It seemed to (Y/n) that the royal family was cursed with tragic fates. Whether they were born into the family or marrying into it, they all seemed to be hurt by something. Orion and Moriko were both killed by illnesses and frail constitutions while others were killed by themselves or accidents. Truth be told, the younger girl didn't buy it, believing something else to be at the root of everything, but it wasn't as if she could easily gain the information to know it was hidden.

However, she was content sleeping on Kazuki as he painted, the relaxation of the atmosphere and the faintest smell of roses and champagne allowing such tranquility. He was put at ease as well, relieved to have hidden his secrets from her. Violence didn't sit well with her much in the same way Ichiro used to be squeamish to blood. Of course, things had changed with the bluenette, but the older male was certain that it wouldn't just fade out with her.

Moriko had been able to overlook the blood he shed purely because of the fact that love was blind. She might have loved what he could provide for her, but she also harbored strong feelings for him. Still, harming her turned out to be her breaking point as much as it was his. If the (h/c) haired girl learned of his streak of violence, she would have run, and if she ran, he might have done something he regretted.

The thought shook him to his core, the male even dropping his paintbrush in surprise at his own train of thought. Never once did he ever imagine harming the people he loved even if it put his life at risk. However, it dawned on him that dying for something was the easy way out. Living without light or a purpose was a continual nightmare, and surely a mad man would only become more immersed in insanity.

"Zuki?" (Y/n) asked, rubbing at her eyes, "You look pale."

The blonde once again felt the tightness in his chest, unable to respond in complete sentences or even sentence fragments. His voice had been stolen from him once more. Placing his hand to his throat, he shivered, wondering what he was capable of. If he could hurt something so pure, he truly was a monster. No, more like a leviathan, enjoying twisting the sweetest things in life and devouring them whole.

It was certainly reasonable to the male. He had wholeheartedly believed himself to be a siren, but that was far too naive. Even if his voice drowned out the will of other living beings, was he truly beautiful enough to be called such a thing? No, of course not. Perhaps he had once started as a siren, unknowing of his own ability to bring disaster and heartache, but had since morphed into a being of unimaginable horror. He wasn't so beautiful any longer. The blood of others must have done that.

Kazuki's grip on the younger girl soon turned desperate, unwilling to part with her even if they both died in the process. He didn't know what he was capable of, truly, he didn't, and that was what scared him the most. Nonetheless, such thinking would have been more akin to who he was before he had decided on giving up everything for the sake of earning the right to love her. Surely he wouldn't snap so easily because of what happened to someone wholly unconnected to him.

As if proving to himself that was the case, the blonde gripped onto the younger girl's chin and pulled her up, connecting his lips to hers. It was a bold move, something he hadn't done in ages. He wouldn't have had the confidence to do anything of the sort, especially to someone who was supposedly "taken", but he refused to hold back any longer. Even if he did end up harming her, it would only harm them both to be passive.

She was already struggling with her feelings, unable to understand what was going on around her. Rei had been by her side for two years whereas the older males had only just met her a handful of months prior. It was unfair, especially after all of the conditioning he had been placing on her, unknowingly though it was. That being said, if the (h/c) haired girl could be uncertain about her feelings for him because she was torn between him and two others she had known for significantly less, their relationship must not have been very strong in the first place.

Even if Ichiro was there, too, having spent more time with (Y/n) and been far more audacious in his actions, Kazuki had yet to exhibit any violent tendencies. She hadn't seen blood when she was with him, namely due to the fact he knew how to hide it and his discontent for others around her. Nonetheless, he held a great advantage over the other two that he fully planned on utilizing. The only thing he needed to do was to present himself as an option that was ready for her to take.

If that meant suddenly kissing her or becoming fearless of her presence with him, he was prepared to do such a thing. The way she blushed when separating from him only ensured that he further knew it was vastly important to exhibit physical attraction to her. Being prim and proper wouldn't cut it anymore. At least, not all the way. Everything would be right in due time. Patience would bring prosperity.

"Have I offended?" he asked, intertwining his fingers with hers and placing her palm on his cheek, "Or is it more that I startled you?"

"I didn't expect it is all! You're usually so...passive."

"Do you dislike it?"

