#darkryuu

_____________________________________

Yagami Koji’s eyes slowly opened, his vision faintly trying to adjust to the light. Blinking, he looked beside him to find Yamachi Popuri still fast asleep. Koji sat up and rubbed his face, stretching. Damn, he hadn’t meant to fall asleep in the first place… It was something he imagined one should grow out of over time. You don’t just have random mood shifts caused by literally nothing. He’d been just fine when he woke up this morning but he briefly recalled something and it was all downhill from there. Not one day in his life had he snapped at Jill during these ‘spells’ but she somehow realized his temperament and left him alone. Just…he wasn’t sure he wanted to be left alone. Sometimes, rare as it was, he just wanted to kind of talk. Koji was more than certain Jill advised he just needed time to pull himself together to Popuri but she came to him anyway… …He hadn’t even been thinking about college or work and, at this rate, he was going to be working in a pie shop if he lagged too long. He swore he wouldn’t get distracted…

The pink-haired woman suddenly yawned, waking up and looking around lightly in confusion. He cleared his throat, “Good evening.” “Mm, good evening…” she murmured, looking at him, “Are you feeling better?” He nodded, glancing toward his door. It was open… “Yea. Thank you for coming to check on me.” Popuri sat up a bit against his pillows, smiling softly, “I don’t know if I helped any--” “You did” he assured, standing and walking out of the room toward the steps. Dark. It was about six so his siblings weren’t going to show up for another hour and apparently his sister went somewhere. Biting his lip, he turned back to where Popuri was sitting up, stretching. She had on a white boatneck shirt and a maroon pleated skirt with leggings. He loved a pleated skirt, he thought absently. “So, before my brothers get here, you want to come?” “…What?” Koji shrugged as she stared at him, flabbergasted. “I wanna make you come. If you’re interested.” “…Are you some kind of brutally straightforward perv or something?” “Oh, I am that” he grinned wickedly, walking toward her. Popuri pouted as he planted his hands on the bed on either side of her hips. “…I thought we said--” “Popuri, it’s a very simple question” he purred, whispering into her ear, “Do you want to come or not? I’ll accept if you’re not in the mood.” She flustered, pressing her hands to his chest, “A-As nice as that may be, I--” He raised a brow when she paused, idly looking around, “…Well, J-Jill’s not here?” “Nope.” Popuri anxiously stood up, apparently starting to undress herself, “L-Let’s make it quick then.” Scoffing, Koji caught her arms that were about to yank off her shirt, “Wait…” She leered at him quizzically as he reached up, managing to unsnap her bra with one hand. Nibbling his lip as he maneuvered it from her shirt, he was pleased with how taut the material was around her nipples. He groaned. “Oh man, I’m fantasizing again.” “Come on!” she blurted, trying to take the skirt off. Koji held her hands, stopping her and shaking his head, “No, no, keep the skirt on…” “…Perv.” Oh, he was, it was no doubt, hugging her around her bare thighs to pick up and lie her back against the pillows once more. Flipping the skirt, he admired the lacy black panties she was wearing. Popuri pinkened as she rubbed her inner thigh, leaning over to kiss the flesh teasingly. “K-Koji--” Apparently she was worried about someone showing up but he believed in good foreplay. “Relax…” He got out an oil from his nightstand, dripping it down the inside of her legs before running his hands up and down the flesh. She closed her eyes, her body slowly easing. Good, good, he thought, pleased, as he reached down and ran his knuckle up her clothed sex. Popuri inhaled softly, her eyes opening some. He ran his fingertips over the lace, squeezing gently before moving the panties aside… Koji licked his lips, running his fingers down the loose skin slowly, folding them back to run his fingers around the inside. Her mouth softly opened, her eyes shut as he stroked her clit. Not quite… “Mm” she rasped as he used his free fingers to fold back the ‘hood’ for more access. ‘There we go’, he thought absently, watching her face shift into pleasure. Her tongue ran along the corner of her lip as he gave her one last stroke over the panties before removing them completely. He liked it slow but they didn’t have all day. Popuri nibbled her finger as he thumbed her clit with oil. Petting her thigh, he whispered in her ear, “You like that?” “Mm…” “No?” “I do…” She bit her lip as he used his free hand to slip his finger inside of her, continuing the perusal with his other hand around her nub. “I don’t know…you could be way wetter.” “Mmph--” she groaned as he pumped his finger between her folds, adding one more just for good measure. Popuri relaxed her legs open more, her hips bucking off the bed. He grimaced as she grasped her breasts, little chirps escaping her lips. No, no, the intention was to show you don’t have to get off too…of course, now his mind had wandered to how he wanted to be inside of her more than this. “Koji…?” “Hmm?” She was gazing at him, her scarlet eyes blazing with a strange intensity. He swallowed hard as she reached for his crotch, unbuttoning his jeans and stroking him over his boxers. Oh boy. “T-That’s not--” His eyes widened as she jerked him out and started to immediately suck him. Shit. “P-Popuri--” It was a very awkward posing until she basically made him get into his favorite numerical position. He was going to come all over her face though, he groaned to himself, leaning down to run his tongue around her clit. She moaned over his cock. Yea, this wasn’t the way he planned this in his head… Koji barely had time to roll a condom on before she was on top of him, riding him hard. He found himself moaning, grasping her ass in his hands as she bounced up and down, grinding. “Mmph—mm, Koji!” Yea, he must have been fantasizing again, he droned to himself as he ran his hands down his face. His current view was of her, breasts released from the hem of her shirt with that skirt still on, riding the fuck out of him. He had seen porn less plotted out than this. “Ah-h!!” she choked, playing with her nipples and getting wetter with every stroke. He rubbed her clit, moaning into his fist as his eyes rolled back. Man, but with a condom though? She was dangerous. She cried out his name, falling back and quivering as she came, her legs closing around his penis and he shot his seed not much later…he shakily jerked out of her, unraveling the condom. His mind went to another universe when she suddenly kneaded his balls, sucking the cum off his shaft playfully. Staring at her speechlessly, he tried to calculate if they had time for…one more go. …Oh, hell yea, he was now completely and absolutely distracted.

_____________________________________

Jill went to get some things from the grocery store, chatting some with Karen as the woman rang her up. Idly looking her over, Jill found herself musing. She was brunette with light blond highlights and the most piercing green eyes. They were about the same height and build but Karen seemed more ‘graceful’. Karen advised her during a previous visit she aspired to be a dancer but her parents couldn’t afford to send her to school. Smiling, Jill bowed and bid her farewell, going out into the brisk weather. She was Tony’s type, actually. Her brothers all had types… Going to the beach where the ferry came in, she smiled grimly as her brothers came off the boat, fussing. Tony looked queasy, holding his stomach. Her poor twin wasn’t great on random motions. “Hey, guys!” Yagami Shin smiled, shifting an army green duffel bag on his shoulder. “Hello, imoto-chan. I hope we’re not showing up too short notice.” “Oh, no, you guys called with enough time for me to prepare” she assured, giving him a hug. Nelly absently looked around at the beach, his brows raising. “…This is where mom and dad had their wedding, right?” “Eh? Did they?” “I guess you were still pretty young then” Nelly mused. Shin nodded in confirmation. Oh. She had been here before? Weird. Tony looked very unimpressed, shivering as they walked off the beach after a particularly brisk breeze. “There is literally nothing here. You aside, why is Koji even staying here?” Jill smirked widely at her twin’s mostly correct assessment. To Koji’s defense, he probably had assumed he’d come to this country wasteland in comparison to the city they were used to and be free of all distractions that enticed him. He’d have been able to make a quick decision and would leave to execute it. Little did he know, he’d meet the epitome of distractions. 

“Well, you all do seem to recall that Koji came here as a child, correct? And perhaps he met his future wife at the tender age of ten?” The one that started the very beginning of life with Koji paused, his brows instantly furrowing. “…You’re kidding, right?” Shaking her head, Nelly gawked, “What? He just randomly picks up with his childhood love?! How and why??” That was the sort of amazing part about Popuri. As she said, all her brothers had a type. She droned, “What’s Koji’s type? You know, physically and personally?” “…He likes women with the unusual hair colors. Preferably pink. And the different eye colors too” Shin rolled his eyes around. “Boobs” Shaun yawned. “Boobs have to be impressive in some fashion.” Nelly crossed his arms, “…Generally he gets along best with women that share some of his interests but also can kind of be the ying to his absurd amount of yang. What are you getting at?” “Oh, just…keep those things in mind.” When they got to the farmhouse, Jill smiled and blinked slowly as Popuri was standing in the kitchen, setting trays of rice balls and other dishes Jill had made out on the table. The woman looked up, smiling, “Ah, Jill, my mom wanted to thank you for the food.” “No problem” Jill nodded, closing the door behind her silenced brothers. “Where’s Koji?” “Oh, he said something about Heineken and he’ll be right back” Popuri smiled nervously, approaching the mini crowd. Of course. Jill held out her hand, tilting her head, “Popuri, I’d like you to meet my other brothers. This is my oldest brother, Shin. Koji’s twin brother, Nerimaru—Nelly. This is my twin, Tony. And this is the youngest, Shaun.” “A-Ah, it’s nice to meet you all. I’ve heard so much about all of you” Popuri blurted, bowing. There was a long moment of silence. Nelly stared at her before remarking, “…If there is a God, he does work in mysterious ways.” “Eh?” “It’s nice to finally meet you as well” Nelly smiled, bowing, “We have…heard a lot about you too.” Shin shook her hand, smiling as well. Tony just nodded his head while Shaun stroked his chin thoughtfully, “…So like, did Koji just really know his type when he was in elementary school or what?” “I have no type.” Popuri jumped a little as Koji appeared at the door, holding a large case of beer. He had a cigarette hanging limply from his lips, appearing nonplussed. Nelly smirked at him widely and knowingly, “Hey, futago. How’s it going? Made any decisions yet?” Jill smirked as well as Koji gave his twin a dark look but Nelly just grinned. While she did feel close to Tony, that close ‘twinship’ in their little group definitely went to Koji and Nelly. He had probably assessed immediately that Koji had probably spent very little time doing anything he intended to do. “Bite me, Nelly.” “Oh, w-well, maybe I should go” Popuri said quickly. “Don’t be silly” Koji replied, passing to go put the beer in the fridge. “I am going to very smoothly attempt to shift attention and ask where Cliff is.” Oh. Jill glowered at him and Tony leered, “Oh yea, he is living with you. Where’s he at?” “U-Uh, he had to run off for a work emergency. He’ll be gone for some days.” Koji raised a brow at her as he shifted off his coat. Yea, it…probably wasn’t good. “You didn’t want to go with him? He might get lonely” Shaun teased. “He can get lonely all by himself” Tony leered. Jill groaned, giving Tony a look as she had everyone sit at the table, running to get the rest of the food. Koji pulled out chilled glasses for everyone…except Shaun. Shaun pouted deeply, “Oh, c’mon, nii-san!” “No.” “I drink at parties now all the time! And you let me drink before anyway! I drank at Shin’s bachelor party!” “Liquor. We let you drink liquor. Your picky ass doesn’t like beer” Koji grunted, handing the Heineken to the others. Shaun pursed his lips tightly, looking irritated, “…So it’s not the drinking, it’s because I’ll waste your precious beer?” “Precisely.” Tony snickered, cracking the top on his Heineken, and pouring it into the glass, “I will vouch for him and say he does drink Heineken.” “He needs it with a lime, by the way” Nelly smirked, taking a long sip of his. “You don’t put a fucking lime in Heineken!” Koji glowered, going back to the fridge regardless and retrieving another glass. Jill groaned for the fiftieth time already, setting plates in front of everyone. “What is the big deal about alcohol anyway? It doesn’t even taste that good.” Shin gave Shaun a bland expression when Koji tossed a lime into his glass and handed him the beer, saying under his breath ‘you waste my beer, I’ll waste you’. “It’s not a necessity of life, Jill. We just enjoy the occasional drink every now and then.” Occasional?! “You guys drink at every possible occasion!” Popuri suddenly came and turned so she wasn’t facing anyone at the table, whispering, “So-o-o-o we don’t want the Seagrams cooler?” “Well, of course we—” Jill paused before grimacing, squeezing her nose, “…Yes, I do want a wine cooler.” Just as expected, most of her brothers started complaining and ‘ohh’-ing. She stuck out her tongue at them, “Shaddap. You guys wouldn’t dare drink a wine cooler. They may as well be like drinking juice.” “Oh, you got us there, that’s for sure” Nelly blinked, his brows raising. Koji pulled out a chair beside him for Popuri. She shyly smiled and took it, popping the lid on the bottle. Koji picked up the main dish of chicken and vegetables, dipping some out onto a plate. “I’m sure this is weird, Popuri, but we’re just used to passing the food around and having one plate. We hate doing dishes.” “Oh, no, I understand!” “Mm, I’ll have to get the compartmentalized dishes for you, Jill. Lyla got some recently” Shin said, getting some pickled vegetables. Jill nodded, taking the plate from Popuri when she was done, “That’d be nice, nii-san. Oh yea, Popuri, uh, you don’t talk to your aunt or Lyla, right?” Popuri raised a brow but shook her head, “No, I’ve never met either of them. Is it the same Lyla?” Nodding, Koji stretched, “Yea, I made the connection when I was a kid. She also has pink hair and her mom’s name is Lillian.” “Oh…strange.” Jill blinked at the woman who looked a little uncomfortable and Shin smiled some. “It’s okay. Lyla has about the same response when it comes up.” “O-Oh, I don’t want it to seem like that. I’m sure she’s a very nice person. How long have you all known her?” “Oh, almost twenty years now. She’s been our neighbor since we were kids” Nelly replied, “Now she’s Shin’s wife.” “Oh! Wow…I did wonder sometimes what it was that kept my mama from speaking with her sister. I guess it could be a city-country thing.” Biting her lip, Jill glanced to Koji who simply nodded…even though they knew it was nothing like that and more that Lyla’s mother had a verbally and sometimes physically abusive husband that kept them trapped. It took trickery and Shin to get both of them out. “So, how are things going with you and ol’ Blondie, imoto?” Nelly questioned. “They’re going fine” Jill assured. Tony cut his eyes at her, probably reading that ambiguous tone. Things were going fine…except for his little ‘problem’ they weren’t addressing. She smiled coyly, folding her hands and blinking at Nelly, “What about you, nii-san? Have you found a girlfriend yet?” Nelly’s eyes closed some, turning his head in that ‘seriously?’ expression. “C’mon, even Koji gets into relationships.” “Koji does get into relationships. I do not” he assured. “Because you’re a monstrous manwhore” Koji droned, eating a bit of chicken. “Um, the fuck?” Shaun laughed, reaching into his pocket for something, “That is serious calling the kettle black.” Popuri smirked as Koji rolled his eyes around, waving a hand, “Okay, maybe I do have a few notches on the ol’ bedpost but I’m not the one swearing off meaningful relationships.” “Yea, yea.” They all chattered during dinner. While Koji generally got the dishes, Shin volunteered and picked up everyone’s plates. Jill groaned again and Popuri glanced back, wide-eyed, “You have such mannerable brothers!” Tony grinned, “Oops, we made a fake impression.” “And how” Koji smirked, glancing at his watch, “Hmm, wanna play cards? I can go get us some Ciroc.” Again, more drinking. Nelly looked perplexed, “You can get Ciroc here?” “I know a guy” Koji said before standing, rubbing Popuri’s shoulder, “You gonna hang with us a little longer?” “I probably should get home…” Jill pouted, “Aww, just do one hand with us.” “Well…okay…” Koji smiled, going to the door with Nelly following, the two grabbing their coats off the hook nearby. “We’ll be back shortly. Anybody want anything else?” Captain Morgan and Parrot Bay was thrown out there. Just…so much booze. Jill stared blankly before grumbling, “…Hennessey.” Her brothers gave her a questioning look, probably not suspecting she even knew what that was. No, she was surrounded by apparently the spirit of alcohol so maybe…maybe her confusion was her problem. Maybe…she just needed to get an understanding.

_____________________________________

“So seriously…you come here and get involved back with your little gumdrop love of your life?” Yagami Koji blew into his hands as he led the way to Doug’s Inn where the eponymous Doug ran a little auxiliary liquor shop. He was advised to keep it quiet since Doug wasn’t supposed to and that Duke would lose his mind with that kind of competition. Koji didn’t mind wine but, well, he was always a fan of booze. “Well?” “I dunno, Nelly” Koji groaned, “Did you see her? It’s like someone handpicked perfection and set me up to have a chance with her. I was blown away when I saw her again.” His twin nodded, “She is pretty hot, I have to say. But exactly how platonic are we speaking right now?” “Yea, we’re at ‘we might have banged twice before you got here’ platonic. Where is that at?” Nelly shook his head, sighing, “So you have done it. So is this the normal ‘we’re just messing around’ or is it something else?” “…I mean, I think I’d like to try a relationship but I think she’s against it for some reason. Maybe something to do with her dad. She doesn’t want to put any titles on it which I can respect but, I mean, this keeps up and I probably will want to address her as my girlfriend” Koji murmured, turning near the blacksmith. Nodding, Nelly looked around, “But really, Koji, where are you at with school? I mean, you’re allowed to fall in love and want relationships but that’s not exactly what you came here for. What did you decide?” “I can get a job, Nell, but I can’t guarantee I’ll get to where I want with my current credentials” Koji sighed, “But, because I’ve waited so long, I’m going to end up starting in the Summer if I go to Amherst and it’s going to be another two years of school.” “So you are going with Amherst.” The University of Massachusetts Amherst, to be exact. There wasn’t anything wrong with a Japanese university but the idea of studying abroad had always kind of appealed to him. Plus, it definitely would make his resume look very diverse and like he had experience dealing with other people. Just, that placed him at close to sixteen to twenty plus hours away from home which was insanity. Even the time difference was something like fourteen hours. The possibility of maintaining that long distance a relationship aside, if anything went down here with his family, he was essentially a nonfactor in being able to help anything about it. That concerned him. “Maybe I’ll just go to Tokyo and call it a day. It’s a smaller commute and I can come check on Jill and Popuri” Koji mused. Nelly sucked his cheek, “That’s a pretty big opportunity, Koji. And with no tuition to pay back going to Amherst? You really need to consider it.” Ugh! He had been, he just…

…Was concerned.

It was a weird sensation. He hadn’t had it often but sometimes he’d be asleep and, for whatever reason, he was like within himself and outside of himself at the same time and caught himself snoring. Then his mind jolted like, ‘whoa, I snore?’ and then he’d end up waking himself up to confirm this phenomenon. Koji’s head snapped up, startled by this oddity and looked around the room. All the lights were still on and everyone was still in the living room but in varying states of sleeping. Tony, Jill, and Shaun were knocked out on the couch, Shin was asleep on the recliner, and Nelly was asleep on the floor near his feet. Popuri was curled into his side again where he was leaning on the couch…he absently kissed her forehead and rested her head on a pillow. Warily, he looked to Shin before whistling lowly under his breath. As he expected, the oldest’ eyes opened quickly and cut toward him. Figured. “It’s too cold for us all to be down here like this. Let’s get everyone to bed.” Shin stretched, lifting his arms above his head and grimaced, “Mm, okay.” …Ugh. If the others weren’t here, Popuri could sleep with him but he didn’t want to alarm her. Best bet was Jill’s room. Shin picked Jill up while he carefully moved Popuri. Settling them in bed, he and Shin quietly closed the door as they exited. Now… Koji nudged Nelly with his foot, grunting, “Wake up, baka.” Nelly lifted his head, apparently also startled before looking around, “Wha…?” “C’mon. I already volunteered that you could stay in my room” he sighed. There were enough rooms but there weren’t enough beds. Shin had to sleep alone… Getting all of the brothers moving in a foggy stupor, Koji made sure Shaun and Tony were settled before returning to his bedroom where Nelly had already stretched like an idiot across the whole bed. Rubbing his face, Koji wandered over and shoved Nelly to the side he usually didn’t occupy. Settling into bed, he stared at the ceiling for some quiet minutes. He wondered… They had been drinking pretty casually before the Hennessey got on the table. Boy, he was shocked when his itty bitty sister requested it, especially given he had only seen her drink wine and wine coolers since he got here. But, as always, he obliged and poured everyone a glass of the stuff. He heard something about ‘don’t mix brown and light’ but it sounded like some garbage or even weirdly racist? But yea, they probably more were talking about the blackout factor. When Jill had about two glasses of the stuff in her system on top of the previous beverages, she started rambling about how Cliff ‘sneaks to drink that stuff nii-san don’t drink’ or ‘he finishes a whole bottle by himself in a day!’. 

A whole bottle, Koji could do at one party. If he was in that particular mood. Also, he was probably not going to drink another whole bottle the next day. Koji could be honest with himself: he probably did have a problem. Sometimes he did enjoy booze a little too much. Just, at the same time, he had limits. That was probably his only saving factor: he had a stopping point and he also had a ‘I don’t need this every day’ point. He’d really on some occasions gone two or three months without even having a beer. A daily bottle? That…that was a different shade of the same color.

Cliff had his points of contention. Koji grew irritated that he still didn’t seem to help Jill much. Jill was still doing a grown man’s laundry. Or, she was always doing it, they weren’t sharing the responsibility. Or, if they shared any responsibility. Cliff really had fallen off on even the one thing Koji had seen him do which was cook. Now that he worked, he’d come home, settle on the couch and invite Jill to watch television with him, even though there was food to be made, cleaning to be done, and a whole variety of adult responsibilities. Sometimes Jill would concede and sometimes she’d turn him down to do all of it while he just sat back and apparently had himself a whole bottle of Wild Turkey. This. This was what he was talking about. Cliff might have very well been having a rough phase and shape up into the guy that Koji did see pieces of underneath it all. When he passed the vineyard once, he saw Cliff working exceedingly hard while the Duke guy just sat back and yelled at him. Hell, it went against Koji’s norm but even he wanted to go over and say something about that. But yea, if Cliff was literally dry lifting dozens of hundred pound cases of wine bottles, he could see where the guy might be a little tired after his shift. And he did work hard and he did start treating Jill to dates and whatnot…Koji could tell the dude was really into his sister. Just… Koji sighed, pulling the blanket over himself and Nelly. Just, he…had some concerns.

_____________________________________

“You guys certainly never hid your drinking…” “There was nothing to hide.” Yagami Jill slowly opened her eyes, grimacing at the bright sun coming in through her window. Yeesh. She looked next to her, a little shocked to find Popuri. Sitting up, she scratched the back of her head, bending her back. She last recalled they were all drinking casually together, playing ‘Go Fish’ and ‘BS’ before getting into a game of Kings. It…was fun. They were having some drinks and they were playing a game and talking. That…

To say drinking was ‘normal’ would probably be incorrect. It was not normal to want to drink something that affected your sensibilities and apparently made them all fall asleep at some point to where she couldn’t remember walking or getting carried in here. Just, if she had to compare having a drink at a hangout with her friend and brothers where that wasn’t the actual mission versus her boyfriend waking up after they had sex to go drink half a bottle while she slept by himself, one might seem more normal than the other. Hell, if he had woken her up, said he was going to get a drink, maybe that would be slightly okay too. …Her brothers openly drank in front of her last night. With her. There was nothing to hide because it…it wasn’t some strange secret. Biting her lip, she glanced at the alarm clock. It was eight so she was late on her chores. Starting to get up, she had to pause. Wait… Jill smiled a little mischievously, wondering if she was going to finally get to catch this goldmine again after all these years. Shaking Popuri’s shoulder, she murmured, “Hey, Popuri, wake up.” Popuri opened her eyes sleepily and looked confused, “Jill…?”

She sat up, rubbing her brow, “…Wow, I don’t remember coming in here at all.” “I’m sure the boys carried us in” Jill assured, climbing out of bed to go through the dresser, “So, Nelly sleeps really wild, right? So Koji volunteered to let him sleep with him.” “Mm hmm…” Pleased when she located her small camera, she grinned, “C’mon. Koji hates sleeping with Nelly. And here’s why…” Popuri raised an eyebrow but followed her up the stairs. There was a very small chance the two were already awake and gone about their business but she doubted it on a Saturday. Coming to Koji’s door, she tipped her head to get Popuri to come closer. The woman still looked confused as Jill eased the door open. Jackpot.

