Kaoru x Aakil

Kaoru Barma stared at the ballroom floor as his dance instructor glided across it, his hand rested on his hip, and his grey steely eyes just watching from the sidelines. He watched the elegance of the man, who's feet were lighter than air, and sighed as he looked boredly away. Music and dance were really not his thing, he had once been a teacher for the academy of Pandora after all, he couldn't be bothered with such delicate things like that. Even if he was to become the next Duke of Barma, he wasn't thrilled with it, the very idea disgusted him. Kaoru had not the patience for this at the moment, so he did what any Barma would have done. Simply walked away. He sighed as he paced the hallways, his mind dark, until he heard a familiar voice call out to him, turning his head to notice a man that looked like Vincent with an orange and silver eye instead. Damien Barma smiled warmly as he strolled up to his brother, catching his arm. He laughed and smiled up at Kaoru. "Niisan~" he nuzzled the arm he was holding before turning his head slightly. "Oh...mother."

Kaoru looked back over his shoulder to see Riem Lunettes coming down the hallway towards them, turning completely around to face him. "Hai?" He looked away with a guilty expression seconds later when Riem told them to come downstairs and meet Kaoru's new bodyguard. The previous one having been killed off by Damien because apparently he'd gotten 'too close' to his brother. Kaoru sighed and headed downstairs, blinking when Riem turned and pointed to Damien and ordered him to stay there, even though Riem had been scared of the child since he turned 11. Karou looked a little amused but followed him down the winding staircase and into the main hall that ended up taking them directly to the entrance of the manor. When they got to the bottom Kaoru stood back as Riem introduced the two of them, before he politely bowed and went to go find Rufus. Kaoru frowned, his mother, bowing to him? Good lord.

Aakil swept the room he'd been left in with thorough eyes, noting every little detail more as a sign of the personalities that lived here rather than an actual thought that there were any traps waiting for him in the room. That would be terribly silly after all. He then started to poke around idly, seeming to be fascinated by the foreign pieces of art, either that or he was looking around for stray pieces of chocolate. He snapped back to where he'd been waiting as he heard footsteps, looking very attentive and going through all the motions as he was introduced to his new charge. His eyebrow lifted just a hair as he saw what he knew was the boys mother bowing to him, waiting until said mother was gone before looking around again and smiling rather cheerfully. "My, my, my~ It's terribly formal here, however do you survive?~" He idly shook a sleeve in the direction of the disappeared Riem.

Karou's grey eyes flickered from where his mother had departed back to the strange man he had called Aakil. He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked a bit. "After being born into it, you sort of get used to it, still irritates me." He stated bluntly, noticing Damien at the top of the stairs with a bit of a frown, his brother was scowling as well, as if sensing something about the other man that Kaoru might have overlooked. There was a faint murmur of something Dai said, but he soon got up and disappeared, most likely to be irritating in his own room. Karou still remembered how he'd been the one to get rid of what little boyfriend he'd had over these years, his silver eyes narrowing after the blond head of hair that went around the corner and finally out of view. 'I love you, Kaoru, and if I can't have you. I'll make sure no one else will.' He realized he was spacing off and shook his head, red curls moving a bit.

"So...my father hired you?" He asked, remembering the one day Rufus had decided suddenly that Kaoru needed help protecting himself, whether that was from his own brother or the country around him, he wasn't sure. There had been many problems regarding the son of Barma. Including his attempt at running away about 10 years ago when he had started running that school with Miss Ariel. Then he'd gone 7 years into the woods to train at a private school, only to come back to a mess that ruined his life. His brother having been the main cause for it. He'd just now gotten the Lunar Wolf's powers to stop working on him. Damien could brainwash almost anyone, and make them believe what he wanted to because of her.

