rabenhorst (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rabenhorst) wrote2009-10-01 11:28 am
rabenhorst) wrote2009-10-01 11:28 am
(no subject)
Title: Shotgun wedding; Chapter 1: The Deal
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
seinen_no and fonulyn
Rating: PG [going up to NC17]
Pairing: Die and Kaoru
Disclaimer: We own no one, only our dirty imaginations.
Summary: The Niikura’s and the Andou’s used to be the two biggest families in town, wealthy and respected to the point of practically ruling the business as they wished. Times have changed though, and thus the heads of the clans have decided to take the needed steps to join their families to restore their power. Single persons don’t have much to say about anything when the whole future of the families is in question, that much the eldest sons of the Niikura family and the Andou family have to come to notice.
Comments:
seinen_no: Hey dears. So, it's the month of the months and the Oktoberfest has begun. I am so bouncy and hope many of you will contribute their works, because _I_ want to read. I had a stressful time and now need some relaxing with my favourite pair :D
This fic is actually a premiere, because we begin posting this although it's not finished yet. No worries dears, we have a couple of chapters written already and the end is done in our heads, but I just wanted to mention that for some reason. Besides, I am so curious if you'll like it. After all, it's AU week and that allows almost everything, eh? I hope there are many AU lovers amongst you. I certainly am one!
So, have fun and comment away!
fonulyn: So here is our contribution for the AU week of Die/Kaoru Oktoberfest! It might be we manage to share the second chapter during the week still, we’ll see ;D But at least you get the beginning! This is definitely alternated universe, since we changed so many things concerning not only their personal history but also the current situation in pretty much everything x) Like, in here, gay marriages are pretty much as common as straight ones, so it’s not gonna be an issue, except for some. And now I’m just babbling… I’ll shut up, promised XD And you read and enjoy!
And feel free to add our journal if you like the stories!
Plus, the archive .
Shotgun Wedding
Chapter 1: The Deal
The Andous and the Niikuras had been allies for ages, centuries even but lately the alliance had crumbled a bit. Both families had dealt with other partners, had passed each other over without paying respect to the ancient bond. It was when the head of the Niikuras, Kenzo Niikura, who had been leading the family for almost sixty years, passed away and his eldest son, Takeo, took the reins into his hands that the families approached each other again carefully to renew the old contract.
It was decided that Kaoru, Takeo's eldest son, was to marry the first born daughter of Isamu Andou. That way, both families would have to be true to each other, couldn't just pass the other over without facing major disgrace. At the time when it was decided, Kaoru has been eight years old, and Hisa Andou has only just been born. Earlier it had been more than common that contracts like that had been made, different lines of the families being united by marriages. Now the families had become smaller, not enough children being born and so they had given up on the habit long ago.
Still this was the moment when the old way had to be used again. The Niikura family had once been as wealthy as the Andous, and together they had been the two most powerful family lines in the whole country. But with time the Niikuras had lost their property and now they didn't have much more left than their good reputation and the glorious past to live on. People still respected them, and hardly anything important was done in business without someone asking the Niikura clan for their opinion.
Nevertheless, they weren't even half as wealthy as before and Takeo Niikura knew that. He also knew that the glory would fade with time and that was why he approached the head of the wealthy Andou clan. And since Isamu Andou of course knew the amount of respect the other family had gained, he didn't pass the opportunity to re-unite the families and gain something for his rich, but admittedly not that respected family in turn.
As years passed, everything seemed to be going fine and exactly like the two men had planned together. Hisa Andou was growing to become a pretty young lady, and already when she was a bit over ten years old everyone could see what a stunning beauty she would be once she turned twenty, the set age for the marriage. There was only one problem; she had a weak heart and even though the best specialists had examined her no one was able to change the fact that she caught every single illness easily, and it always took her longer to recover than a healthy person.
Seeing the possibility that the girl wouldn't live to reach the age of consent, Isamu Andou and Takeo Niikura decided that their children should marry already when she was eighteen years old. Especially Takeo Niikura feared that Hisa could die before she was legally wed to his son and that would mean a major setback for his plans and the future of his family.
When Hisa turned twelve, she caught a fever that almost killed her. Even though she survived, the recovery took almost a year and for some time, she was too weak to even walk, being bound to a wheelchair. Still, she was beautiful, slender with perfect white skin, copper hair that fell loosely over her small shoulders and dark eyes that were always carrying the expression of great suffering. She wasn't exactly cheerful, not lively like her seven years older brother Daisuke who was the complete opposite although they matched in looks. His skin too was smooth and pale, his frame slender and filigree, although his hair was of a deeper red than hers and his eyes, which seemed to carry an impish sparkle always, shone with the fire of dying embers.
While Hisa grew up in the knowledge that marriage awaited her at a certain age, he enjoyed his freedom to do whatever he wished to the fullest. There wasn't a deep connection between the siblings, yet Daisuke, Die as his family members called him usually, was polite and showed concern for her health whenever they met.
It was the fever that again made Isamu Andou and Takeo Niikura get together and talk about the future of their families. It was agreed that they would lower the age for the marriage once more. As soon as Hisa turned fifteen, everything would be arranged; disregarding the fact that the girl was too weak to fulfil her duties as a wife, let alone carry and bear a child in her condition. They were still hoping for the best, wishing for a miracle to happen for the sake of both families.
Miraculously it seemed that Hisa was getting better, slightly more lively even and she didn't need to be supported every single time she went outside for a walk in the big garden or just to sit on one of the benches and spend some time there. Everyone was happy that she seemed to be better. Unfortunately, in the end that turned out to be the beginning of the end.
Hisa Andou had just turned fifteen and the families had started the preparations for the marriage, with as much haste as possible. To escape the stressful fuss that was going on everywhere in the house, Hisa sought the loneliness of their garden more and more often, usually even expanding her walks to the small forest that was beginning right behind the yard. There was a small river, and she liked to stand there for some time, just watching the water flow.
One day, it had been raining and the stones beside the river were slippery, Hisa carelessly was walking close to the riverside, and before she even noticed what had happened, she had fallen straight into the sparkling water that never got really warm even in the middle of the summer. Thankfully their maid had just been looking for the young bride to come and fit her dress and heard her cries for help. Within fifteen minutes, Hisa had been pulled out of the water and wrapped into a warm blanket, the doctor already on his way to see her.
The shock had made it worse and she had been in the cold water for several minutes, which caused her condition to weaken instantly. For days she was lying in her bed, hardly moving, her cheeks burning deep red as the fever was rising. There always was a doctor by her side, and even her brother who usually spent his time partying and wasting the family fortune, had returned home for the time being since the serious circumstances demanded that.
Two weeks before the scheduled wedding, Takeo Niikura received a sad message; his future daughter-in-law, Hisa, had passed away after fighting against the illness for long. The wedding turned into a funeral, and he quickly arranged his journey to take part in the ceremony and give his condolences. One couldn't say that his son had been particularly devastated to hear that his future wife had passed away, he was even relieved on some level that he wouldn't need to take care of his marital responsibilities, especially since he didn't exactly consider being intimate with a woman something delightful. Still he showed the decent mourning face when taking part in his fiancée’s funeral.
