Kazuya had been swamped. Between his duties as the President of Echal and the patriarch of the Akahito family, there was rarely time for anything else. Currently, he was struggling between the two responsibilities. After all, the annual family reunion for the family was coming up, and the planning wasn't going to do itself. Even with the help of his aides, there was far too much on his plate.

Traditionally, each year, the patriarch of the family would set a date and location for all members of the extended family (back five generations) to attend a reunion. It was usually a week-long formal party to portray the strength and reach of the family, a way for them to pat themselves on the back. It was also a way for the patriarch to keep the opportunistic family members under control.

It was filled with all kinds of luxury, provided by the patriarch as an all-expense vacation. Other members of the family would come to give blessings to the main family as well as a present of some sort. Most used the opportunity to curry favor with the main family in hope that they may be given special treatment, including high-ranking jobs and monetary gain. Either way, it was expected, and in the Akahito's multiple centuries of existence, not one had been skipped.

Usually, it would be the matriarch that planned the event, but Eloise was unable to do much. All Kazuya asked was that she chose where the meeting was to be, in case she didn't feel well enough to travel afar. However, the rest was up to him, down to the placement of the silverware. Groaning, the man tried to figure out how he could fit everything into his schedule. At least, that was until he remembered the (h/c) haired girl.

He had sat her down and explained the importance of the gathering, providing her with any bits of information about what needed to be done. In the end, he went and provided her the responsibility, grateful for her help. He also stressed that she could do whatever she wanted. There was nothing anyone in the extended family could say to tear her down, considering her standing in both the company and her would-be title of Haru's lover.

"Well, it's going to be between flowers or koalas," the girl sighed, explaining her plan to Sona, who patiently listened and chimed in with some input.

"Flowers may be a bit vague for a theme. How about spring?"

"Same thing."

"I like spring," the android smiled, leaning forward to gaze at the little doodles the girl had made on her notepad.

"Then that's fine. We can put flowers everywhere and hold it somewhere outside. Kazuya said he would handle the location this year, so it doesn't really matter to me."

"Should we deliberate what kind of dress code there should be?"

(Y/n) gave a disgusted look. She didn't want to have to plan the party, if she was to be honest. It seemed like a pain to act like the matriarch of the Akihito family, especially since she was sure she would have to greet the guests. She would rather have looked over the progress of the projects allotted to her, but since Haru was so excited about her doing it, she couldn't very well refuse.

A bunch of fancy decorations with rich people wasn't really something she was interested in. So, planning a party like that was beyond her, particularly because she hadn't gotten used to the lavish lifestyle Haru enjoyed. In fact, most of her ideas from the party came directly from either him or Bastien, the little brunette clearly suggesting the theme of the event without understanding exactly what it was.

Of course, (Y/n) had been extended an invitation to the past two reunions, but she hadn't gone. She wasn't super excited about showing her face in public, particularly not to people who would judge her at face value. That being said, now that it was her third year with the Akihito family, it was hard to reject it. After all, since Haru had gone and claimed he had a lover, ending up on countless news stations, they couldn't hide her any longer. The rest of the extended family was throwing a fit about meeting her, needing to assess their next matriarch.

"Does it really matter? They should just wear something formal. It shouldn't be on me to decide that for them. They're not sheep."

"That's not how they view it. The main family needs to tell the branch families what to do. That's how it has been for centuries. I doubt it would reflect positively on you if you were to disregard that tradition."

"What am I supposed to tell them? Wear something with flowers on it?"

"Yes."

The (h/c) haired girl groaned. Of course she had to tell them every little thing to do. She was responsible for telling them at what angle to put their hair at, what specific shade of black their dress shoes must have been, etc. It wasn't something she signed up for, and, frankly, she was sick of the stupid rules they lived under. She hated rules. There was nothing worse than being forced into a role like that. The younger girl gritted her teeth.

"I can handle the flowers for you, if need be," Sona hummed, scanning through for the most optimal flower boutiques, "I'll contact the - "

"I can handle it. But, if you want to help with something, would you mind figuring out food?"

"Do you not have any wishes for the menu?"

"I'll eat anything, except - No, just put anything down. I'd just prefer there be something palatable for the kids. Bastien will be upset if there aren't sweets."

The android gave a smile at the mention of his tiny master. It was hard for anyone to dislike the child, especially when he was so empathetic to everything around him. He would even cry and mourn whenever he found a dead bee. Everything would have to be stopped so that the brunette could give a proper burial for the creature, complete with every household servant. It would take him quite some time to stop crying, and he would always run to his brother, father, or, even (Y/n) for comfort. The poor boy loved life more than anyone else. Sometimes, his father joked that he took up all of Haru's empathy.

"I'd also like for the kids to have something special. I can't imagine it's fun to stand around and watch the adults just talking."

"It's boring for me, too."

"What about a scavenger hunt? We can give hints for the kids to find prizes."