Koji and Nelly were curled up, Koji hand outstretched over Nelly’s head which was resting almost on top of Koji’s chest. Popuri gasped a little and Jill whispered, snickering silently, “When they were little, they used to sleep like this. Mom said they’d done it even when they were babies. And it doesn’t even matter if one is already asleep when the other comes, they’re like magnets. It’s just so funny and blackmail worthy…” Popuri bit her lip, clearly a little amused but hissed, “Jill, that’s terrible! It’s cute!” “Oh, it’s freakin’ adorable. And then, it’s also them so-o-o-o…” Popuri laughed when Jill snapped the picture. Koji and Shin slept like they weren’t even asleep most of the time thus the former’s eyes popped open with the bright flash. He stared at Jill, shocked, and she winked. “Sleep well, big bwuders?” she cooed. He looked absolutely confused for a moment before his eyes widened and he glared. “Give me that camera…” “Wha-a-a? What camera?”

Jill and Popuri squealed, giggling and running when Koji dove out of bed. Rushing back down the steps, Jill knew Koji was right on her heels so she tossed the memory card to Popuri when they reached the landing. Koji stopped his chase, leering, and looked to Popuri expectantly, holding his hand out. “All right, princess, hand it over…” Jill gawked when Popuri smiled, replying, “Okay.” Oh, c’mon, Popuri! However, just as she appeared to be handing it to him, she redirected her hand…and dropped it into the crevice of her breasts. The look on Koji’s face was absolutely priceless and Jill laughed heavily. Popuri shimmied her bosom, teasing, “It’s all yours.” Koji gaped and opened his mouth a couple times before closing it again. Koji was generally not speechless, Jill snickered. A few seconds later, Nelly came down, sleepily looking at them, “What’s going on? What’s all the noise?” “…They have a picture of us sleeping” Koji groaned. “The hell? Did you delete it?” demanded Nelly. Popuri smiled and arched her chest forward, giving Koji flirty look. “Koji can have the card back whenever he wants…”

Aww, darn, Jill wished she had another SD card to catch this, Koji actually blushed. Sputtering, he walked away, “F-Forget it. Keep the stupid picture.” “Excuse you? Where is the card?” demanded Nelly. “I dunno, Koji, you might want to reconsider. I’m sure Nelly would fish it out of the peaks without hesitation” grinned Jill. “‘Fish it out of the peaks’? What does that…” he started before his eyes widened, staring at Popuri, “…Oh.”

Popuri grinned and crossed her arms, boosting up her bountiful chest more. Nelly stared before clearing his throat, his eyes moving back and forth, actually reaching like he was in a daze, “I mean, if…if all parties are cool with it--” “No, no, not all parties are cool with it, dumbass!” Koji snapped, coming back over and slapping Nelly’s hand down. Jill was almost in tears, Popuri also laughing as Koji glared daggers at Nelly. Nelly flustered, waving a hand, “Right, right, that’s-that’s not cool, no.” “I don’t see what the big deal is, Koji seems to like my boobs any other time” Popuri said in a mock-musing tone. “Yea, but that is private time and not propaganda retrieval.” “I guess you can cut your losses then” she winked. Koji leered…before he did reach in between her breasts. “What the hell, Koji?” They all jumped, Jill’s sides starting to hurt from the levels of escalation this simple prank was taking on as Shin and the rest of the brothers appeared. The eldest’s eyes were narrowed halfway, having made the remark, shaking his head, while Shaun smirked. “Yea, this is the level of debauchery that I miss.” “Th-they have a picture of us!” blurted Koji, his face bright red. “Is it of anything as heinous as this?” Shin droned. Jill could have died because Koji’s hand was still buried in between Popuri’s breast as they had this conversation, making it all the more ridiculous. Popuri chuckled, “Not at all. I found it cute.” Of course, with all this jostling, the card had a slight chance of sliding down Popuri’s shirt if it could get past the boobs. Apparently, it had slid to a part of her bra where it could break free and the woman slyly pulled it out and slipped it back to her. Jill smiled and tauntingly held the card up. “Yea, he means this.” Nelly looked up drably as Koji appeared shocked, “So…we’re just diving for pearls for no reason?” Popuri bit her lip, cracking up, as Koji proclaimed, pulling his hand back, “I watched her put it down there!” “Uh huh” Shin blinked languidly. “You know what? I’ll fight all of you, watch me.” Tony smirked, stretching, “I don’t know if I miss these random games of nonsense, honestly…or that is until this type of shit happens.” Jill popped the card back into her camera, smirking widely, and showed the twins her deleting the picture…after she had finagled it into the camera’s internal memory. Like she’d let such a rare gem go. “Well, this has been a spectacular morning ritual” Popuri snickered, bowing, “I need to be going home and doing the farm chores though. Thank you all for having me.” “Aww, chill with that, Popuri. You should come have dinner with us again tonight” Jill waved a hand. Popuri flustered, “W-Well, I mean, I’m sure you guys want family time--” “Believe me, we’ll be over each other in the next three hours” Shaun assured. Jill rolled her eyes around as there were rumbles of agreement and Popuri looked surprised. “O-Oh, okay. Well, we’ll see.” “I’ll walk you home” Koji said, walking to get his coat. “Oh, you don’t have to. I’m sure you’re upset with me” Popuri insisted quickly. Koji looked confused, “Upset with you? About what?” “W-Well…the…picture boobs?” Scoffing, Koji handed her coat over, shaking his head. “Nah, lady. Like Tony said, that’s just our average sibling antics. You were just involved.” Popuri looked honestly surprised. There were a lot of family things the woman seemed to view as foreign so maybe that was one of them. Popuri bid them goodbye and they both left, Koji actually holding her hand as they made their way off the farm. Tony whistled. “Didn’t think I’d see Koji with another girlfriend again, that’s crazy.” Shin nodded as he walked into the kitchen, “It’s a good sign, I’d say. I’ll start on breakfast.” Jill smiled some as the remaining brothers went to get dressed to help her tend to her animals, her only task since she was prepared for Spring but the winter ground was still too hard. Soon, it’d have been a year. A year since she came here and a year since she met her boyfriend… She’d talk to Cliff when he got back. She’d tell him that if he wanted to drink, just don’t make it a secret. Maybe…cut back a little. He didn’t have to worry about her judging him for drinking, she was very much used to that from these jokers. However, he…he was causing her concern. Usually, she wouldn’t even feel comfortable bringing something like this up but… Maybe Koji’s relationship status wasn’t the only thing due for a change.

_____________________________________

“Futago, can you see marrying? And marrying Popuri?” Nelly was doing the dishes while Koji cleaned the stove, the others going to shower and get more dressed. There was talk of going to the mainland for a little while or one of the more commercial neighboring islands. Koji didn’t look up but he shrugged. “…Dunno. It’s a little soon for that, you know?” “Hypothetically then.” “…Sure. I mean, a little down the road, I wouldn’t mind with the right person.” The right person. Nelly shuffled along the streets, receiving confused stares from some of the town natives. Koji was his identical twin but there was still something a little different about them. Mostly he didn’t dress like a storm cloud and he was, of course, the hot twin. The right person though? While Koji caught most of the family flack for being terrible with relationships, at least if Koji did get into one, they tended to be long-term…unless extenuating circumstances intervened. Nelly, on the other hand, he rarely dated at all. Casual hookups and little flings here and there. The idea didn’t interest him, of just having a ‘someone’. It seemed very novel and unlikely that he’d be happy with just one person. He saw his parents, it seemed to work for them. It worked for Shin and Lyla. But…him? That person was going to have to be… He paused, his brows furrowing. Standing in front of what had to be a bakery from the delicious smells was a young woman. Had to be young, her face was, but she was wearing very… old-looking clothes. She had on a ruffled light blue top and a long navy blue skirt with an apron and a brooch under what appeared to be a wool shawl. Weird. His eyes widened when her head turned. Her brown hair was short, a little above her shoulders, and she had big round dark eyes. There was something very comfortable about the way she looked… Eh? She stared back at him because he was already being weird and staring before she nodded shortly, “…Yagami-san.” “Oh, uh, you know me?” “What? You came for a checkup the other day at the clinic.” Good to know Koji was still responsible with his health. And she was a doctor? “Mm, that was my twin brother, Koji. I’m Nerimaru.” …Nerimaru? He never introduced himself with his real name. She raised an eyebrow at him and drawled, “…I don’t believe I’ve heard that name before.” “It’s rare. Like, very rare. So, uh, what’s good here?” he questioned, looking at the bakery display. “Everything.” Hmm? He blinked at that rather droll response. However, when he looked at her expression, he found…misery. Oh, she meant ‘everything’. “So I guess you’d say I can’t go wrong with anything I choose.” She nodded in confirmation. “So, you’ve already gotten something, I take it?” “No. I’m on a diet.” He couldn’t really tell with what she was wearing but he was skeptical she needed anything like that whatsoever. “Well, when that’s not fun, maybe we can get cake and coffee sometimes.” The woman looked at him, surprised. She glowered after a moment, crossing her arms, “Are you making fun of me?” “No, not at all” he echoed, confused. “…Very well, Nerimaru. Maybe tomorrow?” Great, now he had someone calling him by his actual legal name. “Uh, I-I don’t know why I led with that. I generally go by ‘Nelly’.” Her brow rose, perplexed, “…Isn’t that generally a girl’s name in English?” “Um, possibly.” “Nerimaru will suffice” she said shortly, “Good day, Nerimaru.” Damn it. “I, uh, didn’t catch your name, actually.” Pausing, she looked back at him and blinked, “…My name is Yamaguchi Elli.” …Yea, maybe ‘Nelly’ wasn’t very comfortable right there then. “It’s nice to meet you, Yamaguchi-san. Tomorrow, same time?” “…Very well.” Nelly watched her meander away, honestly a little perturbed. That was generally unlike him…and hell, a doctor was definitely not his type given literally every habit he had was unhealthy. Maybe it was just something about this place.

_____________________________________

“You’ll never believe what just happened to me.” Yamaguchi Elli unraveled her scarf as she returned from her break to the Mineral Clinic. The doctor hadn’t moved from where she left him an hour ago, still at his desk, looking at medical reports online. He absently looked up at her, frowning, “What?” “The Yagami brother—Koji. He pretended he had a twin and asked me to have tea with him!” she huffed, settling at the receptionist desk. Ishikawa Tsumaru was not one for these sort of frivolities. She half expected him just to turn away and go about his business. However, he looked curious. “Did you say yes?” “What? I-I mean, I said I would to get the truth out of him—I swear I see him with Yamachi-san, holding hands. He’s being promiscuous!” “Wait, wait” the doctor frowned, leaning back, “…Yagami Yamada, their father, he would talk about how unusual his family was. He had six children.” …What? Tsumaru started to count on his fingers, “Jill, of course. She was his second to last child but she has a twin brother…and, yes, I remember him saying he had been blown away to have two sets of twins in a row. So, Koji should have a twin brother.” “…Nerimaru?” “Yep, that’s it.” Elli felt the blood drain out of her face. WHAT? “I-I thought I was just going to berate Yagami Koji!! I have an actual date with an actually different person?!” “Seems so” Tsumaru shrugged. Her eyes narrowed at that response, folding her arms. He could at least seem…bothered. But then, after all these years, that…that was expecting a little too much of the man. “Well, perhaps I’ll go to the farm and break it off then. I have no interest.” “You should go. You haven’t really pursued anyone around here and it’s slim pickings.” And that just irritated her. She…had ‘picked’ but apparently she wasn’t in his selection. “…Maybe you’re right.” At the very least, she could apologize to him and advise that she had been a busybody and not actually wanting to go on a date. Oh, why had she been so meddlesome? She was picking up the townfolk’s habits more than she thought. …Yagami Nerimaru. Cake and coffee tomorrow. Cutting it off clean. Her first impression was he didn’t mean it when she arrived punctually and he wasn’t there. Maybe he was just presenting niceties too and she hadn’t picked up on the superfluity of it all. Elli stood by the door for some minutes, just gazing at the cakes longingly. No, stay…stay strong. To her horror, the same young man wandered up with his hands in his pockets, appearing surprised. “O-Oh. I didn’t think you were gonna come.” “…Likewise” she mumbled. “Sorry, that’s my fault. I did kind of forget where this was.” Oh, right, he lived out of town. Gazing at him, she instantly felt like an idiot. His hair was a tinge blonder than his twin brother, not to mention his skin tone was clearly more rosy and healthy. You sure saddled yourself this time, Elli. “S-So—” Nerimaru slowly opened the door and she awkwardly followed him in. He took a deep breath and groaned, “…Bakeries always smell like life.” “Oh, very” she breathed. She pursed her lips when he pulled the chair out for her, having not thought it would have reached this far. “Look, Yagami-san--” She paused when he stared at her. What? About to question him, he drawled, “I think you’re a hot chocolate woman. And chocolate cake.” …Grr. “And how do you figure that?” “I don’t trust people who don’t like chocolate…” he remarked absently, walking to the counter. Great. Folding her hands, she watched as he apparently ordered the cake and warm beverages for them. He wasn’t a…bad looking man but still. Returning with the snacks after a few minutes, she stared longingly at the cake before huffing, “As I advised yesterday, I’m on a diet.” “Health related?” “What?” she raised a brow, “…No, I’m in good health.” He rolled his eyes around, sipping what appeared to be coffee with cream, “Cheat day then?” “Cheat day?!” she said, aghast. A warm smile crossed his face and caused her pause. “You only live once, Ms. Yamaguchi, and my great papa says most things are fine in moderation. Have a bit of cake.” …Ugh. Pouting, she nibbled a bit of the frosting…and melted. “Oh, it’s even more delicious than I remember…” Nerimaru chuckled and took a bit of his own slice. Elli glowered at him for a moment before muttering, “I have to admit to you, I agreed to this little…arrangement out of concern that your brother was trying to be sneaky.” Despite that seeming a little rude, he actually laughed, “Oh man, that’d be sloppy. Nah, Koji and I never had to pull any of that sort of thing. I don’t think we’d really even know how.” What? “So, you’ve never tried to pull a ‘switcheroo’?” “Nope” Nerimaru shrugged, “It used to be we were always together anyway so it wouldn’t have made a whole lot of sense. I think I make a pretty good Nelly anyway.” Hmm. She took a drink of her cocoa and could say she could die happy. “I suppose you’re not together a whole lot now, being that he’s here?” “Nah. Koji has always been a lone ranger type of guy. He cares about all of us immensely but he needs his space sometimes. As much as I wish it were otherwise, he’s just not the type. Do you have any siblings?” “A little brother, Stu. He’s eight” she replied, nibbling at the end of her fork. As most people, he looked a little startled, “And…not to be too in your business but you’re…?” “25.” “Wow, your parents definitely played that waiting game” he whistled lowly. Elli simply nodded. She was born in Hong Kong. Her mother had traveled there to work as a nanny for an affluent family she met who were vacationing in Kyoto. Before then, the woman had apparently just worked odd jobs while pregnant. There, in China, she met Park Jyun who was working as a nurse. He aided her into the career as well and they started to fall in love. Needless to say, that man, Stu’s father, was not the one who bore her.

Her mother was only around seventeen, just on the verge of eighteen, when Elli was born. It was Stu that was born at a more concrete time in the woman’s life. Unfortunately, Stu was only about one when both of their parents died in a car accident. “Your parents certainly wanted to get it over and done with” she countered mildly. “Dr. Ishikawa says you have five other siblings?” “Ha, yea…I don’t know exactly how intentional that was. I don’t think I’d have personally let myself get past two.” Elli had to smirk at that, “It’s good you have those sort of strict numbers all planned out, Yagami-san. Perhaps your future wife would want three or more?” “Would she?” Nerimaru mused absently, “Three tops. As one of the elder brothers, I think I had my fill, raising and watching over kids.” “I loved it. I loved taking care of Stu as a baby” she murmured softly. Nerimaru tapped his lips with the napkin after he finished his dessert, shrugging, “I loved taking care of Jill and the other brats as babies too. Just, you know, it’s a little tricky when you have to assure that they’re going to be good people.” …Odd. “Your parents are very much alive, correct?” “Oh, very.” “Then why does it sound like you were raising your younger siblings?” Stirring his spoon in his coffee, he sighed, “My dad is a surgeon out of the slums. His foundation was self-made and he had to work harder than the average bear to make sure our foundation stayed solid. Problem is, once he got to the point where it wasn’t just a stack of bricks, he didn’t know when to stop. And when he opened the door for my mom to have her clothing business, it was just…over. They had to chase financial independence and we had to watch out for ourselves.” Interesting. “…I lost both of my parents a little after Stu was born.” “Oh—oh. I’m sorry.” She shrugged. It’d hurt early on but the two had been going to help a sick village in a rural part of China. The intention had been good so she could only be so bitter. “You get past it.” “…Do you though? I don’t think I’d be much good to anyone if I lost any of my family. Actually, I know I’m not. We’re…we’re really all we have, honestly.” Truth be told, her parents were close to all she had as well. Her stepfather’s sisters never really cared for her much, though they thought the world of Stu, most likely because she wasn’t related to them. All she had was Stu and her mother’s mother, Ellen, the one that adopted them and came to live in Mineral to give them a calmer lease on life. Aside for those two, she…had few people she had a right to hold on to. At least, the third didn’t seem to have those sort of ideations. “I don’t think you honestly have a choice.” Nerimaru tilted his head, seeming to concede this reluctantly. “Well, I guess you see a lot more loss than I do. You’re in the medical field too, right?” “The only nurse in town.” “Jeez…this place is so tiny” Nerimaru groaned. Really, it wasn’t practical to have only two sort of medical officials here. God forbid anything happen to one of them and there was an emergency. “There’s talk of opening a hospital given the population is on the incline.” “Would you want to work there?” “Not unless Tsumaru—the doctor wants to.” ‘Nelly’ suddenly raised an eyebrow, probably at her little ‘slip’. “Tsumaru, ay? You’re pretty devoted to that guy, I take it.” …Meh. It wasn’t like this was going anywhere. “Yes, I am. I would very much like for him to notice that too.” “Doctors can be pretty honed in, I’ve noticed” he sighed, the spoon in his coffee cup clinking. Elli’s eyes closed some when he smiled, fluttering his eyes ‘coyly’. “Which is why, despite this date being you making sure my brother wasn’t up to some petty antics, you should go on another date with me.” “I know what I want” she said gravely. Nerimaru simply nodded. It…kind of hit her stomach in a strange way he was that compliant. “Is it your usual way to be so passive?” “Oh, I never tell a lady what to do or pressure. It’s not respectful” Nelly assured, reaching into his pocket. She frowned as he picked up a pen from the table and scribbled a number down. “But, in case you decide you want to dabble, give me a ring.” Dabble indeed! Elli stared at the scrap of paper and knew she would never have the courage, should it even strike her as wanting to, to call him and ask for ‘dabbling’. 

…Doctors can be pretty shortsighted. Or, perhaps, just not even that interested. Pursing her lips again, she took another part of the napkin and wrote her number, “…I’m not that persistent. If it should strike you, you can call me. Just no guaranteed ‘yes’ for future cheat days.” He winked, “I know some good salad bars.” …This was not how she expected this to go.

_____________________________________

“A nurse?” Yagami Koji gave his twin an incredulous glare as they sat on the porch of their great-grandfather’s old farmhouse, smoking a cigarette. Nelly exhaled a billow of the clove fragrant smoke and raised his shoulders. “Yea?” What the hell? “Nelly, you once drank a bottle of Stoli and chased it with Everclear and smoked a whole joint which made you decide to go rollerblade down a hiking slope at four in the morning. You would be nothing but a nightmare for a nurse.” “And how” Nelly snorted, “I dunno what it was though. Something about her definitely caught my attention.” Yea, something about the lone nurse of the town caught Koji’s attention too but not quite in the same way. All the same, it was still surprising Nelly picked up interest. “Well, whatever makes you happy, man. I guess it doesn’t have to be serious.” “Nope. Sounds like she’s head over heels for this doctor guy.” Koji puzzled over that, watching the flaming ashes on the end of the black cylinder dangling between his fingers. Yes, perhaps Elli was very interested in the doctor but, from what Koji observed, that man did not have a bit of interest in anything else except doctoring. Elli was an attractive woman and her attraction to the doctor was apparent. Maybe he was just worried about a workplace romance though… The door to the farmhouse opened, revealing Jill with a bag on her shoulder and the rest of the brothers following with their luggage. While Koji wasn’t sure it was a good idea, Tony convinced Jill to take a couple days of sabbatical to come ‘back to civilization’. She had rightful concerns like, who will watch the farm or take care of the animals? Popuri volunteered to take care of the animals pretty quickly, probably thinking he was going to invite her to come home with them. She’d be right but jeez. Rising to his feet, he dusted off his jeans and stuffed his hands into his pockets. As was, a majority of his clothing was back at home anyway so there was no reason to pack up. Not yet. “You gonna call Cliff and tell him you’re coming over, Jill?” questioned Shaun as they checked into the ferry. Tony gave the youngest a droll look while Jill looked surprised. “Oh, I guess I could check on him, huh?” “Oi, I thought you were just extending your visit with us” sulked Tony. “I can multitask there, bro” Jill retorted, sticking out her tongue as they sat down. Perhaps. Koji gazed out at the sea in the late evening, zipping his coat a little tighter against the breezes rolling off the winter waters. It would take them a long time to get used to her having to multitask in that domain.

After the hour long ride, they were greeted at the station by Yagami Lyla. The pink-haired woman smiled, getting out of her car, “Hi, guys!” ‘Hey, nee-san’ went around, the woman often addressed as the older sister they would never have. Shin gave her a kiss on the cheek, murmuring, “Sweetie, I was going to commute for a few days from the mansion while Jill is visiting. I understand if you don’t want to go.” “Oh no, that’d be perfect. I need to check in with mama anyway” Lyla nodded, “Argh, I would have brought your truck if I knew though. No way is everyone getting into my car.” Lyla had a cute little Volkswagen but yea, not happening. Koji gestured over his shoulder, tilting his head, “I’ll hail us a cab. Why don’t you two go to your apartment and get your stuff and we’ll meet you there?” “And we’ll grab something to eat since most likely mom and dad haven’t been home in a while” Nelly added. “Sounds like a plan” nodded Shin, going to the passenger side of Lyla’s car. They decided to go uptown to get Chinese from a little spot they’d been frequenting since they were children that was settled near the water. Koji closed his eyes, listening to his siblings speak as he sat in the back of the passenger van cab they managed to wrangle. It…would have been nice to get Popuri to meet his parents. …But that seemed quite serious. Like Nelly, they weren’t there yet… …Right?

_____________________________________

Yagami Jill sighed, hugging herself in the cold city air as they meandered up the street. The weird part about coming home was realizing…maybe this wasn’t that much home anymore. It was going to be a year in two months since she went to Mineral Town and she was no better off in finding herself than before. Just now, she had a boyfriend and farm experience to show for it. She wasn’t sure if Mineral Town was exactly ‘home’ but…something about it was starting to grow on her. Something about its…moldability made it very curious. “What the hell is this?” Jill frowned as Tony growled. What? Following her twin brother’s eyes, she paused. At a café, there sat Izumi Cliff…with another blonde woman. She had shoulder length hair, petite, with dark blue eyes… …Everything in her immediately went negative. Everything. The alcoholism wasn’t enough but he also had the nerve to cheat on her? After everything she’d done for him? How? Why? What was so good about that woman? Why would he do this? Didn’t he… Swallowing hard, her eyes burning, she yelped when Koji, at ease, walked over. Oh no. “N-Nii-san!!” All of her brother’s followed with that deathly intent that she’d been wronged and it would be rectified with bloodshed. No! She…

…She what? Cliff was smiling but looked up when they got closer, seeming surprised, “Jill?” “U-Um…hi.” What do you even say in this situation? She expected Koji to have immediately flipped the table over and started pummeling Cliff. However, growing more and more surprising to her every day since he had grown so…chill, Koji appeared to be surveying the situation? What? Cliff smiled, holding his hand out, “Guys, I would like you to meet Nyoko, my baby sister. Nyoko, this is my girlfriend, Jill, and her brothers Koji, Nelly, Shaun and Tony.” …OH. Nyoko smiled as well, standing to bow, “It’s nice to meet you at last. Onii-san is always going on about you.” “A-Ah, yes, I’ve heard great things about you too” Jill blurted, a little dazed. Cliff stood and kissed her temple, still all smiles, probably entirely unaware she thought he was a cheating bastard mere seconds ago. Hell, seeing his siblings had been her suggestion!  “What brings you into town, baby?” “O-Oh, I-I, uh, was going to stay a couple days with my parents to visit. Popuri is watching the farm for me.” Nyoko frowned, looking at her watch, “Well, Cliff, I need to get back on the clock. Are you going to go with your girlfriend or come back to mom’s?” Eh? Cliff made a face, shaking his head, “…It’s sad that I really have to consider that answer.” His little sister rolled her eyes around, putting a half apron that was hanging on the back of the metal chair around her waist, “Did you really think our mother was going to change just because you decided to go AWOL for a little while? You probably really just made her worse.” Pursing his lips, Cliff tapped the back of the chair before reaching into his pocket, slipping some gold pieces to her, “…I’ll be making more money soon and then you can quit this job to focus on school, Nyoko. I won’t let mom put you through the same craziness she put me.” “Are you kidding?” she said blandly, “You send me money, mom will lose her shit and I will still need to hold an almost full-time job. I’m just glad dad can sneak and pay tuition for me. I swear, if it weren’t for Kyoko, I’d have moved out by now. I’d have free time then.” …Yeesh. Cliff appeared cross before shaking his head, “…I’ll visit with Jill for a bit and come back to pick you up later.” “Okay. Nice meeting you all” Nyoko said politely, bowing again. They all nodded and bowed as she apparently went back to work, waitressing tables. Nelly raised a brow, drawling, “…And she gets off…?” It was already eight o’clock, most younger employees would be getting off very soon. Cliff kneaded his temple, sighing gravely, “Twelve. She usually has to get 42 hours a week to get my mom happy.” 42 hours a week? “While going to high school?” Shaun gawked. “She’s tougher than I was, I’ll say that much” Cliff grimaced. Koji looked perturbed, “…I mean, no offense, man, but if your mom lives in the slums, where is all that money even…going?” Eh? Cliff brushed his bangs back, smirking darkly, “Any guess you have would be as good as mine: I have no idea. My mother pockets it, I guess? She works sixty hours a week so Nyoko’s money must be going to utilities or something? I dunno but it doesn’t make sense.” No…no, it did not. Jill flustered as Cliff held her hand, just kind of blending into the group as they continued along their way. What…what was that though? What was that feeling a minute ago? Was…was it jealousy? It…it felt like anger. …But it also felt like resentment. This… …This was molding in all sorts of directions too.

