Meiwa Says: Well, I'm pretty new to this fandom (considering it is pretty limited) and the lack of stories needed to be addressed, thus this fic was born! It's actually thanks to the Naruto fandom that I was even exposed to this anime. I've even taken to reading parts of the manga (which I don't usually do). To be honest, this is my first angsty piece so I'm really, really nervous about it. I hope I do this pairing justice!

Warnings: There are mentions of rape, sexual harassment and the like. Please, turn away from this story if these things may hurt or offend you. Also unbeta-ed.

Disclaimer: I don't own Nisekoi or Titanic.

Yakusoku
by Meiwa Chinmoku

There was little to speculate about the couple walking down the streets of Tokyo, hanging off of each other's arms. It was already December, and the Christmas spirit was undeniably visible along the busy metropolitan streets. This particular couple did not stand out amidst the others, as they looked like simple teenagers out on a date.

However there was more to it than meets the eye, as these two eighteen-year-old teens were forced into a loveless relationship for the sake of preventing a war between their families.

Kirisaki Chitoge was bundled up neatly upon layers of coats, obviously disliking the cold temperature based on the furrow of her brows. Her usually pale cheeks were flushed and she blew out some air to keep herself warm.

The man next to her was more comfortable, only wearing an unbuttoned trench coat and a scarf. He was glancing down at his companion, suitably dressed for a snowstorm that wasn't even going to come. Her outfit was complete with the earmuffs, mittens and fluffy boots. To be honest, in the two years he'd known her, this was truly the only time he realized how irritated she was at the cold weather.

"Why are you so unused to the cold?" Raku asked, genuinely curious. She pouted even further, burying herself deeper into her coat. "I mean, you do have snow in America, don't you?"

"Only in some places…where I come from, it's sunny every day. Both my parents were always too busy working to actually bring me out of California," she said. Although she had tied back her familial connections, he could still see the traces of nonchalance in her eyes.

Raku frowned a bit at her change in mood, but continued to walk alongside her in silence.

Raku had picked her up this morning at the insistence of his father. He explained that strolling down the white streets of Tokyo amidst the blinking lights was the perfect scene for romance. Sometimes, he felt like his father was taking this acting thing far too seriously, it didn't feel staged at all. But he knew that they were both just actors playing their scenes.

Suddenly, Chitoge's face brightened, warming her entire demeanor. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at the billboard displaying a large boat and two lovers intertwined with each other.

She squealed, hearts in her eyes. She clutched both her hands dramatically. "It's Titanic! I can't believe it's showing here!"

"What's the big deal?" he asked. "Isn't that movie a bit...old? I'm pretty sure it aired in the 90s."

"Yeah, but I've never had the chance to watch it when I was a kid." Her blue yes gazed at the sparkling letters, looking dreamlike. She was silent for a few moments, mouth spread into a grin and cheeks pink from the excitement. It was times like these when Raku would unconsciously study her, noting that she was pretty cute when she wasn't acting like a gorilla.

"Why couldn't you just get it in DVD or something?" he said as they resumed strolling down the path on their way to school. Chitoge's mood was brighter than ever and she skipped like a little girl.

"Well..." Her face sunk, looking disappointed. "You see, when I was three, Okaa-san promised to watch the movie with me. She said that her grandmother was a survivor in the ship and she was always inspired by the story. She promised that she would watch Titanic with me during Christmas where we would sit by a fireplace and toast s'mores. But that day, she had an emergency meeting so she and my father left me alone for Christmas."

Raku felt even worse. He knew that Chitoge had family issues even before she moved to Japan. It was one of the main reasons why she was so insecure.

Before he could say anything to raise her dampen spirits, she looked at him from the corner of her eyes, smiling kindly.

"Ne, Raku..."

He looked at her.

"Do you think maybe...we can watch it together?"

"Eh?"

"W-Well, they are expecting that we would go out before Christmas and what better way to convince them of that but to watch a romantic movie!"

Raku thought about it. He had been 'going out' with her for nearly two years now, and it wasn't as bad as he first pegged it to be. Although they fought like a married couple, they had moments wherein they just enjoyed each other's company like good friends. Raku would never admit it, but he was thankful for all the things they'd gone through. By now, he had almost forgotten about his promise girl. It was only through the persistent reminder of the existence of both Chitoge and Onodera's keys did he keep remembering the locket.

