Our Strange Duet (Yandere Modern Princes x Reader)

Chapter 13: Flora and Fauna

(Y/n) was greatly enamored with the little creature that Ichiro had introduced her to, even adoring it the next day after she had met it. The sugar glider had the cutest eyes and the softest fur, and the little noises he made fascinated her. Her eyes shined as they looked at him, the blunette finding her response to be positive. It was a step forward, one he wanted to continue with so that she would be at ease around them. Honestly, he was rather excited about the prospect of bonding with the girl. He desperately wanted to find out why Rei loved her so much.

As she played with the sugar glider, nuzzling it with her nose, Kazuki watched on in great confusion. She seemed to be a gentle soul, one that enjoyed the company of harmless beings such as a cat or bunny or even a sugar glider. However, whenever he so much as shuffled on the couch to sit in a more comfortable position, he would see her tense from the corner of his golden eyes. The sight was incredibly worrying for him, and the only thing he knew he could do for her was to keep his distance. It didn't exactly fare well for his wanting to put her at ease around him.

Perhaps it didn't help that the male was swamped with tons of work, constantly having to correct something or go on a call that took hours. He was exhausted and simply didn't have the energy to deal with his needy younger brother and a timid girl afraid of his mere presence. Thus, he figured it would have been better for him to head to work, leaving Ichiro alone with the (h/c) haired girl. He trusted him to behave himself. It wasn't like the male was going to attack the girl. The bluenette was squeamish at the mention of blood.

As Kazuki left, taking his work bag and computer, he watched as Ichiro was able to pet the animal on the girl's hand. It was a first. The blunette had always been shyer and less charismatic around others than the blonde. In fact, he more or less hid behind his older brother when meeting a new person. The idea that he was able to make a friend without his help made Kazuki proud. He wished his brother luck.

"You like animals too, huh?" Ichiro asked excitedly, "I love them! Honestly, I don't know if I could choose my favorite! What's your favorite?!"

The younger girl opened her mouth to respond, but looked to the side and decided against it. She still seemed to be shy around the blunette. Luckily, he wasn't personally offended by it. He knew just how sadistic his brother could be, something that made him rather fascinated about why (Y/n) didn't have any visible marks. Thinking on it, he couldn't recall any girl Rei had ever liked that hadn't ended up dead or with scars. It was truly a conundrum to him, something that probably drew him out of his shell a lot easier.

"That's alright! You know what...," the male paused, putting his finger to his lip in a silencing manner, "I've got another surprise for you if you want! It's in my room. Do you think you're up to it?"

The (h/c) haired girl immediately tensed and shook her head quickly, prompting Ichiro to tell her it was alright and that she didn't have to do anything if she didn't want to. He was just slightly disappointed but didn't push it, letting her bond with the sugar glider. She was more peaceful when the little creature ran up her arm and began tickling her neck. Ichiro was able to hear her giggles, something that made him smile brightly.

"Ah, you know what? I bet you'd like to get out of here, wouldn't you? You've been all cooped up in here for more than a week now. If you want, we can go for a walk in the park. It'd be nice to go see some flora, don't you think?"

The girl paused. She wasn't sure where Rei was or if he knew she was with his brothers. The thought of going out in public scared her, but Ichiro was right about her wanting to be outside. When she was kept in the castle with Rei, the only place she could go outside was in the garden. It was a place where she could feel safe, a haven in other words. Thus, (Y/n) nodded her head meekly, watching as the bluenette gave her an encouraging grin, tilting his head just slightly.