So...Oboro x Takumi. Possibly the most canon and best ship in FEF ever. Here's a piece about it. Hope you like.
"Oniichan…"
Takumi turned around again, for what had to be the seventh time. He had a frustrated air about him, the least she could do was keep up. He forced himself to calm down, she was only an eight year old. It made sense that she was struggling to keep up at the brisk pace he was walking.
Still, it didn't hide the fact that she was so damn slow. And it was blistering hot in the afternoon pre-summer sun. And-
He could've named a thousand more things wrong with him doing this - he was the complaining type of course - but he had to get his little sister to her after-school program. After that - he breathed a sigh of what was to come - he could do what he pleased for the remaining three hours before dinnertime.
It all could've been avoided if Ryoma hadn't received detention...what was he doing? Ryoma was the sort to get straight-A's, never get in trouble, not land himself in detention. It was probably one of his insensitive friends...and he stuck up for them so he got it trouble...yeah, let's go with that, Takumi mused. And now he was stuck with the impossibly boring task of walking Sakura, a task that would've usually been done by Ryoma.
Why did they even need to bring her to an after-school program again anyways? Oh, yes. She's still young and none of you I deem old enough to look after her when school's over. Besides, you're probably too busy to look after her anyways. Which is why we've enrolled her in an after-school program to take her off your backs. She'll still need someone to walk her there though, and I will delegate that task to Ryoma. At this their father had pointed at the long haired teen, who simply nodded and went back to his work. A model child.
Before long, they arrived at their destination, a faded old place. He'd seen it before, it's appearance was no surprise to him. It was situated on, not a big street; their small town had no big streets, but one of the more main streets. Their town was small, with not a lot of cars and everyone knew each other.
"Hello, Takumi." A girl with long, brown hair and breasts (not that he cared) walked past the two, as if to prove his point. "Why're you out here, at this time?" She gestured towards the sun, a bit to the west but still overhead enough to cast circular shadows. "It's sweltering hot out here."
No kidding, Takumi thought. He put on a strained smile and said, "Stuck with escort duty." It was Ryoma's girlfriend - sorry, best friend - Kagero. "Are you looking for Ryoma?" he quipped.
"Well, he's in detention," she sighed. "I don't know what he's done now - I can't think of anything he would've done to deserve that."
Wow, she sure is laying it on thick, he thought, sort of disgusted. Well, she is his girlfriend.
"It was nice talking, Takumi. I have to go."
She carried on walking down the dusty sidewalk leaving Takumi in incredulity in front of the drab front. We'd barely talked for a minute and she called that a conversation? He shook his head as Sakura called out, "Bye-bye boob lady!"
He saw Kagero's eyes widen and jaw drop slightly. She didn't say anything though, and her expression was mirrored in Takumi's own face, except he was trying to smother his laughs. He coughed a bit to hide them, but ended up coughing a lot more because of the dust swirling along the road.
"Are you okay oniichan?" Sakura jumped up to pat his back. Even at this tender, young age, she was more caring than him.
Figures, he thought, and said "Yes, thanks, Sakura. Let's go in." He motioned towards the door and pulled.
Nothing happened. He pulled again. Maybe the door was jammed? He pulled with all his might and -
Pop! The door caved inwards, led by a slightly amused Hinata. "Hey! Takumi! Whatcha doing here?"
Before he answered, he took a moment to internally berate himself. Idiot! You've been here before! Why did you forget it was a push door! Way to make yourself look stupid in front of your best friend. Hold on. Hinata's here?
"Hey," he greeted his best friend as he casually slid sideways into the room, lightly pulling his redhead sister in with him. "I got stuck walking Sakura because Ryoma landed in detention. What about you?"
Hinata groaned. "My mother saw this ad in the flyers about this place needing some volunteers to help around, so she roped me into doing it. I got her into it too though. That reminds me, I brought someone for you to meet!"
"Um, I really should be going though-" he looked at his watch, barely registering the time. He just wanted to get home.
