Pretear Fan Fiction ❯ Field Full of Daisies ❯ New home, New people, New life ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

(Disclaimer-I do not own Pretear. Nor will I ever. Read this closely because I won't tell you again.)

(Summary-Himeno and her twin sister Kagura have been shifted from foster home to foster home after their father's accident. That is, before now. A nice woman has been kind enough to adopt them and finally they have some stability. Even the most kind, and in a way, most annoying neighbors, who want nothing better to greet you and make you feel at home. Himeno, being the more humble of the two may be up for welcoming her fortunate position but Kagura doesn't know how to take it. When you've cut people off for so long because of your temporary situations, how do you learn how to be the same warm child you were before? Do you want to be? Each girl sad in her own way, it's hard being a rose and a tulip stuck in a field full of daisies. HxH KxS)

Field Full of Daisies- New home, New people, New life

“How am I supposed to be (to be)? Be me the way I want to be (want to be). Can you? (Can you?) See me. (See…me). A rose(tulip) in a field full of daisies…”

Kagura (Himeno)

“I'm so happy for you girls,” the woman smiled at them in the rear view mirror. “You've been through so much and finally.”

“We couldn't be happier,” the two replied a little bored.

“O, I know why you girls are so down. You're worried about who this person is right? Don't worry. We checked her out ahead of time. ADOC just rushed it before the person changed her mind is all.”

“That's supposed to make us feel better?” one of the girls asked.

“She's a woman. Lives alone. No pets, just her.”

“Is she crazy?”

“Just a bit timid. Don't ruin the good thing you two have going here Kagura. You know it's rare that older children get adopted. Especially seventeen year olds. You'll be coming into the new school system a month and a half late but it shouldn't be a problem.”

“Yipee,” Kagura replied sarcastically.

“Well I'm sure Himeno's excited,” the woman smiled.

“I sure am Miss D,” Himeno smiled. The tone was a bit fake but Himeno always had a positive outlook on things. Unlike her twin sister who just took it in with no emotion what so ever. The two didn't look alike though. Similar, yes, identical, no. They both looked like their mother in that respect but one had reddish pink hair and the same color eyes while the other underwent a genetic mutation at birth where her hair became completely red and eyes more red than pink. Not only did they not look the same, they dressed completely different. One was into a lot of black, like a rocker but she didn't bother with labels. The other was a very cheery person and it reflected on her outfit.

“Alright! We're here! I'll come by tomorrow to drop off the fund for the two of you to get some new clothes okay?”

“Sure,” Himeno answered a little distracted.

“Whatever. Let's go Hime.” Himeno got out of the car with her sister and grabbed her bag out of the trunk. After Kagura grabbed her bag out of the trunk, she closed it. “Later.”

“Now you be the nice polite girls that I know you can be,” Miss D shouted from the car. “Especially you Kagura! Watch after your sister Himeno!”

The two froze in place. If she was going to embarrass them could she have not shouted their names? They both turned and waved as the woman drove off. “We seriously need a new counselor,” Kagura muttered.

“She's not all bad,” Himeno smiled. But she isn't exactly the best either.

Just as they walked up the stairs to their new home, a guy from next door walked out of his. Himeno looked at him. Long black hair, beautiful blue eyes, built great, and he was all sweaty. “I think I'm going to like it here,” Himeno smirked and raised a brow at her sister.

Kagura glanced over at the boy, then back at her sister with a smile on her face. “Don't even think about it prom queen.”

“Well it can't hurt to look.” Himeno giggled a while before Kagura knocked on the door. The boy next door looked over, a bit surprised to see that his neighbor had visitors. He saw the bags they were carrying and thought they were selling something, so dismissed the thought. “He looked.”

“Just instinct. Who wouldn't? A look isn't a stare and he didn't look again did he?”

Himeno pouted. “You're no fun.”

Kagura knocked on the door again. “C-coming,” a woman responded from the other side. The door opened and behind it appeared a short, frizzy-haired woman. “Y-yes?”

