Chapter Text
Being as independent as you were in your own family home, it was always whiplash whenever your family would visit the Zen’in compound. Being a woman, to them, meant that you needed to fulfil your “womanly duties” … right. Such as cooking, cleaning, and taking care of children when the men who had sired them couldn't be bothered. Even when they weren't yours. Even when you weren't even related to them. You still held that expectation… which made no sense to you at all, but then again, when did misogynists need reasoning, am I right, guys?
As the eldest child of your father, the head of your clan, you received no questioning when you asked to go with him for whatever clan drama had been stirred up recently. Plus, it was funny to watch how red some of these old men got when their heart rate spiked.
It was NOT, however, funny to look after whichever ruggrat those same old men dumped onto you. You didn't know this kid. Why was he your responsibility? And this kid was mean, man! Who taught the six-year-old how to be so cruel?!
So now here you were, sitting in the unfairly gorgeous Zen’in compound gardens, having to watch this random kid. But realistically, he wasn't random; he was the head’s youngest son. What was his name again? Naoya Zen’in, idiot. Didn't you read the tags?
Sat slouched over, watching the wind brush through the hydrangea bushes, your chin resting in your palms, elbows digging into your knees as you boredly tried to blank out the sound of the brat's voice. This was how it usually was during these visits since you turned thirteen, but now you were seventeen. Oh, how did you get here…
“Dad, I’m serious, I'm not babysitting again.” You attempted to set your boundaries after a lengthy conversation with your father about the next visit with your allied clan, but now, here you were following behind him as he attempted to leave the room. He was always a bit of a coward when it came to confrontation…
“I’m sorry, pumpkin, you know I don't make the rules-”
“Uh-huh, you just enforce them, alright, you also understand you have some authority with those old coots as well, right? Or did you like, conveniently forget that?” You cut him off before he could finish his bullshit excuse, rolling your eyes so far that if the wind changed, they'd be stuck there.
“Sweetheart, come on, this is one of the Big Three clans we’re talking about, you know I can't do much against them, they're our allies!” Your father chuckled, brushing his hand over his face with exhaustion.
Your footsteps stopped following behind him, folding your arms as you turned your back to him. “Pussy.” You mumbled under your breath, walking back the other way. “That guy seriously needs to grow a pair, am I right?” You scoffed as you passed by one of your family's staff, who just gave you a confused look before continuing with their duties.
Which brings us here. Back to you sat on the veranda, staring blankly ahead of yourself. Before your very busy schedule was interrupted by being smacked in the side of the head by- what was that? A branch? No. A wooden sword. What is this, Minecraft?
“OW! What the hell, man-!?” You gasped, holding the side of your head. It didn't really hurt, it was more about the surprise- more about the shock- more about the little shit-eating grin this kid was giving you.
“You weren’t listening to me. Now I have to start over.” The little prick explained, as entitled as ever. “Also, you shouldn't talk like that. Cursing is manly. You should be more feminine.” He smiled, you weren't sure if he genuinely thought he was helping out, or if it was just for the love of the game. “I'm a genius, you should listen to me.” Oh. Well, that didn't clear it up.
“Yeah- right, dude, okay. What do you want? Ice cream… or some bullshit...” You mumbled, sighing as you turned your head away again, shoulders slouching, hands dropped from your chin. Aaand you were smacked in the head again. “Dude- seriously!?”
An angry pout spread on the kid's face. “I am not ‘dude’! I am Naoya Zen’in, and I’m next in line to be the head of the clan! You just wait and see! You won’t be able to back-talk me for much longer!” He must’ve had this all scripted out, surely. His hands still held the wooden sword by the sheath, ready to strike again if you looked away.
“Dude- alright! Man, stop hitting me, like.” You huffed, briefly eyeing the sword, making sure he didn't try that shit again. “Seriously, what was so important that you just had to tell me urgently?” You caved, your eyes slightly narrowed.
“You look ugly.” Okay, rude. “You shouldn't sit like that, that's how men sit. You're not a man, see?” He punctuated by poking your chest with the end of the sword.
This kid was seriously fucked up. You grabbed the wooden blade of the sword, snatching it from him, causing him to stumble slightly and let out a genuinely surprised gasp. “Yeah, don't do that, asshole. Do you have no manners?” You asked, eyebrows raised as you tossed the sword away into the nearby pond. “Like, does your old man just not care about how you act?” You got to your feet, walking past him, opening one of the sliding doors to head back inside. Weird… no bratty response. You looked back over your shoulder to see the black haired child, almost frozen, staring at where you had thrown the wooden sword. “...Naoya?” You asked… albeit suspiciously.