The younger girl's cheeks heated up more at his assertiveness, unable to formulate sentences in a manner she deemed acceptable. It wasn't as if she could come right out and say what she thought. It might offend or harm or even surprise him. That being said, as the blonde chuckled at her inability to answer his question, he placed another kiss on her cheek, making it sweet and to the point.

"I don't think I do this enough," he stated, bringing the hand he held from his cheek to where his heart was, "Can you hear it? It's as if I'm dying, but I feel more than just alive. I must thank you for such a thing."

Again, the younger girl shied away with an embarrassed flush across her features. The male admired the way her skin looked with the addition of a rose color. He rested his forehead against hers, smiling with great satisfaction. It didn't have to be something big for him to be utterly speechless. The male had never felt so warm. The passion was bound to burn him alive. He couldn't wait.

"I realize I may not be entirely present in your mind as a romantic option, but I would very much like to be with you. I'm more than willing to offer you everything I am."

. . .

Ichiro had been acting odd for the last handful of days. It was more than just being uneasy or grumpy. He had been shooting threatening glares to anyone regardless of if he knew them or not. Gender also didn't matter. One would have expected he would have been frustrated by any new surprise males that sought (Y/n)'s attention, but, really, he hated everyone. It wasn't like him at all, and some were beginning to talk.

The blunette was standing in front of the palace grounds, anticipating his pets to arrive. It was cruel of Rei to make him leave them alone for so long. They might have had people watch over them for him, but it wasn't the same. The animals must have been so frightened without him there to help calm them, and he was sure that the hectic pace of a plane would have inflicted great stress on the poor things.

Nonetheless, as the guards brought them out in their respective cages, they began to sense the presence of the bluenette. It appeared their moods completely changed, their fear and stress fading away back into tranquility. Ichiro smiled at them, glad to see them once more. Even if he didn't know how long Rei was planning on keeping him under "house arrest", at least he had (Y/n) and his beloved pets.

The male situated the animals in a room next to his own. It was obviously not intended to house animals, but they wouldn't have done well separated from him again. Thus, servants relocated the beds and other furniture, implementing bowls and resting spots for the animals. It was a good thing they never harmed one another or they would have all needed separate rooms. The things were quite peaceful amongst themselves, especially if Ichiro was around. He seemed to be the reason they all got along.

The moment all of the animals were released from their cages and allowed free range of the room, they bombarded the male with affection and relief. They licked him and nuzzled him, making all kinds of noises. He bet that any servant that mistakenly opened the door would have been overly frightened at the sight. While he did possess quaint and small animals like Chariot, a bunny, and Rhistus, a sugar glider, there were other, larger animals. They were typically considered to be more dangerous such as the male's cheetah and white-furred tanuki.

That being said, they were very affectionate to the male, never even thinking of hurting him or the other pets. Even his cheetah got along with his newly acquired baby duck. It had even started grooming it, taking over the role of its mother. Namely all of the bluenette's animals were rescues or creatures he had found hurt in the wild. Although he tried releasing them back, they simply sat and wished to stay with him. Thus, he saw no harm in it.

The male began to dole out treats for his pets, ruffling their fur in the process. They munched on them with delight, laying down either on or near the male while they did so depending on the available spots. The male's chinchilla had great ease balancing on his head whereas the rest were by his lap. It made him relieved to see them all doing well when he had been away for so long. He truly couldn't remember the last time he had left them alone without warning.

The door began to open, revealing a curious (h/c) haired girl. She looked fascinated by the creatures smothering the male, but he was more surprised to see her. The last he knew of her whereabouts, she was speaking with Rei in their room. Kazuki had told him as much when he was storming through the hallways. He seemed to believe that he was making a move on her, but the bluenette knew the blonde didn't have it in him. Likely, it was something along the lines of their wedding, but he couldn't know for sure.

In any case, he was glad to see her coming to him as opposed to staying with one of the others. As he motioned for her to come in, his animals stood on alert. Most of them hadn't ever seen her before minus Chariot, Mona, and Rhistus. As such, his larger and more dangerous animals were prepared to pounce on her. They must have thought she was going to separate them again.

