Selkie

by MiBo

A child adopts her foster mother's Ataxophobia, it affects her home, classes, and eventually the work place but there is someone watching out for her. They meet for his final year in high school before they disappear from one another's lives only to be reunited by becoming work colleagues. A set of siblings are out to help them realize their feelings for one another by any means.

1. Freckles

Disclaimer: I do not own Free! Iwatobi Swim Club they belong to Koji Oji or any of the characters portrayed in it, I simply own the character named Kiana Hagano, some others thrown in, and that is all. This was inspired by a a spur of the moment idea (don't judge me XD ) so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do writing it.

Chapter 1 - Freckles

A feminine figure was hunched over on the grassy knoll, mist began to recede as the sun rose, and the figure gripped the dirt with both hands. Pain erupted along her backside, traveled into her left shoulder, then down through her arm to the tips of her fingers, and she dug into the dirt even more. Hissing reached her ears, one eye focused on the left of her face, there was the flexible iron hot metal, dangling from that gloved hand, and it inched closer to her. The metal was formed to mimic the scales of a snake, she had already been branded by it, skin seared to have the scars look just like scales so everyone would know who she belonged to. Long curly red hair was yanked to force her head up, blue eyes stared into those pale green ones of her captor, she took in ragged breaths to steady her breathing, the metal was then pressed against her cheek to her neck so that it connected the burns on her shoulder. Eyes squinted shut in pain as she screamed out, the metal was taken from her face and neck, she slumped to the ground once more, gripping the dirt, desperately trying to will it all away. Soon the sound of something sharp was heard, her hair was pulled up, and she felt it being cut, tresses of her long beautiful hair were tossed on the ground in front of her followed by cackling. There was a sound, the female before her growled, threw down the metal, and tried to run but she was tackled to the ground by something. Blue eyes glanced up to see a set of soft brown ones that belonged to a man she had only seen in photographs, his voice was soft, and he whispered to her.

"I'm so sorry we couldn't get here sooner. If we had known...I'll make it up to you. I'll take you away from here." With that the young girl passed out from pain, the last thing that she remembered seeing was a smile on the man's face.

Abruptly the woman sat up, she could feel bandages covering her left side, back, and face; she touched her hair, it was short now, very short, just coming to her jaw but since it was curly; it fluffed out. The woman sighed, looked around to see all sorts of drips connected to her, she gulped, feeling anxiety grip her heart until the door opened, and that man from before appeared. He sat down on one side, "Hello little one." She stared at him warily, he may have saved her life but she wasn't sure she could trust him, "I'm sorry about what happened." Continued to stare at him, "What's your name?"

She coughed, he handed her some water, she drank it very slowly before handing the glass back, "Kiana Hagano." The man blinked, "My father was Japanese and my mother Irish."

"Do you know the woman who was torturing you?"

"My mother sold me to her when I was small when the woman came to villages in Ireland looking for new girls. She brought me here to Japan and worked me in that place for years as a kitchen girl until she tried..."

"Take your time."

Kiana took a breath, "Until she tried to make turn me into one of her girls, I refused, and she saw fit to brand me so others would know who I belonged to and what I had done."

"How old are you?"

"I'm ten."

The man clenched his teeth, tried to refrain from being openly vulgar in front of the child so he asked, "Snake scales?"

"Madame Snake was her name. You know this."

"I know, I just need to clarify with you." There was silence, "Do you know who I am?"

"I've seen your picture on the internet and on her wall of people to look out for. You're a police officer."

He nodded, "That's pretty close. I'm Akira Yamamoto, Head Investigator of Interpol for Sex Slaves and Madame Snake was at the top of our list. Where's your father?"

"Passed away when I was small, shortly after that I was sold to her."

"I see. I'm sorry to hear that." She shrugged, "You're a tough one aren't you?"

She looked at him, smiled gently, and he was taken aback by how warm the expression was even though she was covered in white bandages. "I remember only one thing from my father. He always called me Selkie, as a nickname because they're strong."

Akira returned that smile, "I see. Well you have two choices now, you can stay here in Japan or you can go to Ireland." She shook her head and explained that Ireland is where her mother was, "Then you'd be considered an orphan here since you don't know any family." She shrugged, "You're willing to be an orphan?" She nodded, he rubbed the back of his neck, "Well you're still young. I suppose it could work out with some family." Kiana shrugged, "Alright, once you're healed we'll send you to an orphanage." She thanked him quietly, he patted her head, "Although you'll have those scars for life and they'll never get disappear because they are burns and your skin has been damaged." She shrugged again, "Okay tough girl. I'll be in to check up on you every so often." Once more she thanked him, he nodded, and left the room. Akira sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and decided on the best course of action for her. "Could I really do it? What would Aoi think?"

