Chapter 60: Life of Crime part 1

Tamaki's eyelids fluttered open in the grey darkness. That was the only way he could tell it was daytime down here; when the cellar was more grey than black.

Grunting a little with the effort, the nine year old slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. His face hurt from pressing against the cement all night long, but he hardly registered the stiffness. It never went away anymore.

Inching across the floor to the cellar bars, he picked up the glass of water waiting for him. Sipping at the liquid, Tamaki had to force himself not to gulp it down. He only got two of these a day… he had to savor it.

"Mon fils? Tamaki, are you awake?"

"Maman!" The blond set down the glass carefully and smiled, even though he knew his mother couldn't see it. Reaching out of his cell, he watched as a larger, colder hand came out of the cell to his left to hold it, "I'm up, Maman. How did you sleep?"

"Fine, fine. And you?"

"Okay, Maman." He hesitated, squeezing her cold hand with his own, "I... had the dream again."

His mother took a moment to respond. Tamaki liked to imagine what her face looked like whenever he told her that. He liked to see in his mind's eye her soft smile, the twinkle in her eyes as she reminisced.

"Would you tell me about your dream, mon fils? I love your dreams."

"Of course, Maman. It started with the screams, like always, but it was the mean men and Uncle screaming this time. You told me to not be afraid when they came down the stairs, and I wasn't, Maman! I heard you laugh. And then… he was there. Papa was opening my cage. You were there, too! He took us home, Maman!" He smiled, a tear tracing his cheek, "And then… I woke up."

There was silence in the cellar once again. It stretched for a moment too long. Long enough for Tamaki to hastily wipe away the tears with his free hand. Long enough for him to ask, "Maman? Tell me about Papa again?"

"Your father…" the woman sighed. Tamaki leaned his head against the cement wall, picturing his mother doing the same behind him, "Your father… was unlike anyone you've ever met, mon fils. He was strong and brave, yes, but also kind. His hands were soft as we danced, and his voice softer. He didn't care who your uncle was, or my last name... he said he saw my soul. He said… he said I had the most beautiful heart of anyone he's ever known. He had brown, chestnut hair and matching eyes. There were scars on his face, but his smile was still beautiful and warm… oh, Tamaki. I wish he'd met you."

Tamaki stared at their clasped hands. His mother's looked so withered, and yet dainty and soft. How graceful she must've been… until he had been born. Until her brother had locked her and her bastard son in the cellar. Until she'd had Tamaki with the boss of a rival family.

Until him.

"Maman? Does Papa know about me?"

"Yes. I told him about you as soon as I could. He wanted to take us, mon fils. He… he wanted us safe. But…"

"...But Uncle found out."

A heartbeat passed.

"Yes."

Creeeeeeak...

Tamaki received one last squeeze before they pulled back. He even inched further into his cell for good measure. His chest tightened as the footsteps grew closer. This wasn't like his dream… and the man staring him down was most definitely not his father. His cellar door was opened harshly, rusted metal screeching in protest. Tamaki's feet felt like they were encased in ice.

"Get up."

Shakily, the blond crawled to his feet. To his left, he heard his mother whimpering as she attempted to do the same. The man didn't shift his gaze once.

Once he was on his own two feet, Tamaki's arm was grabbed. He hissed at the bruising grip as he was dragged into the hallway, but didn't complain otherwise. The thug threw the child against the wall as he shut the cellar door once again. Tamaki quaked in fear. The only time the doors were shut when they were empty… was when the prisoners never returned.

His mother grunted as she was also pulled from her cell. She was thrown to stand beside her son, whom she quickly wrapped in a hug. Tamaki buried his face into her shabby clothes, his shaking dying down a little. He only ever saw his mother every two months or so. He'd never get tired of her kind face. Her warm hugs. Her sweet smile. She caressed his shaggy blond hair once more before they were both shoved towards the staircase. He had to hold her tightly so she wouldn't fall to the floor.

"Move."

They did. Tamaki clutched at his mother as they made their way up the stairs as fast as they could. His mother was breathing heavily by the time they made it, but Tamaki didn't get an opportunity to ask if she was alright. They were shoved down various hallways, the guards not saying anything other than basic commands. Tamaki swallowed when he realized where they were going.

His uncle's office.

The little family was almost bodily thrown into the room, and Tamaki would've appreciated how warm it felt with the fireplace going if it weren't for the biggest details. Tamaki's uncle was staring out the window when they came in, his hands clasped behind his back. The guards had entered the room with them and shut the door.

And there was a gun waiting on the desk.

The only sound in the room came from the crackling fireplace and Tamaki's mother. She was wheezing softly, leaning heavily on her son. Clearly that had been more exercise than she'd been allowed for quite some time. Her knees shook from exhaustion. Tamaki would've asked for a chair for her if he wasn't too afraid to speak.

"There is a quote I heard recently, dear sister. Would you like to hear it?" Tamaki felt his mother stiffen, her hand gripping the back of his dirty shirt with all of her might. She didn't speak, but her brother continued as if she had. He turned away from the window, still not looking at them as he walked over to his desk, "It goes: 'Blood makes you related… but loyalty makes you family.' I take it… you understand why that particular quote caught my attention?"

"Gabriel-"

"Shut it, whore!" Mother and son jolted, pressing closer to each other as Gabriel returned to his calm expression, "I used to believe that we were a family, you know. We were raised together after all. I loved you, sister. I did. But then you ran off with Suoh… and… I discovered how little loyalty and family meant to you."

He looked at his sister in disdain, as if she were something he had found on the street, being pecked at by the rats. But then he turned towards Tamaki. The boy gasped softly. His uncle never acknowledged him… unless he was ordering to have the blond beaten. His heart rate jumped.

"But… there now remains this… thing, as a product of your transgression. It occurs to me that he did not choose how he came into this world. And… he is blood. He could prove useful… should he prove that he is family. "

Gabriel snapped his fingers and the thugs jumped into motion once again. One grabbed Tamaki, the other his mother. The small blond made a little croaking sound, attempting to call out but not being able too. The two were pulled apart until they were at opposite ends of the room.

"Gabriel? Gabriel, no!" Tamaki's uncle had picked up the gun. After double checking that it was fully loaded, he walked around his desk and faced his nephew. The blond whimpered, his right leg growing warm as he lost control of his bladder. The fear consumed him. It was impossible to breathe. He was going to die...

