru’s animal comment. “Yes, some animals are definitely scarier in person… have you never owned a pet? A fish, or a cat?” he asked. But remembering how strict his parents were, Kaoru was probably sheltered away from anything that didn’t have to deal with him becoming the perfect bride.

The male shook his head a bit. “It’s alright. You’re in the spotlight right now. That tends to melt the brain and make conversations harder.” He said softly. They had reached the edge of the gardens, and simply turned back the way they came, still walking slow and talking. “That’s my line…” he said in response to Kaoru’s comment about being in the way. But he paused when Kaoru suddenly remembered something else. Daichi looked around the garden and nodded, his lips turned up in a small smile. “I used to help the gardeners when I was younger. Many of these plants were planted by me…” he suddenly felt very nostalgic. But Kaoru’s smile and returned question broke him out of his memories.

Daichi raised a brow at Kaoru when he mentioned he had been kept out of the loop. “Seriously? I’ve known about you for years…” he realized that sounded a bit stalk-y. He grimaced. “I mean, mother told me your name once the arrangement was made.” He said, more politically correct. He nodded when Kaoru listed the few things he did know about him. “I work for my family’s company, though the local branch is just a side branch. The main branch is located in Toyko.” He confirmed. “And I do practice martial arts, Judo to be exact. I took it up in my teens. I have my black belt, and have won a few competitions. But I don’t compete anymore.” He spent more time at work than anything else. Workaholic was definitely a work people used to describe Daichi.

He tried to think more about his interests. “I don’t have a lot of free time due to the nature of my job but…” he paused, trying to think… he chuckled at his own difficulty. “I told you… the spotlight melts the brain.” He smiled, chuckling at his own joke. “Oh, I play violin.” He nodded, proud he found something else interesting about himself. Seriously… he was pretty boring. But anyway… “I never competed but I’ve been practicing since I was very young. Mother required all her sons to pick up an instrument. My eldest brother choose piano, my other brother picked the sax, and I went with violin.” He explained.

They were in range of people again, and his mother spotted them. “There you are! It’s late, Say goodnight.” She said. Daichi sighed softly, but turned towards Kaoru. “Well… it was nice talking with you… I guess the next time we see each other it’ll be at the altar.” He said, his face returning to his normal, neutral look.

Daichi frowned softly at Kaoru’s comment on pets. He sounded like he was quoting someone, probably his mother. Daichi didn’t grow up with pets, but that was because he wasn’t interested. He had been to zoos, and had friends with pets. But it seemed Kaoru was denied even that growing up. It still baffled him that, in this day and age, there were still parents who denied their children the simplest of pleasantries… he shook his head of the thought and focused on Kaoru’s questions. Daichi nodded and looked around the garden. “My apartment… our apartment… it has a balcony. Feel free to get some potted plants if you want. It might liven up the space.” He said softly. He was going to have to get used to that… calling it their place… the words were foreign on his tongue.

Kaoru’s reaction did not go unnoticed. His eyes lightened and shimmered in the dim light at the mention of the violin. Daichi nodded, not used to being the source of someone’s joy. He was the youngest… so nothing he ever did was enough to get out of his brothers’ shadows. And his job made people frown, not smile. “I do.” He said simply. But he chuckled when Kaoru got excited. “I know who she is, and I admire her music. I’ve even learned a few of her songs. Though I don’t think I give them any justice.” He said, rubbing the back on his neck. He didn’t play often, and never in public. So, he was shy when discussing his music ability. He didn’t think he was that great of a player. Though his mother would argue otherwise.

It was time to saw their goodbyes. Daichi bowed his head as Kaoru spoke. “Good night, Kaoru.” He said, making an effort to call Kaoru by his name since he knew Kaoru would like it. Daichi walked over to his mother and they both saw the Nishimi’s out. Daichi waved as the car left and turned to head back inside to retrieve his stuff and leave. His mother walked in with him. She was smiling. “I like him… I think he’ll be good for you.” She said softly, keeping her eyes forward. “Yes, mother.” Daichi was running on autopilot again. He said good bye to his family, hugged his mother, gathered up his jacket and his shoes, and headed for his car. Next thing he knew, he was pulling into his parking spot. He took the elevator up to his apartment and immediately when to his kitchen for a drink, scotch on the rocks. He took a sip, leaving on the counter. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. The next few days were going to be busy…

~Time skip to the wedding night~

The week had been a busy one. Daichi had to delegate his work out to his top men for the days he was going to be missing. Being a workaholic as he was, it was a rather tiring task. While dealing with work, he also had to deal with his mother’s constant calls regarding the wedding and his attire and anything else she wanted to bother him about. Somehow during all that mess, he managed to order a piano for Kaoru’s wedding present. It was going to be delivered to his place and placed in his living room on Friday, while his apartment was getting cleaned and ‘prepared’. He knew he would have to wait until after the ‘inspection’ before he could order another bed for Kaoru to sleep in. He didn’t plan on sharing a bed forever. That was… just too close.