Days passed as she was able to heal, the patch on her face came off first, she was given a mirror to look at herself, she ran a finger across the skin, it was slightly textured, and Kiana sighed. The nurse that was tending her said that she could pretend she was a dragon. The Irish girl gave a small smile, the nurse patted her head, looked at the door, and reached into her pocket. A candy bar was handed to her, the nurse put a finger to her own lips to show silence, Kiana giggled, and she left the room; being sure to close the door behind her.

The wrapper was open, she took a bite, and smiled at the nougat, caramel, and peanuts so she looked at the wrapper; Snickers. Kiana finished her candy bar when a knock was heard, Akira peeked in, he entered, he watched her hide the wrapper, and he grinned. He took it, tossed it in the trash, and whispered, "That's my favorite one too." Kiana giggled, "So this was my last case and I'm retiring from Interpol but there will still be a job for me just not in this city." She tilted her head, "I'll be the new Chief at Iwatobi Police Station." Kiana nodded, "And you're coming with me." Blue eyes snapped onto those brown ones, "I spoke with my wife, told her what happened to you, and she decided that instead of placing you in an orphanage that we take you in." She blinked many times as if to try and understand what she was hearing, "I'm adopting you."

"Why?"

"Because my wife is very adamant about this. She kept scolding me, telling me it wasn't right to let you go to an orphanage after all that has happened to you, so we came to an impasse...and she won." Kiana giggled again, "Well, once you're given a clean bill of health, you'll come with me. I'll be sure to visit you as often as I can while I take care of the rest of my duties." She nodded, he patted her head, and left the room but not before he tossed a Snickers bar on the sheets next to her right hand.

A couple more days passed, her burns were significantly better except the one on her back, it was the most intense so she still had to stay in the hospital but she didn't like it. Kiana fidgeted on the bed because the bandage itched, there was a quiet knock on the door, and she looked at it. A woman poked her head inside, she had black hair that cut across her jaw, and golden eyes. "May I come in?" her voice was soft, she nodded, and the woman entered; she wore a blouse with a pencil skirt. She took a seat near the bed, "Hello, how are you?" She shrugged, "You really are as strong as Akira said you are." Kiana paused to look at her, "I'm Aoi Yamamoto, Akira's wife."

"Did he like you because your name starts with an 'A' too?"

Aoi blinked and laughed, "You're a naturally funny one aren't you?" She shrugged again, "I'm glad to meet you, my husband doesn't know I'm here because he thinks I'm at home packing our necessities." She winked at her and Kiana continued to watch her, "He kept telling me that you wouldn't want to see me but I always win when it comes to arguments like that."

"Why adopt me?"

"Because I'm sterile, I can't have children but I wanted them, and we talked about adoption before but we could never come to an agreement so he always told me to wait until he could retire. When he told me about you, I knew you were the one that I was waiting for."

"But why me?"

Aoi leaned forward and whispered, "Because you're a Selkie and Selkie's need to be protected as they're special." Kiana stared at her then she smiled which lit up her eyes, "That's a very pretty smile and also I have ataxophobia." She tilted her head in confusion, "It just means that I have a fear of disorder and untidiness so our home is kept very clean and tidy." The Irish girl nodded, "Good! Once you're dismissed I'll be here to pick you up since you're going to need clothes and I don't trust Akira to get them for you plus it's just plain weird." She giggled, Aoi patted her head, "I don't care what anyone says, you're beautiful and those scars are not bothersome to me so you need to find friends who aren't bothered by it as well." Kiana nodded, "Very good! Get some rest, I've also been told that you like Snickers bars, they're my favorite too." A bar was handed to her, Kiana took it with her left hand, thanked her quietly, and Aoi said, "And that's why she burned your left arm." Curly red hair bobbed in a nod, "I love your poodle hair." Kiana giggled again, Aoi waved to her, and left the room while the Snickers bar was opened so she could eat it.

Seven more days passed before the Irish girl was discharged from the hospital, Aoi was there to pick her up as promised, and took her to their small apartment so she could finish packing. Once it was all loaded up, they left it up to the movers to load everything into the truck, Akira was waiting with the car, and sighed. "It's going to be a long trip." Aoi shrugged and Kiana stated that as long as they had Snickers bars then it would be fine. Akira's wife laughed, he smiled down at the Irish girl they had adopted, and opened the car doors for them.