The same evening, Takeo Niikura and Isamu Andou retreated to the latter's study, closing the door behind them carefully. Mr Andou ran his fingers through his dark brown hair – his children having inherited their exceptional hair-color from their mother – and took a few long steps until he reached the dark oak cabin, opening it instantly to take out a crystal carafe filled with dark brow liquid. Without asking, he poured both of them half a glass, handing one to the slightly smaller man in front of him.
Mr Niikura wasn't as impressive in size as his counterpart who was exceptionally tall and had wide shoulders, but what he lacked in height he made up with his graceful posture. His hair had already begun to turn grey, but it only added up to his charm. With a grateful nod he accepted the glass, and waited until his host began the conversation
"So," the head of the Andou-clan cleared his throat, taking a long gulp from his glass before filling it again in a quick movement. "It appears that our plan to unite our families has suffered a major setback." He let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a displeased grunt. "I'm going to be frank with you, Takeo. The deal is something we both really need. Your name is respected and my company would need the good reputation right now."
Mr. Niikura nodded, looking into the distance with a pondering expression. It wasn't like he hadn't known that already, but what was there to do now that the only daughter of his ally had passed away? Unless they… Yeah, unless they wedded their sons. Knowing about the delicacy of this topic and that it would most certainly cause a bitter aftertaste for his counterpart, he thought of a way how to address the topic. "The deal doesn't have to be off only because Hisa died. You still have a child left." He struggled for a believable smile, but it came out more like a crooked grin.
"She was my only daughter and I don't have any idea what you're tal -" Mr. Andou cut the sentence in the middle of it, freezing in his movement. To cover his sudden hesitation he took a long sip from his glass again, not hurrying with going on. So the other man was suggesting that they would still go on with the marriage plans, and that their sons should marry? Same sex marriages weren't anything uncommon, were just as 'normal' as heterosexual marriages, but Mr. Andou had his own prejudices when it came to the topic.
Furrowing his brows, the tall man sipped his drink once more, coughing afterwards as he had to buy some time to think about it still. "So you mean that my good-for-nothing son who only lives on my money should marry your son?" he asked just to be sure, his expression something unreadable and one couldn't tell if he was against or for the idea.
"That was my idea," Mr. Niikura said calmly. "That way, our families would still get what we've been expecting from the marriage. I am sure that I can convince Kaoru of the necessity." He stopped there for a moment, emptying his glass in one huge gulp while gazing at the other man. "It only depends on if you agree and if you can convince Daisuke of it too."
"I don't have any problems in making my son do what I want," the man shrugged and emptied his glass before setting it down on the table. "But I'm not comfortable with the thought, nevertheless." Something in his expression had turned blank, almost hard, and he was gazing into the distance. He saw the need for the marriage, but having his son marry another man? That was something he had always considered the unthinkable.
Takeo Niikura knew that, knew about the other man's problems with that topic. He had never been a fan of same sex interactions anyways, but since he knew that his son himself, the heir of a huge fortune and a respectable name merrily gave away how much he liked to be at the receiving end of such a connection, made him feel sick. That was below his standard and not good for the reputation. Kaoru's father on the other hand, had no problem with his son's preferences in bed and he thought he could take advantage of that. Even though Kaoru didn't think much of the redheaded Andou-son, he was more than just presentable, gorgeous even and that should be a good reason for winning his son for this plan.
"Isamu," Mr. Niikura began lowly. "Don't you think it's time to put your own problems with this aside and do what's the only reasonable thing? Just think of it. The marriage would save both of our families and assure our survival in this game."
One could see the fight that was taking place inside the head of the Andou-clan, and for a short moment he was clearly hesitating, his expressionless mask cracking for a second. Finally, he raised his head, meeting his companion's gaze straight. His voice was surprisingly calm and steady when he spoke, but there was a firm undertone in it that made it clear there would be no use in opposing him. "Fine. Let them marry, I believe it's the only reasonable thing we can do."
Mr. Niikura was already letting out a relieved sigh when Mr. Andou went on, his voice a tad bit louder and more firm than before. "But I have my conditions. There will be NO sexual interaction between the two although they're namely married. They share an apartment, they share a bank account, they share a life. But they will not share their bed."
For a moment, Mr. Niikura just stared at him in disbelief, the expression seemingly not matching his otherwise graceful features. "What!? So you are saying they shall lead their lives in celibacy?" He had been prepared for an argument, but not for this. Could he do this to his son? Well, to make sure the survival of the family, he would have to. "Come on, Isamu, they are young. We've been young once too…"
"We were young and we got decently married to our wives!" Mr Andou's voice got louder and louder with each word, but in the end he got a hold of himself and swallowed to calm down properly. When he went on, his voice was normal and collected. "I will not tolerate the thought of my son leading a life like that. They can screw their servant maids for all I care, but they WILL NOT touch each other, understood!? Otherwise the deal is off."
This time, Mr. Niikura didn't hesitate but nodded instantly. "I understand." Slowly, he raised his hand to seal the deal. "So where shall I sign and when shall the marriage be?" he asked with a fake happy grin. Inwardly, he asked himself what his wife, Mayuko, would say to this whole idea. Usually she agreed with her husband, but she never concealed the fact whenever she thought he was wrong nevertheless.
"I will take care of the paperwork tonight, you can still read through the contact tomorrow and sign it after breakfast, right?" Mr.Andou was used to paperwork like that, and it wouldn't take him long even under these new circumstances to take care of the needed business. He ran his fingers through his hair in a slightly frustrated gesture, grabbing his companion's hand to shake it. "I think we should take care of it as soon as possible. After all, the marriage is already half arranged. Although I doubt that Daisuke will wear the dress that was made for his sister." He let out a forced laughter, totally cheerless though. "So maybe in three weeks from now? Otherwise sticking to the old plan with all the preparations."
"Sounds good to me. It will give me time to," Mr. Niikura broke the sentence for a moment and then gave a doubtful smile. "To talk to Kaoru and tell him about the change of plans. Well, it's only on paper; keeping up appearances and such, so it shouldn't be that big of a problem for the boys to stick to the record."
As everything seemed to have been said, both men said their goodbyes to each other after agreeing upon meeting the next morning again so that Kaoru's father could take a look at the contract. There was no doubt he would sign it, not in the slightest and he also knew that his son would agree. Of course he would whine and of course he would pander to his father's good will, but in the end he would do what was best for the family, namely marrying Daisuke Andou with all the conditions and consequences.
Although Takeo Niikura was sure that his son would agree on the contract eventually, he still wasn't exactly looking forward to delivering him the news of what was about to come. One could say that the old Mr Niikura was even hesitating when he stood in front of the door to the room that had been given for his son while they were staying at the Andou-residence. He had raised his hand already several times to knock, always stopping at the last moment.