Kagura stared at her. You can't be serious…

When Himeno saw that Kagura wasn't saying anything, she spoke up. “Sara Sanma-sama?” Himeno asked. When the woman nodded, Himeno continued. “I'm Himeno Awayuki and this is my sister Kagura Awayuki. We're the children you adopted from the ADOC.”

“O-o yes,” the woman opened the door further. “I was w-waiting for you. I-I must have b-been senile not to r-recognize you.”

“It's not a problem,” Himeno replied to the stuttering woman.

“P-please come in.” The two walked in with their belongings, Kagura before Himeno, then the door closed behind them.

When the guy next door noticed this, he became curious again. They really are visitors? What's the ADOC?…Eh, never mind. It's none of my business and to hell if I care. He walked back inside. “Hey Sasame.”

“Hello Hayate…you know how mom feels about you walking around dripping sweat on the floor. Use the back door and go take a shower.”

“…mama's boy,” Hayate muttered to himself.

“What do you mean MAMA'S BOY! I'm the one who has to hear it when you do track sweat all over the damn house because you never happen to be around when she gets angry about it!” Sasame complained. His brother had a way with hearing the most subtle things you'd probably plan on saying to yourself. It was, on some occasions, annoying.

“Relax, I'm going.” Hayate grinned at Sasame before walking toward the staircase. But then he paused. “You know anything about Sanma next door having visitors today?”

“You mean you didn't pay attention after mom blabbered off at the mouth about it yesterday? Sanma's decided months ago to adopt. Two girls, about our age, I guess it's a nice thing to adopt older kids so they don't have to live their entire lives at a center or switching homes right?”

So that's what the ADOC is. “Oh. Whatever.”

“Why? You get a good look at `em. They there already?”

“Go ahead and ask. Ask if either of them look any good.”

“Hayate, my brother, I wouldn't dare ask such a thing, but as long as you're sharing.”

Hayate looked at the grin on his brother's face and couldn't help but grin as well. “One's a punk, the other's a tulip head.” Hayate left his confused and slightly disappointed brother downstairs while he went to take a shower.

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“I-I have a f-few rules you'll n-need to follow while here,” the woman began as they sat down at the table.

“Curfew o-on school nights i-is n-no later than eleven. T-tell me before y-you spend the n-night at someone's h-home.”

“…That's it?” Kagura asked surprised.

“Yes. I-is there anything e-else I should s-say?”

The two exchanged mischievous glances and faked large smiles to the woman. “Not that we know of.” I am so taking advantage.

“A-alright. Your r-rooms are upstairs. Tonight y-you can go out and eat with t-the money I left on the f-fridge. I-I'll be going g-grocery shopping with M-Ms. Ayanami n-next door t-tomorrow so you w-will have to go shopping on your o-own tomorrow. I-is that alright?”

“That's fine,” they both replied.

Just then a woman and two boys walked in. One they recognized as the boy next door. “O-o hello Ami-san. T-this is Ms. Ayanami,” their adoptive mother introduced, “A-and her two b-boys Hayate and Sasame. T-This is Kagura and Himeno.”

“Hello,” the two smiled. Kagura's greeting was more directed to the boy's mother, almost completely ignoring their presence there. Himeno smiled to them all and turned around so they wouldn't see the giddy look on her face. She glanced over at her sister who gave her this look as if she were hopeless.

“Hello,” Sasame greeted with a smile as well. “Hey,” Hayate muttered with the same look he walked in with. It was obvious his mother dragged him along.

“Where's the nearest McDonalds,” Kagura asked Sanma.

“O-o, gee I don't know.”

“It's on Kogo deary,” Ms. Ayanami answered for her stuttering friend. “I'll have the boys take you. It's a pretty long walk and I don't want you girls walking out there by yourselves.”

Hayate looked a bit irritated by the request but tried his best to hide it. Sasame kept a perfectly humble smile. “I wouldn't mind. I'm a bit hungry anyway.”

