Mystery of you-->[Kyou]

[Riku Ichihara]

Riku closed the door to his brother's room and sighed tiredly as he leaned against it. It'd been a long morning of trying to ease the panic his brother had worked himself into no thanks to their father. Akira's temper had been getting shorter the past few days. Riku guessed it was his fault in a way no he was sure it was his fault. His birthday was coming up and the closer he got to twenty, the more it reminded his father that he'd rebelled and refused to take the family business. Although his father hasn't bothered him much about it, Riku was still his first and only born soon and rightful heir to the company. Akira Ichihara had be furious when he'd found out that after everything, Riku still managed to veer away from his plans. The only thing that kept him apart of the family was his mother's utter love for him. When his father threatened to disown him his mother had threatened to leave as well. She hadn't been the most perfect mother in the past but she was trying her best.

Riku made his way down the stairs, heading towards the front door. He had just made it into the foyer when he noticed the family room for was opened. He hesitated before peeking in and catching sight of his mother. He watched the emotion on her face, noted the tired sag of her shoulders and how defeated she looked. Riku hated seeing her like this, his proud mother who use to always stand tall was being just as hurt by his father's actions as they were. "Riku...?" He gave his mother a wane smile when she finally noticed he was there and she returned it with a warm one. It made him ache at how much it reminded him of the smiles she'd given him as a child. “Hey...he's calmed down now. I was just about to go."

He watched as her smile faltered for a moment before she looked down at her hands. They looked delicate and pale as she wrung them almost nervously. He could tell she wanted to say something, she and Ryuu always looked as though they wanted to say something but they never did. Riku was always the only one who would go against his father but his mother had rare moments when she would. Riku vaguely wondered if now would be one of those occasions. However, after a moment she merely gave him a tired smile and got up. He turned around and she followed him to the door, leading against it when he part the threshold. He stopped when she called his name again and her looked back at her questioningly. She looked so much like him or rather he looked just like her. Silver-white hair fell down to get hips in layers, aquamarine eyes sparkled tiredly and pale skin that was unblemished.

She reached out and ran a hand down his cheek causing him to freeze. She hasn't done that since the nights he'd wake up from nightmares and she'd tuck him back into bed. “I love you Riku. I know...I know for a long time you were neglected but I always loved you. I know your father loves you and everyone as well...He does." The last part sounded as though she was trying to convince her self more than him. He just have her a soft smile and kissed her forehead, musing at how small she was now. “I love you too, mom. I'll come back soon to visit."

He turned around and walked down the steps from the porch. He made his way towards the gates but before he left the vicinity he had the oddest sensation. Looking back he looked towards where the top floor windows were but he didn't see anyone. Shrugging he pushed pay the gates and made his way back towards town, not even realizing he had a tail.

NOTE: Sorry was doing this on my phone x.x hope it's okay!

[Kyou Aoi Ichihara]

it was rare that he ever left his 'designated wing' of the house, let alone left the house entirely. it wasn't that he didn't want to go out more than he did, he just wasn't really permitted to go out. he was practically locked away, kept hidden from the world outside. except, of course, when it came to business matters. and meals, he always did get to eat in the dining room with the rest of the family. and there were times when he'd get to leave his little wing of the house in order to visit with his brother.

it had been a total of three years since he'd been adopted into the family, along with ryuu, and he'd grown accustomed to the way his life worked. spending just about all of his time working alongside his father, studying business related things, and generally just not spending time doing anything at all that he truly enjoyed. there were the occasional moments when he'd get to play some video games, but they were rare and were getting more and more sparse.

he was kept from his brother more and more and was even expected to quit listening to music. music was like a sanctuary that helped him make through hours sitting behind a desk and filling out paperwork, yet it was becoming increasingly hard to keep the earbuds in because he'd always get some kind of foul remark about it.

today was no different and he found himself locked up in his little wing of the house with a huge pile of papers and the expectation of having them done by morning. he just wanted to get out of the stuffy rooms and walk around outside. explore radiant gardens a bit and maybe have a little fun. it wasn't until he'd resigned himself to his work that he caught the sound of voices and doors. and it sounded like their father was at it again, being all mean to ryuu for no reason at all.

kyou bit his lip the entire time it was going on, pretending to be engrossed in his work when their father came to check up on him and to tell him to keep to his room. he wanted to go and check on his brother, he really did, but he'd have to walk right passed the office where their father would, no doubt, be watching the hall for him.