As his cheetah growled at her lowly, she gave a concerned look and shied away, prompting unease in the male. He had wanted her to stay with him. It had been too long since he had seen her. At least, it felt like it. Before she was about to leave, however, Chariot leaped forward with an almost excited air about him and nuzzled against her ankle. As such, the other animals gave confused expressions and looked to their owner for an explanation or some sign that she was a threat.

"Join me?" he asked, extending his hand out to her, "They won't bite, I promise."

The younger girl bent down to pick up the bunny at her feet, rubbing his fur and making him rest at ease. The others were still wary of her, but one of them was brave enough to step forward. The cheetah sniffed at her, maintaining a decent distance from her in case she wanted to attack him. Nonetheless, when it recognized her scent from the times she entered the bluenette room, the large cat stood down. It sulked back over to the male and continued feasting on the snack he gave it.

Hesitantly, the younger girl made her way over to the older male, sitting down beside him. He gave an adoring smile that told her he was grateful for her choice. It must have been frightening to see such a carnivorous beast approaching her. Nonetheless, her presence put him at ease. He was no longer sullen and dejected with her by his side. In fact, he rather adored the aura she had.

"What do I owe the pleasure of seeing you?" Ichiro asked.

"Ah, Zuki was called to go to Rei. They had something to discuss, but about what, I have no clue. I figured I'd like to see you."

The bluenette's smile fell at the thoughts that came into his mind. Sure, she was there with him, but only because the other two were taken. He hummed, resting his head on the younger girl's shoulder, looking up into her eyes pleadingly. It would have been nice to be oblivious about her interest in others, but he couldn't put it past him. He wanted to be the first and only person on her mind, but he couldn't achieve it easily. In fact, he didn't know if he could achieve it at all.

"You're a very kind person, dove," the male sighed, "but you don't know how much you hurt me anyway. I know it's not what you mean, but still...it hurts my heart to hear you talk about other people or see you with them."

The bluenette paused, his eyes shimmering with the hint of tears. It was not any reflection on the younger girl for his state nor was it something that would have plagued him long. Her company was enough to keep him aware of her feelings towards him. The only issue was the toll it took on his mental state. It calmed him nonetheless to feel her fingers playing with his hair, taking it all away.

"Do you think about me as often as I do you?" he mumbled, "I think I must be crazy to have you on my mind all the time. It's scary, you know. To think I would hurt someone just so I could be on your mind."

"But...isn't that what love is?"

The male paused, a smile forming on his features as he looked up at the younger girl. She was correct, as she often was, but for however simple it seemed, it was ten times as complicated in truth. That being said, there was no way that the male would ever come to regret loving her. It was bliss and paradise rolled up into a beautiful sight he could always rest his eyes on. He would just need to put more of himself into her mind. Then, surely, he could achieve everything he had ever wanted.

"Yes," he smiled, reaching up to place his hand on her cheek, "I love you. At the very least, I have you now, so let that be enough."

The bluenette took the younger girl's lips in his own, giving a bashful smile. He nuzzled her affectionately, holding her in his arms. She was blushing at his actions, and it made him swell with pride. It pleased him to be able to move her heart as she did his, sending pleasurable feelings all across her body. The male traced where he believed she felt his presence most. Starting from her heart, he moved to the pulse of her wrist, pressing a kiss on the delicate skin, and brushing his thumb against her fingertips.

He thought wholeheartedly that human connection didn't lay within sight or hearing, but of touch. One would see the world far more purely with just their fingers, traversing everything with curiosity and yet warmth. Eyes were cold and voices were deceiving, but hands held the world together, romance and affection in people's hearts. In much the same way, Ichiro believed his connection with the (h/c) haired girl to be deep and true, cleansed from any ulterior motives. They wanted the same thing and made it clear to the other.

"I will love you even when I'm apart from you," the bluenette blushed, holding the younger girl tightly to himself, "I will think of you, feel you, hear you even when you're not there, but there's nothing like you by my side."

"W-What do I say to that?"

"Nothing at all. We don't need words, just touches. Small touches like this. I will kiss you and hold you like it's my last. Even if I go blind, I will remember you by this feeling in my chest and nothing will ever rise above it except for the feeling lingering in yours. I want you to feel me and my presence wherever you go and always long for my touches. And if you need me, I will always rush for something so small as a kiss. That's all I want."