“My toy…” You heard him mutter. Glancing over his shoulder, you could see his hands clenched into fists in front of him, where he originally held the sword. “You threw away my toy…” His voice shaking a little.
Now you were a little confused about what to do. He had never acted this shellshocked before… He was usually loud and obnoxious, seeing him act like a regular, upset child was a little jarring… “Can’t you just get another one…? I mean- you've probably got hundreds, right?” You asked, stepping a little closer to the kid. He immediately shook his head.
“No, stupid! I want my sword!” Ugh. You were sick of this already. Typical spoiled brat behaviour. The kid has plenty of toys to make any other kid jealous, and he still wanted one specific one…
“Then jump in there and get it. Not my problem.” You scoffed, turning your back on him again, returning to the door. Obviously, you didn't think he’d actually do it… You didn't think he was that desperate for the stupid sword.
And then you heard the splash behind you. Great. Not only did you have to play babysitter, you had to be a lifeguard too… Slowly turning back to the pond, you unsurprising saw just what you guessed you would… The stupid six-year-old flailing about in the water, his heavy robes practically pulling him down. You groaned. Now you'd have to get your clothes wet.
“Naoya! Ugh, you're impossible.” Muttering to yourself, stepping down from the patio and stepping down further into the surprisingly deep pond. “Who fuckin’ landscaped this place…” You mumbled, scooping the flailing child up from where he was, face down in the water, trying to get his sword. “Seriously, dude, what's your deal?” You asked tiredly as the six-year-old began coughing his lungs up with pond water. “Great, real nice, why’d you try drinking it, man?” You asked as he continued spluttering, almost coiling himself around you, his chin resting on your shoulder, a pout on his lips.
“I almost died.”
“No, you didn't.”
“I did. I felt it.”
“Felt what? Death?” You asked in return, holding back a laugh. Realistically, if you hadn't done anything, and let him continue flailing face down… he maybe wouldn't have ended up too good.
“Mmh.” He answered with a firm nod against your shoulder.
It seemed the sword was forgotten for now-
“I want my toy.” Alright, spoke too soon.
“Dude.” You sighed, your shoulders slumping slightly, adjusting him on your hip as you trudged your way out of the pond.
Somehow, that managed to shut him up for now…
You clambered your way back up onto the veranda, bending slightly to put him back on his feet. “Alright, get down.”
To which he stubbornly shook his head.
“What do you mean no?!” You groaned, your eyes rolling again as you stood back up straight. “You're not gonna drown on land, genius!”
“I know that!” He yipped back, like an angry, entitled dog. And yet he still made no move to get down.
“Asshole.” You sighed and reluctantly continued to walk back along the veranda. She guessed he probably had to change out of his sopping wet robes.
As you carried the little prince to his quarters to get him some dry clothes, you passed by some edgy-looking guy. You’d heard about him before, the black sheep of the Zen’in Clan. Tony or something. Apparently, the guy had no cursed energy, which in a clan that saw cursed energy as a requirement, probably didn't get the best reactions.. He was huge, though, and looked a little underfed but still muscular. He was probably around the same age you were, realistically, but god did he look rough.
Naoya’s wide amber eyes followed him as he passed, perhaps in reverence or awe. You watched him pass you by as well, offering a slight nod to him. Sick, now he knew you were chill like that. And hey, it clearly worked; you saw his eyes move to follow you as well. Though, maybe that's just because you were soaked up to your shoulders and carrying an even wetter boy…
You got near Naoya’s chambers before being stopped by a few gasps of the maids in the perimeter… Who quickly took the boy away to get him cleaned up and changed. He wasn't your responsibility anymore, hell yeah. Maybe it was time to go… You weren't sure, might as well check!
Walking back through the building, you had gotten a few odd glances, mostly because of the puddles you left behind you.
You eventually found the meeting room your father had said he’d be in, casually pushing the door open, meeting the gaze immediately of the Zen’in clan head… greeeat.
“Ah, there she is, my daughter.” Your father awkwardly introduced you to the room, as if you hadn't met them before. You had. “Who, for some reason, seems to have taken a dip in the pond…” He chuckled, nodding a few times.