A few weeks later, Akira was released from the hospital and as he was wheeled out into Hisashi's car, the only people waiting for him were his older brothers and Hanamichi. Kaede's absence stuck out like a sore thumb to him. And when he arrived at the house, there was still no sign of Kaede. After making sure that Akira would be taken care of, Sinichi and Hisashi went away, each needing to attend to their busy schedule. The redhead had stayed, aiding Akira to walk around the house by allowing the taller youth to use him as a crutch as the latter's leg still felt too weak to walk properly. After settling the brunette's things back in his room, Akira finally asked Hanamichi, "Where's Kaede?"

"W-Well, he said he wanted to be alone," Hanamichi said hurriedly to hide any nuances in his voice that said that he was lying.

Akira arched an eyebrow. "Honto?"

After a few minutes of pestering Hanamichi into telling him where Kaede was hiding, Akira and the redhead made their way slowly towards one of the sitting rooms in the mansion where they found the fox-eyed brunette standing at the window with his back to them.

"Yo. Kaede," Akira greeted to his step-brother good-naturedly, "Did you forget about me? How could you treat me like this?"

Kaede did not reply and neither did he turn around. When the brunette did speak, his tone was cold. "I did not ask you to save me."

"Hey," Hanamichi warned, surprisingly placating in Akira's ears.

"If anything like that happens again, let it be," Kaede told Akira, "You do not need to concern yourself."

Akira growled as he disentangled himself from Hanamichi. With angry limps, he approached Kaede and grabbed the younger brunette by the shoulders, spinning the youth around. "You asshole! What d-" Akira stopped, staring at the young man he was holding. He has never seen Kaede look so vulnerable before. The younger brunette was valiantly trying to keep his tears at bay and even when the mouth on Kaede's face was set in a stiff line, the dark blue eyes told the actor in volumes what the young man was actually feeling.

"Kaede..." Akira murmured.

Kaede closed his eyes, finally allowing a track of tear slip past his dark ebony lashes. "My dreams are nothing without you."

Akira went silent and carefully wound his arms around Kaede, giving his step-brother an enveloping hug.
"I'm sorry," the taller brunette whispered as he rubbed the other's back in comforting circles.

Quietly, Hanamichi stepped out of the room to give them privacy. Akira vaguely registered it since his attention was still on the young man in his arms. Slowly, Akira released Kaede and keeping one of his arms locked around the youth's shoulder, he steered the young man towards the window again where they could see the greenery on the mansion's compound.

Akira hooked his free hand in his pockets and chuckled. "It's hard being a Kanagawa, isn't it? Everyday is a fight for control."

Knowing that Akira was not specifically looking for an answer, Kaede kept silent to concentrate in regaining his composure.

"There's more than one person out to get the top heads of the Nanno Groups project," the taller brunette continued, "You, Sinichi, Hisashi, Hanamichi and I will constantly be in danger."

"We'll crush the trouble-makers one by one, "Kaede intoned in a low voice, "Starting Oba Matsui. She will now be under our surveillance. Everything that she does will be watched. Her life will not be hers anymore. Have someone infiltrate in her association if we have to. We'll control her soon enough."

"Scary," Akira remarked.

"If that chandelier had hit my head, I would've died," Kaede reminded him, "And let's not forget about the fact that her bungle has hurt you. I will not forgive her for that."

Akira smiled, feeling happy. "Yare, yare. Anything else you wanna say?"

Kaede turned his blue-fox eyes to his step-brother and said, "Starting now, everything that I want I will achieve. Even if it means hurting other people in the process."

Akira smirked. "You want everything?"