The road trip was long but she slept through most of it, Aoi smiled as she snoozed in the back seat, she patted her husband's shoulder, and he grinned at her. "You really like her Aoi."

"I do."

"Good. She's been through a lot but takes it all in stride with a smile and a determined heart. Reminds me of someone I know."

"Shut up Akira!"

He grinned as his wife blushed, "Maybe the movers will have all of our stuff put away by the time we get there so you and I can have some fun."

"She's sleeping back there!"

"She was raised in a brothel, I'm sure she knows what goes on."

"That's not the point!" Akira chuckled again as Aoi fumed in the passenger seat but said quietly, "I suppose we could have some fun before you start your new position and mine." He smiled at his loving wife, "Kiana is just the little girl I wanted. So adorable and I love her poodle hair but, most of all, I adore those freckles."

"Yeah, me too."

When they arrived at Iwatobi, Akira dropped them straight at the mall for clothes while he told them that he might be late coming home from his new job. Both of them told him to take his time and not stress, he patted Kiana's head, kissed his wife, and headed out to the station. Meanwhile the woman asked what she liked to wear and she only shrugged so Aoi decided to let her try on all sorts until she found something that she was comfortable with. Turns out Kiana really liked wearing leggings with mini dresses as well as long skirts with blouses, so the adult female started pairing all sorts of leggings with dresses and blouses with skirts until Kiana openly laughed instead of giggling.

"There we go! That's what I wanted to hear! So, which ones do you like most?" Kiana picked out two pairs of black leggings and a variety of dresses, skirts, and blouses but she couldn't remember which ones she had picked since Aoi decided to get all the ones that Kiana liked. Aoi held the bag in her hand, they walked through the mall to the cellular phone store, "You need a phone to contact us so I'm going to get you one and add you to our plan." Kiana only nodded, they walked side-by-side but neither one minded, once inside, she told Kiana to pick a phone but she didn't know anything so Aoi took the lead. Found one just like hers, bought it, and set it up with all of their phone numbers. "There, almost done! You need a purse now!"

"Have you heard of a field bag?"

Aoi gaped, "Yes! I love those! Let's get some!" Kiana giggled, they headed into a store and searched for some, they were spotted, and Aoi squealed like a child. "Oh there they are! Let's go have a look!" Kiana rolled her eyes at the older woman's mannerisms, they headed to the section, and began to try them on until they each found one that they liked. "Say Selkie, you like to swim?"

"I don't know how."

"Well let's get a swim suit anyway, preferably one that will match your cute little freckles across your nose!"

"You noticed?"

"Of course I did and they're absolutely adorable! I love them, not to mention that they're all over your body, I'm just glad that they didn't get burned off." Kiana giggled again, "Come on! Swim suit time! Then we can go look at some decorations for your bedroom!"

"It's too much."

"Nonsense, you're my little girl now. I'm going to spoil you rotten."

"Why?"

Aoi's golden eyes glinted while she whispered, "Because I can." The Irish girl giggled and they headed off after getting their field bags, towards the swim swear store. Akira's wife made sure to buy a new beach bag, complete with towels, goggles, swim caps, bathing suits, and bamboo mats to lay on top of the sand. Aoi bought a neon yellow suit while Kiana had picked out a crimson one-piece with an open back, "Oh I like that one! So cute! When you get older, we'll get another one." Kiana nodded, "Sally forth to the food court after this!"

"Doesn't all this chaos bother you?"

"What do you mean Kiana?"

"You said you have ataxophobia."

"Yes but that only pertains to my home so right now it's fine."

"Oh."

"Don't worry about it, I'll teach you everything there is to know about my phobia so I don't have a panic attack which may cause you to have a panic attack and then give me another panic attack and so on." Kiana nodded, "But you're a smart girl, I'm sure you've already figured out what you need to do at home." She nodded again with a smile, "Great! Now before we actually head home, I need to stock up on my Snickers bars!" Kiana laughed as they headed to the food court for lunch, all the while keeping a close eye on their bags with their items in them.

"Akira, we're home!" she called through the house. Silence, "He's not home yet. Well, let's get this stuff put away!" Kiana followed Aoi around as she showed her their apartment, it was a two-bedroom with two bathrooms, and the kitchen was on the left when you first entered, living room on the right. They removed their shoes, Kiana was shown her room, it was a nice, the walls had been painted biege with Tatami mats everywhere. "I like Tatami mats because it reminds me of a dojo." The Irish girl smiled, they put her clothes away, hung up her dresses, put her undergarments in the proper drawer then her socks, and finally her blouses as well as her miscellaneous items. Shoes were placed in the closet on the bottom, once everything was away, Aoi took her to the kitchen to make some food, and Kiana watched as the woman began to prep vegetables.