_____________________________________

End Notes: (Old and Rereaders) Lol, the ‘boob scene’ is pretty classic. It was always silly but I wanted to keep at least a remnant of it.

Elli and Nelly…had the most bewildering introduction to each other in the OG version. I know I wrote it but it was like…I recall it but I don’t want to. I think Nelly was looking for the farm and just wandered into the clinic and Elli thought he was cute and he was flirting with her and she just kissed him out of nowhere? It was a disaster and like…not even slightly how I ended up characterizing her in later stories in the series. So, this is a rehash of their origin story but one I much prefer.

____________________________________________

 Yagami Koji was distracted. They had a huge house back on the mainland in Subami where he’d been raised a majority of his life. A mansion. The place had like sixteen rooms. He had a room that he could still go back to. Instead, his dumbass thought he’d come to Mineral Town, help Jill out a little on the side, and weigh his circumstances. He took into no account for this. And by ‘this’ he meant that he’d never want anyone more for the rest of his life. Yamachi Popuri sat at the bar in one of his favorite Subami nightclubs, smiling, as she sipped a Tequila Sunrise. He stuck to beer. As long as he was drinking beer, he could keep it together. Liquor loosened his senses a bit too much and, as was, even sober he was unraveling. It was the sort of fate he didn’t want to believe in but it kept smacking him in the face right now. He’d found himself resolved to get a job and work his way up. Despite the fact that he had a contact that said if he came in with his graduate degree, he started four levels higher in the chain of command, a graduate degree was two additional years of his life. He had the ability, he knew he could work his way up the chain in at least three years. So, he’d walked into their grandfather’s old farmhouse, placated, at around seven and got sideswiped. Popuri had been sitting on the couch, idly looking at television. That was normal though, nothing off the mark…it was just that black, tight, laced and lacy corset with nothing underneath and skintight jeans she was wearing. He literally almost ran back out of the house. “U-Uh, hey” he had managed to greet. She’d looked up at him and smiled and his head went into loops. And that was the problem, the loops took sidetracks into other loops he’d already cleared. Maybe two years wasn’t that bad? Especially to have a degree that put him at an executive level and in another two years he could be higher. And it wasn’t like he was assured to be promoted doing grunt work. And damn, she was hot. Koji groaned, sipping his Heineken miserably. He was so confused. And more so about why his sister stood up her friend. He’d asked what Popuri was up to back in Mineral Town and she shrugged, trying to hide her disappointment, “Jill said she was going to go with me to this nightclub but I guess something must’ve come up. When I called her, she picked up for a sec and told me she’d call me back but that was an hour or two ago. Now I’m just hanging out. I guess I’ll go on home.” Naturally, just naturally, he offered to go with her instead. She had been reluctant and tried to say he didn’t have to but he could tell she wanted to and here they were, in a nightclub together, drinking. It didn’t have to go anywhere but…Popuri mm’d, setting down her glass, “I want to dance. Do you dance?” Oh boy. “I, uh, do…” “Really? Come dance with me!” He smiled awkwardly as she pulled him to the floor. Maybe she wasn’t a good dancer. Or not even that, a break dancer. Break dancing was a different kind of art, not sexy.

Koji could only stare as she sultrily rolled her hips to Crazy in Love and wonder where it all went so wrong. …It honest to God didn’t hit him until he came to Mineral Town that he was strangely naïve, but from around the time he was ten until he was fifteen, he was under the impression their ‘engagement’ meant something. Around the end of his optimistic hoping, he had come to see her, to verify it was still going to be a thing and…well, she had someone. It shouldn’t have but it kind of shattered his hopes and from then on, he abandoned most relationships just to be a promiscuous whore. Most. But, when he met her again, she was pragmatic, thinking it was just this cute thing kids did. Yea, that made more sense, he was just…hopeful. At the end of the day, he thought he’d put Yamachi Popuri and their fairytale childhood behind him. Koji swallowed hard when she pressed against him, still smiling. Now it was turning into some sordid adult fairytale where he wanted to fuck her and make her pancakes in the morning then rub her feet. “I thought you said you danced!” “I…do…” Somehow, somehow, he was able to grind with her and not get too excited. And boy howdy, was she trying, he thought as she playfully turned around and writhed her ass against his crotch. Her butt probably jiggled naked. He held her thighs, closing his eyes and grinding against her. Apparently, their family was considered attractive but he wasn’t sure he found himself that good-looking.  He probably wasn’t as attractive to her as she was to him by even a longshot. This could very well be one-sided attraction and he needed to pull his life together.

Popuri’s hair had started to coil in the hot gathering of bodies pressed together, her arms around his neck as her red eyes pierced into his soul. Yea… He was distracted.

____________________________________________

Down past the grocery store and a few spaced out homes was a little clinic. It was the only available medical facility in this town of a couple thousand and that was pretty ridiculous. At the same time, these people must’ve been very hardy, very cautious, or just endlessly healthy. He only treated perhaps ten people a day at most and for nothing strenuous. His sister told him it was a stupid move to come to Mineral Town and, at times, he found himself agreeing. Other times, like today? He wasn’t so sure. Ishikawa Tsumaru, known by the townsfolk as The Doctor, being that he was the only one, raised a brow at Izumi Cliff, the man lying on the medical bed with a bruised forehead. Nothing he’d never seen before in his life, just peculiar. Running his fingers through his dark hair, he glanced to the side where Yagami Jill was sitting quietly. He’d heard about her, the newest occupant to come since Cliff did a year or two ago. It hadn’t really interested him at the time until he saw her in passing. Yagami Jill…her father, Yagami Yamada, had been his professor back in college for a few courses. On exam days, the man would bring his daughter to class, perhaps eight to ten years old at the time. It was often amazing how time passed, seeing her as a young woman now. And, due to his tremendous respect for her father, he felt this young woman might have stumbled into something a little tricky with Izumi Cliff and he was concerned. “So, what happened again?” Tsumaru questioned. When Cliff had been admitted by his only nurse, Yamaguchi Elli, Tsumaru had been tending to Yamachi Lillia. He did the best he could for the woman. She had a rare respiratory disease and while he studied hundreds of texts to try to find a treatment, he usually came up with what he was already doing. All he could do was treat her. Jill looked up, her blue eyes strained. He figured he was about to face something similar here. “W-Well, Cliff had gotten off early because of the snow and he told me he’d be home soon. I-I got worried when a couple hours passed and I hadn’t heard from him. And he didn’t pick up his phone either so I…I went by Doug’s to see if he was there and, uh, Doug said he’d just left. I went around and couldn’t find him in any of the common areas so I was about to shortcut through the festival square and…found him face down on the ground there.” “…Mm.” Tsumaru liked Cliff. They weren’t very close but they were at least friendly. He was a cheerful, sociable sort of guy. He seemed to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder but really, who didn’t? Picking up the chart to see if Elli had found any viable illnesses that caused this fainting spell, Tsumaru pursed his lips. Blood pressure was good, temperature was good, blood count was good. Blood Alcohol Concentration was 0.20. Rubbing his forehead, he offered Jill a smile because she looked lost. There wasn’t really much to say here because both of them knew Cliff got blackout drunk for whatever reason and here they were. “U-Um, well, he’ll be fine after a few hours, Yagami-san, I promise.” “…I know” she murmured. She was probably a few months from twenty? It felt inappropriate to ask. However, nineteen years old was a little young to be dealing with a person’s addictions when she really had no reason to. As it stood, Cliff had little reason to change this habit. He had a home, a job, and a devoted girlfriend. His problem hadn’t affected those aspects yet… “You can go home, Yagami-san. He’ll probably sleep until morning” Tsumaru offered, setting the clipboard back on the wall. “…Is it all right if I stay with him?” “Well, of course, if you want…” “Thank you, Tsumaru—sorry, Dr. Ishikawa.” Eh? His eyes widened a bit, startled. Very few people knew his first name—he was the Doctor, after all. Just surely she didn’t remember him from ten years ago? “You…you remember me?” Jill looked surprised by this sentiment somehow, “Well, of course. You were one of papa’s favorite students, you know? He still speaks of you to this day.” “I’m…I’m honored on both accounts.” She smiled for the first time since he’d entered the room. It was a little distant but still unexpectedly warm. Clearing his throat, he nodded his head, “I’m going to run him an IV so he won’t be too dehydrated come morning. And I’ll get you a pillow and a blanket. That chair is nothing to be proud of though so I’d still recommend just heading home and getting some rest.” “Oh, I’ll make it fine” she assured, “Thank you, doctor.” Nodding again absently, he exited the room and glanced to Elli. She was currently grinding medicinal herbs in a pestle and mortar. Her brown eyes looked up briefly before she shook her head, her short bob of brunette hair bouncing with the movement. “He’s not going to make it that way, Doctor.” “No, I should say not…” …And that young woman shouldn’t have to bear the brunt of keeping him going either.

____________________________________________

Yamachi Popuri peeked around as she walked up the narrow stone steps leading to the mountains. It was two am and though she was nuts for being out here, she needed the distraction. Hugging her winter coat a little tighter to her body, she quickly pushed the wooden door open and stood inside the small room that would lead to the hot spring. While it was freezing, she hung up her coat, naked save for a towel, and sat on the stool to quickly wash herself off first. It wasn’t the most thorough of jobs but it would do, she shivered, putting the towel back on and taking a dry one with her for when she got out. Opening the door to the hot spring, she was prepared to just drop her towel and dive in. Instead, she almost screamed. Yagami Koji was sitting in the spring, his arm outstretched and a little bowl of what she presumed was sake in his hand. Staring at him, she shook her head, “…Where the hell did you get sake from?” He smiled, sipping the drink, “I have my ways.” “What are you doing here so late?” “I could ask you the same, it’s not safe” Koji countered. Sulking, she shivered some, “Oh yea? So it’s not dangerous for you?” “Let’s just say danger and I don’t meet on equal terms…” What now? Koji blinked at her, his eyes closing some. “…Why don’t you join me?” …Eep. “T-That’s not--” “I’ll turn around. I won’t see anything in the water.” …Ugh. Popuri flustered, gesturing with her finger for him to do so. Koji set his cup down and turned to face the barrier fence surrounding the hot spring. She quickly dropped the towel and sank down into the water up to her chin. This…seemed like a very bad idea. “I-I’m in.” Koji turned back and picked his drink back up, staring up at the stars. Leering, she mumbled, “You never answered my question.” He shrugged before pointing to his shoulder where an elaborate tribal maybe raven tattoo was and his upper bicep where the kanji ‘kazoku’ was printed. “Don’t get to go to hot springs with these anymore.” “O-Oh, I forgot about that, actually.” “You?” “As you can imagine, if anyone knew I came here, I might have…unsavory visitors” she groaned. Koji nodded and closed his eyes. Biting her lip, she found herself glaring in his direction. This was simply…absurd.

Her mind had long ridded itself of fantastical things like fairytale romances and soulmates. She stopped being her father’s ‘little princess’ and became a practical human being. While she smiled at the concept of Koji having asked her to marry her when they were only ten, that he gave her a promise piece, it wasn’t feasible and it’d be sincerely a tad ridiculous. Or…so she had said to herself. And then this human being shows back up. He wasn’t the Koji she remembered. Ten-year-old Koji was sweet and mild-mannered. 22-year-old Koji was sweet but far from mild-mannered and far from innocent. ‘Danger and I don’t meet on equal terms’. Yea, they probably were one and the same just Koji outranked the other. She really had hoped she wasn’t the type to fall for the bad boy. Glancing over what she could see of him, she flushed. He was pretty back then and he was about the sexiest thing she’d ever seen in her life now. Even when he wasn’t flexing his muscles, his whole body had these beautiful toned shapes. His dark eyes were so cutting yet warm, the jewels of a very gorgeous face. His skin was somewhat pale, yes, she heard from Jill that he generally kept that complexion but it fit those silky mahogany locks of hair. And oh, so few people here had tattoos. She forgot she thought they were attractive. …And, when they went to the club and she was grinding with him? She noticed he was probably…very impressive in other regions too. Silently screaming into her hands, she dragged them down her face in dismay. Yagami Koji was Jill’s brother and her child playtime fiancée. He also took her out to lunch every other day, went out with her at her whim, and would hangout with her at night. Koji had even started to make her dinner! He was sexy and sweet. She was getting something pretty close to a darn fairytale by relationship standards! He opened his eyes, seeming dazed as if he’d fallen asleep briefly. Get it together, Popuri. Look at this beautiful specimen of a man, what was he going to see in a weird looking person like you? Koji gazed at her quietly and she smiled nervously. Well…something, maybe? He was always looking at her. Get a grip. He suddenly swirled his pointer finger, his deep stare never breaking. What now? …Oh! She quickly turned around, hearing him slosh out of the water. Tuh, here she was saying she came here at two in the morning because of peeping Toms and she was very tempted to peek. She rested her arms on the edge as Koji wandered by, wearing a towel around his narrow hips. Without another word, he went into the little dry off area. Yea, she…she ought to get ready to go home too. After about twenty more minutes, she rushed out, drying off quickly and using a small blow dryer to dry her hair. She exited once she was completely dry, not wanting to catch a chill for this bit of luxury. When she walked out of the small building, she jumped to find Koji leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette. Eh? “I-I thought you left.” “Nah” he said simply, exhaling a fragrant billow of smoke, “I’ll walk you home.” Popuri pouted, crossing her arms, “Who said I was going home? I might have something else to do.” “Maybe if you were anywhere else in the world” he smirked some, tapping the black cigarette. Meh. She strode toward the mountains, huffing, “Well, I’m going up to the plateau. I haven’t looked at the stars up there in a while. And it is the Starry Night Festival.” “Hell is that?” Koji echoed, confused. Naturally, he followed when she was trying to separate herself from him and these ridiculous feelings. She groaned to herself, listening to her footsteps crunch in the light snow that had fallen earlier. “…It’s a festival where we look at the stars. Usually you have dinner with someone too.” “Oh. So a romantic holiday.” Koji sounded rather passive about it. Romantic holidays probably weren’t a big thing for him unless he could get into somebody’s pants. That was right, Jill insisted he was just a big playboy. It was just his charm that was getting her, nothing concrete. After a few shortcuts and roundabouts, they arrived where they used to play all those years ago. Koji looked surprised, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “…Wow, it’s just like it used to be.” “Mm” she smiled, agreeing. He carefully followed beside her, seeming astounded. “…I can’t believe flowers are growing right now, it’s freezing.” “Oh, you’ve never seen snowdrops before?” she gushed, “They’re hardy enough to make it around here in the cold.” Koji kneeled and dusted the snow off one, quiet as he observed. It was…a déjà vu moment. “…Do you remember how we’d play in the flowers? And you’d make flower crowns for me because I had the whole princess thing going on? You were a very doting fiancé.” He snickered, “Yea, something like that.” Blowing into her hands, she turned to look at the moon and the stars. When it was winter, the sky was just so clear and sharp. Clarity… “Funny thing about time, y’know? You lose that whimsy and joy somewhere. Somewhere along, calling yourself a princess just becomes self-serving or childish. Maybe even a joke.” “Why is that?” Koji asked absently. “Why?” she echoed, “It just does.” “Jill will be my princess until the day I die. I will only ever expect the best for her, I will only ever accept the best for her, and I will make sure she knows she’s special. I’ll dote on her and I’ll protect her and I’ll never let her want for anything. Whimsy and joy, be damned.” Somehow she had to smirk because Koji did treat Jill like a princess. Jill had groaned that he’d recently made her breakfast in bed. “Now, I have to ask: do you think she wants that? Sometimes it’s the princess that progresses out of that.” “She will” Koji murmured. He seemed preoccupied, she wasn’t currently watching him, trying to be…aloof? “I can see it now: she’ll have a husband and a family. All that stuff I said won’t be my solid concern anymore. I’ll always hope but she’s an adult now and I have to take a step back. But my baby sister is special to me and no matter what happens, she’ll always be special in my eyes.” Popuri silently nodded, folding her hands. She didn’t know about close family things like that. She was close enough with her mother but her brother may as well have been a stranger. He’d never speak the way Koji did about Jill about her. And her father…? He was just a ghost now. Her family was very…damaged. “And you shouldn’t give up whimsy or joy either.” Raising a brow, she felt him nearer and turned around. Her eyes widened as he gently rested a crown of the soft white flowers around her head, blinking thoughtfully as he adjusted it. She swallowed, trembling but not due to the cold. “H-Huh, w-wouldn’t think you’d keep old habits like this.” He smiled, something she noticed was a little rare for him. He had changed too, just… “Yea, old habits don’t really die, I suppose.” Just… Koji gazed at her, blinking slowly, “…You have a special place with me too, Popuri. I know it was an innocent place back then, perhaps even illogical, but…those memories are important to me.” “A-Ah, me too!” she blurted, “S-Sorry if it ever seemed otherwise. They’re…they’re some of the only sweet ones I have.” Frowning, Koji slowly reached to stroke her hair back. “…I hope that changes one day.” She gazed up at him, wondering what mischief was afoot to put her on a mountain with her adolescent Prince Charming so he could woo her again with flower crowns and niceties. He softly leaned down and she could have stopped him. Should have… He kissed her sweetly, a soft nip, his arms wrapping around her waist. Against all her apprehension, she hugged his neck, kissing back. She couldn’t believe this.

Koji breathed softly as he pulled away, his eyes half closed as he stared down at her. “…Let me get you home.” “O-Okay.” Popuri flustered as he held her hand, leading the way back down the mountain and through the little shortcuts they used to take from her house. She…didn’t really have to let him hold her hand. Like, she had to get it together, this was crazy. All the same, by the time she found even a slight version of will to do so, they were in front of the chicken farm. He was the one to pull away, returning his hands to his pockets. “…Good night, Popuri.” “G-Good night, Koji.” She walked slowly to her door and turned back to watch him trudge up the path back toward the old farmhouse. Biting her lip, she turned the knob quietly and entered into the dark abode. …So much for pragmatism.

____________________________________________

“Jill, really, I’m sorry.” Yagami Jill quietly chopped vegetables for dinner. She wanted a nice satay and perhaps a Merlot. She sent Koji, whom she had viewed as a prime example of an alcoholic since he started drinking. Funny that her views were changing to accept that, perhaps, there are multiple versions. Izumi Cliff was standing near her, his head still wrapped from his ‘accident’. God help him if she hadn’t found it odd he wasn’t home yet after his call. While the town’s women liked to go to the square to gossip, when it snowed? It was absolutely deserted. Someone might’ve taken a shortcut through it if they were out to begin with but it was coming down pretty heavy. Head injury aside, he very well could have gotten hypothermia. Basting sauce onto the meat, she slowly shook her head. “…I told you, Cliff, it’s okay.” “It’s not. You’ve been upset with me for days and you have every right to be. I-I promise it won’t happen again” he insisted. He was working at a winery. A winery. Temptations were all around him! She was even getting said temptation to have with their chicken! Jill sulked as he hugged her waist, kissing her cheek. For the most part though, he had been coming home normally after work and not going for his little ‘errands’ to Doug’s so…Jill sighed as he kissed her neck, rumbling, “We haven’t been alone in…a while, y’know?” “Yea…” “Maybe dinner can wait…” he whispered into her flesh, nipping. Nope. It was only because of years of being around that human being but she was slightly disturbed she wasn’t even a little alarmed when Cliff yelped loudly. Koji, like an absolute phantom, had appeared behind them, the wine in one hand and Cliff’s ponytail in the other. “I’d watch where you put those lips, pretty boy. Would be a shame if I have to remove them from your face.” Cliff looked horrified and Jill smirked as Koji casually released Cliff and set the wine on the table like he hadn’t just threatened to violently wound someone. “Koji, can you please not be like that?” Koji gave her a ‘really?’ look, his brows raised, and her smirk widened. “Sorry, how could I ask you for something so reasonable?” “But did I actually remove his face?” Snickering, Jill kissed Cliff’s bothered, not removed, face, patting his hand, “Don’t mind him, baby. Seriously, he’s being very, very laidback compared to what I actually thought he’d be.” Yes, Koji threatened bodily harm and whatnot if the opportunity presented itself. However, a pre-twenty’s Koji would not have threatened, he would have attacked. Koji got some very light counseling for his anger issues at some point when he entered college from their health department but not enough to warrant this much of a change. He’d really mellowed out though. She was shocked when he showed some mild concern for Cliff when they came back from the clinic, citing the diagnosed concussion Cliff had was nothing to play with and that he take it easy. She’d been fearful for years how Koji would treat her potential boyfriend but he far exceeded expectation…

Said boyfriend just sighed miserably, however, unaware that Koji had been fighting grown men that sexualized and swore they were going to get into her pants one way or another since she was six years old. She knew Yagami Koji was overprotective but she also knew why and…that was a difficult switch to turn off. Cliff excused himself to wash up before dinner and she bit her lip, wandering over to Koji who sat on the couch to watch television. “Koji…” His dark eyes cut to her as she hugged his neck from behind, pouting, “I think you’re doing a good job but can you try even harder for me not to be as mean? Cliff is someone I’ve chosen and it’s different than those guys you used to beat up.” He rolled his eyes around, shrugging his shoulders, “Jill, I am doing the absolute best I can, okay? I mean, I literally walk into this house at three in the morning and can hear things from your room and mind my business. That is taking every ounce of self-control I have, it’s exhausting.” “I know—wait, what are you doing around here until three in the morning?” “What now?” Jill leered at him as he immediately started to look off and away from her. “Koji, the ferry’s last trip is at twelve and nothing here is open until three. What are you doing?” “Smoking?” “I would believe that if, a, it wasn’t a question, and b, you didn’t do it from your room” Jill snorted. Twiddling his fingers, he drawled, “Aren’t I the older one?” “You’re still busted. Or pre-busted until I figure out what—or who you’re doing at three in the morning” Jill rolled her eyes, walking back to check on the food. Figured. Koji was a magnet for finding something to do. Or, as she noted, someone. There were some pretty women around here but it would just be disastrous if he was a playboy here like back home. It had been two months though and it was unlikely he would go this long… Cliff returned, smiling warmly at her and quickly giving her a kiss, whispering into her ear he couldn’t wait for bed. Hell, now even she couldn’t go that long. Just she had to wonder…who?