He was tired by Friday. His mother forced him to leave work early. He stayed in his old room, took a hot bath, and dinner was delivered to his room. Obviously, his mother didn’t want him to accidentally run into Kaoru who was supposed to be staying in one of the guest rooms. Daichi couldn’t get a restful night’s sleep. His mind was racing going between the wedding to work, then back. He woke tired. Daichi slipped into autopilot as his mother and some male servants came into his room to get him ready. Hair was tied back with a gold hair tie in a neat high ponytail. A bit of makeup was applied to make his eyes pop. His wedding outfit was fitted to him. It was traditional, black and white trimmed in gold. Daichi just went through the motions, doing as he was directed.

Soon he was walking up to the alter. Members of both families sat in the audience. It was a small affair, centered in the middle of the garden. It was mid-afternoon, and the weather was nice. Not too hot; there was even a light breeze. Everyone stood as the music changed and Kaoru came walking down. Blue eyes met honey brown, and time seemed to freeze for a moment. Daichi paused, and had to force himself not to smile at the sight of his bride. He was not happy about this. No! He was not! Once at the alter, both males turned towards the official and the ceremony continued. It was a short ceremony. And it did not end with the traditional ‘groom kissing the bride’. The official announced them married and joined their hands. He tied a soft cloth around their hands, signifying their union. They had to keep their hands bound like that during most of the after party.

The after party was also small. Some people danced, there was food. Daichi didn’t dance, he hardly ate. He wasn’t happy to be there, forced into a marriage to a man. It was uncomfortable to be sitting at the table, eyes on them both, hands still bound. Luckily, their bindings were cut away not too long after. Daichi waited for the cue from his mother, telling him that he could take his bride home. He practically jumped at the opportunity. He managed to keep himself in check and slowly rose from the chair as his mother announced the ending of the festivities. Daichi held his hand out to Kaoru to help him up. They went around every table, thanking everyone for coming. It was easier this way. Daichi bowed to Kaoru’s parents, a deep bow that showed respect. And with that, he took Kaoru’s hand and lead him out to his car.

Daichi opened the door for Kaoru. He closed the door after him and hurried over to his side. He slipped in and ignored the happy waves from their families as they drove off. He drove silently for a while, still on autopilot as he drove to his apartment… their apartment. Damn it.

Kaoru’s coughing broke Daichi of his trance. He looked over at Kaoru, confused for a moment. He had been so zoned out that day it took him a moment to realize where and what he was doing. A cold? Kaoru had a cold… Daichi turned his eyes back to the road. He shook his head a bit, trying to clear it. Daichi frowned when Kaoru mentioned the ropes that had been tied around their joined hands. He remembered Kaoru flinched when the official tried to tie the ropes during the ceremony. Why would ropes make him flinch? Another coughing fit pulled Daichi out of his thoughts again. He completely ignored Kaoru’s comments about being gross. Keeping one hand on the wheel, he reached over with his right hand and pressed it to Kaoru’s forehead. He frowned, then moved his hand, twisting it so that the back of his fingers pressed against Kaoru’s cheek. “You have a slightly fever.” He said as he reached forward and opened his glove box. He pulled out some napkins he always left there in case of spills. He placed them on Kaoru’s lap. “I have medicine at home.” He said as he pulled up to a red light.

He glanced over at Kaoru, and noticed he was a bit flushed, which he assumed was from the fever. “How long have you felt sick?” he asked as the light turned green. They weren’t far from home. It took another fifteen minutes before Daichi was pulling into the parking lot of a very nice apartment complex. He pulled into his assigned parking spot and undid his seat belt. He turned the car off and slipped out of his car. He waited for Kaoru to follow before he locked the car. “I’ll make up a cup of tea once we are upstairs, and get you some medicine.” He said, walking with the male to the garage floor elevator. Luckily at this hour there wasn’t a lot of foot traffic, so not many of his neighbors would see them in their wearing outfits.

