Disclaimer: We all know I don’t own RK. Stop rubbing it in already! *sniff* The story, however, is completely mine!

Warning: Overall the fic is rated PG-13, but the individual chapters may vary! A/U. OOC. And I have taken liberties with ages and backgrounds.

A/N: Hello, minna! You know what I have discovered? It is way easier to start a fic than it is to complete one, and I like starting fics! So, yeah…I will update when I can, but the bottom line is that I love to write and I have so many ideas that just won’t leave me alone. If you can put up with my craziness and slow updates, I will strive to keep you entertained! ^_^

The fics that I have started for RK which will definitely be finished are as follows: White Tiger, Jade Concubine, Truth Seeker, and Phantom Eyes (most likely). I am unsure about Taboo and the other fics I have on hiatus. The fic I have in-progress for WK (if anyone is reading that) called Angel Attraction will be completed as well.

Summary: Enishi is an anti-social lord who finds himself responsible for raising his younger sister. He goes to a nearby village, seeking a nanny, but winds up with an unwanted, annoyingly cheerful wife named Misao. Can she draw him out of his shell?

Rating: PG

Pairing: Enishi/Misao (That’s right! No love triangles whatsoever! Try to control your shock. LOL! ^_~)

~~denotes shifts in time/character perspective, ‘(and italics) denotes thoughts

The Sweetest Thing

Chapter 1: The Unexpected

“Yukishiro-sama! Yukishiro-sama!”

Yukishiro Enishi paused in the middle of his intense training session, setting aside the long tachi clasped loosely in his grasp and lifting a small rag to dab at the sweat on his forehead and throat. He moved into the hallway to find his elderly servant wringing her hands anxiously, wisps of gray hair escaping the tight bun at her nape, a frazzled expression on her face.

“What is the meaning of this, Aiko?” he demanded, voice laced with impatience. “You know that I hate to be interrupted.”

“It’s Tomoe-sama,” the old woman replied, words trembling with barely suppressed panic. “She is missing! I can’t find her anywhere.”

Turquoise eyes narrowed dangerously. “How is it possible that she is missing, if you were supposed to be watching her?”

Aiko flinched slightly at his tone, resisting the urge to move backwards as he took a step toward her. “I was watching her, Yukishiro-sama. She was in the kitchen with me and I turned around for one sec—“

“No excuses!” Enishi snapped coldly. “Find her immediately!”

“H-Hai!” Aiko stammered, bowing frantically. “Right away, Yukishiro-sama!”

As the woman began to back away, pale and trembling, Enishi stopped her with a soft-spoken question. “Did you check by the pond?”

Brown eyes widened and Aiko dropped her head, shame and embarrassment washing over wrinkled features. “Iie.”

Enishi released a long-suffering sigh. “Shouldn’t that have been the first place you looked before rushing to me in a panic?”

“Gomen nasai, Yukishiro-sama,” the old woman said in a whisper. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“Well, why are you still standing there, Aiko?” Enishi inquired icily. “Go get her!”

“H-Hai!”

“And if anything has happened to her, it will be your neck.”

Aiko made no reply to this, merely bowed once more and fled the room as if there was a demon at her heels.

Lifting a small amount of white rice to his lips, Enishi chewed thoughtfully, eyeing the tiny, grave-faced little girl who sat across from him, eating silently. Her movements were graceful and subdued, much unlike any other child he had encountered in his twenty-four years. The girl was almost unnaturally quiet with a cool demeanor that brought back memories of his mother before he had left the Yukishiro household to study in China.

Before his father’s death four months ago, his only acquaintance with the girl had been their brief meeting when she was still a red-faced infant. His mother had died during childbirth and he had felt an immediate sense of resentment toward his newborn sister, even if his rationality dictated to him that it was no fault of hers that their delicate mother had grown steadily weaker and had only survived the birth by a couple of hours. Still, to a moody teenager, it had been easier to place the blame on the infant, than to acknowledge the incident as being something unforeseen and almost completely unpreventable. It had made the situation easier to accept, given him something solid around which to center his anger.

Only days after her birth and his mother’s burial, he had boarded a ship bound for Shanghai, where he stayed until a letter from his father had brought him grudgingly back. His father had written to inform Enishi of his failing health and the fate which the doctor predicted would soon befall him. His death had been imminent and he had wanted Enishi’s assurance that Tomoe would be taken care of and raised properly.

