The Hummingbird (part 15)

[krystalkatzfics]

Title: The Hummingbird

Author: krystalkatz
Rating: G (for this part)
Length: chaptered
Genre: Au,

Pairings: Matsumoto Jun/Ninomiya Kazunari (Slightly hinted Sakurai Sho/Aiba Masaki incest)

Disclaimer: I only own the plot

Jun stared mutely at the maid, the whole room crackled with the silence and then very slowly Nanami started talking

“The house I sent you too in the forest was my former home… I lived there with my mother and father when I was young, not more than fourteen I found a boy half dead in the forest we nursed him back to health and we fell in love. It was impossible of course he was the heir to the throne and was already betrothed to be married to the daughter of noble we did not act on our feelings. When my parents died I took a position within the palace, for years it felt like such a torture… To see the one I loved with another, Kenta he felt guilty for the feelings he had for me to and allowed your mother free reign to do as she wished… A merchant came to the town with expensive jewels and silks, your father made him a guest within the palace and your mother made him her lover. It was a well-kept secret but as her maid I knew… I believe your mother truly did love him and I believe she hoped that they would run from the palace together but… When she became pregnant he ran away with one a kitchen maid. She told Kenta what she had done and he forgave her for the sake of the child for you… He has never loved you less than his other children, he has always treated you equal to them or at some points shown you favour so you would never doubt your place…” Nanami told him and Jun nodded thinking back there were times when the emperor had done something unexpectedly kind towards him.

“And that was when you and my father gave in to your feelings?” He asked and Nanami inclined her head looking at the twins who were staring at her in identical amazement.

“Yes… Although he forgave her, Kenta could not forget. For years he had done his best to please her, he had given up on anything he wanted for himself and her betrayal cut deep. As said we gave into the feelings we had for each other… I fell pregnant and when your mother found out we could not hide the truth of their father…I planned to leave the palace to go back to the forest and raise my children…”

“But that is not what happened?”

“No…The twins they came into the world early and Kenta made me realise that I could not hope to provide for them alone… We arranged for a family the Ninomiya’s to take them and raise them with funding from the palace and myself…”

“Then when I brought Kazu to the palace my father… He knew that he is his soon?”

“I do not know, Jun-ouji… If Kenta knew or suspected I do not know… He believed that our children were dead as I believed until a year ago…” Nanami murmured “Somehow my children were found by your mother and she hired men to raid the house and…Kill the children… The bandits though saw a way of making more money by selling them to the Hummingbird…”

“And my father did not stop this?” Jun asked in a whisper grabbing Nino’s hand and holding it tightly.

“There were things out of his control, Jun-ouji… Your mother is a well-loved and a very talented actress, she spread the rumours of me and your father and painted herself as the victim. Your father has always recognised you as his child if he claimed otherwise it would not be just your mother he hurt but you… He loves you as surely as he would if you were truly his blood, he would never willingly cause you pain, Jun-ouji…”

“But his own children… Kazu-kun and Kazumi…” Jun choked his fingers running over Nino’s hand as Nagase went to Kazumi who was looking like she was about to faint.

“He loved them too… And he mourned them deeply, I believe that is what has made his health worse…” Nanami told him steadily this time not looking at her children but keeping her eyes fixed on Jun’s face

“You have not told him that they are still alive?”

“No… I did not wish for your mother to find out…” She whispered “Last year when I saw Kazumi again I could not allow the risk of anyone else knowing, Nagase-san will have protected Kazumi but Kazunari was still vulnerable while at the Hummingbird…I had been hoping to sell the comb in the hope of raising enough money to buy him but no merchant I could speak to had the money to buy it”

Jun stared at her and then at the twins who were both opening and closing their mouths. It felt like it was too much to take in at once, he wasn’t sure how to react to the news. He wasn’t the son of the emperor Satoshi, Sho and Masaki they were just his half-brothers. He turned around when he felt Nino’s grip tighten on his hand. His lover was looking at him his eyes reflecting the love he had for him, but there was also trace amounts of sympathy and Jun couldn’t understand it.

He slowly let go of the small hand and walked out of the room and then out of the house he wasn’t sure where he was going or even why he was. He didn’t blame Nino or Kazumi but he felt like they should blame him. He loved Nino with all of his heart and somehow he had felt he had saved him but he had only saved him from a problem that he and his mother had created. He walked to the rice paddies he and Nino had passed the day they arrived and then san to the floor lost in his thoughts

“Jun-sama…” He heard Nino calling to him and he blinked looking up towards the house. Nino’s leg was healing but Jun was horrified to see him hobbling towards him

“What do you think you are doing” Jun asked getting up to catch him in his arms.