he didn't miss the sounds of the entryway door opening and closing, and then opening again a little while later. the blond looked out of the nearest window, only to see a familiar figure walking away from the house. he jumped back quickly, narrowly avoiding being seen as the stranger turned to look up towards this upper floor windows. that boy had come here before, countless times, and never once had kyou seen him face to face or spoken to him. no one had ever even told him who he was.

why were they hiding something like that? he was always told to stay in his room or office and every time he mentioned it to anyone, he'd never get an answer. even his mother was keeping it from him. and ryuu, the person he had given up all of his dreams to protect. well, that would all end here! he locked his door and climbed out of a window, thankful that the house was built with so many overhanging roofs and with so many places to grab on and climb down without falling too far at any one time.

and he started following the older boy, trailing quietly behind him and keeping to shadows and objects that were large enough to hide him. really, he supposed he could have just walked up and asked, but then what if the guy told his father? that would cause a lot of unnecessary trouble and he didn't want that. the man was in a bad enough mood lately as it was.

[Riku Ichihara]

Riku observed the busy streets as he walked, Radiant Garden while not his original home was beautiful in its own way. However, there was something here that just made it hard to love completely for him. He glanced up at one of the taller buildings and noticed his father's work place. he scowled at it. That was the reason, his father's life work. It was the one thing that made this place so hard to love, the place that had torn his family apart. He absolutely despised it. Shoving his hands in his pocket, he kicked a rock as he walked and brooded. He felt a buzzing in his pocket and looked down to see it was his father. He made a disgusted look before stopping and leaning against a wall near an alleyway. He looked at it for a moment, debating whether to answer before he hit the green button. "What do you want, Akira?"

He'd long ago stopped calling his father 'dad', he didn't deserve that title. "I heard from your mother you came to the house." Riku arched an eyebrow before asking petulantly, "You're point?"

There was a quiet moment on the other end and Riku could just feel the man glaring down at the phone. Good, let him be pissed. he shouldn't take it out on Ryuu. "You didn't see fit to see your father?" Riku let out a short bark or mirthless laughter before he snarled into the phone, "A father wouldn't send one of his sons into a near panic attack. My father died long ago dont call me again."

he hung up the phone and stood up straight, anger making him see red. How dare that man suddenly want to see him after threatening to disown him and then yelling at his kid. From the corner of his eye he saw a flash of blonde and turned to see young guy looking at him. he tensed up for a moment before relaxing his shoulder's and sending the guy a lopsided smirk. "Can i help you, kid?"

He looked at the kid over, ignoring the insistent buzzing in his pocket. Too annoyed with his father to get into an all out shouting match in the middle of the sidewalk. he didn't need his business out and about.

[Kyou Aoi Ichihara]

wait. he knew this guy! he'd seen him somewhere before, he knew he had. the stranger looked so much like his adoptive mother that it was startling. the silvery hair, the aqua eyes, even the way he walked. and it became all too obvious who it was that he was looking at. even more than the uncanny resemblance, other boy seemed to be talking to his adoptive father. their father! it would have been too far-fetched a coincidence for someone to look so much like his mother, be speaking to their father who happened to have the same name, and be walking away from the ichihara residence and not be the boy he'd seen in those pictures.

it had to be him. just had to be. the son who'd chased his own dreams rather than working to take over the family business. the son who ryuu had been adopted to replace. the son that kyou had never been allowed to meet, speak to, or know anything about. how often did he come to the house? why did everyone hide something like that from him, only him?

kyou didn't notice the older boy hanging up his phone. he didn't notice that he'd been standing out in the open. and he didn't notice that he'd also been spotted by the person he'd been tailing. that is, until the young man spoke.

was he really so small that it was necessary to call him kid? or that he looked like he actually was one? he thought he was pretty mature, personally. that he looked pretty mature. though, that physical maturity came from his attire more than anything else. he was dressed up, like always. None of his piercings, no accessories. his hair was it's natural blond rather than black or red or some other hue.

"uh, no, i-" what was he supposed to do now? he hadn't really thought about what he'd do if he got caught. or whether or not he'd confront the other male somehow. but wait. did anyone ever tell him about everything? it was obvious enough that the young man knew about ryuu, but what about him? they'd never gotten to meet, there weren't any pictures of him anywhere (not that he could recall), and everyone else was hiding the visits from him. did that work the other way, as well? had they been hiding his existence away from their biological son? and what would they even do that for?

asking would be the best way to find out about it all, of course. but what could he say? just blurting out that they were brother's wasn't really an option. something like that shouldn't be spouted off out of nowhere. "i was... curious, i guess." he wasn't sure it would be a good idea to tell the whole truth. it was obvious that his 'father' was keeping him away from the older boy, for whatever reason. and if the man found out that he'd sneaked out and had spoken to his biological son, well, kyou wasn't sure he wanted to find out what would happen.