Aakil beamed, very pleased indeed to see that his new charge was not as stuffy as the family he seems to be surrounded with. If his charge had been terribly stuffy he was not quite sure how he would have survived. He followed the boys gaze and raised a bit of an eyebrow at the other man at the top of the stairs. He'd been briefed about him, and was not the slightest bit intimidated by him. he was confident of his ability to handle the brother, if and when the need arose. He smiled brightly at the one he'd mostly been sent here to deal with, giving him a clear challenge and warning in one go. He turned his attention back to his charge. "hai hai~ every young nobleman needs a good bodyguard neh?~"

Kaoru frowned a bit as he thought about it, looking away with a bit of a darker look. "I suppose, keep on your toes then." He muttered before turning and walking out of the main hall, he didn't realize that his dad was about to make his life very awkward with this new bodyguard he'd been given. Rufus had given him strict orders to stay as close to Kaoru as possible, including staying in the same room at all times, which was going to make things interesting. Thankfully, Kaoru was not the type to be easily embarrassed, unless of course someone figured out how to do it correctly. He wrapped his arms around himself as he entered the painting room, remembering something and quickly leaving that room, mumbling darkly as he went. He came to a stop just at the foot of the stairs, feeling someone's presence, and then starting as he had completely forgotten the other was there for a few moments. "Are you going to follow me -everywhere- I go?" He asked incredulously.

Aakil chuckled softly at that dark look and smiled. "Oh don't worry~ I shant let my guard down for a second~" He strolled after his charge and hummed lightly to himself, having no problem following the instructions given. As they walked, he kept one eye on his charge and the other on the beautiful decorations, figuratively, since he only had one eye. He was slightly sad to leave the painting room so quickly, but he was sure he'd get another chance sometime. His ears strained to pick up what Kaoru was saying, but he couldn't quite make it out, so he put his curiosity down and focused on his job, blinking and smiling as he was addressed. "Why yes, yes i am."

Kaoru frowned instantly, turning his head a bit before he muttered something that sounded closely to 'damn' under his breath. "Tch fine, whatever." He headed up the stairs and thought of a way to elude the other, wondering just how skilled he was at the same time. Perhaps he'd give him a bit of a challenge and see if he could get away for any amount of time. He refused to smirk as he thought that over, although he'd of loved to, that sounded like a lot of fun actually. He was trained well enough too, but how well trained was this man following him? He pondered that silently before shaking his head as if he had been disappointed with his thoughts. "So how do you like it here so far, other than the stuffy people?"

Aakil chuckled softly and kept on his bright smile, not the least bit bothered by Kaorus apparent annoyance at him following, though it did make him curious if the boy had planned to do something interesting until he was noticed. He pondered on that as he continued to follow Kaoru, once again starting to hum lightly to himself. He just had a gut feeling that he would not get bored watching this nobleman. He seemed to be quite the spunky and determined one, which excited him. A challenge...oh yes, he hadn't had one of those in a while. "oh yes~" He smiled brightly. "Your father has excellent taste in art, I could get very comfortable here~"

"That's good, wouldn't want you to get bored." Kaoru stated, his mind already turning over possible escape routes. "Better think fast!" He grabbed the railing and swung himself over, doing a rather interesting flip before he landed in just the right way so that he didn't injure himself, then he was off. The young son of Barma was surprisingly fast, having exceeded Rufus' expectations with his training, which more than likely meant he had found himself someone that could and would keep up with Kaoru to the greatest ease. He didn't let himself get distracted, instead swerving around Damien who looked incredibly confused, asking him where he was going. He didn't get an answer, instead Kaoru sped out and into the maze hedgerows, not even panting. He had had to run up mountain trails and survive on his own in the wilderness, teach chains how to behave with their contractors still not knowing how to control them, he could handle himself fine.

Aakil could sense what was coming next, it was obvious in the boys tone even though he was clearly trying to keep him distracted. When Kaoru suddenly jumped over the railing he blinked a few times and tilted his head, not jumping over and dashing after him as someone else would have. He stayed right where he was and tapped his chin ponderingly, how much should he show off, this early in the game? "Ah...lets let him think he still has a chance, Eh Clara?" He chuckled darkly and litterally stepped back into the wall, coming out a short distance behind Kaoru, whom he was pretty sure hadn't looked back. He set off at a leisurely pace, for him. He went fast enough to keep up with the boy, but not enough to overtake him, though that distance shortened as they neared the maze. It wouldn't do to loose him in there, not that he couldn't find him easily, but still, he had been ordered to keep a certain closeness.

Kaoru could sense that the other was following, but not at top speed, he took that time to stop. Staring behind him with a rather curious expression, this man was more than a match for him in everything already. That irritated him and yet made him feel better at the same time. He sighed and ran a hand through his red hair before turning and looking at the man whom had been following him around, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well then, it seems father has chosen wisely." Not many could keep up with him, let alone with ease. He didn't know what to think of that exactly, but he wasn't going to say that it wasn't much appreciated, he huffed a bit. "You're quite the sneak aren't you?"