____________________________________________

She hadn’t had sex in four years. Yamachi Popuri smiled nervously as she sat on the sofa in the Yagami Farm with Koji. Just Koji. Jill mysteriously had the idea to go to the mainland to get some specific food. Probably about a three hour journey. Cliff, of course, went with her and they assured they’d be as fast as possible so don’t go anywhere. Still, an hour to get there, about an hour to get to the food, then an hour to get back. Three hours…with just Koji. He was relaxed, watching television with his arm outstretched over the back of the couch. She was a wreck. The kiss. It was just a cute little kiss, nothing more, nothing less. Except, sometimes they would still kiss. It was so…pubescent. She would sneak out of her house and he would sneak out and they’d make out in the barn or in the hot spring’s room. Popuri sighed to herself, rubbing her temple. He was a gentleman. They’d take a walk after and talk about things but she wondered if he just thought that was polite after she was so pro-spit swapping so quickly. It was hard to call but, for some reason she couldn’t grasp, she made sure when she came over today to wear the black lacy thong and black lacy bra underneath her black lacy corset dress. She wore a hoodie though, that…that downplayed it, right? Enough. Hell, he wasn’t even instigating the kissing parts, she was! She was the master playgirl in this combo! Koji smiled suddenly, his brows furrowing, “Are you okay?” “H-Huh? I’m fine” she quickly gushed. “You just seem a little out of sorts…” She rapidly shook her head, “N-No, no, everything is fine!” Suddenly, he sighed and turned off the television. Oh no. “Popuri…if you’re uncomfortable with the whole…us being on…makeout terms, that’s fine. You can tell me.” Biting her lip, she scrunched the cloth of her dress, looking back out toward the window and praying that ferry sprouted wings or randomly became a sci-fi teleporter so Jill and Cliff could return to interrupt…this? “N-No, Koji. The problem is I’m not…uncomfortable. In fact, I’m a little too comfortable.” Koji tilted his head, his eyes closing some, “…Go on.” Oh God. “I-I mean, i-isn’t it weird to you, making out with-with a childhood friend?” “Well, no” Koji drawled, “I mean, it was weird at first but I guess I have a type and I knew early? I don’t know.” Type? “I’m your type?” “I’m sure Jill has spoken on my…promiscuous habits. And, yes, sometimes my…antics lead to not much precursor but usually I need some kind of chemistry with my partners. And I promise you, if you weren’t ‘my type’, I would not sneak out at two in the morning. I’ve never had to sneak out of a house in my life and didn’t figure I was going to be starting at 22.” Somehow, that made her smile. “Sorry.” “Well, as I said, I wouldn’t do it if I weren’t interested so don’t apologize” he assured, absently playing with her hair. …Maybe she should leave. “Y-Yea. Um, I-I probably should go either way though” she rasped, starting to stand. Koji frowned, “Already? I’m sure the food won’t be much longer.” “N-No, I-I’m not very hungry anyway.” He shrugged, “Well, we do have the place to ourselves.” Danger. “Y-Yes, but--” Popuri swallowed when he rubbed her upper leg, gazing into her eyes. Yes, danger. He leaned in, kissing her sweetly. Sweetly. Sometimes he’d slip, get passionate, press his tongue against hers. She wanted…that tonight. Koji actually yelped when she pushed him back, sitting on top of his crotch and taking off the hoodie. His eyes widened, probably at the insane amount of boob this thing showed she had. He’d try not to but she saw him looking. Usually she was more…self-conscious about them but, oh, trying to get some, she had them on full display. He looked speechless. “…U-Uh, P-Popuri” he stammered, “L-Let’s talk about this, okay?” “Okay.” She leaned over, pressing her chest to his and making sure to rub against his crotch with hers. He visibly swallowed, gazing down for a long moment. “…Um…talk. Talk! Yes!” Popuri giggled, kissing down his throat, “I’m listening…” “…And I’ve got nothing.” Her turn to squeak, she grabbed his shoulders when he sat up, pulling her legs to straddle his torso. She bit her lip when, of course, the first thing he did was uncover her breasts. “Koji—” She closed her eyes as his mouth sank around her nipple, suckling. Expected…but she trembled when his hands ran up and down her back, shifting the dress up her body. He squeezed her ass hard before suddenly withdrawing. There was a very…wolfish quality in his eyes, like the vessels had taken on a whole new light. “…I don’t think I want this on the couch.” Eh? He picked her up, still straddling him, and kissed her hard, managing to do that and carry her upstairs. Oh no. Koji rested her in bed, sitting up on his haunches and peeling off the black shirt he was wearing. When they came upstairs, she started to have second thoughts. Now she was having third. Popuri gnawed her lip, watching his abs start to flex, his necklace falling against his naked flesh. She reached up and grabbed the hem of his jeans, pulling him down on top of her. No, she…she wanted this. Bad. She rasped as he kissed her hard, tugging the dress up over her breasts. She crossed her ankles around his back, hugging his neck tight. Koji stroked her thigh, his lips moving back down her chest, his lips wrapping around her tit and squeezing the other gently. She bit her lip, about to advise that she wasn’t very into boob play. Of course, she shivered, maybe the people she’d been with prior weren’t aware of how to play with her boobs… “Fuck” Koji whispered, pulling away and sitting up to unzip his pants. Licking her lips, Popuri watched as he dragged down his jeans, seeing her expectations may be exceeded... Ugh, she hadn’t…done that in a while. He looked confused as she shyly pushed him back into the bed, grasping the hem of his boxer briefs. But, well, she wanted to be…hospitable. This was her idea. Surprisingly, Koji snickered, grasping her forearms and pulling her to his chest to finally remove her dress. “We’re on a little bit of a time crunch, unfortunately, beautiful. And I’d rather get you nice and slippery than have you worry about me of all people getting hard.” She flushed, alarmed, when he gently lied her on her back, taking her place. “U-Um, I-I’m sure I’m wet enough.” He stroked her inner thigh, blinking absently. “…Tell me what you’re not comfortable with.” “E-Eh? I’m-I’m not really uncomfortable with anything!” she blurted. Koji grinned wickedly, his eyes closing some, “Now, now, don’t say anything so infinite.” Pouting at him, Popuri gulped when he tugged her panties down her legs. She was horrified but spread her legs, unabashed, gnawing her lip. There were some things she would be uncomfortable with but she had to see what that was first. Koji stared for a long moment before randomly looking up into the distance. What?? “…Nothing, had to wonder if I was fantasizing really hard for a second.” Sticking out her tongue, she reached down and touched herself. “Hey, you just said we don’t have a lot of time.” Koji silently ran his fingers down the folds over her hand, drawling, “That’s…that’s true…” She closed her eyes as he grazed his fingertips around the rosy flesh, massaging and gently kneading her lower lips together. Popuri blushed, embarrassed because she was wet and literally very little had happened. Her ‘fiance’ reached over into the nightstand, pulling out of the drawer…lube. Oh. He poured it down her skin before rubbing a bit more… “Ko—ah!” Popuri was about to sulk that he was going quite…slow until he used his thumb to fold back the ‘hood’ and exposed her clit, running his finger around the nub. Whimpering, she grasped one of his arms, her eyes rolling back as his oiled finger made tiny laps. “A-Ah, K-Koji, t-that skin i-is there for-for—nnn, a-reason.” He just chuckled, moving his finger to inside of her. “I dunno, baby, this wet pussy tells me you might like it just fine without it…” Her heart skipped as he leaned down, grabbing one of the pillows and placing it at the curve of her back? When she questioned this, he teased, “Just want you to be comfortable. I eat slow.” What a perv! She choked, breathing hard, when he, once again, started to play with her clit before leaning down and…wait, what was-- It felt…like round metal was rolling around her sex. It felt like absolute ecstasy. She moaned, reaching to run her fingers through his hair as he suckled and did whatever that was. Driving her feet into his shoulder blades, all she could do was nibble her finger, whimpering at the sensation. This was insane-- It may have been minutes or hours but she felt herself start to shake, “Koji! Koji!” He lifted his head, fingering her and stroking her already abused nub as she arched her back, clenching her nipples, coming against his hand. Breathing hard, she swatted his eager fingers away, turning on her side and hugging her chest as she heaved, everything just throbbing with pleasure. Rubbing her thigh, Koji curled into her back, purring into her ear, “I don’t accept just one orgasm, princess…” “W-What?” “Mm” he mused, nipping her ear, and reaching between her legs, “You’re still not quite wet enough.” What? Popuri could have screamed when he stroked her folds. It wasn’t rough or aggressive, a nice pace and pressure that she would have never expected from a man. They were all usually so impatient-- Her eyes were almost in the back of her head when he pulled her flat on top of him, pumping his fingers into the soaking wet flesh. She had no idea what he was talking about! Her hips bucked off of his, bumping into his rock hard cock. “J-Just put it inside of me!” “Not until you come again” he said in an almost chastising tone. If she came one more time, she was done. Everything was hard and sensitive, his fingers playing with her tits almost unbearable. Popuri covered her mouth, her legs quaking as she… “Fuck! Fuck!” she cried out, her head falling back against his shoulder. Koji chuckled huskily, licking her neck. She felt the cold metal…did he have…? “My, am I being a bad influence?” She couldn’t even breathe to answer that but screw him! Literally. His eyes widened as she managed to get up. It would take every last ounce of her strength but she grasped his penis, stroking him for a second before mounting. He groaned this time as she started to ride him, lifting her hips up and down over his manhood. “Fuck, Popuri…” Popuri wasn’t certain but she was pretty sure she blacked out for a solid twenty seconds. Koji actually snapped her out of it, looking a little alarmed. “Are you okay? We can stop--” The hell they could. Just apparently only one of them was in prime form right now. Grasping his balls, she shook as she pulled away before turning over on her stomach, her hips in the air as she swayed her ass. Koji was oddly still. “…Yea, I’m fantasizing.” “Just put it in, dork” she sulked. He sat up on his knees, planting his hands on her thighs and squeezing as he pushed inside of her. Usually she didn’t enjoy doggystyle but there was literally no part of this she hadn’t enjoyed yet. Koji rolled his hips in some incomprehensibly smooth rhythm, their skin smacking together hard, her ass bouncing with the movement. Clenching his sheets, she moaned his name, her knees starting to buckle as her soaking wet sex contracted to almost destroy her. Jerk…who said she wanted to come three times…? Koji rasped, his movements stopping as he quickly jerked out and came on her thighs. She crumbled flat on her stomach, everything in her body sticky, raw, and pleased. He also was trying to catch his breath, lying on his back and stroking himself. Could he…go again? … “Can…can you go…again?” He looked to her, his brow raising, “…I can go quite a few rounds, but--” “I think we…have a little more time before Jill and Cliff get back…” “But--” Popuri wanted it. She reached out, stroking his thick member, and glowered, “I want your dick.” “…Yep, I am definitely tripping right now.” She snickered, stroking him, running her finger around the head of his penis. He gazed at her with that…look she never quite understood. She pouted at him, jerking his length. “What?” “Nothing…” he murmured, “Just kind of wondering…” What? Wondering why she was so eager to jump into bed with him? She…she had to wonder too.

____________________________________________

Yagami Jill smiled, entering the house with the bags of sushi they got. “Tadaima!” …Huh? Her smile turned into a frown of confusion, finding the whole downstairs empty. Popuri’s shoes were still there though. Maybe they’d gone upstairs? But…why? Cliff caught her before she could go investigate, smiling, “C’mon, let’s just eat and save them some. It has been a while since we’ve had a dinner with just us.” “Well, that’s true…” She settled down on the worn old sofa at Cliff’s request as he brought the trays and drinks. Smiling, she picked up a tuna roll with the chopsticks and fed it to Cliff. He seemed pleased as they just teasingly fed each other, snuggling up on the couch and watching a comedy show. After about an hour though, she found that Koji nor Popuri had emerged? Frowning, Jill lifted her head from her boyfriend’s shoulder, “…Maybe I should go check on them.” “Or…we can take this moment of privacy and get a little fun in” Cliff whispered, rubbing her leg. Giving him a look, she slowly looked toward the steps. It would take absolutely nothing for Koji just to suddenly appear and wipe Cliff out once and for all. Alas, as her…appetite progressed, she couldn’t help notice some…tendencies, like the thrill of getting caught made her kind of excited. Of course, if Koji should ever catch them one day, that ‘thrill’ would be short-lived. All the same, she unzipped Cliff’s pants, rubbing his length over his boxers. He leaned back as she pulled it out, stroking him before getting on her knees. Cliff pouted, “It probably would be more comfortable if you just leaned over, Jilly.” No, she felt a little more…dominant in this position. It was harder to look up at him just lying down. She drew his balls into her mouth, wrapping her tongue around one and dragging the flesh. Cliff trembled, staring down at her as she looked back. No, she wasn’t quite versed at sex as she could be but she figured out the importance of point of view. She wanted to look up at his face. He bit his lip as she tugged his foreskin down, licking around the head, around each little fold and crevice. She kissed and ran her tongue down his length before dipping down, sucking on what she could. Cliff exhaled, closing his eyes, his cheeks flushing. That was the ticket. Head generally wasn’t where their…acts ended. Cliff pulled her frantically to their bedroom and fingered her until she was wet enough for him to push inside of her. She moaned, pursing her lips to try to keep it down. While she hadn’t thought much of it at the time, when she really thought about what Koji said about ‘hearing them at three in the morning’, she got a little embarrassed. While she knew her brothers were manwhores, she caught not one of them in the act nor heard them once in her life. Yes, their mansion was ten times bigger but there were plenty of opportunities for her to get an eye or earful.

Cliff fell asleep when they were done, his arms wrapped around her waist gingerly. She was ready to join him but got up to put the food away. Peeking back out to see if maybe Koji had mysteriously appeared, she was confused to find still not one sign of him or Popuri. Had she left without her shoes…? …Odd. Odd, her ass. Yagami Jill leered incredulously at Yamachi Popuri, the latter smiling nervously as they both sat at the table in the little farmhouse. Odd, her ass.

Jill got up early this morning to start her chores as usual. Usually, Koji would make it out at some point to help her. Not one sign of him. Of course, when she came back inside, not even Cliff was up yet so maybe the men of her house were being lazy. Oh, but lo and behold, she looked up to find Popuri trying to sneak down the stairs, wearing one of Koji’s button down shirts over the same skirt or dress she had on yesterday. Jill had even still been confused then, calling her. Popuri looked horrified and it just hit Jill like a ton of bricks: they had sex. Koji was sneaking out to have sex with Popuri, his childhood fiancée. Koji came down not a few seconds later, completely nonplussed about why this was crazy and said he was going to make them pancakes. Ugh. “Popuri” Jill hissed, leaning so she could whisper at the woman, “T-That’s my brother! What were you thinking?” The pink-haired woman was just wide-eyed and smiling fearfully, “…Honestly, I don’t think I was? I-I mean, really, Jill, it wa-was just a one time thing. We were just fooling around.” Nothing about Popuri looked like it was just ‘fooling around’. Her lips were swollen, she had hickeys all over her neck, and she was just positively…glowing. Sex did not make you glow but she was glowing. Jill just shook her head as Koji came over with plates and was also glowing. This was crazy.

“Pancakes for my ladies” he replied, setting a tray before both of them. “T-Thank you, Koji” Popuri said shyly. Oh, but she wasn’t shy last night! Or…God, had Koji seduced her? Ugh! Jill gave Koji a look as he settled down at the table with his plate, picking up the brown pitcher of syrup, “So, what happened with you two last night?” “Well…what are you going to actually believe?” Koji droned, pouring the liquid.

“Nothing that suggests you two weren’t banging.” Popuri flustered and Koji naturally wasn’t slightly bothered. “We may have been a little…hands on last night. Is that a problem?” She opened her mouth to say it was. Koji knew better than to pull his shenanigans with people she considered friends! Of course, as was, Koji had known Popuri longer than she had but still! There were principles at play here! But…it was too late to intervene now. Groaning, Jill rubbed her face, “…Whatever. I mean, this was just a one off, right?” “Y-Yes!” Popuri blurted. Koji just blinked slowly like that was nothing he had agreed to prior to this conversation before rolling his eyes. He looked over his shoulder when a light melody seemed to be coming from upstairs. “Mm, be right back.” Watching him go up the steps, Jill raised a brow at Popuri. “…Seriously, what led to this? Did Koji put the moves on you?” “N-No, no! I-It was all a hundred percent consensual” Popuri insisted, waving her hands. “R-Really, it just sort of happened but your brother was nothing but a gentleman. And…and very…thorough…and giving…” Jill stared at her drolly as Popuri’s imagination apparently must’ve kicked in somewhere, the woman’s red eyes slowly looking toward the steps. “…And maybe he needed help upstairs. I’ll go check on him.” “Aht, sit” Jill commanded when Popuri jumped up. Sulky, Popuri sat back down and started to cut up her pancakes woefully. Jeez. “Where is Cliff?” Oh. Jill rolled her eyes around, scratching the side of her face, “…He may have to recover from last night too?” “Oh, so you and Cliff can bang around but I can’t bang around?” Popuri glowered. “Not with my brother!” “As said brother, I would like to respectfully decline.” Popuri jumped, shocked, while Jill shook her head at her brother as he sat back down, setting his flip phone next to him. “Our siblings are going to come visit on Friday.” Groaning, Jill buried her face in her hands. “All of them?” “Yep” he yawned, picking up his fork, “Guess we get to hear how Shaun has been goofing off and looking for the Sailor Senshi at school.” Popuri laughed as Jill groaned again. Yea, that sounded like Shaun… Koji sipped his coffee, looking to Popuri, “You’ll have to meet the rest of us, Popuri. They’re all characters.” “O-Oh, I-I don’t want to intervene on family time” Popuri flustered. “Nonsense, I’m sure they’d be glad to meet you.” Honestly, considering how often Koji used to bring her up when he was younger, they probably would like to finally meet the topic of his young and apparently present affection. Popuri blushed, eating the last bit of her pancake, “W-Well, I’m sure they’re lovely. Um, I should be going, I’m super late for chores.” Koji ‘mm’d’, standing, “I’ll walk you.” “O-Oh no, that’s okay.” He assured he had something he wanted to talk about, grabbing his coat from the hanger by the door. Popuri sighed, walking out beside him, and leaving Jill to look after them absently. She was done with her chores and done eating. And yet, her boyfriend had not stirred. Going to wash the dishes, she knelt to get the soap from underneath the sink. Pausing, Jill raised a brow at something shiny tucked far back in the corner. What? She reached to pull it forward, grabbing around the neck… …Wild Turkey. A big bottle of Wild Turkey. It was over half empty. Shivering, she stood and quietly washed the dishes. After about twenty minutes, Koji meandered back in. Not looking up, she whispered, “Nii-san?” “Hmm? Yea? Are you okay?” he instantly frowned, walking over to her. “…Do you drink Wild Turkey?” She’d actually already heard this question of whisky and bourbon brands posed to her brother before, about whether a Wild Turkey bottle that showed up at one of his parties was his. For whatever reason, his answer stuck in her head, maybe because it sounded like he was listing a bunch of band members, but like clockwork, he scoffed the same way he had then. “Brown, I drink Jack, Jim, Johnnie, Crown, and a little SoCo and Hennessey. If it’s not in that six, I don’t buy it for myself.” Jill nodded quietly. He raised a brow, “…Why do you ask?” “Nothing. I guess it’s Cliff’s.” Koji tilted his head before kissing her forehead, stroking her hair back, “…Want me to talk to him?” “No, no, I-I, uh…I should. I’m not used to people hiding their liquor. You guys sure didn’t” Jill laughed nervously. “Because there was nothing to hide” Koji said bluntly. …Oh. He glanced at his phone before sighing, “Jill, off that subject, I just want to let you know that whatever happened with Popuri last night, we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Jill snorted, “Yea right. The second I leave you two alone again, it’s done. You’re infatuated, Koji, and you already know that.” He actually blushed this time, appearing disgruntled, “I-I didn’t want to get ‘infatuated’. It’s making things difficult and I’m not used to it.” She couldn’t help smile at that, wiping her hands of the suds as she let the water out of the sink. “I think it will work for you if you let it, nii-san. I have…concerns but I know since you didn’t intend for this that it’s a little different. I’ll tell Popuri I can…relax.” “Yea…just need her to as well” he said faintly.

Hmm? Koji waved a hand and advised he was going to start cleaning the floors since he didn’t make it out to help her with chores. Ever her diligent big bubby, she thought. All the male figures in her life were like that. And here she was, falling for a guy that apparently woke up after they made love to drink. …It wasn’t so bad, she reassured herself, sitting with a mug of hot cocoa Koji made for her prior to starting his self-assigned tasks. She reassured herself again when Cliff didn’t get completely up until two. …Odd.

____________________________________________

“U-Um, Koji, about last night…” “Last night was everything.” Popuri flustered, pouting as Koji walked beside her to the Chicken Farm, blowing into his hands. He looked entirely sincere about this rather poignant statement. “I-I mean--” “I don’t want to make Jill uncomfortable. I just don’t want that to mean I don’t see you anymore though.” Eh? “W-Well, I doubt it’ll be quite that serious. Just maybe not…last night again.” He snorted and she groaned. Yea, if she were going to be a thousand percent honest with herself, if she was presented with the exact same opportunity and the same exact circumstances tomorrow, she’d jump on him the EXACT same way. “Popuri, I don’t know what it means entirely but I like spending time with you and I’m very attracted to you. I only want you to be comfortable though. If this makes you uncomfortable, we can be friendly, that’s it.” Hesitant, she paused at the gate, hugging herself. She struggled with commitment. Her last somewhat serious boyfriend advised she should leave Mineral Town and go to a place with more opportunity. With him. That…that was asking a lot. This was…also asking a lot. She…she didn’t want to have promises made to her again. …Just… “I don’t know if I can be ‘friendly’ in that way, Koji. I’m also attracted to you, of course, and I also like our time together. I…I just ask that we let whatever this is grow naturally. Let’s…let’s not put titles on it.” “Fair enough” he agreed, nodding, before looking toward her house. The curtain fell as he did so. Probably Rick, maybe her mother. Koji kissed her cheek, starting back up the road, “Let’s do dinner tomorrow night.” “O-Oh, that sounds nice.” He nodded and bid her farewell. She took a deep breath, walking into the house. No one was nearby so it was most likely Rick that was spying. Going upstairs, she checked on her mother, finding the woman still asleep, her nebulizer nearby. She changed into her work clothing and went out to collect the eggs from their hens, finding that Rick was still serious about not working until it was Spring… Nothing serious, Popuri. It’d probably go nowhere and just be fun while it lasted. That’s… That’s all she could count on.

