Engage Me.

Hibari Akane, beloved mother of Hibari Kyoya and the only mother Nanase Sakura ever truly got to know, was limited on time due to sickness. Her remaining, half hearted wish, was to see the two get married. And the day her condition got worse, Hibari Kyoya and Nanase Sakura knew what they had to do. Though they never really spoke, always acted like they were strangers, and a situation in the past left quite a strain on their relationship. But they did it anyways. They got married, for her sake. But perhaps after a while, not so much so. Until days of pointless bickering, teasing or sarcastic conversations became a normality all with a hint of romance here and there.

"You're CEO of a company. Part time mafioso. A sadistic husband by night. And a full time attractive jerk. I must say, that's one hell of a resume, Hibari Kyoya."
"Wao. And you're still the annoying herbivore you've always been."
"Well. That's my job. Wouldn't you get bored trampling over me if I wasn't?"

A/N: I don't know how fast the updates will be for this, I'll try for weekly. Just for fun since I randomly came up with a lot of bickering scenes between the two (and I must say, it's interesting to write).
It's pretty descriptive in third person, pretty much so even in first person. It won't only be in Sakura's perspective, third limited or first, even though this chapter is. The first chapter is just an introduction, why the future is in it but I don't think I'll be writing from it (just giving you the idea), and so it's pretty sad/slow but I'll get right into their relationship (much like the given quotes above) probably next chapter. c: Enjoy!

Nanase Sakura is my main OC. She's present in a lot of stories so if you like her, you will be able to find her in: Midspring Day's Dream, Under a Virtual Sky Online, Shards of a Broken Mirror. But she's slightly different in each, given she's raised differently in every one of them. But her parents remain the same though situations don't.

Disclaimer: I don't own KHR (just an obsessed fan) and I don't own my cover photo either (due to change at certain chapters or story progression).

CHAPTER 1.

FUTURE - Third person, limited (Sakura)

Sakura slowly turned her head over to watch her husband's face as he slept- not for long though. He'd somehow wake up and surely that wouldn't end too well for the rest of the precious minutes she had left, oh how he hated being woken up. Precious minutes before long strenuous work cooped up in a laboratory where she researched and researched and researched until she made some progress- but that was okay. Perhaps that was the stubbornness and dedication for science that she took after her father. Or simply the dedication she had grown for her new 'family'.

Hibari Sakura was now twenty five and already married but surely if anyone told her two years ago, she wouldn't have believed them. Because two years ago, she wasn't quite sure what love was and she never bothered to glance at a male, believe her or not. Well, gun at her head (though that seems to happen more often now than not), then she supposed she would admit Hibari Kyoya was the one exception to that and what a funny coincidence, though not at all funny, that he was the one that ended up by her side now.

But now, Hibari Sakura, twenty five and under the very strict training of her husband, she could confidently say that gun at her head wouldn't phase her so much and she might not have to answer that question if she played her cards correctly.

In fact, young, young, young Nanase Sakura of two years ago or any younger would not believe anything that she was placed into now. Naive and ignorant. Surely not the fact that she was married to a man she never quite understood and never quite spoken to. And surely not the fact that she would be involved with the mafia- dropping her fashion designing job that she was decent at but never passionate for to follow her father's footsteps into a world of scientific endeavors for said mafia.

Especially since Nanase Sakura still had a lingering hatred for Science that took her father away from her- and the family as a whole. So much so that she neglected her talents for science, that she threw away her project in seventh grade the day before the Science fair- So much so that she ripped up all the almost perfect scores she got on the Science tests up into high school even though she didn't truly try- just half listened to the teacher.

But Hibari Sakura was different. Hibari Sakura went through a change that she supposed she would call worthwhile. If she had a chance to go back and fix everything that she COULD fix, she wouldn't bother. Though she supposed she'd go back and win some arguments against her husband.. but it mattered not. She never regretted anything and especially not their marriage despite all the worrying Nanase Sakura went through, pacing back and forth with their marriage papers in her hand, nervously glancing at it as if it'd bite her. But it wouldn't be the one to bite her, no.

