Chapter Text
The sun shines across the hills on the estate. A chorus of birdsong drifts into the mansion. Chifuyu slips his dog tags into the collar, buttons it, ties a bow, and then faces the soft morning sunlight through the window. The 3-piece suit isn’t an obligation since he’s actually a mercenary instead of a butler, but he’d rather dress appropriately for his young master.
It might or might not have something to do with the fact that his young master said, “Fuyu’s so cool!” complete with the stars in his blue eyes when he saw him in a suit—
(hush)
Chifuyu checks his watch. Five minutes left. Right, working time. With a huff of determined breath, he leaves his room.
The mansion is something Chifuyu has only seen in crappy television and books. Elegant. Beautiful. It’s a two-storey mansion, connected by a spiral staircase in the middle. Lit by a luxurious chandelier above, the relatively art pieces decorated the foyer seem to be sparkling in gold. The foyer is split into two galleries that lead to rooms on the east and west wings. Living room, study room, music room; any type of rooms that people from old money can think of, something Chifuyu can’t relate to, not when his entire life could be boxed and moved in a matter of hours.
(had no time to get attached to things when he constantly had his life in danger)
It’s such a waste of space since only three permanent residents live in this mansion—no, scratch that, a resident only since the other two were sent away on a business trip, which is why his mercenary guild, Toman, was hired in the first place.
Hired to protect a five-year-old boy.
No, Chifuyu hasn’t grasped the reason behind his Colonel’s decision to accept this mission. Doesn’t find in him to go against the decision, either, too content with mundane tasks and harmless pleasantries he shares with the subject of their mission.
His young master’s bedroom is the easiest one to find, the one with a large, nicely carved door and gets the most sunlight, hence the brightest light slipping under the door. Chifuyu stands in front of it. He balls his fist, raises it up, then knocks twice.
“Takemitchy, it’s morning,” he says.
Faint giggles. Huh. That brings a smile to Chifuyu’s lips.
“Takemitchy, I’m coming in,” Chifuyu announces, pushing the heavy door open. He pokes his head inside, green eyes roaming around.
There’s a lump of blanket on the king-sized bed, but his sharp ears catch giggles. Under the bed, huh. Takemitchy feels rather playful today. Chifuyu decides to play along, coughs once to change his tone, and says loudly, “Takemitchy, it’s time to wake up,” before he crosses the room in a few strides.
The giggles grow louder as Chifuyu reaches the bed. With a grin, Chifuyu yanks the blanket and gasps, feigning surprise when he doesn’t find his young master in bed. His eyes dart around to add dramatic effect to his acting, “Oh, no, Takemitchy! Where are you?! Oh, no! Help!! Takemitchy is missing!! HELP!!!”
A small hand tugs at his pants. Chifuyu snaps his gaze down, only to meet bright blue eyes gazing up at him.
“Pee-ka-boo,” his young master, Hanagaki Takemichi, grins playfully.
Damn, does his heart get stolen. Enraptured by Takemitchy’s adorableness, Chifuyu tosses the blanket away and sweeps the boy into his arms. He nuzzles his cheek against Takemitchy’s. “Never pee-ka-boo anyone else but me, okay?”
Takemichi laughs whole-heartedly, face smothered by Chifuyu’s dark hair. Oh, his laughter. Oh, his laughter, Chifuyu could listen to it on loop every day.
“Promise me, Takemitchy.”
“Promise!”
Chifuyu looks him in the eye. “Really promise?”
“Really, really promise,” Takemichi beams, “Demons will eat my eye if I don’t keep my promise!”
Wait, what—horrified by his honesty, Chifuyu probes, “Who told you that?”
“Kaz-kun!”
In Takemitchy’s dictionary, ‘Kaz-kun’ is Kazutora. Fucking dumbass, Chifuyu curses quietly, spouting horrible shit to children. Then he masks his annoyance with a broad smile, reserved for cats and his young master only. “No, no, Kaz-kun is wrong. Demons won’t eat your eye. No one is going to eat your eye. This I promise you.”
“Then what happens if I break my promise?” Takemichi tips his head to the side in confusion.
“You’re going to make me sad. That’s all.”
