Ryouma was fairly used to uproars around the house every now and then, especially when Nanako found his dad’s latest stash of magazines or one of his noisier senpai stopped by for a game.
This, however, sounded a little different.
He ambled down the stairs to find a scowling blond man standing in the entry way, and a younger man dragging in the door under a pile of bags.
"Nii-san," his dad called, wandering in, followed by Nanako with a pleased cry of "Otou-sama!"
Ok, so this was his uncle. Ryouma came the rest of the way down the stairs, and stood at the bottom while his uncle accepted Nanako’s welcome home and traded sneers with his dad. This could be interesting; he’d heard stories about Konzen-jisan
"Worthless as ever, I see," his uncle pronounced, looking Oyaji up and down.
"Bad tempered as ever, likewise," was the return. Then his dad eyed the other young man. "You hired a porter?"
"Goku-san," Nanako supplied, smiling. "Here, let me help with those. I’m afraid we’re down to the smallest room, for you," she said, as they passed Ryouma and headed down the hall. "Or should I spread a futon in Otou-sama’s room?"
"Or did you hire a something else?" Oyaji added, leering.
Ryouma’s uncle fetched his dad a quick swat across the back of the head. "Don’t be an idiot."
"Sheesh, you really haven’t changed," Oyaji complained, rubbing his head. His eye lit on Ryouma, who had to supress the urge to take to his heels. That was the bright-idea look. "That’s right, you haven’t met your nephew yet!"
Ryouma wondered why his uncle twitched at the word ‘nephew’. And then he wondered how this person could be related to his dad, as he was practically pinned to the wall with a long, level stare. The stare ended when his uncle smacked his dad a good deal harder than before.
"Are you completely blind?" Ji-san barked. "The curse is bad enough, but that…" he squinted at Ryouma again. "Did you sign anything?" he demanded.
Ryouma blinked. "You’re not one of them, too, are you?"
His uncle closed his eyes as if in pain, right hand flexing just a bit ominously. "No, I’m not," he said, flatly.
"Ah." Ryouma couldn’t help noticing that there seemed to be a gun tucked away at Ji-san’s waist. On the right side. "I’ll go get my copy and show you," he suggested, and slipped up the stairs without waiting for an answer.
When he came back down his uncle was settled at the table contemplating a cup of tea while the other one… Goku?… chattered at him. Ryouma was reminded a little of how Atobe-san was with Jirou-san, at least when Jirou-san was awake. "Here," he offered, spreading out the scroll. "It isn’t exactly a deal with anyone in particular; just saying that I’ll be there in return for my own realm."
"Your own realm? Oh, hey, cool!" Goku chipped in, leaning over Ji-san’s shoulder. Ji-san shoved him off, absently, scanning the contract. At last he leaned back, and pulled out a cigarette.
"All right," he declared, after a long drag. "Maybe I’m not completely embarassed to admit you’re related to me."
"That’s nice," Ryouma agreed. "Now, what was that about a curse?"
Ji-san smiled a rather scary smile around the cigarette. "Not sure who did it, but I bet I can tell you why…"
End