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 same side as that hand. "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