"I'll make some stew tonight, that sounds good right?" Kiana nodded, "Alright, what kind of meat do you like?" She shrugged, "Very well then I shall put something in it and I'm not going to tell you what it is." The young girl giggled as Aoi gave a mock evil laugh before starting to chop the vegetables, they were slid in a colander in the sink so that they could be rinsed off. "Can you get the stock pot for me?" Immediately she did as she was asked, it didn't take much time to find it because Kiana had been the kitchen before at the brothel. "Akira tells me that you worked in the kitchen." She nodded, "So you know how to cook?" She nodded again, "Alright, make a side dish of soup for our stew. I want to see your skills." Kiana looked up at Aoi, she was smiling down at the young girl, and in a flurry of curly red hair; Kiana found a pot for herself.

Aoi watched as the girl took some potatoes, washed them thoroughly, peeled the skin off, and began to boil them in the pot that she found and had filled with water. The stove was turned on, she went to the kitchen, looked around for cream, found it, and set it aside then proceeded to look for something leafy and green. She only found leek, bok choy, and kale; immediately she took the kale out with butter. It was placed on the counter, she rinsed it off, set it aside, cut a little bit of butter, and put the rest back in the refrigerator. The salt was easy to find, she grabbed a wooden spoon, returned to her boiling potatoes, moved them around a little, and took a fork. She pushed it into one, "Not ready yet."

"What are you making?"

"Colcannon."

"What's that?"

"Soup made from mashed potatoes and kale."

"Ah." Aoi stirred the stewing vegetables before she turned away to cut up the surprise meat, and Kiana kept an eye on her boiling potatoes. Once they were finished, Aoi took the pot to the sink to drain it, the potatoes were left in the pot, placed back on the stove, and Kiana began to mash them with the wooden spoon. She added cream, butter, and a pinch of salt, the stove was turned to simmer once more. Blue eyes watched it bubble, she constantly stirred it then tossed in the kale leaves, and Aoi glanced over at her. "It smells good." The Irish girl smiled up at her adoptive mother, they heard the front door open, and Akira called out that he was home.

The pair of females replied, "Welcome home!"

He appeared in the kitchen, he was staring at them, his wife and adopted daughter were cooking together, and he removed his phone; snapped a picture. Akira approached his wife from the side, kissed her cheek then moved behind Kiana, he kissed her head, "My two favorite women in the world!"

"Akira, we're the only women in the world for you."

"So true!" Kiana giggled, "Are you making food too?" She nodded, "Smells good! Well I'm going to shower and I'll be back." The pair nodded, Kiana had finished her soup, she turned the stove off, Aoi moved the pot to another one, and the stew had finished as well. The older woman grabbed some bowls, ladled the stew in three of them then ladled the soup into another three which were smaller than the others.

They were placed on the mats that sat on the table, Kiana had helped put the spoons out, along with coasters for the drinks. "Thank you Kiana," said Aoi. A smile caressed those rosy lips of the ten-year-old, tea was poured from a pitcher into glasses, and Kiana went to her own bathroom to wash up. "So cute!" When she returned, her hands were clean, and she showed them to Aoi, "You don't have to show them to me. I know you're clean." Kiana smiled brightly, "You're going to do just fine with us and here in Iwatobi. After all, Selkie's need water." Again there was that bright smile that made her blue eyes twinkle like stars, and the ladies took a seat at the table while they waited for Akira to return.

He did, "It smells so good!" He sat down, "Thank you girls so much for this." They inclined their heads at the same time and he chuckled, he took a bite of the stew first. "It's always good Aoi!" She laughed but tried Kiana's soup first, she paused to stare at it, and looked at the child who was blowing on her first spoonful of stew very carefully. "What is it Aoi?"

"Kiana." The girl looked at her, "Your soup is very delicious. How long were working in those kitchens?"

"Since I was five. I was told to cook for all the others there but on a budget so I used what I learned from a book I had about Irish food."

"I see..it's very delicious." Kiana smiled while Akira tried it and agreed, "Shut up Akira. You didn't try it first shame on you!" As they bantered back and forth, the Irish child laughed, and the adults looked at her, she ate her stew, and praised the softness of the meat. "I thought you'd like it. I used lamb." Kiana nodded as she took another spoonful to eat, the rest of the dinner was talked about Akira's new job, and what they bought at the mall.