On Friday, Popuri avoided the old farm like the plague. Meeting his family? Outside of Jill, that was just far too serious, especially for something flighty. She tugged at her long jacket as she headed back toward the Chicken Farm after picking up groceries, taking a breath that fogged the still cool air. Just, exactly how flighty was this expected to be? The night before last, Koji took her off the island. She expected them to have dinner at Doug’s or the old inn but he advised he had something better in mind. He took her for Italian. It was almost upscale but lowkey enough that what they were wearing wasn’t distasteful. He ordered the cannelloni and recommended the lasagna to her. She loved it. The went to the movies and saw Million Dollar Baby. She’d only been to the movies once in her life. Koji joked that he was going to have to get her caught up then. By the time the movie let out, it was late and the last ferry was about to leave. Koji said the morning ferry came at six so they should just stay up all night. What? While aghast at the idea, Koji took her to all his favorite clubs and bars, having a drink at one and dancing at the next. If she said it was something she adored, she’d be lying, but she also wouldn’t be honest if she said she didn’t have a lot of fun. Five in the morning came very quickly, surprisingly, and Koji took her for waffles before they jumped on the ferry. She was exhausted but when they got back to the island, he helped her collect the eggs and then reportedly went to help Jill with her chores before finally going to bed. Like…modern day Prince Charming? She didn’t know but that had always been the problem with Yagami Koji: he grew on her. Fast. Taking a deep breath, Popuri shook her head as she opened the door to the farmhouse. Stay the course, Popuri. Just fun. That…that was… When she entered, she froze. Yamachi Lillia was humming, arranging a big vase of…iris and hollyhock that was seated on their kitchen table. Koji. Gaping, she blurted, “U-Uh, tadaima!” Lillia looked up, blinking knowingly at her. Oh no. “Okaeri nasai, dear.” “U-Um, wh-what are those?” “Flowers. Someone just delivered them. Quite lovely and quite out of season so they must have cost quite a bit” she said faintly, adjusting one of the blooms. Setting the groceries on the table, Popuri smiled frantically and put away the bread. “A-Ah, maybe? Who sent them?” “Oh, I think you know.” Popuri couldn’t help groan, covering her face. Lillia seated herself, picking up a cup of tea, “Who is he? Someone I know?” “S-Sort of…you remember when I was younger and had that playmate?” Lillia tilted her head, “…Oh, the farmer’s grandson. Koji, I believe.” Eep. Her mother crossed her hands, looking at the flowers absently, “Well, he was a sweet young man back then. I wonder about him since that must be the reason you’re out all times of the night now.” Oh God. “H-He’s actually still very sweet, mama! I-I mean, he’s a little wily but, really, we-we’re not doing anything bad.” “See to it, dear” Lillia droned, “…Just be cautious what choices you make.” ….Yes. Popuri forced a smile and started to go over to the flowers, prepared to move them because Rick would be less understanding. “Well, let me take these to my room.” Lillia actually smirked, surprising her, “These are mine. Yours are over there.” …Eh? Popuri looked to where her mother pointed, her heart skipping a beat at the vase of red tulips sitting by the window. …Oh. Biting her lip, blushing, she went over and played with them idly for a moment after reading the note. ‘Thinking of you’. Lillia chuckled, coughing a bit into her hand, “Give him my thanks. I haven’t gotten flowers in years. Or, better yet, bring him by.” … “I…I might.” Lillia requested Popuri bring the flowers to her room when she went to rest, setting them by the bed. She brought her vase of tulips upstairs and set it by the window so they could get sun. Sitting on her bed, Popuri stared at them for a moment before taking a deep breath. Okay. Going back out, she steeled her nerves as she walked toward the farmhouse. It took everything in her not to turn back, especially when she was face to face with that door, but she resolved herself and knocked. Yagami Jill answered, blinking, “Oh, hey, Popuri.” “Hi, Jill.” Jill let her in casually and Popuri was about to have a heart attack. However, only Cliff was stretched across the couch, watching television, when she entered. Frowning, Popuri followed Jill into the kitchen where she was apparently preparing for a large meal, “U-Um, hey, your brothers aren’t here yet?” “Oh, no! Shin doesn’t get off from work until seven so they won’t be here until around eight or so” Jill explained. Oh. Jill was rolling onigiri, nodding, “I’m going to make enough for your mom and Rick too. You’re gonna come have dinner with us, right?” “Uh…maybe” Popuri smiled quickly, “We’ll see. Where’s Koji?” It was a very brief look, a gust of something tumultuous that melted back into casualness very quickly. Popuri was still a little caught off guard though. Was he doing something terrible? However, Jill smiled nervously, “Um, maybe don’t bother with him right now. He’s in a mood.” “In a mood?” Popuri echoed, confused. “Koji gets into these little spells where he’s…not himself. He’s very snippy and mean. Usually he locks himself in his room until he gets over it but he’s in one of those now.” But he sent them flowers? Popuri frowned, taking off her coat, “Well, I’ll just go say ‘hi’ then for a moment.” “…Okay.” Going up the stairs, she indeed found Koji’s door closed which was a little unusual. Swallowing, she knocked gingerly, “U-Um, Koji? It’s Popuri. Jill said you weren’t feeling well so I won’t bother you.” It was dead silent. She might have heard the hum of a television. Maybe he was asleep? Clearing her throat, she continued, a little…bothered by this. ‘Moods’? Like, mood swings? “I just wanted to thank you for what you did. You really made mama’s day, she…she doesn’t have things like that anymore, so she was really tickled. And-! And I love mine too, thank you.” Still quiet…actually, maybe he was asleep. Stupid, she groaned, shaking her head at herself. She’d come back later. Alas, she jumped when the door very slowly opened…and a black cloud essentially answered. Somewhat like that flash of undefinable emotion on Jill’s face, there was an entirely looming aura around Koji. He looked very out of it, his eyes creased and his body language just generally miserable. What was going on? “A-Ah, hi, I didn’t wake you, did I?” “…No.” “O-Oh.” He rubbed his face roughly, almost like he was trying to resurface or reset. “…Your mom liked them?” “A-Ah, yes, she was messing with them when I got back from the store and made me bring them to her bedroom so she can look at them. He smiled. Some. “Great.” Koji left the door open but it looked like everything drained out of him and went to crash face first into his bed. What? Popuri followed, honestly concerned, “Are you okay though? Do you want me to get you something?” “I’m fine” he muttered, muffled. Really? Lifting some of his face, Koji stared into the distance for a moment before shrugging a shoulder and turning on his back, wincing. “…Ever since I was a kid, I just have these weird shutdowns. I feel like I’m just dragging and have lost all will to do anything. I can usually get myself out of my funk pretty quickly but sometimes, like today, they just linger.” Oh. Popuri nodded, “I understand. I think everyone has days like that.” “…I wonder about that sometimes.” Hmm? She sat on the bed, shyly reaching out to pet his hair, “U-Um, well, I’ll go and hang out with Jill then.” Shaking his head some, Koji turned over to face her drearily. “…Can you stay for a second?” “Eh?” “Just for a second…” Hiding her blush, she nodded and was a little startled when he pretty much cuddled into her side, gazing at the television. Weird, Jill made it seem like he was in some violent mood. It looked like Koji just needed a hug. Eventually, he dozed off, his cheek rested against her shoulder and his arm slung across her waist. It was just lucky she had gotten comfortable, she snickered, relaxing more into his pillows. …Just casual, Popuri. You could go places with him, talk and hang out with him, have dinner, maybe even occasionally sleep with him, and meet siblings you’d meet anyway because they were attached to Jill. Yes, he sweetly bought you and your mother flowers and might want to cuddle with you when he was feeling down but casual. This didn’t have to be anything more than that.

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

 Yagami Koji would never go as far to say he didn’t believe in higher powers, he merely…doubted their existence. There was a lot of wrong in the world. He smiled, petrified, as Popuri was stretched out on the couch adjacent to him, reading a magazine and humming along to the music. They’d ‘caught up’ comfortably when Jill was here but Jill and Cliff decided they would go get Chinese. Jill must have deemed him…cozy enough with this situation. No. No, for now, he was actually questioning his doubt as something had placed this whole lot of right in front of him. When he’d already tapped his anxiety down outside after… remeeting his childhood fiancée, he came in and found…a fucking masterpiece sitting on the couch. Koji tried to look anywhere but her but that seemed disrespectful to pure art. She was fucking gorgeous. He was breathless when he just saw her face and then he comes in here with her just wearing a black strappy dress with stockings. The curves. The…God, the curves. And there was not a word created yet he could use for her chest that was appropriate for their magnificence. He tried to shrink away into his music to get his mind straight by listening to a little Toxicity but she asked if he was willing to listen to it on Jill’s system, she hadn’t gotten to hear it since the radio signal got too weak here. Sweet mother of mercy. This. This was why Jill never told him. She was like the answer to his entire life and he’d asked her to marry him thirteen years ago. He knew. Chill, Koji. This…was not a signal, just a wild coincidence. Hell, she probably had a boyfriend! “So, uh, Popuri, these two ‘lovebirds’ are hot and heavy. Um, you getting hitched or anything any time soon?” Popuri snickered, “No way, I’d never date anyone from around here. I guess I should be looking for someone, huh?” Oh. “O-Oh no, being single is great. Wish my sister had taken that route.” With a laugh, Popuri shook her head, “C’mon, Cliff isn’t that bad.” Koji made a face, raising a brow, “…Popuri: have you noticed a drinking habit?” Her scarlet eyes looked up from the magazine, unreadable for a second before she sighed, “…I mean, a little.” Great. “But I think it’s just a mild one. He doesn’t work so--” “I beg the hell your pardon?” Now Popuri was looking away, smiling nervously, as he sat up straighter, incredulous. “What do you mean he doesn’t have a job?! You mean to tell me my sister wakes up every morning to tend a farm and all he does is play Chef Boyardee?” “Well, they work well together though!” “Only one of them is working!” Dear God, he was already arguing with her like they were together, he hadn’t seen her in thirteen years! Popuri rolled her eyes around, “So, if you were with someone, and they didn’t want to work, would you be cool with it because it’s cool for a woman not to work?” “I’mma be honest with you, Popuri: having watched my mother do 36 hour murder shifts doing something she loves for a majority of my life, I probably would not. As long as we’ve dissolved into a capitalistic world, we’re both working until we’re not both working.” Popuri smirked, “Well, I guess it’s good you’re not sexist, just committed to our terrible money system.” “Not committed…trapped.” She smiled and he wished he could figure out what made him so uncharacteristically shy in this situation. If it’d been anyone else, he’d be flirting and making his intentions known. …That was because he was here to figure out what to do next, not have intentions! “I do get what you’re saying, Koji. Just, I’m sure Jill has also asked, but can I ask you not to be too hard on him yet?” …Meh. “Fine, whatever…” His eyes narrowed when the door opened and the ‘happy couple’ entered with bags of Chinese food and apparently beer. Jill was all smiles and he guessed that was enough. “Nii-san, I got you some Heineken.” “Thank you, princess. You didn’t have to do that though.” “Well, we were already in that aisle at the grocery store.” Oh really? Before he could talk himself out of remarking on that, Popuri stood up from, uh, her couch and sat beside him apparently so Cliff and Jill could sit together. Koji swallowed as Jill handed him Hunan chicken. Popuri thanked her as she got a container of Kung Pao Shrimp. He raised a brow when Jill retrieved a cold glass from the freezer and set the Heineken beside him. Cliff also had a Budweiser…so maybe that’s why Jill, who was notoriously against drinking, had frozen glasses, huh? Of course, she and Popuri popped open some wine coolers and were chattering. Relax, Koji, baby sister was…growing up.

Sighing wistfully, he ate his food as Jill turned on a movie. Apparently, this was a tradition of theirs and now it was looking like a double date. Yep, coming to Mineral Town was becoming a very bad idea. Sneaking a look when Popuri laughed at something in Spider-Man, Koji swallowed and rested his cheek in his hand as she leaned on the arm. He looked to Jill and Cliff next, instantly aggravated to find the two snuggled up under a blanket.

Yea…a very bad idea.

____________________________________________

“It’s crazy you remember where I live too, Koji.” Yagami Koji blew into his hands, snickering, as they walked toward the chicken farm. Popuri seemed to realize his crazy memory because he was a trifle bit ahead of her. “I remember a lot of things.” It got late and though Jill offered to let Popuri stay there, she advised she had to get home so she could wake up early to feed the chickens and collect the eggs. “Rick refuses to do it in the cold.” Ugh, what the hell was with these guys? At least take turns. Even though it wasn’t THAT late, he offered to walk her home. Jill gave him a questioning look. What? He wanted to. When Koji was ten years old, though he didn’t recall what exactly made his mother want to do it, she sent him off to stay with his grandfather here. He’d met the man when he was five once but other than that, he’d not talked to him since. Koji went since his mom requested but he’d been wary. Alas, when he arrived, he was easily encompassed by the nature and the farm. His great-grandpa was actually super kind and, even though that was only Koji’s second time meeting him, he felt like he’d known him forever. The man taught him to ride horses and milk cows. It…was great. It was funny, he’d had a conversation with his dad prior to leaving and for some reason they’d been discussing his future significant other. A weird conversation to have with a ten-year-old but his father seemed to have early insight that Koji wasn’t going to be GREAT at relationships…young him hadn’t thought much more about it. Until he met her. Popuri looked somewhat like Lyla, his neighbor and older brother, Shin’s, best friend at the time. With some digging, he realized they were related. He always thought Lyla was pretty but in a more familial way. Popuri though… “Thank you, Koji. You said you’ll be sticking around for a while?” current Popuri said, standing outside of the house. Out of the corner of Koji’s eye, he saw a blind quickly close. Raising a brow, he nodded, “Yea, I got some thinking to do.” She nodded, opening the gate, “Well, maybe we can go up to the plateau one day. It’s still just as pretty.” … “Yea, I’d like that.” “Be safe going back” she warned. “I will. Good night.” “Good night.” Watching her go inside, he let out a breath and headed back to the farm. Popuri met every bit of fancy he had as a young man. She rode bikes with him, played baseball with him, swam in the stream with him, and caught fireflies with him. He used to make her flower crowns and she’d play with his hair. They kissed once. In his young life, he thought she was just so interesting. Koji groaned. Looks like he hadn’t grown up that much.

____________________________________________

Izumi Cliff licked the corner of his lips, his eyes shut as Jill’s mouth worked up and down his shaft. Fuck. Lying in their bed, he forced himself to look down at her bobbing head. She’d pulled her hair back in a ponytail and was…really working. He…was really lucky. And if he kept this up, he was going to be killed. Granted, while he wasn’t certain why he thought Jill would tell her brother ‘no, you can’t stay here’, he’d been shocked when she allowed it. Cliff thought they had a good thing going where her brother wasn’t here to hear him bust one.

However, however, he had to say that, for the most part, Koji did keep to himself. He’d come eat with them sometimes but otherwise, he’d go out around noon and come back in around six. Cliff wondered what a renown partier was finding to do around here. Jill smirked, “You noticed Popuri isn’t coming around a lot now, right?” Popuri? Like… “It’s a long story.” They had seemed very cozy with one another right off the bat. And Cliff was starting to get cozy with the circumstances. Until he started to…notice some things. First, he didn’t realize it but, even though Koji was up until crazy times of the morning, sometimes three when Cliff heard the night owl stop roaming, he got up with Jill to help her with the farm. Now, with the additional help, Jill was sometimes coming back in before Cliff had even started on breakfast. Thus, big brother started making breakfast too. Koji apparently also worked remotely for some place back at his old alma mater, admitting it wasn’t good pay but it was some pay. And, thus, he was now buying groceries for the house. This. This was what his girlfriend was used to: someone that helped. That conversation they had when Koji arrived had him aggravated. It was basically her telling him he wasn’t doing enough. It hurt but, well, if this was what she was used to then hell yea, he was doing under the bare minimum. Money. Money ran the world and if he could start to provide that then he was doing all he could. He moaned as he came, jerking from her mouth. So…he was going to be seriously going to someone with his tail between his legs but he had an idea. “I…do want to try swallowing, Cliff” Jill sat up, pouting. He smiled a bit wickedly, rubbing her thigh, “You shouldn’t say kinky things like that, ‘princess’, big brother might hear.” Jill groaned, rolling her eyes, “He’s out somewhere, last I checked.” “Your brother’s like a ghost, Jill, he could be hanging out in the corner next we look.” Sulking, she stood and went to her adjoining bathroom to rinse her mouth, “That is my beloved big bubby, y’know? I expect you to get along with him.” Cliff wandered in to wash up, shrugging, “…Well, he’s talking to me a little bit.” “For Koji, that’s an accomplishment” she smirked. Kissing her after he clothed himself, Cliff stroked her hair back, “I’ll make lasagna tonight, okay? I’m going to run out and do some errands.” A strange look crossed her face but she smiled, “Okay…I’ll probably just chill here and scribble or something.” He nodded and headed out into the December cold. Of all people, but…he just needed a little something.

Cliff wandered toward the winery, nervous. He’d asked Karen if there was a chance he could work at the grocery store. She assured that her dad made just enough to keep her employed and paid her crumbs. Doug said about the same, that he was just breaking even. The library was all volunteer and he knew for damn sure he wasn’t a blacksmith. This…was pretty much it. Thing was, Duke, the owner of the winery, hated his guts. Guess all those pranks did finally catch up to him. Still, he needed to try. He swallowed and nodded to assure himself, opening the door and entering the store that sold only wine. Duke’s wife, Manna, looked up and smiled, looking a little forced. “Oh, hello…Cliff.”

“Um, hello, ma’am” he greeted politely, “I’m sorry to trouble you.” “One of our best customers? Of course not. What will it be today?” “O-Oh no, I--”

“Manna, will you call that damn daughter of yours? To think we’d have a child selfish enough to leave when I’m old and gray and too old to be doing all this work alone!” snapped Duke, stumbling in.

Cliff’s eyes widened at the man who stared at him before glowering. “And what do you want?!” …Normally he dealt with Manna when he came here. “I…uh…” “Speak up!” “Sir, it sounds like you could use some help around here. I, uh, I know I may cause you a lot of useless trouble now and then, but I would really like to request work” Cliff said, hardly breathing. “What?!” “Now Duke…” said Manna slowly before staring Cliff over, “He is young and…full of energy.”

“And a pain in the ass!” Great. “I’m—I’m sorry, you’re right. All the trouble I’ve caused you and to come back and ask for work, it’s silly of me. I’ll just be going.” “Wait, wait” interrupted Manna, a curious look on her face like when she got a piece of gossip, “Why suddenly do you need work? Your little girlfriend is from a well-off family and that farmhouse is theirs. And you seemed happy just, um…” “Freeloading” grunted Duke. Cliff stifled his glower and swallowed, “I, uh, I want to support myself and Jill. I want to not be such a burden to her. Her brother has been staying with us and…and he’s taken stress off of her just sharing the burden. When he leaves, I want to be able to do the same.”

Duke raised a brow before scoffing. Manna gasped, hitting his arm, “Duke! He’s sincere! And devoted! I miss those days!” “What?! Now see--” Duke started.

“A man wanting to help take care of the love of his life, reforming and humbling in order to take care of someone you care for? It’s truly inspiring to see a youth like that! Jill’s a lucky girl! The farms making plenty of money but you don’t want to be a dead weight to her, of course! How wonderful! Men are so useless these days!” Cliff just stared at her, wide-eyed, nodding slowly as Manna just babbling on and on… “Manna…” grumbled Duke, irritated. “I say we let him work!” she finally finished. “What?! Are you crazy?!” demanded Duke. “Oh Duke, I’m sure he’ll work to his fullest for you! Won’t you?” questioned Manna. “Of course. Just give me one chance to prove myself and I’ll be the best worker possible” Cliff said seriously.

Duke glared at him hotly. Manna leered, “Oh, c’mon Duke, take a risk for once in your life” “…Gah, fine! But if this comes back to bite me, I swear--” Cliff bowed heavily, honestly a little surprised. “It won’t, I promise!”

Duke stared at him, shocked, “S-stop that, idiot. You can start the day after tomorrow. 10 am sharp. Not a second later!”

“You got it! 10 pm!” Cliff said, cheerful as he ran out.

“AM!!” Picking grapes, putting them in the processor…it was manual labor but it wouldn’t—or shouldn’t be the most extensive job he’d ever had. …This would work.

____________________________________________

Yamachi Popuri remembered when she first met Yagami Koji. She also remembered when Yamachi Rod, her father, left their family.

She recalled giggling happily when her father threw her in the air for the last time, kissing her cheek and whispering in her ear that he loved her. He sat her on the ground and turned to Rick, pat his head and told him to take care of the farm and, especially, his little sister and mother. Rod turned to their mother last, pulled her close and whispered to her that she’d finally be well and that everything would be okay. Popuri didn’t know then. She didn’t know what his leaving meant.

After about a year, there was no sign of her father. He seldom called and when he did, he assured his ‘trail was warm’. She recalled sitting by the window, transfixed, praying softly that her father would turn around that corner, returning to them. Her mama, Lillia, would weakly come down the steps and ask what she’s doing. Waiting for daddy, of course. She wanted to show him she lost her last tooth.

Her mother smiled and said he’d probably like that. Maybe? She’d never know, she grew it back in and there was no sign of him.

She’d told herself back then to stay optimistic, that her daddy wouldn’t want her to be sad. She remembered days when her mother wasn’t even able to get out of bed so she would bring her flowers. On one of those fateful days, she recalled getting knocked face forward, right on top of her flowers. She remembered laughter and looking back to find Rick and some of his friends. It hadn’t been Rick but one of his asshole companions that pushed her for no reason. Her older brother let them heckle her. She remembered their words, how nothing was going to make her mother better and that her father left because he couldn’t take it anymore. She belted one of them in the jaw because her brother didn’t stop their words. No, Rick didn’t. Jill’s brother did.

Yagami Koji was the prettiest child. He had silky brown hair and bewitching dark eyes even back then. She supposed because of their mother, he dressed like no other ten-year-old she’d ever met. Koji had just kind of sauntered up with his hands in his pockets, looking bored. He questioned what was going on and she told him about the flowers, about how they were for her mother, and those jerks had ruined them. He offered to pick more with her. For whatever reason, this made them address Koji as a ‘sissy’ and ‘she was wasting her time’. Koji was nonplussed and advised it was no less a waste of time than picking on someone trying to be nice. She’d always remember them saying like a comic book character ‘All-all of us together could clobber you!’ and Koji’s dark little smile with the retort ‘I’d like to see you try’. They made excuses and scattered after that. Koji kept his promise to help her pick new flowers and even made her a crown ‘like a goddess’. Childishly, she corrected him to what her daddy always said, that she was a princess. He laughed.

When Popuri had returned home with a huge bouquet, she’d discovered Rick had ratted her out for talking to strangers. She pouted and told her mother he was the nicest stranger she’d ever met and Lillia sighed, giving her a bit of a lecture before smiling at the girl, thanking her for the flowers. She’d asked about Popuri’s crown of daisies and she told her that Koji had made it for her. Her mom smiled when she said she was going to make cookies for him. She found Koji the next day and gave him the cookies. From then forward, they’d been inseparable. Koji told her about how he was from the city where they’d lived in a mansion. He told her about his doctor father and mother who occasionally designed dresses. ‘Remember Yagada. Mama’s gonna make it big one day’, he’d beamed. Admittedly, she hadn’t been used to that, a mother…working. It was mostly because, for as long as she could remember, her mother hadn’t. Surely she’d seen other women working but Koji’s mother sounded like she was on a different level. She’d actually said that to him then too and he had made a face. Not much had changed. For that time, Popuri completely forgot about her father’s absence, spending every waking second with her new companion. There had been times when his grandfather told her that he couldn’t come out and she’d go home, disappointed, but he’d come out moments later, smiling at her. She noticed on those days that he was extremely pale and tired, having to take rests every few minutes on their mountain visits. It was Jill that advised her this year that Koji had always had immunity issues but didn’t like to make them a big deal. Apparently, that was just how he was…

He’d listened to her better than anyone else and played with her, no matter how silly the game. She told him where her castle was to be and he’d smile. One day, she remembered how he lied in the sweet grass and flowers, closing his eyes. He’d been sick then too. Lying beside him, she had idly put flowers in his hair to make him feel better. She teased that he was a prince now with his crown of daisies. He had smirked, “I doubt it.” On another memorable day, they had been having a picnic on the same plateau where they met. There was a slight nip in the mountain air and she remembered thinking how summer was almost over and Koji would be leaving her too, just like…

It upset her enough that she tried to leave but Koji asked her what she thought of him. She thought very highly of Koji. And in their innocent minds, Koji asked if she’d marry him then. Popuri liked to think that if someone asked her to marry them like that again, sitting in the flowers on a picnic lunch, she’d roll her eyes at the cheesiness of it. Honestly though? She probably would melt. In her more pragmatic youth, she pointed out the flaws with this plan, most of them dealing with their age. Koji promised he would return when it was the right time. He asked if he could give her a kiss. She agreed.

The day Koji left was when he gave her this beautiful real silver necklace. He was actually very, very sick that day which was why he was going back home. His grandfather had allowed her to come in to say her good byes and Koji weakly said that was just for now. It was such a sweet thing, from his devotion to the fact he gave her half a heart necklace and kept the other. As she aged, she wondered if he thought about her, about that summer of gullibility. About…how promises didn’t mean much at the end of the day “Popuri?” She looked up from the windows of one of the small shops, having been staring at Christmas decorations, and smiled some as Koji appeared. He wore mostly black now, wearing a leather coat, a dark scarf, and dark jeans. Even the cigarettes he smoked were black. She guessed they both lost something with age. “Hi, Koji. What’s got you out here?” “Nothing, wanted to grab lunch and heard this Inn place has good food.” Popuri tilted her head, “Oh, Cliff and Jill didn’t cook?” His dark eyes creased some and she had to try not to laugh because she already knew. “I immediately vacated the premises as it is snowing and they used the extra time to…preoccupy themselves, apparently.” “Now, Mr. Yagami-san, I’ve heard about your wily ways. Did you believe your baby sister to be above such?” Popuri said coyly, folding her hands as she started to walk away. Koji snorted, following, “…Well, kind of. And what ‘wily ways’? I’ll have you know I am an innocent virgin.” “Uh huh.” Starting to fall into pace beside her as she headed for the grocery, he rubbed his hands, “So, uh, you busy? Care to grab lunch with me?” Oh. “Well, um…sure. That’d be nice.” “You don’t have to. I know you’re probably busy.” Not at all. “No, lunch would be good. I just know a place other than Doug’s…” “Oh really? I’d take it” he nodded. “It’s a little up the mountains” she warned. Koji seemed nonplussed. “Just like old times.” Popuri blushed a bit but walked with him past the old church and down the lane. He looked off to the side for a moment at a blank space of land, frowning, “…This place has tons of space, Popuri. Like, tons. They never wanted to…grow?” Thinking about it, she shrugged, “Guess not. Progress gets missed around here.” “Hmm.” He was so tall. Back when they were ten, they were the same height. Now he was at least seven, eight inches taller than her. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Koji cleared his throat, “So, uh, your dad really never…got back here, huh?” “No.” “I mean, does he call?” Popuri pursed her lips as they walked up the stone walkway, “…If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not talk about it.” “Ah, I…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean--” “I know” she assured. She had spoken with Koji a lot about her father. He told her about his father. Apparently, their father was MIA at one point too—up until they were five. And then he properly came into their lives and stayed there. Popuri…had spent more years without her father than with. And yes, he still called, saying he wanted to get this right. Just now, Popuri wasn’t sure he’d have anything to come back to. Koji didn’t say anything else for their trek and she figured he felt bad for bringing it up. No, that’s what they would have done, once upon a time. She’d be joyful and optimistic and think her papa was just around the corner. She didn’t want him to see how far away that’d gone from her now. “Your girlfriend must miss you, you know? You need to finish your vision quest and get back to her.” He smirked some, “She might be waiting awhile. Especially since I haven’t found her yet.” Popuri smiled and pointed to an old ryokan, “We’ll leave that as lunch chat. That’s the Saioji Inn, they serve really good potstickers.” After they were greeted and seated, Koji removed his coat while she was lost in thought. So little had changed, hadn’t it? The whole…town. Jill really was the most recent change aside from Cliff and Kai. And just…her having lost so much faith. “Mm, I haven’t had a good pork bun in a while.” Popuri looked to him, about to confirm they were delicious, when she paused. Jill told her that her brother was a playboy. Like, he slept around frequently. It sounded like he would have scoffed at monogamy or even romance. When they reunited, she showed him the necklace and he seemed awkward about it. She assumed he found it foolish. Except…

His was nestled around his neck, the same sort of wear she had on hers like perhaps he hadn’t just randomly dug it out of a box recently. Her heart sped up a bit as he opened his menu to the next page, “What do you recommend though?” “Huh? Oh! Um, no, the pork buns are delicious. And their spring rolls too.” Picking up her menu to hide her face, she flushed. Stop being…childish, Popuri. He…he probably had just dug it up, was wearing it for no reason. Don’t…don’t be fooled by innocent promises. Not again.