He thought about her offer. It wasn't as if they hadn't watched a movie on a 'date' before, but he knew this movie and it was filled with romance. It was a movie he would prefer to watch with Onodera, but he wouldn't tell her that. Besides, it made him feel like an asshole especially knowing how this must mean to her. It was another Christmas she was going to share with his family, hers being out in America.

"Okay, fine," he said. He did not regret it when he saw her face shine. "We'll meet up here at eight."

"Okay, it's a date!"

When she smiled at him, he swore his heart skipped a beat.

He gazed outside the classroom window, enjoying the view as he watched the snowflakes descend down into the ground. Raku absolutely loved snow – he always had, even as a child. It was one of the reasons why he could tolerate such low temperatures.

Discussions were slow at this time of the year. It was almost Christmas break and both the teachers and students were eager to get the week over with and spend it with their loved ones. As such, Raku found himself contemplating on his and Chitoge's exchange as they walked through the streets.

Even though he'd heard the words nearly a hundred times before, hearing her claim that it was a date fazed him, especially when she looked incredibly sincere as if she wasn't faking it. Raku knew that letting his thoughts get to that point would only severely confuse him even more. Ever since the Christmas incident two years ago, wherein her mother actually questioned him on the genuineness of their 'relationship', he truly wondered if there was anything more to it. There were times wherein Chitoge's actions would feel so honest.

In his defense, all the things he'd done for her were purely genuine. Raku wasn't the type of guy to leech off an opportunity to date a beautiful girl. Despite growing up in a yakuza family, he was raised to be a gentleman. He never questioned how much he cared for the girl and how he worried whenever she would face a problem.

After all, he was the only one who really knew her inside and out. He was the only one who knew her irrational fear for many things – whether it was the dark, ghosts or even thunder. Many of their classmates saw her as the tough girl who could face anything, but in reality she was just a child at heart.

In all honesty, he couldn't deny her request at watching Titanic even if he wanted to. She was so fragile growing up, that all her memories of loneliness always came back to haunt her. Raku himself helped fix that problem by letting them reacquaint with each other again, but it did not erase those feelings that gripped her heart until now.

What confused him deeply was how he always wanted to ensure that those feelings would never have to resurface again. Surely, what he felt for her was nothing more than camaraderie in fanning out the flames between their family feuds as well as friendship, deeply rooted with the experiences and trust built upon them.

He was so deep in his thoughts that he failed to realize Onodera trying desperately to catch his attention.

She was becoming increasingly worried at his lack of response, noticing from the corner of her eye how he subtly watched Chitoge furiously write down notes of the lecture. Onodera giggled, knowing that Chitoge was naturally studious and wrote down these notes even if they'd already discussed it a week before.

It was only until she grasped Raku's arm that he came back to the real world.

"Ne, are you okay, Ichijou-kun?"

Somewhere, a distant part of his brain exploded with joy and embarrassment at having been caught daydreaming by his not-so-secret crush. Feeling her touch his arm made him shiver in anticipation and the way she looked at him made him feel as though he could die happy.

"H-Hai, I'm fine!" he chuckled, trying to ease the awkwardness away. It was one of those rare moments he could really get to talk to her, alone with no interruptions.

"That's good. I was beginning to get worried when you looked so spaced out."

As she looked up at him through her lashes, his face automatically broke out in a grin.

"I…um…I was wondering…" Onodera began sheepishly, toying with the long strand of hair. "If you would…um like to spend some time…with me?"

All his previous thoughts flew out the window at the prospect of being able to spend time with her alone. Whether it was considered a date or not, he could care less. It was his time to shine.

"S-Sure…where…?"

"Y-You see, there's been an order placed to make strawberry cake…but I'm not very good at cooking…and Okaa-san is out of town." Onodera was flushing deeply and it almost seemed like steam was rising out of her ears. "I was hoping if you'd…come over to the bakery tonight and if it's okay…help me out with it? I mean, I know you're very good at cooking, Ichijou-kun and I would be greatly honored if you could help us out."

He felt his heart shoot out of his body. She had complimented him on his cooking prowess! "Of course, I'd be really happy to help you out...anything for a friend." The last part came by so sudden that even he was not aware of what he said.

She looked deflated for a moment, but grinned back at him nonetheless. "Great! I guess I'll meet you at the gates after school, then."

These three teenagers were unaware of the terrors that were to befall them that night.