"It sounds like you'd rather plan for the children than for the adults."

"Well, I thought that was just obvious. I guess I can come back to this later, but it was so much fun, too. What should we focus on? We've got the theme and you'll handle the food."

"The adults need just as much entertainment as the children. I recommend finding some activities for them to do. And I don't think that they would be as thrilled to engage in a scavenger hunt. Something more sophisticated will be required."

(Y/n) raised an eyebrow. She didn't know what fancy, rich people wanted. Though, she figured, like any person, they would enjoy having luxurious things thrown at them. However, "throwing" anything at them probably wasn't fancy enough. Sighing, she pondered just how she was supposed to keep their focus. Playing musical chairs wasn't exactly a sophisticated activity, and neither was truth or dare.

"We could...," the girl paused, thinking deeply, "lean into the flower theme and have people look at the flowers in a garden? I think Eloise would enjoy that. Well, if she ends up going, anyway. It might be nice and quiet for her."

"I agree. What else?"

"I guess we could do wine tasting? That's a fancy people thing."

"Sure. What else?"

"Ugh. How about inviting some famous singers or actors to sing songs or do plays?"

"Lovely. What else?"

"That's not enough?! What more do these people want?!"

At that moment, Haru entered the room. As he did so, the (h/c) haired girl glared at him for not knocking. She had drilled him over and over that it was only common courtesy, but he had gone and forgotten. Normally, it wasn't a big deal, but she was upset, and there was no masking that, no matter how much patience she had. At this, Haru frowned, trying to correct his mistake by knocking shyly. Even then, she didn't seem to cheer up, the brunette somewhat absorbing her sour mood.

He trudged his feet, beginning to make his way to her. Over the past two years, he'd gotten much better at adhering to her wishes. He understood she needed things that he didn't like, and he showed real progress in trying to help. At the same time, he was still very easily jealous and overprotective. Thankfully, he still hadn't tried to kill her again for having a runny nose. Instead, he would just loiter around, ready to grab anything she needed at a moment's notice.

Soon enough, he sat next to her, looking between her and his lap to see if she were to scold him for doing so. When she didn't, he lightened up a bit, gazing over her shoulder to see Sona taking notes. Curious, the brunette tilted his head, hoping to be clued in on the information. However, the (h/c) haired girl refused to talk about it. It was like she was doing his job, after all, and he wasn't any help at all.

"(Y/n) is having a difficult time planning for the reunion," Sona chuckled, extending the notes to his creator, "Any suggestions would be most welcome."

"Please," the girl huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back on the sofa, "Haru's the last person that will know how to throw a party. It'd be a miracle if he even remembered the last time he went to the reunion."

"I went," the brunette paused, being given a passive-aggressive thumbs up from the girl as he thought deeply,  "three years ago for two minutes."

"Well, what do you remember? If I pray to the gods, maybe you can help inspire something."

"They were looking at gems. Père held it at a museum, I think. He had them take out everything in the display cases so he could put the family treasures on display. I thought it was boring, but everyone else seemed to like it."

"So they like having their egos stroked."

Sona gave a look of disappointment. He would have thought the very intelligent young woman he assisted on a daily basis would have been a little smarter than that. It was very obvious they only ever wanted to praise themselves. That was what their entire goals were in having the reunion. It was to show the power of the family and establish reasons to follow the patriarch. Hopefully, his ward would get her act together in time for the party. Otherwise, she would have been eaten alive by their judging stares.

"I guess we can show off your newest inventions," the younger girl suggested, the brunette frowning, "Or not? What's wrong with that?"

"They wouldn't appreciate it enough."

"If that's the case, why sell your stuff to the public at all? You can't sit there and tell me that you'll only sell to someone that will foam at the mouth to idolize your works of art."

The brunette pouted, sinking back into the sofa. If he had his way, he wouldn't sell any of his inventions to the upper class. They didn't need it and they certainly didn't appreciate it the way that others did. Frankly, irony withstanding, he disliked them. Aside from his limited friend group, he didn't want to associate with any other wealthy people, and that included his extended family. They were all so slimy.

In fact, the only people Haru would fall over his feet to make things for were his family, and, in his mind, that included (Y/n). For his father, he had made a few things, but the man always said it was the things he made for Eloise that were his favorite. Among them were medical devices he had collaborated on with a foreigner specializing in bio-medical technology. The things they'd created gave the brunette's mother a lot of relief, and she very much enjoyed the entertainment devices he'd given her.

Bastien loved the realistic koala his brother made him, containing many of the same components as a typical android. The koala would play with Bastien and sleep on command, something that the toddler absolutely loved. Most days, he would carry it around like a baby, even trying to feed it at the dinner table. And though Haru had tried making him other animals, the koala was the only one the child ever wanted.

"I'll just say that's off the table then," the younger girl finally sighed, tapping on the sofa arm with great irritation, "I don't know what to give these people."