____________________________________________

Duke had always been disdainful of the blond boy who’d arrived in town about two years ago. He was nothing but trouble from the start, his most egregious crime including sneaking into his cellars and drinking his wine. Sometimes he’d steal Duke’s grapes and gave them to townspeople, saying they were gifts from Duke himself. He was a criminal and the boy didn’t have a hard-working bone in his body. Or so he thought.

He watched from afar, leaning against the door of the small greenhouse, as Cliff picked grapes rapidly, his forehead drenched with sweat. Cliff had managed to pick nearly twenty baskets full to the brim of grapes. Duke raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. So that girl turned the boy around, huh? What a miracle. Funny what a good lay would do. There might be hope for him yet. “Cliff” sang Manna, coming into the greenhouse, “I brought a snack for you!” Cliff stopped, wiping his brow with his hand, and smiled, “I’m fine…” “Ugh, I can’t have you out here, slaving away, without having something to eat! Here’s a sandwich…and you finish it!” Cliff nodded gratefully and ate the sandwich, apparently famished as he demolished it in no time. He glanced at his watch and frowned. It was already seven in the evening. “Well, I guess I can continue…”

“No, no. It’s far too late. Go home and rest” smiled Manna happily. Cliff glanced at her before glancing at Duke. The man grunted, “You did a good share of work today. You can go home.” Cliff didn’t move, however, and Duke growled, “I said--”

“O-Oh no, but…um…the…job?” Duke’s eyes widened before he glared off to the side before saying silently, “If, and only if, you do the same quality of work you did today every day without slacking, will I give you the job.” A wide grin of excitement crossed Cliff’s face and he bowed happily, “Thank you.”

Duke grunted, still hoping he wasn’t making a mistake. Manna giggled and pulled out her coin purse.

“Here’s some money for your trouble, dear. We’ll get you set up with a better payment system soon. For now, buy something nice for Jill.”

Cliff smiled sheepishly as she handed him his payment, “Thank you both so much.” He dashed off, seeming content. Duke stared after him, seeming amazed. “The boy’s been out here for nine whole hours and he’s taking off as if he has all the energy in the world.”

“He’s a good boy and he’ll be a good worker” Manna smiled.

“Perhaps…”

“However…”

He glowered at her, wondering why there was a ‘however’ now. Duke flinched back at the dark look on Manna’s normally cheerful face. “He seems to have an underlying problem that he is managing to keep under control and from affecting his relationship. Do me a favor and don’t think to go and make it worse. Understood?” Duke nodded. Pleased, Manna headed back inside and Duke followed slowly. He only gave the workers he’d liked booze. He doubted he’d ever truly like Cliff, no matter what he ‘proved’ today. Or so he thought.

____________________________________________

Yagami Jill smiled as she sat beside the family Christmas tree in the Yagami home. In the beginning, when she was little, they had a small Christmas tree, something a little more like how they celebrated in Japan. Eventually, they would get bigger and bigger Christmas trees that went up toward the high ceiling. They would decorate it gleefully as children. Nowadays, it was looking a little sparse as they all instantly got distracted by something else about five ornaments in. But, well, given there were six of them, Lyla, and their mom and dad, that was probably enough. Koji and Nelly were sitting on the couch, playing with their new iPods. That was the gift their parents got them all. Their mother got them all nice sweaters and designer jeans too. Oh, and shoes. A full outfit.

While she read online about the holiday losing ‘meaning’ as the gifts grew sparse, that would probably never be the case with her gigantic family. Yes, the sort of…stress of buying all the gifts was already growing tiresome but if she ever felt something was always in high supply in her family, it was appreciation, and…well, that made it feel good still. Koji and Nelly tag-teamed to get the best laptop available so she could start writing again. Koji had noticed that she wasn’t doing that AT ALL now. ‘She’s just busy ogling her boyfriend’, he said dryly. She retorted he had still managed to get distracted and he leered at her. While she could heckle him about that, she kind of thought it was cute that he was, unbeknownst to himself, nursing a crush on Popuri. He’d even bought her a Christmas present for when they went back to Mineral Town. Jill had asked Cliff if he wanted to join them for the holiday but he was poignantly against it. ‘I haven’t celebrated since I was fifteen and I don’t think I intend to start again…’, he’d said. Okay, fine. He pleaded that she not give him a gift too. It all just made her wonder about his family life…

Okamoto Lyla gasped, her legs rested in Shin’s lap, as she played on the Gameboy Advance SP he bought her. “Oh, this IS fun, Shin!” “I told you you’d like it. It’s not just because I’m an ‘army man’” he teased, rubbing her thigh. “I still don’t know if I like that Final Fantasy Tactics as much as the Playstation one” Nelly droned. Tony yawned, sitting in the recliner and looking at television, “Dunno how you guys are playing these crap games now anyway.” “Thanks, Grandpa. We’ll go break out the Magnavox for you. And give me your iPod, I can give you our grandpa’s gramophone” Koji said sarcastically. Jill bit her lip not to laugh as Tony cut his eyes at Koji, the others snickering. “I’m just SAYING. The ones we grew up with are better.” “Don’t listen to him, he’s literally played twenty hours of Fable in one sitting” Shaun snorted, on his new laptop. Tony rolled his eyes around, “I mean, it’s one of the better ones…” Getting up, she stretched on the long chair with Tony, sipping her hot chocolate. He glanced at her, blinking, “…What? You homesick? You can always come back.” “Shaddap” she pouted. …She just wished Cliff was here too, she thought wistfully, as Shin kissed Lyla’s temple. However, she wasn’t going to force Cliff to celebrate their holidays or do anything he didn’t want to. Lately, he’d been running off somewhere from 10 to 7. It…sort of made her wonder because he wouldn’t tell he what it was. A new year. She wanted to get to know Cliff a little better. Right now, she had a lot of questions. And…some of them were about their future. She didn’t have anything in the greenhouse right now that needed to be watered and Koji offered to feed the animals since he had to run an errand early this morning. It’d been a while but she got to sleep in and that was great. However, when she went to bed late last night, Cliff had been in bed with her. When she got up, he was long gone. Where…was he going? What was he doing? Was…was this weird for her to reflect on? A boyfriend didn’t have to give her the whole story, just…

Jill smirked when there was a knock at the door and she knew who it was. Getting up, she drawled, “Koji isn’t here, Popuri.” “Excuse you, I came by to see you” Popuri joked, “That aside, I don’t make house calls for Koji, we just run into one another.” Nodding at that, Jill moved to allow her in with a smile, “I’m teasing…but at the same time, I’m not. What did he get you for Christmas?” “Oh! This really cute mug and a cell phone accessory” Popuri gushed, showing her phone where a chain with flowers hung. …Oh. “Oh, th-that’s cute.” Popuri smirked, sitting at the table, “You sound disappointed.” “Oh, just…thought he’d get you some jewelry or something.” The woman looked confused and Jill waved a hand. Her brother was adamant that ‘those days’ were behind him and he wasn’t ‘into’ Popuri. Except he couldn’t see himself gazing after her sometimes and his slight processing of how he may run into her every other day. She’d teasingly asked had he thought about whether he was going to get a job or go to grad school. He stared at her for a moment and just remarked, “…Huh.” All that aside, Jill…was a little reluctant to say she wanted the two together. There was a very weird history and, at the end of the day, her brother was usually just looking for a quick…tit for tat. As Popuri was a close friend, that wasn’t quite any sort of awkwardness she wanted. Popuri chuckled though, playing with the charm, “He got me real silver at ten years old, Jill, I guess he figured he’d done enough.” Maybe. Popuri smiled at the vase of roses on the table, folding her hands, “Are those from Cliff?” … “Uh, ha, no” Jill laughed airily, standing, “You want tea? I want tea.” “Oh, I want tea all right” Popuri snorted, “Who are these flowers from?” Jill groaned, turning on the white kettle on the stove, looking out of the window, “It’s not sordid, Popuri. When we were back at home, my brothers were discussing how they used to buy me flowers when they were thinking about me and how they hadn’t been doing a good job with it lately so Shin had flowers sent here.” “That’s so sweet! What’s wrong with that?” “They did it so I would know the difference between a guy treating me well and one that’s not. Now that I’m older, I’m not sure I like the implication that buying me things is a sign of being treated well” Jill scoffed, preparing the green tea. Crossing her fingers, Popuri looked thoughtful. “Well, no. But you said your brothers buy you flowers when they’re thinking of you?” “Yea.” “They call you when they think about you too, right?” “Yea…” Popuri smiled, “It’s not presents they’re trying to press, Jill. They’re pressing that no matter how much they have going on, somewhere, you’re always on their mind. You don’t want to be last priority to someone.” …Oh. Jill brought the kettle back over and sat, grumbling, “…Is it weird that Cliff won’t tell me where he, presumably, is working?” “What? He won’t tell you where he works?” “No” she groaned, “…And I don’t need presents from him but it would have been nice if we’d spent Christmas together. Aside from the Christmas tree part, the only other thing we’re doing in my family is eating! And I tell myself ‘well, it’s just a holiday, we should spend time together all times of the year’.” “But he’s got a mysterious job he won’t tell you about” Popuri rolled her eyes, nodding a thanks when she handed her the tea cup. Jill sighed heavily, “…There’s a lot he doesn’t tell me, Popuri. That’s probably not how it should be.” “No, not at all…” Popuri murmured. …The future…wasn’t looking great.

____________________________________________

When Izumi Cliff came into the house at 8:45, he was confused to find no one downstairs. In fact, the lights were off? Did Jill go to sleep early? He went to the bedroom they shared. No one… Maybe she went to dinner with her brother, he surmised, heading upstairs just to see if she happened to be hanging out with him. No…but one Yagami Koji was up here and, of all things, lifting weights and listening to music. He had been facing enough away from the door that Cliff had a window of opportunity to escape…except the man’s eyes cut toward him. Crap. “…Something wrong?” “U-Uh, no. J-Just looking for Jill” he smiled quickly. Jill would talk about how ‘sickly’ Koji was, having been that way since they were children, and that he often had ‘weak moments’. Cliff wasn’t sure when given he was currently doing repeated reps of an 150 pound weight at ease. Ready to back away and sincerely hide, Koji grunted, “She went out with Popuri to get something to eat. Come sit a spell.” Oh no. “U-Uh, that’s--” Koji’s almost black eyes narrowed and Cliff smiled, “T-that’s a good idea! Sitting!” Sitting in an old chair in the corner, Cliff smiled nervously as Koji continued the reps, the soft clang of the metal the only other sound aside from the musical metal. He was about to be killed. “U-Um--” “So, Cliff, you’re probably well aware that my beautiful baby sister is the only sister we have, correct?” Koji said flatly. “W-Well, yes--” “And you’re aware that perfection is unachievable but applied effort is appreciated, correct?” Uh oh. “Um, well…” His pale arms could probably throw Cliff into outer space. “Cliff, where the hell are you working?” “I-I don’t want to--” “I’m sorry, I didn’t word that correctly” Koji droned. Cliff yelped when Koji pushed the weights into his hands which knocked him back. Oh hell. “Cliff, where the fuck do you work? Because, otherwise, we’re going to start assuming your ass doesn’t work but you’re dipping in the redhead from the Inn.” Gawking, Cliff rapidly shook his head, “N-No, no, no! Th-That’s not true, I am working! I-I just haven’t had the heart to tell Jill yet because she’s gonna think it’s a bad idea!” “…Strip club?” “What?! No!” “Dude, there is a total of six job opportunities in this town, three of which are a bag boy, librarian, and blacksmith. What possibly could you have found that Jill would find to be a bad idea?” Ugh. “I…I’m working at the winery. We’re prepping for Spring which is a large wine buying time.” Koji raised a brow, silent for a long moment. Cliff glowered at him, “Is there a problem with that?” “…Maybe. Not necessarily. It’s a start though. My next question is why didn’t you entertain my baby sister’s request to come with her for Christmas?” “I don’t celebrate.” Crossing his arms, Koji looked at him. He felt like his entire essence was being probed and… “Well…not anymore. My…mom didn’t care for it.” Surprisingly, Koji nodded and lifted the weight off of him effortlessly. Shit, maybe he ought to start lifting weights, that was embarrassing. “I heard about your mom. Very pragmatic.” “Tuh, is that the word for it?” Cliff snorted, sitting up straighter, “…I didn’t get paid until after Christmas. I-I didn’t want the humiliation of not having a gift to present Jill without money and then for her to give me one. Next year, I will make a miraculous return to the holiday and shower her.” Koji smirked, “You want there to be a next year? Communicate.” What? “Communicate what? I’m a poor schmuck working for a guy I had to bow down to after I’ve played pranks and made his life a hell for a few years?” “I’m be going to honest with you: that sounds way better than you’re the holidayless Scrooge that will look down on her for celebrating holidays and have nothing to do with her if she does.” Cliff gawked, “Ho-How did she even come to that conclusion?!” Shrugging, Koji set the weights back on the rack he had in the corner, “We’re from a rich family, Cliff. If we take the time to celebrate Christmas, it’s not for gifts, it’s for the actual family-oriented part. We’re mostly family oriented but the holiday excuse helps.” … “…So she…just wanted me to be present” Cliff said quietly. “Bingo” Koji snickered, falling back on his bed, “But, it’s your first little hurdle, I guess, and you don’t know that about her. But you better damn well know it for future references—if there’s a future reference.” He sure hoped. Looking to Koji cautiously, he wondered why her protective brother was giving him advice on not being clueless. “…Anything else I should know?” “Work is a vital part of our capitalistic world and standard of living. Just know you have to show her somewhere in your mind she’s there.” Cliff grimaced and hugged his knees, “…I’ve been pouring over my memories from life. Y’know, when you’ve got one person painting the picture, what’s underneath might look a little different. My mom spent years making me believe that my dad’s way of living was—well, hedonistic. Wealth was sinister.  Work hard and work hard forever. Money was supposed to be for providing a roof over your head and food for your belly. Nothing more. It added a really grim outlook.” Koji rolled over and pushed up the window before grabbing a black pack of cigarettes. “Probably a Wasaba thing. It takes a lot for my dad to stop and enjoy himself too. I know if he’d just rolled into being a doctor without my mom, he’d work 365, 24/7 if he could.” “But is that any way to live?” “Of course not” Koji scoffed, cupping the flame from his red Bic lighter as he inhaled, “Don’t get me wrong, wealth can lead you down a whole bunch of rabbit holes to Hell but that’s dependent on the person. I’ve seen your dad give to charities very generously. I’ve seen him front new benefits for hospitals and the needy and back new technology. Yea, maybe he does sit back and go on an island vacation sometimes but we only live once. Your mom thinking that working is the only highlight of life is miserable.” …He wondered what it was about his dad that even attracted his mom. It couldn’t be that he very suddenly became carefree, he was probably like that all along. It had to be the cheating that separated them. “Maybe she had deviated one day and thought there was more to life. Then my dad maybe ruined that.” Koji’s lip quirked, taking a puff, “I heard from Craig it was probably you enjoying life a little too much that made her angsty.” Ugh. “Fuck, that’s a high possibility too. A mother hating that her children don’t have to worry where their next meal is coming from. It’s so incomprehensible I keep heading back to my dad as the problem” Cliff scowled.

“That’s not off the table either” Koji replied. Cliff frowned at that. Maybe… “…I’m thinking you did this for Jill.” “I’ve taken care of my princess since she was a baby. A lot of what I do will be for her” Koji said solemnly. “Well, it would have been just as easy to chuck me out of the window so I will say ‘thanks’ for the advice” Cliff murmured. Koji didn’t say anything else, simply nodding and closing his eyes, occasionally taking a draw. Cliff dismissed himself, figuring the conversation was over. “Cliff.” Pausing, he looked at Koji who hadn’t moved. “…Don’t ever place yourself in a temptation and think you’re strong enough to fight it.” What? Cliff was puzzled, “Oh…okay.” Walking down the steps, musing over that, he smiled when Jill and Popuri entered, chattering. “Hey, you two.” “Oh, hey, Cliff!” Popuri greeted. Jill smiled…some. “Hi, sweetie. How was your day?” “Good…um, Jill, I-I had a chat with your brother and I realize that my…skittishness may be leading to some assumptions” Cliff drawled, twiddling his fingers. “Well…” “I…I got a job. I-I got to see first hand what you’re talking about. Koji helps you with the farm and gives you money for groceries and utilities. It helps to have two hands and makes it easier.” Jill looked surprised, “Well, I…I had guessed. Congratulations! Where at?” “That…may be where you disagree. I…I asked Duke to let me pick grapes with him.” “…Oh.” He tried not to groan at the anxious look on her face. “If…if you think it’s a bad idea, Jill-” “No, no! I-I mean, I have my concerns but it seems like you have pretty solid hours and I’m hoping he’s paying and treating you well.” For the most part. Duke still didn’t seem to trust him that much but Cliff came in on time and did his work thoroughly. It…it was tougher than he assumed it would be, mostly due to the elements and lifting, but it felt a lot less forced than it had when he was a child. At the end of the day, he felt he had the freedom to quit or leave and figure something else out. He was a breadwinner with his mom and that…that was taxing.

Jill gave him a kiss and a smile, rubbing his arm, “Let me make dinner for us. You sit and chill.” He hadn’t been around to make her breakfast in a while…Duke, at Manna’s pressuring, was going to allow Tuesday and Saturday to be his days off unless otherwise requested. Planning it over in his head, he plotted on waffles on Saturday. Hell, he…he could actually buy the groceries himself since he got paid Friday. Koji wandered down the steps after a few minutes, heckling Jill and Popuri about something as the two laughed. Jill…didn’t seem bothered, actually, coming to sit beside him while the lasagna was in the oven to talk about something other than work. When…when he was in Wasaba, that was all his mother wanted to hear about.

This…this might not be so bad.

____________________________________________

 End Notes: Good lawd, the Toxicity era was fun. Toxicity was the second album of System of a Down, a ‘nu-metal’ band comprised of Armenian members that are highly political and still one of my absolute favorite bands. Young’ns may recognize them most for Chop Suey!, the lyrics of which sound like absolute gibberish to the untrained ear. ‘I don’t think you trust in my self-righteous suicide’. I will be seeing them in May 2023 for the Sick New World Festival in Vegas.

 ______________________________________

 “Oh my God, this dress is gorgeous, Jill.”

 Jill smiled sheepishly as Popuri gazed at the long blue formal dress with spaghetti straps deep cut in the chest area…

 “Mother didn’t go all out for once. I’m glad though” Jill sighed, relieved.

 “Like you need any fancy stuff. It’s absolutely perfect.”

 The week had come and gone quickly. Her mother had sent her a dress some time mid-week and she was just trying it on the day of the event. She had other concerns.

 “I wonder if Cliff’s even going…” Jill laughed nervously.

 “He’s seemed jittery and irritable all week” Popuri sighed.

 Indeed he had. She asked if he had a tuxedo and he nearly bit her head off before quickly apologizing, making an excuse, and leaving.

 …She should have known. “He doesn’t want to be with me” Jill murmured.

 Popuri gawked, “What! Jill, no, something’s obviously bothering him. You just have to get it out of him.”

“I know…he’s so guarded.”

 “You could screw it out of him.”

 Jill gaped and threw a pillow at Popuri as she laughed. Jill crossed her arms and blushed, pouting. “I will not ‘screw’ anything out of Cliff.”

 “You two haven’t yet, right? Maybe he’s just frustrated” the pink-haired woman teased.

 Jill smirked and rolled her eyes, “I mean, is that my business?” “Of course not, sweetie, not even slightly” Popuri assured, “But just know, he’ll be clay in your hands.”

 Jill snickered before jumping when there was a faint knock at the door. Since they were in her bedroom, it had to be Cliff. While it seemed like a big step, she’d recently given him a key. Popuri stood and answered it. Cliff entered, seeming about to say something but stopped. He gazed at her, his mouth open before he murmured, “…Oh my God, you’re beautiful.”

 Jill blushed but countered, “And you’re definitely not wearing a tuxedo! We leave in less than two hours!”

 He opened his mouth again before slamming his lips shut. “I, uh, was just never good at putting a tie on…can you help me?”

 She blinked at him before nodding. That was an excuse but, well, at least he seemed prepared to make a concession. Popuri raised an eyebrow but headed for the door, “You two have fun! Good luck, Cliff!”

 Cliff winced and Jill hooked his arm, smiling, “You’ll be fine.”

 She kissed his cheek and he smiled sheepishly at her. Picking up her makeup case, Jill shoved it into her purse, grabbed his hand and ran along, using her other hand to keep her dress from dragging on the ground. They received stares as they arrived at the Inn, probably wondering what had her running around in a long formal gown. She followed Cliff up the wooden stairs, the location almost more like a lodge or cabin to her than a hotel, and quickly slammed his door shut. “Where is it?”

 “Um…closet. I’ll get it.”

 Jill watched, a little startled, as he pulled out what seemed to be a very expensive Armani suit. Weird, Cliff never seemed to be the designer type. She almost cringed when he threw it carelessly on the bed, staring at it. Hell, forget her father, Cliff wasn’t going to win any points with her mother treating Giorgio that way. She leered as Cliff made absolutely no moves to put it on.

 “Jeez! It’s not going to bite you!” Jill replied, rushing towards him.

 Grabbing the edges of his shirt, she tugged it over his head. She paused, staring at his naked chest. Oh.

 He had very nice shapely muscles, which was somewhat surprising, little light freckles on his shoulders. Standing completely still, she just watched, her cheeks flustering. His bare chest softly rose and fell as he breathed unevenly. Well, it…it wasn’t like she wasn’t interested in the content of Popuri’s recommendation. Cliff swallowed. “Jill…?”

 In a blind passion, she pushed him against the nearest wall and kissed him. He groaned softly and returned the dizzying kiss, wrapping his arms around her. Exploring his mouth with her tongue, she found her priorities madly shifting. She wildly pressed her lips down his neck before it…crossed her mind.

 One of the two whole boyfriends she’d had, she’d gotten to touch a little. It didn’t last but maybe a minute because he was horrified one of her guards would show up and kill him. So, really, well, aside from a few calls with Kai he ceased before she could even feel, she’d never…Cliff inhaled when she slowly slid her fingers down his pants. “Is…is it okay to?” “Y-Yea…” he whispered. Jill bit her lip, pulling away from their kiss to look down, stroking his…very impressive length. He curved into her touch. This…could be very interesting.

 “Oh my God, what are you two doing?!”

 What the hell?! Jill quickly jerked her hand away and turned toward the door where Ann stood, holding sheets.  Cliff blushed and grumbled, “Wow, the door was locked. Don’t you think you should knock?” “I thought you were gone and usually there’s nothing going on around here to warrant knocking” Ann countered, giving them a look as if they had committed one of the cardinal sins. Ha! That was funny.

