A/N: The author declares any suggestive and ambiguous statements are deliberately implied. The author will take no responsibility for their impact though.

Prompt: "Alliance between the captains of our ship: Yukari, Sayo and Keiji trolling around." by Giu (giushia on twitter)

An (Un)holy Alliance

Snip. Snip. Snip.

The sound of the knife conking against the wooden broad resounded rhythmically in the kitchen and was accompanied by the soft music coming from the radio behind her.

Swaying her hips to music Yukari prepared supper. Today it would be Seigen's favorite dish. Not because it was a special day for him or them. Yet, today would be special and she wanted to celebrate it.

Lifting the board, she pushed the cut onions into the heated pan, were they started sizzling.

Yukari reached out for next vegetables. Cooking had a method and needed to work according to plan to be perfect. Just like other events of today.

From behind her, she heard her phone ringing once on the bright surface of the dinner table, where she had earlier placed it.

She let her gaze swift to the clock hanging on the wall. It was 5pm. Time for the mission to commerce. She giggled, feeling so wicked. Her daughter would have to thank her afterwards. It was a mother's job to always do her best for her child and Yukari had taken the organization of today very seriously. After all she had been preparing her daughter's future.

Delighted she continued to cut vegetables and released a giggle every time she thought about, what was occurring a few hundred miles from here at the same moment.

A dark voice drawling startled her out of her happy delusion, "Oi woman, why are you giggling all the time?"

Flinching a bit, Yukari held her breath. She tried not to look too suspicions. Her husband was good at reading her, despite him seeming to be cold and kind of coarse on the outside. On the inside, Yukari knew, he was the most sensitive and empathetic person. With a soft smile she turned around to him and sing-sang, "It just makes me happy every time I prepare your favorite dish. I love to delight my sour little muffin."

Like every time Seigen looked startled and embarrassed at the nickname. He blinked his dark eyes open and shut a few times – those eyes that had never lost the sadness deeply graved into them. Then he turned away with a grunt and quickly left the kitchen.

The mission was safe. It was imperative, that Seigen won't get notice of, what was happening right now. Otherwise he might tear down the pillars of her master plan. And she couldn't have that, could she?

After today she would gladly stay beside her daughter, when she told him the news. But for today he needed to stay uninformed about everything that currently happened on the island, where he was born.

With a sigh she turned around and finished cutting the vegetables, letting them join the onions in the pan one after another.

After stirring the vegetable medley in the rhythm of the music from the radio, Yukari turned around to her phone. She almost couldn't hold her horses to see, how the mission was going. Right now all she could see was, that she had dozens of notifications in the group chat called Shimayu.

Opening the messages she read, "Bird is in the nest."

The next one was, "I repeat. The bird is in the nest."

A sweet drop formed on her forehead. She needed to tell the young girl sending the messages that a phone was no walkie-talkie and that she did not need to repeat the messages. Hopefully the 12 year old did not forget about the mission while enjoying herself too much.

Yukari continued to read the messages. Some of them were, "Waiting for the kitten to smell the bait," "Still waiting," "Bird flutters around excited! *grin*," "The kitten smelled the bait," and "Kitten arrives to lick the milk."

Amused Yukari wondered, what the Ikaruga girl was usually reading orwatching to give her the idea for these codes. Clearly she was enjoying herself but the mission seemed to work according to plan for now. So Yukari chose to let it slide and let the young girl have some fun. With a finger raised to her lips she wondered, what she could answer in the same code worded style, which was used for the report. She hummed. An idea struck her after a while and she typed into her phone, "Roger! Report received. Dismissed!"

Putting the device onto the table again and turned around to check onto the vegetables braising int the pan. Her mind traveled back to the moment that laid the ground for today. The moment she had spoken, for the first time, to Ikaruga Sayo.