Right now he regretted that he had declined his wife's offer to accompany him while talking to their eldest son. Mayuko would've certainly known what to say in a situation like this too, she always did. But somehow he thought this was his responsibility and he should tell his son alone, whether he liked it or not. Finally he had collected his thoughts enough, and knocked on the door before pushing it open and entering the room only to find his son sitting beside the table. "Kaoru? I need a word with you."
His son was looking up from his laptop, smiling as he recognized his father. "Sure." Nodding, he stood up to greet the older man properly and show his respect. "Are we leaving finally?" He had some business to attend and wasn't keen on staying there longer than necessary now that the wedding was off and his future-wife buried six feet under.
"Well," the older man coughed a bit, shrugging. "Yes, we are, as soon as your mother gets everything packed. But that's not why I wanted to talk to you, son." He used a short moment to examine his son's features and only when he looked up to meet the gaze he went on. "You do know how important it is for our family to unite it with the Andou family, right? I have told you about it, and you know all the facts." Kaoru wanted to say something, but the older man raised his hand to stop him. "I'm not here to tell you that again. I have been talking to Mr. Andou this morning. And… the wedding plan is going to be executed as planned." There it now was, out with the news.
Kaoru frowned, furrowing his eyebrows as he didn't understand at first. "But Hisa is dead," he pointed out what should have been clear to begin with. Had his father gone mad? Was he suggesting a fake marriage with a dead woman? But then it dawned on him and his eyes widened. "Oh no dad. You can't demand that from me. I won't marry that lazy, self-consumed airhead." To underline his seriousness, he shook his head and took on a stern expression. "No way."
"Kaoru, you know how important it is for us!" Mr. Niikura looked calm and persistent, but if one knew how to look for it there was a little hint of desperation somewhere in his eyes as this wasn't exactly what he wanted either. But he needed the marriage and needed the connection to the Andou family if he wanted to stop his family's demise. "God knows I would've preferred you to marry Hisa, as weak and fragile as she was, since it wouldn't have restricted your life that much. But there's no alternative since I imagine you don't want a corpse-bride and the Andous don't have other children besides these two."
The young man knew his father well, could see how uncomfortable he was, noticed how he shifted his weight from one leg to the other, how the small muscles in his jaw clenched and unclenched. "Restricts my life?" Kaoru asked with a steeply hitched eyebrow. He had grown to become a fine, hard working young man, respected and appreciated by his father, but this habit was something the older Mr. Niikura never had gotten used to. That Kaoru could make one feel like standing with your back against the wall, not willing to let go of you before he knew the whole truth, even if it hurt.
"You do know it. She wouldn't have been able to perform her marital responsibilities anyways and would've probably passed away in a couple of years. But the Andou son? He's not going to die anytime soon and you'll be stuck with him for ages." The father shrugged, looking at the young man straight. He knew it wasn't exactly nice to say these things out loud, but it was the truth nevertheless and he knew he could talk freely in front of his son. "It can't be that bad, can it? You just share an apartment and pretend to be happy for the public eye."
"He's a pain in the ass, father." Kaoru stressed the last word especially much, clearly showing what he thought of the idea. For a long moment, he stared at the older man from narrowed eyes. He did see the necessity for the connection, saw the crucial turning point for the family and thus nodded finally. "Well, at least he's no eye-sore." It was all he said with a small smirk tugging the corner of his mouth.
"Well and that's the other thing, Kaoru…" His father was smiling a bit apologetically, half expecting his son to throw a fit when he would hear the other half of the contract. It would definitely not please the young Niikura at least. "You really will only share an apartment for the public. You aren't allowed to …share the bed with him, if you know what I mean."
"You're kiddin' me, father!" Kaoru lost his calm composure and his voice carried a disbelieving undertone. "You can't really expect me to be chaste all my friggin' life. Forget it then. Count me out." It wasn't that he was lusting after the Andou-son but if he had to marry him anyways, he could at least focus on the good sides and that was that Daisuke did look good, that he was gorgeous and would definitely make a decent bed-mate.
"Kaoru, you can't do this to me, to your family!" Mr Niikura sighed, shaking his head a little bit while looking straight at his son. "Mr. Andou said very clearly he doesn't care if you're not being faithful to your spouse, as long as you keep your screwing around a secret well enough so no one knows. His only condition was that you will not touch his son. Apart from what needs to be done for good public image of course."
A long moment of silence followed in which Kaoru considered his father's words. The burden weighed heavy on his shoulders and he knew he wasn't in the position to say 'no' to the deal. Well, and as long as they only had to play happy couple for the public, it was manageable for him to keep up an act. At least nobody demanded them to fall in love. A deep sigh showed that he was about to give in and finally, he gave a small nod. "For the family," he said, gazing straight into his father's eyes. "I will marry him and won't touch him more than necessary."
"Thank you, Kaoru, I knew I could trust you." A relieved smile spread on Mr. Niikura's features, and he reached out to pat his son's shoulder, even pulled him into a short hug which was really uncommon for him to do. After pulling back again he looked the young man in the eye. "If there's anything I can do to make it easier for you, you just have to ask me, alright? But the marriage is important, don't screw it up." He trusted his son, more than probably anyone else, but this was something that they really needed and he couldn't stop himself from voicing it once more.
The answer was a snort. "As if I hadn't known that before." Kaoru knew his duties, knew that he owed that to his family who were more than only his mother Mayuko, his father and his twelve year younger brother Kenchi. Everybody, aunts and uncles, cousins and nephews and whoever was relying on that marriage to be able to go on with their business, using the Niikura family's superb reputation and the Andou family's money and power.
It was all set and done and before Kaoru and his family left the Andou residence, the contracts were signed and the date for the marriage was set.
Die hadn't been as cooperative as the eldest Niikura son, but had yelled and threatened to refuse. In the end though, he had given in, knowing he would never survive on his own without his father's money as he hadn't learned a decent job. When his father had told him about the conditions, he had gone on a rampage though. He had never made no bones of his definite preference for male company in bed, nor that he did like to take more than to give. To be honest, he had used that fact to tease his father whenever possible, knowing the old man detested this kind of lifestyle. But now he was supposed to be married to a man he hated and not even be allowed to screw around whenever he felt like it; not even with his husband? Because one thing was for sure, he wouldn't take some wide-hipped maid into his bed and his father knew that.
It was pretty much looking like Die would need to start practicing living his life in complete celibacy, the most sexual company he would ever get being his own hand. He didn't really know his soon-to-be-husband well, but had of course seen him and he had to admit he wouldn't have pushed him from his bed even though he didn't exactly love his personality. The young Niikura was simply this hard working, serious and respectable businessman and if one asked Die that was the most boring thing in the whole wide world. At least none of their interests seemed to match, which predicted a hard marriage that wouldn't offer much fun for either one.