Daichi pressed the button to his floor and watched the numbers change as they ascended up. It didn’t take long to reach his floor. “This way.” He said as he lead the way to the apartment. “I have a key for you. I’ll give it to you tomorrow.” He said as he slipped the key into the lock and opened the door. The room was dark, but as he entered he flipped on the nearest light, and it laminated the rest of the apartment. To the Shoumei family, his apartment was rather small. But to anyone else’s standards, it was huge! The entryway was large and open, there was a rack for shoes, which currently only housed two different pairs of shoes. It opened up to a large living room. A simple couch split the room and faced a flat screen that was mounted on the wall. The rest of the space was used up by a large grand piano that had a huge bow on it, and a little tag. The far wall was all glass doors and opened up to the balcony. The kitchen was to the left, and had an open layout with an outward facing bar. One could easily watch TV while cooking. The kitchen was moderately sized, with all the necessary appliances. To the right was the hallway that leads to the one bedroom and the bathroom. “Bedroom is this way. I’ll get you some medicine.” He said as he entered the space confidently, slipping his shoes off by the door. He walked down the hall towards the bedroom. He started to pull out hair pins, and pull on strings to loosen his shirt.

Once in his bedroom, he pulled the shirt over his head and draped it on the bed. He should hang it… he’d do that later. Kaoru was sick. He stepped into his bathroom topless. He pulled the hair tie out of his hair and used his hand to loosen and tease his hair. He set the hair tie down on the sink and opened the medicine cabinet to grab medicine for Kaoru. His mind was focused on making Kaoru fell better, so he didn’t think twice as he walked out of the bedroom topless. “Here, let me get you a glass of water.” He said, placing the pills in Kaoru’s hand. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his face as he stepped into the kitchen. His feet pattered on the tile as he opened the cabinet and grabbed a glass. His fridge had an ice marker and water dispenser built into the door. Once the glass was full, he set the glass on the bar that faced outward from the kitchen. “Here. Drink that.” He said, still obvious he was half naked in front of his now wife. “I’ll make you tea… go ahead and change, I think I saw a new dresser in the bedroom…” he said as he grabbed his tea kettle and started to fill it.

(OOC: Daichi sometimes has a one track mind lol rofl )

With his one track mindset, Daichi didn’t notice Kaoru’s shock. He didn’t register the tears when he handed Kaoru the pills. He was obvious until Kaoru spoke his name. Daichi turned from his electric kettle and stared at Kaoru. ‘Tears? Wait what? He’s crying… why is he crying?! Wait, did I miss something? … … piano?’[/color] Daichi looked back at the piano, then down at Kaoru, thoroughly confused. “Yes… you like to play and I didn’t have one…” he said simply, still confused as to why Kaoru was crying. ‘Maybe he doesn’t like it? Wrong brand? Wrong color?’ Daichi didn’t know much about piano’s so he wouldn’t be surprised if his pick wasn’t a good one. It had a big price tag so he assumed it was a good choice.

Kaoru wiped his face on his sleeve, which only made his makeup smear more. Ow much makeup did they put on him? He’s a guy… surely the makeup wasn’t necessary? Focus! Kaoru’s still crying. Make him stop! Kaoru felt his heart constrict when those reddened brown eyes looked up at him. And Kaoru’s words just hurt more. Daichi reacted without thinking. He walked over to the male, and hugged him. One arm wrapped around Kaoru’s shoulders, pulling him in. The other cradled the back of Kaoru’s head, pressing Kaoru to his bare shoulder. “Shhh… stop crying…” he said into Kaoru’s hair. “No one’s going to punish you… you’re okay… you’re okay…” he whispered. His grip was firm and his fingers gently messaged Kaoru’s neck.

The tea pot beeped and whistled, but Daichi ignored it. Kaoru hadn’t stopped crying. He continued to whisper comforting nothings as he waited for Kaoru to stop crying. He was terrible at this! He never had to deal with crying people… normally there was a barrier between him and others. No one came to him, seeking comfort. They always sought for others… mainly because Daichi was the reason they were crying in the first place. Daichi closed his eyes and leaned his cheek against the top of Kaoru’s head. “Stop crying…” he said softly.