After that, Kiana took a shower, dressed in her pajama pants and tank top then hopped into bed; her new parents knew that she was too old to be tucked in but Aoi still popped in to say goodnight. It was reciprocated and the door shut, Kiana laid down against the soft pillow, and mattress. She gave a happy sigh, glanced at the covered window, and let a content smile slide on her face. "I like it here...I'll make them proud."

-::::::-

Years progressed as she grew older, she grew more quiet, and even adopted Aoi's ataxophobia except it didn't just infect the home for Kiana. It began to infect her school life but it was fine, she managed it because it only applied to her notes and satchel, and Kiana was walking to the private school that they had enrolled her in. Public was out of the question since they felt she would want a better education and Aoi was insistent, she wanted the best for her little girl. The uniform was a simple red and black plaid skirt, a white blouse, plaid bow tie, black blazer, and black loafers with red knee high socks. The red was to symbolize her as a first year whereas orange was second and yellow third. Her hands held a leather satchel for her school supplies and books, she always opted to carry it in her hands rather than on her shoulder because she kept her field bag with her.

Her hair had grown down to her lower back, she left it loose, only pinned back by a red plaid headband, and she paused at a corner; waiting for a light to change. There were male students running around on the campus across from where she stood, she tilted her head, and read the words, "Samezuka Academy." She shrugged to herself, turned away from it, and crossed the street the first chance she had although not before making sure it was safe. Whistles were thrown her way, she ignored them, and continued onward to her own school. She read the words on the sign, "Izumi School for Girls." Again she shrugged, entered through the gates, and realized that she was very early but that didn't bother her, instead she headed straight for her homeroom.

She entered, took a seat near the window in the back of the class, the teacher entered, noticed her student, and smiled. After a few more minutes, the rest of the first years had entered, orientation had already occurred days ago so she was ready to learn, and she immediately noticed the looks the others gave her. Kiana ignored them, the teacher began role call the moment the bell rang, when she reached the 'H', she stated, "Hagano, Kiana."

"Present." The room looked at her since she had raised her hand as well, the voice that came from her was unexpected, it was soft but firm, authoritative almost. She nodded, continued down the list while her arm rested on the desk in front of her, and Kiana watched the teacher as the lesson began. Halfway through class, the teacher called on Kiana because she was the only one not taking notes, and the woman pushed up her glasses.

"What have I been talking about?"

"The geography of Mount Fujiyama. It's a dormant volcano and could erupt at any moment should the tectonic plates beneath Japan shift in just the right manner to release the magma hidden underneath the Earth's crust," came the reply. She stared at her, cleared her throat, and continued with the lecture. Once more she received those strange stares from her classmates, Kiana ignored it, and continued to listen to the teacher's lecture.

The day passed by uneventful, the only time she took notes was in chemistry and mathematics, but the other classes were simple enough. At the end she walked to the bulletin board to look at the clubs, nothing of interest caught her attention so she left the school, and began her walk home. Many of the students opted to stay on campus but she enjoyed the three mile walk to her home because she liked her parents. "I wonder what I should make for them today. Maybe gumbo or shephard's pie if there are any leftovers."

Huffing was heard behind her, she instinctively moved to the side, away from the road, and watched as a group of males jogged past her. They were wearing white hoodies, she ignored them, and her phone chimed; she removed it and looked at the text. "Going to be late Kiana, don't wait up for me. You and Aoi go ahead and eat." She replied back, "Sure." Another chime for a different text message, "So sorry Kiana! I'm stuck at the office!" She replied back the same thing, sighed, and continued to walk home once her phone was replaced in her bag. She passed by the group of males, they were resting on a bench, and one of them whistled at her but she promptly ignored it.

Again there was a whistle, a male stated for the other one to stop which made the whistler complain that he only wanted to talk to her, and she kept walking away from them. After some time, she heard huffing once more, her body moved to the side, and as they passed by, someone's arm grabbed hers. Kiana immediately used her satchel as a weapon, it hit the male square in the face, which made him yelp, and cause the others to stop in their tracks.

One male had long magenta hair, "What did I tell you?! Leave her alone!"

"I just want to get her name Captain!"

"No. You're going to do extra laps because of that."