“Sad Fuyu?”
“Yes, sad Fuyu.”
“No, no, I don’t want sad Fuyu. Only happy Fuyu! Fuyu must be happy! I’m going to make Fuyu happy.” Takemichi cups Chifuyu’s face in his small palms, determined.
If only he could die of happiness, urgh. His smile turns goofy at the corner of his lips, and Chifuyu can’t stop this bubbling feeling in his chest. “You can make me happy if you promise to marry—”
“You finish that sentence, and I’ll throw you out of the window.”
That voice has Chifuyu whirl around, arms tight around the boy for a secure grip, and he clashes gazes with Mitsuya, Pah-chin and Peh. Right, task delegation. It’s bath time. Pah and Peh are in charge of bathing Takemitchy while Mitsuya helps dress him since he has the best fashion sense in the guild. Chifuyu almost clicks his tongue.
“C’mon. You finished your task. Hand Takemitchy over,” Mitsuya smiles, so sweetly that it feels almost malice.
Reluctantly, Chifuyu lets Pah-chin take his young master from his hold. Almost releases a whine when he sees Takemitchy happily cradled by Pah-chin’s massive arms—pillowly, that must be the reason, not because Takemitchy likes Pah-chin better.
“Ready for your bath, Takemitchy?!” Pah-chin hoists him up so Takemichi sits on his shoulder, his legs dangling on either side of his head.
“Can I have strawberry bubbles today?” Takemichi requests.
“So long as you two don’t try to eat them, that should be okay,” Mitsuya chuckles, guiding them to the bathroom.
“We can’t eat bubbles?” Takemichi asks.
“No, they can kill ya’,” Peh answers, “Choking ya’ and shit, like this—urgh, fuck, am dying, please—” and he mimics suffocation, exaggerating and all that it turns the young master’s face pale, as pale as the sheet.
A jab to Peh’s side is swiftly delivered by Mitsuya, so sharp that Peh coughs in pain, miserable. He smiles, “Please refrain from saying scary stuff in front of Takemitchy.”
“Wait, what’s the point of having a flavor if we can’t eat them? It’s strawberry. Strawberries are edible!” Pah-chin insists.
Exasperated, Mitsuya sighs, “Look, Pah—”
Left alone with his task, Chifuyu quickly makes the bed. He folds the blanket with extra care so no wrinkles are on sight. Dusts the pillows and rearranges them just as good as new. He opens the window to air the bedroom. Military taught him precision and discipline, something he applies to his daily life and now enforces it here in this mansion.
Next, Kazutora. That bastard.
His footsteps are quick and light when he rushes down the spiral stairs. His destination is the kitchen. A goddamn battlefield every morning because these two dumbasses of his captains, Baji-san and Kazutora, keep insisting on making breakfast even though it’s obvious they can’t cook to save their lives. Chifuyu sees the door to the kitchen. He takes out the knife tucked in his shoes, rolls his shoulder, and—
And throws the knife as soon as he steps into the kitchen.
Only to have it ricocheted off a frying pan. Goddammit!
“What the fuck was that, asshole?!” Kazutora removes the frying pan away from his face. Barely dodges a swinging pan, aimed at his face. “Holyshit—Baji, you shit, time out, time out! Chifuyu is trying to kill me—holy mother of—” and ducks from a flying fist, once, twice, before he swings up the frying pan in his hands to stop Baji’s attacks.
Baji jumps back, just in time before the pan hits him in the chin. “You fucking missed, Tora!!”
“Timeout! Do something about your kitty! He’s trying to kill me!! Can’t you feel his deathly aura?” Kazutora points at Chifuyu.
“Huh,” Baji relaxes, resting his weapon—yes, frying pan—on his shoulder. He cranes his neck to see his lieutenant seething in the doorway. “What did you do this time, Tora?”
“Oh wow. I didn’t do shit,” Kazutora spits, offended. He flips his long hair around when some strands get caught in his eyes. As if he’s on a shampoo commercial. Chifuyu rolls his eyes, annoyed.
“He told Takemitchy that demons are going to eat his eye.”
“Huh.” Baji gives the other captain an unimpressed look.
