Author's Note: You may be wondering why I have set the majority of this fanfic in the 1920's. Imagine Seishirou in a fedora.

That's why.

Anyway, because this is set in the past, I intend to include plenty of historical notes and explanations along with the story to help it make sense. I will put numbers likes this [1] next to bits that I feel need some explanation. I've been doing a lot of research regarding this time period in Japan so I'm trying to keep it at least somewhat historically accurate. XD

P.S. Kudos to anyone who knows the significance of the date that the story begins. :P (Hint: It actually doesn't have to do with Japan.)

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March 15th, 1917

"I think I saw him go that way!"

"No, look there are footprints right here."

Damn the snow. Kakyou thought with a wince. He was practically leaving a trail that led straight to himself.

He veered off to the side down an alleyway and kicked the snow around so that it would look more haphazard again as he went. Then he spotted a pub a few yards away.

"Hurry up!" The thugs couldn't be far behind; they would turn the corner and see him any moment. Without thinking, Kakyou dove behind the pile of barrels beside the pub and curled into a small ball.

His breath formed little evanescent puffs that quickly dissipated before his eyes and he imagined himself vanishing into the frozen night air with them. Now you see me, now you don't. He thought, remembering a magician that he had seen once a few years ago.

A group of men huffing and puffing from exertion found their way down the alley, their wheezes and murmurs echoing off of the brick walls enclosing them. They spread out, searching every nook and cranny of the alleyway and Kakyou shrank back against the wall behind him, wishing he could sink into it or turn the same color as the bricks like those lizards he had read about. Much to his horror though, the men found their way to the pub all too quickly.

"Check behind those barrels!" A gruff voice demanded, muffled by wood and snow.

"I can't see anything."

"Then move the barrels, you idiot!"

A chorus of grumbling gave way to groans of effort and Kakyou felt his heart stop as the top barrel was lifted away. He eyed the space to his left but realized that if he tried to sneak out that way he would have to scale the fence and there was no way they wouldn't notice him.

Another barrel disappeared and Kakyou held his breath. His only chance was to use the element of surprise and make a run for it as soon as the stack was clear. One more to go and they would be able to see him sitting there plainly like a cornered mouse. Two pairs of hands grasped at it and lifted, just enough for Kakyou to see a small sliver of snow in front of him. He took a deep breath, ready to spring out between them when suddenly he heard the creak of a door opening and caught sight of lamplight spill out over the snow.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

"Get lost old man!" One of the thugs shouted in reply.

"Oh dear. First that boy, now you guys." A younger voice several feet away sighed. "I must not be in a very good neighborhood after all."

"Boy?" The barrel abruptly dropped with a heavy thud and Kakyou jumped, afraid for a split second that it would break.

"Yes, a blond-haired boy stole my wallet just a few minutes ago."

"Did you see which way he went?""I caught sight of him right as he was running off. He vanished down that alleyway down there but I couldn't quite catch up with him."

"Dammit!"

"He might be getting away already, come on!"

Kakyou heard the crunch of snow as the men dashed away and the disgruntled "hmpf" of the pub owner as he returned to the warmth of the restaurant. He gave a sigh of relief and began to crawl out from behind the barrels.

"Hello."

Kakyou froze and raised his head slowly, terrified that one of the thugs had stayed behind. Instead his eyes met the grinning face of an older teenage boy who was kneeling in the snow before him.

"This is an interesting place to hide." The boy remarked and Kakyou realized that he was the other voice he had heard a few minutes ago.

"I didn't steal your wallet!" He protested automatically.

The boy laughed. "I know that."

"Then why did you…"

"Did you want those men to catch you?"

Kakyou shook his head vigorously then realized what had happened. "Oh… thank you so much." He bowed as deeply as he could while still on his knees.

"Why were they after you anyway?"

Kakyou hesitated. Sure, the stranger had helped him so far but if he told him the truth would he turn around and turn Kakyou in or take him home?

"I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to." The boy commented, noticing the pause.

Kakyou stared at his hands in his lap. "My parents… they got into some debt… with the Yakuza[1]." He felt tears sting the corners of his eyes. "They've been avoiding them for a while but the Yakuza finally caught up with them and demanded repayment."

"And?" the teenager prompted.

"So they sold me."

The stranger didn't say anything for several long moments, his face carefully unreadable then he gave Kakyou a small smile.

"I see." He pulled himself to his feet. "What's your name, kid?"

"Kakyou."

"Last name?"

He shook his head, still staring at his knees. "You have to have a family to have a family name." He answered defiantly.

The boy chuckled. "Well I really need to be on my way but I wish you the best Kakyou." With that he tipped his hat and continued down the deserted street, whistling to himself.

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The next several weeks were the worst of Kakyou's life. Day after day he struggled to not freeze or starve to death, building small fires at night out of old newspapers and sneaking scraps of food out of restaurants' trash bins. He was so cold, hungry, and miserable that he only ever slept in small, restless naps curled up behind buildings and under bridges.

As awful as these things were however, the worst part of all was the fear. He jumped at every shadow, winced at every sound, looked over his shoulder with every step. Desperation festered in him like an open wound, eating away at his dignity with every passing day and he began to wonder if it would be better to simply give in. Working for the Yakuza might be hell, but surely it would at least be a little warmer. It was just as these thoughts of surrender were beginning to really take root that one sunny day, he came across a little girl with bright green eyes who would alter the course of his life.

Actually it was more accurate to say that she came across him. He had just awoken from a fitful sleep beneath an itchy, moth-tailored coat and the first thing he saw was a pair of emerald eyes just inches away from his face, filling his vision as she would continue to do for the next several years.

"Are you alive?" Were the first words out of her mouth even as he blinked and squirmed away in surprise.