"You don't have to give them anything," the brunette frowned, possessively tugging her shirt, "It wouldn't matter if you threw dirt at them. They should be grateful you even thought about them."

"That's just not how I do things. You know that."

"Yes...but I don't get why you spare so much effort to please people who don't deserve it."

"Right. And if I thought you were someone undeserving of my affection - "

"But I'm not! We're going to get married and have babies!"

Sighing, the girl did her best to brush the brunette off of her shirt. However, true to form, he refused to cede even a millimeter of it, scowling at her lack of "loyalty". In the end, though, she got up from the seat and made her way over to the little study corner she'd made for herself. Turning on the computer, she began to type furiously, Haru eyeing her with a very grumpy disposition.

Sona couldn't figure out whether it was appropriate to snicker or not. Both of them seemed to be in a sour mood, probably because of their disagreements on both the party and the whole "baby" thing. And while it was very humorous to him to see his creator get rejected, if he had laughed, he would have been subject to his chilling glare and whatever threat he could think up, not that he could follow up on it. After all, Sona belonged to (Y/n), and Haru couldn't tamper with him without her affirmation. Or, if he did, he would be subject to more rejection from her, something he never took well to.

"I want to go on a date," the brunette finally huffed, peeking over the sofa like a child.

"Do you, now? What a shocker."

Pouting, Haru tried to figure out his next move. He couldn't force her into a date. It was not just a theory, either. Based on his previous experience in doing it, it never ended well. Should he have tried to push her into anything she deemed as too drastic of a change, she became hostile. It wasn't just her words. She had pulled out a knife on him a handful of times before he learned his lesson, and had even landed a few blows on him. They weren't warning strikes. She was actively trying to kill him for forcing her into commitment.

That was before Sona. Most of the android's job was to assist her in her daily tasks to lower her stress levels. Whenever they got too high, she would try to kill someone, and Haru didn't particularly want to die. However, the teal-haired male was also there to control her should she have an outburst, able to combat her without the threat of being killed. Oddly enough, the (h/c) haired girl had been the one to suggest that, and it wasn't like the brunette disagreed with it.

"I think a date would do you well," the android chirped, being given a very displeased glare from his charge, "It might give you some ideas for the party."

"Please. What ideas would those be? Perhaps I'll have an epiphany and have everyone at the reunion stand in a line to french Haru."

"I'll do it," the brunette glimmered, an oddly determined tone in his voice, "I can kiss everyone if it'll make you happy."

The younger girl took a moment to figure out what that meant. In the end, she suspected it was his way of complimenting her. Or, at least, she was 90% sure it was. She never really could be 100% certain when it came to Haru. There was also the fact that he didn't understand sarcasm all that well. He took things pretty literally, making it sometimes difficult to communicate when she was in a foul mood.

"It would not make me happy if you shoved your tongue down all of your relative's throats, Haru," she stated clearly, making sure she effectively communicated her distaste for the thought.

"I see. I also wouldn't be happy if you kissed all of your relatives."

"What relatives would those be?" the girl muttered to herself before speaking up louder for the brunette to hear, "I'd like to work now, okay?"

Haru blinked. He blinked once then twice and then a third time, showing no inclination of leaving. In his mind, they were still having a discussion. He was just waiting for her to tell him what she wanted in exchange for going on a date. The male didn't really realize that it wasn't a matter of bribery that made her not want to go on a date. As such, she had to let out a long sigh and reconfigure her thoughts to speak on his level.

"We'll talk about the date later," A pause. Haru blinked again. "I'll give you a kiss if you give me some alone time."

The brunette perked up, falling over as he tried to get off the sofa. In his excitement, he quickly bounded back up and ran to her, adoringly standing in awe of her concentrated face. She didn't move her eyes off of her screen, emailing one of her designers about the updated schedule for their newest project. Aside from her lack of focus on him, he really did like how she looked when she was concentrating on her work. It was very attractive.

Even as she leaned over lazily and kissed him on his cheek, eyes still on the screen and fingers still typing away, he was more than happy to receive it. In return, he paused for five seconds before kissing her on the top of her head, watching as she gave a stifled grin. Excited about her reaction, he began to smother her with more affection, hugging her tightly and mumbling about how much he wanted to have babies with her. That was another of his compliments, though it only really made him happy to say it.

As Haru finally left, the (h/c) haired girl stopped suppressing her smile, taking a look at the door as it closed again. Sona snickered, finally letting out his amusement, granting him a look of displeasure from his charge. Either way, he was satisfied, glad to see that their relationship wasn't as strained as it may have seemed.

"You like him," the android teased, dodging a stapler the girl threw at him.

"Shut up, Sona."

"No, I can just see it now. Before I know it, I'll have two - no, three - little masters to look after."

"You can go stand outside."

"Yes, ma'am. If you need me, please call."

"No one needs an android with a smart-ass mouth."

Sona smiled as he left. No matter how much she denied it, there was no hiding the affection she felt for the brunette.