“Ah, that. I don’t remember saying that,” Kazutora scratches his cheeks sheepishly.
“Kids don’t lie, Tora. Especially Takemitchy,” Baji says.
“Uhhh, I might have blurted that one out when I was too drunk?”
“You were drunk in front of Takemitchy?!” More reasons to hurt this bastard, Chifuyu thinks.
“Okay, shouldn’t have said that,” Kazutora mutters, “Time to flee~!” and snatches two onions on the island counter to throw them at Baji so he can escape. With impressive leg strength trained by the military, he jumps over the island, barely escaping Chifuyu’s outstretched arm, and bolts for the door.
Aha, almost—
A blade swings in his direction. Kazutora manages to block it with the frying pan in the nick of time at the right angle before his face gets sliced off like a watermelon. The impact of the steel collision has him rolling back, sack-of-potatoes-styled, and he stares up at the assailant.
No, two assailants. The Kawata twins, armed with two swords each.
“You fuckers,” Smiley seethes with a smile, “How many times have we told you to stay the fuck away from our kitchen?”
“The kitchen is our domain, dipshit,” Angry curses, “Stop screwing around in our domain!”
“But I want to cook for Takemitchy! Healthy breakfast for my healthy boy!” Baji whines.
“You were banned from touching anything in the kitchen since you almost burned it down last month,” Smiley points his sword at the soot in the corner. Then he turns to Chifuyu, “You? Your business here?”
“I wanted to hurt Kazutora?” Chifuyu offers.
Angry nods, “Acceptable. I can lend my hand. Kazutora?”
“I wanted to cook for Takemitchy before, but now I want to escape from Chifuyu’s wrath, and yes, from your blade, Angry,” Kazutora hastily says and sneaks out between the twins, leaving the frying pan on the floor, “See ya when I see ya!”
“KAZUTORAAA!!!” Chifuyu screams.
A groan reverberates across the kitchen. Major Ryuuguuji Ken, or Draken, the second-in-command, towers over the twins in the doorway, hands shoved in the pockets of his cargo pants, “Baji, Chifuyu, get the fuck outta here so the twins can finish their job. Mitsuya is almost done with Takemitchy. I don’t see any food on the table.”
A stream of profanities sneaks past the twins’ lips. Pulling Baji-san to the side, Chifuyu makes a way for the twins to work their magic. A jerk of the head from Draken prompts Chifuyu rushing forward, erecting his spine and giving him a sharp salute; a habit he picked up during his military service.
“Give Inui and Kokonoi updates on Takemitchy’s schedule,” Draken commands, “Pretty sure those two are anxious waiting for our news.”
Ah, Takemitchy’s legal guardians after the passing of his parents. The one who hired the guild to protect Takemitchy in their stead while they were away on the business trip. Chifuyu doesn’t know much about them except that they’ve been taking care of Takemitchy since he was a baby.
Right, also the fact that they dote on Takemitchy, so much so Chifuyu heard from Hakkai Inui-san wept in silence on the day of their departure.
In a way, Chifuyu understands Inui-san’s struggles. It will break his heart too to be away from Takemitchy even for a day. His bright smiles, twinkling laughter and warm heart are his ray of hope in this hopeless world.
So yeah, this is the least he can do for Inui and Kokonoi after introducing them to this wonderful angel. “Yes, sir,” Chifuyu salutes.
Breakfast is served not long after. The dining table is filled with a variety of dishes, from soup to seafood, easy on the stomach. Delicious scent wafts in the morning air. Chifuyu’s eyes are splashed with colors. Tantalizing. Divine. He swallows thickly. Licks his chapped lips, tempted. The twins are shit at everything else except for combat and cooking, so Chifuyu never doubts their ability to prepare healthy and delicious breakfast for Takemitchy.
“Good morning!” Takemitchy bounds over into the dining room, trailed by Mitsuya, Pah-chin and Peh.
As trained by the military, the bodyguards take their position at the wall between the high windows as a protection, ready to step into action should anything happen. That doesn’t exclude Chifuyu even though his hands twitch at his sides, wanting to serve Takemitchy.