 Embarrassed all the same, Jill felt her cheeks fluster before quickly walking around Ann to exit. “C-call me if you need help, Cliff.”

 Standing outside, she leered as Ann sauntered out, cutting her eyes at her. Yea, Jill figured by the time Ann got the gossip out, she and Cliff would have been completely naked and possibly having a threesome. This stupid place.

 “Jill…?” Cliff called weakly.

 She sighed and walked in, finding Cliff had pulled on the suit. It was definitely tailored, it fit him far too well. Why…did he have a custom-tailored Armani suit? About to question, she stopped when he smiled at her, holding the tie out. “Help.”

 God, Jill, stop being so nosy and judgmental. People had suits. Just because it was expensive didn’t make it suspicious. Maybe he had bought it for himself or it was a gift. He wasn’t…poor?

 …Honestly, she wasn’t sure what Cliff was. He didn’t have a job, she could say that for a fact, but he was definitely paying for a room here at the Inn and not to mention for food. Where was he getting income?

 Pressing against his chest, she started to hook the tie. Staring down at her, he took her hand and kissed it.

 “We’ll…finish later, I hope?”

 Eh? Jill blushed, pouting, “I-If we do, it can’t be here. I don’t want people walking in just because.” He grinned, buttoning his coat, “Deal. Almost makes this night worth it.” With a pout, she swatted at him, “Look, my papa can be a little…concerned but this night should go well. I know he’ll like you.” “Oh, I hope so” he smiled softly.

 …What? He didn’t seem concerned about meeting her father at all. What was the matter then? Questioning if he had other concerns, he simply sighed. “Let’s…just get this nightmare over with.”

 What?

 ____________________________________________

 Yagami Yamada usually didn’t deign to come to these sorts of events. After all these years, he still felt uncomfortable around the affluent even being in their league now. It was less important for him to ‘schmooze’ being a doctor but for his wife, this was a part of her business. For her, he sucked it up.

 Well, tonight there were other reasons he was attending.

 Ask him when she was his little princess if he thought she wasn’t on track to find a goal she loved and Yamada would have declared the idea a lie. No, God, not everyone knew what they were going to do, not by a longshot, especially at eighteen. He’d simply been very lucky. Alas, being he worked odd jobs and even his wealthy wife had worked at Jill’s age, he expected at least that much.

 Jill had been working at a salon or something during her last year of high school but, strangely, quit once school was over and had been doing pretty much absolutely nothing. Her twin brother had literally tried the exact same thing far earlier in his school career by dropping out in his freshman year. It took Yamada and Dana cutting off his allowance and explaining that if he weren’t at school, they weren’t funding him goofing off. Tony came full circle, thankfully, but Jill ought to have known they couldn’t look like hypocrites and let her get away with it…

 All the same, he’d been the only one who really, really hadn’t wanted his only daughter to go and run this farm. It sounded good in theory but his children were city kids. He was a city kid. Sending her to farm just seemed like a punishment. Not to mention, being that she was completely on her own? She had access to ‘boy troubles’ and they’d found her quickly.

 Yamada lightly leered as he sipped a glass of white wine, standing in the large banquet room of the Izumi estate. He had gotten to spend some time with Jill a while back and he was happy she was coming. That was, until Tony advised it was so he could meet her boyfriend.

 Boyfriend. He guessed he’d been a boyfriend once. Dana and his situation was endlessly more complicated though and he didn’t have to deal with protective fathers. Just terrible ones. Now though, he was going to have to…assess someone and see if they were right for his only daughter. Squeezing the bridge of his nose, he shook his head. Dana had been speaking with someone before she strolled over and took his arm.

 “Any sign of her yet?”

 “Not yet…”

 “I’m sure he’s a perfectly charming young gentleman” she assured, petting her silver dress down.

 Yamada snorted, “He better be.”

 Dana smirked at him before smiling somewhat, looking out at the crowd. Yamada followed her gaze and found she’d finally tracked down the host of this event and the only other reason Yamada felt okay being here. Izumi Craig was shaking hands with someone, a bored blonde woman on his arm.

 “He’s still with her” Dana sang lightly under her breath, taking a sip of her sauvignon blanc.

 “So it seems” Yamada murmured. Yamada looked up when the rest of their children came over, dressed in their custom Yagada suits of varying hues. Koji, adorned all in black, sighed. “She’s late…”

 “Apparently” grunted Tony, wearing navy with a black undershirt and blue tie.

 Before Yamada could remark, Craig had fast stepped beside them, a very forced smile on his face as he folded his hands behind his back. Yamada couldn’t help smirk at him. He met Izumi Craig back when they were in college, his first real encounter with a half-American, half-Japanese man like himself. Craig had always been rich but was laid back and friendly. Somehow, he dabbled into politics with this type of disposition and was well-received by his base supporters. They’d been friends for a long time and Yamada had come to know him quite well in over two decades.

 “You have terrible taste in women, Craig” Yamada chastised. “Yamada” Craig said through his smile, “She’s a robot, she can hear everything.” It may have been a little misstated to say Craig had ‘terrible’ taste in women. He just did not choose women that were compatible. He tended to hover to very curt, blunt, stubborn women. The traits in and of themselves weren’t bad just Craig required some understanding and his significant others were not even slightly giving on that front.

 The woman in question came over, giving them all looks. She was a young looking woman of model proportions with long blond hair and ocean blue eyes. Craig continued to smile like someone with a knife at his back. “Katherina, you remember my good friend, Yagami Yamada, and his wife, Dana.” “Oh yes…Yagada, correct?” Katherina drawled, side-eying Dana. Dana smiled though her eyes narrowed, “Yes. Charmed.” His wife was like a dagger ready for the jugular so Yamada quickly smiled at Koji, hoping the more perceptive of his sons noticed his ‘mayday’ signal. This would get ugly if allowed to advance. His child of darkness blinked languidly, drinking what appeared to be scotch, “Mama, you should go speak with DeLoren La Vie about that collaboration you were talking about before someone else jumps on. She just walked in.” Thank God, his wife’s attention quickly shifted when the acclaimed model and fashion designer entered, walking over without another word. Thank goodness Koji was always quick on his feet. Craig also exhaled and looked to Yamada, “W-Well, c’mon, Yamada, if I can’t convince you to sample my aged bourbon, let’s get another glass of wine.”

 Yamada groaned, “I’d love to but I have to stay somewhat sober. My daughter is bringing a man to this event for me to meet.”

 “Jill?” Craig echoed, shocked, “A boyfriend? With you and these sentinels?”

 “Yes” he sighed.

 “That’s too bad. I’ve told you for years I have a no-goodnik son I wanted her to meet” Craig snorted.

 Yamada raised a brow, “Oh yea, how is that whole deal going?” Out of the corner of his eye, Yamada noticed Shin, Koji, and Nelly seem consecutively startled. Koji glanced between them, all three of them seeming confused. Hmm?

Before Craig could answer or he could question what his sons had recalled, Shaun nodded toward the entry, “Hey, there’s Jill.”

 They all looked up and Yamada raised a brow. Jill was walking in, yes, but with…Craig’s son?

 …What? Craig looked shocked, “Cliff?”

 There was literally no way. Jill spotted them, waving happily as she almost seemed to be dragging the aforementioned ‘no-goodnik’. “Daddy!”

 “Hello, dear. You look lovely” Yamada smiled, pulling her into his arms.

 Cliff was behind her and staring decisively at his feet. Craig stared before he cleared his throat. “Cliff…this is a surprise.”

 “Mm.”

 Jill pulled away from him to look at Cliff, puzzled, “So you do know Craig-san, Cliff…?” He supposed it was odd but, despite having some fairly closely aged children, Yamada and Craig never actually entertained the idea of their offspring playing together. Really, this was probably the third time Yamada had seen Cliff in all the boy’s twenty years of life. It was no wonder Jill didn’t know how wildly coincidental this was. Cliff himself looked a little irked, drawling, “Yea.” “A-Ah, yes, Jill, Cliff is my oldest child. This is a…wild coincidence” Craig smiled awkwardly. Naturally, Jill was startled. One doesn’t just stumble across their father’s best friend’s son and happen to date them without knowing. Especially after the slight efforts Yamada put in place to make sure they didn’t actually meet given what Craig said about his son. “O-OH. I-I mean, I thought the Izumi part and him being blond, there was a possibility, but…”

 Cliff didn’t say anything but nodded briskly. Katherina looked at him with the same droll expression she gave Dana. “Since you finally have him here, Craig, you should convince him to stay. Then maybe Kira will stop calling you.”

 Oh dear. Craig winced and glowered at the woman, “That’s enough, Katherina. Why don’t you go mingle?”

 She gave him a look before sauntering away. Terrible, terrible taste. Cliff frowned before bowing, “Yagami-san, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard a lot of great things about you from my father and Jill.” “Oh, yes, same” Yamada smiled quickly. Well, terrific. This was certainly a wrench, he was expecting to drill information out of him about his intentions and now he ended up being his friend’s kid.

 Tony leered, quiet, as he probably didn’t suspect this either. Cliff forced a smile, seeming peaked, “Excuse me a moment. I’ll go get you something to drink, Jill…”

 “A-All right.” He quickly escaped and Jill looked to Yamada and Craig, confused, “…I thought you said Craig-san’s son was in school, that’s mostly why I dismissed the possibility.” Rubbing his forehead, Craig smiled weakly, “He…was in school. I suppose it wasn’t exactly his cup of tea. U-Um, he’s a good boy though, promise. I was just telling your dad I always said you two should meet.” “I always said ‘no’” Yamada tacked on. Jill smirked some at him, “Really, papa? He is a good person.” “Oh yea?” Tony interjected, crossing his arms, “What does he do?” “Do?” “You know, you’re working the farm. What does he do?” Mayday again. Jill appeared cross, “I don’t know. I’m sure he does something though, he always has food and shelter.” Tugging his cufflinks, Yamada glanced to Craig knowingly and the man had that crazy politician smile again. “Haha, yes. Excuse me a moment, I’ll be right back.” Craig made his way to the general vicinity of the drinks and Yamada sighed faintly. While he was a trifle more comfortable given the relation, he knew Cliff wasn’t without his issues. It was just where that ‘understanding’ issue of Craig’s significant others showed through the most.

 ____________________________________________

 Cliff figured his father would come over and he just kept his gaze straight forward as he retrieved some wine, smiling somewhat at one of the servants who gushed that he was looking well. His father, on the other hand, looked aggravated, “Cliff, are you actually working? Or are you still living off the money I sent you before you dropped out of college?”

 “Is that really your business?” Craig threw his hands up, clearly exasperated, “I don’t understand you. You must have seen what I was talking about to know you have a good woman and an opportunity to really flourish with her!”

 Rolling his eyes, Cliff muttered, “Maybe. I’ll be fine, thanks.”

 “Can we talk about this or are you still going to be spoiled out of control?” The hell. Cliff glared hotly, “I don’t know why it’s ‘spoiled’ to expect my father to not abandon his wife and children to the slums and not go off and marry a Russian model to forget all about us.”

Craig’s eyes narrowed and Cliff was growing angry when the man directed him to a corner he used to recall he had a Tonka car in. That was before they got kicked to the curb to Wasaba. “Cliff, I am sick of this.” “Oh, are you?” “Yea, I am” Craig countered coolly, “You’re old enough to be using some deductive skills there, son, but I’ll help you out this once. Do you recall that, until you were around seven, that we lived in East Wasaba?” … “Well, yea, I don’t know what the deal with that was--” “Yea, you don’t. And you don’t know that I was getting robbed, your mother was getting robbed, and I felt my children were at risk so I pleaded with your mother to come here to raise you all. That’s probably where you’re getting a little puzzled, son.” Cliff leered, ready to demand why he felt like he needed to give a recap of everything he lived. “You lived here and got a little spoiled with your circumstances up until you were fifteen, correct, son?” “Yes, and--” “And you weren’t working, you weren’t looking for a career path, and you were having a great time partying and having fun with your school friends.” Ugh. “Now you sound like mom.” “Bingo.” …What? “Cliff, your mom was the reason we lived in East Wasaba until you were seven. She has a deep-rooted resentment against all this, all the…wealth. And when she saw you, footloose and fancy free, at the age of fifteen, she demanded that I take you, Nyoko, and Kyoko back to East Wasaba. I refused, especially because of your baby sister. We weren’t in the bad area of East Wasaba but that meant that the ones that were came looking for us. That’s not what I wanted.” “…What are you trying to say?” “I’m trying to say, Cliff, is that under no circumstances would I be divorced from your mother right now. You can check public records, you can see who issued those dissolution papers, no matter what she told you. It wasn’t me, it was her. And she wanted full custody of you three and I didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in Hell. So, if you’re mad at anyone for pulling you out of your cushy life, be mad at her.”

Craig came a bit closer, clearly a bit annoyed about this. “She moved you, Nyoko, and Kyoko into the worst part of East Wasaba to give you a life lesson. I can show you piles of returned child support checks she refused to cash from me. And whatever nonsense she rattled on about me wanting a ‘rich wife’ and leaving her, or cheating on her because she wasn’t rich, she must have mutated from me wanting my children to have the best in life and being safe.” Cliff stared at him. He really…wanted to say that all sounded like bull. Like, he really, really wanted to.

 …Except, yes, the second they were out of here and back in Wasaba, his mother essentially did tell him to get a job or else. He recalled pleading with her that he wanted to continue school but she pretty much refused him. And, he couldn’t deny that he had called his father to beg him to either pay for his schooling or let him come back. Seeing as with the custody agreement the latter was out of the question, his dad had directly paid the East Wasaba High School so he could continue his education. Cliff’s mother…had been livid about that for no good damn reason.

 …What the hell? “W-Well, why didn’t you fight for us then?” “Cliff, that is my main offense in all this. I just looked at how the law was stacked and I knew it wasn’t going to look good for me. Plus, I’m a politician? A judge would say I didn’t have the time to domestically raise a child. And maybe I didn’t but you are right, I could have tried. At the very least, when…when I saw your mother was dead serious, I could have come back and tried to protect you all. I just…didn’t really see where it would have done any good.” Sucking his cheek, he glared around. “…So, I’m just supposed to be okay? I had to go to school and work eight hour jobs, dad. I went to school for eight hours and I turned around and worked for eight hours because-because she just didn’t like seeing me not have to work? Is that it?” “Cliff…” “I don’t ever want to work again, you understand? Fuck, you’re right, this makes perfect sense because that’s exactly what mom wants: us to work ourselves to death for the rest of our lives. She’s done it to Nyoko and she’ll probably do it to Kyoko too. But I’m just supposed to accept that?” “Son” Craig groaned, dragging his hands down his face, “I understand, all right? And I will give you another loan so you can be away from your mother. But at the end of the day, even though I inherited this place, I still go to work. And I will tell you right now, Cliff, even though Jill had to come across the ocean to have a position, I know for a fact that she works her ass off. It’s the system and we have to work with it.” …Ugh. Craig’s eyes closed some, directing his head back toward the crowd. “Let’s get back. Just think about it, Cliff.” Sure. He followed back toward where Jill was chatting with her brothers and felt ill. When he turned eighteen, he shocked and probably disappointed his mother deeply when he said he wanted to go to college. In reality, he just needed to get out of her domain so he could have a damn break. He, begrudgingly, asked his dad to pay his tuition again so he could study communications. And, somehow, he guessed he was such a spoiled brat he neglected to realize his dad did so without question and gave him a hefty allowance.

 Unfortunately, now thinking about it, his father was right. If Cliff or Nyoko asked the man for something that wouldn’t have directly put money in their hands, he could do it. Cliff and Nyoko were now able to get money from him because they had their own accounts. Terrific. Their mother would rather see them work to the bone to put food on the table than have a father that could provide it. Great.

 It was still plausible his father cheated on his mother. As he’d discussed with Kai, rumors sprinkled around that his dad was sleeping around with someone else. That could have been her final straw and his dad was still trying to cover. Except, yea, his version also sounded way too plausible. This was a nightmare.

 Jill turned and smiled at him when he came back to her side. And his dad was also right, he’d heard about the Yagami family even outside of the man’s glowing references. They worked and they worked hard. Around three years ago, her older brother surmounted death on a freak accident while overseas but still was a member of the military and the police when he didn’t even need to. Jill worked really hard on the farm, even when it was something she didn’t want to do. And Cliff…refused to work. …His dad would probably give him a substantial loan. Not even a loan, a gift. But fact of the matter was he owed Doug enough that he’d be back in the hole immediately. He…had no choice. “Cliff, why don’t you show Jill your old room?” Craig suggested, handing Jill’s dad a glass of wine. He had an old room still? Jill gushed, “Oh, I do wanna see!” Cliff smiled mostly for her and led her up the stairs, noting most of her brothers had dispersed to mingle but Tony was still hovering, irritated. Weird…he really had thought the older ones were going to be the issue. It did honest to God surprise him to see all of their family pictures still up on the wall. The ones of him and his siblings anyway. He guessed even if his dad admitted he’d still be married to his mom, the man had to be angry with her. How does someone not even allow a willing participant to support their children? The cheating…it was the only thing that made sense. Such a flash from the past. He entered his bedroom which was neat. Dusted, and otherwise the exact same. The Green Day poster he had was still up on the wall and the Gamecube was still settled under his television. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he felt angry again. All they left with were some clothes. Mom had packed them… “This is cute” Jill complimented, sitting on his bed, “I wonder how we missed each other. I mean, I know you’re in the old money end but I had a friend at least two houses down.” Cliff sat beside her, wondering. He had actually crossed Kai only once or twice and his family home was like two blocks over. “…Guess we weren’t looking for one another?” “Maybe” she chuckled, rubbing his hand. “That, and when my parents divorced, I moved to East Wasaba with my mom and sisters when I was fifteen” he muttered.

 “Oh” she murmured.

 Gripping her fingers, he pursed his lips. “…Can I tell you something, Jill? After Kai, I guess I can tell what kind of guy you’re expecting.” “What?” “…So my mom, she’s…she’s old school, you know? Like, if you have time on your hands, you shouldn’t. You should be working. So, when we left here, she forced me to take a job to ‘support the family’. While she worked part-time, she made sure to make me the breadwinner because that’s what she expected. I…was under the impression my dad wasn’t supporting us but he made a good point tonight that my mother would never accept exorbitance. It…it doesn’t make character.”

Jill tilted her head as he swallowed, “I wanted to finish school. Like, my mom didn’t finish high school and now she’s only qualified for odd jobs. I at least thought that far ahead, that while labor jobs are necessary, I could be at least be working the white-collar jobs and making enough to support everyone. But…even though my dad paid for school, didn’t mean I didn’t have to work a full-time job.” “Full-time? You mean to say you went to school for eight hours then went to work for eight hours?” Jill gawked.

He nodded grimly, “I was so tired on my two days off, I didn’t even feel like doing anything. I…I had a part of my childhood taken from me and…to be honest, Jill? When I got to college, I got a lot of freedom and I was almost instantly on academic probation so I dropped out and have been enjoying that freedom ever since.” Jill groaned, “…So you don’t work.” “I can barely stomach the idea.” “I understand that though, Cliff” Jill assured. He shook his head, “…I don’t think you can, Jill. I heard about your dad, he’s been working since he was eleven, did not have days off, and worked longer to boot. And he’s never actually stopped. And your mother works and your brother works and your other brothers will and you do. Kai is also old money and works. You know the system has worked it out that way that you have to but I’m…I’m not there yet.” His girlfriend gave him a look, “…So how are you affording rent and food then, Cliff?” “…Kind of asking Doug to let me skim and pay it when I can and taking all my meals by tacking it on that bill?” Cliff groaned, burying his face in his hands. Jill shook her head, glancing off, “…You’re going to have to work, Cliff, but…there’s no need for you to keep racking up that bill. You can stay at the farm until you find what you want to do.” …Eh? Cliff’s eyes widened, shocked, “W-What?” “You know that there is a job you can love, right? That’s why my papa is able to still work after all this time too, Cliff, he loves his job. And, even if you don’t love it, well…find something you can tolerate and respect.” “Y-Yea, of course” he whispered, nervous, “But…I meant more the living with you thing?” “Oh yea. Well, just think of it as us being roommates. There are other rooms you can stay in until…well, I’m sure we’ll get comfortable sharing eventually” she flustered.

 Oh, right. Kneading his hands, he smiled shyly, “Th-That would be great. And maybe the inspiration I need because I already feel like a mooch.” She snickered and kissed his cheek, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. C’mon, let’s go back to the party.” He followed her, a little…relieved. And, when he saw his father, though he was still suspicious of the man having angered his mother into her leaving him, he even felt a little better about him too. Yagami Yamada patted his shoulder near the end of the night, smiling, perhaps on his third glass of wine. “I am relieved that you’re Craig’s son and I know where you’re coming from. But you’re still with my only princess and I swear to the Earth and above I will destroy you if you harm a hair on her head. We understand?” Eep. “Y-Yes, sir.”

That was it though. The brothers were still side-eying him suspiciously, especially Tony, but didn’t make any…additional threats. Her mother was very laid back in comparison. It…wasn’t that bad an evening, he thought, pouring his fifth glass of scotch.

 Maybe this wasn’t such a nightmare.

 ____________________________________________

 Cliff was staggering a bit as they arrived back in Mineral Town, having just made the last ferry. Tony was very reluctant to let Jill leave but conceded, advising her to be careful. Always the worrier.

 She was admittedly a little distracted by Cliff but Koji approached her to tell her, in December, he was going to be finished with college. Now he wasn’t certain if he wanted to start his masters or just start to work. She wasn’t sure what to advise him, she…was just struggling to find her own way. “Whatever it is, nii-san, I know you’ll do what’s best for you.”

 She spoke more with Cliff on their way over and advised he should give the money his dad gave to Doug and check out tonight. He agreed.

 …Was this a mistake though? They’d only really been together for almost two months.

 But, then, they’d been friends longer and her friend needed her. So, she followed him back up the steps of the old Inn. He was able to pack well despite seeming a little drunk. Probably because he didn’t actually have that many things, everything fitting into two suitcases. They came back down the steps and Doug was getting ready to call it a night, the redhead stretching. He raised a brow at them, probably having heard from his daughter they were about to screw around some hours ago. Cliff counted out thousands of g’s, sighing, “Hey Doug, here’s your money. I’m, uh, checking out now.” “Oh. You heading back?” “No, Jill’s letting me room at the farm for now until I can find a job.” Doug gave him a look. It wasn’t a disapproving look either, it was more like ‘lucky dog’. Men.

 Hugging herself in the brisk Autumn night, she smiled at all the colorful leaves, honestly a little taken with how the town looked. The stars were so much clearer here than the city. When they got to the door, Cliff was already equipped with a key to enter, tugging his bag up the steps of the porch. Smiling some when he entered, he leaned down and gave her a kiss. “Thanks again for this, Jill.” “Of course” she blushed, toeing off her shoes, “U-Um, it’s been a long night so why don’t you just sleep with me until I get your room prepared tomorrow?” Cliff nodded, stretching, “Yea, I’m pretty sleepy…” While Koji of all people shouldn’t have been addressing other people’s drinking habits given he used to walk around drinking almost a hundred percent alcohol from the bottle, he had pulled her aside to remark that Cliff was knocking them back pretty quick there. She had made the remark about his habits but Koji shook his head. “Unless I wanna get fucked up fast, I pace myself. I don’t drink a whole bottle in twenty minutes.” …Perhaps. She went to the bathroom and took off her dress, hanging it up and putting on her pajamas. Starting to walk out of the room, she paused. Well…maybe…not pajamas? She did have this blue lacy thing she’d tried on that she bought some months ago that might be cute…cute though? She was going to sleep.

 However, she did strip down and put it on. While she didn’t have Popuri’s breasts, she did notice that they were actually pretty large. She’d not really thought much about it, really, until some of her mom’s friends at the party commented on how they had very similar body shapes. Her mom was very curvaceous and if she was anywhere near that…

 Meh, it didn’t matter. Her body was what it was and it was…well, it was kind of horny and curious right now. Going to the door, she called softly, “Cliff? Are you out there?” No reply. Heart racing, she opened the door, wondering if this was going to be like one of those soap opera moments where she ‘surprised’ her beau.

 Of course not. Cliff was stretched across not her side of the bed, already snoring, stripped down to just his Armani pants. Sleeping in Armani pants. Her mom would hate him.

 Disappointed, Jill meandered over and pulled the blanket from underneath him to cover him up in the cold air. Kissing his temple, she wished him ‘sweet dreams’ and lied down herself. Oh well, Jill, the opportunity was definitely available any time now.

