Title: A Stake in the Outcome

Claimer/Author: This story is written by and belongs to Emmy Kay.

Summary: Admission to St. PigeoNation's threatens to separate Yuuya and Sakuya. Warnings: spoilers for the game.

Disclaimer: Yuuya and affiliated characters belong to Moa. This story is written without permission and for personal/fan/nonprofit entertainment purposes only.

Notes: Written for a prompt on the hatofulkink meme.

Prompt: Mr. Le Bel / Yuuya / with a stake in the outcome

"Sakazaki."

"Monsieur." This was the way between them. Yuuya never conceeded anything to his stepfather and Monsieur barely acknowledged anything resembling a relationship between the two of them.

High childish laughter rang over the immaculate, manicured expanse of perfectly green lawn. "Maman!"

Their glances clashed over the silver coffeepot as they both went to look for Sakuya.

"He seems well," Yuuya said.

"He's my son." Monsieur's eyes warmed, ever so slightly.

"Ah. Yes. Of course he is." Yuuya tipped his head slightly in Le Bel's direction, unblinking.

Monsieur was the one who looked away first.

"Be ready," he said, "You'll be leaving for boarding school first thing in the morning. Be honored. It is the grammar school Le Bels have been attending since it was founded. Don't make me sorry for extending an invitation to you."

"What about Sakuya?"

"That is not your concern," Monsieur answered, almost cooing with having regained the upper hand. "But, since you asked, if he continues to do well with the tutors, he'll join you next year. You should make sure not to taint him with your association when he does."

They were all sitting and waiting in the spacious office; Yuuya, Sakuya, Maman, and Monsieur.

Yuuya tried very hard to look as nonchalant as possible. He had been in many headmaster's offices before. He and Maman chatted inconsequentially about everything - the weather, the possibilities for lunch following this meeting, his last birdfriend. He saw how it maddened Monsieur. It only drove Yuuya to keep up the inanity. Monsieur relaxed into something like indulgence when Sakuya chirped in.

The door opened and three birds walked in. One was the headmaster, a grizzled snow owl whom they had met before. The other two, a red-tailed hawk and a rock dove, were strangers.

The headmaster spoke. "Of course we will accept Sakuya, Monsieur Le Bel. He has everything we could possibly want in an incoming student here at St. PigeoNation's. Top marks, good recommendations, a solid foundation from a most excellent grammar school."

Sakuya puffed with schoolboy pride.

The dove cooed, "And we can't forget his family's history. I mean, your family history, Monsieur Le Bel."

Monsieur preened. "I have wanted them to attend St. PigeoNation's since I learned Dr. Shuu is here. Surely a school with such a genius cannot be anything but the best."

The hawk nodded. He shifted some papers and opened a new folder, frowning. "However, Yuuya..."

Yuuya's heart chilled at the cold eye the hawk cast on him.

"His work, while good, is unspectacular. His recommendations are most generic. There is even a comment on his unabashed female-chasing and carousing from his previous headmaster."

Monsieur's face tightened. After all this time, Yuuya could read it like a book. Poor breeding leads to poor results.

Maman shook her feathers nervously. Poor, fragile Maman. Timidly, she said, "Yuuya is a very good bird."

The owl said, "The only thing we can't understand is his scores. He ranks among the highest ever tested."

"Is there no way?" Maman asked. "I don't like them being separated." She quailed at the hard look Monsieur shot her.

The hawk frowned. "I don't think it's possible - "

No! There must be a way. Yuuya began to panic.

"Sakuya bears the name of Le Bel. He deserves the best we can provide," Monsieur stated. "Sakazaki has made his nest. Let him lay in it."

The dove said, "If I may speak with Yuuya?" When Monsieur attempted to stand, the dove said, "Alone?"

Yuuya got up and walked into one of the tiniest, most cluttered rooms he had ever experienced. His heart started pounding when the dove shut the door behind them.

"Now," the dove said, "let us speak freely. Do you want to attend St. PigeoNation's?"

Yuuya nodded.

"How badly?"

His crop felt like it was being squeezed shut. Yuuya said hoarsely, "Very."

"Why?"

"My brother - I can't leave - abandon him."

The dove looked thoughtful. "Your scores indicate you have the ability to learn quickly. It seems you also have a large potential for social deception. Changing your feathers depending on your flock, that type of thing. Most importantly, your old house mother indicated that you seem to have an unusual amount of, shall we say, moral flexibility."

Yuuya waited.

"I can make you an offer, a one-time offer, that will open the doors of St. PigeoNation's to you. But there is a catch."

"I'll take it."

The dove almost smiled. "You haven't even heard the details yet."

"Doesn't matter. For my brother," and to spite Monsieur, "- I'll do anything."

The dove did smile then. "Most excellent."

They rejoined the others in the headmaster's office. The dove was saying, "If your grades improve as you have promised at your current school, admittance should be no problem. You'll be on probation your first term. You will also be required to attend some extra tutorials from me, but we will fit those around your schedule."

"Thank you," Maman uttered, relief all over her face.

"Oh, no," the dove said. "Let us thank Yuuya, for the hard work he will be doing."

"Come, Sakuya. Our business here is done," Monsieur commanded, looking bored.

Once outside, Maman began breathlessly talking, going over the lists of places she intended to go shopping, what she wanted to buy, what the boys must have before beginning school next term.

"Oh, hush," Monsieur drawled. "Stop speaking as if any of that were important."

Yuuya's immediate reaction was to snap in anger, but he settled for patting Maman's shoulder. "He didn't know what was at stake. Separating us."

She looked up at him appreciatively. "I always said you were a good bird."

You have no idea, Yuuya thought.

Notes:

The line about moral flexibility is paraphrased from a James Bond movie (I think).