Chapter 1: The Boy Who Draws

The brown spiky haired, sixteen year old, five foot six tall, boy was sitting up in his hospital bed having come back from his rehabilitation session so he could learn to walk again, about an hour ago, progress was considered shaky as he didn't seem to have much of a purpose to get better for anyone, no family left as far as he and the hospital knew of. He was currently drawing in a sketchpad which sat on a borrowed angled table, brought in by one of the nurses so he could draw easier, this being the only thing he really did aside from listening to his IPod which he also had the headphones in his ears at the moment.

If any of the nurses came in to check on him, they'd most probably notice the glazed look in his emerald green eyes while he drew a young woman with two ponytails, one at the back and the other on the side of her head, a cheery smile on her face and a large veil of cloth around her and making up her clothes.

Most nurses would've assumed he'd seen her at some point due to his well known photographic memory but they would be wrong, as far as he knew he'd never seen her at all or even created her himself and this would just be one of his strange instinctual drawings, the previous one being of a sleepy faced buxom young woman with scruffy short hair, who was wearing a kimono with chains around the top of it, a black sash around her waist and a strange tattoo on her forehead of a ying-yang sign with a small bird above it.

His body relaxed as he came out of his odd trance just as the nurse came in to bring him lunch, smiling at the teenager as she rolled in the tray, the boy taking a headphone bud out as she spoke "Oh…What are you drawing this time, Kichi-kun?"

"Just another random person…" Kichi spoke quietly as he pushed the table horizontally, moving his sketchpad to the side as he lay the mechanical pencil on top of it as the tray of food was placed before him with a spoon, as he looked over the simple bowl of rice and soup set before him before starting to slowly eat.

The nurse sighed as she watched the shy and quiet boy eat she wished that he could find a reason to get better faster after surviving the ordeal that cost him both his parents and nearly lost him his own life as well but he didn't seem to connect with any of the other patients after befriending a similarly aged girl called Chiho who died to her fatal illness a few weeks later and some of the other kids calling him the cursed boy from it.

She tried to give him a bright smile as he finished, putting the tray back onto her trolley as she watched Kichi collect his sketchpad, drawing things and IPod placing them in a satchel bag before he slowly removed the sheets covering his legs to show himself being dressed in white hospital pyjamas and swung his legs over the side before putting them into his slippers.

Placing the bag's strap over his head and right arm, letting it rest on his left shoulder as he accepted the pair of crutches from the nurse before pushing himself onto his feet, the doctors deciding that it was the best way to get the boy moving about as he performed his usual routine like clockwork hobbling his way up to the roof before moving out of view from the door to the side, taking a his usual shady seat as he rested the crutches next to the wall by him before pulling his sketch pad out again along with the mechanical pencil.

He turned his gaze to his city wide view of Tokyo, sighing depressingly as he looked down at the strange woman he'd just drawn beforehand wondering what was going on with him as he quietly spoke the name that instantly came to mind "Uzume…"

….

Uzume was currently exploring the city as she felt the shiver run down her spine, landing on a rooftop about a block from a hospital in the west of Tokyo, looking around curious as she wondered what had caused it, shrugging off the feeling as nothing she looked around trying to where she should explore next as she felt curious about the hospital.

'Should I or shouldn't I?' She thought to herself as she gazed over to it again, her eyes seeming to zoom in to the lone figure sitting there and the feeling of immense sadness coming from him just by how he was sitting there, focused on what he was looking at.

She quickly gave into her curiosity as she roofhopped over to the hospital, landing on the fire escape exit on the roof as she barely heard him speak "Uzume…"

Her eyes widened almost in surprise as she looked over the side above him to see what he was looking at, figuring that him speaking her name was just a coincidence then anything else. When she looked down at his sketchpad her eyes widened again as she quickly raised a hand to muffle her gasp of surprise as she realised she was looking at a picture of herself

'How…?' She thought to herself 'He's never seen me before so it can't be that…maybe he's….no it probably just a coincidence that's all'

She didn't want to believe that he'd picked up on some sort of destined connection between them before she could've as the Sekirei was suppose to find there Ashikabi not there Ashikabi knowing who they were linked to as she watched him turn back a page and was surprised to see the Scrap Number, Akitsu, staring out of the page as she watched the brown haired teenage boy sigh depressed as he moved to a clean page before looking skyward there gazes locking as he looked back at his sketchpad in surprise, Uzume looking sheepishly back at him as she didn't want to be found by the boy as she sighed and hopped down from the roof next to him, noticing the crutches against the wall as she smiled at him friendly

"Hey…" She spoke trying to act casually with him as he gave a small nod, pulling a headphone from his right ear as he started to sketch an idea, Uzume smile waning slightly as she asked "So…What are you doing up here?"