Hibari Sakura glanced down at the ring on her left finger and the matching one on her husband's. It was strange even now that she thought about it, the way it all happened. How it started.

Though the wedding itself made her head spin, the all too dazzling lights, the entrancing music that did nothing to calm her nerves, the jewels adorned on her that surely shone brighter than her smile that day- the way her pure white dress draped behind her, dragging against a velvet red carpet as she carefully walked up those steps to meet the man she always found herself ending with. That was a day muffled by all the other memories she collected by his side, some broken and some beautiful like shells on a beach.

But life had its ways and life did a lot of strange things. And life decided to throw her here and here she was happy to remain. So she supposed she thanked life and all that life had given her. There were some bad days but didn't everything look beautiful after the rain in the end?

She slowly sat up, holding up the blanket to her body before reaching to the floor and grabbing the kimono from the floor, draping it over her body. Carefully, she got up with a trained delicateness that resulted from years- no simply, a few months of trying not to wake the light sleeper that was her husband.

She slipped out the door and closed it as quiet as possible as she got ready first. Today, she woke up earlier than the alarm, earlier than the sun and that's how she usually preferred it. She hated the jolt she received and the loud noise to be the first thing she hears or thinks about as she wakes.

She entered the bathroom and was only temporarily blinded by the light she turned on as she went through her usual morning routines in a systematic pace. When she finished, her light pink hair was still damp as she quickly braided it, opting for waviness and the lingering smell of her shampoo when she unwinds it later.

Sakura strolled by her the next room before lightly opening it, taking a step inside and walking to the middle of the room. Peering down, she could never resist the smile that intuitively curved her lips as she watched and lightly caressed the new, extra meanings to her life: her children.

Their children, she meant. And how glad she was that at least one of the babies inherited his beautiful eyes.

She turned and greeted her husband with a small smile after feeling his presence in the room, something he trained her for too. He was leaned against the door frame, watching her with those blue gray orbs she loved so much- even before she loved him. His hair was especially tousled after a long night of- ...sleep, the black yukata hanging on his body.

She pulls the blanket higher over the baby's small body and spares one more glance before walking out the door, her husband behind her before he finishes his part and he shuts the door quietly. He went to finish his morning routines and she went to fulfill her other part of it, breakfast and what not.

And so she did. She sets the finished meal on the table before she walked over to the small shrine hidden behind doors. She replaced the food on the shrine with the new one for the day and smiles at the picture of the woman she loved all too much.

Hibari Akane. The picture of a smiling, healthy woman with mid length silky black hair parted in the middle that rested over her shoulders. Kind gray eyes and an even kinder smile.

Oh how she missed this person. The woman she considered her mother even before Sakura was officially her daughter in law. And every happy moment, no- everyday she thanked Akane for what she unknowingly did for Sakura and everything she did before that. But even if her life wasn't as it is now, she would've thanked Akane regardless.

The woman that treated Sakura like she was her own daughter. She might have felt like it was her obligation once Sakura's mother died, too young for Sakura to truly remember, but she never once treated Sakura like a burden. She showed up to Sakura's graduation with proud smiles, a camera 'to capture the moment', and even a much appreciated but unneeded gift. She celebrated Sakura's birthday with her since the year after they thankfully met. She offered Sakura a shoulder to cry on and a home to come back to. And perhaps she even offered Sakura the greatest joy in her life, her son. And no matter what it was, Sakura would have done anything for this woman- her mother.

Perhaps Sakura did. At least she believed she did. She could clearly remember the day it all started, the day everything went downhill before it started slowly trudging its way back up without the weight she would have carried along even if it killed her.

She remembered the day she cursed life and everything in it, she remembered the way her legs caved in and her sobs betrayed her; she remembered the moment that under any circumstance he would have told her what a weak 'herbivore' she was but instead she found his silent sobs- as he hit, and hit, and hit the wall until he bled, and bled, and bruised- and she didn't think anything could have broke her heart more than the absence of Akane- but no.

The man she would have thought to be the strongest in the world broke and she believed that shattered every and each broken piece she had into a thousandth. From then, even then, she swore she'd never let him feel that way. And she remembered that she swore to herself that if he came to love her too, then she'll become stronger. Stronger so that she'd never break and so that he'd never have to break because of her.