The date of the wedding was getting closer and closer though and there was nothing they could do about it. Kaoru was trying to focus on working, to simply forget his future marriage and go on like normally with his life while he still had the possibility. Die on his side had wanted to enjoy the last days of his freedom to the fullest, but in the end simply found himself sitting at home, in the middle of hectic wedding-preparations. At least no one was trying to force him to wear a dress, he thought as the only positive thing about this.
Isamu Andou had bought a house for the couple, where they would move straight after the official ceremony was over. Kaoru and Die had moved their stuff into the new place separately though, hadn't even met since they were both doing everything possible to avoid each other as best as they could. The house was huge, meant for wealthy people, and they would've both loved it if it hadn't been for the fact that they had to share it with one another. The bedrooms were arranged a bit originally, since there was no separate door to Kaoru's bedroom but one had to go through Die's to get there. That was partly for the good image, so that whenever they would have visitors it would look like they weren't sleeping separately.
The wedding itself was a huge feast although for both families it was more a happening where one could bond with new trading partners, make important acquaintances amongst the society. It was a huge ceremony, but the bridal couple was only of minor matter; they were there to represent and both, Die and Kaoru, got a taste of how their future life would look like. The obligatory kiss after the priest had announced that they were officially wed had been a bit awkward as neither of the young men had known how to perform it. Finally, they both had settled for a longer peck and that had been about it.
The party afterwards was uncomfortable for the newly weds as people kept on asking how they met and how it made them feel to be married now that Hisa had died. They answered vaguely, told that they had met before the tragic death and that the marriage had been about to be called off anyways since the young men had fallen in love. They were both good at acting and Kaoru even wrapped his arm around the taller man's waist whenever they were questioned by a bunch of possible trading-partners of their family.
No one paid attention to the slight awkwardness of their movements, how Die tensed a little when Kaoru pulled him closer, how every single gesture from Kaoru was completely thought through and like practiced so that he would give a good image and leave everyone the impression that they were in love and were now more than happy to be finally married. After the wedding party everyone – except for the newlyweds' parents probably – would've sworn that there was nothing else behind this but a happy coincidence that the lovebirds joined the two most powerful families.
They had rented a huge hotel for the wedding party and even the guests would mostly be staying there overnight, especially seeing that the festivities ended only late at night. The newlyweds had a huge, luxurious suite reserved for them, and, accompanied with loud cheering, they were led to the top floor. It almost looked like the guests wanted to even come inside, at least judging by the fact that a huge bunch of people was flocking in front of the door, only leaving enough space so that they weren't blocking the couple's way.
Luckily, nobody demanded that one of them carried the other over the threshold as this would have certainly been too much for either of them. With a lot of polite smiles and bows, Kaoru finally managed to close the door, very well aware of the fact that the people there would stay a moment and if he talked to the other man, it should be in a low voice so that nobody could overhear the words.
He had no intention to say much though and only went straight to the bathroom to undress and get into bed. It had been a long day and Kaoru had asked himself more than once what he had gotten himself into by agreeing on his father's plan. Above everything, he still thought that Die was more than just presentable and he couldn't deny that he wouldn't have minded some bed-action, just as some kind of consolation prize. But there would be none, never, and when he saw the, in his opinion arrogant, expression on the other man's face, he knew that they wouldn't get along well.
As soon as the slightly older man had emerged from the bathroom, the redhead instantly locked himself in there for a good while, partly to avoid his new husband for a moment longer if possible. He had spent the whole day with him already and had had the chance to watch him up close. What he saw, didn't exactly make him look forward to the marriage more, since everything just strengthened the picture he had formed of Kaoru. The older man was gorgeous, more than that even, but definitely too uptight and formal, too responsible.
Finally Die had to come back to the bedroom though, only to find his husband sitting on the edge of the bed, looking a little lost even since this was more than awkward for both of them. For a while the redhead stood in the doorframe, simply watching the other man, but the moment was gone as soon as it came and he snapped back to reality. Quickly he got to the bed, plopping down on the other edge. He wanted to say something, but simply couldn't come up with anything for once in his life.
Kaoru didn't see the necessity to say anything, only mumbled something about being tired before he crawled under the blanket, turning his back on the other man. Why again had he agreed upon this? He constantly had to remind himself that he was the savior of his family, that everybody relied on him to strengthen their reputation and wealth for coming generations. And well, maybe he would learn to get along with Die after some time, years. The mere thought of that made him shudder though as he realized he would spend the best years of his life at the side of a man he wasn’t even allowed to fuck. That was kind of depressing and inwardly Kaoru already thought about the possibility of taking a longer business-trip soon, just to get away from the awkwardness.
For a second Die frowned, looking at the huge double bed as if it was poisoned. Only when Kaoru had crawled under the blanket he had realized that there indeed was only one blanket on the bed, a huge one but still only a single blanket instead of two separate ones. That didn't make him happy, and he even glanced around the room, trying to see if there was a spare blanket somewhere. He didn't find one though, and reluctantly slid between the covers, still trying to keep enough distance between them so they wouldn't have to touch each other. This would be a long night. And even a longer marriage…
Author:
seinen_no and fonulynRating: PG [going up to NC17]
Pairing: Die and Kaoru
Disclaimer: We own no one, only our dirty imaginations.
Summary: The Niikura’s and the Andou’s used to be the two biggest families in town, wealthy and respected to the point of practically ruling the business as they wished. Times have changed though, and thus the heads of the clans have decided to take the needed steps to join their families to restore their power. Single persons don’t have much to say about anything when the whole future of the families is in question, that much the eldest sons of the Niikura family and the Andou family have to come to notice.
Comments:
seinen_no: Hey dears. So, it's the month of the months and the Oktoberfest has begun. I am so bouncy and hope many of you will contribute their works, because _I_ want to read. I had a stressful time and now need some relaxing with my favourite pair :D This fic is actually a premiere, because we begin posting this although it's not finished yet. No worries dears, we have a couple of chapters written already and the end is done in our heads, but I just wanted to mention that for some reason. Besides, I am so curious if you'll like it. After all, it's AU week and that allows almost everything, eh? I hope there are many AU lovers amongst you. I certainly am one!
So, have fun and comment away!
fonulyn: So here is our contribution for the AU week of Die/Kaoru Oktoberfest! It might be we manage to share the second chapter during the week still, we’ll see ;D But at least you get the beginning! This is definitely alternated universe, since we changed so many things concerning not only their personal history but also the current situation in pretty much everything x) Like, in here, gay marriages are pretty much as common as straight ones, so it’s not gonna be an issue, except for some. And now I’m just babbling… I’ll shut up, promised XD And you read and enjoy!And feel free to add our journal if you like the stories!
Plus, the archive .
Chapter 1: The Deal
The Andous and the Niikuras had been allies for ages, centuries even but lately the alliance had crumbled a bit. Both families had dealt with other partners, had passed each other over without paying respect to the ancient bond. It was when the head of the Niikuras, Kenzo Niikura, who had been leading the family for almost sixty years, passed away and his eldest son, Takeo, took the reins into his hands that the families approached each other again carefully to renew the old contract.