Kaede stared at Akira for a moment as the implication of those words sunk in. Resolution began to set in his face and he nodded. "Everything."


~~~~

Hanamichi was walking around the mansion's compound with his arms cradling the back of his head, wondering how Akira and Kaede were faring, when someone called him from behind. Turning around the redhead saw Kaede walking up to him, alone, and so he stopped to wait for him.

"You two are done?"

Kaede arched an eyebrow, wondering if the redhead knew that those words had a double-meaning to it especially when he was in Akira's arms the last time Hanamichi saw them both. Hanamichi's face remained a mask of innocence but Kaede has learnt not to judge the redhead by appearance.

Opting to not answer the question, Kaede instead said, "I'm sorry to have troubled you this past few weeks. Now I need to say this to you..."

Hanamichi sighed. Here we go again...

"...You know that being around us is dangerous..."

He's going to say that I should stay away from him.

"...Even at the risk of your wrath I want to ask you this..."

Stop. I don't want to hear it anymore.

"Stay with me."

Hanamichi stared at the fox-eyed brunette, totally surprised at what has just been said. He had expected cold words or harsh warnings mistakenly thought by the Kanagawa to be able to keep him away, and having that unexpected plea coming out from Kaede's mouth bowled him over.
The wind blew against Hanamichi's red bangs, tickling his forhead, but he still did not move and instead kept staring at Kaede in wonder.
"What?" he demanded in a whisper.

"I want you to be with me," Kaede told him.

"Why? Why now?" Hanamichi hissed, "How about Akira?"

The brunette shook his head. "Akira... He is my saviour. I thought I could be happy just by being safe and he by my side," Kaede said as he gazed into the redhead's brown eyes, "But you... you are my love, my first love, and I now know that I need you in my life as well. Akira makes me feel safe and protected. You make me feel complete."

Hanamichi turned his head away and huffed, "You've hurt me before, Kaede. Why should I trust you now?"

Kaede nodded in agreement. With a voice filled with conviction, he replied, "Because this time I'll be the one to make the effort. This time I'll be the thief, Hanamichi."

The fox-eyed brunette waited but the redhead has yet to look at him. Slowly, Kaede lifted his hand to touch Hanamichi's face but suddenly, the redhead stepped back, shaking his head.

"You think I'm going to make it easy for you, kitsune?" Hanamichi rumbled.

"I wouldn't think so," Kaede answered, "But I won't give up. I'll get you in the end."

Again Kaede made to touch Hanamichi but the redhead stepped back another step. Kaede followed and Hanamichi backed away again. And another and another and suddenly he turned away and ran. Kaede gave pursuit.

From the moment I met you, I was always the one doing the chasing. I've felt hurt and sadness when I was with you. But I never stopped going after you. Now, I want you to chase after me until I say yes. Until I agree that I will stand by you so that together we can chase after our dreams and hopes...
A hand grabbed a hold of him and before the redhead knew it, he was being tripped and he fell on the grass with Kaede straddling him, his hands pinned to the ground.

Kaede's breaths came out in deep puffs as he smiled. "I got you."

"Ah!! Sakuragi-kun! The cards!"

"I don't want to hear anymore, Haruko-san," whined the redhead walking away from his desk, "I need to get to the resort and prepare for the inaugural ceremony. I don't want to be late."

"But that's what the cards probably meant, Sakuragi-kun-"

"Fate cannot be fixed by cards, Haruko-san," Hanamichi said over his shoulder, "I want to make my own life from now on."

The cinderella story has only just begun.

"There! Over there!" whispered a girl to her friend.

The other girl's eyes shone when she saw the two young men waiting outside the school compound. "Sugoi!!"

As they were busy staring at the two tall handsome brunettes, a familiar redhead wearing their school uniform approached the school gate and when he saw who were waiting for him outside he looked mildly surprised.

"Are? What are you two doing here?" Hanamichi asked.

"We're here to pick you up," Akira replied, smiling. Hanamichi grinned. As the redhead came closer, Akira offered his hand out to the redhead but at that same moment, Kaede did the same. The three stared at the two hands for a moment before the redhead chuckled, taking both the young men's arms and pulling them along with him to the waiting car.
"A boyfriend on each arm," Hanamichi said, giggling, "Life can't get any better than this."

Kaede arched an eyebrow at the redhead. "You still intend to have a relationship with Akira?"

Hanamichi pouted. "Of course. If you must have him by your side, why can't I? I don't think Akira would mind, do you, Akira-kun?"

The tall brunette laughed. "Do'aho," he said affectionately, ruffling the redhead's hair with his free hand, "You're really into this love traingle, aren't you?"

"Something like that," Hanamichi replied merrily, "But instead of you, Kaede and I in each points of the triangle, you, Kaede and I are in one point, riches in the other and love in the next."

"And what does that mean?" Kaede asked, curious.

"That means that we are connected by each other, money and love," Hanamichi said, as if he was stating a fact, "What we have is a love cash connection."

~Owari

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