Daichi continued just holding Kaoru as his tears subsided. “It’s alright… you don’t need to apologize…” he said softly. He wasn’t sure how long they stood there. The electric kettle turned itself off and the room grew quiet. Kaoru finally stopped crying and Daichi let him pull away from his grasp. But he frowned a bit at the question, confused. He looked down to realize he was topless. “I must have taken it off while getting your medicine.” He said, but he sounded confused. His memory was foggy. “Sorry, I’ll grab a shirt.” He said, realizing he was probably making Kaoru feel uncomfortable. But before he could leave the room, Kaoru was apologizing again. He looked at the male concerned and confused. So Kaoru’s first thought when given a gift was to imply he would be good, wouldn’t do anything that deemed punishment… abused mentality. Daichi’s fears were confirmed. His face softened a bit. “Kaoru…” He paused trying to figure out how to put his thoughts into words.

He sighed softly and ran his hand through his hair, closing his eyes briefly. “I won’t ask you about your parents, and the ‘training’ they put you through. But… you aren’t in that environment anymore… I’m not going to punish you… in fact, no one will anymore. You are an adult and a Shoumei now, no one has the right to touch you.” He said, rather forcefully, obviously angry that Kaoru had to ever endure that. He shook his head a bit. “Live your life the way you want to… and if we conflict on things, we’ll handle them like adults… by talking, not hitting…We are in this together...” his blue eyes held Kaoru’s gaze.

Kaoru sat on the bar stool and reached for the medicine. But his avert gaze didn’t go unnoticed. “Let me grab a shirt and I’ll make you some tea.” He said as he headed back to the bedroom. More awake now, Daichi took this time to change into his pajamas. He wore a lose blue t-shirt, and black sweat pants. He stepped into the bathroom and wash his face and noticed his mother had left them makeup wipes. She knew they would need them. Daichi used the wipes to remove his makeup and then washed his face. The cold water cleared his head.

Now fully dressed, he walked back to the kitchen and started the kettle again. “There’s makeup remover in the bathroom. And there is a short black dresser in the bedroom. I’m pretty sure that’s yours.” He said. “It’ll take a few minutes to make the tea.” He said, keeping his back to Kaoru as he focused on getting the tea leaves and the tea pot ready.

It was a bit sad how deep Kaoru’s insecurities ran. He seriously couldn’t think about living his own life. Well, that would have to change. With Daichi’s work hours and his lack of experience with personal interactions, Kaoru wasn’t going to be really bored if he didn’t live his own life. He just sat around waiting for Daichi everyday… Daichi shivered at the thought. He prayed Kaoru wouldn’t be like that. He wasn’t sure how he would handle a situation like that. ‘Please don’t make me go through that…’ he shook his head and focused on the tea. But Kaoru’s kept coming back to the forefront of his mind. ‘she didn’t… doesn’t…’ Kaoru had corrected himself, changing from present to past tense… ‘didn’t’ was more recent than ‘doesn’t’… did his mother do something recent to Kaoru? Daichi paused and just stared at the teapot as the tea steeped for a moment as the thought sunk in. He frowned and his broad shoulders tensed.

Daichi jumped slightly when Kaoru spoke. He hadn’t heard him enter. He looked back at Kaoru, then at the piano and shrugged. “The price doesn’t matter.” He said softly and turned back to the tea. Daichi lifted to pull two cups out of the cupboard when he felt Kaoru hug his side. He froze for a moment, glancing down at the male. Awkwardly, he placed his arm around Kaoru. Now that he was awake, he was more aware of his actions. And hugging was not an actively he did often. “You don’t have to repay me.” He said as he awkwardly patted the male’s shoulder, still a bit stiff. He was still embarrassed by how openly he had embraced his bride just minutes before. He really shouldn’t let his mind drift so much.

He smiled softly when Kaoru mentioned being a friend instead of a bride. “That would be preferred.” He said softly, gently pulling out of the male’s grasp. He poured some tea into a cup and set it in front of Kaoru. “Drink this. It’s still very hot so be careful.” He warned as he poured himself a cup as well. He took his cup and walked over to the bar, taking a seat in one of the bar stools. He blew on his tea for a moment before he spoke. “There’s only one bed tonight, but now that no one will be coming in and snooping around, we can remedy that tomorrow, if you are feeling better that is.” He said before taking a cautious sip of his tea.