… and then his uncle pressed the gun into his hand.

Tamaki stared at the thing in incomprehension. A warm hand grabbed his chin, forcing him to face his uncle. Gabriel stared into his eyes, holding fast as the child tried to squirm away.

"I'm sorry you have to do this, boy, but you need a place in this family. I can't hand it to you randomly, either, so you'll have to prove you're of some use to me." Tamaki sniffled and was roughly shaken in turn, "Don't cry. I can't stand criers. Now… it's very simple. All you have to do is kill an enemy of mine. Can you do that? They did something very bad, and you're going to punish them for me. All right? And then I'll let out out of the cellar. You won't ever have to sleep in the cold ever again. Nod if you understand."

Tamaki shook, but managed a nod. The men around him killed people all the time… so how hard could it be? And then… maybe he could find a way to have his mother pardoned and they would never have to live in the cellar again!

Gabriel smiled, "Good boy. Now…" he released Tamaki and stepped away, "Shoot the whore."

Tamaki froze, his eyes trained on his mother. The woman sobbed, begging her brother to stop. The blond could hardly hear her cries over the ringing in his ears. They wanted him to shoot… his Maman?

"Shut up, whore. Either he shoots you, or you both die. Is that understood?" His mother sobbed once more before turning to face her son. Tamaki could feel something inside of him breaking. He didn't want to die… but he couldn't kill his Maman either… so he was going to die with her.

But then… we'll be together, at least.

His mother smiled gently, and Tamaki thought she understood what he was thinking. He almost smiled back…

"Don't be afraid, mon fils." Her eyes were filled with tears, "Like in your dream, yes? Don't be afraid. Live your life."

Tamaki's sobs caught in his throat. The gun in his hand was shaking something fierce. He wanted to scream. To cry. To kick and wail and tell her he couldn't. He couldn't not be afraid! And he couldn't shoot her!

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, then made a flicking motion with his left hand.

"Maman-"

Bang!

Her body fell to the floor in a lifeless heap, Tamaki's screaming nearly covering up the sound of the gun going off. The guard that had been holding his Maman didn't seem very fazed. He just calmly put his gun back in his holster.

Tamaki's scream rose to a crescendo as he raised the gun in his hand, arm completely steady, and fired.

A second body collapsed.

For a moment, nothing was said. The only sounds came from Tamaki's sobs for his mother and the ever crackling fireplace.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow, eyeing the blood that was soaking into the carpet, "I never liked that guard anyways. Rei? Take… Tamaki, to his new quarters. He starts his training tomorrow. He's going to need it if he's to stay alive."

*Across Town*

"Thank you for agreeing to see me, Ootori-san."

Yoshio nodded, even as he carefully watched the three men walking into his home, "The pleasure is all mine, Suoh-san. Shall we have this discussion in the living room?"

"I'd appreciate it. This may take a while." Yuzuru turned to his two guards, "Wait in the parlor. I am among friends here." The men nodded to their boss before turning to guard the door.

After they were seated and the tea had been poured, Suoh leaned forward, "Do you know why I'm here, Ootori-san?"

"I assumed it was the same reason that every other Head of family in this city had attempted to contact me, Suoh-san. You want my favor."

"Indeed. And I suppose you've agreed to meet with only me because I offer the best protection?"

"Correct." The two men paused, each letting the other consider the conversation they were having. One of the guards in the parlor cleared his throat. There was the sound of pans clanging against each other coming from the kitchen.

"Then I suppose this meeting won't take very long at all. Very well, right to it, then." Yuzuru straightened up in his seat, "I wish to gain the financial, political, and social favor of your name. The Ootori family is well known for its wealth and your hand in the medical business. Your two eldest son are doctors, which make them highly respected and protected in… my community, and your daughter is currently living somewhere in Europe I've heard. But that leaves you and your youngest son as the biggest targets. You need protection… so, I propose a trade."

Yoshio nodded along, "Very well. I want my home's importance to rank second only to your own building. It will be one of your priorities in the event of any sort of disaster. I will have bodyguards who have been trained by Haninozuka-san himself. And my sons will never be asked to forfeit their Hippocratic Oath, even if their patient is from a rival family."

"Hmmm… agreed. And in return, I'll give you a choice. I want either 35% of your yearly income, which will help cover the expenses that come from your protection… or…" Yoshio raised an eyebrow, holding back a smirk.

Upstairs, a nine year old Kyoya was playing with his blocks. He smiled as he managed to balance a red triangle on the very top of his most recent creation. A clock tower. Kyoya admired the tall tower for a moment before quickly dismantling the building and starting on another, determined to make a replica of his own house this time.

He loved his blocks. They were the only toy he still had. Mostly because father had taken away all the others, saying he was much too old for ridiculous items. The blocks remained because Kyoya hid them underneath his bed and the maids were kind.

But since father was talking business downstairs, Kyoya had some time to himself and his toys. He only wished his big brothers or his big sister were there. They loved playing blocks with him.

The sound of feet climbing the staircase pulled the small boy out of his daydreaming. Hastily shoving the colorful blocks of wood underneath his bed, Kyoya clambered onto his comforter and grabbed the nearest book. It was one of Yuuichi's old textbooks from when he was still studying in college… the only kind of books Kyoya was allowed to have. He didn't understand most of the bigger words, but he liked the pictures and reciting the Hippo Oath for his big brothers. They always ruffled his hair afterwards and told him stories about their fun times in the hospital until he fell asleep.

He was so excited for them to visit this afternoon. He missed them alot.

The door that lead to the hallway opened harshly, startling the book right out of Kyoya's hands. Instead of his father at the doorway or his big brothers, like he'd expected, there were two men he didn't recognize. They were in black clothes and one of them had multiple scars across his face. They looked scary.

They became even scarier when they walked into his bedroom, heading straight for him.

"H-hey! Who are you? Go away- No!"

The one with the scars scooped him off the bed and threw him over his shoulder. Kyoya started shouting in earnest, banging his little fists on the man's back as he was carried out of his room and down the stairs. He stopped squirming for a moment, afraid of being dropped on his head, but once they were on the first floor he continued.

The three passed the living room doors when Kyoya spotted his father. He was shaking hands with another man with brown hair, looking as close to smiling as Kyoya had ever seen him before.

"Father! Father, help! They're taking me! Father!"