Baji and Kazutora are missing. Chifuyu has no obligation to track them down without his Colonel’s order. Speaking of, he hasn’t seen his Colonel anywhere.
“Morning, Takemitchy,” Draken greets back, with the slightest of a smile. He pulls the chair at the head of the table for Takemichi. Gives the boy a thorough glance; the white shirt, all buttoned up to the collar, that small bow, short black pants, high socks with a little ribbon on the top, just below the knee, paired with leather shoes—simple but they look good on him. “Did you pick your clothes yourself?”
“Taka-chan helped!”
Figured. “Do you like them?”
“Yes, I can play a lot in these. Oh, Kenken, can I play with Mikey-kun today? I promise I’ll read a lot later.” Takemichi flashes his ten-mega-watt smile.
“How many books can you promise me?”
“Two books.”
“Okay, you will read them aloud to Hakkai. Can you do that?”
“Yes!”
Now, now. Who’s to say no to those puppy eyes? Draken tears up a little, pinching the bridge of his nose, unable to look the young boy in the eye. Such a pure soul, it bothers Draken. Apparently, it doesn’t only affect him. Even the stupid subordinates of his are quietly weeping at the wall.
Dumbasses.
“Finish your breakfast first. Then you can play with Mikey,” Draken says.
“Okay!” Takemichi claps his hands saying his prayer aloud, “Thank you for the food. Thank you, Cotton Candy! Look super delicious, I like them.”
In the corner, the twins turn red in the face. Chifuyu levels them with a look. After a glance at their wild hair, pink and blue, he supposes the nickname suits them. Only Takemichi can get away after gracing them with a cute nickname.
Breakfast is a happy affair, with Pah-chin getting fed by Takemichi (“Pah, say ‘aaah?’” Takemichi says, offering a spoonful of broccoli because he doesn’t like broccoli, much to the twins’ horror) and Mitsuya not-so-stealthily snapping photos of Takemichi.
(“Where did you keep that camera?” Draken raises a brow.
“Somewhere,” Mitsuya takes another picture of Takemichi feeding Peh. In the background, he can hear the twins’ pleading, ‘No, Takemitchy, veggies are good for your health. Eat veggies too, please?’ and Angry’s attempt at kicking Peh, ‘Quit eating. I made them specifically for Takemitchy!’
“Mitsuya-kun, sir, may I have some of the pictures?” Chifuyu tries.
“10,000 yen per picture.”
Chifuyu blanches. “Wait, what—too expensive!”
“Take it or leave it.”
“I see you learned something from Kokonoi,” Draken says.
“He’s a great teacher,” Mitsuya smirks behind his camera, pleased with the result.)
Once the table is cleared—by Pah-chin and Peh—Draken carries Takemichi away from the dining room to fulfill his promise. “Up we go,” he says, making sure that Takemichi is secured on his shoulders. Takemichi’s grip on his dark hair is just a fraction beneath pain but Draken doesn’t mind much. Pain is a lifetime companion for him, something he was forced to learn the hard way during the war. The ache in his spine. The throb in his right hip where a bullet remains embedded deep in the bone that affects his walking from time to time.
Pain; one of the few common things that he shares with his unit. But today is a good day and he’s walking fine. Draken would like to keep it that way.
Wide-eyed, Takemichi asks, “Mikey-kun now?”
“Yeah, Mikey now.”
“Yay! Oh, oh, dorayaki. Don’t forget dorayaki!”
Nodding his assent, Draken pockets a dorayaki, neatly wrapped in a small paper bag, courtesy of Smiley, into the largest pocket he has on his cargo pants.
Mikey, or Sano Manjirou, their Colonel, the leader of their guild, never presents in the mansion in the mornings. He prefers to stay in the rose garden, alone, morning dew as his bed, bathed by morning sunlight and blessed with birdsong. Calm. Away from the chaos at the mansion, often created by Baji and Kazutora, occasionally Chifuyu too despite his subdued expression.
The garden is on the east side of the estate where it gets the first sunlight. Draken carries Takemichi to the fountain built on the center of it. The fountain is designed to match the elegant atmosphere created by the roses around it. The water is the clearest thing in the world, sliding down the three tiers smoothly as it feels. Draken can see through it as though it’s a piece of glass. The basin is made of concrete and carved intricately, purposely built wide to provide a seat for one person.