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Yukari came in from tending her flowers. It was her most favorite hobby. A flower growing thanks to your effort was not only beautiful but satisfying. She hummed, carrying the bucket she had used to collect weeds. The next point on her task list was to cook dinner and she couldn't wait for the evening when she'd cuddle up next to her Seigen with a book in her hand. Since he had retired from exorcism she was gifted to have him in her life, in her house and also in her bed again. Although she still needed to soothe down the wounds on his hearts plunged deeply into it, by his past. She knew she'd never fill the gasps fully. She couldn't bring back the dead, she couldn't return his arm to him. But she would welcome him into her arms, every time he needed. She would mold down the ache caused by these wounds.

She walked towards the bath to place the bucket into the washbasin, when the phone started ringing. She was still wearing her gloves and hoped Seigen would pick up the call. When the phone rang a third time, she called him, "Seigen?"

No reaction. She sighed and went to the phone. Where was he again? He usually went off, all of a sudden. Sometimes he would visit her father's dorm and other times he would go off to who knows where.

She pulled one hand out of a glove before she picked up the phone sitting on a cupboard in her small but cute living room.

"Moshi, moshi," she said with a bright voice.

"Am I speaking with Otomi Yukari-san?" She did not know the person on the other side but based on the tone, the lightness of the voice, it had to be a girl.

While trapping the phone between shoulder and ear and pulling off the other glove, Yukari asked, "Yes, may I ask who you are?"

"I am Ikaruga Sayo. Ikaruga Shimon is my Nii nii-sama," the girl replied.

Yukari discarded the gloves and took the phone into one hand again. Ikaruga Shimon, the name rang a bell and Yukari remembered when she'd met him. "Ikaruga Shimon? The boy who had picked up my daughter when she and Rokuro went to Tsuchimikado island?"

"Exactly."

"How can I help you?"

"It's like this..." And then she continued to tell Yukari everything. How she thought her big brother to be in love with Yukari's daughter and how he was just not used to girls and did not come out to Mayura and how they needed someone to push them together.

Yukari had reacted like every mother would. Feeling gleefull on the inside but putting on a mask of carefullness on the outside. She did not know that Ikaruga boy and was careful. Besides, did her daughter like him at all? Yukari would not move a finger if that was the case. And so she thanked Sayo for her call and told her she needed to contemplate the offer.

In the following days she made investigations on Ikaruga Shimon. The red-haired boy she just saw once. Mentioning him once in a while to Seigen, was helpful. He was once the master of the Ikaruga boy and beneath snarky remarks, Yukari learned something: Her Seigen thought a lot of Ikaruga Shimon. Which meant a lot when it came to her negative husband. Yukari had always imagined she would need a lot of effort to calm down Seigen the day their daughter had her first boyfriend. Maybe that effort would be a little bit less with Ikaruga Shimon. According to Seigen, he seemed to be a strong fighter but as Seigen called him, someone with a soft heart. Afterwards she continued to get information from her own daughter. And on the first mention Yukari received the proof for an alliance with Ikaruga Sayo not being the worst idea, when Mayura appeared flustered at Yukari mentioning the name non-chalantely. Yukari smiled broadly, when her daughter stammered into her phone, "Sh-Shimon? What about him?"

The next thing Yukari did, wasn't call Ikaruga Sayo right back. No, at first she went down to her cellar. Among a line of boxes she immediately she found what she was looking for: A box with the name Seigen scribbeled on. Opening the dusted box, she found the object of her search, a book called How to make him notice you. Strategies and tactics to trigger attention.

With a big smile, she pulled out her phone and went through her contact list until she found the number she had saved a few days ago, when Seigen had told her he thought Ikaruga Shimon was a good man – he had added single minded but Yukari had wrote it off as one of Seigen's usual expressions of disapproval. Typing on the contact, she waited for the phone on the other side of the call to picked up.

After the girl's greeting, Yukari said, "I accept your offer under one condition: I want a live report on the day our plans are put into reality."

