Yamato stared at the orange-haired girl who stood before him with a curious look. He didn't remember ever meeting her or seeing her nor did he know why she was invading his home and speaking to (Y/n). It just seemed peculiar to him and he stood protectively in front of the (h/c) haired girl wondering if she was there to hurt her. Still, the way she looked didn't give him any thoughts that she wanted to harm anybody. That didn't prevent him from keeping his guard up, however.

"Hey, there," Asuka giggled, waving playfully to the brunette, "My name's Asuka. I'm a mercenary - oh...are those fruit tarts? Please, please, please, give me one! I'm drooling!"

"A mercenary?" Yamato growled, unsheathing his katana and holding it in front of him, prepared to strike at any moment, "Who hired you?"

"Ah, I'm not here on business, so pretty please give me a tart!"

Asuka rocked back and forth on her heels, her eyes glistening as they rested on the sweets in front of her. Though sweets were not her favorite food, it was food and she was starving. She'd been getting in so many fights, she swore she was losing weight, and she despised it. The orange-haired girl loved her modest, but not overly slim figure. Well, at least that was her excuse for wanting to eat something.

"You're welcome to one," (Y/n) smiled, holding out the tray for her.

Asuka gave a cheer and thoroughly enjoyed her fruit tart, munching on the delectable treat and making little squeals. Yamato didn't seem to trust her, still shielding the younger girl from the unknown female lest she turn against them. Though he didn't remember ever meeting or seeing the orange-haired girl, there was no way she would be able to forget him. His presence of authority would shock anyone enough to engrain his face into his mind.

"You know, you were a lot cuter when you were younger," the orange-haired girl snickered, throwing her arm around the male, prompting his face to fall, "Now you're all scary."

"Don't touch me," the brunette snapped, pushing the girl away.

"I got'cha," Asuka giggled, throwing her arms around the younger girl.

"Not her either," the male growled, gritting through his teeth as he pulled (Y/n) back.

The orange-haired girl pouted and looked away, crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance. She seemed to be throwing a silent fit, not wishing the brunette to take away the younger girl when she hadn't seen her in quite some time. It wasn't fair. Yamato had her for a while, why couldn't she just stand in the same room as the (h/c) haired girl? The yakuza heir had begun to find her pouting quite irritating, holding (Y/n) close to him.

"You've made me pretty sad, you know, taking my duckling away like that," Asuka scoffed, directing her statement to the brunette, "I didn't even get a say in the matter! I really, really miss her!"

"I missed her too, but you didn't give a fuck, did you?" Yamato growled, placing a possessive kiss on the (h/c) haired girl's nose.

"I cared more about (Y/n). She only wanted us to keep her safe, but I don't understand why," Asuka frowned, looking at the younger girl with an almost pitying look, "You seem really happy with him, huh?"

"Don't mess with her head," the brunette growled, putting his hands over the younger girl's ears.

Asuka sat down on the floor and gave a sigh, having finished her tart and reached an end to the conversation. She had only wanted to see (Y/n) again, perhaps have some time with her, but the brunette wasn't intent on letting her anywhere near her. It was upsetting, to say the least, but she wasn't mad. She would have done the same thing in his situation, and the (h/c) haired girl did appear happy, so she didn't mind it too much. She just wished she could have been the one in Yamato's situation was all.

"I envy you," she smiled cheerfully at the brunette, "Man, I'd be over the moon if I had (Y/n) so lovey dovey with me. Well, better take care of her, yeah? And maybe let me see her every once in a while, please~?"

"You're a mercenary," the brunette stated with a blank expression, "Who do you work for?"

"Duh, dipshit central. Whoops, my tongue slipped there. I meant Sora, of course."

"Get the fuck out," Yamato growled, launching at the orange-haired girl.

Asuka gave a surprised yelp and jumped out of the way, sliding under his swing before taking a dagger from her thigh. She didn't expect him to attack her, especially when she was trying to be so friendly. Still, he didn't let up on his attacks, striking to kill or at least fatally harm. Either way, it wouldn't be good for her if she was hit with his precision blows. So she jumped onto the counter and then back onto the ground.

"I'm not here to fight," Asuka whined, "I was only here to see (Y/n)!"

"Likely story! Sora wanted you to take her back, was that it? He decided it wasn't enough to make me suffer, but that he needed to do more?"

"What? No! I wouldn't listen to him after what he did! Not for a while anyway! Aww, duckling, help!"

(Y/n) rolled her eyes and stood in front of the older male, prompting him to flinch and stop moving completely, freezing in his tracks. He gave a small snarl and tried to move the younger girl to the side, only for her to smack at his hand. The brunette, not understanding why she wouldn't let him kill the intruder, gave a deep sigh and let his katana rest against his shoulder, eyeing the orange-haired girl sticking her tongue out at him from behind (Y/n).

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't kill her," the (h/c) haired girl sighed, "We happen to be very close."

"Lovely," the brunette scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Geez, somehow you have a worse temper than Sora...," Asuka shivered, a chill running up her spine.

"Don't compare me to that bastard!"