It was decided that Kaoru, Takeo's eldest son, was to marry the first born daughter of Isamu Andou. That way, both families would have to be true to each other, couldn't just pass the other over without facing major disgrace. At the time when it was decided, Kaoru has been eight years old, and Hisa Andou has only just been born. Earlier it had been more than common that contracts like that had been made, different lines of the families being united by marriages. Now the families had become smaller, not enough children being born and so they had given up on the habit long ago.
Still this was the moment when the old way had to be used again. The Niikura family had once been as wealthy as the Andous, and together they had been the two most powerful family lines in the whole country. But with time the Niikuras had lost their property and now they didn't have much more left than their good reputation and the glorious past to live on. People still respected them, and hardly anything important was done in business without someone asking the Niikura clan for their opinion.
Nevertheless, they weren't even half as wealthy as before and Takeo Niikura knew that. He also knew that the glory would fade with time and that was why he approached the head of the wealthy Andou clan. And since Isamu Andou of course knew the amount of respect the other family had gained, he didn't pass the opportunity to re-unite the families and gain something for his rich, but admittedly not that respected family in turn.
As years passed, everything seemed to be going fine and exactly like the two men had planned together. Hisa Andou was growing to become a pretty young lady, and already when she was a bit over ten years old everyone could see what a stunning beauty she would be once she turned twenty, the set age for the marriage. There was only one problem; she had a weak heart and even though the best specialists had examined her no one was able to change the fact that she caught every single illness easily, and it always took her longer to recover than a healthy person.
Seeing the possibility that the girl wouldn't live to reach the age of consent, Isamu Andou and Takeo Niikura decided that their children should marry already when she was eighteen years old. Especially Takeo Niikura feared that Hisa could die before she was legally wed to his son and that would mean a major setback for his plans and the future of his family.
When Hisa turned twelve, she caught a fever that almost killed her. Even though she survived, the recovery took almost a year and for some time, she was too weak to even walk, being bound to a wheelchair. Still, she was beautiful, slender with perfect white skin, copper hair that fell loosely over her small shoulders and dark eyes that were always carrying the expression of great suffering. She wasn't exactly cheerful, not lively like her seven years older brother Daisuke who was the complete opposite although they matched in looks. His skin too was smooth and pale, his frame slender and filigree, although his hair was of a deeper red than hers and his eyes, which seemed to carry an impish sparkle always, shone with the fire of dying embers.
While Hisa grew up in the knowledge that marriage awaited her at a certain age, he enjoyed his freedom to do whatever he wished to the fullest. There wasn't a deep connection between the siblings, yet Daisuke, Die as his family members called him usually, was polite and showed concern for her health whenever they met.
It was the fever that again made Isamu Andou and Takeo Niikura get together and talk about the future of their families. It was agreed that they would lower the age for the marriage once more. As soon as Hisa turned fifteen, everything would be arranged; disregarding the fact that the girl was too weak to fulfil her duties as a wife, let alone carry and bear a child in her condition. They were still hoping for the best, wishing for a miracle to happen for the sake of both families.
Miraculously it seemed that Hisa was getting better, slightly more lively even and she didn't need to be supported every single time she went outside for a walk in the big garden or just to sit on one of the benches and spend some time there. Everyone was happy that she seemed to be better. Unfortunately, in the end that turned out to be the beginning of the end.
Hisa Andou had just turned fifteen and the families had started the preparations for the marriage, with as much haste as possible. To escape the stressful fuss that was going on everywhere in the house, Hisa sought the loneliness of their garden more and more often, usually even expanding her walks to the small forest that was beginning right behind the yard. There was a small river, and she liked to stand there for some time, just watching the water flow.
One day, it had been raining and the stones beside the river were slippery, Hisa carelessly was walking close to the riverside, and before she even noticed what had happened, she had fallen straight into the sparkling water that never got really warm even in the middle of the summer. Thankfully their maid had just been looking for the young bride to come and fit her dress and heard her cries for help. Within fifteen minutes, Hisa had been pulled out of the water and wrapped into a warm blanket, the doctor already on his way to see her.
The shock had made it worse and she had been in the cold water for several minutes, which caused her condition to weaken instantly. For days she was lying in her bed, hardly moving, her cheeks burning deep red as the fever was rising. There always was a doctor by her side, and even her brother who usually spent his time partying and wasting the family fortune, had returned home for the time being since the serious circumstances demanded that.
Two weeks before the scheduled wedding, Takeo Niikura received a sad message; his future daughter-in-law, Hisa, had passed away after fighting against the illness for long. The wedding turned into a funeral, and he quickly arranged his journey to take part in the ceremony and give his condolences. One couldn't say that his son had been particularly devastated to hear that his future wife had passed away, he was even relieved on some level that he wouldn't need to take care of his marital responsibilities, especially since he didn't exactly consider being intimate with a woman something delightful. Still he showed the decent mourning face when taking part in his fiancée’s funeral.
The same evening, Takeo Niikura and Isamu Andou retreated to the latter's study, closing the door behind them carefully. Mr Andou ran his fingers through his dark brown hair – his children having inherited their exceptional hair-color from their mother – and took a few long steps until he reached the dark oak cabin, opening it instantly to take out a crystal carafe filled with dark brow liquid. Without asking, he poured both of them half a glass, handing one to the slightly smaller man in front of him.
Mr Niikura wasn't as impressive in size as his counterpart who was exceptionally tall and had wide shoulders, but what he lacked in height he made up with his graceful posture. His hair had already begun to turn grey, but it only added up to his charm. With a grateful nod he accepted the glass, and waited until his host began the conversation
"So," the head of the Andou-clan cleared his throat, taking a long gulp from his glass before filling it again in a quick movement. "It appears that our plan to unite our families has suffered a major setback." He let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a displeased grunt. "I'm going to be frank with you, Takeo. The deal is something we both really need. Your name is respected and my company would need the good reputation right now."
Mr. Niikura nodded, looking into the distance with a pondering expression. It wasn't like he hadn't known that already, but what was there to do now that the only daughter of his ally had passed away? Unless they… Yeah, unless they wedded their sons. Knowing about the delicacy of this topic and that it would most certainly cause a bitter aftertaste for his counterpart, he thought of a way how to address the topic. "The deal doesn't have to be off only because Hisa died. You still have a child left." He struggled for a believable smile, but it came out more like a crooked grin.
"She was my only daughter and I don't have any idea what you're tal -" Mr. Andou cut the sentence in the middle of it, freezing in his movement. To cover his sudden hesitation he took a long sip from his glass again, not hurrying with going on. So the other man was suggesting that they would still go on with the marriage plans, and that their sons should marry? Same sex marriages weren't anything uncommon, were just as 'normal' as heterosexual marriages, but Mr. Andou had his own prejudices when it came to the topic.
