Chapter Two: The Stage is Set

 

            *Hiiro opened his eyes to the bright light of the morning sun peeking through his windows. He sat up and looked around the room, hoping it had all been a dream. As the wheels in his mind began turning, he realized that indeed, it was not. His room was gone, and in the place of where it should have been was a stranger’s.

            The room had a light, cheerful feel about it instead of his usual dark and dreary. The bed was twice the size of his normal one, and the covers had gone from black to a pure white that he had been afraid to soil when he had first fallen into the bed the night before. His mahogany desk had been replaced with a tan finished vanity, and a giant mirror stared him in the face, reflecting the unhappiness in his attitude. Soft creamy carpets and white sheer drapes finished the warm appearance. Nothing like his real room at all.

            However, his mission required a bigger home than his apartment, so Dr. J had sent him an address of a house he was to stay at until the mission was complete. This was the ‘master bedroom’ according to the floor plans, and as the ‘father’ and ‘head’ of the family; it was his job to sleep in the master bedroom.

 It was also his job to lead the family in prayer before the meals and set the rules for the other members of the household. He was to pay the bills and go to work, only to come home and kiss the ‘little woman’ and become frustrated with his children and their messy ways. How did he know so much about being a father? He, the Perfect Soldier? The most dirty assassin and most feared opponent ever created? From the book Dr. J had sent to him of course.

Blinking once, he rose and quickly dressed. He was meeting his ‘wife’ and ‘child’ in two hours.  He had been told by the housemaid the night before that instead of interviewing women for the job, the choice had already been made for him. That was fine with him, because he would have chosen the first woman he had met anyway. After checking his email and finding it was empty, for a change, he grabbed his car keys and exited the giant house.

“Mr. Yui, sir, where are you headed?” A voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

“Out.” Hiiro answered the man, whom he found had been waxing a sleek black car in front of the front door.

“Then allow me to take you. You are going to meet your wife, are you not?” The man chuckled slightly as he mentioned Hiiro’s wife. Hiiro placed his hand over his gun. How had this man known about his ‘wife’? If he was…

“If you’re wondering, sir, I’m your driver. That’s how I knew about Ms. Tsukino.”

“Tsukino.” Hiiro mussed, paying little attention to the man.

“Yes. Tsukino. She’s the one Dr. J chose for you’re wife. Her and her daughter, Rini. Sir, I’ve already got her address, let me take you over to her place.” Hiiro, still deep in thought, nodded at the man and opened the door to the car.

“My name, Sir, is Andrew. It’s nice to meet you.” The man sighed. He knew he didn’t have Hiiro’s attention, but he didn’t mind much. He was used to it.

“Hiiro.” Hiiro told Andrew as he ducked into the back seat of the car. So his new ‘wife’s’ last name was Tsukino. Too bad he had left his laptop in his room, otherwise he would already know everything there was to know about her and her daughter. Daughter. Rini. So now he was not only a husband, but a father as well. He mentally sighed. Dr. J was going to get a complaint about the sheer worthlessness of this mission when it was complete.

The car soon pulled to a slow and precise stop in front of a smaller apartment building. Hiiro noted Andrew had gotten out of the car and opened the door for him to get out, so he did so.

“The apartment number is fourteen, sir.”

“Thanks.” Hiiro nodded briefly before he climbed the stairs and found the number he was looking for. Giving a solid and  quick knock, he stood in the chilly air waiting for the door to open.

“Who’s there?” A little high voice rang through the thin door.

“Hiiro Yui.” The door opened slightly, then opened wider and revealed a tiny little girl standing in the doorway.

“So you’re my daddy for the week. Well, Mommy could have done worse…” The girl said as she looked him over. Hiiro was stunned by the girl’s  attitude. How old could she be? Six? Seven? And she spoke like this?

“Rini, who was at the door?” A more adult and womanly voice wafted into the room.

“Hiiro Yui Mommy!” The little girl turned to Hiiro and looked him straight into the eye.

“You are not my real Daddy. My real Daddy is named Darien, and he’s handsome. And nice and kind and fun and he loves me and Mommy.”

“Rini!” The little girl blushed and turned around to face the figure in the shadows of the darker room.

“Sorry Mommy.”

“Sorry? Rini, that was very rude. Apologize to Mr. Yui please.” A young woman scolded. So this little girl had someone to at least try teaching her manners.

“I’m sorry Mr. Yui.” Rini shifted side to side, looking at her feet all the while.

“That’s more like it.” The woman said.

“Hnn.” Was all Hiiro felt like saying. He didn’t really care to acknowledge the child or her mother, but he felt obligated to seeing as how they would be his ‘family’ for the week.

“I’m sorry sir, she doesn’t like the thought of pretending to be your family for the week. And I have to admit, if I didn’t need my job or Rini, I wouldn’t have agreed myself. Those doctors of yours, especially that J fellow, are most adept at playing on a person’s weaknesses.”

“Hnn.” Hiiro responded to the woman’s chatter.

“ This is going to be a wonderful week.” She muttered under her breath. Hiiro caught it and had to smirk. At least she wasn’t afraid of him. He was tried of having women cringe in his presence.

“The name’s Hiiro Yui.” He told her, dropping his smirk. He didn’t want her thinking he was some softy underneath.

“Serena Tsukino, and you met my daughter, Rini.”

“Your suitcases?” Hiiro asked her.

“I can carry them, I’m not an invalid. Come on Rini, grab your stuff and let’s get this over with.” The women snapped. So he had been right. She wasn’t going to be some push over. And from the stubborn look in her daughter’s chin, neither would she.

“I’ll wait for you down by the car then.” Hiiro gave a curt nod and left them to collect the last of their things.

“Fine.” She muttered as she grabbed her three suitcases and Rini grabbed her two. Serena was a little floored at the attitude of the man who was supposed to be her ‘husband’ for the week. Apparently every other woman who had been up for the job had heard his name and wither dropped out or been convinced to do so by those who had heard it. Why had she been the last to know she was even in the running? Her life was in such a slump she hadn’t thought it could get any worse. It just did.

“Mommy, come on! That man’s already next to the car.” Rini brought her mother back to reality.

“Coming Rini.” Serena huffed as she dragged her belongings down the stairs and to the trunk.

“Let me get those for you Ms. Tsukino.” Andrew offered.

“No thanks sir, I’ve got them covered.” Serena brushed Andrew off. In the light, Serena really looked much different from what Hiiro had been expecting. From her voice he could tell she was young, but he hadn’t expected her to be so young. He had imagined short brown hair, not knee length honey colored hair. He had expected brown or green eyes, not her piercing azure blue ones; and he had thought her to be taller, not her short height. Her long legs made up for what she lacked in height, however, and the rest of her physical appearance was far more than satisfactory. But he realized it shouldn’t matter. After one week he would never see her again and she would never want to hear his name again. He smirked, then frowned. This week was going to be hell.

Serena too, was evaluating the man who was to be her ‘husband’. He wasn’t bad looking- when his mouth wasn’t screwing it up. Chocolate shaded hair, indigo eyes, and a cold, hard, and worked face. He looked as if he had seen much in his few years, yet he hid it well behind a mask of cold complacency. His body, too, was well built, and it was obvious to any eye that he was stronger and quicker than he appeared. Why had all those single woman turned him down? Well, it didn’t matter. After this one week she would never see him again, and he would never want to hear her name again. She side smiled, then frowned. This week was going to be hell.*