Destination Destiny

Chapter One

-Not So Pleasant Surprise-

Uchiha Kurogané rolled over in his bed and buried his face in his pillow, loving the smell of his freshly cleaned, crisp sheets. He opened his eyes, revealing bright jade depths that were covered slightly by his spiky ebony hair, his lone white streak hanging over his left eye. Raising his arms above his head in a stretch, he let out a content sigh as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. He looked around his childhood bedroom, taking everything in.

The room was bare for the most part, since all of his pictures and books were in his apartment near the university's campus, but it was still his room. The things he hadn't felt like taking were still lying around, and at the foot of his bed was his large duffel bag with all of his clothes. Clothes that he would get his parent's maid to wash for him later.

This was what he loved about coming home for holidays and summer. He never had to worry about a thing, because his mother took care of him. It wasn't that he was lazy or incapable, he knew how to cook and do laundry, he just preferred not to. Besides, she seemed to take such joy from coddling him, despite him being twenty-two years old, he figured he would let her be happy. His twin sister did the same thing, so it wasn't like he had to feel guilty for it or anything.

Yesterday he and Izumi had arrived back home for their summer vacations, and everything had been pretty hectic. The entire family had gotten together for a welcome home lunch, which half of the Uchihas didn't even want to be at, and then after that his parents had decided the four of them needed to go bowling, followed by a late movie. He was glad that they had missed him and his sister so badly, but honestly, he was looking forward to them mellowing out over the next week or so and giving him his space. He hated more than anything to be forced to spend time with his family.

He threw his covers back and stood, stretching out his muscles once more. Then he walked out into the hall, nearly bumping into his younger sister. "Hey Zuzu." He yawned, covering his mouth and gesturing for her to walk ahead of him to the breakfast table.

"Morning Kuro." She smiled, skipping ahead. Her long black hair, perfect even in the morning, was straight and gorgeous, stopping near the small of her back. Like her brother, she had a prominent white streak, though hers was on the right side of her head. "Aren't you so happy to be home Kurogané?" she asked, glancing back at him with her stormy grey depths.

"As happy as I can be." he shrugged. "Ask me in a week and I'll probably have a different answer."

She laughed. "Don't pretend you don't miss mommy." She said heading into the dining room when she smelled fresh pancakes. "Morning!" she declared, seeing her father at the table, reading the paper.

The white haired man looked up and smiled. "Good morning princess." He said, looking up with a mirrored stormy gaze and smiling at his daughter. He looked similar to Kurogané, with black undertones to his light hair. "How did you sleep last night?"

"Fantastic! I'm so happy to finally be home!" she declared, sitting next to him and hugging him. A dark haired woman walked in from the kitchen then, holding two plates and setting them in the center of the table. One had pancakes, and the other was filled with sausage and bacon.

"Good morning Izumi." She smiled, before looking over at her son. "And my Kurogané, how did you sleep?"

"I slept very well mommy." The young man said, smiling slightly at her as he took a set across from his sister.

Izayoi sat beside her son, kissing his cheek before she ordered the maid to get their drinks. When everything else was set down they began to eat. "Well your father and I have some excellent news." She giggled, meeting her husband's gaze with her own sparkling jade. "Don't we dear?"

"That we do my darling." Kai said, folding up the newspaper so that she didn't get annoyed with him for reading at the table. "How would you two like to go on vacation?"

Kurogané stilled in cutting up his pancakes. "But…we are on vacation." He said slowly, not liking the foreboding feeling he was getting.

Izayoi laughed, waving off her son. "This isn't vacation Kurogané." She smiled, before sipping her juice. "We're going to Europe!"

"Europe!" Izumi gasped, squealing with excitement. "Are we going to Paris so I can find myself a lover?!"

"No." both Kurogané and Kai said with similar stern looks.

"That is the last thing you need." Kurogané said, Kai nodding in agreement.

The younger woman huffed. "I meant forever! Not just for a fling."

Kai's look didn't let up. "The same principle applies. No boys until after university. Or ever." He said, taking a sip of his coffee.