"I expect my new bodyguards to be here by tomorrow morning. I'll send Kyoya's belongings along that afternoon." Yoshio didn't acknowledge the expression on Suoh's face, but it would've been hard to ignore. It wasn't shock. More… pity. And a hint of disbelief, but he didn't quite understand the reason behind it. Suoh had been the one to make the offer.

Kyoya's eyes grew wide when his father didn't even turn his head, "Wait… Father? Father?!" The guards walked out the front door, carrying Kyoya with them, "FATHER!"

"Hey? What are you doing?" Kyoya gasped and pushed himself up a little, staring over his shoulder as best as he could. His big brothers were here! He started shouting for them as the other scary man kept them away. Yuuichi continued to call out Kyoya's name, telling the man to put him down while Akito called for their father.

Kyoya's chest filled with dread when he realized his brothers couldn't get to him. He continued to shout, even long after the car door was shut in his face.

The next day, a box was delivered to Kyoya's new room. He sat cross-legged on his bed and picked through everything. Clothes. Toiletries. Glasses case. A couple books...

But the little boy wept late into the night when he finally emptied the whole thing.

They was missing.

His blocks were gone.

Two high pitched screams echoed in the night.

Jin raked her fingernails down the man's arm, receiving a sharp yank on her hair in return. Her little sister, Haruhi, was on the other side of the man, screaming for their father at the top of her lungs as the two were dragged into the alley. Jin kicked at the man's shin and was released, only to be backhanded across the face and shoved against the brick wall. Her cheek stung from where the man's ring had dug into her cheek and she whimpered on the ground.

"Shut up, bitch!" A kick to her stomach had Jin seeing stars. Haruhi's screams increased in pitch until she was smacked, too.

Jin pushed herself up to her knees. She knew no one was coming to save them. Living on the streets in their little huts, their neighbors had bigger worries than little girls being raped in the middle of the night. And father… father was working a 'job'. He wouldn't be home for hours, and there was no guarantee he wouldn't be bleeding from between his legs when he returned either.

Haruhi let out another wail and was smacked once more, her hair being yanked harshly enough for some strands to come out, "I said shut up , you little whores! You're going to put those mouths to work if you know what's good for you!"

Jin crawled closer, faking that her injury was more severe than it was. She had gotten good at that while begging for money on the streets. If someone kicked her as a joke, her funds typically doubled over the next half hour. Haruhi's whimpers were killing her, though, so she knew she had to act fast.

The man was breathing heavily as he tried to undo his belt buckle. Jin's eyes narrowed when she noticed something small was in his pocket. A pocket knife?

Perfect.

"Nēchan!"

"Shut the fuck uAHHHH! "

Jin had moved fast. Lunging for the man's pocket and pulling the knife out of his pocket. Without any hesitation, she clicked it open and stuck the blade hilt deep into his thigh. He released Haruhi's hair with a scream and Jin grabbed her sister, dragging her into a run back out of the alley when-

Bang!

The girls gasped, stumbling to their knees at the sound of a gunshot. Neither of them felt any pain, but they still hastily checked each other over for the blood that was sure to be there… only to find none.

Turning back around, Haruhi squeaked and buried her face into Jin's chest. Their would-be rapist lay dead on the ground, his blood making a small pool in the dirt and garbage.

"Are you girls alright?" The new voice startled them, Jin pulling her sister closer to the alley's entrance as another man stepped out of the shadows, "Don't be alarmed. I'm not here to hurt you, I came for him." He lightly nudged the dead man with his toe, but otherwise didn't acknowledge the body.

Jin gently stroked Haruhi's hair as she sniffled in her arms, "Who… who are you?"

"Haninozuka-san."

Jin gasped, "You… you're in the Suoh family, aren't you?"

"You've heard of me?"

The brunette nodded, "You're the only family that doesn't… doesn't target our neighborhood."

Haninozuka-san raised an eyebrow, "Then you're aware that this man was from a rival family?"

"Mhm."

"You've been around this crime all your life?"

"Yes, sir."

Now both of the man's eyebrows were raised. He turned back towards the body, "You put that knife in his leg, didn't you? That was brave, using his own knife against him."

"I… I had nothing else."

"Resourceful, then. And still brave. To be quite honest with you…"

"Jin. Jin Fujioka."

The man managed a small smile, "To be honest with you, Fujioka-san, we could use people with your kind of bravery. You remind me of my son... who has just started training himself only recently."

Jin's eyes grew wide. She couldn't believe… there was no way… "Are… are you offering to… to train me?"

"Depends. Will you accept?"

Haruhi tightened her grip around Jin's torso. She was peeking out at the scary man before them, but continued to hold her sister. Jin glanced down at the younger girl, her brown eyes narrowing as she thought it over. Finally, she looked up, "I won't leave Haru alone. She has to come and watch me train."

"Done." Haninozuka's smile grew just a fraction when the girls both smiled in relief, "Now, you two should head home. Come back here tomorrow afternoon when the clock strikes seven. You'll train in the evenings." He stepped back into the shadows, leaving the man's dead body where it lay, "It was lovely to meet you, Fujioka-san."

The girls watched until they could no longer see the man. Jin let out a deep breath before gently leading her sister back home, "Come on, Haru…"

"N-Nēchan?"

"Hm?"

Haruhi hesitated, "W… Cut my hair off!"

Jin nodded, not even pretending to be surprised, and pressed a soft kiss to the girl's head, "Okay, Haru. I'll get some scissors in the morning. No one's going to grab your hair like that ever again."

*Three years later*

"Fire!"

Bang! Bang bang! Bang! Bang!

"Halt!"

Jin lowered the gun and relaxed her stance. A self-satisfied smirk pulled at her lips as the targets were pulled forward, showing five perfect headshots. Behind her a small chorus of cheers went up.

"Next!"

The brunette exchanged places with Takashi Morinozuka, swapping a high five with the boy as her targets were changed to fresh ones. Plopping down beside the tall boy's cousin she quickly took a sip of her water. Mitsukuni Haninozuka grinned up at her, "That was so good, Jin-chan! No one else has gotten five head-shots on the moving targets, yet!"

"Eh, I'm sure you and Mori-kun will get them today, too. I'm more nervous for paintball next week. It's probably really different when someone's firing back at you." She glanced over at her little sister, who was happily watching the training session with interest from the far wall. "So, am I going to do paintball training with you and Mori-kun only, or is your dad finally going to introduce me to the rest of the class?"