Furrowing his brows, the tall man sipped his drink once more, coughing afterwards as he had to buy some time to think about it still. "So you mean that my good-for-nothing son who only lives on my money should marry your son?" he asked just to be sure, his expression something unreadable and one couldn't tell if he was against or for the idea.
"That was my idea," Mr. Niikura said calmly. "That way, our families would still get what we've been expecting from the marriage. I am sure that I can convince Kaoru of the necessity." He stopped there for a moment, emptying his glass in one huge gulp while gazing at the other man. "It only depends on if you agree and if you can convince Daisuke of it too."
"I don't have any problems in making my son do what I want," the man shrugged and emptied his glass before setting it down on the table. "But I'm not comfortable with the thought, nevertheless." Something in his expression had turned blank, almost hard, and he was gazing into the distance. He saw the need for the marriage, but having his son marry another man? That was something he had always considered the unthinkable.
Takeo Niikura knew that, knew about the other man's problems with that topic. He had never been a fan of same sex interactions anyways, but since he knew that his son himself, the heir of a huge fortune and a respectable name merrily gave away how much he liked to be at the receiving end of such a connection, made him feel sick. That was below his standard and not good for the reputation. Kaoru's father on the other hand, had no problem with his son's preferences in bed and he thought he could take advantage of that. Even though Kaoru didn't think much of the redheaded Andou-son, he was more than just presentable, gorgeous even and that should be a good reason for winning his son for this plan.
"Isamu," Mr. Niikura began lowly. "Don't you think it's time to put your own problems with this aside and do what's the only reasonable thing? Just think of it. The marriage would save both of our families and assure our survival in this game."
One could see the fight that was taking place inside the head of the Andou-clan, and for a short moment he was clearly hesitating, his expressionless mask cracking for a second. Finally, he raised his head, meeting his companion's gaze straight. His voice was surprisingly calm and steady when he spoke, but there was a firm undertone in it that made it clear there would be no use in opposing him. "Fine. Let them marry, I believe it's the only reasonable thing we can do."
Mr. Niikura was already letting out a relieved sigh when Mr. Andou went on, his voice a tad bit louder and more firm than before. "But I have my conditions. There will be NO sexual interaction between the two although they're namely married. They share an apartment, they share a bank account, they share a life. But they will not share their bed."
For a moment, Mr. Niikura just stared at him in disbelief, the expression seemingly not matching his otherwise graceful features. "What!? So you are saying they shall lead their lives in celibacy?" He had been prepared for an argument, but not for this. Could he do this to his son? Well, to make sure the survival of the family, he would have to. "Come on, Isamu, they are young. We've been young once too…"
"We were young and we got decently married to our wives!" Mr Andou's voice got louder and louder with each word, but in the end he got a hold of himself and swallowed to calm down properly. When he went on, his voice was normal and collected. "I will not tolerate the thought of my son leading a life like that. They can screw their servant maids for all I care, but they WILL NOT touch each other, understood!? Otherwise the deal is off."
This time, Mr. Niikura didn't hesitate but nodded instantly. "I understand." Slowly, he raised his hand to seal the deal. "So where shall I sign and when shall the marriage be?" he asked with a fake happy grin. Inwardly, he asked himself what his wife, Mayuko, would say to this whole idea. Usually she agreed with her husband, but she never concealed the fact whenever she thought he was wrong nevertheless.
"I will take care of the paperwork tonight, you can still read through the contact tomorrow and sign it after breakfast, right?" Mr.Andou was used to paperwork like that, and it wouldn't take him long even under these new circumstances to take care of the needed business. He ran his fingers through his hair in a slightly frustrated gesture, grabbing his companion's hand to shake it. "I think we should take care of it as soon as possible. After all, the marriage is already half arranged. Although I doubt that Daisuke will wear the dress that was made for his sister." He let out a forced laughter, totally cheerless though. "So maybe in three weeks from now? Otherwise sticking to the old plan with all the preparations."
"Sounds good to me. It will give me time to," Mr. Niikura broke the sentence for a moment and then gave a doubtful smile. "To talk to Kaoru and tell him about the change of plans. Well, it's only on paper; keeping up appearances and such, so it shouldn't be that big of a problem for the boys to stick to the record."
As everything seemed to have been said, both men said their goodbyes to each other after agreeing upon meeting the next morning again so that Kaoru's father could take a look at the contract. There was no doubt he would sign it, not in the slightest and he also knew that his son would agree. Of course he would whine and of course he would pander to his father's good will, but in the end he would do what was best for the family, namely marrying Daisuke Andou with all the conditions and consequences.
Although Takeo Niikura was sure that his son would agree on the contract eventually, he still wasn't exactly looking forward to delivering him the news of what was about to come. One could say that the old Mr Niikura was even hesitating when he stood in front of the door to the room that had been given for his son while they were staying at the Andou-residence. He had raised his hand already several times to knock, always stopping at the last moment.
Right now he regretted that he had declined his wife's offer to accompany him while talking to their eldest son. Mayuko would've certainly known what to say in a situation like this too, she always did. But somehow he thought this was his responsibility and he should tell his son alone, whether he liked it or not. Finally he had collected his thoughts enough, and knocked on the door before pushing it open and entering the room only to find his son sitting beside the table. "Kaoru? I need a word with you."
His son was looking up from his laptop, smiling as he recognized his father. "Sure." Nodding, he stood up to greet the older man properly and show his respect. "Are we leaving finally?" He had some business to attend and wasn't keen on staying there longer than necessary now that the wedding was off and his future-wife buried six feet under.
"Well," the older man coughed a bit, shrugging. "Yes, we are, as soon as your mother gets everything packed. But that's not why I wanted to talk to you, son." He used a short moment to examine his son's features and only when he looked up to meet the gaze he went on. "You do know how important it is for our family to unite it with the Andou family, right? I have told you about it, and you know all the facts." Kaoru wanted to say something, but the older man raised his hand to stop him. "I'm not here to tell you that again. I have been talking to Mr. Andou this morning. And… the wedding plan is going to be executed as planned." There it now was, out with the news.
Kaoru frowned, furrowing his eyebrows as he didn't understand at first. "But Hisa is dead," he pointed out what should have been clear to begin with. Had his father gone mad? Was he suggesting a fake marriage with a dead woman? But then it dawned on him and his eyes widened. "Oh no dad. You can't demand that from me. I won't marry that lazy, self-consumed airhead." To underline his seriousness, he shook his head and took on a stern expression. "No way."
"Kaoru, you know how important it is for us!" Mr. Niikura looked calm and persistent, but if one knew how to look for it there was a little hint of desperation somewhere in his eyes as this wasn't exactly what he wanted either. But he needed the marriage and needed the connection to the Andou family if he wanted to stop his family's demise. "God knows I would've preferred you to marry Hisa, as weak and fragile as she was, since it wouldn't have restricted your life that much. But there's no alternative since I imagine you don't want a corpse-bride and the Andous don't have other children besides these two."