 She was living with her first boyfriend.

 ____________________________________________

 …Holy shit. Izumi Cliff stared, his eyes glued wide open, at the absolute goddess beside him who was fast asleep. What the hell? He…remembered they got home some time, he checked out at some point from the Inn, packed his things, and came here. After that, he had no idea what would put him beside Jill in lingerie in the same bed. He licked his lips, gnawing the bottom one when she turned on her back, her hands above her head. Grazing his eyes across what was showing of her body, a part of himself felt like an idiot because it looked like he missed out last night. Getting up, he went to brush his teeth after using the bathroom. Splashing water against his face, he stared at himself in the mirror. His skin was a little sallow lately… Cliff gave his cheeks a good slap and wandered back to the bedroom. He paused when he found Jill sitting up, stretching, “Mm, morning, Cliff.” Holy shit, she was completely naked under that thing. “…Morning, baby. I, uh, I’m kind of kicking myself because it looked like you had plans for me last night that I would have very much wanted to be a part of.” Blushing, she pouted at him, “Well, I’m sure you were tired.” Smiling a bit wickedly, he wandered toward her and leaned down to kiss her lips. Pulling away, he nipped at her jaw, “I’m not tired now…” “I have to go feed my animals and water my crops now” she stuck out her tongue, standing, “…We have time now.” “Definitely” he smiled.

 Watching her saunter away, Cliff stretched back across the bed.

 …No, dummy. This. This was where he could not be just lounging and relaxing. He’d look like the scum of the Earth just lying here while his girlfriend got up at seven in the morning to work.

 Jill wandered out in her flannel shirt and overalls with a thicker overcoat, humming as she skipped out of the door. He gazed after her absently. And happily at that. Putting on some jeans and a t-shirt, he went to the kitchen and started to make her breakfast. An omelet and rice, he nodded, warming the kettle for tea or coffee. For today, he…he could at least do this much.

 After about an hour, Jill came back in, shivering a bit. He set the plates on the table, wondering if she’d be the type of person to scoff at him for being the one making breakfast. Instead, she smiled happily, “Oh, thank you, baby, I’m starving.” Relieved, he sat across from her and smiled as well. “Well, I hope you like it. It’s been a while since I cooked for anyone else.” Ah, his enigma girlfriend. They were from affluence, their breakfasts were supposed to be complicated and extravagant. She ate omelet rice like it was the best thing ever. He…was curious. “Can I be honest about some more stuff with you, Jill?” “I always want honesty, sweetie. What’s up?” Twiddling his fingers, he cleared his throat, “Um, so, I…I got really spoiled when we moved to my grandparent’s old house, y’know? Like, we had cooks and maids and this gigantic mansion and it was just…it was great. I could sense it from Kai a little bit, you know? That he’s a rich kid. And if my aversion to work isn’t a sign, I am a former rich kid. But you? You…you freakin’ came from a big ass mansion to a tiny farmhouse at ease. You’re so humble and laidback too. Like…I find that strange.” Jill picked up her coffee, blinking at him, “My papa is from Wasaba. My mom is the rich one from Wensi but she isn’t the type that stresses over the glitz and glamour. She wanted to be able to have what she wanted and do what she wanted. They’re very down to Earth. We never had maids or cooks or butlers. My brothers made me breakfast up until I could make it for them too. We did our own cleaning—except the floors, my dad always hired someone since we didn’t do well with the whole shoe removal thing before we enter the house. So, I guess, while I did have an ‘aversion’ to coming here for other reasons, the idea of a task never bothered me.” Mm… “But, isn’t that one reason you’re here? You couldn’t really find anything?” She groaned, “Yea. But it wasn’t a dislike of doing anything, it was just that I couldn’t come up with anything. There’s so many options that my privileged family can help me to attain that I got a little lost.” “…And now?” “Still no idea” she laughed, “I bet it’s because I’m creatively inclined. I want to write and do art but that doesn’t come off very stable.” “But I bet you’d be great at it” Cliff encouraged.

 “Maybe…” Reaching out and kissing her hands, he winked, “How about it? We can be hippies in a little cottage, painting pictures and doing pottery with our little weed garden in the back.” Jill snickered, swatting at him, “I’ll leave those extracurriculars to my brothers. Besides, are you even into pottery?” “I mean, I would definitely not be our breadwinner with my asymmetrical masterpieces but--” With another laugh, she stood, “Well, we’ll keep that on the backburner. I’m going to go take a shower.” …Damn, he took a shower before he started breakfast. “O-Oh, okay. Want me to wash your back?” “Down, boy, you’ve already got enough brownie points from breakfast” she winked, going into the bedroom.

 Oh, man. Almost skipping to the bedroom after he heard the bathroom door close, he sat patiently on the bed. Maybe he was just taking it out of context though, she could have just been flirty. About to go see what Popuri was up to, he looked up when the bathroom door opened. Like this morning, he gaped lightly when she appeared with a towel wrapped around her, her hair still a bit damp. She gazed at him shyly, “Um, I think you’ve done it before, Cliff, but I-I’m a little nervous.” Swallowing the lump in his throat, Cliff inhaled when she dropped the towel, revealing just this…crazy level of perfection he couldn’t even fathom. ‘Perfection’ was subjective but to this subject, he was looking at it. Aroused already, he stood, planting his hands on her naked hips. “…I will be absolutely gentle and if you feel you don’t want to, just…just tell me, okay? I can stop.” Hugging her to his body, Cliff kissed her, lifting her the small few feet away to lie her in bed. Jill flustered, rasping when he nipped along her jaw, “Y-You have condoms, right?” “Mmm…” Pulling away was agony as he went to his bag to fish them out of a case he had. He hadn’t had reason to use them here but…well, better safe than sorry. Tugging off his shirt, he climbed on top of her, returning to his task at ease. She flushed as he kissed down her chest, wrapping his tongue around her nipple. Fuck, he was hard, he thought hazily, clumsily reaching down to undo the button in his jeans. Jill looked down almost curiously and he smirked. “Sorry if it’s a little…unimpressive.” “I wouldn’t really know” she joked. She gasped, when he reached between her legs, gingerly fingering around her clit. He whispered into her ear, “Am I hurting you?” “N-No” she mumbled, “J-Just not used to someone else doing this.” Grinning, he purred, “You should let me watch sometimes to see if I’ve got it down…” “Perv.” He bit his lip, finding she was getting wetter and…he fumbled for the condom, rolling it over his cock. Jill looked briefly panicked but he stroked her hair. “I’ll pull out when you need me to, just let me know.” She closed her eyes but nodded. Kissing her softly again, he pushed inside and…

 “A-Ah” she choked, clenching his shoulders. “D-Does it hurt?” he sputtered. “N-No.” When he was sure she wasn’t pulling his leg, he started to…thrust, in and out, rolling his hips against her. Jill moaned, hugging his neck tightly, her ankles crossed at his back. Oh man, hold on Cliff, let…let her get off first…

His eyes rolled back, groaning as the minutes ticked by. Her first time, Cliff. Don’t let this be…a…dis…

 “Nnn” he groaned loudly. Something like ‘ecstasy’ came to mind. Cliff was about ready to throw in the towel, not sure how he was holding it together for this long, when Jill started to shiver, her head falling back against her pillow. “A-Ah! Ah!” Oh, perfect, he trembled, pleased as they both came. Jill was shaking, covering her face as he pulled out, resting on his back beside her. Taking the condom off, he looked to her as her chest heaved, a pretty glisten of sweat all over her body.

 “You all right, baby?” he asked, reaching out to stroke her hair. Jill didn’t respond at first but nodded, “Y-Yes.” “Did I…did I hurt you?” “No.” Brows furrowing, he sat up on his side. She opened her crystal blue eyes, smoothing her hair back, “…No, it was-it felt good. Like, really good. Like, I kind of get why my brothers are master manwhores.” Cliff chuckled huskily, kissing her, “Good, I was worried…” Turning on her side, she hugged his waist and closed her eyes. “Let’s just lie in bed today…” “Oh my God, yes” Cliff breathed contently.

She giggled and after a few minutes went to sleep, her jaw slackening a bit.

 His…dad was right. This wasn’t anything he needed to fool around and mess up. This…this was good.

 He needed to make sure he kept it that way.

 ____________________________________________

 “Oh my God, you did it?” Yagami Jill sighed, sitting on the couch with Yamachi Popuri, drinking tea. Cliff had run off to do something or the other so she called and told the woman about…it. Instead, she came over to hear the ‘good news’. “Yes, we have…screwed, as you say.”

 Popuri smiled smugly, “Was he good?” “I mean…after we woke up, we did it like two more times. He’s pretty good for me not having a point of comparison” Jill sighed airily.

“Wish you’d done it with Kai now?” Jill gawked, aghast, “What? No! Well…I mean, when we were pseudo-dating, at the time, it might have been interesting but it hasn’t crossed my mind since I’ve been with Cliff.” Popuri nodded, blowing into her mug, “Think Cliff is ‘the one’?” Oh. “I…I do like him a lot but it seems kind of soon to call something like that. Like, my parents have had hella luck making that commitment at eighteen but it seems impractical nowadays.” Smiling, Popuri suddenly twirled the half-heart necklace around her fingers. “You know, that reminds me. I just remembered your brother gave this to me as a promise ring type of thing. He asked me to marry him when we were ten. Things were so innocent then.” Jill just smiled, having not informed the woman that Koji had taken that promise VERY seriously up until he found out she, once upon a time, had a boyfriend. Then, disillusioned, he went into full blown slut mode. “Haha, yea, he’s, uh, something. So, any men you’re interested in?” “In this town? No way” Popuri’s nose wrinkled, “Any guy here is someone I would have grown up with. Any guy I’ve dated has been from outside of here.”

“A-Ah.” With a smirk, Popuri rolled her eyes around, “Of course, now you’ve got me realizing I have had a hell of a dry spell.” “Well, maybe someone new will pop up, just for you” Jill assured. “It’d be nice…” Popuri sighed. Jill looked up when the door opened and Cliff…sauntered in.

 While she’d only known him for almost a year now, she had started to notice his little…swagger when he was drinking. Just why on Earth had he gone to get a drink? Granted, it was five o’clock, it was just…odd that that was his ‘something to do real fast’. He smiled at her, leaning over and kissing her cheek. “Hey, babe.” “Hey…what’s going on?” she asked slowly. “Hmm? Nothing? Oh, hey, Po.” Popuri nodded at him as he wandered into the kitchen, “What do you want for dinner, Jill?” “Um…whatever you like. I can make it since you made breakfast.” “No way, I got it. You guys relax.” …Okay, maybe he just went to have a drink. That…that wasn’t unusual. Her brothers had LOTS of drinks, after all. Reassuring herself, she turned back to Popuri to resume their conversation. The woman’s red eyes had narrowed some in Cliff’s direction. There…was a certain level of knowing behind the orbs and Jill didn’t know how to take that. “Popuri?” “Hmm?” “Is something wrong?” “Oh, no. Don’t mind me” Popuri blinked, looking back to her.

 …Hmm.

 Jill hummed, smiling as she brushed her personally favorite cow, Viola. She was always so calm and peaceful and didn’t give her a fit with the milking. Looking around, she snuck the cow a treat, whispering to her, “Our secret.” As if aware this needed to be a silent transaction, Viola ate it swiftly and with minimal noise. So cute. Throwing the blanket back over Viola’s back, having purchased blankets for all of her livestock, Jill nodded at her completed work. Good. Heading back out into the November air, Jill shivered. It was a little colder on this island than it was in the city which she found crazy. Alas, they were closely surrounded by water so it was mostly that ocean breeze, she assumed. It definitely made her run faster into her house, that was for sure. Shutting the door quickly behind her, Jill looked around. A fire was blazing and she smelled herbs. She smiled and took off her coat, hanging it on the rack by the door. “Cliff?” “Hey, welcome back, baby” Cliff called.

 Walking into her kitchen, she found her boyfriend had prepared a pot of chicken noodle soup. He was scooping it into one of the striped bowls her sister-in-law, Lyla, sent from her store and preparing a cup of tea. Giving her a kiss, Cliff grinned, “Let’s get you warmed up there, lady. I have a few ways I can think of.” She smirked and smacked his arm, thanking him as he set the bowl on the table in her spot. “Cliff, I hate to break your heart but I’m on the days when my uterus reminds me I don’t have an inhabitant.” “Damn!”

The sex was good. Like, spectacularly good. For the last month and a half, he was easing her into…new experiences. Recently, though she had been horrified by the very thought, he went…well, South on her. It was nice and though she did not have the expertise, she was slowly learning to return the favor. He was so patient with her. She wasn’t really comfortable entertaining a blowjob as an idea when she was younger and here she was trying to pull one off. Cliff would just laugh and say she was being too hard on herself. He…he never did get his own room. Just…there was something suspicious she just couldn’t quite put her finger on about him.

 Sipping her broth from the large spoon, she looked up with a frown when there was a knock at the door. Perhaps Popuri. Cliff jumped up from his place, wiping his lips, “I got it.” “Thanks, sweetie.” He opened the door…and she was a little shocked to see one Yagami Koji standing there with a duffel bag.

 Sirens. Like the sirens from Kill Bill? Those were erupting in her head as her overprotective older brother stared absently at Cliff, “…Is there a particular reason you’re over here at ten in the morning?” “U-Uh--” “L-Lay off, Koji. What are you doing here?” Jill stammered, standing. Cliff backed away to allow Koji in. That was all it took. Jill could only watch with dread as Koji’s dark eyes locked onto everything in the room for analysis. It was going to be a quick study because there was very little reason for Cliff’s jeans to be on the floor in front of the couch. “Koji, Cliff is living with me, okay? I’m helping him out during a tough time, that is all” she volunteered.

“Oh-ho, I doubt that ‘that’s all’ in any way, imoto” Koji said dryly, giving Cliff a look, “…I said I gave my blessing and I try not to backtrack on my word. Internally, I am ready to rip your tongue out of your mouth but I am going to be a man of my word.” Shaking her head as Cliff smiled nervously, Jill could tell Koji really was barely holding it together. “Koji…what are you doing here?” He hugged her, kissing the top of her head, “Well, I might need a little getaway to figure out my life too.” Eh? “O-Oh? I thought you decided on grad school? And I thought you didn’t graduate until December.” “I don’t graduate until December but I took finals last week. And I’m struggling, really. I’m being pulled in two different directions” Koji shrugged. So… “So…you want to stay here?” Koji blinked languidly, “Well, yea, prior to me finding out about the shacking up deal. I can go stay at the Inn, it’s no biggy.” “W-Well, no” she blurted, “J-Just, what was wrong with your apartment?” “Keiba and Domon won’t be done until Spring, early Summer. And it’s no use in me sticking around, the school doesn’t offer the business management program I want. Also, I get very distracted in a college setting, capiche?”

Leering, Jill drawled, “So you can’t stay there because you’ll be partying instead of thinking about your future.” “I’ll think about it, sure, but I’ll be splitting my thoughts” Koji shrugged.

 Cliff was giving her a frantic look, like, was she really going to let her crazy older brother move in? “Koji…I have a boyfriend…” “Don’t remind me.” “And he is going to be in this house” Jill continued, “I am going to need you to accept that. And not threaten him just because you feel like it. Please.” Koji rolled his eyes, “I will not make his life a living hell, promise.” Staring at her brother, she groaned, “Fine. Let’s put you in a room upstairs.” He followed her up the stairs and stared around, “…It looks so much different as an adult.” Jill smiled, “You’re really the only one that visited when you were old enough to remember. What’s different?” “I dunno…just seems so much more empty now” he murmured. She frowned, walking into the room nearest the bathroom, “But wasn’t grandpapa always on his own?” “I guess that was the interesting thing about him, he somehow always made it feel like this place was lived in” Koji mused, stuffing his hands into his pocket, “And no offense to you, I mean, you have the main bedroom on the first floor so…” ‘Mayday’, she thought dryly as apparently more gears turned in his head. “…He’s sleeping with you, isn’t he?” “Koji--” He shook his head, squeezing the bridge of his nose, “…I am going to work through this, Jill. As long as you tell me everything is going well, I am going to make it.” “It is.” “Okay.” Snickering, she hugged his waist, looking up at him, “I know you’re not but I am honestly pleased and shocked at your restraint.” “Yea…you sure you don’t like women? I like women.” “And boy, do you” she stuck out her tongue, “I would advise against going playboy mode in this town, Koji, people talk.” Koji snorted, rubbing her shoulder, “And when the hell has that stopped me? No, I’m not going ‘playboy’ mode because I need to focus on my game plan and I doubt there’s one woman here that will catch my interest.” …Right. He yawned, snatching sheets from the bed, “These are probably ancient so I brought some with me. You go on back and reassure your ‘boyfriend’ I won’t kill him. I’ll tidy up.” “You sure?” she pouted. “Positive. And I’ll help you with the farm so I’m not completely mooching here.” She smiled at that, heading for the door, “You don’t have to but I would appreciate it.” …Cliff did make her breakfast and dinner, she accepted. Just…that was pretty much all he did? Apparently, Ann was doing his laundry at the Inn. She still did the basic cleaning and…

 Jill groaned. Koji would go postal if he saw her working in the field for hours and come in to wash dishes, sweep the floors, and do laundry while Cliff cooked one meal and watched television. For every bit of partying Koji did, he made sure laundry and folding was done, homework was done, and cleaning was done. The younger of them acknowledged Koji, Nelly, and Shin as their almost full-time caretakers back home. And here she was, babying an adult when Koji had been doing those things since he was five?

 Cliff was standing in the kitchen, horrified. Probably about the wrong thing too. “Jill, your brother—your brother is going to kill me.” “Yea, I was just thinking about that” she droned.

The blond groaned, burying his face in his hands, “Well…he did say he wouldn’t make my life a living hell.” “Oh no, sweetie” Jill chastised, “You have to get used to Koji talk. That meant he wasn’t going to terrorize you. That was his way of getting around not promising to not threaten you.” “What!” She was…hesitant. “Sweetie, um, you know our…honesty moments?” “Yea…?” Jill sucked her cheek, tilting her head a bit, “Um…like, my nii-san? He’s kind of like my Superman a bit, y’know? Like, he’s always gone above and beyond for me and my siblings, no matter what I say about all his promiscuous habits. We always came…first, you know?” Cliff nodded. Okay. “So…maybe if you can…wash dishes for me, I’d appreciate it?” “What?” he echoed, his brow rising. “Cliff, I know you’re trying to find your place and get past everything that happened but, right now, things aren’t very even between us. You cook and that is terrific and I love it but, you see, there are days when I spend five hours in the field and then have to come in to wash dishes, do laundry, and clean. It just…doesn’t feel very balanced.” He blinked. Oh God. “…I mean, isn’t that what you were doing before I got here?” “…For myself?” He smiled. It was strained though. “So…I’m still mooching in your sight?” “What? No--” “I…I can go back to the Inn, Jill, it’s no big deal” he said quietly. What?? “Cliff, I’m just saying—no, fo-forget it. I-I was just suggesting. You’re right, I’ve…I’ve been doing this all along.” She sat back down to her cold soup and continued to eat, a bit panicked. Jeez, she…she was just asking, he didn’t have to bail. He didn’t say anything but she heard him walk out the door. What…? After thirty minutes, she was washing the dishes silently and groaned, not able to help smirking when Koji came downstairs with his CD player loud enough she heard one of his favorite bands, Korn, playing. Wake the fuck up.

 …Yea. Koji moved his headphones, “Imoto, you think it’s cool if I get a little of this soup? I’m starving.” Jill leered, “Koji, you are my brother, I’m not starving you and you don’t need to ask.” “My girl.” She snickered as he got orange juice out of the refrigerator, pouring himself a glass. “What happened to pretty boy?” Grimacing, she shrugged, “He had to go run an errand.” Koji scooped a cup of soup out before his brows furrowed, “Didn’t you get up at six in the morning to go take care of animals? Go sit down, I’ll get those after I finish eating.” Oh boy. “Nii-san--” She groaned again when he shooed her away. Yea, this…

 This wasn’t going to be good.

 ____________________________________________

  “Nell, I’m going to kill this motherfucker.” “Koji, you’ve been there literally three hours.” Yagami Koji sat outside on the shipping bin near the entry of the farm, smoking a cigarette with his cell phone pressed to his ear. He had been trying to quit lately but nah, he’d need it as long as he was staying here. “Jill thinks she’s being slick, hiding that she’s got a damn mooch living with her” Koji grunted, “He ran off for two hours and came back fucking tipsy. At fucking 12 o’clock in the day, Nelly? On a Thursday?” Nelly groaned, “So…he’s an alcoholic or is he an alcoholic? Because as much as I would like to talk, we’ve not never done that ourselves.” “Yea, that’s why I haven’t killed him yet. I’m not that much of a hypocrite.” “Just try to hold it together, Koji. We both knew this day would come” Nelly droned. “Just I didn’t think it’d be this fast.” Seriously. Koji kneaded his temple after he wedged the phone against his shoulder. “…I am going to have to observe, I can’t help it. And that’s going to be a distraction but maybe once I get a feel for what’s going on, I’ll relax and start focusing on what I need to do.” “…Koji?” Eh? He looked up, confused by the strange voice, before his eyes widened.

 …Oh shit.  She smiled some, tilting her head, “…Koji, right? Or are you the brother? Sorry.” “U-Uh, yea. Um, Nell, I-I’ll call you back” Koji stammered, closing the phone. It was…in the very back of his mind. The very back…that he would see her again. She had the same long thick pink hair, pulled back with a black headband. Currently she had on a long black pea coat and a scarf. What…threw him into a very confused stupor was in the very minute bit of skin he could see, she appeared to be wearing the necklace he gave her. He…he would have thought she’d gone off by now. “Oh, I’m sorry, you probably don’t remember me” she said. “W-What? N-No, no, I-I remember you, Popuri…” She smiled more and…oh shit. “How have you been? Jill talks about you all the time.” Oh, so Jill knew about her and didn’t tell him, huh? Koji smiled, admittedly a little…anxious? “U-Uh, I’ve been well. How about you? And your mom?” “Oh, we’re doing okay. Still about the same from when I last saw you, actually” she murmured. …What? Koji was in disbelief. “…You mean…he’s not…back yet?” She shook her head. What the hell? “I-I’m sorry. That was probably very insensitive.” Popuri waved a hand, “Oh no, it’s just interesting you remember at all.” Well… she smiled again, suddenly pulling the heart necklace out. It…was a bit tarnished but it was still in good condition. “You remember these?” Yea, and he was just glad his was hidden under all his clothes. “Uh, ha, yea.” “I was just telling Jill about how I just remembered it was your ‘engagement’ present to me. I thought about how sweet and innocent that was. I’ve been wearing it for the last few years, actually.” …Oh. “W-Well, um--” “Koji, I thought—oh my God.” He sent a bland look toward the door when Jill popped out to probably chastise him about smoking but instead found her secret talking to him. His sister looked shocked and Popuri was obviously confused, “What’s wrong, Jill?” “U-Uh--” “Popuri and I were just catching up, imoto” Koji smiled, blinking at her. Jill also smiled but he could see an edge of guilt. Meh. He relaxed his face, nodding, “It’s cold out here, Popuri, you should head in. I’ll be in as soon as I finish this cigarette. I still wanna hear about everything.” “Oh, all right” she nodded, smiled, “Are you visiting?” “Uh…vision quest kind of deal. I might be here for a few weeks.” “Oh, cool! Well, I’ll see you inside” Popuri gushed.

 He nodded, watching her walk into the farmhouse before taking a very long puff off his clove cigarette.

 Yea, nope. This wasn’t going to be good.

 ____________________________________________

 End Notes (Mostly for rereaders):

 So this is one of my larger edits, of course. If you remember, Cliff’s dad calls him out in front of Jill for not having money. And, Cliff’s motives in the original were more aligned with the game. However, not that I can’t Youtube it but I have…no recollection of why Cliff wasn’t able to get a job without your help? He was shy and not confident or something. And, if I’d written Cliff that way, it’d make sense, but he’s quite confident and buoyant here. So I came up with this…spoiled thing for now. Generally, this is making him a lot less likeable to me but evolution to come?

 Talk about a squicky smut scene in the original, man. Cliff was not being kosher, yo. But that was like my VERY FIRST smut (or as ye old one’s call it, ‘lemon’) and it definitely needed to go entirely.

 So yea, I know I am ENTIRELY rocking up the Popuri and Koji introduction but it’ll work, promise. And I decided in another story that it makes no sense for Popuri to have to be five years younger than Koji so they’re the same age now.