"Drawing…The nurses say I need some fresh air so I come up here" Kichi spoke before mumbling as an afterthought "…not like anyone visits me"

Uzume picked up on the last part looking sadly at him as she spoke "Why doesn't your family come and visit?"

"I've got no family left…" Kichi retorted instantly sadness dripping from his words, Uzume cringing at his instant answer as if he was use to being asked that question by people, deciding to sit down next to him, she found herself curious of what he was drawing as she decided to introduce herself "I'm Uzume…"

"I know…" Kichi replied as he added "I'm Kichirou…but most call me Kichi"

'Of course he knows, he's drawn you even before either of you knew the other…and in your Sekirei clothes as well' part of her mind retorted as she spoke "Nice to meet you Kichi…So how long have you been in hospital for?"

"Three years…Two broken legs, a broken right arm and three cracked ribs…currently trying to relearn to walk" Kichi answered, not paying attention to the cringe from the Sekirei next to him as he rattled off his list of injures like they were nothing to him.

"How'd it happen?" Uzume asked

"Airplane accident…Only survivor of it" He answered with a depressed sigh putting down the sketch pad to show a basic outline of Izumo Inn.

"How'd you come up with that?" Uzume asked curious, Kichi taking a moment to word it properly before speaking "Some times I just draw and images come to me…like your picture and that sleepy looking woman's one…I've never met or consciously came up with them and I just drew them like I new every proportion"

"Oh…." She spoke in a teasing tone as she lean a bit more towards him "So you know my three sizes then…hmm?"

Kichi blushed at that comment as he turned his gaze to the floor "I don't think so…"

"Shall we test it?" She asked in the same teasing tone, subconsciously noticing that he looked quite cute when he blushed as she asked "Let's start with how tall you think I am?"

Kichi pondered the question as he cast his eye up and down her figure, blushing more as she winked at him "Erm…five foot…five I'd say considering I'm five foot six"

"Oh very good" Uzume smiled, clapping her hands as she decided her next question "How about my waist size?"

"57…"Kichi replied instantly as if he was expecting the question, clutching at his forehead as a headache started to throb, Uzume noticing it as she spoke concerned "Are you alright…?"

"I will be…just hurting a little" Kichi replied, sounding a bit more relaxed around her as he rubbed his temples for a moment as Uzume asked "You sure?"

"Yeah, Oneechan…" Kichi replied offhandedly as the pain faded, glancing at the brown haired young woman who was staring confused at him as she asked "Why'd you call me that?"

"Just felt right…I'll stop it if you don't like it" Kichi replied

"Nah…I'd like to be your Oniichan if you want…" She blushed slightly as she started to babble on "I mean…I…"

Kichi gave a quiet noticeable laugh as she blushed a bit more as he spoke "It's okay…Oneechan…Could you help me up?"

"Alright, Kichi-kun" Uzume replied, waiting for the boy to pack his things away before helping him onto his feet, Kichi leaning heavily on her as he reached out to grab one of his crutches, the Veil Sekirei moving to hold the boy around the waist as he grabbed them both, turning to face the young woman he'd met as he supported himself on them.

"Thank you, Oneechan" Kichi spoke, a barely there smile on his face as he added "I've got to go now for my next rehabilitation session…"

"Alright, Kichi-kun…I'll come back tomorrow…Alright" Uzume spoke with a smile as Kichi nodded "I'd like that…"

Uzume waved at him as she jumped off the roof starting to head back to the Inn as she wondered over the boy, who now made his way down the stairs back to his room before the nurse would arrive, his heart feeling less burdened from the friendly young woman he'd just met, not thinking over how he'd pictured her perfectly before ever meeting her.

Author's Notes

First time posting anything on here so I'm hoping that its a good read so far and interesting and aside from Uzume and Akitsu I'm not sure who else to have as his Sekirei so suggestions and ideas are welcome as well as reviews.

Next Chapter: Izumo Inn.

Hopefully shouldn't take to long to finish ^^.