"Deal!" The girl exclaimed cheerful. And on that day their alliance was formed. An alliance with the goal to push her daughter, Mayura, and the girl's big brother, Shimon, together.

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Everything went off according to plan, Sayo though with an evil grin. She couldn't help but snicker. It was truly a great plan she had devised with Otomi Yukari, Mayu's mother. The woman had a lot of experience and most of it had been her insight that formed the plan into perfection.

"What are you snickering about?" Behind her stood subject A, aka the bird, aka her brother Shimon who was oblivious to the day he was going to have.

With a loop-sided grin Sayo turned to her Nii nii-sama and said, "Oh, nothing. I am just excited to see Roku again."

"Ah," he said and turned away. He wasn't the most obvious type of guy. Yet, he couldn't fool his little sister. She knew, he was nervous about Mayu coming soon. She could see it in the strain in his shoulder while he buried his hands in his pockets and the furrow between his eyebrows. And he had all reason to be nervous. If all went according to plan, he would spend a lot of time alone with blonde haired girl.

Sayo almost snickered again and clapped a hand to her mouth. Her eyes skipped to her Nii nii-sama who had turned his back towards her, letting out a very loud sigh.

This was going to be good. Seriously good.

And there was a major plus for herself, too. She would not only saw Roku again but spend time alone with him. With gooey eyes she thought, it was a win-win-situation. And it was all thanks to the mastermind of Otomi Yukari who had added that both Nii nii-sama and Mayu needed to be as oblivious to the situation as possible to let it appear natural. Inviting only Mayu might have been fishy. And so Sayo had incidentally suggested to invite Roku and Mayu today because she hadn't seen them for such a long time. Everyone would thing Ikaruga Sayo's goal was to see Roku – she wouldn't totally deny it – but nobody would think about the possibility of a trap for Mayu and Nii nii-sama.

Shimon's indifferent face had wavered for a second, before he agreed, "Sure."

And that had been the moment his nervousness had started, until Mayu and Roku both positively replied and while waiting for them. It had been adorable how her brother had tried to appear calm, yet have went to put in his lenses and half an hour later had put them out again and his glasses on. Her brother was usually a bit vain about his looks – he would spend too much time in the bath placing down his headphones correctly – yet, he had never bothered for his outer appearance when at home. He wouldn't run around like a sack but was never concerned about his glasses. His lenses were much more practical in battle, he always said. Being unsure about his looks now was a telltale sign.

This was going to be so good indeed.

And finally their visitors were announced to have arrived, Sayo quickly pulled out her phone and typed Otomi-san the message, "Kitten arrives to lick the milk."

In time she turned arround to see Mayu and Roku follow being lead by a servant to Nii nii-sama and her. With bubbly laugh she threw herself into Roku's arms, yelling, "Roku!"

Roku fell over with her on top. Perfect.

She pressed herself against him and snuggled her head against his chest, before she heard Mayu behind her stutter, "Sa-Sayo."

Sayo pulled away and smiled at her, "Hello One-san."

"This is like a deja-vu," her Nii nii-sama grumbled with a hand held against his furrowed forehead.

Next to her Roku rose to his feet with a tortured grin decorating his handsome face. He was such a sweetie. "Hello to you to Sayo." He rubbed the back off his neck before he rose his eyes to Shimon. His expression changed into a pretty cool one. Full of strength and awesomeness. "Shimon."

"Rokuro," her Nii nii-sama replied.

Sayo knew she had to act fast now before they could get distracted by their low-key rivality. Taking Roku's hand she pulled him away and exclaimed, "I am going to show you our room."

"Wa-Wait Sayo," Roku yelled while stumbling after her with huge steps. Such a cute dork.

"Don't worry Nii nii-sama can show Mayu his headphone collection or his bonsai," Sayo said, loud enough for subject A and B to hear it to set the ball rolling, giving them something to do alone.