“I'm not,” Hayate muttered.

“You just spent the entire day practicing. I know when my boy's hungry. You need to eat something. And I'm not cooking tonight. So go.”

Hayate sighed. Himeno smiled again but it was more shallow because she knew what her sister was about to say. “No thanks,” Kagura replied. “We'll walk. It's not a problem.”

“Nonsense, I insist!” the woman said with a cheerful look on her face.

“Well if you insist,” Himeno rushed before Kagura could say something else.

Instead, she sighed in submission. What a persistent sister I have. “Fine, whatever.”

Kagura grabbed the money off the fridge and followed Sasame and the stubborn Hayate out to the car. As routine, Kagura sat behind the driver and Himeno, behind the passenger seat. If you must know why they do this everytime the two get into a stranger's car, it's because Kagura trusts close to no one. So if the driver decided to make any wrong turns like a kidnapping or something, she could choke the life out of the driver while Himeno got out of the car. Strange enough, they've been doing this since they were ten. And it's actually had to be done before. Strange guy claiming to be their guardian picked them up. Kagura memorized the address they were supposed to go to and the man was heading in a completely different direction. He locked them inside the car, Kagura attacked him from behind, he crashed into a tree, and the two bolted. Once they arrived, Kagura waited for Himeno to get out of the car before she even thought of getting out of her seat. Sasame thought it was weird, Hayate just didn't care. “Can I have two number twos, one lemonade one sprite, and six sugar cookies.” The cashier stared at her a bit oddly for a while. “What?” Kagura asked annoyed.

“Are those contacts,” she asked. Her almost completely red eyes made her look a little scary when she wasn't smiling.

“…how does that have anything to do with my food?”

“O, I'm sorry. Right away. N-next in line...please.”

Kagura stepped aside and let Sasame and Hayate go ahead. A few minutes later, the girl's food was brought out. “I don't remember saying I wanted it to go,” Kagura said while staring at the bag.

“O, dear, I'm sorry.” The woman hastened the things out of it's bag and set them on two trays. “Here you go.”

Himeno already knew what was coming next. Kagura does it all the time. “…I don't remember saying I didn't want it to go.”

“O, dear, um…Do you want it here or to go?”

“So you're asking me now?”

“Here's fine,” Himeno said, grabbing her tray. “C'mon Kagura-Nee.” Kagura followed her sister to a table.

“Someone's on that time of the month,” Hayate joked.

“Don't be rude. You're lucky they didn't hear you.”

“O, I'm so frightened.”

While back at the table Himeno was unwrapping her burger. “Must you always do that? It's mean and people stare at you.”

“…Is that a bad thing?”

“Yes Kagura, yes, and for the millionth time yes.”

“I'll remember that.”

“That's just it. Right there. You always say that and you never do.”

“This time I mean it.”

“You said that last time.”

“Well I mean that I mean it this time. Besides we're not going anywhere anymore so I doubt she'll forget to ask for now on. I'm not completely in the wrong. What the hell kind of question is are those contacts? I should have hit her.” Kagura growled a little on that last sentence.

“I know, I know,” Himeno laughed. “I'm just glad you didn't…this time.”

“O, don't bring that up again.”

“Bring what up?” Sasame and Hayate sat across from them, though Hayate paid them no mind.

Kagura stared at him a while. “Thanks for the ride,” she muttered before eating again.

“Uh…no problem.”

“So, what grade are you in?”

“We're seniors,” Sasame replied.

“So are we,” Himeno smiled. “Are you two twins like us?”

“You're twins?” Sasame asked surprised. Even Hayate looked up a moment. Well…that would explain a lot I guess.

“Uh, yeah,” Kagura answered rather rudely before she started eating again.

“We're not twins, it's really, a complicated situation.”

“O, nevermind.”

“Stop asking so many questions and eat, Hime,” Kagura rushed. She didn't want to be done eating and have to wait here for them. “We've got to wake up early tomorrow, remember?”