Honey nibbled on his lower lip, his feet swinging beneath him on the bench, "I don't think so, Jin-chan. We're not supposed to tell anyone that you're here, really. My dad got special permission from Suoh-sama to train you, but he doesn't want everyone to know that we're… taking kids off the street. Especially girls."

"Hmm." Jin stared at Mori as he began shooting. She honestly wasn't all that surprised by the decision. The only people who knew she was in the compound at all were the four people in this room and Suoh-sama himself. Oh, and that other guy who spotted her outside one day and made a few lewd comments before she broke his nose.

That had been fun.

Sighing, the brunette leaned back onto her hands as the targets were pulled forward, showing a near perfect score for her friend. As much as she enjoyed spending time in training with the two older boys and knowing Haruhi was in a safe-ish environment for a few hours every day… sometimes Jin couldn't help but wonder about kids her own age.

Honey had once mentioned that there was one other twelve year old in the family, but he wasn't exactly the nicest person ever. Still… she wondered.

*Two years later*

Kyoya was in the middle of his newest book when someone knocked on his door. Quickly slipping a bookmark in, the teenager walked across the rather spacious bedroom and opened the door. A surprising greeted him from the other side.

"Ando-san? What is it?"

"Suoh has requested you in his office."

The ravenet raised an eyebrow, but nodded all the same and exited the room. If Suoh-sama wanted to see Kyoya badly enough to send his right-hand man to collect him, who was he to argue?

Kyoya's room wasn't that far away from Suoh-sama's office, so there wasn't much time to chat with the older man about why he was needed all of the sudden. Still, he managed to compile an extensive list of theories by the time they arrived, leaning from a serious mission to (finally) being promoted up to a higher rank. After being a part of the family for more than five years, Kyoya felt a little… unappreciated, to say the least.

Needless to say, he was quite surprised when he opened the door and saw another boy who looked to be about his age standing there. He glanced over his shoulder at Ando-san, who only gestured for him to walk inside, before cautiously approaching the desk.

"You wanted to see me, Suoh-sama?"

The brunet man nodded, but Kyoya was shocked to see… was that a smile? He inclined his head towards the blond boy who was standing on Kyoya's right, "I wished to introduce you to someone. This is Tamaki Suoh, my son."

In the space of an instant, Kyoya's interest in the other boy went from less than two percent to a full one hundred. Whipping his head to the side, he was met with a large smile from Tamaki and a hand outstretched towards him. Quickly shaking the other's hand, Kyoya attempted to piece the information together. He had been completely unaware that Suoh-sama had a son. Let alone one his age. Where had he come from?

"I'm sure the two of you will have much to talk about, but I was hoping you could do that after completing this mission." Suoh's expression turned a little more serious. "A few members of the Suzushima family have taken residences in the upper levels of the MGM Grand casino."

Kyoya stiffened. That was their casino. Suoh seemed to notice the boy tensing up, and he waved a hand, "It's only a few. I have a truce with Suzushima and he's informed me the ones involved have done so to make it a suicide mission and create another war. I don't wish for this to happen, so I'm sending the two of you to… clear them out. Take some back up if you wish, but I want to see how well the two of you work together. Now, off you go."

With two quick bows, the teens exited the office. Almost immediately, Tamaki spoke up, "So, you're Kyoya Ootori, right? Father told me a bit about you while we waited."

The ravenet tried not to feel… bitter as he thinks up a response. It was almost unfair. Sure, it wasn't Tamaki's fault for being the son of the boss, but after five long years Suoh-sama suddenly got a new favorite? And why did it take so long for Tamaki to show up? Even so, he straightened up and gave the blond his best smile, "Yes. I hope what was discussed reflected kindly on my character, considering we are to work together."

"Actually, I tried to get Father to change his mind. But he seems to think that since we're the same age and grew up in this lifestyle we'll get along just fine. I disagree, but I can't complain either. Do you need to grab anything before we go?"

Kyoya gritted his teeth, "No. I always have my gun on my person."

"Huh. That must be interesting in the bedroom. Come on, then. Unless you think you'll need back up." Kyoya's eyelid twitched as he followed the blond towards the elevator. Was the idiot trying to encourage Kyoya to shoot him?

It took nearly twenty minutes for them to reach casino. Neither of the boys had spoken to each other, save to check that their radio communication was working. Kyoya was just hoping to get this over with before he never had to work with the blond again.

He peeked out from the back seat of the car and eyed the windows of the casino's penthouse suite. The curtains were drawn, but he could still make out the faint silhouettes of a small collection of men milling around inside. It looked like they were drinking. Perhaps they were aware that they were on a suicide mission. Did they even knew their boss had given the go-ahead for their death? How stupid of them.

He double checked the number of bullets he had before glancing at his 'partner' for the evening, "Let's make this short and simple. We go in, take out any loners in the hallway quietly, then I'll breach the penthouse suite and you stay in the hallway to catch any stragglers who try to escape."

"No! Are you crazy?" Tamaki was staring at him like Kyoya had grown an extra head, "You'll be shot down before you fire two bullets! Father told me you were intelligent! "

Kyoya felt like he'd been smacked in the face, "I know that suite like the back of my hand! I know what furniture they've likely moved around, the secret back entrance, and the places I can still use for cover! You're the novice in this situation, so let me take the lead and don't get in my way!"

"No!" Tamaki growled, poking the ravenet's chest, "I'm no novice in any sense of the word! I've seen and done worse things than you could probably imagine!"

"Oh yeah? Try me."

"Broken a man's fingers one after another, and then cut off his ear!"

"Found a snitch and tortured his girlfriend with a noose, nearly strangled her for half an hour while a knife was in his thigh."

"Walked into a house to collect some insurance and found the whole family hanging from the banister. Children included!"

"Watched a man be run over by a train."

"Tied down a man on the train tracks!"

" Pushed a man in front of an oncoming train."

"Was told to shoot my maman, and when I refused a guard shot her instead, right in front of me! Then I shot the guard! I was nine! "

"When I was nine my father sold me to the mafia for protection rather than give up any of his profits!"

The boys paused, staring at each other, chests heaving. Tamaki swallowed suddenly and leaned back, "Father said… you joined. "

"That's one way to put it." Kyoya glanced out the window before looking back, "Was shooting the guard that killed your mother… what got you into this life?"