Kurogané looked at his mom. "What part of Europe are we going to?"

"Czech Republic." Izayoi said happily. "We're going to a skiing resort."

"Just us?" he asked, since it sounded almost too good to be true.

Kai almost scoffed, but caught his wife's threatening, yet still smiling gaze. She pressed her hands to her cheeks and shook her head as she sighed contently. "I could never leave the country without my sweet brothers my little Kurogané. So naturally everyone will be coming, aside from grandma and grandpa."

Kurogané grimaced, appearing as if even the thought of spending that much time with his family was painful. "Why? I don't want to spend my summer break with everyone."

"Because with everyone off at college, your mother and some of your aunts feel like the family doesn't spend as much time together as we used to." Kai explained. "Which is true."

"But I'm fine with that…" the younger man grumbled, pushing his pancakes around on his plate.

Izumi huffed, giving her brother a hard look. "Kuro…don't say that. You know that Mori and Ryou are your best friends."

"And I see them all the time." He replied, matching her look.

"But what about spending time with me!" she declared.

Izayoi laughed and waved off her children. "Now, now Izumi…calm down. After all, my sweet Kurogané wouldn't want to make his loving and doting mother sad. Right?" she asked, glancing at her son with a devious yet pathetic look.

Kurogané huffed and crossed his arms. "…no." he said after a few seconds, hating it when she manipulated the situation like that. Just like his grandmother did.

"Then you will come." Izayoi smiled, kissing his cheek before returning to her breakfast.

He pouted about his loss and looked over at her. "I don't have to spend the whole vacation with them, do I?" he asked. "You and Zuzu I don't mind, but the others…" he scrunched up his nose.

Kai frowned. "How come you don't like to spend time with me?"

"Because I think you're weird."

"I love you daddy!" Izumi cheered, smiling over at him.

"I love you too sweetheart, I just wish your brother wasn't so mean all the time." The white haired man said.

Kurogané scoffed and ate a bite of his pancakes. "I'm not mean to mommy." He took a drink of orange juice. "Or Zuzu."

The younger twin scoffed and rolled her eyes. "How about when you always beat the guys up that like me, or tell them I have weird disorders!"

"That is me being an amazing older brother, who protects you from all of the douche bags out there that would only take advantage of you." Kurogané said, reaching over and patting her hand. "You're too trusting Zuzu, your heart would just get broken."

"And we can't have that." Kai nodded, for once him and his son agreeing on something.

Izayoi shook her head, sighing. "You two are idiots." She mumbled.

Kai gave her a sideways glance. "So what does that make your brothers and father?" he arched a brow. "They were worse."

"Did I say they weren't morons? But you should be grateful, had they not been so overprotective, you may have not gotten my first kiss, or my first time." She smirked, meeting her husband's gaze.

He chuckled. "Oh my dear, sweet Izayoi, I am pretty confident in the fact that I would have gotten both either way." he said with a smirk. "Because you were totally in love with me from the minute we met."

She laughed, shaking her head. "You and I seem to remember that differently Mr. Stalker."

"So it seems, Miss Hard-to-Get." He replied.

Kurogané rolled his eyes. "You two are weird." He said, finishing off his breakfast. "So when do we leave for vacation?"

Izayoi's dark smile returned. "That's the best part!" she giggled. "Tomorrow!"

Izumi spit out her orange juice. "Holy crap! I gotta pack!"

"Consuela's going to be busy." Kurogané sighed, rising from the table. "I'm going to go enjoy my solitude while I'll still have some." He said, leaving the room as he took his dishes to the sink. No part of him was looking forward to this family vacation, and he was even more upset that he only got to be home for a day before having to leave again. He should have expected this from his mother, of course, but for her to only give him a day home was just cruel. He walked back to his room and flopped down on the bed, groaning into his pillow. Hopefully it wouldn't be too terrible of a vacation. After all, everything had a silver lining. He just needed to figure out what it was before he was driven crazy by love and sappiness.