"Don't be such as spoilsport Takumi, it'll only take a few minutes," Hinata replied with a good natured grin and a slap on his back.
He left Sakura to play on the mats with her other friends while Hinata led him to the check-in counter. Volunteers? He took a quick glance around, his eyes still watering. It did look like the place needed a few touchups, not to mention being short on staff. I don't even know how they manage to make this place seem so friendly on the inside, Takumi wondered.
"...hey? Bro?" Hinata's voice shook him out of his wondering trance. He shook his head, clearing away his thoughts. He made a mental note to get away as soon as possible. "Yeah, Hinata?"
"You should stay and help with us. This place does look like it needs some serious cleanup, and we need all the help we can get," Hinata said quite seriously. Dammit! Why does it feel like he knows what I'm thinking? Takumi thought furiously. When Takumi didn't reply, Hinata broke into a smile. "That's it, let's go."
He led Takumi to the counter. "Anyways, want you to meet Oboro, my cousin. She's staying with us for a few weeks while her aunt's on a trip."
"Cuz, you gonna help or not?" A dark-blue haired girl, couldn't have been any younger than him, said impatiently to Hinata before Takumi had a chance to register what Hinata said. She was hunched over a paper. Hinata grinned. "Takumi, meet Oboro," he introduced. Oboro's eyes shot up from the document she was working on. Her eyes narrowed and Takumi suddenly had the feeling he was being judged. Hah. How many times have I done that? He thought bitterly.
"Nice to meet you." Oboro stood up and walked around the desk, holding out her hand to shake his. He warily accepted it. Her hand was warm and soft and some places, but rough in others, like a tailor's.
He looked up and made eye contact with her. They held it, for a long time...maybe too long...was that a slight blush he detected, creeping up her cheeks? His hand grew sweaty. When are we going to let go? He thought, a slight edge of panic making its way into his thought-voice.
With a flash, she broke it. "Sorry," she muttered. "I just have this weird thing, I don't know when to let go…" she looked up, avoiding meeting his eyes.
Takumi stepped backwards, silently letting out a breath. Hinata watched, nodding his head. "Well, now that we've gotten to know each other, -"
"Are you going to sit around all day, or can we actually use you volunteers for what you signed up for?" a woman with short blue hair and a scar over her eye strode in. Her words were scolding but her tone was light-hearted. Reina, the overseer. Her appearance was deceiving, she was really a kind person and was popular with the children.
"Yes ma'am!" Hinata held up his arm in mock salute. Oboro laughed. Takumi gave a small chuckle. "What would you have us do first, ma'am?"
She smiled. "I'm going to continue the paperwork you were doing, dear-" she nodded at Oboro "-so you three can go out and watch the children. I trust you can handle them?" She looked pointedly at Hinata.
"Of course we can," Oboro replied. Reina smiled, gathered her papers, and walked into the back room.
Hinata led the two out of the enclosed desk-space. "There aren't many people here today," he commented amiably. Takumi's eyes swept the medium-sized room. There was Sakura, her friend Hayato, and a few others he didn't know but were here at regular intervals. Six of them, in total. Shouldn't be too much of a job for us.
"Hey? Kids!" Takumi tentatively raised his voice.
"You can't do it like that," Oboro told him. "You have to be assertive. Hey! Children!" it worked; all six were now looking at them. "If you need anything, we'll be right over here! 'Kay?" They nodded or said some sort of 'yes'. Hinata shrugged and turned towards one of the tables, Takumi and Oboro close at his heels.
Takumi pulled at a chair, Oboro did the same across from him. Hinata suddenly froze. "Guys, I gotta go to the washroom. I will be right back." He sped off towards the restrooms, while Takumi looked on, amused and Oboro sat slightly confused.
"So," he said, turning back to Oboro, still embarrassed about his earlier blunder but determined not to show it.
"So," she agreed. "We might as well talk about something, we'll be seeing each other all week."