He had been ready to bolt at the realization that someone was watching him so closely, but when he saw that it was just a girl not much younger than himself, he paused.

"I guess you are." She commented, more to herself than to him.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

She gave him a dazzling smile and put her hands on her hips. "My name is Hokuto Sumeragi! And who are you Homeless-Person-san?

Kakyou bristled at the blunt label even if it was accurate. "Kakyou." He replied shortly.

Hokuto giggled. "Well you aren't very fragrant right now are you?[2]"

Kakyou blushed. "Well you try living on the street for a few weeks and see if you wind up smelling like roses!"

"Daddy won't me try being a bum." The girl replied with a thoughtful expression. "I tried that already. He sent Aoki-san to bring me home after only 2 hours because a neighbor told him I was begging on a street corner with this old hat I found."

"Why were you trying to live on the street if you have a home?"

"I wanted to know what it was like!" She knelt down in front of Kakyou again with her arms around her knees and he noticed that her stockings were crisply white and her patent leather shoes were so shiny that he could see his own ragged reflection in them. "So?" She demanded, her eyes wide with eager curiosity. "What is it like?"

Kakyou hung his head. "Awful."

Hokuto looked genuinely surprised by this. "Really?"

"Of course!" Kakyou snapped, trying to mask his own shame.

The girl tilted her head to one side like a cat considering a mouse. "Then why are you living like this?"

"Well what else am I supposed to do?"

"Go home to your parents?"

"I can't."

"How come?"

Kakyou bit his tongue, fighting both the urge to cry and the urge to lash out at the girl. "I just can't, okay?" He muttered, his voice hoarse with pain and frustration.

Hokuto studied him silently for a long time before standing up. He expected her to walk away and leave him to his flea-bitten quasi-peace but instead she held out a hand.

"Come home with me then."

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"Absolutely not."

"But daddy!"

Kakyou stared at the carpet beneath his feet. It was a plush, Persian rug with an ornate lotus design woven into it with what looked like gold filigree details. His dirty feet looked so wrong against the rich material. He couldn't raise his head to look at the portraits on the walls because he couldn't shake the feeling that they were glaring at him, demanding that he leave the manor at once, before he soiled any more of their nice belongings.

It's not my fault. He wanted to tell them over the shouting match taking place in the next room over. I didn't know what else to do.

But the paintings continued to silently judge.

"Um…"

Kakyou glanced up and for one disoriented moment found himself wondering why Hokuto was wearing boy's clothes. And how she could be in this room while she was still arguing with her father in the next one. Then he realized that green eyes curiously watching him now had a slightly more gentle and less mischievous look about them. The boy's body language was completely different too, Kakyou thought, noting the way he hesitated in the doorway like he was ready to retreat at any given moment.

"Hello." As hopeless and lost as Kakyou felt in this manor, the boy almost seemed moreso despite it clearly being his home. It sparked in him the odd desire to take control and coax the boy into relaxing.

"I'm Kakyou." He told the boy softly. "What's your name?"

The boy took a cautious step forward. "Subaru."

Kakyou nodded at the other wall separating them from the ongoing shouting match. "She's your sister isn't she?"

Subaru nodded shyly.

"You look a lot alike; are you twins?"

Another silent nod and step forward.

"That's interesting, I've never met twins before. Is it strange, having someone else who looks so much like you?"

Subaru shook his head. "I'm used to it." He replied softly.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense since you were born together huh?"

The boy shrugged then blushed slightly. "Um, if it's alright… may I ask you a question?"

Kakyou nodded warily.

"Your hair… why is it…"

"So long?" Kakyou tugged at a lock across his forehead, relieved that this was all the boy wanted to know.

Subaru shook his head quickly. "No, I mean why is it so light?"

"Huh?" Kakyou stared at him for a second then chuckled. "It's blond."

"How did it get that way though?"

"It was like that when I was born. I'm only half Japanese." Kakyou explained.

Subaru stared at him with open curiosity. From anyone else, it might have made him feel like a circus freak on display, but there was such an aura of innocence about the boy that Kakyou couldn't help but be somewhat amused if anything. "Really? What's the other half?" He wondered aloud.

"My mother was British."

"British?" Subaru contemplated this seriously for a moment. "As in someone from England right?"

"Right."

"So do you speak English?"

Kakyou nodded.

Subaru gave him a grave look before excusing himself politely and disappearing from the room. The shouting match between Hokuto and her father ended abruptly and a few minutes later they both entered the room.

The twins' father cleared his throat with a slightly defeated expression.

"Do you really speak English?" He addressed Kakyou directly without ceremony.

Kakyou was taken aback by the question but nodded.

"I've hired a tutor to teach the twins but having someone else to practice with would be very useful." [3]

Kakyou held his breath. Could things really be about to turn around for him after all?

"Are you willing to do some other chores around the house?" Their father demanded. "You'll have to show that you have a good work ethic if you are going to earn a living here."

Kakyou nodded eagerly. "Yes sir."

The twins' father studied him carefully like a jeweler inspecting a diamond for flaws. "Very well then. I'll have quarters prepared for you."

Hokuto gave a triumphant cry and leapt across the room to throw her arms around Kakyou's neck. He braved a small smile and hugged her back, noting as he looked over her shoulder that Subaru was watching them silently from behind his father's legs.

Thank you. Kakyou thought to him silently. I owe you for this.

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Notes:

1. Yakuza: The Japanese mafia essentially

2. Kakyou: From what I could find, the name Kakyou means "fragrant view" but if anyone finds something that says otherwise, please let me know!

3. At this time in Japan it was becoming popular, and sometimes necessary, to learn English. The next chapter will get into this more but the Sumeragi family owns a steel manufacturing company and businesses like this were expanding due to foreign demand, especially from countries such as the U.S. so they definitely would have wanted to learn English in order to trade.