Yet, she knew her Ni nii-sama well enough to have planned for an impact to get him to contemplate about his actions towards Mayu a bit more. Otomi-san and her had planned for this, too and engaged another secret agent for the task. It was a pretty huge advantage that both her brothers, couldn't deny Sayo anything and that her oldest brother loved to tease the other.

And like they had practiced, the third of their alliance crossed her on the hallway and Roku before they walked around the corner, giving Rokuro a quick greeting.

Enter Keiji, Sayo thought with mischief.

During the time she would spent showing Roku her room with the large bed that one day would belong to both of them, Keiji would supervise their game. She sent him a look while passing. One he replied with a wink of one eye.

Now it was up to him.

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Wearing his most charming smile Keiji approached his targets. When Sayo had approached him the first time with her plans, he had turned it off as child's play. He had promised to help her, if she wanted but wasn't really sure if it would bear any fruits. But then had been the day on the Games. And Keiji had noticed how much Shimon had worried about the Amawaka girl. From this day on it was obvious to Keiji: His younger brother had a crush on the girl. Since then Keiji had loved to tease Shimon about his infatuation for the girl. It was too funny! Seeing Shimon all flustered was a great sight. And now he wanted to help his little brother to come out of his shell and maybe make Amawaka Mayura take notice of him, too. Keiji had no idea what she was thinking about Shimon. But his little brother wasn't a bad catch. She probably hadn't missed that either.

So now he would his best to pull off one step of the plan that Sayo had devised with Mayura's mother: Flirting with Mayura in front of Shimon. Something Keiji would need to apologize for later. But now it was all to make Shimon jealous and hopefully show him that if he waited somebody else would sweep away such a sweet girl like Mayura.

"Mayura-chan, it's so nice to see you," Keiji said and walked towards her, stopping closer to her than it would be polite but not to close to scare her off.

"It's good to see you, too, Ikaruga-san," the girl said, offering a polite smile. She was very pretty. Keiji could see why his brother had fallen head over heels for her. She looked cute in her black skirt and blue shirt. And her eyes were like big pools, making one smile unconsciously. No wonder, such a girl was able to get under the hard shell that Ikaruga Shimon was covered in.

"If I may," Keiji said still smiling at her without batting an eye at Shimon and rose a hand to offer her to take it, "I would love to show you the house. On your last visit there had been no time for this I believe."

The girl looked surprised, blinking her eyes open and shut, before insecurity made her smile falter. She rose a fist to her chest and replied, "No, no there hasn't."

"It would be a pleasure to make up for it. I don't think my dear brother would mind, if I whisk you away for a while. He is always so busy with his duty," Keiji said as gallantly as possible, while on the inside he was torn between guilt and schadenfreude. If this did not serve their plan, he did not know what will.

And indeed it did, when he heard Shimon darkly mutter, "I'm not."

Keiji couldn't help his smile turning into a slight smirk as his eyes left the largerly opened of Mayura and looked over to his little brother who wore a dark scowl. His eyes were on fire.

Ouch! Keiji knew he deserved this gaze but it didn't smolder the burn.

He took away his hand and rose an eyebrow at Shimon challenging him to take away the girl in front of them. "Pardon?"

"I'm not. Not right now," Shimon said pointed. The passionate reaction did not only surprise Keiji. Mayura turned around as well. Looking very surprised and also confused at Shimon.

Shimon's shoulders visibly twitched and his scowl deepened. He looked away before he brokenly said, "Besides... you are too late... I wanted to... to show her my headphones."

It took a lot of composure not to burst out laughing at watching Shimon be all insecure and shy. Keiji swallowed down a chuckle and took a step back opening a way for them. "If that's so, then I wish you fun. I am sure there will be another occasion for a guide around the house," he said with a wink into Mayura's direction.

A huge blush formed on her face and she turned away from him. She mumbled, "S-sure."

His little brother sent him another glare – Who would have thought ice could burn like this? – and walked past him.

Soon Mayura caught herself and followed him. On passing Keiji charmingly said, "Later."