The young man knew his father well, could see how uncomfortable he was, noticed how he shifted his weight from one leg to the other, how the small muscles in his jaw clenched and unclenched. "Restricts my life?" Kaoru asked with a steeply hitched eyebrow. He had grown to become a fine, hard working young man, respected and appreciated by his father, but this habit was something the older Mr. Niikura never had gotten used to. That Kaoru could make one feel like standing with your back against the wall, not willing to let go of you before he knew the whole truth, even if it hurt.
"You do know it. She wouldn't have been able to perform her marital responsibilities anyways and would've probably passed away in a couple of years. But the Andou son? He's not going to die anytime soon and you'll be stuck with him for ages." The father shrugged, looking at the young man straight. He knew it wasn't exactly nice to say these things out loud, but it was the truth nevertheless and he knew he could talk freely in front of his son. "It can't be that bad, can it? You just share an apartment and pretend to be happy for the public eye."
"He's a pain in the ass, father." Kaoru stressed the last word especially much, clearly showing what he thought of the idea. For a long moment, he stared at the older man from narrowed eyes. He did see the necessity for the connection, saw the crucial turning point for the family and thus nodded finally. "Well, at least he's no eye-sore." It was all he said with a small smirk tugging the corner of his mouth.
"Well and that's the other thing, Kaoru…" His father was smiling a bit apologetically, half expecting his son to throw a fit when he would hear the other half of the contract. It would definitely not please the young Niikura at least. "You really will only share an apartment for the public. You aren't allowed to …share the bed with him, if you know what I mean."
"You're kiddin' me, father!" Kaoru lost his calm composure and his voice carried a disbelieving undertone. "You can't really expect me to be chaste all my friggin' life. Forget it then. Count me out." It wasn't that he was lusting after the Andou-son but if he had to marry him anyways, he could at least focus on the good sides and that was that Daisuke did look good, that he was gorgeous and would definitely make a decent bed-mate.
"Kaoru, you can't do this to me, to your family!" Mr Niikura sighed, shaking his head a little bit while looking straight at his son. "Mr. Andou said very clearly he doesn't care if you're not being faithful to your spouse, as long as you keep your screwing around a secret well enough so no one knows. His only condition was that you will not touch his son. Apart from what needs to be done for good public image of course."
A long moment of silence followed in which Kaoru considered his father's words. The burden weighed heavy on his shoulders and he knew he wasn't in the position to say 'no' to the deal. Well, and as long as they only had to play happy couple for the public, it was manageable for him to keep up an act. At least nobody demanded them to fall in love. A deep sigh showed that he was about to give in and finally, he gave a small nod. "For the family," he said, gazing straight into his father's eyes. "I will marry him and won't touch him more than necessary."
"Thank you, Kaoru, I knew I could trust you." A relieved smile spread on Mr. Niikura's features, and he reached out to pat his son's shoulder, even pulled him into a short hug which was really uncommon for him to do. After pulling back again he looked the young man in the eye. "If there's anything I can do to make it easier for you, you just have to ask me, alright? But the marriage is important, don't screw it up." He trusted his son, more than probably anyone else, but this was something that they really needed and he couldn't stop himself from voicing it once more.
The answer was a snort. "As if I hadn't known that before." Kaoru knew his duties, knew that he owed that to his family who were more than only his mother Mayuko, his father and his twelve year younger brother Kenchi. Everybody, aunts and uncles, cousins and nephews and whoever was relying on that marriage to be able to go on with their business, using the Niikura family's superb reputation and the Andou family's money and power.
It was all set and done and before Kaoru and his family left the Andou residence, the contracts were signed and the date for the marriage was set.
Die hadn't been as cooperative as the eldest Niikura son, but had yelled and threatened to refuse. In the end though, he had given in, knowing he would never survive on his own without his father's money as he hadn't learned a decent job. When his father had told him about the conditions, he had gone on a rampage though. He had never made no bones of his definite preference for male company in bed, nor that he did like to take more than to give. To be honest, he had used that fact to tease his father whenever possible, knowing the old man detested this kind of lifestyle. But now he was supposed to be married to a man he hated and not even be allowed to screw around whenever he felt like it; not even with his husband? Because one thing was for sure, he wouldn't take some wide-hipped maid into his bed and his father knew that.
It was pretty much looking like Die would need to start practicing living his life in complete celibacy, the most sexual company he would ever get being his own hand. He didn't really know his soon-to-be-husband well, but had of course seen him and he had to admit he wouldn't have pushed him from his bed even though he didn't exactly love his personality. The young Niikura was simply this hard working, serious and respectable businessman and if one asked Die that was the most boring thing in the whole wide world. At least none of their interests seemed to match, which predicted a hard marriage that wouldn't offer much fun for either one.
The date of the wedding was getting closer and closer though and there was nothing they could do about it. Kaoru was trying to focus on working, to simply forget his future marriage and go on like normally with his life while he still had the possibility. Die on his side had wanted to enjoy the last days of his freedom to the fullest, but in the end simply found himself sitting at home, in the middle of hectic wedding-preparations. At least no one was trying to force him to wear a dress, he thought as the only positive thing about this.
Isamu Andou had bought a house for the couple, where they would move straight after the official ceremony was over. Kaoru and Die had moved their stuff into the new place separately though, hadn't even met since they were both doing everything possible to avoid each other as best as they could. The house was huge, meant for wealthy people, and they would've both loved it if it hadn't been for the fact that they had to share it with one another. The bedrooms were arranged a bit originally, since there was no separate door to Kaoru's bedroom but one had to go through Die's to get there. That was partly for the good image, so that whenever they would have visitors it would look like they weren't sleeping separately.
The wedding itself was a huge feast although for both families it was more a happening where one could bond with new trading partners, make important acquaintances amongst the society. It was a huge ceremony, but the bridal couple was only of minor matter; they were there to represent and both, Die and Kaoru, got a taste of how their future life would look like. The obligatory kiss after the priest had announced that they were officially wed had been a bit awkward as neither of the young men had known how to perform it. Finally, they both had settled for a longer peck and that had been about it.
The party afterwards was uncomfortable for the newly weds as people kept on asking how they met and how it made them feel to be married now that Hisa had died. They answered vaguely, told that they had met before the tragic death and that the marriage had been about to be called off anyways since the young men had fallen in love. They were both good at acting and Kaoru even wrapped his arm around the taller man's waist whenever they were questioned by a bunch of possible trading-partners of their family.
No one paid attention to the slight awkwardness of their movements, how Die tensed a little when Kaoru pulled him closer, how every single gesture from Kaoru was completely thought through and like practiced so that he would give a good image and leave everyone the impression that they were in love and were now more than happy to be finally married. After the wedding party everyone – except for the newlyweds' parents probably – would've sworn that there was nothing else behind this but a happy coincidence that the lovebirds joined the two most powerful families.
They had rented a huge hotel for the wedding party and even the guests would mostly be staying there overnight, especially seeing that the festivities ended only late at night. The newlyweds had a huge, luxurious suite reserved for them, and, accompanied with loud cheering, they were led to the top floor. It almost looked like the guests wanted to even come inside, at least judging by the fact that a huge bunch of people was flocking in front of the door, only leaving enough space so that they weren't blocking the couple's way.