"All week?" Takumi asked, horrified.
"Yeah, the flyer said that they would need help this week, maybe some of next. That's what you're here for, right?"
"That's right," he mumbled. There goes his after-schools. At least it was nearing the end of school, he was going to have less homework. "Fine, then. We might as well get comfortable."
They sat in mutual silence for a while, watching the children play.
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
Takumi slowly turned. Oboro's hands were at her mouth. He raised an eyebrow. She was madly blushing. "Oh gods! Sorry!"
He decided to think nothing of it, after all, they barely knew each other. "I don't," he said, drawing out the I, "but my brother does. He says she isn't, that they're only best friends, but-" he gave a small laugh. "We all know better."
"Really?" The blush was gone, he could tell she was curious. "How old is he?"
"19."
She sat back, as if in thought. "Is it nice, having siblings? And two, for that matter?"
"Three," he automatically corrected her. "Two sisters and a brother."
"Three?" She gaped, most people were like that when they heard that he had three siblings. "Where do you place?"
"...second youngest."
"Hey," she said playfully, "be thankful you even have siblings. I'm an only child. My parents started their tailoring profession after I was born, they...don't have time to take care of a baby anymore…"
That explains her hands. "Do they teach you? I mean, tailoring?"
"Oh yes!" Her eyes lit up, almost as if she was in another world. Her mood changed so fast Takumi almost has trouble keeping up. "And fashion! I love fashion. I'm studying design in high school, it's not so far away from here but it's specialized. I plan to be a designer or a tailor when I grow up, follow in my parents' footsteps."
Deet-deet-deet-deet. The sudden noise broke up Oboro's long rant. They both stared at Takumi's watch. Six o'clock… "My parents are going to come pick us up soon," he felt himself say.
"Oh...ok…bye then…" She sounded almost disappointed, but her demeanor changed almost immediately. "Hey, where's my cousin? He couldn't possibly be in the bathroom all that time."
Takumi burst out laughing.
She jumped, surprised. "What is it?"
He managed to get a few words out. "Hinata...in the bathroom...gods-" he visualized - well, you probably don't want to know what he saw.
Oboro was clearly confused, but she settled for a smirk. "He's right there - of course. Playing with the little kids. Hey Hinata," she called out, "we're going. Parents are coming to pick up, we'd best split now."
Hinata stood up, dusting his shorts off. At the same time, Reina came out of the back room to the sight of parents picking up their children and three very intact teenagers. "Glad to see you're all in one piece - I take it you're coming back tomorrow?" she inquired.
"You bet we are, ma'am!" Once again, Hinata fake-saluted her. She responded likewise - "At ease, men. And woman -" she gestured to Oboro "-you'd best get a good night's sleep - it's a school day tomorrow."
She spoke the truth, it was only Tuesday and they had three more long days ahead of them before the weekend.
"Alright, skedaddle now," she said, flicking her hands.
"Let's go, Sakura," Takumi said quietly to his younger sister. He made for the exit, she happily took pursuit. He could see his older sister, also a redhead, Hinoka, in a car parked along the street.
"See you tomorrow, Takumi," Oboro called out as they went opposite ways. Takumi could only nod, he was feeling kind of funny.
"Weird that you stayed the entire time," Hinoka commented. He said nothing. Hinoka sighed. If only she could get her moody brother to open up more…
Takumi lay in bed, thinking. Mostly about a certain dark-blue haired girl who loved fashion. He kept going over their conversation, how her hands felt, her strange comments -
Oh gods.
Was he in love?
He turned over and faltered. If Hinoka, or even Leo, got hold of this information, they would never let me forget it… he groaned audibly. Why do things have to be so complicated!?
Nevertheless, it was safe to say that he slept fitfully.
Was it too fast, his interest? Sorry if Oboro is OOC. I can't really gather what her personality is, other than she's fashion savvy and girly (thanks RG). If anyone could give me some pointers, that'd be great. Please review.