"It was a test from my uncle. He said he'd kill us both if I didn't, but after I shot my maman's murderer… I guess he changed his mind." They continued to watch each other until Tamaki starts to laugh, shaking his head, "Oh my god, what's wrong with us?"

"Probably a lot."

Tamaki only laughed harder, and even Kyoya managed a hint of a smile. It was pretty ridiculous. This wasn't typically what teenage boys fought about.

When the blond managed to rein himself in, he was smiling widely at Kyoya, "Okay, okay, we should probably do the job. But I still think I should be the one to go in- No, wait, let me explain. They'll be expecting you. They don't know me yet. I never had any dealings with the Suzushima Family, and Uncle never let me out much, anyways. I'm a better actor than you might believe. Just… trust me."

Kyoya narrows his eyes. He can't remember the last time he actually trusted someone, save for Ando-san or Suoh-sama. But…

"Fine. But I'm not staying in the hallway once the shooting begins."

"Wouldn't imagine it any other way."

An hour later, Ando-san was checking his watch as he stood in the front parlor. They were running later than he'd expected. Leaning against the staircase banister, he stared at the front doors, as if he could make the boys open them with sheer force of will. Yuzuru had been adamant that those two would come back from a successful mission as trusted mission partners in no time at all, but the second-in-command had his doubts.

While he knew both Kyoya and Tamaki were skilled in their field and they'd no doubt complete the mission, he also knew that Kyoya wasn't the friendliest teenager around. Nor the most trusting. And from what he knew of the Suoh kid's past, he probably wasn't quite ready for a touchy-feely friendship-

He heard the laughter long before the doors opened. Ando-san kept his expression passive, but on the inside he was positively gaping in shock. Tamaki was laughing loudly, putting his whole body into the movement, while Kyoya smiled in amusement at his side. The boys noticed the older man at the same time, but neither of them stopped looking pleased. The blond even waved in greeting.

"Hi, Ando-san! Were you waiting on us?"

"Yes. I take it your mission was a success?"

"Yeah it was!" Tamaki was practically bouncing on his toes, a complete 180 from what he'd been like when they'd left. He even held up a hand for Kyoya to high-five, and once he got one continued to bound around, "There was a moment where some guy was sneaking up behind me and Kyoya yelled 'Down' so I just dropped to my stomach and Kyoya took the guy out! It was awesome! "

"I'm glad you liked it, but your acting was quite phenomenal, Tamaki." Kyoya's smile had grown a bit, "Knocking on the door and playing lost? I nearly dropped my gun when they invited you inside for some water! You're one convincing crier."

"What can I say? If I wasn't a criminal, I'd probably be an actor~!" Tamaki dramatically tossed his bangs to the side, the back of his hand pressed to his forehead, and Kyoya started laughing.

"You're such an idiot! "

The two boys continued to laugh, unaware of Ando-san staring at them. Looks like Yuzuru won their bet. How the fuck had he known… Clearing his throat, the man nodded at the boys, "Shall I inform the boss that you two wish to be partners from now on?"

Tamaki nodded eagerly, looking like Christmas had come early, while Kyoya just kept it at a simple nod. But he couldn't seem to hide his smile, either. And once the man started up the stairs-

"I guess you're stuck with me now, huh?"

"It would seem so."

Tamaki laughed again, throwing an arm over Kyoya's shoulders and steering him towards the rooms.

*A year later*

"Please sit."

Jin did as she was told, doing her best to relax and not stare around the office. Suoh-sama was staring her down across his desk, and she had to maintain eye contact. The older man tapped his pointer fingers together once… twice… then three times before sitting back in his chair.

"Do you know why I called you up to my office, Fujioka-san?"

"No."

"Really? I thought it would've been obvious." The man reached down to his side and Jin tensed slightly, relaxing only a little when he dropped a filing folder onto his desk. Flipping it open, he traced the words on the page, "Fujioka-san has shown remarkable progress over her years of training. She now equally matches or supersedes her classmates Haninozuka-san and Morinozuka-san in every field. Her talents in the martial arts are a sight to behold, and is the best marksman I have witnessed in years. All of her assistance in the field has been immeasurable."

Jin wasn't sure if she was still breathing, "Did… did Haninozuka-sensei say that about me?"

"Indeed he did." Suoh flipped through a few other pages in the folder, "Most of these reports have a similar ring to them. I must admit that when Haninozuka-san requested to train a… well, street urchin, I assumed he was doing so out of pity. But now I see it was because he saw your potential."

Jin was silent as the man continued flipping through the pages. He wasn't… he couldn't be…

He flipped the folder shut and returned his attention to the girl, "I'd like to offer you a job position in the family. My only son and heir has gone for too long without a personal bodyguard, and while he and his partner are both well practiced in the field, I don't think an extra set of eyes or another sharp mind will do much harm."

Jin blinked, trying her best to maintain her poker face as she absorbed the new information. Finally she shifted in her chair, crossing her legs, "And… if I were to accept, what would happen from there?"

"Well, for starters you would have to sign a contract stating that you will live in the complex and do the job assigned to you until you are either reassigned, your contract expires, or you unfortunately perish. You'll be paid, as well, though I'd assume you'd want to transfer all of your funds to your family. Most people do. It would be a substantial amount, enough for you to be considered the breadwinner in your family."

Father would never have to 'work' again. Jin can already imagine the happy tears.

"And if I refuse?"

Suoh finally smiled, "You won't."

"Well, I suppose I can't argue with that logic." Jin sat forward as the man pulled out a contract from within her personal folder. It already had her name printed on the very bottom, next to where her signature would go. He had been really positive she was going to join. Can't disappoint him then, now can I?

It didn't take long to go over the contract and before she knew it Jin was signing the bottom with a small smile. Suoh nodded in return before calling out, "Tamaki? You can come in, now."

The door opened and a tall, blond boy walked inside. The first thing Jin thought was, Wow, he has purple eyes. The next was, Wow, he's really handsome. Of course, she pushed those first impressions to the back of her mind and gave him a lopsided smile and an extended hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Tamaki. I'm Jin, your new bodyguard."

The blond's eyes lit up, "Oh! I didn't realize you were going to be a girl!" He quickly shook her hand, "It's lovely to meet you, but… if you don't mind me asking… could you give me your qualifications? As much as I trust father's judgement, I'd like to make my own decisions?"