It wasn't as perfect as he had hoped. He had planned for Shimon to grab her hand and pull her with him after he'd offered his hand to Mayura. But then again, Shimon was not a hot-headed guy and also he had no experience with girls whatsoever. He still had a lot to learn.

Yet, the next step of their plan was set into motion. Exactly like Sayo had said, Shimon would take Mayura to show her his headphones or his bonsai, after she'd suggested it earlier to them, making them to go to a place, where they would be alone.

Keiji watched them turn around a corner before he pulled out his smartphone and typed into the group chat, called Shimayu, which his sister had already filled with hilarious messages, "The plan succeeded. They are alone together now."

He wished his brother good luck. The next step would be all up to Shimon himself.

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It was late in the evening, when Sayo gloated over their accomplishments of the day. Sometime later after Keiji had written her that Mayu and Nii nii-sama had gone off alone, said persons had returned meeting her and Roku in the main room – Sayo had been only a bit disappointed at having her quality time with Roku disrupted – looking both flustered. Something Roku had pointed out, making both their faces burn up even more.

Afterwards another set of points followed. Accidentally bumping into her brother, making him stumble against Mayu, bringing them to fall with Nii nii-sama's head nestled on her boobs, which was more than Sayo had accounted for, making them sit next to each other at dinner, telling Mayu great stories about her Nii nii-sama and more of Keiji's flirting. And the big finale was yet to come, when they went off to the gardens, with Roku and herself accompanying them.

The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky into a soft pink. It was so romantic! Sayo stared ahead caught up in glee at being next to her prince watching the sunset.

Shaking her head, Sayo remembered one of the last points of their plan. She tipped onto Roku's shoulder who had stared off to nowhere wearing a huge smile. For a moment she wondered, what he was thinking about. When he turned his head to her, she pulled the thought aside and motioned for him to bend down to her.

He looked uncomfortable but submitted.

Then she whispered in his ear, "Could you come with me inside?"

His head jerked back and sweat broke out on his face, making him look more adorable than he already was. Her future husband was such a sweet dork,

Before he could say a thing she put a finger to her lips and lowly hushed him, "Pst."

Blinking in surprise he nodded and walked with her towards the main house.

Glancing over her shoulder Sayo saw that neither her brother nor Mayu had noticed their disappearance as they stood next to each other watching the sunset in silence.

Sayo wished she could have watched, what would happen, when they were alone and cursed Keiji for vehemently talking her out of installing cameras outside and Nii nii-sama's room. She did not believe they would do something naughty but Keiji threatened to spill the beans and thereby ruining all their plans if she did. And so she had succumbed to his insisting. But maybe a small camera wouldn't have hurt. A small one, which spies used maybe. Then she would have known, if their work had paid off in the end. It wasn't like she would have watched her brother doing something naughty... Or did they?

They were all flustered, when they returned from Nii nii-sama's room.

Shocked at her Nii nii-sama's actions, Sayo gasped.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Next to her Rokuro watched her with furrowed eyebrows, turned down in worry.

Sayo realized, while they had walked all the way from the gardens into the main room, her mind had taken her off-space, to scenes that made her want to scratch her eyes out. Somewhere she had not wanted to go. At all!

Covering her shock with a nervous giggle she said, "I'm fine." Then she realized how Roku had worried about her. She walked towards him and cuddled up to him in a cat like graze, of course, "It's so nice of you to worry about me."

Roku jumped away being the perfect gentleman by guaranteeing Sayo's innocence until they were married. Every girl deserved such a boyfriend who did not come too close despite his desire. Sayo hoped her Nii nii-sama had been such a gentleman, too.

A twisted smile was on her future husband's face and he rubbed the back of his head again, when he'd asked, "So. Why did you want us to leave?"

Sayo smiled sweetly and settled down on the couch. Then she explained, "I wanted to give the lovebirds outside some room."