She turned now to the man who knelt down beside her, watching the same picture with the same love for the same woman. And she pulled up a smile onto her lips as she leaned onto his shoulder for the moment before their day truly starts. One out of the many.

Hibari Sakura could remember almost everything that happened to this day, where she now sat in the comforts of their home, in the room dedicated to this person and this person alone. Absent of her presence, absent of her warmth and the gentle voice that calmed her so.

'PRESENT' - First person, Sakura

It was a day like no other. I had just gotten out of work when my phone vibrated. Glancing down at it lazily still with messy folders in the other arm, I almost dropped my phone out of shock. No. No no no no no.

And then I was speed walking, running. "Tcht," I had to take off my black heels and carry them just so that I could make it there faster. Please be okay. Please-!

I was in such a hurried state to get out to the hospital, I didn't think twice before mowing anyone down in my run. I shoved a businessman, received some honking from crossing the street recklessly, and I think I might have spilled coffee on someone.

But the hell do I care at this moment? She was important. And she was all that matters.

Almost there. Almost there-!

I busted through the door and ignored the low grumbling of disapproval I heard, ran over to the woman's bedside and almost collapsed out of worry, partly exhaustion. My face must've looked terrible, my hair, my clothes, my everything was probably unpresentable- but who cared about 'presentable' when the woman you loved most was on a hospital bed?

"Sakura-chan," the woman smiled softly. Her voice sounded gentle but tired. She look tired. Oh so tired. Paler, almost as white as the plain walls surrounding us. And I felt my heart twist.

"Akane-san. Are you okay?" I asked between breaths. I was panting and still having a hard time catching my breath, taking in the air that smelled slightly of medicine but not so much since the air conditioner took care of any scent really.

"I'm fine. It was just a fall." Liar! You fell down the stairs, I objected inside my head. "I wanted to tell you that I couldn't make it to our meeting today," she smiled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

She was sitting up, leaned against a white pillow as her hand rested one on top of each other on her stomach, the white blanket up to her waist. White. She was so white, everything was so white and I swore ever since she started become so weak, trips to the hospital were more often paid than not, that the color alone burned in my eyes.

I shook my head as I forged a smiled. "I'm glad you're fine, that's all that matters." But she didn't look fine at all. She had always been frail, fragile as of lately. She was growing weaker and this wasn't the first time that she fell.

Though even in a poorer state, she was respectable looking as always. Her silky black hair piled barely over her shoulders, her middle split bangs were tucked neatly behind her small ears.

She chuckled softly, her delicate hand covering her mouth as she did so. "It was a good thing Kyoya was with me today." Kyoya.

I turned over to the man who was leaned against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest, eyeing me with an unreadable expression as always. He was dressed in a black blazer, dark purple dress shirt, a black tie, and black pants.

I gave him a small nod before turning back to her. It was the best I could manage. We almost always ignored each other's presence. We never spoke save for a few words and I supposed it was better than when we did.

"Would you like me to get you anything?" I offered.

She shook her head. "I'm fine, thank you. You don't have to worry about me. Haven't you been swamped with work lately?"

"I, ah. It's nothing too strenuous," I reassured her. Though it was. They were throwing projects at me left and right with the oncoming fashion show and I'm starting to wonder why I went down this line of work when I didn't enjoy it one bit.

"Oh! By the way, I just saw the magazine earlier in the week and I saw your work. It was gorgeous! I'm so proud of you," she smiled.

And nothing made me happier to hear despite the turbulence of more negative feelings weighing me down. "Thank you, I'd love to design a dress for you actually," I said as I pulled the chair over and sat down. "I'm already working on it." So please, get well soon. Not for a silly dress- but for me. For your son- For yourself.

"Really? That'd be great. I'm lucky to have a daughter like you," she said. Daughter. I saw the man shift a bit in his position stationed at the wall opposite on the side I was on but I ignored it.

Even after years and years and years of 'knowing' each other, we somehow managed to stay 'strangers'. Acquaintances at best, perhaps on Hibari Kyoya's better days. But friends were 'herbivorous' in his book and family was not an option unless blood related or official on paperwork.