“Huh? Why?”

Kagura wasn't planning on answering so Himeno did for her. “We're taking the entrance exams tomorrow. If we pass-“

“When.”

“Right, Kagura. When you pass and if I pass, we'll be starting next week.”

“You'll do fine,” Sasame spoke before finishing off his burger.

Hayate was already finished eating and Kagura was getting there. Hayate sighed and rested his head in his palm with his elbow on the table. This conversation is boring me. That tulip head keeps glancing over here…I really wish I didn't come………

Kagura finished her food and did the same. I swear this girl can talk for…ever…God just hurry up and finish eating! I don't like this guy with all of these questions. Sometimes Himeno says things she shouldn't. (sigh) I really wish we would have went alone………

Sasame finished eating while Himeno kept talking. She's nice. Not that I can say the same for her sister. She doesn't talk much…and when she does…I think it sounds bit rude. Or maybe I'm just taking it the wrong way. Nope, she glaring at me, I think I want to go now………

Himeno finished gulping down the rest of her drink. The people here are so nice. O, I forgot to go see my room. We left our things downstairs. I'll get it as soon as I get back. Lalalalalalalalalalllaaaa. And Kagura was going to show me how to get that drop kick right. I can't believe she said I was getting rusty because I'm too nice to people! …maybe she has a point. O well………lalalalalalalala

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“What's going on?” Kagura and Himeno rushed out of the car and into the house. There was an ambulance parked in front. They walked in to see a man bandaging Sanma's ankle.

“What happened?” Himeno asked.

“W-well…”

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“O-o dear, they left t-their things here. I'll t-take them up for them. They'd like that.” Sanma began by carrying Himeno's bag up the stairs. Then she came back down for one of Kagura's bags. The last one was another one of Kagura's. As soon as she tried picking it up, she immediately regretted it. “O my, t-this is heavy.” Sanma thought about it for a while and decided to drag it up the stairs. She couldn't possibly have Kagura carry such a heavy bag. Though I don't think she got help bringing it in here. Sanma proceeded with dragging the bag to the base of the staircase. Then, the hard part, dragging it up the stairs, which she did get about seven stairs high. But even faster then she got it up there, she came crashing back down the stairs. “H-help…”

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“And you sprained your ankle,” Kagura asked in disbelief. “You could have waited until we got back. I would have brought it up.”

“N-no, you shouldn't c-carry such heavy things.”

“That was very nice of you Sanma-sama. You're lucky you got to a phone.”

While Himeno thanked Sanma, Kagura took this opportunity to talk to one of the hospital workers. “Exactly how often do you guys come out here?” she whispered.

“Too often. Nothing big though,” he shrugged. “Now Sara, you need to stay off you're feet for a while. I'll check up on you in about a week.”

Sasame and Hayate walked in as the hospital workers walked out. “Hello Suzuki-san, Takao-san.”

“Hey boys,” they waved before walking out.

“What happened now Sanma-san?” Hayate asked as he helped the woman walk to the living room sofa.

“Sasame, would you m-mind helping Kagura with that b-bag. I don't want her c-carrying that thing. It's h-heavy.”

“No problem.” Sasame reached for it but Kagura picked it up before he could grab it.

“You don't have to. I got it.”

Sasame held his hand out. “Now what kind of gentlemen would I be if I didn't help you with that.”

“Aw, don't be such a stick in the mud. He's cute,” Himeno giggled before walking up stairs.

Sasame's face turned red a bit. “Fine,” Kagura said removing the bag from her shoulder. She handed it to him and almost immediately he dropped it. “What's wrong? Too heavy?”

“No, I'm fine,” Sasame waved. He faked to effortlessly swing the bag over his back. God! What the hell is in this thing! He followed Kagura up the stairs and to her new room. It was all white and empty. Empty of character that is. There was a bed, a closet, a dresser with a mirror, and a work desk. On top of that desk was a laptop with an internet hook up and a phone. But Sasame didn't really look around. His first instinct was to drop the bag on the floor in her room and cover up his red pulsating hands. “May I ask what's in that thing?”