She watched different emotions play out on Roku's face: Confusion, irritation, wonder, pensiveness, doubt, realization, surprise and last but not least unmasked shock. Thunderously loud he yelled, "MAYURA AND SHIMON?!"

Holding her hands to her ears, Sayo hoped that they had not heard it outside and interrupt whatever they were doing – she was still not convinced her brother would be such a sleazeball – but it wouldn't surprise her if they did. After all everyone Tsuchimikado island heard it.

That definitely broadened the scope on people knowing about them, which wasn't so bad in the long run. Sayo could mark off another point on the list though: Letting Mayu's best friend know about something going on between Mayu and Nii nii-sama to put him onto both of them.

Roku started to bombard her with a lot of question, concerning the two when she saw her brother walk quickly past the main room which was shortly after the loud exclamation. "Nii nii-sama?"

He stopped walking but did not look at her, keeping his gaze stuck to the ground. Focusing closer onto his face Sayo noticed the deep flush on his cheeks.

Grinning she asked, "Where is Mayu?"

Her Nii nii-sama refused to look at her and mumbled darkly, "Went home." Then he turned around again and quickly walked away.

This could be a good sign or a bad sign, Sayo thought before writing another instant message to Yukari and Keiji, "The kitten returns to its territory."

Now everything lay in the hands of the mastermind herself.

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Yukari was leaning against her husband's chest. She felt comfy and warm. Her eyes felt heavy and threatened to fall close despite the interesting read on a woman hating the man of her dreams at first before they fall in love – the standard story of almost every romance.

She was startled out of her lull, when her phone vibrated against her thigh. All day she had been entertained by Ikaruga Sayo's reports. Some were to very obvious like, "The bird and kitten reappeared in the barn," and others weird like, "Seems like the bird wants to make a new nest ON the kitten." Nevertheless everything they had planned these few weeks in the past seemed to go smoothly. And Yukari couldn't wait to speak to her daughter and hear what she thought of Ikaruga Shimon.

With a smile she took the phone and read a message from Sayo-chan which implied that Mayura was on her way to the Amawaka estate.

Now it was Yukari's time to shine. She shifted her body to stand up.

Seigen seemed unsatisfied about the sudden withdrawal of warmth and drawled at her, "Where are you going?"

Yukari smiled softly at him and replied, "To call our daughter."

The scowl fell of his face and he visibly – well, at least to her – suppressed his curiosity.

Yukari went off to go to the kitchen, planning to make a tea for a conversation that was going to be long. Thinking about that, she turned once again around to Seigen and said, "Don't wait up for me."

Then she walked into the kitchen, hearing him splutter, "Huh?"

She prepared herself for the tea and the call. She had never talked with Mayura about boys. And now that it was time she felt excited and nervous at the same time.

After a few minutes she sat down at the table in the middle of the kitchen with a steaming hot cup of tea in front of her and the phone staring back at her. There was no point in pro-longing it further.

Grabbing her phone she looked for her daughter's number and called her.

When she heard Mayura's voice greeting her, Yukari started, what was going to be their first long talk as daughter and mother about boys with the words, "How was your day?"

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A/N: I had too much fun writing this. I actually did this in two sessions, the first Yukari part in one months ago and all of the rest in the second session 'cause I couldn't stop my diabolical self from letting the Captains of the ship make Shimon and Mayura suffer. Who would have known it could be so much fun writing a shimayu story without writing them? Although you might disagree. I don't know if it was fun to read, too. :P

Some things I'd liked to say about this: I thought about whether making the code words nautic because of the prompt and our Captains or use something else. Because of this spy and detective setting I thought it would be great to have "bird" and "kitten" instead because it's a two-sided pun. For starters Shimon is a bird/chicken and secondly "The bird's in the nest." is THE code phrase.

Secondly, Sayo is a perv. XD

And last but not least: There seems to be a magnetic power between Mayura's boobs and Shimon. I could not leave this out for the sake of the SnO setting. (lol)