Yamato lay awake on the bed, his eyes resting on the girl's peaceful expression and the way she breathed in and out, almost like a child. She seemed so different when she was in sleep, and he knew full well why. Going into her dreams was the only way she was able to escape him, and while he wasn't too keen on it, he could hardly keep her from sleeping. So, instead, he took the opportunity to hug the girl close to his chest, only making his heart thump quickly from her warmth.

He truly cared for her, despite his twisted way of showing it. It was confusing for him to have to control himself around something he wanted more than anything. He only desired her love for himself and to keep her safe, but she didn't seem too keen on allowing him to taste an ounce of the kind person she was. Occasionally, she would take pity on the brunette and throw him a bone, but most of the time, she rejected him, just as stubborn as he was. Still, he couldn't stop himself from loving her with all of his heart.

The boy took all of her in, from her gorgeous (h/c) colored hair to the way that she would sometimes cling onto him when having a nightmare. It was almost teasing to the male, making him smile until he questioned why she could accept him when dreaming, but never awake. Then again, he figured it wouldn't be long until she came running to him although it didn't make it any less painful. He placed a soft kiss on her neck, loving how vulnerable and exposed it was, and drifted off into sleep while keeping his protective arms around the girl.

In the morning, he woke to the loud ringing of a bell. Often it was necessary for the maids to wake him up with a bell for he would have slept in for the rest of the day. No, he was not a morning person in the slightest, but if he was able to steal a kiss from (Y/n), he'd be up instantly, his cheeks coated in slight pink and his heart skipping beats. So he rose, rubbing at his eyes and snatching the bell from the maid's hand, letting out an annoyed groan as he stretched his arms over his head.

"I'm to inform you that your mother has requested your presence for breakfast, Young Master," the maid said, unfazed by the boy's grumpy attitude, "Please bring Miss (Y/n) as well."

The brunette grunted and threw the bell back at the maid who gave kind a "thank you", bow and left, closing the sliding door behind her. The boy sighed and without hesitating, made his way to the shower. (Y/n) raised her head to watch him leave and told him to wait a moment. The boy stopped, tilting his head at her voice, but did as she said nonetheless, putting his hands on his hips as he watched her grab a towel from the cupboard.

"I'll join you," she said, motioning to the door that led to the private bath.

"N-No, that's fine," he said, his cheeks becoming noticeably red and his eyes looking away as he trembled with embarrassment, "You go first."

"Hah?" the girl said, the hint of a smirk playing on her lips, "What happened to your tough guy act? You sure are acting differently from how you used to. Is it because you don't want to seem weak in front of your guys?"

"S-Shut up and go clean yourself so I can do your hair already!" the boy blushed furiously, storming out of the room, "I'm going to the guys' bath so be ready when I get back!"

The girl let her smirk widen and gave a small "humph", knowing what the outcome would have been beforehand. The boy was too bashful for his own good, making it quite fun to pick on him for certain things, but he rarely allowed that side of himself to be shown. Often, he held a stern and disciplined expression, at least for meals in front of his men and for training. Though he was always incredibly playful with the older members who had known him since he was younger. The sight was almost enough to forget everything the brunette had done.

As the girl exited the shower from the warm atmosphere, a husky sat down on the floor, wagging her tail with excitement. Kiana was her name. She had been (Y/n)'s dog since before everything had happened and innocent blood was shed. Yet she had become very attached to Yamato and his dogs as of late and had rarely acknowledged the girl as her owner. She was still prideful and flaunted her toys to the other dogs, but as soon as they would attempt to steal it back, Masaru, Yamato's biggest dog, would step in and set them straight.

"Hey there, girl, how are you doing?" the girl said, leaning down to pet the dog's ears just where she liked it, "I'm surprised Masaru isn't with you. Is he with Yamato?"