"Yamazaki help me out here!" The tallest of the males looked at him and simply shook his head, "Oh come on! You agree with him?!" He nodded, Kiana had been watching the exchange with mild interest, she moved passed them, and the wind blew her hair back. The tall male stared at the scale burns on her cheek, so did the rest of them, and the male who grabbed her snickered. "Never mind. She's damaged." Even though she had heard him, she kept walking away because she knew it wasn't worth the effort to hit him again.

Suddenly a deep voice replied, "It's not up to you to judge if someone is damaged or not." Kiana paused in her tracks, turned to show her three-quarter view at the group of males, and the one who had spoken glanced at her. "Who cares? I think it's pretty neat." Bright blue eyes stared into those teal colored ones, "It matches your freckles." Instantly she felt flustered, her face heated up, and she turned away quickly while picking up her walking pace.

"Yamazaki! That's not fair to say that! Besides, you embarrassed her." He shrugged, the group continued jogging, but by the time they caught up to her, she had turned into an apartment complex. Only a select few males glanced in her direction as she entered the building's lobby to pick up the mail for her apartment.

Dinner was cooked, she made sure to have extra for her parents, she showered, and laid down on her bed; her mind went over the day and she couldn't get what that man had said out of her head. She rubbed her face with her hands, rolled onto her stomach, and fell into a light doze.

When she awoke the next morning, the first thing that came to mind was, "Freckles." She shook her head and began to prepare herself for class and the inevitable meeting of those males once again afterward. She only prepared a vitamin and protein shake for herself on the way to school, made her bento, and made sure everything was in her satchel before grabbing her field bag, and heading out. The morning was brisk but she didn't care, her hair was down once more, held back by the headband, except this time she left the front part of her hair to block the sides of her face. Red curls bounced with every step she took, her course brought her past Samezuka Academy, and she could see a tall male standing on one side of the gate; watching her. Kiana paused at the crosswalk once more, glanced his way, and he waved; the male jogger from the other day with teal eyes. She automatically felt her face heat up, blue eyes focused on the ground, looked up at him, and she gave a small wave in return before hurrying across the street.

In class her mind was on the lecture, memorizing every word, and the teacher didn't bother her with questions, again the day was uneventful so she had her lunch alone, and returned to her classes. The last bell rang, she exited the school, the school grounds, and proceeded to walk towards her home again. Her phone chimed, she opened it, "Gonna be late again. Sorry hon." It was from Akira and she replied, "It's okay. Work is busy." And he replied, "You're so understanding my Selkie."

Kiana smiled and replaced her phone, a masculine voice penetrated her thoughts, "You should smile more often." She glanced up to see the male from that morning, she stared up at him, she realized that she only came up to his chest, and he looked down at her with those droopy teal eyes. "What's your name?" She kept silent, looked at the road, and crossed; he crossed with her, "You're not going to tell me?" Kiana kept silent, "Okay, I'll call you Freckles." She scrunched her nose up at him as if to say she didn't like it, "Too bad Freckles."

She harumphed while walking at a brisker pace, he couldn't help the grin on his face, and he looked at her hair, "You're not from around here are you?" The Irish girl only shook her head, "Where are you from?" Silence, "Okay. I'll figure it out eventually Freckles." They continued their walk in silence, "You go to Izumi School for Girls so why don't you stay on campus like the others. You walk three miles in one direction that's six miles a day. Why?" She shrugged, he gave a low chuckle, and it made her stomach flip inside, every time he spoke it was like that, and before she knew it they lapsed into silence again.

It wasn't long before they reached her apartment complex, he watched her enter, "Good talk Freckles." She glared at him, he grinned, "That's a good look for you!" Kiana disappeared into the lobby, he turned around, and jogged back to the academy with that grin on his face.

"What is his deal?" Kiana entered, "I'm home." There was no response, she texted Aoi to see if she was late again, and her response was, "Oh my gosh! I forgot to text you! I'm so sorry!" Kiana laughed, "It's okay. Be safe." Aoi sent a kissing emoticon, she rolled her eyes, placed her school bag on the ground, slipped her shoes off, and headed to the kitchen to make some dinner.

Once more, she found it hard to sleep, only thinking of that guy who had walked her home, and she bit her lower lip. The butterflies entered her stomach once more when she thought of his voice but they died out when she questioned his motives. "He's so weird." She fell into another light doze, woke up the next morning, and found that he parents were in their bedroom passed out. Kiana smiled at them, prepped her shake, her bento, and her parents' bentos as well as their coffee. Again, she headed out in the brisk morning with her satchel, schoolbag, and thermos in one hand. The door was locked, keys dropped into her field bag with her phone, and she began the three mile trek to Izumi School for Girls.