"Of course. I've trained under Haninozuka-sensei for six years and he himself has stated I am equal to or greater than Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai in terms of skills in combat." She inclined her head a bit to whisper, " Also, I've already signed the contract, so you're kinda stuck with me, buddy. "

Tamaki laughed, "Well, at least I'll be in good hands."

"It looks like the two of you will get along just fine. Tamaki, if you could please show Jin to her new room?"

"Of course, sir." With a grand sweep of his arm, the boy gestured her out through the doorway. Making their way down the hallway, Tamaki began poking and prodding Jin for more information. Where was she was from? Why hadn't he seen her around before? What was her family like? He seemed really interested in the fact she had a sister only a year younger than her.

They came to a stop one floor down beside a rather empty room, "So this will be your bedroom. I know it looks bare at the moment, but you'll get stuff to fill it up soon enough. Father will probably let you get your things and talk to your family this evening along with giving you your first payment. My room's across the hallway, for obvious reasons. There are only three other kids our age here, and they're all down this hallway. You've already met Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai, who are just down that way. And in the next door down from yours is-"

"Ah, Tamaki. There you are." The two teenagers turned around at the new voice, spotting a ravenet walking down the hallway towards them. When he reached them, he handed a small piece of paper to the blond that had an address scribbled on it. "New job. Target is Yoshimura Hirano. He used to have a protection fund with us, but he's been skimming from it. We've been instructed to collect him and bring him back."

Jin blinked as the boy rattled off the job. He looked to be the same age as her and Tamaki, and if he was Tamaki's partner, then he must be Kyoya Ootori. The third party in their new little group. But he wasn't even looking at her… which was rubbing Jin the wrong way.

Tamaki didn't seem to notice, busy nodding along to Kyoya's words. That is, until he looked up at Jin, "Do you need to grab or do anything here before we go?"

"Nah. I'm all set."

"Excuse me?" Kyoya was looking between the two with a confused expression. Jin saw his eyes roam up and down her form, as if just seeing her for the first time.

Deciding the give him the benefit of the doubt, Jin managed a small smile and nodded in greeting, "Jin Fujioka. I'm Tamaki's new bodyguard, just hired a few minutes ago, actually. I'll be joining you two on your jobs from now on."

At her words, Kyoya's expression went from curiosity and confusion to amused disbelief. He did one more full body scan before raising a single eyebrow, "... Really? "

"And what was that tone supposed to imply?"

Tamaki cleared his throat, gently shoving Kyoya down the way he had come from, "Hey, let's get going, guys. Jin still has to get her stuff and move in officially. This'll be quick, right?" Neither of the other two respond, Kyoya facing forward and Jin glaring daggers into the back of his head.

If looks could kill, Kyoya would've been dead long before they reached the address Kyoya had been given. It was a tiny house, but something seemed… off, to Jin. She stared at it in concentration as Kyoya and Tamaki discussed their plan.

Tamaki glanced over at the girl and nudged her arm, "Hey, did you hear that?"

"Do we know how much this guy has skimmed?"

The boys looked surprised by the sudden topic change. Kyoya, of course, hid it well beneath a fine layer of exasperation, "I don't see why that would matter at the moment, but I was told it was a very significant amount. He didn't hide it very well. At all, really."

"Then how come the place still looks like a shack?" The girl narrowed her eyes, "If he were to skim without trying to cover his tracks, then the most obvious move would be to get as far away as possible… but it looks like the guy's still here. And if that's the case, then the next plan should've been to get some good security. Guard dog or something since the police are ours in this part of town… but I don't see anything like that, either. So, either he has a whole lot of firepower in that house and is waiting to blow our heads off… or we're missing something."

She turns to the boys finally, who also look a little intrigued, "People who skim usually try to hide it for as long as possible to maximize profits, but it sounds like this guy didn't even try that. But I don't think he's an idiot either, or Suoh-sama wouldn't have wasted time or money on him. Think someone got to him before us?"

Kyoya looked around the girl at the house, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "So, whether or not there are members of a rival mafia waiting for us or a traitor… it's meant to be a trap."

"Exactly." Jin unbuckled her seatbelt, "So tell you what… they're not going to recognize my face. I go up, pretend to be selling something, and figure it out as I go. You boys sneak around back. Stay out of sight. Sound good?"

Tamaki smiled, nodding along as she carefully climbed out of the car and started making her way down the street. Looking over his shoulder, he raised an eyebrow at his friend, "Great minds think alike, I suppose."

"Pardon?"

"Oh, come on, Kyoya!" He turned around fully, "That was along the same lines as the plan I came up with on our first job! Don't tell me you missed that!"

Kyoya rolled his eyes, "It was an idea. Whether it's a good idea remains to be seen."

As it turns out, it was a good idea.

A very shaken Yoshimura Hirano appeared at the doorway when she knocked, barely opening the door all the way as he immediately tried to get Jin to go away. As she chatted with the nervous man, the boys snuck around back. No one shot at them, so regardless of how many people were in the house, they were clearly paying attention to the front door.

"Listen you idiot girl, I have nothing to give you. Now go away before you regret it."

He blinked rapidly when the girl just continued to smile, "Oh, Hirano-san… are you sure you don't have any money for me?"

There was the sound of clattering chairs further inside the house, quickly followed by a door being kicked in. Jin grabbed the man's arm and pushed them further into the house and to the floor, landing on top of the screaming man as gunfire echoed around the house.

Jin rolled off the man but stayed belly to the floor as she fired her gun twice, hitting one man in the back and another in his firing arm. Both went down. Only one screamed.

In fact, he was the only one screaming.

Standing back up, she offered a hand to the man beside her, pulling him to his feet. He was staring at the bloodied bodies in his house with a very pale face. She managed to turn him around just in time for him to throw up into the umbrella stand by the door.

Tamaki marched up to the thug Jin had got in the arm and hit him across the face with his own gun, knocking him out cold. He then glanced around at the carnage, "I don't recognize them. Nice job keeping one alive, Jin." She shrugged before jerking her head towards the client behind them, "Do we still bring him in or leave him to take care of the bodies?"

"Take him. He might be able to explain what was going on if the other man is tight lipped. We'll send someone back for the rest of them." Kyoya quickly tucked his gun away, "Tamaki? Help Hirano-san get his stuff. Jin and I can call up the car and contact your father about this… unusual collection."