Enishi had been hesitant to accept the responsibility of a young child, but found that he could not deny his father, nor turn away his only remaining blood relative. Now, several months later, he had finished his debating and decided to stay in Japan, rather than taking the girl to his home in Shanghai. He had amassed a small fortune for himself and had also been left with a substantial amount after his father’s death, so money was not, and would never be, a concern. But the fact that the girl sitting in front of him was practically a stranger and that he had no child-rearing experience whatsoever had led to a rather strained atmosphere. He was reclusive by nature, and, as such, had only kept on his father’s oldest and most loyal servant, Aiko. But, as much as he loathed to admit it, the old woman was having difficulty both watching over his sister and keeping up with all of her other household duties. Recently he had been contemplating hiring another servant to assist both in raising Tomoe and with the household responsibilities. He had been attempting to delay the inevitable, but this morning’s incident had served to cement his decision.

He would be forced to hire at least one more person, possibly a nanny, if he could locate another woman willing to take up residence in his home. As much as he abhorred the thought, it had to be done. There was no other option.

“Aiko,” he murmured, causing the woman, who had been standing unobtrusively in the corner, to jump slightly.

“Yes, Yukishiro-sama?”

“I will be paying a visit to the village tomorrow morning. See that the carriage is prepared.”

Raking slender fingers through frost white hair, Enishi released a sigh of frustration. His search for a nanny was proving entirely useless. He had spent more than half the morning making inquiries around town before his growing hunger had forced him to step into the small restaurant in which he was currently sitting.

“I hadn’t thought it would be this difficult,” he muttered under his breath.

“Excuse me, sir?” a soft voice spoke beside him, interrupting his musings.

Enishi glanced sideways and found himself staring into a pair of sparkling, jade colored eyes.

“What can I get for you?” the girl asked when he remained silent, and Enishi allowed his gaze to trail over her in a quick appraisal.

She was petite in stature with a pretty, heart-shaped face and small, rosy mouth. Her dark hair had been pulled away from her face into a thick braid that fell nearly to her knees. Its dark color emphasized the creamy whiteness of her skin and contrasted nicely with her flashing green eyes.

As he took in her slender form and tiny waist, accented by the plain blue obi secured around her upper body, Enishi felt her gaze grow confused and heard the slight shuffle of her feet as she shifted her weight in growing discomfort. “Sir?”

“A beef pot,” he replied finally, and sensed her relief.

“Coming right up.”

Enishi gave the girl a curt nod and watched as she made her way toward the doors that led to the kitchen. Despite the constrictive green kimono she wore, her movements were quick and agile, underlain with a catlike grace.

In moments, she returned, placing the pot in front of him and beginning to turn away with a bow of her head.

“Just one moment,” Enishi murmured, halting her movements.

Once more, jade eyes met turquoise. “Hai?”

“Do you have any information as to where I might be able to acquire a nanny?”

“A nanny?” the girl repeated, tucking a long strand of ebony bangs behind her ear. “For your children?”

Enishi shook his head slightly. “For my younger sister.”

“Oh,” the girl said, toying nervously with the end of her braid. “Well, I don’t know myself, but my grandfather might. I’ll send him out to talk to you.”

The white-haired man thanked her and bowed his head.

With a small smile, the girl turned and disappeared into the kitchen area.

Enishi was halfway through his meal when a gray-haired man exited the kitchens and came to stand beside him, bowing politely. “My granddaughter informs me that you are seeking a nanny…”

“That is correct,” Enishi replied, taking in the older man’s warm expression.

“May I sit down?”

“Of course.”

The gray-haired man settled across from him with a smile. “My name is Kashiwazaki Nenji, but you may call me Okina.”

“Yukishiro Enishi.”

“Yukishiro?” Okina repeated, a thoughtful expression crossing his features. “I knew your father.”

Enishi returned his smile with forced politeness.

“So, I gather you need this nanny for your younger sister, Tomoe-chan?”

“Aa.”

Okina eyed him for a moment. “Your father was a great man, Yukishiro-san. I had a deep respect for him.”

Enishi merely stared at him, mulling over this statement in silence.

“Are you the same sort of man, Yukishiro-san?”

Turquoise eyes narrowed slightly. “While I am glad you found my father to be a pleasant man, I do not see how this question relates to my current situation.”

The gray-haired man smiled broadly. “It has everything to do with it, Yukishiro-san.”