"Ne, ojou-sama are you really sure –"

Chitoge rifled through her closet, searching for the most perfect outfit she could procure. She'd been on many 'dates' with Raku before, but somehow, she wanted to treat this one as genuine as her feelings for him were. Of course, he would only treat it as fake, but it didn't mean that she couldn't hope. After all, she was finally going to see the movie she had yearned to watch since she was young.

"I'll be fine, Tsugumi, you don't have to worry. Raku will be there. Besides, I can take care of myself," Chitoge said, holding up a pastel pink dress to her figure. He probably wouldn't even see what she was wearing, given she'd be wearing a trench coat, however it was one of those times she could spoil herself into her fantasy. "That goes same for you, too, Claude. If I so much as catch you both peeping at our date, you'll be sorry."

Of course she meant that she was going to give them the detestable, cringe-worthy Chitoge Silent Treatment for however long she deemed fit. Claude had survived only three days and broke down, begging for her forgiveness. Tsugumi only lasted three hours before she had cried her eyes out and dropped to her knees in front of Chitoge. Both of them would have preferred a beating from her than the absolute torture of being ignored by their beloved mistress.

Claude winced, bowing. "I apologize, ojou-sama, but that cannot happen. As you see, I am your bodyguard and therefore am tasked to protect you against dangers in the streets. The movie you will be watching will be running at a very late time, and I cannot have you –"

"I'll be fine, Claude," she said reassuringly, settling for a maroon dress that fell to her knees like waves. Her eyes softened as she remembered who she would be with. As real as both Claude and Tsugumi's worries were, Chitoge could protect herself against the occasional lecherous man. "Raku will be there with me. If you're so worried, I'll allow you both to call me later tonight to ease your worries."

Tsugumi looked uncomfortable. She had sworn to give her life protecting Chitoge since they were kids, it did not feel right to leave her so vulnerable in the streets of Tokyo.

"All right, ojou-sama," said the blue-haired girl. Chitoge was stubborn, and she would hold on to her threat. "But you have to at least let us take you there!"

The blond sighed. "Fine…"

The walk to the cinema was strange. Chitoge stood between two incredibly anxious bodyguards who were flinching at every 'suspicious' thing they came across. Every alleyway near the vicinity of the cinemas was checked and double-checked, and practically everyone they strolled past was given a scrutinizing stare. It was a strange scene, to say the least. But truly, she valued both of them very much.

"Okay, we're here." Chitoge grinned. She was happy that she would finally be free from her overbearing companions. They were slightly early, and the cinema was pretty empty – after all, the movie was pretty old and most people were busy doing their last minute Christmas shopping to be bothering with Titanic. This soothed her worries quite a bit. At least they would get a semblance of privacy. "C'mon, Tsugumi, Claude, you promised you would walk me here. It's time for you both to go home."

"I'm afraid I cannot agree to that, ojou-sama," Claude said, holding his gun in one hand and sticking close to her, glaring at those who passed by. "That boy has not yet arrived, therefore we cannot ensure your safety as of yet."

Tsugumi stuck to her other side. "I agree with Claude-san. It is much too dangerous to leave you alone."

Chitoge winced. There was only one way to get rid of them both.

"Leave now, both of you…or else…" The threat hung in the incredibly dense air. To her surprise, they still remained at her side but at her words, she could feel them stiffen. Both Tsugumi and Claude were not pleased with the prospect of being ignored, but stayed strong for her sake. "I will give you five seconds."

Before she got to one, however, both of them were off.

Chitoge sighed, smiling to herself and clasping her hands together. Her heart was beating quickly now, and her eyes softened at the thought of who she was waiting for. Even if she hated the cold, she endured it…for him.

8:45

Raku was giddy with happiness when he arrived at the Onodera household especially at the thought of them being alone. Onodera said that both her mother and sister were off visiting a sick relative, leaving her to the care of their bakery. She sheepishly told him that it was a bad idea, since she knew absolutely nothing from cooking.

"I'm sure we can do this. Now, where did you keep that recipe again?"

"It's right here…" she whispered, leaning across him to get the book.

He was not unaware of the way her shoulder touched his and how her fingertips grazed along his hand.

9:30 p.m.

She sighed, leaning against the lamp post as she waited patiently for his arrival. She was staring at her phone, feeling even more disappointed at the lack of new messages. She had tried texting him, calling him, but it ended with nothing.

