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"She's giving you guys books? Wooow." Aoi looked impressed. Then she became utterly confused. "wait if no one is supposed to know how come she knows?"

Aoi was...wondering why Lakshmi was told. Had the pair needed something with her? Or had Masa just trusted her more than Aoi?

"Egh..." W-Well... "Well...L-Lakshimi's a doctor...and...it's only right...if a doctor...knows about...something like that." Immediately after they'd messed up. "It's important...aha..."

He didn't want to admit it, especially to Aoi, about that little mistake.

"Oh! Yes, good idea. So you planned to have sex and were good and didn't mess up like the nerds who I still need to put through Aoi's Hellish Training Camp Detentions for having sex unprepared." Aoi nodded and smiled. How smart of the losers!

She patted his shoulder. "Good job Captain!"

"Egh..." Well...not...not exactly...complete opposite if he were to be entirely honest. "Y-Yes..."

He was a liar, a horrible liar! He...He couldn't just...admit he'd screwed up though! Absolutely not! They'd fixed it, they'd messed up, and they'd had the problem fixed!

"I shall leave the sexual education in Lakshmi's hands." Aoi smiled and laughed. She was so happy! Jumping up, she wrapped her arms around Masa's neck and pulled him down for a hug.

"Don't worry I won't tell aaaanyone. Even Rin. You'd get in big trouble right? But as long as its what you want and are happy with her... don't worry too much.... Aww man the betting pool! I can't tell any of them."

"Y-Yes, if it's known I'll find myself in trouble, a lot of trouble. So no one can know." He replied; no one else could know, too many people finding out would definitely mean word eventually finding it's way to his elders...No one else!

Wait...

B...Betting pool!? Just what was going on about him and his relationship that he didn't know about!?

"You know... You are the head of the family right? And you have no immediate family... So you are the last in direct line...right? So what exactly could they do to you that would be trouble?" It was something she always wondered. Would they just..take away his title?

"I am the head of my clan, but the elders are the ones that make the rules and cast judgment. The head of the clan...if I were to put it in simple terms I'm an image. I must maintain a certain image and standard and keep the clan respected and without shame.

If I were to defy them, I would not only be hurting myself but the entire clan itself. Nobility isn't all money and happiness, if anything it's a burden. If I were the shame my clan, as it's head, think of how we'd be looked upon by other noble houses; the Shirakawa Clan has been held in high esteem for centuries, if their head suddenly started to defy the rules they were raised with..."

It...probably didn't make much sense, but...he had been raised on those rules, and with the elders having discovered what his father had been doing...they'd done what they could to cover it up, but there was no denying the image that would become more than just hushed whispers throughout a small few of the Seireitei.

So he had to make up for it, he had to do what he could to make sure his clan's name held it's value and importance whether he liked it or not. It was his duty as head of the clan. It...probably sounded ridiculous, but it didn't to him...

"Mmm that sounds odd and useless. Why do those other clams matter that much?" Aoi's arms went behind her back as she clasped them there. Turning around, she walked around his room lightly, thinking over his words carefully despite her apparent disapproval.

That worry...that extra stress... Those were things Masaru lived with because he was unlucky enough to be born into this family in the direct line. He didn't get a choice on really anything...

She would never ever tell anyone about what he had done, obviously, he deserved some choices in his life. Masaru wasn't the type... to ever be able to choose something like leaving it all behind. That was not an option for him... and Aoi understood that. He was honorable and honor bound still...

"Even if I don't understand it, Masabutt, I sort of do you. You are still Mr Snow White, at least as far as your honor is concerned. You don't have many choices in your life...so exercise the ones you have alll you want!" Aoi turned around and smiled. "You'll do your best for your house... But what about Mia? Are you willing to pull someone like that into this image you need to project? What will that stress do to her?"

Masaru couldn't help but smile, even if Aoi claimed she didn't quite understand, he'd expected as much. His eyes went to her as she began walking around his room.

Still Mr. Snow White, huh?

When she brought up Mia, his expression held mild surprise, his smile fading as he listened to Aoi's words.

"...My image is important, yes; my relationships though, from the beginning that was something I wanted to choose on my own...It's...a bit hypocritical of me maybe, to go against some rules...but I would rather not end up in a loveless and forced relationship just for the sake of my clan.

I'm...I've attempted to reassure her whenever she questions it. I've been handling everything, like as arguments with the elders, and such...I don't want her to worry about that, but I know she will...I want her to be herself, not some image...and if I have to fight for that, I will without question. As long as she's happy with me, then I'll continue fighting to keep that happiness..."

"I dunno, but I wouldn't want you to protect me at the expense of yourself. That wouldn't make me happy. So maybe you should talk with her about things like that?" Aoi's hands continued to be held behind her back as she spoke. Looking up at the ceiling, she walked in a circle as she was someone who had trouble standing still. "Have you told her any of this at all? Or are you stupid like me and just hide it all? You do deserve to be happy with someone, so... don't stop fighting okay?"

"Maybe..." Masaru replied, "I..."