“Pardon?”

“This restaurant has been a part of this village for years,” Okina stated, seemingly ignoring Enishi’s inquiry. “Unfortunately, business has been slower as of late and we have been encountering financial difficulties.”

“I don’t see what this—“

“Allow me to explain, Yukishiro-san,” Okina interrupted quietly.

Enishi opened his mouth to protest, then snapped it shut in irritation, nodding coolly.

“We need a financial backer,” Okina continued in a serious tone. “If we are unable to find one, we will be forced to close the Aoiya permanently.”

“And this concerns me because…?”

“You come from a wealthy family, Yukishiro-san,” the gray-haired man replied. “I have a proposition for you.”

“A proposition?”

“Yes.”

“What sort of proposition?”

Okina leaned back slightly, brown eyes sparkling. “I provide you with a nanny. You provide us with the financial backing we require.”

Enishi eyed him suspiciously. “And what makes you think I will agree to this?”

The gray-haired man chuckled softly. “I have something you want. You have something I want. Besides, the financial backing would only be temporary. Just long enough to allow us to get back on our feet.”

“Something I want?” Enishi queried disdainfully. “You certainly have a lot of nerve, presuming to know what I am thinking. There is nothing here that holds any interest to me.”

“Oh, no?” Okina questioned in amusement. “Well, your eyes tell me otherwise.”

“You assume too much, old man. I am not my father.”

“So I see,” Okina murmured, his cheerfulness fading slightly. “I saw the way you looked at my granddaughter earlier. In exchange for a small amount of backing, you would have a live-in nanny for your sister, and my granddaughter could remain relatively close to her family. I see no downside to the situation, as you were no doubt planning to pay your servant anyway.”

Leaning back, Enishi considered his words, thoughts drifting back to the pretty girl who had captured his attention instantaneously. “And does she agree to this?”

“She will agree to anything I say.”

“Hn.”

“But there is one catch…”

Aquamarine eyes narrowed in mistrust. “And what is that?”

“Well, it would be extremely improper for such a young girl to live with an unmarried man without a chaperone.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You know exactly what I mean,” Okina countered softly.

“Are you questioning my intentions?”

“No, of course not,” the gray-haired man replied quickly. “But you must consider what other people will think. Nannies usually work for married couples, not single men. Given that, your search for one will be difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. You may have to settle for a woman with a…less than perfect reputation.”

“What exactly are you suggesting?”

“Well, to save us both unnecessary trouble,” Okina answered quietly, “I am suggesting that you marry my granddaughter.”

For several long seconds, Enishi blinked at him incredulously. “You can’t possibly be serious! I have no desire to be married.”

“A wife would solve all of your problems,” Okina said quickly, in an attempt to convince the younger man. “You need a nanny and Tomoe-chan needs a mother.”

“I—“

“It will be a marriage of pure convenience,” the gray-haired man interjected. “There will be no need to consummate the marriage, if you do not wish.”

Enishi stared at the older man for a moment, shaking his head in disbelief. “You can’t expect me to believe that your granddaughter would want to enter into such an arrangement. I am sure she is entertaining the usual girlish fantasies about meeting a man and falling in love and all that other senseless emotional drivel.”

“Perhaps she is,” Okina admitted quietly. “But she is also a practical girl. She will see the potential for both of your happiness in this situation.”

“You must be insane.”

“Yukishiro-san, if I call Misao out here and ask for her opinion, with you as a witness to hear her response, will you agree to my proposition?”

Enishi’s brow furrowed as he brooded over the old man’s offer in silence. After a brief inner debate, he nodded curtly. “Very well.”

“Misao-chan!!” Okina bellowed from his seated position.

In seconds, the girl was beside them, eyeing her grandfather in alarm. “What is it?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Enishi watched the various emotions that played across the girl’s face as Okina explained the situation to her. When he was finished, she was staring at him in open-mouth shock, her eyes widened into huge pools of jade.

“Well,” the gray-haired man urged after several minutes of tense silence. “Do you agree, Misao?”

The girl glanced at Okina, green orbs clashing with brown as a wordless conversation passed between them. Enishi observed them silently, uncomprehending.

After a moment, the girl tore her eyes away from her grandfather’s face and cast a quick glance at Enishi, before nodding slowly. “Y-Yes…I agree…”

TBC…

Well, there you have it! Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me what you think!

~Midori^_~

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