Again she was the junction, she knew he was already there, wearing a black jacket with a white line, and black arrows along it lined by a red stripe. Blue eyes looked at his teal ones, he waved, "Morning Freckles." Kiana gave a single wave to him, looked at the street, and crossed while picking up her pace to head to the gate. Inside the classroom, she looked at her desk, obscenities had been written across it, she felt her chest tighten, and before the panic attack could happen; she grabbed a cleaning rag and some soap water. Kiana vigorously scrubbed the desk to rid it of the obnoxious words before her anxiety attack would set in. The teacher had seen her cleaning, tilted her head to the side, and questioned her about it; Kiana explained to her that someone had defiled her desk. The teacher couldn't do anything about it but the red-haired young lady was satisfied once it was clear of everything. The rag and soap water were replaced in the close, she took her seat once more, and the rest of the class filed in.

Blue rings watched every girl that entered, two of them snickered at her but were soon shocked as they saw her clean desk. Bingo. For the rest of the day, she kept her eye on those girls, they were in most of her classes, and she listened to them talk. Mostly about boys, especially the ones at Samezuka Academy since they were all swimmers but then the talk turned to them being gay since none of them ever paid any attention to them. After learning a little bit more about the two classmates, she headed for her usual spot for lunch, under a large oak tree. Kiana finished, packed her bento up, returned to class, and found that her desk was defiled yet again. This time, the girls confronted her about it, "You think you're so special little girly."

The other one taunted, "We're going to make sure you're life is a living hell by doing this to your desk every single day." Kiana stared at them both, they laughed at her, laughed that annoying laugh, and she clenched her teeth together. Her chest tightened from anxiety but she didn't have an attack, instead she took her satchel, and hit each of them as hard as she could with the front of it where the buckles were, in their faces. They screamed out in agony while clutching their faces, the two scrambled out of the classroom, she proceeded to clean her desk, and suddenly she realized something.

"That felt good," she whispered. Kiana was pleased with herself, she cleaned her desk, sat down, and waited for the class to start. The two girls had skipped, when it was time to leave, she was called over the intercom to come to the principal's office. Of course this brought stares at her since she was silent, Kiana simply obeyed, and headed there. She was invited inside, she took a seat, and looked at the woman before her; she had long blue hair and lavender eyes.

"I am Hotaru Izumi the principal of this academy and you are Kiana Hagano a student at this academy. I've received word that you hit two of your fellow classmates. Why?"

"I have ataxophobia."

"Yes I know."

"They defiled my desk in the morning but I cleaned it." The woman nodded for her to continue, "They did it again after lunch and confronted me. Telling me that they would continue to do it every single day so that it would interfere with my peace of mind."

"I see. Your mother has this phobia as well." She nodded, "I see well it usually pertains to the home so what happened with you?"

"I like to keep things tidy and clean even in my classes and satchel. Is that so wrong?" Hotaru stared at her, Kiana's voice had dropped dangerously low at the end of her words, and it appeared that young girl didn't realize it. "My parents work late."

"I know. I won't say anything but don't let this happen again."

"I understand but ataxophobia is not something that can be controlled and my reaction to what they did will continue to occur because I don't have anxiety attacks like my mother. I apologize in advance if I become too violent from the matter."

"No, it's fine. Go on." Kiana stood, bowed, and wished her a good evening, "You too." The Irish girl left and Hotaru sighed as she slumped back in her chair. "Violence in reaction to being disturbed from her phobia, this is going to be an interesting three years. Hopefully she'll reign that temper in but we'll see."

"You're late," came that familiar male voice. She looked up to see him waiting at the gate for her, "You get in trouble or something?" She nodded and he looked mildly shocked, "You? Little quiet Freckles got in trouble?" She nodded again, "For what?"

"Hitting classmates with my satchel."

Her voice was quiet, he liked it, it sounded so calm like the surface of a still pool, and he asked, "Why would you do that?"

"Ataxophobia."

"What is that?" She stayed silent, "Okay Freckles, I'll look it up." He whipped out his phone and began the search of the strange word that she had muttered as they walked along the pedestrian path. He scanned it quickly, "Interesting. So they must have done something to upset you." Kiana nodded, "Well they got what they deserved but doesn't it usually end in a panic attack?" She nodded again, "Guess they changed that for you." Kiana gave a slight nod once more, "Well, that's good to know Freckles. You do have emotions."

She looked up at him, he grinned down at her, "Why are you talking with me?" He stared at her, the gaze she gave him was intense, "Why?"