Kiana only tilted her head and barked, but it didn't appear that she understood the question in the slightest, instead, beginning to lay down on the bed as a knock came from the door. Soon after, a middle-aged maid, one of the ones that frequently tended to her, entered the room, a white and red kimono in hand. She gave a small smile and began to dress the girl although she still hadn't gotten used to being clothed by someone else.

"Miss, I'll be off now. I imagine the young master would like to do your hair," she giggled, rushing out of the room with red cheeks.

Soon enough, Yamato came through the door, a towel wrapped around his waist. His cheeks were red and as he saw (Y/n) fully dressed, he almost felt ashamed and told her to face the wall. She pouted, but went into the bathroom as he was dressed by one of his servants. It took far too long and the girl began to get bored, looking around in the room to see if anything was interesting. There was nothing very special about it. It was a simple traditional bathroom with a few modern upgrades here and there.

She sighed, only to hear the brunette shouting for her to come out. As she opened the sliding door, she saw the boy holding a hair tie and a brush in his hands, motioning for her to sit on the bed. As he began to delicately brush her hair, she began to think of the first time he had done it. Despite his hating her, he was still incredibly soft with her, although he refused to acknowledge that he enjoyed the act of doing her hair. It made a soft sigh escape her lips as she remembered the time when she was free. She was snapped quickly out of it by the male placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

"I love you, kitten," Yamato blushed, "I know I don't show it as often as I ought to, but I love you. You don't need to respond, but someday, I hope you'll feel the same."

The male stood up and took her hand, kneeling in front of her and placed a loving kiss on the back of her hand, his eyes trembling with affection and fear of rejection. He stood up and pulled her to himself, placing his arms around her waist as he enjoyed the brief embrace. She allowed him to have just that, but did nothing to reciprocate his feelings. When they parted, he gave a gentle smile and led her down the hall to the private dining room where he and his parents occasionally dined while the men ate in the dining hall.

"(Y/n)!" Yamato's mother said, hugging the girl tightly, "Come, come join us!"

"Mother," the brunette said, his eyes looking at the ground, "I'd prefer to eat beside her."

"Yes, yes, you're so possessive," his mother chuckled, pinching her son's cheeks much to his discontent although being the mommy's boy he was, he didn't fight against it, only let her continue on as she pleased, "Your attitude sure has changed."

"That's what I said," (Y/n) said quietly.

"See? I'm not the only one! Well, I guess love does strange things to the mind. Speaking of which, I just adore these cream buns! Won't you have one? Ah, but then I can't have them all. Oh, I want to be selfish! Honey!"

"We can always get more," Yamato's father said, opening his arms wide for his wife to hug him tightly and munch on the sweet bread before he chuckled, "Such a child."

Yamato then sat down at the table, saying his thanks for the meal before beginning to eat a plethora of sweets. He then pulled (Y/n) down to sit in his lap, but her face heated up and she moved to sit next to him instead, putting distance between them. The male frowned, taking a bite of strawberry daifuku before grabbing onto her kimono and tugging her closer. They only continued taking turns moving away and grabbing back almost like a game.

"Kitten," Yamato whined, "C'mon. I hate it when you're not right next to me."

There was then a bark from another room and a dog came rushing in, his large stature almost frightening Yamato's mother until she realized it was just Masaru. The dog jumped on his master and licked his face off, stealing the daifuku from his hands. The brunette growled at the dog daring to take his treat, but then he saw it trot it over to Kiana, laying beside (Y/n), placing it at the dog's feet as if presenting an offering.

Yamato let out a surprised grunt, taking another daifuku from the table and munching on it as he watched Kiana sniff it before beginning to eat it happily. Masaru then took the chance to lay beside the husky and his demeanor changed into one of pure joy. The brunette seemed to relate with his dog's attempts to whoo the female he liked, but at the moment, he didn't have anything to persuade the girl to sit next to him, let alone on his lap where he could nuzzle her with affection.

"Oh!" the male said, perking up, "(Y/n), sit on me and let me feed you and I'll take you out today. Just for a bit."