He hadn't told her much, that much was for sure. He...He should tell her more, he just...didn't want her to feel stressed about all of this. He wanted her to be herself, and not feel like she had to act differently to help protect his image.

"I haven't told her much of anything on this subject..." His smile became a bit more genuine at Aoi's last words, "Mhmm, I plan to keep fighting. You don't have to worry about that."

"Mm, well then Masabutt is all set then. You feel a bit better?" Aoi shot him a reassuring smile, not wanting him to be too upset over this. He'd speak to her or not, but she put the idea in his head that he should be at least. He'd still fight for his feelings, another good thing. She could see him...getting it in his head that he should let her go to not bother her with all of this.

Aoi would hate to have something like that happen to Mia and him, he really was too silly and noble for his own good!

A growl broke through her musings, her stomach rumbling as she twirled her curls. "...You should feed your poor starving Vice Captain. Lots of delicious Shirakawa Kitchen sweets~"

Masaru gave a small nod, returning Aoi's smile with a small one of his own. He would...try to talk to Mia then, he wasn't exactly sure when or how...but he would try at some point. He wanted to reassure her anyway about...him wanting her to be herself, just in case she had concerns like that...

At the sound of the growl that emitted from Aoi's stomach, and at her request, his smile grew. "Mm, I can do that. Easily. Let's head to the kitchen then, Aoi?"

"To the kitchen!" And like the little spider monkey she was, Aoi scrambled around Masa and back up his back. He was a bit heftier than Rin and she didn't feel as bad getting piggybacks.

Wrapping her arm gently around his neck and her legs around him, she pointed and laughed. "To the best sweets in the Seireitei~"

Masaru gave a laugh as Aoi scrambled around and back up to him on his back before he gave a single, enthused nod as he played along with her.

To the kitchen then! Sweets awaited!

With that, Masaru headed off towards the kitchen with Aoi on his back.

Aoi had had to hop down from her spider monkeying once in the kitchen, but she had giggled uncontrollably the whole way there. Masa was really such a nice person...

A pie and cookies were what she requested and what Masaru delivered on. Aoi had waited impatiently, trying to help where she could but... whenever she got near things involved in cooking it tended to go awry.

Hiding behind the cooking island, Aoi peeked over it the whole time, setting timers and cleaning up for him at least...

AT LAST THOUGH. They were complete... Burning her tongue, Aoi stole a whole row of cookies but smiled through the pained expression. "..."s good."

"Let them cool a little, here, do you want a drink? Water, Milk, something else?" She'd probably burned her tongue, so it'd be good to have a cold drink with these sweets.

She enjoyed them though, which was good; at knowing that, his smile couldn't help but become a little brighter.

Aoi's cheeks were full of cookies, so full she could not reply. She blinked at Masa, her chipmunk cheeks bulging as she chewed and swallowed. Laughing she smiled just as brightly as Masa, entirely unembarrassed with her decidedly not adult actions. "Sure! Thanks!"

Shirakawa sweets were nothing to be laughed at. Too good.. "Mm, but they taste too good to let cool Captain."

With a nod, Masaru moved to get Aoi a drink, for the sweets...milk might be best, so as she continued eating he retrieved a glass for her.

"Still, if you burn your tongue bad enough...it's not a pleasant experience." Masaru replied, setting the glass next to Aoi. It was hard not to laugh again, she really seemed to like the cookies.

Once Masa set the glass down in front of her, Aoi grabbed it and drank it almost in one large gulp. Aaah soothing on her tongue and delicious... She did seem to take Masa's words to heart, eating the cookies much slower. "Good! Masabutt makes the best cookies. No worries, I won't miss the good taste by burning my tongue tooo much. Mmm, now that we have cookies and pie... What do we dooo? Does Masabutt know any fun things? I am bored today."

"Mm...well, I don't know if you'd find any of the activities I take part in while I'm off particularly fun..." Masaru replied, a hand moving to the back of his neck. "I mostly sit outside like you saw, take walks...sometimes train, cook, or calligraphy."

They were nice, and sometimes relaxing to him, but he was unsure if Aoi would think the same...

"...Masa...butt..." Aoi just blinked at him before sighing and shaking her head. He looked so nervous with his hand behind his neck! Grabbing a plate and filling it with cookies (and some of the pie), she then moved to his fridge and refilled her glass with milk. "Mm, teach me calligraphy~ It sounds fun. That is with the brushes and ink yes?"

She seemed disappointed? Well, she'd sighed anyway...so...

He ignored the nickname...again...

As she refilled her glass of milk and stocked her plate full of sweets, he rose a brow at her next words. Calligraphy? Masaru's smile returned at that, "That's right."

They could do that then, he would try to teach her calligraphy then!

"I am ready Masabutt. You must lead the way, I mean I have the layout of the mansion memorized but which room will you lead me to is the problem." Aoi nodded sagely. She was more like a stalker than Mia was, though the guards seemed to accept them both.

She grabbed the stacked plate and glass and smiled in return. "I can't drop the cookies, so no more piggybacks. I'll walk for now~"