He shrugged, "You shouldn't be walking home alone in your school uniform." Kiana simply stared at him, "If you were closer then I'd walk you to school too but that's unavoidable." He was silent for a bit, "You should at least carry a weapon or something." At this she held up her satchel, he stared at it, and chuckled, "Right. You have a weapon already and you know how to use it well." When he chuckled, Kiana glanced away quickly so that she could focus on the path ahead but she didn't account for him pushing her hair aside to see the scars on her cheek that trailed down her neck and disappeared into her blouse. "What happened?" She kept silent so he let her hair fall back into place, of course silence ensued but it was comfortable, and they reached her complex. "Bye Freckles." He waved to her and what surprised him most was that she gave a small wave in return, he grinned, and headed back to the academy.

"I'm home." Kiana was smushed into a pair of breasts, she involuntarily laughed, and when she was released, Aoi was grinning at her. "Hi Mom." She held a hand over her mouth and promptly squeezed against her chest once more, this elicited another laugh from Kiana. Once her school bag was set down, her field bag hung up, and her shoes removed, she smiled.

"I'm cooking! I'm cooking!" Kiana nodded, Aoi patted the chair at the kitchen table, "Tell me about everything!"

"I got in trouble at school."

"Why?"

"Some classmates defiled my desk twice."

"Oh no, you didn't have an attack did you?"

"No," she looked down at the table while Aoi stared at her, "I hit them with my school bag." When those blue eyes looked up at her, she was stifling laughter. "The principal told me to be more careful and I'll try."

"I know you will. So anything else?"

"I met a boy."

Immediately Aoi set the casserole to cook in the oven, dashed to the table, and sat across from her adopted daughter. "Tell. Me. Everything." She was keenly interested in who this boy was and so Kiana started to tell her from the beginning. "So he walks you home everyday so far?" She nodded, "How odd and he calls you Freckles because you didn't give him your name?" She nodded again, "And he's tall?" She nodded once more, "How exciting! It's like a mystery admirer that you see everyday! What school does he go to?"

"Samezuka Academy."

"Even more interesting! I can't wait to tell Akira."

"I'm home!" The two girls replied to him, he entered, hugged his wife, kissed her passionately, and hugged Kiana. He squeezed her and spun her around before placing her on her feet once more, he sat down at the table with them. "So what have I missed?" Aoi looked at Kiana, she nodded, and told Akira everything that Kiana had told her in the last thirty minutes. "Give me his appearance." Kiana stared at her adopted father, he whipped out his phone, and dialed a number. "Touta I need you to look up all male students at Samezuka Academy that are anywhere from one-hundred-eighty centimeters and above. Then look to see if they have short brown hair and teal eyes." When the other male asked what it was for, he replied, "Someone has an interest in my little girl." The other male stated that he'd have it ready for him in a few minutes, "Great! Text it to me!" Once his phone was on the table, he felt something hard hit the back of his head, and he yelped. "OW!"

Brown eyes looked up to see Aoi seething at him, a rolling pin in her hands, "You do not need to interfere in her life! He walks her home everyday! He's a gentleman and even picked out a cute name for her!"

"But, but, but-"

"No buts. Once you find out who he is, you tell me."

Kiana laughed, both parents looked at her, and she smiled at them, "Thank you." This prompted the two of them to hug her and she felt happy for the love she was receiving from them. Aoi left to check on the casserole and Akira asked what she thought she wanted to do after high school. Kiana smiled brightly, it made her eyes twinkle, "I want to be a Criminal Forensic so I can help you at the station." Akira's eyes watered, he hugged her tightly once more while Aoi smiled warmly, and she gave a muffled response, "Can't breathe Dad." He leaned back to look at her only to repeat it again, Aoi smacked him once more with a rolling pin, and Kiana laughed.

Later in the evening when Kiana had gone to bed, Akira whispered to Aoi, "His name is Sousuke Yamazaki and he is one of the top ten Butterfly Swimmers of Japan." Golden eyes widened at him, he nodded, "So I'm good with it." She agreed with him, "Maybe we can meet him but I doubt it, he's a third year, and she's a first year."

Aoi snickered and replied quietly, "Maybe he'll become a police officer or detective and work under you Chief Yamamoto." He laughed, snuggled with his wife, and kissed her passionately. "It's been awhile." He nodded, yanked the covers of themselves, and Aoi was heard giggling with him laughing as well. The husband and wife fell asleep peacefully after thirty minutes of romping around and Kiana only had one thought running through her head and it was, Freckles.