Just a little bit longer, she thought to herself. Maybe he was just caught up in something.

Chitoge looked up at the sky.

You promised.

"Like this…?"

"No, Onodera – don't!"

The sound of a whirring machine filled the kitchen and splatters of the cake batter flew around in many directions. Raku shielded himself from the onslaught of the ingredients, noting that his hair was now mussed from the mess.

She really was honest when she said she knew nothing about baking. She had turned on the electric mixer, holding it up and asking him the proper way to use it. Onodera was visibly confused and pressed the power button, allowing the sticky substance that had clung onto the mixer to spread all over the room.

As he pulled the cord to keep it from turning any longer, he took a good look at his companion.

She looked doe-eyed and blinked. At that moment, she was the epitome of cute but not necessarily neat. She had a piece of the cake batter falling down her forehead and past the bridge of her nose. The way she looked at it cross-eyed made him laugh hysterically.

"W-What's so funny?" she asked, puffing out her cheeks. This only served to make him laugh louder.

Pretty soon, she had joined him in his humor, finding the situation rather amusing.

Raku and Onodera were both unaware of the cellphone constantly beeping in his school bag.

9:45 p.m.

She knew she looked pretty pathetic. Each time a person would turn the corner into the secluded cinema, she would glance at their direction, looking absolutely murderous yet excited. But every time, she would be met with disappointment and confused and judging stares.

Chitoge sat on one of the cinema's steps, uncaring if the cold got to her. The last thing she needed was being stood up from a date. It hurt that she had told him the significance of this movie to her and that he just decided to blow her off without even telling her why.

The streets were now emptying, and the cinema had already shut. It had been an hour and a half since she started waiting for him. She surprised herself at her patience, usually waiting that long would have her seething in anger. This time, however, it seemed as though it had brought her massive disappointment.

Chitoge stood, blowing out some air. She brought out her cellphone, about to call out Claude when she noticed someone walking past the corner into the street. She lowered her phone and huffed, trying to sound furious.

"You prick! I've been waiting for you for almost two hours! Can't you have the decency to at least call?"

But to her surprise and horror, it was not Raku.

Since her accident with the mixer, things had begun to get playful inside the bakery.

It started off with Raku accidentally tossing her the bag of flour, only causing it to rise and spread all over her face and her hair. He had turned to apologize, but he could barely stifle a laugh at her once again bewildered wide-eyed expression. He wanted to sound sincere, he really did, but he couldn't get his words out as she stared at him in shock.

Then she had retaliated by throwing it back at him.

It then began a full-scale war, and the kitchen was undoubtedly the battlefield. The mess they'd created was one for the books, and both parties were covered in head to toe with various baking items. They were getting no progress done.

By the time it all settled, Raku insisted on cleaning up before they really get some work done.

Things had severely quieted down, giving them the silence to reflect. They were almost completely clean by now, using the washcloths as their towels to clean up whatever they could. However, he noticed a stray confection in her hair.

He walked towards her, chucking out the piece of candy. "There, all clean."

However he hadn't noticed their proximity. They were close enough to see everything in their faces. Onodera stared at him, lips parted as though she was breathless. His heart was hammering in his chest, and he could no longer fight the impulse to lean down – just a few inches – and kiss her.

Her eyes shut.

His eyes shut.

They were a breath away from each other.

"Okay, it's a date!"

But before he could kiss her, Chitoge's face appeared in his mind.

He barely pulled away before the offending chime of the clock blasted in his ears. "Ten o'clock, it is ten o'clock! Ten o'clock!" The bird whistled.

Raku pulled away, not even noticing the heartbroken look on Onodera's face. A part of him panicked. Something felt wrong – it wasn't just that almost kiss. It was something more, something that was happening at the moment.

"I…I'm sorry, I have to go!"

He barely had time to contemplate this feeling because he had already sprinted out of her home.

10:00 p.m.

It was not Raku.

Instead, it was a bunch of drunken men with clothes askew, staring at her like she was gold. Chitoge panicked, bringing out her phone again to call her bodyguards, but it was promptly slapped away by the largest man of the group.

He had her backed into the wall, his stinky breath mingling with the air.

"Pretty girl like you getting stood up, huh?" he said, hiccupping now and then. "Don't worry, I could – we could show you a good time."