Just a perfect spot for Sano Manjirou to sleep on.
“Kenken,” Takemichi whispers, “Hush hush. I want to surprise Mikey-kun.”
Amused, Draken agrees, “Alright, then. Hush hush.”
Draken might not be the stealthiest in the group—no, that title was crowned to Kazutora—but he can sneak into someone’s radar without getting caught. So long as that someone isn’t Mikey, that is, and yes, from the way the corner of Mikey’s lip twitches, Draken knows that shit is aware of their presence.
Meh. Pretty sure Mikey is playing along, so Draken continues his facade to make Takemichi happy. Delighted that those eyes remain closed, Takemichi gestures ‘down, down, down,’ at Draken. Carefully, Draken transfers the boy from his shoulders to Mikey’s chest. He notices Mikey sneakily inflating his chest to support Takemichi’s weight, so this should be fine.
Takemichi takes a deep breath. Opens his mouth. And—
“BOOO!” Mikey shouts, much to Takemichi’s surprise, clutching Takemichi’s sides to keep him steady. Definitely a good idea because Takemichi almost jumps out of his skin, too shocked that his plan backfired.
“Isn’t Mikey-kun sleeping?” Takemichi whines, his voice producing a high-pitched sound.
Mikey laughs. “Nope.”
“But I wanted to surprise Mikey-kun!”
“Okay, okay, I can sleep again so you can surprise me again.”
“No, we can’t do that!”
“Why not?”
“It’s not a surprise anymore.”
“True that,” Mikey hums thoughtfully, “Next time, then.”
“Okay, next time. I’ll surprise Mikey-kun next time,” Takemichi takes it as a personal challenge, bright blue eyes blazing in determination.
Pure, untainted. Like a diamond—those eyes, Mikey finds. Something he deems rare in this filthy world, destroyed and ruined by war, stained with poverty and crime. Corruption spreads like a plague, favoring those with money, leaving the rest in the dust.
Those eyes, that smile, the laughter—Mikey wants to protect them from this filthy world.
(emma says it’s his act of redemption. mikey refuses to look at it closely. faith is a fickle thing, after all, easily slipping through fingers like sand. he spent many sleepless nights praying in the past, howling his desperation to the skies, none of them was answered)
“I’ll look forward to your surprise,” Mikey smiles.
“Takemitchy, you have another surprise, don’tcha?” Draken reminds, patting his large pocket.
“Oh, oh!!” Takemichi twists his torso, making grabby hands at Draken, “Gimme, gimme!”
Puzzled, Mikey shifts around so he has Takemichi on his lap instead. He sits up, a hand resting on Takemichi’s hip. “What is it?”
“Here! Dorayaki!” Takemichi passes the dorayaki from Draken to Mikey.
Mikey blinks. “Oh, thank you.”
“Mikey-kun hasn’t had breakfast, yes? Mikey-kun needs to eat this so he can play with me today,” Takemichi grins, “I promised Kenken that I’ll read two books later, so we can play longer today. Let’s play together until dinner! Mikey-kun can be a princess because Mikey-kun is pretty, and I’ll be Mikey-kun’s knight. Kenken can be a scary dragon.”
—pretty, Mikey wants to snort at that. Everyone who learned his name on battlefields wouldn’t associate him with ‘pretty’ or words alike, the scars littered across his body can attest to that, but here he is, praised by a five-year-old boy.
A cute boy with bright blue eyes.
“Okay, we can play that. I can be your princess,” Mikey agrees.
“Okay, I have questions,” Draken cuts in, “One, Takemitchy, you never mentioned you were going to play till dinner. Two, why am I getting involved in this? And three, why am I a scary dragon?!”
Happy to tease his Major, Mikey hugs Takemichi close and rests his chin in his dark blue hair. He smirks, “Takemitchy, my strong knight, help me! Kenchin, the scary dragon, is breathing fire. Help me! Rescue me from his wrath. Kya~!”
“Fear not, princess! I’ve come to rescue you, princess Mikey-kun!”
“—kiDDO—”