“Hmm?” Kagura looked at him as if she had forgotten he was even there. “Oh.” She unzipped the bag and pulled out one of many swords that lied inside. It almost scared Sasame. “Just these, and some other junk.”

“W-where did you get that stuff!”

“A gift from one of my old foster parents. Nice old man. He went bungee jumping one summer and died though,” Kagura answered in monotone.

Himeno peeked in and smiled. “You shouldn't scare him with that stuff Kagura-Nee. It's rude. He is your guest after all.”

Kagura saw the mischievous little smirk on her face and frowned. “My guest was just leaving weren't you?”

Sasame took that as more of an order than a question. “Right. Maybe I'll see you later. If we're in the same class or something.”

Kagura stared at him a while like she does to most people before replying, “You live next door, whether it be school or not I'm going to end up bumping into eventually.” The last word she muttered before he left was, “…unfortunately…”

Sasame heard but didn't return her rude comment with something equally as rude. He just turned around and smiled. “See you two around.”

Kagura imitated the smile rather mockingly. Once he left, she proceeded with unpacking her stuff. Himeno slid in and sat on her bed. “Do you have to be so mean to everyone you meet?”

“I was being…friendly…wasn't I?”

“Well…compared to you're usual just walk away and don't turn back and look at me attitude or you're occasional fear me, I guess you could say that was friendly.” The sarcasm in her tone was evident.

“…So what's the problem?”

“Nothing Kagura, nothing at all.” We'll be here a lot longer now, you'll come around eventually…maybe…god I hope so. What am I going to do when we graduate. You sure can't go on living by yourself, being mean to people forever.

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“So all my classes will just happen to be the same as Himeno's?”

“Yes, yes, whatever you want, just give us your test.” The principal took her bar sheet. This was Kagura's fifth time taking the entrance exam. Each test being a different version. The first time she scored so high, they became suspicious and made her re-take the test in a separate room from everyone else. This just kept going on until finally, now the principle got involved. If this were another one of those high scores of hers, this would jump our percentage of kids passing the exam. Scoring on final exams…graduation and acceptance to the top college. I can hear it now. Genius graduates from Kogo High!

“Hey gramps, you gonna go get my results now or what?”

“O right away.” So she isn't a model student, and I'll have to look past a few things like those clothes,…that dyed hair…those scary looking contacts…that rude mouth of hers…(sigh) this is going to be a long year.

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“You girls look absolutely adorable,” Ms. Ayanami almost squealed. She had come over today to see them in their school uniforms.

Haven't heard that one in a long time. Kagura couldn't see how someone would use the word adorable when referring to her. Her tattoos below her wrist was completely visible. Her hair, messily put together, black brass knuckles, and a I'm not a morning person look on her face. Himeno, though, was again, in a very different state. Maybe she meant her and mentioned me out of respect. Kagura shifted back and forth in discomfort. She hated skirts, dresses, and these perverted school uniforms. More people would stop and honk at you in the red light district in this thing than if in nothing at all. She put on a crooked smile for the woman anyway.

“H-hurry, or you'll be l-late.”

“I could have the boys take you-,”

“O I don't want to bother them,” Kagura answered. Before Ayanami could object Kagura grabbed Himeno by the wrist and ran them out the door.

“O gee. They must be so excited to hurry and get to their new school,” Ayanami smiled. Sanma, being completely aware of how pushy her friend is, just agreed with her. Even if she did know how lucky they were for leaving when they did.

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The two had taken a public bus to get there and were dropped off a little ways away. They picked up their schedules from the office once inside. Immediately upon entrance, they got stares. Or rather, Kagura got stares. But who could blame them. They don't usually let students with dyed hair admit to the school. Her eyes were a bit scary and more than sent them scurrying away when she glared at them. “Don't pay attention to them, Kagura.”