[Riku Ichihara]

Riku was still trying to get over the anger his father had the knack for creating in him. So he hasn't really noticed where the kid came from our why exactly he was starting at him so intensely. As far as he knew and cared, the guy probably heard him talking. Riku was pretty tall for his age, almost reaching six feet but not quite there. That made everyone look small, especially the young man in front of him. He watched as the young man stumbled over his words, saying an eyebrow as he waited for him to answer him.

He was dressed to impress that was for sure. He wasn't dressed the way teenagers usually dressed and all Riku could think of was all those times his father had tried to get him to wear monkey suits. It had never ended well. Riku had grown up far too independent to be pushed around and coerced by his father. Riku have the bit a strange look for his answer, unsure whether to tell him not to worry about it or thank him for his concern or rather curiosity. He chuckled softly, had to give it to the kid. He had guts for saying it right that he was curious when they didn't even know each other.

"what's your name? I'm Riku, Riku Ichihara." he motioned for him to follow as he started to walk, his eyes searching for a place they could sit down and chat. There was something that told him he should really talk to the kid. That said he found a little cafe and stepped inside, a lopsided smile curling his lips, "Hungry? I'm starving. Haven't really had anything to eat."

He sat in a little booth and watched the young man carefully, aquamarine eyes sharp as they studied him. He already knew what he'd order so he waited for the kid to have a look before asking, "you're dressed pretty fancy. Some school policy or something? You look a little too young to be a business man."

[Kyou Aoi Ichihara]

if there had been any doubt remaining before, it was certainly gone now. there was no way that this guy wasn't the legitimate heir to ichihara enterprise. it was for that very reason that, when he finally gave his own name, he used the surname he'd received from his birth parents, "kyou minato." his father would definitely find out about this, he always found out about everything, so it was definitely best to keep their relationship to himself. at least, that way, he'd only get into trouble for sneaking out of the house and, maybe, speaking to riku when he was aware that he shouldn't be.

since it was pretty obvious that riku wasn't supposed to know about him, either, there was no real harm in a little chatting. the blond just wanted to know a bit about his oldest brother, that's all. he was curious. so, without even glancing back, he followed after the retreating university student. it wasn't until riku mentioned being hungry that he realized he was as well. when had he last eaten?

it must have been breakfast this morning. yeah, that was it. he'd skipped lunch because he'd had a lot of work to get done. he recalled eating an apple around lunch time and he'd had a cup of tea. that had been it, though, and now that food had been mentioned he could feel the emptiness of his stomach. rather than needing to actually give a verbal answer to the question, his stomach chose to answer it instead with a quiet grumble.

kyou's cheeks flushed, ever so slightly, and he nodded his head before following the older boy to a booth and sitting down across from him. he scanned the menu, rather than studying his companion. "i'm seventeen." he said so in a tone that said i'm not too young and let the words hang in the air while he put away the menu he'd been holding. looking back up, he continued, "i'm heir to my father's assets. and he is very adamant about my dressing for the part."

[Riku Ichihara]

By now the thought of his father was barely registering in his mind. Curiosity about the blond in front of him was much more important. He smiled when he finally got a name, offering his hand as he said, “Good to have a name to the face. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Riku was oblivious to the thoughts going inside Kyou's head or to who he really was. He didn't even realize how peculiar it was to offer to pay for someone you didn't know. However, he felt connected to the blond so he simply went with the flow. He laughed lightly when Kyou's stomach answered his question about whether he was hungry. "well that certainly answers that. Let's go eat, it'll be on me today."

Riku watched Kyou as his companion studied the menu. He blinked before chuckling when Kyou said his age. Obviously he'd probably insulted the guy when he'd called him 'kid'. Grinning Riku said mockingly, “Yeah you're definitely not a kid. You're really old."