It took a little while before Tamaki could convince the older man to step through the living area and into his bedroom, but once the two were gone Jin turned around to find herself face to face with a certain ravenet. "Yeah?"

"I must apologize for doubting you so much, Fujioka-san. Suoh-sama clearly knew what he was doing when he hired you." Kyoya gave her one of his signature smiles, "I hope we work well together in the fu-"

"Okay, I'm gonna stop you right there." Jin pressed a hand against the boy's chest, slowly pushing him until he was forced to take a step away. "My job is to protect Tamaki, which I will do, no issue. You , however? You are no priority of mine. Especially not after the crap you pulled when we first met. Please understand it's nothing personal, it's just… actually, it is a little personal. And some business sprinkled in. Just be aware that if you ever suggest that my being a girl in anyway affects my ability to be a part of this family, I will treat you like I treat every man who thinks of me nothing more than their future conquest."

And with that, she gave him a bright smile and walked back towards the front door.

"And what happened to those men, dare I ask?"

Still grinning, she tossed the words over her shoulder, "Check the infirmary. Or the morgue! Or the cemetery~!" And then she's gone, disappeared around the corner and out the door. Probably to go get the car.

Tamaki pokes his head out of the bedroom, clearly having just heard the whole exchange. As casually as he could, the blond stepped over the bodies before coming to stand by Kyoya's side. He copied the ravenet's line of sight towards the front entrance before tilting his head towards the other.

"So what do you think of her?"

The question seems to have snapped Kyoya out of whatever funk he was experiencing. He spun on his heel and marched towards their living captive, "She's a bitch, plain and simple. Arrogant after only one plan and probably won't be able to admit to any mistakes she makes in the future. And did you hear what she said to me? Judgmental while I try to apologize then threatens to kill me! Lumping me in with those... and clearly she has no regard for the lives of people she's not being paid to protect. I'll work with her because she's keeping you alive, end of story, but don't expect me to like her."

Tamaki smirks, "Right. Just make sure to use protection."

"Tamaki!"

Jin was currently hanging upside down in the compounds training room. Her legs were hooked over the pull-up bar while her arms hung freely above her head, fingers sometimes coming up to pull at the tangles in her hair. She stayed there for a few more seconds before the head rush got too painful, then quickly grabbed the bar and unhooked her legs, dropping back to the floor.

The responding near-blackout had her leaning against the wall for a second, but the moment it faded she sighed again.

Yup, Jin was bored.

Bored and confused, actually.

Nope! Not thinking about it! She grabbed the pull-up bar again, tucking her feet up so she was just swinging from the metal. Unfortunately, she was still thinking about it.

Groaning, she dropped back to the floor and walked out of the training room, hoping that in her roaming she'd find something to do that would take her mind off of… whatever. Her usual go-tos weren't exactly available at the moment, which was a big part of her dilemma. Honey and Mori were giving their younger brothers a few one-on-one sparring matches, and since Chika always stumbled and got his ass handed to him when she was in the room Jin did her best to avoid his training.

Tamaki would generally be next in line, but right now Jin didn't feel like telling him stories about all the trouble Haruhi had gotten into when she was little. Sure, she loved talking about her baby sister and all the cute and funny things she had said before reality took it's hold… but she was feeling kinda… homesick at the moment. She hadn't seen her sister or father in months, not since she had helped move them into the apartment near the open market district, and she missed them.

But being homesick is probably better than whatever this is.

The brunette stopped at the edge of the front parlor and turned around, pressing her forehead against the wall. She was tempted to smack her face against it repeatedly, but couldn't afford to. She lost enough brain cells as it was dealing with Kyoya Ootori on a daily basis.

Ba-bump

" Noooo… " With a whine she slid to the floor, curling her knees up and leaning her side against the drywall. What was wrong with her? Everything had been just fine until the job two days ago!

Jin risked a single tap of her head against the wall as the night came back. It had been a simple hostage rescue of one of their own… until Tamaki was cornered, of course. Jin appeared in the hallway just behind the man, saw the gun pointed at Tamaki's back while he untied the unconscious hostage, and shot the man without a second thought.

Her aim was perfect…

… as was Kyoya's.

The man's head exploded in a spray of blood and tissue from the force of a bullet hitting it from two angles at the same time. Shocked, Jin stood still for a few seconds, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. Tamaki didn't even turn around as he shouted his thanks to her, unaware of his best friend walking up to the dead man from the other hallway.

He spotted Jin and gestured at the body with his own gun. She nodded, then repeated the gesture. He nodded.

So… he really does care.

They hadn't spoken about it since then. After that there had been nothing to do besides paperwork, and since Jin didn't have much of that to do in the first place she became stuck in a cycle of training, eating, reading, talking with Tamaki, and her thoughts.

Those were usually scary enough as they were, but now with these weird feelings about Kyoya they were 5 times worse. Feelings that maybe he wasn't that bad of a guy? She'd been getting those kinds of vibes for a while, of course. Like when she caught him cracking a smile at Honey-kun's cute behavior. Or when he encouraged Tamaki while they worked out. Or the one time he lent her one of his books after she confessed she was interested in it.

Kyoya was becoming both easier and harder to figure out, in that he didn't seem like a total asshole, but Jin didn't know what he was anymore.

"Jin? What are you doing out here?" The brunette looked up from her sulking to find, surprise surprise, Kyoya staring at her as he closed the front doors behind him.

The question 'where were you' was out of her mouth before she could stop herself. Kyoya raised an eyebrow, pausing in unwrapping the scarf from around his neck to cross his arms instead.

"Not that I cared you were gone. Just curious as to where you were."

"So I gathered." The boy stared at her for a few moments longer before rolling his eyes, "Well, if you must know, I was visiting my brothers. Now, if you have no more questions-"

"Your brothers? The doctors?" Kyoya paused, one foot resting on the bottom stair. This time Jin met his eyes as the silence stretched between them. And for some reason she felt a hint of relief when the boy put both feet back on the black and white tiles.

"You know my brothers are doctors?"

"Well… yeah. Most people here know. I heard Toyotomi-san talking about an Akito Ootori who stitched him up after we rescued him. I assumed there was some sort of relation between you two and after asking around…" she shrugged. "It's nice you still visit them."

"They're the only ones I can or wish to visit." Kyoya stuffed his hands into his pockets, now only a few steps away from the girl on the floor. It didn't escape his notice the way her leg was bouncing in a constant rhythm, a finger tapping the opposing arm at the same time. Was she anxious?