“I thought it was getting better…” Nino gasped looking down at his injured foot and Jun sighed hitting him lightly on the head.

“It would do if you rest…”

“I was scared that you were going to leave me” Nino whispered his voice shaking and Jun sighed holding him tightly.

“I would never leave you… As long you still want me now that you know the truth… I stole the life you should have had… You should have been in the palace not me…”

“We are not to blame for the actions of our parents, Jun-sama…”

 “How can you say that after my mother did so much to hurt you and your family…”

“You should not blame her so harshly Jun-sama… She lived with a man knowing that he was in love with someone else… Maybe she did truly love your father…”

“You are far too nice to her Kazu-kun… But maybe when you put it like that…” Jun said thoughtfully, he had never thought of his mother of having real human emotions before and he still doubted if she had any.  He couldn’t imagine living with somebody who always wanted to be with somebody else, maybe when the jewellery merchant showed her some affection she leapt on it and then he too betrayed her. It was little wonder that she tried to control her children so tightly, it also explained why it seemed that she hated him so much.

“Jun-sama…”

“You really should not call me that I am just the bastard son of a merchant…”

“I would call you ‘Jun-sama’ even if you were a pauper… Besides your father claimed you as his son… Even if you are not related by blood he thinks of you as his child…”

“But you are his real child…”

“I do not remember the people that raised Kazumi and me very clearly but I do remember being happy with them…” Nino told him softly “I am sure they loved us as their own…”

“I am positive that they did… But the life you have had…”

“Every step led me to you so I cannot complain…” Nino grinned stroking his face and Jun hugged him tightly as if declaring that he was never going to let him go

“I love you, I love you more than anything, Kazu-kun…”

“Me too, Jun-sama…” Nino breathed burying his face against his neck. They stayed out in the same position for a while and then very slowly they went back to the house. Nanami looked at him nervously and she was obviously relieved when Jun smiled at her. Nanami had to get back to the palace as quickly as possible so after she had spent some time playing with her granddaughter she left. That night as he and Nino made love slowly and gently Jun knew the peaceful days they had started to enjoy weren’t going to last but he really hoped they would last a little bit longer.

That night at the palace…

Masaki lay in his bed unsuccessfully trying to sleep, guilt was gnawing at his heart, he knew he was doing the right thing in letting Jun and Nino leave but he didn’t like lying to Sho. After tossing and turning for a few more minutes he threw back his covers and headed out of his room.

Sho’s room wasn’t too far away from his but he moved slowly at the moment the palace guard had been doubled and he didn’t want to risk anybody finding him. He reached his brothers door and knocked rapidly

“Sho-chan” He whispered not even waiting for an answer before sliding the door open and going inside. Sho was sat on the bed his robe wrapped around his stomach and his beautiful chest was exposed.

“Ma-chan, what is wrong?” Sho asked and Masaki pulled his eyes away from the muscles on his brother’s stomach to look at him.

“I lied before…” He admitted

“I knew you were lying” Sho sighed pinching the bridge of his nose “Did you help them get away?”

“No…Not really… I… Um… I want to help them and you have to promise that you will not tell Satoshi…”

“Ma-chan… Tell me and I will see if I can keep that promise”

“That means if I tell you, you will tell him… Promise me first Sho-chan” Masaki said getting on his knees so he could look at his brother directly in the eyes. Sho sighed and slowly lifted his hand waving his pinkie finger, Masaki gave a laugh and linked it with his own. “I did not help them get away, but I told them to leave… That day in the garden will Jun hit me, he only did that because I told him too, after I warned him that mama wanted to have Kazumi-chan arrested…”

“And why did you do that?” Sho asked

“Because Jun-kun and Kazu-chan they deserve to be happy even if nobody else can…”

“Are you not happy then with your three mistresses?”

“Eh… No I am happy… I just meant… Um… Nii-chan is not happy and Sho-chan…” Masaki mumbled praying that he didn’t blush to give himself away.

“I am happy… Right now I am happy” Sho muttered ruffling Masaki’s head with his hand, Masaki looked up at his brother and was surprised to see him looking happier than he had seen him since they were children  “So if you did not help them leave the palace then who did?”

“I…Um… I promised…”

“I promise to keep it between us… But you have to tell me Masaki” Sho whispered and Masaki took a deep breath

“Nanami-san… Nanami helped them leave”

TBC

A/N: :’( first day back at work…Ah well… I hope you enjoy ^.^