His tone was reading as he spoke, unable to resist pressing buttons. He supposed that's why he got into so much trouble at times. Sure he was a thinker and rational at times but he was mischievous and that led him into trouble. At the blond's explanation for the suit Riku's eyes narrowed for a second and he opened his mouth before shutting it with an audible click. The waitress had come over and asked to take their orders. He ordered a BLT with coffee before waiting for Kyou to order. Once he was done and she had left Riku was quiet for a moment as it got closer to home.

“That...Well i don't know. I guess that kind of sucks. Do you like it?" Riku had used to idolize his father and his work habits until he saw the real him. Until he started thinking for himself and realizing he wanted something outside the family business. "My dad is kind of like that. Although I'm the opposite, not so obedient if at all."

A lazy grin curled his lips up ruefully at his last remark. He enjoyed pissing his father off and not doing anything he told him to, it drove the man crazy.

[Kyou Aoi Ichihara]

"yeah. a pleasure." though, honestly, he wasn't sure just how much of a pleasure it was. meeting your own brother for the very first time, years after you became a family, felt wrong. the two of them should have met when he'd first become an ichihara. they should have gotten to know each other those first few weeks on destiny islands, before he'd had to move here, to radiant gardens, to start learning all about running a business.

it felt so wrong to keep their familial ties a secret from him, but kyou didn't want to anger his father any more than just being out of the house would. he didn't want the anger that should be directed all at him to be taken out on ryuu. or riku. if they only talked and he didn't reveal their relationship, then maybe that would spare both of his brothers.

normally, the blond wouldn't let anyone pay for him. he preferred to pay for himself, simply because he had the money to do so with. but, whether he knew it or not, riku was his brother. and, whether he was heir or not, riku was an ichihara. did he still get money from his parents, or did he work for all of it? personally, kyou had a card. he wasn't allowed to get a job, aside from working with his father, and he didn't get an allowance. he supposed he got the credit card just because he was hardly ever allowed outside.

"i'm old enough." his own tone was monotonous and somewhat bored, though he was, in fact, actually quite curious and excited. when the waitress came to take their orders, he waited for riku to finish before ordering a blt of his own and a glass of coke. she left to put the orders in, it was quiet for a moment, and then riku commented on his remark about his father. did he like it? that seemed a rather silly question. who would enjoy being told how to dress and what to do all the time. "i have no choice. if i don't listen, he get's angry. and if he gets angry, he hurts my brother."

[Riku Ichihara]

Riku's expression grew dark at Kyou's explanation. Fury and hurt rising up for a second before he took a calming breath. He looked it the window he'd taken the both next to. But trusting himself to say anything for a moment. That was far too much like his own situation, except Kyou played the good son to protect his brother...did that make him a terrible brother?

“He's lucky to have a brother like you...Me? I'm too selfish to let go of my dreams...So my younger brother pays for it." Guilt rushed into him and he gave Kyou a forlorn smile. He hates himself sometimes...sometimes he almost wanted to tell his father he'd be heir of he just stopped torturing Ryuu. He hesitated before he said “Hey...I know you don't really know me but...don't lose sight of your dreams. If you're father really loves you...he'd understand. You shouldn't have to give up what you want to do for what he says you'll have to do. There's ways of protecting your brother without seeking your soul."

Riku himself had always planned on taking Ryuu away from that house, away from that man. He wanted to take him to Destiny Island where he could heal and live his life. He wanted his mother to come to but he the way she looked at his father. As much as she hated what he was doing to their family she still lived the man he had been. He remembered hearing them arguing and then after his father left she'd always cry. It broke his heart to see his mother so broken over the summer break. shaking himself from his thoughts he asked curiously, “So do you do anything for fun? I'm sure even someone who has such an important position as yourself has to do something for fun."

note:; Riku is going to be so pissed at his father but he's going to feel so guilty when he finds out.

[Kyou Aoi Ichihara]

both of them pays for it, is one thing he was tempted to say. but, if not for riku chasing after his dreams the way he had, kyou and ryuu wouldn't even be there. they'd have had to suffer at the orphanage for who knows how much longer. they might have still been there. so, really, it was good that riku had been selfish. sure, the life they had now wasn't the best in the world but at least they had plenty of food and a mother that cared about them.

it would have been easy to pin all of the blame on riku. the easy path, though, wasn't usually the right one. but what was the right path? "i've simply grown used to it." he'd pretty much given up on being allowed to do anything else with his life. because if he wasn't doing the work his father wanted him too, ryuu always suffered for it. "he doesn't love me. he just wants an heir." he doubted there was anything more to it then that. otherwise, why he keep hurting ryuu the way he was?