She cleared her throat, hesitantly scratching at her cheek, "Um… I also heard another rumor."

"If it's in regards to the people who assume Tamaki and I-"

"No!" Jin snorted, the humor coming out despite her best efforts. Those rumors were really funny to her for some reason, "I… um… I was talking about the ones… about how you joined?"

Kyoya carefully sat down in front of the girl, taking extra care to keep his dark blue button-down away from the dirty floor beneath him. Even so, Jin was surprised at the boy's decision to sit with her, but said nothing. What was there to say?

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, "What did you hear, exactly?"

"Something about a jackass of a father."

"Hmm. Accurate enough."

Jin blinked, forgetting for a split second that she was supposed to hate the boy, "What the fuck is his problem?" Not giving Kyoya a chance to interrupt, she pulled away from the wall and jumped to her feet, "What the fuck kind of person would give away his own son? He was fucking rich and couldn't think to give part of his fortune away even when his son was the other option? I hope I end up in Hell because then I can meet him down there and give him what he deserves, a round of bullets in his face!"

Kyoya's eyes were wide as he watched Jin pace the length of the wall. Her arms flailed out occasionally, pretending that she was strangling an invisible person before her. He was… surprised wasn't exactly the right word. Tamaki occasionally did this when they had more 'serious' talks, and Kyoya agreed with the sentiments in regards to the blond's uncle, but he hadn't ever considered that Jin might possibly agree with it. Sure, his father was a cruel businessman on a good day, but-

"I'm sorry I'm painting such a vivid picture of how I see your father, but god damn I hate him and I've never even met him… yet. "

"You don't even like me."

Jin finally stopped, meeting Kyoya's stare, "Did… did you think I wouldn't care? You're my partner."

"Well, no... because you don't even like me."

"You're my partner." Jin sat back down, facing the boy, "Why are you still arguing that?" Deciding to file away that information for later pondering, Kyoya requested a subject change. That got a laugh from the girl.

"Fine. Tell me about your brothers. You clearly still like them."

Kyoya nodded, "Well, you already know I still visit them. Since the hospital is neutral territory, I can visit them without an extra danger coming to their persons. I don't think my father is aware that I do it, and I never visit on Mondays so I've yet to come across him." A small smile began to stretch across his face, "When I was younger… they were my only playmates. Them and my sister… oh, yes, I had a sister, too. She moved away to England some time ago, and that left us boys. They'd play blocks with me, told me stories, and helped teach me to read when I was younger. I'd even recite the Hippocratic Oath for them, to the best of my ability. They seemed to like that."

He glanced up and saw Jin smiling softly at him. It was an expression he hadn't seen on the girl before, and something tightened in his abdomen. Clearing his throat, he made a nodding gesture towards her. Her turn.

"Eh… not much to tell, really. Grew up on the streets. Mom passed away when I was about… six? No friends to speak of, other than my little sister, Haruhi. I call her Haru. She's the cutest thing ever, and so smart. My dad… he had to prostitute himself to get us money. He cried when I told him all the money I was getting from my contract here. They're living in the open market district. Last I heard Haru is getting reading lessons from their new neighbor... but I haven't seen then in months."

Now Kyoya was the one smiling as he listened. He'd heard a bit of her backstory from Tamaki, who was oddly taken with the stories she had of her little sister. Haruhi clearly loved Jin, and she, her. It reminded the ravenet of his relationship with his older brothers. But he still had one more question.

"Jin? How were you recruited?"

The brunette took a moment to collect her thoughts, leaving only the sound of the heaters running above their heads, "Well… it was at night. And Dad was gone. I was putting Haruhi to bed when… when a man ripped off the curtain that acted as our front door. He had us by our hair and dragged us outside and into the alley. No one came to our screams. And… he let go of me to smack and kick me. I played up my injuries and he ignored me, but he still had Haru. I spotted the outline of his pocket knife and… when he was unbuckling his pants I grabbed it and stabbed his leg with it. Haninozuka-sensei shot him afterwards, because he was from the Tonnerre family. He said I was brave, and offered to teach me how to defend myself better. So… here I am."

She didn't expect him to say anything. Most "I'm sorry that happened to you"s didn't mean much. It was a common enough occurrence where they were that there wasn't much to do but accept it.

So when Kyoya gently held her hand and said that man had deserved what he'd gotten and far worse, she wasn't even able to respond. The only thing she could do was nod when he suggested they get something to eat, maybe a hot drink after those heavy topics.

And even as they walked together towards the kitchen Jin wasn't able to carry on a simple conversation. Nothing about the past twenty minutes had helped her at all. Kyoya Ootori's story had come further out into the open, and yet it was like he was gradually becoming more obscure.

Little did she know, the boy beside her was thinking the exact same thing of her.

*Time Skip*

" Go go go! "

Tamaki and Jin raced across the lawn, black masks covering everything but their eyes, which were trained on the house they were fast approaching. On cue, the outside lights shut off, concealing the teens in total darkness. There wasn't even a full moon to help. But that didn't matter.

Tamaki knew the place like the back of his hand.

Their lockpicker finished with the back door the second they arrived, pushing inside along with the five other members on their heels.

The two friends exchanged a nod before running in different directions. Tamaki for the office. Jin for the cellars.

Inside her head, Jin was cussing up a storm. She didn't think twice as she slammed her gun across the face of the first person she came across, kicking him as he crumbled for good measure. Fucking Grantaine family! Fucking Kyoya and his fucking brothers! Fucking kidnappers!

The moment they heard Kyoya had been grabbed on his walk back from the hospital, Jin and Tamaki had been in the car with a handful of guards and a burning desire to make those responsible pay. And their desire only increased when they learned exactly who had done it.

Tamaki was finally going to have his long awaited 'chat' with his least favorite uncle.

Still, despite everything, Jin couldn't help but be gracious that it was the Grantaine family who took her friend, or else they might've had to wait even longer before coming up with an attack plan. This way, Tamaki knew the most likely place they'd have him prisoner, and where to find the people responsible.

But it still didn't seem fast enough to her. After knowing him for two years, the idea of Kyoya being tortured and in pain was driving Jin crazy. She should've insisted that he wait until one of the cars came back to use! Should've gone with him! Should've should've should've with that stupid stupid boy!