"I have more self-worth than that," the girl sneered, eating a proper breakfast with rice and an omelet contrasting the brunette's sugary diet, "Besides, you're only going to smother me with guards, aren't you?"

"Only for your safety!" Yamato said, holding her hand in between his before she pulled it away.

"No, it's because you think I'll run," the girl commented, throwing him the side-eye.

"You're so stubborn!" he snapped, "What happens to me if you do run? I'll be all alone again. Can you blame me?"

"So you admit I'm right," (Y/n) said bluntly, turning her head away in disappointment.

"Give me a chance," the brunette begged, placing his hand on his heart, "It's not like I hurt you like Rei, killed someone like Akari, or manipulated you like Shota. I'm trying to do this the right way!"

The girl didn't respond, but she knew he had a point. Still, she wouldn't forgive him for being the one to kidnap her and hold her against her will in his home. She hadn't seen her parents in months and they were probably worried sick. Who knew what happened to them in that dangerous neighborhood? The female let out a great sigh as she debated whether or not she could convince the male into taking her to see them.

"I heard from Shota that you have killed before," the girl mentioned, changing the topic.

"Please, the Earth is better off without those pickpockets," the male scoffed, throwing his head up in frustration, "I did everyone a favor and it was their own fault for picking a fight with me! Look, I never killed anyone good so cut me some slack and let me take you out on a proper date...N-No guards."

While the brunette said that, he all but forced the words out of his mouth to say it, making the girl highly skeptical that he spoke the truth. Besides, she wasn't interested in going on a date with him. Yamato gave a small frown, continuing to eat other sweets while he hoped (Y/n) would accept his offer. He knew better than to push it on her. After all, pushing her to stay with him was what made her so distant in the first place. He acknowledged it as his fault, but at the very least, he wanted a chance to fix it.

"N-Not a single one," the boy said again, his cheeks becoming red as he realized that it entailed something else, "Just u-us alone...like lovers. We can go anywhere you want, you and me."

"Anywhere," the girl repeated, thinking quietly as the boy watched her with a pleading expression.

Far from being the ideal picture of a yakuza, the brunette was hopelessly in love with (Y/n) and he often was far softer than he allowed himself to appear. It wasn't that he didn't attempt to be strong and tough-looking around the female, he just couldn't do it. She was too perfect in his eyes and he didn't want to scare her off, though he'd done plenty of that before she'd come to live with him and his family. Well, dragged to, anyway. He wouldn't let her reside in a place unfitting for her. And that was everywhere but his side.

"I swear," the boy said, taking her smaller hand in his larger and calloused ones, "I'll make this wonderful for both of us. You won't regret it. I'll show you how much I love you."

(Y/n) took her hand back, continuing to eat as she considered his offer. Sure, it would have been wonderful to see the outside world after months cooped up with minimal contact with anyone else but him. However, she was smart enough to know that he wanted something in return. Whether it be a kiss or something more was beyond her, but she wasn't so quick to trust the male.

Soon after breakfast, Yamato was handed his daily assignments and he gave an exasperated groan, dreading being away from (Y/n) while he did them. He stared down at the papers in his study, then to the door, silently hoping that she would come inside and relax his stress. Simply a hug was enough to recharge him, but it seemed a hope that wasn't likely to come anytime soon. So his best bet was to focus as best as he could and do as much work as possible to see her quicker.

Meanwhile, the girl found herself being accompanied by at least five men as she strolled through the house. Yusei wasn't free, so she was subjected to the company of a few members. They never talked, they never smiled, and they rarely ever made eye contact, probably out of respect for Yamato. He seemed to be a perfect role model for them and every time she would bring him up, the men only nodded even if it wasn't necessarily something very good.

"Miss, it's time for your lesson," a woman said, giving the girl in front of her a polite smile and bow as she approached, "Today, we'll learn the art of tea pouring. Would you please follow me?"