Aakil raised an eyebrow a bit as he felt Kaoru stop ahead of him, happily slowing down and coming to a stop just a few feet away from the boy. Aakil was lazy, there was no getting around it, but he did enjoy a good game once and a while. That was about the only thing that stirred him from his minimum motion routine, other than fighting of course. He hid a smirk behind his sleeve at that first comment, wondering if he really had that little confidence in his own father. "Neh?~" He tilted his head and looked at the other man innocently. "A sneak?~ How rude~ what would make you say such a thing?~"

Kaoru shrugged indifferently. "It's not rude. Not if you look at it from a different point of view." He stated calmly, walking over and looking down at the other. "Someone like you is a sneak" he stated flicking his nose, "because you can move about unhindered and keep out of line of sight." He shrugged. "Sneak." He started back towards the maze then, his hands shoving themselves into their pockets, unfortunately the poor lazy thing wouldn't get much of a break, Kaoru didn't like holding still for very long. He always had to be doing something. Quite restless for someone his age, though after everything he had been through, it really wasn't that big of a surprise.

"oh?~" Aakil grinned and tilted his head the other direction, staring up at his charge, strangely amused by the rather substantial difference in height. He was a bit surprised when he was clicked, simply because most people would not do so, but he merely blinked and let out a chuckle. Yes, he was most definitely guilty as charged, but he didn't mind at all. He watched Kaoru move for a few moments before letting out a soft sigh. He was restless one, he could tell already. Oh well, he wouldn't be bored. He started humming lightly again, looking up at the sky apreciatively, he seemed like one of those people who saw beauty in everything...except perhaps evil, and even then, it had it's place. At the end of his sword.

*You won't escape this one, no matter how hard you try, no matter how fast you run* He heard a familiar voice in the back of his mind, sighing when he realized that it was his own chain. He grabbed at the front of his coat, listening to him speak intently, things could be appreciated even if they were dangerous. Kaoru appreciated his chain most. The only thing that had not turned around and ran from him, at the very thought of his brother and the situations he'd placed him through, he sighed and clutched a little harder. Before he let his hand drop altogether, settling himself down on the side of the pond, his reflection clear as crystal through the glassy water. It was still that same red haired fiery tempered boy it always was, and he found himself wrinkling his nose and turning away. What had he expected to see? Someone else?

"hmmm..." Aakils eyes narrowed just a bit at the slight movement from his charge, rightly assuming their either a thought or his chain was bothering him a little. There was still many personal signals and signs of the other he would need to learn, but he was quite the observant person already. He moved over to sit down a couple feet away, just watching the boy for a few moments, letting him stew, before smiling brightly. "Don't like your own expression?~"

Kaoru blinked, he was going to have to seriously get used to this man being around, he wasn't used to having someone around him 24/7. That had been the first mistake, perhaps if the Barmas had been more attentive, neither of their children would have suffered so. However, Riem had been glad that Damien got rid of the last boyfriend, since Riem didn't believe he was good enough for Kaoru, and when he had given up and thrown in the towel, disappearing. . . it only proved him correct. Someone who wanted to be with someone else, should never give up. He let his eyes fall from the others face to observe him more closely, his posture was that of a lazy man, but he seemed elegant in every way as well. He was horribly skinny, but not unhealthily so. There were secrets hidden in him. Kaoru shook his head finally. "I don't like the person, period." He nearly sneered, still blaming himself for not being able to handle Damien alone.

Aakil was more than patient waiting for the answer, meeting the others scrutiny with calm eyes. It was inevitable that they would be sizing each other up for a while, if not for quite some time. He certainly did not let many of his secrets go. " oh?~ and why is that?~ it seems to be quite the fine person to me~" He grinned lightly and rested his weight on one hand, his expression going pleasantly serious. "I think perhaps everyone does." He spoke as if from experience. "But a persons measure..." He shrugged and idly brushed a hand over the hidden eye. "Perhaps you are too hard on yourself~"

"Heh.." Kaoru looked away again, his expression showing his difficulty in processing that sentence. "Too hard on myself...I might be. But, there's a lot of people, who miss the old Kaoru...he's gone." He looked straight at Aakil then, a smirk forming on his face. "I'm glad you didn't know him, perhaps you can be one of the very few to accept me now. As I am, rather than what I was." He looked down at his lap and sighed. "And perhaps teach me to do the same." Damien had screwed up so much for him, there was so much he didn't know how to deal with. Coming to this stand still, it had almost made him want to die from boredom. Maybe that's why Rufus had searched high and low for a 'bodyguard' perhaps he was really hoping for more of a teacher. Hard to say with his father.