"Ah, see? Scary~"

Yamato growled, turning his head away from the orange-haired girl, not letting her see his expression. The only reason he didn't continue to attack her was because he didn't want to risk harming (Y/n) in the process or making her upset with him. Still, it didn't stop him from wanting to at any rate. He continued to glare at Asuka with annoyance within him. Sora would have been worse, but that didn't mean she was good in his eyes.

The (h/c) haired girl gave a great sigh at the brunette's clearly skeptical scowl at Asuka. True, she had come into his home without him giving her permission, but she didn't mean any harm, certainly not to her. The orange-haired girl was taken with (Y/n) to the outside where she figured they needed to be to give Yamato space. However, the brunette only panicked and began to follow after them at ten paces behind them; no more, no less. He was intent on keeping the younger girl safe even if she didn't expect the orange-haired girl to hurt her.

"I'm sorry about him," (Y/n) sighed, looking over her shoulder at the brunette who only blushed and looked away, "He's pretty overprotective, but he only means well."

"This really isn't any fair," Asuka pouted, clinging onto the younger girl's arm, "I feel like I've been dumped! Your eyes were sparkling when you were looking at him. Sparkling! I thought you didn't want to come back to him?"

"I was scared. I didn't want to fall in love with him, but...I don't think I can really help it anymore. He doesn't mean any harm, he's just really scared of anything that can happen to me. It's sweet, actually."

Asuka didn't move her head, but her eyes trailed back to the brunette tailing them. She didn't have a happy feeling in her chest, more like envy for him. If she could have lived in his shoes, she would have had a much better life, especially considering that (Y/n) responded to his feelings. She couldn't say the same for how the younger girl felt about herself, still confused on that note, but she had strong feelings for her. It didn't seem fair and that's all she could think. It kept repeating in her mind.

"So," the orange-haired girl paused, "You're happy with him, then?"

"I...well, it's confusing."

"Take your time then. There's no rush. I just want to make sure I can still see you. Remember, I'd die of boredom if you weren't around, so you should feel pity for me, 'kay? If I were Kage, I probably wouldn't want you anywhere around me, but I won't steal all your time...just some girl time is all."

"You seem to be upset about letting Yamato take me away," (Y/n) paused, looking to the side with a remorseful expression, "Does...Does Sora feel the same?"

"We're not on speaking terms right now. I can't believe he didn't tell me about the deal. He won't even tell me what the guy he traded you for did. And after I thought he was making a real connection with you, too. Honestly, I want to whack him upside the head!"

The orange-haired girl was more upset than she let on to the younger girl. Not only did she feel betrayed by the fact that Sora didn't trust her with the information, but he didn't give her the ability to put in her say about the trade. It was something unheard of, but she wasn't granted even an explanation from the ravenette. Truly, it enraged her, and she didn't think she would ever talk or look at the male again.

Asuka let out a sigh to exhale her frustrations. She didn't want to harbor such feelings with the male she'd known since birth. So she stopped walking, pausing and looking down at the koi pond, observing the way the fish swam around and opened their mouths randomly. Turning to (Y/n), she gave a small smile. It wasn't a particularly happy one, but nor was it a sad one either. It simply was.

"I'll come back tomorrow," the older girl said, her tone saddened but somehow elated, "Kage'll want to spend some quality time with you, I bet. I'll bring some cream puffs and sunflowers, too. Rest well for me."

With that, Asuka jumped the wall that separated the estate from the surrounding forest. She did it so with ease, well versed in the nature of escaping from different situations. Still, just before she left, she gave the younger girl a wink and wave with a playful smile. It seemed to be genuine that time, not existing, but radiating hope as if she had an idea of what would cheer herself up. It was enough to lift (Y/n)'s spirits, hoping the orange-haired girl and Sora could get along with one another again.

. . .

"I'm so...lost," Sora groaned, leaning back on his chair, "So...bored. So...unamused. What do I do?"

"I'm not one to ask about that, Master Sora," Enmei said, jotting down notes from a previous meeting at an efficient rate, "I always have to do something or other. Free time isn't my strong suit. Maybe Asuka could help you?"

"...She won't talk to me."

"Pass time the way you always do, then. You have a harem for a reason."

"Don't feel like fucking," the ravenette groaned, spinning around in his chair with a dreading expression.

"Then I'm afraid I won't be any help."

Sora gave another groan, rolling his eyes and slammed his head on the table. Enmei didn't look up at the male, letting him do as he pleased, only continuing to fill out the papers in front of him. Meanwhile, the ravenette continued to be bored out of his mind, leaving the room to wander the halls aimlessly. He didn't have anything in particular he wanted to do, nothing at all. The members of his harem would have begged to disagree, but he didn't want anything to do with them.

He was already having the person he traded (Y/n) for tortured. The man hadn't been allowed to eat, sleep, even move, really. Sora was dragging out the torture so the man wouldn't die until he couldn't keep him alive any longer. He didn't deserve a quick death, but, unfortunately, it only made the ravenette far more bored than before. The brunette wouldn't have been able to cut him until it was the correct time which it was not. His overwhelming boredom was eating away at him.