(Y/n) let out a small sigh as the woman reminded her to correct her posture although the (h/c) haired girl only had the urge to adopt an even worse posture to get back at her. The lessons she was taught were often those of traditional Japanese practices, something that all women of the house should know. While she wasn't yet, she was set to become Yamato's wife one day, but he didn't seem to want to force her into it, giving her more time until she felt the same about it. That being said, he constantly urged her to do things like going on dates with him or sleeping in his room, which she had practically been forced into at that point.

As they arrived at the practice room in the garden, a common spot for Yamato's father to relax and drink tea, an orange-haired woman waved happily. Of course, at first glance, one may think she would be a middle schooler, very small and cute, but she was Yamato's mother and far older than she appeared. The woman sat eagerly on a silk pillow as she watched (Y/n) sit down at the table as she was taught, being taught to mind her posture.

"Tea pouring, how fun," Yamato's mother chuckled, "If you gentlemen don't mind, we'd like a bit of space."

"Miss, with all due respect, the young master - "

"Yes, yes, well off with you. He's so protective, honestly. Anyway, stand on the other side of the pond," the woman motioned, pouting slightly, "Anyway, please commence with the lesson. I'm eager to see your progress!"

(Y/n) frowned slightly before her instructor placed her back hand on her chin and raised it, telling the girl that she was to carry herself with pride. Then the woman clapped her hands and a few younger children carried a kettle, a teapot, a traditional yet portable stove, and a metal tin box of tea leaves. The girl internally groaned as she saw she was going to have to do everything from scratch. The instructor then thanked the children as they ran away, waving happily, likely to play. How (Y/n) wished she could join them.

"Now, first thing's first," the woman said, lighting a small fire in the stove, "You need to boil the water. Just put some in the kettle and wait until it begins to steam. In the meantime, I shall tell you all about the history of tea."

"No, let's save that for another day," Yamato's mother giggled, moving to sit beside (Y/n), "I think the most important thing is to know how Yamato likes his tea. Would you care to guess?"

"I didn't think he liked tea. Most of the time, it's bitter and he prefers sweet things. So...maybe green tea with honey?" the girl said, feeling largely uncomfortable.

"Wow! You got it!" Yamato's mother clapped, "Perfect, then another thing you need to know is that he prefers a specific brand over the others. I forget, please refresh my memory, Miss Kumi?"

The instructor paused, stunned by the way that Yamato's mother, the head of the entire yakuza group, was teaching (Y/n) how to make tea. Perhaps she knew how, but it was a bit out of the ordinary for her to spend her time with the girl. It wasn't that she disliked the girl, no, she rather loved her, knowing she made her son very happy. It was more that she simply didn't have the time between leading everything and disciplining misbehaving members.

"Ah, my apologies, my lady," the instructor said, regaining her awareness of the request she was given, "I believe it is from the Kyushu region, 'Infuse', I believe the company is called."

"Well done! Now, (Y/n), pay close attention, you're going to want to place in 2 and a half teaspoons of the tea leaves in the teapot. Why don't you go ahead?"

The girl did as she was told and soon looked to the kettle that began to squeal. Her instructor then taught her the correct way to pour the water into the teapot. Then she was told to stir it slightly and finally, pour it with grace. The act was actually quite difficult, and she found herself having great trouble with it, being scolded by her instructor time and time again. Eventually, she finally did get the hang of it, Yamato's mother praising her with delight for her job well done.

Then, without another word, the woman skipped away, saying goodbye while (Y/n) was left to continue practicing with her instructor. She seemed a bit childish, but the girl didn't mind. It reminded her of a select person a long time ago. The men seemed to stay where they were, but they never took their eyes off of her, making her feel restricted and smothered. Then again, that's how it was going to be until Yamato trusted her again. She may have to go on that date after all. Maybe then she could manage to get herself a longer leash. Or at the very least, a looser one.