“I'm not. All I did was look at them and they left.”

Once they walked into the classroom, the teacher immediately looked up. “Ah, you must be Sanma Himeno.” Then she turned to look at Kagura. “And you are?”

“Sanma Kagura.”

The woman stared at her for a while. “You can't be serious.”

“If I weren't then I'd have no reason to be wearing this now would I? So what's not to believe?”

“I just expected-“

“Short, dorky, glasses about as big as my head, stumbling into your classroom with an arm's full of books?”

“Well…yeah. They don't usually let students with dyed hair admit to this school.”

Kagura handed the woman a medical sheet. “uh huh…uh huh…Genetic mutation! I didn't think something like that could make hair get this red. Oh, sweety, your eyes too? So sad.”

Kagura became irritated and snatched the paper away. She knew everyone was listening. Thanks for informing the entire class…dumb ass.

“Hey, Kagura, Himeno,” a familiar voice greeted from a seat mid-classroom. It was Sasame, seated in the center of what seemed to be every girl in the class.

Himeno waved but Kagura just stared at him. Pervert. She also noticed two seats available in the back and they were somewhat near the boy's brother. Hayatawhatever…don't really care.

“Who is she Same-kun?” One girl eyed the two and the others followed.

Uh oh… Himeno froze. Each of them seemed to stare at the two with their own aura of anger.

Kagura took one look at them and frowned. “None of your damn business.”

“Nice to meet you,” Himeno said in a much more polite tone. “I'm Himeno Awa-…um Sanma? …Well that just doesn't sound right. Awayuki or Sanma?”

“Aw how cute. The girl's too dumb to remember her last name.”

“That's not nice Kyoko-san,” a timid girl from the back of the room spoke up.

“Shut it dork!” she said, turning in her seat to flip her the finger. Kyoko immediately jumped back around at the sound of Kagura slamming her hand down on her desk. Though it didn't show on her face, the sight of the blood-haired, blazing-eyed, almost demon looking human hovering over her with a scowl frightened the hell out of her. All too soon a crooked smile spread across her face.

“I think I'm starting to like you already.” Kagura slowly slid Kyoko's binder full of loose papers onto the floor. “You don't want that.”

Kagura and Himeno made their way to seats in the back of the classroom. Hayate had seen the scene. Someone actually put Kyoko in her place…then again…who's going to put Kagura in herplace…this is going to be a long damn year…

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Kagura began eating at a table under a tree with Himeno. “You shouldn't let people talk about you like that. And you may be legally a Sanma, but you're never going to stop being an Awayuki. Even I wanted to call you a dumb ass then.”

“I know, I know. It's different when thinking about what you are, and how to introduce yourself.” Himeno pouted before eating as well. “You never have these kinds of problems. You don't understand.”

“Of course I don't. I don't want to. It's a waste of time, effort and brainpower. Which you need to save up for school, not socializing.”

“O what do you know? You're worse than me. The pot calling the kettle black.”

“That's a stupid metaphor. The pot calls the kettle black because the kettle is black. That doesn't mean the pot doesn't know it's black to. It's basically a compliment.”

“Well when you put it like that, it sounds better,” Sasame said, surprising her from behind. “I just wanted to know if you girls needed a ride home after school.”

“We're taking the bus,” Kagura answered for the two.

“Alright, see you later,” Sasame said, smiling as he left.

When he was out of earshot, or at least when Himeno thought he was, she spoke again. “Stop being so mean.”

“I'll stop being so mean when he leaves me alone. He's either freakishly nice, too dumb to take a hint, or after something. Maybe all of the above. I don't care, just leave me the hell alone. He keeps coming back because you're so damn nice.”

“You're too suspicious of people.”

“If you're going to be too trusting of people I have to balance out that naive personality of yours.”

“I'm not naive!”

“Whatever you say Hime,” Kagura smirked in that `you so are' way.

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“The fridge is completely empty!” Kagura said, her stomach growling.

“There's ketchup,” Himeno pointed out a little jokingly.