Luckily, nobody demanded that one of them carried the other over the threshold as this would have certainly been too much for either of them. With a lot of polite smiles and bows, Kaoru finally managed to close the door, very well aware of the fact that the people there would stay a moment and if he talked to the other man, it should be in a low voice so that nobody could overhear the words.
He had no intention to say much though and only went straight to the bathroom to undress and get into bed. It had been a long day and Kaoru had asked himself more than once what he had gotten himself into by agreeing on his father's plan. Above everything, he still thought that Die was more than just presentable and he couldn't deny that he wouldn't have minded some bed-action, just as some kind of consolation prize. But there would be none, never, and when he saw the, in his opinion arrogant, expression on the other man's face, he knew that they wouldn't get along well.
As soon as the slightly older man had emerged from the bathroom, the redhead instantly locked himself in there for a good while, partly to avoid his new husband for a moment longer if possible. He had spent the whole day with him already and had had the chance to watch him up close. What he saw, didn't exactly make him look forward to the marriage more, since everything just strengthened the picture he had formed of Kaoru. The older man was gorgeous, more than that even, but definitely too uptight and formal, too responsible.
Finally Die had to come back to the bedroom though, only to find his husband sitting on the edge of the bed, looking a little lost even since this was more than awkward for both of them. For a while the redhead stood in the doorframe, simply watching the other man, but the moment was gone as soon as it came and he snapped back to reality. Quickly he got to the bed, plopping down on the other edge. He wanted to say something, but simply couldn't come up with anything for once in his life.
Kaoru didn't see the necessity to say anything, only mumbled something about being tired before he crawled under the blanket, turning his back on the other man. Why again had he agreed upon this? He constantly had to remind himself that he was the savior of his family, that everybody relied on him to strengthen their reputation and wealth for coming generations. And well, maybe he would learn to get along with Die after some time, years. The mere thought of that made him shudder though as he realized he would spend the best years of his life at the side of a man he wasn’t even allowed to fuck. That was kind of depressing and inwardly Kaoru already thought about the possibility of taking a longer business-trip soon, just to get away from the awkwardness.
For a second Die frowned, looking at the huge double bed as if it was poisoned. Only when Kaoru had crawled under the blanket he had realized that there indeed was only one blanket on the bed, a huge one but still only a single blanket instead of two separate ones. That didn't make him happy, and he even glanced around the room, trying to see if there was a spare blanket somewhere. He didn't find one though, and reluctantly slid between the covers, still trying to keep enough distance between them so they wouldn't have to touch each other. This would be a long night. And even a longer marriage…
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I'm pretty much convinced that this is gonna be a very interesting story 8DDDD I'm already looking forward to the next chapter =P
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Thank you for reading! We try not to take ages with updates x)
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I like how there was no dialogue between the two included in this story so far.
Keep it up! ^^
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Yay! They don't like each other! Yet.
I'm interested to see how their relationship develops.
And I'm going to slap Die's daddy for being such a knob end.
Sorreh, I'm not babbling today coz I can barely keep my eyes open.
Stupid flu thing .____.
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Aw no problem. *hugs tight* Try to get better! ♥
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I don't like Die's father he's a selfish prick.
I feel so sad for Die and Karou, Poor Die i hope he doesn't have to live with his hand forever.
Please write more >.
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Die's father is a selfish bastard, yes. I agree XD I think everyone does.
You'll find out what'll happen! 8D Thank you so much for reading and commenting ;D
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I wonder how following generations will be created tho. XDI hope they'll get to the screwing quickly though. Also here goes, the more the better. And forbidden things are more fun anyway! :)*now off to die*
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haha, it doesn't matter if they don't have kids themselves. They unite the whole familylines, not only their own families, so all their uncles and cousins and whoever benefit from it too, and THEY can reproduce ;)
I can tell you a secret; all our contributions are gonna be pretty much porn XD We can't stay away from it! ...is it even a secret anymore? x)
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This is fucking interesting already!! I can't wait for more!
You are genious, you know? XD
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cant wait for the rest *hugs
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I can't wait for the next chapter!
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A new fic! *_* I was expecting this you know? xDDDDDD -Ilovethispairingmadly-
With the announcement for a new story for dxk festival in october *¬* I was like "omg... omg they are going to publish soon!!!!! *anxious*" xDDD
Well, this fi totally surprised me for its plot xD, you know, when I started to read I thought that Hisa and Kaoru would marry and then Die and Kaoru would fall for each other but due to Hisa's ill condition they would suffer andddd... *insert more drama here lol* but the new facts are nice! I'm wondering about how they'd deal with their needs xDDDD, mhmmmm... I... rather wonder this: how many time they'll resist without doing nothing in bed?? XDD -Ihopetheydonotresistthatmuchcough-
And, yeaahh~ I'm wondering the same sanghamyers did... about following generations xD
Thank you for posting this! *u* I'm waiting for the next chapter 8D
PS: hehe... shotgun wedding... xDD niceeeeeee, niceee title. You're awesome.
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Hmmm, that would've been a good plot too XD Maybe we can use it once in the future. But well, we wanted them married but not allowed to touch each other, and this worked out pretty well like this XD haha, and we'll see how much they resist!
Like I said to sangha, it's not only that their marriage benefits them, but also the other familyline. So their uncles and cousins and whatever will also benefit from uniting the business-families, and THEY can then reproduce ;)
Thank YOU for reading and commenting! :D We're glad that you liked it! <3
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necessary, that word is the key! hahahahaha
thankyou girls :D
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Thank YOU!
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It will most certainly be a matter of necessity... hell yeah it will be lol (why am i so cheerfull and babbly when its six in the morning and i'm still awake? its a mistery even for myself.. i should get all grumpy when i go all imsnomnia mode...)
naaah, you made me laugh and I was really in need of a few laughs, so the thanks are all for you dears
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We shall see what happens 83 It can't be too easy on them, now can it?
It's good to hear it did good to you ;) You're most welcome!
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But I really like how this one is set up. Hopefully lots of interesting things will occur in the future!! And Die's father a jerk, and I feel sorry for them, talk about awkward having to share a bed without being able to do anything!! But I know that will change in time :D
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heh, I was just going through some further chapters to get them ready to be posted, and trust me, lots will happen XD I just can't tell you what, you have to find out for yourself ;D
Now I dunno if I make sense at all XD I'm kind of braindead. But thanks so much for reading!
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Hell, what Die's father thinking...Married but no sex? well they'll find the way~~ :D
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haha, his father is just a stupid old man XD *coughs* We will see how they work their way around that 8D
Thank you so much for reading, dear!
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He should open mind like Kaoru's father ;D
very welcome and again to say these words: LOVE THE STORY! X3
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anyway, this plot seemed interesting..
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Thanks! :)