holding onto his dreams was useless as long as his father was so adamant about him not having a life outside of the office. he couldn't go out and play soccer. his father got angry any time he played his instruments or sang along to his favorite songs. he'd already given up on everything, for his brother's sake. and he wasn't sure he'd know how to go about changing that. it wasn't as easy as just saying you were going to do something.

kyou wasn't brave enough to stand up for himself, because it would only hurt ryuu. he wasn't brave enough to ask for free time, even if only a little bit of it. he was a coward who didn't know how to put his foot down and demand the things he wanted. and, so, he no longer even really knew what it was that he wanted. "i'm not allowed outside unless it's for business. so i don't get to do anything 'fun'." he added as an afterthought, "i do like listening to music though."

[Riku Ichihara]

Riku winced at Kyou’s matter of fact tone when he said his father simply wanted an heir. Riku thought of his own father, thought of when he was younger and the man had actually showed he had loved him before his work consumed him. He heard his mother’s words echo in his mind and without thought they slipped past his lips, “He loves you…he’s just forgotten how to show that he cares.” He frowned lightly, internally rejecting his own words. His father didn’t love him anymore…if he ever had in the first place. He shrugged as he leaned back in his seat and folded his hands behind his head. “There’s no such thing as ‘grown used to it’. No matter who it is, there is always a part of us that’s bothered by it.”

Taking those few Psychology classes had taught him a thing or two, especially about himself. Sometimes he wished he hadn’t been so intent on learning all of these things. He looked up when the waiter came back with their drink orders and he politely thanked her. He looked at Kyou curiously as he added sugar to his coffee, needing the extra boost after earlier today. “So if you’re life is anything like my experiences I’m guessing you’re not out and about with permission. Am I right?” A small smile played along Riku’s lips at the thought of this boy having a slight rebellious streak in him. It was encouraging since it meant that this boy’s father hadn’t broken him yet. Riku still remember that very short time where his father had broken him and had started making him into the son he wanted before Riku’s mother had intervened.
At Kyou’s words about not being allowed outside unless for business pretty much settled the score for Riku. He was sticking to the young man like glue and making sure he kept him company. He wanted to help Kyou in any way he could, plus he was curious. He’d never met someone who was in such a similar position so in a way he was finally the one looking into the whole situation from a third person’s stand point. He perked up at Kyou’s words about liking music and Riku leaned forward, honestly curious to learn about the young man across from him. “What kind of music do you like? Do you play anything?” Kyou seemed like a smart kid, like he could do anything he put his mind to if he wanted to. Which brought him to another question…Did Kyou have friends at all?

NOTE:; Sorry for how bad it sucks >.< was having a hard time getting this post out.

[Kyou Aoi Ichihara]

that was a laugh. maybe it was true when it came to riku, but kyou couldn't remember having ever felt love from the man he called his father. if he'd forgotten how to show it, it had been long before he and ryuu came into the picture. or, at the very least, before he did. maybe ryuu got special treatment from the man when he wasn't around. when the man wasn't walking about in a terrible mood, which was pretty much always lately. "he's never shown it, not to me. all he wants in an heir. he doesn't care about me. i was bought to serve his whims." he hadn't really meant to say that, because it might give something away, but he hadn't been able to help himself.

it was the truth, after all, though not the whole truth. really, he'd just been a tag-a-long that came with the boy akira had actually been wanting. it wasn't until after ryuu was deemed unfit that he was payed any mind at all; and even that only happened because he'd dressed up and gone to his father's office to offer himself up in ryuu's place. because he hadn't wanted to see ryuu get hurt anymore.

"if it's for my brother. i'm happy to give in and not let it bother me." he unwrapped a straw and shoved it through the ice in his glass, taking a few sips before pushing it away. "i climbed out of a window," was all he said in regards to how much permission he had to be outside. which was none. which was quite obvious. seeing as he'd climbed out of a window and all.

kyou wasn't really the most self-confident boy. especially because he never really got the time to practice anything that he enjoyed doing. he didn't think he was very good. and, really, it was a bit embarrassing to even admit to playing anything since he'd practically given up on doing anything at all with the talent. besides, he didn't really know riku. but maybe that was why he could say it. why he could share things about himself at all, really.

"i listen to everything really. but i like rock most, i guess." the only thing he didn't really like at all was rap and that screamo stuff. "i used to play the guitar. and the drums. but i wasn't any good or anything."