Sanma hopped into the kitchen. “I couldn't go grocery shopping b-because my ankle isn't h-healed. Ami was going to wait for me to heal up before we w-went together but she's decided t-to go today.”

“We can go with Ayanami-sama for you. Miss D came a little…a lot late so we haven't been able to go out and pick up a few things yet anyway.”

“R-really, you don't h-have to.”

“You heard the woman,” Kagura muttered.

“We insist. Besides, we'll all starve to death if we don't.”

“…You have a point, let's go get that woman before she leaves.”

The two rushed over as she and Hayate got into the car. They soon explained themselves, and hopped in with the two. After a boring day of grocery shopping with a chatty woman, they finally returned home, placed the food in it's correct place, then left again. “Where are they going again?” Himeno asked as she saw the neighbor's mother and grumpy son pull off again.

“Maybe some mother son bonding. Don't know. Don't care. Let's go before it gets late.”

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“I need those gloves to grip that wooden sword of yours you gave me. Let's go here.”

“Alright, but make it quick.” They walked into a sports department store and looked around until, much to Kagura's dismay, they bumped into Hayate and Ayanami again. Why me?

“What are you guys doing here?” Ayanami asked surprised.

“Looking around,” Kagura replied. “And you?”

“We're-“

“Mom.” Hayate tried to stop her before she said too much.

“Relax Hayate,” Ayanami assured. Then she turned back to the girls. “We're just here looking for a cup for Hayate's kendo practice.”

The two girls stood there…faces slightly puffy…eyes almost watering from holding in their laughter. Hayate's face turned a bit red and he looked away. Then Kagura found a way to get some fun out of the situation. “We can help you look.”

“No!-…We're just fine,” Hayate objected. His face turning even more red at the request.

Himeno saw what Kagura was doing and couldn't help but join in. “Eight eyes are better than four. Right Ayanami-sama?”

“…fucking embarrassing…” Hayate muttered.

“Of course. You're welcome to join us!”

“Mom! No!”

“But look,” Kagura pointed. “I think I see one already. Up on the shelf. Unless…you think that's to big for you because they do make them smaller.”

Ayanami picked up the smallest one. “Is this too big hun? We can always ask the woman at the front desk if they have any smaller in inventory.”

“GOD DA-…J-…I-“ Hayate stammered. “Don't ask!” He was sure all the blood had rushed to his face by now.

“If it's too much trouble I'll go ask for you Hayate-san,” Himeno said with the most innocent smile to hide her wicked intent.

To the untrained eye, you wouldn't have been able to notice his blush deepen when she smiled at him. But Kagura did. She didn't know whether to be intrigued, or protective. What she did know was they couldn't stay here for long. “Well we have to get going.”

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That night Kagura lay awake…again…for the unteenth time she's been at Sanma's. Sanma's, not hers. Himeno was so willing to except what she got as home even if it were only temporary. Kagura was a little more difficult. She couldn't help but think. We'll be staying here now. No more moving. So…does that mean…I have to be nicer now? Kagura rolled over and tried suffocating herself for worrying about something so stupid. What the fuck am I thinking? I may not have started out like this but I would have ended up like this anyway. I'm…just not normal…a rose with the thorns still intact and no one will get near me. Or maybe I keep them in to ward people off. I'm…not the same as everyone else. And this is just the way I am. Aside form my sister and everyone else I need to respect…the world can rot in hell for all I care. There was a slight knock on the door and she knew who it was. “It's open.”

Himeno slipped in and closed the door. “Scoot over,” she muttered. Kagura rolled over to one side of the bed. Himeno climbed in under the covers and hugged the extra pillow on the bed. “Thank you Onee-chan.”

Kagura smiled at her sister. Everyone else can rot in hell…

“How am I supposed to be (to be). Be me the way I want to be (want to be). Can you? (Can you?) See me. (See…me). A rose(tulip) in a field full of daisies…”

Kagura(Himeno)