Aakil's expression never left that strange mixture of cheerful yet serious. He listened quite intently to every word, it was one thing for Barma to brief him, it was another to get down to the nitty gritty and deal with the person himself. "Ah, the old you, the new you...the you you will become 5 seconds from now and the one you will become 5 seconds after that...I accept them all~" His expression turned more cheerful and he let out a soft chuckle. "Ah, what could a silly bodyguard like me teach the son of a great noble eh?~ The most effective knowledge is that which you learn yourself." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Of course, no one said you couldn't have a little help~' He eyed his charge intently, wondering just what scars he had, and how much had been really fixed. Would it by wise to use Clara's powers to meddle? or would doing so just make things worse? Clarity was good but...what you got from the struggle was equally precious and damaging.

Kaoru stared at the other for a good long moment, before he finally broke the eye contact, looking down at his lap once again with a darker expression. "Help...that's funny." He stated with dry humor, help...was something he had never received. So he had stopped searching for it. He turned glanced down at his reflection, then slapped his hand across it, getting up and moving away from the fountain. ". . . I won't say it wouldn't be appreciated, but if I'm let down one more time..." he cut himself off and the threat was most definitely valid, as he strolled back around the hedgerows, going deeper into the maze, enjoying the peace of the night and the fact that it wasn't cold out. Sometimes he wondered, if he wasn't just a pawn in someone else's game.

Aakil gave just the slightest bit of a sympathetic smile, ah this poor broken boy. He deserved more, poor thing, but what he had was Aakil. A silly old man who was obsessed with art and anything else he found to be beautiful. He sighed light before chuckling, watching his charge move away from the pond. Ah, Rufus knew him too well...he had such a sort heart, lurking under all of this flightiness. He sighed again and pushed himself up, like he really felt like an old man, though once he was up he moved rather swiftly after Kaoru so as to not be left behind. "Never fear young master, your father would kill me first, and in much more horrible ways than your sweet heart would dream up."

Kaoru walked ahead of him, smirking a bit when he heard the other call him young master, shaking his head in bewilderment. "You can just call me Kaoru you know.." what a strange concept, being called 'young master'. He sighed and placed his hands behind his head, thinking carefully to himself. He came to a stop a moment later, dropping both his hands to his sides and giving the other a curious look. "Why on earth did you come and take this job?" he asked, not even bothering to hide his confusion at him. "You could have done something more worth your while, couldn't you?"

Aakil chuckled softly, of course he knew, but he was rather strange in that. He might go from calling Kaoru kid one second, and then calling him ' your grace' the next. Whichever he felt went best with the sentence or what he felt like at the time. "Hm?" He blinked a few times, actually somewhat surprised by this job. "why?~ You don't believe I did it just for the handsome salary your father is giving me?~" He smirked and chuckled again, leaning against the maze wall. "Perhaps I owe your father a favor. Or perhaps~" His smirk changed to a grin and he snuck up to give the boy a quick kiss on the cheek. "I saw you and couldn't resist such sexiness~" He was dancing along the point, around it and never actually nearing it, though these were all fun reasons.

Kaoru knew none of those reasons was the real one, this guy seemed to like leading him off down trails, and then back in a big circle to avoid answering the question altogether. He blinked a bit in surprise at the kiss to his cheek, his frown turning into a bit of a scowl. "FFF whatever," he muttered, feeling a very faint blush on his face nonetheless. It was only thanks to him being a bit of a flirty playboy when he was younger that he wasn't blushing as madly as his mother now. That and Rufus' blood was thick through his veins. It would take quite the blunt comment to get him to blush fully, and quite a dirty one at that. "I think you're just enjoying playing with me." He muttered finally. He hadn't been sure of the reason, he knew the money couldn't be all of it, not many would sign up to watch over Kaoru.