Daichi was starting to feel sleepy as well. He hadn’t slept well the night before and the past week had been so busy. He sighed softly and took another sip. Kaoru said sharing a bed was fine… but it was kind of hard to pretend to just be friends when you shared a bed… even if his bed was huge, too huge for just himself. Daichi smiled when Kaoru said he liked the tea. “I’m not much of a cook, but I can make tea.” He teased softly, hiding his smile behind a sip of the warm liquid.

Daichi looked over at the male as he coughed again. Hopefully the medicine and the tea would help. He paused at the question. “I don’t have to go into work, but I do have some stuff I need to do on my computer. But I can do that whenever.” He said softly, now thinking about work and the items on his to do list. He shook his head and focused on Kaoru’s question. “We’ll have to…” he stopped himself and looked at the fridge. Curious, he walked over and opened the fridge. It was full of fresh produce and new contianers. “Never mind, seems someone has gone shopping for us.” He said softly. Now that he was already in the kitchen, he took the time to start cleaning up the small mess he made from making tea. “I’m not a picky eater… if you feel better in the more, cook whenever you want…” he said as he rinsed out the teapot.

He looked back at Kaoru and nodded. “I’m going to join you. I didn’t sleep well last night and after a day like ours, I’m exhausted.” He said, reaching over to grab his cup. He downed the rest of the liquid and rinsed his cup before setting it in the dishwasher. He covered a yawn with his hand and shook his head. “Not really. Let’s see how you are feeling tomorrow and go from there.” He said, his tone thick with tiredness.

Once Kaoru was finished with his tea, Daichi rinsed the cup and put it in the dishwasher before following Kaoru into the bedroom. He tried not to think too hard as walked over to the right side of the bed. The bed was huge! Bigger than a traditional California King mattress. “I like to sleep closest to the door. Is that alright?” he asked as he ran a hand through his hair. It was weird asking someone about their sleeping preferences. Especially a male…

They finally figured out their sleeping arrangements and Daichi slipped under the covers. He laid on his back, his arm draped over his eyes, acting like a shield. This was so awkward… even if there was a huge space between them! ‘Just ignore it and go to bed.’ Daichi sighed and turned to his side, his back towards Kaoru. “Good night Kaoru.” He said as he reached over and turned off his light. He closed his eyes, and forced himself to relax, to sleep. Due to his tiredness, it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep.

Daichi fell into a deep sleep. He didn’t even move in his sleep, staying on his side, an arm’s reach from the edge. He didn’t even wake when Kaoru snuggled into his back. If anything, the warmth helped deepen his sleep. The male didn’t stir when Kaoru woke and left the bed, which was strange. Usually Daichi was a light sleeper and his internal clock normally woke him at four in the morning. But not today… too exhausted.

A soft noise stirred Daichi was his sleep. he groaned softly and rubbed his face against his pillow. What was that noise? He listened harder. Music? He blinked his eyes open and rubbed the sleep out of them as he rolled onto his back. He stared at the ceiling, listening to the music as his mind replayed yesterday’s events. Kaoru was playing the piano. Daichi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Yesterday couldn’t just be a bad dream, could it? He sat up, and stretched. Yawning he quietly walked into his bathroom. He shut the door and looked at himself in the mirror. He actually looked rested.

He shook his head and turned on the faucet. He washed his face, used the restroom, washed his hands and brushed out his hair. He stepped out of the bathroom and through the bedroom to the living room. He stood at the doorway and leaned against it as he watched Kaoru play. He smiled softly as he watched Kaoru from over the top of the piano. Kaoru looked so calm, relaxed, happy… Daichi wondered if he looked like that when he played the violin… He shook his head of the thought. The smell of breakfast pulled Daichi’s gaze from the piano to the kitchen. He was suddenly starving… then he remembered he didn’t really eat much yesterday.

The music slowly ended and Daichi’s blue eyes were back on Kaoru. “I could get use to waking up to good music.” he said happily, teasing playfully. He walked out of the doorway and over to the piano. “So everything sounds right? They said they would tune it when they delivered it.” He said as he ran his hand along the lid gently. With his hair down, his eyes were framed by black strands and that made them pop more than usual. He crossed his arms in front of him and looked down at Kaoru. “Are you feeling better?” he asked, studying the male as if he could tell just by looking at him. Kaoru’s face wasn’t as flushed, and he seemed to be breathing better…