He wasn't an idiot, he knew of his feelings for (Y/n) even if it took him far too long. Sora wanted to see her again, let her entertain him with the small things she would have done. Maybe she'd teach him something about her parents, maybe she would cook cupcakes again, maybe, just maybe she would let him take her shopping. The last time the girls took forever, but he didn't mind it. It taught him a few things about her and the act of spoiling her surely wasn't boring. No, he quite liked it, quite missed it, indeed.

So he sat down in the dining hall with a huff, downing a glass of whiskey as he enjoyed a smoke. They were the only vices he had at the moment, not able to distract himself with the (h/c) haired girl's presence. As he continued to drink, he held his cigarette to the side and looked at it, his eyes narrowing. He knew (Y/n) would berate him for it, scold him, even try to guilt him into stopping his unhealthy habit. The thought made him smirk and kiss the cigarette before throwing it to the ground and stomping it out.

With that one action, it felt like a hole opened in his heart. Just in the same way air would rush into a hole in an airplane, guilt and loneliness came flooding in to fill that hole. The younger girl wasn't there to scold him about smoking nor was she there to deny she was able to drink, being underage. He scoffed at the idea. She was a rule follower, that was for certain, the opposite of the ravenette, but it only made her more precious to him.

As he walked away from his drink, into the hallways, navigating it, he thought about what (Y/n) meant to him. She was his opposite in most ways, challenging him at every angle yet being so satisfying. If he had to compare it to something, it would have been yin and yang, night and day, dark and light, love and fear. He was inherently evil and she was inherently good. It was a tempting mix. Although one would expect them to mix together like water and oil, it seemed that it was the opposite. They completed one another.

In his eyes, (Y/n) was the only one that could come close to him. She was capable, able to inspire people and lead with love while Sora, being his father's son, never stood a chance at being viewed as anything but a villain or dictator. It was like they were destined for one another. She was meant to have a loving heart and encourage others that needed it even if she wasn't capable of killing or hurting another. That was where Sora could fill in for her. Yin and yang, dark and light. How tempting it was, indeed.

The male exited the indoors of the estate, stepping into the backyard and being greeted by a white tiger. Athena purred, looking around the ravenette in the hopes that she would see (Y/n). However, she couldn't see the younger girl, prompting her ears to flatten and her tail to remain motionless on the ground. She was clearly as disappointed as the ravenette that she was no longer in the estate.

"I know," Sora sighed, sitting on the ground and petting the animal in order to soothe it, "It's pretty unbearable here without her, huh? Wish she'd come runnin' back here, but...I doubt that'll happen."

The ravenette let out a heavy exhale again and let gravity push him to the ground. He looked up at the clouds as he lay on the grass under the hot summer sun. It was beaming down on him more than usual, probably preying on his guilt for letting (Y/n) go for a measly criminal even if he was the one responsible for setting into effect Emi's death. While the heat would have ordinarily made him go to the shade, he felt he deserved it. His tanned skin only proceeded to get more tan, cooking in the sun, in a sense.

His mind proceeded to go from one thing to another about the (h/c) haired girl then the things he needed to do then the note he'd found in his room. He didn't know where it had come from or who had placed it there. And especially after he compared the handwriting, he was absolutely sure that it had come from Emi. The scriggly scraggly words that had oddly spaced letters written in crayon and the small star she put by her name when she signed it. Somehow, it was hers, and he didn't know how. It simply puzzled him.

Sora had kept it on his person, refusing to leave it anywhere but by his side. At the same time, he worried that he would ruin it so he was hesitant to do anything extraneous. It was unfortunately something he couldn't decide between, but until the man had died and he avenged Emi, he wouldn't leave the letter behind. It was precious to him, giving him some hope that he'd done something right for her. He believed the letter appearing was a sign from her that he'd made her happy by getting back at the man.

Hey, big brother, I wanted to tell you before I leave forever. I love you very much! I get to make this letter to you because of this nice person. He helped me out, but he told me I can't tell you his name. But now I get to tell you things like how much I love you and how much I miss you. You and sis were the best people ever, I mean it! You would always protect me from mean people and you would help me when I cut myself playing and you helped me make a luncharaunt for Toma! I know mama told me you're not really my big brother, but I wish you were. I love you so much! - From Emi☆

The words brought tears to the ravenette's eyes, but it made him smile so wide that it hurt. The younger girl was still making him smile after she was gone, making him feel love when he was lonely and upset. It was precious, so utterly precious and yet so devastating. Sora knew he wasn't there to protect her when she was killed. Rather, when she was ripped away from him. It was a feeling he couldn't stand, something he wouldn't live for. And...yet...

"(Y/n)," he smiled, closing his eyes and letting just one of his tears slip from his eyes.

She made him feel love, too, but yet again, she was ripped away from him. The ravenette crushed the letter from the little orange-haired girl in anger. Though Emi had been completely lost, he could still rescue (Y/n). He could keep her safe, keep her alive, keep her perfectly intact with him. Yes, he'd made the trade already with Yamato, but that didn't mean he had to stay away from her.

"Wanna go on a walk, Athena?"