"You know I've always consider you as my daughter, right?"

"Of course," I smiled.

She told me often as if I'd forget if she didn't. But I didn't mind, it made me happy to hear it. Because well, I probably would doubt it if she didn't tell me as often as she did. I supposed she knew me more than I knew myself. Must be a mother's intuition. Even if she, unfortunately, isn't really mine.

But this time, in this situation, the reminder seemed awfully distant. Like a voice from a person walking farther and farther away from you.

I bowed before closing the door behind me and promising her I'll visit as often as I could.

He was already walking away with a hand in his pocket, the thin heels of his shoes clattered against the tiled hallways of the hospital. I caught up to him in a few strides, my tall heels made much more noise than his.

"Tell me what really happened," I said. "And don't you dare say it's none of my business," I added, knowing a number of his replies as if it was a default setting.

He lazily shifted his attention to me, watching me as if he was debating whether or not he should tell me. Though his eyes looked so tired and if I looked longer, perhaps I would've noticed the silent fury in them.

"Ask the doctor yourself," was all he said but it was low, strained as if the result of it would be undesirable- though I was scared and I hated to admit it, I don't doubt it.

And I stopped walking, letting him stride much farther away from me as I watched his tall receding back.

We really never got along. Even after all these years, even if we slept under the same roof for quite some time- even if we went to the same school for a few years. And I supposed he never really liked me- and I never really had another thought for him. Not after 'that'.

So I did. I found her doctor and…

Part of me wished I didn't ask. Part of me wished I never knew but how- why would I waste another day not knowing? Not knowing what I could do for her? And I would do anything.

I remembered gripping the collar of his coat, remembered almost sinking to the ground and wishing it might as well swallow me up, I remembered staring dumbfounded at the ground as it spun in and out of focus. Though I don't really remember how I got home that day.

I hated, hated, hated- oh so so so hated when life decided to flip an hourglass over and measured the remaining breaths of a person over grains of sand. Why why WHY?

Why.. Why her? WHY? The question rang through the otherwise empty hollow of my mind. Why was life so cruel? And why did life try to rip away the people that never did anything wrong? Why did bad things happen to good people?

{ ... }

"I really wish I could see the day that my handsome son and my beautiful daughter gets married," she whispered, the loss of strength in her voice.

"You will," I said as a tear rolled down my cheek. "You will," I repeated, maybe more to myself than her.

She laughed softly. "I sure hope so."

I think that broke my heart more than hearing the doctor say she didn't have much longer to live- it's that she knows it AND she accepted her oncoming death.

"Don't cry, Sakura-chan," she cooed softly.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as I tried to wipe my tears.

She chuckled shortly, her fragile hand lightly squeezed mine. "Why are you sorry?" and her voice broke. I was scared to look up but I did anyways and my heart squeeze, strained, suffocated me- I almost thought then that it wanted to kill me though I suppose I had no qualms in dying if it meant I could stay by this woman's side.

She was crying and I hated myself if I was the reason she did. Please no, please don't.

I hugged her and it was the saddest thing to say that we sobbed together. Usually I was the one to cry on her shoulder and she would stroke my hair or rub circular motions on my back to calm me- and not this. Not crying together for the inevitably. THIS wasn't supposed to happen.

"I'm so pathetic, I'm supposed to be strong," she whispered as she wiped her tears.

"No, you don't have to be. How could you be?" I spoke with a muffled voice, still buried in her hair and the ocean of tears.

"I'm scared." And oh how my heart broke to hear those two words. "But not about death. A mother never wants to leave her child…Both of you…. Kyoya." I backed up to let her speak to her son and sat back down in a way that was more like falling upon it with tired legs, only a part of my too exhausted self. "Kyoya, come here." She held up her hand weakly and he let his arms fall down to his side as he walked closer, grabbing her hand and sitting down on the other side of the bed.

"You always have a hard time with words and expressing yourself. I know you're a wonderful child. But it always worries me that you'll have a hard time chasing happiness," she muttered as she caressed his hand with her thumb while wiping away her tears gently with her other hand.