She saw an opening and quickly kneed the offending man.

Chitoge sprinted away from them, knowing that she could take on one, two and to a certain extent, three men. But there were five of them, fully grown and rather large in physique. She had no chance. The only way to safety was to run and call for help – no one was in the area.

But she felt one of them grab her hair, pulling her back harshly that she fell on her back. They scowled at her, sneered and even spat, but that was nothing compared to the helplessness she felt at the moment. She struggled and screamed as one of them took off her coat, writhing and throwing a few punches and kicks occasionally. It was all futile.

When they laughed and whistled as they ripped at her clothing, she could only stare in the distance, thinking of her knight in shining armour that couldn't save her when she needed him the most.

She began to sob.

Traitor.

It was just his luck that the cinema had already been shut, and there were no traces of Chitoge in sight.

He paused to take a breather, praying inside that she already went home. These streets were incredibly dangerous at this time, littered by offending creeps and robbers everywhere.

When he leaned towards a lamp post, he noticed something that almost stopped him from breathing.

It was Chitoge's red ribbon.

He picked it up with his shaking hands.

"Ah young man," an old lady said, approaching him from a door next to the cinema. She looked completely rattled. "Have you seen the woman here earlier? I was very worried for her. I heard a commotion outside of my home, only to find her half-dressed with these men hovering all over her. I was going to call the police but they'd escaped."

Raku could feel the intensity of the quickness of his heartbeat. Ignoring courtesies at this dire moment, he demanded, "Where is she?"

"I don't know. She took off before I could offer her my help."

That was all it took to get him started on running out again.

The streets were empty, and it was only because of the dim street lights that he was able to see the path he was taking. He had to narrow his eyes to see through the alleyways, hoping to catch a glimpse of her blond hair. He needed to find her, quick. An experience like that could ruin her life.

He thought guiltily to how all this occurred because of his selfishness.

He had promised that he would watch the movie with her, but he had broken it just to spend some time with Onodera. He was no better than her mother ten years ago.

As he ran across the empty streets, Raku thought of ways how to make it up to her. She needed to be comforted, first of all, because no one could get through a traumatic experience like that alone. His motivation to find her was stronger than his intent to find those bastards and make them pay for that they did to her.

At the very thought of her being raped, he almost began to cry. The pain he felt for her and the guilt he was experiencing was incredibly overwhelming. He had to focus on finding her before anything else got worse.

Once she was ready and healed back again, he would take her out…on a real date. Perhaps they could go on a picnic. Chitoge had once commented that she had always loved watching the stars atop a hill – it was one of the fondest memories she'd had when she was a child. Maybe they could go to the lake, where they would ride those boats and would coast under the sakura trees during spring.

Anything seemed like a picture perfect scene because it was her he was spending his time with.

He increased his pace, desperate to find her.

Once he looked up, his heart froze.

She stood two meters away from him, her eyes meeting his. Time seemed to stop as he assessed her current state.

Her clothes were torn in all the wrong places, and she had bruises, cuts and red marks marring her skin. Her hair was all over the place, parts of it had been cut. The only thing that was keeping her decent was the trench coat hanging precariously off her shoulders. He realized that it was the same one he had given to her on her seventeenth birthday.

He didn't deserve her. Not in this lifetime or the next.

"Ch-Chitoge…" his voice croaked he reached out to her. He noted that her skin was turning blue. It frightened him. He needed to get her to the hospital quick.

"You promised me…" she whispered, walking towards him in slow steps. He had never heard her sound so broken…so vulnerable. A part inside of him broke. "You promised…"

Halfway through her trek, she collapsed.

Raku had caught her in his arms, promising never to let her go.

Meiwa Says: Okay, honestly, I had to decide if I would end it here. I do have half of the next chapter written up, but I'm still unsure whether or not it's best to leave it at this. Anyways, I really love Onodera, just not as a love interest for Raku. Somehow I feel as if this couple would be the endgame. I'd like to think of her as one who would encourage Raku and Chitoge's relationship by getting them into awkward situations.

Well, I'm not really sure how old they are in the manga so I set them to sixteen. So if they'd been together for two years, that would make them eighteen by the time this story starts. The setting would definitely be before they'd graduate.

I'm actually really anxious about this one, so please give me your thoughts, suggestions and I'll try to improve! I realized how my spelling and grammar were so...off...so I apologize if I'd make any mistakes!