"I don't need that," he said dryly. Wrong choice of words. I glanced down to the blurry ground, feeling rather awkward along with the obvious emotions. Perhaps I should leave. He might be able to express himself better if I wasn't here.

"If only… If only I could rest assured," she whispered as her voice seemed weaker. Her attention turned to me with a warm smile. "You'll help Kyoya, won't you? He may be strong but I feel like he loses track of what's truly important sometimes."

I was astounded by her words. Me, take care of him? He doesn't even speak to me. But I couldn't say that. "Of course," I smiled weakly, holding her other hand that was oh so thin.

She laughed breathlessly. "You two. It's nice having you both by my side. You're both such sweet children. You know.." her voice started to trail off and I was sure she was getting tired. "I used to believe that you two would make a nice couple. If only you would fall in love. Then Sakura-chan will really be my daughter," she laughed with a hand covering her mouth. "That's awkward. I don't mean to make you guys feel weird.. It's just a silly woman's dream," she smiled as she glanced at both of us.

And in that moment, I had the strangest connection with Hibari through eye contact. It was one of the few moments I actually looked him in the eyes. Such a beautiful blueish silver color too-

I thought she was feeling sleepy when her voice drifted off.

But when she coughed, choked and her heart beat level elevated extremely- I was wrong and I don't think I've ever hated being wrong as much as I did then. My eyes widened as I hit the button immediately, calling the nurse with a shaky voice. Hibari stood up abruptly and I didn't even flinch when the chair crashed loudly to the ground.

"Akane-san. Akane-san?" Please. Please be okay. Please-

Wheels- carts were being pushed in rapidly and a blur of voices surrounded us.

"Mother-" If I wasn't hyperventilating and the room didn't seem so out of focus, I'd be pondering over that fact that it might've been the first time I heard him call her that.

"Please leave the room," the nurse said as she ushered me out.

"Akane-san-"

"Please leave," the nurse said again as she pushed me out.

"Will she be okay?" I asked with too shaky of a voice, gripping her arm.

"We don't know yet. Please wait patiently outside."

The door closed in my face and I was just staring at it blankly for a moment.

"She'll be okay… She'll be okay, right?" I whispered more to myself than the man I barely bothered to notice beside me.

I whipped my head around when I heard a loud noise. Hibari just punched the wall- and made a remarkable dent in it. His arm was still extended but his head was held low. And I'd never seen him make such a strong emotion before.

He was always impassive or slightly irritated. But never furious. Or deeply sorrowed. And I almost wished I had the strength to punch that wall too. But instead I was weak. And weak people like me only knew how to cry.

But I supposed I was something more than weak- Reckless.

Because I took that step forward as he backed up, his arm falling lifelessly down at his side, I grabbed it gently and for a small moment I wondered if it was shaking out of fear or anger.

For a moment he didn't react. But then he looked up at me, his eyes and expression leaving me speechless for a moment. I had never seen him… so broken.

"What are you doing?" he grumbled with an evident tone of disapproval, still keeping some of his mentality in tact.

And I wondered when the last time I truly spoke to him was- though it wasn't a good conversation. Not in the slightest. So my choice of words were a bit off. But that's okay.

"...Shut up. I'm doing this for me, not you." And I pressed into him, my face buried in his chest. Enveloped in his masculine scent- a nice smelling cologne. And for a moment I felt a bit calmer. At least calm enough- or quite ironically, possibly the opposite- to say this:

"Let's get married."

I felt him tense up. No response.

Until there was a strong squeeze at my hand, borderline hurting.

We stayed that way, me leaning against him, my face in his rather hard chest. And after a while, his face was buried in my hair in such a slow motion I was sure it took a lot of reluctance and thought. Though he should worry not, like the all times he came home late at night scratched up and bleeding, I would keep his sorrow a secret and I wouldn't bother him with questions I know he'd never answer.

But as we stood there, me leaned against him, his face in my hair- I wonder if we'll ever be something more than 'husband and wife' by papers. And I sure hoped this wouldn't the most loving moment we'll ever have together- since I'm guessing that was a 'yes' to my weirdest proposal ever.